Welcome back to the Latest Thread of Occupied Equestria
Onyx, Spark and Brie settle down for the night in a cabin in the woods along with a set of recently rescued ponies, saved from Changeling cocoons, as well as the changelings who sought to take them captive, who are themselves locked away as captives.
In Baltimare, Silver, Dark Star, Iron, and now Midnight Lily do their last preparations before seeking to take on a creature smuggling operation in a port-side neighborhood
2477 replies and 191 files omitted.
>>113568Midnight never responded to the last post, so there is no action declared
>>113571Fine...
>>113522She backs away a few feet
"What do you want?"
>>113573He shakes his head.
"Go help your griffon friend."
>>113574>>113576She looks at them, terrified. She pauses for more then a moment. Then she rushes into the dining area towards the griffin
>>113575*Continues petting the old, adorable pony* >>113576>>113577"That is definitely going to stir up some trouble," he whispers to Midnight.
He hustles back to the spot where he got the cart from.
>>113579>>113581Are they intending to go to the stairwell down to the laundry room in the basement?
>>113580*rubs the back of the pony's head and his neck* >>113582Yes, and from there to leave through the half-opened door they both snuck themselves through.
>>113585>>113584Dun worre...
We going back once we secured the evidence.
>>113586>>113585Okay...
They go back through the door into the room in the basement accompanying the laundry room, then back through the laundry room into the maintenance corridor into the loading bay, and back out through the covered area
>>113588So did we get out through the half opened big door?
I can try a strength check to open it further.
>>113590Is he towing that cart? With that he needs a strength check
>>113592>Nat20Ah, I see he's showing off for the lady.
>>113592And the door is shifted straight up, like a garage door
>>113593Oh God
\r
>>113593>>113594Insert Vietnam Flashbacks HereAnd with that, he goes out and plans to hide it in the tallest of tall grass.
>>113595That would be an easier task if he were in a savannah or prairie, and not one of the most densely populated square miles of land in the biggest city in the entire southeastern region of Equestria.
There are some areas in the surrounding ground that offer some room to try to hid things, for instance, a ditch that goes through the property, and a few bushes, but the lack of leaves on trees does Iron no favors, and certainly there is no ground to hide an entire laundry cart
>>113596*Continues petting*Wait.... am I a pony now? >>113597>>113593Yes, you are. We're all ponies now.Iron considers his options.
(Crud. Perhaps it's time I rid myself of this cart thing.)
He looks at Midnight.
"Take out the clothing in the cart and place it in the bushes. We should have time before they come here again."
He unlatches himself from the cart and proceeds to do what he said.
>>113598"Alright, make sure we keep an eye out."
She proceeds to remove some of the clothes and place them under some bushes.
>>113600>>113598A cold breeze blows, and a cloud temporarily obscures the moon
>>113599Screams Can I be a pony?>>113601"What do we do when they come to us?"
>>113600>>113601>>113602As he finishes the whole unpacking thing,
Hopefully. He turns to Midnight.
"We should try to nab an important griffon in there to both create chaos and get some more information."
Confirmed?
>>113604"I could... Throw one of them into a major panic as well. That might help"
I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting Iron to be the one to quit responding
Tries to shake hooves off
>>113612Oh, you wanted me to respond to Midnight's most recent comment? Sure.
>>113606Iron nods.
"If it lasts for more than a week, sure."
>>113614"Heh.... More for about half a minute. Enough to get them to run and be scared..."
>>113616Iron shrugs then smiles.
"So we are going in, then. Alright."
>>113612I ask again. Is the clothes hiding done?
>>113618Is that what you wanted ‘confirmed’? Sure
>>113615Shudders >>113619>>113616Excellent.
Iron goes back into the building, waiting for Midnight.
"Get ready to kick griffon flank."
>>113620>>113618Midnight sighs
"Alright, let us do this."
>>113620>>113621Now where inside of the building do they go?
>>113622First back to the laundry room. We need impromptu zipties in the meantime.
>>113624This is smart, Midnight makes sure to keep an eye out.
>>113624>>113625They go back to the room. One of the machines has stopped, and the hallway continues on forward. The other room is still over to the left. There is no creature in sight
>>113627>>113625He picks 15 ordinary simple clothes up.
"All done. We should keep down here in case more of the guards are around. They should know where and who the most important ponies are."
>>113628>>113625Alright. Iron collects 15 shirts, and no Griffins seem to approach
>>113632>>113625Iron starts to hustle off up the ramp, standing next to the door.
He uses his auditory senses to see if he can detect clawsteps or otherwise any prolonged amount of noise.
[1d20 = 13]<Big Eared Horse Time. >>113633Iron cannot hear much beyond the noisy machines and thick stone walls. Iron hears no one approaching
>>113633Assistance with bat ears.
[1d20+5 = 21]>>113628"Alright, just tell me what you want me to do"
>>113634>>113625"Alright. I do not quite remember your capabilities but I do want them alive for questioning."
He opens the door slowly as if he were expecting an ambush on the other side.
"Moment of truth..."
Door is finally opened.
>>113635A soft whisper, and what could be movement of hooves it claws somewhere above them and further south/forward from the tunnel
>>113637>DoorI think I’ve described at least 8 different doors inside of this building
>>113640The one that was in the laundry room, going up a ramp to reach the first floor.
>>113643They go up the ramp, through the door to the main hallway, and... no creature is immediately recognized as being there
>>113637"That will not be a problem, I do not enjoy killing"
>>113640Her ears flick around a bit, but she stays silent as she follows Iron.
>>113645No creature is immediately visible down either hallway. Then again, there is no light in the hallway, so the darkness may obscure both the ponies and any creatures further down the hallway
>>113645>>113644Iron steadily walks along the corridor.
"We will check the dining room first, see if backup got here already."
He sees her ears flicker.
"Try to listen for any sort of movement."
>>113647"Alright, I will"
She follows, stopping to listen again as they get further down the hall
[1d20+5 = 19] >>113648Air coming out of vents. A distant whisper. No sounds of movement
>>113647Nothing encountered thus far
>>113649>>113648Iron stops at the dining room's door.
"Scout out the room with your ears and get ready. We might get into trouble here."
>>113650Midnight silently trots up to the door and presses her ear against it
[1d20+5 = 10] listen
>>113651Nothing besides the sound of air movement. Maybe what could be whispering
>>113651>>113652>>113653Iron nods, before opening the dining room's door.
>>113654>>113653The room is entirely empty. No creature is inside
>>113655"I knew I was right. Now, where do we go from here?"
She looks around the room a bit for anything interesting
>>113655>>113656"This confirms that word will spread if we do not do something."
Iron thinks, while doing the same.
"Heard any sounds of pony/griffon life around?"
>>113656A chalk board with times on it, another board with the names of meals - “salted herring,” “cornbread” - and a decorative steel sun hung up
>>113657>>113659"No, I think we are safe for now"
She messes with the sun a bit, seeing if there's anything suspicious about it.
>>113669Iron nods, looking at Midnight curiously as she mingles with the steel sun.
>>113669It’s polished steel, probably chrome plated or stainless, and slightly reflective. It has eight fairly straight “rays,” possibly arms or legs, that lean forward clockwise as they spread away from the small circular origin, and have little hooks on the end that point the opposite direction. Almost like like claws on legs, though they don’t seem to directly represent such. The decorative object is simply hung from a nail, and there is nothing behind it
>>113671"Hmph, I would have thought... Anyway, now what shall we do?"
>>113671>>113671>>113674>>113671"Find the enemy and question them."
Iron uses his inferior Earth Poner ears to search for any living beings.
[1d20 = 7]<Ear Radar >>113675Nothing immediately, at least not in the dining hall. The heating system is on though, he can at least hear that much
>>113677(Crud. We will have to do this the hard way.)
What doors does Iron have access to?
>>113678At the least, there is one at the end of the room, the one they came in, and another one a little down
>>113679Iron decides to open the one at the end of the room.
He uses his eyes to see if any droplets of blood can lead to the injured guard's direction.
[1d20 = 17]<What Spotting Skill You've Got There. >>113680No blood save for that generated by the confrontation. Midnight must have patched him well. The door at the far end leads into what has the appearance of a kitchen, with pots, and oven, sinks, and steel cabinets in the middle
>>113681Darn.He leaves the door open, going for the one that's a little down.
>>113682>>113681Midnight follows, trying a door that isn't the one Iron is opening.
>>113684Another booping target as appeared.
[1d20 = 1] >>113684HE LIVES!>>113687Mission Failed. You’ll get ‘em next time
>>113683Another door opens to a brick stairwell, lit by a single incandescent bulb
>>113687>>113688He takes out the flashlight, illuminating the room further in case of hidden enemies and taking point in case of an ambush.
>>113689No creature is immediately visible in the kitchen
>>113688She listens, trying to locate any creatures along the stairwell
[1d20+5 = 12] Built in bat radar
>>113690(It looks quite ominous.)
Iron ventures a bit forth.
>>113692Inside the kitchen, a pot remains uncleared, if empty, with little bits of red and brown substance on the edges. The oven is off, but has a smell to it of recently cooked grain items. A couple bits of food materials are still out, most notably the outer parts of an onion. There are some knives - mostly placed away - a kitten on a table, and some other items from what seems to be recent cooking. A sink has several pots and pans in it, and there is a large stack of dishes at least five high
>>113691No sounds on the stairwell itself. Possible whispers, somewhere. Less airflow here too
\r
>>113694She decides that it is no threat and moves on to another door.
>>113693>>113691"Somepony seems to have cooked here."
Iron seems a bit amazed at how many dishes have been used.
"Seems there is quite a lot of ponies eating here. I wonder if the 'workers' were included."
He walks around a bit, remembering Cauldron's cooking.
(Is this what she has to deal with at the end of the day?)
>>113695Well... the only other two doors are the door they entered through, and the door to the kitchen, which Iron went through
>>113696Looks like the dishes used to eat with were cleaned, but some of the pots sit idle
>>113698Ah, I thought there were more doors.
Midnight trots up to Iron
"I found a new staircase, and I do not think that any griffins are there"
>>113698>>113699Iron, gawking at the amount of plates, shakes his head frantically and looks at Midnight.
"Alright. I will take point."
With that, he exits the kitchen to the door with the staircase.
>>113700Brick staircase, with iron stairs painted black and an incandescent bulb that gives off a light that’s maybe a bit too yellow. It goes both up and down
>>113701>>113699(Choice... Where would I store slave workers in my buildings when I do not want them found?)
Nodding to himself he goes as down as possible through the staircase.