A Filling of Humour in the Middle
“What’s up Pipp-Squeaks and a very good morning to every pony who has tuned in this live stream. We are live from Zephyr Heights! I know this is really early for all of you fans, but don’t fret, I will upload this to you on You-Trot so that every pony can enjoy!”
Pipp placed the phone at a stable angle on the kitchen bench against the wall with the front camera facing her and zoomed in onto her face. She was dressed in her cosy robes, her mane combed neatly and in position. The sun still hadn’t shone over the mountains of the pegasus city, yet that didn’t stop Pipp from showing something to her fellow fans to see.
“Now you all must be wondering, 'what in Equestria am I doing up this early!' Well, to answer your question, being a celebrity and doing concerts all the time really drains my energy. Performing at your A-game constantly means that you need to eat the right foods to stay focused and to keep yourself running throughout the whole day! It also means finding something that doesn't make you feel or look... er... pudgy.”
She smiled and made the camera zoom out to show the castle’s kitchen.
“Which is why I am in the castle’s kitchen to prepare myself the perfect sandwich to keep me going all through the day! Believe me, my makeup and sound sessions sometimes means that there is no room for lunch or break!”
She left her phone as she began opening the cupboard and fridge doors and began rummaging around for her ingredients. She placed them in an organised position so as not to block the camera, leaving the butter to melt for a few minutes.
“first up, the bread. I especially need my carbs to keep my energy high, yet not feel deflated or bloated as I go into the afternoon. I have a variety of bread in the cabinet as my schedule changes from day to day, so there is a variety on the shelf for me to decide. Sprouted whole grain contains special vitamins that are critical for converting food into energy. Sourdough is one of the most digestible bread, so I don’t feel stomach cramps when I have to attend dance sessions straight away. For the most energy, whole-grain is the one for me and healthier than white. White is a pleasure for days off.”
She sighed and turned her head to the direction of the bedrooms where her sister was slumbering.
“I wish Zipp was here,” She muttered so that the microphone wouldn’t pick it up, “She would know about the science of carbs, but I wouldn’t want her to go into deep, boring details.” She smiled and turned back towards the camera. Then she turned to the fridge where her weekly schedule was, held by a bridge magnet.
“Since my day isn’t too busy and I feel like I am wanting to go healthy, I will make a sandwich out of sprouted whole grain.”
She opened the bag and she took out two medium-thick slices of bread. She placed them on the chopping board and opened the butter.
“You want a nice, thin spread of butter on your sandwich. The worst-case scenario is when you take a bite out of your sandwich and you have a dry area just in that forgotten corner. A good spread of butter means that your sandwich is palatable and goes down you comfortably. It’s also best to have your butter out for a couple of minutes, like what I have done, so that it’s more spreadable.”
She took out a butter knife and began to spread her sandwiches in generous amounts of butter. Whilst she was spreading the yellow substance around, her ears perked up at the sound of a thud and rummaging happening above her. Then, the sound of running water came from the upper floor. Knowing that her sister has a loud morning routine she thought it was best to let her followers know what’s happening behind the camera in case it got picked up by the phone's microphone system.
“That would be Zipp waking up. She is so loud when she wakes up. Honestly, I wish we had soundproof walls throughout the castle and not just the recording studio. Be sure to check out that video on You-Trot, with exclusive backstage footage!”
After double-checking that her slices of bread were spread evenly of butter, she placed the butter back in the fridge.
“Now it’s time for the fun part: what sort of filling to have in your sandwich! Do you want something nutritious and healthy? Maybe something packed with energy to keep you going all day! Maybe-“
She was interrupted when she heard the sound of heavy hoof-steps coming down the castle’s stairs. The kitchen door opened with a soft creek and Zipp came into view. Her mane was combed upwards in her preferred fashion and it looked like she just had a quick wash.
Groggily rubbing her eyes, she blinked owlishly at her sister.
“Pipp? What are you doing up at-“
“Hush!” Pipp interrupted through clenched teeth, “Can’t you see I’m in the middle of something!”
Zipp looked from her to her phone before her mouth made an ‘o’ of understanding.
“Don’t mind me. I’m going to make my breakfast,” She raised her hooves in defence.
“Then could you do it quietly!” Pipp hissed again. Zipp just shrugged and began rummaging around for something to eat.
“Apologies, fellow fans,” Pipp chuckled sheepishly before frowning, “It seems that some pony decided to interrupt my stream. Anyway, fillings! Today, I am thinking about making myself a nice, sweet yet nutritious sandwich for my day. The layers of your sandwich must be sturdy and flavours that go well together must be next to each other to ensure a nice balance of-“
“Hey, Pipp!” Zipp called from behind her increasingly annoyed sister, “Where did you put the bread?”
Pipp grumbled as she was interrupted for the second time.
“Here, Zipp. I got them out on the bench.”
“Thanks.”
Zipp trotted over to the kitchen bench. She looked at the assorted variety of bread before settling on two slices of sourdough. Zipp completely ignored her sister’s phone being there and obscured the camera as she took the bread out and went over to the table. Pipp just gave her sister a disapproving glare, but Zipp pretended not to notice. Once Zipp was gone and over by the table, Pipp cleared her throat, took a deep breath and went on to add her fillings of choice.
“For this morning,” Pipp tried to hide her irritation through her voice, “I am going for a nice energetic egg sandwich. I already have some freshly boiled eggs that I am now going to slice and place then perfectly onto the bottom slice of what’s going to be my sandwich.”
She got out another knife and began slicing the boiled egg into thin slices, placing them onto the bread in the position she wants.
“I believe a sandwich looks pretty if you have your flat foods at the bottom and then layering your asymmetrical and rough foods at the top. I also placed the eggs at the bottom because they are dry foods, unlike wet tomatoes. Believe me, you do not want a sandwich with one side soggy and damp. Evenness is key for the perfect home-sandwich.”
She began to slice her tomatoes and layered them on top of the eggs.
“All right! Everything is coming along perfectly! Now I would like to add some sweetcorn. Tiny pieces of food are always tricky to handle and get right. You just want enough so that you don’t create a mess and leave bits of food everywhere.”
She was unaware that Zipp quietly took two pieces of bread from the counter, away from the camera and out of her sight. Pipp was busy tearing some leaves of lettuce and placing them in a neat pattern as the final inner layer of her sandwich.
“And there you have it every pony!” Pipp announced cheerfully, “Your perfect sandwich for the day! Now all we have to do is-“
It was then she felt something soft being pressed on either side of her face. Her eyes widened and she turned towards her smirking sister. She had two slices of bread clasped firmly on either side of her younger sister’s head, a victorious smirk on her face. This caused Pipp to blush.
“Zipp?! What are you doing?!” Pipp whined.
“I was still hungry,” Zipp teased, “So I wanted to make another sandwich with a different filling.” She winked. This only caused Pipp’s blush to deepen by several shades.
“Ha-ha! Very funny, sister,” Pipp’s eyes narrowed, “Now could you please let me go so I can finish my stream?”
Zipp raised an eyebrow at her and did a look that only siblings could understand. That look that meant something not too pleasant was being planned in her head.
“What are you?” Zipp simply asked
Pipp’s blood froze. They hadn’t played that game since they were foals. Not here. Not right now. Not in the middle of a stream!
“Please! Not right now!” Pipp begged, “Not in front of my followers!”
“What are you?” Zipp repeated with a stern face.
Pipp could only pout and sigh in defeat. For the third time this morning, she blushed a deep red.
“Well would you look at that,” Zipp quipped, “Looks like I’m having a tomato sandwich for breakfast.”
“Your pretty sandwich,” Pipp grumbled through clenched teeth. It was quiet so that the microphone wouldn’t pick it up. Zipp wanted a louder response.
“Could you say that again, but louder?” Zipp’s smirk grew.
Pipp had no other choice but to let Zipp win this one.
“Your pretty sandwich,” Pipp grumbled louder, allowing Zipp’s ears and the phone’s microphone to hear every single word.
“That you are,” Zipp beamed and patted her belly.
“I think I’ll skip the tomato sandwich,” Zipp chuckled, “Have a nice morning.” She trotted out of the kitchen, leaving her sister behind, an angry look on her face. Pipp turned to her phone, where she was certain every follower heard and saw everything.
“Well, that’s all for this morning, Pipp-Squeaks. Hope you have fun making your own sandwiches and having a wonderful morning. Don’t forget to like, comment or subscribe to my You-Trot channel, or follow me on Clip-Clop, Pony-Book and Flitter! Pipp-Pipp-Hooray!”
She double-tapped her phone to end the stream and slumped down onto the kitchen floor.
“I have to remind myself to never do a morning live stream at the same time my sister wakes up.”
She would have been horrified to know that her ‘pretty sandwich’ moment with Zipp would become the most trending thing on You-Trot and Clip-Clop.