1560 replies and 7 files omitted.
>>140364“Uh, let’s find somewhere, then”
Roll search
>>140366“Uh...”
Not many location that look completely closed off to view
>>140367"Well... I guess we will have to make the most of it."
Spark starts to unload them.
>>140368The coffins are unloaded off the train, one by one. There is a cover the size of a bed sheet to help keep them out of view, but the sight of a coffin is enter to deter most of the curious
>>140369Spark looks for a cart that might be free to pull the coffins.
>>140370Spark is able to find something like a larger and stronger hotel luggage art, that seems to be made for moving baggage around within the train station.
>>140371That could work. Spark stacks the coffins on the cart.
>>140476The coffins are stacked. What do next?
>>140477I think push the cart out of the train station. I don't really know the layout.
>>140478This is quite a bit like rolling a shopping cart out of a grocery store parking lot, for a lot of the same reasons
>>140479Well, there is no way around that that I rolled to see.
>>140480The doctor
"Okay... we need to get those two out... but get the sick one there. I don't think he can walk far."
>>140481"Then we need to find somewhere to duck behind for a second to get them out. We might draw a few suspicious looks with wolves getting out of the coffins."
>>140482Spark, thus far, has found that the area behind the trains is not currently being used (it's another passenger platform with no train at the moment), and perhaps if the coach cars don't have ponies inside looking out, they would block the line of sight. Another option is to try to open them back inside of the baggage car, and see if the wolves themselves can be smuggled out.
A third option is to search the Train Station again
>>140483Spark tries the other platform.
>>140484The train station is composed of a number of white concrete island platforms, that connect by open stairways to a pathway above. Spark's train arrived on one of the further platforms. Anything occurring on the furthest platform will be visible to anyone inside of the coach cars who happens to be looking out the right window, and to certain people looking down from the walk way. But it's certainly possible no one would be watching. The sheet covering over the coffins can be used to help cover the line of sight.
Not feeling too great, but I'm ready to play
>>140486And the last post for Amber is
>>140356 >>140485Spark signals the wolves to get out with a few taps.
>>140488She gives a short, toothy smile with white teeth that look nice, but are subtly crooked.
"Oh don't worry about that, dear."
>>140489Does Spark try to let them out there
He won't know yet if anypony saw it. Or if anypony did, if they would try to report it.
>>140490The younger mare blinks in surprise.
"What do you mean?" >>140491"Oh don't worry." The mare looks up at High Sewn. "She knows who I am."
"Oh, well if she does then um..." Amber is definitely confused now.
>>140493Iron finds himself in the upper office of the boat company, with light from a lone window behind him, and staring at an overly fat brown griffin sitting behind a wooden desk that's been turned over on its side. White Sands stands close and just to the right of the griffin, staring at him.
>>140494She closes her lips and slightly narrows her eyes, smiling all the same.
"You're almost cute, so innocent and cheery." She starts to move back, then asks
"How would you like to make some more money?"
>>140495Amber immediately lightens up.
"Really? That would be wonderful! I need to get out of debt really badly." >>140496"
I can imagine. I'll send someone to you later, should you like."
"Thank you!" It's only after she shares her address that she asks, "What kind of work is it?"
>>140498She waves a hoof in the air
"He'll tell you. I have a
meeting to get to"
Her smile is one again more toothy, as she holds the dress higher with her magic
"Try to keep that cheeriness as long as you can. You'll miss it when it's gone."
She begins to walk away. Her tail is curled and styled.
>>140499"What did she mean?" She looks back at High Sewn.
>>140500High Sewn is silent, and keeps her eyes on the mare as she leaves. The mare walks surprisingly fast in heels, back through the door, and to the automobile, where the Diamond Dog opens the door
>>140495"You keep asking who I am working with," Iron prods, wondering what that's all about.
Probably just an adage that old ponies like to say.
Oh colt! Soon I'll be debt-free and I can send money back!
>>140502He holds his claws up, but tries to keep a smile
"When some one comes barging into your place of work during hours, wouldn't
you want to know?"
>>140504"Have I not said that I am from the Waterfront Gang?" Iron questioned further, trying to get into that little discrepancy's reason.
>>140503The possibilities are endlessThe car drives off, and Guy steps back towards the center of the store.
>>140505"Very well" he says, dropping the smile.
>>140506Despite the lack of breakfast or lunch Amber finds it hard to suppress her giddiness for the rest of her shift.
>>140506(Okay,) Iron breathed in his head (so that was what he was asking.)
"What other places do you know are ran by your bosses?" Iron questioned.
>>140507High Sewn doesn't match Amber. Then again, when has she? She goes outside, and Amber can see she's smoking. Guy resumes competing with Amber for who can talk to or help customers first.
>>140508"Like you don't know we are the strongest family run business in Manehattan? A third of the canneries, a quarter of all construction. Half of the garbage collection. And so many bars, nightclubs, and pizzerias. What don't we own?"
>>140509If Guy is competing in anything but a friendly way, she doesn't take notice.
>>140510More customers come in and High Sewn returns.
Some of these clothes have bizarrely complicated names. "un imperméable" for a raincoat? Guy runs over to insist that it's pronounced in a different way.
"Sorry, I don't speak Griffonian." She says this without a trace of sarcasm.
>>140489Spark, with the doctor helping, pushes the cart along to the upper walkway, then down the to bottom, trying to park the cart behind a walkway to obscure it. The doctor holds up the sheet as they pull down the three coffins.
Waabishkie jumps out, then Makade and his rifle. Waabishki takes a moment to look around, before asking Spark
"Are we far from the hospital?"
>>140512Guy:
"Aquilelian"
>>140513"A good question. Doc? You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"
Spark then nods to the rifle.
"You might want to leave that in the coffin for now."
>>140514He seems to form a smile for a moment, before resuming his more serious expression.
>>140515Doctor:
"Well, it's just south and east of the center of town. A few miles from here."
Makade:
"Are we taking these with us?"
>>140516Amber lets Guy handle the fancy raincoat.
>>140516"Yes. We need something to transport Miskobag in, and keeping gear in them as well won't hurt."
>>140517Amber finds herself mostly handling inventory in the last couple hours. But the hours pass, and Amber concludes her shift at the store.
>>140518"Alright. But let's be quick about this"
Waabishki takes the lid off of Miskobag's coffin, and asks him how he is doing.
>>140519Does she see any green yet?
>>140520It's her regular pay day, and she hasn't affirmatively asked to be paid ahead of schedule
Amber doesn't press the issue. After all, High Sewn just had to pay for an expensive new window and Amber is much more optimistic today in terms of finances.
>>140524Amber arrives at the restaurant, with Salt Mixer again as acting manager.
She greets Salt Mixer and gets ready to start.
>>140519"We will be right on our way."
Spark also checks on Miskobag.
Amber sees tonight that there are two additional waiters working tonight. These are Cream Pop, an orange unicorn stallion with a poofy, cream colored mane, and Larkhaven, a white unicorn mare with silver earrings, and dark blood red mane that is held up in a "hive" style. The next big change is that the patio section is open tonight, with some fires and a canvas to break to wind. It's Winter, and today especially has been cloudy with some light rain earlier, so it's questionable how appealing this would be to customers, but the decision has been made to keep it open.
De Sew retains the section she had yesterday, which is
four combination booth-and-tables, and three tables. All in the front.
Melon Mangrove gets the six other tables in the front. Again, parties are preferred here if possible, but De Sew's section and the patio. are options
Cream Pop takes the five booths
Larkhaven gets every table of two in the restaurant, which is six high tables for two, and two on the patio.
Mustard Trim is placed on the patio with six tables of four.
>>140531There are currently:
two tables and one combo taken in De Sew's section
two tables taken in Mangrove's
Two booths taken in Cream Pop's section
Three high tables taken (Larkhaven)
And one table outside (Mustard Trim)
Note that the shifts of some of the waiters - like Larkhaven and Mustard Trim - begins at the same time as Amber
She greets her co-workers. "Nice to meet you, Larkhaven. Hello Mustard, good to see you today! Do I look presentable enough as a hostess?" She starts fussing with and straightening her hair and dress.
>>140533She turns to Amber. Her eye lashes are thin, but long, and she wears mascara
"So
you must be the new hostess."
She turns to Amber and grins, but turns away and moves over to her position rather than striking up conversation
Mustard Trim, however, sticks around
"Hi Amber! Don't worry. If anything, you look terrific."
>>140535"Well, uh...." He pauses for a moment "You'll do fine. Just think of it like... managing large numbers of livestock. Easily displeased livestock."
>>140537"Heh. Well... Maybe thinking of it that way will make it less intimidating. Maybe."
>>140538She giggles softly, covering her mouth with a fetlock.
"Maybe. Anyway, best of luck." >>140539He nods, and gives a rather awkward smile, before turning away and very slowly walking towards the patio
>>140540Amber takes her proud little place beneath the brass arch awaiting any customers who come in.
>>140509"You seem to work fast," Iron commended with a stoic look as he started to do the math on his head.
If this was true, then he'd have an easier time finding the next business to punch over.
"Any big company in particular?" he prodded further.
>>140543He shakes his head without breaking eye contact
"I can't give away
all of our assets"
>>140544Iron would soon plant a foreleg on the table the griffon accountant was standing behind, giving the hen a deadpan look. "I am not giving you an option," he stressed. "Either you cooperate, or you will join your workmates."
>>140546>>140545He wraps his foreclaws on the edge of the over turned desk, and pulls away
"Well it... may be... Emerson Holdings, and Heathclaw fishing..."
>>140547Iron slightly glanced at Sands to see if she could potentially confirm that these two companies do indeed exist and isn't simply lying his flank off.
>>140548She shrugs
"I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if it only exists in Manehattan."
She pulls her lips up to show teeth
"Or if it's since been 'socialized.'"
>>140549Iron tilted his head at Sands' last statement, urging her to elaborate on her question.
>>140550"Let's just say these businesses
may have experienced a hostile takeover in the last month."
>>140551Iron nodded before turning his vision back to the griffon. "Where are the closest buildings from those two companies?" he continued.
>>140552"South Pier, Hayson, and 352 Rose Street."
>>140553Iron nodded. "Anypony in particular I should keep in mind?" he continued. "I would rather know what ponies I should ensure they do not die accidentally from my log legs."
>>140554"What do you mean?" He asks
>>140555"Surely you have ponies more important than others," Iron presumed. "I want to know which ponies stand above the rest in your group."
>>140556"Not ponies.
Griffins. The Griffins of the family Ginovicci are the most important of this organization."
>>140558Iron simply shrugged at the seemingly unimportant semantic issue. "Well?" he pressed. "Are you going to tell me who they are or not?"
>>140559"The... the caporegime here in Baltimare is Gregory Ginovicci. He's actually Guiseppe, but they let him use his wife's name of Ginovicci. I am assigned here under him."
>>140560"What else can you tell me about him?" Iron pressed. "What is he like?"
>>140561"Originally from Falcor. Not the brightest in the group, but he's been creative and clever. It was he who thought ahead to buy this place, and who first suggested to come here until the storm dies down. He was an ordinary soldier but proved himself capable and willing to do what was necessary against the Rosenthal Clan. For that, he was allowed to marry into the family and head a section. He can be violent and brutal as necessary. He prefers the services of a hired agent known as Koptis. He is here, likely in the Royale ."
>>140562"I see," Iron replied with a nod "so is Koptis an honorary member of sorts to the clan or is it just a business venture?"
>>140563"Koptis... 'Cutter,' as he is called. I am not sure what his real name is, not that it matters for somecreature from obscure origins. He is what we would call a 'Hitgrif.' A professional killer. But he is no griffin. A minotaur of the outer islands who fled to Equestria after killing a policeman there. You can call him a member or call it business. He isn't quite family, but he is loyal all the same."
>>140564Looks like Iron will actually fight a minotaur like he said.inb4 Koptis is actually a Black Hooves member."Sounds like a formidable foe," Iron claimed, grinning softly at the idea of fighting him after a good rest to regain his energy. (So beating up those two should provide a good scare.)
"Is he the best fighter the family has in store?" he asked.
>>140565"The Ginovicci aren't terribly fond of using their claws, preferring a few strong words and a gun if necessary. But yes. Yes he is, both with a gun and with his hands. Gregory also has his dogs, which he claims are pets."
>>140566Iron took a second to nod a couple of times, a sneaking smile starting to form on his face. "So we got a hitpony, a soldier and a couple of warmongrels," he surmised with a tinge of tempered excitement. "Where is this 'Royale' place?"
>>140567“In town. About five streets away. 20th Firefly street. It’s a local restaurant.”
>>140568"What about the main headquarters of the family?"