FoE RPG G0 - #015 Last Stop: How Caps Flow

[21:30]<SpiritOfFate> ======================
[21:30]<SpiritOfFate>	The door open to a stuffed store, walls covered by shelves and boxes, bottles and trinkets dangling from ropes. A grifinness hops from on corner to another to make sure everything is inorder.
[21:37]?	Royal_Lace eyes wonder around the shop from the doorway as Lace takes everything in, she had never been to a proper shop before but she was happy to see that the apparent patron of the establisment took care to keep things in order. This was an excelent sign as far as the pretty unicorn was concerned. Smiling she trots into the Everywhere Emporium and holds the door open for Buck to follow with her magic.
[21:40]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck trots right after, a bit of curiosity showing as his eyes scan the store, but he keeps his silence
[21:44]?	Royal_Lace smile remains as she step closer to what she presumed was the front counter as she scaned the shelves, she had guessed the place to be some sort of general store from the name but now that she was inside she could get a real feel for what it was that this grifinness sold.
[21:52]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal_Lace's eye quickly meet a series of boxes with a variety of fruits and vegetables, some heavily mutated, some less so. A variety of sausages and cheese, a barrel sized rolled haystack, moving to leather and rope, cigarrettes and small utilities to a selection of bottles including Sparkle Cola, a series of beverages known and unknown, healing potions and water.
[21:52]<SpiritOfFate>	The griffinness turns her eye to Royal_Lace. "Oh, hello, how may I serve you?"
[21:55]?	Royal_Lace smiles warmly at the happy greating. True it was her job and she wanted to sell Lace things but still, this greeting was much better than the one she had recieved only a few short minutes ago on the other side of the town. "Good evening, I and my friend have only just arrived and I was hoping for some direction around town? Also I will most likey be requiering some supplise, could you tell me more about your shop miss?"
[22:01]<SpiritOfFate>	"Oh, we prise ourselves to bring a wide selection of wares from Asinam and even the lands beyond. Food, herbs and brews, as well as goods for day to day use."
[22:04]?	Royal_Lace grins at this, "Oh that is wonderful, I and my associate will be in town for the forseeable future dealing with various buisness arangments. One that is currently rather pressing requires large quantites of food, I dont suppose you offer discounts for bulk orders do you?"
[22:15]<SpiritOfFate>	The griffiness rubs her beak, caugth by surprise. "Oh, bulk? We don't have that much we can sell in large quantity. Um, so that everything is as fresh as it can be." She taps her beak. "Let's see... um, we have a few haystacks, a couple barrels of pear, um, oh there are ropes of sausage too, they last well. And I have a large box of Bram cans. How much do you need?"
[22:19]?	Royal_Lace face draws for a moment as she mentally counts the ponies back at the slave house before answering, "Well at least enough to feed two and a half score of ponies... enough to feed them twice over is prefured"
[22:30]<SpiritOfFate>	"Let me see, that would be 300 caps for hay, or 400 for bram, or 800 for sausages or 1200 for pears.
[22:32]?	Royal_Lace rubs her muzzle tip with one of her perfectly clean hooves, "I see, and is that the price for the adiquate amounts that I would need of each then? If so I would be willing to do buisness tonight if at all possible
[22:33]<Royal_Lace>	"
[22:35]<SpiritOfFate>	"Oh, Well, that is the price for feeding the whole group of just one thing, but I guess that wouldn't do, right? You can split it."
[22:35]<SpiritOfFate>	*those are the prices
[22:40]?	Royal_Lace smiles, her face brightening up, "Well in that case I would like to take 300 caps worth of the hay please!"
[22:43]<SpiritOfFate>	"Alright!" She says excitedly before blinking. "You won't be carrying all that, is that right? Where should I deliver to?"
[22:47]?	Royal_Lace smiles again, "Actually I will be transporting it myself a short ways to a waiting cart with a little bit of help. Just prepare it for transportation once we have concluded buisness and i shall take care of the rest". Realizing she had never seen 300 caps worth of hay before she quickly follows up with a question, "Exactly how big are the hay stacks?"
[22:51]<SpiritOfFate>	She thinks a bit. "I think it should be about as big as you. A bit wider too."
[22:53]?	Royal_Lace eyes widen a bit, she could handel that but any more and she might be stressing her magic to the limit, "And there is just the one of these stacks or multiple?"
[22:55]<SpiritOfFate>	"One should do it."
[22:58]?	Royal_Lace grins, "Yes this should work out just fine then, thank you very much. Now I was also interested in a few other items. A few caffinated beverages would be nice, I will be working late nights while in town and will be needing something to keep me awake".
[22:58]<Royal_Lace>	 Also I will be traveling around the town a bit, something to defend myself would be nice.. but I do so hate violence. Do you have anything that could serve as a nonleathal alternative or even creat a distraction perhapse?"
[23:11]<SpiritOfFate>	She taps her beak. "The sparkle cola is good for staying awake, and the folks here like it. Especially the fancier ones. There's good old coffee too. Now I don't know about defending yourself, I never needed anything fancy, but some of these bottles and a lighter should do it. Or maybe a knife. It's not all that gentle, though."
[23:15]?	Royal_Lace taps her muzzle with her hoof, "Ill take 2 sparkle colas please, but I think that Ill take my chances with the armory nearby for a defense tool". Smiling she looks back up as she levetates out one of the two bags of caps, "I only have a few more items to ask about if you please before we conclude our buisness. Do you have any or know were I can find any books on magic?"
[23:15]<Royal_Lace>	"or maybe some stealthier attire for when I am straveling the less than safe parts of town?"
[23:22]<SpiritOfFate>	"Books of magic?" She rubs the top oh her head with a feather. "I'll have to look into it. There are a few books stashed on the back. Now, how about a cloak." She gestures for a leather cloak that doesn't really seem all too subtle.
[23:31]?	Royal_Lace frowns as she looks it over, "Im not sure that this is what im looking for, it looks like it would make for fine protection but Im looking more for not being seen at all. Avoid trouble all together if I could, so to speak. I dont suppose you have anything like that do you? Or maybe something to see trouble before it sees me?"
[23:36]<SpiritOfFate>	"Maybe some binoculars?" She frowns a bit. "My husband used to be very good with special brews for such things."
[23:38]?	Royal_Lace frowns at the sad look on her face, before pulling it back up into a warming smile, "Im sure he was, Ill take the binoculars as well Miss... Im sorry I havent caught your name yet, I was so wrapped up in buisness affairs"
[23:41]<SpiritOfFate>	"You can call me Pina. I can understand, it looks like you have quite a bit in your talons- hooves, I mean."
[23:44]?	Royal_Lace continues to smile, "Well yes I do, your very perceptive, but that hardly excuses me for forgeting my manors. My name is Lace, Royal Lace, its a pleasure to make your aquaintance"
[23:45]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina smiles. "The pleasure is mine."
[23:48]?	Royal_Lace grins as she pulls the drawstrings on her liberated sack of caps, "Well Pina I look forward to our future dealings while I and my friend are in town, now while you tally up my bill for the hay, sparkle cola, and binoculars could I get a closer look at the book collection you mentioned?"
[23:55]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina nods, making a few calculations. "It should be 320 caps."
[23:56]?	Royal_Lace uses her magic to float out the 320 caps onto her counter before pulling the string of the bag shut. "Thank you very much, now could you show me to the books?"
[23:57]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina indicares Royal_Lace the back of the store through a narrow corridor
****
[22:12]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal_Lace finds a small stand with a selection of books and magazines, among them one called The Wasteland Survival Guide, and the second called A Cap Stained Red. Royal_Lace has an odd feeling about the second one, but it goes away as she can't figure out exactly why.
[22:15]?	Royal_Lace eyes open wide, such a nice selection!
[22:18]?	Royal_Lace looks closer at "A cap Stained Red"
[22:22]<SpiritOfFate>	It seems to be a murder mystery taking place at Tenpony Tower. More investigative than actiony, it seems, with quite a bit of social drama. It's surprisingly pristine.
[22:26]?	Royal_Lace select a few other smaller magazine sized publishings that seemed interesting as well, stacking them up as she opens up the book with her magic and flips through the pages. She loved dramas but wanted to be sure that no pages were missing, the last thing she wanted was to get caught up in a story just to find out a chapter and a half was missing.
[22:43]?	Royal_Lace smiles as she sees that it is in fact all in place, biting her lip she ponders if it is wise to spend her limited caps on such a thing. Looking back to the book shelf to where she had pulled it out she pauses... was that?
[22:52]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal_Lace pulls a leatherbound hoofscript, unlike the other mass printed books in the stand. The binding is quite decorated with faded glowing dust, for what it must have been to a garish point when it was new. It is titled Great and Powerful Feats of Wonder.
[22:54]?	Royal_Lace eyes water a bit as she sets down the other book and draws this one out carfully, almost revenately. Floating it before he she reaches out with a hoof but dares not to touch it. "... a real book of magic", she whispers, a smile growing on her face. She didnt have the most caps in the world but she decided then and there that she MUST have this book.
[22:56]<Royal_Lace>	Whiping her watery eyes she adds it to the stack, levetating the books to the front counter were Buck and the griffiness waited her and setting them before the shop owner. "Miss I wonder what price you could give me for these Books?"
[01:11]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina looks over. "Hmm, let me see." She scratches her head. "I'd say 75 caps each."
[01:14]?	Royal_Lace is so overjoyed at her find that she dosent even try to talk Pina down on the price, she was all to happy to pay her price. Floating out her sack of caps again she smiles as she counts out the caps before pausing to ask, "Oh, I dont suppose you have a saddlebag for sale do you?"
[01:36]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina looks over around her wares. "I think I had one around here. Ah, here it is. It's 10 caps."
[01:40]?	Royal_Lace smiles as she yet again pays the required caps, still to blissful to barter with her. Sliding the stack of caps over to Pina she begins to load the sparkle cola and books into her bag. "Oh thank you very much, you have been very helpful Miss. I shall remember your lovely shop and visit it again when I can. Oh, do you know how long it will take you to prepare the hay for me to move?"
[01:42]<SpiritOfFate>	"I should have it ready in an hour."
[01:43]?	Royal_Lace smiles and nods, "That should be just fine, I need to visit a few other shops anyway. Oh, before me and my friend leave could you suggest a place in town to rent a room?
[01:43]<Royal_Lace>	"
[01:45]<SpiritOfFate>	Pina smiles. "You should check just next door. The hotel lobby."
[01:46]?	Royal_Lace Grins, "Thank you very much miss, I shall return round about an hour"
[01:47]?	Royal_Lace turning she nods to buck and steps out of the shop
****
[21:17]<SpiritOfFate>	It is still the middle of the evening. You can see the star lit sky above you. Buck trots along with Royal_Lace, glancing at her. "So... it went well, or did it?"
[21:19]?	Royal_Lace smiles lightly, nodding. "It did, I have enough to feed the slaves... but not for long. And at those prices I cant afford to keept this up for long, which means I have to either speed things up, find more caps, or find a way to get into the storage shed and steal it"
[21:24]<SpiritOfFate>	He chuckles. "Steal our own food. That's a plan. But they got even more guns now, how are we pulling that off?"
[21:28]?	Royal_Lace nods to her saddle bags, "Well I also happened to find a book of spells, hope to find a new trick or two in it. So long as the keep beliving that its a dragon and not a rogue unicorn they wont see me coming". Spotting the armory she nods in its direction, "Also going to see about finding a suitable noise maker for a distraction. But for now lets find a room for rent"
[21:36]<SpiritOfFate>	The lobby indicated by pina is a brightly lit and clean room behind slightly cracked and worn glass doors. A pony stands behind a desk there
[21:39]?	Royal_Lace trots up to the lobby and opens the glass doors, stepping up to the pony behind the desk. "Pardon me but me and my companion were informed that we could find lodgings here".
[21:44]<SpiritOfFate>	The mare behind the desk opens  a wide smile. "Ah, newcomers. Welcome to Last Stop. I am the innkeeper and mayor Silent Door." She stretches over the counter offering her hoof.
[21:47]?	Royal_Lace smiles politely and extends a hoof daintily to the mayor, "A pleasure Miss Door, we have had such a fine experiance already im sure we will enjoy the rest of our stay here as well"
[21:49]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent seems delighted by such words. "Such polite lady, so you are interested in staying here?"
[21:53]?	Royal_Lace nods as she retreaves her hoof after shanking the Mayors, "Thank you Miss, and indeed we are. My companion and I that is". Bowing her head she makes introductions, "I am Lace and this is Buck, we will most likely be staying in town for at least the week"
[21:57]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck nods silently. Door looks over into an old terminal. "So, what kind of room do you have in mind? A room for two, I imagine."
[22:00]?	Royal_Lace thinks about this for a moment, a larger room would offer some advantages as well since it would allow room for storage and of course the less the more room the less likely she was of a bumpy entrance when she teleported in. "hummm, do you have any larger accomidations available, or maybe connecting rooms?"
[22:03]<SpiritOfFate>	"Our larger rooms are going for 20 caps a day, or you could rent multiple for 10 caps each."
[22:04]?	Royal_Lace smiles, "I see, and what can you tell me about both of them, what amminities do they have? I would very much appreciate a room with a safe if one is avaiable"
[22:13]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent smiles. "All of our rooms are furnished with beds, desks and cabinets, a small bathroom. Our bigger rooms do have a safe and a radio, free of charge. You can also order drinks but that is charged separately. I personally make sure everything is in the best state of repair. If you need a permanent residence here, those start at 1000 caps, with a maintenance cost if any fix is needed."
[22:20]?	Royal_Lace nods, making a mental note about the price of of a permanent residence. She wasnt sure if that was a good price or not but it was still something to think about. Tapping her hoof to her chin she things for a moment before speaking again, "We will take one of the large rooms then, and I would like to pay for the first three nights up front as well"
[22:30]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent smiles wider. "That will be perfect. Here, let me get you you key." As she turns herself to fetch the key, a hellhound shows from the hallway, looking at Silent's direction.
[22:32]?	Royal_Lace eyes open wide at the sight of the massive creature, a scream barely catching in her throat. Had she not remembered her misconceptions and embrarasment at her reaction to Ignis back at the scrap yard she very well would have had another panic attack. As it was she just swollowed down the fear and tried to calm herself.
[22:35]<SpiritOfFate>	The lumbering creature meets Royal_Lace's eyes and opens a sharp toothed grin before walking outside.
[22:37]?	Royal_Lace offers a meek little nod in return, not quite able to bring herself to smile (especailly at the sight of those massive teeth!). Once he was gone however she allowed herself to breath, letting out a long sigh and returning her attention to the Mayor, Miss door, who was still fetching their key.
[22:40]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent door turns back with a set of keys in her muzzle. "Here it is."
[22:44]?	Royal_Lace finaly manages a small if shaky smile as she takes the keys and offers them to Buck, "Thank you miss door. I... I dont suppose you have other guests or residence in house do you? I just saw... well im not quite sure, If you couldnt guess as much Miss I am not very well traveled". Her gauze moves to the glass door where it had exited the lobby.
[22:51]<SpiritOfFate>	She raises an eyebrow, looking at the door. "Ah. The dog. You don't usually see those in this side of the Capital. I hope he doesn't scare off the ponies. Hellhounds, I wish they would stay at Overgrowth where is their place."
[22:53]?	Royal_Lace repeats the word, "Hellhound". She had never seen or heard of such creatures before he it did seam she had maybe heard the name once from a guard, but till now she had never had context for what one could be. "Well thank you for the room, here are your caps Miss Door", floating out 60 caps she slides them over the counter to the mayor.
[22:59]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent takes the caps. "Thank you. Boils- actually, I think I will take you to your room myself."
[23:07]?	Royal_Lace blinks as she works out what the mayor was saying  but quickly realizes that she must have been calling another pony named Boils (at least she hoped it was another pony). Smiling she swings a hoof in ivitation to the Mayor, "After you then Miss Door".
[23:12]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent Door takes you upstairs, to a row of  bedroom doors in a clean, but aged hallway. "Say, miss Lace, have you ever met a ghoul?"
[23:15]?	Royal_Lace shakes her head, thinking back to the soul goule she had ever seen, a house guest of her original owner. "No I have not, I have seen gouls before but have never been properly introduced to one before. Why do you ask?"
[23:21]<SpiritOfFate>	She shakes her head. "Nothing much. Boils is our resident ghoul and my main assistant, but I thought he could startle you." She chuckles. "You wouldn't be a stable-dweller, would you?"
[23:24]?	Royal_Lace smiles in understanding as Miss Door explains, "Oh no Miss, though you could say I led a rather sheltered life up until recently. Thank you for the forwarning of your assistant, If hes has a pleasant as you or the Griffiness next door Im sure we will get along fine".
****
[23:00]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent Door seems a bit uncertain. "Oh, right. Just fine, I hope." She stops by the door of a large room, opening it for you. It has the size of a small apartment, sparsely furnished but having a bed (with barely visible stains)  some cabinets, tables and chairs.
[23:02]?	Royal_Lace enters and looks around the room, a smile still on her face. "Oh its perfect... and you said it has a safe?"
[23:05]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent Door nods,trotting in to a faded painting of a verdant valley on a wall across the bed, she pushes it aside, showing you the safe. "One of the keys I gave you opens it."
[23:05]<SpiritOfFate>	There is also a radio on a desk by the bed.
[23:06]<SpiritOfFate>	Twin Buck seems to be impressed by the luxury.
[23:07]?	Royal_Lace trots over again to Miss door and extends her hoof, "Thank you very much for the tour miss mayor, the room is lovely, just lovely"
[23:09]<SpiritOfFate>	Silent Door shakes Royal_Lace's hoof and smiles. "You are welcome. We want you to feel at home during your stay."
[23:11]?	Royal_Lace smiles as she retreaves her hoof and levetates her saddlebags to the side of the door. "Well you have certainly done a wonderful job of doing just that Miss Door"
[23:15]<SpiritOfFate>	"I will leave you two alone now, but anything you need, just call." She says, trotting out of the door
[23:18]?	Royal_Lace walks with Miss door to the, well, door and sees her out. "We will, have a nice evening miss Door, and again thank you for showing us to our room". She closes the door behid her and turns to Buck, "Well, she seemed nice"
[23:21]<SpiritOfFate>	"It's because she think we are free. But then again, I guess we are now" He turns away to look around the room. In the lit, calm room, Royal_Lace can finally see fresh whipping scars on his back.
[23:26]?	Royal_Lace walks into the room, pulling out the bag of caps and the key and moving toward the wall safe. "A bit of a bleak outlook, but I understand where you are coming from... Im going to be staying here for at least a hour or so studying my new book of magic, would you mind exploring the town? I would appreciate some privacy while I study. I could give you some caps to pick up some new cloths and a bite to eat"
[23:28]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck smiles a bit. "I wouldn't mind that."
[23:32]?	Royal_Lace smiles as she unlocks and sets the key to the slave collars, most of the caps, and the pearls in safe. Closing it she turns back to Buck and levetates one of the mostly empty bags over to Buck, 40 caps jingle inside the bag. "Enjoy yourself buck, its your first night of freedom"
[23:38]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck takes the caps and goes outside, his mirror marked flank disappearing through the door somewhat sneakily
[23:41]?	Royal_Lace trots toward the bed and levetates out her newest purchase, her bride and joy, her book of magic. Laying out on the mostly clean bed she cracks it open and starts looking for a solution, something to help her feed the slaves tommorow night.
[23:45]?	Royal_Lace finding something that looks promising she grins as she leans closer, reading the book very carfuly
[23:51]<SpiritOfFate>	The book is full of notes, scribbles and drawings, a good part of it announcing every piece of arcane knowlede as the greatest thing ever invented, repeatedly. Among them she actually does find bits and pieces that actually make sense and everything starts to come together.
[23:55]?	Royal_Lace smiles happily as she studies, eagerly obsorbing the knowledge within its pages
****
[20:07]<SpiritOfFate>	Some time after Royal_Lace's reading session, she hears a knock on the door.
[20:08]?	Royal_Lace yawns, rubbing her eyes as she finaly closes her beloved spell book. Stretching she climbs out of the bed and carries the book with her to slip into her saddle bags near the door as she opens it, "Hello?"
[20:12]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck is on the other side of the door, holding a painting vaguely similar to a known zebra on what seemed to be an old magazine page previously. Buck is now wearing an old business shirt and tie, which helps to cover the scars on his neck. "Found this." He says simply
[20:14]?	Royal_Lace opens the door wide for him as she again yawns and pulls her saddlebags to her. "Thats nice... oh I do like the outfit, very nice. The Tie gos well with your mane"
[20:17]<SpiritOfFate>	Royal_Lace's eyes see a bit of writing in the lower side of it. "Runaway slave, reward for capture."
[20:19]?	Royal_Lace eyes blink as she looks closer at the poster, "Oh wait... what is this?". Pulling the paper from his grasp magicaly she floats it before her face and looks it over closely. "A wanted poster? Were there others?"
[20:21]<SpiritOfFate>	"Yeah, quite a few. That zebra, it was on your group. I remember him." He brushes a hoof over his ribs.
[20:26]?	Royal_Lace lowers the poster and slides it into her saddlebag, frowning a bit at Buck. The posters were troubling news, she had assumed the slavers would be far to busy with the 'Dragon Problem' at the junkyard to put any up. "I remember... but that is in the past, your free now and if I can take care of things at the junk yard fast enough they wont have time to put your face on a poster"
[20:48]?	Royal_Lace offers a small reasuring smile. "Im going to pick up the food and head out for the night, but Ill be back... hopefully, in any case could you tell me where you found the poster?"
[20:50]<SpiritOfFate>	"The bar. They have a wall full of it." He adjust his tie, not all that well tied. "Well, if anything goes wrong, there's a world out there, I guess."
[20:53]?	Royal_Lace smiles again, "Thank you buck, have a nice night. Both of us are tired, get some sleep, alright? Its not hte penical of luxury but its far better than the floor of the slave house"
[21:00]<SpiritOfFate>	Buck blinks, looking back at her from the  "They have a soft mattress and there's room to walk. I think they could fit 30 ponies here easy, 6 just on the bed. That sounds more than fine."
[21:03]?	Royal_Lace nods as she steps out of the doorframe and looking back at him, "Enjoy it then, Its back to the scrapyard for me Buck. Have a nice night"