Just Another Day

Subject: Just Another Day Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:20 am

Steam was humming to herself happily as she pranced around her shop, dusting the shelves and cases with dusters floating above her head, only occasionally disturbed by dust clouds causing her to cough and sneeze. She only giggled when this happened and returned to her work. What has gotten her so happy?

For the past few weeks, she had been alone in her house without anything much to do other than her usual routine. But business was going slow this week, and -quite frankly- she was bored out of her mind. The unicorn dragged herself out of bed in the morning, expecting the day to go by uneventfully like the other three days before. To her surprise, today was marked on her calendar as the day that Dylgo was expected to return from her Manehattan visit. Which explained her good mood.

The dusters were placed back on the cupboard when she finished up the general tidying up in the store. Outside, she saw that everypony was busy with their own thing, as usual. Steam left the door open as she went into the kitchen for something to eat. The chimes she just placed there would tell her if anypony entered, so she didn't need to worry about any malicious ponies shoplifting, not that anypony in Ponyville were shoplifters but it paid to be sure. Plus, she just loved the sound of those chimes.

Finishing her breakfast, she slouched over the table, overcome by boredom. "Boredom is just a dreadful thing." She declared, rolling an apple between her hooves before taking a bite out of it.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:02 pm

It had been an eventful couple of days for Dylgo. Her Manehattan trip had Cheered her up quite a bit. prancing down the road, she couldn't help but smile as she remembered Dare's acknowledgement. The only thing that was a problem was that he was drunk. was he sobering up enough to remember, or has he already forgotten? None of this mattered right now, however, because she was just happy that she got it out to him.

walking into Steam's shop She was surprised by the chime at the door. "Well that's new." Dylgo said with a giggle. "I'm back!" It was good to see Steam again.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:19 pm

With a sigh, Steam tossed the apple core into the trash. For a while, she just sat there, not knowing what she should do or what she should be doing, until her chimes sang. "Who is-" the words weren't even out of her mouth when a familiar voice tuned to her ears. "Dylgo!"

The time it took her to jump up and bolt out of the kitchen probably broke a speed record somewhere. If it weren't for Dylgo's broken wing, Steam would have squeezed her right then and there. She beamed at her friend. "How was Manehattan?"

She had a lot of questions but realized that her friend was possibly very tired from the trip, so Steam decided that some of her questions could wait.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:41 pm

Dylgo was surprised by how quickly Steam had come running from inside the building. laughing a bit at seeing how excited she was, she hugs her good friend. "it was great!" She said happily. "I got to spend plenty of time with my parents, I got to revisit my favorite foalhood spots, I even ran into an old friend of mine." She decided to stop short of telling her about her and Dare. She knew how Steam was. she wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Setting her saddlebags down, she tightens her bandages a little. her saddlebags never seemed to go comfortably with her bandages. then again, there weren't many ponies wearing bandages as much as she was. "How have things been here in Ponyville?" she asked as she looked back over at Steam.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:35 am

Steam just nodded in acknowledgement as her friend recounted her visit to the big city. Upon hearing that she revisited her foalhood spots and running into an old friend, Steam's ears perked up a little. Those little things really do a lot to brighten somepony up.

Steam wore a concerned expression as she looked at Dylgo's bandages, but it quickly disappeared when she remembered that Dylgo was a strong mare.

When Dylgo asked about how things were going in Ponyville, Steam just shook her head in disappointment. "Boring. I finished all the orders I had, but now I'm left with nothing much to do except keep dust from collecting on the cases." She walked behind the counter and ducked under it and rummaged around. "Though I did meet a zebra two days ago. You know, a zebra other than Zecora. He kept talking in cryptic rhymes just like she did. I guess that's how all zebras talk." She popped out from the other end of the counter and placed an ornate trinket on the table. It looked like a miniature dream catcher she read about in a book.

"He gave it to me after I fixed something for him. I didn't even mind that he had no bits to pay for my services. This was, in my opinion, more than a fair trade. Just look at this craftsmanship!" And to think that this was made without magic. It really enthralled her.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:15 pm

As Steam talked, Dylgo rummaged through her saddlebag. "Another Zebra? interesting." That was all Dylgo could think to say. she didn't know anything about zebras, and didn't want to say anything she might regret. Looking through her saddle bag, she kept looking for the souvenir. "There it is." She said to herself quietly. pulling out a postcard with her mouth, she places it on her outstretched good wing. taking out a small statue-thing, a picture had fallen out of her saddlebag unnoticed. Placing that too on her outstretched good wing, she looks over at Steam. "Wow, that looks cool." She smiled.

pointing her outstretched good wing toward Steam, she smiles widely. "I got you a few things." She said with a smile. "The postcard has a picture of my favorite place in Centrot Park. I learned how to fly there." looking at the statue, she has a confused look on her face. "I'm not completely sure what this is, but I thought it looked cool, so I got it for you!" She finished with a smile.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:05 pm

Steam levitated the postcard in front of her and scanned the picture. There was something familiar about it, like she had seen it somewhere before.

"The postcard has a picture of my favorite place in Centrot Park. I learned how to fly there."

Centrot Park, of course! The place looked different from what she remembered. And now that she knew where it was, tears started to form in her eyes. "How could I forget this?" She held the postcard to her chest and smiled. "This place also held some of my fondest memories. And the park was where I said goodbye to Dare and Midnight..."

She paused to hold back the tears. A drawer opened and the postcard was carefully placed inside. "Thank you Dylgo, I'll cherish this gift. My," she wiped away the tear that escaped her eye, "this is embarrassing." The tears disappeared when she blinked. "Oh, have you eaten yet? I have some apples and carrots in the kitchen. Please, help yourself."

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:17 pm

Dylgo was touched that Steam liked her gift so much. truth be told, she nearly forgot she was also from Manehattan. placing the statue thing on the counter, she walks over to Steam and gives her a hug. she felt it was appropriate. "No need to be embarrassed. Memories are beautiful things." She said with a smile. "I'm actually not too hungry. I met a very hyper-active mare on my way back. ended up having some food with her." She said, putting her saddlebags back on to take upstairs.

"Oh, I also ran into Dare during my visit." She figured saying she saw him wouldn't hurt.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:12 am

Steam hugged back and took the trinket and the small statue from the table and placed it in a special shelf behind the counter, along with other pieces she considered inspiring. She figured it would be a great spot to get inspiration from whenever she needed it.

"Well that was awfully nice of her, did you know her before? And..." Steam went over to Dylgo and grabbed her hoof, "did you and Dare do anything special? You know, something like a walk through the park, or grabbed a snack together."

She said the words with no intended malice. Steam already gotten used to speaking in a teasing manner, it seemed natural to her.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 11:45 am

Before Dylgo could even think up a response to Steam's first question, she was already by Dylgo and holding her hoof.

"did you and Dare do anything special? You know, something like a walk through the park, or grabbed a snack together.

Dylgo blushed more and more as she recalled the events. well, what she could remember anyway. "uh... hehe" She giggled trying to hide her blushing. "Well, we ran into each other in Centrot park. We went to a bar after that. I don't remember much after that. He probably remembers even less." She said, laughing a little. "next thing I remember is that his brother and him were walking me home." As she remembered the conversation, she couldn't help but blush even more. she really hoped he meant what he said.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:13 pm

Her senses were tingling after seen her friend blush wildly. Something happened between the two, that she was sure of.

"We went to a bar after that. I don't remember much after that. He probably remembers even less. Next thing I remember is that his brother and him were walking me home"

Steam threw up her arms in the air angrily. Luckily for Dylgo, Steam remembered to let go of her hoof. That wouldn't have been a welcomed incident. "A BAR?! He took you to a bar?!" She said in disbelief. "Dear Celestia, how could he even consider that? I'm going to have a word with that colt next time I see him. You can't just bring a mare into one of those establishments, let alone an injured one!"

She sat on her rump and let out a deep sigh to calm down a bit. "At least one of his brothers was there to keep him out of trouble. So, who came to the rescue?" Steam knew that Dare could have cared less, and she learned to accept his dumb decisions. That didn't stop outbursts here and there though.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:32 pm

Dylgo's ears drooped down as Steam got through her outburst. "In his defense, the place was practically empty." She said. "I believe his name was Lightning. Nice guy." She said smiling. "that bar is where I ran into an old friend of mine as well." It was a fun time. while she did stand out with her bandages, she didn't feel different or handicapped. With Dare, she felt as if she could still touch the clouds.

Smiling as she thought about this, she walks over to Steam and wraps her good wing around her. "It's ok. really." She said warmly. she appreciated her concern.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:48 pm

Steam let out a sigh. "But still, a bar is no place for mares. Empty or otherwise. I guess there's no problem since everything worked out fine for you in the end. Pardon my outburst." She never liked bars and those kinds of places. The atmosphere was always thick of sweat, smoke, bodily fluids and the occasional half digested goo.

Though she figured she had no right to tell anypony how to live their lives. "So tell me, how was little Lightning? Last time I saw the colt, he was still in school." Steam calmed down already, being warmed by her closest friend in Ponyville. What could she say? There was no point in staying mad about the small matters.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:40 pm

"It's quite alright Steam. you're just worried about me. I understand." She smiled as she hugged Steam with her good wing. She always forgets about hugging with her wing. she knows many other Pegasi hug that way, but that's always escaped her mind for some reason. she must be getting used to not being able to fly sooner than she thought.

Folding her wing neatly back at her side, she stands up again. "He's a full grown Stallion now. I don't know anything about him though. He showed up near the end of our night out." remembering that night she decides to tell a little more. "He's a nice guy. Talked to me while Dare was too drunk to even remember which way home was." Dylgo said laughing.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:01 pm

Steam smiled at how understanding her friend was, and how caring she was. She smiled after hearing that the little colt had grown, and from what she heard, he'd grown up in the right direction. He always seemed to be the responsible type.

"Anything else happened while you were walking back? A drunken stallion holds little to himself." Steam went into the kitchen and quickly came back, giving Dylgo a stool to sit on, and one for herself as well. She was intent on hearing about Dylgo's time there, and hearing about her hometown.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:30 pm

Dylgo pondered for a second on how much she should reveal. "Well... uh... he was humming some kind of song. I didn't recognize it though." She thought some more. going over the scene of just her and Dare talking, her slip of the tongue, and his response. as she thought about his response, she blushed a little. She couldn't help it. "uh... I think that's about it. I was still slightly drunk myself after all." She says as she giggles nervously.

She really hoped Steam hadn't noticed her blushing or how nervous her laughter was. however, She knew Steam. She braced for more questions.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:51 pm

A song? That was new. But Steam knew that changes like that were to be expected of somepony after a couple of years. What else was there?

Steam started to get suspicious when Dylgo paused for a moment. Like she was making sure not to slip something up. Ah-ha, I get it. Something happened between the two of them, I'm sure of it! She decided to put the suspicions on hold for now, she'd confront Dylgo about it when she let down her guard.

"Oh? That's a shame. Can you tell me about Manehattan, did anything change since the last time you've been there?" Steam's ears dropped suddenly. She remembered the home she grew up in. Who knows what happened to it now? One of these days, she'll go back and see it for herself. Maybe perhaps find something she left behind in one of her secret compartments. She was always fond of making her little hiding spots.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:48 am

Well that was unexpected. Although it was slightly welcome. But Steam looked sad. maybe homesick? it would appear that her trip to Manehattan had brought up some cherished memories. "Not much is different, surprisingly.it's just the usual bit of streets being repaved." Dylgo was worried about how Steam felt. as much as she didn't like to see other ponies depressed, she was terrible at cheering them up. "It was a fun trip." She finished with a concerned smile.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:46 pm

"I'm glad to hear that." she said with a smile. Just then, two envelopes were dropped through the slot on her front door. "Mail?" She excused herself and picked up the envelopes with her magic.

One was from her parents, and another one was from a friend. She opened the first letter and silently read it. "Looks like my parent's moved again." She opened the second letter as she placed the first one on the table. "Looks like I'll be expecting somepony over in a few days." Her face lightened up reading that letter.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:02 am

Dylgo got up as Steam excused herself to put her saddlebag on her bed upstairs. She mostly hoped that she would somehow run into Dare before long. She wanted to try and see if he remembered. If he did and he meant it, she'd feel on top of the world. if he didn't... well. That's depressing. heading back downstairs. She just over hears Steam. "Your parents move often? and who are you expecting?" She said, with a curious look on her face.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:12 am

She stuffed the letters back into their envelopes and placed them inside an empty drawer behind the counter. When Dylgo came back down asking about the letters, Steam was practically beaming.

"No, they don't move much. This is actually the second time they've moved, probably going adventuring or something. I'm expecting an old friend from Manehattan. Remember that black sheep we talked about when we first ran into Dare? It's him."

She rummaged through drawers to find a picture she was sure she hid somewhere, but no luck. Just then she remembered the story Dylgo told her about when she was at the hospital. That dolt better not be wearing that outfit.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 12:37 am

Dylgo thought for a moment and tapped her hoof on her chin as she thought back to the conversation in the hospital. Then it hit her. "Ah, yes. How exciting!" She said with a wide smile. She couldn't exactly remember who this 'Black Sheep' is, but she didn't want to be seen as forgetful. even though she was very forgetful. like back when she was a filly. she always forgot about homework and projects and such. She also never remembered anypony's birthdays. Good times.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:20 am

"I just hope doesn't cause too much trouble. He's a real hot head." She said absentmindedly. After rummaging through every drawer there was and not finding the picture, Steam sighed and looked to her friend. "You'll know him when you see him."

Strange, she could have sworn she placed that photo somewhere here. It must be in her room, but Steam didn't pursue to look for it. The room was messy enough already. It didn't need another Steam tornado.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 1:23 pm

That jump-started her memory. her ears perking up, Dylgo is inexplicably happy. if she's right, she could finally have to the chance to meet the stallion that saved her life. Thinking that Steam probably didn't want to deal with that quite yet, she decides to play it cool. "I bet I will." She said, holding back a smile. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Dylgo had mostly gotten used to her wing being broken. she's learned how to avoid having other ponies bump it and how to do various things she would only do while flying. She was proud of herself. her thoughts of not being a true Pegasus were mostly gone. She was happy at last.

Subject: Re: Just Another Day Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:11 pm

Steam giggled at her friend's apparent enthusiasm. "I'm glad you're happy about making a new friend, Dylgo." She trotted back to the pegasus and saw that there was another reason why she was so happy. She's going to find out sometime.

"Tell me about that hyper-active mare you ran into. She sounds nice." Once Steam has gotten her to drop her guard, she'll drop the question about what happened in Manehattan with Dare. All going according to plan.