Stainless Steel Fox

(OOC: I'll be waiting until a bit later. Blueblood's second appointment was for 11 am.)

Wingnut hardly noticed her order being fulfilled as she explained her Ornithoptervator to the bedazzled Whirley Gig. Suddenly she realised the fudge was there, and gave a surprised double take. "Oh, thanks!" She pulled enough bits to cover the cost from a pouch on her harnes and dropped them on the counter, then packed the fudge away in another pocket. She turned back to Whirley Gig. "Tellyou what, when you've gotten what your getting, why don't we gooutside and I''ll give you a demonstration?" Blueblood was a bit annoyed that his order hadn't come, after all he thought he'd been pretty clear that she should bring whatever she felt was her finest fudge for him to sample. But then he saw that she'd gone into the back to make up a special order. That was more like it. In the mean time he had other things to think about. As Princess Cadence exited, he replied to her parting comment with a polite bow, not just a duck of the head, but a proper bend of the knees too. "As always, your highness. It is part of our royal duty to inspire ponies with our presence. It was, as usual, a pleasure." In response to Polaris giving in on the matter of the Duke of Canter, he repled, "I'm glad you see it my way, Duke Polaris. One can not be too careful, after all." 'The Sorcerer' was a far less provocative choice, and other than making sure that the Duke of Canter wasn't on the list, Blueblood had no real desire to go through the paperwork. "No, I'm sure I can rely on your judgement as to a suitable roster for the upcoming season." In response to Polaris's farewell he responded, "To be sure, I have a very busy schedule myself, not counting that letter I have to write. Do you think the shop-keeper has gotten stuck in her own confections?" He gave a small smirk at his own display of wit, though most outside obswrvers would have thought it only half as clever. "I shall be sure to visit if I'm ever around Manehatten..." as if he'd vist that great dirty smelly place full of uncouth ponies who couldn't even speak the Princess's Equestrian properly. "... and of course, you're always welcome at Buckinghay Palace or White Horn Estate." The former was the rarely used proper name for what was more commonly known as the Royal Palace, and the latter was his mother's family estate, named for her founding ancestor. Another reason he was unlikely to take up Polaris's kind offer, if Fetloch hall was anything like that, such a distressingly bucoilic place would drive him to distraction. A socially aware noble should always aspire to be in the cebntre of things. A small part of him rebelled, the part that thought it would be fun to explore a new place, but he'd long ago learned to keep it firmly under control.

With the excitement, or thankfully lack thereof, of the launching over, Blueblood decided to take his leave. "Thank you Captain, it was most instructive. I should be getting back to my rooms, I have work to do." They retruned to the upper deck without incident, and Blueblood turned to the others. "I will be in my cabin until lunch. Leiutenant, make whatever arrangements are necessary for lunch and dinner. I should not need any of you before lunch, so you are free to go do... whatever it is you do." He had notes to make and a map to plan out, and a Daring Doo novel (Griffon's Goblet to be precise) to read if his work became onerous. They'd passed a notice board with various entertaiments listed on it. A string quartet would be playing in the dining hall, while there was a volleyball tournament planned for the main court on the top deck. (OOC: I leave it to tacobob to decide whether it's SOP to have someone guarding Blueblood at lunchtime and dinner. Things won't kick off until then anyway.)

Alright, I have an idea to drive the plot into adventure rather than travelogue territory. I couldn't justify it as a random encounter, but I've managed to figure out a way to tie it into the overall plot. Actually, I expected Tacobob to be driving the plot, as this was their idea, and being more of a player, but that isn't how it's workedout. My GMing experience means I have some clue as to what to do, but I'd be only too happy to defer to other people if they want to take the reins for a while.

It's okay. I'm sorry there's not much room for character interaction, but I really wanted this scene for two reasons. 1. I love air-ships, especially the steam-punk sort and I've wanted to do one setting off forever! I wanted to play with the design, and see if I could actually come up with something that is both cool and practical. If I let the technology porn get away from me, I'm sorry. It was inspired in part by the bridge of the Atlantis the Lost Empire version of the Nautilus. I loved that shiip, and wish it had been in more of the movie. I also wanted to explore the kind of things a pony-based civilisation would do to launch it. Even with weather controlling pegasi countering the high winds and gusts that were such a bane to real airships, manouvering a big airship out of a dock would be complicated. If you've ever been on the deck of a ferry when it docks you'll see just how many people it takes. The reason it was lead out manually is that since the driving wing-sails run along each side, you wouldn't want them running while still inside the dock to avoid them striking something and getting damaged or sstriking someone. Given that teams of pegasi to haul it were the obvious answer. Thaumic boilers are the answer to the fact that coal is heavy. We know from MMMystery on the Freindship Express that pony steam trains are coal fired, but there are any number of problems with that on an air-ship. However, it is clear from the Cider Squeezy 6000 that magic can do the same job, and that a little magic goes a long way. So thaumic boilers operate from heating spells powered either by unicorns directly injecting it (which brings up the lovely image of unicon 'stokers' firing magic bolts at a machine) or stored magical energy (crystals have been approved by the management here). 2 I've now set up some NPCs for people to interact and play with. I'm fairly sure we'll be meeting Check Off again, and So Low. Any resembblance to any other characters anywhere is just a co-incidence, really. There has to be something fun we can do with a body double for Blueblood, even if he speaks in a Stalliongrad accent. As you've probably guessed, that down-looking device is an altimeter similar to early optical bomb sights.It takes tow slightly different views of the ground, and you adjust the direction. Both are thrown onto a screen, either half and half or switched back and forth, and when the two overlap, the two optical paths are forming two siides of a triangle. From the angles you can work out the height, or rather rwed it off a pre-calibrated dial. At night you do the same thing with beams of light. Ponies don't have radar, after all. There was one thing I was wondering about. It never came up in canon. We know Blueblood looks down on 'lesser' ponies, but is his definition based purely on social status, or is there a racial element. To be honest, I don't think so. Superficially you could easily see Blueblood as a unicorn supremacist, but despite the fact that he is a jerk, I don't think so. After all, I think I wroite somewhere else that the basic idea behind a unicorn supremacist movement would be that some unicorns are jealous of the loss of their control of the the sun and moon, and therefore their executive power. I can't see Blueblood, who has been brought up in the present paradigm and who's own status depends on the princesses would believe that. I have no doubt that some of his society 'friends' are. The reason this came up was the fact that there was a pegasus at the wheel. Racist!Blueblood would have been unable to avoid commenting negatively on the fact. So I think it's settled. Blueblood doesn't look fdown on Muggo-Ale because he's an earth pony, he looks down on him becauise he's a common barkeep. The other part of this is how he acts to servants and inferiors. While he has no problem giving unreasionable demands, and assuming his wishes are more important than any-pony else's, he won't go out of his way to be cruel to them. Nobless oblige, his status has responsibilities as well as rights. Rarity didn't get much of this because she was not a servant but assumed to be a lesser noble, who therefore should defer to him.

Blueblood checked his mane in the dresserr mirror one last time. This appearance would set his status in the minds of the crew, and it was imperative that he looked his best. There was a knock on the door, and the steward called out. "Prince Blueblood, you highness, your guards are here." He stepped outside, and realised his first mistake. All three of them were there, not just Firewalker and Dunder. He'd only intended to have his two uniformed guards present, not his whole party. But to say so now would make him look foalish. A skilled socialite could find ways to impose his own order on reality, even the raw facts didn't suit him. Social engineering was, after all, a gamer of perceptions. "Ah, you brought both my guards and personal assistant." His glance at Muggo was a wordless, 'Go with it!' "That is as well, I may require a drink or something if the process is overlong." There was a second set of stairs nested underneath the ones that lead down from the open deck to the toplevel, and they were lead down these stairs to a hatchway that was closed off. The steward knocked and said, "Prince Blueblood's party is here, sir!" The hatch opened and they were led into the control cabin. It was directly under Blueblood's cabin, and two stories high, though actually slightly smaller in floor plan, due to the curve of the gondola prow. Like Blueblood's cabin, the entire forward sweep of the prow was glass panels held together by rivetted metal frames. The lower floor was solid, some light wood, though it had several down looking port-holes, a couple with weird optical instruments over them, all eye-pieces and lenses and brass turnwheels and tubes pointing down. They had stepped out onto a walkway that ran the width of the back wall, and had steps parallel to it running down to the lower floor. To either side, the walkway continued in a horseshoe shape around the front curve of the cabin, widening at the front. There were at leat a dozen ponies scattered around the cabin, unicorns and earth ponies except for one pegasus. Some wore uniform jackets and billed caps, others stripy blue and white jerseys and white berrets with a blue pom-pom on. The lower level had various banks of instruments, levers and dials scattered around, and a set of engine telegraphs. The stations were mostly manned by ratings in their sriped jerseys, overseen by two officers, one a green earth-stallion at a down-looking instrument, the other a grey unicorn mare at a periscope that poked through the bottom of the hull. Various levers and controls surrounded her. They were led round to the wider front part of the walkway where the Captain was overseeing preparations for departure. Here was the steering wheel and a compass, and several telescopes and speaking tubes. Cunning mirror arrangements reflected views along either side of the gondola so they were clearly visible to the bridge crew. There were two other officers as well as the Captain, a blue peagasus mare with a wheel cutie-mark, at the wheel, the other a white unicorn stallion who was scarily similar to Blueblood, blond mane and compass rose cutie mark looking intently out through a right hand side telescope at somehing on the cliffs to one side, and holding a pen ready to a clipboard with his telekinesis. With the four of them and the Captain, it was crowded behind the officers, but they could just about fit. The mirrors showed the activity along either side and the windows showed wheat was happening on the dock ledge in front fo them. Ponies were unhitching mooring lines, and towards the back those ponies were exxclusively pegasi. Captain Shipshape greeted the Prince, and said, "You're just in time your highness. May I introduce our helmspony, First Officer So Low, and our navigator Third Officer Check Off. I'm afraid I wonl't be able to give much of a commentary, as I will be running things... speaking of which.... Are we clear for departure?" The similarity between Blueblood and Check Off vanished when he replied in a Staliongrad accent, "Canterlot Tower is giving us all clear. Veather pegasi are holding crosswind at 1.2 north northeast." The captain moved to a speaking tube. "Mister Steampuff, are the engines ready?" One of the ratings on the lower deck consulted his dials. His voice echoed back up. "Aye, Captain. Thaumic boilers 1 and 2 are at 120 pony-power and holding." At another tube. "Mister Loadstone, envelope condition?" A rating at a console full of levers and dials below replied. "All main bags at nominal pressure, trim bags at 12 pounds per hoof width." "Miss Trim, signal the tug teams to bring us out, slowly." "Aye aye!" The grey unicorn on the deck below started pulling levers, and semaphore arms down along the sides of the gondola moved. The ponies holding the bow cables started walking down piers either side of the hull, while the pegasi at the rear simply walked off the end, switching to flying so smoothly it was almost unnoticeable.The airship slowly backed out of the dock, and as the rear set of wingsails cleared the end, the captain spoke again. "Miss Trim, tell the teams to steer clear, Miss So Low, be ready to adjust for any sudden gusts. Mr Steampuff, bring up the rear wingsails, dead slow aft." "Dead slow aft, aye, aye." The pony below moved a paired set of levers on one engine telegraph, which rang as they were moved back a notch, then rang again as the tell-tale showing the telegraph positions in the engine room swung to match. The ariship moved more swiftly now, and the front wingsails cleared the pier, then the bow of the giondola. All the ponies holding the forward lines had released them as they reached the end of the piers, except for a few pegasi who had flown out still holding them, and were now running down the upper edge of the gondola, securing the lines with the help of ratings on the open deck. "Bring up the forward wingsails, dead slow aft, Mr Steampuff." Engine telegraphs clanged, and the forward wingsails started sculling backwards. "Miss So Low, how is she handling?" "Right as a raincloud, captain." The peagsus replied brighty. "Miss Traim, wave the tug teams to bring in the lines. Miss So Low, as soon as they're clear, bring us around parallel with the mountain on our port beam." The lines were brought in, avoiding fouling the aft wingsails, and the air-ship came slowly around, reversing back along the line of the mountains. On the right they could see the air port, and further forward Canterlot proper. "Mr Check off, you have a course?" The unicorn had been consulting his clipboard. "Aye Captain, I am making it 197 degrees true, 201 compensating for local vind conditions. Ve vill rise to 1200 pony-lengths till ve are past Fet Loch, then drop to 800." The Captain nodded. "Mr Steampuff, all stop. Mr Loadstone, bring the trim bags to 18 phw, and bring us back to eqilbrium when Mr Hawkeye has 1200 on the ground-scope." He turned to the helmspony. "Miss So Low, you have the course?" "Aye Captain. 201 compensating at 1200 pony-lengths." "Then make it so. You have the comm." "Aye aye. I have the comn." The pegasus mare nodded smartly, and started speaking into the tubes. The starboard wingsails came to full ahead, and the air-ship started to turn and move forward. It was a smooth interaction of pony and powered parts as they came to the proper heading and she brought up the port wingsails to full ahead too. The Cupid drove ahead, Canterlot and it's mountain range passing by to starboard. Captain Shuipshape finally turned to Blueblood again. "As you can see I have a first rate crew. I hope you'll have a chance to meet some of them at my table tonight." Blueblood gave a slightly patronising smile. "Yes, very capable. I have flown an air-ship a couple of times myself." He didn't mention that those two times it had been a small private yacht owned by Fancy Pants, and he'd had someone hovering by him the whole time. Bother that pegasus helmspony anyway! So he'd almost run into one of the spires of Canterlot palace, the sun had been in his eyes!

(OOC: I know I'm breaking strict order, but that doesn't seem to be a problem oin this thread, and my posts shouldn't interfere with any of the other sub-plots. If anyone has a complaint, I'll delete it of course.) Wingnut gave the shop-mare a pleasant smile. "I'm Wingnut, both in name, and in interests, and I could do with either mint choc chip or coffee if you have it. About 3 pounds, maybe four, two of each." She then turned back to Whirley-gig. "Sorry, I wasn't ignoring you, just getting things organised. Yes, it's all my own work. It only puts out the equivalent of about 3.5 wingpower, so I'm not going to be racing Wonderbolts any time soon, but it flies, and I can hover and back-wing, unlike my earlier models which were closer to gliders. It runs off a thaumic boiler rather than coal, as I'm sure you've already figured out, but I've managed to get the power requirements down to the point where it can run of a storage crystal. I used to have to run a thaumic tap cable from my horn, but with a little more refinement, that means any-pony can use it whether they're unicorn or earth-pony!"

Wingnut grinned. "I can speak for myself. Wingnut, aeronatiical inventress and engineer at your service. And my contraption is the Wingnut Otnithoptivator Mark 23. I see from your cutie mark that you're in the engineering business as well."

Blueblood had settled himself. While he didn't have the usual staff of servants, the steward had unpacked his many pieces of luggage. He spent a short qwhile checking everything, and touching up his mane with a quick cosmetic spell, then sat down to re-read his father's journal, make some notes and work on the map he was developing from it. He got so engrossed in his work, he was quite startled when the speaking tube spoke. 'All passengers. The Cupid is ready for departure. Any-pony wishing to watch the departure should report to the main salon amidships. We will be casting off in three minutes.' He didn't need to go to the hall like some common pony, his cabin gave him an unparallelled view of the forward aspect and he intended to enjoy it. He could see ponies moving about on the dockside and piers, casting off ropes from their moorings and holding them ready to guide the airship out. It had been parked with it's nose towards the dock, so it would have to reverse out and turn before moving off. There was a knock on the door, and a stewards voice said, "Captain's complements. He asks if your highness would wish to observe the undocking maneouvre from the bridge." This was different. A special privilege was always to be made use of, unless you had a very good reason. However, since it would be in the nature of a visit, he must put his best hoof forward. "I will indeed. However, go alert my guard detail so they can escort me, then return to fetch me." The thought that the control cabin might already be crowded, or that his party might have other plans never crossed his mind. &&& The same announcement was heard in the other's cabins, and shortly afterwards, the steward knocked on their door. "The Prince asked me to tell you that he will be watching the launch from the bridge, and that you were to get ready to accompany him. You'd better hurry, there's only a couple of minutes left!"

I was the one running it as well as hosting it. So I was particularly knackered.

Sorry, was up until 4 am last night revising the last half of the session when I realised I'd left a plot hole in it. I was up at 8am to get all the household things (grocery shopping cleaning up and laundry) done, Then the game itself ran through from 2 pm to 11pm. Currently too tired to be creative. Sorry. Will post tomorrow.

At a friends house last night, got to finish the write up for a RP I'm running tomorrow. Will post tomorrow night if my brain has recovered.

Blueblood considered Duke Polaris's words. It was possible, barely possible that he might have a point about foodstuffs not travelling well, despite the fact that Blueblood had his goods delivered by personal courier. He did have a point that it was up to nobles such as himself to provide their invaluable insights and refined tastebuds to assisting lesser ponies to improve. His mood was improved by the aclarity with which the shop-pony accepted correction, and her willingness to accomodate him. He decided to be magnanimous. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to be versed in the customary usages. As you said, you shop is not commonly visited by poni3es of such high station. I am rather partial to candied rose and violet petals, but I believe I will try some of your fudge. As the Duke said, we noble ponies have a duty to share our refined taste and wisdom with lesser ponies. So, as I believe the common parlance goes, 'Hit me with your best shot.'" (OOC: I don't see Blueblood as a big opera-goer. He may be a patron of the Royal Canterlot Opera, purely for the cachet, but he takes no real interest in it. However, he would have to know enough to fake it as part of his socialising. Besides, most of the Dukes of Canter have been highly capable and effective individuals. The present incarnation is the way he is for a reason, as told in his back story.) He turned to Polaris. "You may be right, after the Changeling invasion, a season of lighter works might be best." He winced at the mention of the 'Duke of Canter.' He'dnever been to see a production, but he knew the basic story. "I don't think that is really appropriate. The play undermines the dignity of the nobility generally, and my family in particular. However, if you wish me yto endore some other suggestions, I will be only too happy to do so." Meanwhile another pony was decending from on high, literally. A grey and white dappled unicorn in flying goggles and a harness was dropping towards the shop. The contraption the harness was attached to endured she wasn't dropping too fast. The rear part, sticking out from over her rump was a fan tail made of orange dyed canvas and thin metal spars. On top of the saddle was a small steam engine of intricate contruction, with metal segmented pipes leading to a pair of orange dyed canvas bat-wings, all intrcate brass joints, spars and pistons. control lines hooked to cuffs on all four legs, and control levers sat on a yoke around her neck, easily controlled with a tap from the side of her muzzle. She pressed one, as she landed and the fan-tail folded together and retracted into the main body of the device. The wings folding tight against her saddle, and the multiple exhaust tubes poking up from the device vented steam away from her body. She trotted into the sweet shop who's bright banner had caught her eye and said, "A fudge sale? What have you got?"

You and Wingnut will get on well. Though she's built or rather is still developing mechanical wings, and no-body's complained.

(OOC: I'm waiting for a response from Lux. After all, Blueblood did just upbraid her for not following protocol.)

6 will never fly. None of the characters has a frive sylable name to shout when they call, 'Where are you!' 5. 'Y'know, we don't usually wear clothes. 4. Too 'The navy lark'

I'm trying to decide what exactly will happen on board the Cupid. I'm sure you've figured out by now that I like creating settings and I want to show them off, but without it becoming just a show and tell. I have at least one idea for something, which will remain secret until it happens, but I open the floor to any other suggestions.

Modified. It makes sense that if your luggage went ahead of you, they'd get it to your room, if only to avoid dozens of ponies all blocking the corridors at the same time with their stuff. Also, it may be that they need it beforehand so they can weigh it and calculate what effect it will have on the air-ship's buoyancy and balance. That way they could assign rooms to avoid too much weight on one side.

Outside, the boarding cupola nestled underneath the nose of the dirigible, with piers stretching out on either side of the gondola to about midships. A longer pier extended out underneath the keel, but that was for laoding cargo and supplies. Several ponies were working to winch up a pallet of crates into a wide loading door in the side of the bottom deck. However, the passenger boarding ramps were on the level of the open deck above, and nestled against it to provide access to the boarding gates in the coamings. Blueblood was met at the entrance of the boarding ramp by a grizzled grey unicorn with a neatly cut white beard and mane, a billed cap, and a naval style tunic with broad gold stripes on the fetlock cuffs. His cutie-mark was a ship's wheel. "Prince Blueblood, sir. Captain Shipshape at your service! May I say it's a great honour to have you travelling with us." "Of course you may." Blueblood replied. "It is the truth, after all." The Captain didn't seem phased by this piece of self agrandisment. "If you'll come this way, I'll show you to your suite personally." He lead them along one of the piers, and turned off onto a gangplank that connected with the forward section of the deck. Towards the rear was a godown, a cabin with the forward side sloped, and an entrance facing the stern. It lead down some shallow steps, easy to navigate for quadrupeds, and down onto a cross corridor. To either side, a corrior ran backward, lined with caboin doors at intervals. The ones on the outbaord sides were spaced far further apart than the ones that ran back along the centre line. The Captain turned a key with his magic, and opened the door in front of them. "The Prow Penthouse." It was impressive. Not actually that big in absolute terms, but for an air ship it was large. A short corridor led into the main living space. The forward view was a wrap around window that stretched ariound the entire prow of the ship, and the living area was luxuriously decorated. The corridor was explained by the fact that a bedroom with a curtained four poster bed sat against one side of the back wall, and an en-suite bathroom sat against the other. An ice bucket with a bottle of sparkling wine was resting on the occasional table in the middle of the living area. His luggage had already been placed inside. Blueblood looked around. "Adequate, yes, this will do nicely." He turned to the trio. "Feel free to get yourselves settled in. I believe I shall be safe enough for the moment." A steward appeared, as if by magic and said "This way please." He led them back only a short way, to two of the central cabins next to each other, one for the guys, and one for Firewalker. These were more what you'd expect on an air-ship. The windowless boxes had electric lighting, a bunk bed, a writing desk with a chair and it's own lamp, and a wash basin. It was clean and nicely decorated, but a far cry from what they'd seen up front. The bathroom with showers and toilets was common to the row, and mid way down it. Rather than champagne, there was a wrapped chocolate on each pillow, but their luggage had also been delivered.

Sorry, can't post tonight. I've been installing WoW and training up on it using a Wargen charcter. It's late and i'm wiped out, not the best way to write something.

"Good morning. I'm pleased to see you're all here and on time." He himself was in an immaculate tweed jacket with an earth brown shirt and red cravat, a red rose in his lapel. "I had considered calling in a favour from one of my many friends, and obtaining the use of a private yacht, but the few that are outfitted for the long journey to Coral Corral aren't as fast as the Cupid." It would have also meant he could have saved money on the tickets, so he'd made an effort, but it was the plain truth. "Miss, I mean, Leiutenant Firewalker, I assume you and Airpony Dunder Blust are satisfied with your new situations? Considering our conversation at the restaurant, I decided since you were doing the job of an Honor Guard close protection detail, you should recieve the recognition, and the salary for it." Which came out of the Palace coffers, so the gesture had cost him nothing. "Getting you reactivated and transferred to the Honor Guard was easy enough for someone with my connections, but I had to call in a number of favours to get your friend inducted, even with his aptitude scores. Going directly into the Honor Guard is not the usual way of things. I sincerely hope I won't be dissapointed for my efforts." 'Air-liner Cupid is now boarding. Will all passengers please report to dock 3 with their boarding passes ready." A tannoy system repeated the message, and a hanging flight board in the middle of the hall glowed with unicorn magic as one of the lines of text flipped character by character to show the same message. "It seems they are ready. Shall we go?"

I just wanted to expand on how I see the air-ship design. I was thinking along the lines of the sort of propuulsions systems you see in the airships in 'Howl's Moving Castle', rows of oar like wings that cycle through a flapping motion in sequence. Much as i love the only genuine air-ship we've seen in MLP, the propelling wing sails just seemed to flap up and down. I've been teying to find some decent videos or even images, but so far no luck.

(OCC: @ Duchess High Dudgeon is the conversation-killer, High Dudgeon is the little-annoyance that brings total humiliation. I will face the High Dudgeon, I will permit it to pass over me and through me, and when it has gone past I will turn my inner snark to deride its path. Where the high dudgeon has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. - Unicorn Diplomat Calming Litany.) Blueblood was annoyed that Polaris had twisted his quite reasonable assertions like that. Making out that trotting around the streets like some common pony a virtue, and coming in here was a clever move, rather than a drop in standards. At least Princess Cadence admitted it was a bit infra-dig, by the very fact that she made it clear that she was defying convention. Unfortunately, there was little you could do to persuade them otherwise. The alicorn princesses were very much laws unto themselves. It was also possible that her stated intent had some merit, though excercising and sun bathing out in public was an odd way to do it. "You are correct, Princess, in that one of our most important duties is to look the part. Whilst you are gracious to say it, I actually take great pains to maintain my appearance, but privately. It is one of the reasons I was so annoyed about this accident. I had both a pedicure and both mane and tail styling only this morning, and between the wind and city streets, all that hard work will be undone." He ignored the prattling of the shop-pony, rather than upbraiding her for addressing him so familiarly. This was the sort of thing you encouraged when you didn't maintain your aloofness. Then Polaris made his claim about Germaney's exports. A part of Blueblood that he didn't care to admit existed supressed a flash of envy at the other's globe trotting ways, but he was quick to defend himself. "Hmmph! In don't believe that they would send me anything less than their very best, no matter what they may export for _other_ ponies." When the shop-pony piped up again to endorse Duke Polaris, Blueblood gave her a stare so old fashioned, that it was around when Celestia was a foal. "Miss, I understand that Princess Cadence and Duke Polaris have allowed you to address them familiarly, but if you are to address me, the proper terms are 'your highness', or 'sire'. 'Your grace' is technically correct as well, but my membership of the Royal family takes precedence over my title as Duke of Canter." (OOC: While he outranks Duke Polaris, my reading of precedence says that Princess Cadence outranks him, and can therefore give him orders which he has to obey. Just a thought.)

Canterlot air-ship port was built into a saddle between two of the lesser alps of the Canterlot range, well out of sight of the shining castle. it was an impressive sight, whether you cam by the dedicated rail spur, one of the several wide roads that lead from the outskirts of the city proper, or by flying chariot. A lot of the terminal buildings were hollowed out of the mountain themselves, enlarged caverns of old mine workings that were lit up like day from light funneled from the outside through the veins of quartz and gemstones that still ran through them. But it was the extrior that first caught your eye as you approached, ledges supporting piers that jutted out from the steep cliff face at several levels. There were exterior buildings, pavillions for boarding passengers that llooked more castle-like than the royal palace, and balloon elevators floated up and down between levels teathered to funicular tracks. Wide baffles and an unceasing pegasus weather patrol maintained near windstill conditions, allowing rows of air-ships to anchor safely between the piers. Chubby tramp freighters and big cargo haulers on the lower levels, and off to each side the smaller private docks and slipways for private yachts and patrol boats. But the top row of docks were for the passenger liners, the ships that carried the great and the good, or at least the wealthy and moderately pleasant to the four corners of Equestria. Prince Blueblood arrived by flying carriage, landing at the VIP building at one end of the saddle. He was escorted down via an internal lift to the top level terminal halls, and whisked therough the formalities to the VIP lounge that served the hall. It had an outside view, a cupola that extended out and gave an excellent view of Dock 3 and the White Horn Line Reindeer class air-liner Cupid. It was a fast passenger liner, not a cruise liner, but it was quite luxurious, even in the regular berths. Setting out mid-morning, it could make the trip to Baltimare by early evening, and stop over to exchange passengers and cargo for the run to Manehatten the next day. It would dock there only to set off in the evening for Corralwood Corral and reach there the next morning. Like Comet, Dasher and Dancer, itt's sister ships, it followed the Seasaddle Bay circuit, coming back via Hoofington. The Cupid itself wasn't the biggest air-ship he'd seen, the Cloudwing Line Alicorn class cruise liners Celestial, Lunar and Cadence took that honour, but it did dwarf the private yacht he'd watched launch from one of the private slips not to long ago. Least said about what else had happened then, the better. The Cupid's gondola alone was over 80 pony-lengths long,with three enclosed decks and one open top deck between the gondola and envelope, and the envelope was over twice that length, decorated with the distinctive image of a cloudscape and Princess Cadence firing bolt of energy from her horn that bore a resemblence to an arrow with a heart shaped tip and fletching. The motive power came from twin five stroke arrays of wing sails fore and aft, located with the engines on the lowest level. He could also see movement in the control cabin on that level, and the open side doors where cargo and stores were being loaded aboard. The upper two levels had rows of windows, and bigger, two story ones amidships, where the main dining hall and ballroom was. The lower level was crew spaces and some of the passenger cabins, while the upper level was all passenger cabins and smaller social areas such as the library and music room inboard. The bigger windows at the bow indicated the half dozen luxury suites, or which one was his. He'd secured a standard double cabin on the top level for Muggo Ale and Dunder, and a standard single cabin for Firewalker. While there were no separate 'classes' his luxury ticket meant he'd be sitting at the Captains table and eating fancier food. It also meant he had access to the forwardmost section of the open deck, which was the VIP area, laid out with seating and tables and on-call service. The rest of the open deck had seats and areas marked out for activities and games, with netting for some of the more enthusiatic ones. Speaking of enthusiastic ones, there were windows in the VIP lounge that looked out over the terminal chamber, and down there he could see three familiar figures. He decided to go down and meet them. (OOC: I'll give more imnterior detail and boarding procedures as we go on. For the main hall think that one on the Titanic, and the regular rooms are equivalent to a three star hotel, Bed, basin, closet, seat and desk with a light.)

Blueblood was a bit taken aback. He'd thought something important was going on. "Princess Cadence, you came here in person merely to purchase some fudge? And you as well, Duke Polaris? Why not send a servant to do it? That is, after all what they're there for, to perform the mundane tasks so we of the nobility can engage in our proper duties. Trotting down to a shop to buy something is rather undignified." This last was said in a tone which implied that being 'undignified' was as near to a mortal sin as it was possible for any-pony to commit. "I myself would not have been passing by if my chariot hadn't thrown a wheel. I was at the dedication of the new statue in Canterleigh Park. It was necessary for someone from the Royal family to be there. Such are the burdens of my heavy schedule." Which was one way of looking at it. Of course, the part of Canterlot society that didn't have it's horn firmly jammed between it's flanks knew that his so called heavy schedule came from the fact that Prince Blueblood would quite happily go to the opening of an envelope, if there was a crowd to admire him, and it was made of sufficienly expensive paper. "It's disgraceful, some-pony left a pony-hole cover open and my drivers failed to spot it. Normally, I would have waited for a replacement from the palace, but the response time seemed to be somewhere between glacial and geological. I wish to return to my chambers and write a number of searing complaints to various ponies as quickly as possible, so I resolved to walk. They I saw both of you in here and wondered what the occasion was." A Royal chariot pulled by two pegasi rolled past the window outside in the opposite direction that Blueblood had been travelling. However, he was so in love with the sound of his own voice, he clearly hadn't noticed. He turned to Sweet Surprise and said haughtily, "I have to maintain a strict diet, and such sugary confections would wreak havoc with it. Maintaining my appearance is a vital part of my job, after all. While I occasionally do have a piece of fudge, it is imported from Germaney, horn-made by the finest confectioners in all of Equestria, and not marked down." (OOC: Yes, he's a jerk. The depressing thing is he's actually being relatively polite, because of the presence of the other nobles.)