Lilia

Lilia blushed darker when Bass addressed her. She struggled to get her thoughts together, finally smiling in relief as she got a small idea.

" It looks great in here...certainly better than that bistro coffee shop that was here.. .are you from Fillydelphia, Bass?" she asked, wondering if he knew the city. She shot a look to Matchie, hoping the other mare was the owner.

" Are you the mare I could ask about a partnership with mister Ring? He's my boss..." she inquired, explaining her boss for Bass's sake.

I have an open in Manehattan, if you're still interested...Title is "What, really, is fashion"

Why not Nimbusgate Lake?

He does indeed. I didn't think of a vacation...

So how are we working in Shadowe? He's from Stalliongrad...and blind to boot, so him moving away isn't easy...

I'd like to sign up Lilia and Cosmopolitan, for sure! Those two are my solo mares...Shadowe Flare can't yet, poor blind colt...

Cosmopolitan grumbled as she looked about her office for the article that she was supposed to have two hours ago. The pink Unicorn was looking increasingly cross as she lifted the last of the debris away from her desk to reveal an immaculate room as everything was sent to precisely where it belonged. She shook her head, lime-green mane flying in minor disgust with the writer. A deadline was just that-a deadline! She stormed out, her blue eyes almost ice-chips as she began a fast walk to the exit. She paused by her lead designer's office, smiling tensely as she spied the mare hard at work.

"Well, at least we know you're doing your very best, Wish. If you see our new writer before I get back, please inform her that her deadline is over two hours past and that I'd like to see her in my office. I'm going to see what scarves are in the nearest store...maybe that will keep me from firing a skilled talent..." She muttered, relieved when the designer waved her off with a hoof in both acknowledgement and farewell. She left her building, the size and noise of Manehattan pervading her senses before she gave a sigh of relief. Shopping. She needed to buy a new scarf, for sure. But what, really, was fashionable to wear for such a powerful young Mare?

After a half-hour of searching the stores, she squealed. There it was...her new hot item. The scarf itself was very simple, a two-tone that could only look right when worn in a certain way. She chuckled as she twisted it around her neck, the light and dark blue contrasting her pink pelt nicely. The price-tag winked from a loose end, her eyes widening in surprise. It had to be on sale! If this was a sign, by Celestia, she would follow it! But what could go wrong now?

Edited!

Working on it now. As soon as I can get proper internet, I'll be able to update. Sorry for the delayed response!

The creatures of the Everfree forest really spooked Lilia. She walked as quietly and cautiously as she could, trying not to disturb anypony or anything that happened to inhabit that forest. She squeaked and dashed toward a bush when she heard a strange noise, her bravado gone. The Everfree Forest was really scary for a filly like her!

Celestia! Without the sunlight, there'd be nothing to eat and we'd all starve or become Zomponies.

Name: Cosmopolitan

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Unicorn

Coat Color: Very pale pink

Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Her mane and tail are both a nice lime green, styled with buns at the top and dangling down low like lime curls.

Eye Color: Blue-gray

Cutie Mark: A magazine

Physique: Regular build, not too thin, not too chubby...and not very tall at all.

Origin: Manehattan

Roleplay Type: Mane

Occupation: Editor for Manehattan's Fashionista Magazine.

Motivation: Cosmopolitan loves to work the fashion industry, and she always has the latest in style and models from any photo shoots she sends her photographers out on.

Likes: The drink Cosmopolitan, Scarves, Fashion.

Dislikes: Stuffy and overbearing writers, ribbons, being called Polly, shrewish models.

Character Summary: Cosmopolitan is an orphan. Her mother passed away when she was born and her father died a few weeks later of a wasting illness. She was shuffled into the foster home of several upper-eschelon families in Manehattan, each one teaching her a bit more about fashion. When she was adopted, it was with great pleasure. Her family named her after the drink her mane and pelt resembled, the Cosmopolitan. Her birth name was originally Morganite, but her new mom decided to legally make it what she goes by today. She got her cutie mark when she was reading a fashion magazine and had begun marking through the errors and things that she had noticed on the page. It was also the time that she realized her love of scarves. She's hardly ever seen without one, and if she is, it means that she is on a mission...one that involves getting the deadline met and the presses printing for the latest magazine. Once the deadline is met and the stress is gone, she is very much a social pony. She thrives on meeting others, usually at the higher end bars and clubs near her job. She is always willing to let her mane down and get in some good, wholesome fun. She likes having her tea, frequently getting it herself. She loves getting her hooves on the latest fashions and will very often demonstrate how those fashions are to match and what accessories go well with those fashions. When she gets the opportunity, she loves to tell ponies how she climbed the ladder of success, starting from a lowly delivery pony. She has devoted her life and her passion to her magazine, though her occasional demands for perfection do get on the nerves of her employees to the point of them giving her several interventions....none of which have ever stuck for long. She's very feminine and will, on occasion, let her staff know that she is not to be distubed as she is going to the spa or off to buy a new scarf, one that she deems appropriate for the outfit, the occasion or just because she thought it was pretty.

Lilia's encounter in the House of Mirrors had left her pride slightly wounded...and her muzzle slightly bruised! She trotted to the Nightmare Moon Monument, pausing briefly when she heard the shouting.

"Hey! Who do you think you are, trying to scare me! You leave me alone and don't come back you stupid monster!"

She approached cautiously, watching the mare give out a piece of chocolate from her own bag into the bag of the naughty filly.

"Why, I'd be ashamed of such reactions from any filly here! Don't you know Nightmare Moon is watching?" She said, trotting out as her costume concealed her eyes. She turned to the monument, dropping a candy at the base in offering.

((OOC: not at all! I'm always game for an arc!))

The foal nodded, listening as the other pony dashed away looking for his flute. He sighed. If he didn't follow, he'd surely be swallowed up by the crowd...but if he didn't, wouldn't he be lost? He grumbled to himself and waited for his dog, who proceeded to follow the other pony to where he had gone. With a tiny smile, the foal followed, apologizing to anypony he ran into before resuming his pursuit. He ran bodily into his dog, this time causing himself to gasp as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Ow...Colby....stupid dog....Sir? I would really like it if you could help me get to the hay hop...uhm....did I find the wrong flute for you?" He asked, meekly. He was slowly warming up to this strange pony, which made it all the odder for him. He really didn't get along or warm up to too many others.

Violet stopped and turned to her sister, yellow-green eyes shimmering. "I see...So, just friends and you're here for a Bloom tradition? Oh boy....Here, put your pumpkin by Lilia's. I'll be RIGHT back!" Violet laughed, using her horn to indicate where he could place the pumpkin. She looked Lilia over before smiling. "You too, Sister. You have to help! It's the BLOOM tradition, not the Violet Way!" She said firmly, nudging Lilia along leaving Lucky Melon to himself for only a few moments.

Lilia eeped in shock, smiling apologetically at Lucky Melon before being dragged off. Soon the lights went out and the images of ghosts of ponies past drifted within the hallway where he stood. There was no sign of the Bloom fillies, only the ghosts...

A pink filly stood outside the House of Mirrors, her black mage costume hiding everything except her tail. She'd had her three lily cutie mark sewn into the costume, a smile playing at her features before she began to trot forward. She sighed. A house of mirrors would be fun, even if it mean a few...bumped...muzzles. She grumbled to herself as she walked rather quickly into three of the four mirrors on the path, cursing her luck.

Those are all absolutely ADORABLE! Manestream is SUPER lucky! I can't wait to see who wins what prizes!

((OOC: It could be the wrong flute...XD He's blind, so he wouldn't know which is which...and if you said clay, he'd be a bit more....repentant, I think...?))

The foal froze at the mention of his parents, trying desperately not to tremble. "M..my mom and dad are....somewhere....They told me to meet them by...uhm....where's the hay-hop stop? That's where I'm supposed to be if I ever get lost....though they didn't expect me to follow my dog....or for him to get distracted! Ohh....dad's gonna be mad when he finds out....more with Colby than me....but mad at me too..." He lamented, looking around desperately as if that would help him find his family.

A violet pelted foal opened the door, her horn glowing as she stared at her sister. "Hey, Mom! Lilia's home! And she brought her coltfriend! And a gigantic pumpkin! Hey, can I use that for this year's Nightmare Night?" The little foal called, beaming and dropping the illusion briefly to allow Lucky past. She re-established it behind him, leaving the door open for the two to enter.

Lilia simply laughed, trying hard to not dash in behind her sister and force an apology. She turned carefully, settling the pumpkin next to 'Discord' before smiling warmly at Lucky Melon.

"And that would be my baby sister, Violet. Vi, this is Lucky Melon...he is NOT my coltfriend...he's just a friend...and this happens to be his very second Nightmare Night, so we have to give him the Bloom tradition!" She beamed, her eyes glittering as she tried hard to not laugh at her sister's antics.

The colt nodded, blinking slowly before feeling around before him. He found the metal rod rather easily, levitating it up for the other pony to see.

"IIs this it? If not, then I don't...honestly, I don't know where it would be..." He muttered, keeping the rod at eye-level of the other pony while he himself shrank back. "It's not your fault...I'm just upset that I can't see like everypony else! More angry with my genetics than I am with anypony pointing out that I'm blind. It's why I have Colby." He smiled, his dog the topic that brought him out of his shell.

((OOC: that's fine!   ))

The colt looked up, trying to figure out what a flute was.  Was it that metal thingy?  He shrugged.  "Can't say that I've seen anything, really...Colby here is SUPPOSED to be my seeing-eye-dog.  But sometimes, he runs off to somewhere else and...well, it's hard, not knowing if I'll run into anypony....sorry about that....by the way..." he said, his voice getting softer.  He sighed, a bit frustrated.

"Yeah...I'm blind...I don't even know  what my colors are or anything....or if I've got my cutie mark....would be nice...." He sighed, looking downcast.  He hadn't expected to reveal his disability.((OOC: That sounds hilarious....let everypony know the results of that!))

The colt decided to pick up whatever it was he had tripped over, feeling along it with his hoof to find out what it was.  Long and smooth, cold, metal?  He sighed, levitating it above him briefly before trotting along to follow his dog's barks.  He smiled when Colby came back to him, feeling the warm fur and wagging tail to show it was his dog.  He sighed.

"Colby!  You really shouldn't run off like that.  I can't find you when we're in crowds...." He chastised, the smile back as he tried to determine what he was going to do.  He took a step forward and bumped into another pony, his concentration breaking and the metal object falling to the ground.

"Oh!  I'm so sorry...Colby usually warns me when there's another pony nearby...." The colt murmured, still looking straight ahead.

The bark of the black lab drew the gray foal forward, bothered by his dog's barking.  He trotted forward, following the barking before tripping over what he could presume was a root.  He stayed silent, using his horn to illuminate his position, though he didn't see the light.

"Hey, Colby...c'mere boy....Colby, where are you?  A little lost here..." He called softly, not daring to raise his voice.  He knew that finding out what was drawing his dog's attention was important, but it was better if he could...well, see, what it was he was doing.  His violet eyes stared ahead, his ears twitching at every bark.

Lilia blinked in surprise.  This was only his second Nightmare Night?  She sighed.

"Well, then.  You'll have to see how the Bloom family does Nightmare Night.  Starting with Violet, of course!" She laughed, leading him to her home only to find an illusory Discord sitting in front of the door.  She sighed, trotting through it.

"Vi, open up!  I've got a pumpkin for you to use for Nightmare Night!" She called, knocking on the door.

Lilia beamed in delight.  She nodded, accepting Lucky's offer.

"I would love to!  I should warn you before we go to my home here...my sister, Violet...well, she likes this holiday best...so don't be surprised if we're greeted by an illusion of a Dragon or something...." She said, sighing at the idea of a Dragon being doorkeeper to their home this year.

"Pleased to meet you, Lucky Melon!  It's always good to know the names of your friends." She grinned, turning to the exit.