1621 replies and 214 files omitted.
>>172201"Well, maybe Talonvera as the site of the defeat of Imperial forces... or Midora, for being at the heart of the Federation... Or Aguila, for being the site of the visitation of Sycea to Saint Estancia..."
>>172354"What?" Helping hooves says timidly, looking at the small item.
Bat Pony:
"Well... maybe I could, too."
>>172356"Go ahead, take it. You deserve it, plus I would feel bad if I gave the others here something but gave you nothing."
Kira opens up her coils for the bat pony to join in the snek hugs.
>>172353>she gave up the hot pursuit of AlluringCould she just follow him to his home?
He's at single digit HP, heavily wounded, and acid burned. He couldn't have gotten that far on his own.
>>172355Silver smiles at his Jubee.
"That is amazing amount of history." He plants a kiss on the end of her beak.
>>172358An hour after he's already left? That's more than enough time for him to seek help.
>>172359Griffu is kissed at the end of her beak"
Hehehe"
>>172360Then I'll have to get him while he's doing it.
Posey goes over to his apartment.
>>172361Posey goes to the apartment building. She knows it's the second floor on the right.
>>172362Posey makes sure her face is covered as she enters the building.
She attempts to open the door.... And midway knocks politely on it.
(preferably still at night)
>>172367
>Posey, instead of running after a witness 25 seconds after killing a guy - someone who likely would have been lost on his way out of the building - decides instead to debone a turkey
Well, when I made that decision, I thought that deboning the turkey would help me kill aforementioned witness in an evil and horrific way. I spent an hour doing that because leaving the scene with a bag of bones is easier than doing so with a whole body.
I have to do something now.
Or she could just deal with it some other day, idk.
>>172360Silver resumes cuddling his griffon, but lets out a solemn sigh after a few seconds.
"I wish I remain here in this state forever...but, sadly, there are things that need to get done today."
>>172357The bat pony looks a little nervous, but accepts the hugs, walking over a part of her tail and into her coils.
>>172370Jubilosa gives him a pouty expression
"Already? Aww..."
>>172371"I know, I know. But, there is no rest for wicked."
>>172371Kira wraps her snake tail around the three ponies, and gives them all a gentle cozy snek hug.
>>172372She smiles
"Hehe, okay. Just don't get up to
too much, will you?"
She takes her claws and
ruffles Silver's fur
>>172373Kira is now faced with a serious issue. For all of her size, hugging three ponies at once is a challenge. And there are three more ponies in the room who have thus far gone unhugged. How could she hope to hug them all?
>>172374Hmm...she could wrap around them all as a group.
>>172375For the three ponies by Kira, this is feasible enough, just wrapping around all three in a single coil. However, even this fails to maximize the surface area of scale to fur contact. Furthermore, there are three more as-yet unhugged ponies further away from her.
Like maybe if all six ponies stood shoulder to shoulder she could hug all of them on one side? But probably not on both sides.
>>172376Hmmmmm...perhaps she could use a second hug to hug the other three ponies?
>>172377Perhaps. Perhaps she could.
>>172378Kira ceases her hugging of Rover, Cuay, and the bat pony, and offers a hug to the three remaining, unhugged ponies.
>>172379"Sure, I'll do it" The pink mare, Helping Hooves, walks forward, ready to be hugged.
The last two remain hold outs
>>172380Kira gives her her full attention with an especially good snek hug, to hopefully make the last two holdouts jealous.
Hmmmm...
[1d20+3 = (12+3) = 15]
>>172381>>172382Though the mare opens her mouth in evident fear as coils wrap around her, she rapidly warms to it, smiling as they pile around her, and when Kira places her hooves around her, Helping Hooves closes her eyes and nuzzles her.
"Well, I guess I'll join as well" The black stallion says, and walks towards Kira.
The white unicorn mare sighs, looks away, and says "ugh... I'm afraid of snakes... I'll join too"
And with that, both ponies submit to be hugged.
>>172383Although she has to divert attention to these two new ponies away from Helping Hooves, Kira lets out an extremely happy and satisfied
ssssssss as she finally gets to gently and snuggly hug all of the present ponies, albeit in two separate hugs. Perhaps even this small, positive experience will help shift these ponies' perceptions of lamias in a positive direction.
>>172384Even in these limited interactions, Kira has a better understanding of the tactile feel and olfactory expression of the ponies. Mostly, the ponies are medium-sized ungulates not radically different from her usual prey, or even from at least the upper half of other lamias, although hugging a creature standing on its feet is a bit of a new experience for her. However, the chests feel slightly different, even from other lamias, and especially of note is how some of them have two extra appendages in the form of wings.
The biggest difference is the smell. These ponies clearly bathe regularly or semi regularly, have a subdued yet still present horsey smell, and especially the two mares have hints of added smells like lavender or raspberries.
But really, hugging ponies feels
good.
Helping hooves attempts to pet her on her scaled portion, though only briefly.
>>172385Kira is very happy to learn this. She makes a note to hug more ponies in the future.
Judging from how she feels Kira's muscles relax around her hoof, Helping Hooves gets the feeling that Kira likes being pet.
>>172386Helping Hooves attempts to pet her s'more, primarily around her midsection, all on the scaled part, and mostly on the back.
>>172387Kira lets out another satisfied
ssssssssss as Helping Hooves continues to pet her. It's fascinating feeling how her muscly body reacts to the touch.
>>172388The bat pony joins in stroking her back. He's a bit harder on her, however
>>172389Kira doesn't seem to mind, as she doesn't seem to be hurt. She still enjoys the extra petting, doubly so from getting pet twice at the same time.
>>172390The black stallion moves off to do something, while Free Rover attempts to scratch his hoof under her muzzle, extending his leg out a long way, and clearly aware that this might be invasive
>>172119Amber responds with a small smile and holds up the case with the viol. "Why of course. But fortunately, I have important business with the Ministry of the Arts, and can be let through. If you doubt it, all you need is a sweet serenade with my precious viol and you will be convinced."
>>172391Thankfully for Rover, her response is a wide happy smile, and to flick her tongue out. Clearly, she is
loving the attention. Who knew getting pets and scratches from ponies would feel just as good if not better than hugging ponies?
>>172392Either roll diplomacy, or play some music for him.
Move his soul if need be>>172393"You're a cutie, miss" Rover says, scritching under her neck more
Cuay also starts petting her, though he moves to the back on her pony segment
>>172394He gets one chance to escape unchanged.
[1d20+4 = (20+4) = 24] >>172395Diplomacy roll if it wasn't clear
>>172392>>172395>>172396He looks down at the viol, then up at Amber with an oddly malign smile
"The Minister is waiting for you. Come in"
He opens the gate for her.
"He'll be in the office across from the entrance to the inner walls, to the right."
>>172397>>172397"Thank you kindly," Amber responds. Her confidence grows as she approaches the magnificent structure, sanctuary finally within reach.
>>172394Kira giggles at Rover's comment, as she turns into a limp noodle in the middle of the room from all of the pets and scritches.
>>172398Amber has heard that over in Equus, in the far north, the polar bears have made a hold out of a mountain. Over in the Changeling lands, a terminite mound greater than any ever before pierces the sky. And up in the Arcturian lands, at the very edge of the Dread Peninsula, ancient magicians built a castle greater than any existing before. All of these castles may be larger than the castle complex in Hellquill. Maybe, maybe they aren't. But the castle complex Amber is entering into is one of the largest in the entire world, the largest in all of the griffin lands, and certainly the largest Amber has ever seen.
Amber goes through the gate, and through a gate on an old, stone wall that leads to a passage between an inner wall and an outer wall that in old times was likely a cart path, but now has cobble stones and evidently is a path for vehicles. The stones have a sort of reddish hue, and above her are several large, stone towers with red tile roofs. She goes along this trail for several hundred feet, until she's rounded the inner wall. There is a second mote - Amber walked over a bridge and up a hill to get to the gate - and she crosses it over a wooden bridge. She opens out to an open landing, where there are several buildings, trees, and green grass. To her left and now a bit behind her are two curved towers at the entrance of a gate. She knows that this is the gate to enter the inner castle, and the Palace of the Grand Master. But that isn't necessary.
To her right are a series of several buildings, but one three story pink colored modern-looking building with red tile fits the description.
>>172399Rover becomes bolder, and tries to scratch around her ears and touch her mane.
Meanwhile, the bat pony and Helping Hooves attempt to rub her belly
>>172400Kira's ears fold and flop around Rover's hoof. Her mane is short and simple, well suited to a mare who works physically, and feels very much like any other pony's mane. Her belly twitches and trembles, and Kira starts giggling like crazy at the bat pony and Helping's touch.
"W-wait, stop! That t-tickles!"
>>172400The fortress, built long ago perhaps as an indomitable bulwark against pony expansion, is a standing testament to the resilience of griffons when they stand together, as difficult as it may be for that to happen. A day or two of tours of the castle would be warranted once there's time.
The Grand Master…of all of Hellquill? A few thoughts race through Amber's mind, notably the potential to change history for better or worse. The power of music is truly untested, of course, and the excitement is enough to quell even Amber's great fatigue. What better way to end this performance than with a crescendo?
Amber approaches the inner gate.
>>172402To be clear, is Amber
not wanting to go to where the Art Director/Minister is? Is she wanting to go into the Palace?
Is she looking to put on a performance?
>>172401The bat pony simple scritches, although Helping Hooves continues to rub her in a circular pattern. Circular Cuay actually stops, and does something else. Rover continues rubbing her around her neck.
>>172403Amber is a newcomer to Hellheim. Had the Palace been in a different section of the city, as she had assumed, then the original plan would not have been questioned at all. But, as a performer, there is an irresistible draw toward the theatric and grand, even at the cost of all sense and reason. Safety is for pedestrians, Amber is an
artist. The show may go on well or it may go on poorly, but it will go on all the same.
>>172404Amber does need to be careful though, as she is fully aware that her brand of music is an acquired taste, and not every ear is ready to, nor fit, to hear it.
But very well.
Where shall she perform?
And what piece most fits the occasion?