TheInvisiblePony

How have I missed this thread for so long? Oh, and

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EDIT: Gah! defeated thus far. Challenge accepted.

"I'm not a paranoid deranged millionaire. I'm a god****ed billionaire!" -Howard Hughes

"Geeks stay up all night disassembling the world so that they can put it together with new features. They tinker and fix things that aren't broken. Geeks abandon the world around them because they're too busy soldering together a new one. They obsess, and in many cases, they suffer." -Matthew Inman

Welcome to Canterlot, may I take your order?

In all seriousness, make yourself at home. Well, not literally. I don't think the internet can fit a person. I'm bad at seriousness, aren't I?

I suppose I'll be seeing you 'round the site, then. Enjoy your stay!

That is... pretty much the most adorable thing I've seen in a good long while.

That was touching.

"For all the points on a compass, there is but one direction; time, its measure."

-Rosencrantz

"All you need to good things in life is to throw your arms up and run screaming in one direction. You'll either figure things out, kind of, or you'll crash and burn in a horrible twisted wreckage. But the important thing is just to not think about the horrible wreckage part"

-Fimflamfilosophy

Oh goodie, there is a thread for this! I must say, I've been looking forward to this particular project for a good while now. I've seen a good deal of former animations done by some of the people involved, so I must say I have high hopes for this. Certainly replicates the anticipation I usually have for the episodes, anyways.

As far as ponies go, Enos Grey wasn't a terribly extroverted pony. He was never one to leave the comfort of his home, especially when he was working on his spells, sonic magic being something of lifelong project of his. However, absent-minded and work-focused as he was, he - like all ponies - took pleasure in social activity. Rather than go out and talk to ponies though, Enos was always content to walk down a street and just listen. Not to anypony in particular, but rather to everypony as a whole. It was not much more than a small pleasure, but a small pleasure can be enough to draw a pony out to the streets for a day.

On this particular day, Enos was roaming the street, but he was having a bit of trouble taking his mind of his latest spell. Ever so slightly annoyed he wasn't able to focus on the crowds drone, he closed his eyes and tried to pay attention to the sounds. A sound plan, if he had found place to sit, or even a corner to stand off in, but instead he had continued walking. So, of course, he ended up bumping into another pony on the street.

Stumbling back a bit, he opened his eyes in surprise as it appeared he had bumped into a stallion wearing... a cloak? Yup. A cloak. A colourfully spotted one at that. Enos tilted his head slightly, as he started wondering why a pony would be wearing that. Canterlot was notorious for its fashion, something that Enos never quite followed. It was entirely possible that this fellow was simple on his way to a fashion show. Yes, that certainly made sense to the unicorn, although he did find the outfit a tad... garish. That couldn't possible be something some of the more stuffy ponies might wear, though he had to admit, he had seen worse. Lost in thought, Enos didn't quite figure out that it was a bit rude to stare directly at a pony for more than a few seconds, especially after bumping into them.

Okay, so I did a little research on the subject, in particular the amniomorphic spell Starswirl was credited with in Nightmare Night. From what I can gather, its a subtle pun because amnio is prefix that pertains with bowls, and morphic is essential shaping. So, Starswirl is a bearded pony who shapes bowls... or in other words...

a hairy potter.

With this information, throwaway joke as it is, I wonder if the old bearded guy was just going through a mid-life crisis. I mean, he was unsure of his destiny, so he tried to emulate his desired goal with magic, didn't quite get any satisfaction, tried time travel, then the destiny spell. Or something like that.

Okay, so I've mulled the subject around a bit, and I think I've stumbled on a little gem about Starswirl. We know in the S3 finale his attempted magnum opus was a spell to change a ponies destiny. We also know he's worked presumable a great deal on time travel magic, or at least enough to create the spell that Twilight uses for time travel. I wonder though, time travel is easily the most thought of attempt to fictionally change events. You want something to work differently, you go back and change it. Simple.

However, in Equestria, time travel seems to close itself off in loops, often in humorous ways that cap off punchlines to an episode. At least, that's what we know based off the episode's information. So, I think that Starswirl's last spell was not his first attempt to change another pony's destiny. I think that he tried time travel first (possibly not even first, given the sheer amount of spells he has in his wing), and failing that, he tried a more direct hooves-on approach, but ultimately failed in his goal. Just a musing really.

I would say my favorite underrated game would be Freedom Force. I can't remember a whole lot about it other than loving intensely (probably one of my top five, just from the nostalgia factor). All I really remember is that it was a 3rd person tactical super-hero game, in which you control a squad of neither DC nor Marvel superheros throughout cities, robberies, and super villains Some of your heroes include Minute Man the Captain America expy, Antman - a super hero with the proportional strength of an ant, and Diablo a.k.a. your standard walking flame thrower.

Aside from that all I really remember is that it got the superhero feel right. It played like a golden age comic book, really.

Fantasy nodded towards the shopkeeper as well. In Canterlot in particular, she knew you never wanted a negative reputation. Well, that, and being nice was generally a polite thing to do. However, Darkness' suggestion for efficiency rung true with her, so she nodded towards him as well. With that in mind, she turned and walked down one of the numerous hallways and started looking for particular things that looked good.

Hugo looked around as the griffons he had been hired to work with introduced themselves. Notable, he payed attention to the nurse, seeing as she seemed in charge. Seeing as how she was in the medical profession, Hugo was beggining to suspect that the job this employer had planned wasn't exactly a simple task. His suspicions were confirmed when she mentioned the gem, but to that Hugo found himself even more concerned, though he didn't show it. Of course the job sounded shady, any job where the employer remains anonymous generally is. However, as a griffon who's been forced to play the anonymous role before, Hugo was always willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Now... well, now it sounded like he had been hired to be a jewel thief and it wasn't like he could just walk away. He had already accepted.

Before he could dwell on the subject much longer, the other griffons piped up. Namely, the 'Gilda' character insulted everybody present, 'Falco' questioned the lack of their benefactor's presence, the... short-one-whose-name-escaped-him acted defensively, and the last one, well, Hugo was still working out replies to the first few. Aside from some obvious pride (To be fair, Hugo had yet to see a griffon - himself included - who was humble) he actually agreed with her stance. Hugo sighed. He had been expecting the group to act a little more... professional, but that didn't seem likely at this rate. He also regarded the last griffon, the one who flew in after him, with an interesting eye to the green cloak. An interesting piece of clothing, he noted.

Speaking to most of the group in particular, but mostly just thinking aloud, Hugo piped up [colour=#ffd700]"So, quite the group gathered. We've got a nurse and a small flock... something tells me this isn't going be a cakewalk." [/colour]The more he thought about it, moral conundrum aside, the more he cracked a small grin. [colour=#ffd700]"Nothing like a good challenge. Besides, I've never been to Gaberott. Sounds like this might just be interesting."[/colour] He made an effort not to talk back to anbody present. Not only did he not want to sour any opinions of himself, he figured it would be just as rude to trade a comeback.

Fantasy was always amazed at how close everything could be in Equestria. Or maybe she had a poor sense of time. Regardless, it didn't take long for them to arrive at the city. Looking over her shoulder to the pegasus, she flashed a reassuring smile. She certainly knew where he was coming from, having been there countless times herself. Hay, she was still rendered nigh-catatonic from large enough crowds, thanks to all those parties she'd been ill-equipped to handle as a foal. But, her aversion to crowds did manifest in a few interesting ways as she grew up in the city. Mainly, a knowledge of the few back alleys the capital had.

[colour=#800080]"Not to fear, Mr. Eclipsed, I know Canterlot like the back of my hoof. Stick with me, and I doubt we'll run into any group larger than the odd pair!"[/colour] She quickly changed her smile to that of one who knows what she's doing, and indeed in a few twists and turns down some streets, she did manage to find the store she had in mind. It hadn't taken that long to find the place, really. Even better, the store was a bit run-down for upper-class standards, so there wasn't even many ponies inside. She turned towards Darkness and stood with a slight triumphant pose as she held the door open for the pegasus. [colour=#800080]"After you."[/colour]

[colour=#333333]You hear that Mr. Strings?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your greeting... Hello, Mr. Strings...[/colour]

[colour=#333333] [/colour][colour=#333333]In all seriousness though, welcome to the site. Always good to have some social folks around, so mayhaps you should check the chatroom if you haven't already. Other than that, I look forward to seeing your completed OC. [/colour]

Well, I managed to collect some thoughts and provide a few more villains I adore.

For starters, there's Don Paulo from Professor Layton. He's just so over the top, its wonderful. He plays off of so many villain traits, and he's so abrupt in his appearances its perfect. Then there's the pope from assassin's creed 2. I... don't really care for this one. I just find it hilarious the pope is the games main villain. I adore Jack Spicer and Wu-ya from Xiaolin Showdown.

And then there's one of my absolute favorites: Jubal Early from Firefly. He's so eccentric you don't expect to get anything grand from him. Then he turns out to a decent fighter, and a crack shot. Then he goes full despicable in an instant and becomes quickly threatening, all the while maintaining a facade that he's only acting horrendous because its his job.

As Fantasy approached the bushes which acted as a gate to the sanctuary of nature, she turned back to see Darkness presumably saying his goodbyes to the place. Fairly reasonable, she mused. She probably would have done the same, had she had a place that meant this much to her. Not wanting to cut anything short (that would be terribly impolite) she waited where she was and allowed him to carry one. A goodbye to a clearing shouldn't take too long, and then they'd be on their way.

As she stood there, she decided to focus on a sense of direction. She knew Darkness was basically a walking map, but she didn't want to entirely rely on his talent. Or, maybe it was just a natural instinct of an adventurer. Regardless, she started mentally mapping out what she knew of the area, and between her memory and the sun, it wasn't long before she had a general idea as to where they were headed, trees blocking her view or not.

Good day mate, and welcome, welcome, welcome to Canterlot!

I have a feeling your going to fit right in. In fact, take a complimentary music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNapDkz1urc

Well... a decision. Fantasy weighed her options. The ten minute estimation sounded fairly accurate, especially since she knew her way around, given that she had kinda been raised there. There wasn't many back alleys to her recollection, but she had always gotten around fine. Well, that settled that. Satisfied with her solution she decided it would probably be a good idea to share it. Well, more necessary than good. It wasn't like she couldn't share it at this point, but that was fairly obvious.

[colour=#800080]"My vote's for Canterlot. It is a bit busy, I'll admit, but unless things have drastically changed you and I both have a decent idea of how to get around. Of course, now that I think about it, I'd have to think about any sort of food..."[/colour]

Fantasy tried to think of any place in particular (outside of food stalls... she had never truly cared for those) but she really only ever bothered to remember where the bookstores were. Funny, but not terribly unexpected. After a second or two of collecting thoughts, she remembered a small deli. Not much, but it might do. [colour=#800080]"Actually, I believe I recall just the place. Now, not to rush things, but with a plan in hoof, we really shouldn't tally".[/colour]

She smiled the smile that was often on those who had a decent plan, and did a brief trot around the clearing, mainly to don her cape and hat. She then turned and focused her smile on Darkness. [colour=#800080]"A brief detour is all this visit should prove to be. We'll be out and on our to Ponyville before you know it!"[/colour]

Joker hands down. Not just because he's funny (in a sadistic kind of way) but what he represents.

The absolute epitome of chaos rivalled only by the epitome of justice. The relationship between characters such as Batman and Joker stretch far beyond 'a bad guy doing bad things and a good guy doing good things'.

Why I always liked Batman and Joker is because they are just humans doing what they are good at. Because of this, the philosophy of right and wrong is played out by those two. In a cheesy sort of way there is a bit of Batman and Joker in all of us. They are the constant conflict of what we see as good and evil. Either try and understand that society is broken, but know that it doens't make structure pointless, or just do whatever because nothing matters.

tl;dr

Joker. For the lulz.

You know, I was expecting someone to pick the Joker for more or less the same reason. He really is great, isn't he? I think, by far, my favorite flip-flop contrast between the two is the backstory. Or rather, the lack-thereof on one part. I've always found it funny how amazingly in depth we go into Batman's psych, and get literally hours worth of backstory distributed throughout the various movies and comics. On the other hand, how much do they really go into the Joker's history? Aside from his lies, you don't get a terribly big one. I mean there is the Red Hood and the chemical plant, but we still barely know anything.

Yeah, great villain. Easily one of the best.

So, I figure I'd come to the board with a rather specific inquiry for all y'all who're interested. Personally, I believe that antagonists can cause some of the most dramatic tension in literature/film/insert other medium. Sure, you can get struggle without them, but nothing really comes close to a confrontation between rivals in my humble opinion.

Now, it should go without saying that some villains are just more villainous than others, and some ruffians are just more ruffious than others. The same could be said for their styles. My question is, who is your favorite antagonist villain of all time? Who do you just love to hate, and hate to love?

For myself, I'd say my favorite antagonist is Oz, from the play Wicked. I don't know why, but something about the man who just gets swept off his feet and gets carried away for caring for the world intrigues me. He's not evil, persay, just a man trying to do what he thinks is right when he's out of his depth.

Oh, and for contrast's sake, no characters from MLP, please. There are already plenty of threads for that in particular.

Fantasy tossed the idea in her head a little bit. Of course, she didn't really have any better ideas, so she nodded. While she did that, she tried to recall what Ponyville was like. If memory served her, it was a quiet little village. She had actually been there a few times herself, mainly to sell her wares. She had varying levels of success, but other than business experience and a general idea, she didn't know much about the place. Well, outside of what she's read of the history, anyways.

[colour=#800080]"Ponyville... sure! Sounds delightful, really."[/colour] She spoke happily, and stood up to stretch her legs. She was always one for a little adventure, although going all the way to Ponyville would be immensely time consuming. Actually, that did present itself as a problem, mainly because, well, a lack of food. She wasn't currently hungry, but that didn't guarantee anything in the future. Fantasy figured now was as good a time as any to voice her concerns. [colour=#800080]"Although, I don't suppose you'd have any methods to secure some supplies? We could always stop by Canterlot as a sort of pitstop, or, you know, scrounge about the forest for fruits and such. I'd imagine your a bit more resourceful than myself around these parts."[/colour]

Fantasy blinked, unsure what to make of the sentiment, but, at least he was happy. The peck on her cheek caught her off guard, but it wasn't bad at all. She grinned and nodded to agree with him, before turning her thoughts to the question. Well, she certainly didn't have anything planned after the whole dungeon thing, sooo... she figured she ask him.

[colour=#800080]"Well, I don't know. I don't suppose you have anything planned?"[/colour] She looked at him in earnest, but kept thinking.

Maybe it was because she was still a little tired, but at this point Fantasy was hardly fazed by Darkness' comment. However, her ears did perk up at the cuddling bit. Mainly, because that was definitely a first. Well, another first. Unsure of just what to say, and not wanting to stumble over her words, Fantasy fixed her gaze on the pegasus as she gathered her thoughts. Well, he had said multiple things, best answer in order. Hay, she reasoned that she could even buy enough time to try and not say anything particularly awkward.

[colour=#800080]"Please, don't feel bad about waking me. I'm a bit of a light sleeper" [/colour]She gave a small smile, hoping to calm him down even a little bit, before moving on with the conversation.

[colour=#800080]"As for the cuddling, well, if its any consolation, I don't mind. I mean to say, I was asleep so I guess I didn't even know about it..." [/colour]She facehooved after trailing off. Yup, that was more or less exactly what she wanted to avoid: an awkward turn of events. Trying to salvage the situation, she quickly removed her hand from her face and hastily added [colour=#800080]"I mean, I imagine it would be nice... but well. Yeah. I'm certainly not upset about it."[/colour] And... with that she figured she should stop talking.

Hugo was, first and foremost, intrigued by this job he had been offered. It was vague, other than its specification for griffons, but that just made Hugo ever the more curious. After all, how often does such an opportunity present itself? He figured the only reason he had been hired to begin with was his strength, considerable as it was. Word gets around when you make a living off of it, but regardless the griffon was happy to be included in such a select job.

...Okay, so maybe not exactly 'happy' persay... the job looked sketchy at best, which did ruffle his feathers, but there was little he could do about it. He had accepted the job and he was honor bound to see it through. So, when he was made aware of the meeting place at the Canterlot train station, he made for his destination as quickly as possible, given that upon being hired he was a good distance away from Canterlot.

Upon arrival (and a brief delight that he had arrived on time), it was not exactly difficult to see where this crew of griffons was, as a good five of them were gathered together. Or, maybe there were only five, he had no way of telling. Regardless of more joining, Hugo was unsure of how he would deal with such a large group. Most of his jobs required more solo work - be they academic in private or physical in public. Working with a group might be difficult, seeing as how Hugo was well aware not everyone was keen to his personal system of honor.

Upon walking towards the group, he caught one of the griffons mock about seeing a griffon and a treasure. So... any doubts were wiped away off the bat with that one. Figuring he should make his presence known, Hugo spoke up.

[colour=#ffd700]"Good day. I presume this is the group of griffons hired for a 'mystery job', so to speak. If so, I should introduce myself. I am Hugo." [/colour]

He spoke maintaining a rigid pose, hoping to remain as silent as possible. Job or not, he had a reputation to maintain. Although, as he sized up the group, he realized he had not seen this many griffons since his travels with his family. It was a change of pace, although he knew too little about anygriffon before he could decide if that was for the better.

On the bright side, his introduction was out of the way. Now, to wait for responses and newcomers.