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((I too will color code this when I get back from sleepy times...))

The room was noisy, the music was terrible. and the costumes were absolutely ridiculous.


And yet Macaron Critique came anyway.

He harrumphed, staring at the grinding mass on the dance floor with nothing short of distaste. How could they think that looked attractive?

Sprinkles and Mint had insisted that he dress up if he was going to a party. Truth be told he wasn't going to go originally, but a prominent food blog that he followed was doing a story on the party, and updating with the foods available. The pictures were good enough to convince the pegasus to leave his house in a crazy out.

Maybe not crazy, but certainly mad. Macaron had chosen to go out as the Mad Hatter. He covered his chef hat in a larger ragged top hat, and the jacket had to be altered a bit to cover his pudgy body. He looked around for the snack table, and quickly made his way to it, around the dancing mob. He found the nearest plate of something, and stuffed a sandwich into his mouth.

The unicorn foal cringed a bit at the older phony's scowl, worried she had said something wrong. She might have fled at his 'arrr' but for the fact that it sounded more disappointed or sad than angry. Delicacy peered behind the parrot-costumed adult at the liquid that had spilled out and wondered what had happened. Had he spilled it because he'd been feeling ill? Whatever the case, even if she didn't know if or how she could help him, at least she could help clean up the mess!

"O-oh! I'll get that," she assured him, darting over to grab a roll of paper towels before setting to work on the trail. She wasn't sure where it led but she hoped she didn't end up getting in too many other phonies' way in the process of cleaning it all up. As she was soaking up the liquid with the paper towels, something occurred to her and she looked up at the green stallion once more. "Um...it didn't get on your costume, did it, sir?"

Hook Slash was still a tad blinded. "I'm not famous that I know of."
He rubbed his eyes and stared at this armored Phony.
"I'm an evil Cabin boy?" He looked about. "I don't get out much."
He put out a hoof. "I'm Hook Slash. What's your name?"

"See darlin'? She's a lovely lady with a costume, no need to be afraid." He smiled as kindly as he could to Out of Orbit and gave Fantasia a wink - he was probably downplaying the actual words he'd like to use - but he was grateful for the other mare being so delicate with the kids. It seemed like he and the dragoness were in the same position of assuming adult banter and having to catch a curve ball with the kids milling about --

And then there was a very excitable (and small, she was so cute and small even with the enormous horse head on her...head) lady shrieking at him, his eyes impossibly large with surprise at her sudden presence and the words she was saying. Someone wanted to dance? With him? Wait, what? Rocky looked a bit glassy-eyed, not at all used to someone initiating with him, and now he had it done twice. Part of him might have been in the process of breaking trying to compute it all.

"I -- she -- what?" was his intelligent response, blinking owlishly and looking over to Fantasia as if she had the answers to the universe. Was she the sister? Who was the sister? Was there a sister? He was a construction worker, not a genius, and boy was it showing.

Paws giggled at the tall stallion's dumbfounded expression, beaming up at him. Her eyes roved around the small group, admiring their costumes. The mare's outfit was totally spooky and the foals look adorable! She had to say, the ballerina costume was looking particularly well sewn! What a bunch of talented phonies there were at this party!

"Oh Caramell, I don't need you to apologize for me!" The tiny mare gave a pout, placing her hooves on her hips as her sister galloped up.

"What my sister means to say is SHE THINKS YOU'RE LOOKING McFINE IN THAT COSTUME!"

There were suddenly more ladies gathering, talking, admiring -- and despite his Phony-in-the-headlights feeling, he couldn't just leave them hanging. "Well thank you darlin'," Rocky drawled to the sister in question, casting her a light smile, "you're pretty adorable yerself." He had to remember he was that guy from the game, and drew his fake cigar out of his holster to tuck between his teeth again. "Cloak's off soaked yonder, but it was sacrificed for the lady - " he nodded towards Out of Orbin, "and -- "

He had an opportunity, here. A chance to do something really bad. But also a chance to do something he'd think is really great. Maybe not to the Phony in question, but... " -- m'date." It came out naturally and with no hesitation, no overt commitment, just an aside. Grinning around the cigar, he winked at Paws. "Much obliged, I'm doin' my darndest."

And the mer came by, drawing his silver gaze with appreciation - keeping his screaming panic of how is this happening is this real life to a minimum between his ears. "I'm surrounded by cute lasses and ladies with so many -- bones." Right. Babbens. Watch yourself, Rocky. "You coulda come without a costume and put us all t'shame," he told the mer-tailed Phony, magically tipping his hat to her.

But he agreed with the mer, turning his attention to his dragon-companion. "I agree with the lovely lady. Any princess should be so lucky t'be under the care of such a remarkable dragon."

“A skeleton demon queen?” Fantasia laughed, “that’s a pretty good guess at the costume. But it is just a costume, it’s not like I breathe fire.” It was both a compliment to Confetti’s guess on her outfit, but also an attempt to soothe the nerves of the little blue filly and confirm she was indeed safe. Fantasia mockingly pursed her mouth and let out a small puff. “No fire. Now maybe with some special effects and props, I could but…”

While she was busy talking to the foals, their small group was growing larger. Her burly cowboy companion was set on upon by two absolutely silly looking phonies begging for a dance. Poachers! For a quick second, her eyes narrowed at Paws and Caramell, like a lioness watching carefully as vultures tried to take her lunch.

Though her glare was quickly turned around into a sultry smile at the mer’s compliment to her. “Oh this? You know, a bit of stage make up is all really. The mask I borrowed from the set of my last film, so I must admit it’s not entirely my own creation. I love yours, we’d make quite the boney pair.”

If she could breath fire, her smoke would have been quickly snuffed out by the comment that came from Rocky. So it was a lover’s spat she walked into! “Your date? The parrot?”

Now she was the poacher. Perhaps she better let the date know that if he didn’t mark his territory was going to be stolen rather quickly by one of the ladies circling. Then again, where was the fun in that. “Two fine stallions like yourselves, might need to ride off into the sunset together before you're stolen away to my dragon's lair. Parrot Paulie’s not the jealous type I hope.”

Delicacy started when she felt a hoof on her shoulder, gentle though it was, and turned to see the parrot phony once more. "A-are...are you feeling better?" She didn't want him cleaning if he was in no condition to do so. "Really, it's no trouble. I'm always making messes at home, so I'm used to cleaning up," she explained with a shy smile. "At least...with food. Oh!"

The younger unicorn looked concerned when she saw the beak slip from his nose. She wanted to help, but unlike the spill, costumes and crafts weren't her forte. What could she do? Worse yet, the stallion seemed so down-hearted about something that he didn't even appear to care about his lovely costume that he must have worked hard on. If only she could wipe away phony problems as easily as she could wipe away spills.


Just then, however, another unicorn stallion came by - this one dressed in black with a hat, cape, and boots that contrasted sharply with the smiling white Guy Fawkes mask covering the entirety of his face.

Three daggers - presumably for show - were strapped to his side and a dark, short, straight-haired wig framed his mask. Upon seeing Jolly Roger and Delicacy, he stopped and approached them.

"There you are," he said to the filly. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. Helping this fine gentlephony, here?"

Turning to the feathered unicorn stallion, the cloaked one dipped his head. "I hope she hasn't been too much of a bother. Ah - your beak is slipping. Would you allow me to re-tie it for you?"



"...Oh." The dark colt was honestly surprised that his peer wasn't angry at his insult regarding his costume. Even more shocking was the fact that the stranger actually seemed to be reacting with friendliness. Boss did his best to act like he wasn't delighted.

"Whatever. I don't, either," he answered in response to the orange foal's comment about not getting out much. "Usually I'm at home playing video games. I'm really boss at them, too," he bragged, grinning. "That's why my name's Boss Skill."

"Hook Slash? That's seriously your name?" he asked, shaking the other phony's hoof while eyeing his hook. "Dude, that's wicked! Whaddya do, do you play video games too?"



"Wow, that's quite a costume you've got," Swing commented, trotting by the food table to admire the Mad Hatter. "From Alice and Wonderland? Can't go wrong with the classics, can you?" he chuckled lightly.

Noticing the other pegasus' gaze elsewhere, however, he followed it with his own to spot what - or who - he was looking at. "Speaking of classics...is that a banana?" he murmured, smiling.