The P-Files

Yeah, it seems to be a bit quit around here lately.

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'A griffon with a sense of style? Who knew?'

Clue Seeker watched Buck become a bit sentimental about his choice in clothes and not knowing much about it himself, he decided to change to a different subject. A risky one but it might be usefull in the long run.

"Say Buck, you wouldn't happen to be related to another griffon also called Quicksilver, do you? A big, burly one with silvery wings?"

---

So Ramsus is back Tuesday at best, Masterweaver is still MIA, XandZero2 has classes to teach (if I recall correctly) and Cardbo, Dr. Blight and me just post whenever it's convenient.

Meh, we'll be okay ^^

Demonu wrote:
"Say Buck, you wouldn't happen to be related to another griffon also called Quicksilver, do you? A big, burly one with silvery wings?"

The feathers around Buck's throat bristled up slightly at that, and the Griffon quickly shook his head - a little too quickly, Clue Seeker thought.

"No." Buck muttered, "Never heard a' nopony like that."

-Clue Seeker was sure Buck was hiding something ((aka - you made your perception check)).

Buck glanced back, "Why you ask?" His voice wasn't angry - but unsteady, nervous.

"The name and physical similarities mostly." Said Clue Seeker as he watched the scenery pass by. Or so he would appear, as he was actually keeping a close watch on the griffon from the corner of his eye. He knew he was on to something when the feathers on Buck's neck bristled up.

"I met him a while back." Clue Seeker continued, "Had a bit of a run-in with the police but seemed like a good fellow nonetheless. He was an interesting one to say the least."

Clue Seeker turned his head to look at Buck. "I'm just wondering what happened to him, that's all."

---

I'm guessing this needs a Persuasion check? [14 + 13 Persuasion = 27]

"Oh yeah?"

Buck turned to face Clue Seeker, regarding him for a long moment. He glanced at Whisper for a second (she'd remained silent so far), then returned his gaze to Clue Seeker and shrugged.

"What do I have to lose? They'll figure it out once we get to New Orreigns anyway." Buck looked out at the swamp and shook his head. "The police ponies'll be waiting at the station..." He closed his one good eye and took a deep breath, "What happened to Quicksilver? He wanted to escape the cops, start over, live a good life - and he had such a good thing going too. But I just went and had to buck it all up..." Buck's claws clenched, "I told you already. The name's Quicksilver. Buck Quicksilver. I am the silver Griffon."

Buck unclenched his claws, then looked back at Clue Seeker and Whisper. "So? What now?"

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((Is Dr Blight MIA too? Haven't heard from him in a while either. Man, we got players dropping like flies! Am I doing something wrong?))

I have no idea. Maybe you all live in a natural disaster area?

Certainly isn't anything you're doing.

---

'Figured as much. The scar and mood swings were a dead give away but check and double check, as my dear mama always says.'

"So you dyed your feathers then?" Clue Seeker responded in a matter-of-fact voice. "Doesn't really matter, really."

He watched Buck clench and unclench his claws "So? What now?"

"Now nothing." remarked Clue Seeker as he turned his gaze back to the passing trees. "As far as I'm concerned, there was a quarrel with a fellow passenger that got resolved peacefully and nothing more."

A smile crept up upon Clue Seeker's lips. "Besides, everypony deserves a second chance."

'I should know...'

((Not sure when (and maybe if?) I'm going to lose power, so I'm trying to get as many posts in as possible before anything happens))

"A second... chance?"

Buck stared at Clue Seeker, clearly surprised. He took a deep breath and relaxed. "I am sorry for what I did."

He paused, lowering his gaze, shaking his head. "I... I've always had trouble with tight spaces... Always feels like the walls are closing in, like I'm trapped, like I don't have anywhere to go. I can't breath, I can't think - I just panic. I never could take being confined inside. I wasn't meant for that... And with a size like mine, anyplace seems like a tight space...

"That's always how I'd got into so much trouble before. I didn't mean to hurt anypony... I'd be trapped someplace and just lose it."

Buck sniffed, and a tear dropped to the train roof.

"I thought I was getting better. I thought this time I was just going to hide in the cabin, stay calm, focus on just getting through the ride in peace... But then, when I heard that train attendant knock on the door, the knock came again and again, and felt like it was pounding into my skull.

"-I couldn't take it. I snapped..."

There was a pause, and then Buck added, "But I feel a lot better out here. It just feels so..." he smiled faintly, "right."

"I'm sorry I roared at you two..." The massive black and red Griffon rubbed one meaty arm with his talons, and glanced timidly up at Whisper, his eye watering. "And I'm really sorry I made you cry, miss."

"Oh, um, it's ok." responded Whisper, not realizing that she probably couldn't be heard at all speaking that quietly with the rushing winds and the noise of the train.

Whisper began pacing around as she talked, "It's funny, well not really at all really I suppose, that you say that there's only the one who makes custom orders that size now. There used be plenty of tailors who took custom orders back before Mike showed up. I mean, probably not a lot but, you could find almost anything if you looked and asked around before. I'm sorry. I'm sure you're fond of him and I'm sure you're loyal to him and all. I'm not trying to anger you again. I don't want to get you in any more trouble. In fact, I'd even be willing to help you avoid any policepony encounters. That'd be best for you and them I think. It always helps to try to avoid trouble. That's actually the thing. I want to help my home and Mike is hurting a lot of people. People I used to know and helped out a lot. And I wouldn't want that to all go to waste. I'm sorry I'm sort of rambling. I just meant to say-"

((Persuasion check? = 9+13 = 22))

and then Whisper wandered right off the edge of the train "-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH." she scream and followed it up with, "Oof." as the rope caught her and took the wind out of her. She just dangled there as stars? birds? starbirds (that's the ticket!) swirled in her vision. (Yes, that's right. She screams barely louder than normal speaking volume. What about it huh!?)

Buck watched on and tried following what Whisper had to say, but it wasn't easy keeping up with her train of thought, and he was getting dizzy just watching her. He felt kind of funny, but not in a claustrophobic sort of way, and eventually he just had to stop and shake himself. She'd muttered something and he thought it was an acceptance of his apology - but then she started talking about other tailors and Big Mike and helping (even him?) and...

Ramsus wrote:and then Whisper wandered right off the edge of the train "-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH." she screamed and followed it up with, "Oof."

-But before she'd let out more than her initial scream, Buck's one good eye had homed in on her. He spread his wings and dove off the side of the train, intending to sweep back his wings and plummet straight down after her if he must - but then Whisper's tether caught and she jerked back against the train.

Buck shot out his wings, broke, and pulled out of his dive, then flipped in the air and shot back up towards Whisper at an angle. He snatched her up in his arms like a baby foal, and without a moment's hesitation. Then he kept flying straight up, soaring over the train car, adjusting his speed to match the trains, and then descending gently on his hind talons.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Buck looked down at the pony in his arms, concern in his eye. "You okay... Whisper?"

He said the name uncertainly, as if wondering whether it were the right thing to do.

((Would have waited for Demonu to post first, but the opportunity to show off Buck's flying was too good to pass up.))

*cough cough* Whisper winced a bit in pain, "More or less. Thank you for the....lift Buck. Sorry about that." She pulled her tail up by her face to try and hide her embarrassment, "Sometimes I just-" she broke off mid sentence and started looking around in a slightly panicked way. "Uh oh. Where did it go? Where is it?"

((I was thinking, should I do anything to make Chitin's spoken lines more noticeable? Make them bold or a different color or something maybe? Or no?))

---

Chitin gave a little wave back whenever Happy turned back towards them. The yellow mare had enough energy and quirks that it made her a little hard to deal with, but she was fun. Chitin gave a little nod to herself as Happy disappeared from sight and turned to the two ponies beside her. "Yes, I'd like to know more about him before I potentially go offering to work for him." She turned to face each one as they spoke before shaking her head a little. "You two must've known each other for a long time to be able to finish each others sentences like that."Chitin mused out loud as she stepped past them into the cabin. She looked around the cabin quietly as she stepped in, eyes darting about quickly to get the lay of the room before stepping up to an empty chair and hopping up.

---

((I figure that takes a perception check? 15((roll))+11((perception))=26. If it doesn't ignore this then?))

"What is it?" Clue Seeker inquired when he saw Whisper working up a panic. "What did you drop?"

Whisper whipped around to respond to Clue Seeker, her tail flipping right past his face. As the custard pie flew out of it right at Clue Seeker's face she said in a relieved tone, "Oh. There it is."

((I really wanted to declare it hit Clue Seeker in the face and then she reacted to it but, that wouldn't be fair to Demonu, so he gets the choice about that.))

Ramsus wrote:Whisper whipped around to respond to Clue Seeker, her tail flipping right past his face. As the custard pie flew out of it right at Clue Seeker's face she said in a relieved tone, "Oh. There it is."

((I really wanted to declare it hit Clue Seeker in the face and then she reacted to it but, that wouldn't be fair to Demonu, so he gets the choice about that.))

Well, let's roll Acrobatics to dodge but seeing how Clue Seeker only has 5 in that attribute, chances are it will hit. [9 + 5 Acrobatics = 14]
Damn, that's just not enough to pass easy. Oh well.

---

Clue Seeker wandered over to Whisper to see what all the fuzz was about. He was just about the help her search for whatever she had lost as a faint scent distracted him.

'Custard pie?'

But before he could dwell further upon this discovery, a piece of pie flew out of Whisper's tail, hitting Clue Seeker full on the face.

"Oops." said Whisper in an apologetic yet, practiced manner.

Dr Blight wrote:((I was thinking, should I do anything to make Chitin's spoken lines more noticeable? Make them bold or a different color or something maybe? Or no?))

((DB, it's entirely up to you. If you change your dialogue's color though, make sure that it's legible against a white background. You don't want to give your readers eye-strain))

Back inside the train...

Dr Blight wrote:"You two must've known each other for a long time to be able to finish each others sentences like that."Chitin mused out loud as she stepped past them into the cabin.

At Chitin's words, Mook sighed. "We're doing it again?"

Minion turned to Mook and cocked his head, "Are we?"

"I can't believe it."

"Me Neither."

"Not again."

"Every time."

"Why can't you ever let me-"

"-finish a sentence?"

"Ugh."

"Pffft."

As Chitin took a look around, she caught sight of the luggage packed in the overhead compartments - black dufflebags sitting side-by-side that matched Mook and Minion's black suits perfectly, and another bag - one with hot-rod flames - that lay opposite them. There was also a pile of clothing lying across one of the bench seats - massive, griffon-sized flight jackets (some with wool-lined interiors that looked like clouds), leather boots, gloves, and goggles - all decked out in hot-rod flames or racing stripes; and the way the clothing was strewn about the seat, it all seemed to resemble a kind of nest.

As Chitin sat down next to this 'nest,' she noticed there was something else, barely peeking out from between two jackets - was that a... stuffed animal?

Mook and Minion followed Chitin into the cabin and took seats opposite her.

"Sorry for the sentence thing," Mook said as he got settled in.

Minion nodded. "It's not something we like to do in public."

"It's a hard habit to break." Mook added.

"Gets a lot of laughs at the company parties though," Minion admitted.

"We used to work as curators in a 'haunted' house." Mook made air-quotes with his hooves at the word 'haunted'.

"Our boss thought we looked like the twins straight out of one of those horror movies."

"You know? Like one of the ones directed by Alfred Hitchhorse?"

"So he thought we should learn to finish each others' sentences."

"Talk in unison." Mook and Minion actually said this part in unison.

"Our boss said it 'added to the ambiance,'" Mook continued, "and what can you say?"

Minion shrugged, "It was a living."

"So Ms. Trek..." Mook paused a moment and stared at Minion, then cleared his throat, "You want to know more about Mr. Mike? Well, one thing we can tell you is that working for Mr. Mike definitely beats working for our old boss."

"Definitely," Minion nodded. "For one thing, the pay's a lot better."

"-Best in the city." Mook nodded.

"Mr. Mike also has a very generous insurance package for his employees."

"-It even includes dental."

"And there's plenty of room for promotion as well."

"Indeed."

"The job's a fulfilling one too. We don't just sit at cubicles all day twiddling our hooves. Sometimes we get to go out around town and actually meet with ponies face-to-face. That's especially the case for those tasked with security - like us."

"Mr. Mike also believes in giving back to the community. Each month, every employee has to put in a set amount of volunteer work at the local shelters."

"Sure. It can be a bit of a hassle sometimes, but most of the work's pretty rewarding."

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Back up atop the train, as the wind rushed past and the sun sunk lower in the sky, Buck had blushed when Whisper thanked him, but now he scratched his head with one talon, completely lost and apparently caught right in the middle of some form of stand-up routine.

"Ummm..." He tried to keep a straight face, not knowing whether he should laugh or remain silent - though he couldn't stop a faint grin from spreading across his beak. Did she do that on purpose? - was all he could think at the time.

OOC: so what was the point of throwing a piece of pie into Clue Seeker's face?

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Clue Seeker stood still for a moment, trying to process what happened. He stuck his tongue out and licked a little bit of his lips.

"Custard pie." he mumbled as he sampled the food in his mouth. "Personally, I'm more a fan of strawberry-chocolate."

He took out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and wiped his face clean.

((Uh.....character establishment? I dunno. Does pie in the face need a reason really? Whisper had pie. It needed to land on someone's face. Clue Seeker's was conveniently a there face to be pie-faced.))

"Strawberry-chocolate." Whisper repeats, making a mental note.

"Uh....sorry about all of that. These things just happen to us all sometimes right? So...Buck, did any of what I said make sense to you?"

Buck cocked his head to one side, staring at Whisper for a long moment.

"Custard... Pie?" He raised his one good eyebrow and grinned. "You had a custard pie... in your tail? If it's not too much trouble, uh," the Griffon glanced down and scratched his head, then looked back up, "Can I... can I ask why exactly?"

"Hmm? Oh, because I made it this morning." said Whisper helpfully. She let that sink in for a moment as if she was just going to leave it hanging there. Then she grinned and said, "Sorry. Just pulling your leg there. Well, I did make it this morning. But, you never know when a pie will come in handy. Or at least the tin. It's a multipurpose problem solving tool." "Like the rope." she concluded, as if it was a common opinion that pies and their tins were as useful as rope.

((I figure at this point Buck and Clue Seeker could roll something to remember that she'd pulled the rope out of tail too.))

OOC: out of curiosity before we move on, how long before we arrive in New Orreigns?

Demonu wrote:OOC: out of curiosity before we move on, how long before we arrive in New Orreigns?

((Not too much longer. Should be another hour or so. You'll be arriving after dark though. You're certain of that. Why you asking? Ready to get away from Whisper the pie fiend? (; In all honesty, I planned to let you guys get done with Buck, then zip to the end of the line))

Buck was still standing on his hind legs, and now he folded his arms across his burly chest, letting his wings lie half-open, relishing the feel of the wind rushing through his feathers. He closed his eye and laughed.

"You're something, Whisper." He opened his eye and nodded. "I like you."

Then Buck seemed to catch himself, and he quickly spun around, turning his back on both ponies (Perception Check - only Clue Seeker passed).

"But that doesn't solve my problem. You seem sincere enough, but even if you don't report me, the other passengers surely will. I'd fly off here and now, if I weren't protecting Big Mike's cargo, but as it is," Buck looked down, seemingly toying with his talons, "maybe I should just give myself up... I don't want to cause any more trouble..."

Well, a change of scenery would be nice about now, especially if you want to introduce new players. Doesn't mean you'll have to rush it though.

---

'Now that's rather peculiar.'

"I can vouch for you." Clue Seeker suddenly piped up. "I actually have some ties with the police so if you have any trouble, let me know."

"Hold on." said Clue Seeker as he fumbled around around inside his pockets before pulling out a small, rectangular piece of paper. "Here's my card."

But before he handed it over, Clue Seeker retracted his hoof. "Almost forgot."

He took a black marker and scibbled something on the card. "This is the place where you can find me in New Orreigns."

After giving the card to Buck, Clue Seeker started to walk back to the ladder at the end of the carriage. "Well, I guess I'll head back downstairs to see what Dreamsmoke Glitter is up to."

He untied the rope around his body and handed it back to Whisper. "Thanks for the rope and the slice of pie, Miss Whisper. I do hope we'll meet each other again in New Orreigns one of the following days."

Clue Seeker descended the ladder. "Tada!" He said before ducking out of sight completely. He then continued to make his way back to the train cabin where his suitcase was located, passing by Coffee Mug on the way. He gave a slight nod before heading towards the cabin door. He slid the door open, to see Dreamsmoke Glitter apparently still being lost in her own little world.

'This is going to be an interesting vacation.'

---

Edit: fixed continuity with Coffee Mug. Been so long that you've been here, I didn't remember that

Demonu wrote:
Clue Seeker descended the ladder. "Tada!" He said before ducking out of sight completely. He then continued to make his way back to the train cabin where his suitcase was located. He slid the door open, only to see Coffee Mug staring out the window and Dreamsmoke Glitter apparently still being lost in her own little world.

[/i]

OOC: You would've passed Coffee in the hallway on the way back. He's headed towards the caboose to watch the sunset and watch the stars.

Whisper waved Clue Seeker goodbye (for now, they do still share a cabin on the train). She turned back to Buck and said, "Heehee, thanks. I don't especially want to help out Big Mike but, it is sort of our fault you're in this trouble. I could deliver the package for you. I'm sure those other two who were with you would make sure I did it. If you need to find me later I have a house in Vieux Mare’ near Blackhoof Cemetery and at the edge of the river. Just ask around and I'm sure someone could point you the right way." (That's right femaledogponies! I have a house! And yeah, I know it's a canal but, I'm sure ponies being people are lazy and just go "it's a passage with water in....river.")

"Though, I think you might want to re-think your relationship with Big Mike. He had to know this wouldn't end well for you, don't you think?"

((Persuasion: 9 + nat 20! + if necessary Magic Point +10 = 29/39. Though, I'm not sure even this would necessarily be enough to cause him to switch sides. Still, hopefully it'll contribute to my slow undermining of his loyalties and conversion to Whisper's cause.))

"Don't worry about it. It doesn't really bother me any. besides I......" Chitin trailed off for a moment noticing the stuffed animal. She slowly began reaching a hoof out towards it to get a better look but shook her head and the last minute and pulled it back. "...I think it's kinda interesting! You have to know somepony very well to be able to do something like that" Chitin was silent as she listened to them talk. Once they seemed to finish, she flicked an ear for a moment taking it all in. "Hmm. I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting all of that. He sounds like a pretty decent minotaur. That's a relief! I was worried this job would have me shaking somepony down for protection money or the like." Chitin laughed a little then blinked and stopped, tilting her head a little as she thought. "The word I got was he looking for hired muscle, you two said you're in security. Would you have any idea what he might need it for. Especially considering he has someone like Buck working for him already."

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((Is that color easy to see? I'm curious about what's going to happen when we get to New Orreigns.))