private Mint chocolate's New Friend

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu was startled by Mint's approach, looking around quickly he seemed to realize where he was, the sudden tension slowly leaving. "Oh! Sorry, you shouldn't be worried on my behalf." He took a deep steadying breath, "I should be fine, it'll pass. Besides, I wouldn't like to feel like I'm keeping you from your work. If you have a spare moment to talk though, I'd appreciate it." He looked back over at the display he was looking at, a shelf of dark chocolate, "heh," He turned to go to the seating area, "I'll have some more hot chocolate when you have some time, semisweet this time. I can wait until you close if you'd like. I don't think it'd be a short discussion."'

If Mint didn't insist on hearing him out there and then he'd make his way over to the table he had sat at before, and wait for her arrival.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

She looks around "Well you came just after opening, and it's still pretty quiet for a while until later in the afternoon" she would say "I'll be right back with your hot chocolate, and semisweet this time, got it" she'd say, making her way to the back, where she made her goods and then would return ten minutes later. She'd place the mug and saucer on the table in front of him, on it were the usual two marshmallows, but also a complimentary mint white chocolate.

She sits down opposite him "So Blu, what's been on your mind? I hate to see my friends feeling down"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu accepted the chocolate, this time ignoring the marshmallows at first and holding the cup with both of his gloves instead of just the one like before. He dook a deep sip of it and shuddered slightly as the slightly bitter taste hit his tongue. 

11 hours ago, Lazy Ferret said:

"So Blu, what's been on your mind? I hate to see my friends feeling down"

 He sighed and looked down, "She used to say things like that." He looked back over at Mint, "I live in Ponyville before here, I just moved up here about a week or so ago, right after I legally became an adult. I was in the care of one of the mares there, I wouldn't let her adopt me as, well, last time I was adopted he went missing not long after, just like my parents had." he sniffled a bit at that, "As much as we disagreed about things, I wouldn't wish that she'd disappear. But that's besides the point, there was a filly there too, very smart like me. Much better than the fillies my caretaker wanted me to befriend, I started to feel something... more for her, but then..."

He sighed, taking a deeper drink of the bitter chocolate, "I just left, I don't know why I didn't even say goodbye." He set the cup down, looking at the rest of it with a sad expression, "I don't much like bitter chocolate, but she loved it. She said the bitter made everything else in life sweeter."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would sit and listen to him. "I see.." she would say "I'm really sorry, I don't know what to say as I'm not experienced in this sort of thing" she would say, rubbing the back of her neck "But from what I can tell, is that you were worried and scared she would end up like the others who had tried taking care of you" she says "So you chose to go out on your own" she would say, reaching out to take his hoof in hers "As for not saying goodbye, perhaps you could write her a letter, explaining things and to say goodbye then?"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu didn't react to Mint touching his hoof, which was sitting stationary on the table, Blu seemed to do most if not all of the emoting ponies did with their hooves, with his gloves, leaving his hooves to sit still as he talked. He sighed, rubbing the back of his own neck with a glove, "I don't for a moment regret leaving, my caretaker didn't love me really, not like my father did." he shook his head, "No, she cared for me because it was her duty and her pride, otherwise..." he grew a small smile, "I wouldn't have this dilemma as the filly would be my adopted sibling."

He sighed, "I don't regret leaving, but I don't want it to be goodbye either? I don't know. She, unlike all others, cared about me. She made me happy like no other could." He nodded, "You're right, I should send her a letter, explain why I left the way I did, apologize for not parting with her normally. Maybe I should send her some of the dark chocolate she likes?" He looked over at Mint, only then noticing her hoof on his, "How dark of chocolate do you have? And do you think it would survive a trip by mail to Ponyville?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would smile, listening to him still and then nods "A letter and a gift from your new home may be the thing that you need to mend the bridge" she would say to him with a soft smile. She then smiles "I can make it as dark as you'd like, or as dark as she'd like" she would say, getting up and looking to him "I can put it in a special delivery box, which will keep it cold and make sure that it won't melt"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu perked up a bit, smiling a small amount as he got up from the table, the mint in the grasp of his gloves, "I'll need a bar of as dark of chocolate as you can make that still qualifies as chocolate, as well as a pair of standard dark chocolate salted caramel squares if you make them, about 50% dark. I'll be back tomorrow with the letter to pick up the box to get it with the letter to the post office."

He started to dig through his bag, pulling out a fair amount of bits. "So, how do you normally do these, do I pay when I pick it up? Or do you charge a bit in advance? And do I buy the bow or is it a deposit and I get them to return it?" He looked back at the unfinished semisweet hot chocolate, "And I need to pay for that too of course."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would smile and do some calculations in her mind "You can pay when you come to pick it up, as this is a special order, i will make a sampler square for you to test to be sure it'll be up to your standard" she smiles "As for the hot chocolate, three bits, please" she'd say with a smile to him, "And the bow..well I can easily put one on the box, no need to pay extra for it"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu passed over the requisite bits and nodded, "Perfect, but I'll defer to you on the chocolate. Like I said I don't much like dark chocolate myself, so I wouldn't be a good judge of whether it's any good. How long do you think it would take to have it ready? If I came back tomorrow evening would that be enough time?"

If she indicated that that was good, that's when he'd arrive, otherwise he'd arrive on the evening of whichever day she told him it would be ready by. He'd have the letter in hoof and would be looking it over as he entered the shop, his expression a bit unsure.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would smile and nod "Ah, well I'm lucky a friend of mine loves dark chocolate, so I'll have her taste test it, as for when it will be ready" she says, putting the bits into her register "Tomorrow evening will definitely be long enough for it to be made and ready for you to take" she smiles to him "I'll have it wrapped up and ready for you then"

The next evening, minty would be waiting for Blu to arrive, so he could pay for and take the chocolates to send to his friend. She had left the shop open for him, even though it was a bit of a slow day for her.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu sighed as he approached the counter, but gave Mint a smile, "Sorry about the wait, I just couldn't decide on how to phrase what I wanted to say. I must have gone through half a ream of paper before getting to this one, and even now I'm not sure it's quite right." He gave a nervous smile as he turned the letter towards Mint, "I know I've asked quite a bit of you already, and I do hate to impose, but do you think you could read this over? See if it makes sense?"

The letter read as follows:

Dinky,

I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye. Although I'm sure it wasn't wholly unexpected (given the stunt I pulled last spring), I can only imagine how much it must have hurt you to find out that I'd left.

You and your mother are the nicest ponies I ever had the pleasure of meeting, you two took me in and loved me like no others ever have, and I suppose that had some part in why I left so suddenly. You already know how I was orphaned twice, I suppose I was worried that if I got too close to you two that you'd disappear like the rest of those I considered family.

Nonetheless, it's high time I stopped making decisions out of fear, and started following my heart like your mom always told me. I included a gift for the both of you, I hope you like them, and I hope to hear back from you soon!

~Euclid Fastar

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

As she read the letter, she couldn't help but smile. She knew of Dinky and her mother Ditzy, she had even sent special chocolate muffins to them. "Ah, I should have known, Dinky and her mother truly are kind ponies" she would say and nod "To me, it makes sense, but perhaps add a little thing where you would like to be penpals perhaps?" she suggests, taking out the wrapped box of chocolates and smiling "The box is 20 bits, please"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu looked a bit relieved that Mint approved of the letter, "Given her mother, there's little chance she doesn't write me back. We can go on from there and see what happens." He folded the letter so it would fit in the box with the chocolates before passing over 30 bits with a smile, "You deserve the extra, I'll let you know how it goes."

He turned as if to leave before turning back, "Actually, could I get a box of those white mints as well? For myself, not to mail."

If Mint didn't have anything else to ask him he'd leave with his purchases, and return two days later, happier than before, but he still had a bit of an anxious air to him.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would smile and nod "That is true, I am sure even miss Ditzy would want to have something to say in the return letter as well" she smiles as she then nods and gets a box of the mint chocolates for him "Here you go, I'll just put the tip on for this box" she would smile, then think for a moment "If you're free sometime, would you like to get a drink?"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu was slightly startled and no small amount surprised by Mint's invitation, "A drink? I uh..." he smiled a bit sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean, I've never done something like that before, but..." he seemed to think about it for a moment before shrugging, "Sure, I'd love to. I've got a day off the day after tomorrow, would tomorrow evening work? Or if you'd rather during the day, then the day after tomorrow?" 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

"Tomorrow evening sounds perfect" Mint would say with a smile, "I'll meet you here, then we can go to the cafe after" she'd say happily to him, as she would then wave to him as he left the store. 

The next evening, she made sure to close up early, and then went up to her unit above the store, showered and made sure she brushed her coat, her mane and her tail, putting on a little bit of makeup and jewelery before she went do to the entrance of her shop and waited for Blu.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu would arrive soon after Mint started waiting, his coat was similarly cleaned and his mane combed while his tail was passable at best. He had a grey sleeveless vest on, but it did little to distract from his obvious nerves as he approached, "Sorry, I've never done something like this so I didn't know how to present myself." he looked down at his best then back to Mint, "Given your attire I'd say I came pretty close?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint would smile as she would see Blu approaching her. She nods "It's alright Blu, you've done pretty well for a first time" she would say to him and then nod, going up to him "The cafe is just around the corner, and they're pretty affordable" she'd smile to him "I'm pretty sure I already know what I want to get, but don't rush on my account" she leads him to the cafe.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu would follow dutifully, "It may take me a bit to choose, I haven't been to many cafes around here, much less this one, so I appreciate your patience."

He idly wondered if this was some sort of date, it was quite similar to what he and Dinky had done in Ponyville, but he was equally unsure if those were dates either. He supposed the bigger question was whether Mint was interested in him as more than a friend, or if this was just the kind of thing friends did here. Nonetheless, he was happy to explore a new part of town. maybe he'd find something worth coming back for.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

Mint smiled as she would lead the way "It's quite alright" she would say and hum happily until they arrived at the cafe. She'd open the door and walk in, holding it for him. She would then go to the counter "Could you please find a table for us while I make my order?" she would ask Blu.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

As Mint hummed Blu was reminded of Dinky, She used to hum like that, so full of mirth all the time. He was shaken from his reverie when Mint spoke, "Oh?" he nodded, "Ok, I'll find one for us."

He'd look around the cafe to see what was available, looking for a free table with two seats, he'd prefer to find a booth or a wall table over one in the middle of the floor, but he'd take what he could get and wait for Mint to join him. He'd try to get a look at whatever sort of menu the cafe had as he waited, see if he couldn't figure out what he wanted to try.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

It didn't take long for Mint to make her order and then make her way to the table that Blu had chosen for them. She would sit opposite him and smile "Did you find anything you would like?" she would ask him. The menu had the typical fare for a cafe, a variety of sandwiches, lunch foods, and drinks from water to juice to milkshakes, hot chocolates, coffees and sodas.

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

Blu shrugged, "It's not the place I would come often, but they look like they have a decent selection." When she invited me to get a drink with her... I anticipated something different, something more adult? This is just the sort of thing I did with Dinky before. "I think I'll have a butterscotch float, but I'm not sure. You've been here before I take it? What would you reccomend?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Illiad Easle

"The butterscotch float is actually quite good" she'd smile to him, "I come here usually during lunch time and when it's quiet" she would say to him "At night..well sometimes I've been going to the bar, it's just kind of scary for me though. Being a lone female in a place like that"

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Lazy Ferret

6 hours ago, Lazy Ferret said:

"The butterscotch float is actually quite good" she'd smile to him,

Blu nodded, having come to a decision, "I think I'll go with that then."

6 hours ago, Lazy Ferret said:

"At night..well sometimes I've been going to the bar, it's just kind of scary for me though. Being a lone female in a place like that"

Blu looked a bit surprised by that, "Really? I had thought, given the leadership and gender ratio, that you'd be relatively safe to go out, especially in Canterlot. Maybe you're going to the wrong sort of bar if you're the only mare in the room?"