In Changelingia (West Equestria), Brie gains the support of a Changeling queen for his endeavors. Spark is doing his best to help an ill Wolf spiritual leader.
In Free Equestria (East Equestria), Iron is trying to intimidate a group of criminal griffin interlopers. Fantasy Play is helping to shut down an Anarchist press. Silver is helping his new household. Amber Sunset is walking through the city, and Dark Star has just finished helping the orphans.
2365 replies and 51 files omitted.
>>138406"I'm not sure. It depends on how the city and the owner want to approach the site, really. Could be a couple days. Might be longer."
>>138407He maintains the hug, but pulls back just enough to smile at her.
"Then I should be able to see you again before you leave. We should still share addresses, however. That way you can let me know when you are certain of when you are leaving. I would like to see you off, at least."
>>138408"Alright." She smiles
The taxi arrives at its destination.
>>138409Silver pays the taxi driver, and exits the taxi.
>>138411The two little ponies are positioned again outside of the motel, about near the entrance.
Pear looks down and away.
“I... should say” she paws at the asphalt parking lot. “I’m.... sorry for being kind of dismissive of your advances earlier. And uh... and for calling you a ‘gangster.’ You’ve been a tremendous help tonight and I... think you’re a nice pony.”
>>138414He smiles at Pear, and bows his head at her.
"It is forgiven. And thank you. Sorry about how unabashedly forward I was."
>>138415"Uh, that's alright"
She has kind of an awkward smile
>>138418"I suppose this is where we leave each other for tonight...it was great being with you, Ms. Pear!"
Silver smiles, and suddenly jumps up.
"Right, my address!"
He gives her the address to his house.
>>138419"Oh, nice." She takes the note, opens her pack, and places it in. She takes a moment or longer to look inside her pack and inspect its contents, to make sure she has everything she thinks she has, or perhaps just to linger on its contents. Then she places it inside, and turns back to Silver.
"It was... nice being with you!" She smiles in a weird sort sort of way, and turns back to the motel complex. "I guess you know where to find me..."
>>138420"I hope I can see you again soon!"
He waves to her, regardless of whether she can see him do so or not.
>>138421She gives a quick wave back, as if uncertain in her situation, and then looks back down to her pack
>>138422Silver looks at Pear, and tilts his head slightly.
"Is something bothering you?"
>>138423"Uh... No, I'm fine." She has the same semi awkward smile
>>138426“Um... Have a nice evening!”
>>138427"Alright...have good night, Pear!"
Is the taxi still there?
>>138428Given the limited amount of time, it should be
>>138429In that case, he gets back in, and requests the driver heads to the nearest liqour store.
>>138430In the darkness it’s harder to see what lies outside. There are not so many street lights, nor headlights of vehicles, nor lights of stores in this area of north town, and indeed, the townhouses, apartment blocks, and combination shops and apartment buildings are scarce, replaced by stand alone shops, the outline of lonely mill, single family houses, grass fields, and empty dirt lots that a month ago likely contained trees for hearthswarming. The first store the taxi goes to is closed, so they go to another location, where Silver finds a store open at least until midnight.
>>138431Silver pays him for this trip, and requests he stays here for just a couple minutes. Once he's done that, he goes in to buy some bottles of wine for Jubilosa, and a bottle of whiskey for himself.
>>138432Simple enough, but the wine variety is fairly basic. Nothing from the Western Equestrian valleys, but Asterionese wind is available. Whiskey, however, is more to Silver’s taste.
>>138433Silver happily grabs a few bottles of the Asterionese wine, and a bottle of good whiskey.
>>138434And thus Silver has it for 30 bits
>>138435He buys them, gets back in the taxi outside, and ask the driver to drive him home.
>>138436Silver does so. The Taxi drives Silver further through the north edge of town, past large centuries old oak trees that are only dark, leafless silhouettes against the headlights, and great bunches of younger, but similarly leafless trees. After some time, the road comes slightly further south, into row houses, and into the road that forms the center of Cherry Hill’s seaside location. The lights become more numerous, and soon Silver sees sights he’s seen before.
The taxi arrives
>>138437Silver pays him one last time, leaves the taxi bottles in his magical grasp, and enters his home.
>>138438Silver opens the door to see a light on in the living room area, but none upstairs. Mala walks down the stairs shortly after Silver opens the door. He’s wearing a green sweater, and his mane is combed and cut in a short black manner. Most significantly, Mala seems to be wearing a pair of small, golden earrings that he was not before
>>138440Silver looks at the gnoll as he trots downstairs, and smiles.
"My, you look fancy, Mala! Where did you go while I was gone?"
>>138441“It was the split-toed one. Lua. She cut my mane and styled it. She also found jewelry for me upstairs.I haven’t been anywhere except to the sea and back. I went down the road once but turned away when I saw police. Lua wanted to do someone’s mane, and the Juby didn’t have enough hair, so she chose me instead.”
Mala’s mane is definitely shorter, and it stands straight up. He looks effeminate, but presentable.
>>138442"It looks great on you! I hope she can do something like that for me."
>>138443“She seems to like doing it. Mane care. She probably would. Mala smiles, and comes closer to Silver.”
>>138444He looks around at the room.
"So, where are others?"
>>138445“Juby is in the living room.. I think. Lua is either asleep or on the porch upstairs.”
>>138446"Thank you Mala. Care to join me in living room, then?"
>>138447Mala comes to Silver’s side, and walks with him into the living room. Jubilosa is staring at the television while lying partly on her side, with a firm look on her face
>>138448The unicorn initially smiles at Jubilosa when he sees her, but it quickly changes to one of concern when he sees her expression.
"Hello Jubilosa. Is something wrong?"
>>138450His smile returns instantly. He levitates one of the wine bottles he bought into view.
"Yes, and I brought presents, too!"
>>138451Her beak slowly opens, her eyes slowly widen and focus on the bottles as her face fills with an expression of pure joy
“Oh Silver!”
She jumps up and hugs the pony, also grabbing a bottle
>>138452He hugs his griffon back.
"What was with your expression earlier? Was something wrong?"
>>138453She tries to press her head into Silver’s fluff
“I don’t do so well when I am alone with my thoughts”
>>138454There's more than enough fluff for her to do so, and Silver doesn't stop her. In fact, the way he holds the back of her head encourages it. It smells just faintly of him after his busy day, and it's still warm inside from his body head despite being him being outside in the chilled air.
"I can understand that. I am here if you want to spend time together."
>>138455She opens a wing, and wraps it around him
“That’ll do... let’s have a glass or two”
>>138456He nods in agreement as he pulls out his bottle of whiskey.
"I hope you do not mind, but I also got something for myself."
>>138457She breaks away
“Uh, okay”
And she goes over to the bar area, pulling a glass and pouring into it. She turns to look back at Silver
>>138458Silver joins her. In the middle of getting a glass, he looks down at the bottle of whiskey he's got with him, and decides to put the bottle away. Instead, he pours a glass of the wine for himself.
"Heh...it may not be my favorite drink, but it will be worth it to drink with you."
>>138459She smiles, touches a part of the back of her head, and sits down at the table, turning her body. She takes a drink of the wine.
>>138460Silver joins her at the table, and takes a drink of his own wine. He only grimaces for the briefest of moments before returning to smiling.
>>138461She looks out over on the water through the glass windows. There are quite a number of lights over the bay.
>>138462He looks out with her.
"Water looks very busy tonight."
He looks back at Mala.
"Care to join?"
>>138463Mala seems to have been sitting nearby, just barely on the living room side of the floor. Mala moves over quickly, pulling out a chair, and sitting on the opposite side of Silver and Jubilosa
>>138464Silver smiles, and looks at Jubilosa.
"Remind you of Sicameon?"
>>138465“Not really” she says. “More lights here. More of a bend in the bay. You can’t see land from the sea front in Midora.”
>>138466Silver nods, and continues looking out the window.
"Have you ever travelled by sea? Well, besides coming here, that is."
>>138467“No. I haven’t. I hadn’t seen the sea before going to Midora to work. My work sometimes involved shipping but... I never even saw the things. The ships, I mean.”
>>138468"Really? I thought Sicameon was land of ships, from what you told me."
>>138469“It’s known for that, yes. I just didn’t experience it. Not directly, anyways.”
>>138473He smiles, and decides to change subject.
"So, I know what Mala and Khoi did while I was gone. What about you?"
>>138474“I talked to Khoi for a while. And read magazines. And watched the television.”
>>138475"Sounds like fun. I heard Khoi did not get chance to style your mane."
>>138476“Well I don’t really... have a mane”
>>138477Silver tilts his head at her.
"So what would you call it? Crest? Plummage?"
>>138478“‘Crest’ would be the closest” she answers
>>138479"Hmm. I should really learn this kind of stuff..."
He scratches his chin for a few moments, before looking at Jubilosa.
"Well, perhaps we should go to spa sometime, you and me."
>>138480She looks up at Silver with expanded eyes
“There’s a spa?!”
>>138481He smiles and nods.
"I have heard as much, but I am unsure exactly where it is at. We should go sometime, get you all pampered up."
>>138482“That would be great!” She answers
>>138483He smiles back.
"You sound rather excited about that idea."
>>138484“It seems like it would be nice. Well... it’s something I haven’t ever done before.”
>>138485He smiles even wider after taking another drink of his wine.
"That is great! It would be our first time together!"
>>138490She takes another drink
“There are some good things in this city after all”
>>138491His smiles is dulled by this statement.
"I have also noticed that this city seems rotten, but yes there is some good to be found in it as well. After all, I found all of you, did I not?"
>>138492“Heh. You did.” She moves in, and rubs her beak against his muzzle.
>>138493He rubs his muzzle back against her beak, letting a soft, happy whinny escape his throat.
>>138494She rubs more, then rubs the side of her head against his muzzle, and his head. This is better, as her beak is hard, slick, and almost cold, but the feathers on her head are short, mostly soft and warm.
>>138495His smile returns to full force. The mutual rubbing continues for a few more seconds before Silver lets out a yawn.
>>138496“Did you have a long day?” She asks
>>138497He pulls back, and nods. His eyes look tired.
"Yes. It was busy, even though I felt like I did so little."
>>138498She pulls her beak forward in a gesture resembling a frown.
“Well that’s not good.” She blinks, and turns her head over towards the water.
“So long as what you did do, was good, then you can say you did good.”
>>138499Silver is silent for a moment, as he looks out the window.
"Yes...I think I did do some good today."
>>138500“You have done better than many, then” she says with a reassuring tone
>>138501He looks at her, and smiles brightly.
"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you are here with me?"
>>138502She gives him a mischievous smile, turns to him and says
"No. I don't think you have."
Sipping her wine thereafter
>>138504Hello. Time to begin Amber’s night?
>>138506De Sew is the most senior of the waitresses, her section includes,
four combination booth and tables (seats 4)
3 regular tables (seats 4)
Melon Mangrove is less experienced, and approximately in the middle. She is assigned the tables on the opposite side of the bar. She has
five booths (seats 4)
four high tables (seats 2)
Mustard Trim is the least experienced. He has what remains, which is:
Six tables in the front section (seats 4; note that it is understood that if tables are combined, this section is the most suited for it)
Two tables of two (seats 2; section is located on the other side of the bar. The "exclave")
The bar is operated by Salt Mixer, and could seat probably about 12
>>138506>>138507Amber begins today at 5:00 PM. Seating ends at around 9:30. The restaurant is open until around 10 PM on weekdays under current wartime practices.
>>138508Amber takes her place at the front of the establishment.
>>138509The first evident customers appear almost immediately afterwards: a white Pegasus stallion and a cream colored Pegasus mare, both fairly young
>>138511The stallion smiles and faces Amber as if to speak, but the mare speaks first
"Two" she says
>>138512"Right this way," she says, taking them to a high table manned (ponied?) by Melon Mangrove. This isn't an establishment that uses a reservation system, evidently.
>>138513No reservations. It ain't that fancy.
They take their seats.
Shortly there after, an earth pony mare with two foals (one of whom is yearling) enters
>>138515She smiles at Amber, looking up from her youngest child.
"Four. Hopefully" she says, and looking back at her yearling
"Don't pick that up." Then she moves to take hold of her slightly older foal before she runs off.
>>138516"Of course! Your table is over here." She leads them to a booth in De Sew's section, reasoning that foals might be a little difficult so it's best to let the most experienced waiter handle this.