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#Post#: 582--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Insidious Penumbra Date: January 13, 2014, 6:37 pm
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Lamplight and Ruby were not the only ones wandering the foggy
streets of Ponyville late at night; in fact, having quite a
large amount of trouble navigating through the thick fog that
lay over the unfamiliar town, was a dark green unicorn stallion
in hooded robes, with the hood pulled back to reveal his face
set in an expression of confusion, as he peered and squinted
into the fog.
"Bit chilly out, huh Nev?" The stallion commented to the raven
perched on his shoulder, his voice not particularly relaxed, as
if he was suspicious of this fog's origins. Generally, in his
experience, nasty creatures liked to hide in thick fog, and amb-
... No, he wasn't here for work, and so he should stop thinking
about it, and concentrate on finding somepony to talk to.
Speaking of..
Squinting, Insidious spotted two figures in the fog, standing as
if they planned to walk together through the darkened and foggy
streets. It struck him as a little odd that ponies would be up
this late, during the Witching Hour, it seemed, a time when the
superstitious believed the barrier between the living and the
dead was weaker, and unquiet spirits could be seen in greater
abundance. Essentially, ghost-sighting peak hour.
The dark green stallion with the near-black eyes moved in
closer, trotting casually towards the pair, the fog parting
around him as he approached and revealing the two mares who it
seemed had finished agreeing on something or another.
They were an odd looking pair, although he was hardly one to
talk, and as his dark eyes settled on each of them in turn, his
smile ff interest and greeting widened: There was an older
orange mare, and a younger magenta one, the younger one
apparently rather a fan of snakes, if the pale python resting on
her back was any indication.
When he was close enough that he would be noticeable, even with
the fog in the way, the stallion coughed politely, and spoke up,
voice friendly, despite his intimidating appearance (featuring
hooded robes, scar-coated forelegs, a creepy looking raven, and
eyes almost as dark as the gloom around the three of them).
"Good evening, or, good morning, rather." He commented, grinning
a little at already having met two new ponies in town, although
the younger mare did give off a vibe (aided by her clearly
occult cutie mark) which made him slightly suspicious.. Ah, no
matter, the other mare seemed normal enough, and he was on
holidays, no time to fuss over whether or not this mare was some
kind of necromancer. Besides, they'd just met, blurting such a
question would probably seem a little rude.
#Post#: 584--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Ruby Fortuna Date: January 13, 2014, 9:50 pm
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXjSBAqRnLI
Ruby let a half smile spread across her lips as Lamp agreed to
come with her. The more the merrier after all, especially when
it came to tracking down these witches that were supposed to
come at this hour. If there was one thing they were supposed to
like, it was the chance to create more thralls for themselves,
and what group of self-respecting hags could pass up both the
youthfulness of Ruby and the potential servitude and services of
the innkeeper? The answer should be none whatsoever, and on a
night like this, if none could show up at all, then there were
no hags in Ponyville with whom Ruby can study, and that would be
quite disappointing.
When the albino python was able to situate itself on Ruby's
back, it coiled up as tightly as it could before resting its
head on her shoulder, just underneath her mane that hung in
burgundy curtains. She didn't pay the snake any mind as it went
about its resituation as she was used to the fact that it
practically climbed all over her, and clung tightly to her as
she began to walk with Lamp, deeper into the thick fog. Soon,
they were engulfed by the low billowing clouds, and one could
only see five feet in front of themselves. Either the weather
team was slacking off for the night, or this fog cloud was
simply too thick to handle, and thus moved uncontested
throughout the streets of the quiet suburb.
The fog rolled around them as they walked, going in no
particular direction other than around the town, though Ruby
seemed to be preferring paths that led around large, open areas,
getting closer and closer to the cemetary with each step. While
one could focus on a particular wisp of fog, it would disappear
completely within the next few seconds. It felt almost as if
something was stalking them, as if they were being watched with
eyes that could pierce the thick gray. Somewhere in the center
of town, the clock tower struck three, and the resulting bell
sounding made Ruby stop in her tracks. BONG! It was such a clear
sound as it rung through the town. BONG! Ruby took a long, deep
breath, breathing in the moisture that hung in the air. BONG!
"The witching hour is upon us."
As she said that, she could feel herself relaxing, growing
slightly more confident in both step and navigation. This was
the hour she knew best, and felt the most comfortable at this
time. Even her reptilian friend upon her back showed some
activity, lifting its head from under her tresses to taste the
air with its flicking tongue. Ruby looked over to Lamplight, her
expression now that of mischievous wonder as her wide-eyes
betrayed just how excited she was, opening her mouth as though
to say something, but the snake shifting its attention to
something else once more stopped her, and she paused to watch it
out of the corner of her eye.
Her smile widened as the gaze of the snake did not move from a
certain direction in the fog, her lips eventually parting to
mutter in a rich, quiet tone, "Oh... Pharasma, do you smell
something? Perhaps... a rat?" She giggled in her throat, giving
Lamplight one last look, daring her to come along, "This way,
miss Lamp, I feel we will encounter what we seek soon enough..."
With that, her throaty giggling accompanied her even deeper into
the fog in the direction that seemed to hold the python's
interest. She was getting close, she could see a figure standing
in the shadows of the fog...
Then it spoke. Not in the spine-chilling voice of a spirit, nor
the tantalizing flesh-tingling whispers of a witch, but rather
that of another pony, a stallion to be exact. Ruby stopped and
examined the figure in the fog, wondering if this was some sort
of glamour that kept her from hearing the true nature of the
voice until she saw the dark-looking pony. Nope, not what she
was looking for. Giving a heavy sigh, Ruby looked around,
wondering what could have attracted the reptile's attention to
this area, glancing back to it every so often and trying to
follow its gaze. It appeared to be looking at something on the
stallion's shoulder, was it some kind of bird? It definitely
looked like it. Figures that Pharasma was actually more
interested in its monthly meal than hunting the supernatural.
"Morning nor evening yet," Ruby retorted sharply, clearly a
little irritated by the disappointing discovery, "still only
three hours after midnight, so I would think 'Good afternight'
would be a better greeting." Spinning in a quick circle to make
sure that there was nothing else here worthy of her attention,
she turned back to the stallion, making no discrimination
towards him as she asked, "Yet another one that is not like the
others, and you do not wear the standard of the town guard. Who
are you to choose to wander about at these hours? Do you also
seek something that cannot be easily found?"
#Post#: 601--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Lamplight Date: January 15, 2014, 3:03 pm
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Lamplight follows after Ruby into the thickening fog, now so
dense as to blot out even the streetlights, once they'd left the
darkened street to more well-lit areas. The orange mare would
likely have lost Ruby if not for her lantern providing a small
sphere of warm light around the pair. She looks around as they
walk, unable to tell exactly where in town they were at any
given moment, though a few times they'd pass by a landmark or
other such feature that would tell her where they are. She
glances up at her lantern, drifting along above them on it's
own, and she calls up her magic again. Behind the glass, the
swirling, sourceless flame flared up, driving the fog back a
couple more feet. It doesn't do much to help though, and they
continue on. Lamplight turns her head at the sound of the clock
striking three, and makes no attempt to hide her yawn shortly
afterward. She doesn't mind staying out a bit longer, but her
bed back at the inn is seeming more and more inviting with each
passing minute. Suddenly, Ruby stops, apparently interested in
the direction her snake is pointed. She doesn't hesitate to
follow after the young mare, nor does she show any concern when
a cloaked figure emerges from the fog before them. "Hi." She
greets, friendly despite his unsettling appearance. She does
give Ruby an odd look at the irritation in her voice though.
Apparently this stallion was not what she was looking for.
#Post#: 638--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Insidious Penumbra Date: January 17, 2014, 9:19 am
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"Nothing so cryptic, Miss. Just out and about, looking for an
Inn to spend the night, if I'm honest with you. We're on
holidays you see, aren't we, Nev?" The dark stallion responded,
smiling at the two mares who greeted him, and shooting Lamplight
a quick wave in response to her friendly greeting, an equally
friendly grin on his own slender face. He addressed the last
part of his response to the raven on his shoulder, which was
currently eying the snake upon Ruby's back with nothing but
suspicion and intense dislike.
"Caww! Nasty snake! Caww! Hungry snake!" Nevermore shrieked,
voice harsh and loud between birdlike caws, but surprisingly
intelligent, as he glared daggers at the pale snake upon the
strange mare's back. The raven's sudden and off-topic response
caused Penumbra to frown and hiss a desire for silence to his
bird, causing it to become quickly silent and turn away as if
sulking.
"So.. Since I've told you what me and Nevermore here were up to,
care to dish why you two are up and about at such a.. unique
time of night? ... Looking for something, perhaps?" Insidious
questioned, after turning from his raven to give the two mares
an easy smile, dark eyes scanning over both of them, before
turning into a slightly pointed gaze at Ruby, a little
suspicion, mingled with interest, evident in his expression as
he arched a dark-grey eyebrow questioningly in her direction.
#Post#: 643--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Ruby Fortuna Date: January 17, 2014, 3:34 pm
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Ruby did not pay so much attention to the raven as much as her
python did as it continued to taste the air between it and its
prospective prey. Instead, she tried to piece together where she
would go next, and where she was right now. It was hard to tell
where one was going in this fog, and it was difficult to
distinguish any landmarks anywhere at this time. They should be
somewhere in the centre of town right now, but there was no way
of knowing until she was able to figure out what buildings were
next to them, and Lamplight's lantern, as bright as it was, was
not nearly as strong enough as it needed to be to cut through
the fog. If only there was an easier way to go about this...
Then there was the stranger in front of them. This guys looked
to be in even worse condition than Ruby was. He looked sick and
very gangly for a stallion, definitely out of place in a town
like Ponyville, especially at this time of night. His cloak was
covering his flank and hiding his cutie mark, though she could
try to judge who this pony was just based on his appearance.
From her conclusion, he didn't seem to care much for
appearances, what with his jagged and otherwise unkept hair and
tail, but there was also something else about him, something
scratching at the back of her mind telling her to get away from
this stallion. He had this sort of... unpleasantness about him,
and taking into account his strange eyes, his mysterious and
seemingly spontaneous appearance, and the rather suspicious look
he had been giving her, she was also a little on edge around
him.
"I am always up at this hour," Ruby said flatly, giving rather
uncertain glances in his direction every so often as she looked
about for a new direction to go in the fog, "to look for...
things that interest me. Spirits, ghosts, beasts, supernatural
phenomena, and other things of the like. Tonight it is witches.
I wish to find a coven and study them for my own ends. There
will be no sleep for me until the witching hour is at an end,
and I have no more hope for tonight of finding one to further my
discoveries." As Ruby continued to wonder who or what this pony
before the two of them was, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
What if this was a doppelganger? A beast that assumed the form
of another pony in order to lead them into isolated areas before
brutally killing them and feasting on their bodies? Until he
could explain himself a little better in regards to his
abnormalities, that was what she would be forced to think. Then
again, she has never seen a doppelganger before... perhaps now
would be a good time to study it.
"... but then again," she began once more, a little more
deliberately as she planned her next words, "perhaps reserving a
room at an inn for when this is over may not be such an
unfavourable idea. You must have been travelling for a long
while to choose to arrive in Ponyville at this time of night,
and you must be tired if that is the case. I'm sure there is a
place nearby where we could rest for the night." She looked over
at Lamplight after she said that; Ruby wasn't so keen on paying
for a room with the money she wanted to save for her food
tomorrow, but then again, attempting to go back to the home of
her foster parents at this hour would no doubt result in more
lectures that would simply be a waste of Ruby's time. Honestly,
she never listened to those, yet they still try to punish her
for breaking her curfew.
#Post#: 645--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Lamplight Date: January 17, 2014, 7:40 pm
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Lamplight just shrugs at Insidious' question, while Ruby
explains her reasons for being out and about. She looks the
stallion, and the bird on his shoulder, over, taking note of his
unkempt appearance and scarred forelegs. Who or whatever he was,
he was probably dangerous, though his friendly manner made her
inclined to think he wasn't malicious, and while that could just
be an act, she didn't think she'd gain anything by being
paranoid about it. "I'm was just out for a walk, ran into her,
and decided to tag along for a while." She answers him after
Ruby finishes speaking. "As for an inn, mine's around here..."
She pauses to look around, still unable to determine just where
they are. "Hm... just a second." She closes her eyes and her
horn lights up, reaching out for the bit of her magic residing
in the lantern that hung below the Guiding Light's sign. "That
way." She says after a few moments, pointing off in a direction
that looked the same as any other. "I've got a few rooms
available still, you can both stay if you need to."
#Post#: 667--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Insidious Penumbra Date: January 18, 2014, 10:24 pm
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The dark green stallion listened intently as Ruby spoke, his
expression remaining just a touch suspicious, her search for the
supernatural, not really sitting well with the stallion whose
job it was to deal with these creatures. Not to mention, she
seemed eager to study them, which, in his dark eyes, was a very
dangerous move indeed for one who, although probably
knowleadgable (given her cutie-mark), wasn't an expert on the
kinds of creatures that roamed at this hour.
"Always? That's not exactly a healthy sleep-cycle then, Miss..?"
Penumbra questioned, raising an eyebrow as he invited this mare
to introduce herself, making a mental note to find out what
exactly she already knew about local phenomena and possible
threats to the small town.
Shifting his focus from Ruby to the other mare present,
Penumbra's smile grew into a grin at the news, and he sighed in
relief, clearly a little weary from his travels.
"Phew.. That's certainly good to hear, I thought I'd have to
camp out tonight, given how everything's shut. Thanks for the
directions, although I don't think I'll be off just yet,
miss..?" The green stallion replied, his grin widening a little
more as he gave Lamplight a chance to introduce herself as well,
his dark eyes moving to focus on the pretty, orange and cream
maned mare, instead.
#Post#: 679--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Ruby Fortuna Date: January 19, 2014, 1:27 pm
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Ruby narrowed her eyes at the strange dark green pony with the
raven. He wasn't the first one to tell her that her sleep-cycle
was particularly unhealthy, but she still got her eight hours of
sleep every twenty-four hours, and sometimes even more than
that, she just simply enjoyed staying up this late to partake in
an hour that made her feel that much more alive. She seemed
reluctant to answer the stallion's implied question of what her
name was, as he still gave her a sort of off-putting vibe for
some reason. She was still convinced that it was the way he was
just looking at her, scrutinizing even. "Ruby Fortuna, and this
is my python, Pharasma," she replied after a bit of
consideration. It was only her name, and names ultimately meant
nothing other than to serve as a label for a particular
individual to be known by. She couldn't help but feel, though,
as if something was shifting through the fog, looking for
something.
Perhaps now he would offset his odd staring, or so she hoped,
"and now that you are so savvy to our own names, perhaps you
could tell us your own name?" And why you seem so interested in
me... she thought to herself as she turned to look out into the
fog. Her python still seemed to be a little more enraptured with
the thought of food than of being at all helpful in her search
anyways. Besides, there was that strange feeling that something
else was in the fog, not necessarily threatening, but unnerving
nonetheless as it wasn't the sort of feeling that she was
getting from this, but still there, simply watching. As she
continued to look off into the fog, she said in a sort of
distant tone, "Anyways... yes, perhaps we should head... back...
maybe a good night's sleep would be prudent." Ripping her
attention from that particular attention with some bit of mental
effort on her part, she looked to the orange mare and said,
"Lead the way, Lamplight, if you would offer me a room in your
inn, I would gladly take it up. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to
get back into my own home before the sun rose."
#Post#: 681--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Lamplight Date: January 19, 2014, 2:43 pm
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Lamplight, ignoring Ruby's seeming unfriendliness toward the
dark coated stallion. "I'm Lamplight." She says, answering his
smile with one of her own. Ruby's scrutinizing of the fog causes
her to turn her head, looking out into the thick mist. She
doesn't see anything though, nor does she sense what the other
pony is bothered by. Turning her attention back to the other
two, she nods at Ruby. "Like I said, I've got a few rooms
available."She looks at Insidious as she continues. "You'll have
to come with us if you want to stay though, unless you think you
can find it without directions in this." she makes a sweeping
motion with her hoof, indicating the fog around them.
#Post#: 690--------------------------------------------------
Re: After Hours
By: Insidious Penumbra Date: January 20, 2014, 7:33 am
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"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lamplight, Miss Ruby,
and.. Mr/Miss Pharasma. I'm afraid I'll have to decline on the
name thing for now. Might be a little rude of me, I realise, but
it's a long story, and it's a little late for it. I'll gladly
accept the offer of a room though, a long snooze sounds
wonderful right about now.." The dark green pony explained, as
he moved a little closer so they were no longer conducting their
conversation from range, his smile and expression easy, as he
made as if to fall into step with the pair of them, sticking
closer to Lamplight than the other mare, partially because he
didn't want Nevermore to be upset by Pharasma, and partly
because she seemed the more friendly of the two.
Waiting for Lamplight to take the lead, Insidious hummed idly,
but despite his seemingly casual expression, his dark eyes were
serious, as they scanned the misty streets. Although the town
seemed peaceful enough, he couldn't help but feel a little
uneasy, about something he couldn't quite place..
"Meh.. Not my problem right now, I'm on holidays.." Insidious
thought to himself, shaking his head a little to clear it, not
wanting to stay out in the cold with his heavy pack for too much
longer, and not wanting to irritate Ruby with any further
questions or obvious suspicion.
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