December 14
Me and Aquamarine both woke up before the sun came up, and Cayenne was curled up with us so we didn't want to get out of bed right away and leave her alone. Then we realized that we were being kind of foalish, 'cause we might be stuck in bed until noon if we didn't want to leave her by herself, at least for a little bit. And maybe if there wasn't anypony sleeping with her she'd get up a little bit sooner.
We didn't get out of bed right away, though; we looked through the windows and tried to guess where we were but you couldn't really see enough to be sure.
Aquamarine thought that we were probably in Tennessee, and she said that meant that we'd probably slept through Kentucky and we couldn't decide if it counted as being someplace if you were asleep when you went there.
It wasn't snowy on the ground, so I guess we'd gotten past where the snow was. The sky was gloomy and overcast and it looked like it might rain, but I couldn't tell for sure because the air inside the train car was changed from when it was outside and that made it hard for me to guess.
We were still sitting in bed and thinking about getting up when the conductor announced that we were going to stop in Memphis soon and that there would be twenty minutes on the platform and since neither of us were too prideful we thought we'd just go out on the platform and stretch out our legs before we took our shower.
So we got up and went to the bathroom which was on the other end of the car, and then we waited near the door as the train slowed down and went through Memphis. Aquamarine said that she thought that Elvis was from Memphis, and he had been a famous singer.
We crossed over a bridge and then all of a sudden we were in the middle of kind of run-down factories, and we saw one that had big stacks of wood and another place that had big piles of rusty metal, and then we got past them and were right alongside the river for a little bit, and over on the other side we could see lots of houses all crowded together.
We went under a bunch of car bridges over the tracks, and then all of a sudden it opened up on the west side of the train and we could see a big wide river that was the Mississippi. But before we could get too much of a look at it, the train turned inland, and that was disappointing.
It stopped not too long after that, and we waited until everyone who was detraining had gotten off and then we got out on the platform and trotted around a little bit, making sure to stay out of people's way. And I flew up some, just to stretch out my wings. I couldn't go too high because there was a canopy which went over the platform so people wouldn't get wet if it rained.
And I could feel the sky and it didn't feel like there was going to be any rain at all.
I got to the end of the platform, and since I was clear of the shed, I flew up high enough that I could see the Mississippi River, and then went back down to the platform so Aquamarine wouldn't be lonely. And then the two of us trotted around a little bit more then got back on the train a little bit earlier than we had to, 'cause we didn't want it to leave without us.
Right after we left the station, there was a railroad crossing and there was a train waiting for us, and it was kind of scary to be looking right out the window at its headlight, 'cause it wasn't that far away. And then we went past a lot of houses and a really big railroad yard and we kept looking but we didn't see the Mississippi again, which was too bad. I liked when the train went alongside it, but I didn't think it was going to again.
So me and Aquamarine got our shampoos and conditioners and went down to the other end of the train car where the bathroom was and I guess it was still too early for most people except the ones who had to get on or off the train, 'cause there wasn't anybody else up so we got to go right in.
I don't know how much hot water train cars have and we didn't want to use it all up, plus it was a bit tricky sometimes to not get knocked over with the train bumping around—they had railings that people could hold but those didn't work very well for us—so we didn't spend a whole lot of time in the shower, and after we'd rinsed off and shaken ourselves dry, we went back to our room to finish drying off and to groom each other.
Cayenne was still asleep, and so after we'd dried each other off we took the other bed and groomed. I had to preen my own wings, 'cause Aquamarine didn't know how, and she felt bad about it.
Me and her were both starting to get a little bit hungry, but we didn't want to leave Cayenne behind and we didn't think that they would deliver food right to our room like they did in hotels. We probably could have gotten one of our helpers to bring food to us but that was extra work for them and it wasn't their fault that Cayenne was being lazy. So we decided that she'd slept long enough and Aquamarine pushed the button to get the attendant, 'cause he'd bring us coffee, and we could tempt her with that.
So he brought three cups and we set them on the little table then woke Cayenne up and she was pretty grouchy until she'd had her coffee. Then she went galloping off to the bathroom, and when she came back she only stuck her head in the room so that she could get her shower things.
Me and Aquamarine thought that we should probably keep her company, even though we didn't need another shower, so we went down the hall and knocked on the door until she opened it up and let us in. It wasn't quite as social, 'cause there was the door between us, but we could talk and got to hear her swear a couple of times as the train's movement caught her off-guard.
When she was done the three of us went back to our room and we both helped her groom although she didn't need a whole lot of help 'cause she was a unicorn and they don't have any trouble brushing anywhere which is kind of unfair.
Once she was ready, we went upstairs and walked forward to the dining car and we got a table right away since it was still pretty early for humans. Also me and Aquamarine had kind of forgotten that we were in a different timezone, so it was an hour earlier than we thought it was.
They had a smaller menu than the other trains did, so we got an omelet and a breakfast blintz and a continental breakfast and shared it between us, and we ordered our omelet without cheese, too, so that Cayenne would like it better.
Outside was lots of flat fields and Aquamarine said that it looked like we were on floodplain, which was really fertile but also was sometimes underwater in the spring. That was what kept the soil good, though, so you just made sure to build things on top of little hills so that they wouldn't get wet.
It was mostly pretty open land, and we didn't see a whole lot of houses except when we passed through little towns. I tried to get a look and see if any of them had signs that I could read, but we went by so quick that I usually didn't get a chance to see.
We were just finishing up our breakfast when the conductor announced that we were going to stop in Greenwood Mississippi, and it was slowing down for the station when our helpers came in.
Cayenne wanted to know if we were close to New Orleans yet and Mister Barrow said that we had a ways to go. He said that the train wouldn't get there for another six or seven hours and we should enjoy the scenery. And he said that the further south we got, the greener it would get, which made Aquamarine happy. I guess when you're an earth pony, winter is kind of depressing, even though there's lots of fun things to do like snowboarding that you can't do in the summer.
We decided that we were gonna go to the Viewliner so that we could look at the scenery, and so we told our helpers and the three of us found some seats and it was pretty flat and mostly fields after Greenwood, and it got a little bit boring after a while.
There was a road that went right alongside the tracks for a while and it was fun to look at the cars. I saw a bunch of pickup trucks that looked a lot like Winston. Some of the trucks were very colorful because their doors and hoods weren't the same color as the rest of the truck, and I saw one that had a wooden deck for a back.
We went past a rail switching yard and an electricity switching yard on our way into Yazoo City, and when the train stopped at the station it was the worst one that I'd ever seen. I hope that there was a real one nearby that they were just fixing, because all that there was for a train station was a platform and a square pavilion.
After we left Yazoo City, we were between two roads for a while and that was fun 'cause we could look out either side at the cars and trucks that we were passing, and after a while, our helpers came to the car, and Mister Barrow and Miss Parker sat with us, while Mister Salvatore and Miss Cherilyn went back to their rooms.
There wasn't a whole lot that was interesting to see until we got to Jackson City, and then after that it got flat and kind of boring again. It was greener, though, which was nice. And we weren't supposed to get off the train there 'cause the train didn't stop for too long, but we did go downstairs so that when the conductor opened the door we could breathe some outside air at least.
We went back to the dining car and ate lunch after the train passed through Hazelhurst, which was a kind of run-down looking town. One building near the tracks had been painted bright blue to make it look better, but it was kinda out of place.
The lunch menu was disappointing; they only had a vegetarian sandwich and nothing with fish, so all of us had the same thing. Cayenne liked the potato chips so we gave her ours, although that turned out to be too many for her to eat. And we each had a beer, too—Cayenne got a Heineken 'cause she liked that, and me and Aquamarine both had a Sam Adams Lager. And we wanted to get dessert, but they didn't have any on the train 'cause it was going to stop before dinnertime.
So after we were done eating we went back to our room and relaxed a little bit. Cayenne opened up her folding computer and I got her to show some pictures of me flying and riding a snowboard, and they both liked that. And Cayenne showed us the artificial mount that was modeled after her and she was kind of disappointed that I'd already seen it until I told her that Aric had said that he might get one and she thought that was pretty exciting. She wasn't sure how many of them had been sold yet because they wouldn't tell her but she'd heard that they were popular which made her really proud.
She had one of her own but she hadn't brought it. She said if we didn't get a chance to look at it when we were back in Chicago, we could when we were on our way back to Equestria, 'cause she was going to take it home with her.
Louisiana looked almost like Mississippi at first, but then when we got further south it was a lot wetter and swampier. Some of the houses that we saw were supported on stilts, because they were in bayous which were a lot like swamps. And that was land that I liked, 'cause I was sure that there were lots of tasty fish in all the water, and there were also lots of grasses growing that looked really good to eat, and so we decided to go back to the Viewliner so we could see it better, and Mister Barrow was still there so we took the seats next to him.
We went by some docks and there was a boat gas station that was high up on stilts although the docks were much lower, so I guess that they had big tides on the lake. And then we went out on a causeway, and right next to us was a road that sat pretty high up, and there were rows of pilings where there had been a bridge before next to it, and also some that were next to us which were in a lot better condition.
Then we went alongside a big lake which I thought might be the ocean but Mister Barrow said was Lake Pontchartrain, and there was a elevated road that ran alongside the shore, and also electricity towers that ran over it, 'cause it was pretty shallow most places and so people had thought that that was the best place to build them.
We followed the shoreline for a while, and then when we started getting inland, he told us that we should get back to our room and pack up, because we were almost in New Orleans. And then while we were walking back to our room, I remembered that Christine lived in New Orleans and if I'd been smarter I would have told her that we were coming there, 'cause maybe she'd want to see me for a little bit.
I didn't have too much to pack, so I sent her a telephone telegram, and before we got off the train she'd sent one back and said that she couldn't meet us at the station but she could meet us later for dinner and if we had time we could take a little tour of town with her, so I found out where we were going to eat and sent her a telegram back.
New Orleans was as far as we could go on the train, because Mister Barrow said that the train route from New Orleans to Orlando had been knocked down by a hurricane and it hadn't been properly fixed yet, so we were going to have to take a special bus the rest of the way. But the good part about it was that that gave us time to look around instead of having to stay at the train station waiting for the next train.
The bus was what was called an executive coach, which meant that it was smaller than a proper bus and bigger than a van like Econoline. But it had nicer seats in it and there was also a big flat television on the front that you could watch movies on if you wanted to. I thought that maybe this was the kind of bus that the tornado team had gotten to ride on when they came to Texas.
It was a little big for just the three of us and our helpers—about twenty people could have fit on it—but that did give us room to sleep, 'cause it had couches on one side and more normal seats on the other. And it even had a faucet in the back that was filled with coffee.
Mister Salvatore said that we should go to the French Quarter because that was the most popular place in New Orleans but me and Aquamarine both wanted to look at the lake first—I wanted to fly over it some and she was really curious about the plants on the shore that weren't like anything in Michigan or Equestria, and Cayenne didn't mind coming along as long as she didn't have to get her hooves muddy.
So we drove through the city until we got to the very end of the road, and the bus had to stop on a driveway that went off of it. It went up to an embankment which Mister Salvatore said was a levee and that kept the water out when there were storms.
And the one side was all swampy and wet and the lake was on the other side so I put on my flight gear and my watch told me what the frequency for the New Orleans airplane directors were, so I called them and said that I was gonna be flying, then I had to ask Mister Salvatore where we were exactly so that they would know. He wasn't sure, but his portable telephone knew, and I told them what he told me.
They said I could fly if I stayed low and over the lake and the tip of land that we were on and didn't fly over the city so I told them that I would and I took off. And they also warned me that there was a little airport just west of me so I had to be careful of little airplanes, 'cause some of them might not have radios.
Aquamarine was going down the embankment when I took off, and I just heard Mister Barrow telling her that she had to be careful of alligators and snakes.
There was a railroad track that went on the wrong side of the levee, and I think it was the track that our train was supposed to have taken. It looked like it had been fixed to me but maybe it was broken further along. It went right over the mouth of the lake, next to a road bridge, and it had a big section that was lifted up so that boats could get through.
I saw a boat going along the shore that had a man and a woman in it and I waved at them as I flew over and they waved back.
I wasn't really sure where fish liked to live in the lake; it might not be the same as it was in Equestria. But the local birds knew, so I flew over to where there was a big flock of pelicans so I could get an idea what they were eating. They mostly liked smaller fish that they could scoop up in their beaks but they'd eat bigger ones if they could find them.
I didn't want to get too close 'cause they might get mad at me, and there were a lot of them, so once they started acting a bit agitated I went a little bit further away and then I landed in the water and looked around to see what was there.
There were a bunch of little minnow-sized fish swimming around and those were pretty dumb. It took me a couple of tries to get one, and when I did he hadn't really been worth the effort, so I took off and flew all the way to shore and scraped in the mud there, hoping I could maybe find some sand crabs but the ground was too thick for them.
I did see a water snake that was as big around as a rope, so I stayed away from him.
Then once I was done exploring I flew back up and over the railroad tracks and levee until I found everyone again, and I circled over Aquamarine who was a few hundred feet in the marsh, examining all the plants.
I didn't really want to land in a swamp, so I just circled overhead, enjoying the freedom and also keeping an eye out for predators. And it was a good thing that I did, 'cause there was one who was in the marsh not too far from her and I shouted out a warning which gave her enough time to gallop to safety before the alligator started thinking that she'd make a good dinner. And I saw Cayenne come trotting up to the edge of the levee with her horn lit, and I bet if she could see him she could have made him go away.
Mister Barrow thought that was a little bit too close for his liking and said that maybe we should get back in the coach and visit somewhere safer but Aquamarine convinced him to let her spend another ten minutes here and then we'd go somewhere else.
He told her to stay where he could see her and he came down the levee until he was almost in the water, and he took out his gun and held it against his side, just pointing down at the ground, but it was there if he needed it.
It was probably closer to twenty minutes before she was done looking around, but she came back up and I looked for alligators before she waded across a stream that was just past the base of the levee. And so me and her and Mister Barrow all wound up tracking some mud into the bus, and she had to go through her bag to get a towel to sit on so that she wouldn't ruin the seat before the mud dried out and we could brush it off.
So then we took the bus to the French Quarter, and we stopped at Jefferson Park first which is almost on the Mississippi River. And there were a bunch of horse-drawn carriages there and we all wanted to ride in that. Mister Salvatore said that there were trolleys, too, but we all wanted to be behind the horses and so he grumbled a little bit and gave Mister Barrow twenty dollars for some reason and then we all got on board.
All the houses were really pretty, and there were apartment buildings that had balconies on the upper floors that wrapped all the way around, and they had lacy iron railings instead of the fat wooden ones that my apartments had had. And a lot of them had posts that went all the way down to the ground to hold the balconies up, 'cause they were so big. And during Mardi Gras that was where women would crowd and show off their breasts to get necklaces of beads.
They had lots of signs that were painted on tile, and a lot of them were pretty worn out but they were historical so they were keeping them. And most of the buildings were really fancy and there were people everywhere and I was glad that we were up here in our carriage where we could see over them and were by ourselves.
People stood on the street corners and played musical instruments for anyone who wanted to listen, and if you liked them you could give them some money, and there was just a whole lot to see and the driver kept telling us the history of everything. I think I could have stayed here for a week and still not known it all.
For dinner, we went to a restaurant called The New Orleans Creole Cookery, and we met Christine there. She said that everything was really good, and I saw that they had alligator on the menu and Mister Barrow said that he was going to have that to get back at the alligator who had wanted to eat Aquamarine. She didn't think that was funny.
There was so much to choose from, and I didn't know what half of it was, but almost all of it sounded really good. I was kinda wishing that I'd decided to go to a place on the ocean instead of Kalamazoo, just for the food.
I got shrimp and catfish and Aquamarine got a salad and hushpuppies and Cayenne had the corn maque choux and jambalaya and we shared a little bit so we could try more things. Aquamarine had a shrimp and said that it was kind of weird and chewy, but she liked it. Neither of them wanted to try my catfish but I did trade a little piece of it for half of one of Miss Parker's oysters, and Christine let me have a bit of her calamari.
And even though we were pretty full, Christine insisted that we had to have dessert, too, and so we all got something different so that we could share, so I got to try Key Lime pie and bread pudding and bourbon pecan pie and banana foster cheesecake, and they were all really good.
Christine took us around town, too, and this time we did ride on a streetcar which was fun. It made a big loop around town and we got to see some places and buildings that we hadn't gotten to see before, and Christine knew all about them. She even pointed out the building where she'd lived one summer with a bunch of other people—she said it was really expensive but it had been worth it.
Then she said that before we left we had to stop at Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, just because we had Cayenne with us. She really wanted to see the reaction of the shopkeepers.
The streetcar didn't go there, so we had to walk but it wasn't that far, and Christine told Cayenne to do some mystical unicorn stuff when she got in there. And Cayenne rolled her eyes, but when we got in there we looked around for a little bit and they had all sorts of weird things and none of it looked all that special except for their voodoo dolls. Those were kind of creepy, and I didn't like them very much at all. They were made out of moss and Aquamarine looked at them really closely to see if she could figure out what kind of moss it was.
Cayenne asked if they had any that were shaped like a pony instead of a human and if they would work back in Equestria, and the woman at the counter got a little nervous and then said that they were just a novelty and didn't really work at all and there weren't any shaped like ponies for sale, and she kept looking at all of us like she was trying to figure out what was going on. But then she relaxed a little when Cayenne found a bottle of Love Potion Number 9, and she said that that was very good and she would like it.
They had palm readings, too, but we couldn't do that. Christine could, though, so she got her palm read and we all watched and that was really interesting. The woman who did it seemed very wise, and she didn't get too distracted with all of us there asking questions. I thought she could have been a little more specific about what Christine's palm was telling her, though.
Then we said our goodbyes to Christine and we went down and sat on the riverbank for a little while, watching the barges and tugboats and even a paddlewheeler go by on the river, and that was a nice way to relax. It was really pretty at night, too, 'cause of all the lights on the boats and also all the buildings had Christmas decorations, which seemed a little bit out of place since it was so warm. But they were still pretty.
Then we went and got back on our bus, and since the moon was out, Mister Barrow said that we should go across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway because it was like being on a boat. He said that it was longer than the Lucin Cutoff in the Great Salt Lake, which was for trains and not cars.
And it was a really pretty view from it, and it seemed like we were over the water forever. If it hadn't been for being able to see lights on the other side, I might have thought that it really did go on forever. It was amazing to think how someone had been able to build all this, and Mister Barrow said that it hadn't taken that long, because they had built a factory on the shore and all the pieces were the same, and there were even some extra spare pieces in case the bridge got broken.
When we finally got to the other side and turned on the highway, us ponies settled down on the couch. Miss Parker gave us a blanket, and she said that if we needed to use the bathroom or anything the bus driver would stop, 'cause there wasn't a bathroom on the bus, and he could also stop if we wanted to stretch our legs. So we thanked her and we curled up on the couch and Cayenne lifted the blanket over us and it didn't take me too long to fall asleep.
so, uh...should I take the dive into the 450+ chapters?
7952207
Yes. Most of the chapters are short and well written. Plus it is kinda scary to look back at 2016.
7952250
yes, 2016 was very scary.
we need to build a wall
Thanks!
7952207 the projected lenght is 365 chapters at least
Be thankful that the hurricane went through a while before so they could sort out train, bus and tourist alternatives. Being stuck in florida with that lot landing on you isnt exactly conducive to a relaxing holiday.
Hushpuppies? I knew Orleans had Sole, but..
7952207
I do recommend not bingeing it, just to avoid burnout. Plus that way you'll always have something to read, assuming that it takes you more than a month to read through it.
I don't think a pistol is any good against 12 foot alligators.
Horse drawn ponies and "Mustang Man" Salvatore lost a bet to a [Wheel]Barrow.
Also, the ladies just want to stare at hot horse butts.
I forgot if Silver Glow saw that earlier in the year (on TV, that is)...
Yeah, what did the alligator ever do to you, dude?
7952285
ok
7952289
It depends on the pistol and where he shoots. I doubt he is carrying a 9mm, does anyone know what the standard issue pistol is for a FBI agent?
Aquamarine got a lot of food while Cayenne got none?
Just when I think she and Aquamarine are finally coming around, they return to being massive bitches to their unicorn friend.
proof that Ponies Have Horse Sense, or Darwin Was Right
Hushpuppies are a kind of small cornmeal biscuit. Catfish & Hushpuppies are a Southern dish. You can get it in restaurants, but they are WAY better eaten fresh on a camping trip. As to Caijun cooking, set fire to food & use a bottle of Hot Sauce to put it out.
A perfect example of the three tribes working together.
7952356
The newest FBI standard issue is the Sig P320 in 9mm and .40 caliber. However the .40 Glock 22&23 have been in use for well over a decade so that's a possibility as well. A .40 could kill a gater by cracking it's head open but it may take two or three shoots in the same area to do so. Better to just use rifle ammo or buck shot.
About all I know about 'No Olan' is from NCIS and Katrina news reels.
Seems like a nice place, despite the miserable climate. Lots of history and unique culture.
Rejoice! The Aquamarine has been doubled!
aww New Orleans I was their 2 times 3 days the first (I do not remember a dam thing lol ) 5 the second I can say if you like southern cooking you defiantly need to go it is some of the best food I have ever hade.
"they were in bayous which were a lot like swamps."
Bayous are a lot like swamps, except they're also forests. (I know FoME will get it.)
I'm probably not the only one to notice, and this may not be the first time I've commented on it. It's also probably amateur-hour xenopsychology on my part as well. Nevertheless, I swear Silver makes it sound like Equestria's ponies get super depressed if they're left alone for more than a minute sometimes.
So, she can even brush her derrière?
Also, "anywhere" rhymes with "unfair" at the end of that sentence, so it's time to break out one of my all-time favorite movie clips:
7952679
That's exactly what I was thinking.
7952960
Indeed. We had the fortune to stop in New Orleans when driving cross country. I didn't know what real jambalaya and gumbo was until then.
I'm surprised they didn't try some beignets! Can't be in "Nah'lens" without getting some beignets!
"Welcome back to Equestria.
Do you have anything to declare... Sweet Luna! What is this???"
7952207 I second what Admiral Biscuit said. Split it up and take breaks. It's worth it.
Love the idea of a pony going into a voodo shop. Seeing a unicorn go into a magic shop would be pretty funny as well.
7954048
ok
7952356
Current issue is either the Glock 22 or the Glock 23 compact in .40 S&W. If he's an older agent, he might still be carrying a S&W 1076 in 10mm.
Man, I miss New Orleans. It was one of my favorite family vacations that I've had.
Got to try alligator a number of times at a few restaurants, got beignets at Cafe Du Monde, had the best oysters I've ever had in my life at Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter, Po' Boys at Mother's, the statue gardens at the city park, all the live music... It was a blast.
One of my favorite places in the city was the Jazz Legends Park just off of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. It's a really small, secluded area just off the road, with a small bar and occasional live performances, and it's just a great place to just kick back, relax, and enjoy the city. I really miss it.
7952557
Hushpuppies are less like biscuits than they are deep-fried cornbread. The batter is spooned out into the hot fat, and they form little crunchy balls of savory goodness. My personal guess is that they were invented as a way to use up any extra cornmeal during a fish fry. They're also a good thing to toss to a noisy dog that's begging for scraps, but remember to say, "Hush, puppy!" when you do.
Was that being social, or just a chance to giggle at a friend's silliness?
He should've known better.
needs a period on the end.
buildings
Cayenne should have animated one of the voodoo dolls with her telekinesis to creep out the shopkeeper. =D
7952281
Silver Glow would like it. She'd be up in the storm as long as she could. Days, if she had to be--she could sleep on clouds and with saddlebags full of cans of anchovies and occasional flights down to Taco Bell, she'd be having the time of her life.
7952289
I'm not sure how effective it would be. Might depend on the ammo. Still, if it's shoot it with the pistol or do nothing, I'd try the pistol every time.
Well, of course the ponies want to ride in a horse-drawn carriage. He really ought to have seen that coming.
Well, yes, there's that, too.
She did not, but Christine mentioned it.
One of its friends tried to eat Aquamarine. I think that counts.
Heck, why are Rarity and Giant Crabs enemies? You know there's a history there.
7952356
Commenters on the know think that it wouldn't stop a gator. Well, now we know.
He ought to have a Desert Eagle. That would get the job done.
7952377
Heh, oops! I fixed it, thanks!
7952442
Well, to be fair, Cayenne isn't exactly a morning pony.
7952557
They're not stupid. And at least Aquamarine and Silver Glow are familiar with monsters that would love to have a pony snack, so they're wary of things that might be big enough to eat a pony.
Basically, the Southern version of fish and chips.
I would not last down South, at least not eating the traditional foods.
7952679
Yeah, and I think that's why the three tribes ultimately conquered most/all of Equestria. When they work together, they've really got the whole package, 'cause each pony can play to her strengths and cover the other pony's weaknesses.
7952716
So in a nutshell, a standard-issue FBI pistol is probably only going to annoy the alligator, at best. If the sound of the gun doesn't scare it off, the bullets aren't going to do a damn thing.
7952758
Yeah, that's about all I know about it, too. I'd really like to go there someday. Louisiana is one of the few states I've never managed to visit.
7952945
I fixed it, thanks!
7952960
Yeah, it's one place I'd like to go. Mardi Gras would be fun, but it's probably way overcrowded. Next time I go down south (and who knows when that will be) I'd like to visit all the states down there where I've never been. Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
7953290
Damned multi-colored lands.
7953515
They just melt away if they haven't got any pony (or human) contact for too long.
It is kind of rude to abandon your bedmate, though. I'm pretty sure that's in Miss Manners.
She can indeed
I love that movie so much.
Our theatre group did it as a play, once, and I got to be Inigo Montoya one night (I was the understudy). Usually, I just played a brute . . . actually, now that I think about it, it was kind of fun to be able to play both a bad guy and a good guy in the same play.
7953548
I don't even know what those are. I'm such a northerner.
7953887
And where can I get one?
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Oh, man, that would be awesome. "How is any of this magic? It's just earth pony gimmickry. There's not a single potion or artefact in the entire shop!"
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I wonder if FBI agents are allowed to carry a personal sidearm? Some police departments let their officers carry their own gun, either in place of the police issue gun, or in addition to it.
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I've missed out, apparently . . . never had alligator, beignets, oysters, or po'boys.
That actually sounds really cool. I love finding little spots like that in urban spaces. There was a small grassy hill in Kalamazoo between the college and my house where I liked to sit sometimes. It was kind of secluded, even though it was really close to everything. There weren't any live performances there, though.
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I wouldn't be surprised. Some of the best food was invented that way, to solve a problem.
A little bit of both.
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Yes, he should have. Especially since he probably knows that Silver Glow has gone horseback riding on several occasions.
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That would have been some epic level trolling right there. The shopkeeper probably would have fled in terror.
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Ah.
True. :V
Wew. Big day, almost 5k words!
... We could look at the real one right here?
8599196
Visiting lots of new places; of course Silver Glow had a lot to report.
Well, yes, but that's not quite the same
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=five+feet+high+and+rising+lyrics&&view=detail&mid=528027D22307F6E09005528027D22307F6E09005&&FORM=VDRVRV
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=hurricane+lyrics+band+of+heathens&&view=detail&mid=D473B771847658D9A04CD473B771847658D9A04C&&FORM=VRDGAR
Written pre Hurricane Katrina
Love Potion #9
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+clovers+love+potion+no.+9&docid=608048040077101002&mid=0B49AFFAC7DD384CB3EF0B49AFFAC7DD384CB3EF&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
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One of the things that's always bothered me a bit about places along the Mississippi (and other places, as well) is that people build houses in swampland, or on flood plains, and they get away with it . . . for a while. And then the inevitable flood or storm comes, and vast amounts of money wind up getting spent to rebuild houses in the exact same place.
Back in the old days, farmers knew that their fields would flood in the spring, and so they built their houses and barns on hills, and then when the water went down, they planted.
Poor Aquamarine, wanting to help her pony friend, but not knowing how!
Also, I don't think that SG and Aquamarine are being mean to or even don't like Cayenne, like some readers seem to think. I think they just recognize that she's different, and on her own schedule. When they are all awake together, they seem to be friends. All of us have friends who we like, but don't 100% match up with, and so you leave them some space and enjoy their company when you can.
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A problem which also often exists in real life. I’m sure all of us have wanted to help a friend, but don’t know what to do to help.
There are definitely some elements of tribalism in how they interact with Cayenne, especially coming from Silver Glow who has less experience with unicorns than Aquamarine, but yeah, there’s also a lot of them understanding that she’s not the same pony as them; she goes to bed late and sleeps late. Silver Glow never says it (at least I don’t think she ever did), but when they go to bed and Cayenne’s still up, Cayenne is respectful of their sleep schedule and doesn’t keep them awake late, even if she stays up.
I think that a lot of people would do well to recognize that just because other people don’t perfectly match up with them, that’s no reason to not like them, or to badmouth them, or anything like that.
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Or just a case of "Well we got a bit of these things left over, let's just toss them together and see how it works."
Have her humans on the ground, ready to be radioed to prepare another bag of snacks or a full camelback to swap into whenever she needs it.
D'awww,no leave pony all alone in bed, ponies must be snuggled and kept company at all times.
But true, practicality does win out occasionally, can't let one lazy pony ruin your whole day.
Tully a profound pony ponderance of perplexing puzzles, does it count as having been somewhere, if you don't remember being there?
Polite ponies letting the people who have to be somewhere get off first before surprising the people at the station with surprise cuteness.
I'm pretty sure the helpers would deal with things if it tries to take off without you. Mr. Salvatore might even like it, "I never got to order a train around before."
Lack of usable grasping points to help ponies stabilize themselves, just how public accommodations get remade to be pony friendly is going to be fun to see.
D'awwww cute caring pony feeling bad about not knowing how to help pega-friend preen her wings.
And not wanting to make their helpers do extra work they know they would do as well. Can they hurry up and take over already?
That said, the human whose job it is to fetch them coffee must be put to work, being nice has its limits, they need coffee to wake up the sleepy pointy-head.
More cute ponies not liking being alone, even if it's just sitting outside the door because the shower is too small for all of you.
Unicorn OP, please nerf!
Make that uppity snob deal with cheese, omelettes just aren't right without it. There is being cute, kind, adorable ponies, but there is a limit to things.
Cute plant pony being all happy at greenery around them
The first signs you are entering redneck country, old, battered, rusted, and clearly patched together with scrap from a tool shed pick-up trucks everywhere.
No, again, welcome to redneck country, where everything is cheap crap that barely functions.
Even just wanting to stick your noses out a door to get some fresh air, really not used to dealing with modern stuff.
Mister conductor, you pull this train over RIGHT NOW and find these ponies some dessert!
She is so damn proud of that sex toy.....
And of course she's happy at the thought of Silver's slave using one, and nopony finds that the least bit odd.
How many minds is she going to blow when she shows that thing off, and tries to explain that humans have a whole, massive industry that revolves around making stuff like that.
Ponies preference for locations depends greatly on amount of fresh nommage available.
Yeah.... building in a flood plain is stupid enough, but these are the same people who built a city in a bowl, that's already below seawater, and surrounded by water.
Pony must contact friend nearby!
Pony always looks at the bright side.No new train to get on, more time to look around!
A 'Coffee faucet', 1. Cute. 2. Cayenne must be praising Celestia.
Prissy silly unicorn, no wanting to get hooves muddy.
Time for more ATC's to go "What did we just do?" and have the fun of dealing with pegasus in their airspace.
Okay, Aquamarine is not only a pony, she's a pony, FROM PONYVILLE! Disaster and monster invasion capitol of Equestria. There is nothing in that bayou worse then stuff she's dealt with by now.
Wave to funny bird flying by your boat.
Pony must hunt, must find flesh to feast on, must kill!
See, pony knows how to handle wildlife, stay away from the scary things, hunt down and nom the tasty ones.
Also, see, even the prissy unicorn comes down to help protect her friends. Be hilarious if the helpers panic and start trying to shoot the croc away, while Cayenne just calmly teleports it a mile back out into the water.
Plant Pony has found new plants to be Plant Pony at, you are not getting her away from them easily.
How did he ever think betting against the ponies wanting to go on horse drawn carriage rides was a good idea?
I'm betting Cayenne was the one who told them about the 'Show your boobs!" aspect of Mardi Gras.
Yeah, ponies would so see street performers as a normal thing.
Pfffffft, "Stupid gator wants to take a bite out of my pony? I'll show em!"
Pity Silver didn't go to a school up in New England, SOOO much seafood.
Of course gotta take the real, magical unicorn into a magic shop.
And they are hilarious, Aquamarine totlay ignoring the point of voodoo dolls, and just anaylising what plants they are made from, Cayenne being Cayenne and treating it all like cheap, second rate, but legit products. Those workers are SOOOO not getting paid enough to deal with this, even from cute ponies.
No hoof readings? Anti-Hoofist!
Silver, being vague and as open ended as possible is the whole point of fortune telling.
Ponies in charge, bus stops when they want it to!
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I bet that’s how most casseroles and soups and stews came about. “Hmm, I’ve got beef broth, onions, and some cheese. Wonder what would happen if I mixed it all together?”
A pegasus with a chase car would be unstoppable.
That’s herd rules 101: never leave behind a sleeping herd member, even if she is a lazy unicorn.
Well, yeah, they’ve probably relaxed the rules some since the old days. Now it’s okay to leave a sleeping herdmate behind if you’re in a safe place.
I think that it does and it doesn’t. In a strictly literal sense, you’ve been there even if you don’t remember it. In a more philosophical sense, if you don’t remember it, it doesn’t count.
Ponies are always the best at thinking of others when making decisions.
Mr. Salvatore might love getting the chance to commandeer a train. “You back this thing up, mister; that’s orders from the FBI.”
On the plus side, since they’re quadrupeds, they’re less likely to fall over. For ponies who wear shoes, strategically-placed magnets might help. Or things that can be grabbed with a horn (like in Arrow 18). Non-slip surfaces would help, too, but overall, ponies are probably less likely to be knocked over than humans.
Friends mutually groom friends.
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Ponies always think of others before making their choices.
That’s very true. The steward must perform his job and bring coffee to sleepy unicorn pony.
For ponies, bathing is social time, too.
Well, they can’t get up early, that’s some nerfing. Also, bopping them on the horn breaks their TK, and that’s canon.
“You’ll eat cheese and you’ll like it.”
Seriously, though, the wintertime is probably not entirely happy time for earth ponies. Virtually all the plants are dormant. . . .
I’ve got several of them in my backyard and driveway, as it happens. Even my minivan has some questionable parts on it, although I will say it’s not nearly as questionable as my white one was.
That’s pretty much how I live. At least my computer works okay, even if overall it’s a collection of things that maybe shouldn’t all be plugged into each other.
Really, what’s the point of a window if it doesn’t open?
“Folks, we’re making a brief stop to get cheescake for hungry ponies.”
And why wouldn’t she be? None of us normal mortals have a company selling a sex toy modeled after our genitalia.
If Gusty was on the train with them, Gusty would think it was weird, for what that’s worth.
Who’s to say that ponies don’t have a sex toy industry as well? We all know that Rarity makes bondage gear as well as her normal clothes, and she even displays it for everypony to see.
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Yes, it does.
Well, yeah, but what are the chances that anything could ever go wrong in a city built below sea level next to a major river and the ocean?
Although, in all fairness, the Dutch make it work.
But of course!
Silver has one of the best outlooks on life. It’s almost 99% positive, no matter what. Long layover at the airport? Time to explore the airport! Have to wait for a train? Tour Chicago and eat burritos!
One of the many things I’d build if money was no object. A coffee faucet would be pure luxury.
She does have a white coat, which would factor into it somewhat. Also, Cayenne isn’t as interested in nature as her two travelling companions.
As long as they mandate she keep her altitude low, there aren’t any problems. But if Mr. Salvatore didn’t call ahead, they’re probably confused as fk.
Oh, yeah, there’s no chance a single thing could come out of the swamp that even approaches the worst thing she’s seen. “Sure, it’s big enough to eat a pony, but it doesn’t breathe fire or turn you to stone, so where’s the danger?”
The only logical thing to do, really.
Tasty fish want to be pony snacks, they just don’t know it yet.
That’s living the best life right there. “Scary, stay away from. Tasty, eat.”
Did you ever read Quantum Castaways? Twilight launched a murder chicken when it came at her, and got in a fight with a sandworm over a cheesecake. Depending on what spells Cayenne knows, that alligator is going to be very confused, in intense pain, die in a weird and creative way, or possible all of them combined.
It’s a weed I’ve never seen before! Must study it!
He thought that Silver Glow’s love of trucks and trains would take presidence over her interest in horses, and he thought wrongly.
Honestly, Silver Glow probably learned that from Christine. I think she mentioned it much earlier in the year. Maybe not, though . . . I’d have to search through dozens of chapters to find it.
They’d be disappointed to learn it’s not.
“My alligator dinner tastes like victory.”
She does at one point regret (a bit) not making a different college choice. But we do have our fair share in Michigan . . . although of course nothing on New Englanders.
That’s kind of a no-brainer.
And that magic shop is probably as much tourist trap as everything--odds are that there are few (or no) employees who actually believe the things sold there really work. Imagine what would happen if you had a unicorn in a shop that sold new age stuff trying to figure out how it works while some enthusiastic woo peddler is attempting to explain it. And then of course figuring out that it’s absolute crap, and potentially even worse enchanting something so that it does work. “Oh, your love potion isn’t working right. Here, let me put a want-it-need-it spell on it.”
I don’t think that’s covered in palmist classes.
Yet.
I bet a pony fortune teller would be specific. “Tomorrow at 6pm you will meet a stallion with orange fur and blue hair named Flash Sentry and you’ll invite him to Olive Garden for dinner and then you’ll fall in love with him while you’re sharing a bowl of endless breadsticks.”
Its the ponies’ bus now. It does what they command.
Now old on a sec. Does my wonderfully brained bae have an accent? A cajun accent?
Holy crap, I didn't realize that I could love her more!
11232987
Aye, she’s a New Orleans native.
Also, correction made, thank you!