#me @ any art of Luna Dream Palace

[ask-iamnotanalicorn]

Previous: The Discord Timeline

The Industrial Devolution Timeline:

The road to economic domination was creeping and insidious.

First, Nightmare Moon returned. Celestia and Cadance were able to subdue her, locking her in a (very comfortable) prison while Celestia sought a way to free her sister of the evil influence warping her mind. With the monarch so distracted and Princess Cadance struggling to take up the slack, a few opportunistic entrepreneurs began getting their roots into the market.

Then the Crystal War began, dividing Celestia’s and Cadance’s attention even further. The Changelings attacked, sowing destruction and distrust until Cadance defeated their queen. Tirek cut a swath through the countryside before being stopped, increasing the economic struggles. It was as if a domino of assaults on the Equestrian daily life had started, with none able to stop the ever-larger dominoes from toppling.

Celestia was terribly injured during the final fight that destroyed King Sombra. Luna finally overcame her rage and the parasitic magic fueling it, but went into seclusion out of shame and a desire to tend to her wounded sister. Cadance’s focus was split between post-war rebuilding in Equestria, assisting the confused, freed, and much-distrusted crystal ponies with stabilizing their crippled city, and tending to her own first child. With their leaders so distracted and the country still reeling from so many attacks, ponies desperately reached out for any kind of financial and necessities stability. 

Perfectly fertile soil for the country’s most hostile economic takeover in its history.

Flim and Flam’s tactics were simple yet effective: move in wherever large numbers of companies had collapsed and fill the void with simple, cheap necessities that anypony could afford. As their finances grew, they began to expand, beating out surrounding competition with their rock-bottom prices until they could either buy out or crush their competitors. They continued this strategy further and further out, their influence spreading like hives across Equestria until hardly any retailers of food, drinks, household goods, small machine parts, and pretty much every other goods reseller below industrial level still operated. (Although who knew what the future might hold for FlimFlam Industries?) Once competition decreased to almost nill, they raised their prices to just barely affordable, swelling their already full pockets.

By the end of the Crystal War, they had such a grip, so much financial and political power, that even if the princesses should realize the toxic hold this company has on the market, it will be a long road back to rebalancing the economy. The country has, regrettably, come to rely on Flim Flam Industries, and their stranglehold would not be easily broken.

Sales always dreamed of being a traveling salespony. He’d even gotten a taste of it before the war. But now... well, there was no one to sell for. Companies kept dying out from under him. And if it weren’t bad enough that FFI already sold cheap, unexciting product options, the further lack of competition gave them even less incentive to TRY. They could cut costs on everything from packaging to flavor to color options; there was absolutely no consideration for variety or improvement or innovation. Soon everything in those blasted pop-up depots came in bland, uniformly labeled containers, with names like FLOUR and SOAP and TOWELS. There was no ART to it, and worst of all, no heart. And certainly no need for a door-to-door sales technique - not when F&F Depots were on every corner and people already had little choice but to get their goods from them.

So that’s how Sales ended up here, running one of those blasted depots. It is barely salesponyship, but it was still the closest thing he could find to his special talent. Meanwhile pollution and unchecked labor laws are creeping out from the cities, and farms are being consumed for their timber and factory locations. Quills & Sofas went under, leaving Sales’ father without a job and one more worry for Salespitch. Everypony prays that Celestia would heal, that Cadance would realize the depths of what was happening and make some move to stop it, that even the once-evil Princess Luna rumored to be tending her sister in the castle would take a stand. But for now, FFI is taking full advantage of the rulers’ distraction and obliviousness to tighten their hold on the country’s economy. Sales works and keeps his head down; it’s too great an issue for one pony to tackle, especially a pony whose only real talent is talking.

He tries to remind himself that things could be worse. Despite crummy wages and the soul-deadening monotony of just grabbing standard crap off a shelf when asked, Sales IS making a living. He makes an effort to keep his depot looking like the pony who works there actually cares (a façade FFI has long since abandoned.) Black took up work as a stocker in the store, so at least they get to hang out. Pollution isn’t as bad in Featherhorn (yet), although the deforestation and smog have been spreading nearer. But Sales just can’t get around the fact that there’s a briefcase-shaped hole in his soul where good, honest, smart salesponyship was meant to be. It’s hard not to be bitter and miserable when your purpose has been almost completely taken away from you.  Still... if Sales can find a way to get a new company going without being ground under Flim and Flam’s hooves... maybe he can go back to doing what he loves, and the world will feel a little more right again. Fun Facts About The Flim Flam Timeline:

- I got my idea for a total economic takeover from a book 6 of the Pendragon series, “The Quillen Games” by D.J. MacHale. Its setting is a world where a single corporation has such control that they even own the people to an extent, but I didn’t want to go THAT dark (although this is still darker than my initial draft), so I stopped at just owning all of the selling outlets. Lack of competition in capitalism breeds complacency, leading to high prices with minimal improvement or variety. (That book may have also stuck in my mind because it was the first time an author so thoroughly pulled the rug out from under me that I was too depressed to finish the series. I can’t HANDLE that kind of catastrophic reversal, MacHale!!!)

- Sales’s dad, Sales Patter, lost his job as Head of Sales at Quills & Sofas after the company was eaten by FlimFlam Industries. He currently lives at home taking care of Pitch Perfect while Pitch Forward does her best to bring in funding through her competitive high-diving sponsorships. Sales and Black contribute money as well, although Black has a surprisingly well-stocked savings account that he refuses to explain to anyone.

- Flim and Flam offered Sales a job as their company spokespony, mainly because they loved the idea of having an ‘alicorn’ as their mascot. Obviously he turned them down, but he did still grudgingly accept a position at the Featherhorn depot since it’s the closest thing he can find to what he’s good at. (Flim and Flam do still like to give people a show, especially when it comes to the smoke and mirrors they must use to keep the wealthier populace and government from paying too much attention to some of the ways FFI cuts their spending - at the expense of their workers, mostly.)

- I’ve seen others do this timeline harsher; there’s a fimfiction that had an interesting take on Celestia being injured in her fight with Nightmare Moon and then IMPRISONED by Flim and Flam’s company so it could take over, which led to an ever-rising problem with pollution, underage workers, poor labor laws, and backhoof politics. Some of that does exist in this timeline, but I went with a severe injury and seclusion in the palace. The Princesses are still AROUND, but being carefully shielded from the truly dark nature of some of Flim and Flam’s machinations. It may just take someone getting their attention drawn to the right things to start the ball rolling...

- Sales and Patter do team up to create a small startup company, selling goods made by Featherhorn’s citizens to the local area. Black uses his connections as a Royal Service agent to sneak them into the palace, where they get an uber-rare meeting with Princess Celestia, who is blessedly awake enough to recognize the little AI and hear their plight. She convinces Luna, who has been taking care of her this whole time, that something needs to be done. Luna is grossly undereducated about modern economics and business practices, but she pulls Cadance in, and while Cadance works on investigating these horrible labor practices they’ve reported, Luna begins brushing up on her education and offers some protection to Sales’ little company. She does, in fact, find some obscure ancient laws that give them a leg up in the fight against FFI when they inevitably try to buy out, sue, and/or bankrupt Sales’ and Patter’s company into the ground. But they start making some headway. 

- It’s a long road back to a balanced market, and much of the work will be done by the Princesses. But the inspiration ponies draw from the changes they see starts the dominoes again - this time, in the direction of positive change.

Next Week: The Wasteland Timeline (finale!)

[comradesalazar]

2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

I will admit I got a lil Emotional that I got tagged in this but I’m so excited to go through it because this year has been SO PRODUCTIVE for me when it comes to writing. Thank you to the legend @that0negayslytherin​ for tagging me and the other legends, you the real MVP (and also thanks again for setting up the LV fic discord bc that place... really b Wild and really b a wonderful place to motivate each other to be our best.) Legends only!!

Anyhway! Onto this thing... I’m excited.

[rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!]

So. Most of my works from this year have been Venji related because I’m still in the deep pit of Love, Victor obsession and idk when that’ll go away. Hopefully not anytime soon because I’m having a great time and fic was an amazing way for me to improve my craft. I do have one piece of original work on this list, but the rest is fic. It’s difficult to choose favorites so I think I’ll go chronologically. A couple of these have graphics but not all of them. Anyway... let’s get into this, shall we.

Arakhne of the Floating Mountain

So this the first work I completed this year. It’s an original novella I wrote for Wattpad’s Open Novella Contest and it’s a very fun, character-centric story that reimagines Arakhne/Arachne (the one from the legend who gets turned into a spider after challenging Athena) as a lonely lesbian who lives alone on, you guessed it, a palace on a mountain in the sky, until three sisters drop by asking for her to create their coronation dresses for when they become the queens of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. The sisters (Soledad, Luna and Estelle) basically try to court her and it’s a good time. Obviously, I didn’t win the competition but it was still a really fun story for me to write and part of my journey of realizing I can create a writing habit and work on something over the course of a long time, since the only other completed long work I had was for NaNo, which was just binge-writing over 30 days before I had the chance to get bored. If you’re into magical lesbians, check it out!

The stars will love me even if you don’t

I have so much to say about this work. I started it just on a whim in August after I watched Love, Victor in July and began wanting to actually contribute to the works of fandom. Little did I know that I would be embarking on a journey of 120k words and counting, with 33 chapters. This story deals with a whole random of issues -- from long-distance relationships, substance abuse, mental health problems especially around anxiety and depression/suicidality, toxic relationships, codependency, self-harm, the project of becoming oneself and being able to manage life and navigate the world in a healthy way, all the things. In a lot of ways, it is a personal project. But also in a lot of ways I wanted to correct a lot of ideas we have about what constitutes a healthy relationship and what love should look like. There were many times when I wanted to give up on this project due to frustration and exhaustion, but I continued to work at it. I learned so much about my own capabilities, about developing a writing habit, and about what it’s like to write a behemoth of a story. It isn’t perfect by any means but I appreciate the people who have reached out to me and told me that they learned some things about themselves from reading. This is truly a labor of love and I can see that it already accomplished the goal I set for myself which was to help people. It’s lit. And thank you so much to @callmevenji​ for the lovely cover!! She’s a legend!! 

The Thousand-Eyed Wraith (TTEW)

This was a little one-shot I wrote for the Halloween Venji Fic Fest and it takes place in the world of my original work, The Thousand-Eyed Crow. Basically, it’s about what would happen if Venji ended up in that world and had to deal with some spooky nonsense and eventually ended up joining a cult. It was fun for me because it was more stream of consciousness and post-modernist, which is very different to how I normally write but it was a really fun experiment tbh. 

You Only Live Forever (YOLF)

This was another one-shot I wrote for the Fic Fest, but this one was much smuttier and mature than TTEW. I was really inspired by Beyonce’s “Partition” (the song and the video lmao) and thought it would be interesting to put Venji in a world similar to Greendale in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina but with s*x magic, so it was essentially a Love, Victor and CAOS cross-over for grownups lol. Apparently it worked out well, though, and they ended up trying to summon Satan which went... questionably. But I had a lot of fun writing this, as well, especially when it came to sorta balancing the old-timey setting with the modern day and the smutty scenes with the softer, fluffier ones. 

Part of Your World

So one day I had an idea to write a Little Mermaid-inspired Venji story that would be so sweet and romantic... And so I did. I took a lot of inspiration from several sources -- one, of course, was the Disney version of the Little Mermaid, as well as the original version which is a lot darker and more sinister, as well as mythology around sirens and selkies and just, I guess like, class warfare. So I ended up with a sorta more adult-version of the Little Mermaid where Benji gets attacked by humans and is distrustful of them until he meets Victor who is “not like other humans” and helps patch him up, and they embark on a bit of a whirlwind romance. This has been a treat to work on even though it’s probably one of my least popular fics because I imagine people are coming for something a bit more light-hearted but I’m incapable of writing something that is 100% fun and not chock full of imagery and meaning. I think this has also been the work that showcased and tested my imagery-writing and dialogue-writing abilities the most and brought out my inner poet. And once again a huge thank you to @callmevenji​ for the fanart, if you haven’t already followed her you should bc she’s a legend.

Dead Men Feed the Fish

Finally, my last and most recent work is also the story I worked on for NaNoWriMo this year. 63,000 words completed in less than a month, depicting the initial meeting of Venji and the way their romance develops and deepens over time. It’s just (chef’s kiss). I had originally had the idea for pirate!Venji and really wanted to write it because I was inspired by That One Scene in Pirates of the Caribbean, which is probably one of the most romantic scenes I’ve ever seen and between the only het pairing I stan. So I just had to write a story that included this scene and that allowed me to write my dream scenario of Venji out on the open seas being gay and having a good time and going on adventures and having homoerotic sword fights. This story has basically everything -- romance, action, adventure, magic/fantasy, a lil bit of spice/kink, good communication, tension, cute animals, everyone is gay, what’s not to love. I’m also looking to edit and publish traditionally so I’m in the process of fixing all that up now. And once again, thank you to @callmevenji​ for the brilliant fanart!

Anyway, that was that, and I hope that if you have the time and you get the chance, that you give some of my works a shot because I would be very grateful and I think you will have fun. 

I’ll tag @kateis-cakeis​, @g531​, and I guess anyone else who wants to do this! 

[jiggery-duggery]

@mossunion tagged me to do this ahh thank you!!! I love doing these

Rules: answer 30 questions and tag however many blogs you want!

Name: Reggie

Gender: genderqueer or perhaps bigender, I’m not sure (he/she pronouns)

Star sign: Aquarius

Height: 5’8

Time: currently it’s 6:47 pm

Birthday: January 26

Favourite bands: Gorillaz, caravan palace, ninja sex party, siamés

Favourite solo artists: Louie Zong, Jack Stauber

Last movie: soul

Last show: I genuinely have no idea how to answer this bc I don’t be watching shows

When did I create this blog: looks like it was September 21st, 2015

What I post: mostly memes and funny/wholesome content, but there’s also some fandom stuff and world issues

Last thing I googled: old friends senior dog sanctuary tigger

Other blogs: jigdraws is my (shitty) art blog, relatablepicturesofwaka is my okami shitposting blog, cold-sunrises is my scarcely used aesthetic blog. There’s a few others but I’m not gonna say what they are :^)

Do I get asks: pretty much never :(

Why I chose my url: I just took two of my favourite words, jiggery-pokery and skullduggery, and mashed them together. Also duggery was the name of my favourite character of my current hyperfixation so it seemed fitting

Followers: 421

Following: 461

Instruments: piano, flute, bari sax and tenor sax

What I am wearing: grey pants, navy blue sweater with a denim shirt underneath, and fuzzy socks

Dream job(s): honestly I’m not 100% sure but something creative

Dream trip: going to Japan again, or Iceland

Favourite foods: raspberries with cream and sugar, blueberry grunt, sushi

Nationality: Canadian

Favourite song: dog nightmare by Jack Stauber. I want to cloak myself in that song’s vibes

Last book I read: Good Omens

Top 3 fictional universes I’d like to live in: Kiki’s delivery service (or any ghibli world honestly), breath of the wild, and animal crossing

Tagging: I’ll tag uhh @luna-rigain @pinemangojuice and @fretkafretka if y’all wanna?? Or anyone else who wants to do it

[ask-de-writer]

Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1: De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 3

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Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1: De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 3

by

Doctor Mordenheim

1458 words

© 2019 by Doctor Mordenheim

Writing begun 04/11/19

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

//////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

===================================================

NEW TO THIS STORY? READ FROM PART 1 which is HERE

===================================================

Dr. Mordenheim’s Travels, Book 1:  De Writer’s Equestria, Ch. 3

Victor sighed softly as he trod across the heavy wooden bridge towards Castle Canterlot.  His breath steamed slightly in the air and he was glad for the cloak he had picked up earlier in the day.  The night air was unseasonably cool and there was a slight dampness as dew began to spread in minute droplets through the sweet grass.

Two guard ponies, both unicorns stepped before the open entrance and crossed their spears before the larger of the two spoke out.

“State your name and business.”

The slender zebra pulled back his hood, looking down on the two of them.  The smaller guard looked a little shocked at the sight of the scar tissue showing from around the black patch over his right eye.  The guard who spoke looked more disgusted that he was addressing a zebra.

“Dr. Victor Mordenheim, and I come to petition Princess Luna for the right to purchase an old ruined building near the edge of the Everfree forest.  I wish to restore it and set it up as a home and place of business.”

The smaller and obviously younger guard seemed satisfied and stepped back to his place, resting his spear on his shoulder.  The older guard, however moved to stand in the center of the doorway, his spear lowered towards the doctor.

“I don’t believe the princess needs to be bothered by the likes of YOU.  Besides, we have a perfectly fine horspital right in Ponyville.  What use would there be for another doctor who operates so close to the Everfree?”

The younger unicorn looked to his superior, blinking, “But sir..  according to the law, he is allowed to petition either Princess with his request.  It’s up to THEM whether or not his request…”

“Just shut up, Torque Wrench.  It’s our job to keep out the riffraff as well.”

As the older unicorn turned to berate his younger partner, Victor made his move.  He didn’t so much lunge as his head almost seemed to blur forward for a moment.  This was accompanied by a loud crunching noise and the sound of a heavy steel spearhead clanging to the stone floor.

The two guards jumped as neither had seen what happened.  The zebra had seemed to stand perfectly still while they argued.  Victor simply tutted as he shook his head.

“Oh dear.  It looks like that spear shaft must have been dry-rotted.  You should go get a replacement right away.  Don’t worry, though.  I won’t mention anything to Princess Luna about your failure to properly inspect your equipment.”

The older stallion frowned for a moment before gathering up the broken spear with his magic and stomping off to get a replacement.  Torque Wrench looked at the huge zebra for a moment then lowered his spear, stepping aside to let him pass.

Victor entered the palace, stopping by a potted plant for a moment to spit out the chunk of wood he had bitten from the unicorn’s spear.  As expected it was largely empty as far more ponies wished to deal with the sun princess than what many of them saw as the embodiment of nightmares and darkness.

He took his place in line, listening to the complaints of a few odd-looking ponies who were in line before him.  One complaining that the night was too long and he had not enough hours in the day to accomplish his chores.  The deep blue alicorn dismissed him with a wave of her hoof, suggesting that he do a better job of managing his available time as the correction and regulation of the sun and moon were the concern of herself and her dear sister, not his.

Princess luna sat on her own throne beside the empty throne of her sister looking utterly bored.  A third throne sits behind these two, slightly above them on a dais.  This is the throne of the Queen and the mother of the two sisters, Creator Titan Skyglow, Titan of Life Creation  The few ponies that petitioned her night court all seemed to be either petty and spiteful about her night or just outright mad.  The purple unicorn mare who was next in line was petitioning for stuffed animals to be placed on each street corner so she would feel more comfortable going out in the darkness.  Luna sighed and rolled her eyes, suggesting that she simply buy one of her own and keep it with her if it was such a necessary comfort.

Victor finally stepped forward.  The alicorn princess hadn’t even looked at him yet, her boredom overwhelming her, “State your name and business, please.”

“Dr. Victor Mordenheim, and I would like to see about purchasing a piece of abandoned property on the edge of the Everfree forest.  Given that it seems to be an old fort of some sort I believe it falls under the purview of your highness.”

Luna perked up almost instantly, sitting up straighter on her throne.  She recognized the Shirish lilt of the speaker’s voice even before she set eyes upon him.  This was the being whose dreams she had seen recently.  This traveler of the Everfree who seemed to come not just from another land but from another version of Equestria altogether.

“Ah yes, Dr. Mordenheim, or should I say Dr. Redline?”

The zebra actually took a step back, blinking his single blue eye and instinctively lifting a foreleg across his chest in a defensive posture, “Nobody has called me by that name for cen…  for a very long time, your highness.”

The princess shook her head sadly, “From what I witnessed in your dreams, I imagine they have not.  Though I could not see your form in the dreams as the ones that I witnessed were from your own perspective, I saw enough to see that what you experienced all of that time ago was a true tragedy.  I only wish that what appeared to be my own counterpart would have done more to aid you.”

Victor tilted his head a bit as he lowered his foreleg, “Counterpart?  I am unsure of what you mean.”

“You have traveled the strange paths of the Everfree for some time, doctor.  Somehow you have ended up in an Equestria very different from the one you know.  For example, myself and Celestia are the daughters of the Titans of Creation in this reality, while they are the daughters of alicorns known as Lord Kraken and Lady Faust in your own?”

The zebra frowned at mention of both Celestia and Lord Kraken, but nodded slowly, “Indeed.  I had been curious about the many changes to Ponyville itself.  So much seems the same, but so much is different that I thought somehow I had stepped forward in time until I saw a few familiar faces.”

The princess nodded in return, “I would very much like to discuss this further with you, unfortunately, I still must perform my duties and many ponies are waiting.  Why is it you wish to purchase these old ruins from us?”

Victor smiles a bit, his hardened expression softening, “I am considering rebuilding it into a home for myself, as well as a business.  An emergency clinic for Ponyville and Canterlot, if that is something that may be needed.”

Luna’s smile widened as she tapped her hooves together, “Indeed, we do have need of such a thing!  While Ponyville has a very serviceable horspital, it seems there have been complaints lately about the conduct of a few of the doctors.  Perhaps a bit of competition would help to adjust their attitudes.”

“And the cost…?”

“Given that the place has been in ruins for centuries and seems to have no real historical value anymore, you have my permission to rebuild it as you see fit.  You will, however, still need to take a proper exam for a medical license and of course you will need the proper tax forms and business licenses as well as building permits.  It may seem a bit overwhelming, but I hear that Caramel Treat is very experienced in such dealings and may be willing to help you navigate some of the more unscrupulous or biased ponies.”

The big zebra bowed low and smiles a bit, his sharp teeth flashing on one side, the sight of which caused the princess to tilt her head curiously.  “Thank you, your highness.  I hope that my clinic will be of great service to any and all who need it.  Also, I hope to see you again soon, perhaps to have a more casual conversation about our respective pasts.”

“I would enjoy that greatly, Dr. Mordenheim.  Perhaps for tea two days hence?  After night court ends, of course?”

“I would be honored, your highness.”  He pulled up the hood of his cloak and turned to leave, his fur ruffling a bit at the stares from both the ponies waiting in line and the royal guards.

~THE END~

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[skybrushus]

"Are ya looking fer somepony? Do ya need any help?"  

     An image from a recent Equestria dreamscape dream. Applebloom was part of Luna's entourage to a daytime gathering in the palace gardens. For this event Applebloom was present as Luna's Blade Mare, and it was decided that dressing her in this outfit would be appropriate for this gathering. The dress is very similar to what she wore in Stone Mane first visited her in Ponyville.  However the armored rear hoof and front leg armor is a new additions.  

      Also the filly has gained sufficient practice with the scythe that she can safely carry and wield this weapon in the waking world now.  She still has the smaller folding blade scythe  but for this gathering she had a larger, fixed blade variant. 

Tonight 9/15/18 starting at 5:30pm Pacific I am streaming on Picarto. So join me for an evening of art, stories and some really great folks. Hope to see you there. I hope you like what you see. Please help make more art like this possible by supporting me at Patreon

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fic: Nocturne (24/30) - Ao3 Link

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV Pairings: Mostly Gen

Summary: In which Cor Leonis loses his temper, accidentally acquires a kid, and tries to single-handedly dismantle the Lucian immigration system – and that’s before he and his lawyers find out about this Prophecy business. If the Astrals think Cor’s going to let his kid’s best friend die without a fight, they’ve gotten the wrong cheetah ‘taur.

(a young adult novel set in @kickingshoes’ ‘taur AU)

—————————————————————————————— ——————————————————————————————

“I can’t believe you actually still made the detour to Succarpe,” Regis says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Clarus passes him a cup of tea and pats his shoulder. They’ve already had the welcome ceremony for the Oracle – there was no way they were keeping this one quiet, so they didn’t even bother to try – and Sylvia was very regal and accepting and retreated quickly to her rooms, pleading exhaustion, but more likely with the intention of speaking with Luna and Ravus as soon as possible.

In Clarus’ view, after the whole incident where an entirely airborne unit from Niflheim’s army showed up at the Wall, claiming to have defected, dealing with the Oracle and Cor is positively easy in comparison.

Thank the Glacian for mobile phones, at least. If Highwind's unit’d showed up without Regis and Clarus having been informed of their impending arrival ahead of time, even Clarus isn’t sure about what would’ve happened.

As it was, he’s still not sure what to do with them, other than simply acknowledging that the Crownsguard now has a de-facto aviation branch that’s gotten quite a lot of people very excited, running the full gamut from children who now dream of taking to the air in Lucis’ defense to engineers who descended upon the repair workers of the crew with demands for technical specs and factory designs. On one hand, they need to vet them; on the other, everyone is very excited...

For that matter, he's also not sure what to do with the visiting dignitary-slash-religious-figure that's staying – potentially indefinitely - at the Citadel. The diplomatic reaction from Tenebrae, not to mention Niflheim...!

And unlike some people, Clarus thinks grumpily (and admittedly ungraciously) as he looks at the perfectly serene Cor, I don’t have the fortune of being able to shrug and say ‘not my problem’.

"The detour to Succarpe was necessary," Cor says, adding in a belated "Your Majesty" the way he tends to when his heels are dug so far into the ground that he will hear no word against whatever it is that he did. "I obtained the Katana of the Warrior, which would have otherwise required a lengthy trip in its own right."

"You're telling me the Oracle didn't object to the diversion?" Regis asks, looking skeptical.

"Oh, she objected all right," Cor says. "I shoved Prompto at her as a distraction, told her we were going to find something for him, and went anyway."

"You – of course you did." Regis sighs. Clarus shakes his head; of course Cor did. "And then you fought a – what was it?"

"The taxonomists have called it a Marlboro," Cor says helpfully. "The Ulrics were very useful in defeating it, as was the Oracle –"

"I thought you left the Oracle with Prompto," Clarus interrupts.

"I did," Cor says. "Prompto informed her of our actual destination when she began to question how long the train was stalled, and she decided to give me a piece of her mind and followed us down the trail to do so. Of course, she got distracted when she saw the Marlboro attacking –"

"Giant tentacled plant monster," Regis says with a sigh. "Yes, I'd imagine that would be a touch distracting."

"She was very helpful in defeating it," Cor repeats. "And then the tomb was right there, so it was easy enough to pick up the Katana and usher her back to the train before she remembered to start yelling again. And she brought the Trident with her as well."

"She did? Of course, she would – wait, how many does of the Arms that get us to?" Regis asks, now thoroughly distracted from yelling himself.

Clarus reflects to himself that Cor's gotten rather better at diplomacy over the last few years, or at least the forms of diplomacy involving avoiding other people getting too angry over his latest ridiculous stunt by cleverly applying the art of distraction.

It won't work on Clarus, of course. He’s just choosing to save his yelling until they’re in private.

"All but one of the Royal Arms," Cor reports. "The only outstanding one is the Mace of the Fierce."

"Do we know where that one is?"

"Yes," Cor says, with a small sigh. "The Rock of Ravatogh."

"Ah. I see."

"Yes. We'll have to pick that up when we go there for the covenant with Ifrit," Clarus says. "Which, as we've discussed before, will require a serious frontal assault by the military. Niflheim's defenses around the volcano are considerable, and will only become more so."

"There's a chance that they might become distracted soon," Cor offers. "Hopefully requiring them to withdraw at least some of their troops from the Rock."

"Something you've omitted from your official report, Cor?" Regis asks, giving his Marshal a sharp look.

"Not at all," Cor says. "Just a hypothesis."

"Do share," Clarus says dryly.

"The people of Gralea have taken in the MT children," Cor says with a shrug. "Some of them have left Gralea to visit relatives further out in Niflheim so as better to avoid notice. Either way, word will spread."

"Of how the MT program works?"

"And how they treat children that look exactly like their own," Cor says dryly. "Even if they had some idea of the MT process, which I doubt, the subjects of Niflheim put a lot of stock in their emperor being good and just, and this evidence will suggest to them that he is being corrupted – presumably from the outside. The usual blame-the-evil-minister business."

Clarus thinks wryly to himself that Cor is far too familiar with such accusations – for all of his popularity in Lucis, he has definitely faced more than his fair share of accusations of undue influence, especially when Drautos was quietly fomenting unrest among the populace – but that, indeed, he's finally learned diplomacy.

"You're trying to get them to depose Chancellor Izunia," he says, more than a little impressed.

"They won't launch a palace revolt against Aldercapt, that's for sure," Cor replies with a shrug. "The Emperor is old, and he's been moderate enough over the years, treating them well enough when it comes to taxes and whatnot. The first stab at his popularity came when the Glacian attacked, but he handled the aftermath well – more leniency, more Niflheim-centric parades and education. The reduction of the draft was also particularly popular."

"The MTs," Clarus agrees. "They went from a supplement to the main force of the army after that point, allowing the army regulars to become officers or to lead supplementary forces only. All our attempts to show them how exactly that miraculous cut in the draft was accomplished have been ignored as foreign propaganda, though now that they have evidence and testimony of kitlings of their own – yes, I suspect they might be very unhappy indeed."

"How do you intend to turn them against Izunia in specific?" Regis asks. "Emperor Aldercapt has many advisors."

"By coincidence, Besithia left quite a few documents thanking Chancellor Izunia for his assistance," Cor says dryly. "I didn't even have to go to the effort of inventing any."

Clarus snorts.

Regis shakes his head. “We can hope, but we can’t count on it,” he says. “We haven’t generally been lucky when it comes to Niflheim, historically speaking…on the other hand, there’s only one Covenant left, and one Royal Arm. After that, the Chosen King – technically, Prince, at this point, unless I’m about to keel over –”

“Try not to,” Clarus advises. “Regencies are terrible, and I say this as the person most likely to be splitting power with Aulea if there is one.”

Regis swats at Clarus’ tail with his hind-paw, rolling his eyes. "After we obtain all the pieces we require, Noctis is supposed to 'vanquish' the Accursed, at a terrible price of some unspecified sort. Shouldn't we wait until he's a little older..?"

"The whole point of doing this now is so that we can shoulder his burden for him," Cor points out. "He'll be ten by the next Inferniad. It's not an ideal age –"

"Says the 'taur that took his son to infiltrate Niflheim at age nine –" Clarus coughs.

Cor ignores him. "– but I still think it's better to move forward. Bahamut accepted Scientia's arguments that if Noctis is below the age of reason, his price could be paid by another; if we wait much longer, that loophole won't apply. Who knows what age the Astrals consider to be the age of reason?"

"And so we must proceed," Regis agrees gloomily. "Has Scientia checked on the legal technicalities..?"

"They're sound," Clarus assures him. "Under Lucian law, if you declare your abdication and trasfer the Ring to him, Noctis becomes king – in law if not by coronation – until the imposition of a regency. Once we have the final few pieces and figure out how we will be confronting Izunia, we will give Noctis the title he requires for the final battle."

"Don't forget: Noctis can summon Astrals now," Cor adds, his voice dry. "He stands a decent chance, by my calculation."

"We don't know what this Accursed can do," Regis points out in return. "We can only guess."

He sighs, looking down at the ring on his finger. The Ring of the Lucii, which burns those who are unworthy from within and which pulls the life out of those who bear it. When Noctis had been born, Regis had been relieved by the thought he had decades before he had to impose that burden on his son, and here he was, less than a decade later, plotting to give it to him early. "A Covenant, a weapon, the title and the ring. After that – a mystery."

Clarus doesn't bother to reassure him any further. He knows that no one can predict the future, and Regis has had so many sorrows to endure in his life. So many disappointments. He won’t be the cause of stirring up hope when there was a good chance this could only lead to another. Who knows what the future might require? The Astrals have already demanded so much from the line of Lucis...

"We have only a little time left," he says instead. "Cor's mission has taken up much of the time between the Archead and this year's Inferniad, but it has also given us an entire airborne division to supplement our own forces. The calculus of a frontal attack therefore changes considerably."

"We might not need to do it that way," Aulea says from the door.

The three of them turn to her. She has a letter in her hands.

"Have you found what it is that you were searching for?" Regis asks. Her library mission has rather consumed both her and Cyrella, and Clarus is fairly sure that if Scientia wasn't tied up with the final Kingsglaive prosecutions, she would be there at all hours, too.

"Not yet, but I think we're getting close," Aulea replies. "This is a little different."

"What is it, then?"

"An invitation," she says. "To an Inferniad celebration."

They blink at her.

Her tail is lashing with anxiety, Clarus notices, and wonders what possible party invitation could have spooked the normally unflappable Queen so much.

"An Inferniad celebration," Aulea says slowly, "at the Rock of Ravatogh."

"What?" the three of them chorus.

"Courtesy of one Ardyn Izunia," she says, then suddenly frowns. "You know, I was looking for an Ardyn, under the assumption that the last name was a fake, but it may very well be that Izunia is a name of some significance; we will have to expand the search –"

"Aulea," Regis interrupts gently. "The letter?"

"Ah, yes," she says. "A trap, obviously. It requires that we all attend this 'party' at the very top of the Rock – we meaning the Lucis Caelums and the Nox Fleurets, that is – and that we do so alone. I'm just not sure if the goal is to lure us away from Insomnia, or if he's simply trying to set the stage of the battle on his own terms."

"Either way, we should accept," Cor says.

"Cor!"

He shrugs. "He knows what we're after, and where. He can stop us indefinitely if he needs to. Obviously we bring our own forces, but I don't really see that we have much of a choice."

"We really don't," Clarus says grimly. "We should convene a Council meeting to discuss strategy at once, but I agree with Cor: we have to accept this invitation."

Regis sighs. Aulea crosses the room to sit by him, pausing only briefly to hand Clarus the letter, and puts her hand on her husband's.

Clarus knows how to take a hint.

He and Cor quickly retreat.

"I'll go summon the relevant military personnel," Cor says, nodding down a certain hallway. "We should be able to –"

"Later," Clarus says firmly, and puts a hand on Cor's shoulder. "First I want to talk with you about our guests. And your tendency to blow things up every time you go to Niflheim. And –"

Cor considers this for a moment, and then makes a break for it.

"I'll get you later!" Clarus shouts after the blur of a cheetah in full retreat. "You're such a child!"

Honestly.

Luna's not sure what's the worst part about having her family here in Lucis.

The best part, of course, is that she finally gets to see them again in person after so long.

The worst part, though...there's so many options to choose from.

There's the fact that she was ten the last time her mother saw her in person, and somehow her ability to recognize Luna as anything older than that (as she seemed to do when they spoke on the phone) has entirely disappeared, right alongside with any scraps of respecting Luna's autonomy.

There's the fact that Scientia is clashing none-too-subtly with her mother about parenting techniques, caught halfway between "she's your child and I respect your right to raise her as you wish now that you've been reunited" and "there is nothing wrong with how I parented her for nearly half a decade and anyway she's still living under my roof so my rules still apply".

There's the fact that her mother gets immediately swarmed by a long line of petitioners from Insomnia and its surrounding regions, many of which are far too distant to make a pilgrimage to Tenebrae to see the Oracle and which are trying to take advantage of her temporary presence, since apparently Luna isn't good enough for them, and that means she barely even sees her mother during the day anyway.

There's the return of the uncomfortable overly-formal family dinners that she never much liked, with fancy catered food and too many types of forks and impromptu quizzes on international politics at any moment, with stern disapproval pointed your way if you fail. Not to mention that the sort of active debates Scientia prefers at her table are expressly disapproved of as unnecessarily combative, which is less actual disapproval and more that her mother is still resentful of Scientia's influence on Luna.

There's the uncomfortable dawning realization that they all have during these dinners that Luna would really prefer to be having dinner with Scientia and Iggy, and that makes both her mother and her brother sour – and that sourness, in turn, makes it harder for Luna to connect with them, which she really was initially happy to get more of a chance to do.

Her brother – oh, that's its own can of worms.

Ravus was planning on kidnapping her.

For "her own good", of course – he viewed it as saving her or some such rot, because apparently he'd decided on his lonesome that King Regis had stolen Luna away from Tenebrae and corrupted her, no matter what she had to say about it, and the only thing for it was for him to trample all over her agency and sense of self and come galloping to the rescue.

Oh, it makes her so angry even to think about it. She'd been overjoyed when he'd first arrived in Lucis freed from Niflheim, horrified by his stories of what had happened there, and then, when he'd finally spilled his story, when he'd confirmed what Luna had until that point refused to believe: that he had in fact gone to Niflheim willingly, of his own free will, and, worse, that he defended that decision by saying it was meant to be for her benefit...

She'd slapped him and stormed out of the room, disregarding her mother's orders that she come back and apologize.

Apologize – hah!

She still refuses to speak with him, despite all of her mother's lectures – that Ravus was misled by Niflheim, that he is only a mere boy (two years older than Luna!), that he's family, that he should be forgiven.

Luna doesn't care about any of it.

How dare he blame his weakness on her! How dare he choose to believe his own version of events above all evident logic, above her own regular reassurances that she was doing fine, that she was there uncoerced, that they were treating her well..!

Oh, Luna still helps her mother try to heal him at their now regular sessions, pushing back the Starscourge flowing in his veins – it’s a new strain of it, one they’ve never seen before, and only by working together do they even make an impact, and finding a way to heal it fully is still a long ways off – but she won't forgive him. Not until he actually apologizes, anyway – his mealy-mouthed excuses and explanations that he didn’t realize the extent of Niflheim’s crimes aren’t apologies, they’re ways of avoiding guilt. They’re all nothing until he admits that he was actually wrong. Wrong to doubt her, wrong to doubt Lucis, wrong to take up arms against them – wrong, wrong, wrong!

It makes those formal dinners even more awkward than they were back in Tenebrae, but if they think Luna's goodwill can be won by overwhelming and guilt-tripping her, then they had better think again. She can be stubborn when she wants to be.

Coming home from school, she reaches the end of the hallway to her new quarters – her mother insisted on Luna moving in to the guest quarters where she's staying despite it being less comfortable than the room she spent nearly five years in, even though Scientia offered to let her continue there, another stupid powerplay on her mother's part – and heads inside, planning on retreating to her room as always.

Ravus is there.

"Lunafreya," he says quietly, his left hind-hoof scratching the ground in silent anxious misery. "Can we talk?"

"No," she says, and turns around and marches right out of there.

"Luna, wait!" he calls, and she hears the distinctive clopping sounds of his elk hooves on the tiled floor, coming after her.

"I don't see why I have to," she says, marching steadily onwards.

She's not expecting him to break into a sprint to catch up, or for him to grab her arm. "How long are you going to keep this stupid grudge?" he shouts at her. "You won't even let me apologize –"

"Apologize? Hah!" she snaps back, finally saying out loud what she’s been thinking for days. "You just want everything to be sunshine and roses and the blue fields of Tenebrae again –"

"I don't see why that's such a bad thing to want! You were born in Tenebrae – it's your home –"

"The blue hills of Tenebrae belong to Niflheim now," Luna says. "And so do you, you awful, filthy traitor!"

She rears back onto her hind hooves and kicks at him with her fore-hooves.

He's not expecting that, but he dodges to the side. "You've been here too long," he says grimly. "They've gotten to you –"

"Oh, yes," Luna says with a sneer. "That's it, that's definitely it. There you go again. It's evil Lucis this and evil King Regis that, because obviously poor dumb little Luna couldn't possibly be making her own decisions –"

"That's not what I meant –"

"I don't care what you meant! That's why I won't forgive you, you know, because you still don't think you were wrong – you just regret that it didn't work out the way you wanted, with you getting all the power and respect you've always wanted – wanted more than anything – more than family –"

"That's not true!"

"– and all it really is about is the fact that you're jealous, pure and simple!"

Ravus' fingers tighten on her arm. "Jealous?" he spits. "Jealous of Lucis, sitting safe and snug behind their Wall, while other people suffer outside –"

"Jealous of the fact that I have a new brother I like better than you!" she screams at him.

His grip tightens even more. "You take that back!"

"Let go of me! You're hurting me!"

"You take that back!"

Luna drops abruptly, going limp just the way Cor taught her, and uses the way that it throws Ravus' momentum off to snap her hind-hooves down and around in a spin to knock Ravus off his hooves, sending him tumbling over her back.

She climbs to her hooves, still glaring at him. "And you want me to let you apologize," she snarls at his startled face. She's so angry at him. "You want a truce, not peace – you've lived under Niflheim so long that you've forgotten what real peace looks like! You know why I call you a traitor? It's not because you were stupid enough to go to Niflheim. It's because you're still there, in your heart. You're an enemy to Lucis, Ravus, and to be an enemy of Lucis now as we get closer to the fulfillment of the Prophecy is to be an enemy of the future. And I won't have it!"

Ravus looks up at her from the floor in shock.

"You want my forgiveness?" she continues, glaring at him. "Then prove it. Prove that you're not just saying whatever empty words you think will win me over. Prove that you're on our side in this war, that you believe me that this war is real and that it's here and that you've picked life over the emptiness of death and daemons."

"I –" he starts.

"And maybe," she continues, still seeing red, "maybe when you do that, you'll apologize to King Regis, too, for all the things you've said about him, and to Noctis, and to me, too, for all the times you made me cry because I thought it was my fault that you were being so awful! Until then, you can go jump in a firepit!"

She storms away.

"Luna!" he calls.

"I'm going to Scientia's for the evening!" she shouts back. Mother technically hasn't banned her from doing so, but it's been heavily implied that it would be better for Luna to be at their awful family dinners and stay in her new room instead to better 'acclimate' back to her family. "You can tell Mother I'm spending the night. And tell her that I don't even care what she has to say about it!"

She makes it all the way back home before the rage seeps out of her, using the key that she still has to make her way into the living room – where Scientia and Iggy are sitting quietly, putting together a puzzle, and look up in surprise when she bursts into the room –

And then she bursts into tears.

[riteofashkente]

Thanks for tagging me, @love-in-mind-palace!

Name: Sofia

Nickname: Don’t really have any

Gender: Female

Star sign: Gemini

Height: 167 cm  

Sexual orientation: Ace

Hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

What kind of stuff do you post: BBC Sherlock, Johnlock, TJLC, Ben C, sometimes Martin and very rarely something else.

Do you have any other blogs?: Yup, a Discworld one and an art one, I also have a Star Trek blog with my lovely friend @j4ylah. (I have sadly neglected them for a while. Oops.)

Do you get asks regularly: Very, very rarely, but I have been getting a few since I wrote a meta on TST.

Why did you choose your URL: The Rite of AshkEnte is used to summon Death. Go figure. (Discworld series by Sir Terry Pratchett).

Favourite colour: Dark blue, black and silver/grey.

Favourite animal: Cat

Time right now: 20:41

Average hours of sleep: Anywhere between 3-13 hours. Okay, more like 6-10 hours, but those extremes do happen.

Cat or dog person: Cat

Favourite fictional characters: Sherlock Holmes, Havelock Vetinari, Artemis Fowl, Minerva McGonagall, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Luna Lovegood, Stephen Strange, Montgomery Scott.

Number of blankets I sleep with: 1

Favourite singer/band: My favourite composer is Arvo Pärt, don’t really have one singer or band. 

Dream trip: Antarctica, New Zealand, Italy, Iceland, Greenland, Middle-East. I’ve been to London, but I want to go again (and again).

Dream job: Physicist at CERN/bookwriter. (Well, founder of the Starfleet would be nice... xD yeah, it’d be cool to be an astronaut.)

When was this blog created: Uhhhhhhhhhh, five years ago? Something like that.

Current number of followers: 436 (thanks to all of you!)

When did your blog reach its peak: Probably now? As in the amount of notes and followers, it’s now.

What made you decide to get tumblr: Probably Sherlock? I can’t remember, but that could have been it. :D

I’m tagging @j4ylah, @addignisherlock, @predictably-unpredictable, @sociallyawkward303, @friedbananagame, @wtsnhlms, @thejohnlocker and anyone else who wishes to take part!

[linakay]

Dear You,

The amount of love that I was shown in Guadalajara was truly breathtaking. It came in swiftly as a force to say, “Celina. For this time, you are meant to be here.” Things just seemed to line up so perfectly. That’s not to say that this trip was without its lonely, challenging, and scary moments. But the bright moments shined through the haziness of the trying ones. When I so earnestly desired a friend, I looked up to find one placed before me just as I felt defeat, through classmates, strangers, even Uber drivers. There was always a new area to explore, a kindred eye, or secret knowledge waiting to be discovered. And this is all is precisely what made me fall in love so deeply with the city, with my life there. I will always hold the memories that I created sweetly in my heart. I wish that I could share every experience with you. Show you all of the colorful images in my mind. Let you taste the food and compassion, inhale the fragrant streets after the thunderstorms, and show you all around my little world. Unfortunately, that’s impossible. So for now, I am so excited to take you on a small part of my journey by sharing the things that stood out to me most.

Food

Of course, eating all of the different foods was one of the most memorable experiences of my time in Mexico. My host mom, A, couldn’t have been a better cook. One tip, if you are offered food or drink from a trusted Mexican friend, just accept their gift and kindness. Your “no, gracias” will not go very far before you are consuming the goodie and you will feel rude for refusing, so you may as well save your breath and enjoy whatever treat is in store for you. Many of my partaking of meals were spent with my host family. Eggs, cheese, beans, breads, pastries, salsas, fresh tortillas, delicious fruit, rich meats, aguas frescas. All of these and more were staples of my meal times spent in Guadalajara. From the traditional dishes of tortas ahogadas and carnes en su jugo to the freshest of quesadillas, I was very rarely hungry. And you know that this is saying quite a lot! My snacking days were scarcely encountered, as my tummy was always warm and full.

I visited many restaurants that were all so beautiful in their own way, from street foods to upper scale dining, I couldn’t help but fall in love. Lively colors were always scattered within the walls of the restaurants and flora scampered along throughout the confines of the spaces. One of my favorite restaurants sits in the middle of Tlaquepaque. A vibrant little city sitting right next to Guadalajara, full of historical buildings, art, handmade crafts, cuisine, and endless shops filled with Mexican delicacies. Casa Luna was the first restaurant that I ventured into with the kindest of friends. It was brimming with colorfully decorated trees and art-filled walls. Live music from a little quartet wafted through the air as I tasted the exquisite flavors of the food before me. I was so happy to be there.

Beautiful Casa Luna

A sope with a twist!

Tortillas to die for with every meal!

Dying for the colors ❤

Nieve de Garrafa. Another speciality!

Street tacos for the win!

A traditional Jaliscan goat dish! So tasty!

Torta Ahogada ~ A speciality of GDL! One of my favorite homemade meals 🙂

Mmmm. Tejuino! So tasty!

The restaurants were all so unique!

People

The people! Oh, the wonderful people that I encountered! My host family brought so much joy into my days in the city. They took care of me as if I was their own and that was such a humbling experience. One of the most beautiful things that I was able to observe of Mexican culture is the hospitality and warmth that is so freely offered. From kind souls on the streets to the ones who felt like home, I was embraced with a pressing tenderness that I hadn’t quite experienced before. Of course, I have been gifted an abundance of kindness in my home ever since I was young. It is simply that there is a powerful sense of community and unity in Mexico that you can’t help but stumble over and fully immerse yourself in. I was a stranger suddenly placed before them. Yet, my host family, their relatives, my teachers, Uber drivers, 7/11 employees, street vendors, bus waiters (You name it!), never once treated me as an outsider. And this is something that I think each and every one of us should fully let sink in. Generosity without hesitation. Instead of isolating me, they swiftly invited me into their world and led me into a beautiful dance that full of life, contentment, uncertainty, and passion.

Hanging in the Canals of Xochimilco

The sweetest souls! H & H

Last day of class with my teacher, R and a few classmates

C and I in Tlaquepaque. A kindred spirit

Looking out over Barranca Huentitan with good friends

Mall outing with my host mom, A, and her daughter 🙂

Mexico City Tour

FAMILY

My Mexico City Group

Museums & Monuments & Magic Moments

From pyramids to giant rollercoasters, I was enormously privileged to have the opportunity to soak up areas with incredible history. Visiting the pyramids of Teotihuacan was one of the most breathtaking of experiences of my life. While only being able to understand bits and pieces from our Spanish speaking tour guides, I was still able to fully imagine the brutal and spectacular ancient and Aztec civilizations that once populated the plains that are now scattered in mysterious ruins. Climbing to the top of the pyramid of the sun and the pyramid of the moon still brings a rush to my heart and a smile to my face as I write to you now.

Mexico City’s Museo Soumaya is a huge art museum encompassed by a gorgeously crafted metal-tiled building. The shinning building twinkles in the sunlight and draws you in to experience the many white floors filled with fine art and artifacts from all over Europe and Asia. Hospicio Cabañas is another art museum that lies right next to El Centro de Guadalajara, which is a cultural explosion of markets, pigeons, food, jewelry, clothing, trinkets, music, glorious buildings and more. The music, which features the works of José Clemente Orozco, was once a hospital and still carries the solemnly stoic essence of just that. I visited this museum by myself one day in an effort to lose myself in the city and I must say that I was often spooked by the haunting beauty of this site. But then again, I am a gentle soul with a wild imagination.

The National Museum of Anthropology, Los Niños Héroes, El Bosque de los Colomos, la Barranca de Oblatos, even the zoo with the cutest squirrel monkeys running wild and free! So many sites observed, history absorbed, and thoughts captured. I wouldn’t change any part of my journey to and from this diverse city.

On top of el piramde del sol overlooking el piramde de la luna

Jose Clemete Orozco Murals

The Palace of the Jaguars, Teotihuacan

Museo Soumaya

Pyramid of the Sun

Ruins of Templo Mayor

Remains of Templo Mayor

Los Niños Héroes

Notes of Culture

The biggest cultural shock that I experienced was of how so much of life in the country occur at later hours than in my area of the United States. Meal times are later, lunch breaks are longer, and it is common for many to spend the late hours of the night communing with friends and loved ones over music, laughter, and yes, more food. This took some time for me to adapt to. My body had to adapt to the later meal times, and my deep grandma spirit had to let loose and stay up past 11 PM on some nights. Of course, I wasn’t forced to stay out late in family gatherings, but I sure would have missed out on many wonderful encounters, friendships made, and a lot of laughter.

Pedestrian laws are sketchy, to say the least, and the streets and bus rides were always an adventure of rushing, staying vigilant as to not miss your stop, and witnessing the fascinating peculiarities of residents’ passions and lives. Still, through getting lost and regaining direction, through the mispronounced words and moments of isolation, I always felt safe. The people were modest, amiable, honest, and just plain fun. Although I am so beyond thankful to now be home and to be able to share these memories with you, I still miss the thunderstorms that would suddenly awaken me in the wee hours of the night. That would dare me to glance through my window and see the dark and angry skies glistening with lightning. I miss having the opportunity to learn something new and extraordinary every single day. But I know that I will one day return. I know that I will forever cherish the land that I have walked through dearly in my heart. And I know that I will always be grateful for the first city that has opened my eyes to the infinite world around me.

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The National Museum of Anthropology

Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara

Japanese Tea Garden

El Bosque de los Colomos

A cleansing ritual in the middle of Mexico City

Murals along Xochimilco

There and Back Again: What One May Expect

It was ridiculous. I had been dreaming of this for months, yet that morning all I wanted to do was return home. I felt like a zombie walking aboard that plane. Emotionless, and still feeling every emotion possible as my body went ahead, leaving my mind two seconds behind. Of course, I knew that excitement was down there somewhere, buried beneath the shadow of uneasiness and doubt. The cloud was just growing heavy. Yet, I still found a way to push my feet of lead forward. My body powered through with a force that my mind was unaware of and I made my way through to the city and my temporary home.

By the time I arrived, I felt gross from the plane and really just wanted to hide in my room and melt in my missing of everyone back home. But my host family kindly and strongly insisted that I eat and then see around the neighborhood. “Ven, Celina!” my host dad, M, kept calling to me, as I followed him around the crazy streets of the beautiful city. I was trying so hard to capture every word he spoke to me in the hazy and surreal moments as he pointed around to the sites. I had finally made it. I’m grateful for the moments that he captured as I reluctantly posed around these beautiful monuments messy and burning up in my jacket.

The excitement and nerves continued to course through my blood as I began my classes at Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara and met classmates from different parts of the world. We were all scared to a certain degree, living away from home, trying to learn a new language and adapt to a foreign culture. At first, the days were packed and the nights were lonely. But then something clicked within me. I began to walk forward briskly and then run and then skip my way forward around the city. I embraced the mistakes. Every fumbled and mispronounced word. Every wrong bus route taken. I kept moving forward. Silencing the little shutters of fears that repeatedly attempted to break their way into my reality.

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Plaza Tapatia in El Centro

Teatro Degollado in El Centro

La Barranca de Huentitán

Hospicio Cabañas

Slowly and then all at once, I began to fall for the city. The language became a challenge to be accepted head on instead of a barrier. The craziness that overwhelmed me became the hidden beauty instead of a scary monster. With time, the foreign bed began to feel like a home and the strangers became family. And my heart was warmed by the endless adventures that hid with anticipation down each crowded street. This was meant to be and I wasted no time wondering, I just leapt in.

And then all at once, it was time to return home. It was time to say, “I hope to see you one day soon! Let’s keep in touch,” to previously unknown people who had become the jewels of my support system. Those last few days, I tried not to think about my return and to continue to soak up the time remaining. I rejected the ideas of going home in my heart. It wasn’t time, I wasn’t ready. There was still so much left for me to conquer, so much to learn and see. But my desirous heart could not hinder that plane from arriving. So I took a deep breath and tried to trust that home would feel like home once again. And truthfully, it did. In the grand scheme of things, a month away occurs within the blink of an eye. And even though I miss my darling Perla Tapatía, I am meant to be home. For I have learned more of what I love, more of what I despise, and I only hope that I can use the gained understanding of myself, of others, and of life for the good of those around me. I will tell you that there is a bravery inside me that I knew existed but couldn’t seem to find. I’ve unlocked it and I can’t wait to see and share just where it takes me.

Con Amor,

Celina Kay

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City

El Catedral en El Central

Teotihuacan

Jocotepec

La Perla Tapatía Dear You, The amount of love that I was shown in Guadalajara was truly breathtaking. It came in swiftly as a force to say, "Celina.

[experiencephilippines]

Road Tripper Monday: Janrey Ligutan

#‎RoadTripperMonday‬ - a weekly feature of our very own Road Tripper. Isn't it a good way to end the #RoadTripperMonday of November with a story of adventure? Because today, we will feature Janrey Ligutan, one of the members of a famous Filipino band called Poor Dead Rats. He joined us in our first Luna Sea  gig last 2015. He has a day job but work part time as one of travel coordinators of local tour group because travel has made fall in love with the Philippines more and wants other to experience the Philippines more. To know more about Janrey, read more about him here -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. What do you do for a living I’m currently employed as Licensing of Philam Asset Management, Inc. I’m also a part time travel coordinator of Banda Rito PH which is more of a hiking adventures. In a band – The Bed Bites (Singer-Songwriter, Guitar), Poor Dead Rats (Bassist) & Paper Eleven (Lead Guitar). 2. What is one of your guilty pleasures? Well, one thing is, I’m a music junkie, not because I’m also in a band but that’s a big part of making my own music. I can’t live without music. I was born and raised by it. Also, Hiking activities (actually it’s not my thing, kahit tanungin niyo pa ex ko but it did grow on me noong wala na kami.) haha! FYI, mas nakakapagod pa nga manligaw kesa mag hike! Joke! Running is my game! I always run after office hours to sweep the stress away. I’m also a film, art & poetry enthusiast. I love to go to every museums and shows 3. What is the title of the movie of your life? Go Jany, Go! Go! (Jany B’ Good) Haha! 4. If you could go back in time what would you tell your 16 year old self? Think less of not so-important things that will give you stress, buy less material stuff and prepare to save money to embrace the awesomness travel experience! At, masasaktan ka… pero tatayo ka ulet, para magmahal. Cheret! Haha! 5. If you can be teleported anywhere around the world, where would it be and why? I’ve always dream of going to Mars, but if I had a chance to teleport anywhere (kahit naka boxer and sando lang) I want to go to Abbey Road and portray the famous The Beatles pose on their Abbey Road Album. 6. Which celebrity would you go on a "one-night-only-date" with? Ayyy! Si ano po… si Zoey Deschanel then we will make one recording after ng date. I’m a big fan of She & Him! Dati kasi si Lindsay Lohan. Haha!

 7. You, unfortunately have been condemned to die, but fortunately, you get to have any meal in the world before you go. What is your menu?

I think this is the hardest question. But can I have a buffet nalang in Vikings? 8. If you could trade places with anyone right now, for a week, who would it be and why? I’ve always love my place at home with my family. But If I had I chance to trade for a week, I’m thinking sa Malacanang. Well, I can travel around the world, but I want to experience chilling inside the palace! Haha! 9. What is the best present you ever received? I just remember when I was a kid on a Christmas day, I don’t remember my age though. Santa Claus came to our house then gave me a Family Computer! Yes, I’m a spoiled brat before. Haha! 10. If you could meet a famous or not so famous person, who would that be and why? If I had a chance, of course. The president of the Philippines! 11. How old should a person start traveling? If you’re making your own money by now, then don’t wait till you’re old and grumpy. The perfect range for me is 20-30 years old. Wag ka muna mag aasawa! Haha! 12. What is your best experience in traveling/living in the Philippines? Of course, the best travel experience is if you’re with friends, families and love ones, Kahit saan mang sulok ng Pilipinas. The best by far for me is when I’m in Iloilo – Islas de Gigantes. Island hopping with my friends. Sulit ang ganda! 13. In one sentence, how would you like people to remember you? Tall, dark and handsome with eyeglasses to see you clearly… wait sentence ba yon?

[zillowcondo]

Pursuitist Profile: Guido Polito, Baglioni Hotels’ Second-Generation Visionary

With a reputation founded on old world virtues of impeccable service, discretion, and attention to detail, the family-owned Baglioni Hotels is renowned for its quintessential Italian hospitality, architectural elegance and understated luxury. Owning and operating boutique 5-star hotels in some of the most prestigious locations in Europe and with a selection of hotels as members of The Leading Hotels of the World and part of the Relais & Chateaux portfolio in France, Baglioni Hotels is a leading light in the prestige boutique hotel industry.

The Baglioni Hotels Group was created in 1974 by Roberto Polito, who purchased his first establishment in Tuscany, working with his wife Lisa to develop a unique concept of hospitality in terms of life experience: a journey into Italian style through its culture and traditions. Today, the Baglioni Hotels collection counts nine luxury hotels, mostly housed in period buildings and in the historic centers of the major cities of art: Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence and Tuscany; Saint-Paul de Vence, and Aix-en-Provence, France; and most recently, London, and an ambitious Marrakech property to open later this year.

Today, the group is managed by the family’s younger generation. Continuing a distinguished family legacy, brothers Guido Polito and Luca Magni are restless in their pursuit of excellence as they evolve the company into a more design-conscious entity. As the successor to his father, Guido is spearheading  a contemporary evolution with bold international growth, first by creating the Baglioni Hotel London, and next the 34-acre Baglioni Marrakech,  comprised of an 80 room boutique hotel, a spa and fitness club operated by Six Senses Spa, and an exclusive selection of residential plots for private homes.

 Regina Hotel Baglioni, Rome

How would you describe the essence of the Baglioni experience?

GUIDO POLITO: “Baglioni Hotels are truly ‘Made in Italy.’ It is the only independent luxury Italian hospitality brand with properties in Rome, Venice, Florence, Milan, Tuscany and France and London, and soon, Marrakech.  We have a privilege like no other. We represent the Italian and have the privilege of bringing the Italian culture to our guests and being a source of everlasting memories and traditions. It is our pleasure to share our hospitality, connecting our guests to all things Italian – from fashion to design to cuisine – in some of the most beautiful locations.  Not only are the components of the Baglioni hotel collection distinctly Italian, but so are the people who make up the experience.”

Where is your favorite place to travel?

“I love this question because it gives me a chance to talk about a place that’s dear to my heart in so many ways. Located along one of the most beautiful beaches in Tuscany, equidistant to Florence and Rome, is Punta Ala.  It’s a vacation favorite for Italians but one of the few undiscovered coastal regions in Italy by the American traveler. That’s where my father founded Baglioni Hotels with Cala del Porto, our first property.  Cala del Porto looks over the marina on one side and is backed by rolling hills on the other. It’s where I was born and where Baglioni was born.

Baglioni’s Punta Ala La Vela

Forty years later, you’re bringing the Baglioni brand into a new era.  Does that include any significant changes to the original Cala del Porto property?

“This year, I’m delighted to announce the official spring opening of our refashioned La Vela beach club, adjacent to Cala del Porto. The beach there is great for families (a tradition of my own), friends and couples, and is my favorite place to escape. Also, Cala del Porto guests have a new opportunity to experience a private wine tasting in the nearby wine country, as well as an exclusive blending session at Rocca di Frassinello together with winemaker Alessandro Cellai. Guests not only blend their own wine but it can then also be barreled, housed and personally labeled.”

What do you consider the highlights of 2014 improvements to your other existing European properties?

“Last spring, Luna Hotel Baglioni in Venice debuted a stunning new suite, the San Giorgio Terrace Suite, which has an extensive outdoor patio overlooking the San Giorgio Island and canal.  This is a continuation of the vision and style of the new Roman Penthouse which was introduced last summer, and part of the new Baglioni Signature Suites collection.  Baglioni Hotel London also launched a new private Supper Club and Piano Bar called Clubino, a members only club, where our hotel guests are also offered exclusive access.  It is a perfect accompaniment for an Italian Aperitivo following dinner at Brunello restaurant. And at the Carlton in Milan, our new Caffe Baglioni was launched, which includes a carefully curated art exhibition with hand-made artworks from contemporary Italian masters and young emerging artists, such as Ettore Sottsass, Enzo Mari, Gae Aulenti and Valentina Carretta. This is part of a continuation of art exhibits that will rotate in Milan, Rome and Venice.”

What services have you developed to satisfy and exceed the evolving expectations of demanding luxury guests?

“Recent research shows that the luxury traveler is seeking access to unique, authentic and one-of-a-kind experiences. This year, we’ve amplified our efforts to provide this and have built an incredible partnership with Dream & Charme to curate truly exceptional moments for our guests — opportunities to discover the best of Italy’s culture, design, fashion, food and wine in each of the cities of our hotel properties. It’s a new expansion of our Baglioni Tour.  For example, Luna Hotel Baglioni guests have access to some of the best culture in Venice with a private tour of the Doge’s Palace including rare access to the Piombi attic prison and the Bridge of Sighs, followed by dinner in the home of a renowned Italian aristocratic family along the Grand Canal. In Rome, we bring to life the best of Roman cuisine and prestige with a private dinner in the home of a local noble figure, cooked by a famous Italian Michelin starred chef with wines selected by a renowned Italian sommelier. And at the Carlton Hotel, we are designing a private tour of one of the most notable design showrooms in Milan.”

When money is no object, what does Baglioni Hotels offer guests?

“What better way to connect to all of these great cities and experiences than by private jet or helicopter?  That’s why we are introducing our Italian Jetaway, offering private flights to Italy’s iconic cities in a four-passenger Cessna Citation. Guests will enjoy unique experiences and luxurious stays in each destination’s most elegant suites, including the three-bedroom Roman Penthouse Suite at Regina Hotel Baglioni in Rome, and the newly refashioned two-bedroom San Giorgio Terrace Suite at Luna Hotel Baglioni, Venice, and one of the largest and most prestigious suites that Florence has to offer, the Santa Croce Royal Suite at Baglioni Hotels’ Relais Santa Croce.”

San Giorgio Terrace Suite at Luna Hotel Baglioni, Venice

Great food, especially in Italy, is a crucial component to guest contentment.  How are Baglioni hotels enhancing their restaurant menus? 

“We want to redefine the Italian breakfast for our hotel guests, so are currently working on a new project with the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and the Italian non-profit organization, Slow Food. Together, we are committed to introducing sustainable produce and locally sourced ingredients from neighboring regions and to support the Slow Food mission of providing good, clean food. ‘The Redefinition of the Italian Breakfast’ will be launched at the Carlton Hotel Baglioni in Milan in time for the Milan EXPO 2015, whose theme is ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.’  We’ve partnered with a farm located on an Island off of Venice to source local fruits and vegetables, and guests will be able to visit the farm should they wish for a more in-depth, hands-on experience. We will also be resurrecting 50 years of recipes from some of the best continental hotels, and we will introduce unique ways of using natural sugars and ingredients for healthy dishes that don’t sacrifice taste.”

What do you believe most travelers are in search of when they travel?  What are they in pursuit of?

“When we travel, we often find ourselves in search of something, something that’s richer, deeper and more articulated than a mere transfer from one location to another.  We seek new experiences, emotions, and stories which tend to remain within us, becoming the fabric of our memories with our family, friends and colleagues.”

When you travel for pleasure, what do you personally pursue?

“A great American writer, John Steinbeck once wrote, ‘People don’t take trips. Trips take people.’  This resonates with me in a deep way. Most of my fondest memories are related to my journeys — their smell, taste, sounds and colors all have moved my senses and imagination, settling in my heart and mind, forever. This has been the inspiration behind my vision for Baglioni Hotels today.”

Caffe Baglioni Milan

The post Pursuitist Profile: Guido Polito, Baglioni Hotels’ Second-Generation Visionary appeared first on Pursuitist.

Pursuitist Profile: Guido Polito, Baglioni Hotels’ Second-Generation Visionary published first on http://ift.tt/2pewpEF

[ask-de-writer]

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROM : Origin of the Rom, part 7 :  MLP Fan Fiction : Part 4 of 6

A Brief History of the Rom and Their Customs

Or:

How Luna and Celestia Discovered the Rom of the Equestrian Roads

the Seventh part in the origin of the Rom

ORIGIN OF THE ROM SERIES in reading order.  (will be completed as the stories are posted in linked form)

Part One : NORE’S CHOICE, which starts HERE

Part Two : WELCOME TO EQUESTRIA! which starts HERE

Part Three : FAIR AND UN-FAIR, which starts HERE

Part Four : ON THE ROADS OF EQUESTRIA, which starts HERE

Part Five : THE FIRST ROM HEARTHWARMING,  which starts HERE

Part Six : SANDO’S LAKE, which starts HERE

Part Seven : A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ROM, which starts HERE

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

© 2014 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Cover art by Alte Seele

17062 words

Writing begun 04/28/14

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author. //////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

///////////////////////

Broken ribs were brought together by midnight magic. Many hued magic sealed them together to apparently whole ribs. Muscle, skin and blood vessels were done by Celesta’s magic bringing them close and Luna sealing them.

Celestia explained to the Mare holding Carolan’s head, “Luna is far better with soft things. I do the best with hard ones. She does the soft parts while I help. I do the hard pieces while she helps.”

With Carolan’s chest closed, Luna began cutting along a severely fractured rib. It made the reassembly of the splintered bone far easier. With Celestia’s help, she closed that cut and began another. She followed by repairing the simple fractures without needing to cut at all.

Gently she and Celestia tipped Carolan’s body up so that his mouth was down. Luna explained, “We have the blood that spilled into his chest out. Blood also spilled inside his lungs. We will need another cloth to catch it. I will use my magic to help it move down and out of him. It will look alarming but it is harmless.”

As predicted, it did look alarming as blood came out of his mouth, some in globs, some still liquid, and some as thin streaks in mucus. Cloths caught it all. Soon, Luna was satisfied.

She directed the mare that had been Carolan’s companion through the whole ordeal, “We need to lay Carolan where he will be comfortable. A good bedding would be best. He will awaken in an hour or so.

“He will need …”

“You must attend to that injured Guardspony! Let this worthless trash …” The arrogant interrupter suddenly swallowed hard. He saw Celestia’s flank mark.

Near babbling, he went on, “Your Highness! What are you doing here? This is a very dangerous place! A huge monster was seen here. We must get you to safety! I have brought armed ponies to slay the beast.”

Celestia glared at the obese pony with his Chain of Office. “Baron Nulcount! You have interrupted both of your Princesses! We are giving treatment instructions for a recent major emergency surgery patient.

“We have two more important surgeries yet to do. You are keeping them in unnecessary pain. Go on, Luna. Tell her what she needs to know.”

Luna nodded and returned to the mare, who had also managed the cloths during the operation to save Carolan. “He will awaken soon. He will need small amounts of water and leafy greens. Spinach is best. I will send for some for you to use. Space the meals and water about fifteen minutes to a half hour apart. He will want to sleep a lot. Let him.

“Carolan will have to have a week or so of this before he is fit to play again. His injury is not the problem here. He lost a great deal of blood. Replacing it will take time and the gentle care that I have prescribed.

“I will be here to help you care for him.”

The mare accepted the instructions with a sad face. “We will miss the Trottingham fair. It is a big one.” She gazed down at the ruin of splintered wood and tangled strings that had been a fine lyre and added, “I guess that it does not matter. We have nothing left to play for our coin.”

Luna listened carefully and nodded her head slowly. “I do see the problems. I will take care of them. Fear not.”

She turned to the dancers and her magic soaked into the broken leg of one. She said, “This is a simple break. It is going to be painful for a little. There will be swelling too. It will go down in a week or so. You will be able to dance again soon. I have already fused the bone back together. Give it an hour before you stand on it, OK?”

The other dancer looked at Luna as if she was seeing a goddess instead of a Princess.

Luna told her, “Your case is different. You will recover completely also. I am going to have to put you to sleep the same as I did for Carolan. For the same reason. I am going to have to cut open your right leg to heal it. The bone is badly broken. The left is not so bad and we will do it like I did for your friend.”

With total trust, the dancer just said, “What you need to do, do it. I have seen three miracles today and you are all of them.”

“We must talk more of this later, after you are healed and no longer in pain. Now, I am going to put you to sleep.” A light touch of midnight magic to the side of her neck put her to sleep in seconds.

The operation was simple after that. The hardest part was keeping the fat slob of a Baron out of the way. Celestia did that admirably.

As Luna finished with the dancer and giving instructions for their care, she heard the Baron exclaim, “Treason! Me? But we were coming to save the Fair from a monster!”

Luna stepped delicately over the wreckage of Carolan’s lyre as she went to join the conversation.

“A Monster? Me? Do not be foolish, Baron. What are my titles?”

“That is foolish! Don’t you know them?”

Tapping the Baron’s forehead with a hoof, Luna replied, “Indeed I do. I wanted to see if there is anything in here at all! Apparently not.”

“I am the Princess Luna, Co-ruler of Equestria, Guardian of the Night, Harbinger of Dreams and Sometime The True Embodiment of All Nightmares.”

“What happened here was the release of that last. It is not only a title. It is me.”

“Like a Were-beast! A wild rampage of destruction stopped only by brave guardsponies!”

Midnight magic yanked the Baron’s forehooves back, dropping him on his jaw. The magic seized his ears and slammed his head up and down on the ground. “No. No, Baron. Not a Were-beast on a rampage.

“Have you ever had a nightmare? I know that you have. A pleasant dream? I know that too. ME. My influence at both extremes and the ones between. All me. No Were-beast. Just me. Doing what I do with ponies. Dreams. Sometimes the dream becomes a reality like this mess.

“The Guardsponies did ALL of the damage that you see here. They broke the legs of helpless dancing mares. The Major beat that BLIND musician near to death. They smashed the instruments of the musicians. They wrecked these stalls and booths.

The dead guard was trying to rape innocent mares before my eyes. He refused to stop when commanded. The Nighmare stopped him.

The Major beat a BLIND musician and smashed his lyre. The musician’s life was saved by emergency surgery done by Celestia and I. Another few minutes and he would have been dead!”

The Baron managed to get out, “A Rom! Good riddance!” His head was slammed into the dirt once for each word.

“Rom or not, Baron, A CITIZEN OF EQUESTRIA! A Civilian offering no resistance!

“The Major stated that their offering reasons for not wishing to perform at the Palace was Treason. He stated that their punishment before any arrest or trial was the proper way to deal with the Treason of not respecting my wishes.

“He set that as proper. He and his ponies have defied my direct orders and my stated wishes. Treason, convicted by his own mouth. I have given him the punishment that he was meeting out. If he lives he will be arrested and tried. If not, an unmarked Traitor’s Grave will be his.”

Utterly confused, the Baron cried, “This is madness! The Rom are simply the Trash of the Roads! You can’t control them at all! They will not settle in any place! They pay no attention to any boundary, be it Road District, town, city, barony, county, or Duchy!

“It is all that one can do to get the tolls and fees from them!”

Luna crouched down by the Baron’s head and pointed out, “I was informed that the towns, cities, baronies, counties and duchies have laws forbidding them from entry. If that is so, how could they possibly settle anywhere?”

Suddenly her head tilted and her eyes opened wide. She was totally focused on the Baron. “Tolls and fees? You mean the Royal Road District tolls? What fees are these that you are talking of? You know, I do have a perfect memory, necessary for adjustments of the heavens. Also handy when auditing Royal Road reports.

“There is no mention of tolls or fees charged to Rom for over two hundred and fifty years back. That is as far as such records go.

“Section tolls include camping in waysides and the use of fairgrounds during participation in fairs. The Rom are here. I will find out what the tolls and fees are, how much and for what.”

The Baron was cringing even more than the enforced position of his head caused. “They are traditional! They have been taken from time out of mind!”

“Fascinating. Embezzlement is good because it is traditional. Did you hear that, Celestia? The excuse is that if his father stole from the Crowns of Equestria, it is fine for him too! I think not.”

Celestia was watching her sister in mild amazement. This was a side of Luna that, after these thousands of years, she had not seen. She wondered what had set off both the Embodiment of Nightmare and this relentless quest for knowledge in public, yet.

It was obvious that her sister was out not only to get facts for a judgment, she was definitely trying to embarrass the Baron. Celestia waited. She did trust Luna. There was clear outrage in her and Celestia knew that Luna would tell her if she did not figure it out herself.

One thing Celestia was certain of. It had to do with these ponies she had never heard of before today. These ponies called the Rom.

Celestia had to admit that their unusual sashes and harnesses were unique in her experience. There was a faint resemblance to some of the formal traditional wear of the Saddle-Arabian Ambassador. He wore no harness but did wear a white barding. It was sometimes done in several parts.

During the operation on Carolan she had noticed the superlative workmanship of the knives that Luna was using. As she looked about, she saw more signs of such craftsmanship.

She was curious too, about the origin of a race of unicorns that resembled the horses of Saddle-Arabia and had such gracefully curved horns. She could feel the raw power of them if it were ever released.

To her surprise, a Rom mare came cautiously close, offering a paper cone filled with breaded and fried sweet clover flower tops. One of her Guards was about to strike it away.

“No, Sargent. Allow her to approach. I will trust her. I had help from her earlier.” Besides the cone of really delicious snacks, the mare had a second cone that had been waxed to waterproof it. There was an iced sweet drink in it.

Celestia enjoyed both but saved some for Luna. Luna was busy homing in on the Baron’s embezzlement of Road Section tolls and those fees, which were turning into quite a list. All of them either outright illegal or illegally applied to Rom only.

Luna finally turned about dismissively. “I am done with you, Baron. I will be interviewing a number of others before I pass judgment on you. You may leave. NOW!”

Luna saw the treats in Celestia’s magic and gave her a questioning look. Celestia grinned and pointed to the young mare. “She brought it for us. I saved you some. Still has ice in it!”

Luna gave the young mare a long, considering stare. She did not flinch. She sat up proud and said, “Thank you for saving my grandfather. He was blinded years ago by some stupid town ponies.

“They accused him of looking lasciviously at a mare pony that they fancied. It was crazy because there is nothing attractive about short, mis-colored ponies, at least to us. We Rom are Horses and proud of it!” She finished, head high.

Luna looked sadly about at the wreckage of the sales stalls and games. Then she looked the mare in the eye. She said, “It was an honor to save him and the dancers both.

“What is your name, good mare? You have helped me and I do not know you beyond Carolan’s granddaughter.”

Eyes alight and head high, the mare replied, “My name is in our old Gyptian tongue. It is Sha-Ja-Shehan.”

“I Thank you, Sha-Ja-Shehan. My name is Luna. As you know, I am one of the twin rulers of Equestria. Your horses have been hidden from my sister and I. We need to learn much about you. This sort of thing must not happen again.

“I need to speak to your many horses. I owe them apology for this and damages too. It was the ponies who were supposedly guarding me that caused all of this. Can you please bring me those who lead you? Your Princess has many questions and apologies to offer. What I have seen is clearly only the tip of the problem. I wish to find out as much as I can of the truth here.”

The eldest Rom, leader of a Rom band, stepped forward. “Ma'am, Princess Luna. I can answer most of what you need.”

“Why did your ponies refuse to perform at the castle? Most performers dream of a chance to entertain at the castle.”

Rom considered his answer carefully. “You saw what just happened. It was not the worst. We do not enter most towns except at need. We do not enter Canterlot at all nor come within the shadow of its wall.

“In this, we follow the lead of the Ghost Who Guides. He says that the Canterlot Fair is as close as he will go. For us it has always been so.”

Luna’s mind suddenly cast back centuries. She remembered the Edict of Banishment. She remembered finding the foster father that she loved several times, only to lose him when some officious courtier PROVED that the pony that she was speaking to was him. This Ghost Who Guides might be De Writer, her long lost foster father, again.

She quietly whispered her suspicion into Celestia’s ear. She finished, “It must NEVER be proved.” Tears at the corner of her eye, she added, “I don’t want to lose him again.”

Celestia nodded agreement. “We must never be sure of who he is. If this is father, how can we keep some kind of contact with him?

Luna brightened. “I think that I know. We must not pressure him into trying to enter Canterlot. What we can do is go to him. We can offer to be god mothers to his foals as an apology for the horrible way that his ponies … make that his horses, have been treated. That will sort of tie the Rom into the Equestrian Royalty. Perhaps it will make their treatment by our other subjects better. Time will tell if more need be done.”

Celestia turned to the Rom and asked directly, “Is this Ghost Who Guides here at the fair? You have said that you follow him. We would like to speak with him about you and your plight.”

The Rom gave them a bow and said, “He is not here at this time. If the Ghost so wills it, he can be here swiftly. The loved dead are always with us, and none more loved nor closer than he. We will send our request that he come. He is always watching over us.”

A slightly harsh donkey’s voice came from behind the Rom. “There will be no need to send for me, my old friend. I am here.” An elderly donkey dressed in Rom style with brightly colored and embroidered sashes and a beautifully tooled leather caravan pulling harness stepped around him.

Turning to the Princesses, he began a courtly bow. That was too much for one of Celestia’s guards. Officiously, he stepped forward and tried to shove the old donkey away. He was saying, “Get out of here! Their Highnesses are awaiting an important visitor!” His hooves passed right through the old donkey as if he was not there. Failing to connect caused the guard to lose his balance and fall on his face.

As he looked down at the fallen guard, the raspy bray of the old donkey said, “I was invited to this jaw-flapping. You were not.” He then seated himself on the fallen Guard’s neck, preventing the armored pony from rising.

Looking up to the Princesses, the old donkey introduced himself. “I am called Marchhare, the Ghost Who Guides. These horses of the Rom are my friends. I believe that you asked to speak to me.”

Luna looked at him in a puzzled way and asked directly, “Are you a really a Ghost?”

Pointing at the assembled Rom behind him with the sweep of a long ear, Marchhare said, “They keep saying so. They say that I died in saving them from starvation, thirst, and heat-stroke on the desert of Celestia’s Anvil. Really, I do think that I would have noticed it if I had died.”

Marchhare paused to somewhat comically scratch behind his left ear with his left hind hoof. He added, “Got to admit that it gets harder and harder to deny. That was over 200 years ago.

“Besides, there are plenty of rude idiots like him,” he pointed down at the still prone guard under his hind quarters, “Who keep missing so spectacularly when they try shoving me around. It surely can’t all be bad coordination.”

Luna put a hoof to her mouth to suppress a giggle. Then she sobered and asked, “Do you lead these Rom?”

“No. The different bands of Rom all have a leader called Rom. This confuses everypony. Doesn’t bother us horses. If I am asked, or in certain emergencies, I will offer advice or even assistance.”

The Rom spoke up, “Only the most foolish or unwise do not take the advice of the Ghost Who Guides. His help is always welcome. We lead but he guides.”

Luna decided to trust her original instinct. To the old donkey she said, “This ghastly mess started because I requested a command performance by your lovely dancers and musicians at the castle.

“When, following your tradition, they refused politely, my guard almost went insane. I have lived for a very long time. I have fought and lead in wars. I have only once before seen anything like it.

“I have two things to propose that may help the overall situation but they will need your approval. I would extend the Royal Wing over your horses. You live on the roads of Equestria. We, my sister Celestia and I, OWN those roads. We will pay every Rom band for reports on the true condition of the roads of Equestria. That will give you some serious leverage with many communities because they get Royal funds to maintain those roads.

“The other thing that we would do, is become the God parents of your colts and fillies. We will come to you for this, not make you come to us. We will need instruction in your ways when we come to fulfill our duties as God parents.

“Will you allow this?”

TO BE CONTINUED

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NIGHTMARE NIGHT LESSON : MLP Fan Fiction : Tales to Read AFTER the Lights are OUT!

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NIGHTMARE NIGHT LESSON

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

2871 words

© 2017 by Glen Ten-Eyck

Writing begun 10/19/17

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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The palomino waitress, Peanut Brittle, called, “Um, Boss!! They are back!  They are roosting on all the stronger branches of our hedges and up on the roof, too!”

Caramel Treat called back from the kitchen of her restaurant, Caramel Treat's Sweets, “I know, Peanut!  They are a little early, that's all!  I set out some meat for them in the back dining area!

“Don't worry about the vultures!  They are behaving, just like Roe promised that they would!  He says that the bats will be right on time!”

Peanut Brittle looked up at the big vultures roosting all around the outdoor dining plaza of Caramel Treat's Sweets.  They were looking right back at her, except for the ones that were staring at the customers.  And licking their beaks in anticipation!

The customers were clearly enjoying the bizarre show!  Caramel Treat's Sweets was known all over Equestria and the many lands beyond for being a place for superb food and for their unique Nightmare Night Celebrations!  Those presently dining were happily accepting the big black carrion birds as a part of this year's celebration.

After all, Peanut had already dyed her fur green and was wearing her traditional witch costume as she took orders.  Several goats disguised as small “Demons of the Underworld” lounged about, holding tridents or other instruments.

She glanced up at the big black birds and muttered to herself, “Only one more full day and it will be Nightmare Night!

“Caramel sure is keeping it close to her chest about who her secret Guest of Honor is!”

Caramel, whose extremely sharp werewolf's senses allowed her to hear the comment, replied, “That is because I have pulled off one of the best ones yet!  I don't want anypony trying to pull her away from our celebration!  I have special decorations ordered from Bleater's Hallow, too.  Those should arrive later today in a closed van.”

Shrugging, Peanut went back to taking orders.

Shortly she was joined by Fangrin, Caramel's mate, in his pony form.  He was gray all over.  His mane and tail were the same gray but darker.

He confided, “Caramel has not told me, either.  I do have a guess.  I saw the drawings for the dining area decorations.  More like a stage set, really.  There will be a dark throne at the center of it all.”

Almost instantly, Romaine, roving reporter for the Ponyville Prancer, and usually having light green fur with a darker green mane and tail, was there.  As part of the Caramel Treat's Sweets Nightmare Night staff, she was glamored to resemble a somewhat skeletal dark colored thestral.

She pointed out, “I have been with Caramel's Nightmare Night celebrations since the beginning.  May I quote you about the dark throne?  You know that I will not reveal anything without clearing it with Caramel first.”

Fangrin nodded thoughtfully.  “You may quote me on that but you must keep this whole thing secret until Caramel releases it, OK?”

“I promise it,” Romaine replied.  “Will there be a Dark Court to go with the Dark Throne?”

Fangrin snickered a bit as he said, “Yes, there will be!”

Further exchange was stopped by the arrival of a large delivery van pulled by six goats.  Their leader, a plain tan color, unhitched and trotted over to Fangrin.

“Pardon, Sir.  We have the decorations and set for the restaurant's Nightmare Night.  What shall we do with it?”

Caramel was out from the kitchen at once!  She was in her pony form too.  She conferred with the goat's leader and one of the pulling crew.  They were going over the set diagram.

“The tables will be reset like so.  Keep the throne shrouded until our guest arrives.  We need to work around our dining guests.  Got it?”

The goat leader nodded, “Got it!”  Turning to his crew, he called, “Put the van's loading ramp down!  We are starting the set up now! Don't do anything to disturb the diners.  We just have to work around them.”

Van doors were opened and a stout ramp secured.  The industrious goats began to unload many pieces and fabric curtains.  As the set began to take shape, it was clear that it was looking very like a large, dark, bare stonework, castle room.

Last, the goats wrestled out a large object shrouded in black cloth.  They set it up with care on a stage-like dais at the back of the room. In front of the dais, they set up Caramel's traditional cracked cauldron, supported on chains from a stout tripod.

The vultures had waited on the roof until all was ready.  They swooped about and found perches on ledges and rods provided for their use. The dark birds stared out to the various games and tables, suggestively licking their beaks!

All was in readiness for the big day and night tomorrow!  The van was now stored behind Caramel's restaurant.

It was late, almost closing time when Caramel's secret guest of honor arrived.

The call came from above!  “Make way!  Royal Guard landing!”

A flight of six Royal Armored Pegassi in the livery of Princess Luna landed in the street in front of Caramel Treat's!  They were in an open Vee formation, with the open side facing the now decorated restaurant!  Princess Luna landed lightly in the center of their formation and paced forward, into Caramel's shop!  Her Guard followed, breaking formation to enter through the tables across the front of the outdoor dining area and reforming as soon as they were clear of them.

It was a most impressive display of marching skill.  Luna turned to them and smiled.  “My good Guards, you are now released to recreation as you see fit.  You have served me well on the night flight to this place.

“I know that you have deep and honest concerns about my safety.  I am as well guarded here as I could be.  This event is being watched over by two Werewolves, Grumpter Goat, and the Litch King himself.

“If I may be so bold as to recommend it, the food here at Caramel Treat's is some of the finest to be found in the whole kingdom.  And whatever you get will be paid by Royal Largess.  The Lovely Witch pony here, is waiting to take your orders.”

Caramel and Fangrin came out and managed good courtly bows, in spite of being in their wolf forms.  They chorused, “Welcome to Caramel Treat's Nightmare, oh, Ruler of the Dream.”

The three disappeared into the restaurant proper.

Watching them go, one of the Guard spoke to Captain Lightning, “It still makes me nervous when the Princess just takes off like that with commoners.”

The Captain, relaxing at a table and examining the menu, replied, “It used to bother me too, Baron.  The worst risks that she has ever faced mostly came from the nobility.  Most of those were Counts or Dukes.  When she is among the Rom or supernatural beings, I really worry less.  They are VERY careful to protect both Princesses.”

“I understand that, Captain.  I am worried about all of the common ponies that she will be around with this Nightmare Night thing.”

The Captain turned to Peanut and requested, “The Clover Steak with Sea Grass Puffs, please.  The Honeyed Cider sounds perfect to go with it. Thank you.”

Returning his attention to the Baron, he pointed out, “Among those watching her, this visit is the Litch King.  A being who can not be dodged or avoided.  One who can stop any attack by simply saying Drop Dead! And make it stick!”

Sitting to the table, the worried Baron said, “I see.  Sort of like last Nightmare Night, when we went to that realm of monsters that Princess Luna said was on the edge of Nightmare.  She controls more than is apparent.”

“Precisely. I understand that the security arrangements for this event make Palace Security look like foals playing with rag dollies.”

The Baron looked about the place and commented, “Perhaps, but I see no sign of it.”  He paused thoughtfully for a few moments before adding, “It could be that it is so good that we do not see it.”

Back in the kitchen, Luna was delightedly cooking up the dinner orders as they came in.  “This is so much fun, Caramel!  This short order cooking is so different from banquet or snack cooking!  Let's see, this scramble will be fast, so I start it last . . .”

The two big Everfree Ridgeback Wolves watched tolerantly while Princess Luna took over their kitchen.  Caramel confided to Fangrin, “This was her price.  Uninterrupted cooking except when she is being part of our Nightmare Night Staff.”

Romaine quietly entered the kitchen and politely asked, “Your Highness, is it OK for me to get pictures of you cooking?  They will be part of my annual Caramel Treat's Nightmare Night story for the Ponyville Prancer.  I already got pictures of your arrival with the Guard.”

Princess Luna looked up from her cooking to exclaim, “Romaine!  I haven't seen you since we made that book deal to clobber the so-called Celestian Church!  Of course you can!  That is a blanket permission for the whole event!”

Caramel grinned, “You have the scoop, Romaine!  You know where the Magic Net mirror is!  Call it in and send your pictures!  We managed to keep this visit secret even from Luna's Protocol Ponies!”

With a final few pictures, Romaine nearly flew to the Magic Net mirror to call in her story and pictures!

The next morning, just after staff breakfast, the vultures all took to the air, forming a swirling cone of birds of ill omen, centered on Caramel Treat's!

Looking out through spy holes in the set, the staff saw a long line already formed!  Out front, a news pony was hawking the Ponyville Prancer's morning edition!

“Extra! Extra!  Read all about it!  Princess Luna has come to Caramel Treat's Nightmare Night Celebration!”

Caramel turned to Princess Luna and suggested, “Let's not keep them waiting, your Highness!”

Taking that as a cue, two of the goats pulled the cover off the object on the dais, revealing The NIGHTMARE THRONE.  Luna actually drew a breath of surprise.  

“That is a very good copy of my Nightmare Throne in the Fortress of Nightmare!”

One of the goats smiled at her.  “We had to work from our folklore!  I am glad that we got it done so well!”

The glamored goats, appearing to be twisted creatures of Nightmare, stepped forward on the set and began to beat the start of a Processional on deeply resonant kettle drums.  The doors of the set opened impressively.  Caramel and Fangrin stepped out and went each to one side of the doors.  In full view of every pony waiting, they transformed into their monster sized Wolf forms.

Luna's Guard stepped out by twos, glamored as thestrals.  They formed up before the throne and split to two ranks, one flanking each side of the throne.

Trumpets blew a fanfare while the deep drums kept their part of the processional going.  Princess Luna stepped forth, glamored to a Nightmare Alicorn.  She was all jet black, fur, mane and tail, her eyes glowing red coals, stark yellowed fangs in her jaws and small curls of flame were arising from her nostrils!

She paced forward faced the crowd and blew out flare of fire.  The Nightmare then ascended to the Throne of Nightmare.

She called, “Prepare the Cauldron of Fate!”

The Cauldron was brought forth by a skeletal Alicorn, a witch pony and a Goat skull with fangs, glowing eyes and a candle burning between its horns.  The goat's body was invisible but clearly supporting his leg of the cauldron's tripod.

They set it up some meters in front of the throne.  The witch touched it with her wand and mist began to arise and boil over the lip and some out through a prominent crack in the side of it.

The big black gryphon, her flight feathers outlined in stark red and her eyebrows picked out in it too, admitted the foals and their escorts in groups of five.  Each “trial” game was set up for five to do at once.

She whispered to one foal who was looking worried, “The Nightmare does not expect you to be perfect.  If you try at each game, that is enough.”

Soon the area was an orderly madhouse of foals trying their luck at the games before “Advancing” to the Cauldron of Fate!  There, they chanted “Nightmare Night!  What a fright!  Give me something sweet to bite!”

Plunging eager hooves into the famous Foal Bowl cauldron, they brought out treats for their loot bags!

Besides taking photos of the unfolding event, Romaine had a sign up.

Your picture with the Nightmare!

Only ONE Silver, rolled in a tube

Only TWO Silver, framed!

All proceeds go to the Widows and Orphans Fund to feed and house the needy.  All donations will be matched from Royal Largess.

In spite of the fairly steep price, there were many lined up to get their pictures made!  As he brought out a new stack of frames, one of the glamored goats commented, “It is good thing that when we heard about the photo thing, we brought our frame shop along in the van with the set!  You are keeping us hopping!”

It was approaching noon when a goat, glamored as a creature of the underworld, began pushing a cart down the line waiting to get in.  He had small cheap snacks and an order book.  For those who wanted more than the snacks, he took orders and gave out numbers.

Soon a second cart came down the line, delivering the ordered meals.  And more snacks, of course!

Princess Luna was having a ball, hamming it up for the many photos of her and foals!  A favorite pose was her possessively gripping a costumed foal and making a threatening blast of flame.  Since the flame was a carefully designed glamor, it was totally harmless but delighted the foals!

As evening came on, big cressets on either side of the throne lit up with flaring flames of blue, yellow and green!  Again, like her flaming breath, it was carefully designed glamors, totally harmless but a lot of fun!

Among the new evening glamors that Grumpy was managing for Caramel and Fangrin was causing the whole set and cast to glow in a spectral and ghastly pale blue.

Oohs and aahs of appreciation for the effect arose from the line.  The bats made their scheduled appearance, fluttering all about the set! The glow and the cressets were drawing in tasty moths and the little guys were having a field day!

The well fed vultures were happily perched where they could look menacing and enjoying the whole show!

A pegasus in full Royal Court attire fluttered down, landing self importantly in the midst of the set!  Without preamble, he demanded, “YOUR HIGHNESS!!  It was most difficult to find you!  Your presence is REQUIRED in Canterlot, immediately!  You must stop this foolishness with these commoners at once and come with me!”

He was moving to block the next foal in line for a picture as he spoke.

Princess Luna's pale midnight magic, shot through with stars, reached out and slapped him from his feet!  It gently picked up the filly in her Princess Celestia costume and brought her to the dais.

Ignoring the outcries of the outraged Count, she asked softly, “How would you like your picture to be made?”

The filly thought for only a second.  “I'd like one of those vultures perching on my right wing and a couple of the bats on my left!  Want to be sort of rearing like Celestia facing down the Nightmare!  Can we do that?”

For answer, a smiling Nightmare brought a vulture from its perch and herded a pair of bats to the filly's wings.  She helped them all to be rearing and looking menacing towards her.  She reared in her own turn and held them all posed with her magic while Romaine got the picture!

While waiting to have it framed, the filly pointed to the fallen count and asked, “Isn't he awfully important?”

Luna gave her a hug as she replied, “He certainly seems to think so. The answer is that he is wrong.  You, your dad and mom, and all of the other so called common folk of Equestria are who is really important.

“All of his wealth and position rests on the work of all of you.  You are all the foundation upon which the house of the nobility rests. Without the foundation, the house would collapse.  

“It works the other way too, dear.  A foundation with no building is but useless stones.  Together, they form a whole building.  But never forget this.  It rests on the solid foundation that is all of you.

“That is why I am here.  I honor the solid foundation of all of Equestria.”

Admiring her framed picture, the filly replied, “Wow!  I got a real treasure, this Nightmare Night!  And it wasn't just this picture! Thank You, Your Highness!”

~THE END~

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