1867 replies and 88 files omitted.
>>95503Iron's torch in his head lights on.
"Oh! Silly me. I was thinking something super secret was going on."
He goes back, a little embarrased for overthinking small things like that. His tail was tuck inbetween his legs and his eyes darted to the ceiling in order to appear inconspicuous.
Settling back on the couch, he awaits the incoming blankets that will be sent his way to the sofa backfirst against the soft cushions.
>>95507"Oh, you mean like a physical artist"
>>95508She looks at him
very strangely.
Eventually, she comes out with a set of blankets and pillows
"This should be good for you tonight, you can lay on these, and cover up with these"
>>95506Something Silver can understand, or at least understand enough of. After a couple seconds of silence Silver wraps a foreleg around Blue and pulls her into a close embrace. "You know, if you ever need somepony to talk about this with, or to work things out together with, I am always here for you."
>>95509"yea, do you know anypony like that?"
>>95509He smiles sheepishly when at the couch from how does a bed is made exactly and his previous investigation.
"I appreciate it but I have little clue on how to use these things. They seem so much more complex than what I am used to."
>>95511He looks up, and taps his hoof to his chin
"Hmmm... well..."
>>95510*coo*
"And if you need somepony to talk to yourself..."
>>95513His other foreleg joins to make it a full hug. "You will always be first that comes to mind. Thank you, Blue."
>>95512"This goes under your head" the pillow
"And this goes over your body" the blanket
>>95514*poner is hugged*
She smiles warmly at this, and closes her eyes
"We're here. That'll be 4 bits" says the driver
>>95515Iron nods, following Cauldron's instructions from his prone position.
He rears up his head and places the pillow under it with a combination of his mouth and forelegs.
Then he leans to the blanket, grabs it with his mouth and tries to cover every single part of his body. However he is unsuccessful in covering his lower half of his body and is visibly struggling.
>>95516He tops off the hug with a squeeze before letting go to pay the cab driver. Using his magic, the door on Blue's side of the taxi pops open for her. "Thank you for driving us here!"
>>95518"You're welcome"
*coo*
Skies exits
>>95517"Here's another one" she hooves him another blanket
>>95520Silver follows suit. "I wonder if Star has started another impromptu political rally in time it took us to get here."
>>95520Pushing his upperbody to reach for the second blanket, he grabs the second blanket and places it in its lower half.
"Thank you."
He gets a feel of the room's temperature to see how the blankets are doing temperature wise.
"I have one little question..."
He looks to the side a bit uncomfortable.
"Have you had fun tonight?"
>>95521She shrugs
"We haven't been out
that long. Give him at least an hour to start a pogrom"
The driver still wants to be paid, while Skies starts forth
>>95522I hope Iron likes it warm
"You mean almost getting garroted by griffins?"
>>95524"I've had worse nights" she says
>>95513All of a sudden dark stars head hits the counter as he passes out.
>>95523I thought Silver already paid the pony, but yeah, he gives him the 4 Bits he's due.
"You never know with Star. He is as ambitious and charismatic as they come."
>>95525"Oh. I am sorry."
Iron feels slightly guilty from souring the mood again.
"You did have fun before then, right?"
>>95527She nods, then heads in
A minute later, inside, Skies is poking on a passed out Dark Star
>>95526*poke poke*
"Dark Star? Hello?"
>>95528She smiles briefly
"I enjoy cooking for those who appreciate it"
>>95529>>95526Silver, following Skies, looks at the scene with minor amusement. "Looks like all of this drinking he has done today has finally caught up to him."
He looks over to Glass. "How much did he drink since he arrived, exactly?"
>>95529Iron has a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Who would not ever appreciate your cooking? Your expertise would astound even the most stoic of ponies."
>>95531"I don't... know. I didn't think any pony could get drunk that quick"
>>95530*poke poke*
>>95532"Well, we try to get as many customers as possible, but there are only so many who appreciate Zebrican cuisine"
>>95533Dark Star mumbles something racist
"Zigger"
>>95534*SMACK*
"Wake the fuck up, booze boy"
>>95533"But your food is amazing. How could some ponies not appreciate Zebrican food?"
>>95533"Well, he is very light for Earth Pony. I do not imagine it takes much drink to get him like this."
>>95534>>95535Silver winces in sympathy pain at the meaty smack.
>>95538Skies requests a glass of water from the waiter
Then...
*SPLASH*
"WAKE THE FUCK UP"
>>95539That won't do anything. This is his way of breaking up with her without breaking up with her >>95538>>95540"...If it was not for fact that he is snoring, you would almost think he is dead."
>>95541Skies just looks on in disbelief
>>95536"Well, it's different, and not what they are used to"
>>95543"Hmm...have you tried smacking him on ass, yet? I do not know many ponies would would be able to sleep through that."
>>95543Iron nods.
"I see. They are afraid of the different. I understand their concerns."
His vision looks up, his
"Change cannot be controlled as far as I know. Therefore some ponies avoid it, scared of what might happen."
>>95546*shrug*
>>95548She nods
"That might be. Not every pony likes zebras or foreign culture"
>>95549>>95544He looks comfused
"Oh hello. Im wet. Why am i wet?"
>>95550"Normally I say that... It's because I poured water on you, wake up"
>>95550"You passed out drunk, and Blue tried to wake you."
>>95551Dark Star laughs
"Yea you do."
>>95552"Heh, one second i was talking about getting some posters made, the next second im waking coverd in water."
>>95549He gaze is fixed to the ceiling.
"So far, things have not been so bad. I have seen most of the advantages civilization has to offer. The tools I learned not to rely on I use now after some catastrohpic failures. To be fair, the commodities are quite nice."
A small frown appears on his face.
"I hope that I do not become complacent to them and weaken myself from overrelying on them."
>>95553"Some posters? Like what?" Silver sits down in a free seat at the bar, next to Star.
>>95553"Are you alright?" she asks
>>95554"If you did, you'd be far from the only one"
>>95555Somehow... Skies is displeased
>>95555"For my campaign, its never to early to start thinking of some good propaganda."
>>95556"My flank hurts a little."
>>95557Silver smiles at him. "I was just mentioning to Skies outside about how ambitious you were."
>>95556Silver, naturally, doesn't understand why. "...Is there something wrong?"
>>95556Iron sighs.
"I know. I still remember those lazy ponies back at the bar that we beat up. The fact that I could become one of them is disturbing. To be just a whiner. A pony that cannot actually do anything but ask for everything to be brought upon my lap."
>>95559Dark Star nuzzles her
"You didn't kick me did you?"
>>95560"Yea i get it from my Dad. He was a Great pony. Wish i could have got to have a Relationship with him."
>>95562"Maybe"
>>95560She doesn't say anything, just continues standing there behind Dark Star
>>95561"Just as well, considering what happens when they
do try to do something"
>>95563Silver leans back and looks around to see if there are any other free seats at the bar. The thought occurs to him that he accidentally took the last seat without even realizing it.
>>95562Dark Star doesn't know why, but something about that statement really seems to hit Silver right in the feels.
>>95564No, there are other seats in the Bar
>>95563He shivers at the thought.
"To simply destroy everything around you because it does not tail to your interests. Those communists are disgusting."
>>95565Now Silver looks to the other side of Dark Star to see if there's anyone in that seat.
>>95567There is no pony
>>95566"Well, I can't say they are wrong about a lot of their complaints. There aren't that many opportunities for the poorer ponies, and to see the rich so rich while the poor are so poor, can be kind of disgusting"
>>95563Dark Star Grins at her
"That was Naughty,you know."
>>95564"You ok?"
>>95569She does that smile of hers
>>95570He hugs her and whispers to her
"You're gonna get it later."
>>95568Iron hums.
"I feel like the main movement leaders are simply manipulating the poor's desires to suit their own interests. They will probably stay the same after their holy revolution. Some may go up the hill, but most do not."
He looks at Cauldron.
"The pony usually has to power to improve their life by their own. After that, communities are created to improve their lives even further by checking off all skills necessary for self-sustenance. That is how my tribe was created. Although we do not have your commodities, we live free."
[1d20+3 = 17]>>95568Now Silver is
really confused.
Sense Motive: Since she's remaining reticent on what's bothering her, Silver looks for anything in her face that might tell him what's wrong.
>>95569"I, uh...no, no, I am fine, it just...you reminded me little bit of somepony I know." He turns away, visibly saddened by something. He pulls out the letter from from his son Rain again, just looking at it idly rather than reading it. Star's words echo in his head.
Wish I could have got to have a relationship with him. >>95573Dark Star pats silver on the shoulder
"Come on, you can tell me about it.i wont laugh."
>>95572"All the same, there is an ailment in this city. A creature isn't really all powerful, even over their own lives. In just about everything, we really on someone else. Someone else to grow the cassava, some one else to build the housing... someone else to own it and rent it back to us. Someone else to protect us. There's a division of labor here in this industrial system you just don't have back in primitive tribes. It's good, because it means we have better clothing, better houses, better choices of spice and so forth. But it is also bad because it means that we have to rely on those who own factories for jobs, on the government for policing, on landlords for our housing. We get more, but we have less power over our own lives. And there is no doubt that many of those who do have power aren't using it in a way that is good for us. If anything, they take from us, and leave us with less. And they leave us with few ways inside the law to get ahead. That's what those communists want, however they chose to go about it. To live free."
>>95573She seems to have wanted to sit between Silver and Star
>>95575Iron hums in thought.
"I think I get it. They want to hijack the top spot to gain the riches from them because they are not properly tended to. I do not know how your system works, but it will probably reset the cycle, only the leaders that have gained the following of the disenfranchised moving up while everyone else suffers the same treatment again from another set of ponies."
>>95574>>95575Silver takes in a deep breath, and lets it out as a sigh. Before he starts speaking, he moves to the next seat over, to allow Blue to have what she wants. "...My son, Silver Rain. After Storm died, he...became distant. Almost hostile at times, even. I could not blame him. Witnessing that would be hard on anypony, let alone for 14 year old colt. When he turned 18, he left home, and that was last I heard from him for 20 years or so. Then War happens, and when I finally come back after we had capitulated, I find this in mailbox." He motions to the letter in his hooves. He's visibly trying to hold back tears from being shed in this public place. "It is from Rain. There are many things in it, but mostly, it is about him...apologizing, for those days back then, after Storm was gone. And him...wanting to get to know to know his father again, before War started and I would send myself off to help my country's efforts. He even invited me to Las Pegasus.
"But I never got chance. It seems fates were cruel. He sent it one day before Changelings declared war on Equestria. And by time I received it, Chrysalis had already taken Las Pegasus. It simply became too dangerous, for both of us, for me to make trip down there. I...I hope to Celestia he is alright. That all my foals are alright. That I can tell them that I love them, that I have missed them, and think about them always. So that I can get chance to say things that I have yet to say, while I have chance to say them."
>>95577"Maybe. That is what the social democrats have done. They say they want to make things better for the lesser creatures, but really they just become like the old nobility and the industrialists. The communists claim they have a way out of the cycle, to bring opportunity to everycreature. I don't see or hear much of them though, so I can't say."
>>95578She sits down, a little away from the bar so that Silver and Dark Star have line of sight to each other and can come close to each other
>>95571*coo*
>>95579"Me neither, to be honest. This is mostly speculation, biased for ever putting natives in danger. I could have been targeted for being who I am because of some pony pretending to be one of us decided to kill somepony important. Thankfully, their plan was stopped for now."
>>95578"I Dont know what to say."
Dark Star pats him on the back
"Its alright, im sure they made it out."
>>95580"Did you really hear them say that?" She asks, a bit concerned
>>95578"I mean, it took them like 8 months to take Los Pegasus from the declaration of war. That's some damned slow postal service here in Equestria."
>>95582"I did. They explicitly said to disguise themselves as natives and use something called 'gueh-ree-la' tactics to ambush business ponies into antagonizing me and my kind, just to shorten the supply of black fluid."
>>95584"Damn... that's pretty ruthless. Then again, I can't say that I haven't seen things done like that in the criminal world on a smaller scale"
>>95581Underneath the olive drab button-up shirt he's wearing, Silver feels quite warm and...fluffy? His face and head look a little fluffy, too, when Star takes another look at him. He seems to enjoy the pats, and the comfort he receives from them. "Thank you, Star. I hope, more than anything, they're still out there...even if...even if I know it's unlikely." He can't hold back a sniff, even if he's valiantly guarding himself against a waterfall of tears.
>>95583"I was out in field when it arrived in mail. I did not get it until I had arrived back home, after War's end."
>>95586Dark Star being a little drunk, Hugs silver.
>>95579He pets blue
>>95585Iron nods.
"I am not worried if you ever did that. You are a fine mare to have around."
He smiles at her.
"You seem quite honest overall. You never did rat me out to the mademares when I said I would visit them. It never crossed your mind that we may have gone and hurt them at all. You trust me. I trust you."
His gaze turns upwards again.
"I guess it makes me slightly selfish to allow ones to do things like that while others do not since it involves me."
>>95587And Silver, not being drunk, hugs him right back. Eeyup, Silver definitely feels soft, fluffy, and warm. A little bit like a really big stuffed animal doll.
>>95587*is pet*
>>95586She has no response
>>95588She makes an awkward smile, then blushes
"No... it's... it's natural to care more about the things that are closer to you than those things that are further away"
>>95590He breaks slightly away from Dark Star's embrace, though not entirely. "That would be my winter coat." With his magic, Silver undoes the top couple buttons on his shirt and pulls it apart, letting his thick chest fluff practically explode outwards. It looks
incredibly soft, and it's of such a volume that it hides all but the very worst of his scars well. "See? This weather down here has it little bit confused, as it took while to actually come in, but it has come in nicely."
>>95591Iron chuckles lightly.
"Sorry If I am being too sappy. I think my super tough macho pony persona left with the blood. It should come back tomorrow."
His smile turns warmer.
"You look cute when you blush."
He sighs a little.
"I know it is. But from what you say, there are many more important ponies to care about that will hurt your closest ones. Hit the insolent pony that tarnished my name will probably hinder the ones closer to me due to this network of connections. It is honestly dizzying."
>>95593She shrugs and looks away, then does a smile at the “cute” remark.
“It can be quite a thing to keep track of, yes”
>>95594Iron keeps his warm smile at her positive response.
(Glad she likes the compliment.)
"Practice makes perfect. How do you think I got these legs?"
He pulls out one foreleg from the top blanket and flexes it, then realizes he has to do the whole cover the top body again and chuckles.
"Mind still needs some learning though."
He attempts to place the blanket on top of him except for his head again.
I think Star is ded. Silver's overwhelming fluff killed him.
F
>>95595“And your first lesson is don’t try to fight a tiger”
>>95596F
Skies pulls up a hoof, finds she doesn’t have a drink, then sets it down
>>95598Iron chuckles some more.
"You are right about that. At least for now. Soon
I shall beat the tiger instead of the other way around."
>>95598Silver, noticing this, calls Glass over. "Hey, can we get two whiskeys over here, please? One for me, and one for my friend."
>>95600She give Silver that malign grin, then takes her glass. Silver, likewise gets a glass
>>95599“... And it sounds like you still haven’t learned”
>>95601Iron grins.
"We always have to push our limits to become better. Tell me you never tried going for harder and harder targets to extract cash from or sneaking into buildings with higher and higher security."
>>95601Silver gives her a "come on" look, before laughing and raising his glass to her in a toast. "To great drinks, and even better friends."
>>95602“I can safely say I never purposefully did that.”
>>95603She hesitates for a moment. Then she raises her glass
“To friends”
>>95604Iron facehooves himself.
"Right. I was using the sidejob as an example. How about making harder and harder Zebrican recipies and poitons?"
>>95604With that, Silver takes a drink of his whiskey, letting the smooth, burning liquid wet his throat on its way down and quench that special thirst he has for drink.
>>95606Iron cocks his head.
"You do not sound like you had much success."
>>95608“Well, there are only so many opportunities when there are other things to take care of”
>>95607Skies finishes her sip quickly