Trouble with the Train [Dead]

[orchidbloom]

Orchid Bloom awoke to the bumping and jostling of the train. Her head thumped against the window where is had been slumped against. When she had fallen asleep, she didn't know, but she yawned and pushed the hair from her face. Her purple and blue mane that was earlier brushed and bouncing in curls was tangled and flat on one side. She huffed, pulling on it with her hoof. Shaking her head, she looked out the window. The landscape that was whizzing past earlier was slowing; she could pick out individual trees and bushes. And in the distance; Canterlot Castle. It gleamed in the afternoon sun. Orchid smiled. She could see the train station, too, and gathered her bags. She was here in Canterlot from Ponyville to see her father, who was in Canterlot on business.


As the wheels screeched on the tracks,  Orchid stood and moved towards the door. She passed only a couple other ponies- the train was not crowded at all. The train lurched, stopping at the crowded station, and Orchid climbed off. She took a whiff of the Canterlot air, standing on the steps of the train when the door slams shut. Orchid yelped, jumping forward only to be snapped back. Her tail was caught in the door, snapped in the clutch of the metal door. Orchid huffed, struggling to stand. As soon as she was standing, another pony opened the door, releasing her tail, and letting her fall forward, flat on her face. This times, she huffed, loudly and indignantly. A few ponies looks over, but none came to help her. And when she thought nothing could get worse, the train whistle blew, shrill and panicky sounding. Orchid was in a fluster now, stumbling to stand and grab her bags. The train started creeping along at a snails pace as she lifted bag after bag with magic. 

Couldn't somepony help her? she thought, zipping a bag that had popped open. 

[Toast]

(OOC: Hope you don't mind if I let Silver jump in.)

Silver heaves a sigh as he sits on the train to Canterlot from Ponyville. It was a trip he was all too familiar with making, except this time he was arriving on official business instead of vacation, and it wasn't something he was looking forward too. "At least the ride was peaceful enough." Silver thinks as he glances around the mostly empty cart. He notices a few ponies still napping, a couple was chatting on the seat in front of him, and a Purple sleeping Pony across from him had accidentally thumped her head against the window. Other than that he pays her no mind though, and instead shifts his gaze back out his own window as Canterlot castle comes into view.

Once the train pulled into the station, Silver gathered his only piece of luggage and moved to the front of the line so he could be the first off, passing the purple pony as he does. As the doors open he steps off the train and onto the station, sighing again he as slowly moves past other ponies. Although Silver loved his home town he knew he had been seeing too much of it lately. And the more he had to come back to take care of business, the more he knew his father would pester him over why he bothered to move to Ponyville in the first place. In fact it was already causing Silver to wonder that himself.

His moment of thought was suddenly interrupted though as he hears a yelp from behind him. Looking back he once again sees the same purple pony now caught with her tail in the door. Things only got worse for her as somepony else released the door causing her to fall flat on her face.

Silver winces slightly as the purple pony now struggled getting all her bags off the train steps before it took off.

"wouldn't you want some help if you were in that position?" Silver conscience says to him. With a quick glance Silver was able to notice the nopony was offering her a hoof.

"Well, good deed for the day I guess." Silver says as he approaches and begins using his magic to help levitate the rest of Orchid's luggage beside her in an orderly fashion. Once the task was completed he looks at her with a small smile.
"Hope you don't mind, it looked like you needed an assist." Silver says in the most friendly way he could. "It would have been a shame for the train to take off with some of your luggage."

[orchidbloom]

(((Not at all )))

Orchid held in an exasperated scream as items got stuck in the zipper of a bag. The ponies that had been on the train with her had disembarked; she could see them walking away out of the corner of her eye as she set aside the freshly stuffed and zipped bag and scanned for the rest. She could hear somepony say something - she didn't know who or how close they were to her. She was facing the train, trying to will it to stop creeping forward with a bag stuck in the door. Prying it open with magic, and a tongue stick out, eye squinting effort, she grabbed the bag at the same time. With the bag floating beside her, she turned to see another unicorn standing next to her, collecting the rest of her things. He turned to her, and smiled, talking in a kind tone. Orchid smiled right back.

"Of course I don't mind - it's nice to see a friendly pony around here." she said, looking around at the other ponies walking right past without another glance. One pegasus zoomed past her, just inches from her head, making her mane blow around. He called out to the train to stop so that he could board. She didn't question why the pegasus would rather ride the train, and instead turned back to the stranger. 


"My name is Orchid Bloom, by the way. Thank you oh so much for the help." she stretched out a hoof, for a proper greeting. The stallion had a white and black mane and tail. His coat was strangely luminously silver, with dark grey tribal-looking patterns scattered throughout his body. And his eyes were a piercing yellow, that seemed like they could bore right into Orchid's soul. She blinked and acted like she wasn't just inspecting him, but rather looking around at the surroundings. She hoped it wasn't weird that she had inspected him in the first place, but instead displaced the thought. 

[Toast]

Silvers smile became more genuine when Orchid accepted his help. Some ponies, especially canterlot ponies, would be more hesitant with other ponies grabbing their things without warning. When she stretches out her hoof for a proper greeting Silver looks at her hoof for a quick second before meeting it with his own. It was much more of a Ponyville greeting and he was still getting used to it. But it was also a stronger indication that Orchid was indeed not from Ponyville and not from Canterlot herself.


"My name is Orchid Bloom, by the way. Thank you oh so much for the help."


"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Bloom, and I'm happy to help." He says before he lowers and hoof and introduces himself in the Canterlot manner of a slight bow. "My name is Silver Glow, at your service."


Silvers Canterlot formality shines through in not only his gesture but also tone as well. It was something he couldn't help but do when he was in his home town, almost like a reflex. A saying an old friends had once said to him ran through his mind. "You can take the pony out Canterlot but you can't take the Canterlot out of the pony."



The thought makes Silver smile as he raises his head to notice Orchid scanning him. It didn't bother him at all though, not just because he was used to it, but also because he was doing the same thing. The Purple pony stood no taller than him, she had a wavy mane with a mix of purple and blue, and if he dared say was also quite pretty. He had noticed her cutie mark too, which was a flower, so given that and her name, Silver felt fairly confident in knowing what her special talent might be.


Although none of this answered the question he really wanted to know. What would bring a simple Ponyville mare with more luggage than she could carry to Canterlot?


"Simple?" He thinks. "My Celestia I am starting to sound like a Canterlot pony again."


"So what is it that brings you to Canterlot this day Ms. Bloom?" Silver asks with genuine interest, his curious nature prodding through.

[orchidbloom]

Orchid beamed, shaking the stallion's hoof. She was unexplainably happy to find somepony to talk to, even if it was just for a few seconds. These Canterlot folk always seemed so stuffy and inhospitable to her - although she didn't like to stereotype. She shook the thought from her head and tried not to blush when the pony - named Silver Glow, as she found - called her Ms. Bloom. No pony had ever called her that before, and it made her almost giggle at some form of Canterlot formality. Ponyville was casual, so even if ponies did talk to her, they wouldn't call her Ms. Bloom.  The small bow only made it harder to contain herself. Trying desperately not to seem rude, she said, "Please forgive me; I'm not used to Canterlot formality." 

It certainly made her feel better to see Silver examining her as well, knowing that she wasn't the only one to look over whom she might be talking to. She saw sparks of curiosity ignite in his eyes, and she mulled over his question for a short minute. She didn't want to spill her whole life story, but there needed to be some backstory to understand truly why she had come. 

"Well... my father moved here quite some time ago for business. My mother was alright with it-" she left it at that. "So instead of traveling back and forth, he moved here permanently. Every once in a blue moon, I get to visit. And really, It's alright if you call me Orchid." she finished, letting out a small laugh. She tried to be more aware of her manners, now that she was in Canterlot, but couldn't help letting out giggles and chirps of laughter over nonsensical things. 

[Toast]

Silver smiles a sly smile as Orchid giggles over the way he spoke to her. Obviously she wasn't used to being addressed that way. But he liked that she had a good sense of humor about it and was able to laugh instead of being embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Sorry, force of habit." Silver starts. "I was born and raised here in Canterlot and when you've lived here for the majority of your life you tend to forgot that not everpo- you know what it doesn't really matter." He says without missing a beat through his sentence change. Silver spoke rather quickly through everything yet he showed seemingly zero signs of embarrassment. In fact despite the fact that he was being essentially laughed at he appeared quite happy about it.

Quickly Silver looks over Orchids shoulder at her luggage, noticing that she sure packed a lot for a visit. He had gotten so used to the trip between Canterlot and Ponyville that he had learned to be much more conservative. Although it helped that he still had lot of his things at his father's place. Having a home away from home made everything a lot easier.

"Well Orchid, I'm sure you know your way around. But you have a lot of luggage there, if you'd like I could give lend you a hoof to your destination." Silver sounds almost excited as he speaks, giving the implication that he would enjoy the task rather than feel it to be a bother. Really any chance he could get to meet a new pony from ponyville (which he was actually just assumed based on that's where the train they were on came from) he knew would be good for him. So far he had really only made a connection with one other pony. Which coincidentally was also while visiting Canterlot.

[orchidbloom]

(So sorry it's taken so long  )


Orchid nodded at Silver's statement, surprised at how quickly he shifted his sentence. She knew that if she tried to swap her topics around that quickly, she would end up tongue tied and confused. But Silver acted like it was a regular business to switch up his sentences. 


"Oh no, it's nice to hear formality after a living a life lacking it." she replied. Canterlot entranced her in that way, with it's elegant ponies, elegant buildings, elegant air even. Everything held a certain posture that was an awkward bridge for Orchid to cross. She found it new every time she visited.


Silver spoke about helping her with her luggage. His tone implied he didn't bother helping, but nonetheless, Orchid swished her hoof around. 


"Oh, I mean that would be lovely, but I wouldn't want you to miss out on something else. It's no trouble, really..." she tried to be persuasive by picking up a bag with magic. But the smile on her face probably didn't look to convincing. 


"Some company would be nice, though..." she said, thinking of the walk to her hotel. "But you are not allowed to come if you have somewhere to be." she put her hoof she was swishing down with a determined thump, nodding. She tried, and failed, to keep a straight face as she picking up another bag. She could feel the tug of each object she picked up, and was glad that the strain wouldn't all be on her.

[Toast]

(That's ok, sorry about my absence too. I have been waiting to get my computer back from repairs.)

Silver was happy to see Orchid Accept his courtesy, although she made the point of not letting him help if he had other things to take care of. While being a very modest way of accepting his aid, watching her struggle led Silver to think he probably would have helped her out anyway. In fact he realized now more than ever how beneficial it has to have a home in Canterlot. All he needed to ever bring with him was a simple bag with things to do on and train, which he usually only filled with a few books.

"Of course not Ms. Bloom.." Silver pauses for a second. "Sorry.. Orchid.. I don't have any obligations till tomorrow though, so I am perfectly able to be of assistance." He says as he watches Orchid continue to struggle managing her luggage. It seemed that between her and her magic she still packed more then she could carry. Silver felt he couldn't blame her, it was always so easy to think you could just levitate as many things as you needed until your tried. But like so many unicorns who magical ability was usually only reserved for their special talent, Silver too lacked being good at some of the more practical spells.

"And believe me I am more than happy to help." Silver says as he uses his own magic to one at a time lift a bag and balanced it on his back. Once he has as many as he felt comfortable with, he wiggles slightly to make sure they were all stable before looking back at Orchid.

"Alright I think that all I can handle, are you ok with the rest?"