“Get the hell outta my restaurant!” Topple yelled.
Oh goodie. He was yelling at a customer. That was a great business model, no?
Well, the bastard deserves it.
At least that’s what Topple was telling himself.
The stallion (the one being yelled at) turned his nose up and huffed. “Suit yourself. I shall take my leave.”
He stood up from a table, and turned towards Topple. “This disastrous parlor could never have held up to my taste anyway.”
The stallion walked off, and Topple was fuming. The door opened and closed. Topple resisted throwing his pizza slicer at the glass door. He was absolutely furious.
Who did that stallion think he was? A Demi-God?
And why was he so rude? All Topple did was ask what that guy wanted to order. Respectfully, he might add.
The stallion just laughed at him for being an earth pony. Even called him a “backwater hick”. Who does that? Walks into someone’s restaurant and calls them a hick to their face.
Canterlot Nobles, man…
“Your tastes?” He grumbled, walking into the kitchen, ignoring the sound of the doors opening once more. He was too upset to care. He dropped his slicer into the sink. “Taste this friggin’ dick!”
“Topple?!” A familiar voice yelled out.
He stopped. He turned.
That.. that was…
His heart dropped.
There she was.
“P-P-Princess!” He yelled. Less in a ‘hello’ way and more in a ‘HOLY CRAP I JUST TOLD THE PRINCESS TO SMD’ way.
Crap. Crap.
What an entertaining situation, to an outside viewer.
However, to Topple, it was a death sentence.
Luna would never want to see him again. She would send him to the darkest dungeon. No, to the moon!
He had to apologize!
He ran out of the double doors and over to a blushing Luna. Skidding to a stop, he bowed.
“I am so sorry! That was not directed to you!” He yelled, bowing repeatedly. “I was angry! I didn’t realize you had walked in! I’m so sorry!”
…
“T-Top-“ she coughed. She cleared her head. “Topple, it’s quite alright.” She said reassuringly.
“If you want to send me to the moon I comple- what?” He stopped on a dime. “It’s alright?” He questioned.
Wha? He could’ve sworn he committed some kind of heinous crime by swearing in front of a Princess. Yet swearing AT a Princess? That was a death charge and two-thousand years in the slammer.
She smiled softly. “Of course it’s alright, you oaf. I’m able to distinguish between an accident and genuine maliciousness.”
She put her hoof on his chin and brought his head up. He followed with her hoof, up until he was back to standing normally.
“You have nothing to worry about, dear Topple.” She smiled at him, quelling his nerves.
He chuckled nervously. “S-Sorry, anyway. You shouldn’t have had to hear me use such language.” He shuffled.
“It’s no problem.” She chuckled. “I don’t mind, really. Plus; there’s some good to have come out of this.”
“What’s that?” He asked, feeling light. But also confused.
“You finally made me blush. After me making you blush so many times, you turned it around on me.” She chuckled, and bowed herself. “Consider that an accomplishment.” She said… somewhat seductively?
The restaurant was quiet for a moment.
Did. Is that.
Did she flirt with him just then?
Topple’s brain ceased functioning.
The silence continued as Luna watched him go through several stages and feelings of grief.
She couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Bwahaha!” Luna laughed, watching as Topple’s face heated up infinitely more than what she had just experienced. This was great. She got him good. “Oh, Topple, I’m just teasing!” She laughed.
…Her blush said otherwise.
“J-Just teasing.” He sighed, shaking his head, and then laughing. “Right. Sorry. I don’t know what happened just then.”
He did. And so did she.
Neither of them admitted it to themselves, though.
“Neither do I, dear Topple.” She pat him on the shoulder. “We can be confused together.”
They both laughed, and then settled into silence.
…
“So, did you want a pizza for… lunch? dinner? or something?” Topple asked, bluntly so. “You don’t normally visit during the day.”
He was right. She didn’t normally visit during the afternoon.
“Straight to the point, I see.” She muttered. “That’s an astute observation, Topple.” She nodded.
“I’m just restless, is all.” She explained.
“Restless?” He chewed the inside of his cheek. “Restless why?”
You, me, Zebricon, the press,
“Not sure.” She smiled. A little too widely.
Topple eyed her curiously.
“If you say so.” He said, shrugging.
He couldn’t tell she was lying. He wasn’t really good at reading ponies.
When they say ‘stallions are dense’, it’s not exactly a joke.
She took a seat at her usual booth. “Anyway, enough about me.” She muttered. “How are you, Topple?”
Stressed about bills, stressed about work, angry at everything, stressed abo
“I’m doin’ just fine.” He smiled, shrugging again. Nervously.
Luna was not stupid.
“Are you sure, Topple?” She pushed.
She probably shouldn’t have. But at this point, she just wanted to make sure he knew she cared.
“Positive.” He doubled-down. Not good.
“Because if the restaurant is-“
“Um.” He interrupted. She blinked in surprise. “I’m.. alright. Really. Can we move on?”
…He was more begging than angry or upset.
Luna’s heart ached.
She had to stop.
She didn’t want to, but she had to.
“Of course, Topple.” She sighed.
…It hurt to see him like this.
In the grand scheme, she’d only known him about a month, but she felt attached to the young stallion. He was nice. He was a good conversationalist. He was fun to tease. He was cute. He was a hard worker. He was a good friend, and didn’t treat her differently because she was a Princess.
…well, that’s not true. He did.
But knowing him he would get down on his knees and apologize to ANY girl he mistakenly disrespected. He just… was that kind of stallion.
And she appreciated that about him.
“A-Anyway.” She said, shaking her head. “Why did you yell when I first walked in?”
“Oh, that?” He snorted.
She guessed she was in for a ride.
Luna called it quits after a few hours, as did he. She was feeling mighty tired and he was alright with her going back to the castle to catch up on sleep.
He wasn’t really that happy about it, but he wasn’t just going to deny her. He can’t, even if he wanted to.
…Which he didn’t. But his point still stands. He couldn’t have done it. Princess, and all that.
-But he was upset because now he was all alone again.
He had yelled at his only customer of the day, which, while not a good look; ended up with said customer leaving prematurely. Two bad things happened out of one situation. It was like some kind of stupid deal at Costco.
Or something.
He sighed, and ruffled his own hair.
It was getting long. He should probably cut it soon.
Cut it. Get a haircut.
…With what money?
Argh.
He sat down at a different table, and put his head down. He put two hooves around it and closed his eyes.
He was in prime napping position.
Might as well. Nopony is coming in here anyway.
He slowly fell to sleep.
…
His mind was foggy. Having woken up a few hours later, he stretched, but not before soothing his aching head.
He always got headaches after he napped. It was just how it was. Same with the ‘no dreams’ thing. At this point, it was the new norm.
He continued stretching.
…and…
No back pop.
That’s bad luck!
He shook his head and got out of the chair. He needed to work. He needed to do things. Closing time was still a ways-away.
He would just have to tough it out, it seemed.
He sighed.
This blows.
After trudging through the rest of the day, Topple sat at his kitchen table, staring at an unopened envelope. The dim lightbulb above him served as his only light source, given he didn’t want to waste electricity.
It probably wouldn’t help the bill, but he did what he could.
…
He poked it.
Well, there it is.
‘The bill’.
It was quite ingenious, on the technical side of things. Princess Celestia had made it law for all of a pony’s monthly expenses to be condensed into one big bill. Water, gas, electricity, rent. If you owned your house, rent wasn’t applied. If you owned a restaurant, restaurant bills were applied. Et cetera.
It made it much easier to pay off when it was just one payment.
However.
That didn’t mean it was easily affordable.
And he was stalling. Definitely stalling.
Can you blame him?
He could go broke here soon. This bill could be the catalyst that causes the end of his short life. Whether that be from starvation or random attacks while living on the street.
…
He was still stalling.
He sighed. “Nut up or shut up. Nut up or shut up.” He repeated the mantra, tearing open the envelope.
The bill rolled out, and he stared incredulously at the red numbers.
They were bigger than last time.
…And he…
…couldn’t afford it.
Not at the current amount of money he had, anyway.
He had a few days to raise his metaphorical and physical ‘dough’ some more, but would it be enough?
He doubted it.
No customers. Ever. That means no money. Which means no bills.
Which means no restaurant.
…He rubbed his forehead.
Stressful situations always gave him a headache.
He had no customers.
What could he do?
…
He could ask Luna for-
He slapped himself in the face.
He would die first before asking Luna for money.
He wasn’t that kind of pony.
He didn’t want to be a beggar.
…he let his eyes stop rolling around his head and considered his options again.
He could…
…Advertise?
He could advertise!
He doesn’t do that often, he could-
Wait, no, crap. He would have to be involved in it. Handing out fliers, spinning signs. Pasting up fliers throughout the city is considered graffiti.
…But, see, if he’s involved, who’s running the restaurant?
This is the fatal flaw in that plan.
Wait.
Luna. Back to Luna.
He could ask her… for an exception? A thing that lets him post up fliers. A Royal pardon.
She would understand. Right?
….it was definitely running the lines of power abuse. Favoritism, too.
…but what other option did he have?
He was all ears for other solutions. But given he couldn’t think of anything, and he still didn’t have friends, this was the best option.
He nutted up, and pulled over a blank piece of paper.
Dear Princess Luna…
Luna read. It was a letter from Topple. Something about setting up a night court appointment.
So he wasn’t lying…
She smiled. Of course she could set up the appointment. It wasn’t like she was doing anything else during that time-frame.
…It made her sad to admit that, but she had to face the truth one of these days.
She sighed. Forget it. Topple wants to visit. She’ll get to assist somepony.
That’s all she can ask for.
She wrote a reply, sent it off, and leaned back in her chair. Well, throne.
Not a big difference, but they’re different enough.
She sighed.
She wondered what he wanted to talk about on their court date.
-date?!
Court date!
Her court… date.
The date of the court.
Yes.
The date the friends have a court appointment.
Friends. They’re friends.
If they were to go on a ‘date’, it would be as friends.
Friends.
Yeah.
No date. No romance date.
She doesn’t like him like that.
…Plus, the stallion probably isn’t doing so well. A “””date””” isn’t what he needs.
She shook her head.
Urgh.
And she… has not known him long enough to feel any sort of way about him.
Other than friendship.
She sighed contentedly.
She was glad she had a friend.
…
…She looked longingly at the letter he had written.
She had a friend.
She just wished he would talk to her.