crp_dude

Apis looked upon the pegasus with joy, and smiled, saying, "Oh no, they aren't for sale! That is to say, I'm not asking for money. If you are so interested, feel free to take one! It is to be Hearth's Warming Eve, after all, and what better time to give and share a little culture, eh?" He was always eager to see that ponies took an interest in his foreign goods. Suddenly, he was reminded of something to say, and turned back to Dazzle. "Well, you couldn't have run into a better pony if you want to talk about Itaily! I happen to be the ambassador to the very same land! You know, our culture is all around Solstice Heights, if you take a keen eye to it. Should you ask, I could always meet you sometime and point you in the right direction!" Apis then used his magic to take a card out of his vest pocket. The card contained his name, occupation, and address. He then turned to the pegasus again, and switched to his usual cheery business mode, asking, "Which festive treat catches your eye today, sir?"

Pushing through the crowd at the same time was Apis, eager to spread the cheer of the holidays whether or not it was entirely appreciated. Strapped to him by any sort of means imaginable was a large cart of treats that he was giving away, one per customer, in hopes of spreading around a little culture, since all of the items were imported from Roam. So, orange scarf added to his normal apparel, Apis made his way through the crowd up to Dazzle. He seemed to have caught her attention moving by, so he stopped, cleared his throat a little, and addressed the mare, "Saluto, madame. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, should I not get the chance to see you again later today! Would you care for a nice treat? I have here all manner of delicious treats, imported from the eastern land of Itaily! Sugared oranges, dried mangoes, plum cakes..." Apis quickly looked from left to right, scooched in close, and whispered, "But if you want my opinion, go for the almond nougats. They're to die for back in Roam!" Apis gave a quick wink and decided to start up a conversation as well, since he felt as though the day was a bit on the empty side, "By the way, it looks lovely here in Canterlot. This is my first year here in the big city, you know! I'm used to crowds of course, especially around this time of year, but usually because of a wild festival, eh?" Apis laughed a little, and continued, "How long have you been here, might I ask?"

Answer to that question: Not quite! But you'd think they ought to be, no?

feel like it's been forever since I've colored in one of my own projects.

Alright, I've been away long enough. Time do give this topic a little kick, eh?

here's a pony I drew up for an RP. I'll post a link below. She's definitely going to become an OC in good time!

here is the Rp in question. Tea drinkers everywhere, unite, because this RP thread is open and welcome!

Masala gave Radient a look of perplexity, but still retained her smirk. "Nah, Assam isn't that bitter. At least, not with the right addition, and in this case you're getting some sugar and mint, so it oughta' perk you right up without killing you!" Masala gently blew on the top of the steaming cup, but was startled and very nearly dropped the tea when a loud spurting noise suddenly erupted near the door. Masala looked admonishingly at Apis, who had just sprayed the sip of his tea all in the front of the room. "...Case in point. Apis, remember when I told you to drink it slowly? Yeah, I wasn't lying! Oh, no no no no, I'm not cleaning that up this time," Masala threw a rag at Apis, who picked it up off his face, and got to slowly and begrudgingly wiping the floor up. Chai, in the meantime, got back to her business, and trotted over to Radiant with tea in hoof. "Sorry you had to see that. This is what happens when I get to know anypony too well!" She set the tea on a nearby table, and half-sheepishly returned to behind the counter.

Ooh! I love that texture pack! Makes it look very stylish.

Well, I've been thinking about getting back into Minecraft, what with it being out of beta and all. Put me down please.

Forum: Diego Havoc

Minecraft: Diego_Havoc

Thanks! The pack is the legendary Dokucraft pack, found here! minecraftcustomizer.net/pack/DokuCraft+-+The+Saga+Continues

Hey everypony! Crpdude here to talk a bit about a place that's gotten a bit of hype around the fortress!

Welcome to The Chai Mare, owned by yours truly, which is a charity-based restaurant! From all over Equestria, dodging creepers, zombies, and other manner of ghouls aplenty, I have gathered what I hope might be the fullest compilation of delicious foods, from the simple chicken, to the all-elusive and legendary "cake". Additionally, I've started to make high-quality potions for people to take for free, right above the record donation box, which was started to give the Chai a bit more atmosphere! (not like you need the darn things, anyway.)

If you ever get on the server, feel free to take a look, grab a bite to eat, and just take in the scenery to this wonderful establishment!

Added to the list.

Correction to the name: there's no dash in the username for my minecraft login.

It seems more like a Founder's Day type holiday to me more than it is a festive holiday of giving. I could be wrong though. This one might ruin a few historical fanfics.

Ooh, never thought about that! I'm kind of excited because of canon history, but now I'm kind of less excited because I wrote some in-between historical stuff! OH SNAP!

Oh well, there's always time to exploit loopholes in the story and edit my canon appropriately. The emperor's are getting a spot in history if it kills me! VIVA LA ITAILIA!

Apis looked at the mare, very inquisitively. Still keeping his fairly amiable demeanor, he remarked "Saluto, mifilly. A Royal Guard, about at this early hour, though? I thought most shifts didn't switch until around the afternoon... Unless, of course, you're not supposed to be off duty, Eheheheh! Although, being a guard, you probably recognize me. I'm Senyor Apis. Itaily's new ambassador?" Apis flashed a smirk of confidence with his head scrunched chin-to-chest as he began to slouch on the chair. "Masala there is an old friend of mine, and I can tell you her brews really work!" Apis didn't even notice Masala coming to his table with his tea, and jumped when it was placed on the table. Ignoring him, Masala rehearsed, "Alright, here's the 'bitter as death' round one! Hold on to your saddle, this is some strong stuff. I'll get the next round started in the meantime. And you there, miss? Your tea's almost done. I'll be with that in a sec!"

Assuming your server is to-date...

crp_dude - crpdude

Remember that time I said I used radically different usernames for everything?

I LIED.

Masala looked up and down Radient. This wasn't at all what she had expected for a first customer, but she didn't want to slack and make a bad impression. Attitude unwavering, Masala remarked, "Well, looks like some pony prefers the night shift. Here, I got something to fix you up." She shuffled around the boxes a bit. Though it wasn't a particularly rare tea, that was just the problem. After all, Chai had spent so much of her stock on more expensive and foreign teas, that she couldn't seem to find a single bag of...

Assam! There it was, right behind the box of Djeerning Black tea. Silently cursing herself for almost loosing a package of tea she went through a lot to get straight from the country it came from, Masala took out yet another cup from under the bar table, and set the bag inside to steep. Though she ought to have asked, Masala knew exactly what the tea needed for a tired customer: sugar, mint, and about five minutes to mash. Turning back to the tired pegasus, Masala said, "This could take a few minutes, so if you're in a hurry, the price is seven bits. You can take a quick breather if you want, I'll just wake you when it's done!" Masala giggled a bit out of genuine good humor, "No, no, I know what you're thinking! It don't matter if you fall asleep on the wait or not, this'll still get you up and kicking at the first sip!" Masala pointed a hoof toward the tables to the side, then checked on Apis's tea to see if it was done. Not yet. Or at least, not for Apis's tastes.

Solstice Heights has always, since it was first settled, been a land of both extravagant and unique presence. Across its heights, buildings of all kinds have skimmed its many hills, scaled its countless slopes, and dotted every valley in between.

The Chai Mare is one of these many places of business so daringly placed near the center of Equestrian authority.

This very elegant (and equally expensive) tea shop has been the practical port of the finest teas from all around the world. It's owner, Masala Chai, is a mare who moved from Itaily to Equestria, seeking to run a business in what was then considered a more profitable environment. Though not many have ever had enough bits for a good cup of her tea at the end of the day, those that do often end up becoming regulars to the shop: pricy as it may be, it's great stuff.

Since his move to Equestria, one such regular has been Senyor Apis. He and Masala have known each other since long before she had left Itaily, back when she was running a highly successful, but very small, tea shop in the border town of Troteste.

Making his way up the slope of the street to the shop, Apis hummed a happy tune. Today, he was going to her shop on account of an invitation. Masala invited him to the shop to help promote a sale for her tea. According to Masala, she suddenly had the realization that if she gave the opportunity to have her tea sell cheaper, more ponies might be inclined to come to the shop, and, hopefully, equally inclined to return. Of course, she had made arrangements for banners and advertisements all over this town, so Apis smartly came trotting up before it opened, to make sure he avoided the predicted crowd when it came.

Of course, promoting The Chai Mare was only half the reason he was going. A second reason was because he had invited a friend he had met from earlier in the month, and was hoping to see her again and perhaps get to know her. After all, this being a tea shop of notable prestige, how could she refuse? Apis's busy mind drew to a halt as he approached the door to the shop. The door was a very fine one, made of unpainted and well-sanded mahogany, with simple but polished brass hinges. A thin window at the top displayed store hours, and just as he predicted, Apis looked upon his reflection from the window with a marginal amount of confidence: He had arrived exactly ten minutes ahead of schedule. Apis raised his hoof, and gave the door a soft knocking. Shuffling could be heard from the other side, and the sound got closer as the door opened. Apis gave a warm smile to his longtime friend, Masala Chai, now standing before him in the doorway. Masala had maroon hair, pulled back from her face and in tousled waves. A wide, short, and saggy scarf colored just the same way coiled her neck in a very simple and perhaps lazy manner. Her cutie mark, a cylindrical cup of very foamy tea, with a tea plant coming out of the foam, was pronounced and fully visible of her flank, despite Itailian custom for ponies to cover theirs in polite environments. Masala welcomed Apis inside, and closed the door behind her with a bit of force. Apis looked around: The place was obviously a good bit fancier than before, with a few bookcases to keep customers busy, a game or two on the tables to the side, even a deck of tarot cards, placed in preparation of another guest Masala had hoped might arrive.

Apis turned to his friend after sitting on a small chair near the entrance, and said, "Miss Chai, it's good to see you again, since you've had the shop closed for a few months! I can see you did some redecorating." Masala replied. Her voice was not particularly loud, but her level of attitude spoke volumes. She was, after all, a mare with some serious spirit. "Well, Mister Apis, you don't expect me to be closed and come back without anything changed, did you? No, this time, I'm going a step back to my start-out. Lowering the prices, raising the population, and believe me when I say that I won't rest until I can't do so much as move around in this shop during business hours!" She laughed, almost sarcastically. "I just hope enough ponies caught wind of the ads and decided to show up here! Until then, business is business, so what can I get you, sir?" Apis smiled and said, "One ginger tea, and since I'm feeling adventurous I'll go with a gunpowder tea. I'm expecting another pony to show up here when the store hours st-" Suddenly, the bell on the clock Masala kept on the counter rang. Store hours had begun. Masala hastily scurried to the entrance and removed the closed sign, opened the door, turned some sign around in the front porch, and then briskly closed it once again. " I guess she'll be coming real soon then!" Masala hurried over to the bar-like counter against the side of the large room, where she kept boxes and boxes of tea from all around the globe. Picking out a bag out of one box all the way to the right end, Masala brought two steaming cups of water out from behind the counter, and put the tea bag in to steep in the right one. Then, she rushed over to the door outside, where Apis knew she kept her tea garden. She came back out with a bundle of fresh leaves. Taking a kettle, Masala placed the leaves in a strainer, set it over the kettle, and poured the already boiling water over the leaves in the strainer. Then, she carefully put the kettle over a covered stove, set the fire on, and left it to boil for a moment. Masala left Apis to his own business as she waited at the bar for the bell on the door to ring, and another customer to arrive. This time, she hoped, she was going to get off the ground on a different hoof.

Well, while I would say that he does have that sort of a personality to him (especially in the presence of Celestia. *groooooans*), that wasn't the initial reason for naming him this. His name means "world" in Italian. Thusly, his name could be further interpreted as "Emperor of the World", which (spoilers for my fanfic) he was at one point. Of course, that's not the only meaning, but that would be too spoiler-ish for this post.

Is... I...

how do you even turn those last scenes into actual things.

I might actually need to see the movie just to see how fudgeed up the last parts of the movie might be in live action.

It's a very interesting style to be honest. Pony Realism? Offputting at first, but by the time I got to Rainbow Dash, I was getting used to it. You get only nods of approval from me.

And that means that this work is to awesome for words. Very nicely done!

Thanks, both of you!

On a not-so-great note, I had my compy taken away last week, hence the no art issue. On the plus side, I got a nice drawing of Senyor Apis, and his father, whom I'm apparently very bad at deciding on a final design for! Seriously, this is like the fourth final final final design Mondo has had. On the plus side, I think it's the best so far.

Doable. Alrighty, requests closed for now, I'll PM you guys when I have something done.

Alright, time to get to work. I have 4 requests in, which means I can take only one more until this workload is done.

Saluto! I'd certainly agree with the idea of this place being a safe website, you're sure to find (more) friends here! Hope you enjoy your stay!

Okay, got two big ones down, Phil's Snowfall, and MLPT's Scout, which means I have... 3 open slots. Sorry for taking so long guys, Halloween week has not been the greatest for me.

Here are the pictures:

Snowfall--

Scout--

Next up on my list is Beat Match's request, followed by Dusty's. In the meantime, please feel free to place any more requests!

Apis took their questions with a bit of surprise. After all, nopony had showed that much curiosity right off the bat. Tapping his hoof to his chin, he carefully devised a way to sum up all of his experiences, until he did finally have a nice little story. Reviving memories of his past home, Apis said, with some noticeable feeling, "I come from a land say... north, perhaps northeast of here. Itaily is it's name, and though it is little-known to the people of Equestria, the two nations have been political allies since before Celestia and Luna's rule! I am the official ambassador between the two nations, on a peace mission. You see, as of recently, the rulers of your nation and mine have been... at odds. Disagreements have risen over even trivial and unimportant topics, and everything between the two has simply become a mess. I had an audience with your princesses, but, and this is only my assumption, due to my close relations with Itaily's Emperor, my initial deal was rather blatantly rejected. So, here I am. I'm attempting to better familiarize myself with your customs and such..."

Come to think of it, Apis wasn't all that educated into the custom that they were celebrating right there and then. This drove him to ask, "On that note, what exactly is the idea behind this 'Nightmare Night'?" He mentally braced himself for what he expected might be looks of incredulity.

"Err, I, umm-- no, wait--!" Apis continually tripped over the words he was trying to find. Finally waking up for sure, Apis forced his neck back and took a hearty swig of the coffee in his holster. A nice, bitter blend; just the way he liked it. With the caffeine boost, Apis shook his head vigorously, and, regaining his composure, tried to correct his rude behavior, "No, ma'am, please forgive me. I am... not used to being up at night. It isn't you, or anything you're doing, no I'm sure you can go along just fine. This is my first Nightmare Night here in Equestria... In fact, this is my first anything here in Equestria! I am a new arrival, from a land quite a ways from here, you see. My name is Senyor Apis." Apis patted his hoof on the ground twice as a symbol of recognition and, with a fairly content look on his face, offered his hoof for a shake. "Saluto."

hi hi

As the hay wagon passed through the festival grounds, a light chartreuse mare struggled to weave a path through the crowd, and it wasn't until the wagon had moved on from the scene that she finally managed to extricate herself from the traffic jam. She broke into a gallop to close the still short distance between her and the wagon. Pulling up alongside, she tried to gesture with her head for some of the other passengers to make an opening. With one last bound, she planted herself firmly on the back of the wagon.

Phew! That was a close one, I need to be more careful in choosing my costume next year. Something that isn't so difficult to run in is definitely in order.

Once she'd gotten her balance sorted out again on the creaking and bobbling hay ride, she trotted up to the front of the wagon and leaned over the edge towards the driver.

"Hey! Ummm... I mean, Howdy pardner! Ah reckon there's two kinds a hay rides round these parts, those that get waylaid by spooks and those that don't. What say I... um... keep an eye out for ya fer a spell?"

As the hayride once again pulled, Apis was woken with a loud *thud*, as the cart hit a large rock. Everyone was jarred a bit by the sudden bump, but Apis was thrown off the haystack he was laying on entirely, causing him to hit the boarded floor, belly first.

He was a little bit shaken, still kind of waking up after being rudely interrupted for a nap. It was enough to recuperate though, and as he looked around, he could see that many of the ponies and colts were rather irritated with his snoring. He gave a small pat at the floor-- a means of apologizing-- and scooched up the cart until Apis got to the lady watching out front. He would have at least appreciated a wake-up call less violent. Leaning against the front picket, he inquired towards the younger pony rather irritably, "Excuse me, ma'am, but I was just woken up rather untimely by a large rock in the road..." Apis nudged her foreleg with a hoof begrudgingly, "If you are up front looking out, why are you not announcing these things? You are keeping watch, are you not?"

This was another reason nobody invited Apis to late-night parties.

hi hi

Jousting just seems like one of those things that ponies should be good at, even if its just for sport. They're probably right up there in ability with flying ostriches.

Oh lawd what.

Alright. I was feeling so beautifully bored during school today, so I drew up some sketches of Apis in many memable situations.

To summarize: Apis wubs culture, you're going to love OC ponies, and filly Apis is jumping adorable.

I rest my case.