On the Hoof Investigations

[hotpersuit]

Hot Pursuit looked around his office. It wasn’t big. It wasn’t very well furnished, just a desk, a flying cabinet and some plump cushions to sit on. Dartboard on the wall. Few pictures of family and cuttings from newspapers. But it was his, and that was all that mattered.

He pressed record on his personal organizer and coughed, then started to speak, making his voice sound deeper and rougher. “Being a PI is a tough job. In my line of work, I have two friends, and both of them live in the drawer. One’s a bottle of apple juice. He keeps me loaded. The other is my dart gun. I keep him loaded. It’s a tough life” Putting bubble pipe to lips, he blew a large bubble and adjusted his hat. Now all he had to do was wait for a client.

[delavegaprimo]

Trotting up and down the cobbled streets of Manehatten, a dark brown colt with a long, black mane looked around frantically. The snow crushed under his hooves easily, making tiny crunching noises as he continued along. A gust of cold air blew Action's face as his mane got tangled up in the process.

He groaned in frustration.

"Pfftt, for the love of Celestia, I need to get this thing trimmed," Action sighed as he ran his hoof through it. He adjusted glasses and looked around once more.

"Arabella! Here girl! Where are you??" Action called out into the streets. The boxer could not be found. I will find that dog, no matter what it takes...for the sake of my crew. Just the thought of not finding her made him even more frustrated...Arabella was not only Revelations Primo's mascot, but he couldn't stand to see Sun Stroke in tears without her her closest companion.

As his trot slowed a woeful walk, Action bowed his head in sorrow as his mane dragged onto the ground, leaving a line trail of brush-like strokes behind him.

"She's been missing for a few hours now, I hope she's okay," Action continued to grumble to himself and he as looked back up in an attempt to scan the area once more he noticed newly occupied building.

The front door read "On the Hoof Investigations." A Private Investigator, that's perfect! As Action approached the door, he gave a firm knock with one hoof, hoping somepony could assist him.

[hotpersuit]

HP trotted over to the door and opened it. He gave Action Shot the once over. Long hair. Slightly dusty at the edges. Someone who has been having their head down. Someone in need. Someone he could help.

"Hello sir, would you like to come in?" he asked, taking a step back to let Action Shot into his office and wishing he had put the bottle of apple juice away earlier.

[delavegaprimo]

As Action Shot waited at the doorstep, he heard hoofsteps approaching the door and as it opened, a distinguished pony wearing a dark brown fedora appeared in the entrance. He asked him to come into his office and as the detective stepped back, Action stepped into his office.

"Why thank you, Detective," Action politely stated. He noticed the set up of the office and found bit rough around the edges, but nevertheless felt comfortable because it was like stepping into a old-time crime drama. As Action continued to look around, he spotted a bottle of apple juice. He smiled a little bit to himself. This pony's legit, he's got the office, the hat, and the bottle. I think I'm going to enjoy working with him. He then made eye contact with Hot Pursuit and greeted him.

"Hi, my name's Action Shot," he held his hoof out to shake, "I was wondering if you could assist me in trying to find my company's mascot, she disappeared a few hours ago and even though I've looked around a couple districts, my efforts have been futile. I'm worried because our mascot belongs to one of my top actresses and she usually can't act if her spirit is broken. I think the best course of action is to employ your services Detective...and above else, I can't stand to see my cast and crew hurt. They're like my family." Action's eyes burned with determination.

[hotpersuit]

HP gave a nice firm hoofshake back and nodded, trotting to behind his desk. "Well, Mr Shot, I would be happy to help. I usually work in periods of days, but for a case like this, I think I can do it hourly if you don't mind." He pressed a button on his recorder and nodded to Action Shot. "Please, describe this mascot, when you last saw her, and the hours before her disappearance." he asked, politely.

[delavegaprimo]

((OOC: I apologize for the alien formatting...I wanted to capture his awkward emphasis of certain words.))

After Action and Detective Pursuit shook hooves, the private eye went back to his desk and as he reached the recorder, he pressed a button and waited promptly for Action to tell his story.

"Thank you Detective, I appreciate the help. I realize this matter may be a simple task for you, however, I am eternally grateful. I also think an hourly rate is fine with me," Action spoke with a bit of tension, but he remembered what his crew had told him whenever his passion would rise: "Breathe, stay calm, and most importantly BE RATIONAL."

Action adjusted his glasses once more and inhaled deeply and began to state his case as best as he could, calmly, at first:

"Well, our mascot is basically a dog...a boxer named Arabella. She's brown and has white speckles all over her body. Looks to be about a year old, so her puppy features are still intact along with her hyperactive disposition. Anyway..."

Suddenly, the filmmaker's calm demeanor had slowly transitioned into a more of an unusual hotblooded attitude:

"To make a long story shorter, on one of our latest films the dog was content and got along with everypony, sitting quietly. Now, our set was outside in the park...the tension built around this one scene we were shooting -- it was our final take on that reel of film -- and we focused our efforts on getting the take right....and then BAM! Lines signed, sealed, and delievered like magic! ...um, oh...I apologize...lemme get to the point," Action looked dumbstruck for a second. He realized of how much of a foal he was sounding and tried to inhale calmly once more:

"Bottom line...we got done and called it a wrap for the day and...when we looked away from our set, she was gone. All was left was her collar. Just poof, bing, bam, boom...Gone. Her paw prints went as far as main street and then we lost her because they plowed the road," his passion had slipped out. Wow, I sound like a moron.

...an awkward twitch occurred as he tried to keep a straight face.

[hotpersuit]

HP nodded and smiled at Action Shot's amusing way of speaking, not unkindly. "So, missing dog. Park shoot. Collar left behind. Just vanished." he pressed the stop bottom and poured two glasses of apple juice, sliding one towards Action Shot.

"I've come across a few cases like this. Dogs are, if you will pardon the pun, barking mad in cities. The smells, the sounds, the sights. Its like one big exciting ride for them. She probably has just run off for a little adventuer is all but the collar..." he paused for a second, "Tell me, Mr Shot. Does your company or actors have any enemies who might wish to delay or stop production?"

[delavegaprimo]

Action smiled back in gratitude as he took the glass of apple juice and drank with a small sip.

"Thanks for the drink. This should calm me down a bit," Action nodded in thanks. As Hot Pursuit talked about the possible outcomes of Arabella's behavior, he pondered at the thought as soon as the detective mentioned "enemies." Thinking through all the history, he thought about his life in Manehatten. He's had ponies who have planned a coup d'état and leave Primo...

"Well, actually Detective, now that you mention it, probably a problematic pony. My company's only a year old, so its its still fresh in mind. For now his name hath slipped my mind, but alas his poor soul...er, sorry...I tend to quote Shakespeare, sometimes...being a former theatre actor...ahem, not important." Action took another sip of the juice and his face twitched once more.

"Good stuff detective. But as I was saying before I mused, there was one pony in the past, but I didn't know this pony very well, the pony joined because he wanted to "be loved" and next thing I know...this pony tried to leave with my most resourceful of crew. However, everypony had common sense and I kicked this pony off the team. But, as much as I despised that pony...I do not want to think ill of anypony. However, I can see you do not wish to rule anything out."

Whenever he talked about that pony Action's words came off like prickling needles off his tongue. He didn't like talking about it. However, everything was necessary in an investigation. He hoped that Arabella was safe.

"So, Detective, depending on how this investigation goes, do certain charges get added on such as setting up crime scenes or recovering evidence with a waiver?" Action was now at a state of awareness, albeit more mellow, but keeping his passion in check.

[hotpersuit]

HP rubbed a hoof on the carpet. "That would go under expenses, Mr Shot. And if possible, I try to keep expenses to a minimum, as a professional curtsy" he paused. "But in this missing dog case, I would need you to come aswell...dogs can be a bit bitey with people they don't know and the dog might feel relaxed if you were to join me".

[delavegaprimo]

Action nodded in agreement. Going with the Detective was a good way to make sure Arabella wouldn't hurt anypony if she was in a vulnerable state.

"I understand the situation at this point. I'd more than honored to accompany you in your investigation. Also, I believe that by observing you, I think I can write a character based off of you for my next film project. That is, if you don't mind."

Action's excitement began to surface right under his heart, expanding in his chest as his heart began to beat rapidly. He was about to embark onto an adventure. Sure, it may have been to find a dog, but thinking so highly of it seemed to reassure him that Arabella would be safe.

[asinglemind]

For what seemed like the dozenth time, Float wiped his cloth across the counter surface. There...not a single spot left untouched, not even a single streak ruining the shine of the polished surface.

Looking around, he could see that his establishment still hadn't attracted very many patrons. Especially paying ones at that. Were business a bit more lively, he would have asked the loiters to leave, but at this point he was just glad to see somepony in his 'bar'. When it was most quiet, he liked to imagine that they might actually be interested in his drinks.

The night crowd was usually a better sight, but not by much. The ponies that came then often chuckled at his menu of non-intoxicating beverages. Some had even thrown snide remarks at him for opening such silly place. He had expected such, but he had been disappointed that his bar had not yet attracted any decent ponies. He knew Manehattan could not have been completely composed of the social elite and the downcast. There had to be some more middle class ponies.

His bar decor at this point wasn't very exceptional. Only a few hangings adorned the wall, just old fashioned posters that advertised rootbeer drinks. It was supposed to give a classy feel in the old-fashioned way.

From the front entrance there was a long hallway leading into the bar. The corridor it self was covered in old wallpaper whose designed climbed up the wall halfway, giving way to a plain light brown area decorated with most of the wall hangings. The lower half was a dark green streaked vertically by thin, mint green lines. At the top it was crested by a horizontal bar fashioned in the same colours. The wallpaper stopped abruptly at the end of the hall. The wall of the main area was split in the same way, except the lower half consisted of hardwood brimmed with a round tube at the divide.

Directly across the expanse from the entrance was the main counter where Float stood watch, waiting for an eager customer. Between them sat several tables, more of which continued out the left into the rest of the bar up until the edge of the empty stage.

After being open for a few weeks, he had expected more customers. Float knew he needed to find a better way to advertise than simply word of mouth, but he didn't want to push his existence into the faces of the city's social elite. He knew they wouldn't approve of such a crummy 'bar' ruining the backdrop of their metropolis. In the meantime, he would continue tending to those who came.

Float gazed back down at the counter, admiring his work. He knew that in a few moments it would be dirty again, but it irked him so much to see it otherwise when no one as sitting at it. It gave him something to do during the downtime. Satisfied, he looked back at his patrons and gave a slight frown.

Although most of his patrons had been a bit informal, even racy, there were a particular few who bothered him. He wasn't completely sure of their usual activities, and the marks on their flanks vaguely hinted at certain 'under the table' occupations. Common thugs, he had surmised. A small number of them seemingly under the same alignment had started coming on a regular basis. They usually took a table close to the stage after sundown, and spoke in voices just quiet enough to hide their conversations from him, but not enough to seem particularly discreet.

Most recently they had seemed particularly pleased with themselves, although Float was unsure whether this was good or bad.

[hotpersuit]

((Sorry, been away a while in London, should have said. Anyway, Rootbeer, you want in on this?))

Money. An easy job. And now a film deal?! This was almost too good to be true! Sometimes he wished he was a dog, just so he had a tail to wag. Instead he topped up his and Action's glasses and took a drink. "Well, to happy huntings!" he said, walking towards the door and holding it open for AS.

[delavegaprimo]

((OOC: Its nice to see you back HP ...Sorry I haven't been on for a while, college prep and now I have classes, but I plan on being on CD during the weekend))

"I am VERY pleased that you approve! I'm thinking of adding to my Magnum Opus, 'PEGASUS WINGS!!'"

Action was elated. He could finally start the perfect Action film after all! He raised his glass high into the air drank merrily in celebration!!

"Yes, to happy hunting indeed Detective!" Action exclaimed as he took a final drink of apple juice and set the glass down gently, respecting HP's property.

As HP approached the door, he opened it and waited for AS to follow him out. Action stepped off the cushion and walked through the door.

"Why thank you Detective, I think you'll make a fine citizen in the city of Manehattan. Let us...PROCEED!!!" Action bellowed loudly by accident as an echo resonated throughout downtown, the sound particles bounced around like buildings as if they were butterflies in a courtship. The echo was returned by a small bark in the distance....could that have been her?

Action's eyes widened at his own volume and as the echo faded into the night sky, he began to turn red out of sheer embarrassment. Action ran a hoof through his long, black mane.

"Ahem, um, yeah. Where should we go from here Detective?[/size]" Action's voice softened to a barely audible whisper as he made eye contact with the Private eye to try to remain professional. He adjusted his black spectacles to try to forget the oddity of what just happened.