Seamore Sandwich

@Blitz Boom As Zhu got closer, he would begin to see what creatures he was chasing. They were an odd pair of ladies indeed. The one in the front carrying the egg was the bipedal version of a hairless cat, while the taller one following behind was a large black Labrador. Their futures were hidden, but if Zhu knew his history, he would know their end well. They were a notorious pair of thieves by the names of Skye and Brooke, known for stealing magical artifacts. Eventually, one such artifact would bring about their demise. Suddenly, Skye, the cat, stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to look directly at Zhu with her beautiful blue eyes. There was a pendant around her neck with a gem glowing bright green. It was designed specifically for two purposes, finding magic, and protecting them from it. "Open the portal. We have company," she said, then Brooke put a hand out in front of herself while grasping the trinkets with her other arm. One of the rings on her paw glowed, then a portal opened up in front of them and they ran through into another forest. The portal started to slowly close behind them. @@Blitz Boom Charlie tried to pull the door open, but it wouldn't budge. Turning into a form akin to Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy, they tried again, pulling with all their might, and the door shifted slightly, but settled back to a closed position. "We'll have to get her to open it herself. It's locked by fear," Charlie whispered into Vivid's mind, obviously confusing genders. Miles was crying and covering his face out of fear. @Blitz Boom "I just had a thought. The griffon chocolates could probably used for conducting trades with the griffons. Being the same species might make it easier for them to trust you." Penny paused for a moment. "Although... given their nature, I would expect they'd actually end up trusting a griffon less than a pony," she said with a little laughter. "Either way, it's something to consider for marketing. I'll just right that down." She made a notebook and quill appear, as well as a fancy pair of reading glasses, then wrote a quick note before making it all disappear again.

Have you considered that you may be gender fluid? If you don't know what it is, you should look it up.

@Maple Bat @Blitz Boom Would it be alright if I took up the role of Discord, when the time comes? I have some ideas about the science behind the magic that brought Maple to this timeline, and it would make it easier for me to explain (plus, I already have an idea of what he might say. Discord is such an easy character to portray since his chaotic nature makes almost anything plausible).

@Midnight_Aurora I've already made my post. I didn't add your character in or anything, but if you want to have your character come across Maple Bat as she's waking up, go for it. I didn't see your post until after I typed everything up.

@Maple Bat It started out as a normal day for Maple Bat. The birds were singing, foals were playing in the schoolyard. That is, until the skies opened up. Today however, it was no metaphor. The skies split in two, and a vortex of dark energy pulled Maple Bat in. Through the sounds of the swirling winds could be heard the chanting of a being reciting old incantations. Then there was a loud whisper, "Sleep..." She had no choice but to obey as the being's magic rendered her unconscious. She would come to in a field near Ponyville, unharmed except for mere clipping of hair that had been taken from her. Little did she know that though the place may seem familiar to her, she was unfamiliar to it. She had been pulled out of her time, something was taken from her, then she was discarded in a time where she was not meant to exist. @Blitz Boom "Your parents didn't know this, but you too played a part in your sister's rescue. Or at least, you will. Come, and we'll..." The Traveler's sentence was cut short by a ripple in time. Most would not notice, but beings like Zhu and the Traveler could feel the change. It wasn't necessarily a bad change, however it was very unlikely to be good. "I have matters I must attend to. You'll have to carry on without me. I will return to bring you back to your time, but first, you must set things right. Go." The Traveler waved his wing over Zhu, and suddenly Zhu was in a field with grass tall enough for him to hide in. It was night, but there was enough light from the moon to see a caravan some distance away that had made camp for the night. From it ran two bipedal figures, one who had covered itself in as much jewelry and gold it could find in the camp, and the other was carrying what looked like an egg. None were chasing them. It seems as though their theft had gone unnoticed. The two figures made their way toward the woods as quickly and quietly as they could to avoid being spotted. @Blitz Boom "I was thinking you would want to fill these out anonymously. They are the only documents I keep with your name on it. All other records related to it are marked with a number which refers to these documents. You see, I give a number to each of these forms so I can keep track of it more easily. Also, I intend to keep my customers' information private anyway, so there's no need to offer anything extra for your security." Penny looked over the documents to be sure everything was filled out correctly before signing them herself. She then tore the sheets down the middle with her magic, giving one piece of each to Scarcity. However, when the documents reached her, they appeared whole, and each had a number on it. The form for the relaxing chocolates was labeled I-231, and the one for the griffin chocolates was labeled T-232. @Blitz Boom As Vivid, moved closer to Miles, Charlie went toward the doors that Miles feared so much. The knocking seemed friendly enough. What harm could opening the door do? Miles didn't let it get that far, though. "Stop! Don't open that door!" he yelled, stretching out a hoof toward Charlie, while still crying and staying right where he was. "That door can never be opened. It hurts too much."

@Midnight_Aurora I think that could work. There should be a perfect opportunity for that after my post, as long as @Maple Bat is okay with it. The intro I have in mind to set things up is part of my ongoing story, but I don't plan for any of my characters involved to stick around for any kind of interaction, so it would help to have another character around to keep things going. Basically, my characters will do what they do and leave.

@Maple Bat Okay. I'll try to get a post done tomorrow. If I can't, I might have to wait until the weekend.

@Maple Bat @Blitz Boom I have some ideas to get @Maple Bat started, but it involves a little "God-modding" where I dictate what happens to her and Zhu briefly. Are you okay with that? @Maple Bat I also need an idea of where your character should end up. Is there any part of the Roleplay in particular you're interested in? If not, we can come up with something else as we go. I have backup plans if that's the case.

@Maple Bat There's no limit to how far in the future she could come from, so Fluttershy and Discord could be played as normal, leaving the relationship to a future we can't yet see. Also, it doesn't even necessarily have to be the future of this timeline, but it could instead just be a possible future. Chaos magic could prevent her from disappearing if her own timeline never happens at all, or she could be from a parallel world that's ahead of this one chronologically. I have a time traveler myself, who's goal is to maintain a balance between chaos and order, so it could be an interesting interaction either way (he's basically a giant hippopotamus with wings and curly goat horns).

@Blitz Boom @Maple Bat have you considered the character is from a possible future yet to happen? Chaos is chaos after all!

@@Blitz Boom Their first few attempts weren't well coordinated, but when they eventually hit the door at the same time, it gave way. The force sent the door in a full 360 degree rotation, slamming it shut behind them. They were now in a room so dark it was impossible to tell if there even were walls, let alone how far away they were. That is, aside from a large set of double doors on the opposite side of the room. Between them and the doors was Doctor Miles Xeno in his true form, lying in the light cast from between the doors with his front legs covering his face as he wept. The presence of the other changeling that they chased in here could be felt on the other side of the door. The light felt warm and welcoming, but it only seemed to bring him pain. There were three knocks on the door. "Go away!" Miles yelled at the door. He cried more loudly, not seeming to notice that he wasn't alone anymore. @@Blitz Boom When they got upstairs, Scarcity would find herself in the kitchen, the smell of sweets and chocolates even stronger than that of the store below. Everything from the stovetop to the taffy machine was immaculate. There was a filing cabinet with one drawer marked "Recipes and Research," another marked "Past Investments," and the top drawer marked "Current Investments and Blank Forms." She opened the drawer at the top, pulled out two papers with her magic. "The 'hours and materials' cost represents the amount I charge for the research," Penny said, giving the papers to Scarcity. The papers read: "I, (name)________________, have invested ________ bits toward ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ on (date)____________. Terms and conditions: Penny Buttercup will work 10 hours minimum per week toward development of that which I have invested in until work hours covered by my investment are depleted, or the desired product has successfully been made, whichever comes first. My investment will be divided evenly between work hours and supplies, with every five bits toward work hours covering one hour of work. If the research is successful, I will receive the equivalent of two month's profit from the product I have invested in for each month covered by my investment, calculated based on only the second month of sales of that product excluding all purchases made by myself or any affiliated parties, for every one hundred bits I have invested. Payments will be made monthly in quantities no less than twice the total of each month's profit from the product I have invested in until such time that the aforementioned total has been paid, starting after the second month it is sold. I understand that if the desired product is not completed within the number of work hours covered by my investment, that I will not receive any return on my investment. If Penny Buttercup wishes to continue research on the product I have invested in after the covered work hours have been depleted, she must first attempt to contact me at (address) _______________________________________________, to request further funding. If I deny her request for further funding, or I do not respond within two weeks of its delivery to the aforementioned address, Penny Buttercup may sell the product I have invested in without any obligations toward me. (signature of investor)______________________________ (Penny Buttercup's signature)________________________________" @@Blitz Boom "May your fangs be as sharp as your claws, and your wits sharper," Zhu's father said with a smile. Zhu's mother flicked the tear off her tail and it landed on the petal of a flower which the Traveler levitated over to himself while the others weren't looking. If anyone noticed, they might just think he was picking a flower, likely not having paid any attention to the where the tear landed. Zhu's mother gave him one last hug, saying, "We love you, and we'll be watching over you," before the two of them followed Khala into the light.

@@Blitz Boom Charlie tried the door, but it was locked. There was no choice but to try knocking the door down. "The only way out, is through," Charlie said while repeatedly slamming into the door as hard as possible. @@Blitz Boom "I handle investments a bit differently from most, as this is more of a customer investment arrangement than a business deal. Instead of a long term deal where you'd get a percentage of the profit over several years, we use the sales from the second month after the new product is added to our shelves to calculate its potential value, then we give you reasonable compensation for the idea, calculated based on the amount invested. This way you get your money sooner, and we don't have to keep as many records in the long run. Normally we do keep track of the names and addresses of our investors, but I'm sure we can work something out. The second request will be an easy one, as we have some similar products already. Combining the effects may take a few tries, so I would say the total investment for that should only be around fifty bits. The first one, however..." Penny put her hoof to her chin. "I'm not going to lie, it's more complicated than anything I have ever attempted. It's going to be expensive to research, and it may be many moons before it's completed. Even if I am successful, I would have to test the chocolates for a full lunar cycle after the first successful batch, in case it's affected by the lunar cycle like some transformative magics are. Three hundred bits per month is about the lowest I can expect the research to cost, but if it's successful, I can see it becoming one of our best sellers. I'll even probably be able to adapt the recipe for transformations into other species besides griffins. I think it's only fair that I would compensate you for the first two other species I develop from the griffin chocolates recipe as wel." She waved for Scarcity to follow as she began walking toward a staircase at the back of the shop, saying, "Come upstairs to the kitchen and I'll get you a printout of how we calculate the return on your investment. Also, be aware that the only time there is no return on an investment is if funding stops before we're successful. It hasn't happened yet, but that doesn't mean it won't." @@Blitz Boom "The lifespan of a typical Serpanthera is only a few hundred years, which is longer than most ponies. Also, I have heard stories of some who have lived for millennia, but I've never believed them until now," Zhu's mother responded. The two of them turned to look as a light appeared from nowhere. In the light, a silhouette appeared then came into view. The figure was a female serpanthera, larger than either of Zhu's parents, with the legs of a black panther and the head, neck, and tail of an anaconda. Unlike a regular serpanthera though, the fur and scales did not blend into one another, but rather were divided by what looked like a thin line of scar tissue. There was no mistaking it, this was the original Serpanthera, Khala, here to deliver her kin to the great beyond. "It seems we must depart. We must say our final goodbyes," she said while wiping a tear from her eye with the tip of her tail.

It looks like we'll need some explosives to get free! @Blitz Boom, you're up!

Welcome to MLPforums! I like the design of your species. I too like designing my own species (though I could still practice drawing much more than I do). If you'd ever like to join a basically endless roleplay where almost all characters are welcome (I say "almost" but I haven't seen anyone turned away yet), I know of a good one where the person who started it gives the option of one on one roleplays that eventually cross paths with the other groups, giving a chance to ease into things. Feel free to PM me if you ever want to chat.

@Blitz Boom "It seems there is more than just pain here," Charlie said as the light over the door brightened slightly. It was as if the light was reaching out for help, but there was also the slightest hint of hope carried with it. Hope that this nightmare would soon be over. @Blitz Boom "Magic Chocolates are my shop's specialty, so I can't afford to allow myself to sell out entirely. I'll always have magic chocolates in stock, though the variety may change from time to time. What I've already sold you is all the assorted packages I have, but I still have every chocolate available as single pieces. If you wish to buy more than that, I'd definitely be willing to make chocolates to order, though it may take some time depending on the variety you're looking for. Also, with some funding upfront, I could look into new recipes to fit your needs if you have an idea of what Magic you would like the chocolates to have." @Blitz Boom "In our travels, one of our eggs was stolen while we slept. As we were grieving our loss, having not found any means to track the thief, an Earth pony by the name of Gaea had rescued the egg, but it hatched before she could reach us. We could not separate the little one from the one she thought was her mother, so Gaea gave her the name of Jade and she agreed to raise her as her own. I still have no idea how the thief could hide their scent so well..." Zhu's father explained. It was clear the decision was not easy. They had to give up their own child due to something as simple as the instinctual imprinting of a hatchling with the first living creature it sees. That decision was for the best, however, as taking her would have left her emotionally scarred.

I'm going to try to get back to posting tomorrow if I can. I just need to figure out where I left off first, so I might end up waiting a bit longer to actually post something. I'll be looking at my most recent posts and the responses to them. I hope to get back up to speed soon.

@Blitz Boom I hope you don't mind if I take a break from posting for a bit longer. We've been getting ready for inventory at work, which I've never been involved with until this year, so work has been exhausting. I'll still be reading what you and @Moonlit post, and I'll definitely post again for that when the time is right.

After a couple minutes using this new design for the site, I've already noticed something new that I asked for in the past: condensed notifications. Two people replied to a topic I'm following, and it shows up as one notification. That's exactly what I wanted. The rest of this however is hard to navigate. I knew where everything was before, now I have to start over.

@@Widdershins, "Good bye then," Hunter said as he walked off into the forest. Just before he was too far away to be seen in the dark forest, he added, "And I'm not from the Everfree." @@Blitz Boom A door slams in the alley. Charlie scurries quickly toward the noise, finding the alley to be pitch black aside from the small light above a door at the bottom of a staircase going below the ground. The door was fear itself, behind it a truth unwanted. "Vivid! Snap out of it! Focus on the here and now! Without us, Xeno could be lost forever. That's something we can do something about. Come, we need to go deeper." @@Blitz Boom "My parents actually had it in storage for a long time. I asked them if I could use it and they said yes. It used to be the first thing you'd see entering my parents' shop until it stopped working and they put it away. For them, it was easier just to add a bucket of gumballs and sell them by weight along with the rest of the loose candy, but for me it brought back memories. I had it fixed and restored by a local named Tock. He's really good at what he does, though I did ask that he not replace the broken separator. You see, ever since I was a young filly, every fifth customer that used the machine would end up getting two gumballs by mistake. It wouldn't feel right if it didn't do the same as it used to. Now this place truly feels like home." @@Blitz Boom Zhu's parents let go of him, but his father kept one paw on his shoulder. "Did you and your sister ever find each other, son?" he asked. His words were precise, he did mean to say 'sister,' not just 'sibling,' though it's entirely possible that Zhu might not realize the implications of that particular word, or what it would mean for his future.

@@Blitz Boom As Zhu had stepped forward, his mother could not hold herself back. She quickly closed the distance between them, hugging Zhu tightly. She wrapped her neck around his loosely as she embraced him. She wasn't cold like you might expect from a spirit, or even some Serpantheras seeing as some were cold blooded. "To think that two eggs escaped this tragedy." The state of the eggs at the scene made it clear that only one of the eggs there would ever hatch. Zhu's father approached and joined the hug, though it was clear from the temperature of his skin that he was in fact cold blooded. @@Blitz Boom Charlie came to their senses and noticed Vivid running away from them. Finally catching up when she stopped, Charlie asked, "Who were you chasing? Which way did they go?" There was a sense of urgency to the tone of their voice. This was a clue, and it needed to be investigated.

@@Blitz Boom I'll post more within the next few days. I'm just too tired to keep typing right now.