open Life in the Big City...State (Open)

[skbl17 199]

On a normal day, Bright Idea just flies back to her office. Sure, she couldn't fly too fast, as she'd probably outfly the special police officers who were "protecting" her from the street. On a normal day, she wouldn't have to head back so early. Tropical showers are nothing new in Port Impala, so the citizens have gotten used to it by now. Visitors...not so much. On a normal day, she'd just grab her umbrella and fly back, assuming the rain wasn't too heavy.

 

On a normal day, she wouldn't be stuffed in the back of a black police car by her security detail, but here she was, the Mayor of Port Impala stuffed like a criminal into the back of a police car. Security wasn't supposed to do that unless something's endangering national security, civil defense, or the very peninsula itself. Yet all she saw was a heavier-than-usual storm.

 

"So gentlecolts, care to explain why I was shoved into this police car again?"

 

One of the security ponies turned around to explain.

 

"Yes, Ms. Mayor. The Minister of Civil Defense all but barged into your office and asked to see you. He said it has something to do with an important topic relating to national security, and needed to see you as soon as possible. Once he told us what the topic was about, we had to get you, as there's no time to waste."

 

All Bright Idea could do was look a bit exasperated. "And what could that topic be?"

 

"One word: hurricanes."

 

The incredulous look on Bright Idea's face was replaced with one of shock. "Did you just say...hurricanes?"

 

No no no no no, the now-frightened Mayor thought. There hasn't been a hurricane here in 86 years! The city isn't prepared for something like that! Too many ponies and zebras will die, and there's nothing that I'll be able to do to help them. No no no no...

 

Bright Idea was pulled out of her thoughts as the security pony pulled out a map of the city and everything within a 100 mile radius. "Yes. The good news is that based on current wind patterns, the Climate and Weather Office does not expect catastrophic impacts in the city, as the worst of it will strike our southern neighbor, Grand Hoofnea. However, the CWO still expects some wind and some rain."

 

The shock on Bright Idea's face was replaced with closed eyes and a smile. Of course, this wasn't necessarily a good smile, as it didn't take a close observer to notice her right eye twitching. No, she was hiding something far worse than incredulity.

 

"Wait, how much wind and rain is 'some', exactly?"

 

As the police car approached the Seaside Bazaar on the way to the CWO office, the security pony knew what was coming next, but answered the Mayor so as to not break from protocol and basic decency. "Um...four inches of rain and 30 mph winds?"

 

There was a sigh. Whether or not the pony speaking with the ticked-off Mayor, the pony driving the car, or the other pony sitting shotgun were genuinely relieved or just preparing for the cascade of events to follow will never be known.

 

Bright Idea activated her magic. Within seconds, the car came to a sudden and dramatic stop near the southern entrance to the Seaside Bazaar, sending the three officers forward. One of the officers hit the hard back of the driver's seat, knocking him out. The pissed off Mayor blew the passenger door off its hinges before stepping out. She didn't do anything else to the car or the dazed ponies inside, but she made a mental note to berate the Minister of Civil Defense later.

 

Seeing that the rain had let up, she thought about going to her office to have a word with the minister, but considering that she was in front of the Seaside Bazaar, Bright Idea decided that it would be unwise to angry tell off a government minister on an empty stomach.

 

Still very much ticked off at the security personnel, the CWO, and the minister, but too hungry to care any longer, she entered the Bazaar, hoping to get a good bite to eat...and call a tow truck for the now-disabled police car outside.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@, 

 

"...Moon.  Fantasy Moon," she said, nodding her head a bit.  I'm pretty certain he's from Saddle Arabia.  Or maybe...  No, I'm positive.  But I shouldn't voice my assumption.  At least not yet.  Don't want to be rude or anything.  Always more of the listener, she leaned back in her seat and crossed her hooves on the table while maintaining eye contact.  

Edited August 10, 2015 by Akari of Duskshire

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@@Akari of Duskshire

 

"A pleasure." He replies with his smile.

 

"What brings you to Port Impala?" He asks, seeming not to know what else to ask of her. Perhaps she was a student? A journalist? Or just the average tourist?

 

Quarbari took a sip from the glass of water that was previously poured for him.

 

@@skbl17

From the corner of his vision he spotted from familiarity the same alicorn from the departure of the cruise.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@,

 

Fantasy Moon puts away her travel journal into her saddlebags on the ground, this particular pocket holding two other books.  One was a history book from Equestria in her native language, the second was another history book, this one in Zebrican.  "Curiosity, research.  You?"  She takes another bite of her fruit salad, this particular bit having a bit of mango and papaya, along with some greens of course.

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@

Quarbari gave an acknowledging "ah." in response.

"I suppose for me its a mix of a needed rest. And simply to see the world. I'm quite fond of the idea of a tropical locale." he says. He adjusted the red beret upon his head. A gold colored emblem displayed upon the front with a faaint purple shape of a shield upon it. The number 57 centered in the shield.

 

Quarbari looked upon the window, the wind now begining to roar slightly as it gusts.

 

"Seems to be more like a small tropical storm."

[skbl17 199]

After making a quick stop at a phone booth to call a tow truck for the disabled police cruiser outside, Bright Idea walked deeper into the bazaar. The rain had ground the outdoor merchant booths to a halt, but the indoor shopping center was still bustling with regulars and tourists. The tourists would usually stop and stare, a few would even take pictures, but most of the regular visitors paid no heed.

 

She couldn't blame the tourists for staring, though. Alicorns were more prevalent on the two countries of the Hoofnea Peninsula than elsewhere, yet they made up under 0.01% of Port Impala's population. In a city-state of 4.9 million residents, there were only 350 or so alicorns. Plus, none of them were really all that special in the grand scheme of things; Bright Idea was an elected mayor with limited constitutional authority over the affairs of the city, a far cry from the godlike powers and authority of the Equestrian princesses that visitors normally think of when they hear the term "alicorn".

 

Eventually, the exhausted alicorn came upon a restaurant near the end of the Bazaar. Opening the door to head inside, she noticed it was almost full. Many different ponies and even a few zebras were sitting around, some chatting, some looking out the window, and a few were even listening to music. There were some tourists as well, she could tell because most of them were staring.

 

She couldn't blame them, but it's not like she enjoyed it.

 

A nearby waiter spotted her. "Good afternoon Ms. Mayor. Table for one?"

 

"Yep, table for one. Do you have a window seat?"

 

Nodding, the waiter led Bright Idea to her seat.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@,

 

When she noticed the slight roar of the wind, it took her a bit by surprise and she started to stare out the window.  It reminded her much too well of sandstorms.  I get the feeling most of the stay here is going to be spent indoors.  Oh well, I can still pass the time.  

 

"Dry, I take it?"

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@@Akari of Duskshire

 

"Preferably dryer yes." He replied and finished his drink.

 

@@skbl17

The alicorn was close by. Whilst not excalty awe struck like the other tourists Quarbari was nonetheless still a bit curious to this one. He had at one time a chance to see the royal princesses at the international sumit and an unexpected one by Princess Cadance herself during a temporary ceasefire in the final phases of the Civil War.

 

"Good day." he spoke to her, seeming a good way to start.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@,

 

Hm...  I wonder if he understood what I was trying to ask.  Well, it IS true that-

 

@@skbl17,

 

By Luna's moon, my observation skills must be shot today!  Up until now, she didn't notice the allicorn from the terminal, as she was half-in a conversation and half-in her own world.  She looked over at the allicorn, not showing her surprise.  I take it she prefers places like this over whatever they would serve to a mayor.  Or... do they serve anything special to ponies in power here?

[skbl17 199]

For Bright Idea, today was not her kind of day. It started off well, meeting returning residents, visitors, and study abroad students at the seaport. She had talked with many different ponies on a variety of topics, and she'd be dishonest with herself if she didn't admit that she was impressed with that brown unicorn's interest in Port Impala. Usually, tourists just come, hit the beaches, shop at the malls or Seaside Bazaar, visit the museums, then leave. For students, it's usually the aforementioned tourist menu plus class and studying. The fact that any visitor would actually be interested in the inner workings of the city was amazing in and of itself.

 

She could be happier about it, but the rest of the day up to this point wasn't going too well. She was whisked away from the seaport, thrown in the back of a police car, possibly for an important national security reason, only to be told that nothing major was going on. Bright Idea wasn't happy. She was just glad she wasn't in a Commonwealth Assembly sitting, or the debate would get extremely rough.

 

@

 

The alicorn mayor was lost in her thoughts when she heard a stallion's voice. Bright Idea turned away from the window, expecting to see another security officer. Instead of security, she found a brown earth pony stallion looking at her.

 

He must have been the one to say hello, she thought. Well, my beef today is with my security entourage, not citizens or visitors. Besides, I could also use a conversation to take my mind off things...and these stares.

 

"Hi there!" Bright Idea responded, trying to set aside today's turn of events.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@@skbl17,

 

Fantasy Moon had no words (oh gee, what a surprise).  She knew she was only greeting... what was his name again?  Quarbari?  Yes, she knew she was only greeting Quarbari, but she still gave her a small, shy wave.  Was that too casual of a gesture?  Oh goodness, I hope she isn't offended or anything!  But then...  she seems nice so far.  I hope. 

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@@skbl17

 

" You seem like a very important pony. Everypony seems to stare at you often. Or it must be the tourists only. Are you the princess of port Impala? Or some government official?" He asks curiously. Thinking perhaps about the probability on it he smirked before chuckling.

 

" I apologize if this is a frequent question." He says.

[skbl17 199]

@

 

"Oh, that's okay, I get that question quite a bit in fact," Bright Idea chuckled. "I'm Bright Idea, and I serve as the Mayor of Port Impala. Was just elected two years ago, in fact.

 

"As for the staring, those are mostly just first-time visitors. If I had to guess, they're just surprised that I'm a non-royal, non-godlike alicorn...well, unless you count being an elected official as 'royal'. Longtime residents and frequent visitors don't stare, as they soon learn the nook and cranny of our city-state's democratic political system."

 

@@Akari of Duskshire

 

It wasn't hard to miss, but out of the corner of her eye, Bright Idea noticed a unicorn mare awkwardly waving at her. She waved back, before asking the stallion about her.

 

"Is she a friend of yours?"

Edited August 11, 2015 by skbl17

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@@skbl17

@@Akari of Duskshire

 

"Hm? Oh I do suppose." He replies and smiles at Fantasy Moon happily mimicking her wave in teasing fun.

 

"It Is a pleasure Brightness, if this is okay for a nickname?" He asks her.

 

Very intriguing to know of other "less powerful" alicorns. Was it plausibly genetic? Is it by some magical intervention? He pushed aside these thoughts for later.

[Donald Gamer 84]

Isaac took a deep breath as he walked around the corner to his new apartment.... he was quite scared as he didn't know what to expect..... turning the corner he stop to take a look at the sights..... his apartment was on a slight hill that lead to the city....

"whoa.... at least for a city this is beautiful .... I'm surprised my apartment was a cheap as it was..... this is amazing!" he smiled as he walked into the apartment block and took elevator with his bag...as he got to the top he saw a arrow that said check in here..of course he followed it and got his key "thank you"

 

he said as he walked outside the check in and check his key number.... "number 10 mid range apartment second floor.... got it" he took the elevator down to the second floor and walked down to the middle door "11....10! here we go" he took a breath as he walked in..... and to his surprise it was everything the website made it out to be "nice! now all it needs is a little homely touch...now I'm sure I put that photo album in there somewhere...ah yes..." he then proceeded to start looking for the right photos " ah yes these are the ones.... oh I was so photo shy back then I really don't have a enough photos of myself from the past sigh I guess these three are the best" he pulled out one from when he was with his mother and father and two from when he was a little bit older with his step-mother....

 

"now to go out and buy some photo frames....hmm I really should unpack first but this place is so pretty... I really need to take a little walk around town and it will allow to find those photo frames I need as well" he then proceeded to pack a saddle pack with some item

 

"now to check I have everything in here. Spare Glasses Check!, Photos Check!, Bug Repellent Band Check! And Water Check!.... I'm ready to go" he proceeded to take the stairs down to the bottom of the apartment block and walked down the stairs and down the hill to the city and walked around looking for some nice photo-frames but stopping in some other shops along the way he proceeded to walk into the bazaar and notice a place to eat.

 

 "hmm I am quite hungry I guess I could stop for a bite to eat....." he didn't really notice it before but there was a decent amount of zebras here... it didn't really bother him but he was quite surprised,he then took notice to the waiter and said "a table for one please" she proceeded to show him a table very close to the mayor he whisper to him self "is that the mayor.... he does seem to be very important... oh it doesn't matter"

Edited August 11, 2015 by Snake Photoshopper

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@@skbl17,@,

 

Friend?  But we only just met!  Fantasy Moon gives Quarbari an amused, barely-noticeable smile in response and her hooves went back to being folded on the table.  So it's a democratic political system.  So every pony has a say?  Is that the gist of it?

 

"If you... if you don't mind, what IS the system like?"

[skbl17 199]

@@Akari of Duskshire

 

Bright Idea considered introducing herself to the unicorn mare, but she assumed that she overheard her conversation with the stallion. The mare was interested in Port Impala's government system, so she decided to take that.

 

"Hmmm...where to start...I could talk about the Opening, but that would probably take hours.

 

"Well, first things first...the constitution. Port Impala has a written constitution, outlining the structure of the government, elections, recalls, petitions, initiatives, and a system by which the constitution can be amended. There's also the Charter of Rights and Liberties, which outlines every resident's freedoms of speech, assembly, protest, expression, religion, movement, and ownership of property. It's a pretty amazing, if complex, document.

 

"Next, the system of government. The Mayor (me, in other words,) serves as the city's executive. I can assent to or veto bills, meet foreign dignitaries, serve as the ultimate commander of the city's military, appoint judges and cabinet members, conclude treaties, and call the Commonwealth Assembly - our legislature - into a special session if needed. I'm elected separately from the legislature in an election, but I only serve for four years or as long as I can keep the confidence of the legislature. If they decide that I'm unfit for office, they can remove me from my position with a two-thirds vote, after which a new mayoral election must be called. Otherwise, I finish out my four-year term, after which I'm up for reelection.

 

"Speaking of the Commonwealth Assembly, that is the sixty-member legislature of the city-state. The legislature's members are elected every four years, and usually serve out their term. Among other things, the legislature introduces and passes legislation, confirms judicial and cabinet appointments, and can remove any elected official with a two-thirds vote of no confidence.

 

"There's also SCOFA, or the Supreme Court of Final Appeal, which serves as our highest court and - as the name implies - the court of final appeal. Its seven judges hear cases relating to international relations and government disputes, and acts as the final appeals court for cases escalated from our traffic courts, family courts, and military tribunal.

 

"Finally, there's the petition system. The 50% rule can be used in a variety of ways; if 50% of voters sign a petition to remove me from office, I have to step down and call a new mayoral election. If 50% of voters sign a petition to dissolve the legislature, I have to dissolve the legislature and call a new election. If 50% of voters want to establish 'Taco Tuesdays' and pay for it with tax money, the Commonwealth Assembly and I would have to get that into law. Sometimes, both of those things can happen simultaneously. A constitutional amendment is passed with the support of 60% of voters, either on a petition or a formal referendum."

 

Bright Idea had to stop, as she feared that she'd be rambling on forever.

 

"Well, that's the system in a nutshell. There's more to it, but I have a feeling I'll miss my lunch if I keep going."

 

The tired alicorn mare went back to her seat to sit down and wait for her lunch...

 

@

 

...but not before answering the stallion's last question.

 

"I'd prefer you don't. I'm not royalty. Nopony calls me anything-'ness', except some of the newspaper columnists...well, the ones who dislike my policies, anyway. You can call me by my full name or 'Ms. Mayor'."

Edited August 11, 2015 by skbl17

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@@skbl17, @,

 

"Thank you, Ms. Mayor."  That's... quite a big "nutshell" there.  I'm hitting the books soon.  And that constitution.  That sounds like something worth looking into.  As she watched the mayor go back to her table, she took out her journal and added a note at the top of the current page,"Research the constitution."  Having finished her fruit salad earlier, she started on the free mango parfait she and the others got earlier (her's having gotten a bit warm during the conversation).  

Edited August 11, 2015 by Akari of Duskshire

[FancyHorse 1,208]

@@skbl17

 

"That is understandable." He replies taking yet another sip. Now with the seaweed at its final bits he decided to entice into the sweetness of the parfait. It too also becoming warm after being settled in the heat.

 

"We'll Ms. Mayor its quite the pleasure to be in Port Impala. Its wonderful so far." He says to her with a smile

[Dapper Charmer 591]

Dapper sat in his empty art store across the the street from the KingCrab. He hadn't had a customer allday. 'probably the rain,' Dapper thought to himself. It wasn't all bad. At least the peace an quite gave him a chance to paint. "Finished," he said as he added one final stroke from his paint brush onto the canvas. He looked at his painting and smiled. It was a scenic painting of his birth country Australillama. ' That should drum up some business, ' he thought to himself as he hung the painting in the front window. Dapper sat back down at the counter and waited for some customers to arrive.

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

Believing the conversation to be over, Fantasy Moon turned her attention to her dessert (which was really good, but would've been better colder) and, once again, her travel journal.  She took out her pen again and began to write.

 

"Some surprising things I found out:  It's a democracy and its mayor is an allicorn named Bright Idea.  From what I've seen, she's not like Princess Celestia or Princess Luna.  She doesn't have absolute power like the princesses, but I have to wonder what her magical capabilities are.  I'll save it for a day when she doesn't look tired and busy, if it comes before I'm due to leave."

 

She glanced at Quarbari before adding,"I also talked briefly with an amicable stallion named Quarbari who, from the accessories and the accent, I suspect to be from Saddle Arabia.  Earlier, a pegasus (who appears to be a well-to-do mare from Manehatten or Canterlot, one of those) had tried to escape a sudden thunderstorm and slipped into a potato chip stand.  He, another customer, and I helped to check on her and clean up the mess.  As thanks, we got free mango parfaits."  

 

Suddenly, she looked up at the clock.  Oh my, how long have I been here?!

[skbl17 199]

2:29 PM local time, UPI campus

 

'...the dog was found safe and sound by a local police officer. Now, before we go, here's a final look at the weather. The tropical storm that struck Grand Hoofnea to our south has brought Port Impala some effects, including more rain and heightened wind gusts. The rain and wind have been letting up within the last hour, and should be completely over within the next half hour or so. Looking at our downtown sky camera, we can actually see the sun beginning to peek out, and some ponies are returning to the streets. Expect dry conditions over the next three days, with highs in the upper 80s. At least humidity will be lower.

 

'That's your afternoon news update from Metro5, we'll be back at 6...'

 

*click*

 

Compass Meridian turned off the TV in his dorm room. The rain's let up, so maybe it's time to explore the city. Hmmm...the bus ride here was a bit uncomfortable in the heat and humidity, I don't have a car of course, so maybe it's time to take the subway!

 

Grabbing his saddlebag and a map of the city, the brown unicorn left his room, intent on seeing as much as the city as he could. With his geolocation abilities, it didn't take long for Compass to reach the University subway station.

 

---

 

2:31 PM local time, Seaside Bazaar Indoor Shopping Center

 

It couldn't have been a coincidence; the waiter already had Bright Idea's meal ready for her not even a minute after returning to her table. The conversation she had with the stallion and the mare was good, as it helped her take her mind off things. The mare was curious, so maybe she'll visit the Municipal Archives at some point.

 

Heh, maybe the brown unicorn from this morning will also run into her. There's a thought.

 

Her mood was also helped by the fact that the food was very good.

 

I might have to frequent this place more often, she thought.

 

As she finished eating, Bright Idea thought about what to do next. Of course, she'd have to check to see if the police cruiser was towed away; since her mood was better, maybe she should also visit those officers and apologize for her actions from earlier. It wasn't their fault one of her government ministers was making a mountain out of a mole hill.

 

Of course, the day was still young; it was only 2:30 after all. What to do? Explore some of the shops? The Bazaar only opened four years ago, and most of the good stuff was sold outside, so she never had any real reason to visit the two-year-old indoor shops that often...well, aside from the opening, when the center's owner insisted on having the newly elected mayor visit.

 

With the rain ending, some of the customers inside the restaurant got up to leave. Bright Idea couldn't help but listen to some of the conversations. A few ponies mentioned visiting an art shop across the street, some were adamant on going back to the beach, and a few were ordinary residents who took a reaaaaallllyyyy long lunch break.

[Dapper Charmer 591]

With the rain ending business began to pick up. Dapper smiled to himself 'I knew that painting was a good idea' he thought to himself. Sadly his happiness faded when a group of ponies were hoarsing around near the paint cans.

"Careful over there," Dapper shouted over the counter. One of the ponies fell and knocked over a several cans of paint. Dapper stormed out from behind the counter, "that's it all of you out now!"

He escorted the ponies to the front door. " and don't let me catch you here anytime soon!"

He took a deep breath and walked back to the counter, " calm down," Dapper said to himself, "there just a bunch of dumb kids." Dapper looked at the spill and sighed " I'm gonna need a mob."

Edited August 12, 2015 by Dapper Charmer

[Akari of Duskshire 581]

@,@@skbl17,

 

Eventually, Fantasy Moon did finish.  After stretching since she was sitting there for so long, she put her journal away, picked up her saddlebags, and headed for the door.  She gave the two ponies she conversed with a small wave and left without seeing if they responded or not.

 

@@Dapper Charmer,

 

Once she was outside, she took a breath of cool air.  Or rather, cool compared to how it was before the storm.  She never felt more appreciative of this temperature than now.  It almost felt like summer back at home.  I guess I won't be complaining about summer in Baltimare after this trip.  But for now, this will be one good trip.

 

Seeing an art shop across the street, she decided to make her way there while it was still clearer than over an hour prior.  When she got there, she took time to admire the painting outside.  But then, her admiring of the painting was interrupted by shouting and some ponies who quickly scurried away.  Wondering what in the world happened, she came in and saw spilled paint and one frustrated looking... llama?

 

Well now, this is rare sight.  But...  hm, this won't require a mop.  She went up to the spilled paint and levitated it off the floor.  "Need this thrown away?"

[Dapper Charmer 591]

Dapper grabbed a mop and was about to clean up the mess when a unicorn entered the store and levitated the spill. "Need this thrown away?" She asked.

"Yes actually I do," replied Dapper, "that's mighty kind of you to offer." Dapper smiled as he put away his mop. 'It's good to see that at least some ponies had some manners in this town' he thought to himself.

Edited August 12, 2015 by Dapper Charmer