Interviews With Equestrians

by Jmaster49

Subject 95: A Relaxing Time Out

Cozy and I both sat down at the table closest to the kitchen. There weren't really any other orders going on, so we were able to sit peacefully as we looked at the menus.

“...Paneer Tikka Masala?” I blinked, and took a closer look at what I had read, “That sounds...interesting.”

“Nepony Style Chow Mein with Fried Grass?” Cozy’s eyes went wide, “I’ll have that please, with a side of the Grilled Cheese Momo.”

I tilted my head. “Momo? Isn’t that some scary bird-like mare that the foals keep talking about?”

Cozy giggled, and turned the menu around to show me some sort of fried dough ball that looked similar to a dumpling but with far neater crinkles. “It’s a dough filled with anything you want! I’m picking the grilled-cheese variation.”

“An excellent choice, dear,” Ms. Masala replied as she took down the order with a pencil and pad held by her magic. “And your side sir?” she addressed me.

I looked over the menu once more, and found something I liked. But the pronunciation slew me mentally. “‘Dhi...kari and Aloo Tina’? That. It looks amazing.”

“Ooh!” Saffron leaned over my shoulder, and almost mushed her face against mine due to excitement, “Dhikari is a steamed dough, and Aloo Tina is a spiced potato curry. You will love it!”

All I could do was give an awkward chuckle. “Heh...um...thank you. I can’t wait to try it.”

Once she had our orders down, she put the pencil in her hair. “Alrightyyyy! I’ll see you both soon!” and she pranced into the kitchen.

Cozy laughed once more. I would never tire of hearing that young mare be happy. “Haha! She’s a riot, isn’t she?”

I folded my hooves, and chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

All the sudden, Ms. Masala poked her head out of the kitchen door, and levitated a basket filled with ring-shaped rice bread that had been finished off with what smelled like garlic butter. “Just our complimentary sel roti! Enjoy while we prep your main courses!”

“...Damn,” I mumbled, “Is this what being a dad gets you?”

Cozy had already started to nibble on one. “If so, then I don’t want it to stop!”

I shrugged, and bit down on one of the ring-breads as well. It was...rather good, though like everything else here, it had exotic spices and a taste that was both unfamiliar and amazing.

“Mmm…” I took a moment to enjoy it. This was no ordinary garlic. This garlic had been steamed over the course of what tasted like several weeks. This was black garlic. A rare form of garlic that could be used in potions as well as food. As a result, it was also very expensive. And yet, this was just an appetizer? Wow. “...delicious,” I said as I finished it off.

“See?” Cozy leaned forward, “I told you it was worth it! But not only that, coming to a place like this really helps you...relax, you know? I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Saffron and her father are from a place where meditation is key to enlightenment and whatnot. Being able to understand each other through food is...paramount when it comes to their culture. That’s why I wanted to bring you here.”

Smart kid. She knew exactly what I needed at a time like this, it seemed. But beyond that, I couldn’t very well shake off the feeling of not making use of my full potential when it came to something as important as the safety of others.

“Thank, Cozy,” I replied as I flashed her a smile, but my yellow eyes drifted away with uncertainty.

The pink pegasus was quick to notice. “You still feel like you wanna be involved with hunting down the breeder bug, huh?”

I sighed. “A little. It’s my job to protect the lives of those who want to live peacefully. No different than the knights of the previous centuries who have defended this land.”

Cozy’s eyes looked heavy. Almost as if she knew the next thing she was about to say would be harsh. I could feel it. “Well...I have to be honest with you: You’re simply not going to get anything done thinking like that.”

Oh? That was interesting. I appreciated her honesty, and wanted to hear more. “Hm? What do you mean by that?”

She rubbed the back of her neck with a nervous hoof. “You’re...so absorbed in what you think you need to do, that you haven’t stopped to consider what you probably should do. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but you’re being too self-conscious about what others think.” Her uncertain expression became a much more relaxed one as she continued. “You’re a great pony, but you need to work on prioritizing what’s important or else you’ll lose focus...or something like that.”

Well now. I thought she was merely a strategist. Turns out that she was a therapist as well, eh? But she made some good points. How could I go about improving the world when I couldn’t stop to improve myself? It was almost embarrassing, even. The fact that she, a young mare, had to sit me down in a restaurant for me to understand that was...well, it was a testament to just how bone-headed I could be at times. But that's alright. Everyone had to make mistakes before they could improve themselves. The severity of the mistakes, however, is what separates those who can learn from those who cannot.

“Yeah, you’re right, kid,” I responded with a small smile, “I was always buried nose-deep in my work and could never figure out when it might be time to take a clearer look at myself.”

Her wings fluttered with confidence. “Well now’s your chance, Pale-Pops. I’m aware that you pretty much grew up without a family, so it wasn’t easy for you to find guidance. And Ms. Rights is…” she paused, and changed the subject, “Sorry. Anyway. You have a lot of support now. Not just from your work buddies. But from me, Ms. Cheerilee, Tree Hugger, Celestia, Luna, the list goes on. So don’t feel like you need to just do everything. Other ponies are here. So...relax once in a while, okay?”

Also a good point. I was fully confident in King Thorax being able to handle the situation regarding this new crazed bug. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care at all. Some small part of me still wished to conduct even a tiny bit of investigation into the issue. But Twilight had banned me from doing so with this particular case. Yeesh. In all my 35 years of existence, I have never exactly been told that I could not take part in something so important. So I guess that had something to do with it as well. Having to get used to staying out of certain scenarios and whatnot.

“Yeah, you have a point, Cozy,” I replied, “Maybe I do need to...think about some things.”

“And hey, Ms. Cheerilee or--Mrs. Vestige--” she said with a giggle, “hehe, is always there for you to do...whatever it is adult ponies do for each other when they’re sad.”

Oh my god. I had to laugh. “...Pfffssshahahaha!” I had realized that, due to the fact that she had been stoned for the past 20-or-so-years, so she had no clue whatsoever about the bump-n-grind, birds and bees, whatever you wanted to call it. She was still innocent on some level, and it just humored me somewhat.

She raised a brow. “What’s so funny?”

“Hahaheheh...heh. Ahem. Sorry about that,” I responded when I finally stopped. “I’ll...tell you about it, soon. But yes. That’s why I’m going back to her place to exercise with her once we eat. Can’t get fat now can we?” I pointed a hoof at her midsection.

She blushed, and glared at me with an intense look of frustration. “Ah--wh--daaaad--I mean, Pale! Why would you say that?”

I guffawed once more. “Pfff! I’m just joking, Cozy. But speaking of which, where is our order…?” I looked around her, and at the doors to the kitchen.

Just as I said that, they burst open, revealing the orange, ethnic unicorn mare trotted out to us while she levitated our dishes with her magic.

For Cozy, the Nepony-style chow mein. It was a lot different from Chineighse chow mein in that there was a lot more sauce on the noodles and veggies. It looked delicious. And of course, her side was the momo dumplings. These differed from Japonese dumplings with more fine curling and the fact that they were apparently filled with grilled cheese. Something clearly influenced by the Western side of the planet.

And levitated down to me was my order.

Paneer Tikka Masala. The dish that the unicorn herself was named after, it seemed. Rightfully deserved, because it smelled amazing. Paneer was a type of South Neighsian cottage cheese which was eaten often in Shire Lanka and Windia. The dish as a whole involved the cheese with a spiced curry/gravy, loads of mixed vegetables, and a bit of hay.

And the side dish...looked like another meal on its own. Thankfully I was famished. Dhikari and Aloo Tina. The dhikari were a half-dozen cylinders of steamed dough that looked really fresh, and rather tasty for something so normal-looking. It went right along with the aloo tina. A bowl of spiced potato curry with rice and what smelled to be a lot of different spices. Honestly, I was both scared, and excited to try it.

Lastly, to drink, we were both given tall mugs of iced tea. This wasn’t like regular tea, though. From what I could smell, it contained sugarcane juice and a splash of buttermilk. Very interesting indeed.

“There you go!” Ms. Masala said once she placed our dishes down. “I’ll be off taking care of other customers. So let me know if you need anything!” she flashed us a smile, and nervously trotted away with beads of sweat that ran down her face. I suppose that she was a bit flustered around new customers. Either that or she was really excited to have us.

“Thank you!” Cozy chirped in response.

“Yes, thank you,” I replied as I stared at my plate.

So we began eating. The food was all around delicious. The paneer cheese was rich, and paired very nicely with the curry. Just as well, the potatoes in the aloon tina made for a nice dipping sauce for the dhikari dough. Much to my dismay, I did my best to eat neatly from each plate and bowl directly. Ah, first-world earth pony problems. No magic and no wing-fingers.

Cozy for example, used her wings to handle the fork. It was perfect for her since her entree was actually far messier than mine. The noodles were covered in thick sauce, and those grilled cheese momo dumplings leaked liquid gold. Thankfully, she also ate as neatly as I. Which was surprising. I figured nopony had been around her long enough to teach her the concept of table manners. And yet she proved she was more than able to maintain proper etiquette.

I swallowed my most recent bite, and looked at her. “How is it?”

“Amazing! Wanna try some?” she offered and raised one of her wings that held some of the noodles on a fork, “I’ll trade you.”

Damn. They looked good, but I wasn’t going to eat off of her plate like that. “Oh, sure. But let me just--”

Before I could say anything, she had grabbed another fork with her other wing, and stuffed my mouth with some of the noodles. “Heehee! There you go. It’s really good, pops,” she watched me chew with bated excitement.

Well that was...new. I had to admit that it felt a little embarrassing to be ‘fed’ by what was apparently my daughter. Though no one else in the room paid any mind. But the noodles...they were amazing.

“Wow...it really is good,” I replied, “Here, try some of mine.”

We laughed, and enjoyed the food overall. We even traded some of what we had on our own plates with each other so we could have an opportunity to taste everything. And boy let me say: the food was beyond exceptional. Easily some of the best I had ever eaten, and the best part is that it did indeed help me feel relaxed as Cozy mentioned before. I felt all of my troubles and anxieties slip away once we had finished.

For the first time in a while, I saw Cozy Glow appear to be...content. No fear, no worries. Just simply content with herself and with me. It was a heartwarming feeling really. But it also reminded me of something else.

“...Cozy? What do you want to do in life? For your future?”

She held back a belch, and cleared her throat. “Uh--ahem. That’s...a tough question, honestly. I can’t really answer it though, since I don’t think anypony would trust me with important jobs involving...anything.” She frowned, but it quickly gave way to a wide, toothy smile. “But seeing you happy, and knowing that I’ve made you proud is all I can ask for, Pale. At this point, you’re the pony I live for, and I want you to have a fulfilling life because I...er,” she paused, and tapped her hoof against her chin as she looked up and to the left, “Jeez, how can I say it without sounding weird…?”

My heart had melted from what she had said so far, but I was curious to hear what else she wanted to tell me. “Hm?”

Cozy sighed, and looked directly at me. “I love you, dad.”

“Oh? Um…” I froze, but only for a moment. I felt tears slowly leak from the sides of my eyes, and I wiped them away with my hoof. “I…”

The pegasus pushed my hoof down. “No need to hide how you feel, pops. I’m right here with you.”

I sniffled, and played it off with a chuckle. But I didn’t want to stop there. I replied as best I could despite my voice having broke a little. “...Love you too, kiddo.” I put my hooves around her in a tight hug, to which she returned the gesture.

I heard some of the other patrons go ‘Awwwww…’ from nearby. I didn’t know whether to feel embarrassed, proud, or both.

After all of that, we were ready to pay up, and head home. Cozy approached the register, and I followed close behind.

“We loved it,” the pegasus said to Saffron Masala, “We’ll be coming back for sure!”

“Excellent!” Saffron replied, “That’ll be 70 bits, oh and…” she stopped, and levitated a small bag onto the counter. “Some free jalebi for you both. It’s similar to what you call cinnamon rolls,” she explained with a smile.

I looked in the bag, and took it between my teeth. “Thank you very much,” I praised her skill, “The food was excellent, and I will be returning with my wife very soon.”

Cozy shot me a knowing smirk as she paid for the meal we ate.

“We would love to have you all,” Saffron replied, “Please do come again, sir. And let me just say, you have a wonderful, generous daughter. Willing to take her father out for a break from his busy work schedule? You must be so proud.”

“Yes…” I looked at Cozy, and ruffled her mane with my hoof. Then I turned to leave,“Yes I am. Have a nice night, Ms. Masala.”

“Oooh…” Cozy pouted, and followed me out. “Thank you for everything!”

“Bye! Come again!” I heard Saffron say as we left. “Ah...we need more good father-daughter pairings in this world. Don’t you agree, father?”

From the kitchen, Coriander Cumin called her. “Most certainly, Saffron. Can you help me with this next order?”

“Coming!”

Cozy and I walked out into the city of Canterlot as nighttime took over. Now that we had left, I explained something that I wanted to get off my chest since we entered the place.

“I never would’ve expected Saffron Masala and her father to still be working here. When I was younger, the place had just opened and Rarity and Pinkie helped advertise it. But even now, two decades later, they’re still working together…” my eyes went wide. “It’s crazy.”

Cozy nudged me. “I guess that’s the power of father-daughter bonding, isn’t it? It’s unbreakable.”

Heh. This kid was something else.

“You got that right. But now, I’m ready to head home,” I said as I checked my watch. “Ah, perfect. If we catch the train now, I can meet Cheerilee on time for our workout session.”

“Mind if I watch?” Cozy asked with innocent eyes, “I could use the help for a good workout routine.”

No way in Tartarus was I going to let her see that.

“Um...maybe tomorrow,” I explained it to her carefully, “For now, she’s helping me with my balance and whatnot. Can’t be observed by others.”

Luckily for me, she bought it. “Okay, pops,” she responded with a grin, “I’m kinda sleepy anyways. So let’s catch the train and get home.”

Whew. Dodged a bullet there. An adorable, pink bullet.

Comments

[Neo4K]

😂 I'm not even bothering with the quotes from the chapter. This is a wonderful filler chapter of father-daughter bonding that I've ever read! Pale, Cozy, and Cheerilee are a family you can't help but love with all your hearts!

"Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. A happy family is but an earlier heaven. Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life."

"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life."

[Jmaster49]

10533533
Yup. After all this chaos and fighting, they really needed time to themselves! Glad you liked it. 😁

[GamePlayer64]

I was fully confident in King Thorax being able to handle the situation regarding this new crazed bug.

I don’t believe that Thorax nor any reform Changeling can stop Lady Elytra because she can handle being solo as The Magic of Friendship needs companions. Elytra took down Pale and his small group, I... like to imagine her taking down the entire Changeling Kingdom

[Jmaster49]

10533944
Well that's not the most accurate metric to go off of since her magic targets a specific aspect of one's own mind. Pale was able to outmatch Daybreaker because he could get into her head. But he was outmatched here because Elytra got into his. Actual Changelings have a better--albeit slim--chance of working against her since they utilize the same magic.