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.
>>145294He gives a sort of smile, and moves his head back
"Yes, the movement is that big. The whole city could rise. Perhaps they will again, one day."
>>145359Silver looks around to make sure it's unlikely for authorities to overhear, then he looks at the pony he's talking to.
"Do you happen to know anything about paper? My friend here used to work in his own local paper, and he is looking to get back into work."
>>145360Armed soldiers aren’t
that far away, but the presence of many other ponies shouting makes it unlikely they’d hear anything. It’s impossible to tell exactly [i]who is standing in the crowd, and whether there are any unclothed police among them. The pony Silver is speaking to seems to recognize this, as he physically takes another step back and seems reticent to speak. Paper Clipping, however, burst forward and starts speaking.
“Ah great! You think you can help me find the papa’? I was an edita’ back in... back in my home town and, well, okay I wasn’t an edita’ I was a typesetta’ but uh, but I’m a pretty good typesetta’. You know I’m really impressed by the movement you’ve got here. You know, this is more than I could see back home. Folks back home wouldn’t even do a third of this, coming out here and making noise-“
>>145361Silver motions to Clip.
"He is rather enthusiastic."
>>145229Iron sighed contently at the touch, soon actively seeking out more to hold properly as he focused on long, slow strokes along her mane, up to the end of her crest.
Meanwhile, his hanging hindlegs soon snuck its way in-between Sands' own legs just to feel more of that cuddle-inducing fluff as he closed his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the moment for how long they could do it.
>>145368Sands raises her eyes at the movement of Iron's legs, but her face returns to a sly smile. There is plenty of mane, which flows down and covers her shoulders. She tries to settle into this position.
[1d5 = 5]
>>145369Iron gave Sands ample time to properly settle into it, as he soon stopped her mane caressing to instead rub her bountiful chest fluff instead.
All the while, he simply relaxed himself into it, breathing softly as he enjoyed the limited time he had with White's body until he had to go to war again.
>>145370And there is indeed quite a bit of fluff there on her chest, as this small unicorn is surprisingly fluffy.
Looking away from Iron, she says
"This floor is a hard, don't you think. Doesn't your friend have a bed we could lay on?"
Sorry for being awful at keeping up>>145316Amber weighs her options. On the one hoof, the entry of these new officers creates a new, albeit uneasy, distraction for the police who have all but forgotten by Amber. On the other, trying to slip away might bring more attention to herself if noticed, especially by that―that bat with her keen eyes.
She decides to not turn away just yet but back up to be the furthest away from the rest, yet not so fast to be suspicious. She looks about nonchalantly, knitting her brow so as to look like she's thinking about the conversation rather than searching for a corner to round.
>>145371Such a question caused Iron to creak an eye open to look at Sands in order to answer her question. "I have not asked for that," he admitted gently, soon turning his head towards the couch "but the couch should prove quite adequate."
>>145372Hello[1d20 = 5]The two new ponies advance further into the room, renewing demands to be shown certain notes and evidence. Again they allege various insidious conspiracies, and the police in the room allege the only conspiracy is against Baltimare.
>>145373She moves away, and looks back to Iron frowning. After a moment, she says
"Alright"
And gets up
>>145374For a second, Iron felt a tiny bit of dread at Sands' hesitation, but it soon vanished at her agreement, soon standing up and also picking up the mare by sneaking himself under her and standing up.
If successful, he'd soon carry White towards their intended destination and carefully place her there.
>>145375The size difference between Iron and Sands does not help him here, with her being taller than her, even with her thin body. Still, with brute force he can place her body over his, and carry her the twelve feet or so to the opposite side of the room. The couch is narrow, scarcely enough for the two of them. They will have to cram themselves tight together on the couch, or maybe even (partly) on top of each other.
>>145376Seeing this, Iron stood next to the couch as he thought for a moment. "...do you prefer to be the top?" he soon asked Sands with a pensive tone.
>>145377"I suppose" She answers, a little more pleased after Iron asks this question
>>145378Hearing this, Iron carefully takes his time on getting in the couch with Sands on top of him, allowing her to choose what sort of treatment she could do to his mostly exposed body as he settled down on his belly.
>>145379Sands lets Iron get on the bed before making her move. She moves over, eyes a small exposed portion of the couch, and then uses these as footholds as she jumps up onto the bed. She moves to stand over Iron, spreading her legs and looking down to find exactly the position she wants. Then she lays down over him, paying little attention to the position of his legs, leaning against the back of the couch. She folds her hind legs in, and then her forelegs, positioned a little back from his head, and with room to look at him. She rather snug now, with her tail folded in and hanging off the side of the couch, and her mane flowing down and making contact with Iron. He can feel her chest pressed against his, and almost the whole weight of her body. She's like a heavy, fluffy pillow, really. She wears a smug expression, looking down at Iron.
>>145374Amber doesn't wait to see the argument become heated, as she turns the corner back into the hallway and walks away as inconspicuously as possible. She looks behind her to see if she's been noticed.
>>145383Amber slips off silently, moving away at a critical moment when the bat is distracted by the other mare. The bat is then pushed away by a new pony entering the room who causes some commotion, but nevermind that. Amber slips away, presumably down the hallway behind her
>>145380Iron couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the smug Sands currently laying inbetween his body and the couch's backrest, enjoying the comfy pillow as he haphazardly spread his legs out to fully allow his upper portion to land against the couch without disturbing the cat-posed mare on top of him.
>>145384Now then, where to find a detective, particularly one tucked away somewhere? She heads down the hall stealthily but quickly, looking at the nameplates of doors with lights on behind them and trying to see through their windows.
>>145385The couch is almost small for Iron, but he is able to stretch his legs out and over the side. Sands moves a foreleg forward, and then a hindleg, both on her right side, hanging out over Iron. She moves in to make herself comfortable.
>>145386Well, let's see
Malt Tease... That one is closed. Then there's Great Warmth, Mold Dune, Fillipe Marshmellow... Okay, all of these offices are closed with the lights off. Ah, here's one with someone in it... Wait. It's the griffin. At least she's occupied with... paperwork?
>>145387Is there another hallway or intersection at the other end of the building?
>>145388Yes. It ends in a "T", with hallways offshoot to both the left and right
>>145389Amber goes that way then and peaks around the corner, looking both ways.
>>145390Roll dieA light on in one room to each side
>>145387Iron does the same while allowing Sands' own attempts, breathing contently as he closed his eyes once again. He had to admit, however, that he missed having his hold on her hoof, but it was negligible compared to White's own comfort for tonight.
>>145393No effect.
Yet>>145392She lays her head down on Iron's chest and neck, and now besides his head, up against the back of the couch
>>145394Amber softly makes her way to the right side doorway. Should I roll for move silently?
>>145394Feeling this, Iron slowly turns his head towards Sands' and plants a little peck on her cheek before softly nuzzling it.
>>145397Amber moves around silently past the door, she sees inside another bat
[1d20+5 = 6]>>145398She smiles, though her eyes are closed. She remains still
>>145399>>145397The bat seems to be listening to a tape recording playing in his office. He does not take notice of Amber
>>145399This isn't it....Nevertheless, she doesn't move away immediately but tries to make out the words played back.
Listen:
[1d20+3 = 13]
>>145401Stallion, accented to the Equestrian east coast, probably local. It sounds like one side of a conversation
"Well I couldn't say no."
"They offered money. All in gold."
"No. That's not it. That's not it. There was some underlying threat to it. I can't really describe it. They came in during business hours. Had to excuse another customer because of it. There were three of them. I
couldn't say no. Come on. You
know that's more than market value."
"Yes, I know. I know. I don't know what you are going to have to do about it. You can open up somewhere else. I don't know. No, I know. It's okay. We'll just... open up somewhere else."
This goes on. There are other sounds, very possibly including the voice of another party, but none of that is clear to Amber, at least from her position.
>>145399Iron soon slides his head down under her, allowing Sands to rest her head on his just to give her some more cushioning for her pillow-like head.
>>145402Money? Gold? Her curiosity piqued, she listens for a little longer.
>>145404"No. No. No. You don't understand. They wore coats. Heavy coats. Like, raincoats. Loose fitting. But there was no rain. Griffins, all three of them. They were so serious. Who knows what they had under those coats. No.
I wasn't going to find out. No you wouldn't have beaten them if you had been there. You'd have seen there was no refusing. Yes. I know. Well no I didn't have permission. Yes I know I need his permission to do. Yes. He's a stakeholder yes. No. Well he'll get his share. Yes I know. Well. Well. Hold on. Listen. It's like if there's a robbery, or a fire, or a storm. Things happen. Look, they left behind gold. Coins mostly, the old bits. And bars. Small ones, like from a bank. Oh come on, you know the place was not worth that much anyways. Yeah. Well you better tell him. Alright I'll tell him myself."
At points the other voice gets a bit louder and seems to display emotional excitement, but it is still so faint as to be impossible to make out.
>>145403She rubs her head into his, cozying up
[1d5 = 1]
>>145403>>145405And the door to the apartment opens.
>>145405It takes her a minute to realize that the listener of the tape recorder isn't the one being talked to.
Wait, is this a phone call? Gold...no refusin'...place...I got it, some rotten griffons extorted a poor pony out of his store. Well of all the low-down crooked things.... She doesn't linger on these thoughts though, realizing that when the recording call ends the bat's attention won't be distracted any longer. She starts to head back to the opposite direction.
>>145405Iron smiled under her, happy to provide the comfort she desired the best way he knew how without resorting to alien concrete jungle techniques like beds.
>>145407So she’s going towards the left from where she originally came in?
>>145408“Iron?”
Iron hears the door open, and the familiar voice of Black Cauldron
White Sands lifts her head up to look back towards the entryway, still snug in her position.
>>145409Correct, she goes to the left branch of the T intersection. I'll work on a map real quick.
>>145409Iron creaked an eye open as he turned his head towards Cauldron's voice, overall quite relaxed still as he thought they weren't doing anything wrong.
He first wanted to see her reaction to see what he should say in case something he was doing was indeed bad.
>>145410It’s worth noting that the hallways both turn in corners.
Amber moves up to the office to see a yellow-orange stallion, evidently looking at photographs below him and a map that is pinned to the wall.
>>145411Black Cauldron enters the room walking forward while staring at the two ponies sandwiched into each other. White Sands is very much okay with this, having a smile on her face.