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.
>>146717"Then we shall drink!" Iron optimistically declared, leaving Cauldron to think a little bit more for a suitable answer as he eagerly trots towards Sands. "I require the stingy stuff."
>>146717“Retreat is best sorted out when the enemies’ strategy is known. I am hoping they are still looking for one mare and will not employ a surrounding tactic. Once the angle of approach is known, we can choose our method of retreat. If we defeat into their ranks, it won’t do us much good.”
>>146718White Sands pulls the bottle away
“
No.”
>>146719“Then I will handle it.” He says
>>146720“Let me know what you spot.”
>>146721“It will be done. They will not know I am here.”
>>146720That instant shut down did briefly shake him out of his high, only for him to scrunch his snout in indignation. "Oh come on," he lowly whined, stomping softly against the floor "do not tease me after putting the activity on the tree trunk."
His foreleg already started to slowly but surely try to reach for the pulled bottle like a cat approaching a somewhat unsuspecing mouse.
>>146723Black Cauldron:
“What.”
In a glow of magic, the bottle moves through the air, snd comes down next to Iron in a “clank.”
>>146724I go slep after post.Iron triumphantly takes the bottle that was set down next to her after a quick little hug to the unicorn mare in appreciation. His legs soon set themselves into a brisk trot as he aimed to pour two more shots for both him and Cauldron to drink from just to fulfill the activity.
>>146681"I think that will be all, good Sir."
>>146727(You) are silly
>>146725>>146723I misread
>>146723. Strike
>>146724 and replace it with this:
Back Cauldron
"What? Hehe"
White Sands, with her big, observant eyes, slowly drags the whiskey bottle further and further away from Iron, until it is on the other side of her.
>>146726He does a small bow, and leaves.
Silver is now alone with Jubilosa and the wine
>>146722Spark goes back over to the new guest.
>>146729I do try to be. So whats the scoop?
>>146730She is laying down on the couch, trying to force the blanket and part of the cloak over her.
Makade:
"If you really expect someone to come looking for her, you should hide her."
>>146731Uh....
>>146732"Where would you hide a pony?"
>>146731Midnight
Lily awoke after uneasy dreams to find herself
transformed into an enormous insect alone in a thankfully hyena-free room
>>146733"I... don't really know"
>>146729Silver sips his wine, and smiles at Jubilosa.
"How are you liking this so far?"
>>146734"Bathroom perhaps? But I figure that once they get inside, it will be not much use hiding, it will become a fight, especially since you are armed. They probably don't allow that."
>>146734She gets up, says her prayers to Luna, and decides a nice walk out and about would do her good.
>>146737"No one who seeks to dominate does. And neither will I tolerate being unarmed. But if they get inside, we don't have much that will be effective against them regardless, save knife, tooth, and claw. It's best by far there be no fighting inside."
>>146737https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpl6ncyxLGwTaking a walk around Baltimare to ease her troubled mind, Midnight gets up, gets out of her room, down the stairs, and outside onto the street. It's windy, and kind of chilly and cloudy. Off far in the distance, a whistle sounds. Closer to her a few ponies walk past, mostly quickly, and a few carts and automobiles on the street.
>>146735"This is nice." She says
"A little of the other continent's culture."
>>146738She walks towards the whistle sound, absorbing the sights.
>>146739Off in the distance, it seems to be the sound of a factory starting a new shift. The direction it comes from is in front of her, a little off to the left. Along the street are a few apartment buildings with doors at street level, a deli, and a coffee shop. The traffic of pedestrians and vehicles is perhaps lower than it could be. Ponies mostly, in their hats and cats, with a couple griffins, zebras, and even a hippogriff passing by. Over top of the buildings, Midnight can see a few larger apartment buildings nearby, several high rises north and especially west, a church steeple, a bell tower on what must be a school, a narrow rectangular tower down south that sticks up into the sky, and a few smoke stacks east.
That annoying pony from the soup kitchen isn't there at least.
>>146740The church catches her eye, so she decides to stop in there for a minute.
>>146738"Then we need to make sure they don't enter. I'll be thinking of something to distract them."
>>146741Down the road a few blocks, one block over, and up a set of stone steps off the main road. It's a stone building of rectangular shape. Honestly kind of hard to tell if it's Celestialist or Reformed just from the architecture. It looks like it was built some time back in the last century, and it lacks the grandeur of any cathedral.
Entering inside, Midnight sees no pony immediately, but there is a stained glass depiction of the two sisters, as seen on the flag of Equestria.
>>146742He nods
"Do so. I will keep watch."
>>146743Spark has a plan for a distraction. He studies the appearance of the new guest.
>>146744She has the appearance of being asleep. She is completely silent, but shivers strongly at moments. Her mane is tied into two locks, her tail is tied at the end, and her mauve coat shimmers in a strange way.
>>146743The purple mare pauses, then walks up to the back row of pews and sits for a few minutes, enjoying the silence.
>>146746And there it is. Silnce. Peaceful. Relaxing. Si... wait. There's a car coming by. Okay good. It's gone. Ah... Silence.
And then a mare walks up and ruins it. Celestia, what does she want.
>>146745Spark takes note of how she looks.
>>146747Midnight turns and blinks, surprised to see somepony else
"Good morning"
>>146749The mare is a bit older, and kind of a light greyish blue color in a black robe, with her brown mane tied up in a bun and her blue eyes squarely on Midnight
"Do you need any help, young mare?" She asks Midnight with a smile that's... well, she's trying to be friendly.
>>146748Auburn mane, probably in her early twenties, but it's hard to tell.
>>146750Spark sits down and listens for Madake.
>>146750"I do not, but I thank you for your kindness. I have just come to stop and think for a moment."
She smiles, but then looks concerned for a moment
"I hope I'm not disturbing anything"
>>146729Predictably, Iron kept his foreleg 'sneaking' around to the other side, somewhat unintentionally wrapping it around Sands' crest while his face was trying its hardest to remain inconspicuous all the way. "Pretty please?" he insisted with a tiny increase in his pitch.
>>146738"It is very nice restaurant. Nicer than anywhere else I have been, maybe."
>>146751Roll die, little pony
>>146752"No. No. You're not disturbing anything." The same cannot be said of her wide, toothy smile
"Just interested to hear what brings you here."
>>146753"But... this is the last bottle."
>>146754She twists her head
"Is this not usual for you?"
>>146755Iron pouted slightly as his lower lip quivered lightly, almost begging the unicorn mare for the bottle. "Please?" he asked once again as his foreleg still weakly tried to reach for the bottle in question. "I promise it will go to a good cause."
>>146755Midnight smiles back
"I'm glad to hear"
Sense motive check? Mayhaps?
[1d20+2 = 15]
>>146757Roll diplomacy>>146758She seems genuinely happy, and kind of surprised, to have a pony in the church at this time. And yet, there is a layer of anxiety, like Midnight might ask for something difficult or annoying.
>>146760She twists her lips
"Why not? I'd come all the time if I could."
>>146762She scrunches, and moves the bottle a little further away
>>146759Midnight thinks for a second.
"When was this church built? It doesn't seem to be too old, but it has seen a number of years."
>>146763"Aw..." Iron lets out, utterly defeated by the smallest of scrunches before plopping his butt down against the floor and his posture sagged considerably "but I want both of you to have fun."
>>146761He smiles at her.
"Heh. Admittedly, it can get expensive eating at places like here all time. I am not yet millionaire."