A Conventional Art to Art [FIN]

[Zeig]

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From all over the Crystal Empire and Equestria, creatures of all sorts are flocking to the Triple A Convention.

The Applied Arts and Artisans Convention is a highlight event for many artists throughout the lands. From sculptors to painters, traditional to modernized, clay modelers and supply sellers - there is no end to the myriad walks of life that came to learn, teach, and simply marvel at the spectacle.

Several booths have been set up along the streets, a large number of them occupied with ponies attempting to promote their latest and greatest supplies, be they paints, inks, sculpting tools, and much more. Others are set up in demonstration, showcasing their newest chiseling technique or whisper thing wax paper over the base layer. Ever more stalls have practical courses set up for convention goers, challenging ponies to showcase their own talents in various events. A fair few stalls, here and there, simply stand to sell food and drink to the hundreds of ponies milling around the area - there is certainly no shortage of any resource an artist of any medium could ask for.

Programs are being given out left and right as well, detailing a schedule of lectures and seminars. Many are practically and thoughtful, lectures such as 'The Effects of Magically Induced Animation on Inanimate Works of Art', 'How to Manage Clientele', and some tutorial courses, like 'Becoming a Self-Sufficient Artist.'

Whether a pony is attending to learn, lead a seminar, or simply get out of the house for a couple of hours, the Triple A Convention is guaranteed to appeal to whatever a pony could ask for.

 

 

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While he wasn't, and never would be, a scholarly kind of pony who learned from seminars and textbooks, well...

Alright, alright. He was hooked.

Barely thirty minutes into the convention, and Inkbrand could admit defeat. Not that he hadn't wanted to go in the first place - it'd been his idea after all, one which Zelda had easily agreed. Which, was rather lucky, considering he'd already purchased their convention passes and train tickets...but that was besides the point. The point, was that, although he'd been interested in looking up some of the fresher techniques to just see what he was competing with, Inkbrand hadn't really been expecting all that much.

And then the Triple A slapped him in the face for being so unbelievably stupid.

"There's a demonstration on tattooing inks using correctional brushes to merge vibrant colors together!" the grey Earth Pony exclaimed, head tucked into the program that detailed the available seminars and lectures to attend. "Buck, that would save me on supplies...and look babe!" he continued, pressing into the black griffon's side so he could wave the program in front of her face, "a study on generating an artificial light source for sculpting purposes." Not that that one excited him as much, but Zelda was a sculptor, probably able to appreciate much more of these seminars than Inkbrand would be able to.
 
Which was...well. Why they were here, maybe.

Zelda was about as great a marefriend a stallion could ever dream of nabbing...and that, Inkbrand had found out passively over the last months or so, was turning out to be a problem. He could appreciate the chill and relax attitude Zelda had over near every aspect of their relationship - and oh, buck could he appreciate it, far more used to clinging mares who wanted to spend every waking minute together - but at the same time, such casualness prompted nothing in return, causing the spark of a new relationship to wane thin. Inkbrand was positive the griffon wasn't looking to settle down and start a family or any of that rot, no sir...but well...

What was that they said? Too much of a good thing? Something as.

Whatever it was, said casualness worked out great for Inkbrand, and had obviously worked out great for Zelda - meaning, that the 'casual' in 'casualness' was going on the track to fulfill its course soon. The tattoo-clad stallion was ninety-two percent certain that a break-up wouldn't result in the griffon attacking him in the middle of a convention site - she had accepted the casualness of their relationship as easily as he had explained it - but that didn't equate to a quick note scrawled and left on her doorstep. Zelda was better than that, and deserved better.

Hence, one more date. One more fling. And then after that, well.

Passion could only carry a pony for so long.

But that would be later, maybe, and this was now, and there was bucking too much going on for Inkbrand to be completely still. "I need to take a look at some new paints, too," the grey Earth Pony continued on blithely, his tail automatically coming up to drape over Zelda's backside as they strolled on through the convention grounds, "been runnin' low. Maybe even a new brush set." That, likely wasn't going to happen...but when it came to tattooing supplies, Inkbrand had about as much self-control as a foal did in a candy store.

"What about you babe," Inkbrand said after a moment, a smirk on his face as he leaned down to nudge his snout against the silken black head lightly. "What's on your radar? My treat!"

 

 

 

 

[tacobob]

 

 

The black griffoness seemed to have an extra bounce to her pounce as she gamboled about the famed Crystal Kingdom with her very favorite little pony-pal, Inkbrand. Actually, he was more than a pal, the grey stallion was her swain, her boo, her gentlecolt caller, her very special some-pony and her bug-bug. She was not sure where the last one came from, but it sounded cute..In her head. This was a very special day for the sculptor slash blacksmith slash adventurer as not only did she get an entire weekend off, she got to spend it with her previously mentioned horsey-Heart Throb, and it would all be going down in the Triple A Con! Or as she liked to call it the 'AAA-Con!'.

 

Zelda had managed to find the time to attend the last five conventions, from the Vodka-infused weekend in Stalliongrad to the 'what the heck were they thinking' mess in Griffonstone. Ignoring the one very large exception that took place in the ruins of the griffon kingdom, the black bird loved the con. She could met new vendors, learn new techniques from the best in the business, try out new tools before they were released into the market and even better...There were the freebies! Along with their respective industry passes, the pair also sported fancy V.I.P bands on their front right legs. This would allow the two to enter the fabled 'freebee hall'. There they would be able to snatch up unique shirts, branded tools, preview copies of upcoming training guides and other art related bits of schwag. There would also be a few open bars. Their special passes would also keep that nasty ol' nag Nosy Parker from calling the griffon a plebeian. No matter how large the crowds were, she always managed to run into the nasty old mare who enjoyed rubbing her pass in the young bird's beak.

 

Along with the convention, she felt the need to be able to spend a little extra time with her colt. Zelda had a horrible habit of getting lost in her work and ignoring everything else. Before her short stint with Fire Walker's big brother, Sky, she had been dating an Talonoplis-bird named Gavrilovich. Things were fine until she had been given an rather impressive order from the R.E.A for an much needed armor-upkeep. When she was finished, not was Gavrilovich seeing another bird, he had married the girl and even had a kid. Feh! The less said about her next colt-friend, Sky Walker, the better.

 

Inkbrand was really something. He was cute, funny and an exceptionally gifted artist. And unlike Zelda's stone and metal, his 'canvases' tended to move about and expect work to be done quickly! They were so much alike, but she wondered how long this would last. She knew that one day she would settle down and marry someone. While she would have to keep her workload to a suitable eight hours a day, things would mostly stay the same for future married Zelda. But she was still too young for such a thing! She was still a free bird and she needed to roam! She just hoped the stallion would stick around a bit longer for the ride.

 

So far, things had been going rather well. There was a crowd, but it wasn't as obnoxiously as busy as Canterlot's con from a few years ago. There were also a few new companies that have sprouted since the last show. There were at least three new Alabaster suppliers that she needed to look into. And speaking of looking, with her stallion's snout so firmly pressed into his program, the quick thinking griffon managed to steer her pony just in time to avoid coming in contact with one of their fellow con-goers rump. They would be fine just as long as one of them had their eyes...Oh dear. The convention guide was now very familiar with the bird's beak. "Oh, and they're also hoofing out copies of Stonequill's updating modeling guide. I could use this as my ol' usual models Dunder and Sugarcoat need some further training..."

 

Once the book was removed from her sight and there was no further fear of her ramming into a pony, table, or is that a dragon? "Hmmm.", she continued to listen to the stallion go on about his paints for a moment.

 

 

 

 

"What about you babe," Inkbrand said after a moment, a smirk on his face as he leaned down to nudge his snout against the silken black head lightly. "What's on your radar? My treat!"
 

 

 

 

"There's a few dealers I want to check out, and I was wondering..", her eyes darted around to make sure nobody was listening in. "I know they make special invisible ink, but what about invisible paint? I was thinking of a project where you could design a really cool tattoo. I would then carve it out in stone, but have it attached to a base that could be covered in a camouflaging or invisible paint, so it would look like your tats are just floating in space. Almost like it was its own person...Alive...", she sighed, "Maybe something as arty as that would get my work into proper galleries. And while I love seeing my stuff in pony's homes and in different parks, I feel the need to move my art to the next level. What do you think?"

[Zeig]

 

It was almost as if they were swapping secrets of Equestrian security importance, and buck all if he wasn't just a tiny bit giddy with it.

"Holy rot, that sounds awesome," the grey Earth Pony breathed out, staring at Zelda with about the closest he ever came to genuine admiration as he imagined what such a structure would look like. "Be kinda like a, a...3D tattoo in mid-air huh? Sweet as." Inkbrand almost didn't hear the griffon's ending statement, too busy imagining a reinventing of his advertisement.

Forget flyers and posters - a couple of 3D tattoos place strategically around his business area would be off the chain.

He did manage to catch the tail end of Zelda's comment however, causing a thoughtful frown to fall over Inkbrand's face as they continued to trot through the convention. Honestly, he'd had no idea that the griffon held aspirations of showcasing her talents on a more professional level - and to be doubly honest, Inkbrand had no idea exactly how that level worked out. High-end art tended to confuse him the same way high end fashion did, realism and practicality giving way to outrageous and 'wow' factor. Of course it was a bit of a leap from fashion to art, but the point remained. Inkbrand wouldn't even begin to know what pieces would fit into an art museum, and which were better suited - according to critics who apparently knew what they were talking about - for the trash bin.

If he really had to take a gander however, Inkbrand would guess that any unique structure would be a high point for the griffon's ambitions. She would undoubtedly be competing with Unicorns who could use their magic to build unnatural and unorthodox creations, ones that would catch the eye simply for being different. A tribal design floating in mid-air sounded eye-catching as buck all, in his own humble opinion.

And if he was a little bit biased, well. That was his own business.

"If we do find some invisible paint," Inkbrand stated, shooting a toothy grin down at his marefriend as they started to pass by stalls filled with the latest and greatest art supplies, "you just tell me when and what, babe. I'd be all over that gig." Just so long as he got to take home a small souvenir for his contributions to the project.

So to speak.
 

 

 

 

[tacobob]

 

Being surrounded by art of all types and artists of all skills, the big black bird seemed to be filled to the feathers with inspiration. This was probably the happiest the stallion had seen the griffon so far, and she was completely sober! "Yeah, I can almost see it, and I’d probably go with something more tribal, much like our own very markings. Nothing with words either. Something anyone of any species, age or country of origin would understand." Her eyes darted about the large convention room as she continued to let her little idea stack up a little more.

 

"It would have meaning of course, just like your other tats." the blacksmith had been quick to poo-poo a few random ponies she had run into over the last month or so who did not care for her recent ink-work. One said they were meaningless scribbles some crazy-pony doodled all over her front leg. Zelda was quick to point out they had meaning and added a second coating of life to the already lively bird.

 

And maybe she could make it so it could fall and land on that flat headed busybody if she dared to make a nasty comment about the piece. Nasty mare went to one art gallery her entire life, so she thinks she's Denis Didetrot! She wouldn't know art if it got naked, painted itself blue and danced in front of her while singing, 'I am art!'.

 

Zelda quickly did her best to shake the less than positive thoughts from her mind. One could dislike art, but why did they have to be so danged rude about it? "Oooh!", another light bulb popped up. "Maybe instead of invisible paint, I could get my old friend Presteza to try out some of her magic on our little project? It's a bit odd, but from what I've seen, she can paint this sort of living magical paint onto things. It's bound to be longer lasting and safer than neon signs."

 

This sounded like it could be a bit of fun. While she enjoyed burying herself in her smithy with a zillion projects and jobs to do, it was even more rewarding to work as a team. And considering the threesome were all very different types of artists would make things for the better.

 

"So, you've heard me beak-on about stuff, what sort of projects do you have in store?", the curious kitty asked...

[Zeig]

 

Despite the various going-ons around him that were nearly screaming for his attention, Inkbrand was still able to keep at least one ear and half and eye focused on his marefriend, because he was attentive and rot.

And because her project was sounding more and more amazing the longer she talked about it.

Inkbrand gave a noncommittal hum of appreciation as they passed by the various stalls, not sure if he agreed one hundred percent with the griffon's statements but feeling no need to spiral into a debate about it right now. True, most clients wanted tattoos that had some meaning or symbolism for them, but that wasn't always the case. Hay, tat on his right hind leg held no more special meaning to the grey Earth Pony than a three-leaf clover held to the average pony. It just looked bucking cool, and balanced out the extravagant tat on his left hind leg.

Though, maybe that was the meaning in and of itself. It was cool as.

Unfortunately, Inkbrand's completely attentive nature made him immediately catch onto a familiar and equally off-putting name his marefriend uttered, and it was enough to cause his ears to fall back onto his head reflexively. "Oh-ho, buck that," the tattoo-clad stallion snorted with feeling, "you kidding me? Last thing I need is Miss Pretentious telling me everything I'm doing wrong in my life while I'm trying to - er."

Buck.

Old friend, Zelda had said. So probably not all that close, now? Or...buck, a friend that went really really far back? Inkbrand may have equated MFT to a flower strangling weed in his mind, but even he wasn't stupid enough to go insulting somepony in front of her filly friend. That was like asking a mare to slap you upside the head with a frying pan, because filly friends always came before coltfriends, always. It was like some secret pact all mares across Equestria had banded together to make, way back in ancient times.

Maybe Zelda would just let that go.

Yeah...yeah.

"Oh, yeah, tons of projects," the tattoo-clad stallion said hurriedly, then had to belatedly backtrack as he counted off said projects in his head. "And by tons, I mean none," he corrected, glancing down at the griffon with a cocky grin on his face. "Clients come and go, and mostly want the same thing. I can count on two hooves any one client that needed more than half a day of work."

Inkbrand paused again however, absently scratching the back of his head with one hoof. "Though I've been thinking of looking for ways to expand clientele to other...exotic species," he murmured, before shooting another toothy grin at his marefriend. "Whaddya think of a dragon tat, on a dragon?"
 

 

 

 

[tacobob]

 

Hokey Smokes!

 

Zelda tried her best to contain her surprise that Inkbrand actually knew one of her oldest friends. And Miss Pretentious? Seriously? None of her friends were perfect, but she considered the artist pony to be one of the sweetest, most level headiest girls she had ever known. Or maybe there was another pony out there named Presteza? Maybe not in Equestria because her name was of an foreign origin. From what she had heard, it meant agile or promptitude. While she did not want to linger on this for very long, she found herself to be one very curious griffon.

 

"Are we talking about the same Presteza? Unicorn? Around the same age as me? Sort of an tannish yellow?  Or a yellowish tan? Paint brush for a butt-mark? Born in Trottingham? Has a sort of hot mom? Has a brother in the guard? Blue Eyes?" Actually, it would be -icy- blue eyes, which she could not help but notice there are a ton of ponies out there with that eye coloring. What's with that?

 

She was more curious than anything and had no need to force a change of his opinion of the mare. She was well aware of the fact that not all of her friends would get along. But to think 'Little Pretty Pressie' would be somepony another would actually dislike!

[Zeig]

 

Oh buck, she wasn't going to let it go.

Zelda didn't sound angry or upset on her friend's behalf though, only genuinely curious, and Inkbrand took that as a sign that he wouldn't be taking any frying pans to the face. Still, he couldn't help but grimace at the griffon's line of questioning - not because he'd ever had a problem sharing his opinions about something, but because experience told him marefriends were a sensitive and delicate topics for mares, raising loyalty and companionship with said marefriend above all else.

He needed to tread carefully.

"One and the same, except you forgot 'Pretentious and Judgmental As All Buck.'"

Whoops, that hadn't been what he'd meant to say. Aw, buck it.

"First time I met her, MFT reamed me out for calling somepony 'babe' and asking them to partner up during Winter Wrap-Up," Inkbrand groused, the memory that had colored his view on Ponyville niceness rearing its ugly head, "never mind that I wasn't even talking to the mare she thought I'd been talking to." And after screaming and ranting in his face and physically pushing him, she'd had the nerve to tell him how unacceptable his behavior was.

"Never even bothered apologizing, either," the tattoo-clad stallion snorted - though, he vaguely remembered the cream colored Unicorn spouting off a rapid apology as she'd been dragged away. MFT had been just as quick, however, to point out that he'd still been wrong for...for whatever the buck he'd done that'd deserved such a verbal smack down, which had rendered the apology null and void.

Apologizing and insulting somepony in the same breath didn't count as an apology, anypony with bucking common sense would know that.

Inkbrand shook his head in disgust, before continuing on, only absently casting his golden eyes on the stalls and vendors they were passing by. "Anyways, she put on a good act for a while, he said, remembering those few instances he'd run into MFT and they'd shared fairly amiable conversations, "but then she went back to telling me how right she was and how wrong I was, and I got sick of her pretentious, two-faced bullrot." Another shake of his head, revulsion clear on his features. "It's one thing for a pony to think they're doing everything right and keep it to their bucking selves, eh? But it's the ponies who try and force their black and white moral rot on others while acting like they're all good and mighty that really yank my tail."
 
By this point in the conversation, Inkbrand had forgotten all about his reservations on sharing his contempt for the cream colored Unicorn with his marefriend. Zelda had seemed chill enough - but even if she wasn't, Inkbrand wasn't about to pretend he liked MFT just for the griffon's sake. Hay, he didn't even bother to pretend to like Aunt Erma whenever his family all got together for the holidays, the old bird, and he'd never bullrotted his friends or family before. MFT had proven she was a pretentious and arrogant little nag, and nopony was going to change his mind just because they were familiar with a nicer, less stuck-up version of the mare.

...In all honesty, the grey Earth Pony wasn't exactly sure why he was getting so caught up in these thoughts, caught up enough to completely miss the comments Zelda threw at him about her work, and questions about his work. Maybe because he was just used to it. So, so used to it. Used to others scolding him for not fitting in with their standards of friendship and interaction while they denied showing those same standards to him. Used to ponies turning against him to side with the opposition because Inkbrand was Inkbrand, and MFT was sweet little Presteza who could never do any wrong, and oh, of course Inkbrand had to be in the wrong because just look at him!

It had stopped actually bothering him a long time ago, when he'd stopped complaining that it was hypocritical, that it was judgmental, that it just wasn't fair. When he'd figured out that that was how the world worked, and he always came out fine on the other side.

But that didn't mean it was any easier when a hung on the line.

 

 

 

[[ OOC: Sorry, I can't really do the two separate conversations at the same time thing, I just can't make them work in my head. So I just cut it down to the first conversation. ]]

 

[tacobob]

 

 

The black griffon still could not believe what she was hearing. Somepony actually dislikes Presteza! Her favorite stallion had a rather unpleasant encounter with the usually perky mare. Maybe one sees old friends with a different set of eyes? You know someone for so long, you usually overlook  their less pleasant sides. Maybe her old friend was having a bad day? She had heard that the mare was going through something earlier this winter. Even spent the night at a little 'hole-in-the-wall' pub in Ponyville, drinking what could have been her sorrows away. She even required assistance and had to be helped to her hotel room. What was going on? Neither Fire nor Dunder could explain. Still, even if she was going through something unpleasant, that was still not an excuse to be rude to Inkbrand.  But she probably could cross off number four from her 'wish list' when it came to the stallion.

 

"That's fine. Really it is.", Zelda responded, "I don't expect you to like any of my friends, nor will I try to force them upon you. I could almost see a few personality clashes that could happen.", She doubted Docket would work well with the stallion, considering how quickly she could go from dead serious to downright goofy during one conversation. She would make a good drinking buddy, as long as she stuck to the lighter stuff. Wandering into the hard stuff would probably have her spending the rest of the night trying to hit on the handsome stallion.  She could see Eutony  getting along with Ink. Like many Diamond Dogs, she was a bit on the simple side, but she was still a real mentsh. She'd probably even give the little horse an free massage at her parlor. Fire Walker? Probably not? She tended to be overprotective and always looked through the eyes of an officer.

 

"I'm going to leave it at that, but one thing I gotta say.", she lowered her voice, "I'm an Rockwington girl. Strong as the stone, but like a rock, I can be a little thick at times.", a sly smile fell back on her beak, "I'd either get an idea in my head or I'd see something beautiful or unique and I'd just get lost in thought..Even during conversations. People tend to think this as rude, but 'ey.", she shrugged her shoulders, "And if I do or say anything that upsets, please tell me as soon as you can. It's better to let it go than to let linger inside yer belly for too long. It's like having Surströmming in the fridge. Nobody likes it and the longer it stays untouched, the nastier it gets."

 

"So, maybe we should move onto something a little more pleasant? We were talking about your inkings...Your markings looked absolutely stunning on that one Caribou.", the black griffon could not help herself. She enjoyed giving her little pony pal praise. "Imagine going south and doing a little work on some zebra, or even a giraffe? And I'd love to see you work on a dragon. They can be dangerously beautiful creatures, and the one I worked with back in Stalliongrad was no exception." As she made their way through the busy convention hall, one more question popped up...

 

"Also..I've been wondering about something.", she paused for affect. "When I returned to Canterlot after the whole drama with the family, I assumed I would continued to work as a blacksmith. Both for the R.E.A and for myself, but there just wasn't any major need for weapons and armor. I did a few jobs, but it just wasn't enough, so I took classes in sculpting, and I now do both...Was wondering, if there was another field you could work in, what would it be?"

 

OOC: No worries. Maybe it works over here...

[Zeig]

 

...Oh.

What, really?

Inkbrand knew Zelda was just about as chill a mare any stallion could hope to find, but despite himself, he couldn't help his momentary slack-jawed expression as the griffon spoke, completely accepting his negative opinion on her friend with nothing more than a shrug. No, "that's my friend you're talking about!" or "whaaaat, no way, she's the sweetest mare ever!" Just a simple, easy, acceptance, as if ponies having bad relationships with one another was a completely normal thing that was to be expected.

Well, it was, but most other ponies didn't get it!

Zelda was obviously not one of those types, though, and it was enough to cause a genuine smile to flit up Inkbrand's face. "Hey, no worries here," the tattoo-clad stallion chuckled, lightly rubbing his snout with one hoof as his grin threatened to split his face in two, "you can bet your sweet flank I'll speak my mind 'bout anything you do or say."

...Actually, that was the perfect opening for relationship talk. Inkbrand really, really didn't like the deep, emotional, soul-searching stuff a lot of mares expected, but that didn't mean a brief "let's just be friends" was the way to go either. Some sort of middle ground, maybe...

But just as Inkbrand began to open his mouth to speak up, Zelda began talking again, apparently repeating something she'd asked him earlier. The grey stallion paused, but mentally shrugged, draping one foreleg around Zelda's shoulders again as they continued to stroll about the convention. Bah, he had the entire convention to talk about it, no reason to shoulder it into the conversation now. Serious stuff was for serious timing.

"Eh, never thought about it," Inkbrand answered carelessly, his pace slowing down a bit as they passed a paintbrush stall. "Knew I wanted to be a tattoo artist since I was a colt, didn't really leave much room for anything else." The grey Earth Pony paused, rubbing a hoof through his mane as he took a moment to seriously consider the inquiry, before shrugging. "Nothing else I want to do."

And in that respect, Inkbrand could count himself lucky. There were plenty of ponies out there who had their dream jobs and ambitions, but couldn't see them fulfilled for one reason or another. Inkbrand could be grateful that he was making a living off of what he loved, rather than simply making a living. Sure, he had never really minded the odd jobs he'd taken to pay the bills - that one delivery over the mountain range had been an adventure in and of itself - but adventuring had never been what he wanted to do. All he wanted was to brand himself into others' skin.

...In a less, creepy sounding way, but the point remained!

The thought actually made him backtrack on Zelda's word choice however, replaying them in his head for a moment, before the figurative light bulb went off. "Family drama?" he echoed, one eyebrow raising curiously as he glanced down at his marefriend, "what sort of family drama?"

 

 

 

 

 

[tacobob]

 

There was a slight 'ding' sound that went off in her head. This sound had been set to warn her of any signs of the dreaded BLABBER BEAK. And she was being a slightly blathering bird at the moment. There was one thing though, she did not care. She felt like she could tell the stallion anything. He had such a trusting face. Maybe earth pony magic went beyond botany and enhanced physical strength. Did he have a trusting face? You beat your feathers he did. And considering his type of job, he probably had to listen to all types of yammering, blathering and prattling. And did she just repeat herself? Ho-boy. That's something her Great Aunt Gerda used to do. You'd spent ten minutes with her, and she would have told you about her lunch around two or three times. *

 

While she found the average pony to be far more readable than a typical griffon, she still appreciated Inkbrand's honestly. "Thanks.", she gave off another one of her beaky smiles. "I'm sure I've told you before. I can be a bit of a bird-brain when I have a zillion or so projects floating around in this noggin of mind. I'm sure you can relate.", the black bird had a habit of wandering off clouds while lost in thought. Thankfully her strong wings knew what to do once they felt the wind.

 

She clamed up for a moment as the ink-branding-pony spoke. Apparently, unlike Zelda he went down a straight path to his profession. He went right to a job he wanted to do. This was different than what the griffon had to endure. She wanted to do something, but once she found out the bits just weren't there, she quickly hopped over to another field. Was Inkbrand doing well in his field? He did live in the same building that he worked. But that was hardly a sign of financial struggle in Equestria as many of its inhabitants, including the black bird. It was just rather convenient.

 

Zelda's eyes fell upon a rather impressive chisel display. 'Heavy Hoof's Never Ever Break Hissell-Chisel PLUS' Holy Crap! That's the PLUS version! Would she have to toss out all of her old REGULAR Hissell-Chisel's? And there was talk about an upcoming IIC version! Oh...Oh. The stallion had a question about her 'drama'. This one was about her mama.

 

"Well.",she lowered her voice as she took one last look at Heavy Hoof's wear. "My mother passed away not that long ago and my father fell into a rather deep depression.", she sighed as she returned her gaze back to the stallion. "He still tried to do his regular things. Work at the smithy, hit the pub with his friends, but he was basically a zombie. No emotion. Just going through the routine. And so to make a very long story short, one of his oldest friends set him up with this great gal named Sayre. They hit it off extremely well, and a few months later they were married.  But before the happy bits, it was extremely rough. I moved back home to look after him. And this guy that I've known all of your life, one known for doing everything loudly from working to drinking to partying, every-bird knew where Gustaf was, cause that place would be rocking.", a smile crept back up before shuffling away. "But instead, he looked and behaved like a much older griffon. And that was rough. We managed to get through it all, and he's back to his old self."

 

She needed to shift the conversation back before she got all weepy. "Sorry Inky. Probably shouldn't have brought it up. But that face of yours.", she let out another sigh, "Just makes me want to open myself all up."

 

 

 

OOC: Or the poor shmuck who writes for her is too danged sleepy to re-read previous posts!

 

 

[Zeig]

 

Was that a compliment?

...Probably, was a compliment. Maybe.

Still, Inkbrand didn't have time to consider "that face of his" for long, considering the outpouring of history he'd just been treated to by the black griffon at his side. Zelda wasn't getting teary-eyed or anything over it, but it was exceedingly obvious that the effect of her mother's passing on her father was a painful point in her life. Hers and his. It made the grey stallion wonder, briefly and horribly, what his own parents would be like when the time came for one to depart first. They weren't up into the lovey-dovey stages of a lifetime of marriage yet, but even as colt Inkbrand had known his parents loved each other. He couldn't even fathom how they would handle the other's passing.

Hay, Inkbrand couldn't even guess how he would handle a wife's passing. The thought of being so intimate and connected with one other being that he literally wilted away when they passed on...well, just thinking about it made the prospect of 'love' seem a whole less romantic and lot more bucking terrifying.

"Sounds heavy," was all the tattoo-clad stallion could really find it in himself to say, though his tail gave a little consolatory flop against her backside. Buck he almost felt bad for asking about it...when he'd heard 'family drama', Inkbrand had just assumed some sort of disagreement, maybe a barded father-daughter relationship featuring aspirations that didn't align with the family's traditions, or something. Heh - maybe intense disapproval over the idea of his daughter dating a roguishly handsome, tattoo-clad stud, even if Zelda was - hopefully - old enough to be past that overbearing stage with her old man.

Family deaths and their impact went just a bit over his comfort level though, and the grey Earth Pony was quick to follow the griffon's own lead as his eyed up a change of subject.

Quite literally.

"Lookin' for some new tools?" Inkbrand not-questioned with a sly curl of his upper lip, using his body to steer the griffon back towards the display stall they'd been on the verge of passing. He hadn't missed the glances Zelda had sent its way, but only did he capitalize on them, marching the duo back up towards the side of the small group of ponies also inspecting the chisels proudly set out. They all pretty much looked the same to him, but he supposed any random pony would say the same about the myriad of paintbrushes he had in his apartment.

"What were you eyein' up?" he persisted, picking up and holding one chisel between both of his hooves, running a critical eye over it as if he had any bucking clue what made it more special than the next. "This one here? Or that one? I like that one, it's got a blue handle."

 

 

 

 

 

[tacobob]

 

The black griffon probably could have found a much better place to open herself up even more to the stallion. Maybe after a few rounds at her favorite old pub? There was a small hole in the wall tavern that she and a few of her fellow smithies and artists enjoyed hitting after work. While it lacked the atmosphere of the ‘Ponyland’, the beer was cheap and cold. There was even a chance she would get a second marking, similar to her previous one. There was always time to chit-chat during that.

 

Still, she felt perfectly calm during all the chaos of the convention. There were plenty of vendors trying their best to attract attention from the many visitors. From fancy displays, to Impressive new tools from all over Equestria, and even booth babes! Seriously? The modeling spatula guys from 'Spatula City' had cute mares decked out in t-shirts branded with their logos. They were also hoofing out shirts as well. One cannot leave a con without a large sack of freebees.

 

"Yeah. Heavy.", the griffon shrugged her shoulders, "I promise that will be the extent of it for the day." Thankfully they returned to a far more  tolerable subject. Convention goodies! New Tools! Stuff!

 

The blacksmith nodded her head, "I'm looking for something for my own workshop, and the R.E.A smithy as well. That's how we ended up with these special passes.", she nearly sung the last few words as she pointed to the great big V.I.P logo on their passes. "This is going to get us into some of the good places. The better of the freebee-halls. We're going to get wined and dined by folk who know if I see something I like, there's a chance the R.E.A will want it as well, so prepare for some smoozing."

 

"Oooh!", she couldn't not help but grin at her stallion as he pulled out what she knew were the dreaded 'blue handled chisels'. While these were made for tiny little babies with tiny little baby hands, she did not say anything. "Take a look at the ones riiiiiiiight next to them." And while these chisels looked nearly EXACTLY like the one Inkbrand had, minus the blue handles, these obviously interested Zelda the most. "I read that working with these buggers is like being guided by the old masters themselves.", She showed off her pass to one of the attendants who copied down the number that was printed on said pass. "Oh yeah!", in a sane world, she probably would have been the only one who was so psyched up for a -chisel- but the line that formed behind the griffon said otherwise.  "Sign me up for the 'Heavy Hoof's Never Ever Break Hissell-Chisel PLUS' Con-Special Super-Set", she squawked sounding like a kid asking her parents for the best gift right before Hearth's Warming Eve.

 

Once the order was confirmed, the attendant hoofed over a small bag marked with the HEAVY HOOF logo. "Won't be getting the set until next month, but till then, I can always dream of what I'll be able to do once I get my claws on those goods.", she let off a sigh before adding, "Alright. I've ordered my thing, now it's your turn!"

[Zeig]

 

Well she went from zero to stratosphere in three point five.

 

And honestly, it was cute as.

 

The tattoo-clad Earth Pony struggled to contain his mirth down to a couple of heated snickers at his marefriend's expense, not that he thought she would really mind. In fact, Inkbrand highly doubted Zelda would notice anything that wasn't a finely shaped chisel or a particularly vivacious block of marble begging to be carved out. The griffon may as well have been a foal in a candy store for all he could tell the difference, squawking over the a set of chisels that looked exactly like the one he'd picked up earlier, except they were obviously superior in every way shape and form, obviously.

 

And aw Taurtarus, it wasn't like he himself was any better when it came to the tools of his trade. Just this past Hearth's Warming, in fact, he'd received a simply mouth-watering sumi brush in an anonymously marked package - or at least, it may as well have been anonymous, he had no idea who the buck Voronoi Fractal was supposed to be. But whoever he was, he'd seen fit to send a paintbrush almost the length of his entire body for Hearth's Warming. Needless to say, Inkbrand had been positively flummoxed until he'd researched a bit and found out exactly what sort of brush it was and what it was used for. 

 

All those artsy yet roughly styled tattoos that were a staple in the far east? He'd be painting the town black and blue before the day ws done.

 

Not this day though - this day was for convention stuff, and Inkbrand cast one more amused glance back at the panel of chisels and stonework before they began wandering again, the griffon's previous words replaying in his head. Yeah, he'd been the one to nab some convention passes when he'd first suggested this little shindig, but apparently that hadn't been enough for Zelda, who'd pulled some strings to get a pair of fancy VIP passes. Not that he was complaining. "I'll leave the schmoozing up to you, babe," the tattoo-clad stallion chuckled, a belated remark to Zelda's comment on the networking they'd be doing later in the day, "unless there are some smoking hot Princesses that need a tat or six on their flanks." 

 

Then he'd be all over that. 

 

Apparently her geeky spazz out over chisels was dying down however, and the griffon was quick to turn towards him with an insightful statement. Heh. His turn, then?  With a cocky grin, Inkbrand abruptly changed direction, shamelessly leaning into Zelda's warmth and feathers to steer her into a hard right, away from the seminars being held towards the middle of the convention and back around towards the selling panels and stalls. Like a mirage over the desert, the booth he'd been salivating over ever since he'd looked through the convention brochure came into sight, materializing into one of the sexists sights the grey stallion had ever laid eyes on in his entire life. 

 

"Hello, babies," Inkbrand purred, momentarily forgetting about the date at his side in favor of shamelessly ogling the set of Century Carot Vivids ink sitting so prettily on the display table. Hay, he'd been willing to wait until later in the day, but how exactly could he have said no when his marefriend had practically insisted? There they were, so...so smooth, and creamy. Century Carot was famous for making painting inks that ran flawlessly across a canvas, and their newest set boasted a shining base that guaranteed the vividness of its colors all the way from bottle to gallery showcase.   

 

To the Laypony? Sexy as.

 

"Put me down for two orders, yeah?" the grey pony demanded, flicking his badge towards the attendant, who proceeded to write down his information. It was finished in no time, prompting Inkbrand to give the showcase of inks one last longing look before forcing himself back towards his marefriend, a lilting grin on his face.  "Shh - don't tell the other inks at home. They'll get jealous," he mock-whispered, before linking a foreleg back around the griffon to continue their scroll towards the center of the convention, their pace sedated and content.

 

Calm.

 

...Huh. Good as time as any, huh?

 

"'Ya know Z," Inkbrand began slowly, not bothering to remove his foreleg but slowing down their walking pace a bit more, an almost absent motion of legs as he pondered over the words ricocheting around in his head, "been thinking. You know you're great 'n all," the words were said without an ounce of inflection. If Zelda didn't understand how great she was, there was something seriously wrong with the bird, "but I've been thinking. Maybe it's time for us to spread our wings out again - so to speak," he added, with a cheeky grin aimed at the appendages latched onto the griffon's shoulder blades. "You know. See other ponies and rot."

 

All the smooth in the world. But honestly, Inkbrand wasn't in the mood to tip-hoof and dance around a griffon like Zelda. One-of-a-kind deserved one-of-a-kind. 

 

[tacobob]

 

 

The black bird glanced towards the stallion, curious where to see or at least hear what he had in store. While there had not been a whole lot of displays, vendors and seekers of Inkbrand's style of inking when compared to the others, there probably were a lot more here than last year. He appeared to be amused by her convention antics. Which was fine with her. At least he was not annoyed with her con-based-geekery as a few of her previous beaus had been in the past. If this works out, maybe they'll check out 'Artisa-Con' in Cloudsdale. It took a slight second before a helpful 'POP UP' message formed in her mind, reminding her that he needed wings to attend that convention. And while it was not a convention,she had heard that Manehattan was hosting an street art show...on the street. Probably where the new community theater had been built.

 

Zelda opened up her 'Heavy Hoof's Never Ever Break Hissell-Chisel PLUS' Con-Special Super-Set' and pulled out what appeared to be a plush pink hoof with the 'Heavy Hoof' logo on the sole. Why would they give a fake hoof to a convention that was mostly equines? She playfully 'booped' her stallion's snout with it and it made sound like this:

 

Spoiler

 

It was a BOOPY-HOOF! The amusement had now been doubled!

 

It only took a moment longer before Inkbrand found something that excited him as much as the normally unassuming chisels had done to her. The undiluted colors just seem to work with the stallion's personality, along with some of his markings. While he checked out the display, the griffon returned her fake hoof to its bag just in time to watch Inkbrand wrap up his order. But he was leaving before the Century Carot representative could hoof over a pair of rather vivid blue novelty glasses. Zelda made sure to snag one, and even managed to get another pair for her effort.

 

"Remember, all orders come with an freebie.", she placed the glasses on the stallion before putting hers on. She took a moment to get a good look at the pony, "Yep, it's official. You look good in anything."

 

Her smile quickly vanished after the earth pony wrapped his front leg around around her. It was not this that bothered her, but the tone he started to speak in. Nothing ever good came from that sort of talk. She had heard it before when she was much younger. When she had returned home from school, her father acted the same way. A friendly hug, followed by slowly produced words as if they were made up on the spot. Her dog Crunch had passed on. And this all happened again, when her mother had lost her fight. And then much later with Gavrilovich when he dumped....oh crudcrap..

 

He was breaking up with her? The griffon tried to maintain her easygoing expression, but it was just too much. And he was doing it now? Before they even finished with the convention? Was he now going to leave her alone in the Crystal Empire? That hotel they were staying in did not offer refunds, and she had no desire to go home so early. While she was neither angry or sad, the poor bird looked utterly confused. Was it something she said? Or maybe it was something she did or even not do. She considered herself to be in the early stages of the relationship, so the pair never had moved past a few kisses and a hug or two.  Maybe she was too silly for him? Maybe he was looking for someone who wasn't always Hok a chanik'n. A blabber-beak. But she could not help it. If it popped up in her head, it usually came out of the ol' word-hole.

 

"Erm.", she glanced down at the floor looking rather pitiful. "Right. See other ponies."

 

Thankfully, there was a small bench near a less populated area of the convention building just a short walk from where they stood. Which she lead the stallion to.

 

"So..", her voice regained most of its strength, but she was still pretty far from her usual upbeat self, "What did I do wrong?"

[Zeig]

 

Oh, rotberries. 

 

Of all the things he'd expected - casual acceptance, self-decrementing regret, maybe even utter indifference - this had not been one of them, leaving Inkbrand almost stuttering to a complete standstill at the abrupt and sudden change in Zelda. She didn't look - she didn't look upset, or angry at his words, but there was definitely a note of...indecision? Confusion? Hesitance? It certainly wasn't the playfulness he'd become accustom to seeing, nor the 'Yeah, and?' he'd really been expecting. 

 

Buck. Maybe he should've waited until after the convention...but that would've have been an even worse time to bring it up, wouldn't it have? A full day of fun and adventure, only to realize your date had been planning on calling it off the entire time you were smiling and dopey-eyed? Buck, just the thought of it was almost enough to make him vomit. Maybe after after the convention, then, a few days after - but buck, Inkbrand been so assured of Zelda's easy acquiescence that a break-up mid-convention had seemed like the most logical choice, a way to ease the transition back into friend zone. Instead of talking it over in Manehatten and then shoving off towards the comfort of their own homes and haunts to never speak to one another again, an event provided plenty of opportunities to play-push each other around because they were forced to be around one another, preventing that awkward time of wanting to drop by the other's house for a friendly visit but thinking it too awkward. 

 

It was bucking genius - or it had been, until Zelda had completely upended his expectations, and not in a good way this time. 

 

Was it a bit chilly? Inkbrand suddenly felt a bit chilly. And exposed. As if the eyes of every being throughout the entire convention were target-locked onto him, accusatory and glaring. Hay, it was a feeling he got any time a mare got even remotely weepy around him, because obviously he was responsible for everyone mare bawling her eyes out within a ten foot radius of himself. The black griffon was nowhere close to Aurora Sketch, thank bucking buck, but the look in her eyes was enough to cause Inkbrand's numb foreleg to slip from her shoulders, golden eyes blank as he wordlessly followed after his marefriend.

 

Who was not quite done with the metaphorical sucker punches, it seemed. 

 

In fact, her words were so powerful that Inkbrand almost, unthinkingly, blurt out the words that immediately sprang into his mind, reassurances of 'No baby, it's not you it's me!' and 'Ain't nothing you did, Z!' But maybe that acquiescence, unintentional though it may have been on the part of the griffon, was what gave him strength, gave him perspective - and hay, gave him his own reassurances that sometimes - sometimes -

 

it wasn't his fault

 

"Hay, Z," the tattoo-clad stallion sighed, running an aggrieved hoof through his mane as he struggled not to sound particularly petulant, "we've been dating for, what? Four months? Five? And the most you've let me do is land a kiss on 'ya every now and again?" Inkbrand was certain his voice didn't sound accusatory or demanding, but instead a sort of wariness and almost clinical tone of voice was issuing forth, as if simply stating the facts was wearing his exhaustion levels high. "I mean, I don't think I ask a lot," he continued, shrugging in a sort of helpless way as he deigned to sit on the bench, instead leaning against the back of it, "but when a mare doesn't even want her guy touching her for months on end - buck, I don't know what to think. When we said casual, I thought we'd be keeping this entire thing casual, not - there's hardly been anything there to keep casual." 

 

And maybe he was exaggerating, maybe he didn't go months without getting a kiss or a hug - but it sure bucking felt like it. He could understand a mare's reluctance to take things too far, no matter how happily that mare had allowed him to push her up against a wall in the middle of pounding music and raving lights. And yeah, he had felt a little betrayed at how eagerly Zelda had folded into his hooves while he'd been chasing her down, to suddenly turn into mare so reluctant for physical contact that it'd felt like he'd been forced to win a bucking World Series for each one of the few kisses he'd gotten in the past five months. 

 

What the rot. Five months, accumulating to a hoof-ful of kisses and a hug or two thrown in for rots and giggles. There'd been times he'd come so, so close to accusing Zelda for cheating on him, because what the buck other explanation could there be? 

 

"I told you, babe," Inkbrand continued after a moment, voice turning just a touch bitter, and even more so self-decrementing, "I bucking warned you. I don't do Happily Ever Afters, I - they just don't work out with me." The grey Earth Pony glanced at the black griffon, before shrugging again, staring down at the pristine flooring of the convention underneath the bench. "It's pretty clear...you and me, we're not looking for the same thing."

 

[tacobob]

 

 

 Zelda did feel a little on the cold side. But she had questions that needed to be answered.

 

When a client was displeased with her work, that was generally the first question she had. Which was to figure out what went wrong. She would then try her best to fix the problem and keep both the client and his or hers project. This was different. The black griffon had been slowly building a relationship with Inkbrand. They had their fun, but the stallion had been looking to further the fun and go beyond the realm of hugging and kissing, something the blacksmith had been rather keen to continue.

 

 "That's it?", while the stallion being upset over the lack of actual houghmagandy between the pair did make a good deal of sense, Zelda assumed that Inkbrand, being the artiste type,  would have something a bit more...dramatic and epic behind his desire to dump her. She no longer could flame the passion in his heart and would seek a better mate to rekindle his formally burning passions. Actually, all this thought of fire and flames caused the smithy to wonder if she had properly shut down her forge before leaving Canterlot? Oh dear, she was starting to drift. Focus.

 

 The big bird was still not showing any signs of being upset or angry. She had been very curious why their rather short relationship was coming to such a quick ending. "I know I haven't been the most erm.", she noticed while this was in fact a trade convention for professionals, some ponies had brought their kids along. And while they were in a rather secluded section of the convention center, she still needed to watch what she would say.  "Of an erm.", she stuttered, "Oh heck, I've actually tried to build these things up slowly. And I rather enjoyed our little foreplay and hoped to make our first coupling to be extremely special. One to remember for decades to come...As so many of these things I've had in the past were just an outcome..Something I just ended up doing.", she sighed, "And I thought..A day like this...In a city like this..But then this..", she glanced down at her freebee bag with a frown.

 

"I'm not mad at you and I understand where you're coming from, but to end a relationship after just hitting one roadblock..One that could have been avoided if we had a little more communication.", she turned away from her bag and looked the pony straight in his eyes, "I'd just ask one thing of you. Could we at least finish the day like we planned?" She stared at him with her Ice Blue eyes as she waited for an answer..

 

[Zeig]

 

Alright, well. She hadn't progressed to throwing things at him yet. That was a good thing.

 

...Right?

 

Though, the black griffon managed to surprise him yet again with her words, causing the grey Earth Pony's head to reel backwards a bit in surprise. Buck, she thought he'd been talking about...aw hay, he hadn't even begun to think about that, not with the bare minimum of touching the two had engaged in over the course of five or so months. Buck, what kind of stallion did she take him for, anyways? Even he wasn't so aggressive as to be thinking about taking things that far with an obviously slow-moving marefriend. 

 

Because that's what the whole thing had boiled down to, as Inkbrand had thought about it over the last couple of weeks. He could understand a mare wanting to take it slow, maybe overcome her shyness...but going from sixty to zero in the span of a couple of days? Full blown make-out session in the middle of a rave floor to a turned head nearly every bucking time he moved in for a kiss - well rot, what was he suppose to have thought, which made more sense? That Zelda was just interested in stretching out their relationship far longer than her initial agreement had implied? Or that she just wasn't that into him?

 

The latter made so much more sense, even now.

 

Sweet Equestria, she was talking about remembering their casual relationship for decades. Buck.

 

Still, Zelda's words of agreement and understanding worked to loosen him up a bit, even if one of his eyebrows flicked upwards in surprise at her passive disapproval. Talk about it...he hating talking about. That was the thing with Zelda, they were suppose to have been casual, not...not one of those couples that needed to sit down and talk. And buck, he'd had that conversation before, with past marefriends, asking her to move faster in their relationship - and those talks had worked out as well as a daisy farm in the middle of the desert. "Yeah, maybe," Inkbrand agreed, a bit reluctantly, "but I mean - rot, a few kisses and hugs over nearly half a year, Z? Didn't seem like there was anything to talk about," he felt compelled to point out, "seemed pretty clear you were looking for something way different than me."

 

To his immense surprise however - and maybe he should have just gotten used to being surprised by Zelda all the rot-eating time - the griffon followed up her words with a request, one that made an almost relieved smile break out over his face. "Aw hay, babe," the tattoo-clad stallion exclaimed, breath escaping him in a giant whoosh! of air. "S'why I brought all this up today, so we could...'ya know, enjoy ourselves." Inkbrand floundered on words for a moment, one hoof raising to rub the back of his head. "I mean, better here with the rest of the day to enjoy, than at home with nothing to do but lay in bed and wonder, eh?"  

 

That was it. Was that it? The grey stallion paused for a moment, before a hint of his old, cocky grin returned, one eyebrow raised a bit wryly at the black griffon. "Your turn to pick, though," he demanded, with a wave of one hoof towards the rest of the convention. "Seminar? Toolsets? Lunch?"   

 

[tacobob]

 

 

“Erm.”, the black griffon couldn’t help but agree with the stallion. She was a horrible girlfriend, and this was not the first time her busy work-life messed with her love-life. This would be something she needed to get help with. Professional help even. And while she generally kept herself at a regular schedule, there were times with the art just called to her. Be it a distant memory, or a passing word from a friend, or really anything could cause the bird to stop what she was doing and to focus solely on producing something new. It had put an end to more than a few dates before and was downright awkward when it happened at her Bubbe's funeral. Then again, nobody needed all of those funeral cards, and those flowers...The colors..the curves, why would anyone not want to replicate that? But why not make the petals like the wings of an....oh dear, she was doing it again. Focus.

 

She wanted to push this further. Was it necessary to end it all? Abandon the ship the second a hint of water was found near the deck? Wasn't this something worth fighting for? Even if she was to blame mostly. Things could be improved. It could have been better. Inkbrand had obviously made up his mind before all of this. The case was set, the door was shut, he was going to move on, so she better follow his lead. She would need to sort out things in her life before even considering moving onto another colt or even mare-friend. She would need to figure out how divide her time between her busy work and social life.

 

"My pick?" While her heat was not into it, she was going to at least -try- to have a good time. But where would they go? There was still a few vendors they had not visited yet. And even more that had goodie bags to toss out with their preorders. "Oooh! I know!" She quickly bounced off the bench. "There's this company...'Pedgewick Pony's Peculiar & Practical Picture Pads'. They're supposed to be showing off their upcoming unique and possibly enchanted paper pads...For doddles...And notes...Crap! We only have five minutes before the line forms, so we better get moving or we'll miss out on the goodie bag! So let's get going!", she playfully slapped the stallion on his rump, "And then we have lunch.."

[Zeig]

 

And, buck all if he didn't jump, just a little.

 

At least the rump slap cleared up the last remaining hesitation Inkbrand had. Zelda was fine with it, he was fine, they were all fine - and more importantly, they were going to finish up the day, enjoy each other's companies as friends rather than slink home with their tails between their legs. It was exactly the result he'd been hoping for, what he'd planned the day out for - and Zelda was back to being perky, confusion erased from her features. All in all, the entire combination made the grey stallion release a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding, as if a building pressure in his chest abruptly gave way to easier breathing.

 

That's what he was talking 'bout.

 

"Goodie bags?" Inkbrand gasped dramatically, one hoof held to his chest, "not the goodie bags! Don't you worry baby, I'll clear the way," he carried on, making a show of rolling up his figurative sleeves as he stalked a few steps towards the direction of the booth in question, "ain't no one getting those goodies 'cept us!" It was theatrical, it was nonsensical, and it earned him none too few looks that varied between concerned and apprehensive - but most importantly, it showed him that he'd been right to make this decision.

 

Zelda had been the best kind of marefriend a stallion could've hoped for. And despite not being able to make anything more of it, they would continue on as friends.

 

It was a good feeling, Inkbrand decided, and with a cocky tilt of his head, led the black griffon through the masses of bodies populating the convention grounds, fully intent on claiming at least two of those goodie bags into their custody.  

 

[[ End ]]