She Took It For A Holiday
Caramel laughed as he and Cloud Kicker tumbled out the door of Ponyville’s bowling alley. It was after closing time, and they had just been kicked out. Ten-Pin, the friendly owner, had made some scandalous allegations about what they were going to do after leaving his establishment, and the two were still giggling like fillies about it.
Caramel didn’t mind admitting it, he was having a great time. It had been a while since he had gone out with a friend like this. Cloud Kicker was happy, energetic, and funny. Her chatty attitude was infectious, and before long it had brought Caramel out of his drab state of mind completely. It reminded Caramel of the days when he was one of the most talkative ponies around. He missed those days. He figured that maybe, just maybe, having a little fling with Cloud Kicker could bring those days back.
Turning down the street, the two ponies started walking, with no particular destination in mind. It was late fall, and the nights were growing colder each day. Cloud Kicker shivered, then, doing her best to seem inconspicuous, sidled up to Caramel.
“Tonight was a lot of fun,” she sighed happily, leaning into Caramel a little.
Caramel considered protesting, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Cloud Kicker was certainly a pretty mare by most standards, Caramel could see that. But he just didn’t know... Besides, there was always the possibility that she was just genuinely cold.
Caramel laughed at himself. Of course that wasn’t the case, even he knew that.
The periwinkle mare beside him, however, took his laugh for a sign of affection. She stopped and placed a hoof on his shoulder, spinning him around to face her.
Caramel looked at her quizzically. She looked back at him expectantly, waiting. Then realisation, tainted slightly by the onset of panic, dawned on him.
Oh no, he thought, I can’t kiss her! Well, I could, but I just don’t want to!
Caramel didn’t dislike Cloud Kicker, in fact he thought she was awesome! But it was friendly, not romantic!
Caramel didn't know what to do. Cloud Kicker did, apparently. She placed both hooves on Caramel's shoulders, and drew him close, closing her eyes dreamily.
"Oh sweet Celestia!" Caramel stammered as he took a fumbling step away from Cloud.
"Wha-?" Cloud Kicker opened her eyes, confusion spreading across her face. Just moments ago she had been certain she was about to enjoy a nice kiss on a first date.
"Um... I mean, oh goddess, would you look at that!"
"Look at what?"
"Is that really the time?" Caramel asked, making a show of peering at the Ponyville clock tower, visible over the rooftops. "It's nearly one o'clock, my uh, favourite show starts in a few minutes!"
"What kind of show only airs at one in the morning?!" Cloud Kicker exclaimed, befuddled and slightly offended.
"It's er... This really obscure show, made by some indie producer... You've probably never heard of it. Look, I'm really sorry, but I'm gonna have to leave you. I had fun tonight, I really did!"
With that, Caramel turned and started galloping headlong away from the awkward situation, leaving behind one extremely perplexed and disconcerted young mare.
"You know, if my breath smelled bad, you could have just said so!" she yelled as he disappeared. Cloud Kicker was confused to no end. But a night as amazing as this one easily excused a single awkward moment. She would call him again sometime.
Caramel sat on his bed, thoroughly annoyed with himself.
Come on. The first girl to really reach out to me in years, and I blew it. Why?
Of course, the part of his mind which he had spurned for so long had a ready explanation. But just like all the times before, Caramel rejected that explanation.
It’s all in my head! I could choose to like Cloud Kicker, if only I had the willpower...
With a sigh of resignation, Caramel let his head fall heavily to his pillow, and fell into a restless sleep shortly thereafter.
The next morning, Caramel dragged himself from his bed, made breakfast, and then made his way to work.
He arrived at the quill emporium, and unlocked the entrance with his key. The very old and very sleepy pony who owned the shop, Mr. Featherstone, was likely still asleep in his apartment above the store. The old stallion had instructed Caramel that the shop was to be open at 8 o’clock every morning, though Featherstone was almost never was up that early.
Caramel grumbled as he entered to find the shop dark and empty. Mr. Featherstone was, as usual, not awake yet. Caramel set about making the store ready for shoppers, then settled in behind the counter with a copy of the latest Daring Do novel.
Caramel didn’t need to pay too much attention while he was on the job, because - surprisingly enough - hardly anyone ever visited the quill store. That was the main reason that Caramel never complained about Mr. Featherstone’s sleeping habits. It would be fairly simple for a pony to run the store by themselves, even one as old as Featherstone - that is, if Featherstone were to suddenly start getting up at a reasonable time of day.
Caramel was engrossed in his book, when the bell hanging from the front entrance rang. He mumbled a greeting, reckoning the pony who had just entered would be able to find what they were looking for. A pony not being able to find quills in a quill store sounded like some sort of bad joke.
But then he heard a feminine ‘ah-hem’ from right in front of him. He glanced up, his heart giving a jump. His body did the same, and he crashed out of the chair he had reclined in, collapsing on the floor.
“Oh boy. Are you alright?” asked Cloud Kicker, peering over the counter at him.
Caramel quickly leapt to his feet again.
“Oh, yeah, hey Cloud. Of course - no worries. Just didn’t expect to see you again so soon... Last night, I really...”
“...Yes?” Cloud eagerly asked, hoping for some sort of explanation.
Come on Caramel, just tell her! shouted the ever-troublesome section of his mind.
“I have no idea what came over me!” he said, a little louder than he meant to.
Just then, the blue-grey form of Mr Featherstone descended from the stairs at the back of the store.
“Caramel! I hope you’re not treating this fine customer indecently!”
“Oh no,” Cloud Kicker quickly jumped in, “Everything’s fine. In fact, I was just about to ask Caramel if he would like to accompany me to a concert tonight!”
“I will never understand young people...” he sighed. Then, more cheerfully, “Well, that’s just great then! What do you say, Caramel?”
Caramel just stood there, dumbstruck.
“I... What?”
“Come now, Caramel,” Featherstone said with a wink, “The customer is always right!”
Oh Celestia. Mr. Featherstone might have looked like he was joking, but Caramel knew he was dead serious - to him, the customer was always right.
“Well, I uh...” Caramel looked between the two ponies in the room. A relationship he wasn’t really comfortable with on one side, freedom (along with a potential loss of his job) on the other. “You know what, that sounds just great. When should we meet?”
Cloud Kicker smiled broadly. Featherstone seemed equally satisfied, and he retreated back up the stairs to his apartment.
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Did you delete the first chapter then re-upload it? Cause I swear there were some comments there last time I checked.
Or maybe I'm going crazy....
Really liking this so far. It's progressing nicely and the stakes are slowly getting higher and higher. I look forward to the rest of this.
1247456 OH NO.
The... What...
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_002.jpg/250px-Vincent_Willem_van_Gogh_002.jpg
sixpacktech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/first-world-problems.jpg
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4.bp.blogspot.com/-u3WOL3lBS6Y/UCJnOoQMnKI/AAAAAAAADBs/TK4CV6SNuzI/s1600/depression+1.jpg
I tried to upload chapter two. I uploaded a second version of chapter one. I uploaded chapter two, then deleted the original chapter one.
I guess I'll go beg for mercy from a mod.
1247491 So sad.
images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111008162310/mlpfanart/images/e/e0/Sad_Luna.gif
Here. Have crazy Russians, Let their antics make you feel better. c:
desmond.imageshack.us/Himg821/scaled.php?server=821&filename=meanwhilei.gif&res=landing
I hope everything turns out ok.
1248537 Well, knighty can't do anything about it. Apparently there are failsafes to recover deleted stories, but deleted chapters are deleted from the FiMfic servers completely. Ah well, the damage is done and I've learned an important lesson. Best to just move on!
Thanks for the Russians though.
Geez, sorry to hear I was right. Well, hope things only look up from now on.
1250562 All I can say is... Eeeyup, I'm an idiot.
1250828
It could happen to anyone, don't beat yourself up over it.
1257522 Funny story about that... (check my blog). Anyways, new chapter this weekend, so you might have two to read!
I'm actually enjoying this, though my heart kind of hurts for Cloud Kicker. I've been the one fruitlessly pursuing, thinking there was something there.
1271732 Ha, that's so relevant... You'll see once Chapter 3 is live - she comes so close!
I see you've updated Fr: Canterlot W/
If you'll excuse me, I'll be dropping everything now and reading that.
I enjoyed this chapter a lot more than the first one
I found it easier to engage with the characters this time around and the flow felt a lot more natural and easier to follow. Is it just my imagination or was this one shorter than chapter one?
I'm really loving the type of character your making Caramel out to be and I loved the interactions between him and Cloud Kicker, although I do feel like there could have been a bit more there for comedic effect - I couldn't help but picture a crazy montage of situations where Caramel desperately avoids Cloud, causing little mishaps here and there
Anyways, once again, another awesome read - can't wait to read the next chapter