Who You Gonna Call?

Bronymous wrote:Gallows shrugs at the waiter, grinning. Hallows finishes off the majority of her food, and looks over at Chronos, SPEAKER OF ALL SYLLABLES. "Oh, what, so now you want to get to know me a little better?"

"We had a good few minutes together," said Chronos, TARGET OF ALL MENUS, rubbing his face after the menu hit it. "I'd love to spend more time to get to know you, especially after my talk in... Two hours, twenty-four minutes, and forty-seven seconds."

The waiter grabs the check (and any bits that might be on it) and runs back to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, across town...

...well, a couple blocks away...

...White Whisper arrived at his destination. Which was, approximately, the end of the block.

Alright, fine, he didn't have any particular destination in mind at the moment. White Whisper was witlessly wandering worriedly westward without west rest, looking for something in particular.

Not sex. Not violence. Certainly not a cavalcade, and most certainly not a running gag. White Whisper wanted...

Spoiler:

"Uh... Ok? I thought you..." Hallows trails off, unsure of what the BEFRIENDER OF ALL JACKALS was getting at. She finishes her meal in silence, giving Chronos more than a few sidelong glances. "I guess... I'll see you later?" "Ok, done? Should we get going now?" The second question was directed at Rhinestone, who was clearly de Facto group leader for the time being.

AProcrastinatingWriter wrote:Not sex. Not violence. Certainly not a cavalcade, and most certainly not a running gag. White Whisper wanted...

Spoiler:

It's not hard to find a pub in Las Pegasus. In fact, Whisper is standing in front of one styled after Trottingham pubs of old.

Bronymous wrote:"I guess... I'll see you later?" "Ok, done? Should we get going now?" The second question was directed at Rhinestone, who was clearly de Facto group leader for the time being.

Elacular wrote:"Yeah. That sounds good. We can head back to the hotel and tell the grown ups what we found out. Uh...assuming I can find our way back that is. I don't suppose you guys have super hotel findy senses do you?"

"I can help. Just tell me what hotel you're after and I'll get you there in no time."

"It's the uh... Sam..." "Sam...Sara? Samora?" The twins venture, getting up from the table.

Rhinestone clacked one hoof on the ground. "Samara! Yeah, that was what it was called! That's where we're staying. Maverick's gotten us rooms and stuff and everything."

"I know where that is!" said Chronos, IDENTIFIER OF ALL HOTELS. "Now follow me - it's go time!"

Chronos, ESCORT OF ALL PCS, leads the way to the Samara, getting Rhinestone, Hallows, and Gallows to the front door in about ten minutes.

"I don't know about you, but I certainly had a good time," said Chronos, CATCHER OF ALL CATCHPHRASES. "Do you want to meet back up sometime later?"

From what Rhinestone and the twins can tell, his offer seems genuine.

Hallows blinks. "...nnnnnn...yes. I think. Do you... sure."

Even as thick as she was, Rhinestone could sense the spark of something between Hallows and Chronos. She wriggled her eyebrows at the jackal before bowing slightly to Chronos. "Thank you very much. You've been an excellent help. We'll be more than happy to rid your warehouse of the spectral issues you've been having as soon as our team is well rested."

"Oh, of course! Take your time!" said Chronos.

He tries to give Hallows a nice pat on the head, but again, has no idea what to do with his hooves. After a few seconds of awkwardness he heads off... into the Samara, actually. A few more seconds pass.

"Wow, someone could take the time to clean this up!" shouted Chronos.

By now, Maverick ((And presumably Sweet Puff)) has already settled into his room, unaware of Chronos, MASTER OF ALL UNDERSTATEMENTS. He is, instead, examining Sweet Puff's bag with a modified M.E.D.S., wondering if and why is it so strongly magnetic to lift things off the ground...

Mechanics:

Crystalite wrote:By now, Maverick ((And presumably Sweet Puff)) has already settled into his room, unaware of Chronos, MASTER OF ALL UNDERSTATEMENTS. He is, instead, examining Sweet Puff's bag with a modified M.E.D.S., wondering if and why is it so strongly magnetic to lift things off the ground...

The bag itself should not be magnetic - Maverick has seen several other bags like it that have no such magnetic force. However, it IS magnetic, and nothing in the bag seems to be magnetic, so something must have charged this bag with enough powerful magnetism that it selectively attracts metallic objects, and since Maverick doesn't remember Sweet Puff or her bag passing by any strong magnetic forces he can deduce that whatever did this must be powerful enough to leave a lingering effect that lasts for at least a couple of days, probably more. Strangely enough, only a few metallic objects that passed by the bag seemed attracted, but size doesn't seem to have an effect - several small metal objects around the size of Wint and Kidd's guns were on the train and they weren't attracted to it. The force seems to be time-delayed, turning on and off at certain intervals, with "on" lasting only for a few minutes at a time.

Maverick is not familiar with any force (beyond the theoretical) that could charge up the bag with magnetism, and have such a strong and lasting effect. Which is saying something, because he studied and looked up a LOT of different magnetic field generators and found none that currently exist and could have made the bag magnetic. There's one other mystery to the bag as well - Maverick has never seen any kind of luggage that matches Sweet Puff's bag's exact design.

---

tl;dr you know how the magnetism works (it's the bag, it's strong, and it's intermittent) but have no concrete idea what caused it.

The twins watch him enter, and then whisper a bit to each other. At one point, Gallows reaches up and flicks his sister's ear. She retaliates with a paw to the back of the head, and then runs inside the casino. "So where is our room, anyway?"

Bronymous wrote:The twins watch him enter, and then whisper a bit to each other. At one point, Gallows reaches up and flicks his sister's ear. She retaliates with a paw to the back of the head, and then runs inside the casino. "So where is our room, anyway?"

The rooms are clearly labeled on the keys

The keys have been left hanging on a nearby hangar, next to a terrified unicorn manning the front desk. Either this place runs on the honor system or nopony has been through here in a while to take them. Chronos, OBSERVER OF ALL LOBBIES, is examining the damage.

Gallows walks in in time to see Hallows grab a key. She looks at the room number, and then walks over to Chronos. "So...are you coming?" She asks hesitantly. Gallows shakes his head and waits for her.

Bronymous wrote:Gallows walks in in time to see Hallows grab a key. She looks at the room number, and then walks over to Chronos. "So...are you coming?" She asks hesitantly. Gallows shakes his head and waits for her.

"I'd love to, but not right now," said Chronos. "I have some meeting here I'm supposed to be the keynote speaker for. But I'm sure I can get done with that and back to you in no time."

"Oh...alright then." Gallows walks up and begins pushing his sister away. "Ok, let's go, then. See you later Time Guy."

---

The twins go up to their room. Ready for timeskip.

The night afternoon nap goes well for all involved... mostly. Bell Mare spends a lot of her time at a marathon drum session involving soap, shampoo, and other assorted bathroom implements, and White Whisper stumbles back into the hotel, drunk and rather loud. But as the twins wake up, they find a note slipped under their door.

Note wrote:Sorry - had to head for factory. Tempest got in a huff when I suggested I might want to meet up - said there wasn't any time. I'll be hanging around there, though - I guess I'm supposed to be a guide of some sort! Anyway, I attached a map if you didn't already have one.

Hope to see you soon!

Chronos, MASTER OF ALL TIME

It should only take a few minutes for everypony to prepare and meet up somewhere in (or immediately outside) the hotel and share information - like the map, Chronos' identity and employer status, and Tempest's refusal to give any more information than "ghosts are in the factory".

The twins look rather refreshed, though still drowsy as they meet the others. "So Chronos... isn't meeting us later, but he should be at the factory." Hallows hands over his note. "I guess he's going to help us there." The twins pointedly stand so that Rhinestone is between them and Maverick.

White Whisper woke up and immediately wished he hadn't, which from what he understood was a pretty standard response to his "condition". Which was to say his massive hangover brought on by binge-drinking, to shatter what little innocence some of you might have had left.

...no, wait, that was the sign around his neck that read "No Solicitors" that did that.

Anywho, the half-ghost, half-alcohol gently clammored to his feet, which wasn't a word but sure felt like what he was doing. Heck, he'd even go so far as to call his shaky standing "wackeling", but to do either of those things, he'd have to talk, and that would require opening his eyes and inhaling, which was the painful kind of logic that only made sense eight tenths of the way into a hangover.

With the utmost gentleness and a careful sort of concentration that mostly just made his headache worse, White Whisper levitated a cigarette from his pocket and placed it betwixt trembling lips, which sounds a lot more flowery and careful than the lightning bolt path the smoke traced on its way up. Taking that deep breath in and opening his eyes to the harsh bright reality of the light-streaming windows, the pony finally spoke in a thin, dry voice.

"Anypony get the number of that calvacade?"

Maverick glanced at the note. "Well. I suppose we'd best get going. As soon as Whisper and Sweet Puff wake up and get down here from hangovers and sugar crashes, respectively..."

Rhinestone ambled downstairs, looking a good bit more rested than before. She very carefully put herself in the middle of the group before stretching, her spine popping and groaning. "Morning or...whatever."

Good whatever, Bell Made.

Sweet Puff zooms over to the group, suddenly stopping in mid-air and buzzing in place. She has a small bag around her, filled full with what seems to be candy, as she periodically pulls out a piece and noms it. She is probably way too hyper for this hour, but she's also still a filly. "Morning!"

Bronymous wrote:The twins look rather refreshed, though still drowsy as they meet the others. "So Chronos... isn't meeting us later, but he should be at the factory." Hallows hands over his note. "I guess he's going to help us there." The twins pointedly stand so that Rhinestone is between them and Maverick.

Crystalite wrote:Maverick glanced at the note. "Well. I suppose we'd best get going. As soon as Whisper and Sweet Puff wake up and get down here from hangovers and sugar crashes, respectively..."

AProcrastinatingWriter wrote:With the utmost gentleness and a careful sort of concentration that mostly just made his headache worse, White Whisper levitated a cigarette from his pocket and placed it betwixt trembling lips, which sounds a lot more flowery and careful than the lightning bolt path the smoke traced on its way up. Taking that deep breath in and opening his eyes to the harsh bright reality of the light-streaming windows, the pony finally spoke in a thin, dry voice.

"Anypony get the number of that calvacade?"

Copper Rose wrote:Sweet Puff zooms over to the group, suddenly stopping in mid-air and buzzing in place. She has a small bag around her, filled full with what seems to be candy, as she periodically pulls out a piece and noms it. She is probably way too hyper for this hour, but she's also still a filly. "Morning!"

Elacular wrote:Rhinestone ambled downstairs, looking a good bit more rested than before. She very carefully put herself in the middle of the group before stretching, her spine popping and groaning. "Morning or...whatever."

Good whatever, Bell Made.

It's about to get a lot better!"

With everypony gathered in what they were pretty sure was that morning, it looked like they were ready to head out for the factory a few miles west. Sugar highs, hangovers, and slightly ominous poltergeists notwithstanding.