Dragonshy

Derpy yawned and leaned against the counter inside the post office, counting the ponies walking around outside. For once, it was surprisingly slow at the post office. Scarily slow, in fact. Whenever things got slow at her job, Derpy automatically had a feeling the next few days were going to be nuts.

But she needed the bits, so she continued to lean against the counter and stare into space, idly hoping for something exciting to happen. If only she knew how much she was going to regret hoping for that later on next week.

“I’m bored,” Derpy muttered and stretched out her hind legs before jumping from hoof to hoof to keep her blood flowing. She had delivered all of her mail already. Apparently not many ponies were expecting letters or packages today. Normal for a Wednesday if she was being honest. “Three more hours.”

“Hey Derpy,” Berry Punch called out as she trotted in, the door shutting with a pleasant chiming sound. “You look bored.”

“I am,” Derpy commented flatly and focused on her friend. “What are you up to? Aren’t you supposed to be running your wine stand?”

“Nah, it’s taken care of,” Berry Punch waved a hoof dismissively and Derpy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her. “What?”

“You pawned watching the stand off on Junebug again, didn’t you?”

“I have no idea what you are referring to,” Berry Punch laughed nervously and looked away. “Well, look at the time. I really should be heading to get Ruby from school.”

Derpy moved with speed that startled Berry as Derpy stood in the doorway with her wings spread and a frown as Berry gulped anxiously.

“No. School doesn’t get until the end of my shift and you’re not leaving me here bored. Sit your flank down young lady,” Derpy ordered and Berry snorted.

“Young lady? We’re both thirty!” Berry exclaimed and Derpy narrowed her eyes. “Alright, you win. I actually did come here to hang out so you are technically correct about me bribing Junebug to watch my stand.”

Berry flung herself onto the bench inside the office and sighed as she stretched out.

“Slow day, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Derpy groaned and sat down. “Slower than molasses.”

“It’s not outside. I needed a break. Wanna get lunch?” Berry asked hopefully and nudged her saddlebags. “Got some wine if you want a sip.”

Derpy looked around quickly before taking the offered wine and took a long sip before wiping her lips with a foreleg and setting the bottle back in Berry’s bat.

“Jeez girl. Save some for the rest of us,” Berry teased as Derpy turned pink. “And ponies say I have a drinking problem, sheesh.”

“Not a word to anypony,” Derpy warned and Berry chuckled softly.

Berry snapped her saddlebags shut to hid the bottle from anypony who may walk in. Getting her friend drug on the job wouldn’t necessarily be a good look for either of them. Especially Derpy.

“You still going to the single mom’s meeting again tomorrow night?” Berry asked and Derpy nodded. “Thank Celestia. You’re my only friend there.”

“Yeah I just gotta make sure Amethyst doesn’t sneak out again to go hang out with Minuette and Sea Swirl. Raising a teenager is hard.”

“You make me scared of Ruby being a teen. She’s already sneaky as is,” Berry shook her head and groaned. “The kid is a magician, I swear. Especially with Trixie trying to teach her magic tricks.”

Derpy hid her wince at that. Trixie taught a magic class on the weekends or when she wasn’t busy. It usually backfired, especially when Sweetie Belle tried to teleport. Mayor Mare pretty much forced Trixie to keep a fire extinguisher present after that incident.

“And yes, I’m down to get lunch. It’s in the back. I’ll go get it and flip the sign outside to closed,” Derpy answered and stood up, heading for the back break room.

It was a small room that had been hastily turned into a break room. It used to he used for storage but all the post office storage got moved to city hall to keep thign neater at the post office. When Derpy returned with her brown lunch bag, she noticed Berry had already flipped the front sign around to say closed and had locked the door.

“You always keep the spare key in the register in the back,” Berry explained and pulled out her own lunch, idly making a note to buy Derpy a real lunch bag for Hearths Warming.

“I forgot about that. I only got thirty minutes.”

“Well, I can hang out with you the rest of your shift. I’m sure Junebug won’t care if she has to watch my stand a bit longer.”

Junebug pushed another bottle of wine across the stand and shoved the bits into Berry’s bag hidden under the wooden counter as she glowered at the post office.

“I-I-I’m gonna kill Berry one of these days,” Junebug grumbled in her trademark stutter.

Sunset hummed to herself as she continued reading her novel as she laid on her side on her couch, turning a page as Silverspeed watched her read with a bored expression.

“I’m bored,” Silverspeed said finally and Sunset jabbed a hoof at the bookshelf. A random book glowed teal and landed jn front of Silverspeed. “Treasures, pleasures and happy endings: an erotic pirate novel?”

Sunset turned red and quickly flung the book into her bedroom before placing another book in front of Silverspeed as she picked it up.

“How to please a mare?” Silverspeed read aloud and raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Just pick your own book. I give up,” Sunset muttered and Silverspeed snickered before shoving the book aside.

“Firstly, I think I know how to please mares just fine thanks. And secondly, why do you have books on that topic?”

“Don’t ask,” Sunset grumbled and gave her a curious look. “Wait, you’re into mares? Since when?”

“I’m into both mares and stallions. You?”

“Same but I prefer mares. I didn’t know that about you. To change the topic from my weird book choices, get off the leg. Redheart said to take it easy,” Sunset levitated Silverspeed next to her. “Rest.”

“Sunset, that was two weeks ago. I’m fine. I appreciate the concern, really I do, but I’m okay. I can even walk and skip on it.”

Silverspeed and Sunset stared each other down before realizing how close their muzzles were to each other and they each pushed themselves to opposite sides of the couch.

“So uh,” Sunset coughed nervously into her hoof with a blush. “Crazy weather out there, huh?”

“Yeah,” Silverspeed agreed with a blush of her own and looked outside at the sunny day with barely any clouds out. “Crazy.”

A letter popped out of thin air, dropping onto Sunset’s lap as she unfurled it and started reading.

“What’s it say?” Silverspeed asked curiously.

“Something about reports of a rogue dragon in Equestria. Celestia doesn’t know where it could be. Just a simple warning. We can tell the others if we actually come across him or her.”

“Okay. As you wish,” Silverspeed shrugged and glanced at Sunset. “Wanna get shakes?” Sunset tapped a hoof against her chin before putting a book mark in her book and closed it.

“Yeah, sure let’s go. On me.”