open The lost one.(always open )

[crispy fries 432]

@@Missklang,

 

Redwood snatched the tablecloth away and wiped down herself.

 

"Ah said veteran, not veterinarian. As in, ah served in th' Equestrian military. Ah've seen a whole lotta combat, and that don't exactly leave you with happy memories. And yer little paint bomb is bringin' back memories ah don't wanna remember."

[Missklang 1,053]

@@crispy fries,

 You got me even more confused now. How can bright colors can be associated with war? I thought it was paintball...Don't worry; no more explosives from me if you dislike them. But anyway. My name is Missklang! And what are yours and your friend's?

Ponies around slowly recovered from the shock and started slowly shaking the paint off which came off surprisingly easily. Pinkie was licking the paint off the walls claiming that "It tasted like caramel!" . The Cake family were also completely recovered and were looking at Missklang with a scolding look.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Missklang,

 

"Y'know, ah feel like y'all should be intelligent enough to correctly associate things explodin' and combat. Now, ah'm Redwood, his name's none of yer business. Now, you ain't pullin' that, or fer that matter any prank around me, ever. Got it?"

 

Redwood was still absolutely furious with Missklang.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He looked down at the paint covering both him and Redwood during their exchange and began to shake with horror.... That slowly turned into fury. He stepped forward, pressing past Redwood, eyes unreadable, to the troublemaker she spoke to and when he reached him, he lifted up his hoof, covered it with a ravage senses spell and struck out at the pony before him. It was the strike, quick and true, brought out by years of use. It came so natural from the many fights he got in beforehand. He would not be made a fool of again, and he wouldn't end up a punk. Not only that, but this was the kind of stuff that could get them both fired.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Redwood extended her hoof to hold back Echo.

 

"Hold on a second there. Ah'm real pissed at this guy too, but startin' a fight ain't a good idea. Ah'm sure y'all don't wanna get fired, and ah'm even more sure y'all don't wanna commit a crime. Look, ah just told this guy he ain't gonna do this again, and ah'm sure he'll follow through," Redwood said as she shot a threatening look at Missklang.

[Missklang 1,053]

@crispy fries  @Colenso Rivers

Now now. I didn't mean to make you angry. Don't be so short fused.

Missklang saw Redwood's friend approaching

Ah. I see you are ok! Don't worry, the paint is easily remo..

-BOM-

The hit sent Missklang flying to the nearest wall. He slowly ascended on the ground while breathing heavily and laughing.

Hhhh hhhh. hahah. What an uppercut. hhhh hhhh. I wasn't hit in such nice manner since a very long time... You are one hell of a puncher!

He tried to stand up but his breath was still cut by the sudden hit.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Missklang

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He stepped away from the entire scene, telling Redwood behind him critically, "No time for lunch. Go home, take a shower, and meet me back at work, okay?" Then he turned back at the pony who started this, "Don't mess with support beams. Or you'll find everything crashing down on top of you." He was more upset than anything. The closest thing he would ever have to spending time with a friend. Gone.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Redwood could tell Echo was mad and frustrated. He seems to be happy to have lunch with her, and this punk had ruined it. She'd have to be sure to ask Echo out to lunch tomorrow, or maybe even dinner tonight. Before she went back to work, Redwood shot Missklang one last dirty look.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He stood under the water of his shower, feeling terrible for striking that pony. It meant he was getting worse, like before. The paint melted off his body as he slowly brushed himself with a sponge.

When he was all dried off, he grabbed his home uniform and put it on, shaking out his hair, placing a cap in his multicolored satchel and heading off to work feeling worse than he'd felt in a very long time.

[Missklang 1,053]

Missklang watched the two go away. He looked around and caught Pinkie's stare.

Well... That didn't go as well as planned.

He stood up and his horn glowed, removing the paint from the Sugarcube corner.

He approached the table and sit near Pinkie who was still licking her tail

I thought people liked bright colors... 

You've should have perhaps tried balloons instead?

No... I don't like balloons...The sound they make when... Heh... I guess I get now why Redwood didn't like the paint bomb...

Me, I liked it! It was super-duper cool! 

Well, at least, it wasn't a complete waste of a mini party paint. But I have to go now. See ya.

His horn glowed once again as he phased out of the Sugarcube Corner, appearing on a roof few houses away.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

After Redwood had cleaned herself up for,the second time today, she began to walk back to work, purposefully taking a route where she'd run into Echo.

 

When he passed by, Redwood approached him and said, "Echo, ah'm sorry about what happened back there. Ah honestly woulda liked to get to know y'all a little better. How about we catch dinner tonight? Mah treat."

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He was half dreading to see her again, and when she approached and apologized, he tried to hold back spilling over. Instead he said, melancholic, "No, I'm sorry. After all this time I'm still just... Bad. I would like to join you, but I don't want to be around somepony who wont feel safe around me." His horn glowed as they stepped through the gates and he pulled the hat out of his bag and floated it over to her.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"Look, ah ain't afraid of y'all. Ah'm a pretty tough gal, and ah been through plenty. After all, ah did manage to survive ten years in th' army. And hey, who knows, maybe ah'll be a good influence fer y'all. Ah'd be just as happy as y'all if we made friends. Ah've been lackin' friends and scratchin' around fer too long."

 

(I won't be able to post for maybe an hour and a half)

Edited March 21, 2016 by crispy fries

[Colenso Rivers 85]

He smiled as they passed Line Wave. What a pleasant surprise, it seemed like things were looking up to him. And while he still felt guilty about punching that other pony, he had the feeling he would get plenty of chances to apologize later. He trotted ahead as Line Wave called after them, "You guys have a niiice time?" She was definitely insinuating something, but Echo Shouted over her as he opened up the next cargo container, "Okay, lets get back to work, we've got three more!" Then he looked over to Red and answered quietly, "I'd like that.."

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Redwood knowingly nodded at Echo and once more ignored Line Wave before getting back to work.

 

After she had been working for a bit, Redwood asked Line Wave, "Hey, if everypony who works here supposedly don't got thier life together, how come y'all are workin' here?"

 

(Turns out I can post)

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Line wave rolled her eyes and shook her head as she stacked, adding frustratingly, "Well if you were listening earlier, you would've heard me say that neither I nor Echo knows what our cutie mark means  or what our special talents are." The boxes stopped for a moment until another metal growl.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"Oh, right," Redwood said with a slight hole in her confidence.

 

She didn't like being wrong, and she especially didn't like acting stupid.

 

Redwood put her focus back on her work, letting the hours of the day tick by. So far, her first day hadn't been too bad, excluding the incident at Sugarcube Corner.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Eventually, a little after five pm, they finished. The last container was the most difficult, and maybe it was the fatigue from going hungry, but the boxes seemed exceptionally heavy. It was all explained later. Echo closed and locked each container while saying, "Red, you can go. Tell Line Wave to go see Wheel Box. Ill finish up here."

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"Hey, Line Wave!" Yelled Redwood. "Echo says y'all gotta see th' boss."

 

She then turned to Echo and asked, "Real quick, before ah leave, how's seven work out fer dinner?"

 

Redwood would be sure to pick someplace where there wouldn't be a chance of anypony crashing their dinner.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

Line wave nodded, climbed off of her platform and trotted towards the office of their boss, yelling back at her, "Good work today!" Echo Looked back and said strained, "Yeah... Seven is just fine. Formal or casual?" He added the last with a grunt from slamming a resistant bar handle downwards. His breathing was a tad deeper than natural, but it was hard work. He knew it wasn't a date, but he still felt like he was being hung.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"It ain't nothin' formal. Ah know a nice café downtown that's got th' best hayburgers in Ponyville. See y'all at seven," Redwood said as she left.

 

On the walk back, Redwood felt content. Sure, she wasn't going on a date, but it was still some nice social interaction.

 

(I couldn't think of directions to the café, so let's just go with Echo knows where it is)

[Colenso Rivers 85]

After heading home, he entered his house and stood with his back against to door, eyes closed, deep breaths. Then suddenly, his eyes flashed open and he yealled at the top of his lungs, running headlong into his refrigerator with a loud crack and fell to the floor. He asked nopony, "Echo, what did you do?" He stood up, barely, and then ran around trying to get ready, yet another shower, more hygiene, starving himself so he could eat there because he didn't want to seem rude, holding two jackets in front of his mirror and eventually settling on his premium lounge one that he knew he was going to pick anyways, styling his mane to the best of his abilities, and then meeting his fridge with another ram.

"To the cafe I suppose" Threw up, brushed teeth again, dry heaved, more oral hygiene, then headed out the door with fifteen minutes to spare.

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

Redwood didn't make too much of a fuss getting ready. She simply made her mane look a bit less messy, took off her bandana, and made sure there weren't any glaring hygiene issues.

 

She headed out and arrived at the cafe after a just quick ten minute walk.

[Colenso Rivers 85]

When he seen Redwood there, one part of his mind said, See, there's no reason to worry. The other screamed, Turn around, chuck, chuck, you wanna throw up again and leave! and another, Wow, now that I'm looking, she's pretty.

Instead he just approached and stood next to her saying nervously, "Shall we." SHALL WE, are you a freaking idiot!

[crispy fries 432]

@@Colenso Rivers,

 

"Sure thing," Redwood said as she sat down and picked up a menu. "Nice jacket by the way."

 

Redwood was confident that this would go better than lunch. The cafe was a very casual affair, but it was still unlikely that somepony would ruin things. Echo seemed alright, and Redwood could've sworn she saw him look up.