On the love of Jousting

7 May 2014

18:29 Inky climbs on top of GyroTech again.

18:29 < Inky> Giddyup.

19:17 GyroTech bucks like a angry bronco to throw inky off his back.

19:18 Inky holds on tightly, using her wings to stay stable. "Wheeeee!"

19:20 GyroTech continues to throw himself around, panting from the effort.

19:21 Inky 's grip slowly weakens until an especially strong buck throws her off, leaving her hovering in the air. She glides and lands in front of GyroTech, grinning.

19:24 GyroTech looks down at the ground, tongue lolled out, his whole body shakes from the exhurtion. Sweat drips down his body....

19:24 Inky looks a little worn out herself, but not nearly as bad as GyroTech. She gives him a friendly boop. "A little out of shape, huh?"

19:27 GyroTech looks up at her, ears drooping slightly. "Well...my magic muscle works just fine and compensates for most things."

19:28 < GyroTech> "Its not like I do a lot of physical labor or flying"

19:29 Inky giggles and leans in to give the sweaty pony a light nuzzle. "It's fine, I'm not that fit myself," she says, giggling. "Comes with reading books all day."

19:34 GyroTech leans in and crosses his neck with hers rubbing affectionately and getting the bat pony slightly sweaty. "Besides no pony will do my favorite sport with me."

19:35 Inky makes a face, pulling away and brushing the sweat off her neck. "Oh? What sport's that?" Her ears perk up with curiosity.

19:38 GyroTech smiles back at her, snickering as she rubs off the sweat. "Its only the best sport in equestria. Jousting. Most popular sport among my peers in canterlot."

19:46 < Inky> I did forget about that but you'd stlil have to lower that so you could hit stuff. and that makes it not impossible to for the legs

19:50 Inky sticks her tongue out. "Bleh, you like that 'sport'? Seems pretty barbaric for a bunch of unicorns," she teases.

19:59 GyroTech puffs his chest out proudly. "Barbaric? Not at all. Its how the noble houses used to settle disputes without a drop of blood at all. The epitome of civilized. Its the most civilized sport out there with its past."

20:00 Inky rolls her eyes. "Yeah, seems like great way to settle disputes. Wouldn't wanna settle them with conversations or anything, that's just so... _uncivilized_," she says sarcastically.

20:04 GyroTech groans loudly and shoots the made an anamused face. "Yes because words can solve everything and there hasn't been a single instance of war in equine history..." He deadpans back at her.

20:08 Inky shrugs. "I dunno, when you said 'disputes' I figured it was small stuff. I kinda skipped over the noble part of Canterlot history... when it was multiple volumes and seemed to be mostly full of pointless drama I lost interest." She grins sheepishly. "Still, what's so great about charging at each other with big sticks? Why would they let that settle anything?"

20:13 GyroTech puts on an incredulous look. "The idea is that the champions of a jousting tournament represents the best fighters a side has to offer and so the winner would of won the war/blood fued anyways. Seriously inky you should brush up on such an important chapter in equestrian history."

20:16 Inky waves a hoof dismissively. "I mean duh! I guessed /how/ settling disputes with it would work, I'm just saying that that's dumb and doesn't make any sense. And please, how could endless self-important bickering be an important chapter?" She sighs. "I suppose I could be convinced to read an abridged history..."

20:22 GyroTech scrunches his face in confusion at her response. "It does make sense. If you can predict the winner of a war, why have that war at all then and live with the tragedy that accompanies it? And of course its the most important part. It affected lots of...ummm....stuff"

20:24 Inky leans in close and mimicks his response. "Ummm....stuff, exactly!" She sticks out her tongue at him. "Maybe you should learn your own history before lecturing me about it. And I'm just saying I don't think that's a good predictor of who'd win a war... and what the heck to noble houses have to go to war over, anyway?"

20:27 < Inky> heck do *

20:35 GyroTech blushes and shakes his head. "Its not that I don't know my own history...Its just that things were so different before the centralization in canterlot and Celestia and all that I'm not sure they actually had any measurable impact? But they used to fight over things like who had the right to tax what land and wether a particular gem mine on the border was their property and things like that...Now they just all kind of vai for crown influence and speacial favors for their enterprises..."

20:35 < GyroTech> Now they just all kind of vai for crown influence and speacial favors for their enterprises..."

20:57 Inky looks mildly more interested when GyroTech mentiones he's talking about /ancient/ history. "Oh, you meant the really old, slightly less petty squabbles. ...Meh!" She shrugs. "Even if it was used for that stuff, it's not anymore, and I don't get what's so fun about two ponies running at each other with sticks."

21:05 GyroTech nods back at her, "Yep way back..." He trails of and stops moving at her display of disinterest. "B-but thats important...I think..." Gyro looks upopn with disapointed eyes and shakes his head. "Because, there's this rush you get as you're charging at your opponent and the jaring impact and stuff. And then the feeling of victory when you knock him over."

21:11 Inky raises an eyebrow at the unicorn. "Oh, you've done some yourself? I woulda thought it'd be below you!" She bends down as though to inspect his legs. "How well do you do, all scrawny like this?" she teases.

21:15 GyroTech beams back at her, standing tall. "Of course I've done it before. Why would such a sport be below me? As I said, its one of the most civilized ones there is." His mood does flatten a bit, and he folds his ears down, leaning away from Inky now. "Well...I...I did adequate back when I was in shape..." He admits meekly.

21:18 Inky giggles and steps closer as GyroTech pulls away, standing up straight again. "You keep saying that... what's it mean for a sport to be civilized, anyway?"

21:21 GyroTech slinks down a little bit more as he explains, the words actually coming out of his mouth making him reconsider his thoughts. "Well...it means that its acceptable for someone of nobility to particpate in without being looked down upon by there peers." His voice gets weaker as the thought comes out of his mouth.

21:33 Inky nods, then steps forward and rubs her neck against his. "You big lunk, you. Nobles are always too concerned with what other ponies think of them, and not enough with actually gettings things done." She blows her bangs out of her eyes with an irritated sigh. "Even if it weren't 'civilized,' I wouldn't judge you for liking it even though I think it's dumb. Wait no, I totally would judge you! But ...

21:33 Inky ... only like... a little bit," she says, giggling and nuzzling at the back of his mane.

21:37 GyroTech nods in agreement, rubbing back against her. "Ya...they are...thats part of the reason I left...but some things just have a habbit of persistning," he admits with a sigh. He musses her bunn gently with a hoof. "So that means you wont judge me though, becasue it is civillized? I really should take you to a tournament though. Maybe you'll see what all the fuss is about. Still wish I could find somepony to joust with me..."

21:42 Inky shakes her head, tossing GyroTech's back mane around. "No, whether or not I'm judging you has nothing to do with whether some stuffy nobles think it's 'civilized' or not!" She rubs her neck against his some more, then pulls back so she can see the stallion's face again. "Well," she says, seeming to be considering something. "I'll try anything once... and I've read a lot about historical polearm ...

21:42 Inky ... tactics... I could be convinced to joust you once or twice!" She grins, and adds "But it's still dumb though" as an afterthought.

21:45 GyroTech visibly balks at the idea she proposed, looking at the mare like she's nuts. "What? You joinst with me? No offence Inky, but your...well your a mare, and mares don't joust. Thats just how it is...but at least you don't have to push you comfort zone for me." Gyro moves to give her a consolating nuzzle. "You can still come to a tourny with me though."

21:49 Inky steps back when GyroTech moves forward, and pushes his nose down and away from her with a hoof. "Excuse me?," she says, her voice dangerous.

21:53 GyroTech gulps and takses a stop back, pulling his snout away from her hoof. He bites his lips thinking of a way to put it. "Well...you see...the jousting sport, as it does center around being a replacement for war, is really made for stallions. Mares just arn't supposed to participate in it." He says, trying to sound as diplomatic as he can towards Inky.

21:59 Inky 's slitted eyes narrow. "The origins have nothing to do with it!" She stomps forward, glaring GyroTech into the ground. "You know as well as I do how little we like other ponies telling us what to do," she says, poking a hoof into GyroTech's chest to include him in the 'we.'

22:04 GyroTech whimpers and takes a step back as she walks forward, slinking down low under her harsh gaze. "I...well yes...but...I thought you though jousting was barbaric anyways?" He offers still not conceding that he would take her up on her offer.

22:09 Inky stands over GyroTech, glaring at him. "I think it's dumb, but I offered to do it with you anyway!" Her wings unfurl as she keeps yelling, giving her quite the imposing figure. "Why would you go and say I can't, just because I'm a mare? How does that matter?"

22:12 GyroTech finds his belly pressed down against the dirt as he looks up at the threatening mare. "Its not j-just m-me who says th-that. Its c-common practice. N-none of the f-fillies got taught how t-to joust back in sc-school," the unicorn stutters out trembling on the ground.

22:14 Inky shakes her head and throws one of her hooves in the air. "And that makes it okay HOW, exactly?"

22:16 GyroTech offers Inky the standard line in a weak, almost whimerping voice, "Because we want to keep them from hurting themselves."

22:23 Inky leans in very close to GyroTech's face, her nose almost pressing into the top of GyroTech's muzzle. "Do you think I'm WEAK? Do you think I'm some kind of fragile... thing that needs protecting? I'll decide if I want to risk injury or not, not you!" Her mouth is a thin line, one of her fangs sticking out and poking under her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood.

22:29 GyroTech bites his lip, trembling hard as Inky closes in. "N-no no, you arn't weak. You're a very in-independent and st-trong mare," he concedes, letting out a couple audible whines as he lays there under her angry gaze. "I-I'm s-sorr-ry."

22:31 Inky pulls away and whirls around, folding her wings against her sides. A loud "Hmph" is all the acknowledgement the stallion gets as the bat mare sits down with her back to him.

22:36 GyroTech takes a couple of deep breaths before slowly getting to his feet and walking up to her, giveing the mare a slight nuzzle on the back. "I guess we can try if you'd like..." He finally concedes.

22:41 Inky sniffles and wipes the blood away from her mouth. "I'm not sure I want to anymore," she says, steadfastly staring at the ground. "Not after that." Her voice is bitter, the anger fueling her seeming to have died away.

22:49 GyroTech leans over across her shoulder. "Well, I wont say anything if you change your mind...I did kinda have this argument with Lupine too..." he admits, "She also showed me up in the arena...lucky blow."

22:53 Inky pulls away and turns around to stare at GyroTech, eyes wide. "You had this *same argument* with Lupine?" she asks, incredulous. "Why did we have to do it again? Did you learn ANYTHING?"

22:57 GyroTech lets out a couple nervous chuckles before saying, "I mean, you can't tell she looks like a mare once she's fully garbed up in a stallions armor...and everypony just figured she was here to observe before we got her dressed up..." Gyro suddenly giggles a litte authentically, "You know...its funny how both times it was with bats."

23:01 Inky looks at GyroTech, dumbfounded by the implications. "You had to sneak her in? They wouldn't let her otherwise?" She throws up her forehooves. "This stupid 'sport' is even more backwards than I thought. All the other ones got their crap together years ago."

23:04 GyroTech shakes his head and is quick to deny her accusations. "No...this was back in Canterlot, I couln't let my parents find out. Occasionally mares do come and mess around on the practice field, she'd just not be allowed into any tournaments without pretending to be a guy." He says it quite matter of factly as if this shouldn't be coming as any supprise to Inky at all.

23:06 Inky has a look of disblief on her face. "Doesn't that seem... y'know, WRONG to you?" she asks, a hard glint in her eyes telling the stallion he better answer this one carefully.

23:09 GyroTech shrugs back at Inky, missing her current look. "I mean...its not something a really thing about all that much...Why worry about a thing you cant change, ya know?"

23:11 Inky keeps pushing, determined to get an answer. "But if you did have to think about it, what do you /really/ think?"

23:17 GyroTech hmms to himself before finally responding. "Well...I suppose that the rights of mares and stallions have been converging through history, to where each get the others, so I suppose it might be a little regressive...yes?" He responds honestly.

23:19 Inky smiles and puts a hoof on GyroTech's shoulder. "Finally, you're talking sense... I mean, it's great to hear that from /you/... er," she says, fumbling for the right words.

23:26 GyroTech leans into the comfortingly placed hoof, putting his own around her. "I always talk sense. I don't know what you're talking to me about...Say, Inky, is jousting very popular where you're from? I mean, I know we occasionally get a couple of entrants in tournaments from Noctania, but not every tournament."

00:12 Inky shakes her head. "I just meant... I'm glad that under all that bluster you're not actually... like... sexist. Like, you don't agree with that stuff." She giggles at GyroTech's question. "No silly, we don't have jousting up there! At least not in a long time."

00:43 GyroTech lets out a long depressed sigh. "No jousting up there? Thats so awful Inky! Not even like in the capital? Or maybe some smaller stuff? And I don't know about that. I have trouble telling a mare no if they ask me for something, stallions ar much easier," he teases.

01:00 Inky shrugs. "I mean... I've never been to our capital. Or to Canterlot, for that matter, but I never heard of ponies doing it until I came to Equestria." She grins and gives GyroTech a playful shove. "That's just 'cause you fall head over hooves for any mare you see!"\

01:05 GyroTech snickers at the shove and gives her a push back. "Well, when every mare you come accross is absolutely beautiful, whats a stallion to do but give them the love and affection they deserve?"

01:11 Inky grins and raises an eyebrow. "Alternatively, raising your standards is an option, too." She gives him a wink.

01:14 GyroTech gives Inky a sly grin and asks, "Ok, which mare that I associate with do you find not beautiful enough for my affections?"

01:23 Inky waves a hoof dismissively. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that," she says, backpedaling and trying to change the subject. "Hey! About the jousting-- if you actually want to joust with me, I'd be willing to jump through those hoops or whatever! But if you're gonna think of me like some poor imitation of the real thing, then no way."

02:03 GyroTech laughs heartily as Inky takes back her words. "Well...thats the practical implication of what you said." The unicorn puts his hoof to his snout and thinks it over. "Well, I didnt mind jousting with Lupine, she was decent enough, so you know, sure I'll probably be willing to give it a go."

03:32 Inky keeps waving her hoof and pretends not to hear that part. "As I recall, you said Lupine beat you... but hold on, though. Are you only willing 'cause you think I'll be good at it?" Her eyes narrow slightly.

03:34 GyroTech giggles and gives a nod. "I'll only do it with you because I'm hoping you'll be decent enough for me to practice on. If I was really good, and you were terrible it would just suck for both of us now wouldnt it." He points out, plainly, with no hint of disrespect in his voice.

03:38 Inky nods, apparently deciding GyroTech's answer passed whatever test she had in mind. "Fair enough, I suppose!" The bat pony folds her legs and lays down in front of GyroTech, letting out a little sigh.

03:43 GyroTech lays down on top of Inky, using her back as a pillow. "You know, Stoic actually took me out to a Jousting tourny not too long ago. It was pretty fun. One of the Canterlot champions that I usually root for was in town. There was even a batpony here."

03:45 Inky 's ears perk up at the mention of another bat pony. "Oh? Another bat pony? What were they like?"

03:48 GyroTech shrugs and shakes his head. "Well, he did decent enough in the first round, squeaked by in the second, but was out in the third, very nearly unseated the pony I'd put my money on too, Saphire Lance from the christal kingdom." The unicorn lets out a long sigh. "He was too upset to talk after the end of everything, wouldn't even see us despite our VIP passes."

03:50 Inky waits for a description and looks unamused when all she gets is a record of how he did in the tourney. "I mean like... what did they look like, or their name, or practically any other interesting facts about them that weren't how they did in your dumb sport," she says, rolling her eyes.

03:54 GyroTech huffs loudly, folding his legs up across his chest. "Well if thats how you feel about it, maybe I'll just not tell you about anything. Are you sure you want to come anyway with that attitude?" The unicorn asks in an extremely cross voice.

03:58 Inky signs and rolls towards GyroTech so that he's laying on her belly instead and she can actually see him. "Calm down, Gyro," she says, giving his head a few pats. "I don't even know what being unseated means! They're not sitting on anything, how can they become unseated?"

04:01 GyroTech wiggles his to get more comfortable as he sinks into Inky's soft belly. "From their place in the tournament...it means for them to lose, but it sounds better than losing, just to be unseated instead." His ears flop at each pat, and he purrs slightly.

04:02 Inky nods and stops patting the unicorn's head. "Oh. Okay. So.... what was their name and stuff?"

04:03 GyroTech shakes his head still holding his hooves accross his body. "You still called the sport dumb...so why do you care so much about one of the participants in said dumb sport?" Asks again, his foice still sounding sore at the mare.

04:06 Inky lets out an exasperated sigh. "Becaauuse they're a bat pony, and there's not a whole lot of us in Equestria! Plus they sound like they might be vaguely famous, as 'sports' ponies often are, and that's interesting!"

04:07 Inky looks down her nose at GyroTech; it's the only way she can see him. "I've been lacking in other bat ponies to swap notes with and suchlike, y'know."