Blueblood

Blueblood will be showing up, likely showing his new colt his first Nightmare Night.

The sudden revelation of multiple infiltrators caused Blueblood to shift into a battle ready stance, whistling in a pitch to carry. It was the signal to his own personal honor guard to stand ready. Not attacking yet, as it seemed that the 'Duke' wished to parley, but his own Captain could be trusted in her judgment of when to arrive. In the meantime... "Visits from foreign dignitaries are to file their itineraries with the Foreign Office, or else forfeit any expectation of their accustomed level of hospitality." He replied, in an offended tone. "In any case, your insinuations, as I have said before, bely your request for politeness. Additionally, you ought to know we place a premium on straightforwardness in negotiations, for obvious reasons." Keep them talking, that was the key....

Well hey there! Blueblood here, friendly neighborhood admin. Happy to see you, and hope you enjoy your stay! If you want to get started, please post your character profile here: https://www.canterlot.com/forum/416-character-applications/ This template is what we usually use: Let me know when you've got one up, and we can make sure to get you started in some threads!

Blueblood would have given the Duke a few criticisms on his stage-skill if asked. For one, he didn't seem to inhabit a theatrical role at all, just shouting catchphrases that were vaguely relevant to what Blueblood was doing. And the dynamite was just... too soon, you had to save explosions like that for the climax, which would take another two volleys at least! Sweeping the contents of a nearby punchbowl out with his magic to extinguish the flaming missiles sent his way, the next thing the Prince knew, Luna had brought a premature end to the match, with a sudden announcement. "What? Changeling?" Blueblood asked, startled, as he skittered off to Anwir's side. It would explain his lack of unicorn grace, for sure, and come to think of it, the Duke's normal magic color wasn't green, was it?

There seemed to be an affinity for earth in the Duke's attacks, corresponding to Blueblood's propensity for water and nautical metaphors. The stallion took advantage of his trained physicality to leap over the stones, laughing hoarsely like a stage-show pirate. "Yar-har-har-har! What have we here? It seems we've a landlubber in need of lesson in humility!" The incidental aim towards Anwir wasn't unnoticed by the Prince, who used it to inform his next attack. "Give him a taste of grapeshot!" Unable to resist the pun, his 'grapeshot' was a shot of literal grapes from the fruit trays, landing in a skull and crossbone pattern on the lawn before exploding into more juice than could conceivably be held by all the little fruit. The Duke could dodge, but only in a way that would put Anwir out of his angle of attack.

Luna's confidence was not misplaced; Blueblood had been trained personally by Celestia in the art of magic-dueling, though more so because Auntie wanted to make sure he neither got seriously hurt nor unduly injured any bystanders. Or opponents, for that matter; it didn't do for a Prince to publicly maim a Duke at a Grand Ball. Duels were usually only fought until three 'hits' were scored, or else the audience agreed one had demonstrated superior mastery of spellcraft... or showponyship. It was one of the lesser-known quirks of unicorn culture that spectacle was as important as substance when it came to magic; that was why they had developed stage magicians as well as wizards. As his main intention was to make an example of the Duke, Blueblood decided that he was going for a Showstallion's victory. With the Duke looking away for a brief moment, that gave the Prince all the opportunity he needed for an opening move. "Avast!" Striking a pose like an Admiral calling for a cannon barrage, his magic swept two champagne bottles from the table, encasing them in golden magic in the shape of ship's gun emplacements. "Broadsides!" Calling out the spell attack name, the bottles both popped, sending streams of superchilled bubbly wine directly at the Duke!

"You may have given what passes for an apology, but it seems that I shall have to make you truly sorry." Blueblood retorted, before sweeping a gesture at the crowd. "Clear the dance floor!" The order was obeyed with unusual alacrity; one wouldn't have thought a group at a fancy ball would be so ready to accommodate a duel. But, the bat-winged thestrals maintained many a martial tradition, and the old noble families understood the stakes of honor. "Magic terms are accepted." Blueblood said, taking up a stance with his back to the refreshment table. "Have you any seconds to appoint?"

Well, there was only one thing Blueblood could do in response to that. With a resolute THWAP the duke would feel the glove slap the side of his face. With a bit more force and sting than might be expected, as he'd kept it wrapped around a glass of ice water to make it cold and wet from condensation. "You may demonstrate your technical skill in your choice of sword or spell, cur!" The challenged traditionally had their choice of how they would answer that challenge. To back down from this challenge would be a public disgrace to him and his house, and no present authority seemed inclined to break it up.

After doing a few rounds of greeting, smiling, bowing, and hoof-shaking, Blueblood came back around just as the second dance was winding down. He saw Luna draw aside the Duke to give him a bit of a talking-to, which would probably serve to rebuke the noble more than a bit of wine spillage... ...Or not. It was quite clear that that this particular scion of the nobility was bound and determined to stick to his nastiness. "Not have as sorry as I am for you, old boy." Blueblood remarked, with a sigh. "I can't say I knew your ancestors, but I knew your mother, and she certainly tried to teach you better manners than that. That apology was more hurtful than an insult!" He hesitated but a moment before taking his next move, but he could sense that the Duke's attitude could still prove infectious unless it was made a public example of. Still, actually calling for a duel here and now would make a spectacle that risked spoiling the party. Plus, it might not be in the spirit of how Auntie wanted to handle things, second chances and all. Best to give him one last chance to realize the stakes, and back down. "In fact...." Blueblood said, raising his voice and pitching it to carry, "I've half a mind to demand satisfaction for your insulting attitude, not only on behalf of a lady's honor, but on my own as host, and on the Princess for the sake of her guard!" He brought out the traditional glove, flapping it against his sleeve to signal he was serious.

Tilting his head to listen to the music, Blueblood chuffed in amusement. "Never one to let go of the organ fuge, eh Auntie?" He muttered to himself. Not exactly his taste in music, but it could be worse. She could have become a metalhead upon her return; Blueblood still nursed a worry that at any point she might. In any case, he went off to get some refreshments, only pausing to artfully 'stumble' near the stallion who had given the hateful glance and remark, 'accidentally' spilling a glass of red wine all over the insinuator's shirt front. "Oh dear, my most sincerest apologies!" He said, in a convincing act of fluster, making futile attempts to blot the mess with a handkerchief in a way that only spread the stain. Sometimes a less than stellar reputation could come in handy to cover petty acts of vengeful justice...

Blueblood bowed at his Aunt's compliment. "I could do no less. An event going well reflects upon its host, after all!" He wasn't about to embarrass both Luna and himself by a poor job, after all! And after the... incident at the Gala, Celestia had told him in no uncertain terms to shape up in how he dealt with mares. "And I think the dress is wonderful." His voice had a... touch less enthusiasm, but that was just because personal relations with the dressmaker were less than ideal at present. He stood aside as Luna came to address Anwir. It was indeed her turn to dance with her general, though he himself wasn't sure if she was quite ready to be the center of attention. With a bit of a nervous look, he whispered, "Make her look good, alright? Mind the legs." That was about all he could do now. Not fully in control over how every aspect of the event went, he could only divert his attention towards any other guests that might show up. There were, after all, more than two attendees...

Only Blueblood would have been close enough to hear Anwir's humming, as she would know when he whispered in her ear. "You have a pretty voice, you know." He could tell she was a little shy about it, but it was a sweet enough sound to be worth encouraging. Her dancing was pretty decent too, once she got in the rhythm. Once she got her level of confidence up high enough, he was pretty certain that she would be able to handle pretty much anything that society had to throw at her. But, for that, talking to Auntie Luna was going to do more for her than he could. So, once the dance concluded, he stepped back in a bow, looking back up at the balcony to see if the Princess was coming down. "She should be able to recognize us, I can run interference if you two need a bit of privacy."

Shining chuckled. "I'm not quite old enough to remember those prices, my dad is though. I got my sweettooth from him, I suppose." He reminisced, as he accepted the bag of lemon drops. "Apple drops would certainly work too; you could probably get them for most major fruit flavors if you have a good source. The Oranges of Manehattan would get on board as well as Applejack if you approached them right; the clan all likes to work together if they can." Despite the inflation over the years, the prices of this candy really were low by Crystal Empire standards, but that was mostly because anything that couldn't be produced locally, like chocolate, had to be imported either by airship or the Express train line, and that added a significant premium to a lot of the sticker prices. "I'd say they definitely deserve a little extra, though not every shop accepts tips; most in Equestria should, though." He recalled, though, from an officer's training trip to Germaney and Prance, that the waiters and shopkeepers there actually got offended if tips were offered, as if you were insinuating that workers weren't paid enough there. One always had to be mindful as a royal of customs that weren't your own, as you were often crowned the head of many kinds of ponies, and some non-ponies as well! Fortunately, if Flurry Heart's attitude and, well, heart continued to be as open as she was now, he saw a bright future for his little Fluffalump! Speaking of foreign traditions though.... As soon as Heart Stopper, the Kastroti noblemare, walked in the door, all heads were turned on her. And as soon as Shining Armor laid eyes on her, husbandly instincts trained by years warned him that this dame was trouble, trouble of the kind that came accompanied by a low-key saxophone in black and white. Problem was, of course, that he couldn't put any finger on the reason why he felt this way; she wasn't being anything more than polite... if a little flirtatious, perhaps? *But... the last time I ignored warnings in the back of my head like that, I wound up fooled and brainwashed by the changeling queen.* Best to just smile politely, speak when spoken to, and leave as soon as could be seen as polite...

(Princess Luna's player will likely be joining us tomorrow!) "She should be showing up here, actually." Blueblood pointed out the setting sun and rising moon. The Dance would be timed to begin as the moon rose, concluding with Princess Luna arriving from the balcony. As the silver disk rose above the dark horizon, Blueblood took Anwir's hoof and led her to the Dance floor. Not to the center, as that would put her a little too much on the spot, but in a space where she could find her hooves and rhythm. Blue himself was a very graceful dancer, capable of much fancier steps than these, but he didn't push Anwir too much, as he would need time to figure out how to work around the limp. She wouldn't see that statue here that she remembered, it seemed to have been taken away. Or else de-stoned. So many statues seemed to do that these days...

Blueblood nodded with utmost sincerity. "I do." He said simply, concentrating on helping them both up the stairs without making Anwir's disadvantage obvious to any onlookers. Being a master of appearances, even fake ones, had its good uses it seems. Auntie had asked him to put out all the stops for her general, and that alone was enough to tell the Prince how much she cared. "Truth be told, there are others who've grown up with similar difficulties. I can put you in touch with a few who have grown up under the scorn of their neighbors, and those who bear the scars of of rejection. Some only through forms of letters, as I met them on my travels. But it is important for you to remember, just as Princess Luna came to learn: you are not alone." As if on cue, the pair rounded the corner of a trimmed hedge to arrive upon the immaculate lawn for the ball. All around were ponies dressed to the nines in suits and gowns, around half of them thestrals with their leathery wings and tufted ears, chatting amicably with nobles from the other tribes. It seemed that Anwir wasn't even alone in coming here in her dress uniform, as a few officers were wearing their parade gear, shining in gold, silver, and primary colors. The band hadn't finished warming up yet, but already some pairs were readying their place for the first waltz. "You can follow my lead if you don't know the steps. Most guests take the first dance, then switch partners or take breaks as they please." Not having seen her at any formal gathering before, he wasn't sure if she knew how they worked.

Suddenly noticing that the limp his companion had would make stairs difficult to navigate, Blueblood shifted himself so that she could use him more for support. One step at a time, that's how they had to take it. That was about the only way to get through life and its hardships, really, though the Prince had to admit that Anwir had faced more than most. "That's... awful. I can't imagine what its like to be rejected by your hometown like that...." Although, given how much the fear of shame and ostracism plagued the each noble in Canterlot with regards to their peers, he had a little more empathy than most. "That said, I believe Auntie Luna does understand; that's more or less part of the reason the whole... Nightmare Moon thing happened. I think you should see if she would be willing to talk to you about it, I've found her counsel to be quite helpful myself."

Blueblood nodded, letting Anwir pause before the steps. He wasn't sure what it was about them, or the thoughts running through her head, that was so weighing down her hooves like lead horseshoes. He could only keep the conversation alive, like any diplomat in unfamiliar territory. "Indeed, but what makes it especially hard to make the reckoning is how much of the good and bad is all bound together. The return of the age of monsters and heroes is a rather terrifying thing if you're not part of either category, but it was inaugurated by the return of Auntie Luna. I haven't much in the way of family, and it was... surprisingly wonderful to have it grow. Now that I think about it, in fact, most of the best things in my life right now came out of some of my worst experiences. Funny how life works, isn't it?"

Quite used to the manners of guards and guarded ponies, the Prince didn't push the issue, knowing that it would only close Anwir further. His grip on her hoof was gentle, and he matched a slow pace on her part. Being fashionably late was standard for one of his rank, no need to rush. Still, he wasn't quite sure how to proceed, after getting a read on the rather deep melancholy that he could feel hanging about her. He walked in silence for a bit, following her gaze up to the moon. "It's strange to think, there's colts and fillies growing up now that will never know what the moon used to look like." He ventured to follow her thought. "The world has changed in so many ways since we were foals. One has to hope it is for the better."

Luna had warned Blueblood ahead of time about the limp and the curved horn. He had his own... issues with changelings, but given that she had spent longer in a cocoon of theirs than he had, the Prince had nothing but sympathy for her situation. In fact, he was rather more charming than his usual cynical self when it actually came to attending the formal shindigs that he arranged. Didn't hurt that he honestly preferred the company of guards to the debutante crowd. "Ah, there you are, general!" Turning towards her with a most winning smile, he extended a crooked hoof to her, the standard for a stallion accompanying a mare. "I must say, you do splendid! I always did love the sight of a mare in uniform." He wasn't just being polite either, mare guards really did appeal to him for their looks, and Anwir carried the look well.

While the nights of summer were the shortest of the year, they were no less beautiful than any of Princess Luna's craftwork. If anything, their brevity better allowed a pony to stay up for the whole of it. Hence, the idea that had floated around the royal court, that the anniversary of Princess' Luna's return could be celebrated a little time after the Summer Sun Celebration, a ball under the stars that would last all night! When Auntie Luna asked him to arrange matters, Prince Blueblood could not refuse. Major event planning in Canterlot was one of the miscellaneous duties that was bound with his inherited royal status, and truth be told it was a job he rather enjoyed. Arranging the catering with various cooling dishes and moon-shaped treats, marking out a short-clipped lawn of grass tough enough to withstand the wear of many dancing hooves, selecting just the right light summer outfits to make one of the periodic marks upon fashion that was expected of his station. All was, in short, just as he liked his life to be. But there was one extra request that his Auntie had asked of him... "My night guard has been especially looking forward to this event, and for that I must thank you. They get so little time to properly socialize in the high-class scene, given the shifts that we work. However, this does also mean that some of my high officers are without escorts for the night. There is one in particular that I should not wish to leave lonely in the midst of a crowd. Would you be so kind, dear nephew, to serve as her escort in and pair for the night? It need mean no more than a formality, you're not committed to courtship. She has just been alone for so long... amidst hostile ponies too, growing up." It wasn't a request that Blueblood could with honor refuse, even if he could not accept without some amount of trepidation. No matter how chaste or platonic the arrangement was, rumors would still fly, of that he was certain. Luna seemed convinced, however, that general Aria would better stand these than stand alone... not to mention, the exercise would no doubt do her nephew a bit of good as well. So, there he was, in a light suit of white linen fabric and a midnight blue sash studded with stars, awaiting his appointed companion a little outside of the castle. It was but a short walk from here to the appointed Ball Lawn, which would at least give them a little time to get acquainted before facing the whole of Canterlot Society...

Hello and welcome! I'm PrinceBlueblood, one of the friendly neighborhood admins here. I'm more than happy to help walk you through getting started in RP here. If you need a tour through the site, PM here or on Discord as princeblueblood!

The trouble with descending to the level you thought other ponies were is that, often enough, you ended up a good deal below where they actually were. All that talk of 'momma-momma' and 'momma-dadda' left poor Amby a little confused, but she got the general gist. High Bar was asking her to pick a favorite parent! Now, of course, the right and proper answer was that she loved them both equally.... but just as each parent would secretly have a favorite foal, each foal would secretly have a favorite parent. Or, in Ambrosia's case, not-so-secretly. Leaning in with obvious conspiratorial intent, she pointed at the orange mare now digging into her hayburger. "That momma." She whispered in a low, hoarse voice, before suddenly seeing her interlocutor disappear beneath a splash of colorful spheres! Unaware of her brother's meanie maneuver, she giggled, thinking this to just be the playfulness of her new friend, as she dived in after her with a gleeful, "Wheeee!"

Queen Haven shot Flick a look flatter than The House of Pancakes. "We just agreed not to censor ourselves... and then you suggest we forbid ourselves from saying certain words?" To the Queen, it seemed to betray a certain... lack of forethought behind Flick Ray's words. Perhaps that was what he meant by 'authentic conversation', but Haven was beginning to understand now why so few ponies actually wished to have them on-air. You could talk yourself into some quite embarrassing holes, that while in private would be laughed off with a joke, could in public be used as a stick against you, even just for mockery.