Astalakio

I agree with SirShadowdeath. If it was the kind of depiction of Derpy that would lead people - and more importantly, children - to think 'Oh, ha ha, mentally disabled people sure are funny!' then yes, it'd be more than reasonable to have a problem with it. The way she was predicted was just adorably clumsy, and that's all kids are going to see in the character too. As for the name Derpy, if that's what's causing the problem, someone from Hasbro only has to type it into Google to see that it means goofy and clutzy rather than anything else. Then again we're assuming that someone at Hasbro actually knows how to use Google...

Betterbones was taking a moment to enjoy the warmth of the fire while his gracious host went to fetch some tea, and then she disappeared again. Sitting in the still and quiet, the doctor closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the rain outside, barely audible even from here on the ground floor - the walls had probably been designed to keep such sounds out, but he could hear it. Rain always sounded so peaceful when one wasn't being drenched with it. His ears twitched as he heard another sound. It was the sound of voices - Ms. Iris talking with Pennyfeathers again. They were across the room and their voices were hushed, but going from the occasional snatches of words and the tones being passed back and forth, he was quite certain that he was the subject of conversation. He hated to think that he was becoming in indirect source of angst for the pony who had been so kind to him. He felt the urge to just get up and leave to save her the hassle... but on the other hoof he was just starting to get warm, and he really didn't want to go back out in the rain. He felt like a stray dog, and the sensation brought a vivid memory back to him about an incident that had ocured with his sister and parents and a similarly stray and wet canine when they were only children. He had thought he had forgotten this particular memory entirely, but now that it had sprung back into his mind, it was as clear as day. He couldn't help but smile as the long-past images of his sister and the puppy she had found began to fade into sight. "I would love to hear anything about yourself that you're willing to share," The voice, soft though it was, startled him from his thoughts and he opened his eyes, realising that Winter Iris had returned again. He also noticed the folded blanket by his side. He hadn't even known when she put it there. It was amazing how little somepony so observant could notice when he was absorbed in a memory. She asked him how he liked his tea, and he glanced over at the coffee table to see what the options were, doing a comic double-take when he saw the extensive array of tea-related things that had been brought over. "I never knew there was more than one kind of sugar..." He muttered to himself, blinking at the little cups that had been lined up next to the teapot. "Two sugars and no cream would be fantastic, if you don't mind," He replied eventually, wondering if his new upper-class friends thought less of ponies who didn't like cream in their tea, "I really don't mind which kind of sugar, though, just, erm, pick your favourite?" He turned his attention to the blanket beside him. He didn't know any magic for getting oneself dry when wet (a spell like that would be almost completely useless in the medical industry, after all), but a dry towel would do wonders. His horn flared with a dim green light and the blanket unfolded, rose up into the air and then wrapped itself around him. At this point Betterbones realised that the blanket had actually been pre-warmed for him, and although he wished to voice his gratitude about this fact, he instead made a singular noise of pleasure that sounded something like "Durrrrr...", and with drooping eyelids and a satisfied smile snuggled back into the blanket and wrapped it tightly around him. He decided he was not going to offer to leave so as not to cause trouble for Ms. Iris. He felt bad about it, but his willpower had just been sapped by the feel of warm fabric against his cold skin. "Stalliongrad?" He responded then, eyeing a strand of his wet black hair that was dangling teasingly in front of his eyes, "It's an interesting story. Not one of my favourites, probably because I'm not the one who saves the day in it. If I recall correctly, and I do... it involved a hermit, a dragon, a threatening exaction, and an assembled team of Equestria's finest medical and veterinary practitioners. And me." He added, "Of course I am one of the finest medical practitioners now, but at the time, I was only a hip young medical intern. You should have seen my hair back then..." He chuckled, as he started the process of half-heartedly drying his mane with his blanket, which was difficult as he seemed determined to keep it fully wrapped around his body at the same time.

I don't tend to watch broadcasted TV, but I like to buy box sets of series and watch them at an episode every other night kind of thing. At the moment, I'm working my way through: House (Season 3) Smallville (Season 6) Scrubs (The entire series - I got it for Christmas. Just starting season 2 tonight) Soul Eater (entire series rewatch) Puela Magi Madoka Magica (an anime...) Coupling (an old British sit-com written by Steven Moffat (AKA the Doctor Who and Sherlock Guy) which I'm rewatching for the third time) I'm also watching How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory when they're on once a week. And when Dexter, Sherlock and Doctor Who start again I'll be tuning into those too... Yeah, I watch way too much TV. -_-

Scootaloo style?

The way Winter Iris' eyes widened a bit with shock after he had noted his deduction about her profession made Betterbones smile. It was always the way, whenever he showed off his nack for figuring ponies out with seemingly nothing to go on, they would usually give a little exclamation, or a questioning look. The reactions not only told him more about the ponies in question (and defined his opinion on them), but served as one of life's unique pleasures. Just for a moment, he felt completely in control of the situation, in control of everything in his life. Bringing himself back down to earth again was a much harder skill to learn than the making of the deductions themselves, but this skill he had practised over the years too. Modesty was a virtue. Pleased to hear he was correct, though not at all surprised, he shrugged as they walked. "Thank you," He said, "But it was hardly brilliant. It was obvious to me that you were an artist for two main reasons. Firstly, your cutie mark is a dead giveaway, being some manner of artistic composition in itself. Secondly, you can always tell the artists in a city, because when it rains like this, everypony rushes indoors, except for the artists. They dash to get outside. Going for a walk in the rain is such an artistic past time. It takes an appreciation for nature's beauty to enjoy the atmosphere that comes with the rain... everypony else simply sees it as water falling out of the sky. Which it is, of course." He stopped and looked to the side, as if finished with his explanation, but then he continued, as if forced by some invisible compulsion to go on. "I knew you were a performing artist of some kind because, quite simply, no other kind of artist has any reason to care so much about their appearance, and clearly you do. The way your mane is styled, for example, it's the height of fashion right now, I've seen two other mares with similar mane styles since I've been in the city. Don't worry," He added quickly, with a wink, "You wear it the best by far. Noticing this about your mane also tipped me off to another fact: that you're not new in Canterlot. You've been here for long enough to know what's in style and what isn't. You're also familiar enough with the local streets to go wandering about alone in the rain, which means you've been here before. On the other hoof, I don't suspect that you were raised here in Canterlot, and that is for two reasons. Firstly, you are an earth pony, and an earth pony family thriving in Canterlot is a rarity in itself. Secondly, I don't know anypony with a pure Canterlot upbringing who would go out of their way to help out a random stranger in a rainstorm. So you weren't raised in Canterlot, this much is obvious. You've travelled around a lot too, possibly as part of your career. This I can tell from your voice, your accent. At first I had trouble placing it, and then I realised it was because it's a mix. It's subtle, but you've picked up slight tinges of dialects from the places you've been. As for exact places... I'm thinking..." He squinted for a moment, as if still listening to her voice, or maybe focusing in on a memory stored in his brain, "Stalliongrad? So so far we know she's a travelling performing artist not originally from Canterlot. Successful, though? Yes, modestly, I'd say. I didn't recognise your face, and even I would recognise the face of somepony like Saphire Shores. No offense. Then again, you've enjoyed some success, looking at your umbrella. This kind of accessory doesn't come cheap, I can tell by the craftsmanship. See how they've stitched the material together at the seam there?" He nodded toward the inside rim of the umbrella that hung over him, "They've gone over it twice for security. That's expensive work. The fact that you're well off, if there was any doubt, was certified just now by this..." He joined his companion in glancing up at Amythist Towers, the magnificent building at which they had finally arrived. "I think that's everything. Oh... blast..." He frowned a little, and looked to Winter Iris as they stepped inside, "I'm showing off again, aren't I? Sorry. I'm told that I shouldn't do that. It's a weakness with me." After sharing an awkward moment with Mr. Pennyfeathers, who clearly did not appreciate Ms. Iris' unruly guest (Betterbones wondered how often his friend brought in strays off the street. He didn't expect it was that often, or they'd probably ask her to leave), Betterbones turned toward the roaring fireplace, trailing after his host. She offered to take him to her appartment, away from the scorning gaze of Pennyfeathers, but he shook his head immediately, careful not to flick water at her. "Oh no, just here will be marvelous, I'm sure." He replied, and went to sit down. He didn't take a place on the fancy looking couch she had indicated toward though, preferring simply to plonk himself down on the rug in front of the fireplace. He didn't want to get the furniture wet after all. The last thing he desired was to incur the wrath of any prying pegasi. "I really can't thank you enough for your hospitality, you know, I'm feeling better already." He smiled. It was true, the problems that only moments ago he was wailing and flailing over now seemed a little more trivial. The fact of the matter was that they probably were trivial. He did like to blow things out of proportion. It was another weakness. "And to answer your earlier question, I'm a medical doctor." He chirped, "I wouldn't say it was 'crossing any lines'," he added, looking amused, and perhaps the tiniest bit smug, "Given how much I know about you. In fact I think I owe you a few tidbits of information just to even things out." ((OOC: Sorry for shoving all that into a passing moment, but it seemed like the best place to get it out in the open >.<))

I think... if he was a sea dragon... that he would have gills. Or webbed digits. But land dragon, maybe. That sounds plausible. We really don't know a lot about how dragons work in Equestria, so it'd just be blind guessing from me really *shrug*

I don't think I've ever been in one. Maybe I stepped into one while on holiday, somewhere by the sea, when I was younger, but I didn't play anything and if I did I don't remember it. Sounds like fun though

I'm not comfortable in cars since an accident I was in a few years ago. I rarely ever talk during car journeys... it's kind of like a selective muteness, I think because I'm scared that I'd distract the driver and cause a crash. I don't mind heights, but I don't like elevators. I like to think I can love my fellow man... but I simply don't feel the faith needed to put my life in a contraption he threw together with bits of wire and metal. No thank you!

First year of studying BA in Film and English. Yeah. It's okay.

Well my sister and I were somewhat alarmed throughout, since we didn't actually know cider was non-alcoholic overseas, so we had to assume that the whole of ponyville were alcoholics and Rainbow Dash was their queen. This clarifies things a bit So, yeah, not a *great* episode, for me. I predicted pretty much the whole thing from the synopsis, it's a story that's been done a ton of times, so... not great. The song was nice as always, I liked that it once again had a focus on the whole of the mane six rather than just the one character it was 'about', and I, like everypony, loved Applejack's letter. But after what I considered to be a fair run of 4-star episodes, I'm afraid to see this only makes up to a combo-breaking 3-star episode for me