Vignette - Exotic Horizons · 12:07am Nov 17th, 2021
The first vignette for Ruby Palace!
The girls were sitting around the Wondercolt Statue, each on their laptop as they looked at the class schedule for junior year. They all had to consider the requirements to graduate. Most of what they were choosing were their top choice for electives and the school would finalize the schedule.
"You know," Rarity said. "I have been thinking about the fliers we got, about the exchange program. Some culture would be nice. To get out of the city and expand our horizons. We could all go to Japan for the fall semester if we took Japanese as our language. Junior year is when they suggest we start taking our language requirements. We all could take Japanese together."
"That sounds like a great idea y'all," Applejack replied. "I ain’t feelin French or Spanish, so might as well be Japanese."
"I already took Japanese one-o-one," Pinkie Pie said. "I need to take one-o-two this semester. I couldn't join your class, but I could do the exchange program. Japan sounds like fun. Their candy is fun and you know how much I love fun candy."
“You love any candy,” Rainbow Dash retorted.
“Not any candy,” Pinkie argued back. “Brazil eats Halls cough drops as candy, although they do have better flavors, and Mexico has some candy that is spicy.”
“How does that differ from the atomic fireballs you suck down?” Applejack asked.
“That is cinnamon, not chamoy which is mango with salt, water, vinegar, chili, and sugar,” Pinkie explained. “There is a big difference between the balance of a sweet cinnamony hot candy and chili pepper candy. If I want to eat a pepper, I’ll eat a pepper. If I want chocolate, I’ll eat chocolate. If I want sugar, give me some rock candy. Just keep the vegetables out of my candy.”
"I'm with Pinkie Pie," Sunset said. "I just passed Japanese one-o-one with an A. I'm set up to take one-o-two, hopefully fourth period."
"I put in for fourth period too!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "That means we can take it together!"
Sunset rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, there are only two one-o-two classes. First period and fourth period. I am not doing a second language in first period."
"I wish I could do study hall in first period," Dash added. "Then I could catch some Zs."
"Okay, so Sunset and Pinkie take one-o-two, the rest of us can take one-o-one together," Rarity said. "What period?"
"Um, I can't take it with you," Fluttershy quietly said.
"What period, Darling?" Rarity asked. "I couldn't hear you. Can you speak up please?"
"Um, I said I can't take Japanese with you."
"Why not, Sugarcube?" AJ asked.
"Because I am taking Japanese one-o-three in second period," Fluttershy quietly explained.
"Wait!" Sunset exclaimed, trying to see Fluttershy. She was on the other side of the statue and there was no way for Sunset to see her. "You started Japanese in your freshman year?"
"Mhm," Fluttershy nodded. "I don't even need to take one-o-three, but I want to. I am absolutely fine with doing the exchange program though. Going to Japan sounds like fun."
"Come to think of it, I don't know if I have ever been in a class with you," Rarity stated. "Where do you lurk all day?"
"In class, where I am supposed to be," Fluttershy replied, confused. "And I don't lurk. But we have never had a class together."
"Funny, I'm not sure I've ever had a class with you either," AJ said.
"I had math with her this year," Dash said. "But that is the only class I have had with Fluttershy."
Pinkie began to laugh. "You need your own TV show. The Secret Life of Fluttershy at CHS."
"Um, no thank you," Fluttershy replied. "I don’t want cameras following me around. Math with Dash is the only class I have ever had with any of you. CHS is a large high school."
"I could have sworn I had a class with you," Sunset said. "But I guess not. We see each other all the time at school, I'm usually focused on class in class. But you study the same stuff with us."
"Mhm, but I don't have class the same period as you guys do," Fluttershy explained. “There are about a hundred and fifty students in each grade. Fitting all of them into eight periods with the faculty CHS has can be a challenge, particularly with the language arts classes each grade must take. Some teachers exclusively teach Writing one-o-one, while others teach both writing classes and some of the literature classes. The same for the math classes. My schedule has been different for each of you because I chose to take Japanese as a freshman, leaving the art electives for the end of high school.”
“So, the six of us are signing up for our respective Japanese classes then?” Rarity asked before hitting enter on her schedule.
“Yes,” Fluttershy said.
“YES!” Pinkie Pie yelled.
“Yep,” AJ said.
“Of course we have to,” Dash added. “Yes!”
“Absolutely,” Sunset said. “Let’s go to Japan.”
“Well, first you all have to take one-o-one and pass with an A,” Fluttershy said. “Then we all have to get accepted into the program. It is a senior year program for a reason, but that is why they gave us the fliers now, so we can plan accordingly and get accepted. I can help you all study, um, if that's alright with all of you.”
“Just hit enter and we will sort it out later!” Dash exclaimed as she smashed her own button.
Everyone else submitted their schedules, putting them on the first step to going to Japan for a foreign exchange program.
Ruby Palace November update blog with timeline.
If you have any ideas for vignettes you would like to see, things explored as they get ready for Japan, let me know!
very interesting
Nice that you accounted for all the prep work that goes into an exchange program. I only spent a month with a host family in Kokura through 4-H between my Junior and Senior year, but it took over a year of prep between applications, interviews, fundraising, and orientation sessions. It's not just something that you can apply for over the Summer, and start in the Fall.
5608234
Thanks. And I forgot about fundraisers for vignettes.
They will make it :
5608347
Haha! That is awesome.
5608345
In my case, everyone was required to fundraise part of the cost themselves, even if they could afford it. It was mostly a way to show that the kid actively wanted to go, and that the parents weren't just trying to send them away for a month long vacation. I wrote letters to local organizations for grant money, and would bag groceries at the local store for donations.
While they wouldn't need to fundraise specifically, I imagine most of the six would have some kind of part time job through junior year to save money for the trip. CHS, the Japanese school, or whatever organization is setting up the exchange could also have a scholarship program as well.
5608677
Those are great things I can do for vignettes. I was going to rely on scholarships, but having them raise some on their own makes a lot of sense.
Just thought of a guild name.
5609125
And that would be?
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Rogue Squad
5609194
That is a good name. I'll add it to my list. I need more names for guilds and characters.
5609219
Why not make a blog about your situation?
5609238
I have spoken about it before. I will consider another blog post about it.