Simplest Things In Life (Jump-in)

[PaintedStar]

Lollipop looked at the stallion with amazement. She understood nothing of what he said to the white unicorn, but he sounded really clever and well-learned. For her, it seemed like he stepped right out of one of the tales she heard as a filly.
"Um, sorry for interrupting, but you seem like an awesome pony to me! What's your name?" she said to the light-grey pony.

[Act One]

Slightly blushed by the unexpected compliment, Act One steels himself and keeps his "well-bred" demeanor. Giving an acute bow, he answers towards aqua-blue maned inquisitor.

"Please pardon my rudeness, my neglect towards mares in present company is unbecoming of which I shall correct. I am Act One - And "awesome" am I? I'm not the type of "PEPSK" that goes around boasting about unconfirmed skills. However, who am I to deny other ponies' opinion of me? I say that is the correct material to build for somepony's claims."
The "aristocrat" then holds out his hoof to pass on his question of mutual respect.
"May I ask of your name, little miss?"

[feijenoord4life]

Pixel walked to the applemarket to get a few baskets of apples.

[PaintedStar]

"Sure I am Lollipop Swirl, you can call me Lollipop." she said cheerfully, and shook the hoof of the stallion.

[Buttercookie]

"Huff, huff, huff... Sorry, I'm a bit slow.. What's happening Lollipop? and who is this stallion? I also feel like I sound suspicious...  "

[ElectricAura]

Blossom was about to lose it, she was surrounded by strangers who had interrupted her meditation.

[Act One]

"Oh my, ponies keep popping out everywhere."
The stallion in question turns to the late comer and addresses them.
"Please, do not worry - I'm trying to do business with the other mare beside us."
He then notices the scrunched face of the earth pony trying to find "inner peace" and lowers his volume. Putting his hoof towards his mouth and leaning closer to the remaining ponies, Act whispers.
"But maybe we all better tone it down a notch, for I feel we are intruding upon another's duty."

[ElectricAura]

Ice Blossom inhaled sharply, calming her a little. 'Why can't I be a unicorn and teleport away, or a pegasus and fly away?' She though to herself.

[PaintedStar]

Lollipop smiled apologetically in the direction of the pony trying to meditate. "I'm sorry." she whispered towards her, and walked a few steps away, to give the mare some space.

[ElectricAura]

Blossom waved a hoof in appreciation and returned to meditating.

[waaaaaaah]

(I'm really, really sorry about taking so long to post. I shall try to avoid that in the future )

"Do you need it right now or can it wait?" Book Keeper addressed the stallion, eyes still shut. "I'm kind of on vacation right now."

[Act One]

On vacation? After coming all the way out here?

After the slim thoughts of defeat swam in his head, Act pushed them aside and built up some determination. He may only have so much time before somepony or something may affect his mission. So he'll be a little selfish this time.

"Actually..." The stallion pulls the bag from his bag off to slip onto the floor. His explanation continues whilst rummaging through it. "I need to get the information a.s.a.p. based on location, routes, any rumours link to either of those points, and about something I have here. But I wont show you until you have agreed to help."

The hoof pushing items in the cloth container stops short of bringing out something inside.

[ElectricAura]

Blossom inhaled deeply. 'Why can't you go away...' She thought as business was being conducted next to her.

[waaaaaaah]

(Sorry, I've been really busy the past few days

Also, I finally get to show her at work. Yay! )

Book Keeper sighed. She really had been looking forward to a nice break, but sometimes, there was just no escaping her work. Muttering to herself that she was going to have words with a certain someone.   She stood up and walked a short distance away from the group, beckoning to Act One to follow.

[Act One]

Judging by the complimentary sigh and body language as the white mare rose to her feet, the short stony stallion recognized that she beckons him to follow in her reluctance. Through the glimpse of guilt, he still pushes a glimmer of triumph in his poise. Act hurriedly knocked the item back further into the bag and flung it onto his spine. Rushing up to get side-by-side with the information broker, he whispers to her from a respectable distance.

"Thank you, Madam. I sense that this may have been troublesome on my part, but I will make sure you are well endorsed for the efforts. A good deed (even if it's part of the occupation) should not go unnoticed, as I see it."

As they start to wander away from the others, they leave without the knowledge of a certain cloth pouch flung into the air and landing with a jingle. It is left near the grass of the other ponies' gathering.
((OOC: The contents is purely economic, with numerous "bits" gathered inside.))

[PaintedStar]

"Look..., they dropped that!" Lollipop remarked, looking at the bag, then staring after the forms of the two leaving ponies. Lollipop trots to the pouch, and picks it up in her mouth, starting to hurry after the stallion and the mare. She looks back at the other ponies, and says a muffled "Bye!" to them, in case they don't follow her.

[waaaaaaah]

"..." Book Keeper didn't answer as they continued walking. After a little while, she stopped and turned to face Act.

"I require an advance payment of two bits", she said in a neutral tone. "I will also require from you a short description regarding your talents, cutie-mark related and other, as well as your occupation."

[Act One]

A tilt of the head and his mane falls slightly to the side to reveal more of his face. This reaction comes from the perplexed lack of reason for him to detail such unrelated things in his mind to the other pony. Nevertheless, he thought giving the information wouldn't harm his goal.

"Well, to be truthful, the cutie mark isn't specific to any one major talent... To be frank, I'm not an extraordinary proprietor of any skill. More closer to the fact I am able to do all the smaller tasks any other pony can do, but I can do it on my own. A jack-of-all-trades and somepony that can adapt on his own, to act out alone. Hence "Act One." Or so I'd like to believe anyways..."
After explaining such a vague and possible non-particular ability, the hoof scratches the back of the neck and with closed eyes grins in mixed emotion.
"I'm not really employed by anypony and I haven't got a job at this moment, which is why I saved up to do this at this time. My last job was helping to renovate the village hall for a couple of days. Oh, speaking of money-"

At this moment, the stallion rests on his flank and pulls the saddle pack from his back to his front. Opening the container, his nose reaches in closer as his hoofs dig into the contents to dig out his money. The object of mystery - pencil and pad - used train tickets - a slightly melted bar of chocolate - a letter of Thank You from Mayor Mare - pencil and pad - melted chocolate bar...
Wait a minute... This isn't right.
... Used train tickets - the mysterious object - the Thank You letter - the bottom of the bag - those annoying tickets again!
At that point, beads of perspiration turned into streams of sweat, and his focus starts to become frantic. Without hesitation, the bag is flipped over and the contents falls out after some shakes.
Spread out on the floor was - a pencil - a chocolate bar part melted - a letter from Mayor Mare - a pad - a wrapped up object - and a pair of trai-
"You're kidding me!!"
Pounding the now worthless scraps of paper for his train journey, his breathing becomes accelerated and his mind blank. Appearing after a moment comes inner questions of "Where could it be?" and "How much was in there?" as well as, "What am I going to do now?" A flood of confused queries, but none having an answer reach them.

[PaintedStar]

Lollipop Was trotting towards the two ponies, with the pouch still in her mouth. She wanted to call out to them to wait for her, but then she would have dropped the bag.
She heard them talking, but she couldn't understand the words said, since they were too far.  As she got closer, she saw the stallion sit down, and start looking for something in his bag. Even Lollipop understood, that this something must have been the pouch they dropped earlier.
Suddenly the stallion started acting really angry, or so it seemed to Lollipop. He looked really scary, so Lollipop stopped trotting right away, and sat down in the grass, small pouch still hanging from her mouth.
She was scared, but she also wanted to return the small bag, so she decided to sit down, and wait for the storm to pass entirely.

[waaaaaaah]

"Your bits may still be in the area; it is possible that you dropped them somewhere here," Book Keeper commented with the same neutral tone as Act searched frantically.