canterlot Muddy in the Streets! [Open RP]

[MudBug]

 

 

Clip. SQUISH. Clip. SQUELCH. Clippity-Cloppity-SQUASH!

 

This was the symphony of noise that followed the Ponyville born earth pony in the otherwise calm streets of the Equestrian capital, home to the twin Princesses and Equestria's 'uppercrust'. Not somewhere she'd personally choose to live, but she'd made many a delivery to this city of sky reaching minarets and spiraling towers that reminded her so much of the lollipops of Sugar Cube Corner - all exuberant and fancy and full of colour. And all not worth even a passing glance from the mare who was leaving a trail of muddy brown clumps that disheveled themselves from her mane, hooves and tail whenever she took a step. 
 

She had stayed in this city for the past...well...for quite a bit actually, she'd had to with her mother's condition and the brand new baby sibling that'd graced her life - much to her joy - and as such she had been pretty much stuck in this city. With its dire lack of dirt, she was lucky that her mother had chosen to stay with a friend that had such a big garden, with a broad expanse of mud for her to muddy her hooves and live up to her namesake. And live up to it she did! No rain, nor sleet, nor pretentious city ponies and their paved streets would keep her from immersing herself in the damp dirt that she loved so much.

HOWEVER! She had work to do.

 

As any good older sister and doting daughter, she was out to get groceries, some carrots for mom, maybe some oranges, few imported Ponyville apples for herself and something for the little filly. She loved her baby sister Sugar Lump, sweet as her name implied and just as full of energy as she was - she wished her father would come back from work in the islands to see them all sometime - and she was determined to get a good present.
Needless to say some ponies gave her a wide berth and quite a few glares when she went window shopping and smeared her mud covered hooves over their clean windows for support, or smudged her nose up against it and dirtied it with her equally muddy fringe. But MudBug didn't give two shakes of a foal's tail. She was here for her sister and as they did with most times, the glares aimed her way just rolled off the filthy filly's back like rain water.

 

Though she didn't get them all the time, in fact she was curious what friendly faces she'd get to see today.

[szalhi]

Canterlot. A place of prosperity, Peace and Business. A place for the upper-class of Equestria. A place of tradition. A place of boringness. Not an ideal place for a pegasus filly. The streets were kind of loud, bustling with people going to work or enjoying their time. Loud for some pony who lived in a calm town, and quite busy too; not that Ponyville never got busy. But it didn't matter. She wouldn't hear it anyway. Her Father worked here, the closest place to Ponyville that was still a city. And if it weren't for her condition, she would probably live here permanently too. He had to live here 90% of the time for his job. A divide between the family, but it still worked. The other ten percent being when he was there to watch her play in the big games.

 

She had been here for a day only, the previous day had been set aside for family matters, but her father had to get back to work. And her mother would catch up with old friends. Her? She would wander the streets. Not really intending to make any friends. She doubted any Foals up here had any real interests in sports that weren't traditional like fencing. And she wouldn't be able to maintain a distant relationship most of the time. 

 

She was out store browsing, hopefully not getting dragged into a conversation by other shoppers asking her for an opinion. It had happened a couple of times previously and their responses when they noticed her "commonness"  were usually out of her vocabulary, and she was sure they probably muttered something when they turned away. It hadn't happened today, and it seemed she could make it through without making anything but small talk to store owners. But she noticed something that was wrong. A smell. A dirty smell. Quite literally. There were bits of dried mud on the streets. And not to mention the mud on the store windows getting more fresh the more she went along. She investigated the tracks until she saw the culprit. An Earth filly, with mud all over her. Quite the displacement. It was funny. She wondered whether they knew they had been leaving tracks everywhere. She could talk to this pony, they didn't seem like a local.

 

"Excuse me, but you're leaving tracks everywhere," She said walking up to the Filly. "You did that on purpose right?" 

[tacobob]

 

Happy Days were here!

 

Fast Track was one very happy little pony! Not only had he received his weekly allowance, it was also the day they released the latest issue of his favorite magazine, the Canterlot Railroad Enthusiast! This month’s issue celebrated the life of Sir Neighel Gearsely, the very clever inventor of the famous and very fast train, the ‘Fire Ball Express’ which broke all speed records. This record would last for many years until his daughter, Toot Tooter took over the record with a train of her own. The colt had heard that the very mare herself had been interviewed in this magazine! Hot Diggity Dog!

 

With his chores and homework finished, the brown Pegasus pony made a beeline towards his favorite little grocery store. He would snag the magazine and an couple bottles of ‘Cherry Oat-A-Cola’. Once home, he would curl up on his bed and devour the magazine! Hopefully they published his letter. He could not believe his eyes when he read last month’s magazine. Some caboose-head wrote in saying that the Coalbrookdale R52 was superior to the Algodoncete 947B! What a bunch of horseapples! The Algodoncete was a true Class A4 4-6-2 Celestia steam locomotive! The Coalbrookdale was a dumb train for dumb babies who failed drool school! That really ruffled his feathers, so Fast Track wrote back to the magazine making sure to explain how much of an flank-head that writer was, along with an detailed listing on why his train was better and why the writer was so wrong that he should go to the nearest store and buy a new brain.

 

Once he found his way on the sidewalk that connected the stores, he felt something on his hooves. "Oh for the love of." 'Oh please don't be what I think it is.', he thought to himself as he glanced down at the ground. Some ponies liked to bring their pets window shopping with them. This was generally acceptable as long as they behaved themselves. However, sometimes those pets had little accidents. Thankfully, it was just mud. Yuck! Who the heck was tracking all that nasty stuff? He had seen a couple of construction workers amble on by, but their boots were as shiny as Celestia's shiny sun. It only too a moment before the tracker was tracked down! A pegasus filly was already in the middle of confronting the dirty pony.

 

The filly was covered in nasty stuff! Talk about unhygienic! Did she have an accident? Maybe she slipped in a mud puddle? Or maybe she was one of those street urchins? He had not seen such a thing before, but they always popped up in old timey stories. She was too young to be a proper hobo. They always had such odd names. The Colchester Kid. Lolly Hoot Holler. Freak Le Freak, the Freakster Or even Plastic-Moustache Mortimer Tall. While he wanted to get his magazine and beverages, he could not help but stop and stare. Was the filly going to give the muddy girl a pounding or a good talking to?

 

 

 

 

 

[MudBug]

MudBug hadn't been expecting an 'Excuse me' to start off today's first interaction, granted she probably should have, turning herself slightly till her big purple eyes landed on the pegasus and she greeted the other with a big friendly smile, even if that smile was framed by the fact she was caked in a layer of squishy, squelchy, wholesome wet dirt. Even holding out a filth clodded hoof in a kindly greeting, as one does with a stranger, not really thinking about what the response or reaction would be. This was a new pony after all, had to be polite and friendly as she would've been back home!

 

"I guess you could say it was 'on purpose'," She began with the same big smile on her muzzle, eyes rolling wistfully as she recalled the start of her little walk. "Took a nosedive in my aunt's garden, made a mudpuddle just for myself before I took a nice walk through the city, makes me feel right at home!"

 

A proud exclamation was pinned by a jostle of her head, her mane flipping as a big clod of mud flew up into the air and landed with a noisy SPLAT next to her that ricocheted more brown splatters on her creme coat. Not that she minded. In fact she looked as content as a moth in a cupboard full of woolen sweaters. Again she aimed another friendly smile to the filly as she stood there, proud and tall as any of the Canterlot guard in her grimy garb.

 

"My name's MudBug - accurate name I know - but you can call me Muddy if you like, or Bug, either's good, heh." She peered back at the filly. "Yourself?"

[szalhi]

She didn't notice the Colt behind her, but the Filly in front of her she liked. The filly gave a big smile so she smiled back while shaking the fillies hoof without caution, the ponies ahead of her staring at the lack of discrete in the hoof shake, but she didn't care, real sports is dirty. She read the ponies speech carefully (Luckily they didn't have mud on their face than it would have been very hard) and it was clear to her that it was just an oversight. A pretty dirty oversight. The ponies of Canterlot seemed to have a thing against nature that wasn't exotic that kind of isolated them from the rest of Equestria. She giggled as the Filly flicked mud around. Foals are meant to be careless and they should cherish that carelessness as long as they can. Looking closer she could see that her cutie mark actually had mud on it. This pony really likes mud.

 

"So you're not from here then. That's cool, I'm not either. I'm not mad at you, I like mud too... not as much as you. Balls are my thing. My name is Echo, a weird name for me," She slowly answered with hesitation making sure she was pronouncing the words correctly. 

 

"Mud... Bug. Am I saying that right? You like bugs?" She asked before once again looking at their cutie mark. The heart was actually a bug. Weird.

[tacobob]

 

 

Hokey Smokes these girls were weird!

 

“So you got into a pile of mud and did not immediately take a bath or even have somepony hose you off?” Talk about nasty! Just thinking about getting that stuff all over made the colt itch! What was it with mud and mares anyways? He recalled hearing his Uncle Thunderbyrd mention that he was going to watch a bunch of gals wrestle in the mud. When the colt asked if he could come along, the much older pony told him he would have to wait till he was older. What’s with that? The colt was able to avoid the nasty gunk as it was released from the filly's coat.  Ugh! It was like Wednesday night at the monkey hut!

 

“Along with the mud eventually hardening in your coat and mane, there’s also the risk of bacteria infections! Who knows what sort of creature was ambling about in that mud before you?" That what his mother would say to him. While he always tried to avoid getting muddy during rainstorms, he would get a little dirty when working on his model trains, and even more so when he helped his father with the real machines. Once finished, he always made sure to clean up! "Not to mention all the mud you have tracked allover the sidewalk. Some poor pony will have to sweep it all up!" And that name? Mudbug? Wasn't that another name for a crawfish? He had heard griffons like to snack on them.

 

Then they started to talk about bugs! Double-yuck! His grandfather told him that the ugliest of bugs would attend a ball once a year to see who was the ugliest of them all. The ugly bug ball!

[MudBug]

MudBug was more than a little relieved internally that this filly wasn't bothered by her muddiness, it really reassured her that what she loved was nothing to be ashamed of. Not that she was ashamed of being the muddiest earth pony she knew, it was just hard to explain to ponies why. So that this filly was so chilled out around her made that smile on her muzzle just beam. 

She was about to answer her before the sound of another voice piped up causing her to tilt her head slightly to peer at the colt with a bemused blink of her eyes. Oh boy, here was the starting one today. There was always going to be at least one comment on her lifestyle and likes, not that it got under her skin at all, it just kind of got repetitive at times and she could've done without it...but no reason to be down and out about it. She just shot the colt a grin and smiled back towards Echo.

 

"Nice to meet you Echo...and I'm called MudBug because, well, I love mud! Have done since I could wiggle my hooves about in it so it was easy for my mother to name me." Her eyes then settled on the colt and she couldn't help but try - and fail - to suppress a smirk forming on her face. "Well I mean, this is Canterlot, the only other creatures 'ambling' in the mud would be other ponies...or worms I guess, but worms are good for the dirt." She sat her haunches down on the cobblestones and flicked her tail around her, flicking more mud about in an arcing spray that splatted her in the face.

"Mud's also good for the circulation, some muds are good for exfoliation too...or whatever Aloe and her sister said it was good more back in Ponyville...besides which, when it's all dry, it's easier to get off with a good shake." 

 

A slightly darker, but playful smiled coiled on Muddy's lips as she watched the colt and then gave Echo a small reassuring wink before she spoke again.

 

"Unless you want me to shake it off now in this busy street?" It was an empty threat, she'd have never done that. Too many ponies going about their day to day lives and she didn't want to actually cause a stir and make otherponies feel uncomfortable. She just wanted to see this foal's reaction. Seemed like a bit of a cleanfreak and she loved messing with those types, if only slightly.

 

 

 

[szalhi]

(My keyboard isn't functioning correctly)

 

The way Mudbug had looked past her caused Echo to Turn around and face the colt momentarily who disapproved of MudBugs actions and perhaps hers too. How long have they been standing there? she thought to herself. "Heh, my mother was a singer so she thought I was going to be one too," She stated before her expression fell momentarily, "I can't even hear my own voice..."

 

Her Expression quickly perked back up since she didn't want the mood to change. There were a couple of words that Mudbug said that she didn't understand, but she got the general meaning. "Heh, yeah, ponies don't mind Special mud but regular mud is bad and not good for... sir-Coo-lay-shun? Ecks-foal-iation?... whatever, they're all the same to me. How do ponies from here get anywhere in the rain outside Canterlot?"

 

Her smile brightened as she realised what Mudbug meant. She didn't care if she might get in trouble for this. "You should totally shake it off now, that's what they want you to do right?" she said before turning to face the colt with a smirk. "Don't worry we've got it under control."

[tacobob]

 

 

It took a moment before the colt figured out what the muddy pony was talking about. Exfoliation? That sounded like something an villain would want to do! Get rid of all the kids in the world! Break out the Ex-Foal-iation spell!  Maybe it was a spell that turned colts and fillies into adults? He had heard at least two stories of grownups being magic'ed into kids. Both happened in Ponyville, and both involved his best friend's older sister. Then there was that phrase, 'good for the circulation'. He had heard that before! Back when two of his friends attempted to lure him into going into a spa! Sweet Cents and Cinnamon Tart tried to convince the colt to go with them to the nearby health place. Steam baths! Cucumbers on eyes! They don't belong there! They need to be turned into pickles and then placed on pizzas! He wisely avoided going along as those fillies were always up to no good!

 

And speaking of fillies, "Nah, you be you.", he shrugged his shoulders. He decided he was finished pointing out just how dirty the pony was and she was free to keep the nasty dirt on her. Mudbug appeared to be slightly older than he was, and therefore probably had a few more years before her love of mud shifted from being cute to being rather weird. However, there were always the chance she would get the right job! Maybe she would simply become a gardener or landscape planner. Those are adults who can get dirty without anypony thinking it odd. There's also bug related jobs or studies that would also make sense to follow, but he would not even consider thinking about those nasty things!

 

"The name's Fast Track.", the colt had been wondering what was wrong with the other filly. She sounded just a little off. At first he thought maybe she was not from around here and did not know the language very well, but don't -all- ponies speak Equestrian? Then the obvious dawned on him. She said 'I can't even hear my own voice'. She was deaf! Just as his friend Bebop could not speak, this little pony could not hear! He made sure to get into the girl's line of sight and mouthed his name. She would just need to read his lips. "I was about to head over and wait for Miss Inkie Hooves to drop off some magazines at the nearby grocery store. Latest issue of the 'Canterlot Railroad Enthusiast' is going to be out, but since she won't be here for a bit...And erm..", little pink clouds started to form under his eyes as he felt the need to rub his front right leg, "You're the first kids I've run into on my trip, so maybe we could, erm..just hang out for a bit?" The colt noticed the older he was getting, the harder it was to talk to fillies. In the past, they were just like him! Now, it felt rather awkward.

 

 

 

[MudBug]

 

Ohhhhh. That explained the voice. Smiling towards the filly MudBug simply offered a wink and a reassuring pat of a muddy hoof to her shoulder. Differently abled ponies were pretty amazing in their adaptations to the world, her younger 'cousin' - really her neighbor for so long in Ponyville that it'd almost become familial - couldn't fly properly, couldn't fly at all actually. But he still had aspirations to be a 'star venturing pony' despite that and it was admirable to Muddy.

 

"Well if it helps, you sound great." Not a hint of condescension laced the peppery puddle jumper as she smiled towards Echo before her eyes settled back on the colt with a wall eye'd blink. He seemed like a good kid, even if he was a bit of a...stick in the mud. Celestia she had to bite the inside her cheek to not laugh at her own mental japery, but it was quickly quelled when the colt called her a kid and she chuckled.

 

"Kid? Fast Track you're gonna be a little flatterer I'm sure, I'm pretty sure last I checked, I'm at least old enough to have a job." She was a young mare at the least, she'd been an adolescent for a fair time and was slowly approaching adulthood.
"I soften up all the mud and dirt back home for new saplings and seeds...I also do deliveries of specialized mud and dirt and sometimes those stupid shiny gemstones that everybody goes gaga for now and then." There was a roll of her eyes. She didn't get gemstones half the time, they weren't that fascinating to her.

[szalhi]

She sounded great? That was a bit reassuring, but she wasn't sure if it was a genuine compliment. She read what the colt had said. "I don't think your idea of 'Hang out' is the same as our idea. Are you sure you want to do it? I mean, trains and stuff aren't really my thing," She pointed out. She noticed Fast track was turning pink. Was it hot? was he having a fever? Was he... no way.. Couldn't be that... right? "I mean, you can if you want I guess..." 

 

She turned  to face MudBug "You already have a job? I wonder if I should get a job, but I don't think I really need to... yet. I've been thinking of joining a league team, soon, but I will need a job just incase... what type of job." She pointed to her cutie mark. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I play in the Pegasus position of Buckball. " She wished she had her ball here, but it would be inappropiate in the streets of Canterlot.

[tacobob]

The colt cringed slightly as Mudbug uttered the word 'little'. "Well, I sort of sometimes help my mom at the office." With those words, Fast Track was probably not going to be elected 'coolest colt in the kingdom'. "And I delivered newspapers last summer. That was kind of fun.", he got to fly around Canterlot with a bundle of papers and even 'dive-bomb' his papers into their right spots. This was probably something he should have mentioned as opposed to the whole helping mommy thing. But it was too late. It also dawned on him. Mudbug was a teenager! While he normally would have avoided her at all cause, he had been curious why she was so dirty. She was a gardener!

 

"While I'm not too crazy about gems myself, I've been told they're really good at making a pretty filly or mare even prettier.", he glanced at the filly's peepers, "For example, you would get an Amethyst or Sapphire to match your eyes. If you had the bits, you'd even look good with an pendant that matches your cutie mark.  Like an Heart Garnet." Poor, poor Fast Track. He managed to get stuck on a rather long train-ride with a few of his mother's friends and they kept blabbering about gems and other shiny rocks. And while he tried to ignore what they said, he still managed to learn a bit.

 

 

"I'm sure my version of 'hanging out' is  the same.", he made sure that Echo could see his mouth move. "None of my friends are into trains either. There are a couple of pencil-pals I like to chat about when it comes to that sort of stuff, but they live far away. Come to think of it, my friends all have really different hobbies, but we all still always manage to find something that interests us all. Now what would that be?" He listened as the Pegasus pony mentioned her favorite sport. While he was more of an 'Hoof-Ball' fan, he had watched a game of Buckball and it was rather odd. Two of Princess Celestia's Champions were on the team, while another two were 'coaches'. The only one who did not recognize was a kid. What a weird sport!