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@ Pondah followed alongside Bubble and kept up with her slow walk. "Any idea where we're going?" ​Pondah asked. "Or are we wondering around with no idea like usual?" 'One moment... the music and lights sounded fun. How can light sound fun? You can't hear light. I imagine if you had the right stuff you could but I doubt she was walking around carrying the equipment for that. Then again... this is Bubble. You don't know what will happen.' ​Pondah shrugged slightly and continued staying alongside Bubble.

@ Pondah nodded his head, trying to stay as cool and collected as possible after Starshine's remark. "Sounds good to me." ​Pondah replied. "If I may ask something, can we stay away from the clubs round here. I'm still a little unsettled from yesterday and it did get fairly hairy. Remember what happened with that BR0N-3 guy? I don't fancy meeting more drink fuelled nutters." ​He didn't quite understand why, but the safety of Bubble and himself took a larger priority to Pondah. Perhaps he was just feeling protective of his first friend.

@ "I wouldn't say 'friend'." ​Pondah said. "He's more of an acquaintance. I once offered him some cake. That's all." 'Why the hell did he think we're dating? We're not dating. I think.' ​Pondah returned his mind to the job at hand, finding out what Bubble wanted to do. "It sounded like you had an idea before that little... interruption. What was it?"

@ The sight of Bubble's smile caused Pondah to grin himself. "There's the grin we all know and love!" ​Pondah remarked. "I think I can leave all this depressing job stuff until I'm back home. What would you like to do? I had a meal, now it's your turn to decide." ​Pondah's time with Bubble had certainly had an effect. Happiness no longer seemed an alien concept; he began to actually enjoy it.

Why can't we all just get along? Bass and Kaz have been together for about one day and their relationship is on the rocks. At the rate there's going to be Fairground rides that last longer than this relationship

@ Pondah continued to stroke Bubble. He didn't know if it was relaxing Bubble but it was certainly calming him. "We're all a bit weird." ​Pondah said softly. "Everyone has something that makes them different to others. You didn't know the benefits of sadness, I spent more time under furniture than on it." ​Pondah stopped stroking Bubble and then offered a hoof to her. "Now come on, quit being down in the dumps and get back to being the Happy Bubble. Being grumpy is my job."

@ Pondah giggled and continued to stroke Bubble. Pondah didn't understand how Bubble was able to stay happy at most times and, aside from when he was involved, he'd never seen her down. "You've spent so long in nearly constant happiness, you've forgotten that good things can come from bad times and sadness." ​Pondah told Bubble. "If we were constantly happy with a situation, where would be the incentive to change? If I hadn't met you, I'd still think that being a recluse was the best thing to do but you've shown me that that isn't good. Therefore, I want to change. Do you understand? Sadness and happiness are equally important. Happiness keeps us going in life while sadness encourages revolution."

@ Pondah began to smile. "Yes." ​he replied. "I'm feeling better already." He looked at Bubble, who was still prone, and began to think. 'I did that... I've made the one pony concerned with my happiness as depressed as I am. I need to cheer her up. If depression rubs off on ponies, so must happiness.' Pondah walked slowly towards Bubble and sat next to her. He placed a hoof on her back and began to stroke her softly. "Thanks for your help." ​he said, quietly. (OOC: Don't get any dirty ideas over Pondah stroking Bubble. Think how you would stroke a cat.)

@ If you enjoyed reading about USMBF, imagine how fun it was writing it. (But yeah, I need a new enemy for Poundah to face. Any volunteers to get beaten?)

Glacier shuffled in her seat to find a comfortable position. Whilst shuffling, she noticed that Dog Ears' face had suddenly reddened. "What's wrong with you?" ​she asked. "You look like you've been slapped repeatedly." ​Glacier was waiting for a reply when a loud ringing started assaulting her ears. She rubbed them with a hoof to relieve the mild pain. It worked and Glacier addressed Dog Ears again. "No, wait. I'm guessing the ringing in your ears is causing your face to turn into some mutated tomato."

@ Yes! I'm making Bubble depressed! That's one crossed off on the Bucket List. (PS: What did y'all think of 'Ultimate Super Mega Battlefest'?)

@ Pondah sighed. "You're right." ​Pondah said. "I need to change but I don't know how. How do I stop myself from holding me back? Is it something that takes a while or something that happens quickly. I don't know..." 'I just don't know. One moment, when I don't know something, I find out the answer. Why should this be different?' ​​ With determination, Pondah arose. "When you don't know something, you have to find out. I don't know how I need to change, so I must find out. I've got years ahead of me and I don't intend to waste them. It's time I lived my life to the best I can.

@ Pondah shook his head. "Anypony can read a dictionary and find out some new words. Anypony could've worked out what the black liquid was. Even if I hadn't told you what the black stuff was, the moment you removed the stopper, you'd know that trouble would happen if you drank it." ​After a sigh, ​Pondah continued. "I used to think my intelligence was a gift. I thought that ponies were born to understand how the world works; I realised something. Intelligence isn't a gift, it's not something you're born with. Anypony can learn. It's dawned on me, now that I've thought about it, I've been doing something that everypony can do. I've not be nurturing some talent, I've deluded myself into believing that everything is out to cause me trouble. Other ponies aren't holding me back. I am holding me back."

@ "I can't say I did..." Pondah replied. "I still don't see why it's a problem to expect perfection. If you'd put your entire life into something, surely perfection should be the least you would expect. I can understand making a mistake if I was doing something for the first time but... making a mistake answering a question? It makes me realise that I'm not as good as I think. I've realised that... I'm not a knowledgeable recluse, I'm just a recluse." Pondah dropped lower to the ground and placed his hooves on his eyes. "I've hidden myself away from society to learn. What have I got to show for it? No perfection, no talents and no skill... Nothing. I have nothing... I am nothing."

@ "I guess your right..." ​Pondah replied. "I'm still annoyed that I couldn't find the correct answer." ​Pondah lowered his voice. "I've spent the whole of my life trying to learn the answers to questions but I was stumped by a simple 'What's my job' question. 16 years doing something and I can't find an answer. I've put my life into learning but I'm still not good enough..." Pondah frowned, turned away from Bubble and sat on the ground, starting at his hooves.

Delayed by another swarm of checks, Glacier had to take the last seat available on the plane which happened to be right next to Dog Ears. She smiled as she found she had no choice but to sit next to someone who knew something about her and wouldn't have to introduce herself again. @ "How lucky for you!" ​Glacier joked. "You get to spend the next several hours sat next to a pony that frightened you in five minutes! " (OOC: I wasn't aware we had moved on. Ampharos/Furnoone/Thinkin' Inks hadn't responded to my post and the OOC and RP didn't come up in my Updated Threads.)

@ "Was I close?" ​Pondah queried. "I have absolutely no clue what you do now. For all I know, you could be bluffing and your job is something that you'd expect like PR work or choclatier or events manager." ​Pondah racked his brains for an another answer but kept coming up with nothing. Eventually, with mild frustration, he said, "Gr... I don't know! What do you do!

@ Pondah began a thought process to work out what Bubble did. He began to think aloud. 'Hm... going by the idea of being surprised at what you're good at, she most likely does something I wouldn't expect. I need to think of jobs that a pony completely opposite would do. A job that wouldn't be done by somepony who is on a constant sugar-rush. Something where you need to concentrate on one thing for extended periods. Fixing things? Engineering perhaps.' ​Unaware that he had announced his whole thought process, Pondah replied. "Do you do something involving engineering or repair?"

Dead Space 3 taken on Origin. Ta for the code!

@ "I know something about almost everything," ​Pondah said. "But I can't put it into practice. I can name things you shouldn't eat and the constituents of a good diet but I couldn't make a meal. I know what goes into the creation of a house but I can't build one. Do you understand? I'm all theory, no results." ​Pondah frowned and looked down at the ground. For the first time he'd put real thought into employment, only to find that there may be nothing to suit him. "What if there isn't a job for me?" Pondah said quietly. "What if the one thing I can do better than anypony is just a myth. Perhaps my true calling in life is nothing. Perhaps it's failure..."

@ After hearing Bubble's suggestions, Pondah shook his head. "Those aren't for me." Pondah said. "Physical ineptitude rules out explorer, I'm not creative enough for writer or poet and, even if I was, it wouldn't be a reliable source of income and I would never join the guard because I don't approve a monarchy rule." ​'This going to be hard.'

@ "My dream job... it would be a solo job." Pondah said. "One where I was alone but still benefiting others. Where I can find things out at my own pace and be calm. Does such a job exist?" ​Doubt flooded Pondah's mind and a frown began to manifest on his face. He realised that his dream job, the one thing he wanted to do may only exist as fantasy.