Crashing is a Good Thing Sometimes (Bellosh101 & Rackenhammer)

[Blueblood]

Overall, Sugar Apple's conversational fakery worked; Earth Writer couldn't tell that she hadn't been following, though he also couldn't tell whether her yawn was from boredom or simple tiredness. "Mm, I know. Not everypony's able to travel, so for them, we can at least do something to bring the world to them, in words or pictures." He gave his marefriend a little nuzzle as he alluded to her hobby, and even considered floating the idea of her submitting some pictures for his paper, freelance.

Right now, however, didn't seem the best time to bring up that discussion, or any for that matter. The unicorn was growing more sure that Sugar Apple had not quite recovered yet. "Would you like another nap? You look as if you do." He smiled, continuing, "You've always got a place to crash here, if you need it."

[Bellosh]

"Ya know, another nap might not be such a bad idea," Sugar Apple pondered her boyfriend's question in her weary state; "Ah have t' say though, nothin' beats resting on a nice fluffy cloud. Yer high up in th' sky, with nothin' but th' sun shinin' on ya'. Eff ya' evah become a pegasus Earthy... ah'd recommend ya' try et." Anywho, it was very reassuring for Sugar to hear that she could crash here whenever she needed to. It was only too bad that Earth Writer would never be able to visit the pegasus's place in Cloudsdale.

The pegasus mare may have been a little tired, but she didn't quite fully want the room to settle into silence just yet. Perhaps now was a good time to ask about what sort of music Earth Writer kept; "Hey hun, just curious, but got any vinyl records thet ya' kin play?"

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer had to admit, Sugar Apple made the prospect of being a pegasus a most attractive one. It had actually been a slight fantastic wish of his to actually get a chance to rest on a cloud; such daydreams will come to a pony when he lies on his back staring at the sky. It was rather a pity it was impossible.

*On the other hand... there is an institution of magical research right in this town...* Now there was an idea. The unicorn filed it in the back of his mind for now, as his marefriend asked if he had any records to play. He answered hesistatingly, "I do... but I wouldn't call the majority of them restful. Half of them are straight-up rock music; I think you'd like them, though, if you were in the mood for them. The rest are sort of a miscellany, but there might be something. Would you like to look over them?"

Earth brightened up; he'd been unsure of what they could do, but going over a music collection seemed like a good idea. It was restful, but it provided for a good platform for conversation.

Lighting up his horn, he brought a cardboard box down from the shelf, holding the sleeves in which the records were kept, settling them down on the coffee table in front of them. *There are some advantages of being a unicorn, after all.*

[Bellosh]

“Yeah, ah’d like t’ look through th’ rest of them,” Sugar Apple, normally a fan of rock music herself, replied to her coltfriend; “It’s good t’ branch out ev’ry so often.” As she pondered what sort of music Earth Writer kept in his humble domicile, the pegasus caught her partner using magic so that he wouldn’t have to get off the couch. “Heh, lazy bum,” Sugar quipped behind a smile, not moving from her place lying on top of her beloved unicorn; “Ya can’t even git up just t’ retrieve a box of records.” But the purple mare was very eager to see what Earthy had in store music-wise.

[Blueblood]

Playfully wagging a hoof underneath Sugar's muzzle, Earth Writer chided, "Now, now, it's not laziness, it's conservation of energy." Scooting the box a little closer, he carefully tilted up the sleeves with his magic, trying not to disturb the mare on his shoulder's restful position.

"Ah, now here's the first album I ever bought with my own money, K-Class Cart's Anatomy of the Tongue In Cheek." He held up a slightly worn sleeve with a picture of the four band members on the front. "That was... ten years ago? Huh, time flies. They were a straight-up punk band, then, but they've broadened out musically as time went on. I think some of their best stuff is their later work, Forget and Not Slow Down. It's nice to see a band mature instead of just grow old, you know?"

He flipped further through the sleeves, coming across another band. "Stable of Heroes; first saw these guys when they were touring with K-Class cart. Their albums are good, but you really ought to see them live. Simply masterful." He smiled at the memory of his lucky discovery, turning over more sleeves until he came to a mostly blank one with a tape label.

"Huh, I don't think I've listened to this one yet. I asked a fellow-reporter in Cloudsdale to see if there were any local acts that were good. Not a rock act, I think, just a singer-songwriter. Sky Sailing, it says... I think it's electronica, too."

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple already owned the K-Class Cart album, so she was willing to pass on it this time around. Ditto for the second album that Earth Writer suggested. But the third time was the charm, as it just so happened that the pegasus mare didn't know all that much about the electronica genre. And of course, she did say a moment ago that she felt like branching out for a change. "We'll go with thet one," Sugar pointed at the Sky Sailing album; "Several of mah coworkers say they like listenin' t' his music. Ah say et's time ah found out what they've been ravin' about." And so Sugar Apple made her decision, ready to explore a new area of music that she has never ventured into before.....

[Blueblood]

There weren't many subjects on which Earth Writer actually had something like a comprehensive knowledge. Most of what he learned, he did so by listening in conversations, or reading about things, which gave him a voluminous, but patchwork, education. So it was with music; he could recognize genres and what he liked when he heard it, but he couldn't tell you why.

Well, time to put this one to the test. He levitated the vinyl disk from the sleeve, making sure to blow the dust out of the grooves. "Well, here goes." Placing the record on the player, he sent it spinning and carefully placed the needle on the edge.

After the initial scratchiness that came with playing records, the initial tones came from the speaker. They were synthetic, but gentler than most popular club music. This was meant to be a song, even a sweet song, rather than a dance jam. When the eponymous Sky Sailing began to sing, it was like the point in the movie where the shy one is first stepping out. The tones were clear, but the singer was wrapping himself in the song, to as if by so hiding he could get over his stage fright.

"Good evening shuttle bus;

Tell me, where you gonna take us?

Someplace that I have never been?

Cheap transportation

To new destinations

Where I leave my reflection on the glass.

I'd ask but we don't know,

How far these dusty roads go,

Or how deep the cavern routes go down.

But these chilly sub-depth railways

With weathered concrete stairways

Provide me with a means of getting home,

If I ever leave."

Earth Writer was first struck, as the first verse came to a close, how appropriate it was to a pair of ponies with dreams of travel. He looked over to see how the song was being received, as the second verse began.

"So many sights to see,

So wake up like an early birdie,

And we'll get a head start on the day.

Oh, through stained glass skyways,

And crowded country byways,

If I look back when I begin to leave,

Will you remember me?

Streetlamp flames

Flicker by

And I am spent

And Tour Guides

Make Happy brides

For heaven soon.

Good evening shuttle bus,

Tell me where you gonna take us.

On crystal sands

We sleep head in hand,

While soothing words

Hover like humming birds."

The unicorn couldn't help but find it interesting that the initial song didn't fit the verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure one normally saw. "On the whole... I think I'm rather starting to like this." He said, musingly.

If you're wondering about the tune/inspiration I used for this song:

[Bellosh]

For as long as Sugar Apple heard of electronica and had the opportunity to listen to a few songs in that musical genre, she never had much respect for it. She had always believed that music wasn't completely real unless it could be enjoyable to listen to outside the dance club. Rock had always fulfilled that criteria for Sugar, but not electronica. Electronica tracks were good as pumping club ambiance; to keep a place alive into the wee hours of the morning. But listening to those same tracks in the comforts of one's home or on what passed for a Weather Factory floor, they lacked any special magic other than serving as out-of-place synthetic noises.

But this song by Sky Sailing; now this was a proper song. Just what the doctor ordered, Sugar Apple believed. She was rather surprised at how much the lyrics spoke to her, having always been most susceptible to anything that invoked mental images of travelling far and wide. Yes, a subtle smile was on the mare's face as the song entered the second verse. As it finished, Earth Writer mused in approval, and his girlfriend joined him in that endeavor; "Eeeyup, me too. Makes ya' wanna' go on vacation fo'evah, doesn't et?" Sugar remained content to lay on Earthy as the next track in Sky Sailing's album began to play.

[Blueblood]

It was gratifying to know that both of them were agreed in appreciation of the song, and Earth Writer had to agree; Sky Sailing had captured in imagery the vague longing of perpetual travel, of seeing where the road or winds would take a pony. "The dream of a happy nomad... yes, it does, rather." The unicorn replied, half dreamily himself. He'd often fantasized about just packing all of his necessities in a suitcase, and just going wherever he pleased. Perhaps he might; his was a work that would allow it.

The record was not a cohesive album, more like a sampler of the musician's works. The next song that played was quite different, opening with a series of piano notes before launching into the lyrics. This time, the singer was less shy-sounding, though the lyrics still had the quality of being written by a stallion who was staying up past 3 AM to write them down. It was musically less polished, but Earth Writer couldn't help but think the chorus rather catchy, and he was a sucker for piano-centric songs that weren't slow as molasses.

"Well I've been huddled up alone

By the fire even though

I'm not exactly feeling cold;

And I've been bundled up for days

Too confused to be amazed

At all the icy water in my veins.

Why do I feel so alone?

Yeah I've been moving in and out

Of these old split-level clouds,

And I'd just as soon burn the whole place down.

'Cause I quit working warehouse yards

To build a mansion out of cards,

But I feel thin behind these paper walls.

Why do I feel so alone?

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite

Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn't invite,

But if the prettiest romance isn't perfectly right

That makes every love lost just a holiday every night.

Well I've been painting through the night,

In the basement out of sight,

Brushing paper tigers black and white.

'Cause come tomorrow afternoon

I'll fill a helium balloon,

And set them free into the baby blue sky,

So they won't have to be alone.

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite

Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn't invite,

But if the prettiest romance isn't perfectly right

That makes every love lost just a holiday every night.

But when I close these heavy lids after dark

Each sweet dream is a target

And all my shots are so consistently wide of the mark.

'Cause the angriest bark is always worse than the bite

Like the ache in my chest that my heart didn't invite,

But if the prettiest romance isn't perfectly right

That makes every love lost just a holiday every night.

Just a holiday every night.

Just a holiday every night.

Just a holiday every night.

Well I've been huddled up alone

By the fire even though

I'm not exactly feeling cold,

But how my heartache hit the trail

When a paper tiger tail

Fluttered down, I guess I'll never know."

After the song ended, Earth commented. "Huh, that was a change of pace. It sounded more personal, like something he wrote for himself after quitting his day job."

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple didn't get so introspective with this next song, getting more invested with its upbeat melody. She found herself disagreeing with Earth Writer's theory, since it seemed to her that it wasn't supposed to be the focus of the lyrics. "Ah'd say he'd wrote this 'cause failin' t' find a girlfriend got him so frustrated," she commented; "Probably because he's a highly picky fella, ah'd guess. Otherwise, et should be mighty easy fo' a stallion with a way with words t' find a mate... don't ya think?" Giggling, Sugar turned to Earthy on that last comment, baiting him into responding.

[Blueblood]

"Well, of course, if you want to go for the obvious explanation, sure." Earth Writer returned Sugar's laughing tone with a mock serious one, pausing the record for now. "Personally, I rather think he's going for a more metaphorical approach; I'm basing that off the 'warehouse yards' line, since my friend told me that's where Sky Sailing used to work. Singing's an uncertain thing to base a livelihood on, and that can bring anxiety and fear as much as loneliness, especially when things don't work out." He had to laugh at himself after that, saying, "Of course, I say that because trying to find work caused me anxiety, but I found you when I had never before thought of looking for love."

With all that said, it made his marefriend's next question a little more relevant. The unicorn actually had to stop and think over that one, tapping his hoof on his chin. "Well, now, that's an interesting point. Do words really win mares? I suppose you can only speak for yourself; was it my words that caused you to fall for me?" He looked over at her, genuinely curious as to the answer. Their first meeting had been eventful, to say the least; so much so that he couldn't actually remember anything he said.

[Bellosh]

Fretting over finding a livelihood was an experience Sugar Apple wouldn't be aware of. Like many of her fellow Cloudsdale pegasi, she found employment in a weather-related venture, even going so far as taking community college classes to ensure a supervisory role. She never did consider something like making money off her sugar apples, or anything of that sort. In that respect, the pegasus found it kinda a little bit hard to envision being in Earth Writer's position.

Sugar's boyfriend slightly misinterpreted the meaning of her last statement. "Ya' silly hun," the mare giggled; "Ah just meant in general how mares seem t' like guys who can sing or write poetry an' all thet fun. Fo' example, ah really thought ya' were an interestin' pony th' first time we met each other at th' Runnin', when ya' told me ya' were a travellin' writer." Sugar Apple remembered something like that, at any rate.

[Blueblood]

"Oh, really? Well, that's good to know." Misinterpretations or not, it was a useful thing to know what had first attracted a pretty mare to oneself. Still, as Earth Writer viewed the events in his head, he had to comment, "Still, I'm not sure it would have gone anywhere if I hadn't the courage to put in a bold action when the occasion called for it. I say!" He jerked upward, struck with inspiration. "That must be what the title means; the Paper Tigers are moments of insufficient courage. Or perhaps just actions untaken. I guess you're right there."

Something to think about, surely. It brought another subject to Earth's mind. "You know, until very recently I was too shy to put myself forward socially, but since permanently moving here, I've opened up a bit. I'm thinking about joining one of the many social clubs around here; I need more local friends. Speaking of which, I don't think we've talked about that much. What other ponies do you know?"

[Bellosh]

Huh, Sugar Apple never pegged Earth Writer as the naturally shy guy. Right from the get-go during the Running of the Leaves, he had been a talkative stallion, eager to display his passion for what he loved. The stallion's next question was quite unique, since they never really talked about their other friendships. "Well, ah'm friends with many of mah coworkers et th' Weather Factory. We always do things together after work hours on on weekends. An' ah know quite a lot of mah relatives in mah extended family very much, an' thet's an accomplishment, since we Apples are a pretty big family. Greenshot's far from mah only cousin, ya' know."

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer nodded as Sugar Apple related her connections to her co-workers and family. "I've seen your reunions before, albeit from the outside." A funny thought struck him then, and sprang out of his lips before he could consider how his marefriend might react to it. "Of course, by the time the next one comes around, I might find myself a part of it. I suppose I'll have to get to know those cousins' names, at some point at least."

It took a minute or two for him to realize what this assumed, and his head retracted a bit, a blush creeping up his face. "I mean, well, it-it would only be polite." His history of shyness might be slightly more believable now, given his current state of nerves.

[Bellosh]

Sensing nothing devious about Earth Writer wanting to know the names of her cousins, Sugar Apple enjoyed a good laugh out of that remark. Their numbers ranked in uncountable dozens upon dozens scattered all over the face of Equestria, so the unicorn reporter had quite the mighty task to take on. For reasons Sugar didn’t grasp, Earthy ended up flustered over some implication or other than formed in his head. Undaunted, Sugar stretched out on the couch (no longer laying down on her boyfriend when he had earlier jerked up), suggesting the perfect remedy; “How ‘bout ya’ play another song, hmm?”

[Blueblood]

Relieved that his process of thought had not been suspected, Earth Writer grinned, "Yeah, that sounds good. Let's see what else Sky's got up his sleeve, eh?" Inwardly, he was still chiding himself for thinking too far ahead. *We haven't been together for all that long; bit too early to think about being a permanent part of the Apple clan, you know?*

In any case, it was a simple matter to set the record player going again. The opening of the next song was sudden, with the electric melody line backed by percussion, the vocals providing a softer contrast in tone. As for the lyrics, well...

"Stems and gears, oh how the daisies bloom,

When chandeliers light up the engine room!

Can you feel the drops as it starts to rain?

There's an underwater Ferris wheel where I found the missing link to this island chain.

Home will always be here, unseen, outta sight,

Where I disappear and hide.

I think dreamy things as I'm waving goodbye;

So I'll spread out my wings and fly!

Home is a boxcar and it's so far out of reach:

Hidden under umbrella beach."

The song broke into its instrumental bridge here, a rather long one for the fact that the song had only one verse and two repetitions of its chorus.

"Home will always be here, unseen, outta sight,

Where I disappear and hide.

I think dreamy things as I'm waving goodbye;

So I'll spread out my wings and fly!

I'll spread my wings and fly!

Home is a boxcar and it's so far out of reach:

Hidden under umbrella beach."

There was a pause, as Earth Writer opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. He made a second sally with raised hoof, but retreated once again. Finally, he shrugged. "I... got nothing. Maybe he just likes puns?"

[Bellosh]

At last, a song that Earth Writer couldn't find a secret meaning for! Sugar Apple failed to stop herself from laughing in mock celebration. "Ah well hun; we kin't win them all. Do ya' always try t' find hidden messages in th' songs ya' like?" Sugar herself didn't engage in that sort of thing too often; if a piece of music was enjoyable for her sense of hearing, then it was a good song to rock out to on its own merits. Things never got more complicated than that for the sugary pegasus.

Not fully aware of it yet, the tunes the two lovers listened to were working wonders on rejuvenating Sugar Apple's spirits after a hard day at work that almost resulted in the destruction of her place of employment. Feeling a compulsion to stretch, the winged pony flew up from the couch to stretch out her legs. Boy, did that feel ever so wonderful. Sugar even thought she heard a crack from her back; her body must have been more stiff than she anticipated.....

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer let the mock celebration roll off his shoulders with a shrug. "Eh, what can I say? I have a taste for solving mysteries. Detective stories still make up a large part of my reading today, actually, now that I'm not keeping up on the adventure series as much." He grinned at his marefriend. "After all, since meeting you, I've had them in real life!"

The music seemed to have rejuvenated Sugar Apple's spirit, and the unicorn felt quite refreshed himself. Sky Sailing's music was good for lifting one out of a bad or tired mood; he'd have to remember that when he made his music recommendations. Politely ignoring the loud cracking from her back, he called up to Sugar as she spread her wings for takeoff. "Speaking of which, what do you say to just going out and seeing what's going on in Canterlot?"

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple gave herself time to think about Earth Writer's proposal. "Any places in Canterlot ya' have in mind et this time of night, hun? Maybe someplace ya' haven't shown me during thet last tour of yers?" That last tour being their first date together; the one where Sugar Apple and Earth Writer became fillyfriend and coltfriend. Earthy seemed to know every nook and cranny of Canterlot, where all the hidden hot-spots and other interesting things were. So then, what sort of surprise could the stallion dish up tonight?

[Blueblood]

"Something new then? Hm, let's see..." While Earth was thinking, he went out to the window, surprised at the time of day, or rather, night. His internal clock had been all messed up by the press emergency, and the long recovery from it. Not to mention the fact that he hadn't quite settled down his diurnal rhythm to begin with.

Well, that didn't matter much. They were both awake and rested now, and he did know a few things about Canterlot's nighttime life. "There's usually interesting things happening in the Artists' quarter; it's full of ponies who don't go home until morning. Don't know if I've told you about the Veiled Garden? There might be some good live music there tonight, or at least a poetry slam. Of course, it's the sort of place that will slam the poet if they don't like him..." He grinned at Sugar Apple while bringing his hat and jacket over. "Depends on how lively a night you want, I suppose, after a restful day."

[Bellosh]

“Restful?” Sugar Apple raised an eye suspiciously, all in good fun however; “Ah’d say mah day was anythin’ but restful. Thet’s why ah came by t’ crash hyar, remember?” The pegasus thought about her boyfriend’s offer for a moment, thinking whether to accept it or not. In her mind, one thing could definitely tip the scales in the Veiled Garden’s favor. “Do they have good drinks thar’? Ah’d like to sit down et some bar fo’ a little bit before headin’ back home, ef ya’ don’t mind.”

[Blueblood]

"All the chaos was yesterday, at least it was for me. I'm still a little unsure as to time; I only know I'm not needed for this morning's edition. I hope, at least, that your stay here was restful enough; I don't know how many days off the upper management gave you." He slipped on the jacket, patting the pocket to see how many bits were there. More than he remembered; the editor must have given him bonus pay. He grinned, remembering his last trip to the Veiled Garden.

"They don't call it 'The Artist's Symposia' for nothing. I haven't the courage to try their absinthe, but the rest are supposed to be pretty good. It'd be more crowded on that account, except that it pretty much eschews all respectability. But then, journalists aren't exactly considered the cream of society here, so it never bothered me much."

[Bellosh]

"Well, ah'm convinced enough hun. Let's git a move on!" Sugar Apple didn't care that the Veiled Garden wasn't considered a respectable place. It wasn't like many of the mare's usual Cloudsdale hangouts sold themselves on their respectability too. At any rate, any place highly recommended by Earth Writer was a place worth checking out. Assuming things went smoothly, Sugar could maybe spend a hour at the Garden before returning home for the night.....

OOC: I don't really have an idea on where to take things from here. I'm not interested in a "walk-through-town" sequence, and I'm not sure how to make a Veiled Garden sequence exciting for me without inviting another RPer in. Personally, I wouldn't mind bringing this RP to a close now. We should be able to figure out where to take our characters next.

[Blueblood]

Right-o. Maybe have a sequence where Earth gets access to a Cloudwalking spell, perhaps?

"Right ahead of you!" There was a definite spring and skip in Earth Writer's step as he escorted his Marefriend out the door. The day's rest had done it's good work, and his temporary tattoo was the only souvenir the reporter retained from his rather... exacting duties the night before.

But that didn't matter! He was going out on the town with Sugar Apple, and however the Garden was today, it would be worth it to share with his marefriend...