Lost Muse

by David Silver

21 - A Filthy Date

She sat across from nothing. She was in a nice place. Soft music played in the background. It was soothing and relaxing and not working for her at all. She glanced towards the restrooms that he had wandered into. Was he nervous? Had she picked too fancy of a place for a simple earth pony?

Bottom shook her head firmly, trying to discard those thoughts. Day Dreamer would say something. He was a grown pony, not some foal that would slink away without saying... something...

In her magic she willed the menu up, but her eyes just slid over it, unable to concentrate on what was written on it.

In the restroom, Day Dreamer gazed at himself in the mirror. "You can do this," he told his reflection. What was the big deal? Just a place to eat. She didn't expect him to know what fork to use for salads, right? Which knife was right for which thing? He sat on his haunches, staring at himself. "You can do this," he repeated at himself.

He wouldn't let cutlery keep him away from that cute little unicorn waiting for him!

He took a slow and calming breath. "I'll just walk out there and eat like I always eat, nothing special... If that turns her off, then maybe that's just for the best." They wouldn't have gotten along even if he waited a date or two before being his real self.

He stood up, nodding with growing conviction. Better to lay the cards on the table. He would be polite, but he was not... proper. That wasn't his game. He'd eat with whatever thing he happened to get his hooves on first. "You can do this!" he told his reflection with determination.

He started for the door but heard a soft hiss. He looked to the left to see one of the stalls cracked open. A pony snout was barely visible through it. "Good luck."

Day shared a soft hoof-bump with the unknown stallion and strode out with a smile.

Bottom dared a smile, seeing Day returning. "Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." He climbed up into the seat across from her. "You must come to places like this all the time."

"Well, no, not exactly." Bottom confessed with a small shrug. "This place specializes in Saddle Arabian cuisine. You said we should try something new."

He looked down at his odd utensils, then back up at her. "So you have just as little clue what these things are?"

"Not a clue," she admitted with a bright smile. "Let's experience something new together." She nudged one with a glow of magic. "That is clearly a fork, at least."

"And they have a knife." He poked it with a hoof. "They'll have to tell us about the rest."

"Welcome!" cried out the large waitress with a big smile. "You have come to the place where your tastebuds will not just be excited, but taken on an adventure the rest of you will struggle to keep up with. Are you prepared?"

Day clopped his hooves. "Nope! Can't wait to start anyway."

Bottom's eyes were on their massive figure of a waitress. She was a true horse, easily dwarfing both of them and a true Saddle Arabian. "Oh, um, excuse me." She realized she was staring and shook her head. "I'm being rude."

"You are not the first, nor shall be the last." She held up a large hoof. "If you can refrain from the size-based humor, we will be fine. Now, I suggest a gentle drink to begin this quest into flavor. A mild flavor to prime things. It will get more intense from there, I assure. May I serve either of you?"

Day Dreamer was looking more and more confident as they went. "Please." He tapped the spot in front of himself. "I'd love to try it."

"Me too." Bottom nodded quickly, watching the waitress trot away to get their drinks. "Wow."

"Do you like them large?" asked Day, voice absent of jealousy. "I like them more..." He raised a hoof and wobbled it up and down until he settled right about at Bottom's height. "Here."

Bottom burst into soft laughter. "I prefer stallions to mares. Don't confuse me with my boss. I mean, bless her heart. I hope she finds somepony that works for her. Still, wow! She's... Big." She raised a hoof to point at her horn. "She's a unicorn. What do you think it's like, being strong and having magic?"

"Cheating." Day laughed gently, his tail swishing. "I bet it feels like living. I also imagine she doesn't worry about magic outside of carrying things."

The waitress returned, two mugs floating along in her magic, and a big tray with a carafe balanced on her large back. "I will leave the carafe here." She leaned a little and the whole thing began to tip over before it was snatched in her magic and set gently onto the table. The carafe lifted immediately thereafter to pour out two drinks.

"When it is time for spicier drinks, I will take this away. Now, you two are new, yes? Put away your menus, I beseech. Let us take hold of this ship's rudder and take you on a journey." She pointed towards the bottom of the menu where 'A Journey of Flavor' was listed. "It will give you a sampling of so many delights, so that you can find what you favor, and what you do not. Next time, you can decide."

"We'll take it," They said at once, only to laugh at their synchronous exclamation.

The waitress dipped her head. "Very good. I had hoped you would agree." She waved at the carafe. "This is included in that, and more will come. Take soft sips and prepare yourself." She trotted away.

Day hooked a hoof into the large loop of his mug and took a sip of what had been offered. "Hm." He looked over, waiting for Bottom.

She lifted hers in her magic and dared a sip. "It's... almost water."

"Almost." He shook his head. "I can taste something faintly fruity."

"Just a hint." She sipped lightly. "I'm ready for dinner."

"That was the idea, right?" Day set the mug down gently. "Get the belly rumbling."

The food came, one course at a time, each one small, but with promises of more to come. It was a sampler tour, each one given a name by their large waitress. They exchanged thoughts as they worked through things. Some things Day liked more. Some things Bottom liked more. A few things, they both liked, and some things they didn't favor.

The one thing they agreed on was enjoying the conversation as they worked through it. Stronger drinks came after the second course. "This has spirits," warned the waitress. "Drink gently, to cleanse the palate, but not as a meal itself."

As they were getting towards the end of their 'journey of flavor', talk turned to private things. He asked what she liked doing when she was relaxing, and she asked what kind of music he liked. Things were going well, both silently decided.

"Next time, if we just want to eat, I say we get a huge plate of those kebabs."

Bottom nodded firmly. "Oh, certainly. I wonder if they deliver..."

"We do," intruded the waitress as she whisked their drink away in her magic. "We have a phone number, and can accept letters as well, though a phone call is the faster method by far. The letter is preferred for catering calls, which we do."

Bottom held up a hoof. "Do you have a card?" One was placed in her waiting hoof, then sent to her pocket with a glowing horn. "Thank you. Are we done?"

"Perish the thought!" She gathered plates and most of the utensils. "As you draw into the dock of satisfaction, there remains one final matter. Dessert." She set down a new tray, a small selection of treats spread out across it. "Share and enjoy. Would either of you like some freshly roasted coffee? Just the thing to end a meal and fight off the lethargy of a well-enjoyed feast."

Before the waitress even finished leaving, Day was on his hooves. "Stay right there, Bottom." She watched him curiously as he circled around to her. He pulled a chair over beside her and hopped up onto it. "I want to be your tour guide for this last part."

"What do you have in mind?" She inclined her head, curious, excited, uncertain.

"Close your eyes."

She blinked once, then twice, keeping them closed on the third try. "Don't prank me, Day. I don't like those."

"No pranks." He reached for the sweet fruit slices and brought it closer, balanced on the end of his hoof. "Open your mouth."

"Ahhh."

He gently touched the fruit to her exposed tongue, but did not let her take it, teasing her with the barest touch. "You're pulling up, my brave taste traveler."

She giggled, a snort mixing into it, a fact that made her blush. "I can smell your hoof..." It smelled of the earth. It was filthy... Filthy like the lovely earth pony that was feeding her. She was eating from that filthy hoof, making her filthy too. Filthy little filly... She began to blush more and more, getting carried away in her silly little thoughts.

"That tastes good, huh?" He was letting her eat, little bites to be savored as he fed her slowly and gently. "Thank you, for all of this... It was a good time, really."

"Very," she sighed in agreement. "May I open my eyes?"

"Not yet." He reached for the next. "Time for a chilly surprise."

"Oh? Oh!" A substance she guessed to be ice-cream touched her tongue and she jumped in surprise, but kept her eyes closed. "Are you holding the ice cream?!"

"A small inconvenience for my new fillyfriend." He seemed happy to feed her, paying no mind to the chill he was receiving for the effort. "She's worth a little coldness."

"Stop that... You don't have to."

"I don't. But I want to." He nodded to the waitress in silent reply to an equally silent question. "Of all the delights we got to check out tonight, nothing could, you know, compare to the mare across from me."

"Stop that!" She was blushing brightly. "You're too much... You probably had plenty of girlfriends before."

"A few," he admitted. "But they were not you. You've had boyfriends before, right?"

"A few," she echoed. "They weren't you either."

"Pity for them."

"Yeah, too bad for them." She smiled, eyes still closed. "Can I look at my new boyfriend?"

"If you want."

She blinked open her eyes to see he was holding a cup away from her. That quickly changed as he brought it closer. It was filled with dark brown fluid. Coffee. She took the cup in her magic. "This is very sweet, but let me drink that on my own, Day. Besides, I like just a touch of cream."

Day reached for the other cup of the stuff. "I like my coffee like my plants. Natural and full-bodied." He took a soft drink of the un-vanished coffee, suddenly melting a bit in place. "Ohh... that's different, woah... Saddle Arabians know how to do coffee."

Bottom tilted her head before trying just a taste herself without adding cream. "Oh my! You're right... Thank you for stopping me from ruining this." She took a second pull, a little longer. "This is... something else." She leaned towards him, bumping her shoulder into his. "Now, about nice things. I enjoyed your company as well, Day Dreamer, but I feel we're skipping a step."

"I skipped a step?"

"Afraid you did." she waggled a hoof at him reprimanding. "Day Dreamer, would you like to try being girlfriend and boyfriend?"

"I'd love to." He nodded gently and smiled. "Let me know if it doesn't work out."

She stuck out her tongue. "Don't talk like that. I'd rather it worked out."

"Me too." He put his free hoof on his chest. "But no hard feelings either way. Let's be adults, you know? Be chill."

"Chill."

They grew quiet, and close, sipping their coffee contently.

Author's Note:

Day and Bottom show how to become involved without drama.

I'm jealous.

Comments

[Emtu]

Which knife was right for which thing?"

Extraneous quotation mark at the end

Share and enjoy.

[David Silver]

9310707
Fixed!

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[David Silver]

9310741
That would require I know famous people. I do not.

[Daremo]

with a barest touch - with the barest touch
taste traveller - taste traveler