[Ponyville]Looking for a place to set up shop[Ended]

[Chonico]

As the sun began to set in the west, casting a beautiful cascade of oranges, reds, and purples across the sky, the town of Ponyville with its pony citizens was busy putting away all the intricacies of the day's activities. Ponies pulling carts with their unsold goods and ponies busy trotting and flying from one cart stand to another, perhaps in hopes of getting that last purchase in before everything was put away, could be seen coloring the open space of the marketplace. Shopkeepers and customers alike stood on the doorsteps of a couple of the businesses exchanging their thank you and goodbyes, each eager to go home or back inside to close up shop for the evening, as the colors of the sky reflected across the town windows slowly faded into the horizon. Here and there, fillies and colts, perhaps trying to get that last minute of playtime in before going home for supper, could be seen running across the street as a few of the still lingering ponies took a minute or two to look up at the slowly darkening sky. With all the hustle and bustle of a town relaxing after a day's hard work, it is perhaps no surprise that not many would have noticed the small dark blue figure in the distance, making its way into town from the east, as it slowly became bigger and bigger walking up the road.

With every step the small dark figure took in the distance, a low metallic jingle could be heard across the open and ever so expanding night. Klondike had been walking for quite some time now, having long since grown accustomed to the multitude of metallic jingles that went off inside his worn satchel with each step. He liked to think of the metallic jingles as his own personal theme music, reacting to his every move and every step, whether it be a quick one or slow one.

*TING* There goes the wrench again hitting the tip of the screwdriver… *DING* The clamp hitting the oil can… *TWING* Socket wrench hitting the small saw… Klondike thought to himself with a small smile on his face, enjoying the guessing game the contents in his satchel played with him. He couldn't help but wonder just how many games and concerts his satchel had played to his gait while on this trip. *JINGLE* HA! The bits to help me get through the first few months of rent… The expression on the stallion's face changed to a somewhat concerned looked.

Slowing down his gait a bit, Klondike took his eyes off the road to look at the town up ahead. It still looked so far away and he should have been there well before dusk began to set in. After three months of back and forth correspondence with the local City Hall, he had finally managed to set up rent for a small studio near the marketplace. He was supposed to be there well within the afternoon hours to pick up the keys, but now…

Maybe they decided I was a no show? Maybe they gave my studio to somepony else? Maybe they thought I wasn't good to my word? Klondike's face grew more worrisome as more scenarios played out through his mind, the worst being him having to sleep out in the cold… He hated the cold, and the cool gentle breeze that seemed to grow more fierce and chilly with the ever encroaching night only reminded him more of this.

Picking up his gait again, *DING* he couldn't help but think that maybe if he hadn't been playing guessing games *TING* he would have paid more attention and not gotten lost *TWING* and ended up at The Great Nymbusgait Lakes instead. *TING DING* Maybe he wouldn't be so late. *TWING DING* Maybe he wouldn't be so tired from not being able to take a rest to try and make up time. Maybe… *RIP PING THUNK* Strap on hammer breaking and hammer hitting L-Keys on the way to scuffing my favorite book, again… Klondike said to himself in a somewhat defeated voice as he came out of his gallop onto a complete stop.

Looking up at the sky, which now only held the ever so faint tint of a purple hew, Klondike let out a small sigh and in a somewhat over exaggerated deep voice said to himself, 'Don't rush trying to fix things son, or you'll end up taking more things apart than you can fix.' He couldn't help but smile a bit again as he lowered his haunch to sit in the middle of the road. After carefully undoing the straps to his worn satchel, he took it in his mouth and placed it between his legs, lifting up the flap so that he could look inside and locate the miscreant tool that insisted on attacking his favorite book. The lack of light wasn't helping, but he had an idea of where it might be, and as he stuck his head inside the satchel he quickly grasped it by the handle in his mouth, careful not to bite too hard into it, and brought it out and placed it on his hoof. Staring at the hammer in his hoof, he couldn't help but realize just how much his dark blue pelt was beginning to blend in the night.

'Maybe I shouldn't rush. I'm starting to blend too much and somepony pulling a cart is liable to not see me, and then, a misbehaving hammer will be the least of my worries' Klondike said to himself with a renewed smile on his face as he took the hammer and placed on the floor, just as the chilly night wind began to blow some of his icy blue mane onto his line of sight. 'Well, maybe they'll see my hair and stop… Well, a pony can hope.' And with that, Klondike grasped the satchel once more in his mouth and began to work it onto his back again, making sure to tighten the straps once it was firmly fixed on his back. Once he was content with the satchel, he lowered his head to pick up the hammer from off the road, deciding to get into town first before fixing the strap for the hammer, and began to walk towards the now lightly moon lit Ponyville with its still lit windows doting the scene.

*JINGLE* Yes, I know, I know. I'm only a few minutes out of town. I'll be there right quick and find an inn to spend the night and go to City Hall in the morning to hopefully beg for the studio you are so eager to pay for.' Klondike thought to himself as the bits in his satchel reminded him of their purpose. 'Who knows, maybe I'll find somepony to help me once I'm in town.' And with that thought in mind, Klondike continued down the road west towards Ponyville.

(OOC - I am totally new to RPs. I have been wanting to take a go at it, so here I go... I read some of the other running RPs to get an idea of the flow and even asked around a bit. The number one suggestion I got was that I should just dive on in. So here's me diving in. Any advice, suggestions, critics, or donations (of knowledge) would be greatly appreciated.)

[Chonico]

It had been an hour since the last bit of sunlight had faded from the sky which now adorned itself in a blanket of stars. Here and there the glow of lights from windows could be seen cascading onto the roads and their neighboring buildings, only enough to make them appear to have a welcoming glow about them. The marketplace stood there silently, having bid goodnight to its last customer for the day along with the setting sun, while the shops around it stood silently waiting, set and ready to go the next day when the sun found itself in the sky again. Some ponies still lingered outside, talking, perhaps exchanging stories of the day's adventures or just simple pony gossip that could not afford to wait till the next day less it become old news by then. It was a rather peaceful scene that was only slightly interrupted by the metallic jingles of somepony finally reaching his destination.

Given the circumstances, Klondike had made good time getting into Ponyville. Albeit he was beyond late, but he had made good time none the less. Long since having subconsciously moved onto the side of the road for fear of getting hit by somepony pulling a cart, he could not help but smile to himself as he reached the first building that market what he had since early on decided was the outskirt of town.

'Wow, what a nice little town this is, even at night.' Klondike thought to himself as he continued walking past that first building, still holding his hammer in his mouth. 'Wonder what it looks like during the day.' He kept thinking, trying to picture Ponyville in the daytime as he looked left and right, up and down the street, trying to determine if he should keep going straight or turn somewhere. Ponyville was slight bigger than he had imagined on his way into town from Hoofington, but he was too busy taking in the scenes before him to be too surprised.

As his gait slowed a bit, his eyebrows raised slightly, giving him a somewhat surprised look. 'Welm! I'n not kaking any nisks fish shime.' Klondike mumbled to himself as the hammer's handle between his teeth slurred his speech a bit. He stopped and looked around for a decent source of light, spotting what he assumed to be a small shop with its windows still lit that gave off enough light to compliment an adjacent lamp. As he made his way towards it, the closer he got to the light, the more and more his dark blue coat began to cast a more defined silhouette of the stallion, no longer blending him into the night.

Reaching the center of the lamp's light, he lowered his haunch and sat down next to a wooden crate with a somewhat loud metallic jingle from his worn satchel. And, feeling somewhat relaxed as that feeling that only comes from finishing a long journey began to suddenly set in, he could not help but smile as he placed his hammer on top of the wooden crate. He undid the straps to his satchel and placed it on the crate next to his hammer with the flap dangling off the side and immediately stuck his head in to rummage for a small piece of paper.

'Map? Map? Where is that map?' Klondike asked himself as his eyes and head darted from side to side inside his satchel as it gave off its familiar chorus of jingles. Somepony at City Hall had been nice enough to draw him a map to help him find his way around town once he had arrived. The slightly flowery scented piece of paper had been neatly folded and labeled 'MAP" by whoever sent it along with the last letter addressed to him. Spotting the oddly colored piece of paper sticking out from inside the cover of his book, he made a quick jerk for it and brought it out of the satchel, book and all. He placed the somewhat worn book on top of the crate and quickly pulled the map out from its hiding place.

*squeak* Klondike's right ear suddenly twitched, causing him to stop for a second to look around. 'What the hay was that?' He asked as he placed his map back into the book and a cold breeze ruffled his mane. *squeak* This time both his ears twitched trying to zero in on the noise. It was close… *squeak* More twitching from his ears as he recognized the noise but still focused on finding its source. *squeak* Klondike looked up and suddenly spotted the culprit.

'Well, aren't you a rather noise thing?' He addressed the hanging sign of the small shop with its windows still lit as bright as when he first saw it. 'Don't fret; all you need is some cleaning and a bit of oil' Klondike kept talking to the shop's hanging sign as he reached inside his satchel and pulled out a small thin brush and an oil can. There was a slight look of glee to his face as he looked up at the still squeaking sign, judging the distance. 'Hmm, somewhat high for a pony like myself.' Klondike placed the brush and oil can on the crate next to all his things and gently nudged the crate closer to the shop's wall.

Content with the new distance and height of the crate, Klondike grabbed the small long brush in his mouth and climbed atop the crate, careful not to knock anything down. 'Still a bit far…' He thought to himself as he tried to reach the hinges of the hanging sign. Still standing on the wooden crate, Klondike leaned back onto his hind legs and lifted and propped himself against the small shop's wall and began to brush the rust, dirt, and old oil off from the hinges. As he brushed, he began to hum a bit, trying to keep a rhythm with the *swish* and *swash* of the brush.

To any pony walking by on their way home, the dark blue stallion propped against the small shop's wall while standing on a wooden crate must have been quite a curious site to behold at such an hour, when hardly anypony else was working.

(OOC - After further reading of some of the other RPs, I figured I should write him into Ponyville instead of outside of Ponyville. That seemed to be the norm as far as I could tell. So, please consider the first post as a sort of introduction for Klondike's character. Anypony feel free to post or send me PM about posting =D )

[Pony_Sage]

There was a cool breeze blowing through the leaves over Freddie's head. He was sitting with his back leaning up against an old oak tree near the marketplace. Looking up at the starry sky after a long day making and serving tea he smiled. "Such a beautiful night." Freddie said to himself. Tearing his gaze from the stars Freddie began to dig through his saddlebags. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a tarnished silver harmonica. The moon's light shimmered off of the slender instrument. The harmonica brought back memories to old Freddie, memories of days long since past. Days spent wandering the plains and forests meeting all sorts of interesting folks. Freddie had not been in Ponyville for a long while but he was getting antsy to meet another interesting pony. He said to himself, " 'Tis been a long time since I've had a new song to play."ÂÂ

Freddie thought of his parents and smiled, "Ahh this song should do nicely for a night like tonight." Freddie let out his breath, closed his eyes and took a long bent draw on the three hole of the harmonica. He then snapped down to the two and the one holes blowing. Pausing he started on the three hole again with a draw and the song picked up from there. The somber notes wafted over the marketplace of Ponyville. Anypony that was in earshot was more than welcome to listen to the song. The song sounded of longing but there was a happy edge to the longing. The harmonica was a wonderfully expressive instrument. After a few minutes of play Freddie ended the song on a long sad draw on the six and seven holes, warbling between the two. Smiling Freddie looked about his surroundings. Playing his harp always put him in a good mood.

Freddie spied a rather peculiar pony standing on his hind legs on top of a crate seemingly fiddling with a store sign. The pony's light blue mane and dark blue coat was not recognizable to Freddie. Placing his harp back in his saddlebags, Freddie strolled over to the new pony. Standing behind him looking inquisitively at what this pony was doing Freddie came to understand that he was fixing the sign.

Smiling and tilting his head to the side Freddie spoke to the pony, "A rather strange time at night to be doing maintenance on a sign don't you think? Wouldn't it be much easier to do in the day when you can actually see what you are doing?" Hoping he did not startle the new pony too much.

[[ OOC: I am new to RP as well so this should be fun!]]

[Chonico]

'That should do it for this one.' Klondike thought to himself as he finished cleaning one of the sign's hinges, still standing on his hind legs atop the wooden crate. His ears twitched a little bit as the cool night breeze caused the hanging sign to swing a bit and let out a less notable *squeak* than before. 'Yup, you sound a whole of a lot better now.' He told the sign as he lowered himself onto a sitting position atop the crate, still looking up as his small nighttime project.

As he sat there with a small glint of satisfaction on his face, his right ear began to twitch again as a different sound reached it. It was a new sound, but not one of something that needed fixing. It sounded purposeful, as if somepony was making it happen with a commandeering skill that only came with age. 'That's a pretty sweet tune' was all but a passing thought as Klondike kept gauging just how much the other hinge needed cleaning in comparison to its neighbor. Subconsciously though, he began to hum along with this new melody that, although his right ear was apt at picking up, him mind was too enthralled on his current project to barely register his action or the thought that just ran by.

*squeak* Let out the sign as a slightly stronger breeze cause it to sway again. Klondike, with the brush still in his mouth, lifted himself once again onto his hind legs, and propping himself against the small shop's wall as he did before, began to clean the second hinge of the hanging sign, still subconsciously humming the tune he heard before.

Time always seemed to fly for Klondike when he was tackling one of his projects, whether it be big or small. Sunlight one moment, dark and starry night the next, that was his rhythm. A rhythm that much to his dismay led to some embarrassing tardiness and misheard questions, just like the one the old satin night colored stallion had just thrown his way.

Content with his cleaning of the second hinge, Klondike sat once again atop the wooden crate while looking up at his almost finished project. Deciding the cleaning part of the job was done, he turned around to put the brush down and pick up the oil can. To his surprise however, as he turned his head, he came eye to eye with a pony that was staring at him expectantly. 'Why is he staring at me? Is this his store?' So many questions raced through his mind as he sat there, back turned but head and eyes set on the old stallion. *squeak* His right ear twitched in the direction of the hanging sign causing Klondike's eyebrows to raise a bit.

'HI! Mames Clownbike. I will be wish shoe in a minud.' Klondike addressed the old stallion just before he set down the brush that was in his mouth on top the crate and turned his head towards the hanging sign. With right ear twitching, he proceeded to raise himself onto his hind legs again. And, while propping himself with one hoof against the shop's wall and lightly swaying the hanging sign with the other, addressed the old satin black stallion again, this time without a brush impeding his speech.

'Could you pass me that oil can, please?'

(OOC - I'm trying to reduce my wall text a bit. Emphasis on "trying" =p )

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie began to chuckle, he could not help it. "Clownbike aye?" His chuckle turned into a full, wholehearted belly laugh. It was not a cruel or mean laugh but merely a laugh of pleasure. "Ohhhh eeeehh, I am fairly certain that your name is not Clownbike," Freddie was cut short when the 'Clownbike' pony asked for the oil can that was sitting on a crate next to him. "...Absolutely ..." Freddie said before grabbing the oil can with his mouth and lifting it up to the new pony.

As 'Clownbike' took the oil can from Freddie, a thought dawned on the old stallion, "Oh my how forgetful of me! My name is Mister Freddie Freewings, you may call me however you wish though, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance . . ." Freddie paused a moment for emphasis as he turned his head to the side and smiled, "Mister Clownbike." Freddie could not help but chuckle to himself once again.

Freddie was in a great mood so he decided to make conversation with 'Clownbike' even if he was engrossed in his work. Freddie plopped down on his right flank, slouching with his feet off to the left. His saddlebags slid down off of his back and landed in a crumpled pile on the ground behind him. "You seem fairly handy with tools there. That sign has squeaked ever since I have been here at least, and most likely far longer than that. I am sure that the store owner will appreciate you fixing it for him, but the crickets may miss their companion." Freddie chuckled again, he let out a sharp chirping whistle through his teeth, it sounded at least /similar/ to a cricket. Somewhere far off in the distance a cricket could be heard halfheartedly responding to the call.

"So may I ask you what brought you to this quaint town on Ponyville?" Freddie interjected after a short silence. "Are you here for work, or are you just a mild mannered pony in the day time, but at night you turn into the mysterious Mister Fix, out to solve all the towns dilemmas with your trusty brush and oil can?" Freddie may have been poking fun at the other pony but it was in a good-natured jovial way. Freddie sat watching 'Clownbike' with a smile hoping that he would prove to be an interesting pony.

[[ OOC : Text walls aren't always bad! Yours have so much description in them it is wonderful! By the way you had me laughing out loud with 'Clownbike' very well done Bravo **claps**]]

[Chonico]

Klondike took the oil can from the old satin black pony and began to apply a little bit of oil to the sign's hinges, repeatedly putting one squirt, stopping, and swaying the sign with the hoof he wasn't using to prop himself against the shop's wall, trying to gauge just how much oil was enough. He had a visitor now, of that he made a mental note as he tried to not loose himself on his project, an effort he repeated more often than he would like to admit.

'So his name is Mr. Freddie Freewings…' Klondike repeated what he just heard to himself in his mind as he tried to pay attention and remember. 'Perhaps a few more squirts on this one…and this shop is owned by a Mister… Clownbike? And he sells crickets? Interesting, I wonder what for?' Well, Klondike tried to pay attention anyways, not being the most apt for multi-tasking that didn't involve tools or taking things apart.

As he finished his maintenance on the last hinge, satisfied with the sound and feel of the sign swaying, he managed to hear most of Mr. Freewings' questions asking him who he was and why was he in Ponyville. As Klondike lowered himself onto a sitting position atop the crate, he laid the oil can next to his satchel and put a smile on his face as he addressed Mr. Freewings.

'I'm from Hoofington and I came here to open up my own shop…' Klondike's face grew a little worrisome as he stared in the direction he assumed the center of town was located. 'Well, at least I hope to be able to.' He said almost mumbling a bit and then paused and looked up at the night sky.

Shaking his head a bit, trying to shoo away the idea that he would have to sleep outside, and deciding he would find an inn before long, he looked at the pony sitting in front of him and began to answer what questions he remembered. 'I fix things, day and night so I guess you could call me Mr. Fixer.' Klondike said as he rested a hoof atop his satchel causing it to jingle a bit. 'I have a tool for every job. That oil I used is actually my own special blend. It should reduce the rusting on that sign considerably; ensuring Mr. Clownbike can keep on selling his crickets at his store without worry of the hinges breaking and the sign falling on somepony.' He said as he looked up at the sign, right ear twitching trying pick-up the sound of the now silently swaying sign.

A small smile formed on his face as he made plans to come back in the morning and inform the mistakenly named 'Mr. Clownbike' that he had silenced his sign. Although not urgent, a hinged still needed to be replaced, put he would bring that up as a side note and hopefully get the go-ahead from his first prospect-able customer.

'Besides, since this was a simple maintenance, it's on the house.' He said as he pointed at himself with his hoof. 'Anything more elaborate I would charge for; can't start a business by giving freebies all the time.'He continued as he scratched his check a bit and let out a small grin, trying to secretly hide the fact he forgot what else Mr. Freewings asked him.

(OCC - Thanks, I actually spent a few minutes holding my finger in my mouth trying to figure out what vowels and consonants get slurred by that action XP It was either Clownbike or Klonghike. Also, I think I left it open enough for the plot to keep moving forward... Or was it the other way around?)

[Pony_Sage]

"So you are looking to open up a repair shop. We could always use one of those, things are constantly needing a good fix around here. Have you spoken with the town hall yet? They are the ponies in charge of land distribution. I managed to get a wonderful little piece of land on the outskirts of town. City hall would be closed at this time of night though. Have you booked a stay at any of the Inns around town, they are usually full up, Ponyville is a busy place it seems." Freddie could see the worry on his companion's face.

Freddie was taken aback by the next part of the conversation. "Wait, Mister Clownbike sells crickets, what in Equestria are you talking about? Who would sell crickets and what for?" Freddie cocked his head to the side and crinkled his nose up a little in a look of sheer confusion. It then struck Freddie like a tonne of bricks. He almost choked as he guffawed harder than he had in many years. He fell over on to his side and laughed some more. As his side struck the ground though a spike of pain was driven up his left wing and into his whithers.

Freddie shook a little with the pain. A grimace came across his countenance. 'Damn it Freddie you should remember you can't do that!' Freddie silently scolded as he repositioned himself back on his hindquarters looking at the other Pony. Clearing his throat, "Sorry about that, it dawned on me that neither of us knew what the other one was talking about." Freddie smiled at the pony sitting on the crate. "I think we should start over, but maybe on our way to find you a place to stay for the night. You can't sleep out here, even though it is a beautiful night."  Freddie gingerly placed his saddle bags on his back and tightened them up again. "Shall we depart?" He asked the other pony with a quizzical look.

[[ OOC -- Sorry for the delay, Finals week and all, You left it open just fine, You left me with more than enough to work with! ]]]

[Chonico]

Klondike could not help but let out a big grin upon hearing that there would be plenty of things to fix in town. Perhaps his idea to come to Ponyville wasn't so bad at all, and the promise of having plenty of things to take apart and fix suddenly put him in better spirits. 'I did manage to set up a studio for me to rent and the keys were ready for me today. Except…' Klondike's gaze shifted towards his satchel which lay on the crate next to him, flap open, remembering how it was his lack of attention and his guessing game that caused him to be late. 'I was supposed to be here early to pick up the keys, but I got umm… sidetracked.' He said as he scratched the back of his head with his hoof.

Klondike could not help but be somewhat confused about the Mister Clownbike comments. And, watching the satin black pony burst out laughing as he questioned Mister Clownbike's business plan only made him even more curious as to what was so funny. 'I obviously missed something, no surprise there.' He mumbled to himself as the pony in front of him repositioned himself on his hind quarters. For a second he swore he saw a grimace of pain in the pony's face, but if he was making an effort to hide it, then Klondike would respect it.

Still, at the suggestion of helping him in finding an inn, Klondike could do little more than agree with a wholehearted nod as he stepped down from the crate. Looking at his satchel, he suddenly remembered his hammer strap still needed fixing. 'Hmm, I'll have to fix you once we are at the inn.' He addressed his satchel while picking up the brush and putting it away. First the brush, then the oil can, and finally the book with the hoof-drawn map neatly folded inside. He would thank whoever drew it properly the next morning when he went to City Hall, but for now, as the night breeze began to blow a chilly wind to remind him of his predicament, he was more than glad to walk with Mr. Freewings as he lead him to an inn.

Quickly grabbing his satchel and tightening it onto his back, he grabbed the hammer in his mouth and began to gently nudge it under the flap of his satchel, hoping it would be balanced enough to not slip out while walking.'You are being kind enough to show me to an Inn. The least I can do is chat with you without a tool in my mouth.' And just like that, Klondike extended one hoof and with a smile on his face re-introduced himself. 'Hi, again, I'm Klondike but most just call me K.' Satisfied believing this is what Mr. Freewings meant by 'start over,' and as he threw a sideward's glance at the now silent hanging sign he continued, 'So I take it you've been in Ponyville for quite some time?'

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie did enjoy talking with new ponies, there was always a new story to be had. He took the other ponies hoof in his and shook.

"Well Klondike, that sounds more like a pony name. I am pleased to meet you, I am Mister Freddie Freewings. Yes I have been in Ponyville for about a year now, there is always something interesting going on here! And I am sure that the clerks at City Hall will hold the keys for you. They are not that punctual around these parts. Everypony gets distracted now and again."ÂÂ

He began to slowly walk towards the other side of town where the Inns and taverns were located. Ponyville had many Inns but at this time of night they were most likely all booked up, although there is no harm in trying.

"So you have a knack for fixing things huh, it is a good skill to have. Now is this a hobby or a job, or is it your calling?"ÂÂ

Freddie loved to hear about other ponies lives. It was just so interesting to him, seeing how other ponies lived and saw the world. He liked putting himself in their shoes for a while and seeing the world a different way.

[Chonico]

As Mr. Freewings and Klondike shook hoofs, Klondike was surprised to learn he had only been in town for about a year. He seemed more well traveled than most ponies he'd run across on his trip from Hoofington to Ponyville, or any of the travelers he saw while growing up in Hoofington, so he guessed it made sense. Hearing however that his keys were likely to still be waiting for him in the morning, he could not help but let out a *sigh* as he slightly reassured himself that he still had his new studio to live in. And, upon hearing that not many ponies in Ponyville were punctual, Klondike simply smiled as he thought to himself how his own talent for getting lost and distracted in his work would just fit right in with the pace of the town.

With an onset of metallic jingles from his satchel, Klondike began to walk along with Mr. Freewings as they set onward to what he hoped was the inn district of Ponyville. Careful not to walk to fast, keeping mind of his company and trying to remember the way so that he could come back in the morning and speak with the shopkeeper whose sign he had fixed, Klondike began to ponder the question that was just posed to him.

'Hmm, I guess…' He stopped for a second as he raised his hoof to his chin and tapped it lightly. 'You could call it my calling, and all of the above.' He began to walk again alongside Mr. Freewings. 'My aim is to open up my own repair shop here in Ponyville. I even decided on a name for it, 'The Jingling Satchel Repair Shop' were you can get anything from loose buttons to broken carriages repaired.' He said with glee in his voice as he began to imagine the different sorts of things that a town like Ponyville would need repaired.

'I've been learning how to fix things since I was a colt. In fact, I started around the same time I got my tools.' As he said so, Klondike looked back at his satchel, making sure the handle of the hammer was still visible ensuring him it hadn't fallen out from under the satchel's flap. With a quick stomp from his hoof, not too hard but just enough, he caused the metallic jingle to sound more clearly. *twing ting* 'I know my tools like I know my own hoof, what you heard just now was the socket wrench hitting the small saw and the screwdriver being hit by another wrench.' He said with a smile on his face as his right ear slightly twitched.

As they kept walking, Klondike kept announcing what tools made the metallic jingles that accompanied them, his right ear slightly twitching in unison with the sound and his answers, unaware that he was becoming absorbed in the game. Another quick stomp from his hoof and... *ping jingle* 'That was the L-Keys chiming in unison with some loose change.' Klondike's face suddenly changed to that of surprised realization and he looked over at Mr. Freewings. 'Sorry, I'm not trying to show off, at least not on purpose.' He grinned a bit as he tried to remember the last question he was supposed to be answering. 'But yes, it's a nice call to heed, at least for me it is.'

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie was watching Klondike jingle the satchel and name his tools. There was almost a melody to it, music if you listened hard enough. That is what Freddie was good at, listening and so he did. He picked up the treble of the 'L-Keys' and the 'loose change', the mids of 'the socket wrench hitting a small saw', and even the steady bass notes of the pony's hoof beats. All this hit Freddie's ears as the wonderful music of life.

"I like the name of your shop, I think it fits perfectly." He says laughing. "You were not showing off, you were creating the music of life. All the calamity of those tools in your bags plays right into the beat of your hooves and if you listen hard enough, you can hear it."ÂÂ

Freddie stopped talking for a moment but he continued listening to what he called 'music of life'. He looked over at Klondike expectantly.

"Did you hear it? That is the music of you!" Freddie said as he stopped walking for a moment to retrieve his harmonica and a neck holder for it that he rarely ever used.

"Now if you wouldn't mind walking for a bit more next to me while I pick out notes, I would greatly appreciate it!" He said standing up after attaching the harmonica to its holder. He blew out through the instrument in an upwards scale and inhaled a downward scale to make sure that all the reeds still worked. As they walked he began to pick out notes to go along with the symphony of noises coming out of Klondike's bag, always keeping in mind the beat of the other pony's hooves.

[Chonico]

Klondike could not help but let out a shallow chuckle and a smile as Mr. Freewings mentioned his satchel's metallic jingles as being 'his' music. He himself had grown to consider the seemingly chaotic jingles as his own theme music, more akin to a worker's marching chant. A sort of chorus of eager workers voicing out their purpose in as a distinguishable a voice as his own and Mr. Freewings' voice, eager to get to their destination and begin to work. It was something that he had learned to listen to from always carrying his jingling tools wherever he went. But, to have another pony refer to it as such, when most could only hear the seemingly unorganized banging of chaos, well, that was a first for him.

As Mr. Freewings stopped to take out his harmonica and the holder, his curiosity began to peek and he was tempted to ask if he could take a quick look at the instruments. However, fearing he might be more tempted to take them apart and see how they were put together once they were in his hoofs, he thought better not to ask, and simply smiled when Mr. Freewings requested he keep walking with him.

Admittedly, it was a bit hard not to alter his gait, or for that matter not become clumsy with his gait. Since Mr. Freewings mentioned how his jingle played to the beat of his hoofs, it was hard not to become self-conscious of his form and hoof steps now. Yet, as Mr. Freewings' instrument began to add its own voice to the chorus of metallic jingles, Klondike's right ear could do no more than twitch frantically as it tried to recognize the new sound and, soon enough, his left ear joined in to help. None the less what he heard consciously, while his ears did the subconscious searching, did more than just put a smile on his face but caused a curious grin to form across his face as well.

Quickly changing his gait a bit, he began to take bigger and longer steps, shorter and shallower steps, steps to the right, steps to the left and back. A small dance or better yet, a small jig had begun to form as Klondike's own tool chorus changed their voices a bit with each different step and mingled with the chorus of Mr. Freewings' harmonica. Night strolling ponies on the street, as well as those peering out their windows could do little more than look curiously as the two pony parade made its way down the street.

[Pony_Sage]

The tune that Freddie was playing picked up in complexity as Klondike began to move about more. He chuckled

"That's it keep it up! This is getting good."ÂÂ

Freddie's harmonica really started to hop to the syncopated beat. Runs blended into verses as the old pony started to dance a little himself. He was used to ponies looking at him strangely, so wandering down the street while playing music wasn't something that phased him. The song had an old jazzy edge to it but followed the worker's march beat. Freddie was enjoying himself, it was like having a conversation with no words. The music wafted across the silent little town, anypony within earshot was more than welcome to listen to the tune. The tool's sounds complimented the harmonica and vice versa.

They were still walking towards the inns but Freddie was far more interested with the song at the moment than the inns.

[Chonico]

'Oof!' Klondike exclaimed as he suddenly felt the travel's weight bearing down on him. He had just spent a whole day traveling at an incredibly fast pace trying to make up time. As much as he was enjoying the sudden music and dance, he was beginning to realize just how tired his hoofs were.

'One second Mr. Freewings. *huff puff* My satchel suddenly decided to become heavy. Color me impressed, but your skills with that instrument are superb. If… *huff puff*… If I could hire you to play while I fix things, I'd be lost to the world. But, I think I already have a big enough problem with that so *huff puff*…'

Klondike sat down on his haunches while he caught his breath, a clear dampening of his brow glistening in the light coming off from the windows and street lamps as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths through his nostrils, almost appearing to be meditating. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and a sudden expression of confusion immediately adorned his face.

'Umm, I don't recall it being this crowded a while ago.' He noted as he realized the scenery had changed. 'For just how long were we doing our concert? Are we still in Ponyville?' He looked left and right as the sound from within the brightly light buildings reached his ears, causing his right ear to twitch frantically. As he kept looking at the few ponies strolling by, he noticed one go into a building carrying a traveling satchel, and as the door closed behind the pony, he noticed that the sign on the door read 'Inn' in bright blue letters.

'Mr. Freewings, are we at the inn district of Ponyville? Assuming we are still in Ponyville…' He asked with a slight chuckle to his voice.

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie let out a good natured chuckle as Klondike sat down and took a breather. 'Poor stallion must have been walking for quite a while to be this tired.' he mused to himself. Freddie stood next to Klondike.

"Thank you for the compliment, I've been playing for longer than you have been alive most likely. That has afforded me with much time to practice. I may not be the best in Equestria but I still have fun! As to your question. Yes we are in the lovely district of Ponyville that houses the Inns and Taverns." Freddie answered happily as he looked about.

He saw an Inn which was connected to a tavern that had a Vacancy sign in the window. Freddie took this brief rest to pack up his harmonica and its holder. After doing so he pointed a hoof to the Inn.

"That looks about a good a place as any for you to bed down for the evening. Plus there is a Tavern that you can get some food at, you must be starving." Freddie began to slowly walk towards the Inn.

[Chonico]

Suddenly at the mention of food, and his stomach voicing its displeasure by reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since early morning, Klondike's ears perked up as he caught his second wind… Or was it the third? He honestly couldn't recall and didn't really dwell on it as he practically jumped to his hooves with a renewed smile on his face and trotted past Mr. Freewings. Upon reaching the door he went ahead and opened it for the kind Pegasus that had helped reached his destination as he took one quick peek inside and spotted the reception desk with its adjacent open arch that led to the tavern of the Inn.

'Mr. Freewings, you were so kind to help me get here that I feel the need to treat you to a drink and some supper. Plus…' Klondike took one quick look at the sky, and realized he had no idea what time it was, except that it was late in the night. 'I would imagine that like me, you probably missed supper so I will not take 'no' for an answer. Please sit yourself down at a table while I get myself checked in and leave my satchel in my room.'

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie happily trotted into the warmly lit tavern as Klondike held the door for him.

"My such a Gentlecolt! Thank you kindly!" he said in return.

As Klondike offered him supper he could not help but remember that he had in-fact missed that important meal. His stomach grumbled as he looked about and into the tavern.

"You make a convincing argument Mister Klondike and I believe that my stomach agrees with you." Freddie said with a chuckle. He picked his way to a booth near the bar and shrugged off his saddle bags, hanging them on a rack in the corner. Freddie took a seat in the booth and let out a sigh. His joints ached, he lamented that he was not as young as he once was for a moment. When the waiter pony arrived he ordered two glasses of water as he waited for Klondike to find him. Freddie spied Klondike at the entrance to the tavern and waved a hoof at him with a smile.

The sounds of a jaunty drinking tune filled the tavern as the hearth warmed the entire room. Freddie could not help but tap his hoof on the table to the beat of the music. The tavern was filled with a moderate amount of ponies and a friendly looking wait-staff. All in all it was what could be expected of a Ponyvillian establishment.

[Chonico]

Klondike was all but too happy to have the weight of the satchel off of his back. He loved his tools and the orchestra of jingles they provided him with. He would even go as far as to say he felt naked without them, but, seeing as ponies were always naked, that was a mute point. Yet, for this occasion, he was content with agreeing that they both needed a break after such a long trip. And his break just happened to involve supper as opposed to lying atop a bed in a satchel.

Approaching the entrance to the tavern, he quickly spotted Mr. Freewings sitting in a booth and immediately made his way towards it. He took a seat across from the elderly pony and without any hesitation took the glass of water in his mouth and finished it off in one go only to set the glass back down with a slight thud on the table.

'Hmm, I guess I was also very thirsty…' Klondike said as he stared at the empty glass on top of the table, a slight sheepish grin taking hold of his face. His stomach however was quick to interrupt his train of thought, reminding him of his purpose for being there and Klondike immediately set off to look for the menu which he spotted at the end of the table.

'Feel free to have anything you'd like Mr. Freewings, I know I plan to.' Klondike said with a slight chuckle as he picked up the menu and began to scan it. 'I have to say though I don't think I've eaten many dinners at a tavern before. Do you see anything here you'd recommend?'

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie gazed over the menu, there were just a few items to choose from, this was a tavern after all. His eyes, and his stomach, eventually settled on the wheat -grass stew with a side of smashed potatoes.

"You are too kind Mister Klondike, but I have already taken up a large amount of your time, I would hate to take up a large amount of your bits as well. Oh this stew sounds wonderful, full of flavor and interesting ingredients." Freddie commented to Klondike.

The waiter arrived with a fresh glass of water for Klondike and asked if they were ready to order. He was a stout unicorn with a yellow coat and black hair. He seemed as though he had had a very long day.

"I would like a kettle of hot water and two cups please. Also might I have a helping of the Wheat-grass stew with a side of the smashed potatoes?"ÂÂ

Freddie smiled pleasantly at the waiter as he took the order and looked over to Klondike when it was his turn to order.

[Chonico]

Klondike waited for Freddie Freewings to finish ordering and when the waiter pony looked over at him he decided to make it simply for him. 'I'll have what he's having, except, could I get some of the steamed carrots instead of the smashed potatoes? Also, no pot of hot water for me.'

After the waiter pony excused himself and walked away, Klondike looked over to his dinner guest with a slight bit of curiosity as he raised an eyebrow. Debating whether he should wait and see what Freddie did with the hot water or simply ask, he soon realized that his curiosity wasn't going to really let him have a choice. 'What is the pot of hot water for, Mr. Freewings?' Klondike asked as bluntly as a brick, a curious expression forming across his face.

[Pony_Sage]

Freddie laughed a little at Klondike's question. It was a valid question but he just wasn't expecting it. He gave a wink to Klondike and briefly excused himself from the table. He retrieved a small leather pouch from his saddle bags and then returned to the table. He opened the pouch and showed its contents to Klondike. It looked to contain sticks and twigs along with ground up greenery.

"Tea! Of course. My own personal blend, it may not be up to par with some other ponies creations but I like it rather well. Tea is the great equalizer, no matter where a pony comes from or how they feel, tea always is a good idea!" Freddie said with a smile.

The waiter brought them their food and the kettle of hot water as Freddie had asked for. He preceded to make tea for Klondike and himself. It was a blend of sassafras and lemon. It was interesting although it lacked something that a tea making pony would have known to put in. Freddie ate his food and occasionally offered a quip of insight to Klondike. It seemed that this old pony could talk for forever and a day. Always adding something of vague usefulness to the conversation and running off on strange tangents. As the night wore on he did start to show signs of tiring though. After the meal was finished he looked over to his new friend.

"I have to thank you for a wonderful evening and a great supper. Both are much apprecated. I have not had somepony to talk to for this long in quite a while. Thank you again." He said with a smile as he slyly put some bits on the table for a tip.

"I am sorry, but this old pony needs to get home and rest his bones. I am pleased that I met you and will definitely stop by your shop when it is open if I ever need anything fixed." He continued with a yawn.

Freddie packed up his things, strapped on his saddle bags and started for the door.

[Chonico]

His question answered and replaced with curiosity over the instruments produced by Mr. Freewings, a curiosity that would have to wait for another time, Klondike sat in attention and kept a close eye on Mr. Freewings as he prepared the tea for the both of them. Although the food had arrived, he was admittedly more interested in the tea, giving it a slight whiff trying to determine what it would taste like. He was a coffee drinker and seldom drank tea, and when he did, it was usually the kind that came in little bags. However, once he tried it, he made a mental note that whenever he felt like drinking something other than coffee, he should seek Mr. Freewings out and ask him to make tea again.

As dinner went on, he enjoyed their conversation and shared whatever little insights he had as well. Although being gifted in things like repair didn't provide much for a generous portion of insights as opposed to his seasoned dinner guest, the conversation was truly enjoyable. Time seemed to fly by and before either of them knew it, late night had crept up on them and Klondike would was sure that the tired expression on Mr. Freewings' face was a mirror image of his own.

'It was my pleasure to have your company tonight. You spin quite some tales and the tea, again, was something new to me. I'll keep an eye out for you next time I'm lost in town.' Klondike addressed the elderly pony with a chuckle as he began to gather his things. With a quick nod, he stood and thank the elderly pony once again as he began to make his way for the door. 'Thank you again Mr. Freewings. I hope you have a safe trip home and I will certainly keep an eye out for you in case you ever need anything fixed up.'

Once Mr. Freewings was close to the door of the Inn, Klondike turned around towards the table with a bemused expression on his face. He had never expected to run into such a nice pony on his way into town but, he was sure that once tomorrow came and he made his way to City Hall to collect his keys for his new residence, he would more than likely meet as equally as pleasant ponies along the way. Yet, perhaps too nice though he began to think as he suddenly spotted the tip left behind by his dinner guest.

'Why that sly old pony… I should go out and catch him to return these bits to him.' Klondike pondered for a minute while he stared at the few bits on the table. However, with a slight shake of his head and a tired but content expression across his muzzle, he hung his head a bit and quickly raised it while letting out a somewhat noticeable sigh. 'Oh well, guess I'll get to tip the waiter next time around. Should probably hit the hay and get ready for tomorrow. I have no intention of getting up late and pushing my luck with my keys.'

With that thought in mind, he paid for the dinner and began to make his way towards his room…

Or so he had planned, his right ear deciding otherwise as it began to twitch furiously at an odd churning and sputtering sound coming from the kitchen of the tavern. His curiosity getting the better of him, he stopped a waiter and asked him if there was a problem with a trash disposal in a sink. The waiter blinked at Klondike as he simply nodded and began to go about his rounds. Klondike walked up to the counter near the entrance and addressed the proprietor of the Inn, a broad grin across his muzzle as his right ear continued to twitch.

'HI! I'm Clownbike!... No! Wait, not this again. Sorry, name's Klondike and I do believe you are in need of a repair pony to take care of an unruly trash disposal?"