Soarin nods towards Eclair with an encouraging chuckle, "Go for it Eclair, I bet it'll be something to see." He looks rather surprised to see a mare and her foal falling asleep in the middle of the music studio, particularly with all the music being played right now. But he shrugs, maybe they didn't have a home and lived here? He didn't know.
Eclair splays her ears out, her left eyelid twitching a little, "Er..." Taking her drink back up she downs it all in one go, making another face, "I - I guess I could?" She covers her mouth with a hoof, suppressing a burp, then asks, "I mean, how could a pony follow that?"
Derpy gestures to the big pile of boxes stacked behind the piano, each one with a song roll in it. Some of them look very modern while others have a distinctly old-fashioned appearance. "Are many selection! And no skill need."
Eclair motions towards the piano, "I mean, really... I - I, uh.." She trails off, glancing towrads Soarin as he chimes in. She blushes, "It's - I only know songs that otherponies sing, doubt it'd be.. Uh..." She humphs, scuffs a hoof against the floor, and then nods, "Suppose I could. Once..."
"Once what?" asks an eager Spike.
Soarin smiles and trots over to the reluctant mare, giving her a little hip bump and a wink, "Come on then, we're all friends here, nopony is going to jeer at you. Lets hear you sing. Derpy, Bardigan and I would love to hear you."
Bardigan stares at Eclair from atop the stage, his drooping hat and large guitar making for a somewhat intimidating presence. "Absolutely love to," he drawls, wearing the role of background player like it was made for him.
Screenplay smiles as she ejoys the music as she snuggles
Eclair clears her throat, and looks around the studio again before she slowly makes her way towards the stage, pausing at the foot of it, her attention split between Spike, and then Soarin, and then when she sees Bardigan looming there over her on the stage she almost takes a step back, "Er..." She swallows, then sets her jaw, and clambers up onto the platform. It's a rather graceless action - she almost falls off at least once, maybe twice, and once she's up she notices stairs off to the side. She turns around blushing some, clears her throat, and introduces herself, "Hi everypony." She lifts a hoof, waving, "I'm Eclair."
Dusk has arrived.
Derpy sits there politely, watching from below. Some of the confidence from her performance is still there, but none of the cool--that left with the dying of the applause and the stowing of the sunglasses. "Hello, Eclair!" she calls cheerfully.
Screenplay loks as she sees her friend Dusk as she sits up. "Oh hey there Dusk what you been up to.." Tunderball is asleep on the sofa
Eclair waves back to Derpy, smiling softly before she beats a retreat to the piano and settles into place. She concienciously hooks Derpy's roll back into place and starts pumping to rewind it. She gives Bardigan a faint smile, "Think I can, uh, manage by myself." Squints at the keyboard, "I think, anyway." She strikes a few notes, then a couple chords, winces at the sound, and corrects her hoof placement to something more harmonious.
<OOC> Derpy failed to be kind and rewind. u.n
<OOC> Derpy was too cool to respool. For mule.
Soarin takes a seat at the foot of the stage, the amount of ponies here has diminished, so he doubts anypony will mind if he steals a better, closer seat. He twirls his fedora on the edge of his hoof and waits patiently. Nodding encouragingly to the mare up on stage, "Hey, Eclair!"
Eclair gives Soarin another little smile, lifting a hoof to wave back before she returns her attention to the keys in front of her. She bites her lip again and starts to play - slowly at fist, striking almost as many bad notes as good ones, but soon she seems to find her feet, so to speak, and falls into a rhythm, and soon she's banging out an intro with something that, if not approaching proficiency, it at least stares really hard at it. It's not a Complex little tune, just a little 4/4 ditty that repeats nauseam but she seems pleased enough with it.
ECLAIR'S SONG:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq2QKo8n_5gDerpy starts dancing as if it were a two-step! Bom-bom boop-boop bom-bom boop-boop...
Bardigan's hoof gets tapping no matter how simple it is! He smiles under the hat's brim.
Eclair, having crossed the first musical hurdle, glances towards the audience, and gives a wan little smile, lets the music go around once again, before she begins singing, her voice is pleasing enough, a warm, if brittle, contralto, almost too soft to be heard over the piano as she starts, but she picks up volume as she gains confidence, o/` I had tender feelings that you made hard, but it's your heart, not mine, that's scarred. So when I go home, I'll be happy to go, 'coz you're just somepony that I used to know. o/`
Eclair keeps pounding away at the piano, her brow furrowing a little as she focuses on the keys in front of her, the meditative repetition of her little song letting her lose herself to some degree, her voice gaining strength as she does, o/` You don't need my help anymore, it's all now to you, there ain't no before; now that you're big enough to run your own show, you're just somepony that I used to know. o/`
Soarin pops his hat back onto his head and stands, beginning to dance to the song sung by Eclair, it may be simple, but it's catchy and is easy to dance too. The Wonderbolt stallion definitely seems to be enjoying himself.
Derpy stands before Soarin and raises one front hoof to him. She nods to the dance floor.
Bardigan remains on stage but out of sight, wobbling back and forth with some difficulty on his stool as he whimsically bobs to the music.
Screenplay has left.
Soarin smiles at the unspoken invitation from Derpy and nods, taking her hoof with his own and then heading in that direction, swinging her around and pressing his shoulder to her's with a slightly roguish grin on his muzzle.
Eclair, at this point, in a fit of pique, attempts a break - a simple embellishment on the main tune. She winces at every stray ~plink~ and *plonk*, ducking her head, coloring with embarrassment as she glances towards the crowd, brought abruptly out of her little reverie, but she sticks to it, bringing the tune back into the refrain with only a little bit of a pause, waits for the music to come around again, and starts singing once more: o/` I watched you deal in a dying day, and throw a living past away. Now you can be sure that you're in control. You're just somepony that I used to know. o/`
Derpy is excited at such an enthusiastic acceptance of her invitation! She lets Soarin whirl her and attacks the dance floor without ever letting the centrifugal motion, let alone the music, leave her.
Mirage has arrived.
Eclair can see the end from here, and does her best to keep from rushing towards it. She even succeeds, mostly, as her hooves move over the keyboard in that same regular tune, her voice quavering a little as she comes into the home stretch, o/` I know you don't think you did me wrong, and I can't stay this mad for long, but keeping a hold on what you just let go - you're just somepony that I used to know. o/`
Soarin laughs softly as he dances with Derpy, even using his wings to lift them both from the dance floor occasionally, but always returning to their hooves. The stallion keeping in step with his partner as he leads her around the dance floor, never losing the beat even during Eclair's pauses.
Marble_Memory has disconnected.
Derpy shriektitters as she's lifted off the floor! She reflexively pumps her own wings to make the step airbourne for a moment more, so that in effect she and Soarin spend a certain portion of each loop around the dance floor either surging above it or gradually returning to it. It's an exhilarating feeling even for a pegasus. She wraps her cannon tightly around Soarin's so that they won't be separated, and keeps rocking and whirling with him, trying to keep some semblance of the beat!
Eclair lets the music go around once more before as she realizes she doesn't know how to end the song. She swallows, glances to Bardigan, then to the ponies off stange, then back to the keyboard. She bites her bottom lip, half resolved just to slow her tempo and repeat until she can stop and retain some grace, but halfway there she thinks better of it, and instead wraps up with three chords that resolve the piece satisfactorily - though it takes her two times with each chord to find the right keys.
Bardigan notices Soarin' and Derpy dancing, and while Eclair struggles, he props up the music with his bass guitar, keeping the good feelings rolling with his smooth tunes.
Dusk steps upto the music studio, having heard there is going to be some organized piano party here today. He can hear the music from outside, glancing over to Mirage with a smile. He knocks but seems they can't be heard, so he just opens the door and steps inside looking around. And indeed it appears the information is correct as Eclair sings and bangs out a tune on the piano here. He tries not to interrupt the fun while making his way in.
Soarin finds himself unable to keep from laughing at Derpy's enjoyment of their dance. It IS pretty exhilarating! He holds her close and lets himself get lost in their aerial dance, timing his wing beats to alternate with her own so they don't end up brushing pinions or anything. When the music finally dies away he chuckles and before setting them down, the Wonderbolt sneakily steals a little peck from Derpy. Then in a more proper thank you he lifts her hoof to kiss it and bows with wings spread, "Thank you for that dance Derpy. I had fun."
Derpy can only handle one smooth tune at a time! But she synthesizes it all mentally together and comes down gracefully one last time, with a grateful smile toward Eclair and a more confidential one for Bardigan. She stands admiring Soarin until he takes the initiative and kisses her. She blushes and sinks back a little, lowering her head humbly. "Was my fun," she says. When he lets her hoof go, she stands tall. "Are excellent dancer! Can see Wonderbolt."
Eclair pushes away from the piano before giving Bardigan a grateful smile, mouthing 'thanks' to him before she stands and looks out at the dancing couple. She can't help but smile.
Bardigan gives a nod to Eclair, and a sly smile to Derpy before setting his guitar down. "Anypony else?" he wonders over the diminished crowd.
Soarin tilts his head at Derpy as he stands up fully once more, he shrugs and rolls his shoulders, "Thank you, I do try. I've had to take lessons because of all the fancy dances and dinners the Wonderbolts have to attend. So I get a lot of practice, not to mention all the flying practice and weight training we have to do for shows and that." He looks up when Bardigan asks if there are any others who will sing. He grins and raises a hoof at the other stallion, "Think you can dance with Derpy and Eclair while I play?" He waves a hoof at the two new ponies who enter (Dusk and Mirage), "Hello! Did you come to party?"
Dusk was just starting to get a little sway going with the music as it comes to a stop. But it does give him a chance to get to say, "Greetings!" He comes in, seeing who all is around. Looks like plenty of familiar ponies. He spots Soarin giving a wave and he waves back, "Yes, we hear there was a shindig going down here, so to speak. Looks like ponies are having fun!"
Derpy listens politely to Soarin, but she doesn't really take much of it in. She's looking him over and she likes what she sees. "Very athlete, she assesses. She turns happily to see a couple of friends entering. "Hello Duskly! Hello Mirage! Soarin about to soar-in music!"
Bardigan steps boldly from the stage, putting a hoof on his chest. "Both at once! What kind of stallion do you take me for, sir? I'm insulted!" he asks, though he does strike a suave pose and hold out hooves to Derpy and Eclair, grinning and just barely letting his sharp gaze peek out from under his hat. "I can easily handle *three!*"
"I wouldn't mind dancing!" puts in Spike, who's been hanging out at the refreshment table for a while.
Eclair hops down off of the stage, looking towards Bardigan. She's about to speak, but Spike catches her attention before she can say anything. Instead she waves to the little dragon, "If you bring me a drink, I'll be your partner!"
Spike hops to it, mixing some iced tea and grass juice in a scalloped glass. "Sure!" He trots over to Eclair. "Here you go!" It's just a fun little party, right? He's not being unfaithful to Rarity, is he?
Dusk smiles to Derpy, "Ah how wonderful, Lady Derpy! So is there a schedule for the music tonight?" He looks around for a playbill or such. He gives Eclair some nice applause once she finishes with her own performance.
Derpy shakes her head to Dusk. "Vinyl DJ was keep track, but has gone snooze. Now is calling turn! Want to pedal song?" She gestures to the pile of player piano rolls in boxes behind the piano.
Soarin finds himself chuckling at Bardigan's antics, as he walks past the other pegasus stallion he flicks a wing to lightly pop Bardigan's side with a joking wink, "I knew I could count on you, just had to ask, you know...being polite." He teases before collecting his trumpet and stepping up to stand in front of the microphone. He puts the trumpet's mute in before heading over to the piano and selecting a new roll, while pumping the pedals to rewind Eclair's roll he sets the player piano to automatic, letting the other ponies dance for a bit without needing another on the piano. Once the new roll is set he walks up to the mic and speaks into it, "I'm going to change the tempo a little bit now...hope you all enjoy it." He then walks over and starts the piano, before trotting over to the mic and beginning to sing as a slow, sultry sounding bluesy sort of tune begins. "o/` We're an oyster cracker on the stew, and the honey in the tea...
We're the sugar cubes, one lump or two...
In the black coffee...
The golden crust on the apple pie, that shines in the sun at noon...
We're a wheel of cheese, high in the sky...
But we're gonna be sinkin' soon...o\"
<OOC> Soarin says, "For those interested Soarin is singing a cover for a song by Neighrah Jones, Sinking Soon."
SOARIN'S FIRST SONG:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTrE-DQXoqwBardigan turns to Derpy, looming over her shoulder with a fragile, warm smile on his face. "Will you come and join the dance?" he asks, spreading his wings. "Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?"
Eclair gives Spike a little smile as he arrives with her drink. She accepts it with a little bob of her head, "Thank you so much!" And dips her chin to press a soft, motherly kiss to his forehead before she straightens up, producing her little silver flask. She fills the cup to brimming with the golden, faintly apple smelling liquid, her hoof shaking justly slightly as she pours. She takes a careful sip before setting the cup aside for later, and offers a hoof, and another smile to the baby dragon, "Shall we?"
Derpy is listening to Soarin's singing on tippyhooves, enthralled by all the culinary metaphors. She finds someone looming, though, and turns to find Bardigan. "Will do," she answers, demurely extending a leg.
Dusk ohs and looks over to the boxes, "How nice! And quite the fancy piano player she has here. No wonder she wanted to have a party."
Spike noddles. "Sure!" He starts to sway to the beat, letting his tail do the talking, and tries to figure out how to dance with a full-grown pony without anyone's back going out.
Soarin brings the trumpet to his lips and the singing pauses for a moment while he adds a rather smooth sounding descending note that only adds to the rather sultry sounding blues song. Before lowering it for the second verse. Watching the dancing ponies and dragon with a grin across his muzzle.
"o/` In a boat that's built of sticks and hay, we drifted from the shore...
With a captain that's too proud to say, that he dropped the oar...
Now a tiny hole has sprung a leak, in this cheap pontoon...
Now the hull has started growing weak...
Eclair isn't quite sure how this is going to work either, but she's willing to give anything a shot at least once! Well, most anything anyway. For the moment she's content just to bounce and shuffle in place, the scuffing of her hooves against the floor keeping time, as she admits, "I'm not a very good dancer!"
And we're gonna be sinkin' soon...
We're gonna be sinkin' soon...
We're gonna be sinkin' soon...
Bardigan wraps his leg around Derpy's like twining vines, going nearly chest to chest to sway back and forth to the song. "I've missed you," he says forthrightly. "It's good to see you smiling."
Everypony, hold your breath...
'Cause we're gonna be sinkin' soon...o\"
Spike hopes they -won't- be sinking soon! Though come to think of it, that may be the easiest solution. He takes one of Eclair's front hooves and tries not to be too rough with it as he busts his own moves, strutting and sashaying with moxie to the slow but prickly melody. He treats Eclair like a delicate thing that can be toyed with, but must not be put off-balance.
Derpy grins fondly as another stallion takes her through the motions. "Have been busy," she admits. She flaps her right wing and left wing in alternation, on impulse, though it generates little lift. It's a nice move for this piece. "Although. Why did not cast me in op-e-ra? Did not even get ticket. Had to sneak inside!" She can't hide that this disappointed her a little.
Soarin then begins to break into a very energetic trumpet solo that ranges up and down the scale, usually dropping low more often than rising high. And always with that sultry, seductive tone to the notes. He meticulously makes eye contact with each member of his audience as he plays the solo, almost as if for a few seconds he was playing just for them, stallion, mare, and dragon alike. Before starting into the third and final verse.
Eclair sways her hips along to the song, while her tail sways in smooth counter motions. Following spikes lead, her hind hooves going clip, clop, clip along to the herky-jerky tune. She doesn't mind being treated like this, but she is resisting the urge just to pull the little dragon in against her chest, and prance around like that. She couldn't do that! Poor Spike! So, she lets him lead as he will
Bardigan bristles at mention of the opera. He looks back and forth, as if surprised or even alarmed to hear mention of it here. "You... You wouldn't have wanted to be there," he says quietly. "It... didn't go well."
Spike gets fancier with his steps, and twirls around under Eclair's legs a couple of times, closing his eyes.
"o/`We're gonna be sinkin' soon...
We're gonna be sinkin' soon...
Derpy looks seriously at Bardigan, taking smaller steps so as not to lose her focus like she almost did with Soarin. "~Was~ there. I sneaked into back. Was ~covered~ in sun." She gestures to indicate her whole body. "Then fell on you later!"
Everypony, hold your breath...
And down, and down we go...
Like the oyster cracker, on the stew...
Eclair laughs, delighted, holding up a forehoof for Spike to pivot around as he spins, "So, uh... You come out dancing very often?" She has no idea what to say to a baby dragon.
And the honey, in the tea...
The sugar cubes. ("One lump or two?" " No thank you, none for me.")
Bardigan sighs. "I'm sorry, Derpy. I barely even noticed you. When everything started going so wrong... I've barely noticed *anything* the last few days. I'm not... I'm not actually supposed to be here," he whispers. "I would be out there, helping, but... I have no idea what to do." The swaying continues, robotic, and they inch around in a small circle. "I came here to get away for at least a little while."
We're the golden crust on the apple pie, that shines in the sun at noon...
Like the wheel of cheese, hiiiiiigh in the skyyyyy...
Well we're gonna be sinkin' soon...
Spike flashes a smile a he pivots again, and then takes Eclair's planted foreleg in his other hand for some more awkward but quieter dance steps. "Well, there were all those Ponytones concerts last week! They really went on a roll there for a while! And before that, there was Rainbow Dash's birthiversary! ...You know, I just come out when the scene seems to demand it!" He seems proud of this role in the musical scheme of things.
Derpy leans in as the circle gains torque, her and Bardigan's steps continuing in a circle, back legs forward, front leg back, and switch. "I stole a stone," she whispers. "Gave-d it to Celestia. But Celestia too yellow. Or not enough." She leans out again.
Soarin then raises the trumpet to his lips for the final time and plays another solo; the stallion ends the song by making the instrument produce a series of notes that progressively lower by degrees until it reaches depths one wouldn't expect could be found without taking a second breath. But Soarin manages it, the song finalizing with a dramatic series of Wah, wah, wah's from the trumpet. When the Wonderbolt finishes, even he is out of breath but he is smiling broadly, pleased with his performance in spite of the effort it took.
Bardigan is starting to look more and more uncomfortable the longer they stay on this subject. His hoof is shaking in Derpy's grip. "So did I," he says in a hoarse, haunted whisper. "I still have it. I'm not sure if I deserve it." He gulps, deciding to simply steer talk away from all that before he breaks into a sweat. He glances up at Soarin' and back to Derpy with a nervous smile. "So! A Wonderbolt. The very definition of aiming high. I've heard good things about Soarin' you know."
Eclair ohs! She perks her ears and nods, "I remember those. Their baritone was in fine voice." She shuffles around with Spike in he awkward little way, her plot bouncing around as she shifts her weight from hoof to hoof, "I like turning out for things like that, but never feel like I can get out of the background."
Spike chuckles. "Oh, believe me. The background can be nice!" He gestures over toward the refreshment table by way of example. Now the music is ending, so he pivots under Eclair's leg one more time, breaks free, whirls around, and ends in a cross-legged bow. Neat!
Eclair laughs, glancing off towards the refleshments, "Oh, well, I'm not *complaining* mind you." She winks, and dips down on her forelegs into a little pony bow as she music wraps up, "Nopony zaps the cook when things get hairy, after all."
Derpy looks nervous, casting a glance Soarin's way. She starts to clomp the ground in applause for him, awkwardly letting go of Bardigan's hooves. Oops--the dance ended. It was nice while it lasted. "Aiming high?" she asks Bardigan sidelong. Then she blushes. "What good have heard?"
<OOC> Eclair wonders if Dusk still needs a H&H day song? This one is pretty great!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoO5OxyJUTUDusk smiles and happily applauds after enjoying the song Soarin did for us. "Very nice! Very nice. Yeah, this looks like fun. Though not sure what I'd want to play." Dusk ponders while he rubs shoulders with Mirage.
Soarin sits down on the stage, then rolls over onto his side comicly trying to catch his breath, wings all akimbo and one foreleg folded against his chest while the other hangs on to the trumpet, but is stretched out above him. His hind legs stretched out and crossed while his tail is draped around his hips. He is winded, but he's making a huge joke out of it, playing as if that last sustained note killed him.
Spike chuckles and retreats again. "Nice dancing with you! ...Uh, Eclair, right?" That's a name he shouldn't forget.
Bardigan's smile gains some traction, and he leans forward, making his voice a more husky, titillating tone. "Well, apart from being one of Equestria's most eligible bachelors, I've heard he's one of the friendliest. You saw how gentlecoltly he was, holding you up and dancing like a pro back there. He's a team player for sure. I can't imagine him quitting when it comes to making a mare smile. And one *heck* of a sweet tooth for pies and pastry."
Eclair mmhmms, nodding to the little dragon, "That's right!" She points a hoof back, "You're - Spike? Was nice dancing with you! Thanks for putting up with my four left hooves."
Derpy tilts her head a fair way toward ninety degrees. "Mooost eligible?" She straightens and looks at Soarin. "But not so eligible Derpy," she recalls. Bluestreak. How could she forget? Bluestreak loves her. "Is true! Very dancer and val-i-ant," she remarks to Bardigan, thoughtfully. His last words strike late. "...Sweet tooth pastry?" she asks, looking back from Soarin to Bardigan.
"No problem at all!" says Spike. "I always say--four left hooves is better than no hooves at all!" He never says that.
Eclair laughs. By now she's reclaimed her drink, and taken a sip. An observant pony may notice she's looking a little bit flushed in the face. "Sharp as tacks, that's what you are!" She leans and gives Spike a friendly punch to the shoulder.
Soarin rises after a minute of his theatrics and makes his way back over to the microphone, "Anypony else want to sing? Dusk? Mirage?"
Dusk smiles as he listens in and watches all the ponies, and one dragon, all of which he knows to some degree or another. Seeing as nopony is using it currently he wanders over to the piano and looks through some of the song scrolls. "It is rather neat, what ponies can do with ingenious mechanics alone. No magic needed at all." He looks over a Soarin and nods, "Was just considering what to do." He looks over to Mirage and perhaps has an idea.
Spike giggles like a Punch-Me Spike doll. He makes himself a tall Almond Palmer.
Bardigan nods. "He loves pie. Like, a lot."
Soarin is almost immediately gliding down from the stage, no he hadn't been eves dropping, but he did hear the word PIE, "Did somepony say pie? What kind is it? Blueberry? Apple? Pecan?"
Soarin doesn't even seem to know who said it, he glances at Bardigan, then his eyes flick to Derpy, then over to Spike, Eclair? Mirage?
<OOC> Dusk hmms. Pie pie. It's a pie made of smaller pies in it.
<OOC> Soarin dies of happiness at the very thought of such a thing!
<OOC> Derpy says, "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgV8mB-M9po"
<OOC> Soarin doesn't really die, but he does begin to hyperventilate.
<OOC> Dusk laughs! "See it was a good idea. :-)"
Bardigan gestures to Soarin' with a wing, as if to tell Derpy 'you see what I mean?'
Eclair hears the word too, and scrunches her nose up, "Pie? Ugh! Poor excuse for a good fruit tart!"
Derpy shrugs with amusement and walks over to Soarin. "Your fav-o-rite is pie?" she asks, tilting her head cutely. "Guess what is my fav-o-rite."
Mirage steps over to Dusk and hmmms? softly as he looks through the music.
Soarin gapes at Eclair's statement, then points at her with a hoof and intones, "sacrilege!" But then Derpy distracts him from the accusation and he looks down at the cute mare, pursing his lips in thought he takes a moment, "Do...donuts?"
Derpy tries to tune out Eclair's nonsense, but she smiles a little bit more saucily for one reason or another. "Noooo...! Guess again!" She raises a wing and extends the primaries out fully.
Eclair gurns at Soarin, "Oversweet with heavy, flavorless crust! Ugh, ugh, ugh!" She takes another sip - well - more like a gulp really - of her drink, before adding, "Maybe - *maybe* a strudel, but there's simply no beating a tarte aux poire!" She stamps a hoof for emphasis, "No. Beating!"
Dusk smiles as Mirage follows him over. He leans in and nuzzles her cute head. "I don't believe most of the ponies here got to here our little song at the Hearts and Hooves. Perhaps I should give that a little spin?" he asks to Mirage with a smile.
Mirage gives a little nod, smiling at the nuzzling. "If that's what you want to do," she smiles.
Soarin leans in closer to Derpy, "Lets see, maybe a good cherry cheese danish?" Eclair then insults pies. Insults! Soarin's face takes on an expression rather akin to a pony who has just heard something both scandalous and barely believable. His mouth forming a lopsided O of horror and one pupil shrinking to a pin prick while the other grows large. "Oh...no you didn't!"
Eclair frowns a little at the floor, considering for a moment before she adds, quietly, "I guess tarte aux pommes is pretty good, too..." Soarin's outrage breaks her out of her little stupor, and she looks quickly up, blinking a few times. What was going on? Oh yeah! She lifts her head and sets her jaw, unrepentant! "I so did! And I should know! It's what my cutie mark tells me!"
Dusk chuckles at the others arguing over pie. He knows Eclair is great at making many baked goods. But Dusk thinks pies are good too. As are the others. He smiles back over to Mirage, "Well unless you have a better suggestion, my love." He doesn't find the particular song, or one really close enough. But it's a pretty simple little tune, and he goes over to the piano, and experiments with the keys a bit, putting the parts for the tune together casually. He supposes bringing the sousaphone would be cheating.
Derpy is starting to answer Soarin: "Nooooo," she says Coyly, tossing her mane a little to tell him he's warm. Or hot. No, warm, like a nice pie. But then Eclair sidetracks things and Derpy frowns, finding Soarin's choice to confront her perfectly understandable. "What is tartou pwahr?" she asks, puzzled.
Derpy glances over at the piano then, realizing that Dusk is playing something. She's glad for the distraction. "What are going to song for us?" she asks him and Mirage.
Mirage gives her head a little shake. "No, I can't think of anything else," trying not to laugh as Dusk experiments with the piano. "No magic this time?" she asks him.
Soarin looks as if something in his brain has broken at the continued defiance of Eclair to admit that her fancy little cakes are not superior to his beloved pies! But when he hears Dusk tampering with the piano he calms down a little, "I've never had those things." He admits, "But things like pies, cakes, cupcakes and muffins are great also. I like a turnover as much as the next pony." He turns to glance up at the stage, then he flankbumps Eclair and gives a little grin, "Pies are still best though." Then he quick trots away before she can disagree with him, ha! He wins by default! He lightly nips Derpy's ear and makes another guess, "Is it...muffins?"
Derpy perks up at a certain word in that speech of Soarin, flaring forward on tippyhooves. Oops, she gave herself away! Letting her ears tremble and flick, Derpy smiles an embarrassed, pleased, secret smile. "Is muffins," she admits in a very quiet voice. Her tail flips and the tip of it catches Soarin on the gaskin.
<OOC> Dusk gasps. The gaskin. In public no less.
<OOC> Soarin blushes, but doesn't seem displeased.
Dusk grins to Mirage as she tries not to laugh. He smirks and pats a spot besides him on the piano bench for her to join him. Unless he can talk her into laying across the top of the piano. "Well I suppose no magic, as the player piano doesn't use it either, sure.." He's finding the right notes and thinks he has the tune, "Been too long since played one of these things." But it is starting to sound like music at least. He glances over to Derpy, "Oh, a little song I did for my dear Mirage on Hearts and Hooves Day, Lady Derpy. And Mr. Bardigan, if you're not too busy, perhaps you can accompany on your bass guitar once you get the tune."
Mirage glances at the piano as Dusk motions to its top, and then sits beside him on the bench. "Behave," she says before giving him an affectionate nuzzle.
Bardigan is sitting back, pleased with the harmonious atmosphere. Much better than talking about the opera. And that impending apocalypse he caused single-hoofedly. Yes.
Eclair gapes at Derpy, "You - you've never had a pear tart? It's a pair tart. It's fancy for pear tart..." She glances nervously to Soarin, then back to Derpy, adding, "It's *like* a pie, but - but good!" Then she harumhs at Soarin, "Well. Well, I guess you're allowed to like pie, even if you are mistaken about its place in the pastry hierarchy." She harumphs, and bumps flanks back, "Of course you know that I'm going to have to make a tart for you now, to prove you wrong!"
Soarin smiles at Derpy and feeling her tail catch his gaskin he glances back, when Eclair returns his little bump he chuckles and flares his wings just a bit, letting his primaries brush both mares along their sides, tickling them, "Muffins are pretty great too, and I'll try your tarts Eclair. I'm open to experimenting with various deserts. We'll see how good your sweet things are, Maybe the three of us will have to have a pastry party at some point."
Derpy tries to intercept Eclair's flankbump, in hopes that ~she~ will get to try the pear tart! Or at least some of it. She licks her lips. "Would ~love~ pair of tart!" she agrees happily. But Soarin's idea puts it all in perspective. She freezes in a look of realization, and then throws out her wings happily. "PASTRY PARTY!!!" she cries!
Dusk chuckles softly to Mirage and smiles, "Just an offer, my dear." He chuckles some more, still playing at he goes. He nods and starts picking up the tune from stray notes up to a song, playing a bit louder now too, even as the others seem more distracted. (he's playing the piano version of this
DUSK'S SONG:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm-MYqXhXFg ...which is also the song he'll be singing.. And as mentioned, Bardigan can join if he likes.. Or whoever was playing the guitar earlier.. :-) ) "Got a date a little later," he starts singing, "when the moon is on the trail. With the cutest triple gaiter.. My pretty little filly with the pony tail" He grins and nuzzles Mirage's head, rubbing shoulders.
Bardigan, who was just dozing off, gasps and flails backwards until he falls off his chair from Derpy's shout.
Mirage smiles to Dusk as he starts his song, and begins swaying her long tail in time to the music.
Soarin grins as Derpy intercepts Eclair's flankbump, then as the music starts and Derpy expresses her excitement about the pastry party idea he turns to both mares and gestures to the dance floor, "Would you both like to join me? And we can plan the party while we dance?" He tries not to snicker when he sees Bardigan nearly fall.
Eclair humphs, nodding, "That's right, you'll try my tarts! You'll try them SO HARD! I'll just need five pounds of butter and -- Eeek!" She squirms, ticklish. Prancing a little in place she turns on Soarin to give him a piece of her mind, but Derpy's cry cuts that short. She finds herself, somehow, on her back, her legs peddling in the air, blinking, trying to remember how this came to pass. After a while she gives up and moves on to the next topic at hoof, "Well, a pastry party does sound nice..."
<OOC> Derpy uses all caps and three exclamation marks, and knocks two people over. Next time? Only two exclamation. n.n
<OOC> Dusk says, "And knock one pony over?"
<OOC> Derpy says, "...are always sacrifice."
Derpy doesn't need to be asked once! She's already shaking her hips at double-time, given the song's slow albeit romantic nature. "So much butter," she reflects. "Muffin is also butter, but fewer. Can also oils!" She tries to help up Eclair, and then, seeing Bardigan, runs over to help him up, too.
Soarin laughs as Eclair eeeks at his feathery tickle, Derpy seems immune, but maybe he just hadn't gotten her in the right spot. He would have to try again later. He watches as Derpy helps first Eclair up, then Bardigan, he turns and offers his left hoof to Eclair, then his right hoof to Derpy. The Wonderbolt intended to spin both mares out onto the dance floor, he had a couple of ideas about this party, "Okay, so first thing we need to do is make a list of ingredients right? I am asking you ladies because...well...I know a lot of things, but I'm absolutely clueless about how to bake. Sad but true."
Dusk smiles back to Mirage, admiring his pretty little filly as he sings. He enjoys watching the others too. Well at least they're moving to dance in addition to talking about food. After a couple of strains of music he sings some more, "Got a bag of oats to call with. Hay! I'll bring her by the bale." He bobs his head as he plays. "Want to share a double stall with.." he sings, then pausing, still playing, asiding to the others, "Every pony now.." Then back to singing: "The pretty little filly with the pony tail!"
Eclair scrambles to her hooves, blushing and abashed as she thanks Derpy for the help before she turns back to Soarin, "I - uh - I suppose that could be - uh - arranged. I - I don't dance very well though.
Mirage sways to the happy song, bumping her shoulder gently against Dusk's while she watches the others.
Soarin lifts his head and does in fact sing along with Dusk, trying to harmonize as he does, "...want to share a double stall with. The pretty little filly with the pony tail!"
Eclair accepts Soarin's offered hoof while she chews her lip thoughtfully, "Ingredients, huh? Well, I can take care of that, certainly. Flour, sugar, almonds, pears." She squints, "Kirschwasser... I'll have to check my recipe..."
Derpy has found a more reasonable single-time rhythm at which to sway her hips. She takes Soarin's hoof and lets him spin her easily. The pressure feels off now, and it's time to just enjoy herself. She sings along at Dusk's command: "A pretty lemon filling with a pooonnnyyytaaaail! o/`"
Soarin dances side to side, his tail swishing back and forth left, right, left as he smiles and flares first one of his wings then the other in the opposite rhythm. Right, left, right, two steps forward, two back.."Kirschwasser? What is that? some sort of liquor? I've heard that some kinds of sweets are made with alcohol. I've just never tried them myself."
Dusk isn't a ponytone, and certainly not a Fluttershy level singer, but he isn't bad with his deeper stallion voice, when he puts some energy into it. He is clearly happy and having fun with Mirage besides him, smiling more warmly as she bumps shoulders with him. He smiles as the others join in, chuckling just a little at Derpy's rendition, and liking it too. "Gee, if she would just agree," he sings on, "she'd be mine today! But no matter when I ask, the answer's always 'neigh neigh neigh neigh!,'" he sings with a teasing grin, and swaying his head.
Derpy tosses her head too, shaking it back and forth merrily with each 'neigh'.
Mirage shakes her head emphatically 'no' with each of Dusk's 'neigh neigh neigh's' although she's smiling and enjoying the song.
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "Ah, I got an idea."
<OOC> Derpy says, "Ideas are good! Ideas are the fruits of the magical candy that is our brains!"
<OOC> Fluttershy says, "THat seems backwards!"
<OOC> Dusk says, "Candied brains.. mmmmmm?"
<OOC> Derpy says, "Fruits are ideas of the magical brains that are our candy? o.u"
<OOC> Dusk tries to get fruit out of some candy.
Eclair gives a little squeal as she's spun out onto the floor, her eyes big, doing her best not to trip over her own hooves as she shimmies and shakes in a pale imitation of dance, "Y-yeah!" She glances to Soarin, then back down at her hooves, having trouble dividing her mind between food and dancing, "It's - it's like a cherry flavored brandy, more or less."
Soarin takes a different line to act out, and when Dusk sings the section about asking the filly to be his, Soarin goes down on one knee in front of Derpy and Eclair, acting out a stallion begging a mare for her hoof in marriage.
Soarin finds himself licking his lips at Eclair's description, "Wow, I...I never knew they were flavored like that. It sounds really good. Bet you really have to watch not having too much though if it tastes like that huh?"
Derpy giggles, now that her 'neighing' has a context. She lifts Soarin up afterwards as if goading him on. "Never cherry brand," she says enigmatically. "For muffin? Also hen egg. And shortening! But not too shortening. And raisin! Or other goodilies! And baker's powder!" She smiles and licks her lips more slowly, in anticipation of the party, even though there are muffins that she baked herself this morning sitting right over on the refreshment table. Spike is even eating one now. "Some ponies have inpulse," she tells Soarin. "Others? Too much eat or too not enough eat." Derpy's figure has never been an issue for her; apparently her 'inpulses' are just right!
Eclair pants a little as she prances, trying to keep time with the music, looking between the other two pegasi while she clomps and tromps around. How do they make it look so effortless? Her impulses towards sweets are probably at least partially to blame, but really, would you trust a skinny baker? "W-well." She puffs, "You - you mix it with - with eggs an' flower, an' butter an' stuff, and make filling, and then put - put the pears in over the filling." She closes her eyes, panting a little more before she swallows, attempting to keep her voice even "The - the two flavors are supposed to - to c-complement one another, but - but stay separate."
Did somepony say Fluttershy?! Well...I hope not, because that's not who you're getting. The door push- the door sort of thumps. "No, no, *I* push, *you* pull, on *opposite sides*!" "Ohhh." That's right - it's Aloe and Lotus, back in action and ready to network!
Dusk is glad to see everypony having a fun time, both from the song and from each others' company. Just as a little party should be. He seems really glad when the ponies all get into the cute song, shaking their heads too as he sings the neighs. He keeps playing the music, playing it just a touch upbeat as everypony is having fun with it. Then he continues singing, "If she'd name that day of wedlock, I would be there without fail! Got the ring made for her fetlock." He gestures to her forehoof bracelets with their new ruby-crystal style and rube heart inset. He also uses it to pause for ponies to ready for the chorus. He takes a deep breath.. "The pretty little filly!" he sings with more force.. "The pretty little filly!" he sings, filling the room with his deep singing, "With.. the.. pooooo-nyyyy taaaiiiiiil!" And rounds it out with an equally energetic finish on the piano.
Derpy's eyes cross when Eclair talks about flavors complementing each other without mixing. "But what is filling without pear?" she asks. "Pear tart has to pear filling!" She has her own logic applying to the situation, possibly stemming from her muffin studies abroad. She looks in mild surprise at the scuffle over the door. Derpy knows doors are tricky--some pull, some push--but even she is usually able to figure them out.
Mirage jangles the bracelets she wears on her foreleg, and then flicks her long tail up high with the final chorus. Then she gives Dusk's muzzle a gentle kiss. "Very nice!" she smiles to him.
Soarin laughs as he is pulled up, but noticing the baker seeming to grow winded he draws nearer Derpy and Eclair and whispers, "Would you like something to drink Eclair? Maybe we should take a break as far as the dancing goes." He hasn't stopped dancing, but he has taken to less energetic steps, sometimes he forgets that not everypony is an athlete. His ears flick backwards at the sound of the thumping doors and the two slightly accented voices outside, "Seems like the party is picking up again. Oh! Big finish!" He grins as the song begins to come to an end and he sweeps both mares up in his arms and lifts them into the air, spinning as he sings the final chorus with vigor. "The pretty little filly with the ponnnnnyyyyy taiiiilllllll!"
Derpy yeeeEPS! She forgets to sing along, but enjoys the end of the song anyway.
<OOC> Dusk guesses we don't get another Derpy rendition. :-)
<OOC> Derpy will rend another Beatles song if you like!
<OOC> Dusk says, "Those poor beetles."
Eclair perks her ears as a drink is offered to her, her eyes getting big as she nods desperately to Soarin, stuttering, "P-pleaEEEEEEE!" Her voice rises a few octaves as she's lifted into the air and spun around like that, flailing!
Dusk is quite busy focusing on finishing up his song, and admiring the lovely Mirage besides him at the piano. He oooos and smiles as he gets a lovely kiss out of it, pressing gently back. He smiles into Mirage's lovely sea green eyes, "Thank you, my love!" He leans in and nuzzles with Mirage. He finally looks up to see how the other ponies are enjoying it, chuckling at Soarin lifting Derpy and Eclair. Only then does he notice the other arrivals. Dusk had indeed mentioned Fluttershy in his mental narrative, but perhaps that doesn't count as saying it. He raises a hoof and waves it, "Greetings! Do come in and join the fun!"
Mirage gives Dusk a wink, gazing into his handsome violet eyes before clapping her hooves in a little applause.
<OOC> Mirage sorries and needs to go now. "have a good night, everyone!"
<OOC> Dusk says, "Thanks for coming over, Mirage, and having fun together! Good night, hun!"
<OOC> Derpy says, "Goodnight Mirage!"
Mirage has left.
Soarin descends after the aerial spin and (quite gently) puts both mares back on their hooves before trotting towards the refreshment table, a moment later he returns with not just one drink, but three balanced on one wing, he offers Eclair and Derpy their respective beverages before taking his own and turning to wave a hoof at the spa ponies as they enter. "Welcome to the fun!" He calls out, he is really enjoying this party.