Ambergriff wonders her way through the bog at night, looking for safety. Silver leads a heroic assault on the infiltrators before they can destroy the city. Both will have to wake soon...
Hopefully Spark's line will continue soon as well.
>>167779"Oh, he didn't? He did create me, or at least, made me what I am today. You could say I owe him my life, and for that I'm bound to his service."
>over a bridgePosie abruptly freezes as the car passes over the bridge, unfreezing as it passes over the threshold.
"... Ugh.. I can never get used to that..."
>>167781"Passing over running water."
Oh. I see.
>>167782He looks back to her again.
"Interesting weakness... There's quite a bit of water here"
I'll be out some minutes
>>167783"It's not so much of a weakness... More like a quirk.. It's hereditary..."
"Is this our new home, momma?"
"No, sweetie. This is what Equestrians call an 'automobile'. It's a transport to get around, like the boat we came here on."
"A twanspowt... Like Vesuvius?"
"Yes, just like Vesuvius, although not nearly as fancy."
>>167786The colt perks up at this, watching the scenes of the city flash by from the window
>>167787If Gloomy is sitting on the right side, and he presumably would be, he'd have a view of the passing rows of townhouses, of the great basilica, of the parks, most likely of the courthouse and the center square, and of the high-rise office buildings and hotels off in the distance. It isn't that long before the car turns south and takes them over the river, and towards smaller towns with a brick elementary school, a fire station, small grocery stores, and many single houses. But more than this, the ponies start to see trees, those these are barren limbed oak and chestnut trees.
>>167784"Well, I suppose I learned something new about your kind." He looks back, but at Gloomy. "Who is he?"
>>167788[enthusiastic colt noises]
"Oh, him?" Posie says, lowering her tone as the colt is distracted
"He's a little project of mine. I nicked him from the thrall herd in the Coven Of Blood after taking a liking to him, and I think he'll show some excellent return on investment. For all intents and purposes, let's say he's my 'son'."
>>167789"Well that's sweet." He says. "Can you have children?" He begins to say, but trails off, evidently abandoning the question.
"We'll be coming to Licorice Lament's house shortly. It's a bit south of the city."
>>167790>"Can you have children?"Vampires can, so idk why I couldn't. Would need a lot of blood though
(anybody have that relevant /tg/ screenshot about Hitler and his vampire waifu?)"... I haven't given it much thought, to be honest. Maybe I'll give it try some time."
>Arriving soonGood
>>167791Evidently Posie isn't pleased with the line of admittedly very awkward conversation.
He turns left off of a road to a gate, gets out and unlocks it, then drives down a dirt road, with open field to each side that is overgrown with grass and saplings. Posie can see field sunken into water, submerged forest, and what must have been orchards at one point, that have since gone feral. It isn't long at all until she arrives at a manor house like that belonging to a grand plantation, though exactly what that plantation once grew is hard to say. There are white pillars at the entrance, wide windows and tall ceilings for a manor that is two stories, with a third or an attic at points, as indicated by the windows.
"And we're here"
Dark Star wakes up to multiple sensations. The room is cold, but he's under a nice warm blanket. In lieu of a pillow between his legs, he has a rather large and soft mare, though she produces less heat than he may prefer. At least her fur is soft, and her ears press against his chin. He feels a little hung over though. Light is coming into the room from the window.
And then Dark Star remembers that zebras exist, and he feels much worse.
>>167792"Nice place." Rosie says, snatching up gloomy and taking him with her
Rosie approaches the manor
>>167793I Blink my eyes rapidly, adjusting to my hang over. I rub my temple as the light creeps into the room and my eyes, my mouth feels dry as I begin running my tongue over my dry lips moistening them, my head beginning to pound slightly.
I look down at the warmth that i feel emanating from the form next to me
>>167794Much of the grass around the manor is overgrown. Mason gets out of the vehicle and goes towards the door. He knocks. Nothing happens. He knocks again, then takes out a key and opens the door. "Chappaquiddick" he yells into the house, then opens the door and moves inside
>>167795It is amazingly blue. Actually it's closer in color to white, and really kind of like a bluish tinted white, and even then it's a kind of greenish blue. But still. It's very blue. Dark Star is probably thirsty.
>>167796I try to get up without waking her up
>>167797Pull back away from her, move under sheets, get out from under the sheets... damn it's cold here. Dark Star is out, and she hasn't reacted.
>>167798I try not to make too much noise as i walk into the bathroom and turn the tap on and get a refreshing drink of water
>>167796Rosie follows him in
The grass seems to wilt slightly as she passes. She pays it no mind.
>>167799>drinking the tap water in baltimareAlrighty then. Dark Star is at least made less thirsty. So that's an improvement.
>>167800Looking inside, there is a wooden floor, a wooden staircase leading up to a second floor railing, old furniture off to the right, and a door entering to what seems to be a dining room on the left.
"Lament?" Mason looks around, moving towards the stairs.
From the left, out from the doorway, Posie sees a new form. It's a mare, evidently a zebra with a pink coat and gray and black stripes, in a black dress with her mane tied back, comes out
"He's still sleeping" she says with an accent distinct not only from Posie's North Griffonian accent, but even the equestrian accents Posie has heard.
>>167801>drinking the tap water in baltimareWouldn't be the first time
I Walk back into the bedroom, and look for a news paper(if theres one lying around)
>>167802There isn't a fresh one from today, if that's what he's looking for. The newest one is from yesterday. He could likely locate a fresh one downstairs
>>167802Roll Fortitude for tap water
>>167801>>167801>"He's still sleeping""It would be best not to disturb him then. You know how the masters get when you disturb their slumber..."
"I'm Rosie, Rosie Ring." she says.
>>167803I walk over to the bed and put my hoof on Blue's shoulder and wake her up
>>167804Kek yea
>>167804She looks at Rosie, up, then down, then back at her eyes. She nods
"I'm Low Rain. Day Low Rain. An guest of Lament." She tilts her head, clearly not expecting Posie to be here. Mason has gone upsatirs.
>>167805Blue Skies turns her head over and looks up towards him a single fluid motion. Either she was already awake, or she woke easily. She looks up to him with big turquoise eyes.
>>167806Rosie waits patiently, tasseling Gloomy's mane
>>167806"Good morning"
I say, my voice still a little scratchy
>>167807From upstairs, Posie can hear:
"I'm coming"
Nearly stumbling down, following Mason is a fairly tall but still slender black unicorn stallion in a black cloak. His mane is white and disheveled, and his eyes are deep purple. He looks discombobulated, and he seems to have difficultly even making it down the stairs. All the same, he arrives at the bottom of the landing.
"Rosie Ring, is it?!" He nearly yells, looking over to Posie with lidded (probably tired) eyes.
>>167808She looks a little concerned. Instead of responding, she leans her head forward, and onto Dark Star's chest
>>167809"That is me, yes. It's a pleasure to be of your service." Rosie says, with a bow
>>167811He moves into the room, and towards a table. The zebra mare places a half empty bottle of wine on it, and Lament picks it up. He holds it for a moment until the mare gives him a glass, and then he starts pouring a glass.
"So you're the one they sent. The one they sent to try to... gain a hoofhold in the Equestrian Southeast, is it? Is that your understanding of why you are here?"
>>167812"As far as I understand, yes. Although, I guess my first case of business is to follow orders; if not that, I would like opportune practice to perfect my art."
>>167810I look a little confuse, but lean into it
"everything okay?"
>>167813He moves over to the left, to what must be a living room or parlor.
"Come, sit down." He sits down on a green couch with red roses. The mare follows and sits down on the couch next to him. He leans back holding the wine glass in his magic aura, and places a hoof on the table in front of him. Posie may sit on a similar couch near it positioned at a ninety degree angle to the couch, and also by the table.
"Tell me." He says. "What kind of practice do you have in mind? I'm curious to hear what your expectations are. I want to see how far you Mageholders are from the reality of us Old Worlders."
>>167814She looks back up to him.
"Either it has to be disguised as a dispute amongst criminals, which they will know is false, or it has to be a crackdown on firearms trafficking gone wrong, which just makes us the aggressors." She answers cryptically.
>>167815I look a little confused
"Uh, What do you mean? are you talking about the Restaurant?"
>>167815>red rosesLovely
Posie sits down
>"What kind of practice do you have in mind? I'm curious to hear what your expectations are."The violent type, to put it bluntly. I've got a sort of dead end in my hexing, and I would prefer to try it on living targets." Rosie says
"But first... thralls.. I was forced to leave my personal thralls in mage to get into the countr-"
"- wike Vesuvius!"
"Yes, Gloomy, like Vesuvius... Anyway, I'm looking to test my capabilities to control the dead, and capture a personal guard for my operations here. I know pickings are scarce in inhabited areas, but if you should know of any local haunts or burrows where I could rebuke some muscle, I would greatly appreciate it."
>>167816Yes. I had to explain myself to Seabreeze yesterday. He's not pleased.
>>167817"Oh, there's bodies, heh heh heh." but he leans forward, and looks intensely at Posie. His eyes nearly glow. "But if all you wanted was bodies, surely you didn't have to leave Magehold, did you?"
>>167818"O-Oh.... What, What did he say?"
>>167819"I'm in danger of being suspended or reassigned. This isn't my first violation, and six civilian deaths is unacceptable to Sea Breeze. We have to make a story to cover for it."
>>167820I raise an eyebrow
"Yes, we do, maybe i can get back in there and put some implicating items around the building."
>>167818"Raiments, Deathlocks, Dessicators, Skulking Cysts, bonerats, brains in jars, quells, murks, skin kites, and especially
Slaymates..." Rosie says, clutching Gloomy closely
"The kinds of undead that aren't easiest to make. I'm on a search for, say, 'organic' thralls. I'm rather interested in what the magic of Equestria has to offer. It's actually why I opted for that Necrologist cover story. I figured that the work might lead me to some bountiful sites."
>>167822(Also I need shekels for magic)
>>167822He nods, though he scrunches.
"Equestria has a lot to offer. Both magical and not. The best Necromancers and Vampires are from here. And Equestria produces the best for a reason. And it's not because it's a simple, cozy environment. Though one can... quickly make themselves cozy here."
He pours more wine
>>167821"Well the police have already swarmed the building, though we can retroactively add evidence. The simplest answer is that it was a raid for illegal weapons trafficking - and they had illegal weapons. But that suggests that the Blackhooves in Baltimare are going to crack down on the Waterfront Gang, and that's not a war we are looking to start. Not now. Another explanation would be that this raid was connected to the Comte case, because they were trafficking foals. Which they were. But that would suggest that the Blackhooves are trying to enforce criminal laws, and especially a criminal case that implicates a member of the SDP council, which is an assault on the SPD, which is not acceptable. What we cannot do is to provide no explanation at all. Because then, you have a Blackhooves agent and a volunteer killing six Baltimare civilians. That would be a declaration of war upon the citizens of Baltimare, and that is absolutely not acceptable. Better in that case to turn the agent over to the local authorities to be hanged as a murderer."
>>167824"Yes, yes, so I've heard. I'm quite interested in learning all this land has to offer." Posie says
>>167825He moves the wine bottle closer to Posie
"Care for a glass?"
>>167826Unless it's blood, nah
"No, no.. it's not to my taste." Posie refuses, politely, squeezing her colt gently
>>167827He shrugs
"How good are your reanimation skills?" He asks
>>167824"This is a very serious situation, The most appealing option to me is pinning it on comte"
As she continues and ,mentions hanging Dark Star's face contorts into a frown.
"That is the one thing that is not going to happen,... I promise".
>>167828"I haven't had any chance to try. I was only recently emancipated." Posie says, trying to hide her embarrassment
"So, nonexistent... Commanding the dead is my specialty, raising them is an art I've yet to master."
>tfw don't get animate dead until lvl 8Clerics have it so good...