open [RP] The Blackwater Quarry

[Randimaxis 8,633]

@Blitz Boom

"You're gonna make a list of what were taken, and what the plans were for. Then we make sure that Mrs. Blackwater gets that, so that she start getting hold of the guards, and do her spooky magic, to find out who snatched these, okay? I'm sure the more she knows, the better. Then maybe write those down you remember, and ask Mr. Blackwater for some kind of really good safe for these things?"

Blitz on the other hoof, had gone inside the shed when Silver exited, and would come back with a wrench in her muzzle. She'd look up at Silver with gleeful confidence, and a smile on her muzzle. She hadn't a sliver of a doubt, that Silver could get past this, and just do even better, and she wanted to encourage her to keep working.

Silver looked at the two of them, seemed to consider things for a moment.  "I... there's something I have to do.  Most certainly, there's someone I have to... t-to tell about this, but... but..."

She closed her eyes and sighed.  "I... WE... can do..." She stopped, took a claming breath, and tried again.

"Okay.  At least there are a couple of things I can fix right now," she nodded, and looked at her eager helpers, "so, if you could please go and get Taps for me, Ziggy, then I can set to work trying to see if we can't at least start work on your new wings, Blitz.  If I can't fix what's happened, then... then I just have to fix whatever comes next."

A haunted look passed over her for a moment, but she shook it off.

"Okay, then... I guess," she looked at Shed #7 and sighed heavily, "we should probably clean up, and see what I do have left.  With some help, this should be a snap... well, no so much an actual snap like Discord could do, but more like it'll go much easier for us if we work together."

 

 

@Widdershins

@Flow

"Sir, do you require assistance? That crate err...seems rather heavy..."

"Oh, uh... Howdy Ma'am." The farmboy stallion greeted her in a low county drawl, one that spoke of being unused to speaking up. "Had a deliv'ry fer the big place up yonder. Needed ta know where to leave 'er at? Was just gon go in the front, less iffen you knew where better to put it?"

[Continue along; no interruptuions yet.]

 

 

 

@Illiad Easle

Oracle was well and truly exhausted by the time she got to the image that resonated with Dax, but she was relieved she had found something promising, "Sounds like a good lead then, spread the word of our suspects, hopefully we can find them before anything happens and get Silver's stuff back."

She tried to stand, but the tar held her nearly still, so she turned on the water instead, "It... um, it'll take a bit for this to dissolve, you should get moving, I'll get out there and help as soon as I can."

Dax looked at her, looked at the tub, then back at her.  She could both see the look on his muzzle and feel his questions, but he knew it was important.  He wasn't about to let her information go wanting for being revealed; he could tell what sort of toll it took on her.

"Yeah, I'll... I-I'll be back, you just stay, ahh... put... er..." he blushed, "... sorry."

The stallion then leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and trotted away furiously, no doubt headed for his father's office with a blush that would not quit..

 

As she waited for the tar to dissolve she realized the precarious position she had put herself in for Dax's sake. As drained as she was she wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight if someone came in looking for her, and she couldn't disguise until the tar was cleared from her chitin lest she set the whole tub on fire.

A fear that was realized as soon as two things became apparent:

1.) Though Dax had closed her room door, he'd left the door to the bathroom standing wide open in his haste.  Though he'd possibly locked the room's door...

2.) That measure was negated, as the servant that opened the door would obviously have a key.

The prim-and-proper-looking stallion walked into the room with a batch of towels on his back, along with some cleaning supplies.  It was one of Vylia's twin butlers - apparently here to do a bit of cleaning while the guest was supposedly out touring the quarry.  He just walked into the room and went toward the bed, as if to make it up for the night.  As he passed the bathroom, he gave a glance inside, saw the changeling in the tub, and passed right by... then, as if in reverse, he stepped backwards until he was centered in the doorway.

When it registered what he was seeing was indeed there and real, his eyes went W-I-D-E... but he didn't scream, he didn't rush at her in a clumsy attack, and he didn't pull a weapon.  He stared at her for a solid moment, then simply blinked.  She could feel his fear, but his sense of decorum and hospitality urged him to keep from panicking; he was apparently at least a little experienced with changelings, or just strangeness in general... either way, he was a purely polite, if concerned, butler.

"Do you, er... require a towel..." he asked hesitantly, his eyes glued to her, "... madam?"

She was in the bath, after all.

 

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Randimaxis

Mother's going to murder me.

Oracle inwardly chastised herself, she should have known Dax leaving the room would have broken the lock she placed on the door, and that the staff here were quite diligent in their efforts.

Luckily enough, she had sufficient control to not try and disguise when she spotted the butler, managing to not start a fire, and the jolt of surprise was enough to allow her to pull herself free of the majority of the tar, allowing her to stand up fully.

She maintained eye contact with the butler for several long moments as she thought about the best course of action. He had to be bound to secrecy, or at least could not be allowed to make the connection that she was Mystic. It was already a strange situation to find an immature changeling queen sitting in a bathtub covered in what looked like very old honey.

In her undisguised form her voice was already distinct from Mystic's, but she made a special effort to change it further when she spoke, "That... would be useful. You're taking this rather well, I did not think that such restraint would be possible so close to Canterlot. Please, don't tell anyone I was here. They're hunting me, want to kill me. If you let me go it'll be like I was never here."

She really hoped that this butler would go along with her story, maybe feel sorry for her like Dax did when they first met, as she was sure Dax would disapprove of her murdering the butler to keep her secret.

[Flow 1,619]

On 2021-03-05 at 7:37 PM, Widdershins said:

"Oh, uh... Howdy Ma'am." The farmboy stallion greeted her in a low county drawl, one that spoke of being unused to speaking up. "Had a deliv'ry fer the big place up yonder. Needed ta know where to leave 'er at? Was just gon go in the front, less iffen you knew where better to put it?"

@Randimaxis, @Widdershins

This Stallion, he appeared to be from outside the company, at least to her. But what he had on his back, a crate seemed kind of suspicious in her view. "Now why would the manor be receiving such large delivery, even in a crate?" She asked herself, thinking, "Typically, deliveries to the quarry are packed in crates, I can be wrong about this, but this one came straight to the manor. Well, I guess it might contain materials for Master Luther's research, not too sure about that." She thought.

The thick accent of the stallion posed a bit of difficulty for her to understand, though after a brief pause to analyze what he just said, she replied "Err..A delivery you say? That depends on who is receiving this...crate, if it's for Master Luther, then you might leave it by his personal office. If it's for Madam Vylia, I will notify one of her personal butlers to carry such crate to her room....Oh yes, might we introduce ourselves? My name is Love Bloom...Bloom for short, and I'm a maid of the Blackwater Manor, A pleasure to be of service, sir." And with that said, she made a bow in common courtesy.

Edited March 7, 2021 by Flow

[Blitz Boom 4,420]

@Randimaxis

On 2021-03-05 at 11:26 PM, Randimaxis said:

"Okay.  At least there are a couple of things I can fix right now," she nodded, and looked at her eager helpers, "so, if you could please go and get Taps for me, Ziggy, then I can set to work trying to see if we can't at least start work on your new wings, Blitz.  If I can't fix what's happened, then... then I just have to fix whatever comes next."

"You got it! Make sure to keep her happy when I'm gonna, little box of tinder."

Ziggy would pat Blitz's mane, and grin widely before spreading her large wings, and zapping away as she tended to do, when she were in a hurry. Blitz mane were frankly surprisingly soft to her touch, considering how rough she looked, but there were no time to think about that! She had to find Taps. Starting by going to the mare's little slice of their heaven, and seeing if she were there. Usually she were, far as she knew, though Ziggy didn't come around too often. She corresponded with her parents every Friday, and her brother and sister every Tuesday, so she were usually just around there to send mail, or seeing if there were any her way. And hopefully not more from her brother, that were steeped in dried goo of undetermined origins. She knew he worked at a wildlife preserve, but that other mail could get stinky when he didn't use a clean envelope, and she could just tell that Taps had likely not been happy when she picked that one up. Big point of the next letter she had sent his way, which as always, smelled like peppermint. She kept her envelopes near her candy stash.

Soon after, she'd land near the door, with a nearly rectangular dive. How she didn't dislodge bones, or land on her face sometimes, were frankly a miracle without answer, even for her. She just sorta chucked it up to experience and instinct. Hadn't been that easy at first, but she had found it oddly efficient for her, and helped her burn even more of her excess energy off, as it didn't just take her wings to do, but also her legs.

As she had landed, and folded her wings back in again, she'd knock on the door three times, and wait to see if there was a response.

"Taps? Are you in there? Silver needs to see you. It's really important too."

On 2021-03-05 at 11:26 PM, Randimaxis said:

A haunted look passed over her for a moment, but she shook it off.

"Okay, then... I guess," she looked at Shed #7 and sighed heavily, "we should probably clean up, and see what I do have left.  With some help, this should be a snap... well, no so much an actual snap like Discord could do, but more like it'll go much easier for us if we work together."

This is what Blitz then stood back and worked with: Cleanup. The least fun part of fixing things, but definitely important! It were not good when your head were a mess, and the surroundings matched it. You wouldn't be able to find anything, and how then would you make stuff? It'd just be a bigger hassle than it were, to fix it in the first place.

Blitz would nod enthusiastically then, at the idea that they had to sort things out, and would start by putting the wrench back where she had found it. Afterwards, she'd come bouncing back to Silver, and look up expectantly, eager to get to work, and help get Silver's mind off the nasty break-in. 

"What should we fix first? We'll do it all super quickly, and make it all pretty and safe again. Better than Discord. He just did weird things. Last time I saw him though, he pulled a chocolate bunny out of the ground and gave it to me, if I left Flutterhsy and him alone. A big one too! I was gonna go and ask her what she thought Pinkie Pie would like for her next party cannon boomie, but I guess she had plans with Discord or something. I dunno, but the bunny was nice and tasty. Full of yummy, gooey caramel."

She'd bounce in place, both happy about the memory of that particular treat, and about the work they were about to do. Cleaning wasn't fun, but it was important, so it was just to think about it as being fun! Just imagine the sort of things you could find, stuck behind a shelf or something. She once would a squirrel that way. Poor thing had gotten stuck. Lucky she found him, thought it wasn't That hard. He were really loud.

[Widdershins 9,955]

@Flow & @Randimaxis
 

"Oh, uh... Howdy, Missus Bloom! I'd ah bow maself, but for account of tha box, ya see..." Clod Hopper bent a hoof over the other, bashfully and motioned to the package on his back as ornate and overlarge as it was. Likely an affair that would require a two-pony job in most other circumstances.

 "You, ah, reckon it'll fit in the door any? Mister Cragg from up the way said this here present was just meant fer the owners of the place, not anyun' in specific." The stallion said, casually name-dropping what could likely be the mortal enemy of the Blackwaters if Love Bloom had heard the name before recent enough to remember, or put enough details together to realize that another quarry so close enough to walk to might not be on the best of terms with quarry owners already known for ruthlessness. Not something Hopper could put together, no. It wasn't logic from his parts that one farm wouldn't either help out... or mind its own business enough to not start up a country feud. Competition wasn't unheard of in the far out country... it just got dealt with alot more directly when you didn't live close enough to law enforcement.

"I'm, ah, Clod Hopper by tha way. But you can jist call me Hopper. If... if ya want."

[Randimaxis 8,633]

On 2021-03-05 at 5:48 PM, Illiad Easle said:

"That... would be useful. You're taking this rather well, I did not think that such restraint would be possible so close to Canterlot. Please, don't tell anyone I was here. They're hunting me, want to kill me. If you let me go it'll be like I was never here."

The butler lifted an eyebrow at her explanation, then gave a slight smirk.

"Madam, I assure you," he said, "that I understand what it's like to be hunted.  What's more, I doubt that Master Daxter would be pleased if I were to 'out' the mare of his dreams."

He KNEW!?  Now it was a question of HOW MUCH he knew...

"As it is, madam, I'd daresay you're hardly the strangest individual we've had within these walls... nor the most powerful."  He chuckled a bit.  "THOSE distinctions both go to a certain unicorn stallion who was here, not too long ago - and believe me when I say that, though you may indeed be impressive..."

He brought her a towel and held it out for her.  "Illiad Easle is, by far, just a touch more impressive than you are... er, no offense, madam.  And if the quarry can survive what we went through with HIM, I daresay you have little to worry about with us."



 

 

On 2021-03-06 at 7:13 AM, Flow said:

"Err..A delivery you say? That depends on who is receiving this...crate, if it's for Master Luther, then you might leave it by his personal office. If it's for Madam Vylia, I will notify one of her personal butlers to carry such crate to her room....Oh yes, might we introduce ourselves? My name is Love Bloom...Bloom for short, and I'm a maid of the Blackwater Manor, A pleasure to be of service, sir."

 

On 2021-08-11 at 10:10 PM, Widdershins said:

"You, ah, reckon it'll fit in the door any? Mister Cragg from up the way said this here present was just meant fer the owners of the place, not anyun' in specific."

 

Mister Cragg had a reputation, alright... and Bloom was WELL AWARE of how much trouble and mischief the Cragg Mining Company had been causing for the Blackwater Quarry.  She also knew that Luther himself had stated that Cragg, his associates and ANYTHING having to do with them were IMMEDIATELY a top-level priority, and that The Boss himself was to be informed as soon as ANYTHING dealing with that skinflint Cragg came to light.

Was Clod Hopper one of them?

 

 

 

On 2021-03-09 at 5:48 PM, Blitz Boom said:

"What should we fix first? We'll do it all super quickly, and make it all pretty and safe again. Better than Discord. He just did weird things. Last time I saw him though, he pulled a chocolate bunny out of the ground and gave it to me, if I left Flutterhsy and him alone. A big one too! I was gonna go and ask her what she thought Pinkie Pie would like for her next party cannon boomie, but I guess she had plans with Discord or something. I dunno, but the bunny was nice and tasty. Full of yummy, gooey caramel."

Silver gave a light grin; it wasn't a full smile yet, but it was better than her sobbing her heart out, so it was still an improvement.

Leading the way, she went to her shed and opened the door... and gave a watery sigh again.

The shack was a MESS; all the neat little boxes of parts and rows of orderly bins were now scattered all over the shed, as if a small tornado had touched down in here.  Bolts, screws, tools, panels, wires... everything that had been neat and organized was now seemingly blasted all over the shed itself.

"... ohhh..." Silver moaned before she started tearing up again.  "Th-this... this will t-take FOREVER..."

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Randimaxis

4 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

I doubt that Master Daxter would be pleased if I were to 'out' the mare of his dreams.

Oracle's expression grew more concerned, Mother's going to kill him too. Letting this get out.

4 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

"Illiad Easle is, by far, just a touch more impressive than you are... er, no offense, madam.  And if the quarry can survive what we went through with HIM, I daresay you have little to worry about with us."

She smiled a bit when Illiad was mentioned, but shook her head, "It's not I that the quarry should be worried about, but my mother. While I feel I can trust you, I know the same cannot necessarily be said for everyone here. And should anyone here manage to hurt me... my mother may not be very discriminate in her revenge. Tell me please... How did you know? And who else knows?"

 

She waved off the offered towel, "I'll need to shower first, as is the towel would just stick to me, but it is good to have it ready."

She'd turn to address the remnants of the prophecy focusing element still coating the tub, separating it from the vessel with her magic and, with a bit of effort to not once again panic at the height, teleport it over the edge of the cliff she had seen earlier, before stepping in to wash off what was still on her, turning to the butler she looked unsure, "So long as I'm staying here... and I hope you don't take any offence... but I'd appreciate if my room was not serviced by the housekeeping staff in any capacity beyond fresh linins being delivered. I can take care of daily cleaning well enough myself, and I don't want to risk anyone else discovering me. I hope you understand."

[Flow 1,619]

On 2021-08-12 at 12:10 PM, Widdershins said:

"Oh, uh... Howdy, Missus Bloom! I'd ah bow maself, but for account of tha box, ya see..."

 "You, ah, reckon it'll fit in the door any? Mister Cragg from up the way said this here present was just meant fer the owners of the place, not anyun' in specific."

"I'm, ah, Clod Hopper by tha way. But you can jist call me Hopper. If... if ya want."

"Oh! I'm sure it'll go through these large doors nice, and smooth." Bloom replied as she reached for the doors to the entrance, and making way for the stallion, who introduced himself as Clod Hopper, she continued "And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hopper, so you say that this...crate came from...Cragg? Oh Cragg...."

6 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

Mister Cragg had a reputation, alright... and Bloom was WELL AWARE of how much trouble and mischief the Cragg Mining Company had been causing for the Blackwater Quarry.  She also knew that Luther himself had stated that Cragg, his associates and ANYTHING having to do with them were IMMEDIATELY a top-level priority, and that The Boss himself was to be informed as soon as ANYTHING dealing with that skinflint Cragg came to light.

Was Clod Hopper one of them?

Upon mentioning Cragg's name, she felt uneasy, knowing very well who Cragg was, and his past dealing with the quarry. Bloom, like the rest who work at Blackwater knew very well about the trouble he and his company were, and that any dealings with him, or anyone associated with him, must be reported to Luther himself, as this was top priority. And speaking of Cragg, that brought Bloom to wonder, is this Clod Hopper working for him?

She then asked "So, are you working for the Cragg Mining Company? Blackwater company protocol states that all dealings with said company must be reported to Master Luther himself." after stepping inside the mansion, Bloom continued "I will take you to his personal office, please follow me."

[Blitz Boom 4,420]

@Randimaxis

On 2021-10-23 at 3:34 AM, Randimaxis said:

The shack was a MESS; all the neat little boxes of parts and rows of orderly bins were now scattered all over the shed, as if a small tornado had touched down in here.  Bolts, screws, tools, panels, wires... everything that had been neat and organized was now seemingly blasted all over the shed itself.

"... ohhh..." Silver moaned before she started tearing up again.  "Th-this... this will t-take FOREVER..."

"Nuh-uh. It'll be done with super fast speed, and look all nice and pretty again."

Sure there were a lot of things scattered all over the place. Like, a looooooooot. Basically everything had been rummaged through by somepony, who needed to be taught a lesson, if she ever found them, for messing with her friends workshop. You didn't mess up an inventors workshop! That was just mean. It'd be like crashing a bakers kitchen. The stealing part wasn't nice either, so they needed to be taught a doubly big lesson. Probably by the guards. They made sure to make bad ones pay, for doing bad things.

But to get back to the job at hoof, she knew just what to do here. Her own workshop were a fair bit smaller than this, and had less stuff maybe, but she still sometimes did something, that'd end up with parts scattered everywhere. And in her experience, the way to go at it, were to just start from a corner, and then put stuff back where they belonged as you went along from there. So long as you had some idea where stuff went, you'd be golden. And while she didn't know everything, she had gotten a good look when she first got here, and zoomed around the place to look over this amazing workshop. 

Also, as unicorns, they had the advantage of magic to help things, which were definitely a bonus in this situation. It were safer to handle things, and easier to float them around, than if they had to pick everything up by hoof.

She'd hum along as she worked, picking up first a few pens on the floor, and floating them up on the workbench. When she found their holder, she'd have them put back in, but for now, that were that. Then she'd find a fuse, which went the same place, then tools. The tools - in this first case, a screwdriver and a spanner - would be floated up to their right spaces on the wall.

More and more things, would one by one go into roughly the right areas. It wasn't perfect, as she didn't have photographic memory, but she'd do her best. They could focus on rearranging things when it was nice and tidy again, right?

Wouldn't be too long before - after dipping her head between some metal plates - she'd start chewing on something unseen though. Didn't seem harmful, as it just lifted her spirits, so it were probably fine. And if she waited a few minutes, she'd see the filly blow up a bubble to prove that this were in fact, gum. Peppermint flavored in fact, which Ziggy had dropped in here several weeks ago, when she came by to visit. Might not be top quality anymore, but hey. Gum were gum. Even a bit dry, and with the flavor getting stale, it were still candy.

Meanwhile, Ziggy still stood at the post office, waiting for Taps to let her in. Maybe the mailmare wasn't there, since she didn't answer? Felt like she had been standing here for months, waiting for Taps to open up at least. It was more like ten seconds, but still. Felt like a long time, when it was urgent. And Silver's situation surely were.

She'd give it a bit more, then get out there to look around the quarry. She had to be somewhere, right?

[Widdershins 9,955]

@Flow & @Randimaxis

On 2021-10-22 at 9:52 PM, Flow said:

She then asked "So, are you working for the Cragg Mining Company? Blackwater company protocol states that all dealings with said company must be reported to Master Luther himself." after stepping inside the mansion, Bloom continued "I will take you to his personal office, please follow me."

"Came here to work T' other day, Mizz Bloom. Had a debt of me pappy's to pay off."

Clod Hopper drawled as he paused for a significant, few beats as they walked a way into the manor, bending low in a solid motion to fit the chained-shut crate through as a farmpony with experience in pulling heavy loads would. A country pause it was, that Bloom could look around and take in the surroundings of the front hall if she had wished, a beat of silence that spoke of someone unused to needing to prescribe to anything but direct, clearcut orders or things ever being more than what they seem. Veritably, the kind of pause you could park a wagon in.

"Mister Cragg done sent me back on down here with this, what he called a present for the folks down here. Found myself by his place after following up a mar- pegasus lady that I done helped break a door down for.  ... Sure tore up out of here, she did. Hope she's alright. Don' want her in no trouble for anything I broke that ah shouldn't 'ave."

The widely buildt workhorse continued on as he crept back up to the mare's side slowed down by the weight of his cargo, apparently fully unaware of how he was digging himself a grave deeper with every word. If she looked up and over at him, his expression would tell far more than his words ever did. Though heavily lidded and not energetic by much means, it didn't seem the situation hit him as all that unusual, but his gaze was certainly locked forward and his pace steady as if he was taking special care to not look directly at her.

 If his stutter hadn't pointed it out. Hopper didn't get along well with mares. He had barely known girls existed up until now!

[Randimaxis 8,633]

On 2021-10-23 at 2:31 AM, Illiad Easle said:

"It's not I that the quarry should be worried about, but my mother. While I feel I can trust you, I know the same cannot necessarily be said for everyone here. And should anyone here manage to hurt me... my mother may not be very discriminate in her revenge. Tell me please... How did you know? And who else knows?"

The butler gave a slight smirk.  "I didn't know; I merely made an educated guess, as we have only one real visitor here, and Master Dax does tend to attract some... unique individuals.  That, and Madam Vylia has been expecting you, so she naturally investigated... and now that I've discovered your presence, I know she must be right."

He turned and began to busy himself with tidying things up - though he seemed to mostly be making the motions out of habit than anything else.  "Madam Vylia has an impressive and far-reaching information network, and she'd been hearing rumours for the past few days... not to mention her contacts in other lands could have been the ones to blow the proverbial whistle.  But, as far as an EXACT source, I'm afraid I couldn't say; Madam Vylia does like to play her cards close to her barrel, so I wouldn't worry too much about her speaking to anyone about it."

"And of course," he chuckled softly as he finished his rounds and returned to her, "there's the fact that nothing is ever as it seems at the Blackwater Quarry; exotic enigmas such as yourself are in far better company here than you'd ever realize..."

On 2021-10-23 at 2:31 AM, Illiad Easle said:

"So long as I'm staying here... and I hope you don't take any offence... but I'd appreciate if my room was not serviced by the housekeeping staff in any capacity beyond fresh linins being delivered. I can take care of daily cleaning well enough myself, and I don't want to risk anyone else discovering me. I hope you understand."

He lifted an eyebrow... then gave a smooth smile.

"Oh, I'm not sure that would be possible; you see, my brother and I have routines to follow - ones impressed upon us by Madam Vylia.  And you had best believe that we stick to that schedule... including the service of our guests' rooms.  Of course, if my brother and I were devious scallywags," his grin turned slightly impish, "we might possibly decide that, instead of servicing your quarters, the two of us would make our way into the room adjacent to this one and, perhaps, rest our hooves for a solid twenty minutes before returning to our admittedly busy schedule."

He made a show of giving his lapel a brushing off with his hoof.  "IF we were devious scallywags, of course - I'm sure you understand," he slyly smirked.

 

 

 

On 2021-10-25 at 10:55 AM, Blitz Boom said:

"Nuh-uh. It'll be done with super fast speed, and look all nice and pretty again."

Silver seemed morose about the situation... but her downheartedness slowly began to seep away as she watched the little dynamo at work, righting the wrong that had been done to Silver's careful organization.  Slowly, the mare herself started to get to work as well; as the two of them made the mess a neat and tidy little workshop again, Silver seemed to lighten up as things progressed.  It was as if Blitz's cheery, can-do mood was cleansing the gloom from Silver, just as they were cleaning the debris from the floor.

Taking far shorter than it would have alone, it wasn't long before the workshop was once again a place where the unicorn mare could work once more.  Silver looked around at how the two of them had managed, and she made her way over to Blitz, grabbing her up in a fierce hug.

"Thank you so much, Blitz," she gushed, "I'm pleased as punch that you were here to help me - okay, not that actual punch can be pleased, as it's a mere liquid, but more like I'm just so relieved that things look like they're tidy and orderly again.  I can't even imagine how..."

And like that, her muzzle fell.  "Oh... but... but all my plans are STILL missing... Blitz, there's... I m-mean, some of those were... they shouldn't b-be... oh dear."

Silver looked exceedingly worried about her designs and blueprints, and it was implied that they might not be the safest things to be missing.

 

 

 

On 2021-10-25 at 10:55 AM, Blitz Boom said:

She'd give it a bit more, then get out there to look around the quarry. She had to be somewhere, right?

Indeed, it didn't take long before Ziggy spotted the dark blue mare... or, to be more precise, her trim little blue rump, as it was sticking up from a hedge near the front gates; was Taps looking for berries in there?  Because Ziggy knew that bush wasn't a berry bush; the best berry bushes were cliffside on the east end - she'd found them while flying - and there wasn't much about these bushes that were right next to the inner wall, near the massive front portcullis gate.

For what it was worth, Taps was certainly a mare who was usually rather busy... but Ziggy got the feeling the mailmare wasn't delivering letters to the Hedge Family.

 

 

 

 

On 2021-10-23 at 4:52 AM, Flow said:

"And it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hopper, so you say that this...crate came from...Cragg? Oh Cragg...."

 

On 2021-12-05 at 11:42 PM, Widdershins said:

"Mister Cragg done sent me back on down here with this, what he called a present for the folks down here. Found myself by his place after following up a mar- pegasus lady that I done helped break a door down for.  ... Sure tore up out of here, she did. Hope she's alright. Don' want her in no trouble for anything I broke that ah shouldn't 'ave."

 

 

On 2021-10-23 at 4:52 AM, Flow said:

"I will take you to his personal office, please follow me."

 

The doors of Luther Blackwater's office were dark, cold and no-nonsense - a lot like the stallion himself.  They reached almost to the ceiling, and were both minimal and yet efficient at proclaiming that whomever stayed behind these doors was someone to be either respected, feared... or both.

They approached them and, as Bloom was taking the stallion there to meet with the owner of said doors, the knock she gave echoed down the hallways, adding an ominous feel to the visit, maybe even making it feel more like an intrusion.  The sound of the knock faded off as a response came from within.

"Enter."

The voice was deep, resonant, firm and sharp - and yet, it was all conveyed in a single spoken word.

 

[Illiad Easle 2,968]

@Randimaxis

Despite the butler's confidence and cheery demeanor, it did very little to sooth Oracle's nerves. If anything, it made her worry for the quarry and those within far worse.

This is very bad, if Vylia could figure me out, unless Dax tipped her off, everyone back home might be compromised! But, if I tell mother there's no doubt she'll call me back home. If I do nothing, then so many of my hive could be in danger.

She started to pace tight circles around the bathroom, mostly ignoring the butler as he worked, Plus I could still be in danger here. This one figured it out, which means Vylia has spread her suspicions around, and others might not be so far behind in guessing the truth. Others who might not be so generous.

"Vylia doesn't seem the sort that would hate me, but maybe? Maybe this is how she plans to have me removed? I don't fit what she wants for her son, of course! She knows I'm a changeling and therefore can't give Dax any biological heirs and therefore am unfit to marry him so she'll have me removed by leaking the information to someone who would use it to harm me so I get scared and leave."

She didn't realize that she had said the last part out loud, or rather under her breath but if the butler were listening in he'd be able to pick up on what she said.

18 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

"IF we were devious scallywags, of course - I'm sure you understand,"

She did not understand, mostly because she was so distracted by her worries at the moment. She gave the butler an odd look, "Are... are you extorting me? Asking for some sort of bribe?"

She sighed, sitting down dejectedly, "Forget it then, do what you must, It'll only be a matter of time anyway."

She was right, I'm not ready for this, not ready to be here. Discovered so easily I'm a failure of a changeling, more so as a queen.

She laid herself down against the wall in the corner, head between her forelimbs as she quietly cried. She selfishly wished she hadn't sent Dax away, he would no doubt say something kind that would lift her spirits, but he was off warning about her vision, saving the quarry.

[Flow 1,619]

@Randimaxis@Widdershins

On 2021-12-06 at 2:42 PM, Widdershins said:

"Came here to work T' other day, Mizz Bloom. Had a debt of me pappy's to pay off."

"Mister Cragg done sent me back on down here with this, what he called a present for the folks down here. Found myself by his place after following up a mar- pegasus lady that I done helped break a door down for.  ... Sure tore up out of here, she did. Hope she's alright. Don' want her in no trouble for anything I broke that ah shouldn't 'ave."

"Oh? You work here? I see now," Bloom replied as the two made their way toward Luther's personal office. Along the way, she listened she took note of the nervous expression on Hopper's face, noting that he might be nervous of what's to come next, probably Luther, but the earlier mention of a mare leading him out to Cragg's had piqued her interest, "So...this mare....she called you out of here, and on the way to Cragg's, where you got that crate huh, I see." Hearing all this added fuel to the uncertainty of the situation, as Cragg was not to be trusted, whatever was in this crate would most certainly not be welcoming to see.

23 hours ago, Randimaxis said:

The doors of Luther Blackwater's office were dark, cold and no-nonsense - a lot like the stallion himself.  They reached almost to the ceiling, and were both minimal and yet efficient at proclaiming that whomever stayed behind these doors was someone to be either respected, feared... or both.

They approached them and, as Bloom was taking the stallion there to meet with the owner of said doors, the knock she gave echoed down the hallways, adding an ominous feel to the visit, maybe even making it feel more like an intrusion.  The sound of the knock faded off as a response came from within.

"Enter."

The doors to Luther's office gave the appearance of fear, and order. The color and size of it pretty much defined the demeanor of the one behind it, no nonsense, blunt, and strict. Upon arrival, Bloom said "And here we are, do take care around him," before she knocked on the doors. When the word was given, she slowly opened both doors to make way for Hopper.

[Widdershins 9,955]

On 2021-12-08 at 10:31 PM, Flow said:

"And here we are, do take care around him,"

"Huh? Take care ah what?"
Hopper would indirectly comment in the short time as the doors opened and he went in silently.

On 2021-12-07 at 10:45 PM, Randimaxis said:

"Enter."

The doors, the word of stern command, the gravity of the task at hand... all these were utterly lost on Clod Hopper. They didn't have doors where he came from! In fact, he hadn't much else other than his father for most of his life growing up. Respect, fear, these were things that were swiftly communicated by a hoof to his head by his grumbling father who saw almost every movement as dawdling or laziness. If the colt had had much of any interaction at all with anypony else, he would have perhaps made the connection that his father hated him for some reason or why he hadn't had a mother. He was At places, then he was told to Do stuff. There wasn't any point in thinking any deeper about things as it would either slow down what task was at hoof, or be more directly delivered by a rough cuff to the snout. Besides, it wasn't till he had wandered in here to a place with a population over single digits were it that Hopper had had ponies greet him with a cheery demeanor, even if it might have been faked at the time.

Perhaps all the hoof cuffs to the head hadn't helped Hopper's brain speed. County foal-raising wasn't no exact science anyway.

Clod Hopper did what he was told to do. there wasn't any depth to that at all. If walking up to a dark stallion glowering at you was part of that, so be it, if even that was normal and expected. What one did or how you did it didn't matter so much as you actually did the thing, didn't reflect on you at all. So why spend time getting worried about the inevitability of disappointing the taskgiver when you had already spent most of your life doing that anyhow? But those mares though, Hopper had thought, they hadn't sent him on tasks. They were an anomaly that required further brain work later as to why they did this act of being "Nice."

Yes, perhaps this workhorse's thoughts were dwelt on mares. Preoccupied with this interaction of what to do when one was "Nice" around him. He had just recently walked nearly a mountain miles worth solely because a mare had talked to him and perhaps, when there wasn't a task to focus on, he would later center his mind on what to do when a Pony was kind to him.

 In the mean time... there was a horse in this room he had to dump a wooden box in front of.

[Blitz Boom 4,420]

@Randimaxis

On 2021-12-08 at 10:45 AM, Randimaxis said:

"Thank you so much, Blitz," she gushed, "I'm pleased as punch that you were here to help me - okay, not that actual punch can be pleased, as it's a mere liquid, but more like I'm just so relieved that things look like they're tidy and orderly again.  I can't even imagine how..."

And like that, her muzzle fell.  "Oh... but... but all my plans are STILL missing... Blitz, there's... I m-mean, some of those were... they shouldn't b-be... oh dear."

Silver looked exceedingly worried about her designs and blueprints, and it was implied that they might not be the safest things to be missing.

"Hey, no more sad, okay? We made this place all pretty. Now Dax-Dad will get the guards to find nasty ones who snuck in and took stuff. Crimes are for the guards. That's what they said in school.

They do their stuff, and then we make sure everything's nice and good here, yes?"

Way Blitz saw it, the ones who had taken her stuff, were definitely some bad ponies. Yet at the same time, they couldn't really do anything about it, right? They weren't guards, and one of the things she remembered from school, were that the guards were supposed to deal with criminals. So while they fixed this place up, and found out what were taken, it were up to Luther to then get to the guards, have it reported, and then hope they could find things.

His wife would likely be able to do a fair bit more, considering her connections, and apprehend the culprits, but Blitz didn't know that. She hadn't even met Vylia after all, and just knew a small bit about her, via interaction with others, so she hardly knew what to think there. She just knew that they couldn't really do more here, than what they were doing.

She'd blow a bubble with her gum, whilst looking away from Silver, to avoid getting her fur all sticky. She attempted to radiate her good spirits towards the mare again, so she wouldn't be sad. Sad Silver was not nice. She were much more interesting when she were happy, and full of sparks.

"Oooh. Now that everything's nice and tidy, we can see what's missing, right?"

She'd float a piece of paper over to herself, and a pen, whilst looking gleefully towards one of her newest, and definitely smartest friends. As best she could anyway, considering she were grasped in a hug, and were clinging back with one herself. Another reason why she had used magic to get the pen and paper, instead of just going over to grab it. She weren't mobile enough for that right now.

"Let's make a list, then give it to Dax-Dad! Then he can show the guards, and they know what sorta things to look for, and then bad ones is easier to find. Right?"

If Silver managed to peel the facehugger/filly off of her, they could begin to work on that. Though she might want to grab a crowbar, for that cause. Or tickle her, but that was unfair.

On 2021-12-08 at 10:45 AM, Randimaxis said:

Indeed, it didn't take long before Ziggy spotted the dark blue mare... or, to be more precise, her trim little blue rump, as it was sticking up from a hedge near the front gates; was Taps looking for berries in there?  Because Ziggy knew that bush wasn't a berry bush; the best berry bushes were cliffside on the east end - she'd found them while flying - and there wasn't much about these bushes that were right next to the inner wall, near the massive front portcullis gate.

For what it was worth, Taps was certainly a mare who was usually rather busy... but Ziggy got the feeling the mailmare wasn't delivering letters to the Hedge Family.

Mmmm, berry muffins... She really should try and make some of those again one of these days. The berries she had literally flown into by accident, whilst chasing a funny looking crow, were pretty good for that. And just nice for snacks in general, long as she didn't just go ham on them. Had to be some for others too, like the animals, but so far it seemed like there were a good synergy in things. Maybe she should go watch the birds there again tomorrow morning, during her morning flight? That might be kinda nice.

Anyway, munchies talk could be for another time. Right now, she had managed to find the sneaky mare she had been looking at, face deep into a berry bush. Were Taps hungry? If so, maybe she should tell the mare about her bushes, at the cliffside? She didn't mind sharing, and they were definitely better than these. She knew, as she had munched on these before. Not that they were bad per se, but the quality difference were notable.

Hmm, could also be Taps had gotten stuck actually, since only her front end were in the bush? happened to the best of them, so maybe she needed a pull.

Ziggy would sneak closer, and carefully put her front hooves ready on the side of Taps, though without touching her yet, when a compulsion started to overtake her. Still without touching Taps, she'd have a few seconds of pretending to dance in a conga line, with Taps being in front of her, and swinging her head joyfully from side to side. She didn't know why, it just felt both right, and utterly harmless.

If somehow, Taps hadn't popped out, or noted Ziggy at this point, the larger zegasus would lean over, and push her head into the bush, to get a better view on Taps. Though in either case, the conversation would go the same way from her.

"Taps, I need you out of the bush, for really important stuff. Somepony have broken into Silver's shop, and taken some of her stuff! She needs you there right away. Please?"

Sure sure, Taps were likely doing something weird here, but there were important things at hoof! She could question things later, even if she were the last mare who had the right to judge others for being odd, in this quarry. She probably had the most varied stories of weird stuff done amongst them all, or at least were doing hers to unintentionally rise up the ladder.