Ginger Mint

hi hi The murmur of the crowd faded away and the passage of time was measured only by her gradually emptying mug while Ginger Mint conversed with Monty, and as the time passed by it became easier to think about the different ways the night had gone well as opposed to the ways that it didn't. By the time she had finished her drink, she was almost ready to call the night a success. Almost. She tilted her head over the counter in order to see around the other ponies at the bar and get the bartender's attention. Reaching under the hem of her sleeve, she pulled out a few bits and slid them on over with a smile on her face. "Thank you once more for the drink, it was like sitting by the fire on midwinter's eve." After she had finished giving her complements, she turned back to Monty. "Well my good sir, I do believe I have just enough left for one more dance. Care to join me?"

hi hi Apple Pie is losing? This can't be happening! It must be a bad dream... ((Of course, if cinnamon rolls had been on the list, it'd be a different story all together.))

hi hi Aww BlindJester, I'm just trying to see the best in everypony. I dunno if thats anything special. I think part of it is that I work at a newspaper, and after seeing all kinds of things that are going on in the wide world IRL every day, its really hard for me to see the stuff Celestia does being anywhere in the same ballpark as bad. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the writers intentionally try to give Celestia imperfections, just from a believability standpoint. In the opening history lesson in episode one, we learn that Luna and Celestia's balance of night and day "created harmony for all the land." That kind of implies to me that perhaps there wasn't harmony for everypony before the two regal sisters showed up, but other than that we don't really know much about any other alternative form of government there might have been. For all we know, there could be a rule in Equestria law where everypony can make a vote of no confidence if they're unsatisfied with their rulers. (and that Celestia is just so awesome that nopony ever bothered)

hi hi First off, I have to point out the fact that "Tyrant," refers to a leader who seized power illegally. I don't see any indication that Celestia is an illegitimate ruler. Granted, most rulers who come to power illegally use extremely cruel tactics, but its affirming the consequent to assume that extremely cruel tactics mean a tyrant. As for the two tickets, usually when someone is invited to an event with a guest, that means they are expecting said person to bring their significant other. Besides, Twilight could have probably just said "I'd rather go with my friends than a date, can you send me a few more tickets?"

hi hi I made that best young flier meme as a joke really. I mean, yes, Celestia has the power to raise the sun, so raising a falling pony shouldn't be too hard, but on the other hand, she probably could have stopped their fall at the last second if it looked like Rainbow Dash wasn't going to reach them in time. Banished for a thousand years is the kind of thing I expect from ancient tales about immortal beings, so I don't know if it was really that bad. I mean, Nightmare Moon was "possessed by Sauron's one ring," level evil, and it took him 3000 years to return after being defeated. I think the other pony's references to being banished to the Everfree Forest might also be sort of a Jean-Paul Sartre's "No Exit," style over-reacting.

hi hi Cupcakes have never been particularly high on my list of treats. I have had some very good ones, to be sure, but it isn't typical. Muffins are among my favorites, with cranberry muffins being right up there near the top, but a lot of the time they're just too sweet. Buying an apple pie from a grocery store has never worked well for me, but I regularly make apple pie from scratch and that is probably the best.

hi hi This may be a stretch, but it has twilight in the title anyway. Does someone need to make a 99 pink balloons song? Maybe... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9whehyybLqU I don't pay much attention to dates, so I had to look up the dates on these. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsSlNFTjxss

hi hi Ginger Mint wasn't sure how to respond, so she took another sip of her drink while making a thoughtful expression. She knew she should be honest, but she didn't want to be a wet blanket when Monty was clearly having such a good time. It didn't take much mulling over to find a bright side though. "Wellll... I made one new friend at least." She said, looking in Monty's direction with a smile. "And I suppose I have gotten my fair share of excitement this evening too, not the least of which involved getting lost looking for the royal library." she shook her head with a soft laugh. Then letting her eyes track downwards, her expression dimmed briefly, "But I have to admit things haven't gone quite according to plan... Do you ever get the feeling that you're just one step out of rhythm with everypony else? Like knowing the gait, but starting off on the wrong hoof, so to speak?

hi hi With a slight nod, Ginger Mint smiled and trotted off towards the dance floor. She'd never even met the Mayor of Fillydelphia before, and in one night she'd met not one, but two royal princesses. Her friends back home... well, she figured that they probably would believe her... but it was almost as unbelievable as when she got the invitation in the first place. She didn't know if she'd ever be invited again, in fact, she wasn't even sure why she'd been invited this year, so she was determined to make the most of it. Now if only she could find somepony to dance with. That pony who looked kind of like a tree seemed like she could have used a friend, but as busy as this place was now, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to find anypony amidst the crowd, let alone somepony she'd never really met before.

hi hi They do throw colored horse shoes in Fall Weather Friends.

hi hi Ginger Mint held her head low, letting the aroma from her mug drift past her nose while she listened to the bartender. It was nice to have somepony to talk with, but she wasn't sure if the thought of a perpetually cold and distant high society made her feel better or worse. She couldn't help but smile a little bit at the complement, even if she wasn't sure it was accurate. "Oh, I don't know..." She started to reply to the bartender, but lost her train of thought when she saw Monty walk up to the bar. She couldn't quite figure out why he was apologizing to her though. "Monty? Oh! Don't worry about it, this place is so crowded, its easy to get turned around. Besides, its always good to see a friendly face." That feeling of dissonance that had been bothering her was still there, but it had been pushed to the back her thoughts, trampled and dulled by a good drink and friendly company. The tension had flowed out of her shoulders and Ginger Mint started to realize just how tired she had been. I wonder how late it actually is? she thought to herself, Maybe its best if I just take it easy for a while and stop rushing around. As the bartender began to meticulously craft another drink, Ginger Mint took the opportunity to converse with Monty. She was curious about how the Gala had gone for him, judging from his big smile, it hadn't been too bad -at least she hoped so. She didn't think she could manage a such a big smile herself, but she did manage a small contented one. "I'm curious now Monty, what have you been up to tonight? I could have sworn I saw you walking over to the buffet, but I turned my head for a second and *poof* it was like you'd vanished into thin air."

hi hi Ginger Mint wasn't sure if there was any kind of reaction that would have surprised her, but the notion that Luna had never been to the Gala before was something that she never would have imagined. It certainly wasn't a big revelation, nothing terribly personal, but it was honest, and Ginger Mint felt as if she'd just found a missing puzzle piece. Just a moment ago Luna seemed like she'd been plucked out of a tall tale, but now she seemed real. Ginger Mint smiled, small but genuine this time. "Oh... I guess I thought that there had always been a Gala." Ginger Mint said with a sheepish chuckle, "Well, there's a first time for everything isn't there?" Ginger Mint felt like she'd made a good impression, a decent impression, probably; but as thrilling as it was, she didn't want to press her luck. Princess Luna's attention still seemed to be pulling her elsewhere. "Princess Luna, it was a pleasure meeting you." Ginger Mint made a polite bow and stepped to the side, giving the Princess an opportunity to dismiss her, "Oh! I almost forgot, my name is Ginger Mint, and, um... yes, with all the wonderful things to see and do, I hope you find what you're looking for tonight."

hi hi Gala wrap-up, gala wrap-up, lets finish our laughter and cheer gala wrap-up, gala wrap-up, cause next week the end is here.

hi hi How about this: Ponies have a coat of fur right? So maybe all the tools are covered in a special kind of velcro (the prickly side, not the soft side) so things just stick right to their coat. That also explains why the hold hammers in their mouths, because velcro wouldn't be strong enough to withstand the impact.

hi hi Yet more from the realm of "people without hands doing things." Hirotada Ototake threw a pretty good pitch for someone without any limbs.

hi hi Doubt lingered in the back of Ginger Mint's mind as Luna spoke to her and she knew that, in spite of her best efforts, she was wearing the feeling on her expression. The Princess had been distracted by something, and although she seemed to have collected herself on the surface, Ginger Mint couldn't help but feel there was a strong current somewhere deep underneath carrying her attention elsewhere. Her nagging instinct continued telling her to step back and leave it be, that she'd gone far enough, but she'd already made up her mind otherwise. "I'm glad to hear it. The Gala is certainly living up to its reputation and everything has definitely been grand." This was it: break the ice or founder on it. She wished her brother was there with her -he'd always been the brave one- but the thought did give her an idea. Hearing a new story always took her mind off of her worries... Ginger Mint took another step forward so she could use a softer tone of voice. "I have to be honest though I wish I had come with a friend, I don't really know anypony here. It sort of reminds me of the first time I moved away from home." She closed her eyes, trying to remember the details, only opening them again when she caught her stride. "Everything was wonderful and new, kind of like tonight, but I was difficult finding my footing if you catch my meaning. Then, one day I was eating lunch at that little café down the road when -out of the blue- my brother shows up with his team. At first I thought I was seeing things, but I think he was even more surprised than I was when he saw me. I'd figured he came to visit, but it turned out didn't know I'd left home, he's always traveling far and wide you see... ..but anyway, he introduced me to his friends, and it turned out that one of his crew had family here, and they had been good friends with the family of one of my friends from school, if that makes sense. I don't think it is as far removed as it sounds anyway, I mean, they had even heard a couple of stories about me through the grapevine. My brother and his crew had originally planned on just making a brief pit stop, instead we visited the folks, ate dinner and spent that evening watching a concert in the park; and sitting there under the stars with smiling faces all around, I didn't feel so out of place. Er... I guess in a nutshell, well, I hope I'm not missing out on something because nopony told me about it. I mean, at a party this big, there has to be more going on than any one pony can see, right?" Ginger Mint unconsciously took a step backwards when she finished, waiting for a response, she figured she must have sounded like a rambling filly.

hi hi Alas all these new fancy brushes don't work with my old cranky Photoshop 7.0. To help reduce the rubber stamp effect, I recommend using a bit of size and angle jitter, and maybe a bit of scattering in there too when making flowers and leaf patterns.

hi hi I was worried that I was facing some kind of punishment, about to be banished to the everfree forest for annoying everypony. Glad to hear that isn't the case.

hi hi Another sip of her drink gave Ginger Mint some time to think about answering the bartender's question. She had been rather caught up in the moment and hadn't been thinking about it too clearly, but now she had a moment to try to get some perspective. Her eyes rolled back and to the side slightly as she thought back to earlier in the night. Maybe I am just having trouble acclimating, she thought, but the thought didn't ring true. "Oh, it isn't anything in particular. Everypony has been very polite tonight, I can't shake the feeling that I am being given the cold shoulder. I don't want to get on anypony's bad side, but I seems like conversations get quiet and everypony starts talking in half-truths and guarded tones whenever I'm around." Ginger Mint leads her gaze around the room briefly as though looking for somepony in particular. "I mean, just now for instance... I noticed there was a rather lively discussion going right here just a moment ago." She shook her head gently, "I don't know, saying this out loud makes it all sound rather silly. You don't suppose it could all just be a streak of bad luck?" Ginger Mint steps slightly to the side to make room for the younger pony who just arrived at the bar, giving a polite nod in acknowledgment before returning to her drink and her conversation with the bartender.

hi hi I had come up with something of a tourists guide to Fillydelphia, which I sent over to some of the admins, but if we wanted to do some brainstorming I could post what I thought up somewhere for everypony to comment on.

hi hi I'm sure those fish died of natural causes.

hi hi From Hasbro's point of view, marketing to young girls is a known equation, they can count on having a return on their investment. However, no matter how big or vocal the older fans may be, they're still an unknown equation, and thus something of a financial risk. Personally I think if Hasbro released DVDs, they'd sell reasonably well. In my experience, plenty of people who view things online still end up buying hard copies if they like what they see.

hi hi Not from the series per~se but inspired Edit: oh dear celestia, I've had that always stressed mix on repeat for, like an hour now. >_<

hi hi As Martini started to mix the drink, Ginger Mint's mind stopped wandering. Not entirely sure what the bartender was pouring, she figured it would be better to leave it a surprise and just watched the motions. Suppressing the urge to inhale the smell, she watched intently as the contents were heated with seemingly little more than a thought. Only when the finished drink stopped in front of her, did she allow herself to take a deep breath, savoring the smell of chocolate and mint. She nursed the drink slowly, closing her eyes, and for a little while her entire world was focused on the sensation. "mmm..." was all she managed before she took another sip, although this time her ear couldn't help but twist in the direction of the conversation the ponies next to her were having. Back to reality once more, some of the tension seemed to be gone from her face and she looked back to Martini. "That was... that is truly very good. Thank you." She went back to her mug for a little more, saying to herself more than anyone in particular, "...and to each their own time and place." Ginger Mint couldn't help but feel a little better now. There was something about the drink that reminded her of home, maybe it was in the mint, maybe it was the earthy chocolate, maybe both; but for the moment at least she didn't feel quite so out of place. She considered saying something to the two ponies standing next to her, but she decided to turn back to the bartender for now and perhaps wait for a better opening, her one ear still turned in their direction. "Do you ever get the feeling that you're just getting in everypony's way sometimes? You know, a fifth wheel, stepping on everypony's hooves... I mean, I'm sure you don't have to worry about that right now being a destination as you are, in a manner of speaking. Its just, well, everypony trips up once in a while right?"

hi hi I usually don't let on to the fact that I am into Science Fiction or Tabletop Roleplaying... Everything else pretty much falls into those two categories, that and My Little Pony, which I still am hesitant to go about advertising. I guess I'm not particularly into cheesecake (in a theatrics sense) but sometimes I do enjoy watching shows that have enough of that embedded within that I can't bring myself to recommend them to my friends. Books: Ben Bova's Grand Tour series Music: Video game remixes TV: Gunbuster, Nuku Nuku, Red Dwarf Movie: Star Trek