Fillydelphia Speed Dating at the Prancing Pony (See OOC thread)

[Snowshoe]

If you were to ask Muggo' Ale why he decided to host a speed dating event at his bar, he'd give a very simple answer: "Just 'cause."

So, when he closed the bar down for the general public that evening, he quickly cleaned up and reset it for speed dating. From the outside, the bar was 2 and a half storeys tall, with the half storey being brick at the bottom and windows that revealed the lower level.

On the main floor, it was an average pub. A long bar stretched on the opposite side of the windows and door, and booths were spread across the walls of the room. He'd hung a sign, for the first time in a while, on a set of stairs to the left (facing the door) of the bar: "Downstairs - Darts, Karaoke, Pool Tables". Down below, it was an opened area. A few tables and chairs dotted the basement, but it was mostly home to the dartboard, stage, and ancient arcanotech karaoke machine. A place for a more quiet speed date, or to continue one with a friendly round of darts.

The green earth stallion went to the door, turned the sign around to "Open", and opened the door, looking down the steps at the waiting crowd. "How's ya gettin' on? C'mon in!" he said brightly, stepping inside and heading for the bar.

[Muggo's Profile contains a Minecraft build of his bar, for those interested.]

[ShadowWalking18]

Razor was never one to hesitate if it came to things he found enjoyable. He would dive first into a race, even if it was hailing and thunderstorms with seven hundred mile winds. He lived for that stuff, it made him feel alive. He could say he wasn't afraid of anything, except maybe.....one thing.

"mum!" Razor growled, struggling to get his tail out of his mothers beak. Even as she dragged him towards the bar with a sign that said "Speed Date Night."

"Oh but dear this is just what you need. Now...stop...struggling!" His mother, Glemmer growled and yanked her son's tail hard, lifting him off his claws and sending him flying towards the bar.

Razor hit the ground and slide towards the building till he lay before the door, "Oww...but I don't see why I have to do this." He said as he got up and dusted himself off.

If there was one thing Razor was terrified of....was dating. He was loath to admit it, but he knew next to nothing when it came to being around females in a intimate or dating like matter. He had given it a try before, but it either ended up with him being laughed at cause of his size, which always tended to lead into a fight; a griffon style fight. Or two he would get flustered and make himself feel like an idiot.

Even getting kissed by a girl could make him freeze up. He practically passed out after he got kissed by that one apple mare in Ponyville.

"Now dear you promised on my birthday that you would do whatever one thing I wanted you to do for me. And this is it." Glemmer said, giving her son a look.

"Couldn't we make being a model for a dress or something? At least my shame would be private." Razor whispered.

"No. That's next years wish." Glemmer said with a giggle, "Oh don't give me that look deary. You will have a good time, and maybe even meet a nice mare, stallion or fellow griffon."

Glemmer patted her sons head with a smile, while Razor rolled his eyes. He was loath to do this....but he had given his word that he would do whatever his mum asked him. And if he didn't keep his word, what did that say about his honor? So, Razor took a deep breath.

"Fine." Razor said, mumbling to himself.

"Oh goodie." Glemmer said and hugged Razor tightly.

'Somepony...somegriffon....please end it for me.' He thought, pushing his mum away. "Cut it out....its embaressing."

Glemmer pouted but giggled, "Okay then. I will be back later to see you when this is done. I hope to see you with a date then. Ta ta." Glemmer turned and flew off to a Fashion designer meeting she had.

Razor sighed and face clawed, dragging it down his face slowly, "Why me." He said and turned and entered. He did admit the bar was nice. He might make this a usual stop for a drink whenever he passed through the city on business. And he could see a bunch of other ponies and the rare griffon about. He walked up to the counter and took out the forms being passed out.

The questions were basic stuff, no doubt used in some moronic way of finding your best match. Razor took a pen and filled it out.

'I'm just glad no one I know is here to see this.' He thought, or...so he hoped.

[GingerbreadSpy]

Honeydew entered the bar, carrying a satchel stuffed full of loose leaf paper and possessing a wild look in her pink-coloured eyes. She was more likely than not suffering from story overload (in reality, an overactive imagination). She came to Fillydelphia to investigate a rumor involving pony-sized ants. Sadly, she had not seen even one glimpse of any such thing, but that had not deterred her from investigating it from all angles. Of course, there WOULD be a cover-up. They couldn't have the common ponies of Fillydelphia going into a panic, after all. No doubt the pony-sized ants had been captured and placed in some top-secret location. So, her stories included eyewitness reports (lovingly spruced up), possible locations where the pony-sized ants were being stored away (she was only threatened for her trespassing once; it was a good day), and a heaping helping of her usual conspiracy theories.

Along with that, she also discovered that the mayor of Fillydelphia was having an affair with his secretary. Horribly boring. But she believed in reporting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. And so, she wrote that story, too. And if the story emphasized that the secretary OBVIOUSLY had to be a Changeling (even though that was clearly not the case), it was only because she was dedicated enough NOT to bore the ponies who read her stories in Manehattan's finest tabloid, The Daily Turnip. Now, she was here because she needed a drink to calm herself... and also, because she was convinced speed-dating was a front for many shady and/or supernatural activities. She had been so close to discovering the TRUTH the last time she did the whole speed-dating thing...

Up until she was kicked out and forever banned from that particular bar in Manehattan for being a public nuisance. She grabbed a speed-dating form and a drink and set to work. She paid little actual attention to the questions and more attention to the ponies (and otherwise) in the bar. Thus, her form answered "No" for every "Yes or No" question, "True" for every "True or False" question, and barely legible scribbles for the more open-ended questions.

[tacobob]

After going on several rather interesting missions during the better part of the month, the young griffoness made new friends and even a tidy sum of bits, but she was still feeling rather uninspired. Then while flying back from a previous job, it finally hit her. She had not been on a proper date since leaving Rockwington! She still had one thing to finish off, which was to deliver a small package to a guy in Fillydelphia, something that took her just a few minutes. As she considered flying off, the blacksmith noticed a small flyer attached to an post which announced "SPEED DATING AT THE PRANCING PONY'. It took a few seconds for everything to fall into place as she recognized the name. "That's that old tavern Fire Walker and Dunder really really like.", she thought to herself, "That's where Red-Butt met the fuzzy brown stallion and some other guy named Buggo? Or was it Chuggo? Muggo'?", it really didn't matter! Even if the pickings were slim there, they usually tend to lower the prices for the drinks at these things. Five bit pitchers of Cider sounded about right, so with that on mind, her eyes found the map which was conveniently printed on the flyer. Once she got the idea where this 'Prancing Pony' was located, she took to the sky.

As she got closer to the tavern, she noticed a familiar griffon being hugged by an older female. She watched the two behind the cover of an small Nimbostratus cloud, and nearly blew her cover while she managed to stifle a chuckle. This was obviously his mother and it appeared she had to drag him here so he could get some smooches from the pretty mares and griffy-gals. She wanted to pop out from behind her cloud and introduce herself, but she knew how sensitive the young griffon was. He was an tough and agile flyer, and generally downright brave In the most heroic sense, but he tended to be a little on the unassertive side when it came to the lady-folk, so much so, he was nearly driven to tears by one of the more alpha-griffons during their little adventure together in the Diamond Dog lands. And while he generally kept a serious look on his mug, he had the saddest puppy-dog of a face when offended or hurt. Even if it lasted for just a second, she didn't like to see the little guy that way.

Once the two parted, and Razor entered the tavern, Zelda gave herself a few extra minutes before making her way into the drinking establishment. After pushing the hood down on her green sweatshirt, she snatched up a questionnaire and pen that were waiting for her and other patrons near the entrance. Hoping Razor did not see her enter, she quickly found herself a seat at the bar and started to fill the small paper out as quickly as possible. "Mmmm.", she thought to herself as she went through the list. After filling out her name, age and other basic information, she checked off the simple 'Yes Or No' questions before she got into the more detailed ones. "Both", she wrote down on one of the boxes. "Eight months, four days and probably two and a half hours.", she filled in another spot. This one caused her to blush and sigh at the same time. "Mango" found itself in the last box. After double-checking the questionnaire, she folded it in half and tossed it in a box waiting near the bartender. She finally noticed the big stallion with the healthy green coat. "Hey, you must be the famous Muggo' Ale!", she gave off her usual beaky smile. "Now I was told to say 'Fire Walker sent me'. Does that get me half-priced Cider?", she added with a wink.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' Ale passed around the flyers as everypony (and griffons, apparently!) entered and came up to the bar. A griffon was the first up to the bar, and Muggo' passed over a pen and the form. "Like to have that back, b'y. Don't want to lose all me pens tonight!" he said with a laugh. Next, a mare who ordered a drink. Typically, Muggo' Ale gave the first one free, but with all these ponies? No way. Next was a griffonness, whom he passed the speed dating form too. "Aye, that I am! So ya know Fire? How's she gettin' on? Ah, we can talk later, ya probably got real socializing to do," he told Zelda, passing her a cup of cider. "Today? Aye. If yer a friend o' Fire, yer a friend o' mine. But yeah, luck to ya."

-----

Down by the door, a blue-grey pegasus mare with a darker mane and tail made her way into the bar. Speed dating, hmm? Sounded like fun! And it was something new, and Rain Maker was all about the new. She made her way to the bar to pick up a form and started filling out the questions on it, before taking a look around. She didn't recognize anypony, but there were a number of cute ones around, mares and stallions alike! The young mare couldn't wait to get talking... maybe she'd meet somepony interesting to talk to later! She settled in at the bar, looking at the various articles of stuff on the walls, from a Winter Wrap-Up vest to an old aerobatics poster on the wall.

She was followed not far behind by a young orange earth pony stallion, with a bit of a scraggly mane and tail, though anypony in the know would recognize it as the mane and tail of somepony who was in the wind or on a boat more often than not. He was young, just recently a stallion, and he was looking for somepony. A friend, maybe even an actual coltfriend! He went to the bar to pick up a form and sat down next to Rain Maker, and he started to fill out the questionnaire himself. He was nervous, not having had many dates before, and also nervous that there wouldn't be another like him: a stallion that liked other stallions, that is. But then again, it didn't matter much. In the end, Bowsprit was going to have fun, that much was for certain!

[spymanx]

I will not pretend to be more clever then my students

I will not pretend to be more clever then my students

I will not pretend to be more clever then my students...

Snow Diamond sighed as he walked towards the bar, a yawn escaped his body, but Snow knew he couldn't go home and take a nap...

a nap sounds REALLY good right now though...

Snow shook his head, clearing the thought out of his head, Snow's students had decided that their Zebra teacher had too much free time on his hooves, and decided to convince him to go to one of those speed dating things nearby...

Manipulate me is more truthful...

Snow Diamond sighed, it was his fault really...he claimed he could solve any maze, one of his more bold students bet him that he had a maze he couldn't beat, Snow accepted, and was then given a maze with no exit point.

Still, it wasn't as if Snow had any other plans for the night, who knows? He might even enjoy himself...if he could stop himself from falling asleep on the curb.

The young zebra entered the building and walked up to the bar, taking a form he browsed through it, taking his time he started answering questions, the yes or no was fairly simple, though at one point he realized he had stopped writing and had begun to mark his own form. Quickly shaking his head, Snow continued on to the next section, the questions were fairly simple in nature, and he got through them fairly quickly, though he had to re-write the open ended question segment once, because he mistook the meaning of a question. Finishing up the form, making sure to sign his name at the top as well as put the date down, he placed the form on what he assumed to be the "in" pile. Snow then decided it would be rude not to order something. Looking up at the barkeeper, who he assumed was Muggo, the host of the event. He spoke.

"Could I have a simple cider please?" He tried to smile and sound upbeat, but it sounded much more forced than he had expected. Straightening his signature baseball cap he tried to remain upbeat about how this could go, but he couldn't help but have a gut feeling about tonight.

I'd be willing to bet this will be one hell of a night...

[Dunder]

Dunder Blust was glad to be a pegasus, as winged creatures in Equestria were able to get around the fastest. And the worrying amount of depression that was building up in Cloudsdale practically forced him out of his new house and away from it all. In vain, of course, he still could feel the depression weighing him down even more than his saddlebags and sword on his side as he flew silently over the Equestria terrain to Fillydelphia. He wanted to see his good buddy friend Muggo'... hopefully in a night that could make him forget for a little while about everything he was going through.

When he reached the city, he knew exactly where to fly. Which rooftop to look for over the sea of buildings he was flying above. And when he found the building, landed heavily in the alleyway next to it, and realized where he was going. He took a deep breath, and hung his head for a moment, then took another deep breath, quickly pulling out a lolipop and sticking it in his mouth, trying to relax. He mustered up the courage to go out of the alley, turn, and go up the steps to the Prancing Pony.

When he reached the top, he was about to push the door open, when the flyer taped to the inside of the door caught his eye. "SPEED DATING AT THE PRANCING PONY" He looked up at the sign of the store, then back at the flyer, then back at the sign.... Speed dating here? Tonight of all nights? He almost turned around and left... but something made him stay. And he pushed open the door anyway without even thinking about it.

When he entered, there were ponies about. None of them he knew, he looked for Muggo' and spotted the stallion talking to.... was that Zelda? He began trotting over when a box caught his attention. A stack of applications next to it. He stopped and eyed it, half-expecting it to burst into flames with his stare. He grabbed and application slowly and pulled out a pen from his saddlebag...filling out all the parts of the application. Leaving out his recent divorce, unemployment, and managing to put down some nice things about himself with a little effort. Trying hard not to think about Fire or Ice or about anything of his life recently as he filled out the "Yes or No", "Multiple Choice," or "short answer" questions. Not like he was thinking highly of any result of this so far anyway.

He trotted over to Zelda and Muggo'. "Hey! Muggo'!" He called out with a small smile as he stood next to Zelda, "And Hey, Zelda" He said and gave her a friendly nuzzle on the side of the neck. "I'll order some fries and some soda. Smal for both." He said to Muggo' "Please." He quickly added, looking a little embarrassed.

[RarityDash]

[colour=#000000]Harlequin Salad had come to Fillydelphia for a week to visit her parents when and old friend had clued her in to the speed dating event happening that week down at a local tavern. Being a mare who didn't exactly have a lot of luck on the romantic end, Harlequin had decided to go ahead and check it out. She was after all, interested in finding a special somepony, it had just been illusive for her thus far. She had a lot of friends, but just not a lot of romantic prospects. Most ponies seemed to find her too silly and weird, and if ever they got around to tasting the food the aspiring chef proudly prepared, they would invariably want to sever all ties. [/colour]

[colour=#000000]Yeah, romance seemed to just lead to disaster for the pink-maned mare, but being the sort of pony who didn't even comprehend how to give up, she was set on making just the right connection there that day. She just needed to try her best and she was sure her obvious charm and likability would pull her through. She kept that in mind as she found a form and began to fill it out quietly. She had to think about some of the questions more than most mares probably would think to, but in time it was all filled out and ready to go.[/colour]

​

[colour=#cc6600]"It'll be worth your while to come to the Prancing Pony Tavern in Fillydelphia."[/colour]

Those were the words that, along with a date and time, had brought Radiant Steel to this place at this hour. The guardsmare wondered just how foolish she was to follow them. Every other sentence uttered to her by her mischievous brother was some manner of tease or jape. Ever since they were foals, Dagger had delighted in tormenting her with his irreverent nonsense. Now, despite him being a celebrated REA lieutenant, he had apparently yet to grow up. Upon hearing his words to her, she had supposed that she would come to this place and find some must meet VIP whom mingling with could push along her young REA career. Instead, she found the place preparing for a speed dating event.

Considering it now, she felt she owed it to herself to question Dagger further, but he was all too good at being slippery... and even when he did tease her over something, from experience she had found that more often than not he was frustratingly right. Even in this case... she did have to admit this event did sort of intrigue her. She had often felt intrigued by the idea of romance, but never did it seem to get very far. She had a bad habit of taking most things too seriously...while at other times being a nervous, neurotic wreck who over thought every little thing. She doubted the line of prospects who were interested in her was very long. Just maybe through this event she'd find somepony though. It was at least worth a shot since she was here, she supposed though she had a lot of doubts. She tried in vain to keep away the thoughts that she might be wasting her time as she sat in an isolated corner of the tavern and filled out the form for the event.

​

[colour=#000000]Serendipity's wanderlust had once again propelled her from her home in Las Pegasus. Fillydelphia wasn't the most exciting city to her. Really she had intended for it to have just been a waypoint on a trip to Manehattan. As it were, however, while there, she had heard word of an event happening at the local tavern. Speed dating. For the lively casino dealer, it sounded like a great deal of fun. She loved meeting ponies, especially interesting ponies. While she doubted there was a pony alive who could tie her down, the novel idea still just read as a fun opportunity to make some new connections. At the very least she'd hopefully collect a few new entires for her treasured notebook.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She collected the form for the event and filled it out without really reading it. It didn't really matter to her. She knew how amazing she was, and anyone who met her would know the same almost instantly. To get this point across, at the bottom of the form, she wrote [/colour][colour=#000033]"I'm the mare everypony here wants to leave with "[/colour][colour=#000000] She then smiled and leaned back on her barstool, gave a laugh and adjusted her sunglasses. This was going to be a lot of fun.[/colour]

​

[Lilia]

Sandy stood outside the Prancing Pony, cursing herself for letitng her students talk her into coming to a speed dating event. She knew that their hearts were in the right place, since they had been the ones to help pull her out of her weird funk about her last stallionfriend. She sighed, pink eyes flickering briefly as she steeled herself for a new adventure. She could swim with the hippocampi and keep pace with the fish, so what did she have to worry about on dry land? She laughed softly then entered, her eyes alighting on the line to fill out the form for the dating service. By the time she reached the front, her eyes were once again bright with hope. Maybe she wouldn't be such a stand-out mare, after all. She smiled warmly to the stallion behind the bar and took her sheet and quill, trying to fill out the form accurately for herself. The last thing she wanted was another traveller who saw her as a fair companion and disappeared when a flirtatious hippocamp appeared. "[colour=blue]Now now, Sandy! That's in the past...we want to be happy, not miserable, dear! So...think happy thoughts...the smiles of your colts and fillies when they swim...the feel of the Bay on your pelt...ah, that's better![/colour]" She muttered to herself, giggling at the image of swimming with her dear students.

Charming Masquerade struggled against his nerves as he stood outside of the pub, his mother's words echoing in his ears. "[colour=darkgrey]If I do not go in, Mother will just find another way to set me up on a date with some unlucky mare hoping to find her joy. I can't say that the last few I met weren't pretty but...there was no...no spark. Finding their special somepony is up to them...but maybe I should just go back to my cottage and...[/colour]" He muttered, trying to find the courage to go in. It struck him when he saw the blue mare go in that he really shouldn't dawdle. She wasn't his type, that much he knew from her look. Earth ponies, and ones that smelled of the sea, were not what he had in mind when he thought of his special somepony. He smiled. No, he kept picturing wings...and while he was a Unicorn, he was quite happy to admire the pegasi their flight. They were truly free to be themselves. He made it inside and was relieved to see a few pegasi and unicorns in attendence. Perhaps he would find his match after all! He didn't even look at the form as he took it and began thinking of a way to play his strengths up...though he certainly wouldn't be the one to speak the first word!

[PedestrianWolf]

Durham Red was in Fillydelphia to visit his parents at the family mill, north of town on the river. He hadn't been home one night before his mother started in on the questions, [colour=#2f4f4f]"When are you going to find a nice mare and settle down?"[/colour] Honestly, he was used to it by now, and mostly gave evasive answers like [colour=#006400]"Oh, as soon as I find one who can put up with me, Ma."[/colour]

Today however, she dropped a bomb on him at lunch. There was a speed dating event at a tavern in town, and she wanted him to go. His mother Caraway Rye was not the sort of pony who frequented taverns, so how had she found out about this event? Of course, it must have been her sister, his aunt Caramarsh. The caramel pony with the marshmallow curls must have seen a flyer somewhere. She was a bit of a bar-fly, and a shameless flirt, too. He suppressed a shudder and hoped that she wouldn't be there tonight. That was last thing he needed.

Durham Red approached the door of the Prancing Pony with a little hesitation. The short form of speed dating might give him an advantage over his usual technique of trying some stunt to get a filly's attention, then making an utter fool of himself in front of her. That could wait until the second date, if there was one. Still, he wasn't sure he could find the right sort of mare for him at an event like this.

He entered and sat down at the bar, grabbing a form and a pencil from the pile. He filled out the questionnaire as completely as possible, then dropped it in the box provided. The he hailed the bartender. [colour=#006400]"Hey there, 'Keep. Can I get a small beer and a whiskey chaser?" [/colour]Being a bit tipsy would probably not make a good impression on any of the available ladies, but he needed something to steady his nerves.

[Derpyy]

Heart was in Fillydelphia for a week already and was about to return home to his place in Trottingham when he caught wind of something that sounded like great fun to him. Speed dating at the Prancing Pony. Heart had been to this Prancing Pony before, and also he had never tried speed dating before. So Heart was a bit more nervous than he usually was. But, Heart encouraged himself to go. It would be good and fun for him. He could make new friends and all that good stuff. Though first things first, he had to find the Prancing Pony to actually begin this.

And find it he did! After a few wrong turns and a few awkward entrances to wrong places Heart had found out that reading signs above buildings really helps. He looked up above and checked to make sure he saw Prancing Pony. Which he did so he entered.

Upon entering the tavern he saw that either he wasn't the only one here for speed dating or all these other ponies come here. It didn't bother him though, he saw some pretty interesting ponies.

So he moved on in and picked up one of the speed dating forms. He then found a nice seat by himself and sat down. He started to look over the form and put down his honest answers on the questions. That's what he figured every other pony was doing. After a few minutes Heart had filled out the form and was ready to go. He looked up and saw no where to turn in the form so he just held onto it.

He hoped this would be fun.

[Snowshoe]

Muggo' watched over the bar with interest, looking at the crowds coming in. Young mares and stallions, all bright eyed and eager to find a special somepony. He smiled, pouring himself a cola while he passed out forms and pens to everypony that came in through the door. There got to be far too many to actually greet all of them, but hey, at least he smiled.

"Dunder, b'y! How's ya gettin' on?" if there was one pony he'd always greet, it was Dunder, a great friend of his. "No food on tonight, b'y. Let me staff go home. But here," he said, pouring a cola for Dunder and looking at the other pony to address him directly, an earth pony stallion named Durham Red. "Aye, one boilermaker," he said, passing over the drinks. "Five bits," he added with a smile. Another got his attention as well, a zebra, Snow, with a request for cider. "Two bits," he said as he poured the drink for the stallion and smiling warmly.

-----

[colour=#ff8c00]Down at the bar, Bowsprit found himself looking around to see who was coming in. It was quite the eclectic mix of ponies, to be sure. He had never been to an event like this before, or to be entirely truthful, had never actually dated before. The Gallopocus Islands were small, and he lived a little out of town. If he wasn't hosting a tour on the Tub Toy II, he was working on her or hanging out with his parents... or else just sailing for his own fun. He should have been born a seapony, some folks said. [/colour]

[colour=#ff8c00]His eyes went around the room, taking in the folks. Lots of mares, and lots of stallions, the latter of which caught the young stallion's attention most of all. He never knew why, he'd just never been one to want to date mares. Two particular stallions caught his attention... one (Heart Monitor) had just walked in, and was filling out the form nearby. He looked at him for a moment before looking over at Charming Masquerade, not far away himself. Were they allowed to talk to others before the event began? Surely they were, otherwise it would get rather awkward in here, but wasn't the point to get to know ponies during the short date? He found himself unintentionally staring at Charming, lost in thought and not actually staring at the stallion himself, just into space.[/colour]

[colour=#ff8c00]-----[/colour]

[colour=#0000ff]Rain Maker, on her part, was quite amused looking around at the various patrons of the Prancing Pony, almost as much as she was interested in the curios on the wall. She got up from the barstool, her form tucked under a wing while the pegasus mare made her way to the wall, looking at a poster written in Itailian bearing the image of a group of red-uniformed pegasi flying in formation, with "Frecce Rosse" [/colour][colour=#0000ff]written underneath. It was signed, and kept in a glass case. She tilted her head for a moment, then turned around to see who was there. The griffons in attendance, Zelda and Razor interested her... she'd never dated a griffon before, or even really had a chance to interact with them all that much. Heck, she'd never even speed dated... what would one talk about? Her eyes kept going around the room... Snow was interesting, as a zebra (another race she hadn't had much occasion to interact with or date), and then there was Serendipity, who was seated just next to the blue-on-blue pegasus mare.[/colour]

[colour=#0000ff]"Don't you look confident," she joked, grinning at the sunglasses wearing mare, one she had to admit was rather good looking, too. [/colour]

[ShadowWalking18]

Razor finished his sheet and now just waited for the time of doom. He at first felt irritation over this, but when he saw so many others here, especially girls, he started to feel a bit....insecure. He started trying to hide himself, not wanting to be seen by any that might mock him for his short stature. And the more he thought on it, he realized that this wasn't his strong point! He felt his heart starting to race, and feeling ready to burst out his chest.

Then when it was time to turn in the sheets and get their numbers Razor saw a griffon he knew in the line. Zelda!

'AHH!' He thought and ducked his head, 'oh sweet mother of all things good. Why does somegriffon I know have to be here. Why!?!'

He swiftly turned in his sheet and got his number. He was number 8 and that number became the number he was going to hate and fear for the rest of this event. He sat down away from everyone else and looked up as the first few dates were called up.

---------------------

First date: 10 and 7(Harlequin Salad and Dunder)

Second date: 8 and 13 (Razor and Windygust)

Third date: 9 and 5 (Hammerspark and Radiant steel)

Fourth date: 1 and 6 (Zelda and Bowsprit)

**Let those that are in the first date post only right now, for about 4-5 posts each. Then the next dating pair will post until the first four dates are done. Then we will move on. If you haven't introduced yourself yet you can do so when your number is called up for a date**

[RarityDash]

((ooc: opening with a brief Serendipity post, just to respond to interaction)

[colour=#0000FF]"Don't you look confident,"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]At these words, Serendipity's eyes traced their way to a nearby mare. She was a blue pegasus with a curly mane. The lavender mare had to say she wasn't at all bad to look at. She had the right sort of look in her eyes. Looking at her made Seren wonder just how this event was gonna work. She wouldn't mind getting to know a mare like this one a little better.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Well take a long look, cutie. You'll notice that a mare of my caliber has every reason for confidence,"[/colour] [colour=#000000]the mare said with a flirty giggle.[/colour]

[colour=#000033]"Besides. What reason is there to really fret over anything?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]the mare added after a pause, smirking. [/colour][colour=#000033]"Moments spent worrying are moments a mare could spend enjoying herself instead."[/colour]

​

Date #1

[colour=#000000]Harlequin was kinda surprised to hear her number called for the very first date. It took her aback and made her somewhat nervous. She was generally a fairly easygoing mare, but she really just didn't have a lot of experience with the whole dating thing... or at least not successful experience. When her eyes found the stallion who she had evidently been paired with, she just got all the more nervous. He was a handsome brown pegasus with a strong build. He also had a sword at his side for some reason. Whoa! That was different. Was he REA or just some weirdo? it was hard to say, but she had to say he looked pretty cool. How was she, some mop-headed splotched coat scatterbrained earth mare supposed to impress a guy like this one?[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She needed to make a good first impression. Part of her considered going up to him and introducing herself in a quiet and earnest fashion. This was speed dating though, so that simply wouldn't do! She needed to make her impression and she needed to make it big and immediate. Just as she did when trying to get the attention of a crowd she wanted to sample her foods, she needed to go as big as possible. She was selling this pony on her after all, so why not employ all of her theatrics? Sure, he'd likely just think she was insane; a lot of ponies did. Wasn't that better then being forgettable though?[/colour]

[colour=#000000]Harlequin stood suddenly atop her barstool and then leapt toward the stallion, landing somewhat clumsily on her back hooves. She gave a showy, ridiculous pose and then a single stiff nod.[/colour] [colour=#ff3399]"Behold! Carried home to Fillydelphia on the Manhattan breeze, prodigious visionary of the culinary arts, celebrity chef extraordinaire of the not too distant future... She is, number ten, Harlequin Salad, and here on this fateful day she does make her destined stand before you!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]the mare announced loudly and dramatically before finding her way back onto all four hooves[/colour].

[colour=#ff3399]"It is my great honor, good sir!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she added with another nod and a dumb smile.[/colour]

​

[Dunder]

Dunder waggled his eyes at Muggo as he took a sip of the freshly poured and frothy cola. He cleared his throat as it stung, "Hm." He said with a little smile, "I was planning on eating here... I can cook my own food, I'll pay for the ingredients." He grabbed his drink, lifting it to take another sip, when he heard his name called. He slowly looked over at the pony who called his name. Was I really called first? Well....somepony was called first, but second.... Dunder thought, looking around to see who was the mare who rested somewhere from lucky to unlucky for being called as Dunder's first and dreaded date in a while. Horrors of dating, something he never wanted to do again.

He looked at the mare, to the dismay of his stomach, she was definitely a cute one he thought as some more anxiety piled on. Her mane was unkept, but still had a charming feel about it. Her coat was tan and brown; blotched and exotic looking. Something he could totally dig. He needed to be level-headedl, but he tried not to act like he was in the middle of a horrible depression. He smiled at Muggo' as he backed up, he turned to face towards the mare he was matched with him, when suddenly she leapt and landed, almost falling right on him. But Dunder hardly moved besides moving back and his wings going erect from surprise. As she spoke, he focused on her, big beautiful eyes with his almond shaped ones. He smiled a little big as she let loose her loud greeting, breaking out into a small chuckle as she finished. He rubbed his hoof down his face, calming down from the small outburst of laughter at her energetic introduction. She was certainly one for being full of energy, and he liked that, for a moment able to forget his worries as he smiled, looking away from her nervously.

"Sorry....I don't think I can top that." He said and bowed slowly, "My lady..." He added quickly, then stood up back on all fours. He thought of a way for a stallion like himself to keep up with a cute and energetic mare like this one. "My name is Dunder Blust. You are a chef? I am one too. As you can see." He said, moving the side without a sword to show off his cutie mark. He left out the part of his cheffery that was his current unemployment in the field. "And what is your name, aspiring chef?" He asked.

[RarityDash]

Date #1

"Sorry....I don't think I can top that. My lady..."

[colour=#000000]Harlequin studied the stallion's response. He seemed naturally taken aback, but not in a bad way necessarily. He laughed at her, but not uproariously and not in a way that told her she was uncomfortable either. Considering how dumb and silly she was being, it wasn't a bad reaction. His words seemed to indicate that he was slightly at a loss, but mostly humored. Despite all odds, Harlequin wondered if her ploy hadn't somehow worked for her. For once, she was feeling optimistic about this...[/colour]

​

"My name is Dunder Blust. You are a chef? I am one too. As you can see."

[colour=#000000]And then Harlequin's spirit fell considerably. Wha?! He was a chef too? But that was... that was scary. Sure it meant he was another who burned with the passionate fire of cuisine... but considering her own culinary pursuits were declared by most who knew her to be disastrous it almost surely meant he was better than her. Moreover, if he truly knew food, that meant he was even more likely to find fault with her little experiments. Then again, maybe he could help her learn and realize her dream! But at the same time... maybe he'd just say she was a lost cause. As she looked at the mark on the stallion's flank, she smiled somewhat nervously, increasingly unsure about the date now.[/colour]

[colour=#ff3399]"Wow, really? That's... uh... a fun coincidence![/colour]" [colour=#000000]she started, keeping her smile plastered on.[/colour]

​

"And what is your name, aspiring chef?"

[colour=#000000]She gave a nod. She had given her name in her silly little intro, but she supposed it'd be easy to miss in all the bombast. It was a lot to take in after all. [/colour]

[colour=#ff3399]"Harlequin Salad, at your service!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she started with a goofy smile and a salute.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]She eased up then and gave a laugh. What now? This was a speed date, so there wasn't too much time to linger. Acting shy wasn't the way to get anywhere either! She supposed it was only natural to tell him a little about herself. Considering he was a chef himself, it probably wouldn't get her anywhere to lie about her career either. Perhaps it'd be a big swing in the other direction from her theatric introduction, but being earnest now seemed right.[/colour]

[colour=#ff3399]"That was a pretty silly thing to do, but it got your attention, didn't it?!"[/colour] [colour=#000000]she started with a full laugh. [/colour][colour=#ff3399]"Anyway, it's not entirely correct to say I'm a chef... not yet, but you know I really want to be, like more than anything! My skills are... just... well a little unrefined at the moment, but I'm trying to learn. I'm currently working as a waitress at a really fancy four star restaurant in Manehattan and trying to learn from the cooks on the side... which is hard since they're not exactly encouraging."[/colour]

[colour=#ff3399]"I'm rambling, aren't I?"[/colour] [colour=#000000]Harlequin said, shaking her head and giving a vacant laugh. [/colour][colour=#ff3399]"I've never done this whole speed dating thing before..."[/colour]

​

[Dunder]

Dunder stood there, listening to everything she said, nodding at some things and making notes of other things mentally as he listened to Harlequin go on about her aspirations and the state of them. The part about her current work made him a little nervous, he hoped that she wouldn't ask any questions about it...but that was surely not going to happen. Especially that her work was at a four star restaurant in Manehattan... she'd probably think he was a chump if he said he was out of work at the moment.

He smiled anyway, then licked his chops in a nervous, but could be misinterpreted as a flirtatious way. "Your introduction was a little silly...but nothing wrong with being a little silly. I actually kind of liked your energy, that's a good trait with being a chef." He said, looking at her back in her hazel eyes, "And it seems like your problem is you are learning from the wrong ponies. 4 star chefs in a Manehattan restaurant? Two things are telling me they are probably snooty. the 4 star and the manehattan part." He said then gave a little chuckle, "I'd recommend going to culinary school before learning from some schmucks that won't listen to you."

"And a little nervous about the speed dating? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous myself." He admitted with a slight hint of meek. "But, you are a pretty cute little mare." He said and looked at her with a smile, "And a cute little mare who is going to be a chef at a 4 star restaurant is veeeery desirable." He added and gave her a wink. "Though, When I am a chef in Equestria... I travel a lot. And go exploring and visit other places like griffonlands and the Unyasi. Hence the sword." He pointed back at his cutie mark. "Which is usually what I do. Or, at least, what I love to do. Though, having good chefs out there is a really, really big plus. Which is what I usually do, since a lot of the ponies out there can barely boil water."

[ShadowWalking18]

(((Just a reminder. That so long as you label your date like Phil and Dunder*who should do it * you can post for your date. Though only those who are labeled in the first four dates please. When one is finished I will put in the next one to follow. That way dates are always happening, even if one is behind the others)))

------------------------------------------------------------

Date #2

Razor gulped as he realized his number was called up. A sense of dread and fear started to grip his heart and he made his way over to the table, slowly trying to control his breathing. No sense in looking like a creepy deep breathing moron.

'Calm down. Calm down. Calm down!!!!' He thought, snagging a glass of water that was set out and took a deep drink.

"I can do this....I can do this.....I can't do this." He said, getting up to leave, "I got to get..." He quickly sat down. It was too late to go now. His date was just sitting down now.

'Help me...someone.' He thought, as he gave a wave to his date.

"Uh.....hi..." He said.

[Jane]

Windygust had never visited Fillydelphia before. She hailed from the center of Equestria - born and raised in Trottingham, flight school in Cloudsdale before moving there the moment she became a mare old enough to venture out on her own. She didn't venture far, mind, as she'd never really had reason to.

But she and her daughter Whirligig had booked a week off from the factory were in Fillydelphia for a few days because of a wedding. A dear family friend was to be married in two days time, and Whirligig would be in the bridal party. There was nothing like a wedding for your daughter's best friend, who you'd had over for slumber parties and occasionally foalsat, to make you feel old and to make you feel single.

Speed dating had really been a silly idea, as far as Windygust was concerned, but Whirligig had found a flyer advertising the event among some of Skybright's junk mail, and suggested, in her usual manner, that Windygust attend the event.

​

[colour=#498995]"It'll be totally fun, Mummy-bird - you can go and pass the time while the girls and I go out drinking. You wouldn't really want to come out with us anyways, 'cause we're going to go hear a great new band play and you've told me before that you don't like their music. And spending the evening alone at the hotel would be totally boring - we should be out and about exploring while we're in this fun little town! Besides, it's speed dating - I don't expect anything could ever come of it 'cause most ponies don't really take it terribly seriously I don't think. You might meet a stallion you like and if you don't then you've only wasted a few minutes of his and your time. No biggie, right Mummy-bird?"[/colour]

​

Windygust had always hated to say no, so here she was, in a quaint little tavern in Fillydelphia that Skybright had directed her to (though despite listening carefully to the young mare's instructions, the cyan pony had still managed to get lost trying to find the place), as ready as she would ever be for an evening of speed dating. Not her first one, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be her last, either.

She acknowledged the bartender with a smile and a nod as she took a quill in her mouth and set about filling out the form. She didn't put too much thought into her answers, as she could tell she was late and the event would be starting very shortly. In a matter of minutes she gave the scroll (and the quill) back to the bartender, ordered a mug of cider because why not, and was right ready to get started! She took note of her number and waited patiently for it to be called.

​

Date #2 -

Razor and Windygust

Luckily, her getting slightly lost in the unfamiliar streets of Fillydelphia meant she didn't have to wait long before her number was called - she barely even had time to say hello to any of the other ponies, griffons and zebras who had gathered.

She instead found herself face to face with a rather young and anxious-looking griffon, who gave her a rather nervous wave with his talon.

"Uh.....hi..." he said.

Sweet Celestia this was awkward. Had the form she'd filled out meant nothing? Had the dates just been randomized? Because it appeared to Windygust that the griffon before her would be more suitably matched to her daughter. Oh well, five minutes was five minutes and then the two of them could move on. If nothing else, she could at least have a pleasant conversation with the lad. Yes, that would be the polite thing to do - the mare certainly did not want to complain. She hadn't exactly come into this expecting to meet the stallion of her dreams - she'd been down that road before and it hadn't exactly worked out.

[colour=#23752F]"Well hello,"[/colour] she said with a friendly smile in an attempt to put his nerves at ease, [colour=#23752F]"my name is Windygust. What's yours?"[/colour]

​

[ShadowWalking18]

Date #2 - Razor and Windygust

Razor blinked. He had been nervous about this that he didn't get a good look at his date. As he sat down he realized that she looked older then he was. Of course he wouldn't say that, that would be rude. But she had to be the same age as his own mother.

'This....is....awkward.' He thought.

"Um..Hi...I'm Razor. It's nice to meet you Windygust." He said, not sure how to maneuver through this.

He took another drink of water before saying, "You look...really nice. Very pretty." Was that the right thing to say? Maybe he should have started with something else?

"So...what brought you to this....place?" He asked, not sure of what else to do.

[RarityDash]

((ooc: gonna start date 3 now that I know this thread has Jane's attention. ))

Date #1

"Your introduction was a little silly...but nothing wrong with being a little silly. I actually kind of liked your energy, that's a good trait with being a chef."

Harlequin blushed. This stallion knew what to say. It was nice. She smiled brightly at the compliment and tried to keep from swooning obviously. Maybe this could work after all?

​

"And it seems like your problem is you are learning from the wrong ponies. 4 star chefs in a Manehattan restaurant? Two things are telling me they are probably snooty. the 4 star and the manehattan part. I'd recommend going to culinary school before learning from some schmucks that won't listen to you."

At this suggestion, Harlequin gave an awkward laugh and glanced aside.

Grinning dumbly, she started to mumble. [colour=#ff3399]"Er, yeah... culinary school... I... kinda might have tried that."[/colour] She whistled nervously and then gave another laugh. [colour=#ff3399]"They might have kicked me out after I made one of the instructors really sick..."[/colour] she fumblingly admitted.

​

"And a little nervous about the speed dating? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous myself. But, you are a pretty cute little mare. And a cute little mare who is going to be a chef at a 4 star restaurant is veeeery desirable.Though, When I am a chef in Equestria... I travel a lot. And go exploring and visit other places like griffonlands and the Unyasi. Hence the sword. Which is usually what I do. Or, at least, what I love to do. Though, having good chefs out there is a really, really big plus. Which is what I usually do, since a lot of the ponies out there can barely boil water."

Then it was back to the praise. Harlequin giggled and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. Gah, what was with her today? She usually had it together, but this speed dating thing was so unnerving! She almost had to slap away the silly to get herself back together. Eventually she took a deep breath and continued to nod along as the stallion spoke. Listening, she had to say this guy was really cool! She was impressed.

[colour=#ff3399]"Wow! That's really neat, cooking for ponies in places like that!"[/colour] she started excitedly. [colour=#ff3399]"I love traveling... though personally I haven't ever travelled before. Kinda only ever been here and Manehattan,"[/colour] she added with another awkward laugh.

[colour=#ff3399]"Tell me more though! What are the most awesome places you've ever been? Have you ever had to fight a dragon? What is Unyasi cuisine like?"[/colour] intrigued by the other pony, Harlequin offered up a number of questions, not hiding her eagerness.

​

Date #3

Radiant Steel nearly tripped as she left her seat. This was really beginning, wasn't it? Just what had she let herself get roped into? She desperately wanted to disappear to spare herself some torturous ordeal, but she supposed she'd have to bear with it. There was a chance it wouldn't be awful, right? Maybe...? It was just so awkward. She moved slowly toward the table for the third date and took her seat. Her date wasn't there yet, so she just slunk into place and waited. What would he be like? She tried to keep herself still and composed. She could do this. She was sure she could.

[colour=#ff0000]"Pull yourself together, Radiant. It's just a date. You can do this,"[/colour] she muttered to herself under her breath as she waited for her date to appear.

​

[tacobob]

"Haven't seen you since Ponyville!", the griffon took a sip from her mug, "What were the chances I just happen to stumble upon this place and you're here? I guess it would make sense in a way considering you and 'Muggo are friends, but this speed dating thing?", she nervously chuckled to herself as she savored another drop of cider. This was probably the first time the stallion saw her this way. The griffon was generally rather boisterous and always loud. Here, she looked rather timid, which did not fit with her very well. Her ears perked up as the dates were called. Her heart dropped a little when neither Dunder or Razor were called. She considered herself good friends with the stallion, and she had recently been on an interesting adventure with the male griffon. She slowly glanced around at the other tables and noticed a stallion with a matching name tag. After taking care of the last of the cider, the blacksmith quickly breathed in and out before taking a seat with the pony.

Date #4

Zelda scooted down in her chair and tried her very best to smile confidently at the stallion. After glancing around at the other tables, she lowered her head down to whisper to Bow Spirit, "Hey, I saw you checking out the guys. That's no problem! I know this couldn't work out, that's fine. We can just talk. This isn't meant to be terribly serious, just fun!", she shifted back into her seat, "As you can see by the tag, the name's Zelda. I'm from Rockwington, but I live in Canterlot and work a the R.E.A.'s forge. When I'm not doing the whole blacksmith gig, I usually devout my time to art. Mostly sculpturing, but I do like to dabble in other mediums. Sometimes I leave common sense behind and go on silly adventures. I usually do these when I'm filling rather uninspired.", an honest smile graced her beak as she spoke, "So, what about you? What is it that you do?"

[Dunder]

Date #1

Dunder tried not to burst out in laughter. Not because he wanted to laugh at the mare, but laughing at the thought of a pony going green at what Harlequin made was not something worth hurting her already probably insecure cooking skills over. Instead, he gave a warm smile and nodded, "Don't worry, I actually failed a test in my school." He grinned big and nervously, rubbing the back of his mane, "When you boil eggs for too long, turns out they go black and burnt. And that was only a part of the required ingredients. Everything else was fine, but when the aggressive instructor throws an egg against the wall only to have it reboud and nick his horn... he gets mad." He told her, quickly standing back up straight.

When she asked about his adventures eagerly, he was a little surprised, but not much. He chuckled, smiling again, "Well, never faught a dragon. I've seen a few, though. Only got close once, but we quickly left. Fully drown dragon versus a few ponies is pretty one-sided." He admitted, remembering he was trying to impress the mare. "But, Unyasi cuisine is really good. Lots of spices, and they aren't afraid to put down heavy slabs of hat, either. Some of the best food. Also, their bread is really, really good." He scratched his chin, thinking of something else, "Oh! And Griffons make really good treats Other than that, their food is pretty okay. Their donuts taste good, though. And their soups are pretty good in bread-bowls..." All the mention of food was making him hungry, his stomach gave a small rumble and he had to hold back a light blush, embarrassed.

[Snowshoe]

Date #4

Zelda scooted down in her chair and tried her very best to smile confidently at the stallion. After glancing around at the other tables, she lowered her head down to whisper to Bow Spirit, "Hey, I saw you checking out the guys. That's no problem! I know this couldn't work out, that's fine. We can just talk. This isn't meant to be terribly serious, just fun!", she shifted back into her seat, "As you can see by the tag, the name's Zelda. I'm from Rockwington, but I live in Canterlot and work a the R.E.A.'s forge. When I'm not doing the whole blacksmith gig, I usually devout my time to art. Mostly sculpturing, but I do like to dabble in other mediums. Sometimes I leave common sense behind and go on silly adventures. I usually do these when I'm filling rather uninspired.", an honest smile graced her beak as she spoke, "So, what about you? What is it that you do?"

Bowsprit's turn was up, so he checked the little slip of paper. First date... Zelda. He looked around for the table number and trotted over, hanging the nametag lanyard from around his neck and settling in across from the griffonness. Griffonness. Female. Oh boy. He smiled anyways as the young stallion sat down, and he leaned in to hear her whisper. He laughed softly and smiled. "Thanks. It's not a huge deal, but thanks. I'm Bowsprit!" he said, pronouncing the first part as "bao", as in, the part of the ship. "I'm from the Gallopocus islands, myself," he explained. The griffonness, Zelda, was actually pretty interesting, being a blacksmith. He'd seen one work before, a friend of his father's who helped create the brightwork and metal bits for their ships. "I'm a captain! I do tours out of the Islands, on my ship, the Tub Toy II! Don't worry, the first one didn't sink or anything. The first one's just my personal sailboat, that's all," he assured her.

"So, you make art as a blacksmith? That's cool. Not a lot of call for weapons I'd guess, we're all peaceful and stuff. Do you do any bits for ships? Or just sculptures and all that?" he asked, rather interested. "And... I thought only ponies could join the REA?"

[tacobob]

Date #4

"I do apologize for assuming, but I thought it would be for the best if we just skipped the bit where I awkwardly try to make myself attractive for you or even pretend to be flirty.", she whispered, "You are terribly cute though, so I can at least admire the view while we make small talk.", she winked at the stallion before letting him speak some more. "Wow, the Gallopocus Islands, I've never been there.", she was no longer whispering, "But I've heard stories. Wouldn't mind spending a week or weekend there. As for my job, I'm not actually an member of the Royal Equestrian Army, but I do contract work for them. While there isn't really any call for new armor or weapons, I do keep their ceremonial armor from falling apart. Beyond that, I slowly made myself into an sculptor. Sometimes I would get requests to recreate armor worn by a beloved ancestor. When I first started, I would simply throw the armor on a simple pony mannequin, but then I started to get requests for armored ponies that actually resembled the subject, so I took classes on sculpting. After I started showing off my figures, I even started to get requests for pony figures without armor, so again, I had to learn even more about the craft and a good deal more about ponies than I ever thought I would need to learn."

The griffon was curious about one thing, "So you're a captain? I'm guessing you probably have an interesting sea-story to tell? Ever run into any kelpies?"