Post by Sunshine Swirl on Oct 26, 2014 10:23:20 GMT
-General Stuff-
Name: Sunshine Swirl
Nickname/Alias(es): Most people call her “Sunshine” for short. Her closest childhood friends call her “Swirly”. Students and faculty at the Canterlot Academy of Magic call her “Ms. Swirl” or “Professor Swirl.”
Race: Unicorn
Gender: Female
Age: Adult Mare, graduated from the Academy 8 years ago.(~Early 30’s in human terms.)
Additional Status: Sunshine Swirl has some limited fame in academic circles. She authored a three volume text called “The Design Patterns of Magic” which detailed common patterns of magic found within hundreds of everyday spells. This text was a continuation of her senior project at the Canterlot Academy of Magic. Shortly after the first volume was published, she was offered a position as a guest lecturer at The Academy.
To be clear, she is not related to any other famous “Swirls”, living or historic.
-Physical Stuff-
Pelt Color: Her coat is not quite white, it’s more of a light buttermilk cream color.
Mane/Tail Color and Style: Her mane and tail are rose red with deep pink highlights. They resist all efforts to curl or style so she relies on a good mane-cut and a hairpin or two for styling. She’s wearing her mane rather short currently; cropped in the back and swept just under her horn in the front. She has been known to grow her mane out and pull it back into a bun. Her tail is full in a smooth sweeping arc, and banged half way between hock and fetlock.
Eye Color: Her eyes are oval and lavender in color.
Magic Color: Her unicorn magic aura is light lavender, the same as the highlights in her eyes.
Cutie Mark: Her cutie mark is a swirl with 6 rays around it. It looks somewhat like a young foal’s crude drawing of the sun. If you ask her about it, she will claim that it represents magic. "Obviously, it's a top-down view of a unicorn horn gleaming with magic." She honestly believes this. (It’s really just a young foal's sun doodle - her special talent is teaching of magic to young unicorns.)
Other Scars/Markings: She has no unusual markings or scars.
Physique: Sunshine Swirl is a petite mare. She’s not a skinny “model pony”. She's not particularly strong either, as her studies have kept her from much physical activity. She is a bit on the short side, and many of her adult students are taller than her. Over the last few years, she’s been concerned about how round her flanks have been getting. She vows each year to eat less dessert and to walk more. That being said, she’s not on any diet, and much of her expanding posterior is mostly in her own head.
Favorite saying, “The fastest way to a smaller looking rump, is a fashionably large hat."
She dresses fairly conservatively, say, a nice cardigan and pearls in the chillier months. As she lives in Canterlot, she often wears clothes, but prefers just something around her neck or shoulders rather than full gowns. She is rather fond of a large blue and white swan hat — even though such hats are slightly out of fashion this year. Large hats are a fashion necessity as any mare in Canterlot knows.
-Social Stuff-
Current Residence: Sunshine Swirl lives with her mate in Canterlot in one of the common three story tower structures seen around Canterlot Gardens. The front of the tower faces the Canterlot Academy of Magic. It has a very small yard with flowering hibiscus bushes of many colors. A stone path wanders through the hibiscus from the front door out to Academy Way, a narrow cobblestone road which runs through the center of the Academy itself. The first floor is primarily entertaining space, with fireplace, a large low table and comfortable pillows. The second floor has the main living area, kitchen, and a balcony. The Balcony overlooks Canterlot Gardens and provides a view of the castle itself and of the distant waterfalls. This Balcony also serves as the primary entrance for Sunshine Swirl’s husband (who finds it much more convenient than flying down to street level then walking up a flight of stairs.) The third floor is a bit small, but holds two rooms; a lovely bedroom suite, and a bright office with large windows and a wall lined with books, many of which were written by her husband Ink Well.
Job: For nearly 8 years, Sunshine Swirl has worked at the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic, one of several magic schools in Canterlot. She started as a guest lecturer, then became an assistant professor, and recently full professor. Her specialty is the mechanics of magic, in particular, common patterns that can aid in learning spells or adapting existing spells to fit a specific purpose. She isn’t a particularly powerful magician herself — but her academic understanding of spell mechanics gives her many insights. For example, she’s not at all capable of levitating a water tower or Ursa Minor. That said, she can explain how much magic a pony would need to channel through a levitation spell achieve such a feat — and that such magic would leave a residue. This study of residual magic, or “Magic Forensics” is one of the courses she teaches at the academy. Magic Forensics is very interesting to Sunshine Swirl, and in recent years, she has been called upon to help particular nobles and even the Canterlot Guard on one occasion.
Mother: Misty Swirl - Sunshine’s mother lives far away, West of Fillydelphia near the Hollow Shades. They exchange letters and have a good relationship, but her mother doesn’t factor prominently in her life right now. Her mother is a skilled alchemist. She learned her craft through village traditions handed down generation after generation. Misty Swirl is a bit skeptical of "book smarts" and academics. She has a light blue coat. Her mane and tail are cyan and white.
Father: Shadow Spark - Sunshine's father passed away about 6 years ago. He was an industrious unicorn with a gift for finding rare plants and minerals. He was particularly good at finding luminescent mushrooms and plants. He fashioned all manor of lamps from them. Shadow Spark had a deep violet coat with russet mane and tail. (Shadow Spark had a rare unicorn allergy that made him particularly sensitive to magical plants.)
Sibling(s): None, she is an only foal.
Other Family: None.
Closest Friends: Esmeralda, a shop keeper who helped her out when she was a filly. Storm Scout, a recent acquaintance who helped her solve a mystery. Jasmine Lantern, a fashion designer who makes beautiful large hats. Silvie Smith, a teacher's aide at the Academy.
Courting/Courted By: Sunshine met her special somepony in high school, fell in love, and later married while she was still attending the Academy as a student. (See Mate)
Mate: Ink Well is a blue pegasus stallion with an inky black mane and a cutie mark of an ink well and quill on his flank. He is of medium build, somewhat shy and reserved. He’s a talented fiction writer with more than a dozen books published. They met at North Canterlot High School. He is a year older than Sunshine Swirl.
Sunshine Swirl’s bookish and introverted ways often resulted in her being teased at high school. One day, a pegasus colt stood up for her. His name was Ink Well, and they started meeting at lunch and spending study halls together at the library. Ink Well loved books as well, and was working on becoming a novelist. Whereas Sunshine Swirl liked dry magic theory books, Ink Well loved fantasy and adventure books. Sunshine Swirl enjoyed the stories he told, and Ink Well was often inspired by the old legends Sunshine would find in the pre-classic era textbooks.
After they graduated from North Canterlot High, Sunshine Swirl was accepted to attend the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic. Ink Well finished his first novel, but wasn’t able to get it published. He tried again, and this second novel was picked up by a major Manehatten publishing house. He proposed to Sunshine shortly thereafter and she accepted. They were married in a small chapel in Northern Canterlot a year later.
Their first apartment was a cramped little studio above a Canterlot shop called, “Bell, Book, and Candle” which sold, well, bells, books, and candles. Sunshine Swirl worked there part time to help with the rent and cost of school. Ink Well focused on his writing. It was a very busy and stressful time for them both.
After Sunshine Swirl graduated from the Academy, she decided she wanted to formally publish a text based on her senior project. Together Ink Well and she wrote day after day, he on his novels and she on her textbook. Ink Well sold a three book trilogy, then was given a contract to write yet another series. His career was taking off. Sunshine Swirl’s textbook was picked up by an academic publisher and was well received by a handful of Equestrian colleges. After giving a talk on her book to the faculty at the Canterlot Academy of Magic, she was offered a part time position as a guest lecturer.
With their new income, the two ponies found a nice small tower home on the outskirts of Canterlot Gardens. The roof needed work, and the interior and kitchen were in poor shape. Ink Well and a few pegasi friends of his from school worked on the roof, and Sunshine worked on the garden and interior. They moved into their new little home on the day of their third anniversary.
They have been married for ten years now and are more in love than ever. They still live in the same small home they bought a few years after marring. It is an easier, saner time for them both with two incomes doing work they enjoy.
Foal(s): Someday. Sunshine loves foals and wants to have a big family. She had better start soon. "Clock. Is. Ticking.”
[[ Update 11-29-2014: Ink Well and Sunshine are going to have a foal! A pegasus filly named Page Turner. ]]
-Personality Stuff-
Likes:
* Books - Oh my Celestia! Books. The rarer, the better. She’s well versed in Pre-classical Equestrian as well as Modern Equestrian. Being a full professor has given her access to the Academy’s private collection as well as many of the reserved collections of the Royal Canterlot Archives. Each book has personality, flavor, character. A well written book is like sharing a piece of the author’s life.
* Philosophy - "Are Changelings and Alicorns related? They both have horns and wings. Discuss!" Yes, this would be a way to lose an entire evening in chat with Sunshine. She loves philosophy books, but conversations, especially with academics around various philosophical topics are one of her great joys.
* Tea - All kinds of tea. Especially fresh springtime green tea from the mountains of Haywaii, or a nice sencha loose leaf from Neighpon. Sunshine Swirl also enjoys floral teas and has her own special blend of Hibiscus and Rose that she makes and serves to friends. She drinks hot teas all year round, from the snowy winters to the warm Canterlot summers.
* Writing - At times the inspiration takes her and a whole day will pass by. Most of the time, she writes about a new idea or discovery she’s made, a grand insight or seemingly trivial detail. A thousand words is nothing but a warm up. Ten thousand is a comfortable stroll. On the other hand, grammar, punctuation, spelling — those were cruel inventions from the master of Chaos himself. She hired a copy editor for her second and third books. "Perhaps the ease with which one writes is inversely proportional to one’s skill at grammar and spelling? Discuss!"
* Mysteries - “There is nothing better than a good mystery — especially if it’s in real life!” Sunshine Swirl loves a good puzzle. If a fellow professor asks, “Hey, who took my coffee mug?” Her response is to grin widely and exclaim, “The game is ahoof!” and begin her investigation. Sunshine is quite good at noticing small details, and combined with her talent for discerning magical residue she makes a good investigator. Unfortunately, she often finds herself overthinking the situation and inventing grand schemes where simpler explanations would suffice.
* Hats - Finally, Sunshine Swirl is by no means a fashionista. She dislikes the long formal Canterlot gowns and avoids them when at all possible. She doesn’t even like makeup and uses as little as she can get away with. Perhaps a bit of eyeshadow for a formal occasion. There is one aspect of fashion she enjoys though, and that is a good hat. No dainty pill-box hats for her, she prefers a hat with girth and presence. If it’s fanciful, that is all the better. Wedding cake hat? Check. Swan Hat? Check. Peacock Hat? Why of course.
Dislikes:
* Boastful Ponies - As Sunshine often says, “Yes, everypony is special and unique. We all have our talents as one can clearly see on our flanks. But, there is no need to boast about such talents. Yes, please do offer to use your talent to assist others — just don’t spend ten minutes describing how wonderful it is, and how much better it is than other pony’s talents.”
* Unnatural Creatures - "Timberwolves, just no. Not even the puppies. Parasprites? Keep them away from me and no pony gets hurt.” Sunshine Swirl adores all types of cute furry and feathered animals, and even some with scales. That said, if it’s animated sticks, or in some way a magical abomination, she’d prefer to keep her distance.
* Dark Magics - Yes, some dark magics might be useful in certain circumstances. Sunshine Swirl prefers to avoid them though. “It is not a pony’s place to dabble in such powers.” She has researched them, and analyzed them like other forms of magic, but she purposefully omitted writing about them in her textbooks. “Such things are best left to the Princesses' discretion."
* Bullies - Sunshine Swirl was sometimes bullied as a young filly starting as early as Magic Kindergarten. Her command of magic itself was never very good, and she had trouble even levitating a quill for the full day to take notes back then. Her classmates were mostly fillies and colts from wealthy families or ones with vast raw magical talents. Having neither of these characteristics made early school life very difficult. Such bullying seldom happens to the much older students she has at the Academy, but when it does, she deals with it swiftly and effectively.
* Prejudice - Growing up in Canterlot, Sunshine Swirl often saw Earth Ponies belittled for their “simple ways” or Pegasi teased for their “brutish personalities”. At first she thought that was just the way things were. As she grew up, she realized that no pony deserves to be lumped into a box. Each pony is a mix of good and bad traits and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, even donkeys and mules.
Motivation: Sunshine Swirl’s motivations have developed and grown over time. At first, she was entirely motivated by her own studies, reading about magic, writing about magic. Later, she became very devoted to her students as well, helping them become responsible unicorn adults. After the Changeling invasion a few years ago, she fancied herself as a magical investigator and tried to help where she could. At the present time, all three activities give her a great deal of personal satisfaction.
Strengths: Sunshine is a meticulous and detail oriented pony. This helped her uncover patterns in magic and lead to her career in teaching. It also helps with her moonlighting job as a forensic magic investigator.
Weaknesses/Flaws: Sunshine Swirl could be a bit more humble. She at times comes across as your "typical Canterlot unicorn." As much as she dislikes prejudice, she does feel that the unicorns in Canterlot are the pinnacle of civilization. She also sometimes spots patterns when there are none. At times these lead her dangerously close to crackpot-theory-land. “No Ms. Swirl, I do not think it was Changelings that stole my coffee mug. Um, could you, could you please get out from hiding under my desk now..."
Sunshine has a rare type of unicorn allergy that runs in her family. She's allergic to many types of magical plants and will sneeze when she's close to them. She's particularly sensitive to Poison Joke, several species of Hermit Vine, and other plants that directly affect ponies. Other magical plants such as Hearts Desire and Truth Flowers don't seem to bother her as much, but still make her sniffly.
Fears: High places with no railings. Evil creatures. And most of all — Changelings. She was outside in the streets of Canterlot when the barrier collapsed and the Changelings descended upon the city. Her heart races to this day when she recalls running in blind fear from them, skittering on the cobblestone streets dodging their attacks. (She's also afraid of CableZ. LOL)
Overall Persona: Sunshine Swirl is a thoughtful and studious unicorn mare. Her life revolves around the understanding and teaching of magic. Although she’s not able to cast extremely powerful magics herself, she does understand how even the most complex spells operate. She is well known among academics in Canterlot for writing a three volume textbook series on the Design Patterns of Magic. She worked her way up from a guest lecturer to a full professor at the Canterlot Academy of Magic. Even with all of her achievements, the wealthy elite of Canterlot look at her as one of those boring academic types. In addition to her studies and teaching, Sunshine Swirl loves a good mystery. After the Changeling invasion, she became interested in magic forensics and has assisted in several investigations.
When confronted with a challenge, Sunshine asks, “How does this work? What makes this happen?” If a student is having problems, she figures out what the cause is, and then digs deeper to figure out the causes of the cause. If there is a mystery to be solved, she pours her all into it, and thinks very deeply. At times her deep thinking leads her astray. She is prone to overanalyzing, or jumping to (sometimes absurd) conclusions based on coincidental patterns. Yes, the evidence might support the absurd, but often there is a simpler solution that she has overlooked. This is her biggest flaw.
She lives with her husband of ten years in a small tower home just outside of Canterlot Gardens. He is a pegasus stallion and author of over a dozen fantasy adventure novels. They are very much in love.
History/Background: Sunshine Swirl was born in a small rural unicorn village in the foothills of the Foal Mountains near the Hollow Shades. Like many unicorns, as a very young foal, Sunshine Swirl was prone to magic surges. Most often, the effect was a sunbeam shining down on her, or a swirl of sparkles around her. The village elder found it quite curious and sent a message to Canterlot. As a young filly, Sunshine Swirl had outgrown the magic surges and in fact, was late in developing her magic. Even simple levitation taxed her. A teacher from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns visited the town at the request of the village elder and spent some time chatting with the young filly. She was offered admittance to the school, and although her parents were reluctant to see her leave, they didn’t want to deny her that chance.
In Canterlot, in magic kindergarten, Sunshine Swirl had a rough time. She always felt like an imposter. Her magic wasn’t nearly as strong as some of the other students. She wasn’t wealthy or from noble families like some of the other students. And her country accent made her a target of ridicule as well. She buried herself in her studies but in the end, did poorly in school. By her third year, her grades in academic topics were all top marks, however, she received below average marks in practical magic and even failed her levitation class. (She could lift no more than half her own weight.)
With her low grades she was unable to continue at Celestia’s School. Celestia met briefly with her on the day she left. Sunshine Swirl apologized for all of her tears and for letting Celestia down. Celestia comforted her and told her that having to leave the school was not an end. The Princess was proud of Sunshine Swirl and hoped that she would continue with her studies at her next school. It was the first, and only time Sunshine had ever met the Princess and the meeting inspired her to give it her all.
Instead of returning home, Sunshine plead with her parents to stay in Canterlot and continue her studies at a local school. Her parents agreed, and she transferred to North Canterlot Schools. By high school, Sunshine Swirl had mastered many facts around the workings of magic. Her raw magical ability had grown, but she was still at best slightly below average for a unicorns at her age. She balanced this weakness with very strong academics, often doing extra projects and delighting her teachers.
She met a young pegasus colt in high school named Ink Well with whom she developed a deep friendship. She graduated with honors from North Canterlot High School and was accepted into the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic.
There she continued to date Ink Well while he began a career as a fantasy adventure novelist. She did well in many aspects at the Academy, but just as with Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, her lack of raw magical talent kept her from achieving the highest grades. Ink Well managed to sell a book, and buoyed by his success he proposed to Sunshine. She agreed and they were married in a small chapel in Northern Canterlot.
Her story together with with Ink Well is told above under the “Mate” section.
-Roleplay Stuff-
Sunshine Swirl would like to be your friend. If you need a somewhat quirky academic friend who likes tea, philosophy and mysteries then she’s your mare.
She’d like to meet more ponies living in Canterlot.
If you have an interesting mystery outside of Canterlot, you might be able to entice her to come visit and see if she can help with her “magic forensics”. She is often free to travel when classes are not in session.
Sunshine Swirl would much rather have tea and enjoy a good conversation with friends than brave the Everfree Forest to fight monsters. In fact, she’s a bit cowardly, especially after the Changeling incident.
"I hope we can have fun and learn new things together.”
-Other OOC Stuff/Notes/Permissions-
Sunshine Swirl lives in Canterlot, but she writes and responds to people during daylight at GMT-10 (Hawaii Standard Time, Big Island, Hawaii)
I have written to Princess Celestia and she is alright with our interaction at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns as shown in the History section of the character.
To clarify Sunshine Swirl's power level, although she has studied magic deeply, she doesn't have the raw magical talent that unicorns like Twilight Sparkle or Shining Armor have. For instance, she does understand exactly "how" Teleport works. She's even tried it once or twice. Given a calm area, she takes several full seconds to fully charge her horn and focus, then she ports. She arrives at her chosen destination dazed with a singed tail and mane. Walking might have been faster. There is a big difference between Knowing, and Doing. I would put her around the same power level as Rarity.
Sunshine Swirl mistakenly thinks that her Cutie Mark is for Magic. It isn't. It's actually for Teaching. It is a foal's drawing of the sun representing a child's curiosity of the world and enlightenment through education.
Name: Sunshine Swirl
Nickname/Alias(es): Most people call her “Sunshine” for short. Her closest childhood friends call her “Swirly”. Students and faculty at the Canterlot Academy of Magic call her “Ms. Swirl” or “Professor Swirl.”
Race: Unicorn
Gender: Female
Age: Adult Mare, graduated from the Academy 8 years ago.(~Early 30’s in human terms.)
Additional Status: Sunshine Swirl has some limited fame in academic circles. She authored a three volume text called “The Design Patterns of Magic” which detailed common patterns of magic found within hundreds of everyday spells. This text was a continuation of her senior project at the Canterlot Academy of Magic. Shortly after the first volume was published, she was offered a position as a guest lecturer at The Academy.
To be clear, she is not related to any other famous “Swirls”, living or historic.
-Physical Stuff-
Pelt Color: Her coat is not quite white, it’s more of a light buttermilk cream color.
Mane/Tail Color and Style: Her mane and tail are rose red with deep pink highlights. They resist all efforts to curl or style so she relies on a good mane-cut and a hairpin or two for styling. She’s wearing her mane rather short currently; cropped in the back and swept just under her horn in the front. She has been known to grow her mane out and pull it back into a bun. Her tail is full in a smooth sweeping arc, and banged half way between hock and fetlock.
Eye Color: Her eyes are oval and lavender in color.
Magic Color: Her unicorn magic aura is light lavender, the same as the highlights in her eyes.
Cutie Mark: Her cutie mark is a swirl with 6 rays around it. It looks somewhat like a young foal’s crude drawing of the sun. If you ask her about it, she will claim that it represents magic. "Obviously, it's a top-down view of a unicorn horn gleaming with magic." She honestly believes this. (It’s really just a young foal's sun doodle - her special talent is teaching of magic to young unicorns.)
Other Scars/Markings: She has no unusual markings or scars.
Physique: Sunshine Swirl is a petite mare. She’s not a skinny “model pony”. She's not particularly strong either, as her studies have kept her from much physical activity. She is a bit on the short side, and many of her adult students are taller than her. Over the last few years, she’s been concerned about how round her flanks have been getting. She vows each year to eat less dessert and to walk more. That being said, she’s not on any diet, and much of her expanding posterior is mostly in her own head.
Favorite saying, “The fastest way to a smaller looking rump, is a fashionably large hat."
She dresses fairly conservatively, say, a nice cardigan and pearls in the chillier months. As she lives in Canterlot, she often wears clothes, but prefers just something around her neck or shoulders rather than full gowns. She is rather fond of a large blue and white swan hat — even though such hats are slightly out of fashion this year. Large hats are a fashion necessity as any mare in Canterlot knows.
-Social Stuff-
Current Residence: Sunshine Swirl lives with her mate in Canterlot in one of the common three story tower structures seen around Canterlot Gardens. The front of the tower faces the Canterlot Academy of Magic. It has a very small yard with flowering hibiscus bushes of many colors. A stone path wanders through the hibiscus from the front door out to Academy Way, a narrow cobblestone road which runs through the center of the Academy itself. The first floor is primarily entertaining space, with fireplace, a large low table and comfortable pillows. The second floor has the main living area, kitchen, and a balcony. The Balcony overlooks Canterlot Gardens and provides a view of the castle itself and of the distant waterfalls. This Balcony also serves as the primary entrance for Sunshine Swirl’s husband (who finds it much more convenient than flying down to street level then walking up a flight of stairs.) The third floor is a bit small, but holds two rooms; a lovely bedroom suite, and a bright office with large windows and a wall lined with books, many of which were written by her husband Ink Well.
Job: For nearly 8 years, Sunshine Swirl has worked at the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic, one of several magic schools in Canterlot. She started as a guest lecturer, then became an assistant professor, and recently full professor. Her specialty is the mechanics of magic, in particular, common patterns that can aid in learning spells or adapting existing spells to fit a specific purpose. She isn’t a particularly powerful magician herself — but her academic understanding of spell mechanics gives her many insights. For example, she’s not at all capable of levitating a water tower or Ursa Minor. That said, she can explain how much magic a pony would need to channel through a levitation spell achieve such a feat — and that such magic would leave a residue. This study of residual magic, or “Magic Forensics” is one of the courses she teaches at the academy. Magic Forensics is very interesting to Sunshine Swirl, and in recent years, she has been called upon to help particular nobles and even the Canterlot Guard on one occasion.
Mother: Misty Swirl - Sunshine’s mother lives far away, West of Fillydelphia near the Hollow Shades. They exchange letters and have a good relationship, but her mother doesn’t factor prominently in her life right now. Her mother is a skilled alchemist. She learned her craft through village traditions handed down generation after generation. Misty Swirl is a bit skeptical of "book smarts" and academics. She has a light blue coat. Her mane and tail are cyan and white.
Father: Shadow Spark - Sunshine's father passed away about 6 years ago. He was an industrious unicorn with a gift for finding rare plants and minerals. He was particularly good at finding luminescent mushrooms and plants. He fashioned all manor of lamps from them. Shadow Spark had a deep violet coat with russet mane and tail. (Shadow Spark had a rare unicorn allergy that made him particularly sensitive to magical plants.)
Sibling(s): None, she is an only foal.
Other Family: None.
Closest Friends: Esmeralda, a shop keeper who helped her out when she was a filly. Storm Scout, a recent acquaintance who helped her solve a mystery. Jasmine Lantern, a fashion designer who makes beautiful large hats. Silvie Smith, a teacher's aide at the Academy.
Courting/Courted By: Sunshine met her special somepony in high school, fell in love, and later married while she was still attending the Academy as a student. (See Mate)
Mate: Ink Well is a blue pegasus stallion with an inky black mane and a cutie mark of an ink well and quill on his flank. He is of medium build, somewhat shy and reserved. He’s a talented fiction writer with more than a dozen books published. They met at North Canterlot High School. He is a year older than Sunshine Swirl.
Sunshine Swirl’s bookish and introverted ways often resulted in her being teased at high school. One day, a pegasus colt stood up for her. His name was Ink Well, and they started meeting at lunch and spending study halls together at the library. Ink Well loved books as well, and was working on becoming a novelist. Whereas Sunshine Swirl liked dry magic theory books, Ink Well loved fantasy and adventure books. Sunshine Swirl enjoyed the stories he told, and Ink Well was often inspired by the old legends Sunshine would find in the pre-classic era textbooks.
After they graduated from North Canterlot High, Sunshine Swirl was accepted to attend the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic. Ink Well finished his first novel, but wasn’t able to get it published. He tried again, and this second novel was picked up by a major Manehatten publishing house. He proposed to Sunshine shortly thereafter and she accepted. They were married in a small chapel in Northern Canterlot a year later.
Their first apartment was a cramped little studio above a Canterlot shop called, “Bell, Book, and Candle” which sold, well, bells, books, and candles. Sunshine Swirl worked there part time to help with the rent and cost of school. Ink Well focused on his writing. It was a very busy and stressful time for them both.
After Sunshine Swirl graduated from the Academy, she decided she wanted to formally publish a text based on her senior project. Together Ink Well and she wrote day after day, he on his novels and she on her textbook. Ink Well sold a three book trilogy, then was given a contract to write yet another series. His career was taking off. Sunshine Swirl’s textbook was picked up by an academic publisher and was well received by a handful of Equestrian colleges. After giving a talk on her book to the faculty at the Canterlot Academy of Magic, she was offered a part time position as a guest lecturer.
With their new income, the two ponies found a nice small tower home on the outskirts of Canterlot Gardens. The roof needed work, and the interior and kitchen were in poor shape. Ink Well and a few pegasi friends of his from school worked on the roof, and Sunshine worked on the garden and interior. They moved into their new little home on the day of their third anniversary.
They have been married for ten years now and are more in love than ever. They still live in the same small home they bought a few years after marring. It is an easier, saner time for them both with two incomes doing work they enjoy.
Foal(s): Someday. Sunshine loves foals and wants to have a big family. She had better start soon. "Clock. Is. Ticking.”
[[ Update 11-29-2014: Ink Well and Sunshine are going to have a foal! A pegasus filly named Page Turner. ]]
-Personality Stuff-
Likes:
* Books - Oh my Celestia! Books. The rarer, the better. She’s well versed in Pre-classical Equestrian as well as Modern Equestrian. Being a full professor has given her access to the Academy’s private collection as well as many of the reserved collections of the Royal Canterlot Archives. Each book has personality, flavor, character. A well written book is like sharing a piece of the author’s life.
* Philosophy - "Are Changelings and Alicorns related? They both have horns and wings. Discuss!" Yes, this would be a way to lose an entire evening in chat with Sunshine. She loves philosophy books, but conversations, especially with academics around various philosophical topics are one of her great joys.
* Tea - All kinds of tea. Especially fresh springtime green tea from the mountains of Haywaii, or a nice sencha loose leaf from Neighpon. Sunshine Swirl also enjoys floral teas and has her own special blend of Hibiscus and Rose that she makes and serves to friends. She drinks hot teas all year round, from the snowy winters to the warm Canterlot summers.
* Writing - At times the inspiration takes her and a whole day will pass by. Most of the time, she writes about a new idea or discovery she’s made, a grand insight or seemingly trivial detail. A thousand words is nothing but a warm up. Ten thousand is a comfortable stroll. On the other hand, grammar, punctuation, spelling — those were cruel inventions from the master of Chaos himself. She hired a copy editor for her second and third books. "Perhaps the ease with which one writes is inversely proportional to one’s skill at grammar and spelling? Discuss!"
* Mysteries - “There is nothing better than a good mystery — especially if it’s in real life!” Sunshine Swirl loves a good puzzle. If a fellow professor asks, “Hey, who took my coffee mug?” Her response is to grin widely and exclaim, “The game is ahoof!” and begin her investigation. Sunshine is quite good at noticing small details, and combined with her talent for discerning magical residue she makes a good investigator. Unfortunately, she often finds herself overthinking the situation and inventing grand schemes where simpler explanations would suffice.
* Hats - Finally, Sunshine Swirl is by no means a fashionista. She dislikes the long formal Canterlot gowns and avoids them when at all possible. She doesn’t even like makeup and uses as little as she can get away with. Perhaps a bit of eyeshadow for a formal occasion. There is one aspect of fashion she enjoys though, and that is a good hat. No dainty pill-box hats for her, she prefers a hat with girth and presence. If it’s fanciful, that is all the better. Wedding cake hat? Check. Swan Hat? Check. Peacock Hat? Why of course.
Dislikes:
* Boastful Ponies - As Sunshine often says, “Yes, everypony is special and unique. We all have our talents as one can clearly see on our flanks. But, there is no need to boast about such talents. Yes, please do offer to use your talent to assist others — just don’t spend ten minutes describing how wonderful it is, and how much better it is than other pony’s talents.”
* Unnatural Creatures - "Timberwolves, just no. Not even the puppies. Parasprites? Keep them away from me and no pony gets hurt.” Sunshine Swirl adores all types of cute furry and feathered animals, and even some with scales. That said, if it’s animated sticks, or in some way a magical abomination, she’d prefer to keep her distance.
* Dark Magics - Yes, some dark magics might be useful in certain circumstances. Sunshine Swirl prefers to avoid them though. “It is not a pony’s place to dabble in such powers.” She has researched them, and analyzed them like other forms of magic, but she purposefully omitted writing about them in her textbooks. “Such things are best left to the Princesses' discretion."
* Bullies - Sunshine Swirl was sometimes bullied as a young filly starting as early as Magic Kindergarten. Her command of magic itself was never very good, and she had trouble even levitating a quill for the full day to take notes back then. Her classmates were mostly fillies and colts from wealthy families or ones with vast raw magical talents. Having neither of these characteristics made early school life very difficult. Such bullying seldom happens to the much older students she has at the Academy, but when it does, she deals with it swiftly and effectively.
* Prejudice - Growing up in Canterlot, Sunshine Swirl often saw Earth Ponies belittled for their “simple ways” or Pegasi teased for their “brutish personalities”. At first she thought that was just the way things were. As she grew up, she realized that no pony deserves to be lumped into a box. Each pony is a mix of good and bad traits and deserves to be treated with respect and dignity, even donkeys and mules.
Motivation: Sunshine Swirl’s motivations have developed and grown over time. At first, she was entirely motivated by her own studies, reading about magic, writing about magic. Later, she became very devoted to her students as well, helping them become responsible unicorn adults. After the Changeling invasion a few years ago, she fancied herself as a magical investigator and tried to help where she could. At the present time, all three activities give her a great deal of personal satisfaction.
Strengths: Sunshine is a meticulous and detail oriented pony. This helped her uncover patterns in magic and lead to her career in teaching. It also helps with her moonlighting job as a forensic magic investigator.
Weaknesses/Flaws: Sunshine Swirl could be a bit more humble. She at times comes across as your "typical Canterlot unicorn." As much as she dislikes prejudice, she does feel that the unicorns in Canterlot are the pinnacle of civilization. She also sometimes spots patterns when there are none. At times these lead her dangerously close to crackpot-theory-land. “No Ms. Swirl, I do not think it was Changelings that stole my coffee mug. Um, could you, could you please get out from hiding under my desk now..."
Sunshine has a rare type of unicorn allergy that runs in her family. She's allergic to many types of magical plants and will sneeze when she's close to them. She's particularly sensitive to Poison Joke, several species of Hermit Vine, and other plants that directly affect ponies. Other magical plants such as Hearts Desire and Truth Flowers don't seem to bother her as much, but still make her sniffly.
Fears: High places with no railings. Evil creatures. And most of all — Changelings. She was outside in the streets of Canterlot when the barrier collapsed and the Changelings descended upon the city. Her heart races to this day when she recalls running in blind fear from them, skittering on the cobblestone streets dodging their attacks. (She's also afraid of CableZ. LOL)
Overall Persona: Sunshine Swirl is a thoughtful and studious unicorn mare. Her life revolves around the understanding and teaching of magic. Although she’s not able to cast extremely powerful magics herself, she does understand how even the most complex spells operate. She is well known among academics in Canterlot for writing a three volume textbook series on the Design Patterns of Magic. She worked her way up from a guest lecturer to a full professor at the Canterlot Academy of Magic. Even with all of her achievements, the wealthy elite of Canterlot look at her as one of those boring academic types. In addition to her studies and teaching, Sunshine Swirl loves a good mystery. After the Changeling invasion, she became interested in magic forensics and has assisted in several investigations.
When confronted with a challenge, Sunshine asks, “How does this work? What makes this happen?” If a student is having problems, she figures out what the cause is, and then digs deeper to figure out the causes of the cause. If there is a mystery to be solved, she pours her all into it, and thinks very deeply. At times her deep thinking leads her astray. She is prone to overanalyzing, or jumping to (sometimes absurd) conclusions based on coincidental patterns. Yes, the evidence might support the absurd, but often there is a simpler solution that she has overlooked. This is her biggest flaw.
She lives with her husband of ten years in a small tower home just outside of Canterlot Gardens. He is a pegasus stallion and author of over a dozen fantasy adventure novels. They are very much in love.
History/Background: Sunshine Swirl was born in a small rural unicorn village in the foothills of the Foal Mountains near the Hollow Shades. Like many unicorns, as a very young foal, Sunshine Swirl was prone to magic surges. Most often, the effect was a sunbeam shining down on her, or a swirl of sparkles around her. The village elder found it quite curious and sent a message to Canterlot. As a young filly, Sunshine Swirl had outgrown the magic surges and in fact, was late in developing her magic. Even simple levitation taxed her. A teacher from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns visited the town at the request of the village elder and spent some time chatting with the young filly. She was offered admittance to the school, and although her parents were reluctant to see her leave, they didn’t want to deny her that chance.
In Canterlot, in magic kindergarten, Sunshine Swirl had a rough time. She always felt like an imposter. Her magic wasn’t nearly as strong as some of the other students. She wasn’t wealthy or from noble families like some of the other students. And her country accent made her a target of ridicule as well. She buried herself in her studies but in the end, did poorly in school. By her third year, her grades in academic topics were all top marks, however, she received below average marks in practical magic and even failed her levitation class. (She could lift no more than half her own weight.)
With her low grades she was unable to continue at Celestia’s School. Celestia met briefly with her on the day she left. Sunshine Swirl apologized for all of her tears and for letting Celestia down. Celestia comforted her and told her that having to leave the school was not an end. The Princess was proud of Sunshine Swirl and hoped that she would continue with her studies at her next school. It was the first, and only time Sunshine had ever met the Princess and the meeting inspired her to give it her all.
Instead of returning home, Sunshine plead with her parents to stay in Canterlot and continue her studies at a local school. Her parents agreed, and she transferred to North Canterlot Schools. By high school, Sunshine Swirl had mastered many facts around the workings of magic. Her raw magical ability had grown, but she was still at best slightly below average for a unicorns at her age. She balanced this weakness with very strong academics, often doing extra projects and delighting her teachers.
She met a young pegasus colt in high school named Ink Well with whom she developed a deep friendship. She graduated with honors from North Canterlot High School and was accepted into the prestigious Canterlot Academy of Magic.
There she continued to date Ink Well while he began a career as a fantasy adventure novelist. She did well in many aspects at the Academy, but just as with Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, her lack of raw magical talent kept her from achieving the highest grades. Ink Well managed to sell a book, and buoyed by his success he proposed to Sunshine. She agreed and they were married in a small chapel in Northern Canterlot.
Her story together with with Ink Well is told above under the “Mate” section.
-Roleplay Stuff-
Sunshine Swirl would like to be your friend. If you need a somewhat quirky academic friend who likes tea, philosophy and mysteries then she’s your mare.
She’d like to meet more ponies living in Canterlot.
If you have an interesting mystery outside of Canterlot, you might be able to entice her to come visit and see if she can help with her “magic forensics”. She is often free to travel when classes are not in session.
Sunshine Swirl would much rather have tea and enjoy a good conversation with friends than brave the Everfree Forest to fight monsters. In fact, she’s a bit cowardly, especially after the Changeling incident.
"I hope we can have fun and learn new things together.”
-Other OOC Stuff/Notes/Permissions-
Sunshine Swirl lives in Canterlot, but she writes and responds to people during daylight at GMT-10 (Hawaii Standard Time, Big Island, Hawaii)
I have written to Princess Celestia and she is alright with our interaction at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns as shown in the History section of the character.
To clarify Sunshine Swirl's power level, although she has studied magic deeply, she doesn't have the raw magical talent that unicorns like Twilight Sparkle or Shining Armor have. For instance, she does understand exactly "how" Teleport works. She's even tried it once or twice. Given a calm area, she takes several full seconds to fully charge her horn and focus, then she ports. She arrives at her chosen destination dazed with a singed tail and mane. Walking might have been faster. There is a big difference between Knowing, and Doing. I would put her around the same power level as Rarity.
Sunshine Swirl mistakenly thinks that her Cutie Mark is for Magic. It isn't. It's actually for Teaching. It is a foal's drawing of the sun representing a child's curiosity of the world and enlightenment through education.
i was kinda excited to feel like im back in 2015