Good Times Are My Business Model (Open)

[SonicRainboomGirl]

Artificial watched as Serendipity made her judgement. Her words were ultimately kind, he supposed, but he still felt a challenge in her tone. He truly was a confident artist, and he really was capable of backing up his words. He gazed at the beautiful mare with a look of determination and smirked knowingly. He reached into the little napsack where he was keeping his tokens and pulled two front row tickets for his show. He placed them on the table proudly.

[colour=#ff0000]"Believe me, I'm quite capable of putting on a wicked show. Here's a ticket for you and your mate. Feel free to show up if you'd like. I'm no tosser, Miss."[/colour]

Artificial had a few reasons for inviting her. For the most part he wanted to be right, and his arrogance wouldn't let him pass up an opportunity. Secondly, he knew quite well how fantastic he looked rocking onstage. He became a new pony under the spotlight, perfect and bright. Serendipity was a beautiful mare, and he was hoping a good show might show her what kind of stallion he was.

Artificial turned to the dealer.

[colour=#ff0000]"Hit me."[/colour]

Artificial saw before him a five. He wasn't terribly familiar with blacjack, in fact he had only played a few times before. He hoped a five was a good thing.

[Bellosh]

Merlot nodded his head as Artificial Harmonic provided him and Serendipity with free tickets to his show, but otherwise kept silent. Unless the casino heiress prompted the gentlecolt into attending the concert, he had no intention of showing up. Most likely, Merlot would dispose of the ticket once in the confines of his hotel room.

As expected, Serendipity proved adapt in blackjack as she found herself with a five, an eight, and a six; a pretty good hand. Mr. Harmonic found himself with a two and a three; unfortunately, the fool lacked the sense to know what to do with his abysmal deck. Merlot himself possessed a ten and a six; sixteen looked good by itself, but the khaki unicorn decided to show a little courage and told the dealer; [colour=#0000ff]“Hit me.”[/colour] The move had some risk, but it was better than giving the house a chance to win with a higher hand.....

[RarityDash]

[colour=#FF0000]"Believe me, I'm quite capable of putting on a wicked show. Here's a ticket for you and your mate. Feel free to show up if you'd like. I'm no tosser, Miss."[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Ever so eager to prove yourself to a pretty face, are we?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Serendipity started with an affected giggle as she took the ticket.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Well, it would be ill-mannered of us to refuse a gift so graciously offered, would it not, my fine doctor?"[/colour][colour=#000000] she spoke in imitation of a refined lady, smiling at Merlot. It was rather obvious that this stallion had no desire to see such a concert, which for Serendipity presented a fine opportunity to tease. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Smiling back at Harmonic, she nodded.[/colour] [colour=#000033]"Let us hope you put on a worthy show, good sir!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she added, not losing the mock-cultured tone. Her interest in his music was not substantial, but after making the stallion's acquaintance, she had to say she was kind of eager to see him in his element, especially after seeing the confidence he seemed to possess. She'd look forward to the concert.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]For now, however, there was blackjack. She watched the cards of the others. Artifical had a low hand, five between two cards, but he took only a single hit. Merlot, however, found himself with higher cards; a ten and a six, but took a risky hit. The dealer dealt each of them a card as requested. Harmonic found himself with an ace, for a total of sixteen. Merlot received another six, finding himself bust by one. Serendipity nodded as her eyes went to the dealer. The mare revealed her hole card then; it was a king. Serendipity gave a sigh, as this brought the dealer to twenty, one more than her own hand. None of them had beat the house this round and were out the bits for it. Seren wasn't however the sort to quit while down. She pushed some more bits toward the dealer.[/colour]

"I'm in for another round," [colour=#000000]she said and was dealt two more cards, a pair of aces. Not a bad hand, given it could be counted for twelve or two. Made it pretty resistant to busting[/colour]. [colour=#000033]"I'll take a hit."[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said readily, but was disappointed to find herself with a queen, meaning she had to count the aces low. "And another," she said, nodding. This time she found herself with a seven.[/colour] [colour=#000033]"Ha! Nineteen again,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she said, shaking her head... though maybe her famous luck would be better this time. The dealer, who had taken one hit, had visible a five and a six in addition to the card still hidden.[/colour]

​

[SteelEagle]

Jackpot smiled, his newest act signed and ready to deliver months of entertainment for his patrons. No wonder he was so darn good at his job and most importantly simply a fine stallion who never felt he had worked a moment in his life. He was eating dinner with a pony whom he had gone through Tartarus to see in harder times, but was now here, with him half-flirting and negotiation with one of Equestria's most famous and well-heeled magicians while sipping fine cider of his establishment in one of the most happenin' cities in the world. Life was good and strong and he was on top of the world, and that was't just a reference to the times when he would roll around on top of a giant globe. No, Trixie was being magically magical in front of him and he'd be a centaur's uncle before he didn't admit he was easily impressed. He clapped twice like an impish foal as she struck her pose, not ashamed at all in the slightest to admit that even as an adult his tastes were more defined by what would excite a little one. That, above all things, was the greatest gift to have.

[colour=#ff0000]"Splendid!" [/colour]he managed to say without concealing his blush at her kind words towards him, even if it didn't stop him from talking as he realized a flirt when he saw one, [colour=#ff0000]"I was worried you would decline and I'd have to round up some lesser entertainers. Let's begin your tour of The Tops- we have a lot to get to and not much time to do it!"[/colour] And with that he turned around in place and motioned to the bar and restaurant they were in.

[colour=#ff0000]"The Top is home to Las Pegasus' first four-star restaurant, one of only ten in the whole nation! We have a staff of some of the more qualified, if a bit eccentric, cooks and food artisans in the whole world, and our prices are fair. The bar is one of the city's best, holding one of the largest ranges of drinks as well as a staff that comes very highly recommended,"[/colour] He motioned around, showcasing the fine tables, fine chairs, fine cloth, and the li candles that made the atmosphere smooth. He then trotted into the gaming hall.

[colour=#ff0000]"The Tops also hosts one of the best gaming pits in the city! What sets us apart is how deliriously fair we are. The house may still win, but seven times as many ponies walk away winners than compared with the second closest casino. They tend to spend those winnings here or in the local shops, allowing us to have a lot of exclusive deals with some of the finest of the fine. Works out pretty well, don'tcha think?"[/colour] He laughed, leading her to the performance hall. It could seat a thousand ponies easily, and if you took away some of the excess in the area you could seat twice that.

[colour=#ff0000]"It isn't one of the biggest, but our-setup for performances is considered the best in terms of quality. The acoustics thanks to construction are amazing and our ample space under the stage allows for all sorts of prep work to be done. Seats are fairly priced but because of the limited size scalpers are getting away with selling them for more than a seat at the Hoofbowl, so that should tell you what people think of our acts. I just purchased more land in the area and next year I'm going to expand this to seat ten thousand ponies, making it the second biggest venue in the city. Pretty neat, huh?"[/colour] He beamed with pride, taking her next to the hotel. He trotted from the lobby and then to an elevator specially marked Celestial Suites. A unicorn attendant nodded, and his magic started to crank the gears which set the elevator silently into motion.

[colour=#ff0000]"For you, a Celstia Suite! Easily one of the best in the city, and those in the suites have their own elevator so they don't *have* to mingle with the crowd if they don't want to,"[/colour] He added simply, the attendant's magic starting to fizzle and finally ended, having charged the crank turns enough. He took a deep breath as the elevator continued.

[colour=#ff0000]"I think you'll be happy with your room! It's where our exclusive deals with nearby finery stores really comes into it's own,"[/colour] he finished as the elevator stopped moving. It then turned 90 degrees and stopped. The door then opened, revealing a second elevator-like room, but this one circular. The group, sans attendant, moved into this one, and Jackpot input a code on the wall using a pad that had several indentations of animals.

[colour=#ff0000]"Rabbit, minotaur, rabbit, cat. Remember that!" [/colour]he said cheerfully, doing it as he said it. After he pressed the cat, the pad flashed blue magic and the circular room turned about 40 degrees. Jackpot then took Trixie's hoof and placed it on the door for a few seconds.

[colour=#ff0000]"The first time takes the longest,"[/colour] he said sheepishly, her hoof feeling clean and- well, it even felt nice. After a few seconds the name "Trixie" flashed on the door in blue and the door opened to her suite.

[colour=#ff0000]"Your suite is fantastic! First you have the greeting space, followed by a staircase made of pure marble. Your main room has a small water fountain, some of the best couches in the land, a mini-cider bar, a working fireplace, a jacuzzi, and entrances to your balcony. Pressing this-"[/colour] he pressed a pad near one of the couches, and soon gear-turning could be heard before a small cylinder elevator appeared out of the floor, two employees stepping out,[colour=#ff0000] "will summon room service or anything else you need,"[/colour] he nodded and the employees left.

[colour=#ff0000]"As you can see, the room is quite large. It's built for comfort and relaxation as is, but most of those who get a suite like to have more personal modifications. We can do a lot of with the room, just call us and we'd be happy to assist," [/colour]he smiled, trotting to the greeting area.

[colour=#ff0000]"Here is your personal elevator, but it has other functions to. There was a button in the shape of Celestia. Press that and the magical gears turn you into the hallway, where you can deal with in a private manner other members of the Celestial Suites. The door that you see in your greeting area, the one next to your elevator- that leads into the normal hallway accessed by the normal patrons. That door can only be opened from the inside, so you don't have to worry about any unwanted visitors,"[/colour] he said, trotting to the bedroom.

[colour=#ff0000]"Your bed- I mean, the beds we have are r-really soft, and quite large! They were made specificaly to give a pony the best possible rest. You have large drawers and an even larger closet, and just like the living room we can modify it for you and your desires- likes- requirements!" [/colour]He blushed, heading into the bathroom.

[colour=#ff0000]"Endless hot water of any temperature, a large sink, and look at the tiling!"[/colour]

Kitchen, which was next to the main room.

[colour=#ff0000]"Should you desire to cook yourself, we have a fully featured kitchen with fresh ingredients delivered on request. If you're having any issues with the magical system, we have specialists on standy ready to help. The dining room is outside, covered by see-through windows. And...well, that's it!" [/colour]He laughed nervously, walking back to the greeting area.

[colour=#ff0000]"Well, that's the long and short of it. I have to meet with Artificial and prepare for his concert- attendees should be arriving any time now! You can stay here or head below to prepare for your show after his. But...uhh, do you like the room?"[/colour]

[brianblackberry]

Trixie felt great, in fact it was the best she felt for quite some time. Finally, finally, here was a pony who personally appreciated her wondrous theatrics! After all, that is all the humble and fair Trixie asked for, acknowledgement and admiration of her finely honed skills of magical showponyship. If more ponies were just appreciative, she wouldn't have to make the stories of her great magic so…colourful. Wasn't her fault the average pony was such a jaded critic of the theater., she did this for them after all! [colour=#6699cc]"Well my dear patron, Trixie appreciates your keen eye and enthusiastic admiration for the majestic. Now, by all means, give the Magical and Beautiful Trixie the grand tour of your fine establishment." [/colour]

The unicorn mare smiled as she followed Jackpot as he showcased the various amenities of the resort casino. The layout was pretty fancy and expensive, which Trixie found suitably impressive but not enough so to say anything though. If he wanted praise, he would have to really wow this showmare! Trixie did not simply give out adulation.

She had her doubts that Jackpot would able to come through on really impressing her, despite his valet effort. Yet again, who ever could? Even Whooves very rarely manage to ever get Trixie to gasp in awe about anything. So why would a casino truly stir any sense of astonishment in her?

Trixie was confident her her dismissive view until she gazed upon her personal accommodations. They could only be properly defined by one word: Royal. Who else but a princess, or the very wealthy, connected noble, could possible afford such a fancy suite. She never even imagined half of the luxuries she now gazed upon even existing, let alone all in one place. As Jackpot continued to list the features of the palatial suite, Trixie's eyes slowly widened as her jaw dropped. The only initial answer to Jackpot's inquiry to how she felt about it was garbled stupefaction, [colour=#6699cc]"waaah… uhhh… Wahhh?!?"[/colour]

Trixie stood there with her shocked surprise and lack of coherent sentences until she shook her head. [colour=#6699cc]C'mon Trixie, get back in the game! "The Great and Powerful Trixie is…satisfied with your cozy accommodations; they would be adequate for my needs, thank you."[/colour]

Trixie walked towards the actual bedroom in back part of the luxurious lodging, all the while making sure she held her high in mock dismissive pride, [colour=#6699cc]"Trixie will meet you downstairs then, when you are ready for Trixie's magnificent performance. You may go now."[/colour]

The azure unicorn turned to corner to be just out of site and let out a nervous breathe of relief as she looked around once again at the room made for a princess. Her previous haughty show demeanor replaced by visible concern and sudden worry, [colour=#6699cc]"how will I live up to this?"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Dr. Merlot required an extraordinary amount of willpower to keep his face from breaking out into a grimace, as Serendipity called him out on his silent-yet-obvious intention to snub their third companion. And the casino heiress also saw fit to imitate a high society lady while doing so to give a subtle reminder that among the gentlecolt’s social circles, it would have been outright callous on Merlot’s part to refuse the tickets without an especially good excuse. Having no pressing engagements to attend and absolutely no desire to risk bad gossip originating from Serendipity, Merlot sucked up his pride and issued a verbal acceptance... with a courteous smile of course; [colour=#0000ff]“It would be my pleasure to attend your concert, Mr. Harmonic.”[/colour]

As for the matter of the blackjack game, Merlot’s gamble didn’t pay off as he found himself bust from getting a six. Nopony won except for the dealer and her high hand of twenty. But like the heiress, the khaki unicorn nodded to signify he would be in it for another round. This time around, Merlot was dealt a five and a three; a very low hand of eight. [colour=#0000ff]“Hit me,”[/colour] he barked, and the gentlecolt was rewarded with another three, bringing his total up only to eleven. He’d have to do better than that; [colour=#0000ff]“Again.”[/colour] Maybe Merlot’s next card would ensure victory over the house.....

[RarityDash]

“It would be my pleasure to attend your concert, Mr. Harmonic.”

Any croupier worth her salt needed to know how to read a pony's poker face. The odds had to favor the house after all; a pony would couldn't get a sense of what another was thinking just by glancing at the lines of their expression, wouldn't cut it at the job. That said, it likely wouldn't take any kind of expertise to see the cracks in Dr. Merlot's quickly constructed countenance. His smile was so forced it was quaint. This gentlecolt really didn't want to hit up this concert, did he? It was almost cute. Something about it made Serendipity more eager. The same was true of gambling and of many other things, but stuff tended to get more interesting the more you made your partner sweat. She was curious to see how this night with this illustrious doctor would go.

The blackjack game continued for a while, Serendipity soon raking in some generous winnings, until eventually Harmonic was called away to prepare for his performance. Serendipity smiled as he left the table and then looked toward Merlot. He was doing pretty good for himself and had accrued his fair share of bits from the game. This told Serendipity he was very much a shrewd sort. With it back to just the two of them, she was eager to dig a little deeper into this curious character.

"Looks like it's back to just you and me, Doctor," she said giggling. "That Harmonic seems an interesting stallion. I'm sure the concert shall be just fascinating."

Looking at his winnings then she smiled. "You're more skilled at this game than I would have thought. Does our Dr. Merlot engage in games of chance regularly? Or perhaps you're just that shrewd... or lucky," she said, with more soft laughter.

​

[SteelEagle]

Jackpot had been happy many times in his life, as he was a pretty darn happy stallion! When he got his first board game he had been pretty happpy. So happy he had immediately lost every piece in every nook and cranny in The Tops, and he still had a running bet with the staff that a deluxe coin piece was under some cushion somewhere. The secret was that whoever found it likely had not been doing their job for a long time and while they would get the reward, they'd also get a talking to about cleanliness! Then another time he had his first kiss, and he had been unusually and shockingly happy about that for reasons that only became clear to him later in life(which was exactly one week later), and even then she tended to not return his letters and her new boyfriend sure did mind him showing up with a box of chocolates at her parent's place. He also enjoyed hot baths, but that was beside the point.

He was also very happy that Trixie seemed more than content with her new accomodations. It was indeed one of the best suites in the city, possibly the nation, that was up for room and board. They had maybe a dozen such suites at the Top, one of which was his own, and he was proud to offer them to clients and doubly super duper proud to offer it to the most awesome of the awesome magicians in the land. Now she would be sure to give a hundred and fifty percent of her available one hundred percent of effort and the shows would be the best in the city. It'd be put the Tops on the map, and not just on the physical map, but on the entertainment map! Sure they were on the gaming map but once this lil' shindig went down successfully everypony who wa sanybody who had anything to gamble away would come to the Tops for fun, gaming, and food. They'd be the best around and nopony would keep them down!

"Well, I'll leave you alone. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave fun!" He sauntered off, pleased with the unveiling. Maybe she'd autograph his posters of her before it was all over, which felt like it'd be the best thing that could ever happen and he'd have the memories, and autographed poster, a lifetime. He went to the elevator and soon it was on it's way to the base floor, humming all the while. Once the doors opened however things went south quickly. One of his employees ran in as if her mane were on fire and handed him a note breathlessly. He read it over and sighed.

"Darnit all to Tartarus! This is what I get for hiring has been rock stars. Kick Harmonic out, refund the tickets- maybe offer a few tickets that we have left for Trixie's show. Send a runner to Trixie's room, her show's been bumped up half an hour. And that charming couple at the tables that were playing with Harmonic, give them some free chips for the trouble. Chop chop!" Jackpot ordered and his employee did just that. A few minutes later, Jackpot appeared at the table along with security. Wordlessly, Harmonic was tossed out.

"Don't mind him. Here's some free chips," Jackpot smiled and gave each of them a free fifty chip piece. The dealer adjusted his cards accordingly.

"Have a good one! Trixie's show starts soon, have fun!" He finished, leaving the two alone as he went to go survey his business some more.

(This post ended sorta weird, but SRBG is gone and her character was slightly important. Moving forward, no effect.)

[brianblackberry]

Trixie was in awe, and such an occurrence was rare indeed for the cynical azure mare. In awe perhaps, but still a bit leery, it all seemed too good to be true, but perhaps, just perhaps, Trixie's moment had finally come! That somepony finally had the foresight and discriminating taste to see what a magnificent aerosaltant Trixie was and this luxury suite was merely a token to her irrevocably recognized greatness.

Before Trixie could contemplate her apparent fortune more, a knock on the door revealed a message for her. It would appear that the pony that was to perform before Trixie was suddenly gone and she was up next. Excellent! The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't have to share the stage with anypony tonight, it is as it should be! Tonight The Great and Powerful Trixie is the sole main attraction!! Time to show the patrons of this establishment what a spectacle of astounding magic is truly like to behold!

Dawning her cloak and hat, Trixie trotted triumphantly down into the casino towards the stage, only to stop briefly at the blackjack table to observe the game, her interest piqued not only by the sensual looking navy blue maned pegasus mare but by her grumpy unicorn companion at the table, as Trixie knew him all too well, "watch out for this one dear, he's a bit backhoofed." She gave a final sly smile before moving on, it was about to be showtime after all.

Now it was all about prepping the stage. To prepare to amaze and dazzle the crowd, and dazzle them she shall! For they were about to be in the presence of the greatest performer of magic in all of Equestia, the Great and Powerful Trixie!

Showtime!

[Bellosh]

He may not have been doing as splendidly in the blackjack game as Serendipity, but Dr. Merlot’s winnings so far gave him plenty to smile about. There was something about the casino heiress that the unicorn stallion couldn’t put his hoof on, and he wasn’t quite sure that he liked that feeling. Merlot did not doubt for a second that Serendipity was pushing his buttons; trying to find out what made the gentlecolt tick or not. Such antagonistic behavior wouldn’t have been tolerated normally, but Merlot also guessed that the pegasus mare was only doing this for petty thrills, and nothing more. For better or worse, Serendipity was a pony worthy of some respect… unlike that poor excuse of a musician.

Speaking of Artificial Harmonic, the plebeian finally had the decency to leave the blackjack table, leaving Merlot and Serendipity alone once again. The mare seemed to suggest that the rock concert would be worth seeing, but the khaki unicorn didn’t dignify that comment save but to pay attention to his cards. The light blue pegasus didn’t let the pressure up however; next she teasingly inquired about his gambling habits. Since he deemed such a subject worthy of polite discussion, Merlot decided to speak up in a casual manner; “Whenever I drop by here after a desert excavation, I find no harm in several games of blackjack. As long as you don’t take excessively foolish risks, it’s quite possible to… earn a decent payday.” Merlot paused a few seconds to grin; “Of course, if I’m in town for a social occasion, nothing will do but chemin de fer.....”

OOC: I'll leave it up to Raridash to RP when that messenger drops by with news and some chips; don't have time right now to RP all that myself.

[RarityDash]

“Whenever I drop by here after a desert excavation, I find no harm in several games of blackjack. As long as you don’t take excessively foolish risks, it’s quite possible to… earn a decent payday. Of course, if I’m in town for a social occasion, nothing will do but chemin de fer.....”

Serendipity smirked and laughed. "I suppose that would only be natural for the gentlecolt here, wouldn't it?" she said, giving a nod. "It is the game of choice for Las Pegasus' biggest big shots and highest high rollers. A classy game if ever there was one, but even with deep pockets the risk is a little high if you mean to play regularly."

"Can't say I've been on the other side of the table for chemin de fur very many times, though I have dealt my fair share of games in our baccarat room," the pegasus said, stretching a little. "You should co--"

​

"watch out for this one dear, he's a bit backhoofed."

Serendipity cut herself at the sound of a sweet voice offering her a warning. She looked up to find the pretty mare from before. She couldn't help but give a deep laugh at her words. "I don’t know who she is either. Could be anypony,” indeed! She supposed it fit in place, there being some history being between these two, though Serendipity had no way of knowing what it was, beyond the fact that it had evidently ended with the mare thinking the stallion to be a scoundrel. All the same, just seeing the reaction made her smile.

"Thanks, love," she called to the winsome unicorn mare before glancing back toward Merlot. "She seems nice," she said, chuckling.

It was about then that some commotion erupted nearby. Serendipity looked back to find Jackpot conferring with one of his employees before Artificial Harmonic was suddenly ejected. Huh. She certainly hadn't expected that. Well, there went her plan for the evening to drag this cool and collected stallion somewhere he didn't want to be. Apparently instead the other performer, someone called Trixie... Wait?! Could that be the same gorgeous mare who had just passed her? Seren smiled. If so, this was even more perfect.

​

"Don't mind him. Here's some free chips. Have a good one! Trixie's show starts soon, have fun!"

"Oh, Jackpot. You really know how to treat a mare~!" she teasingly chimed back at him with an affected laugh. "Even after I've already taken so many chips from you tonight..." she sighed.

"Well, it's truly a shame that we'll have to miss our rock concert, Doc, but I do imagine this Trixie should put on a worthwhile show for us in its stead!" she started as she turned back to Merlot.

​

[Bellosh]

(OOC: Hmm... now would be a suitable time to react to the other characters.)

"Watch out for this one dear, he's a bit backhoofed."

The gentlecolt chuckled in amusement as he heard that so-called smear; Merlot could say the same thing too about that magician who called herself the Great and Powerful Trixie. Although the azure unicorn had a fair point; it was true that Merlot openly denied not knowing anything about her earlier… and he was sure that Serendipity’s antagonistic questioning would sooner or later dig up the truth. For the time being, Merlot replied to the casino heiress with a curt; “So you would think, my dear. So you would think…”

"Don't mind him. Here's some free chips. Have a good one! Trixie's show starts soon, have fun!"

Heh, Merlot’s instincts about the lazy nature of plebeian musicians proved themselves correct with the untimely cancellation of Artificial Harmonic’s concert. Serves the bum right for wasting time at the blackjack table. Yet in its stead would be a magic act performed by Trixie herself. That would prove… interesting to say the least. “As always, your hospitality is most appreciated,” Merlot thanked the casino owner for the free chips; “I just might take up your offer to see this… magic exhibition.” In nothing else, the khaki unicorn would finally discover if Trixie’s skills as a stage performer lived up to her boasts.

As he finished playing his last hand (a losing one to be exact), Merlot turned towards Serendipity once more; “I believe Trixie’s show begins in a few minute. Unless we want to be fashionably late, I believe I can now take a blackjack break for the night.” The good doctor overall won a bit more than he lost, but not by an astronomical amount. Without making much of an effort to wait for the lavender pegasus mare, Merlot sat up, tipped the dealer with a couple of chips, and made his way over to the hotel's theater.....

[SteelEagle]

The Tops was tops at topping other Casino's top acts.

Well, that was the hope, at least. One day The Tops would be the premiere entertainment destination. Ponies would pay huge fees to watch the best and the brightest in all of showbusiness dominate the stage and the crowd devoured it just as readily as they devoured scores of expensive food and drink. Maybe after they were entertained they would play some games, where some would win, many would lose, and all would have fun. They'd spend their winnings or simply have a nice meal out at the five star restaraunt before retiring to their comfortable rooms in the hotel. Nothing was overpriced, nothing was free, and when they used all of his services he would see more profit and increase customer loyalty and approval. Yes, he wanted to make everypony happy and yes, he wanted to make bits doing it. Two birds with one stone was better than three stones for one bird.

But the key was good entertainment. The Tops had been sort of run of the mill lately, nothing terrible but nothing to excite. Old lounge singers with old fanbases and random attendees yearning for the sweet songs of yesteryear. Comedians with niche appeal who had rowdy crowds who turned the theater into a loud example of crowd fervor. Mid-range pop artists, washed up rockstars, decent magicians, scholars and academics and motivational speakers all shared the stage recently. But today was the day that the Tops took the next step. An era of glamour and laughter would began with a dazzling performance that would kick off not only a huge series of performances by the famous magician, but by the many, many acts that would follow in her trail before the shows. Why, Jackpot was so excited as the time counted down that he hardly had time to dress in a blue and white two-pieces, trotting into his box in the theater minutes before it started. He even managed to spot some ponies he had seen earlier in seats below, giving them an enthusiastic wave.

"I can't wait for Trixie to bring the house down!"

[Pretzelparty]

Today had been a very slow day for the young painter, a few ponies with a generous load of bits eventually did decide to give this young mare's offer a quickly made but high quality portrait. All customers were satisfied with her results and gave her a generous amount of bits for her work. Not long after obtaining the bits and bringing them along in her saddlebags she had come to realize all the money was starting to weigh her down. Presteza remembered along time ago her parents had talked about "Casinos", namely that they while they could be fun they were also often a pretty fast way to lose bits.

"Well... I guess I can't just throw all these bits on the ground. May as well lighten the load and have some fun!" she thought to herself. The slightly eccentric young artist was possibly one of the only ponies in the Tops that came there with the intention of losing money. This mission wasn't going too well though as she kept seeming to have good luck at the tables and slot machines alike and having her bags fairly loaded with the chips she had a look of frustration rather than the typical look of elation most ponies would have.

"Well this was a bloomin' waste o' time... oh a show, huh?" she thought as she heard the announcement of Trixie's performance,"It'll at least give me a chance to put these chips down for a bit I guess." she galloped off to grab her ticket and take her seat.

[brianblackberry]

A low strum of strings filled the theater, creating a low thrill in the audience. Blue smoke billowed from either side of the stage, filling it and spilling out over the ponies watching, thinning out to a thin blue fog. Magical beams of light went flying around the stage, and the music started to swell up to a blazing crescendo. The beams of light streamed up towards the ceiling, then all converged to shine towards a single point on the stage. With a blinding flash of light, The Great and Powerful Trixie appeared, and it was obvious that those converging lights weren't shining towards the stage - they were all streaming out from the point of her horn!

Trixie was wearing a tux jacket, white and black and stylish tails down both flanks, and a little bow tie. White cuffs were around each forehoof, with little star-shaped cufflinks, and there was a sleek black top hat floating over her head.

"FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS!" her voice boomed over the audience. "Welcome to the greatest magical show in all of Equestria! The illuminating, entertaining, mystical renditions of the mare of magic, the pony of power, the Great and Powerful Trixie!!”

"For my first amazing trick, I wish to do homage to the classics! So watch in amazement as the Great and Powerful Trixie ... pulls a rabbit out of her hat!"

She gestured grandly, pointing her top hat to the audience to show to everyone that there was nothing in her hat, and then setting it down on the small table sitting there for just that purpose. "Aaaand, be amazed!" She lifted up her hat, to show that there was ... nothing ... on the table.

Trixie looked down at the table, and then into her hat. "Come on, now! We practiced this! Come on out!" She shook the hat a little, put it down on the table, and lifted it up again. Still, nothing was there. She turned it upside down and stuck her nose inside. "Rabbit? Hello!" She reached her hoof down into the hat, her horn glowing .... and a giant, glowing blue hoof descended from the top of the stage, fumbling around, mirroring the motions of her searching hooves. "Raaaabbit!" Trixie called, oblivious to the giant hoof fumbling overhead. She pulled her hoof out, stuck her nose in again - and a giant glowing blue nose peeked out from the top of the curtains. "RAAAABBIT!" her voice boomed over the audience from the giant muzzle, and she *squeeked!* and *jumped*, looking up above her ... but of course, nothing was there.

"Huh." She put her hat back on her head. "Well, The Great and Powerful Trixie will really have to note this on that rabbit's record ... not showing up for his very first show? What kind of professional does that?"

As if on cue, a pink unicorn mare with a snug purple outfit came out - the shining purple leotard was coated in sequins that shone and drew the eye, with fluffy white frills around the flanks and a great feathered purple headdress. A small white rabbit laid on her head, clinging to her horn. Trixie’s raised her eyebrow and gave a smirk their way, “there you are, you little mischief! Lollygagging again are we?! And on my beautiful assistant’s head too, tsk, tsk…”

Trixie turned to the audience with a large smile, “well, have no fears my enthusiastic audience of magic admirers, the Great and Powerful Trixie has many more feats of magic to show you, now for my next trick…”

Want to give you all a chance to react before the next act of the performance

[RarityDash]

“I believe Trixie’s show begins in a few minute. Unless we want to be fashionably late, I believe I can now take a blackjack break for the night.”

Serendipity giggled. "Couldn't agree with you more, Doc. Let's blow this table and grab us some seats," she started almost immediately, making sure to move just as quick as the good doctor so he wouldn't lose her in the crowd. She had a good number of chips to collect, but she was of course quite used to dealing with lots of chips.

"Thanks for the fun time, love," she said, winking at the dealer as she left her a few chips. She then gave another giggled and cantered after Merlot. When they reached the theatre, she made sure to sit right next to him.

​

"FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS! Welcome to the greatest magical show in all of Equestria! The illuminating, entertaining, mystical renditions of the mare of magic, the pony of power, the Great and Powerful Trixie!! For my first amazing trick, I wish to do homage to the classics! So watch in amazement as the Great and Powerful Trixie ... pulls a rabbit out of her hat!"

Before Serendipity even knew it, the show had started. As the magician began, the mare was pleased to see looks were not the only area where she excelled. She was quite the showmare. She was certainly selling herself as a masterful magical mare as the very least and it was eager to buy into it just from the strength of her conviction. The trick announced itself was somewhat underwhelming, however? A rabbit out of a hat? You could find that routine trick being performed by any third rate stage magician in Las Pegasus. Surely this Great and Powerful Trixie had more up her hate than just that old routine trick.

When the magician initially failed to perform even that ordinary trick, Serendipity wondered what was up. That was, until the trick continued. A little magic and suddenly the searching hoof prodding the vacant hat was appearing several times augmented above the mare's head. How incredible and unexpected! This mare truly knew how to work an audience, toying with expectations and creating an inventive illusion. As the act continued, the mare, sticking her muzzle into the hat and it and her voice getting augmented in the process, Serendipity couldn't help but be entertained. When the rabbit finally did appear, accompanied by a quite alluring assistant, Seren couldn't help but clap her hooves on the ground.

"Ooh, she's good. She knows how to keep it fun. Impressive!" she said, looking toward Merlot. "What does her fellow unicorn think so far?" she asked.

​

[Bellosh]

Heh; Dr. Merlot wasn’t surprised to see Serendipity hot on his tail even as he sat down in the theater. Even if the casino heiress wasn’t exactly his type of mare, the gentlecolt derived a little satisfaction from plainly being the forefront of her mind in some capacity. Merlot was an important pony, and thus it stroked his ego whenever ponies gave him the gravitas it deserved.

As Trixie began her show, Merlot’s facial features remained unmoved. The unicorn stallion at the very least approved of the performer’s wardrobe; a far cry from the tacky circus-grade cape and wizard hat he expected. Trixie’s taste for beautiful assistants… or the casino’s, was also top-notch, but here the compliments ended. Merlot did not clap in any way or show any other expression of delight as the first magic trick came to an end.

"Ooh, she's good. She knows how to keep it fun. Impressive! What does her fellow unicorn think so far?"

Seren gave Merlot a chance to voice his criticisms; "So far, this show is more of a comedy sketch than it is a real display of stage prowess. The best illusionists I know of wouldn't have dared resort to something so passé‎ as a blatant use of spellcasting. Any self-respecting magician wouldn't let their audience see their horn glow; that takes away all the mystery of figuring out how the trick was accomplished, which is what these shows at their highest level are supposed to be about. Then again... it doesn't take much to amaze simpletons....."

[SteelEagle]

A show needed hills and valleys of emotional appeal. It was the first and most important rule of stagecraft, and it served double for the booker of the venue to follow that rule. You needed to make sure that they were enchanted enough to feel a certain amount of joyful, optimistic energy slapping a certain buoyancy to their characters that they transferred to the rest of the trip. The way they spoke, the things they chose to do, they were as much a part of his advertising as the giant billboards he had purchased months back. He sold an experience and he was happy to provide one, and by following the law of stagecraft he would be able to ensure that his press was positive. Happy ponies tended to buy more after all or even get a little cavalier with their bits in gaming- more importantly, everypony would know The Tops was the best time in town.

Luckily, Trixie knew about the hills and valleys very well. She could have started off the show with an amazing display of magical skill absolutely sweeping all of her audience off of their hooves, but where could she go from there? Only down. It was a show of some length after all. Hills and valleys. Or in this case, valleys and hills. She started off the show with a comedic act- or so he assumed- as she failed to draw a rabbit out of the hat. The cool part here was the way she had her cute hooves all giant failing about in the sky before a blowup of her snout appeared, equally cute, before bellowing. It was so loud as to cause him to jump, but so did Trixie. He laughed and clapped- a good fun way to start a show. When he clapped, so did a few of his fellow hoity toity ponies around, and there was a smattering of applause in the crowd as well as they seemed to come around to the idea. When the pony came out with the rabbit on her horn, there was some definite "awws" scattered about and the reprimand, accompanied by her joke, got a solid chuckle out of the crowd and in general the first trick went off rather well. Obviously she knew what she was doing, and the applause was polite if not overwhelming. It was an expertly crafted gaffe, played to lighten the mood. Jackpot loved it.

"Good job. I think that once she starts pulling out the big guns, the ponies who aren't sold on her yet WILL be sold on getting her autograph by the end of the night!"

[brianblackberry]

Trixie smiled broadly, it appeared the humor and lightheartedness of her opening went over well with the Las Pegasus audience judging from the claps and many smiles. Excellent! Nothing made her happier then receiving her due adulation for sharing the wonders of magic through show! Now it was time to move on to the next little act, continuing the warm-up for the spectacular highlight that was sure to amaze!

"Now you all may have certainly noticed by now that the Great and Powerful Trixie is not performing alone for your delight, she has a couple of wonderful assistants to help with her desire to share with you all the joy of performance magic!" As if on cue the pink unicorn stepped forward with a gracious and alluring smile, the small white rabbit stuff standing on her head. "This beautiful lady unicorn who will be as siting Trixie today is the lovely Razzle Dazzle, a fine connoisseur of magic! And sitting on top of her is the little snowflake, who no doubt is hoping for a carrot for his efforts so far!" The rabbit's one and only response was to stick his tongue out Trixie's way.

Razzle's horn glowed a soft purple, levitating out each of the next props for the next trick, setting up a simple little round table with a single leg, a small purple cloth to cover it. She floated out a metal urn, showing the insides to the audience to demonstrate how unremarkable it was, then set it down on the table. As she did this, Trixie lifted her top hat, allowing the small rabbit to run over and hop on her head before she lowered the hat over him. "As my beautiful helper brings out the supplies for my next feat of magic, allow the Great and Powerful Trixie to regale to you all the nature of magic. There's the magic of spellcasting ponies - pure power - but that's the least of the magic one uses on the stage. The magic created here, in this theater, is a wonder and delight that every entertainer creates, the magic that makes young foals dream, and old mares smile, and lovers lean into each other, and someone who's had a sad day to forget about it and laugh a little. By coming here today, you add just a little bit to that wonderful magic that brings us all together!" Poetic overstatement, of course, but the audience always ate up such sentimental stuff.

Just as Trixie finished her speech, Razzle Dazzle floated out a small fireworks sparkler, the kind that would just burn orange sparks some pony may carry around during a night celebration. As Trixie's glow levitated the sparkle she smiled, "nothing is as it seems here on this stage tonight!" As if on cue with the color change of the glow floating the small stick, it suddenly lit up and started to shower sparks of every color of the rainbow, drifting rainbow hued smoke drifting up from it in a thin thread.

"Now watch in awe as this beautiful display of color suddenly ... disappears!" Trixie dropped the sparkler into the small urn; the smoke that once emanated from the burning stick instantly stopped as if it fell down some deep hole. "Ah, surely you say, but Great and Powerful Trixie, you simply hid the sparkler in the urn. Not so, my enthusiastic admirers!" Silently, Dazzle lifted the urn off the table with her horn and showed the empty urn to the audience. "But lo! Of course, it is hidden in some secret compartment, is it not? But we have an answer for that! Before I bring forth this sparkler, I shall make sure you have no doubt as to its fate in here!" She set the urn back down, and Razzle Dazzle floated out some lighter fluid to spray into the urn. With a spark from Trixie's horn, the urn erupted with flame which burned for several long seconds before flickering out and dying.

"Not much that could escape that conflagration, is there?" Trixie asked the audience, "Especially not a flammable sparkler like that! Even hidden, it would still have burned to ash! But lo!" She lifted the urn and shook it upside down. At first nothing came back out - no sparkler, no smoke, not even ash. Trixie frowned, and shook it a little harder, and then some white whiskers appeared at the opening, followed by a small, pink twitching nose. Trixie looked at Razzle with a faux look of surprise, "is that?" Trixie shook the urn one more time and little Snowflake dropped out, rolling on the table as a white ball of fluff before stopping and standing on his hind legs with his forearms out in a 'ta-da' pose. "Such a show off! How did you ever get out of my hat and in there you little show-stealer?! And what did you do with my firework?!" The rabbit just shrugged before sticking his tongue out at Trixie again.

"Certainly the firework must be somewhere!" Trixie looked out at the audience, "I believe I will need the assistance of an audience member for this mystery!" The azure unicorn quickly laid her eyes on Merlot with a devious smile. "Sir, may I borrow your fine topper? Have no fear, it shall be perfectly safe! I'll not burn it up or drop it into the vast ocean! Unless, of course, you are afraid to help!"

[Pretzelparty]

The golden tan unicorn decided to take a seat nearby Serendipity and Dr. Merlot lugging her winnings and placing them in a seat next to her. The mare would be happy to move them of she was asked despite the rather annoyed look on her face as she sat down. On the seat next to her were several stacked boxes of chips that looked like they should give this mare a much cheerier look than the one she currently sported.

As she witnessed the first part of the show her expression softened as she let loose a chuckle or two. The comedic opening bit helped the mare forgot her... "Troubles" for now. She could hear the pair besides her chatting about their thoughts on the show. She didn't feel like butting in on their conversation and elected to wait if she was addressed by one of them at some point.

The next part of the act was actually quite impressive at least to her, anypony who could fool her keen eyes had to pretty good at magic but then again she wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to most forms of magic anyway. Turning to the pair beside her she waited for an opening and then took her chance, "I thought that was pretty good, Wot about you two?"

[RarityDash]

"So far, this show is more of a comedy sketch than it is a real display of stage prowess. The best illusionists I know of wouldn't have dared resort to something so passé‎ as a blatant use of spellcasting. Any self-respecting magician wouldn't let their audience see their horn glow; that takes away all the mystery of figuring out how the trick was accomplished, which is what these shows at their highest level are supposed to be about. Then again... it doesn't take much to amaze simpletons....."

Serendipity giggled as Merlot, just as she had expected, began to criticize the act. She could see where he was coming from, but she'd disagree. She gave a shrug and spoke, "I might argue that the performance itself is more important than the actual trick. It's a show. The important thing is how the performer works the crowd, and I'd say that worked for me at least..."

Soon Trixie began her second trick, which was more wondrous than the first. It involved an urn and a disappearing sparkle, as well as a show of flames. It was pretty exciting and as she watched, she had to wonder where the able magician was taking it. While she watched, the mare sitting near her and the good doctor spoke to them.

​

"I thought that was pretty good, Wot about you two?"

Serendipity laughed as she nodded at the cute tan unicorn mare in the hat. "I think Ms. Trixie here is quite the showmare. She knows how to entertain, that's for sure."

Just as she spoke, the performer herself walked up to where the three of them were sitting in the audience for some participation in the act. A devious smirk was starting to show on Seren's face even before the mare spoke.

​

"Sir, may I borrow your fine topper? Have no fear, it shall be perfectly safe! I'll not burn it up or drop it into the vast ocean! Unless, of course, you are afraid to help!"

"Go for it, Doctor!" she encouraged with a coy laugh, and then looked right at the magician.

"Or do you refuse to participate in a performance you just called 'passé‎' and lacking in self-respect lest you'll find yourself becoming one of us simpletons who are enjoying it?" she added deviously, twisting the doctors words from just moments before around and saying them loud enough that the magician would surely hear them.

​

[Bellosh]

"I might argue that the performance itself is more important than the actual trick. It's a show. The important thing is how the performer works the crowd, and I'd say that worked for me at least..."

Dr. Merlot didn’t really buy into Serendipity’s opinion, for only two types of stage performances entertained him. Firstly, those starting lovely and sophisticated mademoiselles. Secondly, anything that elicited schadenfreude from idiot characters getting what they deserved. This magic act… had neither of the two elements. Without them, Trixie needed to really impress with her magical prowess, which she hadn’t accomplished yet. And so, Merlot didn’t respond to Seren save for an arrogant; “Heh…”

At least for the next trick, Trixie had the sense to wear her top hat, allowing the unicorn a convenient method of disguising her glowing horn. Surely, she used a teleportation spell to warp that rabbit of hers into the urn when the proper time came. For a unicorn, that was technically impressive, mastering a spell most spell-casters could only dream of even attempting. Of course, knowing how Trixie performed the spell killed a lot of the mystery too that the great magicians knew how to craft.

The gentlecolt did not bother acknowledging the question from another mare, who frankly shouldn't be talking at all when a performer was in the middle of a sketch. But rubes sadly lacked the ability to not be rude...

"Sir, may I borrow your fine topper? Have no fear, it shall be perfectly safe! I'll not burn it up or drop it into the vast ocean! Unless, of course, you are afraid to help!"

"Go for it, Doctor! Or do you refuse to participate in a performance you just called 'passé‎' and lacking in self-respect lest you'll find yourself becoming one of us simpletons who are enjoying it?"

GAAAAAAAAAH! The nerve of those- fatales! Merlot didn’t what was worse; being singled out by a less-than-friendly acquaintance from the past, or a quasi-reputable casino heiress who took delight in scoring potshots off of him. But with the eyes of the audience now upon him, the gentlecolt had to act gracefully now to retain any semblance of respectability. Bringing forth a forced smile to mask his outrage, the good doctor silently levitated his fedora on over to Trixie. That mare better remain true to her word, because a certain casino would be held liable for any damage suffered by Merlot’s trusty hat.....

[SteelEagle]

Jackpot watched with less than awe- he'd seen similar tricks more than a few times and his colt-like fascination with them had given away towards a deeper appreciation of the art behind them. But he was still amused and delighted as she waved the sparkler around- okay, maybe he was a colt after all in his heart of hearts- as it changed colors, eventually becoming a rainbow. Assisted by the, uhh, assistant- who herself was a semi-successful street performer in Las Pegasus looking for a break, satisfying his dual concerns of great quality at an affordable price- the sparkler went kaplut into the urn. Of course nothing unusual happened, it was just an urn!

Nothing would happen. Obviously it would just be a burned up little sparkler, obviously! But performance was never obvious, now was it? And she was not an obvious mare. Oh she played at being obvious, made it appear as though there was little to her besides the performance and the show, but he saw the facade and looked forward to finding the warmth under her armor. But for now he followed the urn closely, both hooves gently laid over the side of his box seat in a childish fashion as he made sure to follow every movement and direction given by his most beautiful charge and her mesmerizing, if you allowed yourself to be taken by it, magic. You could never be too old to be too young.

He laughed out loud and clapped when the rabbit popped out instead, catching on pretty quick but more excited by the performance. She asked for a gentlecolt's hat and for a brief second Jackpot raised his hoof and checked his head for a hat. Drats. He slowly lowered it as he watched the performance continue, nudging one of his attendants.

"Ten bits says that the sparkler is in his hat!" He whispered excitedly, looking on in excitement.

[brianblackberry]

As Trixie's assistant, the lovely Razzle Dazzle, took control of Merlot's hat with her magic and began to float it upside down towards the stage, the azure mare took off her own top hat to reveal that her own horn was not aglow. She watched silently until the fedora made it half way across the stage, when suddenly a brilliant cornucopia of light and sound shot forward from the otherwise empty topper like a large fireworks display, illuminating the entire theater in brilliant flashes of every color one could imagine as they spiraled over the heads of the audience and disappear in brilliant pops of harmless sparks. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has appeared to have discovered what happened to the sparkles, our dear audience member had them growing all along in his hat!" Indeed the amount of blazing color streaming from the suspended hat was much more elaborate and dazzling than the original firework Trixie dropped into the urn.

"Well kind sir, the Great and Powerful Trixie thanks you for helping resolve the mystery of the missing sparks! Miss Dazzle, would you return to this gentle stallion his stylish derby?" Razzle Dazzle smiled and nodded as she started to float the hat back towards Merlot when suddenly a rabbit's head popped out of the top, blackened by the smoke of the fireworks and looked about with a slight annoyed expression. "Now, now Snowflake, what did Trixie tell you about trying to get involved in every magical trick?" The rabbit just replied by sticking her tongue out before hopping onto Merlot's head.

Razzle Dazzle lowered the fedora, which was none the worse for wear, back onto the cream coated unicorn stallion's noggin as Snowflake started to dance a jig on his mane. The hat settled perfectly as if the rabbit simply disappeared inside, and so she had, reappearing a moment later popping out of Trixie's own black top hat and taking a bow on stage before the unicorn. Trixie gave a sarcastic smirk as she placed her own topper back on her head, "my, my! Such a little show off, aren't we?!" Hopefully Merlot took the entire event in stride, and if he didn't, that too would satisfy Trixie, as tweaking such an annoying, self-serving pony for the amusement of the audience was always humorous.

"Now, the Great and Powerful Trixie, Mistress of the Mystical, needs a couple volunteers from the audience to help with her next amazing, stupendous feat of magic! Who among you fine ponies will come forth and be a part of the greatest show to grace Equestria?!"

[RarityDash]

Trixie was a consummate showmare. She had to have heard what Serendipity had said, but she didn't let it disrupt her stage persona. She didn't get drawn in, nor did she challenge Merlot at all. She just took his hat and let the act continue on. And continue on it did wonderfully! Sparks flew from the hat in a very vivid, crowd pleasing fashion. Serendipity clapped her hooves and smiled. Then it got even better when the hat was returned and an angry rabbit emerged and leaped onto Merlot's ungrateful head. She giggled at the sight and wondered if the magician might not show some wickedness toward the stallion through her act, but she perhaps wisely refrained. If anything, she seemed to be attempting to win him over instead!

The magician then came to ask for volunteers. It might have been fun, especially with such a lovely performer as Trixie, but Serendipity was more the type to be content as an onlooker who didn't get involved too heavily in things herself. Besides, she still really wanted to see the oh so confident and suave Doctor Merlot get thrust out of his comfortable seat as much as was possible. It was just fun to see a pony like him be made to squirm. That in mind she elbowed him in the side and giggled.

"I can tell you're just enamored with our lovely host now, good doctor. You should volunteer! It's sure to be just delightful fun," she said in an affected voice, a smirk plastered on her face.

​