A Crystal in Canterlot

((just felt like adding this, idek why, but cloudspree pronounces zebra as zeh-bra lol c:))
"Welcome to my restaurant," Cloudspree smiled, "it is lovely to meet you, Miss Sarinas." She gracefully crossed her front legs and curtsied daintily. "I believe I recall seeing your face here before? You are the gorgeous daughter of the zebra ambassador, are you not?" The red- maned mare chuckled and ran her manicured hooves over the surface of her satiny dress, wiping away a little fleck. She didn't expect the zebra to recognize her-- after all, Cloudspree wasn't as popular in Canterlot as she was in Manehattan-- so she would have to introduce herself. She took Crystal's hoof in her own, making a silent note to wash it thoroughly before she ate-- commoners irritated her, but she made no remark and smiled demurely at Crystal. "Hello, Miss Crystal-- it's a pleasure to meet you as well. My name is a bit longer than I would appreciate, so you may address me as Cloudspree. Formalities sound rather strange with my name."

She glanced over to the clerk, who nodded feverishly under her harmless gaze and beckoned for a waiter to come over and escort the group to their seats in a private room, the gold of the draperies lit up by the flickering candle light. Thundershot grimaced at the thought. "This place is so... so... romancy," he said, unable to think of a better term. His sister grinned at him, mirth twinkling in her cerulean eyes. "But darling, surely you don't mind?" she cooed rather playfully. The waiter pulled their seats out for them, despite Thundershot's insistence that he do it himself. Grumbling, he took a seat beside his sister, who merely giggled.

Sarinas clenched her teeth a little as Cloudspree spoke of her in reference to her father, like everyone else they saw her as just the daughter of the ambassador. It drove her completely bonkers to think that probably no one remembered her name after a few minutes! 'daughter this' 'your father that'. She'd do anything to hear someone ask him what HE does, and then call him Sarinas' father!

Sarinas took a breath and remembered she had no money to pay for a meal, and while she hated the behavior lessons she's had as she's grown up, she'll admit that they do help her in scenarios like this. She put on a fake smile and nodded to Cloudspree's question, "Yah are correct, I am the daughter of Ambassador Thunderstripe," she said in a polite tone, "We ate here shortly after coming to Canterlot," she explained.

Crystal watched in silence as the other ponies conversed simply, wondering when to pipe up. There was a break, and it looked like none of them knew what to say next.
"So, ah, Cloudspree, right? You own this restaurant, don't you? It's really quite lovely. Lots of ponies come here for special occasions, I'm assuming?" she said, glancing around at the mares and stallions dressed in fancy clothing sitting at the tables.
Wait, since when do I use words like "lovely?" Just because you're around fancy ponies, you don't have to act like one, she told herself. Oh, but if she really acted like herself, she wouldn't be allowed into here. The thought of being kicked out for making the stupid immature jokes she usually did made her chuckle softly, and she covered her mouth with a blue hoof.

Thundershot let out an audible groan as he eyed the gold-laced menu. "Everything here's too gourmet," he complained to Cloudspree, "how much would I have to pay you to eat a normal alfalfa-burger?" Cloudspree sniffed and flicked her brother playfully. Thundershot was not the type to whinge or whine-- it was endearing to her to know that he only ever acted so freely around her.

"Yes, Miss Crystal, I do," she answered, discreetly aware of the way Thundershot looked at the blue mare. Cloudspree motioned over a waiter, who swiftly and silently poured her tea. "Perhaps... certainly, there are a number of ponies that come here to celebrate, but it is not reserved for only special occasions." She looked around the table and turned to the waiter. "I will order later," she turned to Crystal and Sarinas, "I am going to the restroom to wash my hooves. Either of you may accompany me." She stood and trotted past the curtains, in the direction of the bathroom.

Thundershot watched as his sister left. The waiter placed a set of cleaning wipes on the center of the table before bowing shortly and leaving. "Well," Shot gestured toward the wipes, "you can use those, too. Spree just doesn't like the wipes, which is weird, since she's the one that insisted the restaurant even start handing them out." He uttered the last bit beneath his breath before taking a pack and cleaning his hooves.

Sarinas giggled a little at Thundershots comment. She looked at her hooves-- she had been out a lot today, and her hooves were getting a little dirty. She decided she'd go ahead and wash her hooves properly. Even though she didn't like the properness that she had been taught-- it was still kind of ingrained in her brain and some things kept with her.

"I will excuss myself for a moment to wash my hooves as well," Sarinas said as she got up from the table, "I hope yah do not mind, Thundershot, I will back back with yahr sister," she said as she began walking for the restroom.

Crystal watched as Cloudspree got out of her chair with a sort of elegance she knew that she would never be able to replicate. It must have been a rich filly sort of thing.
Sarinas got up as well. Now if Crystal went, it would leave Thundershot all alone--and she knew how awkward that would be for him. She did have to go to the bathroom a little bit, but not so much that she had to go right now. She could wait until after the meal.
Watching the two mares trot off to the bathroom, she turned to the stallion next to her.
"So... what's your cutie mark for, anyway? Something to do with storms, I'm assuming," she said, eyeing his flank politely.

Thundershot blinked. "My... my mark?" He twisted slightly, arching his neck to look at his flank with an expression that would suggest he had no idea he even possessed such a mark. He blinked again and whipped his head around back to Crystal as soon as he realized what he had done, a scowl and blush coming to his face. "I-- yes-- that. Uh. I mean-- it's not that I just noticed it was there, I--"

He sighed, slumping in his chair and feeling rather flustered. He cleared his throat awkwardly and fidgeted slightly-- this weird, romantic setting was grating on his nerves, along with the fact that a very pretty mare that he might, just might be crushing on (it took a bit of a while for Thundershot to realize that he possibly liked Crystal) was sitting close to him.

"It's... well, I'm the chief of storms and winds and the such at Cloudsdale. So..." he paused, squirming, "Yeah."

He silently hoped Spree would be getting back from the bathroom soon. Actually-- wait! Why hadn't he accompanied her there? What if she hurt herself? Or tripped into a waiter? What if some stallion was, at this very moment, hitting on his sister?!

"I'm fine," came a reassuring (yet rather exasperated) voice by his left. "Breathe, Thunder. I'm haven't spontaneously lost a limb from merely washing my hooves." He looked up at Cloudspree, who had a waitress in tow. "I'll have the guava and pear creole," she said, "and my brother will have the usual." Thundershot was still a bit busy calming himself down (from the possibility of a random stallion sweeping his sister off her hooves and carrying her away into the sunset) to protest with Spree for ordering for him.

Sarinas followed behind Cloudspree and the waitress, sitting back at the table. She ordered one of the cheapest things on the menu. While she had been told that she would not have to pay for the meal, she still did not feel right ordering something expensive.

Sarinas smirked at how Thundershot appeared to be getting anxious with Cloudspree's absence. Just as Cloudspree said he probably would. "Yah should have been there, Thundershot," Sarinas grinned a little, "bandits approached us on our way to the washroom, Cloudspree and I had to fight off ten of them with our bare hooves," she teased the stallion.

Crystal raised her eyebrows. "The chief of storms and winds? Well. I'm impressed." she spoke in a low voice. Raising her forelegs so that they rested on the edge of the table, she leaned a couple inches towards him unconsciously. 
Soon Cloudspree and Sarinas returned from the restroom, and Crystal watched as Thundershot's muscles relaxed, and noticed that he became anxious whenever Cloudspree was not present.
After Spree and Sarinas had finished ordering, the waitress turned to Crystal. "Uh... could I have the..." She realized she hadn't taken a look at the menu yet. Her eyes scanned it quickly, and she ordered one of the first things she saw. "the... crab..." she couldn't exactly pronounce it, so she just held the menu up to the waitress and pointed to the one she wanted. "Um, this, please." The waitress nodded, and Crystal's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. If the ponies in here weren't judging her already, they certainly were now. 
Crystal took another look at what she had ordered after the waitress had trotted off, and while reading the description, her heartbeat began to quicken. It contained shrimp. Crystal was allergic to shrimp.
"Crap." she whispered, covering her mouth with a hoof. She glanced around at the rest of the ponies at the table, her jaw clenching tighter and her shoulders stiffening. Should I tell Cloudspree, or... I mean, she could probably go ask the chefs to cancel it, but... what if it's too late to change it already, or what if they get mad at me for not really looking at the selection? My god, Crystal, why are you so stupid?!
After a long minute of thinking and looking around nervously, Crystal finally piped up.
"Uh... Cloudspree? I... uh..." she hesitated. Well, I guess there's no turning back now... "The... what I ordered, the crab thing? I didn't really look at what it was before I ordered, and it has... shrimp... and I'm allergic... I mean, if it's too late, it's fine, I think, but..." she choked the words out quickly, her voice nervously shaking. 

"Don't fret, darling," Cloudspree smiled gently, biting back her laughter toward Sarinas's remark, "I can go and cancel the order. Another waiter will be back for whatever you would like in exchange." Somewhat impulsive, acts before she thinks. Emotions are uneven and volatile, easily embarrassed. Great Celestia--can't Thunder just find an aristocrat mare like Grandmother wanted him to? Cloudspree rose from her seat, rolling her eyes when Thundershot scrambled to get up and accompany her. "I'm going to the cooks. It's only a floor below us, Thunder." He still refused to sit down, stubborn. Sighing dramatically to cloak the sound of her hoof roughly kicking his left hind leg, she turned to trot away. "Don't forget to breathe while I'm gone, brother-dear!" she trilled shortly before slipping through the opening in the velvet curtains that seperated the room from the rest of the restaurant.

Sucking in a breath at the pain that blossomed near his hoof, Thundershot growled a curse as soon as Cloudspree was out of sight, though he was still feeling rather oddly affectionate of his sister. Shifting in his seat, he rubbed the spot on his leg that had been kicked. Cloudspree's quick blow had been powerful enough to weaken his stance and have him fall back in his chair; it was strangely reassuring to know she could do the same to any of these supposed washroom-bandits that Sarinas had spoken of. Nonetheless, he still felt somewhat worried for his sister (and rather absurd to have been taken down without a word).

Eager to fill the growing silence, Thundershot said, "I know you've got a brother, Sarinas, but Crystal-- do you have any siblings?" Deceptively powerful I-love-abusing-Thundershot-shins sisters, perhaps?

(was talking with the mods and admins-- general consensus is that ponies are strictly vegetarian, meaning they wouldn't be eating shrimp or crab-- I'll just pretend it was some other item that she could be allergic to)

Sarinas, sitting next to Crystal, smiled a little towards her curiously as she seemed to be very unsteady in her seat. Crystal was actually kind of cute while she was embarrassed. Sarinas' smile faded though as she realized that Crystal was more than just embarrassed-- she was concerned. She started to open her mouth to ask if everything was alright when Crystal herself pointed out about her ordering a dish that had an item she was allergic to.

Sarinas' gaze turned back to Thundershot, who seemed a bit distressed at Cloudspree's leaving. She wished her brother cared for her like that-- well-- maybe not THAT much-- but any affection from her brother would be better than what she usually got from him...

"Yah really care for her, do yah?" she asked of Thundershot, a kind smile on her face to try to help calm the pegasus, "It is nice yah want to take care of her, but I think she is able to take care of herself now," she explained to Thunder, reaching over and putting one of her hooves on his to try to help relax him.

((Oh, okay. Thanks, I'm a bit forgetful sometimes :P Could she be allergic to asparagus? Sorry. ))
Crystal watched as Cloudspree trotted off, feeling her face getting warmer (if that was even possible) and her back sinking into the plush chair.
"This evening can't possibly get any worse, can it? I'm just embarrassing myself over and over again," the pegasus muttered, lowering her face into a hoof. Curse her allergy! It had never bothered her before, and of course she had to order that meal at this restaurant in front of royalty and aristocrats, right? In front of...
"I know you've got a brother, Sarinas, but Crystal-- do you have any siblings?" Thundershot's rough voice filled the surrounding air. Crystal looked up, and pondered the question for a moment. It was just that at this second, she really did not feel like speaking to anypony-- her head hurt and she was hungry and she needed rest, which she hadn't been getting a lot of recently.
"No," she declared, pulling herself together slightly. "Actually... I'm not sure. My parents... they gave me up for adoption when I was a foal, so I might have some biological siblings." Crystal shrugged. "I've never really perused the subject. I don't really depend on others too much; a brother or sister would make my lifestyle a bit... difficult." she added.

Sarinas's hoof on his had startled Thundershot for a moment, but he eased into the gesture and the tension slipped away.

Slightly.

"I know," he replied quietly to the zebra, glancing at her through endlessly-blue orbs, "she just..." He paused, struggling to come up with words that would make a sensible explanation, "Somehow, she always ends up in the center of trouble. Like a," he paused again, thinking of what Velra would say, "a danger magnet. It's kind of weird." He sighed, eyes drifting to Crystal as she spoke.

"I don't really depend on others too much; a brother or sister would make my lifestyle a bit... difficult," Crystal finished. Moving street performer, never staying in one place long? A younger sibling would probably make that harder by needing to stay rooted to one spot to grow and make friends and learn, but an older one would give helpful experience and be good guidance, Thundershot thought, the analytical voice in his head reminding him remarkably of Cloudspree. She always liked to evaluate things. This mare's pretty independant, isn't she? Strangely similar to Velra. But I bet Crystal doesn't get headaches or dizzy spells every five minutes. Thundershot snorted at the idea, a bit louder than intended.

"the bandits were a joke, so yah know, Thundershot," smiled at him as she pulled her hooves back to her side of the table.

She glanced over to Crystal next to her as she muttered quietly, "Yah did not embarrass yourself," she said trying to comfort the blue pegasus, "it is easy to accidently order something yah are not familiar with-- especially in a place with a menu like this" she said putting her hoof lightly on Crystals shoulder.

Sarinas slowly removed her hoof from Crystals shoulder as she explained her life-- she was shocked that Crystal didn't have any family. Although, while Sarinas did love her family-- she did-- have some issues with them... "I really envy yahr life, Crystal, to be free to do as yah please, it is lovely," she said with a genuine smile, "Just once I wish I could know what it was like to be able to do whatever I wanted," she explained, a bit of a dreamy look in her eyes as she tried to envision it.

Crystal smiled at Thundershot, peering into his cerulean eyes. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, either. Cloudspree definitely looks like she can handle herself." Placing a strand of hair behind her ultramarine ear, she continued, speaking in a lower voice. "I understand where you're coming from, though."

Turning to Sarinas and hearing her reassuring words, Crystal's lips curved upwards slightly. "Thank you," she whispered under the touch of the zebra's black hoof. In a slightly louder voice, Crystal continued. "I'll admit, it is nice to have no restrictions--except the law--actually, wait, no, never mind... But honestly, I'd really like to spend more than a couple weeks in one place. I've spent my entire life travelling, and I think it might be nice to just... take a break for a year or two, y'know?"

Thundershot leaned into the back of his seat, forcing his shoulders to relax and his spine to loosen against the velvet cushioning.

So. Sarinas wanted to travel more and Crystal wanted to travel less.

Well... well-- good-- good for them? Thunder didn't know what to say. Was he even supposed to say anything in a situation like this? He felt as if the two mares would soon be in a deep conversation of their own: the differences between being trapped in Equestria as a pretty face, a symbol, and the lonely freedom of traveling where no one would know who you were.

As if on cue, Cloudspree returned, slipping through the gold-trimmed folds of the curtain separating the room. "Hello again, Sarinas, Crystal. They've sent up another waitress; she should be here in only a few more minutes." Cloudspree sat in her seat, a smile teasing her lips into a elegantly wry curve. "I'm surprised to see that Thundershot hasn't torn down half the restaurant already while I was gone. What were you two discussing that had him so occupied?"