"....i dont really have anything to say. please just stay out of my basement. its being renovated and you could get hurt if you go down there."

pin down is a quiet earth pony who lives alone in his quiet cottage, and he prefers it that way. he is not well attuned to the customs of ponyville, and as such comes off as eccentric to much of the populace, despite being unaware. he is not terribly social, and in fact when he does venture out of his cottage, comes off as quite awkward to the citizens in town. he tries to not go out often, even if it is counterintuitive to his ability to progress his social skills. he is kind, reserved, and polite in his interactions; if curt.

he ventures to market early in the morning, and tries to complete his dealings swiftly, both to avoid excess interactions and to have first pick of the available goods. though he wouldnt consider them friends, he is on a first name basis with several of the merchants, such as applejack. he buys apples in bulk, and often she is kind enough to toss a pastry in; in return he does his best to tip (though she always declines). following weekly food pickups, he often stops at carousel boutique for fabric. he is not in competition with rarity, as he knows his works dont hold a candle to her intricate pieces, but he makes utilitarian pieces for working ponies and does a decent enough job. raritys hours are typically not early, but if she knows hes stopping by shes willing to be up at such an hour. as such, his visits are preplanned both for her sanity and to be certain she has the stock he needs.

another reason he is not in competition is simply because of the type of things he makes. he is one of the only ponies outside of appleloosa to work with animal hides, using leather (sourced from where? rarity asks. pin down remains tight lipped but lets her know its "sourced ethically". she doesnt prod, a makers secrets are his own, after all) to create heavy duty saddles, rugged hats, and hoofwear for the working class. his clientele are often word of mouth only, and he aims to keep it that way. broadening demand would mean he wouldnt get to put the time and effort into each piece it deserves.

pin downs cutie mark is a t pin, though his talent is generally with all needles. him being an earth pony, it is an unusual talent that leaves many questions, as typically tasks that require fine motor skills are relegated to unicorns. (regardless, pin down enjoys sewing and finds it to be very relaxing.) his secondary hobby, though belonging to an even more niche clientele, is also growing in popularity. nowadays, if you come to ponyville you may notice many ponies trotting around with shiny studs in their ears, pierced lips, and even large rings in their noses. pin downs talent being with needles extends broadly also to giving piercings, which though uncommon has recently been a growing market.

he was previously a highly unusual specimen, drawing stares and glares alike from other ponyvillians due to his extreme body modifications. but one day, a brave grey mare with a messy blonde mane asked him how she too could acquire such a bold look! to pin downs surprise, she was not kidding nor jabbing at him, but genuine. he was slightly taken aback, but let her know it was his talent; that he performed such procedures himself, and that he would be happy to do it for her if she felt so inclined. they returned to his cottage and got to chatting as he warned her of the potential discomfort of being poked. she steeled herself and before long, and with little fuss she had two lovely silver barbells, one placed in each ear. and, with the swiftness of the procedure, pin down realized he had his first genuine friend in the town.

before long, he had ponies, though not too many, asking how they too could get similar piercings, and that was when pin down really started to be able to sustain himself in town. prior to this, he had been living bit to bit, sparingly eating the cheapest meals, and buying only what supplies were necessary to sustain himself. but now he was living, comfortably at that.

pin down is also incredibly fond of animals. though its not his talent, he has a knack with critters and can often be seen feeding or caring for wildlife. althought he does not own them, he is especially close with the towns stray cat population and feeds and even shelters them when needed. he also has chickens that he raises both as companions and for their eggs, which he often gives to pinkie pie in exchange for loaves of bread. his home is often surrounded by birds, his many feeders attracting them and bringing them back season after season. he frequently convenes with fluttershy to discuss their converging lifestyles, and though in many aspects they seem vastly different he considers her a close friend and somewhat of a confidant. being a fairly grounded pegasus, she finds the earth pony relatable in more ways than one and enjoys his company. fluttershy notes pin downs all encompassing love for the creatures of equestria, even the beasts of the everfree, and notes he would sooner do harm to a fellow pony than any other lviing creature.

design details, character info

>pin down doesnt sleep well, if at all. he tends to sleep at odd hours, which serves him well enough.

>though he isnt aware, his unusual iris style is due to having bat pony heritiage. pin down has sensitive eyes, and this is why he prefers to not be outside during peak daylight. though he is an earth pony, he has heightened scent and hearing senses. in addition, he has a desire for blood, even if he doesnt really understand it.

>pin downs hair has physics/appearance like fluttershys, meaning that depending on view his mane flips to keep his eye visible. this said, it also hides his eye when convienient/needed.

>pin downs head shape is somewhere between that of big macs and braeburns, just a slightly exaggerated version of the shows masucline head shape.

>his eyelids are always purple, and he typically has eye bags as well, in reference to his iffy sleep shedule.

>when drawing more detailed pictures, i like to give him stray hairs/ahoge, as i myself am a rough sleeper and tend to be a bit messy in my waking hours. pin down isnt the best at self grooming after all, and his lack of care for his physical appearance tends to contribute to other ponies weariness of him.

>little known fact? pin down wears glasses when he sews! or.... when he does tasks that require precision. seldom will you see him wear them though, as he prefers to not admit that his eye sight requires help.

map taken from hasbro/mlp official rpg supplement "story of seasons".

"my cutie mark is a plain black T pin. funny enough, i only use those in really specific circumstances though!"