Venus's Gallery.

"Oooooo. I like this one." He set he hoof to his chin as he stared at the painting of a late portrait of a recently passed famous painter. "I think I met him once at a party Complementary Art invited me too once. Not sure though." Stormy had started the first day of his trip with Scryer by taking a little trip to Canterlot. The city of magic and nobles. It's great place to visit, but a bad place to live unless you had the steel of the upper-class pony world. Then it was a perfect fit.

Stormy had traveled to Canterlot many times to hand over a few neat things he found to his friend who ran a museum and their library really were top notch considering the they had a few rows devoted to fantasy and folk lore.

"Indeed... I do believe I've seen this painter's work before."

Scryer wasn't an incredibly big fan of art like this, but he was enjoying spending this time with the older stallion; the young unicorn fortuneteller had to admit that Stormy made for very good company... and he felt himself being far happier normally; the pangs of loneliness were fewer and more far between now.

"Stormy, thank you for taking me here. I hope you've been enjoying traveling with me."

"Ahahhhaahahaha. I'll ask you the same when you suffer may snoring a few more days!" he said with grin as he looked about the room, taking to cheese cubes on sticks and passing one to Scryer. "Think fast friend." He said as he snacked down on his own cube with pleased expression.

"My sisters I love cheese. Use to eat it every night with apples before bed when my grandfather read me stories. Wonderful times." He said as he walked about the room, gazing at the peace. "The only thing I learned how to draw were black, white and grey portraits. I really should take some time to learn more."

"Bah, I don't mind your snoring, friend." He snagged the cube with his magic, enjoying its taste. "I do enjoy a nice cheese as well with crackers and the odd glass of wine."

He followed Stormy around the exhibit, looking at the paintings. "I say 'go for it'. Nothing wrong with taking time with an old passion or starting a new one. Ace of Wands, there." He smiled a bit. "I'd gladly hang some of your drawings in the Velvet Room if you'd be okay with that."

The young stallion walked up to his friend's side and put a foreleg around his shoulder.

"Ahahahahahaa. I don't think my cutie mark is a paint brush. Best leave them to those with the passion." He threw his shoulder over his pal with grin as he enjoyed this Ace Of Wands painting grin. "I haven't had wine in long while. We should obtain some next chance we get. I know this lovely couple that makes them around the border near the wall. They let the stuff grow on the walls. Fun stuff."

Stormy slipped out of the shoulder hug as he went to greet his friend Complementary Art. He chatt4ed with him a few moments before returning to Srcyer with a plate of cheese. "Were really living large now. Pays to know the host." He munched down some of the tasty snacks as his freind does a little tour for some nobles.

Through his chewing Stormy waves his hoof at you. "Tell me if you see a painting of a sad Polar Bear. I am keenly interested in that one."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with having a hobby. I don't really have one, truth be told; haven't found anything that interests me even remotely as much as my fortunetelling. And I agree, I could use a nice wine in the caravan; we'll have to stop there."

He grinned a bit, taking some cheese off the plate. "I suppose it does. And... would that be it?" He pointed at a painting a little further down the wall.

Stormy raised his head as he stood, setting the cheese aside as he popped one in his mouth and walked towards it. "Ahahaha. Yes." He with a exclamatory fashion as he gazed at it. It was a polar bear roasting marshmallows in a ice storm. Stormy's eyes had twinkle in them as he saw the artists name written on it.

"It said he would stare at his blank canvas till something happened. One day he saw this picture in the blankness of it and it became one of his master pieces." He wore grin as stared at it few more times, like he was eager to do something.

He turned back to you if you were in fact behind him, of not he calls to you. "Off to wine then."

"Mmm... like the Emperor to the Fool. How interesting. Yes, let's be off, my dear friend."

Scryer walked to Stormy, standing side-to-side with him. "Lead the way. I'm fond of blush wines, personally, though I like a nice strong red as well."

"I'm not really picky myself. Give me what works and I can drink. I'm very unclassy when it comes to these things. So I'll let you pick it out." He said as he opened the door for him and lead him to the nearby winery. The place smelle of money as the walls lined with wooden stocks to hold the wine, some at the top had a mountain of dust on them as the filly behind the counter spoke to a few 'well-ta-do' looking ponies.

Scryer browsed the selection they had before picking out a few bottles of blushes, a red, and a sparkling wine from Istalli. "Mmm~ These look nice. So who do I need to pay here?"

"So Scryer." Stormy the colt the behind the counter his friend the price of the wine as Stormy tucked away his money bag. It seems this one was on Scryer today. "This may be a bit of a hardball throw at you but I wanted to know. Um."

Stormy paused as he shook his head. This wasn't question for a place like this. "I'll ask you outside." Stormy grinned for moment as he turned and walked outside to wait for the colt.

"Hm? Alright." Scryer paid for the bottles, pleased that he'd had more than enough money for it. After paying for the wine, he took the bottles and headed outside. "What's on your mind, my friend?"

"It's just uh." Stormy rubbed the back of his head as closed the shop door behind Scryer. "I woke and you were sort of cuddling with with me." He set his hoof in his hair as he wondered how best to ask such a thing. "Do you by chance like.. colts?"

He turned his head a bit, having his right eye stare at you with a quizzical expression.

He responded without any hesitation. "I like both genders equally, Stormy. I apologize if that made you uncomfortable... but it was nice having another body with me. Not being quite so lonely... I'll stop doing so though if you wish it."

He actually didn't have much feelings for the stallion, handsome though he was.

"Ahahahahahaa." Stormy enjoyed his quick respond as he patted the colt on the head. "Why good to know. Also I don't mind too much. Never been one be upset with a little too close of contact. Besides I'm much too old for you! AHahahahahahaa." He grinned as he turned to walk across the street to the the vendor who he with some haggling convinced him to let him buy soda in mass.

As the vendor set his wares on the radio flyer Stormy bought he leaned against it. "So Scryer. I plan to go to Thunder Storm Castle with a colt I met her in Ponyville. It might have a bit of danger, but I was wondering if you would like to come?"

"What is Thunderstorm Castle and where is it? I wouldn't mind a little journey, truth be told. Who knows; my power might be useful."

Scryer had to chuckle a bit at the patting on his head. He couldn't lie: Stormy had several characteristics that the unicorn found attractive; he was a caring and warmhearted individual and loved a good story; however, he didn't feel much more for Stormy besides that; he felt he could trust the older stallion with anything as a dear friend.

"Well it's castle from the days before three races came together. It's a castle in the sky to be neigh impossible to enter. It has lighting and strong winds guarding it. Nopony has been inside for a long time." He said as the colt heaved the crate of soda on to the four wheeler.

Stormy dropped him a bag of bits and he hooked the harness on the front on. "I was hoping you might be able to get us the power to walk on clouds. If it's possible of course."

"Ah... the cloud-walking spell. I do not know it that well but with a little research, I believe I can do so. When will we be leaving for this place, Stormy?"

He continued to follow the stallion.

"As soon as you learn the spell my friend." He grinned wide as pulled the little cart along to your mobile home. "I'll fetch the colt and we shall leave the next morning!"

"Very well. It will take time for me to be able to do so, however. I will head to the library tomorrow to look it up. I would prefer to stay here in Canterlot for a little while longer anyway; it has been far too long since I've been in my hometown."

He continued on the way to his caravan.

"So your from Canterlot huh? Explains why you walk the way you do. Also why you think before you talk." He tapped his own head with a grin as he went into your caravan, hopping onto a chair as he set the soda next to him, giving it a hug. "I wubs you Dr.pony. Oh yes I do."

He makes kissy faces to the soda before chuckling a bit and cracking open a book.

"I am indeed, though I'm not a noble, which I believe was for the best." He entered the caravan as well, pouring himself a glass of the blush wine. "I would go crazy in a coddled environment like that."

After chuckling amusedly at Stormy's declaration of love to his beverage, he took a small drink of the wine, savoring the taste. "This is a very good vintage... my compliments to your friends... Tomorrow, I will likely return later than usual, so the Velvet room will be closed for that day; you should still be able to get in. I might also do some research on my art and see if I can't learn anything new."

"Ahahahahahaa Sounds like a plan my friend." He lifted his head to display his grin over his face as he leaned back to get better light.

Stormy reached down his hoof and tapped his bag three times as it shone a small light from the flap over the saddlebag. Canterlot. How interesting."

(So pretty much this thread over. I assume the next thread is you meeting us for the journey. Maybe just coming from the library or something.)

Scryer smiled and took a sip of his wine, enjoying his friend's company.

(Actually, not quite yet with the meeting. We'll figure it out; I'm hoping to get at least one other thread in in Canterlot.)