Slow Burn (on hiatus)

Chapter 1: Dinner for Seven

>You checked the clock.
>The minute hand barely twitched to the left as you did, while the second hand ticked away in a clockwise rhythm.
>The gentle ticking of the clock lulled you into a sense of calm as the quiet flickering of fire underneath a saucepan helped to fill the silence.
>Briefly, you had forgotten why you even shot a glance at the thing, until the smell of alfredo registered once more in your nostrils.
>4:40; the delectable dish should be done by now.
>You took the saucepan off of the stovetop, setting it on a decorative stand to the right of the stove.
>You looked at the open flame, still burning with its trademark azure hue.
>Rather than turn the oven off, you waved your hand over the fire, causing it to flicker a bit.
>A frown took hold of your brow. Had you not performed the motion correctly?
>You weren’t going to just let that fly. Your pride, however modest you actually were, wouldn’t let you.
>Slowing your mind down, you opted for a more meticulous approach.
>The frown left your features as you sighed gently, leaving nothing but a determined look on your face as you mentally withdrew from the world around you.
“...Okay,” you muttered aloud as you shut your eyes for a brief moment to focus your spirit.
>You found your center notably quicker than you usually had, and your eyelids parted once more, your gaze preemptively trained on the ring of blue flames.
>You studied them intently, noting their points of origin and intensity.
>Your breathing steadied, every inhale and exhale becoming a slow and deliberate action.
>With a fluid motion, you drew your left hand over the stove once more, with the same temperance a painter might’ve.
>This time, the ring of individual flames all merged into one as they were pulled away from the stovetop, the newly conjoined wisp of fire coming to rest just above your palm as you turned your hand to face upwards.
>You smiled contentedly, the flame flickering to match your spirit.
>Amiably, you closed your fist, dousing the flame when you did so.
>Your attention back on the alfredo, you pondered why that took more effort than usual.
>You’d been working on your skills with open flame for a while, and drawing foreign flames to your hand had started growing less complicated in the past couple of days.
>In the end, you chalked it up to nerves. You didn’t normally have guests over at your house, so you had been a little more anxious that day.
>It didn’t help that one of your guests was a princess. Sure, you’d known her and your other guests for a little over a year and became fast friends, but that wasn’t an excuse to slouch on preparations.
>There’d be six of them, after all, and going from normally no visitors to six at once was an arduous undertaking for a somewhat introverted person such as yourself.
>Shrugging the nerves you had given yourself off, you refocused your scattered brain on what mattered most at the moment: the alfredo sauce.
>If you had pulled it off correctly, it would be the pièce de résistance of the evening.
>Apart from your friends, of course.
>Leaning over the pot, you inhaled gingerly through your nostrils, getting a big whiff of the stuff.
>It definitely smelled great, but would the taste live up to the expectations that the scent set?
>You break a spoon out of your silverware drawer and just barely scoop enough sauce to fill the bottom of it.
>Lifting it to your mouth, you lean your head back slightly as you deposit the sauce onto your tongue, tastebuds eager to receive stimulation.
>The creamy flavor lingered even after you swallowed, and a smile tugged on your lips.
>You didn’t like tooting your own horn, but you fucking nailed it.
>Grabbing the fettuccine you had prepared a little earlier, you began mixing the two together in a big serving bowl you had set out before you finished the alfredo.
>Out of your peripheral vision, you see the vague outline of what looked to be a pony through your frosted glass kitchen window, heading toward your front door, which sat adjacent to the kitchen.
>Your house was fairly spacious, but the close proximity of the kitchen to the entry point made that particular area feel nice and cozy for some reason.
>Shaking your stray thoughts out of your head, you notice a technicolor amorphous blob trailing behind the purple pony in question.
>Even with the frosted glass heavily obscuring your vision, you can tell it’s them from their muted chatter.
“Well, they’re early,” you say aloud, making a note of the time again.
>It had only been about ten minutes, which didn’t give you all the time you wanted to relax and wait, but you weren’t about to fault them for it.
>Setting down the serving bowl, you exit the kitchen and take one last look around your living room.
>Everything was in order. Carpet cleaned, couch cushions fluffed, coffee table immaculate, fireplace cleaned out…
>The fireplace!
>You mini-jogged over to it, eager to set the mood with a nice, roaring fire. It was chilly, anyways.
>Kneeling down, you grabbed some of the kindling, squeezing it delicately.
>With more confidence than earlier, you breathed deliberately once more, sending your innate spiritual energy to your hands.
>It took a couple of seconds, but the kindling finally begun to smoke.
>Placing the bundle back into the pile of logs, you cracked open a window adjacent to the fireplace to help with the ventilation before you hear a knock at your door.
>You could just barely make out their voices through the window, even though they were on the opposite side of the house.
>“...tellin’ y'all, ahm…”
>AJ’s southern drawl always made it painfully easy to single her out from the cacophony, bless her heart.
>Moving away from the window, you took a few large strides over to the front door, undoing the lock in a graceful yet swift motion.
>Your eyes lit up, a smirk tugging at the corners of your lips as you eagerly turned the knob and swung the door open to your modest porch.
>Your gaze first fell on the foremost pony of the group, whose head had whipped around to face you when you opened the door, her purple-streaked mane following suit.
>The lavender alicorn looked content, yet surprised that you had opened the door so fast.
>She beamed up at you from waist height, a twinkle in her eyes.
“Been a while,” you mused, kneeling down and opening your arms.
>She nearly jumped into you, her front legs hooking around your neck as she rested her head on your shoulder.
>You returned the embrace happily, gently squeezing her.
>“It’s so good to see you again, Anon!” she said excitedly, giving a squeeze of her own before ending the hug and clambering back onto all fours.
>You gave her one last grin before your attention shifted to the once-amorphous group behind her.
“Come on in, you guys,” you beckoned, stepping back from the entryway so they could pass through. “I’d greet you all on the porch, but it’s way warmer in the house, you know?”
>“Oh, thank you, darling,” Rarity chimed in from the back, her immaculate purple curls bobbing with the breeze. “This breeze is absolutely frigid! I’m glad I wore my parka.”
>She shivered visibly as she, along with the rest of your friends, started huddling into your humble abode.
>“You got that right,” your favorite rainbow-maned wonderbolt interjected, her raspy voice catching your attention. “I’m f-freezin’ my flanks off over here!”
>She had her favorite bomber jacket on, gifted to her via the wonderbolts. You had to admire how well it tied together her appearance.
>“An’ here ah thought pegasi were s’posed to be used the cold,” Applejack teased, a grin on her face as she crossed the threshold of your door.
>Dash launched herself into the air, propelled by her wings as she bolted into your house and landed a few feet in front of AJ, a gust of wind hitting you in the face.
>She had a propensity to go airborne whenever she went on the defensive; yet another one of the endearing quirks you had learned about since you’d met her.
>“We are!” she exclaimed with a slight scowl, unaware of her own volume. “We gotta be to be able to clear the tops of cumulonimbus clouds. Right, Fluttershy?”
>Turning back around, you spotted the timorous yellow pegasus bringing up the rear of the group, bundled up in full winter gear: a scarf, heavy winter coat, ear warmers, and a fuzzy beanie.
> “...well, I feel pretty warm,” she murmured, barely above a whisper. “I’ll, um, pass on flying that high though.” You could barely hear a giggle come from her as she, too, meandered indoors.
>You almost shut the door after she made it inside until you realized something.
>Where was Pinkie Pie?
“Hey, guys,” you asked. “Where’s P-”
>You didn’t get a chance to finish your sentence before two pink hooves wrapped themselves around your torso from behind.
>You felt a warm body push up against your back, and you heard an audible *squee!* as you had the life squeezed out of you.
>You didn’t have to look to know who it was.
>“HEYA, NONNIE!”
>You smiled and cringed from lack of oxygen as you placed your hands over her hooves in a gesture meant to simulate a hug.
“H-hey, Pinkie,” you managed to mutter through your crushed diaphragm.
>She released you from her death grip and trotted over to your side, getting ready to talk your ear off as she did.
>“How’ve you been, nonnie?” she inquired at a million miles per hour. “Hopefully good, ‘cause if not, I’m dragging your butt back to Ponyville and we’re gonna PARTAAAAAY!”
>She brought a laugh out of you with her bodaciousness.
>“I’m doing alright, Pink,” you reply, reaching down and ruffling her mane.
>She giggled heartily in response.
>You briefly remembered the day you had ruffled her fluffy mane for the first time.
>It wasn’t intentional, she had just been really excited about the cake she had just finished baking and you just kind of… did it.
>You immediately started apologizing for essentially petting her like a dog, but she cut you off with an awestruck look and asked you to do it again.
>Ever since then, it had become a tradition between you two.
>Your mind was brought back to the present once more by the bubbly mare in question.
>“You suuuuuuuuuure?” she jested, nudging you with her front knee. “It can get pretty lonely being by yourself…”
>She looked up at you, eyebrows waggling.
“It can,” you began with a slight chuckle, “but that’s totally extortion that you tried just now.”
>She comically deflates with a melancholic expression, not unlike a punctured tire.
>A year ago, this would have scared the shit out of you, but you quickly learned that physics didn’t apply to Pinkie.
>You picked up the deflated bubblegum mare with both hands, making eye contact with only half of her left eye on account of her flatness.
“Besides,” you bargain, shrugging your shoulders. “We’re partying right now, in a way.”
>In the blink of an eye, she regained her regular body shape, becoming slightly heavier as her transformation occurred.
>”Hmmmmmm…” she pondered before relenting, a smile replacing her pensive gaze. “I guess you have a point, mister.”
>You set her down, the grin that you began with having never left your face the entire exchange.
>A gust of wind from the doorway sent a chill down your spine, prompting you to reach over and solve the dire conundrum.
>As the door clicked firmly into place, you turned to face the rest of your guests, who relocated from the foyer to the living room and had been chatting amongst each other during your exchange with Pinkie.
>You and she made your way over to them as they stood in the decently spacious area, two separate conversations going on at the same time.
>Tuning in, you overheard Rarity and Fluttershy discussing how cozy the place felt.
>You couldn’t help but be flattered by that, as you had taken a lot of pride in making your house feel like a real home.
>Dash, Twilight, and AJ were talking about something that had happened earlier in the day. From what you could make out, one of the businesses in Ponyville was being bad-mouthed by another in order to steal their customers, and they had to sort it out. Something about playing fair making success more fulfilling.
>Rarity was the first to see you heading into the living room, so she began moseying over to you, Fluttershy following suit. You kneeled for the both of them.
>Rarity grinned at you warmly with half-lidded eyes as she went in for a hug, throwing her hooves over your shoulders as you exchanged a ginger cheek kiss, not to be confused with a kiss on the cheek.
>“It’s a pleasure to see you again, darling,” she said breathily as she returned to all fours. “I absolutely adore what you’ve done with the place! It feels so snug.”
“You’ve got yourself to thank for that,” you replied, turning to Fluttershy while keeping your gaze on Rarity. “You helped me shop for all of the decor, after all.”
>“Maybe so, but I must say, you’re quite skilled at decorating, dear,” she complimented.
>Your line of sight shifted to Fluttershy, who stood before you with a timid grin and one front leg crossed over the other.
>A year ago, she would have frozen up at the sight of you.
“Hey, ‘shy,” you offered as greetings, opening your arms to accept her gentle embrace.
>She moved forward, pushing herself into you as she wrapped her hooves around your waist and rested her head on your chest.
>“Hello, Anon,” you barely heard her say before letting go of you.
“I trust you’ve been well?” you inquired, having not seen fluttershy the longest out of the six.
>A good amount of her animals had begun their hibernation season recently, so she’d been heavily preoccupied for a month and a half prior trying to prepare for the occasion.
>“I’ve been great, actually,” she said. “Everycreature’s hibernation seasons started off really well, so I’ve had some more time to myself recently.”
>You try to imagine Harry peacefully sleeping for an entire winter, but you just can’t picture it.
>“How’s working at Eclipse going?” she asked, crossing one hoof over the other again.
>Your thoughts shot to the high-end cuisine restaurant you worked at as a sous chef.
>Canterlot was full of snooty ponies, but the crew you worked with didn’t fit that description at all. It was more like a rag-tag team of gryphons and ponies from all around Equestria that could cook the absolute shit out of some food, and you loved it.
>The pay definitely helped, too.
“Oh, it’s been awesome,” you replied, a grin forming on your face. “It’s been busier because of the holiday season, but we have new seasonal dishes we learned to prepare, so that’s been exciting.”
>“That sounds delightful,” Rarity mused. “Perhaps I should stop by sometime soon?”
“I’ll set aside some ‘sample’ wine for you if you do,” you offered, giving her a coy wink. “How does our signature pinot noir sound?”
>She cooed audibly at the thought of free wine.
>“You read my mind, darling,” she said, tilting her head ever so slightly at you.
>“YO! Where’s my brohoof, dude?”
>You whipped around to face the source of the noise, which just so happened to be a cyan pegasus coasting slowly through the air towards you, hoof extended for you to complete the ritual.
>As bro code dictated, you extended your fist and put on your best Schwarzenegger stare.
>Hoof and hand met in a brotacular collision, and as both parties pulled away, you wiggled your fingers as you pushed your spiritual energy out into them, generating tiny flames from the tips.
>Dash was confused, yet looked on in wonder anyways.
>“Woooah, that’s new,” she said, enamored by the minor spectacle you had put on.
>Her attention returned to you.
>“When did you learn that?” she asked you, bright eyes full of tomboyish charm.
“I’ve just been playing around with pyromancy more lately,” you explained, a slight grin on your face. “As in, outside of cooking. It’s really slow, but I think I’m actually improving…”
>She chuckled to herself as she landed on the ground in front of you.
>“You’re tellin’ me,” she began, a glint in her eye that didn’t go unnoticed. “A couple months ago, you were just a glorified space heater!”
>You cracked up at that, holding your stomach with your hand as you laughed heartily.
“‘Ey, space heaters are in huge demand right now, you know,” you fired back once you’d stopped laughing.
>“Didn’t say it was a bad thing, now did I?” she jested, punching your shin playfully with a hoof. “The other Wonderbolts would probably be all over you, honestly.”
>Before you could ask what that meant, AJ interjected with a witty quip of her own.
>“Well, we could use some heat at the farm,” she said while walking up to you, Twilight following right behind her.
>“Evenin’, shoog,” she greeted, rearing up on her hind legs to give you a warm hug as you knelt down once more.
>‘Shoog’ was her was of saying ‘sugar’. When you first met her, you had initially thought it was a slur, which really caught you off guard when combined with her charming southern disposition.
>When Dash heard the story, she vowed to never let you live it down.
>“Woah, woah, I thought you two were buds!” the mare in question joked as she walked over to the couch to sit down.
“You know, I’m glad you’re a Wonderbolt and not a comedian,” you retort, prompting a snicker out of the smug cyan mare.
>You turned your attention back to AJ.
“I could make dinner if you guys need me to come warm up your house,” you said, already mentally setting aside a day in which you’d visit.
>You loved her family. They, including AJ, were the first ones to find you out in the farthest reaches of their orchard, broken and bloodied at the epicenter of a massive crater, the cracks in the ground still steaming.
>“Shoot, if yer offerin’,” she replied warmly. “Hardest part’d be convincin’ Granny to let you cook in her stead.”
>You shrugged, confident that you’d be able to finagle your way into their kitchen somehow.
“Some leftovers from tonight might be able to convince her,” you proposed as you jerked a thumb in the direction of your kitchen.
>Curiosity overtook her expression, which then settled into comfort.
>“I’ll let Applebloom ‘n Mac know that you’re coming over soon, then,” she replied, gleeful at the prospect.
>You nodded and stood up, leaving the six of them to their conversations as you went to plate the fettuccine.
>As you crossed the threshold of the kitchen, the scent of the dish wafted into your nose.
>You smiled to yourself, hopeful that they would enjoy your carefully prepared meal.
>It certainly wasn’t one of the most difficult dishes to make, but it was fun to prepare and it always ended up being tastefully al dente in the end.
>Plus, your fettuccine always had a little something special to help make it your own.
>The meal was made entirely from scratch; from the noodles all the way up to the sauce, you had painstakingly prepared the entirety of the dinner.
>The ingredients were a bit of a pain to get ahold of since your taste buds wouldn’t allow anything other than Canterlot’s finest cooking components, but it seemed that your patience had paid off just from the smell alone.
>The real test, however, would come when you set the plates for your guests.
>In preparation for that, you broke out a fork and stuck it in the dead center of the serving bowl, entangling a modest amount of noodles around the utensil before depositing them in your awaiting maw.
>A cavalcade of savory flavors hit you square in the tongue; first buttery, followed by creamy with a hint of zest from the seasoning.
>With an audible “mmm” you finished your sample, setting your fork on the edge of the sink to be used later.
>You began to break out the plates when a voice interrupted you.
>“Eating in the kitchen, huh? Rarity would have a fit,” the voice teased, a giggle punctuating the end of her jest.
>You turned to face the source of the giggle, meeting Twilight’s gaze as she strode toward you.
"Thankfully, Rarity isn’t the one who snuck up on me,” you said, continuing bringing out the plates as you did so.
>She gave a coy smile and leaned against the counter.
>“Consider yourself lucky, then,” she joked lightheartedly. “You wouldn’t have heard the end of it if she had.”
>You shared a modest laugh as you took hold of the serving bowl, plating what you deemed as appropriate amounts of food.
>“How’ve you been since you moved, Anon?” she inquired. “I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping in touch recently, I’ve been bogged down with all of these new princess duties and it can get kind of overwhelming.”
>Having plated all of the food, you set the serving bowl back down onto the counter with a random idle sigh.
“No worries,” you reassured her, giving her a grin as you cast a look in her direction. “I’m just really happy you could make it. We’ve got some catching up to do, yeah?”
>“Oh, definitely,” she agreed, her enthusiasm increasingly evident.
>She stopped herself and cleared her throat, once again regaining her composure.
>“If you’d like to, that is,” she proposed calmly.
>You began taking out seven wine glasses from your leftmost upper cabinet, setting them on the counter next to the plates.
“Twilight,” you started, a little baffled. “How long have we known each other now?”
>“A year and three months,” she replied without skipping a beat, looking slightly puzzled. “Why?”
>You crouched down to her height to retrieve a wine bottle from your cooler.
“And in that year and three months, would you say that we’ve become considerably close friends?” you asked as you stood back up and deftly uncorked the bottle, carefully pouring the wine into the glasses.
>‘Lunar Eclipse’ was its name, Eclipse’s own brand of red wine.
>They had a brand of white wine, too, aptly named ‘Solar Eclipse’.
>It was a bit on the nose, but it was fitting, considering where you were located.
>It wasn’t the Pinot Noir that you loved, since the restaurant was out when you inquired about getting some, but it would have to do.
>“Of course!” she exclaimed, a bit baffled that you felt the need to ask.
>You crouched back down to put the wine bottle back and stayed there as you turned on the balls of your feet to face her.
“Then of course I want to catch up with you, genius,” you replied, putting a sarcastic emphasis on the ever affectionate nickname.
>You brought your finger up for the killer move before she could react.
“Besides-”
>You reached out and booped her nose, causing her snout to scrunch and the corners of her mouth to curl upward as she squinted her eyes.
“I missed you.”
>Her wings unfurled slightly as she throatily chuckled, lightly rubbing the spot that you booped with her hoof.
>“I missed you too, you big goofball,” she susurrated, her voice slightly above a whisper as she went in for another hug.
>You readily accepted, her gentle weight pushing you onto the soles of your feet as she once again reared up on her hind legs to meet you halfway.
>She craned her hooves around your neck and rested her cheek on one of them as you wrapped your arms around her barrel, giving a light squeeze.
>She exhaled daintily, blowing warm breath across your neck that chilled the rest of your body.
>Yeah, you really had missed her.
>She, even more so than the others, was the one who had been with you throughout your entire initial traipse into Equestrian life, from only weeks after your arrival to just a few months ago when you had moved.
>You had become fast friends from the moment Celestia herself had entrusted you to her care and supervision.
>Every high, every low, every in-between, she would always be there at the Golden Oaks to talk about anything under the sun over a cup of tea.
>You moved out shortly before she became a princess, having become a fully-fledged Equestrian citizen, and since then, your conversations had mostly been through letters.
>As such, you were duly elated to be reunited.
>You were brought back from your memories by the realization that the noodles were probably getting cold while you chatted.
“Hey, Twi,” you said, grabbing her attention.
>You felt her shift slightly, still in an embrace.
>“Yes?” she inquired, her voice slightly bassier next to your ear.
>You inadvertently grinned.
“Mind helping me bring the food and drinks out?” you asked, breaking the embrace and standing up.
>“Hmmm,” she pondered aloud, the tip of her hoof touching her bottom lip as she gazed off into a nondescript corner of the kitchen. “Do I get to take home some leftovers?”
>You frown slightly, having thought that the answer was obvious.
“Even if you didn’t, you’d still get some,” you reply, stifling a chuckle as you looked over Twilight’s pensive expression.
>“You’ve got yourself a deal, then,” she said, a wink thrown your way.
>At that, you began grabbing as many plates as you could muster, lining one arm with three and carrying another in your left hand.
>Twilight carried the remaining two plates and all of the glasses with her magic, the fine china gliding through the air effortlessly without so much as a blink from her.
>As you meandered back into the dining room behind Twilight, you wondered whether you would ever achieve something like that with your pyromancy.
>The girls’ conversations in the living room gradually died down as they saw you two setting down the plates and glasses, and you heard gentle hoofsteps heading in the direction of the table as you set the last of the meals down at the end of the table.
>Turning around, you saw the rest of your guests begin to congregate around the dining table.
>“My, that smells absolutely delightful,” Rarity mused, nose upturned to get more of the scent in. “Is that alfredo?”
>You nodded as you began pulling chairs out for everyone to sit in.
“It’s a recipe from back home. It’s one of the first things I ever learned how to cook, actually,” you replied, inwardly cheering that the smell was enough to grab her attention.
>“Well, if the smell is any indication, it’s going to be wonderful, darling,” she said enthusiastically.
>You couldn’t help but smile.
>”Reckon you’re right, Rarity,” AJ piped up as she took her seat. “This looks miiiighty good.”
>You took your own seat, and the others took theirs as well.
>You sat in the middle of one side of the table, surrounded on either side by Rarity and Twilight. Dash also sat on your side, next to Twilight.
>Fluttershy, AJ, and Pinkie took their seats opposite you, shuffling a bit to find a comfortable sitting position on the hardwood chairs.
>Twilight cleared her throat, enveloping her wine glass in magic before lifting it.
>Everyone else looked at her expectantly, ready to process whatever she had to say.
>“If it’s alright with you girls,” she began, “I’d like to make a toast.”
“Oh, so I’m a girl now?” you quipped, trying - and failing - to be funny.
>You got a light kick on your thigh from her hind leg in response.
>“Ha ha, Mr. Comedian,” she countered, casting a look your way that was betrayed by her smile.
>She turned back to the others, who had all picked up their wine glasses, either with magic, wings, or hooves.
>You picked yours up as well, swishing the wine around a bit before returning your attention to the princess of friendship.
>“As you all know, things have been pretty crazy lately,” she started, switching eye contact with everyone from time to time.
>“But I’m glad that, at the end of the day, I can always rest my head knowing that I have all of you to share my friendship with. Come what may, I’ll always cherish each and every one of you.”
>She raised her glass, careful not to spill any wine.
>“To friendship!” she exclaimed.
>You raised your glass in tandem with the others, a dumb smile plastered across your face.
>You all simultaneously bellowed.
>“To friendship!”
>You tilted your head back and took a generous sip of wine, savoring the strong flavor right up until your lips parted from the glass’s edge.
>You both thanked and cursed yourself for your somewhat expensive taste, but after you took your first sip, you did a lot more thanking than usual.
>“Ooh, I really like this,” Fluttershy cooed, practically whispering. “What brand is it, Anon?”
“Lunar Eclipse,” you replied after a brief recollection. “It’s really fruity, isn’t it?”
>She nods her head, taking another small sip.
>“It’s on the bold side, too,” she muses, setting her glass back down as she swaps it for a fork.
>For them, it may have been, but for you, it was essentially fruit punch.
>Alcohol back home was far, far stronger than anything made in Equestria. You ordered their version of a double scotch once, only to be disappointed that you only felt the tiniest bit tipsy after the eleventh shot.
>Meanwhile, your equine coworkers were slurring every word out of their mouths and struggling to stay upright.
>Even though you didn’t care much for going out, that was a fun night.
>“It’s alright, but I prefer a good Bahhstonian brew,” Dash said, bringing you out of your memories.
“To each their own, I guess,” you relented as you reached for your own fork.
>“Hey, that’s good stuff,” Dash fired back, determined to change your mind somehow.
“Dash, you gotta admit that stuff tastes like piss,” you said while still retaining your jovial air.
>“Language!” the two ponies flanking you shouted as you felt their glares momentarily pierce your skull.
“Sorry, sorry,” you apologized.
>Dash chuckled at their scrutiny of your lingo.
>“I’ll persuade you later,” she said, digging her fork into the pasta. “I’m running on empty right now.”
>Taking a note from the cyan pegasus, the rest of them grabbed their silverware and dug into the meal.
>You, however, waited for a brief moment to observe their reactions to the dish.
>As they all took their respective bites, you felt your stomach loosely form knots, and your nerves rose to a peak.
>You knew there was nothing to worry about, since they were your friends, but you couldn’t help it. You took your line of work pretty seriously, and the quality of your creations was paramount to your self-determined success.
>Much to your relief, you heard a few short moans accompanying the initial few bites.
>“Land sakes, Anon,” AJ said shortly after swallowing. “Tastes like ahm in a fancy restaurant!”
>You beamed at her, unable to contain your elation.
>Her compliment was followed by several other grunts of approval from around the table, prompting you to finally take your own bite.
>As you did, not much more was said; the validation you sought was delivered in the form of silent company, your friends chowing down much like you were.
>You looked around at each of them, all absorbed in their own plates, eating at their own paces.
>Even though you were an introvert by nature, there was just something about them that brought you out of your shell and opened you up.
>Before you got too sentimental, you demolished the rest of your fettuccine, catching up to the others in no time at all.
>You ended up finishing first, setting your fork down and leaning back into your chair as you gingerly took sips of wine.
>The first one to follow suit is Dash, true to her word of being starving.
>“Okay,” she began, a hoof over her stomach as she brandished a strained look on her face. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m definitely in a food coma.”
>Pinkie finished shortly after, overzealously announcing it in both body and verbal language.
>“Wowie!” she exclaimed, absolutely no signs of any food coma showing. “Anon, you gotta teach me how to make this stuff! It’s SOOO good!”
>You chuckled to yourself, giving the bubblegum mare a wide grin.
“I’ll come over to Sugarcube Corner again sometime and we’ll make a day out of it,” you offered, slinking back in your chair even further.
>She excitedly beamed right back at you, her hair appearing to get even puffier.
>“Better save the date, then, nonnie!” she replied.
>Twilight put down her fork soon after, exhaling with raised eyebrows.
>“You really aren’t kidding about the food coma, Dash,” Twilight added, her movements sluggish.
“It’s no joke, huh?” you quipped, starting to feel slightly tired yourself.
>You stood up, gathering your bowl and glass so as to reinforce your presence in the waking world.
“We can relax for a bit in the living room if you girls would enjoy that,” you said as everyone paid attention to you. “I’ve got pillows in case anyone feels like taking a nap, too.”
>A nap sounded amazing, but you were the host; you simply couldn’t partake.
>“That sounds wonderful, dearie,” Rarity cooed, stifling a yawn in the process.
>The other girls nodded in agreement.
>Suddenly, an idea formed in your head
“Just curious, by the way,” you added to your previous statement. “But do any of you happen to have any plans tomorrow?”
>The six of them all adopted thoughtful expressions, each looking in their own respective direction in pensive thought.
>“Well,” Fluttershy began, breaking the silence. “Since all the animals are hibernating now, I don’t have anything to do tomorrow except buy groceries.”
>“I’m on vacation time right now, so I’m free as a bird,” Dash added in.
>“Ahm done with the farmwork fer the weekend, so I ain’t got much goin’ on,” AJ said.
>“The boutique is closed tomorrow, so I’m available for anything you have planned, darling,” Rarity responded.
>“I’m not scheduled tomorrow, so I’m good! Why, are you thinking of partying?!” Pinkie nearly shouted, incredibly over-enthusiastic at the thought of a party.
>Satisfied with their responses, you turned to Twilight, who still looked contemplative.
“Wouldn’t be the same without you, Twi,” you said warmly, heavily hoping that she would have time to spare.
>She took a few more moments to think about it before finally turning to you with a smile.
>“I suppose one day off couldn’t hurt, if it involves you all,” she relents happily, giving everyone a warm look.
>You mentally fist pumped.
“In that case,” you began, a wry grin forming on your face. “Did you guys want to have another slumber party?
>Your mind shot back to the last slumber party that you all had roughly half a year ago.
>It was one of your fondest memories from your earlier life in Equestria. Your integration process had been going swimmingly, and to celebrate your progress, Twilight had organized a surprise party with everyone.
>Said party turned into a slumber party when the time came for everyone to head home, but no one had made any moves to leave.
>It was a night filled with chocolate milk, ice cream, scary stories, and close friends.
>You had accidentally fallen asleep before anybody else had, taking your place on one of the sleeping bags on the floor.
>You woke up some time later to the six of them curled up around you, softly breathing and fast asleep.
>Needless to say, you wanted to have another go at it.
>Pinkie brought you back to reality, her shrill voice retrieving you from your blissful memories.
>“Is that even a question?!” she exclaimed, baffled that you even needed to ask her opinion.
>She was practically bouncing, even after inhaling her food. Sometimes, you wondered whether she stored her excess energy in her hair.
>“Darling,” Rarity interjected, prompting you to turn your attention to her. “I think I speak for all of us when I say we would love to stay the night.”
>The rest of them nodded in agreement, looking up at you from their chairs.
>You smirk to yourself, swiftly making your way into the kitchen and opening up the fridge.
“Let’s not waste any time, then,” you called out to them while grabbing the jumbo carton of chocolate milk you had lying in wait.
>Breaking out a cup, you shut the fridge and walked back into the dining room where they all stood now, smiles pointed straight at you.
“Who wants the first glass?”