open Bloodlines (S.O.L./Horror Mystery) [reboot]

[Mickey Taker 347]

@@Gloomfury, @SilverHeart, @Scribblegroove, @Midnight Scribbler, , @Evilshy, @Windbreaker

 

Mirror's plan of quietly calming Cherry worked like a charm, the moment the lean unicorn wrapped her hooves around Cherry the red mare suddenly fell quiet, instead blushing quite a bit from caught up in the moment.

 

It wasn't entirely because of Mirror embracing her that made Cherry calm down so quickly, but rather the calm and soothing tone of her voice whispering in her ear that made her so.

The embrace merely caught her attention, but it was Mirror's voice that made her understand.

 

As mirror moved her head back to look at her friend she was only met with Cherry looking back at her in return, slowly nodding her head in understanding. 

 

" Please, I can't do this without you right now...." 

 

Finally the red mare perked up as she offered her unicorn friend a small smile as she rested a hoof on her shoulder, "Come one, if we're gonna be late we may as well look worth being late for, "Cherry giggled as she followed Mirror back into the bathroom to get ready....Properly.

 

After a rather stressful fifteen minutes of washing, rinsing, brushing, combing, brushing again, make-up application, removal of excess make-up, another round of brushing and indecisive dress choices, Cherry finally emerged from their room.

 

Preferring to take her appearance subtlety for once, Cherry would have looked surprisingly smart for a pony who worked as a clown for a living, her mane was tied back into a neat little bun with a red bow attached to it, very tiny red colored gems hung from her ears while a faint amount of blush makeup adorned her cheeks.

To finish her ensemble a smart yet pretty black dress adorned over her shoulders, long enough to just cover half of her cutie mark, her dress seemingly more for convenience than appearance's sake.

 

Cherry turned on the spot as she looked back at Mirror, "You ready for this?" she said keenly as she smiled cheerfully at her friend. 

 

[Scribblegroove 565]

@@Windbreaker

 

"I sure will!" Scribblegroove complied, only to be cut off by the sound of a giant bell ringing through the valley.

 

*BOOOOOONNNNNNNGG*

 

His ears flapped down, protecting his fragile and prescious hearing from the explosion of sound. He cringed a little, but quickly followed Poppy as she ran away, insiting on tearing his hoof along with her. Softly cursing himself for not keeping track of time, he ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the energetic mare dragging him along. "We probably still have time! They'll wait for us..." He shouted in between gasps, followed by a not very convincing: "... I think."

 

As soon as they passed the hotel, he stopped, pulling his hoof loose from Poppy's grip. "Listen, we've got to make ourselves at least somewhat presentable. It wont take long. Lets just grab our luggage, pick a room and take a few minutes to get ready." He suggested. As he started moving towards the hotel. "If you don't want to share a room with me, that's fine. Not sure how many are left though..." Not paying what he had just said much mind, he quickly grabbed a key from the wall behind the counter, reasoning that it wouldn't matter that much at all if he did so, because nopony seemed to be around to hand him one.

 

Then he took his small amount of luggage from the hall to the appropriate room, levitating the two suitcases as well as the key seperately. Proceeding to unlock the door and tossing his suitcases on one of the two beds. He opened one of them, retrieving a small sealed pot from it, along a bow tie with an appropriate collar. Quickly he donned the accessories. He reckoned wearing a full tuxedo would be outdoing it a bit. Then he opened the small pot and dipped the tip of his hoof in it. He then rubbed the sticky gel between his two hooves for a bit, and pulled his hooves through his hair, pulling it backwards over his head. His normally messy and uncombed hairdo would seem slightly more sophisticated like this, but it wasn't very impressive once he was done. It would take him a few minutes however, and time was running out.

[SilverHeart 741]

((OOC: I apologize, this is another short post because I am busy with school. Finals are next week and I have to do a lot of classwork to get caught up. Once school is over I will make better posts.))

 

Scribblegroove

 

Due to your knowledge of music and sound you know that no normal bell could possibly be that loud from so far away. Wherever the bell is you realize it must be heavily enchanted.

 

 

Mirror Image

@@Golbez, 

Mirror walked out behind Cherry. Her mane was pulled into a large braid that draped itself over the right side oh her neck and shoulder. She was wearing her mask and a matching purple dress with golden trimming. Unlike the latest in fashion, Mirror was wearing full sleeves that covered the full length of her legs and then some. The sleeves flared out at the end and trailed on the ground. 

 

In response to Cherry's question, Mirror nodded. IT had been a stressful fifteen minutes, but they were finally ready. Hopefully, Mr. Cask would be forgiving of their tardiness. "I'm ready when you are." Mirror replied. "Let's try to hurry."

Story

@@Scribblegroove,@, @@Windbreaker, @@Evilshy, @@Midnight Scribbler, @@Gloomfury,  

 

At the gate Red Cask is waiting for you. He is still wearing the same clothes as he was when you met him earlier that day. He nods his head as each of you arrive.

[Mickey Taker 347]

@@Gloomfury, @SilverHeart, @Scribblegroove, @Midnight Scribbler, , @Evilshy, @Windbreaker

 

Cherry nodded to her Mirror as she led the way, passing several rooms making somewhat a "din" on the way to the stairs, "Maybe we're not a late as we thought?" the red mare mentioned to Mirror.

 

It seemed perhaps most of the guests had to even get themselves ready as they passed a few of them down the stairs and the hotel, Cherry stopped at the hotel entrance and peered behind the both of them at whoever was still running late to get dressed for dinner, before looking up at Mirror and simply shrugging and continuing making their way towards the manor.

 

Walking between the western restaurant and the local bank, Cherry glanced up at  Bloodwell Manor from between the narrow streets as they approached via the edge of town, even from this distance the building could be clearly seen.

Cherry never liked it, ever since she arrived in Bloodwell some weeks back she always had a foreboding impression about the building, it always gave her the creeps, even now as shiver crept up her back the moment Bloodwell Manor was fully in view of the two.

 

Taking their time, Mirror and Cherry approached Red Cask at the gates, the red mare glanced around noticing no-pony else was here yet, she looked up and smiled rather nervously at him, "Hello Mr Cask..., " she held her tongue, remembering Mirror having to correct his name...again, "...your Lordship...sir...your honor, " she giggled sheepishly before bowing her head in greeting, she never could remember exactly what title he had, "We're really really really really really really really sorry for being late...um....we're not...tooooo late, are we?"

Edited June 16, 2015 by Golbez

[Gloomfury 243]

Belle

 

Bell was wandering around in an empty part of the hotel. She didn't know how she end up there but she dose know that she is lost. Se looked up and down each hall hoping she would find something that might point her back to the front. But all she could see was old painting on the walls. As she walked down one wall she stop to stare at one painting of a lovely drawn mare sleeping beside a lake.

 

As she stared at it a very loud 'BOOOOOOOOOOOOONNGG!' rang out throughout the halls. She damn near jumped out her skin. But she was scared enough to quickly hide behind a bust. When her heart slowed it's beat she thought she should follow where the loud sound came from, thinking it would lead her back.

 

After a not too long walk she was lucky enough to find her way back.

 

She slowly walked around behind everyone else, hoping no one would notice her, so she could try and blend in with the background. 

Edited June 22, 2015 by Gloomfury

[EcstaticWind 572]

Poppy Seed

@@Scribblegroove,

 

As they reached the hotel, Poppy shot Scribblegroove a look that said 'Are you serious?' "I've already GOT a room, you plonker! Weren't you listening earlier when I said I had a roommate?" She shouted before heading into her room to get ready. She didn't stop to check anything, only focusing on making herself look as presentable as possible in the short time they had. She didn't rush, but she didn't go too slowly, either. Rushing through this would just make a mess.

 

When she was done, she wore a somewhat modern dark blue dress that she'd bought for formal occasions, dates if she ever found a stallion that was willing to put up with her, etc. Her mane was neatly brushed and held back with a clip so she looked reasonably decent. Once she was satisfied, she headed out and thought over her impending apology for being late.

[SilverHeart 741]

Sunset Glow

 

@@FortyTwo42, 

 

Sunset visibly flinched and quickly placed her hooves over her ears to protect herself from the bell. It didn't help much, the damage had been done. Even though they were nearly in the middle of the town, the bell had been far too loud. There was a light, seemingly constant ringing in her ears. The young chandler shook her head from side to side in an attempt to clear her head of the noise. It didn't help as much as she had hoped it would. She wouldn't be surprised if Shadowhide was right, ponies could easily go deaf having to listen to that.

 

Due to her (hopefully) temporary hearing loss, it took Sunset a few moments to make out what Shadowhide and Aero were saying. "I think Aero is probably right. It's probably used as a reminder for special occasions." Sunset replied to Shadowhide. The bell was a bit too loud for that though. She wouldn't be surprised if it could be heard for miles around. A few seconds later she added, "Maybe it was made for emergencies...it's certainly loud enough that everypony nearby can hear it."

 

Sunset continued to walk with the other two ponies towards the mansion. Aero stopped to talk to Shadowhide, he looked a bit nervous. Due to the ringing in her ears she couldn't quite hear what he was saying but due to the expression on his face she felt it would be best to take a few steps away from the two. Sunset distanced herself and looked away from the two ponies while she waited for them to continue ahead.

 

 

 

Red Cask & Mirror Image

 

((OOC: For those not already present, please arrive within the next one to two posts.))

 

@@Midnight Scribbler,@@Gloomfury, @@Golbez, @@Scribblegroove, @@FortyTwo42, @@Evilshy,  @@Windbreaker,

 

Even though you are only at the mansion's gates the gigantic building seems to loom over you. It is easily four stories tall and is nearly half the length of the town. From where you are it is impossible to see how deep the building is. Judging from what you can see. it wouldn't be much of a stretch to imagine it reaching the mountain behind it. A majority of the windows on the first, second, and fourth floor are completely dark, however the third floor does not have a single window lit. The fourth floor does seem to have more lit than the rest.

 

As each of you arrive, Red Cask stoically nods his head in greeting but otherwise does not say a word allowing you to converse among yourselves. His silence is broken once Mirror and Cherry arrive. "Madam Image, Mistresses Gemma and Lapis would have words with you," His gaze drifts from Mirror to Cherry as he stresses the next few words, "and only you, after the festivities are over tonight. Madam Cherry is not to attend the meeting." Once he is finished speaking he resumes his previous posture and waits for the rest of the guests to arrive.

 

If you would like to ask the Steward any questions, now appears to be the time.

Edited June 26, 2015 by SilverHeart

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Shadowhide

@@Midnight Scribbler, @@SilverHeart,

 

Shadowhide nodded at Sunset. 'Being primarily for emergencies sounds plausible,' she agreed. 'Hearing loss would be preferable to getting wounded or killed in an emergency.' She looked back at Aero. 'Aero, does-'

 

'Y-Yep!' he suddenly blurted out after hearing his name.

 

Alright, that settles it. Aero's hiding something, and it's time to pry it out of him in case it's a serious problem he's avoiding. 'Aero, what's troubling you?' she asked.

 

'I'm fine!'

 

'From your stuttering, that's obviously not the case.'

 

Aero sighed. 'Alright, yes... I have something to tell you. But can I tell you later? While we're walking through the streets is... really not the best time to talk about this.'

 

'It never is. If you delay now, you'll continue to delay later and never tell me.' Shadowhide walked in front of Aero, cutting him off and stopping them in their tracks. 'So, we're talking about this now.' Enunciating her words, she repeated 'What's troubling you?'

 

'Okay, fine, we'll talk about this now! But don't blame me for the poor timing; you were the one who forced me to tell you right now.' Aero took a deep breath, calming himself down, then resumed in a much gentler, softer tone. 'Shadowhide... You are a beautiful, smart... beautiful... smart... um, amazing...'

 

With his insistence that this is a bad time, the bombardment of compliments and the stuttering, this could only add up to one thing. She better step in now or he'll get stuck in an infinite loop. 'Are you proposing?'

 

'Proposing what?' He tilted his head in confusion momentarily, but then his eyes went wide as he quickly caught onto the meaning. 'Wait, no, no, no! I'm not asking for marriage! I-I mean, not yet, at least! I'm asking if you'll be my very special somepony, Shadowhide!'

 

She was almost spot on. If not a proposal, asking to be special someponies would be the next logical step. Actually, in retrospect that should be the first logical step; ponies probably wouldn't propose prior to being special someponies. Shadowhide wasn't exactly one for romance, nor did the really understand it. All those arbitrary and stupid rules of romance like 'you can't have too good of a time with friends of the opposite gender or you're clearly cheating' would distract too much from the whole point of simply enjoying each other's company. Still, she and Aero have been through a lot together. If she was to give romance a try, he would be her preferred partner. And given his offer, he clearly thinks they're ready for this. She trusts Aero's judgment.

 

'Very well. I accept,' she answered.

 

Aero stared at her blankly for a few moments. Rather disconcerting. Then he laughed. 'Only you would answer that so seriously, Shadowhide!' He wrapped his hooves around Shadowhide in a hug.

 

So far everything appears to be working out well. Shadowhide returned the hug, and then clarified 'A hug is customary at this point, correct?'

 

'Yes it is. Well, anything romantic would do, but hugs are romantic, so hugs work!'

 

They released each other, and then Shadowhide looked in the direction of the mansion. 'Shall we?' she asked. Aero nodded, and the two of them continued on their way to the mansion. Noticing Sunset had stepped back during their conversation, Shadowhide gestured to her to come back over as they had finished.

[Mickey Taker 347]

@@Gloomfury, @SilverHeart, @Scribblegroove, @Midnight Scribbler, @FortyTwo42, @Evilshy, @Windbreaker

 

"What, again?" Cherry blinked as she looked up at Red Cask with a concerned look, she turned her head to look up at Mirror quizzically before looking back at the steward, "Mr Casket, I really don't think Mirror is up for a meeting this late, she's tired enough as it is, couldn't Miss Gemma and Lapis have it another day?..Tomorrow morning maybe?"

 

Naturally, Cherry was concerned for Mirror about Red Casks request, not just for her well-being but more she simply didn't trust him, or either of the bat ponies for that matter.

 

As more of the other guests would begin to gather, Cherry would spot Belle hiding in the back, the red mare would giggle as she waved a hoof at her.

[EcstaticWind 572]

Poppy Seed

@@SilverHeart,

 

Poppy couldn't wait for the stallion. He'd find his own way to the mansion, but she had to leave right now. After one last check to make sure she was presentable and realizing that her roommate had vanished with nary a word, Poppy headed out, leaving the hotel and making her way to the mansion. Perhaps she'd see Rosewood there, but then, perhaps not. Rosewood had been decent to talk to, and probably knew of some things that might prove decently recreational since Poppy was going to be here for a while. So far, her first day hadn't covered everything there was to offer. Tomorrow, she planned to check out the beach Captain Bluemane mentioned. Maybe that would be relaxing.

 

Of course, she first had to get to dinner at the mansion. After making her way to the gates, she fell in line with the others as she noticed the steward talking with Cherry and another pony.

[SilverHeart 741]

@@Windbreaker, @@Golbez,@@FortyTwo42, @@Scribblegroove,@@EquestrianScholar,

 

((OOC: I'm re-purposing this post, since most of the details are the exact same as the first time around, its just duck instead of mid day. Please forgive me if this post is of below normal quality. It's been a long day and I'm tired. I probably should have asked Golbez to write this post, but decided it would be a bit much to ask him to write an intro post.))

 

It had been a long day, your carriage had broken before the journey had even begun resulting with you and the ponies with you being stuck inside the carriage for over half a day. Eventually you entered the forest where your journey was peaceful if somewhat boring. You wake as the carriage exits the forest and continues along its path, which resembled more of a normal road as opposed to the beaten path in the midst of the trees. To your left are fields of wheat surrounding a barn and windmill. The barn looked odd, certain sections of its walls were new, while the rest seemed old, ancient even. Well as ancient as wood could look at least. If you had to make a guess it was in the process of being restored. The windmill itself was attached to the rear of the barn, it was in better shape than the barn. either it had been properly maintained over they years or it had already been restored. Beyond the farmland was a lake, its far side was bordered by a mountain. All in all it looked pleasant enough.

 

Through the right window of the carriage you could see a vineyard and a meadow with flowers and trees. It looked tranquil and welcoming, a perfect place for a picnic perhaps? Or maybe it would just be a good place for a nap. Past the meadow was more forest, the same one that you had just past through. It looked as dark and unwelcoming as a forest could look. 

 

Another minute or two passed as the carriage trudged towards the forward. Slowly a town came into view. Just like the barn certain buildings seemed to stand out as brand new, while others seemed old and worn. One thing stands out, almost as much as the disparity between the buildings, you don't see any ponies walking the streets.

 

The carriage, for practically the first time since you had entered the forest, began to take, what felt like, a few sharp turns before pulling to a stop. From what you could see you were most likely in the town's square, albeit it seemed like more of a circle.

 

Several seconds later the carriage door was pulled opened by an exhausted looking stallion, the one that had accepted your letters when you climbed in. Behind him were a few different ponies. The only one that stood out was a n Earthpony, whose expression was grim and serious. The stallion's coat was a relatively light gray which was complemented by his black mane. His clothes were very extravagant, even if they seemed a little...archaic, and gave him an air of sophistication and grace.

 

@@EquestrianScholar,

Mythos: Due to years of knowledge and study of obscure Equine history, you immediately recognize that his clothes are in a style that is nearly two hundred years old. The only ponies that were gifted with such exquisite apparel were the Estate Stewards of Noble families so high in rank that they bordered on being Royalty. You don't recognize the House's Sigil, Which follows the standard format of a Family Crest.

At the top of the Crest was one of the family's mottoes in pace, ut equines, aptarit idonea bello, which translated to "In peace, like a wise horse, he appropriately prepares for war." Below the motto was a closed-face steel helmet with gold trimming. The helmet sat above a crown that was reminiscent of Celestia's crown. Underneath that was the family's crest, which consisted of a Manticore that had been stabbed by two swords. blood dripped from the wounds into a chalice that was nearly overflowing with its blood. On both sides of this crest were two seapony mares, who were positioned so that their hooves were pressed against each side of the shield. At the bottom of the crest was another motto, "amat victoria curam" which translated to "Victory likes careful preparation."

 

[Scribblegroove 565]

Scribblegroove

 

After taking far too long fixing a small tuft of hair sticking out from his neatly tucked backwards mane, Scribblegroove gave up with a groan. He'd look rather ridiculous with his runny nose anyway, which would probably act up again later tonight, so why even bother taking this long to fix his hair?

 

After taking one last look in the mirror, Scribblegroove headed out to the manor. When he arrived, he noticed another carriage with a few peculiar ponies. He was interested and curious, but decided to wait with asking around and investigating until a later time. He expected the dinner would begin any moment now. He'd get the time to quench his curiosity at a later time.

 

((Since its been a while since I posted and I'm not sure what to do, I decided to leave this simple. I hope that is ok.))

[GreyScholar 1,584]

@@Windbreaker, @@Golbez, @@FortyTwo42, @@Scribblegroove, @@SilverHeart,
What had been bothering him was the letter he had received, mixed with annoyance for being called a peasant, though really why should he expect anything less then that Prince Blueblood would be less then pleasant socially. Mythos had suspected for quite some time that the stallion was an egotist or sheltered, perhaps both, given his manner and behavior around others. Yet there was sadly no shortage of ponies will to put up with the prince's often unbearable manner because he was royalty and the nephew of Princess Celestia. Still, if Blueblood did try putting anyone into prison the grey unicorn would be the first to formally offer a complaint to the princesses.

Still, he always did enjoy a good carriage, even if it did seem this one was a relatively uneventful one. Mythos had dozed for a time, but thankfully awoke in time to see for himself the interesting stuctures passed by. The town itself, in its uneven patchwork of old and new was something interesting to behold to a stallion with an eye for detail. Yet it was the lack of anypony in town that fanned the flames of curiosity, bring questions and wondering of where they were and where they were going, of the why everything seemed to be a half state of repair.

On stepping out of the carriage, once it had slowed before stopping, and seeing a grim appearing earth pony with extravagant if yet archaic clothes. It did offer a look similar to paintings of old nobility, with a certain air sophistication and grace. Mythos would smile, a look of soft amusement when he realized his clothes were of a style two hundred old. More such clothing was of a very special group, leading him to wonder where the earth pony fit into such nobility. Yet something that gave him slight annoyance was how he did not recognize the House's Sigil, though it followed the proper format, leaving him to wonder what family the stallion was actually a part of.

Considering the crest more closely, counting that of the family motto of “In peace, like a wise horse, he appropriately prepares for war.” He otherwise took in the design and went from the helment to the crown to that of a manticore and two swords dripping with blood into a filled chalice. On either side was to seapony mares, and below another motto "Victory likes careful preparation."

Smiling, the unicorn would offer a hoove as he says, “Greeting, it is wonderful to meet you and finally take rest from my trip. I am Mythos Gray. I am a scholar and storyteller, among other things... which is why I must admit to being most interested and curious of your House's Sigil. It is very well detailed, though I do not recognize it from any records I have read.”

Edited July 26, 2015 by EquestrianScholar

[SilverHeart 741]

@@EquestrianScholar,@@Scribblegroove, @@Windbreaker, @@Golbez, @@FortyTwo42,  

 

((OOC I: The first part of this post was written by Golbez. The rest is mine. I'm sure our writing styles are different enough that you will be able to tell the difference.))

((OOC II: Scratch that I only managed to write two paragraphs, Golbez wrote pretty much all of this except two posts in the middle. If I missed anyone else, I apologize.))

 

Red Cask raised a bold a eyebrow at Cherry's request, the mispronunciation of his name made his eye twitch but he let it slide...for now, he cleared his throat thoroughly as he calmly addressed the red mare, "I'm afraid that is completely out of the question Madam Cherry, now if you would please?"

The elderly pony gestured with a  raised hoof to direct them towards the mansion, Cherry however stood still and just looked at him in disbelief, finding it hard to believe what she was hearing.

 

"But ...why?", Red Cask let out light, exasperated sigh as he peered over his glasses at the red pegasi,  Cherry gulped and took a step back, once again he spoke, his voice clear and to-the-point as he wore an expressionless look on his face, "Madam Cherry, I neither have the time nor the obligation to address this any further with you as the matter rests entirely with Mistresses Gemma and Lapis."

He paused as he looked up to Mirror, "Madam, if you are unprepared as your accomplice is suggesting you might yet be able to enquire about rescheduling with them, but don't take my word for it, their word is final on the matter."

 

Red Cask​ lowered his head to match Cherry's height, she didn't say anything but simply nodded her head as she backed off and awkwardly hid behind Mirror Image, Red Cask sighed quietly as he regained his posture .

 

It at this time that another carriage caught Cask's eye as it made it's way through the cramped streets of the town, the earth pony kept his posture as the carriage drew nearer until it finally came to a stop just in front of him and the guests.

As the carriage puller quickly trotted round to open the door Red Cask approached the carriage himself to greet seemingly one additional guest to Bloodwell.

 

"Greetings Master Grey," said Red Cask in response to Mythos,  "I'm afraid I must apologise sir, under normal circumstances I would give you a quick introduction to Bloodwell, but unfortunately  we are rather pressed for time, so if you all would kindly follow me please, Master Mythos the Coach master will gladly attend to your belongings."

The coach master in question leaned his head back and groaned , "Aw come on....."

 

​The Elderly pony nods to the group, motioning for them to follow as he begins to briskly walk up towards the winding path towards the mansion.

As you approach you would begin to take notice of the foreboding appearance the dark mansion actually had, it was enormous, four stories tall and so wide you couldn't even see the sides of the building from where you were standing, it could very easily be the largest building in Equestria you've ever seen.

 

Red Cask approaches the door and knocks on it hard, on further inspection of the mansion some of you may have noticed that curiously none of the third floor windows were lit, it could be nothing of course but considering the size of the place it did look rather peculiar, a coincidence maybe?

A loud groaning noise coming from the front door opening signaled that the elderly pony was about to lead you inside.

 

As you walk in the first thing that you would possibly notice is just how small  you felt when you looked around the main atrium, two large stair cases stood in front of you leading up to a balcony above you. The balcony wrapped itself around the room with several doors leading to other rooms on the second story.

 

Red Cask leads you into a hallway directly across the room from where you entered. The hallway itself is straight and long with portraits of important-looking ponies and wall mounted candles alternating throughout its length. The first portrait in the hallway is faded from time, however the frame is still in pristine condition. It's a simple wooden frame with no ornate decorations or stylings other than a date carved into the wood. The picture itself is of a young unicorn mare in a military uniform with several ribbons, medals, and awards. The lighting is too dim to make out any of the details. Those of you with a thorough knowledge of the arcane can feel faint traces of magic from each of the portraits. 

 

 

It takes several minutes of walking but you finally reach the end of the hallway, one portrait in particular would have definitely caught your eye, a large portrait of Prince Blueblood himself.

Or at least, it "looked" like him, the look of his menacing countenance and chilling, piercing eyes would have made anypony think the same, and unlike the first few portraits this one seemed to have been painted much more recently as the detail of the painting was of rather high quality.

Looking at the painting the tell-tale signs of age of this pony in particular with the wrinkles under the eyes and specks of grey hair in the mane would supported any doubts about if this was indeed Prince Blueblood, looking at the name plate at the bottom of the portrait would have there and then denied that thought completely as it read, "Lord Bloodwell", and beside that stated a date rather clearly, dating it back two hundred years ago.

 

Beside that stood yet another portrait frame, yet immediately noticeable this frame had yet to occupied with a portrait of it's own, glancing at the name plate you may have noticed the name, "Prince BlueBlood."

"This way if you please." Red Cask announced as he pushed open a set of double doors at the end of the hall before standing to one side to allow you to enter.

Inside the room stood a particularly long table set dead in the center of the room with enough tables for all the guests to take a seat, though only two of these seats seemed to have been placed together on the far end of the table.

Atop the table was much more enjoyable sight as a feast was laid out specifically for you, in fact a feast may have been an understatement.

All manner of dishes was presented, from the simple to the more exotic, it was plainly obvious the cooks went to great lengths to cater for everyponies individual tastes imaginable.

"Feel free to take a seat where ever you wish," Red Cask said, smiling a little at you.

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Aero Wind

 

Judging from the sheer size of the mansion and how extravagant everything seemed, 'palace' seemed a more fitting term for this place. Everything was much larger than it had any right to be. It was very impressive and Aero found himself looking from object to object, admiring it all as he walked down the long hallways. The only annoying part was how the sheer length of the corridor made it take way too long to reach the end. He considered just flying down the corridor to reach the end faster—the huge corridor was tall enough to fly in, after all—but it would be very rude to do that, and not to mention Aero didn't want to leave his new special somepony behind.

 

Speaking of his special somepony, Shadowhide didn't seem to be looking around the room much at all. She probably just thought everything was a pointless waste of money and not deserving of her attention. Rather, Shadowhide's attention seemed to be focused on the new grey unicorn that just joined them back at the front of the mansion. She made sure to stay behind him so she could watch him without suspicion, so whenever he wasn't looking, Shadowhide was observing how he acted. Since Shadowhide becomes suspicious of other ponies easily and she had only just met this new unicorn, Aero thought there was nothing strange about how Shadowhide was closely watching him at the moment, so he decided not to bring it up with her and leave her to it.

 

They soon finally reached the end of the corridor, and in the next room was the most amazing feast Aero had ever seen. The amount of food they prepared was incredible! They probably had enough food to feed everypony ten times over! And the variety of food was incredible too! No doubt Aero would be able to find all sorts of dishes he enjoyed. This will surely be a night to remember!

 

Looking around the table, Aero noticed most of the seats were spread out, with the exception of two seats on the far end of the table. If he wanted to sit next to Shadowhide, he needed to get those seats at the other end. 'C'mon, Shadowhide, let's quickly get those two seats before somepony else does!' he called out to her. He then immediately flew over the table directly to the seats, quickly landing and sitting in one of them.

 

Shadowhide, however, didn't seem to feel any of the urgency Aero had. She simply walked around the table to their spot at her own pace, despite Aero's gestures telling her to hurry up. When she finally took her seat next to him, she told him 'Being special someponies does not require us to be in close proximity every second.'

 

Aero waved a hoof at her. 'You're no fun.' He then turned towards the food, watching as everypony else took their seats. 'So, do you know if we're allowed to dig in yet?'

[SilverHeart 741]

.

Mirror Image

 

Mirror stood tall and stared Red Cask down in order to protect Cherry, or at least she tried to. The truth was she found him just as if not more intimidating than Cherry did. She shrunk under his gaze but didn't move allowing Cherry to hide behind her. She meekly nodded at his suggestions and waited until his attention shifted to the new arrival.

 

Once Mr. Cask focused on somepony else, Mirror turned around to face Cherry. "T-thanks for trying, Cherry." she whispered in her ear before she gave Cherry a quick kiss on her cheek.

 

After Rsd Cask announced that it was time to follow, Mirror fell in line and walked with the group. She had already seen the interior of the Mansion two weeks ago. It was still impressive but it didn't leave her in shock as much as it has the first time she had entered.

 

Mirror followed along until they reached the door to the dining room. Normally she would let Cherry decide whee they sit, however she didn't want to be anywhere near Gemma or Lapis when they arrived. She sat at the end closest to the door.

[Mickey Taker 347]

@ @SilverHeart, @Scribblegroove, @FortyTwo42, @EquestrianScholar

 

"T-thanks for trying, Cherry."

 

Cherry blushed as she felt Mirrors warm muzzle press gently against her cheek, casing the mare to blush slightly, she looked upa t Mirror with a bashful smile as she stood closer to her, leaning on her slightly before they both went up the the mansion together.

 

She was so going to return the favor when they got back to their room.

 

Following Mirror closely, the red mare felt a very cold chill run down her spine as they drew nearer to the building, why did did everything had to be so dark and scary looking around here? Surely if they wanted to draw in more guests livening the place up might have helped, right?

 

Walking down the hall of portraits together, Cherry couldn't help but gulp nervously as she looked up at each of the paintings, somehow she just got this eerie vibe about them, as if the place was gonna somehow be haunted by these exact ponies, that's how stories like these worked wasn't it? There'd be some sort of scary story about each and every one of these ponies how they met some tragic end and how'd they'd walk the earth in eternal torment...or something like that...she really needed to stop reading those scary books Golbez had.

 

Reachig the end of the corridor and entering the dining room, like some of others Cherry was quite surprised by the amount of food that was up for grabs, she didn't need to be told what to do.

As Silver went to pick her spot, Cherry practically dived hooves first and helped herself, stuffing an apple in her mouth as darted back and forth over the table and piled whatever looked appetizing onto a plate and carrying it over to where Silver sat.

 

"Hwere yo ou!" she said muffled, before taking a large bite of the apple already in her mouth, smiling at the magician as she chewed.

[SilverHeart 741]

Mirror Image

 

Mirror kept her head lowered, likely an attempt to keep from attracting attention, as she waited for everyone to seat themselves. She kept to herself and didn't look up until Cherry brought over a plate of food and sat next to her. "Thank you......but we probably shouldn't be eating yet. I think we're supposed to be meeting with those two tonight." Mirror said with a mumble. "Their chairs are over there." she raised her hoof and pointed at Aero and Shadowhide.

 

STORY POST

 

@@Golbez, @@FortyTwo42, @@EquestrianScholar,  

((OOC: I'm still not entirely sure if Equestrian Scholar is still in this or not, so I'm posting ahead of you I apologize))

 

 

 

'So, do you know if we're allowed to dig in yet?'

 

 

"Not quite yet, I'm afraid." a feminine voice said in a saccharine-sweet manner, it came from the far side of Aero. The owner of the voice was a lithe and attractive mare wearing a new and form fitting dress. The dress was the same shade of blue as her mane with gold trimming throughout. While it was simple in design you can't help but feel that it would make many mares green with envy. In addition to her dress she was wearing more Jewelry than most ponies could hope to afford in their lifetimes. Various gemstones hung down in earrings and necklaces. Though everything combined couldn't hope to equal the Sapphire-like gem in the amulet around her neck. It was easily the size of hoof. Somehow all of the jewelry was arranged in a way that didn't look gaudy or ugly and instead accentuated her foreign features. Her fur was a dark gray while her mane, which fell down draped around her neck, was a deep blue. 

 

@Shadowhide

[spoil]

Since she is further away and your eyes aren't immediately drawn to the jewelry or her dress you can see that her wings are leathery instead of being feathered like Aero's wings. Her ears are furrier than a normal ponies. Finally you look at her eyes and realize that they are like looking into a predator's eyes, her irises are closer to a cat's than a ponies. Also her eyes are heterochromatic, one is blue and the other green. Your instincts as an officer of the law kick in and you realize that you never heard either of the two mares walk up. [/spoil]

 

"It would certainly be rude to eat before everyone was seated." The same voice said, this time it came from the far side of Shadowhide where another mare stood. She was identical to the mare that stood by Aero, even down to the jewelry. It was almost like looking into a mirror.

 

@ Aero

[spoil]

Since she is further away and you've already seen her dress and jewelry, you can see that her wings are leathery instead of being feathered like your own. Her ears are furrier than a normal ponies. Finally you look at her eyes and realize that they are like looking into a predator's eyes, her irises are closer to a cat's than a ponies. Also her eyes are heterochromatic, one is blue and the other green. [/spoil]

 

"My name is Gemma,"

 

"And my name is Lapis,"

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you." They say in unison as both raise their right hoof up and extend it forward, it is obvious they are waiting on you to introduce yourselves.

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Aero Wind

 

@@SilverHeart,

 

A voice to the side of Aero got his attention, and he turned to see a pony standing next to his seat. When did that pony get there? Has she been standing there for a while? Although as he looked at this new pony, he was awestruck. She looked so regal. So beautiful. He was captivated. The gems she wore looked incredible, especially the large sapphire-like gem around her neck.

 

He heard the exact same voice on the other side of him, which broke Aero from his trance. He looked past Shadowhide to see this new pony, and he was bewildered at the sight. She was exactly the same as the other pony Aero just saw! Aero quickly looked back and forth between them a few times to check how similar they are and to make sure they're actually two different ponies, not just one moving back and forth. 'What the?' he softly said to himself as he became sure they were indeed two different ponies with an identical appearance.

 

Having already seen one of them, his eyes were drawn to different features as he looked at the second one. He focused less on the stunning dresses and more on their physical features, and he noticed some surprising things. They had leathery wings, they had furry ears, and most worringly their eyes looked like those of a hunter. Were Aero and Shadowhide the prey? He slowly leaned closer to Shadowhide for safety, and whispered to her 'Do you feel like a mouse cornered by two cats with nowhere to run?'

 

Shadowhide, however, seemed unfazed by everything. After they were greeted in unison, Shadowhide nodded and met Lapis's right hoof with her own, replying 'Likewise. My name is Shadowhide.' Aero then noticed Shadowhide was making some quick glances at the ground around Lapis’s feet. Perhaps she noticed something about how they walked up?

 

Aero soon noticed they were all waiting on him to introduce himself. He tried to give a confident laugh, but it came out as more of a nervous chuckle. 'Hi, hello! It's- Uh, I'm Aero Wind!' He put on a forced smile, but didn't hold out his hoof for them like Shadowhide did. Instead, he slowly held Shadowhide's other hoof, seemingly for comfort.

[SilverHeart 741]

Gemma and Lapis

@@FortyTwo42, @@EquestrianScholar, @@Golbez,

Once it became apparent that Aero wasn't going to greet her, Gemma lowered her hoof back to the ground. For less than a second her eyes flickered down to Aero and Shadowhide's hooves before immediately darting up to his eyes again. She held his gaze for several seconds before taking a step back and smiling. Just like the rest of her kind, her teeth are sharper and she has several fangs.After smiling she glanced at her sister.

Meanwhile Lapis allowed her hoof to be shaken before setting it back down. If she had noticed Shadowhide glancing at her hooves, she didn't show it. One quick glance and silent conversation later they both nodded. Gemma walked around the chairs to stand next to her sister. Now that the two of them were next to each other, you could see that they were particularly young, at most they were only a few years older than Shadowhide. Lapis looked out over the table and at each of the guests before speaking. "We're afraid there's been a slight change in tonight's plans." Lapis began.

"His Royal Highness, Prince Blueblood, is feeling ill." Gemma continued "Do not worry, he is being tended to. Unfortuantely, that means that your only company this evening will be ourselves and our daughters, Harmony and Tragedy."

 

@Shadowhide

Strain as you might, you could not hear the sound of Gemma walking on the hard wood floors.

However now you can hear two ponies walking across the floors behind you.

As if on cue, two young mares walked out from behind Aero and Shadowhide, a quick glance back would reveal that there had been a second set of doors leading into the room. The pair walked over and stood in between Gemma and Lapis. Both of the mares were yellow pegasi with pink manes. They each wore a matching soft pink dress with flowers in their mane. With the two of them facing each of you from some angle it was easy to see that they were identical twins.

Harmony and Tragedy were young mares, both in their later teens. Judging by the shape of their bodies and their size, they must have been past the akward years when a filly first becomes a mare but they couldn't have left their teen years just yet. With the two of them standing in between Gemma and Lapis, it was easy to see that they lacked any of the features that a thestral or a half-breed would have.

 

Gemma lowered her head down and quickly nuzzled the cheek of one of the twins, who flushed red with embarrassment. The other mare snickered at her sister's misfortune, which earned her a dirty look. Unfazed by her sister's glare she continued to quietly laugh until Lapis reached down and quickly kissed her daughter on the cheek. The scene nearly repeated itself as it was the first sister's turn to laugh. Gemma tapped her hoof against the ground and both of the mares smiled and bowed before speaking.

 

"I'm Harmony" Said the mare on the right.

 

"And I'm Tragedy" The one on the left said.

 

Both of them looked at each other with a grin before glancing at the bat ponies beside them. Neither Gemma nor Lapis seemed particularly pleased. In fact, they were both wearing the same unamused frown. Both of the young mares quickly stood straight and spoke again,

 

"Uhm, I'm actually Tragedy" The mare on the on right said.

 

"And I'm Harmony" Said the mare on the left.

Edited November 29, 2015 by SilverHeart

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Shadowhide

 

@@SilverHeart,

 

It was obvious Aero was frightened by these new ponies, as he was likening them to predators and holding her hoof. He leaned in even closer to her as Gemma gave him a smile, obviously frightened by her fangs. He was leaning enough that he would likely have fallen from his chair if Shadowhide wasn't supporting him. There currently wasn’t much she could do to calm him down, so she just made sure to keep holding his hoof for as long as needed.

 

Shadowhide however wasn't frightened of them, but rather was confused. How could two ponies have such an identical appearance? As far as she could tell there were no differences between them, or the differences were so subtle she hadn't noticed them yet. She had quickly lost track of which was Gemma and which was Lapis. Another strange thing she noticed was their footsteps were completely silent. That should only be possible if they were flying, but their wings were still and they were clearly just walking. They seemed to be doing something impossible. If she got a chance, she'll check if they left hoofprints as they walked later that night, and hopefully it’ll shed some light on how they’re making silent footsteps.

 

It was disappointing to hear Blueblood could not make it. She planned to ask him some questions about the purpose of forcing ponies to come to Bloodwell. However, Gemma and Lapis appear to be involved in running this 'vacation' too, so perhaps she could find out some things from them during the dinner. Although it's probably best to wait until dinner starts and they're all talking anyway to ask questions. They’re still going though introductions now.

 

Shadowhide watched as the Gemma and Lapis introduced their daughters and they walked into the room. Another pair of identical ponies. Now she'll have two sets of ponies she'll never be able to tell the difference between. Although it was curious that unlike their parents, these two looked like normal pegasi. But it's probably nothing important. They could be adopted, or perhaps it's some crazy pony genetics at work; either way reasonably explains the race difference. Another thing she noticed was that unlike their parents, their footsteps were actually audible. That’s one thing that actually makes sense. Are silent footsteps a thestral thing, perhaps?

 

Shadowhide frowned slightly as they tried to mix their names up with their introductions. Tricksters. Shadowhide would have enough trouble trying to remember their names normally, it's not helping if they intentionally try to get other ponies to confuse them. It's probably best to hide her annoyance and greet them normally for now. If she’s lucky, she can avoid having to refer to them by name during the dinner. 'Pleasure. My name is Shadowhide.'

 

Aero fortunately seemed to calm right down upon seeing the two fillies. He moved back properly into his chair and gave them a genuine smile. 'Hey there! I'm Aero Wind, although most ponies just call me Aero for short. Nice to meet you!'

[SilverHeart 741]

Gemma and Lapis & Harmony and Tragedy

 

@@FortyTwo42,

@@EquestrianScholar,

 

 

 

Now that the introductions were done, the four ponies moved to sit at the table. Lapis and Harmony walked to the other side of the table and sat down in the two seats closest to Aero with the young pegasus sitting next to him. On the other side of the table Gemma sat next to Shadowhide with Tragedy sitting in between her and Cherry. Gemma and Lapis shared a quick glance between each other before Gemma spoke up "Lapis and I are happy to answer whatever questions you have. Though I believe we've kept you from your meals long enough, please enjoy yourselves." she said with a polite smile.

 

@Everyone

 

You can eat without being rude now

 

 

Mirror Image

 

@@Golbez,

 

Aside from quickly knocking the apple out of Cherry's mouth and onto her plate, Mirror sat as still as a statue while Lapis and Gemma made their introductions, she didn't want to draw their attention or risk their wrath during the dinner. Part of her was relieved that the Thestrals had entirely ignored both her and Cherry so far. Another part of her was wondering just how much trouble she was in that they wouldn't even look at her or Cherry.

Edited November 30, 2015 by SilverHeart

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

It had been a long journey, that much was true. As the Ranger known as Lilith Crow glanced down at her meal, taking in the scent of the simple bowl of broth and the fanciful- too fanciful for her, if she was completely honest- salad sitting in front of her, she was taken back to her last meal indoors- sitting with the Unidecim himself, his grim countenance looking upon her as the two of them shared a simple repast, especially after she learned his purpose of the meal- and the letter that resulted in this trip. Her food remained untouched for the time being, however, as she looked around the room, taking in the many people there.

 

There was the the brick-red pony who had already began to eat with a smile on her face, much to the chagrin of the navy-blue pony next to her. There was the two pairs of batpony twins- they had introduced themselves as Gemma and Lapis, and Harmony and Tragedy- the younger ones, who were in the middle, apparently were related to the older ones, though in what way, she was not entirely sure. Next, there was a purple mare with green hair and a rather stern countenance, and next to her, sat a bright green pony, seemingly oblivious to the mood of the pony sitting next to her in favor of being intimidated by the batponies. Lilith herself sat next to this pony. There were others, but these ponies were the ones that caught her eye at the moment.

 

Other than the rather regal scene, the full feast in front of her, and a few other scenes... it was rather empty. Plenty of shadows- the chandelier above her was the only source of light, and it didn't catch every corner. For some reason, she felt paranoid- but perhaps that was just because of where she was. It's a small town in the middle of nowhere, after all, she thought. Anything could happen. She inspected the scene for a moment more, before turning to the food and taking a small sip of the broth, as was polite- it warmed her belly as it slipped down her throat, it's delicate flavor diffusing throughout her mouth and she swallowed. Even for a simple item such as this, it was near perfectly spiced. She blinked before taking her hood off, revealing her face for the first time- a wild sort of beauty, with a trio of vines intersecting her braided mane- before continuing to eat her food in a polite manner, trying to allow the others to get the first word in...

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,024]

The pony leading Summer was quite aloof, she had seen such behavior before once or twice and was not a fan of it, the hall was quite long and impressive almost as much as Twilight's castle back in Ponyville, certainly a huge building as it was indicated on how long it was taking to move from one end of the corridor to the other. The artworks on the wall were a mixture or elegance, spooky and creepy in certain ones, Summer was slightly disappointed as she did not have time to put on the lovely dress she had bought from Rarity's shop. But what Rarity had said to her about Blueblood made her wonder why she accepted the invite or how she even got one not like there's a million ponies like me flying around. They approached the door and the end or the corridor and she was let in.

 

***

Summer found the first seat that was free and hovered over and sat down, she saw others eating so she started to as well, the food was something else she'd love to meet the chief and shake his hoof and probe him for cooking tricks. She looked around the table to see and interesting array of ponies gathered at the table, she wanted to say hi but her timidness kicked in and she simply stared at the food the walls and anything else apart from the others gathered around say hello to somepony introduce yourself you silly phily. But again as she attempted to speak nothing came out, her ears drooped and a sad look crept onto her face. Summer tried to just keep eating maybe another would talk to her...

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Aero Wind

 

@, @,

 

After Gemma announced they may begin, Aero eagerly reached in and grabbed some of the food, particularly the flowers. As he began eating, he looked around the table to see who else made it. He quickly noticed there were two new faces at the table he hasn't seen before who haven't introduced themselves yet. They both seemed to be the quiet type, since they were just eating without saying anything. If Aero was going to get to know these ponies, he'd have to speak up first. 'Hey, there! Are you two new? I'm Aero Wind, and this is Shadowhide. What are your names?'

 

@@SilverHeart,

 

Shadowhide didn't start eating yet, instead she seemed intent on taking up on the bat ponies' offer to ask more questions. She faced Gemma, as she was the one sitting closest to Shadowhide. 'I have several questions I would like to ask. Will we be meeting Blueblood later? What are your jobs in Bloodwell? And why were we, of all ponies, picked to take this vacation?' She paused briefly in thought, and then continued 'Also, I apologise, but I cannot recall whether you are Lapis or Gemma. Are you twins?'