Shipper Madness (Bake, Scrap, Cross, Bell, Shutter, Starry, Zestari

Bakewell and paused to return Scrap’s nuzzle. The motion was still a bit stiff, but it was definitely getting smoother over time.

“Yeah, that’s more or less all.” She finally replied as she broke from her affectionate action in order to give Zestari what she really hoped was a reassuring grin.

“And of course I know that! You’re my best friend, too. The first actual friend I’ve really had since leaving the Stable. That’s why we should spend the rest of our time together having fun in New Pegusus, and not-” She paused to playfully poke at Zestari’s chest. “-worrying over a thoughtful and silly mare who is perfectly fine.”

As Bakewell told her that there were no other issues, the zebra shrugged slightly. Perhaps she had just totally misread things.

Then Bakewell poked her in the chest, and Zestari smiled. “You’re right. We should enjoy the rest of the time we have here in New Pegasus.” She looked over at Happy. “Let’s go to this Tartarus’ Kitchen you mentioned. I think a fine meal would be good for all of us.”

Cross blushed, just a little bit as Winter nuzzled agaisnt his neck, he was still embarrassed a bit when it came to realizing just how lucky he was to have such a beautiful mare at his side. He took a step closer to her and his coat brushed against her.

"Ah alright then Trails, lets go ahead and go there now before it gets a bit late."

Trails nodded and led the group out of the auditorium, just in the nick of time it seemed as the door guard had gotten a dozen of his friends and they were marching up the stairs. The guard started to say something, but then thought better of it as the group were already on their way out. Trails made one quick stop to recover his guns from security before leaving the Tops and taking a right.

Tartarus' Kitchen had spotlights waving, fires roaring, and ponies dancing outside of it. All adding to the spectacle of the newly completely redone restaurant. Before it had been an Artist's workshop, where he made all the signs for the strip, but do to some unknown health condition, they had gone back to Stable 21. A fancy pony with a Prench accent led them to a large round table with red plates. already waiting for them were glasses of champagne and menus, each with three selections: Zebrican Pumpkin Stew with an Eggplant Herb Tart to start and Baked Bananas for dessert, Tamarid Chutney with Bhel Puri and Apple Jalebi, and Barbecued Tempeh with Garbanzo Beans and Cherrie Soria.

"I have no idea what any of this means." wondered Trails aloud. He closed his eyes and let his hoof fall where it may, when he opened them he shrugged and placed his order. "I'll have the chutney selection."

When they left The Tops, Winter looked around in awed wonder at the bright flashing lights of New Pegasus. It was such a beautiful sight and it caught her attention enough that she very nearly walked into a lamp post before she walked around it, a little shakily, at the last moment. She looked at some of the other ponies around, all going about their business in their own chosen way. She could see why so many ponies liked this place, but personally it wouldn't be where she chose to settle down. She followed the others into the restaurant and took a seat as the Prench pony indicated their table. She picked up a menu and giggled with a hoof on her mouth when Trails said he didn't know what any of it meant. She set the menu down as she made her choice, "I guess I'll have the Barbecued Tempeh option, please" she said politely with a beaming smile.

Scrap followed Trails and the others out onto the neon drenched New Pegasus strip and over to the resturant which with its spotlights and other decorations fit right in with the guady opulence that permeated the city.

Taking a seat at the indicated table he took a look at the menu and quickly found out that, like Trails, he had no idea what any of it was. Deciding not to vocalize that fact he picked one at random and politely ordered it.

"I'd like the Barbecued Tempeh as well."

Bakewell wasn’t quite sure she liked the restaurant’s outside theme. Heck, the bright lights and wild living theme of New Pegasus as a whole was, while admitably quite the amazing sight, not a place she would want to put up with constantly.

The earth pony mare politely took her seat along with her companions and scanned the menu. Bakewell didn’t have the best manners and was pretty self-conscious about her eating, even around ponies like Scrap who probably didn’t care how impolite her eating habits were. The fact that this restaurant literally screamed “High Class” from the seams did little to ease her nerves.

If she were a unicorn, most of these foods probably wouldn’t be that hard to manage with a decent amount of grace, but Bakewell’s clumsy earth pony hooves threatened to make a Pumpkin Stew or Tamarid Chutney into dangerous affairs should they prove to be slightly too liquidy. Tempeh and Garbanzo beans she could hopefully manage, though she had no idea what a “Cherrie Soria” even was, but maybe she could just politely ignore it should it prove to be dangerous.

“The Tempeh as well, please.”

Following Happy out of the The Tops, Zestari was oblivious to the group of angry staff that had been coming to throw the group out. She waited while Happy reclaimed his weapons then escorted the group to Tartarus’ Kitchen.

As they walked to Tartarus’ Kitchen she was afforded the opportunity to look around at all the flashing lights and energy of the place. It was all a grand spectacle and walking alongside Happy, she eagerly took it all in, a smile on her face.

Arriving at the eatery, she was impressed by the spectacle and was more than pleased to be dragged to a table already prepared with drinks and extravagant plates. Looking at the menu, at first she considered the Pumpkin stew and Eggplant tart, a taste of home. But she didn’t really feel like pumpkin, and besides, was here to experience new things and she looked further down the list. Hmm, Tamarid Chutney or Barbecued Tempeh? Struggling to decide she looked over towards Happy to see what he would pick. When he picked the chutney dish, she nodded and chose the same.

“I’ll also have the Tamarid Chutney, it sounds wonderful.” She smiled.

Cross took a quick glance around the restaurant and nodded his head in approval of the restaurant, it was obviously a very classy area with all the proffessional waiters, or at least for New Pegasus it was. The lights were something he found delighting, no where else in the wasteland could you find anything as magnificent as them. As soon as the group sat down and began to order, Cross faced his greatest enemy.

The Menu.

Rather than spend the next hour silently meditating on what to order, he decided to keep it simple.

"I'll have what the mare is having" indicating towards Winter, he thanked the waiter and floated the menu back over.

Meanwhile he the Kitchen, Chef Ram Sea is attempting to deal with the complete meltdowns of both Kitchens. In the Blue Kitchen Sorbet continues to burn the chutney, while in the Red Kitchen the stallions have run out of barbeque tempeh after not preparing enough in the morning.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU." roared Chef Ram Sea, his veins bulging. "DID YOU THINK THAT I WOULDN'T NOTICE YOU SLIPPING BY A HALF ARSED PLATE OF SHIT, OR DID YOU THINK THAT I WOULD LET MY STANDARDS SLIP BECAUSE YOU HAD YOUR HEAD UP YOUR ARSE?!" the chef slammed a hoof on the pass with enough force to flip every tray off and into the floor. "MAKE IT AGAIN!"

"Yes chef." said a clearly terrified mare in a blue striped chef's jacket before running back to her station.

"For fucks sake." grumbled the chef as he turned back to his station. "Pince-Nez, sell the Zebrican stew, everything else is going to shit back here."

A very neatly dressed unicorn with a pencil thin mustache and a silver platter for a cutie mark nodded, handing Chef Ram Sea the group's ticket. The chef groaned as soon as he saw it and turned to the blue kitchen.

"I need 4 Tempehs and 2 Chutneys, now."

"Yes Chef." the kitchen chorused.

Trails sipped some of the champagne that had been waiting for them and wrapped a foreleg around Zesty. As he sat there he thought over Zesty coming back with him. Naturally he had said yes to her, no wasn't even an option. But he knew how mares were treated in Red Rock, if you weren't patched you were property, that simple. She was his, but that didn't set his mind at ease. He doubted she'd be OK with being called "Trails' Old Mare" instead of Zestari. Long term Red Rock wasn't for them.

He'd need to get a place of his own, something better than a canvas yurt. The natural choice was between the NLR or the area just outside of Everfreeside. Both had disadvantages, one left him open to the fiends, in the other he could never wear his cut or he'd end up dead. He was lucky enough not to be too well known yet, just some enforcer that popped in every now and again. NLR it was, just had to figure out how to get the caps. Trails shook himself from his thought and smiled at the group.

"Feels like it's been ages since we all got together, how is everypony? Any new scars or quirks?"

Scrap fidgeted slightly in his chair before finding a more comfortable way to sit. Taking a drink from the glass that was on the table in front of him he sat quietly, waiting for someone to start talking, seeing as he was absolutely horrible, in his own opinion, at starting up a conversation. Trails soon obliged asking the group what was new with the group.

"I'm doing good, no new bullet holes or anything. I suspect it might have something to do with me not bouncing around through potentially deadly territory as much as I did and just living in one spot."