private Road to Retribution (with Raven Rawne)

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

"A date? Well, I haven't thought about it that way, but, sure, let it be our first date" - he haven't thought that Harley would think of it like that, but it's not like he would complain. There wasn't a single thing he didn't like in her so far, so why not? 

 

"Soo... once we make ourselves presentable, what's the best restaurant in Appleloosa?" - a genuine smile appeared on his features as he looked at the mare.

 

He had three hundred fifty three bits in his wallet.  Company money for fuel, food and rooms. He may have lost everything along with the truck,  but if there's one certainty in this world, it's that a griffon never leaves his money.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

 "I know just the spot, they serve up a buffet style of breakfast all freshly cooked" she says and smiles at him with a slight blush "also, I doubt the sheriff will berate you too much, he won't want to risk the one good law enforcer they have" she chuckles "also, my room is your room, so make yourself at home when we get there" she says. 

 

She smiles brightly at him "We won't be able to set off tracking the truck straight away though, we need to make a plan as to how we're going to go about it, I have a few contacts in town who may know something as well, so gathering intel is a good thing too"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

"Sounds good, and I'm hungry already... that place sounds well indeed." - if his friends saw him now all smiling,  they would say he's shellshocked or got replaced by a changeling.  He rarely seemed so content,  despite the circumstances.

 

After listening to what Harley had to say, Garreth thought for a moment, then answered: "I guess you're right. There's no point taking leisurely strolls all over Equestria in hope we stumble on it. Besides, it's the cargo that matters most and we don't know what that was. Once our friendly law enforcement spits out what they were so anxiously expecting, we'll know if the goods could stay in the area or got sold, for example.  Although judging from the crate size and the recipient, I have a feeling they'll keep it..."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

She nods and smiles at him, she then tilts her head rather adorably as she flicks an ear "Something on your mind sweetheart? You're smiling, like..really smiling, despite the circumstances" she asks swishing her tail somewhat, it wasn't that she disliked him smiling, in fact, it helped her warm up to him even more, it was jsut odd, after seeing how demure he was the day before and most of the morning, h was now genuinely smiling. 

 

She then shakes her head "If it's things like weapons and ammunition, then they'd keep it, same with food items, otherwise who knows, the sheriff may not be corrupt but he does have odd and eccentric tastes"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Was he really looking so cheerful? Well, things might have been horribly wrong since yesterday, but Garreth had enough time to process what happened and, in a way, accept the reality, so it was no longer weighing him down like an anchor. On the upside,  he wasn't alone in this mess. Not only did Harley agree to help, but she also treated him very well, flirtatious even. The date just kind of sealed the deal for him that things indeed were looking up.

 

"Why, I'm just happy I met you. The fact that we're close to town, and by extent warm meal in good company and a shower with hot water doesn't hurt either. Although I should inform you that, unfortunately, I left my tuxedo at home. Would it be acceptable if I showed up on our first in my cleaned up uniform? - the last sentence was obviously tongue in cheek, given the circumstances.

 

Now back to business: "Well, I was present when they loaded stuff up in our HQ. Had to be to close the door and have it sealed. So I saw some long and narrow crates, some rectangle ones and two really big and heavy ones. I kinda thought it could be guns and ammo, but if it's true, then you could arm the town with that haul.  Let's just hope I'm wrong..."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

She smiles and nods "Well that is a good point there, and sure, we can always go on a more formal date later on" she says as she then almost has a skip to her step when they reach the outskirts of town. "Well here we are, my room is the penthouse like one above the bar" she says as she begins leading the way towards the bar.

"The owner is a friend of mine from way back, so I get some special treatment from her" she says.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Garreth looked up at the penthouse. It must've cost like, a hundred bits per night. Or  so it would back home. Following the mare towards her room, he looked around to take in as much as possible.  Wooden architecture, very... rustic in appearance but not tasteless. A wide main road and narrow passages further in, all unpaved. It seemed the decks by the buildings doubled as sidewalks - a clever idea. All in all, things looked pretty normal. Some ponies who noticed the pair tried not to look like they're staring, but for naught. The trained eye of a guard noticed.

 

Harley quickened her pace,  and Garreth had to step up his game too on the last lap before the finish. He had to balance with his wings and tail not to drop the loot, but they reached the place without mishaps. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

She smiles and nods as she opens the door to reveal the penthouse suite, "home sweet home, well home for now" she says as she goes and flops down on the large love heart shaped velvet bed and sighs "ah, so comfortable" she churrs as she rolls around a little like a kitten or puppy, then giggles "I've got to decide on what I want to wear, so why don't you go have the shower first, first door on the left" she says, pointing in its direction before getting up and walking towards her wardrobe.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

They went inside the penthouse.  Harley went straight to a giant bed, while Garreth carefully put down his stuff, mindful not to scratch the floor.  He looked up at her to hear better what she said.

 

"Alright, I'll try to be quick. You got some extra towels right? Once I'm finished with myself I'll try to clean up those clothes a bit... We don't have time to wash and sundry it all.  A bit of bandage or any clean cloth would be nice too."

Edited October 9, 2016 by Raven Rawne

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

"There should be some extra towels in the linen closet next to the bathroom and a first aid kit in the vanity inside the bathroom" she says as she takes out a lovely gown, it was crimson red with a light violet outline "What do you think? too formal?" she asks as she holds it up to her body so that he could take a look,

 

She smiles at him then as she puts her dress down, she runs and tacklehugs him, nuzzling him "Garreth, I know we just met yesterday, but..you help me to feel like..like I'm not just some meat to drool over or take advantage of, you help me feel..like I..like I deserve love, like I deserve to be happy" she kisses his cheek before getting up and blushing "S-sorry, I just..kind of lost control" 

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Closet, vanity, got it. Garreth was about to turn and get into the bathroom when Harley asked him about the gown. 

 

"It's perfect. " - he said and nodded his approval. What a shame he didn't have any clothes to change. She deserved better.

 

What happened next was unexpected, but not unpleasant. Far from it, actually. Still, Gareth was never very adept at these kind of things.

 

"You're welcome?" - he said, surprised at the sudden display of affection. Seeing her slightly embarrassed at her own actions, he gently took her hands, and said looking in her eyes: "It's okay, really. I may be a liiiittle less affectionate, but I appreciate what you're doing for me, and I am really glad we met. Circumstances be damned. There's no need to be embarrassed. Now if you excuse me, I have a date to get ready to." - he smiled, let go of the mare's hands and retreated to the bathroom with some extra towels.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

She smiles and blushes more as he holds her hands, "I.." she looks down "Thank you Garreth" she says as she hugs him once more and then lets him go to the bathroom. She couldn't help but admire his looks, shakes her head then smirks a little as she quickly knocks on the bathroom door "Garreth? I'm just gonna run an errand, I won't be too long, alright?" she asks, after hearing nothing, she writes a note to him and leaves it on the bed before she rushes down to the clothing store.

 

A few minutes later, she comes back with a smile and waits for her turn on the bathroom, it would seem Garreth was still in the shower, so she throws away the note and just waits.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Doors closed, supplies gathered,  let's get cleaned up. The bathroom looked really decent, even stylish. Garreth immediately located the vanity above the sink and checked for the kit. Satisfied with finding it there,  he was ready to proceed. He removed his boots and looked them over - still in good shape,  just dirty. Same with breeches. He already knew about the hole in his right sleeve but found no other tears or holes. Just stains. He neatly folded his clothes and got into the shower. He thought he heard knocking but he wasn't sure. If Harley needs something she'll knock again and this time Garreth will be sure. It took a bit to clean thoroughly, especially remove all the dirt from his wings. The griffon noticed with relief that his wound didn't seem infected. Once the shower was over, he toweled his fur dry and put on a fresh one for some cover. He also quickly found the blowdryer and dried his feathers, first the head, then wings. The latter seemed to take ages as usual. He would need to preen them later... Time to bandage the arm. After a few minutes he was finally ready. One last thing - Garreth cleaned up the shower and anything that seemed to get dirtied, then took his folded clothes and, clad in a towel, left the bathroom.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

After seeing him et the bathroom, she brushes against him and kisses his cheek "My turn" she says before kissing him one more time and then skipping away to the bathroom. She instantly turns on the hot water and gets in, regardless of whether it was boiling or not. 

 

Soon after, there was a knock on the door "Delivery for mr Garreth" came a mare's voice.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Now that Harley took her turn, Garreth proceeded with improving the state of his wardrobe. He disassembled the belts and holsters and put them in one place, together with his boots. All that black leather will need some care to get all shiny again. Then he directed his attention towards textiles, removing everything from the pockets, undoing buttons and the like. He was about to take his clothes to the kitchen and soak the mud stains when somepony knocked on the door. 

 

Harley didn't say anything about visitors... Gareth grabbed his Mauser pistol, checked if it's loaded and went to the door. He opened them slightly and peered outside,  revealing only his head.

 

"Yes, how may I help you?" - he said to the older mare who was standing before him.

 

"Good morning sir, my name is Jacquard Shrug and I am a tailor. Miss Wheels asked me to expand your wardrobe. May I come in?"

 

She didn't raise any suspicion, and Harley did knock to announce something,  so he took her in. "Of course, please. I apologise for my... incomplete attire. I wasn't expecting guests. If you excuse me for a moment, I'll put something on and get tid of that gadget."

 

The tailor came inside and looked around the penthouse. She was an earth pony in her fifties,  or so it seemed, and she was dressed in distinctively Appleloosan fashion, albeit she did look very elegant.  As she looked over the interior, Gareth put away the Mauser, grabbed his underwear and breeches and disappeared in an adjacent room, only to emerge a moment later, dressed a bit more. He began: "I am afraid that my current wardrobe consists on just one badly stained uniform, so any and all additions would be appreciated... And paid for,  of course."

 

The mare nodded, completely unfazed by the collection of weapons laying casually all over the place. - "I see. I'd like to take your measurements and discuss your needs, then I'll get back to my shop and see what I have, or can adjust quickly. Could you stand here and spread your arms?" - The tailor fished out a measuring tape, a small notebook and pencil. After taking a measure she would write it down,  all the while asking questions regarding the griffon's preferences and needs.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Harley smiles as she begins to dry her fur off and then slips into a clean top and jeans as she leaves the shower. She then sees her friend "ah miss Shrug, good to see you got my message, oh do you think you could possibly do a few adjustments to my dress please? I think I may have grown a little since I last wore it" she asks and sits on the edge of the bed, admiring the sight of Garreth getting his measurements taken before having hers taken.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

Both Jacquard Shrug and Garreth looked back at Harley when she came out.

 

"Hello dear, a pleasure as always. I'll get to you as soon as I finish here. Now sir, what are you looking for in your attire?" - she asked while performing her measurements. 

 

"Normally I'd say style, but I plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, so I guess comfort and durability. Ease of cleaning would be a premium..."

 

"Hmm, that shouldn't be a problem. Most of my customers have similar demands. I'm afraid I won't have any boots for you though. Would it be much of a problem? "

 

"Not at all miss Shrug, mine are in very good shape.  Same with belts and holsters, I'll need to carry a firearm most of the time. "

 

"I'll take it into consideration. One last measurement and... done. Meet me at my shop in about 2 hours, I'll prepare something. Now miss Wheels, your turn."

Edited October 10, 2016 by Raven Rawne

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Harley smiles and gets up "a pleasure as well miss Shrug" she says as she stands in the spot that miss Shrug asked her to stand in "It's been a while, how has business been treating you? I mean with all the raids that's been happening lately and all" she says as she flicks her ear somewhat cutely "oh and if you've seen him lately, what is the Sheriff's mood like right now? We kind of have some bad news for him"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@

 

"Well, everypony is trying to act normally, but we're getting fewer visitors, ponies from nearby settlements and farms are reluctant to travel the roads and such. It's huring business all over the town, and I see the shift towards repairing and adjusting, rather than buying new clothes. Luckily for your companion, I have surplus from unsold clothes, otherwise I wouldn't be able to help at such short notice."

 

Garreth took his clothes and went to the kitchen in order to wash out the stains.

 

"Old sheriff Peacemaker? Well he's doing okay. Bought a new suit just the other day in fact. I tell you dearie, he may be old, but he's still in charge here all right. I just hope he was so efficient with solving our brigand problem as he is with shutting down brawls in the Saloon... But I digress. As far as I know he looked just fine, so I guess you're in luck. You know how he handles bad news."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Harley nods "Wonderful, well I'm sure he'd be too busy staring at my chest  to really be angry at us, and we are trying to get the things back" she says then looks to Garreth "Though I have a feeling my boyfriend here will be a bit possessive of me" she chuckles and finishes letting miss Shrug take her measurements "We'll be at your shop in two hours, that'll give us enough time to settle things with the Sheriff and for me to get all my things out of the gunsmith and my bike from the bike shop"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@,

 

Jacquard Shrug gave Harley a curious look. She saw that gentleman for the first time, and miss Wheels just called him her boyfriend. Youth these days, living so fast...

 

"It sounds like quite a to-do list, dearie. Just remember that you don't have bo at my doorstep at two hours sharp, alright? It's not like you'll miss an appointment..." - she sighed gently. Hopefully the business will improve, and rather sooner than later.

 

"And I'm done. You were right, it would be a little bit too small. Although it looks like I won't have to make aby big changes... these seams have some fabric to give if I realign them, for instance. Hmm, I think there is a chance I'll get it done when you two come by at my shop, but no promises. I still have to figure out those wing holes you know, it's not something I sew every day. So, would you like to give it to me now?"

 

Meanwile, Garreth was finishing his excuse of a wash in another part of the penthouse. Some stains refused to go away, especially the red droplets on his sleeve and some green marks on knees and elbows, but there was a measure of improvement to his clothes overall look. At least once the dark, wet patches would dry.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

"I know darling, but Garreth is taking me out on a date, and I'd like to get it done before it gets too late, you know my feelings about the town when it's late" Harley says before waving goodbye to Jacquard and sighing softly as she fishes out her short dress and slips into it, she then waits for Garreth to finish whatever it was he was doing.

 

A little while later, she goes to where she thinks he is "Garreth, you almost ready? We should get to the sheriff's office and the shops before too late" she asks gently.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@,

 

Jacquard raised an eyebrow upon mentioning the date: "Oh, I see. Then I'll do my best to finish it before you arrive, although I guess it wouldn't hurt if you make it a little bit later than we originally planned. Since you seem to have a full timetable, don't rush through it and just come when you finish, alright?"

 

Once that was taken care of, the older mare packed her notes and took Harley's dress for adjustments, then said her farewell and went to her shop.

 

 

 

A little while later, she goes to where she thinks he is "Garreth, you almost ready? We should get to the sheriff's office and the shops before too late" she asks gently.

 

"I'm here, nearly ready and, well, somewhat presentable. Like, almost." - The griffon emerged, fully dressed save for the boots and main belt. "I wish I had more time, but that's the best I could do for now" - he pointed at the moist spots where the stains have been, then put on his boots. He then proceeded to grab his main belt, but hesitated.

 

"Do I need to have a gun all the time? Before we departed, I was advised to have it at all times, especially when visiting bars..."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,569]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Harley smils "you look fine for what needs to be done dear" she says as she slips into her boots and smiles at him "i'd say carry a concealed handgun, if you make a show of it, then ponies will automatically seek to fight you, not exactly something we want, is it?" she asks with a chuckle as she straps on a concealed shoulder holster that held her own handgun. 

 

"well, I'm ready to go when you are" she says with a smile and stands up, holding out her arm to him.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Roxy Sparx

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@,

 

"Hmm, makes sense. Although even unarmed I must look like a trophy to some. No matter, I'll just... put the clips in this pocket... and stuff the Mauser in the inside pocket. Not the quickest draw with all the buttons done, but it'll do." - after some adjustments and removing the holster and pouches from the main belt, Garreth was ready to go.

 

 

 

"well, I'm ready to go when you are" she says with a smile and stands up, holding out her arm to him.

 

He took her arm and said: "Just so you know, you look great. Let's go then! Which part of this town shall first be graced with our presence?"