[Sponsored] The Lounge

[Blueblood]

Now that the brawl, fracas, kerfuffle, or whatever ponies called such things, was over, Halvard was finally able to step out of the doorway and mingle in with the general company.  Which, if this dragon... Ai Long?  Had he heard the name right?  Anyway, if this dragon was at all representative, was full of rather high-powered representatives.  Perhaps it was to be expected; after all, Sigrun and Randgrid were here themselves, and everyone knew the best talking could be had around a bar with a few good drinks.

 

"Allo, then, leader of the Long."  Halvard bowed to the Eastern Dragon, not quite comfortable with using the word 'King' with someone so young.  "One of your kind actually did visit our shores once; a young female by the name of Yuri.  The Vakstyra made sure to intervene in her behalf, much like we have attempted to do so for you, though doubtless you are better able to protect yourself from the hasty judgments of our kind."  Ailong seemed the reasonable sort, and good-humored to boot, but it was important to make a diplomatic effort.  You didn't want to rely solely upon the patience and kindness of your neighbors to cover your own gaffes, and most especially you did not want to be seen being so diplomatically lazy.

 

Stepping forward, of course, brought Halvard into contact with more of the dignitaries, who probably ought to be addressed in turn.  No doubt Sigrun had already done so, but still, it couldn't hurt to make a few more connections.  "Ah, and if word has reached me right, you are Sky Crack of Acroneighos?"  The bull addressed the armored pegasus mare, nodding respect from one warrior to another.  "Your reputation precedes you."  His tone was slightly cooler than his address to the King of the Long; the caribou was enough of a patriot to be stung at the fact that a foreign force could just drop in and totally wipe out a clan, regardless of his own political feelings.  After all, all clans are customers, and the best hope for Whitescar was the unity of all caribou.  Losses like that ultimately hurt the whole of their people, at least in his belief.

 

"And you...?"  He turned an interrogative note towards Naj.  Halvard wasn't actually sure if she was an official representative or not, but given what Changelings were, it was important for him to find out.  How Equestria related to the Hive could probably affect how Whitescar related to both...

[Dunder]

"Take advantage, probably not. Every WRAITH involved in the operation is probably sitting in a dungeon cell right now. At least, the ones that didn't get away." He said to the Magenta pegasus.

 

By the time the tension in the room wound down, Dunder had already finished his water. And with the intorduction of so many new characters and political talk that left Dunder out, he remembered the black bird sitting next to him that was probably also feeling left out. A good chunk of their night had been spent in the lounge anyway, and he doubted the two could go out to the ballroom now.

 

He listened to her as she spoke about why she was in her rut. A stallion who wanted more than she was willing to give out. That must have been a first.

The stallion leaned in and gave her a kiss on the top of the beak, "No need to worry about that now. The night is just getting started. How about we go see if I can force the lock on any of the guest rooms?" He suggested with a mischievous smile.

The fresh water in his body cleared his head a little

[PyroBlaze]

"Thanks." Tehengu responded, raising the bottle as a sort of toast before drinking some of it and smiling at the mare. He dropped some money into her tip jar before taking another swig. 

 

"So, what's your story? Or your name, for that matter. I'm Tehengu." He asked the bartender, giving a mock salute with his name. He would apologize for tackling Rangrid, but he figured she was used to it and he also figured she deserved it for charging the dragon in the first place. 

[DerpRavener]

Naj was so focused on Randgrid that she almost didn't notice the other caribou approach.  She blinked when he addressed her, although fortunately for her she'd given a similar explanation just a few minutes earlier.  Recovering quickly, she smiled and nodded at the caribou.  “The name's Naj.  I'm not as accomplished as most of the ponies you'll meet here,” while it was true that she'd found a number of her own friends here, who she considered generally equal to herself in that regard, Naj doubted someone from as far away as Whitescar would be seeking out her sort.  “I'm the first legal, changeling immigrant to Equestria, for whatever that's worth.”

 

Naj looked over at Red, and while while he didn't seem to be too worked up at the moment, neither did he seem to be particularly happy where he was.  And Naj had agreed to a dance.  Considering such things, she set aside the idea of asking this caribou his name.  “Though I'm afraid I'm needed on the dance floor, so I'm afraid we'd have to talk later.  Stalliongrad courier services know how to find me.”  Naj threw out that last thing on the off chance the caribou wanted to continue the discussion.  While she didn't feel a particular need to speak with him, she disliked the idea that the conversation would be abandoned completely without hope of continuation, slim though it may be.

 

Naj would also be saving a reunion with Randgrid for later as well.  The changeling had said what she needed, and Randgrid seemed to be processing it, and both the caribou princess and her would-be prey seemed to be in capable hooves.

 

Naj decided the room would be fine without her, nodding to herself before turning to Red.  “I believe one of us owes the other a dance, though I'm not really sure who owes who.”  She giggled a bit, before motioning in the direction of the ballroom.  “Shall we?” she said, before making her way out of the room.

 

 

[Apologies for breaking up the post sequence a bit, but I had one other thing I wanted to do with Naj before the event ended, and this is the only way I could be sure I'd have enough time.]

[SteelEagle]

It was nice to hear that the information Sky Crack had received from the last Accompli to visit the Serpent City of Longi La was correct. The King was a pleasurable sort all told as was the report. That was the real shock of this Gala. Most creatures had been, at the worst, pleasant. That in and of itself shouldn't be a shock. Most high society gatherings were bastions of good conduct if little else, and for the most part this event had assuredly been high society and genial. No, what was honestly more shocking was the readiness of the ponies here to open themselves up to other views and species. You could see it most starkly with the dragon. The caribou freaked out. The ponies didn't. Equestrians were good like that.

 

Maretonians, not so much. The only reason she knew of him and knew not to stick him with a spear was because of some old and wise Pegasi eons ago who had found the city and since then the city had kept tabs on Longri La. "Great King, Acroneighos has sent some of her youngest and brightest for generations on the Serpent's Walk to find your city. Those that find it and return are always debriefed and give a full description of your culture, language, politics, history, and geography of the city itself. Not to mention helpig to distill some of the wonderful wisdom your kind are most famous for," she said with a bow. She herself had taken the Serpent's Walk, but found herself called back to the city when her Pegtasi was called to war. As the dragon swam around her, she wasn't going to ask for any concessions from Longri La. They didn't have anything to offer logistically and it would be the height of rudeness to ask such a special city to lower themselves to the affairs of this world.

 

Unlike the next caribou, who was certainly a warrior with his head in worldy affairs. He was of Clan Breen, who fought somewhat unusually when it came to caribou. They fought defensively. This made them some of the poorer raiders since they often stalled so long readying a counter-blow that locals could summon actual reinforcements. But on the other hoof, they were somewhat harder to fight in a pitched battle. Most caribou clans attacked viciously but disciplined forces could weather the storm, wait for the emotional tide that carried them to ebb, and counter-attack. That was how caribous lost their battles. But Clan Breen was different. Battles took longer an you had to find a way to make them aggressive. Was it an honest issue for Acroneighos? Not THAT much of an issue. They made a living off of defeating forces arrayed defensively. 

 

"Halvard of Clan Breen, a pleasure to meet such a notable warrior such as yourself as well. Seems as if the Loyalists have made quite the impression this evening," she said pleasantly, not taking his coolness poorly. No doubt that as much as some participants at the Gala could tell boogeystallion stories of the caribou, some amongst those fierce northerners had the same stories about the stone-faced pegasi from the bottom of the world. Especially when they could send a clan into the history books in a flash. Speaking of, she turned to Dunder- who had been her foe in the arena fight Halvard would remember her from.. "Hopefully it holds, valiant Dunder. Hopefully it holds."

[RedCedar]

“I believe one of us owes the other a dance, though I'm not really sure who owes who.”

 

Red's expression brightened considerably as he heard Naj's voice in his ear. Smiling, he said, "I'm not sure, either, but as long as it's with you, I'm happy to pay that debt." He stood from his seat at the bar, slipped a couple bits into the tip glass for the bartender, and turned quickly to Dusty. "It was nice to meet you. Hope we can talk again," he added, before turning and escorting Naj to the ballroom.

[Bellosh]

 

She did not wish things so, but that scuffle caused by Randgrid had brought too much attention to the area. Doubtful that she'd accomplish anything else of note in the Lounge, Morianna Razorclaw decided that it was now time to move on. There were still plenty more dignitaries to touch base with who weren't mobbed by lesser beings; maybe the Sultan of Saddle Arabia was finished with her business in the Throne Room by now. Or maybe that little ceremony featuring the Empress of Long Guo had ended. Without saying a word, the Professor took her leave, leaving the rabble in the Lounge to their own devices.....

 

 

*EXIT*

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

The feral looking cow sighed softly, "For starters... This one didn't start out by attack us." Sigrun loved Randgrid as much as one could truly love a friend but one day the warrior princess' temper would likely cause her some form of tragedy if she wasn't careful: many a skald's song spoke of such stories in their sagas. 

 

Halvard's words brought a nervous smile to the chieftain's lips, "As much as I love a good bit of rough-housing dear... Let's save such things for back home where we wont alarm the partygoers so much." She looked to Randgrid as well, "The same going for 'valiant' charges, Your highness."  The caribou gave Randgrid a teasing smile before she looked back to the bar to rejoin the more relaxed group.

 

The first one she made sure to return to was none other then the lovely ebony Griffin who she'd spoken to previously. "My apologies for having to excuse myself so hastily, Miss Zelda." The cow lowered her head down so she could hear the female's whispered explanation, "I see..." She thought a moment and looked to the griffin, lowering her own voice to a hushed tone so as not to risk embarrassing her in some way. "Sometimes things don't work out... be they in relationships, in work, sometimes life as a whole... I once had a bull I thought would be at mys side forever. A strong, intelligent, but wily one who just seemed to mesh so well with me...one I thought would stick by me through thick and thin." The Jarl looked down to the floor, a remorseful sigh escaping her. "Things changed... not the same way yours had, but after so much time spent on my goals. " She looked up and gestured to the large bull conversing with the princess, "... I found someone has been at my side, even at my worse. You cannot change the past, my feather friend. You can however affect how bright your future can become."

 

The cow paused a moment and let out a laugh, "But then again, I don't suppose I'd be the best role model to take relationship advice from... especially seeing how different the practices involving love can be across nations. " 

 

 

The revelation of the serpent not being just any dragon... but a king. Several thoughts popped in the chieftain's head all of them worrisome: If knowledge that Randgrid had attempted to attack a king of the eastern dragons... what kind of thoughts would that bring on about the caribou in this eastern land. Sigrun for now could only keep calm and try and see what the king's thoughts were later if she could. Seeing as how Halvard had taken initiative to talk with him already she would likely wait her turn for the time being.

[tacobob]

 

The griffon watched as the lovely bartending mare went about her magic and made drinks for those who asked. While she wasn't the biggest fan of mixed drinks, it was still fun to watch the pony as she used her telekinesis to serve the thirsty gala attendees.  After a few delicious drinks were created and served, along with Dunder's slightly flavored water, it was her turn! It wasn't fancy, nor was it complicated to make, but it sure was going to be tasty. After tossing in a few more bits into the tip jar, Zelda snatched up her glass and took a sip and let the rather sweet whiskey fill her taste buds with pure joy.  Since this was probably her last drink for the night, the thankful griffon made sure to be polite. "While your skills probably weren't put to a real challenge, you still did good and you deserve all of our thanks."

 

"Eh.", the griffon shrugged as her fuzzy brown stallion offered suggestions on how to continue their night. "That usually would be something we could have done in the past, but with all the upped security thanks to all the dignitaries and folk from all over the world being here, not to mention the royalty I saw cantering about....I don't think I'd want to get bounced from the castle by Fire's dad...Something like that would probably not help with my contract for the R.E.A." She hated to be a party pooper, but there was bound to be other things they could do after the Gala. Something she could do with her -snort- 'Valiant Dunder-. She really needed to start referring to him like that from now on.

 

"No need to apologize.", the griffon added between sips after the royal Caribou spoke, "And yes...I understand....And that probably won't be the last time I catch a unpleasant case of heartbreak..", she whispered, "I just hope to continue to learn even more the next time and hope I do as well as you did.", she handed the Chieftain a small card, "If you ever just wanna chat or need a helping claw, my door is always open...Heck, even my mailbox if you're looking to write." Zelda pondered a little stay-cation in the Caribou lands....Life was a bit tougher there when compared to Equestria, but she did enjoy a little adventure from time to time..

 

 

 

 

[brianblackberry]

 

Martini Paradise raised one eye brow as she looked at Sky Flare with a questioning expression on her face.  Who really drinks salted drinks anyway?  It's just water that makes one thirsty, but maybe that really was the norm where she was from, doesn't sound much like a fun place though.  At least the magenta pegasus mare was willing to chat, most Gala patrons tended to grab their drinks and go, not wanting to bother talking to 'the help'.  "Me?  I've been doing this since I was a filly!  I used to help run the tropical fruit drink stand that my parents owned back on the Gallopocus Islands.  They were really more of a beach bum, hippie types, so I had to run the stand more often than I would have liked to keep our little business going, so it really was a trial by fire, or by fruity drink in this case.  Turned out it I was pretty good for somepony so young, and I learned it also was my passion and the rest is history!"  Martini wigged her hips in a flirtatious manner, showing off the cutie mark.  "By the way hon, call me Martini, being called 'madame', well that makes me feel twice as old as I am!"

She gave a friendly nod towards Dusty, appreciative any time a customer was thankful and turned towards the griffin Tehengu who like Sky Crack, was curious about her.  "Well like I mentioned to the cute pegasus over there, I'm Martini, Martini Paradise. Not sure if there is much of a story to tell to be honest hon.  This is my third Gala, I was very lucky to get this gig a couple years back, as even for us who work here this is a big deal, plus they pay really well!"  She gave a happy wink and laughed, "I guess they liked how I did by job because I was offered this spot again twice more, its only for a night though, but as I said the bits are great, the same as a week's worth of work back home!  How about you, what brings you here?"

[PyroBlaze]

Tehengu gave Naj and Red a wave as they left for the dance floor, smiling slightly before he spotted the military griffon leaving as well. No matter, the bartender was responding to his questions. The large griffon nodded to her words, taking another swig of his drink as he listened. 

 

"Always good to get paid for your work. At least you seem to have a lot steadier work than me. A bit hit and miss for mercs." He said, taking another swig before answering her question. "I figured coming here would be better than sitting around by myself at home. I'd likely be doing the same thing there, minus the outfit and the company." Tehengu replied, shrugging a bit. "Nice to meet you, Martini."

[Blueblood]

Halvard gave a crisp nod to Sk Crack, so far one of the few who he'd addressed who did not immediately head off to the dance floor.  Perhaps he should take Sigrun out for a dance?  He wasn't sure if such dances as they held down in the South were to her taste, though.  In the meantime, he felt that the Acroneighan pegasus deserved some further attention. 

 

"Yes, we have rather made it our aim to secure international support.  It has proven to be somewhat easier than I had anticipated; possibly due to the fact that Loyalist Foreign policy consists of more than sporadic raiding parties."  Halvard snorted, apparently not having that high an opinion on the Rebel leadership.  "I have heard as well that you have extended your own diplomatic efforts here.  As I understand, you have had difficulties previously in securing a continental logistical base among fractious groups?  My own clan has dealt with similar issues, and have formulated our own solutions.  Perhaps later, you might be interested in hearing what they are?"

 

Concluding his conversation with the mare, he headed back to Jarl Sigrun, nuzzling up to the cow's side.  "Were you thinking of hitting the dance floor?  Or do you think it might crack under our collective force?"  He chuckled.