My Little Phony

It was closing time at Our Haven, and Wildflour was pleased but tired as he turned the sign on the door. Friday was always the biggest day of the week, with the cafe staying open well into the night for poetry readings and political discussions. He'd completely sold out of the vegan cakes, though he'd saved one on the side just for himself rather than miss out on any dinner.

There was still a lot of cleaning to do but tomorrow was a late start and he had a yoga class to look forward to, so he wasn't going to complain. Plus he'd had the chance to recite his news poem to the group... to resounding applause, of course.

"Blessedly we walk into ignorance and the earth lets us go with sadness in her heart," he repeated his favourite line as he wheeled the mop and bucket out to the main floor. Ah yes, he was a true visionary!

@Fealine

Doppelganger sighed.

His eyes looked heavy and if one looked close enough they could see bags even in his dark purple and sparkly fur. His wings drooped as he walked instead of fluttered. He rounded the corner to the café nearby for a hot and tall cup of coffee to try and shake the down in the dumps feeling he was currently experiencing.

Without even looking at the door or its occupants inside (or lack there of), Doppel used a long starry leg to push open the door. He trudged his way over to the bar and hoisted himself up onto one of the bar stools. "One coffee please....and make it strong."  he said as his head slid down to slap on the counter with a dull, almost wet sounding thud. His antennae drooped along with his wings and his long thing legs seemed to just dangle limply in front and to the sides of him.

@Ruriska

Wildflour watched incredulously as the door opened. I should have locked it, he thought as the new arrival trudged over as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and slumped against the bar. Wildflour frowned, the mop still in his hooves and the floor around him wet, waiting for the other Phony to realize that the shop was closed. It never happened, even as Wildflour idled.

If it hadn't been for how utterly pathetic the fellow looked, Wildflour would have told him to leave. However, seeing as he was a Phony with a caring soul and a duty to leave a good mark upon the earth and its inhabitants, Wildflour decided to very graciously serve this one last customer.

"Hm," was the sound he made as he rounded the other side of the counter and following the instructions (or lack thereof) poured a double espresso. He slid the simple double shot of straight coffee towards the Phony in a quaint little blue cup.

"Here you go," he said.

@Fealine

"Thanks" was all the flutter said before taking the cup and about downing it in one shot, hot steam and all.

He sat up a moment only to let the rush leave his head and to get his eyes to stop spinning before he spotted the displeased face on the earth pony. He glanced around, spotting the mop bucket, the wet floor and the lack of customers. He glanced to the door, noticing the sign was flipped so that open showed in ward. That meant closed was on the outside... "Oh..." Doppel sighed again before digging out his coin purse. "Figures that's my luck.... ah well.... sorry... how much do I owe you?" he asked, ready to just plop a hoof full of coins down in double the amount to make up for how he just barged in.

"I'll uh... get out of your hair too..."

@Ruriska

Wildflour sighed and resigned himself for an even longer night. He couldn't with good conscience kick the fellow out when he looked so beaten down, not to mention Wildflour had always had a strong streak of curiosity and loved a bit of gossip.

"Don't worry about it. I've still got some cleaning up to do. You can hang around for a bit." He arched a brow. "Looks like you're having a rough night."

@Fealine

Doppel was blown away by the kindness of the stranger, even if it was only until he finished cleaning. "Thanks...I just....yeah." he snorted. Man a rough night was definitely an understatement. Still, it wasn't an excuse to waste this phony's time with his sap and failure for romance. "It's nothing really heh. Chalk it up to love sucks." he said before taking another sip, letting the heated liquid sooth his throat. "This is great.... just what I needed." he said, pulling out some bits and leaving them on the counter, hoping it was enough plus a good tip.

@Ruriska

Wildflour looked at the money and left it on the counter untouched. "A heart ravaged by love needs the care of a friend to be soothed," he recited one of his favourite quotes. Then just to be clear added, "it's on the house."

He walked around the counter again and picked up the mop to continue cleaning, but he made sure he worked slowly and close by in case the broken-hearted fellow still wanted to talk.

"It's not love that sucks, it's the trials in seeking it that hurt."

@Fealine

Doppel wasn't quite a flutter of fancy words so he was thankful the other added clarity. "Only if your sure.... but I appreciate it.." he added, watching the other grab his broom and get about moping, however close by. He finally took a proper glance around the place and half smiled. "Nice joint....why I haven't noticed it before is beyond me." he said then added with a sigh. He knew why. "Guess I'm too focused on her..." he shrugged. He wasn't sure he could agree with the other's statement right now. "Dunno man, them's some fancy words there. Either way.... I think its pretty clear nothing I do works... shits fucked." he shook his head, rubbing a hoof on his temple a moment which only seemed to emphasize the bags under his eyes.

@Ruriska

Wildflour had mopped the same spot as he listened, swirling it in circles, and then finally he simply stopped. He walked back behind the counter, reached down and brought out a bottle of bourbon.

"I think you need something a little bit stronger tonight, my friend." He poured two small glasses and offered one to the flutter with a gentle push of his hoof.

@Fealine

The flutter finally managed a small grin as the stallion pulled out a bottle of something harder. He chuckled softly, pushing the nearly finished coffee to the side and taking a small sip out of the offered glass. His eyes squinted shut a moment before he let himself sink into the blissful burn. "You read my mind." he said before really studying the stallion a moment. He was handsome and vibrant if anything. Doppel usually hated asking for advice but he felt at such a loss anymore. "A handsome stud like you surely has someone special. How did you do it? What am I doing wrong?"

@Ruriska

Wildflour had picked up his own glass and was swirling the liquid, admiring it as he listened. It was wrong of the fellow to just assume that he had a partner (what if he was asexual or a celibate by choice?) but since it came with a compliment, he let it slide. He couldn't recall any other time someone had called him a 'handsome stud'.

"The more you search for love the harder it is to find. You must wait for it to come to you," he said, sounding very knowledgeable and wise (in his opinion).

"I suppose you'll be surprised to learn that I don't have someone special but my focus has been elsewhere. I haven't had time to consider romance with a new business to build. I also have a large social media presence. It wouldn't be right of me to take on a partner if I wasn't ready to dedicate my time to them."

He shrugged. "However I am certain that it will happen in its own time, when my heart is moved by the hands of fate. No sooner and no later. Love is everywhere and when it chooses me I'll be ready." He sipped his bourbon. "So no, I don't think you're doing anything wrong at all, expect perhaps overthinking it."

@Fealine

Doppel felt instantly like a child again, having said and done the wrong things. He put a hoof over one eye and slid it down, perhaps dragging his lower eye lid with it a moment before letting it clonk on the counter. "Man I'm sorry I didn't mean to...." he gave up and then let out a loud sigh as he put his now empty glass back on the table. "I'm clearly doing some things wrong. Please... really didn't mean to, forgive me." he said again before shaking his head.

While he didn't quite get it, the other sounded like he spoke from plenty of experience. "I wouldn't have thought of it that way honestly. My line of work is um.... well let's just say its not for everypony. So imagine my surprise to find a total babe in exactly the same field of interest." he laughed. He didn't want to spew every single detail so he tried to keep it as short and sweet. "She doesn't seem to have anyone else either so I guess... I thought that my chance was there...practically in my hooves. Yet my hooves remain empty." he shrugged again, his wings briefly fluttering with the motion.

He looked around again at the join he was in, making a note to visit it again at a proper time, not when it was closed. "Um... may I ask your name? I'm Doppelganger. I'd like to at least give you a great review online later for lending an ear...and a drink." he finally managed before glancing back at the other, a tired smile on his face.

@Ruriska 

Wildflour decided this guy had some serious issues and he was 100% here for him. In fact, the current alcohol probably wasn't enough but he always didn't want him to just drown his sorrows. A fortifying drink or two to clear the head was enough. With that reasoning in mind, he did not yet refill the glass . "Relax, you're being far too hard on yourself.  I'm not offended. You don't need to apologize."

He arched a brow as he listened. Well, that was all very interesting and Wildflour was going to call him out hardcore but first... "My name is Wildflour, welcome to my establishment and it's always a pleasure to lend a hoof." he smiled back. "Consider me a friend tonight. I am here to assist but I also am not the sort to sugar coat anything."

He finished his own drink and the glass clinked when he placed it down.

"Right, now tell me, what makes you think that someone working with you and being unattached means that you have a chance? You're a handsome guy with a lot going for you but you can't just expect things to work out how you want. Feelings don't work that way. I suggest you use this night to move and start treating her as a Phony and not a potential love interest."

@Fealine

Doppel's face couldn't get anymore redder beneath his dark purple sparkled fur.

He let his head lay flat on the counter and took the verbal beating, just staring at Wildflour with defeated eyes, not even caring that his glass wasn't refilled yet. Still, he put the earth phony's name down in his head. Wildflour.

"Ight... I mean... let me back up. We've been friends since foalhood I guess I should have said....I don't treat her bad....yeah... no... your right." he said, trying to explain in between the other's rebuttle before he just stopped, knowing he was only placing his hoof farther and father down his own throat. Though... did Wildflour just say he was handsome? The thought made Doppel's cheeks flush a deeper sense of hot before he blamed it on the alcohol and shut his eyes.

"N---no reason..."

@Ruriska

Maybe he'd been a little bit harsh? No way! These sorts of behaviours needed to be called out and Wildflour was capable of dishing it out. His father was called Hard Truths for a reason and this apple hadn't gone far from the tree.

Though maybe a small part of him did start to regret making the other fellow feel so bad. He'd already been down and now he looked as though he would rather have taken a physical beating over what Wildflour had just dished out. 

As a small apology, he refilled Doppelganger's glass.

"You can use this as a chance to improve yourself and..." he paused, thinking over everything that had been said. "I have a question. Have you ever asked her out? Have you even told her how you feel?"

@Fealine

Doppel simply nodded thanks and took the glass and downed it before sitting up and letting his head stop spinning.

He thought about what Wildflour said though it only seemed to make his head spin more. Had he ever properly asked her out? Like, not as a joke but proper proper? "There was that one time....I asked her to go get drinks with me, but she had to stay behind.... I guess after that I couldn't find the courage to do it properly." he shook his head before laughing softly. "I'm an idiot." he concluded, staring at the bottom of his glass as he swished around a few stray droplets, watching them skate around the edge.

He had a lot of improving to do, Wildflour just made him realize that.

@Ruriska

"Yes," Wildflour confirmed somberly. "You are." He lifted his glass. "I salute you." This poor fellow was even more of a mess than he'd thought but hey that's what friendly cafe owners and good alcohol were for.

"On the bright side, you now know the mistakes you've made and can correct them. Though I would like to suggest something, if you don't mind." He did not wait to see if Doppelganger did actually mind. "I think that you should branch out a little. Perhaps go on a date with someone else? It might help make your feelings for this person more clear."

@Fealine

That idea had never even crossed his mind.

"Date someone else? But I don't even really know anyone else to ask?" he blinked, frowning bit as the alcohol began to catch up to his brain a bit, not enough to be drunk, but enough he was starting to feel tired and more numb. "Guess I could re download Stables..." he sighed, though he didn't want to think about dating apps right now. "Is that going to really work though man?" he asked, feeling more and more like Wildflour had his life together and Doppel had only just been doing his literal name sake of having a life.

@Ruriska

"Don't do that," Wildflour said with a dismissive wave of his hoof. "Stables is terrible. Nobody is genuine and most dates will expect you to pay and then declare it feminism." He rolled his eyes.

"However, I do think putting yourself out there will help considerably. Maybe one of those Singles Nights?" Or maybe not, they were all rather desperate at those shindigs.

Then the idea struck him out of the blue, the perfect plan of attack. It might have been the warm alcohol in his belly speaking but Wildflour was fairly sure he was a genius. "I have a proposition. Go out on a date with me. Nothing serious. Just a little practise that can ease you into the real thing. What do you say?"

@Fealine

Doppel laughed. Stables was kind of terrible, hence why he had deleted it in the first place. Though, at one point, he had fun dressing up and impersonating others on there, showing up and confusing the pancakes out of ponies.

Something about the stallions idea, however, made Doppel sit up straight. His face felt hot and he slowly looked over Wildflour. "On... a date...... with you?" he tilted his head, confused. "Forgive me, you are very handsome... but um.... how....practice?" he said then stopped, his face scrunched up. He took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks then let it all out slowly.

"You know, fuck it. Let's go on a date." he finally said, mustering the best, drunken, sloshed, emo smile he could.

@Ruriska

Wow, this guy could not hold his liquor well at all. His words were barely comprehensible.

"Charming," Wildflour said with a laugh. "We'll practise by having a good time and I'll let you know when you do something wrong so the next time you don't mess up with an actual real date." He meant it sincerely and would no doubt inform Doppelganger as soon as he started being a shitty date.

He grabbed his phone and opened up a new contact, then slid it over to the Flutter. "Put your details in and I'll text you."

@Fealine

Doppel nodded, wiping away a hiccup as he grabbed a napkin to clean his hooves, habit from working at the morgue, and took the phone. He quickly typed out his info as well as his name before handing the phone back. He then sighed and took out his own phone, setting up a contact space for Wildflour as well, handing the red stallion his phone. "Here. Swap." he said, waiting until the other was finished. "It's a date then." he said with half a smile and shook his head. "Shall I dress up?" he eyed the other, not sure if Wildflour knew what Doppel did as his purpose rather than his morgue..er... night job....

@Ruriska

Wildflour accepted the phone and entered his own details before handing it back. "It's a date," he chuckled.

"Come however you like. I want you to be comfortable." It was important to make a good impression but Wildflour rejected the normal ideas of conformity and wouldn't judge anyone who went into a date wearing whatever they preferred.

Unless it was real fur... or just really super ugly... and if they were dirty.


@Fealine