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Blueblood

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Everything posted by Blueblood

  1. (What does Gray Matter look like? And Cainam, I specifically said in an earlier post that the coffee shop wasn't Pony Joe's.) An Earth Pony had come up to Earth Writer, calling him by name. The Unicorn could only assume this was his client. "Yes, that's me. I assume you are Grey Matter?" The meeting with Double Take was already receding in the writer's mind. This, at least, was honest work. After the commission check cleared, he'd never have to frequent that little grease dive again.
  2. As Double Take leaned in to give his pitch, Earth Writer felt as if the air was thickening, like a blanket soaked in grease to smother him. *Oh, Celestia, you're thick in it now.* He was in over his head now, and he knew it; every word out of the pegasus' mouth confirmed. As he readied his reply, the unicorn couldn't keep the slight stammer out of his voice that came in with stress. "Th-that's quite an impressive claim for th-this... organization. There's a c-c-catch somewhere, I think?" The unicorn was actually pretty certain he knew what it was already. *I've been eating breakfast in a mafia hangout all this time!?* Earth Writer's incipent journalist instincts were quickly overwhelmed by his desire to get out, but there really wasn't a graceful way of doing so. Getting put on a hit list would really ruin his day, which had started out so well... And then a miracle happened. An owl flew right into the cafe, message attached. The unicorn snatched it up, giving the contents a quick look-over. "S-sorry to cut this interview short, Double-Take, but I-I have an interview with my commissioner. G'bye!" A bit quicker than would have been counted polite, Earth Writer dashed out of the cafe, heading at a good clip towards the train station. He paused when he reached the station platform, huffing and puffing in an attempt to catch his breath. Looking around the station, he realized he had no way of recognizing Grey Matter on sight. *Hope the description I sent him was enough.*
  3. After the Pegasus had removed his coffee cup, Earth Writer levitated the notebook up, letting a few drops of the brown beverage drip onto the table. Sighing, he tossed it aside into the nearby trash can. Turning back to Double take, he rested his chin on his hooves as he listened to the silver-tongued shpiel. *His timing kind of stinks, considering I just landed two jobs this morning.* What's more, Earth Writer was raised to value politeness, and be a law-abiding citizen of Equestria. He felt internally as if he should just tell this boor to buck off, before leaving this dive never to darken its doors again. *On the other hand... I did just become a reporter, and this is nothing if not a story.* Aloud, he said, "I don't want to sound supercilious, but you've pretty much done everything in your power to make me uninterested in any further association with you. As it so happens, I just recently landed a comission, which you set back by ruining my notebook, on top of which you have stolen my lunch." He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a few seconds, before continuing. "Well, make your pitch. You have an uphill climb, to say the least."
  4. Earth Writer joined in Pathfinder's laughter, though not, perhaps, as loudly. He was not a loud pony in any case, and in most cases not very much likely to talk at all. However, the pegasus' uniqueness and openness encouraged him, bringing out his more social side. "Yes, but on the other hand, going hungry tends to be more likely in my profession than most. I think only artists and adventurers deal with it more. I guess it all depends at how good you are at going out an finding work if you're one of the three; it doesn't generally come to you." All the time, the unicorn was trying to get a look at the other ponies ahead in line; it was quite the mixed crowd. *Let's see, we have... the local junkyard owner, Equestria's finest donutier, Rarity, a Wonderbolt and... a secret agent?* He whistled. That was an impressive draw, but only to be expected, given the quality of the apples.... and the mare. The sudden elbow caught him a little off-guard, and brought Earth Writer's attention back to his neighbor in line. "Oh, you hurt your wing? I don't know about Applejack, but our local hospital's quite good at dealing with wing injuries. Somehow, though," He smiled as he saw her leap ahead. "I just don't see you sitting still."
  5. (Sorry for the late replies, my work schedule is pretty hectic.) By now, Earth Writer was no longer able to completely keep his cool. He knew, of course, that lashing out would only bring a swift and brutal beatdown, but how long could anypony expect to put up with this abuse? "All the bits I had with me paid for that sandwich." The unicorn spoke in a strained whisper. "I don't have much more to my name. Just because I'm a unicorn doesn't mean I'm not poor. As for the rest, I've never met you before in my life, so I suspect you have me mistaken for someone else. If not, I'd like to know just what you think gives you the right to ROB ME!" The last two words came out in a sudden yell, as much to vent emotion as to appeal for outside intervention.
  6. No time to post until the weekend.

  7. Another little idea that's been banging around my head lately is a Vorkosigan Saga Crossover/Fusion. If you've never read the series, trot post-haste to the nearest library, and look for "Cordelia's Honor" by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's as good a starting point as any, though it functions like a prequel the story of the main protagonist, which begins in "The Warrior's Apprentice." Some background info (to save myself the trouble of five paragraphs of gushing): http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/VorkosiganSaga?from=Main.VorkosiganSaga I just think that Griffon society would be a very good parallel for Barrayar, as compared to the "Beta colony" of Equestria. The only problem is, besides the fact that not many here have read it (and the fact that it would probably have to be listed as 18+), is that if we put in a Miles analog, the story would just be about him (and if it isn't, the player isn't writing him correctly).
  8. Whatever he'd expected to see, it wasn't this. The cafe was far from high class, but he'd never seen anypony come in here like it was a saloon bar west of Appleoosa. *Seems like today might be rather newsworthy after all.* Earth Writer was a little nonplussed to see that the Pegasus had singled him out, however, and so made no sound of protest when he took a seat opposite. And then, for no possible reason other than spite, the brute ruined his notebook by splashily setting down his cheap coffee. The look from those dark green eyes betrayed that their owner was itching for a fight. The unicorn's injured dignity and desperate etiquette produced a myriad of possible responses, most of them quite stupid. To stall for time, Earth Writer took a big bite out of his sandwich, chewing slowly as his eyes stared back. *Alright, don't provoke him. Just keep your cool, think of something non-confrontational to say.* After venting most of his frustrations through his mandibles, he swallowed, then spoke. "Eh, what's up, doc?"
  9. *Well, it seems honesty really is the best policy! Who'd have thought?* The unicorn thought, his slightly nervous expression morphing into a grin. "Alright then! I'm Earth Writer, don't know why I omitted to mention that. Well, I'll get to work then." He gave a cheery wave of a hoof as he walked back out the door. "See you next week!" ~ Earth Writer's next move was back to his mailbox, rather than out into the city. His other prospective employer would have probably written him by now; rich businessponies tended not to wait for the normal mail service. Sure enough, the was an owl, with a letter. The box attendent at Earth Writer's flat was already feeding it. Apparently, it had been instructed to wait for a reply. Looking over the attached letter, the unicorn got out some paper to write his reply. He wrote of a couple of vacancies he knew about, though he didn't know what kind of comfort standards this "Grey" was accustomed to. He really had no idea what wages were appropriate, so he sent an inquiry, also wondering if the work would be a flat fee, or a percentage of the royalties. *As for myself...* He wasn't really sure how much to reveal, given that there was only so much paper one could put in an envelope. "Well," He thought aloud, "I grew up in Ponyville, I might as well ask if I'd know him." Mentioning this fact, along with what house his parents lived, and his chosen subject for study in Canterlot, he felt was sufficient. After licking and stamping the envelope, he figured he may as well spend the rest of today at the cafe, observing what ponies were there. It was lunchtime anyway, and he felt confident enough of future income to order substantial sandwhiches. Picking a seat with a good view of the tables, Earth Writer sat down to his meal, notebook out.
  10. Earth Writer felt himself grow very awkward and uncomfortable, as Byline circled him, pouring so much emotion and volume into his speech that the unicorn was certain that the speaker would give himself a coronary. This wasn't helped by the fact that, in all honesty, Earth Writer was just looking for a job, and didn't come here in any fit of passion to "restore journalistic excellence." *In order to prove that I'll be the honest journalist he wants, am I going to have to lie?* That did not bode well for his future in the office. The tan unicorn looked down at the carpet, picking at a hole with his hooves, before speaking. "I've never had to write with daily deadlines before, so I can't say. If I got that worked up every day about a different thing... well, I'd probably run screaming through the streets. I've heard that detatchment was supposed to be a virtue in this business, I supposed for even-handedness, but now I think for sanity as well." He looked up then. "I have a commitment to truth, to factualness. I care about being accurate, and I know how to connect the dots. I can write to show a thing's relevance, write to convince someone else to care. But if you leave me to my own devices in looking for copy every day, I can't say that you wouldn't end up with shlock or fluff. It would be completely different shlock and fluff, at least." He paused, thinking a bit. "Actually, now that i think about it, I would make a better columnist than reporter. You'd want somepony with a better education in journalism for your daily bread." He shrugged. "That's honesty, take it or leave it."
  11. Another one that just occurred to me... Does anybody here remember the Myth-Adventures series by Robert Aspirin? It followed the adventures of Skeeve, a young apprentice magician, and Aahz, the dimensional traveler, who was deprived of his magical abilities, and so had to parter up with Skeeve, and the various ways in which they and their comrades get in over their heads, and come out richer. I think it would really work, especially since the series' universe has dimensional-travel built into it (Inter-universal smuggling for fun and profit!) allowing the characters access to Equestria, and the theme of depending upon one's friends runs strong through both the Myth books and FiM.
  12. (OOC:I'll have to get to the letter later, Grey, after Earth Writer finishes his interview with Byline Buck) "Well..." The Unicorn levitated a sheaf of paper out of the saddlebags, but hesistated before handing it over. "I really don't have much experience in journalism, to be perfectly honest. Most of my work is in longform, but It should give you some impression as to my style." Earth Writer handed over his papers to Byline Buck, careful that they didn't spill on his desk, or mingle with the others. The Unicorn's "style" was, well, probably not like what a pony'd usually see in a newspaper. It didn't really help much that the bulk of his portfolio was multiple-page geographical essays, mixed in with longer papers, both of which still had his professors' marks on them. The content of the papers was actually more interesting than their style, if one didn't mind having to deal with a lot of information. The longest paper dealt with Equestrian immigration policy, and how the diffusion of certain species throughout the kingdom responded to changes in legislation. Most of the shorter essays dealt with geography as it related to, well, anything. Tech development, crop correlations to urban planning, etc.
  13. *I really should have known that this would get me nowhere.* Earth Writer returned to his quarters late in the afternoon, feeling slightly embarassed. He'd spent the day walking to and around Old Town, and that's not something a pony should do when he has "no visible means of support." The dirty looks some of the upper class gave him sped him along before the constables could, which only made things worse. The unicorn could never get over his sensitivity of social shame unless he was busy with something, and with no job... *Looks like it's crackers and peanut butter for dinner again.* And so to bed, hoping the next day would bring opportunity. ~ The next day brought sharper hunger, which Earth Writer assuaged the best he could with black coffee and a slightly stale croissant. The pangs had one positive effect, in bringing this day's classified into sharper focus. Not just one, but two ads showed promise! *Hm, calls for a biographer, and for a reporter. Not exactly part of my repertoire, but it's better than anything I've seen so far. Now, which one...?* After a moment's consideration, he decided to try for both. After all, he could do the paper's work and a little work on the bio each day, right? Getting a publishing byline, and rich connections, could only bode well for the future, right? With that in mind, he wrote a letter to this mysterious businesspony, sending word of his interest, and Earth Writer's address. Then, he gathered some samples of his work into a saddlebag, to report to EQD's offices in person. He went into the offices, having become less sure of himself with each step. Most of his writing was academic in nature, not boring (so he hoped), but not really the kind of stuff editors seemed to like these days. No celebrities, for one thing. The unicorn found no one to greet him, and wandered until he heard the clacking of the typewriter. Approaching the pony there, he asked, "Excuse me, I read that there's interest in new writers for this paper?"
  14. (OOC:OK, then, should I just skip to tommorow for Earth Writer's post?)
  15. (OOC: I don't think EW can read ads that aren't in the morning edition; are you describing ads he might have seen, or ones currently being written? Just want to be sure before I write a post)
  16. One of the very nice things about this thread, is that there is always the possibility that one might just pull off these crossovers, if you get them in the hands of the right players. One Piece isn't all that obscure, and I can definitely see it working.
  17. "Ha! Well, starvation's a terrible thing in any context. As for me, I'm banking apples against the day I can't get any." Food was a simple and universal matter, and it ddn't surprise Earth Writer in the least that anypony, even a seasoned adventurer, would drop by Sweet Apple Acres when bushels of apples were up for sale. Kisses, on the other hand, were tricky, hence why the unicorn hadn't bothered much with them. It sounded as though the Pegasus who would be Daring Do had her own trepidations concerning the new sales promotion, albeit for different reasons and carried with a different style. She apparently had a special somepony... somewhere. Keeping his tone light and cheery, to match Pathfinder's own humor, he replied, "Oh, they generally are. I'll bet my new atlas that there's no better anywhere, and you of all ponies should know!" He laughed, a little wistfully. "As for Applejack... well!" He grinned. Earth Writer had kept up with the news between here and Canterlot, and was well aware of the mare's various accomplishments. Actually, he had no idea that anyone hadn't; regardless of how well-traveled they were. "I'd say there's as many ponies here primarily to see her as those who wish to purchase apples. Pity the line moves so quickly; I'd like to be there to hear you swap stories-" The permeating smell of Pigpen reached the nose of the unicorn here, and he coughed, snorted, and then tried generally to move as little air through his nose as possible. "Huh, what the... you may have smelled worse, I suppose, but I'll wager not often."
  18. Hum, the "Wanda" thing might work with a pet-based thread, it seems built to that scale.
  19. Aren't kids these days at least familiar with it? Of course, I was introduced to Revelation fairly early in life, but you'd think that Fallout:Equestria would have percolated down this community, and I know we've got other post-apoc threads on the boards.
  20. Though he had been somewhat disillusioned, Earth Writer was no less fascinated by the mare in front of him in line. He'd read the Daring Do books as a colt; almost everypony he'd met had at least heard of her, but never before had the unicorn met anypony so dedicated to imitating her. It was actually kind of inspiring. He shook her hoof with a grin, rather pleased at his good fortune. "Well, it's a real pleasure to meet you, Pathfinder." After hearing that this was apparently some kind of kissing booth, Earth Writer stood up on his hind hooves to get a better look at the front. "I think... the kisser is... miss Applejack, yes. Huh..." From where he was he could barely make out the end of the whole Flim/Flam debacle. "We seem to have just missed something exciting, pity." The line seemed to be bunching up at the end, with a pony from a few spaces in front talking to Pathfinder as well; Earth Writer could hardly blame him. He took the momentary respite to consider the prospect of his purchase. *I could use some apples to eat on the trip up, as well as have some stock for when I arrive back at Canterlot. You can't get apples this good there. Not sure about the kiss, though.* He shrugged. Time enough to deal with that as it came. In the meantime, he was standing next to a pony that was most likely full of great stories, and there were few better things for a geographer to do while waiting in line than to talk with an explorer, after all. "So, what brings you to Ponyville?" He asked the mare that would be Daring Do.
  21. Heh, I've done "page-per-post" RP's before (though in original universes, not fan ones per se); I actually don't mind those that much. I do forum RPG's as a chance to excercise my writing, so having a small group of players doing a super-literate game would be perfectly fine with me (which gives me a sliver of hope for a possible Man Who Was Thursday crossover, though that has its own set of issues.)
  22. Hm, yeah, the draw of the games was that, well, they were games. You could probably pull off an actual game crossover, now that I think about it, the tone of the original Genesis games fits, even better than Fire Emblem, in my opinion.
  23. Pretty much what it says on the tin, here. This is a thread for all of you to post those ideas for Crossovers that you've been sitting on top of, not sure if they'd get any interest, since not many would be familiar with the source material. To start the ball rolling, here's mine: It's an Isaac Asimov Crossover, but not how you'd think. Few people know this, but in addition to science fiction, Asimov also wrote mysteries, and there's a series of short stories he did called "Banquets of the Black Widowers" that I really enjoyed. The puzzles were clever, of course, but the framing device was what made it stick out in my mind. See, the Black Widowers were a city club with half a dozen members, who would have one banquet every month, with each member taking turns bringing a guest. The guest would get a free and delicious meal, on the condition that he answer every question put forward by the club. Invariably, each guest would have an odd or incomplete story, which would be set forward before the club, who would ask elucidating questions. Of course, the waiter almost always was the one who solved the thing. I thought that might be fun, though I may be the only one on the boards who's even heard of the series, and it would play out more like an in-character forum game than a true RP, which may not be attractive to most. Anyway, post your thoughts, or your own ideas, below!
  24. Some streets down from the end of the line, a unicorn emerged into the sunlight of mid-morning, and immediately sneezed. He sniffed as he shook the dust out of his mane. *That's the last box, at least. Just in time, too; my train leaves tomorrow.* Earth Writer, as he was called, stretched his legs and shook all over to loosen the muscles which he'd kept idle during his packing, before walking out, looking over all the buildings of his foalhood home as he went nowhere in particular. He'd come down to pick up the last of his books that he'd left with his family before he went back to Canterlot; his move from a school dormitory to a small apartment had left him enough room to bring his stuff back up. Plus, it gave him an excuse to visit, and show off his new degree to his parents. They'd been so proud of him; he'd finally picked up his Geographic accredation! It was what he'd been striving to get ever since he'd aquired his cutie mark, a globe with a quill pen over it, showing his abiding interest in the subject. Other than that, his tan coat was unmarked, though his muzzle was as black as his mane. He came back from his reverie with a jolt; some filly was yelling into a megaphone, something about showing a "niegh-er do well" something? She sounded angry, whatever it was about. The noise was coming from Sweet Apple Acres, it sounded like. Earth Writer decided to go see what was up. Might be a good show, you never knew. Turning a corner, the unicorn could see the back of a line stretching to a booth where the proprietors of the Apple Farm were holdign some kind of promotion, but that wasn't what brought him up short. *No way, it couldn't be...* A brown pegasus mare, grey mane and tail, dressed like an explorer... he rushed up to her, only stopping when he got a closer look at her own cutie mark. "Oh, I beg your pardon!" He said to the mare. "For a moment, well," he rubbed the side of his neck self-consciously with a forehoof, "For a moment I thought you were Daring Do in the flesh." He gave a sheepish smile, before pointing towards the front of the line. "Any idea what's going on up there?"
  25. My OC's RP Debut! http://www.canterlot.com/topic/9089-why-is-the-first-step-is-the-hardest-open-canterlot/ Basically, Earth Writer is a young geographer, fresh out of school and just a slight bit disillusioned as to his prospects for work. At this point, I'm open to a lot of directions for this thread; I'm trying to work out how he's going to work in an RP environment.
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