Halide

Books. For Quillhorn, it was always about books. Not any books, but many books; not every book, but what felt like a fairly staggering majority of those available to him.

It was fairly calm outside, a light distribution of cloud cover and another fresh dusting of snow added to the 'feel' of the season. The day had started rather quietly – it was still mid-winter, and for all the life and energy Canterlot had generated during the holiday season, the chilly season was now keeping the city quieter and a bit more lethargic, with far fewer ponies spending their time outdoors than the rest of the year. He, for one, was a bit happier for the quiet serenity the weather afforded him, and so he took the opportunity to get into his studies a bit more.

For now, Quillhorn sat alone in a somewhat secluded corner of the library, amidst the records and history, settled at a fairly large table with several wooden stands keeping books upright for him. Front and center of him was a rather old, slightly sandy tome – a diary, one that was much older than he was, and it was this that had most of his attention. Next to him, a notepad and quill, upon which he wrote from time to time, and around him, two atlas', a few rather heavy-looking Canterlot census copies from many decades prior, and the records from several docks around Germaney.

He was, for the moment, investigating something. Such would likely be rather readily apparent. What he was investigating, however, had yet to be disclosed. For all of his reading from one book or the next, for all that the quill beside him would touch upon paper for but a few moments, for all that he was surrounded by information, he made no verbal mention of what he was doing. There was no muttering, no announcements of discovery, nor any dictations of what he read. His eyes were firmly affixed on one book or the next, brow slightly furrowed from time to time, his expression oscillating between scrutiny, sharp focus, curiosity and consternation as time progressed.

He did, of course, have reasons for this particular collection of books, and though for the moment he was engrossed in his current study, he was nevertheless in a library, and thus if anypony else were to show up, he and his work would be be quite open to scrutiny.

Yet another miserable failure of writing, really. Honestly, why is it all of these completely pathetic attempts at shock-fiction get any attention. They're badly-written in terms of consistancy with the characters, they're cringingly contreived in their justifications, and in general, they make Happy Tree Friends look clever.

How about we stop talking about these completely worthless stains on the community?

Kay done

[ Unicorn ]

Filly-Rye // Unicorn // Female // Young Mare

http://www.canterlot...illy-rye-final/

Threads

None yet

Chat Events

Went careening with a food-cart through Ponyville, met Martel, calmed down Cutlass, briefly met Silversword, and made friends with Kite. http://pastebin.com/NsZRG05

Met Kite a a fair in Fillydelphia, exchanged stories, played games http://pastebin.com/bdhPKHk1 ; http://pastebin.com/7hHvnAFV

[ PONY ]

Hammerhoof // Earth Pony // Male // Young Adult

http://www.canterlot...mmerhoof-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...or-invite-open/

A Matter of Professional Conduct - In which precious metals are stolen by rogue Diamond Dogs, Kite and Silversword offer to assist

Hammerhoof in their retrieval.

Chat Events

None yet. Planned event : Caravan from Canterlot to Stalliongrad

[ PEGASUS ]

Ignition // Pegasus // Female // Young Adult

http://www.canterlot...ignition-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...-for-invite/ - Causing mischief with fireworks!

Chat Events

Briefly invaded Cashmere's store to evade authorities, encounter was generally sour. http://pastebin.com/Mi656jJf

Crash-landed on Royal Dice after over-flying. Sprained a leg and both wings, didn't really get along with Dice.

Briefly met Vinyl Scratch, Ace High and Blaze-Bright during stage construction

[ Unicorn ]

Mirthbane // Unicorn // Male // Adult

http://www.canterlot...thbane-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...tent-open/ - Yet another day in the hospital tent - In which Mirthbane decided to seek actual medical attention due to a rather nasty run-in with a Hydra, thus meeting Redheart.

Chat Events

Found Rue wandering the Everfree, let her take refuge in his livingspace. After some discussion, agreed to teach her magic. Consequently, met Blaze-Bright.

Found Rue and an injured Kite in the Everfree, brought them back towards Ponyville. http://pastebin.com/ACireGiG

While talking with Blaze-Bright, revealed that he did once have a marefriend he held rather dear by the name of "Sonata" (No current application) http://pastebin.com/vpyhLheq

Matchie // Unicorn // Female // Adult

http://www.canterlot...-matchie-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...n/ Matchmaking by Mail!

Mail thread for Matchies Matchmaking Services

http://www.canterlot...ices-open/ - One Plus Another, open for business! - Matchies drop-in offices

Chat Events

None yet.

[ Unicorn ]

Writ Phillipe // Unicorn // Male // Elder

http://www.canterlot...phillipe-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...-pm-for-invite/ The Storyteller, fit the 1st - In which a tent was set up and nothing happened at all.

Chat Events

No significant developments.

[ Unicorn ]

Quillhorn // Unicorn // Male // Elder

http://www.canterlot...uillhorn-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...-ask-for-invite

On the Subject of a Diary

Chat Events

Showed up briefly to assist MysteryChaser and Sundrop with a decades-old diary from a long-missing stallion.

[ EX-CAST ]

Spike // Dragon // Male // Youth

http://www.canterlot...76-spike-final/

Threads

http://www.canterlot...open-cast-only/ A gift! A Hearts and Hooves gift! - in which Spike attempts to get Rarity a gift!

http://www.canterlot...es-harmony-open On the Subject of Interspecies Harmony - in which Spike generally runs the library and write a speech

http://www.canterlot...and-drinks-bar/ The Very Merry Berry Juice and Drinks Bar- Dropped by for a drink after sorting the library, met Tibbles!

http://www.canterlot...invite-only A Long Story - Spike and Twilight try to explain why the

library caught fire

Chat Events

None yet.

I'll finish it sometime next week. Not sure what to do about her fillyhood or extended family for now. Thinka something soon.

...Why is this so huge

Why is this threeead so huge.

Octavia look what you did.

Look what you did.

Octavia you aren't looking.

look... what you did.

Should be done by tomorrow afternoon.

Yeah, if you like writing and are prepared to get into a little trial-and-error, go for it, broseph.

You can't take one person's opinion for it, or judge it based on one run-through you might've done. Similarly, you can't really judge an entire genre of music, writing or theatre because you saw one thing that might have been part of it!

The variety is massive, of course. Even on a site where it's all just about one setting, the variety is pretty huge.

If you like writing, it's great fun. Those that don't actually understand what the point of it is aren't actualy likely to know what they're talking about, since there isn't any particular goal for it. I mean, you don't go to play videogames so that you have something to show for it in the real world afterwards. You do it because it's fun.

It can give you something to think about, and can really help a budding writer learn how to write better, depending on the sceario and who you're playing with. It can be dramatic, comedic, introspective, philosophical... just like a book, there are any number of themes and genres that can apply! You do, of course, have to look for them, but they're there!

So, basically, if you're the type to enjoy reading and writing, yeah, definitely give it a try or three!

Short answer : maybe. Probably, even!

If you like writing, it's great fun. Those that don't actually understand what the point of it is aren't actualy likely to know what they're talking about, since there isn't any particular goal for it. I mean, you don't go to play videogames so that you have something to show for it in the real world afterwards. You do it because it's fun.

Unlike videogames? It can give you something to think about, and can really help a budding writer learn how to write better, depending on the sceario and who you're playing with. It can be dramatic, comedic, introspective, philosophical... just like a book, there are any number of themes and genres that can apply! You do, of course, have to look for them, but they're there!

Oh and it can help with expanding your vocabulary and improving you typing skills. A bit.

So yeah, if you like reading and writing, I'd say go for it! If you don't like writing, well, different story there, but heck, no harm trying, right?

I haven't actually finished it at all yet, and have said nothing of where she currently resides, her cutiemark earning, her childhood, or the like. I plan to, as I have in every single other character that I've got, but this lack of things is why this is tagged WiP - short for Work in Progress.

Name: Filly Rye

Sex: Female

Age:Young Mare

Species: Unicorn

Pelt Colour: Golden Brown

Mane/Tail/Markings Colour & Style: Caramel, spotted

Eye Colour: orange

Cutie Mark: Sandwich on a plate

Physique: Somewhat short, fairly sturdy, noticeably round at the middle

Origin: Rural Greater Equestria

Roleplay Type: Mane

Occupation: Chef, student

Motivation: The enjoyment of quality ingredients and attention to detail with food, for both herself and others, as well as enjoying life in general!

Likes: Eating, cooking, jokes, puns, train rides, cloud-watching.

Dislikes: Flu, diets, sprinting, discrimination, hiking, ketchup.

Character Summary:

Filly-Rye is, without a doubt, a happy sort. She is happy when she's cooking, she's happy when she's eating, she's happy when she's talking, she's happy when she's listening, she's happy when she's resting, she's happy when she's exploring, she's happy when she's around other ponies, she's happy when she has a bit of time to herself; generally, she is happy pretty much all of the time. The only times she is not happy is when something or somepony else is seeking to make her miserable, which is very seldom. Of course, this does not make her stupid, nor gullible, nor random, nor naive; she is both clever and attentive in her own right, but she is nonetheless almost permanently cheerful.

However, for all her merriment, Filly-Rye is happiest of all when it comes to delighting her senses of taste and smell, and mostly around food (though flowers still catch her fancy). She delights in the smell of some hot, simmering dish, be it a new experiment or an old favourite, and is more than happy to share what she makes; she often makes a fair bit whenever she does make something, just in case. As much as she enjoys cooking, she enjoys the actual eating part even more, and her somewhat barrel-shaped stature reflects such. Not that she minds, of course, as far as she's concerned it keeps her warm and comfortable. When being offered food, however, she can be a bit particular – though she will happily accept and appreciate something made in somepony else's kitchen, she can be very picky about food that is being paid for, as in a restaurant or cafeteria, and more than once has she taken matters of preparation unto her own horn when at a restaurant that isn't doing things as well as she'd like, which of course has led to some small amounts of trouble from time to time. Those all aside, she also has a love for wine and brandy, though her own capacity to create these is nowhere near her standards for enjoyment.

Of course, a merry disposition and a love of food do not define this young mare, nor do they encompass her being. She is also a mare who enjoys a good laugh, though seldom at the expense of anypony else. Jokes, puns, and clever turns of phrase also bring her delight, and though she's not particularly well-versed in comedy, she still finds great amusement in it. Though not a trouble-maker herself, Filly-Rye does enjoy the occasional prank, even if it happens to be on her, and doesn't ruin anything. That aside, she has an enjoyment in abstract and natural arts, and as such enjoys star-gazing and cloud-watching a fair bit, as well as the occasional stroll through the wilderness.

Filly-Rye's life began on a grain farm, the Wheatcrop farm to be precise, the daughter of an earth-pony stallion and a unicorn mare. Her father's family owned the farm, and much of it worked there, all of them fairly sturdy earth-ponies save for a few exceptions. Her mother, a somewhat fragile unicorn, who had fallen in love and proven able to help out with some of the more intricate work around the farm. Though Filly-Rye had no direct brothers or sisters, there were plenty of members of the Wheatcrop family working the farm, including a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, so seldom was anypony there at all lonely! The farm life was, of course, a lot of work, but seldom did anypony go cold or hungry, as the farm was fairly productive. Being a cheerful, hard-working sort of course meant that being friends with everypony else in the family came rather easily, and as far as she was concerned, her cousins were as close to her in friendship and understanding as any siblings probably were.

Of course, given her mixed breeding, Filly-Rye didn't quite have the strength or workhorse physique that many of her cousins boasted, nor did she have the grasp on spells and magic that her mother did. Rather, she had a somewhat shy helping of both, proving to be stronger and better with growing food than her mother, but also quicker-witted and more dextrous than most of her cousins. Though, family being family, no-pony boasted or mocked the abilities of anypony else.

However, her foal-hood wasn’t all farm-work, there was also school and learning. As a student, Filly-Rye proved to be one of the brightest foals in her family, and where some of her cousins had been doing a larger share of work on the farm than she had, she did just as much to repay them by helping them in school. Though there wasn't as much for her older cousins that she could do to help, she nonetheless tried her best.

As both Filly-Rye and several of her cousins were getting older, however, the expectations grew larger, and many of her cousins became significantly more capable at farm-work than she, and while she continued to try and keep up, it was fairly clear that she just wasn't built the same way as her purebred cousins. Not that this stopped her from being useful on the farm, of course, but it did mean spending more time around the house than on the fields, and it was then that she started to discover her talents. Rather than plough and sew the fields, Filly-Rye found her hooves much more capable with tending the garden and the smaller plants that grew within, proving to be better with delicate life than most of her family. However, this was only really useful in the spring, summer and fall. As winter began to set in, Filly-Rye tried her horn at sewing and mending, and though she was reasonably capable of fixing a torn cloak or putting together a warm hat, she was no better than anyone else at it. So, still trying to find her talent, Filly-Rye decided to ask her grandmother to teach her to cook.

Of course, Filly-Rye didn't earn her cutie-mark that very day, but it was abundantly clear that the young filly was a quick learner! As she learned how to cook meals, so too did she learn how to critique them – how spices and seasonings tasted, how they worked with various dishes, and the ways in which various methods of cooking could change how a dish turned out. As winter pushed on, so too did her capabilities in the kitchen, and it was only weeks before she was cooking meals for the whole family either with her granny, or entirely on her own!

However, there was one day in particular that stood out that winter – December the Twenty-Second. Winter, being the frigid and generally unforgiving season that it is, tends to give ponies the occasional cold. Colds, on the whole, do not care if one's entire extended family is over for a grand, celebratory Winter's Solstice feast. So, with her granny resting off a cold, and everypony else either entertaining, decorating, or finding a tree to bring to the farm, Filly-Rye was entirely in charge of putting the biggest feast of the year on the table for nearly three dozen family members, both those she lived with and those who were visiting. Armed with only an early start in the morning, a list of recipes to prepare (and the order in which they should be cooked), and maybe enough ingredients for all of them, Filly-Rye set herself to work.

Six different types of bread, four kinds of potatoes, three varieties of salad, two plates of assorted appetizers, baked squash with stuffing, a cranberry and chestnut loaf, two apple pies, a tray of cookies and a layered cake later, dinner was ready to eat, and Filly-Rye was ready to collapse on the spot. However, a little tea and a comfortable seat at the dinner table managed to keep her awake long enough to make it through dinner, and just as everypony was wholeheartedly applauding her solitary efforts, her cutie-mark appeared. Exhausted as she was, the excitement of having gained the sought-after mark fairly early on in her life fuelled her with enough excitement to join in for at least a few hours of festivities, and she still considers it to have been one of the proudest moments of her youth.

Time continued to pass, however, and with time came age for the whole family. Some of Filly-Rye's older cousins were bringing new faces into the family and new ponies into the world, while those her own age were becoming old enough to find lives and homes of their own. As much as her family appreciated her cooking, her efforts around the farm, and her constant smiling, she was realizing that, perhaps, a farm life just wasn't for her, and though she was certainly appreciated, she wasn't entirely needed around the farm. Though she wasn't quite old enough or able enough to own a place to live of her own, the desire to live in one of the towns or cities was growing by the week.

As luck would have it, opportunity came, and it came in the form of a letter. Target, one of her older cousins, had moved to Canterlot some time back, finding work at the university there and living in a rented apartment with a friend. Said friend had, for better or for worse, eloped with a young mare, leaving Target's apartment one pony short. It took very little time for Filly-Rye to realize that Canterlot might be the perfect place for her, and so with a little convincing and some consideration, Filly-Rye left the Wheatcrop farm, making her way to Canterlot in the spring.

Since then, she Filly-Rye has managed to land a job to pay her share of the rent (and, more importantly, for her groceries), and has both applied for and been accepted into one of the more noteworthy universities of Canterlot, taking up a degree in Culinary Arts.

I VOTED TOO!

...Welp, time to place bets to see if this thread reached 5000 pages / 10 000 posts.

“My name is Turn Tables by the way.” A bit of an unusual name, as far as the regal unicorn was concerned, but no matter, surely! Still, off that lad went, joining the singers amidst the stands. The piano continued to play, and the singers continued to sing. The unicorn himself simply listened for a few bars, trying to quickly figure out where in the song everypony was.

But, in that short period of time, the generous blue Pegasus seemed to have changed his mind, as he and his avian companion were returning already. Perhaps he'd been more generous than he'd meant, and needed a little back to cover his own needs? That would be unorthodox, not to mention somewhat awkward. But, such was not the case, surely. "I don't suppose you have room for two more carollers?"

"Of course, of course! Plenty of room for every-one." For just a moment, he'd nearly said 'everypony', but the little bird that accompanied the Pegasus reminded him that gryphons and perytons and more might be about. From his satchel, the unicorn withdrew another blue-cornered songbook, offering it to the Pegasus; once again, it contained both tenor and baritone parts, in treble clef. "Here you are! Feel free to sit, stand, or fly wherever you'd like, join in whenever you're comfortable!"

It was at that point that 'We Wish You a Merry Solstice' came to a close; it was not a very long song, after all, but it offered a short pause - even as Fancypants was retrieving a songbook for the Pegasus, he could see at least two more ponies approaching. His attention turned to pianist for a moment, giving him a brief 'hold on for a minute' gesture; after all, it would be good for everypony to get settled and sorted out before they resumed.

But, Turntable started trying to strike up conversation. A bit of an awkward time for it, what with having to try and sort out the growing choir, but he could spare a few moments. “This is a wonderfully bright city this time of year,” Indeed it was, though the unicorn only offered a nod in response to the observance. “By the way I am a DJ from Ponyville, this is my first time visiting Canterlot and I must say it is a little intimidating.”

"I can certainly imagine! The architecture, the altitude, and the very fact that this is the city Her Royal Highness Celestia calls home can all be a bit much at times. Still, for all the grandeur Canterlot boasts, it's still a marvellous place to call home. Ah, excuse me."

And then the brown unicorn approached, another stallion with whom he was not at all familiar! Well, this certainly was becoming quite the turn out, though the choir was liable to get a bit more bass-heavy. Not necessarily a bad thing, though we did wish Fleur was about to balance things off a bit. “Pardon good folk, but may I join in your singing of the joys of solstice?”

"Most certainly, my good sir, most certainly indeed! More does oft make merrier!" And, with that, another songbook was withdrawn from the saddlebag, yet another blue-cornered thin set of papers, identical to those like it. "Feel free to join the other stallions, we'll get going again just as soon as we get everypony settled, join in whenever you'd like!"

It had been a while since he'd held an open gathering like this – he'd almost forgotten how rapidly things could get! He might even have to get somepony to conduct at this rate, if the carolling troupe got sufficiently large. Still, there was yet another pony approaching, even as the pianist decided to take it upon himself to try and decide the next song.

Then, another approached – a young white-and-green mare, one who seemed vaguely familiar, though not nearly familiar enough for Fancypants really place. That aside, though, she seemed a bit confused. "Oh, um. Is this... is this the line for karaoke? I, uh... I know its not much," "Ah, not quite a line..." He actually paused for a moment – Karaoke, that was a word he actually had to mull over for a moment. He opened his mouth, briefly, but it shut once more as he tried to come up with a response. But, she was faster still, and two bits clattered amongst the rest. "but could you maybe play Two Doves in the key of minor? That is... if its not too much trouble."

"Er... Oh! Right, right. Page eight, everyone!" Though that one was in the book, it was in A minor rather than minor. Still, that would likely only throw off the pianist, as it was often more difficult to transpose for instruments than it was to change keys while singing. Not a problem, as far as the instrumentalist was concerned; he'd just play the piano and hope the choir was quick enough to catch on. A nod from the pony at the piano to the regal stallion – all was well.

A note for the baritones, a note for the tenors, a note for the altos, and a note for the sopranos, in the key of minor, and then he began to play. Four bars of introduction to get the rather common tune into the heads of the singers, and the mint-maned mare could begin. The choir that had been there from the beginning followed along easily enough, and those that had joined since could either choose to follow along or not.

And still, the evening continued on.

A donation from the pegasus, and a fairly healthy one at that! Well, that certainly was cheritable, and the donation was received with a grateful smile and a bowing of the head of the prominent unicorn. Those that would be on the receiving end of these donations would certainly have a cheerier solstice celebration! A moment of thanks was requisite, while those around him continued to sing.

"A gentleman and a samitarian, if I ever came to know one! A very happy solstice to you, my friend!"

He tipped his hat, however briefly, and then somepony else joined the foray for fellowship. Interesting attire - pink wool on a stallion, black accessories? An interesting combination of colours, and it did make him all the more distinctive! Fancypants' attention turned to the approaching fellow.

“Would you mind if I joined you?”

"Of course not, of course not! It's all for the sake of harmony, good chap!" And, with that, a little magic withdrew a blue-tabbed, thin paper book from the saddlebag of carols. Within, about two dozen solstice carols, and parts for bass, baritone and tenor, all of them in treble clef so as to make the reading a bit easier. Behind him, a fair number of empty music stands between what ponies had been with him since the start. "Stand wherever you'd like, join in whenever you feel comfortable in doing so!"

And still, the carolling continued!

It was cold out - enough that warm clothing was a splendid idea. As was staying indoors, having fires, and generally doing things one might employ to keep oneself warm and snug. Winter, as it turned out this year, was cold. It was simply the nature of the season, but the snow and the short days brough an undeniable lack of warmth to Canterlot. Perhaps it was out of spite that everypony tried to warm their hearts in the cold season. Perhaps it truly was to ward off the Windigoes with the heat of friendship. Or maybe, just maybe, it was simply a good idea to be generous with one's kindness when the weather was being most unforgiving.

And thus, both out of a feeling of festivity, and as an attempt to raise money for charity, Fancypants was going to go carolling, to bring cheer and good spirits to those around Canterlot, and to bring generosity and kindness to those who needed it most. A red collection bucket would do the deed of collecting what wayward bits others were willing to part with, a hefty satchel of his own funds kept in his coat (truly, it wouldn't do to go aboutcollecting for charity without a sum of his own to give), and the VIP-apparent of Canterlot's upper class was well on his way, dressed in a warm velvet hat, a thick black wool coat, a simple red scarf, a saddlebag full of songbooks (and candy-canes for the little ones) and a set of jingling bells on his lapels.

"Come on, everypony! It won't do to celebrate Solstice without a bit of good cheer! Here, what say we get started with an old favourite. Piano, please! Page seven, everypony."

The solstice was, after all, fast approaching. The lessons of harmony were important, indeed, and what better way to remind everypony of such than to get some songs ringing through the streets! Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth-ponies alike were, of course, quite welcome to join in the festivities.

Still, standing there on he street square, with a few of his more lively acquantiances, the somewhat regal unicorn began to sing.

"We wish you a merry solstice, we wish you a merry solstice!

We wish you a merry solstice, and a happy new year!

Harmony we bring, to you and all kin!

Harmony for solstice, and a happy new year!"

Already, he was feeling a bit warmer.

Well just went with fandom ships really, but I did consider the canon couples, the problem being is that if I list too many choices, we end up with a bunch of ties. Perhaps at a later date we can have one with the married couples from the show as the only choices.

I had to filter from 20-30 choices from just asking people..

And that's only considering traditional, monogamous pairings between cast characters! The number of possible ships in this fandom is a fleet most terrible and vast, to be sure!

REQUEST : RARITY AND FLUTTERSHY.

Failing that, yeah, Hawke there has a point. Canon couples are fine too.

Did she feel it necessary to explain how to go about one's life to everypony, or do she simply suspect he was going to be a complete chowder-head and treat his leg as though it were in perfect working order the moment she was finished? Somehow, the thought of the latter didn't entirely surprise him, though this was mostly because he didn't have very high expectations of those that might manage to break a leg entirely on their own. However, for all his bitter cynicism, he wasn't in any immediate danger. Fortunately, Hydras weren't usually venemous - why would they need to be, considering their size? Still, the disinfectant continued to sting, sting, and sting some more, to the point where he was really getting rather sick of the sensation. It was, of couse, entirely necessary for the wounds to be clean, but he was still rather wishing that there was at least some manner of pain releif available.

Mirthbane let out another growl, grimacing rather noticably. His voice was a little ragged, and he took the occasional moment to inhale sharply between his teeth. "I was really....ngh, QUITE serious about the painkiller, doctor. I would appreciate stitches wherever appropriate, as my livingspace is..." Another hissing breath in, another grimace as more disinfectant was applyed. "...not particularly sterile, though I should be able to manage."

For all that the treatment hurt, it still wasn't quite as bad as the actual injuries, and the attending pony was at least polite enough to avoid being too nosy. No inquiries as to why he'd been around Hydras, or where he'd been, what his name was, where he lived, or if there was anypony that should be contacted. Just treatment, and he was fine with that.

Well, it's just a microphone, right? I'll put the cutiemark on when I can move this up to Final.

Name: Ignition

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Pegasus

Roleplay Type: Mane

Eye Colour: Silver

Coat Colour: Red, with bright red markings (dyed)

Mane/Tail/Markings Colour & Style: Tricolour Red/Orange/Yellow (Dyed - naturally just orange), medium length, messy, gradiented to try and look like fire.

Physique: Athletic

Cutie Mark: Microphone

Origin/Residence: Cloudsdale-born, nomadic.

Occupation: Stage hoof

Motivation: Believes strongly in self-determination and self-reliance, as well as the drive to make oneself a better pony. Also very much adrenaline-driven, seeking excitement and thrills.

Likes: Music, dye, cannon-fire, fire, racing, spice, flying, thunder and lightning.

Dislikes: Silence, whining, oboes, snow, cages, oceans.

Character Summary:

Ignition has never been a quiet, timid, or trepadacious sort of Pegasus. Even during her first few days of being alive, she was loud, energetic, and rather hard to get to keep still - or, for that matter, to keep in any one place for more than a few minutes at a time. She has never been one to stay still, or stay quiet, or even stay focused at times.

As a foal, she was a fairly quick learner, though this also made her a bit of a trouble-maker, as she spent much of her efforts on getting out of things, like cribs and bedrooms and houses and Cloudsdale. She was quick on learning how to walk, how to run, how to fly, and how to talk, putting her several months, sometimes even a full year, ahead of the average. Learning to fly was the most challenging, of course, but for the sake of her sense of adventure, it was worth the effort. Once she could fly, though, it became a source of pride for her, once she was old enough to know what it meant to be proud. It didn't take her long to start getting exploratory from there.

Once she was a proper filly, Ignition didn't act as most of her peers did. She was something of a loner, simply because she didn't take the time to get to know those around her very well. More often than not, she spent her time outside of Cloudsdale, diving from the high Pegasus city, then swooping and gliding over much of central Equestria as she so desired, simply exploring and racing herself from place to place. She saw a lot of different ponies this way, and she made a few friends in various places, but even then, she wasn't all that involved in getting to know anypony. It didn't bother her, it was just the sort of Pegasus she was, flighty and abroad. Even when she was acting her age, she seldom acted like much of a filly – she yelled, she boasted, she dared, she kicked, she did stunts, and she got into the occasional fight. Without the eyelashes and without opening her mouth, more often she was mistaken for a colt than a filly.

Ignition's youth progressed, and while those around her tried to figure out who they were, the red Pegasus spent all the more time away from Cloudsdale, sometimes skipping school or missing out on meet-ups if she felt like it. The world was big, after all, and she wanted to see more of it. Eventually, though, she could fly as far as the coasts, and there, her explorations came to a close – The grand, wide oceans seemed to go on forever, and they were boring. She couldn't reliably fly over the oceans, and at that point, she'd seen most of what interested her in Equestria – no cutie-mark for her efforts, though. This only threw her back into being more sociable, and the general misbehaviour only grew. She got into trouble with the law now and again, due to graffiti, getting into fights, and the occasional public misdemeanour. She began to live for thrills, especially when the thrills were risky, impressive, or required her mind to be quick and her wings to be quicker. Though she was seldom caught for her actions, she was caught often enough to be grounded every now and again, which of course took the edge off of her behaviour. Even still, no cutie-mark.

At first, the idea of seeing most of Equestria had driven her on, but now that she had done so, it had left a gap in her life, and worse still, she was behind most of the other ponies her age, when she had once been ahead. Worse still, she didn't really have much interest in school.

Thunderstorms and tornadoes were exciting, but being a weather Pegasus sounded really boring. The Wonder-bolts were awesome, as far as she was concerned, but for all that her wings had carried her, she wasn't cut out to be a pinnacle of Pegasus athleticism – training was boring, too, especially when it was part of a schedule instead of just being for fun. Music was pretty cool, or at least some of the records she could get her hooves on were pretty cool, but actually learning music theory bored her, and many of the woodwinds just made her want to put something in her ears. Still, she took up playing guitar, as well as a Pegasus could manage such, simply because she liked to play and it was an instrument that did well on its own. She put time and effort into managing the stringed instrument, writing the occasional song and singing the occasional piece, though seldom with enough drive to make anything of it. Still, no cutie-mark.

Soon enough, Ignition started taking up dying her mane, her tail, and even her coat to try and stand out all the more, experimenting with styles and colours whenever she got bored of her appearance (which was fairly often). She wanted to stand out, of course, and though she was still much more adventurous than most of the other fillies and colts her age, she didn't seem to be able to pull the attention she used to garner for it. Her flank was still blank, and she still didn't really know what to do with her life. In an attempt to keep out of a rut, the red Pegasus started joining a number of different school clubs that at least seemed interesting. Of them all, she enjoyed the music and drama clubs the most. Ignition found acting to be sort of fun, in its own way, and the music club was way closer to her tastes than the school band. She could sing better than most of her peers, when her heart was in it, but there was little that drove her to sing. Though she was proficient at her instrument of choice, the strings still hadn't caught enough of her passion to truly want to take the stage, and her acting, while spirited, was sub-par. However, she had a knack for lighting, set-up and sound, so she generally ended up playing stage-hoof to set up performances, whether or not she was in them.

It was during an after-school show that she found her cutie-mark. It had been a good day, and beneath Cloudsdale, a storm was brewing. She was enthused and energetic in her work, the rumbling of thunder far below and the occasional flash of lightning between clouds keeping her on her hooves. Being so enthused, Ignition had every intention of making the stage as excellent as possible, especially given that she'd be on it as the last act. The lighting was set up just right, coloured glass lenses in place for when they were wanted. The acoustic boards, angled precisely as they were supposed to be, and the markers left clear, but hidden from the audience. The microphone, tuned and ready. It was one of her best set-ups, and between that and the storm beneath her, she put more effort into her own performance, making it actually worthy of praise. By the end of the show, she had her cutie-mark – a microphone, representing her talent with the mic. Of course, she assumed this had to do with her setup of it, rather than her performance in front of it. After all, she'd been playing guitar for years, surely the guitar was not her talent.

From there, Ignition was re-ignited, back to being as lively and troublesome as she had in her youth. She didn't have as an exciting talent as she'd hoped, but at least she had found it. Her studies declined once again, and she did more travel, becoming something of a travelling stage-hoof even before reaching mare-hood. Once she'd moved out on her own, she realized that she didn't have to answer to much of anypony for her actions, and it was back to the misadventures, the thrill-seeking, and the attempts at adventure whenever she could spare it. She got into trouble with the law more often, now that the only punishments came if she were caught, so long as she kept herself down to petty infractions in cities far from her home. She'll even goad the occasional guard or officer into chasing her, just for the excitement of having to dodge the law.

All in all, Ignition isn't a run-of-the-mill sort of mare, but for all that she tries to stand out from the herd, she still has yet to make much more of herself than a nuisance. Her work, while fairly good, goes largely by the wayside in light of those that she does the work for, and while she wishes she had more attention, she lacks the ambition to become somepony truly outstanding.

http://soundcloud.com/halide/opening-chords-1

...Well, at least we can call this thread a stress-test of the forums. Does it ever stop growing in size?

Edited : added a paragraph (second-last pargraph) pertaining to the inclusion of a pet scorpion.

I like shipping! Shipping means we get stuff from overseas all the cheaper, and sometimes there are shows about shipping channels that are kind of cool, and the ships themselves are really impressive!

...Oh wait a minute.

The wounds are pretty bad - a lot of the muscle around his flank has been pulled, and in some places torn. There's a fairly worrying number of open wounds, all arranged in a series of jaw-shaped semi-circles, and he has a few rather deep gouges running along his back. He is bruised almost everywhere, though this is difficult to tell beneath his coal-black coat. His head and his horn, at least, seem to have escaped relatively unharmed, and his forelegs don't really need much attention.

However, as much as he was injured physically, he seemed a bit apprehensive about having somepony else look at his wounds. Still, it was entirely necesary, and so he simply clenched his teeth and took it like a stallion. With a broken leg, of course, he was fairly quick to try and set himself on some form of bedding. On the plus side, he seems to be fairly good at staying still.

As for his condition, well, he was clawed at, roughed up, then twice bit by a hydra, and following that he seems to have self-administered a few herbal remedies, most of them painkillers of various varieties. The arrangement of the stab-like wounds, each one caused by a tooth, would probably make this rather obvious.

"A Hyrda decided it didn't like me, and rather than... nngh... talk things over, it tried to kill me. It managed a few blows with it's claws, m-mostly along my back, and it bit my flank, twice. One of my legs is in a lot of pain, I think it's broken, and the other isn't feeling much better. I self-administered a bit of poppy extract and aloe vera, but if you have something much more potent..." He took a deep breath, biting back a pained growl. "I would be incredibly grateful for a very strong painkiller."