open The Town That Friendship Forgot

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos unsheathed one of his front legs which revealed five digits and shook the mayor’s hoof with a subtle and sinister grin. 
 

“Consider it done, sir,” Kronos replied, “Oh, and feel free to contact me with this.”
 

He gave the mayor a medallion that had the same symbol on his chest, a black circle separated into three equally-sized wedges by thick red lines. A medallion of his clan’s crest. 

“Just give it a tap and it’ll send out a signal to me. Oh, and i heard there’s a fighting tourney coming up soon, and i intend to participate.”

As he went out the door and gave Silver a quick roundhouse to his rear end out of the room and gave a slight chuckle. 
 

Been a while since i’ve done that, he thought to himself, and it felt as good as ever. 

[Astral Vision 286]

5 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

@Kronos the Revenant

Mayor Ziggurate was practically counting to himself, and Kronos's reaction came right on time. He takes a heavy puff of his cigar and smirks. "Good, good... I knew this would be right up your alley. Now the random acts won't be anything too brutal you understand. I'm not trying to kill or harm any pony. I just want to shake things up, disrupt the norm, do crazy things that should make ponies take notice of. And if any major events should happen in the town, I'll need you to take part of it."

The mayor puts out his cigar. "However, there is one condition I need from you. All of this needs to be Top Secret between us. No pony can know that you're working for me, and you cannot share any information about me, unless I say otherwise. If you can agree to this, then I'll send you a regular paycheck and occasional mission orders when the time is right. So what do you say, Mr. Kronos? Do we have a deal?"

Mayor Ziggurate stands upright and holds out his hoof, wanting to shake on it. "Oh, and on your way out, feel free to kick out Silver. Like literally kick him, in the flank! I've always wanted to see that."

@Windy Breeze, @Astral Vision

Trilby's joke, which was really more of an exaggeration, didn't land. But Shadow was trying to be so nice about it that he lets it go. It warms his heart a little.

... He turns to the side slightly. He scratches his neck. He rolls his eyes... "All right! Fine. No need to twist my hoof like that." Trilby doesn't like seeing a pony look so disappointed. "I SUPPOSE I could put in a good word for you with the mayor... But what happens after that is up to him. If he turns you down, then that's the end of it. But he MIGHT consider seeing you... He's actually a pretty nice guy, honestly."

But Astral's other question interests him. Then he remembers what happened with him and Shadow! He tries to shake his hooves at him, trying to give him the ixnay signal on talking about dark magic, but it was too late. "Hey, let's all just calm down, okay? There's no dark magic here... Heh. What a funny notion. I've lived here for years. I think I'd notice if something like that were true." He looks at Astral in the eyes. "...If you are worried about something like that, maybe you should see Dr. Milenko, the town's counselor." Trilby said that last part kind of coldly and flat, almost like he said it automatically without even thinking about it.

But then his mannerisms turn back to normal. "But I think that's all I have to offer for now. I owe Shadow a dinner date, and you don't keep a good mare waiting. If you have any other questions, why don't you visit me tomorrow at my shop. Sound good?" Trilby asks him before turning back to Shadow. "So, what did you have in mind for dinner? I know this fine diner that makes some of the best hay-steaks you've ever had."

@Dynamo Pad, @ExplosionMare, @Pastel Heart, @Jack Baker

Once in the arcade, Samurai was in awe of all the lights and sounds, and he was impressed at how well Dynamo seem to know his way around such an establishment despite not being a citizen of this town for very long.

So may sights to take in. A virtual reality set, a dance simulator, a flight simulator, arcade cabinets galore! "So where is...!!" Before Samurai can finish his question, he sees a familiar figure in the arcade.

"RAZE!" Samurai goes over to him. "Didn't expect to see you here! Is business slow today?" Samurai asks. Sonic and Kirby can wait for now. Practically all his friends are under one roof!

@Samurai Equine

Astral was delighted at Trilby's change of heart, now he finally had a chance of learning the truth, though he knew not to foolishly raise his hopes too high. Astral was also glad to know that this Addenbrooks mayor seemed like a reasonable pony, as it could make his job much easier. However, Astral's next reaction was one of curiosity, seeing the change in Trilby's eyes at the mention of dark magic. It seemed something bad may have happened relating to the dark arts, but Astral figured it best not to ask anymore questions for the time being.

"Thank you for your time Mr. Hatter, and I'll try to take you up on that offer tomorrow. Have a nice outing you two." Astral then gave a polite bow and turned to leave.

@Pastel Heart

As he walked away from the complex, Astral wondered if he should give this counselor 'Milenko' a visit; he still had time before sundown. He looked on his map to see where this Dr. was, and he caught the name 'Milenko' on a small building close by.

"Talk about convenient."

Astral walked in to the building and observed his surroundings. It seemed like a quaint little establishment, and across the hall was an empty desk with a single silver bell. Since the door was unlocked, Astral figured the office was still open, so he rung the bell and patiently waited for somepony to arrive.

[Jack Baker 698]

@Samurai Equine

Raze rubbed the back of his head, looking away slightly. "Eh... don't remind me," he said as Samurai eagerly approached him. "I came to kill time is all, maybe find a job while I'm out. What are you doing here?"

[Dynamo Pad 11,361]

6 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

Once in the arcade, Samurai was in awe of all the lights and sounds, and he was impressed at how well Dynamo seem to know his way around such an establishment despite not being a citizen of this town for very long.

So may sights to take in. A virtual reality set, a dance simulator, a flight simulator, arcade cabinets galore! "So where is...!!" Before Samurai can finish his question, he sees a familiar figure in the arcade.

"RAZE!" Samurai goes over to him. "Didn't expect to see you here! Is business slow today?" Samurai asks. Sonic and Kirby can wait for now. Practically all his friends are under one roof!

As one would look around, they would see a Prance Prance Revolution dancing machine, a VR set, flight and racing simulator's to boot. The gamer pony was about to answer a potential question from Samurai, before the asian pony dashed over to a pony named Raze. Dynamo tilted his head in confusion as he saw a new pony had made their appearance known.

17 minutes ago, Jack Baker said:

@Samurai Equine

Raze rubbed the back of his head, looking away slightly. "Eh... don't remind me," he said as Samurai eagerly approached him. "I came to kill time is all, maybe find a job while I'm out. What are you doing here?"

@Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare

Not wanting to be rude to the new guest, Dynamo smiled as he walked over towards Raze and Samurai. "Hey, there and welcome to the Friendshire Arcade. I guess there could be a different name, but it's a work in title. My name is Dynamo Pad, but you can call me Dynamo. I've just moved here recently, but I guess you could say I'm the head owner of the arcade with a second in command." He mentioned, looking back to smile at the others, while addressing Pastel as second in command. "How can we help you today? You seem to know Samurai pretty well. It's nice to meet you, Mr..." He looked back to Raze as he offered him a smile, while extending his hoof to give him a hoofshake. 

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare 

"I haven't seen MKII in like weeks! I wanna see if I'm still good or I suck!"

Even though she was excited, it seems she didn't mind what they did exactly; this was her wheelhouse and most of her friends were here! She wondered what Astral went up to...

@Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Oohh, it's that pony from the concert! Sami seemed happy to see him. Small towns, familiar faces she guessed. Upon being acknowledged as second in command, Pastel hopped up on Dynamo's back again and stood proudly.

"Greetings! I am Pastel Heart, elite gamer extraordinaire~ did you come to play?"

@Astral Vision

After a few seconds, Astral may or may not be surprised to see a tall, rather bulky dragon dressed a white dress shirt with a matching jacket, dress pants and lenseless glasses open the door. He looked left and right before looking down, and despite his intimidating exterior, he smiled kindly.

"Aahh, an unexpected visit. I always welcome company. Please, do come in and relax."

He spoke with an air that equaled kindness and professionalism as he backed away from the door to let his guest in.

The inside exterior of the building was pretty homely. Some motivational posters, cabin furniture, a TV, coffee machine, books, a kitchen, just about all the comforts of home. The dragon seemed to be self employed working out of his own home. Centering the room was a pair of couches with a table, a exotic looking vase in the center.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Pastel Heart

[Jack Baker 698]

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

"...Raze. Mercenary for hire," he introduced himself bluntly. "And yes, I did come to unwind a bit. Sitting around in my new home thinking got boring after a while..." He adjusted his Evoker pistol on his side while he spoke.

[Dynamo Pad 11,361]

6 minutes ago, Jack Baker said:

@Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart

"...Raze. Mercenary for hire," he introduced himself bluntly. "And yes, I did come to unwind a bit. Sitting around in my new home thinking got boring after a while..." He adjusted his Evoker pistol on his side while he spoke.

Dynamo tilted his head slightly at the blunt response. He slowly lowered his extended hoof as it seemed that the new known Raze was not a hoofshake kind of individual. "It's nice to meet you, Raze. I've never known or met any mercenary's before, but that sounds interesting. If you are looking to unwind, then you've come to the right place. Pick a game, or every game and enjoy. If there's something that you're looking for, then this place should have said game. At least, I hope so." He didn't get a chance to take stock of all the games that were available, but he'd make sure to work on that. He felt a little uneasy as Raze was adjusting his Evoker pistol, but he decided not to bring anything up.

15 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare 

"I haven't seen MKII in like weeks! I wanna see if I'm still good or I suck!"

Even though she was excited, it seems she didn't mind what they did exactly; this was her wheelhouse and most of her friends were here! She wondered what Astral went up to...

@Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Oohh, it's that pony from the concert! Sami seemed happy to see him. Small towns, familiar faces she guessed. Upon being acknowledged as second in command, Pastel hopped up on Dynamo's back again and stood proudly.

"Greetings! I am Pastel Heart, elite gamer extraordinaire~ did you come to play?"

As Pastel jumped upon his back, Dynamo was momentarily caught off guard. The jump on his back caused the gamer pony to lose his balance, while sending him falling towards the ground. Laying upon the ground like an anime pelt, the blue unicorn's eyes spun in a daze. "I'm okay! This adorable pony had helped me into breaking my fall!" He chuckled with a goofy smile. After a moment, Dynamo shook his head as he tried to gather his bearings over what had happened. He used his magic to grab Pastel in his levitation spell, before lifting himself back up to his hooves. He soon placed Pastel onto his back once more, while making sure not to ruin the young filly's pose. "Just like she said before. This is the second in command at this wonderful establishment, Pastel Heart!" He grinned with a hoof raised, before looking back at Pastel. "I wouldn't say that on the whole being good or if one is bad at a game. It's all about learning controls and such. However, it's mostly to know if you have still got the moves and are good, or if you are still just rusty and need practice. If you say that you're an elite gamer extraordinaire, then that means you're both good and can kick some butt in games." 

[ExplosionMare 18,065]

@Dynamo Pad @Jack Baker

Pencil averted her eyes from the consoles and turned to see who Dynamo was talking to. She had never seen this pony before despite the very small population in this town. Hesitantly, she trotted towards the new pony as she lightly flicked her head and her tail to straighten her hair out. She tried to ignore her nerves but the closer she got to the stallion, the stronger they felt. Pencil nearly turned and walked away but found she was already standing two feet away from him and Dynamo. Pencil softly said,

“Hi! I’m P-Pencil Pouch. What’s your name?” Her voice severely cracked in the process. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat a little to clear her voice. She felt like saying something more but honestly did not know what to say. She decided to just let the stallion respond as she stood patiently.

@Pastel Heart

Pencil overheard Pastel mentioning a game called “Mortal Kombat II”. She had never heard of the game but thought playing with somepony else might be fun.

“Hey, Pastel, when I’m done over here, can I play that game you were talking about with you? If it isn’t multiplayer I’ll let you go first,” she announced across the room to the pink pony.

[Jack Baker 698]

@ExplosionMare

Raze tilted his head slightly at this new mare's introduction.

"Hey, hey, what's with the nervous reaction? I ain't gonna bite you or anything..." He rubbed the back of his head again. "I'm Raze... I came here yesterday."

[Astral Vision 286]

7 hours ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare 

"I haven't seen MKII in like weeks! I wanna see if I'm still good or I suck!"

Even though she was excited, it seems she didn't mind what they did exactly; this was her wheelhouse and most of her friends were here! She wondered what Astral went up to...

@Samurai Equine @Jack Baker

Oohh, it's that pony from the concert! Sami seemed happy to see him. Small towns, familiar faces she guessed. Upon being acknowledged as second in command, Pastel hopped up on Dynamo's back again and stood proudly.

"Greetings! I am Pastel Heart, elite gamer extraordinaire~ did you come to play?"

•  

@Astral Vision

After a few seconds, Astral may or may not be surprised to see a tall, rather bulky dragon dressed a white dress shirt with a matching jacket, dress pants and lenseless glasses open the door. He looked left and right before looking down, and despite his intimidating exterior, he smiled kindly.

"Aahh, an unexpected visit. I always welcome company. Please, do come in and relax."

He spoke with an air that equaled kindness and professionalism as he backed away from the door to let his guest in.

The inside exterior of the building was pretty homely. Some motivational posters, cabin furniture, a TV, coffee machine, books, a kitchen, just about all the comforts of home. The dragon seemed to be self employed working out of his own home. Centering the room was a pair of couches with a table, a exotic looking vase in the center.

Astral struggled to keep his composure, but on the inside he was screaming like a young filly. It was a real dragon, Astral was meeting a dragon! These creatures were renowned throughout folklore as mighty creatures, so he was surprised to see that this one had a calm attitude; it was very pleasant. Astral took a closer look around the interior to realize that this was the Dr.'s own home, he only knew a few who did the same with their business.

"Thank you. So, you're Dr. Milenko. The town counselor, correct? I'm Astral, a pleasure to make your acquaintance sir."

[Samurai Equine 51,831]

@Kronos the Revenant

Strange way to hoofshake, but the mayor accepts it! He also accepts the gift. "Well, this will definitely be faster than snail mail. Alicorn speed, Mr. Kronos!" he wishes him well as they depart.

But he does look over so he can see Kronos kicking Silver out of the office. He has quite the loud belly laugh when he sees that. "That was everything I wanted it to be!"

Looks like Kronos has a new job now. But will he still go back to talk to Jon?

@Windy Breeze

Looks like Trilby and Shadow were finally alone. "The diner it is, then." Taking her hoof in his, Trilby leads the way. He decides to catch a taxi wagon for the both of them; that way they can see more of the town on the way there. "This is the only way to travel."

@Jack Baker, @Dynamo Pad, @Pastel Heart, @ExplosionMare

"I finished all my chores around town today, so Dynamo invited me to this arcade." Samurai explains. He was about to introduce Raze to his fellow friends, but it looks like that won't be a problem. Though he could tell Raze's appearance was not what you normally expect for ponies that go to arcades. "Don't worry, everypony. He's cool. He may seem like an intimidating warrior, but he has a good heart deep down." Samurai speaks up for him.

Clearing his throat, Samurai speaks again. "Well, you did come at a pretty good time, I'd say. I've never played video games before, but I was just about to ask Dynamo to show me these Kirby and Sonic games he was talking about. I imagine my first time at these games will be quite the entertaining show wrought with my first few failures." Samurai says. Yep, nothing like watching a noob be bad at video games for the first time.

[Windy Breeze 15,190]

@Samurai Equine

“Hey, Trilby, can I take pictures of the town?” Shadow asked, not taking her eyes off the sight of beautiful houses and buildings of Friendshire, and it's residents “Maybe when i come back to Haytona, i can everypony how beautiful this town is”

Sundae Delight's POV

After visiting her ice cream parlor, she went back to her father's grave, where she put some roses “There had been weird things happening in the previous days, dad, but I knew you saw what happened since it happened hear in your 'home'” she let out a sad smile “Despite that, Friendshire got some tourist now. Raze, that stallion save me from the clutches of those vines and even healed me” her mane was caught by a sudden breeze and flew. Delight took her gaze off her father's grave and muttered “Something bad is here” she stood up and look at her father's grave “Don't worry dad, I'll visit you everyday just like i said” she turn tail and galloped out of the graveyard. 

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

@Jack Baker

"Well, my friend, you have come to the right place! It's not like there's a pandemic about so you don't have to stay home! There's just about any kind of game here to suit your tastes~!"

Pastel looked down at his evoker as he adjusted it and raised a brow. Woah, he was totally armed, like in one of those western cartoons... Well as long as he wasn't shooting at her! Hmm, shooting...

"Maybe you'd be the type to be good at a shooting game! Eh Razey?~"

...Smooth operator.

@Dynamo Pad

She was surprised when Dynamo ended up falling, her eyes widened to saucers. Oops... she was glad he wasn't hurt atleast. She made an awkward pose and smiled at Raze. Yes, all according to plan, of course!

She giggled and swayed her tail. Elite gamer extraordinaire. That sounded dumb but she liked it. Dynamo was a good bad influence on her. Being here, in this almost magical place with ponies who actually care about her was a dream come true.

"Well, I do both, so I'll get back in the swing of it fast!"

@ExplosionMare

Perfect timing. Pastels strike was quick and vicious.

"Actually, it IS multiplayer~ I'm kinda outta practice sooo... I won't totally whip you I think."

@Samurai Equine

Pastel giggled. Sonic and Kirby here? Unless Dynamo had an extra trick up his sleeve, there weren't gonna be either here. Nows the one time where she gets to be smart.

"Hehe, you can't play those in an arcade, silly! Though, OutRun was made by the creators of Sonic..."

 

•  

 

@Astral Vision

Dr. Milenko smiled at the ponies courtesy. He could see the reaction on his face, behind his eyes; it wasn't unusual for ponies to react this way upon first seeing him, atleast this one was fascinated meeting rather than an impression of fright.

"Pleased to meet you as well, Astral. Welcome. If you'd like, I can make you some coffee. Please, have a seat."

Milenko had walked over to the coffee machine and began pouring himself a cup. He would wait for Astrals response before pouring another.

[Dynamo Pad 11,361]

2 hours ago, Jack Baker said:

@ExplosionMare

Raze tilted his head slightly at this new mare's introduction.

"Hey, hey, what's with the nervous reaction? I ain't gonna bite you or anything..." He rubbed the back of his head again. "I'm Raze... I came here yesterday."

Dynamo looked back over to Pencil as he heard Raze's remark. He thought he could see the nervousness in Pencil's expression. Dynamo would be lying to himself if he said he was not feeling nervous. He wasn't the best when it came to interacting with others. Once he got to know that individual, then he wouldn't feel as nervous as he usually would be. Given that he would try to be the owner of the arcade, he knew he wanted to be a bit professional. Something he would try to work on after what he learned from his previous teacher.

1 hour ago, Samurai Equine said:

"I finished all my chores around town today, so Dynamo invited me to this arcade." Samurai explains. He was about to introduce Raze to his fellow friends, but it looks like that won't be a problem. Though he could tell Raze's appearance was not what you normally expect for ponies that go to arcades. "Don't worry, everypony. He's cool. He may seem like an intimidating warrior, but he has a good heart deep down." Samurai speaks up for him.

Clearing his throat, Samurai speaks again. "Well, you did come at a pretty good time, I'd say. I've never played video games before, but I was just about to ask Dynamo to show me these Kirby and Sonic games he was talking about. I imagine my first time at these games will be quite the entertaining show wrought with my first few failures." Samurai says. Yep, nothing like watching a noob be bad at video games for the first time.

Upon hearing Samurai's description of Raze, the gamer pony breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good to know and thanks for letting us know, Samurai. I guess you could say any friend of Samurai's is a friend of ours." He knew it wasn't nice to judge a book by it's cover, before getting to know that individual. He smiled and shook his head at the asian pony. "Trust me, my friend. It takes a bit of time before you become accustomed to playing a certain games. Practice makes perfect, after all. Plus, video games are all about having fun and pushing yourself. You might surprise yourself when push comes to shove. Come along with me. Let's see if we can find a game we can all play." He motioned for Samurai and Raze to follow him, while he let Pastel and Pencil to go and play the Mortal Kombat ll machine. 

 

20 minutes ago, Pastel Heart said:

@Jack Baker

"Well, my friend, you have come to the right place! It's not like there's a pandemic about so you don't have to stay home! There's just about any kind of game here to suit your tastes~!"

Pastel looked down at his evoker as he adjusted it and raised a brow. Woah, he was totally armed, like in one of those western cartoons... Well as long as he wasn't shooting at her! Hmm, shooting...

"Maybe you'd be the type to be good at a shooting game! Eh Razey?~"

...Smooth operator.

@Dynamo Pad

She was surprised when Dynamo ended up falling, her eyes widened to saucers. Oops... she was glad he wasn't hurt atleast. She made an awkward pose and smiled at Raze. Yes, all according to plan, of course!

She giggled and swayed her tail. Elite gamer extraordinaire. That sounded dumb but she liked it. Dynamo was a good bad influence on her. Being here, in this almost magical place with ponies who actually care about her was a dream come true.

"Well, I do both, so I'll get back in the swing of it fast!"

@ExplosionMare

Perfect timing. Pastels strike was quick and vicious.

"Actually, it IS multiplayer~ I'm kinda outta practice sooo... I won't totally whip you I think."

@Samurai Equine

Pastel giggled. Sonic and Kirby here? Unless Dynamo had an extra trick up his sleeve, there weren't gonna be either here. Nows the one time where she gets to be smart.

"Hehe, you can't play those in an arcade, silly! Though, OutRun was made by the creators of Sonic..."

@ExplosionMare

"If there was a pandemic or mass panic, then there's all these video games to kick back, relax and having fun all wrapped in one." Dynamo chuckled, before shaking his head at a possibility like that. Dynamo smiled as he liked the way that Pastel was thinking. "Good eye, Pastel-Chan. There are definitely some classic shooting games here. Certain games like The Walking Dead, The House of the Dead, Contra, and my personal favorite. The good, old classic, Duck Hunt." He began listing off the different kind of light gun games. All the while, smiling at the young filly's enthusiasm. "That's the spirit. Once you play a few games, then the control's will flow back to you." He tilted his head as he heard Pastel's last reply. He looked around and sure enough, Sonic and Kirby weren't seen in the building. "Huh. I guess we don't have those available. I guess we'll need to do some searching and add those into the arcade at some point. Hey, Pastel and Pencil? If you both need any assistance, then come find me. I'll try and help out if I am able to, okay?" He called out to them as he continued to lead on with Samurai and Raze. He walked until he came to a stop. A certain arcade machine had caught his eye. It was a machine he thought he'd hadn't seen in quite a while. "Dead of Alive, huh?" He muttered softly to himself, before looking back at the two. "Hey. You don't mind if I gave this game a try, do you? Maybe one of you would like to have a match with me? I can show you the controls and how to play as it's a fighting type of game. I just haven't played this in a long time and I'm feeling sort of nostalgic."

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

After Kronos exited the mayor’s office, he retraced his steps back to Jon’s store to present him with the audio evidence of his rival’s confession. 
 

When he finally found his way, he produced a tape and a recorder to showcase to Jon. 
 

“Jon,” Kronos informs him, “you’re gonna wanna hear this.”

He proceeds to play the confession of Daring Decor. 

On 4/2/2020 at 9:25 PM, Samurai Equine said:

 

"You still don't get it, do you? I'm Daring Decor! Owner of Daring Decor? I'm the one that's been stealing plans from my rival company and sabotaging their business!...And now I've finally been found out. So how much are they paying you? Because I can always pay double, if it means you'll walk away and pretend this never happened."

 

[ExplosionMare 18,065]

@Jack Baker

Pencil gave a sheepish smile in response. She knew it was impossible not to act nervous around new ponies but it was even more awkward when the noticed. Standing upright and ignoring her previous discomfort, Pencil swallowed her anxieties and spoke up.

“Hehe, that’s good...so, uh, what game are you hoping to find here?” she asked. She was hoping he wouldn’t notice her attempts to downplay her fears as well.

@Pastel Heart

“That’s great!” Pencil exclaimed.

“You’ll have to show me how to play, I don’t have much gaming experience. The only time I’ve played video games is on vacations. We don’t have an arcade where I’m from,” she added. Excitedly, she swayed back and forth, trying to keep her balance in the process.

[Astral Vision 286]

@Pastel Heart

Astral took to one of the seats nearby, quickly making himself comfortable.

"No thanks Dr., I actually came to ask you about something. I've been hearing rumors left and right about this town, and every attempt I've made for investigation so far has been met with little progress. So if you could answer me this, I would really appreciate it."

Astral cleared his throat before he spoke, mentally preparing himself for any reaction.

"Is there some form of dark magic influencing this town? If there is, what can you tell me?"

[Samurai Equine 51,831]

@Windy Breeze

"Go ahead." Trilby says. "Maybe you could show me Haytona sometime."

@Kronos the Revenant

Getting back to the furniture store was fairly easy, all things said and done. "Oh! Kronos! You're back all ready?" Jon stands upright in his office, surprised. But that's nothing compared to the recording he brings.

"I knew it! I knew Decor was stealing from me! Now I can settle this once and for all. Thank you, Kronos. I knew hiring you was the right decision! So, now that your mission is complete, how much do I owe you? Name your price, oh great soldier of fortune, and it shall be yours."

@Pastel Heart, @Dynamo Pad, @ExplosionMare, @Jack Baker

Samurai gets a good laugh out of Pastel's various antics and poses. She is the best little philly ever! That is, until Pastel mentions that the games he was interested in most are not here. "Truly? ...Well, that changes things..." Would it really be impossible for Dynamo to set up a custom arcade cabinet, maybe one with rom emulation or something? This is his arcade now.

Perhaps not right now, but at least Dynamo is keeping it in mind. For now, he follows Dynamo, taking in the sight of all the other games as well. They stop at a fighting game, one that he seems to enjoy. "Hmmm... I'm not sure. Raze, would you like to go a round with Dynamo?" Samurai gives him the option first, wondering if Raze would like this or if he'd prefer a shooting game. Since Samurai is not a gamer, he's not thinking of it like a game, he's still comparing it to reality. He has a lot of combat skills, but he is use to combining his magic and weapon skills in a fight, so his hoof-to-hoof skills might not be as great as they could be.

...Though, something else was catching Samurai's attention. He has walked a little ways away from it, but he can't stop hearing the random music from a different game. In the corner of his eyes, he is looking at one of those Trot Trot Revolution games. He ponders the possibility, but he doesn't want to be rude and leave the group without warning.

[Windy Breeze 15,190]

@Samurai Equine

Shadow smiled “And once I made Friendshire known to Equestria, i will introduce you to my friends and we will watch the sunset from the beach. I will do all of these promise just for you and your business, Trilby” 

[Kronos the Revenant 1,971]

@Samurai Equine

Kronos rewinded the tape recorder for Jon and set it on his desk. He pondered his price for his service. He was noticeably counting on his claws. 
 

“Four, two....” his whispered to himself before saying, “I believe a rate of 5% of this establishment’s profit from this month sounds fair.”

You dont even know how much that will amount to. one of his voices said. 
 

Hey, this pony has been through enough. It’s the least amount of mercy we can grant him after his ordeal.

[Pastel Heart 6,466]

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

"Oohh, I've never played that game before! Buuut if Sami would rather play then I have a date with the lovely miss Pencil~"

She stuck out her tongue and winked at Pencil. She probably felt as smooth as the main character in a spy movie. 

She looked around for a bit before pushing a stool over to the Mortal Kombat II machine and hopping on it triumphantly. Since the games were all in test mode they wouldn't need bits, probably.

...The game looked pretty intimidating from the outside. Bold fonts, powerful looking characters... Definitely doesn't seem like something Pastel would play, but she was pretty in the zone. She looked to Pencil with a huge smile.

"You ready?~"

 

•  

 

@Astral Vision

The dragon raised a brow at Astral upon his mention of dark magic. He sat down on the couch opposite of Astrals and gave an amused chuckle.

"Dark magic? Last I checked, Tirek wasn't the mayor around here."

He sipped his coffee and put it down on the table with a wave of his hand.

"I kid, I kid. I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. This town is rather odd to outsiders, is it not? Truth be told, I was jarred myself when I first came here... This is just the way things are here. Rumors spread, they come, and go away, that's what happens in humble communities such as this. Most of us have been through a lot after all..."

He smiled and looked past Astral into the distance as if he was reminiscing something, before shaking his head and looking back towards him.

"The beauty of this town, Astral, is that we are a special kind of community. If anypony is lost, has lost their way in life or has simply nowhere to go, chances are they will end up here. That's why Friendshire isn't on any maps, why the princesses never knew we existed... and for us, the disenfranchised, we prefer it that way. You must have something lodged in your heart as well. You're here, after all... As the town counselor, no, as a general practitioner, I want to ensure that the citizens of Friendshire both new and old are cared for. The general community takes care of the physical, and I the mental. As such, I can tell you while rumors may come and go, it's best not to get wound up over such things and relax here... If you wish, I can listen to your worries and distress and help you overcome them. I may look scary, but I've been through a lot in my homelands. There's nothing you can tell me that wouldn't surprise me."

Dr. Milenko kindly smiled at Astral as he gave his side of the story, even offering him a session. At the least, it doesn't seem like he has any information regarding the rumors. Or perhaps he did, but had patient confidentiality to keep.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Pastel Heart

[Astral Vision 286]

On 4/12/2020 at 10:52 AM, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

"Oohh, I've never played that game before! Buuut if Sami would rather play then I have a date with the lovely miss Pencil~"

She stuck out her tongue and winked at Pencil. She probably felt as smooth as the main character in a spy movie. 

She looked around for a bit before pushing a stool over to the Mortal Kombat II machine and hopping on it triumphantly. Since the games were all in test mode they wouldn't need bits, probably.

...The game looked pretty intimidating from the outside. Bold fonts, powerful looking characters... Definitely doesn't seem like something Pastel would play, but she was pretty in the zone. She looked to Pencil with a huge smile.

"You ready?~"

 

•  

 

@Astral Vision

The dragon raised a brow at Astral upon his mention of dark magic. He sat down on the couch opposite of Astrals and gave an amused chuckle.

"Dark magic? Last I checked, Tirek wasn't the mayor around here."

He sipped his coffee and put it down on the table with a wave of his hand.

"I kid, I kid. I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. This town is rather odd to outsiders, is it not? Truth be told, I was jarred myself when I first came here... This is just the way things are here. Rumors spread, they come, and go away, that's what happens in humble communities such as this. Most of us have been through a lot after all..."

He smiled and looked past Astral into the distance as if he was reminiscing something, before shaking his head and looking back towards him.

"The beauty of this town, Astral, is that we are a special kind of community. If anypony is lost, has lost their way in life or has simply nowhere to go, chances are they will end up here. That's why Friendshire isn't on any maps, why the princesses never knew we existed... and for us, the disenfranchised, we prefer it that way. You must have something lodged in your heart as well. You're here, after all... As the town counselor, no, as a general practitioner, I want to ensure that the citizens of Friendshire both new and old are cared for. The general community takes care of the physical, and I the mental. As such, I can tell you while rumors may come and go, it's best not to get wound up over such things and relax here... If you wish, I can listen to your worries and distress and help you overcome them. I may look scary, but I've been through a lot in my homelands. There's nothing you can tell me that wouldn't surprise me."

Dr. Milenko kindly smiled at Astral as he gave his side of the story, even offering him a session. At the least, it doesn't seem like he has any information regarding the rumors. Or perhaps he did, but had patient confidentiality to keep.

@Pastel Heart

Astral really did appreciate the beauty in Milenkos' words, the dragon clearly cared a great deal for the town and its people, and greatly expanded Astral's own knowledge of this place. Though he began to wonder, were there any troubles on his mind? He hadn't been sent to this town, but ever since he arrived he hadn't been able to relax, and all that he had accomplished was worrying those around him. Gathering his breath, Astral decided to share his concerns.

"Well Dr., I know I came to this town out of chance, but ever since I got here I've felt silly at times. During the concert, I made a big deal backstage scanning for dark magic, but there turned out to be no threat. And all of these mentions of curses have had me a little on edge, but thankfully I haven't let anyone see it. If there is a threat here, whether it's dark magic or something else entirely, I don't want anyone to pay the price when I could have done something."

Astral paused to catch his breath, and then continued in a more personal light.

"Are you familiar with the magical map in Twilight's castle, the one that brought her and her friends to the source of many problems throughout Equestria? Well the thing is, why wait to be called on these problems when you can go solve them yourself? If one pony is travelling around and helping to fix these issues, then the more important creatures and leaders can focus their efforts on larger threats... But sometimes, it can have an effect on you. Never being able to keep friendships if you're always travelling, it feels like being banished to the moon. But as long as I know I'm keeping ponies safe and evil contained, I'm happy. So is there really a problem?"

[ExplosionMare 18,065]

@Pastel Heart

Pencil smirked as if Pastel was offering a challenge. Accepting the challenge, she cried,

“Yes, I’m ready!”

She clenched her teeth into a huge grin as she cupped her hooves around the controls. She spread her back hooves apart and lightly tapped them on the floor in a shuffling motion. She cupped and un-cupped her hooves, feeling a bit trigger happy despite the game not even being on yet. Pencil had absolutely no idea what this new game was about, but she was prepared to win.

[Dynamo Pad 11,361]

On 4/11/2020 at 4:30 AM, Samurai Equine said:

Samurai gets a good laugh out of Pastel's various antics and poses. She is the best little philly ever! That is, until Pastel mentions that the games he was interested in most are not here. "Truly? ...Well, that changes things..." Would it really be impossible for Dynamo to set up a custom arcade cabinet, maybe one with rom emulation or something? This is his arcade now.

Perhaps not right now, but at least Dynamo is keeping it in mind. For now, he follows Dynamo, taking in the sight of all the other games as well. They stop at a fighting game, one that he seems to enjoy. "Hmmm... I'm not sure. Raze, would you like to go a round with Dynamo?" Samurai gives him the option first, wondering if Raze would like this or if he'd prefer a shooting game. Since Samurai is not a gamer, he's not thinking of it like a game, he's still comparing it to reality. He has a lot of combat skills, but he is use to combining his magic and weapon skills in a fight, so his hoof-to-hoof skills might not be as great as they could be.

...Though, something else was catching Samurai's attention. He has walked a little ways away from it, but he can't stop hearing the random music from a different game. In the corner of his eyes, he is looking at one of those Trot Trot Revolution games. He ponders the possibility, but he doesn't want to be rude and leave the group without warning.

 

@Jack Baker

Dynamo's ears perked as he heard Samurai's response. His facial expression saddened slightly, before giving a look of understanding. This was why the group was here, after all. To make sure that each game was working properly, while also trying to decide what games that could, or would be added in the future. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'll probably take stock of what we'll need to add. Maybe I'll send a letter to a company that can provide the arcade machines."

The gamer pony waited patiently as he awaited Raze's decision. If not, then he could have always played the game against the computer. He was a bit rusty when it came to this particular game, but it was a game that was near and dear to his heart. He looked back to Samurai, who seemed to have slightly walked away. Following his stare, he looked at the Trot Trot Revolution game. "If you don't want to play this game right now, then we can always move over towards the dancing game first. I can't tell you enough how popular those kinds of dancing games can be. It's always fun to dance to songs, so this game kind of fits that mindset." He smiled with a chuckle.

On 4/12/2020 at 10:52 AM, Pastel Heart said:

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine

"Oohh, I've never played that game before! Buuut if Sami would rather play then I have a date with the lovely miss Pencil~"

She stuck out her tongue and winked at Pencil. She probably felt as smooth as the main character in a spy movie. 

She looked around for a bit before pushing a stool over to the Mortal Kombat II machine and hopping on it triumphantly. Since the games were all in test mode they wouldn't need bits, probably.

...The game looked pretty intimidating from the outside. Bold fonts, powerful looking characters... Definitely doesn't seem like something Pastel would play, but she was pretty in the zone. She looked to Pencil with a huge smile.

"You ready?~"

@ExplosionMare

Dynamo's jaw dropped slightly as he heard Pastel calling out to him and the others. "You haven't played that game before, Pastel?" He was stunned as he thought that most ponies, gamer's or not, had played Trot Trot Revolution at least once. He even remembered Pastel mentioning the biggest gaming arcade in the world. He wondered if that arcade had the dancing machine, or if said game wasn't available in most shops. "There's still time. So, I think you and Pencil can complete a battle, before going over towards the dancing game. I guess it all depends on what Samurai and Raze want to do." He shrugged his shoulders as he was open towards any suggestion. 

[Samurai Equine 51,831]

@Windy Breeze

"Well, I'm glad you're thinking about my business, but I just enjoy spending time with you." Trilby explains. "Tell me more about the beach."

@Kronos the Revenant

Jon nods. "That seems fair. Tell you what, I'll make it 5.5%. Just a little extra for your time and effort. Treat your customers well, and they'll remember you in the future, as I always say. ... QUICK FIGURES! Give this stallion his money!!" Jon calls out from his office. "All ready on it, sir." Quick Figures says as he enters the office and gives Kronos a bag of bits. There is enough in there to buy two luxury travel carts; a 4-seater and a smaller 2-seater.

A hefty pay from a furniture store and a regularly paying gig from one of the mayors? What will Kronos do next? He's got it made!

@Dynamo Pad, @Jack Baker

Samurai looks back at Dynamo. "That dancing game machine is popular? I know singing is very popular these days, I didn't know dancing was as well... And it has been a while since I got to practice my dance skills..." He wants to know what Raze has planned, but he also wants to get involved in these games. The only thing holding him back is not having some pony to show him the ropes, but perhaps he should just figure that out for himself. "...Do I need to get tokens to play these games?"