Elderflower

Thanks!

And yep! It's pretty much all your fault, but I think I can forgive ya! Heh.

The tall stallion nodded his approval at the aspiring artist and rolled his shoulders slightly, fidgeting a little in order to try to fully regain his composure. He found a small smile wanting to come out in his expression, and it turned into a full beam as Ms. Harshwhinny spoke. When she and Mr. Waddle had their say, he gave Thunder Stroke an enthusiastic nod.

[colour=#800000]“Ms. Harshwhinny is indeed correct, young one. Your sense of individuality is extremely important, and not just to your art.”[/colour]

Lume turned towards the caramel coloured mare then, still grinning his approval.

[colour=#800000]“I should have guessed that you are employed in the arts,”[/colour] he said,[colour=#800000] “You are, after all, quite well informed. Do you still paint, by any chance? And how about yourself, sir?”[/colour]

He smiled inquisitively at the elderly stallion. The afternoon sun was falling from its zenith, casting rich golden hues across the colourful city of Canterlot. Luminous Charge forgot, sometimes, the beauty of the city when he came in for work. Perfectionism and stress ruled him more than he himself would like to admit, and he realized that he should learn to take his own advice from time to time. Perhaps, when the sun set, he would take the time to enjoy a leisurely flight around the city – it had been days since his last pleasure flight as he organized the move for his sculpture from Trottingham to Canterlot. And when he returned home, he felt like he had new inspiration to create another sculpture!

It seemed as though El wasn’t about to get her last minute calm in the shop. Just as she was preparing herself to start winding down, three newcomers to the shop slipped in through the door looking for service. The unicorn couldn’t feel disappointed about it, though – oh no! Relaxation was nothing compared to the excitement of new faces in her tea shop.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Welcome,”[/colour] she said warmly, casting a gentle smile at all three, [colour=#ffa07a]“To the Elder Tree Teahouse. I am the owner, Elderflower. Unfortunately our garden area is full up at the moment, but you are quite welcome to take a seat here. There is a menu on each table – if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!”[/colour]

As she spoke, the mare took her time to observe the three stallions who had entered her shop. Each seemed to have very unique characteristics: a shabby yet suave pony in a top hat, one in a pair of overalls that were certainly put to good use, and-

[colour=#ffa07a]“You must be a mailpony,”[/colour] El said softly towards the third stallion that had entered the teahouse, stepping forward into the slanting sunbeams pouring in through the windows, “It must have been dreadfully hot making deliveries on a day like today, especially if you had large packages. Anything on the menu can be served as a cold drink on ice, if you’d like. It would be very nice after a day of hard work.”

While speaking to the mailpony, the wispy gal turned towards the pony in overalls; it seemed as though he had already taken a look at her menu and she would not wish to keep him waiting.

[colour=#ffa07a]“Good day, sir,”[/colour] she smiled as she approached him, [colour=#ffa07a]“I hope you’ve been having a lovely day. Has anything on the menu caught you eye? Keep in mind that any tea on the menu can be served cold if you would like.”[/colour]

Even though she had been looking forward to winding down a little in her last stretch of work for the day, Elderflower was filled with a sense of joy at the prospect of new faces to treat and serve. A half hour of easy work held little value in comparison to the chance to make more smiling faces using tea! Standing before newcomers to her shop, the air heavy with the scent of tea, sweets, flowers, and varnished wood, nothing could fill her with a greater sense of comfort – a feeling she wished to share with the ponies of Canterlot!

Heh, I think the key to enjoying Crowe was to be appalled by his first song, which was terrible, and then to be pleasantly surprised by his above average voice for the rest of the movie.

Bahaha, maybe I'll do that from now on~

I loved Les Mis and can't wait for it to come out on bluray. I think my biggest qualm was actually with Russel Crowe, though. I've always liked him as an actor and in regards to playing the part of Javert he was right on the money. His singing, however, didn't hold up - it was a little disappointing to hear an untrained voice singing alongside people who have very obviously been trained for this style of singing. He had the personality for the role but his voice just wasn't nearly as strong as I always want for Javert, especially when you hear people like Philip Quast in that role! Major applause to Anne Hathaway (Fantine), Eddie Redmayne (Marius), and Isabelle Allen (Young Cosette). They all had performances that really wowed me - especially Hathaway and Redmayne. They had me in tears. :C

I was also thoroughly impressed with the fact that Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter fit so well into their roles in the movie. Usually with those two actors I'll just see the actors and have a hard time getting into their characters because of type casting and all that nonsense. This time around, though, I really loved seeing them in the movie~

Two parts of the movie really stand out to me in terms of directing (stepping aside from the performers for now). During the last scene with Gavroche while he is collecting shells, adding the edited rendition of "Little People" really got my heart feeling for his character. It was a great reference to the Original London Cast's longer version of the song, and just...yeah. My heartstrings were pulled, because it just put me in the mindset of his character at that time and my feels were all over the place! Hahaha.

And finally, at the very end of the film, when they have the vision of the entire cast alive and standing in Paris was basically the best reference to a curtain call they could have had and it felt

like a musical.

I want to ask, though, what are you all thinking about the amount of close-ups in the film? I know exactly where I stand, but because I've heard a lot of criticism towards the choice for a lot of close-ups, I'm curious to know what you all think. c:

[colour=#800000]“Hmmm,”[/colour] Lume said with a nod,[colour=#800000] “I see. Well, Thunder Stroke, I would like to offer you some advice.”[/colour]

Before continuing with his little speech, the sculptor allowed his stance to relax a little. He realized that he was probably acting a little too stiff and intimidating for one so young, and didn't want to make the professional art world seem too scary.

[colour=#800000]“First off, I would like to let you know that I’m not just blowing off hot air. I myself am a professional artist and have been working as one for years, so my knowledge must be somewhat credible,”[/colour] he began with a bit of a playful grin,[colour=#800000] “Ms Harshwhinney, you are indeed correct to say that we all strive for perfection in what we do, and to a certain point that is healthy. With art, however, one mustn't always obsess over creating the perfect image. If we limit ourselves by merely obsessing over how to create the most technically profound image, then we are never really pushing ourselves. With enough time and dedication, one with little technical skill can train themselves to copy reality perfectly on a canvas or a slab of rock. But an artist learns to push past those boundaries.”[/colour]

The Pegasus lifted his wings a little as he spoke, the glossy feathers shining a rich chocolate brown in the sunlight. He began to pace a little as he spoke, and there seemed to be some endless energy welling in him as he spoke – a font of passion.

[colour=#800000]“Thunder Stroke, you are a young unicorn with very impressive talent, but from one artist to another I challenge you to push yourself. Move beyond your canvas with a perfect image – forget about wowing your viewers with breathtaking realism. Try exploring all that you can do with art, trying experimenting – be prepared to make mistakes and most importantly, ready yourself to learn from those mistakes. Much of the joy of art is trying and failing, and learning just how far a piece can go before it falls apart.

Keep in mind that I’m not saying your current approach to art is wrong: there are innumerable masterpieces in Equestria which are realistic and stunning paintings on a canvas. All I wish to communicate with you is to try loosening up and forget about perfection from time to time. Learn as much as you can in order to find yourself as an artist and open up a future of limitless options and potential.”[/colour]

Luminous Charge stopped pacing, and as he turned to face the small gathering of ponies he folded his wings neatly against his back again, the movement precise and swift as he took care not to wrinkle his clothing. A very uncharacteristic look of bashfulness swallowed the artist, then, and he sheepishly turned his gaze to the horizon.

[colour=#800000]“I apologize for my ramble. Discussions of art…sometimes do this to me.”[/colour]

Clover was a female in the My Little Pony Tales series. There's also Clover the Clever from the FiM series, which also seems to be female. Was the toy male?

The one I'm talking about is this guy here: http://mylittlewiki.org/wiki/Clever_Clover

The looming stallion was in his own world, taking in every detail of the unfinished painting with a quiet sense of appreciation. He was so lost in his thoughts, in fact, that he almost missed the conversation happening around him. As though it was an afterthought, he turned to face the other two admirers and looked them over with his bright, green eyes.

[colour=#800000]“A pleasure, sir,”[/colour] he said quietly to Mr. Waddle before turning to address Harshwhinney,[colour=#800000] “My name is Luminous Charge, and I suppose I do have an eye for art.”[/colour]

He turned back towards the young unicorn, then, a stern expression on his face as he sized the aspiring painter up. [colour=#800000]“No formal training, hm? That is quite impressive for one your age, and could liberate you of the burdens of academic pretentions. Not to mention you are free to discover your own style if you continue independently. That is entirely your choice however.”[/colour]

For one so normally quiet, it would shock those who knew Lume to see him so talkative. But that was to be expected, wasn’t it? The topic of art was the quickest way to breathe life into a conversation with the sculptor. He turned back towards the painting of the Everfree forest, then, and found himself compelled to speak yet again. For talent so fresh and ready to blossom, he wanted to offer up as much advice and criticism as he could for the young unicorn – having a great deal to think about and mull over was healthy for an artist at any stage of their career after all!

[colour=#800000]“You strive for perfection?”[/colour] he asked, again turning his critical eye towards the unicorn. He could sense it from the brushstrokes – careful, tight, and aiming to flawlessly capture every character of his surroundings. From what Lume could sense, the young pony could certainly due to loosen up. Perfection and realism were valuable qualities, but one must learn to explore and experiment as well!

(Sorry if this is a bit long, heh)

Roleplay Type: World of Equestria

Name: Riff Run, nickname Birdy

Sex: Female

Age: Mare

Species: Earth Pony

Eye colour: Gold ringed with brown.

Coat: Glossy, subdued camel brown.

Mane/Tail: Jet black with muted cream streaks, glossy.

Physique: Riff Run is slightly smaller than average height with a fairly toned athletic build. Living as a drifter, she does a lot of walking and it keeps her in great physical shape.

Residence: Wherever her hooves take her! At least that’s the philosophy she lives by. In truth, she has a small place she inherited from her grandparents in Corralwood Corral that she’ll retreat to every once in a while. While she’s out and about she’ll often camp under the stars, but in cities and towns she can usually charm her way into a place to stay either through her singing or good nature (though it’s usually the former).

Occupation: Drifter, jazz singer. Riff Run goes wherever she pleases, but she has to make a living somehow! She started singing at a young age so it only seemed natural that she’d earn her place in society by performing for bits wherever she decides to go.

Cutie Mark: A shot glass pouring out coffee that takes the shape of an upside-down bass clef.

Growing up in Corralwood Corral with her grandparents, Riff Run was a pretty wild filly. She spent most of her time in the ocean or exploring the island with friends. Soon enough, her pals started having their cutie marks appear one by one, and she grew eager to find hers. She always expected that her cutie mark would be an eye patch or something similar – when she and her friends played pretend, after all, she was always Birdy – the Great and Terrible Pirate Queen! So of course she was very confused as to why it was taking so long for her mark to appear.

One day, none of her friends were available to play with Riff Run, and for once she felt compelled to explore the streets of Corralwood Corral instead of playing in the ocean. As she walked through the streets, the smell of fresh roasting coffee and rich chocolate seemed so thick in the salty island air that she felt full just breathing, and with the sun hot enough feel uncomfortable she decided to find some place to take respite from the heat. Just as she was about to duck into an ice cream parlour however, she heard it. The disjointed and frenetic sound of somepony wailing away on a piano. The filly was immediately drawn to the sound – it was so different from the stiff and mechanical playing her parents had tried to get her interested in while she was in Manehatten! The sound, though, was coming from one of the few places she was not allowed to go: a bar. Her grandparents were friends with an older stallion who ran his own bar, and she had always asked them if she could visit, but she was always brushed off and told “When you’re older, when you’re older.”

Riff Run wouldn’t be deterred, however – she creeped up to the nearest window and peered in, watching a mare slamming the piano keys as though she had gone mad. It was a spellbinding show; the performer managed to make catchy and beautiful melodies out of the chaos, and she simply couldn’t sit still. She’d stand off her bench, sit back down, and have her body follow her hooves as she moved up and down the keyboard – the young sleuth of a filly had never seen anything like it! It excited her like nothing had before – too much, perhaps, because she had thrown caution to the wind and positioned herself right in front of that window.

“Who’s there?” a gruff, familiar voice called out. Bingo! It was the voice of her grandparents’ stallion friend. “What’re you doing, Birdy?”

He asked, so she explained herself. She just wanted to listen to the music! Luckily, the bar was closed so they could do a sound check for the pianist’s show that evening, so the old stallion agreed to let her come in and listen. The only folks around were the musician, some sound techs, and the barkeep, so he knew her grandparents wouldn’t mind her coming in so long as everything was kept foal-friendly. The pianist was terribly amused, and put on quite a show for her young admirer! When everything was deemed ready for the evening’s performance, the barkeep asked Riff Run what her favourite drink was. Hoping to sound mature to the musician, the filly proudly answered, “Coffee!” and with a chuckle from the older ponies around her the barkeep poured coffee into small glasses for everyone. It seemed silly – such a small glass didn’t hold much, but she wouldn’t complain. She drank the bitter liquid in one gulp and felt an elation the likes of which she had never known – what fun she was having!

That evening, she told her grandparents the story of the jazz pianist over and over, and begged them to help her find music like that to listen to. It wasn’t long before she had amassed a fairly impressive jazz collection for a youngster, one that she would listen to on her grandparents’ record player. It took even less time for her to go from listening to the music to singing it. Her grandparents were thrilled – truthfully, Riff Run was given her nickname “Birdy” at an early age because she had a lovely and distinct singing voice. Her parents couldn’t keep her interested in singing or voice lessons, however, and they always thought she just wasn’t interested in music. It was evident as soon as the filly threw herself into jazz music, however, that the issue wasn’t a lack of interest in singing, just a lack of interest in what she dubbed “snooty tunes.”

Her cutie mark finally appeared when her grandparents took her into town one day to visit the old barkeep. Just two hours before his bar opened for the day, they had Riff Run sing for him. It was her first live performance, and it was an experience that she will never be able to put into words. She put everything her little heart had to offer into the music, and gave off her best performance. Even with the applause of just three ponies, she felt elated enough to float up to the clouds and just live with the pegasi. The barkeep finished off her performance by pouring up yet another round of tiny coffees, and as she drank it down, her cutie mark appeared! She knew she wanted to live as a singer in small bars like that one – “Singing for coffee and living it up!” is what she told her family.

History: Riff Run was born in Manehatten to two very savvy business ponies. Her parents are partners in charge of a large textiles company, and were very busy during their daughter’s early years. They tried their best to raise her well, but unfortunately she proved to be quite the handful - city life and “proper” living were much too confining for the young filly and she was always acting out, proving herself to be quite the handful. She was always causing a ruckus and could be a destructive force if she didn’t keep her high energy in check, and her parents simply didn’t know how to calm her down. It eventually became pretty clear to her father that Riff Run carried too much of his blood – he was a reckless youth as a colt as well, except he had wide open spaces to dump his energy into! So after talking it over with their daughter, the two sent the young filly to live with her paternal grandparents in Corralwood Corral.

She immediately fell in love with the place. Warmth, ocean, black sands, a huge volcano (though inactive, it was perfect fodder for her adventurous and childish imagination!), the smell of coffee and chocolate that seemed to hang about the streets, and fresh coconuts to be found at every turn! Her grandparents were retired traders who had been involved in the coffee business and decided to retire in a small home on the black sands of Corralwood Corral’s beaches. Hardly an hour passed before Riff Run felt at home, and immediately she could feel the stress from living in the refined city of Manehatten just oozing out of her body to get eaten up by the relaxed atmosphere of island living.

Growing up in Corralwood Corral was like living in a dream for the young filly. She spent her schooldays daydreaming, and the afternoons exploring the islands with her friends. She was always the ringleader – making up grandiose stories for playing pretend as they familiarized themselves with every inch of their island home. She often missed her parents, however, and counted the days to their visits. She was always eager to show them new things she had discovered, and to prove that she wasn’t just some destructive force. For their part, they missed their daughter but understood how much happier she was with her grandparents. They also recognized how calm she was now that she could throw all of her excess energy into swimming, climbing, and exploring!

As Riff Run grew older, though, she found herself more eager to explore Corralwood Corral itself, and not just the island around it. When her cutie mark appeared she threw everything she had into jazz, and for years stayed on the island with her grandparents singing in town and saving up money. Her favourite performances were always the ones she did when her parents came to visit – seeing their pride filled her heart with incomprehensible joy, for she always worried they would see her as the destructive and lost little filly she had been in Manehatten.

Her life on the island wouldn’t stay the same forever, however. As she grew older so did her grandparents, and they eventually made the decision to move to Manehatten to live with her parents and stay close to them. They left their small house on the black shores of the Gallopocus Islands to their granddaughter and left town, leaving Riff Run a bit at a loss. Life felt different with them gone, and she quickly grew restless. She knew she needed a change in her life, but wasn’t sure what it should be. She was a young mare at that point, and so she went to visit her old barkeep friend for advice one evening and found the answer she needed at his bar.

She met that same mare who inspired her into a life of jazz that evening, and the two of them got along famously. The pianist even invited Riff Run to sing with her for a few numbers after hearing her voice. Somewhere in the sea of jazz, coffee, whiskey that clouded the atmosphere in that small bar the answer just seemed to come to the young singer. She would live her life on the road, get to finally see the world and make her living hopping from joint to joint, living off of her voice! It was the perfect plan! Not quite “singing for coffee and living it up,” but close enough!

Just like that, the next day she was taking a boat to the mainland where she would begin her adventurous life! And that’s just what she has been doing, living as a drifter going from town to town and singing for money at bars, cafés and restaurants, charming her way to good accommodations at cheap rent and making quite a name for herself as Birdy the Wandering Jazz Singer! Her parents are a little disappointed that she wasn’t creating a more refined image for herself, but accepted that she was happy and successful in her own way. Her grandparents, of course, are happy and supportive as always!

Character Summary: Riff Run’s almost too cool for school. She speaks in a husky voice that oozes jazz, doesn’t seem to have a care in the world, and she’s able to get along well with any and everypony she meets. If she’s not performing, you can be sure to find her sitting and relaxing with a cup of coffee and a block of dark chocolate, taking in the flavours of home with a whimsical air about her.

It goes without saying that a drifting jazz pony has an adventurous spirit and an endless font of energy stored somewhere in her, but it’s definitely scary at times just how much energy Riff Run has. The running theory with her friends in Corralwood Corral is that the Mount Thunderhooves went inactive because it was decided to be the source of energy for their earth pony friend! She puts that energy to good use, however; she has a tendency to lend a helping hoof in every town and city she visits. Usually she goes out of her way to find out if a barkeep or restaurant owner she’s working for needs anything done by ways of odds and ends. She was always helping her grandparents out with chores and repairs growing up, so she’s handy with small fix-up projects (such as plastering walls, painting, fixing fences and wood panelling).

If there is one thing she has no patience for, however, it’s arrogance. She was born in a world of wealthy and privileged snoots but she certainly didn’t take to it. No matter what one’s wealth or status is, she sees everything and everypony on the same level, and when she comes across ponies who look down on others (or at least act as though they’re way above others) you can put bet your bits that Riff Run is going to have something to say on the matter!

Luminous Charge let out a wide yawn as he sauntered through the sun soaked streets of Canterlot, taking in every vibrant detail of the city. It was indeed a lovely and bustling hub, if only a little too posh at times. That seemed an odd thought to be coming from a pegasus as perfectly groomed and impeccably dressed as he was, however it was only Lume’s tastes and impression that had taken on an expensive flair in his time as a successful artist – he still could not keep up with the stuffy attitudes of the “Elite,” despite the fact that a great deal of their money was sustaining his comfort

As he passed by a shop window, a quick glance confirmed that his clothing still lacked any sort of wrinkle; he was sporting a bespoke vest of inky-black worsted wool over a grey button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up high for a “casual appearance,” all finished off by his brightly shining golden pocket watch chain that stretched from his break pocket into the middle of his shirt. A quick toss of his short mane and he was off again, meandering over the warm cobblestones.

Another yawn escaped the Pegasus, and he furrowed his brow ever so slightly; he had had an extremely early morning overseeing the transport of one of his more delicate and whimsical sculptures to a private garden belonging to one of Canterlot’s Elite where it would be on display for the next year or so. It was sturdy enough standing outside in the weather, but transport was always a much iffier situation, and one the artist always made sure to be a part of. He had lost a sculpture to a clumsy moving team once before, and ever since he has insisted he be present at every move. It has made him quite busy!

Lume’s quiet afternoon walk was soon to become much more exciting, however, as he stumbled upon a young colt displaying his work to a mare and elderly stallion. Immediately, Luminous Charge approached the painting and absorbed all of the details. It was quite the feat for such a young pony! It was unpolished, yes, but still at the level of one who was destined for a successful career. A quick look at the lad’s cutie mark confirmed that painting was indeed his calling.

[colour=#800000]“Impressive work for your age, if still a little tight and inhibited,”[/colour] the stallion said in his deep voice as he moved from the magically suspended painting of Canterlot to the unfinished piece on the easel, [colour=#800000]“What is your name? Have you any formal training?”[/colour]

No introductions, no greetings – no wonder the tall, dark brute was often considered so cold.

I heard about that! It's beyond exciting, and I can't wait to see where it leads. Bees are extremely fascinating little buggers (hehehe), and totally inspirational too! Which is a perfect segue into where I'm going to take the bee discussion: creativity and fashion!

Alexander McQueen is a huge name in the fashion industry. He was a British fashion designer who passed away in 2010, but the label he founded in 1992 is still going strong and remains extremely successful. The Alexander McQueen fashion house's current creative director is Sarah Burton, and under her lead their 2013 Spring/Summer Haute Couture collection features designs that take inspiration from bees! They play on a lot of other themes I'll quote below, but the overall visual aesthetic draws on bees and bee keeping. Each model wears a fashionable play on a bee keeper's veiled hat, and there are outfits which play up the honeycomb theme as well as resin bustiers and jewelry covered in small, crafted bees!

The collection is a study of femininity. We looked at...cages, corsets and crinolines and the idealization of the female form. Nothing is set in a particular period. It’s about sensuality and skin but not nudity. We also wanted to express lightness, for the clothes almost to hover over the women who wear them. - Sarah Burton

The Menu:

Teas[colour=#FFA07A]: Green, chamomile, elderberry, jasmine, genmaicha green, masala chai, fennel rose, ginger honey, black, pu’erh, white, peppermint, eucalyptus leaf.[/colour]

[colour=#FFA07A] -Milk and sweeteners optional. Sweeteners include white sugar cubes, brown sugar cubes, honey, agave nectar, and elderflower cordial.[/colour]

Sweets[colour=#FFA07A]: Chocolate croissants, elderflower sugar croissants, elderflower cupcakes, sugar cookies, shortbreads, and macarons.[/colour]

Beverages[colour=#FFA07A]: Sparkling water, still water, lychee juice, milk, passionfruit juice, and elderflower cordial with sparkling or still water.[/colour]

------

Elderflower blinked at the entrance to her shop, golden eyes wide with...wait, with what? She wasn't even sure what she was feeling! There, standing in the doorway of The Elder Tree Teahouse, was a creature she had certainly never seen before. She stared for a few seconds, completely taken aback by the unfamiliar form before her, until Blue let out a sharp trill.

[colour=#ffa07a]"Oh! Where are my manners?"[/colour] she gasped, blushing furiously, [colour=#ffa07a]"I am very sorry for staring, how rude! Please, come in - this is the Elder Tree Teahouse."[/colour]

As she spoke, the unicorn mare felt herself beginning to calm down and revert to her usual quiet, wispy self. A calm smile began to work its way back into position, gently lifting the corners of her lips as she stepped from behind her counter and approached the blue, spiky something. El was standing directly in one of the slanted sunbeams painting her hardwood floors with a light glow, and she could feel the sunlight warming her neck and jaw as she stood there. The mare was just about to speak again when a golden-maned stallion entered the scene, banging into the spiky one. Blinking, again, she took a moment to find her composure before smiling at the two of them.

[colour=#ffa07a]"This is the Elder Tree Teahouse,"[/colour] she repeated for the newcomer, before gesturing to the wooden interior with her hoof, [colour=#ffa07a]"There is seating available in the main sitting room, as well as a few more private and quiet side rooms. You may also choose to sit out in the garden, if you wish. I will guide you to whichever seat you may choose and then give you time to look at the menu. My name is Elderflower."[/colour]

Well, she hoped she had made a smooth recovery. Different or not, the spiky one was still a customer and, clearly, a very sentient individual and therefore deserving of respect and manners. She could not believe she had been so...slack jawed and rude. The mare only hoped that she could redeem herself and avoid offending him further.

Luminous Charge cracked a slight smile as soon as Photo Finish spoke, straightening his posture as he did. The mare was more than capable of speaking for herself, and thusly he would speak no further on the matter. If he pushed too hard to defend her, after all, it would give off the impression that she needed her admirers to pick up for her and her reputation. One snarky comment was not damaging, but he would push no further.

The feathered mare, however, continued to push with her criticisms. One brow began sliding upwards with every word she spoke, until finally he let out a small, quiet sigh. She certainly was pushing. Perhaps those of high birth had a different stance on art exhibitions than he, but Lume could never become quite so vocal or condescending in such a professional setting, even if the artwork was truly embarassing. It showed little respect for the art world; there was a certain etiquette to be had at an art show, and it certainly wasn’t so…loud as this character. No, he was sure that any gallery-goer with respect for art should follow the proper conduct: question, calmly and politely, what the artist’s intentions were with their methods (with reference to specifics such as form, tone, and in this case the printing method and fashion choice) and if you do not agree with their vision then you just as calmly offer up a recommendation of your own.

Once the pot-stirrer had her say and turned her less-than-genuine smile towards the stallion, he regarded her for a moment (with one brow still arched) before speaking in his smooth tenor voice, [colour=#800000]“It was certainly a marked improvement…”[/colour]

Luminous Charge trailed off before finishing his snarky remark – what more he had to say was not worth saying, for this seemed like a mare very set in her ways. Instead, with a slight air of exasperation he turned his attention back towards Photo Finish and attempted to remove himself from the exchange. The last thing he wanted was to make a scene - hopefully it wasn't too late.

[colour=#ffa07a]The Menu:

Teas: Green, chamomile, elderberry, jasmine, genmaicha green, masala chai, fennel rose, ginger honey, black, pu’erh, white, peppermint, eucalyptus leaf.

-Milk and sweeteners optional. Sweeteners include white sugar cubes, brown sugar cubes, honey, agave nectar, and elderflower cordial.

Sweets: Chocolate croissants, elderflower sugar croissants, elderflower cupcakes, sugar cookies, shortbreads, and macarons.

Beverages: Sparkling water, still water, lychee juice, milk, passionfruit juice, and elderflower cordial with sparkling or still water.[/colour]

---

Elderflower closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled. She needed a second, just a short second, to breathe deeply and level out her thoughts. She was almost through the busiest time of day – just two more hours and she’d be able to close up and spend the rest of her evening baking and in the garden, just her and Blue. Almost as though he sensed her though, however, the little fairy wren let out a trill from one of the quieter rooms in her tea house. El recognized that small song of his, which meant it was one of her regulars. This late in the afternoon in that cozy room, the unicorn knew exactly who was waiting for her without going to see. Smiling, she poured hot water over the fragrant pile of green leaves within one of her green iron teapots, and placed it on a tray alongside a dainty croissant powdered with elderflower sugar. Placing a floral decorated wooden cup beside the teapot, she floated the tray in front of her on her way to the room, passing by Blue as he flitted out to check the rest of the teahouse.

“Good afternoon!” she chimed as she entered, setting the tray down in front of a very pleasant earth pony, “Green tea and a powdered croissant as always, Spindle?” She was fond of this regular – he was always very friendly and always had an extremely generous smile.

“Yes, El. This is lovely, thanks – but I’ll let you get back to work.”

Smiling appreciatively, El bowed out of the room. It was a good thing Spindle wasn’t feeling chatty, or she might have missed Blue singing out to her again. This time, it wasn’t a regular – a little bit more of her time would be eaten up, but it shouldn’t be too bad. It made things a lot more fast-paced for her, but her schedule never left her patrons waiting. This was exactly why she was so stubborn whenever her parents told her to hire on an extra set of hooves – she could maintain friendly, efficient service without the need of somepony else. Though she could get stressed sometimes, she was certain the stress of keeping busy was nothing compared to the stress of having to train somepony from scratch and worrying that they weren’t doing things to her satisfaction. Imagine how much wastage there would be (in regards to time as well as tea) if she had to keep correcting a newbie over and over! No way – she was much too particular to care for hiring on another pony.

The next hour and a half turned into a haze of smiling, making brief small talk, boiling water, pouring water, fetching sweets, and so forth. Things finally began to quiet down once she reached the last half hour stretch before closing and El allowed herself another deep breath. She paused for a moment before the open garden doors, taking in the rich scent of her garden. Casting her gaze upwards, she realized that the branches of her elder tree were really beginning to sag with dark berries. Midsummer had arrived! As she took one last, long breath of heady summer air she made a mental note to rope off the area beneath her tree that evening. She always worried that somepony would be tempted to eat the berries from her tree, and that would be just horrible! Elderberries are poisonous unless they are cooked.

The unicorn tossed a stray piece of her mane from her eyes and headed towards her counter while she began washing dishes, cheerfully saying goodbye as each customer trailed out of her tea house. The sunbeams cutting in through the windows were beginning to take on a heavier, golden colour as it warmed the wood of her floors and furniture, and as El began to scrub at the sides of her teapots she watched dust motes dancing in the light. This was always her favourite time of day; quiet, summer evenings held a richness that always stirred her heart with some unidentified fervor, especially during the summer! Unable to resist her own good cheer, the mare began quietly humming to herself.

Please do! Maybe do something fluttery?

Awesome! I like all of these suggestions a lot. I'll probably get the thread started some time tonight or tomorrow; I had intended to do it today but just didn't anticipate how busy my schedule would be. I'm at least getting it started now while I get some supper.

Sorry for the wait everyone! Shouldn't be much longer now, thanks for bearing with me.

Sounds like fun! I'm definitely up for it!

Sounds perfect! Just as a heads up, though, El will be a bit stubborn about accepting help at first! I'll create a post sometime tonight or tomorrow to get things started if you don't mind waiting a bit - I have to prepare for a critique tomorrow in my digital class. I wasn't expecting such a quick response!

Oh, I definitely think that would make for an interesting dynamic, especially considering how stubborn El is when it comes to having things run her way! I'm definitely willing to try it out. How would you want Copper to be introduced? Through his own discovery of the shop or through El's parents or something of that sort?

I'm still hoping to find a permanent employee (and possible co-owner/business partner) to team up with El as well, so if anyone else would like to join in then please let me know! c:

Hello all!

For those who aren't familiar with my OC Elderflower, she owns and runs a tea house in Canterlot! It's a great deal of work every day because she grows all of her own ingredients, which means she's running the shop, doing the banking, baking, garden, and preparing of teas by herself! Magic certainly helps her manage, but she could certainly use the help of another pony to run things. As it is, she's currently too stubborn to seek help and is stuck as a homebody!

My plans for her as a character is to slowly have her come out of her own little bubble, learn to accept help and be part of a team, and of course to get out in the world more. She adventured around a fair bit before opening her tea shop, but even then she was doing things on her own so she's always been a loner!

So if anybody is interested in having a character become involved with the tea shop and become a part of this story line, please let me know and we can start brainstorming! I've been tossing around a few ideas such as: her parents went ahead and found her an assistant/work partner and basically dropped them on her door, or a tea loving pony decided they wanted to get involved with the tea shop and noticed she was working alone so they get on her case about hiring them. Those are just some ideas off the top of my head, however.

Luminous Charge made quite the image sauntering up to Das Foto; darkly dapper with an air of authority, he exuded the attitude of one who was quite practiced with high society functions. He was away from his Trottingham home hoping to get a change of pace and take in a little culture while he was at it, and what better way to do that than by taking in an opening for the renowned Photo Finish’s new exhibition? With one last quick sweep over his appearance in a nearby window he folded his wings neatly against his side and entered into the exhibition space. Immediately he felt a sense of familiarity and comfort. Atmosphere, lighting, schmoozing, reserved and educated chatter – each element of an artistic opening flooded his senses with a feeling of comfort and ease. After all, Lume himself had hosted many professional and successful gallery openings with his own sculptures.

As he approached the nearest photo to the entrance, the stallion was all too aware of how the gallery lights enhanced his own image. His dark and immaculately groomed body was wrapped in the finest articles of bespoke clothing: a white dress shirt covered by a jet black blazer made of the finest worsted wool, complete with a black vest and ascot to match; a lavish golden pocket watch with the chain draped from the inside pocket of his coat to the middle of his vest (shining against the dark fabric as a beacon of wealth and style); and lastly the jet black shoes which had been polished until they shined. And of course, each part of his ensemble looked (and was) brand new and utterly flawless. His tailor was incomprehensibly gifted, and he honoured this talent by ensuring no wrinkle or crease would ever devastate his wardrobe. It was almost unnatural (and markedly intimidating) just how pristine a pony Luminous could be! No wonder his siblings always called him Ominous Charge.

Flipping his well-groomed mane from his eyes, the pegasus gave the first image close inspection. The fashion was current and stylish, but surprisingly enough the strutting peacock wasn’t very interested in the styles, oh no! He was much more interested in the photography – in the composition, the lighting, the tones, and the print quality. The first image was utterly divine, and he continued to be impressed by the skill of each photograph. But what else would be expected of Photo Finish? The mare was certainly a master of her craft.

Before long, Lume joined up with the tour group and gave the photographer his devout attention; he was all too familiar with the pressure of standing before a crowd of hard-to-impress ponies with great taste, and felt the need to show his respect for Photo Finish’s work by listening to and contemplating what she had to say. It certainly meant a lot to him when his audiences paid close attention to his eccentric spiels, so he always made an effort to return the favour. He was rather enjoying himself when a pegasus wearing a stunning ensemble began to speak.

He immediately pegged her as a pot-stirrer: an individual harried by the constant boredom of privileged life whom thusly had to entertain herself by prodding at others. There was a note of familiarity to her appearance: no doubt she was a Very Important Pony of some sort, but he couldn’t be expected to remember them all – or at least he didn’t care to. Either way, he was rather unimpressed.

Leaning his large head closer towards the fancy-feathered Pegasus, Lume raised an eyebrow and quietly added, so as not to disturb Photo Finish any further,[colour=#800000] “And how exceedingly pedestrian it is to offer insult without educated criticism.”[/colour] Perhaps she thought her own outfit was enough to grant her an authoritative voice in fashion, but the stallion couldn’t care one bit. For all he knew, the privileged pony was dressed by a stylist.

Welcome to Canterlot! I'm a huge Disney fan and animal lover as well, so I'm gonna send a high five your way!

Ready for it? Here goes...

I loved the Aria as well! The music in this show perfectly satisfies the musical lover in me!

Welcome to Canterlot~

A warm welcome to you! Even though I'm new myself, heh~

Welcome to Canterlot! I hope you have lots and lots of fun!