1887 replies and 32 files omitted.
>>151851He nods again
“Alright. Thank you. You are dismissed.” He says to Dark Star, still looking at him - rather than down at his papers - as Dark Star remains in the room.
>>151852Dark Star leaves the room after saluting sea breeze.
>>151853Out in the hallway, Dark Star encounters the same bat pony creature thing, who stands by where the main hallway connects with the back hallway that leads to Seabreeze’s office. He says nothing to Dark Star, though his slit-eyes watch him. The hallway is dimly lit, and it isn’t clear that anyone else is there.
>>151855The creature blinks, and for a moment hesitates to answer. But he does answer:
"For me, it's still ongoing."
>>151856"Right. its been a long one for me."
He extends his hoof for a hoof shake
>>151857He looks down at the hoof, and with little delay extends his own hoof, forming a small smile as he does so. His grip is firm, though his shake is characterized by a kind of quick, jolting motion.
"Stay strong." he says
>>151858he heads to the hotel room, that he was in before.
>>151859Dark Star leaves the bat, walks past him only a dozen or so feet, and walks up the stairwell. The room is on the right, as it has been.
Dark Star opens the door on the hotel room, walks in, and sitting at the table sees a familiar azure white pegasus sitting at the paper-covered table, hind legs crossed, forelges gripping a paperback book held open, and her turquoise eyes watching Dark Star as he enters.
"Haven't seen you in a while" she says, somewhat softly
>>151860He smiles at her
"It does seem like it has been awhile. how are you doing?"
>>151862"Oh, fine, I suppose" She answers
"Passing the time between assignments."
>>151863He walks over to the table.
"Im going to college." he says casually.
>>151864She watches him approach, and she lowers the book.
She blinks
"What."
>>151866"Oh"
She smiles back deviously
"I was about to say. Equestrian colleges are a unicorn-plot. Colleges in general, really"
>>151869"Yes, it is. First, unicorns try to convince society, especially the well off, that it's essential to teach their children maths and science, literature and philosophy. Which makes sense, really. But what is important is that children are sent away and taught by the unicorns, who think they are entitled to a say in how society is run. The unicorns teach this captive audience all sorts of insidious ideas like equality or licentiousness, or the eight hour work day. And so they make the children rebel against their parents, and society starts to lose cohesion. The unicorns try to impose their own idea of what civilization is, although in truth their ideas lead to vice and ruin."
>>151870He puts his hoof to his chin in thought
"I would say thats off base,but what i heard today has really opened my eyes to the types of ponies that run the universities and the types that attend."
>>151871"It's not though. They try to weasel their way in, and they get worse as the generations go by, because each new one is taught by the last. The merchants are the ones who carry out the revolutions, but it's always the intelligentsia that plants the thought."
>>151846Amber nods, not feeling any common connection in regard to that activity.
"What's it like swimming in the ocean?" >>151872"Yea that definitely seems to line up with what i saw today."
>>151874"See! Everything they say, no matter how insane it sounds, no matter how horrible, or radical, or out there, is how the world is going to be in just a few generations, Because they teach the children - the children of the powerful. The children who matter. And everything slowly turns in that direction.
When Nimbusia voted to end apartness, and end the system that had kept all of the eastern ponies safe for a thousand years, I felt betrayed, because I did not understand how a majority of my fellow pegasi could vote for that. But the reason is the schooling. The influence of the the colleges and the theaters. A thousand years of wisdom that was not passed onto the children, but replaced by insidious doctrine instead."
>>151873"Well, I didn't swim
that often. More often we hung around on the beach. But it's nice and warm most of the time, but still cool on a hot day. You can feel the water moving. The water could be kind of gross sometimes, with all of the creatures and things in it, but you can have a good time doing things like bouncing beach balls."
>>151875"This sounds like.. a large issue."
He looks slightly perturbed
>>151877"It's a little warmer there, and usually a little less humid. But really the two cities are kind of similar, since they are both kind of subtropical and by the ocean. I prefer the summers there though."
>>151879"Sounds nice. I hope to be able to visit one day. What's your name? I'm Amber." She raises a hoof to shake, smiling.
>>151878"Yes! It is! It infects every civilization. Well, Changelings are smart enough to avoid it, obviously, but it infects every pony civilization. The Riverlands, here. The griffins got hit by it a whole lot harder than we did, with that revolution thirty years ago.
But I am telling you, every single insidious change in society, every single revolution, just go back one or two or three generations, and you'll see some university professor somewhere who started the whole thing. One pony, setting a bomb, a massive bomb, designed to go off decades in the future, usually after they die. And they bury it right underneath the school that will teach our children's children."
>>151880"I'm Sanguine Saunter" she answers
She (eventually) raises a hoof to shake. Her shake is rather weak, and she breaks off someone early.
"I don't know if... Well. I would hope I could visit again some day."
>>151882"I wouldn't worry about it," she replies, though her weak smile betrays some doubt.
"How is work at the Club Maurice?" >>151881"Well thats not Good what so ever. i heard a speech tonight. that could be considered just that."
>>151884"Oh really? What did this creature say?"
>>151883"Well, it can vary. The ponies here are often wealthier, and even when they aren't, they are drunk. Stallions especially will give big tips. Some of the downsides are that Denizen and her companions... Well, you see how she is... now. And sometimes the stallions don't really mind their manners, especially when they are drunk."
>>151885"I Dont really like thinking about it. it was horrible i almost lost my cool."
>>151886"Not..." She pulls her lips back
"
Really. At least for me, anyways.
A few waitresses have been fired, Denizen gets a bad temper when the police accuse her of running backroom gambling rings, a couple stallions get hoofsie, a waitress regretted going home with a stallion... there was that one time a stallion got shot, but I wasn't here for that.
The money can be pretty good though."
>>151887Blue Skies leans in towards Dark Star, and almost whispers into his ear
"Was it a unicorn?"
>>151888>Checked"Yea it was." he says softly.
>>151890"
I knew it" She giggles and smiles, and leans back to be in front of Dark Star
"So... What's with the new coat?"
>>151888Amber recoils in surprise.
"That sounds awful. I just started work at a cozy restaurant–my friend also works there, maybe you saw him with me earlier–and I haven't encountered any of that...yet.
Should I be worried?" >>151891"Well its like when i had to disguise myself as a zebra. Surprised you realized it was me. i almost got shot getting in."
Dark Star Laughs
>>151892She pulls her teeth back a little
"Heh, what? Well, you'll see some of that if you are a waiter for long enough. But it's definitely different here, in a night club. So you just started as a waiter?"
>>151893"Heh, you've got the same body; the same trot to you. Of course I recognize you. You are my Darkie. That, and who else would come here at night? Not many ponies even have a key.
Good to hear they are taking security seriously though."
>>151895She nods
"Oh, so you really have just started."
She raises an eye brow
"Who is this 'Mustard'?"
"He's the colt I was with earlier. I've known him only a couple of days, but he seems nice. I let him know I was coming here after work, so he came here to meet with me, which is sweet I guess."
>>151897Pony is huggedDark Star gets a feel of her slim body, the soft, lavender smelling fur, and her large, feathery wings
"So tell me about this
mission" She says playfully
>>151898"
Oh."
She has a large, playful smile
"So
that's who that was. A
friend from work."
>>151900"Well i'm infiltrating a group of Students right now. one appears to have been involved with the revolt."
>>151901"Oh" She says
"You're young enough. I suppose you really would be a freshly starting student."
She blinks
"Which revolt? The local one?"
>>151902"Ah. You're still pretty young, aren't you?"
>>151903"Yea the local one that happend fairly recently. he said he has ties to someponies that were involved and they have a cache of weapons."
>>151907"Yeah, you're pretty young. Maybe too young for this. Legally, you shouldn't have even had that drink I served you earlier. Not that Dark Denizen cares, but she gets upset when the police get upset."
>>151908She blinks, and seems interested
"Weapons?"
>>151909He shrugs
"Thats what he said.Guns i assume."
>>151911She smiles
"That's because it some of it literally is. Passion fruit and lemon juice" She answers
>>151910She tilts her head
"So... what are you doing to try to uncover this? Aside from, well, becoming... yellow."
>>151912"Im settling into their friend group. and enrolling tomorrow."
>>151913"You're
enrolling?" She says
>>151914"No, heh heh. That's what the rum does. Passion fruit is a tropical plant we have here in the south."
>>151915"Yea,sea breeze approved. honestly im not looking too forward to it. i thought when i was little it would be.....different."
>>151916"Heh, yeah, among other things. I hope you like the tropical juices, because strawberries and other cold weather crops are not easy to come by. Yeah, it goes pretty well with juice."
>>151917She blinks
"What did you think it was like?"
>>151918"Well i thought ponies went there to learn useful things to build their intellect. not to become indoctrinated into a Communist philosophy."
>>151918"Having grown up used to what we could grow locally, I don't mind these fancy fruits one bit. Between them, the music, and dancing, I ain't surprised ponies like coming here. It's a good place to relax, if you don't pay heed to the owner." She says this last part in a hushed tone.
"What's your favorite fruit and drink?" >>151919"Huh. I suppose educating earth ponies on things like, well... how to dig holes better makes sense, I guess. But yeah, it's how philosophies like Liberalism seep their way into a society. Like poisonous gas underneath a door."
>>151920As if in reply to the "pay heed to the owner" remark, the gap between Amber's statements is filled with the sound of a sledge hammer, and bricks falling
Replying,
"Simple vodka and orange juice."
>>151921"We know how to dig holes when we are born ma'am."
He laughs
>>151922She turns around
"Yeah, the hours are definitely something. But I'm a night owl anyways, and the total number of hours isn't really that many, since I very rarely have to work during daylight at all. It means I can do other things as well."
>>151923"Hahaha," She laughs at Dark Star's statement
"I should have figured."
She places a hoof in Dark Star's mane
>>151926She smiles back to Dark Star, rubbing his neck and the back of his head
"So how was it?" She asks
>>151925"Well, you can do that too, actually."
>>151927He closes his eyes and leans into her hoof
"How was what?"
>>151928She blinks, and then pulls her lips back, again showing all teeth
"What... did you do?"
>>151929She rubs a little more
"Your experience"
She answers
>>151930"Well it was very draining. Not a very Good day.Its better now though."
>>151931"Ohhh kay" She says
"Well, Dark Denizen is pretty tolerant of almost anything, so long as it doesn't cause her to lose money."
>>151932She takes the other hoof, and starts petting him
"You're from a farm, right? Did you have to pull up weeds?"
>>151933He shudders
"All the time. i tryed to pawn it off on my brother most of the time though."
>>151934"I mean... well, for example, you taking the drink. That wouldn't have been acceptable in many places, but Dark Denizen is okay with it, so long as the police don't harass her over it. And the same with many things."
>>151935She leans her head back
"Hahaha"
She recovers, and says
"Yes, like that" and runs her hoof through his mane again
"The weeds regrow every year, or even more often than that, and you must pull them out. And that is what the Junior-Crypteia must do to society. That is what the SSA must do. Every day, pull up weeds."
>>151936Amber seems taken aback by this.
"I thought it was a nice gesture? I know I shouldn't get into spirits until I'm older, but is one drink really that bad? It didn't taste strong at all either." >>151936He assumes the thinking pose
"A Very Good Metaphor."
>>151937She blinks
"Well... I meant that, kind of as an example. She's tolerant of a lot of things."
>>151938"Heheh, indeed" She continues petting him
>>151939"So what have you been doing since we met last?"
>>151940"More work. Meeting with informants, inspecting the garrisons... I came back here and was reading, then you showed up."
>>151941"Well... Some are like that, and most aren't."
>>151942"I suppose. Anyway, I'm glad to have had the chance to talk, and I'm looking forward to meeting again, Sanguine." She smiles at the flaxen mare.
>>151943She smiles, albeit a bit awkward
"Thank you, Amber" she says
>>151942"Seems stressful. how were the garrisons?"
>>151945"Well, I didn't succeed in finding anypony selling off arms. So that's a good day, maybe."
>>151944Amber proceeds to break a rule her parents laid down, "Don't wander alone at night," but does it really count as wandering if she's going straight home?
>>151946"Sounds like a good one. What was that you're reading?"
Dark Star rubs her back
>>151947It is indeed, late at night. Amber exits through the front entrance, where Dark Denizen and the diamond dog are in the process of adding a wooden door frame.
>>151948She extends her wings, at least in part, as she lets Dark Star rub her back
"Oh, a book. Withers' Height." It's a piece of Equestrian romantic literature. I couldn't read in this language just a little over a year ago, you know? So I'm still practicing."
>>151949What ever is the point of adding another door like this? she asks herself, as she proceeds along into the cold, dark night.
>>151949He Continues massaging her back
"Oh Really? That's incredible. Why don't you read some of it to me?"
>>151950Roll d20>>151951She stretches out her back
"Well.... I don't know if it'll make any sense, but.."
She starts reading a few lines of some mare describing her emotions about some stallion
>>151952"Not really something that i would read."
>>151954She looks up to Dark Star, and simultaneously smiles and twists her lips
"Heh. Is there anything you
would read?"