open Casual stroll

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
Ruby stayed quiet for a while, most likely thinking, though it was hard to tell since she wasn't showing any clear emotion, and meanwhile Charir just followed the conversation with tilted head, he had no idea what was being said, but the tone of the words said were rather unusual for dragons in his little experience, and while Ruby was hard to read, the way Charir looked at her told of something he could notice that he didn't expect. After a moment of silence Ruby spoke again "As ridiculous as I find the idea, I can't really argue with it." she sounded almost ashamed when she said it "I can't come up with any other explanation to things that has taken place lately, both in my mind and in my actions." It would also explain the magic, and could be related to why she had never fully agreed with her own upbringing, she had always chalked it up to spite due to her hatred of her mother, but maybe she just was weaker than she thought.

But as Leviathan had guessed, Ruby wasn't exactly pleased about it, but she wasn't angry either, it was more of a reluctant acknowledgement, she looked at her own claws "And I must admit that I cannot bring myself to harm you two, I cannot explain it, but it serves as evidence of something." "A weakness of some sort."  she then looked at Leviathan "So I guess you were right." 

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Nada shrugged "Maybe we will, maybe we wont, depends on her really." she explained "She's one of those creatures that you can only find if she wants you to find her, though I don't see any reason why she would purposely hide from you." she didn't really know where she would even start looking for Lyriel if she didn't just happen to be around, nor did she know any way to call her over for such reason. "But the forest is a big place, even with part of being made of sand now, and if I understood right, she's taking care of it alone for now, so she's a busy....creature, so while it's possible you could meet her, I can't promise you will." she wasn't sure if she should call Lyriel a creature or plant, or plant-creature, mare she wasn't since the pony form was just that, a form.

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"This griffon brought this to herself with her actions, and in full honesty, if I would have seen this happen, I may have just left her like this, because if you purposely poke a bear, I won't come to chase that bear away." Scarecrow admitted, this is why he had always talked about innocent creatures when it came to him helping them, those who seek to harm the forest should bear the responsibility.  "But, in this case, leaving her here could also bring harm to Vivi, since we don't know if someone with same intentions may be looking for her." "I have two ideas that come to mind right away, though in both cases it would probably be good for Vivi to relocate her eggs in case the griffon or someone she knows comes back." "First is to do what I always do with these...living statues, carry her outside the forest so that ponies can figure it out, it would keep her away at least for some time since I believe reversing this takes time." "The other option is that you step out of the view, Vivi frees the griffon, and I scare her in my real form, I can claim to be some kind of protector of the forest or something. The worst case scenario from that would bring trouble only for me, which isn't really a problem since nobody can do anything to me." 

 

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@EQ_Theta

On 12/15/2020 at 4:41 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Whoa! Hehe, beginner’s luck I guess? Though I think you are a lot luckier if you could catch a fish and make it look easy. You sure you haven’t done this before?”

"I observe."

The fish that'd be let down by the one who caught it, swamp quickly away from the area, and Omen followed it in tow. She could have taken it just as it landed in the water again, but it felt like that might be cheating, yes? As she said, she observed beings. And around her, she saw no one else who did this sort of thing, so that must mean there were if not a written rule, then an unspoken one.

Discord always told her, that rules existed to be broken, unless it were rules that he made. Then only he were allowed to break, or change them.

But this wasn't his world anymore. There were rules, and even he had been living by some new ones, when she met him. The yellow mare had changed him to fit their world some, and Omen were no better. She were after all, a servant. In some fashion, she needed rules, and guidance, to function properly, and not merely wander with little aim to her actions.

Sen, Lin, and Rosa, were helping her conform to the world better, and teach her some of the rules. If not by words, then action, as she saw them follow some trends, which she then in turn would try and replicate. If she understood them, that were. She'd like to understand why something were as it were, in advance sometimes. even if at times, she merely did it, and tried to find meaning in it later. Especially if it seemed like what she did, would stop her friends from being hurt. She didn't need a reason beyond not wanting them to get hurt, to do something then.

To return to the fish however, she did not see anyone stand ready to nick a fish from someone just as it got back in the water, so she assumed it were against the rules. Not that it mattered. Even if she had to chase it a little, and her tongue almost got caught by someone else, she'd still eventually grab hold of the fish, and lift it briefly out from the water, so that the owner could see it, before returning it to the pool. This one would be a good deal away from Lin, and swim in another direction, so she wouldn't be as lucky with this one, as the one she had just caught, unfortunately.

"No violence. Simple rules. I think I like this game."

"Well, you're sure a natural at it. You're just one fish of from getting your choice at the prime shelf now, and you still got nearly two minutes to go. But be warned: Mildew ain't as easy to get hold off. Slippery like an eel that one.

And I saw you there. 1 point for you, just within the time limit. Think you can catch up to your friend?"

The owner grinned, and looked down on the fish. Yeast - the fish they had both caught - were swimming far from them. As were Wheat, who wanted to get away from Omen. And as for Mildew, she were currently frustrating a bunch of beings, as she were quickly and nimbly, swimming about an area where a trio of ponies were trying to trap her with the strings. She'd just toy with them, and clearly had the upper fin, as they ended up having the wires tangled up, rather than catch the fish, that swam about, trying to find a new one to mess with. Probably the fish to worry about, though Wheat would get closer to Lin first. It seemed as if this one, did not want to be in the same area as Mildew. They had been trained to spread out, to make it more fair, and Mildew were essentially their alpha. So if she wanted to be somewhere, the rest had to move.

This one were tricky, as Wheat stuck to the edge, but made a wide circle when someone got close. However, if Lin utilized a distraction, like one of the smell, floating balls that were among the allowed tools, or potentially a board to block the path some, she might be able to lure the fish into a trap.

On 12/15/2020 at 4:41 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“There’s probably something more to this than just being able to hold the crossbow right and aim properly. Maybe starting off with a proper stance and allowing the body a certain degree of flexibility? Gotta try that next round.”

“You know, getting a diplomat to try my skills against sounds interesting, but I have a feeling that I’m going to have to deal with something similar once I return home. You probably remember mentions of Elder Ghilan being summoned by the Council of Elders back home? I’m afraid Lin and I will get dragged into that too. Dealing with them is already tough, but dealing with them will skill and care? That’ll be a really tough bar to clear, even with the things you've given us.”

"Remain steadfast against them, Sen. Speak to them respectfully, but do not allow them to simple step on you, and hide that behind traditions, as well as things going well enough for them right now. The world is a constantly changing beast, and if history is an indicator of anything, it is that those who refuse to change at least a little with it, will be devoured by it. This is not a matter of wanting to expose your kind to dangers, by having outsiders know of your existence. It is about survival, and understanding that a time will come when the they wither have allies to call upon, or will be remembered only far into the future, when eventually some explorers comes around and find the ruined towns, and remains of who lived there.

Maybe your race will survive. It sounds as if there exiles out there, and some of those might have managed to meet, and begun families of their own out here. Yet it will be a slow, grueling progress to get the longma away from near extinction, and those values, and traditions, that your elders cling so desperately to? They will be nothing more, than faded text in a museum. A mere testament to hubris, put on display for others to gawk at."

Were this somewhat harsh? Probably, but if he had to relay more words to their elders, it would be a message akin to this, to try and get through their thick skulls, that the more they clung to isolation, the higher the chance were that they'd eventually get swept away, and lose everything. Sure there might be some exiles out there, and their race might go on, but why would they ever take up the traditions of their kind? Those had gotten them thrown out into a world they were unfamiliar with, all on their own. What value did those have to the exiles? For the majority, he'd wager the answer to be none.

"I am not attempting to belittle your culture. I see flaws in it, but that is true in all others as well. There is simply no perfect system, nor culture, in the known world.

My aim is merely to try and show that the world - as grim as it can sometimes be - cannot take your needs and tragedies into consideration, when you refuse to function with it. When your forest seems abandoned, then what is to stop some from transporting dangerous beasts there, to make that a wildlife reservation? How are loggers to know which trees are off limits, when there is no word of any creature that claims ownership of the area? What diseases might not spread from creature to creature, that could have been solved with a remedy, made decades ago elsewhere?

The world is an ugly place, but much as there are bad things to get from it, then so are there things you will need. Long as you remain steadfast that you wish to remain mostly by yourself, and do not wish to have influences on your culture, you can function mostly as you do now. It will just be with backup, and consideration of territory, when it comes to for example, relocating things, or warn of travelling monsters..

I can imagine at worst, there would be some united issues with certain laws, that they'd wish to discuss. That being mostly related to ways that you punished criminals. Mostly they would let you do as is suitable for your kind, but there are four main topics that will come up:

Prolonged incarceration for minor offenses.

The death penalty.

Torture.

And of course, exile.

Those four, they will question if they note it is happening. The first being the lesser of the issues, and just be calls for you to see reason, if for example you took one whom had stolen an apple, and put them in prison for several years. I have not heard something thus far, which indicates you do that, so I don't think there is much to worry for there. Unless you make actual slaves out of your prisoners, in which case it will be quite the issue, as that is considered intolerant in the modern world. Working off your crime is fine, but you cannot make property out of your own kin. That is considered highly troublesome, to put it mildly.

As for the others, I believe it obvious why point two and three are issues, and as for the exile... The zebras remain able to do so, but it is somewhat tolerated as it is an extreme, rare occasion. And often when it does happen, it is because someone truly is a great danger to them.

I can imagine that if you insist on keeping the tradition of exile, they will ask to at least have them exiled to a particular country, which would be open to having them. Equestria for example, prides itself in reforming criminals, and be inclusive. They might wish to make a sanctuary for the lost souls that have been expelled."

While he talked, Rosa would shoot again, and this time, get three bolts rather close to one another, in a triangle fashion. Scoring him two 4's and a 5. An improvement, though none of them had thus far, scored higher than a five. Surely Sen would have to correct that mistake soon, yes? They couldn't have it like the darts or archery games, where neither of them were able to hit the middle. Had to be at least one of them that would show the needed skills to get the perfect bullseye, and it might well be Sen then.

They'd see. They had time for three rounds each more, before moving on to the next one, seeing as reloading took a fair bit of time. Still plenty of chances for them to prove themselves to one another.

===================================================

 

@Windy Breeze

"I wanna try this nice curry soup. It sounds delicious. And... I dunno, probably some Drizzle Dew too."

Drizzle Dew were a kind of non-carbonated soda, that had a high sweetness level, and tended to go well with mild to medium spices. Higher than that, and it weren't any sort of help on the burn, but it were pretty tasty. One of the sweeter drink that one could get, outside of actively drinking pure nectar, and that were a rarity to find as restaurants. It were more a kind of specialized product you could only find at certain vendors, as the market for this were rather slim. Unless you had hummingbirds, or certain kinds of small critters. It were pretty popular in those cases.

"Mind me asking what sorta food got you all tingly and drooling, Windy? Must be your favorite, when it makes you start spilling, hehe."

Looking at the list, she'd guess... Rainbow Macaroni. She knew that to be pretty popular with pegasi, and as one herself, she could attest that it were pretty good. It just wasn't on the same level as curry, in her mind. But hey. Different folks, different tastes, right?

=======================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

"To me, it's not weak to care. And frankly, you were wiser for just taking off, even if it were by instinct. Battles with kitsune are time consuming, and often doesn't give any satisfaction, as they tend to leave before you can finish them off. And that is after a prolonged, annoying fight, full of mirages and magic being slung around. I really don't know anyone, who have fought those creatures, who comes away from it and feels satisfied.

But enough about those. They're gone. I'd rather talk to you about your newfound emotions at some point. When you feel comfortable about that. I can see that you're not overly pleased with it right now, but I hope that in time, you'll get to understand that you aren't weak, just because you can open up to others. Pretty sure that you could still rip a creature from tail to ear, were the situation to arise. Caring about others doesn't stop that, and in fact, might give you motivation, that helps to push you.

Still, I can wait to talk about this. if you need time to mull it over, I understand. It takes time to accept change for our kind. Dragon Lord knows I've been resilient to things many a time too. I imagine it is going to be hard for Charir too, once he starts to understand things around him, and have to adapt. Probably going to need to start teaching him what is and isn't food, before he tries to chase a plumb looking pony, or someone's pet. Among other things."

Charir did seem to observe his half sister more or less constantly it looked like, and had an interesting look going over his face. Perhaps he too could sense, that something were new with her? Hopefully if he did, he'd begin to understand too that it was in a good way, and one day she'd hopefully be able to convince them of that.

Maybe it'd help them both, if Leviathan showed some affection? The moment felt right, so why not take the leap and try?

So she would wander the last few steps over to Ruby, and place her head against the larger dragoness' front leg. The size difference meant that she couldn't even reach her shoulders without standing on her hind legs, and that wasn't the plan here. Leviathan wanted to stay on all fours as she did this and had her head brush against her friend with a smile on her face.

"Maybe we should all go and do something fun to lighten the mood. Want to go smash some things up?"

====================================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

"Ooooh. So the stories about dryads are true then? They help the forest, and protect the cutesy little animal bahbees?"

"I swear, if any more glee comes over your voice doc, you're gonna start dripping pure sugar."

It was true. When thinking about small, cute things, Ziggy got so gleeful, that it almost radiated from her. And when she actually held something small and cute, like say, a lot of siren foals, like she had when visiting Serenade's family, it got disturbingly infectious.

But hey, good that the doc could keep happy, and see the light side of things, in Berry's mind. Weren't easy to do when you knew the truth of the world, like she did.  Sure she still felt fine, and had her moments of happiness, but there were always that thought in the back of her mind That little tingle of paranoia that kept her aware, and made her able to see the links that others just weren't able to, or claimed weren't there.

Poor, short-minded creatures. In time they'd have to face the truth. She'd make sure of it, when she exposed The Conspiracy for them all to see.

Ziggy's mind were less cluttered with this kind of thing. She were just imagining a tree pony with baby squirrels running around on her. That were basically it for the next little bit of time, until she spoke up.

"Oh, uuuh, think I zonked out for a bit there. Anyway, dryad friend. She sounds reeeally busy, if she's the only one looking out for things. Especially after the huuuuge timberwolf went around, and there came a desert part. Must be real stressful too. I hope she remembers to relax sometimes to get some steam out. It's not healthy to get stressed too much.

Maybe I'll ask her when I see her someday? Not If not sooner, then later. Have to be some point eventually when she isn't working hard, though I totally get what you mean, with her being real busy. Especially now. I hope the animals appreciate all she's doing for them.

You sure get a lot of varied friends, huh Nada? Dryads, princesses, zegasi, barista's, dragons, bunnies- All sorts."

===================================================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

Lyriel would listen carefully, and weigh her options in this matter. It were a tough choice really. Not the one with the bear as an example, since she had to agree on some level, that it were foolish to go and jump head first into your own demise. It were more regarding this particular situation, and considering what were at stake here, it were a tough decision. Yet it were not hers to bear, and thankfully, Vivi were more than happy to cluck her own opinion on this matter, whilst flapping her wings annoyed.

"Your words are wise. Both of you. Yet as Vivi says, it is imperative that we find out if there are more of her ideals nearby, rather than leave her be, or scare her from this forest. We must bring her to the town, and have them return her to her former self, whilst informing them of her ill deeds. I pray they will be understanding, and make her answer these questions. If not, I will feel forced to ask them of her myself. If that too fails.. I do not wish to bring you into this if need be, Scarecrow, but I may yet take you up on the offer to truly frighten her, if nothing else works.

Though I hope it will not come to that. As you have indicated before, it is best if you are not exposed to too many, though my worries are more towards those who might come to hunt you, rather than your safety. I have no doubts that they would not be able to truly harm you, yet they would pester you, and I can imagine that false stories will run rampant, if you are more widely known in this manner. I think it best to use subtlety here. For now at least.

Return to the flock Vivi, and give them my best. I will pray that the Earth Mother will smile upon your hatchlings, and hatch them strong and healthy."

She'd give a deep bow before the cockatrice after she said this, and give a prayer in her native tongue. Which sounded like a mild breeze, flowing through fallen leaves. Something which Vivi responded with by giving of a singular cluck, and bending her neck a little too, before being on her way again. Well, she'd give a hiss towards Crow before leaving, which it would respond to in kind, with a hiss of its own. And as for Scarecrow... She would give him a narrowed look, but say or do nothing else, as she went on her way. She did not know what to think of him yet, though his pet were instinctively something she did not like. It looked dangerous to her eggs.

When she had waddled away, Lyriel would get up in an upright position again, and turn towards Scarecrow.

"Would you be okay lifting her there, once we return to the statue? I could see if there might be a bear or something of similar strength nearby, which might help us otherwise."

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“I can see you’ve got talent. That and you’ve probably got good eyes and instinct. Keep that up and you’ll be bringing home something form the top shelf. As for me? I’ll probably settle for something less, or maybe I’ll try snagging another fish just so I can feel better about myself.”

Lin noticed the booth’s owner grinning at her, then looking at the pool. She smiled back and nodded, though she would take another look at the shelf on the second rung. It was tempting to go for two more, but there was time and better prizes. Might be a good idea to grab a little something more for the home. At that point, there was probably going to be a lot more space for decorating, even if it was just for a personal room. The most Lin had was a floor mat and a desk, and there was some space to fill. 

The longma would take some of Sen’s lessons and see the movements of the fish. Beneath the surface was one more swimming in her direction. With other players trying to attract the other fish’s attention, this one seemed content to swim away. Sometimes, the quiet would suffice, and Lin waited patiently. The line lay slack and the longma sat still, eyes watching for the opportunity. She had a board and a ball nearby. With one wing, she slowly nudged it to the side, hoping to distract the fish. She’d ready herself to cut off its avenues of escape.

Meanwhile, Sen watched as Rosa’s bolts flew straight into a near-accurate shape. Consistent and proven that this would get the longma to try and one-up him. Once he had his bolt loaded, Sen stepped up and took aim, planning to make this shot break the limit of five points that he and Rosa are making. One deep breath in, and he loosed the bolt, finding its way to a 7-point zone. 

“Ha! That was much better than expected.” Sen would take aim and fire two more times, earning him 5 and 6 points. 

“I find it hard to believe the elders will want to exile someone in the hopes that they’d be reformed. Exile is basically getting rid of an unwanted element and leaving them to fend for themselves, especially if they’ve got nowhere or no one to turn to. As the saying goes, ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ Yet there was always something off about the practice, all the more evident when someone decides to second-guess themselves.”

Sen would remember what Tomb mentioned earlier about some longma finding themselves wandering the thicket, no longer in corporeal form but still in pain. That one moment placed things in perspective, a thought that would make him wonder just how unlucky they fared.

“It’s a compromise, but if the elders can see it is worth doing, I think there will be a chance for something new. Better to rise up and learn than be another footnote in someone else’s story. But all this talk about the future of the longma has me wondering…. What about you? If there is an opportunity for you to do something for yourself out there, what's in store for your future?"

Edited December 18, 2020 by EQ_Theta

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@EQ_Theta

7 hours ago, EQ_Theta said:

“I can see you’ve got talent. That and you’ve probably got good eyes and instinct. Keep that up and you’ll be bringing home something form the top shelf. As for me? I’ll probably settle for something less, or maybe I’ll try snagging another fish just so I can feel better about myself.”

"You can catch them, Lin."

Omen were sure of this, as she fully believed in all of her friends. And Lin had already caught one fish, so why would she not be able to also catch another one? One were evn moving towards her, so that one should be possible. The last one though, that seemed to be tricking others, might be harder for her. Because she stood far away, that were. Omen were sure that Lin could catch that one, if it were closer, and it probably would be in time. If for no other reason, then because Omen were about to go hunting for it now.

But this fish were indeed smarter. It swam around, out of reach of her tongue, and would swim through rings, loops, and so on, to try and get Omen to snag her own tongue into something. Even once had a wisher accidentally catch her tongue, as she followed it. A rather awkward situation for the pony in question, but Omen just slithered her tongue back into the water, like it were nothing.

As this cat and mouse chase went on, Lin's target would near, and she had the right idea. Instead of actively chasing it, she were waiting in ambush. This would prove to be useful, as this fish were rather reactionary, since most that tried to catch them, were impatient, so its experience lead its actions.

If she remained calm, and just used the ball to direct it further towards herself, by throwing it on the other side of it, and then the board to make sure the angle got juuuust right, she'd find that the fish would more or less swim right into her line. A quick yank there, and she'd be golden. Unless she began wriggling the line around, and causing attention to be fallen on that from the fish. She had to be sneaky and calm to get this first attempt working.

10 hours ago, EQ_Theta said:

“I find it hard to believe the elders will want to exile someone in the hopes that they’d be reformed. Exile is basically getting rid of an unwanted element and leaving them to fend for themselves, especially if they’ve got nowhere or no one to turn to. As the saying goes, ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ Yet there was always something off about the practice, all the more evident when someone decides to second-guess themselves.”

"What I mean is more that if they do decide to exile someone, Equestria as an example, would likely be eager to urge them to at least throw them in that direction, or let it be known that they welcome their kind there. It may be a punishment to get exiled, but it should not become an indirect death sentence, and this would allow some degree of mercy from your elders side, whilst still - as you put it - get rid of an unwanted element. Second chances, are the Equestrian way."

Most of the time. He had heard of some who had not been given the chance, but that were mainly down to several crimes, which meant that offering said chance at the time, would be unreasonable. Though Discord were an example, that everyone could still be given another chance eventually, as he had been given the opportunity to turn his life around, after the second time he were turned to stone. One he had eventually taken serious. Or as serious as one of their kind could take it, that were. They all had a certain degree of... Whimsy, over them, which made complete seriousness essentially impossible. Though playful benevolence were a viable alternative.

"As for the practice itself, I hope that it will lessen in scale, from what I have so far gathered. It have sounded to me like to a certain extent, it have been used less to punish some who did actual crimes, and more of a convenient way of getting rid of those who disagrees with you, or have proven a threat to your position. A favored way of doing things for dictatorships, outside of convenient *disappearances*, or outright assassination."

10 hours ago, EQ_Theta said:

“It’s a compromise, but if the elders can see it is worth doing, I think there will be a chance for something new. Better to rise up and learn than be another footnote in someone else’s story. But all this talk about the future of the longma has me wondering…. What about you? If there is an opportunity for you to do something for yourself out there, what's in store for your future?"

This one were a bit tougher to answer for Rosa, and he'd actually remain quiet for a little while as he thought it over. In which time, he'd fire three bolts, and have them hit within an acorn's width of one another. It were perhaps still just 5 pointers, but he were getting consistency. Soon as he then adjusted his firing angle, this should prove to be rather helpful, in getting him some points.

When the last bolt had been fired though, he'd slowly begin to speak, whilst retrieving the bolts from the board.

"...I don't know. Logistically, my brain keeps telling me that I will be spending upwards of decades in prison, and then having to use a lot of time after that to try and make up for past misdeeds, by attempting to help with counter-espionage. usually spies in my position, does not have a long life, so the far rung future were not something I thought much of. Always figured that if I did somehow manage t survive into old age, I'd be a teacher.

In some ways, I would still like to be that. It feels like I have spent my life, amassing knowledge that in the end, were never meant to be passed on to anyone who could use it. It would feel good to actually share what I know with others, in a meaningful way. Maybe an instructor of sorts, to provide more real life efficient skills. There's a lot of adventurers out there, so it could be useful to teach them proper survival techniques, as well as ways to protect themselves. Trap detection would be rather valuable too.

*sigh* But much will depend on what sort of judgement I recieve, and how it will then mark me. Some things are just not feasible to get done properly, if you are marked the wrong way by the law. Public perception can be a fickle thing at times."

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Blitz Boom

Tepe gave Windy her flyer back, and Windy shows the food she's drooling about. 

The name of the dish is Swampy Green Soup, a spinach soup with tofu “I remember eating some green stew similar to this one, but I can't put a hoof of its name” she said, thinking about the stew she ate several years ago before moving to Equestria “I also found another food named Rainbow Macaroni but... Too colorful, as if its existence is just to attract the eyes of the public” she whispered this to Sorrow. If this is heard by one of the workers of the restaurant, she'll indirectly give them a bad impression and she didn't like that. She turned to Tepe “Have you found anything to order for yourself?”

“No, I'm not hungry” Tepe replied nonchalantly.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Windy Breeze

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Windy Breeze

6 hours ago, Windy Breeze said:

The name of the dish is Swampy Green Soup, a spinach soup with tofu “I remember eating some green stew similar to this one, but I can't put a hoof of its name” she said, thinking about the stew she ate several years ago before moving to Equestria “I also found another food named Rainbow Macaroni but... Too colorful, as if its existence is just to attract the eyes of the public”

"I always just figured Rainbow Macaroni got popular because Rainbow Dash did. It's not bad though, just a bit too... Zesty for me, I guess? It's hard to put a word to it, but it's just a little too much of something else than what I'd like.

Your soup choice looks more appealing anyway. Never tried tofu, but I guess that's the white blocks, right? Looks sort of like marshmallows."

Marshmallow soup... Sounded like something foal would make, after melting a lot of marshmallows and sugar, after the parents didn't pay enough attention to keep the little one from the stove.

Not that this spinach dish looked like something she'd expect from that. Nono, she were just mulling over a soup made of marshmallows. The spinach soup looked homely and delicious. She could almost taste the warm, nutrient-filled meal just warming her muzzle, by the look alone.

She'd show off the picture of the meal she had found afterwards, to show what had drawn her in. The bread weren't there, but it were probably because it would have looked wrong on the photo, or something. She didn't know how they focused this, but it wasn't important either. The soup itself were, and it had almost made her lick herself around the muzzle.

"If the food looks even half as good as these picture's, it sure looks good. I bet it tastes amazing too."

She wasn't keeping a low voice at any point whilst talking, but would do so normally. She weren't being mean towards the food thus far after all. She praised it, in fact. Only somewhat middling comment were about the macaroni, and that were just her not feeling like it tasted the way she'd prefer. The words Windy had were a bit harsher, but it weren't bad really. You'd have to be rather petty to get all up in hooves over something like that.

6 hours ago, Windy Breeze said:

“Have you found anything to order for yourself?”

“No, I'm not hungry” Tepe replied nonchalantly.

"Just let us know if you change your mind, okay Tepe?  For now, I guess we can order our meal, Windy. Just have to wait for a free waiter to walk by. Must be one eventually that'll come around, though I bet they're busy. Must always be something to do, in a place like this."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
"Caring of any kind can be used against you, thus making it weakness." Ruby argued, though that would be all she would say about that if Leviathan didn't continue on the topic, being a manipulator herself, she knew that one of the most effective ways to get other to do what one wants is by threatening something or someone they care about, or by blackmailing them, but that worked by similar idea, so having such weakness was not a pleasant idea for her, though there was also bit of fear in the reasoning,  because she didn't know what it was like to feel grief, but she had seen what it does to creatures, having been the cause for some, so she didn't want to ever feel that way, being scared of its effects on herself.

It would be easier to get Charir to see emotions as more positive thing at some point, because while he had had same upbringing as Ruby, he was just a kid and didn't have over 100 years of violence and such behind him.

Ruby didn't push Leviathan away, but she twitched a bit before tensing up for a moment when she brushed against her, she tried to act dismissive about it, but anyone who knew anything about such things could easily tell that she secretly didn't hate it, and that she was just trying to act like she did. Ruby was one of those who didn't know, and it wasn't purposeful refusal of affection, it was more caused by her not knowing how she felt about it mixed in with the learned expectation of pain any time anyone touched her, this combination made her more subconscious parts go 'what's this, is it a threat? weird feeling, is it pain?'

Her tone of voice also told about the uncertainty inside her, even if only a bit "Smash things? Do you know somewhere where one can do that without annoying herbivores coming to poke you with spears?" she didn't necessarily care what the ponies thought about her actions, but she would rather not became wanted in Equestria, especially not before she got her treasure from Spicy's vault.

Meanwhile Charir looked at the two dragonesses now confused, but it wasn't clear what about the situation confused him, Leviathan's actions, Ruby's reactions, or the situation as a whole, but with the confusion there was bit of happiness, he may have no idea what was happening, but at least he didn't need to worry about getting killed for no reason if Ruby let Leviathan that close without as little as threatening her. 

------------------------------------------------
Nada just quietly chuckled as Ziggy had her moment, it was endearing to see and if she was being honest, she kinda envied Ziggy, if only she could feel so happy about every little thing.
"Yeah I have, though funnily enough i have yet to meet any.....average pony, not trying to call you two weird of course, but from what I have understood from your own words, neither of you are what most ponies would call average." a Dryad, animals, Ziggy, Berry, immortal princesses, a dragon, other siren, a ghost, a shark-pony....she wasn't which was weirder, they all being around, or the fact that she happened to be the one to meet them all, and none of them were hostile. Sure there was the one foal that could be considered 'normal' but she didn't really consider him a friend, just someone she happened to meet. "But I guess it makes sense, since I don't think that any common pony would be wiling to become friends with me just like that considering the history." 

--------------------------------------------------
Scarecrow again stayed quiet and just nodded at Lyriel's explanation, speaking only when she addressed him directly again "I can carry her, I have moved heavier creatures." one thing that lack of feeling for pain also did was him not feeling the weight of anything he was carrying, he would of course be able to tell that he was carrying something, but for him, feeling-wise, there was no difference between carrying Crow and getting crushed by a tree, not that he had any muscles that would feel pain even if he could feel pain. "But by bringing her to town do you mean the edge of town like I usually do, or in the town." 

[Rising Dusk 26,018]

@Blitz Boom

"Normally that would be the case, but that's thinkin' with the mind of an Equestrian.  Not everypony outside our borders are going to have our same values, sadly.  Our initial investigation showed that the dark wizard used rifts to transport his minions here to Manehatten."

"No causalities from the assault.  Some minor bumps and bruises, but nopony worse for ware.  The school building will need some repairs though..." Starbright brought up, glancing in Flare's direction.  The cowboy that knocked pony sized holes through most of the walls on his way from rescuing foals hiding in the bathroom on his way to the gym.  To be fair Minty furrowed plenty of the floor with her own attacks against the spiders.  Didn't help the spiders liked to exploded when destroyed either.  "Most the damage came from the mental shock of somepony just attacking our peaceful lands really," she relented.  "The city will take time to recover."

Magma appeared by distracted by the entry of their bosses, something over the years the officers had become so use to they were hardly fazed.  Minty was the same size as Princess Celestia, minus the Alicorn status of course and wings.  They got along far too well that she might as well had been a third sister, but alas, she'd have to settle for her status as a direct descendent of the pre-Equestria royal unicorn families.  Bash took note of Magma's attention on Minty was more than what one would expect.  Not that he blamed her, Minty had this kind of affect on many ponies.  The silent stallion remained so.

Still red in her cheeks, Tussle calmed herself down and let her horn extinguish now that her office was in a more organized manner.  At this time the two ponies took notice they had an audience.  The officers didn't usually take this kind of notice, but three of them were standing by with a fourth unknown pony, seeking their attention.  The gawking red pony sure did catch their attention.  Starbright managed to be the first to clear her throat and speak up, "Ahem, welcome back you two.  Tussle, Captain, this is Magma and she'd like to make an appointment to talk business practices with you."

"How lovely," Minty smiled.  "Of course!  I can put something in the books.  Now that the city has calmed down a little, I have some time for some input on improving our office," Tussle replied, happy for the distraction from everything that had been happening the last week.  The secretary pony trotted over to her desk while Minty more elegantly walked past all those present to her own office in the back.

 

Staring in the mirror took Rising back to Harrowmark.  Not that he'd be able to forget it to begin with.  The weave that translucently clung to the mirror was steeped in the ethereal shimmer common in the magics he'd seen in Harrowmark thus far.  Old, grizzled, but well practiced techniques painted this spell.  A spell not spun in haste, but refined, focused.  Not a signature he'd seen yet, but the outer threads that served as a battery to stabilize and keep the spell going sure did.  The caster of the magics are at least in league with Thistle.  The sharp light magics of the high priestess were hard to mistake coming from the dark land.  Following the threads around to discern the purpose and tricks to the spell he identified three targets of the tracing.  Himself, Lily and The Captain.  Rising and Lily made sense, but he was intrigued to find Minty in here as well.  Their method for tracking was something Rising hadn't seen before, but it appeared linked to their magic.  Base on the scry spell he made with Lily, somepony in Thistle's group likely cast the spell.  The question is why.

"High Priestess Thistle and her group are currently tracking myself, Lily Monkshade and The Captain," he explained, Cork and Gold Mane exchanged concerned looks.  Igniting his horn he brought out his wisps and poked at the spell seeping through the mirror.  Delivering a magical equivalent to knocking on a door. 

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“Alright then, Omen. If you believe I can catch a second fish, I’ll give it my best shot.”

Seeing this second fish move closer, Lin would continue to see what would happen if she got the ball bobbing further from her. It looked like it was working for now, and so she would keep at it, keeping her attention on the fish as it moved closer. If she could just get it moving toward her, this would make for a good attempt. Sen’s lesson resonated at this moment; patience combined with skill will make for a good reward. 

For now, Lin would watch Omen and the other hopefuls who wanted to catch the remaining fish, observing their methods and studying what she could about their less than stellar attempts. Good thing they were content with trying their luck on their side of the pool. There was a bit of fun to be had while observing others; their reactions and their techniques say a lot about how they approached the situation. Perhaps the same can be said of the remaining fish, an elusive one by the looks of it. 

As for Sen, he’d move over to the board and collect his bolts before letting Rosa have his turn. A nice, consistent row of 5 points got the longma wondering if he should try getting that as well. If he could do that and improve his aim, he might just try his luck with three bolts right at the middle. 

“I’m sure there are some good folk in Equestria who could try their hooves at welcoming an exiled longma, maybe even putting them on the right path…”

“I know it’s not the same… being marked wrongfully by the law and being branded a criminal under the law. But having everyone else make up their minds about you before you can show them otherwise is not a good feeling, especially when they make their thoughts known to you.”

That thought had the longma return to a time when the villagers were throwing stones and rotten fruit at him, Lin, and Omen. It seemed like a lifetime ago but the memory never goes away. Though his wing healed, he’d never forget the feeling of having it torn by the jagged edge of a stone. It felt fresh, like happened just now, and he would law down the crossbow for a moment to rub the wing as if it was just wounded. 

“I can already imagine you being a good teacher to others. I mean, you’ve done that with me, Lin, Omen, and Elder Ghilan. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to teach what you know to those who want to learn from you. And if you need help with that, you can always ask me, even if that help comes in the form a student who can encourage you.”

The longma smiled toward Rosa before picking up the crossbow. This talk, and this game, they were very relaxing. It did wonders to get some weight off the chest, and it seemed to have also helped Sen steady himself. From there, he’d get two bolts on the 6 point zone, and one more on 7. It was a slight improvement, but that was better than regressing back to a lower score. 

“Hey, let’s make this a little more interesting. If this contest of ours looks like it’ll end in a draw, how about we throw in a little side bet? I’ve got nothing in mind for now, but I’ll think of something.”

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Rising Dusk

On 12/19/2020 at 2:07 PM, Rising Dusk said:

"Ahem, welcome back you two.  Tussle, Captain, this is Magma and she'd like to make an appointment to talk business practices with you."

As her name were brought up, Magma finally snapped out of her trance, and took a few, shaky steps backwards, whilst blinking profoundly. The look on her face were one of brief, yet profound mortified embarrassment, over the sudden realization of the way that she had acted.

It would not last long, even if the blush on her cheeks did take a little more time to dissipate, and she'd need a few more seconds to find her words again. At which point, the others had finished talking, and the focus seemed to be on her. Or at least towards what sort of reply she may have towards both the nature of her inquiry, and her less than stellar first encounter, with Minty.

"I... M-My sincere apologies, Captain... Ah yes, I forgot to inquire about your name before this meeting. I hope you can forgive this most unprofessional approach. Both regarding preparation, as well as my... Initial reaction. In my circles, the only ponies of size and elegancy comparative to you, which some encountered, were Princess Celestia herself. I have never encountered one such as her myself though, nor thought I'd see one reminiscent of her either, yet I always imagined meeting a tall mare of some stature would be less... Breathtaking, I assume the correct word would be in this situation? You have quite a radiant aura of power and elegance, which were quite a bit more stunning than I were apparently prepared for."

Magma did her best to explain and compliment the captain, yet at the same time, avoid using words such as *near perfect* and *a radiant goddess*, since her brain screamed at her that she'd sound crazy if she did so, regardless of what she might think here in the moment. Maybe later too, as Minty did really catch ones eye. Or hers at least. Though it might fade over time, judging by the reactions - or lack thereof - of the detectives around her.

During the entirety of what she had to say, she kept her eyes on Minty too, despite her feeling as if she wanted to look away, and crawl into a furnace to hide. She should at least show this much respect for the captain. Especially considering how abysmal her approach had been thus far, when it came to show her the respect which she were owed. Which weren't as easy, as she had thus far, not inquired about, nor been told, the name of the captain. A rather large short-coming currently, she'd say.

"My name is Magma Del Ray. A former researcher from Center Zero, and currently doing self-studies into the nature and effects of elemental lifeforms. Your detectives helped me from causing a minor stir in town by accident, and whilst talking, it were brought to my attention that your organization could use more in the way of funds, and space. Potentially advantageous deals too with local vendors, to increase cost efficiency, without sacrificing needed materials, or safety precautions. I have quite an extensive knowledge of the Equestrians system when it comes to grants, seeking funding, making deals that could benefit both vendor and customer, and so forth. So I wish to offer my help with this, as your detectives most graciously helped me with the unfortunate situation from earlier."

=====================================================================================

 

@Rising Dusk

On 12/19/2020 at 2:07 PM, Rising Dusk said:

"High Priestess Thistle and her group are currently tracking myself, Lily Monkshade and The Captain,"

"Wait wait wait. That was High Priestess Thistle?! But I said-"

First she looked baffled, and then Grave's expression turned towards realization, of her having done something really, really dumb.

"...Yeah, I'm definitely not going back now."

In fairness, how were she to know that this were the high priestess herself? They never introduced themselves, and they had acted pretty hostile when she popped out, to find out what were going on. It were probably still not a good idea for her to have opened her muzzle, and insulting the ghost regardless, but she didn't know this one were important. And with what she had said, it were probably for the best if the high priestess and her never met again. Might be that she'd be more forgiving of things than Twisted were, but Grave did not see a reason to risk it, and considered it merely further evidence that she were better off, staying here in Equestria.

"So... Why are they tracking you, or the others? Do you think it's bad? I don't really know much about the High Priestess, so I dunno what she might be thinking."

On 12/19/2020 at 2:07 PM, Rising Dusk said:

Igniting his horn he brought out his wisps and poked at the spell seeping through the mirror.  Delivering a magical equivalent to knocking on a door. 

With this action, he'd get a response alright. The magical equivalent of someone rudely telling you to *Get lost*, from the other side of a door. If Rising continued to knock though, he'd eventually be presented with an open link, where a gruff sounding, older stallion would directly tell him to bugger off, since he were meddling with delicate spellwork here. Just in crude tones. At first at least, until he abruptly changed tone. It appeared that Thistle might be listening in, and weren't pleased with his outburst.

If Rising followed the spell, he'd find that it were a tracker, and that all of the connections made, were anchored to a different pony, than this one. Depending on how well he could track at this distance, he might be able to identify the magical markings, as belonging to Scythe. Which would finally give him some answer as to what the marking were on her, as she laid unconscious in the wagon. She were currently used as an unconscious vessel, though if by her own admission, or if she were forced, were impossible to tell from this alone.

=========================================================================

 

@EQ_Theta

On 12/19/2020 at 3:51 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Alright then, Omen. If you believe I can catch a second fish, I’ll give it my best shot.”

Omen did not respond, as she were busy with her own target, whom were currently doing its best, to get away from the elongated tongue, and stay out of the grip of others. Though the fish would eventually have to move more southwards, towards the middle, as several began to meet up on the location said fish were swimming in, and tried to catch it. A bit too many, to make it fun for the fish, so there would be needed a little migration. As there were a cage in the middle that it could hide in, the fish did so, and looked around once in there, looking for those who might wish to ensure its capture.

While Omen circled around that with her tongue, and tried to find a way to go at this right, Lin's patience would bear fruit, as her fish would be lured closer to her, and would end up going right into the trap. A yoink at the right time, and she have the wriggling fish caught by its tail, gasping for water up in the air. It'd have taken a little over two minutes unfortunately, but it would still not take away that she could get a fairly good price at this point. Even if Lin did not get one from the very top shelf, that Omen were aiming for. She just needed her target caught somehow. which she would shortly thereafter accomplish, when she popped as much of her tongue inside the cage as she could, and finally managed to grasp hold of the elusive champion fish. She'd also still have some of her tongue connected to the cage in the middle however, so her victory were marred a bit by her having to work on getting herself unstuck, but it did not take away from things too much. She just needed a little time to work with, whilst Mildew swam rapidly away from what had been assumed to be a safe haven. Now Lin had that one to catch, and about 50 seconds to work with, which meant she had to be more active than passive, if she wanted to catch that one.

On 12/19/2020 at 3:51 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“I’m sure there are some good folk in Equestria who could try their hooves at welcoming an exiled longma, maybe even putting them on the right path…”

“I know it’s not the same… being marked wrongfully by the law and being branded a criminal under the law. But having everyone else make up their minds about you before you can show them otherwise is not a good feeling, especially when they make their thoughts known to you.”

"Which is where the Equestrian system of offering second chances, should prove enticing to potential future exiles, I'd say. They would be willing to listen, and then if there are issues, attempt to help with that. Prolonged incarceration is a rather rare thing here after all, though I will not lie and say that there are not a certain amount of pre-assumed judgement. Especially when it comes to a non-equine race. A certain degree of patience will have to be employed by the longma at first when it comes to that, before the general population are properly aware that the threat your kind makes to them, are minimal in scale. That you are not predators - or at least not of the kind which actively hunts equines - are a good start though. Mysticism and potential predators tends to be the things that makes them most wary."

He'd observe the improvements of Sen's shots. Only a few rounds to go for them, and as it stood now, it appeared as if Sen would prove the winner, as his abilities here were rapidly improving. More so than his own, which were rather impressive, as this weapon were unfamiliar to Sen. This may prove to be less of a final game of the bunch, than at first anticipated.

His own bolts would fly soon thereafter, impacting two sizes and a five. He had at first though he had moved enough to the side, but the third arrow landing in the five proved to him that he had miscalculated some. His next round had tro improve upon this to make a mark, though it would have to be impressively so, as it were their last. They had spent a buit more time with this game than anticipated.

On 12/19/2020 at 3:51 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“I can already imagine you being a good teacher to others. I mean, you’ve done that with me, Lin, Omen, and Elder Ghilan. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to teach what you know to those who want to learn from you. And if you need help with that, you can always ask me, even if that help comes in the form a student who can encourage you.”

The longma smiled toward Rosa before picking up the crossbow. This talk, and this game, they were very relaxing. It did wonders to get some weight off the chest, and it seemed to have also helped Sen steady himself. From there, he’d get two bolts on the 6 point zone, and one more on 7. It was a slight improvement, but that was better than regressing back to a lower score. 

“Hey, let’s make this a little more interesting. If this contest of ours looks like it’ll end in a draw, how about we throw in a little side bet? I’ve got nothing in mind for now, but I’ll think of something.”

"The sentiment is appreciated. I promise that were I ever to teach you, I would refrain from bringing a large, wooden ruler to smack down on a table to rattle you, if you appeared to lull off. Regardless of its proven efficiency.

As for the contest itself, I am currently ahead 2 to one, and there are yet one game more after this. I would think that a tie would be somewhat hard because of it, though it could well be that we had equal points there... Yes, however slim, I admit there is the possibility of a tie, and in that case, I do have a proposal to make: We ask a local to show us the game which would seem to be a challenge for us both, which could not end up in a draw. The loser of said round then, would have to endure something memorable. Perhaps... Yes, I do believe most of these festivals have areas where one can get face-painted. How does it sound that if a winner is decided that way, the loser will then have to decide a painted mask the other would have to wear, for the duration of the carnival?

The use of a local, would be to have an impartial source, though we could also ask Lin or Omen, if you'd prefer. I am certain they could remain impartial. Omen because she does not seem to understand the concept of rigging a game, and Lin because I believe that she would be equally amused by either of us having to look silly for the rest of our evening. Being ones sister, does not mean that she would not be amused by seeing you appear painted on, as much as it would be entertaining to gaze upon my face, were I to lose.

Furthermore, to lessen the time we spend here, I propose that the next game, we decide it not by the full five minutes, but by three shots. Two practice rounds, and then a singular attempt, as we have spend long in here, and I worry that the others may be somewhat bored by now."

=================================================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

On 12/19/2020 at 9:50 AM, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Caring of any kind can be used against you, thus making it weakness."

"And being alone can make you exposed, and easier to take down by a devoted group, or stronger opponent. There is no perfect situation here. Either you're taken down by hubris, or compassion makes you thoughtless. I personally believe it better to have some in your life, that gives you something to fight for, but that doesn't mean I can't see it have flaws."

It pleased Leviathan to not be pushed away - or more accurately, flung away - by Ruby, from this show of affection, though she could tell that Ruby did not enjoy this. She didn't even need to watch her to be certain of it, as the larger dragoness tensed up, and didn't exactly return the affection by say, putting a hand on Leviathan's head.

However, she did surprise the older dragoness, by not retaining the tenseness, nor audibly say something against this affection. Perhaps Ruby were more receptive to this than she had first thought? Intriguing to think, though she wouldn't push her luck further right now. She had already pushed it quite a bit by doing this, and even if she didn't hate it, Ruby were new to these kinds of positive emotions. So Leviathan would have patience, and just try to slowly introduce more things. A hand here. A smile there, those sorts of things.

She'd admit to perhaps test her luck a little, by lingering a little more than she had at first intended. But in fairness, Ruby had some really lovely scales to rub against.

On 12/19/2020 at 9:50 AM, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Smash things? Do you know somewhere where one can do that without annoying herbivores coming to poke you with spears?"

After she'd let go of Ruby, and heard her respond to her inquiry, things became more normal and down to earth again, which likely suited Ruby well. Things had been a little touchy-feely now, and they could use a good romp to get back into the right head space.

"They don't value everything. Certain rocky quarries are less than useful, or some places with monsters. And while I were around in Las Pegasus, I heard of this quaint little place, apparently filled with chimera, and other monsters. Quite a trouble area, that's being patrolled around by the guards, to try and deal with whatever tries to break through their defenses.

I didn't much care to go there myself, but I think we're all in the mood to let off a little steam, and they won't mind us causing trouble, long as it's on the right side of the fence.

It'll be fun. I'm sure we can find some timberwolves in there for Charir to smash to tinder too, if nothing else seems to suit him. I figure him finding something to demolish, will help on his confidence a little too.

And don't worry about the chimera. They're nasty things, and extremely hostile. I don't know anyone who'd miss it, if a few suddenly went missing."

This should prove a bit of fun for Ruby, which were also why Leviathan had a big grin on her mug, as she emphasized the last word of her sentence. A hostile race, which she'd actually be thanked for demolishing to a certain extend, should prove a spot of fun for the younger dragoness.

It wouldn't be as simple if she took down all of them of course, but the ones hammering at the fence, and causing massive trouble? No equine would shed a tear for them. Except for a few crazy ones, but they were, as mentioned, crazy. Their opinions were not all that valid.

================================================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

On 12/19/2020 at 9:50 AM, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Yeah I have, though funnily enough i have yet to meet any.....average pony, not trying to call you two weird of course, but from what I have understood from your own words, neither of you are what most ponies would call average."

"I'm not. I'm a half-blood zebra and pegasus, who underwent hormonal issues, and had to grow up in the hospital because of uncontrollable growth, which can cause all sorts of health issues. And I'm one of tripplets. I'm pretty special, and that's perfect for me. Being all regular and boring just sounds... Well, boring, right? Uniqueness is what makes us who we are!"

She'd do a twirl in the air, and spread her front hooves, as if she were prepared to throw around some sparkles. As she weren't Pinkie Pie though, that sorts magical party powers just wasn't there. The sentiment were though.

"Huh, I wondered how you got a medical license that early on, without looking like a high brow, seriously brainy mare. Guess growing up and living the life, would explain things."

Ziggy would nod enthusiastically, once again showing that she were as happy as could be. Few things really brought her down, and when they happened, she'd soon again find some sort of positive thing to focus on, to bring up her mood. Life were just too short to feel down about things, in her mind.

"I'm not as special as her. Been through some rough spots because of what I know, but I'm mostly normal. Just more informed than the poor, common puppet, who doesn't know all the ways the world is being controlled around them."

In truth, she were probably the craziest of them, but good luck making her believe that. It'd require shattering her entire world view, which were unlikely to happen. Especially since anypony telling her that it were all fake, would in her mind, just be another part of The Conspiracy, out to silence her.

On 12/19/2020 at 9:50 AM, Catpone Cerberus said:

"But I guess it makes sense, since I don't think that any common pony would be wiling to become friends with me just like that considering the history." 

"Then you get all of the special ponies as friends, and make a party full of the most fun kinds of creatures! See? You're gonna have the bestest of best group of friends."

"Well, some good words from the regular pony wouldn't be bad, but I'm sure some of them will come around eventually. Just think of the common pony like a cat. When something new and scary gets into their lives, they'll observe at a distance for a while, before approaching to test the waters. Just don't do any sudden movements, or push any of them into a bath tub, and you'll be fine, Nada."

Gross over-simplification, but it felt both right, and rather funny, to say in the moment, so she'd stick with it. Ziggy seemed to snort a little laughter out behind her hooves too, so that were a vote for it being okay.

=====================================================================

 

@Catpone Cerberus

"I will leave that decision up to you. If you feel the most comfortable leaving her at the edge, then you are welcome to do so, and I will find others within the town, to direct their attention towards this issue. I do not wish to force you to step over a boundary, which you do not feel comfortable traversing. It is not a way one should treat a friend."

Regardless of how Scarecrow felt about that designation, due in parts to how he were not emotionally able to repay in kind, Lyriel would not remove that marker for him. After what they had been through, and considering their shared roles, as guardians of this forest - albeit from varied angles - she could not see him as any less. And as her friend, she would listen to his opinion, and respect it in full. And when it came to the matter of him entering town, he had already given an opinion on it earlier. If that stood, she would respect that, and take it upon herself, to direction attention to this matter, and thereafter hopefully, get some answers out of this vile griffon, who had attempted to steal Vivi's eggs.

The statue would be where they left it, so transportation should be fine. And as for the walk, the forest seemed calm for no, so they may end up having a nice, quiet walk towards town. What happened from there, were up to Scarecrow himself.

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Blitz Boom

Tepe nodded “Sure” he look down at his stomach and rubs it with his hoof. Nope, not hungry.

Windy licked her lips upon seeing the food Sorrow is showing them “Mmm, that also looks delicious” she told Sorrow as she went to busy herself with her own flyer, her eyes widened with surprise and joy when she went to the dessert section. Lifting her head to look at Sorrow, her eyes sparkling in excitement, and a long drool forming in the side of her mouth Do ou want to order blueberry cheesecake ice cream?” she asked.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“I… gotcha!” 

With just a good tug at the right moment, she snagged a second fish. The longma picked up the fish and inspected it, before holding it up in the air to show to the booth’s owner before tossing it back in the water. It was a good feeling, being able to catch a second fish, but she wouldn’t celebrate just yet. There was some time left, and that meant she’d be going after the same fish Omen was in the middle of trying to catch. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to watch and see what would happen if she didn’t intervene, though she eventually relented. Being a tad further away meant she had to cast her line in the others’ direction if she wanted to have a chance. 

By then, it was a matter of seeing just who’d find success. Maybe casting the line close to Omen meant that the fish would find itself swimming in Omen’s direction. Maybe it would go the other way? As a saying went: “let the rain fall where it may.” 

Meanwhile, Sen would prepare to loose his next three bolts, finding that he’s getting a little better with each attempt.  No matter what he said about the crossbow’s unwieldiness, it was starting to feel a little more natural. Then again, it could be a fluke that he’s getting some decent shots in. He’s nowhere closer to the middle, but there was still some time to try. Unfortunately, the first two shots would make their way to a 4 and a 6. That first shot really got the longma grinding his teeth. 

The last attempt would fare better as he’d land on a 7, with the bot’s tip *this* close to an 8. Not quite the improvement that Sen was hoping for, but it was something to try and surpass. Once Sen heard Rosa’ suggestion and had some time to mull it over, he’d collect his bolts and stand by the side to give his take.

“Face paint? Sounds like the design to could look either silly or awesome, but I’m sure you’re going for the first one. Alright, then. Funny paint it is! I’m sure Lin would take the opportunity to get a laugh out of that! And she’d definitely want to keep a record of it, especially because she was asking about photographs earlier. Whoever’s gotta get painted will probably never live it down!"

"Better yet, let's get her and Omen to decide what gets painted on the face! That's gonna be a great motivator for us to do well in the next game.”

Sen chuckled at the thought. That was a good reason to really give it his all in the current game and the next one. Once Lin found a place in their home to put that image up, visitors will pretty much comment on it nonstop. And once they see Sen’s face, the longma will never hear the end of it.

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@EQ_Theta

As luck would have it, Mildew were swimming away from the cage in the direction where there were the least amount of beings. Which were were Lin were currently standing, as the varied beings playing this game, were gathered in groups in other places. This presented her with a potential winning situation for this, if she played her cards correctly.

If she made use of the ball to redirect Mildew's trajectory, she could potentially then use the board to scare the fish from one direction, and have it swerve right into the waiting line, where she might be able to grab it, if she were quick, and didn't hesitate. Other options were there too of course, but Mildew would not fall for a simple ambush. It were a highly reactionary fish, mostly aware of its surroundings. If Lin wanted to catch her, she had to use distractions, and directly get Mildew into the line. Or perhaps use a net, if she were quick with it. Maybe even try and lure Mildew into one of the narrow, half-pipe pathways, and then seal one end off with the piece of wood.

She had several options, but limited time to work with, and a fish that were not an easy one to get hold of. She'd need to put that head of hers through the test, and see what came out of it.

Regardless of how it ended though, about a minute later, they'd both be approached by the owner. After she had been over and help untangle Omen's tongue from the cage, with the help of a long stick, that she usually used for poking tools back towards the edges. Unless she had to draw them in, in which case the rubber hook on the other end were used. Which were also needed, with how much Omen had gotten herself tangled in, though she'd be free soon enough.

Anyway, they'd both be given the option to pick their well deserved prizes.

If Lin had not caught Mildew, she would be able to pick from the third shelf. Which would contain some prizes ranging from a wooden carved replica of a fish.

A plush of a tree, with the markings of a moon on it, roughly the size of a foal's head.

A well carved out flute, in darkened wood.

A bopper with a worm-like hook, and some fishing line.

A set of three dice, with the prime colors of her fish.

A hoof mirror, with an image of two breezies, dancing around with a thestral, carved in the backside.

Or a bathtub toy, looking like a trio of fish on a line.

If she had caught Mildew however, she'd get options from the second shelf, which had things that looked better, and seemed to be more valuable as well.

A plushie, around one and a half times the size of the one on the third shelf, looking like a purple siren.

A box of crayons, in primarily dark, and silvery colors.

A pan flute, carved in local black wood, and varnished for good measure.

A small statue, looking like a fish jumping over the number 2.

A deck of cards, with the kings and queens having depictions of varied fish.

A rust-free, metal medallion, with the logo of the Moonlit Thicket on one side, and on the other, a carving of it, and two other logos, placed around a central one. That likely representing the three towns, and their main seat of power. Not anything high end, but a rather nice souvenir regardless.

And then at last, a notebook, with varied pictures at the top of each page, depicting varied settings within this town.

As for the options Omen had, it were not many, but it were rather high quality looking things. Had to give folks something to strive for after all, though she had no hesitation in picking what she wanted. One thing had caught her eye to begin with, and she wanted to get that one, without much need to glance at the other things.

It was a beautifully carved, wooden picture frame, around the size of a melon. It were made of black wood, varnished, and had some silver lines poured into the bottom, with the writing *The Moonlit Thicket: A night to remember.*

It also had a voucher for a picture to be taken, as it were meant for a group of folks to gather up, and have their evening immortalized. At least as long as the picture would hold, which depended on those who made it, of course. As it were one of the top prices, that were likely from somepony good. One would think so at least, as shoddy work, would reflect badly on her stand, and that would be bad for business.

As Omen picked that one, the mare would pull out a box from underneath the counter, and take one of these frames out of there. She'd then put it in a bag, and hand it towards Omen.

"Always more that just picks out the fishing knife, but it's good to see that somepony have an eye for real treasure when they see it. Memorial Maker is about two hundred meters down towards the west, and he can get a picture sorted for you. If you hit the green candyfloss machine, you've gone too far.

Now, even if you didn't get 'em all in time, you still have the choice of some good prices, ma'am. What draws your eye to it?"

On 12/21/2020 at 4:03 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Face paint? Sounds like the design to could look either silly or awesome, but I’m sure you’re going for the first one. Alright, then. Funny paint it is! I’m sure Lin would take the opportunity to get a laugh out of that! And she’d definitely want to keep a record of it, especially because she was asking about photographs earlier. Whoever’s gotta get painted will probably never live it down!"

"Better yet, let's get her and Omen to decide what gets painted on the face! That's gonna be a great motivator for us to do well in the next game.”

"I get the distinct feeling that if Omen were to chose, she'd see if the one who were to lose, could be painted up to look like Discord. I am not certain about Lin, but something tells me that she would end up getting quite creative."

Yet another reason to attempt to not lose. Having a picture immortalizing this evening would be lovely. Yet if he had to stand there, with his face painted as something foolish for may years to come, it would look quite odd. Though he'd do it if he lost. He were a stallion of his word, and if he lost, he would take this hit to his pride with honor. Though if Sen lost, he may instead have something to chuckle at for decades to come. They would see who'd in the end, get the last laugh.

...Probably Lin, since no matter who lost, she'd end up determining the degree of laughter that would come from this. Omen would likely cave to her suggestions, so in the long run, Lin would be able to laugh quite substantially.

However, if he were to stop that from happening by winning this game, then that would be it. If they ended up on 3-1. Sen could not catch up, even if he won the final game.

"As for now, I accept the challenge in full. Let us see who shall win, and who shall become an amusing sight to behold."

He'd rise up the crossbow, shoot, and get three more arrows somewhat cluttered up. On a 6, then a 5, and at last, a 7. Not a bad finish, considering how poorly he historically did with these, but he'd require more practice to do well enough, to make it useful outside of here.

"A fine finish, yet my point total still stand beneath yours. I accept your superiority with this bow as well, Sen, and recognize your victory."

The owner would come in as he spoke, and say that it were time for the final discipline: Blow darts. This one using a board like the one they had seen with the darts, and with the owner giving the short intro on how to do this. Namely how to put in the dart, how to hold the pipe, and then how to properly shoot it. Which he got into a perfect bullseye as well. This pony had some fairly impressive skills with these things. Fortunate that they did not need to compete against him, or they'd end up getting painted from snout to tail tip.

"Alright then. Let us then see who will emerge victorious, Sen. Remember: Three practice shots, and then the real one. Let us finish the practice ones first."

Rosa would get ready, and fire off three darts. The first landing on a 4, then the second on a double six. The final would get close to a triple nineteen, but would miss, and end in a simple nineteen at the end. A mixed result, but he found it tolerable.

"Hmm, not the worst I could have done, though it seems I am more rusty with this than I thought. Or my memories of it are clouded due to the toxins infected upon me back in the day... No, definitely just rusty. Professor Gristle used to laze these when he taught us, and it went fine back then. It appears I have merely been specializing for too long.

Ah well. These were mere practice rounds. It is your turn to have yours, and then we shall see who wins in the true shot of ours. Preferably one of us, as surely we cannot keep maintaining this stalemate between ourselves."

Rosa would stand back, and indicate with his hoof, that he'd like for Sen to step forth now. It would be an interesting game, to see them both attempt something, where they had so little time to prepare. 3 to practice, and then one true one, for 4 shots in total. This were going to be a fairly interesting little session.

=====================================================================

 

@Windy Breeze

"Blueberries and cheesecake? In ice cream?"

Small lights seemed to sparkle in Sorrow's eyes, as she perked up by the mere sound of that. Cheesecake were great. Blueberries were delicious. And combining that in ice cream? How could you not get excited over that idea? Though even if it were ice cream with those things, that would still be good. It were still a delicious bundle of goodies.

The two of them might not need all of those calories in their diet, but it had been a long day, and they had saved a lot of beings, both dead and alive. They were allowed to have a reward!

"Sold! This is gonna be really good, I think."

Legion apparently mumbled something to her, as she'd then go over to patting their head a little. The big grin and jolt of joyful energy however, did not leave her. Why would it? This were going to be a great dinner, and things were mostly okay. Even if Tepe still had to eventually get an explanation that he'd hopefully accept, and that there were still a gang, and spirits on the loose here in Fillydelphia. But if you kept focus on only the negative, you'd never be happy, and despite her name, Sorrow liked to be joyful.

Long from here, in a small house, Needle would however, not be filled with joy. Rather, she were marked with determination, and a stone cold face, as she prepared her *private clinic* in her little hideout. Something she had prepared, in case of emergencies, or general treatment for those in the gang, as it were not too good if wanted criminals came to the hospital. It had not been as simple a thing to get the varied medical equipment and medication though, but she were resourceful. A few raids here, some fraudulent pads there, and a couple of times she had made use of varied goons, or apt professionals, to acquire things in her stead. Either bluntly, or stealthily. Occasionally by buying them off underground vendors, though she preferred not to have them used, and only send others in her stead, to avoid identification, in case said vendors were found. She had not gotten to where she were now, by being careless, and she did not intend to falter now. She were in far too deep at this point as it were anyway.

Not that she minded, of course. She found joy in this organisation, as there were a certain degree of admiration, and kinship she felt towards the boss, and the varied ways in which he ruled this gang. It were quite exquisite, and it well earned her respect, and loyalty.

To get back to the task at hoof though, she should keep focus. There were much still to be done, and no certainty if she'd later be needed to fix wounds, or not. If not, then her time would technically be wasted, but it were a lesser annoyance, than having to deal with say, another case of gut wounds. It got annoyingly filthy.

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Blitz Boom

Not only was Sorrow the only to be surprised by the existence of a wonderful cake ice cream dessert. Tepe gaped in shock when he heard Windy say about this, and when his initial shock wear off, he stood up and yelled in excitement “Oh, I WANT SOME TOO!”

However, he only attracted some attention. A stallion nearby gasped in shock when his glass of orange juice cracked, he started at the cracks and growled exasperation, frustration why such a very expensive yet fragile thing broke for no reason.

Windy looked at him with a forced smile, not noticing no one is looking at their direction, but are looking around in confusion instead, or at their plates/glass “Tepe, keep your voice down” the zebra respondded by looking at the diners, giving them a sheepish smile

Edited December 26, 2020 by Windy Breeze

[Rising Dusk 26,018]

@Blitz Boom

Magma didn't need to work all that hard to get Minty's attention.  A theatrically natured pony like herself lived for praise, admiration and flattery.  Evident in her disappoint at the lack of applause in Harrowmark from the specter pony audience during her battle with zombie ponies.  Memories she already wished forgotten.  On to the next show.  Minty's size was abnormal among the ponies in Equestria, but it did help her regal appearance, even if not so graced with the status of an Alicorn.  So many more accessories she could add if she had a beautiful pair of wings.  Her pride as a unicorn would prevent such a pursuit however.

Idly fanning herself with her hoof while Magam laid on the star struck praise.  "Charmed, Magma Del Ray of Center Zeron," holding out her hoof for an elegant greeting.  The lights in the building suddenly went out and a second later a spotlight shown on Minty who had stuck an elegant center stage pose.  "I am Minty Lis Snow Delice, Captain of the Office of Magical Investigations.  Countess of The Glistening Gallery.  Calamity of Cloudsdale~"  Her expression changing with each title, striking a different pose more fitting of the meaning behind each one for emphasis.  Tussle promptly slapped her forehead, "Please stop taking pride in that title," she groaned, interrupting the long string of titles that was soon to follow.  The spotlight flickered as Minty lost concentration and the building lights came back on.  "Tussle darling, even you must admit it was an impressive feat," Minty shot her snoot upwards with a hmph.  Rolling her eyes, Tussle ignored Minty's pout.

"A pleasure to meet you Ms. Del Ray.  Curious that we've had two cases from Center Zero ponies in just a week," Tussle tapped her chin in thought, all the more up to speed on the Boom siblings from Detective Rising and the attack on their workshop.  "I'm not the most prepared for a meeting at the moment," motioning down to the dress she was wearing to be more presentable to the Princesses and the long day that accompanied it.  "Can I put you in the books for tomorrow morning perhaps to meet with us?"

 

"Lily is the mother of one in the their company.  Why they'd track myself and The Captain, is a mystery," Rising of course had a guess, but more that needed discovered.  They were a bridge to Equestria and possible alliances that could be formed.  Or worse, they were thought of as a threat that needed to be kept tabs on.

The caster of this spell wasn't the most polite individual, but Rising has dealt with worse.  Even in Equestria, criminal weren't the most respectful of sorts.  Taking in the spell's signature and rather impressive mastery of his own spell.  Most certainly a pony that has practiced magic for an age.  Not that Rising would consider what he was doing as meddling, yet.  But for the pony on the other end to open a link was impressive enough on its own.  Reconnecting to lingering spells as a good step above the average.  Following the spell deeper out of the corner of his mind back to where it was anchored, it was a lot easier to see the full spell tapestry than through Lily's scry.  The caster was too neutral to determine any kind of harm or intent behind the spell.

"I wish to speak to Thistle," Rising's voice was distorted being linked to the spell, like taking into a well.  A couple wisps poked at the mirror, connecting a part of the empowering enchantment Thistle had on the spell to allow her to join the link in as well.  The detective didn't want the older stallion to have to play middle pony.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

Lin didn’t have much time to try and catch Mildew, though she could see the little fish moving in her direction. Her strategy needed to switch from passive to active, but there wasn’t enough time to study the creature. She’d try tossing the ball from earlier to see if she could get it to swim closer to her before yanking her rod. Sadly, it would not suffice, as her attempt got the fish to swim to the side and eventually had the longma attempt to try and toss her line toward it. 

As expected, she was nowhere close to getting her third fish by the time the game ended. Who would’ve thought being bested by a fish was part of the night’s festivities? Certainly not the longma. She would go with the booth’s owner to see the interesting rewards. Two fish wasn’t bad from a beginner, and it was still something to be happy about.

“That flute looks pretty appealing. Is it an ornament or could I use it as an actual instrument? I admit, if it’s real, I might want to learn how to play it.”

Meanwhile, Sen was ecstatic to play with some risk. Admittedly, a low risk wasn’t really as fun as playing for keeps, but there wasn’t really anything to bet on. Maybe keeping his dignity could be a reward, but it wasn’t fun winning something he already had. In his round of games, Sen won, and he was feeling a little better about that compared to the dart game earlier. With the score now tied, it was down to a brief round with a blowpipe to decide who became the target for humor.

“Oh wow. Definitely didn’t expect this to be the tie-breaking game.” The longma examined the tool given to him, recalling something back from his childhood that didn’t seem likely to be brought up again.

“I remember the hunt master using this once to scare a predator away. A Timberwolf, I think. Hard to believe it could be done but it was likely the dart more than the tool itself that scared it. I never got a chance to learn how to use this, though.”

Sen would ready himself, taking a breath in before trying the blowpipe. The first dart wouldn’t even make it to the board, landing way short of scoring anything. The second dart was better, landing at a 2, while the last would see more improvement with a score of 5. At 7 points, the longma was nervously chuckling at the prospect that he’d be getting his face painted. 

“Well… the practice round could have gone better. May the better player win?”

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@Blitz Boom

"I am done, I will head on my own way, unless you wish to follow. But I have a kingdom to rule. Now let me get you power Centaur."

He stepped out of Tartarus, and just as soon he created a crown and set it on his own head,
giving a brief wave before teleporting away, taking Tirek with him. Placing them in a forest, seemingly nowhere special.

"If we are to get anywhere, you need the power of a sufficiently powerful pony to start. I know just the one."
As he said this, the place became clear, he spread out his arms, and the trees with them.
The mass of trees caving over with a great crash, revealing a clearing.
"Wait, they left?! I sensed their spells here-"

Suddenly Skall found himself blasted by a fireball, sent back into the broken trunk of tree

Chariot lowered his hoof, Astral poking out her head from around a tree
"Stay back, this dragon is greater than me."

"This is the one."
Skall said, silently looking to Tirek, while Astral hid herself with a quick invisibility spell.

==================================

"How may I help with the graves?" 
Rose conjured a shovel, throwing it to the ground
"Aside from making tools. I can't exactly sense the dead like you."

Rose was already thinking it may be good to just unearth all the bodies, instead of searching through each grave-
but she also saw that Emerald may know more than her.

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Rising Dusk

On 12/26/2020 at 10:51 AM, Rising Dusk said:

"I am Minty Lis Snow Delice, Captain of the Office of Magical Investigations.  Countess of The Glistening Gallery.  Calamity of Cloudsdale~" 

"That is uhm... Quite the interesting collection of titles, Captain Delice."

Magma did not wish to speak badly of the enthralling captain  but at the same time, that last one were... Concerning. Calamities were not widely thought of as good things, and Cloudsdale served a generally important role in Equestria, so it being threatened were not good. For most, anyway.

Those who believed that the town were actually ruining natural weather patterns, to a point where an inevitable, meteorological disaster were bound to happen, would likely enjoy the machine being broken.

Magma did not have a stake in that particular, scientific race, but she did care for the lives lost. Hopefully, Minty had not been the kind of calamity that had resulted in increasing the national death toll. At least not on innocents.

The prolonged talk though, made it somewhat clear that whatever had gone on, were not as bad as the name first implied. Surely they would not joke about it if it were after all, no? That would be illogical, unless they were all morally bankrupt. Which thus far, Magma did not find supporting evidence for.

On 12/26/2020 at 10:51 AM, Rising Dusk said:

 "Can I put you in the books for tomorrow morning perhaps to meet with us?"

Her mind was blown again shortly after though, which eorked well in derailing her attention. And this one, even made some smog stream gently out of her ear for a moment, before she composed herself enough to answer.

"Y-Yes of course, I can reschedule for then. Whatever suits you the best, Captain Delice.

But I have to ask with some urgency about what you just said, and this I cannot wait to know: You say you have had to deal with more from Center Zero? The only one that would be, should be the one who are redistributing our work, after the attack. It is the only survivor I am aware of, but I have not been able to track them down, nor find out who it were.

I implore- No, I kindly ask, if you would be so kind, as to tell me whom it were, and if they are still in the area? I must fjnd out what happened that day, even if it is second hoof accounts.

Were it Professor Radish? He always seemed able to survive most things. Or Doctor Phobia? She spent so much time out of town, she may have been able to run off in advance."

=============================================

 

@Rising Dusk

On 12/26/2020 at 10:51 AM, Rising Dusk said:

"Lily is the mother of one in the their company.  Why they'd track myself and The Captain, is a mystery,"

"Hm... Maybe it was because you were both there? I mean, if they wanted to track you here, it'd kinda make sense to track everyone that were near you. If you got away, then they could find the others, and try to track you down like that? I dunno. Just sorta makes sense to e, as this is pretty far from Harrowmark."

A shot in the dark from her side, but so were the attempt at contact from Rising shortly thereafter, and that hit as well. Not in the best of way to begin with, of course, but the recipient were not generally a nice pony either. Not his job to be in general, and were it up to him, he'd keep ignoring the one poking at him like this. Yet, it were not his decision to make, and as such, he would stay back as the invite came in for Thistle to join in on the conversation.

"I'll ask her, fancy boy."

Well, almost stand back. He would send a message back from the open channels, as distorted as the one sent back, though the voice were rather gruff. It also sounded as if it came from someone woefully unimpressed, and somewhat annoyed at Rising. Though in fairness, his magic were being used as a *phone line*. It were a little irritating.

"...𝕀 𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕗𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟, 𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕣. 𝕀 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕪𝕤𝕖𝕝𝕗 𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕚𝕥 𝕥𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕘, 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕨𝕖 𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖. ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕤 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕝𝕤 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕀 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥."

Thistle's voice would come through soon, and Rising would again find himself conversing with the old spirit. As for the one whom they communed through - both of them, as technically, Sickle were the direct link - he stayed silent for the time being. He weren't overly interested in sticking his hoof into this hive.

============================================================

 

@Windy Breeze @Kujamih

"What the- Blitz! Don't play with those."

Molotov wandered out of the fortress of a workshop he owned, seemingly looking for somepony, and did indeed find the one he were looking for. Outside of the reinforced workshop's walls, on the scorched dirt that surrounded his property, outside of the paved path going towards the entrance itself. A small filly, tinkering with a load of varied, electrical looking contraptions, whose purposes were unknown. Considering what others may know of the Boom family, it were probably some sort of experiment, beyond their understanding. Probably best to stay clear off it as well, as Blitz in her short time, already had a reputation for causing things to explode. Generally on purpose.

"I'm not playing. I'm gonna make these all shine and make the bestest display possible!"

The little filly giggled wildly, and connected a few wires with her horn, before the older stallion had much of a chance to do anything. He were still rather far away, and though she could hear his voice, that did not mean that she were responding to it that much. And frankly, it did not help that he did not think it an emergency, as this were an untested prototype, without the oomph to really do anything, wrapped around what seemed like scrap from some of his other experiments. Probably harmless, but still. She should respect his boundaries and rules, which meant not taking these.

"You don't even have a gravity dispenser, or a power source above krench level seven. You're gonna zap your coat off, is what you're gonna do. Now come on. That stuff belongs in their boxes until it's tested right, sis. And you certainly won't get it done he-"

Blitz flipped a switch, and Molotov's sentence were cut in half, as the experimental source seemed to actually wake to life. And not just that, but dispense all over the scraps, and causing varied sparks to emerge from the edges. Which then turne into lightning, as Blitz moved away, to get a better look at things. Fairly interesting really... Until the lightning turned dark, and the air seemed to crumble around the haphazard construction, which made her curiously look up at her big brother, who shook his head in irritation.

"Great, you tore a hole in time and space. It's great, great grandma Jittery Boom's hoofwork all over again. Get inside, and find me a Renzhenfield Wrench Number 5. Gonna have to tackle this before it goes critical, and we loose a good few meters of the property to Celestia knows where."

Not that he'd go close. Hay no. He were gonna throw the wrench in there, and cause the thing to implode on itself before it went too far, and then burn the schematics for his prototype. Anything that could mess with time and space, were forbidden knowledge, as it were far too dangerous if it got widespread.Best to leave dimensions and gates to the princesses and their chosen.

And then as she ran in and started to rummage for this wrench, he started to hear moaning from the portal. Yep. This were most definitely not getting better. Probably good that the defenses were online on the workshop, so whatever got near, would be in trouble. And if it tired going into town, well... Good that he kept some things in his belt that worked to deal with aggressive things, eh? Though he'd likely still hear from the neighbors about this. They liked complaining.

========================================================================================

 

@Windy Breeze

Oh boy... This were going to be hard to explain to Tepe and Windy. Or well, Tepe at least, since Windy should get the signs from dealing with the previous situation.

Yet somehow, despite the cracked glass, and other signs, it seemed they did not notice it? Windy acted as if this were only a noise issue, and Tepe were seemingly in denial about things too. So she didn't need to explain things yet then it seemed, which were a gift. Sorrow got the feeling that after this outburst, just from joy, having his world crushed would make Tepe react in a far more forceful way. She'd have to be more gentle with this in time, than she had originally thought.

"Accidents happen, but let's just try and calm down a little now, okay? There's a lot who wanna eat in peace, and it'd be sad if we were asked to leave, yes?"

She felt Legion stir around her neck, but they remained generally silent. Yet this outburst certainly made them more wary, and prepared to flare up if need be, in case Tepe started to cause more issue. Others might not see him, but Sorrow and Windy were visible, and they might get the blame in time, if it continued.

===========================================================================================

 

@EQ_Theta

On 12/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“That flute looks pretty appealing. Is it an ornament or could I use it as an actual instrument? I admit, if it’s real, I might want to learn how to play it.”

"It's 100% functional, and well crafted locally, I might add. Ain't gonna break unless you go and try to saw it in half for some reason."

The mare would pick a box from beneath the desk, and open it in front of Lin, to reveal a bundle of these flutes, backed into bark casings. She'd take one from the top, and place it gently in front of the longma, before unwrapping it fully. Beneath it were one of the flutes she had seen, but looking fresher, as this one were not out for display, but had been carefully kept tied up and ready, for a potential winner.

"You have a good eye too, for picking this. Not as flashy as some other things, or for the littlest ones, but it's a fun thing to practice with, and get a feel for. Hard to get past some proper flute play, and not stop up. You have any sort of previous musical experience with any kind of flute, or is this your first?"

On 12/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“I remember the hunt master using this once to scare a predator away. A Timberwolf, I think. Hard to believe it could be done but it was likely the dart more than the tool itself that scared it. I never got a chance to learn how to use this, though.”

"The darts themselves rarely do much. It is mostly down to whatever is coating them that does the trick. Though timberwolves can at times be somewhat timid. It may have been that, or some sort of smell, or poison that did the trick in scaring it away. They do react negatively to certain smells, and I know of three poisons that will do well in causing them to be scared off, for varied reasons. A few more which will cause actual harm too, but let us not dwell on such things currently."

Rosa would silently observe Sen's round, then prepare himself for his own, actual shot. It had gone better for him than Sen, but he had seen quick improvements from the longma before. He did not rule out that things may well still end up in his favor.

On 12/26/2020 at 12:53 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Well… the practice round could have gone better. May the better player win?”

"Indeed. May the stars smile upon us."

Lining up, he'd clear his head, and shoot. Though even as it left the pipe, he knew it were not where he wanted it to go. He had stepped wrong down as he shot, and he could feel it. Which resulted in him hitting at the edge of the 11 marker, scoring him rather low, and not even on a double. This may end up being rather trivial to beat, but they would see. His own part had now played out, at least.

"...Unexpected, but there are still points beneath this. Let us see where it leads."

=================================================================================

 

@Califorum

The sound of beakers clinging went through the forest, within a small area of the mare wandering through. A sight that stood out in this green landscape, as her dress were a noticeable, yet slightly faded red, and the flowing white and pink mane did not match well with anything here either. Even for a pony in this forest, she were standing out, and clearly were not local. No wild life had seen her before, nor would any of the local residents, of which likely only Zecora were aware of her presence.

Though it were not as a kin of her own. Despite the stripes adorning her coat, Zeeha were no zebra. It were markings which she had painted upon her coat, when she had gotten together with her husband in years past. Her way of showing her respect to the traditions of the zebra, and the mark of approval from the elders in the town they had lived within. Something which she had to earn, but there had been no obstacle, nor test, she would not have passed to be together with the stallion of her dreams.

There were no laws against their kind mingling, but his family were one of tradition, and they were none to keen of having him marry some outsider, that he had saved in one of his heroic adventurs. He did not care personally, but she did not wish to have him estranged from them, and as such, had taken it upon herself to earn their respect, in the best way that one could. And she had earned it, as it were her mother in law herself, that had marked her with these stripes upon her completion of the tests, and given them her blessing to elope.

A tear ran down her face as she once again, thought of him. A stallion she had wished to spend her life with, but had only gotten a few, short years together with in the end. Little more than two and a half years of marriage, before someone, or something, took it upon themselves to ruin their life, by taking his.

She kept an image of the two together within her dress, before his end, and her disfigurement. Almost daily, she would take it forth, and think of the times they had together, and weep. As would she often whilst looking at herself in any mirrored surface, and see herself.

The stripes that marked her as accepted by the traditions of the zebra, and reminded her of the home she could no longer find the strength to stay in.

Her dress, once worn on her wedding day, also reminded her of the past. One which caused her both pain and joy to reflect upon, though she knew it would only hurt more if she had left her dress behind, rather than wear it to feel close to her late husband.

And of course, the scars that lined her, after her near death experience, which she would carry with her until her last breath. They had told her there were ways in which they could fix these, and leave her as pristine as she once had been, but it could not happen until she let go. She did not question their ways anymore, as she knew they worked on a plane far higher than what the general equine could realistically understand, but it also made her certain they would remain. For how were she to forget him, and the future that had been so brutally stolen from them?

She stopped in her tracks, and leaned down with a sniffle going over her being. There, she would gaze on a track in the moist dirt, tainted ever so slightly, by a small amount of magic residue.

Much as she'd like to sit and wail for a little over the past, she must go on, and capture this *Magnolia*, she had been told to find. An evil akin to Tirek, which surely had to be stopped, yet her reasons were simpler. This mare, if captured and brought back to her benefactor, would finally give Zheeva the thing she needed most, in her hunt for justice: The name of the one, or ones, who had come to hurt them, and taken his life. What she'd do with that information, were still something she were struggling with, but she needed to know. For him.

And now, she were getting close. She just needed this one bounty more done, and it would be over. Though it worried her to see the direction this mare were going. Ponyville were not a place she knew of, but any city held casualty options, and she would much prefer to not see others die for her crusade. Other families should not know loss as she did.

As such, she would follow this trail, and use her magic to transfer the residue into one of her beakers. It may be useful later.

=============================================================================

 

@FanOfManyShows

On 12/27/2020 at 1:21 AM, FanOfManyShows said:

"I am done, I will head on my own way, unless you wish to follow. But I have a kingdom to rule. Now let me get you power Centaur."

Seems like they were done then. No matter. Him and his new servant had better things to do now, than tagging along with a foolish dragon, attempting to control the magic eater. He should know better than to trust a being, who were a prime candidate, for the Element of Betrayal. The way Tirek got things were just like it, and were he allowed to, he would likely eventually find the true one, and then his might would surpass what the meager races had seen thus far.

Not more than what Grogar had seen though, and he knew how to deal with others such as this. It were time for them to return home to his cave, and begin preparing for this. Among other things.

On 12/27/2020 at 1:21 AM, FanOfManyShows said:

Chariot lowered his hoof, Astral poking out her head from around a tree
"Stay back, this dragon is greater than me."

"This is the one."
Skall said, silently looking to Tirek, while Astral hid herself with a quick invisibility spell.

Tirek were still unconscious. The magic cast upon him, as well as these chains, maintained him in that state, for the time being. He would be of no help to them, before they removed those. And even then, there were no guarantee that in his weakened state, he'd be able to drain much magic, before getting blasted into his base components.

Meanwhile, Astral would have recently gotten Opal back, but in what state, remained to be seen. Emerald had at least sent her back, which left Astral, potentially Opal, Chariot, and Iron, against Skall, and the element itself. Though, there were one more player in this game, and the element would warn him suddenly to duck, as she got into play: That being the general, whom had been above and behind him, where she had thrown a silver chakram towards his neck. If he did not bow down, it were going to cause issues, as the blade were sharp, and thrown with strength. If it did not though, it would return to the general, where she'd catch it expertly with her right, front hoof.

"Skall: In the name of the Night Guard, and the kingdom of Equestria, I place you under arrest. Yield, or it will be worst for yourself."

No one ever listened to this, but it would function as a distraction for the others to work, as the element began syncing her power with Skall's. They may be more, but together, her and him, had power that might win them this. It all depended on how they used it, and if they could get the lumbering oaf up and running.

======================================================================

 

@FanOfManyShows

"I can't sense the dead. But I can sense blood. Recently buried ones, even embalmed, still have some with them. I just need to find one recent, matching what blood type I felt, and..."

The shovel would float in the air, and spin around itself as she sought out a fitting target. Of which there were precious few, but one did eventually manifest itself to her, and she would throw the shoel that way., It would mark a grave of one buried a single day past, who still had flowers adorning their grave. It made Emerald feel somewhat bad, but she had work to do here, and could not let things such as this cloud her judgement. She could pretend to be remorseful later. For now, she had a more pressing matter at hoof.

"There. Now, I dig. Simply try and keep others from stopping us. Non-lethally. Knocking some out and stealing corpses, causes worry. Killing others however, sends heroes on your flank. And we have better things to do, than to deal with those already."

With that, she'd use the shovel, and dig hastily down towards the corpse below. Or their unintended donor, if you would prefer to think on it that way.

[Props Valroa 25,980]

@Blitz Boom

On the outskirts of ponyville, a mysterious unicorn mare exited from the brush. She had traveled for several days and sought out this place after hearing of the many powerful ponies that lived there. She traveled to this area from beyond Equestria, going upon several aliases in order to sneak on board trains and go through more popular areas all while wearing a casual knowing grin. She was here, and this was her time to strike at long last. She had heard the stories of ponies such as Twilight Sparkle and the others, however some more normal Unicorns and ponies would do for now.

She stood behind a tree after observing the town for what felt like an hour. She carefully observed the layout of the town, where the buildings and shops were and also where the ponies themselves went about on their daily lives, in order to get a good detail of life in this town so she may blend in and strike silently. Her mind was planning, plotting yet her expression was one of stone and emotionlessness. She had waited far too long for this. She had waited far too long to continue what she had been doing for far too long.

With one hoof forward she steps out from under the tree, her cutie mark disguised as a black stone, her mane and tail slightly different from what she had usually had them styled as in order to cast away doubt and suspicion. She walked, the almost silent breeze carrying something she didn't like, a feeling of being watched. Magnolia felt like she was being watched and so she turned around.

Magnolia turned around and faced the exact opposite way with a cold, emotionless glare that seemed ever so focused and sensing as to where the feeling came from. She glanced over to a few shadows nearby and her form melted away into a black fog, retreating into the shadows. Something was unusual here, she was going to keep watch over this area for now. Something wasn't right. Her other plan could wait as she had all the time in the world.

Being the pony that she was, she wasn't going to let those feelings of being watched go so easily. She was going to make sure what it was, deal with a possible threat, and move on with her normal plan all in the name of justice. Just so that the world will be a better place, and that all would serve her as their natural condition. Her mind began peculating with ideas, should she encounter something hostile. The feeling of being watched is not something she took lightly.

[Windy Breeze 15,175]

@Blitz Boom @Kujamih

Two mares walked down the least populated street, passing by homes. These mares came to free themselves from stress they got from their jobs and wanted to experience city life.

“Looks like everypony is still at their homes or already went to work” Shining Star, also known as Luna Light mused. Blue Wings, also known as Blue Wingtips shrugged.

“From what I learn from the Cloudy Breeze Public Library in Cloudsdale, Manehattan's population are very busy than any other cities except Las Pegasus in Equestria” Blue said, “Ugh, I'm sounding more like an egghead than an athlete everytime I explain something educative”

Luna chuckled “Then, maybe you should help me solve math problems”

Blue gasped with horror “Math!? No, no, no, no! Not Math! That monstrosity of a subject will keep me in desk jail for hours!” her ranting received a faint laughter from her friend “Also, this what happens to me every time I tried to solve math problems: Head plus math equals BOOM!”

They were suddenly interrupted when their ears caught an unusual sound “Do you hear that?"

Luna nodded “It sounds like some kind of sparks of electricity or something. I think we should go and find the source”

The two went to find the source of the sound. After several seconds of wandering, they finally where the sound came from.

There was a house, but it was not an ordinary house, it was completely different, but that wasn't what caught their attention.

Nearby, there was what it seems to be a tear in the air. Luna and Blue are too shocked to notice a stallion, who's most likely or less likely responsible for the tear.

@Blitz Boom

Tepe's ears drooped “Oh, I don't want that to happen to you girls” that look of guilt completely vanished when he saw everything is going as usual, save for the stallion whose glass cracked stood up and silently went out of the restaurant, not wanting to pay for something he did not broke as several staffs of the restaurant came to inspect the damage.

Windy decided to take care of one of the waitress who went to check if they broke anything. It was a short conversation of question and answer before the waitress left.

Soon, another waitress came to them, this one carrying a tray “Here are your Laksa soup and Spinach soup” she said as she put the dishes on the table, when she's finished, she bowed “Enjoy your meal, Madams” Tepe raised an eyebrow, wondering why the waitress did not say 'sir'.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Windy Breeze

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
"Where exactly is the place?" Ruby asked "I'm more than happy to go and kill something, but if it happens to be somewhere around or past Ponyville, we should probably go get my treasure from Canterlot before heading there so that I can drop it off to my house." she liked Leviathan's suggestion, but she would rather not go to and fro around Equestria if she could avoid it "Other than that, sure, it has been a while since I have gotten to kill something for fun." 

------------------------------------
Nada decided not to expand on what she meant with Berry, as she believed she understood what she meant, it was like she had said, she didn't call them weird, but one couldn't really argue that from point of view of what Berry called 'common puppets'. she indeed was the weird one. "It's not that I personally seek to have a common pony as my friend, I have no need for such judgments, I'm just merely looking it from point of seeking to be accepted, if one wishes to be truly accepted by the common crowd, they have to manage to please the norm so to speak. Though ultimately it doesn't matter what the common pony thinks if the princesses give me their blessing, one cannot please everyone after all, and all I want is to be able to live normally without worrying about banishment." 

-----------------------------------------------------------------
"It's less a question of my comfort and more of their comfort." Scarecrow said "I do not feel discomfort, not physical or mental, nor comfort, but that's besides the point." "I may have a new look, but I'm still the same creature inside, that and we don't yet know if this form is any better." "I can come with you if you insist on talking on someone, but it is better that you do the talking, my voice may now be bit more natural, but my words still are not, as I haven't had a sophisticated conversations for as long as I remember, and I am not well versed on the social norms of current times." 

For the statue, he would simply use his magic to move it on his back so that he could carry it as easily as possible, he had done this many times, too many of you asked him, so it was quick and easy. If nothing happened and Lyriel didn't say anything during the travel, Scarecrow would break the silence "Do you have any suggestions for my second name? Scarecrow is bit unfitting for this look."

[Sekel 685]

@Blitz Boom

KARMIC & ATZY

"So many questions," Atzy said with a quick shake of her head to get her thoughts right. She stared at Mind Reaper and appeared to study the filly before breathing out slowly. This might take a bit more thought than she was willing to put in. "I don't know how to start my own hive. I'm mainly out and about to see what's what with the world," she told Mind Reaper and mostly ignored Karmic coming back upon hearing Enzo's voice. Until she remembered Mind Reaper had asked about Karmic. "Karmic Fate's my adopted sister," Atzy replied and now looked to find Karmic walking up with the general. "She may be black and white but her yin yang cutie mark definitely makes her stand out in my eyes."

"What the? It looks like you've made a friend, Atzy. Or maybe that's just a figment of my imagination and you're talking to a tree branch," Karmic said as she looked up to Atzy resting on Enzo's shoulder. She walked around him and then looked up properly. "Oh, not a branch. Sorry, little one."

@Blitz Boom

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

"I thought ... the spell isn't what I thought it was? But I read it over multiple times," Twilight said in absolute shock and confusion. She stayed where she was, mulling over the mare's words, her tail flicking in agitation. "The ingredients call for Tatzlwurm juice, Marepunzel's hair, and something else I can't put my hoof on."

@Blitz Boom

AURORA LIGHTS

"Y-Yeah, sure," Aurora mumbled and laid down so Happy could hop off. "I ... guess this entire Forest has me frazzled. Sorry about this everyone. I'm not much of a Queen if I can't will myself to fight, huh?" She breathed and regarded what they had talked about before shaking her head. "I don't know what pair of bombmakers you three are talking about but they sound really dangerous."

@Widdershins

DAWN STREAK

"Hot!?" Dawn gasped, fluttering her wings. She looked away and stepped back as her face turned an even darker shade of red. "I ... gah, I'm not hot! I'm a Pegasus with bad wings who can barely fly!" she yelled in an attempt to throw him off how much she liked the roundabout compliment.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“It’s my first time playing a flute, actually. I’ve got no experience with musical instruments, so this’ll be quite a thing to learn. I find it hard to believe anyone would want to break this sort of thing, not when it’s functional. This is a pretty thing, no doubt.”

Lin examined the flute placed before her, looking at each curve and contour. There was something missing back home whenever the village would gather around the fire and regale each other with stories. Music wasn’t something that came naturally to the longma, not when anyone couldn’t find the time to try something involving an instrument. Even singing was more of a private affair than one that was openly shared among the close communities, which came off as something strange, as that was an action that is freely done. 

Meanwhile, Sen was starting to feel rather intimidated by Rosa’s score. An 11 was already daunting, and with the longma putting on a rather poor performance during the practice rounds, this game’s outcome may be more one-sided than it seemed. Sen still hoped for the better, seeing as he was able to show rapid improvements during the previous games.

Sen took his shot, keeping his previous attempts in mind and learning from where he fell short. Seemed like if his blow darts are landing too far below the center of the target, he’d need to aim higher and expel some air harder. With only one attempt to make it count, he took one deep breath in, took aim, and let what happens next happen. The dart’s drop-off was evident but aiming higher managed to compensate for that.

Sadly, it wasn’t enough as the dart only managed to land on a 7. Sen sighed, unimpressed by his attempt despite being much better than everything he did in the practice round. 

“Given how your attempt went, you still edged out over mine. You’ve got a leg up over me in skill.”

[Rising Dusk 26,018]

@Blitz Boom

Titles always gave an air of importance.  Many hardly thought as to why such things were, often recognizing that the pony had one and just nodded along, perking their ears to their attention.  Out of context, a title could mark good or evil.  Minty's title to Cloudsdale without context made it sound bad, which is why Tussle wished she'd stop listening it.  It wasn't even an official title!  Having about as much weight as a nickname one picks up in college at their local frat or sorority.  At least out in the rest of Equestria.  Minty was still more than welcome in Cloudsdale where the legend still is.  The mayor was more careful with how much cider they gave Minty at their parties as a result however.  Watching the Sun and Moon as a pony in Cloudsdale was majestic on its own, but one day to see a mountain blipped away at a yearly celebration party with too many spirits was that middle ground of awe and terror, more awe the next day.  "Thank you darling, I'll have to regal you with more when a less grumpy pony is around," the large mare bowed to her audience.

Ignoring the grumpy Minty who had her spotlight stolen, Tussle took note of Magma's request.  Walking over to a filing cabinet her horn ignited and the top drawer slide open.  She rustled through the collection of files, "Let's see..." Pulling out a file based on case number, recently added as it was just a few days ago, she levitated out the case on the Manehatten attack.  "We had a double case with one Molotov Boom.  He has a workshop in the East Industry District with his sister Blitz Boom," she informed the other resident of Center Zero.  A piece of parchment came floating by with the address filled out to float before the mare.

 

Rising didn't have any illusions the attitude he was receiving from the gruff caster of the spell was going to change.  He found his interested peaked though when Thistle finally took over the conversation.  Her tone and term of address had completely changed from his departure just a short while ago.  Rising had so quickly gone from Savior to Outsider.  Strange coming from the specter pony he worked along side to remove Twisted from their lands.  "Sorry, I was busy entertaining your Goddess in the Dream Realm," the detective admitted.  Sure, his senses were a bit dulled in his recovery, but he also wasn't actively looking either.  "But find it I did.  Why is there one necessary however?" he inquired of the specter pony.  "Lily is concerned what is being done to Sickle," Rising made sure to bring up.  Seeing as part of his mission was to return Lily to Harrowmark or barter for her citizenship to Equestria if such a return wasn't possible.

[Galaxical Phoenix 68]

(Page 413. I’m so happy (for Homestuck reasons))

@Blitz Boom

 

Eventide paced just outside of Ponyville, where for the sake of her sanity she could keep away from all of the more paranoid ponies in it. She couldn’t handle any stares, whispers, or really any other sort of attention from them. Not right now.

It was especially good that she had because if she got too close to anypony else right now, her magic—her singing—could affect them. Not that it crossed her mind; she was too into it.

Her facial expressions and physical gestures followed the song—and she was very expressive. She was singing something angry. She was probably singing something edgy, but Eventide didn’t care. She was angry, and maybe she was edgy too but whatever. Whatever! She had bigger things to worry about.

Like having basically just lost every friend I ever had.

Eventide drew a sharp breath, then continued, her voice about as loud as she ever let it get.

♪ “And every second I waste is more than I can take—!” ♪

 

Besides, it wasn’t like anypony was listening.