Hoofington Inn (Closed)

[diamondpoint]

Diamond hopped back onto the bed and laid down once more while facing Quillson. She nodded as she spoke, grinning at the idea that he wanted to learn more about her. "Oh, I heard Manehatten is lovely!" she just had to comment on where he was from. Her grin grew when he decided to ask about her cutie mark.

"We-e-eell..." she chuckled, "Ever since I was a filly, I loved throwing things with my magic. I often got in trouble at school for getting bored and making messes or breaking a window or something. Eventually, my teacher suggested to my parents about finding me an activity to focus my energy into. We tried a baseball, but I got bored of it. Then discus, but it wasn't the same. This went on for a week or two. Then, randomly, my father showed me darts. That a liked. I took to it quite well. This sparked an idea, and BAM!" she jumped up here, tossing her front legs into the air, then quickly settled back down.

"We tried archery. And, by Celestia, I was terrible at it. I just couldn't get used to the bows they supplied. I kept wanting to just throw the arrow myself, but everypony kept telling me that was the wrong way to do it. My father suggested we go back to playing darts, but I wasn't about to let a stupid sharp stick beat me! Which was good, because right at that moment a DRAGON attacked the archery range!" Diamond hopped up onto her hind legs once again, while using her front legs to show details.

"Everypony ran for their lives! But not me! I stood my ground, bow in hoof and, remembering all my training from the last few hours, I fired off an arrow! ...It went straight down. Stupid bows. So, I ditched the lame piece of wood and tried tossing the arrow with my magic! It went a little farther, but got no where near the Dragon. I knew I had to think fast! The dragon was rampaging and destroying EVERYTHING! Then an idea hit me. They were right! I did need to use the bow. But I was right too, I need to throw it with my magic. So I did BOTH!"

Diamond's horn started glowing as she plucked an arrow from her quiver and floated it over to her. Sitting down again now, closing her eyes as she focused. The magical light around the arrow grew brighter, but not blindingly so, then started to spread out. The light extended, fanning outward from the tip of the arrow. Thinner strands of light connected the stretched out ends to the bottom of the arrow, forming a triangle with a rounded end, forming the shape of a bow. This all took a second, about the same as stringing an arrow on an actual bow.

"With my new weapon ready, I set my sights on the beast. It saw me and charged. I smirked, knowing it was already over. I aimed. Breathed. And fired." she released the arrow, which launched across the room and made itself a new home in the wall, a few feet above Quillson.

Diamond opened her eyes and smirked, shifting out of the more serious tone she fell into while telling the story, "And then I got my cutie mark and it was fantastic!" she noticed the arrow embedded in the wall, "Oops... I'll, uh... pay for that."

[thepatriot]

Her story was certainly invigorating to start, to say the least. Quill listened as carefully as he always did, just to be sure that no details were missed. Her first jump to a stand surprised Quill (though knowing her it shouldn't have), and he grinned as she continued.

She was really into telling her story, something that Quill admired. It's always great to see another pony get so passionate about telling a tale like this, especially one that they're so close to personally. "... right at that moment a DRAGON attacked the archery range!"

Wait... no, he heard that right. There she was standing up in excitement again too. A Dragon? That doesn't sound... well,.... nope. As she continued, Quill began to ponder over the true legitimacy of her story.

He watched her with speculation as she went on, detailing her account of preparing to fight the Dragon. A single arrow? That hardly seemed likely.... But Quill wasn't about to say anything against her story. That's just the epitome of being a rude listener. Quillson's speculation grew into concern as Diamond lifted an arrow into the air, demonstrating her heroic feat against the "dragon". It wasn't until the bow began to bend back that Quill truly worried.

He ducked quickly, as the arrow flew over his head, embedding itself into the wall overhead with a solid *wham*. Covering his head with his hooves Quillson peeked up at the arrow, then back to Diamond. Slowly he uncovered himself, crouching low to the floor and slinking off to the side by a few feet.

"That's... quite the exciting story Diamond Point. Hard to believe a Filly so young was able to take on a Dragon like that.Truly amazing...." he spoke, re-situating himself off to the side. "Let's uh... try and keep the archery to an outdoor activity, shall we?" He finished off with a slight grin, hoping to stay as composed as he could given the circumstances.

[diamondpoint]

Diamond laughed nervously, "Right. Sorry about that. I got a little carried away again." she scratched the back of her neck with a hoof. "Aaand... I might have exaggerated a little bit to make the story more interesting. Like, maybe there wasn't a dragon... just a target that I swear that they placed too far away. And maybe it wasn't in one afternoon but a few months. And maybe I didn't even try baseball at all. But the stuff about the bow is true! I swear!"

She settled down on the bed, laying lower then before, almost as if she was ashamed or embarrassed. She quickly decided to keep the ball rolling, "How did you get yours? Your Cutie Mark, that is."

[thepatriot]

Okay, so maybe she exaggerated. Quill had to stifle a laugh at that line. Oh well, at least she was ending with being honest. As she explained herself, Diamond's mood seemed to damper. Quill stood back up, trying to revitalize the situation.

"It was a good story though, and you got REALLY into it. Besides, a little hyperbole just adds flavor anymore!" He eneded with the flash of his grin, sitting back down a bit closer than he'd been before. Her last question almost surprised him, though it really shouldn't have. It would make sense for him to reciprocate with his own story... His cutie mark, now there's a tale he hadn't told before.

"Well, you'll have to forgive me while I recollect my thoughts. It's been ages since I've even pondered the subject..."

He looked up at Diamond for a moment, focusing the timeline in his head.

"I grew up on my parent's Wheat farm, helping them work the fields. The Oatswrite's ended up being very prosperous though, and through one means or another my parents worked up enough money to move us into the city. I was young there, and from a completely different world than most of the other ponies my age." He glanced back at Diamond, deciding to maintain eye contact for the rest of his story.

" My parents tried to raise me to be as proper as possible. Fitting in was hard at first, but sooner than later you wouldn't even have noticed I was from somewhere else. Living with the social elites like that... well, it's really sheltered. Everything was done a certain way, and everything was organized just right."

"As I went through school, I got involed helping to deliver papers for one of the local newspapers in the city, going from door to door. It was during this time I began reading about the happenings around Equestria. I couldn't believe such a great big world existed just outside the city."

"My imagination grew exponentially as I read about everything that went on around our little city. I would try to get the other foals to play games with me, based around the ideas in my head. Mostly they just laughed and brushed me off, and soon enough I was alone again. But it wasn't about to stop me."

"I took up writing, if anything to create an outlet for all the thoughts in my head. I did this all through my youth, eventually drawing the attention of my teachers and other adults. Once I was old enough I left to see the rest of the world for myself. When I first stepped out of that city, and wrote my first lines onto paper in the real world... that's when my mark showed up. It was probably the most memorable moment of my entire life."

He glanced back at his flank, noting the Quill and ink that rested against his pelt. The mark had shown up so out of the blue to him, he had almost missed it out of his excitement of moving on.

Quill nodded as he finished, turning back to Diamond. "Sorry... I tend to ramble as I go. It's just how the stories sit in my head. I hope I didn't bore you too much with details."

[diamondpoint]

Diamond sat up once more after Quillson reassured her and continued to tell his story. She stayed quiet, letting him explain his past, keeping the eye contact that he established in the midst of his story. It wasn't or flashy, but it was true and obviously meant a lot to him. A part of her mind wanted to point out that most cutie mark stories meant a lot to their owners, but she just shushed the voice.

By the end of the story, she had scooted to the end of the bed, letting her front hooves hang off the end. She took her head when he apologized afterward, "Don't be. It was a good story. It could have used a dragon, though. All stories are better with a dragon." she smirked at him.

That's when something really strange happened, something that actually worried Diamond and made her anxious. It got quiet. She had nothing to say. She always had something to say! She glanced around the room, looking for a conversion starter. Then she remembered: The arrow! Her head snapped back to her arrow stuck in the wall. That would buy some time.

She slid from the bed once more and, as nonchalantly as she could, trotted past Quillson, stood on her hind legs, placing her front on the wall and gripped the arrow in her mouth. With a few grunts and tugs, she freed the arrow from the plaster. Dropping back down to all fours, she made her way over to her quiver and place the arrow back in with the others.

[thepatriot]

Diamond's reassurance got Quill to smile once more at the end of the story. He wasn't sure how it would have come out, considering how little he'd ever rehearsed telling it in his head. He looked over to her, now perched at the edge of the bed, waiting for her to say something to move the conversation forward. He was surprised when she suddenly slid down and made her way over to the arrow.

Gah! He'd forgotten about the arrow... Why hadn't he offered to get it down for her? He was really starting to lose it now...

Quill turned and rose as well as Diamond leaned up against the wall to retrieve the arrow. "Oh Diamond. Please let me get that for you..." Despite his words the Unicorn pulled the weapon free, carrying it back to her quiver with the others.

"Well, I guess since you brought up so many topics before, I may as well pull from one of them. Would you mind sharing a little bit about your family? I'd love to hear the kind of ponies that raised somepony like you."

He ended with another smile, hoping that the filly would turn and be sure he hadn't meant anything rude by the last line. No matter what Quill did he just kept making a fool of himself with his words.

[diamondpoint]

'Oh thank Celestia! He picked something. I can't believe I froze up!' Diamond thought with a sigh of relief and hopped back onto the bed with a smile.

"Sure! I suppose I can stir up some details about them. Well, there was this one time my Dad got into an arm wrestle with a dragon, and-- you know what? Never mind that one." She giggled lightly and tapped her chin with a hoof.

"Well, my Father was a member of the Canterlot Militia, or the Mage's Circle to be more precise. He specialized in enchantments and actually taught me a few that I could cast on my arrows before shooting them to give them different effects. My Mother was a Jeweler, also in Canterlot, obviously. She would cut and prepare gems for the mages to use for... whatever it is they use them for. And that's also how they met."

Diamond looked up at the ceiling in thought, "Aaaand... I think that's about it." she smiled back at Quillson, "You don't have to tell me about yours, if you don't want to." She added that last bit on the off chance his home life made him uncomfortable.

[thepatriot]

Quill waited patiently for Diamond to relay some information on her parents. Upon the dragon arm wrestling remark he smirked back at her, chuckling under his breath. Silly silly pony. That's what she was.

But Canterlot, both of her parents were from there. A guard and a jeweler? How exciting! He'd figured her name had to do with something along those lines. As she finished up telling about them, Quillson nodded over to her with a grin.

Her last line though confused him. from what he could tell of her so far, it wasn't like Diamond to hesitate on her inquiries. Why did she hold back on him? Hopefully he hadn't done something wrong. Maybe she was just getting tired of his ramblings. But, she had still asked. Bette to find out than not.

"Oh, I don't mind talking about them. My parents were, as I said before, Wheat farmers. That is until they made it big and moved to Manehattan. They were good ponies. They raised me well, gave me all the chances I could have needed growing up. They supported me, and allowed for me to leave them when the time came."

Quillson glanced over a the window, watching the snow fall and settle in the frame. He imagined his parents sitting before their fireplace. His father reading some book, or paper. Maybe even something Quillson had written.... His mother was probably rearranging some knick knack in the home. Dusting a vase, cleaning a mirror.

When his mind returned to the now, he hurridly returned his attention to Diamond. "They're sheltered, I won't lie. But they love me. They're family, and that's about all there is to it."

[diamondpoint]

"Aww, they sound sweet. I was worried that they might have been really dull, or snooty. I heard some families become really stuck up in Manehatten. I'm glad to hear that it didn't happen to yours." Diamond smiled and rolled over on the bed so she was now upside-down, and let her head hang over the side.

"So, what are the ponies like here in Hoofington? You seem great and Nimble Mind seemed nice enough. Aestella was a little weird, but in a cute way. What's everypony else like? Have you met the militia leader yet? What's she like?"

Her eyes wondered up the wall to the hole left from the arrow, "Oh, and sorry for almost shooting you. I think I forgot to apologize for that."

[thepatriot]

Quillson watched as Diamond turned herself upside down on the bed, looking over at her overturned eyes. "Well, don't worry too much about the arrows. It's not that big a deal. I mean, nopony was hurt and you didn't mean to!" He smiled to fill the message to its fullest, and continued to answer her question. Questions. Many questions...


"I'm flattered you think I'm so great! And the other ponies here in Hoofington are very nice! I've only met Aestella, Kuruka, Nimble Mind and Apple Cider so far. I've only been here a few days myself. Quillson stretched a bit, laying down in a more comfortable position.

"I think Aestella's great! She's awfully shy, but her genius and artistic talent are truly stunning! Kuruka seems like quite the individual. She tends to keep information about herself to... well, herself. But from what I can tell is very caring. Nimble's a very generous host, and runs a tight ship over at his bookshop. And I wasn't able to speak with Apple Cider for too long, but she seems just as nice as the others!"

He followed her continued gaze back towards the hole in the wall, and chuckled once more to himself over the prior events. "And really, don't worry about that. It's nothing."

[diamondpoint]

Diamond laughed. A lot. "I almost kill you and it's 'nothing'! You're either the greatest guy ever or completely insane!" she continued with her giggle fit, it eventually causing her to slip from the bed, again, and fall onto the floor. She landed with a soft thud and an 'oof!' and laid stun for a second before breaking out into laughter again.

"Oh, you're fantastic, Quillson! Completely brilliant!"

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down, trying to relax. "I'm okay! I'm okay... It's okay. Ooooh... So... hehe... What, uh, what... ah... hmm..." she laid still on the ground, remaining on her back for now, and stared at the ceiling, "I forgot what I was going to ask. I guess you can ask something again then!"

[thepatriot]

He couldn't help but stare in confusion as Diamond burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He wasn't sure what to make of her last comment... greatest or insane huh? Well he sure as hay wasn't coming off the way he'd inteneded.

"oof!"

Quillson jumped up when she fell from the bed, trotting over and kneeling down beside her head. She'd stopped laughing. Was she okay? "Oh my word, Diamond! Are you all right??" Her sudden re-bursts of laughter eased his mind, allowing Quillson to sit back again. Apparently the fall had left her without questions, which was fine by Quillson. He didn't mind bringing up more topics.

"Well, how about your interests? That's one of the topics you'd mentioned before if I remember. What sort of stuff are you into?" He looked down at the upside down filly, hoping that she hadn't hit her head too hard. Or that she she would burst into manic laughter again.

[diamondpoint]

"My interests, hmm?" Diamond rolled back onto her stomach and laid down properly, "Well, I love learning about new things and ponies, or at least ones that catch my interest, you know? No point in learning about something if it's just going to bore you. Like that Aestella. I would love to know what's going on in that head of her's. Or like some of the weird creatures out there, or just about everything over in the Everfree Forest. Oh, and I enjoying talking to ponies too, as you might have noticed." she giggled a little.

"I guess all that 'wanting to learn about stuff' almost means I like to read by extension. Which I guess I do, on occasion. Oh, and my archery, of course. But I guess that one goes without saying. And... hmm... Oh, and I guess meeting new ponies. You can't learn about ponies if you don't meet them first." she put a hoof to her chin in thought, "Well, I suppose you could. But it would be harder."

"And you..." she moved her hoof from her chin to point at the Stallion, "Like reading, writing, adventuring and snooping!" she giggles again and gives him a smile.

[thepatriot]

Quillson gave a slight nod of his head while Diamond spoke, in response to each varying interest that she listed off. Interesting that they shared such common interests. Of course, Quillson was a little less forward when approaching the subject, cautious towards how he dealt with gathering information, but that didn't change the fact.

"That's some really fun hobbies from the sound of it. I can't even imagine how exciting it must be to fire an arrow like that. Surely invigorating!"

He had to agree with her on the meeting ponies and what not. It'd become such a large part of his own life that the actual action started to feel commonplace. He laughed internally a bit as she placed her hoof against her chin, pondering that last line about learning without meeting out loud.

When she pointed at him he flashed a look of innocence across his face, before grinning again at Diamond. "Well I'd say you got that right for the most part. I do love to do all those things, I'm just not too sure I'd use the word "snooping". He shrugged after his clarification, before continuing to speak. "But I completely agree with what you said earlier, about meeting new ponies. It's one of the things I live for! It makes life so exciting to meet everypony else and their drastic differences. It's how I get some of my best writing inspiration you know."

Quillson tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling as he thought. Soon enough he returned eye contact to Diamond. "So what are your plans on living here in Hoofington? I mean, you are planning on living here permanently to help the town right? Surely you're not going to stay in the inn forever."

[diamondpoint]

So, he liked a lot of the same things she did. What where the odds? "Oh, are you going to make a character based off me now? That would be interesting and worth reading, don't you think? And if you wouldn't use the word 'snooping', what word would you use?"

Living arrangements? Diamond looked around at the room again, "Well, you got a point there. I guess I'll waiting to talk to the Captain to see if there are any arrangements already made and if not... I guess I'll look into getting a house of my own." she chuckled, "Not that I mind living in the Inn and, actually, I don't really now how long I'll be here. Forever or just until the Everfree Forest settles down or the town builds up a better Militia of its own. And if that were to happen, I assume I would return to Canterlot."

She shrugged, "Something to worry about for later, I suppose. But if I do get a house, I'm going to need a basement to turn into a training room to keep my skills up and now have any more..." she looked to the hole in the wall once more, "... mishaps."

"Oh!" Diamond stopped a hoof on the floor, "I can't believe it took me this long to think to ask! Quillson! What type of books do you even write?"