Canterlot [Army Ball - PUBLIC] Photos in the Foyer

[Dio]

Col. Ironwing
[colour=#8b4513]“I had hoofball coach back in Cloudsdale who said it really didn’t matter what I ate so long as I got plenty of exercise and hydration. That’s not to say my PT run and flight times are as good as they were back in selections, but I like to think I kept something up since them!”[/colour]

The crowd seemed to part as the two senior officers made their way up the mezzanine steps to the photo booth. The line had been moving along quickly and Night Watcher seemed to have done a respectable job of keeping things manageable. The last strains of a discussion regarding sarsaparilla died off as the latest guest was dismissed. For now, it appeared that the line had cleared.

[colour=#8b4513]“Sergeant, thank you for helping out on such short notice!” Ironwing smiled. “Let’s get you that photo you came here to get before you were so unceremoniously conscripted. I trust you enjoyed your time with the Princess?”[/colour]

​

Acclaim
[colour=#daa520]“You’ve got knack for picking coltfriends, LT. Cooler-denizen first and now adventure-magnet extraordinaire? How do you keep up?”[/colour] she teased.

Fire Walker seemed respectable enough, but their last meeting had been under less than stellar circumstances. They shared common training and experience with military culture, so Acclaim was inclined to trust Fire Walker more than her... coltfriends. ‘Sir’ Squall was quite the hoof full back at Bridlebank and from the sound of it, Dunder wasn’t terribly different. Maybe the good lieutenant was just a trouble magnet? Acclaim shrugged to herself. She didn’t get it, but so long as nopony got hurt on her watch, she supposed it was just as well.

The bartender slid them mugs of cider as they seated themselves at the counter. [colour=#daa520] “I just finished my another round of training rotations outside C-lot, so I’m going to be here for a while. Same old same old. Afternoon PT, tactics courses in the evening, and some Lunar Guard rotations to get us used to the hardware--”[/colour]

The newcomer was very to the point with his greeting, cutting Acclaim off. Rude to be sure, but it seemed he knew Fire Walker, so the sergeant held her tongue. If he were known to the LT, etiquette would dictate that Fire be the one to introduce them; if not, then Acclaim would have a stern lecture for the interloper about manners.

​

[tacobob]

The red mare chuckled at Acclaim friendly teasings as she scooped up her mug, "My father had a good friend, you may or may not have heard of him. He was a rather gregarious stallion named Critchlow, Colonel Critchlow. He was an older pony with a great big mustache who while pompous, irascible, jingoistic and utterly unable to speak in socially acceptable levels of speech, but he was generally very friendly when it came to kids, and he always had another new tale to spin when he stopped off at the old house. When he came to visit, I would be there at his side, utterly entranced by every word he uttered.", she let out a sigh as the memories started to flow. "I'm sure most of his stories were embellished, but he convinced me that I someday I would be an utterly heroic adventurer and travel exotic lands and meet interesting people of all races and walks of life like he was. And while I have yet to encounter an 'Roving Mad Maukler' or 'Mist Mephit', I have seen some rather unique places and have befriended some fellows of differing races. Still.", she glanced away from the bar, "Maybe it's time I do settle down and live a more responsible life. If things continue to work out with Swift Squall, I was considering transferring to Fillydelphia......", she was cut short by the arrival of the stallion.

"Hey!" he said, in a voice that signified recognition. He slid over close to the red-coloured pegasus mare. "Fire, what's up?"

Not exactly the greeting you'd expect an older brother to give his younger sister after they hadn't seen each other for a few months, but that's just the way he was, sometimes.

"Oh!", Fire Walker was caught off-guard by the Pegasus pony, "Moon!", she quickly set her cider back onto the bar, shuffled off her seat and gave the stallion a hug, "This is my brother, my older brother, Second Lieutenant Moon Walker.", she turned to her sibling, "And this is Sergeant Acclaim. She's the one who helped Swift Squall and I at the whole 'Bridlebank Beach Encounter'", she quickly ordered an mug of cider for her brother. "We haven't seen each other in months..", she scooted back onto her stool. "Sergeant Acclaim and I have been just chatting. We're all going to the roasting, right?", she smiled at her brother before returning her attention back to the mare. "Ol' Moon here is a gifted performer and filled with an unique wit. If somepony has something funny and clever to say about our good Captain, it's gonna be Moon!"

[GingerbreadSpy]

Moon Walker beamed and returned her hug with a hoof pat on the shoulder. "Good to see you, sis. Nice to meet you, Sergeant Acclaim." The Ball had him in his usual casual, laid-back attitude. If it weren't for his military wear and the subtle way in which he stood and walked, a pony probably wouldn't have been able to guess he was part of the guard. "I think I've heard a little about Bridlebank Beach. The more things change, the more things stay the same. Just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" He grinned. His grin only got wider when his sister bragged about his performance skills. He rubbed at a part of his shirt with his hoof and looked at it, his expression becoming sly.

"Well, I have been known to wow a crowd or two. You can count on me being there. I'd never pass up an opportunity like this. Superior officers are comedy gold mines." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a rather thick scroll. "This scroll contains all the golden nuggets of funny I can say about our captain." He paused a second, his expression becoming serious. "Ah, but not without affording him the respect and honor he deserves, of course." The serious expression disappeared in an instant when he looked back at the scroll. "My only problem is figuring out which ones I should use for the roasting and which ones I should save for comedy nights with the guys."

[Bellosh]

There wasn’t much distance now between Princess Luna and the two senior stallions. Ironwing expressed the view that a strict diet wasn’t all that necessary; something Col. Pummel wouldn’t quite agree with. [colour=#ff9900]“If that’s what you believe,”[/colour] the dark gray pegasus began to counter, steadfast in his belief of the inherent superiority of his spartan eating habits; [colour=#ff9900]“As for myself, I’m glad to report that I’ve only experienced minimal decreases in my PT performance since selection. Of course, I suppose we’ll have to wait until after my retirement before we can truly determine which of us eats better, won't we? But that won’t be for some time to come...”[/colour] While Pummel witnessed his former CO leading the on-duty sergeant towards the photo booth, he mused that while his wife probably won’t like to hear it, the stallion had no intention of leaving the REA anytime soon.....

[starswirlthebearded]

Celestia always made it a point to attend special events and parties. The REA Ball was no different, in fact it was possibly even more important than the others. It was a time to celebrate and enjoy time with those whom would do anything for her kingdom and people. She couldn't just show her face and be a statue like she did at other events, just being someone everypony would greet. Nay, she felt determined to actually interact and enjoy the time with the REA and the other various guests. Naturally though she had to keep up at least some appearances, but that wouldn't mean there wouldn't be some time for fun, and by that token she intended to at least let loose a bit.

She was running extremely late however. She had a busy day and finding time to make an appearance had been difficult, she wasn't even sure that she would have been able to make it. She had to at least visit the Foyer for pictures to be taken.

Celestia walked in with her head held high, as though she was exactly on time, or at the very least entering exactly when she had planned to. Though it wasn't a normal appearance as she never discussed her appearance with the REA representatives.

"Greetings everypony, I hear that this is where photos are being taken for the Army Ball" Celestia said with an air of grace. She noticed several of her brave soldiers were already there, including Shining Armor and other high ranking officials. "Where can I get my picture taken?"

[Lux]

With the conversation between Night Watcher and Princess Luna winding down, the jet black Pegasus saw Colonel Ironwing returning from his meeting of friends to relieve her of her impromptu duties.

"It is my honor sir," Night Watcher said with a smile at the chance that she has speaking with the Princess of the Night, "and yes I did have a good time here."

She then stood proudly next to the Princess as several camera flashes went off.

"Thank you Princess Luna," the Lunar Guard pony said with a bow, "Perhaps we shall meet again."

With her task done and picture taken, Night Watcher was about to leave the platform when she saw Princess Celestia appear amongst the crowd! The Staff Sergent didn't remember hearing about both of the Royal Sisters being at this event. Nevertheless, if there was one thing that Night Watcher and other guards were it was being flexible.

"Princess Celestia," the Pegasus said with a bow, "Staff Sergeant Night Watcher of the Lunar Guard. This is where the pictures are being taken Your Highness."