Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2015 5:22:16 GMT -6
Coco Crusoe never really liked this time of the year. No, it wasn’t because of Hearth’s Warming Eve, or Day even, knowing that all the gift giving, party organizing, cottage decorating can send even the most sane pony up the wall at times. And it wasn’t that business turns sour during this time of the year as only the diehard fans and health nuts (like himself) got in a smoothie, the hot ciders and pastries tending sell the most due to the weather. But it was the weather ITSELF that got to him the most. Sure, it was cold, but he didn’t mind the cold but it was WET and cold. Dry and cold meant fresh fallen snow and nicely packed hillsides to practice snowboarding. It meant going for bigger air than anytime during the year and instead falling in soft snow when you beef it. This, however, was the worst. But one has to get their exercise somehow and if running in the rain during a lunch break will do… it will do.
The brown furred stallion’s hooves clopped into the wet road, a soft but steady rain blanketing Ponyville, maybe (hopefully) the last of the year before the Pegasai start stirring the clouds dark and thick with snow. His ash grey university hoodie was up and over his head, his muzzle covered up in a red cotton muffler as the rain was starting to soak through his clothes. ”Burrr! Okay, this is too gnarly. Time to bounce.” He thought to himself as he crossed pass the various restaurants and shops, their outdoor seating areas closed off, umbrellas folded as no one was going to eat out now. Everyone in the marketplace had a pretty obvious motif to them. And Coconut wasn’t planning on making waves, he wanted to ride them, in more ways than one and joined in the fun with his investment. Looking like an over-water bungalow with its bright and inviting caramel maple wood and thatched roof of dried straw and top layer of island leaves for authenticity, just from a look you knew you were at Coco’s shop. But if that didn’t get your attention, the sign above the windowed front door would have; a giant coconut with a palm tree coming out of one of the “eyes,” along with a straw and a little cocktail umbrella coming out of the other two, “Coconut Island: Smoothies, Juices, Cider and More!” adorning the front in different sized yellow text.
Before he went inside, he glanced down to see how the buckets he had set out for water catching where doing, as the rain funneled down certain angles on the thatched roof in steady little waterfalls. Pulling his scarf down, he picked one out with his teeth around the handle and clopped up the stairs and into his shop. And into a wall of hot air that made him sigh blissfully as he put down the bucket and called out, “Sup Dudettes, I’m back!” as the sounds of festive rockabilly music filled his ears. While outside it looked dreary, the inside was a mix of island paradise and holiday festivities, as between the tables and chairs and the sand-patterned linoleum, two earth pony mares and a filly were getting into the season between stretches of customers. The fireplace, designed to be covered by a hidden door during most of the warmer seasons, was opened up and burning brightly inside the façade of a big volcano, stretching across the wall and erupting lava. “Ohmahgawd Coco! You’re, like, cah-razy going out like that!” Giggled the blonde furred mare with long orange curls, noticing the pail he had brought in, “Bring that over, Alani needs some water, like, BAD to go with her lovely bright look!” Golden Harvest was not only his first customer but ended up his first employee after the Los Pegasus loving pony couldn’t stop gabbing to her family about the place… well, couldn’t stop gabbing in general. She was currently dressing up “her baby Alani”, the palm tree that sat in the corner near the fireplace, in an attempt to keep her feeling like she was in her warm climate. The tree’s long trunk was adorn with bright white lights and multi-colored lights along its branches. “Gotcha Goldie!” He replied, shaking off his coat and clopping over to carefully pour it into Alani’s planter.
The soft sound of little groaning caught Coco’s attention as he pulled off his hoodie and draped it over a chair near the fire, his violet-blue eyes seeing a little pink pony streeeetching as high as she could to put up a wall sticker of a prancing reindeer with a sack full of toys on his back, unable to reach the top. The little pony just needed to get a little taller to reach… and seemed to get that wish as she felt strong hooves take hold of her sides and up to smooth out the reindeer as she turned and smiled at her helper. “Thanks Coco!” She said with a grin as those big baby blues seemed to smile with her. Pina Colada was the best surprise that Coconut ever had, having hired her older sister during the summer season when business could get super crazy. When she and a big group of her friends ordered drinks, the long order would have left those behind them quite unhappy with the wait. The stallion had quite a shock when he was handed off a finished strawberry daiquiri, only to see the pony he thought was making it on his other side. Ever since then, Pina has come in after school and, when she was done doing her homework, was allowed to come in and make drinks with them. “No problemo little dudette! Say, where’s your big sis? Isn’t she supposed to be helping-“
The sudden loud “SCCURRR!” of an empty drink through a straw caught their ear. And unfortunately not an unfamiliar sound as Coco walked over and looked behind the counter. Sure enough, sitting on the floor hiding with a glass between her hooves and a small barrel of boysenberry cider between her thighs was the berry colored pony he thought he’d find. Golden Harvest might have been his first customer but Berryshine was his most “regular” customer until she took on as an employee, mostly because she was spending so many Bits here, she figured she could earn them back. Though in reality, she mostly drank her wages away as Coco kept a tally on her. He was a bit lenient this time of the year though, due to the smaller clientele they got. “Ah… h-hehehe… Hi boss.” She nervously giggled as the long raspberry haired pony bit her lower lip at being caught… again. “Berry… yo. I’ll take counter duties now that I’m back, kay? Help yer sis out.” He said with an uncommon serious look on his face, arching an eyebrow at her. Berryshine practically crawled away from him in momentary shame as the stallion hopped the counter, yanking off a green apron nearby and gave the counter a quick cleaning. Looking around the front, there was one thing he could always count on Berryshine for: keeping the shelves and stock filled at all times.
He let in a deep sigh as he psyched himself up, putting on a big smile for whoever came thought that door. “Okay, round two!... hope it starts soon...” He said out loud, not exactly as confidently as he could as he leaned forward with his elbows on the counter, waiting for someone to come through that door…