The Shala train does its rounds

Shala, or was it Time Table now? It didn't matter to her as she plodded down the less popular streets of Canterlot in the rain. She already got wet just from getting here and now it was pointless to avoid the rain as wet as she already was.

The streets here were less than glorious, but she prefered it that way. There were too many self centered snobs on the main street. Here there were ponyies that at least had a sense of being 'common' and made her stick out less. It didn't stop her from going to the main street though.

She trotted over to an overhang near a club or bar of some sort. She didn't know what it was, it just looked like it had alcohol to offer. A slight burning sensation in her stomach told her she might be able to enjoy some of it properly tonight.

Shadowfax walked down main street, ready for a nice cold one to unwind after a long shift at the castle. She shook her mane slinging some water off and stepped under an Overhang in front of a bar. She gives a shiver and a ruffles her bat wings to get water droplets off. She goes to enter but another mare, even more wet then her, comes up. She gives the pony a smile and opens the door for her.

"Alot of rain tonight, but it won't but a damper on my drinking mood."

Shala gave the new pony arrival a once over, noting her less than common appearence before maintaining her frown from the rain and walked in with her head held wet and low.

"So long as they have my drinks I couldn't care less." She grumble and made her way in, not waiting for anypony. The air around her seemed to drag part of the storm in.

Inside the bar or club of some sort, Rusty was applying for a bar tender job. Discussing with the manager, Shady Vendor, (Is he the Manehatten stallion that...? No, it couldn't be the same pony.) why he thought he would be good at the job.

"Well, ya see, I'm an alchemist, and I mix potions together."

Axiom couldn't see why the bar or club of some sort was so crowded. It was raining outside. All a pony had to do was stick out his tongue to get a refreshment.

He also didn't understand why everypony hated the rain so much. He thought rain was a beautiful, mysterious phenomenon.
One thing he DID understand, though, was his habit of rubbing his hoofs together. To others, he looked nervous, while he was really drawing a transmutation circle on the bottom of his hooves. It had become a habit.

(Well, it might not be water that they're after...)

Axiom "Rusty" Spirit's ears pricked at the sound of the door opening. Two dripping wet mares entered, and Rusty felt suddenly nervous when he saw who they were. It took him tremendous will power to take his eyes off of the mare that was more wet. It seemed as if she brought part of the beauty in the rain with her.

"Ah, so you can stay focused, eh? That's good," remarked Shady Vendor.

Rusty wasn't focused.

Shadow steps in after her, noting her sour mood and guessing blame was most likely on the storm. She follows the mare and gets in step with her.

"Care if I buy you a drink?"

Shadow gives a warm smile, hoping to slowly crack away at her cold demeanor. She walks up to the bar and motions at the bald red pony.

"I'll take a scotch on the rocks, and my friend here wants... "

"Bacardi 151." Shala said flatly and sat at the bar with her back hunched over. Her posture was hardly refined as she slouched over the bar. Normally she would find a secluded corner and drink alone but somepony buying her a drink usually meant they might do it again. So for now, she stayed until she could get no more free drinks.

Her eyes stayed forward for the moment, poking her hooves at the counter. Hardly making an effort to be talkative, she might just be waiting for her drink to get started on loosening up.

Rozencratz was sitting at the bar, his large griffon body barely fitting into the crowded area of the bar. Two dripping wet mares, either coming from out of the rain or from a charity carriage wash sat near him. Winking he knocked back his drink and turned to look at them.

"Well, seems like somepony got caught out in the rain." he said smiling, before motioning for the bartender for another drink.

"All right, old sport, here's your first task," Shady Vendor said to Rusty.

Well, Rusty guessed that he probably got the job.

...or this was a test.

"See them fine mares over there, old sport?" Shady Vendor asked as he pointed at Shala and Shadow.

(This will be quite the test.)

"You gotta serve these drinks to them," Shady hoofed Rusty a platter with a scotch on the rocks and a 151.

Rusty, thinking he didn't make it clear that he applied to make drinks, trotted over to the table.
On the way to the table, he resisted the urge to draw a transmutation circle on the underside of the serving tray. He wanted to try out the illusionist circle he had read about, but he kept away from the piece of chalk he always carried around with him in his natural pony pocket.

"Hello!" Rusty greeted with a beaming and happy, but not creepy, smile.

Rusty put the drink platter on the table and said, "That'll be 16 bits, ma'am!" he said in a polite, cheerful demeanor to Shadow. Rusty tried extremely hard to not look at the sulking pony, but his eyes darted over in her direction for a couple, nonsimultaneous split seconds.

(Come on now, Rusty, you can't help everypony you meet.)

Despite his common sense, Rusty couldn't take another pony suffering for very long.

"Ma'am, is everything all right?"

Shadowfax pulls out 16 bits and slide them over before picking up her drink and giving it a sip.

"Ma'am, is everything all right?"

She stops and and looks at the mare next to her, she gives her a wink and looks up at the bartender.

"My friend is just tired and needs a drink to unwind, right?"

She casts a glance back over at the mare.

Shala heard the griffon not too far from her speak.

"Well, seems like somepony got caught out in the rain."

She sighed and gave him an irritated frown that said 'You think so?'. Not giving him much more than another thought, she looked to the now arriving glass of alcohol. She snatched it up and began to take a few chugs before setting it down, her expression becomming less of a frown.

"Ma'am, is everything all right?"

She glared at the bartender but didn't get a chance to reply yet.

"My friend is just tired and needs a drink to unwind, right?"

Shala forced a laugh. "Hah! That's one way to put it. Give me more and everything will be plenty alright!" She chugged more of her drink before slamming it down on the counter.

Rozencratz smiled and chuckled. He threw down some bits to pay for his next drink as it arrived as well as paying for Shala's next drink. Although before Rozen would never touch alcohol, a pretty young mare had lured him into the devil drink.

"So, if a few drinks are what it takes to unwind, then have one on me. You too." He said, gesturing towards Shadow. "No pretty mares should have to drink alone." He said, scooting closer.

Rusty picked up the bits and the platter to go get more drinks for the party of ponies and griffin.

"That was a good job, old sport," Vendor said, grinning under his hat.

Rusty wasn't sure if he agreed, "Umm, thanks."

"You should come into the kitchen and meet your coworkers, old sport!"

"Don't I have to sign some sort of contract?"

"Don't worry about that, old sport."

Rusty does what his new boss said. However, when he entered through the kitchen door, it slammed behind him. Rusty looked around to find all the ponies in the kitchen to be holding kitchen knives at the ready.

"I take it I'm signing a blood contract."

Shadowfax laughed at Shala's remark and finished her drink, she balanced a Ice cube on her tongue then swallowed it.

"So, if a few drinks are what it takes to unwind, then have one on me. You too. No pretty mares should have to drink alone."

She grins at the Griffon and looks over at the Mare.

"Alrighty, I guess it pays off being one of the two hottest mares in the bar."

She flashes the mare a wink.

"I'm Shadowfax by the way, coolest Batpony in the bar. What you're guys names?"

Shala groaned and facehoofed, shaking her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The free drinks were great, but there was some serious tomfoolery going on.

"Ugh, you guys are the most cliche 'players' ever. At least you both don't look the part." She gave them both a look on her left and right, catching Shadow's wink. Shala managed to suppress a blush.

"...You can call me whatever you want. But my name for now is Time Table. I like rum and vodka."

Rozencratz laughed. "Well, whether or not I'm a player is one thing. At least enjoy the free drinks." He said, giving a wink to the mares.

"And you may call me Rozencratz, or Rozen for short. Or Roze. I care not." He said, still waiting for his second drink. Rozen scootched up even closer to the mares, in order to better communicate and to get some better looks at the two.

Rusty was able to dodge the first few attempted stabs, but eventually he found he had backed himself to the kitchen window, where conveniently high amounts of cinnamon muffins blocked the entire view outside.

(What kind of bar or club sort of place sells more muffins than drinks?)

Rusty jumps onto the kitchen side of the bar table on two hooves and picks up a few muffins.

Using his earth pony training, Rusty jumped as high as he could over the workers, hoping to make it to the pantry on the other side. He grabbed a chandelier with his front hooves and made a swinging motion to give himself more momentum to continue his path in the air over the workers. Rusty landed on top of a dark-ish unicorn, jabbing his hoof into the unicorn's neck and using the unicorn as a platform to jump again and land safely.
Rusty dashed for the door to the pantry, somehow luckily able to circumnavigate these oddly violent workers. He opened the pantry up, took a bag of flour, and poured it all over himself.

The workers began laughing. They laughed so hard that they all passed out. Rusty did a quick check of the serving window. It seemed as if there were still enough muffins and too many drunken ponies to notice what had gone on back here, which was good. Rusty didn't want to get sued, even though it was all in self-defense.

(Now, what did those ponies order again?)

He knew they wanted refills, but he didn't remember exactly what they were. In an effort to improvise, he brewed up the strongest stuff on the menu and put 4 of them on the platter.

(I guess this will have to do...)

Rusty walked out into the eatery side of the establishment and walked up to the party of four.
"I remember that y'all wanted refills," Rusty said, as he remembered that he was still covered in flour, "but I didn't remember what you guys wanted refills of, so I made the strongest stuff on the menu to serve. On the house, too!"

(waiting for post above)

Shadowfax burst out laughing and shakes her head grinning.

"Oh no no! I'm not a player! I just get a little flirtatious around cute mares. A player would already be inviting you back to his house."

She nods her head at Rozen.

"Can't say the same for him."

She flashes Rozen a grin.

"First time meeting a Griffon, I have to say you look better than the pictures!"

A bartender brings out a tray of round 2.

"Thanks, the Griffon has this round."

She grabs another drink.

(Could you please edit your post Legendary until it does not have any alchemy so the topic may continue? Thank you.)

Shala looked at the griffon as he moved closer. She didn't like that look. Rather, she didn't like the look of any griffon. Claws and beak. It didn't look like a creature she could trust. Especially if it was a carnivore. Getting up from her seat, she moved around Shadow and sat on the other side of her, putting her between herself and Rozen.

"At least you how to buy me drinks. I don't trust anypony that doesn't have an 'off switch'." She glanced at Shadow and Rozen. When the free drink came, she looked at the one she had yet to finish and quickly drank it down so she could get to her next one. A sip from it made her raise an eyebrow and twist her face.

"I have had paint thinner that tasted better....Really. But its alcohol at least, and free." She said thanklessly to Rusty. A small twinge of pain in her stomach ached in her, but she gave it no attention.

She turned her attention to the odd bat pony next to her. "So Batty, you a mutant or something? Shoot fireballs from your eyes? Or you douse yourself in some radioactive stuff like the druggie bartender over here?" She pointed to Rusty, whom was covered in flour still. "I seriously don't know what kind of snorting candy those rot brains get into."

Rozen sighed slightly as Shala moved away from him. He shrugged it off and chugged down his booze, never being one to take his time with stuff. Figuring he struck out with Shala, he decided to give it a break and go back once she was sufficiently drunk. He turned his attention towards the batpony.

"So, haven't seen many of you flying around here. Where are you from? Where you born in Canterlot?" He asked, ordering another drink.

As he was being insulted by whom he now realizes is called "Time Table," Rusty realized that he was the only pony that was running the establishment. He looked around and saw dozens and dozens of glasses to be filled. Oh boy.

(Rot brain? Me? Paint thinner? Funny, at least none of them asked WHY I am covered in flour. Otherwise I'd be in real trouble...)

However, Rusty already thought he was in trouble. Or, was before, anyway. He wasn't thinking about the weirdly hostile kitchen workers, but there was something, that he did do, but didn't do at the same time...

Rusty brushed that thought aside, along with the bits they offered to pay, since Rusty had said they were on the house, and then dashed back inside the kitchen, stepping over unconscious kitchen chefs and workers. This bar or club place sort of thing needed drinks.

And lots of them.

Rusty needed to clean himself off first, though. With some difficulty, he was able to get all of it off of him except for this streak that went across his left eye. No matter how much Rusty scrubbed, it didn't come off. Oh well. He decided to make it interesting, so he mixed the flour with red dye. It either looked like his eye was bleeding or there was a scar there.

(I wonder if all work days are like this here?)

Rusty went straight to work- he began an elaborate kitchen drink dance, to a rhythm all its own, and started making drinks for the entire bar or club place sort of thing.

Then he dashed outside, with two platters at a time, doing his best to serve the entire establishment.

Since he was holding two platters, he had to walk on two hooves the whole time.

(Good thing I'm an earth pony..)

Shadowfax laughed at Time's question.

"A mutant? Nope, though fireball eyes would come in handy alot. I'm a batpony!"

She looks over at Rez.

"And I'm from Manhattan, grew up in the slums and moved out. I live in Canterlot now, working at the Castle in the Lunar Guard."

She looks in at the two of them.

"What about you guys? Where do you guys live?"

(FYI to Legendary. Shala was never introduced as 'Shala'. Rather she did so as 'Time Table' and no one else has refered to her as Shala verbally yet, which they shouldn't if they don't know her. If you want to make an exception in knowing her from previous sightings, we should talk about it in chat to get the facts straight.)

Shala found Shadow's personality more pleasent than the others. Pleasant as in not terribly irritating, boring, or creepy. So for now, she didn't mind her talking next to her or even with her. If anything, she allowed herself to size up Shadow once more in a less than considerate fashion.

Hearing her mention she was born in the Manehattan slums made her pause. It was a place she knew too well, and the place that made her into who she was. And not many ponies had good memories of it. Hearing she was in the Lunar Guard made her pause even more. Most the ponies she knew in the slums were hardly law pony material, if they even wanted such a job. But to become a Lunar Guard? She wasn't so sure about Shadow. She never mixed well with law ponies. Doing so in the past usually meant prison. Then again, she had a clean slate now...

"Manehattan slums. Lived there till a few years ago and moved out." She said simply. Normally she would keep such things to herself but there were different motivations for that now. She only hoped she didn't have enough reputation to be recognized.

((All right. I changed it to "Time Table"))

Rozen took more drinks, his larger and more robust body taking more alcohol than the smaller ponies could. Rozen decided to turn his attention away from Shala, thinking that he had struck out in that regard. Instead he turned his attention towards the batpony, Shadow.

"Well, I was originally born far away from here." He said, answering the question. "North, far north." He said, taking another sip. "Moved to Appleloosa a couple years ago. Opened up a bar down there. Just up here in Canterlot visiting a friend." He said.