Handyman in Equestria CH 3

>You awaken in your bed, seems you've actually managed to waked up early for once...
>A yawn and a stretch later, you take your attention to the clock...
“Christ, 10am?”
>When was the last time you were up at this hour?
>You swing your legs to side of the bed and plant your feet on the floor, trying to shake the grogginess from your head...
>...
>Why is your right foot wet?
>You look down, noticing a small pool of what appears to be vomit on the floor...
>Seems Rainbow Dash left you a present last nigh.
“You'll pay for this, Dash...”
>Figures, since she left in such a hurry last night
>Wait... Last night...
“Fuck me...”
>You bury your face in your hands at remembering the 'tip' Luna gave you for that bottle of wine
>Wait, why are you sweating over this?
>Damnit, this is why you hate when business is so slow...
>Too much down time always gave you headaches, literally and figuratively
>Thankfully you remember that your raw materials should be coming later today, so at least you could get your head right over a couple projects
>Still, first things first...

>You remember that your foot has been soaking in your best pal's generosity.  You go and grab the mop and get it cleaned up
>Well, the wood seems to be fine.  The lacquer is a little discolored, but it's an easy fix
“I'll let you live this time, Dash...”
>You continue your usual morning routine; shower, brushed teeth, shave, etc, emerging from the bathroom a new man
>Stress seams to have washed off with the grime.  Gonna be a good day, you think to yourself
>It's been weeks since you were up early enough for a proper breakfast.  Might as well make a day of it
>You head to the front of the workshop, gathering your affects and lighting a cigarette on your workbench lamp
>Good to go, you head to the door and open it to something that takes you a bit off guard...
>“Oh! …  H-Hey Anon!”
>You're met by mint colored pony, hoof raised ready to knock on the now open door
>Her large golden eyes are staring at you with light shock
“Morning, Lyra.  What brings you by?”
>She drops her hoof back to the ground and turns her head slightly, her face looking a little curious
>”Bon Bon told me you wanted me to come by today...”
>That's right... You told Bon Bon you would make up for blowing Lyra off for dinner...
>Well played Bonny...

“Oh... Right....  Almost forgot.  I have a little free time this morning and was planning on getting some pancakes at Bon Bon's.  Wanna join me?”
>What the hell?  You could use the company, you suppose...
>Her golden eyes almost pop out of her skull at the offer.  A wide grin coming across her face
>She starts to skip in place
>”I'd love to!  Now?!”
“Unless your busy- Hey!”
>She takes the bottom of your shirt in her mouth, pulling you towards the city circle
>Seems she's excited...  But when wasn't she?  You've always known Lyra to be a ball of energy
>The two of you walk to the city circle, Lyra almost fizzing with excitement
>It takes no time at all before your destination is within spitting distance
>Lyra charges into Bon Bon's shop with glee
>”Bonny!...”
>Lyra shouts into the seemingly empty shop before both of you notice Bon Bon emerge from the back
>”Hey Lyra.  How'd it go at...”
>It takes her a second to notice you standing behind her
>Odd since you tend to stand out anywhere you go
>”...the concert last night?...”
>Please Bonny...  Like you didn't see right through that verbal pivot
>You shoot her a deadpan look, which she returns with a devious smirk
>”Didn't I tell you about it last night?”
>Seems Lyra is as oblivious as always.  It was a cute little quirk of hers
>”Oh that's right...  So, what brings you two here?”
>She smiles warmly
“I thought I'd get some breakfast and invited Lyra along.  You still serving?”
>She gives you smile with a trace of approval in it.  Seems you managed to get back on her good side
>Looks like you could count on her business in the future.  Lyra seemed like she was in a better mood too.  Mission accomplished, you suppose.

>”The store is closed for the day, but I don't mind whipping something up for you two.  I was about to make something for myself anyway.  Come into the kitchen.  I'd rather keep the counters clean till tomorrow”
>Lyra tugs you into the back of the shop, following Bon Bon closely
>You follow in tow, making your way into a slightly cramped breakfast nook in the back f the kitchen
“Closing up for the day already?  You got plans today or something?”
>Bon Bon is rummaging through the fridge at this point, pulling out some ingredients
>”I do, but not until later.  I'm just not expecting much as far as business goes, so I'm taking the day off”
>Lyra plops herself next to you in the nook
>”We're actually going to a party at Berry Punch's place tonight.  You wanna come?!”
>Bon Bon shoots you a nonchalant look, tossing the ingredients into a mixing bowl and going at them with a whisk
>Play it cool...
”I'd love to, but the shop is running low on inventory and I need to get it stocked up tonight”
>Lyra's wide smile shrinks a bit, but lingers as her head drops a little
>”Oh...”
>Bon Bon looks a little annoyed, stirring the batter with more vicious strokes than before
>Having things go back to how sour they were before is something you would prefer to avoid. >Suddenly, inspiration comes to you
“You have another concert coming up in a couple days, don't you? I remember seeing a flier at the tavern about it”

>Lyra seems to perk right back up at the question, still a little down though.
>”Yeah.  Day after tomorrow”
“What time?”
>”It's a midnight show at the amphitheater.”
>An opening appears
“Well I'm out of orders for right now.  Count on me coming this time, alright?”
>You ruffle her hair a little bit as she giggles
>Critical Hit!
>”Sounds good!”
>Seems Bon Bon takes this positively as well
>”Anonymous appearing at a public event?  I must still be asleep...”
"Could be.  You're kind typically bursts into flames in sunlight, don't they?"
>Her cheeks puff a bit at the jab, but it's quickly replaced with a shit eating grin
>"Ha!  You're one to talk...  So what's got you up at this hour?  The tavern doesn't open for a couple hours"
>Her comment is dipped, drenched and dripping with sarcasm
“Well you finally managed to stop breaking your shelving.  It's left me with more free time than I know what to do with”
>This was familiar territory for the two of you.  Banter seemed to be your way of keeping each other on your toes.
>”Well maybe if they were built a little sturdier...”
“I'll be sure to cast the next order in pig iron”
>Lyra bursts into laughter
“You two... Are hilarious!  Haha!”
>The two of you join her chuckling
>Bon Bon then produces a couple pancakes.  Big thick and fluffy.  She could be a little grating at times, but damn could this mare cook
>She sits down across from you and Lyra
>”Feel free you two.”

>No arguments here, you dig in
>Christ, Mary and Joseph, this was good.  It's been weeks since you've had something this good.
>”So will you be performing any new music this time, Lyra?”
>”Mmhm!  I shtill got shome work to do on the shet, but it'sh gonna be all new shtuff”
“Nice.  Can't wait to hear it”
>Lyra beams at your comment
>Fucking Lyra was adorable some times, cheeks stuffed to the rafters with pancake
>She was a sincere and light hearted p0ny, often bringing you out of your own little funks when you were in a bad mood.  She had that quality that tended to brighten up those around her.
>”Juft y' ait An'n!  Y're gung lv i'!”
>Bits of her breakfast are shooting from her mouth
“Swallow, Lyra.  I'm fine with my breakfast without sampling some of yours”
>You wipe the bits of syrupy fluff of you're face
>Bon Bon tries not to laugh.  She's not doing a very good job
>Lyra blushes slightly before following it with a massive gulp
>”Sorry...”
>She takes on a more demure expression
“No sweat.”
>You give her hair another tussle
>The three of you continue chatting about this and that.  Lyra would occasionally pull something cute, including when she tried to mimick the way you would use a fork in lieu of her magic.  No luck, though
>You and Bon Bon both laughed pretty hard at that one
>Bon Bon would occasionally take a jab at you, not that you weren't able to go toe to toe with her
>Lyra always seemed to get a kick out of you two going at it

>After some more playful banter, Bon Bon takes a look at the clock
>”Oh!  It's that late already?”
>You take a look, noticing it was already 1 oclock!
>Shit!  The order is going to be here soon!
“Oh man!  I gotta get back to the shop!”
>Lyra shoots her ears up at you, looking at you with a little disappointment in her eyes
>”So soon?”
“Sorry guys.  I got some materials coming today, so I gotta get back”
>”Alright...  You sure you can't come to Berry's tonight”
>You pause a second before giving Lyra a scratch behind the ears
“Sorry.  I promise I'll be at the show, though.  Day after tomorrow at midnight, right?”
>She smiles, blushing a little
>”Right.  See you then?”
"Wouldn't miss it”

>You turn to Bon Bon pulling a cigarette out
“See you guys later.  Bon Bon, what do I owe you for breakfast”
>”On the house.  I'll see you at the concert, alright?”
>The look says it all, she wasn't playing around here...
“You got it.  Thanks for the grub, Bonny.  Later Lyra!”
>They both wave as you make your escape
>You make your way to the front door and exit to the city circle.
>Seems in spite of getting off on the wrong foot in an extremely sticky way, today is looking to be a good one
>You rush yourself back to the workshop, noticing a small note on the front of the door
>Shit, did you miss him?
>'Anon.  Saw you weren't home.  Order's in the back.  Let me know if you want to put some hours in at the gym.  Later, pal! -Roy D Rage'
>You pocket the note and breathe a sigh of relief
“Thank god...”
>Making your way around your workshop, you see a a myriad of planks and blocks of different woods placed next to your back door
>Looks like everything is there.  Time to get this stuff inside...
>If this were Earth, you'd be pissed that he just left your merchandise out in the open, but there was never cause for concern around here for stuff like that
>Canterlot was like something from a fairy tale...  Or Canada...

>You tart hauling bundles of blocks and planks into the workshop
>It takes some doing, but you finally manage to get everything inside and organized in your store room
“Right.  Time to get to work...”
>You were a little giddy.  It's been too long since you were able to do one of these 'make whatever you feel like' kind of nights
>You head to a large bookcase, made by you of course and leaf through a number of records before stopping at one that catches you attention
>It was a gift from a cellist you worked for.  Seems her stage fell apart the day before a show and needed some emergency repairs
>She gave you her band's latest album as additional thanks on top of your fee
>You plop it on the nearby record player
>Dulcet tones fill the walls of the workshop as you gear up for a long night
“Let's get crackin'”
>You start out with the easy stuff; shelving and side tables
>Small, simple and in pretty high demand for the most part
>For reasons that escape you, p0nies always seem to manage to get into some sort of shenanigans.  Furniture never had a long shelf life around here, not that you were complaining
>You remember that parasprite outbreak from a few years ago...
>A wince hits your face as you recall the amount of orders that came up overnight
>You made a fortune, truth be told, but Christ...  That was a long week...
>You continue working, losing any sense of time in the medley of sawing, sanding, planing and pounding
>The only breaks you afford yourself are for cigarettes and changing records and one break to polish off the rest of that casserole from the other night

>finishing with the last screw on your third set of shelves, you take a second to look at what you've managed so far
>3 nightstands, 5 coffee tables and 3 bookshelves
>Simple and low markup.  You figure these should sell quick enough
>Lighting another cigarette, you turn your attention to the window...
“Fuck, it got dark in a hurry”
>The clock tells you it's about midnight...
>You've made some good headway.  No use in stopping here.
>You pause, holding your elbow in one hand and bringing the free hand to your mouth
“... We'll need a showroom piece...”
>Out of nowhere, you attention is grabbed by a loud knock at your door
“Dafuq is this at this hour?”
>You walk to the door, opening it to see none other than your favorite bartender
>”Evening Anon!  I figured you'd still be working”
“Barley!  Good to see you!  What's the matter?  Someone break a bar stool again?”
>He laughs
>”Haha!  Nah, nothing like that.  The taverns actually closed for the night.  Thought I'd come by and see my favorite customer, is all”
>He mothions his head to his saddle bag, the top of a bottle poking out
>This fucking guy...

“Well it's good to see you.  I'm working on some inventory, but make yourself at home”
>Barley walks in pulling the bottle out of his bag and setting it on your counter
>The bottle looks familiar
>...  wait...
“Barley, this is your top shelf whiskey.  You sure this is alright?”
>He continues to pull out some glasses and pops the bottle
>”It's just a for show really.  No one ever orders the stuff.  Besides, it's more for me than you, I just figured you could use some company”
>You smirk, knowing where this is going
“You and Hops going at it again?”
>”Yeah... She wanted me to come with her to her mother's for the night, but I wasn't having it.  I hate her mother.”
>You grab one of the glasses, the amber liquid smells fantastic
“Sounds rough”
>”You'll understand when you're older, kid”
“Not if I can help it.  Cheers”
>Barley laughs heartily at your jab as you return to your work
>For some reason you can't seem to think of a good high end piece for display...
>...
>”You alright, kid?”
“Yeah, I'm just trying to think of a piece to display in the shop for a quick turnaround...”
>”What about something like that couch I ordered?”
“Things like that I prefer to do to order.  P0nies can be really picky for anything upholstered...”
>...
“How is that couch, by the way
>Barley adorns a wide smile
>”Great!  Comfy as can be.  Celestia knows it's gotten some mileage! Haha!”
“Fuck, Barley.  How deep in the dog house are you?”
>He's outright balling in laughter by now

>”It's rough, kid.  But it'll be fine.  I'll give her a romantic dinner and it'll be fine.  Marriage is just like that.”
>You raise your glass one more time
“I'll take your word for it”
>You swill the contents of your glass in one go before it hits you like a brick, almost causing you to choke on the alcohol
“That's it!”
>Barley looks at you a little concerned
“A dining room set would be perfect.  It would display nicely and I can take my time and work on the chiseling...”
>You walk into the storeroom, grabbing a number of cherry wood blocks and planks
“It'll sell for a decent amount, too.”
>Barley starts to smirk a bit
>”You oughta use it to do a dinner with that mare you were with the other night, the one from Ponyville...  What was her name again?  The one with the hair?”
>Here it comes...
“Rainbow Dash, and she's just a friend.”
>Barley takes a second to look around
>“She leave already?”
“Yeah, she probably wanted to get back to her boyfriend.”
>Barley looks a little concerned by now, refilling his glass
>”Shame, Anon.  I was hoping you were finally going to bag yourself a mare of your own”
>You bring out the last of the raw materials for the table
>”I mean, you've always shown up at the tavern as a solo act.  You still haven't found someone?  Stallions shouldn't be cooking for themselves at your age”
>The probing elicits a little irritation

“I'm not a stallion, Barley...  Besides, my work comes first.”
>You're both silent for a second.  You pour yourself a short shot and down it before sitting at your workbench and begin some rough sketches
>Barley seems to employ a stern grin
>”You aint dead, either.”
>Barley picks himself from his prone position and takes the glasses in his bag
>”My advice, kid... It's not so bad, having someone around that can you can lean on.  You're a good egg, but you're not going to be young forever
>You don't say anything...
>Barley walks to the door
>He leaves the bottle on the counter
“You forgot the booze”
>”Keep it.  You need it more than I do from the looks of it.  I got a crate of the stuff”
>A smirk comes across your mouth.  This fuckin' guy...
“I doubt that, Pal.  My regards to Hops.”
>Barley chuckles
>”Wise ass...  Have a good one, kid.”
>As the door closes, you take a second to reflect on what he said, leaning back in your chair
>Maybe he had a point.  You were still in your prime, but you knew full well you weren't getting any younger...
>It would be nice having someone around, you suppose.
>You think back to Luna's little gift from the night before...
>Royalty seemed a stretch...  Sounded complicated
>Lyra?
>That means dealing with Bon Bon more than you felt you wanted to...
>...It'd be nice to get some more of those pancakes, though.  You were kind of peckish.

>...
>Fuck it.  You'll figure it out later...
>You bring yourself back over the sketches, continuing to pour over dimensions and conceptual designs
>Time seems to fly by as you prepare what you are comfortable will be an impressive set
>A couple more details are added before your head rests on the top of the workbench
>You were exhausted...  It had been a long day
>Sleep takes you right then and there
>...
>...
>It's not long before the peace is broken...
>More knocking?
>You lift yourhead slowly, pages which were stuck to your face fall back onto the table
>The clock reads 6am...  What the fuck is this at such an ungodly hour?
>More knocking, getting louder and louder the longer you try and ignore it...
“This better be fucking good...”
>You trundle over to the door and open it.
>Two white stallions adorned in gold armor are standing at attention
>Well this just got interesting
>You rub your eyes quickly before greeting them
“Something I can do for you?”
>”We have a letter from her Majesty, Princess Celestia.”
>...
“Pardon?”

>”We're ordered to escort you to the castle, sir.  We have no other information”
>A knot forms in your stomach as concern takes over your mind.
>Fuck...  Was there something wrong with the table?”
“Sure....  Give me a minute, will ya?
>”Of course.  We will need to leave shortly, however.”
“I understand.  I'll be right out”
>You close the door and head over to your bench.  Looks like the next project is going to have to wait.
>You grab your smokes and your passport
>Swill of Barley's finest for seasoning.  God knows you could use something for a pick me up.
>Right.  Let's go see what this is all about
>You exit the workshop, both stallions meeting you completely straight faced
>”Please follow us, sir.”
>If you were in any trouble, you're be going to the castle in cuffs
>Still the feeling of anxiety for what the issue could be doesn't leave you
>...
>You could really go for some pancakes right now...