At the core of Ponyville is Town Hall itself, a towering structure visible from pretty much anywhere shy of the Everfree Forest.  Decorated with banners and flags, it stands proud as a symbol of the town's solidarity.  Inside are tasteful offices for handling the mundane political tasks of running a town and a large, spaciously designed grand hall for special events.  Town Hall handles all of the governmental forces of Ponyville -- businesses, homes, travel, resources, and finances.  It also houses the Treasury Branch, which functions as Ponyville's Bank via connections to the royal treasury in Canterlot, though it really only sees use by the wealthy and business owners.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:09, Tue 01 May 2012.

< From Town Square >

 Ace waits by the large doors and adjusts his Poker Championship bracelet for a moment before giving the doors another knock. There has to be someone there right? What kind of Mayor wouldn't be at the Town Hall at this hour? What kinda one-horse town do they think they're running?

As Ace stood outside knocking on the tall doors to the Hall, there was no answer.  Another few knocks rendered the same result.  Wasn't anypony around?  His queries were answered soon enough though -- two official looking ponies with scrolls and gavels for Cutie Marks came cantering up the way, speaking with each other in a casual but private conversation.  They didn't even seem to notice Ace as they strode right past him, pushing open the doors ahead without pause.

Ah... well, it was a public building, after all.

Just inside the Hall was a small waiting area of sorts -- Ace would be able to peer beyond the corridor and see a stairwell at the end of the hall, and a side door that led into some large, pristine sort of ballroom of sorts.  Just beside the door was a desk occupied by a bored looking Unicorn mare.  She was a glaring shade of magenta with a ruffled, well-streaked black mane and obviously a fan of cosmetics given how dolled up she was.  Her Cutie Mark featured a quill and a bottle of ink, though she certainly didn't look very interested in paperwork at the moment.

"Welcome t'Ponyville Town Hall.  How can I assist ya'?" the secretary spouted off a well-rehearsed and completely listless line.

 "Ah yeah", Ace replied approaching her desk confidently. "I just swung into town and I'm looking for someone to help me get some new digs. Think you can help me with that, dollface?" It was hard to tell if he was trying to be charming or intentionally condescending.

"If y'want t'rent or buy a property, then fill out this form.  If y'want a commissioned buildings, then fill out this form.  Either way, take whichever y'use upstairs to the third door on the left; Red Tape there will take y'file and document it.  She'll give y'a contract that y'take all the way down the hall to Mayor Mare's office." the secretary prattled off without ever actually looking up at Ace.  Her horn glowed only brightly enough to give a half-hearted effort at getting the necessary paperwork and an inked quill to him.

 It would be more expensive to have something built for him, but it would also suit his needs perfectly. He has got some money to work with left over from the championship, but after that he's gonna have to start from almost nothing. He lets the dice decide for him.

( 09:30, Today: Ace High rolled 11 using 2d6.)

 The dice came up odd as as he agreed in his head, he would buy an existing property and see what he could do with it. He takes the proper form and fills it out before going up to see Red Tape. Ah government at work. He Hooves the paperwork over to Red Tape.

No matter where one went, there were always legal hoops to jump through.  Paper work, forms, signatures... the real bread and butter of government.  Even new towns like Appleoosa were steady succumbing to the siren call of litigation.  Some ponies didn't like the steady expansion of government, some supported it, and others didn't care so long as the grass got watered and the trains kept running.

As Ace made his way down the hall, he'd come to the aforementioned office of Red Tape.  It was a tidy little place, spartan and a little cramped to be honest.  There were boxes of files and documents at each corner piled high to the ceiling.  The in box on the desk was full to overflowing and the outbox was woefully meager by comparison.  At the center of it all was a tawny Earth Pony with a long blond mane tied back into a tidy bun... though strands slid free here and there, giving her a bit of a frazzled appearance.  She was sharply dressed in a lacy white cravat.  True to her name, one could spy the symbol of a roll of bright red tape emblazoned on her flank.

"Hmm?  Oh, more forms?" the tired-sounding mare sighed as she had another scroll piled onto her desk.  She would have been quite pretty but looked very tired... from the way her eyes drooped, she'd probably been there all night.  Red Tape looked up at the pony offering over the file and perked in surprise.  "Oh!  Sorry sir, I've been preoccupied.  Have a seat~."

Someone like Ace would be sharp enough to notice the little things.  Red Tape piqued at the sight of him and her tired eyes darted over him briefly, after which she promptly sat up a bit straighter and subtly tried to tidy herself up.  She hadn't been smiling when he first came in, but now she'd put a grin to her lips and her tone was more pleasant.  "So, how can I help you, mister...?"  she let that part hang to allow him to introduce himself.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:37, Thu 19 Apr 2012.

 "Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have another piece of paperwork for ya's", Ace would say presenting the paperwork to purchase property to Red Tape using his magic. This dame could really use a vacation from the look at it. She wasn't bored like that painted secretary, this one was honestly working her tail off. He might be known to bend the rules from time to time, but it was always for ponies who deserve it. Other gamblers, swindlers, ponies far more sleazy than even him. He thinks if he can, he is going to help this girl out. "Hey ya wouldn't need a hoof around here would ya?"

(Not sure why I decided to give him a Brooklyn Accent.)

"That's kind of you to offer, but I couldn't.  These are all important forms and lots of private information.  Maybe if I had an assistant..." the mare muttered a bit before she shook her head and opened up the scroll Ace had given her.  She read through it for a moment, eyes sharply darting across choice bits of information since she knew the rest of the contents by heart anyway.

"Alright, mister Ace High?  Nice to meet you; my name's Red Tape and I'll help you with your filing.  If I can handle your claim, then I'll be sending you down to the Mayor for her seal of approval." Red Tape scooted her chair forward a bit to lean up on her desk.  "Now let's take a look here... ooh, buying a business property?  That's enterprising of you.  Now I see you've marked to have it zoned as an 'Entertainment' facility.  What exactly did you have in mind?"

 "I was thinking a place to take in a show, play some games, have a good time, and maybe win some money", Ace said not sure he wanted to use the word Casino because there is a little stigma with that word depending on where you go, whoever, it does work for some places. "Ever been to Las Pegasus?"

"Oh, no, I've never even left Ponyville, really.  Work has a way of chaining one to their desk." she laughed softly but then couldn't help but follow it with a very rueful sigh.  "That does sound like fun though.  But a gambling establishment is a tricky thing to process since there's a bunch of litigation surrounding them.  I'll have to know what sort of games you're planning on setting up.  Raffles, betting pools, table games...?"

"Pretty much the table games, no need to complicate things more than they need to", Ace replies. That's the thing about doing things legal like, it keeps you out of trouble, but is it ever a hassle. "I'll throw in some slots later."

"Alright, that sort of thing is much easier to justify to the board committee.  Number games tend to fly along much easier than games of chance.  Less potential to be rigged."  Red Tape explained as she leaned over to pick up a pen between her lips and begin jotting down notes onto the scroll.

"Actually, you're in a bit of luck.  A game store was opened up here in town just a few months ago by a pair of brothers.  I'd wager you could cut a deal with them for some supplies.  It'd be much cheaper than having to import."  the mare giggled a bit at her own play on words.

 "Sounds good beautiful," Ace said, now trying to be charming even if just a bit. "I'll have to see those brothers in a bit. I just hope there better than those mooks Flim and Flam I ran into back in Phillydelphia. Never trust a pony in a mustache."

Red Tape brightened considerably as she was flattered, her ears dipping back along her head and a girlish smile passing her lips before she could hide it behind a veneer of professionalism.  The mention of the Flim Flam Brothers made her frown though.  "Wise words... those two aren't exactly welcome in Ponyville anymore."

There was a whole story there, but Red Tape didn't seem keen to go into it.  She continued to work the fine print on the scroll and cast Ace a glance every now and then.  "Now for the hard question -- do you have any form of collateral?  New residents are always welcome in town, but we have to make sure they're going to be reliable land owners if we want to sell or rent any properties.  I mean, I think you're perfectly trustworthy... it's just policy."

 "I understand, I'd want somepony to put their money where their mouth is too", Ace answered the successfully charmed Earth Pony. As a unicorn, he does have a couple of tricks of his metaphorical sleeves. One such trick allowed him to keep his money on him almost anywhere, effectively anyway. He was not known to trust a lot of people, which is why such a stash is useful, it beats a bank. He still has some of the Poker Championship winnings left, but he figures after a down payment here and getting his place set up, it'll be all dried up. His horn glows with a grin as he opens what seems to be a hole in nothing, on the other side is a nice  pile of Bits. "Think that'll work?"

The mare leaned up a bit higher to see into the little pocket spell Ace had cast, squinting in concentration as she took a quick estimate of what he had.  She ran the numbers and pitted them against the property he was looking into, though the frown on her face wasn't exactly reassuring.

"Well..." it sounded like a 'no' was coming his way until she glanced up at him again.  The mare's ears dipped back in that flattered manner once more and she quickly jotted down a few lines at the bottom of the scroll.  "...it can be.  The normal investment rate is a bit steeper than you can appear to cover, but I think I can flex it just enough to keep you out of the red."

A few more strokes of the pen and she was finished.  Red Tape pressed her hoof into an ink pad and plunked it down onto the parchment, then signed her name over it as well.  With that the claim was fully authorized and she quickly rolled it back up to pass over to Ace.  "There you go~!  Just leave the bits here and I'll pass them off to the town treasurer later.  Congratulations, Ace~."

 "Sure thing", Ace said smiling, glad that worked out. He'll have to pay more later when he can, but for now he can at least get started, not to mention have somewhere to sleep tonight. He makes sure the bits are passed along to the proper place, he then moves along to see anypony else he needs to see now that he has an authorized scroll.

Red Tape waved goodbye to Ace as he left, peering after him until he was totally out of sight.  Once he was gone she sighed in a pleasant manner and slumped back in her seat.  Now why couldn't she get more handsome clients like that in the office more often?  The mare looked back to her heap of work still yet to be done and shrugged helplessly... but at least now it didn't seem like so daunting a task.

Down the hall, Ace would pass by a few busy ponies trotting along to and fro.  There was lots of chatter coming from the different offices he passed -- it seemed that the bored secretary downstairs was an exception to the rest of Town Hall's behavior.  The whole place was bustling and frankly a bit noisy.  At the end of the hall was a set of large, ornate doors that was obviously the Mayor's office.  She wasn't an idle figurehead either from the looks of it; her doors were propped open and ponies were constantly flitting in and out with papers, files, and other pressing items of importance for her.  Ace would have to wait in a bit of a queue, but he'd be up to have his turn with the Mayor soon enough.

The gray Mayor Mare took a moment to stretch her shoulders out as she finished signing a few more forms, rolling her head from side to side to pull some cricks out of her neck.  That made the eighty-seventh file put through just that morning and there were still plenty more to go.  There had been a recent population increase in Ponyville and the town was enjoying the benefits of the extra income and tourism each month as a result.  But it also meant that upkeep on facilities and the streets increased exponentially.  They were going to have to repair the train sooner too...

"Next~!" the Mayor called, signally Ace to step up with his scroll.

 Standing in line had all the excitement of standing in line, which is to say the excitement of standing in line. Ace would mull that repeating sentence in his head a few times before catching a few words here and there from ponies passing by. Apparently Princess Luna is in town. She might be second banana to Celestia, but what's a Royal doing in a small town like this? It certainly is an interesting bit of news if true. Ace patiently waits for his turn with the busy Mayor.

 (oops I guess you updated while I was working on this, let me just add some stuff.)

 Finally it was his turn and Ace stepped in passing his scroll over. He figures the Mayor might enjoy some extra revenue taxing his fine establishment may net the town. He lets her look over the paperwork, not needing to say anything until spoken to.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:02, Fri 20 Apr 2012.

While Red Tape had been more than charmed with Ace, it seemed the Mayor was not so easily swayed by mere appearances.  As she looked over the form her expression shifted into doubtful suspicion and she glanced up at him over the rims of her glasses.

"A gambling establishment?  Well, you've already handled the initial down-payment... at a reduced rate, I see."  the Mayor rolled her eyes and muttered something below her breath.  "I swear, that Red Tape is more easily star struck than a filly... ahh~em!  Now then!  While I'm sure you're an absolutely trustworthy sort, Mister Ace, it's my responsibility to impress upon you the gravity of this situation.  Ponyville is a wonderful, peaceful town and I'm very proud of its clean reputation.  I won't abide by anything subverting the integrity of my town.  Can you swear to me that your gaming hall would be completely on the up-and-up?"

Obviously the Mayor knew more of the less-than-spotless nature of casinos in other larger cities and had no interest in letting Ponyville be polluted by a corrupting influence.  While Ace had made it past Red Tape just fine, the Mayor was a whole other hurtle and could just veto his claim right on the spot if she didn't like his reply.

 "Yes, yes I can", Ace replied expecting this kind of response sooner. "I promise you my gambling hall will be clean as a whistle and follow the law to the letter. I'm just here to let Ponies have a good time. Also, I'm sure the town could use a fair share of any profit I make." He is true to his word, his Casino wouldn't be the shady part of his dealings. If he were to do anything wrong, the Casino would be a legitimate front. The Casino will be squeaky clean, the alleyway next to it however might be a different story.

"I'm more interested in knowing that your casino would follow the spirit of the law, not just the letter.  Most casinos gleefully follow the letter of the law since that's how they exploit loopholes." the Mayor tapped her hoof on her desk sharply.  She mulled over the matter in silence for a few moments longer before finally giving a gentle sigh and reaching for her quill.  The scroll get her approving signature and was rolled back up to be placed in her desk.

"Very well.  But I expect you to be completely on the level, understood?" the mare warned in a stern tone.  She hopped from her chair to move across her office to some tall filing cabinets.  A little while of sorting through them soon rendered yet another scroll, though this one was sealed and imprinted with Ponyville's civic symbol.  "Here is a copy of the deed to your new property.  Keep is somewhere safe.  You'll be getting the paperwork explaining your responsibilities as a business owner here in Ponyville and other important information mailed to you later this week."

 "Thank you, your honorable Mayorship", Ace says carrying the deed with his magic. He is a little sleazy but he isn't sure what he really wanted to do with the casino other than what was advertized, if anything. Maybe it was time he settled down and stuck with the completely legal way of doing things. He on occasion bent the rules, possibly why he won that tournament in Canterlot, but there could be worse ponies running a casino around here for sure. When allowed to leave he would excuse himself and go to check out his new building and see what he's working with.

< To The Lucky Horseshoe >
This message was last edited by the player at 21:18, Fri 20 Apr 2012.

Entering from Ponyville Schoolhouse

After the morning escapade involving the Apple Family cart, Blue Shield was ready to get back on a proper patrol. At this time, he'd be pretty close to checking on the Town Hall, so that was precisely where he'd gone. Admittedly, all the apple talk had made him a little hungrier than usual. Lunch break would be a welcome happening. Not really needing to go INTO the town hall, he simply began a slow loop around the building that was the dead center of town.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:23, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

As Blue Shield idly patrolled around the Town Hall, he'd find the place to be quite busy.  It always was, but today even more so.  There was a lot of hub-bub going on and some ponies were even decorating the building with banners and flags like they were getting ready for some sort of celebration.  In due time he was called upon as a familiar, sing-song voice sounded out above the general din of the Square.

"Officer Blue Shield~!  Good afternoon~!" the Mayor herself came cantering along with a big smile on her face.  "I'm so glad to catch you here.  Have you heard anything about this evening?  Princess Luna is going to be holding the first ever public Moon Raising right here in Ponyville~!  Though I do wish she'd told us about it sooner..."

As he came about full circle, there was the mayor herself coming out to see him. She was certainly super-happy about the recent development in news that he was unfortunately unaware of. Town Hall was even a little more busy than usual. "Good day to you, Miss Mayor." He chimed in, his spirits up despite the morning goose chase. He was about to ask if she needed assistance with a stuck pickle jar, but he quickly remembered that it was Cloudsdale's mayor who had that particular problem. Jars were tricky things. "I honestly did not have any idea..." Blue cocked his head to the side in contemplation. That meant security would be tight from Luna's guards alone. He probably had to report in to make sure all the proceedings were orderly for her. "This is turning out to be a rather busy day for me, it seems. Rather exciting day too." He admitted to the gray-maned mayor. "To what do I owe the honor of this chat? I dare say you're quite the busy mare. Anything I can do to help you out?"

"I'm very glad you asked.  You see, Princess Luna's arrival here was unannounced, so she has a very limited guard detail and they'll be busy watching over her." the Mayor explained.  "All of the merchants are eager to make some extra bits off the excitement and there's sure to be plenty of ponies packed into Town Square tonight to watch the event.  I wanted to know if you would be available to work security?  Take some assistants from the Weather Team if you need to, but we need to make sure there's suitable crowd control.  I don't want anything to happen that would spoil this opportunity."

The grayed mare looked about quickly for a moment as if she were concerned that somepony was listening in on them, then scooted up closer to Blue Shield to speak in a low voice.  "Also, there was a unicorn in the offices this morning by the name of Ace High.  He purchased a property deed and plans to open a casino.  While I'm sure he's a responsible fellow, I'd appreciate it if you could perhaps keep an eye on him.  Make sure he's keeping his nose clean?"
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

Blue Shield nodded as the mayor explained the security situation. "Once you told me, I figured I'd need to set up some additional security. I'll have a talk with the royal guardsponies to see what gaps need to be filled. It will be a busy night." That meant long hours. That was a slight problem with being the only officer in the town. But still, a little extra effort here and there was more than worth it.

"Ace High?" Blue Shield did recollect sorting through some papers showing some of the new residents. Ace was among them. A pro gambler trying to set up a casino in Ponyville. Personally, he didn't like it. A little town didn't need a casino, nor would said place be very profitable. But, all the papers and licenses were in order so far. "I can't say I blame you for your suspicion. Have his gambling, business, and salt licenses gone though here yet?"

"Not yet.  I put through communications to get them circulated through, but he travels a lot.  Las Pegasus, Manehatten, Canterlot... it's going to take a while to consolidate everything.  This appears to be the first time he's ever purchased property on his own though." The Mayor shrugged.  "But like I said, I just want you to keep an eye on him.  I would hate to think the worst of anypony right off the bat and don't want him treated like a suspect if he's not doing anything wrong.  Just watch and make sure he's on the straight and narrow?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:04, Thu 26 Apr 2012.

"I see." Without the licenses here, Ace would be waiting a while for them to show up before he could really open up business. Without the salt license, he could still operate, but it'd be even less profitable. The amount of bits for start-up would be pretty staggering too. Anypony with a gambling or luck cutie mark was always at least a little suspicious. That went hand-in-hand with winning more often while playing games of chance. After all, casinos were rigged to make ponies lose money... "No worries, ma'am. I'll keep an eye out. Hopefully he's getting used to the townsfolk here. He's probably way out of his element."

The Mayor nodded softly in reply and quickly pushed her glasses back up along the bridge of her snout before they could slide off.  "Indeed.  Ponies like Ace are more suited to big cities without as much neighborly love as Ponyville.  With any luck, maybe he's here for a fresh start... or at least we might rub off on him a little."

She gave a soft sigh and smiled up at the much taller fellow.  "Thank you, Blue Shield.  It's a load off my mind knowing I have such an upstanding stallion looking out for us.  Is there anything you might need?"

"Can certainly hope so... But I get the feeling Ponyville will have to endure at least one misguided swindling before he settles down." Blue explained. Not that Ace seemed like that bad of a person. It was just that anyone who did open a casino was looking for bits. Bits made ponies do crazy things sometimes. And in Las Pegasus, swindling was a common facet of everyday life for anypony not already in the top percent of society's riches. "No need for thanks, Miss Mayor. It's my duty and pleasure to keep the peace around here. All I can ask for is good neighbors and friendly ponies. And I think we both know Ponyville has got that in spades."

"Good man.  Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go see a horse about floral arrangement.  I've had Roseluck working since I found out about this whole affair earlier." she laughed softly and gave a toss of her mane.  "Be sure to stop long enough to get something to eat, alright Blue Shield?  And tell wherever you go to put the charge through to Town Hall.  We'll cover your tab."

With that, unless she was stopped for whatever reason, the Mayor would the readily trot off to go see how those roses were coming along.

"Well now, do have yourself a wonderful afternoon. I'll see you at the ceremony." Blue Shield gave a nod of the head as they began the process of parting ways. There was a generous offer of a free lunch too. How kind. "Much appreciated, Ma'am. Actually, if you could. Send out a messenger to Sweet Apple Acres. I know a good few ponies are there right now who probably don't know about the event. Rainbow Dash is there too, so she should probably know she'll need to keep the skies clear tonight."

With a wave of the hoof, Blue Shield went off at a slow walk, timing out his duties. First would be that lunch so he wouldn't have any embarrassing grumbles. Then finding the guardsponies.

[Exit to... Summer Song Cafe]

-> From Town Center ->


Wordsmith whistled softly as he walked with Pansy, his legs loosening up as he walked slowly.

"Well... I do hope we can slip in before they close."

From Town Square-->

Pansy nodded.  "Hope so.  What did you need to do at the Town Hall anyway?  Do you have business with the Mayor?"

Wordsmith shook his head, "No, I'm looking for a place to rent.  While this nice pony, the Doctor?, offered me a place to stay... I don't want to overstay my welcome with him, but I didn't want to be rude and decline his hospitality."

He sighed, "Also hoping to find a bulletin board for jobs, I -ah- need the bits."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you can find a place to stay.  I'd offer my place too, but it's a little small for two ponies," Pansy admitted sheepishly.  "What's your special talent?  With a name like Wordsmith...are you an author?  A journalist?"

--->From Town Square

Quick Buck galloped through the front entrance of Town Hall still dripping wet from his botched landing. There didn't seem to be too many ponies around at that time, which Quick was somewhat thankful for. No witnesses. Whoever was the custodian that night would probably flay him for leaving a trail. Then again that also meant that they were about to close as well.  Quick nearly took another nasty spill in his haste as he took a turn down the hallway to the Treasury Branch far too quickly. Catching himself, he slowed his pace; he was nearly there and didn't want to make another spectacle. He also took this time to recover from his dash through the halls.

He arrived at the teller desk a few moments later, now relatively dry and calm after his run. Ringing the bell he called out, "Hello? Is anypony still here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:34, Thu 03 May 2012.

Wordsmith chuckled, patting his belly, "Two-and-a-half, you mean, which would be that much more crowded." he blushed at the mention of his special talent, "Ah, well... I -want- to be an author.  right now I'm just a "writer" and unemployed."

"Well, writer is still very exciting.  I'm sure you can find something.  We have a local newspaper.  Maybe they'd hire you."  Pansy led the way into the town hall, keeping an eye out for any other ponies.  Puddles in the hall seemed to indicate that Quick Buck had already been here.

Wordsmith noticed the puddles too, and hopped about to avoid them... which made him look a little silly, but he'd rather not slip

"Well, there is that.  Kinda always wanted to have one of my stories printed serial-like.  You know, a chapter a month... or a chapter a week if I'm feeling productive." he said to Pansy, "Something to help while I write a full-on novel and go through the apparently requisite mountain of rejection letters"

"What do you think you'd do if you couldn't get a job writing?"  She would offer him a job at her gardening shop, but it was never busy enough to merit having two ponies working.  But she was trying to think of ideas for him.

Town Hall was, despite its usual state of business, actually quite empty.  It was already near closing hours to begin with and things were getting wrapped up even sooner due to Princess Luna's event that evening.  Pansy and Wordsmith were only able to catch a bored-looking secretary closing up her desk when they arrived and she certainly didn't look interested in helping out.

"Services are closed up for th'night.  Come back in th'morning.  If y'got an emergency, go talk t'Blue Shield." the make-up laced pony drolled as she sauntered right on out the front door, not giving the other two the time of day.  So much for that effort...

Meanwhile, down the hall, Quick Buck wasn't having much better luck.  By the time he got to the treasury office, he'd find it closed up for the night already.  But before he could despair too much, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Quick?  What're you doing here?  I thought Rook usually handled things with us."  it was Red Tape, one of the administrative ponies from upstairs.  She'd been the one to help the brothers get their property and business running in the first place.

"Well I do like to ba--" Wordsmith blinked at the secretary pony closing up and walking past him and Pansy, "... okay then."

He coughed, giving Pansy a smile, "Well.  I bake as a hobby, well, bake and cook and such."

"Oh, sorry, Wordsmith.  We didn't make it.  You shouldn't have any problem in the morning though, and you said you at least had a place for tonight."  Pansy shrugged as she turned back around to leave.  There wasn't much point in staying if they weren't going to get the help Wordsmith needed.  "Well, there's actually several bakeries in town.  Mr. and Mrs. Cake run Sugarcube Corner, and Strawberry Toast owns the Gilded Oats Bakery.  Though, come to think of it, I haven't seen Strawberry Toast in a while."  A worried expression crossed her face, but quickly vanished.  "She's probably just busy."

Wordsmith nodded, those were certainly good thoughts.  He saw Pansy's face, and frowned softly

"Hey" he whispered gently, "You wanna check out the bakery then?  See if we can find your friend?"

She led him to Town Hall, this is the least he could do for her, especially since it seemed like her friend was involved.

"Oh, no, I couldn't.  I mean, I don't even really know her all that well.  And there's no time to do it, what with the Moon-Raising tonight.  Maybe she'll be there."  Pansy cheered up a little at that thought.  "Maybe I'll look for her tomorrow if I don't see her there."

Wordsmith chuckled, "I dunno, 'not knowing them' very well doesn't seem to matter here.  Considering I just arrived myself and two ponies who didn't know me very well helped me" he smiled

"Tell you what.  If you don't, I'll help you look for her tomorrow.  Least I could do." Wordsmith smiled, holding open the door for her with a small burst of magic, and gave a flourish with his hoof, "Ladies first~"

-> To Town Center ->

"Well, thank you, sir."  Pansy smiled as she trotted past him out the door, and back to the Town Square.  Now there was nothing for her to do but wait for the sun to set.

-->To Town Square

Quick rang the bell again. "Hello? Anypony?" He then spotted the 'CLOSED' hanging innocuously on the edge of the desk. "Oh." Well, that would explain it.

He frowned. He couldn't help but feel slightly miffed that he went through all that trouble for nothing. He didn't like failure. Muttering to himself he started to leave, but was stopped by the voice of a mare coming down the hall. Turning to face the pony, he saw that it was Red Tape, a good acquaintance of he and his brother.

"Oh, evening Red."

"Yeah I know it's a little strange for me to be doing this kind of work." Although exceptionally business savvy, Quick was never very good at managing finances. He had, ah... loose pockets so to say and was prone to temptations. "But Rook -the lucky stallion- got himself a date for tonight and I felt that he had enough to worry about without having to mind the store as well. So I'm doing him a favor in the meantime while he gets himself ready."

He sighed and glared at the sign on the desk as if it had personally insulted him. "But it looks like I'll need to come back tomorrow anyhow."

He suddenly perked up as an idea formed in his head. "Saaay~, you wouldn't mind doing a favor for me, would you? I just need to make this deposit here and I'll be on my way."

The tired-looking pony seemed quite surprised at the notion of Rook, of all stallions, having a date.  Her incredulous expression said it all, so she didn't bother making further comment.  When Quick Buck asked about a little bending of policy to help out with his plight, the mare seemed reluctant... but soon gave a gentle shrug in any case.

"I don't see the harm in it.  Glimmer Gold only just left a few moments ago anyway.  How much are you depositing?" Red Tape asked as she moved along behind the Treasurer's Desk and began sorting through a ring of keys she had on her, looking for the right one to open the filing case.

"Ahh... two thousand bits?" Quick said sheepishly. He rummaged through his saddlebags and pulled out the sizable sack of coins and places the bag down onto the desk with clinking thunk. Looking at Red tape he felt like he needed to explain the reason for the large sum of money.

"We had a buyer today who bought quite a bit of our stock. Paid upfront too. I think his name was Ace or something. Anyway, I didn't feel comfortable keeping all of these bits overnight in our store safe. I know we don't get much crime around these parts, but I think its best if I don't give trouble an invite either."

Despite Quick's hesitation, Red Tape didn't need any explanation as to where the bits came from.  She'd been the one to mention the gaming shop to Ace earlier that day, after all.  It was apparent that the casino-hopeful had taken her advice to seek out the game store for his supplies.

"Maybe I should get a kick back for the referral?  I sent Ace your way after he put in a requisition for property this morning." the tawny mare grinned, though she was obviously joking.  Ace would have found his way to the brothers one way or another anyway.  She took the bag of bits and took a quick gander to count through them, then shuffled the whole thing off into the treasury safe for the time being.

"Don't worry; it's better that you trust your money with us anyway.  Think of the wonders it'll do for your general credibility as a business.  I know the Mayor is always glad to see the town coffers getting fatter thanks to a good market." she rolled her eyes a bit as she went about handling the paperwork.  A few scrolls were filed and, with a signature from both herself and Quick Buck, filed away to be delivered in the morning.  "Alright, that'll do it.  The paperwork will get sent along to Canterlot tomorrow morning on the first delivery circuit, so they'll acknowledge the full deposit later that day in your treasury account."

"You're a lifesaver." Quick signed all the necessary forms that the mare gave him and watched as she closed the treasury safe, the money safely inside. As Red Tape finished re-tidying the Treasury desk, Quick quietly mulled over something in his mind.

He mentally shrugged -'Didn't get here by not taking risks,'- and cleared his throat.

"Hey, uh, Red. I know you were joking about the kickbacks, but if you don't mind I'd like to treat you to dinner tonight as a way to say thanks for the favor."

Red Tape led Quick outside of the room so that she could lock up the door in their wake and went about fumbling with the keys.  She was so preoccupied with it that she practically missed what he was saying... but when it did hit her ears, the mare's eyes widened and she slipped, nearly face-planting into the door itself.

"Ah... dinner?  With you?" she stammered.  Whoa girl... calm down.  Why must you always get so flustered whenever a guy looks your way, she mentally scolded herself.  "Um... s-sure.  I think that'd be nice, actually."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:32, Fri 04 May 2012.

Quick had to suppress a chuckle at Red Tape's reaction. Only a sliver of a smile betrayed his amusement. It's not often that a mare literally falls over herself when you ask her for a date.

"That's great. I know of a pretty nice restaurant nearby. With any luck, we can get an outdoor table so we can watch the Moon-Raising as well." Unlikely, but Quick was an eternal optimist. He followed Red down the hallway towards the main foyer and entrance of the building. It seemed that everypony but them had already left. (He also noted that his water trail had thankfully mostly dried by then.)

At the main doors he asked,  "Do you need some time to freshen up first before we head over to dinner? We still have some time. Or do you want to go straight there? He didn't mean it as an insult or to sound impatient, but past experience with other mares he'd dated had taught him that they took their public image very seriously and dismissing it out of hand is a major 'No no'. He actually found her disheveled look to be kinda cute, but didn't want to lay it on too thick yet.

Besides, it was only a casual date, right?
This message was last edited by the player at 10:01, Sat 05 May 2012.

Red Tape wasn't a mare who normally put too much merit into appearances.  She was comely enough on her own but her looks sometimes suffered due to how draining her job was.  By the end of the work day, even one cut a little early, she showed the strain of her duties.  Her mane was all out of sorts, her eyes were heavy and weary, and frankly she appeared as if she could really use a vacation... or at least a solid night's rest and a good cup of coffee in the morning.

"Ah... y-yes, I think being able to straighten my tail a bit would be a good idea.  I don't live very far from here.  Easy commute."  she giggled awkwardly, suddenly feeling glaringly self-conscious about her looks as she fitfully worked to flatten her frayed mane.

-->Red Tape exits to Ponyville Residential District

"Ah, convenient," Quick said as he followed her outside.

"I hope you don't mind if I tagged along with you, Red? I don't have any other errands to do this evening." Actually he had planned on stopping by the Post Office after depositing the money at the Town Hall, but if they were already closed here then it stood to reason that the Post Office was closed as well. "Besides it'll be easier than me waiting for you in the Square and having to find you again in this crowd." He nodded his head towards the steadily growing crowd of ponies they were threading through. It looked like more were slowly filtering into the Square as the sun crept towards the horizon.

To Ponyville Residential District--->

>>> From Equestrian Express Train Station >>>

Winter navigated Ponyville as best she could, doing her best to avoid the various ponies on her way. Unfortunately due to her luggage she did end up bumping into a pony or two. She did her best to apologize, bowing her head and looking remorseful... though ponies probably thought she was rude without a verbal apology. Eventually, she did make it to the Town Hall, it was hard to miss really.

Winter timidly entered the impressive looking building, she had no idea where to go and unfortunately no way to ask any pony for directions. Part of her mind panicked, maybe she should have gone to the cafe, something to eat and some tea might have given her brain a bit of a jump start. Her panic was short lived, thankfully, just jitters from being in a very unfamiliar place. She started searching the offices looking for somepony who could tell her about housing. Worst case scenario, maybe somepony could direct her to an inn or a hotel?

Red was on her way to the employee lounge to get a cup of the hideously foul 'coffee' that was always brewing down there when she quite literally bumped into the new arrival from Stalliongrad. "Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there, what is your name? You look lost, can I help you find something?" Red asked, unaware that the young mare could not hear her.

Winter nearly toppled over as she bumped into Red! Her wings shot out in an attempt to regain her balance. It was by sheer luck that she didn't hit red again with her wings or drop her luggage.

She turned to apologize only to find Red looking at her and seemingly expecting an answer. There was a very awkward moment of silence as she stared at the other mare. She must have said something and Winter didn't look at her lips fast enough to read them. Winter looked at Red puzzled for a moment before lifting her hoof and tapping her ear in an attempt to alert the pony to her condition. She then focused her attention on Red's lips, hoping not to miss anything else she said.

Red had not managed to help raise her four siblings without being fast on the uptake. ~So, a deaf pony, this will be challenging, luckily I know some sign.~ She thought. Siting back on her rump Red Tape began to make a series of gestures with her fore hooves, gestures that unfortunately would probably be to no avail because she was 'speaking' the Trotish dialect of sign language, which would most likely not be understood by a pony from Stalliongrad. ^I am Red Tape, what is your name?^ Red signed.

Winter seemed to perk up upon Red's signing, though she had trouble understanding the unfamiliar dialect. She pulled her suitcase off her back and sat down. She believed she had gotten the gist of what Red had signed. She tapped her lips with her wing, trying to tell her that she could read lips. The pegasus then began to sign with her wings. ^I am Winter Mint, nice to meet you...^ She paused trying to figure out the pony's name before just mimicking the signs she had used for her name. ^Red... Tape.^ Though, she was using the Stalliongrad dialect so she was unsure if the other pony could understand her signing.

Red had a lot of trouble with the unfamiliar dialect but understood the sign for lipreading, which was universal across Equestria. "Hello, Mint-of-Snow, I am Red Tape, Senior Deeds and Permit's Officer for the Ponyville Mayors Office. I am guessing by your bags that you are new in town, Da?" Red said, using the one word of Russian that she knew, having Identified the dialect, even though she could not really understand it.

That was a certainly unusual way of saying her name... must be something unique to this region of Equestria. She couldn't help but grin though, she was really talking to somepony completely foreign to her! Red tape, so that was her name, she had to remember that sign. She nodded quite vigorously to confirm that she was new in town, she had no idea that ponies in this region used some Russian words! She quickly got to signing her intentions... which again probably wouldn't be understood. ^I am looking to become a resident of Ponyville. I wish to inquire on the cost of a home or cloud.^

Oops, Red had neglected to mention one key fact, that she did not understand the new ponies' dialect, well, quickest said soonest mended. "I am sorry, but I have a poor understanding of the Stalliongrad dialect of sign, can you perhaps write? I think you are asking about a permit to build a cloud house, which are very expensive, even if all of your bags were filled with bits you still could not afford one. Anyway, I have some brochures on other lodging arrangements up in my office, perhaps you would like to read them?" Red spoke clearly and simply, making sure to enunciate so that her guest would have no trouble with her lips.

Her face deflated somewhat at the mention of a cloud house being very expensive, she had always wanted to live in one. Oh well, she was broke and beggars certainly couldn't be choosers! She nodded at the mention of writing, if Red Tape was having trouble understanding, that would certainly be the easiest way for her to be understood. She rose to her hooves and with a good heave she threw her suitcase onto her back, she certainly couldn't leave it behind. Winter offered a polite smile and a wave of her wing to show she was ready, she was quite thankful this pony was so nice and helpful.

With a 'Follow me' gesture that was so basic it was not even proper sign language Red led the way to her office where she got out a note pad and one of the new 'ball point' pens. Making sure Winter Mint was paying attention she spoke again, always enunciating clearly so the Stalliongrad pony could understand with a minimum of fuss. "I am sure you have questions, please ask them on the sheet of paper and I will answer them to the best of my ability. While you write them down I will get some of the brochures and flyers for rooms to rent around town and potential jobs, which I am sure are the things uppermost in your mind right now." Red Tape explained, then busied herself with the task of finding the papers she needed in the controlled clutter of her office.

The office in question was in fact quite cluttered. There were multiple stacks of papers arranged all over the desk as well as several overflowing file cabinets. With boxes of still more papers on top of them, and the drawers of the desk itself were not well organized either. However the seeming chaos was apparently not as random as it appeared at first blush, because Red was able to find what she was looking for quickly and efficiently, a half dozen sheets of paper, each one with some details about the rooms for rent and the person renting them, some tri-folded in the manner of a brochure and some simple flyers.

One in particular caught Winter Mint's eye, because it was one of the brochure style ones, was on top of the stack, and had a picture of Red Tape, looking much less tired and frazzled, embossed with the words:

"     Room For Rent:
   fully furnished and
     ready to occupy
       immediately!
     
      (Details Inside;
     See back cover for
    contact information.)
"


Well, this was either a fortuitous coincidence or Red was just as corrupt as the worst of the commissariat back home...

Winter followed happily and placed her suitcase back down upon entering the office. It reminded her of home in a way. Her father's workshop had a similar level of controlled chaos, he always insisted that he knew the location of every nut and bolt. Most of the time he did, other times the two of them would spend hours sifting through the clutter trying to find the right size spanner! As a young filly, she cleaned it once as a surprise, she got grounded for a week and had to help reinstitute his 'system.' She shook her head quickly, now wasn't the time to be lost in old memories.

She picked up the fancy pen, a bit surprised that it wasn't a quill. It didn't take her long to figure it out, clicking the pen with her teeth and writing out a few questions onto the notepad. She started out by testing the pen and writing her name at the top of the notepad. The first question would probably surprise Red Tape, but it had been one weighing on her mind, the rest of the questions were probably more in line with that she was expecting.

Winter Mint

Where might one get a good cup of tea?

What is the state of the job market in Ponyville?

Are the laws in Ponyville slanted toward the Renter or the Landlord?

How strongly is the Equestrian Government(Monarchs?) involved in the running Ponyville?

Those seemed to be a good enough start, a bit curious how her mind went from narrow to broader questions. She really needed some tea before the day was out. She had never lived under Princesses before, the Soviet and the Commissariat ran things back at home.

Red Tape was certainly not what she was expecting for a public servant, she hadn't asked for a bribe once yet! Not even hinting, unless she had earlier and Winter hadn't understood the signing. She pushed the notepad toward Red as she glanced over the flyers and brochures, tilting her head upon noticing that Red Tape was renting a room. She picked up that brochure first and quickly started to glance through it.

Red was surprised by the nature of the questions but did her best to answer them, and hide her embarrassment at her bungling of the pony's name.

"Well, shortest answer first: The best cup of tea in town is to be found at the Summer Song Cafe, just a short trot down the street from here. That is where I always go when I want a pick-me-up, though I am a coffee girl myself, but all my tea-side friends swear theirs is the best."

She looked at the next item on the list: "As for Jobs that depends on your field, I observe that your Cutie Mark is a cog with a crossed spanner and screwdriver, so I am guessing your talent relates to mechanics. Sorry to say there is not very much call for machinists in this town, but there are still plenty of job opportunities here in Ponyville, not the least of which is trying to get the fershluging air conditioning in this building to actually cool off the offices. We have been in need of an HVAC technician for some years now, the whole system is held together with bailing wire and spit at this point. There also are openings at the aforementioned Summer Song Cafe, though that would be waitressing, which I think you would find a challenge: as well as an opening in government service as an assistant librarian, what with our current librarian being constantly sidetracked with her royal duties and the crisis-of-the-week. That however is an entire discussion unto itself, let us move on..."

"The Ponyville legal code tries to be fair and balanced to both renters and landlords but in all honesty it is the renter that has the greater degree of protections so long as they uphold the terms of their lease. Now most professional landlords counter this with stringent leasing requirements and complex lease agreements which give them the 'right' to throw tenants out for minor infractions but this rarely stands up in a full court case. Besides, the other approach is to eschew formal lease agreements at all and simply have an accord with one's 'paying guest', that is much more common."

"Moving on to your last item: the equestrian government is just as involved with Ponyville as every other town in the principality, but the monarchs do seem to take a special interest in our welfare, and not without reason, for the past four years or so since Luna's return from being imprisoned in the moon most of the major events of the principality have involved ponies from this town in one way or another. Princess Luna herself is in fact staying in town on an extended vacation even now. I understand that the ponies of Stalliongrad have rejected the monarchy, but rest assured the celestial sisters have not rejected YOU, the sun and moon still rise over your city by their grace and they are actually very sweet mares."

Thank the cogs that there was a cafe near by! She wondered how ponies here liked their tea, would it be as bitter as what she was used to? She needed to stop getting sidetracked, luckily she hadn't missed anything Red Tape had said. She was quite happy about Red Tape's clear lip movements, there had been quite a few ponies she had talked to her in life that she could never understand what in Tartarus they were saying! One time a colt tried confessing his love to her but instead of 'I love you' she thought he said 'Elephant Shoes.' It had been a very confusing conversation, and quite awkward.

Winter took the notepad back and started writing again once Red had finished answering her questions. The last part about the Princesses sounded a bit preachy, but she wasn't going to complain. It was the good thing about her condition, she could put more thought into what she signed or wrote before it was relayed to the other pony, significantly decreasing the chances of her saying something stupid or rude.

I am quite experienced in working with limited resources on old and failing appliances and machinery. I also have some experience as a jeweler, mostly in the area of clocks and watches.

I am interested in the room you are renting, could you please tell me more about it if it is still available?

Winter clicked the pen again, partially because she could feel the mechanism in her teeth, and passed the notepad back to Red along with the brochure that had indicated that she was renting a room.

Red looked over the new subject matter, and thought for a second: ~I wonder if the Mayor would be willing to hire... Well, we do have a surplus at the moment, and she is experienced, and getting it fully overhauled might be cheaper than buying and installing a new system, but she also is an unknown quantity, and after the Flim-Flam incident the mayor has been much more cautious... It's worth a try anyway.~

Nodding Red finally spoke. "Well, I can certainly make the suggestion that you be allowed to look at the HVAC system for the town hall, but I advise you to not expect much, our mayor is a frugal lady and since an unfortunate incident with two scam artists a few years ago has been cautious about new ponies in town who want to do anything major, which fixing the AC in this building would be. However, I do have some degree of pull with her, so hopefully she will take you on to do the work, or at least let you submit a bid."

"As for the room" Red hurried on, opening the brochure to display several reprinted color photographs...

 "It belonged to my brother Sharp Eyes, who moved out a few weeks ago. The house has been lonely since my siblings left so I thought I might rent one or two of the rooms to other ponies so I would not feel the emptiness of the house when I went home at night. I have a fairly straightforward rental contract worked up if you prefer to have one of those, but I was planing to just come to a simple accord with whoever took me up on my offer. The housing market in Ponyville right now is kind of bi-phase: if you are looking to buy it is tight, few homes for sale and not that many areas to buy a lot to build on, but if you are looking to rent there are a lot more places available. However, my rates are lower than anyone else, and it even comes furnished, you will not find a better offer." Red flipped over the brochure and pointed to the innermost fold's back side.

"These are the terms of the rental agreement: I am asking 10 bits a month plus a quarter of your earnings toward food, fuel, and electric costs, but you will be free to use any food in the refrigerator and freezer as well as any of the appliances including shower and bath with as much hot water as you want. You may borrow books from the house library, but must return them within the week and tell me you have them if I ask where they are; there is a small book on a reading stand to sign out each book."

"You are expected to give two days notice if you intend to have a party and clean up afterwards as well as not make noise between midnight and six. I do not permit subletting the apartment if you move out and would expect to meet anyone you may get involved with whom you intend to have live with you and for them to agree to the same terms before moving in. You may be held liable for any damage you or your guests cause to the house and it's contents, which must be paid by the next monthly rental payment at the latest."

"You are expected to cook your own meals and clean any dishes you use. We do not have a dishwasher or mechanical washing or drying machine in the home, you will have to wash any clothes or dishes you generate manually or take the clothes to the town's professional cleaners."

"Lastly my bedroom, bathroom, and the Solarium above it are completely off limits except in case of serious emergency such as fire, flood, tornado, monster attack, or other Act of Discord, unless I give you specific permission for that individual instance." Red explained one point at a time.

"Does this sound amenable to you?" She finished.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:33, Tue 27 Aug 2013.

Winter wouldn't get her hopes up about fixing the AC in the Town Hall, she could find alternate employment given the saturation of repair ponies in Ponyville. Shame two scam artists had to ruin it for everypony though.

She read very closely as Red described the room and the numerous rules relating to it. They were all rules she could live with, she was unlikely to have any parties, noise was unlikely to be a problem, and she was fairly self sufficient. Though the list of emergencies worried her, do they get monster attacks or Acts of Discord often enough that new ponies should be warned? Regardless, she had enough bits to get her a month or two which should be plenty of time to find gainful employment.

Yes, these terms seem fair. I do not believe I will be able to find a better deal. Though you seem far more trustworthy than the public servants in Stalliongrad, I would still prefer to sign a contract that clearly lays out these terms. This is no reflection on you, it is a result of past experience.

I do not believe you will have to worry about any parties or noise. I can both cook and clean. I will do my best to be as uninstrusive as possible, as you are inviting me, a stranger, into your home. Regardless of payment.

Red smiled. There would now be someone else in the house, that might stop the stress of sitting in absolute silence when she went home at least. There was a different quality when someone else was there, even if they were not making any noise, just the faintest hint of anther's breathing was enough to keep the 'boogeymen' at bay.

"Very well then." Red replied, and indicated a set of circles next to each set of points on the folded legal paper brochure. "Please initial each of these showing I have gone over the terms with you and sign on the first line at the bottom and date next to it, I will do the same and then we do the reverse on this second copy." Red Tape explained holding an identical brochure. "That will constitute a legally binding contract for the purposes of the Ponyville municipal court system, and since a term of lease is not stipulated it reverts to the default of an indefinite term as long as the provisions of the contract are upheld by both parties with violations by either side constituting grounds for the other to terminate the contract." Red explained. "If you want something more formal I have a much longer contract in 'legalese' at home, but that will have to wait until I get off work..." Red explained further, already started on initialing the other half of the contract.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:59, Fri 01 Nov 2013.

Winter nodded in understanding as she started to fill out her half of the brochure. She couldn't believe it, things were actually going her way. She proudly signed and dated the brochure, before switching with Red Tape and filling out the other half of the second copy. Once it was all said and done, Winter wrote a new question on the notepad that had been provided.

Will you be needing the first month and a security deposit? I have the bits with me.

The pegasus beamed a bright smile at the earth pony, clearly pleased with the arrangement. Now all that was left was to find employment and she might be able to afford her own home someday, maybe even find a way to move her family here to Ponyville.

Red smiled, and put one of the finished brochures into her saddle bags that sat casually discarded next to her desk, the one with Winter Mint's initials on it, then turned back to the young Pegasus. "First month's rent in advance, no security deposit is needed since you can be held liable for damages." Red replied and looked at the clock. ~Not too much longer till lunch, I can show her her room then.~ She thought.

It was just about then that hoof falls sounded from outside the office.  Past the ajar door Red Tape would be able to see the familiar sight of Mayor Mare and one of her fellow office-jockeys, Fine Print, trotting past.  The latter of the two was taking notes as he walked using a small brace set about his neck that held a pad of paper out in front of him, and a pencil clenched between his teeth.

"--as soon as it's all handled, and make sure to follow up on the return files from Canterlot!  Last time they screwed up the paperwork and never sent us any of the files.  Poor Red Tape had to... ah...?"  the Mayor paused what had been a long ramble and quickly backtracked a few steps to the office door.  She took a moment to glance over at Winter Mint, but that didn't stop her from interrupting all the same.  "Red Tape!  What in the world are you still doing in the office?  I distinctly remember telling you to start using your back-logged vacation time three days ago.  You've got so much paid vacation time saved up that you're going to break our system."

Winter retrieved a bit purse from her saddlebags and quietly counted out ten bits in two stacks on the desk. She passed them to Red with her wing, sporting a grin. It took her a good few moments to notice Mayor Mare interrupting, but when she did she nearly took off into the air! Luckily, her reaction was limited to a bit of a startle, causing her to shrink back away from the older mare in surprise. She only caught the tail end of what the mayor had said... something about breaking some system?

"Um, I'm sorry? There were these forms that needed to be sent back to Canterlot and..." She trailed off in the wake of the Mayor's 'old fashioned look'. "Yes, mam, I was just on my way out!" She finished and hirieedly put on her saddle bags and rose to leave. "Winter Mint, would you like to get a drink at the cafe? It seems my work day is ending early..."

The Mayor wasn't having any of Red Tape's excuses as she leveled a signature look at her.  Not exactly a glare... but the stern expression shot over the rims of her glasses didn't leave any room for argument.  She seemed pleased that her tremendously dedicated employee was so quick to agree, though she had the feeling she was going to need to check on her to make sure she didn't try and take home some case files with her.

"Just a moment, actually.  Who is this young filly?"  The Mayor asked as she gave Winter Mint a curious nod.  She'd popped into the office in time to see money changing hooves, which meant there must have been some official business on the table.  But having Red Tape invite her to get a drink raised the Mayor's interest.

Winter seemed to shrink back a bit more, even if the look wasn't trained on her. She happened to glance at Red long enough to read her lips for the invite. She gave a quick nod before looking back toward the Mayor. The pegasus seemed quite a bit intimidated, but upon reading that the Mayor was asking who she was, she started to sign with her wings. She attempted to explain the situation, regardless if the Mayor could understand her dialect or sign language at all!

^I am Winter Mint. I am Red Tape's new tenant. I am from Stalliongrad, I just arrived by train today.^

Unfortunately for the both of them, Mayor Mare didn't know a lick of sign language.  She recognized it for what it was, at the very least, but looked a bit startled as she found herself suddenly on the spot.  "Ah... oh dear.  I'm afraid I don't understand..."  she looked plaintively to Red Tape in hopes of assistance, not realizing that Winter Mint could read lips just fine.

"Oh, I forgot, you don't sign!" Red hurriedly said apologetically. "This is Winter Mint, she is new in town, just arrived from Stalliongrad. I rented her a room in my house to stay in and am going to try helping her find a job. Speaking of which, her special talent is mechanical engineering, and you know how skilled the mechanics of Stalliongrad are with older systems like the Town Hall's AC: and we happen to have a budget surplus..." Red simply left the implication hanging.

Winter was having a bit more trouble keeping track of the conversation now that there were two ponies to pay attention to. She was able to piece together that Red was recommending her for a job! The pegasus quickly stood up as straight as she could, a wing spreading and trying to futilely straighten her mane. She had to look presentable if she wanted to impress the mayor! Due to all the travelling she ended up looking a bit ragged, but she hoped that Mayor Mare could look past that and give her a chance! As it was obvious that the mayor couldn't sign, she gave up trying, letting Red speak for her for the moment. If there was anything she needed to say she would write it when the opportunity presented itself.

While Red Tape had the best of intentions, her efforts were met by a deadpan glare from the Mayor.  It was immediately followed by a weary sigh.  She knew the hard-working mare meant well, but the girl just didn't know how to turn off!

"First of all, you know that Mister Whatsits has a contract with Town Hall.  He always gets first dibs on public service projects and we only issue out to others if he refuses."  the Mayor sighed as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose.  "And secondly, you are supposed to be on your time off.  I want you to relax, not find more ways to make yourself even busier."

With that bit of scolding out of the way, Mayor Mare looked to Winter Mint with a gentle smile.  After asking and confirming that she could indeed read lips, the Mayor spoke for herself.  "Miss Mint, as Mayor of Ponyville, I'm very happy to welcome you.  I know you'll love it here and I hope that you'll come to feel at home.  If you ever need anything, my door is always open."

She lifted her gaze over the rims of her spectacles to shoot Red Tape a telling glance.  "Now, both of you scoot!  Scoot!  Go have lunch or relax or anything but be in this office working!"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:14, Wed 09 Oct 2013.

"Right, Sorry, just trying to help." Red replied apologetically and rose fully from her desk to escort Winter Mint off to other parts of the city, parts where she was distinctly 'off duty'. As the two of them walked downstairs and out of the town hall Red explained a bit of the town's sociopolitical structure to Winter.

"I apologize about the contract, I should have remembered that we have a standing deal with Widget. I am afraid you are going to find that a lot of the town is like that, they welcome outsiders readily enough, but trying to work your way into the network of interpersonal relationships can be difficult. It's not that people don't like you, it's that everyone is busy with established friends and their own jobs. You will find people you can relate to though, they are around: just start with Pinkie Pie when she get's back from her latest adventure and soon enough you will be right in the thick of things. I had it easy, I was born here so I made friends with the other foals my own age. As I grew up many of them moved away though, and my job leaves me little time to socialize, even here in the mayors office, so I am not perhaps the best one to introduce you around. But, that said, I can at least buy you lunch to celebrate, and there are few better places to meet some new people than the Summer Song Cafe!" Red blathered energetically and at some length.

"First though, let's go to the house and show you your room. It would be better if you could put down your possessions in a safe location before you go to the Cafe. I mean I cannot imagine how heavy all the stuff you must have packed for a move all the way from Stalliongrad is, and I need to give you your keys to the room and the house anyway." Red explained as she gently cantered towards the main doors out of the town hall.

Winter looked rather disappointed that she hadn't gotten the job, but she certainly couldn't steal somepony else's job. She would find a way to make ends meet some other way. She hefted her heavy luggage onto her back with a mute grunt and followed behind Red Tape. As they left, she kept her eyes on Tape's mouth to catch her explanation of the town social structure... this had the unfortunate side effect that she couldn't easily watch where she was going.  She managed without bumping into any pony though... which is not to say she didn't come close.

Apparently, her best chance at integrating herself into town was this pony called Pinkie Pie. She made a mental note to seek her out when she was black from her adventure. So this Pinkie Pie was an adventuring pony, like Daring Do? She couldn't help but imagine her as a pink version of the pony from the novel covers. She was so caught up in her imagined version of Pinkie Pie that she almost missed her new landlord's suggestion of lunch and dropping off her luggage.

Winter gave a quick nod, she had been carrying this stuff around for too long on her small frame. With some effort she managed to sign to Red as they approached the main doors.

^Dropping my suitcases would be nice, thank you. Is this...^ She struggled for a moment thinking how exactly to sign Pinkie's name. Red probably would only understand bits and pieces anyway so it would be best just to fudge it and see what go through. ^...Pink Pie an adventure pony like Daring Do from the novel series?^

"Um, well..." Red hedged as she tried to figure out the unfamiliar dialect. "She is kind of like Dering Do I guess, except her adventures are real and she is an Earth Pony."

Red Tape exited the town hall and led the way to the relatively nearby house, not talking nearly as much on the way, but managing to cover a bit of background with her new tenant.

"My family are long time residents of Ponyville, but I am the only one left: my mother and father got jobs out of town a few years ago and in the past few weeks all my siblings left too. With no one around the house is kind of lonely, that's why I went looking for tenants." Red Explained, making sure Winter Mint could see what she said.

---> To: Red Tape's House. --->

Winter nodded slowly in understanding as she followed. Red Tape was a bit like her... only the reverse. She was the first one to leave her family instead of staying. The story made her feel a bit sad, your family leaving you behind to go do their own thing? She felt a bit guilty for leaving Stalliongrad and her family behind. Throughout this, she paid careful attention to how to get to her new home from the Town Hall, she certainly didn't want to get lost on her way home someday!

>>> To Red Tape's House >>>

This message was last edited by the GM at 02:53, Tue 23 June 2015.