/vx/ - Videogames and Paranormal

>>143955
"Where are you from, Popper Nick?"

>>143957
"I play the mandolin, I'm not sure if you've heard of it. It's a stringed instrument like a lute or lyre...oh, those are a bit old too." She smiles sheepishly and adds, "I know how to play it but I don't think I'm good enough to perform in public, at least not yet. I was hoping to one day get some lessons."

>>143958
"I'm from... Manehattan. Yeah. Manehattan."

>>143959
"Do you have one?" He asks

>>143960
"Yes, I brought it with me to Baltimare and it's at my apartment. Maybe I can play for you sometime," she says with a smile.

>>143960
"...Manehattan?"

>>143962
"Uh, yeah. In the city part."

>>143961
"Oh. Nice. You can do it some time. I'll listen. I can't promise I can give the best lessons. But you can play to me."

>>143964
"Keep it up, and who knows"
For the first time, he turns his head to the Griffin viol player
"You might play like him."

>>143963
"I lived just outside of Manehattan. What neighborhood did you live in?"

>>143966
"Uh... Bronclyn?"

>>143967
Maybe it's the subtle changes in the temperature of the air, or something she sees in the corner of her sight, but Amber can sense a pony is close behind her.

"You're taking it pretty well" a familiar female voice declares

>>143968
Perhaps if she was alone, not had the thrill of a dance or had not imbibed a drink Amber would have been startled, even spooked by this. However, as it stands she is only mildly surprised as she looks behind her. "Hmm?"

>>143969
Dark Denizen stands behind her, and Amber can see that she stands at around the height of a stallion. She has a pleased look on her face
"Did I interrupt something?"
She asks this, but the one of her voice suggests that it isn't sarcasm, but rather a question of serious interest

>>143970
Denizen's presence is still unnerving, but slightly less so in these circumstances. "Not really, we were just chatting. Would you...would you like to join?"

>>143968
"...you do realize you are not good at lying, yes?"

>>143971
She looks over at Mustard Trim, then back to Amber
"Oh no, that is between the two of you. But I mean to remind you that we want you to be somewhere tonight. It can wait a few minutes or more, but it must be done before the opening of business in the morning."

>>143972
"What? Heh heh.No. What do you even mean?"

>>143974
"You are not from Manehattan, are you?"

>>143973
She looks between Mustard and Denizen. So soon? Tonight, even?
She sighs. "I probably should get it done now then, I don't want to be up all night..."

>>143975
"Why... Why would you think that?"
His lips are pulled even further back, and almost every part of his teeth show

>>143976
"Now why wouldn't you want to be up all night?" She asks
Whether this is a sincere question is a bit hard to discern

>>143977
"I...I like to sleep early and rise early. It's way past my bedtime as is...." She looks vaguely uncomfortable now.

>>143977
Silver sighs, and lays down.

"You can tell me truth. I promise you I will not tell another soul."

>>143978
She twists her mouth.
"Then rise early. They don't open before eight."

>>143979
He blinks, keeping his mouth open, and pulling his hooves from in front of him, to behind him

"I can't tell just anypony."

>>143981
"Then now."

>>143982
"You have my word. You can trust me."

He smiles brightly at the young stallion.

>>143982
Amber nods, getting up and wrapping her cloak around her, then her scarf. "I'm sorry Mustard, I really have to go. Thank you for coming, hopefully we can meet again soon."

>>143984
"Uh, sure! It was fun meeting you! Let's do this again soon..."

>>143983
He pulls his hooves back in front of himself, sighs, and eases down. His lips close, coming to a more neutral position. And then flatly, at a low volume, he says

"I'm from New Mareland"

>>143985
"I'm really sorry again I couldn't stay longer, I had no idea it was tonight...." She's done picking up after herself and stands to leave.

>>143985
He nods.

"Your accent somewhat gives it away. You sound like other New Marelanders I have met."

>>143986

>>143987
"I know..." He says, sounding defeated

>>143988
"Why do you feel compelled to hide where you are from?"

>>143988
Amber will follow Dark Denizen.

>>143989
"If you don't know then... let's keep it that way. Don't tell anyone. Please?"

>>143991
"I will not. Are you just worried ponies here might not be so welcoming if they know your origin?"

>>143992
"That doesn't help. No... it's... how many young adult males from New Mareland who were not in military or other government service uniform have you seen in the past few years?"

>>143993
"...Ohhhhhh, you are fleeing draft. Are things *that* bad in New Mareland?"

>>143994
"Well, we've been taken over by an imperialist, reactionary, speciest and regressive regime that forces almost its whole population into war to crush progress in other nations. So yes. Things really are that bad.

>>143995
"Heh, that is not outlook I have heard from New Mareland very often. I am sorry you fled that situation only to end up in...well, you know."

>>143997
Okay I'll reassess

>>143996
"Yes! And then these crazies from the Empire enslave us, and... vivisect us!"

>>143998
"Not even Griffonian Empire wanted them in their lands. They were Maarist cultists. I am guessing you were offered passage to Equestria, and then were abducted as soon as you go close to show?"

[Blue Skies is still best pony

>>143999
"Insane is what they are! All of the worst tendencies of creatures together at once... Yes, that is what happened, more or less."

>>144000
Check'd

"They are gone, now. You are free to resettle here in Equestria, as soon as you have fully recovered from vivisection."

>>144001
"You mean, East Equestria? I don't think I'm free here. Not here. In this government hospital."

>>144002
"Why not? It does not seem like they intend to drag you back to New Mareland."

>>144003
"They would. Or worse. When they find out I am a draft evader, and other things.."

>>144004
"'Other things'?"

>>144005
"Well... I was a registered member of the Communist Party, for one."

>>144006
Silver's eyebrows visibly raise, though he does not say anything on the matter.

"...what else?"

>>144007
"And... maybe a citation for buggery. I'm not the type they will just leave alone free. They will... they will arrest me. At best I will be sent to a penal battalion, and I have no interest in that. And I don't want anything worse. I need help..."

>>144008
"'Buggery'. I am not so new to Ponish, but I do not believe I know what that means. What is it?"

>>144009
"It's uh..." He winces, and again speaks in a hushed tone
"Violation of the sodomy laws"

>>144010
"...you mean..."

He leans in close and whispers back.

"...homosexuality?"

>>144011
"Oh, they just found me at a location and accused me... look, it doesn't matter. But they won't like it. That, and all the other things. I can't let them know who I am."

>>144012
Silver looks at him, lets out a sigh, and ponders.

"If you asked to be released from hospital, would you be well enough to leave? There are not many ponies besides perhaps me would could have their ribcage torn open and their heart exposed out of their chest and trot away from it."

>>144013
He blinks

"I don't want to leave with the Political Police."

>>144014
"Okay, let us say somepony was to vouch for you to be released into their personal care, no police or Black Hooves involved. Would you be well enough to leave?"

>>144015
He looks down at his bandaged chest, which has the same covering and visible edges of stitches that the stag had

"I don't know. I think the doctors want me to stay here a little longer. I certainly wouldn't put pressure on this..."

>>144016
"How long do you think?"

>>144017
He blinks again
"I don't know. Maybe if I come back to get bandages changed every few days I could go home today?"

He has a wide, awkward smile again

>>144018
"Hmm...well, there are already three people living with me, and not any more spare bedrooms. I would have to find way to accommidate you, but you could stay with us at least for meantime."

>>144019
His long, red-auburn tail moves slightly under him

"Really?"

>>144020
"Yes, though I do have to warn you about other occupants. They are all friendly, it is just they are all from Hoebuck as well. One is Sicameon griffon named Jubilosa, I think you might get along with her politically. Another is kirin from Ngua Nam named Khoi Lua, she is one who patched you and deer up. And third one is gnoll named Mala. He was coerced and forced into doing dirty work for traffickers, but he is good person and he has turned new leaf ever since we freed him."

>>144021
He smiles widely
"Oh, what a lovely little nest of Harmony ya' have there. That sounds quaint."

>>144022
Silver's eyebrows raise ever so slightly in surprise.

"I must admit, you take that better than I thought you did. Alright then, if you want I will go back down to reception and see about having you released into my care."

>>144023
Definitely smiling now
"Yes! Anything to get me out of here before the political police notice."

>>144024
"Alright, I will be back shortly."

Silver leaves the stallion for the moment to head to reception.

>>144025
Silver finds a grey, middle aged mare with glasses standing through a reception window positioned along a long, wooden wall.

>>144027
"Hey, I just talked with stallion in room 354. I found out his name is Popper Nick, and that he would like to be released."

>>140776 →
Iron stared at Sands for a couple of seconds before looking down at his exposed coat.
"I... don't think I have any compelling story that they won't want to ask follow-up questions," he uttered, shifting some of his coat hairs aside to check the cuts beneath.

>>144029
Hello
"Then be a colt who got lost on his way to the bathroom" She says

>>144028
She looks up towards him
"Are you a relative?"

[1d20-1 = 18]
>>144031
Bluff: "Yes."

>>144032
Opposed [1d20 = 19]

>>144033
>>144032
She looks at him skeptically

>>144034
Silver doubles down.

"I am his grandfather."

>>144035
May want to re-roll
She looks at him, and then back at the file

>>144037
And again...
[1d20 = 12]

>>144038
>>144037
She looks back down
"Grey unicorn, grey unicorn... Alright, has a doctor approved his release?"

>>144039
"No, I have not talked to his doctor yet. My grandson has been through very tramatic experience and would just like to head home to recover in calming environment."

>>144040
"Well, write your name and address here, and get a doctor to sign off on it."
She pushes over a paper

>>144041
Silver fills it out, and goes to find a doctor.

>>144042
Silver encounters a white unicorn stallion with glasses, a white lab coat that's almost difficult to distinguish from his fur coat, and little tufts on his feet, who walks down the hall with firm, clanking steps against the tile floor that can be heard long before he is seen

>>144043
Silver flags the doctor down and goes to him.

"Excuse me, doctor? My grandson is in room 354, and he would like to be released from this hospital into my care."

>>144044
"If we can do it quickly" he says

"Let me see his file. Should be in the room."

>>144031
"If you think it will work," Iron tentatively replied with a nod, taking a small breath to get into character.
His gaze softened considerably as his eyebrows rose up, acting surprised. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "I feel like going to the... uh, bathroom! Right now!"
The big stallion took a second to recall his plan before executing his movements.

>>144046
A pony looks up from his seat in a booth by the wall, but then looks back to his companion. Iron is free, once again, to move about

>>144047
I'm gonna assume we both remember what Iron's path to the table is for this next post.
Iron proceeded to go along his planned route to the left and outside.

>>144048
The door to the next room over is located on a wall perpendicular and to the right of where Iron and Sands were sitting. There are some booths along that wall, and the door is near the left most side. On a wall opposite of that is a hallway where the bathrooms are located, so it is conceivable that a pony who was told the location of the bathrooms could go to the back by mistake.

>>144049
Trusting his gut, Iron opted to go the opposite direction of the bathrooms, hoping to get that sneak peak on who to bash next.

>>144050
Alright, is he looking into the left side of the room (easiest if he moves towards the right, sort of the opposite side of the bathrooms), or is he looking in to the left?

>>144051
I mean, "is he looking into the left side or the right side of the room"?

>>144051
I do believe he'll look on the left side of the room, yes.

>>144053
Because of the wall and the narrow field of view, without actually entering into the room Iron can only see a portion of what is there. However, Iron does see the following:

A set of waves and maybe a boat is painted on a wall above a cushioned booth seat that does not appear to be a part of the wall, but rather sits in front of it. In front of this booth seat is a table, presumably one that holds four ponies. This wooden table is not bolted to the floor, and there is room to the left - between the wall and the table - to manuever and get in and out. There are no chairs on the opposite side of the booth seat.

Sitting at the table, almost in the corner of the room, is a red-brown rust colored minotaur. He has very large muscles and is tall even sitting down. He wears a relatively formal green dress shirt with no jacket, sitting with his legs cross and wearing focal glasses. He is looking down and evidently reading a book on the table in front of him. Also on the table is a newspaper, sprawled open. To his right and on the left side of Iron's field of view, almost exactly in the corner of the room, is a violin case, cracked open.

>>144045
Silver nods, and leads the doctor back to Nick's room.

>>144055
Iron's head cocked a little to the side, staring at the rather well dressed minotaur, almost as if he was staring at a walking contradiction.
(Wait,) he thought to himself, astonished. (You mean these pasta bandits' most trusted marecenary is this mammal?)
Well, after being mauled by a tiger, he wasn't about to underestimate his chances this time, soon going to the right side in order to take a closer look at that book of his.

>>144058
*underestimate his opponent