private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with Randimaxis

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Luther nodded.  "Yes.  Do that."

 

He was done talking; he wandered over to the edge of his balcony and simply stretched his view across the quarry... perhaps even just taking in the view.  Though his words and deeds may have been taken by other ponies as rude and haughty, it was simply that Luther Blackwater was a stallion that kept things simple; frills and pomposity were Vylia's thing.

 

There was a timid knock at the door, and without turning Luther said, "He's waiting... unless there's more?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

"He would know better than I." Illiad quickly moved over to the door and opened it to confirm that it was Dax who knocked. "Is there anything more you need to tell your father?"

 

Illiad sincerely hoped not as he felt an urgent need to get those barricades back up and have Luna contacted about the situation.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Dax's head was pressed sideways against the door, so he stumbled into the room when it was opened.  After catching his balance, he gave one of his sheepish grins at being caught eavesdropping.  Luther looked at him, emotionless outside.

 

"Uhm... no, I - wait.  Redd said he was going to report to you that we were down in the mines; I didn't want it to come as a surprise."

 

"Mmm.  Noted."

 

"Talked with Mr. Easle?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Anything bad - I heard you yell from the hall."

 

"Passing troubles; no issues."

 

"Am I in trouble for showing Illiad the Cloud deposit?"

 

Luther thought for a beat.  "No."

 

Dax visibly relaxed.  "Thank you, Father."

 

"Mhm."

 

Dax turned to his unicorn buddy.  "Okay, I guess we can go now - those fish aren't gonna catch themselves, y'know!"

 

As the pair left Luther's study, the elder Blackwater spared a glance at his son.  A little ribbon of love wound out from the stone visage, and his scowl looked... almost pleasant?  Then, he turned back to his paperwork, and the door shut.

 

As soon as they were around the corner, Dax turned to Illiad.  "What happened back there?  What did he say?  Why did he yell out 'NO' that one time?  Am I REALLY not in trouble?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Yes, you've doomed us all.

 

Illiad was unsure how to breach the topic of returning to the mines. "Apparently there were supposed to be barricades to prevent us from getting where we did, and your father wants them back up immediately. We will apparently need Mr. Slapper's help to ensure that they are properly restored. Also, if I needed to write a letter, would I give it to Taps to deliver?" Illiad was again plotting the best wording to ensure that Luna would arrive quickly to asses the situation with whatever existed in the caverns.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Dax looked a bit surprised at this news.

 

"Slapper?  Knee Slapper?  What would we need him for?  He's one of the foreponies here - he's also an incurable practical jokester.  But, if Father said he was needed, then I suppose he's needed; he's a unicorn like you, and he's actually pretty nice - he never seems to get into arguments much, even after a prank, and everypony seems to like him well enough.  Guess it'd be okay to see if we can find him - he's around here somewhere, I'm sure."

 

He gave a start at mention of the barricades, then looked at the ground with a bit of shame.

 

"Yeah... I moved the barricades so I could get to the deeper mines.  I know where they are; I can put those back... but I don't think Slapper would be needed for that... they're just wooden sawhorses with signs on 'em, y'know?"

 

Dax seemed a bit chastised for that, but he lightened up a bit when Illiad asked about the resident delivery mare.

 

"Yup - if you need a letter or scroll or package delivered, Taps is who you wanna see... but why?  Are you sending home a message about the Cloud Diamond?  If my Father gave you trouble about it, I could try to convince him otherwise, if you like?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

You'd think he'd put more effort into guarding against something he fears so much. Sawhorses? Really?

 

"Oh, no trouble. The opposite actually, he's willing to sell some of what he's already extracted. I just need to tell the one who's had me on the lookout for it so they can come down and buy some. If you have some paper and ink nearby I can write the letter on the way so we can hit both stops with one trip to the quarry and finally get to fishing."  

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Dax nodded and made his way to one of the groups of miners, but before he could say a single word, they dispersed... all while giving him pointed stares.  Dax tried to get them to wait, or at least listen... but nopony would.  He hung his head for only a moment, then turned back to face his friend.

 

"I can go get some - why don't you meet me over at the Pony Express office; you know where it is, right?  I can also look around for Slapper while I'm at it.  Okay!  See you in a bit!"

 

Excitable as to what might be to come, Dax turned and galloped off before Illiad could say a word... and by the time he could, Dax was no longer in sight, and the general noise of the quarry would have drowned him out anyway.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Why do I get the feeling that this is a set up for some encounter? Also, why are the workers so odd around Dax?

 

Not about to ask any of the workers directly, Illiad did his best to navigate the quarry and eventually managed to find the Pony express station without too much trouble.

 

​I sincerely hope this is something Luna can resolve quickly and easily. If it was restrained by a weak spell and wooden barricades it can't be all that dangerous right?  

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Taps just happened to be outside the Post Office, tending to what looked like a break in one of the fences.  She was hunkered down, trying to nudge the bottom of the post just right, so it would fall back into the hole it had vacated.  Her tongue was sticking sideways out of her mouth as she concentrated solely on the task at hoof; her mismatched eyes locked on target.

 

She straightened up when she saw Illiad coming her direction.  The post suddenly dropped into place, and Taps jumped as it caught her off-guard.  Illiad received an embarrassed smile from her as she stood up.  The smile, however, turned into a look of concern as she seemed to read his features and sense his urgency.

 

She lifted an eyebrow in a questioning manner.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

She is certainly cute, she reminds me of another mail mare I saw once.

 

Illiad decided to keep the exchange short for now as he still had to wait for Dax to return with the letter writing supplies.

"How quickly can you get a letter to Canterlot Castle? And can you deliver directly to Princess Luna?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Taps raised her other eyebrow, showing a bit of surprise at Illiad's request... but she nodded, all the same.

 

She reached down into her satchel and removed a blank scroll and a blue-feathered quill.  She prepared to take a letter, writing implement at the ready and both mismatched eyes on Illiad.

 

She made a 'go on' motion with her hoof.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Dictation? There goes my secrecy. I'll keep it brief and ambiguous so Taps won't know why I'm writing to Luna.

 

Illiad sighed, "Have it say this: Luna, a situation has developed at Blackwater Quarry that needs your immediate attention. Also, the proprietor has a collection of Cloud Diamond that he is willing to sell. ~Illiad." He paused so she would know he was done, "You got all that?" 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Taps' eyes bugged out a bit when she heard who it was for, but she instantly turned and wrote down the unicorn's words verbatim.  She was quite adept with the quill, and finished almost as soon as Illiad did.  Once finished, she answered his question with an affirmative nod and, with a quick salute, took off towards the gate at quite a surprising speed.

 

Now, Illiad only had to wait for Dax...

 

"Hey-o!  You there!"

 

A unicorn began making his way over to Illiad.  He had a purple coat with a blue mane and a few blue patches on his knees.  His cutie mark was a jester's cap, and the look in his eyes said he was feeling pretty good.  Strangely, Illiad couldn't pick up a single emotion coming off of him... how very strange.

 

"Look, friend - I don't think you're authorized to be around here, 'kay?  If you've got Blackwater business, then I'll take you to the manor... but you sure don't need to be walking around here by your lonesome, buddy."

 

He seemed amiable enough...

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Of all the creatures I did not expect to meet a changeling, unless this pony is a complete psychopath. 

 

Illiad turned to face the oncoming pony head on. A slight smile on his face despite his worry. A psychopath is not the sort of creature you want to meet alone. "I was told to wait here by one of the Blackwaters, Daxter to be specific. I am Illiad by the way, Illiad Easle."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

The pony smiled at Illiad's amiability.  

 

"Wait - you're Dax's friend?  That one Silver's been telling me about?  Well, ain't that a kick in the wall?  Ha ha ha HAAAAA!  How are ya then?  The name's Knee Slapper; I'm one of the foreponies here, so natch I had to come check on who you were when I saw ya.  Nice ta meetcha, Illiad!"

 

He grinned from ear to ear; still not even a whiff of emotion.  It was a tad disconcerting, to be certain.

 

"So, I guess I just caught ya POST-ed up here, right?  I was on my way here to see Taps... but if she's out, I suppose I'll just have to LETTER be, eh?  Makes me almost mad enough to STAMP my hoof!"

 

Slapper had a hearty laugh to go with that smile.  He seemed like quite a nice fellow, to be honest.

 

"So... for real, whatcha doin' here... and if you're Dax's buddy, where is the scamp?  His Mother get him in one of those 'Sunday Best' outfits again?  He's always embarrassed by 'em, but she must think he looks cute; she buys a new one each time she goes to Canterlot, you know what I mean?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

I am particularly uncomfortable here. His facial expressions seem genuine enough that being a changeling is a definite possibility, likely he prefers joy/laughter as his emotion of choice. High energy and easily obtainable. However, he seems just unhinged enough to be a real psychopath, and they're just plain dangerous.

 

Illiad's smile began to falter a bit as a bit of fear crept into his own emotions. He wished he hadn't used the gem to store fear.

"Yah, uh... You just missed Taps. She ran off with an express letter to Canterlot as far as I could tell. As for Dax... well... he went off to find some letter writing supplies and was going to look for you as well... I'm sure he'll be back here soon."

 

If I knew which he was I'd be a bit better, but this uncertainty is getting to me. If he's a changeling he'll notice my fear.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Slapper gave Illiad a look that spoke of some concern.

 

"Whoa, there... now calm down; there's no need to be upset.  Dax is looking for me?  Okay, okay... no problem; I'll just hang out here with you.  It's okay - I've been working here for a long time, and there's really no reason to worry about stuff like rockslides or rogue dynamite going off or anything!"

 

Illiad felt a bit more at ease... like something was soothing his jagged nerves...

 

"You'll be FINE, don't worry so much!"

 

Maybe he shouldn't worry so much... 

 

"Trust me; you're in the best hooves around the quarry.  It's all smooth sailing - no choppy waters here, pal."

 

Smooth sailing... calm waters... wait, what!?

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

NO ONE messes with my head.

 

Illiad took a step back from Knee, the smile on his face replaced by a thin line. His eyes narrowed a bit with one eyebrow raised. "I'd stay out of my head if I were you. Answer me thruthfully, are you or are you not a changeling? I don't mind if you are so long as there is no 'real' Knee Slapper somewhere else." Illiad pulled his diamond from his robes, anyone who could sense emotion could feel the energy inside. Illiad kept a cautious stance, ready to attack if things went violent. Rogue changelings generally didn't like having their cover blown, but there was no one nearby to hear that Illiad knew of. 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Slapper's eyes went WIDE.  As realization crept over his muzzle, the emotion finally came through - and it was a mix of fear, awe and... hope?

 

"Wait!  STOP a second!  You... you felt that?"

 

His voice changed a bit; it sounded like he'd either picked up an accent... or dropped one.  His eyes began dancing a jitterbug all around them both, making certain they were completely and totally alone.  Once confirmed, he turned back to face Illiad, looking somewhat frantic, yet quite serious.  His voice was barely above a whisper.

 

"You DID, didn't you?  You actually felt that!  That means... you're like me, aren't you?  You can control minds, right?  You felt that because-"

 

He suddenly stepped back, and his eyes narrowed.

 

"You're not a Hound... are you?"  He took a more defensive stance, yet made no move to fight nor flee.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Control minds? Stars, did I find a full on Telepath? That might explain why I couldn't feel his emotions until just now. 

 

Illiad relaxed his stance a bit, confident that the pony in front of him was not a psychopath and probably not a changeling. His tone returned to his normal voice. "You didn't answer my question but I now know in the very least you aren't a psychopath. I can't control minds, only influence emotion. I could tell because it felt wrong, you can't easily reverse fears based on experience. As to whether I am a Hound, Maybe? I have never heard the term before. If you are a changeling I would assume a hound seeks them out, in the which case no, I am not."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Slapper, after hearing Illiad's words, relaxed a bit and stood down from his defensive stance.  He again glanced all around them, as if he expected them to be overheard at any given second.

 

"No, no - I'm not a Changeling, no worries there... I can dial back things like fear or anger, but I can't make people feel happiness or stuff like that.  You can influence emotion?  THAT has to come in handy, I'll bet!" 

 

Slapper walked a circle around Illiad, looking him over from top to bottom.

 

"I thought my mother and I were the only ones who could- ALL the rocks!  He wasn't even looking for gold, but there it was, plain as day..." The mid-sentence shift was alarming and abrupt, but was followed with, "Hey-o!  THERE'S the guy!"

 

From back in the yard, Dax was making his way toward them with a scroll in his mouth and a quill behind his ear.  Before he reached proper earshot, Slapper muttered to the Trojan from the corner of his mouth.

 

"We HAVE to talk later!"

 

He was all smiles when Dax finally got to them; he was breathing a bit heavy, and he held out the scroll for Illiad.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad no longer needed the scroll but he didn't want to make Dax think he had worked so hard in vain.

"Thank's Dax. It looks like I found Knee Slapper, which reminds me." He turned to the utterly odd pony. "Mr. Blackwater says we need your help to replace some barricades down in the mines, you know which ones I'm talking about?" 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

Slapper gave Dax a jokingly stern glare.

 

"Young stallion, have you been going down where you shouldn't be going again?"  He tipped Illiad a wink.  "Now, you know better than that... what would your father say?  Why I have half a mind to... to t-t-tell..."  Slapper and Dax both suddenly burst out in uproarious laughter; apparently, this was some sort of joke they shared between them.

 

"Oh, I'm sorry, Daxie... I just couldn't keep it up!"

 

"It's fine!  It's fine!  I thought it was great!"

 

Obviously, Dax had more friends than he thought he did... though the absolute lack of emotion from Slapper was still a bit strange.  The two of them wound down, and Dax smiled at Illiad.  "Guess all we have to do is find Taps, and you should be able to send your message along as quick as possible; she's quick as a flash, so it won't take long."

 

Slapper looked at the two of them.  "So, you moved a couple of barricades; we'll get 'em back in place, easy.  Where were they?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Since Dax didn't know it isn't my place to tell him what his father was keeping down there.

 

Illiad looked contemplative, as if trying to remember. "It would likely have been just before the deposit of cloud diamonds. I'm sure you realize why we need your help to restore the barricades." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@@Illiad Easle

 

It was almost as if Knee Slapper had been a victim of Discord; the color just seemed to drain out of his face, and his irises contracted into tiny dots.  Not to mention the ripple of abject terror that momentarily rolled off of Slapper before he corralled it in again.

 

"The... Cloud... Diamonds?"  His voice was barely a squeak.

 

"Yeah," Dax seemed oblivious to Slapper's expression; he was looking around for Taps again, "there's a big deposit down in the deep mines.  Father told Illiad we need to put the barricades back up, to keep ponies out."

 

Slapper's expression said that he wasn't so worried about keeping things OUT...

 

"Geez, where is Taps?  Normally, she's pretty easy to find when she wants to be... maybe she just doesn't wanna be found right now?  I hope you're not too upset - we can keep looking, if it's that urgent?"

 

"Dax, uhm... look, why don't we go ahead and go back to the deep mines?  Would ya show me where these barricades are... so we can put 'em back?"

 

Dax waved a hoof at them both.  "Sure, sure... if Illiad's letter can wait.  Can it?"

 

The look on Slapper's muzzle said it probably could.