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

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Aero Wind

 

@@Midnight Scribbler, @@Windbreaker, @,

'Oh, right, the lanterns outside,' Aero repeated. He didn't even consider the light outside the carriage, he just took it for granted that the carriage will create light when it's dark and didn't consider how it did that. It also explains why Shadowhide still looks fearful. If the candle was the cause, it's been put out now, and Shadowhide calms down quickly when the fire is gone. 'Sorry,' Aero said to Sunset, Poppy, and the new pony he didn't get the name of. 'When I see Shadowhide like that, I just get defensive and jump to bad conclusions. I guess that's why she's the detective and not me. Thanks for your help.' Between running into a wall and making a very poor accusation, he hoped he wasn't coming off as an idiot to everypony. After all, he studied meteorology at university for several years, so chances are he's actually smarter than most, if not all the ponies here.

 

Now that he's sorted out the cause of Shadowhide's behaviour, he could focus on helping her. But now that he thought about it, he didn't know what he should do. Normally in these situations, the solution was obvious: Either put out the candle or help her get out of the room. In this case, both options weren't possible. He wasn't sure what else he could do. Thankfully, it seems Shadowhide knew what to do. He could tell her rapid counting was a method for distracting herself from the lanterns, and it's working really well. She's doing just fine considering the situation she's in. The best option is just waiting it out. It feels like it's been a long time since he first got in the carriage, so it can't be that much longer before they arrive. Besides, it's not like the dense forest is going to be on the rest of the route to the resort. The sunlight should return at some point, and then they'll hopefully extinguish the lanterns. And if they don't, Aero could probably get away with simply telling Shadowhide they have been extinguished, as lantern light would be hard to notice among sunlight.

 

'She'll be fine. She knows what to do to stay calm,' Aero told the ponies he's been speaking to.

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

@@SilverHeart,
@,
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@@Evilshy,
@@FortyTwo42,
@@Gloomfury,
@@FirstPonySpectre,
@@Scribblegroove,
@@Golbez,
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Sunset

 

Sunset was taking in the strange events going on in the carriage, when Aero Wind approached, suddenly with angry words and accusation. "I.. What? I didn't.. Where ever did you get the idea that I would..?" She trailed off, flustered and offended that he'd jumped to such a conclusion. "Where in Equestria did you even get the idea there was a candle in my possession?" She thought, now suspicious that he'd somehow snooped in her bag somehow, but quickly disregarded the thought, knowing that it couldn't have been possible. The coach master wouldn't have allowed it, she was certain.

 

Just then, others came to her defense, chastising as the words were, she was thankful somepony was standing up for her at least. She gave Aero Wind a look, as if to say "Why would you accuse me?" She felt suddenly as though there were some serious trust issues with some of these ponies.

Aero Wind seemed to second guess himself, and apologized. This lowered Sunset's guard, she hadn't expected him to back down so easily, though she was glad of it. Confrontation was not something she enjoyed in the slightest.
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~Story~
The carriage rolls along, smooth as ever. You begin to notice that it's pace slows, and eventually stops. The trees outside seem to grow ever nearer to the sides, as though they were trying to reach out and grasp the carriage it's self. The darkness outside, still thick as ink between the barely illuminated, gnarled, old trunks. The forest is still, and silent. Or so it would appear, over the racket of conversation going on within the carriage. Looking out the front of the carriage, the coach master appears to be dealing with a couple of fallen limbs from trees that had fallen nearby. A small hold up, nothing too serious.
 

Belle, Shadowhide and Scribblegroove (I recommend everyone check the OOC for details. This post pertains only to these 3 OCs)

 

 

Glancing out the window, in the darkness just within the light of the lanterns, something in the woods stirs. It's difficult to tell, but the longer you look, the more clearly you begin to make out the shapes of two.. ponies? They can't be older than foals, just.. playing in the woods, in the darkness. They stop, staring blankly as though they had only just noticed your carriage, and stand perfectly still. There isn't enough light to discern any defining features about them, aside from the fact that they appear rather pale in colour, and lack any marking on their flanks. They also appear rather thin, and.. perhaps even sickly. Just then, the coach master rounds the carriage, lantern in his mouth, as he does, the foals turn, and leap away, fading into the veil of darkness, and out of view.

 

 

~Story continued~

Wagon Wheel rounded the carriage, lantern in his mouth as he approached the door, and opened it, poking his head in. Placing the lantern down beside him outside, he cleared his throat, and announced in his usual monotone voice. "We have encountered a small obstruction on the road, I apologize for the delay. We will be on our way momentarily. Please remain inside the carriage." With that, he closed the door, and made his way back around to the front, hanging the lantern again, and continuing to clear the debris. A few moments later, the carriage began to move once more.

[Gloomfury 243]

@@FortyTwo42, @@Midnight Scribbler,

 

 

Belle was worried about letting the mare take off her scarf. But she also didn't want anyone to worry about her. And maybe it would be best if they found out about her syndrome sooner rather then later.  But as she was going to tell the mare she could take off her scarf,  another mare came over, which made her a little more worried. Telling one mare was already hardy enough but two?

 

It was almost nerve-racking. She took in a few quick deep breaths to calm herself. If she could she would write the mares a note in her pad, but she still had a few minutes before she can move again. She let out a few more breaths. While she was trying to calm  herself down, the mare who was talking to her started to act strange. 

 

While she tried to get a better look of the mare, by moving her eyes around till she could see her, She noticed two fouls in the wood. Since belle use to live in a swamp lad with a thick forest she learned how to notice strange things. But before she knew it the fouls took off into the forest. when the driver came around to tell them they were moving again,  She thought maybe they were some of the locals children who sneaked out to play. But why were they so sickly looking and thin? She would have to bring it up later on, and maybe try to look for them when they reached the resort.

 

But now to get back to the task at hoof. since the mare who first noticed her seems to be... having a moment the second near seemed to be the only one near her.  Belle was still worried about telling her or anyone about her condition, but she didn't like to worry others more. 

 

As she was thinking that she let out another muffled shout. She let out a sigh and decided to just do it. She looked at the mare and made a few muffled sounds to get her attention so she could take off her scarf.

[FirstPonySpectre 176]

(I got REALLY carried away with this post. I apologize for the length and if it starts to get rambling or just seem like there's filler in it.)

 

After a spell Bittersweet failed to hear any rude responses from anyone. In fact, most of the ponies seemed to not even notice. Only two ponies made any verbal response to Bittersweet's sudden introduction. Bittersweet was actually rather relieved that almost nopony had noticed, or cared about her outburst, and even more relieved that the ones who did weren't ridiculing Bittersweet for it. 

 

"See Bittersweet, they're nice. You have nothin' to worry about." Bitter reassured herself with the evidence. 

 

With this relief Bittersweet opened her eyes and looked back at the crowd, most of which were holding other conversations. Her nerves returning to her Bittersweet quickly got the courage the respond to the ponies who had greeted themselves back.

 

@,

 

The pony who introduced herself as Sunset Glow seemed really nice and her words had a very calming aura attached to them as they left her lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Bitter said, only tripping over herself once or twice. Her tone still quiet and clearly not using as much energy as she could. Bitter couldn't help but like this mare. She was quite kind and clearly wasn't scared off by the pink coated ponies anti-social exterior. 

 

@@Scribblegroove,

 

Bitter turned to the pony next to her and saw him smiling. It appeared that the basil had worked extremely quickly, which brought a smile to Bitter's face. The stallion seemed sincere in each word he spoke and also seemed quite intelligent considering he was able to tell she was an alchemist from her cutie mark. Bitter's posture eased up extremely and her words began to sound not so sheepish when she spoke to the tan coat stallion. "Yes, actually." Bittersweet confirmed the other unicorns accusation. "I'm an apothecary in Ponyville."

 

With each comforting statement the stallion said the more Bitter began to grow a fondness for this unicorn. "See Bittersweet, it's easy to make friends." She thought to herself happily. However her happiness turned into a bit of overconfidence once the compliment about her being "really good" at being an apothecary. Letting this get to her head a bit too fast she smiled and said in a tad bit of a cocky tone "Thank you." She paused for a moment as she chuckled a bit. "I get that a lot, to be honest." 

 

Soon after she said this she realized how much of a snob she sounded like she recoiled a bit back to her sheepish tone. "Well, not THAT often, really." She counter-argued her previous statement. "I mean that family who came in from Los Pegasus who had their sick foal didn't say I was great." She paused for a moment before she counter-argued her counter-argument "Actually I think they said I was amazing... BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT! I'm just.. okay at what I do!" Bittersweet demanded to the stallion before putting on a nervous grin. 

 

In a desperate attempt to change the subject she quickly spoke out in a hasty and nervous voice, "What you do for living? ...  Er.. I mean... What do you do as a job? For a job." The pink pony tripped over her words, each mistake splashing the next shade of pink blush onto her face. 

 

It was then when the carriage slowly began to get darker and darker. Bittersweet was never too bothered by darkness but it seemed to strange how the tree's were able to block out the sun so well. It was as if the windows were covered by a black blanket. If it weren't for the lanterns that Wagon Wheel lighted a bit later it wouldn't of been a stretch that dark quilts were draped over the windows. However, once the lanterns were lit they illuminated the forest outside quite well. Vines and vicious overgrowth covered the flora like an infection.

 

Looking out the window, Bitter wondered where in Equestria they were headed. "I've never seen a forest quite this... 'forest-y' before." The pink coated unicorn thought to herself. Since the wagon was so smooth she couldn't tell when it turned without looking out the window. It was both disorienting and somewhat exciting to her. She'd never feared new places, in fact she enjoyed them. They often introduced her to new ingredients she could use in her alchemy. However her thoughts of what she could concoct with these new ingredients was short-lived as the cabin erupted with some kind of mini argument. 

 

Bitter hadn't been paying the most of attention so she didn't really know what the argument was about, though she knew she'd rather not be a part of it. So in an attempt to distract everypony from the tension she decided to reply to the earlier question about ghost stories.

 

@,

 

 "I'm okay with ghost stories." The unicorn informed the other mare, who was attempted to relax everypony else. The normally shy Bitter's voice wasn't as shy as it previously was. It was much more demanding and straight forward, almost as if she was forcing the mare to tell a story, though regardless it was still spoken with Bittersweet's soft-spoken tone and didn't seem all that threatening. "I've always like them anyways." She closed out with a grin. 

 

Though most would think she'd be the type to be scared off by these spooky stories, Bitter didn't really care much for them, not even when she was just a filly, though most of the horror stories she heard of she read off the white pages of a book. The stories she was verbally told, however, never phased her in the slightest. She was actually quite brave when it comes to ghost stories. 

 

The carriage moved on before it slowly came to a stop. The lanterns seemed to still be lit and it seemed obvious that they hadn't reached their destination just yet. Though the door soon opened and the driver informed the passengers that there was an obstruction on the road, though it would only be a short delay. "What kind of obstruction? Probably a fallen tree or something." Bitter told herself, though she couldn't help getting the creeping suspicion that it was something else. However, what really put Bittersweet into a curious mood was how the pony reminded the passengers not to leave the cabin. 

 

"Why aren't we allowed to leave the cabin? I mean, it's not like we're going to get lost or anything? The mare questioned the statement in her thoughts. "Why is it okay for him to be outside the cabin but not us? UGH! Stop overthinking things, Bittersweet! You'll be fine for pony's sake!" The blue haired mare scolded herself. 

Edited January 11, 2015 by FirstPonySpectre

[Evilshy 5,089]

Glad that she was largely being ignored, Belinda was quickly grabbing a small cake, and checking the various bottles for peach juice. As she did so, Ophelia nudged her check a few times.

"Oh of course, little one," Belinda whispered. "you can eat, too."

She reached into her bag and pulled out a small pouch. She opened it and held it up to Ophelia, who's head darted in and then slowly withdrew holding a large dead cricket. She swallowed it whole and tickled Belinda's cheek with her tongue, who pat her on the head affectionately.

 

With her snack and passable beverage, Belinda started walking back to her seat.

[Scribblegroove 565]

As he was talking with Bittersweet, a little bit of a tense situation developed in the other section of the carriage. It had something to do with fire, candles and a pony named Shadowhide, but he couldn't be bothered too much with that. With a bit of a smirk on his face he listened to Bittersweets' story and unnescesary apologies for, what seemed to her, bragging. "You should see my teachers talk about their skills and performances... You should see ME brag about my skills and performances!" He thought to himself. He was about to reply to Bittersweet after her short but intense inner, or moreso outer argument with herself, when he noticed something outside.

 

As Wagon Wheel announced that he was going to clear the way in front of the carriage, he noticed something as he glanced past Bittersweet. There was something in the bushes, hiding behind the trees. He squinted his eyes to see, but he couldn't really make out what it was in the dim light of the lanterns. But suddendly, he came to a spine shivering realization. "Are those... Foals? Playing outside?" He was quite confused. What would two little foals be doing in this dark and dangerous forest? At first, they didn't seem to notice the carriage stopping on the road. But eventually, the ceased their playfulness and started inspecting the carriage. Completely obsessed with their mysterious appearance, he stared back at them. They were quite pale, but the light was too dim to make out any features. He squinted his eyes further and streched his neck to see more clearly...

 

Both of the foals stared straight at him... He could vaguely see their eyes. Wide open. Vacant. Terrifying. He gasped and sat down, looking at the other side of the carriage, pointing his eyes as far away form the chilling thought of those two little foals in the darkness... Staring at him. He exhaled. Looking to his side, he noticed the cart had begun moving again, and the foals were out of sight. He felt relatively safe again, but only now he noticed that his heart was pounding as if he had just ran an entire marathon. The adrenaline that had surged through his veins just a moment ago wore off. "I'm sorry..." He said to Bittersweet, who must've noticed his odd reaction. He pulled his hoof through his hair nervously. "I saw something... Odd... Outside. But I'm sure it's just a figment of my own imagination. I'm quite easily scared." He admitted softly. "That's why I'd rather not have any ghost stories, thank you..." He added with a slightly louder voice, looking sternly at Dove, the mare who had proposed the idea. "Call me a wuss, but I really don't appreciate anything more frightening than my monthly rental bill."

 

Even though he usually avoided talking about his job, because he couldn't shut up once he got started, Bittersweet had asked for it, and Scribblegroove would do nothing rather than comply to her gracious request. "I'm a muscisian!" He announced enthusiastically. Grabbing his saddlebags, he retrieved some of his prescious works from it. "A composer, really, though I play a lot of instruments as well." He stated. Putting back all sheets but one into his saddlebag, he placed the piece of paper on his lap. The title read 'Windy City'. "I'm about reknown enough in Canterlot to sustain a reasonable living from performances, but outside of Canterlot only a small peer group of Jazz fanatics has heard of me." He grinned, and with a hint of snobishness and arrogance he added. "I usually play nothing but Jazz." 

 

As much as he already passed himself off as quite arrogant, he continued his rather well-phrased presentation of skill. "I garned most of my fame because I invented a new spell though. I studied at the School for Gifted Unicorns, but I can't say I graduated with a lot of high grades." He snickered and raised an eyebrow at that previous comment. It was the honest truth. He had studied at one of the most prestegious schools in Equestria, and had completely blown his chance at a high degree in magic by being lazy. He didn't care enough to feel regretful about it though. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued. "But like I said, I did create a spell that allows me to conjure magic from thin air!" He announced proudly as he tapped his horn. He was tempted to show her immediately, but he was afraid that it might interrupt other's conversations, and it might draw a lot of attention to them. Not that he didn't like being in the centre of attention, but Bittersweet would definitely not enjoy it. If she asked for it however...

 

He then decided not to ramble on any longer. He'd probably bore this mare to death if he continued. He asked her a question instead. "But you have an apothecary in Ponyville! I don't remember there being any last time I was there. Have you opened it recently or was I simply unaware. You must get a lot of visitors because there aren't any other apothercaries as far as I know."

[Ihei 711]

@@Windbreaker, @, @@Midnight Scribbler,

 

Dove Marigold

 

"Oh my, this situtation had grown quite tense. I came here hoping I could clear it up but it appears I might've made it worse.." Dove chuckled. "Have I introduced myself yet? Oh, pardon my rudeness. I'm Dove Marigold," she smiled, putting a hoof on her chest for emphasis.

 

"Are you alright?" Dove asked the mare - Sunset, was it? "You look a little startled." When she asked, the driver came around and told them about the obstruction. Dove didn't think too much of it - it couldn't have been something to fuss about.

[FirstPonySpectre 176]

(shortish post :c) 

 

@@Scribblegroove,

 

After hearing the stallions remark about "seeing things" outside, Bittersweet couldn't help herself but to take a quick glance herself, though she didn't see anything aside from the forest that was there before. "He's probably just seeing things." Bitter thought to herself before turning her gaze back to the stallion, who seemed slightly distressed. "Though if that's the case he certainly believes he saw something." She silently assessed in her head. Bitter was about to attempt to console the brown maned pony but before she could even open her mouth he started to talk about his job. 

 

The stallion claimed to be a musician. A jazz musician to be precise. "A musician. Classy."  Bitter complimented the man. Though she wasn't really a fan of jazz music. She much rather preferred techno, trance or electronic music. "I've never heard of you, though. Probably because I don't really like jazz all that much." She informed nonchalantly. "I've always been more into electronic, or trance. Mostly music by DJ-PON3." The pink pony began to ramble on, losing track of what she was saying and zoning out almost completely. "I mean, she is pretty cute. I don't know about you but her hair just makes me want to--" The ranting pony paused as she snapped back into reality, realizing she was just starting to gush about what was her celebrity crush. That seemingly never vanishing blush in full force. "She makes good music..." She quickly finished, not wanted to draw anymore attention than she already had to the subject. 

 

The stallion also mentioned he had "invented" a new spell and that this spell could "...conjure magic out of thin air." This caused Bittersweet to under go a quick confusion before almost forcefully questioning the other unicorn about this. "Um... How exactly does a spell conjure magic from thin air? I don't understand." Bitter asked in a curious tone, the blush residing to a feint pink once more. 

 

The stallion, who was previously bombarding her with information about himself then went onto the offensive, questioning Bittersweet. The stallion seemed bewildered at the fact this mare was an apothecary in Ponyville. "Yeah, sort of. I opened it about a year ago, though I've been doing alchemy since I was about... ten or so." She began informing the musician. "I don't get a lot of visitors to be quite honest. The only time someone really comes to me immediately is if it's an emergency. Otherwise they place an order for what potion, tonic, or whatever they need. I create said whatever they need and ship it." 

Edited January 12, 2015 by FirstPonySpectre

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Emerald.

 

There had been a number of minor incidents brewing, and as they began to peak Emerald merely watch. Certainly, it was her day job to mediate disputes and the like: her unquestionable talent... but watching them gave her a better idea of the psyche of some of the other guests. An old technique - sitting on the sidelines and simply observing, watching actions and reactions to store information for a later time.

 

It was all very interesting, to say the least. There was useful informatio hidden away within their little displays.

 

As talk turned back to professions and talents in a more civilised vein, she decided to weigh in again.

 

@FirstPonySpectre

 

"Indeed, you must be quite the useful friend to have around! Perhaps one day you might teach my niece the difference between an elixir and an explosion? She seems to be unaware at the moment..." The mare let out a small laugh at her own joke. "Though I don't know how you can possibly handle the pressure of these 'emergancies' you speak of - I'm afraid it would all be too much for myself, that much responsibility."

 

She smiled kindly - what was this one's name again... Bittersweet? They hadn't spoken yet, not directly. Regardless, it wouldnt hurt to know her a little better. Eavesdropping was ultimately a poor substitute for actually speaking some someone.

 

"Out of curiosity, do you happen to carry much in the way of medicines with you, dear?"

Edited January 12, 2015 by Cinder

[FirstPonySpectre 176]

@,

 

As she spoke to the tan stallion Bittersweet heard a calm voice of a mare speak to her. Bitter turned her head to see the voice came from a beautiful mare whose coat was black as night and mane a shadowy violet. Her crepuscular hazel eyes looked at Bittersweet, almost swooning her entirely, even though the gaze probably wasn't meant to have a seductive effect. Thankfully, the remark about teaching her niece the difference between an elixir and an explosion sent Bittersweet into somewhat of a shy nerd out. "Well, an elixir is a magic or medicinal potion such as cold medicine, though some elixirs have been said to prolong a ponies life. An explosive, on the other hand, well, put bluntly it explodes." The pink mare rambled on, seeming to continuously ramble on about her work during this carriage ride. "One of the most interesting examples of an explosive mixture is mixing old playing cards, cardboard, water, and of course heat to act as the catalyst. Though this kind of explosive is HIGHLY dangerous and unpredictable. It is quite handy if you have the materials and the reason to use them." She just continued to talk, her words carrying a burning passion with them. Clearly showing the ponies love for her work. "Pardon my rambling, by the way. I'm quite chatty today it seems." She apologized, her once sheepish attitude dispersing quickly as she grew more accustomed to the environment as well as being in a more-or-less one on one conversation. 

 

The black mare remarked that it must be quite the feat to do what Bitter does considering all the pressure and responsibility that befalls upon her. "I don't really ever feel pressured. My mixtures never fail, and when they do, I always have a back up handy." Bitter remarked with a rather confident voice.  Bitter soon realized she hadn't even introduced herself to the other female unicorn yet. Speaking of mixtures the mare had asked if the pink unicorn carried any medicine with her on this trip. 

 

"I have a few elixirs that help cure acute ailments like head-aches or stomach-aches. However I did bring a small and portable alchemy kit along with a few common ingredients so if the need arises I could cook something up." The no-longer so timid mare responded to the attractive unicorn. 

 

"You see, Bittersweet. You're doing great. Just had to get into the groove of things is all." Bitter thoughtfully reinforced herself with a excited zeal.

[EcstaticWind 572]

Poppy Seed

@, @@FortyTwo42,

 

 

"Glad you came to your senses, mate." Poppy said to the pony who seemed to be throwing out random accusations, tone changing once again. Not as biting, but certainly not her previous warm and friendly tone. More relieved it was over but agitated that it began in the first place. Exasperated may be the word to describe it.

 

She'd just been standing back and letting the others sort this out, since she was on holiday and didn't really want to play psychiatrist on her holiday. The fact that her good mood was ruined didn't help matters much. She nodded to the driver and turned back to Dove, having finally remembered her name after Cherry's...enthusiastic entry. "You got things from here?"

[Ihei 711]

@@Windbreaker,

 

Dove Marigold

 

"Of course, thank you." Dove hoped that she was convincing enough for the ponies. Sunset seemed a bit frightened and Dove hoped to gain everypony's trust, so this was a perfect opportunity. Meanwhile, she glanced at all the other ponies and sized them up for the first time.

 

There was a black mare nearby Sunset that Dove felt like she should keep an eye on. She looked kind, what she wasn't too sure if that mare had the same objective as she did. Dove thought that she should be careful befriending her.

 

A pink mare who looked awfully shy was talking to a brown stallion. They both looked like a curious and odd couple but from just looking, she felt like it wouldn't be hard to gain their trust. After all, they've only just met and they're chatting like childhood friends.

 

She also noticed a mare in the corner playing with a snake. Dove had to stay away from that snake. She has an awful fear of them and she might break her cool getting near it - she'll have to wait until that snake went away.

 

Shaking her head, Dove looked at Poppy again. "Please don't worry about me, I could take care of myself," a confident yet kind smile creeping onto her face. She looked back at Sunset.

[SilverHeart 741]

STORY

 

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

 

The carriage soon exited the forest and continued along its path, which now resembled more of a normal road. Those who looked out the left window would immediately notice 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 looked 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 the same, although exhausted looking, stallion that had accepted your letters when you climbed in. Behind him stood an earth pony, 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.

 

@,

 

Emerald: Due to years of knowledge and study 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 mottos 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."

 

 

He waited patiently for all of you to get out of the carriage before speaking. "It pleases me to finally be able to greet all of you," his voice was gentle and relaxing, every word he spoke was pronounced clearly and perfectly. "My name is Red Cask, I am the Steward of Bloodwell Manor, Personal Servant of Lord Blood- *Ahem* Lord Blueblood, while he is staying here and the temporary Director of this resort. First, I would like to apologize for the sorry state of our home. It's embarrassing to admit but there are very few of us left in this village and it has become nearly impossible to maintain the entire town with only the ponies that live here. However, I assure you that before the resort opens we will have the entire town in full repair. I pray that you will be able to look past the few dilapidated buildings and enjoy your stay."

 

"Now that that is out of the way," The stallion said as he reached into a pocket and produced some folded slips of paper. He gave a copy to each of you before continuing. "This is a map of the resort and the open businesses and available entertainment. Starting from the left, we have opened the docks and beach, where you may go for a swim, rent a boat, or if it tickles your fancy, rent some fishing gear. We only ask that let the fish go after you catch it. Next we have the farm, which isn't necessarily open for guests but you may feel free to visit it if you wish."

 

"Next would be the commercial quarter, where normally guests may buy anything they may have forgotten to bring or any items that they fancy. There is also a restaurant, which serves only the finest Canterlotian cuisine, of course we also serve more exotic dishes, if that is what fancies your palette. To the North of that is a bank, though I doubt you will need their services. Further to the East, is another restaurant, which also doubles as a cafe, though this one is mainly for the locals and serves more common food, I certainly doubt they would turn away any new faces."

 

"To the south of the cafe is our vineyard. While we are a small town, I would dare to say that any of our wines could compete with the best wines from Canterlot. We used to be quite famous throughout Equestria.

 

"Now last but not least is the Theater. At the moment, we only have ponies practicing their acts for when we finally open. However, I myself have reviewed each of the entertainers. I believe them to be more than ready for when we open. During the evenings is when the local theater group practices their plays. In the mornings, a magician is practicing her show...though the young magician mare has been having a little trouble recently. Despite that she should still be worth watching."

 

"Now, as I'm sure a few of you might have noticed the mansion behind me, it is normally off-limits. Though, due to the fact that the town's library is currently being renovated, you may, under my personal watch, visit to borrow some books."

 

"Finally the hotel that all of you will be staying at is directly to the Southeast of the well. Once again, I'm afraid to admit that we were underprepared for your visit, there is a curfew in effect until I deem otherwise. One hour after nightfall I must ask that each of you be in your rooms. You may not leave them until morning. It's a sad fact but the local wildlife have become quite daring since our numbers have dwindled. It isn't unusual to see one or two timberwolves wandering the streets at night. This curfew is for your safety. I trust you will have no problems remembering this. Now are there any questions?"

 

 

((OOC: We will be updating the map every now and then. But here's a current copy of it. I'll be replacing the one on the front page with this one.))

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Emerald.

 

'Now that was interesting...' A voice noted inside Emeralds head. 'What was he about to call Blueblood, I wonder? Sounded like he was about to say Bloodwell - absurd of course. Why, the implications would be...'

 

Despite her pondering, Emerald merely blinked and smiled - turning her head each way as if waiting for one of the others to ask a question. After a brief moment, she had decided exactly what she herself would ask.

 

No sense in acting coy - the prince would doubtless know her profession and have anticipated her curiosity.

 

"I'm afraid that I know nothing of Bloodwell, Steward Caske, nor the family tied to it. Perhaps your library might have some books on the history of the estate?" She asked openly. "It would be divine to learn more of your village."

 

Blinking slowly, her smile grew a fraction warmer still.

 

"Later perhaps, if you would indulge me. Knowledge itself is such a beautiful thing - I couldn't visit a place such as this and not learn anything from my experiance. Such would be a crime in itself!"

 

Glancing around again, she allowed her gaze to longer for a fraction too long on a couple of the others that she had decided to get to know better.

 

"Of course, it would be exquisite if anyone else cared to join me."

Edited January 13, 2015 by Cinder

[FortyTwo42 1,287]

Shadowhide

 

@@SilverHeart,

As the carriage left the forest, Aero pointed out to Shadowhide that the lanterns were no longer lit since the sunlight is back. She looked out the window to confirm this. He's right, the lanterns are off. The torment is over. She quickly calmed down when she realized the fire is now gone.

 

Shadowhide walked over to the right window to take in the surroundings. She saw a vineyard, and next to it a meadow. She noted it would be a good place to use to relax if things got too much in the town. The carriage pulled into the town shortly after, and Shadowhide watched the buildings go past. However, she quickly noticed that there were no ponies in the streets. A resort with no ponies? It just made her feel even more suspicious of this whole invitation.

 

Eventually, the carriage was stopped in the town square, and Shadowhide, along with everypony else, stepped out of the carriage when asked to. A pony greeted them who introduced himself as Red Cask, Bloodwell Manor's steward and Blueblood's servant. She noted he stuttered and started Blueblood’s name with 'blood' before correcting himself, but didn't think it would be too important. She accepted the map he gave everypony and listened to him list all the various businesses around Bloodwell. None of them seemed particularly interesting to Shadowhide; she wouldn't go to them on her own, but if she were invited to go along with somepony else, she'd probably do so.

 

To Shadowhide, the restrictions listed at the end were of far more interest. The manor is off-limits unless personally escorted to the library, and a curfew is in effect due to wildlife attacks. 'Your resort is regularly attacked by timberwolves, yet you wonder why the resort is so empty?' Shadowhide thought. At any rate, Shadowhide would prefer to not be mauled at night, so it was a reasonable curfew.

 

The first place Shadowhide intends to go is the hotel so she can choose her room and set down her possessions. However, before she does, she has a quick question about the rooms, so she'll take up on Red Cask's 'any questions' offer. 'Are there sufficient free rooms for each of us to have our own room, or is it necessary for some of us to share rooms?'

 

---

 

Aero Wind

 

That was a lot of information Red Cask has given them. Probably too much information, since Aero was sure he'd end up forgetting some of it quickly. At least he had a map to remind him of where everything is. And Shadowhide is really good at remembering things, so she can probably jog his memory. That bit about Timberwolves traveling the streets at night seemed really important, so he's probably remember that at least.

 

@,

He heard Emerald ask if anypony would like to go to the library with her. Which sounded like a great invitation to Aero; he'd love to see what books they have for them to borrow. He brought along some research papers to read, but they wouldn't keep him for very long, so it's nice to know there's a library here for him to get some more books from whenever he wants something else to read. Besides, it would also help him get to know Emerald better. With everypony swapping conversations, and his incidents with the snake and the lanterns taking up a lot of time, he felt he didn't really get to know anypony in particular very well.

 

Aero walked over to Emerald. 'I'd love to join you to the library. I wonder what books they have. Oh, I'd love to get some Daring Do books if they have any!'

[Ihei 711]

@@SilverHeart, 
 
Dove Marigold 
 
"Could you direct us to our quarters, perhaps? Don't we have keys for our rooms, if you please?" Dove asked, hoping that the rooms here had locks. She would have stayed longer to help Sunset up for a good reputation, but Dove was pretty sure that Sunset was okay.  "I would like to drop off my saddlebag somewhere," she beamed. Dove would have liked to follow somepony else to the cafe or something, but she was exhausted. She hardly slept the night before and it was extremely difficult to keep up her polite act when she had bags under her eyes and it was becoming quite clear she was tired. "I wouldn't expect anypony to join me. Poppy and that Cherry mare seems to be the only ponies I befriended. It's not a bad start, though."  
 
Dove saw that the black mare and the stallion with issues were about to go visit the library. She attempted to flash them a smile, hoping for some sort of reaction but she figured they didn't see it. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the interesting grey pony. She noticed that his behavior was a little odd, but she decided if he was a steward of this place, he should be reliable. Although, she did wonder why he said that there weren't many ponies in this village anymore - this seems like the ideal place to live for anypony. At least, to her. It's not difficult to find a place better than her shabby apartment.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Kaia

[Evilshy 5,089]

Belinda

 

Glad to finally be getting off the carriage, Belinda was a bit irritated that they then had to listen to a boring speech from some boring stallion in a gaudy outfit. All I care about right now is where I'll be eating and sleeping. She looked around her, only half-listening to Red Cask.

 

The small town was an odd one; old, decrepit buildings side-by-side with ones that looked recently finished. This, combined with the large mansion looming a short distance away, and the general lack of ponies made things very eery. Well, eery to others, perhaps, but Belinda found it oddly comforting. Far away from the monotony of normal life, closer to nature, and with few ponies to make her miserable. She still wasn't particularly happy to be there, and was still suspicious as to why a resort vacation would be mandatory with a very real penalty, but perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as she first thought.

 

She started listening more intently when Red Cask mentioned Timberwolves and other such creatures making frequent appearances in the small town. Well, that will probably be more interesting than anything else one can do here. I might have to break curfew once or twice while I'm here...

A question posed by Shadowhide then got her attention; it would be very important she have a room to herself if she were to sneak out. Luckily, given her disposition, she doubted anypony present would be keen to room with her anyway.

She looked expectantly at Red Cask. "Yes, it is important to me that I get my own room. I'm not sure I could stand sharing a room with somepony else."

[FirstPonySpectre 176]

Bittersweet glanced out the window to see that the once grim and dark forest had been replaced by a expansive patch of land that, far off in the distance, she could see Bloodwell. As the carriage continued to move closer she could begin to make out the rather luminous architecture of the village. It gave Bittersweet a bit of a creeping suspicion but nothing to really put her on the edge. 

 

Soon the carriage came to a stop inside of the town square. The door opened and a pony who greeted himself as Red Cask was there. This pony spoke in a monotone and acted just like the butlers that Bitter would read about in her books. He claimed to be the steward of Bloodwell and went on to explain the layout of the town as well as any precautions that it's visitors should take while staying here. Bitter was rather upset about the curfew. She'd of loved to be able to take a walk through the city at night.

 

Bitter listened intently, however, not wanting to forget where someplace was and risk the embarrassment that would come from asking where someplace as later.

 

@@SilverHeart,

 

Not many of the places spoke out to Bittersweet all that much. She was rather curious about the theater, however. Along with that she also wondered if there was someplace she could set up her alchemy set. With these questions in mind she took a step forward and questioned the stallion in the shy and sheepish tone of voice she first used when she began conversing with the ponies on the carriage. She also was interested to know if there was something along the lines of a garden anywhere in this town.

 

"I.. Um. Have a few questions." She began, trying not to stutter. "Is there a garden or something similar to one here?" Bittersweet paused for a spell as she collected herself. "My last question is, well, is there anywhere I could possibly set up my alchemy equipment? Preferably someplace with a small stove or burner?" She inquired with a much more urgent curiosity. 

 

(Edit: Didn't read the part about the magician at the theater.)

Edited January 14, 2015 by FirstPonySpectre

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

@@SilverHeart,
@,
@, (("the stallion with issues" < This gave me a good laugh.))
@@Evilshy,
@@FortyTwo42,
@@Gloomfury,
@@FirstPonySpectre,
@@Scribblegroove,
@@Golbez,
@@Windbreaker,

 

Sunset

 

Sunset sat, now mostly alone with her thoughts. Everyone else seemed to have found their way into conversations that she had now been parted from, not by any rude means of course. Merely because of the odd little confrontation she'd just dealt with, others seemed to be opposed to conflict, just as much as she was. This was comforting in it's own way. Sunset took notice that she was being looked at by the white mare across the carriage. She avoided eye contact, feeling strangely antisocial from the most recent confrontation. If she wished to talk, Sunset wasn't opposed, but she wasn't exactly in a mind set to spark conversation at the moment.

The heat of the moment that had passed, left Sunset's mind rather blank. Whatever contribution she had for the conversation seemed wiped from her thoughts at the moment. She instead took to observing the others around the carriage, noting that Emerald seemed to be doing the same. This black mare was intelligent, she could tell. There was something about her that hinted at well hidden inner motives. Though Sunset could not determine what it was about her, she seemed like somepony you didn't want to get on the bad side of. Not that Sunset had ever intended to do so.

 

The carriage had halted momentarily, the coach master announced the problem, but before long they continued on. Rolling for what seemed like only a short while longer, compared to the rest of the journey, the coach finally emerged out of the forest, the light of day was that golden late afternoon feel. It was strange to see, having no sight of the transition throughout the day. Sunset gazed out the window, scanning over the landscape, the odd mixture of broken down buildings, and nearly new looking ones. But what really caught her eye was the mountain and the scenery. It was beautiful. The grass in this area seemed to be greener than most of the land around where she lived, with a strange vibrance almost. The lake was pure blue, as if it were made from liquid sky, and reflected the mountain slopes that climbed steeply up, looming over the town with snow capped peak.

As the carriage rolled into the town, Sunset took in the sight of the buildings as they passed. She glanced once more, back through the window behind her, gazing back at the woods, which stood ominously behind them, now distant, and vanishing from view among the buildings. It was the most foreboding forest she'd ever seen. Soon the carriage came to a halt, and the party was met with an older stallion. Stepping down from the carriage, the first scents of the old town hit Sunset's nose. The fresh mountain air, hints of smells you'd expect from a town, baking goods, food, and other indistinguishable scents. The air was a bit brisk, sweeping down from the mountain's snow capped summit, but it was still relatively warm otherwise.
The stallion who'd come to meet the party introduced himself as Red Cask. He looked as though he'd stepped out of Sunset's grandmother's photo album or something. His wardrobe looked ancient, but Sunset found this quite interesting more than anything. She greeted Red Cask with a smile, listening to his words, while glancing at the map she'd received.

Sunset glanced to Emerald as she inquired about the library. The very notion of large quantities of books had Sunset's interest. She had noticed the theatre, but the idea of a library had her mind set on this instead. "I'll join you too, Emerald." She said with a smile, an air of enthusiasm about her, with the thought of the library in her head. It might also serve as a good opportunity to start over with this Stallion Aero Wind. They hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start on the carriage. Perhaps it was just a bad circumstance.

Though many questions where flying through Sunset's mind, many seemed to have already been voiced to the poor old Stallion, who must have been overwhelmed by this point with sudden floods of inquiry. He must get this a lot if the town has had other visits before them, but it still seemed like a flurry of questions, which might get stressful to an old stallion. Sunset chose to quietly listen instead of throwing more query into the confusion.

[Scribblegroove 565]

@@FirstPonySpectre

 

As Scribblegroove had hoped, Bittersweet was curious about what he had casually mentioned. His personal 'trademark' spell was something he was most proud of, and very keen to show off. Still, he knew that it wouldn't be a very good idea to just start casting spells for no reason in front of everypony. It might frighten or surprise some of them, and he definitely didn't want to bother anypony. However, he knew that there would come a time where he'd get to present his skills eventually. After all, as an entertainer and performer, that was what he enjoyed most. But for now, a brief but detailed explanation had to suffice: "My spell means that I can project anything that I can imagine in my mind onto reality through magic." He started, gesturing with his forehooves to the open air of the carriage. Frowning his eyebrows slightly, he continued.

 

"It's quite a difficult spell, and it only translates part of your consciousness. Theres a lot of focus required, and up until now I've only been able to teach it to two others, and those were far more proficient at magic than I was." He remembered the peculiar pair at his school. The self-proclaimed 'prize students' of their small class came to him all humble and courteously tried to seduce him into sharing his spell with them. And he did, but that didn't mean they had been satisfied with the results. After all, besides talent in magic, talent in music was required for the spell to produce actual music, and not peculiar sounding shrieks and the general humming of vibrating air-molecules. "It feels like playing an instrument. It simply requires a lot of practice to master the spell..." He explained very enthusiastically.

 

"It's been inspired by several others spells that I have studied... but I wouldn't want to bore you with the theoretical specifications. Most simply said, I can open up my mind to the outside world and let anypony tune it to the music that I'm composing in my head." With an intense and poignant tone in his voice, he concluded the small digression about his spell. "My spell has been very useful through means of composition and solo-performance, I feel it cannot match the true engaging spirit and vibrant sound of a real instrument. A physical object that produces the most beautiful sounds at the hooves of a skilled mucisian has always compelled me much more than the musical projections which I practice." He snickered and reseated himself as to assume a more comfortable position. "I would apologise for rambling there, but we've both been doing that since the start of our conversation. We wouldn't want to turn it into a habit, now would we?"

 

Giving her an apologetic look, but at the same time smiling a bit crudely, he added one last statement. "And even though I'm quite prone to bragging, neither of us should restrain ourselves from speaking about what we are passionate about. The world would turn into a grim and boring place if nopony would express themselves for the sake of conformity... So please, do ramble about DJ-Pon3 and your undeniable talents in the arts of alchemy. I wouldn't want it any other way."

 

And with that, he silenced himself for a while, having spoken more than enough for the time being. Watching Bittersweet and Emerald converse and find similar areas of interest made him smile a little, though Emerald had this general sense of having her very own and very well thought-out reasons for almost every question she asked. Her interest in Bittersweet's talents as well as Sunset's candles were more than just casual chatter, or at least so he presumed. Not that he was paranoid, or had something to fear from her, but he had some experience with her kind. Not much, but enough to know that there was something more going on behind those soft and conforming but piercing eyes...

 

Slowly the cart rolled back into the light, and Scribblegroove felt like he had just entered a fortress. The tall and ominous trees behind him were it's walls, and the town in front of them was the inner quarter, with the great mountain as it's citadel. To some degree it was a fortress too. He imagined what Bloodwell would've looked like if I had met the same investment and growth as some of the great cities like Canterlot or Manehatten. This was quite a strategically superior location for a fortress. Though sadly, the mere metaphor had to do. In fact, he noticed the town of Bloodwell hadn't met a lot of investment at all, as was indicated by some of the unrestored buildings. This town felt a bit odd in two ways. It was both a fake and a ghost town. Fake in the sense that it seemed underpopulated and underemployed, but due to the new resort opening quite overworked and refined in the areas that had been restored, whilst in the segments that hadn't been reconstructed yet it seemed almost deserted. It was a small town undergoing a grand change, and it all seemed a bit off to Scribblegroove.

 

At the point of arrival, their group was introduced to the town by a stallion named Red Cask, who gave them a small explanatory speech, as to inform them of all the possibilities and restrictions of their stay at the resort. This speech was quite quickly lost on Scribblegroove however, since his attention was lost immediately, only to be drawn back to the theatre as soon as it was mentioned. Without hesitation he decided where he'd go first.

 

"Well, I'm heading for the theatre to check out what that's all about. Perhaps meet the struggling magician that was mentioned. I wouldn't mind going by myself, but if anypony wishes to join me before they drop of their goods at their appropriate quarters you'd be more than welcome." He exclaimed in a determined fashion.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Scribblegroove

[Mickey Taker 347]

Cherry Bomb

@@Gloomfury, @FortyTwo42, @Scribblegroove, @FirstPonySpectre

 

"You've, uh, got a little something in you-"I'm Bittersweet!!" 

Cherry was a little startled from the sudden outburst, jumping a little in her seat as she turned to face Bittersweet, having abruptly introduced herself in an unorthodox manner.

The red mare giggled lightly at this, she was almost tempted to shout out to the mare and introduce herself in the same manner, but having looked at the way Bittersweet was tensed up from embarrassment made her restrain herself. "Aaawww, the poor thing, she mustn't be that used to having friends before, I should be nice to her."

Her smile grew a little wider as she noticed Scribblegroove also take pity on the pink mare and try to put her at ease her.

Watching the two, Cherry could feel a little sense of warmth deep inside her, almost as if she could tell that those two would be great together, it was hard to explain but somehow she just..."knew".

Her observing from afar however, was interrupted by the commotion going on on the other side of the carriage, which to Cherry's realization even took her by surprise.

 

Lying on the floor was one of the other guests, a green pony whose name still escaped Cherry, at first she was concerned, did she fall over? Was she hurt?

 

As if on cue, another mare that Cherry wasn't familiar with stepped over the toppled pony to see for herself if she was alright, Cherry titled her head to one side  as she watched in curiosity at the proceedings, as it turned out the fallen pony was completely ok, according to the strict looking unicorn, and that she had simply fallen over...for no reason at all.

Cherry blinked and tilted her head her head the other with an amused grin on her face, raising a hoof to her muzzle as she giggled a little at the odd mare, "Hee, she's funny."

 

Again, her attention drawn away this time by the Purple Unicorn as she stumbled back, at first Cherry simply thought she was simply going to fall for no reason to, but the look on the mare's face told her different, she was...scared...petrified even, but from what?

Cherry glanced either side of the carriage to see what could have possibly made such a tough looking mare quiver so much, it couldn't have been the snake, she was fine with that, so what was it? All she could see that was different were the lamps on the carriage being lit.....oh.

 

Her sudden realization was confirmed further when a bright green pony looked concerned for her before blatantly pointing accusations at Sunset, saying something about candles. Candles? Why Candles? They weren't exactly dangerous unless one was incredibly careless with them, and they weren't exactly a raging inferno either so....maybe..."She's afraid of fire...aaawww."

 

Cherry glanced away so not to draw attention to herself, she assumed that even by now that somepony must have noticed her simply staring at everypony else by now, still it gave her a fair amount of insight on the ponies she'd be spending time with.

Although her head was turned away, she could still overhear what sounded like the end of an argument, 'When I see Shadowhide like that, I just get defensive and jump to bad conclusions. I guess that's why she's the detective and not me. Thanks for your help.' 

Cherry sighed, somewhat relieved, not only did that confirm her assumption but at least even she had a friend who looked out for her, that was obviously a good thing, "I should remember this."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@@Windbreaker, , 

 

Once the carriage had finally arrived at it's destination, Cherry quickly followed suit as the other guests made their way off the carriage...well nearly all of them, as Cherry noticed when she glanced over her shoulder.

Turning round on the spot, Cherry noticed that somehow everypony else had forgotten about the poor mare still laying on the floor of the carriage, how thoughtless of them!

Standing over the mare, Cherry smiled warmly at her as she looked own at her, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you." the red mare gave a small giggle as she made her way to the toppled mare's tail, and grabbed it with her mouth.

 

As Cherry pulled Belle to the open carriage door, by effectively dragging the poor mare across the floor, the red pegasi tried to get the attention of the ponies she met thus far in order to help, I mean even she knew it wouldn't be ideal to have to drag her all the way to the hotel...right?, "Hey Poppy? Dovey?..This Pony's still playing statues by herself, what should we do?"

[EcstaticWind 572]

Poppy Seed

@@SilverHeart, @, @@Golbez,

 

Poppy had more or less been relaxing for the rest of the trip, not really paying too much attention to the others, but keeping an eye out for further incidents. She hadn't had a holiday in a while, and she wasn't gonna let the others ruin it for her. Thankfully, nothing of the sort had happened.

 

She listened to the obligatory introduction speech, and waited for the end. She almost wished one of her friends was here with her. They'd get a kick out of this whole thing. Admittedly, she was about to head off to look for their rooms by herself, not really knowing anypony here and just wanting to get her things secure in her room before starting with the socializing stuff. Of course, then Cherry said something about a pony playing statues. And she still had snot in her mane from the sick pony.

 

'Note to self, bring cold medicine next time. I'll have to pick some up while I'm here.' Poppy thought, turning 180 degrees to face Cherry at the open door. Her next words were spoken somewhat bluntly, which Poppy suspected that she may regret later, if not within the next few seconds. "Find out where our rooms are and take her to her room, I think. You've got snot in your mane, by the way."

[Ihei 711]

@@Windbreaker, @@Golbez,

 

Dove Marigold

 

Not receiving an answer from the stallion led Dove to the conclusion that he didn't want to answer any questions, so she turned to the voice behind her. "Well, it seems we aren't going to get any keys for our dorms. We should try our best to stay safe inside of them, since I am assuming they don't have any locks," Dove inquired, curious about how this was such an advanced resort but they don't have such a simple thing as keys or locks to dorms.

 

"Would you like to go to the dorms now?" she asked, putting a hoof on her cheek with a smile.

[SilverHeart 741]

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

 

The Steward nodded his head at Emerald's request, "Of course, I'll be more than happy to escort you whenever you please. You might be disappointed if you're looking for any recent records of the town's history. Our last historian passed away roughly a hundred years ago. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my abilities. If I am unable to answer your questions, there are two other ponies in this town that might be interested in talking about the town....though they do not like being disturbed during the day. When you're ready to visit the library, please wait by the front gate of the Mansion."

 

Red Cask turned his attention toward the purple mare but still addressed the whole group. "Once you arrive at the inn you may choose to share a room with another guest or you may have your own. There are enough rooms for each of you though. While this visit was a tad....rushed, we were able to fully restore the inn before your arrival. You will be able to choose your rooms once you get to the hotel. It's a first come-first served basis. However, if you do not care to visit the inn and would rather explore the town, you may leave your luggage here and Wagon Wheel will carry it to the hotel for you." The Steward looked to Bittersweet and then glanced briefly around the town, not exactly looking at the surrounding buildings but beyond them. "It depends on what plants you're looking for. There aren't any real gardens outside of the Menagerie inside of the Mansion. Though that isn't an area that is prepared for any guests, I will see if we can't grant a one-time exception. Though that is up to His Highness'. There is a small community kitchen inside of the Inn that has been salvaged from some of the houses, you should be able to use set up in there."

 

"If there are no further questions, there will be a celebratory dinner tonight inside of the mansion to welcome you to our home. There you will be able to meet each of the staff and residents of the town. Allow me to be the first to say that it is a pleasure to see some new faces. I pray that you enjoy your stay."

 

 

(OOC: I apologize if this post isn't that great I just woke up and I'm not thinking too clearly but I've taken too long to get this post out. If I missed tagging you I apologize. I think I got everyone that has posted in response so far though. Also if I got Shadowhide's coat color wrong, I apologize I'm colorblind. I'll fix it if you tell me to.)

[Gloomfury 243]

   Belle

 

@@Golbez, @@Windbreaker,@,

 

 

Belle was almost about crawl into a pit of self doubt when the two mares and mostly everyone else left her. But just as she was about to start crying when a red mare stood over her with a caring smile. And it really wormed her heart when she said she didn't forget about her.  When the mare started pulling her tail it surprised her at first, bringing a blush to her face. But she didn't really mind it.

 

But when they reached near the door she was able to move again. She slowly got up and quickly wrote the mare a note.

 

"Merci, for helping me. And for not leaving me there. It's just a thing that happens to me a few times a day, mostly two to three times a day. But it cuts down when I take my medication. 

 

But I sincerely thank you."

She gave her a very thankful look and even though her mouth was covered she was smiling.

Edited January 16, 2015 by Gloomfury