Preview To Journey To Heartswarming - Tavern of Drunks

Now original I was going to post a different scene, but I ran out of time. This scene is still a tavern scene, but not the one I wanted to show off. Still, you should enjoy this one just fine. It provides an introduction to a good portion of the cast as well as the first look at my self-insert at the very end. My self-insert doesn't really have a big role in the overall story, just that he's in the story. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast hold important roles. Some these character you have already seen in the OC profiles I have been posting while others have yet to receive their profile.

I hope you enjoy the preview and give a comment; it would be really helpful if you gave some advice how to introduce the character slightly better.

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Evening’s dusk light tore over the village as dinner time had arrived with the rush of ponies going through the doors of the tavern. Starlight twisted back and forth through the crowding ponies as she passed out trays with Twilight.

She slipped passed a few more drunk ponies and landed her last tray on a table covered in several empty glasses. She took a breath upon realizing she was in the clear, “Damn vultures,” she rubbed some sweat off her face and grabbed the two glasses off her tray, “Here you go Rainbow Dartz."

"Thanks, Starlight," the rainbow maned pegasus stallion in a dark blue toga and golden saddles and gold buttons grabbed the drinks and began chugging them down.

Starlight rolled her eyes as he finished the first one very quickly. “I knew I should have brought just one over.”

“Hey, ... Don’t be like that. I hold my liquor... better then these drunks can.” He smiled and leaned his face to the side slightly.

“Let’s hope so, or I may have to call Red Steel on you.” Starlight grabbed the empty glasses and placed them on her free tray. She walked away from the table only to nearly knocked over by a green flash of movement. Luckily she jumped out of the way of the green blur as it passed by. Unluckily though her own movement threw the glasses on her tray into the air. As her eyes filled with shock, the green blur flew through the air, grabbed all the glasses and placed them all back on the tray.

"Oh I’m so so sorry, Starlight. I need to pay attention where I am going or I may cause the accidental death of more unfortunate glasses. Anyway, I want one cider and three hotdogs. No wait, make that three hotdogs and two ciders. No wait, one hotdog and one cider. No wait, one cider, an apple and two hotdogs," spoke a voice from seemingly nowhere as the green blur vanished from sight.

Starlight huffed in slightly annoyed as her eyes followed the green blur across the place. “No problem Hermes.”

Soon her eyes fell upon the entrance as more ponies walked in. Starlight held out a pretty smile and walked back to the kitchen. Once she was back in the kitchen her smile instantly turned into a frown upon the sight of Silver Pear cooking.

"Why am I out there?" she questioned as she walked over to put the glasses in the sink. She then walked over to the counter to grab the stuff that Hermes asked for.

"Because you are so lovel--" he was stopped as she stuffed a pork whiney into his mouth, to which he spat out in disgust. "Besides, Twilight is out there with you."

"Yeah, but I was suppose to be cooking today. Stress is not my friend."

"Hey, you left your post to dodge me, so I had to take over."

"Fine." Starlight finished making Hermes' order. "Oh and make some food for Rainbow Dartz, I think he is going to drink himself under… again."

"Sure," Suddenly he stopped and turned toward her, "Oh if you're going back out there, Red Steel's food is done and so is Lighttone's." He handed her two other trays. One was a small meal and the other was a large meal.

“No problem,” Starlight sighed slightly and grabbed them in her magic and walked to the door. She looked back at Silver Pear and saw him giving her a thumbs up, “Look I’m sorry for my attitude. I just wanted to make sure everything is ready for next two days.”

“Two-- two days!” Silver Pear jumped, “Don’t worry. I will have everything ready instead.” Silver Pear turned around and smiled brightly.

“What?! I was supposed to set everything up.” Starlight slowly walked back over. She placed her arm just beyond Silver Pear’s back, making him blush.

“Don’t worry, I can handle it. Besides, you are better at distracting her then I am.” Silver Pear began to lean into Starlight sultry.

Instantly she teleported back to the door. “Nice try, but I wasn’t being sultry. I’m annoyed, there is a difference.”

“You are a mean one Lovely.” Silver Pear waved his spoon at her.

Starlight blushed at him, “Enough with that nickname, we have work to do.”

Starlight turned back toward the door and walked out. She looked around for only a moment and spotted the one she was after. She walked over to a table and placed down two trays. One for Hermes and the small one for Red Steel. The talling wall of muscle steel colored buffalo bull with red horns and gray eyes in a white native style robe with red strings and pink stripes on his back. He gave little if any look to the dry grass sandwich before taking a few bites and gave a tentative nod.

“Hmm, still no words today huh,” Starlight smiled and tried to keep one eye on Twilight. The buffalo lifted one of his eyebrows and went back to eating. However he stopped as one of his ear lifted up. He scooted away from Starlight leaving her confused until she heard was he was hearing a clear as day.

Veering slightly back Starlight barely missed a green blur ran past her and stop mere centimeters from the table. Hermes finally revealed his blue eyes, white and green griffon feathered coat in a bright green large style speedo and black biker gear. He looked left and right before sitting down. "Oh this is a perfect spot for me. Just the right temperature and humidity and placement. Plus the chairs are at the perfect height here. Tell me Starlight, how did you know that I would choose the exact spot in space and time for my spot? Temperature, humidity or placement?"

Starlight’s eye twitched and a crooked frown formed as she looked at him. However all that vanished upon seeing Hermes’ kind eyes. Starlight took a breath and calmed herself into a smile, "But of course, you… you always sit here."

"Really? Are you a future seer? A time traveler? Or maybe you are a chupacabra?"

"A chupac--what now?" Starlight veered her head back in confusion and then looked toward Red Steel. Unfortunately he had a slight confused looked to Hermes's words as well. Though he knew exactly what to do as he placed his hand on Hermes's shoulder. Hermes looked to Red Steel and began talking a storm to him instead.

Starlight gave a sigh of relief and silently spoke a thank you as she walked off. “He can handle him just fine. Besides Hermes speaks enough for both of them anyway."

She looked to her final tray and leaned her nose upward. Soon she caught the smell of cigar smoke and crude mechanical oil. She followed it to the end of the bar, knowing very well who the smell belonged to.

"There you are Lighttone." She walked over to a table and placed down the large tray in front of a gray lion with yellow eyes and light purple and dark green mane that was clearly too long under a navy blue cowboy hat, with a navy blue steampunk long trench coat. Under the coat he wore a light purple vest with a yellow tie over a dark green dress shirt, and a pair of dark green pants with light purple buttons over a pair of sharp red iron toe boots.

He grabbed at the meat and looked it over before taking a big whiff. “Medium rare giraffe liver stuffed with zebra meat seasoned with bacon and garlic. Smell as good as always.” He smiled with his fearsome jaws before taking a bite.

Starlight tried her best not to pull back in revulsion as she saw every piece shredded in his mighty jaws. Once the meat went down his throat, she took a breath of relief. Lighttone gave a thumbs up and she turned away.

She was about to walked away when he started to speak up, "Chupacabra? I haven't heard the word since the Chimichanga Inquisition, nearly three thousand and ten years ago, last month. Their meat has a strong goat taste to it, though this was no surprise as to what they ate."

"What?" Starlight turned around upon his word as he continued to talk. She looked around and noticed Twilight was handling things just fine as the crowds began to grow down. She took a breath, walked back over sat down as she knew a story was coming up. "Tell me more."

“Okay, but first, what be this little thing you are in such a rush for?”

Starlight raised her eyebrow to that comment. “Really? Did you forget what happened?” Her face fell back at his ‘I don’t know’ reaction. “Seriously how do you remember all of these old stories yet don’t remember the here and now.” She turned away from him more annoyed.

“Maybe I don’t need to remember when you two are here to remind me.”

Starlight’s eyes widened at those words as she turned back around. “You sneaky ass. You do remember?”

“I didn’t lie you just assumed.” Lighttone raised the meat up to his mouth and took another bite.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Starlight’s face fell slightly.

Lighttone placed down his meat and look to Starlight's sad face. “Maybe it more of you blaming yourself rather than being in a rush.”

“I don’t know.” Starlight’s face lifted as her eyes fell upon Twilight.

“Don’t worry, I know she will like it.” Lighttone placed his metal hand on Starlight shoulder.

Starlight smiled at the cold touch. “Thanks, you old cook.” She turned and gave him a hug. Suddenly the sound of glass smashing broke the hug.

“Starlight, clean up,” spoke Granny Apple.

“Sorry,” apologized Hermes.

Starlight stood back up and grabbed her face as a slight grin covered it. “I got to go.” She walked away from the table. “Oh, I want to hear more about that story later.”

“Don’t worry,” He leaned back and puffed some smoke. Things began to quiet down as the crowds thinned to its weakest point. Lighttone looked to Starlight as she cleaned up the mess on the other side of the tavern. "Hmm, she is good friend."

He down looked to his meal and rubbed at his stomach. “I’ll get another bite in a second.” He picked up his cigar and took another puff and turned toward the window. He watch the snow fall on the other side of it. “You know, I haven’t seen snow like this since...” He turned upon remembering that nopony was there to hear his words. He took a breath and continued his words, “Not since an old friend was still alive.”

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