When I finally approached the front of the shop I had searched all over Canterlot for, I felt rather... disappointed at the simple storefront. The shop looked innocent enough though for supposedly being ran by an unnatural creature; a sign overhead declaring it to be selling "Things out of this world!" being the only unusual trait. Through the windows I could see rows of odd shapes and things, but the windows were tinted just enough to obscure what laid upon the shelves inside. I couldn't help but admire the shopkeeper's cleverness to do such a thing, seeing how once a passersby saw the hidden shapes they couldn't help but wander in. Still, it only made me fear my confrontation even more.
I had heard about this shop and its unusual proprietor some time ago, though I had been too occupied to come see them myself until today. Now that I was literally sitting across the street from the store in question I couldn't help but recall all the rumors and myths surrounding it and its owner. A popular one had him as “a disturbing creature with eyes that could look into one's soul and steal it”, while another painted it as “a beast whose teeth were sharper then knives and ate ponies for breakfast”. Of course, anything coming from the gossip circles of the Nobles and upper class of Canterlot is often baseless or just something exaggerated to the extreme.
Nonetheless, I steeled my nerves and prepared myself to encounter just about anything; emphasis on just about. I took a deep sigh and walked across the street away from the shadows were I had been sitting, a shivering feeling passing through my body as I pushed the steel door inwards.
I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the sound of voices happily chatting and music playing faintly in the background. If I had closed my eyes for a moment and forgotten where I had just entered, I could've sworn I had walked into a local bar! Good thing I didn't though as a pegasus carrying two bulging saddle bags trotted past me, a pleased grin on his face as he left. The stallion didn't look frightened, terrified, or one who may have been brainwashed. However, that last one may be debatable. I decided to distract myself from what the unusual shopkeeper could be capable of by looking at his inventory, which was pretty much everything one could expect to find in a common Canterlot store aside from a couple dozen items, such as...
"Catapults and you: A beginner's guide to constructing and maintaining your very own catapult!" I furrowed my brows at the title, not sure what a 'catapult' was. Deciding to find out what it was by reading the odd book in front of me, I picking it up and I flipped to the first page; a definition awaiting me. “Catapult- A device in which accumulated tension is suddenly released to hurl an object through the air."
“Huh," I stand stupidly for a second, having expected something as strange as the shopkeeper. "Sounds harmless enough. Now let’s see what you are..." I flipped through the next few pages, the one after the definition page listing a variety of materials need to construct it. The Catapult the book instructs to make is a 'small scale' one, roughly two meters tall but has a range of three times that; a simple mechanism allowing it to achieve such a feat. I poured over the steps and did my best to memorize them, though I mentally scold myself as I can merely buy the instructions instead of doing that. I placed the book in my saddebags and I continued to investigate the rest of the store's more unique goods.
By the time an hour has passed, my bags had accumulated a number of items; ranging from a recipe scroll to an odd group of rocks called 'magnets'. When I had first picked up the grey, shiny rocks I was disappointed in their appearing blandness. It was only when I tried to get a closer look at a spherical one,however, that I noticed that they refused to part. It took me a minute or two to find a way to separate the magnets without them reconnecting, a smile appearing on my face when I did.
"Super indeed." I said quietly to myself as I made my way to the back of the shop where the counter was. My legs began to shake softly, then more intensely as I noticed that the counter was taller then me! Fortunately, the proprietor had installed what could basically be called a booster step that allowed me to see over the top of the wooden construct. Standing on it, I looked over the counter for “a disturbing creature with eyes that could look into one's soul and steal it” or “a beast whose teeth were sharper then knives and ate ponies for breakfast” but I luckily found neither; though a brass bell was present along with a card. I read the message on it and couldn't help but smile
"Tap once for a question, tap twice for service, tap rapidly if you want to kicked out." Was what was written down, and it was clear the last part was for the nobles and rich ponies alike that thought that the world and its inhabitants only existed to serve them. I tapped the bell twice, the sharp ringing causing my ears to twitch as it reverberated in the shop; managing to pierce even the thick cloud of voices and sounds occupying the air. I swore I felt the ground beneath me shake as something large came my way, though it may have been my heart pounding in my ears as I waited to meet the proprietor of the shop I was in. I closed my eyes and prepared for the worst...
"Hey there, and thanks for shopping at my store! Now, what will you be buying today?" A calm, cheery voice asked me.
...and this was it? The supposed monster who will eat me? I opened my eyes and saw a pale face with a black mane and the remnants of a beard, two sparkling green eyes looking right at me without malice or any negative emotions. The flatness of the shopkeeper's face is what probably threw me off the most aside from the dazzling eyes; along with the lack of razor-sharp teeth and soul-stealing gaze. The shopkeeper arched an eyebrow at the lack of a response and his race morphed into one of worry, something that I detected surprisingly easily considering I never seen it before a creature like him before.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked, his tone not one of annoyance one but concern.
"Y-yes, I-I'm fine. It’s just that your..." I trailed off, unable to find a fitting word.
"Unique looking? Ha, you're not the first one to freeze up at seeing me but I don't think anyponys' eyes shrunk as much as yours though."
I feel my cheeks redden upon hearing mention of my reaction, though I was glad more then anything else that I hadn't been the only one to freak out; a hint of a smile on my face. "You certainly are different, but if I may ask... How did I look exactly when I saw you?"
The propriety chuckled as he presumably recalled my facial expression. "You were utterly-horrified: Ears splayed back, pupils shrunk, quivering body, and a trembling lip. It took nearly all my will power not to reach over and give you a hug, Miss...?"
"Moon, Blue Moon." I finished with a genuine smile, my fear of the strange shopkeeper now obliterated by his friendly nature. " And if you're the kind who likes giving hugs out to those who need them, then I guess you can't be that bad."
"Williams, Dell Williams." The proprietor extended one of his arms -Is that right term? It looks similar to a Minotaur's arm- in what I could only assume was some gesture of meeting. I bit my lip trying to figure out what I should do, but I threw caution out the window and hurtling towards the ground by extending a mirroring foreleg. His grip was gentle, but firm. "Nice to meet you Miss Moon, and thanks again for shopping at my little store. Now, what shall you be purchasing today?"
Remembering that I had spent the last hour or so shopping, I levitated my saddlebags onto the counter and opened them; their contents slowly sliding out into view. With the precision of a master unicorn, he sorted the items into their own groups and quickly jotted down the prices down. In mere moments he had the total of all the individual bags for everything I had bought.
"That will be fifty-three bits please."
I happily complied and brought out my bit sack, placing the exact amount on the counter just as fast as Dell had gotten the total.
"Someone good-looking and smart? In Canterlot of all places? I must be dreaming." He said with a mock expression of surprise, at least that's what I thought it was, on his face.
I blushed at the comment though I did my best to hide it. "There are aplenty of smart ponies in Canterlot! Just... not as many as there are haughty nobles." I claimed as I placed the bagged goods inside my saddlebags, making sure they were secured before turning my attention to Dell.
I flashed him a smile and began making my way out of the store, though I couldn't help but pause, only a few steps away from the counter. I bit my lip as I contemplated what to do next, though it wasn't that hard to decide. I turned around and trotted up to where Dell and I had been talking, though the odd shopkeeper was nowhere to be found. I tapped the bell once and let out and a frightened “Eep!” in surprise as the counter suddenly shook, a string of unfamiliar swears following the appearance of Dell; his hand rubbing a lump on his head. He looked at me first with anger but that quickly melted away to reveal surprise underneath.
"Oh, you're back! Did you, uh… forget something?"
I shook my head and took a deep breath, my eye closed as I exhaled as I tried to get myself together. "I... have a question."
I looked at Dell's face and I wasn't able to determine what his reaction was, though looked akin to confusion on a pony's face. "And that would be...?"
"Would you..." I pause, trying to find a good way to phrase this. "W-when does your shop close?"
I notice a subtle change in Dell's posture as he slouched slightly, a breath of air heard escaping from his lungs. "For a second I thought you were going to asking something I, or from the looks of it, you, might not be comfortable with. Anyways, my shop closes in an roughly hour. Planning to do some shopping later I take it?"
I shake my head side to side, my mouth refusing to work for a few moments. Eventually I was able to spit out what I wanted to say. "Would you... like to meet up later? I don't mean for like dinner or anything, but I honestly don't know how half of these things work or what they do so I thought you could possibly show me?"
Dell's face became as readable as a letter written with non-existent ink, his smile now gone. I felt my ears press flat against my head as I realize how poorly hidden my attempt to ask him out was; dozens of thoughts dedicating themselves to telling me how stupid I was. However, I was plenty surprised when he responded to my question with a smile.
"Sure!" He said with a cheery tone, "Sound good, but where should we meet up? I'd offer a location, but I'm still relatively new to Canterlot. Manehatten didn't have nearly as many twists and turns as this place!" He added with a laugh.
I pondered where would be a good place to meet up at until a name popped into my head, surprising myself with how well it worked. "Pony Joe's Donut Shop! It’s close and it’s easy to find! Just take a... right from your shop, turn left at the intersection, walk a couple of blocks and you should see a large sprinkled doughnut among the shop signs. Can't miss it."
Dell gave me a smile and nodded, waving another custom as I did the same in reply before walking away. However, what he said following the nod nearly sent made me trip over my own hooves.. "Alright Miss Moon, it’s a date! See you later!"
And it wound up doing just that, as I actually fell to the shop's floor before managing to recover moments later; a fierce burning sensation on my cheeks. I did my best to stay calm, though I immediately stopped once I exited the shop. I jumped around like a giddy schoolfilly, ignoring all the looks I as I did so. "I just asked Dell -or did he ask me?- out on a date!"
I froze in mid-bounce, suddenly terrified of what to do next. "I just asked Dell out on a date! By Celestia's beard I just asked him out on a date! I just met him and I hardly know him, but he seems so nice!" I'm pretty sure that I drew even more looks then before when I began pacing and talking to myself, though I didn't care as my mind raced."Well, it would be rude just to stand him up... but then I run into another problem: what do you wear to catch a guy's eye like Dell's!? Hmmm, I could always stop by the Boutique and see if they anything in my color..."
