[IC] National Equestrian Mage Conference

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“Nah, nothing I can think of,” Sky said to Ley cheerfully, grinning. “Meditate to your heart’s content. Just hit the hay at a reasonable time. Gotta have the energy to properly get a feel for what’s here tomorrow before the Conference officially starts, no?”

He went back to assembling his cannon, which consisted of a seventy-five centimetre long tube, with a twenty five centimetre but that sat against his shoulder for recoil, the trigger mechanism hooked up to a small external lever to which he’d hooked a small, magically charged thunderstone that would trigger a much larger one at the end of the barrel inside it.

Thunderstones were a work around that non-unicorns had that allowed them to use basic magical abilities from precast gems set to certain triggers. Nothing to the level of a unicorn in complexity or versatility, considering they needed to be precast, but it was good for unicorn magi-locks if one wasn’t a unicorn, or in the case of Sky Runner’s cannon, storing a powerful force blast to launch something. Just a medium for storing spells that didn’t need any ‘supervision’ while they ran their course so that non-unicorns could use them if needed and they had the correctly enchanted thunderstone.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

Ley quickly got into a pose, before going through a series of flowing motions, ending in a stable and comfortable position, her eyes closed, her breathing calm and steady. She would remain in this position for up to two hours.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

When Ley came to, she’d find that Sky had set up something to hold up a picture of a life sized, extremely eagerly grinning pink pony within about an inch of her face. When Ley opened her eyes, she’d be opening them to see an absolutely massive and close pair of sky blue orbs staring back at her.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

After an hour, Ley opened her eyes, looking peaceful. She stared into the blue orbs and brought a hoof up, bopping it on the nose to check if it was real.
"Nice try Sky," She said loudly, putting the picture to the side, "Your pranks are getting better. Though you seem to have more success when they happen by accident."
She smiled a bit as she remembered waking up in mashed potatoes. That was an... interesting experience.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“Oh come on,” Sky complained with a laugh. “It was good and you know it.”

He was over on one side of the room. His cannon was mostly assembled, with the barrel opened so that the breach loader of the potato cannon was open, and the thunderstone at the back was exposed. He had a set of tools spread around himself that allowed him to do basic manipulations of the stone, mostly in regards to the blasting frequency and force. There was also all their luggage now sitting at the foot of each bed and what looked like a skeet launcher set up on the balcony, though this one launched force fields that dispersed after a short period of time.

“Oh, and the luggage came in. There’s also a notice with it. Tomorrow is free for us while the rest of the Conference attendees are going to come in, but day after, it starts. First one to take a stage is going to be a Doctor Starlight Dancer, speaking on array manipulation, and building a better, more efficient spell based on Starswirl’s seventh law of magic. You’re scheduled for a presentation on the third day,” he explained to her.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

"Ok, it was good," Ley said, laughing a little, "It's just that I'm used to it."
She quickly went in to the bathroom and washed her face, making sure the markings were removed, before walking back out. She walked over to look at the potato cannon, inspecting the elements. She lit up her horn and ran a scan on the thunderstone.
"Do you want me to change it so that the force it releases directionally?" She asked, looking to be helpful.
She smiled when she heard about her presentation.
"Ah yes. A Unifying Theory of Natural Magic. I'm looking forward to that," She said.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

Sky glanced up at Ley’s offer. “Yes please,” he said with a sigh. “I really hope that’ll help. I have a couple of force mirrors in the back of the barrel, but hopefully a full directional blast will help,” he said, shooting a smile at Ley. He then chuckled. “That unifying theory is still pretty crazy to think about, but it makes way too much sense,” Sky stated. “I’m looking forward to your presentation as well. Though I have to ask, are you looking forwards to these presentations you’re going to for knowledge, or eye candy?” he added teasingly.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

Ley quickly changed the charm on the thunderstone, making it so that the force it fired out went directly down the barrel, as opposed to in all directions. She also discretely put a few safety charms in place, slightly worried for her assistant.
"Yeah. But it appears in every other culture apart from Equestrian. The gryphons call it The Great Tree, the dragons call it The Fire That Touches All," She said, putting the thunderstone back in place.
"Oh Sky, why can't it be both," She said, giving him a wink.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“Like I said, makes way too much sense,” Sky said to Ley easily, nodding to her in thanks for altering the stone’s output so that it was directional. He laughed as Ley Lines commented on going to the presentations being for both. He looked back down at his cannon once more. “Alright, I guess it can be both then,” Sky allowed, a teasing smile on his face.

[OOC: Time Skip incoming!]

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

Ley let out a thoughtful hum. She went and checked the time on the fancy clock.
"Do you think we still have enough time to go and grab a drink?" She asked.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“It’s not like we have to wake up tomorrow, so I guess we’ve got all the time we want,” Sky said, getting up. His cannon was already safed, the trigger mechanism and attached thunderstone were detached from it while he worked, so he could just leave it how it was. “Let’s go check out this bar, and see if I can smooth talk my way back to somepony’s room,” Sky said with an overly hammy tone, already walking towards the door.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

"Just don't feel too crushed when they reject you," Ley said, quickly slipping on a ring around her hoof and a blue choker, "After all, thirty five point seven two doesn't bode well for you."
She smirked a little at that, before heading out the door and down the hall. Eventually she reached the bar, letting out an appreciative noise at the large selection of alcohol and, more importantly, mares.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

Sky snorted. “Yeah, yeah,” he said good-naturedly. He’d show her… his average would have one more on the good side after this night!

The bar was what one would expect for a fancy hotel, with cute waitstaff and bartenders of both genders. The bar was already fairly full of ponies who’d arrived that day looking to relax before bed and before the conference would officially start.

“Well, good luck,” Sky said, slipping off to go try his luck with some of the bar patrons, and leaving Ley lines to her own devices to find and pick up a mare of her own while he made his own attempt at picking up somepony.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

"Don't be too late," She called after him, smiling a little at her eager assistant.
'Maybe you will get lucky tonight, Sky,' She thought to herself as she headed over to the bar.
She quickly found a seat and looked around for a bartender to get a drink.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

It wasn’t long before a bartender came over to speak to Ley. She was a tall mare with a statuesque build, and moved with grace. “What can I get for ya, hun?” she asked Ley with a smile. The selection of beers and alcohol seemed to be ‘if a pony could think of it, the resort had it’.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

"Something a bit different. Maybe something hot. Though you already seem to have that covered," she said, giving the bartender a smile and a wink.

Meanwhile, a giggling stallion smashed into Sky in the middle of a dance.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“Well, we have the Dragon’s Breath Cocktail that’s exclusive to this Resort. That’s both different and hot,” the mare said smoothly. “And darling, even if I got the hot covering, there’s never too much hot stuff, no?” she asked in a flirty tone as she went about making the drink.

---

Sky grunted as the stallion ran into him, nearly bowled over before he’d even had a chance to have his first drink. He turned to see the stallion, curious to see just who it was that had run into him.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

Ley let her eyes trail down the bartenders graceful figure, down from her neck to her waist, before reaching her flank.
"You can say that again," she said, "And what sort of name does a pretty mare like you have?"

---

The stallion giggled before standing up.
"Sorry," he said, "its just so much fun."
He was a short stallion, and a young one at that, barely 18. He had a dark purple coat, with a bouncy dark blue mane, and light blue eyes.

[TheFiredancer]

@Carlsberg

“Autumn Grace, darling,” the earther said, expertly depositing a glass of fiery orange drink before Ley. “And what sort of name might a scholar like you be keeping?” she asked. “And I hate to mess with the mood, but what room to I set your tab up for?” she added, sounding apologetic for needing to get that information.

---

Sky Runner grinned. “I take it this is your first visit to a magical conference of any kind, let alone the Equestrian Mages’ Conference?” he asked the stallion cheerfully, noting the age, and definitely liking the body he saw. It also helped that Sky was about the same height as the stallion, too, rather than his normal ‘a lot shorter’. “I’m Sky Runner, by the way. What’s your name?” he asked in a smooth tone.

[Carlsberg]

@TheFiredancer

"My name is Ley Lines, but you can call me Ley," she said, taking a sip of the spicy drink, her expression unchanged, "The room is seven twenty three. Maybe I can show you it later on."

---

"Im Quartz," said the earth pony, "Its amazing here. So much to do, so many people."
He giggled again, swinging himself around Sky.