Welcome back to the newest thread of Occupied Equestria
In Northern Equestria on the Changeling side, Spark has given refuge to a mare claiming to be stalked by a Changeling drone.
In the southeast, in Baltimare, Amber tries to slip past police in her infiltration of the Police Headquarters. Iron prepares for his next fight against griffin gangsters. Silver enjoys downtime, and Midnight checks out a local church.
>>147103Iron enters the bedroom to see Black Cauldron laying there on the bed, with a pillow over her lower barrel and thighs
"Iron?" She asks him
>>147104A shadow covers the blinds next to the door. There is a gasping sound, and the mare hides herself under the quilted blanket
Knock knock knock
>>147102"Mmm, it looks delicious! Thank you, and my compliments to chef!"
Silver takes a utensil, gathers a little bit of everything from the rich custard, to the cream the dish is named after, to the fruit that tops it, and eats it, savoring every bit of the bite.
>>147108Cream, fruit, and that distinct taste of toasted marshmallows.
>>147105Said native looked around the room, stalking about for her unicorn prey. "She must be here somewhere," he muttered out loud just so Cauldron understood his purpose for being there.
>>147111A moment passes, and the shadow moves away, leaving the blinds lit by the yellow light of the street lamp outside. Another moment, and the mare whines with an "ah," jumps off the couch, and runs around behind it, curling up. This is perhaps the first time Spark gets a complete view of her, with a sparkling purple coat and raspberry mane. She places her hooves over her head, and trembles.
>>147110Black Cauldron twists her lips
"I think she passed by. Somewhere."
>>147112Feeling the slight tinge of disapproval and disappointment, he decided to spice up his stalking, skulking around even more dramatically akin to a noir detective ready to apprehend the suspect they're been chasing for weeks.
With that
totally useful tip from the mare in black and white, he soon slipped out in an overly dramatic fashion just to lighten up her mood during these trying times: All he needs to do now is to poomf her up and carry her back to the bedroom, onto her rightful place as a pillow criminal.
>>147112Spark moves towards the mare to calm her down.
>>147114When Spark moves closer, she sees him, and moves her eyes towards him. She still trembles.
>>147113But now the question: where is the fugative?
>>147115Spark signals her to relax.
>>147116Her breaths, high pitched and rapid, don't slow much, but they do quiet. She stares into his eyes, evidently trying to calm down.
>>147115Unless his bedroom searching wasn't as thorough as he'd like, she most likely was the dark corners of the kitchen and living room, where the light was too afraid to come out and brighten up the atmosphere. It was going to be tough to find her in such a concealed area, but his heart was strong and his head, only a tad dizzy from all the poomfs he's recieved so far.
You will not hide for long, pillow bandit, he uttered in an overly dramatic fashion in his head.
I will find you and lock you up in my forelegs for good.
>>147109"Mm, mm, mmmm...delicious!"
Silver digs into his dessert ravenously.
>>147117Spark gives her a reassuring smile.
>>147118But now, where can the fugative pillow bandito be hiding?
Roll die>>147119Jubilosa is perhaps a little slower, but digs into it all the same
>>147120She returns an awkward, frightened smile
>>147121It sure doesn't last long, but when it is, Silver pats his stomach satisfied.
>>147123...alright... to the kitchen!
>>147125Iron turns the corner to see.... nothing.
The pillow bandito has evaded Iron, and Justice, once more
>>147124Jubilosa takes a little longer to finish her Creme Brulee, which she eventually finishes along with another glass of wine
>>147126Damn, Iron cursed under his mental breath as he shaked his head twice.
She blends into the shadows like her coat was actually black. I have underestimated her.Defeated, he slowly but surely trekked his way towards the bedroom, only to hope that the pillow bandito would show her pretty face once again to face
Justice.
>>147126"Ahh...that was good dinner."
>>147127Iron makes his way, slowly, to the open door to the bedroom, which pours light into the unlit hallway. He sees Black Cauldron inside
>>147128The waiter asks,
"Anything more, or shall I hoof you your bill?"
>>147129Unlike last time, Iron's walking was not as boisterous or stalking, but more of a casual, disappointed strut towards the bed Cauldron was in, aiming to lay on the bed.
>>147129"I think we are ready for bill."
>>147131He nods, goes away, and returns, pressing a bill to Silver
>>147130Black Cauldron, looking lonely on the bed, smiles towards Iron as he walks over
>>147132Silver takes a look at the bill.
>>147133Eighty bits, mostly because of the wine.
>>147132With one swift motion, Iron lazily plants himself on the bed without even covering herself while slowly scurrying as close to Cauldron as she'd allow. All the while exaggerating his features of contemplation and loss just to sell the theme of a noir detective to his darling.
>>147135"Well you look dower" Black Cauldron comments
>>147136Assuming Cauldron didn't try to stop him, he'd stop himself just as his coat touched hers, all with the most hyperbolic form of a serious expression she'd ever seen. "I have not caught the pillow bandito, Cauldron," he 'darkly' uttered. "She is still out there, throwing pillows at the innocent, terrorizing slumber parties left and right."
>>147134"Oh, that is not so bad."
Silver pays the bill, and stands up from his seat.
"Ready to go to spa?"
>>147137Black Cauldron laughs
"Pillow Bandito? Ha, what?" She smiles at him
"Don't worry about her."
She places a foreleg over him
>>147138"Sure." Jubilosa says, picking up the extra bottle of wine
>>147139The unicorn smiles, and walks out of the restaurant with Jubilosa onto the street. Once outside, he looks for a taxi.
>>147139Even as Iron obviously took advantage of the approach, huddling closer to Cauldron as well as softly lay her cheek onto her chest, he still had that overly dramatic look to him. "I cannot help but dread just how many ponies' faces will be suddenly struck by a flying pillow, Cauldron," his somewhat muffled voice replied akin to the usual noir cliches just to heighten the somewhat unintentional comedy. "Just thinking about all those poor ponies' snouts assaulted by pillows keeps me up at night."
>>147141"Well.... If you can't make it to sleep, why don't
I keep you company." She says, still smiling and occasionally giggling.
>>147140A taxi comes by quickly, and the two enter, along with Jubilosa's bottle of wine.
>>147142Silver gives the driver the address for the spa.
>>147142Even in his noir persona, Iron couldn't help but glance up at Cauldron and giving her a loving smile. "You always know how to put my heart at ease, Cauldron," his detective voice remarked with more than a sprinkle of truth to it before slowly approaching his snout to tenderly nuzzle her neck.
>>147144"That's more like it" she says, letting him nuzzle her, and tightening her hold on him
>>147143The taxi takes them in the direction of the setting sun, then south, and then they arrive at the spa.
>>147145And with that scene played out, Iron slowly but surely started to close his eyes as his forelegs tried their best to wrap around the zebra mare's chest.
This seems a bit too good to be true, is it not? his inquisitive side soon presented with the typical noir flair.
Of course, his sleep was held at bay at the sudden inquiry.
Cauldron seemed hesitant to let me sleep on her bed and cuddle with her, he further theorized, starting to garner a smidge of suspicion.
Then you know that there is something amiss, he pointed out soon enough.
We must dig deeper and find out the truth!With that line of thinking, he knew what he had to do. "Hey Cauldron," he soon piped up while holding her lovingly. "Do you remember the first time we met?"
>>147146"Well yeah. My friend wanted you to come along with me to help me in an errand."
>>147145Silver pays the fare, gets out of the cab, lets Jubilosa out, and enters the establishment.
>>147147"Yes," Iron agreed with a small chuckle as the memories of that debt collecting job passed through his head as fond memories. "I still remember that one time while we were travelling to meet our next objective that almost got us into trouble."
He took the opportunity to nuzzle her a bit before continuing. "Do you remember what happened?" he asked, hoping she still recalled such a close call.
>>147149“With the mattress and that stallion with the shotgun? Yeah, I remember.”
>>147148Silver enters to be greeted by a mare at the front counter.
>>147150Iron couldn't help but stifle another chuckle, further at ease as she squeezed Cauldron's chest with his forelegs softly. "I mean when we pretended we were dating," he clarified with a coy smile, his pools longingly staring back at hers.
>>147150"Hello! I am here for my couple's appointment."
>>147151Her smile widens
"Is that how you interpreted that?"
>>147152"Oh. Yes. The pair here a little later than normal."
>>147153"I am sorry about that, but we really do appreciate you allowing us to stay after for our appointment."