[Manehattan] Carriage Rides and Pleasantries {Closed}

[crp_dude]

It felt like a long day of nothing. No ideas, no inspiration, she felt like she couldn’t even think outside of the depth of a filly pool, like something was gnawing at her... but what? Ornatia was the lavender unicorn’s name, and she decided that perhaps what she needed was a breather from the worries of now. She was a pony who put her trust in fortune telling and such oddities like that though, and the tarot probably would have told her not to even bother going outside today, with her luck. Nevertheless, she chose to leave the confines of her own hotel room to take a trip down to an art museum and meet a few ponies. Much to her embarrassment, though, she couldn’t help but think she gave out an image contrary to what she was expected to portray, representing an entire country and all. While at the little get-together, she came to meet another colt who seemed to be just as much of a shut-in as she was. Or maybe he wasn’t? Whatever the case, Ornatia felt that he wasn’t saying something he was meaning to say, and while she knew it to be rude, she half-wanted to try and pry it out of him. She shook her head at that last thought, as though trying to loosen it from her head. How could she be so insensitive, after all? If Bramble Rose wanted to keep what he wasn’t saying a secret, then that was fine with her. For now, anyway.

Ornatia made her way up the stairs that led out from the exhibit room and eagerly awaited Bramble’s doing the same. She looked down at him with anticipation. Though she seemed excited to grab a carriage and see the town, truthfully she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, no matter what the means. She had made a fool of herself enough down there. She called down to him, “Vaya, Mister Rose, I would prefer we wait as little time as we are able!” And then turned away from the wide staircase to check the time via a clock tower just outside. It only took her a moment to realize... She had no idea why! Ornatia tapped her own head, admonishing herself for being so flustered and rushed, this was exactly what she was trying to get away from! Ornatia instead inhaled and exhaled slowly, organizing her thoughts into the rows and columns they used to be in before today. Opening her eyes slowly, she calmed herself down with another deep inhale and exhale, before returning inside the building and waiting for Bramble at the top of the stairs, saying, with a much more apologetic look on her face, “My apologies, Mister Rose, I’ve been... out of sorts, today. It’s been a tad bit frustrating, I hope you understand.”

A tad bit frustrating indeed.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble followed after Ornatia, taking the quiet ascent of the stairs to regather his thoughts. OK, so he was going to share a carriage with the mare who'd been at the next table over at the Gallopocous islands. No worries. There was no reason to think she suspected a thing. He just had to keep it together, not get too flustered, and treat her politely. Of course. Just remember what his dam taught him about being in public.

Who was he kidding? When had he ever managed to not make an idiot of himself? But he couldn't very well give up! He drew himself up, as he followed after the mare, his head tall, his horn raised to try to lend an illusion of a couple inches more of height. Carry yourself like you are large, his dam had said, and everyone will believe that you are.

"Oh, don't worry," he assured Ornatia. "I work with artists a lot. Especially Glitzen Glamour. Now there's a pony so extroverted that it's like he's trying to live outside of his own skin! He's never calm - if he's not giddy with excitement over some new and probably embarassing outfit he's thought up for me ... he's dramatic about how he has lost all of his muse ever and will never create again. Next to that, a little bit of agoraphobia seems quite *peaceful*. Trust me, if you feel prone to bouts of ... uh ... quietness ... as we take our tour, I will not take it badly."

Wait. That might mean you don't like her voice! "Not that I don't enjoy listening to you talk!" he assured her quickly, awkwardly. "Your pride for your homeland is ... uh ... infectuous!" Infectuous? You compared her to a disease? Idiot! "But I quite understand needing some quiet time to rest."

[crp_dude]

Ornatia gave a smirk of slight embarrassment when being compared to Glitzen Glamour, with whom she was only briefly introduced to in the show, and got very little conversation with on the whole. Still, she thought that his attempts to ease her embarrassment were touching, to say the least. And so, she did what she could to assure him back, saying, "Well, thank you. If for any reason I am indeed silent, it would be because I have an idea I need to keep to myself. I will be honest in saying that when I do speak, I have trouble not saying what is on my mind, and when what is on my mind is a dress design... well, you understand that the last thing I desire is a stolen design. And, you see, that is part of the problem for me right now...” Ornatia tried to hide her blush, as she had never before experienced such an issue as this...

Wait, what did he just say? “I-Infectious?” Ornatia puzzled over the word, “I... must admit, I do not say I am any expert with your language, but is the term ‘infectious’ really what my words were? If so, I am not sure how to take that...” She said, more disoriented than she was before, but this time of no fault of her own.

[Bramble Rose]

Bramble Rose grimaced at her uncertainty over his words, though he damped it as he took on that Canterlot Mask again, his only recourse when he had no idea what to do. "Only in that when you speak of your country, you make me want to see it all the more! Trust me, my dear, I have seen nothing to criticize in anything you have done, you've been an absolutely *darling*!"

He stepped away for a moment for a quiet word with one of the museum's employees, then stepped back to Ornatia. "Well, there is always a carriage for rent around here, as it's one of the city's more popular sights - even more so what with the event going on. So we won't even have to wait!" He gestured to her in a most gentlecoltly manner to several carriages standing to the side, their guides clustered around in a small group sipping coffee and gossiping.

"Please, take your choice, whichever looks finest to you. And don't worry about me stealing your designs, m'lady, this is my own height of fashion." He touched his fedora, his slightly loosened tie. "I know so little about the actual making of fashion. I rely wholly on Glitzen for that."

[crp_dude]

Ornatia was more than pleased to hear that she could forego any sort of wait, as she was rather antsy to get a move-on as it was, let alone need to queue. When Bramble rejoined her and finished speaking, she nodded, saying, “Having made a good distance around my own country, I can comprehend the idea of tourism as a chief industry. Though, I must admit,” she continued to speak as she walked with Bramble to the outside of the building, “For a city with tourism as a key part of its industry, I see little in terms of history. Unless, of course, this is yet another difference between our lands?” Ornatia shrugged a little. It was frustrating how often it seemed to be that words and phrases could take on such different meanings between countries.

Ornatia waited for Bramble’s response, silently looking over the carriages. Something roomy, cushioned, not very bumpy... It took her a moment to realize she had ironically high standards, considering the state her family was in during her youth, and her otherwise everpresent respect for simplicity. At this she rolled her eyes, and was prepared to playfully hit herself on the noggin once again, but dismissed the idea, feeling that she had shown enough physical silliness for the day. Nonetheless, one of the carriages, a lighter blue in color, caught her eye, and when Bramble finished, she turned to him and spoke again, “I think we should choose that one, the blue, slightly longer one? What do you think?"

[Bramble Rose]

The tour guides all looked up as the two ponies approached the carriages, eager for a commission. Bramble smiled to Ornatia. "I think your sense of taste is impeccable, of course," he said with a smile, stepping over to the carriage and opening the door for her politely.

As the tour guide came over from the group, smiling to see that they'd chosen his carriage without even needing a pitch, Bramble greeted him and arranged the fare in a low voice. He *was* a little surprised at how much it cost - but they were probably bumping up the price because they were all clustered around here at the fancy art gallery, hoping for wealthy fares. Still, it wasn't beyond what he'd budgeted for his vacation, and he paid it gladly, then joined Ornatia in the carriage with an excited grin.