Der Metzger Herr Messer

I sat in my shop throwing chunks of chicken into a large stew pot I'd set up on the shop floor. The griffon was slowly spinning a dead pig on a spit just outside, the security pony was sitting and flipping burger patties with a mouth held spatula. I looked deep into the thick stew, potatoes and thickened chicken broth mixed with beef broth swirled around the deep pot. The ponies standing around me were keeping deathly quiet, watching over my shoulder, one hovering behind me with her hooves hung over my shoulder.

"Owh umch onlger?" The mare asked, scratching my shoulder.

I looked over towards the griffon, her face twisted up and mean as she stared at the spinning pork. She spotted me looking at her and lifted her chin from her fist. "Uh, they want to know how much longer."

I nodded and rolled my shoulder, ridding myself of the mare on my arm. I pulled the ladle I was stirring with out and watched the stew slowly stop swirling. Good enough. I turned to the stack of bowls I had prepared and grabbed one. The pony that had been resting on my shoulder was replaced by a new one, watching me, smiling.

I huffed and pulled a piece of chicken out with the ladle. I took it between my fingers and held it out between the bat ponies. Nothing happened, they all stared in awe, unmoving, just staring dead at my hand. One pony reached up, his hoof touching my palm. The other bats promptly hissed and shouted him back down, leaving my hand bare with the chicken chunk sitting neatly on my palm.

I coughed softly, watching the wide eye'd ponies look at each other. One dared to reach, quickly getting yelled at and hissed down until they kept their hooves away. One mare put her hoof on my hand, ignoring the hisses and yells. She pulled my hand low and leaned her head down, she bit the chicken and looked up at me, blushing softly. The ponies started shouting, waving hooves around and yelling as they lost their chance.

I reached over and pet the mare's head, the crowd glaring at the sole mare. She kept her mouth pressed against my palm as I pet her. The mare went quiet, mumbling and moaning as she chewed the food, eyes closed, head slack in my hand.

The pony on my shoulder glared at me. I shot right back, narrowing my eyes and causing the stallion's eyes to shoot wide. He looked away from me and slowly slid off my back. I huffed gently and pet the mare eating with her chin against my hand. She wore a dumb smile across her face, eyes jammed shut as I brushed her head.

The griffon brought the bowls over and tapped my shoulder. A blue feather popped off her head and onto the floor. "I-- oh shit." Of all the words I could figure out, that was one of them. Of course. The griffon picked her feather up and pushed it into her shirt pocket. She ran her talon through her feathers and huffed. "Should I start selling?"

I shrugged my head to the side. I swept my hand low. The griffon scratched her head. "First off...it's scary that I know what you mean, and worse that I'm getting better at this."

I laughed softly as the mare I was petting went slack against me, head heavy against my palm. The griffon rolled her eyes. "I still think we should sell it.... Giving it away just feels like--"

I pointed over to the till, then back down to the mare resting against me.

The griffon shook her head. "She's hitting on you, you know that right?" She grimaced and turned away. "Whatever.... Czayr odl kufc."

I looked down at the mare. I didn't care if she was trying to make something of this, it was a pleasant change from the meaty thud of my cleaver rending beef and pork from bone. I sat happy as my help sorted out the food and left me to the calm I deserved.

I scratched the mare's chin and stood up. She opened her eyes and stepped away as I got ready to dish out stew. I watched as the ponies lined up behind the mare I was petting. I put a decent bit of stew into each paper bowl and handed it off to the next pony in line. The line slowly chugged forward as pony after pony after pony grabbed a bowl and wandered off.

The mare I had pet sat beside me, smiling. It warmed my heart to see such a peaceful creature beside me. "Swine." I felt a hoof smack the soup bowl out of my hand and against my shoe. I swept my head around, my face already scrunching up. "Offering me such--"

I stood up and stared down at the aryan mare below me. Her pompous look faded away quickly as the ponies around her backed away. I leaned forward and thrust my shoulders forward. I looked like a brute, and a brute I had become for those few seconds. I picked up a cup from the stack next to my pot, overturned it and put it on her head.

"How--" I spun her around before she could talk back and pushed her towards the door. "Don't touch--"

I pushed her out the door and stood there waiting. She slowly walked around and shook the bowl off her head. "Really!? I come to greet you and--" She stopped as something brushed my leg. The mare I was petting squeezed out from between my leg and the door. "Oh, now you're siding with them?! Fine! Fine I see you don't care about fixing yourself!" She turned around in a huff and trotted off.

A small ribbon was tied around the base of her tail. I rubbed my face and made sure my sleeves were down. I looked down at the mare who had followed me and shook my head gently. She looked up at me with a smile, it faded away rather quickly. "No?"

I shook my head.

The mare looked at me and nodded. "Okay." She smiled. "Firneds?"

I nodded once.

She smiled back as we headed back inside.