My Little Pony XI: "Mmph!"

[Grif]

I am only showing you this to help, and not because looking at it makes me break into fits of fillyish giggles.

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This made me laugh. And giggle.

Why is Rarity punching him again?

"Cereal Velocity, THIS is for all those bad Rarity fics you approved."

[PhoeKun]

That's supposed to be Cereal? Huzzah! Someone to work with. Though I thought that was supposed to be Seth back when I first saw it...

You'll notice an Equestrian Innovations cutie mark if you look closely. Also, really? I don't think I could have been more explicit in the comments...

This made me laugh. And giggle.

Why is Rarity punching him again?

Because he has a creepy stalker crush on her which is totally an aspect unique to him and not emulated by anypony else you know wink wink nudge nudge cough gag wheeze. Banana.

[Kairaven]

I do need information though, and the best place for that is The Thread, an underground information network headed by the Great and Powerful Trixie. Anything you wish to know can be bought, for a price. No pony has ever seen Trixie in person though, her trade is always in shadow, but her information is reliable.

I enter the local salting hole, and looked up at the mantle above the bar. Ah, yes, the purple hat, that shows this is one of The Thread's contact point.

It's a quiet place, and only a few ponies, tucked away in dark corners, looking deep in salt slumber. But I know better, they are here incase somepony didn't know his place. I sat at the bar and slid a few bits over the counter.

"Smoothie, with extra hay." Trixie's drink of choice, and the code to initiate business.
"Would you like anything else with your drink?"
"A look of the menu would be nice" I slide a photo of the filly on the counter, along with more bits
"very well, please wait."

The bar tender trotted into the back of the bar, and after a while came back with a smoothie and a folded piece of paper, conveniently placed under the coaster.

Only one word is written on the paper... "Lixie"

What have I gotten myself into...

[Mystic Muse]

I'm going to withdraw from the thread until the creepy discussion of mafia ponies goes away.

[Kyouhen]

I do need information though, and the best place for that is The Thread, an underground information network headed by the Great and Powerful Trixie. Anything you wish to know can be bought, for a price. No pony has ever seen Trixie in person though, her trade is always in shadow, but her information is reliable.

I enter the local salting hole, and looked up at the mantle above the bar. Ah, yes, the purple hat, that shows this is one of The Thread's contact point.

It's a quiet place, and only a few ponies, tucked away in dark corners, looking deep in salt slumber. But I know better, they are here incase somepony didn't know his place. I sat at the bar and slid a few bits over the counter.

"Smoothie, with extra hay." Trixie's drink of choice, and the code to initiate business.
"Would you like anything else with your drink?"
"A look of the menu would be nice" I slide a photo of the filly on the counter, along with more bits
"very well, please wait."

The bar tender trotted into the back of the bar, and after a while came back with a smoothie and a folder piece of paper, conveniently placed under the coaster.

Only one word is written on the paper... "Lixie"

What have I gotten myself into...

Personally I prefer Zecora for my information needs. I don't know how she does it, but she knows everything that happens in Ponyville. I swear sometimes she even knows before it happens.

And talk about security! When you visit her nobody finds out what you were up to, and nobody's ever been able to reach her unless she wants them to. That forest is a dangerous place and she's got one hell of a base set up in there.

[dromer]

It's all a system,

Fluttershy controls Eastside Ponyville with her smuggling racket and exotic animal slave labor.

Pinkie is controling the pastry operations in the westside of town.

Then there's the Apple family moonshine business, the Cloudsdale Race track controled by Rainbowdash, and the highclass pony escort business ran by Rarity.

not to mention the rising gang activity headed by the blossoming Cutie Mark Crusaders

sure Celestia sent Twilght Sparkle, the so called Hand of Celestia to come and take care of the crime of Ponyville, but we all know she is deep in cahoots with all these business.

Twilight isn't the hero the city wants; she's the hero the city needs.

[Trixie]

...Since when you were under impression Zecora is an independent outfit?

Also, yes I have a net--

Net--

Network of rop--

Informants, quite tangled, and I don't know why you're giving me the weird looks

[Kairaven]

Personally I prefer Zecora for my information needs. I don't know how she does it, but she knows everything that happens in Ponyville. I swear sometimes she even knows before it happens.

And talk about security! When you visit her nobody finds out what you were up to, and nobody's ever been able to reach her unless she wants them to. That forest is a dangerous place and she's got one hell of a base set up in there.

ah, but you see, Zecora only partially deal in information, her trade is security and weapons, she has ties to foreign mercenary groups, and if you need an untraceable piece in a hurry, Zecora has the means.

[Shadowy]

I'm going to withdraw from the thread until the creepy discussion of mafia ponies goes away.

I'm afraid getting out of the.......buisness isn't quite that easy.
*stands omniously with baseball bat*

[Aotrs Commander]

I'm going to withdraw from the thread until the creepy discussion of mafia ponies goes away.

You may have already noted my absence. (If not, you should have done, blast you all!)

Evil is fun.

Criminal, though, is just really dull.



I honestly preferred the bondage jokes. And I was with DBC on my opinion of them.

Heck, I'd almost prefer to read Celestia-bashing again.



(And yes, I am more cranky than usual, because the 3D printers just announced the final price of their newish decent detail material, and it's gone up Eight. Times. The initial price. Rendering it completely out of the sane price range and thus useless to me. Which stings, especially after I spent the last three wargames conventions singing their praises and making the point about how they were getting competative with metal castings and revolutionising the wargames model industry. All of which will probably bypass the understanding of almost everypony, and interest even less. But there you go. I was all ready to go play SC2 all evening, and now I'm in a foul mood. Even for me. So there. *spectral raspberry*)

[the_druid_droid]

Some ponies on the inside told me once about the guy they think could bring an end to it all...said he'd been ordered to take out the trash by the Princess herself.

Of course, I didn't believe 'em at first. Heck, I saw the kid once, and he didn't look like no G-man to me. But then I heard about the bust-up over at Sweet Apple Acres; said he'd scored 500 kilos of their special concentrate without a pony lost in the sting.

Maybe I'm startin' to believe...and maybe I ain't. It's been too crooked here for way too long. All I know is, you better keep your nose clean around the one they call Spike...

[dromer]

(And yes, I am more cranky than usual, because the 3D printers just announced the final price of their newish decent detail material, and it's gone up Eight. Times. The initial price. Rendering it completely out of the sane price range and thus useless to me. Which stings, especially after I spent the last three wargames conventions singing their praises and making the point about how they were getting competative with metal castings and revolutionising the wargames model industry. All of which will probably bypass the understanding of almost everypony, and interest even less. But there you go. I was all ready to go play SC2 all evening, and now I'm in a foul mood. Even for me. So there. *spectral raspberry*)

I wasn't aware 3D printers were used outside of industrial use. They're a bit on the expensive side, anyway. (At least, more so than metal casing figures) :P

[Trixie]

I honestly preferred the bondage jokes.

Ok, I'll show more... restraint from now on, then

I'm going to withdraw from the thread until the creepy discussion of mafia ponies goes away.

Very well!

<leads to small, well lit room, then proceeds to lovingly tie with finest silk rope, as slowly as possible>

That better, both of you?

[Kairaven]

Lixie, that’s a name of myth spoken in hushed tones, the boogie pony that comes up in talks only in the deepest of crime circles. In this town where the territories are clearly marked by the various heads of pony families, Lixie is the wild card.

I have only heard stories about her, the latest one involving the takeover of the Guild of Chains and Amish Pirates up in Manehattan. Who knows if it’s true? I don’t know why she would be involved, but if she is, then this is not the usual Ponyville dealings.

I need to talk with Raz_fox it seems. This job is getting worse by the minute.

[Kyouhen]

...Since when you were under impression Zecora is an independent outfit?

Also, yes I have a net--

Net--

Network of rop--

Informants, quite tangled, and I don't know why you're giving me the weird looks

The real question is, do I care? The correct answer is no. Zecora offers anonymity and secrecy and so far she's delivered. I'm sticking with her.

You may have already noted my absence. (If not, you should have done, blast you all!)

Evil is fun.

Criminal, though, is just really dull.



I honestly preferred the bondage jokes. And I was with DBC on my opinion of them.

Heck, I'd almost prefer to read Celestia-bashing again.



(And yes, I am more cranky than usual, because the 3D printers just announced the final price of their newish decent detail material, and it's gone up Eight. Times. The initial price. Rendering it completely out of the sane price range and thus useless to me. Which stings, especially after I spent the last three wargames conventions singing their praises and making the point about how they were getting competative with metal castings and revolutionising the wargames model industry. All of which will probably bypass the understanding of almost everypony, and interest even less. But there you go. I was all ready to go play SC2 all evening, and now I'm in a foul mood. Even for me. So there. *spectral raspberry*)

One second, I think there's something in my eye.
*Wipes eyes*

Nope, it's still there. 8 times the original price? By the gods! And that stuff isn't cheap! And here I thought things were bad enough with Games Workshop, at least they don't pull a stunt like that.

...And do you even have a tongue to give raspberries with?

[MCerberus]

Another night, another raid into the vice dens of precinct 34. A horrible rat maze filled with the worst scum Equestria has to offer. The things that happen here are beyond the thinking of the average citizen meeting another pony at one of DBC's clubs... hell, if you tried this kind of stuff at one of Phoe's places, you'd get a nice pair of cement shoes.

I worn Derpkowski to have something other than milkshakes and salt-lick. She just stares off into nowhere with that look. Poor cop hasn't been the same since her partner was delivered to the station in a box. None of us eat cupcakes anymore.

The self-inserters and the like scurry for the back exit, but that's been covered by the other squad. Some will escape, but not the big fish. Keep 'em off the street for a couple weeks before they bribe their way out still hurts their business. Searching through the rooms, I hear a muffled scream and see Derpkowski's 'lunch' on the floor.

The manager was in the "Applebloom x Mack" room. He claims he'll have our badges due to his connections. He's not getting out on the streets again. I pull out my .38 friendship cannon. I'll join Derpkowski at the bar tonight.

[Aotrs Commander]

I wasn't aware 3D printers were used outside of industrial use. They're a bit on the expensive side, anyway. (At least, more so than metal casing figures) :P

Forgive me for co-opting the pony thread for a mo. (Actually, I don't care even if you don't, 'cos I'm gonna do it anyway. Not like you're talking about anything important anyhow... Ziiiing!)

See, this is the point. Shapeways is the first place to do it at relatively sane commercial price. Their cheap material (what I use for the bulk of my starships and tanks and isn't going to change any at all) is actually within the same order of magnitude as metal prices, at least for smaller item like starships; 28mm vehicles are way out, 'cos the price is by volume. (All their prices are inclusive of (global) P&P, so you've got an extra 10% there; their only restriction is you have to have a minimum $25 order.) The point being that it's cheap enough you actually use the prints as is, rather than have to master them. I literally pop them out of the next-day UPS shipping box, slap 'em on a flight stand:

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And then paint 'em up like I would any regular model.

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And you can't tell the difference from ordinary metal models

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Spot the 3D printed ones from the metal ones.

The detail material in question is what the Pegasus bombers I keep harping on about are coming in, which was a good price for smaller models. Now they've booted the price up with an insanely high start-up fee, it's no longer ever worth using, since by the time you attempt to migitate the start-up cost per model by having multiple ships per model (model parts don't have to be attached, you see), you'd be well above the price of the cheap material. And it's not twice as good for twice plus the price. (And I can't even attempt that, due to software limitations.) I'm just annoyed, as had it remained at a sane price, I could have used the extra 0.2mm wall thicknesses, and a slightly better finish might have been worth it for 10-20% extra cost. But not 200-300%. So yeah.

Google Shapeways if you're interested. (If you're really brave, you could google Aotrs Shipyards, not to blow my own horn.)

And yeah, I've been giving that speech out at conventions to every one of the many interested people (I had more interest in my display than I've ever had in twenty years before) all day straight for the last three conventions, so that's why I'm feelin' piqued by this.

And cranky. And there isn't even any interestin' pony-related stuff goin' on...

One second, I think there's something in my eye.
*Wipes eyes*

Nope, it's still there. 8 times the original price? By the gods! And that stuff isn't cheap! And here I thought things were bad enough with Games Workshop, at least they don't pull a stunt like that.

Even my comparitvely expensive models are waay cheaper than Workshop, as are 75% of all wargames miniature manufacturers, to be fair! Workshop prices are just bonkers, and always have been.

...And do you even have a tongue to give raspberries with?

*spectral raspberry*

Spirit-bound = haunting your body like a haunt haunts a haunted house.

[Orzel]

I'm going to withdraw from the thread until the creepy discussion of mafia ponies goes away.

Sorry. Its is all my fault. Curse my thirst for bits.

Heh autocorrect changed "thirst for" into "thrusting" because of poor spelling.

Silly phone. Where did you get such a silly idea? Im a nice innocent stallion. *halo*

Now let's all talk about nice stuffs. Like Colton.

[MCerberus]

Sorry. Its is all my fault. Curse my thirst for bits.

Heh autocorrect changed "thirst for" into "thrusting" because of poor spelling.

Silly phone. Where did you get such a silly idea? Im a nice innocent stallion. *halo*

Now let's all talk about nice stuffs. Like Colton.

For the longest time, the Firefox library didn't recognize "axe" as a correct spelling. It kind of shows up a lot more than you'd expect on this forum.

So non-Mafia stuff: Futurama Ponies!
Fry:
Leila:
Professor:
Zoidberg:
Bender:
Scruffy (the janitor):
Morbo:

[Trixie]

Forgive me for co-opting the pony thread for a mo. (Actually, I don't care even if you don't, 'cos I'm gonna do it anyway. Not like you're talking about anything important anyhow... Ziiiing!)

Says someone with starships named Depravity and Perversion :P

[Aotrs Commander]

Says someone with starships named Depravity and Perversion :P

I probably shouldn't mention the Foul and Flagitious's sister ships in the Eleventh Naval Detachment, then: Indecent, Lewd, Crude and Licentious...!



The Herosine Empire are hilariously corrupt bunch; ship class names are after the most corrupt Roman senators, ship names after sins, vices, crimes, and generally deletrious names. (There's seventy-nine ships in that fleet, so I'm starting to run out of negative stuff to name 'em after! And they are but one fleet of my twenty or so fleets of starships, totalling about a thousand ships...)

[Qaera]

I'm taking a summer college course in Engineering Fundamentals, and we just used a 3D printer to make stuff today. I did the Green Lantern Ring, with interchangeable symbols. Should be done by Monday.

Now, if I could make a pony...

[Lix Lorn]

You've clearly thought this through more than I ever do...
...except my plane... which has a cosmology, rules, some consistent layout...

[Kyouhen]

Even my comparitvely expensive models are waay cheaper than Workshop, as are 75% of all wargames miniature manufacturers, to be fair! Workshop prices are just bonkers, and always have been.

Granted! This is why I have a heavily converted army. If you know the right tricks you can easily get twice as many models as what you pay for.

*spectral raspberry*

Spirit-bound = haunting your body like a haunt haunts a haunted house.

Well excuuuuuuuuse me! Not all of us are experts on space lich anatomy.

[Aotrs Commander]

You've clearly thought this through more than I ever do...
...except my plane... which has a cosmology, rules, some consistent layout...

Who, me?

If so, yes. I spend hour upon hour planning and writing this sort of background stuff. (Or y'know, adapting it from the Aotrs databank.)

It's why I don't do off the cuff DMing, because it has to be done, and it has to done right! (You wouldn't beleive the amount of research I sunk into my not-Roman country, down the point of working out Legionary pay based on Roman bread prices...)

Huh. I just realised I'm nearly as obsessive as Rarity...

Well excuuuuuuuuse me! Not all of us are experts on space lich anatomy.

Well, now you know.

And knowing is half the battle or somesuch...

[Kyouhen]

Well, now you know.

And knowing is half the battle or somesuch...

And the other half is excessively large cannons!

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[Aotrs Commander]

And the other half is excessively large cannons!

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!!!

Ohcrapitburnsitburnsitburnsitburnsohf@%£&*%£!!!! *@£^*!$$%%*$aaaaargh!!!!!

...

Guurr...

...

...

That. Freaking. Hurt.


Kyouhen, I greatly dislike you.

Fragdammit.

*dust*

[MCerberus]

And the other half is excessively large cannons!

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Obviously it's not firing at full capacity. It should have at least 20% more friendship, dammit!

[Kairaven]

would anypony be interested in writing Noir or Pulp style first person story snippets set in the Ponyville Crime alternate universe? Sort of a congregation of pony stories all interacting with each other's story event?

if so, I'll set up a thread.

[Orzel]

It BETTER NOT rain tomorrow.

I want to sing "In the gala" with 80 pony fans in Midtown Manhattan.
If the singalong rains out, I'm breaking some weather pony faces.

/violentorzel

Kairaven, what would this be exactly. Just a collection of sstories?