A Stalliongrad Affair! Festivities in the Hoar Witch Estates - The Courtyard

[Elderflower]

Lit with tiny specks of magical light like stars, the courtyard is the perfect place to run to if one wishes to escape the noise and frivolity of the party inside. It is quiet, cozy, artfully overgrown, and full of dark corners to sneak off too if one wishes for privacy. There is a large fountain in the centre of the small garden space which features a statue of a very severe-looking unicorn mare who bears some resemblance to the hostess, Frostlace.

Though few flowers remain since the first frost, the fragrance of wild flora still lingers about the shrubbery, just barely distinguishable above the overpowering scent of wine grapes drifting from the vineyard on the other side of the Courtyard’s low, stone fence.

[Zeig]

 

Okay, so...

 

It was pretty official - that Frostlace chick was so digging him.

 

Or was so digging his tats, and honestly, was there any real difference?

 

Not in his bucking books!

 

Because while Inkbrand had had customers come back for more tattoos after the first one, had recommended him to friends and family, had even gone so far as to invite him on their dime to their homes to do up a tat when they otherwise couldn't make it to Manehatten...well, honestly. This was the bucking first time he'd ever been asked for a tattoo, in the middle of a party, branding a mare live on the middle of the party floor. This was the first time a customer had ever, seriously, thought to show off his amazing skills in front of a live audience, because she was just that in love with his magic hooves.

 

And ho-o-o-o-ly buck if that wasn't just about the biggest ego stroker he'd ever had the pleasure of receiving. 

 

Suffice to say, Inkbrand had been all but packed and out the door before actually registering the date on the invitation. Which had led to an almost mind-numbingly stressful month of...if he'd been anyone else, he might have called it anxiety. Getting his inks ready, bragging to all his friends and family about his super special invitation, and otherwise thinking of almost nothing else the entire month. The fact the Frostlace was so influential in Stalliongrad - a city he had little to no influence in as a tattoo artist - was only a subset of that concentrated energy that had kept him running back and forth the entire month, checking and double checking and triple checking everything.

 

No...the much larger subset was written plain as day on that invitation.

 

And now that this moment was finally here, with the quiet and intimate space of the courtyard inviting any and all ponies into its embrace...he only had one, burning question on his mind.

 

"Miss me much, babycakes?" the grey Earth Pony crowed loudly as he waltzed up the cobblestone pathway, disturbing the calming quiet that had previously been settled upon the courtyard. A few ponies glanced askance at him, no doubt thrown by his boisterous call, but Inkbrand hardly gave them a second look as he continued his stroll. Unlike his stint during the Grand Galloping Gala, there was no gel coating back his mane, no fancy coat and scarf - every inch of his tattoo-clad body was on display, and his signature headband slung at an angle over his forehead. Various piercings and accessories were strewn across his body, and at any other estate, he would have looked as in place as a snowpony in a desert.

 

But not here, because buck yeah tattoos!

 

"Going through all this trouble, just for little 'ol me," Inkbrand leered as he continued to speak into the quiet courtyard, as if Frostlace might just be hiding behind a bush and would pop out at any second, "baby, I'm flattered. But really, there's no need for all this - you call me up for a branding, and I'll coming running to you like I'm on fire." He...honestly, really had no idea where Frostlace actually was, at the moment. He had entered through the gates where all the other ponies had been entering, but had taken an immediately right soon after, veering off from the main pack. Because he was a rebel and all, yeah yeah, but mostly because he had just wanted to explore a bit.

 

And, okay okay, maybe kind of sort of, sneak around. 'Ya know, take a peek at the more, off-limits sections of the estates.

 

...If there ever were bucking any. From what he could tell, Frostlace had gone all out with this shindig, going so far as to include something akin to party games in some of the wings. Party games of the super spooky variety, or something like that. Some ponies had already been talking about it on the way up to the main entranceway, going on and on about the extravagant effort Frostlace had put into the entertainment for the evening...though none of it would compare to the main course, 'o course.

 

Spooky houses, party games, food piled to the ceiling and fantabulous prizes. All of that could wait for the time being, because he was here for the white flank.

 

Er -

 

Tattoos. He was here for the tattoos.

 

Whatever.

 

[PyroBlaze]

This was certainly an interesting party. Who knows who would show up here. Maybe some future clients if she was lucky enough, though she was perfectly fine with just meeting some fun ponies. 

 

Yūrei smiled to herself as she walked along the path through the gardens, disguised as her typical pegasus form and wearing a simple blue dress that did well to hide the shuriken and the two knives she was carrying. She was a ninja after all, and being the head of her clan only compounded those issues. Of course, she had agents umong the guests if there was any trouble, as well as more in the shadows, but she hoped that wouldn't be necessary. 

 

She paused as she heard, and then saw, a tattooed stallion walking the grounds. Well, he looked interesting. After taking a moment to analyze him, she approached with a bit of a smirk. 

 

"Well, who have we here? A handsome stallion, obviously, but I'm sure that's not your name. Call me Kireina." She said, smirking a bit as she circled the stallion. 

[Elderflower]

 

If there was anything in the world Lucy could appreciate, it was going against the grain. The peryton, naturally blessed as she was with lovely, tranquil colouration, was far from the peaceful creature one might expect of a Velvet Strand native. She wore the armour of rebellion: one snapped antler, metal rings and studs, elaborate tattoos, and somewhat heavy makeup was as loud a statement as she could make. Lucy was not your average peryton. So she appreciated when a unicorn of stature threw a shindig open to anypery who wished to attend - and even allowed some rotten punk like herself to play a few jams. No doubt that sent a shiver up some crusty old fart’s spine - one of the sorts who came from a buhjillion generations of snob.

With a fox’s grin painted a vampy shade of red (courtesy of her favourite lipstick), the peryton fanned and flapped her wings excitedly as her cloven hooves carried her closer to the massive doors of the Hoar Witch Estates mansion. She adjusted the beat-up old guitar she had strapped to her back as she walked, quickly growing frustrated by the slow-moving crowd. This place was going to be packed...what an opportunity for a musician! But what a drag to try and walk through…

Escape, escape...Lucy needed to find a way out of this crowd! Finally, an opening popped up between some of the ponies surrounding her, allowing the scrawny peryton to slither out and down a stone pathway away from the main doors. She wasn’t the first act, after all, so why rush inside? Despite a light dusting of snow falling from the dark night’s sky, Lucy’s tattered, blood-red scarf was keeping her plenty warm. The sharp scent of wine grapes dragged her forward, until finally she found herself in a courtyard lit up with enchanted...magic...glowyballs? She blinked, a little stunned by the showy unicorn magic, and instead focused on the two ponies who seemed to have the same idea she did.

One was a rather typical-looking pony. The other...covered in tattoos and piercings? Huh. A kindred spirit? Lucy eyed him curiously, admiring the deft hoofwork of whoever inked him - though not too much. After all, nopery could compare to her artist. Lucy was fiercely loyal to those she called friends, especially when it came to her artist.

“Hey,” she called out casually in her smoky voice, meeting the gaze of each pony in turn, “Hope I’m not...interruptin’ anything.” The peryton cast the pegasus pony a knowing look and waggled her eyebrows at the inked-up stallion. She had overheard that bit of flirtation, and it was clear that the sincerity of her apology was a little, well...lacking.

Still, being a peryton (even one with a snapped horn), her crude nature was much more forgivable than it would be for just a pony. Even with half her mystical charm, the spunky doe was still mystically charming!

[Bellosh]

 

By all rights, Yù Yuè was never meant to be here tonight.

 

Word traveled far across the Wide Ocean concerning the Countess of Stalliongrad's plans for a grand festival at her estate. Unfortunately, an empress of Long Guo always had more important things to do in service of her subjects than attending every harvest celebration that sprung up on the other side of the world. The first time the Imperial Palace received the notices sent by Countess Frostlace's, the Empress was lucky she had at least one servant who thought to show her the notice first rather than immediately destroying it

 

That didn't stop Yuè from dismissing the idea of attending out-of-hoof. She saw little benefit for the Dragon Kingdom from undertaking a laborious, time-consuming journey with her imperial retinue all the way to Equestria. All so only a single empress could attend an event sponsored by one noblemare with apparently enough disposable wealth to waste on scattering party announcements to the four winds. Based on consultations with her chief attendants in the Imperial Palace, Yuè believed her initial choice was the wisest choice possible.

 

Intelligence gathered by agents of the Imperial Watch told more of the story however. World leaders were answering the call to attend Frostlace's part; most importantly in Long Guo's case, Shogun Ryuichi of Neighpon. This spelled dilemma for the Empress and her advisors at court; to not make an appearance signaled that the Dragon Kingdom was unduly neglecting its international allies in friendship. Yet the information had arrived mere days before the night of the event; nowhere near enough time to make arrangements for an imperial entourage to travel by ship.

 

With ocean travel out of the picture and the Wide Ocean being too vast for sky chariots to fly over, the only possible means of timely transportation left was hiring a serpent dragon courier. While a single Long was capable of crossing an ocean with ease, only the Empress and a couple of trusted attendants would be able to fly on its back to and from Stalliongrad. That in of itself ruled out bringing a proper wardrobe along; dressing the Empress beforehoof would only put her robes in a position to be tarnished mid-flight. If Yuè couldn't appear before others as an empress worthy of her throne, why bother showing up at all?

 

One last wardrobe option became Yuè's salvation, thanks inadvertently to her reforged bond with sworn sister Lián Mei. Where most beings would have only seen a white cheongsam decorated with blue floral patterns,  they wouldn't know how it had been specially commissioned to match the Grand Galloping Gala dress worn by Miss Mei. Not only did the royal qilin's cheongsam made her feel spiritually closer to her dearest friend, but Yuè had been told it also provided enhanced mobility that traditional billowing dresses did not provided. With the qilin's long mane pulled into a bun on the back of her, she'd undoubtedly appear as a very fashionable lady.

 

Most importantly, a cheongsam (and the minimal accessories that came with it) was light enough for a servant to carry on a transcontinental dragon ride...

 

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

 

Dropped off near the back of the courtyard by her dragon courier to avoid commotion, Empress Yuè decided on discrete methods of introducing herself. Recalling her memories of the Gala, part of Yuè was curious how other ponies would treat her if they couldn't immediately recognize her as an empress. The royal mare also wanted to see long she could go before being recognized for who she was. As her mentors taught her, only by knowing a realm's people could a wise ruler know how to conduct skillful diplomacy with that country.

Those worthy attendants chosen to accompany their sovereign were specifically ordered to wear appropriate clothing to blend in, act as natural partygoers, and hang back far enough from the Empress unless they were needed. It had to seem as if Yuè really came to the party alone.....

[Pretzelparty]

 

(Thank you so much, Rex! For giving me this adorable Eydis sketch!)

 

It was nice to get back to stalliongrad, the warehouse was looking a little sparse the last time she came. On her last expedition to her homeland, Eydis had been hard at work doing the none too simple task of attempting to categorize and record the habits of the troll species native to Whitescar. That was by far the most varied experience she'd had to deal with back home, the only thing that troubled her was she couldn't really go in depth of the Fire trolls of the deep. It could have been such and interesting find but finding more than two caribou who were crazy enough to go into the deep reaches of the most horrid catacombs was about as difficult as you'd expect it to be. Either way, her publisher said she can make a continuation of her findings later.

 

There was a much more important issue to think about now though: Her flight to Unyasi was delayed. Something or other about sky pirates. Was nice to hear it wasn't more rebel allied clan airship raids for once. That positivity wouldn't last long though as now her journey's would have to be delayed... again. What in Whitescar was she to do now. And then a stray breeze brought a local event -quite literally- to her face. Once she took off the flier she noticed it was something about a countess opening a party ... this would be interesting!

 

So here she was. Standing in front of the courtyard, somehow nervous as she saw already so many coming along and filling the main room. They all had dresssed so very nicely, yet here was Eydis with the only item in her whole wardrobe really being a cloak she'd left at home: Her ivory splendor (As she called her coat when noone was listening) on full display. It was strange to feel... naked in a land were naked was pretty much the default. There was nothing she could do about it now though. It wasn't like she could gallop off to town and buy a fancy dress for herself.

 

Perhaps to stall she let her thoughts drift to the architecture. It's curious what such a rich territory could do with all of the resources it had when unopposed.  Soon she noticed the entrance of a very... unusual looking cervine. The piercings across her form managing to get a skald's brow to furrow. The stallion she was conversing with had an odd look to him. She'd known tattoos were popular with many a clan back home but this stallion seemed to have an air about him that lived and breath this art for the canvas of skin. Was this perhaps common in some parts of Equestria? She may have to ask later. Lastly a pegasus in a blue dress... there was someting odd about her... something that Eydis couldn't place.
 

Then something caught her eye. A more modestly dressed, exotic looking visitor. One of those eastern pony... hybrid beings from Long guo. Or perhaps one of those descended from neighpon. Judging by the outfit it was safer to assume she was Qilin and not Kirin. Eydis took a deep breath and moved through the courtyard. AS she strolled she bumped into the green peryton, the caribou's size bumping her rather noticeably. Eydis quickly apologized and moved along, trying to minimize the conflict and hope the stranger didn't take offense. When she came to the violet maned qilin she lightly bowed her head, "Um... excuse me, are you from Long guo?" There were traces of a curious accent in her voice, the cervine speaking making it obvious equestrian was not her first language. She had to lower her head a bit seeing as she was about a full head taller than the qilin she was approaching.

 

[Blueblood]

A sudden notice trip across the ocean.  Rushing in the chill of the upper atmosphere, carefully stewarding a shimmersilk dress for another to wear at a party, where one would have to work while the other... well, to be fair, the Empress would be working too, after her own way.  Nonetheless, the whole task was one that was a hard demand to fill on short notice; only the most dedicated of guards and attendants could be trusted to fulfill their duties without grumblings or deleterious complaints.

 

Which was why Feng Xinhaitao now found himself in the courtyard of Grafinya Frostlace, clutching a cup of the strong but surprisingly smooth coffee preferred in these northern climes, trying his best to appear like a normal partygoer while keeping watch over Yu.  The latter was never a hard task for him; whenever he was in her presence, he always had an eye free for the Empress.  On the former task, however...

 

Well.  He was a stranger in a strange land.  Training in secrecy and infiltration let him wear the clothes of the locals as if they were his own, but he could not speak as if he were one of them; Stalliongrad accents were not taught in the Imperial Watch academy.  So, he would definitely be pegged as part of Yu Yue's party were he to speak, though her Imperial status might still remain hidden.  Slurping from his cup, he peered over the various guests, noting especially the antler-less caribou that had approached the Empress.  Seemed harmless enough, but still...

 

He shook himself.  Unless Feng started to mingle with the other guests, his position would become painfully obvious.  Striking out towards where most of the guests seemed grouped, he found a group of three that seemed normal enough.  If 'normal' meant a flirtatious pegasus, tattooed stallion, and all-out-punk of a deer.  That last one especially caught his eye, just as a matter of general attitude.  Believe it or not, Feng had been considered a troublesome youth himself in his home village, and although that spirit was buried, it was far from dead.  Now, with the necessity of not appearing as he was, a trained and professional Imperial Watcher, perhaps it would not be a bad idea to let that spirit out, just for a bit of fun, right?

 

Walking over to the group, he bowed to Lucy, introducing himself thusly: "If you will forgive impertinent questions from ignorant foreigner, will you tell me if you believe all that," He waved a hoof to indicate her piercings and tattoos, "Makes you actually more beautiful, or do you wish to merely annoy your elders?"  It was a matter on which he was genuinely curious, as well as impertinent.  It had never been enough for him to merely poke the conventions of the conventional, no!  One also had to prod the conventions of the unconventional, as they tended to be even more strict in their adherence.

[Zeig]

 

Not two seconds into this party, and he was already reeling them in, yeah baby.

 

And they already knew all his good qualities too, causing Inkbrand to puff out his chest a bit as the Pegasus literally circled around him, like she was already sizing up his value as a good time. It was exceedingly clear what she was interested in right off the bat, that was for sure. And, well, buck if he didn't appreciate the girls who knew how to hold themselves in a conversation - and better yet, could appreciate a little harmless flirting. 

 

And give it back some.

 

Or flat out dish it forward, and Inkbrand eyed the second one that approached him in short order, golden eyes immediately zeroing in on the tattoos that covered her body. None of his, so that obviously meant they were nearly as good...but they weren't bad, he could admit. Even aside from the tattoos, the Peryton with a half-broken antler nearly screamed edgy no matter where he got a look at her - tattoos, piercings, makeup, mane and tail, you name it. If Inkbrand didn't know any better, he might have thought she was over-compensating, like a young filly making sure her parents ab-so-posi-tiv-ly knew how little she cared for society's expectations.

 

Luckily, he did know better, because, in the most honest of folk, tattoos and piercings were rarely about defying society. They were simply who he was, and who she was, and buck anyone who didn't get it. 

 

Wasn't that difficult a concept.

 

"You don't sound all that broken up about it," Inkbrand snickered, completely un-fooled by that oh-so-innocent interruption, "but you can count your lucky stars today, doll face, no penalties for interruptions here. The name's Inkbrand," the tattoo-clad stallion introduced, flirty grin tilting a bit higher on his face as he glanced between the Pegasus and the Peryton, "best bucking tattoo artist in Equestria - and the best looking, according to Kireina here," he added, with a leer towards the Pegasus previous.

 

Though, that leer had to switch gears as a Caribou bumped into the Peryton on her way past, giving Inkbrand plenty of time to get his visual fill of her white coat before it was moving away from his view, towards a...what looked like one of those Qun-lins way in the back - or rather, Qilin, as he had eventually learned. Bucking white coats...when was the last time he'd had one? Probably Frostlace herself, all those months ago in Manehatten...Skyhaven's coat had been a white off-set, more like an ivory, and Sugar Sweet's had been tinged with blue.

 

...Well, didn't matter, he was getting another white coat today. Ironically the same white coat he'd last been able to run his hooves all over.

 

Er...tats. Run his tats, all -

 

"Oh, buck it." 

 

Unfortunately, Inkbrand was sucked out of the beginnings of his white-coated fantasies by the approach of another Qilin - or rather, Longma, as he'd eventually learned after asking one whether or not she'd like to play Alicorn dress up with him starring as the dashing Equestrian Prince of Love Marks, and subsequently getting a frying pan to the face - and before he could even begin to mourn the fact that he was no longer surrounded by only mares, said Longma asked a...very strange question. In a very strange way, too, causing a sneer to fall over Inkbrand's face. Seriously, why bother asking forgiveness for rudeness if you were just going to be rude anyways? It wasn't like the rudeness just got canceled out by the acknowledgement of its rudeness.

 

The question itself, too, arrested his attention, and Inkbrand honestly could not tell if the Longma was purposefully being sarcastic and expressing his disdain for tattoos, or was seriously lacking comprehension on the purpose of tattoos and was simply attempting to educate himself. Deference for a cultural barrier finally won out, causing the stallion to shift his weight slightly as he raised an eyebrow at the other male. "Why's it gotta be one or the other," Inkbrand drawled, as if the Qilin had been addressing the whole lot of them instead of one particular Peryton, "why not both? Nothing wrong with a rockin' look while you're ruffling all the soccer moms' feathers," the tattoo-clad stallion jeered, reaching over to lightly elbow the Pegasus, before returning his attention back to the Longma.

 

"You got a name, buddy?" Inkbrand questioned, eyeing the other stallion again...right before a sly grin stole over his face. "Or do you just go around ogling all the mares' flanks?" The Peryton had tattoos on several other places aside from her thigh area, but - well, a guy noticed certain things before others.

 

'Ya know. 

 

[RexDraco]

He was not sure about this. The estate was rather intimidating as he now stood before its main gates. His expression left much to be wanted: still and solid like stone. Bred for a different purpose and a different world this pony was neither soft nor flexible. He had returned to Satalliongrad in hopes of finding the family he had once had. While the clan he currently lived among were kind and caring -- helping him through his harder times, the brute had still wondered where his family had gone and why they had not come to find him. He had lost small parts of his memory, but in the end there were many things that called out to his vision, dreams that had been read to him in his youth. Tales of moors of snow, tundras and great landscapes filled dangerous and wonders. Stalliongrad had been a recurring memory, one he intended to follow. He had spent the day wandering and experiencing. It was hard for the brute to really make headway as his stoic features and hefty size marked him as a pony who would likely find social contact adverse. 

 

But he did not mind. The way eyes turned from him or postures were presented in returned caused the stallion to hold a feeling of sadness. Downtrodden by the circumstance he had settled outside, enjoying the breeze. It was than he heard it. Word of a open invitations to a grand estate for a party. With how they spoke though, this particular pair, their reluctant to go came from the open door policy. The chestnut furred stallion turned his head to listen, eye wincing a bit as his bangs brushed over his forehead. the silver-white and ice-blue strands of mane were loose, quite well maintained. His dreadlocked tail was a bit stiffer, but reasonably. His mane was loosely tied up so it did not snag as he turned his immense head, of which he currently did so to better hear. 

 

The mare shook her head. "All manner of hooligan would likely make way to the doors. It doesn't seem safe at all!" She complained.

 

Her male, pegasus companion chuckled and nodded. "Uhh..." Her companion droned taking notice of the larger, chestnut male staring passed his bangs, head tilted down slightly with his ears perked up. "Speaking of... maybe we should--" When the female earth pony looked she caught sight of the larger male and shuddered. 

 

They hurried away, dropping the invitation along their way. His brow twitched as they fled, eyes turning town to the paper. He sighed, deeply regretting his unstealthy approach.

 

And that is how Kappi ended up at the Estate, staring upon its illustrious walls! Chestnut fur and crystal blue eyes this Whitescar native had no connection Stalliongrad save for blood. His grandparents, great grandparents and ancestors had been raised in the Moors and he had his great form to thank for it. Built like a farm pony his body was built like a warhorse. Sinewy muscles rippled beneath thick fur that guarded against both snow and the teeth of his enemies. He had sturdy limbs kept him moving past exhaustion as well as a strong neck granted from head-combat with his fellow Caribou. The way he moved also seemed more Caribou than pony, which attributed to his awkward and occasional missteps.

 

He had come to learn of the open door party at the estate. Since it was a local event, so he presumed, there had to be locals who had perhaps knew his family. Seeing as his family had come from these lands he should, at least pay his respects, but also try and find somepony that perhaps knew a little about his family. After the betrayal he began to wonder if he was Pony or Caribou… 

 

His thick brows were furrowed with a serious glance, that muzzle scrunched up ever so faintly. The stoic expression of his was difficult to read and the way he moved it was as if he was always ready for battle. Upon entering the estate he was given simple directions. A simple and easy path to follow, yet his kind, being a swirl with thoughts in this unknown land, stirred his blood. His legs carried him to the gardens where it seemed he was not the only one to arrive. There were others pressing onward, ahead of him so the larger male could not proceed, finding himself behind a qilin maiden. His ears twitched, looking akin to irritation, but he had no idea what to do. The brute was not used to others standing in his way when he came by. His jaws parted as he sighed, not sure what to say. Excuse me seemed demanding and pardon seemed to formal. While the female was interesting from the back: what was more fascinating was that … he was the only pony. Heavens forbid he could tell what the ink covered squid was. Kirin? Maybe a dragon? His eyes squinted, as if in annoyed challenge. No he simply could not tell and it baffled him! He would end up stuck behind Yue just as another entered, and one more familiar! Another Caribou. The male shook his head and scuffed his hoof before moving to walk around the strange QIlin.

 

He made sure to make a wide step to not bump the Qilin, only to bump his nose into the frame of the archway. Lowering his head he quickly, as quickly as a lumbering brute could, and shuffled into the main garden area, seeming to take no interest in the others as he glared down Inkbrand. Those markings...

[PyroBlaze]

Yurei smirked as she finished her circuit just as another female approached the group and spoke. The 'pegasus' smirked over at the peryton, raising an eyebrow at the words.

 

"I agree, you do not seem to be all that apologetic, really. No matter, I'm sure Inkbrand wouldn't mind the addition of more mares, would you?" She giggled lightly, leering right back at the stallion. Unfortunately, that little bit of fun was interrupted first by a caribou that bumped the peryton and then a stallion that approached the same peryton to converse about if she was rebelling or something. The mare sighed slightly, her eyes drifting over the tattoos on the stallion's body. She realized that she was a changeling and likely could make a tattoo appear if she wished it to, but she had to wonder how an actual tattoo would work on her. Would it be present on her true body?

 

While contemplating that, her eyes drifted around the courtyard, finding the caribou again. She froze momentarily as she saw the qilin mare, taking a few moments to recognize the royal without her finery. What was the Empress of Long Guo doing here? Especially looking like that. Was she trying to hide or something? The changeling was torn now. On one hoof, she likely had to stick around if she were to have any fun with this stallion, but on the other the Empress was right there just ripe for playing with.

 

After a few seconds, Yurei sighed to herself before getting closer to Inkbrand. She leaned lightly against his side, running a hoof up his neck lightly and resting it against his chin. "Hey now, handsome, you say you're a tattoo artist? Have you ever worked on a changeling?" She asked lightly, moving her hoof to start tracing a pattern on his chest. "They're such interesting creatures, changelings."

[Elderflower]

 

 

Lucy couldn’t help feigning embarrassment as she was caught in her insincerity, “Well shucks, ya caught me! But something tells me he’d prefer some one-on-one time with a pretty mare, if ya catch my drift,” she laughed and offered the inked up stallion a sly wink. Then opened her mouth to challenge Inkbrand about his status as “best tattoo artist,” when somepery knocked her aside and made her stumble. Anger flared, and she glared as she righted herself, but a quick apology from the offending attractive cervine quickly shut her up. Aw, well darn. She couldn’t stay mad forever, right? “No worries, cupcake,” purred in response as the pale-coated beauty continued along her way towards...whoa. Now there was something you didn’t see every day.

Lucy had heard tales of ponies with dragon horns and scales, but she had never seen one before. Were they all so lovely? She blinked a couple of times at the foreign mare, slack-jawed, before a stallion like her but with wings stepped on up, proving pretty quickly that not all scaly ponies were so lovely. And this guy was, apparently, looking for a fight. As he questioned her, the peryton’s expression turned from slack-jawed to utterly unamused. She stared flatly at him and curled her lip, looking like a portrait of thuggishness.

It seems she took too long to respond, though, as Inkbrand decided to answer for her. She rolled her eyes, and when he was finished she rather resentfully accepted that he more or less said exactly what she had planned on saying.

“Seems like the best looking stallion in Equestria hit the nail on the head,” she replied with a foxlike grin and heavy dose of sarcasm before waggling her eyebrows at the pretty pegasus mare, “Though I don’t think that’s what he wants to be hitting. And I don’t blame ‘em,” the peryton fanned her wings to jingle the rings that pierced them, then shrugged at the winged dragonponywhatchamacallit.

“Yeah maybe once upon a time it was all about stirring the pot, but who isn’t an idiot when they’re young? Or at least I was more of an idiot than I am now. ‘Sides, these are a part of me,” Lucy narrowed her bright green eyes, then, and frowned at the whose-it, “And I like me, even if I am an idiot most days. What makes you think I give a fish’s arse about being more beautiful. Of all the things in the world I wanna be, beautiful ain’t at the top of the list. It might be a goal for some folks, that’s cool. It ain’t my jam though. ‘Sides, I like the way these look. If somepery else doesn’t like ‘em so what. Doesn’t hurt ‘em, doesn’t hurt me. Just means we don’t agree on somethin’.”

 

And then Lucy’s face scrunched up in distaste. A lecture, she thought to herself, Seriously, Lucy? Get over yourself.

And so she did. She shrugged again and then sidled up to the scaly stallion and draped a friendly wing over ‘em, leaning on 'em a little and causing her beat up old acoustic to press into his side, “Sorry, I’m no preacher and shouldn’t try it. You askin’ ‘cause you’re curious? Think ya might want a ring of yer own? I part-timed at a mod shop, got pretty good at pokin’ ponies. I could give ya yer first one tonight if ya want. Just make up your mind before I get a taste of the whiskey here, buddy.”

[Bellosh]

 

Yù Yuè did not have to wait long for somebody to reel her into conversation. Among all the subjects the qilin studied in her youth was recognizing one sentient species from another, including all the individual species of cervidae found in the world. At first blush, the white bespectacled female possessed the frame of a caribou... but where were the antlers? Both the cows and bull had them, but this one didn't. That made it hard for Yuè to confidently guess whay species the tall cow was.

 

What the qilin mare did determine through the cow's accent was that she likely didn't come from anywhere near Equestria. "...That is correct," Yuè bowed her head with a smile, placing a hoof on her chest; "I am Jade Moon, and it is a pleasure to meet you." The Empress reasoned that even if someone saw past the Equestrianized version of her name, a scandal wouldn't occur as long as the skilled perceiver was shown due humility. "You come from one of the Northern Realms, do you not?"

 

Yuè's attention couldn't stay focused however as she noticed Feng's... abysmal attempt at conversing with party guests. Gaaaah, the last thing she needed now was for her bodyguard to cause an incident. Making things worse, Feng was offending the sensibilities of who appeared to be barbarians, what with their unconventional piercings and coat markings! Such beings tended to lack tact Yuè had been told by her Palace tutors, and there was no telling how the situation could further escalate.

Perhaps the Empress should have signaled Feng to disengage from his conversation, but she couldn't help but gaze in fascination at the barbarian deer... a deer with wings! Perytons they were known as, and they were said to be rare majestic creatures of pure grace... so why was this one so uncouth in appearance? Did the qilin's studies on the peryton species steer her wrong?

 

All these thoughts caused Yuè to forget how rude it was to keep staring at a stranger.....

[Blueblood]

Well, well, well...

 

There was no denying that Feng had been baiting the punks, and from the looks on their faces, they knew it.  What had been a little bit of a surprise was the restraint shown in the both of them answering him, and the rather philosophical nature of said replies.  That, plus the fact that he had just caught a horrified look from his Empress, led the Watcher to tack into the wind, as it were, in an attempt to not actually ruffle the feathers.

 

"I do have a name, yes."  He addressed Inkbrand first.  "I am called Feng Xinhaitao... the translation of it is something like 'Mountain Maple.'  And I do not ogle in general, but you cannot deny that such accoutrements attract attention.  And are designed to, no doubt."  He made sure to keep any shade of impertinence to his tone, while at the same time preserving his accent.  It tended to lilt, almost musically, as his native tongue was a tonal one.

 

Turning back to Lucy, then, he bowed.  "There is no need to apologize; I asked for an education and you gave me one.  Many in my home country concern themselves with their looks, but it is a very narrow range of beauty they aspire to, which has changed little over the centuries.  Very few consciously walk the untrodden paths; I have met none with as many tattoos and piercings as you."  It was true, Long Guo was considerably more conservative in its tastes than Equestria; one could get the same effect in some places using a daring hanfu that it would take the peryton's full suite of tats and piercings to do in an Equestrian city.  "As for the piercing... I am afraid it might catch on something; that is a concern in my work.  Though I will convey to my party your equitable and philosophical balance of mind... before the whisky, naturally."

 

And then, as if it had been his plan all along to test Inkbrand and Lucy to see if they were worthy company of Empress Yu Yue, he stepped back a bit, nodding at her.  He had noticed a certain fascination on her part towards the Peryton, which he chalked down, for now, to the mere curiosity of the exotic.  With his freed eye, he caught a glance of a certain large figure, attempting to keep in the shadows.  Not doing a particularly good job of it, either, it had to be said.  "Excuse me, sir?"  He asked, raising his voice a bit.  "Is it something you are looking for?"  He didn't think that Kappi was a malcontent out to hurt the Empress... but it didn't hurt to be sure.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

A strong looking specimen of a stallion walked underneath the archway entrance to the courtyard. His mane  was an orange-red shade and lightly tussled enough to look messy, but not unclean. A sturdy build not unlike a draft horse was covered by a dusty, khaki sort of coat.  

 

Being fashionably late was quite a literal case for Dust. Having still been working on trying to iron out a new wardrobe given this new affliction he was suffering from. Seems tonight he'd have to settle for a simple tuxedo and hope that he didn't sneeze.  At the moment Dust just hoped that this whole thing wouldn't be a mistake. In fact the entire reason he came here without his headphones was because he didn't want to just wander through another wall and have someone yell at him for another few minutes as he worked to write down the check ... maybe he should try and find a tutor who can help him learn re-construction magic, but that was an idea for another day.

 

Once again he found himself feeling like a commoner among nobles when he got the barest glimpse of what was happening on the inside. There was no chance he was willing to stay more than a few minutes in there, especially with all the royalty inside. He caught a glimpse of his friend Blueblood, but he seemed a bit... busy and after the whole Calnais disaster maybe it was best to meet somewhere more out of the public eye. Well for now, he may as well kill some time and ask around the party. Maybe there was something else that could be done besides just chatting.

 

The first group to draw his eye were that curious crowd of ... a tattooed stallion, a pegasus who seemed very interested in the former, a punkish peryton of many piericings, and a brown coated creature of the east: Longma was what they were called if he remembered right. He took a deep breath and approached, waiting for a lull in the peryton and the longma's conversation. "Um... 'scuse me." spoke of an impressive baritone behind Lucy, "Could I interrupt ye booth?" His accent was more than obvious to trace to anyone in Stalliongrad... or most equestrians really: Fet loch. "Wouldn't be wrong ta guess that this place has some sort of... games to keep guests buseh?" A strange trait to Dust's tone was that despite the naturally lyrical sound of the accent, it still sounded somehow flat and dull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Yes! Yes I do... From Whitescar actually." A small smile spread over the caribou's muzzle as she lowered her head, "I assume from your dress Miss Moon that you are from Long Guo, right?" In that moment where her head was lowered, Yu might have noticed the bumps on the top of her head: The base of the antlers that the owner seemed to have filed down. "May I ask what brought you all the way to stalliongrad from the far... east..." her words trailed off as she noticed the large stallion behind Jade, staring seemingly right at Eydis. He seemed... irritated? A slightly nervous smile came to the cow as the large pony seemed to just shift his gaze from her to Inkbrand.

"That was... Odd... Anyway. Where was I?"

[Zeig]

 

Who-kay there. He hadn't been expecting the Peyton's life story like that, but what the hay. Anyone who took a shine to the meaning and introspection of tattoos was pretty much a-okay by his books.

 

Except for That SOBB, because buck That SOBB.

 

Inkbrand didn't have very much time to delve into red-tinged thoughts of murder however, as Kireina suddenly made herself very known with her hooves all over the place, causing both his eyebrows and smirk to take dangerous tilts upwards. The Pegasus wasn't shy about using her hooves, that was for bucking sure...and it was so unfair, too. If he'd gotten hoovesy like that with any random mare, he would've been boot-kicked straight into next week almost immediately, and possibly into a jail cell.

 

Though, her query might have had the same effect either way, because what the bucking buck, that was random as.

 

The tattoo-clad stallion felt himself freeze up momentarily, before his body relaxed again. The smirk on his face had faded however - still there, but now slightly muted, as suspicion entered his eyes. Ever since Naj, Inkbrand had become more...aware, of some signs. He had nothing to go off of, 'o course, except for that random as lead-in to a question about Changelings, which had come out of nowhere. Might as well have asked him if he'd ever tattooed a dragon, or a Diamond Dog, or something.

 

Still - ever since Naj - those signs were not nearly as alarming as they might have been only a few months ago. Where he might have immediately thrown off her hoof and backed away with a scowl, Inkbrand was more aware of himself. But that didn't mean he was automatically comfortable, either - Naj was the only Changeling he'd ever known, at least to his knowledge, and it was Naj he liked, Naj he was comfortable with. Not all Changelings past, present, and future.

 

Though...she might not even be a Changeling and he could have been overly paranoid, yeah, there was that. 

 

...All this thinking, buck Naj.

 

"Can't say I ever have," the grey stallion finally settled on saying, smoothly stepping out from under the Pegasus' hooves, but remaining relatively in his same place. "I've only known one, 'ya know? And she wasn't too keen on the idea - figured the tats would just go straight through her." Ahah, because Changeling, and their exoskeletons...but buck. Inkbrand shrugged carelessly, as if he was remembering that shared joke with the Changeling in question, but if he turned his attention onto the Peryton and the Longma again, well.

 

That was his own bucking business. 

 

At the very least, the Longma Feng seemed amiable to the topic, even if he was still obviously in over his head, and a roguish grin crossed over his face as Inkbrand ran a hoof through his messy bangs. Okay, so, maybe tattoos were often designed - and more importantly, gotten in the first place - to draw the eye. Not in his own particular case, but Inkbrand could see where the guy might draw that conclusion from. It was a thought that was usually enough to cause his lips to curl up, because those kinds of ponies were the same kind that attributed tattoos to...to costuming, or a certain look. They were the ones who got a tattoo to simply get a tattoo, because they thought they needed it for a certain look, or style, not because the tat actually meant anything to them.

 

Bucking flakes. 

 

"Well, the name's Inkbrand, for what it's worth," the grey stallion finally introduced, sticking out a hoof for a stallion-y hoofshake, "and hay, if piercings can't do it for 'ya, get a tat instead. A heart with your filly's name on it, right next to your cutie mark - show your girl you're more committed to her than a guard is to that Empress you guys've got." Inkbrand joked, nudging the Longma with one elbow. Talk about self-expression - a tattoo of a girl's name was about the highest commitment a guy could give.

 

A permanent tattoo, anyways, because buck bucking lightweights.

 

...Speaking of lightweights...

 

The two large ponies that came tromping up to them might have earned nothing more than a passing glance from Inkbrand, even as one of them began engaging the Peryton and Feng to ask a question...except for the fact that the other pony stopped and stared him straight down, with a look that had his figurative hackles immediately standing on end. It was a glare through and through, though whether it was one of disapproval, disdain, annoyance...or hay all three, buck if he could tell. Maybe his face was just stuck like that.

 

Didn't really matter. 

 

"Hey yeah, buddy," Inkbrand drawled out after Feng's own question, casually leaning his shoulder against the nearby tree, as if he were completely at ease in the large stallion's presence, "I already know I'm the hottest stallion at this joint. Staring's not going to make that any easier for you." 

 

[Elderflower]

 

 

Okay, okay. So. This whatchercallem stallion wasn’t so bad after all, though if he was trying to test her, well...wait. Did he just step aside to clear the way to the lovely lady currently chatting with the pretty, bespectacled cervine gal? You know...the one he came here with? Aw, how sweet. For him to be that protective he must have the hots for her. The peryton cast a knowing smirk to Inkbrand, stepping his way to give him a little nudge after he offered to ink the curious stranger.

“I dunno, sweet cheeks,” she said quietly to the blue-maned stallion, her eyes flitting between Feng and his companion, “A heart? I’m more a fan of a good pin-up mare...pale, maybe with a blue mane...elegant horns...bright, blue eyes. Real pretty-like. Whatcha think?”

She cast Feng a wink, hoping to make him blush. After all, she could be wrong. Or she could be right and out the guy, if his sweet lil’ dumpling didn’t know how he felt. Before she could catch a reply though, two more strangers gronked their way into the growing crowd...Dang. Those were some seriously beefy dudes. One was clearly from Fet Loch, the other was...well...he was big. And a little creepy, and staring down Inkbrand pretty hardcore. There was some serious tension building.

“Not so easy being the most attractive stallion in all Equestria, huh?” she laughed, hoping to break the ice. But she was distracted from this conversation too, when she felt some eyes burning into the back of her neck. And when she met those eyes, her vampy-red lips curled into a devilish grin. Well, well - the stunner dressed in shimmersilk was staring her down, was she?

Lucy bounced happily towards the blue-maned beauty and away from the brewing drama, nodding at the pretty white deer...bou...deerbou? She could pass for either. Either way, she nodded at her as she approached, then gave her an apologetic smile. Well, half apologetic. It was her turn with this pretty little thing.

“Like whatcha see, dumplin’?” she purred and placed herself side-by-side with the whose-a-whatcha mare. Lucy was prone to being overly-familiar with strangers, and this time was no exception. She draped her wing over the gal who’d been staring her down and brought her other wing down around to show off her piercings.

“Did ya want a closer look at these, too? Or maybe you overheard my offer to good ‘ol Feng over there and want one of your own,” she gave the gal a little squeeze with her wing, “I’ll make ya a deal. This whole party’s all about the spirit of giving, yeah? Now, I normally charge to poke somepery. Can’t live without bits. Right? I usually pierce ears between jobs when I can get my hooves on the supplies. I got a little bit left in my guitar case, and I can whip you up something real suited to a gal like you. Real elegant. I’m thinking three white-gold piercings stacked on the ear - a lotus flower with two fish below. Maybe some pretty chains to drape between ‘em, and some gem dust to really glam it up. You give me your name since I missed your introduction, and I’ll give you a real regal piece. That’ll clear me out of bits and bobs for piercings, ‘cept maybe a couple boring studs. But a basic piece would be no good for a real lady like yourself.

Name’s Lucy, by the way. Charmed ta meet ya.”

Truth be told, the few scraps of jewelry she had left from her last odd job would be really helpful for spending on food, guitar strings, a roof over her head. The usual. But something about this pretty foreign number was just begging for a really commanding, regal piece of jewelry. Something that was lovely and tasteful enough to not be scandalous, but different enough to demand attention and raise a few eyebrows. It’d just look really damn good. Way more satisfying than the endless, boring rings and studs she saw most folks trotting around with. She wouldn’t be heartbroken if she was turned down, though. Wouldn’t be the first time.

[PyroBlaze]

Well... perhaps that had been coming on a bit too strong. Time to recover what she could of that relationship, she supposed. The mare pouted a bit as Inkbrand pushed away, watching the stallion as he spoke. 

 

"Hey now, what's so wrong with a bit of curiosity? Looking at your tattoos on that handsome body of yours made me wonder how my friend would look with one. He's a changeling, you see." Yūrei continued with her playful pout, keeping her distance for now. "Now that I think about it... maybe I should get one myself. Something fierce. What do you think about that, handsome?" At that point, she tapped her chin for a few moments before smiling over at Inkbrand and giving a wink. "I bet you'd like that, huh? Giving me a mark."

[Bellosh]

 

Whitescar? That'd definitely make the white cow a caribou, then. Yù Yuè also managed to catch sight of antler stems, which was most strange indeed. Was this caribou trying to pass herself off as something else? The qilin mare left her queries unspoken, preferring to stick with polite conversation. Something caused the caribou to lose her train of thought, allowing Yuè an opportunity to acquire information that had not been yet yielded to her; "...You were just about to introduce yourself, Laaaady....?"

 

Yuè didn't get much of a chance to further converse with the caribou before the bold peryton wormed her over to the Empress. The newcomer must have saw the qilin's excessive staring as an excuse to jut in freely. Without any bodyguards to interpose, there was nothing stopping Lucy from draping a wing over Yuè as if claiming the trophy mare for herself. The royal qilin though was a credit to her imperial dynasty, maintaining a perfectly pleasant expression on her face despite the gross violation of her personal space.

 

The situation grew more surreal as Yuè was presented with the opportunity to receive gift earrings. Not just any earrings Lucy promised, but works of beauty worthy of a Heavenly Daughter of Dragons. The royal qilin knew the score when it came to these sorts of characters: rarely was anything ever given away for free. When somebody does a favor... they'll expect that favor to eventually be repaid. Who knew what sort of payment Yuè would be providing Lucy somewhere down the line?

 

On the other hoof, there was something about Lucy's pitch that gave Yue's suspicions pause. This hadn't been the first time the Empress was solicited at an Equestrian party; back in the Gala, she had been harried by two smooth-talking stallions of ill repute. In contrast, the peryton's offer didn't seem very refined; it was very much what she'd expect to hear out a vendor in Huangjing's Outer Ward. And well, few things were as admirable as a merchant's hustle.

 

It was also encouraging for Yuè that nobody else was rushing to keep Lucy away at all costs. If everpony else in the Courtyard trusted the peryton, why shouldn't the Empress?

 

In that moment, Yuè made the decision to humor Lucy's hustle. "...You can call me Jade Moon," the qilin respectfully nodded her head before peeking closer at the peryton's piercings all over her body; "I take it all these piercings are your craftsmareship?" A moment of contemplative silence followed during the inspection, which ended with Yuè smiling in satisfaction. "Your proposed design sounds wonderful. I will be honored to wear earrings made by your hooves."

Right then, an issue came up in the qilin's mind; "But tell me... are there proper facilities here to do your work?" Used to being dressed up in lavish changing rooms, Yuè found herself hard-pressed to figure out how Lucy was supposed to make the earrings AND pierce the qilin's ears out here in the Courtyard.....

[Blueblood]

Feng found his attention drawn from the large, lurking stallion to a male of similar size who was much more open about his whereabouts and intentions.  Guards love an honest pony, and this one was no exception.  "No trouble at all, sir.  I believe you are correct, though such games were not part of my evening plans."  Had the longma come alone, things might have been different.  He trained for much, but most of his work involved standing around, waiting for something to start happening, and then moving lightning quick to prevent it from going any further.  That is, if he wasn't able to pre-empt it altogether.  Hence, he rarely got the opportunity to flex some of his more impressive skills, and would have then jumped at the opportunity to do so.  But, though this was an evening meant for pleasure, even now he was on duty.  Such is the life of the Watch.

 

Inkbrand's allusion to such a duty snapped him back into Feng's sights, in a rather more intense way than he had approached.  Had he betrayed himself, or the identity of his bel- Empress?  Two seconds was enough for him to see that the tattooist had not guessed the latter... but perhaps he was being less cautious about his feelings than he should be.  Making a cautious effort to temper himself, he tried to keep his voice even as he replied, "Your offer is generous, but perhaps that should wait until such a gesture is taken as affectionate, rather than presumptuous."  Not to mention disrespectful to the point of being drummed out the of the Watch, and straight into the nearest dungeon, no doubt.

 

He thought that was reasonable enough, and kept things under wraps... only the Peryton saw the signs, and pegged his heart with a bulls-eye shot.  "Well!  Er, why, you..."  Outed.  Oh, was he blushing?  He could not afford to blush, not when the Empress was looking in his direction!  If she guessed, he was toast!  He could only hope for something, or somepony to distract her.  Was that caribou going to be enough?  The Empress, hustled like a common customer?  Well, that came with being incognito.  That's why the Watch had a large discretionary budget for it's agents.  You buy to keep your cover, and get a little gossip out of it as well.  Yu wanted to come here without announcing her splendor, and now... well, Feng would protect her from the more egregious consequences, but a pair of really fine earrings was hardly a bad fate.  Might make him reconsider his own stance on piercings...

 

By the mercy of the dragons divine, Feng wouldn't have to find out, for Lucy was already trotting right over to Yu Yue, and there was no way that her attention could be on anything else right now.  Time enough for him to cool down, while... she was offered a piercing?

[RexDraco]

The stallion felt overwhelmed at the prospect of meeting others. He couldn't help but wonder if he stood out even amongst the varying range of races ahoof. His heart thundered like a war drum, ears forward pressed as his anxiety peaked. He was never much of a frontlinespony, always hailing the back as his territory. Marching into battle he took care never to stand in a place where he would take open fire as he was here. A lump in his throat formed as he raised his head to swallow. He was not inadequate, in any sense. With a powerful body and a fine coat his mane in both length and color were the envy of mares. Something he was quite proud of. He took good care of it. No -- out here he had no backup, no allies and would more over find that he was alone among the inhabitants of Stalliongrad. He may have had ancestry here -- but he was born and raised Caribou.

 

On the outside the former warrior gave off an air of pride and power, something his roots of combat could not forget. He stood ready to spar, tendons taught agianst his thick muscles. Unparalleled was his gaze which had seen a thousand storms, and was slated to see a thousand more before the heavens took him. Sea colored gems sat floating in his eyes against ebony stone, pupils dilated in the low light, giving off the sense that adrenaline was pumping through his veins. Even as the others looked at him he seemed unable to back down. That would be cowardly and his spirit wouldn't allow it evne if he felt that he may be overbearing. How could one step backwards.

 

Retreat was never an option. 

 

But tactful evasion was allowed, correct?

 

Muzzle still throbbing a bit from greeting a framepost with his face the stallion shook his heavy head, tousling his mane like a flurry of snow. The luxurious snow and ice colored mane settled against his grass-thick fur. One would almost think he had been born from a mountain the way he was built, but never would he allow others to see that bumbling rocksliding side of him... He cocked his head, eye turning down at Inkbrand. While he wished to move away... he did not find it easy to take his eyes off the pony's tribal markings. He was quite curious what they meant, but alas. The socially awkward behemoth flicked his thick, dreadlocked tail and made motion toward the young Caribou -- cow? She seemed to have been gently conversing with the Jade --female. The talk of piercings piqued his interest. Parting jaws were followed by a deep exhale. Looking to Eydis he nodded.

 

Steady and smooth the words carried from his muzzle. "Heil, Hvat segir þú? [Hello madam, how are you?]" His voice was deep, thick, fitting his heavy frame, but it was also eloquent, not heavy and certainly did not sound as if his mouth was dense with potatoes, but not so quick that it was as if he had balanced eight mugs on his back.

 

He offered her curious look before turning to the others as Lucy became up clsoe and personal with the Jade mare. They called their females mare, yes? "She hasn't her piercings?" He questioned. "Fyrirgef mik [My regretful apology]. To be without such at an age. Were you..." He paused looking for the word. "Neglect? Allt er góðt. I am sorry." He provided. Though it did not seem he was pierced, he was, he simply had no jewelry his own to wear these days. 

 

That was something he had to earn back...

 

His gaze soon caught sight of another stallion. One he could easily recognize as a pony and stallion. Kappi's thick brow arched as his chest seemed to puff up, demanding of attention, posturing as he did. It was the natural inclination of a warrior to stand proudly, especially when one was trying to impress. What an interesting accent too!

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

 

 

"Eydis. Eydis Hildusdottir." The caribou offered a cloven hoof to the qilin in friendship, "I'm a Skald: a sort of historian and musician. Again it's very nice to meet you, Miss Moon."

Then came a peryton, the very same one she'd bumped in to earlier. This was an unusual development, she didn't realize the natives of Long Guo were so... open to intimate physical contact.  While the two conversed about piercings, Eydis calmly watched: waiting for a chance to talk.

 

She didn't have to wait long though for conversation, although it didn't come from who she'd thought it would. The Burly stallion who'd been looming ominously behind her partly scaled new acquaintance apparently spoke her native tongue! There many ponies who spoke the tongue of the caribou clans, "[I'm quite good. How about yourself?] Eydis' tone was softer and more lilting. 

 

 

 

Well at least someone answered his  question. Dust gave a thankful bow to the longma who responded, "I'll do a bit of wandering then I suppose..." With that the stallion walked along to the hall. Before he left the scene he returned, "I hope you and your company have a nice night." His tone was still as flat as a board, despite his well wishing. As he passed by the rather fluffy looking stallion conversion with the caribou, he just avoided eye contact: Unsure really how to respond to that momentary display of fluffing before he left off towards a wing of the estate. 

(Exit Dust)

[Zeig]

 

No kidding. At least someone understood his struggles of being the hottest piece of stallion to ever grace this green world. 

 

"Right? Not so easy, being me," Inkbrand bemoaned exaggeratedly, turning wounded cow eyes onto the green Peryton - or would have, if she'd still been there. The grey stallion was momentarily startled to realize that she had wandered off without him even realizing it, and was now putting the moves on the pale coated Qilin that had been lingering in the back and conversing with the white Caribou. 

 

Well, alright then. He'd be the last one to blame a guy - or gal - for beelining it to a pony they had the hots for. Still, Inkbrand couldn't help but frown for a moment, as a strange sensation of...something...went skittering up his back. It was subtle, but pronounced just enough to figuratively stand his hair on end. It wasn't jealously or envy, he was sure of it, those were filled with heat and low-simmering, waiting to boil over into rage or aggression. Not forlorn, either, that was a bit more...pathetic.  

 

No, this was...something else. The same something Inkbrand had felt once or twice with Zelda, during Vinyl's rave.

 

...

 

Well, whatever. If it was important, the feeling would come back and hit him upside the head like bucking feelings had a tendency to do at the most inopportune moments. Bucking useless to try dwelling on it now. The tattoo clad stallion mentally shrugged, catalogued it into the recesses of his mind, and pulled himself back into the present. 

 

Where the titan of a pony was tromping away, apparently having gotten his fill of glaring at his tats. Inkbrand sneered at the stallion's backside, but otherwise ignored the strange interloper in favor of paying attention to Feng, who - unsurprisingly - declined the idea of a tattoo. "Affection, presumptuous, pfft," Inkbrand said eloquently, waving a hoof wildly through the air, "all the same, eh? Only presumptuous if you expect something in return, but wearing your heart on your sleeve - ahehe, get it? - that's a whole 'nother level of commitment," the grey stallion extrapolated, grin wide on his face. He wasn't really trying to convince the guy into getting a tattoo - he looked way too uptight to ever get one, really - but it was kind of fun to rile up the guy's buttons, especially with all the blushing he'd done after the Peryton's comments. 

 

Did the guy work with a filly he was sweet on, or something? He obviously had a particular someone in mind, no stallion got that introspective over a simple 'what if.'

 

Speaking of...

 

Kironie was clearly not done with her attempt to convince, and despite his misgivings, Inkbrand felt his grin sharpening into something decidedly more feral. "Baby, I'd give you several marks," the Earth Pony leered, even as he continued casually leaning against his tree of choice, "not all of 'em with ink, either." Asking for a Changeling friend, huh?...sure, he could buy that. Said Changeling must've been interested in getting a tattoo for Kironie to immediately think of him at the sight of a tattoo artist. Although...he'd made the offer to Naj - more out of instinct than any real desire - but get nuances of inking a Changeling were actually something he hadn't considered. His inks sank beneath the skin and into flesh...but what would it do with hard chitin? Probably slide right off, at that. 

 

...Probably something he should figure out before he started inviting Changelings into shop.

 

"But if you're looking for something fierce," Inkbrand continued after a moment, pushing himself off the tree trunk, "stop by Inkbrand's Tattoo Parlor in Manehatten. 'Fraid I can't help your buddy," the grey stallion shrugged, honestly not all put out at the idea, "don't have the necessary materials yet. Tell 'im to keep me in mind though, yeah? Might have something to mark up Changelings down the road." 

 

Way, way down the road.

 

But for right now...he had an inking he probably should have been present for as soon as he'd stepped hoof into the estate.

 

With no more than a casual wave of his hoof over one shoulder, Inkbrand was setting off down the pathway, this time taking no detours and heading straight into the main ballroom. Frostlace hadn't specified when she wanted the living tattooing to take place - and honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if she hadn't planned a time at all. She seemed a real easy-going filly, which was bucking fine in his books. Still, he did need time to get his set-up going. 

 

And to ogle some white flanks in preparation for a branding. There was never enough time for that.

 

[[ Exit ]]

 

[Elderflower]

 

Jade Moon huh? Pretty. Lucy wanted to ask what exactly Jade Moon, well, was...but that somehow seemed like it might be rude. Because, well, even though Lucy knew she was this bombshell dragon-pony from across the ocean, she just couldn’t put her hoof on what the dragon-pony name was. Because there was more than one name and that was, frankly, confusing as all flipping Tartarus.

Well, at least the peryton could confidently say Jade was from Long Guo instead of Neighpon. She had some sense, after all. Sometimes. Like now for example! Lucy was never shy about tooting her own horn. She oozed confidence. Mostly. It was a lot of fake-it-til-you-make-it confidence, but it worked for her! Right now, her Very Good Sense was telling her not to lie about her skills to this regal, pretty dragon-pony from across the sea..

“Weeeeeeell,” she said, rubbing the back of her head with a cloven hoof in an uncharacteristically bashful manner, “I mean. It’s not exactly made by me. Just that I work part-time in all kinds of places and I worked in a shop that did piercings a couple times. When I go there I get the bits and bobs to take with me and I fashion ‘em into things I think I can sell. Ya know. Makin’ ends meet ‘n all.”

Assembling jewelry and making it were very much not the same. Saying otherwise seemed like it would earn her some sort of lecture or equally uncomfortable punishment.

“Well Jade, huh. Good point. I mean, I’ve got the stuff to sterilize everything. Comes with the kit,” Lucy tapped her hoof to her chin in thought, “Outside would be no good for doing this, and somethin’ tells me the big ‘ol hall is gonna have too much bustle. We could find someplace quiet and clean inside I’m sure.”

She quirked an eyebrow at the mare, then, “Unless you don’t trust a ruffian like me to lead you down a dark hallway. Seems like you’re the type to roll with the upper crust. Most folk like you snub their noses at me, think I’m some  sorta classless hooligan. Too loud, too friendly. Guess it ain’t fair to lump you in with them, considering the talk we’re havin’.”

Ah yes - here it was. The potentially toxic side of Lucy. She was testing Jade - if the dragon-pony decided Lucy wasn’t trustworthy after all, she’d get a good lashing from the garbage little peryton. Lucy shrugged, then regarded the pretty little whosawhatsit. Dragon-pony. She should probably stop thinking such awful things in regards to Jade and Fengs’ species...huh. Since when did Lucy give a hoot about thinking respectfully? Was it this Jade character? Somethin’ about her...her presence seemed to quietly command respect...it was almost like a super power. Huh...cool.

Yeah, a babe like that should dip into a more alternative style. It’d set her apart, but in a classy way. Normally, Lucy wasn’t so compelled to just throw an offer like this on the table. She wasn’t exactly somepery who did body mods for a living, after all. Being able to poke a clean hole in an ear isn’t exactly career-worthy work after all. Still, there was that part of her that really wanted to spread a little of her poisonous personality. Muss up a an artfully-styled hairdo, tag a building.

You know, what you’d usually expect of somepery crying for attention. And Jade Moon was just so...pristine. And she actually wanted a piercing. It’d be fun for Lucy to haul such a proud, pretty mare into her world for a night. What a story it would make!

[Bellosh]

 

Something about the manner Yù Yuè carried herself must have caused Lucy to lose some of her spunk, because the peryton started clarifying the nature of her actual work. From what the qilin gathered, Lucy was a sort of scavenger who fashioned whatever material she could get her hooves on into a work of art. Perhaps that partially explained what enabled the winged doe to perform her work outside the confines of a shop.

 

A minute later, Lucy's further commenting caused Yuè to raise an eyebrow in return. "Oh..." the qilin remarked with surprise; "I have heard so much about the fabled Equestrian Dream, where everyone loves and tolerates one another equally. But then, I suppose that if the Equestrian Dream matched the reality, they would be no need to call it a Dream to begin with..." The qilin wasn't completely naive about the affairs of Equestria; she knew certain cities like the very Stalliongrad they were celebrating Frostlace's harvest at bucked the sunshine and rainbows image that ponydom sold to the world. Still, Yuè always expected that such shows of class snobbery were far less common in Equestria; a mental construct partially reinforced by her Gala experiences and by two high-born Trottingham friends of her.

 

Yuè began to wonder what Lucy would think of "Jade Moon" were it known that the qilin was no other than the Empress of Long Guo itself. No other rulers shrouded themselves in inaccessible pageantry like the Dragon Kingdom's imperial monarchs did; presiding from a grandiose palace forbidden to nearly all, which was itself hidden behind an Inner Ward of the Capital restricted to the realm's most influential and valuable citizens. It was all necessary of course to cultivate the majestic and all-powerful reputation of the Sovereign, but there would always be those like Lucy who'd never understand. And perhaps they did had legitimate points.

 

One thing was positive though; the peryton will get the shock of her life upon discovering Miss Moon's true identity. That thought filled Yuè with a rebellious guilty pleasure, which was something very rare for the qilin royal to experience.

 

In any event, Lucy wasn't ignorant of what what needed to be done to acquire an adequate working space. "We should seek out one of Countess Frostlace's servants," Yuè advised; "It won't be difficult for me to convince them to find us a suitable room inside." The royal mare meant no offence to Lucy, but who better to lead the two of them to the most proper quiet place inside the estate than the household staff?

 

"Come, Lucy," Yuè started to slowly amble away towards the Courtyard's edge, looking backwards with confidence and nodding at Lucy... making sure Feng was in line of sight at the same time to let him know to keep a discrete pair of eyes on the two of them (if he could). Assuming Lucy hadn't seen through Yuè's deception, there was little chance the peryton was setting up a kidnapping plot. Yet it was always wise to play things safe, just in case. "We should get underway... while the festivities are still young."

Now, to find one of Frostlace's servants.....

 

*Yue's, Feng's, and Lucy's story will continue in "Sneaking off with an Empress!"*

[Blueblood]

'Heart on his Sleeve?'  Hah, that was a surefire way of getting it broken, as far as Feng was concerned.  He was but a Watcher, a secretive service at the best of times.  To make a public bid for the Empress' affections would only earn him a rejection, and possibly a court martial as well.  But, he could not make this objection to the tattooed one, first because revealing it would defeat the whole purpose of not getting a tattoo any way, and second because Inkbrand was already departing.  Ah well, the courtyard was growing less crowded, giving him a chance to keep a closer eye upon his charge and her conversation partner.

He casually drifted in their direction, picking up a savory horsd'ourves from a passing tray.  He came close enough to listen in with trained ears upon their conversation.  It seemed this 'Lucy' had something of the Manechurian about her, though she probably wouldn't have put it like that.  Preferring the free life with no respect of rank.  It was always a delicate job for the Emperor or Empress to manage the autonomous pony-dominated area to the north of Long Guo, but so far, Yu Yue had done so deftly, and was showing that skill now.  

 

Oh, was the piercing going to go through?  Well then!  Feng gave a discreet nod to his charge, and prepared to follow her out.