PyroBlaze

Flux’s smile faded a bit and she stopped bouncing as she began sensing Flaire’s feelings. She tilted her head at his words, confused as well until Stage explained things. At that point, her expression saddened for a moment before Stage asked if she wanted to talk backstage. She nodded, letting the two lead her over there. “I haven’t been a part of a hive since Shining Armor’s wedding, I think it was. I remember hearing about it afterwards, once I woke up and wandered into a town. I don’t remember what my life was before that, but I am sorry if I was a part of what happened to you.” She said once they were backstage, sitting down and watching them.

Tiger settled back in, finishing off his glass just as Jade took the stage. Good thing too, since the sheer unexpectedness of those lyrics probably would’ve made him choke on the liquid. Still, the confidence to sing something like that as your first song took guts, and he admired her courage there. He chuckled lightly, nodding at Jade as she finished. “Good singing there, Jade, I’m looking forward to what you sing next. For now though, I feel like I should start off round two.” He said, making his way back onto the stage and queuing up the next song. He let the music flow through him, letting it lead him as he began singing. “I'm undefeated Hands on my neck, foot on my back Closing in from every side Bleeding me dry, I'm fading fast Left for dead but I will rise up on my own I could make it alone, I got all that I need to survive (All that I need to survive) Through the sweat and the blood, I know what I'm made of It's the hunger that keeps me alive This time, I'm coming like a hurricane, this time I came to fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated Off the leash, out of the cage, an animal That's why I, I'm undefeated I, I, I know I can beat it Won't give up 'cause I believe it Fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated Here at the edge losing my ground Stare into the great divide Pushing me over, pulling me down Almost dead, but I will rise up on my own No, I'm never alone and it's all that I need to survive (All that I need to survive) Through the sweat and the blood, if I fall, I'll get up It's the hunger that keeps me alive This time, I'm coming like a hurricane, this time I came to fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated Off the leash, out of the cage, an animal That's why I, I'm undefeated I, I, I know I can beat it Won't give up 'cause I believe it Fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated All the strength that I have, all the life that's left in me I will give every breath to be everything I can be I, I, I'm undefeated I, I, I'm undefeated I came to fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated Off the leash, out of the cage, an animal That's why I, I'm undefeated I, I, I know I can beat it Won't give up 'cause I believe it Fight for the love of the game, unstoppable That's why I, I'm undefeated That's why I, I'm undefeated.” With the song winding down, he gave a confident smile and wink to Berry and Midnight primarily, though he gave a bit of the treatment to Jade and Tongue Twister. He went back over to the bar, taking his seat. “Mind refilling my drink, Berry? Thanks.”

Feather chuckled slightly as Luna directed attention onto Ice and she took charge of the conversation. The pegasus listened idly, looking around at their surroundings until it seemed like they were about to head out. “Yeah, a tour sounds great to me, especially if it’s on the way to the Palace anyways.” Feather said, giving Nira a friendly smile and heading off once the group started moving. She was pretty excited to explore this new country, and she couldn’t help but start flying along, zipping back and forth nearby the group and looking at the sights. Sometimes she would zip back to the group, trying to tell Myth about all the cool stuff around since she couldn’t see it like Feather could.

“[Oh come now, since when is taking advantage of a good opportunity such as this witless?]” He replied, feigning offense as he followed her language shift. “[Besides, I’ve had quite enough of being someone else’s pawn, living in a changeling hive gives you plenty of experience.]” Dox hummed a bit as Hou explained her plan for what to do here, taking the ‘offered’ bag in his magic and walking off beside her. Some good food would be nice, though it’s not like he needed it. He ate food for the experience, mostly. “[By the by, do you still need food to survive? I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good meal.]”

Feather watched the land outside the window as they made their final approach, departing with the rest of the group and sticking near Mythic. She hadn't known the mare for long, but she already felt like they were friends. In any case, she was marveling at the new sights around her, especially those dragon/pony hybrids walking around. Maybe those were those longma some of the books mentioned? The pegasus titled her head, looking at the winged ones and wondering what having those scales on the wings would feel like. She looked over at the one that came to greet them, giving a small hum as the mare addressed Luna and called the rest of them a security detail. Well, she supposed that wasn't entirely inaccurate in her case, with what her job sometimes entailed. Oh well, she stayed silent for now, letting Ice or Luna take the lead.

Feather wasn’t all that sure about what to expect from Neighpon, since Icy hadn’t really told her anything. It sounded like the unicorn had been to the country before, but she hadn’t given much details about it. The books Feather had been looking at were strange too, though they might be fictional tales. The pegasus shrugged as she wandered around the ship. She had been helping out where she could, though recently that had meant helping Mythic Vision out with her airsickness. This time she found the blind mare on the bridge with Icy. “Hey Vis, hey Boss. We’re almost there, huh? Well, that’s good news for you, Vis, means you won’t be getting airsick.” She smiled, chuckling a bit as she approached the two.

Tiger sat back while the first two sang their songs, enjoying the show and clapping for both when they were done. Now that it was his turn though, he walked over with Berry, flipping through the songs until they settled on one to sing together. “Ready for a Good Time?” He chuckled, winking at Berry before starting up the song. He was enjoying himself, dancing around while they sang and losing himself in the music.

Flux kept bouncing in place happily, humming along to a song only she seemed to hear. When Stage spoke up with his questions, she stopped humming with a "huh?" Tilting her head for a moment, she looked like she was trying to remember something before giggling to herself and dropping the disguise, revealing the reformed changeling underneath. She was still very purple, just with some gradients into pink at places. "Silly me, I keep forgetting I don't need to do that anymore! Yep, I'm a changeling! Sorry about the disguise, guess I haven't broken that habit yet." She giggled again, still smiling happily at the two.

"While I appreciate you not wanting to risk my life, it would be foolish for you to try and fail to do something when there is someone that is much more likely to succeed nearby that can do it. Especially if they are volunteering. Part of leading is using the strengths of your followers to accomplish things you could not do alone." Magnus said, watching Harle and mostly ignoring the talk about Aether measurements. He nodded to Ice's words about the reasons for not going to scout right now. Those, at least, were logical. It was also good to hear there was likely an end in sight for the storm, though of course something had to happen to complicate matters. His ear twitched before the voice came, and by the time it did, Magnus was standing ready to attack if necessary. He held off momentarily though, glancing at Ice and the others in case this was some ally he had yet to meet.

Tiger glanced over at Jade as she showed up and offered her opinion. He could agree that it’s a wide world out there with plenty to see, but that kind of life wasn’t for everyone. For some, it was perfect, but others needed to stay in one place most of the time. “Karaoke sounds good to me. Maybe a duet is in order?” He asked, giving a wink to Berry. That would have to wait till after Midnight’s song though, it seemed. “Knock ‘em dead, buddy!” He chuckled, patting Midnight on the back.

“Neighpon sounds good to me, Boss. Don’t think I’ve ever been before, so it ought to be interesting.” Feather replied, nodding at Icy’s words about the Neighpon mission. Bureaucracy was kinda a gray area for her, she had made her way into this organization because there was less of it to deal with than the general military, but she wasn’t sure she would like the freedom that came with mercenary work. Besides, she had avoided that path because she was willing to deal with some restrictions to serve Equestria, and it gave her ponies to call her out on her mistakes, keep her more humble and prevent her from going too far. In any case, Myth was leaving, and the pegasus frowned a bit. It was unfortunate, but she supposed it made sense if Myth could see magic, especially with the kind of magic the stories attributed to Sombra. Well, it was probably for the best that she leave the other mare alone for now, so Feather watched her go out the door before turning to the other two. “So, what’s Neighpon like? Have either of you been there?” She asked after a moment of silence.

Dox was grinning as Hou came to the realization. It was the kind of grin of someone who couldn’t wait for the punchline to arrive. After a short laugh, he settled back into a more neutral expression, though he clearly was still enjoying her company. She was probably his favorite member of the group, partially because of what the two shared in terms of their pasts. “<I saw no reason to involve them right now, I’m just here because I want to be. I enjoy collecting knowledge, and I’m sure whatever led you here will also lead to some interesting discoveries.>” He nodded, looking around as Hou seemed to sense something. He had felt something, fear, probably, but that could’ve come from any of the crowd around them for any number of reasons. It always seemed to be easier to hide in a crowd, for many reasons. “<Well, shall we get going? Perhaps to your room? We can figure things out in private there.>” He said, waiting for her to take the lead. This one was her show, after all, he was here to help and share in the rewards.

“Oh? No need to worry about that with me! As long as you’re nice, I’ll be your friend no matter what race you are! Besides, it’d be pretty silly for me to shun you just because you’re half-changeling.” Flux giggled, smiling warmly at him. She didn’t really think about what that statement might imply, not that she was thinking about hiding anything anyways. “You’re right, those abilities are super helpful for an actor! I’d try, but I’m not sure I could sit still long enough to learn the lines. That improv stuff seems like it’d be fun though.” She smiled happily, bouncing in place again.

Feather frowned a bit as she looked back and forth between the unicorns around her. Apparently the stallion actually was Sombra, so that was kinda cool. Mythic’s ability sounded cool too, but she would probably prefer to keep her sight how it was. Feather moved over to Mythic, giving her a pat on the back and a smile that she could hopefully see. “Yeah, if Ice trusts him, there’s no need to worry. Besides, I’ll protect you, Vis.” She said confidently, nodding to Mythic. After a moment, she realized that neither her or Icy had introduced her yet, so she took care of it while rubbing the back of her head a bit and chuckling. “Name’s Feather Blitz, by the way. I do work in the field. Nice meeting you both!” When Icy began talking about the missions, Feather gave the mare her full attention, though the name made her tilt her head in thought. It seemed kinda familiar, but she wasn’t sure from where. “Might’ve heard of her from Mom’s old work buddies, but I think those were just rumors. Don’t know anything about her though. I’m always down to help on a mission, I’ll go wherever you want me, Boss.”

Feather Blitz was not the kind of pony that often spent time in this room, or libraries in general, but today she had felt like spending a bit of time reading. She was lounging in the upper areas of the room, reading a Daring Doo book and largely ignoring the conversations going on around her. That is, until one started with one being afraid and one angry. She blinked a bit, looking over at the scene to spot Icy talking with two unfamiliar ponies. Well, one looked kinda like how Sombra was described and depicted, but she couldn't be sure. She closed her book, rolling off her perch and catching herself with her wings to fly down to the three and stop nearby. "Hey Boss, what's going on around here? You three need any help?" She asked, directing the first part to Icy. She wasn't quite sure what was going on between those other two unicorns, but when she spotted the broken bottle on the floor, she zoomed off and came back with a pony to clean up the glass.

Well, seemed there wasn’t much response to his apology or explanation. Fair enough, he supposed, plus there was no reason to dwell on it. Moving on, he listened to Wind’s explanation of her idea for the show, nodding a bit at the talk of getting artists to help with decorations. That might be a good project for him to take part in. “I could probably help with decorations. I mostly do paintings, but I’ve been known to do other mediums as well.” He said, looking at Wind. “I’d be glad to help smaller artists get attention, musical or otherwise.”

Things had been interesting lately for him, with the chance to learn from Sombra and that ice mage, but also with following Hou’s antics. When he had heard about the fire, and that no survivors were found, he was pretty sure she had been the culprit. He knew how she felt about those monks, and what kind of stuff was being kept in that particular temple. With that in mind, he had his spies keep an eye on Hou’s movements, and once she was on the ship he was alerted to it’s destination. As she disembarked the vessel, Dox was waiting on the shore in a simple unicorn disguise, mostly so he wouldn’t be bothered by those that didn’t like the old changelings or any that may recognize his sorcerer form. At her question, he looked over at her and smiled, closing the book he had been reading and dropping it into a portal as he approached her. “Come now, is that really how you greet an old friend?” Dox chuckled before continuing. “<As for your questions though, you’re not the only one with spies, and I figured that temple fire had something to do with you. Once I knew where that ship was headed, I could meet you there. So, what did you find that brings you out here? Anything interesting I could assist with?>” He asked in the language of Long Guo. He wasn’t sure which languages they shared, not a complete list anyways, but he knew that was one of them. Especially since they had both grown up in that country.

Flux watched the transformation with wide eyes, clapping as it finished like Flaire was putting on another show. She smiled happily, giggling slightly for a moment before she put her hoof to her chin in thought. "Are you some kind of special changeling? I've never seen pony magic do that before." She asked curiously, looking him over a bit. He certainly looked like a pony, but if he was a changeling he could look like anything he wanted. That'd be pretty cool though, to make another changeling friend. She giggled again, thinking about if she should drop her disguise or not.

Name: Feather Blitz Gender: Female Age: Young Mare Species: Pegasus Eye Color: Golden Character Color: Mostly a blue-purple color, with the ends of her wings and a stripe down her nose being a lighter version. Mane/Tail: Both are short cut, the longest part of the mane being a small section going from just in front of the ear to below the chin. Both consist of large spikes, and are primarily purple in color, though they turn into more of a pale tan along the bottom. Physique: She is of average height for a mare her age, with the kind of physique one would expect from someone focused on flying fast and accurate. Lithe, made for agility and pure speed. Residence: Las Pegasus, a room at Ice Storm’s casino Occupation: Agent of STAR, mostly doing recon or quick strike missions like sabotage or stealthy rescue. Also trying to get onto the Wonderbolt reserves. Cutie Mark: Her mark is three white clouds and two yellow lightning bolts arranged into a V shape. To her, this represents her desire to win in everything she sets her mind to, wether that be a race or a mission, she will try to complete it as well as possible. Unique Traits: Training: Due to her nimble nature, she is trained more in ranged combat or hit-and-run tactics, as well as the use of explosives. Equipment: She wears bracers on her front hooves during missions, one holding a crossbow and the other a retractable blade. The bracers are the extent of what one would consider armor on her though. History: Feather’s early years were rather turbulent. She never knew her father, and her mother moved around a lot to pursue work as a mercenary. Of course, Feather didn’t actually go on jobs with her mother, but the two of them did not really have a permanent home. They ended up moving all over Equestria, sometimes beyond into the countries that were part of the same landmass. Eventually, once her mother had retired, they settled down in Cloudsdale. Of course, by this point Feather was growing to the point that she wanted to set out on her own, and soon enough she did. She tried to do what her mother had for a time, but it became clear it wasn’t for her and she moved on to enlisting in the Equestrian military so she could help protect the country she loved. Once STAR became more open about it’s existence, she worked her way into becoming a part of it, enjoying serving her country without quite so much of the restrictions that came with regular military service. Personality: Feather can come off as arrogant, as she is very confident in her skills with a record to back them up. She is friendly though, and extremely loyal. She will not turn on her friends or leave them behind without a very good reason. She’s the type to throw herself into danger to protect others, and she’s so far been skilled enough to escape without serious injury.

I assume it’s Dox waiting for her.

Not sure if we’re supposed to be responding to that thread in some way or wait for something else to come from you.

Flux kept bouncing happily as the two responded to her, watching them. It was interesting how Flaire could get their voice to change so much, but that was just a fun talent as far as she knew. The change in eye color, however, was a bit more interesting, and it gave her a bit of a pause as she tried to figure it out. “How’d you do that? The eye color thing?” She asked, tilting her head questioningly. She kinda hoped she had found another changeling friend, but she would like to be friends with them even if it was just illusion magic.

Blank frowned a bit as Wind mentioned the event, rubbing his chin in thought as he went over what he remembered hearing. He was pretty sure there had been something like that. Once the two were done talking, he looked over at Wind apologetically. “Sorry for earlier, I’ve always had trouble focusing, so it’s either all or nothing, basically. Meaning I can’t really multitask very well, so things such as reading a map and listening to others at the same time is difficult.” He explained, hoping that cleared things up. He didn’t want to come off as rude just because he couldn’t seem to focus on multiple things at once. “Nice ta meet you both, I am Blank Canvas, an artist from Vanhoover.” He said, not sure Spring had heard his earlier introduction.

Yup. Just replied.