[Park] The Rubins of Equestria [Open]

[Cat Napper]

[profile's located here. My first pony related RP, lets make it a fun one c:]

Business was decent here in Ponyville, not too overwhelming but good enough to keep her income steady. Working on her own hours as her own boss taking as much pay as she wished, some would say Cat had it made. She was content with what she had set up here in her new residence, and boy was it a break to be away from the hustle and bustle in her sky home. But with her lack of socializing and deep involvement in her work, the young pony had yet to meet anyone she could call a friend. Even with her good fortune in her work, Cat Napper had become dreadfully lonely in that tiny studio.

Cat Napper reached her head behind her outstretched wings and tightened the strap holding a heavy saddlebag to each flank, both packed tightly with a new stock of acrylic paints. Once she was sure her load was secure, she set off at a slightly faster gait than normal across the green fields of one of Ponyville's lovely and well tended to parks.

Today was the day that the pegasus had decided she'd had enough time working alone in her studio. It was time to get out there, get some sunshine soaked into her pale coat, find some inspirational spark for a truely remarkable piece! She couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, the air was warm and still with beams of intense white light radiating from the brilliant sun. The landscape's lighting was set perfectly in midday with green and blue hues everywhere. Olive green the oak leaves glowed translucent green light from the sun filtering between them onto the dusky brown trunks comparable even to a faint purple tinted over the shadows on the rough exterior.

Cat's eye for color was brilliant, and the hues of the natural world never failed to astound her. Sometimes they'd become so captivating that she'd just- "Whoa-aah!!" Cat's hoof was tripped up on a protruding rock, the pegasus flailed her wings in an attempt to regain her balance without avail. She landed with a loud thud in the soft grass unharmed, but her saddle bags became unlatched upon impact. Crimson, aquamarine, goldenrod, burnt umber and a good number more colors spilled over the large flat surface of the slab that had tripped her.

Cat lay on her belly for a moment with legs sprawled on either side of her, letting the buzzing in her head settle before she was back up on all fours with a groan. "Awh, fu-udge," She sighed, ears drooping. "Those were brand new.." She trailed off after looking down at the full chromatic scale of splatters covering the rock. A large blob of cyan set in the middle of the slab.. was it just her mind or did it look like..? A thoughtful look washed over the filly's face.

After moments of envisioning, the light bulb went off. Cat's well trained hooves began to spread the colors almost subconsciously, the rock becoming a canvas for her newest creation. A dash of ruby red, a spray of vermilion followed by lots of blending with intricate and delicate forehoof movements that came to her as naturally as breathing. She'd stop and rub a fallen leaf over the painting now and again to add an interesting texture and blend the hues together, even a spot or two of rich earth mixed into the shadows of her depiction were used to create depth.

After less than fifteen minutes of this the now paint covered filly leaned back and admired her spur of the moment work with a satisfied grin. The previously shapeless splatters of paint had suddenly changed form to a regal blue pegasus with dappled markings and detailed smooth shading, it's wide wings spread to their full span and showing thick flight feathers of every color in the rainbow. The creature's white gaze was mysterious and elegant, a feeling that if felt by the artist herself it had to be strong. Such an odd very messy look to the picture seemed attractive and intriguing to Cat, seeing as she used no brush for tiny details and the edges of her sharp hooves were all she had as tools.

She smiled to herself with a small giggle. She simply found so much joy in the fact that nothing could make her upset, not even spilling newly purchased art materials. After a moment of consideration, Cat decided to prop her finished piece up against the nearest oak tree to be displayed to the world right there in the park. She smiled, the multicolored pegasus rock was quite noticeable under the shady green umbrella formed by the leaves. "You're welcome, Ponyville." She said quietly to herself before beginning the slow process of gathering up and loading her remaining paints back into her saddlebags.

[Inkwell]

Dear Mom and Dad, Inkwell wrote as he took a walk. Sorry I haven't written to you in a while, but I haven't had the opportunity to drop by a post office box lately. After I left Fillydelphia, I decided to go on a wilderness expedition. It seems like it was months ago, and I can hardly remember why I did it at all. Maybe it would put me in the right mood to draw nature? I don't know. But I'm okay thanks to all the foraging knowledge you gave me, Mom!

He smiled and looked around the village. This was nice scenery too, and he didn't have to sleep in a hollow tree and eat wild plants to appreciate it! Anyway, I didn't stay in the woods long. An airship passed over me a few days ago. A griffin airship! I didn't know they were so amazing in person! I followed it all the way to this charming little town called Ponyville. Everyone here's been very welcome, and I think I'm going to have a hard time leaving it. There's a bakery that sells some of the best pastries I've ever had, and a charming little library in the middle of town. It doesn't have as many art and fiction books as I'd like it to, but I'm sure I could help out the owner with that!

As he walked, Inkwell came upon a rather large rock. If he'd picked another time to finish that paragraph, he might have tripped over it and spilled ink everywhere! Thank goodness for small favors. He started walking around it when he noticed that it was covered with something. Was that... paint?

His eyes beheld a wondrously unique piece of art. It depicted a grand, majestic pegasus, and for a work that seemed to have been painted entirely by hoof, it managed to capture details rather well, especially in the facial area. "My word..." He spotted a blue filly with goggles working to pack her saddlebags. "Did you make this?" he asked, looking back at the rock painting with wonder.

[Cat Napper]

Saffron, emerald, cinnabar, magenta.. Cat double checked the surrounding area to be sure she hadn't missed a tube or a jar. The ground seemed clear of all her materials, and pleased, Cat turned to shut her saddlebags, this time making sure the latches held tighter than before. With a little smile she noticed a colt admiring her rock, and she sat up a little bit straighter when he approached her and asked if she had made it.

She felt pride wash over her, and reminding herself to keep a bit of modesty she nodded affirmatively. "Yep, that was me." The tiny pegasus grinned, slipping her strap over her nose and down her back. She jerked her wings out from under the strap and adjusted the saddlebags over her sides. "It's nothing spectacular, just my way of cleaning up a spill is all. There's a lot better back at my studio." Cat lifted a forehoof and pushed her goggles up over her eyes to enhance her vision and get a better look at the gentlecolt before her. What caught her eye first was the cutie mark he sported, it looked to be a pen and ink set. Was he perhaps an artist as well? Pen and ink was a difficult medium to tame, it's permanence allowed not even the slightest flaw to escape undetected. Anypony able to use it with ease had her respect.

Cat lowered her hoof and allowed her goggles to fall and drape around her neck once more, her gray eyes looking as relaxed and welcoming as ever. "I couldn't help but notice your mark, are you an artist too?" She inquired before extending her hoof in greeting, then pulled it back awkwardly when she realized it was dripping with multicolored paint still. Little did she know that as she'd lifted her goggles before she'd left a silly looking smudge of blue right between her nostrils. "Heh, sorry. I'm Cat Napper, don't let the name fool ya, I work hard." She chuckled again. Sure she slept a lot, but exhaustion doesn't always equal laziness.

Anypony else would've felt out of place introducing themselves splotched with acrylics and mane a mess, but Cat wasn't just anypony else. She was never one to judge a book by it's cover, and she more hoped than expected others to treat her the same way. After all, it was impossible to deny how adorable the petite filly looked with her warm smile and messy appearance. It was what she believed gave her a unique charm. She saved dressing up for more formal events than a walk in the park.

[Inkwell]

Inkwell got a closer look at the filly as she packed up and acknowledged her work. "Well, you certainly made the best out of a bad situation. I might have to try my hoof at painting rocks sometime. You make it look so rewarding!"

She pointed out his cutie mark and asked him if he was a fellow artist. He couldn't help but beam when she did; he'd always enjoyed meeting fellow artists, and this one was the first he'd met ever since he left Fillydelphia. "Oh yes, I'm an artist, too. I've been one for about five years now. I've had some of the best times of my life drawing and painting. Of course, it was rather difficult for me to learn to work with oil paints and a brush. One wrong move and you've got paints mixing where they shouldn't and fine details getting smudged! Not like using pens and pencils at all."

He chuckled as he noticed Cat Napper extending a messy, paint-stained hoof for him to shake. She looked like a pony who got too into her work to care much about her appearance, and Inky sympathized. Sometimes he got a lot like that, too, and sometimes he wanted to look his best. "Pleasure meeting you, Cat Napper. I'm Inkwell. I believe you mentioned something about a studio?" Inkwell didn't have a studio set up just yet, unless he counted his room. He was curious about how Cat Napper set hers up.

[Cat Napper]

Cat Napper pricked her ears with interest. A five year artist? Specializing in pen and pencil too. Her friendly gaze held gleaming curiosity. What kind of art did this unicorn work with? Abstract? Portraits? Landscapes? Or was he an 'anything goes' type artist like herself?

"I hear ya. Art is something I've loved ever since foalhood." Of course her talent never went noticed back in Cloudsdale, where athletes and flyers were highly regarded over anything else. The most she'd ever get was an ill mannered class mate of hers calling her a nerd or some similar insult. "Pens and pencils eh? Sketching is somethin' that's easy for me but inking gets me. My hold isn't too steady as it is, my lines turn out all wobbly when I try to get em straight. With painting it's one thing. Any slip up can be fixed once it's dried. Just paint over it and voilà!" Cat Napper raised her hoof slightly for emphasis. A little grin spread over her face when the colt introduced himself to her.

"Pleasure's all mine Inkwell." The filly gave a cute smile. Inkwell, the name suited her new unicorn acquaintance. He seemed to be a very proper young colt, but not to the point of being a snob in the least. She liked that. Cat had a feeling that she'd get along nicely with Inkwell here. "Well, it's not much of a studio. It's a room I rented over near the Marketplace." She gestured with her head towards the center of town. "I just try and make due with what I've got here. I'm gettin' my work done so it does the job alright." She folded her legs beneath her and sat more comfortably in the grass, giving a little nod inviting Inkwell to sit with her. "So, do you live here? I just blew in from Cloudsdale to get word out of my art and earn a living." He didn't remind her much of the other Ponyville natives she'd bumped into. He had to have some sort of story. Was he a traveler like she was? Traveling with a friend wouldn't be too bad, though she was nowhere ready to leave Ponyville yet.

[Inkwell]

Inkwell's new friend explained her preference for paint right then and there, and he nodded in understanding. "Ah, of course. I suppose I did start off my art career with a bit of an unfair advantage." His eyes looked up at his horn. "I did learn later that you could paint in coats, and that did make things much easier. Waiting for the painting to dry isn't easy for me, though. I tend to get a bit anxious to get back to work until I'm actually finished."

He sat down next to Cat Napper, folding his legs and letting the bottom of his saddlebags touch the ground. She told him about her rented room and her Cloudsdale origins, which made him a bit envious. When he first left Trottingham, he made a goal to see all of Equestria during his life, and that included Cloudsdale. Problem was, he didn't know how; it was a city for pegasi, and it floated miles above the ground, inaccessible to those without wings. Even if he hitched a ride, he'd heard that he would just pass through the cloud floor like it wasn't there at all if he tried to set foot on it.

"It actually took me a while to try my hoof at art," he said. "I always wanted to, but I kept getting intimidated by how good everypony else was, and I thought I'd never be good enough. But I changed my mind, and my life's taken a turn for the better since! I'm actually from Trottingham. I've been touring Equestria for a few years now, and I actually just got to Ponyville recently." He still remembered his arrival like it was yesterday. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'm in much the same situation as you are. I've rented a room that serves as an ad hoc studio, and I work on commission, too. What are the odds?" He gave Cat Napper a toothy grin.

[Cat Napper]

Cat Napper giggled when Inkwell spoke about his horn. Now THAT'S interesting. Only a little while ago she'd been imagining how a unicorn's magic would make due as an art medium. Even so she was perfectly fine with her own two hooves, but hearing about the method of others did spark an interest in her lively soul. "I used to be just like you. Impatience is good for a deadline but sometimes taking your time can be very rewarding." Her eyes flickered over to her speed painted pegasus before adding. " 'course it all depends on what kind of look you're goin' for. Quickly done art has a nice feel to it in certain situations."

Her new friend sat in the grass beside her to which she gave a welcoming smile. How lovely was it that her first friend since she left Cloudsdale was also an artist? The fates seemed to be in her favor that day. "Well, I'm glad ya gave it a shot Inkwell! With so many talented ponies it can be intimidating to try at first." Her eyes gleamed sympathetically as she was reminded of her first public show of her art at which she was a nervous wreck. "No two ponies have the same artistic gift in em, just remember that. What you can do somepony somewhere else wishes they could and vice versa."

Coincidentally as Inkwell explained it, the two were indeed in a very similar situation. This the filly found to be very amusing. "Well now, isn't that interesing?" She giggled a little at this. "You and I are of kindred spirits my friend. I'm planning on traveling Equestria as well but this is my first year out." She cocked her head slightly to the side like a curious puppy before asking. "I've heard some interesting things about Trottingham, I'd really love to visit someday! What's it like there?" In truth, Cat Napper had only been to Cloudsdale, it's outskirts where her old friend resided, and Ponyville. Not much for a pony set on traveling the world, but it was a start if anything!

[Inkwell]

Inkwell nodded as Cat Napper explained the merits of patience. "Yeah, most of the time it works out better if I focus on details. Sometimes I experiment with a more frenetic, abstract style, but those tend not to sell as well. Maybe I'm just ahead of my time!" He gave himself a chuckle at his little joke.

He couldn't help but smile more as Cat Napper kept talking and encouraging him. The filly had a boundless energy and enthusiasm to her; if he'd been born with that much energy, he'd have started drawing a long time ago. "Yeah, I know that now," he replied. "Doesn't mean I can't try and improve my deficiencies. It'll just take a bit more work."

The subject came to Inky's hometown, which made him sigh wistfully and lay his head down on the ground. "Oh, it's a pretty nice town. Has a lot of nice, gilded architecture. In fact, gilded is a pretty good way to describe the town. Lots of classy families live there. They can be a little stuck up, but my family's cool. What about you? What's Cloudsdale like? I'd love to visit but, well, no wings."

[Cat Napper]

"That's the spirit." She said with a large grin. "Everypony has weak points, but it's the brave ponies that admit it and try to fix em." She listened with her ears perked as Inkwell described Trottingham for her. A place of grandeur, gilded architecture, she could picture it now in her head. Intricately designed cathedrals, mansions worth more than all of her art combined, it would definitely be a sight worth seeing. Painting the landscapes would be a blast! "I've heard that the people there can be a bit uptight, but I try not to judge until I've met em myself." She looked down at her paint covered hooves and gave a tiny giggle. "If I was like everypony in Cloudsdale I'd be.. well.. a lot different than I really am!" She'd never thought about stereotyping her hometown and with all the unique faces she knew up there it was hard to label them all under one category. Her attention was brought back to earth when Inkwell asked her about her hometown. "Cloudsdale is a pretty fast paced place. With the weather factory and all the ponies there have to be working from dawn 'til dusk! Or at least, that's how my parents were. Most of the buildings were sculpted out of clouds so it never hurt when you tripped." She laughed an imagined how many stitches she would've needed if they were brick buildings like here in Ponyville.

"I'm not sure but I've heard a rumor of a cloud-walking spell. Say, how are you with magic. Y'now, being a unicorn and all?"

[Inkwell]

Inkwell pondered the matter of magic. "Well. I'm not really sure. The thing is, I've never really gone out of my way to practice magic, aside from basic telekinesis, and with that I focused more on precision than power, all the better to draw with." He turned to his saddlebag and unlatched it with magic, making a sketchbook float out.

"Recently I tried to look at some of the magic books in the library and try my hand at those, but I guess I picked up a advanced book by accident. I got a headache just looking at it. I mean, for the spell that lets you see into the future, I'm pretty sure you have to concentrate on ten different things at once! I don't know how those other unicorns do that without going mad." He shook his head and frowned. "Haven't found the cloud-walking thing, but I can only hope it's more accessible."

He reopened the spellbook and took a look at the latest drawing, of two ponies harnessed to carts making small talk in the marketplace. "So you used to trip into buildings a lot, huh?" he asked. "I hope you can keep your balance in my room. I started a few projects without really devoting that much time to finishing them, so there are easels everywhere!" He stuck out his tongue. "Maybe we could visit your room first?"

[Cat Napper]

As Inkwell described his experience with magic, Cat immediately thought of how she'd do with it (as was the Cat Napper way, thoughts usually went a mile a minute.) Sometimes she could barely focus on her own four hooves let alone ten different things at once! Those magically talented unicorns must be real brainiacs.

The blue filly couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's next comment. "Hehehe it's not usually tripping that's the issue. I used to be so full of energy as a foal that I couldn't stop myself. Y'now how usually you'd have to apologize to your neighbor for the baseball through his window? Try apologizing for the pegasus filly through his window, I promise it's not as easy!" She laughed out loud at this and was thankful that cloud buildings didn't often have sharp glass windows otherwise she'd be sliced up pretty badly by now. Curiosity tugged her gaze towards Inkwell's sketchbook, she leaned over to get a better look at his recent works. Neater lines than her loose sketching would be expected with the help of Inkwell's unicorn telekinesis, but what really got Cat's attention was the lovely accuracy of it all. Me must do a lot of observation and life drawings, something Cat found to be very relaxing. "You've got quite the skill Inky, if you don't mind me callin' you that." At the thought of nicknames, Cat felt it only proper to offer hers up as well. "Feel free to just call me Cat. Or Kitty Cat. Or Cheetah, Klutzy, Shortstuff, I've got quite a few nicknames from the past years." Cat stopped herself with a look of amusement when she realized she was babbling on about things that weren't related to anything going on right now. It was a habit of hers, but she never really saw it as a bad thing, she thought it made conversations more interesting. The filly couldn't help but beam a little as Inkwell asked to see her studio. "Well, you'll be the first to see my workspace. I'd be happy to show you! Just a fair warning, there might be a lot of clutter. Maybe even more so than your room, I'm not the most organized pony you'll meet." She smiled and stood up, taking a moment to stretch her wings before beginning the walk towards the part of town where her rented room was located. Her eyes trailed to her painted rock leaning on the oak tree where a young foal was now admiring it, the regal pegasus's eyes staring right back at her. She smiled and in her mind bid her creation farewell, turning her attention back to where she was walking. If anything the painting would give her a bit of publicity and liven up the park a bit, although it seemed pretty lively as it was.

[Inkwell]

Inkwell followed Cat Napper away from the park, listening to her talk about her youthful exuberance in a way that Inkwell couldn't help but chuckle at. She was just so bubbly and enthusiastic that he couldn't help but like her; he wanted to tussle her hair with a hoof. He jokingly wondered why he couldn't have had a sister like her instead of Rose.

"Nah, you can call me whatever you want, Cat," he told her, still holding up his book at a comfortable distance from her face. He turned a page back to show a landscape drawing of the middle of Ponyville, with Sugarcube Corner featured prominently in the center. "And thanks for the compliment. I try my best to keep in practice. I've honestly lost count of how many sketchbooks I've filled out by now. It has to be at least five."

He followed her gaze back to a little foal who stopped to admire Cat's painting, and he felt his heart melt, the way he usually did when he saw those little treasures. "Huh?" he asked, remembering that she talked about her studio. "Yeah, sure. I'll be careful not to step on anything."

They made their way through the town until they came upon a large building near the edge of town. "Huh. You're telling me we live in the same complex?" he asked Cat with a smile. Now he knew they could visit each other as much as they wanted with barely any effort!