Great and Powerful Career Opportunities [Braeburn/Open]

[Trixie Lulamoon]

Trixie stumbled into the salon, the doors swinging wildly behind her as she collapsed onto the countertop. For a brief second everyone just stared at her, the starry-clad unicorn, before the bartender finally spoke up.

“Uhm, what can I get you miss?”

”W-water please…” she croaked out as she finally started to pull herself together. With a look of understanding, the bartender went to fetch some.

How in the world can a place be this hot? Trixie wondered as she wiped sweat off her brow.

When she had agreed to take this job in Appleloosa, she had never figured that it would be located in a freaking oven. Sure the train ride had been sort of cool with the wind, but even with that the heat had been a pain. At least now she was in a building, with water. Sweet, sweet water.

“Here you go mam,” the bartender said as he placed a tall glass right in front of her. Trixie quickly levitated it, gulping every single last drop down without hesitation. With a satisfied “ahhh,” she set the now empty glass down.

”Thank you.” she said, levitating a few bits out as payment and tip before finding a table to sit down at and relax.

With it still being a little warm, she took off her cape and hat and set them down on the table. Her mind now clear and hydrated, she could get to the task at hoof. Which, unfortunately, was just sitting and waiting. She was supposed to meet up with that Braeburn stallion she had met back at that club in Canterlot to arrange some sort of deal about performing in this town. This place was a little smaller than she was used to, but it was also so far out of the normal roads that they were sure to not know about her little issue from Ponyville. So, well, she was willing to take it. At the very least, with no other unicorns she didn’t have to worry about being upstaged by another super-powerful magic user.

Although if that user did know some cold-weather spells Trixie figured she could manage to deal with them.

[Deleted]

Not too long after the hot and thirsty Trixie had seated herself at that table, the swinging doors were pushed open again- not by another magical unicorn, nor by a golden earth-stallion- but by the rather unassuming figure of a pink and white mare. There was nothing particularly striking about her- except perhaps the whiteness of her coat in such a dusty town as Appleoosa, and the red jewel fastened to the ribbon in the pony's hair.

Delivering a covered basket that probably contained the bartender's lunch, the two ponies chatted conspiratorially for a moment, then something the barkeeper said made Sweetheart laugh and look out over the room- and then freeze as she spotted Trixie. Didn't she know that unicorn? That pony was familiar! A look of puzzlement crossed the mare's face a moment before clearing up just as quickly as it had come. Of course! it was Trixie from the Hearths Warming Eve ball! Sweetheart trotted over to join the unicorn, a joyful smile on her face.

"It's wonderful to see you in Appleoosa at last, Miss Trixie!" Sweetheart greeted the unicorn. Then, just in case some explanation was required... "Perhaps... you might not remember me, but I was your gift exchange at the ball in Canterlot a while back." she added, with an apologetic smile."...And speaking of such, I do hope you'll take full advantage of the gift I gave you, and be my guest at the Sweet Hearth Stables, our local hotel, throughout your visit to Appleoosa. Will you be staying long? Not that it matters, of course. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. What brings you to our fine town?"

Sweetheart had been spending a bit more time than usual with Braeburn lately, and his open friendliness and eager manner seemed to have rubbed off on her a bit!

[Trixie Lulamoon]

Bored out of her mind, Trixie was about to start seeing of doing an impromptu show when all of a sudden she was joined by a pink and white mare. Before she could ask who exactly she was, the mare was introducing, or well re-introducing to be more accurate, herself.

”Oh, right, I had forgotten about all that…” Trixie replied.
She really had truly forgotten about that whole gift exchange thing. It had been during some of the lower points of Trixie’s life recently after all. Trixie hoped she still had that coupon; free housing, no matter how long, was always a good thing after all. But she would have to dig for that later. And if she couldn’t find it, well, the mare still remembered her so it may be possible for her to get the free room even without it.

”Anyway, it would be great if Trixie could stay at your hotel. Trixie worked out a deal with some stallion named Braeburn to perform some shows here and so Trixie will probably be here for some time.”

After taking a moment, she decided now would be a good time to go ahead and ask about, well, her current problem.

”…speaking of which, is it always so hot here? Trixie felt like she was going to melt by the time she got here.”

[Deleted]

Trixie could not have chosen a better topics to touch upon if she had tried! Her hotel, Braeburn, and Appleoosa- well, okay, the desert and the heat, but close enough- Sweetheart's opinion of the mare went up quite a bit. She started, however, with the topic she felt Trixie would be most interested in.

"Appleoosa is in the desert, and this is summer, so the heat will be about this level or hotter as we move towards the Summer Sun Celebration and the longest day of the year." she began gently, bad news first. "However, it gets much cooler, almost cold, every night. There's a sort of pattern here- you'll see. Appleoosa is much more active in the early morning and evenings. During the hotter parts of the day, ponies tend to find someplace indoors or in shade, to wait out the heat."

Sweetheart paused a moment to consider this herself. She wouldn't say the heat never got her down, but it never prevented her from doing those things she had to get done every day. And one really good thing about it was how quickly all the laundry dried! Then again- she couldn't help thinking Trixie didn't really seem much like the domestic sort.

"As for Braeburn, I'm sure he'll be along soon, or if he's not, we can head towards his farm when the heat begins to die off. He lives outside town and its a bit of a walk, or I'd offer to show you now. And of course you're welcome to stay at my hotel free of charge for at least a week, as agreed. If you need longer than that, I'm sure we can work out some reasonable terms." Sweetheart resisted, with some effort, the urge to offer Trixie a rent-free stay as long as she wanted. the earth pony had done that only once before, a hard-luck case, and her 'guest' had been with her for six months without paying! That had been one of those cases where she'd had to ask Braeburn to intervene.

"So you will be doing magic shows, then," Sweetheart remarked, making it more of a statement than a question. But she did follow up with a genuine question. "What kinds of magic do you do?"

[Trixie Lulamoon]

”This level or hotter? Trixie said with a groan.

With this new knowledge, she wondered how long it would take for her to learn to create snow. The news about the cold didn’t help things much either. In Trixie’s mind, that meant she was either going to burn or freeze to death in this town. These were the times that she wished she had her trailer still. But some stupid bear had to go and crush it. Stupid Ursa Minor. And the suggestions of being active early morning were of no use to Trixie, who preferred to sleep in. So that left only one period of time for her to be truly active…twilight.

The universe loves to mess with me, doesn’t it? she thought, recognizing the irony of that thought.

The conversation continued, and Trixie was disappointed to find that she would not be able to stay rent-free at Sweetheart’s hotel forever. Curses, there went the ‘stay for a couple months’ plan before it was even given the chance to start. Still, Trixie had to admit the deal seemed fair enough. Or, well, that probably depended on how long Appleloosa could stand to have her around, or how long she could stand the heat. Worst game of chicken ever…

”Fair enough, though Trixie currently does not know how long she’ll be staying in town.”

While obviously important, discussion on business terms and deals always bored Trixie. So when the topic finally turned to something of interest to Trixie, that being herself of course, her mood suddenly seemed to improve. Picking herself up and getting a grin on her face, she was quite happy to inform Sweetheart of just what she did.

”I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, am a master of illusions and enchantments. Trixie is most famous for her fireworks spells, which she can manipulate into different shapes in order to tell stories. Observe.”

Her horn began to glow with a familiar purplish-pink aura, but within seconds that aura began to burst into a rainbow of colors. Wanting to keep it simple for demonstration purposes, and to not give away too much to her possible future audiences, Trixie just kept it at the sparkler level of spell. After a few seconds, the spell ended, and Trixie looked eagerly at Sweetheart for approval and looks of awe.

[Deleted]

Sweetheart was sympathetic to Trixie's little moan of despair. She herself was a transplant here (actually, almost all of the residents of Appleoosa were, excepting a very few newborn foals-) and the hardest thing to get accustomed to had been the heat. In winter, the milder, warmer temperatures were a delight, but in summer, the inescapable baking heat made many a pony cross and cranky. Unfortunately, there was little the mare could do for her guest. Her hotel was built with the heat in mind, and Sweetheart was always ready to provide a cool drink, but that was the extent of her ability to help.

And speaking of help, if Sweetheart noticed a disappointed expression on the unicorn's face after she gently restated the terms of the certificate, she didn't show it. However, it was some little time before the earth pony could look The Great and Powerful Trixie in the eye again. Perhaps that was why she had quickly changed the topic to an inquiry of Trixie's many talents. Or perhaps she sensed she was boring the unicorn.

The mare looked suitably interested and impressed upon hearing that her guest to be was an expert in enchantments and an incredible illusionist. Of course, as Sweetheart reasoned a moment later, those two branches of magic would be particularly suitable for a show, unlike... well, unlike some other kinds of magic, anyway. And she watched eagerly as Trixie demonstrated a fraction of her skill with great showmanship.

However, if Trixie expected the innkeeper to be all wide-eyed wonder, the unicorn would be sadly disappointed. Sweetheart looked pleased, she looked as though she completely approved, but she did not look awed or amazed. Having offered less than her best, even in a preview, the unicorn would find that she did not receive the full measure of admiration she craved.

"That's really lovely!" Sweetheart replied with apparent enthusiasm and enjoyment- and nothing more. She was not being rude. The earth pony had grown up with a huge pile of brothers, half of them unicorns, and she had observed many kinds of magic. And while she would freely admit that none of her brothers had Trixie's stage presence and instinct, she'd also seen more difficult spells performed. "I'm certain that your shows will be greatly appreciated here, especially in the evenings," she added with a bright smile."If that was just a little taste of your talent, you're likely to be very popular here."

[Deleted]

"One of Equestria's greatest DJs vouched for Miss Trixie's abilities. Ah bet she can put on a show that'll put big city shows ta shame." Braeburn said as he moved to join the two mares. The stallion looked well, if just a bit overheated. "Hey Darlin'. Howdy Miss Trixie." he greeted the two with a friendly smile. He was happy to see Trixie again, and he was always more than happy to see Sweetheart.

"Ah'm really glad Ah ran into the two of ya. Ah got that wagon Ah promised you all fixed up Miss Trixie, and Ah just picked up a spare wheel for it not ten minutes ago." Back in Canterlot the farmer had heard about Trixie's situation and had empathized with her. He knew what it was like to lose your home and way of life, so he was going to do what he could to lend the showmare a helping hoof. She had lost a wagon, so he had promised her one as payment, along with covering some of her bills until she got her hooves back under her.

"Speaking of which, Sweetheart, whatever bill Miss Trixie runs up you send along ta me. Ah'll take care of it. Ah'm the one that hired her, an' part of the deal was Ah'd make sure she had a roof over her head as long as she was here. Also Ah delivered a new barrel of apples to your hotel Darlin'. Ah left them in the kitchen if that's okay with you." Ever since they started going steady one of the perks Sweetheart got by dating the farmer was a new definition on sizes. Normally a barrel was filled up to the top, but no higher. Sweetheart's barrels tended to be as high as Braeburn could piled apples before a soft breeze could knock them down. Generally it amounted to an extra large basket at no extra cost.

[Trixie Lulamoon]

Trixie was slightly surprised by the lack of awe, but she quickly recovered. After all, it was just her simple little fireworks trick. Her best tricks had yet to come, and when they did, Trixie was sure that Sweetheart would be simply amazed. At least even her simplest trick had been enough to have Sweetheart sound enthusiastic about the whole thing. The confirmation that she would be popular also helped soothe Trixie’s ego. It would be nice to be a popular showmare again…

”Trixie is confident that will be the case,” she replied, right before the pony she was actually waiting on showed up to reaffirm her skills.

Darlin? Trixie thought as he heard Braeburn’s hello to the two of them, that word being meant for Sweetheart obviously. Quickly glancing between the two of them, Trixie deduced that the term of endearment was probably a sign of affection between them. And with that revelation, Trixie lost interest.

”Finally you show up…I mean, hello there Braeburn.” Trixie replied, catching herself being rude again. It was bad business sense to be rude to a patron, especially one’s apparently paying for your food and home.

Trixie was beaming a little when she heard that he had a wagon for her. Finally, she could travel with at least some level of decency. When she was on the road and that bad weather hit, it was an absolute nightmare. So much mud and rain…

”Wonderful, Trixie will be glad to come see it once things cool down a bit…” she responded. While she remembered that the wagon was supposed to be simple, this was something that she was perfectly fine not arguing about. Even a simple box with a cloth canvas would be fine for her.

Things just kept getting better and better as Braeburn informed Sweetheart that he would take care of any of her bills. That meant she could actually work on saving some bits for once instead of scrounging by. She would just have to resist the temptation to charge too much; Trixie did understand that this was a business deal, and she didn’t want to be indebted to Braeburn too much. But this did mean she would probably take a little more advantage of room service…

[Deleted]

"One of Equestria's greatest DJs vouched for Miss Trixie's abilities. Ah bet she can put on a show that'll put big city shows ta shame."

And just like that, Braeburn was with them, as though they'd called him up just by speaking of him. Sweetheart was blushing faintly, though Braeburn had not been complimenting her. Just the sound of his voice could do that to her sometimes, if she wasn't expecting it. The earth mare moved just a little bit so that he could sit between them at the table comfortably. Noticing Trixie glancing between them, Sweetheart felt her flush increase just a little more, thinking that she must look a little silly.

Trixie's rather abrupt greeting startled her, however, and she couldn't help giving the unicorn mare a puzzled look. But it seemed to be just a slip-up, and not an intentional snub, so Sweetheart let it go. Probably it was just the heat of the day getting to her. Braeburn looked a little too warm, too. Poor Braeburn! Working in this heat! Sweetheart reached up and lightly nipped the stallion's hat off his head so that she could fan him with it.

"Would you mind if I also came along to see your new wagon as well?" Sweetheart asked the unicorn cheerfully, but mildly. She was curious about Trixie's wagon immediately upon hearing about it. Apart from being something that Braeburn had worked on, a couple pleasant ideas had occurred to her, and she wanted to see if they were plausible. To Braeburn, she added with a warm smile, "Thank you so much for the apples, and I'm so sorry wasn't there. I could have at least offered you something cool to drink. You look as though you're near the boiling point."

Though she didn't say so, Braeburn's request to have the bill forwarded to him was probably the best discount that Trixie could have gotten after her Hearth's Warming certificate. Sweetheart still wouldn't be letting Trixie stay months and months for free- (she was pretty sure Braeburn would insist on paying something, just as she insisted on paying for apples, though Braeburn always gave her so much more than she paid for-) But she could make sure that he got an amazing deal!

[Deleted]

The golden farmer took a seat between the two mares and seemed to relax a bit when Sweetheart took his hat to fan him a bit with it. It may have been the pony-made breeze cooling him down, or that fact that Sweetheart could make him feel like a colt that made him settle down so easily. "It's best you were out for a change Sweetheart. If you would've offered me a drink Ah would've taken it. If'n Ah did that, Ah'd have taken longer on getting Miss Trixie's extra wheel for her new wagon. Since Ah have some errands to run in town before Ah leave town though Ah'll get dinner at yer hotel." It was a known fact that Braeburn could cool well enough to keep himself alive and in good health, and that was it. Better a little burnt than a little sick right?

"Now Trixie yer wagon may not be what yer used to, but it's fit for a mare such as yerself to endure the elements. It'll keep you dry an' warm, an' there's some extra canvas flaps so the whole thing seals up nicely to keep out stuff like dust, rain, or just plain have some privacy. Outside there's some hooks you can use to hold some stuff, and some extra belts in case you wanted to strap a water barrel to the side. The back has a small gate on it you can use like a door, an' there's a couple of steps that pull out from the back and unfold like a step stool t'make gettin' in an' out of it easier for you."

"On the inside the two benches can fold up t'give you some more room when you need it. There's a hook on the top in the middle for a lantern, and a lantern t'go on it. There's a box with a skillet, a pot, an' a kettle in it, along with a few other things you'd need to cook over a fire with. There's a rucksack with a few other camping essentials like a map, a compass, a firestarter, first-aid kit, an' the like. Then there's a bedroll, a pillow, a sheet, and a thick wool blanket that you can lay out on a bench to make a bed, or on the ground if the weather's nice at night. It's no bed, but it's better than a flat board, or the ground."

Braeburn paused for a moment now to think about things. He wanted to make sure he told her everything about her wagon. He had spent the time and resources he had set aside for a front porch in order to fix up a wagon for Trixie, but if you were going to do something you had to do it right. It'd be so much easier for the show mare now to start out on her own again rather than have to save up all her bits for some supplies. All she needed to do now was stock it with food and water, and she could feasibly go wherever she wanted. "That's it Ah think. Ah know the blankets kinda coarse, and the sheets sorta rough. There's not much Ah can do about that, but Ah do happen to know of somepony in this town who can make a mighty fine quilt. Ah don't know if they're willing to take commission work right now, but there's no harm in askin' now is there? If there's anythin' else you need the general store might give ya' a small line of credit after seein' a show or two of yers. That's about it Ah think."

"There's only two things ya gotta do t'pay for the wagon, but it won't cost you one bit Miss Trixie. The first is just help spread the word about Appleloosa. Name a trick, place a sticker on a steamer trunk if you do that sort of thing, or mark us down on a map of places you go to. Just something to get folks curious enough about this place t'come visit. The second thing is consider makin' this place a stop on your tour route. We got two or three big social events a quarter. If you came around one of those times you could probably make a good deal then." Yep, Braeburn's requested payment was advertisement. The more more people knew about the town, the more that would come visit. The more visitors that came, the more visitors would be spending on goods and services in town.

[Trixie Lulamoon]

Trixie just relaxed a little as the two had their moments of lovey-dovey. It wasn’t any of her business after all, but by now it was rather obvious to her these two were a couple. Glancing over at Braeburn, she had to admit he didn’t seem that bad of a catch. Granted him giving her a job and a wagon probably biased her opinion a bit; she was always receptive to ponies who gave her stuff.

When the topic of her wagon came up, however, Trixie was more attentive. This was going to be the moment that would either make or break this whole excursion to Appleloosa. She listened closely to Braeburn as he began to describe the build of the wagon. Canvas was different from what she was used to, but as long as it kept the wind and rain out she was fine. She could probably see about getting a full wooden house-like frame once she saved up her money some. Till then, well, she would have to ask how easy canvas could stain and, if it did, how easy it is to clean. Hopefully the lack of easy to draw on surface would discourage vandals…

The inside part all sounded about right, if not at the full level of luxury her prior wagon had been (and by that, she meant she had a bed). For now benches could serve as a bed, and in time she was sure she could find a bed to fit in the spot…once she got to measure it of course. Everything else sounded fine. About the only thing missing from it was all her stage stuff…and a stage for that matter. But that was something she could do on her own, and required her upmost technical manner to put together with all the springs and wheels and stuff. To expect that level of work from Braeburn would have been taking way too much advantage of him.

”All of that sounds great. Might just modify a few things myself when I get the bits, you know, adding in that personal touch and all, but otherwise it all sounds good.” she replied when he had finished his description.

She listened to him describe the blankets and pointing out the general store. The word credit was not something she enjoyed, but then again she was not exactly in an enjoyable position.

”Don’t worry, Trixie had simple blankets anyway. Trixie doubts they will be that much different from what she’s used to. And Trixie will see about getting stuff from the general store.”

The final bit of this entire conversation was, of course, the description of how she was going to pay for the wagon. Even if he had been kind before, Trixie was still expecting Braeburn to provide harsh terms. Listening to his demands, however, it basically came down to advertising the town and making a stop in the show during her tours. That was rather easy to do. Sure, the town was rather out of the way, and in her current position she wasn’t sure it was a bright idea for them to hitch their name to her, but it was something she could do.

”…That’s it? That shall be no trouble at all for The Great and Powerful Trixie.”

As long as the wagon was finely crafted, she was sure she could use it a conversation starter to talk about the town. Adding it to her travel route, which she would probably start publishing again once her reputation was better, would get some ponies to notice as well. So…where did that leave the conversation now? Glancing at Braeburn and Sweetheart again, Trixie realized what would probably be the most appropriate thing to do after all this kindness. Since it was something she really didn’t do much, especially with something this big, she fidgeted a little as she looked down at the table.

”So, uhm, Trixie guesses she should say…thank you.”

[Deleted]

Sweetheart would have been surprised to know such trifling gestures as she had shown were enough to be called 'Lovey-Dovey'. She'd been showing kindnesses like that to Braeburn almost as long as she'd known him. On the other hand, she would have been the last pony to deny that they were a couple, so perhaps there was more 'lovey-dovey-ness' in it than she knew.

As for Braeburn being a good 'catch', she would have been the first pony to agree.

Trixie wasn't the only one listening attentively as the stallion went over the features of the wagon. The white mare was actually a little bit surprised at the amount of effort he'd clearly put into it. And maybe... just a fraction... uneasy. Not jealous, of course, as her hotel was all she could want to live in, and what use did she have for a wagon anyway? But imagining him putting so much time and thought into a project for another mare... Don't be ridiculous, if you can help it. Sweetheart told herself. Are you really so insecure that you'd begrudge Brae's kindness to somepony who has almost nothing? Of course not. And if you could build a wagon, you'd have done the same.

That said, Sweetheart might not have been able to build a wagon, but Braeburn's hints on a quilt had not gone unnoticed, either. Quilting was a quiet hobby of the white mare's, and if Trixie was with them a little while, Sweetheart was sure she could put together one or two really nice ones before she left. Trixie might be able to live with 'simple' blankets and sheets, but Sweetheart worried these might be like the ones Braeburn used to use himself. Those had been the itchy, scratchy, stiff-as-a-cardboard-box bedding popular among the cow-herding ponies. Sheriff Silverstar once suggested that their popularity was due to the fact they were (nearly) indestructible, Cheap as a potato-sack, and because they were about as comfortable to sleep in as one, effective as an alarm clock for getting ponies out of bed in the morning.

Sweetheart had exactly one set of those, -in the horrible dull brown color they all seemed to be dyed- for guests she wanted to make leave. So far, she'd never had to use them. If that's what Trixie was supplied with, Sweetheart was pretty sure a couple quilts would make a fitting, (and hopefully welcome) farewell gift.

Unlike The Great and Powerful Trixie, however, Sweetheart wasn't expecting a catch, or harsh terms, in payment for the wagon, among other kindnesses. Braeburn simply didn't behave that way. However, she hadn't expected such a clever deal from him. Trixie might not think it much to mention or advertise their town, but to Appleoosa, it was a pretty big deal. It was growing and thriving, but it needed more ponies, both visitors and settlers, and for that, it's name had to be mentioned. Sweetheart herself was at that uncomfortable point where she really needed another pair of hooves to get all her work done, and she could even afford to hire- but there simply wasn't a mare to spare around there.

As for Trixie's thanks, Sweetheart felt she'd hardly earned any- yet, so she glanced with an affectionate smile at Braeburn. The gratitude was clearly for him. And he, after all that hard work, just as clearly deserved it. And his favorite meal, too. Which she would make tonight~♥

[Deleted]

"You're welcome." Braeburn said with a smile. "Ah got t'where Ah am because somepony gave me a chance. Ah've done all that Ah can do for you, now it's all in your hooves. If'n Ah can go from just owning mah hat and the vest on mah back to havin' a thrivin' orchard out in the middle of the desert, you can get your show back up 'n' runnin'." The stallion believed in Trixie, but all he could do was give her the tools she needed to get a new start for herself. He'd take care of her bill for a while to take one less worry off of her plate.

The golden stallion reached a hoof over and placed it on Sweetheart's before giving her a smile. "Appleloosa is a special place. It's a town with a lot of opportunities. A pony who's been from Manehattan to Canterlot can find a place to settle down here, and somepony with nothing can find everything they need. It's a town of second chances, and new beginnings. It's not an easy life here, but the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Having somepony around for a while to make folks relax and forget about the day will go over well."

Braeburn was Appleloosa's equivalent to Pinkie Pie. He was the pony who made it a point to greet newcomers and make them feel welcome. He was unusually calm as he spoke, perhaps being a bit sentimental and the moment getting to him. That was about to change, and normalcy was about to return whether Trixie was prepared for it or not. "So Miss Great and Powerful Trixie all me to welcome you," he started, excited energy building in his voice, "to... A-A-APPLELOOOSA!

"We have all the finest comforts here like horse-drawn carriages, an' horse-drawn horse-drawn carriages. We're at the Salt Block, an' Sheriff Silverstar's office is just across the street. There's a lot off to the side where we have our wild west dances, and next to that is where we have our mild west dances. Sweetheart's inn is the best place in town to rest your head and get a fine meal, the possibly the most wonderful sight in all of A-a-applelooosa is my very own apple orchard.

Just another day in Appleloosa.

[Trixie Lulamoon]

How does he run an orchard in the desert anyway? Trixie thought when Braeburn mentioned it, before pushing the thought out of her head. She wasn’t up for learning about the agricultural field right now.

Of course by this point she was now being met with a spiel about how wonderful Appleloosa was. Did he want her to advertise the place or move there? By this point Trixie wasn’t exactly sure what the case was. At the very least, it seemed she had met someone who could match her in the field of loudness-based advertising. Her ears flattened a little at his neighing of the town name. All he was missing was the fireworks and spinning lights.

”With lungs like that I’m surprised you need me to advertise.” she replied, laughing a bit to let them know she was trying to joke and not insult him. There was a tendency for others to misread her intentions…and for her to sometimes get them mixed up as well.

”But seriously, if you got that recorded on a vinyl record or something that would probably be a better ad than I could come up with….”

With that Trixie’s mind started working on an idea. If they could get the stuff to record it, and use her magic to provide images, they could really give other ponies the feel for Appleloosa.

[Deleted]

Sweetheart, naturally, didn't wince or look startled when Braeburn went into his spiel for Appleoosa. Not only had she heard it before... indeed, she remembered hearing it the very first time she'd met him, and many times since. In fact, most of the other patrons of The Salt Block didn't seem to have noticed Braeburn's yell at all, or if they did, they smiled in a friendly, acknowledging way. Braeburn was extremely well-liked in Appleoosa, for a number of reasons. And not just with the mares, either!

Sweetheart couldn't help but giggle a little herself, when Trixie complimented Braeburn on his vocal power. Far from taking offense, the white mare really did think it a compliment. And she listened with interest when Trixie suggested making a recording for an advertisement. There might be something in that, actually... Maybe not quite as much effect as the real thing had, but even a record might be convincing. She glanced at Braeburn to try and read his opinion on he matter... Surely someone in Appleoosa had the needed equipment. Surely!

...And then Sweetheart caught a glimpse at the clock on the wall.Oops! Sweetheart smiled apologetically. "I need to head back to the Inn," she explained, getting to her feet. "I still have a bit of work to finish up, before I start making dinner. Please excuse me. I look forward to having you stay, and I can't wait to see one of your shows, Miss Trixie!" Sweetheart said, enthusiastically. In her mind's eye, she was already airing out one of the suites on the cool side of the house for Trixie to sleep in. She knew how hard the heat could be to get used to, at least at first. For Braeburn, there was a soft kiss on the cheek and a gentle reminder that he'd promised to come by for dinner, and she'd be expecting him!