Chonico

'Oof!' Klondike exclaimed as he suddenly felt the travel's weight bearing down on him. He had just spent a whole day traveling at an incredibly fast pace trying to make up time. As much as he was enjoying the sudden music and dance, he was beginning to realize just how tired his hoofs were. 'One second Mr. Freewings. *huff puff* My satchel suddenly decided to become heavy. Color me impressed, but your skills with that instrument are superb. If… *huff puff*… If I could hire you to play while I fix things, I'd be lost to the world. But, I think I already have a big enough problem with that so *huff puff*…' Klondike sat down on his haunches while he caught his breath, a clear dampening of his brow glistening in the light coming off from the windows and street lamps as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths through his nostrils, almost appearing to be meditating. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and a sudden expression of confusion immediately adorned his face. 'Umm, I don't recall it being this crowded a while ago.' He noted as he realized the scenery had changed. 'For just how long were we doing our concert? Are we still in Ponyville?' He looked left and right as the sound from within the brightly light buildings reached his ears, causing his right ear to twitch frantically. As he kept looking at the few ponies strolling by, he noticed one go into a building carrying a traveling satchel, and as the door closed behind the pony, he noticed that the sign on the door read 'Inn' in bright blue letters. 'Mr. Freewings, are we at the inn district of Ponyville? Assuming we are still in Ponyville…' He asked with a slight chuckle to his voice.

I want to apologize to anypone who has to read this. I realize its a huge wall of text... Just like my other 2 characters. What can I say? I start writing and next thing I know I'm 2-3 pages into it If anypony has suggestions on this, I am willing to listen. Even if it includes a wooden mallet hovering over my head set to a timer to drop when I reach a 30 minute mark or something

Name: White Spade, 'Spades' for short. Gender: Male Age: Stallion Species: Unicorn Pelt Color: White Mane/Tail Color & Style: Mane and tail are white like the rest of him. Kept somewhat short, he likes to give himself a somewhat wild look to go with his show. Eye Color: Grey eyes when he's relaxed, purple eyes when he does his show, and yellow eyes when he's gambling. A cosmetic job he does on himself, unwillingly with his own magic, a problem that has persisted from foal-hood. Cutie Mark: A diamond, a clover, and a heart arranged in a triangle while shooting out of a top hat are clearly visible, being black in contrast to his pelt color. He likes to say there's a spade there as well, but jokes that it got stuck in his deck during a magic trick and thus left a blank spot somewhere on his flank. Physique: Average build if not a bit on the slim side. Residence: His residence is his satchel and whatever inn has a spare room at the time. Occupation: He is a traveling magician that specializes in card tricks, thus his cutie mark supposedly representing the four suits in a deck and a magician's top hat. He seldom uses his own magic in his act, preferring raw skill over fancy 'hocus pocus' as he calls it, and in reality, he is somewhat fearful of using anything beyond basic level spells. Placing his satchel on the floor, he's the equivalent to a street performer, entertaining ponies who walk by. Secretly however, he's a rather skilled gambler solely focusing on card games, things he can easily rig. Motivation: His wish is to build a large theater in Canterlot for him to one day administer as its sole proprietor, giving young performers such as himself a chance at making it big... Or at least a chance to experience the world that exists on stage, something that he feels can change the lives of everypony born to be in the spotlight. However, he realizes such a dream requires a big purse, so making a large amount of bits is also part of his motivation. Likes: Food, sweet snacks and cake, his collection of card decks, the look of surprise on the face of ponies when his magic tricks turn out right, and most of all, applauses. Dislikes: Salty foods, being called a cheat (Although technically he is one). Character Summary: As far as unicorns go, Spades is somewhat of an odd one to pin as far as character. The only sure character trait about his is that he's stubborn as a mule. While performing his act, which has a hard backing in card tricks but can be as varied as pulling bunnies from a hat, to sword swallowing and spiting fire, he comes off as a rather enthusiastic pony, eager to entertain his crowd with jokes and silly antics while he performs. He is fond of pulling bystanders and making them part of the show, having them try their hoofs at some tricks, while he helps them of course. However, when he's done with his act and his irises go back to their dull gray, he seems too meek and relaxed to be the same pony as the one that was performing a while ago, perhaps having left all that energy with his crowd. He doesn't mind talking with other ponies though, enjoying the company of others and welcoming questions about himself and his act. But, if a pony was expecting the same energy they saw while he performed, they are almost always let down. As far as the other part of his character goes, the gambling part that is, he is a rather completely different pony when it comes to that subject. The irises in his eyes almost immediately change to their bright yellow hue at the thought of gambling and the prospect of making some bits, often making other ponies slightly unnerved. Those who have gambled with him though would characterize him as cold and calculating, more interested in the game than in what other ponies have to say. The reason for that change in character, however, is rather simple to explain. It is part of his act, his poker face sort to speak, and he is simply trying to hide the fact that he is cheating as well. Not 100% of the time though, he never completely ensures a victory, but only simply nudges the scales in his favor. Having long since become comfortable with his philosophy that, 'if a pony is willing to gamble, then he is willing to lose,' he simply makes sure that when he leaves a game, his bit purse is heavier than when he started. There have been a few occasions however, where he found his fellow gamblers rather annoying and smug, and thus had no reserves about cleaning them out. The reason for his odd sets of characters can perhaps be best attributed to his earlier life. Having been raised in the traveling circus carnival environment, Spades quickly developed a knack for entertaining crowds. In fact, his one and only desire was to follow in his parents' hoofsteps and become a great performer. His parents though, were not unicorns but an earth pony couple, part of the wild beast master acts, who had adopted him when he was but a year old. Not once did he ever wonder who his real parents were though. He was beyond content with his family and in fact believed himself to be an earth pony too, choosing to ignore the fact he had a horn and his parents did not. As a result, as a young foal, he made fun of the other unicorns in the troupe, calling them 'hocus pocus dorks,' and pulled many a prank on them when he could. And was always punished by his parents when they caught him doing as such. This however resulted in many of the unicorns not wanting anything to do with him, something he would later sadly reap. Aside from being apt with his pranks, Spades was also very apt at playing cards, his father having taught him at a young age mainly because he refused to stay home while he went out to the weekly card games with some of the other pony in the circus. The other ponies at the card games thought it 'cute' and began to show him how to do other things with cards, such as card tricks. He was incredibly gifted and caught on really quick on how to use the basic methods such as glides, Hindu shuffles, and double lifts. However, when they realized he was also becoming apt at rigging the card games, the 'cute' factor vanished and he was no longer allowed to sit at the table and 'pretend' gamble with them mainly because he might 'pretend' bankrupt them. He was however allowed to come to the games... as long as he sat far away from the deck of cards as possible. His father felt somewhat bad that he was not allowed to play cards anymore and could only watch from far away, so for his 6th birthday, he bought him his first deck of cards, a deck with a green backing and purple symbols on the back made to look 'mystical.' Sadly for him, it was around this time that his magical abilities began to come to live. And, since he had played a few too many a pranks on the unicorns in the troupe, along with insults, he had no one to tutor him properly or teach him how to control it, and in all honesty, he didn't want to. His surfacing magical abilities were the first real threat to his self-built image of being an earth pony, and he wanted nothing to do with it and tried to ignore it for as long as he could. Sadly, as time went on, many magical accidents befell those around him. Ponies would suddenly trip as things appeared in their paths, or start hovering in the air only to suddenly fall to the ground with a heavy thump. Potted plants would moo or dance and many of the things in his family's carriage home would suddenly poof and disappear, only to reappear somewhere else at the most inappropriate time such as when his father's coffee disappeared during breakfast only to reappear hours later while he was reading the newspaper spilling its now icy cold contents all over him. Another side effect of his inability to control his magic was that his eye color would change back and forth between his normal gray eyes, to purple and Yellow eyes, a sort of cosmetic color change. The first time it happened, his parents were, to say the least, shocked and concerned. With time though, they learned to benefit from it, even though Spades tried his hardest to prevent the color change from happening. They quickly learned that purple eyes meant he was having fun and was thoroughly enjoying himself and happy. Yellow eyes however, simply meant he was extremely excited about something, and could be as simple as him knowing he was about to eat his favorite food for dinner, or that his father had bought his mother an expensive necklace as an anniversary gift. He had to hide for the whole day until his father gave it to his mother to avoid her catching on that something major was going on. It was at this point, when a new unicorn named Hoofdini joined the circus. He was part of the magical act and, not having been around for Spades' insults and pranks, he took a quick liking to Spades and his card tricks. In time, he became a fond family friend, especially with Spades' father given that they both shared a love of card games and gambling and would spend much time together, much to Spade's own annoyance because Hoofdini always suggested he join the magical act and offered to teach him all he knew. But, since Spades didn't want anything to do with unicorns and hocus pocus, and the only thing he truly desired was to be an earth pony and be left out of the 'magical stage' as Hoofdini often referred to it, he would always decline. Hoofdini tried and tried again to assure him that it was not 'hocus pocus' and that he would teach him to do magic, without real magic, but Spades simply ignored him. However, seeing the opportunity, Spade's parents were quick to ask Hoofdini if he would teach their son to control his magic, and he was more than happy to oblige. Yet, Spades refused to attend the lessons, and although the offer remained on the table, his parents had to look for other ways to help their son. His parents, deciding to keep doing all they could to help him, in the end decided that he might benefit from a hobby or a responsibility, something to help him get his mind off his predicament. Thus, they decided to begin his training to become part of their act. To say the least, he was ecstatic at the idea of finally being able to take the center ring with his parents and worked as hard as he could. Little by little, the magical outbursts happened less and less, and even his eyes stopped changing color. As far as he was concerned, he had finally become a true earth pony, like his parents. When he reached colt-hood, his debut finally came and he took the center ring with his parents, bathing in the spotlight and the cheers of the crowd. Along with his parents, they began their act to the continuous cheers of the crowd. First came the mantacore pyramid, then the ball balancing cockatrees, followed by more mantacores jumping through hoops, and each segment was done spectacularly as the crowd cheered and applauded, carefully watching the young beast tamer. Those who watched closely could have sworn they saw tears of pure joy rolling down the young colt's face, as they glistened across his now bright purple eyes. His eyes had changed, not even his parents had noticed being too busy keeping an eye on the animals to make sure they didn't decided to suddenly make their son a meal. Little by little, things on the ring began to change. Benches began to float, the scattered hay on the floor would sprout flowers, and sections of the bars that surrounded the center ring to form a cage began to turn to licorice as the light and humming from his horn became louder and brighter. It began to become too much for them to not notice. The crowd however, thought it part of the act and began to laugh, and as Spades realized what was happening, he could only feel them laughing at him and not the spectacle that was taking place in the ring. His eyes changed back to their neutral gray as fear began to set in and his tears of joy turned to tears of panic. He could only observe as his parents did all they could to control the situation, making it a priority to control the animals to make sure nopony got hurt. And, just like that, he was out cold as a bright flash erupted from his horn and everything in the ring, including his parents were suddenly turned into chickens, his last clear memory being the roaring laughter of the crowd. He awoke later in his family's carriage home, tears streaming down his cheeks as he begged his now restored parents to forgive him for being a unicorn and ruining their act. His parents could only hug and try to console him as they admonished him for saying such things. He was their son not matter what he was or what he did. He was too caught up trying to control his own sobbing that Spades didn't notice another pony in the room. It was Hoofdini, his act followed his parent's act and he had been near the ring when everything happened. He had been the one to restore everything back to normal, including his parents. And, as he stood there looking at the scene, a sodden sad expression on his face, he offered to teach him again. 'You tried your best kid, and I don't think anypony could have asked for more. In my eyes, you are an honest to goodness earth pony, just like your father and mother. But, some things just can't be ignored. Somepony could have gotten hurt, including your parents. Let me teach you to use magic. Let me be the first unicorn to teach an earth pony how to use magic...' Spades simply sat in his bed looking up at his parents and Hoofini, tears no longer streaming down his cheeks. He thought about what had been said, and he thought long and hard as his head hung low almost buried into his mattress. After a while, he finally gave his reply, 'I want my act to use magic without using magic, like you promised!' and as he raised his head to reveal a pair of bright yellow eyes, he reached inside his nightstand and pulled out the deck his father had given him. 'Teach me more card tricks and how to pull rabbits from a hat!' He had his first lesson the very next day. And, although he left his home gray eyed and sadden to go meet his new teacher near the circus tent, he returned purple eyed and screaming with joy as he sported his own cutie mark fresh on his flank.

Happy birthday! May many more been in your cards

Howdy! Awesome list, don't think I saw this one on there though:

Personally, I enjoy episodes with Applejack, she's my favorite closely followed by Twilight. As such, I would like to see more of her and her kin. Not just Granny Smith and Big Mac, but Braeburn and the rest of her cousins. I guess more background info on the ponies as well, like the Cutie Mark Chronicles episode.

'Coming from such a beautiful dance partner as yourself is enough to make anypony want to BE as wonderful as possible.' Clay returned the gesture and bowed to Melody as they both stood on the dance floor, a confident smile on his face when in reality, the voice in his mind was spewing out a steady stream of, "focus, don't step on her, focus, don't step on her..." Still trying to hear the rhythm of the song that was being played by the orchestra, his thoughts suddenly took a slight tangent. 'Odd, for a moment back there, while walking out to this here floor, I thought I saw a hint of doubt or worry on her. Maybe she wanted to start off with something a bit faster paced… Or maybe she doesn't dance either. HA! Yeah right Clay, she probably won dance competitions.' He thought to himself as he smiled at his dance partner. 'No no, now is not the time for that Clay, focus on the song and remember what you practiced and for Celestia's sake don't step on her!' And just like that, after a few seconds, his hoofs began to move to the music as he tried his best to keep his gaze and smile on Melody and not on his hoofs. The music that was playing was the standard slow dance music, and, although Clay had heard it before, he could not recall the name. But that was the least of his concerns as he did his best to not get his hoofs tied up. 'One hoof out, the other in… one hoof out, the other in and raise front hoof… now two-step trot to the right, then back to the left and around your partner… HA! I think I got this in the saddle ba *BUMP*' Clay slightly bumped into a pony that was next to him on his right but quickly recovered. 'My apologies sir, and to your partner as well, it was the banana peel on the floor.' He tried to make a slight joke of it as he addressed the somewhat annoyed looking stallion, who obviously didn't think it funny. Clearing his throat a little, he told himself not to let it ruin his focus, and continued to dance. 'Close call… one hoof out, the other in…' Clay continued to keep track of his hoofs as he smiled brightly at Melody, a slight dampening of his brow now slightly visible from the focus.

To whomever keeps sneezing on the display case at the store... Contrary to what the benevolent Princess Celestia has taught me about Friendship and kindness and tolerance... I am about to throw it all out a window. I'm tired of cleaning your snot off the glass every time I work. Do it again, and it won't matter if you are a kid, teen, adult, or what have you. I will find you, and when I do... I... WILL... END... YOU =_= (This message has been brought to you by the kinds folks at "COVER YOUR DAMN NOSE WHEN YOU SNEEZE AND USE A KLEENEX!") Thank you ^ ^ Have a nice day cause... I'm watching you =_=

Clay could tell he had asked Melody a somewhat difficult question when he asked her about her choice in music. As she explained that her taste was extremely broad however, he could not help but let out a small chuckle and a smile as he decided to stand up as well, and face his guest for the evening. As she spoke about her joy in sharing music with everypony else, he could sense that she had a great deal of pride in her work, although admittedly he had never actually met a voice coach in person and had somewhat of a difficult time picturing Melody in her profession. Yet, as he tried to picture it, he could not help but feel that her gentle and kind misdemeanor must be a great asset to her. 'If you coach others in signing, I can't help but imagine you have a very gifted and lovely signing voice. I would love to hear it sometime, Miss Melody.' Clay said this as he returned the warm smile and winked at her. 'As for myself though, I suppose you could call me a sort of renaissance pony when it comes to pottery.' He tried his best not to make it seem like he was tooting his own horn. 'I had a wonderful teacher that taught me everything about the trade. Thanks to him, I delve in anything from hand-build to wheel thrown methods and I'm more than comfortable using anything from fine grain mediums like porcelain, to coarser grain clays that feel like sand paper on your hooves.' This last part he said as he slight dragged a hoof on the marble floor and chuckled a bit. 'In fact…' Clay continued addressing Melody as he shot one quick glance at his tuxedo. 'More often than not, I am covered in dry bits of clay and dust. I doubt anypony that knows me would recognize me now seeing as most ponies in Fillydelphia refer to me as Clay, The Clay Hermit.' He patted himself on the chest, as he often did when he mentioned his nickname to others. 'I clean up rather nice if I do say so myself.' He shot his tuxedo another glance. 'Well, with a little help of course.' This time he pointed at his bow-tie as he smiled warmly at Melody. After that short exchange, he stood there silently for a few seconds as many new questions raced through his mind. He wanted to know more about Melody, things ranging from taste in food to favorite musical groups, although he did realize the latter might include an extensive list. 'Well, you hopefully have most of the evening to chat with her.' He thought to himself as his ears suddenly perked up as he heard a change in the music coming from the orchestra. 'I would really enjoy learning more about you, Melody. But for now…' He took Melody's hoof in his own, and placed a kiss on it as he extended his wings keeping them low to the ground and bowed at the pony whose hoof he held. 'It would be my pleasure if you joined me for this dance, Miss Melody.' Clay tried to control the blush across his muzzle, and somewhat slight tinge of panic, and began to lead Melody towards the dance floor after a short pause, confident that the current song would be slow enough to fit his inexperience.

'Evening Miss Melody, glad I made it so easy for you to find me.' Clay addressed the soft object that now rested atop his head as he opened one eye and slightly tilted his head up allowing himself a small glimpse of the tip of a muzzle. 'Are we comfortable?' He kept looking up at the muzzle as his content 'goofy' smile remained clearly visible now with a slight blush to it, his somewhat extended and slightly frazzled wings being the only thing betraying the fact she had nearly caused the nervous Pegasus to fly out a window. 'I enjoy sitting and relaxing when I can. Relaxing means I am not stressed, and not being too stressed means no shaky hoofs. Shaky hoofs are no good to a potter.' He answered with a jokingly smug expression on his face as he raised a hoof up in the air, perhaps trying to show what he meant, only to have it be slightly shaky itself. 'Err…Well, that ain't stress, I can guarantee you that.' That noticeable blush returned to his face as his wings finally managed to make their way back to a resting position on his sides. Clay did one quick scan of the room and realized he was the only pony sitting down. Well, at least the only one that was clearly visible among the crowd. Looking back up at the small bit of Melody's muzzle atop his head that was visible to him, he remembered the questions he had about Melody and decided to start off the evening getting to know the pony that has helped him out of a pickle in the Royal Gardens. 'Hmm, I'd imagine that you don't often rest your head atop other ponies' heads while relaxing in your spare time. Not that I mind, mind you.' He said as he let out a slight chuckle. 'Or is it something you like to do while listening to music? Which by the way, what kind of music do you enjoy? When I saw your gown I couldn't help think you are a musician of sorts.' The content 'goofy' smile had returned to his own muzzle as he waited for an answer and tried to pay attention to the music playing, looking for something slower paced to start off with.

Inside the Ballroom of the Palace, many ponies could be seen making merry. Some were enjoying themselves while dancing to the light tunes coming from the orchestra, while other simply stood chatting with old and new friends. A few other ponies could be seen walking from one group of ponies to another, perhaps saying their simple introductions or greetings. All in all, it was a plethora of colorful gowns and merriment, a place where something as simple as a pony observing the festivities would just be one of many faces in a crowd. Clay stood near the entrance to the ballroom that led from the buffet area, and further led from the Royal Gardens, silently looking at the mass of ponies that had gathered inside. 'Wow, didn't expected such a huge crowd in here. Better not make the same first impression as I did in the Gardens.' He thought to himself as he let out a small chuckle that was quickly followed by a shallow sigh and a somewhat hanging head as a small realization dawned on him… Dancing, one of his more annoying weaknesses, something he never bothered to master for the exact same reason he nearly strangled himself while trying to fix his bow-tie... He simply thought he would never have a need for it. 'Well, at least it's slow dancing, that seems simple enough for me.' He muttered to himself as he raised his head once again and observed a pair of ponies on the dance floor seeming to float with grace to the music. Observing the pair, his hoofs began to move slightly. 'One hoof out, the other in… one hoof out, the other in and raise front hoof… now two-step trot to the right, then back to the left and around your partner… and again, one hoof out, one hoof in….' Clay's hoof moved in sync to his silently mumbling mouth as he kept track and a concentrated expression formed across his face. Then, still observing the pair of ponies on the dance floor, confusion and a tinge of slight panic began to form across Clay's face. 'One hoof out, one hoof to the right… no, in, not to the right, no wait, two step trot to the left… err, to the right… By Celestia! I'm going to step on her!' He cringed as he imagined the scene and then hung his head a bit in shame. Yet, as he did this, oddly enough, a somewhat silly smile formed across his face. 'She was very gentle and kind…' Clay told himself in a somewhat silent voice as he raised his head back up and his ears perked up a bit, his hoof moving up to his bow-tie careful not to actually touch it. 'And, she was very attractive!' This time he said it in a somewhat louder voice with a sillier smile across his face, confident no pony would hear him in such a crowded place. 'She likes music too, but I wonder what kind? Hmm, guess I'll have to ask that and more.' He quickly sat on the floor as he closed his eyes for a bit to focus, and allowed his content silly smile to remain across his face. Perhaps the perfect chance for anypony to sneak up on him.

I like the idea of the Gallery and fanfic repository, but, I can't draw anything myself. So I guess I'd be in it for the writing aspect. Still, I've thus far enjoyed the Gala event and I felt that similar events would allow for greater participation from all members, not just the artistic or creative ones, so I voted for the "More Events" option.

Klondike was back working on his vest, he was only a few stitches away from fixing the pocket and then he could devote his full attention to the now three ponies near him. Except, he still believed there to be only two, the one with a cart which he still mistakenly believed to be named Tempest Rime, and the one which had made her exit earlier. 'Come on Klondike, you know you are horrible at paying attention when working on fixing things, just hurry up. Celestia only knows how much of the conversation you've missed.' He knew his fault all too well as he mentally coached himself to finish. 'Two stitches… One stitch… HA! Finished!' He congratulated himself in the form of a small nod as his mental countdown came to an end and a grin formed across his face. With that triumphant grin still on his face, Klondike looked up to the two ponies standing next to him except … 'Three ponies!? Oh, pony feathers! I did it again…' Klondike's right ear now quickly slumped as much as his left ear as he realized he had no idea who the other two ponies were or where the other pony, Mudbug, had gone to. He quickly began to take a mental note of what little he knew as he forced that triumphant grin to remain frozen on his face, trying to hide his panic and embarrassment. 'Okay, the one with the cart is Tempest Rime. The other two I have no idea and, wait… Why is the pony with the icy blue mane and pale green pelt looking at me? Oh, double pony feathers! She asked me something, didn't she? But what did she as…' His thought process suddenly shattered as Aqua Drop's explanation about her cart penetrated all too clearly through his thoughts and caused his curiosity to break through. 'You… have… fins?' He quietly repeated to himself and immediately looked at the cart. A dolphin tail was visible, how did he not notice this before? Well, he knew why, but still, how? With his new discovery consuming his thoughts, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he stood up and looked at Aqua Drop square in the eyes with a surprised smile on his face. 'By Celestia! Miss Tempest, you're a hypocrite!' His hoof quickly shot up to his mouth and was just as quickly removed to show him biting his lower lip in regret. 'No! Wrong word! You're a umm… a umm, hippo… a hippo… umm… Oh, pony feathers…' He let out in utter defeat as he lowered his gaze onto the grass below and hung his head low.

'And I didn't expect to meet anyone I knew here as well.' Clay said with a smile on his face as he relaxed his posture a bit. Admittedly, fancy events like this made him a bit tense, but he found that the best way to hide it was to just go with the atmosphere, just like he did when he was a colt, and kind of act out the part and formalities of a proper guest; standing up straighter, proper greetings and such. However, at the mention of looking like "a new stallion without all of the clay dust," he could not help but let out a hardy laugh as he looked down at his own tuxedo. 'Yeah, I suppose I do look different than I normally would. I clean up nice, I guess.' 'My night has been…' Clay paused for a second as he looked back to where he had been standing a few minutes ago, focusing on Melody and Princess Luna, 'Its been going rather well.' A smiled formed across his face. 'Given the circumstances that is. The castle holds an appeal for all the ponies here, I suppose, and for me it was the pottery.' He said with a grin across his face. 'I came to the gala to get some inspiration, got it, then came out here to maul it over and messed too much with my tie and…' Shooting his own hoof a glance as it subconsciously began to hover towards his tie again, remembering Melody's joke about getting both hoofs tied instead of just the one. 'Well, let just say I could have used your locksmithing skills.' A smile formed across his face as he recalled a joke from when he first met Vintage. 'Still, made a rather, umm, interesting first impression on some of the guests.' After a second's pause, Clay cleared his throat a bit and addressed Vintage with a gentle smile on his face. 'You look rather stunning yourself this evening, different without the antique dust covering your mane.' He returned the tease from earlier about his clay dust and leaned in a bit closer to Vintage. 'But something else is different about you…' This time he stood up and sat back down again closer to Vintage and leaned his head in so that he could look at Vintage's face straight on. Remembering the brief squinting from earlier when she figured out who he was, he lightly raised his hoof in front of her and waved it slowly, and with a slight gasp but keeping a calm voice and a smile on his face, 'Miss Vintage, you don't have your glasses with you this evening? I'm sorry, and I'm not trying to be rude but, how well do you see without them?

As Clay stood by the counter watching Vintage make her way to the back to search for a frame, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Setting the padlock and bit purse on the counter top, he quickly undid the tying on the purse and began to look through it with a slight jingling sound. 'Don't know how much an antique padlock is worth, but…' Clay mumbled to himself as he began to take a couple of bits outs. 'Can't be more than what I have in here, could probably buy the whole box of padlocks with this…' His ears slightly fell a bit as the thought crossed his mind. Admittedly he did well for being an artisan, his pieces usually sold really well and with what he made he could afford his supplies and still have enough to not be in need. However, thanks to his family's business, his parents always made sure he had more than he could probably spend in a month, insisting that although he wasn't helping with the business and his brother was the one running it, he was still a part of it and paid him the adequate salary; something he had tried and failed to change. He hoped that by calling himself 'Claypot' instead of 'Clayton' they would understand his want to make his own way in life through his own means but… 'Family is family' He whispered to himself as he let out a shallow sigh. As he stood blankly looking at the items on the counter, his train of thought was quickly broken as he heard a squeak and the sound of falling boxes coming from the back. With one quick swoop of his hoof, he poured the bits back into his bit purse and dropping it on the counter turned to make his way towards the back, hoping he wouldn't have to dig Vintage from under a pile of boxes. However, as he turned, he was rather surprised when he saw her come out covered in dust holding a frame in her mouth. 'She's an interesting one… and resilient.' He could not help but think as she placed it on the counter, took out the glass, and reached for a rag to wipe it down. As she did, he began to look at the frame as it sat on the counter. 'Impressive, simple theme, and yet elegant, gives me an idea for a piece or two of my own.' He commented with a chuckle as he stood in front of the counter and then smiled as he observed Vintage begin to wipe down the glass. 'Hmm, would you like to frame a new looking bit or an older looking bit?' Clay asked as he began to take out bits from his bit purse again.

Clay shot Melody a content smile as she accepted his offer to meet later for some dancing or some dinner, and was all too happy knowing he'd get to meet the beautiful pony again later in the evening. Bowing one more time to the guest as he excused himself, he began to make his way again, with a rather noticeable skip in his step, towards the pony sitting near the pond whom he was sure he had seen before. As he walked with a smile on his face, he couldn't help but think that the evening was turning out to be far more enjoyable than he originally imagined. Granted, the initial circumstances hadn't been the best, he had managed to invite a beautiful pony to some dancing and even met royalty. 'Hmm, I should make my way to the Main Hall sometime, there's bound to be some spectacular pottery there and I could even meet Princess Celestia… Not bad for a humble potter.' He thought to himself as he approached the pony sitting next to the pond and took account of what he saw. 'Hmm, dusty pink hair and a dress that seems to be a few decades past; an antique no doubt, well kept at that too, rather fashionable…' Clays ears perked up as his eyebrows rose in realization of who the pony was. He gingerly approached the pony and sat at hoofs length from her and, noticing her hat was slightly pulled over her eye, he calmly cleared his throat and began to address Vintage in a rather deeper voice, perhaps trying a bit to sound like somepony else. 'Pardon me miss, but that is an extremely wonderful dress you are wearing this evening. I do believe it's an antique, is it not? Oddly enough, I once met a strange fellow covered in clay who told me of a curious little locksmith's shop in Fillydelphia that sold some really nice antiques. I've been meaning to go there with a whole crate full of locks and padlocks that need fixing. Say, have you ever been to Fillydelphia, Miss Vintage?' He accidentally let the name slip.

Klondike had become too enthralled in the repair of his vest, as was often the case when he had something to fix, to notice that the panicking mare had excused herself and wondered off. He also did not notice the other two ponies from Ponyville, but only faintly heard a pony introduce herself as Tempest Rime off to his side. Right ear twitching, as if to try and snap him out of his focus on the vest, his gaze slowly migrated towards the pony that stood there, the one with the cart. Not having noticed that the true owner of the name had hidden behind her, he smiled and addressed the pony with the cart and the new pony that had made her way there. 'Hi! Name's Klondike. I recently moved to Ponyville a couple weeks back, so I guess I can say I'm from Ponyville. Where are you from Miss Tempest Rime.' He mistakenly addressed Aqua Drop. 'I notice you are pulling a cart, if you are selling your wares, I'll be more than glad to take a look just as soon as I finish with this.' He raised the vest to show what he was referring to. 'You might be able to show her your wares in the mean time.' As Klondike said this, he pointed to the spot where the panicking pony once stood, still believing her to be there.

That is a epic movie and I love it so so so so so much. I remember watching Howl's moving castle and Spirited away as well. Love Mel Brooks films, first one I ever watched was "Spaceballs", the Star Wars spoof. I laughed and I laughed till I cried. I have almost all his movies except for four of them XP Loved Spirited Away although admittedly I didn't watch that in my childhood and haven't been able to sit down and watch Howl's Moving Castle yet. Did anyone ever see The Princess Bride?

Klondike stopped a few steps short of being within hoof's range of the pony whom he still believed was having a panic attack and gingerly sat on the grass. 'She's certainly moving stiffer than a board, maybe the dress is too tight?' He asked himself in a barely audible voice, and, just as he cleared his throat and opened his mouth to ask again… "Oh yes! I'm completely fine! Nooooo problem here, sir!" Klondike's right ear twitched as the words reached it, his left ear still lazily slumped over to the side. 'Pardon me Miss, but that didn't sound too convincing. Maybe some water to…' She wasn't listening, or at least it didn't look like she was. Her head was turned away from him. Noticing this, Klondike looked behind him. 'Nothing odd back here, just Princess Celestia's massive cas…' "Really! Don't worry yourself!" Again she wasn't listening. 'Um, okay, I'm honestly not worried. You just seemed somewhat in distress and I figured you…' "I'M NOT GETTING MY DRESS WET!!" Klondike's right ear was having a field day as it wrenched his attention away from the nervous wreck pony and towards the commotion at the pond, causing him to turn his head sharply and stand back up again. 'By Celestia, how many panicking ponies are here t… *RIP THUNK*' Klondike's vest flapped open as his small tool kit ripped through the vest's inner pocket and hit the ground with a metallic jingle. As he looked down at his open vest, hanging tie, and small tool kit that now lay on the floor between his legs, he could not help but let out a shallow sigh. 'Curse you old vest, I thought you had more in you.' He addressed his vest in a somewhat dignified, yet defeated voice. 'Why is it always the pockets?!' He questioned the sky above as if hoping Princess Luna would answer him. Taking his vest off, he looked again at the white dressed panicking pony and then towards the castle behind him again. Raising an eyebrow as his right ear stop twitching for a second and focused on the pony in front of him, he picked up his small took kit off the grass and proceeded to walk over to the opposite side of the mare, where there seemed to be more light and sat down once again, putting her between him and the castle. Taking a small sewing kit out of the front pocket of the vest, he took out a needle and then began to look through the small amount of thread that such kits usually held. 'Mind if we try again?' Not waiting for an answer. 'Hi, my name is Klondike, from Ponyville. His attention suddenly shifted to the needle in his hoof as he found the right thread and began to sew back on the inner pocket of his vest.

'So she came to the Gala to listen to music, perhaps she likes music? That would make sense given her dress.' Clay began to ponder the interests of Melody as he stood there listening to her and kept mind of what Princess Luna said as well. When she mentioned that she found more than what she asked for, he instinctively followed her gaze and looked behind him, completely missing what she meant, only to turn his head back and catch a glimpse of her blushing. 'Um? OH! Well, maybe she'd be interested in going to the ballroom after wards.' Clay thought to himself as he caught on and heard Melody speak to Princess Luna. As Luna called out to a pony that was walking by, he too could not help but notice a familiar figure sitting next to the pond. At least he thought it looked familiar, something about the way she was dressed told him he knew who it was. Looking closer, he began to smile to himself as it dawned on him who the familiar pony was. Turning his gaze back to Princess Luna, the lovely Melody, and the newly arrived guest, he bowed politely. 'Your highness, Miss Melody…' He quickly noticed how nervous the new pony seemed to look. 'Umm, newly arrived guest, please excuse me for a minute. I believe I've spotted a friend of mine whom I haven't greeted yet, or for that matter seen in a while.' With another quick bow, he began to make his way towards the sitting figure, making it a point to stop next to the nervous stallion. As he did, he put a hoof on his shoulder and spoke only loud enough for him to hear. 'Relax, at least you don't have your hoof tied to your neck like I did, you can't do worst than me.' He let out a shallow chuckle as he started to walk again only to stop two or three steps away from where he started, and immediately turned around. He approached Melody and with a blushing smile addressed the pony that had helped him out of a pickle early. 'In case you wonder off, or in case I manage to get my hoof stuck again in some other piece of my tuxedo… It would be rude of me not to properly thank my rescuer.' Clay continued to smile as he took Melody's hoof once again and placed another gentle peck on it. 'Perhaps later in the evening you'd be interested in joining me at the Ballroom for a dance?' Off in the distance some pecking noises could be heard, perhaps a woodpecker to eager to sleep. Clay not missing a queue continued smiling, 'Or perhaps if you are a bit peck-ish, we could meet at the buffet for a late dinner?'

By Celestia! My hand! Curse you MS Paint! Klondike Nimbus Claypot I am thankful I don't have more than these two ponies. My hand can't take anymore MS Paint =_=

'You are quite welcome.' Clay said with a smile on his face. 'And if I ever find myself in such a predicament as handcuffing my hoof to some part of me, I'll be sure to stop by for your expertise.' He let out a laugh as he continued the joke. As Vintage made her way towards the counter to set the pitcher on top of it, Clay kept on smiling as he relished in the fact that he had found such a worthy owner for one of his pieces. He began to scan the store again, this time seeing everything in a renewed light. 'I wonder what situations or events lead to these items finding their way to such an interesting antique shop as this?' He paused his thought process for a second as he observed the gifted pitcher that now rested on the counter. 'Maybe one day that will become an antique as well.' The scene from some archeology/adventure novel quickly followed that thought as he laughed lightly to himself. "I think I've found a match. Will this one do?"The question suddenly snapping him out of his archeological adventure ridden imagination. He took the padlock in his hoof and began to examine it as he listened to Vintage offer it in exchange for the mix-up and the vase. The padlock had been one of the ones he set aside in hopes of finding it a key. As tarnished as it was, it was exquisitely crafted in his opinion and the leaf pattern only added to its allure. He began to picture it on his storage room door, and could not help but feel a bit of shame knowing that it was going to be attached to such a dirty door as the one that currently led to his workshop storage room. Still holding the padlock in his hoof, he thought of something that his teacher would have told him if given the chance. 'A masterfully crafted padlock to protect my own masterpieces… This will do more than fine, Miss Vintage.' He shot the antiquing pony a smile quickly followed by an expression of curiousness. 'And it was no silly mix-up that I ended up here. Treasure your masterpieces as well as your mistakes because within it lays a piece of you that can, and will last…' He trailed off as he repeated what he had said early and looked past Vintage at the gifted pitcher. Turning the key in the padlock, it gave off a small click, and Clay turned his gaze back to it and put on a content grin. 'I found what I was looking for and I do believe I've made a friend.' Placing the padlock on a nearby table, he made his way to his satchel and opening a side pocket, Clay pulled out a small jingling bag which he quickly set on the floor and then proceeded to close the satchel and work it back onto his back. 'Plus, as I am your first customer, and an enjoyable one at that.' He said as he winked at Vintage. 'And as a friend, I wish you success in your own endeavoring art to help these items find new life and new homes. And as such, I do believe you should be able to adorn your beautiful shop by framing your first earned bit… Or at least that seems to be the custom in most shops.' He commented with a smile on his face as he picked up the padlock and his small bit purse and walked past Vintage towards the counter.

I have yet to watch James and the Giant Peach. Its on my "to do" list, somewhere >_>; What I wouldn't mind watching again is the Nightmare Before Christmas. THAT scared the heck out of me when I was a kid. It wasn't the skeletons or the ghost, no no, it was the Mayor and his freaky two sided spinning head. Him and the boogie man's kidnapping squad. Hmm, guess I want to see it again to see if it still freaks me out XD I actually ended up watching the Iron Giant again on Netflix thanks to this post, lol.

When the bow-tie began to levitate, Clay was admittedly caught a bit by surprise, his imagination getting the best of him causing him to feel a bit uneasy at the thought of it coming to life and trying to finish the job it started early crept into his thoughts. However, once he realized it was Melody's doing, he could do little more than relax and allow her to finish as he blushed and smiled at the kind pony. Once she was finished he looked down at it, amazed at how well it fit, and grinned at the helpful pony as she joked about getting two hoofs stuck 'I wouldn't dare mess with such beautiful handy work. But then again…' Clay thought for a second. 'If I hadn't in the first place I wouldn't have had such a beautiful mare as yourself tie my bow-tie for me.' As Melody backed up and inquired about his and Princess Luna's reason for being out in the gardens, Clay waited a bit to see if the Princess would speak first. After a while however, hesitantly still making sure he wasn't cutting in front of Princess Luna, he figured it was okay to answer the question. 'I came out here to gather my thoughts a bit. I was surprised when I got invited to the Gala. My artisan teacher never attended such events, so I figured I too was, um, excluded from such extravagant gatherings. I was hesitant to come, but after I heard rumors of the palace being adorned with spectacularly designed vases and other ceramic wares, I couldn't help but come here looking for inspiration. Guess I got a little more than I expected though, and wanted to settle my thoughts a bit.' Clay then looked at Melody, then to Princess Luna, and then back to Melody. 'Hah, little did I know inspiration and beauty are in full bloom tonight out here as well.' He blushed as he told himself in his thoughts, 'Cheesy, that was cheesy Clay…' and then quickly cleared his throat. 'How about you, Princess Luna, your highness?' Unsure how to address royalty, then calmly looked back at Melody. 'And you, Miss Melody?'

*Yawn* Klondike did his best to stifle a yawn as he walked into the courtyard area of the castle. He had just finished eating at the buffet and unfortunately for him, stuffing himself like a turkey always made him a bit tired. Hoping the night air would wake him up a bit, he took a deep breath as he continued further into the courtyard. With each step he took, subconsciously, his right ear twitched frantically as it tried to recognize all the new noises that were assaulting it from all angles, a task it took on by itself since Klondike's left ear had long since called for mercy while at the buffet and now lazily slumped to the side. As he kept on walking, a very low metallic jingle was barely audible. He wore a rather old looking, yet fashionable, dark blue vest with white stitching that gave it an almost checkered look to it. Underneath the vest he wore a white long sleeved shirt that also had equally white, but a thicker checkered stitches. The tie he wore however was simplistic, and yet was an icy blue color that matched his hair. He looked more like help staff rather than a guest, but he liked his outfit and thought himself rather fashionable in it. As another low metallic jingle sounded out with his hoof steps, Klondike stopped and opened his vest to address the culprits inside. 'You guys have been awfully quiet this whole time. I brought you here to help me relax, not for you to just sit there quietly.' He was addressing a small 4-set tool kit that he had tucked away inside the inner pocket of his vest. Undeniably, Klondike was a bit out of his element in such an extravagant setting and could not yet figure out why a simple handy repair pony like himself had received such an honor as to be invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. He figured he wouldn't feel so overwhelmed if he brought something familiar to ease his nerves. '… Well, not like there's anything for you guys to fix here anyways.' Klondike continued to address his tools as he closed his vest and began to walk again into the courtyard and looked around. Not too far off, he could see a mare who seemed to be having some sort of panic attack by the way she was breathing. He also spotted a Pegasus pony sitting on the grass and another flying, well, more like hovering off the ground talking to another pony by the pond, completely missing the fact it wasn't a pony thanks to the beautiful dress she wore. The cart was a little odd he admitted, but maybe she was selling something. He'd have to check out her wares later. First, his curiosity and inability to ignore a pretty mare demanded he make his way to what he believed to be a panicking pony. Once within earshot, he called out with a smile but furrowed brows. "Are you okay Miss?"