“So where are you guys going after this? Back to Maretime Bay?” Ragdoll asked casually as they waked to the meeting room. “Me and Gloomy gotta get an apartment. And I guess we got OC to look after now…”
“Hey! I’m not a pony… larvae!” The little plushy huffed angrily, crossing her front two hooves.
David swayed his arms forwards and back. "Foal? First step, we see what they want. Maybe they don't want me now. Maybe they do. What they say makes a big difference."
Joy shook her head. "We're over time. My ponies at home are waiting for us, so I hope we're headed back there…"
“You got a spot, huh?” Ragdoll inquired. “Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. Kinda like Alphabittle. No matter how this meeting goes he’s gonna get some new machines. But he ain’t about to leave his spot.”
Joypad hmmed? "Does he run a gaming room? That doesn't sound like a unicorn thing." Oh, how uninformed she was. "Here we are."
David reached for the door first, knocking firmly with his strange human hands, knuckles on wood. "Anyone home?"
“I’m sorry for the disturbance at the door.” Gloomy droned as she walked through the door without waiting for an invitation. “We were confronted by an obsessed fan. Apparently she saw leaked promotional materials and wanted her own living doll.”
"David!" Out came a familiar grinning pegasus. "I was so worried when I heard you weren't feeling good." His eyes were on the human's face. Everything else, ignored. "Feeling better now?"
David read between the lines a little. "So the upper half still works then?"
"Hm? Oh! Yes. We'll just make sure to only, yes! Of course." He raised his hooves to capture the view of David's face. "That is a human. Back Story has been going on and on about how you've given her new stories to use. We'll be sure to put that to work, and with their source being right here, the marketing practically writes itself!"
“There were… various obvious setbacks curing David… Experimental unicorn magic. As a result I need legal documentation that I was a responsible adult when I signed my current contract for the use of Ragdoll Charlie and his likeness.” Gloomy might as well have been reading the local weather on an overcast day.
Jet looked down from David to pony height, but nothing was there. Lower… Lower… Oh there she is. "You shrank in the wash… You were an adult last you were here, and, so far I've been informed, you can't un-become an adult." He shrugged softly.
“Unicorn medicine may or may not be an exact science. Okay?” Gloomy screamed. “This happened!”
"Uh huh… And you shrunk in the wash, but you're still an adult." Simple logic in his head. "Did the machines arrive yet? Should have by now."
“Alphabittle will stream exclusively with Pegasoft machines.” Gloomy flashed a mirthless smile. “We always carry through with every deal we make. In that spirit, we need an extra room for my other doll?”
Doll? "Where do you need a room?" He glanced at David, who seemed patient enough to wait his turn. Good good. "We don't have many construction ponies signed up in that town."
“If you do not want to have access to the other living doll, I will gladly supply her with a place to stay without your assistance or licensing. We only require lodging in Zephyr Heights, as per the initial agreement.” Gloomy tapped a rhythm to remind Jet the terms of the initial agreement.
"Not really my department." He inclined his head. "If sales says you get a place, you get a place. They're really on their game! Me? I'm marketing. And I'm gonna market the hay out of that face." He began circling David, examining him from all the angles. "Now, I hear you've taken a liking to Back Story. That's good! Real good. Fantasy that loves us back as much as we love it? Ponies will eat this up!"
“And that’s what this is to you?” Ocelia folded her ears back. As she climbed onto the table. “Contractual obligations?!?!” The little ladybug flailed against the stocks of meeting flyers…
“OC…” The doll cautioned, but the filly was hearing none of it.
David was already raising his hands. "It was a moment of… I had pains for years, so long you just forget what it's like not to have them, just a part of life, but then they're gone. That kind of happiness is hard to find, and I felt… good, I guess is the word. Really good…"
Joy raised a brow. "So you aren't in love with us then?"
Gloomy snorted at the mare. “If it wasn’t real, it wouldn’t be there.”
"She's asking about emotions, not unicorn magic." Even if he did have a bit of that lately. "That's a question for not in front of Jet here."
"Too right." Jet had no arguments about that. "Now, the way I see it, we need to get you in contract. I'd prefer an exclusive contract. You and Pegasoft. The bits will flow!"
Joy squinted softly. "Why not? They'd pay well…"
“That sounds… okay?” Ocellia opined, “But can I say something?”
"Um, first, I'm already in a contract." Jet and Sky looked at David with equal surprise. "No, really. Not skipping out on that. What were you saying, O… God, I'm still awful at names. Osh?"
“--Kosh b'gosh!” Gloomy glared at the doll for his interruption. “I’m sorry girl, I had to do it. It physically hurt!”
Joy and David were looking to Ocelia, waiting her words. Jet didn't get it. "Contract with who?!"
“I am Princess Ocelia Ladybug, and you buried us when you built this city,” Ocelia stood up straight, one fore hoof in front of her heart. “In the old times, we used to be friends. I took this journey to let you know, you still have friends, even if you forgot they were there.”
Jet rubbed at the side of his head. "Are you sure you don't want to chat with the queen? This sounds like a queen thing… Bet Haven could clear this right up." That it wasn't something marketing could deal with seemed clear. "Um, contract with who?"
"I really do want to know that too." Joy raised a brow. "First I'm hearing of it."
"You should know about it. You're the one that has the contract." He reached for her head, but her ears were tucked back and her expression not the epitome of friendly. "I work for you,remember? I didn't. You've been nothing but great to me. Ghosting on you isn't how I usually handle that."
“The queen?” Ocelia fumbled with her phone. “Do you want me to call mom?”
Jet frowned at Ocelia. "Queen Haven?" Fortunately, all pegasi had Queen Haven close to hand. He whipped out his phone with Queen Haven's smiling picture. "Her? Pretty sure you want to talk to her, at the castle."
Joy was busy digesting what had been told to her. "Oh… right… I mean… We didn't sign any papers or anything. It's not like I can force you to stay with me."
"But I am, unless you're firing me?" David crossed his arms, fingers tapping at opposing arms. "Someone has to keep your computers running."
“The last thing that menaced OC was an underground river of mouthy slime. I can solve you off screen as quick as I solved them, Zing.” The Ragdol’s smile never faltered. “I feel like you're pushing things.”
“Charlie!” Gloomy admonished. “Stick to the plan, I talk!”
Jet pressed a hoof to the side of his head. "You didn't come here just to tell me no. I hope? If you won't take that contract, what will you take?"
David fished out his phone. "This thing has a camera." With a press, he had the camera app open. "I can do a lot for you from Balt--Maritime Bay. You give me scripts and--"
"No! No no… Then we can't set up the studio, or work the sound, or…" That his pulse was quickening, Jet wasn't trying to hide.
“All this about what you can’t do.” The Ragdoll’s smile never faltered. “What do you want to do?”
Joypad threw her head in the doll's direction. "He isn't wrong. You want his face or not? Make it… part of the gimmick, super homeschool looking… Hey. Humans in the story don't have smartphones, so…"
"So…" Jet's eyes began to shine. "So he's using magic, with low resolution everything to send messages to us! Oh, brilliance!" He fished out a card and handed it towards David. "Do you have one?" At David's headshake, he sighed. "Then text me. We have work to do!"
“What do you want out of this, Jet?” The ragdoll flopped closer. “You want a specific outcome. I can provide that.”
“Just tell me what you want.” The doll smiled, that being the only expression it was capable of.
“Charlie!” Gloomy Sonnet seethed. “You promised you wouldn’t do this! We are happy with the arrangements in the existing deal, Mr. Jet.”
Jet nodded at Gloomy. "Good good, then we're all settled." A little waggle of his hooves, shooing them all. "Have a nice day."
All too soon, the door was closing behind them. "He is a busy pony." David did not sound overly upset. "Make some phone videos from home? I can do tha--"
Jet thumped him in the ribs. "When did I become home?!" But David fell silent. "What? I didn't hit that hard… You surprised me!"
“I’m going to get my own room though?” The Ladybug asked the important questions.
“Yes.” Gloomy answered with a heavy sigh. The filly’s adult battles for the day were done.
Joypad peered at the odd two. "Why are you asking Pegasoft for rooms? Are you working for them now?"
“We signed a contract just shy of a week ago.” The beat of gray hooves reverberated. “We never back out of a contract. I am simply renegotiating Miss Ladybug into the contract." Nothing is ever easy
Joy nodded. "Ah, good. So you found a new home." She offered a hoof towards Gloomy. "Glad we got that fixed. You take it easy then, alright?"
David remained quiet and still.
“Nothing is ever easy.” Except maybe that hoof bump. She flashed an honest grin. “Either make where you are better, or go somewhere else!”
With the sealing of a hoofbump, Joy made for the elevator. "This trip has been too much everything. I am going home. Hey, do they have, like, wagons, you think? We could ride home!" David was trailing along with her, but didn't reply.
“Goodbye Uncle David!” the ladybug plushy shouted, waving her top four hooves manically. “You are the best!”
He waved gently, a mild, "Later." It wasn't a very energetic goodbye, and the doors of the elevator closed with a chime. They rode to the bottom, stopping a few times for other ponies getting on or getting off.
Joypad tapped at one of the many pegasi. "Say, you can fly. Why an elevator?"
The mare that was asked blinked with amazement. "Well.. for one, this building was built before we could fly, and we got very used to using the elevator. Besides, we're not all that good at it yet."
A stallion laughed at that. "Oh, wow, yeah… Still learning how to fly well. The elevator can't mess up. Get in, sit down, and it takes you where you--" It chimed gently. "--Oops, time for me to go." And he trotted off with a smile.
Joypad looked around, alone for once on their ride. "Is there a reason you're being silent?"
"I don't like being hit."
Joypad turned slowly to gawk at her half-human friend. "Huh… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It was just a swat…"
"I know that."
She opened her mouth, just to close it again, frowning with thought. "And that… Do you want to be mad?"
"No."
"But you are anyway." She rolled a hoof as the elevator chimed, reaching the bottom floor.
"Yes."