Earth Pony Nougat [Ready]

[Tiktaalik]

Name: Nougat
Gender: Male
Age: Young stallion
Species: Earth Pony
Eye colour: Purple.
Character colour: A very light creamy (nougat)color, with small, black, freckle-like markings on his snout and other bits of his body.
Mane/Tail/Other: His mane and tail however, are pitch black.
Physique: He has a build much like a an average unicorn or pegasus...but without any wings or horn. Maybe a bit scrawnier, with a narrow snout. His mane and tail are also quite shiny. He could probably look fairly fancy and 'handsome' if he wanted, but he always just gets them crudely chopped and hacked short at very blocky angles so they're out of his way. He also wears clothing; a white lab coat and of course...the goggles. He also has quite a few dents and scratches from botched experiments in the past.

(Maybe I'll actually draw him someday. > >)

Residence: He lives in a windmill-converted-laboratory and home near Germaney. Though he's no stranger to traveling long distances if there's something he wants or needs.
Occupation: "SCIENTIST". An expert in magitech, specifically. That what he believes and wants to be, anyways. "Eccentric hazardous loon" could also apply.
Cutie Mark: A beaker filled with some kind of dubious substance, bubbling with energy and possibilities. Or explosions. These aren't mutually exclusive.
Unique Traits: Nougat is brilliant. Maybe. It's hard to tell sometimes. Either that, or he's very skilled at pretending at things. Also, his goggles aren't just for looking sciencey; he can see magic through them, and they are among of his most sophisticated and precious items.

History: The start of Nougat's life is fairly mundane. He lived at his family's candy shop; it was both their home and workplace. One if his earliest and most prevalent experiences is being less capable at certain tasks than the rest of his immediate family. They were all unicorns, but he was not--they were also much more vibrantly colored than him, which he now blames on his most likely rare genes, in relation to both. His family didn't mind his lack of magic, of course, and always assured him that they loved him all the same. For a time, this satisfied him, and he kept working at the shop, getting fairly dexterous with his bare hooves. He still occasionally envied all the magic going on around him, though.

And then he started noticing pegasi. They also had something he lacked...and flight looked like so much fun! While he was stuck on the ground... He wasn't even very strong for an earth pony, having never done much manual labor in his life. Even the nice and fluffy words of his family couldn't completely cheer him up now. He wasn't sure why other earth ponies seemed content...but he just wasn't. Seeing no solution to this, however, he simply kept helping with the candy business.

Their candy wasn't just ordinary, though. His family had long made a gimmick of putty a tiny bit of magic zip or oomph into the candies; entirely safe, of course. After a long while of becoming acquainted to it, the gears in Nougat's head began to turn like never before. The candy wasn't even alive, but it retained magic... At this stage of his life, he wasn't sure what mental step to take next, exactly. So he simply kept working. But now, paying much closer attention to the more subtle processes of the candy making. His thoughts began to race faster and faster each day, and he took technical mental notes of the cooking, melting, mixing, spellcasting, everything.

This was a major turning point in his life. He came to the revelation that this wasn't just candy he was observing, but physical and magical processes that applied to the rest of the world as well, and a beaker appeared on his flank that day, rather than the expected candy-related image the majority of his family had. From then on, he made frequent trips to the library, bringing home several books each time. Nothing as silly and frivolous as picture or fantasy books, though, but books and physics and magic. Now he began to truly understand the way of things, and he felt happy and excited for the first time in a while. Even though many of the magic books were intended for unicorns, so he couldn't really put most of that knowledge to practice...

But he was now thinking in a scientific manner, at least. The candy wasn't even alive, but it retained magic...this applied to other things, he'd learned and figured. Anyone could use magic, with the right device, he thought. By this point, he was old enough to move out of his own. Though he enjoyed the company of his parents and siblings, he felt like he no longer fit in at the shop. Also, he was concerned about blowing it up with all the new ideas buzzing in his head. After receiving a generous amount bits and supplies to help him on his way, he was off on his own. Now he just needed a place to live...and work.

Nougat recalled hearing of a spooky old abandoned windmill that colts and fillies would often make dares pertaining to. Well, if it was really abandoned...he figured this could be an ideal, and isolated, spot. Luckily, it was still there. It was a dump, and indeed, adequately spooky. But the idea of a laboratory in a windmill just seemed right to him. And more importantly, it was free. In a 'finders, keepers' sort of way. So, he cleaned it out all by himself, shooing away any brats and delinquents and animals that frequented it while he did so. He even got the windmill turning again, eventually. He used the bits he'd had to buy some equipment, an everything was set. Sort of. Not...really. Being over eager, a lot of what he'd bought wasn't even really magic or useful. And the stuff that was useful required magic, even if it was just in-part. He at least had some contraptions and gizmos that he can use... Once in a while, he' even went out on a little jaunt or adventure and stumble across some kind of magic trinket, but he tended to either use them up or break them fairly quickly.

At least he had his mind, and notes, and theories, and books. But...he was and still is mostly unable to put them into practice, for the most part. His greatest accomplishment so far has been enchanting his goggles, which to his amazement, actually ended up working. It seems so, anyways. They haven't blinded him or anything yet, at least. And with them, he can see magical energies...which has made his trinket hunts a bit more fruitful. And helps keep him out of danger--when he doesn't just run towards it, anyhow. He could at least tell if some merchant is trying to swindle him, now. And with legitamate items, he's gotten some actual work done, which has been a major boost to his confidence and knowhow, even counting the times where things just blow up in his face. He doesn't need a horn to fiddle with magic!

Somehow, either through self-enchantment or device, he believes he can cast off the earth pony life, and become able to actually wield magic himself, eventually..! Flying wouldn't be too bad either... And why should he even stop there? With magic and technology combined, anything seems possible for him. In theory. He ran out of bits a while ago, and being a weirdo who lives in a sort of tower doesn't exactly rake in the money. He's still working this part out. He certainly has no shortage of passion or grand ideas, though.


Character Summary: It's sometimes hard to tell if Nougat truly is smart...or if he's just an eccentric weirdo playing at being a scientist with all of his big words and bought/found hardware and magic, dabbling in things he really shouldn't be--he wasn't even properly educated! He really is quite bright, though, despite his somewhat young age and lack of experience; always intensely curious and analytical, as well, if a bit absent-minded. Logic also has a prominent presence in his mind, even when dealing with the mystical. He often regards legend and myth with great scrutiny, ignoring all of the flowery language and fluff, and attempting to figure out the how and why of all the pieces work--if they even exist. Some would say that's missing the point, but what do they know? He does realize, though, that sometimes...magic just doesn't have to make much sense, necessarily.

While on the verge of a discovery or during experimentation in his lab or anywhere else, Nougat can become very exciteable, even giddy at times. However, when he isn't, his behavior changes drastically. He becomes straight-faced, dull, and almost listless. Quiet, too, though he doesn't actively go out of his way to avoid talking to anyone. It's more like, after all the time he spends cooped up in his workshop, he kind of forgets the possibility exists. He also usually seems as if he has somewhere important to be or somewhere to go, no matter the setting, which can make him seem dismissive of anyone who tries to slow him down to chat. Unless they say something that intrigues him; then there's a good possibility of him never shutting up if they continue being interesting afterwards.

Lately, as he begins to get gradually more competent, he's becoming a teensy bit...ambitious. Boundaries and limits have even less meaning to him nowadays then ever, and he becomes severely pushy if anyone ever tries to discourage or stop him. Even if it's just for the simple purpose of 'taking a break'. Nougat always has dozens of ideas and schemes buzzing around in his mind at any given moment, and he certainly can't stop for something so trivial. Or anything else for that matter. He just doesn't seem to understand or accept the fact that, as an earth pony, he also has special abilities of his own.

[GhostGirl]

This all looks solid to me! You have a very well rounded character here, with an interesting pull. The goggles are neat, too.

Passing this up to SRPH!

[SteelEagle]