//------------------------------// // Reaction Time // Story: The Gemmed Satyr // by The Rarispy //------------------------------// Pancakes, check. Hay bacon strips, check. Eggs, check. And, orange juice? Orange juice… Oh, no! Where’s the orange juice? Does she not have orange juice? I simply cannot complete this piece without something for her to drink! WHAT AM I GOING TO—   Oh, there it is.   Normally, I probably wouldn’t ever find myself doing this. Working with such messy ingredients like syrup and hard-boiled eggs, and perfecting everything to the last degree…   But this was for Fluttershy, my friend. I was in high spirits, and I simply couldn’t let them go to waste here. I’m on such a roll as it is…   “Now just set the pancakes on the plate like so… Put the eggs and hay bacon on this side… Mind that silverware placement!”   Just then, I could hear the door swinging open. I turned around, and there was Fluttershy. She looked most awestruck at what I had done.   “Oh! Good morning, Fluttershy! I didn’t wake you, did I?”   “I..”   “I just thought I’d fix you up a fresh, hot breakfast! I wasn’t intending to impose, but I was coming by this morning to pick up Sweetie Belle… Oh! You don’t need to worry about her, by the way, I woke her up for you. She should be off playing with her friends by now.”   “Anyway, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity while I was already here! Forgive me, darling, I’ve just been in such a great mood since last night, I’ll talk more about that in a minute, that I was just having… the urge! That powerful urge to do something really great and generous for a pony I care about! So, I—”   But then suddenly, she started… snickering for some awfully odd reason.    “Hmm? Is there something funny, darling?”    “Oh, it’s… it’s nothing. What were you saying?”   “Well anyway, I thought to myself, ‘What better way to channel that positive energy than by helping a friend?’ So I decided to harness that urge into preparing this wonderful spread for you! I bet nopony’s ever made you a breakfast as nice as this one before, have they?”   She didn’t answer me, but I could tell she still looked pleased. Fluttershy and I have been friends for so long that we can pretty much read each other’s expressions perfectly now. Like that soft, appreciative smile of hers. I like to call it a “Fluttershyism”.   Of course, I’m not without my own ticks and expressions. I think Fluttershy must have noticed how I was tapping my hooves in pure, unadulterated excitement…    “Gee Rarity, you seem really excited today. What’s going on?”   “Oh, okay! I just can’t hold it in any longer! I’ve just got to tell you the good news!” I even thrust back in my chair as I started to weave my tale.   “Good news? Oh, what is it?”   “Get ready for this, Fluttershy! Because I, Rarity the Unicorn… MAY HAVE FINALLY FOUND A BOYFRIEND!”   She didn’t answer me, but I could tell just by the stunned look on her face just what her reaction was.   And she was speechless. No doubt overwhelmed by her own awe and excitement at my dramatic revelation.   “Ohh-ooh! I just knew you’d be excited! You’ll find this hard to believe, but I met him just last night, at this little bar house called the Cobalt Flamingo my friend Golden Harvest showed me! Why, he was getting a drink, and then— and then we started talking, and the next thing I knew, we were dancing under the lights!”   I waited for her reply, but now something seemed off. She still had that look on her face, as if her brain had shut down completely. She couldn’t be that held back in disbelief… could she?   “Fluttershy? Hello? FLUTTERSHY!”   “EEP!”   “Are you alright, dear? You spaced out for a moment, there.”   “Oh, I— Um, yeah… I’m fine.”   “Oh, well! Very good, then. Now, I just have to tell you all about him! Where to begin? Well for starters, his name is B—”   “Um! Actually, Rarity, you know, I really need to… need to go.”    “What? But you haven’t even finished your breakfast yet! I still had more things to talk about and… hmm.”   Have you ever gotten that strange sense of déjà vu? Like you’ve said the same things before?   “I-I’m sorry, Rarity, but… I- I really need to go!”   And before I could say anything else, she had bolted out the door. Where was she running off to so fast? What’s going on?   Eventually, I decided to try to go out after her and find out what was going on.   But I didn’t stroll too far past Fluttershy’s driveway before I had an unfortunate collision.   “Ow! …Oh, dear heavens! I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there!”   “No mind to apologize. It was my fault… Miss Rarity.”   That voice. That distinct Scoltish voice…   It was him.   Button Down.   The pony of my dreams from last night, at the bar house. My potential new interest.   “Button Down? Oh, but now I really must apologize! I— Actually, what are you doing out here?”   He held his hoof out and helped me out, the gentlecolt that he is. He held my chin up as he spoke, so dreamily… “Well, believe it or not, I was actually on my way to find you. But you weren’t at home, so I asked around, and somepony said they saw you heading down this way, so… here I am.”   “What did you want to see me for?”   “Because, Rarity… I had such a fantastic time last night. You really showed me the kindness and… and the passion that I’ve always been looking for in life.”   All these compliments were starting to make me blush… underneath my actual blush, of course. “Oh, stop. No, I kid. Please do go on.”   “Anyway, I had such a good time, that well, I was kind of wondering, if… you’d like to go out for dinner sometime?”   I gasped. “You mean it?”   “Well, of course!”   “YES! Yes, oh yes of course I will!”   “Great! How does tonight at the Chez le Pâtes Fantaisie sound?”   “PERFECT! Why, I’ll head home and start preparing myself right now!”   “Excellent! See you tonight, then!”   OHHH! I just can’t believe this!   He wants to go on a date! On another date! If you can count last night a date that is, which I certainly would!   This is big! This is HUGE! I may finally do it!   I might finally have my very own special somepony!