Happiness - Applejack & Pinkie Pie
Freshly fragrant.
Steam.
Wooden cup.
Just a quirk, but something unique.
Applejack stared out into the rest of the room. It was warmly lit, stained glass lamps lining the bar, soft music playing in the background. The Cafe was always half-full at any time of the day. Everything was gentle. Everything was smooth. It was heavy in browns and greens; a place full of the classic touch of the city, back when cafes still had a bit of its own life to it.
Hers was a straight black.
No cream.
No sugar.
Just Applejack and the coffee.
She took a sip.
“Ya know? I never really liked coffee,” Pinkie said, dropping into the seat across from Applejack.
Applejack quirked her eyebrows at her new companion over the cup she had raised to her lips.
“Heya, AJ!” Pinkie returned the greeting.
“Y’done with the bakery?” Applejack placed the cup back onto the table. No saucers. No coasters. The Owner of The Cafe insisted. Each table now had a history.
“Yeah! You done with the apple things?”
“Apple things all done.” Applejack smiled, quickly tilting her head to the side. “Gonna get yourself a drink?”
“Aw, I don’t know,” Pinkie sang, running her eyes to the chalkboard on the wall. “Coffee’s not really my thing.”
“They got other stuff.”
“Can't go wrong with other stuff.” Pinkie kept reading.
“What’s wrong with coffee, though?”
“It’s bitter.” Pinkie turned back, placing her forehooves on the table and stretched out over it like a cat. “Bitter like Sunday morning.”
Applejack pulled her cup back almost instinctively. “Is… that a saying?”
“That’s a song, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think so, Pinkie.”
“Well, it’s bitter. And biting. And all those other funny words you use like ‘acidic’ and ‘body’ and whatever. I don’t even know what they mean!”
“Uh… ain’t you a chef?”
“Oh yeah.” Pinkie raised her eyebrows. “Oh yeah! I am! I do know what they mean!”
“Don’t never change,” Applejack murmured, taking another sip.
“Hehehe!” Pinkie laughed. “So maybe I’ll get something sweet, or creamy, or full of starch.”
“They’ve got some tea here too, I think. But you’re gonna get looks from The Owner.”
“Looks?”
“He don’t like tea-drinkers around these parts, I reckon.” Applejack smirked.
“Oh really, and what’s he gonna do to me if I order a cup of tea?” Pinkie smiled back.
“He’s gonna ship you off to Trottingham.”
“Trottingham!”
“Yeah. And… and he’s gonna…”
“Yeah?”
“Uh…”
“Yeah?”
“I… got nothin’.”
“That’s why you leave the yarning to the professionals,” Pinkie tapped herself in the chest.
“Yeah, well.” Applejack took another sip.
The chatter in The Cafe continued. It was always good to get out of the sun. Applejack stared out the large windows that bordered the walls, over the flowers that grew in the planters surrounding the building. She was usually in the sun. It was always good to be able to kick back.
“You know,” Applejack said, turning back. “Speaking of things you don’t like, I actually can’t believe I never really asked this before, but… what do you like?”
“What do you mean, AJ? You know what I like.”
“No, what I mean is… uh... “
“Use your words like Granny taught you!”
“Quiet. What I mean is what… makes you happy?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. I mean. Element of happiness or laughter and all that. Y’know.” Applejack danced her hooves around the air. “You’re always lookin’ out for what everypony else likes. But… y’know? I don’t think we’ve ever asked you what makes you happy.”
“Me?”
“Know any other Pinkies around here?” Applejack looked back and forth.
“Making other ponies happy makes m–”
“Naw, Pinkie. Naw. None of that. That’s the answer that I expected from you.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I?”
“Pinkie?”
“Yeah, Applejack?”
“What makes you happy?”
Pinkie absentmindedly beat her hooves on the wooden tabletop, tapping out a strange rhythm, like a little song that she played in her head. Her eyes wandered off to the right, looking upon a scene that only she could see. Her smile dropped to one of plain stoicness, and she bit her teeth together in thought.
And all she did was continue playing her song until a voice broke the performance.
“Not a difficult question, is it?” Applejack asked, staring at Pinkie’s face.
“I don’t know, Applejack.”
“You don’t.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what makes me happy.” Pinkie smiled again. “I just am, I guess.”
“There’s gotta be something, right?”
“I’m sure something exists. But… I’ve never really taken the time to think about it.”
“Okay. How about this then. Whatcha think makes me happy?”
“I already know that, silly! Hard work, a fruitful harvest, bringing your sister to school. You know. All that kind of stuff. Family.”
“What makes Twilight happy?”
“Learning new things. Discovery. Being able to share all the things she knows. She really likes to improve the world with her boring old book things.”
“What about Fluttershy?”
“Animals. Broken animals. So that she can fix them.”
“Rainbow.”
“Flying. Flying. Flying. Flying. You know? It occurs to me that Rainbow’s pretty bor–”
“Rarity?”
“Ugly dresses that she thinks are really pretty but actually are really ugly but we never talk about that ever.”
“Princess Celestia.”
“Princess Luna.”
“Princess Luna?”
“Princess Luna.”
“What about Pinkie Pie?” Applejack pointed a hoof at the pony across from her.
Once again, neither of them spoke a word.
“That’s just really weird.”
“But why, AJ? Why is that weird? Whhhhyyyyyyyyyy?” Pinkie started whining.
“Because everypony has something they like. The fact that they don’t really know what it is just means... you said it, didn’t you?”
“Said what?”
“You said it earlier. You ain’t never taken the time to think about it.”
“Y...eeeeeeah?”
“You’re too busy thinkin’ about every pony else that you ain’t had a single thought for yourself.”
“Well… is that bad?”
“Kinda is, Pinkie. I mean… you’re a pony too. If you spend all your time just thinkin’ about others and what others care about, then…”
Pinkie clammed up.
“You know, I remember that one time during your birthday…”
“We never talk about that time!” Pinkie hissed.
“Whoa.”
“Neeeeever!” Pinkie pulled herself across the table, staring into Applejack’s face with a shadow over her own.
“Really?”
Pinkie held there for a few moments more, eyes bulging out of their sockets.
“Naw. It’s alright!” Pinkie pulled back into her seat. “Hehehe. That was fun. I made new friends that day.”
“Yeah but you see? That’s the thing. You had to make new friends just to… do what? Tell you that you’re alright? Tell you that you’re loved?”
“I guess that’s what happened.”
“Huh.”
Applejack reclined in her chair, hoof to her chin. A furrow had formed across her forehead.
“Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Why is this bothering you so much?”
The pony shrugged. “Don’t seem right to me. You’re somepony we care about too, you know. But it seems you treat yourself less than the rest of us. And that ain’t right at all, no how, no way.”
“Why?”
“Because you should be on the same level as the rest of us, Pinkie! That’s how friendship works.”
“Why?”
“Because friends treat each other as equals.”
“Why?”
“Because, Pinkie… everyone should be as important to each other as everyone else.”
“Why?”
“Pinkie.”
“Why?”
“If you say ‘why’ one more time, I’m going to throw my coffee at ya.”
“How?”
“Pinkie!”
“Okay! Okay! Fine!” Pinkie threw her hooves up. “Yeah. You’re right. I don’t really think of myself. Bad habit, okay? Life back on the farm was pretty tough. I’m emotionally scarred, Applejack.”
“Whut?”
“Could be worse. You remember Maud, right?”
“Uh… huh?”
“I mean, she repressed herself. I just find a different avenue to compensate for the fact that both of us didn’t get enough positive reinforcement from our dominant parental figure in early childhood. But that’s what you get with authoritarian-style parenthood.”
“You know, Pinkie? I never… ever truly know how much you’re aware of anything that goes on around you.”
“I have a therapist.”
“O...kay.” Applejack hadn’t blinked in a while.
“Look. Don’t worry about that. I know, alright? I don’t think of myself too often.”
“Well… bein’ that… you don’t mind if we try to change that, do ya?”
“No. I suppose not.”
“How about I call up th’ gang, and next saturday we can all go out and do something? What’d you like to do?”
“Oh! Anything’s fine, Applejack! I mean, as long as you and the other girls are ha–”
Applejack took another incredibly pointed sip of her coffee.
“I mean… I’ll think of something.” Pinkie smiled.
“Miss Pinkie?” The Owner said, stopping suddenly by. “You appear to have had time to consider. Can I take your order?”
“Mandhoofling double Ristretto, please.” Pinkie said.
“Uh…” Applejack muttered.
“Very well, miss.” The Owner bowed. “I’ll be back momentarily."
Pinkie beamed.
“You don’t like coffee, huh?”
“Yeah.” Pinkie smiled.
“Yeah.” Applejack turned the corner of her mouth up, staring out the window again.
There were no ponies passing by in the streets. There never was. There were only the ponies in The Cafe and the ponies who weren’t.
“You know what I like, though?” Pinkie asked.
“What?”
“Right now,” she said, giving Applejack her best grin.
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This, I like this.
For a suggestion, how about 'Shelf'.
Heh.
Pinkie shhhh!
Cat fight !
nicely done good idea.....
Heheheh
Oh, this has so much potential.
By coincidence, I just finished reading I Think You're Totally Wrong by David Shields and Caleb Powell, an extended dialogue billed as "A Quarrel," because they differ on so many matters -- but it never descends to the level of bitter antagonism. As a fan of banter at many levels, I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy the heck out of this.
Should be hers (no apostrophe).
I liked this exchange, even if it isn't true.
About Sunday mornings:
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=2da7N6ADm9s]
Very nicely done!
I freely admit I didn't get Pinkie's order, but this is still a beautiful piece.
If you're talking about drink order, Manhoofling is pony word play on type of coffee bean. In this case The description of it would be a smooth, rich flavoured drink that is often has hints of sweet chocolate and/or licorice.
Ristretto is a restricted pulled espresso shot, or a short shot. When making the espresso shot, it is stopped early before the any blonding (change of colour from a dark hazelnut to light) occurs at all, compared to a regular shot that stops just as blonding begins. This makes the shot less bitter than it's counterparts.
Double is having two shots of espresso.
I hope that helps and I didn't overstep my borders. As a barista I'm always happy to share info.
5637164
Thank you! I didn't know this either.
Crap
That was a superb story. So simple, yet so spellbinding! Well executed.
Thanks for writing. I enjoyed that
5637164
Excellent information, and thank you for giving it. I know what my next order will be!
Also, this collection has earned its place in Tag-A-Long's Book Club
i.imgur.com/BF6x9JM.png
okay... okay i gotta give you this one. i thought i was gonna just be nice and slice of lifey, but even the way they talk sounds like a calm cafe. ive gotta give you this one. i like it. im at the end of chapter one. i expect great things from you. dont let me down.
This is lovely.
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Pinkie, if you say 'why' one more time, I'm gonna throw my coffee at you."
"How?"
I laughed more than I should've at that. Brilliant.
Face, meet desk. I have a feeling the two of you are going to become amazing friends.
5637164 Ah, thank you sir
A lovely slice of life opening with some foreshadowing of bigger things. For example , "The Owner" is capitalized.
Liking the setting. Like the character exploration with Pinkie. Reminds me of what you did with this pair in Dreamflow. I think the short sentences are a little overused, however, and I would've liked just a touch more narration to accompany the dialogue, but it's good overall. Promising start.
Five years late to the scene, just wanna say I liked this quite a lot. But one thing I noticed:
You probably meant authoritarian, not authoritative. Simply put, authoritative parenting is strict and emotionally warm/close, whereas authoritarian parenting is strict and emotionally cold/distant. An authoritative-style parenthood would usually provide significant positive reinforcement for good/desirable behavior. [/pedantic]
10532692
You are absolutely correct! I'm actually wondering how that slipped by me. Thanks for pointing it out. Will edit now.