open [RP] The Blackwater Quarry

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Randimaxis,@@Blitz Boom,

 

Illiad was frankly surprised by the damages to the quarry, true it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been after Havoc, but still. At least they had gotten the refinery back up and working again, even if it did seem to be in need of another round of repairs. He wondered if Silver had been given the chance to upgrade it as they rebuilt it. Speaking of which,

 

Illiad turned back towards Ziggy for a final wave, "Well we best be getting inside, important business to attend to and all that. If you want I can be sure to stop by before I leave, but until then I really must be off. Farewell, my friend."

 

With that, he started into the quarry, enjoying the familiar cool air.

 

Euler too began a walk into the quarry, but not before pausing to look back at the zebrasis and wave shyly. He muttered to himself as he followed closely behind his charge. " Is this what they meant when they said I'd find my place in the world where I least expected it?" He cleared his head so he could better focus on the task at hoof, protecting the Vice-Consul from any and all dangers that might befall him.

 

The pair made their way almost directly towards Silver's shack, Illiad hoped that it would still be in the same place as when he had last been there as otherwise, he would have to find directions. But as soon as he found it, he planned in his mind, he would knock on the door and hope she were home as what he had to give her was something best delivered in a private area.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

(So much posting... what is going on here!?)

 

@@Randimaxis, (You poor man all those responses) 

 

Outside the Mines - Cabins/Mine kitchen

 

She busily working away a whistling tune on her lips as she sung a little as she did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIwa9sPFT5I

Whether her voice was actually good or not who knew maybe Chuck liked her voice? 

 

She almost dropped the pan she was carrying when he caught her attention in the kitchen with his head at the serving counter. "Chuck!?!" She had to catch the pot before it fell, she steadied it and put in on one of the free stoves before walking to the service area and addressing the forestallion. "Should you even be here considering the hole I dragged you from just yesterday?" She moved to the soup that would of been what he was smelling. 

 

As she stirred. "I was not informed I had to serve breakfast actually so I have none cooked." She was a little embarrassed that she hadn't she had lunch food though. A blush on her cheeks. "I... I have soup and some hay burgers and a few other things but I don't have any hashbrowns, though I can make some up for you if you'd like some?" She moved over to the fridges and started rummaging around for a box of the heat me up ones. 

 

After coming back with the box. "Have them here if you like, Grill helped me clean yesterdays mess though I don't know if I'd been able to it by myself." She looked around the kitchen which was spotless and showed no signs of yesterdays mess. "Yeah did get this place back above board though." 

 

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@@Illiad Easle,

@@Randimaxis,

 

Though all of what Illiad told her were greatl fascinating, and certainly held some surprised here and there, it wasn't until the strange crystal that were Selena came forth that Ziggy's eyes really started to glitter with glee.

 

Even after how long it had been since last, she couldn't forget the day when she had first seen this fantastic little creature, and meeting her again - as well as giving a discreet, small wave towards her - were almost making her vomit up a rainbow. She hadn't had the chance to speak with her back then and find out something more, though Illiad had spoken a little on her behalf, and she were dying to find out something more.

 

Sure, it was all top level hush hush, and she knew that, but it was just so exciting.with all that she had seen her do back then, when Illiad was unconscious on her table, and it peaked her curiosity to think of what were to learn from her.

 

Besides, as she had thought, she wanted to say hi and perhaps, if it was possible... Speak a little with her this time? Not through Illiad, but an actual conversation without the filter. That'd be something, she were sure of it, but perhaps it was just dreaming a little too much. Illiad had said he were busy with the trade agreement, and since he were here to see Dax and Silver beyond that, his time was probably pretty booked up.

 

Still, she'd see him later, that was certain. Euler wasn't getting away from this quarry without getting hugged if it stood to her, and she'd strike when he least expected it. Getting him right, Illiad might actually have to peel her off his bodyguard with a crowbar, but it had to be good then. Better that she tried to make some sort of attack plan before giving it a go likely.

 

Since Illiad and Euler were leaving anyway, she resigned herself to be thinking on that angle and give them some peace. For now at least.

 

"See you later Illiad. You too Euler. And next time, I am gonna get you."

 

She giggled a little and waved at them until they had turned fully to be on their way, before she did so herself and zigzagged through the air towards the quarry herself, though she wasn't entirely sure where to go. That was, until she saw the thick smoke rising a little away and stopped dead in her tracks.

 

Smoke like this were never good news in the quarry, and she really should be over there helping if something more was on fire, but if there really were that, there were only one place where she really could help when it all came down to it: Her office, prepared to handle anypony who'd come in with burns.

 

Much as she'd like to go there, she flew over towards her office instead, prepared to play the nervous waiting game, which were not as fun as it sounded. With some luck, she'd *win* the game and just sit around anxious for a half hour before realizing that nopony got hurt - see? No fun at all - and by then just hope that it wasn't too late for breakfeast. She could really use something to nibble on before lunch.

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

 

The Quarry - Lunch Trailer

 

Behind the lunch trailer, where the trash would be put out, a can laid on it's side with the insides scattered over the nearby area. There hadn't been much in, thankfully, but it were enough to leave a mess behind, and from the looks of it all, whoever had done this had sorted through a few things, as if searching for something in the trash.

 

Did they have raccoons on the loose?

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Randimaxis

 

 

"An astute assumption, Miss Blackwater.  I must apologize for my earlier preconceptions, as the majority of business owners I correspond with do not often express their wealth in such a way.  I believe I also explained in my last missive that my experiences with the Equestrian aristocracy have left much to be desired, though it isn't quite so disheartening to find that I'm not the only one in this boat."

 

While the two matriarchs busied themselves with idle conversation, the younger stallion jumped at the sudden appearance of the servants.  "I...yes, yes I could use some help, thank you."  He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and turned his attention to Carnelian, feebly trying to get her attention with a nervous gesticulation.  "L-Lady Carnelian?  Excuse me...I'm so sorry, for interrupting, but, um, do you...think...we could, um...?"  His hoof moved back to the large chest, the rest of his body tensing in anticipation of a rebuke for disrupting a pleasant conference.

 

The baroness rolled her eyes and looked back to her ward.  "I was hoping to speak of pleasantries for a while longer, but if you insist...bring them forward."  The unicorn blushed and bit his lip, nodding apologetically as he picked the chest back up in his magic.  Assuming the twins were helping him, though, it wouldn't have been quite as taxing for the stallion.

 

"You'll have to forgive my ward.  I've done my best, but he still has a little bit of a ways to go."  With the chest deposited before them, she allowed the stallion to open it and remove four smaller chests.  On top of each was stenciled the name of a member of the Blackwater family: Vylia, Luther, Oglevy, and Dax.

"As a toast to our new friendship and a gesture of faith and goodwill upon your house, I bring gifts for every immediate member of your household.  If you would, Low, start with Miss Vylia's."  The unicorn's magic carefully flipped open the top of the first box to reveal a silver necklace from which was suspended a pearl pendant surrounded by seven emeralds.  "I do so enjoy making puns based off of cutie marks, wouldn't you agree?"

With a wave of her hoof, Low set Vylia's gift box down and retrieved Luther's, which he opened on Carnelian's command.  Inside was a pure silver torc, open at the front of the neck, with open-mawed emerald-eyed wyrm heads ending on either side of what would be Luther's windpipe.  "In many cultures, dragons are a symbol of strength, power, and wealth.  I would assume Equestria is no different."

 

Next was Oglevy's, which contained a full set of miniature crystal guardsponies fashioned from rose quartz.  "When I was a child, every colt amongst the aristocracy had a set of toy soldiers which he practiced drilling and commanding with.  Even if he is to take up the family business, are the minors not unlike soldiers?"

 

Finally, within Dax's was a silver bracelet with emeralds haphazardly placed.  "Another cutie mark pun, I'm afraid.  Emeralds can appear anywhere, can't they?"

Edited September 19, 2016 by Hazard Time

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@DwhitetheGamer - @Blitz Boom

 

(See: Illiad's section below)

 

 

@cwhip9

 

 

Redd's grin grew even wider.

 

"Oh, well of COURSE you'd think something like that, wouldn't you? Not at all, even the slightest bit of the benefit of the doubt? You WOUND me, you know - I'm simply doing my job, going about things as innocently as a lamb, when in comes word that a..."

 

Redd closed his eyes and chuckled ruefully.

 

"... a friend has arrived to the quarry. Am I not allowed to be happy about this?"

 

The other miners stopped what they were doing and were staring at the crimson unicorn; he didn't HAVE 'friends'... at least, none that were known about. Everyone usually despised Redd in some fashion or another (except Ziggy, but she's special), so to hear those words got everypony's attention.

 

He glanced around, looking annoyed. "WHAT!?"

 

The miners turned back to their work... slowly... as Redd huffed a sigh, then refocused on Crescent and that sneaky grin reappeared.

 

"Why... I'm simply pleased that an old colleague's come to visit. He'll be up to see the Blackwaters, no doubt - he is a HIGHLY distinguished fellow, after all. Titles and everything, don't you know? Oh, and he's a unicorn, as well - QUITE powerful, truth be told. Even Luther likes him; I'm sure I don't have to tell you how rare THAT is, now do I?"

 

He then leaned in closely, and barely muttered into Crescent's sensitive ear; he wanted to be certain the jovial bat-pony heard every word of his next sentence.

 

"Though I'm sure he'll be quite happy to see Silver - she IS his Special Somepony, after all."

 

 

@Illiad Easle

 

 

The Blackwater Quarry.

 

Being here again was almost surreal, especially after so much had happened in Troy - it was as if he was dreaming a familiar dream; another step into the dust and magic and secrets here at this seemingly unassuming, yet wholly remarkable place.

 

Aside from the fact of being back, Illiad also had company; Euler had never experienced anything about this place aside from any stories he may have overheard from the Vice-Consul. Whatever would happen, at least Illiad had a heads-up of sorts... though there were other familiar faces he was probably more keen to see than more issues.

 

Reaching Shed Row, the two of them were making their way toward Silver's Shed when another pony ran by, yelling as he made a beeline for the Medical Shed.

"Hey! Help me take this pony to a medical room! He ran into me while opening the door of the Manor, and knocked himself out because of it!"

 

 

The pony being carried was none other than Dax Blackwater!

 

 

 

@Mentis Soliloquy

 

 

Chuck gave a laugh.

 

"Eh, I wuz toldta take it eazy fer a bit, but I'm a hardy fellah; nuttin' dat sez I can't come in an' do sumthin', right? Mebbe I'll just kick down a single wall t'day!"

 

He tried to put on a charming grin, but it came of looking kinda goofy instead. But the moment he saw the soup, his eyes widened.

 

"Dat th' same stuff as yestiddy? Aw, dat was GREAT stuff! Yeah, dat'll be a heckuva Breakfast, shure! No complaints from me, dat's da troot!"

 

He helped himself to some soup, filling the small wooden bowl to the brim... then grabbing a second bowl and filling it.

 

"Trust me - I'ma need two o' deze!"

 

He brought his tray with two bowls to the close bar counter, and set them down - he wanted to be sure he could still talk to Scarlet.

 

"So, uh... seemz ta me dat a mare like you'd be more suited ta modelin' clothes 'r' bein' on stage. 'Cuz yer just a lil' bit too pretty ta have DIS as yer job!"

 

Chuck's eyes widened as he thought over what he'd just said. "NOT dat, y'know, you can't hack it 'r' nuttin' like dat - naw, naw... I mean, like, yer quite a lookah; some stallion oughtta have scooped ya up an' made ya his Princess, by now."

 

His face turned beet red. "NOT DAT you can't do stuff fer y'self 'r' nuttin' like dat... more like, y'know, somepony oughtta treat you like a PrincessSO YEAH, hey, dis soup - I'm tellin' ALL da guys ta havvit, weddah dey want to're not!"

 

He began trying to look around for something else to look at... and that's when he saw the overturned trash can.

 

"... 'ey. Who's da joik who knocked a can ovah an didn't pick it up? 'Ey, Scarlet! Y'want I should clean dis up ovah heah?"

 

 

@Hazard Time

 

 

Vylia looked quite impressed by the kind and expensive gifts her guest had brought along for not only herself, but her family as well.

 

"Oh, my... dearie, these are exquisite! Such craftsmanship is wonderful... but the thought put into each and every one! I am humbled by such a fine demonstration of the sort of company I would simply LOVE to keep! Oh, I just knew that contacting you would be such a fine idea, and I have not been disappointed!"

 

She examined Luther's chest, and gave a small apologetic smile. "Luther doesn't wear many jewels; he has very simple tastes. However, I'll be CERTAIN he wears it when we attend the next big outing - and I'll be sure to mention the mare with the fine taste that gifted it to him, as well."

 

Oglevy's gift made her grin. "He DOES love figurines... though these are QUITE superior to the ones he usually plays with! I'm certain he'll love them - and allow me to assure you that he knows full well how to care for valuable things. He'll adore them."

 

Seeing Dax's gift, she actually was taken a bit off-guard for a moment. "Oh, my... I don't believe he has ever received so nice a gift... well, that wasn't from US, of course... and I do believe he'll like it. Knowing my Daxter, in fact," she gave a laugh, "he'll absolutely love it... if we even see him today, that is!"

 

"A family friend is going to be visiting Luther today, and my Daxter is all sorts of excited to see him again... so chances are, he'll end up being a shadow for the majority of the day. As long as he doesn't get so wrapped up in company, then he'll be around for dinner. Speaking of which, is there anything you'd care to enjoy for your first night here? We have EXCELLENT cooks here, and they'd be willing to make whatever you wish - as long as we're able to get the proper ingredients, of course."

 

The twins, after having helped Key with the chest, remained far enough back from the two mares to be out of sight. One of them motioned Key close, and held out a fresh glass of what appeared to be common apple juice to him.

 

"Here... you look thirsty."

 

Vylia, meanwhile, carefully brought the chest containing the necklace closer to her, and inspected it closely - admiring the hoofdiwork, no doubt.

 

"Oh, so fabulous... 'tis a pure shame that I have nothing for you... or do I?"

 

With that line, she shot a glance over at the twins, who both immediately snapped to attention. One of them moved to behind one of the pillow stacks and produced a velvet-lined display cup made of fine silver, sitting in which was what appeared to be a stone egg.

 

"This came from the very mines we're seated over; Though I've had the outside polished to a fine, smooth finish, the inside is still rough - but with good reason, you see..."

 

Vylia motioned to the other twin, who carefully turned the cup around.

 

The backside of the egg/rock was cut away - and beneath the surface of such dull-looking rock was a beautiful gathering of hexagonal shards, all reaching from the outer crust of the egg/rock, pointing inward and almost touching... yet enough space existed between them to see their red coloration clearly.

 

Vylia smiled. "We have a number of gems here, not just emeralds - though we like to focus on emeralds, as they are quite abundant here. Yet, as I'm sure you see, we occasionally get something of interest to enjoy. When we first began correspondence, this geode came into my mind instantly. It simply sits on a shelf here; I'm sure it would appreciate a change of view, hmmm?"

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Outside the Mines - Mine kitchen

 

After listening to him speak for a few moments as he helped himself to her soup she nearly hit him, where did he learn his manners? Not to mention the pony could not seem to speak Equestrian correctly she had a country bumpkin accent but he just put her to shame with that tongue.

 

She was glad that even the smell of her soup seemed to be turning ponies in to desperate wrecks to have more of it, it seemed to nearly make her laugh actually. But such a good sign that her soup was as good as the rest of her family kept telling her.  "I'm glad you like my soup but can you let me actually serve it? It is kinda my job, plus no idea where your hooves have been." She took the ladle he'd used and put it in the sink. "I can't spread any illness via my kitchen, right?" She could of been a little callous but can never been too clean.

 

Then he started on about her looks and the like and she watched his face get more and more red. "Chuck I'm as likely to wear a dress and I'm to wake up one morning having a set of wings or a horn."  She wasn't sure whether he liked her and just inadvertently blurted it out or was making foolish idle chit chat. She didn't really know what to actually say to the rest of the stuff including the princess stuff. "Thanks for the compliments Chuck..." Her checks flushed from that admission, he did not look bad, even if his voice was a little hard a times to listen to.

 

She went back to her kitchen work as she worked, not sure what else he may say. 

 

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@@Randimaxis,

@@DwhitetheGamer,

 

(a few minutes before Dax would be brought to her office)

 

As she set down at the front of her office, Ziggy was pleased to see that nopony was here yet. Considering the plume of dark smoke, anypony that were already here could mean that the damage was done and that it was somepony in serious need of help, which and in that case every second were going to be precious. Which wouldn't be good when you considered that she still had to open the door and clear the medical bed she mainly used for patients.

 

She didn't use it for paper and such often, but there had been a lot of paperwork to fill out last night, as well as an inventory list to complete, so she had left the papers spread out there, thinking she'd have the time to clean them off quickly this morning. A chance she really shouldn't have taken, but it wasn't like she could see the future and know that today would start with fire. Best she could do was to accept it, give thanks to the patron of luck that she were here before the worst and not after it, and then promptly get to work sorting the papers and putting them on her desk.

 

When somepony would eventually show, she would just have finished putting the last stack of papers over on the desk, and at the noise of the door opening she'd turn on the spot and see what the damage were this time. After she got a bit of a shock from the whole door-opening-without-warning thing that were likely going to happen that was. And the fact that her patient turned out to be Dax, whom she had hoped would never end up here as a patient.

 

Not that she had anything against him, but it was more like if he were here, then it had to be an emergency of some kind, and after how helpful and forgiving he were yesterday, she wouldn't wish on him to need medical attention for anything other than perhaps a flu shot.

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Randimaxis,@@Blitz Boom, @@DwhitetheGamer,

 

As the strangely blue pony ran by Illiad was first surprised at how shockingly blue he was, then he realized something more important, that Dax was on this blue pony's back. With a gesture of his hoof, Euler was in the air, quickly moving to follow the blue pony, given their relative speeds he would arrive only having lost a small bit of time on his target. Illiad then started running as well, holding the cases more securely to his sides as he did so. The only thing on his mind more pressing than his appearance in his station was the wellbeing of his friends.

 

Euler was quite frankly impressed with the construction of the quarry, something especially apparent when he was able to view it from the air, very planned and organized. He would have time to study the quarry later, now he had to follow the surprisingly swift pony through the quarry's buildings. To be honest he hadn't seen a pony quite this fast since Midnight Star had offered to help him train before he left the colony for Troy. He didn't know how they would compare in a race, but he was inclined to believe that Midnight would be faster.

 

Euler landed behind the blue pony only a few seconds after, he took a moment to catch his breath before approaching, "What is the situation here? You called for help and I was sent to assist."

 

It didn't take long for Illiad to show up after that, only another minute or two, but he was far more noticeably out of breath than Euler had been. He didn't speak, just looking at the blue pony questioningly.

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Blitz Boom, @@Illiad Easle, @@Randimaxis,

 

 

Copper was able to relax for a few moments before somepony had asked what the situation was, and gave him a questioning look.  He wasn't Luther Blackwater, but he did seem important for something.  He nodded at the pony, and said, "Well, I was looking for Mr. Blackwater, because of some smoke coming out of someplace I don't remember, and more than likely it isn't a major fire or anything.  I ended up going to the Blackwater Manor and tried to get Mr. Blackwater's attention to the matter, but Dax...," he motioned with his hoof to Dax, "...ran into me.  I was okay, but he went unconscious after the collision.  I did ask for help carrying him here in the medical room.  Speaking of which, why didn't you help me?  If you came to assist me, why didn't you help carry him?"

 

Also speaking of the medical room, when the nurse came, Copper stood up and motioned again to Dax.  "Dax is unconscious.  He ran into me after opening the door of the Manor.  If you would be so kind as to take care of him until he regains consciousness, it would be greatly appreciated.  Also, tell him that Copper Strikes was the one that brought him here."

 

He then began to trot out of the medic room before turning back to Illiad and Euler.  "I honestly don't have much time to talk, because I have work to do, but during Lunch break, if you find me, we can talk then.  Thank you for the help."

 

He then trotted out of the medical room, in search for his fore-pony.

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Randimaxis

 

Carnelian drank in the praise for her gifts, her smile growing brighter with each new compliment.  Excellent.  Her visit may not be anywhere near over, but a diplomatic success was all but guaranteed.

 

Even through all the compliments, however, the baroness continued to take note of what she heard.  Luther will be told of her fine taste?  Should she consider that an invitation to think of a seduction contingency?  Possibly, but it was too soon.  Not until she knew more about their current relationship.

 

Oglevy caring for valuable things?  Was this to mean he was surrounded by expensive, fragile items?  Was he was cautious and and meticulous, then?  Spoiled, mayhaps?  How easily would the young one's trust be to buy?

 

Vylia's comment about Dax, however, was what interested her the most.  Before she could ask, however, an incident with Low caught her attention.  At the offer of water, Low graciously accepted it with a smile.  "Thank you, sir," he said.  Before he could raise the glass to his lips, Carnelian was there to correct him.

 

"Ahem, Lord Low, do you remember the proper forms of address I taught you?"

 

"Oh, um, yes I do.  What about the-oh!  Oh, dear, I made a mistake, didn't I?"

 

"Tell me what mistake you made."

 

"Addressing a commoner as sir, which is only used when addressing knighted stallions."

 

"Correct, and the correct form of address for a servant is...?"

 

"By name or none."

 

"Well done."  The baroness smiled apologetically at Vylia.  "One would never know he was nobility if I wasn't there to correct him."

 

It was at the other mare's offer of a gift of her own that piqued Carnelian's interest.  It wasn't so much the anticipation of receiving the gift as it was the curiosity that she was receiving one at all.

 

...A geode?  That's it?  If Vylia hadn't been somepony important, the crystal mare would have had no problem bursting out laughing right then and there.  This was the best the Blackwaters could offer as a gift?

 

She was able to avoid humiliating her hostess, however, but persuading herself that she was trying her best, bless her heart.  After all, what could you truly offer the lady that everything?

 

"It's beautiful, my dear!" she exclaimed, clopping her hooves in delight.  "I know just where I'm going to put it!"  On a shelf right next to her fifteen-hundred year old ivory carving depicting Iridia and her Seven Virtues.  The irony nearly brought a tear to her eye.

 

"As for dinner, I am your guest, Vylia.  I will eat what you serve, but please, I would prefer nothing with a high fat or oil content.  My constitution is very fickle nowadays.

 

"Moving on, though, there is something you mentioned that I am very curious about, this family friend you say is visiting today.  Who might that be?"

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@@DwhitetheGamer,

@@Illiad Easle,

@@Randimaxis,

 

Geez, that pony could talk, that was for sure.

 

Ziggy had wanted to say a few things when she saw the group going inside the door. Mainly what happened to Dax, and who this pony were that brought him in as she hadn't seen him before, but all of that were answered before she had the chance to utter a word. He even went away before she could even say goobye or anything!

 

She knew, she knew, he said he had things to do, and too many in here wouldn't be good regardless, but still, it irked her a tiny bit when she wasn't able to at least have the time to say hi.

 

*sigh* Oh well, that was then, and she'd have plenty of time later. For now, it was more important to place Dax a little better on the bed, then check his head and ears to see if there were any bleeding. It was a quick test really, and was mostly just to see if there were any major damages, as she'd have to wait and see when he were awake if he suffered under a severe concussion, but it helped ruling out a few of the worst things for the time being.

 

Zooming over to her shelf, she found a small bottle of pain killers and set it ready near the bed for when Dax would wake up, then looked over towards the other two that had gotten around with Copper Strikes, as he said his name were: Euler and Illiad.

 

"No need to worry, he's looking fine. No cranial bleeding, and he isn't twitching, but he's probably going to have a headache when he wakes up."

 

Before this, she hadn't seemed like she had taken much notice of them as she had flowed around in her office like it was a dance, humming slightly, and getting her work with Dax done quick and efficiently, but she had seen them. it was just that when there were a patient, she would keep her focus on that one, first and foremost, and she didn't know what she should have said to them before she had checked up on him first, even if she had spoken to them at the same time. She didn't really know anything about Euler except that he had impressively strong reflexes, and Illiad had likely just wanted to know if Dax were okay, which she couldn't answer before she had done her work, so better to keep all the attention on Dax and seem professional.

 

"Might be a bit before he wakes up though. Want me to tell him you've been here or should it be a surprise? I'd go with surprise. Could be all sorts of fun to see his face when you're suddenly the one waiting for him, instead of the other way around."

 

Aaaand there the professional part flew out the window. It was a nice effort though.

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Illiad gave a sigh of relief at Ziggy's words, "Oh, that's good to hear. I suppose it would be quite the surprise for him to find me when he wakes up, though there are a few other things I need to tend to while I'm here. When he does wake up, could you send him over to Silver's? Either of course, him coming to me or you coming and getting me if you think he should stay laying down for a bit works for me."

 

He paused in the doorway as Euler started to move to follow him, the odd formation of a possible relationship hadn't escaped his notice. "Euler, you stay here and watch over the colt. Ensure nothing else happens to him while I'm gone."

 

"But Sir..." Euler realized his protests would be in vain, he turned back to watching the colt and the doctor. " As you wish sir. I will give you word if his condition changes."

 

With a nod Illiad made his way quickly back to where he remembered Silver's shed as being, hoping that she hadn't changed sheds since last time. He checked to make sure he still had the black case with the triangular symbol, then knocked on the door, further hoping that she would be inside or at least nearby.

 

As Euler waited in the office for any change in Dax's condition he sighed before removing his helmet, revealing a bit more as to what he actually looked like. His coat was a dark purplish blue and his mane was an almost black purple. His slitted black eyes were a light blue similar to Illiad's and finally, he had a pair of fangs like any other thestral. The cloth back of the helmet folded inward so the helmet could rest comfortably at the base of his neck as it hung from a strap that connected it to the dragon-skin he wore to protect his neck. He was tempted to speak to the doctor, but decided he'd hold off until he was addressed. He didn't want to potentially distract the doctor after all.

[cwhip9 1,078]

@@Randimaxis, The reaction weather red was looking for one or something else the batpony couldn't tell ut a shiver ran up his spin inside he felt like he was kicked in the gut followed by a roundhouse to the face hearing this news. While silver did mention a previous lover he didn't expect the change of things to be...well sudden. It mostly put a whole in his plans as he found himself fighting over two ideas.  

 

1 confront silver and this new pony

2......find answers?

 

He didn't know what to think to be honest with the news, red wouldn't make something up like this unless he had nothing in his hoofs or any evidence. Red was annoying but not stupid, hoping his thoughts didn't show cresent responded starting off with a shrug knowing red was looking for something out of the batpony anything to give him an edge over the thestral.  

 

"I'm not sure wheather your intrest in other ponys social circles is good for you or maybe just you need a better hobby but, the boss could use seeing an old friend after yesterday. hell I would be panicking still but that just shows you what I know about running a mine like this" he said with a chuckel  watching the minors do their work keeping an eye on where they wer digging and such.

 

He couldn't be distracted after yesterday more like with the past few days going down as they did, anything could happen.

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@@Illiad Easle,

@@Randimaxis,

 

"Hehe, so that's how you look."

 

Ziggy walked over and looked closer at Euler with big, fascinated eyes after he had taken his helmet off, but didn't try to touch him yet. It was tempting, but... Nnnngh... No, not yet. It had to be a good time when she tried to get hold of him, and she couldn't get the momentum in here to properly try.

Still, it was so very tempting when she looked at him and saw how different he looked from just about anypony she had met before to take the chance now. The fangs were simply adorable, and the slithered eyes made him kinda look like a dragon-pony! How couldn't she like somepony that carried the appearance of a harmony between two races that - for reasons she'd never get - tended to loathe one another?

 

Sure, she might be a little biased, and really find it enjoyable too because she was a hybrid herself, but perhaps she shouldn't rush along and guess he were one too so easily. Sure, he might look like a dragon and pony halfblood, but frankly, she wasn't even sure if the two races could breed together. Something told her the answer would be no, but with all the sort of strange magic flowing through the world and occasionally altering the ones crossing it, who could really tell what was and wasn't possible at times? Might well be it were possible, but you just never saw anypony like that because the two races had been at eachother's throat for so long.

 

Then again... The two races did live in relative harmony in Manehatten, so if there had been any, she would likely have read about it... Hmmm, perhaps something to find out. Or she could just ask him, but wouldn't that seem a bit rude? Like, if he turned out to be a bat pony with a medical condition that made his eyes look like that, it'd likely be kinda offensive to compare him to a dragon.

 

She kept thinking over this as she walked around him again, and looked over the little part of the real him that she could see now, including the harmonious shades of purple in his coloring, ending in front of him and looking into his eyes after the second turn around.

 

"I like your eyes, they're pretty."

 

She thought she heard a groan and looked over at the bed, just in case, but it seemed like she had just imagined it. Dax were still passed out. Or he were trying to gather energy to move around more, but her money was on passed out, as he'd likely not sit still for too long when he woke up after getting a close encounter with a door. His head would probably hurt too much for that.

 

"Wanna have a seat?. Gotta have to remember to relax once in a while, or you'll end up with muscle strains, and I think it's gonna be some time until Dax wakes up anyway. Besides, nopony really go here unless they're injured, so it's totally safe to take a breather."

 

Ziggy turned her back to him briefly so she could move some things away she had stacked on the bench, leaving just the teddy-bear and pillow in one end of the long piece of furniture.

 

It had been stashed at her parents house for a long time before she got it here to the quarry when it seemed like she'd be staying for a good, long time, and where her dad bought furniture, it was built to last. Thankfully, it was also build to order, which had been necessary because of Ziggy's size, and it worked excellent as a place for her to have a seat if she needed it for some reason during the day, or if she had gotten engulfed by enough work to stay in the quarry until after lockdown, and eventually needed to sleep.

 

It wasn't a cloud, that was for sure, but it were still soft and comfortable, and as mentioned, it fit her size, which would make more than enough space for Euler if it were. Heck, sometimes she had a few ponies at a time sitting or laying on this, if it was a bad day and there wasn't room enough on the work related furniture. It was no biggie, as she could, and would, always just wash it later on in the day if it was. Not that she wouldn't have done so otherwise, as she had to keep this room clean, but the point still stood.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

 

The Quarry - Behind Silver's building

 

A pair of eyes looked over things from inside a large crate with a small hole in, starring at the miners passing by just minding their own business. It would be near impossible for them to see the one in there, as the angle and the small hole didn't leave much to stare back through, but whatever were in there had a good fine enough view at least.

 

A boon really for the interloper within, as it left it with adequate time to learn something more about the ones working here at the quarry, and seeing routines that could be taken advantage off. And at this point, any advantage was welcome, if it furthered the intruders plan.

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

Euler nodded with a slight smile as he made his way over to the couch, " Thank you, Doctor." In a practiced motion, he pulled the polearm out of its holder at his side and set it against the wall where it would still be within reach so he could comfortably sit on the couch, he turned back to face Ziggy with an intrigued expression as he sat, "My eyes? I'm glad you like them, it's a fairly common trait among both bat-ponies and thestrals like me."

 

He looked around for a bit as he pondered what he might say, while he had been trained as a young colt in the art of diplomacy, that had been a long time ago. And there wasn't much diplomacy taught in his commando training. Nonetheless, he would strive to impress the doctor somehow. " I notice you have some zebrican traits, are you descended from Zebrica directly? Or do you have some ancestors from the Shimmerwood Forest? I.E. are you descended from some zebra slaves freed by the Black Knight a thousand years ago that didn't go back to Zebrica. Forgive me if that seems to forward of a question."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Mentis Soliloquy

 

 

Chuck gave a hefty sigh, and he stared down into his empty bowl for a moment before he decided to clean up the overturned garbage can.  He gathered up the trash and returned it to the can, and stole a glance over his shoulder at the mare cooking in the kitchen.

 

He slowly shook his head to himself, giving another sigh.  Then, he gathered his tray and such, and made his way over to the bin where the trays went after meals.  He dropped the tray in, then turned back toward the mines and stepped in that direction - back to work, it seemed.

 

A good thing, too - other miners were beginning to meander their way over, and they had breakfast on the brain.  

 

Scarlet's official first day had begun.

 

 

@DwhitetheGamer

 

 

It didn't take long, as Copper could see one of the foreponies headed his way.

 

The purple stallion looked like he was having a great day; good news for Copper, it seemed.  As he got in close, he did a double-take as he saw Copper, and paused in his trot.

 

"Hey... you're the new guy, right?  I hadn't gotten around to meeting you yet, hunh?"  He smiled broadly.  "Knee Slapper - forepone and all-around swell fella.  Nice to meetcha!  You're Copper Stripes, right?  Seems like you've already got a rep here, by the way - and it's a mixed one, at that."

 

He leaned in closely as he spoke sotto voce to the blue stallion.

 

"Half of the other workers here wanna get you a parade for being the lift's pulley yesterday... the other half wanna skin you for getting the cart races busted up.  You certainly know how to make an impression, I'll give ya that."

 

 

@Hazard Time

 

 

Vylia gave a bit of a pause when asked about Dax's friend, but her smile reignited quickly.

 

"Oh, well they're penpals - about a year ago, my Daxter began exchanging letters with another pony in a foreign country.  It worked out RATHER well for Daxter, as he rarely gets out often... but it's..."  Vylia gave a dismissive laugh.  "Oh, it's simply what the younger generation does to entertain itself, I suppose."

 

"But yes, when his friend managed to come to visit for a week, we got to know each other well enough; he certainly made friends here!  But that's all between him and my little Daxter - I DO try not to intrude too much, lest my child become dependent or such, though I assure you that I made sure things were copacetic."

 

She gave a slight stretch as she stood, flexing her rather lovely wings; they were somewhat large for her body, but not so much as to throw off proportions.  Plus, the baubles she wore tended to be strategically placed for maximum effect, balancing out the wingspan difference nicely.

 

"And I am so very glad you like the gift - though it may be easy for some to find in the display cases, I assure you that pure carnelian such as that is harder to actually find in the ground of an emerald mine.  Though I promise you, I wasn't the one to dig it up!"

 

She gave a short laugh, then meandered nowhere in particular, sampling little bits and bites from the foodstuffs laid out before them.

 

"Baroness, your company here is quite welcome.  I had begun to think that there would be no one who would even so much as bother to read my missive, let alone reply so kindly and quickly.  I admit, I was surprised to have received a response from such a noble as yourself.  But nonetheless, we are here.  So... might I ask what you possibly see of our situation?  Is there, in your grand opinion, ANY hope for the Blackwater family name to reach a proper level of esteem?"

 

 

@cwhip9

 

 

Redd wasn't about to be nonplussed.

 

"Oh, well of COURSE Luther could use some company - did I say it was a BAD thing?  No, no... not at all.  You see, I am WELL aware of how things stand around here with those I work with; I'm not blind.  But at least I most certainly KNOW, don't I?"

 

"FAR better, in my humble opinion, than simply having to guess what might become of any of these 'relationships' with others.  After all, were I you, I would perhaps find Silver post haste, and find out from her exactly where I stand between her and her old flame.  Ah, but you're stuck HERE, aren't you, Crescent?"

 

He clicked his tongue.  "Such a crying shame, too - why, I'll bet he's at Silver's Shed right this VERY second, with presents and kisses for his lady fair.  A true rival, one who would be worthy of such as Silver is, would fight for her love, wouldn't they?  But no, no... you're a GOOD WORKER, aren't you, batty?  You wouldn't dare leave your post, even for a second, to ensure that you'd still HAVE a Special Somepony to go to when work is over... riiiiiiiiiight?"

 

The other workers had all, one by one, turned their attention to the conversation until they were all listening (though still working; Redd was a known snitch).  Redd knew he had that attention, and smiled like the cat who ate the canary as he turned back to his clipboard.

 

"She's just one mare, after all - it's not like you NEED her, or anything."

 

His grin doubled in size.

 

 

@Illiad Easle - @Blitz Boom

 

 

Dax's face twitched, and he let out a low moan.

 

"... ohhhhhhhh... ohh-OW... OW... OWWWW..."

 

Dax's hooves went straight to his head, and the moment he touched it he gave another "OW" and pulled his hooves away.  He looked around a bit.

 

"Ohhh... Doc Zinger?  What am I doing he-"

 

He stopped as his eyes came to rest on the armored Thestral, and they widened a bit.

 

"Uhm... hiya."

 

He looked at the unknown pony as though he half expected him to suddenly jump up and attack... but he still gave a sheepish grin to Euler as he said, "So, uh... are you a relative of Crescent's, maybe?"

 

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

 

"Seven seconds!"

 

The call came through the shed door.  Other than a few more antennae and such jutting out from the roof, it was still Shed #7, exactly where Illiad remembered it being.  It only took a moment before:

 

"Three... two... one... okay, now-" The door opened.  "What exactly can I do forOHMYLUNAIT'SYOUUUUUUU!!!!!"

 

Recognition kicking in mid-sentence, Silver mimicked Ziggy for a moment as she tacklehugged the Trojan.  Her aim wasn't to knock him down, but she was simply so excited to see him that she simply couldn't help herself.  After a tight squeeze, she let go and stood back from him.

 

"Oh, Illiad!  When I got your letter, I just didn't know what to DO, I simply kept thinking that it's WONDERFUL that you're coming here again!  I just... just... just..."

 

She darted forward and planted a chaste, yet lingering kiss directly on the stallion's lips... and came away with quite a blush to her cheeks.

 

"... oh, this is unbelievable!  Well, okay - maybe not so much as unbelievable; more like it's just REALLY, REALLY WONDERFUL!"

 

She hugged him again, happy as could be to see Illiad Easle after what felt like forever.

[cwhip9 1,078]

 

 

"She's just one mare, after all - it's not like you NEED her, or anything."

  Cresent knowing how red worked was close and VERY close to shoving him into the vein he marked off but the explanations to the boss would get no where as killing one of his coworkers would be beyond grounds of firing. 

 

Cresent breathed out also knowing red just cornered him perfectly, he trusted silver but then again they did just agree to try being a couple. So nothing would be lost if her past lover did show up but....no after last night he decided to keep to what he promised himself.

 

The batpony set a wing on reds back an odd gesture from him to red, most pony's if they did touch red it would be a slap...they would be fighting back on that is, much like cresent was doing.

 

"you know red I am a good worker, I do bust my back with helping you all out so not to step on a spider, hot vein or worse. and even how yesterday went down for everypony but even the best workers have bad days so how about this" he said still keeping an eye on one of the minors he nodded at the pony to keep going and also to cover the pony. Then looking at red in the eye

 

"lets just have a good day, and let me worry about my love life" the idea of speaking that in reds mind was tempting but he vowed with the boss about his.....gift.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,025]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Outside the Mines - Mine kitchen

 

She watched him depart with a lot of sighs, then hit her head with a hoof. "Right the bin! Dummy!" She shook her head. "Sorry Chuck!" She called out after him, whether he'd heard it she did not know.

 

She was getting quite boredish as a time went on about 5-10 minutes passed as she had no one to talk to nor any real work to keep her busy. But then some of the miners came in for food a few droops before the downpour but nonetheless she'd not be bored now though she doubted she'd get a conversation with any of them by the looks of it. 

 

They started lining up at the servery and she came around to write on the chalk board today's options before serving them.

 

Today's Menu

Vegetable Soup

served w/ choice of;

Bread, chips or hay

 

On request (limited to one order)

Hay Burger

Large serving of Chips

Salad

Hash browns

 

With that done she moved back around to the servery and placed bowls and spoons for those who'd like them and the rest was like any normal servery, large vat of soup and the main serving sides after that. 

(Ref Image, somthing like this)

The first workers there made no fuss got some soup and a side or two, mixing them a little or somthing like that and headed to the tables and started on the soup... moments later they wanted seconds... "Oh no, no, no you are not having seconds go away I'll never feed everyone if you all have seconds." They protested... until she got a kitchen knife, then lost their hunger and departed. "Hmm maybe I should not threaten my customers with a knife..." 

 

The trail of workers did not stop from that point onward. 

 

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Randimaxis

 

An interesting reaction.  What part of this relationship did Vylia have a problem with?  It could have been anything, but for Carnelian, she could only think of one thing: control.  Of course, that was simply because she was all too familiar with this particular concern, especially about her ward.  Her machinations had groomed Low Key to develop an emotional dependence on her, and so long as she continued to portray herself as his benevolent caregiver, he wouldn't dare step out of line.  

 

Did he love her?  He had to, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.  As sheltered as he was, there was no way he could know the difference between lust and love, and she could tell that by just how much he allowed her to get away with.  It was almost adorable the things he endured, all of the indignities he suffered, all to satisfy her every fancy.  Any self-respecting stallion would have seen through her manipulations, but not him.  He was all too eager to surrender his responsibility to an older mare who knew much better than he did, and the baroness was all too eager to take full advantage of the power he gave her.

 

But what if he developed a friendship with somepony else?  Just how easy would it be to break Low Key's programming?  How easy would it be to convince this young lord that his wardship under Carnelian was emotionally detrimental to him, that he deserved better than providing shallow companionship to an aging widow three-times his age?  No, no, she would never let him figure that out.  She would not let such toxic ideas germinate in his impressionable mind.  Low Key was her toy, and she would not allow anypony else to play with him.

 

Before her rage could manifest in a definite expression, Carnelian found an excellent distraction when Vylia stood up.  Eager for the change in subject, the baroness could not stop her eyes from gazing jealously at her hostess' wings.  What was it that made the crystal ponies unique?  Without hesitation, most would know that it was their crystalline sheen.  Whether or not because it was something she had lived with all her life, Carnelian could not help but feel this feature was inadequate when dealing with Equestrians.  She might shimmer in the light like a glorious jewel, but how did that compare to a horn with the power to directly manipulate the world around her, or a pair of wings that, when unfurled, could blot out the sun?  Was it so imposing now?  Could she still effectively project her majesty without wings and/or a horn?

 

 

"Well, my dear, the answer to that is quite simple."  Carnelian reached out and took a few morsels of her own.  Inner dialogues always had the tendency to make her hungry.  "In my experience living amongst them, the Canterlot aristocracy are incredibly authoritarian: they will not eat at a restaurant unless the proper authority has given it their maximum approval rating; they will not buy dresses from a seamstress unless the proper authority buys their dresses from them; and they will not associate themselves with anypony that the leader of their entourage does not associate with, first.  As such, aside from my earlier advice of growing a horn, a much better idea would simply be to identify social circles, who runs them, and seek to ingratiate yourself with the top socialites.  

 

"The anecdote I shared with you, the one at the masquerade, saw me becoming ingratiated with Blueblood.  Before that party, I was simply seen as a sparkly earth pony, and nopony wanted anything to do with me.  However, after I had paraded about the palace grounds with my leg wrapped about the prince's shoulders, I suddenly found myself invited out to every social gathering imaginable: races, shopping safaris, actual safaris, airship cruises, and so on and so on.  In conclusion, a good way to describe Canterlot social circles is that it matters not who you are, but who you're seen with.

 

"Having said all that, however, I must ask what leads you to believe that you have been ostracized?  This is merely an assumption, but this is the conclusion I have drawn from the way you've described your situation."

Edited September 23, 2016 by Hazard Time

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Randimaxis, 

 

Copper stopped his trotting when he saw a forepony come up to him.  He seemed happy, and that was pleasing, since normally fore-ponies wouldn't be so happy.

 

When he introduced himself, Copper nodded at Knee Slapper.  "Nice to meet ya, Slapper.  My last name is actually Strikes, not stripes, but you're close enough."

 

He rubbed his head when Slapper brought up his reputation.  "Yeah, that's just me, trying to be a good worker.  Honestly, that three and a half hour time of me spinning around like a tire has got me aching when I done it."  He cricked his neck a few times and continued.  "I'm still feeling a bit of the pain from yesterday, but I can walk it off."

 

He shook his head and kept going.  "About those who want to skin me, it was for their own good.   Mr. Blackwater was gonna find out anyways, and he'll fire all of them if he did.  It was better for one to be fired than all of them, because for me, playing hard doesn't work unless your boss knows about it.  And I'd rather play some hoofball or the sort rather than, well, racing carts."

 

He nodded at Slapper after his words.

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@@Illiad Easle,

@@Randimaxis,

 

Ziggy scratched her head at the question.

 

"The first one I guess? I don't really know. I mean, dad have taken me and my siblings to see the village he grew up in himself, and he have told us a bunch of stuff about the history of zebras and our family line, but slaves were never mentioned. Sure, I know it happened from some other books, but if it's something that's been directly in our family history, we haven't been told yet. Could be we get to know in three months time? Might be part of what he haves to show.

 

Guess I should explain, huh? Well, according to my dad, it's part of tradition to have zebras visit their origins and hear some more direct things at some point in their lives. A lot apparently goes there early, but in our family, the age to go have always been 21. Three months until that trip for all three of us, and then we're going on a family trip. Even mom, though dad tried to tell her that is a zebra thing."

 

Ziggy stood and giggled a little as the memories came flowing of that day when dad had tried to put his hoof down on this. It was fair to say that he lost that conversation with a resounding loss against her mothers iron will, but he really should have known better than to challenge that. And especially when the challenge included him saying that she couldn't go and learn more about the legacy of her children.

 

"You'd think he were the boss if you saw them, but mom's the real backbone. A tough pegasus.

 

Oh right, did I forget to mention that? Dad's a zebra, mom's a pegasi. And I'm one of triplets, though I bet that you'd never think so if you saw my siblings. They look a lot like mom with no stripes and stuff, whilst I take mostly after dad. They're better at making potions and stuff though than I am."

 

It was around this time in her ramblings, that she heard the sound of Dax waking up behind her and observed him carefully as he started to move around and touch his aching head. His movements or words weren't sluggish, so thankfully, things really did seem okay. If you ignored the aching point on his head that was.

 

"Goodmorning Dax. You're fine, you just ran into one of the other miners and a door. He said his name was Copper Strikes when he came around here with you. I think he's new."

 

She walked over, opened the glass of painkiller she had placed at him, and reached him one.

 

"No more than one every two hours if you want to avoid side effects, okay?

 

And this here's Euler, and I don't think he's related to Crescent, since he's not a bat pony. Though to be honest, I can't say I heard about thestrals before, so might be somewhat related? Perhaps you could tell us Eulerr? Pleeease?"

 

Ziggy looked at the thestral with puppydog eyes, hoping he'd be okay with answering this minor question. Or well, rather broad question, but not as broad as the range of questions she really wanted to ask him. Meeting new races always fascinated her, and especially ones closely related to ponies, as Crescent could easily attest. The amount of questions she had flooded him with that first day had been obscene, in hindsigt, but she had a good excuse! In case he got injured, knowing what biological differences there were between a bat pony and a pegasus could be critical, as well as being aware if there were for example things the race couldn't handle or were immune towards, in case she had to prepare some medication for him.

 

That there were all sort of other questions in were just, uhm... (Curiosity) More research. Honestly.

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Blitz Boom,@@Randimaxis,

 

Euler gave a slight smile at the sight of the colt's recovery, the Vice-Consul would be pleased to hear of it. He decided he would wait to tell him until the doctor had decided whether the colt should stay down for a bit or if he was free to go. "It sounds like you just may have been from some of the lucky ones that never had to experience slavery. As to your questions, I doubt I'm related to this Crescent you speak of, though it isn't impossible. I'm actually here on behalf of a certain visiting friend of yours who wanted to ensure you made a swift recovery while he took care of other pressing matters."

 

He turned to face Ziggy more directly, "There isn't really too much of a difference between bat ponies and thestrals, it's more that thestral is the term for a pure blooded bat pony, thus have all the distinguishing traits, while a bat pony may be missing one or more of the traits or have a number of non-thestrals in their ancestry. Most just refer to themselves as bat ponies for simplicity. In case you're interested the traits include pronounced fangs, increased hearing ability, slitted pupils, leathery wings, nocturnal nature, night vision, and an increased dietary need for protein as well as a better ability to extract nutrients from meat, essentially omnivorous though many who live outside of thestral clans eat herbivorously to fit in better." 

 

Meanwhile...

 

While Illiad was surprised by the hug-tackle, given Euler typically defended him from such, he was quite appreciative of it and returned the hug with interest in the form of a nuzzle. With the biggest grin he had had in a long time, he spoke, "Oh it's so wonderful to see you too! While I apologized in my letter I simply must apologize again for daring to fall out of touch. My new administrative duties and my endeavor to go above and beyond in an attempt to prove that a unicorn could be a trustworthy and reliable ruler again took more time away from me than I would have liked, but that's no excuse for letting you get pushed by the wayside."

 

He retrieved the black case from where he had been holding it at his side to show the odd triangular design to Silver, a symbol she would recognize as representing TrUST. "I must admit though I'm not just visiting the quarry for fun, I had to bring along a few administrative duties with me for Consul Hooves to approve the trip. Thus I am also here as a representative of TrUST to bring you a project straight from Princess Luna if you're interested. May I step inside so we can discuss this a bit more privately?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@cwhip9
 
 
Redd's smile never faltered.
 
"Oh, MY day has certainly gotten quite good, I assure you!"
 
With that, he went back to it, checking each position and recording both progress and results as he went.  Crescent had to admit it: when Redd WAS on the job, he worked.  Granted, he was rather trigger-happy when it came to 'passing the buck' and delegating somepony else to do his other work... but there was never a doubt as to his actual forepony duties.
 
However, Crescent sure could've done without that taunting, smug smile he had plastered all over his muzzle.
 
Some of the other workers had looks on their faces that said they felt bad for Cress; it was as if they'd already come to the conclusion that he'd be alone - though they weren't thinking ill of him, oh no... but apparently, some of the older workers seemed to know something Crescent himself didn't.
 
 
@Mentis Soliloquy
 

The line stretched back for a good way, and each pony was hungry and ready to eat before their shift technically began.  However, there was a bit of an unexpected twist to this morning crew that Scarlet hadn't been expecting...
 
They were, to a pony, expressively polite to her.
 
They said 'please' and 'thank you'... they waited their turn... they didn't argue or shove... they didn't give her any backtalk or snide comments... a few even returned to the window and complimented her cooking.
 
It was surreal... but there it was, right in front of her muzzle:  this was a quarry FULL of miners - notoriously known for being rough-and-tumble - who were as polite to her as if she were Canterlot nobility.  How curious.
 
Then again, she WAS the one who handled their food, so there was always the possibility that they were simply all on a 'no-spit' diet.
 
 
@Hazard Time
 
 
The Blackwater matriarch gave a hard sigh.
 
"Since we're speaking in a private place, and in such a heart-to-heart manner, I suppose now would be the best time to explain things.  I certainly hope you're quite comfortable, because it may take a bit to properly explain..."

 

 

The Blackwater family history has had quite a number of 'interesting' characters to grace the halls of this esteemed estate... and not all of them were kind and cheerful, either.  We've had a number of bad seeds in our little grove of history, and they've kept the Blackwater name out of Canterlot just long enough for the good eggs in our line to make up for the wrongdoings of the past.  Of course, just as we get accepted, that tends to be when the next generation spoils everything. Again.

 

Unfortunately for us, it was Luther's father, Erasmus Blackwater, who was the last troublemaker.

 

I never had the 'pleasure' of meeting him, but I have seen his hoofdiwork for myself.  As my special talent is with numbers, I got a gander at the quarry records right after Luther took the business over from Erasmus; the elder stallion had been not only plundering the company's profits for years, but he'd been doing everything he could to send the quarry under.  If my husband hadn't stepped up and done everything in his power to legally take this place, there would be no Blackwater Quarry here anymore.

 

Erasmus had been a very sly and devious sort, from the accounts of those who knew him.  He was charming to a fine point, but that was usually only because he always had his own motives.  He was also known for exploiting ponies whenever he could, including such wonderful tactics as blackmail,extortion and even physical violence to get what he wanted. Though he wore a velvet grin, he was rotten to the core.

 

As proof of this, he almost cost my husband his life... simply to rid himself of a nuisance.

 

Luther had been working down in the mines with the other workers since he'd been old enough to kick rocks; he considered them all his friends, and they treated him so.  However, when Luther made the initial discovery about funds being embezzled from the company - in his father's own hoofwriting, no less - he approached Erasmus, asking why.  His father made a big to-do about seeing the wrong he was doing, and fixing it immediately.

 

Luther, the poor stallion, believed him, and went to bed without a worry in the world.

 

The next day, when he showed up to mine with the others, he'd discovered the miners had turned on him - because Erasmus Blackwater, his own father, had already told the miners about the discovery... and had blamed Luther for the missing bits.  They were FURIOUS with him, and as a result of his father's ruse, they beat him within an inch of his life and left him for dead.

 

But my Luther's made of sterner stuff.  He pulled himself to safety, and left his home behind as he began legal studies that would doubtless have put Twilight Sparkle's studying to shame!  After almost six months, he finally managed to prove the shifty things his father was up to, and had the ownership of the Blackwater Quarry transferred into his name.

 

He immediately fired Erasmus, and had him arrested.  From what I've learned, he is STILL incarcerated, with slim to no chance of parole in his future.  This happened quite some time ago, but the scars of what he did still haunt my husband to this day... and the rest of us, as well.

 

You see, Erasmus DID have some contacts and movements in the upper echelons of High Society - and when he went on trial, Luther revealed every last one of them.  Ponies who were stealing blindly from their employees.  Ponies who had been doing horrible things for years.  Ponies who had been involved in all sorts of criminal activities...

 

Erasmus' trial brought much of that to light... and showed what sort of foul behavior our family was capable of.  Though it was also a Blackwater who exposed it, I'm simply afraid the scandal itself garnered far more attention than the whistle-blower did.  Which is a shame, because now much of Canterlot thinks my family and I to be reprehensible and unworthy of joining them in their revelries and balls and such!

 

I have been trying SO hard to make headway in gaining any sort of access to that elusive upper crust... yet I feel as if everything I do is simply slotted for failure.  They won't even seem to give me a chance!  It's hardly fair - but what more can I do?

 

Vylia sat back down, looking deeply saddened by what she'd had to say, but her dignity and poise never wavered, her eyes never teared up, her posture didn't falter.

 

"I'm simply at a loss as to what steps to take to reverse this sorry state of affairs.  It's not the most ideal of situations, no... but do you believe you can actually see a light at the end of this tunnel?  Would you think this family might have any chance at being respected - or at least accepted - among the elite of the Canterlot Social Circles?"

 

 

@DwhitetheGamer

 

 

Slapper shook his head, but with his smile still in place.

 

"Takin' the honest route, huh?  I understand, and hey - good on ya - but maybe you oughtta know the full story before you go crowin' about it to anypony else, y'know?"

 

Knee looked around a bit, then came in close and spoke low.

 

"See, the cart races were started by the pones in the shafts.  They spent a lot of time down there, and when you do that, you get bored kicking the same ol' rocks, day in and out, right?  Well, they did too.  At the time, there'd been a side-tunnel where a number of older carts were being stored; they weren't defective, just replaced by newer models, see?"

 

"Anyway, the overnight shift that prior management used to run here was merciless... and the workers came up with cart races to ease the tension, fight the boredom, and just have something they could look forward to here besides payday.  I dunno what kind of work you've done in the past, but ponies who've done hard physical labor will tell ya in a heartbeat that having a release at work is so much better than letting it build up on the job."

 

"Plus, it's kinda like the only social-type-thing some of the miners here ever get, due to the hours this job'll claim from 'em.  It'd be like... well, say you're a workhorse for a wagon-based delivery company.  You spend all day long, pulling wagons from point A to point B, right?  When your job's done, you get to go home, eat, sleep, and wake up again to do the same thing, over and over, day in and day out."

 

"But in the back room of the headquarters, there's a deck of cards.  Now, you might not be any fair hoof at cards... but the fact that, between each delivery, you'd be able to have a few minutes to sit, relax and play with the cards a bit would make you happy to see 'em.  Heck, even if you weren't able to use 'em that day, just the fact they're there for your relaxation is like a light in the dark, right?"

 

"You realize you took their cards away, right?"

 

He chuckled softly yet unmockingly, and gave Copper a pat on the back.  

 

"S'okay - you still get points for honesty in my book, and I have no doubt that there'll be cart races again in the future... just as soon as they find another cavern to have 'em in!"

 

He winked at the blue stallion.

 

 

@Illiad Easle - @Blitz Boom

 

 

It took Dax a moment to let everything Euler had said to set in before...

 

"WAIT!  You're Illiad Easle's bodyguard, aren't you?  That means he's here!"

 

Dax was off the table in an instant, and was darting like a hummingbird to each possible side-corner of the room where the Trojan might have been hiding.

 

"IlliadareyouherewhereareyouIwascomingtomeetyouatthegatebutI... I..."

 

He slowed to a stop, then turned to look at Euler and Ziggy.

 

"... other pressing matters, right.  I heard you, I'm just... uhm..."

 

Dax let go with a sheepish grin and a slight blush; even though he was old enough to be a young adult by now, he very much seemed like he was still a colt inside... well, at least where the subject of Illiad was concerned.

 

"... I'm Dax.  Hiya.  Sorry I didn't introduce myself already, but I... well..." His grin went from sheepish to broad.  "Illiad's a dear friend, and I haven't seen him for a while.  Guess you could say I kinda missed him."

 

He trotted right over to them both, and shot Ziggy a smile as he reached them.

 

"Thanks, Doc... I do remember coming out of the doorway, because I'd heard the gates opening.  I mean, yeah - I ran all the way out there not even an hour ago, and all it was just happened to be Mother's guest and her 'entourage'.  Another high-society pony that Mother's trying to sweet-talk into letting or getting her into the rich foals' clubhouse.  But, that's Mother."

 

He turned his smile back over to Euler.

 

"It's good to meet you, Euler; I don't know if Illiad's ever mentioned me, but it's still good to meet you, all the same!  You're... very visually effective as a bodyguard - but I guess looking the part is in the job description, eh?"

 

The young stallion looked hearty and healthy; he also looked like there may have been some zebra in his family tree as well, due to the bright green stripes on his black coat.

 

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

 

Her eyes went as wide as saucers.

 

"Luna her-"  She looked around, alarmed that she'd almost yelled it out, then lowered her voice.  "Princess Luna herself?  Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh... YES!  COME IN!"

 

She took hold of Illiad's robes and pulled him inside, shutting the door with a sharp bang before letting him go.

 

The shed was only a bit different since Illiad's last visit here; everything was still neatly organized, but now there were numerous projects hanging from the ceiling on chains.  Mechanical projects with long pipes, large gears, and magic circuits and conduits all around them, arranged into neat and tidy little stacks.

 

At the far end, however, there was a blackboard now where there hadn't been before.  All over the board were all sorts of calculations that defied translation for any and all, except seemingly for Silver.  It was mind-boggling, looking at the sheer volume of numbers in rows and columns, all neatly rowed just like her tools and parts bins.

 

At the top of the blackboard were two letters in bold red capitals:  C P

 

Silver was almost hopping from hoof to hoof.  "Illiad, it's so good to see you!  I understand about how things got busy for you - I heard the two of you won the election, and I was SO happy for you!  Of course, I also realized that it would mean we might not see each other for a while, but I was willing to understand that you had a job to do - nothing to worry about there!"

 

Suddenly, Silver's face froze.

 

"Uh... well, actually... there IS something I really should mention to you..."

 

Her eyes strayed to the case the Trojan held, but she knew it wouldn't be proper to dance around the issue now; early honesty keeps late regret from happening, her own father used to tell her.  She took a deep breath, sighed softly, then looked the unicorn right in the eye.

 

"Illiad?  Before we go any further here, I just... uhm..."  Her nerves were running high.  "... well, you see... there's something I need to let you know.  Since... well, since I hadn't received any letters from you for so long, I thought you might have simply gotten too busy for me - and that was okay, I'm not mad - but, well..."

 

She blushed prettily.

 

"Somepony else has kind of... well, they... they want to date me too, Illiad.  And yesterday, I said we could try taking things slowly... mere minutes before I got your letter, by the way.  So your timing is impeccable.  But now you're HERE, and I... well...  I wanted to make sure you knew that you have... uhm..."  The last word came out squeaky and small.  "... competition?"

 

Illiad, being what he was, could feel both a strong desire aimed at him... and a deep shame in Silver.  She truly did care about him - her open honesty proved that - but now she was making sure to be direct and honest.

 

She also silently hoped and prayed he wouldn't hate her for it.

[Illiad Easle 3,142]

@@Randimaxis,@@Blitz Boom,

 

Euler gained a slight smirk as he watched Dax move about, " Ah yes, Vice-Consul Illiad did mention you in particular as we made our way here, and I see he was not exaggerating as much about you as I had thought."

 

He nodded at the talk of his appearance, "That is one of the reasons I've made it this far, you can't be a Dragon Commando without looking the part, and sometimes a little intimidation goes a long way to prevent a lot of blood. You look like you have a bit of zebra heritage like the Doctor here, perhaps you know whether you hail from the Zebrican isles or the Shimmerwood forest?"

 

Meanwhile...

 

Illiad's smile faltered a bit as he shook his head with a sigh. "It really is as I feared, isn't it? I can't blame you for looking to move on when I faded out of contact, but I guess I better do what I can to win you back. Which brings me to this new project Luna had TrUST send me here to show you."

 

His smile strengthened a bit as he pulled Selena's diamond from his robe and tapped it against the symbol on the black case. Light shone out of the seem as the case started to grow thicker until it was big enough that one could smuggle a full grown filly in it. He turned the case towards Silver and opened it.

 

Within the case was a block of what appeared to be pure diamond, taking up nearly the whole case except for a small compartment where a small octahedron of what appeared to be the same material. The Large chunk was labeled: 90% pure Grade A Cloud Diamond, the smaller octohedron: 100% pure Lunar Grade Cloud Diamond.

 

He retrieved a folder from a hidden pouch in the top of the case, the front of which was stamped with the same emblem as the case, and passed it towards Silver. "Luna has personally requested you to be the one to lead the project that will give Selena a full body of cloud diamond, that being the only criterion for this phase. These documents will detail who you will contact if you need more material, funds, or assistance, and as this project has been given top priority, combined with how well your other designs have been received, means just about anything you request will be given to you. There are two requirements on this project, first that Selena's body be made of as high a percentage of cloud diamond is feasible given it is her native element, and that you periodically detail your progress to Selena in writing."

 

He smiled, "And given I'd have to write Selena's responses anyway, how could I ever forget to write you on my own behalf as well?"

 

He then looked serious as he closed the case, the folder still available to Silver to take and read, "You do, of course, retain the ability to refuse the assignment, and if at any time you feel that you cannot continue the project you may recommend another to take your place. Should you accept it though, there is another cool thing I get to give you." 

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Randimaxis

 

The two nobles in the room displayed varying reactions to Vylia's emotional story.  Low Key seemed riveted, shocked and amazed at the troubles this family had experienced.  He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would have been like to have had a father like that.  His own family got along so well, and they all seemed to delight in fawning over their sole heir.

 

Carnelian, on the other hoof, seemed lost in thought.  Erasmus seemed to be a stallion after her own heart, all the more reason to see him done away with.  Luther was evidently strong, diligent, motivated, and educated, and the baroness had every ounce of respect for him.  While his father would have been much easier to manipulate, the upside to the other stallion's incumbency was that she could trust his word.  A stallion like Luther who had fought corruption would be weary about corruption in his own midst.  She would have to handle him with foals socks.

 

 

"I do not mean this in a mocking tone, Vylia, but I am entirely unsurprised at the conclusion that the aristocracy has jumped to.  Being a noble is honestly quite boring, which is why we throw soirees every weekend and gossip about each others' relationships.  The moment a scandal passes our ears, we jump on it with a morbid curiosity and ride the bandwagon all the way to its final destination, which often times tends to be just before the rubbish pile of history.

 

"However, we also have the attention span of a goldfish.  The more you attempt to make a big deal about publicly addressing these grievances and putting them to rest, the more you will be ripping open an old wound and pouring salt on it.  As I said before, if you can befriend the biggest names in Canterlot, Blueblood, Fancypants, Hoity Toity, perhaps even the princesses if you enjoy waiting a few months for an opening, then the others will come around.  It will be tough, but there is no such thing as an irrecoverable public relations scandal.  If you would like, I am more than willing to put a whisper in the ears of some fairly powerful ponies."

 

For a moment, Carnelian spared a glance off to the side at Low, and wasn't surprised at his vacant stare.  Even if his wardship was just an alibi, she couldn't help but impart her wisdom on the budding lord.  Even with that, he still seemed completely disinterested in politics.  All he did when he wasn't doting on her was listen to music and read poetry.  If she was eventually expected to give him back to his family, she could not do that without at least pounding into his head the importance of his position.

 

"I'm sorry, are we boring you?"

 

 

"What?"  Low tensed as his eyes turned to meet Carnelian's.  Was it her training that made him maintain eye contact with her?  He had trouble doing the same with guests.  "Oh, no, not really, there was just a swallow outside on a branch.  It flew away, though."

 

Thick as always.  For the hundredth time, she asked herself if she was wasting her time with him.  "Then you were bored?"  Carnelian gave a soft, disarming smile that visibly relaxed the unicorn.  "I thought so.  Vylia, do you mind at all allowing Lord Low Key free reign of your grounds?  I promise you that he will be on his best behavior."

Edited September 23, 2016 by Hazard Time