A Storm is Coming, Frank Says...

(+1 point to anyone who gets the reference)

Spring Shower and Thunderclap had left the bowling ally, having worked up quite the appetite during their game. They walked side by side with their wings draped over one another.

"want to go hit one of the cafes for dinner?" Spring said leaning her head a little under Thunderclap's chin. She was enjoying her evening. Not aware of the storm brewing within the tavern.

Arpeggio was nearby the couple with Shala, rolling his eyes and gagging. "Ugh... disgusting... it's like... sickeningly sweet. What do you think, Shala?" The pegasus took a drink from the bottle of scrumpy he was holding, looking at the couple with an icy gaze.

Thunderclap walked alongside Spring, his wing draped over her in a hug. A hug of both affection and protection. He blushed slightly when Spring pushed up under his chin. He slightly nuzzled Spring.

"Ya, I am kinda hungry. We can stop wherever you want. I'm not picky." He said, and chuckled slightly.

Shala busied herself with drinking some of her flask. She propped up her upper body on his back and peered around his head as if he were suitable cover to conceal herself. "Oh yeah. Those two? Yeah, looks like a proper love fest bound to go wrong and all that fancy poetic stuff."

She sipped again. "Thats the colt you like? Huh. I can see why you like him. He has a butt on him for sure."

Spring motioned to a cafe that they were coming up to, one that has a lot of outside seating. The weather was great this evening, so it was a great time to sit outside.

"Let's eat here!" Spring said going up to the cafe, knowing that they usually just preferred for ponies to seat themselves and then they'd send out a server. Spring took a seat at one of the tables on the cafe patio.

"Pah, it isn't just his flank, great though it is. He's got a great personality. That's what I fell in love with. I'm not so shallow I'd fall for someone just for their looks..." He frowned a bit, looking at the couple. "Nor would I lock lips on the first date. That's just shameful."

He took another long drink of the scrumpy.

Thunderclap nodded. "Ya, that place looks great." He said, and followed Spring into the cafe. He took a seat, the chair barely big enough to hold a pony of his size. "Kind of a tight squeeze" he said, and smiled.

Thunder looked over his shoulder, and his smile quickly disappeared. "Oh crap, it is Arpeggio." He said to Spring, and turned his face away. "Hopefully he doesn't notice us."

Shala kept a sharp on them when she was not busy drinking. "I think they saw us." She looked a bit more. "Yeah...They saw us. The dark blue one is the stallion right?"

She hobbled off his back and began heading over. "Lets take a seat next to em."

Spring blinked and looked towards where Thunderclap was looking, letting out a sigh when she saw Arpeggio and his companion.

"They saw us," Spring said back to Thunder before looking up again, raising an eyebrow, "and I think he's drink..." she said observing the behavior of the two ponies. She was no expert, but it was pretty obvious from what she could tell.

Arpeggio, due to his size, was actually quite clear-headed despite his intake of alcohol. "I like the way you think, Shala; lead the way, my dear."

He got up, stretching a bit; he took his bottle with him as they went.

Thunderclap groaned. They had noticed, and they were coming this way. He glanced over. Both seemed to have taken alcohol,which meant this encounter was not going to be pleasant. He quickly said to Spring, "Let's hope everything goes well. No matter what happens, I'll stay with you."

Shala threw herself into a seat, nearly throwing the seat back, but let her horn catch the fall and settle down. "Nice weather we are having." She said loudly.

"Hey! Waiter! Over here! We got a few ponies dying for some grub!" She shouted at the nearest server. She had little care for the attention she drew.

Spring blinked and looked over towards Shala and Arpeggio as they sat down at a nearby table. Not quite sure what was going on. She then looked back at Thunderclap and motioned her head towards the two questionably.

"What are they getting at?" she asked quietly towards Thunderclap, unsure what to think.

Arpeggio took a drink from his bottle, sitting besides Shala. "Mmm, yeah. I'm starvin'." He took another drink, wiping his mouth with his hoof and belching. "Ahh. This is good stuff; dunno where ya got it from."

Thunderclap shook his head. Childish games. Was this Arpeggio's revenge? Being immature? Thunder just decided to ignore the two. "Spring, they are just trying to make us miserable. Just ignore them. If they don't get a response, then they'll leave." He said quietly.

Shala scooted her seat in close to Arpe and leaned into him while she read from the menu. "Hmm..What do you say? Some extra large pasta and more drinks to share? No sense in splitting it since that would just be tragic. Wouldn't it?" She smiled up to him.

Spring Shower followed Thunders advice in ignoring the two rude ponies and proceeded to give her request of a daisy sandwich to the waitress.

"Yeah, it would be. Don't put things to waste. Mmm... far as drinks goes, I still have the scrumpy."

Arpeggio then told Shala a rather raunchy joke, bursting into laughter.

"Oh, that's beautiful... bah, you're a world of fun, Shala; thanks, by the way, for respecting my not wanting to lock lips on our first 'date' of sorts. I'm sorry, but I like to think that I have some dignity."

Thunderclap continued to ignore the two. It was now clear to him that they were just trying to get a reaction. Well, Thunder wasn't going to give them what they wanted. He ordered his meal and sat there. "I say we eat quickly and go somewhere more...private." He suggested.

"Oh that didn't stop me from putting my lips all over you the other night. You got a kick out of it too anyhow. Dignity or no. You knew how to have a good time. Some ponies just don't know that and ruin it all."

She playfully rubbed her head along his neck. "I love enjoying the more public places. Running off to privacy makes every pony think your doing the nasty. Don't you think?"

Spring leaned in to Thunder, "did Arpeggio get himself a girlfriend?" she asked him curiously, forgetting that the two hadnt been talking lately and Thunder would probably be just out of the loop as she was.

"Yeah-- if you'd like we can go somewhere quieter when we're all done." she said to Thunder, working hard not to look over at the other ponies.

"Oh, that is true." He nuzzled the top of Shala's head, careful to avoid her horn. "I'm just glad you listened to me; it's important to share your feelings with others and to be honest about them and with them, especially about important things like this.

"And I agree completely." He wrapped a wing around Shala, taking another drink from the bottle. "One really shouldn't feel ashamed of being in public with the ones close to them; might give some other ponies the wrong idea."

Thunderclap was starting to get pissed, his embarrassment being replaced with anger. He hoped that his food would come quick, so he could leave. He shook his head. "What is he doing?" Thunderclap thought, "Surely he knows acting like this won't win me over."

"I'm not sure if he got a girlfriend, or just somepony to act this way with him with the purpose of annoying us." He answered.

Shala giggled to herself, suddenly finding Arpe being a lot closer and wrapping his wings around her. "Oh dear, you are so right. Such loyalty and love deserves some reward."

She looked up to him and leaned in, planting a solid kiss on his lips that she made sure to make it last. Her hooves embraced him as they did the deed for maximum effect.

Spring smiled back at Thunderclap, "maybe he's paying her," giggling a little, "you know-- one of those ponies where theyll do whatever you want for some money-- a pony of the night" she said, winking at Thunderclap.

Spring was kind of confused as to what was going on with the other two ponies-- if Arpeggio had managed to get himself a special somepony-- thats great! but something just seemed odd with how this was all happening. I mean-- if he wanted to show Thunder that he had gotten past things-- he'd have introduced her and they'd have had a good chat-- but this-- along with the smell of alcohol wafting from their table, didnt seem right.

The waitress brought them their sandwiches, and went over to take an order from the other two, but could see they were clearly busy at the moment and went about her other tasks.