[Canterlot] A Day Spent in Sound (open)

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos Gray grinned as he walked around. The place he was walking around was none other than the great city of Canterlot, and indeed what a great city it was. Sure there were those strangely accurate stereotypical stuck-up rich ponies, but they weren't actually that common and they weren't even that bad once you got used to them. It certainly wasn't like they were unreasonable. The dull grey stallion mused the thought for a few seconds before realizing he had forgotten what he was doing in the first place. Without much pause, he started recalling some earlier memories of the day, as retracing steps was more or less second nature to the scatter-brained stallion.

Let's see, the unicorn certainly remembered going to his job as stage hand for the orchestra They had played a particularly fast-paced song, which had caused quite a bit applause than they had expected. It really was a shame they weren't as well-known as they should have been. Anyways, he had left at the end with his week's payment. He remembered going home and working on his spells for... oh... about an hour or two. He was a touch disappointed his magic hadn't really made even any slight advancements in the past week. He remembered viewing his notes he had written, and he remembered coming to a somewhat annoyed revelation. Oh! That was it! He was to pick up some more paper from the market! Sure, it was a bit mundane, but it did have to be done.

Looking around, he realized he had made it to the market sooner than he had expected. Enos took a few moments to take it all in, relishing it as he always did. It was never the sights to see or the smells of food, but rather the wonderful sound of a busy market. It was always different and always changing, yet somehow it stayed very much the same. A wonderful mix of high-pitched voices and low-pitched voices, all in all working together quite nicely. He couldn't really help a brief mutter under his breath.

[colour=#696969]"Magnificent, as it always is."[/colour]

He didn't allow himself to be too taken in though. He had already forgotten what he was doing once. Twice was just bad form. He readjusted the top hat he was wearing, tilting it to a slight angle, before trotting around the market looking for something to catch his eye just as well as the noise had caught his ear.

[Dunes]

Sapphire Shores yawned, trotting unsteadily through the morning market. Morning. Was it still morning? She wasn't sure. It had been a long night, and she had yet to really wake up.

True, her mane was perfectly coiffed, and her spangly dress said anything but 'sleepy', but that didn't mean anything. Sapphire could probably get ready for a fashion show in her sleep. She'd slid into her outfit and straight out the door of the hotel.

She knew exactly what she was there to buy. Or she would, as soon as she saw it. Mostly she knew she wanted to buy a lot of it, when she figured out what 'it' was. In a still-dreamy haze, she watched the stalls slide by as she moved through the market. [colour=#000080]Cute. Have one. Have two. Cute. Cute. Not cute enough. Cucumbers, allergic. Cute. Sweet Celestia, they're selling that? Already have five...[/colour]

Then she saw it. She stopped dead in her tracks. Slowly, she lifted a hoof, pointing at the stall next to the paper merchant.

“[colour=#000080]HATS.[/colour]” It was more than a statement; it was a declaration of purpose. Instantly awake, she zipped over, bumping into a grey pony in her enthusiasm. He also had a nice hat on, she noted.

“[colour=#000080]HATS[/colour],” she said to the milliner pony, pointing excitedly. “[colour=#000080]I'll try them![/colour]” She whipped around and pointed at the grey stallion. “[colour=#000080]Do you have one like his? It's sensational![/colour]” Still looking at him, she put her hoof up to her mouth to yell. “[colour=#000080]Your hat is sensational![/colour]”

Sapphire heard a sigh behind her. Man, were all merchants this unenthusiastic? So many of them seemed tired or stressed whenever she went shopping.

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos was just musing about a smaller looking group in the crowd when he heard a somewhat familiar (and loud) voice behind him, followed by a sigh. He closed his eyes for half a moment, trying to remember just where he had heard that voice. "Let's see, very musical sounding. Probably a performer. Pop, maybe? Who have I heard... Ah ha!"

He turned around, only to have his guess confirmed. He didn't listen to pop music often, or as often as he would have liked, but there were some voices that were hard to miss. [colour=#808080]"You must be Miss Shores! I must say, I'm a fan of your work. Well, the work I've heard, anyways." [/colour] He spoke with a certain excitement. It wasn't everyday you bumped into a famous vocalist.

He was distracted momentarily, as he looked at the merchant whom Enos presumed had let out the sigh. Enos pondered for a minute, before coming to the conclusion that he had bought a hat here before. Probably two. He took a minute to reflect on what Shores had actually said, rather than just the tone of voice. He then realized that Shores had complimented his hat. Perhaps a bit too late to respond to that, but that was in it of itself enough to make his day. If it hadn't already been made from meeting a famous vocalist. Or maybe it was made from the trip to the market. Maybe all three? Whatever, live in the moment. [colour=#808080]"As for the hat, well, I did pick it up here. I think. Unless they changed stock, you're probably in luck."[/colour]

He glanced towards the various hats that were on display. Certainly they all looked similar. There was a certain style as to how Canterlot hats looked. It had taken him a few days to learn some of the differences between different kinds of hats that were sometimes almost minute in detail. Wait. No. No getting off track. At least, not in front of the famous vocalist.

[Dunes]

“You must be Miss Shores! I must say, I'm a fan of your work. Well, the work I've heard, anyways.”

Sapphire grinned and turned with a little bow. Would she ever get tired of being recognized? Probably not. She was about to launch into her usual exuberant introduction, but the stallion's attention seemed to wander back to the hats. She smirked and tilted her head, wondering if this pony was quite... all there. Perhaps he was just a dreamy sort.

“As for the hat, well, I did pick it up here. I think. Unless they changed stock, you're probably in luck.”

Sapphire's already-wide grin widened. Still grinning, she flicked her eyes back over to the milliner. The hat-pony looked unhappy about something. Who could be unhappy with all those hats?!

As the milliner dug around in his stock, Sapphire turned her attention back to the stranger. She offered a hoof. “[colour=#000080]I'm afraid you've got me at the disadvantage, here! You know me but I don't know you. What's your name, sugar?[/colour]” She nodded her head at his hat. “[colour=#000080]I'm happy to meet anyone with such fabulous taste in accessories![/colour]”

The merchant cleared his throat. Sapphire turned and saw a line of top hats on the table. She nodded enthusiastically, pulling a sizable bag of bits out of the tiny coat she was wearing over her dress. [colour=#000080]“I'll take them! Aaand can you do those two up with feathers, different colors, that one in sequins, and oh! That one in sequins too. Maybe one silver and one gold? Yes, do that. And put some red [/colour][colour=#000080]on that one, like a red satin ribbon. And just keep that one exactly the way it is, sweet-pea. That would be fabulous![/colour]” She dropped the bag of money on the table. It landed with a thud. The merchant stared at it.

“[colour=#000080]Got all that? I'll be back in an hour. My friend and I are gonna hit some other stalls![/colour]”

She zipped back to Enos's side. “[colour=#000080]Sorry 'bout that! What brings you to the market? Care to do some shopping?[/colour]”

[TheInvisiblePony]

Well, this Miss Shore was certainly the talkative sort. It probably helped her line of work. Anyways, she had said something. It would probably be wise to answer any questions directed towards him, so he listened rather intently, with a focused straight face.

[colour=#282828]“[/colour][colour=#000080]I'm afraid you've got me at the disadvantage, here! You know me but I don't know you. What's your name, sugar?[/colour][colour=#282828]”[/colour]

[colour=#696969]"My name? Yes, I suppose that's perfectly reasonable to ask... My name's Enos. That is to say, Enos Gray."[/colour] He looked at Shores for a brief second or two before he registered she was offering a hoof as well. He glanced down at it, and rather diligently shook it. This transaction was interrupted by the haberdasher, who seemed to be interested in doing business. Maybe just not as much business as the pop star seemed to have planned out. Enos smirked as he listened to Shore's list of hats she wanted. Did she plan this out at all, or was she just rattling off various designs she thought would look nice? Regardless, at least she was nice about it.

Wait, what was that she said about hitting the stalls? Enos blinked as Shores was back to facing him, and asking him another question. Well, two questions back to back, both of which Enos responded too. [colour=#696969]"I was just coming to listen to the crowds"[/colour] He gestured towards one of the larger groups of ponies before continuing [colour=#696969]"On some of the busier days, all of the voices meld together quite nicely. But in response to your other question, I would be happy to do some shopping!"[/colour]

Enos might have been a bit absent-minded from time to time, but what type of pony passes up an opportunity to meet an ideal like Miss Shores? Well, okay, so there might be a few ponies who would pass the event up, but Enos wasn't one of them.

[Dunes]

“[colour=#000080]It is a delight to meet you, then, Enos![/colour]” She grinned.

[colour=#696969]"I was just coming to listen to the crowds. On some of the busier days, all of the voices meld together quite nicely. But in response to your other question, I would be happy to do some shopping!"[/colour]

Sapphire turned an ear towards the crowd, tilting her head. She listened, brow furrowed. It all sounded like the same old noise to her.

“[colour=#000080]Heh, not enough cheering for my tastes, I guess![/colour]”

A moment of silence passed, and she felt a twinge of panic as she searched for something to say. She always knew how to interact with ponies. Always. But she wasn't quite sure what to think of this pony.

He seemed... what was the word? Introspective? You came across it in musicians often enough, just not the kind of musicians who ran in her social circles. Even then, all musicians have the drive to be seen or heard; every interaction with another musician is its own little performance. This pony gave off a different impression entirely. A trumpeter can play nicely with a flautist, but may be mystified when asked to accompany a bumblebee.

Or she just needed to get out more.

Her stomach rumbled. She felt relieved; she now had another mission! Gesturing to the market with a hoof, she said, “[colour=#000080]Well, I don't know about you, but I haven't had anything to eat yet, and [/colour][colour=#000080]something [/colour][colour=#000080]smells good here. Let's go find it![/colour]”

She lead the way, casting a glance over her shoulder to make sure Enos was following. The myriad smells of the market twisted up in her nose, leaving her to pick out which ones promised food. Was it hay fries or fresh wicker furniture she was smelling? As hungry as she was, both sounded good.

Glancing back again, she noticed her companion's cutie mark. “[colour=#000080]Hey, is that a tuning fork?[/colour]” Maybe he was a musician! “[colour=#000080]You a pianist?[/colour]”

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos watched intently as Sapphire listened to the crowd, wondering what would come of that. He blinked in response to her comment on the crowd, not wondering what she meant, before realizing that most music stars were probably accustomed to cheering. Very understandable, he reasoned. Besides, he couldn't ask everypony to enjoy the noise of the crowds. That would just leave everypony listening and nopony talking in the first place.

Wait, Sapphire had started to say something again. Enos paused to listen, somewhat intently

[colour=#282828]“[/colour][colour=#000080]Well, I don't know about you, but I haven't had anything to eat yet, and [/colour][colour=#000080]something [/colour][colour=#000080]smells good here. Let's go find it![/colour][colour=#282828]”[/colour]

The unicorn nodded eagerly in agreement, realizing that he hadn't either. Somehow something always seemed to come up before he thought of eating something, but now that she mentioned it, he hadn't eaten since... when had he eaten last? He recalled eating something for breakfast, as he lowered his head in thought. He shrugged, thinking that what he had for breakfast probably wasn't relevant to the situation. He looked around, realizing that he had fallen behind slightly, so he hurried to catch up to the pop star, only to catch another one of her questions (Well, another two of her questions)

[colour=#282828]“[/colour][colour=#000080]Hey, is that a tuning fork? [/colour][colour=#000080]You a pianist?[/colour][colour=#282828]”[/colour]

Enos grinned excitedly as she spoke, hoping that this would be an excellent attempt to showcase his magic. He lowered his head slightly to focus as his horn glowed a light grey. To keep things simple, he figured a simple spell would be enough, so his voice resonated up to Sapphire even though he hadn't actually spoken

[colour=#696969]"Not quite. Really, the tuning fork just means sound, which itself is something of specialty of mine. For example, ventriloquism." [/colour]As the sentence ended, his glowing horn abruptly dimmed, and he raised his head back up, with the same smile.

[Dunes]

[colour=#696969]"Not quite. Really, the tuning fork just means sound, which itself is something of specialty of mine. For example, ventriloquism.[/colour][colour=#000000]

[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Sapphire looked around to see where Enos' voice was coming from, before staring at his horn. Her jaw dropped. She tried to make a sound, like what or how, but nothing was coming out of her mouth. She'd seen plenty of talented ponies in her life, but this was a new one on her.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]For once in her life, she was speechless.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Briefly.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]“[/colour][colour=#000080]Oh. My. Word! Sugar, how'd you do that?[/colour][colour=#000000]” She zipped over, pointing cautiously at his horn. “[/colour][colour=#000080]I mean, magic, right? I know plenty of unicorns but I ain't met nopony before who could do that![/colour][colour=#000000]” Sapphire thought about all of the things she would do with a power like that. Project it into other rooms! Use it as a bullhorn! Provide her own theme music wherever she went![/colour]

[colour=#000000]These were all things she did just by yelling, though, and lack of magic never seemed to hold her back. [/colour]

[colour=#000080]Plus,[/colour][colour=#000000] she thought, [/colour][colour=#000080]that'd only make the lip-syncing rumors worse[/colour][colour=#000000]. Maybe it was for the best she hadn't been granted that particular talent. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Sapphire clapped her hooves excitedly. “[/colour][colour=#000080]Can you do other voices or just yours? Can you sing with it? Does it have to be just a voice or can you do instruments?[/colour][colour=#000000]” She grinned at him, eyes gleaming. [/colour]

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos initially smiled to see the musician appear to be speechless, although it occurred to him that speechless wasn't always a good thing. Course, it was rarely a bad thing. Usually ponies could describe bad things with words, so the lack of words should mean good, or at the very least an inability to form an opinion.

He didn't spend much thought on the subject as his question was answered in the form of another barrage of questions, to which the stallion was starting to become accustom too. Enos listened intently as he began to think of ways to answer all of the questions, noting how very much surprised she seemed by his magic, which in it of itself was a brilliant thing. He had received the odd compliment on his magic from time to time, but never quite as momentous as that of a celebrity such as Sapphire. All in all, he was perhaps just as excited.

[colour=#696969]"Let's see... to answer your questions in order... My talent is more in the projection of sound, so I just use magic to, well, project sound waves. Yes, it it certainly is magic, and I'd be a bit let down if you knew another pony who could do this off the top of your head, seeing as how I've been perfecting this type of thing for a good portion of my life." [/colour]

He grinned excitedly as Sapphire seemed to pause for a brief second, perhaps in thought, but she clapped her hooves and went into a round two of questions, to which Enos was fairly prepared to answer. Which he did, with a slight hint of pride he tried to mask. [colour=#696969]"I can do multiple voices, although none of them sound drastically different than mine, but they do come in accents! As for the singing, well, I can't say I've tried it, so I imagine not. It could get terribly complex... Oh! and I can perform a few sounds that aren't voices, but again, nothing elaborate. Of course, nothing elaborate doesn't detail a few notes from, say, a violin, which I have managed to reproduce before."[/colour]

He smiled contently after his slight explanatory ramble, as if he were done, but after a moment or two of pause, he added a little more [colour=#696969]"So all in all, nothing quite as, let's say, sensational as a voice up to your caliber, but it certainly is a work in progress."[/colour]

[Dunes]

Sapphire must've looked like a filly on Hearth's Warming Eve. She was often appreciative, occasionally enchanted by the talents of her peers, but it was rare that she was so amazed. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to have magic, much less a horn... she could make noise with.

Actually, it seemed a little easier to imagine that than other magic. It'd be like singing with her hoof, or something. [colour=#000080]Sweet, I could accompany myself! That would be so fantastic. [/colour]

[colour=#696969]Of course, nothing elaborate doesn't detail a few notes from, say, a violin, which I have managed to reproduce before. … So all in all, nothing quite as, let's say, sensational as a voice up to your caliber, but it certainly is a work in progress.

[/colour]

“[colour=#000080]That is, and I do mean this in the original sense of the word, awesome. It takes enough work to get the sound that comes outta a pony's mouth to sound good, much less sound comin' out of a horn[/colour][colour=#000080]![/colour]” She winked. “[colour=#000080]And I [/colour][colour=#000080]do [/colour][colour=#000080]thank you for the compliment, sugar.[/colour]”

Her stomach rumbled. Right. Breakfast. Or lunch? Whatever time it was now, there needed to be food. She motioned with her head towards the tasty smell she'd picked up and started trotting in a foodwardly direction.

“[colour=#000080]Violin, huh? I have [/colour][colour=#000080]to hear that![/colour]” She grinned again. It seemed a very grinny sort of morning/afternoon/whatever. Birds were singing, possibly, or somepony was really good at whistling, and there was food to be had.

“[colour=#000080]Never tried to sing with it, though? Not even once?[/colour]” It seemed such an awful shame. Singing was the best! She thought for a moment, tilting her head. “[colour=#000080]Do [/colour][colour=#000080]you [/colour][colour=#000080]sing? Even a little, in the shower or something? Maybe it'd make it easier to make your horn did it if your mouth knew how![/colour]” She furrowed her brow a little. “[colour=#000080]Though it's not like you know how to, er, violin with your mouth, so, maybe not.[/colour]”

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos was perhaps just as ecstatic as Sapphire seemed to be, and he'd have to lie if said he wasn't a bit flattered. He was very nearly overwhelmed by such an enthusiastic compliment of his magic, especially after not very many ponies seemed to notice it. Perhaps this was the first of many, but regardless there was quite a bit of pride going around.

He listened intently to the singer, determined to make a good impression. Kinda hard to do if you miss part of a conversation, as Enos had the misfortune of knowing personally. Extending some manners at this point was the least he could do. [colour=#696969]"Well, its not often I get so praised for a magic as today, it would seem, so a compliments the least I could do."[/colour] He blinked as her stomach growled, and then remembered about the food. Gah, why are details so hard to remember? Ah well, he reasoned, he knew now, so not much harm done.

Following her, he continued listening, and nodded at the request. 'Violin, you say? Shouldn't be too hard...' Lowering his head again, he spoke up, not wanting the spell to be missed or catch her by surprise [colour=#696969]"Very well then, a violin it is!"[/colour] His horn started to glow again, this time quite a bit brighter, and quite a bit stronger, as Enos struggled to catch the vibrations of sound just right... and... Haha! It wasn't too complex, as he had said, in fact he only managed to get one note out, but it was unmistakably the sound of a stringed instrument. C sharp, if he wasn't mistaken.

Still, sounds were trickier than voices, and so at the end of the brief spell, he brought his hoof to his face to wipe his forehead. As he steadied himself (which did not take long at all) he was not suprised to find Miss Shores asking another question. She certainly was talkative, he had to admit.

“[colour=#000080]Never tried to sing with it, though? Not even once? ...[/colour] [colour=#000080]Do [/colour][colour=#000080]you [/colour][colour=#000080]sing? Even a little, in the shower or something? Maybe it'd make it easier to make your horn did it if your mouth knew how![/colour] ...[colour=#000080]Though it's not like you know how to, er, violin with your mouth, so, maybe not.[/colour]”

Enos gave a slight chuckle, before replying. [colour=#696969]"No, but I imagine if I could violin with my mouth, I wouldn't be working as the stagehand for an orchestra, but I digress. Anyways..."[/colour] As he put a bit more thought into the question, he gave a small frown as he put his hoof to his chin in thought, before happily continuing [colour=#696969]"I can't say that I sing that often. Maybe I have at some point, in fact I almost certainly have, but nothing comes to mind. An interesting idea you propose though. Maybe I'll have to give it a shot sometime."[/colour]

[Dunes]

Sapphire had to stop in her tracks at the sound of the simulated violin. She brought her hooves up to her mouth, like a giddy schoolfilly. In one subconscious thread of thought, she identified the note and thought of a few chords to build off of it. It was nearly drowned out by every other thought, however, which were nothing but wordless glee.

She managed to contain herself when she saw Enos wipe his forehead and wobble a little. Had her requests tired him? Sapphire had no magic; she assumed it was all effortless. It was magic, after all. She put her front hooves back on the ground, trying to uncoil the wound-up excitement she felt.

“I imagine if I could violin with my mouth, I wouldn't be working as the stagehand for an orchestra, but I digress. ”

Sapphire nodded. She knew about starting from the bottom, well enough. Life had been a series of unpaid open-mic nights and barely-paid dive bars for a few years. It was a story she loved to tell. After all, if she could do it, anypony could, given enough work, inexhaustible enthusiasm, and tolerance of poverty. It was inspirational, right?

She inhaled to launch into her mini-biography, when Enos continued. A puff of air escaped her nose as she bit down on her words. She wasn’t used to this kind of pace at all. She shifted a hoof, not sure what to do with all her nervous energy.

“I can't say that I sing that often. Maybe I have at some point, in fact I almost certainly have, but nothing comes to mind. An interesting idea you propose though. Maybe I'll have to give it a shot sometime.”

Sapphire smiled, nodding enthusiastically. “[colour=#000080]You should! Not that I’m biased, but singing is the best thing ever.[/colour]” The breeze shifted and she perked up as she caught scent of baked goods. She looked around and spotted the source. Easing into a trot, she motioned at it with her head. “[colour=#000080]If you like, I could give you a bit of a lesson! I haven’t taught before, but since you haven’t sung before, maybe it’ll work out.[/colour]”

She put her hooves up on the baker’s stall, looking at the pastries with wide, hungry eyes. [colour=#000080]Food! [/colour]“[colour=#000080]I’ll have that one, aaand is that an apple fritter? Whatever it is, I’ll eat it.[/colour]” She motioned at Enos. “[colour=#000080]And whatever he wants[/colour],” she turned and grinned at him. “[colour=#000080]My treat![/colour]”

[TheInvisiblePony]

Enos gave a proud grin upon seeing Sapphire's reaction to his magic, after all, those moments were what he had planned on expecting when he started working on his magic. After all, he wanted to be known for his talent (who didn't?) and this meeting certainly looked to be promising. Besides, he certainly needed the practice, and actually preforming his spells was pretty much excellent for that.

Being the rather oblivious pony he was, he hardly noticed Sapphire's nervous shuffle in between his speeches, but he did sense that she was excited. At this point in the conversation, he hardly thought much of it, reasoning that she was just the type of pony to excited most of the time. Or at the very least passionate. Speaking of which, he happened to not get off on a mental tangent just long enough to listen to her reply.

[colour=#282828]“[/colour][colour=#000080]You should! Not that I’m biased, but singing is the best thing ever. [/colour][colour=#000080]If you like, I could give you a bit of a lesson! I haven’t taught before, but since you haven’t sung before, maybe it’ll work out.[/colour][colour=#282828]”[/colour]

Enos smiled at that one. He remembered working for a baker once in one of his multiple odd jobs over the years. He seemed to recall the fellow saying something very much along the same lines, except about baking (logically). He had tried it out, but he tried not to think about the day or two directly after words. Baking was not his forte. Although, he did wonder how well he'd be at singing. It wasn't that terribly different from what he did, and in fact in might very well help him out.

Raising his head, he answered [colour=#696969]"I may very well have to take that offer seriously, you know. Certainly something to consider."[/colour] Of course, in between his words, thoughts, and repressed thoughts, he hardly noticed he followed Sapphire straight to a baker's stall, of all things. Mentally taking note of the irony, he looked at her as she offered to treat him to some food. Nodding a brief thanks, Enos turned his gaze to the stall. He looked at the goods for a good few seconds before deciding on a loaf of bread and some butter. Simplicity in food was something he had come to enjoy in food from time to time, so he motioned to it. [colour=#696969]"Yes, if you'd be so kind, I'd very much like some of this." [/colour]

Smiling both politely and happily, he reasoned that letting Sapphire pay would be both more polite than offering to pay himself. He got the feeling she might be offended slightly otherwise.

[Dunes]

((Sorry for the delay! I got hit with a series of respiratory plagues, before, during, and after the holidays. ))

The baker pony handed Sapphire her food, and Enos his. Sapphire handed over a few bits, beaming. She liked to buy things for ponies! Her schedule didn’t lend itself well to spending long stretches of time with anypony, except her backup dancers and the crew. But she met so many nice ponies, all over Equestria! She couldn’t possibly hope to hang out with all of them for very long.

She felt a little bad about that, so her response was to throw money at the problem. It worked okay. If nothing else, ponies got breakfast.

She trotted over to a wooden table, hopped up on the bench, and motioned to the other seat. She happily munched on her fritter, enjoying the gooey appleness. Was ‘appleness’ a word? She didn’t know. If pop taught you anything, it’s that language has a lot of wiggle room.

She licked some fritter off of her hoof. It tasted a bit like dirt; she’d forgotten to wipe them off first. Oops. She made a face.

What he had said was, "[colour=#696969]I may very well have to take that offer seriously, you know. Certainly something to consider.[/colour]" And Sapphire heard, “[colour=#696969]Let’s do this thing![/colour]”

“[colour=#000080]Well[/colour],” she said, “[colour=#000080]songs are made up of notes, which you seem to know already, with the horn violinin’ you do. So, we can start by singin’ a note! Basic stuff.[/colour]” She cleared her throat, and sang, “[colour=#000080]Do-o-o-o-oh![/colour]” It was a middle C. “[colour=#000080]And yes I did just sing do like dough. You try! Don’t worry about sounding super; just try to hit the pitch.[/colour]”

[TheInvisiblePony]

((OOC I can forgive your delay if you can forgive mine ))

Enos happily took the bread, and followed the pop star over to the wooden table. [colour=#696969]'Strange'[/colour] he thought [colour=#696969]'I wasn't even aware they were tables over here. Guess I should be a bit less absent-minded today. Or rather, I should try.'[/colour] Looking over to Sapphire, he looked just in time to catch the face she made. Out of context, the face took Enos by surprise, and he just barely managed to suppress a chuckle. He wondered what could have given reason to such a face, before he noticed a little dust on her food. Enos looked down at his own hooves, and decided it would probably be best to wipe his own hooves before starting to eat his bread.

Luckily, there was just enough pause for him to start eating. He kept forgetting how hungry he was, but with food in hoof it was neigh-impossible to. Miss Shores spoke up again while he just bit off his end of bread. She starting singing while he was trying to hurry the first bite. With half-chewed bread in his mouth, Enos didn't dare say anything at first, least he break one of the most important social etiquette rules Canterlot had -- that is to say, never speak whilst chewing your food. So, he did a lot of thinking instead.

[colour=#696969]'Is she... starting the music lesson now? Why would she... huh. Maybe she's just constantly on the fast lane. Okay, I think I can give this a shot.' [/colour]Enos, not bothering to look around at the one or two ponies that had cast askance glances, thoughtfully swallowed his bite, and cleared his throat. He was aware of the musical Do-Re-Mi, but hitting those notes without magic might prove tricky. He recognized the note, and tried to match it himself.

[colour=#696969]"Do-o-o-"[/colour] He paused mid note. That note was a bit high. [colour=#696969]"Do-o-o-o-"[/colour] Too low, that time. He coughed a bit, in an attempt to ready his vocal cords. [colour=#696969]"Do-o-o-oh!"[/colour] He let the note bounce around in his head for a second before deciding that it was close enough.

[colour=#696969]"Will that suffice?"[/colour]

[Dunes]

((Totally! Man, December and January have been absolutely nuts.))

Sapphire grinned expectantly at Enos. Singing! Singing was the best ever. Sharing that seemed like it ought to be even better. Maybe this whole teaching thing was easy!

She studied her companion as he tried to hit the note, noting the shape of his mouth and the position of his head. Not bad, she thought, but she noted a few suggestions for better tone. Perhaps she’d best wait until he was done to actually speak. Or, possibly, until he could hit the note. How much was information overload for other ponies? Sapphire vaguely understood the concept, but information overload almost always turned into energy overflow for her. A lot of ponies seemed really tired around her after a while. Maybe other ponies just didn't get enough sleep.

And he hit the note! Mostly. Good enough for somepony who hadn't sung much. Sapphire clapped excitedly. “[colour=#000080]That’s a good start![/colour]” Any reservations about interacting with this introverted pony completely dropped out of her mind. Music was involved now, and music was totally awesome and Sapphire was absolutely sure everypony agreed. Who didn’t like music?

“[colour=#000080]Okay, next is probably a whole scale… Or arpeggios? Ah.[/colour]” She thought, tapping the corner of her mouth with a hoof. How exactly did she learn to sing? It had pretty much been by caterwauling until she knew how to make it sound good. “[colour=#000080]Or maybe we could just sing a song. That’s probably a lot more fun than scales.[/colour]” She paused long enough to scarf down another pastry. “[colour=#000080]Do you know any already?[/colour]”