“So… what do you think?” Swift asked.
“It’s…” Nathan started, letting the word hang in the air.
“It’s..?” Swift prompted, eagerly.
“It’s a… It’s a boat...” Nathan tilted his head to one side. A large boat sat parked in the space between two buildings, partially buried in the ground, additional supports built around it. Its figure head was a griffon, a gangway led up to the deck from street level. Three flags flew from the mast. The flag of Equestia with the sun and moon surround by two alicorns, a talon crossing a lightning bolt and finally a bowl with the handle of a utensil sticking out from it.
“The Grill?” Nathan read off the prow.
“Yep,” Doppler agreed. “One of the better restaurants in town. And the only one to have a full omnivore menu.”
“But it’s a boat… how?” Nathan asked, still stuck on that point, so much so that the other two were leaving him behind as they continued to walk.
“Well, a couple years back when the spirit of chaos broke out he did random acts of chaos just to let everypony know he was free,” Swift explained. “The Gill started drifting inland, sailing through the ground as if it was water. And the ground acted like water around it. They eventually managed to stop it between these houses, and when he was defeated the magic stopped, leaving it landlocked.”
“Literally…” Nathan said, shaking his head. “Didn’t anyone try to get it out?”
“It was more trouble than it was worth, I heard,” Doppler claimed. “Norbert and his family bought it and made it into a restaurant and renamed it The Grill. The food is good enough to make up for other things.”
“Other things?”
“Not gonna talk about it,” Doppler said firmly.
“Sure, whatever,” Nathan said with a roll of his eyes. “So what type of food do they have?”
“Pretty much everything. Cakes, pies, bread, hayburgers, specialty drinks, roasted vegetables, fish, salads, diced fruits, scones, some stuff with the crystal empire exports.” Doppler smirked and tipped his head in Swift’s direction. “This lump mainly likes them for their potatoes.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault there are one of the only places in town to sell potatoes,” Swift grumbled. “And they do so much with it. Roasted potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, potatoes and tomatoes, potato soup, potato stew-”
“All right, I get it, you like potatoes,” Nathan insisted, cutting Swift off as they took the gangway up to the deck.
“Too much,” Doppler agreed. There were a variety of chairs and tables on the deck, only a few occupied. Doppler ignored them and led the little group into the ship proper. As the Gill had originally been a pleasure cruiser, the interior was rather spacious for a pony, which made it only slightly close for Nathan. The place smelt pleasantly of food and was tastefully decorated with pictures taken from a ship. “If it were up to him, we would- Ah, Buck!”
Nathan was at a loss as to what Doppler was swearing; having to duck a little at the entranceway thanks to the more pony scaled proportions, until he noticed the pegasus was glaring at the pony running the counter. A griffon, to the specific, steel grey feathers, brown tipped on his head, and similar coloured fur on his body. Nathan stared in marveled silence.
“Hey, Candy Cane,” the griffon grinned cockily.
“Don’t call me that.” Doppler snarled. “What are you doing here, Griswald?”
“Working, precious,” the now identified Griswald replied cheekily, his cocky bearing not slipping. In fact, he leaned forward and all but leered at Doppler. “You coming in was just a bonus.”
“Is he..?” Nathan whispered at Swift.
“Celestia help me I will buck you so hard,” Doppler ground out, dropping his head and flaring his wings slowly.
“He is,” Swift groaned. He tried to pull Doppler back. The other ponies in the room were starting to show interest in the commotion at the desk, much to Swift's dismay. “Come on, Dop. You’re making a scene.”
“Only if you let me go first,” Griswald smirked.
“Grah!” Doppler reared up and looked as if he was going to charge the griffon but he didn’t need to.
“Griswald!” the door off from the counter banged open and a small but pudgy and clearly older griffon female decked out in a hairnet over her blonde and silver crest and an apron over her tabby patterned fur, flew out. “What did I tell you about harassing the customer!?”
“Aw, Ma! It’s not lik-” Griswald started, but a talon over his beak put an end to that as female glared at him in a manner only a mother could.
“Not another word! Into the kitchen with you! In! In!” She whipped him with her tail, giving him motivation for his hasty retreat. It was somewhat comical seeing him run from someone less than half his size. She frowned after him as the door swung shut. “Winds know I try with that boy, but he still gives almost more trouble than he’s worth!”
“Thanks for that, Miss Greta,” Swift sighed. “I thought Dop was going to have another row with him.”
Nathan mouthed ‘another’ while Doppler seethed. Miss Greta pulled a cloth from her apron’s pocket and wiped her talons. “Nonsense. I tell the boy not to mess with ponies already with somepony, but he won’t listen to me. I’m waiting for the day when he comes home with a cracked beak. Might learn something then.” She turned her fierce eyes on Nathan. “Tall and odd one, if I might say. Miss Greta, as you must have heard. I operate The Grill.”
“Nice to meet you,” Nathan said, a bit grateful she hadn’t extended one of her talons for a handshake, and refraining from extending his hand. “Nathan.”
“Odd looking fellow,” she commented, finishing her observations. She grabbed a few menus from the rack and passed them over. “Your regular corner is open. I’ll be over in a few to take your orders.”
Doppler trotted off the moment Swift let him free, though he was muttering under his breath. Swift took the proffered menus in his mouth before tucking them under his wing and leading Nathan, who was doing his best to avoid the stares that were directed at him now that the excitement and tension was passed, to the table Doppler was brooding in.
It was a bit of a tight fit for Nathan, but he eventually settled on an awkward position with his legs largely sprawled out under the table. “Okay,” he said as Swift passed out the menus. “What was that about?”
“Nothing,” Doppler scowled. “Just a dunderhead who really needs to get what’s coming to him.”
Nathan opened his mouth, but thought better of it. He could always find out later, considering Swift’s insistence that he stay with them. “So… what’s good here?”
“Pretty much everything,” Swift smiled.
“Swift’s paying, so you should get the expensive stuff,” Doppler tossed out.
“Doesn’t that narrow it down,” Nathan said blandly, lazily flipping the pages and frowning slightly at what he was finding. He flipped a page before blinking and flipping it back. He looked up at his hosts in surprise. “They sell fish here?”
“Of course we do,” Greta spoke up, having flown over without Nathan noticing. She gave him an unreadable expression. “It’s a griffon restaurant. What did you expect? Twenty-five kinds of hay?”
“I didn’t know what to expect, to be honest,” Nathan said sheepishly. “I guess it does make sense. I’m glad you do though. What type of fish do you sell?”
“Couple different types. Not a lot of ponies are willing to try it though,” Greta admitted. “Too foreign for them.”
“It’s fine once you get used to it,” Swift shrugged.
“Didn’t I have to dare you to try it?” Doppler grinned. Swift got him in the face with the napkin. Orders were placed, Nathan going for fish and rolls with a side of spinach, Swift taking the flower bud toss bowl and scones, Doppler having roasted carrots.
Greta promised to be out with the orders in due time, leaving them to chat. Eventually, Swift turned the discussion back to the matter of Nathan. “So, figured out what you are going yet?”
“Doing with what?” Nathan asked, looking up from skimming the menu some more.
“A job and such,” Swift grinned.
Doppler and Nathan both groaned. Nathan covered his face with his hands. “Look, you seem nice and all, I mean, offering me a place to stay and taking me out to dinner, but I only just got here! First day. I think I’d like to at least see a few places, explore a little before I decide on anything about, well, anything.”
“Why not start here?” Doppler asked. Nathan glanced at him. “No, I’m not trying to keep you here like someponies—”
“Hey!” Swift protested.
“—but there is still a lot of stuff you can do here,” Doppler continued, his smirk his only acknowledgement of Swift’s cry. “You can start the tourist thing here in town. There’s loads for you to do here.”
“That’s fine and all, but I don’t have any money, bits,” Nathan grumbled. “Can’t really do anything without them.”
“By that logic, wouldn’t you lack the bits to leave town anyway?” Swift pointed out cheerfully. Nathan covered his face with his palm and groaned. Swift continued mercilessly. “You can’t just up and trot out of like that. That’s dumb.”
Greta’s return with their food was a good distraction. Food was distributed and the attempted to restart the conversation faltered mostly. Swift was looking more and more flustered as Nathan’s responses lacked any enthusiasm, glaring at Doppler and his less than helpful attitude. Nathan picked at his food and looked beyond distracted, only managing a few ‘yeahs’ and ‘uh-huhs’ in the pauses.
“—and even though the colt was half beat, he still insisted one hauling the wagon all the way back across town like an idiot,” Swift said, chuckling nervously. His wings were ruffled, feathers in disarray, and his eyes darted from side to side. “By the time he got to White Daze’s place he was drenched to the bone and the package was soaked through. Hahahaha… hahah… heh…”
“Swift is telling his stories again?” Greta clucked on her return. “How’s the food?”
“Your scones are as good as ever. Better even!” Swift said desperately, half yelling. “Wh-what did you do to them?”
“Colt doesn’t deal with situations like this,” Doppler sighed. “The carrots are good.”
“My niece sent me some advice she got from a friend. And thank you, Doppler.” Greta turned to Nathan. “And you?”
Nathan shrugged, still down. “You said not many ponies try the fish?”
“No. Weak stomachs, most of them,” Greta grumbled. “Mostly diamond dogs and griffon try it.”
“If I could make a recommendation,” Nathan sighed. He lifted a piece of the skin he had picked off. “It would help if you scaled it fully. Maybe debone it to appeal more to the ponies. Or use something more than just salt and pepper.”
Greta blinked and looked at Nathan. “You know how to cook? Cook fish?”
“Um, yeah?” Nathan responded with a raised eyebrow.
“And you have ideas how to make it more attractive to the ponies?” Greta pressed, staring at him with intensity.
“Some?” Nathan was beginning to wonder if everyone in the town had strange tendencies. He ventured a question. “Why?”
“Do you want a job?”
“… WHAT?” Nathan exclaimed. He looked over a Swift and Doppler. “Did I just hear that?”
“Hah! It’s Destiny!” Swift declared, pointing a hoof at Nathan.
“I don’t know about that, but I heard you saying you didn’t have any bits, and we could always use another cook, especially one that thinks he can get us more business.” Greta started checking him over again, tugging on his limbs and clothes.
“Hey, hey!” Nathan yelped, trying to back away. “Personal space!”
“You look like you can manage griffon style cooking, so it will work!” Greta tutted. She nodded approvingly. “Come here in two days, around nine and we will check you out.”
“Is everyone in this town this forceful?” Nathan demanded. “Or is that just my luck?”
“Its destiny,” Swift stated simply.
“Enough with that,” Doppler groaned.
“You came to town, you met me, you walked into my store, now you get a job offer. What else would you call it?”Swift asked cheekily. “Destiny itself it putting you on this path!”
Nathan’s expression was unreadable, but he soon replaced it with one of contemplation. Sighing slightly, he looked at Greta. “Okay, I’ll think about it, but you can expect me then. Is there a dress code I should follow?”
“Excellent!”Greta smiled, letting her feet back on the ground. “And no need to wear anything. I will give you an apron when you get here.”
Nathan blinked and winced. “I’ll find something appropriate.” Inwardly, he was confused. He just wanted into town and now he had a job? Maybe Swift was unto something more than he realized with all that destiny talk.