[MLP:Fim] Bridle Shores Bar/Downtown thread 2

[BlasTech]

Seeing nopony tending the bar, Quaver tapped the service bell, wincing slightly as she did so at the loudness of it.

"Hello? Is there anypony back there?" She called, hoping against hope that this place held some more sensible ponies than she'd met so far.

[Deme]

"To the bar!" he declared with every bit of ham he could muster.





Of course, nothing in Bridle Shores could ever be simple. The moment the two foals arrived at the bar, they were greeted by the admittedly bizzare sight of a samurai and kimono wearing pony waltzing into the bar with flourish. "Uh, since when we had Neighpon ponies around here?" he asked to nopony in particular, as the two entered the bar after Quaver entered.

"Ah, you're fooled by our masterful disguises!"

Top Hat declared pleasantly. He was a canterlot colt, after all -- he had met Neighpony visitors as a foal, but that was about it. His hat was bought from a fine haberdashery in Manehattan.

"We're no ordinary ponies -- we're magicians!"
"Travellers, from all around the world!"

The two of them nodded proudly after presenting themselves to the 'foals.'

"But that's sadly why we don't know this area very well."
"Do you guys live here? We're looking for help finding something."

[Mystic Muse]

Seeing nopony tending the bar, Quaver tapped the service bell, wincing slightly as she did so at the loudness of it.

"Hello? Is there anypony back there?" She called, hoping against hope that this place held some more sensible ponies than she'd met so far.

Hi! My name is Soft Serve, owner of this bar. What can I get you? she asks Quaver Rest.

[Benson]

"To the bar!" he declared with every bit of ham he could muster.

Of course, nothing in Bridle Shores could ever be simple. The moment the two foals arrived at the bar, they were greeted by the admittedly bizzare sight of a samurai and kimono wearing pony waltzing into the bar with flourish. "Uh, since when we had Neighpon ponies around here?" he asked to nopony in particular, as the two entered the bar after Quaver entered.

"Ah, you're fooled by our masterful disguises!"

Top Hat declared pleasantly. He was a canterlot colt, after all -- he had met Neighpony visitors as a foal, but that was about it. His hat was bought from a fine haberdashery in Manehattan.

"We're no ordinary ponies -- we're magicians!"
"Travellers, from all around the world!"

The two of them nodded proudly after presenting themselves to the 'foals.'

"But that's sadly why we don't know this area very well."
"Do you guys live here? We're looking for help finding something."

"Pray tell what is it that you're looking for, fellow travelers," Gear responded getting a kick out of their little get ups.

[Deme]

They apparently didn't notice that Gear was just sort of playing along -- or maybe they did notice, and were just happy to have someone to play with.

"We've decided to help her find her house!"
"Find her house!"

They pointed over at Quaver. Top Hat tapped his chin with his hoof as he thought about the things they knew about it.

"We know that it's called the 'Cleft Family Home,' or something like that, and it's by the water..."
"We thought maybe it'd be near the lake."

He then pounded his hoof on the ground like a snap of a finger.

"Oh, yes! It sounds like her family might be involved with music, so it may be a sort of musical house!...Though they seem a little too tightly-wound for it to be a gaint music box."
"She'd probably make a really high-pitched note if someone played her."

[PurityIcekiller]

[Night Jewel/Heartflight (As In, The Group Consisting Of Them, Not A Romantic Pairing)]

Night Jewel followed Heartflight wherever she was going, and noticed that the sky was getting dark. It was almost time for doing "rat" things, but she needed to figure out what to do about her companion first. She could ditch her, or...

"Say, do you think you're untrustworthy enough for me to trust with knowledge of my night activities?" she asked, winking at the other filly. It was worth a try.

[Grif]

They apparently didn't notice that Gear was just sort of playing along -- or maybe they did notice, and were just happy to have someone to play with.

"We've decided to help her find her house!"
"Find her house!"

They pointed over at Quaver. Top Hat tapped his chin with his hoof as he thought about the things they knew about it.

"We know that it's called the 'Cleft Family Home,' or something like that, and it's by the water..."
"We thought maybe it'd be near the lake."

He then pounded his hoof on the ground like a snap of a finger.

"Oh, yes! It sounds like her family might be involved with music, so it may be a sort of musical house!...Though they seem a little too tightly-wound for it to be a gaint music box."
"She'd probably make a really high-pitched note if someone played her."

"Huh? I think only Minstrone lives by the lake, along with Sandy," Sliverpine answered, scratching his head.

[Benson]

"I would not be surprised if a house appeared there within the last few hours, but yea, he's right...there were only two houses there when we were last at the lake," Gear scratched her chin and pondered briefly. Very briefly. Her attention returned to looping her fore leg over Silverpine's and resting her head on his shoulder. She was in a soda shop styled in a 1950s malt shop, she couldn't help but invoke the tweenage cliches.

[BlasTech]

Hi! My name is Soft Serve, owner of this bar. What can I get you? she asks Quaver Rest.

"Directions, a map of town, and something to cure a headache. In that order if possible." Quaver replied tiredly, with a not-so-subtle nod of her head towards the performing ponies when she made the third request.

"I'm looking for a house called Cleft cottage, and am dearly hoping to find it before I fall asleep on my hooves ... if such a thing were possible with the type of company I seem to have attracted in my time in town so far."

[Deme]

"I would not be surprised if a house appeared there within the last few hours, but yea, he's right...there were only two houses there when we were last at the lake," Gear scratched her chin and pondered briefly. Very briefly. Her attention returned to looping her fore leg over Silverpine's and resting her head on his shoulder. She was in a soda shop styled in a 1950s malt shop, she couldn't help but invoke the tweenage cliches.

"She said water, didn't she?"
"I think she said it was by the water."

They looked a little uncertain -- it had been a while, and while their attention spans aren't great, they usually don't forget exactly what it was they were doing.

The two of them called out across the bar to their 'friend,' then, leaning dramatically over.
"They say there's not any Cleft place by the lake! Are you sure it's by water?"

Before waiting (they figured she'd answer when she'd answer, but instead decided to mine other venues of discussion.

"... Is there some other body of water nearby?"

Silk Scarf asked.

[BlasTech]

"She said water, didn't she?"
"I think she said it was by the water."

They looked a little uncertain -- it had been a while, and while their attention spans aren't great, they usually don't forget exactly what it was they were doing.

The two of them called out across the bar to their 'friend,' then, leaning dramatically over.
"They say there's not any Cleft place by the lake! Are you sure it's by water?"

Before waiting (they figured she'd answer when she'd answer, but instead decided to mine other venues of discussion.

"... Is there some other body of water nearby?"

Silk Scarf asked.

"I did say "by" the water, that was the brief description I was given. But not having visited it before I cannot be certain how close to the waterfront it actually is." Quaver called to the duo in reply. Before turning back to Soft Serve with a pleading look.

"Please tell me you have a directory or a map. I shall purchase your largest beverage if you do."

[Mystic Muse]

"Directions, a map of town, and something to cure a headache. In that order if possible." Quaver replied tiredly, with a not-so-subtle nod of her head towards the performing ponies when she made the third request.

"I'm looking for a house called Cleft cottage, and am dearly hoping to find it before I fall asleep on my hooves ... if such a thing were possible with the type of company I seem to have attracted in my time in town so far."

Soft pulls out a map for her, and a nice slice of calming pie. Yes, there is a pie that calms you down and gives you a cure for headaches. You know how they say there's an app for that? That applies to Soft Serve and pies.

Directions to where? Soft asks.

[BlasTech]

Soft pulls out a map for her, and a nice slice of calming pie. Yes, there is a pie that calms you down and gives you a cure for headaches. You know how they say there's an app for that? That applies to Soft Serve and pies.

Directions to where? Soft asks.

"I said beverage, not pie?" Quaver said as she accepted the pie with a confused expression. Still, she guessed she was a bit peckish after all, maybe after she'd had a chance to look at that map.

Setting the pie to one side for the moment, she repeated her explanation from earlier.

"Cleft cottage, is the place I'm looking for. It belongs to the Cleft family, some cousins of mine, who infrequently use it as a holiday home. I'm going to be staying there while in town but they never mentioned its specific location other than saying it was "by the water". Which, in hindsight, could apply to most of this settlement given the size of the lake I saw on my way in."

[Mystic Muse]

"I said beverage, not pie?" Quaver said as she accepted the pie with a confused expression. Still, she guessed she was a bit peckish after all, maybe after she'd had a chance to look at that map.

Setting the pie to one side for the moment, she repeated her explanation from earlier.

I know. You said you wanted something to calm you down and get rid of your headache. That pie is better for that purpose than aspirin. Though, I have a few of those if that's what you'd prefer

"Cleft cottage, is the place I'm looking for. It belongs to the Cleft family, some cousins of mine, who infrequently use it as a holiday home. I'm going to be staying there while in town but they never mentioned its specific location other than saying it was "by the water". Which, in hindsight, could apply to most of this settlement given the size of the lake I saw on my way in."

Hmm. Let me think for a moment....

Soft points to a spot on the map.

Right there is where you'll find the house. she says, pointing to a point that is really only "By the lake" in the sense that you could see the lake from there. You'd never know there was a house there from just looking.

[Eruantion]

Spark laughed. He couldn't have easily caught up and got her considering his speedster ways. But he kept a few feet away as he chased her.

Magnolia kicked up a cloud of dust, then made it float around Spark's head. Hoping he couldn't see, she turned the other way, breaking her concentration once she started running.

[Benson]

Magnolia kicked up a cloud of dust, then made it float around Spark's head. Hoping he couldn't see, she turned the other way, breaking her concentration once she started running.

Spark sputtered finding dust in his mouth, he fell for the trick and found his vision clouded. "Gyah ya dirty robber!" He choked as suddenly due to his dusty blindness, he found himself hurling into a flower cart as it busted into a pieces as it crashed into a pie cart, and that crashed into a pottery cart as it became a domino effect was in play since...well 10 carts afterward joined the pile of rubble.

[BlasTech]

I know. You said you wanted something to calm you down and get rid of your headache. That pie is better for that purpose than aspirin. Though, I have a few of those if that's what you'd prefer

"An ... anti-headache pie?" Quaver took a second, longer look at the now interesting pastry. "I ... well, that will do quite nicely I believe. Thank you."

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Hmm. Let me think for a moment....

Soft points to a spot on the map.

Right there is where you'll find the house. she says, pointing to a point that is really only "By the lake" in the sense that you could see the lake from there. You'd never know there was a house there from just looking.

"Hmgh" Quaver replied, her mouth currently engaged in enjoying a wonderfully tasty, and surprisingly calming, piece of pie. It was rather magical really, she should have been somewhat frustrated to discover the inaccuracy of her directions, but for some reason (likely pie-related) she could feel the tension draining away from her.

"Wonderful." She said, after swallowing. A smile that could rival Whadda's broke out on her face. "Thank you so much Miss Serve. I think I'll buy that beverage after all. What would you recommen----"

Spark sputtered finding dust in his mouth, he fell for the trick and found his vision clouded. "Gyah ya dirty robber!" He choked as suddenly due to his dusty blindness, he found himself hurling into a flower cart as it busted into a pieces as it crashed into a pie cart, and that crashed into a pottery cart as it became a domino effect was in play since...well 10 carts afterward joined the pile of rubble.

Quaver broke off as the sound of an almighty crash echoed from outside. It was soon repeated again and again, each successive impact sounding closer than the last until a final crunch sounded just in front of the bar.

A crunch, that had sounded disturbingly ... musical.

"Oh no, no no no no no no no no no." Quaver dashed outside, only to confirm her fears. There appeared to have been a massive carriage pileup in the square, carts and contents were strewn every which way.

Sure enough, her own cart now lay in a ditch, its contents spilled into the dirt. Even as she watched, one of the crates toppled onto the ground, bursting open like a sheet-music-filled party popper.

Quaver Rest just stood there for a moment and watched her life float away in the breeze. She blinked, before swallowing the remainder of the pie in a single gulp.

"I .. think I'm going to need a bigger pie" she said to nopony in particular.

[Deme]

The excitable duo listened to the crunching of the crashing carts and followed Quaver Rest outside. They watched the papers flutter away animatedly, leaning towards the individual sheets, even as they flew too far away for them to keep track of.

"...Was that all your sheet music?"

The question, even to Silk Scarf, sounded very silly to her. Because it was. So she turned back to Top Hat.

"What is she going to do?"
"Why ... She's going to rely on us! We may not have been much help in finding the house, but this is right up our alley, Silk Scarf!"

Silk Scarf looked at him in unabashed hero-worship and glee. That they were going to help her, or at least try, was natural and automatic to them. Shewouldn't have asked, probably, but it never occured to them that she would have needed to.

"You mean it's time...?"
"To make some magic!""To make some magic!"

The two of them scurried about in circles, picking up a pen and a napkin from inside while they did so. They came back to Quaver Rest and patted her on the back.
"Don't worry -- once we decide to work some magic, it always goes right!* This spell works on sympathetic magic -- so we made a faux-sheet music!"
Top Hat holds up the napkin, with what appears to be a few bars of 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts' on it. He took off his samurai helmet and put the napkin in there.
"That's right, Silk Scarf! The plan is to combine a sympathetic magic spell, a 'pull stuff out of my hat,' spell, and an attraction spell -- to pull the errant music out of my hat."

The plan was, in terms of technical magic, terrible. A classical unicorn mage would argue that that combination would result in absolutely nothing of value, much less the sheet music -- that they misunderstood something in the rules, perhaps. But they seemed confident.

The two of them nodded to each other. Then they looked at Quaver Rest with big puppy-dog eyes of sympathy.

"But first, we need something to seperate your music from all the other music in the world -- sing for us, Quaver Rest!"
"I know it looks hopeless right now, but sometimes all you need is a song and some friends to help out -- and it'll be ok! So please, give us a song, Quaver Rest."

It occured to Silk Scarf that if she didn't help, she could always fly around and try to get them...But her talent called to her all the same.

((* This is true for a certain value of 'right.' It always does what they decided to do. Whether that course was right...Is a much more complicated thing.))

[Hawkflight]

"To the bar!" he declared with every bit of ham he could muster.

Meanwhile, their princesses were in another castle.

"Aw, you're no fun," said Night Jewel with a grin. "In that case, let's go find something else to do. Watching endless kisses gets dull after a time." With that, she scampered off as well.

"Sounds good to me," said Heartflight. "Wanna grab a bite at the bakery?"

[Night Jewel/Heartflight (As In, The Group Consisting Of Them, Not A Romantic Pairing)]

Night Jewel followed Heartflight wherever she was going, and noticed that the sky was getting dark. It was almost time for doing "rat" things, but she needed to figure out what to do about her companion first. She could ditch her, or...

"Say, do you think you're untrustworthy enough for me to trust with knowledge of my night activities?" she asked, winking at the other filly. It was worth a try.

"Oh, I dunno, I can keep a secret," Heartflight said interestedly.

[PurityIcekiller]

Meanwhile, their princesses were in another castle.

"Sounds good to me," said Heartflight. "Wanna grab a bite at the bakery?"

"All right! I'm in." Night Jewel followed eagerly. After that long day, food sounded good.

"Oh, I dunno, I can keep a secret," Heartflight said interestedly.

"All right, I can show you once we're done eating. Of course, if you are trustworthy, you'll probably want to tell..." The little unicorn knew that just showing anypony what she did was a very bad idea, but she could possibly keep Heartflight quiet, and if word did get out, things would be much more exciting for a little while...

...And she'd end up in danger of never seeing her friends again. That was a bit of a concern for her.

Well, with that librarian, it might not matter in the end, but she decided to be a bit careful about it. "Maybe before we go, you could give me your word that you are a dishonest pony? Well, to some extent, at least."

[Hawkflight]

"All right! I'm in." Night Jewel followed eagerly. After that long day, food sounded good.



"All right, I can show you once we're done eating. Of course, if you are trustworthy, you'll probably want to tell..." The little unicorn knew that just showing anypony what she did was a very bad idea, but she could possibly keep Heartflight quiet, and if word did get out, things would be much more exciting for a little while...

...And she'd end up in danger of never seeing her friends again. That was a bit of a concern for her.

Well, with that librarian, it might not matter in the end, but she decided to be a bit careful about it. "Maybe before we go, you could give me your word that you are a dishonest pony? Well, to some extent, at least."

Heartflight paused in her tracks and gave Night Jewel a look of seriousness that was ... asynchronous with her foal body. "Well, I am an honest pony. But more so, I'm a mare of my word. If I say I won't tell anypony, I won't tell."

[PurityIcekiller]

Heartflight paused in her tracks and gave Night Jewel a look of seriousness that was ... asynchronous with her foal body. "Well, I am an honest pony. But more so, I'm a mare of my word. If I say I won't tell anypony, I won't tell."

"...That'll work. This way, whether you're honest or not, I know I can trust you about this." Night Jewel grinned and kept going. "So once we're done, we'll do a little bit of collecting things."

[Hawkflight]

"...That'll work. This way, whether you're honest or not, I know I can trust you about this." Night Jewel grinned and kept going. "So once we're done, we'll do a little bit of collecting things."

"Collecting, huh?" said Heartflight. "Alright."

((Did you want to RP going to the bakery, or just have that be a cutscene?))

[Benson]

Fox Trot-Ground Zero

Was among the ponies who caught witness to the destructive mayhem that was the result of two foals playing cops and robbers. He himself was nearly struck by a run away cart wheel but with his dancer's grace he hopped out of the way in time into a puddle of muddy water leftover from the rainstorms from yesterday. The roses he bought for Icy Touch, ruined, and they were a nice bouquet.

Gearstride

The filly dragged her coltfriend Silverpine outside to witness the carnage, to her it was mildly amusing but of course she felt concerned. "Come on babe, we gotta help 'em."

[Grif]

Fox Trot-Ground Zero

Was among the ponies who caught witness to the destructive mayhem that was the result of two foals playing cops and robbers. He himself was nearly struck by a run away cart wheel but with his dancer's grace he hopped out of the way in time into a puddle of muddy water leftover from the rainstorms from yesterday. The roses he bought for Icy Touch, ruined, and they were a nice bouquet.

Gearstride

The filly dragged her coltfriend Silverpine outside to witness the carnage, to her it was mildly amusing but of course she felt concerned. "Come on babe, we gotta help 'em."

Sliverpine was just enjoying the close embrace the couple had when Gear dragged him yet again into another adventure. "How?" he asked pointedly.

[Benson]

Sliverpine was just enjoying the close embrace the couple had when Gear dragged him yet again into another adventure. "How?" he asked pointedly.

"Well I dunno...help...clean up this big mess. Look, I don't think these things out, I just act on my conscience and start there," She replied as she made her way into Ground Zero.

[MCerberus]

"Well I dunno...help...clean up this big mess. Look, I don't think these things out, I just act on my conscience and start there," She replied as she made her way into Ground Zero.

Scoops, meanwhile had snuck out of the bar, reporter senses tingling. Previous engagements must wait while important story-getting has to be done! Somehow, for some reason, Whadda is in the middle of all the wreckage, hastily jotting everything down.

[BlasTech]

The excitable duo listened to the crunching of the crashing carts and followed Quaver Rest outside. They watched the papers flutter away animatedly, leaning towards the individual sheets, even as they flew too far away for them to keep track of.

"...Was that all your sheet music?"

The question, even to Silk Scarf, sounded very silly to her. Because it was. So she turned back to Top Hat.

"What is she going to do?"
"Why ... She's going to rely on us! We may not have been much help in finding the house, but this is right up our alley, Silk Scarf!"

Silk Scarf looked at him in unabashed hero-worship and glee. That they were going to help her, or at least try, was natural and automatic to them. Shewouldn't have asked, probably, but it never occured to them that she would have needed to.

"You mean it's time...?"
"To make some magic!""To make some magic!"

The two of them scurried about in circles, picking up a pen and a napkin from inside while they did so. They came back to Quaver Rest and patted her on the back.
"Don't worry -- once we decide to work some magic, it always goes right!* This spell works on sympathetic magic -- so we made a faux-sheet music!"
Top Hat holds up the napkin, with what appears to be a few bars of 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts' on it. He took off his samurai helmet and put the napkin in there.
"That's right, Silk Scarf! The plan is to combine a sympathetic magic spell, a 'pull stuff out of my hat,' spell, and an attraction spell -- to pull the errant music out of my hat."

The plan was, in terms of technical magic, terrible. A classical unicorn mage would argue that that combination would result in absolutely nothing of value, much less the sheet music -- that they misunderstood something in the rules, perhaps. But they seemed confident.

The two of them nodded to each other. Then they looked at Quaver Rest with big puppy-dog eyes of sympathy.

"But first, we need something to seperate your music from all the other music in the world -- sing for us, Quaver Rest!"
"I know it looks hopeless right now, but sometimes all you need is a song and some friends to help out -- and it'll be ok! So please, give us a song, Quaver Rest."

It occured to Silk Scarf that if she didn't help, she could always fly around and try to get them...But her talent called to her all the same.

((* This is true for a certain value of 'right.' It always does what they decided to do. Whether that course was right...Is a much more complicated thing.))

Had Quaver been in her right mind, she would have simply scoffed at the idea of magic being powered by song. If she'd been in her right mind, she probably would have just shaken her head and gotten to picking up pieces of paper while grumbling quietly at the injustice of existence.

Unfortunately, she was not in her right mind. The rapid consumption of the entire calming pie had left her feeling rather mellow and, in turn, suggestible.

She plonked back on her haunches, and began to sing. The lyrics were likely imperfect, the song one she'd only started working on during her trip here. Still, her singing was clear and resonant as it cut through the background noise of the crossroads.

"I used to rule the world.
The sun would rise when I gave the word
Now in the evening I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to roam"

The tune started softly, like a person confiding in another, before rising and falling like the tide.

"I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
That “Chaos is gone, now let’s see what the dawn'll bring!"

"One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castle stands
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand"

"I hear the Canterlot bells ringing
Roming cavalry choirs singing
Be my music, my word, my shield
My dignitaries in a foreign field"

"For some reason I can't explain
Once you’re gone there is never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world"

"It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let them in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
I couldn't believe what they had become"

"Now my enemies wait
For my kingdom on a silver plate
Just puppets on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?"

"I hear the Canterlot bells ringing
Roming cavalry choirs singing
Be my music, my word, my shield
My dignitaries in a foreign field"

"For some reason I can't explain
I know the people won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world"

"I hear the Canterlot bells ringing
Roming cavalry choirs singing
Be my music, my word, my shield
My dignitaries in a foreign field"

"For some reason I can't explain
I know the people won't call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world"

Her voice began to fade as she repeated the chorus. By the time she'd reached the end of the last stanza, her volume had dropped to a near whisper, and she finished the song with her head staring at the ground.

[Deme]

While she was singing, the two magicians began to work. It wasn't entirely clear where Silk Scarf was casting from, but somehow or another, she was casting. But the gold light and the dazzling white of Top Hat's magic flirted up against one another, boosting the horrible mish-mash of spells. For one moment, a brief figure like a sideways figure eight hung in the air, then vanished.

"And, fillies and gentlecolts, there's nothing up my collar..."

And as his cape flared out dramatically, he plunged his face into his hat...And came up with something, tied around with a ribbon so he could hold it.

It was a large stack of sheet music. Or, to be more exact, it was the sheet music she had lost a minute ago when the carts broke.

"Tell me, miss, but is this your music?"

He said it like what it was: the end of a magic trick, the natural relative in tone to a very bombastic 'is this your card.' He deposited it, and even before confirming it with her, they began to smile broadly and take their bows.

"Tadaah!""Tadaaah!"

The two of them reared and flung their forehooves wide, happily proclaiming their success. After a

[Eruantion]

Spark sputtered finding dust in his mouth, he fell for the trick and found his vision clouded. "Gyah ya dirty robber!" He choked as suddenly due to his dusty blindness, he found himself hurling into a flower cart as it busted into a pieces as it crashed into a pie cart, and that crashed into a pottery cart as it became a domino effect was in play since...well 10 carts afterward joined the pile of rubble.

Magnolia stopped running and turned to the wreckage, face paling. "Uh... Spark? Are you okay?" she called, picking through the various damaged goods.