Halide
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Posts posted by Halide
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[colour=#339999]"I really didn't know anypony was nearby,"[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]remarked the unicorn, laughing in quiet merriment - laughing, for luna's sake.[/colour] [colour=#339999]"Did you like what you heard? I've been working on that for a while now! [/colour][colour=#339999]I'm Lyra! [/colour][colour=#339999]Wait, I already said that, didn't I?"[/colour]
[colour=#d3d3d3]There was a quiet utterance of slight consternation from the disheveled unicorn, who brought a hoof to the bridge of his nose quietly.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"Yes, you did."[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]Was his rather flat response. Apparently, now that there was some equestrian company around, she had forgotten entirely about the fact that she was in the Everfree forest, and suddenly this misguided meeting had turned into some sort of tea party, save for a complete lack of tea[/colour][colour=#000000].[/colour] "[colour=#339999]So who are you?"[/colour][colour=#d3d3d3] she asked rather suddenly, as though she simply were allowed to demand such things on a whim[/colour][colour=#000000].[/colour] [colour=#339999]"Oh! And do you know the way back to Ponyville?"[/colour]
[colour=#ffffff]"I go by the moniker of Mirthbane, and rather fortunately for you, I am well aware of the way to Ponyville. You are by no means the first pony to wander this far into the woods, and I daresay that you are unlikely to be the last unlucky visitor to trespass here."[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]But, despite his rather unenthusiastic tone, he did make some small attempt to socialize, rather than simply perform the task of guiding home a wayward unicorn. With that, emerald eyes looked to the sky, looking for the moon and a few relevant constellations. Thus oriented, he gave a nod of his head in the appropriate direction, lifting his hooves as he prepared to lead on.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"This way, and carefully mind your hooves. The roots of these trees grow strong and wild."[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]He paused - yes, that was the responsible things to say. Not necessarily friendly or polite, but his diction had served its menial purpose. After a moment's pause, he added [/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"...For the record, I actually did enjoy your singing. You are remarkably capable with music and song, if you are so in need of affirmation to ask such from one such as myself." [/colour]
[colour=#d3d3d3]With that somewhat friendlier remark, the unicorn began to lead on. Though the trip yet to come would be slow and unsteady, but at least there was a very good chance of the musician getting out of the woods well before sunrise, and very much intact.[/colour] -
[colour=#d3d3d3]It was the singing that caught his attention - there weren't many things that spoke in the everfree forest, and fewer still that could carry a tune that wasn't simply birdsong. The rythmic playing that accompanied it was unfamiliar, certainly, though it tugged at his cerebral flesh like so many tiny little tweezers. And so, distracted from his nocturnal search of budding herbs and thawing plants, the coal-coated transient allowed himself to be entranced by the carried tune, his hooves quietly carrying him closer, his horn's glow coming to a dim, and finally ceasing altogether as he snuck closer. [/colour]
[colour=#d3d3d3]A few thoughts crossed his mind as to what it could be - mythical creatures weren't entirely out of the question here, or so he assumed. Perhaps it was some sort of nymph, or a siren seeking out what few animals it might entrance. ...would he be allowed to suspect such things if it were a spell being placed upon him? A peculiar thought, if not a touch macabre. Either way, it warranted investigation - investigation of things strange and unexplored was, after all, his reason for living there, and thus it was not likely he'd let an opportunity for study pass. It only struck him as he came closer still that this might not be anything magical, mystical or extraordinary at all - in fact, it rather began to sound like a pony. A talented pony, and a rather stalwart one at that, but a pony nevertheless. One which, he considered with a touch of bitter resentment, would likely need to be guided back to her home; the timberwolves were active, and while he knew some ways of evading them, not everypony was fortunate (or unfortunate) to have his experience or his aerthic expertise (such as it was).[/colour]
[colour=#d3d3d3]Then came the howl - a terrible, rasping sound, but one that would give warning. This was a bad place to be, and it was only becoming more and more apparent. However, his ears were not the only ones working, and there was the sound of commotion - hooves clattering against roots, rock and dirt, the sound of a voice suddenly panicked. What he did not expect, however, was that the target of his curiosity would turn tail and run headlong into him. That caught him very much by surprise, and not being a unicorn of exceptionally strengthened build, Mirthbane was sent reeling more than a little.[/colour]
[colour=#d3d3d3]A tangle of a tattered dark green cloak mixed amidst a dirty coal-coloured coat would likely be the first thing Lyra saw of him, shortly followed by a slightly chipped horn and a pair of perturbed emerald eyes, along with four muddied limbs that were rapidly trying to sort themselves out.[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]He might have been something resembling a handsome fellow, save for the fact that his longish white mane was smudged, oily and unkempt, his horn was chipped, his coat was muddy, his tail was slightly knotted, and he smelled of someone who spent too much time by a bubbling pot. This was Mirthbane, and rather unfortunately for his social standing, the Everfree was his home. Not that it seemed to be particularly hospitable towards him, but it remained so nonetheless.[/colour]
[colour=#ffffff]"Caution is a means of survival here, young lady. It would be exponentially wiser of you to exercise it than to engage in such unfettered panic."[/colour] [colour=#d3d3d3]The upturned unicorn grumbled somewhat quietly, rising to his feet. So much for staying quiet and avoiding the wolves' attention altogether, their keen ears might well have heard that collision.[/colour] [colour=#ffffff]"Now keep your voice down. Timberwolves do not make for pleasant company, and I do not presume either of us to be brave enough to want to teach them any manners."[/colour]-
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Frank Herbert's DUNE.
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Mail! Mail, mail, mail mail mail! Ha ha, hee hee, hoo hoo! Matchie had her own little bout of merriment as she withdrew the refreshingly hefty satchel of mail from her inbox. Ponies all over equestria, no doubt with her services in request! She shuffled through each letter, quietly taking note - a fair number from Canterlot, not a big surprise given how large that city was... Baltimare... Manehattan... Oooh, a Stalliongrad writer? Good to see her letters were getting that far out!
But, still, she had work to do, even if it was delightful. Let's see...
[colour=#cc0033]"Oh, my... An archaeologist, a gentlemare... A musician, an aspiring chef, a historian, another musician... A hero, that ought to be interesting! Oh, my, I should check on Pathfinder, shouldn't I..." [/colour]Reminded of her previous matches, the matchmaking mare thought back to previous uncertain pairings, remembering with a bit of a start that she hadn't actually received any letters back on satisfaction or dissatisfaction with her services. ...Odd, but oh well! She had matches to make.
One, however, stood out very quickly - Snowflake? ...Really? Snowfall's mother, what a delight! Oh, how delightful, that one had worked out quite well after all! She'd get priority, of course.
A good two hours later of reading, taking notes and pontificating, she had one very striking match, and another that she had a fairly good feeling about. Marvelous! Well, time to get to writing!
[bg=#EEEEBB]
[colour=#000000]Name :[/colour] Dr. Merlot
[colour=#000000]Gender :[/colour] Male
[colour=#000000]Gender preference (Optional) :[/colour] Mares
[colour=#000000]Location :[/colour] Manehatten
[colour=#000000]Age :[/colour] Stallion
[colour=#000000]Species : [/colour]Unicorn
[bg=#B0E0E6]
[bg=#EEEEBB]
[colour=#000000]Name : Crystal Snowflake[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Gender : female[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Gender preference (Optional) : male[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Location : Stalliongrad[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Age : not as young as I once was, though still quite active[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Species : pegasus[/colour]
"To Madam Snowfall:
Thank you once again for taking the opportunities offered by One Plus Another; thanks to your eloquently-filled form, we've managed to find you a match that should prove most gratifying! The stallion in question is none other than the respected archaeologist Doctor Merlot, a rather well-to-do unicorn with a khaki coat, a very well-kept mane, a spring in his step, and a rather sharp mind. Given that you are both ponies of excelsior taste, I have arranged for a stay at the Hightower Hotel in Canterlot, as well as a reserved seats at the Canterlot Royal Theatre for a viewing of A Midnight Summer's Dream. Your stay is scheduled for saturday evening through sunday afternoon of the upcoming week, so do feel free to take your own liberties in Equestria's finest city!
Have a wonderful day!
-Matchie"
And, with her letter written, a similar one was scribed for the good doctor, Matchie's face in nothing short of a rather enthused smile.
"For the attentions of Dr. Merlot:
Thank you most kindly for your charming missive; it is with no small amount of pleasure I would like to inform you of a match found between you and the delightful mare known as Crystal Snowflake, a rather respectable powder-blue pegasus with a keen eye for fashion and design. Given that you are both ponies of excelsior taste, I have arranged for a stay at the Hightower Hotel in Canterlot, as well as a reserved seats at the Canterlot Royal Theatre for a viewing of A Midnight Summer's Dream. Your stay is scheduled for saturday evening through sunday afternoon of the upcoming week, so please take the opportunity to try and show her some of Equestria's finer destinations!
With my sincerest gratitude and the best of Equestrian luck to you
-Matchie"
Ah. ...Hah! That was fun, and it certainly brightened her spirits! Yes, there was a tiny smidgen of room for disaster, if the two attempted to out-wit one-another endlessly, but somehow Matchie was rather certain that the two would get along famously. Emphasis on famous, considering their respective standings! But, still, with a careful folding, an addition of the necessary tickets and paperwork for their travels, and her good sealing wax, those two were taken care of. On to the next match she'd managed to conjure up - a pair of young ponies, a little shy and a little intimidated by the sheer scale of the world?
[colour=#000000]Name : Musica-Lee Noted[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Gender : Female[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Gender preference (Optional) : Stallion[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Location : Baltimare[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Age : Mare[/colour]
[colour=#000000]Species : Pegasus[/colour]
[colour=#282828]Name : Time Spinner
Gender : Male
Gender preference (Optional) : Female
Location : Canterlot
Age : Stallion
Species : Unicorn[/colour]
Well, first a location would have to be found - maybe somewhere strong with independant music and arts, just to get the shy musician a little more talkative and enthused, seeing as the stallion seemed to perhaps be the more confident of the two. ...Hm, that was a touch of a predicament. He would likely be more comfortable showing her around Canterlot, while she would be more at ease in her own home town. Hm indeed... With another twirl of her quill, she made up her mind and got to writing, this time a touch more informally.
"Dear Musica-Lee
Congratulations! Based on the darling letter you've written for us, we've managed to find you a match! The lucky young fellow in question goes by the name of Time Spinner, a coal-coated unicorn with an acorn-brown mane, very close to your age. As for where the date's been scheduled, I've attempted to keep things a little lower-key, as per both of your tastes, and as such you two will be meeting this friday, 6 PM, at the north entrance outside Baltimare's public gardens. Don't worry, I've included tickets for admission in the envelope!
Have a wonderful evening, and please write back if there's any issue!
-Matchie"
"Dear Time-Spinner
It is with some small delight that I'd like to inform you of a match! The lovely young mare in question goes by the name of Musica-Lee Noted, a musician and a somewhat timid mare besides. You'll be looking for a cream-coloured pegasus with a chestnut mane, probably wearing a bow and vest! The place and time of meeting will be 6 PM at the north entrance outside Baltimare's public gardens - don't worry, I've already got a train ticket and admission for you, as well as a pretty decent discount at the Inn of the Prancing Pony there if you need it (all enclosed within). Treat her gently, but don't be afraid to be yourself!
Don't hesitate to write me back if there's some problem with this arrangement!
-Matchie"
And that, as the poet says, was that. Two matches, four letters, and one big, merry smirk on her face. A few quick bits of notery between herself and the requisite inviduals, and Matchie had everything in place, the letters very swiftly on their way to the individuals they were meant for.
Feeling thus accomplished, the matchmaker mare sorted out the rest of the applications as need be, and started looking through her drawers to see if she'd missed anything. ...Oh, that application was still there! Oh dear oh dear, she'd have to do something about that one, no mistake. Serendipity, with any luck, might still be receptive... [colour=#d3d3d3]But that letter is another story.[/colour]
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It's open again, now at :
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(( OOC : THIS THREAD NO LONGER IN SERVICE. SEE MATCHMAKER SERVICES 3 : MATCHMAKE HARDER, THE DIRECT TO VHS SEQUEL. ))
All over Equestria, everywhere and anywhere she could think of it, Matchie had put out application forms for her matchmaking service. Anypony could find them, really! She had them stuffed in mailboxes, she made them available at post offices and the like. They were fairly short, and fairly quick to fill out! All anypony had to do was write a few answers here, a few sentences there, pay a bit for postage, and voila! They'd be on the list!
The application is short, on slightly cheap parchment, and seems to be magically copied, if one can tell. Written upon it is the following :
Hi there! Thank you for choosing One Plus Another, Equestria's choicest blind-date and matchmaking service! Just a few minutes of your time, and you'll be on your way to finding that special match chosen just for you! Please answer the following truthfully, and to as much detail as you think is necessary!
Name :
Gender :
Gender preference (Optional) :
Location :
Age :
Species :
Species preference (Optional) :
Cutie-Mark (Optional) :
How would you describe yourself, physically?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
How would you describe your personality?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
What things in life are important to you?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
What's your idea of the ideal first date?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
What are you looking for?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anything else you think we should know?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
You're done! Just mail this to Matchie at One Plus Another, 413 Saltyhoof lane, Fillydelphia, EQ, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! Have a wonderful day!
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Dear Magi,
Have you ever really been far even as decided to use even go want to do write more like?
Best of luck. [colour=#ffffff]Also I'm not apologising for this one but you're still pretty cool.[/colour]
- Halide-
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[colour=#006400]"[/colour][colour=#006400]DAAAAANNGEROUS!"[/colour] Was the only word the approaching dragon managed to pull out of the conversation intact. Now, that was a pretty serious word to be throwing around, but given the enthusiasm behind the speaker's tone, it sounded like some sort of call to adventure, as if 'danger' were a thing to be desired and sought out. Spike was not looking too forward to what he might encounter on the other side of the doorway, his home and best friend aside.
Laden with a wagon of books, the young dragon approached the library with this week's shipment of study material, waiting to prove itself useful in some way or another. So, the library had visitors - or customers, more the point - which meant Twilight was probably handing a stranger or two. One boisterous, the other a bit nervous-sounding. But no words from Twilight? That was a little odd, she was usually in her element when helping recommend books - which, in turn, meant she wasn't recommending books. A couple of knocks on the door and an [colour=#4b0082]"I'm back!"[/colour] preceded the baby dragon, who soon enough opened the door, likely proving to be some distraction or outright interruption to the conversation at hand.
The window, open... and Twilight's work, ink and quills all on the floor, oh dear. That... wasn't going to help her mood in the slightest, surely. A quick grimace dashed across spike's face, and he tried to take a quick check on Twilight's mood; she wasn't steaming at the ears, which was definitely a plus, but some calming down was probably in order, at least once things were sorted out. However, seeing as the library wasn't in imminent danger of becoming ground zero for a full-on Twilight Panic Attack, the wagon took priority, and so he lugged that in behind him with more than a little effort. Or, at least he tried to do so. Unfortunately for the bookish fellow, this also blocked his exit entirely for more than a few moments while the baby dragon tried to gesture him to one side.
[colour=#4b0082]"Sorry there, pal, but if you could just give me a little more room to work with... the wagon doesn't, uh, exactly turn on a dime, heh."[/colour] Spike requested of the present stallion, exerting himself a little more to get the wagon's back wheel up and over the doorframe. Books were, after all, rather dense. But, with the wagon nearly in the doorway, the dragon turned his attention to his superior apparent, trying to keep her calm through his own competence. [colour=#4b0082]"Anything else you need, Twilight?"[/colour] He asked, nodding his head very briefly towards the mess that had been made of her desk, subtly suggesting he clean it up for her.
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Give 'em another couple weeks. See if they show up again.
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[colour=#800080]"I'm so happy you're a dragon and not a pony."[/colour]
He briefly considered muttering a 'yeah, me too', but he caught himself just before opening his mouth, considering it to perhaps be in poor taste, considering the scenario. Spike had heard similar sentiments a few times before in his life - usually in scenarios involving fire. But usually, that statement had been said in releif, rather than in a mix of intangible worry and distress. Another rustle of her wings, and a little purple down managed to waft briefly through the air.
Another moment of silence ticked by on his little clock in the corner, the little dragon keeping quiet amidst his own thoughts as he tried to find some straw or another to grasp in conversation. Something nagged at his mind, that maybe there were plans for things to turn out as they had - Twilight, the newly-coronated Alicorn, and himself, her extraordinarily long-lived assistant. ...Did Celestia predict all this? Did she know, or was this simply how things were hoped to turn out? That would be something for a future letter, certainly.
But, that would have to wait, as Twilight took in another breath, deciding to look to him for assistance. [colour=#800080]"How do you live with this, Spike?"[/colour]
[colour=#4b0082]"I, um... I didn't, really." [/colour]Murmured the juvenile dragon, his voice quieted by a sheepish tone. [colour=#4b0082] "I just told myself that I'd know better when I was older, or that... we'd figure it out when the time was right for it. When I was older, and you were older too. That it'd just be easier then, somehow." [/colour]That sort of thinking had, after all, served him pretty well for the last few years. There wasn't anything stopping it from working for him now, either. But, that probably wouldn't work for Twilight, and if it didn't work for her, then he'd hear of it, and it'd stop working for him, too. Ignorance and apathy were never really the sorts of things one carried in for a long-term plan, and more than ever, Twilight was surely thinking about the bigger picture.
[colour=#4b0082]"I guess we're not allowed to just see how it turns out, hunh? I mean, seeing as you're a princess now, there's... there's probably going to be a lot counting on you - on us, even." [/colour]Spike's tone got a little less confident, his head bowing just a little. It wasn't just going to be Twilight and her baby dragon forever. He was going to grow big, strong, and powerful himself; not soon, but he was going to, someday. A clever dragon could do a lot in Equestria, and such a mantle of responsibility would require a lot of careful attention.
And yet, the idea of him, a full-grown dragon with all the wisdom and experience of growing up alongside Celestia's protege - maybe even her replacement - that offered him a bit of a reason to smile. Someday, after all, the two of them would be capable of great things. Greater than he could probably imagine. But they were going to be important, and that brought him some solace amidst his uncertainty.
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Spike had, of course, been the voice of optimism a few times now, when Twilight had managed to find herself getting terribly upset. But this time? This time felt different. This time, something had irreversably changed. It was impossible to avoid that fact, and although things had seemed to be all smiles and amazement early on, but there were some heavy implications. The other horse-shoe had fallen, but with it came plenty of silver lining.
At this point, he was rather certain that they had the same general thought on their minds : Both of them were going to live a very long time, and very few of their friends were going to do the same. Of course, simply trying to force out optimism towards Twilight wouldn't help anything - and frankly, he wasn't sure that it was all sunshine and happiness either. Her own sudden realizations were bringing out some of his own uncertanties; they'd have a lot to discuss, once they'd sorted themselves out.
A rustle came from Twilight's wings, and soon enough he found himself playing a part that Smartypants might have once held. Not that he minded in the slightest, of course. The leg around his chest was met with a gentle brushing with the back of his claw for a few moments, and then the sturdy limb was consigned duty as an armrest. Hugs were fine. Hugs helped. He was pretty sure that was an immutable fact.
After a bit of hesitation from royalty, Twilight managed out a shaky [colour=#800080]"yeah", [/colour]leaving Spike temporarily grasping for what to say next, stuck between being grateful he'd have his best friend around for much longer, or to comiserate that they were both going to very much outlive their friends in Ponyville.
[colour=#4b0082]"...I kinda never wanted to think about it, because... well, it'd mean spending a lot more time remembering you instead of having you around. Even if everyone else... I-I mean..."[/colour]
His voice trailed off there. He'd tried to bring up both good and bad at once, and largely, it just crumbled into ideas and trying not to upset Twilight further. Was mentioning all of their other friends a bad idea? Was he being self-centered? ...Well, at least they'd have time to discuss everything. Dawn was quite some time away, after all.
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Unlikely; Square Enix and Jupiter have never held much respect for Microsoft's consoles, and at this point developers seem to be gearing more towards the next-generation consoles rather than the currently available set - this will likely be the last KH installment for seventh-generation consoles. On the plus side, given the PS4's PC-like architecture, it seems likely that we'll see a lot more releases readily available for PC/PS4/Xbox 3/Steambox, discounting contractual obligation.
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Just a quick note, but when I try and mouse over the "And [x] more..." part of the list of tags of a thread, I get the following error message instead of any meaningful result :
Warning: App or area missing from classes_like in /home/artax/public_html/admin/sources/classes/tags/bootstrap.php on line 62
Fatal error: Meta ID missing in /home/artax/public_html/admin/sources/classes/tags/abstract.php on line 918
I'm using Firefox 18.0.2 on Windows 7 SP1 64-bit, though I doubt my OS has much to do with this.
I first noticed this when I'd tried a search, conducted from the 'home' page of canterlot, using the embedded search tool at the top right of the screen. However, I've repeated this error when browsing a list of threads normally, such as in http://www.canterlot...and-ge-central/ .
Is anybody else getting this?
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"Yo! What's the big idea?" she yelled to Ignition. "You owe me fifty bits of groceries!"
Okay, hm. The bird was worried about groceries, while she was clearly trying to fly away from a couple cops? That threw the spitfire pegasus for a bit of a loop. A brief glimmer of disbeleif shot through her cranium - fifty bits? This chick was carrying around fifty bits worth of groceries? Man, somebody was eating expensive.
But that didn't really matter - after all, it wasn't Ignition who'd bought them, and it wasn't her who'd dropped 'em. [colour=#ff0000]"Hey, you dropped 'em, lady! Now keep up, those idiots'll probably think you're with me! Right, then drop, then left! There's a little tunnel they probably don't know about!"[/colour] They could squabble and squak at eachother later - why was everygryph she met liable to go off at her? Oh, yeah. She kept firing cannons at them or using them as springboards. Whoops.
Either way, the pursuing billyclubs hadn't quite missed the turnoff Ignition had used Miasma to make, though they had to lose rather significant amounts of speed to make the corner, putting them even further behind the irate gryphon and the silver-eyed troublemaker, the junior of them blowing his whistle incessantly as if it was somehow going to help. The pegasus managed half of a tight corkscrew, then dove down an alleyway on her right, her wingtip just barely dusting the side of the building before she took a nosedive. Of course, a little acrobatics would do the trick, but if Miasma didn't have that - well, she had talons, and those were much better at grabbing edges and corners than hooves would ever be. Not that Ignition was watching her back too carefully to see what she'd pull off. She was more concerned with getting into the barely-visible service crevice on ground-level.
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Just as Spike thought he was more subtle than he actually was, well, the same went for Twilight. Perhaps someone else would've completely missed that faltering tone of voice, and the slight tremor in her sigh - but he was a clever young dragon, and one did not spend years upon years with someone who needed an eye kept on them without picking up on details like that. Not only was she tossing and turning, but she was an audiably upset princess, too.
[colour=#800080]"Yeah... me too."[/colour] Was Spike's reply; it was dumb, it was obvious, it was pointless, it was short. It was the best he had to fill the otherwise awkward silence that ensued as he tried to figure out what to say next. Still, Spike had spent the last six hours curled up in a ball, trying to rest - he was stiff, and so he arched his back in a somewhat cat-like stretch. Slowly, the young assistant rose, approaching Twilight quietly, his feet padding across the floor.
Of course, he'd been up with his own troubles. The very question of the disparity between his expected life and Twilights was one he had previously avoided like the plague - he'd developed his own little way of shoving the questions of mortality out of his mind if they ever cropped up. For good reason, too - Dragons lived many, many, many hundreds of years longer than Unicorns, and he thought of Twilight growing so very old just as he began his adulthood was more than he wanted to bear. That had changed, of course, but it had only changed for Twilight, and truth be told there was more than one pony on the face of the planet he liked. Facing those sorts of thoughts had kept him uneasily awake, but the idea of at least having Twilight and Celestia to rely on for presumably ever at least helped.
Still, Spike didn't know for certain why Twilight was upset and restless, so rather than asking 'how come' directly and thus forcing issues out of her, Spike decided to try and bring up his own concerns. If it turned out that Twilight had different reasons for being upset, after all, she had a tendancy not to bottle them up.
At least they'd have one-another; hopefully, touching on that would at least make the ensuing conversation a little easier. A glance towards a lonely, slightly scorched bird's peg gave Spike all the more reason to realise that things just didn't last because he wanted them to, and those that would last he should be grateful for.
[colour=#800080]"So... Dragons and Alicorns live for a really long time, don't they?"[/colour] Spike murmured, taking an uninvited seat on the corner of Twilight's bed.
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tadaaaaaaaaa
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Welp, I fell asleep halfway through the re-write on the new forum applications, and then windows reset itself while I wasn't paying attention to it. So I wrote some more stuff on his personality. That good, or d'you still need more?
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The rules on Special Events were that Crossover chars were permitted in them.
Thus, Larry's appearance in that RP.
Thanks for asking!
...
Okay, moving on!
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...wait hold on let's derail ourselves for a second here while I go rewrite this with these newfangled forms that changed sometime in the last year without me paying any attention whatsoever.
http://www.canterlot...s-open-be-nice/
Last post. That happened. So are the special events not considered mane...?
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Aaaand this is the part where I make a nuisance of myself for the sake of explaining my choices.
With John Arcudi's The Mask, the central character is empowered literally and directly by the mask, which is said to be a relic of Loki, God(sic) of mischief. The Mask is also noted for imposing a total lack of inhibitions towards all impulses and stripping the wearer of sanity, as well as filling their heads with thoughts of violence, mayhem, property destruction, vengance, anger and cruel irony, all in a sardonic and whimsical tone. Coupled with reality-bending superpowers, superhuman strength, practical invulnerability and evil genius, the original mask was actually a frighteningly dangerous sociopath, which would be horrifying and also absolutely unacceptable for canterlot play.
As such, the ideas involved have been toned down and altered quite a lot. Because, quite honestly, the last thing canterlot needs is a character even remotely akin to that.
That aside, the backstory is completely original writing, his passions are largely original to the character - namely those of music and dance instead of wealth, anarchistic freedom, revenge and attractive members of the opposite gender. At this point the only direct paralells between Sandley Bronzehoof and Stanley Ipkiss are that both work in boring financial jobs (an extremely common trait), and that they have a duality of personalities - one of which is humble and amicable (something found rather often in both classical and contemporary works). Oh, and the fact that masks and suits are involved, which could be said of a staggeringly vast repetoire of characters, including Batman, The Hamburglar and The Phantom of the Opera. I wouldn't say this is really a ponification of either the movie or comic versions of The Mask, so much as a character inspired by the premise behind it.
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BEHOLD! MY ABILITY TO FALL ASLEEP HALFWAY THROUGH THINKING UP A NAME, AND WAKE UP HAVING FORGOTTEN IT!
Ten days later, I've changed it to 'Sandley' because that's still sorta close and sand could be the colour of his coat.
I'm a staaaaaar.
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Warning - the following thread, by the very nature of it's intended subject matter, is not going to be a happy one. If you are of the type to be disturbed or upset by the idea of loneliness and losing one's friends, I suggest you stop here and read no further.
It was late - the sort of late that hung between being far too early to start the day, and far too late to get a good night's rest. Being awake wasn't a problem, really - there weren't usually pressing matters in the morning, not during the cold, short days of winter. Spike didn't really want to be awake, it would make him all the crankier the next morning, as those around him would surely expect that he be every bit as useful on half an evening's sleep as he would be on a full night's rest.
3 o'clock, said the enchanted little glowing hands of his trusty mechanical clock. Something along those lines, anyhow. 3 was generally just a bad hour to be awake, unless a really good party was involved. Nobody he knew wanted to be up past 3 in the morning, it just wasn't healthy. But, that wasn't the problem either.
What was bothering him was the noise. The twisting of sheets, the quiet yet distinctive huff of frustration, the tiny little tells that said something was awry. Twilight was either having a bad dream, maybe even a nightmare, or something was keeping her up. He didn't think it was her wings; she was getting used to those, or so it seemed, and that wouldn't have her kicking every now and then at her increasingly-wrinkled sheets.
Of course, Spike was used to Twilight being restless, but usually he was able to point out the reason with easy precision. Tests, finals, overdue letters, mind-teasers she'd been working on all day, puzzles she was still solving, spells that had eluded her considerable repetoire during the day... those, he'd heard her toss and turn over. But she hadn't really been working on any of those things during the day - or if she had, she'd been uncharacteristically silent about voicing her frustrations with them to him.
Not that she was the only one with something hanging on her mind, if that was indeed the case - Spike couldn't sleep either, though with a much smaller stature and fewer limbs, he'd been quieter about it. Things were on his mind, too, and if Twilight was awake enough to continue her stirring, then the odds were that she was cogniscient enough to tell that maybe Spike was similarly restless, not that he'd be aware of it either way; Spike thought himself to be much more subtle than he actually was.
The young dragon ended up deciding to break the slightly uneasy silence between the newly-realised princess and her draconic assistant, choosing his words and his tone carefully - he kept his voice low and hushed, his ennunciation clear, his words slow, and most importantly he avoided calling her name, as it might subconsciously alert her if she was sleeping.
[colour=#800080]"You still awake?"[/colour]
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Rain was a sort of funny thing. It could clean some things, while making other things dirty. It could uncover something lost, while washing away something else. It could wash away small things, or it could carry in newer ones.But, most importantly, it could muffle the sounds of a high-speed pegasus chase until it was right around the corner, which it did. A soaking-wet fireball of a pegasus was powering her way between buildings, throwing her head back now and again to see how much distance was between her and a pair of whistle-blowing patrol wings. Ignition had said made some rather cheeky comments, fabricated a few somewhat incriminating boasts, and generally pestered the irritated cops who were trying their best to keep hot on her tail, the spring shower only throwing water and shade in their eyes. Aposemati would have, perhaps, all of three seconds to notice that there was a bright red, soaking wet pegasus headed straight for her, and even if she were to move a bit out of the way, the feathered missile would simply re-adjust; there was no cry of 'gang way!' or 'watch out!', there was just a bit of adjustment from her hooves and wings, getting ready to stop, then go once again. The plan was to land on the gryphon briefly, spout a short but useful statement, then use her as a living springboard. It had worked before, a number of times, as it gave her both an obstacle for her pursuers to avoid and a sharper turn than wings could normally manage.And, three seconds later, Ignition's hooves would meet with the gryphon's side, not colliding in a sharp kick, but rather applying pressure as the entire pegasus went from 'quite fast' to 'stopped, but spring loaded', though her tail followed with a wet 'slap', spraying rainwater over the gryphon's back. [colour=#FF0000]"The guys behind me are changelings![/colour]" Ignition blurted out - an outright lie, of course, but it'd give the gryphon perhaps a bit of reason to slow up the approaching pega-popo. And, with that message delivered, Ignition kicked off of Aposemati, shooting down a narrower alleyway and quickly out of view, the winged cops just coming into view as she shot off. It would really be up to Aposemati as to how to respond - whether she'd sit there, dumbfounded and slack-jawed like some sort of simpleton, whether she'd run with the red pegasus' redder herring, or take the paragon route and point the irritated patrol down the alleyway. Or maybe she'd do something completely different, like burst into song, or perhaps suddenly open a boutique, but the obvious choices were there plainly enough.
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The Everfree forest had once been home to a rather impressive stronghold of unicorn study and ruler-ship. A grandiose stone castle, erect and proud amidst a scintillating scene of greenery and bloom, had once been fondly called 'home' to scores of stabled families; it had sheltered a great many visitors and scholars alike, and it had held some importance in the development of Equestrian history. Ponies came and went freely from it, the magical power of the forest both easily seen and easily experienced, and all was well.
As one might expect, very little of this was true several hundred years later. Who knew why or when or even how everything went awry, but the cold and unrelenting reality was that the Everfree Forest wasn't all happiness and sunshine and adorable bunnies anymore. It had eaten most of those things, and spat up shadows, intimidation, and all sorts of twisted constructions of magic and malice. However, there were those that sought the magic behind the malice, so that they might properly understand the powerful chaos in question.
One such individual had found something significant, though the significance of the discovering individual was indeed rather questionable. Amidst the trees, the moss, and the unnatural undergrowth of the Everfree, a stone vestibule had been found and cleared of the forest's detritus. Once, it had been the entrance to the basement of an old wooden trove, a few stone pillars of which still stood nearby. Now, it was simply a stairway down sitting conspicuously amidst the dirt, the remnants of the fallen tree that once hid it lying in splinters nearby.
The clearing about the stairway itself was unremarkable, save for the glow of magic and fire that lit up the area. A single coal-coated pony stood at the top of the stairway, with a makeshift torch held aloft next to him, trying to fit it into one of the few remaining sconces of the nearby pillars – He hadn't exactly taken any dungeoneering courses before, but somehow it seemed like a good idea to leave some sort of sentient notification announcing his presence within the stone basement. He'd only be a moment longer, and once the torch was securely placed, he started making his way into the chasm itself, the sound of his hooves tapping distinctively against the stonework that led it's way into the depths below.
A quick set of eyes might see him vanish down into the stairway, but those who were cautious, patient, or perhaps simply just later to arrive would still find the torch lit and standing above the sullen, long-forgotten entryway, while a faint green magical glow throbbed in the stairway down. It would, of course, be up to any given individual as to whether or not they would decide to make any sort of entry, but the fact that it remained as some remnant of a history long since past and forgotten would likely intrigue more inquisitive minds, should they happen to arrive.
(Everfree Forest) Into the Dark Wood (open to all!)
in Greater Equestria
Posted
[colour=#339999]"Thanks a lot! I'm not sure I'd know how to get back on my own!"[/colour][colour=#000000] [/colour][colour=#a9a9a9]Given the way she'd been panicking earlier, Mirthbane had little doubt she'd escape the Everfree quickly - not without assistance, anyhow. Still, such ideas seemed not to bother her in the slightest, as she continued beaming cheerfully as soon as he mentioned her melodic capabilities. [/colour][colour=#339999]"Ya really think so? Awesome! I've been working on that one for a while. Normally I just sing the old-timey lyre songs I find. Singing my own stuff based on stuff I've been around for is still kinda new to me... [/colour][colour=#339999]I think everypony will like it, especially in Ponyville since the whole Nightmare Moon thing happened so close."[/colour]
[colour=#a9a9a9]The apparently younger of the two unicorns was decidedly full of energy, far more carefree than the pony that seemed to be dreadfully lost a full five minutes ago. Either she had been dropped on her head quite a lot as a child (which Mirthbane did not actually suspect, given that her creative faculties were rather intact), or she had some measurable trust in his capacity to lead her to the safety of Ponyville. Or, at least, this was the conclusion he drew from her sudden outburst of extroversion; maybe she just really liked the sound of her own voice. It was an admittedly nice voice, but nevertheless, she used it rather more frequently than her guide apparent might have deemed wise under the circumstances. He pondered briefly on taking her up on a further explanation upon the events she had so lyrically described; some recount of the whole "Nightmare" incedent caught his interest rather quickly, even if it was a bardic retelling rather than a factual dictation of events.
But, the energetic unicorn simply bounced ahead - ahead of him, for Luna's sake, while he was supposed to be guiding her out of the woods. Yes, it was a reasonably straight path, but still...[/colour] [colour=#339999]"So? How deep into this place are we? Also, what were you doing out here? Seems like an odd place for a pony to ever want to go. I mean you can't be lost too since you said you know the way."[/colour]
[colour=#ffffff]"I would estimate we're about twenty minutes' canter from the edge of the forest nearest to Ponyville. On that note, however, I am not lost in the slightest; I live here, temporarily and by my own choice, and have done so for about nineteen months counting. As for what I do here, I'm compelled to study the supernatural flora of this locale further. There are a great many species here that offer considerable potential, and I hope to both discover, cultivate and publish upon some of the more useful specimens. In short, I am here for the purposes of academic discovery."[/colour]
[colour=#a9a9a9]He decided to skip out on going into long-winded explanations of how difficult it could be to reproduce desirable outcomes in various species - apparently, magical plants had the capacity to be extraordinarily picky, not that he needed to explain such at gratuitous length.[/colour]
[colour=#ffffff]"However, I could ask the same of you. One does not wander this freely or this deep into the everfree without some cogniscience as to their direction..."[/colour]