So an Inventor walks into a bar...

Shala let out a gasp as she about dropped her now empty glass. She took a few moments to breathe. Pretty? I know i try to be presentable for filly standards, but that was so...blunt. All because Intel.... She shot a murderous look at Intel as if he was the one responsible for all this. Things started making less sense in her mind as emotion and alcohol started doing dumb things.

Calm down Shala. Or you will wake up with more regrets. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and got comfortable. Still she looked at Intel with a glare but otherwise kept her composure.

"I doubt 'Intelligent Design' has much anything to say other than science and taunts. He wouldn't know an attractive filly if one came up and sat on him."

Right. This situation, more than quite possibly any other situation, called for a drink. These were words that Intel hoped will not be repeating in his life in Ponyville. Flirting was something Intel was wholly ignorant of and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted this kind of knowledge.

The good news was that the pegasus had now focused her attentions on Icarus. Maybe she would get him to be less jittery and nervous all the time.

The bad news, well, was glaring at him from across the table. Intel returned the glare while trying not to think of aesthetics. He raised his eyebrows at her comment.

"Well, sorry for valuing a pony's personality instead," he replied. Intel didn't ignore a pony's looks, he just... Well, he just didn't find them that important. He was more interested in one's mind more than one's body.

The messy maned stallion known as Indigo Surprise walks into the bar. Upon seeing the group he scans it for anypony he knows and grins when he sees Shala. He walks toward the table and behind Shala while under the influence of a muffle spell, silencing his hoofsteps on the tavern's floor. He moves his mouth just behind her ear and lowers his voice down to Flutterguy levels "Hello... Shala."

Icarus looked between Shala and Intel, feeling The Belligerent Sexual tension the Stress in the air between the two, Shyly lowered his glass and quietly backed out, a couple bits on the table, To pay for his drink.

Shala seemed even more insulted by Intel. "You haven't even gotten to know me.-" Before she could continue though she heard 'that' voice in her ear and froze. Her face once again went red as she grimmaced.

"...Indigo." Shala said through gritted teeth. Her glass was raised again to try to hide her blush in the drink but it was empty. That had to be fixed. "Bartender! Vodka....Please."

Indigo laughs and sits down at the table with everypony else, his voice returning to normal when he calls to the bartender for a pina colada. He looks over at the fully dressed mare that nearly matches himself in height and girth. "Oh.. Hello."

"Woah, wait a sec," Intel quickly interjected. He paused, thinking of words to say that couldn't possibly be taken the wrong way whilst repressing his want to drink. "I didn't say anything about your personality, Shala."

When Indigo made his entrance, Intel raised a brow. "And I won't ask what happened just then. I'm sure I don't want to know. Evening Indigo...I got that correct right?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Icarus retreat. Oh come on, really? Oh well, that might be the actual sane thing to do.

Intel stayed put, though. He didn't really have anything to do that evening, and in the end he was curious. And he couldn't resist that particular temptation.

Night Flare Sighed as the quite one backed out, it was a shame, he was cute. Then she always did like the quite ones, they don't ask questions. "Intel was it? I fear you misjudge my meaning. Beauty is not merely aesthetics, but the personality and the mind as well, I will not have you thinking me some barbarian that can see past a ponies make up."

Looking at her drink she swirled it around in her cup a moment, a hint of sadness crossing her face. "Some of a ponies most beautiful aspects are hidden under that mask of makeup." Taking a sip of her drink the emotion quickly left her face.

Eyeing the new pony as he took a seat Night Flare smiled, games were always more fun when there were more players. And this player matched her for size, but lacked her feminine curves. "Ah Hello dear, I am Night Flare, I'm new in town, and I was just making some friends with these lovely ponies, and you are?"

Looking around at the group, a thought crossed her mind. "Oh dear, There are a lot of Unicorns in this town, Its almost like visiting Canterlot!"

Shala was ready to continue the argument and press Intel further but at the words from Night Flare, she thought better of it.

What Night said had begun to really make Shala think. It almost....irritated her. Such a fairy tale of a saying surely did not apply to her and it made her even more aggravated that one might think that of her.

"No makeup here....Just booze." She said and slugged down some of the new vodka that had been given to her. Shala wanted to press more, see if this new pony would back up what she had to say, but thought better of it considering the mash up they just had. For now, she would be quiet and stare into her glass.

Turning her gaze from the males Night Flare Looked into the other mares eyes. The Mocking nature and Flirting was gone. Replaced were the eyes of a mare that as seen more then her share of hate and suffering. They were dark and cold eyes, the eyes that forced her to leave Coudsdale.

"No makeup? Is liquor not a form of Makeup? aren't you using it to cover up the blemishes that your emotional baggage has left on you?" Blinking the coldness left night flares eyes but the Flirt still had not returned. "A mask, repressed memories, self medication, call it what you will, and cover up as you may, I prefer makeup, it at least lets one feel pretty on the outside."

The whole time Night Flares voice had been quite, meant only for Shala, Finishing off her second Cranberry martini she composed herself and ordered a plain cranberry juice, she had not meant to get so personal, they mixed drinks much stronger here then in Cloudsdale, then again, Pegisi had a very low tolerance for drinking.

Shala sighed and hunked her head down as she listend to this pony. On the outside she appeared to not have a care in the world for what she was saying, but as the words sunk in, she seemed to hunker over a little more and let her hair fall over her eyes. There was no indication of any emotion, but on her next sip of alcohol, she appeared to tremble in the slightest.

"I, um, masks?" Intel asked. He was even more lost with this mysterious pony pegasus.

His mind just focused onto a question he could actually understand and answer. "Yes, I don't know why unicorns have suddenly descended onto Ponyville. I guess I like it that way. Reminds me of home." He paused as he took a sip of his drink. "Which is not to say I'm not happy to meet other ponytypes. New experiences are so very fulfilling."

He sighed and drained his glass. "But, we should never forget who we are and where we came from. My dad told me that, I think." He closed his eyes in thought. "Is that what you were saying about makeup? 'Cause that's what I got out of it."

Sipping her Juice Night Flare felt her head was in a better place. She thought it Ironic, that with as many problems as she herself had, the was so good at picking at other ponies problems.

"It can mean that yes." She turned her gaze away from the other mare, letting her to take a moment to compose herself. "Makeup, our own personal masks if you will, can be used to display parts of our history one is proud of, for instance, you are very proud to be a unicorn. It can also be used to brush over and hide other parts of our history, parts we do not wish to show the world, personal things." she let her voice die out, the cold look flashed in her eyes again but only for a moment.

"Every pony hides behind there makeup, to fit in, to be who they wish they were, and to hid from who they used to be." swishing her drink around she watched the juice spin a moment. "It can be as simple as pretending you didn't do something embarrassing in school, It can be .... much worse..."

Shala abruptly rose from her seat. "I...need to take a quick breather." Her eyes were unfocused as she stared down blankly and gave no time for anyone to look at her face. Again, a slight tremble seemed to follow her as she went for the door.

"...Forgive me, but it seems like you are speaking from personal experience," Intel stated darkly. He wasn't the most empathetic of ponies, but he knew the pegasus' words hit Shala hard.

It hit you hard, as well.

Save it.

Another drink was served in front of him. He took a big swig to provide him with the ability to speak his mind.

"Are you always this cheerful when meeting ponies for the first time? Making them feel awkward with your flirting one moment, then morally dissecting them the next? You-" Intel motioned weakly with his left hoof towards the pegasus. "Do you know who you remind me of? The nobles in Canterlot. Yes. They speak a lot of pretty words and they have a lot of pretty thought. But for all their supposed 'wisdom', all they really want is to feel superior to others. I know I must sound like a complete hypocrite when I say this, but did you even think about how others might feel with your fancy philosophy? Sure, I made Shala drop her drink. Yes, I am a bit of a douche for ticking her off through her amazing time keeping ability. But even for all the stupid things I said, I never did anything to make her act like that." He paused here to drink and motion towards the door where she left.

"You know what I think, Night Flare? I think your words hurt more than mine. They hurt more because I have no idea why they hurt." He turned briefly toward the tavern door, returned to glaring at the pegasus. "I express a little fondness for the home I was kicked out of, yes, kicked out of, and you have. The. Gall. To make an entire psychological essay out of it. Maybe if you knew me better, and if I knew you, this would be a better topic to bring up, but this is not so, Night Flare. You want to see beyond my mask? Well, this is it. A bitter, banished pony. And I don't know what complete and utter screwed up past you must have had to form that mindset, but do you know what? I don't care. I don't %#$*-ing care what's under your make up." Intel finished his drink. "Now, even I know that half of this rant is alcohol. I know that I'm not half as eloquent as you and your poetry. I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret this little speech of mine. But that's just how I am, and if one little, tiny speck of my mind has gotten through to you, then this will be all worth it."

He stood up. "Sorry Indigo for ruining the evening. I hope to see you again on a better day. Evening, all."

With that, Intel trotted after Shala.

Indigo was about to speak to introduce himself to the new pony when he was suddenly cut off. He muttered darkly at being interrupted and slowly drank his drink. And how good of a drink it is... rum... coconut milk... and pineapple juice all lazily mixing together as the invariable nectar of the gods. Then... he felt looming shadows take hold in the bar and mentally resigned himself.

He quietly sat through the entire tirade wide eyed at the sudden surge of emotion in the room. Looking back and forth between Shala, Intel and the largest filly he had ever seen. He had come here to keep Shala from drinking herself under the table and to call out Intel awkwardly from the table and to then apologize for the other night for his hand in causing the inventor pony's heritage breakdown. Now the closest ponies he had to friends were leaving the room, leaving him alone with the pony who had instigated the entire fiasco by bringing things to light far sooner than they should have. He looks to his own barely touched drink, his favorite drink and again at the empty table and the two ponies leaving. In a sudden feeling of impulse he slaps the drink away from the pegasi.

"You owe me a drink."

His chair falls backwards onto the floor as he gets up to follow his fellow unicorns out.

Night Flare was about to go after the little mare, to apologize, the drink took away some of her social graces. But she would stand by her statement Intel gave his pretty speech she let him, his words did not harm her, she had heard worse, and they were easier to take then the cutting bite of a hooves. "You act as if this is all my fault, I do apologize for not recognizing you all for the group of broken ponies you are. Perhaps if you were more whole you would realize I made a generalization, speaking from my experiences" She finished the phrase spoken into her drink. Let them leave, she would apologize when everyone was more sober.

She was about to take another drink when a hoof came in and slapped her drink away, that was very close, Her walls were shattering, and anger flooded threw, the anger from that day. Closing her eyes she heard the shatter of her glass and the colts words. He should have never made such a jester, It could be mistaken for something much worse.

When she opened her eyes again she was in front of the other colt, wings flapping to give her more height then she already had. As she hovered mere inches from his face about to do... she didn't know, when the anger took her it was always up in the air.

She took a deep breath and another. Backing up she stared down the other colt. "Its unwise to act like that to strange ponies, had I a bit more to drink I may not have been able to call my self into check." Taking another deep breath she turned and flew towards the door, at the frame she turned and glared at the colt once more, "I owe YOU nothing I didn't do anything to YOU." With that she flew into the night sky. not towards home, she need to cool off first.

It was hard not to over analyze other ponies, something that couldn't be helped. Both of her mothers were therapists after all. A lot of good that did you, a part of her said, you are just as broken as they are. No, I doubt any of them tried to kill another pony. A quieter angry part replied.

Turning towards her dark could house she decided that when she saw them again she would apologize. Even the shy one that left early.

Shala stared at the ground. Thoughts of the past washed up in her mind. Memories she did not want to think about. Her hooves trembled under her just thinking about them. I can't...think about this now...

Then in a period over a minute, she watched with some surprise as Intel exited the bar, soon followed by Indigo and the odd pony called Night. What in sorrels hell were they leaving for?

Iccy Watched them go, Sitting quietly, Sure nopony noticed him. He Wanted to make sure That Shala was Okay, but She probably needed some time to herself.

Indigo stands his ground, looking at the mare evenly as she pathetically tries to intimidate him. It'd take just one quick movement to put his horn in her neck... especially now that she's higher... She's moving away now, she's not going to fight. Watch her movements... She's gone. He didn't listen to her words, Intel's were burning inside of his head. How dare she judge them? Indigo judged everypony he saw, sure. Comparing them to others for their worth to himself and everypony else. But he never, ever makes the mistake of telling his thoughts to other ponies until he was sure of himself, and that always takes time. Time to build a rapport, if an action or personality trait is detrimental you wait and plan how you tell them. Judgements for the sake of improving another pony are much more effective when they come from a friend, not from some stallionesque freak show...

He shakes his head to clear his mind, nearly shaking the monocle from his face and continues out of the bar. He starts to become jittery, his heart racing faster. He hated direct confrontations... For this reason... the unused adrenaline.

He looked over at Shala and decided he wasn't going to say anything. When he personally felt bad about something the last thing he wanted was a chorus of voices to ask if he was alright. Instead he merely puts his arm(can we call front pony legs arms? they move like them) over her shoulder.

So when the ambient nature of the engine itself continually changes, making the purity orientation of the gems switch from tainted to untainted, conventional magic is produced, which is absorbed by the dampener, causing rotation...

It wasn't his common sense speaking, Intel knew that. His common sense had left some time ago, in the middle of his rant, which even now he couldn't quite remember.

"However, this continues indefinitely, picking up energy due to the nature of ambience itself. When the dampener breaks down, it... it..."

He slumped down on the ground. He didn't even notice Shala and Indigo next to him.

...it all breaks down.

Shala winced at the touch and pulled away from the touch. Angry eye's met Indigo, but deep down they looked very stressed. "I don't need your sympathy...." She relocated herself to a spot several feet away from him. "...Go back inside and drink....I...never let a drink go unfinished." Her words were hesitant and searching. A lot was on her mind and distracting her.

Indigo lets go as soon as she winces, not wanting to come across as the creep she thinks him to be. He gives her a nod of acknowledgement and turns to walk back in and sees Intel. Well I can get at least one thing I set out to do done...

"Hey Intel, a word if I may."

Slowly, Intel looked up at the pony with the frizzy mane. He frowned as he looked at the pegasus walking off. He looked at Shala shrinking away. He returned his stare to Indigo.

The spinning conventional magic inside an uncertain ambient field would possibly cause a rip in reality. The universe would probably fix it, but only after a major catastrophe.

"...Shoot."

Indigo looks at the frazzled colt, obviously ashamed of himself, but still manages to look him straight in the eyes with sincerity.

"Hey... I just want you to know that I'm sorry for my hoof in causing your breakdown last night..."