At the Cafe again...

Earl Smiled as he walked back into the Cafe, taking a huge wiff of the Smell of coffee. "Aahh... Nothing like walking into the Cafe on a cold winter's day..." He Tapped a box with his hoof, sliding the next record onto the Player, Jazz starting to fill the Cafe. "I'll get started on your Hot Chocolate, Miss Pranksy. Make yourself at home!" He said, smiling.

Pranksy smiled, sitting down at a table, listening to the music. "This place is quite amazing" she exclaimed.

Earl smiled warmly. "I'm glad you think so! Worked hard on this place..." He said, pouring the Hot Chocolate into two mugs, placing them on a tray and bringing them over. "Hot Chocolate, On the house!" He said, smiling.

She picks up the cup, sipping. "Its great!", she says, happily smiling.

Earl Smiles back, Taking a sip of his own Cocoa. "Alright... So, What brings you to the City?"

"Well, Me and my family were heading to Appleloosa via carriage, and we had stopped, Mommy and Daddy said they'd tell the ponies to wait, and asked me to go get some snacks from the Market District and when I came back they were gone...", she replied half-heartily.

Earl Frowned. Parents Abandoning their Filly... The worst kind. "Ah... Do you have a place to stay? Any Family here?" He asked, quickly masking his frown with a smile.

The bell above the cafe door rings, announcing the arrival of Blue Lightning, an older frequent customer... Who immediately grumbles and nudges the door back open when his cloak gets caught in it. He takes his time with evening it back out before stepping up to the counter.

"The usual."

"No... I just had no reason to leave", she forced a smile. Looking towards the door when it rings.

Earl nodded to Blue Lightning. "Be Right there!" He then turned back to Pranksy. "Well, Why don't you stay at my place? It's not much, and it smells like Coffee, but it beats the streets, Don't it?" He asked, Heading to brew Lightning's Usual. "House Blend, Black, Piping hot. Your Usual, Lightning." He said with a smile.

Blue ducks his head down to a coinpurse dangling from his neck and comes back up, plopping down a few coins to pay for it.

"Good... I'm having the absolute worst time trying to get these plans worked out... if it was any of my other engineers I'd have threw it in their face. Ugh... I'm getting ready to retire. All I've been doing lately is fixing the owner's kid's problems."

The filly smiled at the thought of having a home, drinking her hot chocolate and playing with her hooves.

Earl nodded, smiling softly. "The World would miss your designs, I'd have to say." He said, scooting the bits back. "On the house this morning." He stated, heading back to the Filly.

"Whaddya say? Yea or Neigh?" He asked Pranksy, Curious.

The filly smiles. "I'd like it very much if I could stay.", she said.

Blue takes the coins back.

"At the rate you give things away, I don't understand how you stay in business."

He takes the cup into his mouth and brings it to his cleaner table.

Earl Chuckled weakly. "Only to my True Regulars. And Besides, You're heading into Retirement! A reason to Celebrate, Not having to work!" He reasoned, Messing up Pranksy's mane with a hoof as he walks by, heading behind the counter.

She giggles, finishing her drink, sliding off the chair, putting the cup on her back and trotting over to the counter. "What do I do with the cup?", she asked.

Blue sits down and takes a sip of his brew.

"Well I'm not going into full retirement, I'm just going to quit this job. I'll see if I can't make a living on my own merit..."

He finally notices the young filly at the counter.

"Well hello there young lady, what's your name?"

Earl Kindly took the empty cup and places it in the trash, smiling softly. He was enjoying the Atmosphere of the Cafe at this point.

The filly smiles. "I'm Pranksy!", the filly said happily. "Who are you?, she asked.

The older stallion chuckled. "My name is Blue Lightning, inventor extraordinaire."

"Inventor? Amazing!", she smiled.

Blue nods his head in agreement.

"Oh yes it is quite amazing."

"What type of things do you make?", the filly asked.

He puts his hoof to his chin and looks off in thought.

"Oh boring things like more efficient factory plans, but some really fun things like... You know how when you rub your hooves into carpet and when you touch something or somepony it shocks you? I made something that does that everytime somepony walks by."

He chuckles, thinking of dinner parties where he had hid said device. "It's quite funny..."