Chonico

Haven't had dinner yet either, but I plan to have pizza delivered with some green olives, pineapple, and green peppers.

... What? I'm feeling lazy tonight Tomorrow I'll probably make some spaghetti or something though

Ah, this made me laugh, mainly because it had the word "news" in it

Still, Bronies are getting some air time! Woot Woot! Brohoof bronies!

@ZId We are already on our way to global ponification.

Ah yes, gobal ponification. That day can't come soon enough

VIVA EQUESTRIA! VIVA LE PONIFICATION!

Klondike's gaze slowly lifted as the ponies in front of him began to clear his misunderstandings; a slight sigh escaping his lips after he cringed a little bit upon detecting some irritation in the now rightfully identified Tempest Rime. He also wished he could have heard what Aqua Drop whispered to Tempest Rime, concluding that perhaps it had something to do with him and perhaps not all that pleasant. Still, he hoped he was wrong as he stared at Aqua Drop and the other pony, concluding that out of the trio of ponies in front of him, these two were the more 'understanding' out of the group.

'Sorry…' He looked at the ponies in front of him. 'I meant no ill by it. I just get too easily engrossed when I start fixing things and next thing I know I'm miles behind on a conversation.' He scratched the ground with his hoof as he did his best to keep his eyes on the ponies in front of him hoping to convey a sense of understanding. 'And thank you, umm, Miss Tempest and Miss Aqua Drop for letting me know it's umm, 'Hippocamp,' I'll make a mental note of it.' Unable to control his curiosity though, his eyes slowly migrated to Aqua Drop's tail and cart as he tried to continue the conversation in hopes of putting the incident behind them. 'You have a very lovely tail, I've always wondered what a Hippocamp's tail looked like. It must not be easy having to go around with a cart like that.'

Suddenly, his ears perked up as he looked at the ponies in front of him with a shocked expression on his face. 'I'm sorry, where are my manners, let me re-introduce myself properly seeing as some of you already seem to know my name.' He looked at Rose with a smile on his face as he said this. 'My name is Klondike and I'm a repair pony from Ponyville. Well, don't have a shop yet but I will some day.' Klondike immediately sat back on his haunches and extended his hooves in front of him in a gesture to shake both ponies' hoofs.

'Where are you ponies from?... Or did I already ask that? And I don't think I caught your name either… either?' He looked at the trio of ponies in front of him but focused on Rose as he said that last part.

Clay made his way towards Melody, still rubbing his face a bit as a red hoof print was slightly starting to become visible. However, seeing Melody laugh and hearing her compliment him on his sudden unplanned dance number, he could not help but keep his nervous smile on his face as he began to laugh a bit as well.

'Yes, I can see how that would be beneficial.' He continued to rub his face with his hoof. 'Would you believe me if I said I thought I WAS dancing with somepony I knew.' He winked at her and then looked over to the orchestra as he could hear the music continue to pick up more, this time with a more rapid beat. 'I'd love to try for a repeat performance, with you as my dance partner that is. Not sure how I did it though, so no guarantees it will be as um..." He rubbed his face again. "Spectacular?... Or perhaps you would prefer to take a small break and we could go off to the side and talk a bit more' He asked with a content smile as he offered his hoof to Melody to let her choose to keep dancing or walk off the dance floor.

Clay froze in place, only having barely heard a snarling sound and turning his head just in time to see a pair of sharp teeth snap inches from his face. Now as the dragon observed him, cocking his head, Clay's mind raced through scenarios where he might escape without being extra crispy.

'That was a dragon's tail…' His thoughts pointed out. 'Yes it is…' He managed to mumble to himself. 'Fly away! Can't, cart too heavy and he'll catch me. RUN! Still attached to cart… Then unhinge yourself, grab a pot, throw it in the opposite direction and RUN! That might be work…'

Clay's hoof gently began to reach for the underside of his belly where the buckle of the strap was. As soon as he felt his hoof touch the metal of the buckle, with one quick flick he undid the buckle and began to back away towards the tarp covered cart. Still keeping his eye on the dragon, he flipped the tarp off the cart to unveil a varied assortment of ceramic wares. He began to rummage blindly through the pots feeling the lips and handles as he kept his eyes focused on the dragon. Finally finding one small one, he grabbed it and raised it over his head ready to throw it and run.

'Wait! Not that one! It's one of the better pots! Look for the other small one, the one with a fish on it!' Oh pony feathers, why did he look at the pot instead of just throwing it. He gingerly set it down on the ground and began to once again rummage blindly through the cart, his eyes not leaving the dragon again. Suddenly, his eyebrows rose as a question formed and found its way out his mouth.

"Wait… Why haven't you eaten me yet? Not that I mind, mind you.'

Suddenly at the mention of food, and his stomach voicing its displeasure by reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since early morning, Klondike's ears perked up as he caught his second wind… Or was it the third? He honestly couldn't recall and didn't really dwell on it as he practically jumped to his hooves with a renewed smile on his face and trotted past Mr. Freewings. Upon reaching the door he went ahead and opened it for the kind Pegasus that had helped reached his destination as he took one quick peek inside and spotted the reception desk with its adjacent open arch that led to the tavern of the Inn.

'Mr. Freewings, you were so kind to help me get here that I feel the need to treat you to a drink and some supper. Plus…' Klondike took one quick look at the sky, and realized he had no idea what time it was, except that it was late in the night. 'I would imagine that like me, you probably missed supper so I will not take 'no' for an answer. Please sit yourself down at a table while I get myself checked in and leave my satchel in my room.'

I went fishing and all I got was this stupid hole in my leg

Well, the chin of the leg to be exact. At the age of ten, I was atop a rock pier construction, saw fish jumping near the bottom so I figured I'd go where the fish are cause I had been trying for TWO HOURS and nothing. Stepped on a green rock, slipped forward and my leg got caught between two rather sharp and abrasive rocks. Good thing though because if my leg hadn't gotten caught like it did, I would had likely smashed head first into another rock. After I recovered my composure and pulled my leg out without looking at it for fear I'd pass out if I saw the bones sticking out, which I assumed they were given the horrid feeling, I managed to crawl up the side while calling for my brother to help. He however was asleep in the cars as was my dad. Once I reached the car, I woke my brother and my dad up begging to go to the hospital. That's when I decided to look at my leg feeling that now that I was in the car, I could pass out comfortably... When I looked, I was surprised to find no bones sticking out but instead a very deep white hole, no blood, just a white hole with some green stuff on the sides. I then had the brilliant idea to pour some water on it to wash it out. I think I used up all my bad vocabulary at that point which resulted in a rushed drive to see a doctor.

I learned a few things from this experience which I will share with you all for future references shall you ever find yourself in such a scenario:

1. I hate fishing (That applies more to me I think, but benefit from it however you will)

2. As I found out after going to the doctor, the white thing I saw at the bottom of the hole was bone. If you ever scrap off skin, muscle, and tendon do NOT pour water on it. It causes immediate bleeding and pain. Oh yes, a lot of pain.

3. Green rocks are slippery, mainly because the green stuff is algae. Being from a desert area, this was new info to me at the time because the only green rocks you find are oxidized weathered rocks. Those are not slippery... Still, point is that you should avoid green rocks and never vacation with the intent of learning to fish.

4. Last but not least, if you have a hole in your leg, when you and your friends get drunk they will make a drinking game out of how long you can balance a golf ball in your leg hole.

Knowledge is power my friends, use it well

(OOC - I wasn't sure myself if this thread was continuing or not. I had been thinking of posting, but since there are a few ponies in it, I didn't want to cut in front of any of them and be rude. Wasn't sure if some kind of posting order had been established. Also, since I realize many ponies are busier than I, I figured I'd patiently wait. Still, if this RP is continuing, I'm more than willing to help breath some life into it Especially now since we have like two weeks left of the Gala.)

Ah, the sound of the ocean and its beaches, nothing quite like it in the world with its busy tourist ponies going from shop to shop buying all sorts of souvenirs and making memories of their vacation in a beach that is better looked at than enjoyed up close thanks to its rocky geography. Those who are not here on vacation are here on business, taking advantage of the ports and docks that make up the Seasaddle Bay area, trying to get the best deals possible before the goods make it to market. Because of the tourist business, many a street performer can be seen on the docks entertaining the tourists, for a couple of bits, as they make their way through the shops. All in all, it is a profitable business hub for anypony with the right skills and knowhow.

A hub which unfortunately Spades left about an hour ago or so. Upon arriving at the docks after a tedious trip from Canterlot, some of the regular street performers suggested he try the lighthouse saying that it was a hot tourist attraction because it was supposed to be haunted. Figuring it would be worth a shot he immediately set off and now found himself walking along the path that lead to the lighthouse as it overlooked the ocean next to it. He had already figured it had been a trick, but now that the light house was clearly visible in the distance, his determination had gotten the best of him and he decided he was going to put on a show… Even if his only audiences were ghosts.

'*sigh* I doubt I'll make any bits off this venture.' The gray eyed pony commented to himself as he continued down the path that now led away from ocean and around some trees towards the light house. 'But, maybe I'm wrong and there will be somepony there to enjoy a good show… *sigh* Even if it is a ghost, they should still have a few bits to spare for entertainment.' He stopped for a minute as he pondered what he just said, but immediately dismissed his curiosity with a quick shrug of his shoulders and looked up at the light house that now grew bigger and bigger as he got closer to it.

Suddenly, he stopped walking as he caught something out of the corner of his eye. A figure at the top of something that looked like a balcony without railings, one second there and gone the next. His horn began to glow suddenly and the flap on his satchel lifted as an apple floated out of it and towards him mouth. '*crunch munch munch* Hmm, I may want to rethink my plan about the whole ghost thing, although…' He took another bit of his apple as it hovered in front of him and his eyes suddenly began to change to a yellow hue. 'This near the ocean, it might be a pirate pony ghost with some treasure!'

His gait increased as he began to trot faster and faster, still floating the apple in front of him taking a bite every now and then. Upon reaching a clearing in the path, the light house and its adjacent buildings suddenly came into view, and so did something he did not expect. He stopped inches from the chest tall fence, finishing off his apple as his eyes slowly returned to their regular grey hue and sat on his haunches. 'Hmm, she doesn't look like a ghost. Although, I imagine ghost ponies look just like regular ponies…'

'Excuse me Miss! Are you a ghost?' He called out to the unknown pony.

A pony stood in front of a sign, his gray eyes examining the text as he read it out loud to himself in a somewhat tired voice, a half eaten apple floating next to him.

'Hmm, the Nimbusgait Inn…' Spades took a quick bite of his apple. '*crunch munch munch* I wonder if this is an inn. But most importantly, if this is an Inn, I wonder if they have spare rooms.' He chuckled a bit at his own silly joke as he raised one hoof and gingerly touched the sign, the smell of fresh paint reaching his nostrils a bit too late. 'Oh pony feathers. At least I didn't smudge it and, well, at least my hoof is white so it blends in. Plus, if this is fresh paint, then I can assume this Inn just opened and probably still has at least one room open… Ah yes, and the vacancy sign I missed confirms that.' His eyes suddenly migrated to the vacancy sign that hung below the freshly painted sign.

As Spades continued analyzing the sign he stood in front of, his ears perked as he heard some noises coming from the Inn itself. Turning his head, he saw some crimson colored pony holding open the door to the Inn. Floating the last bit of his apple into his mouth, he began to trot towards the porch of the Inn. Upon reaching the steps of the porch, he stopped suddenly as his horn glowed and his satchel's flap opened as a small white rectangular item with a Spade in the middle floated out and hovered only inches in front of him. Card ready, he continued up the stairs and stopped in front of the open door.

'Afternoon, my name is White Spade…' He floated the card towards the crimson colored Pegasus holding the door open as he introduced himself in a rather dull voice. 'Are you the proprietor of this Inn?'

Well Toy Story 3 was pretty good to me. I mean yea they spent their time trying to get back to Andy but now that Andy grew up he doesn't want to play with them anymore and they accept it besides Woody(Of course). As toys they just want to be played with and let's be fair here all the toys besides Woody weren't all that loyal to Andy to begin with. If Woody wasn't around they probably wouldn't have cared as long as they got played with. As for Bo and squeaky penguin thing they were donated or given away as he got older most kids don't want to keep dolls or kid like toys around when they are growing up. Probably couldn't save her because they are trying to keep their secret that they are alive and just couldn't get to her in time.

Also they talked about this in Toy Story 2 that Andy will grow up and Woody would probably be thrown away as the outcome and Woody said that he wants to at least enjoy the last few moments/years he had with him.I think it was a great conclusion to the Toy Story franchise. I mean Andy surely wasn't going to stay young forever and they are darn lucky to have been given to a good kid. That's pretty much the life of a toy be played with then handed down.

Well, I hadn't watched Toy Story 3 yet, but now I guess I have. Hm, guess I should have just stopped reading it, lol Still might watch it.

While on the topic of CG movies. What about Shrek? Anyone else like it?

'Horrible!... Horrible idea Clay! Hardly anypony lives out here!'

An argument could suddenly be heard in the distance, making its way up a path leading towards the rundown uninhabited looking town. Whoever was arguing though sounded rather tired and somewhat annoyed. As the path curved around a rock, a pony pulling a cart suddenly came into view, but no pony else was yet visible.

'Why did I decide to come here first?' Clay asked himself perhaps for the tenth time since he had entered the Roughrider Ridge area, his face showing a slight look of disbelief as he looked up at the sky perhaps expecting an answer, but finding none. A few more seconds passed before he came to a stop and hung his head as he voiced the response to his own question, the same one he had given himself for perhaps the tenth time as well.

'Because you wanted to expand your business clientele beyond Ponyville and Fillydelphia, that's why… *sigh*' He looked forward towards the town up ahead. 'But it's not like anypony out here is going to want to buy anything. I mean, look at that place. Its looks like a ghost town and I doubt ghosts have any interests in buying a pony's wares. Hmm, or maybe they would...'

Clay stopped talking for a minute and then looked back up to the sky again, a somewhat more calm expression on his face than before as he let out another sigh and then looked behind him at the cart he was pulling. A green tarp covered the cart, keeping its contents hidden from the harsh weather he had encountered while travelling. 'No, somepony is bound to appreciate some of these. Besides, I heard mostly griffons and diamond dogs live out here. I'm sure at least one or two of them will have an eye for quality.'

Suddenly, with a more determined look on his face, the self-arguing pony began to pull his cart again as he looked up and down the ridge walls that enclosed the gulch. 'Why anypony would live out here though confuses me, nothing but rocks...' He looked forward. 'More rocks and a few dried out trees…' He looked to the left. 'A shiny blue silvery rock shaped like a tail…' He looked to the right. 'And…' He lowered his head close to the ground as he kept walking, stuck his tongue out and gave the ground a quick lick. '*ptoooey* soil so deprived of silicate it wouldn't make anything close to a decent clay deposit. If it weren't for that odd rock formation, I'd say this place was too dull.'

Clay walked three more steps before what he had just told himself finally hit its mark. Suddenly stopping, he turned his head to look back at the large shiny blue object he had just passed. He did a few back and forward movements with his cart to turn it around and walked towards the strange object.

'What the hay is this?' He gave it a slight poke with his hoof.

Blasphemers! The whole lot of you!

Star Wars was awesome! The only horrible Star Wars movies are the last three that came out and the remastered versions.

Curse you George Lucas and your need to ruin your own work... YOU KEEP AWAY FROM INDIANA JONES! He suffered enough with Crystal Skull

But no, everyone is entitled to their own opinions so you lot aren't blasphemers, I'm only kidding.

*cough*blasphemers*cough cough*

I think I still have my Balto VHS somewhere around here... Might watch it again for the hay of it.

I have a character in the Saddleveil Plains but makes frequent trips to Fillydelphia. Though, he's kind of swamped at the moment with the Gala. Actually, now that I think about it, he's in 2 of the 3 RPs in Fillydelphia. Maybe that's why there haven't been posts lately, nopony is there

Still, I do have another character that is a traveling magician/gambler, was thinking of starting him off in Seasaddle Bay or Appleloosa. Sorry, don't have a plethora of characters of my own to choose from but I'm more than willing to RP in some of the other areas

Is it really that good? I'm tossing up between watching Thor and XMen.

I heard X-Men was actually really good, made up for the awful mess the third one made. Although I'd suggest Thor seeing as I haven't seen X-Men... Its on my "To Watch" list.

I loved Thor though and was pleasantly surprised. I do kind of have to agree with the whole "forced" romance comments but I thought the mythology didn't need to be explained to make the movie enjoyable. I assume if you liked the Thor comics and even shelled out the 10 bucks to go watch it, you probably have some knowledge, if at least basic knowledge of Norse Mythology... But then again, in this day an age...

I digress though, loved the movie.

Though not really a "childhood" movie, I've always loved Dragonheart. One of the few dragon movies I really like.

Dragonheart was awesome, another of the few movies I cried to... Curse you Sean Connery!

On the topic of Sean Connery, Indiana Jones The Last Crusade is by far my absolute favorite Indiana Jones movie. Quickly followed by Temple of Doom as well; Ghostbusters I & II, Back to the Future all three of them, Doc Hollywood, Beethoven I & II... The list could go on and on. Loved movies in general as a kid, but I think I already stated that as far as comedy goes, Mel Brook films hold a strong place in my heart

Not sure if this is interesting enough, but its brought more than it fair shares of "WOW" when I tell it to my friends.

[Warning - Slightly graphic so skip if you are squeamish...]

Back in my sophomore year of university, I shared my apartment with my brother and a friend and his two brothers. They were not the best of roommates, so I won't go into too many details. One night, they decided to get drunk wasted. I had a test the next day and locked myself in my room with my headphones on as I piled through 1 of the 4 chapters I had to read to prepare for the exam. About 2-3 hours later after I started, sometime around 11pm give or take, I decided I needed to use the restroom so I leave my room and walked across the hall to said restroom. I open the door, the lights were off so I turned them on... The whole room, the walls, the roof, the tub, the mirror, the sink, everything had blood splattered all over it similar to that of a crime scene! Needless to say I freak the hell out and rush downstairs, having grabbed a metal bat along the way, thinking I was going to find an assailant and the butchered bodies of my roommates on the floor of the living room. Instead however, I found my brother and my friend drinking and rather drunk. I asked what the hell happened, a mix of anger and well more anger in my voice, and they explained to me that in their drunken revelry, they decided to take a thick piece of wood and beat a BOB figure punching bag with it (If you don't know what that is, look it up, they were very popular in the 90's me thinks). Apparently though, their coordination was rather impaired by the festivities of the evening and my friend's girlfriend swung and missed the BOB and instead busted one of his brother's nose, along with part of his forehead, with the thick piece of wood. In their drunken panic, they rushed him upstairs to the bathroom before deciding the hospital would be a better option.

I don't know how I did not hear the whole event, but I can only assume it had something to do with my Flogging Molly CD and my interest in rock collection thus the engrossment in my geology textbook...

Take whatever moral you want from this story

Clay watched in amazed shock as Melody danced with her eyes closed, feeling a bit ashamed that she had noticed his attention was on his hooves and not in the dance itself. 'She's right you know.' The voice in his head told him as he began to smile while watching Melody dance. 'You need to relax a bit and enjoy the dance. Look at her, she's dancing beautifully and her eyes are closed. She's dancing gracefully, she's enjoying herself, she… she just fell…' Clay looked at the blushing mare looking up at him and with a bit of shock and concern on his face he immediately offered his hoof to her to help her up. 'Miss Melody, gracefully done, but are you okay?' A slight mild giggle was clearly audible in his voice which he quickly tried to hide by clearing his throat.

As he stood there with Melody's hoof in his, the music suddenly became more upbeat, something along the lines of a spring time fanfare. He bowed to Melody and released her hoof as he began to dance again, this time a brighter smile adorning his face. 'Come on Clay, enjoy the dance and let the music move your hooves for you.' He told himself as he began to feel the music reach his ears and creep into his hooves. He closed his eyes, and began to allow the music to guide his steps. It was working, he was dancing a little less rigidly, his moves were smoother and kept contrast to the music and as he kept at it, his smile became broader and broader. Suddenly, eyes still closed, he approached Miss Melody and put his hoof underneath her right arm around her waist and took her left hoof in his right. Dancing like this had been spontaneous and he quickly unfurled his wings to help his balance as he kept his eyes closed and began to lead his partner in a series of left and right twirls across the dance floor.

He was enjoying himself; the music had completely taken control of his hooves. With each upbeat note the orchestra played, he added a small skip in his step as he kept guiding Miss Melody in a series of left and right twirls, pulling her in closer, the whole time his eyes closed. As the music sped up a bit, so did he, his skips becoming slight small jumps as he lifted her along with him. Suddenly, as the music reached a high note, so did he as he pulled Melody even closer to him and with a powerful thrust of his wings lifted himself and her into the air in a spinning twirl, a clear foot above the head of every other pony in the room. Following through with the momentum from the jump, as soon as he landed he used that moment to shoot out Melody and immediately pulled her back in towards him like a yo-yo and led her into a tip, carefully not to let her hit the ground with a firm hoof holding her back. Still holding her in that position, the smile on his face could not be wide enough to show just how much he had enjoyed it as he opened his eyes to look at Melody.

'That's not Melody…' The voice in his head was quick to point out. 'That's not Melody at all… Who is she?' The smile on his face froze as the rest of it became a bright red flush. 'You grabbed the wrong pony!' The voice in his head yelled as he quickly helped the unknown pony to her feet and looked across the crowd of faces awkwardly looking at him, quickly spotting Melody standing two or three ponies away from where he was. He immediately looked back at the pony he had mistaken for Melody while dancing with his eyes closed, but before he could say anything *slap* came the left hoof of the unknown mare causing his face to turn sharply to the left, lips slightly puckered from the force. The unknown mare quickly made her exit off the dance floor giving off a loud 'HMPH' as Clay just stood there, head turned puckered lip and all as he slowly snapped out it.

'Wait! Miss! Was that graceful?! I thought I did a good job!' Clay called out as he rubbed the right side of his face a bit and turned to smile sheepishly at Melody.

The sun had barely peeked over the mountains to the east, casting an array of bright colors across the town of Ponyville. As the morning light reached the second floor of a newly established shop, the occupant inside could do little but groan as he rolled over in his bed to try and avoid the direct sunlight on his eyes. This seemed to work at first, but as the birds' chirping became louder and louder as the sun slowly rose further into the sky, more groans could be heard from the pony that refused to leave his bed as he grabbed his pillow and put it over his head. Suddenly, as if remembering something vitally important, the bed sheet flew off and the pillow hit the floor as the still groggy pony shot out in a half-asleep stupor towards the bathroom and turned on the water in the sink.

Klondike stood in front of the mirror, ear deep in the icy cold water that had filled up the sink. A few bubbles rose to the surface as he forced his face to remain in the water just a little bit longer, his right ear twitching as the sounds of a barely waking town reached in through the window he had left open the night before. As a few more seconds passed, finally with a hardy gasp, he flung his head out and looked at the soaked face in the mirror. 'You woke up late! You were supposed to finish unpacking everything earlier than this. They'll think you're lazy!' He told his reflection in the mirror as he reached for his toothbrush and began to pour the contents of a small white tube onto the bristles.

After a few minutes, a flush was heard and the door flung open as a brighter eyed pony than before stepped out with a grin on his face. Shooting a quick glance at the mirror once more before heading to the kitchen, Klondike let out a shallow 'meh' as he decided his still slightly messy bed hair was okay for the day and quickly trotted his way through a few boxes on the floor as he made his way to the kitchen to make some coffee and a quick breakfast. The living space of the two story building was adequate for a single resident. It had a bedroom, a restroom, a small kitchen area, and a small living room/breakfast nook adjacent to the stairs that led to the bottom floor. Admittedly though, the few boxes that remained on the floor, some labeled 'kitchen,' a couple labeled 'Room' and a few labeled 'Random,' did little to help give the living space an open feeling or the impression of being bigger than it was. Still, Klondike could not concern himself with this as he quickly finished eating and took his cup of coffee in his mouth and headed downstairs.

Compared to the top floor, the bottom floor had only two boxes laying about, each labeled 'Books and Ref.' Each was neatly placed next to a half filled bookcase against the back wall of the shop. Although he had managed to acquire the place no more than two months ago, he had moved in no less than 3 days ago. In all honesty, he had been lucky to get the place at all.

He had attended the Grand Galloping Gala a few months back and, while at the Gala, he had met a hoof-full of interesting ponies. One in particular that resided in the Saddleveil Plains, after finding out he repairs things for a living, asked him to help him with some kilns that he used for his pottery. Klondike happily agreed and set out towards the Saddleveil Plains within the month. After two days of fixing the kilns, he and the other pony talked about a variety of things. However, much to his surprise, when the other pony found out about his wish to open his own shop, he quickly offered to be his investor and provided a more than suitable amount of bits for the venture. Klondike, not being one to turn down such a generous offer, was more than happy to agree and immediately began to look for a suitable local back in Ponyville. And he found it.

Klondike walked towards the counter in the middle of his shop and set down his coffee cup as he looked around the building, pride in his eyes. He had found the place at a bargain. When he first saw it the place was old, decrepit, and in all honesty appeared perfect for a haunting. The realtor had mentioned something about a bear attack from a while back, but Klondike hardly heard her as his mind became enthralled in ideas and ways of fixing up the place. In the span of two months he worked diligently to get the place up and ready to open. He replaced all the floorboards on both the bottom and top floor, including a new roof, and had even put in a new carpet in the top floor. Old plumbing had been taken out and new plumbing put in its place. All the weathered window frames and molds had been replaced, including the window panes that had with time grown dim and no longer allowed natural light in. He even knocked down a wall to make the bottom floor more open and put in a counter to separate the foyer from the workspace. And to touch it all up, a fresh coat of cream colored paint adorned the inside and outside walls.

It had been a tough two months, waking up early and working till the late hours of the night, a constant stream of banging and sawing noises echoing through the small street occasionally interrupted by a loud yelp that was quickly followed by 'Pony feathers! My hoof! By Celestia my hoof!' However, for Klondike it had all been worth it and in the end. Since he had done all the repair job himself, he had managed to keep under budget and with what remained of the bits generously given by his investor in the Saddleveil Plains he had gone out and purchased a great deal of reference and 'do it yourself' books. Books which now, along with his own reference notes from previous jobs, still lay in their two boxes, taunting him for having slept in late on such an important day as this.

Taking another sip of his coffee, Klondike's right ear twitched as the noises from the nearby marketplace began to grow livelier and livelier. Making his way to the gate on the right side of the counter, he grabbed in his mouth a folding sign and walked across the foyer towards the entrance of the shop. As he opened the door, making all four bells he had placed near the top of it jingle furiously, he was greeted by the hustle and bustle of ponies going and coming from the market. Looking left and right, a silly content grin forming across his face, he placed the sign he had been carrying directly under the silently hanging sign above his shop's door. After making sure the OPEN sign was properly standing, he looked up at the satchel shaped sign and his silly content grin was quickly replaced by a satisfied smile.

'The Jingling Satchel Repair Shop' Klondike read off the sign with a slight chuckle as he pushed the door open and went inside as the four bells once again furiously jingled and welcomed him in. 'Where we fix anything from loose buttons to carriages… For the right amount of bits that is.'

[OOC - Hello everypony, Klondike has decided to open up a repair shop in town and all ponies are welcomed to bring in their items that need fixing. I realize its a long first post, but I believe I'm getting better at minimizing my text walls. You should see the first one. Any who, I promise that I may not write so much in later post (heh, see what I did there?). Anypony is welcomed to join ]

Howdy Bronies!

I looked around and didn't find anything along these lines, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to see how far this goes. I know a couple of the Bronies here play video games, so I was wondering if anypony had XHox (attempt at clever disguise) Live. If so, we could add each others' gamer-tags and see what comes from it.

Ookamirising is mine, so feel free to add me but just add a note that you're from the Canterlot forums.

Thank you for the compliment I have to say though, wall of text and all, I must be doing something right.

I'm 3 for 3 as far as getting my character apps approved on the first go

I have no idea where that's from, but I assume it has something to do with the two-headed dragon? No clue where he, err she... It? is from either.

'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