Dinky's 11th birthday

[Derpy]

And at last, we return to April 30th and Dinky Doo's eleventh birthday. While I've left out many interesting scenes Dinky was in over the course of the year (such as a couple involving a tense schoolhouse like-hate relationship with Scootaloo), I believe the logs I've posted hit all the main threads. Now lets's wrap up the year with a party sponsored by Red Velvet--to which Dinky's mother Derpy was not invited--in a posh Canterlot club called The Crown Jewel.

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[Canterlot] The Crown Jewel Tavern
#---------------------------(The Crown Jewel)--------------------------#
What anypony will likely notice first about this tavern is that it does not immediately call to mind the clamour and grime that the word 'tavern' has become associated with. Instead, this establishment is polished, well-kept, and quite clean! Done in a royal purple and gold color scheme, this tavern is definitely a nod to the upper crust.

The carpet is deep, plush, and royal purple. There are booths situated around the outer walls of the single-roomed entertaining space, and tables with two chairs each dotting the more open space. The 'bar' of this tavern is circular section on a raised dais in the center of the large room. The bartop is a dark purple marble set atop well-crafted wood. The rails around the edge of the bar are brightly polished and look like gold! All manner of brightly colored bottles are visible in well-thought-out wire racks.

The bar is accessible from all sides, and is tended by at least two ponies at all times.

The wallpaper is wide, vertical purple striping that is low-contrast. The difference in shade is enough to be interesting, not obnoxious! Each corner is decorated with 'curtains' that have been gathered in the middle with golden rope.

For a list of drinks and food options, type: MENU
#--------------------------------(Exits)-------------------------------#

[ Sleepers: Blackberry_Fizz ]
[ Contents: Bartender: Shot Glass ]

PUB >> Dinky says, "Well, it's about that time."
PUB >> Dinky says, "About time for the day I've been dreading since I was five."
PUB >> Solar_Eclipse says, "Time to bust a rhyme?"
PUB >> Dinky just might, suckah.
PUB >> Solar_Eclipse says, "Time to clean some grime?"
PUB >> Scope says, "There's always time for a song!"
PUB >> Dinky says, "So anyway, yeah. Tonight's my birthday. Party at the Crown Jewel in Canterlot. If you know me, you're probably not uninvited."
PUB >> Solar_Eclipse says, "Am I uninvited?"
PUB >> Dinky says, "You are the least uninvited of all."

Quasar has arrived.
Virga has arrived.
Shutterbug has arrived.

Dinky shouts "I'm about to start things off at my eleventh birthday bash. Come to the Crown Jewel or mjoin me to take part." (Public-shout)

Chalice_Flame has arrived.
Solar_Eclipse has arrived.
Tweed-Patches has arrived.

So here we are. The days have rolled into terms and seasons and trimsters and life phases, and after what seems like far too long, and at the same time not nearly not enough, we've reached today. Dinky sits in a lounge area defined by a number of sofas convened around a circular low table, a large angelfood cake in its center. Nearby is a longer refreshment table, and another table with a sign reading "Loot or whatever" is next to that. There's a bartender, but no one else around, aside from you guys. No music. A bag nearby. Dinky's mood? Superficially sullen, but otherwise unreadable. Oh, and there's a streamer. One streamer. Alone.

Maplewing has arrived.
Eris has arrived.
Blaze has arrived.

Heading into the party is Quasar, with a rather large package settled on his back. He is wearing a neat little bowtie as usual, and his mane looks to be neatly brushed. After placing the package down on a table near by, he makes his way to Dinky, lifting up a hoof. "Hi Dinky!" He calls out in happy tones. "Not enjoying yourself?" He asks as he flops down to his haunches in front of her unceremoniously.

Shutterbug looks very very stiff and uncomfortable. When Dreamy found out he was supposed to attend this birthday party at one of the most upscale restaurants in Canterlot, she made him dress the part. She polished and spit-shined him, starched his mane and his fetlocks, and grafted a white collar and bow-tie around his neck, possibly with surgical stitches. He's not sure his knees bend anymore, and there's this spot on his forehead below his horn that itches, but he dares not scratch, he DARES NOT SCRATCH. There are compensations, like the fact that he gets to be seen with Eris, who is already pretty swanky and posh, even before she's dressed up.

Dinky has been playing some diabolic hybrid of tiddlywinks and paper hoofball with folded up bar napkins for the last twenty minutes. It's her way of nervously waiting for folks to show up. Now and then she looks over at Shutterbug and says "So," or "Looking sharp," or something else non-committal. But now there's a rush of activity, and as Dinky hears a familar cadence of beats, her head pops up, her napkin flying wide and sailing like a butterfly. "Q? ...Quasar? What--you're back already?" Even as he flops down, she rises, astonished.

Red_Velvet has arrived.

Tweed-Patches has no idea what's going on. He just knows that he's finished grading exams for his intoduction to early modern occult practice sections, and that he felt the need for something a to drink that's little stonger than tea. These two things might, maybe, be connected. Remembring a pub down the lane from the university gates he repairs tither to find - is this a party? A wake maybe? Certainly somepony has died, judging from some of the faces that he sees on several folks here. He makes quiet appologies to the ponies between here and the bar, tugging nervously on his bowtie as he goes.

Nobody's died yet. But like last year, Nettleglum is a stiff, gaunt, brambly shadow near the kitchen, just in case. That, and she brought macaroons.

"I would not miss your party. I had it on my calendar. You're my best friend. I had my dad drop me off. He will pick me up later tonight." Quasar says with a large bolstering smile on his face as he settles back on his haunches, then lifts his forelegs up, opening them for a hug.

Chalice_Flame arrives looking somewhat frazzled carrying a somewhat small giftbox with her. She makes her way shyly over to Dinky, "I'm sorry, I just hear about your party and I had no idea anymore what I should bring for a gift, I do hope you like it".

Dinky stares at Quasar. Her attention drifts a degree or two to each side, as if waiting for guidance from someone. Just the same, her expression still perplexed, she leans forward and gives Quasar a nice solid hug. "I didn't know if Was gonna see you again," she says. "We gotta talk." She sees Tweed by the bar and wonders who invited him--is he some old colleague of Quasar's? Chalice Flame gets a somewhat warmer reception because she brought a gift, and seems to know where she is. "Hi. That's fine, I dunno what I want either. Go put it on the table."

Blaze hopes he isn't too late. Took him forever to get to this place, Bumble's directions were a bit...well, confusing. The pegadragon arrives when he has to, and with him, a big pot of honey! Seeing other ponies lets him know this is the place, and when he finally spots Dinky, he knows he will get cake here. Perhaps a bit shy, he stays in the background for now. Carring the 'present' on his back and looking for a place to set it down. Just a large pot of honey with a red ribbon, Bumble said ponies give each other presents.

Berry_Punch has arrived.

Hugging her back tightly, Quasar dips his nose into her mane and gives her a nuzzle. "I will still visit. Dad just wants to take a trip around the world and see what is new. I will miss school, but, I can't go to the University no more." His ears wilt back a bit. "I tried to take a placement test and I did not know what to do. It was.. upsetting."

Tugging at his collar, Shutter lets some air down his windpipe. Whew. He scoops out a couple of cups of some sort of innocent punch, reddish, fruitish, blandish, coldish, using his magic to float the two cups with nary a wobble. Clearly the colt's been getting better about that. Offering one to Eris, of course, while he sips nervously at the other one, finding the surroundings more than a touch intimidating. Fancy glassware, mirrors that gleam, golden trim and plush carpeting. He's already tried to build up a static charge by scuffling his hooves, but the frown from the bartender was too intimidating. Eh-heh. I'll just be over here. Standing still.

Berry_Punch senses a tavern with ponies in it! She enters with nose raised, only lowering it and relaxing when she sees the party in progress. As she suspected! She flounces on in and makes herself comfortable next to you.

Tweed-Patches rears, and rests his hooves on the bar, trying to catch the barkeep's attention. He lifts his right hoof, and then again, his mouth opening each time to speak, but each time he's ignored, or just not seen, "I - I say... Could I..." And the Berry sits next to him. He blinks rapidly, staring at the mare, owlish behind his reading glasses, "Oh, uh, hello?"

Red_Velvet is running just a few minutes late, but there is a good reason for this. She pulls a small cart into the main area of the Tavern, the cart is about the size of one of those movie theater popcorn popping machines, and it is covered with a large, red silk drape. Hiding what is in it. The mogul unhitches herself from the cart and sets the brake, stepping away from it, leaving the mystery parked near one of the walls, out of the way.

Dinky is looking pretty creeped out by Quasar. She patpats him and pulls gently back. "You didn't know what to do? What, like you forgot how to fill out the little bubbles?" She swallows a fraction of her fear, but there's plenty left. "Or you mean, there's nothing you can teach anymore?" Shutterbug and Eris are no help so far as distractions go. Thankfully, Red shows up with some gigantic treasure-strosity, and Dinky exhales. "Red! Hi there! I was wondering if you were gonna make it!"

<OOC> Sky_Blue SNUGGLES ALL
<OOC> Sky_Blue may be a bit AFK-y for a bit, but wanted to turn up for BELOVED NOT-QUITE-SISTER BIRTHDAI
<OOC> Dinky snuggles, but hides it.

".. No, Dinky. I just.. I don't know the material. At all. I.. don't know any of it anymore." Quasar says softly as his voice trails off. "But, that doesn't matter. I have my dad back! Equivalent exchange and all that, right? So, I guess it's back to normal school doing normal homework, getting upset about studying like everypony else." As she pulls back from him, his ears wilt, but he tries to keep his smile as her attention drifts off.

Nettleglum slowly rises up from behind the bar in front of Berry and Tweed, like a scarecrow being propped up. Her shadow helpfully puts a chill on several mixed drinks. "Good evening, dears. Is there anything I can get for you? The absinthe is delightful. It's the extra wormwood that makes it special."

Berry_Punch sits cross-legged, comfy, smiling at Tweed and his owl glasses. "Hi," she says after a while. "You trying to order something, toots?" Don't take the 'toots' thing personally. King Sombra himself would have been 'toots' at this juncture, too. OOh. Nettie's tending bar--that explains a thing or... it explains a thing. "Get this guy whatever he wants," says Berry, pointing to Tweed. "His treat."

Virga did as a Virga do, and that was precisely what Virga did as he received odd stares from the ushers. Apparently he had done something to get their att--oh...oh...he froze the entire city's fountains in place. Somepony had to keep the repair workers busy 'and' he had to ensure something in the world stopped in recognition of Dinky's birthday. It was hardly a gift; he actually didn't know what to get the young one. Correction, he did. Further correction, he didn't as it would likely end bad .She was too young for that sort of magical text. Once he was inside, however, he froze in place and wondered what the [buy some apples] he was going to do in a fancy place like this. Oh dear. Tavern certainly didn't fit this place.

Dusk has arrived.

Blaze leaves the honey somewhere, wings folding by his sides... So many ponies all at once, he is confused and scared for a few moments until..until he sees Shutterbug. The pegadragon slowly approaches the pony he knows, no one will suspect a thing.

Eris enters with Shutterbug, of course - eyes wide and flicking around, trying to take it all in. Even though she lives in the teahouse on the road /to/ Canterlot she's never actually /been/ there. She'd kinda stumble-stepped her way through the tall buildings and stone-paved streets, gawking and skylarking, until they'd reached their destination. The party's a whole nother deal entirely, and the griffon is frozen for a bit. In comparison to the dapper Shutterbug, the griffon looks rather bland - Shutterbug must have some skewed griffon-dress-scale or rose-tinted glasses, because Eris' "dressed up" is... she'd tried to get the feathers on her head to stick up a bit less, and had polished her talons and beak. She doesn't /own/ any clothes. The griffon manages to go place a small present with the others before turning to rejoin Shutter. She gives a sheepish smile and little wave to the occupied Dinky, before she takes that glass of punch appreciatively from her special somepony and standing by Shutterbug, shifting a bit and looking around.

Shutterbug does have Eris tinted glasses. He thinks she looks fantastic, as always. But, like her, the surroundings are a bit much for the young colt to feel relaxed in, so when he spots Blaze headed their way, he takes the opportunity to put the larger pony between Eris and him and the rest of the party. Ha, protect us from snooty things, oh great one!

Dinky looks a little guilty. "Aw, Quasar. Equivalent exchange isn't really a thing. It's just an idea from those alchemy novels. I'm really--I wish this hadn't happened. I mean, I'm glad you got what you wanted... but this is sad. What're you gonna do? Are you at least good at atoms, or whatever?" She flicks a hoof at his cutie mark. Then she notices Blaze and Eris and Virga coming in. Yeah, this is taking off. "Virga! Hi, glad you could come! Mingle a little, it'll be good for you. Try not to scare anyone too hard. Hi Eris! I guess our sleepover idea got a little out of control, huh? My bad, I don't know how to run parties."

Red_Velvet smiles and waves at Dinky's greeting, softly trilling and completely at ease in this sort of setting it seemed, "Hello, Dinky, dear! I wouldn't miss this for all the tea in Chineaigh. Thank you for having me."

Tweed-Patches looks patently nervous being this close to Berry. It's not really his thing - you know. Ponies. Normally he has a nice comfortable blackboard to lecture to, so he can ignore the students, and during office hours? Well, there's a desk between him and the suplecent. Hooflengths and hooflengths of solid Trottingham oak. It's comforting. This? This is not comforting. And Nettleglum? Well. Oddly Tweed looks mildly relieved at Nettle's apperance; occassionally converses with spirts of earth and water. That's totally what Nettle is, right? And so, he gives Berry a nervous, self conscious little grin before speaking to Nettle, "Who ho, o bog spirt! Could you, perhaps, bring me a jigger of that absenthe, and a bottle of champers?"

Quasar leans over and places a peck to Dinky's cheek. "I don't know what it means. Maybe one day I will be good at science. Losing my brain is worth what I gained in my dad. Have fun at the party. I hope you like the present. It's a puzzle. Just the normal kind." As it seems that the birthday girl becomes swallowed in conversation, he backs away from the incoming swarm of ponies, then trots away with his head sunken down to take a seat by himself at a table.

Nettleglum would have adored the sleepover. Telling everypony the most charming bedtime stories about the Thing In Your Dish Drain and making anchovy sm'ores and tucking everypony in snugly with extra restraints. And then standing there, looming over them, helpfully. All night long. All night long. Just in case you wanted a glass of water, dear. Her head creaks as she nods at Mister Patches' order. "Certainly. Chiggers, absinthe, and champing. What about you, Miss Punch? Can I interest you in a Cask of Amontillado? Hardly touched?" ._.

Luna has arrived.

Virga gave Dinky a warm smile, still an odd expression for him to be so harmless. It typically meant he was up to no good, or putting on a face to make another happy. Once that was two now down to one, and he had to make up for the other. "Happy birthday, Dink," he said. She encouraged him to mingle? Sure, he wouldn't frighten any pony. Except the repair crews, peasants, commoners, and the well-to-do. His ears perked to the word 'absinthe'. Oh yes, they perked to that word and his eyes quickly found dear Nettie, who he hadn't seen since his visit to her manor. "Did you say absinthe, Miss Nettleglum?"

Berry_Punch's head angles up as Nettie's creaks. She retains her saucy smile, though it mellows a little. "You got any cola? I need something to mix with the punch. Enjoy your leave of absinthe," she tells Tweed, giving him an encouraging pat on the back as she hops down from her stool. "Oh hey," she says to Virga. "I've seen you around. Somewhere."

Blaze shall protect his friends, even though he doubts they are in any danger. Everything and everypony here seems nice and excited and party! The shy pegasus dips his head t Eris and Shutter, waving slowly with a wing, "Hey guys." Shutter's plan goes astray when Blaze decides to join the group, standing next to them. Turning to face the rest of the ponies, "Cool place, hm?" He isn't sure what else to say. Surely he feels like Eris and Shutter, so they make a great team!

Eris spots Blaze as well, and is comforted by the familiar face, giving him a little wave. When Dinky greets Eris, though, she blushes a bit and shrugs. Honestly, she can't remember that well - she remembers talk of a sleepover, then there were a /lot/ of sweets and pancakes, and... then she was home, curled up in a ball of regret, vowing to eat nothing but pony-alfalfa for the rest of her days. "I, uhm, it's okay... I think," she says to Dinky, letting the filly get back to entertaining everypony.

Dinky reaches for Quasar, her hoof trailing through his mane as he goes. But she has to let him go. She's... known that for a while. "Thanks," she says. "I'll be sure and finish it." Then he sinks away, and Dinky's stomach sinks for a moment while she flails inside in an attempt to regain her bearings. "Thanks," she tells Virga as he passes. She nods to Eris and then glances at this weird-looking guy she doesn't know over with her and Shutter--well, at least he brought honey. As she leaves the little ecnlosed sofa area. she looks around for a missing face or two. Oh, well. Standing beside Red Velvet, Dinky takes a deep breath. "Not really sure how things work at a real party. Do I make a toast? Do we start the games now or should there be more mingling and schmoozing? WHat's the difference, anyway?"

Shutterbug is so nervous he hasn't even take any pictures. He's afraid the flash might scuff something. Scooting in close to Eris and Blaze, the three of them circle the wagons. "It's, uh, yeah, cool." In the same sense that a meat locker is 'cool'. "How did Dinky ever manage to afford this?" he whispers to Eris and Blaze, once Dinky drifts out of earshot, "I didn't think-- I mean, she doesn't ever dress up, or anything, and her mom, with the paper bags and all..." He slugs down a stiff drink of... punch, which in his adolescent mind is imbued with some sort of formal drink-power. Even if it's just four kinds of fruit juice and two other kinds of fruit juice and a secret fruit juice flavoring. >.> <.< Don't tell anyone, but it's kiwi.

<OOC> Luna says, "What's the lighting like?"
<OOC> Nettleglum says, "Only the finest photons are used, your highness."
<OOC> Eris assumes Nettleglum kept them buried away for just such an occasion?
<OOC> You say, "It's casino-dim, meaning bright but shadily?"

Tweed-Patches bears Berry's pat fairly well, and even manages to put on a smile as she goes. Nettie makes him scrunch his mouth up, though. That's not what he asked for at all! What could have been plainer? Champers. You know, bubbly? Fizz? Pop? Sparkling wine? Champagne? He sinks a little lower in his seat and takes to tracing out hexagrams and pentagrams, and occult symbols in spilled water on the bar. This brings him some comfort.

Apple_Bloom has arrived.

Dinky consoles herself with the fact that, whatever else may go wrong, at least Apple Bloom hasn't crashed the party.

Red_Velvet stands beside Dinky and at her question she blinks, then leans down and lightly nuzzles the filly, whispering something to her.

Nettleglum gently corrects four of his sigils. That's supposed to be /binding/, /shadows/, /water/, and /accordion/. Don't feel bad. Most ponies never get the mystic sigil for 'accordion' right.

"Seen me, have you?" Virga said to Berry, curious about that. Being white instead of his original dark made him more visible and not to his content most of the time. There was always the moonlight, however. Hail to the moonlight. His ears caught the end of Dinky's questions. "I'm afraid I'm not experience in these parties either. We typically drank and overran taverns with mischief."

Nettleglum sinks out of sight behind the bar-- completely out of sight, which is odd, because there's no stairs behind the bar-- and there are odd noises from under the floorboards that way.
Princess Luna is always at home in dim rooms. All it takes is for Red's eyes to be on Dinky for half a second as she whispers to the foal, and Princess Luna is there, standing behind Dinky. She's not sparkling tonight, and instead stands bathed in deeper shadow than the rest of the room, which helps her fit in. Still, now she's here, mane and tail rippling, staring down at Dinky with Royal Expression #1: Regally Impassive.

Apple_Bloom says "Anythin' with drinkin' ah approve of."

Blaze is really not sure...Now that Shutter mentions it, the pegadragon looks up, right, left, up again and examines the place. Then the whole setup, and finally the ponies, "You mean you have to pay for all this?" He asks Shutter, slowly turning his head to look between griffon and the worst party photographer, "It's nice...maybe she just has a lot of friends." Those who help.

Berry_Punch cautiously steps back from Virga, putting two of her hooves on a barstool's braces. "You... *used* to do that?" she asks. "Are you... a ghost?" She doesn't seem scared enough for that question to be serious or flippant enough for it to be a joke. She peers over at Nettleglum's disappearance, eyebrows rising wildly. Then she draws a couple random lines through Tweed's sigils and glances over to where Princess Lun ais suddenly standing. "Oops! Screwed that up," she remarks, crossing out her lines and trying again.

Tweed-Patches murmurs some soft words of thanks to Nettleglum. He's always mistaking accordion with concertina.

Dinky winces and whispers back to Red Velvet, oblivious to the fount of power and authority behind her.

Shutterbug is not here as a party photographer! He's a guest! It's not his fault he takes that camera everywhere he goes. "Well, uh, maybe-- Princess Luna is suppos--" He glances that way, and his starched mane and tail /frizzes/, and he coughs and sputters on his words. "Hammna, humma, *kaff*, P-princess, Luna, here, over, there..." Snatching the punch from Eris' talons, he slugs all of her glass down on top of his own, before he manages to plaster a sickly grin over his face. "...Princess Luna, is right over there, right now, in this very room, over there. Princess." He's speaking through clenched teeth as he keeps his smile bland. Oh. Yeah, he owes you another glass of punch, Eris.

If Berry's question was directed at him, he missed it. And if she meant it towards him it was best to let her keep thinking that he may possible be a ghost. That was part of the game, as it were. "Princess!" Virga said. He said that title 'a lot' in recent weeks, more than usual. Luna usually didn't speak of her plans, until recently he heard them from another. To see her here, not sparkling for once, was a nice thing. That didn't stop him from bowing to her as a Champion should. "Is there drink or food I can retrieve for you?" Yep. Instant service.

Eris look between Blaze and Shutter with a shrug. Having spent a good chunk of her life in a mansion - and not having really dealt with money - has left her Equestiran-world-view skewed. The griffon does, however, thoroughly examine the glass of punch in her talons. It's a mighty fine punch. Well, until Shutter snatches it away from her! And, at Stutterbug's shuttering, her big golen eyes land on the not-sparkling-but-still-resplendant Princess of the Night. Now, /that/ pony looks important. "Princess?" Eris whispers to Shutter. "Is... is it some kinda... mutant? It's got wings /and/ a horn." Huh. Are all princesses here mutants? Is there a six-legged Princess, too?

Tweed-Patches wilts just a little as his diagrams are crossed out. His left eyelid twitches just a little before he gives Berry his most civil smile. It's one he has lots of practice with - from his school days convincing the factors and masters that he was getting on well enough, and that those bruises were not at all a result of hazing with a fives bat, to wheedling for fellowship money to spend on his own research and not his advisor's, and down the the latter day, telling students that they can still pass, even though they've never come to lecture, provided they make up all the work due by tuesday. This is the smile he turns on Berry, his voice prim, proper, all cut glass vowels and high diction, "Can I help you, ma'am?"

Nettleglum rises back up from behind the empty bar. Nope, still no trapdoor back there. Ooo-kay. She's got a tray with drinks on it, held out at an angle that makes joints ache just to look at, and she lurches them towards Tweed, Berry, and Virga. A pale greenish liquor, smelling of licorice and bitter wormwood. There are some small ecto-parasites bobbing around in Mister Patches' glass, as requested. She's just pleased to see the Old World tradition of chiggers and liquor haven't gone out of style here in Canterlot.

Berry_Punch doesn't so much mind when the ghost pegasus gets distracted. She returns Tweed's smile with a bleary one of her own. "I think I just summoned Princess Luna," she says, pointing to the signs for 'gloom' and 'ceramic cats'. "Maybe you can help if you're su-aave enough." She giggles and peeks over the edge of the bar to where Nattleglum disappeared earlier. "So can I get that cola or what?"

Blaze tilts his head, watching Shutter acting natural. Seriously, he is always weird like that. Slowly, he turns his head to see what got the camerapony so starttled, squinting a bit when he finally notices...oh no, that must be just another earth pony. Thanks to Eris, Blaze turns to see the right princess, tilting his head the other way and blinking at the strange sight, "What's so bad about Princess Luna?" He asks Shutter. Shutterbug is afraid of everything, and from the pegadragon's point of view, she looks like...just another pony, pretty! But not scary at all. He hasn't read the books, "Go say hi." Blaze encourages Shutter, bumping the smaller pony's side. Now Shutter is between Blaze and Eris, and the all mighty princess.

The door slams open, admitting Apple Bloom, Applejack, and the last snatch of a conversation. "...Ah don't CARE what yer friends call her, this here's th' right thing ta do, poor thing's- HA HA, HAY THERE, everypony!" Applejack says, pushing her little siter in with a hoof! She leans down and hisses. "Go find th' birthday filly an' give her her present, consarnit!"

EconomistBrony has arrived.

Shutterbug has met the princess! She bombarded him with pastry and tried to serve him a deep fried hat. o.o Still, she's 'Clipse's grandmother, and he knows she's not Nightmare Moon anymore, but, still, important princess! Who lives in a scary haunted castle. And eats fried hats, apparently. Pushed by Blaze, who's still a bit bigger than him, the colt stumbles away from the safety of Eris and finds himself close enough to the princess to warrant awkwardly bowing. "Uh, your highnjesty. It's, hi, I'm Shutterbug? Prince 'Clipse's friend, remember?"

Tweed-Patches eyes the pale green drink, taps the glass with a hooftip, then hums, "Could I possibly, maybe get a - uh - some water to go with this?" And then he's distracted by Berry, or rather by what Barry says. He blinks a few times at the earth pony, then at the sigals, then at Luna. He pushes up his glasses on his muzzle, and exhales, "I say." He squints at the bar again, "I wasn't even aware that was possible." Out comes his notebook and a stub of pencil, and scribble scribble scribble go his notes.

Apple Bloom glares at Dinky. She told her sister all the way up here that she didn't want to go to her arch-nemesis' party. But here she is. She walks over to Dinky and unglamorously dumps her present on her. Fortunately it isn't anything heavy. "There. Happy birthday." Apple Bloom turns and faces her sister. "Kin we go now?!"

Dinky is looking around, wondering how and when to take control of the room and how the night's schedule should go. Veering between Red Velvet and the rest of the room, she suddenly finds herself covered with an object and belly to the floor, legs sprawling. Her mood is such that she doesn't choose to respond, just to lie there looking miffed. She has more of her mother in her than she knows.

Red_Velvet smiles and pulls the cloth cover off her cart, smiling and lightly bumping Dinky's flank with her own as she reveals not just a record player, but a small jukebox, with quite a selection of tunes. It's just then that she turns and catches sight of the princess falling into a quick and rather shocked bow, "Majesty!"

Applejack didn't even get more than halfway to the bar before that little display. "Apple Bloom!" AJ drags her sister over and whispers urgently, "No we dang well can't! Yer here ta play NICE, Apple Bloom! Have a piece o' cake or somethin', an' play a game with yer little FRIEND." Ponyfolk don't often say the word 'friend' like a threat, but it sure can sound that way sometimes.
<OOC> Berry_Punch is discrusting lingistqusts? She's not a words expert, you know!

Chalice_Flame discretely gets in line behind Red_Velvet, She shyly passes her gift up and mumbles, "I hope you like it".

Luna stands over Dinky, watching Apple Bloom's dysfunctional gift giving, giving Red and Virga's bows blandly impassive glances, and then returning to staring down at the upturned Dinky Doo. Her entrance made, the stars begin glittering in Luna's mane and tail again, but otherwise she remains silent and patient and very tall. The birthday filly is clearly busy.

Applejack has just realized that 1) Luna is here and 2) Apple Bloom did that... unpleasantness... right in front of the Princess 3) LITERALLY so, within hoof's reach! She goes a bit pale. "... oh sweet mother of celestia..."

"She is *not* mah friend!" Apple Bloom says defensively. Also right in front of Luna. And in front of Dinky. And Duna and Linky as well! She doesn't like Dinky, Applejack, She does not like Dinky Hooves. She would not like her on a boat, she would not like her in a coat...

Subsiding behind the bar as if sinking into quicksand, Nettie vanishes once more. There's a moment or two of rattling under the floorboards, and then a decanter of some /very/ cold water is presented to Mister Patches from behind him, on the other side of the bar. "Oh, dear. My apologies, dears. I did not expect her Majesty would be in attendance." Shambling away from the bar, Nettleglum takes up a space a couple of paces back and to one side of Luna, awaiting her orders. Her frilly barmaid apron flapping like a tattered shroud.

Dinky stands up to find that the present a certain sassy earth filly just weighed her down with was mostly wrapping. She tosses it off like a blanket and spins around to glare at... Princess... Luna. Um. Dinky opens her mouth wide and wider, and then closes it. She looks around in order to try and grasp what key ingredient of reality she's missed, and then she sees the jukebox. This time her wide mouth doesn't seem like to say anything. Dinky twitches as she ambles to the jukebox, glances quickly at it, turns the hoofcrank to charge it without a coin (as she assumes it's set to do), and punches a couple of buttons. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE7uIWRRIbY is what occurs, hopefully gathering the attention of the room.

<OOC> Nightshade ponders the animosity between the fillies
<OOC> You say, "Would you like me in a box, Apple Bloom? Would you like me with a &$@*##+ fox?"
<OOC> Chalice_Flame giggles
<OOC> Luna says, "Only in a few more years and if you and the fox are really ready and have thought things through and care about each other."
<OOC> EconomistBrony says, "Be careful, Dinky - foxes just keep going YIP YIP YIP YIP endlessly ALL DAY LONG."
<OOC> EconomistBrony says, "They will only be quiet when you give them cheez-its."

Virga normally would have remained bowed, but this was a party and it would look out of place. The white pegasus shifed his attention to Dink, but his ears remained for Luna's command if she were to give one. Yes, the birthday filly was busy as a birthday filly should be. He too watched and...what was this music? He recognized the tune, but the instrumention? Nope. Not at all.

Shutterbug sees his bow to the princess has been dutifully ignored, and he's darn grateful for it. There's a sort of a *Zing* that would not shame Rainbow Dash, and he's back at the punchbowl, trembling, as he slugs down two more glasses of the punch, to steady his nerves. He remembers to fill one glass to bring back to Eris, though.

Tweed-Patches works through the permutations, his brow furrowing, "No, no, this shouldn't have worked. There needed to be some words." He strikes through some rows of sums, and tries again. Imperatrix Nactus bitte einsteigen sie, 75% off all ceramic cats... He frowns a little, chewing on his pencil stub. He doesn't even notice the water arrive.

Applejack turns to face Luna and wraps a hoof around AB's mouth! She takes just a moment to hiss sideways (without changing the fixed grin she presents to the Princess) "Tonight she is, or ELSE. Now behave! There's a princess here!"

Red_Velvet rises and steps to the side as Dinky moves towards her gift, the Jukebox is indeed set to function without the use of coins. Red smiles at Dinky's evident enjoyment of her gift.

Blaze feels guilty for encouraging Shutter. Maybe now he understands why the camerapony is afraid of Luna. Ears get droopy, watching Shutter return to the group, defeat all over his face! But, hey punch! The pegadragon tries giving a comforting pat with his wing, "Did you bring your camera? I can help you take some pictures." He offers, giving a quick glance at Eris.

Berry_Punch helpfully dabs a dot in theupper middle of one of Tweed's sigils. She collects her cola at last and goes to hang out by the punch bowl. Hey, there's a music mogul here, and music's playing! That's just an excuse to *dance* her way over. "Howdy, Applejack! Long way from Ponyville, aren't we?"
Tweed-Patches hears music? He looks up, blinking, ears perked, his pencil stub clenched between his teeth like a disreputable cigar.

Shutterbug always has his camera. There's this weird camera-shaped patch in his hide where it hangs around his neck. It's like a mark of prophecy or something. He makes sure Eris has her replacement punch before looking at Blaze. "I dunno, Blaze, I'm not sure they /want/ any pictures... what if, place like this-- they've got some fancy hired photographer? Besides, what do you mean, help me?"

Luna flicks a wing at Nettleglum dismissively. "We smelled thy special wormwood. A glass of that for ourself, and then continue serving as thou were. It is our goal to disrupt the festivities as little as possible." Luna has already caused chaos, but her coldly regal gaze just passes over it as if she can't see ponies freaking out at all. She is clearly aware, because she takes a step to follow Dinky, and lowers her head a foot - so, down to a regular pony's level. "Dinky Doo, I fear I must be swift, lest my presence destroy thy celebration. Allow me to give my birthday commendations, and I shall depart."

Chalice_Flame pages, "BTW if you happen to open my gift it's a small bean bag type plushie/think beanie babies type ( I'll let you choose what kind if you like?)." to you.

Tweed-Patches ohs! There's water! He pours the water delicatly into Nettle's offering of absinthe, and the resulting louche seems to comfort him, or at very least there's a little smile as the liqueur slowly changes to a transparent jade.

"Pictures?" asks Dinky, hearing everything going on in her vicinity due to heightened awareness as amplified by the sudden metal music, mild though it may be. "Yeah, you can take pictures. Just don't try and blackmail anyone with 'em." She pivots around and segues it into a deep bow for Princess Luna, chin to the floor. "Hey, highness. Didn't know you'd be coming," her prostrate jaw says.

You page, "Okay, thanks!" to Chalice_Flame.

Apple Bloom growls in frustration. The Apple family could have been doing something more worthwhile than making her appease a filly with whom she shares mutual ennui. "Mmmphphmhphphpmhmphmphh!"

<OOC> You say, "Isn't ennui like apathy? You're totally giving yourself too much credit, there."
<OOC> Luna says, "Ennui is like super apathy - sucking, miserable boredom."
<OOC> Applejack suggests 'mutual antipathy'. Or something. Twi gave her a word-of-the-day calendar. >_>

Blaze help? Of course he can help, "I'm sure they won't min--?" Ears perk, catching Dinky's words. The pegadragon smiles and gives a little nod, "See? Come on...Get your camera ready." After that, he splays his wings and ducks! Shutter might be scared at first, because he always gets scared.. Blaze lifts the camerapony from the ground, again...not very pony of him, using hooves to carry the smaller pony by the sides. A few wingflaps and he is hovering with Shutter, should give the photographer a good angle. Because otherwise, he is short..

Apparently, his service was not needed for this visit, unless she had yet to speak it. He promptly turned to find a seat at a table to watch the other guests. Of course, Dinky said he should mingle. Mingling was nice, but this was his first party in the modern age and it was best to learn how they did compared to his old, deceased and quite buried historically forgotten friends. My my, that was a depressing thought in such a happy moment. Stop thinking depressing thoughts. One mimosa, that was all!

The chiggers bob up and down amiably in the absinthe-drip. They're pretty mellow at this point. Probably won't even feel them going down. Nettie creaks a stiff bow, and serves her highness a glass of the liqueur, extra strong. There are biohazard markings on the glass. She lurches away to help prepare desserts in the kitchen, which explains why three of the kitchen ponies are found the following day wandering dazed in the woods, unable to say anything except, 'shredded coconut' for nearly a day afterwards. One of them has to retire to a convent.
PUB >> Apple Bloom managed to actually get his own binary tree working. Just one additional thing to make it better to use.

<OOC> EconomistBrony perches on Applejack.

Applejack shoos Apple Bloom towards Dinky and the jukebox. "Consarnit, just... go play! Pick out a song or somethin'!" Then she straightens herself up, checks her hat (yup, old and battered, same as usual), and goes to bow to Luna. "Evenin', Yer Highness. Didn't know y'all were gonna be here. Uh... mighty... sorry 'bout..." She trails off and waves a hoof, trying to wordlessly say the phrase 'my sister being an embarrassment and a terrible pony right in front of you'.

<OOC> Applejack ow! Massed gravitas on her scapulas! (it was a good month)

Red_Velvet takes a seat against one wall, smiling and nodding to each pony who passes by, she also keeps a firm eye on the Princess, looking rather seriously in her direction.

<OOC> EconomistBrony adds some margarine to AJ's scapulas.
PUB >> Your friend Sugar Rush says, "Hello."
<OOC> EconomistBrony munches thereon.
<OOC> Applejack collapses in a pile of no shoulders.
PUB >> CF says, "Da muro is nice, but very slow( probably due to being dependent on internet speed). OH well."

Apple Bloom sighs and walks over to the jukebox. Maybe she can find a song to put her in a better mood. Let's see...

Shutterbug flails wildly, having gone through this with Eris and her flying lessons before. He's of the opinion that if ponies were meant to fly they'd have wings. He's got that... horn thing. It's not the same. "Wait, what are you, are you!? AAK! Watch out for the chandelier! No! My head doesn't bend that way! BLAZE!" Flail, flail, thrash, twitch. One does not get a 'good angle' from upside down near the ceiling.

"This reminds me." Says Tweed as he holds his drink to the light, talking to nopony in particular, "Of when I went South with Captain Falcon. Parasprites had managed to consume the bulk of our stores before we were able to convert the acetylene plant into a incendiary weapon. They smell rather like cupcakes when they burn did you know" He smiles ever so faintly at the recollection, "But to make the remainder last we were forced to eat the lichens that grew in abundance there, boiled. You'd never guess what came out of our little brewups. But at least we never wanted for protein." Just who IS he talking to, anyway?

Tweed-Patches takes a sip of his drink and swirls it around in his mouth. He pronounces it, "Excellent."

Luna bows her head much lower, almost down to the floor. "Nor knew we, until but an hour agone. There are times when being a princess means months without time of our own." Lifting her head again, her face still cold and detached and grave, she continues, "We have come to give our blessing as a princess to the anniversary of the Dreamy Eyed Mare's daughter's birth, and my affection for Dinky Doo, who grows and grows as the nights slip away from me. I am warping thy celebration faster than expected. Before I depart in hope of saving it, is there aught thou desire as a boon from the Princess of the Night, or from Luna herself?" As she solemnly awaits an answer, she takes a sip of Nettleglum's moonshine, then opens her mouth wide and tosses the entire glass in. Crunch crunch crunch swallow.

Blaze would be able to support Shutter if ONLY he STOPPED moving! "Quitit!" He struggles and tries to turn the pony... Trust Blaze, he knows what's he---oh THAT chandolier, "That was close..." Phew, sigh and back on track. Tongue sticks out for better concentration, flying at a fair distance..from here they all look like ponies! Oh right.. "See, now..take pictures." Blaze CAN steady both of them, it all depends wether Shutter stops being a chicken. Those can't fly..

<OOC> Apple_Bloom wonders if there's any TMBG songs about enemies...
[There's "Your Own Worst Enemy" from Factory Showroom, AB!]

Applejack takes a few steps towards the bar, then pauses and listens to Luna. 'The Princess of the Night or Luna herself'? ... huh.

Dinky watches the night princess paying her respects. She feel svery graceless compared to this creature, but on some level it doesn't bother her--just on all the rest of the levels. "Uh..." she says. Her eyes dart to the rest of the room, a room full of ponies... and nothing comes to her. "I kinda wanted to talk with you privately again somethime," she admits. "About... magic, I guess?" She taps her horn. "Sorry I missed you at Winter Wrap-Up," the filly adds to Luna. "I meant to help you out with the ghosts, like you wanted last year. I probably wouldn't have been much good, but." She shrugs.

EconomistBrony has disconnected.
Maplewing has left.

Shutterbug is not a Scootaloo! D: But he's /supposed/ to be a unicorn, and they don't fly either. He's also a good photographer for his age, and you don't get good party photos from way up here where the lighting is coming from! Finally, Shutter gets frustrated at his friend swooping around the ceiling with him, and his horn flickers to life, bathed in a photo negative glow. ~Vreeeeeeee~ It sounds like a flashbulb charging up, and there's a really creepy moment where every photo in the room-- in wallets, in purses, on ID cards, on the walls-- rustle and suddenly feel like they're gaping open rents in the world. It doesn't last for long, and there's a *pop* and Blaze is flying with empty hooves, becayse Shutterbug is gone.

A boon. That certainly got Virga's attention. Was the birthday filly to receive a boon that would aid her magics? He'd like to know. The pegasus sipped on his mimosa and watched with as much interest as Red seemed to have for Luna, who ate the drink glass. Oh dear. She was more like his old Captain than he thought. "You'll do fine," Virga knowingly said, eyeing Dink. "Perhaps that is something best between you two." His tone was only helpful and guiding. Dinky seemed nervous, not nervous, but magic was a thing they discussed with each other the other day. The granting of a boon was nothing small, after all. To him anyway.

Apple Bloom finally hets her hooves on the jukebox and sets it to a new song while she GLARES at Dinky. ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJCQ_BUksM ) She points her hoof menacingly. )
[That works too, AB!]

Berry_Punch is filling her punch cup for the second time, and looks up at the kid and the pegasus dangling him. She's about to say something untoward when the snapshot occurs, and he disappears. "..." she says. "Well that was weird," she continues. "I guess no means no, huh? Ooh, alternative music!"

Luna nods, her eyes closing for a moment regretfully. "Time. That which I have not had to give, though I knew thou needed it. I shall redouble my attempts, for this night reminds me of how precious time is to a foal. If I cannot give thee a boon, then I shall ask one of thee." Her mane billows extra hard in a sudden nonexistent wind, and she turns her head to puff a breath into it. Out floats a pale, elongated blob smaller than Dinky's horn. With her breath, Luna guides it down to Dinky, and explains, "Lay this soul to rest for me. She is but a snail, yet she died in the service of all, ripped cruelly from her living flesh by the princess slated to defend her. She deserves more kindness for her loyalty than to wander as a ghost, even a mindless one. Will thou grant me this boon, Dinky Doo?"

<OOC> Dusk says, "Berry uses a cup? :-)"
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "It's one of those mega-gulp mugs, really. Holds 128 fluid ounces."
<OOC> Dusk says, "Or just another bowl. Pours the one into hers."
<OOC> Berry_Punch is classy like that. It's glass, even!
<OOC> Dusk says, "This is her second 'cup.'"
<OOC> Shutterbug says, "Or, y'know, she leans a straw into the punchbowl."
<OOC> Berry_Punch has already been drinking since before the party began, you know. She didn't even know there was gonna be a party here!
<OOC> Luna says, "And it has a little wine glass base!"

Tweed-Patches twitches a little as the magic of the flashbulb passes through the room. He looks momentarily ill, looks into his drink, and pushes it away before standing up. Then he hears Luna, and he lifts himself up onto his toes, trying to get a peek. Necromancy is neat!

Blaze broke Shutterbug! And maybe the ceiling...When shutter disappears, the lack of extra weight sends the pegadragon right up. Headbutt, thud and fall. Some seconds pass, Blaze is rubbing his head and THEN he wonders where the camerapony went, "Uuuuh..oh." He forgets about that magic trick, slowly coming back down to the ground, hoping no one noticed. Gulp... Blaze starts looking for Shutter, behind tables, drinks and the pony by the jukebox.

<OOC> Shutterbug says, "Tweed Patches... has toes? o.o"
<OOC> Berry_Punch says, "We all gots toes! One on each foot! Count them!"
<OOC> Shutterbug loses count after two. :/
<OOC> Tweed-Patches nods wisely. He puts a mortar board on Berry's head and pronounces her special visiting assistant professor in charge of toes.
<OOC> Luna is here, so she sets Berry's pay scale personally, at forty-seven times Tweed's because Luna really doesn't understand money.
<OOC> Tweed-Patches doesn't really understand money either, so he doesn't mind so much.
<OOC> Applejack understands money very well and is appalled.
<OOC> Tweed-Patches leaves all that accounting nonsense to his Pony of Business, and the Department Secretary. He does what they say, the the money keeps appearing in his account every month. It's an equitable arrangement.
<OOC> Berry_Punch doesn't mind! The contract doesn't say who she's supposed to pay, so she just fills in her own name!

Red_Velvet has been watching, quietly, and as the tiny soul is freed from Princess Luna's mane, Red's ears fall, and slowly her head lowers, her eyes closing, with a deeply sorrowful expression on her face.

Shutterbug was inside a framed photo of them opening the club. He stays in there for a few minutes to calm down, before orienting on the sounds of the party coming from outside the tiny world inside the photograph. There's a similar *pop* as he reappears, frowning across the room at Blaze. /Don't do that again!/

Applejack disappears with a mild flash of light.
Applejack has left.

Now Dinky has a weird moment. So this is what being eleven feels like, huh? You have to guide snails to their eternal rest. Drawing herself up, Dinky looks at the blob, intimidated by it. She looks around to see if anyone is aghast by the princess's request. Well, they're not showing it. Except Red. Hm. Awkward. Dinky nods tersely, finds a stool, and climbs up on it. She watches the blobsoul solemnly, then intently, trying to get a feel for it. She concentrates, though her horn doesn't glow. Maybe the attention of many is gathered toward the event; maybe it goes unnoticed in the hubbub. Then, suddenly, the pale blob is torn wetly into a dozen droplets, and they all writhe and fade into the air. Dinky stands shocked on her stool.

Tweed-Patches leans in a little closer, his eyes big behind his glasses. He's not sure what happened, "Did - did it work?"
Blaze sets Apple Bloom down, then checks behind the jukebox... Nope, can't find the camerapony anywhere! This is starting to worry him, if someone knows where he is, that would be Eris. He swallows, getting nervous as he makes way back to where the griffon is. As slowly as he possibly can. Easy to blend in through the crowd.

Shutterbug is looking a bit flustered, as is Eris, and when the two of them compare notes, they decide to slip off together and maybe see a bit of what Canterlot looks like at night. This can't possibly end with them being chased by the royal guard for hopping a fence into a private garden or anything, right?
Right. Berry Punch has already tired out half the royal guard (in various capacities), so there is no longer a chasing quorum.

Shutterbug has left.

Luna winces visibly. Her face falls, quietly regretful, and she leans her head down to touch the tip of her horn to Dinky Doo's. "I thank thee, Dinky Doo. Though thou surely feel thou have failed, thou shouldered the berdon I gave. We must indeed find time to talk, about her fate, about life and death and unlife, and what very little even princesses know. Enjoy thy celebration, and know that thy princess, the Princess of the Night, is proud of thee." Turning, she walks off through a wall. She doesn't even leave a hole in the wall behind her this time!

The party had gone from festive to sincere. Luna was, perhaps, preparing Dink for something in the future that others couldn't see. Only alicorns did such things; he knew. He finished his mimosa and pondered over the letter he received from Cadence just today. Virga was focused on Dink as much as he was himself. He called a waiter for stationary, quill, and began writing a letter of acceptance. The pegasus briefly busied himself in the entire crystal affair. Perhaps now was the time? Yes, it was. Another mimosa, and he stowed the letter in the satchel under his wing. How much did he love citrus.

Sugar_Rush has disconnected.

Red_Velvet watches Dinky's attempt to lead the snail's soul to rest, looking surprised and stricken for a moment at the sudden, seemingly violent end to it. She says nothing, but she gapes slightly, sorrowfully at the scene before her. She watches the Princess depart, and silently makes a note to herself to seek her lunar diarch out, and have a long talk with her about a great many things. One of which would be, requesting punishment.

<OOC> Apple_Bloom is now distracted. Assume AB is wandering around being a jerk.

Dinky winces when Luna winces, and pulls herself together when Luna addresses her. "But did I... I mean, was that what I was supposed..." Well, Luna says she's proud. But that doesn't mean she didn't screw up. Dinky raises a leg, and it turns into a half-hearted wave when the princess decides to go. Well, that was... interesting. She looks over at Virga as if he can clear this up. Then at Red, who looks about as stricken as her.

Virga slowly looked up from his drink. "She is pleased, that is all I know," he said, pulling himself from the table. "There is much death about. Too much. Tonight you should be thinking of life, being young." He lowered his head to Dink and smiled at her a genuine Celestian smile. "Not growing too fast. I've not forgotten your request concerning books."

Tweed-Patches rubs a hoof through his mane, blinking a few more times. Then he purses his lips, and pulls a vacuum flask from inside his coat. He gives it a shake, and hears a reassuring slosh, smiles at the sound, and advances slowly towards Dinky. Tea makes everything better. When he gets in range he clears his throat as unobtrusively as possible, lurking not too close, but not too far, willing to be overlooked.

Blaze feels a little lost. He doesn't know the other ponies, and he is kind of shy anyway. The pegadragon sighs and settles somewhere near the bar, ears perked listening to the conversations going on but otherwise staying out of things. Dragons make great backgrounds.

<OOC> Berry_Punch does a spinning backheel wheel kick into the teapot Tweed is holding.
<OOC> You say, "Hey! That's my job!"
<OOC> Dusk grins.
<OOC> You say, "Besides, it's a vaccum flask. Read next time!"
<OOC> Tweed-Patches watches it go to pieces. His lip starts to quiver, but he catches himself after just a second, stuffs the sorrow back in the back of his mind. Somewhere dark, and puts on a patient little smile instead, "Ha-ha! I say. What a weeze!"
<OOC> Luna will just visit Tweed tonight when he sleeps and slip a spark of dark magic into that sorrow, that it may become a seed for a new and unnatural and vengeful life.
<OOC> Tweed-Patches has quite a lot of sorrow to feed that seed. Quite a lot.
<OOC> Luna creates the best monsters.
<OOC> Berry_Punch wonders what a tea-based supervillain would be like.
<OOC> Tweed-Patches wakes up sobbing in the night, blubbering about how mummy sent nursie away, and how it wasn't fair!
<OOC> Tweed-Patches says, "Ha-ha! Just kidding. Tweed didn't speak vernacular equatrian until he was nearly cutied! Vular languages got the cane."

Dinky slinks down from the stool. She looks back at the spot in the air where the snail's soul was. She looks to Red apologetically. Then she stands before Virga. "Trouble is... death is kind of what I've -got- to think about. Those books are gonna be about it." She looks back to her blank rump and back. "And so am I." When Tweed approaches, she looks puzzled. "Uh... hi. Have we met?" She hopes he's not some official from a black-ops organization here to vanish her.

Chalice_Flame doesn't seem to know what to make of this snail killing activity.

Red_Velvet rises from her own seat and nods at Virga's words, then turns to look at Dinky, "Sir Virga is correct, but you have a point also Dinky. The real problem is, sweetheart. It is I that owe you the apology, that whole terrible incident just now? Yes, it was my fault I am afraid. My fault that the snail had to give her life, my fault that the burden of fixing my mistake fell to Princess Luna. In point of fact, now that I think on much that has happened in the past two years, much of the suffering of other ponies can be laid directly at my hooves. ...perhaps it would have been better if I had never actually returned from that changeling abduction. Forgive me Dinky, I am bringing a pall over your birthday, and I shall stop. Perhaps....a party game could lighten the mood?"

"If it must be..." Virga said, hoping she'd not become so focused in death as Orbello. "Well, I will be out of Equestria for a few days soon. I'll be sure to find it." His gazed wandered until it fell on Red. What interest did she have with the Princess and Dink? He was not privy to every single thing that happened as he had enough of his own to see to. "Have a good evening, Dink. I must be off." One more smile and he headed to the door.

Somewhere on the muck, Luna disconnected.

Dinky hugs Virga and holds his leg dearly. She goes to Red Velvet and does the same, nuzzling her thigh like a child might. Then, tears leaving and strength re-entering her, she takes up a surprisingly substantial doily from a table, rolls it up into a megaphone shape, and hops atop the jukebox to blare through it. "All right, everypony. I'm flabbergasted by how many of you are here, and I even know most of you, which I guess is cool. I'm a dumb kid and I don't know how to run parties, so let's have a vote. Should we have a party game, should I open presents, or should we do music? Call out what you want!"

"All three!" shouts Berry, now on her fifth cup of punch and cola. There are some hors d'eouvres of some kind in there, too.

Blaze hmms and isn't sure by the options. It is a long way back home, and he doesn't want to worry his Bumblesweet, "I..I should go back." He quietly says, slowly sneaking off in that direction over there, where the exit is.

Blaze has left.

"No, I don't suppose you do know me." Tweed's voice comes clipped, looking surprised, and then a little terrified that he was noticed after all. He clears his throat, tugs on his tie with a free hoof, then, "I'm terribly sorry. Don't mean to be a bother at all, but, er, am I right in assuming it's your birthday? I - I don't want to intrude, it's just that... I feel a terrible bore showing up like this, a right flat. I should have known..." He natters on for a while longer before abruptly thrusting the thermos towards Dinky, all black enamel and polished silver, "Please. Please. I saw the bit with the - the snail?" He thinks that's right, "It - there - uh... Please, have this. There's tea in there, silverleaf from my cousin's plantation outside of Neighrobi. It's - it's quite good. It - it helps me when I'm - when the situation calls for it."

Chalice_Flame ponders that thought a moment, "I think we should open presents before too many guests many need to leave?".

Tweed-Patches doesn't want to say that 'tea is good when you fail' right out - he doesn't want to be more crass than he already feels himself to be.

Apple_Bloom has disconnected.

Red_Velvet returns Dinky's hug and gives the filly a nuzzle or two, then when she seems to have regained her composure Red, calls out. "Gifts!"

Dinky hops off the jukebox and grabs the flask Tweed is offering, swigging some in the same motion. She jerks in surprise, but keeps drinking. Then she sighs heavily, lustily. A sigh like that is what she needed. "#&$ snail," she tosses out. "Thanks. That's tea, huh? Not bad." Then Red hugs Dinky and makes a decision and Dinky doesn't mind at all. "Gifts, yeah. I know we've lost a lot of folks, and you guys are in a hurry to get out of here, so yeah, I'll just go--" She stops and stares at the jukebox. "Wait. Did you say this jukebox was a -gift?!-"

<OOC> You say, "The party got big and shrank almost as fast."
<OOC> Chalice_Flame says, "Yeah, I just noticed."

Red_Velvet giggles and covers her mouth with a hoof, "Yes! And trust me darling that is just the tip of the iceburg! This is just the clue to help you guess what the really BIG gift is!"
PUB >> Hefty_Nibble says, "no, they are east rocky owls, but been moving west due to global warming and such and are pushing the spotted owls out of the few places they have left."

You page-pose, "Dinky guesses you're not -not- invited to her party." to Fluttershy
Fluttershy pages, "what" to you.

Dusk might be more noticeable lurking about as crowd thins out some. Or maybe he's finally arrived. He's not often seen in Canterlot, but for some exceptions. And just as likely to disappear again. He's currently standing not far from Dinky, but yet still easy to miss somehow. But he is smiling as he watches the goings on.

Tweed-Patches squeaks a little as the flask is snatched away like that. He looks scandalized as Dinky drinks directly from the thermos, he offers the little lid/cup thing - starts too anyway, then just quietly puts it down on a table, smiling just a little, "Yes. Tea." Tea, life bringer, law giver, "It's - it's good for what ailes you." He relishes the common phrase. He'll blend in with the town ponies in no time. There's a beat, and then his self satisfied expression goes away, "Oh! Terribly sorry. Tweed-Patches is my name. Dr. Brittlegum Wilberforce Tweed-Patches."
Tweed-Patches adds quietly, as an afterthought, "Of the East Riding Tweed-Patches."

"But his friends call him Wilbur!" chimes in Berry, who has no idea what she's talking about.

Tweed-Patches blushes, almost to the roots of his mane. He shoots Berry a Look, then clears his throat, "They - they call me Tweedy, actually."

"Oh, well if you mean *that* crowd," clarifies Berry, ignoring her own ignorance and the Rule of Three.

EconomistBrony is suddenly somehow right next to Tweed Patches. He smelled flesh. Live, fresh, untenured flesh. Smell it. The desperation. The anxiety. The (generally) stale tea. "I heard that your students call you 'Tweedledum' and occasionally 'Tweedledee', just to make you suddenly change your lecture style mid-sentence'," Tweed's boss's boss comments with a sip of some tea. Tea, life bringer, law giver, tenure-maker. Well, tea and coffee. And whisky. Lots and lots of whisky. It suppresses the smell of desperation (made particularly strong around finals week, in which undergrads suddenly run wild and unbathed for weeks at a time).

"Thanks," says Dinky, wiping her mouth and giving the flask back. "Right. Let's get this over with." The doilyphone return to her lips. "GATHER AROUND, EVERYPONY." Whoa. She drops the doily and grabs the big floppy gold-wrapped present from Apple Bloom, and she holds it while she composes a spur of the moment speech.

Fluttershy has arrived.

Tweed-Patches tweed twitches, his ears laying back as he hears That voice. There's a rush of expressions across his face. Fear, dread, resignation, and finally he puts on his most Sincere smile, the one he gave to Berry earlier, and turns to face EB, "Well, yes, but you can hardly be friends with your students? Isn't done." This said he politely returns his attention to Dinky, and that big gift.

Red_Velvet trots over to the group of ponies and leans in to whisper to Applebloom, "I just know you'll have made your family proud by acting like a big pony and giving her something she really will love, even if you don't get on with her."

Dinky looks back at the jukebox, and at Red. She sees the palace economist here, that's cool. And Dusk, which she has to admit to herself is nice, even if she doesn't admit it to him. Even Applejack being here was nice. She stands, free of nerves, in front of the big blingy thing, and clears her throat. Her hooves start to tap, one in front and the opposite one in back. A frank little rhythm comes forth.

EconomistBrony watched as each expression swept across Tweed's face, one at a time. The glint of fear, the foreboding droop of dread, the lenghty sigh of resignation, before the veneer of velourious smiling sincere sheen is draped over at all. Well, he didn't actually watch - he was too busy writing down a new research idea on a tiny pad of paper before promptly setting the pad of paper on Berry Punch's back and forgetting entirely about it a couple seconds later.
EconomistBrony then turns his attention to Dinky, whom he watches curiously.

<OOC> Fluttershy measures Dinky's height.
<OOC> Dusk says, "Yep, there's a whole year more Dinky now."
<OOC> Red_Velvet says, "Check her growth rings darling..."
<OOC> Dusk says, "Isn't that how we measure Nettie's age?"

Berry_Punch goes to cut the cake, since no one else seems to think it's worth doing. She may notice the pad on her back, but that's cool--it's what they call a smart accessory.

Dinky jives, "o/` Lemme tell you where I'm at, peoples... lemme spin my little wheel. Lemma lay it down flat, ponies... I'm gonna tell you how I feel." Her ears press flat on the 'flat' line, and then flare tall again. "I got a crazy load of luck, partners... a swinging party fuill of verve." She stamps the floor. "I got a lot I shouldn't have, comrades... and lots of friends I don't deserve. o/`"

Dinky leaps onto a stool and modulates up an urgent full tone. "o/` I got a pair of fighting colt boyfriends... but now the smart one's kind of dumb." She glances around kind of dumbly. "The other one is pretty cool, sort of..." She looks around again. "...except I guess he didn't come. o/`"

Dusk perks up a bit as he watches Dinky break into a rather chipper song. And he can't help tapping a hoof along with it, and just a little bob of his head.

Dinky keeps jiving in a song that's much more strident than chipper. "o/` I guess by my age I should know magic... 'cause there's a horn on top my head." She taps it, and it clacks sonorously. "Except so far it's only been tragic... all I can do is make things dead. o/`"

Tweed-Patches tugs a little on his bowtie, his mouth scrunching at Dinky's lyrics. He reaches to pour himself a cup of tea from his flask, starts to lift his cup, then remembers that Dinky drank right from the flask, so instead he turns and offers the cup to EB, "Tea?"

<OOC> Dusk says, "Well compared to what he usually sees out of Dinky, it ranks up with chipper. ;-) And he likes it."

EconomistBrony hears the magic word. His ears perk and he swivels towards Tweed. "Please!" he sips the tea slowly. Sssssip.

Now Dinky looks at Red Velvet. "o/` There's generosity from all corners... it's like the lot of you are blind." She stares from face to face. "'Cause if my heritage means squat, chummies... I'm just about to lose my mind. o/`"

Dinky continues. "It's like a party going limp, amigos... a sunken doldrum I can't leaven." She stands up on her hind legs. "Your Dinky won't be sharp for long, sweethearts... 'cause I'm about to turn eleven. o/`" She hits a random button on the jukebox with a hind leg, and maroon patterns of light play over the interior of the Crown Jewel, bathing it in mood.

Berry_Punch yells, "FREEBIRD!!"

Tweed-Patches smiles to himself. It's the little victories that are the sweetest.

Dusk gives a soft applaud, "Nicely done!" He smiles and looks around to the group still here.

Red_Velvet listens to the song, and the lyrics strike a chord with her, was Dinky saying that the generosity and friendship she had extended were wasted? Then the true meaning comes through! Is that what happened to Derpy? A hereditary decease?! Red Velvet gasps softly.

EconomistBrony wonders why his tea tastes slightly of prune juice. But applauds politely nonetheless.

Dinky isn't done, though. She's tramping around now with something fierce to say. The various reactions fuel her in various ways--impatience, smugness, spite, fire. "o/` You think that Quasar got it bad, do ya?? You think it's sad he lost his genius?" She pauses, looking around to see what the ponies here think. "At least he's traveling with his dad, numbskulls!" she thunders. "At least he knew his father's keenness! o/`"

Dusk suspects Dinky will turn out better than she worries, as long as she strives for the best she can. As for Quasar, he feels he colt got just what he was looking for, more than anything. So he isn't feeling bad for him.

Dinky walks more slowly, but with force. "o/` With me it goes the other way, don't it? I never knew my mother's glory." More glaring. "That mare was gone before I came, sadly. I didn't get to see her story. o/`"

Now Dinky leaps onto the circular table by the couches and straddles the angelfood cake. "o/` I guess it's clear I'm pretty sharp, aren't I?" She picks up the cutting knife and brandishes it. "But there's no room for me in heaven." She kicks a slice of angelfood into the crowd.

Dinky continues: "o/` The clock says things are going dark for me. 'Cause I'm about to turn eleven! o/`"

Chalice_Flame listens and avoids flying cake pieces.

Back-up singers from the jukebox chime in, ominously. "o/` Cause she's about to turn eleven! 'Cause she's about to turn eleven! There ain't no room for her in heaven! 'Cause she's about to turn eleven! o/`"

Berry_Punch says "What part. Of Free Bird. Do you not understand!?"

Red_Velvet remains respectfully silent, letting the filly vent, She was already turning over in her mind the possibility of using her vast fortune to try and find a cure, or a treatment, something...things did look bleak. But Red Velvet never gave up hope, not even when death was confronted. Still, she knew that Dinky couldn't see a single ray of hope from where she was right now. Red would have to see it for her, and maybe for Miss Derpy also.

Tweed-Patches's expression has shifted from polite interest to a sort of scandalized horror. Clearly Dinky has not had enough tea. He's a little afraid of what she's going to do with that knife.

Dinky seems to be out of lyrics for now. But the music still plays, and the lights still shimmer, although they aren't as dark or as red now. The foal tears open the present from Apple Bloom. "Oh, great. A coloring book. With apples. And apple trees." She flips through it. "COlor by number. Great. Because I'm not smart enough to choose my own colors. Thanks, Maple Bloop."

Dusk catches the slice with his colorless magic just as it arches down.. Then it vanishes, to appear on a plate he has. He's still watching and listening, nodding a little. So, something special suppose to happen at age 11?

Chalice_Flame giggles at the mention of "Maple Bloop".

Berry_Punch goes and cuts another piece of cake for herself. She dips it in punch. "Was I supposed to bring a gift? I could go find something, I guess!"

Red_Velvet watches the seemingly doomed filly, Only now does she fully understand. She gently reaches out and touches Dinky's shoulder, softly murmuring, "Dinky...It's okay to be angry about this...it's also okay to be scared too. I promise, I'm going to try to find a way to fix this."

Nimble_Hooves has arrived.

Dinky is stamping around the bar, astonishing her guests and singing angrily about her birthday.
Dinky has actually taken a break from that to tear open presents, actually.
Dinky shivers--no, shudders at Red's touch. She looks at the older, crippled mare. And she swallows. "Yeah. You do that. I'd like to see you try." It uses the words of a threat, but it actually sounds genuine. She goes over to the present table and grabs another gift--the jar of honey from that sunny off-looking pegasus who was here earlier. "Oh. I wonder what's in this jar of honey. Could it be... honey??" She wrenches open the jar and tastes a generous taste. "Eeeeyup," she drawls, doing her best Big Mac. Then she grabs another gift--the one from Chalice Flame.

Chalice_Flame smiles in anticipation of her gift being opened.
Chalice_Flame leans forward a bit watching.

Tweed-Patches fidgets a little. He glances towards the door, then back to the diswrought little filly. He's not entirely sure what's going on, or if he wants to be here any more, but he's certainly not sure if he wants to risk leaving. He doesn't want to be hit by a piece of cake.

Red_Velvet nods slowly, catching the thinly veiled plea in the challenging tone, "I shall, challenge accepted, darling." Red knew the value of anger, so she wasn't hurt, knew how rage could protect a pony's heart from even darker, more painful feelings.

Dinky rips and tears open the shell around the soft center, to reveal... a little stuffed... thingy. "So. uh. What is this supposed to be? A mouse? Or a squirrel? Or a vole?" She eyes it skeptically. "Who gave me this, anyway?"

Chalice_Flame laughs, "It was supposed to be a dormouse, silly!. No label on it I guess?"

Dusk watches as Dinky opens up some of her gifts. He's not really entirely sure what she is quite this worried about. From what Red has said, it seems there is some particular problem. But he guesses he hasn't seen Dinky in a while enough to have heard what it is.

"Ooh!" exclaims Berry Punch. "I like dormice! They get really tipsy from sleep deprivation and I hear that's when they get *really* cute." She tips back her cola and punch with a piece of cake in it.

Chalice_Flame nods to Berry Punch, "I was trying to choose something cute".

"A dormouse, huh?" says Dinky. "Well, that's... just weird. Like me. Thanks. I'll try not to lose it." She hugs the thing under her foreleg as she grabs another gift.

Dinky opens the gift from Quasar. "Oh. Surprise surprise. Mystery on top of ^#%@ mystery. It's a jigsaw puzzle." She shakes the box. "Just he said it would be."

Tweed-Patches likes jigsaw puzzles, and latch hook. He perks a little at the sight of the puzzle, "What thoughtful gift! No finer way to practice fine telekinetic motions." He clears his throat, "Or so I've head, lacking the, er, knack."

Dinky blows a raspberry at Wilberforce. "Yeah, great. Just what I need." She spins the puzzle across the floor toward the jukebox, and just like that the beat is going at full steam again--it never really stopped. "o/` Lemme tell you what I -ain't- got, friends... lemme lay it on the line." She makes eye contact with Tweed especially here. "I got a horn that can't lift bupkis, pals... whether coarse or whether fine. o/`"

"Hello there!" comes a voice from the doorway. "Wheeeere's the birthday grrrrl?
...it's Fluttershy. With a big, sparkly present. Did she just make air quotes?
With her wings.

"o/` I got a patch of open space, here, friends," continues Dinky, swishing her tail around her haunch, "which means my talent's not deployed." She has a realization, and her eyes grow angry and wide. "Or could I have my cutie mark after all... and it's just emptiness, a void? o/`" She loses some steam when her song is impacted by Fluttercheer. But Dinky can't stop (won't stop) won't stop the beat. She ca-ca-ca-can't control her feet.

Tweed-Patches splays his ears right out, ducking his head at the Raspberry. He hadn't meant to antagonize. Glancing around at the other ponies in the bar he tugs at his bow tie, then looks back to Dinky, his face falling, "I - er..."

EconomistBrony has disconnected.

Red_Velvet watches, and smiles, moving over to greet Fluttershy, the true hostess of the party is...um...otherwise occupied. But Red will take up the slack, "Hello Fluttershy. Come in. Our birthday girl is singing her heart out at the moment, do tread carefully. You just missed a rather, sad and dramatic revelation about her."

Berry_Punch puts her leg around Tweed like an old friend. "It's all right. She's just full of spite right now. Haters gotta hate, no matter what you tell''em. Drink?" She offers her cup, whose contents are now somehow indigo.

Dinky is wrapping up her angry jive. "o/` It's like the spark just isn't in me, folks. It's like I"m failing to ignite." She pours one of Nettleglum's leftover drinks from one glass into another, half-full one, and the concoction bursts into flame. Dinky leaps from the bar. "It's like my ears can't hear the rhythm, chums. It's like my eyes aren't wired right. o/`"
Dusk smiles as Fluttershy arrives as well, "Greetings, Lady Fluttershy. Welcome to Miss Dinky's party." And lyrical rant, or such. "It is good to see you."

Tweed-Patches might be smarting from Dinky's scorn (the scorn of children is the worst), but he positively wilts as Berry touches him. Touches him. He twitches a little, struggling to regain composure. Sitting next to her was one thing, but to be touched... He swallows and forces himself to look away, down into the depts of that cup. He blinks, and finds his curiousity has gotten the better of him, "How did this come to be blue?"

"Eh," Berry shrugs, cuddlig a little closer. "Stuff happens. You come here often?"

Nimble_Hooves has disconnected.

Dinky stands in the middle of the remaining crowd, reaching a crescendo in her mood just as the music does the same. "o/` You can't take magic from a child, right, friends? The rhythms something you can't deafen." Her ears stretch to the full extent of their dinky height. "But I think it's downhill from here now, mates. 'Cause I'm about to turn eleven. o/`"
Dinky runs to the cake and empties the box of candles beside it. "'Cause I'm about to turn eleven," she spits, semi-tonally. "'Cause I'm about to turn eleven!" She sticks candles in the cake with her teeth, one by one.

Oh no. Oh no. That's all Tweed can think of when he hears the words that Berry speaks. Panic creeps in from the dark parts of his soul and he starts to hyperventilate, "I - uh - no?" Is that the right answer?

Dusk watches and listens with a bit of a wondering expression. He lets Dinky finish though before asking, "So just why do you think something is going to happen now that you're 11, Miss Dinky?" He helps with the candles and lighting, if she doesn't mind the help. It is her cake, if wants to do them herself, afterall.

Red_Velvet turns from greeting Fluttershy to look back at Dinky, beginning to explain, "Just twenty minutes ago, Dinky revealed to us that her mother's...erm...affliction. Is actually a hereditary disease. And it seems that the onset of these, "Derpy-like" symtoms occur around the age of...well...around the age Dinky is turning. So, this birthday is far from a happy thing."

"Hello, Red Velvet. Hello, Dusk," says Fluttershy. "I hope I'm not too late. I only got the invitation just today!"
"...oh. I, um...a-are you sure?"

"o/` ...I don't have much except my mind... now I'll be leaving that behind..." The eleventh candle goes into the cake, thanks to Dusk's help. She glares at him. "Nopony needs to tell me when," she explains in song. "My mom was fine was she was ten." She grits her teeth and return to the bar, where the flaming drink is still burning. "But things went cuckoo for her then, and she was never seen again..." She inhales the drink and, cheeks puffing, runs over to the cake, whereupon she exhales thoroughly, lighting all eleven candles in turn, just as the music reaches it's final crescendo. She stands there, having blown her candles -on. Huffing. Smoke coming from her scorched mouth.
"...and I'm about to turn eleven! o/`" finishes Dinky, looking upward and far away. The music lingers, then stops suddenly.

Berry_Punch looks at Tweed in disappointment. She withdraws her foreleg, shrugging, and starts to slow-clap for Dinky.

Tweed-Patches, having been released, scuttles for his tea. He takes deep, soothing draughs directly from the thermos.

Dusk watches somewhat impressed as Dinky makes herself a pony blowtorch, and lights all the candles. The reverse of blowing them out. Blowing them on? He offers her a non-flammable drink. But the answers just raise more questions for him. "How do we know it's hereditary? I wasn't even aware it was a medical illness. And it seems a particularly rare one to have enough to know if it would be hereditary or not. And even then, most all such ones are not 100% passed down. So I believe I'm missing something with how certain ponies are sounding on this."

Red_Velvet nods at Fluttershy's question, "I am certain that she believes she is going to lose her mind with all her heart." the fabulous PR pony gives Fluttershy a small hug, trying to reassure the gentle pegasus, "But I am going to try to keep it from happening."

Dinky is out of anger. Now she's a bit exhausted. A bit weary. She looks warily at Dusk. "We don't. It's not certain. I feel silly for singing it all like that." She narrows her eyes at the cake. "Who's the wiseguy who decided to cut the cake before I got any!?" she shouts.

Berry_Punch grins sheepishly. "My bad!" she calls.

Tweed-Patches perks his ears. Cake. Cake will make everything better. He wants some desperately.

Chalice_Flame nods, she's in the mood for some cake too.

Flutters droops her wings a little. "Oh. Um..." She looks down at the present in her forehooves. "Well, um...n-now I feel kind of silly..."

Dusk nods to Dinky, "Ahh then things are not as dim as you may make it sound. But being worried is certainly understandable. But don't live your life with the assumption of going to be the same. And even as she is, even if you can't see it, your mom is actually quite smart. She just has troubles expressing it." Then he looks down a bit, "And I got the piece of cake you threw. I figured it was fair game." He grins.

Dinky sighs, smiles a little, and starts dishing slices of cake onto plates. She makes Fluttershy or whoever's closest pass them out. There's cherry sauce with real cherries in it, too.
Chalice_Flame steps quietly in line for cake, "Looks delicious".

Red_Velvet places a small peck on Fluttershy's cheek, "Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel silly. I..." Then Dinky explains that this is not certain, but merely a worry on her part. "I...oh my...perhaps. I was premature in explaining things." Red accepts the slice of cake with a smile and taking Fluttershy's present exchanges it for the cake. "Eat, darling. It will make you feel better." Red Velvet then takes the gift over to the gift table...sans magic of course which takes her a bit and she softly grunts, "Oh dash it all...so hard when one cannot levitate...mutter...mutter...mutter..."

Berry_Punch is eating cake in the middle of the floor now. "Not bad!" she says. "Bing cherries, am I right? Excellent choice." She swallows one whole.

Tweed-Patches gets his hooves on cake and eats slowly, like he's partaking of a sacrament. There's bliss there behind his eyes. Cake and tea. Tea and cake. His happiness is complete.

Berry_Punch is right next to him. She smiles blissfully at him and returns to chewing.

Tweed-Patches takes a little while to notice Berry, and when he does - why, there's that smile again.

Dusk still has some of his cake and is enjoying it too. "Now that you lit them, don't you need to blow the candles out, Miss Dinky?" He smiles.

Fluttershy helps pass out cake while Red puts her gift where it belongs.

Dinky shrugs off Dusk's concern. "Eh. Let 'em burn. I made my wish. You can blow 'em out if you want." She munches her own slice of cake from one of the couches, getting crumbs here and there. She regards Red Velvet. "I'm a freak. That's how it is. Icould be freakish like my mom was, starting in sixth grade, or I can freakish my own way. I dunno what's gonna happen. I just know I'm getting older, and my magic's... coming in, and... I'm scared." This last part is muffled by angelfood.

Red_Velvet has disconnected.

Dusk shrugs back and grins, "It's your cake. Let 'em burn then!" He finds a spot to sit with his friends and eat." He catches the last bit, but doesn't make a specific point of it. "Well we can always try working on your magic sometime. We did before, and saved some ponies from the ghost pirates." To which he turns back to another bite of cake. "Mmm it is good, yes."
"My slice has a burning candle in it," remarks Berry Punch. "What am I supposed to do with that, huh?"

Dinky nods and sinks into thought. "Yeah. True enough. And do you know what, Dusk? To this day, I'm still not sure what happened that night." She chews her cherry-covered dessert. "I think I get less sure every day."

Tweed-Patches twitches his ears at the talk of magic. He thinks he should say something, but what is there to say? Platitudes about how things will be okay? Advice, and encouragement? That turned out so well, with the puzzle. And his knowledge of unicorn magics is strictly theoretical, and on a very basic level. So instead he keeps silent, trying to ignore Berry.

Berry_Punch says "You know," says Berry with her mouth full to nopony in particular, "I really like educated stallions. Their accents are so funny to listen to! Classic."

Dusk grins to Berry, "I suggest against eating it. And suggest not catching on fire." Such as breathing a high alcohol breath around it. He lightly nods to Dinky, "Yet you were very in touch with your magic. Perhaps it is something to focus on, so you don't forget what it was like or how to do it."

Dinky nods. "Yeah, I guess so." The sight of a package unopened on the table catches her eye. "Oh, hey! Who's that one from? I thought I got 'em all." She takes the excuse to leave the discussion of magic and go check out Fluttershy's gift. What's in there?

Tweed-Patches thinks of something, and a slow grin creeps up his muzzle. He fishes a bit of chalk out of his coat and scribes a small circle on the table next to him, "Hello, miss, uh..." He cants his head momentarily towards Berry, "Begging your pardon, but I've forgotten your name." Having said this he adds things inside the circle, muttering to himself, "Water. Force. Action." There's a pause and he looks up, "Would you like to see something curious?" He adds a daub of tea to the center of the circle, tracing out a circle, then a cross inside that circle, and sits back, smiling pleasantly.

Berry_Punch grins at Tweed. "Eh, does it matter? I'm the berry girl." She flicks her curly tail and peers at the symbols. "Hmmmm. A quartered circle! That's a symbol, all right. Is that magic, or what?"

Tweed-Patches scrunches his mouth up, "Berry girl. Quite." How droll. He nods to Berry's question, and for a second he considers telling her to lean in really close to get a good look at the fine details in the sigil, close enough that her shadow can't help but fall upon it. It's a foalish prank, and he almost indulges his sence of petty vengence, but he draws back from that, nodding again, "It's a basic ward, coupled with elemental thaumaturgy, drawing upon the connection of wood to the realm of water you can - well... Here. Just wave your hoof over it."

Fluttershy's present is long and square, with little sparkly triangles on the wrapping - apparently, somepony in Equestria's invented holofoil. The ribbon and wrapping come off easily. Fluttershy must've wrapped it just so, so that Dinky wouldn't have to tear through the wrapper and be sad about it. Inside is a long box, and inside the box...there's a tiny set of chimes, some little crystal-and-clay figures, and a roll of sheet music. Or is that music box paper?

Dusk doesn't mind shifting the topic at all. Especially if it's about a gift from Fluttershy he saw her bring in. He glances over to Tweed and watches what he's doing there too while waiting to find out what Fluttershy's gift might be.

...looking closer, you can see that not all of the figures are done in crystal and clay. Some of them are actually mostly...knitted.

Dinky doesn't get sad about ripping things up. Shocked, yes. Aghast, even, sure. But sad? She can't cry for a snail. And she can cry even less for holofoil. She tosses the paper aside, letting it sai to the floor, and reveals... Huh. Music! She holds up the chimes and lets them clank, echoing a little. She examines the figures... "What are these? Fluttershy... what'd you give me?"

Berry_Punch waves her hoof over the sigil obediently, blithe to the consequences.

Tweed-Patches natters on about thaumaturgy, about the power of the writen word - the signifier that affects the signified, how certain learned ponies can affect the world of formation through physical acts, and thus affects the physical world of action, the warding of books, rooms, even buildings and plots of land can be accomplished - &c. &c. The ward's reaction isn't much more exciting that Tweed's droning lecture, but it is something. As the shadow of Barry's hoof passes over the scribed circle the chalk flares ever so slightly, then there's a faint pop, and a brief, but fairly forceful gout of water erupts from the top of the table, arcs through the air, and, as luck has it, puts Berry's candle right out. Tweed looks quite pleased with himself.

Berry_Punch is pleased too! She laughs at the doused candle, and back at Tweed. She chuckles at the whole situation. "That's beautiful!" Then she puts a random extra line into the circle and waves over it again.

Dusk smiles both at Fluttershy's musical gift, and Tweed's water works. Nicely done. He does wonder about the figures. But figures they're figures.

"Oh, um...i-it's not much. I'm sorry." Fluttershy fidgets and scuffs a hoof as Dinky's eye passes over a butterfly the size ofyour hoof with tiny, glittery specks in its crochet wings and antennae. "It's, um, it's just some things I made myself and some musical things I found."

"These are, um...they're like music box chimes, but they're big enough to ring with your hoof."

Tweed-Patches grins, "When I was at school it was quite the thing to leave these places where ponies would look, and it was rather like getting a face full of water from the hose p... Wait! Don't!" But he's too slow, the ward fizzles again and - huh. Is that wine?

Berry_Punch is in her own little heaven, little it drip all over her face. She laughs like a little filly while supplies hold out.

Dinky dings and rings the various figures with her hoof. The butterfly clicks instead of ringing. Hm. Doesn't seem damaged. She picks up a mantis figure and peers at it. "This is..." Dinky squints. "I don't get why you gave these to me. But they're nice, sure. Thanks," she tells the animal caretaker, so different from herself.

Dusk smiles, "Indeed. It has been a wonderful party. However I must head off. Thank you for the invite, Miss Dinky, and happy birthday again. And good night, my friends. It was good seeing you."

"Well, um...I know you like music," says Flutters.

Dinky raises an eyebrow. "I do?" she asks. She nods to Dusk. "Oh. Hey yeah. I guess I'm glad you showed up. Thanks for making the trip." She adds a wave and sees that the room is pretty much empty again. It all went so fast.

Tweed-Patches boggles a little. The odds of the ward producing wine, instead of just missfiring and consuming the table in a burst of elemental spite are - well he was never too good at math, but they're pretty long, "I - er..." He reaches with his hoof and breaks the circle of the ward, "I - I think that might be enough of that for tonight."

Berry_Punch shrugs. "Yeah, sure. I'm not one to push my luck." Yeah, right, Berry. That's why you're gonna spend a day trapped in a crystalized gazebo next week. "Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Dr. Brittle. See you around, I hope!"

Dusk gets up, putting away his dish and fork. He nods, "More than welcome, Miss Dinky." If Tweed can reproduce Berry's trick, they could perhaps put some taverns out of business. A wine drinking fountain. He finishes up, and seems to have left a some point.

Tweed-Patches smiles faintly back, bobing his head pleasantly, "I'm not going anywhere just now, it's likely we'll bump into one another sometime later." He nods, stands, then glancing back to Dinky, he can't help but wilt a little again, "Er. Happy birthday?" It sounds a little lame, and so he adds, "If - well - if you're even at the university and need a spot of help with something..." He trails off, awkwardly, wondering about the propriety of what he's saying.

Dusk has left.

Dinky nods curtly to Tweed. "Right. 'Cause I might go derpy soon and my genius friend already has. I could use all the outs I've got." She considers this, her head low.

Berry_Punch takes one more little snack plate for the road. "Seeya, Dinks! Hang in there--you got folks in your corner." She whistles on her way out.

Berry_Punch has left.

Tweed-Patches gives a thin little smile, and produces a calling card from a coat pocket. It's only slightly dogeared. It has his full name and title. Professor of Natural Magic. He amends the office address to something current with his pencil, then pushes it to Dinky, "I - I hope things work out." He's aware of how lame it sounds, but he doesn't have anything else. So he fidgets, and says, "Happy birthday." Then he edges towards the door.

Dinky sits there amid the detritus of her party. She's eleven now. Two wispy beanpoles. Paper plates, leftover food, wrapping and a few presents sit around her, a giant jukebox that she somehow has to decide what to do with sitting nearby. The echoes of a heartfelt song of fear still shakes her bones, deep down. She regards the quiet room. "Well. I guess that was a party."

Dinky shouts "So long, folks! Thanks for making my party an interesting night!" (Public-shout)