buxy

"I was just musing to myself before I stepped in," Zecora chuckled with a subtle shake of her head. "How ironic it'd be to find a neighbor within. My name is Zecora, and I do live in the Everfree. Though I had no idea my home would give me such notoriety." She stepped inside, taking a seat by the lantern. The atmosphere the unicorn had created in the tent was delightfully spooky. Though the harvest season, its festivals, and Nightmare Night were wholly new to the zebra, she found herself delighting in the campy scares and spooky fun. It seems in this unicorn she'd found someone who embraced it in its fullest. She instinctively ducked as the fruit bat swept through the tent, but doing so with a smile on her face. Zecora had only heard a snatch of the stallion's voice before entering the tent, and she thought there had been a familiar cadence to his accent, but hadn't heard enough to be sure. He made no move to introduce himself, and Zecora followed suit, instead offering a friendly smile. Maybe she'd been wrong about the costumes preventing her from standing out.

Zecora strolled through the festival, drinking in the sights and sounds around her. Festivals held a special place in her heart, after having grown up in a tightly-knit villiage, living on her own in the Everfree was a stark contrast, and often grew a bit lonely. Adding to her delight, she was finally getting the chance to see more of Equestria. After her initial experiences in Ponyville, the zebra had consigned herself to a life of quiet solitude, but that had slowly changed since she'd met Twilight Sparkle and her friends. Her trip to Fillydelphia was long coming. It made things a bit easier to be among ponies in costume, her stripes certainly weren't something anyone would notice here. Her touched a hoof to her long grey wig, poking at one of the attached spiders to make sure they were still secure. She had been asked to tell a story at the upcoming Nightmare Night festival in Ponyville, and was giving her chosen costume a test run here. She was more than confident in her storytelling abilities, she had regaled the fillies and colts of her tribe for years before leaving home. The legends here, however, were something she needed to familiarize herself with. As she walked, she kept her eyes and ears open. There would certainly be more than enough knowledge for her to pick up on here, she just needed to find the right source. The zebra stopped short, looking back over her shoulder at the tent she'd just passed. "Learn about the supernatural and strange," she read aloud. "Why that sounds perfect for a knowledge exchange. And Willow Wisp... I think I've heard that name before. Have I come all this way to speak with someone from right next door?" Zecora chuckled to herself. She was fairly certain Willow was a Ponyville resident. After admiring the tent's spooky setup, Zecora stepped inside, pausing uncertainly after noticing the two ponies inside clearly knew each other. "Ah, hello, I don't mean to interrupt," Zecora said with a smile, sticking near the tent's opening just in case she'd been wrong about the tent being open to anypony. "If this is a private party I don't want to disrupt."

Babbles sniffed softly, watching the pair move away. She hoped her words hit home, and with any luck they'd see the subtle reference to the event she'd be sure to include in her next article. Just a little something to drive her point home, should either of them ever feel as though she were the sort of pony to forget about being slighted. She sat down on the bench for a moment, moving her bag to the seat beside her and flicking the top open with a flick of her horn. If any papers had blown off, she'd need to hunt them down before continuing back to her apartment. She took a quick inventory of the contents, ensuring everything was accounted for, though with things so out of order, it would take a bit of inspection to be positive.

Zecora was about to speak on her suspicions of the pegasus twins' mane ornaments, likely one of two neighboring tribes from the area she'd grown up, when the flash from the back room stunned her into silence. Craning her neck to see into the back of the shop, the zebra let out a soft whoosh of breath after assuring her cart's safety. With a subtle shake of her head she marvelled, again, that Ponyville had thought she was the strange one. "I'll be happy to stop by tomorrow, sir," Zecora said to Klondike with a polite nod. "Though you can take an extra day or two if you prefer. If anyone else's repairs are more pressing, a small wait for me won't be distressing." Zecora gestured to the other customers in the shop. She really only made use of her cart a few times a month, if that, and some of the other items in for repair seemed to be in much more frequent use. "If you're as well travelled as your parents seem to be," Zecora turned back to Shanna. "I'd love to hear any stories you'd like to share with me. Though I came to Equestria to travel and learn, my lack of progress there is a slight concern." She added, with a bit of a chuckle at her own expense. "And Miss Mist, your piece there hints at quite a collection, I'd love a chance for a casual inspection." (ooc: I felt so left out of the PM party )

I would like a picture please!

Without Jobs work in the technology field none of us would be sitting here doing what we're doing. Home computing owes everything to what he did. He was the first to make this accessible to the general public, and without those foundations to build on, or the competition to keep up with (I'm looking at you, Mr Gates), we would not have the computers we do now. He changed how we interact with each other, and with the world. He changed how people learn. He revolutionized the music industry. Even though I've never owned a Mac myself, I learned to program on an Apple ][ and my iPhone is an extension of my arm. He was an amazing man, and he seriously kicked cancer's ass. Pancreatic cancer patients generally have an expectancy of 6 months to a year after diagnosis. My uncle passed away 7 months after his. Steve Jobs was diagnosed in 200****ing3. Go Steve.

The sheer quality of absolutely everything that's produced by fans makes it way, way too hard to narrow down a favorite anything.

My three year old "niece" (bff's daughter) is just starting to take notice of the show, thanks to her friends from preschool, and I'm psyched. I've been a pony fan from the get go, and I have all sorts of toys to pass on to her. She doesn't pay attention to television much, so the show isn't something she's taken notice of yet, but she's starting to take interest in the toys. I've been reminded several times that she still needs a year or two before I go full-pony on her and pass along some of my less-than-mint G1 ponies...

Here's a simple and delicious stew that'll be gracing our table as the weather cools. 1 can cream of potato soup 1 can of cheese soup 1 can of milk 3 boiled and sliced potatoes, or 1-2 cans of potatoes (of you're feeling lazy or short on time) Shredded cheddar cheese BACON. (optional. But delicious) Combine above ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Add more milk if you want a thinner broth, or a touch of flour to thicken. Can be served with crackers, or topped with sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits. Broccoli can also be used in place of (or in addition to) the bacon if you want to pretend it's healthier than it is Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Like a boss.

Hey guys. This is a really weird question to ask and I feel a bit uncomfortable posing it, but I'm sending out feelers everywhere I can possibly think of, and knowing how diverse our little community is here, someone out there might be able to offer some advice here. Eight weeks ago my husband was hit by a truck in a parking lot. He suffered a severe bone bruise from where the truck actually impacted his arm, and has a brain bleed from his head hitting the pavement. He's seeing some amazing doctors, and is making very, very slow progress toward healing. We've been facing a lot of challenges, and a lot of issues have sprung up (who knew, your brain really DOES control absolutely every single damn thing in your body) and that's mostly why I've been absent lately, aside from popping into my RP threads whenever I have a few minutes to spare. Here is our biggest problem right now. My husband is without health insurance, we have pretty crappy regulations in regards to that in this state. We are no strangers to struggling through the medical system without coverage; he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago, and also suffers from epilepsy, aplastic anemia, and a fairly severe heart murmur. We have one thing on our side, and it's that many of the doctors he's seeing will accept either a promissory note from our lawyer that they will get paid once the lawsuit is settled in a year or so, or will wait until he is approved for medicaid to bill at all. But there are a few specialists who will not, and we are rapidly running out of money. A prime example being the surgeon he had to see about his elbow, which may have a bone shard loose in it on top of the bruise, who would not even agree to look at him without $250 up front and a monthly payment agreement beyond that. I work at Walmart. He is completely out of work. We're kind of struggling here. So my question is pretty short and simple after that huge rambling backstory. Do any of you out there know of any charitable organizations that help with traumatic brain injury patients, or anything of the sort? I have been looking whenever and wherever I can, but I'm coming up dry. If anyone has any advice to offer as to where to look or who to contact, it'd be a huge, amazing help. Also, sorry to bring some sad into the midst of all our pony happy.

Worn through as he was, Breaker kept going. His nostrils flared with the effort, pushing toward the finish, he was hardly close to winning, but maybe he could beat his sister's placement in her own running of the race. What was it again? Fifth? Eleventh? Or maybe ninteenth? Whatever it was, he wanted to beat it, and give her a solid good natured ribbing about it the next time she graced their island with her presence. "We got dis, Shanna! We'm in de end o't now!" Breaker called back over his shoulder before tossing his mane and lowering his head, breaking out into full gallop for the first time in the race and charging ahead, whipping past a few ponies in the process. As he tried (vainly) to remember just where his sister had placed, and tried (even more vainly) to figure out his own placement in this race, a memory floated to the surface. He could smell the smoke from the woodfire he and his sister had built on the beach, hear the gentle crashing of the nighttime waves just over the dunes. She was lounging on her own bulky, beatup saddlebag, sharing stories from her most recent trek across Equestria. "Dat race, Beaches," his sister, Hibiscus, sighed, shaking her head. "You ain't nevah seen such pretty colors, such a kind group o' ponies. But it's a long one, brothah. That trail be twice around dis island at de least, or I'm a griffin's hindquahtahs. Long, grueling run like dat, it teach you someting about youself. You learn tings you ain't nevah known." And it was true. Breaker had realized his own actions, though with the best intentions, could be rash and misguided. He grimaced a bit as he recalled leading several ponies off in the wrong direction, bringing them face to face with a cheating griffin. And finding out just how much he wanted, maybe even needed, to help others. The complete inability to sent him into the first fit of anger he could ever recall having. He was more than a little ashamed of the temper tantrum that had sent him off and running away from the new friends he was making. Certainly things he'd never faced before. So lost in his own deep thought, Breaker didn't even realize he'd crossed the finish line until he noticed the ponies stopped around him. He slowed to a trot, and heard Shanna's voice again, urging the other ponies, himself included, to keep moving. Still too out of breath to speak much, Breaker nodded, stretching his legs as he walked, and nudging a few ponies he'd noticed coming to a dead stop after the finish line.

"Whole lotta useful I seem t'be in dis place," Breaker muttered to himself, taking off after Shanna again. All these new ponies he was bumping into were getting more than a bit hard to remember. No sooner had he skidded to a halt just short of crashing right into the back of his new friends, than yet another pony appeared and shoved a sweet little morsel into his mouth. Breaker's surprise melted quickly into sheer bliss at the taste, and he rolled the treat around in his mouth. "Mmmmphpmmmmph....mmph!" Breaker tried to speak, his jaw only snapping shut around his words, after the thorough coating of sap he'd just given the inside of his mouth. He snorted, stomping a hoof, more than a little frustrated that he couldn't even thank this pony, let alone introduce himself, and passing on one of the treats from home he had stored in his back was absolutely out of the question. He hoped that at some point he'd be able to thank the stallion, and properly introduce himself. As Breaker looked around, hoping to find a way to put his bulk to use helping someone out of the sap, but one by one, everypony was finding a way out, mostly with the aid of those around them. The strain of such a long run was weighing on him (he had, after all, run a track longer than the entire coastline of his island home), but he still wanted to help. Being around so many ponies was inspiring to him, and everypony seemed intent on helping one another, and he was just standing there like a lump. He felt utterly useless, and with an uncharacteristic display of frustration, the usually easy going pony tossed his mane and took off like a shot, his wide, galloping stride carrying him beyond the worst of the sap puddles in a few wide strides, pushing forth toward the last leg of the race.

"Now you're THREATENING ME?" Babbles glared at the mage, taking in her steadfast expression before letting out a high pitched groan of indignation, stomping her front hooves. The prissy unicorn tossed her mane whirled to the second mare. "I highly doubt you've met this disgrace," Babbles gestured to the mage with a dismissive flick of her hoof. "Before this very moment. And you're entirely too nice for this nonsense." Hardly finished with her tirade, Babbles' horn glowed briefly, and the spot vanished from her shoulder. With a subtle ripple running the length of her body, her coat was instantly cleaner, glossier, and more pristine than it had been moments before. She turned back toward the inattentive unicorn who'd started this entire charade, her voice dripping with disdain. "As for you, there are VERY strict regulations in this city in regards to magic that may endanger those around you and I'm fairly certain that FIRE would rank rather high on that list. Perhaps you ought to brush up on your public ordinances before you embark on any future... performances." That last word tumbled from her mouth coated in sarcasm. "I accept your apology," Babbles announced, as if it were something she were entitled to from birth. "I seriously suggest you find a slightly less hazardous arena to practice this fire... thing."

"The sentiment is very kind," Zecora smiled, greeting the pegasus with a small nod, not unlike a bow. "And the butchering I would not mind. With all its foibles of pronounciation, my native tongue creats much obfuscation." Zecora finished with a wink. She glanced over toward the pegasus Shanna had entered with, a perfect mirror image of her. Well, aside from the fact that he was a stallion. Zecora glanced back and forth between the two of them for a moment, before recalling what had intially caught her attention about the two of them. "Did I overhear my name before?" Zecora cocked her head to the side, turning back to Shanna. "I could have sworn I'd heard it as you walked through the door. But I've never seen you around this town. Could it have been another place my memory's pushed down?" Granted, it was nothing unusual for ponies to know about Zecora without her knowing about them in this part of the world. Zebras were few and far between, and she had yet to meet any others. That didn't mean it would ever stop unsettling her a bit, after a lifetime of obscurity and contributing to the good of the herd in her homeland. Zebras did, after all, tend to blend into one another when they got together.

As if his misguided detour hadn't been bad enough, the terrain was starting to take a toll on Breaker. These rocky hills were a far cry from his smooth, flat sandy island, and not only was he getting winded, the impact was making his legs ache from his hooves to his withers. He struggled to keep up with Shanna as they made their way back to the trail, but found himself falling behind, and a light sheen of foamy sweat forming over his body. "Now where'n she gittan herself to..." he muttered to himself, craning his neck to see over the ponies ahead of him. Sure enough, there she was, catching up with the big stallion he'd seen earlier. Tired and sore as he was, a race was a race, and Breaker refused to back down from any challenge, especially one he set himself, and he pushed ahead and dodged through the small crowd separating them. After a bit of fancy footwork, some of which managed to stretch the knots out of his legs, a line of tightly packed ponies was all that stood between him and his race buddy. Spotting a gap to the side, closer to the treeline, Breaker went for it, weaving to the side. He brushed against a tree trunk, nudged through some low-hanging branches, and burst through toward Shannah. What he failed to notice, however, was just how sap-covered that tree trunk had been. And how loose the leaves on those branches had been. Breaker glanced back at the ponies he'd passed, quite pleased with himself, only to find them giggling at him. He glanced down at his side and saw exactly what was so funny. With a spattering of leaves on his side, and a gigantic, toothy grin on his face, Breaker pushed ahead and sidled up to Shanna again, just as she skidded to a halt. More than a little confused, but grateful for the chance to catch his breath, as well as help a pony in need, he trotted in a circle around her and stopped. "What seem t'be de problam eeyah, frens?" Breaker tilted his head quizzically, craking his neck down to sniff at the muddle around the trapped pegasus' feet. "Hoo! Dat be some pooowarful stick!"