“Man, I hate it when I get the munchies.”

Steven was grousing, because, even after finishing his term paper, he was only a dozen hours shy of the next class day. Sundays were always a blur, what with Quorum, picnics, House Activities (today was mastering Shadow Boxing,) equipment inspections, House Sprucing, then for the last few hours, homework. He was exhausted, hungry, and after grinding out that paper, very, very lackadaisical. Also, he was out of food. He had not yet ordered his next resupply.

“I guess there’s nothing to it,” Steve murmured, “I need to go to town.”

Now, Steve was in his “work clothes,” meaning, he was wearing a pair of worn out cargo shorts, a stained t-shirt, and not much else. When he settled down to work on his classwork, he preferred comfort over fashion. Now that he was going out of town, he needed to get himself dressed for the city. So, with much grumbling, he changed out of her comfortable dorm clothes, put on one of his favorite turtlenecks, a good flannel shirt, slipped into some crew socks, his best cargo pants, and boots, filled his pockets with his everyday carry kit, then walked to his door.

He cracked open the door, extending his mage senses to their furthest extent. He could not sense Franky anywhere or least nowhere in the Manse Arcane. He didn’t want to count his blessings early, so he stepped out of his dorm room, locked the door, and alighted down to the Garage. HE had no encounters with his pushy courtier, so he entered the Garage without delay. MEchanic Archie was waiting for him at his truck.

“Evening, Grand Archmage,” the House Mason greeted, “out for another ride tonight?”

“Yeah,” Steve confirmed, “my cupboards are bare and I don’t have the mental or psychological wherewithal to hit up the supermarket. So, I’m going to try some place in town I haven’t been to yet.”

“Can I recommend something for ya?” Archie asked.

“By all means!”

“There’s this taco joint downtown, kinda popular but woo-howdy, the hottie populace of this place is amazin’!”

“I don’t regularly go downtown,” Steve stated, “so I likely haven’t seen this place. What’s it called?”

“Taco Hut!” Archie beamed, “just be careful about the cashiers. If you get a girl with pigtails, she’s okay. If you get the poofy haired demon, guard your family jewels!”

“I’ll take that under advisement,” Steve laughed, “I don;t know about demons, but I doubt any Canterlot resident has ever dealt with me before!”

The drive into town was rather quiet. Steve only saw a single state trooper on the road leading into Canterlot. He didn’t give any thought as to why there was a state trooper stationed that night. He did make a mental note to report this to The Quorum when he got the chance. The presence of State Troopers on Old Trottingham Road was a little concerning for the students and faculty of The Imperial Academy mostly because local authorities steered clear of the campus. And theartifice built along the campus grounds and it's boundaries would prevent Mundane curiosity seekers from getting too close.

The firearms stored in the Armory were registered to individuals, and no one under the age of sixteen was issued one. The quantity of such ordnance was far less than some gun nuts or even the former Branch Davidian. Still, state police watching the road and being within walking distance of the Academy was a little alarming. Steve would need to mark the troopers location and check to see if the trooper had changed their position while he was in the city.

Once in town, Steve did need to stop at a quiet corner to check online maps to find the safest route to downtown Canterlot. Once assured of his route, Steve continued on his journey. Downtown was a lot more crowded than he would prefer. Traffic was still dense, even on a Sunday evening. He could see pedestrians along the sidewalk, in thick throngs that were not very safe in a time of pandemic. He didn’t know how many folks here were self-conceited anti-maskers or were generally healthy individuals that held no fear of COVID 19. Being an asthmatic, Steven had no illusions about what the virus could do for his health. His mask was firmly affixed to his face, the letters IDGAF plainly visible against the royal blue fabric.

Navigating the central Canterlot streets was a nerve wracking hassle, but eventually, he found himself on the street Archie told him Taco Hut existed on. He could see the restaurant in the middle of the upcoming block. Because he didn’t see himself as a selfish asshole, Steve activated his indicator to show he was making a left turn. He was able to accomplish the turn with little issue (there was one idiot that blew their horn because he was turning his midsize truck into a narrow driveway,) and found a packed parking lot. The Taco Hut was certainly doing fair trade this evening, so Steve drove his truck to find a parking spot free of other cars to park in. The rank he settled on was at the far back corner of the lot, under a buzzing street lamp, as far away from the restaurant as he could get. Not an optimal position, but Steve liked to think he was not so far removed from getting exercise as some.

Walking through the automatic door of the Taco Hut, Steve laid his eyes upon a badly packed dining floor. He would not be eating in there. There were several open seats in the outdoor dining area, so after ordering his food, Steve elected to eat out there. Like any other fast food joint, his meal was carefully but alacritously crafted and delivered to his waiting palms in a few scant minutes. Navigating the crowded dining floor too much longer than that, but once outside, he found a quiet table to sit at and presently began to dine.

According to Archie, the tacos at Taco Hut were greasy, heavy on the veggies, and sour cream, but oh so very delicious. Steven did concur with such an analysis. The Academy Cafeteria sometimes did serve tacos, but why were lacking in some regard Steve could not determine. These tacos were nigh divine. (And Archie’s warning about the cashier was on point: the poofy haired girl was working the register was a regular bitch. Saying she was mean would be an understatement.) He knew he would return here on a regular basis.

“Um, excuse me,” came a voice. Steven was so deep in his contemplation of the nachos provided for his meal, the he didn't see anyone coming up to his table. When he did look up, he saw a young woman, roughly his age, with flowing pink hair, teal eyes, a bashful demeanor. She was wearing a white cashmere sweater (and had gotten cool after sunset lately,) a long green skirt, and what looked like high heel boots. Steve’s mind locked up, unable to comprehend why anyone would speak with him, let alone someone as quietly beautiful as this girl. It took a few moments before he opened his mouth, though how he said things left him thoroughly embarrassed.

“Y-y-yes?”

“Is this seat taken?” The girl asked, “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Uh, no, it’s no bother,” Steve replied, “be my guest.”

Now, Steven had taken the girls request as permission to take the chair across from him and take it to another table. For whatever reason, the outdoor tables were plentiful but seating was at a premium. He counted no less than ten tables but less than 30% of those tables had any chairs to sit upon. Now, what actually happened with this girl, much to Steven’s surprise, was she pulled the chair back, placed her tray of taco salad, drink, and potato crisps on the table, and seated herself across from him. He was taken aback that this girl would want to be in his presence. Granted, his ability to properly present himself to members of the opposite sex was rather negligible, and that was being generous about it.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around before,” the girl said, “do you come from out of town?”

“In- in a- manner of speaking,” Steve answered, “I go to a school on the outskirts of town. I don’t- I don’t come in all that often.”

“Oh?” the girl mused, “You don’t go to Ponyville High, do you?”

“N-no, actually,” Steve replied, “I’m a member of Imperial Academy. T-to the west. It’s at the end of Old Trottingham Road.”

“Oh,” the girl stated, “I didn’t know anything like that existed out that way. I have a friend who attends Canterlot High with me, but she lives in Ponyville, out at her family’s orchard. She helps run it with help of her older brother and younger sister; they harvest apples.”

“I like apples,” Steve said, realizing this statement was rather awkward to say.

“So does Applejack,” the girl mused, “I like them, too. She’ll sometimes give me free samples, but I always feel guilty doing so. She works so hard to harvest and sell them, I feel like I’m cheating her of good income.”

“I think I can understand that,” Steve said, “it’s like, you’re making light of all the effort your friend puts into her livelihood. You know what it means to her to get those apples sold so taking off her generosity is like lifting cash from her purse or wallet.”

“Exactly!” the girl exclaims, “oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be loud.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Steve explains, “I have dorm mates that are- at least, sixteen leagues louder than a rock concert. I don’t think you can make me deaf.”

“Oh, that’s a relief,” the girl said, “oh, you must think me rude! I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Fluttershy.”

“Oh, well, nice to meet you, Fluttershy,” Steve replies, “I’m Steven Ambrose.”

“That’s a funny name,” Fluttershy supplied, and by the flush in her cheeks, he reckoned she hadn’t meant to say that, “I’m sorry, I didn't mean-”

“I take no offense,” Steven beamed, “I’ve gotten used to the idea that my name is unusual for people in these parts. Point of fact, I sometimes find the names of people here rather unusual. Who names their daughter Adagio, anyway? Musicians, hipsters, old hippies? Not my place to judge, honestly.”

“Well, I’m glad,” Fluttershy said, “that you don’t have a problem with your unique name or that the names of the people here in Canterlot are so distinct.”

“It takes all kinds, right?”

“Oh, yes, definitely,” Fluttershy said, “I know my friend Rarity would agree.”

“By the way, salad?” Steven asked, “I know this place is called ‘Taco Hut’ but I didn’t know they made salads.”

“Oh, yes, they do,” Fluttershy replied, “they are very scrumptious. Lately, I’ve been trying to have a vegan diet. The vitamins are a bit costly but I haven’t had so much energy before. I feel like I can keep up with all the kitties and puppies that regularly turn up at the animal shelter I volunteer at.”

“You volunteer at an animal shelter?” Steven inquired.

“Oh, yes, I do,” Fluttershy sighed, “I absolutely adore critters of every kind! I always say, ‘a little kindness goes a long way.’ That is especially true of animals.”

“I do kinda of take you for an animal lover,” Steven remarked.

“Well, I think everyone loves animals,” Fluttershy retorted, “some are just- not equipped to deal with them in a loving way. That’s why shelters are a thing.”

“That does have a ring of truth,” Steven said, “I have known some people who have not the patience or compassion necessary to raise animal companions and it’s often the animals that take the brunt of that behavior. I wouldn’t mind having a pet myself but I’m not sure I can properly care for one and- also- there are no animals allowed in Academy dorms.”

“What?!” Fluttershy screamed, though it sounded more like a very soft exclamation.

“It- happens to be a response to an alumnus of the Academy. He was a member of House Fauna and he kept an entire menagerie in his dorm room. Albeit, he was rather lackadaisical with the creatures upkeep and his dorm mate often described the state of their room as ‘smelling and looking like a poorly managed zoo.’ After that, The Headmistress forbade animals of any size or kind on campus living facilities. There is a farm on campus, though, so the majority of pet and the like are ept there.”

“Oh, well, there is at least that,” Fluttershy said, “it is a pity that you can’t have pets in your dorms, but I guess the faculty don’t want to suffer with the upkeep.”

“That’s how I understand it,” Steven added, “it was quite expensive to clean up that mess.”

“I can understand,” Fluttershy said, then, “do you do anything for a hobby?”

As the question was apropos to nothing, Steve was unsure where that question had come from, but nevertheless, he did answer.

“I- don’t usually have a lot of time between my classes and Academy- activities, but when I do have some time to spare, I’m usually playing video games.”

“You do?” Fluttershy asked, “what do you play?”

“Looter-shooters, platformers, puzzle games, action-adventure,” Steve replied, then reluctantly, “visual novels.”

“Oh?” Fluttershy mused, “I know my friend Rarity plays a few visual novels. She loves romance in general, but it surprised me that she played games like that. Though, as I understand it, the ones she plays are really tame compared to some others.”

“I can understand that,” Steven added, “I’m not usually one for smut or anything… but if it’s a good story with cute and endearing characters, then I’m all over it.”

“Me too, me too!” Fluttershy exclaimed, “Oh, uh, sorry.”

Steve waved a dismissive hand, “You’re fine. I can’t blame anyone for getting excitable about something they care about. Whether it's animals or a good book or even video games.”

“I know, right?” Fluttershy beams, “I know when the topic of animals comes up, I can’t seem to stop talking about them. It doesn't happen often, but when it does…”

“You’re off to the races,” Steve completed, “I can be like that with some of the stuff I’m into. Anime, manga, video games, books, and even history. Touch on any of those and you’ll need to give me a shot of something excitable to keep me quiet.”

Fluttershy laughed, a quiet, melodious sound to Steve’s ears, then she said, “you and I have so much in common.”

“I guess so,” Steven said, “but the old adage says, ‘opposites attract.’ That said, I- I would really like a friend outside of the Academy. And anyone who lives here in Canterlot might not be so bad to know. Especially if you can show me key points of interest.”

“I’d be happy to do that!” Fluttershy announced, “oh, but I have classes and club activities all week. I’m not sure-”

“No, no, I understand,” Steve interrupted, “how about this? Let me give you my number, then you can text me when you have an afternoon or so free. I may have some time to drop by during the weekend, though I may be running a few errands while I’m here. Especially grocery shopping. I have been negligent in getting that done.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind,” Fluttershy said, “Let em give my number, too, so you know who's texting you. I could show you the best little grocery store in the city! They have a very good selection of everything. Even apples.”

“Oh, touché!” Steven laughed, “okay, I’ll look forward to your text. In the meantime, I may have to hit up the Academy commissary to make sure I don't starve to death during the week.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” Fluttershy said, “oh, how about we meet at Canterlot High! It’s close enough to my house that can be there in two shakes of a bunny's tail. And the parking lot there is very secure.”

“Okay, cool,” Steve said, “I haven't been up that way before, so I look forward to seeing what makes this school so special, even if there isn’t much.”

“You’re going to love it,” Fluttershy said, then lifting her drink cup, she said, “friends?”

Lifting his own very empty drink cup and touching it to her own, Steven repeated, “Friends.”

Author's Note

I really need to find a piece of cover art for this story… Something like a Google Campus or some scene with a university on it, IDK. The artist side of me is OTL…