FO:E - That Old Manehatten Blues

[Benson]

Fleetwing endured the preening with only minimal complaint...until Gwen nipped at his exposed back. The flighty pegasus yelped and scrambled away, turning about to find his partner grinning like a devilish filly. He huffs and straightens his hat and armor, playing off his little freak-out like it never even happened. "Next time warn me before y'go an' tackle me. I might've pulled a piece on you, and then who knows what might've happened?"

"Oh sweet cheeks, yer a laugh." She chuckled.

His attire in order, he unfolded his freshly-preened wings and gave them an inspection. Though still lightly soiled from the dirt and grime of the wastes - a good bath would take care of that - they lacked any of his old, bedraggled feathers. Looked quite nice, all things considered; miles better than the bleeding mess he was expecting. Turning back to Gwen, he tipped his hat appreciatively. "Thankee kindly for this deed y'done me, Miss Gwen," he says with sudden sincerity, even giving her a polite, gentlecolt's bow. "It's a kindness I won't soon forget."

He peeks up at her expectantly, awaiting a response.

She quirked her brow and slightly tilted her head, a little surprised at his thanks. She was expecting more grumpy pouty-ness.

"Yer welcomed Fleety," She said with a smile and assured nod of her head.

[TheAmishPirate]

Fleetwing nods his head, satisfied with her reply. Just then, the sound of bickering ponies filters in from a few streets down, almost as if by magic. "Say, you hear somethin'?" The pegasus turns his head, pricking his ears up. "Sounds like...arguin'?"

[Benson]

"A what? Ya sure ya ain't hearing things Fleety?" She quirked her head, trying to hear what Fleety was going on about.

[Lycan 01]

[The Ghoul Gang]

Shadow casts a spell! Imaginary ponies start arguing!

The gaggle of ghouls looks around in confusion, grunting and growling, before trundling off towards the "source" of the sounds. Soon the street is empty - for the moment.

[Earl of Purple]

The Ghoul Gang

Once all the ghouls have left, and are hopefully out of sight chasing imaginary sounds until something more interesting attracts their attention, Shadow looks to see if there's a way to reach the building's roof without entering the structure itself. She'd prefer not to enter it because she has no idea what may be inside, or where the stairs are.

[Lycan 01]

It looks like there's an old fire escape on one side of the building, but the rusty, rickety structure may not be the most secure or trusty thing in the world. It might also be a bit clangy and creaky if somepony were to try to ascend it...

[TheAmishPirate]

"A what? Ya sure ya ain't hearing things Fleety?" She quirked her head, trying to hear what Fleety was going on about.

Fleetwing rears up on the side of rooftop, ears straining to track the source of the sound. "It were a bunch of ponies bickerin'. Sounded like..." His ears pick up a sound, but it was not the sound of an argument. "Say, all them ghouls are hoofin' it. Look!" He points to the shambling herd making its exit.

[Earl of Purple]

Up The Fire Escape- How Has It Not Burnt Down?

Shadow will dart towards the fire escape and refresh her Muffle spell before climbing up. It only works on sounds she directly creates, however; if a board snaps under her weight, the snap will be muffled, but the thud of it hitting the ground won't be. So she's putting her weight only on the firmest-looking steps and placing her hooves as close to the edge as she can- that's where they're the most stable.

[Benson]

"Well ain't that just odd....I am confused...but I ain't gonna complain about being ghoul free for the moment..." She raised a brow, her beak verging on a small relaxed smile, but not quite. "Weird."

[Lycan 01]

[Fire Escape Escapades]

Nope, no boards or twigs to snap. It's just an old corrugated iron framework and wrought-iron ladders, all rusted and rickety from two centuries of war and weather. Amazingly, though, they seem to be holding up...



(This scene is kinda out of my hands now.)

[Earl of Purple]

Fire Escape Escapades

When she's confident that the ghouls are out of sight, and that she's too far up for them to easily spot in any case, she stops refreshing her Muffle spell, so in a few minute's time her hooves start clunking against the old ladders and corrugated iron, just so she gives the fliers some warning that she's coming.

[TheAmishPirate]

Fleetwing cranes his neck to watch the last of the ghouls shamble around the corner. "I ain't either. Just makes y'wonder what-"

In the silence left by the ghouls, the sound of somepony - or something - climbing up the fire escape fills the air.

The pegasus freezes and his eyes go wide. Without stopping to explain, he makes a mad dash and leaps for cover behind the AC unit, fumbling for his Peashooter. Should Gwen not immediately follow him, he will frantically wave her over, silently mouthing a thousand warnings far too complicated to express silently. A smart griffon could guess they all roughly amounted to, "Get behind #@%$@^#% cover before that thing eats you!"

[Benson]

"Hah! Let it try!" She replied hit with bravado as she flapped her wings and took to the air. "With Ol' Splitter, ghouls oughta to be afraid of me, now quit actin so yellow bellied, we have the advantage!" While she did find it odd that...the ghoul...was somehow climbing ladders...that was just something she had never seen them do...she had her gun, and the plan of boom headshot as they climbed up. She assumed it ghouls at least and if it weren't she figured she still had the advantage.

She flew over, revolver pointed and.....was rather caught off guard. "Wat?" Was all she could muster along with a derp face.

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop

"Um, hey. I saw you fly over, and it's been a while since I spoke to anypony, and don't think I've heard of a griffon raider, or a bandit group rich enough to hire a griffon. So, I figured you'd be friendly and thought I'd pop by for a chat. And maybe a bit of bartering. So, there's no need to point your gun at me, because I'm right here and not hiding at all." Gwendolyn will see a concrete-grey unicorn, aged between eighteen and twenty, with her dark purple mane partially hidden under an old military-green peaked cap. She's also wearing a dirty old shirt, covered in grey and green stains. Her cutie mark, just peeking out from under the shirt, is a black silhouette of a unicorn pony. The brightest part of her are her bright orange eyes.

[TheAmishPirate]

Moments later, the panicked, harried face of Fleetwing - pistol clutched in his mouth - appeared next to Gwen's. He looked down at the unarmed filly, to the griffon, back to the filly, and then down at the heat packed between his teeth. He nonchalantly slid his gun back into its holster. "See, Gwen? That's why y'gather info first instead of pointin' guns." He grinned self-assuredly. "Where'd you come from, anyhow? This your buildin', or did y'climb up?"

[Benson]

"Yeeeeeah...except you didn't do that Fleety, ya yelped like a chicken and hid behind the broken AC unit, so I wouldn't talk if I were you," She winked and grinned at Fleety as she holstered her revolver.

The mention of never hearing of a griffon raider amused her. A lot.


"Yea, what the jumpy pegasus over there asked," She said to the filly and nodded her head.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Yeeeeeah...except you didn't do that Fleety, ya yelped like a chicken and hid behind the broken AC unit, so I wouldn't talk if I were you," She winked and grinned at Fleety as she holstered her revolver.

It is impolite to backsass a lady, it is impolite to backsass a lady...

Fleety put on a innocent, wholly unconvincing smile. "Hid t'asses the situation 'till info were gathered," he lightly corrected, before turning back to their sneaky visitor.

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"I climbed up. It's got a fire escape, and it's easy to hide from ghouls. Stupid things don't think; if you're not moving, and downwind, you're usually safe. Still best to cause a distraction, anyway." At the mention of the jumpy pegasus, her head darts towards Fleetwing. "I've never seen a pegasususus before." As for being unarmed, she's not waving a gun around, but only an idiot wanders around without one, even if they do prefer to hide.

[Benson]

Gwen playfully rolled her eyes at Fleety.

"He is a rare gem and sorry that this ragamuffin is yer first time meeting a pegasus, hopefully he don't ruin the whole race fer ya hahah." She winked.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Hey! I don't wear no rags! An' I can't remember the last time I had a muffin either." Fleetwing pouts. "Don't you pay any mind t'Gwen's tall tales now. C'mon up, before y'hurt your neck talkin' like that."

As the filly climbs, his eyes furtively scan both her and the surrounding area. No signs of any foul play, and if she had a gun it was small enough to be hidden. Small guns could still pack a punch, but at least they weren't dealing with a shotgun-totin' unicorn.

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"Why should he? I barely know him yet. I bet the wings are useful, though." She makes a mental note to ensure her next den isn't accessible from the air, though she won't be able to check very effectively.

[Benson]

"Its a playful joke at his expense, dang, youse two is a pair of squares," The griffon shook her head and crossed her fore arms/legs? over her chest as she stood on her hind legs, a playful smirk still dancing on her beak.

[TheAmishPirate]

Fleetwing puffs himself up; of course he knew she was joking. What sort of simpleton did she take him for? Time for a little return fire, show her just what sort of pony she was travelling with. "W-well watch what you expensify; I'm made of pony, not caps, y'know." He fumbles with the brim of his hat, then scrambles to help Shadow up and over the lip of the rooftop.

Incredible, that so much wit could reside in a single pony.

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"I don't get the opportunity to socialise very often. Sorry if my social skills are sub-par." She does smirk at Fleetwing's obliviousness, though. "My name's Silent Shadow, by the way." Though they certainly heard her on the way up.

[Benson]

Gwendolyn donned a **** eating grin and just gave Fleety a self satisfied look.


"Gwendolyn, and sometimes called Gutspiller Gwen, though that varies by pony and pony and griffon and griffon. On account I like ta go fer the gut with mah machete here when I can. Nice and sloooow-like."

[TheAmishPirate]

Fleetwing smiles smugly, seeing his companions enjoy his clever wit. That smile falters as Gwen - almost lovingly - describes her nickname. "I...just call her Gwen," he hastily adds. "An' my name's Fleetwing; professional scavver, expert in all things shooty, and th' fastest set of legs in th' Wasteland. He dips his black cowpony hat to Shadow in what he imagined was a cool gesture.

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you! I guess I'm a professional scavver, too. Not an expert in shooty, though. I prefer sneaky." Hence her choice of apparel- rather than armour, she's wearing a very dirty shirt that helps break up what would otherwise be a pony-shaped, concrete-coloured something.

[Benson]

Gwenny

"Well, yay, introductions be over and all that," Gwen waved if off and let out a low whistle.

"So now what? This duo is now a trio? I ain't minding that, mind you, happy to have another on board, so as long as nothing funny is pulled. We gonna make camp on the roof here? What is the plan?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"Well, I'm pleased to meet you! I guess I'm a professional scavver, too. Not an expert in shooty, though. I prefer sneaky." Hence her choice of apparel- rather than armour, she's wearing a very dirty shirt that helps break up what would otherwise be a pony-shaped, concrete-coloured something.

"Sneaky, shooty, different strides for different minds, as they say." Fleetwing says with a shrug, fiddling with his pistol. Yeah, an' one stride gets you shot by sharp-eyed sharpshooters, the other gets you home safe.

Gwenny

"Well, yay, introductions be over and all that," Gwen waved if off and let out a low whistle.

"So now what? This duo is now a trio? I ain't minding that, mind you, happy to have another on board, so as long as nothing funny is pulled. We gonna make camp on the roof here? What is the plan?"

"Well now, I'd be thinking that's Miss Shadow's call." He adds with a raised brow. "If'n she just wants some trade, then I think we can oblige her. If she wants an escort down t'Tenpony, then I think we can oblige her." He tips his hat politely to the newcomer. "T'ain't proper, leavin' a Lady t'fend for herself in th' Wastes."

[Earl of Purple]

Rooftop Rendezvous

"I've never been to Tenpony. That where you're headed?" She tilts her head curiously. "I've been out here fending for myself a long time, Fleetwing. Nopony's called me a Lady before, either." No; usually it's 'Thief', 'you', 'fresh meat', 'that filly' and so on.