This Is Awkward

“Do you care to tell me why you need seventeen cumulonimbus and ten nimbostratus clouds, Trixie?” Raindrops gave her unicorn friend a wary look as Trixie gave her a confused one.

“Say that again, but in Ponish so I can understand you,” Trixie deadpanned with a bored stare.

“Oh dear Celestia. Okay, why do you need so many rain causing clouds?” Raindrops rolled her eyes and hovered before flailing her hooves around. “I mean, I get two or three, but twenty seven? What in Tartarus are you up to?”

“Preparing for my magic show next month, duh?” Trixie retorted and turned around. “Hey, you!”

Rainbowshine paused pushing the cloud, looking around before resting a hoof against her chest in confusion.

“Me?” Rainbowshine inquired and Trixie nodded impatiently.

“Yes, you. Be careful where you put those. I don’t want my wagon being flooded. Tie or shove them into that open tree,” Trixie pointed with a hoof. “Where did you find this pony, anyway Raindrops?”

“Rainbowshine is an experienced weathermare. You can trust her to do her job well,” Raindrops pointed out tiredly. “You still have yet to tell me what you’re gonna do with these. Rainbow is gonna kill us when she finds out we stole them.”

“We didn’t steal them,” Trixie explained as Raindrops raised an eyebrow and Rainbowshine tilted her head curiously as she shoved the cloud into the tree. “We just borrowed without asking.”

“That sounds a lot like stealing,’ Rainbowshine muttered to herself as she caught the cloud Raindrops kicked her way. “Thanks.”

“As for your questions, these clouds are to scare the audience during some tricks that require thunder. The rain is just a necessary side effect, unfortunately,” Trixie shrugged as she donned her hat. “Will these be ready in two months?” Raindrops decided to not tell her that only cumulonimbus clouds made thunder.

Rainbowshine nodded as she floated on her back, idly flapping her wings to keep herself aloft.

“Yeah, they’ll be fine. Hell, the weather factory has a whole room full of stuff like clouds and snow flakes months in advance of winter. We should be getting our second snowfall soon.”

Oh joy, Trixie thought to herself as she stifled a groan. Winter was not something Trixie was fond of. Her wagon wasn’t that well insulated to keep the cold out and she wasn’t too fond of freezing another winter. That time she got stuck in Manehatten accidentally was the worst.

Trixie mentally made a note to stock up on extra blankets and hot chocolate sometime later today.

“We really have to get back to work, I guess,” Raindrops tapped Trixie on the shoulder. “Unless you need us for anything else. Rainbow is probably looking for us.”

“Nah, you’re good. Thanks.”

Trixie watched as the two flew away with a groan.

“Trixie hates winter.”

Trixie idly wondered if her burning hatred was enough to keep her wagon warm as the blue unicorn tightened her cape around herself.

Derpy rested her head on the counter of the post office, lazily counting the amount of ponies walking by, almost missing the be above the doorway ringing.

“Hey Sunset,” Derpy waved a wing as she forced herself to sit up. “How was Canterlot?”

“Fine,” Sunset answered and flicked her mane aside. “Roseluck told me I’d find you here. Kinda bored myself. Today is my last day off before I go back to work. Wanna get lunch on me?”

Derpy hesitated before glancing at the clock. It was almost her lunch time and she did have only four hours left till her shift ended.

“Yeah, sure. I’m pretty hungry. I was gonna skip my lunch, but as you can see,” Derpy chuckled dryly and gestured about the empty post office. “It’s deader than ever in here today.”

“I noticed,” Sunset commented and levitated the open sign to closed. “Thirty minutes, right?” Derpy nodded as she hung up her hat on a hook on the wall. “More than enough time. Some pretty weird things happened in Canterlot and you give good advice.”

“Oh?” Derpy tilted her head and Sunset shrugged.

“Yeah. Running into old classmates is awkward, but it’s even more awkward when they try to seemingly befriend you. Believe me, I’ll tell you all about it,” Sunset opened the door for her friend. “After you.”

Derpy gave a grateful nod and slipped through the opening, Sunset locking the door behind her as she let it shut.

“It’s pretty out,” Derpy remarked as the two trotted down the street, Sunset glancing around. “I always forget the sun sets later this time of year.”

“Same.”

Sunset shivered slightly and her horn glowed for a brief second as she cast her heat spell over her and Derpy. She didn’t think Derpy necessarily needed it due to being a pegasus and all, but sharing is caring or so they claim.

“I heard one of Lyra’s friends came in on last nights train with you and Silver,” Derpy commented and glanced at Sunset. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume that’s what you wanted to talk about?”

Sunset nodded wordlessly. She hadn’t necessarily seen Lemon Hearts on the train with her, but she could have easily gotten a private car for and presumably Spike.

“Yeah,” Sunset confirmed as she and Derpy approached Cinnamon Clovers restaurant. “I can’t tell you how much how I missed Cinnamon’s cooking. He can make a damn good soup.”

“Got that right. Are you sure you want tof eat here? This place is expensive,” Derpy scuffed a hoof anxiously on the stone steps. “There’s a reason Dinky and Sparkler don’t go here. This type of place isn’t meant for ponies like me.”

“Ponies like you?” Sunset echoed and Derpy traced a hoof gently over her eye. “Hey. You belong here just as much as me. And if anypony gives you grief, I’ll put them in place in five seconds flat. Now come on.”

Derpy hesitated before nodding as she and Derpy trotted inside, Sunset holding open the door for her pegasus friend.

“Hey Cinnamon,” Sunset waved to a tan earth pony cleaning a table. “Got any room for me and my friend here?”

“Of course, madames. Take a seat anywhere,” Cinnamon spoke with a faint Prench accent. “Welcome.” Derpy looked around curiously as she followed Sunset.

“It’s very brown and white in here,” Derpy noted as the two sat down. A bit too upper class for her liking, but she wasn’t gonna say anything.

“Yeah, it is. Cinnamon really likes the color brown, for some odd reason. But hey, more power to him. He moved here from Pranch. Something about expanding his culture,” Sunset waved a hoof around. “Just get my friend here the usual I get, minus the wine.”

Derpy licked her lips slowly and shrugged. She wouldn’t have necessarily been opposed to having a glass of wine, but she did have to get back to work after this.

“So, what’s got you worried about this friend of Lyra’s?” Derpy asked and she sniffed the air as the two started to smell various spices. “That does smell pretty good.”

“Just wait till you try it,” Sunset winked with a smirk. “Obviously it’s not as good as your home cooked meals. Nothing can hold a candle to that.”

“I heard that.” Derpy and Sunset looked at each other before snickering. “But I’ll let it slide, yes?”

“Thanks!” Sunset called back and turned back to Derpy. “Seriously, I can see you having a small restaurant yourself one day. Hell, I’d hoof you the bits just to see it become a reality.”

“Maybe one day. But for now, the post office is my life. And you,” Derpy poked Sunset in the chest with a wing tip. “Are stalling, so spill.”

Sunset could never hide anything from Derpy. Nopony in their friend group could. Sunset personally assumed it was a mother thing. Celestia was the same way with her.

“So entertain me for minute. Lemon Hearts is dating Spike. Her cutie mark does this weird thing when she’s around ponies who like each other. You following me so far?” Derpy nodded slowly. “Epic. Which is scary for me.”

“How so?” Derpy asked as Cinnamon set down two bowls in front of them with bread. “Oh, thank you sir.”

“Quite welcome miss,” Cinnamon adjusted his black tie and nodded at them. “Enjoy.”

“Because,”Sunset inhaled and looked around the room. “I think I like Silverspeed and not just the friend type of way.”

“And that’s bad because?” Derpy took a sip of her soup. “Wow.”

“I don’t know. I don’t do the whole dating thing. I pick a partner, I sleep with them and I slip out before they wake up in the morning. But I will agree that maybe a little bit of stability in my life wouldn’t be a bad thing. Though I will miss my random hook ups if anything serious does happen,” Sunset pushed her spoon around. “What do you think?”

“If you think there’s something there, I’d say go for it. I’ve only seen Silverspeed date two or three ponies before I met you. None were mares so maybe this could be her experimenting?” Derpy suggested and looked at her bowl. “Though there is that rumor of her and Trixie sleeping together at the Gala so maybe that was her experimenting for you?”

“Yeah maybe. It’s kinda scary though. I don’t know how you managed a marriage and all.”

“Believe me, I don’t either. But I suppose I can try to help get you two together. Roseluck should have some good advice too.”

“Yeah, true. She does the whole romance thing way more than I do.”

Derpy nodded in agreement before they each individually returned to eating, occasionally making small talk.

This should be interesting, Derpy thought.