Hi There

[Astalakio]

About myself.: See below.

How did you hear about Canterlot.com?: I was on another RP forum and some people were talking about MLP, and they started saying that Canterlot was awesome. I Googled it and the rest is recent history.

My one favourite main cast pony?: AppleJack

Well, it took long enough, but I finally find myself here. It was a slow, steady descent into bronidom, but perhaps it was innevitable. Still, don't tell my flatmates I was here, they'd never understand the magic.

My name is Astalakio, or Asta for short. I'm from Britland, 18 years old, male, and currently attending uni, studying joint Film & English.

I've always wanted to be a writer, but recently I've been neglecting this pastime to partake in my other passion - I am an amateur cartoonist. There are few things I like more than a good cartoon, which makes it strange that it took so long for me to admit I was a brony. Still, I'm here now, and hope to have a pleasant time and meet lots of people too!

Other interests include music of almost all genres (I tend to say, when queried, that music is like a book, and if you only open your ears to one genre, you'll only ever read a single page. However, it is alright to have a favourite page, and my favourite page is big band and swing music from the 50s). I spend most of my time drawing (I don't know if it's appropriate to plug my deviantART page here or not...) or RPing, something I have been doing for several years and am fairly good at by now. As you are about to discover, I also have a tendency to write too much.

When two of my friends chanted that 'friendship is magic' in perfect unison, I began to suspect that there was some sort of joke that I wasn't quite a part of.

They soon took delight in explaining about this show they'd been watching, and I realised it was the source of all this weird pony fanart I'd been seeing on deviantART lately. They seemed quite excited about the adventures of those cartoon creatures, and quickly recalled to me the adventures of Pinkie Pie (whom everyone seems to remember, funnily enough) and Appledash ("Applejack", I corrected, and they looked at me strangely. I hadn't even seen the show at this point, but names of characters are simple to remember).

I was immediately sceptical. I was baffled by the idea that such a strange audience would be so strongly fond of a show like that. It was this curiosity that led me to a sort of research. Well, I said it was research, hiding my personal interest behind a guise of bewilderment. I'd start looking at pony fanart 'to survey the demographic', when really I was just charmed by what I saw. Even so, it was somehow difficult for me to actually sit down and watch the first episodes. I was sat with my laptop, quite late at night, nobody around. I typed 'My' into Youtube, but couldn't bring myself to go further. I just felt rather ridiculous, for some reason. I expect it was that I couldn't get it out of my head that I was going to watch a show meant for girls (it certainly wasn't that I was going to watch a show for children, since I watch lots of cartoons shamelessly). There is probably some freudian explanation for it, but I just found it really difficult.

Later, after I couldn't stand it any more, I went ahead and watched the first three episodes ("You have to watch the first two to really get into it" my friend had told me - the exact same adivce I myself had given not a month previously when I introduced him to the anime 'Death Note', which he came to love). I watched it with a critical eye (in retrospect, I think I desired NOT to like it) and when I'd finished, I moved away from it and took little interest for some time afterward.

However, my fascination with the brony culture led me, eventually, back to the show. I became determined to figure out exactly what it was that made all these people so dedicated to the show. I lurked around these very forums for some time, observing with perhaps a more open mind than before. I started watching the episodes again (I'm still only on the early ones), and suddenly everything went very dark. I quickly realised I had become a closet brony myself, trapped by my own prior assumptions and confusion. Continuing to look around at both this forum and the show itself, however, I saw that the attitudes the show created were anything but judgemental, and that the tone of this place was so friendly that there could be no harm, surely, in joining up.

I haven't quite told anyone I know about my new fondness for the show (I attempted to subtly drop it into conversation with my friend who introduced me by offering a 'brohoof', but I don't think he got the reference, suggesting that I'm already a bigger fan than he). Other people seemed to watch the show and fall instantly in love with it, and for me it was a long struggle, but there it is, the single fact of my existence. My name is Astalakio, and I am a brony.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Astalakio

[MyLittlePonyTales]

Hello!

I'm MyLittlePonyTales, but I just go by Tales around here. I'm one of the many great staff here at Canterlot. Please feel free to message any of us with any questions or concerns you have, or you can just leave another comment here!

If you didn't already, please take a moment to check out the rules section, just so that you're up to speed!

You'll also need to make at least 3 comments anywhere in the Introductions section before you can post on other parts of the board.

A good place to go if you're looking to meet a lot of new Bronies is the IRC Chat.

Welcome to Canterlot!

[BlueBolt]

Hello Asta! Writer and Artist eh? That's awesome! I'm still working on the writing/Artis thing myself. Not too good at either ^^; but it's fun! Good luck with being a Cartoonist! :3

[Armony]

Welcome to Canterlot, hope you enjoy your time here!

[Astalakio]

Thanks for the welcome all ^_^ And Bluebolt, remember that you are your own worst critic. If you keep working on it and keep practicing, eventually you'll end up with work that you can look at and openly be proud of =] I've only just got to that stage myself, really.

[Tenkan]

My reaction after reading your entire epic post.

It's my pleasure to welcome you, Asta, to the friendlies forum you'll see on this side of the internet!

I'm Tenkan! You can just call me Tenkan (without the exclamation), and quite frankly, I find your writing awesome!

(So awesome, that I'll grant you the full honor of correcting my grammar whenever you please!)

On a side note, I don't make the rules here, but I think you're free to post your writing/artwork in the Creativity section of the forum as long as it's pony related.

I'm not fully sure, so maybe you should ask a moderator or something.

[Astalakio]

I really didn't think anyone would actually read the whole thing! Thanks for the warm welcome, and as for the grammar correction, I'm flattered by the sentiment, but even though I'm an English student I actually don't like correcting other people. Probably because, firstly, it makes people eager to bitterly point the hoof and correct me when I make a mistake, and secondly, because it makes people dislike me.

I probably will use this site to show any pony-related art I do, instead of putting it on my deviantART, because some people from my Facebook see my deviantART, and I'll never hear the end of it from them. Thanks again!

[RarityDash]

Welcome to Canterlot.

And good choice. Applejack is best pony.

[SunsetSombra]

HEEEEEEEY, Welcome to the forums and such - nice to see new folks turning up!

Seeing as how Tales has told ya all about the rules pages and such, I'mma go ahead and state that there's always the Getting Started section for any further enquiry you might have about how to make applications and how to generally get along with everything that takes place here. Also, Skye runs a RP Masterclass now and then for those who migzht need a little assistance with RP Concepts, so whenever you feel like you need a hand, don't be afraid to ask him about it!

Mods, admins and General helpstaff are also on hand to help with any other questions and things that you may wanna ask/find out more about that may or may not already be covered by that aforementioned help area - so there's literally nothing to lose by looking around or asking anypony for help here!

Now that I've covered that, I'm gonna go right ahead and award you a complimentary Glowstick! ^^;

Welcome to the boards, I hope you have yasself a blast up in here!

[Brauner02]

Welcome to the forum i hope you have a good time, everyone here's been so nice. and that's a funny way of spelling Rarity

[Astalakio]

I found it really hard to choose just one of the main characters. They work best as a unit, of course.

Thanks for the welcome, and yeah, the look of how friendly this place seemed was one of the main things that convinced me to sign up =]

[Skye]

Welcome to Canterlot! Be sure to stop by Getting Started for a whole saddlebag full of goodies and useful information, including free avatars and templates! We hope you enjoy your stay and have a great time!

We've got many different things to do here, from the random chitchat and chattertalk, to out and out Roleplay! We do encourage you to explore and settle in, find your own little place here. Perhaps you draw? We have a section for art! We also have a Gallery! Do you write? We'd love to see your fanfics, stories and lore! There's a section for that! And if you're into the Roleplay, well, then you came to the right place! Compose music? We'd love to hear it!

What an introduction! Writing is something I enjoy very much as well, but sometimes it's hard getting the hang of things and keeping the muse going, I find. But so worth it!

[Doc Hoof MD]

Welcome to Canterlot! Enjoy your stay