Blueblood

Oh, it was just so precious, Spoiled just wanted to pat little High Bar on the head and say what a good job she was doing! If anything, it would relax the obvious signs of tension that were starting to build in the little filly's face. But, that would probably embarrass the ever-loving heck of her, and that was a bad thing to do to a potential business partner (was there a slight pang of guilt at a memory of a time where Diamond had been deliberately dressed-down in public?). At least the milk could cool her down, hopefully. Another sip of wine, then she distributed some bread and butter slices to each of the negotiators. "Don't forget to take a look at the menu too. The selection rotates frequently, so that everything is in season."

Predictable the gift may be, but it was welcome all the same. "Ooh, are those Golden Sunberries? I've always wanted to try something with those! Ah, but I always feel a little guilty using a rare bunch of berries all up. Foolish, I know, since they'd go bad if not eaten or juiced, but... you know what I mean?" Berry Punch didn't know if Granola used rare ingredients on any kind of a regular basis, but if she did, she might know what the mare meant. "And what varietal are these? Usually I have to plant grapevines from cuttings."

Well, now that the pair of them had gotten to the incident, surely conversation could be easier from here. Surely. Queen Haven had hoped so, but the emotions brought up there, of hurt, shock, betrayal, desperate love and fear.... it wasn't that long ago, and it would be a while yet before she would be able to reflect on that night with Equanimity. After all, that had been the shattering of a whole way of living for her. Even if the future promised to be better, it was still a radical thing for a mare her age to deal with. She said none of this, but Flick would have been able to read it in her expression. "From what I understand, from what Zephyr told me, the rumors are largely true. She first met them outside the city, assisted them in their escape and theft of the crown, though it wasn't their intention to actually expose Pipp on stage. She tells me that was just an accident, and I believe it. Had it really been her desire to expose our... show, she could have done so at any time. "And the proper term for what you're thinking of is 'disinheritance'; abdication is what *I* would be forced to do, if I were judged unfit for the throne." Which might still happen. Unlikely, but things were very much up in the air. "But no, Princess Zipp's position is secure. As secure as it can be, in these uncertain times. Though, if you had asked me then...." She bit her lip, doing a bit of self-reflecting, before shaking her head. "No, despite everything, as angry and hurt as I was, I don't think I would have been able to bring myself to cut her from the succession. It would have... broken too much between us."

By the end, Ambrosia was panting and stumbling, but she made it! The Great Gift Giver had stopped for them! There would be presents after all! She was smiling to see Zap close behind her, but her eyes were mostly fixed with wide wonder on the figure who offered them the chase and conclusion. But only one present? Really? After summoning a huge pile at the house, and then making it vanish? Amby would have voiced protest, but some inner goody-horseshoes warned her that now would be the exact wrong time to be greedy. Still, she could quite understand Zapper's point of view, of the bigger being the better one. But looking up at the big box, she got a little worried. "But... I can't reach the ribbon! I wanna unwrap it with you, Zappers!" Not to mention the fact that her big brother tore the ribbon with the paper two times out of three. She always wanted to save it, because ribbons were nice! Momma always liked to tie them around her frizzy hair.

Spoiled was, for now, content to sit back and observe. She had to say she was impressed by what she saw; her own experience gave her confidence that the changeling was no snake-oil salesmare, so those potions were likely the real deal. Limb regeneration! Who wouldn't brave the sketchier side of town to acquire such a thing? And what was, really, the point of putting pointless barriers and taxations in front of its distribution, really? Honestly, she was doing the whole world a favor here; High Bar would be moving her family towards a more virtuous line of business, which no doubt would lessen the sale of the cement horseshoes. The waiter came back at this time with their drinks, placing a tall, cold glass of foamy milk in front of the filly, while uncorking the wine bottle and pouring two glasses out for Spoiled and Rose. "Thank you very much. We'll be a little while with our orders, I think; this is a bit of a working lunch."

Chipper's mind was still mostly on music as he left the classroom, humming along songs he'd learned from one of the few music records he'd been able to pick up, a promotional EP by a new band who shared the colt's general aesthetic of an upbeat touch of darkness: "I know there's someone at the door, They called for help of this I'm sure, But do I want to say goodbye To all the glowing eyes?" As he softly sang, his head would bob like his corvid companions would, as if the backing music was playing through invisible headphones. He continued to be lost in his own little world until reaching the door of his next class. "Oooh, now this looks interesting! Is this the one where we throw fireballs at the bad guys? Best Defense is a good Offense, after all!"

It wasn't much of a surprise, Spoiled supposed, that Rose preferred wine from her home country. There just wasn't a whole lot of elegance to the local varieties; even when they had good taste, just not a lot of sophistication or prestige associated with them. And that was honestly half the fun of drinking wine! Any reply, though, was forestalled by the one member of the party who could not drink wine in any case, and dear Celestia did High Bar have any idea how cute she looked? Just the young filly trying to pull off the super-serious rich business-pony look with a school saddlebag and two bodyguards, just, just- Just hurt. It was like seeing a future she wanted for her own filly being lived out by somepony else's. True, Diamond was more in the socialite than business elite line, to Spoiled's judgment, but still. Here was a filly actually living towards her future! It made the Mayor want to give her a hoof up towards that. Hopefully tonight would give her the opportunity. "Very well then, Waiter! A bottle of the Canterbridge Valley '04, and a tall glass of milk. The bread and butter will do for appetizers." Having given the drink orders, the party took their seat. "I don't know whether you prefer to begin with pleasantries before business, or to take the business first and relax afterwards, so I'll leave that to you. Rose Compass has been doing some quite interesting and most valuable work lately, to which I can personally attest, and it occurred to me that having an urban distribution network for her products in Manehattan would be to mutual advantage. I'll let her make her own pitch, of course."

There were some meetings that just couldn't be held during Town Hall hours. This little... arrangement wasn't official town business, after all. She was here simply as Spoiled Rich, wife of a prominent businesspony, here to arrange a deal between a friend and another businesspony. She hadn't really done much work with High Bar or her family, though she had guessed rather early their true nature and intentions at sending a scion to Ponyville. She was still leery about letting their hooves anywhere near official contracts, but this wasn't official business. An alchemist needed distribution connections to market her experimental, but highly effective, treatments. Who better, she thought? Which was why she had booked a private room in a small restaurant to have the two of them talk over the deal, with her to mediate. "The wine list is short, but well-selected." She assured her guests, as they both arrived. "Though... I think they might just serve you juice, High Bar." Her Manehattan family had started her out young in making her follow their footsteps. On reflection, Spoiled quite approved. Had to channel their youthful energy early, otherwise little fillies started getting ideas...

Feng paused a bit in his own disguise application to watch Yanhua at work. She made it seem so effortless, even though this was nothing like he'd ever seen her before. Visually, the thing looked perfect, but... He viewed the wings with a small frown. "That could be a bit problematic; you've got the slight rustle that I do every once in a while down pat, but its gonna look weird if you don't ever take off the whole time you're in Long Kong. Most longma take at least one flight a day if their wings work... maybe you could make them look as if they didn't? Would go a long way to explaining how you turned to a life of crime." Though he may lack magical illusion powers, he knew the ins and outs of keeping false identities believable. Speaking of little illusion talent... "Hm, yeah, I guess talents differ across yokai, huh? Well, I can do your makeup... hope you don't mind if I take a pair of scissors to your mane, make the military cut a little more uneven. Look as if you haven't seen a regulation barber in a year or so. Hold still." A little snipping of the mane, a little scuffing of the scales- "Slouch a little more, bend a bit, don't worry so much about hiding your inner snake. Actually, since you've kept that part a secret from the guard, letting folks think you're a disguised hebei will make it less likely that they'll pin you for being an undercover agent! Brilliant!" He stood back with a grin, one that faltered a bit when the issue of conflict with his sister was brought up. It occurred to him then that, despite him having once taken an oath to put the Empress before all other connections, he'd never been put in a position where his word and bond had been so tested before. But... many things Feng was, an oathbreaker he was not. "Understood." He nodded, trying to still be optimistic. "I doubt she'll make any moves like that, she was always too lazy to make trouble for herself." With all that taken care of, Feng took a step back to review the guises of both his companions, then stretched out, snapping his tail like a whip. When he emerged from his pose, the last bit of his disguise fell into place. It was all about the attitude; the military posture and honed keenness fell away, leaving something rather rougher and a little more erratic. Yanhua might still be able to see Feng through Bao even now, but that would be because she knew the old village troublemaker he used to be. Now, she was getting a glimpse of an alternative life for him, what likely would have become of that rambunctious outcast had that Imperial Watcher not expressed confidence in him. "Now..." He pulled down his shades with a bit of a leer, his voice changed to mimic a faux-sophisticate typical of the upwardly-mobile bandit, "How about you lovely ladies come with me on a little trip to the big city?"

As confident as Rose was, the mere mention of side-effects had Spoiled briefly do a slightly-paranoid bout of self-reflection. Any weird feelings or thoughts? Well, none that couldn't otherwise be accounted for. "I... feel alright. Rather better than I was this morning, but I doubt that troubled thoughts are a medical side effect. In any case, my mind is now clear. Have a good day, for I really must get back in time for the zoning meeting..." And with that, Mayor Rich returned to her duties.

Spoiled nodded, satisfied that she could at least do this much for one who had helped her. She was by no means ungrateful, whatever else you could fairly call her. "I shall arrange a meeting post-haste." She smiled, standing up once more. "Thank you once again, it has been delightful talking with you; a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. But now, I must return to work. Keep a lookout for a message when the appointment is arranged, and I'll see you then. Have a good afternoon."

Majority are done on the forums. This is a sfw site, so there's not much reason to not be public with anything. Lot of folks like to read the stories other users come up with.

Welcome! I'm one of the friendly neighborhood admin/mods; welcome to Canterlot! Always glad to see new friends hereabouts; if you need assistance in navigating the RP Character app process, feel free to PM me. You can find a lot of us hanging out on the Discord server as well. Hope to see you around for a long time to come!

Spoiled Rich beamed. "I will of course be perfectly happy to arrange introductions. A prominent business family involved in Manehattan politics and infrastructure has a representative in town right now that I can introduce, as a matter of fact." High Bar would be fairly easy to convince, she was sure, though for the rest... she had more knowledge than social capital, to be frank. She knew who the important ponies were, though they would not necessarily give her the time of day.

Spoiled snorted in a kind of half-laugh through her turned-up nose. "So it does. Does friendship fund the municipal sewer extension? Balance the school budget? Perish the thought, there are monsters to kill. Or rather, bring back to town and swear they've changed and won't do anything bad or disruptive ever again." She could go on like this, but was mindful of stretching Rose's patience. "Plans....?" She mused. Well, there was her mayoral agenda, but having to abandon the major ambition of her life left her feeling adrift. Like a wandering buoy, her thoughts drifted into a previously-mentioned harbor. Niilaavin... such a charming creature. Had spoken well of her, said she would make a good sphinx. Perhaps if that transformation project got off the ground.... "I might have some ideas. Quite a few rather depend on your work, actually. So, if you require a sponsor, or some introduction to potential clients or donors, do let me know, will you?"

Oh, it was such a relief to find someone, anyone else that shared her sympathies with just how absurd this whole "Academy of the Magic of Friendship" was. It had become unbearable, and not just because the Royal Presence in Ponyville rather eclipsed any projects of the local elite. It was as if Princess Twilight had no sense of realpolitik, naively relying on personal affection to bail her out of any political or military difficulty she'd encounter over the course of her reign! The most disgusting thing, of course, being the fact that it worked so well so far. "And she's not even using it curry any kind of favors with anypony that matters." Heaving a huge sigh, Spoiled shook her head, as if to shake off all consideration of the question. "Well, I suppose I do have you to thank for having more years than I thought I would. And I have found myself with more like-minded... supporters lately." She had almost said 'friends', but that would have been an unprincipled surrender to a rival.

A lack of restraint... was that truly a parallel to Spoiled situation? *It's not that I haven't been patient, generational projects of course require time. And as for how high I've reached, well! I hardly think it's too much to ask that one's family be counted as peers with the Nobility, especially not when that dressmaker Rarity can hobnob with the good and great these days!* No, it was in no way overreach that was her problem, she was sure. As for ignoring her family, pish! And tosh, as they said in Trottingham! Her family was her ambition, and now they were actively failing her! "If Diamond had shown any sign of long-term thinking or told me of any goals on a grand scale, I might have. Unfortunately, her interests seem largely to have devolved into 'having a good time with her friends'." She raised her hooves in air quotes as she sat beside Rose. "It is a hard thing for a mare, who has less of a future herself each day, to see her legacy being so wasted, cut off at the first." She huffed, pawing the ground in frustration.

Assured of Rose's discretion, Spoiled took no offense at her remark on Politics. She wasn't exactly wrong; science and medicine were at best tools and at worst weapons used by the political class for their purposes. Spoiled put no intrinsic value in them herself, either, but she could appreciate those who did. Rose was a very valuable changeling to know. "Well," The Mayor began, leading off into a more secluded area of the park. "Things have not been good in Rich Manor. For a while now, actually. I am a mare who put in much effort to secure my daughter's future, and the position of our family as a whole, but lately...." She sighed again, more wistfully, and with a tinge of regret. "Lately, it has been made clear to me that my ambitions and hers have diverged, sharply, without me having been aware of it. I... suppose I could have handled the revelation better. Words were had, and... we've never really been so close since." It hurt to admit. She'd never thought of herself as a bad mother, quite the opposite! Everything she'd done, from making sure Diamond Tiara kept the right company, to schooling her attitude, to making sure that every opportunity was taken to leverage her married riches into social status for all of them... all for her. Except, not really. It was she who desired status and power, but knew that the lifetime of one pony would not be enough to attain what she felt she deserved. She'd made it a generational project, but Diamond had bailed on it for the sake of her friends... And now the peak of what she could expect to be was a small-town mayor. And that was just the start of it. "Filthy, too, has been growing distant. He always used to be so doting, I rather got used to his attentions, but now... at first I thought it was because I was losing my looks, but that couldn't be it, because, well, obviously." She gestured, with some justified arrogance, at her well-preserved visage and figure. "I think it might be that he feels obligated to take Diamond's side against me. He's perfectly content to be a bourgeois burgher, and sometimes I feel that he'd rather keep his business relations intact than his marriage these days!"

Spoiled sighed deeply, looking from side to side before dropping her voice. "Can I trust your discretion?" She asked, clearly wanting to speak, but cautious about the ramifications of loose lips. "I would appreciate a sympathetic ear, but in my experience, a mare in my position risks getting a hundred unsympathetic ears by accident the moment she decides to open up. The press was not kind to me during the election, and if they got notice of this, the whole town would never hear the end of it."

"Ah, transformation? Yes, I suppose that would make more sense; not expert in magic or alchemy." She was glad, however, that things were working out. She counted Niil as a friend, a dear friend who understood and appreciated her. More than some ponies she could name. "And, no, I didn't express any desire to be other than what I am... I thought at the time that it would prove too insuperable a barrier between me and my family, but now...." She waved her hoof in a similar manner to that which Rose had just done, sighing heavily herself. She was in the mood in which middle-aged mares think fairly lightly of taken vows, and strongly weigh other possibilities and adventures.

Spoiled blink, giving a slight, but genuine smile at the changeling. Honestly, the Mayor shared quite a few preconceptions on 'normalcy' with Rose, and felt that quite a few of her fellow citizens had a near-terminal case of naivete. Rose, though outwardly as peppy as all the rest, didn't grate on her as much as the others. She understood, Spoiled felt. "Good afternoon! I'm doing splendidly in terms of health, in no small part thanks to you." She walked up alongside her, falling into an easy pace. "How did the meeting with Prince Blueblood go? I hope you were able to find some way of helping that sphinx of his."

Ostensibly, Mayor Rich was walking in the Gardens behind the Town Hall to inspect the sues of Ponyville's horticulture fund. You never knew, with plants. At least, Spoiled Rich didn't know much; not all earth ponies were gardeners. But she knew an aesthetically pleasing flowerbed when she saw one, and there wasn't much to complain about here. But other things... well. She was a mare that had never lacked for complaints, regardless of whether anypony else thought that she ought to or not. But with work beginning to separate her from her family, the increasingly cool reception she got at the dinner table was beginning to wear on her. Which made her work late. Which meant less time to repair relationships. And so it went. She sighed, bringing out a compact to touch herself up. Really, this stressful situation might well have deteriorated her looks ever further had that alchemist not come to down with those wonderful bottles of hers. An anti-aging treatment that wasn't a scam? Why, she'd license her likeness, if Rose thought her face would help sell product. That was one of the things she hoped to discuss with her today. And it was this discussion that was the real reason for her to take a lunchbreak outside...

Many branches of the military around the world had a saying: "The difficult we do quickly, the impossible takes a little longer." As a stallion, Feng lived that as his personal motto, which made him both a valuable and highly irritating longma to have as a friend. Valuable, because letting him know their true nature and capabilities did not in any way risk Feng's ire or fear; if anything, it solidified his commitments. Irritating, because it was *actually* impossible to dislodge him from any goal he'd set his heart upon. Including this mission. Right. He kicked open the box he dug, up, bringing out a new set of clothing, some mane dye and gel, and other accoutrements. "Ah, yes. Between your magic, Yanhua, and your strength, Rongyu, I'm more confident than ever in our mission. Which is a surgical strike at the leadership of the Long Kong triad. They've been building up a network in Long Guo proper, and unless we act now, it will be almost impossible to uproot them. We hope to disrupt their operations with the arrest of a critical leader. "Now," He said, beginning to shed his uniform in front of the two mares, "There's a couple of things we have going for us. First, I have a false identity set up from my time back in the Watchers that I used to infiltrate the criminal underworld. As far as I know, it remains uncompromised, and so gives us some social capital and verisimilitude for infiltration." Having shed the uniform, he put on the clothes more typical of a Long Kong native. "My pseudonym is Bao Lee, by the way, please try to remember that. You might also want to put on some new disguises too, because what we do in Long Kong shouldn't follow us back to Huangjing, ideally." Once his clothes were on, he took the mane gel and styled it in a spiky, trendy urban manner. When mixed with the dye, it provided a rainbow-like sheen to the color than moved and dazzled in the light. "They remember the mane, and not many other details." He explained. "And since I'm obviously a thug trying to stand out with a put-on look, no one tries to pierce my disguise. Except there's one mare I'm not going to be able to fool..." He took a deep breath, they'd both revealed their secrets, now he had to reveal his. "And that's our second ace, as it were. I have a sister in Long Kong, Yin, who has taken a position as a Grass Slipper in the Triad. I'm hoping to be able to call in favor with her, otherwise..." He completed his new look with a pair of shades, "This will be a relatively more difficult job." Yin would have appreciated the pun, whether or not his current audience did.

Shining tilted his head a bit at the mention of Royal Alchemist. "Oh, so you've met Twily- Princess Twilight?" He corrected, knowing it wasn't likely that she was familiar enough to refer to his LSBFF by nickname. "Well, if she thinks well of you, I trust her judgment. Have a happy Hearthswarming!" And knowing that Twily had evaluated Rose did put his mind at ease. She'd faced even more villains than he had, and would surely have recognized if this changeling was one. For the rest, he was content to stand in the background, and let his little filly act the Princess tonight. It was an endearing sight to see her so grown up, even if dinner tonight was cookies and punch. Well, he'd let that slide, tonight. As the fireplace was lit that night, his thoughts were on his family, here, upstairs in the Palace, and far away in Ponyville and Canterlot. Wherever they were, whoever they were with, he wished them all the warmth this season could provide.