Continuing, and hopefully introducing new characters.
And on the wrong damn post number
1663 replies and 82 files omitted.
>>177563Well, she’s not on the first level. Better check upstairs. Nope, she’s not there either. In the bathroom? No. Maybe outside? No. Downstairs in the basement? No. Wait. The door is open to the utility room.
Kira hears movement behind the water heater. Then she sees little hooves underneath it. And then finally, the sound of words, probably curse words, spoken in a foreign language.
>>177564Oh right, she was going to check the water heater! Kira peaks around the water heater.
"Hey Neela, do you need any help?"
>>177565“Huh?” Neela is surprised, perhaps even startled, to hear Kira there. She peers out from behind the water heater, and Kira can see her little doe head.
“Uh, yeah. Could you light the heater?”
>>177566"Sure can! Uh...can you show me where it needs to be lit?"
>>177568“Uh…” she twists her ears. “Light… in there, and… twist the knobs until gas comes out. Or oil?” She points vaguely at an opening, as well as a set of valves on pipes.
>>177570Uh… light fire, turn knob? Or maybe it’s the other way around?
>>177571gulpIs it all knobs? Are there any buttons or switches visible?
>>177572There is one switch and two knobs
>>177549Alternating between looking down and looking at Garv,
"Thank you, we try to keep up our reputation as the go-to for high end travel in Baltimare. You said seven nights, a junior suite?"
>>177501They do not stare in one specific direction, neither towards the lake, nor back from whence they came, but stand still, looking in every which direction. "Still" is a relative term, as even at this distance, a bit of swaying and restlessness can be observed. This goes on for a long period of time. Not that long, surely - maybe five or so minutes - but an unnervingly long period of time for what it is.
Then another pony walks up from another direction. And every single pony raises their heads and looks at the new figure.
>>177575Amber keeps watching. The way they are all acting is very un-pony-like….
>>177575Are there any labels or such on the switch or knobs?
>>177576The little patches of fur or tufts of mane that extend from under the clothing stand out against much of the background, save of course from the glowing white snow that covers the ground where it is not covered. Their heads are all turned towards the new pony, though their bodies are not. They do not turn their bodies. They sway almost like trees in the wind.
In some moments, the sound of a pony speaking or potentially singing or chanting, can be heard above that constant static-like crackling sound, which alongside a kind of subjective tinnitus has pervaded the night and made true silence impossible.
>>177577"Well..." She looks back up to him. Her eyes are a deep, ocean blue
"Not so much anymore... But there are occassionally some from nova Griffonia. Well, there were. I think you're the first in, heh, months."
>>177578One of the knobs is red. Another is blue. The switch has the word "GAS" on the small pipe above it.
>>177579That sound is so odd…she simply must find the source. With the night not being quite so silent anymore, she creeps forward a little closer, each step seeming like an eternity.
>>177579The griffon's head bends forward a little as he widens his eyes.
"Is that so? That would be because of the war, I presume." >>177583A little closer, a little closer... She can see more details now, though how much is meaningful is hard to say. She sees that it's the new pony speaking, though other ponies seem to mutter at a lower volume
She doesn't know what the pony says. She can't even tell if it's her language or any language at all.
>>177582"Yes" she nods
"We'd get travelers from some distant locales during the war but... not as many as before. And not even as many now."
>>177584Does it sound at all like what Makea or Kuhlo were muttering?
>>177584A sad look crosses his features.
"You have my condolences. What amenities are available here?" >>177585Amber
thinks the melody of the mutterings is similar to what she heard before, specifically, the portions that were not understood as belonging to a language known to Amber. But then again, she isn't
that close, and she cannot say for sure
>>177586"A pool, a bar, and breakfast in the morning." She says
>>177587How close are her father and the other stallion, and what are they doing?
>>177589The smile fades from her face and is replaced by a look of concern
"Gambling and games of chance for money are not legal in Baltimare" She replies
>>177588Both are behind. Both move somewhat to the right, evidently attempting to move around the group of ponies to the right.
>>177590Cavaliere shakes his head slowly.
"My dear, you have a beautiful city, but that is a sad disappointment to bear. I suppose I'll have to entertain myself in other ways. Do you know which theaters and concert halls are having events?" >>177590Amber carefully follows them, hoping to see what lies on the other side of that ridge.
>>177591"The Hippodrome is the name of the performance theater. Well, the biggest one. The Lyric Opera House will host concerts. While both are hosting events this week, I can't really say what, if anything they have tonight."
>>177592Moving to the right, to the right, to the right... Amber does not see into the lake. But what she does see is something previously obscured by a mound of dirt, a few telephone-pole like tree trunks, and the darkness. She sees a massive grey rock that sits in the ground, probably at least 15 feet tall and maybe 30 feet in length on the longest side, and at least 15 feet at its thinnest. It does have a visible crack running down it, and a large number of cuts that are presumably engraved symbols or letters, though many are likely damage. All around the rock is mud, disturbed and free of any kind of grass or snow, and clearly piled up along a couple sides. Where the rock is glowing blue, or simply reflecting the twilight with its grey surfaces is hard to say.
>>177596He collects 900 bits with his talons and places it on the counter.
"If possible, I would also like newspapers from Baltimare, Weter, Marehattan and Canterlot delivered every morning." >>177595The rock! Finally she gets to see it! She was expecting a small boulder, but this is far larger…
She has to resist the urge to gallop down and touch it. Maybe when the others move away….
>>177598Judging from discoloration, the rock probably had lichen on it recently, but not anymore. All around the rock, whatever organic matter there was is (mostly) burned away.
The ponies are gathered near the rock, but they are not gathered directly
by the rock. From the other side, for instance, no ponies are known to be gathered at all.
>>177597"Baltimare, certainly. Weter, probably not. Manehattan and Canterlot... Maybe. If you don't mind the papers being a day old, we can have them mailed in."
>>177555Wait, so Posey was carrying around 3000 bits in gold? I don't know if money in Modern lines up with bits in Occupied Equestria, but they've been heavily inflated as a result of moving to fiat and because of the war. So it's definitely not 150 bits. Earlier the stated conversion was 1100 bits for a kilogram for gold, but there's no way of knowing if it's accurate.
>>177599Amber decides to leave the sled here. She motions for Jakala to stay where she is, while Amber circles around to the other side of the rock.
>>177600>Wait, so Posey was carrying around 3000 bits in gold?I've been measuring my wealth in gold pieces. I have no idea how that translates to bits, but considering a bit looks like a gold coin I assume they were the same.
I had ChatGPT decide that 150 gp was an appropriate amount of loss for losing her coin purse. In total she has a lot more stashed back at the manor.
But Posey is a spy from an archaic society of mages, who would carry gold on her for bribes and whatnot, so I consider that a reasonable amount of money to be stolen from her.
>>177579Really? The switch is labelled as being for gas? This is hurting the poor lamia's brain...
>>177609Well, Kira can either mess with it, or not.
If she doesn't get the boiler working, they will be forced to cuddle together for another night.
>>177613Well, Kira supposes she should at least try the switch to see what it does.
>>177614And
low hissIt really isn't clear what it just did
>>177615Kira flips it off. "Okay, so that definitely controls gas flow. Weird. I would have thought these valves would control the gas flow, you know? And this switch, I thought it would ignite the gas or something. Unless...maybe this switch turns the gas flow on or off, and the valves control how much gas is actually flowing through the system? Hmmmmm..." The lamia turns to Neela. "I'd like to think I'm at least a
fairly intelligent lamia and that I can figure this sort of stuff out, but I really have no idea what I'm doing to be honest. Maybe we can ask for a maintenance pony? He can show us how it works, and as a bonus maybe you can flirt with him and see if he's interested in you at all."
>>177618>Kira is tricking unsuspected ponies to come over so that Neela may prey upon themI thought Kira was Chaotic Good or something?
Neela wags her small tail
"Sure. This apartment was so expensive, it ought to have Maintenace for free, right? Someone who actually comes down and doesn't just tell us to go fuck ourselves when the water won't come on for two weeks."
>>177619Hey, she's just being a good roommate, looking out for Neela's interests.
"Heh, definitely. I'm sorry that that's your previous experience with these sorts of things, that's extremely rude of that creature. Let's go check in with the office, maybe whoever is in there knows how to contact maintenance."
>>177620"Yes, let's go."
The creatures slither down to the office, and the mare behind the desk
"Ah!" She ducks down below the counter, and then peaks up
"Oh. Uh. It's you." She looks back up. It's a mare Kira saw yesterday
"What can I do for you?" She asks, her lips pulled back and showing teeth
>>177601"Sweet Design" She smiles
"Welcome to Baltimare." With magic, she gives over the key. A light green Kirin stallion walks up
"Let me take your bags."
>>177623"Thank you, Miss Design." He gives a polite bow and, putting his hat back on, follows the kirin.
>>177624He walk over to the left, to a marble-walled elevator bank. A colt in the elevator in a red uniform operates the elevator with a lever and takes Garv up to floor fourteen. "Follow me." He says, walking to the right and then forward. He arrives at room 1457, and opens it with a key
He opens the door and turns on the light
"Your room."
This area has a couple couches, lamps, and paintings on the walls in what is clearly a living room area. The kirin places the bags down
>>177621Kira waves at the silly mare. Once again,
if Kira really was a monster there to eat her, why would she let the desk stop her? Thankfully, she is not there to eat the silly mare, and hopefully the silly mare will get used to them.
"Hello! Do you have maintenance ponies here? We'd appreciate if somepony could turn on our water heater, and could show us how to operate it for future occurances."
>>177626Ponies can be adorable with how they think they are safe from Kira
"Yes... The unit you have had its heater turned off. Looks like we forgot to light it again. We'll have a Maintenace pony over shortly."
>>177627"I am... You could say,,, 'Spring Water'" He answers, with a heavy accent
>>177628Cavaliere slips him a twenty-bit note.
"I will be out for a few hours. Tomorrow morning, I would like a wake-up call at eight. And do give me advance warning if any creature is here to see me." >>177628Kira smiles brightly at the mare. "Thank you so much! You're so kind!"
Unless the mare has anything else to add or has anything else she would like to mention to them, with their business concluded Kira returns to their humble abode with Neela.
"So we just need to wait for maintenance, now. Would you like us both to wait here together for the pony to come over, then we go out to get the last few things we need for the home? Or would you like some,
ahem...alone time with the maintenance pony, while I go and do the shopping on my own?"
>>177630"I can watch the apartment" Neela answers as the two creatures return home. "Don't worry. I can be polite" She smiles
>>177631"Hehe, I know you can. Alright, I'll be back with kitchenware and utensils, and if I'm lucky I'll find some nice alcohol for you. Have fun!"
Alright, with a wave, Kira slithers out the door. Now, on her travels yesterday with Neela, did they pass by any stores that would sell kitchenware and eating utensils?
[1d20+2 = (13+2) = 15]>>177632Yes. Near that furniture store from before is one with kitchen supplies
>>177633Oooo, great! This is the one Kira goes to. She desires to purchase all of the things which a kitchen needs: pots, pans, cooking utensils, eating utensils, bowls and plates, all of those things to have a fully stocked kitchen.
>>177634Just pick one of these, one of these, one of these... Whatr do ponies normally stock their kitchens with? Shouldn't she have more than one? How would she know?
A grey stallion who has been cautiously observing Kira asks
"H-how can I help... you?"
>>177635Kira looks over at the grey stallion, and smiles warmly. "Oh, hello! My friend and I just moved into a new place, and I'm wanting to buy new stuff for our kitchen. The build quality of these pots and pans is fantastic! Could you help with recommendations for what to get?"
>>177637"Uh, sure... For cooking..." He blinks twice. "Do you have any special needs?"
>>177638"Well, nothing special as far as I can tell. Unless there's something special you would recommend. But besides that, just whatever you would normally have in a kitchen. You know, cookware, eating utensils, plates and bowls. All of that good stuff!"
tongue flicks [1d20+2 = (9+2) = 11]>>177639"Oh, well uh, you'll want this deeper pot for boiling, this one for sautéing, and... Do you need a tea pot? Then we have bowls... A kitchen utensil set. A knife set..."
>>177640"Oh, and a tea set! Yes, we also absolutely need one of those!"
Kira follows along, grabbing what the kind stallion points out off of the shelves to purchase for the apartment/townhouse/place.
>>177641It turns into more. And then more. And then more... Until she has what is likely multiple kitchenware sets and certainly a massive amount to carry in several boxes.
"Seventy six bits" is the total
>>177642Kira nods, seemingly satisfied with her acquisition. Perhaps the kind stallion managed to fleece the lamia without her even knowing, as she doesn't know if she really does need all of this...but at the same time, she also probably doesn't care all that much. The benefits of being raised in a high trust society, no doubt.
"I've got that!" She gets into her bags, counting out the needed Bits and putting them on the checkout counter. "Oh, do you know of a good place to purchase alcohol as well? Like, maybe a place with some nice wines for sale?
>>177643Kira doesn't know why she'd ever need to boil a whole rabbit. But if she did, she has the right pot for it now.
"Uh... There's a wine and cheese, down the road."
>>177644Rabbit can make for a lovely snack for a lamia, especially if the right spices are used.
"Thank you so much, you've been such an amazing help!
Have a wonderful day!" Kira smiles and waves to the helpful stallion, and using her size and strength takes the kitchenware in her possession. Next, she follows the stallion's directions towards the wine and cheese store.
>>177645If Kira wants to cook one, she could cook like two now. And have tea with several guests!
The pots and such are physically bulky, and probably need to be placed in a box and tied to Kira's back(s). The stallion smiles back with that trademark tooth showing smile
Kira sees the store, goes in, and
"Hello!"
Three, two, one,
"Celestia!" He runs away. Kira has difficulty not getting stuck in the door, between her carrying around the goat and also a couple boxes. Once she's inside, however, she does see a decent selection of wines and cheeses. Well, decent enough. They are lacking imports for the most part. It's overwhelmingly domestics.
>>177629The Kirin nods, takes the money, and says,
"It will be so." He moves out to leave.
>>177409"Yeah, heh" She looks down
"You uh, you really want to do it? Do this? Go out looking for something like this lost tree? Are you serious?"
>>177647"Hello!...wait, I'm a paying customer! Grr...gyah...come on..."
Kira scrunches and struggles to maneuver through the doorway, but she manages to slip through with all of the stuff she's carrying. She looks around at the store, wide eyed with amazement.
"Wow...there's so much wine and cheese! Oh, glass bottles too!"
>>177648Silver nods affirmatively. "Absolutely. And I am serious as well about wanting you to come with me on that adventure."
>>177650The little pony sits there, mouth partly open, eyes sparkling. Unsure of what to say.
>>177649The stallion peaks over a shelf. He has some kind of item with a wooden handle, probably a broom, maybe a mop.
There are rows of wines and rows of cheese. And yes. There are glass bottles.
>>177651"How about yourself? Does it still sound like something you would want to do? Go on grand adventure with me to distant lands, looking for mythical life-giving tree?"
>>177651Ponies continue to be pretty silly, with how they think a shelving unit, counter, or a broom would be enough to deter a large determined predator. Thankfully for ponies like this stallion, Kira is very friendly, and she smiles at the peaking pony.
"Oh, there you are! Hello! I'm here to buy some wine. Maybe also some cheese, the air in here tastes simply
divine!"
tongue flicks "I'm curious what all you have in this selection."
[1d20+12 = (7+12) = 19]>>177651From inside the customs office, a 'ding' sound breaks the silence
>>177652"Well, yes, but uh... I can't really just do that..."
>>177653For unknown reasons, he choses to duck down after describing the taste of the air
Now Kira does not know what the cheeses or the wines are...
>>177654ding"Hello?" A small, blue, pegasus mare asks as she turns around
>>177655The pegasus mare turns to find a dark-pelted bat pony with piercing yellow eyes. His short-chopped mane curles up and forward giving an almost zebra-like aesthetic.
He is awfully close, she hadn't heard him enter.
"Good day to you miss. I hope I'm in the correct building, they can be so very easy to confuse. Maybe you can help me?" he asks pleasantly and disarmingly
>>177656"Ah!" She's slightly startled, and does not seem entire comfortable with him.
"Yes? This is the headquarters of the Revenue and Migration Service in Baltimare" she answers. She tilts her head. "Is this about a tax issue?"
>>177657He chuckles and tilts his head slightly at the notion.
"Heavens no, why would I concern myself with taxes?" his expression illustrates he finds he notion ridiculous.
"No, I am responding to an inquiry with my agency about a cleanig job."
As she looks at him, she noices he is wearing a sleek leather trenchcoat, buttoned across the chest, draping over his hind legs and sleeving his forelegs, but oherwise obscuring his clothing.
>>177658>>177659"Uh huh..." She says, still tilted.
"I can... go find a supervisor and ask him" She says. It's pretty clear from her demeanor that she thinks it is more likely he's here to spy or rob than to work an honest job. Honestly, this is how many birdwings respond. But she seems to be sincere about getting a supervisor.
>>177660He sits down to the side of the counter and begins pulls a box from his coat, from which he produces a few small objects, and begins using them in some capacity
>>177660He pokes his head back over the counter.
"Splendid, don't mind me".
If she looks, he has a small portable tea set and has just lit a steno can.
>>177655"...hello? Are you still there?" Kira looms over the shelves to peak at the stallion.
>>177655"Well, why not? Again, something tells me that your expedition leader might give you approval for going on this adventure if you asked."
>>177662"H-what?! You can't light a fire in here. How did you get that past security?" She nags
>>177664Kira can hear rustling. He is hiding. But he alone holds the secret of the cheeses.
>>177665"Heh heh, why is that?"
>>177666"Well, it sounds as if you do not see eye to eye or get along very well together. He might agree to it in order to get you out of his mane."
>>177666Well, she's already able to taste the smell of the cheese on the air. Perhaps she's also able to use scent to track where the stallion has gone off to, as she flicks her tongue in the air.
"Hello? I have Bits, and I'd like to make a purchase..."
>>177667"Oh, he doesn't mind" An ear flops down. "One of them I think even tried flirting with me... Well, that, or it was a tease. I mean... I'm supposed to be on sabbatical to study something to write about for my position at the university. And I
do like that area of study..."
>>177668Kira sees a snout slowly peak out from low on a shelf behind her, and then a pair of frightened green eyes follow. Kira can smell him. He smells like...
friendship >>177669Friendship smells nice! Kira pretends she doesn't know the pony is there in an attempt to hopefully not freak him out more.
"I'm friendly...I promise..."
>>177669"It is not as if you will never again have opportunity to come back here and study this later. Tree of Life is also very interesting, it is basically mythical. Professionally, it would look very, very good for your academic career. And we do not know if that fruit we ate is only temporary effect, if it will wear off in few days or so. It was separated from Tree for very long time, after all."
>>177670The colt - the pony appears to be a red young adult earth pony stallion - slowly moves out, and looks at Kira's tail, which is still moving past him. He does not speak back, however
>>177671Pear looks down, and sees that her tail is under her right forehoof. She picks it up, and starts to stare at it, and play with it.
"Maybe... maybe I can talk to them? Do some research on what this fruit is? See if anypony else looked for it or uh... found anything? If there's like a curse or something."
>>177672D'awwwwwww. What a cute mare.
"That is good idea, we might be able to find some more breadcrumbs leading us to Tree's location. I seriously doubt it is cursed, I really just think Rosey was trying to scare you."
>>177672Her tail looks very pretty, with how its golden yellow scales shimmer in the light and with the red black diamonds running down the back of it. Kira's ears fold down, and she frowns and starts to sound rather saddened.
"...please..."
>>177666"Oh nonsense, this is just to warm some water. Nothing more than your average catering supply tool. By the time you've returned with your supervisor, I'll have everything pt away. i have extra cups if you'd like some, miss?"
Bluff check
[1d20+7 = (2+7) = 9] >>177675that should read "miss..." trailin off as though to prompt her to offer her name.
>>177674The stallion walks out into the open. He does not, however, speak back
>>177673"Well..." She looks up and smiles at him "I can look things up. "Tilting her head, still smiling. "You mean like, you and me?"
>>177675>>177676"Uh huh... It's Cloudy." She says, and watches him as she moves away.
>>177677Kira looks around, "spotting" the stallion and giving him a friendly smile.
"Hi. Please don't run away and hide, I really am friendly. I'd just like to buy some wine and maybe cheese."