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Post by Ximea on Dec 15, 2014 6:06:26 GMT
Clay left the store with his hatchet, resolved to cut down some firewood if he could not buy it.
Leaving the store, it turned out, was a mistake. As soon as he was out the door, winter hit him in the face like a slap that did not end. He gritted his teeth and set on down the road, walking against the increasingly intense wind toward his cabin at the edge of town. Snow lashed his face like tiny razors. Moment by moment, the road ahead of him grew less visible; the air grew more opaque and white.
Around the time Clay lost feeling in his hooves, he realized that he no longer had any idea which way he was facing, or even whether he was still on the road at all. He pressed on, thoughts of chopping firewood forgotten; he needed to get indoors before he froze to death. Even an unheated cabin would be better than being exposed, and he still had a couple of logs left to burn. If he staggered them, he might keep the cabin at a reasonable temperature... But before he could get home, he would need to get his bearings. A sign, a building, anything would do.
After several frozen minutes, Clay was drawn to a heavy clacking ahead and to his left. By this time, his body was so cold that he was no longer certain he was actually walking, but he tried to move toward the clacking sound. If it was a street sign, or a shop sign, he could use it to orient himself toward home - or toward nearer shelter...
The clacking came from a door - a large, oak door, one of a set of double doors. It was at the top of a set of stone steps, and set in a whitewashed wall, but the rest of the building was invisible. The door was partially open, and the wind was knocking it against its frame. Aside from some red carpet illuminated by the daylight, the interior was black.
Who leaves a door open in this weather? he wondered. The answer was secondary to his primary concern, though, and Clay slipped inside, out of the terrible wind.
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Post by Atomosea on Dec 15, 2014 6:21:30 GMT
Digitalis was relieved when he passed through town again and saw the sign on the mine kiosk. He still wasn't quite sure where the mine was, but he felt he had a good idea of the layout of the streets; there weren't many, anyway. In only a few minutes he stood before 747 Cherry Lane. Swallowing his nervousness about the weather, he knocked with purpose. "Hello? Silver? Sir? Ma'am? I hate to intrude, but I have some business that I feel I should tend to before the storm sets in..." He trailed off and looked up at the sky, for a moment unsure that the storm hadn't already set in. "I apologize for the inconvenience, but I am willing to pay extra for your trouble!" After a moment or two, the metallic sound of a few locks and chains being undone was followed by the door swinging open, revealing Silver standing on the other side with a soft pink knitted blanket wrapped around her back. She blinked, somewhat surprised to see the pony before her. He wasn't from here, and certainly didn't look the part either. "Hello," she said, offering a firm hoof. "It's no trouble at all. I opened for business not five minutes ago." She hesitated, looking outside at the snowy roads. "Come on in. I'd hate to leave you shivering on my porch." The doctor obliged, apparently barely registering Silver's offer of a hoofshake. "Thank you very much, Ma'am," he said, pulling his burden inside, "All I require is some cuprite; a hexoctahedral crystal, about the color of your-" He cleared his throat and blushed profusely. "Please forgive me, Miss Silver; I'm sure you know exactly what cuprite looks like." Digitalis opened his trunk, removing the medicine case. "About so large, if you can. Apparently in all the business of Hearth's Warming I forgot to put out an order for more, so the jar back at my store is completely empty. A piece about the size of this case would fill it, but all I actually need at the moment is a small hoof-full, so I'll take whatever you can provide." |
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Post by lessernaboo on Dec 15, 2014 14:16:34 GMT
Coin glared at Page with a mix of shock and fury as he left the store, then put the coat back in it's place. "Well that was an interesting way to start the morning." Flux moved back to the leftover Heartswarming cookies selecting a small box and placing it in a basket he had collected at the door. "So other than a few items that I need to pick up while I'm here, I think I'll head on down the road." He moved to the selection of teas. "Coin, do you need anything else from me while I'm here?" Coin considered, "No, I don't think so. You have anything else to do before the storm hits? I have a couple quick errands." |
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Post by Quandarm on Dec 15, 2014 18:12:07 GMT
Coin glared at Page with a mix of shock and fury as he left the store, then put the coat back in it's place. "Well that was an interesting way to start the morning." Flux moved back to the leftover Heartswarming cookies selecting a small box and placing it in a basket he had collected at the door. "So other than a few items that I need to pick up while I'm here, I think I'll head on down the road." He moved to the selection of teas. "Coin, do you need anything else from me while I'm here?" Coin considered, "No, I don't think so. You have anything else to do before the storm hits? I have a couple quick errands." "Just paying for the tea and cookies here. I'm pretty well set for the rest of it I think." Flux moved to the register and pulled out his Bit purse, waiting for Coin to ring up the purchase. He turned and looked out the window to find the wind blowing even worse than before and the snow falling in sheets. "Looks like our promised blizzard has already hit. Would you like me to come with you on whatever those errands are? Make sure neither of us get lost out there." |
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Post by Wilgrove on Dec 15, 2014 18:43:20 GMT
Chiselle was already on her way home when the storm has begun. At first it was just snow flurries, which brighten Chiselle's day. However, the wind soon picked up and the snow became heavier and started falling faster. The wind and snow flew against her face and it felt like hot ice as it cut across her face. Her mane started to feel heavier as ice formed on the strands. What started out as a gentle trot home has now become a complete white out as the mare fought to see what was in front of her.
She tried to call out for help, but every time she opened her mouth, it quickly filled with snow and ice. She gritted her teeth as she struggled against the raging storm, not knowing where she was or where the nearest shelter is.
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Post by lessernaboo on Dec 15, 2014 18:56:54 GMT
Coin glared at Page with a mix of shock and fury as he left the store, then put the coat back in it's place. Coin considered, "No, I don't think so. You have anything else to do before the storm hits? I have a couple quick errands." "Just paying for the tea and cookies here. I'm pretty well set for the rest of it I think." Flux moved to the register and pulled out his Bit purse, waiting for Coin to ring up the purchase. He turned and looked out the window to find the wind blowing even worse than before and the snow falling in sheets. "Looks like our promised blizzard has already hit. Would you like me to come with you on whatever those errands are? Make sure neither of us get lost out there." Coin was somewhat surprised by the offer, but did not show it on her face. "I would appreciate that, if you have the time. We should still have a little longer before the worst hits. Besides," she fluttered her wings. "I do hope you'll keep me from blowing away." |
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Post by Quandarm on Dec 15, 2014 19:40:21 GMT
"Just paying for the tea and cookies here. I'm pretty well set for the rest of it I think." Flux moved to the register and pulled out his Bit purse, waiting for Coin to ring up the purchase. He turned and looked out the window to find the wind blowing even worse than before and the snow falling in sheets. "Looks like our promised blizzard has already hit. Would you like me to come with you on whatever those errands are? Make sure neither of us get lost out there." Coin was somewhat surprised by the offer, but did not show it on her face. "I would appreciate that, if you have the time. We should still have a little longer before the worst hits. Besides," she fluttered her wings. "I do hope you'll keep me from blowing away." Flux laughed. "Yes, we would not want that. Well, bundle up and I'm ready when you are." |
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Post by lessernaboo on Dec 15, 2014 22:09:51 GMT
Coin was somewhat surprised by the offer, but did not show it on her face. "I would appreciate that, if you have the time. We should still have a little longer before the worst hits. Besides," she fluttered her wings. "I do hope you'll keep me from blowing away." Flux laughed. "Yes, we would not want that. Well, bundle up and I'm ready when you are." Coin quickly left to put on some clothes, and returned all bundled up. She of course had clothes suited for snowstorms, being a resident of Winter Haven. She stood by the door. "Let's go, then." |
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Post by Quandarm on Dec 16, 2014 8:51:13 GMT
Flux laughed. "Yes, we would not want that. Well, bundle up and I'm ready when you are." Coin quickly left to put on some clothes, and returned all bundled up. She of course had clothes suited for snowstorms, being a resident of Winter Haven. She stood by the door. "Let's go, then." They left the building together, Flux waiting as she locked up the shop. The wind had gotten quite a bit worse since he'd stepped inside, and he was finding it difficult to stand his ground. It was worse for Coin though. As they walked, she kept having trouble keeping all four hooves on the ground. And the weather hadn't even started yet. Every step they took seemed to increase the speed and strength of the wind. The snow turned to ice, and the snowstorm turned quickly into a blizzard. Visibility quickly fell to a few feet until finally it was too much. "Coin," Flux yelled over the howl of the wind, "I don't think this is a good place to be right now. We need to get indoors!" |
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Post by lessernaboo on Dec 16, 2014 13:58:50 GMT
Coin quickly left to put on some clothes, and returned all bundled up. She of course had clothes suited for snowstorms, being a resident of Winter Haven. She stood by the door. "Let's go, then." They left the building together, Flux waiting as she locked up the shop. The wind had gotten quite a bit worse since he'd stepped inside, and he was finding it difficult to stand his ground. It was worse for Coin though. As they walked, she kept having trouble keeping all four hooves on the ground. And the weather hadn't even started yet. Every step they took seemed to increase the speed and strength of the wind. The snow turned to ice, and the snowstorm turned quickly into a blizzard. Visibility quickly fell to a few feet until finally it was too much. "Coin," Flux yelled over the howl of the wind, "I don't think this is a good place to be right now. We need to get indoors!" Coin held her wing as tightly to her as possible, but still had trouble staying on the ground. She agreed that they needed to get inside now. She saw a door near her, and struggled against the wind and managed to get inside. She was not worried about the "entering someone's home" bit, because people looked out for each other in small towns like this, so she figured they'd be allowed. Coin was surprised at how dark it was. There was nary a lit candle or lantern to be found. |
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Post by ameriganastan on Dec 16, 2014 17:06:16 GMT
"Move to Winter Haven they said. The weather is nice they said. You can have a real relationship, and not just another few hour fling with that carpenter pony down the road..."
Page shuffled through the snow, grumbling to himself.
"You figure with all the pipe I lay in this backwater hovel, one of those ungrateful foals would let me crash during a blizzard. But no! They all had excuses. 'I have to watch the kids.' or 'My pregnant wife is sleeping on the couch' or 'You said I was the worst lay since middle school'. Philistines...ah, home at last."
Page kicked his door open...or, more accurately, kicked a door open.
"...This is not my house."
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Post by Ximea on Dec 16, 2014 23:53:16 GMT
Clay moved further inside, keeping within sight of the door. The light did not penetrate far into the room, but as his eyed adjusted, he could make out a well-furnished but entirely empty room. To the left was a wide, wooden staircase, and left of that was a corridor leading further into the house. To the right was the room itself, which contained a couch and a few plushly cushioned seats, a low table, and ( of course, Clay thought) a grand piano. All were coated in a thick layer of dust. A thoroughly spiderwebbed candle stand stood in one corner. Clay moved toward it, though he was unsure how he would light it, when something blocked the light from the door. Coin held her wing as tightly to her as possible, but still had trouble staying on the ground. She agreed that they needed to get inside now. She saw a door near her, and struggled against the wind and managed to get inside. She was not worried about the "entering someone's home" bit, because people looked out for each other in small towns like this, so she figured they'd be allowed. Coin was surprised at how dark it was. There was nary a lit candle or lantern to be found. Clay turned and saw a pony-shaped silhouette in the doorway. "Who are you?" he called out. He was tempted to ask if this newcomer was the owner of the place, but from what he had seen, this building's owner had been in absentia for a long, long time.Clay turned and saw a pony-shaped silhouette in the doorway. "Hello?" he called out. He was tempted to ask if this newcomer was the owner of the place, but from what he had seen, this building's owner had been in absentia for a long, long time. "Move to Winter Haven they said. The weather is nice they said. You can have a real relationship, and not just another few hour fling with that carpenter pony down the road..." Page shuffled through the snow, grumbling to himself. "You figure with all the pipe I lay in this backwater hovel, one of those ungrateful foals would let me crash during a blizzard. But no! They all had excuses. 'I have to watch the kids.' or 'My pregnant wife is sleeping on the couch' or 'You said I was the worst lay since middle school'. Philistines...ah, home at last." Page kicked his door open...or, more accurately, kicked a door open. "...This is not my house." Clay heard a sharp crack of a hoof on wood deep within the house - possibly on the far side. Either someone just broke in through a servants' entrance, Clay thought, or there's someone in here with me. Instinct took over. Not knowing the identity or allegiance of either the pony in the doorway or the pony who just kicked in a door, Clay melted into the shadows in the far end of the room and waited for somepony else to make a move. |
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Post by ameriganastan on Dec 17, 2014 2:41:46 GMT
Page slammed the door shut behind him and lit his horn up like a flashlight.
"Okay. Creepy abandoned house. Raging storm outside...oh, Celestia. I've walked straight into a horror novel. Okay, don't panic. You should be fine. The nerd never goes first. The floozie goes first, then the sarcastic jerk, and then the nerd...wait...oh, fudge. I'm all three of those!"
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Ceffy
New Member
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Post by Ceffy on Dec 17, 2014 5:14:54 GMT
The doctor obliged, apparently barely registering Silver's offer of a hoofshake. "Thank you very much, Ma'am," he said, pulling his burden inside, "All I require is some cuprite; a hexoctahedral crystal, about the color of your-" He cleared his throat and blushed profusely. "Please forgive me, Miss Silver; I'm sure you know exactly what cuprite looks like." Digitalis opened his trunk, removing the medicine case. "About so large, if you can. Apparently in all the business of Hearth's Warming I forgot to put out an order for more, so the jar back at my store is completely empty. A piece about the size of this case would fill it, but all I actually need at the moment is a small hoof-full, so I'll take whatever you can provide." "Cuprite, huh?" Silver replied, placing a hoof to her chin. "I don't get many requests for that, but it makes for a pretty gemstone. I know I have a crate of the stuff in storage somewhere. Let me see if I can find-" "Here you go." A young, dusty-brown colored colt placed an open crate full of dark red stones on the coffee table. "That's all we got, sir." "Oh. Thank you." Silver said, a little surprised. "I didn't know you were listening." The colt grinned. "I was in the next room, silly. I was sorting through some of today's haul, so all the crates were open, too." He turned to Digitalis, his eyes twinkling with curiosity as he poked at his lab coat. "Hey doc, whatcha need this stuff for? You gonna give a shiny piece to your special somepony? I wouldn't. Cuprite's super duper fragile. You should get some diamonds or something instead." "Copper!" Silver barked, her cheeks turning red. "Why don't you leave our customer alone and go sort some more gems for me, okay?" The colt backed off from Digitalis, deflating slightly. "Okay... Sorry, sis." "My apologies, sincerely." Silver said, rooting through the crate on the table as Copper left the room. "There aren't many other ponies his age around here, so he's real friendly to everyone. How about this one?" She procured a stone with a volume approximately three-quarters that of the jar. "You can have it for ten bits." |
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Post by Quandarm on Dec 17, 2014 5:20:27 GMT
Page slammed the door shut behind him and lit his horn up like a flashlight. "Okay. Creepy abandoned house. Raging storm outside...oh, Celestia. I've walked straight into a horror novel. Okay, don't panic. You should be fine. The nerd never goes first. The floozie goes first, then the sarcastic jerk, and then the nerd...wait...oh, fudge. I'm all three of those!" Flux flashed his horn alight so the entryway wasn't quite so dark. Of course, the loud bang that accompanied it was added for Page's benefit. "Then I guess you'd better hope there aren't ans scaaaaary ghooooosts in here." Flux laughed, and pushed the door closed behind him. The only light in the hall was the yellow glow from his horn. "Anypony know who lives here?" he asked, looking around. "I don't remember walking by a house like this." |
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