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Post by Red Charge on May 16, 2012 20:17:52 GMT -5
"I'm not saying I know you, I'm only telling you what your name means." Starling shrugged, as Gilda started getting fired up he just observed calmly, letting her vent her rage until finally she told him to remove his armor.
"There are only two things I remove my armor for, and both are sleep related. So unless you're offering, I'll just keep it on, thank you." He said, walking past and brushing against her side as he did. Though the sentence was said nonchalantly the shadow of a wink could be heard in it. He continued towards the large house. "It's empty, by the way." He called back as he continued to walk towards it, expecting Gilda, once more, to follow.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 16, 2012 21:25:01 GMT -5
Gilda gave Starling a suspiciously raised eye. What was he suggesting? ”Oh, that so? ” Her expression grew softer as Starling brushed past her, in his pass, she let her wing feathers grace his armor as she unwound to his touch. ”Now why would I offer that to a pony?” Coyly she asked as she approached beside him, heading towards the empty hose. ”Who would of guessed the great Starling had that for a soft spot?” She spoke sultrily yet distantly as she pressed passed Starling, till blocking his path inside the old estate.
Gilda stretched out her back legs as she turned back to look at him from under the tuft of her head feathers, ”But hypothetically, say I were. Not going to be lame and get cold ‘hooves’ on me; you ponies can be a bit soft, what if you’re delicate under all that armor?” She turned back towards the residence, giving her backside a subtle wiggle and tail a soft flutter as she approached the doorway. She raked a single claw across the wooden frame of the door, cutting a shallow crevice into the surface ”Place is a total dump.” She pressed her talon on the door and let it creak slowly open, then gave Starling a glance back. ”Look at that, you’re right, no one home.” She motioned with her head for him to step up. ”Well hurry up, will ya. I may be curious to see how well Starling thinks he knows griffons. If you’re cool with it?”
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Post by Red Charge on May 16, 2012 21:34:41 GMT -5
Starling laughed heartily as he brushed by Gilda again going into the house. Yes Gilda did remind him a lot of Styg. The same hardcore personality, straightforwardness and love for challenge. Yes of course. Griffon warriors were all birds of a feather after all. That warrior spirit was very firmly a part of the Griffon lifestyle. Always taking life head on.
Starling always appreciated that, and fortunately for him, he could show Gilda how well he knew Griffons indeed.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 21, 2012 18:35:45 GMT -5
Sometime later in the evening, still within the abandoned estate.
Laying on her back beside Starling, resting with her legs crossed, she gazed up at the dusty ceiling with an air of satisfied contentment. ”Ok, you win. A pony can know their way around a griffon; I stand corrected if I ever doubted. But don’t get any ideas, this griffon flies solo.” She stated with a sense of pride bubbling around her, she was going to end this with her on top. Even if that meant making baseless statements.
Gilda moved from beside Starling, rolling back onto her feet. She stood and shock herself, then begun to preen the feathers on her neck. Straightening the crest of feathers upon her head and otherwise making herself presentable. ”Gonna be a bit before I wanna fly again, there anything to do in this town aside from-“ She remarked with a wayward gesture. ”A pony like you has got’ta know a few wicked hang-outs.”
Gilda gave the room a glance over, first time she really paid attention to it since they went inside. It was typical of Canterlotian architecture, high-walls and open spaces. But that isn’t what was catching her attention. There was still furniture and odds and ends littered about, most if it draped in sheets creating an eerie desolation. She pondered if anything else was left behind, ”Hey Starling, ever search this place out? Nothing interesting left behind is there?”
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Post by Red Charge on May 22, 2012 17:47:25 GMT -5
"Not to alarm you, but there's something in the basement and I can't tell what it is. It's behind a sealed door." Starling said, putting his armor back on, "Odd thing is, I know it's there, but it doesn't seem to be dead or alive." His nonchalant tone did not change at all.
"And I'm fine with you flying solo. Some would find my devotion to my country too overbearing anyway." As the final shoe clicked into place the pony stretched slowly, cracking his muscles all over.
"I'm not opening that door." He finally returned to the subject of whatever was in the house.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 30, 2012 19:59:03 GMT -5
Gilda cocked her head to the side, was Starling serious? ”Wait, there is actually something here? And you’re not even interested? ” She was quickly getting intrigued how something the great Starling was hesitant to get near. She had completely glossed over his reply to her previous statement, her head now swimming with what could possibly be hiding below their paws and hooves.
She approached Starling earnestly, ”And what do you mean, ‘doesn’t seem dead or alive’, what kind of dumb statement is that, is it an item? Seriously, what’s so awful about some lame trinket behind a door – seriously doubt it’s too much for a pony like you to get all apprehensive about.” She graced around him, lighting brushing against his armored facade. ”You’re not suggesting that whatever it is down there is the reason the owners dropped this place faster than a featherless Pegasus? Come on, don’t get all wimp on me, let’s check it out.” She attempted to coax Starling along, however fruitless it would prove.
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Post by Red Charge on May 31, 2012 2:03:16 GMT -5
"Well, if you want to open that door I won't stop you. But I'm telling you there's something in there. I don't know what it is, definitely not an item though and probably malevolent." He said, leading her to said door. She could understand exactly why he would think that whatever was behind it was evil. The amount of runes and chains on the door signified that someone really didn't want whatever was inside to get out.
"Go ahead and open it then, I'll watch your back." Starling said, waiting patiently behind Gilda for her to unlock the chains and rub out the runes. "Just be careful."
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 31, 2012 11:21:47 GMT -5
”Oh, suddenly now you’re interested – way to flip-flop.” Gilda exclaimed with a frustrated sigh as Starling lead her down into the dank, dark basement. Admittedly, she grew intimidated by the entire scene laid out in front of her; the door was not what she had envisioned from Starling explanation. The cryptic runes, the rusted and decrepit chains, it was more tomb than the vault she pictured.
She approached, apprehensively, feeling her hackles rise along her back at the pervasive chill lingering heavy upon the air. Starling was correct, something was not quite right here. Gilda didn’t know runes or dark mythos, nor was she one to idly believe in superstitious nonsense, especially pony nonsense, yet she couldn’t help feel uneasy about this whole thing. She kept glancing behind, making sure Starling hadn’t decided to slink away quietly – not as if he could move anywhere silently wrapped up like a tank.
At first she warily inspected the door, looking at each individual inscribed rune as if it were some sort of manual or warning, but written in a language completely foreign to her. She then clasped one of the heavy iron locks in her talon, jiggled it against its chains, it was solid though still an old pin and tumbler lock. She could pop it with a little time through the delicate use of a claw. ”Who exactly did you say owned this dump?”
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Post by Red Charge on May 31, 2012 15:53:44 GMT -5
"No idea. All I know is that there were concealing spells all around this area and the gardens. Must have been rich people to have such a mansion. I've heard they moved to Manehattan. Made me wonder what makes a rich pony conceal a giant mansion in such a high value location and try their hardest to make sure no one found it. By the state of the place I wouldn't say it's a summer home, exactly." He gestured around, "If you're wondering the warning on the door is 'only fear and dismay awaits those who open'." Starling talked as calmly as ever, but Gilda noticed he had not advanced from where he stopped.
"Some things are better left alone, Gilda."
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 31, 2012 18:17:10 GMT -5
Gilda raised her brow as she listened to Starling, though she paid him only half attention as she focused on the chain lock. With a wince inducing tug, she plucked a feather from her neck to assist. ”I dunno, you ponies are all a little odd – ‘specially the rich ones.” She bluntly stated as the first pin within the lock raised. Her beak twitched and tongue fluttered out as she fidgeted with the corroded lock. Jarring rings and rattles from the chains broke the dead stillness as she tried to get the old thing off.
Another pin moved up, half way there, just as her heckles rose once more. She could swear that she felt something close, something that wasn’t Starling. She momentarily looked up from her work to look about uneasily. She blew it off, telling herself she was getting worked up over nothing. Starling might be timid about this, but that was for ponies. Gilda would never let herself submit to superstitious nonsense like this. Another pin moved.
”Not going to get scared on me now, are ya’? Bet it’s just some lame attempt to keep scared little ponies out of some rich pony dirt.” She said in an attempt to convince herself as much as Starling. She could now feel the final pin begin to move – she gave the door one last skittish glance, chocking down a nervous gulp. ”Hey, ‘fortune favors the bold ‘ right? Let’s do this!” She moved the last pin, the lock gave free and she ripped it away, letting the chains fall to the dusty floor with a rattling din. She swept her arm across the runes, smearing them away and quickly took wing, kicking away from the frightful door, stopping in a apprehensive, low hover beside Starling as the door slowly creaked open.
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Post by Red Charge on May 31, 2012 18:22:21 GMT -5
The open door revealed nothing but a dark room. The dim light from the corridor did nothing to show the contents of the cell. She could barely even see pass the threshold. An eerie silence spread across the corridor now. Starling had not said a single word and was now staring blankly inside the dark chamber. Whether he could see anything she couldn't was uncertain.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 31, 2012 18:32:25 GMT -5
Gilda flared her wings and landed gracefully with a puff of dust bellowing out from beneath her. She tucked her wings in and shuffled slowly forward, towards the darkness – yet keeping her distance all the same. ”See, nothing.” She said, pointing towards the dark opening with an dismissing wave of her talon. She peered towards the darkness, her keen eyes trying to adjust and penetrate the black veil. Despite her dismissal of anything malicious that could possibly be behind the door, she wasn’t about to just charge on inside. All the same, her eyes weren’t built for the darkness. She side stepped, looking back to Starling. ”Got a light on you?” She simply requested, ”Ya’ know, in case of a trap or something. You ponies love your clever little ‘tricks’.” Hissing out with a bitter back, not at Starling himself, but she still housed some lingering resentment towards ponies in general.
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Post by Red Charge on May 31, 2012 18:34:28 GMT -5
As she looked back to starling a face not of his own looked back at her. A terrifying, rotting, nearly skeletal face with two blank silvery orbs for eyes and a gaping maw ready to sink its teeth into her flesh. It lunged forwards.
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Gilda
Griffons
Acolyte Griffon
I'm half-eagle, half-lion and all awesome!
Posts: 213
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Post by Gilda on May 31, 2012 18:50:13 GMT -5
Gilda couldn’t finish letting out her horrified gasp, before instinct kicked in to full gear. Her training with the Rocs, her years of flight training, everything clicked into place in a instant and without thought or word, she reacted. She took to the air with flaring of her wings, baring her talons and claws toward the thing that had beseeched Starling. She used the gust of wind from her wings to kick up a plume of dust into the things face and shoot quickly to the left, all to narrowly avoid the lung. She rounded a wooden pillar, using that to put something between herself and the thing that was once Starling.
Her breathing was frantic, startled, confused. What in good grace had just happened to Starling, she frightfully wondered. It was a door, a stupid door, what could this have done to the pony? A hundred thoughts flipped rabidly through her mind, some of them made her want to retch at the idea she may have just let something like that get close to her.
”Starling!?” She desperately pleaded, not letting her guard down, but downright confused and scared by this sudden change. ”Not funny dude! What gives!? Knock this off!” She had no idea if this was evening the pony she had come to know these last few hours, but she knew she needed to try and get out of there fast – the moment the opportunity presented itself. If this was a prank, then bravo, she had her fill of it.
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Post by Red Charge on May 31, 2012 18:55:00 GMT -5
She could hear laughter, not malicious laughter, but simple pony laughter. "Oh my stars, you should have seen your face!" Starling laughed hysterically. "The room's empty, the runes you just wiped off don't even mean anything they're doodles. You really thought you could just rub protective runes off?" He chortled, "Whatever was in that room they took with them, probably some collection of stuff. All the rest was just the power of suggestion."
She could notice his face was completely normal again, and was grinning practically ear to ear in the shape of a large U. "Oh that was just priceless."
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