Something More?

by thewaffler

Latte's First Day

A/N: This is kinda filler, but think of it as the stuff inside a Twinkie. Also I'm putting up the next real full chapter up later this week, It's 3.5 k words plus I'll need to edit it. Trust me, it's 70% done. College, job hunting and sobriety were killing my update pattern.

* Retcon Pony Joe will now be referred to an Doughnut Joe.

---

It was the grand re-opening of Doughnut Joe's Diner in Canterlot with some new changes like the rotating sign out front had been replaced with a new one done up in yellow, red and orange neon that read: The Original Doughnut Joe's. The biggest addition was that the restaurant was under the new management of Latte Bean, Joe's younger brother. The twenty year old coffee colored stallion may have seemed too young to run one of the most popular eateries in the city, but the restaurant business was in his blood, not to mention his special skill was coffee from Kona to Coltlumbia, from dark roast to the dreaded decaf, from macchiatos to yuanyangs, the young stallion knew all about his craft.

It was this passion and drive that made his obvious choice for the new manager of Joe's beloved diner. His only big flaws were his pride and love for his over-styled mane he would spend three hours getting it done and even worked in a way to keep in perfect even when wearing a mane-net while working all day. Latte was getting ready to open the store and took one last look at the mirror making sure it was perfect. 'Even while workin' I gotta be stylin' and profilin' damn I look pretty.' Latte made his way into the store to make preparations for the busy they ahead of him. The dinner never had much in terms of staff and besides the manager/baker there was a short-order cook. As for cleaning it was always done by the flip of a coin.

The only employee was Eye Patch the sixty-two year old hippogriff short order chef. He's been working there since Joe first took over the shop. He was a blessing when it came to serving the visiting griffons, dragons or frankly any other creature that ate meat. Latte cringed a little at the thought of the ancient employee with a cigarette hanging out of his beak eating another creature.

"Ay, Patchy, good mornin'." the Unicorn slapped him on the back.

"Grr abbba. Lttay, shiahhh ah startinnn, break fistsh rahsh...." Eye Patch chuckled as he puffed away on his smoke while changing the oil of the deep fat fryers and getting ready for the day. To anypony else that sentence he greeted Latte with was complete gibberish, but to Latte whom after knowing the old codger for years understood his mumbles and speech patterns.

"Yeah, I expect the morin' rush ta be something fierce, too."

---

Forty minutes later

Everything had been taken care of: the bathrooms and tables were clean, the fresh batch of doughnuts was on display and the coffee and espresso machines were filled with water. Latte went to the front of the diner, unlocked the door, and switched the sign to open.

"That wasn't so har--" Latte's monologue was interrupted by the breakfast rush as they trampled him trying to get to the front counter. "...ow." He mumbled as he laid on the tiled surface with his apron covered in hoof and claw marks.

He whipped out a tape recorder. "Note ta self, hire more ponies."

He began to serve his varied clientele because the shop was popular with the Cantelot elite and the diner's prices were still affortheble to the blue collar workers and college students.

A blue maned unicorn socialite popped into the store at around three in the afternoon when the lunch rush had long since ended. The stallion was flush as he had visible bags under his eyes.

"I dear, say old sport do you have what the devil did Fluer call them...um...ah yes, Pregnancy Puffs?"

Latte knew what the stallion was looking for, it was a culinary invention that Joe had came up called Pregnancy Puffs. Latte always thought the name was stupid, but that his brother was some kind of genius. They were doughnut holes magically flavored to taste like what a mother to be craved at the time ranging from hot fudge and mustard to pickles and nacho cheese. 'Eww, nasty.'

"Yes, sir we got 'em, how many?"

"Um..." The unicorn adjusted his monocle to read Latte's name tag. "...Latte, I need about three dozen and hurry, because I do fear for my life." He begged as cell phone when off and answered it. All Latte could hear was yelling in what he assumed was Prench as the tall unicorn winced.

"Sir, ya orders ready." Fancy grabbed his purchase and threw his Diamond debit card on the counter.

"Take it! IN THE WORDS OF FOTO FINISH, I GO NOW!!!" He bolted out the door with his doughnut holes.

It had been the longest day of his life. Like his brother had predicted he was greeted by the three same questions all day and he gave the same response to response to each one of them.

"Where's Joe?"

"He retired and moved out ta the country."

"Where is the bathroom?"

"Same place it's always been for the past twenty-seven years in the back."

"Can I get extra sprinkles?"

"Yes."

The oddest request that happened was when an older attractive mare asked Latte to sing a birththey song to her foal. "Miss we don't hava birthday song..." He saw an opportunity as he looked into her pleading eyes. "...but we do, now." Latte made a fool out himself, but it wasn't in vane, because when he was done the mare threw a piece of paper with her address, phone number and left the store with a seductive smile. 'Alright, giggity, giggity.'

Patchy shot him a disapproving glare and shook his head. "Shebee frrrr ba, yeabeee ah mn-whur."

Latte smiled. "Don't judge me, when's the last time ya got any? Cloudstock '68?"

"..."

"Yeah, thought so, now let's get workin' on the special order for the palace tonight."

To say it was a massive order was an understatement, but sadly according to Joe this was a regular order for castle...well since the gala had been decimated two years ago and the princess and the elements of harmony had visited the store.

After about an hour later Latte and Eye Patch had finished the castle's order and Latte was going over it one last time. "Let's see...Celestia's personal doughnut mixed shipment of three dozen glazed crullers and classic cake doughnuts. There is two barrels of Kona coffee for Luna's night court, twelve dozen bacon covered coconut cream filled éclairs smothered in waffle batter for Discord. Whew! It must be nice being immortal and not have to worry about things like calories, diabetes or getting fat."

Luna's royal guards came in with a trailer to escort the precious cargo to the princesses and the god of chaos. Speaking of whom allowed the dinner and a few other stores to be spared from Chaos Fridays as he called it.

---

Latte's day was finally winding down at around three in the morning. On the weekends the little dinner was popular in the early mornings because the clubs were starting to let out and their patrons were exhausted drunk and hungry. There was one other diner open that late or that early depending on how you viewed it. The name of the restaurant was Dreary's located off of 84th street and to put it politely it sucked and the brothers always made an in-joke about the chain of cheap, low quality restaurants.

"Dreary's, it's 2AM there's still time for one more bad decision."

The great thing about the customers you get this late at night or early in the morning were the stories they told and the company they brought with them. Once in awhile a celebrity would walk in as well and as customary they ate free, but had to take a photo and autograph it so it could placed on the wall. Tonight was no exception however, these celebrities were familiar faces; it was the talented MC W1SH and the "sensational" Sapphire Shores.

"...and like I was sayin' you can't give a toaster oven to...um Sapphire how'd it go again?" MC W1SH was trying to remember the punch line of his story.

"You can't give a toaster oven to a lovesick gerbil because it'll *BLEEEEEEEP, BLEEP, BLEEP* with a rubber hose and *BLEEP* taco stand." Everyone laughed at their fairy raunchy tale about the time their tour bus crashed into a pet store.

Sadly all good things must come to an end and as Eye Patch left it time to close up the shop and head for a much needed sleep and get ready for another day. All and all it wasn't as bad as Joe had made it seem, as Latte switched the sigh to closed and turned off the neon sign, locked up and went up stairs to bed.

---

Thanks for being patient and the next chapter will be out soon.

Comments

[thecrimsonpony]

yay a new one

[dragenfire68]

FINALLY i was wondering when it was gonna be updated oh yeah, one more thing *suck in breath* I WIELD NO SWORD OF FIRST BUT I WIELD THE SWORD OF NOTHING

[thewaffler]

776069
I got the Stray Ardor team back to write the next chapter. The next chapter is quit long.

[dragenfire68]

776081 good. bring. it. on.

[blake0831]

There's a slight spelling mistake:

'the rotating sigh'

This caught my attention, now I'm picturing a pony rotating in place, constantly sighing.

[taokami]

wow great chapter or mini chapter? hehe anyway tracked

[TsukiSama87]

Great Chapter here.

Only thing I noticed was I believe you meant to say "Diner" instead of "Dinner". Am I correct?

I saw it a few times in the chapter.

[thewaffler]

781283
I'll fix that, mistakes happen, thanks.

[Enmar]

huzzah!
next chapter please!

[Allonsbro]

Yay! Update.
A couple of things you can fix:
1. diNNer is the meal. diNer is the restaurant
2. A few sentences, like the one saying Latte can understand Eyepatch, could use a few more commas to clean them up
3. You might want to explain what a hippogriff is, or at least describe it
4. instead of 'he's been working,' try 'he'd been working'

okay so it was more than a couple, send me to the moon. Anyway, nice chapter. Looking forward to the next one

[thewaffler]

796868
The next chapter is long, I'm estimating at a minimum of 4,000 words.
I'll make those fixes when I can. sometimes when editing you can't catch every mistake. There is also a sequel planned that takes place both 5 and 10 years later. Think of it as a giant epilogue.

[Doublemallow]

Why did you Suddenly start referring to him as Donut Joe? Not that you Should listen to me anything but I can't stand it.

[thewaffler]

870095
I started writing this story before, the episode MMMystery on the Friendship Express and in that episode they retconned his name from Pony Joe to Donut Joe. I figured it couldn't hurt to do the same, but in retrospect if enough readers have an issue with the change then I'd be happy to change it back.

Oh and on another note the next chapter is coming I'm half way done and it is about 3K, so expect an update within the the upcoming week.

[Frankie]

twelve dozen bacon covered coconut cream filled éclairs smothered in waffle batter for Discord.

Whoa! Discord?! What's he doing free?

[Colt in the Moon]

I have to say, I really love Latte