private Meeting of the Minds (1x1 RP with Jedishy)

[Jedishy 3,542]

" You know Ponyville is one part of Equestria I have never set hoof in? Probably just about the only part. Oh yes go ahead I can wait and let the food settle a bit before we head out. " 

Winter watched out the windows of the cafe as he waited. He wondered why he was so open to this new pony. He rarely stuck around long enough to talk to anypony let alone to share this much. He remembered the last time he was in Canterlot he had just been delivering a few letters from Yak Yakistan to the castle and then heading off to borders of the dragon lands to get some volcanic ash for a different client. 

" I wonder if I will end up in Ponyville "

Winter mutters softly to himself as he marvels at this new development in his life. The only downside appears to be that he will most likely have to face his family and the mess he left almost a decade ago. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded smiles and nods "I am hoping that whenever I do make it there, I can just relax and not have any seances" she says and swishes her tail slightly "And thanks" she then goes back to the back room of the cafe and gets into her usual casual clothing of fishnet stockings, a short black miniskirt over her leggings, a black band t-shirt, wrist bands, her collar and a leather jacket.

She then arrives back at the table "There we go, much better" she says and smiles at him "alright then, follow me" she says and begins to lead the way out of the cafe, she takes out the cheque and smiles "Excellent" she says "Honeyed Words, that's the bartender and proprietor, anyway, he deducted the food and drinks, though he always gives me a discount" she says, walking off to the left of the street.

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winter followed her out into the streets of Canterlot. He folded his wings tightly against his back so as to avoid bumping into anypony. The crowds of the evening dining scene were buzzing around him as he kept pace with Jaded. His footsteps nimble but a bit hesitant as he was more at home in the sky than on hoof. Habit took over as his head bowed and he avoided eye contact with the crowd. Suddenly hearing a familiar voice ahead he looked up sharply

Right ahead of them was a small group of well-dressed ponies speaking in classic Manehattenite drawls. One of them was an earth pony that looked like a brick wall forced into an expensive suite. His reddish-brown mane was expertly styled and his clothing screamed money and the edge of fashion He was clearly mocking a few passers-by as Winter looked around frantically not wanting to be seen. Winter reflexively started to spread his wings bumping into a young filly walking with her mother who yelled in annoyance. 

" Oh buck me sideways... " 

Winter groaned aloud as the ponies around them looked up and slowly the rich kids seemed to recognize Winter.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded could see his discomfort, she smiles a little and just quickly took his hand "Hey Winter, come on, lets take a side alley to avoid them if you don't wan..." she says as they bump into a mother with her filly "language dear, there's a child in the area" she whispers and then looks around, the rich ponies had begun to talk, "Okay, side alley time" she says, pulling Winter into a side alley and walking with him "I honestly didn't like the look of those ponies, so it's just as well. my place is just around the corner"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winters' hand flexed slightly as Jaded grabbed it. Conscious of his scars and callouses he flushed a bit as he was pulled sideways. The group of rich ponies started to call out to him as they zipped around the corner. He stammered a bit unused to the physical contact but swiftly collected himself. 

" I'm sorry for the scene. That was Heavy Bags. Son of my father's main trust fund manager Money Bags. He is a rich kid with a talent for boxing. He hated losing and picked on anypony he could lay a glove on. We dont exactly have a pleasant history. None of those ponies have seen me in the last ten years...." 

He was suddenly back at the academy. The smell of polished floors and new tweed jackets almost seemed real. A shout of pain. He rounded the corner some new student was being pushed around by Heavy Bags. He steps in. Hooves and fists shuffle then a shout, a crash, and detention....

Winter shudders a little with the memory. He hated violence but loved training almost as much as he loved flying. So he was good at it and disliked bullies. The scuffle that day had set a downward tone with his father the lead to his departure. Odd how the start of things can be lost and found in the simplest of encounters. 

 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded nods a little "It's alright, I could tell you were uneasy" she says, leading him to a apartment, that had a sign saying "Jaded Requiem's Seances and Spiritual Store" hanging above the front door. She gets out her key and unlocks it. As they cross the threshold, the smell of old incense could be smelt and there was a variety of objects, books, cds, incenses etc for sale, and it had a bit of a dark atmosphere. "My apartment is up stairs" she says, beginning to lead him up the stairs. 

In comparison, her apartment was the stark opposite of her store, it had a few family photos on the walls and shelves of her bookshelf, her walls were a light cream color and her living room had two recliners and a sofa with a TV and stereo system.  Her kitchen was small but adequate and the two bed rooms were of average size.

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winter sniffed a bit as they passed through the darkened shop. He was sure he had smelled some of the scents here before. Some of them took him back to a few of the monasteries he had spent time in during his travels. As they entered he reflexively left his bags near the door. The habitual drifter being ready to leave swiftly was as natural as breathing. 

" Some of those herbs and incense must be expensive. I swear some of those are from the monasteries that I have traveled to. Which means the formulas if not the ingredients must not be an easy thing to lay hoof on. "

He looked around the cozy little apartment not sure what to do with himself. Flexing his wings a bit he tried to let out the tension from earlier. He knew that he would need meditation this evening and tomorrows work out more then normal 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

"Make yourself at home Winter, mi casa su casa" she says and puts her dress in a dress bag to take to the dry cleaners the next day. She then makes her way to the kitchen "Want anything to eat or drink? though I think we should probably call it a night on the alcohol" she says with a small smile, getting out a kettle and some tea bags "I myself, am going to make myself some berry tea" she starts to fill up and boil the kettle "and maybe some chocolate"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

" I would absolutely love some tea. I think I need to settle my mind a bit and tea always helps with that. Honestly, my Uncle Spring Step was a sort of spiritual scholar and we often shared tea during our talks. He was half the reason I started exploring monasteries and meditation.  He did a few books on the Dragon Lands and their customs and rituals in his youth. By the time I came into the picture he was long since retired and so I got to hear about all of his adventures. " 

Winters face lights up as he shares tales of his uncle. It was very clear that the Stallion had meant a great deal to him. The sapphire around his neck seemed to shine on its own as his spirits lifted. It was almost as if it was a way for the departed Spring Step to keep tabs on his favored nephew. Sliding out of his leather coat Winter set it on his bags and took a seat on the floor with his back against one of the recliners stretching his wings wide with a sigh of pleasure. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded smiles as she listened to Winter regal her with tales of his uncle and nods "I think I might actually have some of his books on my bookshelves" she says and gets out a chamomile blend for Winter "How does honey, vanilla and chamomile sound to you?" she asks, mixing her own blend before reboiling the kettle "and it is true, tea has some sort of ability to help calm the mind, I always have a mug or two before bed, just so my mind can be at ease and I can have a restful sleep." 

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

" The tea sounds amazing. So how busy is your shop? I can't say I am very experienced with how a business actually operates. I tend to do the grunt work of stocking shelves or dealing with the back room to make a few bits here and there. Outside of that most of my money has come from apple bucking or other farm chores. Places like that could always use a hoof come the right season. " 

Winter closed his eyes as the smell of the teas filled the room. His legs were folded under him hooves almost touching each thigh. Almost reflexively he regulated his breathing. His hands formed the Shunyi mudra as he relaxed. His mind cleared and he felt almost as deeply at peace here as he did at the first monastery he had visited. He almost took the robes at that time. But something pushed him forward.  

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded nods a little "Well, it's busy as it gets" she says "but the best thing about working for myself, is that I can choose whenever I open or close up shop"  she smiles "Plus, I usually just chase away the ones who are chasing a fad and not being  serious about it. The serious ones, well it's easy to tell" she says and brings over his tea "Here you go, and if you want to help out at the shop, that'd be great, I can show you the ropes tomorrow"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winter gratefully takes the tea and sits a moment just enjoying the aroma. 
" Thank you so much both for the place to stay and the tea. I will gladly lend hoof at the shop. Heck, I might even learn a thing or two from you along the way. I have always been interested in the more mental aspect of spirituality if you can't tell from my time at the Monasteries. Getting a more on the ground view so to speak might be enlightening. So do you mind my asking about the spirit world? There are some traditions at my first temple that I always wondered about. "

Winter sipped the tea silently. As the warmth spread through him he let out a soft whicker of pleasure at the taste. It had been a long day. But this alone made the flight worth it. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

She smiles and nods, sitting down and sipping on her own tea "I don't mind at all, see, it is the ones who ask genuine questions are the ones I can tell are serious about it" she smiles "But it also depends, the monk from the mountains of Yak Yakistan weren't the only ones I've trained with. I actually traveled to the temples of Neighpon" she states, smiling as she breaks of a piece of chocolate from a chocolate bar she had out and begun to eat it "And thanks, usually i can tend the shop myself, but there are times, it'd be nice to have someone watch over if I'm called to a job"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Taking a deep sip of the tea Winter contemplates his words before speaking.
" Well, the Abbot of the Temple was always said to reincarnate and was chosen by picking out things that used to belong to him or her in their past life. So some young colt or filly would have a pile of stuff set in front of them and pick out what they wished. If it belonged to the old Abbot they moved on to other tests. Do you know of any other lore that supports such theories? I can't say I doubt it because the tests do seem to rule out chance or luck. But its unlike anything I ever experienced elsewhere. "

With a tilt of his head and a flick of the ears, Winter clearly perks up at the mention of  Neighpon

" I have not been to Neighpon myself but we did have a young monk visitor at the temple when I was there.  We both enjoyed using swords as a form of moving meditation. We even had a bit of a sparring match while debating some bits of philosophy. I can't say that I won either the debate or the crossing of blades but it was a great workout of mind and body." 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded thinks for a moment "I have heard of those tests before, never got to witness one though" she says and smiles a little "But I do believe in it, as reincarnation works on a basis of Karma. If you lead a good and peaceful life, you will have a very high chance of getting a second chance at life as a pony..if you lead an okay life, you have a 50 percent chance of life as a pony again or as an animal like a cat or dog, and if you lead a evil life, well then either you are lost in limbo, or get reincarnated as something like a bug" she says "So, the theory of an Abbot monk getting a second life as a filly or colt, so the tests have a high chance of working"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winter snorts a little with laughter 

" Well, that would give a good reason for the monks' kindness to all creatures. Dont want to swat a relative that ended up coming back as a bug because they were a bit greedy. But seriously I have always wondered about keeping memories during such transitions. The monks said that it was too difficult. But I always maintained that if you had enough training and discipline it ought to be possible. The abbot told me if I managed it to let him know. I asked how would he remember it if I was the first one to manage the feat. That was an amusing lesson. " 
Winter stood for a moment and opened his large hip bag. From within he pulled out a small photo album. Opening to the second page he showed Jaded a picture of him at the monastery seven years ago. He stood wearing the laypony robes of a visitor alongside several novice monks. The all were smiling as they shared a meal of butter tea and roasted oats. 

" That was the end of my first month at the monastery. I had almost taken the robes at that point. But for some reason I just could not stay put. I had to travel on. "

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

"Perhaps it just isn't your time to take the robes?" Jaded suggests and smiles at the photo, then offering him some chocolate "I believe that if you have the aptitude for that lifestyle and the discipline that comes with it, then at one point in your life, you will be called to take the robes" she says "I probably won't get that opportunity though" she sighs and then smiles a little more "Not that I mind, at least not this life time"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

" Oh no I dont think I am ever going to take the robes. Well not in this life anyhow. I love spreading the joy of and well making it snow in a snow-covered mountain just never sits right. Every year I would have to leave to spread winter from Cloudsdale at the very least. But the reality is that while I enjoyed learning and meditating it never felt like home. The Abbot always told me that if it did not feel like I was at home it was not where I was meant to be and that I can renew myself there anytime but must keep searching for my place in the balance of things. " 

Winter took the chocolate with a nod of thanks as he flipped the book to page three. There was a picture of a rotund unicorn in deep red abbots robes instructing a class of fillies and colts. His face showed a perpetual smile as he was holding up a book to read from. On that same page was a small swatch of cloth. It was clearly a bracelet from the monastery made in part with a rob.It was tucked safely in the album to keep it from weather damage or being lost. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded nods a little at what he was saying "I guess I can understand" she says "It's kind of the reason I didn't take up the offer of the Shinto priest I trained with" she says and smiles at him "For me, there's just so much more to life for me to explore..or in some cases, unlife" she smiles sheepishly before she looks to him "how's your tea?" she asks, finishing her tea and pouring herself another cup. 

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

" It's great. I really dont carry very much with me when I travel so honey is a luxury I dont get to add to tea very often. Generally, I just have the tea brewed with just the teabag and hot water. If I get fancy I might have a sugar cube or so to add. "

Winter closed his photo album and put it back in his bag. He settled back in next to Jaded and slowly drained the rest of his tea. He looked around the room with a slight smile. It was great to be indoors for a change. Much less rough then he last few weeks. He wondered what adventures tomorrow would bring. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded smiles a little "Well you can help yourself to as much tea, honey and sugar you like while you are here" she says "And when you are ready I'll show you around the apartment and then maybe we ought to call it a night. So that I can get you ready for looking after the shop and such, we'll need to be up early" she says and chuckles "Don't worry, it won't be every day, just until you get used to the routine"

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

Winter smiled and go to his hooves. He walked over to the sink and rinsed his cup before taking a few sips of water. 

"I agree. We should probably pack it in for the night. If we want to get a decent start tomorrow that is. Oh umm I am used to doing a bit of a workout in the mornings. So what time do we need to get started and is their a yard or open area that I might use? " 

Winter set the cup in the sink and stretched a little as he waited for Jaded to finish her tea before the tour. He did not want to rush the evening but getting some sleep was indeed a wise move. Especially if they wanted to get an early crack at the duties required for the store. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,517]

@Jedishy

Jaded smiles and nods "I would say maybe start at about...five in the morning? As for a yard, yes, just go out through the shop, there's a back door there that you can use" she says and stretches, and then smiles at him "I'll let you in on a little secret" she says as she starts taking off her wrist bands and such "I'm not really into metal and all that...I mean I used to be, but these days, it's just for show and business.."

[Jedishy 3,542]

@Scarlet Rose

 

" Well interests change over time but the look does work for ya. So no harm in keeping the look no matter the reasons behind it. " 

He gathers his bags together and ensures his packs are all sorted out for the morning. He adjusts the hygiene kit and clothing he needs to the top. He also grabs a collapsible training saber and sets it on the top. 

" If we are getting started at 5 in the shop I should be up by four to get a workout and shower in. So I guess we should get the tour underway because its gonna be an early start. " 

His smile showed he was excited about starting the day tomorrow. It was always fun to learn a new job and get to know a new set of customers and products along the way.