Ivory blinks slowly as Schwambart cycles through a variety of emotions, waiting patiently for something solid to respond to. For a brief moment, the mare removed her hoof from Schwmbart's shoulder in an effort to find herself again, blushing every bit as furiously as the green stallion was. The prospect of dating had never really crossed her mind before... She had certainly been hit on in various ways by other ponies, but her mind had always made her work the priority, much to any suitor's disappointment. And yet, Schwambart was a different case; regardless of his true intentions written on that card, Ivory had accepted his proposal without a second thought.

Perhaps it was the green stallion's unique charm? Ivory mused to herself, only to have her thought process derailed when Schwambart grinned from ear to ear, causing the Noctral to smile sheepishly in return. She draped her hoof around his shoulder again, pulling him a bit closer as he began to speak. Well, halfway speak, at least. Ivory glanced at the miscellaneous items that littered the ground, attempting to decipher what the stallion was trying to say. "Would you like some help carrying your stuff back home? I'd be more than happy to escort you." Ivory's tone of voice changed slightly, returning to its more melodious and soothing inflection the mare had used when she first met the Pegasus. "We can always plan for tomorrow... But I would at least like to see you off before you retire for the night. That was a very brave thing, Schwambart..." Without warning, Ivory pulls him into a tight hug, leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek before releasing him. The Noctral immediately goes to work packing and picking up his various belongings, knowing full well that her small act of affection would probably cause him to go giddy again.

"Hey Lamplight," she calls over her shoulder, nomming on one of Schwambart's home-made sweets before stuffing its container into the bag. "Thank you sooooooooooooo so so much for coming out again. I'll be working on something special for the next one, so don't miss out! It just might blow all my other performances away.~"

The flustered Noctral could only manage to avert her eyes from Kit as the Gryphon quite shamelessly 'claimed' her victory over the mare. "Careful there, Kit-Kat. You might wake up with a new coat color and painted talons one of these days. Just you wait. And when you find me, I'll be sitting there eating your most favorite wheel of cheese." The mare trailed off as Kit began leave, nodding in affirmation about coming to visit her shop every so often. "I'll be sure to do that, Kit. My offer is still open to model for your lines if you still need one."

Ivory nestled herself a bit atop of the green Pegasus, only to pout playfully as Schwambart somehow maneuvered himself out from underneath her. "Aww! And I was starting to get comfy.~" The mare accepted Schwambart's helping hoof, slowly standing up as she proceeded to brush herself off, stretching her wings a little before they settled back in place. "This whole night has been rather fun," Ivory replied with a smile towards Lamplight. "I really appreciate you coming out again. It's always a challenge to come up with something a little bit different for the regulars to enjoy, so I decided that it was your turn for a little impromptu dance. I hope you didn't mind, haha."

The mare giggled to herself for a moment as she went about to help Schwambart pick up his belongings, imitating a sort of whirling dance as she cheerfully bumped into the two with hopes they would join along in her antics.

Ivory quirks a curious brow as the green stallion sitting before her began to stumble and trip over his own words... Or word; she wasn't really quite sure at that point... While this wasn't quite an unusual behavior for Schwambart when he got overly flustered, what truly piqued her concern was that his overall color seemed to shift into a light shade of red, which seemed to only grow darker over the course of time. The mare watched him for a moment before shifting her questioning glance to Lamplight, wondering what she should do.

"Uh... Did I miss something while I was gone? Did I accidentally break him?" Ivory was truly clueless at the moment, although her gaze shifted back down to the Pegasus in question as he started to fumble through his vest, ultimately pulling out numerous little cards before hoofing one over to the mare. The Noctral briefly scanned its words, an awkward smile pursing her lips before Schwambart gave her a second one, reading its contents as well. Ivory couldn't help but glance back up at Lamplight, wondering what she thought of this peculiar spectacle. "My oh my," the mare finally replied, now trying to get a good look at just how many cards he had made. "You truly came prepared, didn't you?" Ivory blinked, not quite sure how to progress the conversation. Instead, the mare simply giggled, offering another small hug before pulling away again. "Well, I'm certainly glad you enjoyed yourself, Schwambart. While this may have been just a normal night for most ponies, you certainly made mine much more special." Ivory would absentmindedly shuffle the two cards between her hooves as she spoke, eventually flipping them both over to see if anything was written on the back like many of the others Schwambart had.

Twenty... Twenty-one... Twenty-two... Ivory scanned over all the ponies with meticulous, golden eyes, using a hoof to point as she kept tally of everypony that she saw. A small smile pursed her lips, although it was nowhere near as excited as before... Her mind was completely focused on the show at hoof, and it looked like she had her work cut out for her tonight. Twenty-three... Twenty-four... She had at least two dozen ponies before her, possibly more that she might have skipped over or haven't joined the small crowd yet. Those that have attended her particular performances before had already found their seat in what could be considered the 'front row', although there was technically no 'front'. There wasn't even a stage or any markings to show for it, and the only fixed point seemed to be the musicians who were now quietly tuning their respective instruments. The setup left many of the newcomers confused as they wandered around, trying to find the best place to sit. They were curious, and that's exactly what Ivory wanted.

Whether everypony knew it or not, Ivory's performance had already started. As any practitioner of the arts would tell you, the setup was just as important, if not more important than the act itself. And curiosity was an excellent motivator to open one's mind to the many possibilities that might happen. In fact, it was curiosity that likely brought ponies to Ivory's little show. What was it like? What does she do? Ponies often feel compelled to stick around and find out, and this is what Ivory played on to set up her performance. Unfortunately, however, there seemed to be a fragile balance between curiosity of the unknown, and fear. Despite her loving nature, many ponies were afraid of Ivory at first, and over the years, the Noctral fought to dispel many of the negative stereotypes that often attached itself to her race. And it was all paying off right in front of her as she stepped out towards her audience.

With a small nod of acknowledgement towards the musicians, Ivory produced an elegant tambourine and began to count off. An acoustic guitar headed off the downbeat, playing a rather lively, spry melody while accompanied by a violin and a bass, similar to a medieval jig while Ivory kept time with the steady jingle of her tambourine. The Noctral remained on the ground for the moment, bobbing her head to the beat as she smiled and scanned her audience for their reaction. The melody could best be described as enchanting, perhaps mesmerizing as it continued along, adding more and more instruments as each round passed by. Percussion, a second guitar, a flute, and even an accordion made its presence known, adding layer upon layer on top of the melody to create a whirlwind of sound that seemed to fill up the entire meadow. Usually, Ivory would be dancing at this point, but the Noctral had another idea... She began to sing, raising up on her hind hooves as her jingle continued to keep time.

Dancing to the feel of the Drum,
Leave this World behind.
We'll have a drink and toast to ourselves,
Under a violet Moon.~

Ivory's voice was melodious just by itself, even when she spoke under normal circumstances. But as she sang, Ivory brought her full voice out, which was every bit as soothing and enchanting as the music that enveloped the clearing... The Noctral walked along the front row, now striking the tambourine against her hip as she sang and swayed to the beat. During her first verse, she briefly stopped by Kindle and Pepper, giving them a small wink before she continued along down the row.

Ivory Star with her hair in curls,
Will make you turn and stare.
Try to steal a kiss at the bridge,
Under a violet Moon.~

With a bit more fire in her step, Ivory used her free hoof to twirl her mane a bit to imitate her lyrics, stopping just short of Schwambart as she leaned down to kiss his nose. It was difficult to tell whether it was genuine or simply part of the act, but as quickly as it happened, Ivory departed down the row, albeit with a bigger grin than before.

Raise your hats and your glasses too!
We will dance the whole Night through!~
We're going back to a time we knew,
Under a violet Moon!~

The music picked up substantially during the chorus, pouring even more energy into the atmosphere as Ivory passed by Lamplight. Without warning, the Noctral pulled Lamplight to her hooves, spinning her in circles a couple times before carefully letting her go. To those that have previously attended her performances, it should come to no surprise that Ivory enjoyed a bit of audience participation and interaction. More often times than not, however, Ivory was the one who unexpectedly participated and interacted within her own show, and she had a particular fondness of catching ponies off-guard with her actions. It kept everything spontaneous and fun, anything to keep the audience enjoying themselves.

Cheers to the Knights and Days of old,
The beggars and the thieves.
Living in an enchanted wood,
Under a violet Moon.~

Fortuneteller what do you see?
Future, in a card.
Share your secrets, tell them to me,
Under a violet moon.~

Wings unfurled, Ivory finally took to the night sky as she passed by Patches, beaming brightly as she continued to keep the beat with her tambourine. The Noctral had decided earlier that it would be one of her goals to make that mare smile at least once during her performance. Out of everypony that she saw or knew of here, Patches was perhaps the one most in need of a good time. Or perhaps she was having a good time, but simply not showing it... Ivory didn't dwell on the thought, however, and picked up speed as the second chorus cropped up. As her speed increased, Ivory began to leave what looked to be a trail of silvery-blue light-- an after image produced by the combination of her coat's sheen magnified by the moon's luminous glow. Through expert twists and turns, Ivory began to draw, using the night sky as her canvas. Her body's sheen acted as a sort of magnifying focus, causing the light to 'stick' for a few seconds.

Ivory started simple enough, executing a few simple patterns and shapes before moving on to her more advanced techniques, all while she continued to sing and keep the beat with her tambourine. And yet, despite all of her multitasking, all of her movements seemed to have the simple appearance of a dance. At first, her actions and movements didn't seem to make much sense, but before long, her 'painting' began to pull together, taking on the appearance of Princess Luna (Not -THAT- good, but something similar). It wouldn't last very long, unfortunately, but it's longevity would have been enough for everypony to enjoy for at least a couple minutes.

Nearly out of breath, the Noctral returned to the ground for the last chorus, now standing close to the musicians as the song rang out its final note. With another smile, Ivory took a small bow, signaling the end of her run. She had definitely given it her all this time, and now her golden eyes rested upon her audience, waiting for a reaction.

"K-kit!?" The mare barely squeezed out the Gryphon's name before her rather large form (compared to hers) flawlessly pinned her to the ground with a rather loud oof and a small squeak of surprise. Ivory landed face up, blinking a few times to gather her bearings before her golden eyes landed on the familiar looking Gryphon. Then again, it was about the only thing her eyes landed on as the excited black and red Gryphon all but encompassed her immediate view. "Kit-Kat? Is that really you?" Ivory opted to use the nickname she had given Kit back in school-- a term of endearment that had first started off as a bad joke, but had grown into something the mare would often and fondly use to address the Gryphon. Kit had changed a little since the Noctral had last seen her, but considering the way she had just been greeted, the Gryphon hasn't seemed to change one bit.

A genuine smile pursed Ivory's lips as she raised a hoof to rap against Kit's chest, right below her neck where her feathers were at it's thickest. "It's good to see you, Kit. You've grown a bit... I can tell." Ivory chuckled a bit, coughing a couple times as she attempted to readjust herself. "Do I have dirt in my ears, or did you say you're moving to Ponyville? That's AWESOME!~" The Noctral's exuberant energy returned, half giggling and half squirming underneath her present captor. "Enjoy this while you can, Kit! I'll know it's coming next time!" Ivory laughed again, giving up on squirming for the moment as she simply laughed like a school filly.

The Noctral continued to smile and wave as the trio of ponies made their way across the field to where they had situated themselves for the moment, the yellow mare seemingly leading the way with a beautiful black cat in tow. Ivory always had a penchant for animals, especially cats in particular, and it took nearly everything she had to refrain from scooping him up and lavishing him with affection right then and there. Growing up, Ivory only ever owned one pet: a stray calico kitten she had rescued on the streets of Manehatten, later named Duu, due to his two different colored eyes. Heterochromia, if she remembered her father's words correctly... Despite Ivory's love for animals, Duo was the only one that wouldn't meet her with flurries of claws, teeth, or talons.

Frowning in thought, Ivory dismissed the cat completely and turned her attention to the other two ponies behind the yellow mare. One was definitely a stallion... An orange Earth pony, to be more accurate. And the smell of... Peppers? Ivory blinked, trying to hone in on the faint aroma that seemed to be emanating from his general direction. How odd, she thought to herself. Surely her senses weren't tricking her? But as soon as the Noctral gave it half a thought, she dismissed that, too, as she spotted a familiar hat. And underneath that hat, an even more familiar mare. It had been quite some time since she had seen Patches roaming about, especially this late at night. Then again, that mare was an enigma; most don't even see her arrive, nor leave unless she made her presence known. And that was perfectly fine, given her somewhat secluded nature.

Offering yet another quick wave and an elated smile, specifically towards Patches, Ivory then turned her attention to the yellow mare, shortly named Kindle, who was now addressing her. "Good evening, Kindle and Pepper. And a special good evening to you, Patches.~" The Noctral finally landed to offer a hoof-shake, keeping her webbed wings folded loosely to her sides. While Ivory didn't notice Kindle's earlier ogling at her appearance, she was particularly pleased that she didn't outright ask what Ivory was. Or if she was allergic to sunlight. Or her personal favorite, if she ate other ponies. If only she had a single bit or two every time she heard that... "My name is Ivory Star," she continued. "Proud Noctral, honorary Pegasus, and one-hundred percent hard-working pony. And this here is something I would like to call a Lunar Festival. It's an event I've done here in Ponyville every couple months or so when the moon shines its brightest, but this is probably the first time I can call it a proper festival." Ivory beamed in delight once more, almost dancing in place. "Free food, free drink, good music, and I perform an aerial dance once the moon hits its peak. Think of it like a Summer Sun Celebration, but for Princess Luna.~ If you're willing to stick around for a tiny bit longer, I can show you what all this glowy-ness does."

As Kindle suddenly headed off to intercept her cat, Ivory redirected her attention to Schwambart who now seemed completely at a loss for some reason. The Noctral simply smiled as she listened to his response with a bit of a grin, trying to keep her giggling to a minimum... With little success. She was just simply too far excited at this point. With Lamplight, Patches, and Schwambart here, along with a myriad of new faces including Kindle and Pepper, Ivory was bound and determined to impress. "Would you like some help, Schwambart? I wouldn't mind carrying a couple of things. Also, take a deep breath, you goof. Count to ten. Exhale. I know you're nervous, but once the show starts, just sit back and relax." Ivory inched a bit closer, her genuine grin easing a bit, mostly due to her jaw starting to ache from smiling so much. "Just enjoy yourself, okay? If you're up to it, we could go get something to eat from one of these stalls after the performance. Or devour what's left of the cookies. Consider it a midnight picnic of sorts.~"

"Schwambart lived with me for a short time while he got his living arrangements in order," Ivory stole a glance towards Lamplight, finishing the green stallion's sentence as he trailed off due to the newcomers. "It's been... A few months. Half a year, maybe, since we've met. Since then, he's gotten his own place, and when he dropped by to visit recently, I invited him to this event." Ivory paused for a moment, her expression becoming more gentle and sincere, almost lost in thought. "I've rather... missed his company." It was a rather subtle hint between Lamplight and herself, but as quickly as the moment came, Ivory suddenly shifted her attention to yet another newcomer who seemed to be idling by the group.

Now there was an odd sight... A hooded pony sliding inconspicuously along between the group and the event site, and even with Ivory's trained eyes, she couldn't quite make out any of his or her features. The Noctral squinted, turning her head slightly to catch more moonlight to aid her sight. Male... Definitely a stallion... But that was all she could really pick out with the exception of a strange object of sorts, and perhaps the neck of his guitar, if it was visible. Perhaps he was a musician? Ivory glanced towards the others, seeing if anypony would lay claim to the newcomer, but instead she found Patches eyeing him cautiously... And if this stranger gave Patches enough reason to worry, perhaps he would need to be addressed. With all of her senses trained on the hooded figure, Ivory unfurled her wings and began to hover towards the stranger, giving a reassuring nod and smile to Pepper along the way. She knew that look all too well; the sense of loneliness and detachment was not an easy foe to fight. If Pepper decided to stick around, then maybe she could talk to him...

"Good evening, stranger,~" Ivory called out to the hooded figure. Maybe he was just shy? Or maybe he was just not from around here. In any case, Ivory couldn't deny that his behavior was suspicious... The glowing Noctral hovered just out of hoof's reach, hoping to use the light she now generated to cast some answers as to this stranger's appearance. "You here for the Lunar Festival? We've got plenty of room.~"

While Ivory made small talk with some of the more familiar faces around the camp, she couldn't help but notice that she was being studied rather meticulously by many of the newcomers that were in attendance. Most were conspicuously... inconspicuous, hesitant to approach yet quick to label the Noctral as something strange or uncanny, much to her chagrin. To most, Ivory was an unknown mystery who often shut herself away at home, only emerging for work or a casual midnight stroll. Regardless, it was Ivory who broke the ice, often finding some common ground between fine-arts and the like, even performing acrobatic stunts for the curious fillies when the opportunity arose. With just a simple act of kindness, Ivory was no longer viewed as some sort of anomaly in the Ponyville radar, but a good-spirited friend.

After visiting with both old and new guests alike, Ivory decided to take to the sky to get a better aerial view of the venue as well as get a feeling for the night's wind conditions. While the moon wasn't properly positioned quite yet, the Noctral's passive gleam was unmistakable against the backdrop of the night sky. She stayed mid-air for a few moments, sweeping her head side to side as she managed to spot a few ponies that were within area, watching from a distance. Three of them had  similar, brightly colored schemes of red, orange and gold, easily identifiable against the rolling green of the meadow And speaking of green, there was a fourth, less vibrant pony that blended quite well within the grass... Colors and features aside, they were curious enough to at least investigate the event. All that was left was somepony to show them the way.~

Ivory wasted little time floating towards one of the groups, beaming almost childishly in excitement as she landed near the closest pair. Her smile broke into a sharp, ecstatic squee as she recognized both Schwambart and Lamplight. Folding her wings in place, Ivory trotted up to the pair, "Oh! Excellent! You guys came!~ Isn't the new setup absolutely fantastic? Somepony did this all in just a couple hours while I was out for a moment. Oh, and Schwambart! I'm really glad you could make it."