HighRoller

[Hi, everypony. I'll be posting in, since it's open. I can leave if my presence gets obtrusive into what y'all already have going on.] Highroller had just arrived at the cafe moments before the mayor and her guests arrived. He easily recognized her, since he was now making regular visits from his shop in the suburbs of Canterlot in order to foster a gaming group in the lovely hamlet; the mayor was a social, visible official, so naturally he'd seen her around. Coincidentally, his table was directly next to theirs, and while he thought about listening in, he though it rude to eavesdrop. Besides...this was Ponyville! Everypony here was, for the most part, very friendly, and probably wouldn't mind him cutting in provided they weren't too involved in some sort of deeply personal conversation. The mood seemed light, so he doubted he'd be interrupting anything serious. The unicorn stood and levitated his glass of iced tea, bringing it with him to stand near the empty fourth seat at the party's table. "Excuse me, everypony...is this seat taken?" he asked, smiling charmingly and adjusting his glasses with a hoof. The young stallion took a moment to take in the appearances of the other two ponies. He'd never seen them around before. Even though he was a well-to-do business owner in Canterlot, he wasn't precisely a socialite, and as such he didn't meet too many ponies who were too far out of his way.

Roller used his unicorn magic to carefully lift the lid of the chest that had been laid at his feet and couldn't suppress a gasp of wonderment. There were a lot of lovely things...both old and new, as the shaggy stallion had said. He levitated a wooden box out of the chest and opened it up to find lots of figurines of ponies! No soldiers, but lots of interesting items he could restore, paint, and display at his store. Next he found himself examining a chess set. The best way to define the look and feel of the pieces was "abstract". He couldn't tell what they were made out of, and they were the typical white and black, except speckled with various colors, as if confetti had been embedded in them. Roller carefully made a small pile of things he wanted to purchase, allowing the other ponies to go about their business in the mean time. [sorry, just realized I may have posted out of turn. >.< Is there a strict turn-order at play here?]

That man is amazing. I could gush about how awesome he is for a full hour. But I'll refrain here. Also, I kinda think some of the more versatile anime localization VAs would be cool. Yuri Lowenthal, for instance. That guy is talented. Vic Mignownasfowf is cool, and he does emotion well, but his characters don't sound much different from each other.

Thanks a bunch. It's my second one, so this isn't exactly my first rodeo.

Roleplay Type: Mane Equestrian Name: Stalwart Sex: Male Age: Stallion Species: Pegasus Eye Color: True Blue Coat Color: Shadowy Blue-Gray Mane/Tail/Markings Color & Style: Mane and tail are longish, wavy, and a bit messy, and are a pale, slightly dingy gray in color. Physique: Above average height, rugged, sturdy build Cutie Mark: A small stone fortress Origin/Residence: Resides in Canterlot, born on the frontier Occupation: Private Security/Bodyguard Motivation: Stalwart desires to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and wants to be a refuge to those he loves in times of trouble. He also wishes to follow in his father's footsteps and become a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Likes: Hiking, peaceful scenery, physical work, animals, the smell of soil Dislikes: Cruelty, injustice of all kinds, being cooped up, dealing with young foals (feels awkward), ruminating thoughts, being the center of attention Character Summary: Personality: Stalwart is quick to defend those in need, but slow to anger for any reason. He has a very gentle spirit, and enjoys nature, animals, and working the land. However, he is a staunch defender of the weak and downtrodden, unable to tolerate bullying and wanton violence. That being said, he's not above bruising some heads in order to preserve the overall peace. Family: Stalwart's father was a retired royal guard who had moved out to a small plot of land on the frontier on the other side of the Stadia from the Hasufel Mountains. His mother was a younger mare from a rural village in the area. They met, married, and owned a small farm, which Stalwart grew up helping to maintain. A short while after his father passed away from a combination of old age and illness when Stalwart was a young stallion, his mother sold the farm and encouraged him to pursue his dream, which was to follow in his father's footsteps and become a royal guard. Personal History: Stalwart is relatively well educated, having been tutored by his mother and father as a colt. In addition, waking up early each morning and performing the difficult work involved with running a farm have left him a strong and disciplined stallion with a good work ethic. Ever since he was a colt he has loved communing with nature, and would often spend his spare time traversing the small wooded areas and riverbanks that surrounded his father's property. Cutie Mark Story: When Stalwart's father passed away, his mother was distraught. She often took to wandering the surrounding lands by herself on long walks, attempting to get her mind off of her grief, while Stalwart tended to the farm work. Though life in the area was peaceful, there was occasional banditry in the region. One day, Stalwart's dear mother failed to return home at her usual time. His concern growing with each passing minute, Stalwart finally ventured forth to look for her, searching some woods he and his mother both enjoyed visiting. To his horror, the young stallion found that a pair of ne'er-do-wells had accosted her. After attempting to reason with them for her release, it fell upon him to use his physical strength to fight them off. In the face of his steady onslaught, the scrawny ponies fled in terror, leaving Stalwart and his distraught mother alone in the clearing. As he nuzzled her tears away and comforted her, the mark of a stone fortress appeared on his flank, representing not only his physical strength and valor in the face of danger, but also his capacity to be a sturdy fixture for others to rely upon in their times of personal need. An illustration of Stalwart's general appearance A closer look at Stalwart's cutie mark

HighRoller was trotting along the street, having just visited some members of a gaming group he was trying to foster here in Ponyville. He happened to hear a distinctly odious but seemingly friendly pony talking about antiques. This piqued his interest. Ever the gamer, he imagined he might find something he could fashion into terrain for miniature gaming, at the very least, and he liked old things anyway. It was always enchanting to be amidst long-lost and forgotten things that once belonged to somepony else and imagine what they'd been used for and what events they'd survived. Galloping eagerly towards the storefront, he slowed down and politely let a lady in lovely finery pass through the entrance before him. After she was through, he walked in, his hooves clip-clopping on the floor as he gazed in wonder at the surrounding treasures. Once the strong-scented owner was done speaking to the well-dressed frontierspony, he stepped up. "Um...excuse me...would you happen to have any, uh, old toys for sale?" he asked, cocking his head. He hoped to score some vintage pony soldiers, but whatever he happened to have around would likely be interesting.

Roller watched his fillyfriend open her...suitcase of wonders, apparently. He decided not to ask how such a thing was possible. He supposed he'd heard of and even seen much stranger things. The young stallion trotted over to her and nosed her cheek, saying nothing. He only smiled at her. He then trotted back over to the card players to see how their game progressed. "Just to warn you, I'm closing up shop a little early today. You guys have 20 minutes. If you want to make any purchases, do so now, because I'm about to close the register." As soon as he'd made sure neither pony was going to purchase anything, he trotted back over to Heart's seat and sat down beside her, nuzzling her muzzle. "Enjoying your vacation so far, sweety?"

Roller laughed nervously as Rook trotted away. "Um...was what necessary? I'm confused." He sighed. "Don't mind Rook, hon. He didn't mean anything by it. He's just really outgoing." He hadn't been trying to "show her off" to anyone. "I'm glad you like the store. I'm going to be spending an hour or two here, then closing up shop, and then we'll walk to my place. It's only about a block away." He smiled at her and walked over to the ponies playing games at a nearby table. "Hey, guys...glad to see you're having a great time." He swished his tail and looked over one of the pony's shoulders. "Oooh, bad move..." Roller muttered. "Wh-what? How?" said the pony whose shoulder he was looking over, with a confused expression. "Well, you should have waited until his turn to activate that. The effect only lasts until the end of the current player's turn." The younger, slightly tubby pony sighed. "You're right. Oh well." Roller trotted back over to Heart and nuzzled her nose. "Take a look around, if you want...or you can chill at a table or something with me while I do a little painting."

Roller looked a bit like a deer in the proverbial headlights when the larger, burlier pony seized his head. "O-oh...don't worry, I won't," was all he could manage. He regained his composure and nodded as his fillyfriend spoke. "It's alright, hon," he said, nudging her cheek with his nose and retrieving his own luggage, levitating his saddlebags to a semi-comfortable position on his back. "Yeah, let's go. Rook is patient, but that doesn't mean it's right to keep him waiting." The male trotted towards the suburb that his store was located in, looking over and smiling at HeartBeat every so often 'til they got there. He stopped in front of a decent-sized storefront, swishing his tail. There were clear glass doors, and a sign with a large silver horseshoe, with "Silverhoof Games" printed underneath. "Here it is. My pride and joy," he said, beaming at the white mare. Inside the glass doors, there was a young stallion with black hair and white highlights sitting behind the counter, reading a book. He was pure white, with a big splash of black on his flank, and his cutie mark was a white castle chess piece. A small bell rang when Roller pushed open the doors, and the pony looked up. "Oh! Hey, there, Roller." He trotted up and gave HeartBeat a smile. "Who's this? Is she the reason for your frequent trips back to Canterlot recently?" Roller only blushed, which prompted a laugh from the other male. "Oh, you know I'm just giving you a hard time." He politely extended a hoof to the mare. "I'm Rook. It's a pleasure to meet you." Regardless of whether or not she chose to shake his hand, he'd briefly turn his attention back to his friend. "Well, Roller, as you can see, we just have a few free gamers at the tables right now. A few purchases today, but nothing big. Don't worry about my cut right now. I promised a friend of mine a game of chess, so I have to get going." He gave Heart a polite nod and nudged Roller. "Have fun, loverboy." Rook then grinned and trotted off. "Um...thanks!" Roller called after his friend. He looked back to Heart. "Well, come on in, hon." She'd see the front counter doubled as a glass case, in which lots of game cards were displayed. Along both sides of the wall all the way to the back where shelves lined with organized boardgames on the left, and lots of equally organized boxed miniatures on the right.

Roller frowned and tilted her chin upwards with a hoof. "Hey...don't be so glum, hon. This has been a very pleasant ride, and your friends are my friends, too. You're worrying about problems that don't exist." The young stallion rubbed his cheek against her own. "And he's right. You are a gorgeous mare. My gorgeous mare." He swatted her playfully with a swish of his tail and used a hoof to carefully correct the position of his glasses. "Heck, even without these specs I'd be able to tell you were lovely. Besides that you're sweet, dedicated, generous, and very humble. What more could a stallion ask for?" he asked his former silly grin having diminished into a soft, gentle smile.

Roller was a little disappointed that he hadn't been able to help her into the cart like a true gentlecolt. However, he hopped into the seat beside her and nudged her cheek with his snout. He nodded respectfully to the ponies hauling the cart. "Well, then, let's be off," he said. "To Canterlot." He swished his tail as the cart began making its way down the street. As they moved, he looked happily over at his fillyfriend, admiring her features. "You...have pretty eyes," he said quietly.

Roller grabbed his saddlebags, levitating them onto his back, and rubbed the last of the sleep from his eyes, trotting out the door and giving Heart a gentle nuzzle. "Well, we don't have a date to keep, although I did tell the friend who's watching the shop for me I'd be back in Canterlot sometime this evening. He's flexible, though, and he enjoys helping me out...especially cuz I give him a little cut of whatever he sells while I'm gone," he said, a sly grin on his face.

Roller was as always happy to see his fillyfriend HeartBeat, and gave her cheek a soft bump with his nose. "Pleasure to meet you, Broadsides. An inventor, you say?" he asked curiously. "I've invented a few things, though they all have to do with games," he said with a sheepish grin. "Airships? The only kind of ships I've ever seen around here are regular old sea ships, but I 'spose there's a first time for everything."

Roller extended a hoof after Rainy. "Hey, wait! I don't think they..." he began, giving up as Rainy zipped down to the beach. "...went down there." He sighed and looked at Azure. "I suppose some fresh salt air would be rather nice. What do you say?" He then looked over at the newly arrived technically proficient stallion. "Hello, there. My new friend and I were just about to head down to the beach. Care to join us?"

Roller frowned and rubbed his nose against hers. "Hey...cheer up, sweety. It's okay." He didn't like to see his precious fillyfriend sad for any reason, least of all one related to him in some way. "Don't feel bad. It was an easy assumption to make." The young stallion levitated a napkin from the table and began to dab at her eyes. "And yes, we're still going to Canterlot, as long as you still want to." His sweet smile returned to his face.

Roller smiled a little wider and nipped her ear. "Hey...it's okay, honey. Don't be sorry." He stepped back and swished his tail, feeling a bit more awake. "What's there to be sorry for?" He levitated his tea cup and finished off its contents, then set it back down on the table.

Roller sipped some hot tea, that groggy expression still on his face, and looked up to see HeartBeat emerging from the bedroom. He managed a tired smile. "Hi there, sweety..." he said quietly. "Sorry...I'm not much of a morning pony." Odd considering he'd woken up before her. "I'm already pretty much packed, as I didn't unpack much here to begin with. You look as if you're ready to go." The stallion walked toward his lady love and nuzzled her nose.

Roller was still rather nervous, but climbed into the bed with her anyway, and was soon fast asleep himself. The Next Morning: Roller moaned and opened his eyes, looking around, taking a few moments to realize where he was. He carefully climbed out of bed, his hoofs clip-clopping as they made contact with the floor, and moved quietly and groggily towards the kitchen.

[Don't worry, I figured not. Wouldn't want to corrupt the minds of any young foals. xD] Roller blushed a bit and smiled at her. "Well...you're my first fillyfriend too, so I guess we're even." He swished his tail, but froze when he realized there was only one bed. "U-um...are you sure you don't want me to sleep on the floor?" he asked, coming up to her and gently nosing her cheek. "It's no trouble, if you're not comfortable sharing a bed with me." He looked down and lightly scuffed his hoof against the floor, as was his habit when nervous.

Roller galloped furiously towards the bakery, skidding along the ground through the doorway to a stop near Rainy and Azure's table. He was panting heavily, and he shook his mane a bit. "Oh, hi, Rainy." He gave a friendly smile. "Sorry, guys. I slept in today. I had to ask around to find out where all of you went." He seated himself at their table and ordered a large glass of ice cold water, gulping a lot of it down almost immediately. He looked around, now that he was beginning to catch his breath and took notice of a few things. "Who's this, Rainy?" was his first question. "Where are the girls?" was his second. He smiled at Azure. "I'm sorry. If I wanna know who you are, I should probably just ask." He swished his tail back and forth a bit. "I'm High Roller. Nice to meet you," he said, extending a hoof.

Roller smiled. "We can wait 'til morning, hon. I don't see any reason we have to be there before dawn. Besides...I'd sort of like to rest my head somewhere before I start traveling again. I just got here today." He finished his potatoes and took a slice of the cake the waiter had left for the two of them. "Mmm...this is tasty," he said after swallowing his bite. The young stallion gazed across the table at his date again. "S-so...um...have you ever had a coltfriend before me?" he asked curiously.

Roller put a hoof to his chin, thoughtfully chewing a bite of potato. He swallowed it and began speaking. "Well...I don't know. I usually hire someone to haul me and my things, so we could do that on the way back. It's not a particularly long journey provided we stick to the roads and the weather patrols keep them from getting muddy." He smiled happily at his new fillyfriend. "I...I'm looking forward to spending the week with you, heart."

The stallion sipped lightly from the tea again, using the excuse of drinking to think of something to talk about. He'd already asked her about work before they'd come...and he'd given her compliments... "Oh...I don't believe I've ever had you come to Canterlot with me to see my shop, have I?" he asked curiously. "It's not much, but I'm immensely proud of it. Maybe since you have the week off you could take two or three days to come see it?"