5th Breakfast; Assignment 1, Cutie Marks [visual]

[tookalevelinbadass]

Hello! If any of you ponies could spare a moment to help me with something it would be much appreciated.

I have been attending lessons at the local school, and Miss Cherilee has asked us to talk to other ponies about their cutie marks. These are the questions.

[They appear in writing under his visual message.]

1. What does your cutie mark look like?
2. How or when did you receive your cutie mark?
3. What does your cutie mark represent?

[Pippin blinks then slowly frowns a little]

I also must write about my own experience since I have a mark. Honestly though, I am not sure what it truly means. It's a bird, but I have no special talents relating to birds. Can you help me? I would like to find an answer to this, not only for my work, but so I can tell a certain filly she can no longer compare me to a "blank flank."

[He moves the scroll to make sure his mark is captured in the visual.]

Comments

[tookalevelinbadass]

Why would your sword be less impressive than your friends' weapons? If you all go into battle against mighty foes together, then all of you have weapons that have been in mighty battles! [Typical hobbit logic.]

[rollsoffthetongue]

It's not that, not really. Yeah there's been amazing battles, but my friends all have such COOL weapons!

Mine's just a sword, and a shield. [It decapitated a huge monster once, but that's beside the point.] Meanwhile my friends and classmates have these great weapons that they made, like a scythe-rifle. And a spear gun, and a gun-sword-thing on a long ribbon that can be swung around, and a giant mallet [that's also a gun].

I wish you could see them. Especially the way they use them, they're total experts! [Even though he's talking himself down at the same time, he sounds genuinely enthused. It's clear he thinks highly of his friends and their abilities.]

[tookalevelinbadass]

Fancy weapons are very impressive! [Also he only knows what half of those examples might actually be.] However, if you are an expert with the sword and shield how does that not make you an expert just like your friends?

Why that friend of mine who became king, he journeyed most of our adventure without using his special sword. When we first met him it was even broken! Still, he was a brave man from the beginning! Among the best of Men I ever have known or know.

[rollsoffthetongue]

[At this, Pippin is going to get a wincing sort of grin that doesn't look remotely sincere.]

Right. Expert with the sword, that's me! Most uh, most definitely.

[Yep. Totally sincere.]

[tookalevelinbadass]

You don't sound very sure. Haven't your friends ever complimented your abilities?

[rollsoffthetongue]

[There's something of a stretched out silence. He honest-to-goodness has to think about this.]

I get compliments whenever I'm training with one of my teammates? [He laughed.] Yaknow, right after she smacks me over onto my butt.

[tookalevelinbadass]

Your friend gives you spankings?!

[Pippin looks horrified. That was a parent-only thing in his homeland. Buttpats between friends had not been invented.]

[rollsoffthetongue]

What? No, nonono, onto my- She knocks me over when we're training, usually whenever my stance turns up wrong.

[A soft huff.] You think there'd be better ways to teach me, but...

[tookalevelinbadass]

Oh! Oh! [Pippin's smile returns. Somehow he resists wiping his forehead in relief.]

She must be very strong. Is she your teacher then?