Grand Galloping Gala Velvet ropes and Silver tongues [Ballroom][Open]

[Bannhammer]

Max followed Silk's lead, quickly trotting away from the commotion. A snack sounded nice, and it would give him a chance to distance himself from that insane stallion... WHO WAS TALKING TO THE GUARD! He couldn't help but blurt out a loud "WHAT!"

He quickly covered his mouth, ducking away with Silk Scarf in order to avoid any more uncouth outbursts. While he remained quiet, his mind went a million miles an hour.

Talking to the guard? And they KNEW HIM? What kind of world was this? Perhaps he was some sort of super secret under cover agent... That's it! But then why was he being followed by some annoying mare... WHO CARES! Nothing about that pony made any sense!"

With a quick breath, he stood next to Silk by the snack bar, grabbing a hoof fool of tiny pretzels. "Miss Silk, I don't know what came over me! I'm certainly not trying to avoid anypony..."

[Bramble Rose]

Silk Scarf

Silk ooooed - she loved those little yogurt-covered pretzels! When she was little, she used to eat those till she was sick to the stomach. She snagged a few of them for herself, a bright light in her eyes as she munched them. "Not quite the delicacies I was expecting in the VIP area," she observed wryly, "But I'm not one to complain!"

She glanced back over her shoulder nervously, then sighed in relief. Their attention was all focused on some little group of shrubs. She turned back to Max. "So, I understand you asked for me specifically. A lady could feel a bit flattered by that. Any particular reason you were seeking me here, or were you just lonely for my company after one dance?" She smiled teasingly at the stallion.

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Doctor Whooves

"My word!" Whooves said in delight, as he saw the rare flower. "That is a find! Amazing! You'd not usually see one in this climate. Course, it's not what I'm looking for. It'd never let you pick it up like-"

The Isotria medeoloides suddenly shimmered and shifted, the slender little flower swelling out into a huge, flat head as it changed into a fenus fly trap - and then bit down hard on Fuchsia's hoof, forcing her to let it go so it could scamper along on its many roots and hurry out the door and into the hall.

"Ah! Well done! You did find it! AFTER IT!" Whooves cried eagerly, taking to his hooves to give chase. "come along, Trixie! ALON-ZY!"

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[PedestrianWolf]

It bit her! The orchid... had... bitten... her. The orchid? Was it an orchid? It had certainly lookid like one when Fuchsia was showing it off to the Doctor, but then it wasn't an orchid anymore. It had... shifted... into something else. It had bitten her hoof. It had grown legs? Roots? and scampered away. Plants don't scamper. Do they?

This was all too much to process. Fuchsia Blooms sat down in a daze, paying no mind to the brown earth pony and the blue unicorn as they gave chase to... whatever it was. "I... I think I need another drink." she murmured to herself, and looked around for a waiter. "Maybe, maybe some fresh air, too." She stood up, absentmindedly smoothing out her skirts. Looking out the open doors to the garden, she hesitated. "Then again, maybe not." She wasn't certain she could trust the rest of the exotic flora in the castle gardens to not get out of their pots and do a little song and dance for her. Dancing, that was what she needed. The music from the dance hall was callling to her. Abandoning the ballroom to the socialites, Fuchsia Blooms wandered out the door and down the hall to where the rest of the ponies were shaking their flanks to the beat.

[brianblackberry]

Trixie watched in shock as what was once a sort of an odd orchid according to Fuchsia Blooms had morphed into a fenus fly trap and scuttled off. So Whooves really as telling the truth after all! Why couldn’t he just tell Trixie right out that this was a Copycattail?! If she knew, she surely could have devised a spell to flush it out and capture it! Arrrrrgh! He is just so infuriating sometimes, even when he is right!

Trixie magically pulled one of the cloth napkins off a nearby table and dipped it in the cold water of a neighboring cup, it floated over to the cream colored unicorn and wrapped around her bitten hoof and tied on. It was the best Trixie could think of in the spur of the moment. “Trixie is sorry about all of this, believe it or not, this sort of thing is now routine in the life of Trixie the Mighty Adventurer!”

The azure unicorn sighed and facehoofed as the Doctor eagerly called for her to follow him after the escaping magical plant. She turned to the stunned Fuchsia one last time, “it was nice meeting you and all; Trixie wished she could have gotten a dance, oh well, gotta go chase that nutcase so he doesn’t hurt himself!”

Trixie galloped off after the Doctor, maybe if they caught the stupid thing she could actually have some real fun at the Gala for once; a magical adventurer’s job is never done!

(Trixie and Doctor Whooves exit)

[Mojo]

Both Ms. Harshwhinney and Doctor Stable were surprised to see Trixie making a quick exit. Before either could comment, they spotted Filthy Rich making his entrance. The two ponies decided to gallop up to him and start a conversation,

"Good to see you again, Mr. Rich," the unicorn physician said with a smile, "how are things going at the store? Did I hear the rumor correctly that you had planned to build a new store north of Ponyville?"

"Hello Mr. Filthy!" Ms. Harshwhinney shouted, "I'm Ms. Harshwhinney, are you some sort of business tycoon?"

[Bannhammer]

Maximilian blushed slightly at Silk Scarf's question. Sure, he had wanted to discuss business some more. He had invested a lot in Glitzen's business, and he wanted to see how things were going. But to deny that seeing the mare again was a part of it would be foolish. They're dance at the Tiki fashion event left an impression on him. Surely it was just some sort of silly, short lived infatuation. But... he was very glad to see her again.

"Well, Miss Silk, i asked for Glitzen to come so we could discuss things, though I must say i'm very happy you accepted my invitation. That dance we shared was.... pleasant, to say the least. It's always nice to have a beautiful mare around, no? You're company is enjoyable, and I do like having somepony around to keep me company, especially one so pleasant to be near."

[Bramble Rose]

Silk Scarf felt a bit of a twinge of guilt ... He liked her. He seemed to really like her. She hadn't even done anything! Why couldn't she get mares to react that way to her? Oh no, was she leading him on? Her dam had never really taught her what to do in this sort of situation - though she'd seen her dam take advantage of it several times. Skillfull little laughters and hints, finished off with a 'but I'm married' that ended it neatly ... Silk didn't have that convenient excuse. What has her dam done before she'd gotten married? Maybe actually went dating ...

Her dam. Dating. Well, Silk supposed it had to have happened...

Still, she could take advantage of this for Glitzen ... it'd be easy ... the twinge settled into a full-blown queasy feeling. How would she feel if somepony took advantage of her feelings that way? She had to ... well ... not tell him the truth, but at least tell him some semblance thereof...

"Oh, my, I'm ... awfully flattered ..." And truth be told, it was, kinda. Just not wanted. "And I know that a good many socialites could use that admission to twist you round their hoof in coy little games ... but I couldn't do that to you, Max. You're too nice a guy to play with that way. I'm ... not really available. Not exactly in a relationship -" She didn't think Fuchsia counted as a relationship yet ... hope hope hope! "But I'm not really available, either. It's ... " She gave a rueful, heartfelt sigh, letting him see her in a brief, unguarded moment of frustration, her teeth a little gritted. "complicated." Hopefully he wouldn't take that as her being in an arranged marriage for him to rescue her from or something. Now, her dam's voice in the back of her mind, something positive to lift his spirits! "But I will tell you that I honestly enjoyed dancing with you at that last party - it was actually my favorite part of the party." And it actually was! She'd been expecting to be miserable, but for just a few minutes she'd managed to forget her situation and just enjoy the music. "And if you wanted to invite me here so we could dance some more, then I'm quite happy with that. I don't get to go dancing nearly enough." She gave a little grin, and a soft laugh. Now to take it away from being serious, and just say something ridiculous. "Next time you invite me somewhere to dance, though, make sure it has better music!" she joked.

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[Bannhammer]

Max blinked, ears twitching in opposite directions as confusion overwhelmed him. Miss Silk's words made sense, but it seemed that there was something more behind them... She wasn't in a relationship, but she wasn't available? Was she going to become a nun or something? Or maybe she just didn't like him... Max knew that was a possiblility, and a likely one too. Didn't make it hurt less, though.

He offered a weak smile, at least comforted by her attitude and pleasant attempt to let him down softly. While he had hoped to perhaps speak to the mare some more, get to know her better, he knew that such a plan was now out of the question. Though, she offered to dance again...

And... 'next time'?

"Miss Silk, I would be honored to dance with you again. I am ever so grateful for your tact and honesty. I wish there were more ponies as honest as you."

Maximilian smiled warmly, extending a hoof to the mare. They could make an escape to the dancefloor, to enjoy eachother's company before the night drew to a close.

[Bellosh]

Filthy Rich evasively answered the first question from Dr. Stable; "Uhhh, plans to expand to Trottingham have been put on hold indefinitely pending further review of all available options." Thanks to a bad decision to put his trust in unsavory stallions in plans to create a new franchise, Filthy found himself rather humiliated when all the smoke cleared. That'd teach him never to deal with supposedly reformed con-artists again.

The brown stallion also answered the next question from a pony named Harshwhinney, this time not so awkwardly; "Well, I'm just the founder and owner of Rich's Barnyard Bargains, which has proudly served Ponyville many years now by providing discounted items to shoppers. I'm... not sure if this makes me a tycoon or not, to be honest." Indeed, Filthy always saw himself as a down-to-earth pony despite his wealth.....

[Bramble Rose]

Silk Scarf blinked. Wait, had she just said she was going to dance? Yes, she supposed she did. Well. She hadn't been lying. Might as well enjoy it, though she was going to be a little awkward being on the wrong side of that one. Still. She should be able to - wasn't that hard.

She smiled, laid her hoof on his. "Yes, I find far too few opportunities to dance," she said lightly. "I often end up having to invent some." Usually at home where nopony else could see. And then, a genuine, "Thank you, Max," in a low, personal tone. Thank you for not asking more questions, thank you for being so polite, thank you for understanding what little I can explain.

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