Iron got his ass beat and has pissed off a whole criminal syndicate, Amber is doing some shady shit at the police station, Silver is making friends, and Spark is enjoying Whinnysotan hospitality.
>>146169And thus Silver helps. He looks up to Khoi when the sides are done.
"What is next?"
>>146169"What? No! I meant to justice, because it's their job to carry an investigation through to the end! Maybe you're projecting your own paranoia, or even dishonesty, onto them!" She raises her voice to ensure that she's the one being paid attention to.
>>146169Iron was tough enough to swallow it either way, only that he was forced to cough a few times from the sudden 'attack' by the drink as his snout scrunched up.
>>146170"Why, the back wall, of course." She says
>>146171"Be shot at by a sniper while you are walking from a restaurant to your home, and I assure you, you will be paranoid too. In this city it makes no sense not to be. The bottom line is that we are here to fight a war. And it's not a gentleman's war of officers, swords, and fancy uniforms, its ones where the combatants don't wear uniforms and commit acts of murder while hiding among the civilian population. And this particular case is a part of that war. I don't care if we step on someone's hooves in fighting that war, because the bottom line is that many have already died because of this, and many more will likely die before it is done. I am well aware that that could include me. And so I will take it into my own hooves to see this investigation through."
>>146172This gets a small smile from Black Cauldron
>>146173Then that is what he helps with.
Shucks, they both make such good arguments.
"B-b-but...." She looks for a sympathetic voice among the detectives or the secretary. "What do you have to say about it?"
>>146173Iron couldn't help but smile as well at seeing her smile. "Strong stuff," he jokingly remarked.
>>146174Khoi moves around the perimeter, placing a hoof up towards her muzzle as she inspects the walls of the garden
"Hmmm... the side further from the sea is higher than the other side... And will any water actually remain in the soil, or will it just all wash through? We might need to think more about this. Maybe remove some of the soil here, and install a layer of clay..."
>>146175Stalwart answers
"War?! That's exactly it. This is
exactly what they did in Manehattan. First the Blackhooves agreed to multi-party government, and let Manehattan elect its own government, which was a coalition of left and right. Then those who didn't want to collaborate with the Blackhooves resigned, then with a few assassinations and a plane crash, a completely unknown secretary of education took hold of the Harmonist party, who promptly turned it into the "Ponies Party" and tried to advance an agenda kind of like the Blackhooves. And then, what dumb luck? A crowded subway train explodes, and an investigation says it's a resistance bomb with foreign parts that was supplied by organized crime. So the local Manehattan police chief declares a crusade against leftist and harmonist rebels, and organized crime at the same time. Of course organized crime was always unpopular, so it's popular to target them. Then the Blackhooves decide to go all in to do the same, because they want to support the new Manehattan government. They say that members of local gangs are all foreign-supported guerrillas and so not afforded the protections given to criminals or even uniformed enemy combatants. And that turns into a mess quickly. A huge mess.
So over here, we have a crime that discredits the elected SDP leadership to the ponies of Baltimare, and also a claim that maybe, just maybe, SDP leadership and organized crime are aiding guerrillas? It seems more likely they want to replace us, while saving face and pretending to respect rule of law, multi-party government, and elections. This isn't fighting a war, this is escalating, or even starting one."
>>146176"Not
quite the strongest" she says
>>146177That caused Iron to look at Cauldron with incredulity on his eyes. "Really?" he asked, astonished at the news.
>>146177Silver follows her directions, as best as he can.
>>146178"Yes. We have them at the Watering Hole. But we're not drinking them tonight."
>>146179"Uh, do you have a shovel, or an entrenching tool? Or a hoe?"
>>146180Now Iron glanced at the shot that had previously stung him with a bit of doubt, wondering just how powerful these drinks could get.
Nonetheless, he shook his head before pointing at Cauldron's glass. "I assume you are used to this stuff, right?" he suggested with a hint of a playful tone, wondering if she could down it as fast as he did without wincing.
>>146180"I do not think I do...I can see about getting you one."
Okay, I have to sleep now
>>146182Noticeably, there are already multiple holes in the ground both within the rectangle and without.
"Yes, we should do that. And get plants, maybe trees, or clay..."
>>146185Silver nods.
"What is time right now?"
You know who's a cute pony?
(You)
>>146188You are still cute ponies.
Is anypony available to play this weekend? I am
>>146197I'm free for the weekend.
>>145928“Danger could manifest from several different access points at once, since they can fly. Best to sleep closer to the rest than to stay close to the door.”
>>146186Khoi tilts her head
"I don't really know"
She turns her head to her left, and Silver's right. West.
"The Sun is still up. But it is low in the sky."
>>146181She nods, while keeping a dead serious expression
"You could say that."
>>146207He looks at Spark for an extended period of time
"But if they come through the front door?"
>>146208“Then you will stop the ones at the door, but what of the windows?”
>>146209He pauses a bit longer
"Alright... I will retreat further in the house. Better to bottleneck them in a hallway anyways."
>>146208Seeing his attempts at putting a competitive vibe to this whole drinking game went as sour as they could get, Iron slowly replaced his playful smile for a more optimistic one. "I am sure it helps a lot when taking some of the stingy potions, right?" he offered as he stepped just a little bit closer towards Cauldron."A strong stomach allows for more options."
>>146211Makade goes upstairs, and Waabishki tentatively agrees to share the room with him. This leaves the Doctor, and Spark
>>146212She raises a lip, and even folds an ear in absolute confusion for a span of perhaps five seconds. But she returns to a more normal expression.
"Strength
always allows for more options."
>>146213We are clearly on different lines of thought, Iron pointed out to himself in his mind coupled with the smallest purse of his lips.
Maybe we should speak in a more... intimate manner instead.Thus, his snout approached Cauldron's, starting to grin a little more confidently. "It is a good thing we have eachother to double our strength, then," he slyly tried to compliment her in order to improve the mood.
>>146214She smiles, and without hesitation moves her own lips forward to meet Iron's in a kiss.
>>146215Iron wasn't quite prepared for the mouth linking if his eyes widening slightly was any indication, but he soon leaned into the kiss, enjoying the small piece of sugar he got out of his efforts.
>>146216She goes easy on him, pulling away with a pleased smile after some seconds, looking over to her left - evidently over towards White Sands - and then back to Iron.
“Being stronger together... I think we should talk about that. What kind of future you want. Can you imagine if you are successful in the turf war? What kind of attention that will bring to you? And this potion making... I don’t think many in our, our group are doing that. There is much opportunity here.”
>>146213Spark finds a spot on the floor and maybe a pillow if there is one.
>>146217Iron couldn't help but blink once or twice blankly, seemingly having not questioned himself that far ahead as he himself processed what she had just asked about. "I... did not think that far," he admitted with the faintest hint of a pout. "All I really strived for so far here is winning your heart and make
your dreams come true."
>>146218“So... we’re down here tonight” The doctor says.
“But what if Changelings come through the front door? Or the side windows. Or the rear windows?!” He shakes in evident fright.
>>146219“D’awww”
She wraps her hooves around him, in a big hug.
>>146220Iron's cheeks reddened considerably at Cauldron's big ol' hug as his body burned hotter ever so slightly.
>>146220“I doubt that, but if they do, wolves are very quick. I don’t think the changelings can get too far in the house without receiving a few more holes in their body.”
>>146221She does not let go.
"You know... for someone as muscular as you are, you're rather soft."
>>146222"So... why'd you send him away?"
He smiles awkwardly, and pushes up his glasses with the tip of a hoof
>>146223“Because they need to be well rested. Waabishki is certainly going to have trouble resting with this news, and you won’t want a grumpy wolf hearing troubling news from you, do you?”
>>146224"Now that you mention it, Changelings through the front door isn't the
worst thing, heh. Might offer them hotcakes. Don't know if they'll want hotcakes but... still, ask them to sit down. Be friendly."
>>146223"I-I am?" Iron uttered, soon poking his short-haired coat with a free hoof.
>>146225“Be sure to get plenty of rest yourself. We are going to have a lot to do tomorrow.”
>>146226She pokes him in the belly
“Yes. Yes you are.”
>>146227“We... are?” He answers, smiling awkwardly again
>>146228“Sure. I have to grab a little intel, you have to help out the wolves, and if Miskobag gets released from the hospital tomorrow, we have to make it all the way back to the forest.”
>>146229“So I have to do all of this again. Tomorrow?”
>>146230“Yep. The life of a pony on the run. If you stop too long, you get caught.”
>>146231“Ahhhh...”
He slowly slumps down on the couch, laying on his back0
“Okay then...”
>>146228Iron gasped out slightly at the belly poke, surprised to feel her hoof down there so suddenly as his cheeks reddened ever further. "I-I mean," he uttered somewhat skittishly with a deep blush on his cheeks. "It does help to have some fat for an extra burst of energy."
>>146233“Haha”
Poke poke pokeIron’s belly receives a barrage of pokes from Cauldron’s hoof
>>146234Iron whinnied softly from the incessant belly poking, obviously getting quite flustered by the teasing. "I-Is this some sort of concrete jungle ritual?" he tentatively asked, face starting to turn red as his body heat increased further.
>>146235"No. I just like doing this."
Poke poke
>>146236Iron's snout scrunched a little, yet couldn't help but blush even further. "I-It is giving me weird vibes," he admitted with a sheepish smile.
>>146238And then
poke poke[These are from behind, and strike his back next to his spine. They aren’t quite as pleasant.
>>146239Iron's back muscled tensed against the new poking spot, where Cauldron would find the least amount of softness from his frame. "A-are you trying out some sort of massage on me?" he fruitlessly asked, still quite confused.
>>146240“Huh?”
poke pokeIron is poked in the belly
poke poke Iron is simultaneously poked in the back
>>146241Surprisingly enough, Iron's belly was still as soft as ever while his back was as tough and tense as concrete with steel railing inside. "C-Cauldron?" he asked, further lost at her fascination with his body.
>>146242“What?” She looks up at him, pulling away her hoof
poke pokeIron can feel another set of pokes on his back
>>146243"I am still lost about this whole poking thing," Iron hesitantly admitted, slightly saddened to not understand Cauldron at this exact moment.
It's like poking bedrock as usual without the belly poking.
>>146244The poking ceases, and Iron can see Black Cauldron was not, and could not have been poking Iron in the back
>>146245"Huh?" Iron uttered before turning his head around to see just who was it.
>>146246White Sands, with a raised left hoof and a half smile stands behind Iron
poke
>>146247Iron's eyes widened considerably, blinking in disbelief before sporadically looking back and forth betweeen the two mares.
Then something clicked inside him, and a small, mischievous grin slowly appeared on his features before with an intense blush, rapidly poke both mares on their exposed snouts at once.
>>146248This is going to require two separate melee touch attack roles. One with and off hand, and with multi-attack penalty
>>146248The small and nimble White Sands moves her snout and just narrowly avoid's Iron's hoof. Black Cauldron, however, is not quite as fast, failing to escape it.
boopShe scrunches
>>146255Iron didn't really mind the miss on Sands, as he had made his point about the all the booping he's endured so far: If they wanted boops, he'll give it to them without mercy!
>>146208"Hmm...this may need to wait until tomorrow to finish. I do not want to be late for date."
Silver checks his own pocket watch for the answer.
>>146254I see you were unfortunate and encountered the diceroll bug I sadly introduced in latest update. It is foxed now. Sorry for the inconvenience.
>>146232I suppose Spark heads to sleep if there is nothing else.
>>146256Iron stands victoriously over Black Cauldron’s viciously booped body. Yet, White Sands, hardly out of the fight, is not willing to simply submit. With the force of her left hoof, she jumps up, and attempts a boop on Iron
[1d20+3 = 12]>>146257The time on the watch is 3:58 PM
>>146258Thank you Pupper!
>>146259waitsAlso, nice new flag
>>146260Roll Die
>>146263"I am sorry Khoi. I will not be able to go get them until tomorrow."
>>146263It was a close call, but Sands' hoof met Iron's snout just barely, forcing him to recoil back with a soft scrunch.
>>146266Silver claps his hooves together, making a small cloud of dust.
"But it means you can make list of what you want for me to get tomorrow. It is already looking great even before plants."
>>146267Spark makes a bed on the smaller couch. The cramped armrests don't give much room for his body, and force the head upwards at an awkward angle. Spark awakes in the dark of the night. There is no superfluous sound, besides the ticking of a grandfather clock, and wind against the roof of the home. His neck hurts from the poor support.
>>146268Her hoof hits his snout at something of an oblique angle, hitting it, pressing it in, and then almost deflecting off. She hits with such force that it's more like a punch than a proper boop, and none too comfortable.
>>146272Iron took a couple of reeling steps back, scrunching even further as he closed his eyes from such a
powerful blow.
Unless Sands was one to continue her onslaught, he'd soon open his eyes to look at his hurt snout, rubbing it with a spare hoof.
>>146272Spark groans at not being able to take his own advice of resting well. He looks around a bit.
>>146273This may induce sneezing.
It’s actually surprisingly painful.
White Sands smiles
“Heh”
But then the smile fades, and she moves a step back, then another.
Black Cauldron scrunches
>>146275A light outside the front window shows snow build up, and a black night. The Doctor lays on his back, sprawled out with his head up, mouth partly open, and a quilt covering most of his body. He breathes in with a snore. The clock ticks.
>>146276Spark illuminates his horn ever so slightly and navigates to the kitchen to get a glass of water.
>>146276Thus, Iron promptly sneezed in an unnatural, marely fashion after a few more seconds before being followed up with a far stronger one, causing him to shake his head from the sheer force.
Nevertheless, he soon shook the pain off to stare at Sands sympathetically. "Better than smashing my hoof against a night stand," he tried to shrug off with a sheepish smile before turning towards Cauldron "am I right?"
>>146277Roll DieSimple enough. The kitchen is a continuation of the living room, interrupted by counters. There is no special water purifier, nor separate containers of distilled or purified water, so Spark must put his trust in the water from the faucet.
It takes more than a couple open drawers to find the glasses, but they are found all the same.
>>146279The sneeze is almost cute sounding
"Not for my snout" Black Cauldron answers, rubbing her snout
>>146280Spark takes a glass and fills it with water.
>>146280Iron couldn't help but chuckle softly as he trotted towards Cauldron with a mischievous smile and, without warning, gave the currently rubbed zebra snout a small kiss in turn.
>>146282Spark takes the glass and fills it. Snowfall, reflecting a light outside the back, is visible through a window in the dining room on the other side of the kitchen.
>>146283This takes her by surprise, her eyes widening.
>>146284Iron couldn't help but smirk lightly at her surprise, playfully looking at her astonished eyes. "Does it feel better now?" he coyly asked.
>>146284Spark glances out the window.
>>146287With a firm nod, Iron soon turned towards Sands with a playful grin. "Now," he followed up with a hoof "I believe we have unfinished business, you and I."
Carefully trotting towards the unicorn, Iron soon extended a foreleg out to gently boop her snoot as payback!
[1d20+10 = 14]<Boop
>>146288In the backyard, next to a small tree and partly hidden by the tree's shadow, is the outline of an equine shape, covered in a brown cloak and hoodie. He or she is sitting next to it, head down, and snow staring to cover the cloak.
>>146289He hits her right in her pink little snoot. She jumps back, shakes her head, and lets out a
"
Hiss!"
>>146290"Well... perhaps the doctor was right."
Spark hopes that he wasn't spotted and heads to where Madake is sleeping.
>>146290After such a power play, Iron quickly covers the distance to wrap Sands in a friendly hug instead, obviously caring for Sands' well being despite the little poking fun getting a bit out of hoof.
>>146291Going through the kitchen, through the living room, and around to the stairs, Spark goes up them, and presumably, opens the door
>>146292Iron leaps over, and...
squeaky. The oversized mare-shaped pillow is hugged
>>146293After securing the hold, Iron was quick to stroke her back softly to allow Sands to recover from such a drastic blow while turning his head towards Cauldron with an inviting smile. "If your snout feels hurt," he offered the zebra "I am currently providing some comforting hugs."
>>146293Spark enters and nudges Madake awake.
>>146294She eases into the hold, and moves her neck against him. Her fur is soft, and she makes an almost purring sound as Iron pets her.
Black Cauldron moves forward, a bit closer to this display.
>>146295Spark opens the door to see two good eyes reflect back in the light, and shifting on the bed.
>>146296As Iron continued to gently stroke Sands' purring back, his other foreleg extended itself towards Cauldron, coupled with a tender look. "Come on," he gently urged the zebra."I promise I will not poke your snout."
>>146296Spark moves closer, with his light still dim as to not attract attention from any lurkers outside.
>>146297She slowly moves closer, then closer, snd then into the hug. Iron doesn’t have as firm of a grip on her as on Sands though.
>>146298There is movement under the sheet, and Makade - or who seems to be Makade - starts to sit up, with one paw out and another under the covers.
>>146299"Makade, I spotted an intruder out the window."
>>146300Makes moves the covers off, unveiling the rifle. He wraps the sling around his neck, and steps out, coming towards Spark at speed.
“Which window? How many?”
>>146301"Only one at the kitchen window, but the thing is, he was in a cloak. A changeling can do recon as any creature. Why pick a pony form with a cloak to snoop around in?"
>>146302“If I had to fight ponies, and I could chose to look like a regular, harmless, colorful pony, I would. The cloak is either to hide details of for the cold. What I am more skeptical of is how many there are. Either more are hiding, or it’s a scout.”
He follows Spark, or perhaps even walks past Spark, going down the stairs, slowly and quietly approaching the bottom floor, looking out the front windows with his rifle leveled.
>>146303"When fighting yes, but a squirrel or bird is more inconspicuous for spying at night. Being a shape that could be seen as an intruder seems like a blunder, seeing as it has done exactly what they wouldn't want to do, alert us."
Spark points out the window to where the cloaked figure was.
>>146304“Can they shapeshift into squirrels? I thought those were too smal for them. I don’t think we’ve caught any of them as squirrels near our village. Then again, we wouldn’t know.”
Makade’s first act is to look through the front windows, at first from a distance, and then moving closer to them, hiding over to the sides. Then he careful opens a door on the right side of the entry way, and looks around the first floor making sure there are no intruders.
Makade looks out the window. Spark can see the equine form too. The form is exactly where Spark last saw it, under a small tree, sitting down against a fence, head down.
“An odd sight, to be sure”
Makade says
>>146305"Regardless, should I approach?"
>>146306Makade looks behind him, then picks up a pair of pillows off the bed, placing one beside a chair on the dining room table, then placing one on the table, then placing his rifle over it, then trying to set the other pillow over top of the first and the end of the barrel, then pressing down the top pillow, and poking through the scope, to find he is unsatisfied with this arrangement.
“Perhaps. I’ll stand guard from a distance.”
>>146307Spark nods and heads out to confront the cloaked stranger.
>>146308The door is unlocked, and Makade advises Spark to open it very slowly. Spark is free to walk into the narrow backyard, which ends in a wooden fence on the far side, and wrought iron fencing to the left and right; all in all a very small and narrow backyard, with fencing on all sides.
The creature in question does not seem to move. What little Spark can see of thee cloaked figure is a feminine curved pony muzzle with a mauve coat that shimmers in the light. The figure is crouched against the fence next to a poplar tree that is undersized, maybe 10 feet in height, and blocks part of the light from a street lamp on the opposite side.
>>146310The night is decidedly cold. The wind varies, being sometimes still, sometimes low, and sometimes rushing in chilling gusts. The figure sits in a positions against the fence that provides some measure against the wind.
The figure moves it's head up with a "gasp." The face is definitely that of a female pony, with glimmering steel eyes and narrow cheeks. The little portion of the mauve muzzle that sticks out beyond the hoodie, and beyond the shadow of the poplar tree glimmers in the light.
Quickly, she places her hooves down, and starts to stand up, though she stumbles slightly. She gets up, in front of Spark. She still has not answered his question.
>>146311"I'm going to need you to answer. Who are you?"
>>146312She stands up, and looks around, side to side, breathing heavily
"I'm... I'm just passing through."
She answers, in a definitely feminine pony voice
>>146313"Well, come on inside and we will help you on your way. It won't do too much good to be having this conversation in the cold."
>>146314She looks around more, and then back into Spark's eyes with her own blue eyes.
"Uh, oh, okay..." She answers
>>146299That would not do at all.
Iron would attempt to guide the two mares inwards through his forelegs, so the two of them would be right next to eachother to the point of their coats touching in front of him, in order to properly pet both Cauldron and Sands with tenderness.
>>146315Spark motions her to follow as Spark heads inside.
>>146319Sands accepts this, almost with a smug expression, but Cauldron is a bit more reluctant.
>>146321The mare moves forward, walking towards the door slowly, and inside the dining room. Flakes of snow cover her cloak, and her entry into the little area to the right of the main dining room is uneventful. She says nothing to Spark, moving her head up to look around. Her muzzle sticks further out, as well as the end of a lock of coral colored hair.
Makade has moved back to the kitchen and his rifle is not visible.
>>146322“That’s better. The name’s Shimmering Spark by the way.”
>>146323She looks up towards Spark, and blinks
"I was just sleeping."
>>146324“Sleeping in the cold snow isn’t exactly the best choice... I don’t believe I caught your name.”
>>146322Seeing Cauldron's reluctance, Iron soon tried to ease her into the closer petting by adding a little encouraging nuzzle while each foreleg tenderly caressed each mare without much worry of what they would think.
>>146325She mumbles
"Wellspring">>146326She smiles somewhat, and closes her eyes.
>>146327Seeing Black calm down considerably, he'd soon nudge her closer to White in such a way that his head was nested between the two mares' necks in order to achieve multi-pony nuzzling!
>>146327“Nice to meet you. Are you headed somewhere in particular?”
>>146328She's still resistant to coming into contact with White Sands. With Iron separating the two, however, she is more amenable.
>>146329"There was a place I was staying..." She answers
>>146330“Where is that? Do you need help getting there?”
>>146331"Well, I am not sure I should go there now..."
>>146333D'awww"I mean... I'll go home."
>>146334“I just need some context as to what you mean. I don’t mean to come across pushy, but I don’t know your situation.”
>>146335"Well... I can't really go home. I don't think it's safe."
>>146337"There's... look out for this pony. Can I not go back on the streets? It's cold outside."
>>146338“I’m not sending you out there. I just would like to know what happened. Are you in danger?”
>>146340“What happened? It might be hard to protect you if I don’t know what the danger is.”
>>146330Thus, Iron simply slides his head up and down while he continued to provide some more comfort through petting for the two mares for their booped snoots.
>>146343Stalwart:
"That is how they came in, with a conquest. They want to consolidate their holdings and this is the pretext."
>>146342White Sands simply accepts the pets in silence. Black Cauldron, however, asks
"What are you doing?"
>>146344"It is my way to make up for the snout assault," Iron replied without much fanfare and not stopping in the slightest.
>>146345"Is that what this is?" She says, smiling
>>146346"Yes," Iron wholeheartedly agreed, accentuated with a slow drag of his cheeks against the two mares' necks.
>>146347"You're kind of silly" Black Cauldron says
>>146348Iron couldn't help but chuckle a little at the frank remark, opting to trail his head back up just to give Cauldron a small peck on her cheek for her trouble. "You should know that by now," he slyly concurred soon after.
>>146349She smiles again, and breaks out of the hug
"Just one more shot" She says
>>146350Is she speaking to the other BPD officers besides Stalwart or to the two SSA officers?
>>146350>>146352The mare from the officer starts to yell something, and then Swift Soul joins in, and then Stalwart, and then the strange cacophony is completed by something approaching growling and a strange high-pitched eeeeing sound.
>>146353Amber folds her ears back, wishing she could close her ears off from this noise that's giving her a headache. Well, she wanted a diversion, and she got one.
>>146354Mission accomplishedShe does not have hearing protection, however.
>>146355She'll keep listening to what's going on, hoping that attention will stay off her for the time being.
>>146351Iron snickers softly, finally patting the bug on the back before stepping out of the hug himself with a smile. "Sure," he agreed to her request.
>>146358>BugNo bugs here. Black Cauldron stands up and walks back to the kitchen, while White Sands leans her head and neck against Iron, pressing into him.
>>146359The other bat approaches, coming in. There is more eeeeing, and Swift Soul is mostly just yelling to let him pass.
>>146361Unfortunately this is not a question Amber finds a quick answer to. She feels a touch on her shoulder
>>146362She jumps slightly at the sudden touch and looks back.
>>146364She nods wordlessly and follows him, hoping nopony takes notice.
>>146360Whoops.Iron couldn't help but snicker softly at the extra bit of attention he was awarded for his efforts before following Cauldron back into the kitchen for that second shot.
>>146365It's almost to a fist fight over there, so no one notices. Scabbard pulls her through the hallway, and into the central one. He leans in and whispers into her ear.
"I got the keys, and one of the documents but... I need to get past the last mare. If you could help distract her. Move her out of her office, or make her looks away from the hallway..."
>>146366White Sands is let go, and she sits down, looking at Iron as he walks away.
Black Cauldron pours a shot for herself.
>>146367Amber nods. Compared to what she had to do just now, this shouldn't be too difficult.
>>146367Iron eagerly awaits Cauldron's next move, wondering how she'd react to the drink in question compared to himself.
>>146368Scabbard moves towards the end of the hall, until it enters the T intersection. He takes a peak over
"Looks like it's Sunnyside Meadows there, not Good Follower as I thought. All the same, I need to go to an office on the other side and not be seen. Distract him."
>>146369She takes the glass, picks up up, and drinks the whole thing in one swallow.
>>146370She nods briskly and practically canters over to Sunnyside Meadows.
"Sir, sir! Something awful is happening!"
>>146371He turns away from his photographs on the wall
"What is it?" He asks
>>146370Iron stomps the floor in applause, obviously cheering for Cauldron's success. "Nice," he called out.
>>146374He sighs
"They need to get over themselves. This is no different from when the Imperial Guard would come by in the old days. Then again, they were just as dramatic back then..."
Unenthusiastically, he stands up, and starts to walk out
>>146375Is it likely for him to leave without seeing Red Scabbard?
>>146376He would need to move from the hallway, and Sunnyside would need to not look down that hallway. So it short, it's inelegant to say the least
>>146373"Heh" She smiles strangely at Iron
>>146377"You did not even flinch," Iron pointed out, impressed as ever.
>>146378"I suppose not" she answers
White Sands walks over, and looks up at them
>>146377So you're telling me there is a chance?
Amber will do whatever it takes to keep his attention focused on him.
"Sir, I'd best explain the situation. The Blackhooves want to take control of the investigation of something called a 'comte' and other cases too. They're saying locals shouldn't handle it at all, because some ponies are giving aid to 'anarchists' and that they're funding the agency and the whole department is 'rotten' and corrupt. On the other hoof, the detectives mentioned there was an agreement to keep Baltimare sovereign from Canterlot and New Mareland also agreed to honor it, but the Blackhooves want to take over with this being an excuse and they did the same thing in Manehattan by killing ponies and lying and all sorts of nasty things...."She's practically hyperventilating by the end.
>>146380KekThe stallion looks down over toward Amber
"Calm down, little pony. It'll be alright. The same occasional drama popped up back under the Princesses' rule. It's just something that comes along with the power sharing, giving something to each side. It's much better to have this than each side fighting for all or nothing."
>>146381"It hardly sounds like 'sharing' at all! Sharing is about agreement, about coming to good terms. I really do think they're fighting for all or nothing." Is this an older stallion?
>>146379Iron walks over to Cauldron with a sultry, playful smile in turn. "Maybe your drink was different than mine," he coyly insinuated as he hovered his snout near hers. "Maybe I should get a taste just to be sure."
>>146382He's clearly older than Red Scabbard, but not really that old. Probably not older than his late forties, maybe early or mid fourties.
"Oh, it's one case. Just high profile. Of course the Chief wants that one. But we've had two revolts in twenty years, and both ended in power sharing arrangements. This much better than it could be. Let them take the one case, and leave the other ten thousand to us."
>>146383"Maybe" She says plainly, with lidded eyes
>>146385He shrugs
"It's 1 AM on a Saturday."
He seems to have more to say, or at least, wants to say more, but does not manage it. A smile slowly fades
>>146388Actually yes, probably. His point is that it's well outside of business hours"Because they know they'd be outnumbered 10 to 1 if they came during actual business hours." He answers, walking along with Amber
>>146384Iron, of course, closes the distance further, finally touching Cauldron's lips.
>>146390This provokes a smile, perked eyes, and a kiss back
>>146391Seizing the opportunity, Iron took no more expense in slipping his tongue inside her mouth to 'get a feel' for Cauldron's drink while ensuring her enjoyment throughout.
>>146389"That must mean they're afraid of you all, if they have be sudden and sneaky about it," she replies, keeping up with him and making sure his attention is focused on her.
>>146270She smiles in a large, toothy smile. Strangely, she too has fangs, which can be seen in this overly revealing smile.
"Yes! I need to find out what plants will grow here in this climate. Or what the soil is like deeper down. Or exactly how much rain there is here-"
>>146392Cauldron pulls back her cheeks in a smile, but lets him in, moving her tongue to meet his, then pressing her lips forward to solidify the union. Iron can't taste much of the hard alcohol, though there is definitely a smell and a slight tint to the flavor.
>>146395"Exactly. And besides, I have to wonder if maybe for this case, just this case, they really will do a better job. There are many out there who don't want to see justice done in this case. And the office here isn't as above corruption or threat as we would like it to be."
Moving closer to the evidence room, the argument has died down a bit, and Swift Soul has made progress moving forward. Further away, by the entrance, Amber can hear more commotion.
>>146396Silver didn't expect this, but he's rather fascinated by it than turned off. He smiles back at her.
"Sounds like we need to find botanist to ask these questions to."
>>146397"Well.... Yes, if we have to. I know what it would have been like back at my home village but... This is very different. Ideally there would be a rock garden, and a pagoda, but.. there isn't really room for it. Still, it is nice to plant into the ground. To sow seeds, and let them take root."
>>146398"Heh. It sounds like being parent, way you describe it."
>>146399"Yes. Or making connections, or making new friends, or generally making a new life in a new city."
>>146400"I think then it is perfect hobby for you."
He trots over to her, and gives her a surprise hug.
>>146401"Well, if you want to call it-"
SqueakSilver gets his legs around a very much surprised Khoi. She's not small for a mare, but still smaller than Silver and Jubilosa, and her front is almost fluffy while her back is hard and scaly.