Flooberoid

((My first attempt at writing a villain in... well, anything. It turned out edgier than I've ever written, but hopefully that's okay. )) Roleplay Type: WoE Name: Drop Shadow Sex: Male Age: Older stallion Species: Unicorn Eye Color: Deep violet Coat: Midnight black Mane/Tail: The dark gray of his mane and tail is hardly distinct from the black of his coat, and both tend to blend together without sufficient light. The mane is slicked back completely in distinct lines down his neck and back, leading directly up to his tail. At the tail, these threads split apart into a messy mop of hair. Physique: Tall and gaunt, not very healthy looking Residence: Primarily lives in the Everfree Forest, though there have been sightings around Equestria. Spooky places, pretty much. Occupation: Is kidnapping an occupation? Cutie Mark: A white chess king, symbolizing his talent for tactics and leadership (Later modified to black so only the outline and highlights are still white, thus expressing the corruption of his talent into deception and misleading ponies) Unique Traits: He specializes in illusory magic, to an extent where the only other magic he knows is the basic levitation that all adult unicorns can perform. This magic allows him to project his voice and ghostly image, manipulate light and shadow, and most powerfully warp the environment to make ponies lose their way. This includes stretching or compressing an area, causing a space to loop indefinitely, or rearranging the land so places don’t connect the way they’re supposed to. History: Drop Shadow is the son of a stoic royal guard in Canterlot. In his youth, he revered his father greatly and dreamed of one day being a royal guard captain, leading his own team of brave ponies in defense of Equestria. To this end, he studied chess and quickly became a master of the game. Eventually, his classmates weren’t even good enough for practice and he had to seek adult ponies to play against. The secret, he often said, was to treat the game like a real combat scenario. The king and queen were like the two princesses, and it was the duty of the other pieces to protect them. One day, Drop Shadow found his favorite table at the park taken by another pair of unicorns having a chess match. Irritated but morbidly curious, he trotted up next to one of them. Up close, it was quickly apparent that the pony across from him was much older and smarter than the colt next to him, and the board state quickly made it apparent that the colt had little hope of winning. Disgusted, Drop Shadow raised his voice and said ”Your B file is completely open. Seize it quickly or it’s checkmate.” ”Hey!” the other pony loudly objected, ”This isn’t your game, kid! Go home!” Unfazed, Drop Shadow taunted the stallion with a sneer. ”What’s wrong? You were handling one colt so well, two should be fillies’ play.” With wide eyes, the colt played the move Drop had suggested, his opponent seething with silent rage. For the rest of that game, Drop slowly guided his game partner to a decisive victory and earned his cutie mark and first friend in the process. The colt later introduced himself as Fair Trade and became Drop’s apprentice in chess until they went their separate ways as adults. As a young stallion, Drop Shadow did indeed enlist in the royal guard. Among the other recruits, he was often admired for his dedication, strength and wits. Though the recruits knew no real combat, they could still feel Drop’s imposing presence even during training. Not one to ignore the envious looks of his comrades when he dominated their exercises, Drop quickly became known for boasting. He would insist that if they ever saw real combat, he would be the most heroic unicorn in the kingdom (an especially arrogant claim considering his lack of affinity for magic). It would be many moons yet, but his chance would come eventually. Drop Shadow was standing stalwart in a line of three guards in the reception area for the wedding of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. His mind was clouded with unwanted resentment. Why should he stand reserve while the defense of the city was left in the magic of a younger unicorn? And with the stress of his wedding already upon him, how could they trust him to come through? The rational part of Drop knew that it was because Shining Armor’s spell was the only defense they had that could keep the Changelings out and avoid all-out combat. He knew that his affinity for magic was far too weak to erect such a barrier, and yet still the resentment stood. He wanted them to be proven wrong. He wanted the shield to break, for him to get his chance to be a hero for once. Sure enough, the barrier did break. Changelings pouring in, Drop quickly snapped corralled his panicking comrades. He instructed them to head to Shining Armor’s side while he would head into the city to lead the evacuation effort. With a battle-hungry grin, Drop charged into battle, any changeling who crossed his path meeting a mighty headbutt from his helmet or a quick buck into next week. It wasn’t long before he encountered Fair Trade. He questioned why the stallion had run toward the castle, and he surprised Drop by saying it was to see if he was safe. Their reunion was short-lived, however, as a troop of changelings divebombed them. Wanting to separate the two, a pair of them crashed down in front of Drop Shadow while another abducted Fair Trade in front of him. Drop backed up in surprise, but moments later huffed with blind anger. He charged forward, but there was a blinding flash of light and he soon found himself charging at a pile of black ash. He stopped in disbelief and looked around to see his father. ”You... what did you...” His father shook his head and glared at him. ”This is the reality of battle, Drop Shadow. I believed you smarter than this.” Drop gazed toward his father, then toward the chaos in the sky. In a flurry of mixed emotions, he suddenly took off running. He galloped far, far away from Canterlot, swatting away any who tried to stop him. Days later, Drop had still not returned or been seen by anypony. He was declared a deserter and a disgrace by the royal guard. In truth, he had galloped all the way to Ponyville and fled when he saw other ponies, eventually getting himself lost in the Everfree Forest. Becoming lost in the forest gave him time to reflect, at least until the dangerous creatures caught on to his presence there. He began to consider the “reality of battle” and what that could mean. With his training as a guard, he fought off the plants and animals of the forest but this only made him weary and seemed to get him nowhere. Was this the reality of battle? Wearing yourself thin just to survive? If that was reality, he decided it was not to be accepted. Reality was too harsh to him, so he had to detach himself from it. Over time, his mind eroded until he couldn’t see the predators as threats on his life anymore. They were only opponents in his way of winning, and win he would... as soon as he found the exit from this forest. Eventually, he would miraculously trot out of the forest, but not without a price. He was a shadow of the pony that had trotted in, and now didn’t give the ponies that greeted him in Ponyville any acknowledgement at all. The thing that made him weak, that stopped him from being a hero... he identified it as magic. He found his new resolve in studying magic, though this time for a new game. The princesses were no longer the king and queen of his chessboard; he now stood as the sole king. He learned illusion and trickery and though it took many sleepless nights, through determination he would master it. He started back into the forest to test his newfound powers. Drop would harass terrified animals, leading them around in circles that all lead back to his sadistic grin before suddenly changing the path right into the maw of a carnivorous plant. He would project his image before a fearsome timberwolf only for it to disappear as the wolf attacked, his real body wiping its muddy paws on the creature’s stunned form. For the first time in moons, Drop felt glee, though of a twisted and perverse sort. Over time, he made the forest his home, the creatures unable to touch him as his illusions kept them at bay. To reflect this new lifestyle, he started a fire and branded the white out of his cutie mark, hardly feeling the pain. His once-muscular body atrophied with age and inactivity, but this didn’t bother him. He was a puppet master now, and physical exertion was beneath him. The first time a filly wandered into the forest, he knew it was time. The table was set; it was time to start capturing pieces. ((Ending left intentionally vague in case him actually being successful in kidnapping fillies in the Everfree Forest is too dark. It’s fine if I have to make it so everypony he’s tormented has ultimately escaped.)) Character Personality: Sinister, sadistic and egotistical, Drop Shadow’s version of “making friends” is to trap and enslave ponies until they get Stockholm syndrome so bad they worship him. Always one step ahead, if anything, his biggest weakness is getting so caught up in creating fear that he fails to account for what ponies can do when they’re not afraid of him. He understands the feelings of other ponies, but rather than giving him any form of empathy this just gives him the means to get into their heads. If there is any good left in him, it has been buried under many moons of following nopony’s ideals but his own. Character Summary: Drop Shadow is a vile creature who once had the potential to be a great leader, but was too weak-willed and eventually turned to evil as a form of escapism. Something inside of him snapped, and he has now made it his life’s work to trap and torment other ponies and ultimately brainwash them into being okay with it.

Actually, I saw your thread and was just about to invite you before she did. xD You are of course welcome to join.

You're a teacher? ...Somehow that doesn't surprise me, dunno why. In any case, I feel like there was a sliiiight missed opportunity to hit Spike with the door, but oh well lol. I was going to keep her part in this to a minimum but I keep wanting to have Rosemary interact with other characters, and it wouldn't be a necessarily bad idea for me to have a filly character, so... I'm gonna write her an application tonight.

"In the cart? Oh, y'know, food, drinks, a couple decorations..." Suddenly, a highly enthusiastic little green filly with a short, fluffy red mane leaps out at Lamp. "Oh, and a little Rosemary for garnish." He holds back a laugh and drags the cart the rest of the way to the back area, leaving it oriented so that they could easily unload his cargo when. The first thing he pulls out, however, is not a platter of food but a long display of some kind. He grips one end in his mouth, then Rosemary quickly trots over to grab the other end and together they display the whole banner for Lamp to see. It reads, "Free Food and Festivities at the Honest Hearth! Come on in!" Around the edges are a multicolored array of fruits and vegetables clearly drawn by a child. After a few moments, Hawthorn drops the banner so he can speak. "Ya like it? I let my brother Thyme help make it. Thought we could put it up to advertise. Err, well, you could..." he corrects himself. "I'd put it up myself, but, you know..." Hawthorn grins sheepishly and points to the spot on his head where a horn would be if he were a unicorn. He then spots the two other guests approaching the inn. A... baby dragon and a... yak? Lamp sure had some strange friends if they were who he mentioned yesterday...

Oh, the link to the forum server is on the homepage of the website. Look on the right side of the page if you're on desktop. That said, I believe this is the link you need to join. Canterlot Discord

Are you familiar with Fate Accelerated? O&O is obviously more like D&D but the point is the whole "talent" thing reminds me of "stunts" in Fate. You basically have one very specific thing (like my thief character whose stunt is stealing things of little value if he takes a specific approach to doing so) that you gain a sizable bonus to accomplish, basically making it a guaranteed success. Anyway, I'm gonna mention this thread on Discord and see if anyone responds. The races make sense and I don't think there needs to be a strict class list. I honestly think the original D&D stats make the most sense, though maybe we could combine intelligence and wisdom for simplicity? With your suggestion of five levels of proficiency, I would use: Strength Endurance Agility Intelligence Charisma And then let characters have only one stat at each level. If we decide to write a list of spells/skills, I could definitely do that. I wrote a gigantic spreadsheet of spells for a Persona D&D I was doing once so something this simplistic is child's play.

I prefer the idea of having existing OC's make and play their characters in the game, but we'll see what other folks think when they join. I can advertise and brainstorm on the forum Discord server if you want. For character sheets and game mechanics in general, I think we need to keep numbers to a minimum. So like have stats like Strength, Charisma/Charm/Speech, Agility/Dexterity, Intelligence/Magic, Willpower, and Fortitude/Endurance, but only label them as strengths and weaknesses. Other than that, I'd list race (species?), class (maybe from a list or just make things up within reason), personality brief or even just a moral alignment, any magic/unique skills, and equipment. Anything else?

Well if Golden Dream were to get into any social situation without her sister's help it probably would be something nerdy like that... Sure, why not? I think the idea behind adapting a D&D type game into a casual RP thread like this is to feature the idea of stats and dice rolls but rather than the "DM" actually having character sheets and interrupting posts to roll dice, you just trust your players to have a fair pass/fail rate based on what their character is supposed to be able to do. That way it still feels like a dumbed-down D&D without also being too cumbersome for the format. Although, since you posted this in the free for all forum I'm not sure whether you're intending this to be, like, the characters are playing the game and we narrate what's happening in the game or if it's actually like an AU where the game is real. I'm assuming it's the latter? I might submit Hawthorn instead if that's the case.

Oof, sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. Worked nine hour shifts nine days in a row while dealing with final exams... @_@ Probably should have mentioned I'd be busy, though. Just never got around to posting and preferred to spend what free time I had either catching up on sleep or on Fire Emblem. xP

Hawthorn nearly drops his drink in surprise. "You're sure? Well, that's mighty generous of you! I guess I'd better get ready if I want to make sure we really give our guests the best experience we can!" Hawthorn rapidly chugs the remainder of his cider then flashes Lamp an enormous grin. The next day, Hawthorn would return to the Honest Hearth with a large wagon in tow. A pony with his frame looks a bit ridiculous in the larger harness, but the stallion seems to be keeping up a decent pace with only moderate difficulty. Just outside the inn the wagon wheel abruptly hits a rock, causing something within the wagon to emit a surprised squeal. "Whoops! Sorry, sugarcane. Just sit tight for a minute and let me get Lamp, alright? Then you can jump out and surprise him." Hawthorn smiles and hears a tiny "mhmm!" back. With that squared away, Hawthorn trots up to the entrance. He shoves the door open with some force, excited to find his new friend and hopefully meet the unicorn's friends too. "Lamp? Laaaaamp?" he calls, looking around. "I have food and supplies to unload! Do you want me to take them around the back?"

"Will that really work? Because it sounds like a lot of fun!" Limelight claps her hooves. "It does seem right up your alley..." Goldie nods, the gears in her head turning rapidly as she plans out the event. "Very well, I'll leave it to you. There's an outdoor cafe across the street that would be great for the scene I have in mind. Meanwhile, I'll watch and make sure everything goes smoothly for you." Limelight smirks in an eerily similar way to how she smiled at that stallion on the street earlier. "Goldie, dear, if I'm performing, I can't break character for a second. Which means..." She points a hoof at Goldie's chest suddenly, surprising her. "YOU will have to advertise the theater! At least pass out our flyer, yes?" Goldie immediately blushes and stands straight up. "M-Me?! Limelight, I think you're getting into this villain character a little early, don't you?" She looks to Rosedust for support, but upon looking at the mare she remembers why they're doing this in the first place. The theater needs this deal to be a success. "F-Fine, if I absolutely must, I'll do it!" She is immediately toppled by an enthusiastic leap-hug from the older pegasus.

Eh, I'm just kinda absentmindedly typing away on my phone at work so probably gonna get something wrong here. But here are some random thoughts. First of all, I doubt the writers have fully thought through what magic really is on a fundamental level. Don't get me wrong, though; I don't expect them to. Scientific explanations make the supernatural natural, which makes it not magic by definition. However, just because it can't fundamentally be explained doesn't mean it can't be studied and produce consistent results. I actually find the example of the magic from the book powering the portal interesting. It would certainly be a stretch to say they contain the same spell. One is a linked pair of books that are enchanted to always replicate whatever is written on the other's pages. The other creates a portal which teleports (notably does not replicate) whatever passes through it. But why are they still compatible? I could see it two different ways. 1. Magical spells are made up of multiple types of magic working in harmony. It's a bit like chemistry, mix a bit of this, a bit of that. So Twilight could produce the "relocation" magic herself (and does quite often) but the "transdimensional" magic, property, whatever, eludes her. 2. The properties of a single "mass" (however that's quantified) of magic are fluid and can be manipulated with some effort. Twilight doesn't have the knowledge to create a portal to another dimension from raw magic, but was able to convert existing magic to something else. I think it's likely that magic is generated by living creatures, possibly by emotion though I believe emotion only causes it to manifest. At the very least it's not only unicorns that produce magic, but that much is obvious. Objects can be infused with magic, which seems to last indefinitely and may be self-replicating considering I can't recall a time when a magical artifact ever ran out of power without being destroyed or otherwise disenchanted. I think the unicorn's horn is not used to create magic but to project it from the body. It's likely connected to the central nervous system so creating an artificial horn would be quite difficult or impossible. This was just a dump of random thoughts I didn't proofread, so sorry for any typos or logical errors.

"Uhhhh... Yeah, Goldie, what's our budget?" Limelight gives a sweet and innocent, though plainly fake, smile and occupies herself with a slice of cake in the meantime. Goldie sighs. "Well... we don't exactly have one at the moment..." she admits. "But we come from a rich family! If you could show us a sample of your work, I'm sure we could borrow, say, a few hundred bits for a small collection for the show?" She tries to downplay the paltry total as if saying it with a smile would make the offer any less insulting. She shrinks down in her seat, embarrassed and beginning to wish they'd never come here. Just when she can see she's needed, Limelight chimes in once more. "Of course, if the show goes well I'm sure we could auction off the costumes to collectors! You would certainly be entitled to your share of the profits, miss Rose." Hopefully the jeweler is the gambling type.

Glad for the opportunity to get out of the public eye after Limelight's nonsense, Goldie happily follows the unicorn to her studio. For Limelight, though, walking away from all the beautiful jewelry in the main room is a mental struggle she can only overcome when she realizes her sister is glaring back at her. Both of the lanky mares find it awkward to get comfortable upon the cushions on the floor, but each eventually settle down well enough. Upon hearing Rosedust's question, Goldie returns a question of her own. "You mentioned previously that you haven't been to the theater in 'quite a long time.' In that case, have you heard of the new theater that opened up a few moons ago?" She had judged this pony as one who didn't tend to get out much, so she expected the answer would be 'no.' "It's called the New Dawn Theater? Well, in any case, my sister and I are the owners, even if it does seem like I do all the work." Limelight scowls at this and her tail swishes in annoyance. "You act as though being the public face of the theater isn't work enough, sister! You know we'd be long gone without me to scout talent and fill seats!" In a few moments her scowl changes to a solemn frown and she looks down, locks of her mane falling in her face. "Although I have to admit, I'm not bringing in the numbers I'd like lately..." Goldie extends her front hoof to rest gently on Limelight's back to comfort her. It was rare for the cheery pegasus to lose her optimism no matter how much the two of them bickered. Sometimes she had to understand that the burden of hope could be shared. "That's why we- why my sister, rather- wanted to meet with you. It was her bright idea to try and enhance our sets and costumes to stand out and bring in audiences." Limelight looks up slightly and gives her sister a suspicious sidelong glance. "No sarcasm, I promise! It really is a bright idea!" Goldie frantically clarifies, and Limelight can't help but crack a smile and a tiny giggle.

"Rosedust! Lovely name!" Limelight says in a singsong voice. She starts to move around the counter to speak to the unicorn more closely, but Goldie immediately bites down on her tail to stop her. Limelight huffs and lifts her muzzle in indignation. "So, Rose, dear... Do you think I'd look cuter with a sapphire or a ruby?!" Her eyes light up and seem to sparkle as she leans uncomfortably close to Rosedust's muzzle over the counter. "Please, sister, at least pretend you have some more important reason for all this..." Goldie rolls her eyes and steps forward, using her front hoof to nudge Limelight aside. "I can't apologize enough for her. She gets excited over the silliest things sometimes..." But, relentless as always, Limelight grins. "There's no reason to pretend this is important when really, it is! Where is my sketchbook?!" A skinny blue notebook with several multicolored and labeled tabs sticking out in all directions floats with a golden glow towards Limelight, who smiles. She points with a hoof to the spot on the counter right in front of Rosedust, where the book obligingly comes to rest. She then proceeds to nudge the book with her muzzle, opening it to a specific page. The title at the top reads 'Ballroom gown of Countess Crabapple, Act 3, Scene 1.' "See here? In this scene, the ball is secretly infiltrated by the wicked Countess Crabapple, a former pegasus turned Aerion who plans to devour the nobleponies' feast! This dress is her incognito, so it's meant to hide her wickedness by making her look beautiful, while also dropping hints of her true nature- see these dark colors, especially in the red trim by her wings? I must say, I thought it was genius." She beams with pride and stands tall. "...But audiences didn't. They seemed about ready to fall asleep." Still, they're in too deep now to just walk away, so Goldie goes ahead and uses her magic to flip to the next page in the sketchbook. The drawings here are similar, but show a lighting arrangement that would highlight the gown. Limelight is still smiling, but seems to be gritting her teeth a little bit. "...Which is exactly why we need to dazzle them this time! So I'm thinking it's time to accessorize! The right gemstones should be able to capture everypony's attention and let them know that this here is an important pony on stage!" "Though after seeing your new costume designs I'm starting to wonder if by 'dazzle them' you might have meant 'blind them.'" She flips the page once more to reveal a page titled 'Dazzling designs for dastardly devils!' The page features Countess Crabapple in similar gowns to the one seen previously, with one big difference: Every inch of them is covered with eclectic and jumbled gemstones. "As you can see, we need a discerning eye... and no matter if I protest I presume my charmer of a sister is about to offer good money."

"I don't know why you dragged me out here today, sis..." Golden Dream grumbles, walking next to her older sister while keeping her head down to avoid eye contact with other ponies. "I shouldn't need to remind you that a shopping trip is NOT going to help us when we're already struggling financially." Limelight simply laughs off her sister's worries. "Goldie, honey, it's precisely because of our problems that we need a day like this to just have fun!" "That's a great sentiment, but not one that's going to keep our business afloat and you know it. Let's talk about the real reason you wanna goof off- you're allergic to hard work!" That said, Goldie's gazes over the street packed with ponies, noticing that her sister's mane and gait were turning many heads, and she started to crawl in her skin. Perhaps she was the one who was really allergic to something... When a stallion approaches Limelight from the front, Goldie reflexively facehoofs. "Hi there. I noticed you, uh... walking." He starts nervously as Goldie rolls her eyes. "I like walking too... So... What's a pegasus doing in Canterlot on a boring day like this? Let alone one so p-pretty..." Limelight's mischievous smirk lays her intentions to tease this nervous stallion rather bare, and this is the moment when Goldie knows it's time to get away. "You know what? I changed my mind! I love shopping! I want to do lots more of it... over here!" Her horn glows gold as a tuft of Limelight's mane is slowly levitated then jerked towards a nearby alley. "Ow, ow, OW! Quit pulling! You spoilsport!" Limelight whines in protest as she's dragged away. When they're safely in the alley and Goldie can see that the stallion didn't follow, she lets her sister free. "Yeah, yeah. Why do I ever go anywhere with you? It's always trouble! Honestly, aren't you supposed to set an example for your younger siblings?" But Limelight isn't listening. Something's caught her eye, and she's entranced. That's another one of those signs Goldie's learned to pick up on growing up. And sure enough, Limelight takes off running seconds later. "HEY! Get back here!" Goldie screams and tries her best to keep up with the more agile and physically fit Limelight. Limelight giggles gleefully, taunting her little sister. "What? You said you wanted to do lots of shopping over here! So what's the problem?" She runs until she reaches her destination, an adorable shop far off the beaten path. Upon bursting through the door (which as per usual immediately gets everypony's attention), she stops dead in her tracks. Goldie slams into her sister's rear end, unable to stop in time, but even this doesn't cause Limelight to flinch. Another trance, which means... Goldie thinks to herself. A moment later, Limelight starts dashing around the room, tracking dirt in from outside and pressing her face against the display cases' glass. ...Another outburst. Just once I'd like to not be right. Please? "Goldie! Goldie! Look! These... blue... thingies are dazzling, aren't they?? They'd look soooo cute on me!" She's pointing to a display of circlets and necklaces adorned with sapphire and aquamarine. "Um, well, actually... In terms of color choice, I think a ruby or garnet would go better with your mane and coat..." She ponders then shakes her head vigorously. "Wait! Why am I even entertaining this?! We are not spending a single bit on pointless jewelery! Now let's go! Limelight pouts. "Ruby? Are you crazy? That's it, we are not leaving until I hear a professional opinion! Ummm..." She looks around the room and her eyes fall upon a mare who looks like she probably works here. Why? Who knows? Limelight just has an intuition for these kinds of things. ... ... ...Either that, or she's completely just guessing. Well, luck or not, the particular pony she's now trotting towards is Strawberry Bell. "You there! Please, I implore you, introduce me to the proprietor of this fine establishment!" There she goes again. She must be truly serious now if she's trying out the fancy talk. Goldie facehoofs, which there really should be a cider drinking game for if it weren't for the fact that there wouldn't be any cider left in Equestria for anypony else afterwards.

I feel like I should just go ahead and skip to the party itself tomorrow morning. Not much point dawdling now and it would give szal a better opening to join.

Hello Rose! Straightforward title you have there. I like it! I'm fairly new here myself but from what I've experienced so far it seems like a fairly active site, and the mods are chill enough to allow you to flex that creative muscle without raising a fuss. Overall I think you'll find this to be a very friendly community open to sharing ideas and writing new stories together! Have a lovely, uh, week!

((NOTE: This application is meant to be reviewed in tandem with its sister application for Limelight. I request that you read both before critiquing either.)) Roleplay Type: WoE Name: Golden Dream Sex: Female Age: Mare Species: Unicorn Eye color: Blue Coat: Rich golden brown Mane/tail: Her mane reaches only to the middle of her neck, where it symmetrically rises to a point on either side of her head. Her tail mimics this curve in the other direction, forming a crescent moon shape. Both mane and tail are violet at the roots with a gradient fade to lavender. Physique: Tall and slender with an uneasy posture that makes her look delicate. Residence: Private home attached to a theater in Canterlot she co-owns with her adoptive sister, Limelight. Occupation: Co-owner of the New Dawn theater in Canterlot. Manages set design and finances. Works as a stagehoof and very occasional playwright. Cutie Mark: A marionette control bar, symbolizing her talent for working behind-the-scenes. Unique traits: A keen eye for detail that picks up on aspects of visual design as well as being very receptive to symbols and deeper meaning in fiction. History: Golden Dream was born to poor parents in Fillydelphia who longed for their daughter to have more than they could ever provide her. Following this dream, they brought their newborn daughter to the city where unicorns are destined for greatness: Canterlot. Unfamiliar with the city and unwelcomed by the stuck-up ponies of rich blood, they left their daughter on the doorstep of a wealthy family with a note pleading them to raise her to be a great unicorn. Ironically, the note was lost to the wind and the family in question turned out to be one of the few successful pegasus families living in Canterlot. Golden Dream’s earliest memories are of her hyperactive new older sister, Limelight. The enthusiastic pegasus gave her the nickname Goldie and, despite her insistence that it sounded like an old lady’s name, the name stuck. Though their oil-and-water personalities led to a rocky start for the two, Limelight’s persistence and enthusiasm got through to Goldie and eventually, the two were inseparable. As young fillies, the two would often play Alicorn Princesses, with Limelight pretending to be Celestia while Goldie would play the then-mysterious Princess Luna. When the two of them came of age to start going to school, Goldie was hesitant at first to meet her peers. It was only with Limelight’s encouragement that she was able to introduce herself properly on the first day. It is easy to imagine the anxiety she felt, then, when her sister pleaded with her to audition for the school play together. Unable to refuse a request from her dear sister, the poor unicorn obliged. While Limelight landed a leading role rather effortlessly, it was only due to lack of applicants that Goldie even fumbled her way into a background role. Even despite her minor time on stage, Goldie managed to ruin the whole thing. She tripped over her costume and fell into a prop tower, knocking it over. Following this, she quickly ran from the stage and returned later to find that Limelight had earned her cutie mark from that play. Seeing that only drove home the point for Goldie: Her sister was cut out for acting. She wasn’t. The next play that Limelight was a part of, Goldie sat in the front row of the audience to support her sister. The production was a great success that captivated the audience up until the climax in the final act, where Limelight’s character was set to face off against an evil sorceress. Suddenly, a faulty stage lantern fell from the rafters and nearly landed square on top of Limelight. The audience, including Goldie, gasped in fright but by reflex, Goldie stopped the lantern with levitation magic. The auditorium filled with a stunned silence as ponies tried to locate the source of this magic, when Goldie suddenly had an idea of how to keep the show going. From her bag, she levitated an old prop horn towards Limelight with a wink. The pegasus quickly caught on and dramatically brushed her mane aside, revealing the prop- her character was secretly an alicorn all along! The duo pulled off this new plot so perfectly that much of the audience believed it was in the script from the start, and as an added bonus, for her quick thinking and saving the show while going unnoticed, Goldie earned her cutie mark! Fast forward to their early adulthood and the two sisters were prepared, though hardly ready, to go their separate ways in pursuit of careers. Suddenly, their mother met them with a proposition: She would purchase a theater for them and, if they could make it thrive, they would be allowed to keep it for themselves, no strings attached. If not, however, their mother would cut her losses and convert the building into something more profitable, like an indoor Buckball court. Eager for the opportunity to work together, the two sisters decided to take the plunge. According to Goldie’s figures, though, the business is now hardly staying afloat and without some major turnaround could be in serious jeopardy to this day. Character personality: Goldie is quite shy and if she doesn’t have her sister to support her tends to fail at even things she’s usually good at in front of other ponies. She is much more open around friends if she manages to make them, though, and having her sister around makes her almost outgoing. Usually, however, she prefers any contribution she makes to other ponies’ lives to speak for itself and often not even be attributed to her. She has a deep appreciation for literature and has been known to lose herself in fantasy. Character summary: A shy and reserved unicorn who becomes much more, though not completely, outgoing when supported by her sister, Limelight. Takes pride in her work even if nopony appreciates that she’s doing it. Co-owns a theater and deals with all the behind-the-scenes work like set design and finances.

((NOTE: This application is meant to be reviewed in tandem with its sister application for Golden Dream. I request that you read both before critiquing either.)) Roleplay Type: WoE Name: Limelight Sex: Female Age: Mare Species: Pegasus Eye color: Emerald green Coat: Silvery white Mane/tail: Her lime green mane is long and flowing, somewhat styled out of admiration for Celestia though obviously not as animated. Her equally long tail is droopy and drags on the ground, but trails beautifully behind her when she takes flight. Physique: Tall and slender with poise that frames her as capable and fit. Residence: Private home attached to a theater in Canterlot she co-owns with her adopted sister, Golden Dream. Occupation: Co-owner of the New Dawn theater in Canterlot. Oversees costumes, directing, auditions, and occasionally takes the stage as an actress. Cutie Mark: A spotlight, symbolizing her talent for standing out and drawing attention. Unique traits: Extremely expressive, which helps with her acting and makes it even easier to get ponies’ attention. Has a naturally beautiful voice and could develop into a great singer, though currently lacks the training. History: Limelight was born of a wealthy businessmare from Cloudsdale who moved to Canterlot to settle down in style. Her earliest memory is of finding a baby unicorn in a basket on their front porch and galloping to tell her mother. With no way of finding the baby’s parents, the family adopted her and named her Golden Dream. The name didn’t sit well with Limelight, who promptly nicknamed her new sibling Goldie. As an only filly, Limelight was beyond excited to have a little sister. No matter how much Goldie told her no, the pegasus always begged her to play Alicorn Princesses with her. When finally she relented, the dynamic of their game was obvious: Limelight would play the revered Princess Celestia while Goldie would always play the mysterious Luna. Goldie often pointed out that she should really be the villainous Nightmare Moon, but Limelight insisted that as a princess Luna was probably sweet and caring before being banished. When the sisters reached school age, Limelight quickly cemented herself as the pretty and popular pony of the class. She had many adoring fans among her peers due to her almost idol-like energy and style. Still, though, she considered Goldie her best friend and was never apart from her for long. This was precisely why the pegasus simply had to have her sister audition for the school play with her! At her audition, Limelight’s passionate and energized performance landed her the leading role with little contest. She was a little disappointed to find that Goldie had only secured a minor role, but was still excited to appear on stage with her little sister at all. Limelight was counting down the seconds until the play ever since she first auditioned. To pass the time, she practiced her scenes and made changes to their costumes to stand out as much as possible. Goldie protested the long tassels Limelight wanted to add to the unicorn’s costume, insisting that she wasn’t meant to stand out in this performance. Limelight, however, was having none of that, and eventually as always Goldie relented. On the day of the play, both were looking their best when tragedy struck. In her one scene, Goldie tripped on one of the many tassels in her costume and fell into a prop tower, knocking it over in the process! Feeling guilty for her part in the accident, Limelight quickly moved to draw attention away from her humiliated sister. She dove into action to “save” a fellow pony from the “collapsing” tower, tackling them into center stage just in the nick of time. Her heroic improv caused the audience to erupt in cheers. By the end of the play, everypony had forgotten about Goldie’s mishap and Limelight had earned her cutie mark in being the center of attention! When several moons later their school hosted another big play, Limelight was disappointed but understanding of her sister’s decision not to audition. Surprising nopony, the flashy pegasus once again landed the leading role of the heroic pony who would face down an evil sorceress. During the climax, Limelight was about to be defeated by a falling lantern launched by the evil sorceress when it was abruptly suspended in midair. With a smirk and wink to her sister in the audience, she brushed aside her mane to reveal a prop horn- her character had secretly been an alicorn all along! Using powerful alicorn magic, she sealed away the evil sorceress in a change of script that did not make the faculty very happy, but which the audience absolutely loved. Fast forward to their early adulthood and the two sisters were prepared, though hardly ready, to go their separate ways in pursuit of careers. Suddenly, their mother met them with a proposition: She would purchase a theater for them and, if they could make it thrive, they would be allowed to keep it for themselves, no strings attached. If not, however, their mother would cut her losses and convert the building into something more profitable, like an indoor Buckball court. Eager for the opportunity to work together, the two sisters decided to take the plunge. To this day, the theater is struggling but Limelight insists that one big hit is all they need to turn their business around! Character personality: Cheerful and outgoing, Limelight is extremely popular but doesn’t have many ponies who she would call friends. She mostly saves her affection and friendship for her adopted sister, Golden Dream, who she absolutely loves to death. Limelight loves attention and with her good looks and charisma, along with a little showboating, tends to get it wherever she goes. She is an optimist to a fault, sometimes getting to the point of being an airhead (such as believing she’s destined to be an alicorn one day despite having no idea how to become one). Character summary: A flashy and peppy pegasus who is inseparable from her sister, Golden Dream. Always the center of attention and loving every second of it. Co-owns a theater and manages the social side of business. Wishes desperately to become an Alicorn, but frankly has no idea how becoming one even happens (and of course never will actually become one).

Hawthorn watches his host calmly walk over with two flagons of cider and offer him one. He blinks in silence then chuckles softly. "Is this your subtle way of telling me to relax? I guess I probably am overreacting." He takes a small sip of the drink the unicorn offered him, but when the sweet cider hits his tongue he can't help himself from taking a hearty swig. The distraction gave him a moment to clear his head and think rationally, so he starts planning the party in his head while making idle conversation. "Was your partner an architect? You strike me as more of a designer than a builder yourself." Lamp was going to invite a couple of his friends, and he himself was of course invited to attend. Rosemary would probably love to play waitress. Hawthorn pictures his little sister serving food and drinks to hungry friends in an adorable little apron- she would certainly bring smiles to the party ponies! Counting himself, Hawthorn was expecting five total guests. Not a bad turnout, but it probably wouldn't hurt to advertise a little. Maybe he could just put up a sign outside? "Come on in! Free food and drink for everypony!" Would that really work? If it drew in even one more guest, he supposed it would be worthwhile. "Oh, Lamp, it slipped my mind to ask, but how much am I gonna owe ya for the afternoon? Money is no object- I'm sure this will be worth every bit."

I'm absolutely fine with that, Foxxy.

Hawthorn smiles wide and nods enthusiastically when the other pony offers to show him the dining area. "Outdoor appeal? Oh, yes please!" He trots excitedly alongside the unicorn, all the while taking in the delightful little inn. This Lamp Lighter clearly had a talent for making ponies feel at home. He pauses for a moment to admire the building before noticing that Lamp is holding the door for him. Not wanting to make his host wait, he rushes through the door. When he sees the dining area, Hawthorn's jaw drops. He follows Lamp's hoof around the various amenities of this space and continues staring even after the unicorn is done pointing things out. "Suit my needs? Why, it's incredible! The perfect mix of traditional and practical! How'd you put this together?" Thinking it rude to talk while pacing, Hawthorn makes himself sit down across from his amiable host. But when the stallion's other question occurs to him, Hawthorn's content smile suddenly turns to a face of panic. "When?! Oh, beetroot! I got so caught up in scouting the place out I totally forgot about the time!" He looks apologetic, making the closest thing to 'puppy-dog eyes' a pony like him can manage. "I don't suppose... tomorrow afternoon is too soon? I-If you need help getting the place ready, I'm certainly willing... and I'm sure the other guests will-" he gasps suddenly. "Ah! I haven't even invited anyone else! What was I thinking?!" Hawthorn raises a hoof to meet his brow as his head tilts back. Even if he were to postpone, there wouldn't be much point. That food won't keep forever, after all.

Ah, yes, feel free to drop in any time! I know I framed the beginning as just Hawthorn and Lamp meeting each other, but that was mostly because I had to establish the setting and didn't know what character you'd be playing.

Hawthorn blinks, taken aback by the innkeeper's demeanor. When he recovers, his eyes fall upon the stallion's horn. A unicorn? For some reason he had imagined that an inn in Ponyville would likely be run by an earth pony, though him being a unicorn makes sense of the crystal-adorned door. After a short moment, he realizes he's staring and shakes his head, trying to act natural so as not to offend anypony. "I-I'm Hawthorn! I tend a local garden with my ma and siblings, and, uh..." he cuts off. No need to go over his life story; the other pony only just gave his name. "Anyway, um, that's not the point. How do I say this...?" He ponders for a moment before speaking up again. "I know you rent rooms to ponies who need them, but have you ever considered renting out a room other than a bedroom? Like, say, your lobby or a dining area? I ask because my brothers and sisters made probably enough food to feed half of Ponyville!" Recognizing how insane that probably sounds, he quickly adds, "Not that you have to do it just for me, of course! Hosting a party with good food and fun could be really good for business, you know!"