crp_dude

Ornatia looked a bit perplexed at the last comment. "Not old enough? I assume that this was a family policy? I ask because I could not think of any reason the peak of my land's society should be seen as not 'child-safe'! I mean, Itailians have sizable families by default, I don't see how we could be otherwise." Ornatia scratched her head very lightly, and then set it back down, wiping it very shortly on the floor, in case anything was caught on it. "Perhaps you're right, though, I likely would more benefit from taking a stroll around than anything else, but I do have an issue with, *ahem*," Ornatia cleared her throat nervously, unsure of how the others would take what might seem like an otherwise absurd personal policy, and decided how she would explain it, "There is an issue with public appearance. Consider it an offshoot of paranoia of sorts, but I am not at all used to crowds, largely because I am so used to being holed up in my own home for so long, and when I do leave I'm often separated by something, be they guards, red walkways, or a stage. With no boundaries, I can get, well, frankly suspicious of everypony, and that rather includes you lot, not to offend if I do. There is a reason for it, mind you. A little mishap around the middle of my career that I'd rather not get into, it was rather one of my more embarassing moments." Ornatia felt a little downhearted at being forced to remember why she kept herself so secluded from the rest of the world. Still, she held her head up as best as she could. Now was no time to succumb to fears. Besides, the designer who nearly sent Ornatia's career down the drain went down the same drain herself only a year later. Only the unsuccessful would repeat the issue, and none of these ponies struck her as unsuccessful. She felt safe around them, for the most part.

If you need to improve anything, see if you can add in some extra grass detailing inside the grass border, as it looks very bare and flat otherwise. Not excessive, just let people know that grass is there.

Working on a big project as of right now. This is the usual gig but don't expect much from me until it works out. It'll blow your mind, I promise. In the meantime, Here are a few fun sketches!

The top left is of our one and only Appliance, whom I have a love-hate relationship with (no, dear, I joke, I just kind of want to hug you at one point.) The bottom left is a dragon OC of mine, Blast Furnace, fixing up a prosthetic for Lucky Breeze, who hasn't been on the forums for a while sadly.

The one on the right is Apis being horrendously gay towards (Dubstep) Dark Core's fat rump. Hnng

Ornatia raised a fairly unimpressed eyebrow at the two, working up her own confidence to a level of pride. Again, there was a first impression to be made. Luckily, her usual cuffed dress of ebony hue didn't disappoint. Emulating a bit of displeasure toward such an unorganized exchange (in actuality, she thought it was cute,) a thick Itailian accent began her sentences as always as she spoke rather plainly, "Yes, I have indeed taken some interest in this town. You see, I am a... you might say, temporary immigrant? Tourist would not do, my stay is more long-term than a simple trip, but this is beside the point. *ahem* Because I will be spending some time here for the show, I thought it best to take some time to learn about this fairly contemporary city. It is, to say the least, not something I am used to," Ornatia turned her head upwards, placed her left hoof on her breast, and closed her eyes, keeping a faint view on Dazzle to ensure she wasn't making a drama out of the motions, "I am more used to historical displays such as these out in the open, part of the city itself. On that point, I am from Roam, in Itaily, the land only some miles east of your Canterlot. My name is Ornatia, critically acclaimed fashionista, how do you do?" That was perfect, yes. Exactly the image she was hoping to put out. Of course, none of those facts were fabricated, but she couldn't very well say 'Ornatia, who holes herself in her own home for months on end', could she? She held out her right hoof, lowering her left to the ground, expecting either a shake or a kiss, depending on whatever Dazzle may have preferred greeting with.

Masala mused over the idea of an inn with a restaurant as part of the service. It'd definitely be something her hometown could do with, being such a popular tourist area. Though, formality came before speaking business, so she introduced herself. "Chai. Masala Chai. I'm an immigrant from further east, nice to meet ya'." She held out her hoof for a quick shake from the two of them, then started to speak again. "I guess I can see the appeal to an early rise built into a late night, if that makes any sense to you. Something to think about, but I just run a tea shop down in the Heights. Not to say it's a poor business, not at all, it's just that I'm more used to the casual stop-off atmosphere, rather than some odd 'stay the night, leave after breakfast' feel. I got nothin' against, just a bit too formal for my tastes." Masala never took the time to think about it, but she probably was never one to cope with any sort of seriousness. Heck, she'd give the Princesses a hardy pat on the back if it wouldn't get her thrown straight into prison. Ick, royalty. Far too eloquent in their policies for her to even consider dealing with, ever.

Well, in our thread, I was waiting for our third to respond ... but I'm about ready to skip past that and just post.

No worries, I figured you were waiting on Wick anyhow, so that's fine by me.

As far as the show itself though, considering the unexpected slowdown, do we have a new date for the full show in mind? If not, I'd like to hear some idea as far as dates go before I give my two cents.

Oh, here we go. I'm ready for what you've got, lay it on me.

Masala made a faint scowl at the white-coated unicorn. It wasn't out of spite, or jealousy, Masala just had something against ponies who were so keen to get their business over and done with and take their leave. So, while she was indeed heavily misjudging her at first, Masala didn't have an incredibly high opinion of Rarity at first. At least she took the time to talk to somepony else on her own level. At that, she decided to be respectful and not distract the owner from a point of interest, and instead showed more attention to the brother and sister. The two definitely did remind her of a pair she knew from back in Troteste, a pair of fortune-telling twins who had this odd habit of finishing each-other's sentences. It really creeped Masala out as a filly, though she never really knew what happened to those two, they just sort of moved away. That aside, Masala had never really heard of a "bed-and-breakfast restaurant", and pondered what that meant. Breakfast, that part was obvious, but bed? Why beds? What did a bed have to do with food? Did you eat off of a bed? Were there no chairs, so they had to replace all the chairs with beds? No, both of those ideas seemed awfully silly, her imagination was just zipping this way and that now. Instead, she casually asked, with her usual signature level of audacity, "Scuse me, kid, but, this term you use, 'bed-and-breakfast'... I own a cafe, kid, I have no idea what that even means."

Hey, look at that, a picture that I just drew and didn't vector! Now, have fun with staring at Apis's face.

Do you want to hug him yet? No? Liar.

Hey, we haven't gotten a whole lot of activity in these last couple of threads! I know it's not my job, furthest from it actually, but being one among those who wish to see this event continued, I'd just like a head count of who's still in! maybe we could accept a few extras if there's empty space? I dunno, I'd like to hear a bit from Bramble on this.

Breaking my own silence here...

Consider this a study in simple texturing. The frayed mane and tail is meant to give that patchwork effect you often see in dolls.

This piece was made at the request of one of my favorite dollmakers, Dawniblush. Give her some love and attention, it's worth the work she puts into her own stuff!

Ornatia perked up when she heard that Itaily, and more specifically Roam, was to be a future location in the fashion show. The land of her people, a spot of fashion? That was nothing new, but already she was homesick, after three years away from it. Astounding to her, she thought, that you could come to miss home that quickly given how long she had lived there, her mind turning to another friend who she'd hope to meet soon as well. Back on track, though, as usual. Mustering up what she could remember of Roam, navigating its many streets, she tried to recount every important fact she could look for.

"Well, one thing of note is that we don't try to control the weather, mostly because we never need to. That, and Itaily has few to no pegasus ponies, such a thing being just as foreign of an idea to most. Unicorns, you see occasionally, just because of the old royal family, such as myself, having a great great aunt down that line, but her lineage is vague at best, so I digress. The breed of Earth Pony is most noticeably different, in shape and affiliation-- you'd be able to tell the difference if you saw them, for certain. While Equestrian Earth Ponies, so far as I'm aware, are mostly bakers and farmers, those who deal in the products of the earth, if you follow, Itailian Earth Ponies are, as you say, of the arts in general. They don't just work the earth, they work it to the bone. I'm talking about sculpting, landscaping, architecture, pottery, glasswork, you name it! Of course, farming and baking are still, just as well, where our hearts lay. The difference in those last aspects for us, though, is more in that we grow very different crops in Itaily, and all of our sugar most easily obtained needs to be, well, not to sound like we live in the dark ages, but all of our sugar is imported! Instead, we rely on natural treats: honey, grapes, fruit of any kind, and the same stands for our breads! In that case, we often oil our loafs, originally so they wouldn't stick in the oven, but now... Well, I assume you've seen Itailian bread. It's very nice. Now, you know all there is to know about what we have in common, but Itailian Earth Ponies are much more, shall we say, ambitious, with their connections to the earth. You see, it was actually two parts to a problem from a long time ago, solved pretty simply. One, Roam as a city was running out of resources on the surface rocks, and second, there was a bit of an overpopulation issue. So, you now have two issues, and scientists and engineers alike from Ancient Roam were developing a solution. Suddenly, this renowned stallion, Aqueductus, suggests downward expansion to solve both problems! At first they thought he was mad, considering how long it would take, but as luck would have it, Itailian earth ponies have a way of "shaping the earth", if you follow. Within only months, they had plentiful resources, and ample space! So, little-known fact to all but those who live in Roam for a long time, the city you see from the sky, grand as it may be, is really only about a third of the whole city! Underneath, there are hundreds of underground plazas and alleyways that nopony would even think to look for! The entryways to these lands are easy to spot though, when you do go hunting for them! Perhaps it'd be something to check out, next time we get the chance, no?" Ornatia felt suddenly more vigorous about the topic. More psyched to be there, some would say, but not her. She was too formal for language outside anything less than a century old, as she often joked to herself. "And to speak of little-known facts, I don't know a whole lot about this quaint little city. What is there to tell?"

hi hi

It kind of makes me wonder if there are some secret tricks that the folks at Studio B use for some of their work. There are parts of it that are extra complicated and I always find myself wondering how they got that done on time.

Ya know, that's not a bad point, and it actually serving as the basis of my next big project. I'll get something nice done as a result of this, I'm sure.

"Jewelry?" The word very nearly left a bad taste in Ornatia's mouth, like she had just drank sea water. Her reaction was fairly immediate, "Oh, no no no, dear, I dare not use jewels for my pieces, they are far to showy! You see, if you truly wish to make an effective dress, it must complement the wearer, it is just as much about her as it is the dress! Or at least that is the philosophy I work by. If you spend too much time on the dress, excessively adorning it with jewels attracts toward the dress, not the wearer, and then you might as well not even take it off the stand, ponies will just stare at it dumbly either way! No, I would not use jewels whole. Jewel shards perhaps, for a fine trim at the bottom of a dress with a wonderful lattice-style veil fabric neckline, yes, that might do it..." Ornatia snapped herself back to reality, there was time to take notes later, she instead figured that she ought to unwind. At the mention of the griffin and architecture. The historical questions she could answer easily enough, having spent some of her time in the more historical cities for research purposes into the olden styles she often still used. Often times though, when studying Itailian history, you had to study extensively on a ton of other parts outside of what you were learning just to get most of it. But then again, that was what was so interesting about Itailian history: How interconnected everything was. So, she answered as best as she could: "Well, as far as style, I can't complain. Functionality is the truly impressive thing the early peoples of Itaily did, though: You see so many examples of Roaman architecture largely because rather than all of those multipurpose buildings, the architects often built their structures for exactly what they needed. See, history shows that our ancestors had big ideas, which led to a lot of reconstruction as far as functionality and style. They wanted to make everything look dignified and worthy of royalty, because they did indeed want their villages to be graced with royal presence. Now, while the visit rarely ever happened, this resulted in the highest-quality facilities you could ask for, and when you think about it, built entirely on accident! And of course, Itailians then were just a different and pure breed of Earth Pony. Of course there are differences between Equestrian and Itailian Earth Ponies, in that Itailians often associated and could more easily work with the land, an odd connection to be sure. But, as you say, their craft in architecture was fantastic, for just being Earth Pony workers. Although... small word of warning, your friend, this Elaine... I would wager she would get quite a few interesting glares. Not out of resentment, understand, Itailians are just not used to seeing creatures from so far west, if my reaction was any indication!" Ornatia shrugged, matter-of-factly.

Masala gazed into the glistening jewel, studying its smooth finish, the infinite facets giving way to this impossibly rounded gem, with its continuity broken only by the elaborate carving in the center. Masala was nearly mesmerized by the stone, as though it was meant specifically for her. Though it was only a moment or two, she felt as though she had already stared at it for hours, maybe days. No doubt in her mind, this was perfect. In fact, it was kind of uncanny. "It's beautiful, I'll say for sure, but... er, the symbol here, it's kinda creeping me out, how unusually fitting this is. What's the story behind this piece?"

Out of the corner of her ear, Masala heard the question voiced at her. An ear cocked that way, followed by her head. Unbeknownst to her, her cushioning mane just softly hit the side of the unicorn Rarity's face, and of course with it being so airy, Masala took no notice. Giving the colt a look of confusion, she said, "Kid, I think you got the wrong mare. Bistro is a Prench name, and my family is pure Itailian. Even then, I don't know her. What does she do?"

"Japony? Oh dearest no, that's practically across the sea! No, I'm far closer than that, Itaily is just on the other side of Equestria's southeastern border, past the mountains, you know? And as for the sand gardens, no, I'm not used to sand at all to be honest, unless it is imported. Where I come from, our life lies in the land, and quite the dynamic landscape it often is! There are no grand beaches where I come from, simply cliffs lined with the ocean on all sides! In fact, the sudden shifting in elevation for cliffs is something most of us are quite accustomed to, considering our designing of cities around them. No, no sand, nothing but dirt and rocks, but that doesn't mean anything bad! Itailian soil is, quite literally, the most fertile in the entire landmass, and the climate lets us grow crops that you otherwise wouldn't see! Those olives you may have snacked on two weeks ago? Imported from Itaily. The nice ciabatta sandwich from last Wednesday? Itailian recipe!" She gave a bit of a proud look at the mention of her country of origin, as any Itailian likely would. "Itailian tastes are much like you Equestrians, but more that we take everything as an art, you know? Cooking, Brewing, Dress Making, not to massage my own ego! We go the extra mile where we can, that's what makes Itailians Itailians! Then again, I can't go talking about my own ideals without knowing yours too well! What would you say of yourself?" Ornatia gestured to Bramble, grateful that the pony knew her name at least.

The vectors just don't stop happening!

As you can see, the shading turned out perfect! I'd say it's a very nice testament to the style Rayman Origins showcases!

Is anypony else suddenly crazy about Rayman Origins? Holy gosh that game is amazing, it's pretty much the stuff of my dreams. In particularly, a design that has become an affixation of mine is the Nymphs, just, all six of them. Yikes, they're cool. So cool that being the worldbuilder I am, I've started drawing up my own set of OC Nymphs.

Of the Six of these parallel Nymphs, only one of them is Male. He is tasked as the personal assistant to a mysterious maker that seems to exist on the other side--literally, the opposite face-- of the Glade of Dreams. Humble but unwavering in his convictions, Terra proves to be not only a hard worker, but also a great leader and warrior during troubled times.

This has yet to be shaded. Look forward to that soon!

"Nnnheeheeheehee! Youhoohoo dehee..." Oh dear, this simply wouldn't do, she was absolutely laughing herself sick, to the point that she completely forgot what she was laughing about. No doubt she just embarrassed herself in front of others, definitely something unbecoming of her personage. Taking a moment to calm down, Ornatia managed to at least bring herself down to a light chuckle before she dared continue. Though nopony would believe her, she was certain, given her previous reaction, she spoke, "Oh, heheehee, no dear. I was just musing over a few odd sights. Still, I find it incredibly interesting, being from out of Equestria myself. I am from the far Eastern Lands though, the small sliver that does not belong to Equestria by technicality, and so tales of Griffons and Diamond Dogs are only just that to me: tales, from foreigners to foreigners. A fascinating concept. Please, go on! I would love to hear more."

In the heat of their conversation, Ornatia, the silent and proper mare she was often claimed to be by others (a fact she would not have given on her own) tiptoed rather hastily down the stairs, in either the excitement of lively conversation, or the excitement generated by a historical art display. Ornatia always had a passion for history, and perhaps she could go there and find some inspiration for a nice design.

...Actually, that was really the main reason she was there.

Ornatia was frantic last night that the show was occurring so soon and she hadn't even begun on her dress. I'll do it tonight, she often assured herself, but this time, she was serious about it. Tonight, or bust. Conversation was nice too though, so she listened in on the pair as she was heading down the steps and into the exhibit room.

Through her ears and into her mind come tales of lands to the West, Diamond Dogs, Griffins, things she had barely even heard stories of, having been from so far to the east. Her mind as well could hardly contemplate the wonder of such foreign territory. Thoughts raced, imagining such silly lands, her imagination practically spewing out whatever came to her mind, just getting more and more ridiculous, until, at last, she got to the bottom of the stairs and began laughing out loud, to the point that she eventually landed with her back to the floor, back hooves kicking back and forth in absolute hilarious numbness.

Okay, now for my first big thing in a while! Had this sketched up a while ago, but only now did I decide to vector it!

This is to be my profile picture for DeviantArt! Those who are interested in my progress and commissions would do well to watch me (self-publicity, woohoo)

http://crpdude.deviantart.com/

Only moments after the jewelry shop was opened did the relatively new mare, Masala Chai, end up ringing the bell at the shop door upon her entrance. With her, besides her usual rose-colored cowl, was a saddle bag with a pair of very cute-looking mug pins to fasten the roomy pouches closed. She barely took a few steps, however, when she suddenly tripped on a clumsy shuffling front hoof. A few seconds on the ground, and she began spouting out what could only have been a few curses in a foreign language, given how angry they sounded, even when muffled by a floor. After the brief embarrassing display, worsened only by the knowledge that she was basically the new pony on the block, she stood back up, straight as a hair, and walked up to the counter. Taking a moment, she looked to the side, seeing only fine jewels and adornments of all types imaginable, even a few imported stones she recognized from her homeland. Looking over to the colt at the counter, who she could only assume was less than impressed at her recent behavior, she cleared her throat, and spoke. “Mi scusa, signore, ma ho bisogno di una sostituzione gio-- Oh wait, you probably don't speak Itailian,” Or at least so she assumed by the shopkeeper’s confused look. Of course, her using her native tongue was completely intentional. Such mastery over another language would clue into the fact that she is indeed much more cultured and refined than her brief lack of coordination no doubt displayed. These kind of ploys really helped with boosting respectfulness, as she remembered from the elite of Roam; out in the big city, you wouldn’t last a day without knowing how to do stuff like this.

Reaching back into the left bag, Chai began again, “Ya’ see, it’s actually kind of annoying, but I have this broken necklace. I mean, it’s not broken, per se, it’s just, see, missing the jewel on the front there. This slot’s been empty for the last three generations, though we haven’t had any chances or means to fix it. Got any jewels that you could cut to this?” Masala pointed to a very elaborate pendant, made of gold and lapis lazuli, which made up the small beads around it. The dazzle of the stark gold and blue colors made the necklace stand out, and made the huge gap in the middle of the pendant, where the jewel would go, all that more obvious. “Something smooth, preferably. Oh, and blue. It used to be a deep blue Mar Stone in here. You know, those jewels that look kind of like pearls? The imported ones?”

Oof, it's been a while since I've done this, or at least that's how I feel. Anyways, I just finished a vector piece that somepony (Namely the fairly new MidnightRead) decided to take up my offer on. Despite the limited frame, it came out nicely!

Fun Fact: It's surprisingly hard to remake the hair you see in Pony Creator, so I just tried my best and went with it. Not too bad, yes?

Oh jeez, I'm about ready to place myself as the only pony on these forums who never got into the good doctor. All the same, Saluto! I'm an artist here at Canterlot, and do a lot of vector images. I usually extend this offer to anypony who already has their sona worked out, and since that seems to be the case, I'd like to offer to make you a full-vector avatar! Feel free to PM me if you're interested, but keep in mind it's no requirement. Also, be sure to check out my work in the gallery if you want to see what I can do!

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria RP

Name: Masala Chai (Called Salsa by her friends)

Sex: Female

Age: Mare, near-30s equivalent.

Species: Earth Pony, Itailian breed.

Eye Color: Dark Orange [#e05110]

Coat Color: Light Mocha [#b46d42]

Mane & Tail: Long and well kept, but incredibly poofy. Appears to be very light, and is easily blown about in the wind, hence Masala's preference to stay indoors. Browned Cream in color. [#ede0d3]

Appearance: Average height for an Itailian pony (only slightly taller than most Equestrians), average body type, not notably thin. Wears a thick and loose knit cowl around her neck at all times.

Cutie Mark: Masala's Cutie Mark is a steaming cup'o'tea, representing her excellent skill with brewing the same class of drinks from scratch.

Residence: Due to Canterlot being a port of high-quality herbal ingredients, Chai set up her business and home there when she moved.

Occupation: As said, Masala owns a small cafe called The Chai Mare, in honor of her old brewing stand back in Triestallion. She sells foreign teas, both to-go and for there at the shop.

Motivation: Chai moved to Equestria Proper from Itaily in hopes of keeping her business afloat, as well as, secretly, finding that special somepony she's been looking for since she first opened up her shop.

Likes: Gardens, Fruit, Indoor settings, Log cabins, Steam.

Dislikes: Windy days, Loud Ponies, Smoke, Cold beds.

History: Masala Chai was born to two Itailian ponies, Fiori and Petali, both of whom were gardeners. The two owned a flower shop in the historical town of Triestallion, on the northern border between Itaily and Equestria Proper. There was nothing particularly special about the two of them, despite the fact that they often made a nice profit off of tourists that were there to see the many historical sites the small town had. Though they made beautiful arrangements, their shop was, sadly, not very successful, due to the fact that more historians came there for research rather than souvenirs. Still, the two led a happy life, and when they had Masala, the three were even happier. Content with their small business, the family happily went on through life as though everything was alright. Through her early years, however, Masala started gaining an interest in plants of a different kind; herbs, which to her smelled much sweeter and more natural than the lovely flowers the family based themselves on. Happy to help their only child, Fiori and Petali set up for Masala a small herb garden, from which she began making a small job of selling as herbal ingredients, which gave the family only a bit more money, but still, some was better than none at all. One day, however, Masala was sorting through her selection to sell next to the kitchen counter, when she accidentally dropped some into a boiling pot of water intended for soup. To her excitement, she found that the smells and flavors of the herbs melted into the water, and even brought about feelings of content, relaxation, and then some. Eager to share such a miracle with her family, she showed her unintentional discovery to her parents, who smiled to eachother, and then came to teach Masala about the miracle of what she had "discovered", called tea. Wondering at the concept, Masala spent her years learning about tea and its brewing, and eventually set up a small stand in the market known as The Chai Mare that her parents allowed her to set up after realizing her talent in brewing tea, giving her the Cutie Mark she now has. There, she would sell fresh tea to the locals and tourists. Though the business ended up being very successful, Masala still felt unhappy, and was sure that she was missing something in her life. It was only after months of searching, that she found that what she had been missing was what her parents had. Not a garden, not a business, not joy or money or success.

She was missing someone to share it with.

The town of Triestallion was too small, and she had already met every stallion there, none of whom she liked well enough to date, though many of them were nice. No, she wanted a stallion who shared her passion. And so, with her parents' blessings, she left on a search for that special somepony she had sought for so long. Eventually, she wound up in Canterlot, feeling ready to set up her business again with the money she made on the side. Perhaps, one day, her true love might trot up and ask for a cup...

Personality: Masala in her behavior is a highly independent mare, and boasts a very sarcastic and witty personality to boot. She isn't afraid to playfully insult somepony, though her charm is really only visible to a few, past her otherwise blunt comments. She seeks to be kind to the people she doesn't know very well, like her customers, and usually only gets really casual with the ponies who she has known for a long time. She can, as well, be a bit shameless in some cases.

Picture, by me, linked only due to size: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6962625/Alec%27s%20Things/MasalaChaiRedo.png