//------------------------------// // The Toast of The Town // Story: Life Is A Runway // by Split Scimitar //------------------------------// 2 days until opening. “Pack your bags. We’re moving to Manhattan.” Not me, per se. I have to pick up Rosalina. Hawaiian 50 lands in New York at 7:00. Rarity, wary of this, gives me the keys to her Rolls Royce. “Fill the tank up please.” “Thanks, Rarity. She’ll meet the rest of you in Manhattan. We’re meeting at my place right?” “Where is your place?” “A few blocks from Times Square.” “Oh, that may not be worth it.” “I have a 2-car garage.” “Just go and get Rosalina. We’ll figure it out.” “Be back soon!” “I also have another friend coming in from Vermont. I may have you pick her up.” “Just let me know.” “Can I come with?” Applejack asks. “I want ta’ be in the city early.” “Sure. Got room for one more. Any takers?” “Uh, everyone else is asleep as far as I know.” “Just the two of us then?” “No. I’ll join you.” Rarity replies. “So who’ll drive the rest of you in the Lexus?” “They can fight over it. Though on second thought, maybe I should stay. Can you two not create tension that Rosalina will inevitably need to cut?” “What’d‘ya mean? There’s no tension on my part.” “Not here either.” “Okay… well, you better go. Queens is going to be pretty merciless come morning rush.” “Oh yeah.” I say pretty matter of fact as I unlock her car, the Spirit of Ecstasy popping up, eliciting a chuckle from me. “Okay AJ,” I then say as we climb in, “I trust you’re more awake than I am, since I’m not fully acclimated to eastern time, but can you monitor my texts?“ “Sure thing, sugar cube!” With that, I take my wallet out of my pocket and drop it in the cup holder. As I join the freeway, I get a slight pain in my knee, but it’s because I need to pop my kneecap. When I take care of the problem, I pick up the pace enough to make AJ notice however, and after my pace gets to an 80 mph average, she starts to get nervous. “Sugar cube, can ye’ slow down? It’s slowin’ up over there.” “Any word from Rosalina?” I ask silently acknowledging her sentiment. “Not yet.” “She should’ve landed about now. Can you check the flight status of Hawaiian Airlines Flight 50?” “Can be done!” She says as she presents my phone so I can unlock it. As I even out my pace to 70, I settle in nicely as AJ updates me with, “says it’s on time.” “They’re probably on the ground already then.” “Don’t hurry yerself. She’d text ‘ya if she was all ready t’go and waitin’ for ‘ya.” “Oh well.” I respond as I keep my current pace. In no time at all, we hit the traffic. For the brief time I use I-95 to catch another highway, I ask Applejack to map the quickest route. “Get onto Cross Island Parkway.” “Go figure. You can turn it on if you want.” And activating the map, Applejack sets my phone in the cup holder as I decide to put my foot down, since we’ll be adding some extra miles to assumably bypass traffic heading into Queens. When I jump off the freeway from Belt Parkway, I sneak in to Terminal Loop just as Rosalina finally sends a text. “Sorry about that. Waited a while for the gate.” Applejack says for her. “Ask her if she claimed her bag already.” Responding accordingly, a response of “already claimed” arrives. “On the way.” I tell AJ, which she relays by the phone. When I find her with a decently-sized suitcase, I sneak in and park the car, jumping out and popping the boot. “Hi how are you?” I ask as we share a quick hug. “I’m fine. The flight could’ve been better.” She responds as I take her bag and load it in. “Pretty rough?” “Enough to rattle a few.” She responds hugging Applejack. They then fight over the back seat, which AJ gives to Rosalina so she can sleep. “Did you call Mario or Luigi?” I ask once we get out of the airport. “I did. Mario said he can come, Luigi may not, but Daisy can. Peach also said she could try and come, but don’t count on it. Mario and Daisy may be the ones most likely to come.” “How about the kids?” “They’re unavailable.” “Okay. Oh, by the way, any word on Annabelle and Jr? I know they wanted me to come, but I literally haven’t heard anything since meeting them, which was about a year and a half ago.” “Yeah. I haven’t been able to talk to them.” “Ok then. Hopefully we can get some word before then.” Come the crossing into the island, I arrive ahead of a call from Rarity. “Hello?” “Darling, I just realized one more should have been sent with you. There are six of us still at home, plus Starlight arriving at JFK.” “No worries. I can head back and relieve you. Is there any word on your pickup?” “I think she said she’s coming in at 10.” “Well, I just got to my house, so as soon as I can, I’ll head back.” “Please hurry, darling. The thought of morning rush is starting to get to me.” “Too bad we can’t clone me temporarily to drive.” “Maybe I should’ve asked you to bring a car.” “Sorry.” “That’s alright, we must make do with what we have.” “I’ll see you soon.” “Okay, bye.” Popping my head inside, I check on AJ and Rosalina, the latter of whom has made herself comfortable on the master bed and pretty much ready to crash. “I have to head back to White Plains, since no one else was willing to get up that early. Text if you need anything.” And with that, I pop back into the Phantom, close the garage, and head for a petrol station. Topping off with just over 400 miles of predicted range, I race back to White Plains, where upon my return to Rarity’s estate, the head of house is outside on a phone call. “Oh, thank heavens you’re here! We’ve been waiting for you.” “Are you on hold?” “Yes.” I nod and respond with, “Let’s load up. Do you want to pick up Ms. Starlight?” “Yes yes, I should.” “Which car do you want to use?” “It doesn’t matter to me.” “Nor to me.” “I’ll go to meet Starlight at least.” Sunset volunteers as the others follow close behind. “Okay, anyone else?” I ask. “I’ll go with you.” Pinkie adds. “Okay then, the rest of you will just meet us in Manhattan then.” Rarity says. “Can I have your address, Max?” “Here you go.” I say texting it to her. “Lexus or Rolls?” “I’ll just take the Lexus. I like driving it better.” “Alrighty.” With that, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy all pile in. After Rarity locks up the house behind her, the two cars depart Château d’Rareté. As soon as I get us up to highway speed, Twi and Pinkie are asleep in the back. Rainbow Dash though is buzzing away on her phone, so I sit back and head for Manhattan. When we arrive, and to try and make room for the Lexus, I unload everybody curbside and then park as deep inside the garage as possible. Then, I check on Rosalina, who‘s fast asleep. The others are picking bedrooms and getting comfortable, so I head for a nap after popping an Advil for mild but incessant back pain. A few hours later, I wake up refreshed but still exhausted internally. My chest feels heavy, but my heart is fine. My blood pressure is probably higher than it normally is, but I can just chalk it up to dealing with Manhattan and JFK traffic. I have to actively deep breathe to not feel short of breath otherwise. This is gonna be a long day. Rosalina, upon finding me in a mess, helps me out of bed and makes sure I get enough water on the way to the boutique with the others. Along the way, I meet Starlight. “Max,” Sunset says grabbing my attention, “this is Starlight Glimmer, protégée of Princess Twilight, with whom Applejack tells me you are acquainted.” “I am. Hello.” I say offering my hand to Starlight. “Hi there.” She responds nervously. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.“ Chuckling, she responds, “Oh, it’s not that. I just feel kind of weird being here because Twilight sent me here in her place. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be here, but I’d much rather have gone with Twilight, you know?” She responds shaking my hand. “Sure. You feel a little… out of place, if you don’t mind me saying it that way.” “Mostly, yes.” “So you’re Twilight’s student?” “Uh huh!” “And what kind of duties would she have aside from normal princess business to attend to?” “Actually, she’s attending a summit in Baltimare. She wishes she could come, though.” “It’d be nice to see her again. When we met, I wasn’t exactly at a high point in my life.” “Aw…” When we arrive at the boutique, I am simply at a loss for words. Now, I know this is her newest location, and I haven’t actually seen the San Francisco boutique in its entirety, but I love what she’s done with the place. I have no eye for dresses, so I’m not really one for specifics, but I recognize a good piece when I see one, and Rarity has no shortage of dresses for the upcoming autumn. “No summer pieces?” “Of course not, darling!” Rarity says, taking me by the hand. “Those may come back next season, or I may just have to wholesale them.” “You wholesale dresses you don’t sell?” “Thankfully only once. And it was absolutely devastating.” “Uh huh. And how is the store organized?” “Oh, that’s easy. A classic Season, Color, Price system. Only what’s in season gets put on the floor, although if there are any out-of-season purchases, we can easily assist them. The store floor if you couldn’t see it earlier, is divided into sections: Chic, classic, modern, sophisticated, avant-garde, traditional, and obtuse.” “Cool. What do you need me to do?” “Actually, I only need you as a driver, but since you have accommodations for us close to the shop, I don’t think I’ll need you unless I call on you.” “And we’re in Manhattan. Not like we need a car unless we’re going across the city.” “Exactly. I guess in the meantime you can just brush up on your French.” “You want to go to France?” “London and Paris, darling! That’s the plan.” “We’ll have to talk about this in-depth. I need to map out what you want to do.” “Do you want to head to Brooklyn and see if anyone is available?” Rosalina then asks as the eight of them dive right into their task at hand. “Why not?” I respond to her. “Where are the keys to the Lexus?” “In my bedroom.” Rarity calls back. “Ok. I’m going to see if Rosalina’s guests are available.” When we return home, I open the garage and Rosalina climbs in. A petrol check of half tank is just fine. Notwithstanding any trips back to White Plains, that should last us until Monday. After Rosalina closes the garage, I get some wheel slip thanks to sidewalk cleaning prior to departure, so as soon as we hit the streets, I punch the throttle against a handful of Manhattan yellow lights, to which even someone as unshakable as Rosalina gets nervous. When we hit a red light, Rosalina places her hand on top of mine and grips it ever so slightly. Knowing what she means by this, I look at her. “I’m sorry, but we didn’t bust any reds.” “I know, but please be careful.” “You know I wouldn’t do anything like that without thinking.” “I know, but still.” “Hey, it’s something you won’t miss come our court date.” “Don’t remind me. I’m not having an easy time coming to terms with the fact.” “Obligation to ask then,” I say mostly to get it off my chest, “why are we going through with this?” “Because it doesn’t make sense anymore. Our living situation, our lines of work, your own work obligations in addition to…” “I hope that all the stuff that’s happened with all of them hasn’t played a part.” “I can’t say it didn’t, but that’s just the nature of your work. You spend a lot of time with clients and your excessive chivalry while it doesn’t violate anything ethical, creates the opportunity for intimacy. And there’s something about you that’s just that attractive.” “Well, I can’t be sorry for being chivalrous, but you know why I am attractive, my money.” “Hmm.” She responds half pondering. “To be honest,” I continue, “with all the shit that goes on in my head, I’m surprised we stayed together this long. I have no idea why you didn’t just up and leave, especially when you consider that we were close friends for a long time before we started dating.” “When I met you, I saw someone who was very damaged goods with a bit of entitlement, but not without good reason. You got shafted majorly in many critical stages of your life, despite being dealt a good hand otherwise. In spite of that, I saw a fire of passion and compassion still burning strong in spite of the world’s many efforts to extinguish it. You show serious dedication to your work and those you care about. You are willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice if you can help. Look at what you’ve done for me: it’s because of you that I got the opportunity to work in Hawaii. It’s because of you that I can rotate between the three islands we operate. It’s because of you that I was blessed with the happiest years of my life. I always placed my parents on a pedestal because they showed me one of the many ways to love. Our marriage granted was nearly the complete opposite in almost all respects, but guess what? Because of you I discovered new ways to make marriage work. Because of you I put my ability to enjoy the limited time we had together to the test. I would never have asked for it otherwise, and I’m glad I got the opportunity to test my ability to cope with long-distance. Being able to enjoy the limited time we had together was a blessing in disguise. Because that was how our marriage was going to be, I feel stronger and more grown as a person. I don’t think I could’ve ever gotten that experience with anyone else.” “Don’t make me cry.” I respond holding back tears. “Especially because when we met, I knew I wanted you. And yet, despite all the years we knew each other, the things we did together, the opportunities that arose from our relationship, and even when we decided to start dating, I… always felt like I had nothing to offer. I literally kept telling myself that the only reason I wanted you was to have a partner. Someone I could enjoy the journey of life with until the day I died, and then, when we got married, I knew that I made the right decision. Now here we are, almost ready to finalize our divorce, and yet somehow, we’ll remain friends and stay close. I can’t even begin to start at how grateful I am that we still will. To anyone else, it may seem awkward or even downright wrong, but it makes sense to us.” “You’re right. It does seem wrong to want to sever our marriage certificate despite having everything we could ever want in each other, but guess what? I don’t have room in my heart for anyone else. I don’t think I’ll want to take care of anyone else except you. You’ve given me so much more than I could’ve ever wanted or asked for, and I could never repay you.” “I don’t want you to think that our marriage was based on me showering you with gifts and you felt obligated to marry me for that.” “No! I would never say that. I know we’re divorcing, but that has nothing to do with why we are.” “Do we want to make it work? Should we just stay married and keep going about our lives like we never began the proceedings?” Not expecting a response, I don’t get one. Before long, we reach the former plumbing business once occupied by Mario and Luigi. The office is no longer in use, and the property is rather derelict, but this is arguably one of the most important pieces of property for the Mario Bros, because this is one of three portals into this world for them. Parking next to their work trucks, each covered by a tarpaulin, we wait patiently by the warp pipes to see who comes through. After about 20 minutes, I start to doze off waiting for them, so after I drop the windows and recline the seat back, Rosalina decides to see if she can call one of them, since surprisingly, there is cell service in the Mushroom World. Rosalina then starts talking, so I assume she got through. As I watch her listening and responding, I wait with bated breath to see who’s coming. When the call ends, Rosalina happily announces, “good news! All four of them are on their way.” “Oh, that’s unfortunate. There’s only room for five.” “They’re visiting the boys’ parents, and remember they only live a few blocks from here.” “Oh that’s true. You want to stay with them?” “No, no. I love them, but that house will get crowded with more than 6 people there.” “Oh yeah, you’re right. Ha!” No sooner do I chuckle does an ever-familiar sound signal the arrival of our fantastic four. Clad in their athleisure wear for Princesses Toadstool and Daisy, and the overalls, long sleeve shirts, brown work boots and signature caps of their husbands. Excited to see them for the first time in years, we all exchange hugs and handshakes. “How is everybody?” “They’re just fine.“ Peach begins. “The boys got a trick at the helm on the throne, with the help of Toadsworth of course. They’d been looking forward to it; well Peter at least. Marc is afraid he’ll lose a lot of free time when their time comes.” “What does he like to do now? Any different than we last met?” “Not much. He has developed a knack for exploring power-ups. He’s gotten more outdoorsy as of late.” “That’s awesome. How about Peter?” “He’s great too! He’s developed a wonderful affinity for diplomacy. After the summit we had the last time you visited, Peter fell in love with cross-kingdom cultures and the like. He likes to say that understanding the local customs is something that everyone should undertake mandatorily.” “I would 100% agree. Daisy, how’s the family and the kingdom?” “Proud to say that everything on our side is just as peaceful as the MK! My dad and Luigi get along well now, though each side isn’t without their, um, hard heads from time to time. We’re glad to report across all realms that our kingdoms have also enjoyed an extended period of peace on the land, and the Koopa Navy is attempting a circumnavigation of the Grand Ocean. There are new lands to discover, and the Koopas are leading the charge. All three kids happily joined the expedition, especially because Lubba and his crew are aiding in the search.” “That’s so awesome to hear you exploring all these new lands. I almost wish I was with you, but I do have a regular clientele, which explains my prolonged absence.” “We understand.” Mario responds on their behalf. “That’s great to hear from you!” “Speaking of prolonged absence, what’s the word on Jr and Annabelle? Are they still on course for marriage?” “Yes they are! We’ve been meaning to tell both of you, but then things got a little messy in the planning stage. Because it is technically a royal wedding, the ceremony for just close friends and family will take place on a separate day from the public celebration.” “Naturally.” “The trouble is, both Annabelle and Jr are starved for ideas. None of them really want to do anything lavish, for either the public or the intimate ceremony.” “Oh? How do you mean?” “While both of them want to celebrate their love, being with their friends and family is what they want most, but the public ceremony needs to be lavish, since we’re not only uniting the two of them, but their marriage is now the symbol of the unity between two of our world’s former mortal enemies.” “Well, I’m not sure what insight I can offer, but maybe Rosalina could go and see if there is anything she can do. I’m sure the Lumas would love to see her.” “You won’t need to worry about that. We’ve been able to let our most trusted committees do most of the planning. The reason we didn’t call you actually is because we thought you would be needed, but when the planning committee put their approved plans into action, most of the actual wedding planning took care of itself from there.” “Oh. Does she need help planning the intimate celebration? I have friends and connections that I’m sure would be more than willing to help in any way they can.” “That would be nice.” “Definitely! I’ll tell them that you’re interested.” “Sounds good.” “You gonna head to your parents’ now or are you gonna explore NY?” “We’re gonna do some Coney Island stuff. Cliché as it may seem, we do enjoy carnival dates.” Mario says. “So do we!” Daisy adds excitedly. “It’s the simple things, you know?” Rosalina and I then look at each other and nod. “Yes indeed, it is the simple things.” “Before I forget, I’ll let you go after this: my friend Rarity is opening a boutique here in Manhattan. She would love to meet you, and you’ll be able to meet our party planner, who is assisting in the festivities of the grand opening. It’s on Sunday at 8 am. Can you come?” “Sure!” Luigi responds. “I’m all for it. Where’s the boutique?” “Just a few blocks from Times Square. I’ll get you specifics tomorrow.” “Sounds good! Maybe I’ll find something I like!” Peach says as they get ready to leave. “We’ll be in touch.” I add as they walk out. “See you later!” Daisy calls as Rosalina and I climb back in. Deciding to drive to the boutique, we snag a lucky grab right in front of the store, but no one is visible from the street. I assume they must be taking care of things in the back. Upon entry, Rarity asks me to lock the door behind me, which I do. From there, the others emerge and carefully stock the rest of the racks with fresh dresses. Seeing these pieces gives me a real “artist at work” feeling as each dress is removed from its bag. Some of the girls even express their love of a dress to the point that Rarity somewhat jokingly offers them the piece for free. I chuckle at the fact as Rarity calls me back. Not surprisingly, everyone starts tittering, which leads to full blown laughter from Rainbow and Pinkie as I close the door to her office behind me. “What’s the problem, Rarity?” “Oh, nothing. I just wanted to go over where we should visit when we’re in Europe.” “Well, is there anywhere else you want to visit besides the UK and France?” “I don’t think so. You have been before, right?” “I’ve been to Paris. My siblings made their way down to Rome. We’ve all seen the sun setting on the beach in Mexico.” “Weird flex, but okay.” “Point is, I have been, but it has been a while. And the last time I went, I almost got…” “Got what, darling?” “I almost got… murdered.” I say mumbling the last one. “Sorry, dear, I’ve been working around loud noise all day. You’re going to have to speak up.” “Ok then, don’t worry about it.” “I’m sorry, what?” “Nothin’.” “Okay… well, I figure the least we can do in Paris is the Champs Élysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre.” “I’ll drive down Champs Élysées, but I won’t shop there. How about Notre Dame? You want to see that?” “Sure, if we have time.” “How about Normandy? You want to walk along Omaha Beach?” “Do you want to?” “I did on my first trip, so there’s no pressure, but let’s not spend too much in one place.” “Yes, of course. How about Britain? Is there anywhere you want to go?” “The obvious tourist traps? Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, among others. For you, I would suggest Savile Row, since that’s one of the premier bespoke fashion districts of the city.” “Let’s do that!” “Alrighty then. So, Champs Élysées, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and Notre Dame if we have time in Paris. Big Ben, London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, and Savile Row in London. We’ll cross off as necessary depending on how things go. Is there anything else you want to see outside of the capital cities besides Normandy?” “Let me ask, is there anywhere you want to go? I’m willing to accompany you on things you want to see while you’re in either Britain or France.” “If it allows, I may want to go to Drayton Manor.” “What’s there? And where is it?” “It’s in Birmingham. And admittedly, Thomas The Tank Engine is what’s there.” “Go on?” She responds curiously. “The original model trains they used for the show are on display, so it would be very much a “childhood fulfilled” as it were.” “Don’t be silly. We can go if you want.” “But this holiday isn’t for me. It’s for you.” “Darling, you’re taking me to Europe! I’ll happily oblige!” “Fine. Fine.” “Besides, I think I have another way to express my gratitude.” She says slyly sliding me an envelope. Gently opening it, I pull out two tickets to The BBC’s Last Night of The Proms. Seating inside the [Royal] Albert Hall. Front row. Center section. “I know you’re a… band, geek. I figure this would be my way of expressing my gratitude.” “I… I’m speechless. Thank you! So much.” “You’re very welcome, dear! Please don’t lose those.” “Of course not. I know how difficult these tickets are to get.“ I decide to put the tickets in a safe place, so I head home and put them on my duffel bag. I then enjoy an e-cigarette before making my way back to the boutique. Tossing the stick in the closest bin I can find, Rosalina calls me in and asks for my help along with Applejack to take out the many boxes and dump/recycle them. Stacking ‘em high, I check the height of the highest box above my head before making my way to the back door. Ultimately needing to crouch to clear it, I drop into a full squat, but one of the corners on the highest box hits the doorsill, which I try everything I can to recover but ultimately fail, spilling cardboard everywhere and looking dejected. Applejack comes straight to my aid and grabs the spilled boxes, tossing them into the bin in one fell swoop, making me look utterly humiliated by not only being able to carry the boxes with ease, but also able to dispose of them just like that. “Thanks AJ, I needed that.” “Think nothin’ of it. I kinda saw it comin’.” “Why? You doubt my abilities?” “Years’a workin’ on the farm have paid off in knowing when a load is too unstable.” “Well, I appreciate that, thank you.” “Of course!” “You seen Rosalina?” “She said she was gonna go meet her friends in Brooklyn.” “She take Rarity’s Lexus?” “I think so? I didn’t see her leave.” “Oh well. I’ll ask around I guess.” “Hey,” the text comes in, “took the Lexus. Be on call, Mario and Luigi might want us over for dinner.” “Do they know about the divorce?” “No. The time isn’t right yet.” “How long do you think it’ll be? I’m not really bothered, I’m just curious.” “I don’t know. It’s too soon to tell. We haven’t seen them in over a year, so there’s a lot of catching up to do.” “Yes, of course.” I then respond before telling Applejack, “Looks like she did take the Lexus. Hope Rarity won’t be mad.” “Nah, I’m sure she’ll be okay with it.” “Max, can you and Applejack help reorganize the stockroom?” “How?” “Don’t worry. I know how.” Applejack responds as we head back. When that task finishes, the last person to meet in the main room is Pinkie, who oh so elaborately has the decorations and celebratory décor ready for tomorrow. “You need us to help decorate anything?” “Nope! Surprise attack!” Everyone screams and runs for cover. Pinkie then tosses a bundle of streamers. To that, Rarity yelps as her inventory gets covered in paper. “Pinkie!” “Sorry!” Rarity then calls everyone’s attention. “Okay everybody!” “Bring it in!” Pinkie shouts. “My goodness, who knew I could be this anxious.” She says mostly to herself. “Tomorrow is the big day. I know we’ve all worked very hard to make this a reality. Friendly reminder that Sassy Saddles And Coco Pommel will be arriving in a few minutes, so I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you with helping get the store ready, except for you Max, since all you did was drive.” Everybody laughs. “Wow Rarity, yer’ not mincing words are ‘ya?” Applejack says, keeping her laughter more internalized. “My point is,” she says raising her voice, “without all of you, this would not be possible. And as we celebrated Fluttershy’s birthday, this makes these past few months even that much more special. I cannot thank all of you enough for how much you mean to me, even you Max.” Everyone laughs, including me, who does the Applejack thing and keeps most of it inside. “Hello?” A decidedly English woman singsongs as she knocks on the door. “Sassy Saddles! Coco Pommel! Come on in!” “I love what you’ve done with the place!” “It’s very “You.”” The other adds. “Thank you. I’m so glad you think so.” “How’s Sweetie Belle?” The other asks. “She’s good. She wants to stay at home but our parents want her to move out. She likes home though, that’s why she doesn’t want to leave.” “That’s very sweet.” “How’s the Broadway life?“ “I love it.” “Who’s the pudgy hunk over there?” The Englishwoman then asks, pointing at me. “Sassy, Coco, this is Max. He’s been our chauffeur for the past couple days.” “Hello.” I respond flatly. “Split Scimitar, but Max is fine.” “Well, Mr. Scimitar, a pleasure to meet you. Sassy Saddles.” “Likewise, Ms. Saddles.” “Just call me Miss Sassy.” I chuckle at her response then continue with, “Miss Pommel, I presume.” “Yes. Coco Pommel, Coco will be just fine.” “Sure. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Coco.” Before I can say anything else, Rarity cuts me short so she can show them around. Both Sassy and Coco need to get familiar with how the boutique is organized now that there are available dresses on display. Sassy seems to have a good idea of the Rules of Rarity, as it were, and Coco has picked up on it well too. “Miss Sassy,” I begin as they take a look around the floor, “how long have you been working for Rarity?” “Only about three years. She and I ran White Plains when Carousel was still a fledgling.” “When did San Francisco open? Were you sent there immediately?” “Six months after I began. It was rather scary at first, but that store isn’t as big as White Plains yet.” “Very nice.” “Miss Coco, how do you know Rarity?” “We actually met at New York fall fashion week about a year ago. I was designing dresses for on and off-Broadway plays, when Rarity and I started connecting over [an Oscar] de la Renta dress.” “What plays have you designed? I may recognize some of your work.” “Probably not, actually. I’ve been an understudy as of late.” “Do you enjoy being the supporting role?” “Actually yes. Getting credit and the spotlight can be quite overwhelming.” “Sure. I understand that. That’s why I really learned to appreciate my time as a First Officer. As much as I wanted to chase upgrade times, to Captain that is, I’m glad I spent extra time as an F/O because that experience of being a support was so invaluable. I’m one of a select few who has single pilot privileges for multi-crew aircraft, and I would not have those privileges without spending my extra time in the shadows, for lack of a better term.” “Mhmm.” Coco nods in agreement. “That’s exactly why I’m not hoping for a big break as of late. I don’t feel quite ready to lead in that respect.” “Yes!” I say holding up my hand, which she somewhat uncharacteristically high fives despite initially flinching back. “Alright, pleasure to meet you. I have to run home and plug in. I’m down to 3%.” “Oh my!” Sassy exclaims. “Get going quickly!” “Bye Max.” Coco says as I smile and wave goodbye.