>>156326She comes closer, tilting her head at Silver
>>156327Silver whispers in her ear as she does so.
"I would rather not say. I believe criminals were from Waterfront Gang, and from what they said as the fled it sounded like they had officers on their organization's payroll. I do not want to put Orchid's life in danger."
>>156328>>156329She nods, looking gravely at Silver
"I see. Well, I won't use your real name then."
>>156330Silver nods, and more freely (though still reluctantly and away from other listening ears) explains to the nurse what happened.
"We were leaving restaurant with friend of ours when group of gangsters pulled up, attacked us, and attempted to take Orchid. During fight that broke out we managed to subdue two of them, and I got into firefight with last remaining gangster using firearm one of others had dropped, which is where I got shot. They fled when they realized they were beaten, gave threat about police being on their side, and then we escaped to here."
>>156331Her eyes grow wider, and her mouth opens part way
“Who is Orchid exactly? Your grandson?”
>>156332After a moment of thought and contemplation, Silver nods.
>>156333“Are you… how sure are you about the police? What did he say?”
>>156334"Well, one I had pinned was certainly smug, saying 'Police are coming'."
>>156335She nods, looking very much concerned.
“I see. Then I’ll try to keep the police away from you and your grandson.”
>>156336He smiles very gratefully at the nurse.
"Thank you!"
>>156337She nods, but she does not smile. White Orchid is just outside in the waiting area with Frizzle. He rubs up to Silver
“Are you okay?” He asks emphatically
>>156338Silver smiles some more at the colt.
"I am fine, good doctor stitched me up and gave me prescription for some medicines."
>>156339He looks up at Silver and smiles, with big, teary eyes.
“Okay… Good. I was worried.”
>>156340Silver bends down, and hugs his sorta-grandson.
"Do not worry about me, I am tough old stallion."
>>156341He starts to resist, but ultimately allows it, though only loosely. He does, however, extend his small legs in kind around Silver.
He does not say anything, but presses his small muzzle up against Silver’s neck
>>156342White Orchid can practically feel the joy coming off of Silver when he returns the hug. Silver's fur is very soft, fluffy, and warm, surrounding a firm muscular core.
"I am more glad that you are safe than my own welfare."
>>156343“Thank you. Thank you for that. I thought I was going to be taken again. They didn’t even grab me like that the first time. It was so sudden. It was scary.”
He’s in an excited emotional state.
>>156344"It was scary, sudden situation. But as long as I am able, I will do my utmost to protect you."
>>156345White Orchid grabs his fluff, then recoils and pulls away, and then pulls on his fluff again.
"Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad you're there." He is calmer now
>>156346Silver is happy to stay there for a minute, and enjoy the moment as White Orchid seems to get more used to floof hugs. He can pull out if he wishes, however.
>>156347White Orchid does, however, pull away..
“What do we do now?” He asks
>>156348Silver stands back up, again keeping most of his weight off his bad shoulder.
"First is I need to either turn in or figure out where to turn in this prescription. After that, we will get you to safe place. Finally, I will have chat with leader of those gangsters that attacked us, and get him to leave you alone."
>>156349“Okay.”
White Orchid sits down, and simply looks up at Silver. Frizzle is also standing around, near the colt, and looking towards Silver.
>>156350Silver goes to the reception desk.
"Excuse me, how much do I owe, and where do I go to turn in this prescription?"
>>156351Ah earth pony mare whose brown coat and black mane almost give the impression of a chocolate chipped cookie replies:
“Medical care is a free service of the Baltimare Governate. There is a pharmacy down the left hallway. It’s labeled with big letters, so you can’t miss it.
>>156352"Oh! Thank you!"
Silver turns and limps toward the pharmacy she pointed out.
>>156353There's an open window underneath big red letters that say "Pharmacy."
A reddish colored middle aged griffin with glasses delivers Silver a set of pills, which he says are anti-biotics, and a set of opioid painkillers, specifically codeine. Both bottles are indistinguishable from the set of pills prescribed to Paper Clipping.
>>156354"Thank you good sir."
Silver has to remember to keep his bottles away from Clip's. He also pays close attention to the directions on the bottles as the group goes to leave the hospital and return to the car.
>>156355The anti-biopics are supposed to be taken three times a day with food. The painkillers have a warning never to take more than two every four hours, and never to drive or operate machinery after use. They are fine be taken as needed.
Frizzle helps guide Silver back to the car, where Mala still sits shotgun.
>>156356Silver smiles at Mala before he gets back into the driving seat. He looks at Frizzle and Orchid once they get inside.
"If you want Frizzle, I can drop you off nearby your place of work out of sight of any police who have responded. And Orchid, we will make stop at orphanage, though that is so I can talk with nuns and figure out safe place for you to stay for now."
>>156357Mala looks back to Silver, smiles, and moves his tail side to side. Mala says:
"No one tried to take it."
Frizzle looks over to Silver.
"Yeah, I guess I need to head back to my job. But still, I want to go out sometime with you again. Preferably under better circumstances."
White Orchid says:
"Okay.... will I be safe there?"
>>156312Amber doesn't quite know how to respond. She's never
seen this at the Club Maurice, and she isn't sure Dahlia has either, but is it worth ruining her good impression over it?
"No, they don't…."
>>156358Silver gives the good hyena many pets.
To Frizzle: "We should, maybe next time neither of us will be shot. I definitely owe you drink, now."
To Orchid: "We will see, but there are other options. That is what I want to discuss with nuns about."
>>156359She nods, with a very serious, firm expression.
"That's right. Real life isn't so romantic. You read books that romanticize
spies of all creatures, creatures who live by lies and treachery? They don't live to old age. They die by hanging and gunshot. Such is the fate of such creatures."
>>156360Hyena is petHe closes his eyes and wags his tail
Frizzle:
"Heh heh heh. I'd buy you one too, if I had the extra money. Maybe I will anyways."
White Orchid:
"Okay..." he says, accepting the situation
>>156361"I see…I'm sorry to bring it up." None of the stories featured really old spies. But then again, there aren't many old soldiers, or lumberjacks for that matter. But maybe it is better to stay away from such old folk.
>>156361Silver turns the car on, and gets started on their way back towards the restaurant and orphanage. He's careful to drop Frizzle off out of sight of the police cars on the scene.
>>156362“Well…” she breathes out, relaxes back into her chair, and after a pause of a few seconds says,
“Good. You need to know that this place is unlike your little hamlet. It is not nice. Not all the time. There are many out there who would exploit and take advantage of your naïveté.”
>>156363Frizzle steps out.
“Where could I find you?” He asks
>>156364"Oh! Right, here..."
Silver gives Frizzle his address.
>>156365He takes the paper, abs looks at it, then back up to Silver.
“Alright, I’ll be sure to hit you up.”
>>156366"That would be great. See you soon, friend. Good luck."
>>156367“Take care.” He waved Silver off before he drives away.
>>156368Silver waves back as they leave. He makes his away around the crime scene in front of the restaurant and to the orphanage.
>>156369The orphanage is not very far at all.
Note that the car has a bullet hole in the right side of the engine housing, blood in the drivers seat, on the floor beneath the drivers seat, on the left reset passenger seat, and on the inside of the door. At no point has Mala been cleaned off blood, and it’s finally started to dry on him. Silver is partly high on morphine.
>>156370Issues to be addressed soon, but not right now. When they stop in front of the orphanage, he looks at the bloody hyena in the car.
"It may be best for you to stay in car. We will wash blood off of you when we get home, yes?"
>>156372Mala, on a good day, is perfectly presentable to young orphan foals and foals. When his mouth and paws are covered in pony blood… not so much.
“Okay.” Mala says. “They might want the car back.” Mala picks up the automatic pistol, grasping it in his claws.
>>156373Silver nods, and steps out of the car. He motions for White Orchid to follow him before he closes the driver-side door and heads for the building.
>>156374White Orchid looks back to Mala, and then to Silver. He hops out, and follows Silver to the orphanage. There is no pony waiting at the door. Evidently the news has not spread.
>>156375Silver goes through the door, and to the first nun there asks, "Is Mint Marine safe?"
[1d20 = 13][1d20 = 6]>>156376“Yes.” She says. “I think so? I saw him a few hours ago.”
>>156377Silver motions for White Orchid to stay near him as he continues to speak to the nun.
"I need you to find Mint Marine and ensure his safety. I also need you to find someone to get Sister Marery and bring her here urgently."
>>156378She looks very strangely at Silver
“Is this related to the police visit?”
After lingering a few moments, she moves off.
It’s a minute or so later that Mother Marery comes trotting in at a fast pace.
“Goodness. What happened?!”
>>156379"You know restaurant just couple of blocks from here?" Before continuing, Silver comes closer and speaks at a lower volume to avoid eavesdroppers. Marery might be able to tell from his movements that he's limping where he wasn't before. "I took White Orchid out for hayburgers there and as we were leaving we were jumped by three gangsters. They tried to foalnap Orchid, and after myself, Mala, and friend of mine who works at restaurant beat them one of them revealed they worked for
Bargain Strength before they ran off."
>>156380From Amber’s right, an interloper. A yellow-brown hoof appears in her field of view, and hovers over Amber’s last remaining cracker. It lingers there for a second, then a second more, as if the lack of violent reply to its presence is proof of its acceptance. It slowly moves down, picks up the cracker, and at a slow speed, withdraws.
Daylight Dahlia continues looking into Amber’s eyes. She has a somber look.
“Indeed, you must be very careful here. You should always have somepony with you when you go out, preferably a stallion, and don’t drink alcohol.”
>>156381She gasps, and listens intently as Silver speaks. When he is done, she sighs.
“I’m not surprised this has happened. I have to wonder if they’ve been stalking the orphanage, waiting for them to leave, or if it was happenstance.”
>>156383"It may not be safe for them here, not at least until Bargain Strength calls off this ponyhunt."
>>156382Amber really has no choice but to accept that Mustard is a growing boy, even if she really wanted that cracker. Whenever she makes that fortune she'll just have to serve extra food to satisfy his considerable appetite.
"I am indeed lucky to have Mustard around, I needn't worry," she replies with a fond look at her coltfriend.
>>156385Love often requires sacrifice. Either that or its proof that he’s selfish and she should dump him, or something.
Mustard Trim is around about average stallion height, or slightly taller, while probably below average mass. It’s hard to say if he’s going to grow more. All of that food definitely hasn’t been going to fat or muscle, that’s for sure.
Daylight Dahlia is definitely an above average sized mare, though she’s a little smaller than Mustard Trim. In terms of coat and a few superficial marks of appearance, she doesn’t look much like Mustard at all. If anything, Amber looks more like Mustard’s relative than her. Her frame, however - the tall, lanky appearance, the way the legs are shaped - strongly resembles Mustard without even adjusting for differences in sex.
As Amber smiles at Mustard Trim, he looks back with a frightened “Oh Celestia I just got caught stealing the cracker” expression, with surprised eyes, and a cracker in his mouth.
Dahlia gives a soft smile, the first she’s given in several minutes of conversation, and says
“Yes, I think we are lucky to have each other.”
>>156384“Well, I don’t know if they will want to invade the orphanage to do it. Then again, they’ve done it before… Are you suggesting we ask the police to guard them?”
>>156386"I...do not know. Possibly. If there is somewhere else they could stay in meantime, that would also be option."
>>156388"Well, with how I was involved in protecting him, it may been good idea for me to watch over White Orchid, at least for now. If you can get in contact with him, Dark Star could watch over Mint Marine."
>>156389“Could you do that? Are you sure he would be safe with you?”
>>156391“You’re not married, are you? Do you have a house? And would you be able to watch him continuously?”
>>156392"I am not married, but I am in relationship with someone I am living with in my own house."
>>156393She stares at Silver, and blinks
“That’s… not really the sort of living arrangement we want to be teaching our foals…”
>>156394"She did not have any other place to live, I promise you."
>>156396Silver tilts his head at her.
>>156386Recently I've been listening to the old radio plays "The Shadow," which would be concurrent to this time. I recommend it if you want inspiration for your own radio plays. The tapes I have even have vintage wartime commercials!Mustard must take after his father more, though she does have the same body shape, she thinks to herself.
Amber returns her smile warmly. For all her scolding, smothering and small-mindedness, she's not a bad mare.
>>156397“Just… nevermind. How can you assure his safety?”
>>156400"There are two creatures in our household who are able to protect him, myself and Mala. In addition, our house is in good neighborhood outside of their general influence."
>>156399Probably shouldDahlia starts asking Amber questions about her musical instrument. She asks Mustard about his lessons in history class, abs she asks the two about what they’ve studied together. This continues through the end of dinner.
>>156401“Okay, that’s good. You want to take one or both of them fit the next few days?” She asks
>>156402"It's called a mandolin.""It's used a bunch for older music, but the design is less than two-hundred years old. It came from the lute which is much older.""Well, no, it's not exactly played much these days, but it's a stringed instrument and can be used in place of a guitar or banjo. It's a little higher-pitched than the guitar and it isn't as loud as a banjo."Amber is glad they actually took the time to study together. She enjoys the rest of her soup and, when finished, places the spoon in the bowl with a satisfied look.
>>156402"I would love to take them both for few days, but I do not know if they want to live together under same room even for short time."
>>156403In her ignorance, Dahlia asks Amber about the violin, whether she can play it, and how the mandolin compares.
Mustard Trim scrapes against the side of the bowl for soup. When they are done, he caries his bowl to the kitchen.
>>156404“They can get over it” she answers
>>156405Silver is a little taken aback.
"Uh...okay. I suppose they should get their things ready."
>>156405"No, you use your hoof to pluck the strings of a mandolin while you use a bow to play a violin, so I don't know how to play it. Maybe one day I'll learn though.""The way you make chords–complex sounds in music–is different too. With a guitar or mandolin the string will vibrate a bit after you pluck it, so you use that time to pluck more strings for the chord. I don't think that's how it works with a violin.""Thank you, ma'am, for this delicious dinner. I'm much obliged."With a smile on her face she follows Mustard with her own bowl.
>>156407She nods along, seeming to understand at least a portion of what Amber says about the Mandolin.
“You’re welcome, Ms. Sunset.”
Mustard goes along with Amber into the relative privacy of the kitchen. He remarks,
“For s couple minutes, it was like having my sister over for dinner.”
>>156406“… Yes. Let me talk to them, and have them get their things.”
The other nun comes down with Mint Marine
>>156409“They don’t agree” he says. “And she won’t back down. So… yes.”
>>156411“That, and she just prefers to be out more. She has her own set of friends abs places she goes. She likes the city, while Mother hates it. But yes. That’s how it is every day.”
>>156412"And you, what's your take on things?" she asks curiously, making sure Dahlia doesn't overhear. Does he take after his mother or sister more?
>>156413“If I could go back to how things were. To Blackwater. I would.”
>>156415“I mean, I can go to Blackwater, but I can’t
go back. Go back to how things were.” He looks down with a pouting expression for a few seconds. But it doesn’t take long for him to look up into Amber’s eyes, and smile.
“I think I’ll move back there when I start a family of my own.”
>>156416She looks melancholic as well for those few seconds. Not even the Elements of Harmony were enough to put things back to the way they were. What he says does reassure her.
"Going to a lovely, beautiful little town with a family sounds like the best idea," she concurs.
>>156417“I think that’s what I’ll do. After I’m out of school, I’ll take up a job installing millwork in new homes. And then I’ll move back to Blackwater, raise a family on the shoreline. Get a boat if I can.”
>>156408Silver smiles at the colt, if a bit sadly.
"Hello Mint."
>>156419“I don’t know. Probably it does. It will depend on what exactly I do to make a living. If I do what I think I will do, which UD finishing the interiors of new and renovated houses and hotels, then I think I will work around Baltimare. But I might work at a lumber mill. I might start my own business, or go to college. I am not sure. I do know that I would like my foals to grow up in a place like Blackwater. I would like to grow old there.”
>>156420Mint Marine looks up at Silver
“Hello. You’re back.”
>>156421"So, uh..."
Silver rubs the back of his neck, and looks to Marery to explain.
>>156423“I don’t think you’ve told me much about your goals. Why don’t you tell me more about them.”
He leans against a counter as he asks this
>>156422Marery first talks to White Orchid, and asks his side of the story. This is all of the explanation that Mint Marine needs. Then Marery says,
"We think you might be in danger. The both of you. So we are going to have you stay with him, and perhaps a friend of his for at least the next day or so. You should be safer there with him, Please pack your things."
White Orchid actually seems just a little excited by this, while Mint Marine is in shock from what he was just told.
>>156424Her doubtful expression is replaced by a smile.
"Sure. Well, my folks are still on the farm. Problem is, whether it's the quality of weather control's gone down, or Papa being unable to work, or some other reason, we've been getting worse harvests. I have to work here to send them back money to buy bare necessities. Whether I make it working in a clothing store, or doing odd tasks for ponies, it's gotta be done.""Music…hmmm, it's a passion of mine. What I know is from my Ma, and although I can play I ain't a professional. I can practice and practice on my own time so I can perform at different venues and make a living that way, or I could scrimp and save to study at a real music school and get recognized. I'm not sure which I should strive for more.""Family, I hadn't thought about enough even though I'm getting to the age where I need to be thinking about it.
Starting a family ain't easy, and I don't know if I could work and raise foals at the same time. But it is awful important, and it's a blessing to have foals with a truly deserving husband." Her gaze melts with love during this last part.
>>156425"Do not worry, little ones, you will not be in danger for long, I will make sure of it."
>>156426He smiles,
"Yeah. Good luck on your hunt for the right husband, Amber. I hope you find him."
He reaches in, places his foreleg over Amber's head, and ruffles her mane, disheveling it. Before Amber is done fixing her mane, he continues.
"I definitely understand helping your parents. That's why I'm working now. It's why my sister is working. I have no allowance of my own, and I have to help pay for things like groceries and the bank note. So good luck with that.
I can see how you love music. You seem pretty good at it, although I'm not a great judge of it. I can imagine you could probably play at bars or clubs, or at church, or even just at get togethers. If you were
really good, and I mean a real class above, you could play for the opera, or for those jingles they put in the chewing gum ads on the radio. Whatever you do, I think you should keep practicing and playing in private. The more you do it, the better you'll get, I think. I liked my little private shows. It makes me feel special, having your music all to myself, but I'm sure you would want to share it.
Why wouldn't you have thought about family? Didn't your parents ask you to return with a fiancé, or something. Anyways, I'm not sure why you would think you would need to work and rise foals at the same time. Are you planning to do it alone? My mother does not recommend that. You should raise foals while a husband works to pay for you all. At least that's how it should work, if the prices don't go up too high."
>>156427Both foals look up to Silver
Mint Marine:
"So... sleep over at your place?"
White Orchid:
"I've never been there."