Off duty. [open]

[crawford]

Those days that he wasn't needed to protect the Princess for something were certainly the most laid-back. Whenever he wasn't in uniform, Crawford found himself drawn to the "lower" cities of Equestria, particularly Ponyville, and even sometimes his home, Cloudsdale. Today, however, he'd decided to take a simple stroll through Ponyville just to see what was happening in the friendly little town. He shook out his mane as he walked along slowly and admired the buildings and activity surrounding him. It felt good to have his mane free and not stuffed into a helmet and styled in its' usual fashion. That's why it was so nice that he could get out once in a while; without his armor on, he was an average pegasus. No one stared in awe as he passed. Though he did enjoy the admiration, it was difficult for others to act normal around him.

Feeling a bit hungry, Crawford decided to explore some of the stands that were selling various fruits, vegetables, and so much more. The marketplace in Ponyville was probably the best and most unappreciated, but perhaps that's what made it so excellent. He strolled through slowly, falling into a bit of a daydream. Unfortunately, that daydream began to bring back some awful memories. Whenever he blinked, he could see that filly getting closer, her wings stretched out in an intimidating manner. He laid his ears back for a moment before forcing himself to stop and shake his mane out again; this time it was to clear his head. With a huff, he continued on, hoping that something would take his focus off of the past.

[Kale]

The first thing Kale had done in his new home was examine the kitchen he'd be working in. What he discovered didn't satisfy him; it wasn't that the ingredients available were bad, just that they could be...better. With that in mind, he had volunteered to do the restaurant's restocking himself. As he'd expected, nopony objected. After all, when the new guy offers to do the menial work, who would really refuse?

So now, the earth pony wandered about Ponyville's market, picking only the choicest produce to purchase. Despite it being a fairly banal activity, to Kale, it was thrilling. After all, he was doing it because he worked in a real restaurant! Even if said restaurant was in Ponyville and not Manehattan, that notion still excited him a great deal. So he went about the work with gusto, no doubt to the amusement of some of the shopkeepers. To them, he must have seemed incredibly wide-eyed, undeniably new to this.

One pony didn't seem so happy, though, and Kale couldn't help but notice. A male pegasus seemed displeased--disturbed, even--without any discernible cause. Frowning in confusion, Kale glanced about the market. Nope, nothing. He considered going up and asking if he was okay, but the pegasus was a bit, well, intimidating. He wasn't sure how his compassion would be received. Then again, ponies in Ponyville were supposed to be friendly, weren't they? It was a small town.

So, gulping down his nerves, Kale came up slowly and hesitantly said, "E-excuse me, sir...are you okay?"