Happy Derpy Day! · 11:00am
........I really need to fix my problem of getting my entire message across in the title. Damn it.
In no particular order (though it seems that I've instinctively ordered it by 'importance', I guess):
Major focus
~Work on ELA with DJ GarV the Expert
~Recruit OCs for team rosters
~Fill in rosters with background/made-up characters if not enough OCs are available
~Replace made-up characters with any newly-acquired OCs
~Organize team depth charts
~Receive any suggestions for team mascots
~Work with DJ regarding the course of the story, among many, many other things
~Be a human spell-check on the drafts for the story like the Grammar Nazi I am
~Put together full team schedules at some point, likely after a good part of the story has already been written
~~DONE
~Allow team rosters/depth charts to be publicly viewed on Google Docs once DJ says I can
~Work on designing the team uniforms
~~DONE
Minor focus
~Brainstorm ideas for, Plan, Outline, Write, etc. my Writer's-Block-Ending story, Daring-Do and the Search for Fucks to Give
~Work on improving my writing style. Currently, I write a lot like Ernest Hemmingway: a lot of short, choppy sentences, and a shit-ton of dialogue. It's those two reasons why most people can only make it through Hemmingway's short stories before going batshit crazy, since Hemmingway is so frustrating to read. Since I write like him, I can only assume that I'm frustrating to read as well. Not good if I want to make Equestria Daily.
~Edit the beginning of P:AAB so that TS is more suspicious of Briar
~Edit FaTE so that the Mane 6 + Briar earn their rates over time (should take a HELL of a long time)
~~ This is KEY
~Work with my editor and proofreaders to get Unlike Herself ready for my second Equestria Daily submission. (In case you're wondering, the pre-reader told me that I had a really good first draft, but that it wasn't quite ready, which is as clear as day given the examples from the story that he/she provided in the response email. I ain't telling you guys any more about it, though, other than that I'm continuing to make my story better. =D) Feedback on the story is much appreciated, by the way.
~Proofread the unpublished chapters of Poeni: An Ancient Breed.
~Type up what I have written in my draft-notebook for Poeni: An Ancient Breed.
~Write more chapters for Poeni: An Ancient Breed in my draft-notebook.
~Work with Johnfreemanwepon on battle tactics for From Allies to Enemies: The Best Medicine for an Abrupt Invasion (FAtE).
~Wait for Talen to get over his writer's block and then for MusicSlave to recover the motivation that she lost from waiting so we can start the semi-crossover with A New Life.
~Figure out how to write the incredibly complex and symbolic plans I have had for A Golden Flame since not long after - if not since I first began writing it.

Appearance:

Name: Briar Rose
Species: Pegasus
Cutie mark: A rising phoenix
First off, his biggest attributes would be witty, extremely logic-based, and cryptic. He almost always looks at the "big picture", is fond of symbolism, and will nonchalantly crack jokes to lighten a tense mood. Some more details:
1. Has a long fuse, and can put up with a lot of "torment".
2. Is almost always stoic, particularly in serious situations.
#1 & 2 reference, from Chapter 5 of A New Life:
"They turn and look at me, and watch amused as my head bobs back every time Fluttershy brushes my mane.
Ya okay there, sugarcube? Your face don't make ya look too amused.'
In a way, Applejack was right, considering I had a professional poker face on, but that was simply because I was trying to focus on the conversation.
'I'll be fine, so long as Rarity doesn't make me try on dresses...and so long as we could get off this tangent, perhaps?'"
3. Hates: Snitches, braggarts, snobs.
4. Did I mention that he's cryptic? If I didn't...well...he's cryptic: uses deep metaphors, riddles, and symbolic expression in highly-dramatic situations (such as the climax of a book, per say). Also uses big words.
5. Is not afraid to use expletives to emphasize points, but never uses them in a derogatory manner...unless they really deserve it. (e.g. bullies, someone trying to force themselves on my/my friend's marefriend, etc.)
6. Uses a lot of sarcasm. Also, this is the only exception to the "derogatory manner" part of #5: he will often call some of his closest friends 'names' when messing around with them. (Eg, when a close friend does something stupid: "Dumb dumb dumb-dumb dumb -- dumbass!"). Also, if someone doesn't like something he does/says, all they have to do is ask him to stop, and he will. If they don't, he'll assume they're fine with it and he'll continue.
7. Can change his maturity level at will, particularly varying upon who he's around. (Example in regard to the Mane 6: extremely low around RD and PP, medium around AJ and TS, high for FS, and extremely high (as well as using extensive diction (with words such as 'fortnight')) around R)
8. Is extremely skilled at reading body language (which includes facial features). One good -- and probably the best -- example of this would be his ability to hold a full conversation with Angel (or any of the mane 6's pets -- even Gummy), due to being completely able to understand the bunny's gesturing and mannerisms.
9. More detailed personality: Intelligent, but not snobbish. Often uses his logic to make decisions, but doesn't let that spoil a good time. Has a long anger-fuse, which is fortunate for all, because you might as well say that he enters the Avatar state when he gets really livid. However, he has also been known to confuse himself by over-thinking something
10. Additional mood/personality: Cool, calm, and collected
11. Has a witty sense of humor that builds on itself; each joke played off of an earlier one makes it just get funnier and funnier and funnier...kind of like the Energizer bunny. It just keeps going and going and going and going...
12. Likes classic rock and awesome 80s music
13. Will quote something if given the chance; meaning if he knows a funny quote that will fit well, he'll use it
14. Apparently has a DeLorean time machine. (See A New Life...that reminds me, I need to work on implementing that running joke more often...)
~I would suggest only using this trait for more random stories
15. In the main story I've written about him -- Poeni: An Ancient Breed -- his wings are injured, and thus, he can't fly. For your stories, it's your call whether you'd like to include this.
16. And for last, an incredibly-long, yet also incredibly-detailed description, copypasta'd right from the first chapter of Poeni: An Ancient Breed. Mind you, this part is canon.
Here it is:
First off, it would make sense if I told you about what I look like...no, not to brag; hell, I don't really have anything to brag about! Remember, you're talking to a stallion with the surname 'Rose' over here. But then again, my family has a...history of...fragrances. Yes, that was foreshadowing, well, kinda...sorta...okay no, it really wasn't. But we're beginning to get off on a tangent. Okay, to start off simply - and bluntly - my coat is a light shade of gold; not yellow, gold - light goldenrod, to be specific. Any more specific and I'll be listing off hex triplets. As for my fluid mane and long-and-straight tail, they are a mix of two colors, crimson red and regular goldenrod.
There is one thing I feel that I need to specifically point out about my mane, well, several things, actually. First, it is a medium-long to a longish in length, more-so in the back than the front, but it isn't by very much at all. Next, I feel that the consistency and such of my hair is absolutely perfect -- no, I'm not a pansy, pun intended, but just give me a second here, aight? Everything I say I'm saying for a reason...usually. Just don't judge me; I'm quite capable of judging myself. I'm being chased by a dragon, remember? Alright, well, it's silky enough to feel good - yeah, you're right - really good...and that shouldn't be taken out of context - but it's also just greasy enough for my 'bangs' - even though that is what they're called, my stallionliness is making me reluctant to call them such - to stick to each other just enough for them to form and act pretty much just like window blinds, except the 'window' in this case would be my right eye.
No, I'm not 'emo'! What did I say about letting me finish? Besides, if I was 'emo', I wouldn't be able to see through my 'blind-bangs', which I am as of right now coining them. Yeah, on the spot - damn straight. Anyway, the point of these 'blind-bangs'...well, I should probably mention that - for reasons I'd rather not talk about, at least not yet - my right eye is extremely sensitive to light, as well as partially multi-colored, but I'll get to those details in a bit. So, these 'blind-bangs' function to serve as a 'light barrier', if you will: not letting in enough light to affect my vision in that eye negatively, while on the other hoof, letting in just enough light to allow me to see through them.
Alright, now to talk about my eyes themselves. First off, my left eye is perfectly normal, and I hope it stays that way, too. Ah, and it's also just as ruby red as the eyes of a certain DJ mare you might of heard of before. Anyway, in respect to my right eye...well...you'll be fortunate to come away with anything from the best description I can provide: originally, my right eye was also ruby red - shocker! However, it's now...now what many ponies call a sort of 'silverish-red', although those same ponies also say that they can also distinguish between the two extremely effectively, especially - according to them - when my right eye is hiding behind my 'blind-bangs', as they claim that that causes all of the red in my right iris to...melt away, leaving only silver poking out from between my semi-greasy pillars of mane. Yes, I know that isn't very definitive, but, understandably, I have to simply take their word for it, no? By the way, I just thought you might want to know that many ponies also believe that the silver in my right iris was caused by an injury of some sort. Unfortunately for your patience, though, I ain't saying jack shit about it...yet. Don't worry, that one is definitely foreshadowing.
Moving on, one particular thing about my right eye is the difference in the diameter of the dilation of the pupil between whether it is Celestia's sun or Luna's moon that graces the sky above: during the day, my right pupil is only about the size of a pinhead! It's so sensitive to the sun - and thus sensitive to light - that it has actually attracted the attention of some ponies in the past: by this point, I'm completely unphased by random ponies shoving their face into mine in some weird attempt to find where my pupil has run off to. That doesn't make it any less awkward, though. However, on the flip side, when it's nighttime, you could basically say that - to use another pun - my pupil nearly eclipses my iris. In cases when the darkness is overwhelming, my 'blind-bangs' would have basically served as a pirate's eye-patch would - adjusting my eye to the dark so I have night-vision at the ready.
I will add more if necessary.
We still need OCs!!!
(Note: I am using 12 (Detrot, Fillydelphia, Hoofington and Seaddle being the ones left out) of these teams in a dynasty in NCAA 13! Check out (and FOLLOW) my Tumblr for week-by-week updates on that!)
Key:
Green = Open to OCs -- Available positions plentiful
Orange = Open to OCs -- Available positions limited
Blue = Open to OCs -- Roster full, but coaches still needed
Violet = Open to OCs -- Roster and coaches full, but made-up characters on roster can/need to be replaced by OCs
Crimson = Closed to OCs -- Rosters and coaches full, and there are already enough OCs on the roster
Colors: (P) = Primary color; (S) = Secondary color; (T) = Tertiary color
Captains: (O) = Offensive captain; (D) = Defensive captain; (S) = Special Teams captain
Coaches: (HC) = Head Coach; (OC) = Offensive Coordinator; (DC) = Defensive Coordinator
*If a Mascot is OPEN, feel free to provide suggestions for one!*
*Color names are accurate according to their specific hex triplets*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Appleloosa Orchards ~ 30/30
Mascot: Bloomberg the Tree (Official)
Colors: Harvest Gold (P), Dark Candy Apple Red (S), Apple Green (S), Straw (T)
Captains: Braeburn (O), Full Force (D), Wildwood Flower (S)
Coaches:Sheriff Silverstar (HC), Cherry Jubilee (OC), Barrel Brown (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Southern
Home field: Buffalo Field
Rivals: Canterlot, Manehattan, Ponyville
Canterlot Princes ~ 17/30
Roster currently being filled with made-up guards. Limited time for OCs!
Mascot: Open
Colors: Royal Blue (P), Royal Yellow (S), Royal Purple (S), White (T)
Captains: Jidan (O), Armory Jones (D), Narrow Visor (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Shining Armor (OC), Raymond (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Central
Home field: Open
Rivals: Appleloosa, Cloudsdale, Manehattan, Ponyville
Cloudsdale Racers ~ 30/30
Mascot: Beep Beep the Cloud (Unofficial)
Colors: Sky Blue (P), Silver (S), Sky Magenta (S), White (T)
Captains: Hoops (O), Gilda (D), Lavender Skies (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Central
Home field: Open ("The Clouds")
Rivals: Canterlot, Las Pegasus, Ponyville
Detrot Generals ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Coffee (P), Cobalt (S), Crimson (S), Black (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Eastern
Home field: Open
Rivals: Fillydelphia, Stalliongrad
Fillydelphia Manticores ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Saffron (P), Amethyst (S), Forest Green (S), White (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Eastern
Home field: Filly Field
Rivals: Detrot, Stalliongrad
Hoofington Dragons ~ 0/30
Mascot: Crackle the Dragon (Unofficial)
Colors: Hooker's Green (P), Maroon (S), Pewter (S), Black (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Western
Home field: Open ("The Dragon Cave")
Rivals: Stalliongrad
Las Pegasus Andalusians ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Cream (P), Sapphire (S), Carrot Orange (S), Straw (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Southern
Home field: Traveler Field
Rivals: Cloudsdale, Manehattan
Lunatia Eclipses ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Royal Purple (P), Royal Blue (S), Silver (S), Dark Goldenrod (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Southern
Home field: Lunar Dome ("The Planetarium"; "The Moon")
Rivals: Neigh Orleans, Phoenix, Seaddle, Sunela
Manehattan Mustangs ~ 18/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Burnt Orange (P), Barn Red (S), Denim (S), Platinum (T)
Captains: Orange Juice (O), Open (D), Citrus Juice (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Southern
Home field: Orange Family Field
Rivals: Appleloosa, Canterlot, Las Pegasus
Neigh Orleans Blackbirds ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Charcoal (P), Imperial (S), Midnight Blue (S), Burgundy (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Eastern
Home field: The NO Dome
Rivals: Lunatia, Phoenix, Seaddle, Sunela
Phoenix Firebirds ~ 1/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Ruby (P), Old Gold (S), Royal Purple (S), Emerald (T)
Captains: Open (O), Arcane Burst (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Western
Home field: Firebird Field ("Hell")
Rivals: Lunatia, Neigh Orleans, San Fransiscolt, Sunela
Ponyville Elements ~ 29/30
Mascot: Open (Spike?)
Colors: Metallic Gold (P), Ivory (S), USC Cardinal (S), Onyx (T)
Captains: Rainbow Dash (O), Applejack (D), Briar Rose (S)
Coaches: Karsci (HC), Twilight Sparkle (OC), Doctor Whooves (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Central
Home field: Sweet Apple Field ("The Orchard"; "Mare-Land")
Rivals: Appleloosa, Canterlot, Cloudsdale, Sunela
San Fransiscolt 36ers ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Cherry (P), Slate Grey (S), Slate Purple (S), Dial area code 976 and you get a bad phone bill that makes you choke until you turn this color LEGITIMATE COLOR NAME (it's a shade of purple)(T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Western
Home field: Open
Rivals: Phoenix, Seaddle
Seaddle Silhouettes ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Black (P), Shadow (S), Midnight Blue (S), Midnight Green (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Western
Home field: Open ("The Shadows")
Rivals: Lunatia, Neigh Orleans, San Fransiscolt
Stalliongrad Hydras ~ 0/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Cal Poly Pomona Green (P), Halayà úbe (S), Lapis Lazuli (S), Charcoal (T)
Captains: Open (O), Open (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Lunar - Eastern
Home field: Open
Rivals: Detrot, Fillydelphia, Hoofington
Sunela Rays ~ 1/30
Mascot: Open
Colors: Celestial Blue (P), Sunglow (S), Princess Purple (S), Sunset (T)
Captains: Open (O), Marigold (D), Open (S)
Coaches: Open (HC), Open (OC), Open (DC)
Conference - Division: Celestial - Central
Home field: Solar Field ("The Sun")
Rivals: Lunatia, Neigh Orleans, Phoenix, Ponyville
........I really need to fix my problem of getting my entire message across in the title. Damn it.
My Recommended Reads
My Recommended Reads 2
My Recommended Reads 3 After nearly causing the potential death of her closest friend - at least according to herself - Rainbow Dash cuts off communication with society in general, falling into depression. To make matters worse, she refuses to forgive herself, even though nopony else had blamed her in the first place! After most ponies had given up, can the 'friend' at the heart of the issue help the cyan pegasus come to her senses?
~~
Just a mini-story that I wrote due to insomnia, but fortunately I finished it after getting some sleep, so it does have a happy ending. By the way, notice the lack of a 'romance' tag: this is not a ship. Just wanted that to be out there to eliminate having to answer any potential questions about it.
~~
*Coverart used without permission, because I couldn't find out who it was by (other than the obvious 'KB', but on the internet, that doesn't nearly narrow it down enough -- again, obviously). However, if anyone does know who it's by, please let me a know of a way to contact them, so I can ask for permission to use it. Until then, however, since I don't know who it's by, I'm considering it to be public domain. I did find it via Google, after all. xD*
Briar Rose's pet phoenix, Poeni, has been in his family since...well, recorded history doesn't even really go that far back. However, Poeni is different from modern Equestrian phoenix - such as Princess Celestia's pet, Philomena - in one major aspect: Poeni is actually a different breed of phoenix, an ancient breed long thought to be extinct: the promptly named Ancient Phoenix.What makes the ancient phoenix so different from modern phoenixes - apart from age - is that while the modern breed can be reborn by spontaneously combusting, ancient phoenixes are required to build a ritual funeral pyre, built with several specific ingredients: myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, frankincense, spikenard, oak branches, and palm leaves. However, there is one major problem: not only are most of these rare ingredients, but it is not certain about whether a couple of them still even exist!!! Will Briar be able to complete the ritual so his phoenix Poeni can be reborn?
***Again, change your background color to dark. However, there isn't nearly as much dialogue in this story as there is in my other ones, so this isn't as crucial, but it's still more-or-less necessary to be able to read the dialogue that is in the story.
EDIT: I am currently working to change this***
I am working to make each chapter EqD worthy before I publish them, so do NOT expect regular updates. It doesn't mean that I'm not writing, because I am - I'm actually past the half-way point of the story as I'm writing this. However, I'm simply trying to make each one perfect...well, as much so as possible.
***Dedicated from a Poeni to all other Poeni who may or may not read this. Oh, I'm sorry, are you not familiar with Latin? Well, let me tell you this: poeni is the Latin root from which the Punic wars, as well as the Punic language. To clarify, poeni is Latin for 'Phoenician', of which I myself am one, albeit I am a Phoenician from Arizona, but my dedication remains the same, nonetheless. EDIT: Do NOT trust Google Translate for that. For one, Google Translate only has a Beta version for Latin. And second, I got this out of a textbook, not from any online source.***
***Cover image designed by WingWind over on deviantArt (link: http://wingwind.deviantart.com/) at my request.***
I'm going to make this simple. I'm given a choice by Celestia to enter the world of Equestria as either a Pegasus, Unicorn, or Earth pony, with the Mane 6 already well informed about the circumstances. Yes, I know this summary sucks, but that's because I'm focusing more on the story. You're welcome.
One key detail: this is somewhat of a self-insertion, but by doing so, I'm making DAMN sure that I include all that I can about me...including my flaws, such as my tendency to confuse myself by over-thinking things, for example. Also, my BIGGEST 'rule' while writing this is to keep ALL of the characters in character, because other wise even I wouldn't want to read this, because no one wants to read that kind of shit. But trust me: this story is going to be interesting. By multiple meanings of the word, too.
Edit: This story is also going to be having a Semi-Crossover with MusicSlave's Music's 'Tail' and the stories that are combining with it.
~~Brendan Kirk "Da Beejees" Julian
***On hiatus while Johnfreemanwepon and I work on the battle aspects of the story. We're both really busy, so it isn't going quickly, but progress is being made nonetheless***
"The Griffonite Empire had almost always been the strongest ally of their neighbor, Equestria. However, all that changed when the former decided to declare war, and invade. It is said that laughter is the best medicine, but can it help get the ponies through a war? Victoriously? Alive?"
I don't know why, but these Equestria-at-war kind of stories have always appealed to me in some strange way. Thus, when I randomly got an idea for how I could start one of my own, I leapt at the chance. I don't plan on updating it at a fast rate at all, especially considering how deeply involved I am with my other stories, namely A New Life, but to stay true to a promise I have made to myself, I won't simply abandon this, and will update every now and again. Also, don't expect there to be nearly as much randomness and humor as about the dozen or so of you who are familiar with my writing have come to expect, as war isn't a joke: it's serious shit.
**As is always the case with my stories, change your background color from LIGHT to DARK, so you can read my color-coded dialogue**
>>315979 I have a vague idea of who you might be, but send me a PM in case I'm dead wrong, which there's a very good chance I am
DaBeejees. You don't know me (because I am under a different account name), but I know you. And you are the most awesome and loyal person I have met to date. And your stories are awesome.
I am the Approver, and I approve this message.
Look at me!
I revamped my things. c:
>>117736
Yeah, I remember you! Sorry I didn't watch you first (I may or may not have lost the sticky note with your username on it again. >.>;). Glad you found my profile! Hope you can force yourself to like my fics!
Hello! Not sure if you remember me, but I talked to you quite a bit in the Dealer's Hall back at Everfree Northwest.
>>116059
I thought I had starting watching you MONTHS ago, so it was long overdue, haha!
Thanks for watching!
I sent you a PM about this.
We haven't worked on the NELL story at all for the longest time. I want to continue it. I'm in the process of re-writing and editing the chapters.
Shall we continue?
>>59209
Don't mention it.
Thanks for Fave