Gel arrives at home, shutting the door behind her and closing the drapes with her magic. "...Okay...it'll be fine...you have at least an hour and a half before work..." She trots up the stairs and into her room, putting her saddlebags off to one side. "...Let's see...what do I wear to work, again?" She picks up her journal, reading yesterday's entry. She blinks and looks at the closet, an eyebrow quirked. "...seriously?"
She sighs, opening the door and pulling out the maid outfit. She puts it on, meticulously making sure everything was in the proper place. She frowns, tugging on the back of the skirt in an attempt to hide her flanks. "...This is too short...but the notes say that it's the perfect size..." She shakes her head, putting the journal in one of her pockets and heading down the stairs. "...I suppose this isn't all bad...the outfit's kind of cute..."
She glances at the clock, noting that it was almost noon. "...An hour of free time...what is there to do that won't ruin my outfit?"
The jingle of keys and the click of the lock draws her attention. Rhino walks in as he looks to the side, dropping his saddlebags in the corner. He calls out as he sifts through them. "Angel, I'm back!"
The disguised changeling giggles softly, leaning against a wall near the foot of the stairs. "No need to shout, Rhino. I'm right here." I wonder what he does, anyways. I don't think I ever asked him... She glances at his flank, noting the cutie mark there. Maybe something to do with...whatever that thing is?
"Oh sorry, I didn't..." he pauses as he lays eyes on her, "...see... you.." His eyes start to look over her until he bites his tongue so the pain allows him to focus back on her face. He opens his mouth to try to speak, but nothing comes out. A blush comes to his face as he looks away.
...That's interesting... She strides forward, smiling kindly at him. Soon enough, she's standing in front of him, looking up at his face. "...So...h-how was work? Did you...um..." She cranes her neck to look at his mark once more. "...t-teach kids...geometry?" Ugh, that sounded stupid. Great job, self.
Forced to look at her since she is now talking to him, he somehow manages to force out words. "Umm... No, I don't do that..." He averts his eyes to the ceiling as he takes a few breaths before looking back at her. "I'm actually a veterinarian."
She sits down in front of him, confused. "...a vet? How does that fit your cutie mark?" ...Am I mistaken about their cutie marks? Does a pony's talents not necessarily correlate with their job? She bites her lip, averting her eyes in embarrassment. I guess both sides have something to learn about the other...
He focuses more on the question and less on her, mostly because he actually knows how to deal with the former. "To put it simply, it doesn't. My talent is reflected in my hobby and knowledge, my career is mostly unrelated." He thinks a moment. "Actually, come to think of it, why are you so surprised? Does your mark match your job?"
"...Um...n-not really..." She turns to the side and pulls up her skirt, revealing the golden loop on her flank. "...I-it represents how I...w-want to help others..." Okay, now I'm just pulling stuff out of my plot.
Rhino however, had looked away with a severe blush the instant her hoof had gone backwards and was stubbornly refusing to look back. "I'll take your word for it..."
"...O-okay...s-sorry..." She lowers her skirt and moves over to the couch, laying down on it. He's still too awkward around me. This won't work at all for my purposes. She turns back to him, a small blush on her cheeks as she pulls a blanket over her form to hide her uniform from him. Maybe this will help him be more comfortable. "...S-so...w-what does your cutie mark mean, Rhino?"
He visibly relaxes once she is covered. Glancing back to his mark, a blue magic circle with runes within it as well as a heart in the center with veins extending to the circle’s edges, he explains. "My mark represents my talent with runes and arcane circles. It's how I perform any magic beyond levitation."
"...Runes...I've never heard of anything like that..." She puts a hoof on her chin, thinking to herself. ...Maybe learning more about him can help... She glances at the clock, frowning slightly. ...Do I have enough time to learn about it? I can't remember how long it takes to get to the restaurant...
Rhino looks at the pondering mare. "Something on your mind?"
She snaps out of her thoughts, smiling softly at him. "...Just wondering if I have time before work to hear more about runes...they sound fascinating..." She sighs quietly, pulling out her journal to look at the notes in it. "...I have to be there by one...but I don't know how long it'll take me to get there..." Why are you telling him this? You'll jeopardize the mission! She turns away, frowning softly. ...What does that mean? How would saying something like that be dangerous in the least? There's no response. I thought so.
The stallion waits until she seems to be done with her internal monologue before sitting down in a chair. "Well, I could probably go on for a good bit if I get into examples, but I can be brief." His horn lights up and two symbols appear in the air in front of him as if written by a quill with glowing green ink. "Runes are essentially an ancient way of performing magic. A way to guarantee consistent results without the variables that come from today's casting methods that are mostly mental and prone to shifts due to emotions or outside interference. Think of them as the... language of magic. Simple effects can be gained from knowing runes for things like..." the two flat symbols rotate so they are floating parallel to the floor, "light," the left symbol glows brighter and brighter, lighting up the room significantly," or fire," the first symbol goes back to normal as a small one foot tall tongue of flame is produced by the second, simply dancing in place before the stallion extinguishes it by dispersing the runes.
She watches this quietly, eyes wide in awe. "...Wow..." I...I can't believe it...this could revolutionize spells for us! She turns to look at him, blushing softly. ...I suppose they don't have to know...not yet, anyways... She stands up, the blanket falling from her as she does so, and moves over to stand in front of him, smiling kindly. "...T-thank you for that, Rhino..." She glances at the clock once more. "...S-sorry, but I have to run...I'll be back in a few hours, okay?" She giggles a bit, starting to head towards the door.
He blushes fiercely again at seeing her outfit, but manages to not avert his eyes this time. As she turns to leave he raises a hoof in farewell. "A-alright... stay safe."
She looks at him over her shoulder, blushing a bit more. "...T-thank you, Rhino...s-see you later..." She heads out, trotting along the street and hoping she isn't going to be late. I'm sure I'll have no trouble staying safe. I'd be more concerned about the ones trying to hurt me.
***
Gel stops in front of the restaurant, sighing softly. Okay, so it's only ten minutes away. That's good to know. She flattens out some wrinkles in her outfit before stepping inside. She freezes, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks. ...That's...that's a lot of ponies...
The restaurant is much more bustling than it was the previous day, only a few tables are unpopulated, and half of those are being cleaned. Maids dash back and forth as the wall of sound made by the large number of ponies conversing, accompanied by the clinking of silverware, blankets the building.
The hostess, the same mare from yesterday, recognizes Gel and immediately trots over to her. "What are you doing up here? You should have used the side door to get back to the employee area without having to go through the whole place!" She sighs. "Look, it's fine, just head back to where Silk's office is and talk to her, okay?"
She nods and rushes through the restaurant, embarrassed. Why wasn't that in the notes? I should write that down when I have the chance. Without bumping into anypony, she arrives in front of Silk's office and knocks on the door. "M-Miss Tease? I-it's me, Angel..."
The mare in question comes around the corner wearing a maid outfit like all the rest. She sees the white mare and waves her over. "Over here hun!"
Seeing her boss, she hurries over, still a little embarrassed. "...Um...I-I guess I'm...signing in for work?" She sheepishly smiles, still a little unsure of how to go about this job.
Silk nods, ushering Gel quickly into another room. It appears to be the employee lounge, but the clock-in clock-out machine on the wall shows it is multipurpose. Several maids are resting on the furniture as the two walk in.
The yellow mare holds out a card to the unicorn with her wing. "Here's your official time card, just punch it in the machine when you get here, and punch it again when you leave."
Gel nods, taking the card in her magic and punching in. Seems simple enough. "...o-okay...a-anything else you'd like me to do, Miss Tease?"
She waves a hoof. "No no dear, somepony will drop by and assign you some tables in a moment. I actually have to get back to my own, just because I'm manager doesn't mean I get to slack." She turns to leave. "Oh, but I believe the rest of the girls wanted to speak to you about something~."
The disguised changeling blinks at this, confused. "...Um...w-what do you mean by that?" She glances at the mares around her, starting to get worried. ...This can't be good...
The maid mares slowly form a circle around her with eerie smiles on their faces. One of them steps forward as a spokesmare. "So, you're the newbie, huh? Well, we've got a rule around here about new ponies."
She nervously squirms under their gazes. "...O-oh? W-what rule?"
Two mares walk forward with pink strips of cloth held in their hooves. Suddenly her tail is tugged as a small jingle comes from behind her. All the mares close in in a flurry of activity before they step back and all start to giggle.
She stares straight ahead blankly, somewhat confused. ...I guess it's not that bad...though I'm not entirely sure what they did... She looks at the spokesmare, tilting her head to one side. "...Um...w-what was that about?"
"Initiation of course." She motions to a mirror in the corner of the room.
"...I-initiation?" She approaches the mirror, glancing around curiously. Where is that jingling coming from? She looks at herself, her jaw dropping in surprise. "...W-what? W-why is there a pink bow in my mane?" I don't understand their thought process with this. Besides, I think I look better without the bow.
"Turn around jingle-flank~" More giggling.
She turns to look at them, jumping slightly at the jingling. "...J-jingle-flank? Y-you mean..." She glances over her shoulder, finally seeing the source of the sound - bells attached to a bow at the base of her tail, matching the one in her mane. ...Okay, this is officially bad.
"Just a little gift from us veterans so all the customers notice our newest little maid." All of them smile at her, though the intents behind the smiles are unreadable.
Gel begins to tremble, causing the bells to ring a bit. "...I-if you say so..." She shyly smiles at them, suppressing her anger. I can't believe they're getting away with this! Even if Silk is in on it, this is still a low thing to do!
The door swings open as yet another maid walks in with a piece of paper. "Angel! Your first table is ready! Follow me and I'll show you the ropes."
"...C-coming..." She gently bites her lip, heading over to the new maid, her bells jingling with every step. ...That jingling is starting to get annoying... "...S-so...w-what are the ropes?" They aren't going to tie me up, are they? Wait, what am I thinking?! She shakes her head to clear those thoughts away.
She is quickly hoofed a pad and a pen before the mare motions her to follow her again as they enter the restaurant proper. "Here's how this is going to work. You'll start off with one table, you do well on that and we slowly increase the number. Basic things to do: Welcome them, tell them your name and that you'll be serving them, take drink orders, leave, bring them back along with bread, repeat for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Once they appear done, ask to be sure, then bring the check, take care of that and you're done." She looks back to make sure Gel is paying attention. "Most of this just flows well, so don't worry about memorizing it too much. I'll just be standing nearby for this one in case you need help."
Gel quietly nods, holding the pad and pen in front of her with magic. "...I-if you say so..." She looks out at the tables, curious. "...S-so...w-which table do I start with?"
At the table is a single mare looking across the restaurant. As Gel approaches, the jingle of her bow bells makes the mare turn to her questioningly... along with a good portion of the nearby tables as well.
She sheepishly smiles, a small blush on her face. "...H-hi...I-I mean, welcome!" Smooth. "M-my name is Angelic Grace, a-and I'll be your waitress." ...Not too bad. I think I can do this.
"Hey! Nice to meet you!" The manila colored mare brushes her light blue mane out of her face. "Nice bows," She says with sincerity.
She blinks at this, touching the one in her mane with a hoof. "...Really? I-I don't know if they look good on me...a-anyways..." She brings up her pad, giggling softly. "...What would you like to drink, Miss...um..." ...Well, I guess I'm not expected to know everypony's name...
The mare browses the menu quickly. "I'll have a sweet tea please, I'm still deciding on the food."
Gel promptly writes it down, nodding to herself. "Okay, then...I-I'll be back with your tea..." She walks off, trying to remember who to give the drink order to. ...One table really isn't that difficult, it seems...I do not look forward to having a lot of them to take care of, though...
As she jingles through the restaurant, a few stallions whistle appreciatively as they see where the bells are. One of them even woops out loud.
She lowers her head, blushing brightly from all the attention. Too bad I can't absorb their affection. It's tainted by lust. She sighs softly, approaching where she believes she's supposed to get the drink for her customer. She gives her the slip, patiently waiting for the drink order. "...S-so...did you have to wear the bell, as well? O-or is that just for waitresses?" She nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her neck.
Her trainer looks at her with a smile. "Well, mine was purple, but yeah, same thing. Drawing attention, placement meaning everypony's eyes are drawn to your flank, and of course them being able to hear you from a mile away, but hey, at least you get to keep the bells and ribbons."
What makes you think I want them? Gel nods quietly, looking at the crowd of ponies. "...S-so...i-is this meant for embarrassment? O-or am I misunderstanding?"
The trainer giggles. "Well, yeah, part of it is so the more experienced girls can have some fun at the expense of the newbies. On the other hoof, it's also like jumping into the pool instead of walking into it. So it's not all bad. Plus the stallions like it, both the customers, and the girls' coltfriends at home."
She sighs, looking down at her hooves. "...Coltfriends...wish I had one..." She shakes her head, blushing brightly. "S-sorry. Y-you probably don't want to hear that...a-anyways, y-yeah, I suppose you're right about that...b-better to know what I'm in for, right?"
The drink order is put on the windowsill as the other mare answers. "That's the spirit!"
She takes the drink and smiles kindly. "T-thank you." She grabs a basket of bread, nodding a bit before turning to head back over to the table she's serving. "...One sweet tea, right, Miss?"
The mare is startled out of the focus on whatever she is staring at across the restaurant again. "Oh! Umm, yes, thank you."
She smiles softly, carefully putting the bread and tea on the table for her. "...S-so...are you ready to order? O-or are you waiting for someone?" Idiot, why would she be waiting for someone?! It's not like she's on a date or anything!
The mare sighs. "Well, waiting for him in one way I suppose, but no, it's just me today." She consults the menu. "Can I get the Deluxe Garden Salad with extra tomatoes?"
Gel nods, writing down the order as fast as possible. "Sure thing." This mare...she has an air of loneliness about her...but also one of strong affection... She glances in the direction the mare was staring earlier, curious. ...is the one she has a crush on here? "I'll be back with your order, Miss." She turns and leaves, subtly examining the ponies, trying to figure out which one it was. ...There's a few stallions out there...but what if she's not into stallions? She sighs, stopping in front of the window to the kitchen and giving the order to the cook. Why do I even care? It's not like I'm playing matchmaker or anything.
The rest of her shift goes fairly smoothly. After finishing up with the first mare, she graduated to juggling two, and then three tables before she was done. There was almost a mixup with two orders, but she corrected herself before she got to the tables so nopony noticed. All that and a few good natured flirting comments from some stallions were the highlights of her first day on the job. Soon enough she was headed home as the sun is setting on the horizon.
Gel closes the door behind her, sighing softly. "...wow...that was...rather fun, actually..." She giggles quietly, walking towards the stairs. "...I'd better write everything down so I don't forget it tomorrow..."
A voice comes from the room down the hall. "Angel, is that you making that jingling sound?" Rhino opens his door and steps out into the hall.
She squeaks, her face flushing with color. How could I forget to take off the bells?! She turns around, trying to look at the bow to take it out. However, in her flustered state, she doesn't think to use her magic, and ends up spinning in circles.
The sight proves to be strange enough for the stallion to ignore her attire as he laughs while stopping her with a hoof. "Woah there girl. Need some help?"
She nods, looking at him in confusion. "...Why are there...three of you?" She falls onto her side, twitching slightly. Dizzy. Oh, so dizzy...can't stand...
"Oh dear..." he waits a moment to see if she'll snap out of it, but she doesn't. He looks down at her, worried. After a moment of thinking, he levitates her onto his back and walks her into her room, gently setting her on her bed and sitting down next to it, watching to see if she improves.
She groans, looking over at him. "...S-sorry, Rhino...I-I get disoriented a little too easily..." She nervously giggles, pulling out her journal and writing as quickly as possible without messing up. ...This feeling coming off of him...is that...affection? Friendship? Whatever it is, it’s helping me feel better... "...T-thank you for...h-helping me to my bed..." She blushes brightly, embarrassed. Did I really just say that?
He deliberately ignores her wording. "No problem. Just to let you know though, you do still have the bells on. Don't go getting yourself hurt getting them off okay?" He smiles at her. "Do you need anything?"
"...Um..." She slowly sits up, putting her book on her nightstand. "...n-not that I can think of...m-maybe some privacy?" She looks at her uniform, blushing slightly. "...I-I do need to change clothes, after all..."
Rhino's own blush flares into life full blast, as he quickly backs away from her. "Ah, yes, right. I-I'll just go then." He turns quickly and is rewarded by hitting his shoulder on the door frame before successfully making it out of the room and shutting the door.
Gel giggles at this, shaking her head. ...He's silly. I like that. She carefully takes off her bows and the rest of the uniform, no longer embarrassed by it without an "audience". Of course, friendship isn't the endgame for this relationship. She turns down the light, snuggling up in her blanket and closing her eyes.
I want more.