The Little Cafe On The Corner.

Willow Wisp sat behind the counter his head resting on his hooves and sighed, He had just opened his new cafe not even a week ago and still not one single customer had been inside in all that time. Looking up at the clock on the wall he saw it was juat a few minutes past noon. "Well I think it's about time for a Hot Chocolate break..." He says as he gets up pouring himself a cup of Hot Chocolate and stares out the window out into the busy street of Ponyville's Marketplace.

Rough Draft walked into the cafe. The emptiness of the cafe was great to him, not liking the usual out the door business other coffee places had. Not that he drank coffee, finding the taste disgusting. He was wearing his second favourite scarf, his favourite scarf currently unavailable. He walked up to the counter and looked at the menu, trying to decide on what drink he wanted.

Willow Wisp looked up upon hearing the jingle of the bell hanging over the door and saw a stallion staring at the menu, his first possible customer! Willow smiled at the stallion and cleared his throat. "Hello Sir is there anything i can get for you?" He asked hoping this pony would order something.

Rough smiled at the pony behind the counter. He was quite handsome, Rough Draft had to admit, but wasn't about to be romantically involved with a strange stallion. "Well, yes you may. I would like one mug of Earl Grey Tea, piping hot please." He said, smiling and digging into his bag for some money.

Broken Heart sighed as he entered the cafe.
If it weren't for his guidance counselor, he would be avoiding Ponyville for much of his life.
"Go revisit the fond memories of Ponyville I know you have," she told him.
There's nothing "fond" about this town, and if it were up to him, there would be know "memories" either.
Broken found it getting cold, and he found a small cafe and walked in.
It was nothing like Manehattan, nor will it ever be, with the tragic history he had with Ponyville, but at least it was something.
He walks up to the pony behind the counter.
"May I have some coffee, please?" he asks him, taking out his wallet.

Jim was getting more and more aggravated as he trotted down the road. He had a day off from the clinic, and thought it would be nice to actually make some darned friends here. So far though, he hadn't made many due to his lack of time and general impatience with other ponies. He wanted friends but he just felt like the wrong pony for it. Whatever. He was healing them and caring for the sick. He'd probably get some appreciation after working here in ponyvile a bit longer.

It was starting to get cold- Jim thought he would've been back at his flat a lot earlier than this, but due to the shop attendant being such a moron, he was out in the cold. He noticed a little cafe with a few ponies in it. 'Possible friends and a drink? Mabye a bite? Perfect.' He thought to himself.

He entered the cafe; there were three other ponies in- the stallion at the counter, who looked rather pleased with himself, another Jim thought he had seen around town (raft? Draft? Something like that) and finally, the most miserable looking pony he had ever laid eyes on. He could probably perk that one up.

Willow Wisp held a hoof up to each of the Stallions as he made their drinks "Please they are on the house, you ponies are the first customers I've had all week just relax and enjoy your drinks" He said as he placed the drinks they had order infront of them along with a slice of cake each and gave them both a large grin"Enjoy".

Rough Draft frowned slightly. His newest novel was just cleared by the publisher and was ready for publication and he was feeling generous. He placed his bits on the counter anyway. "We all need to make our way through life. You need the money. Especially if we are your first customers." He said. He smiled back and took his drink and the cake and sat at the nearest table. Using his magic, he stirred his tea while eating his cake. Because of his tendency to multitask, he was quite good at moving and levitating multiple objects. "This cake is delicious." He said, "My compliments to the chef."

Broken Heart looked at the other ponies in the cafe.
He hadn't seen any of them, probably because they were 20 years younger than he was, and he hadn't been in Ponyville since...the fire.
All too familiar pictures rushed through his head about the ashes where his house, and his wife, once stood.
He shook his head, trying to think of something else, a technique that his guidance counselor taught him.
Thanking the young stallion for the free coffee, he sat down and drank his all important morning drink.
Broken Heart already knew this would be bad for his mental state to visit this town.

Jim walked up to the counter, where the stallion at the counter was making some sort if deal.
"Please, they are on the house, you are the first customers I've had all week".
The less morbid looking customer simply handed the owner some bits.
"We all need to make our way through life. You need the money, especially if we're your first customers."

Jim was rather touched by this. Most ponies he'd met in this town probably would've just took the offer. This stallion clearly had good morals. Jim approached the counter, waiting behind the miserable looking stallion.

Willow took the bits but put only half in the register and put the other half in a glass box marked "Equestria Prosthetic Fund" with a smile, Turning towards the new pony who had just come in giiving him a kind smile as he says "Hello sir what can i get you today?"

A small smile crossed Rough's face as he saw the pony drop some bits in a jar for a charity. He made a small mental note to put some bits into that jar on his way out. He levitated his mug towards him and took a sip from his tea. "Ahhhh, so satisfying. Quite a delicious tea. My favourite kind, actually." He said smiling.

Broken Heart decided to stay in the cafe.
Sipping coffee from the hot mug, he realized a stallion in the cafe was Rough Draft.
Back at home in Manehattan, Broken had read one of his books and enjoyed it very much.
A little bit too cheery for his taste, but still, a satisfactory book.
He decided to go introduce himself, even though he didn't care for socializing all that much.
Setting down his cup of coffee, he began to walk toward the stallion.

Jim ordered a cup of tea, needing some warmth in him. He noticed the miserable pony walking over to Raft (whatever his name was) and thought he definitely recognised raft from somewhere. The name rang a bell, and he certainly looked familiar. Jim just couldn't place where the hay he had seen him.

He debated over going over for a natter with the two. On one hand, he certainly needed friends, and Raft appeared vaguely honourable. He couldnt judge the other one yet. On the other hand, Jim knew he couldn't base his opinion of someone on one action. They might do the same if Jim messed up. Ponies had done that to him before, and he didn't like that one bit. The cold, hard stares. The feeling of utter isolation. It was rushing back to Jim, almost making him gag. He held back tears and snapped himself out of it. 'That was before, lad. Just make the right impression and they'll love you.' Jim's father's words echoed. He decided to at least give the old fool's ideas a chance. And besides, if he didn't talk to them he couldn't exactly be mates with them. Telepathy is only a unicorn thing, and even then he was pretty sure that was just an idiotic myth.

He resolved to at least talk to them. He took his tea and approached Raft and that sad looking pony. "Hey lads. Mind if I sit here?" He asked, as casually as he could. He was already nervous; his voice shook a tiny bit. Oh, now they thought he was a weirdo! A socially incompetent freak! He could feel the anger rising as he sat, and calmed himself. They weren't- they might be nervous too. Just hear them out.

Willow smiled watching the ponys all sit at the same table and chat with each other but his smile soon faded when he realizes that he will never be like them that he would forever be stuck in the background "i guess its just the way things are supposed to be..." he thought to him self as he started to wipe down the counter.

Rough Draft looked up at Jim who was seating himself. "No, not at all. You can sit here." Said Draft, wanting to be polite but silently wishing that these ponies would not seat themselves next to him. He smiled weakly and sipped his tea.

He turned his head and noticed the owner was all alone behind the bar. "You can come join us if you wish. No fin being cooped up back there. Besides, is it not the job of a good host to entertain his guests?"

Broken Hearts mind was racing.
He hadn't had to deal with this much social interaction since his young pony years.
Here he was, proving his no good counselor she was right.
No pony's an island.
He sighed, deciding to not say anything after all, just to sit with them.
He looked over at Rough Draft to see he was just as uncomfortable as he was.
Actually, Broken was no longer uncomfortable.
He was incommodious.
He was on the brink of running out of the cafe and taking the first train back to Manehattan.
But for his healths sake, he decided to bear sitting next to these ponies, after all, it was still quite chilly.

"You can come join us if you wish. No fun being cooped up back there. Besides, is it not the job of a good host to entertain his guests?"
That was pretty nice of him. As the owner came over to them, Jim started to relax. The miserable pony was silent, and Jim decided to strike up a conversation.
"So, what's your name? Mine's Jim. Nice to meet ya mate."

Willow blinks and grins "Well i guess i could use a lunch break" Cuttinh himself a large piece of cake and making himself a hot chocolate before he makes his way over to the table and sits down "My name is Willow Wisp its nice to meet you" He says wiyh a smile.

Rough Draft looked at the large group of ponies that gathered around him. He tugged lightly on his scarf and began to speak. "My name is Rough Draft." He said, "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

This was not looking good for Rough. He thought he could be alone with a drink, now ponies seemed to be converging on him. Good thing he could keep his emotions hidden from the crowd. He gave everyone a smile.

Broken Heart was feeling quite awkward.
His counselor had prepared him for such situations, so he started out with one of the conversation starter greetings.
"Hello, my name is Broken Heart, nice to meet you all," Broken Heart said very slowly, trying to remember the exact words of his counselor.
He then looked at the ground, trying not to give any of the ponies eye contact.
Why was he stuck here, instead of at home, where he could just stay in his comfy room, away from the rest of civilization?
He sighed, and sipped some more of his coffee.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, broke. Hope you don't mind the name. I'm medic Jim, but just call me Jim. And draft, same to you. I think you're that writer, am I correct? I'm not really a fan, but your work's still good."
Jim was feeling a bit worried. Since when did he talk that much? He had had a few friends when he was younger but he always felt a bit out of the way, only really a hanger-on. But these ponies.... He felt weirdly relaxed around them, more laid back.