Raven Rawne

Hmm, I'll aim for Canterlot at first.  Maybe a night scene somewhere on the City Walls or other relatively simpler setting. I want to show the characters,  rather than put miniatures in a zoomed out street snapshot for example.

Hmm, I sure can try and make a scene with them both. Although you're sure you can't give me some pointers on that?  For example, where could they meet? Deciding on a place is half the battle really.

Sure thing, I'll give her a shot. Just a couple questions: she has no Cutie Mark, right?  And those wings are bird or insect like? If you have a backstory I could think about something reared to it.

@Randimaxis thanks for the Bro hoof but I'd rather hear your thoughts on the matter.  Want me to draw something else?  Keep you on the to-do list till I pull that face off? It's not like I'm drowning in a sea of requests as of late...

@Dark Horse

I know Nightmare gave us a lot to catch up with his post, but it's your turn since Wendnesday...

@Randimaxis

As much as I'd prefer to be otherwise, it appears that I am not yet versed enough to pull off what you wanted. I did several headshots, fron and 3/4 view, and the best I came up with was this:

https://s13.postimg.org/gpcw1oacn/rsz_img_20170625_0001.jpg

First, it's more like the "but I didn't listen" face than anything else really, and I noticed too lately that I forgot to add the glasses...  The different colours of his coat can be handled with hatching, so that can still be added but, yeah, seems like I need to practice some more before I pull off the evil laugh face. Or any more complicated expression for that matter. I tied multiple times and it never looked believelable, sorry.

Oh I assure you I can make a loooong list of things that aren't as good as I hoped, but, guess that's part of the creation experience. But I'm glad you told me to try, I much prefer shaded and overall darker pieces than simple lines.

@hicagp

Here's the textured and shaded version, hope you like it!

Seems like I have just one more request in the queue... Maybe I'll get to finish it this weekend. Who knew people weren't into black and white ink art, I sure wouldn't mind a longer to-do list.

@Dark Horse

A chance meeting with forced socialisation I think. Meaning they stumble on each other but have to run from danger moments later. Keeping together would seem like necessity for a few hours to allow them to talk at first.

I think they could meet up in a ruined settlement North of Canterlot Mountain, a once sleepy town turned Mirelurk swampy nest. These things are tough but can be outrun by a pony, so they would be good for a scare at first. 

@Dark Horse @Nightmare Season

Alright, their character pages are in my sig, as well as my about me page.  They move to Canterlot fleeing a huge surge of arrests in Manehattan, where their gang was wiped out by said arrests.  They buy a place in the lowest part of Middle Level, because of Gold's ambitions, but soon enough get some contacts from beyond the gates, where no Guard set hoof unless they have a very good reason... and plenty of backup.

The next case could begin with the need to open something, like a safe, to bring them to the scene. Or they can steal something, both ways work for me.

@Dark Horse

Maybe the notification got buried under other ones, or its just another forum mystery... Anyway, I get what you mean. Even though I hate the parts about kidnappings and getting hit unconscious, they do play a part in the larger picture.

I thought about it and I'd like to roll this one with you. Even if this may not be lighting fast, I sure like the amount of detail you bring with your posts.

@Maple Bat - thanks for the trio idea, but I guess it would stray too far from my original plan. Hope to rp with you in some other project though!

@Contrast thanks for stopping by, that idea sure can be useful, even further along the line.

Aaaaaand the interest went kaputt, it seems. 

@Nightmare Season I think you took too long a leap this time. Dark wanted to have a proper scene for catching the thief, so I left as much if a window as I could. 

@Dark Horse

As much as I love my Crystal Clear,  I guess she was a poor choice for this particular RP. Not only she doesn't bring much to the table, but also has an actual conflict of interests - she would want to get the job done and hurry back home, rather than divide her time between her norm work and being a detective. But I have a proposition. After this case, when the trio sits down and decides what next, she may decide to opt out. In her stead, I would introduce my bats in the next case. They have no conflicts of interests, would move to Canterlot for good and wouldn't mind extra coin from legal sources. Plus, as locksmiths and accomplished thieves,  they bring the "lower level" to the mix. Sounds okay?

No problem, it's all fair practice for me, after all. Mind if I try some more if I stumble on a good idea?

Alright, since it's already scanned in this form, it won't be that much of a loss if the original gets messed up while I try nad add texture and shading. I'll come back when I finish.

So... I had this cool idea, and when I got to drawing it, turns out my skills proved insufficient. So I scaled down and tried again until I managed to draw something that worked. Here's the result.

Thoughts?

@Dark Horse @Nightmare Season

The mare nodded. "We could both use some distraction,  I suppose." She walked with the stallion, eyeing the strange plant. The sudden joke attempt from her companion made her glance at him,  but she didn't pry. Still, the stallion seemed talkative all of a sudden, and she decided to behave like a civilised pony, her temper cooling. "I don't know, I am starting to regret that I entered her garden this morning, to be honest... But if you think this story might give you some income, sure, do try and take this opportunity."

He led them to a nice looking establishment and the pair sat by one of the empty tables.  Crystal Clear browsed the card and finally settled for some apple juice. She didn't let any pony know that half of the servings were a mystery to her. However, as she was mulling over possible conversation topics, her companion abruptly left her with the potted flower. "I uhh, alright?" Crystal trailed Saffron with her eyes as he approached some guards.

The cherry mare wasn't sure why, but Saffron - instead of trotting back to her - disappeared somewhere.  She was about to stand up and go look for him when the stallion came back, and seemed distressed. She gave him a look and gestured with a foreleg. "Care to elaborate?"

He did,  and Crystal Clear listened. With a sigh, she sipped the last of her juice. "I don't know about you, but I have a very bad feeling about this... situation. But we better head back to the gate, that eyesore of a carriage should come back any minute." She paid up with the bits she had on her - a useful habit to have a small sum of money hidden in her clothing. The pair walked back and sure enough, the carriage was waiting. Although...

"Is this..." - she didn't finish her sentence before Saffron also noticed the stallion who passed the gates, and suddenly, she needed to run to catch up with her companion. They found themselves in a back street, maybe the thief wanted to lose them in the narrow cornets.  But now he himself was cornered, and Crystal stood, menacingly, as Saffron did the talking. She didn't trust her temper enough to come within hoof reach of the other stallion, and decided to let him do what he thought was necessary. Thankfully, it didn't take long before they heard everything he had to say, and a sudden realisation struck them. Crystal grabbed the "stupid flower", as she thought about it, and both ponies ran to the carriage, ordering to be taken to the same place Peony was. The cherry mare didn't let go of the pot, her mind too occupied to even register she was holding it.  No surprise that it landed on her back when she left the carriage. The pair quickly braved the front yard and Saffron inquired a serf by the door about Peony Spring.  Something told them to hurry even more to the garden at the back, perhaps a growing suspicion. Whatever it was, the ponies rushed into the garden and as they reached it's outer alleys, they saw both Peony and Richly Fabulous. Crystal Clear felt her heart stop beating for a moment when the mare fainted after smelling the flower, and stood like in a trance, her mind going haywire with thoughts. Some strange voice pierced through the conflicted narratives in her head, and she recovered from shock. The mare made a weird face and looked around for the source of the voice, but there was nopony around. Without any more delay,  she slid off the pot off her back and put it on the ground, then ran straight to the pair in the middle of the garden.  Flowers be damned,  she cut straight to them, and rammed Richly Fabulous with her shoulder to push him away. Having taken him by surprise, Crystal kicked the blue rose away and crouched to cover Peony's eyes with her forelegs, having taken her into some sort of a hug. Somepony will pay for ruining her dress...

She hissed at Saffron. "Get him, and keep him quiet or I'll give him a history lesson from my own life. One he won't forget." She looked down at the still unconscious mare as the anger rose again.  If not for the fact that she had to hold the other mare,  she would probably beat the rich idiot till he stopped moving, and then some just to be sure. Part if her even wanted to use the rose on him,  right before letting him loose in the Lower Level.

She felt movement under her hooves, and that helped stave off the burning rage. She took a deep breath and did her best to sound calm and reassuring. "I'm here, miss Peony, it's alright. Just don't open your eyes and it will be fine..."

Snow trolls and ice wurms, nothing was fine right now.

@Nightmare Season

That night,  Natural haven't had much sleep. Partially because of her partying neighbours yes, but, there was more to it than drunks making noise. The sheer amount of free space on the floor was clear indication what kept her awake. They weren't friends - Natural wasn't naive - but her mind couldn't help but wander to that ponynapped mare.

Finally, she managed to catch some weak sleep.

Morning came and went, replaced by noon, and afternoon. Natural was asked to fix the roof on the sanitary building. The owner started to run out of buckets to catch rainwater, it seemed. She got to it, of course - working for the tight to stay was nothing new, and there were worse jobs than repairs. She got back on the ground to get more tiles and nail when Peony showed up.

The mint mare had to squeeze herself out of the hug, and step away from Peony to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Is that... you? Wow, it really worked! I was so worried those Police officers would just ignore my report, or be too late!" She sure was happy, but... a glance at the ladder made her frown slightly, and run a hoof over her neck. "I... don't suppose you could borrow me some coin to pay for the camping? I was about to work for my spot, but since we're in a hurry..."

Thankfully, Peony paid up, all forty bits of it, and soon enough, Natural was pulling the wagon through the city, en route to docks. She walked slowly,  worn out from so many says of speeding. "Uhh, I don't suppose we can get a few days rest when we get to Griffonstone? I'm not made of iron..." They reached the port, and Peony led her to the right vessel - a sail ship, sleek and good looking, which promised good speed and proper maintenance. The captain also seemed like a trustworthy sort. As the mares went on board, the wagon was loaded with a crane, into the cargo hold. They were shown their quarters - a modest room, no luxuries but much better than a cot in the hold. Natural asked to see her wagon in the main hold, and was satisfied with how it was secured.  As if expecting trouble,  she brought the crossbow to their room, and sat heavily on the small bed as the ship started rocking gently. They were to leave port any minute so it was hardly unexpected.

She looked at her employer. "So... are we supposed to run from this loonie all the time, or do you have a plan on how to get him off your tail? Next time I may not be able to help, you know."

@Dark Horse @Maple Bat

Love triangle? Maple,  kids read this forum!

Kidding ofc, but on a more serious note, if I knew I can pull it off, I would roll two rp's. The reality is that I won't have the time to reply to both every day, and maybe even mess up which is which somewhere along the road. But I wanted something faster paced, seeing my other ones slowed down...

I don't know, maybe we could do a group one between the three of us, and leave the romance part hanging for now. And don't worry too much about strictly keeping to FOE lore, I haven't read it either. Hay, I don't even know the Ministries and the like. But it's an open box full of stuff ready to use, and that's what drew me to it. 

I have a fallout backstory for my character already, sothat's one problem solved.

So, thoughts?

@Pripyat Pony Well, it's quite possible that the description doesn't paint a full picture in his case, yeah. It's the case with most OC's really.

Honestly I wasn't expecting to run a casting in here, usually there's one person who shows interest and the roleplay fires up soon after. So having to choose is pretty new to me.

@Dark Horse

Well... no one is following the IC, so no wonder we didn't notice the reply. The notificationswork fine in the threads I follow though, so that's something.

I guess we should cut the chase and at least have a positive Id before the day is over, yes. Getting the name on the hooded figure could be done via a signed pocket watch he lost somewhere, for example. No need to go big and have them stare at each other through the door with "et tu, Brutus!" expressions, heheh. But if you'd like some more loose ideas, just shoot. 

Now I guess, on a larger scale, we are establishing some party dynamic here. Peony prety much covers the bits department, as well as Upper class. Saffron is the middle class link, as well as a pony with his ear on the ground, so to speak. Crystal... well, she's the brawn of the three so far. Makes sense since she's a tradespony with a fiery temper. Later on she can be useful for her savvy in blue collar work, or when you really need to get past some doors and have no keys... ("oops, think I broke the lock, well, they're open now sooooo"). Okay, gotta think of some more uses for her besides going physical. But that almost beating up the waitress was important to her character, which would become apparent is anypony dared to pull her tongue on that.

Yup, that's why I tooootally missed it. This new forum rig leaves me clueless unless I get mentioned...

Alright... Crystal would probably say her catchphrase: "I'm too sober for this s**t" right now but, let's get to it.

@Mickey Adaptus I appreciate the interest, but we already have one RP, and that's enough for now. I want to diversify my selection of Rp partners, play with other styles.

@Techno Universal I already told you, simply put, your OC is the main obstacle. It doesn't fit my concept for this particular RP. Any difficulties would be rendered moot with him around, knowing he can do everything and everywhere. Why huddle in a cold cave when he can turn it into a 5 star suite? Disallowing him to use his abilities would break his spine, and I'm against that. Another time maybe.

@Pripyat Pony I'll be frank, most of them don't look like fun ponies to be around. Glory sounds okay, but then not sure how she would fare against action parts, especially if things get darker.

@Maple Bat As already mentioned, my initial concept sums up in "battle couple" trope. Basically, two characters meet up on a hob that neither can do alone, and decide to band together. Romance ensues. But, they also wander the land, being drifters both. They have adventures, get odd jobs, look for treasure, that sort of thing. Something you'd expect from "adventurers". Of course the difficulty level would ramp up as they go along.

@Dark Horse I am tempted to believe you... but we both know how long the poor Noire is waiting for your reply, are we? Still, I know you're good at roleplaying. I wish it wasn't so hard to choose...

Decisions decisions... I'm torn between Maple and Dark for my partner in this RP. I appreciate the attention from the rest of you, but I can make only one thread out of this, simply bcause I don't have enough free time to run more. Sorry but, that's how it is.

So now it's time to get more concrete with those pesky ideas. I called out Fallout: Equestria before, since it's a ready made world, and an awful one at that (as a place to live). Makes sense there are adventurers and scavvers walking up and down the map, never setting down in one place. There's also plenty of stuff for them to do - scavenging ruins, looking for pre-war treasures, helping settlements as paid workers or as charity, dealing with raiders and dangerous wildlife... The plate is overfilled with things to do. And they can also aquire cool gear along the way, to be better equipped for the dangers ahead. That being said, I'm also open for other crossovers or fully original settings which provide simillar opportunities.

@Maple Bat I don't see a problem in your OC being the offspring of canon characters. But in case of "meet my parents" scenario, you're playing them okay?

@Pripyat Pony I know that Crystal Empire rp was short lived, but 1x1 are much easier in that aspect. And if, for some reason, I would decide to terminate it,  I would tell you that rather than stop replying. I'll look at the list of toons you provided when I get back from work. 

Hey, so I was thinking on the scene for... most of the weekend really, and while I came up with some totally awesome ones, my drawing skills proved insuficient (and that's an understatement). So I'd like to ask you, maybe you have some ideas? NowI'm mulling about a stil shot of her walking along a cracked road, maybe with a defaced billboard in the background. Her sword would be hanging off her side. Sounds reasonable?