The Essential Gears

Clockwork was on one of her trips to Mane hatten to pick up a crate of gears she needed for many inventions, but she arrived a week early so she could explore the town a bit. she brought her clockwork scooter to make traveling the town easier. she found a local cafe and smiled as she put on the break. she folded her scooter to a compact box she fit in her saddle bag. she did not trust her scooter in a town like this. she picked a table and sat down, ordering a daisy sandwitch and a glass of cider, sighing in relief.

Life strutted over to a table getting out of the rushing ponies on the side walk. He looked up to see he was at a cafe. "why not!" He said to himself. He chose a table and ordered some tea to soothe his pains. Life looked over at the maroon pony at the tabs in front of his looking at her in interest while sipping at his steaming tea.

Merlot didn't typically go to cafes, especially in this part of Manehattan. But today he decided to try something different from his usual schedule.

He gave the cafe close inspection upon entering it, all the tables had been taken by ponies. Merlot decided to go to Clock work's table only because it had an open seat and Clockwork wasn't really eating or anything like that.

"Hey," Said Merlot as he sat down. "I hope you don't mind me sitting here." He gazed at Clockwork and awaited response.

Life sat the idly watching the mare. He saw another pony come to her and say something he couldn't hear. Life just sat there watching with drinking his tea.

ClockWork looked at the other pony who joined her table and smiled lightly at him.

"not at all, was just in here for a snack and to get this plan in my head organized."

She explained and glanced around the room, notice one of them in the room was watching her.

"Names Clockwork, though a pegasus called me Gears for short. so what bring you here?"

Life still sat there watching. He wasn't even watching now. He had just spaced out thinking about all of the paperwork he still had to do. He just sat in his chair, continually drinking his tea.

Merlot rubbed the back of his head casually as he began to make his answer to Clockwork's question.

"I'm just changing my daily schedule up," Replied Merlot casually, he usually never had an opportunity to talk about things like this. "It's a pleasure to meet you Clockwork, I'm Silver Merlot. You can call me Merlot though." He leaned back in his chair and continued to smile at Clockwork, she seemed to be nicer then the ponies he usually talked to.

"Say what is this plan you're thinking up in your head?" Asked Merlot with genuine curiosity.

He could barely hear them now but was able to make ou what thew were saying. He tossed his pen from his bag up into the air and caught it in his wing. He took out is notebook and started writing something down with his pen in wing. "hhmm interesting..."

"well its a device that you mantle on your back and gives you the ability to fly, but im working on a theroretical state called perpetual motion. might need that dreded magic to make that. . . "

she sighes and takes a sip of her drink, smiling at her new aqantence.

"well tell me about yourself. what do you do for a living?"

"I don't got a job, I live off of my room mates." Answered Merlot bluntly. For a moment he was content with his answer, but soon realized it only made him sound lazy. "I plan on opening up my own tavern one day."

Merlot continued to lean back on his chair and smile at Clockwork, he seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual. So much so that he actually forgot to actually order anything.

Life still sat there, but this time pulled out a blank sketchbook from his bag with his wing. He took his pencil in the other and started to draw the two sitting across from him. "aw what a cute couple..." He said under his breath smiling.

Clockwork smiled at his laid back additude and put a bronze bird on the table and wound it up.

"well I wish you luck with that, so you know how to make a coctail or something? i can't confirm my thought as I can't see your mark from this angle."

she smiled as she let the bird go and it began to tick like a clock as it began to fly, landing on Life's table, lett out a mechanical chirp before winding down.

" that was sopose to return to our table. . . "

"Eh, technology likes to do that." Answered Merlot with a smirk. "You want me to go get it?"

Without even hearing a response Merlot made his way to the other table.

"Don't mind me, just here to pick this up." Said Merlot as he took hold of the bird.

Life just stared at him and said "hey i just wanted to give you this for you an you marefriend over there!" he smiled while tearing and handin him a cute sketh of the two of them laughing with his wing.

"oh that's. . . . nevermind."

she tried to say, but he already left to retrieve it, watching as the colt at the other table hands him a paper and smirks at the possiblilities of whats on the paper. while she waited, she pulled out a few tinker tools so she can fix the guidance problem with the bird. she never liked having her inventions to fail. maybe a gear in the rotary system is jammed. well she would have to wait for him to return wit the paper and the bird.

Merlot stared at the picture that Life had gave him. He didn't really know what to make of it, being depicted with a 'mare friend' was especially odd.

"Um... thanks" Said Merlot awkwardly. "It's nice and all, but she isn't my mare friend. Uh... How long did it take for you to make this?"

"oh I'm sorry! I just thought-... Oh it took the time you guys were sitting there. That's it." He said blushing a little. "oh this is embarrassing".

Clockwork tilted her head as the two seem to talk about something and walked over to them.

"is something wrong? did my bird wreak something of yours? it was a harmless toy and i'm sorry if it did."

she stated, looking at the two, wonder what she missed and why the other colt looked embaressed.

Merlot looked at Clockwork with a smirk on his face. He wasn't sure if he should show the image that Life had drawn, might make things awkward.

"Oh, nothing is wrong," Replied Merlot casually. "I got your bird and a drawing from this stallion right here. He's good at drawing."

Merlot then turned to Life and asked. "Do you want me to show her the picture?"

"Well" Looking a little shy, "sure I mean it WAS for the both of you".

Clockwork smiled and looked at the two, taking her bird back.

" well I hope so. always good to see someone using their talent and what so bad about the drawing, i'm sure it isnt an arotic drawing, would be weird if it is, let me see it."

The picture was turned to Clockwork, Merlot was still unsure how she would react to it.

"Here is the work of art, our friend over here made." Said Merlot with a smirk on his face. This image was kinda funny to Merlot now, but he wasn't sure why.

Life, not knowing why the pony was smirking was a little taken back by this. "Hope yo two like it!..." Suddenly a beep came from is bag an he pulled out a small pager. "Oh looks like a patient of mine is having a heart attack, I better go.." He quickly grabbed his stuff and ran out into the street leaving the strangers alone and the drawing behind.

She could not help but laugh at the picture. it was good, but the theme she saw was outragious.

"if I were to be seeing anypony, it would be someone who shares their love of inventions as I do."

she states before he ran off to treat an aparent heart attack pacient.

"hes a doctor, interesting, so, back to our table 'colt friend'?

she said jokingly and took the picture and went back to her table and quickly disasenled the bird and began to repair and replace what seemed to be random gears. Clockwork repaired the bird back to what seemed to be its original shape, but this time when she wound it up, it flew around the room and landed back were it started before chirping its mechanical chrip.

"thats better."