Windwright

"Yeah..." Honeywing sighed as he laid his head on Glitzen's. The cloud was totally worth it. Best hour he'd ever spent working with the weather, bar none. He stretched a wing out and draped it over GG, suddenly conscious of the cool evening air. "This is shaping up to be a good first date if I do say so myself, GG. The night looks promising, don't you think?"

Soarin' chuckled and grinned, rubbing his shoulder. "Hey, what can I say, I love playing the hero. These ponies all look up to us, and I hate to disappoint." He draws himself up and leans in, whispering into Spitfire's ear on his way past "Besides, maybe it's you I want the new Princess to be impressed with.", then returning to a conversational tone as he trotted over to the staging grounds and peeked in. "The Princesses' opinions carry a lot of weight, so we should probably make sure to talk to them after the show to see how they liked it. Besides, I heard a lot of stories about her, and she could use a friend or two."

Soarin's ears perked when he heard Spitfire's voice. He looked back into her eyes when she looked into his and was thankful for the suit to hide his blush. He shook his head and flicked it back toward the roped off entrance. "You know me, heh. There are...a lot of new ponies out there, and we need to make their nights perfect!" Soarin' said, blustering quietly. "Plus, this year we have Both Princesses, and we don't even know if the new Princess is gonna like us. What if she doesn't? We haven't met her yet, what if she prefers faster tricks? Or doesn't like tricks at all? What if...uh...I'm...worrying too much, huh..?" He said, drawing himself up again, though his knees were still trembling.

Honeywing smiled and returned the nuzzle as he looked out over the garden. "Of course! I wouldn't have had come without you, dear." He replied, grinning bashfully. "It's really lovely here, and I've never seen the moon so bright and full! Or even been in the royal garden!" He added, an excited tone to his voice as he shot a nervous look over to the Embassy nearby. There hadn't been much to do, but the night was still young, and just sitting here with Glitzen was enough to keep the grin on his face.

Here they were, at the Grand Galloping Gala! Honeywing still couldn't believe he'd actually won the raffle at the Embassy, or that the prize this year was a pair of tickets instead of just one! He was in an absolutely FABULOUS outfit, thanks to his date, and he was currently sitting on a cloud he'd pulled from behind the mountain earlier in the evening, smiling at Glitzen Glamour and blushing faintly.

The night of the Gala was here. Every year was the same: a new show, a quick meal, and hanging out with the fans for the rest of the night. But every year, Soarin' got jittery. And this year he was performing for not just the Princess and her debutantes, but for the new Princess, and for several hundred new ponies. Soarin' paced around the V.I.P. area, his goggled eyes flitting from point to point, pony to pony outside the roped off area. He was a hero to those ponies, just like the earlier Wonderbolts were for him. These were new faces, and that meant that this would be their first show. And it was up to him, and his team to make this the best night ever. "Gotta get it right. Gotta be amazing. Gotta be perfect." He said aloud, mostly to himself.

I am tentatively considering letting another player take over Mint Zest, Graham Cracker, and/or Chocolate Chip, and was wanting to gauge interest in the idea and in the characters. I went a liiiittle bit overboard making new ponies when the board first opened, and haven't been able to give them the attention they deserve.

A light blue pegasus sat in the stands, grinning as he watched the track getting set up. To him, this was another form of flying show, albeit one focused more on speed and competition than showmanship and cooperation. And though not many ponies knew it, Soarin' loved showing up to watch the races when he had the time, and being a Wonderbolt (even out of uniform) gave him a few perks like being able to watch the course get set up. And watch he did! The pegasus running the course was good! Not the same kind of good that the Wonderbolts took, but that didn't mean Soarin' couldn't appreciate it when he saw it. He'd have to remember a few of those movements, maybe he could show them to the Team to get their timing better!

So something like quarter to 1/5th the growth of ponies over the same time until maturity, then damn near nothing? That might help.

Tourmaline (my first dragon) has his trick as multicoloured clouds of smoke that can optionally be noxious. Any thoughts on aging or the growth cycle?

I'm actually pretty sure it isn't. It's almost impossible to be as well fed as you are in the egg, and I think all that spell does is age your body to what it would look like if your build never changed.

Just wanting to start a topic to discuss [Dragons], their life cycles, their abilities, and their physiologies. Input, especially from mods and admins, is greatly appreciated. PHYSIQUE: So far, we've only seen three dragons in-canon (not counting Stephen Magnet) Spike, Red, and Green. The two adult dragons seem to have been the same, physiologically, and Spike when aged seemed to have the same basic shape, just a lot more pudge. Both Red and Green had long necks, broad heads, claws, spikes, and wings. Spike's 'adult' body had the long neck and a large head, and his feet and hands all had claws, but we weren't able to see the rest of him. AGE: Physically, Spike is about the equivalent of a toddler, which seems about right if we assume that about 3~5 years has passed since Twilight hatched him. Dragons are known to be able to sleep for 200 years, but it's possible that this is only an exaggeration for dramatic effect. Given his size, the size of his hoarde, and the general attitude he displayed he's probably an Adult or Mature Adult. It is also unknown if dragons age slowly across the full spectrum of their lives, or if they grow up quickly, and then stay mature for a long time. BREATH: So far, Red has shown an ability to breathe concussive smoke, Green breathed fire, and Spike breathes green fire capable of either burning things or faxing letters. My proposition is this: Just like every pony has some talent they are good at, and every unicorn has at least one trick that relates to that talent, every dragon has a breath trick. Some dragons can learn other tricks, but not every dragon has the knack. In time, any dragon could learn any breath trick, but some are better at it than others. Regardless of individual aptitudes, every dragon has a trick that seem to them like an integral part of their breath rather than a trick. Additionally, some dragons seem to produce more smoke than fire, though this only makes fire-based tricks difficult, but not impossible to learn, and likewise smoke-based tricks for fire-breathers.

Edited the Cutie mark from the Wonderbolt emblem at the suggestion of RCTwilight.

Got the images and the kinks worked out (thanks Tales), so taking off the [WIP] tag.

[ Pony Related Character ] Name: Soarin' Sex: Male Age: Stallion Species: Pegasus Pelt Color: Light blue Mane/Tail Color & Style: Dark blue, windswept Eye Color: Green Cutie Mark: A lightning bolt splitting a storm cloud. Physique: Trim, athletic build Residence: Cloudsdale, but is often 'on the road' Occupation: Wonderbolt Character History: From a young age, Soarin always dreamed of flying hard and fast. When he was just a foal his parents took him to see one of their shows, and his eyes were WIDE open from the opening act to the thrilling conclusion. He grew up enamored with each generation of Wonderbolts, and always asked his parents to take him to their shows when they were in Cloudsdale, making a special point to see every show when their lineup or their repertoire had been expanded. In Junior Speedsters Camp he was always eager to show off, something that cost him more than one race to pegasi slower than him, but something none of the councilors could convince him not to do. Late in his last year of the camp, one of the Wonderbolts in that generation, Thunderwing, handed him a flyer for the Junior Wonderbolt camp that had been recently established. Where the speedster camp focused on fast, the Wonderbolt camp was all about -STYLE-. Soarin had style in spades, and was one of the star pupils in camp. He earned his cutie mark by performing a triple shoot-the loop with Thunderwing in his second year, which he calls his 'Best. Day. Ever.' to this day. When the time came to replace retiring members, Soarin was a natural choice because of his technical ability in the air, even if he was accident prone and downright clumsy with solid ground under his hooves. Character Personality: Soarin' is easy going and rather happy go lucky. He tends not to think things all the way through, but he's as dependable as you could ask for once he's agreed to something. Just don't expect things to go off without a hitch, because he's quite accident prone. He's usually quite ready to chat with complete strangers, fan or no, in part to get to know his fan base but mostly just because he enjoys idle conversation. Which is not to say he doesn't know how or when to be serious. The primary thing holding Soarin back is that he's not terribly inventive, so while he can easily do anything he wants to do in the air, he's not the one to turn to for new stunt ideas, and he tends to forget to eat in the lead up to a show, causing him to have a tremendous appetite afterward. He doesn't usually mind this too much, since it usually allows him to indulge guilt-free in a nice slice of pie. Character Summary: Work hard, play hard, try not to leave too many craters. This is Soarin's philosophy in a nutshell. A consummate entertainer, he's utterly devoted to his fans and to the Wonderbolts, and is one of the higher ranked non-REA 'bolts. He may be accident prone, and sometimes he misses the obvious, but he never lets anything keep him down for long, and is always willing to let bygones be bygones. If he pushed harder, he'd be a living legend, and he kind of lives up to the legend. In short, he's Soarin' of the Wonderbolts, and he will rock. Your. World. (Thanks for the image, Tales!)

The pegasus nods to Glitzen, his blush returning for a moment before he was out the door and into the streets. Aaaargh, way to blow that, Honeywing. He thought to himself, facehoofing as he flew along the town's streets in the direction of the library. He probably thinks you're some kind of loser now who's embarrassed to be seen with him. Or some sort of nervous flake. Then again, there's no reason to think he even thinks about you like that. Though these are nice shoes. Painful, too. He rubbed at the spot he'd clopped before taking to the ground again. [[And this is me, bowing out of the thread for now.]]

Honeywing knew he was being addressed, at least indirectly, so he turned around sheepishly and nodded to Neon Pop. "I...uh...don't actually know who you are, Miss Pop was it? But I won't mention you being here to anypony." He said in a formal voice before shooting an apologetic look over to Glitzen. He may be embarrassed, and the blush on his face made that quite apparent, but he was still a diplomat at heart and still a representative of Canterlot, even if distantly. "I'll just come back later, GG, we can talk more then. I think I saw a bakery down the way when I was flying in, would you like something from there when I come back?" He said, taking a few steps toward the door and speaking over his shoulder to the pegasus in question.

Honeywing returned the hug, chuckling a little. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone new entering the shop. He disengaged himself from Glitz and set about looking VERY interested in a nearby rack with the kind of speed one can only manage when afraid of or embarrassed about something, looking like little more than a whitish blur between Glitz and where he ended up. He was glad he ended up facing away from the new customer, since this concealed his blush rather effectively in spite of him trying to catch a glimpse of whoever it was.

"Especially for the palace. And these should go well with the formal uniform, if I ever actually need to wear that. Thanks for the idea for the kit." He said to Willow as he started digging out the bits. Once he'd counted out the money for everything, he slipped into the shoes and struck a pose. "Oh, and they fit like a charm!" He said giddily before looking between Willow and Glitzen thoughtfully. "You know...I was just going to fly back home this evening, since Miss Sparkle can send her own confirmation to the Palace fairly easily...buuut I really should wait for an official response from her, just in case. I mean, a day or so couldn't hurt, right?"

Honeywing chuckled and let his hooves rest on the ground again. "Well, I'll be in the air most of the time, so it won't be quite as bad as it could be." he said, pondering the shoes again. "Of course," He reasoned, "it's not as if I'm completely opposed to doing some basic maintenance on my appearance from time to time, and I can easily work keeping a set of shoes as nice as these as nice as this into that routine. And any excuse to make new friends or catch up with old ones is a good enough reason for me!" The pegasus giggled again and asked Glitzen "How much are these, and how much more would I owe if I also bought a cleaning kit for them?" ((EDIT: grammar))

Edited in a place of birth, added the tag, and changed the three word description to a one-word.

[ Creature Related Character ] Name: Tourmaline Gender: Male Age: 'Baby' dragon, but nearly 12 in pony years Species: Dragon Eye Color: "blank" pigments that tend to do little more than bend the light coming out of his eyes, giving them a nacreous appearance. Physique & Colors: Small and a bit pudgy. While his lifestyle would normally lend him toward being underfed, he's a dragon. Food is EVERYWHERE. His scales are mostly an odd shade of black that tends to catch and reflect light very well, and each of his spikes is a different color that carries the same reflective tendencies. Residence: Drifter, but lain and hatched in a cave in Roughrider ridge Occupation: Drifting Likes: Opals, sandstone, sand, grass, apples, small birds... Dislikes: Steel, zinc, iron, coal, and (most) wood all taste AWFUL to him; people pointing out that his name is feminine; small spaces Character Summary: One of the last eggs to hatch in his clutch, Tourmaline's mother was understandably exhausted when she named him after the gemstone his shell resembled. Once he hatched, he spent very little time just hanging around his family, and soon it was quite apparent that he'd grow up with a wanderlust that simply wouldn't let him settle down for long. He's never really thought about WHY he keeps wandering from place to place, he just does it. Which is rather fortunate since if he DID stay in one place for too long he'd likely have eaten the owner out of house and home, literally. Though he's older than he acts as a matter of course, he's still a very polite dragon once he's eaten his fill (which generally happens long before he's stopped eating) and he tends to be pleasant to be around.

[ Pony Related Character ] Name: Cloud Dancer Gender: Female Age: Mare Species: Pegasus Pelt Color: Extremely pale blue Mane/Tail Color & Style: sky blue, with white highlights. She lets both flow freely and keeps them long Eye Color: Blue Cutie Mark: An apple with a pair of blue wings Physique: slender Residence: Canterlot for most of the year, though she spends at least two months out of the year in Cloudsdale Occupation: Flight instructor/tutor Motivation: Cloud-Dancer has always lived to give back. She has a knack for flying, and a love of teaching. Her occupation was only natural. Likes: Mostly-clear skies, drizzle, foals, cloud-naps, tea, honey, the color blue Dislikes: Thunderstorms, dead trees, overbearing parents, sour food, neon colors Character Summary: The second child of two well-to-do pegasi from Trottingham, Cloud-Dancer was impressed upon from a young age that the most important thing in life was to be the best at whatever it is she did. Subsequently, they enrolled her (and her brother) in nothing but the finest courses with the most well-reviewed teachers and tutors in every field, trying to find their talents early enough for them to spend their young years training hard. While her brother found his mark before he reached the age most other ponies start school, Cloud-dancer's didn't reveal itself until she was almost an adult, when she spent an afternoon watching foals from a cloud over their schoolyard. Shortly after, she moved to Ponyville to get away from her family and there she met Graham Cracker, the stallion who would eventually become her husband, and someone who she genuinely believes is the absolute best in his field. Her parents were far from thrilled with either of these developments, but relented once she had her first (and only, due to complications with the pregnancy) foal, who she named Honeywing for the colour of his feathers. It certainly also helped once she and graham moved to Canterlot and opened the Avalon Inn, which has since flourished. Once a year, she takes up residence at the Cloudsdale Flight School to help the younger classes with their first flying lessons (and visiting her parents), but most of the time she hires herself out as a private flight tutor to the pegasi of Caterlot, and has even assisted the Wonderbolts in setting up a flight camp for under-privileged foals. (Unfortunately this generally is run during her trips to Cloudsdale, so she's never actively taught there.)

Skye Dark Core Skye is one of my favorite OC's because he's not something I see done very often, an essentially feral critter who only interacts with 'civilised ponies' on rare occasions. But at the same time, that's not ALL Skye is. He comes off as a well rounded, fun loving buck who's fun to read. Dark Core, on the other hoof, is dark done right, in my opinion. Life's been kind of tough to the little guy, and he's lashing out against it. Given time, he'd likely become a full-fledged villain if left to his own devices, but at the same time he's not beyond redemption, which I like.

Wanting to get impressions on this as a starting point for something I wanna turn into a fully fledged AU/What-if fic. -==================================================================- It's tough bein' a colt around here. Everypony expects you to be brave and tough, and haul things around for a living, but that's just not me! It's never been me, and it never will be. I'm all about speed, style, and...uh...speed! I don't have time to be dragging stuff around behind me, and I definitely don't want to. So when I was really little, I decided 'enough is enough', and have been telling other ponies I'm a filly ever since. Worked like a charm, and now nopony makes me pull anything I don't want to. So bottom line? I. Win. Only...now I'm not so sure it was a good idea. See, everypony thinks I'm a mare now, which is great, but I've started having these...feelings about other colts and stallions. At first I was able to just ignore them, but lately I've had to keep running to hide by myself for a while to get rid of them without letting on that I'm a colt. And I keep getting scared that now that I have friends, they'll all hate me for telling them I'm a filly if they find out I'm not! And I don't even want to think about what's going to happen if someone I LIKE like finds out. Like the other day, I was down at Sweet Apple Acres practicing my triple loopy-spin Dash-Flash, when this cute colt started watching from the ground. He was cheering, but the look on his face wasn't NEARLY interested enough. So I pulled out all the stops and hit him with my best tricks, which REALLY floored him. After I land, we start talking for a while and I start to like this guy, only he's heard of me so he thinks I'm a filly and it shows. So after a few minutes, he says "So what's a cute filly like you doing for dinner later?" I can tell he's interested, and I like him too, but there's no way I can go to dinner with him while he thinks I'm a filly, but it's not like I can just TELL him and expect him to be okay with it, or to keep it secret. Lucky for me, Applejack butted in and gave me the opening I needed to get out of there, but I still don't know what to do about it next time. Anyway, I gotta get going, there's a race in a few minutes, and I'm due at the finish line!