Bellosh

Welcome welcome! Enjoy your stay at Canterlot.

Dr. Spin Tale nodded more assuredly than last time. [colour=#ff6666]“That’s correct,”[/colour] the curator replied; [colour=#ff6666]“It’s not like I live at the poverty line or anything, but the Society ain’t one of those money-growing trees, either. I can’t help but think that all it takes is one accident or mishap, and suddenly I won’t be able to pay off my debts on time, anymore. Sure, I could probably just apply for debt relief of some kind… but it’ll go against everything I learned about fulfilling one’s obligations.”[/colour] Sighing, Dr. Tale concluded; [colour=#ff6666]“I don’t want to be anything like a moocher, you know.”[/colour]

[colour=#008080]“Ah, splendid! I’ll make the arrangements then,”[/colour] beamed the counselor. Other than that chaos caused by Professor Krashkop's entrance, the meeting more or less went by smoothly. “[colour=#008080]With that, I believe I’ve gone over everything I needed to get to today. Is there anything else you’d like to ask me about before you leave today, Miss Heart? Don’t worry; we’ve still got plenty of time before the next period.”[/colour]

[colour=#008080]~Hmmm… and now Miss Heart is on fire. Outstanding…~[/colour] Under normal circumstances, Ingrid Marie would have cast a fail-safe spell to put out Fire Heart’s magic flames. Of course, the counselor attempted just that… only to crumple down to the ground thanks from exertion from her previous teleport spell. However, Ingrid didn’t worry too much about any fire spreading; the School’s administration wisely purchased tables and chairs with magic-protection enchantments, since the cafeteria served well as an alternate location to practice magic. Even if the tables weren’t fire-proof, the fatigued counselor noted that Fire Heart did a pretty good job of keeping her flare up in check. While Ingrid knew from her files that Miss Heart had issues with controlling her powers when angry, they mentioned nothing about incidents caused by mere startling. Oh well; know she knew, and knowing was half the battle right there. Good thing Fire Heart’s scheduled evaluation was coming up real soon… Once Fire Heart put out her flames and introduced Spirit, Ingird, still lying on the floor, said; [colour=#008080]“Ah, sorry about that Miss Heart and Miss Spirit… it’s not too often these days that I use a teleportation spell… you can see why.”[/colour] Weakly chuckling, Counselor Marie pointed her forehoof towards the two fillies; [colour=#008080]“Can you two help me up, please?"[/colour]

Greetings! You like a lot of video game genres, but what games are your favorite in particular?

Pffff, I'd say that a good number of unicorns would not mind occupations where they get their hooves dirty. Not all unicorns can be sorcerers or rich-as-heck Canterloters, right?

Ingrid Marie heartily laughed as the cheery Apple Bloom consumed the pie on her face with one lick. It was nice to know that her distant niece… or cousin (Ingrid didn’t understand the finer subtleties of genealogy) didn’t let a couple of embarrassing moments get her down. Very shortly after, Applejack finally arrived with two kegs. When the cowgirl mare got around to greeting Ingrid, the unicorn eagerly replied; [colour=#008080]“Ah, Applejack! So good to finally see you and the family! I hope everything has been going well here at Sweet Apple Acres?”[/colour] Not long after, Applejack brought out the experimental cider for the adults. Asking the adults who wanted to test the cider, Ingrid Marie saw fit to volunteer first; [colour=#008080]“Mmkay, I’ll have some.”[/colour] With nearly every other edible treat destroyed, the unicorn did not want to suffer the misfortune of not being able to eat or drink anything at the party at all. Trotting towards the kitchen end of the barn, Ingrid turned towards her new acquaintance Cheerilee and shouted; [colour=#008080]“Hey Cheerilee, wanna taste test with me?”[/colour]

[colour=#008080]“That’s the spirit, my little pony!”[/colour] encouraged Ms. Marie. [colour=#008080]“Now, I can’t promise you that your issues will vanish overnight; nothing worth doing in life is that easy. I will guarantee you that if you keep on it, one day when a guidance counselor decides to suddenly teleport right besides you, you’ll be… keeping your cool like a champ.”[/colour] Ingrid winked at Fire Heart while making her cheesy joke, remembering what happened the last time the elder unicorn dared to magically transport herself over to the student. [colour=#008080]“I’m uhhh…. still sorry for what I did back in the dining hall," [/colour]Ingrid quickly apoligized. [colour=#008080]“But that’s all in the past, now. If you have difficulty finding a partner to practice magic with, I can refer you to one of the School’s former students. She currently studies at Canterlot Univeristy, but she finds time every now and then to volunteer back here. Her name is Dazzle Dawn, and I am very confident that she’ll want to help you out. Would you like me to arrange a meeting between the two of you?”[/colour]

Spin Tale nodded as Heart Healer summarized his emotional predicament; [colour=#ff6666]“Hmmm…. I guess that sounds about right,”[/colour] replied the curator. [colour=#ff6666]“Don’t forget about my bills and student loan payments too, eh heh heh.”[/colour] Truth be told, Dr. Tale wasn’t quite convinced yet that his dissatisfaction with his stalled career caused most of his stress. As money issues typically weighed on the stallion’s time more often than the lack of available professor jobs, Spin placed more of the blame on the former.

At the far end of the dining hall away from the conversing ponies, Counselor Ingrid Marie, who just finished eating a late lunch, occupied herself by reading a colorful poster onto the bulletin board. Advertising a local magic talent show that any unicorn could sign up for, the school counselor figured that many of the School’s students would compete in the contest, magic being what makes them gifted in the first place. Hearing voices coming from the other end of the large room, Ingrid glanced behind her to see Fire Heart, one of the students, talking with a unicorn she didn’t recognize. Not in the mood for the generic standard trot-and-greet, the suddenly impish counselor opted instead to make a flashy teleportation entrance behind the two. In her naughty excitement, Counselor Marie forgot that the act of converting one’s self into pure energy, transporting the atoms that comprised one’s body, reassembling them precisely in the correct manner a distance aways, and all the while maintaining one’s consciousness in non-corporeal form to prevent technical death, placed an extremely heavy tax on a magician’s willpower and stamina. Currently only one unicorn, Princess Celestia’s own apprentice, possessed the massive amounts of raw power and focus essential to easily perform multiple teleports in a short time. And thus with bright flashes of blue magic, Ingrid Marie’s physical form dissembled only to reappear, extremely exhausted, right behind Fire Heart and her companion. [colour=#008080]~Ugggggh, my head.......... this is why we don't teleport all over the place, Immie..... mmkay?~[/colour] [colour=#008080]“Huff… huff… how…. are… you… today… Miss Heart…..? Ohhhhhhh………..” [/colour]It took all of Ingrid's strength not to collpase from exhaustion right there and then thanks to that silly stunt.

Ingrid Marie thought something smelled fishy about the bonbon-selling mare. Not literally of course; the unicorn knew that a confectionary business wouldn’t last long at all if their sweets smelled and tasted like fish. But Ingrid has shopped in the world-famous markets of Canterlot long enough to know when somepony makes exaggerated claims about the superiority of their wares. She knew something was really up when the bonbon seller appeared to make up a description for her pale batch of candies on the spot. At least the traders back at Canterlot sounded like they’ve turned the art of over exaggeration into a fine art. [colour=#008080]~Go figures when you ask a candy maker directions to their competitor~[/colour] However, Ms. Marie no longer had any more patience for her sweet-finding quest. She needed to get to the orphanage soon, and so the volunteer magic instructor made up her mind and settled for this stall for the time being. Sugercube Corner could always wait for the afternoon, after all. Taking one offering from the “Excalibur Collection” bonbon pile, Ingrid magically levitated the delicacy into her mouth. [colour=#008080]“Mmmmm….. not bad,”[/colour] Ingrid happily reviewed. Ingrid had to admit that the bonbon really did have a refined taste to it, totally unlike brand-name chocolate bars one could purchase anywhere. Hidden treasures like these bonbons were one of the many reasons the unicorn preferred shopping at street markets instead of run-of-the-mill grocery stores. Forgiving the bonbon seller for her..... not-as refined sales pitch, the still-munching Ingrid asked; [colour=#008080]“So how long have you been in the confectionary business, Miss…. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh………..?”[/colour]

While Fire Heart’s assertion that her magic abilities were not completely a curse comforted Ingrid Marie to a degree, the counselor still deemed the student’s lingering fears unfortunate. Now with all things considered, the counselor theorized that Miss Heart’s overall apprehension concerning her gifts was the biggest thing holding her back. As long as the filly let fear control her, her magic would more or less also control her at inopportune moments. Briefly staying silent for a few seconds, Ingrid contemplated how to formulate what to say next. After some moments, Counselor Marie spoke up authoritatively; [colour=#008080]“Understand this Miss Heart; yes, magic can be quite dangerous if used incorrectly. I’ve seen it go haywire dozens of times, myself. But if you spend too much time fretting over potential mishaps, you’ll end up expending more energy on worrying rather than getting comfortable with your talents. All you will accomplish is a self-fulfilling prophecy where because you think you’ll make a mistake, you end up doing so.[/colour] [colour=#008080]“Here’s what I want you to do; whenever the thought of causing a mishap crosses your mind, stamp that thought out IMMEDIATELY. Replace that negative thought with a vision of you completely in control of your flame magic, and keep doing it every time you feel any kind of misgiving. Just as importantly also, practice pryokinesis every single day, whenever you have free time. For your benefit, find somepony or two to watch you when you perform. The more you routinely use your gifts in front of other ponies, the less you’ll be inclined to visualize them cowering in fear. Last but not least, make every effort to learn more about the nature of fire itself; how it ignites, what it’s composed of… right down to every last molecular detail. As scientists say, a spell bending the laws of our universe won’t work well without knowledge of what those laws are supposed to be in the first place.[/colour] [colour=#008080]“Do you have any questions so far, Miss Heart?”[/colour]

Greetings! Enjoy your stay here at Canterlot.

Howdy! Enjoy your stay at Canterlot.

I'll start with a softball question: so Folarin Hooves, which famous pony would you like to hang out with the most?

I for one also think it's silly for ponies to normally wield weapons with their teeth. I assume that ponies either strap swords onto their hooves or simply enchant weapons to stick to hooves better. Additionally, I don't think ponies would bother with bows for warfare when unicorn magic is more convenient to use as a ranged weapon.

Welcome, welcome! What are your favorite video games?

[colour=#008080]~Urrrrgh, where in Celestia’s mane is that blasted shop!?~[/colour] Wandering though the center of Ponyville, Ingrid Marie darted her eyes here and there in the hope of finding her destination. The last time she was in town to teach magic at the nearby orphanage, a friend told Ingrid that she absolutely must sample the confectionaries baked at Sugarcube Corner. The unicorn really liked the suggestion, as her previous opportunity at her distant niece’s birthday party to munch on desserts unceremoniously ended before it even begun. Unfortunately, Ingrid lacked the foresight to ask for directions beforehoof, and now she stumbled about town lost just like a parody of the city ponies frequently found in theatrical comedies. Time was of the essence, as Ingrid needed to be at the orphanage in about half an hour. Giving into her frustration, Ms. Marie picked a random pony in her immediate vicinity to ask directions to. Spying a pale yellow-coated mare operating a booth, Ingrid, not bothering to either read the stall’s sign or see what the earth pony was selling, asked; [colour=#008080]“Uhhh, excuse me miss, but where can I find Sugercube Corner?”[/colour]

I kinda take offense to anyone that claims that Discord and Q are essentially the same. While Q was indeed a trickster who committed some very questionable acts, ultimately he thought he was doing humanity a favour or two. Discord on the other hand never bothered to claim such a thing. The only thing the God of Chaos cares about is wrecking havoc on harmony and ponies' lives for his own amusement, only providing vague and weak justifications that amount to nothing more than "lighten up a little, geez". PS: Being an embodiment of chaos is no excuse for Discord in any way. The god is as intelligent as any other sentient being, and so he should be fully capable of recognizing the difference between being kind and being a jerk. Unless someone has evidence to the contrary, DIscord most likely made the willful choice to become chaos's avatar.

After a brief pause to reflect, Spin Tale answered Heart Healer’s question. [colour=#ff6666]“To be rather honest….. being the museum curator for the society wasn’t exactly what I planned to do after I graduated. See, when I first got my Ph.D, I really hoped I would find an assistant professorship at a university’s history department somewhere. However, there just isn’t really any demand for new history professors these days.”[/colour] After loudly exhaling, Dr. Tale continued; [colour=#ff6666]“I still inquire about open positions here and there, but so far, I just haven’t had any luck.”[/colour]

Yay, another Miney/Brony hybrid! Welcome to Canterlot!

Ingrid Marie slightly recoiled as Fire Heart gave her testimony on the day she received her cutie mark. While the official report on the incident did not particularly shine the events of that day with a cheery light, hearing it straight from the pony’s mouth drove the point home that Miss Heart’s cutie mark moment was in no way a happy occasion. Typically, earning a cutie mark gave foals affirmation to continue on the life path they’ve chosen for themselves. In Fire Heart’s case however, she learned that her talents were something to be feared rather than embraced. In many respects, a unicorn fearing one’s own abilities was far worse than mere bullying. To a colt or filly, dreading the very thought of who they are could be one of the most persistant tramuas possible… and unlike with schoolyard tormenting, one can’t mindlessly tell them “It gets better” and expect the troubled foals to cheer up at the prospect that their powers will vanish one day. No… pony biology didn’t work that way. At any rate, the counselor’s own guesses about the source of Fire Heart’s grievances were now largely confirmed. However, there was still one last question she desired to ask the filly to make sure she was absolutely correct. Lowering her voice almost to a near whisper, Ingrid asked; [colour=#008080]“Miss Heart, how exactly do you feel about your affinity for fire magic and the emotions that trigger you using it?”[/colour]

[colour=#ff6666]“How I felt when my father was injured?”[/colour] Spin Tale wasn’t quite expecting that question; his own distant past was something he never really looked back on these days, especially when he had more contemporary problems to deal with. [colour=#ff6666]“Well uhh…. I was shocked when I found out the news, as any son would be. Over time though, he became adjusted to his paralysis, and so did mum and I, and life went on normally, more or less.”[/colour] Heart Healer’s second question was expected, however. It was part of the reason he received the recommendation to come to the clinic afterall. Of course, it wasn’t the curator job itself that Spin hated (even though he still wished above all that he had a professor position instead)… far from it. With a sigh, Dr. Tale continued; [colour=#ff6666]“I enjoy doing what I do very much, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that well… being a curator is more than simply giving tours to visitors, answering their questions, and setting up exhibits. There’re loads of bills to pay too, you know… and sometimes I find myself stressing out over it all.”[/colour]

Pffft; extreme hills, mountains. Tomato tomahto. PS: It was fun working on that railroad last night!

Question: are there any mountain regions on the server that have been generated recently enough that they'll have minable emeralds? If not, I have no intentions of generating new map chunks just to find them since I know MC servers tend to frown on that sort of thing.