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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:18:42 GMT -5
Phalanx found herself moaning and grumbling as Watermark's luck and strategy started to win the day for him. Try and try as they might, neither Phalanx nor Hoplite could get any real advantage in edge-wise and were inevitably defeated by Watermark and his high-rent hotels. Hoplite didn't seem the least bit surprised the whole way through, though, he had probably fully expected Watermark to win from the beginning.
Phalanx started to get up after sitting for so long at the board, the groaning and mumbling coming back as she stretched her legs. "Well, that was fun I suppose...sheesh, how late is it?" she idly asked nopony in particular.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 11, 2013 16:23:09 GMT -5
"Pretty late." Watermark said, looking at an ice watch he had just conjured, "Perhaps you should all go to bed. You two," He turned to Sapphire and Fillydelphia, "You'll sleep with Phalanx and Whitefire in the guest room. Hoplite and I will stay in my room."
At that he began cleaning up, at once putting the game back in the box and levitating the drawing boards back upstairs, as well as levitating the treats to the kitchen. In almost no time, everything was organized perfectly as though their little party had never happened. Sapphire, Whitefire and Fillydelphia began going upstairs.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:26:58 GMT -5
Phalanx couldn't help but chuckle as she thought of Watermark and Hoplite having to share a room. If nothing else, at least she wasn't subjected to yet another round of charades and another claimed 'prize'. She exchanged a bit of idle banter with Hoplite as the room was soon cleaned up, successfully getting under the stallion's skin when she brought up the sleeping arrangements.
Within a few minutes it was time for bed all the same, so she gave her brother a quick 'Good night' and started making her way up the stairs. Hopefully White Fire wouldn't see reason to get any more aggressive towards her throughout the night. Maybe then she could sleep decently.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 11, 2013 16:30:56 GMT -5
In Phalanx and Hoplite's room, Sapphire had already settled herself on Phalanx's bed, though she wouldn't admit it, she was happy to have another chance to curl up around her, she was a very comfortable nap buddy. Fillydelphia was lying on one edge of the bed however, while Whitefire was on the other. Whitefire was already trying to sleep, putting on blindfolds and ear plugs for that very purpose, figuring the girls might want to chat after hours.
In Watermark's room, Watermark lay on the bed, insisting to Hoplite that he must sleep on it because no one sleeps on the floor in his house. And naturally using the opportunity to be as uncomfortably close to him as possible.
"So how've you two been doing?" He asked.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:35:36 GMT -5
Hoplite grumbled as he stepped into Watermark's room. Already Watermark was doing plenty to make him uncomfortable, clearly his intent the whole while. What was the intent, though? Getting under his skin just to have a laugh, or getting under his skin until Hoplite chose to defy that and get comfy with him? Both? Whichever one, he couldn't tell...nor did he want to find out.
Hoplite reluctantly clambered onto the bed, just about hanging over the edge of the mattress. "Well," he started, "We're managing. Phalanx is still steaming over, well everything really, and I'm just taking it day by day. Yourself?"
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:39:38 GMT -5
Phalanx breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the bedroom. White Fire was already trying to sleep, yet the other two were still pretty well awake. She snickered as she noticed that Sapphire had already taken the chance to hop onto her bed.
She stepped over and laid down on the mattress, looking back at Sapphire and Fillydelphia. "Well, certainly *loads* more comfy than the forest, huh?" she asked, already making idle chatter, "And *loads* more comfy than a barn, I would assume."
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 11, 2013 16:47:41 GMT -5
"Definitely, nice of Watermark to let us sleep here, seems like the place is already crowded as it is with you and his sister." Fillydelphia said, motioning at Whitefire.
"He seems like a nice enough pony, looks a bit conflicted though, I can tell he's not used to being this important army dude." Sapphire said, "He's probably been used to just leading Cultists by example and now he's got to actually command ponies ones he doesn't know at that. I guess it's why he keeps doing stuff on his own. Don't see him as too comfortable actually doing this whole superior officer thing."
"Me? Well doing as well as I can. It's been tiresome, this whole war." Watermark admitted, "I just want it to end so I can quit already and go back to teaching. I love Equestria and I'd die to protect it... but being in the army is... not my thing."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:54:55 GMT -5
Phalanx shrugged, "Eh, you'd be surprised. The colt's got that commanding air about him, and he knows his tactics well enough. I think he's just more used to actually being out there and leading from the front, rather than staying in an office and doing all that paperwork. Plus, you can never really be sure with him. One thing my brother and I have learned about Watermark, is that you never get a straight or proper answer from him. That extends to his speech *and* body language all the same."
"That isn't to say I really imagined him as a 'leader' per se. Don't get me wrong, I'd follow him into battle sure, but it's not because he has that aura of leadership as much as it's just a good idea to stay near him in the fray," Phalanx found herself rambling.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 16:58:11 GMT -5
Hoplite nodded once, "I can only imagine how you feel there. Can't be easy with the weight of Hoofington and a good chunk of Equestria resting on your shoulders," he took a second to pause and adjust his position, noticing that his legs were slipping off the bed, "If you want it to be over with, though, shouldn't we be making active movements on the remnants of the Diamond Dogs out there? They're still scattered without their leader *or* that Terragon, we actually might be able to rout them if we made an assault..."
Hoplite thought about what he had said just then. Chances were they'd suffer heavy losses if they actually did try to rout the Diamond Dogs, but it felt to him like a *much* better option than just languishing inside the shield and waiting for them to recover.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 11, 2013 17:07:33 GMT -5
"Yeah," Watermark said, "But then again, this could all be a trap. Malachite could be pretending to be absent, they could be faking the disorganization and if we move to strike, ambush us and eliminate the majority of our forces, forcing us to retreat or surrender. At this point in time, we've got a lot to lose and either way it goes, they don't." Watermark said thoughtfully, "We just can't risk it."
"I don't think he means badly." Sapphire continued, "He doesn't seem like he's too fond of you, but the fact he's put you where you are, after everything, heck... if I ever mouthed off to my superior like you just did? I'd be shoveling manure for a week at best, or sent to the slammer. Seems like he's going through a lot of trouble to try and patch things up with you. I mean, he could have just made your brother his bodyguard and left you to be a farmer or whatnot."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 17:10:19 GMT -5
"Yeah, fair point," Hoplite started, "But that does beg the question of what we're going to do now? Just sit here and wait for them to launch another attack and hope we can drive it off?" he asked, actually hopeful that Watermark might actually have a plan for this. Anything to get this conflict over sooner...
He absently wondered to himself what Phalanx was up to in the other room.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 17:15:34 GMT -5
Phalanx rolled her eyes, "I never said he meant ill. the colt means well for essentially everypony. It just how he is, proud warrior yet softie underneath that shell. Only thing being exactly what you mentioned: He could've just brushed me of at *any* point, yet he didn't. Why? Hay if I know, something about 'seeing potential' in me and my brother, or some other weird stuff like that. I wouldn't say he's 'trying to patch things up' with me, as clearly he doesn't really want to spend an enormous amount of time with me...but I will say he's trying to look out for me and this big mouth of mine," she absently pointed to her own muzzle before chuckling softly.
"I honestly just think the colt needs company. He's been keeping me and Hoplite around not because he needs us or that we're even terribly valuable to him, just feels like he doesn't want to be alone in what he does. Foalhood like he had, it wouldn't surprise me if he wanted company...probably why he and Hoplite are sharing a bed in the other room," she added.
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Post by Red Charge on Dec 11, 2013 17:25:07 GMT -5
"For the time being, there's nothing we can do but hold on and keep morale up. I do know that Princess Luna has a plan however, but I guess we'll only be able to tell when she actually uses it." The zebracorn said, "Tonight was nice... for the most part... your sister's never going to get off my back is she?"
In Phalanx's room, Sapphire groaned, "Ugh, I wouldn't want to spend much time with you either if you kept talking to me the way you do to him."
Fillydelphia nodded, "It seems you spend an awful lot of effort being rude to him and very little effort in actually trying to get along with him. For example those two 'stories' you told us were very unnecessary, it would have been a far nicer night without them."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 17:34:51 GMT -5
Phalanx rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, whoop de doo. I don't regret saying those things, kinda needed to get it out of my system...or at least try to. But hey, y'know what else was unnecessary? Those stories of yours where you went over the destruction and devastation you dealt with back at Fillydelphia and how you wanted dozens of ponies to subject their life to Equestria's needs and lose their foalhood to one of the worst training regiments in recent history. But hey, we both kind of needed to get those things out, so don't you go blaming me for ruining the night and I won't hold you to your depressing stories."
Phalanx sighed, "Ugh, sorry, I...well, I can't say I didn't mean to say that but I can say I didn't mean to let myself go that far. Apologies, Fillydelphia. Don't exactly have the best handle on myself as of late."
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Post by Deleted on Dec 11, 2013 17:37:55 GMT -5
Hoplite sighed. He really didn't have a plan of action? They had to just sit there and wait for instructions from Luna? He trusted her judgement, sure, but did they really have to wait so long before they made any effort?
Hoplite chuckled a bit at Watermark's question. "Oh no, probably not. She's not the type to forgive unless you let her get everything out of her system. Same goes for anything else added on top, she needs to get her frustration out somehow and her preferred method is, well, what she tends to do around you."
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