>>103210
Silver stays largely quiet while he lets him cry it out. He occasionally tells him that it's okay, or he strokes his mane or pats his head or back. Mostly, for even as fluffy as Silver is, he stays strong for the poor colt so he has something to lean on, support himself, and keep himself grounded.

>>103211
White orchid leans against him, silently, slowly soaking Silver's fur

>>103214
It's been a while since he's had to do this bit of fatherly duty, but he happily takes up the mantle for the colt who needs him. He has as much time as he needs for White Orchid.

>>103215
It's a good thing there are no ponies in Baltimare that would want to kidnap or hurt Mint Marine, because that foal is still unattended

>>103215
"You kind of remind me of my grandfather..."

>>103219
"Oh? And what was he like?"

>>103220
"Old... always happy and kind... missing a lower leg, I never knew why. he gave me gummy candies"

>>103221
Silver chuckles. "Well, I can only hope to strive to be like him. Minus missing leg, that is." He wiggles his legs a little.

>>103223
he looks up at Silver with big, happier, but still tear filled eyes, with an expression only a child could give. It seems to be saying "buy me gummy candies"

>>103224
Silver responds with an smiling expression only an old father/grandfather can give. It seems to say "I will later".

"I am sorry about what I said before, but there is more practical reason to go and find Mint Marine; it is not good idea to leave colt unattended in public place, no matter circumstances."

>>103225
"Okay..."
He follows Silver, and briefly looks back to the vulpine enclosure

>>103226
Silver waits for him, while considering what White Orchid said to him. "...White Orchid? What would you say to spending some more time together tomorrow, just you and me?"

>>103227
"We could do that. Maybe"

>>103228
Silver chuckles some more. "Well, my day is open tomorrow, unless something suddenly comes up. If and when you want to spend time together, I would be more than happy to."

>>103229
He smiles and wags his tail

>>103230
It's always nice to see a smile on his face. He starts trotting slowly towards where he last saw Mint Marine, motioning for White Orchid to follow. "Thankfully, I only have little bit of work to do after we part ways, then I will be finished with work for while if I so chose. I just have to dispatch some zombie-ponies from catacombs near outskirts of city."

>>103231
"Zombie ponies?"

Mint Marine is actually in precisely the position he was left 4 or 5 minutes ago, staring at the Winterchillas

>>103232
"Ghasts, really." He rubs the back of his neck with a foreleg upon realizing that it's probably inappropriate to tell him this if he doesn't have any idea that the undead exist. Still, he's committed now. "Soulless corpses of ponies that have been resurrected by dark magic and necromancy. Catacombs they are located in is connected to quarry some company is working on filling in, so I was hired to put them to rest so they can not hurt workers, or anypony else for that matter."

He turns to Mint Marine as he approaches. "Are you doing okay, Mint?"

>>103233
White Orchid's eyes go wide
"What do you do?"

Mint Marine:
"Huh? Oh. Yes. I am okay"
he looks at Silver, but turns back at a single winterchilla that slowly walks across a mulch covered bottom of the cage/covered-enclosure

>>103234
He nods at Mint, and gives Orchid a bit of a confused look. "Hmm? What do you mean? What I do for living?"

>>103235
"Yes"

>>103236
"Like I said before, I am soldier of sorts..." He sighs. "...I am mercenary. It is what I use to describe my job, even if it has little bit of dirty connotation. Ponies hire me to fight for them or protect them when they can not fight for or protect themselves. I also sometimes am hired to fetch or gather something for ponies, or to send messages through areas that are too dangerous for others."

>>103237
Fetch quests as a job
White Orchid subtlety nods, and looks uncertain about how to feel about what he’s heard, or if he even understands what Silver told him

>>103238
I.E.: Every Bethesda RPG ever.
"It was not my first choice of career. Still, it pays bills, sometimes I make difference in world, and it is how I met my wife, long ago." He looks into the winterchilla enclosure, curious about this type of animal.

>>103239
Silver may have to describe how he met his wife

It's a small, fuzzy little creature with six limbs, giant ears, a fuzzy tail, and little rodent teeth. Kind of cute. During the day time, anyways. They dash about in the cage. Mint Marine particularly seems to be focusing on one that remains mostly in place, and does not interact with the others

>>103240
What strange creatures. Seems like Mint has found one that acts remarkably like him.

Silver gives him a slightly abridged version. "I met her...what was it, 44 years ago? She was leader of group of brigands that were terrorizing roads and caravans. When I had fought through to center of their camp, I found her there, demanding one-on-one duel with me. We fought for what seemed like hours until our bones felt as if they were going to break and we could barely move our muscles. It was this beautiful dance of death, and we gained respect from each other for it. In end, though, I was victorious, and so I took her captive, to bring her back for reward. Over journey we got to know each other better, started to fall for each other. By time we had almost arrived, we were in love. And so, I released her, and she stayed with me, our hearts belonging to each from then onwards."

He lets out a sigh. "She was...beautiful. In more ways than just her beauty on outside. She was like hurricane: fierce, untamed, furious...but, once you got to her eye, she was calm, serene, peaceful, kind, loyal, strong. She was sweet on those ponies she cared about, and protected them from dangers to best of her abilities. She knew what it was like out there in world, how harsh it could be, but she never let it get her down. She could brighten your day simply by being in her presence. I loved her. I truly did" He looks down, sadly. "She...is in better place, now. Has been for while. I still miss her, every day, but...I am glad I got to know pony like her, and got to father three foals of my own, thanks to her. She helped to make this fool pony's life worthwhile."

Pet

>>103244
*is interested*

>>103245
*Pet bug with hoof*

>>103245
*pats the cute bug hors*

>>103247
>>103246
“Cthtitititi”

>>103241
White Orchid tilts his head
“You... married a bandit?”

>>103250
He seems a little amused by the question. "I suppose that is one way to put it, yes."

>>103252
Mint Marine looks over, and comments
“She sounds lovely”

>>103253
Silver smiles at Mint Marine, though it's bittersweet. "Thank you. She was indeed." He continues looking at the winterchillas. "Looks like you have found one you like."

>>103254
“I like looking at the animals... this one is by himself, even though he’s surrounded by the others”

>>103255
"Sort of like you?"

>>103256
“.... ....”

>>103258
"...Sorry. Just idle thoughts."

>>103259
He then says
“They are all in a cage, but only that one seems to know it”

>>103260
"Hmm? What makes you say that?"

>>103261
“The others play around as normal”

White Orchid interjects
“They don’t feel caged because they are with their friends”

>>103263
"Perhaps both have merit, in some way." He looks at the chilla in question. "I wonder how long he has been alone. Is this all he knows?"

>>103264
This question seems to intrigue them. White Orchid in particular responds with enlarged eyes
“Probably”

>>103265
"This life is incomplete without friends. It is something I know very well."

>>103266
Mint Marine:
“Why do you say that?”

>>103268
"This world, it can be cold, hard, and uncaring at times. Trying to weather it alone wears on you. It tears at your very being, as if trying to make you into its splitting image. But with friends, it is easy to withstand its influence. Friends care for you and about you, not out of sense of duty, or guilt, but because they are simply your friend, and because they know you would do same for them. They share some of same interests, laugh at some of same things, and even when they do not, they are always there to support you. They offer shoulder to cry on when you are feeling down, smile with you when you are feeling great. They console you are your lowest, and they celebrate with you at your highest. They are warm, friendly, caring. They are opposite of how this world can be. And together, you and your friends supporting each other, when you face against harshness of this world, you are stronger than you ever are alone. Together, you can withstand anything, overcome anything.

"We were never meant to be solitary creatures, and we were never meant to be alone in this world. Even in our earliest days, before civilization, we were together, in our herds, supporting each other to make survival that much easier. That has not changed, even after so long."

>>103269
Mint Marine looks up, and nods at Silver with big, purple eyes. He takes in the lesson

White Orchid also nods, though in reaffirmation. To him, it is well known dogma

>>103272
Silver looks at the exhibit. "Perhaps they all know already they are in cage: you would have to be very unobservant, or else, not to notice cage bars. But, because they have each other, they can pull through where this lone one is having trouble. Perhaps he will decide one day to look for friend, or another winterchilla will make attempt to become his, and he will be able to stay strong because of it."

>>103273
He nods, trying to understand this new point of view
"Maybe..."

>>103274
Not really

>>103277
Oh whoops. I didn't actually see it was
a) A gif
b) A gun pointing cat

Any message you've gotten might have been severely distroted by my carelessness.

>>103279
>>103281
Now we need the other two peeps.

>>103275
"I do wish best for him, no matter what path is right." He looks away from the enclosure, silently wishing for a friend for the lonely winterchilla. "I wonder what other creatures they have here. Maybe they have something from my homeland, like wolverines. Those were nuisances back home."

>>103283
“Ooh! You think they have wolverines?”

“What are wolverines, and why are they a nuisance?”

>>103285
"They are like badgers, except bigger, stronger, and more ferocious. Meaner, too, if that is even possible. Some can be as big as pony. They wander alone in forests of Severyana looking for their next meal. They are like to go into rage should their next meal try to fight back. Supposedly there are rarer, bigger versions called Dire Wolverines which can grow to 12 feet long, and weigh as much as 1 ton. Both versions make it very dangerous to go into forests alone, and sometimes one will wander too close to town or village. I do not know if they have any here on display, but it would be worth taking look. Might be they also have bears or Severyanan tigers."

>>103286
MM: “Oh dear...”

WO: “Neat! Let’s go see if they have any”

>>103287
Silver nods to White Orchid, and addresses Mint Marine. "You do not have to come along if you do not want to, but it would be appreciated to know where you will be so we can find you."

>>103288
>that happening
Wow, I can't believe Silver is fucking dead.

>>103289
“No, I can come along”

>>103290
Silver nods again, and thus sets off to look for if they have any wolverines among their more dangerous animals.

>>103291
I'm not even sure if Silver has a weapon on him.

>>103287
Sorry for my absence as of late. I,ve been in The Real world. And i've been less depressed latly as a result.
I just got home, and im very sleepy. I'll probably be on Saturday.

>>103293
Ey, that's cool.
Good on you, my edgeboi!

>>103293
It's good to see you're doing better, Starry boi.

>>103293
Okay....

>>103292
There are indeed wolverines in the mundane section. This is an enclosure that is fenced off and at a lower level, with plenty of rocks and plant life inside

>>103296
Silver looks down into the enclosure. "I definitely remember those. Very glad they are down there."

>>103298
A pair of the big clawed, brown animals are down there, wondering about their business.

White Orchid stares at them a moment, and Mint Marine tries to take in the sight of the animals

>>103299
I wonder what they do all day, with them being down there all time. Silver keeps an eye on the two colts to make sure they aren't going to suddenly fall into the enclosure.

>>103300
They don’t look like they are going to fall in. Yet.

“My grandfather used to tell me about Wolverines. I didn’t understand much, but they sounded impressive”

>>103302
That's a load of Silver's shoulders. For now.

"They very well can be. I got into fight with couple when I first left home to make it on my own. One of first major scars I ever got was from them." He looks over to White Orchid. "What did your grandfather do, by any chance?"

>>103303
“I think he was a farmer out in the Hayseed forests”

>>103304
"Seems pretty far south for wolverine encounters. Maybe he traveled in his younger years?"

>>103305
“I don’t know... the way my mother talked about him, maybe”

>>103306
Silver gives him a curious look, prying for more.

>>103300
“Well... she would remark about him hiding things in carts, and avoiding the Revenue men”

>>103308
"Tax evasion?" He considers it for a second before shrugging. "I can understand sentiment little bit."

>>103310
“I don’t... know. He would cook things”

>>103311
Although he's a little hesitant, he asks: "Like what?"

>>103312
“I Uh...”
He freezes

>>103314
"...You okay, little one?"