FermataTheBasse

[colour=#008080]"Practicality is not my strong suit. I think my parents are surprised I haven't crippled myself yet."[/colour] [colour=#000000]As Swan recovered from her self-inflicted burns, she had to be amazed by Flying's hardiness. She was gulping down her own drink as if it weren't still boiling hot. Swan almost copied her again, perhaps in a childish need to not be outdone, but at the last second Swan finally learned her lesson and removed the mug from her lips, setting it back onto the table.[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"Ah. So you are capable of overcoming the danger, but you know your limits." [/colour][colour=#000000]As a dancer herself, Swan understood completely. If she ever lost the ability to dance, Swan would have been devastated, not out of a job perhaps, but definitely without a big part of herself. She could imagine the care Flying took in routines, the balance between the rush of adrenaline that demanded more and the cautious head that warned against more. Swan had to rub her hooves together, both fore and rear, to make sure they were still where they belonged. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"How did you first join your troupe? Were you noticed, or did you have to seek them out?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan drunk, sure this time to blow on it and only sip. [/colour]

[colour=#008080]"Sometimes writing must be short and to the point."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan straightened up, magically tugged at her ascot until it was in the exact same position it had been before. She was excited, she really was. It was rare that she had the opportunity to cover the simple tales of one's foalhood. Twilight was so incredibly cute, nervous as she was, Swan had to resist the urge to hug her on the spot. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Well come, walk with me Twilight." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan took off, taking care to restrain her pace so that the little one could keep up. Swan looked up to the sun. It was a bright, cloudless day, the sun high in the sky but a light breeze preventing it from being too hot. A prefect day for a story to unfold.[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"So tell me if you will. What have you already done to develop your fashionable self?"[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"Is a precis a food from Germaney?"[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"Oh yes, I remember her!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan Dive remembered everyone, and though she had long forgotten the nightclub they had been in, she remembered that mare clear as day. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"She was so demure, strangely enough, despite being a security guard. But that's weird. I didn't know we had a Prohibition back in the day. I thought that was just a fictional element for dramatic effect?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan wasn't the most well informed mare in the world when it came to any subject that wasn't people or dancing, she had forgotten most of her childhood history lessons already. Something about the Princesses and Hearth's Warming. That was about all she remembered, because she knew most of the actors in the usual Hearth's Warming pageants. [/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"It's an interesting story to draw, juxtaposition and such. And as for the Princess, I'm not sure if she reads our publication or not. But we can always hope, right?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan didn't track her subscriptions too extensively. [/colour]

[colour=#008080]"Every pony for me is something simple yet sweet. Like a bonbon." - Wait, didn't I just quote this?[/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan Dive looked up as Bon Bon pointed up, at the sign that clearly indicated the wares of the cart. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Oh..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan giggled and blushed a little more, though she quickly recovered. Being as she was, she was very used to making little mistakes that were more cute than harmful to others in anyway. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Bonbon related? You could always sell the individual components. Like a 'make your own' style food. It's a trend in Canterlot now." [/colour][colour=#000000]With her incredibly impractical suggestion, Swan finally revealed her city to be Canterlot. She made to observation lightly, just stating it as a fact instead of making some sarcastic remark on Canterlot trends like most would if they were not privy to the city. Swan's horn glowed, caught the bonbon thrown her way. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"For me? Are you sure?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan was not used to receiving things for free.[/colour] [colour=#000000]As she bit into it, she squeaked in surprise. She had never quite eaten something like this in Canterlot. In Canterlot everything was so refined, so processed... Swan realized that sugar was thus very watered down in her home city. This was far stronger, and it pleased Simon immensely to be galvanized by such a burst of sugar. Swan had to have more, but she was careful not to say that. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Bon Bon, yes? How many can you sell me without depreciating your stock too dramatically?" [/colour][colour=#000000]As a Canterlot mare who was friends with Upper Crust, and as the owner of a magazine, Swan was used to throwing business terms around. [/colour]

Penumbra didn't have time for a response, now that his bandmates were more or less already there. They were definitely a technicolor band, among other things. Had she been more tired, Penumbra's eyes probably would have started watering with all the colour coats on display. Now to be honest, it was rare that she was put in this sort of awkward situation. All sorts of other awkward situations that were less cute, yes. But not a case of mistaken relationship. Penumbra had to blush a bit, perhaps a bit flattered that ponies would think highly enough of her to think she'd actually stand a chance with a stallion. Wait. Did this insult Bridge more than it flattered her? [colour=#808080]"... Hey!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Penumbra smiled, not really sure how else to respond to Bridge's band mates. [/colour][colour=#808080]"I'm Penumbra, I've been assigned to Bridge's security detail."[/colour]

Wordplay's eyes remained well to the ceiling, as Psmith had as usual twisted her words to his advantage. She sensed it wasn't intentional on his part, but a consequence of his... whatever the heck he was supposed to have. [colour=#40e0d0]"Well I think I could accompany Beats around. Sound good Beats? You'll be exposed to me for longer than might be safe for your health, but I'm sure you'll be alright." [/colour] Wordplay began to lead the group off again, this time taking them toward the ancient former town hall of Manehattan- back when it had been a little village and ponies had worn white powdered wigs for some absurd reason- where most of the more formal classes like civics were hosted. Her trot was easy, slow, classes wouldn't be starting for at least another hour if not more. Plenty of time to grow to further despise Psmith, in an affectionate way of course. [colour=#40e0d0]"Oh, don't you know teach? The four of us are socialists, through and through." [/colour][colour=#000000]Wordplay shot a look at Beats and Ria, mouthed:[/colour] [colour=#40e0d0]Go along with it.[/colour]

[colour=#afeeee]The Great and Powerful Trixie [/colour][colour=#000000](RLF Airpad, Harmony, Virginia)[/colour] [colour=#000000]Trixie snickered. [/colour][colour=#afeeee]"High class? You're too generous." [/colour][colour=#000000]It wasn't much of a stretch, to be frank, to assume that she was someone important. After all, she had just been levitating and flying around a moment ago. Such high class magic would have been only known by the elite soldiers of the various factions. The odd thing was, Trixie couldn't help but agree with her counterpart's observations. Sure, Trixie was optimistic for a more peaceful future where she could perhaps get her mess of a life back onto some track approximating decency. Enough had fallen at her hands, for a mare who hadn't even been herself. Trixie didn't blame Twilight, not at all. She had to blame herself, because if she had been able to do something...[/colour] [colour=#afeeee]"Trixie wouldn't go so far as to say that she's definitely sure of something worse coming on the horizon. Besides, that would imply that the worst hasn't happened yet." [/colour][colour=#000000]Trixie gestured at the ruins of the capital about them, beyond the few places already fixed up by the RLF. [/colour][colour=#afeeee]"Seventy percent of the population vanished into thin air, and they're finding more bodies all the time. The greatest city in Equestria wrecked. And let's not forget the wars before, between the Princesses and Red Fox. Multiple cities devastated. If there's worse to come..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Trixie shuddered, her mind putting together some pretty nasty situations. [/colour][colour=#afeeee]"No, Trixie does not want to think about it."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Trixie looked away from the dropship- a good thing for her- to listen to 469er talk about the dropship. She had to admit, she felt for the pilot in spite of her personal disdain for technology. Trixie wished she really could make any parallel to such passion, devotion, but could she? For Twilight? But that had been hollow, empty, semi psychopathic devotion, zealousness. There was no genuine thing Trixie just loved to do without any heavy subjects tied into it. It was... strange. Trixie had to smile at 'Harmony' as she heard her name clearly- pony ears- and trotted over, hooked a foreleg around her neck affectionately.[/colour] [colour=#afeeee]"That's a wonderful name, Harmony. May I call you such?"[/colour] [colour=#ee82ee]Princess Mi Amore Cadenza [/colour][colour=#000000](Somewhere in Equina, Chrysalis)[/colour] [colour=#000000]Cadence held her Queen's gaze evenly, even as her countenance became evil in the framing light of the sun. She was used to her Queen's strange expressions, found them to be just as warm as her expressions of joy. Cadence took a step or two back, removed herself from her cuddling against Chrysalis, yawned. It had been a long three days. [/colour] [colour=#ee82ee]"Well I'm sorry on behalf of ponykind, my Queen. Of all the leaders out there, I think you would perhaps be the best. You've made your mistakes, learned from them, and you do not have the blood of innocents on your hooves." [/colour][colour=#000000]Cadence trotted back to her Queen, put a hoof around her neck affectionately, reassuringly. [/colour][colour=#ee82ee]"I can be by your side, my Queen. To be honest, I would love to be by your side for the rest of my time on this world. But you cannot trust me with the crown." [/colour][colour=#000000]To make a point Cadence relinquished her warm gesture, trotted away, into the sun. Now she was framed by it, looking away, the sun illuminating her so that her shadows appeared all the greater.[/colour] [colour=#ee82ee]"I could not- no. I will not do it."[/colour] [colour=#b22222]Lypris [/colour][colour=#000000](RLF Tents, Alpha inForce, Free)[/colour] [colour=#b22222]"If I may interject. There is much that is an enigma about the returned Twilight Sparkle, however we must bear in mind that we're in her territory, helping her now. Speculating about her can be saved for when we know she has a knife poised to plunge into our backs, if it exists. If." [/colour][colour=#000000]Lyrpis, the court mage of Queen Chrysalis, in all her wingless glory, had been left along with the RLF while her Queen attended to personal matters. It was the intent of the Changelings to appeal to as much of the pony population as possible with their gesture of good will, and it seemed to have worked. Lypris didn't have to disguise herself on the streets anymore. She felt more bold, more confident, to speak up in their presence and make her own thoughts known. [/colour][colour=#b22222]"I fear the more immediate concern will be the force that ravaged Equina. After all, anything with that much power is a danger to all groups involved. At once."[/colour] [colour=#ff0000]Vinyl Scratch [/colour][colour=#000000](Citadel Courtyard, Draxis, The Equinian Angels)[/colour] [colour=#ff0000]"Yes sir." [/colour][colour=#000000]With the ease of trot that Vinyl thought might never go away in a million years of war, she began to lead the way to the ghetto. She levitated something from a military issued saddlebag, a switch-like device, the detonator. She had rigged it together from existing detonators that had been recovered, since none of them had actually been wired for the explosives they could find. Another triumph for her technical skills. She could already hear the beat, in perfect four over four time, of the bombs waiting to be blown, to bring the wall down... to hopefully save the ponies trapped within.[/colour] [colour=#ff0000]"Sir? Don't worry. They're gonna be fine." [/colour][colour=#000000]Vinyl wasn't exactly an optimist, but she tried to be for the sake of the comrades she now held in arms. Was it likely that there were still survivors in the ghetto? Nope. Cut off from air access by collapsed buildings, with little food known o exist in it's bounds... No, not thinking about it. But Vinyl did speed up to a brisk trot. [/colour][colour=#ff0000]"Sargent." [/colour][colour=#000000]Vinyl acknowledged Draco.[/colour]

Which is why it's going to happen. Besides, you will need a benefactor with money, guilds don't just pay for themselves...

When/if Upper Crust is approved I'll see to it!

Former students work? What would I have them drop by for? Nostalgia or such?

Wait, an adventure guild? Fffff, I think I didn't make a mare appropriate for this. But still, here she is:

I volunteer Penumbra (Dewdrop, not the forum goer) to lose horribly.

For all you electronica fans out there, what genre do you think our favorite PON3 produces in? House? Dubstep? DnB? More than one? Genre crossing? Classical music (I wouldn't be surprised if this is someone's head canon)? Just want to hear some thoughts. I personally think she'd be able to do it all. I'm actually not a fan of imagining she makes a lot of dub though. Because I personally prefer the other genres, I guess.

My Little Pony is a TV Show. books TV Shows. The power to do one (1) thing you cannot otherwise possibly do, or learn one (1) thing you cannot possibly learn. You cannot 'do everything' or 'learn everything' or some dumb cop out like that.

Can you make a new topic? I ask this because you'd be better served asking in the help section of the forum.

Nightmare Night was a special night for Penumbra Dewdrop, seeing as it was one of the few times of the year where the majority of ponies schedules actually coincided with her own. Around the time the festivities began in earnest, when twilight was beginning to fall, was when Penumbra's body preferred she wake up. So everypony in Equestria who celebrated the night dedicated to Princess Luna was up and about, it was the perfect time for Penumbra to make new friends and see new places without one of the two parties being tired due to not being up at the times they were supposed to be up. Penumbra had decided to forgo Canterlot this time, however. She had woken up early in the afternoon, to prepare her costume and catch the last train to Ponyville. She figured in such a small friendly town, she had a better chance of finding a pony to get along with. The little mare of the night was appropriately dressed as the great mare of the night, Princess Luna herself. Well, Nightmare Moon technically, since that was more suitable to the vein of the celebrations, scary and such. She had pulled it off with some decent skill, her faked horn was made quite well, proportionally accurate. She had the cobalt armoring, the headpiece, the hoofplates, the neckpiece. Her gray hair was light enough to where she could dye it and illuminate it- rather artistically- with some help from one of her unicorn friends. Her cutie mark was painted over, the crescent moon of her actual cutie mark incorporated into the one Nightmare Moon wore on her flank. Where Penumbra fell short was in her body type, she was smaller in general and the effect was somewhat silly, especially as she was lanky and thin for a mare already too small to play the part. Penumbra now trotted through the clouds, put on her best haughtily evil air, hoofsteps slow, deliberate, her eyes giving other ponies expressions of ire. It was a bit exaggerated perhaps, but Penumbra wanted to go all out with the costume. It was her night of the year, virtually, and she intended to make the most of it. So she played it up, gave it her all, ate just a little bit of ham with her style. If it entertained others, it would be all worth it. She trotted her way over to a section of Ponyville that seemed to have been set aside for the playing of games , the usual ones, the spiders, the apple bobbing, the... pumpkin catapult? That one was new to her. A few mares were already congregating around the apple bobbing, a scarecrow and... something or another. [colour=#0000cd]"Ahem. Your Queen of the Night has arrived." [/colour][colour=#000000]Penumbra's disaffected countenance broke for a moment as she snickered. She loved this chance to act out for just one night. [/colour][colour=#000000]She actually had a fair voice to imitate Luna's dark side, low as it was. [/colour][colour=#0000cd]"What games do we engage in?"[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"I've managed to curb the impulse that makes me think I am in a game of tag when others gallop at me."[/colour] Swan Dive might well have considered the famous Sugarcube Corner, as it was well promoted outside of Ponyville and had a reputation amongst the less snobbish mares of Canterlot as a quaint eatery. However, Swan was a terrible navigator and she had managed to fail so greatly at following the directions given her by her peers that she had actually ended up in the opposite end of Ponyville from the esteemed bakery. This however, put her on a course to meet with this curious mare of a food cart. Literally, as they were actually on courses that would meet shortly enough. Swan looked over to her savior, eagerly and a bit desperately. [colour=#ffd700]"Y-yes!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan Dive smiled a bit sheepishly. Had she been that loud? Well her stomach- unlike her hat, not named- could be very rebellious at times. Perhaps Swan should have given her stomach a name that reflected it's irritable tendencies. Simon? [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"I'm both a bit humiliated and glad at once, that you heard my gastric protests." [/colour][colour=#000000]Contrary to Bon-Bon's assumptions, Swan's accent was very strongly steepled in the style of a Canterlot mare, though perhaps lighter, accent tempered by Swan's natural cheerfulness. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Please tell me you sell sweet foods? Simon here can be very particular." [/colour][colour=#000000]'Simon' gave another cavernous rumble, Swan blushed slightly.[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"Everypony wants to be spoken of. That's why I speak so much."[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"Oh!" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan always got that question, what the hay was her magazine supposed to be about anyways? It depressed her just a bit that so many ponies asked that question, but she felt no chip in her sprightly step besides a split second loss of cheer. It was why she had expanded her travel budget recently, to expand her viewership and possibly become an Equestria wide publication. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"I would love to explain." [/colour][colour=#000000]She smiled at both Rarity and Aloe, a bit more insistently in Rarity's direction, as Swan's empathy was picking up some hesitation on the fashionista's part. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Young Mare's Tail is a publication I personally started, as an extension of my love for knowing the stories of other ponies. My intent, which I feel I have accurately maintained through it's run, is to publish stories of others, that others might read. For fun, to make a new friend possibly?" [/colour] Swan nodded eagerly, they had both given her things to work with. [colour=#ffd700]"Hm, well if you picked up my magazine in your spa that would be lovely, Aloe." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan clapped her hooves, half together and half into the ground. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Well this is shaping up rather nicely, isn't it? The three of us ladies, perhaps, should go on an excursion to..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan waved her hoof around in the air, trying to rally her thoughts and inviting suggestions from the other two. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"... Somewhere, and discuss further? I have many things I would love to learn of you, Rarity." [/colour][colour=#000000]Aloe was admitted because Swan Dive, for all her ditziness, had virtual laser focus when it came to other ponies. As she constructed her mental images of them, she didn't like interfering personal information from others. But the twins who owned a spa might make for an interesting future story. [/colour]

[colour=#008080]"A publication should be as a narrative. There is character, setting, even some dramatic plot."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Left hoof down, swing of the body in the other direction, right hoof down, swing, and if Swan actually had a partner to dance with then she could pull off the rest of her dance moves. As it were, she pantomimed having an invisible dancer alongside her, her hoof crooked up as if taken by another ponies, she was brought up onto her rear hooves, spun around so her back was to the ground, and bent down to be face to face with her now stooping and still non existent partner. In reality it looked as if Swan were randomly bent over backward for no discernible reason. But her staff was used to it, as has already been said.[/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan sprung up to all fours, trotted over to her tan-coated friend. She had found him, as she usually did, through her interview process, it just so happened that on top of publishing his story she also hired him. As a stallion passionate about geography, she figured that he'd be the right choice to tackle settings and locations related to her own stories, and that was true enough. She gave him the money, he'd give her good stories of locale. She only had words for ponies, words dedicated to places strained her mental faculties incredibly. So Earth was an invaluable member of her team.[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"What are you writing, if I may ask?" [/colour][colour=#000000]She put her head onto her forelegs, which she crossed onto his desk, looking right at and a bit up at him.[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"Swan Dive's eccentricity is greater when she is moving in an ellipse." -Some mathematician Swan interviewed [/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan had to admit, as her eyes momentarily strayed from Spin while she waited for him to start speaking, she found the first exhibit interesting. The letters and other mementos of ponies probably long gone, as far as they would not interest her present-oriented self, did carry the promise of learning a story of another pony, even if she couldn't personally know that pony in her lifetime. She tried to read some of the displays, but they were a bit far and she simply did not have the time at the moment, her eyes having to ricochet back to Spin Tale's the moment he started speaking. She was still circling, but her 'orbit' began to widen, to put her a bit closer to the things she wanted to read.[/colour] [colour=#ffd700]"Ah, so if ponies do enjoy the exhibit then you will generally keep that exhibit around?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan nodded. That was sensible enough. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Oh my! That sounds like such a cute- forgive me if that's not what you intended- idea!" [/colour][colour=#000000]To be perfectly honest, if Swan were in the foal's position she'd be doing the exact same thing. But oh, they were indeed going to see that soon! Swan was suddenly a bit more springy on her hooves, had a slight bounce to her step as she now had something to look forward to, and she took no shame in that fact. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Would you say that foals enjoy your museum overall? The historically accurate wall aside?"[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"A cute foalhood story is a universal means of become endearing to others."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan Dive couldn't help but notice Flying's glance after her mother, a somewhat more heavy glance than Swan would have expected. One again, the Canterlot mare was a bit concerned, once again she deemed it too soon to touch on such matters and once again the issue was filed away, for a conversation perhaps where she wouldn't be the strange reporter, but the quirky little friend from a distant city. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"Hm, I can't say I partake of alcohol. I'm not partial to the taste." [/colour]Swan's vigor was not affected at all, she accepted her drink gracefully and began to drink from it with both hooves. Ah, the childhood memories of winters in Canterlot that hot chocolate evoked, right down to the accidentally burning of the roof of her mouth. Not like her life had really changed from those quaint childhood days. [colour=#000000]Swan Dive listened, both because that was her job and because her ability to comment in turn had been wrecked in the short-term by her drinking her own drink too fast. Her ears were on end, she put a hoof over her mouth and blew into it, as if that were to help cool her down. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"That... oh, ouch, that is a very nice story, Flying! I find it ironic, that you lived up to your name by not doing what your name implied you could do. Tell me, did you ever consider the danger of your stunts? Or have you always been able to overlook that; say because you enjoy it far more than you possibly fear the outcome, or because it is simple instinct, or something else..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan took another swig of her drink to match Flying's own. Swan, as usual, did not learn her mistakes easily, and her hoof went back to her once more burnt and bruised mouth.[/colour]

[colour=#008080]"The definition of a Canterlot mare is a mare with time."[/colour] [colour=#000000]Swan Dive shook her head, a great smile gracing her features. No, she had already decided. She would invest the afternoon into this little foal with dreams of fashion or what have you, learn her story and perhaps make an impact in her life. She leaned down a bit, on all fours, so that she was on Twilight's level, more inclusive of her into the conversation, since she seemed a bit nervous at the moment. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"I have all the time in the world, Twilight. Come now, you must surely find my offer interesting?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Swan took on a lecturing, yet still highly childish tone, which made her sound like the stereotypical know-it-all filly you found at least once in ever class during school. [/colour][colour=#ffd700]"In the fashion world, it's very very important that you be able to impose on others, convince them to give you their time. Are you still sure you don't want to impose on my time?"[/colour]

[colour=#808080]"That sounds incredibly ominous..." [/colour][colour=#000000]Penumbra smiled at the security guard as he let them through, trotted through with a bit of a thrill, exhilarated that she was one of the 'special' ponies who got to go backstage. It was one of the classic cliches about musicians and celebrities come true. Penumbra didn't really have much else to say, she just examined the sights around, the musicians warming up, putting on costumes and make up and... Wow that stallion was loud. Wait, was he talking to Bridge? He was, and he was... smiling at her? No, not at her. The smile was caused by her, not for her.[/colour] [colour=#808080]"... That what you warned me about?" [/colour]

Wordplay resisted letting her eyes glaze over during Alabaster's tirade on the new telescope, just to make a point. It wasn't that she didn't care for academia, it was just that it was hard to listen to other ponies talk about it. Wordplay preferred doing the experiments herself, figuring it out on her own, that was why she was still enrolled into lab classes even though it wasn't strictly necessary for her graduation or especially necessary for her chosen career. [colour=#40e0d0]"Uh, well that's interesting...?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Wordplay gave an exaggerated lean back in response to Alabaster's leaning it. She wasn't really big on personal space of anything, she just thought it was a funny manner of response. [/colour][colour=#40e0d0]"Students allowed to use that telescope, or is it too important as I assume?" [/colour][colour=#000000]Wordplay smiled as she made eye contact with Alabaster.[/colour] [colour=#40e0d0]"Sorry about that teach, you get used to me quickly. My name's Wordplay, this is Psmith, Beats, Ria..." [/colour][colour=#000000]She pointed each of them out as she said their names. [/colour][colour=#40e0d0]"Doubt I'm going to be in your class, however... Hm. Why not? If it's alright with you guys? Since all of you are new, I might as well show every single one of you around, yeah?"[/colour]