[Manehatten] Rockefilly Plaza (Hearth's Warming Season: Open)

[Bellosh]

Sometimes it’s joked that the best time to visit Manehatten is during the Hearth’s Warming season. Infamous for a go-getter population of bigwig elites, finance brokers, and what not who oftentimes seem too immersed in their jobs to remember basic courtesy, Hearth’s Warming is the one moment in the year where Manehatten’s citizens can forgo their daily ordeals and bask in the glow of one of Equestria’s most cherished holidays. And celebrate Hearth’s Warming Manehattenites do very well, decorating the city center with untold amounts of festive decor.

No wintertime visit to Manehatten is complete without a trip to Rockefilly Plaza, a sunken concourse overlooked by gilded bronze statues of the Royal Pony Sisters. Normally plain for most of the year, the square gets converted each winter into an ice skating rink for the duration of the season. For only ten bits per adult and six per foal, anypony can enjoy the pleasure (or humiliation) of ice skating right in the heart of the bustling Big Apple. For those who simply wish instead to observe those brave enough to test their skating skills on the ice below, walkways above provide ponies with exceptional vantage points.

It was here that Babs Seed found herself one cold afternoon, left at Rockefilly Plaza’s ice rink by her parents and Big Sis while they shopped at nearby department stores. Like any other colt or foal, Babs relished this one-time-a-year chance to skate, since Manehattenites wouldn’t tolerate cold weather at any other time but Hearth’s Warming. Playing it cool with just a small smirk, the East Side filly paid her six bits to receive her rental ice skates. Miss Seed wasn’t actually the best of skaters out there, but that didn’t stop her from trying to get better each year. Babs didn't care for what anypony thought of her skating.

And who knows; maybe this year Babs will meet a foal even worse at ice skating than her.....

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Remington was trying to adjust. But he was a quick learner. Born in Cloudsdale, Remington was used to small town antics combined with factory-infested industrialism, that which covered many of the cloud surfaces in the floating city. Manehatten was completely different. Like night and day. Like puddles and lakes. Like air and earth. Actually that last one makes literal sense, as Remington would find the moved required by his father's occupation to the big city would literally ground his little red flank. It wasn't like he could fly yet anyway.

Remington seemed as though he was not phased by the move for the most part, however. He was perfectly comfortable being among strangers, regardless if they were comfortable around him, which usually they were, provided they had some sense of common courtesy, which was not as easy to find in Manehatten as it was in Cloudsdale. Remington continued not to care. He was innocent as innocent could be. He never means harm and he is always wanting to make friends. And for some odd reason, he always seemed to make the best friends among the fillies. This was probably due to his lack of concern for difference in gender. A colt like Remington never worried about 'cooties' or the embarrassment of having pet nicknames given to him by the opposite sex. Nor did it ever offend him that other colts picked on him for being so tolerate of the company of girls. Of course, it never occurred to him what any of this meant. He was no filly's colt. He couldn't define what romance really was, or what it felt like. He just wanted to make friends.

Remington was already at the Rockefilly Plaza. This was his second time being here since he moved. The first time, he got to learn how to skate. It was hard at first, but his fragile little body eventually got the rhythm and movement of two pairs of ice skates on hooves moving in sync with one another. He was even able to do a few tricks. What brought him to the plaza this time was the same as the first. Both his parents were on site, enjoying each other's company. Remington was an only foal, for now. But his parents were young enough to still embrace the chance that another foal might soon be on the way, and they were getting a little intimate. They flirted with each other as they danced on skates themselves around the rink, nuzzling at each other's nose. Remington didn't really understand it, but he liked the way his parents treated each other. They looked so happy. Remington could only hope that he would share the same joy someday, whatever it is that they do.

Remington, skating around, was looking for other ponies his age. He skated a few laps before he spotted a caramel coloured filly with pink hair. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Oh!"[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington exclaimed to himself as he changed into the direction of the pony. As he got closer he could see that much like him, she had no cutie mark. He began skating around the filly in circles. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Hi! I'm Remington, but you can call me Rem. What's your name? I noticed you don't have a cutie mark yet. Neither do I! I thought maybe I'd get a mark after I did some tricks and spins today, but I guess I'm not a good enough skater." [/colour][colour=#000000] On one of his laps around the filly, he made a jump for a double axel and executed it perfectly before his skates began carving the ice again. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Do you know what your special talent is yet?"[/colour]

​

[Bellosh]

If there was one thing that Babs Seed wasn’t known for, it would be grace... especially out on the ice. Slowly skating around the rink, the filly didn’t dare attempt any fancy tricks or whatnot as she kept pace with most of the other skaters. For the time being, she was simply content in the knowledge that she no longer lost control and tumbled around like she did last year. Who cared if a few show-offs blazed right past her in their need for speed?

After about ten minutes of this routine, a young pegasus colt snapped Babs out of her routine as he skated circles. The perky red-coated colt, who’s name was apparently Remington, proceeded to yammer on about cutie marks and skating skills. Rem’s mention of being a blank flank caused Miss Seed to subconsciously cover her rump with her tail, as she never liked to be reminded about not having a cutie mark yet.

Slightly bothering Babs even further, the skating show-off asked about her special talent after performing an admittedly impressive double axel. Sighing and casting her gaze away from the colt, the filly nervously answered; [colour=#daa520]“Eh... ‘dat’s really none of yaw' business, pal.”[/colour] Just because Remington was a blank flank too didn’t mean that Miss Seed would accept him as a friend just like that. After all, who was to say that she’d ever see this pegasus again anyway? However Babs felt a slight compulsion to at least give Rem her name; a compulsion she didn’t resist; [colour=#daa520]“My name’s Babs, if yaw’ wanna’ know.”[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Everypony skating at Rockefilly enjoyed the comfort of fun, games, foals playing tag, lovers spending quality time with each other, and even drinking hot cocoa! Every customer who paid for skates and ice time got a complimentary cup of hot chocolate. It was particularly popular with the younger ponies who visited the point of interest during this time of year.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Babs, huh? Cool!"[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington stopped circling and stopped in front of her. He was about to ask her if she would like to try some of the tricks Remington had learned, but instead decided that Babs was not the pony who was as friendly as he was. [/colour][colour=#000033]"So are you from around here? You sure do sound like you're from here. You accent sounds just like the doormare's at me and my parent's apartment."[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington smiled with a slight giggle. [/colour][colour=#000033] "It sounds funny!"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Just then, Remington smelled it. And when he turned his head, he could see it. The steam blowing off the tops of warm mugs of hot cocoa. [/colour][colour=#000033] "Oh! Hay, Babs. You want to get some hot cocoa?"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Remington jumped up off the ice and stilted his way to the vendor. [/colour][colour=#000033] "Two cups, please."[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington unfolded his tiny wings and grabbed both cups with one wing tip each. He then walked over to Babs and aimed one of his wings into Bab's face. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Try it! It's not too hot."[/colour]

​

[Bellosh]

Ending his skating show-boarding, Remington stopped in front of Babs Seed and proceeded to have a laugh at her dialect. Babs knew the colt didn’t actually mean any offense, but she couldn’t help feel a little bit affronted anyway.[colour=#daa520] “Hey!”[/colour] the filly pouted, lifting her head up high as if she was an elitist snob; [colour=#daa520]“I’m prawd of the way I tawwk!”[/colour] Casting a playfully-smug grin in Rem’s direction, Babs added; [colour=#daa520]“’Dis is how REAL Manehattenites tawwk, pal.”[/colour]

Suddenly, both Babs Seed and Remington found themselves distracted by the smell of hot cocoa. Reluctantly accepting the young pegasus’s offer for a cup, the filly slowly followed him off the ice as he wobbled his way over to the cocoa stand. Babs had to admit that it was pretty swell having the ice rink provide free hot chocolate to the skaters, considering how cold central Manehatten gets during this time of year. With some hesitation, Miss Seed took the steaming cup from Rem’s wing and took a sip; [colour=#daa520]“Whatcha’ know; ‘dis cocoa ain’t scoldin’ at all, it's just right.....”[/colour]

As Babs Seed took another drink of her hot chocolate, she thought about the colt she only met a couple minutes ago. From what she gathered, Remington probably hadn’t been living in the big city for very long; how else could he have found her East Side dialect funny? Aside from his one slight though, Rem actually seemed to be a pretty nice guy so far. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to get to know him a little bit better?

[colour=#daa520]“So uhh, Rem is it?”[/colour] Babs anxiously asked the red pegasus; [colour=#daa520]“I take it yaw’ve only just moved hea? How’s it like livin’ in ‘da Big Apple so faww?”[/colour] Since Remington asked earlier about Bab’s special talent, the goldenrod filly felt she was within her rights to return the favour; [colour=#daa520]“Do yaw’ know yawr’ special tawwent, by any chance?”[/colour]

[Hippo]

[colour=#000000]Remington would have been put off by Babs' attitude in response to his light joke about her accent. He may have even been a little intimidated if he realized that he picked a hay straw with a filly who was bigger than he was. He would have. Fortunately, hot cocoa has a way of neutralizing any argument, especially among foals who only have their short life experiences to refer to.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"You're right! I'm from Cloudsdale, you know that cloud city in the sky? Anyways, my dad got a promotion at the cloud factory he worked at so we had to move here to Manehatten where his new job is. He said he gets paid 18 bits an hour instead of 15, but that I shouldn't tell anyone. He's making more money but he says that the job is not as fun."[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington gave a small pout, but then quickly bounced a new subject.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"As far as my talent?"[/colour][colour=#000000] Remington looked back at his haunch. [/colour][colour=#000033] "I'm not sure what my talents are. There are a lot of things I like doing, but I can't possibly get cutie marks for everything I love doing. I would turn into a walking picture!" [/colour][colour=#000000] Remington giggled. [/colour][colour=#000033] "But actually," [/colour][colour=#000000]the red colt set his cup of hot cocoa on the ground, and stood in front of Babs excitedly. [/colour][colour=#000033] "There is something I have a feeling might lead to my cutie mark, and its-" [/colour][colour=#000000] Remington fell down to the ground in front of Babs, his face pointed directly in the packed snow underneath him. His body was lifeless and he showed no signs of being conscious.[/colour]

​

[Bellosh]

Babs Seed couldn’t help but see how Remington was similar to her pals back in Ponyville, always trying out many activities in the hopes of getting a cutie mark. Despite their best efforts though, neither Rem nor the Cutie Mark Crusaders found cutie mark success using their methods. At any rate, assuming the colt lived nearby the Upper Crust district, Babs thought that maybe Rem could meet up with her cousin Valen Orange. Val could always use more crusaders in his neighborhood.

All of a sudden, Remington lost consciousness and fell into the snow. Nudging the red pegasus, Babs Seed tried to wake him up by shouting; [colour=#daa520]“Hey Rem; wake up pal!”[/colour] The earth pony poked Rem again and waited to see if he’d stir.....