Blundering Blustery Afternoon [Open!]

[Parchment]

Everything Izzy seemed to do that morning was a catastrophic flop. First, she couldn't even wake up on time to feed Maggie before she left for Whitetail; then, when trying to scoop the bird seed from its bag on the table, it fell just far enough to the side to spill teeny tiny seeds all over her floor. She bumped her head on the table when she was cleaning and ended up being extraordinarily late for brunch with her parents at her childhood home, Maggie flying wildly behind her as she began running to get there in a timely manner. 

Standing in front of her childhood playground, the lab bench of her dreams, Izzy tried to remember what exactly it was that she needed to pick up here. She'd gotten her brain so frazzled that it was difficult to simply recall what ingredients she'd run out of. I'm almost positive I needed chlorine... Maggie twittered playfully behind her. Izzy lifted herself up, her front hooves on the table, and poked her nose around the cabinets that even now she couldn't quite reach. Dust had begun to settle on the chemicals she'd stored since childhood ever since she had moved to Ponyville. With as much as the leaves danced in the breeze in the Whitetail Wood, she wasn't surprised that dust collected on her mercury and dried out leaves crunched under her hooves even indoors. 

Izzy decided on what she needed, stowed it away in her bag that was seated against her side, and made her way back to Ponyville (after a delicious brunch, courtesy of her mother.) The wind let loose some stray curls from under her bandana - she huffed, irritated. She had to keep making sure Maggie was still soaring behind her every now and then, looking over her shoulder. Her hooves hit the cobbled streets of the Marketplace, the voices of ponies picking up as the weekend shops go into the midday rush. As she entered the heart of the market, she looked back over her shoulder again for Maggie when -

CRASH.


The flap to Izzy's bag flew open as she tumbled to the ground, and something fell out, smashing and spilling. Without looking at anypony around her, Izzy went into a mad panic, trying to figure out which chemical had just spilt all over the marketplace. "Everypony, get back!" she shouted, trotting in a circle around the small puddle, afraid it might be toxic or acidic. She was sure she looked 110% ridiculous going around in circles, shouting about chemicals in the middle of a marketplace, but she didn't even care. Just another thing that went wrong that day. 

--
if you'd like to read about my character featured in this story, her bio is here 

[liaraamagi]

May a hippogriff join in?

A white hippogriff with light blue tipped feathers had crashed nearby, she said, "oww, thine is a fool and out of practice..." the hippogriff looked young and about as tall as a young earth pony. She shook her feathers and fur out showing she had no cutie mark but, a gold necklace with a tiger eye in a setting showing that to those who knew the culture of the isolationist race, that she was a princess.

[Ashti Sandburst]

May 17, 2017 19:34:09 GMT liaraamagi said:

May a hippogriff join in?

A white hippogriff with light blue tipped feathers had crashed nearby, she said, "oww, thine is a fool and out of practice..." the hippogriff looked young and about as tall as a young earth pony. She shook her feathers and fur out showing she had no cutie mark but, a gold necklace with a tiger eye in a setting showing that to those who knew the culture of the isolationist race, that she was a princess.

I am afraid, you cannot play while your oc isn't accepted. Beside posts must be 250 words minimum.

[Parchment]

As soon as you're approved, a hippogriff can definitely join in, liaraamagi!

[Nova]

"I've forgot something... I'm sure of it" Cinnamon uttered quietly to herself. She ceased flying and landed on a cloud to open her small, amber saddlebags. Using her wings to sort through her cluster of items she packed for the day to check for any missing items that she may have left at home. The white pegasus let off a sigh as she realised her neatly organised items have turned into a untidy pile inside her bag. The urge to rearrange everything was strong but she knew she couldn't do so up so high, in case something were to stumble to the ground. Closing her bag, she checked her brown hoof-watch, it was just about midday. She was in no rush although this was her first visit to Ponyville in a long time and her first task was to visit the marketplace before it was midday, as one of her friends warned her it gets quite loud and crowded during the midday rush, and she hated crowds. After making a final check her bags were sealed she made haste to Ponyville below.

Cinnamon felt a cool breeze brush against her face and wings as she exited the final layer of clouds, Ponyville bursting into view. Such a small town with so much history still kept its stunning views as others from Cloudsdale picture it to be. Cinnamon flew over the marketplace. She was later than she planned, large line ups and crowds scattered everywhere. She landed on the cold cobblestone pathway. The smell of food cooking, ponies in conversations all around her, the sun above shinning ever so perfectly on Ponyville which gave a heartwarming feel to the area made Cinnamon feel like today would be a excellent day. She plans to move to Ponyville in the near future, so today she planned to explore the area, get to know some locals or something productive. The first task at hand was the marketplace, what her parents told her was a great place to visit first. She was quickly cut off from her little experience as the sound of a panicked pony echoed throughout the marketplace. Catching her off guard, Cinnamon flew a couple metres off and headed towards the source of the shouting.

Upon arrival Cinnamon found it was a mint green earth pony trotting around what appeared at first glance a small puddle of water. Cinnamon also noticed a violet green swallow hovering nearby the mare. She appeared distressed of what was going on. No one else seemed to being approaching to ask if something was wrong, so she took the initiative and landed gracefully at the scene, approaching the pony. "Hey, are you okay? You don't seem to be okay..." Cinnamon asked while also keeping her distance from the puddle the pony clearly seem to be warding others away from.

[Parchment]

At the voice, Izzy quickly looked up, scanning to find the source. She found a cream colored mare standing a good distance away from Izzy's current problem, giving her a concerned and confused look. Izzy, her mind currently spinning, forgot momentarily how to conduct pleasantries with another pony. She stared at the pegasus, then looked back down, then looked at her again, then looked down... finally, a smile appeared on her face. "Hi, yes, I'm alright, I just happened to spill something...potentially dangerous..." A few ponies walked past, looking at her very strangely. She had enough sense to finally start rummaging through her bag now that, between her and the new pegasus, there was a gap in the market traffic around her spill. As she began poking around, she shook a stray piece of glass from her hoof.

Her eyes scanned each of her bottles, her mouth moving without supervision. "I have one, two, three, four - four acids, yes? Wait, one, two-" she counted again, and recounted until she was sure that the glass on the ground belonged to a beaker containing something harmless. She breathed an audible sigh of relief, moving to put a hood to her head in dismay. "Alright, it's fine, nothing harmful. I was afraid that one of the toxic ingredients I just picked up had been the one to spill, but I was wrong - and where are my manners? I got myself in such a fluff that I didn't even introduce myself to the one nice pony that seems to be out today..." Izzy looked around the market, glaring a little bit. She then moved away from the puddle and closer to the pegasus, holding her hoof out. "My name is Izzy. And yours?"

[Rapid Quill]

Rapid found himself sitting rather nervously in the waiting area just outside his employer's office. While it may have been a nice enough day outside The Ponyville Express. The inside was a completely different story. There was a reason Rapid was nervous. His boss, Mind Blower who was the paper's editor in chief, unfortunately was not a very nice pony. Not nice in the least. Rapid often described Mind Blower as very demanding, short-tempered, insensitive, and even a tad bit intimidating. In other words Mind Blower was a pony with a bad attitude. But still Rapid somehow managed to work for him. Probably due to his own thick skin caused by his own obliviousness towards jerks. Why even he could be a jerk sometimes as well as his own roommate, Free Thinker making it especially difficult for him to recognize jerky behavior. This was honestly one of the reasons Mind Blower liked having Rapid around because unlike most ponies, Rapid could take his bad attitude. What he didn't like, however, was Rapid's lame excuses for his inability to find any decent stories worthy of his paper.

While sitting in one of the waiting room's chairs tapping on his briefcase, Rapid Quill overheard some rather audible arguing coming from Mind Blower's office followed by a green and orange stallion being tossed out. Rapid recognized the earthling stallion as one of his fellow reporters. Concerned, he stopped tapping on his briefcase and slowly approached the tossed out reporter. "Are you alright? What...what happened?" he asked offering his hoof to help him back up. But as he got close enough the other stallion grabbed him and pulled him closer. "Oh dear I hope you're not here to see Mind Blower. He's on a rampage. He seems to be mad at everypony today," whispered the stallion in warning as he and Rapid stood back up.

The stallion's warning only caused Rapid to be even more nervous than before. So much so that sweat began to pour down his face. He took a large step back from the stallion. "Uh no don't be ridiculous! I'm definitely not here to see the boss about anything! What, did you think I was? Cause I assure you I so am not. I'm just here to uh..." Rapid lied as he looked anxiously around the modest waiting room for a good excuse. Spotting some potted flowers he ran over to them. "Water the plants. Yeah, that's it. I'm here to water the plants," he finished with a smile not realizing how terrible of a liar he was. The other stallion just watched him. "Uh huh, and you will water them with what? I don't see you with any water," the other pointed out. Rapid just rolled his eyes in irritation. Some ponies could be so demanding and picky needing everything to be just so. "Oh water! Why of course I have water. It's in my briefcase," he retorted nervously as he opened up his briefcase lifting up a water bottle with his red unicorn magic. Twisting the cap off he poured some of the water onto one of the waiting room's plants while still smiling. The other stallion just watched him with a puzzled look on his face. "You're using your water bottle?" he questioned. Still smiling, Rapid nodded. "Of course! After all these plants only deserve the very best water Ponyville can offer. Wouldn't you agree?" The other stallion barely able to contain himself just snickered. "Oh I would, definitely, that is if they were real. You do realize those plants are plastic, right?" he asked causing a now embarrassed Rapid's ears to droop and his face to blush.

"Oh...plastic. Of course, I knew that! I was just uh testing you is all hehe and you pass! Congratulations! No, see I'm actually here to change the coffee filer. It's time to change it you know," Rapid declared with a nervous laugh as he now rushed over to the coffee machine. "With my unicorn magic it should only take me a sec to change it out, " Rapid reassured the earth pony. "Oh you really don't have to do all that. We have maintenance ponies that handle little jobs like that for us, so you really shouldn't..." Just as the earth stallion finished saying that, Rapid's speed magic caused the coffee machine to come alive and splash coffee all over both of them. Lucky for them it had been sitting there since yesterday morning, so it was less hot and more of room temperature coffee since a certain secretary pony forgot to make a fresh cup this morning. At his latest mistake, Rapid's face just turned an even brighter red. "Oops, sorry. I really thought I had my speed magic under control. Guess, I need more practice, huh?" The earth pony just wore an annoyed look on his face as he nodded. Rapid offered him a paper towel and then proceeded to clean himself off with another paper towel, so he wouldn't be covered in coffee when he saw the boss.

"Look, I know you're just doing these things as an excuse. I know for a fact you must be here to see Mind Blower. I mean why else would you be here? But I also realize it is partially my fault that you are acting like a nervous wreck. But you really shouldn't be! The boss can't be any angrier at you than he was with me," the stallion admitted. Rapid just kind of stared at him, surprised by his apology. "You mean entirely your fault that I am now a nervous wreck, right? I mean I was nervous before too, sure, but not nearly as much as I am now! I mean the guy literally threw you out of his office! Who does that? So yeah, I'm sorry, but I'm totally freaking out!" Rapid blurted out now hyperventilating. The lights began to flicker on and off due to the blue unicorn freaking out. "I know, right? But hey, I'm sure you're do fine. You're Rapid Quill, right? You're the one that wrote that one article about that traveling griffon dissatisfied with her experience with Ponyville's conductor. You called the conductor out on his blatant speciesim! It was beautiful Surely the boss will think so too," the stallion complimented making the blue unicorn blush some more. "Why, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I just hope the boss feels the same way as you do, but honestly... I just don't think he will. The only interesting thing about my article was the speciest conductor and the fact the traveler was a griffon. Hardly newsworthy," Rapid mumbled under his breath, clearly disappointed in himself for failing to find something better. "So, why was Mind Blower so mad at you anyway?" Rapid asked. The earth pony shrunk back some. "Oh...he didn't like my story. Didn't think it good enough," the other reporter quietly admitted. "He threw you out of his office just because he didn't like your article? That's insane! Well, that settles it! He's clearly in a bad mood, so I'll just come back later when he's in a better one. Bai!"

Just as the blue unicorn turned to leave he was stopped by a familiar voice informing him that the boss will see him now. The voice belonged to Mind Blower's elderly, absentminded secretary. Groaning, Rapid turned around forcing a smile on his face. "Buttons, how nice it is to see you and what a very fine morning it is! And my aren't you looking...ravishing this morning, Let me guess, you took my advice and went to the spa, didn't you? And it simply has done wonders for you! Uh what I'm trying to say is I really don't think I should see Mind Blower this morning. He doesn't appear to be in a very good mood. Perhaps another time would serve better?" a very nervous Rapid suggested. This only made Buttons laugh. "Oh Rapid aren't you a sweetie to have noticed! And don't worry about the boss. He's always in a bad mood," the elderly mare reassured. Rapid just gulped. "That supposed to make me feel better?" Rapid moaned as the mare pushed him out of the waiting room and down the long hallway towards Mind Blower's office. Rapid Quill really should have known better than to think that he could sweet talk his way out of this meeting.

Buttons gave the office room a knock. "Sir," she called through the door. "Yeah," sounded a gruff voice. "Rapid Quill's here to see you sir," Buttons replied. "Oh good! Well send him in." Smiling, Buttons turned to the nerve wrecked blue unicorn. "The boss will see you now," she informed him as though he had somehow lost his ability to hear. "Yeah, I know. Been standing here the whole time, you know," he bluntly pointed out. "Oh you," Buttons exclaimed with a giggle before leaving Rapid alone with Mind Blower.

"Well, don't be shy Mr. Quill. Come in. Come in. I don't bite...much," Mind Blower greeted with a laugh. "That last bit was a joke," Mind Blower added when Rapid didn't laugh. Taking a deep breath and reassuring himself, Rapid opened up the door and entered the rather extravagant office. It was definitely fancy for an office out in Ponyville. One might have expected such extravagence in Canterlot or in Manehattan, but not here in Ponyville.

Rapid then plopped down in the chair in front of Mind Blower's desk. "Well then, down to business. You know why I have called you here this morning?" Mind Blower asked, staring Rapid down causing the already nerve wrecked Rapid to gulp some. "To give me a promotion or...a raise?" Already he knew it was a bad idea to ask such, but it just sort of fell out anyway. Mind Blower just raised a curious brow at Rapid. "Uh...no. But I like you Rapid. You got guts! You think anypony else in this whole building would have asked me straight up for a promotion or a raise?" "Uhhhhh..." "That was a rhetorical question son. But the answer is no! They wouldn't! None of them would. But you my funny friend just did. That's why I like you. Why I want more reporters like you with machismo! But no I have summoned you here today because you also disappoint me. Your last story about the insulted, out of town griffon wasn't a very interesting one. Hardly newsworthy! Sure folks initially read it and were shocked by how wrong the conductor was being, but that shock factor you were going for, didn't last, did it?" his boss revealed in an irritated tone. Rapid had feared he wouldn't think his last article good enough and he was right. But really, what did his boss expect? There just wasn't much news going on around Ponyville lately. Rapid almost wished the place would get attacked again by some power hungry villain or monster just so he could have something interesting to write about. But alas, what chance was there of that ever happening? Rapid was about to explain himself when his boss continued.

"And not only that, but it seems our competitor beat you to this very interesting punch. See for yourself and you'll see why I am so disappointed in you." Mind Blower pulled out a copy of their competition's paper, The Daily Nibbler and some pictures. Rapid's jaw dropped and his eyes grew as he read the headline: Costumed Hero Saves Frozen Cat From Large Runaway Boulder. Costumed Hero Stops Thief Cold. "Oh will you look at that, we have our very own costumed hero in our midst and I...didn't even know it. Oops," Rapid admitted with a nervous laugh. No wonder the boss was so...upset. But what could he do? It was too late. The competition already beat them to the story. They'd look like silly, desperate copycatters if they tried to write the same thing now. "And that's the whole problem Mr. Quill! The Daily Nibbler has our story! MY STORY! And I want you to figure out how and why. I am giving you a chance to redeem yourself, Rapid. Bring me something even better than this! I don't care what you have to do, just do it and don't even think about coming back here empty hooved or you'll get yourself a little demotion. Do I make myself clear?" Rapid just nodded weakly. "Crystal," he practically squeaked. "Good. You can go now." Rapid slid off his chair and hurried out before Mind Blower could kick him out as he did to the unfortunate reporter before him. In retrospect, he supposed he should really count himself as lucky that he wasn't kicked out nor fired.

As he left the building, he wondered how it was he never noticed this mysterious costumed hero running about saving the day before. He also wondered about the identity of the costumed pony. Could she be Twilight or one of her friends? But no, they would have no reason to hide behind a mask. 'Yeah, why does she wear a mask anyway? What does she have to hide?' He figured if he could discover this masked hero's secret identity and put it in the paper... Why, that would definitely be better than The Daily Nibbler's stories of the hero's good deeds. His job would definitely be secured then! Maybe he would even get a promotion for it. Problem was he would need to find her first then it was only the matter of trailing her without getting noticed then... BAM as soon as she removes her mask he will see who she is. 'I am such a genius,' Rapid thought smiling.

By this time he had wondered into the marketplace. Since he was so lost in thought he had accidentally bumped into a green colored mare with a lion like tail. "Oh sorry bout that miss," he apologized. Really what was wrong with him? He certainly had been making it a habit of accidentally bumping into ponies lately. Looking all around he noticed the green puddle nearby. "Oh wow, what in Equestria is that green stuff? That is to say, what is it made of? You're the owner of this...green puddle, right?" he observed. He had totally missed her running about and shouting warnings about the green liquid. But he was pretty observant and knew how to put two and two together, so he kind of figured the strange liquid could have came from one of the beakers he saw she had. He noticed the broken pieces of glass that littered the ground too. So yeah definitely the green mare's. At last a potential good story! He could hold off locating the costumed pony. After all, he figured he would need to lure her in with some kind of fake catastrophe. But for now, he could write about this green liquid stuff. Maybe he could even make it more interesting. Give it flair. To do so he would need to be nice; which was just fine with him. He could be nice.

He then saw the other mare, a cream colored one. "Well now, good day to you both," he said.

[Nova]

The mint green mare's panic dropped to a stable state and turned to Cinnamon, but proceed to look back and fourth between her and the pathway before conversation commenced. As the words 'dangerous' from the mare struck Cinnamon she leaned her head ever so slightly to the side to view what remained of the broken beaker. Glass from the beaker that once held the liquid peppered the pathway. "Dangerous?" Cinnamon asked, although the earth pony was currently sorting through her bags, the word 'acid' also being overheard. Cinnamon was not quite sure why she would would be carrying around acids, the first thoughts that came to mind was that she was a chemist, but she was unsure.

Cinnamon posture became at ease as the situation was marked safe. Cinnamon raised her hoof to meet Izzy's and shook it gently. "Nice to meet you Izzy, I'm Cinnamon" she said smiling. "I just came to check if something was wrong and if you needed help, you made it sound like something dreadful was happening, so I'm sure any other pony would have stopped to help" Cinnamon said, although looking around as others just kept walking by or losing interest with this recent event, she wasn't one-hundred percent sure of herself now. The ponies of Ponyville learn like stone when it came to shocking event, they had went through much in their past. "Well, I would hope so... Anyway, if you didn't hurt yourself, do you need help cleaning up the mess? I mean, I don't think its safe leaving it in the middle of the path" Cinnamon noted after seeing the liquid still present and glass till scattered. While examining the mess, a blue unicorn bumped into Izzy on accident. Cinnamon rolled her eyes, Ponyville was such an accident prone town she thought to herself and smiled.