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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:48 pm
It is very reasonable for any concerned and upright citizen of Phonyland to be concerned why there's a shady character about. After all, the safety of their home is rather important, with all the little ones about. Not to mention the whole theme park aspect and wanting to dodge potential law suits over inappropriate conduct (where there shouldn't be inappropriate conduct, it isn't just a kid's park!) It is very reasonable for such a concerned citizen to track down Just Lance, who has earned himself a tidy little reputation as a protector of justice, and tell him about the shady character. Dark blue, seen shuffling about the edge of the forest and the park.
It would not even be unreasonable for anyone to think that character was up to something if they had ID'd him. After all, Umbra hadn't been the most well-behaved of colts. There was a time he enraged a small army of squirrels after running around and kicking trees- trees that held formerly happy little squirrel families. (He learned a very valuable lesson from Mossflower over it, too.)
Umbra, however, was not up to anything untoward. He certainly looked like it, though, padding back and forth across the treeline with his little spade. His face was usually rather stern, but now even more so with a furrowed brow, staring hard at the ground as he stopped to dig at the topsoil here and there. Occasionally he'd duck further into the trees to check around there, and then further into the park to poke around in the grass.
These were not things a stallion would normally spend a lovely phonyland morning doing- and especially not with such a sour expression.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:54 pm
The young mare had come to Just Lance in a hurry, eyes darting to and fro as she described the strange occurrence in the park. A dark unicorn (which really, was all personal bias, he stilled his tongue from telling the lady), bumbling about in the trees. She didn't have much to go on beyond that- a shadowy cutie mark? Light hair. While Lance had a working picture of the stallion, he was going to have to confirm the specs with his own eyes.
The fact of the matter was that Just Lance had often played in this park as a foal. He'd met there often with classmates, and even his siblings, galloping about in a carefree giddy. If that possibility was lost for future generations... Lance found himself frowning, picking up his pace as he trotted towards the park. It was more than just in his interest, it was his duty to ensure the safety of the playground.
Away he trod from the sunnier areas, his path drawing him towards the shady groves of the park. How many times had he and the family played Hide and Seek here? No, it wouldn’t do anyone in Phonyland good to have a stranger mucking around and causing trouble.
His eyes peeled, Lance glanced between the trees, keeping his hoofsteps light as he looked around. Certainly- there! A dark blue unicorn, as surly as he’d been described. Lance gave a test to his magic, just to make certain it was ready if things went wrong- but he would not draw on the stranger just yet. Only if worst came to worst.
“Greetings!” He called gently, as to not startle the stranger too thoroughly. As he trotted over he offered a kind smile, looking around the trees.
“It’s such a fair day, I’m surprised to find you so deep in the thick of trees. Is everything alright?” Lance tested questioningly. No jumping to conclusions- he would simply strike up a conversation, make certain nothing was out of place. In reality, there was probably nothing wrong with the stallion at all.
But it never hurt to be certain.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:55 pm
Just beyond the treeline, hidden in a natural divot in the rolling grass of the field, was a slowly growing pool of water. Not any sort of natural pool, a muddy thing that was neither fun to jump in or good for the health of the field. It has been a very long morning of trying to track down exactly where the buried water lines have been breached, and the gruff unicorn is fairly certain he's closing in on the right set of pipes in the annoyingly complex maze of waterworks that crisscrossed the whole of Phonyland. Almost like their glorious knockoff themepark was built by the lowest bidder. Pfah.
A soft blue glow guided the spade as he poked at the ground, scratching away to see if it was wet below the surface level of soil. This spot was pleasingly damp. The spot was also unexpectedly filled with another phony.
Right, the noise had been someone calling out to him. Umbra wasn't the best at paying attention to outside stimuli when hock-deep in his own thoughts. The stallion lifted his head, cool eyes glancing over the other in a quick assessment. His mouth quirked up ever so slightly, but not in any attempt to be friendly.
"I am not doing anything untoward." Nope, not trying to be friendly at all with that chilly tone.
"As you so diligently pointed out, I'm 'so deep in the thick of trees', so clearly I am not somewhere accessible, so it is doubtful that you are simply out on a stroll. If you find the day fair, and by your tone find this place not a very good way to spend a fair day, then it is only further doubt you would be here on your own. It may just be simple curiosity- but then, if you are 'surprised to find me' here, that means that you were looking for me." The unicorn calmly shifted to lean next to the tree whose roots he had just been examining.
"So let me alleviate your worries: I'm not up to anything you have to fuss over." Umbra may not have a vast cast of friends, but he knows a goody-goody when he sees one. Not that he particularly had anything against phonies that strive to do good. It's just they had a very fascinating talent of being underhoof whenever he was trying to work.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:56 pm
It was most certainly not the reception Lance had expected. He blinked owlishly, trying to reconcile his mental assessment of the situation with the reality of what was happening. A bit rough, but not unwarranted. Lance hadn’t particularly afforded this unicorn much respect in terms of intelligence. The reality is he would’ve been taken aback the same way. Keeping his tone light and still smiling, Lance ducked his bit.
“You’ve seen right through me, it’d seem. Truly, I meant no offense. One of the mothers in the neighborhood was concerned with her foals and sought me out.” He laughed a bit at this, lighthearted. “You know what worrywarts mothers can be for their little ones.”
His attention turned to the murky waters, and Just Lance raised his eyebrows slightly. Clearly he’d upset this phony, but as it had not been his intention, the least he could do was offer his magic in… whatever it was the unicorn was doing.
“Well, now that I’ve done a right job of putting my hoof in my mouth, is there anything I can assist you with? Not to undermine your grasp on the situation, but I’ve found a hard job can steady on a bit more quickly with someone else’s help.” Lance grinned again.
“And it’s the least I can do for not being more honest in my approach.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 3:57 pm
"No offense taken," Umbra replied surprisingly quickly for someone who had such a stern, cold voice. He was very genuine about it, too. He didn't feel there was any reason to become upset over what someone did or didn't think of him. A mother should be worried about her children. And he knew from experience he didn't exactly look friendly. Since he made no effort to appear friendlier, he had no reason to think anyone should take him as friendly.
The remark at the end seemed to set him back slightly, gaze yet again assessing the other stallion. Apparently he was pleased with whatever he found there, some of that nonchalant, easy smile finally reaching up to his eyes, instead of serving as his own mask to keep it from looking like he was just glowering all the time.
Not only did he prefer a phony that could be honest with him, he liked one even more that caught on quickly. Getting someone to drop the act was always a pleasure, and somehow that much sweeter when they figured it out all on their own with no need for further prompting.
"Umbra." He gave his name plainly without prompting, eyes turning down again as he roughly speared the dirt between the tree roots, overturning the dry topsoil to the very damp soil beneath, "Somewhere very close to here is a broken water line. It's started to flood the field." If goody-goody had danced around the reason for approaching him he would have sent the stallion packing. Since he was clearly capable of learning, Umbra didn't mind sharing his task. It would be nice to get this blasted thing pinpointed down.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:12 pm
"Umbra? A fine name if I ever heard it. I am Just Lance, though Lance works just fine," he returned, nodding to himself. This was exactly why he had struck into Phonyland's security- some ponies might've seen a villain plainly before them, rather than speak to the stranger. It was always better to give them the fair opportunity to explain themselves.
As Umbra explained the broken water line, Lance cast his gaze across the murky waters. So that explained the unseasonal puddle. More than that, if the grass got too watery for too long, it ran the possibility of floating some of the roots away. All in all, it was a poor situation for the park. He assessed the situation a moment, then turned back to Umbra.
"Where have you not looked yet? I can, at the very least, be a second set of eyes."
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:25 pm
Umbra smiled. It wasn't a very good smile, not a friendly sort at least. It reached his eyes in the most wicked of ways. Just Lance here was clearly a pristine knight for goodness. It was always a wicked sort of fun to dirty that type up. Maybe his new friend would like it- maybe he'd balk. Umbra knew which reaction he preferred, which only left testing him.
"I'm pretty sure I know where our problem is, Lance." He hummed, magic guiding his little spade to drag in the dirt further away from the tree, turning up wetter and wetter soil until he was almost at the grass line. He drew an X in the dirt before shoving the spade right in the middle of it.
"I do hope you like digging," the unicorn sing-songed in a low rumble, "This is going to be very muddy." The promise was given with a smile, his magic enveloping a nearby shovel to toss at Just Lance, another fetched for himself. This kind of digging couldn't be done with magic, it wasn't strong enough to shove deep into the earth. Good thing both of them were big, strong phonies, perfectly capable of biting down on the top of the handle while a forehoof pressed against the shoulder of the shovel, forcing it down into the soggy earth.
It was going to be a very, very muddy dig until they reached the broken pipe.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:47 pm
There was something oddly charming to an unflattering smile. Perhaps it was the romantic notion that it was a rare gift few others had seen- and the fact he solicited it was an attest to his character. There was more to knighthood than just fighting and saving phonies- it was the kindness, the love you gave back to those your protected. These were the moments that made it all worthwhile.
Again he gave Umbra due attention as he explained where the broken water main was, only pausing to catch the shovel in his own magic and twirl it with a flourish. Habit, really, of putting on a show with his weaponry. He turned back to the other unicorn attentively, and when the digging was explained, gave his own shovel a hearty shove into the sloppy mud. Lance hadn't done himself much digging, but the practice wasn't too terrible hard. Hauling the shovel up, he moved the dirt away, not batting an eyelash as some of the muddy water stained at his fetlocks.
"Would you like to hear a dirty joke?" Lance offered, only pausing a moment. Despite himself, he grinned wildly.
"A white unicorn falls in the mud."
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:59 pm
The quizzical look that had pulled onto Umbra's face melded into mild shock, blue eyes locked on the unicorn for a very long moment. The only interruption was Umbra ever-so-slowly bowing his head, forehead resting softly against the handle of his still-upright shovel. Right around then it became apparent that his sides were quivering. The strain of it was too much, soft little snorts of amusement spilling out as Umbra shook his head. He sucked in a breath, regaining composure from where the other unicorn had very unexpectedly hit him right in his funny-bone.
Diversion really was a favorite of his.
"White unicorn is about to be pushed into the mud if he doesn't get to the serve part of 'protect and serve'." Umbra teased, voice hardly louder than a whisper. Normally he wouldn't approach that sort of bold wording with someone he'd just met, but there was something about the other stallion that brought the playfulness out of him. That, and he felt reasonably confident that Just Lance was going to refrain from jumping to conclusions about him from now on.
He wasn't enough of an a** to actually push Lance into the mud for lollygagging. Maybe.
It was a lot of mud they needed to slog through. It was going to get everywhere, the piles they dug out would slowly spread out, horrible pooling pancakes of filth to cover their legs and splash up onto their sides.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:42 pm
The fact that Umbra was laughing was not lost on Just Lance. In fact, the unicorn was entirely too pleased with himself, the grin staying plastered on his face. See! When they had finished the job here, Lance could report dutifully back to the mother that there was no reason to fear Umbra. In fact, the other stallion seemed nothing short of an upstanding citizen- if not one a bit too gruff for his own good. At the comment to his inevitable date with the mud should his humor persist, Lance laughed, and put himself back to digging.
His mirth kept with him despite the grueling nature of the work. As the mud piled up, Lance's white legs slowly turned a murky brown, creeping higher and higher as they worked. Eventually the level of it was at his flanks, his wind-tousled hair now pressed to his body with sweat from the job. But despite the difficulty, it seemed that Just Lance was still smiling. It was not often he did simple, hard labor, but the satisfaction of a job well done was imminent.
"Beg your pardon," Lance rasped, taking a pause from the work to glance up to Umbra.
"But do you think I might convince that concerned mare I'm an entirely different stallion if I were to roll around and go back? Skip the spa, I'm already halfway to being a new colt." He drew a deep breath, voice already shaky from the work.
"Do you think we're close? Not that I'm bowing out, but it seems to me we've made a good deal of progress..."
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:03 pm
They'd found the pipe pretty early- which was a good sign. The problem with that being was needing to continually dig down the pipeline, further and further until they found where the crack was. His sides were heaving with the effort, but his breath was still even with the exertion. Then again, he'd been at this longer than the other stallion. Blue eyes flicked up when Lance spoke, body stalling for the first time since they'd started in earnest in their search. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that even though they were close to the same size, that their ages were rather different. He knows for certain Lance can't have been old enough for long- Umbra was around when Lance's parents got hitched, after all. Still a kid, even when that big.
"She'll think you're a swamp monster," Umbra replied evenly, rolling his head with a satisfied huff when his neck finally gave a small crack.
"There's water in my bag. Go hydrate." He ordered softly before turning back to their mudpit. They were close, he was certain of it- and sure enough, a few more shovelfuls of mud would uncover the broken section. Just as he thought- an overambitious tree root had finally pressured a pipe enough to burst.
"Paydirt. At least replacing the pipe is the easy part." Probably not as easy for anyone not a unicorn, though, since getting water shut off to a particular pipe down here was... painful. he could just point his horn further up the pipe and freeze the water. As long as he worked quickly there wouldn't be any problems.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:35 pm
Lance opened his mouth to argue against taking a break, but thought better of it by the seriousness of Umbra's tone. Heaving a sigh, Lance hauled himself out of the mud pit, holding himself back from shaking out the mud. There was no point in getting clean when he was jumping back into work. With his magic, he pulled the water bottle out, and took a hearty swig. It was... admittedly more refreshing than he would've hoped. So much for the unending strength of a knight. Besides that, Umbra had been at this longer.
He drew a deep breath and smiled, then trod back over to the watery muck. Wading back into the depths, Just Lance kept a keen eye on the pipe ahead.
"So... you're stopping the water, I assume. What do you need me to do?" He asked, focusing back on Umbra.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:55 pm
There was a time in many a phony's life where they had to make a decision. Umbra wasn't very good at decisions. He was rowdy and terse and upset phonies. Umbra was being faced with such a decision and, like always was just going to go for it. He really hoped his instincts and the various proof he was given weren't wrong about Just Lance being a good sport, otherwise this budding friendship was going to get canned fast.
"You? You can stand there and look cute," Umbra huffed in amusement, "Or, at least, stand there and look like some variety of swamp beast."
The stallion easily uncoupled the broken section of pipe, shovel used as a quick hack to kill the troublesome root, and the intertwined lot was tossed aside. He was serious about the standing-there part though, actually fitting in new pipe was a one-phony job. Done-and-done in just a few short seconds.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:17 pm
"I think the phrase boyish charm works a bit better than cute, in my particular case, but I'll take a compliment where I can get one." Honestly, not many phonies beyond his mother and father called him cute. While it was a strange compliment, and the blush beneath his fur reflected his surprise at the words... it was never unwelcome to be told that one was aesthetically pleasing. At least, the thought provided some comfort to the rather disquieted Just Lance.
Rather than think too much on it, Lance watched the disassembly and re-insertion of the pipe with interest. He was handy with a lance and a foil, but the more down-to-earth work was beyond him. Nonetheless, the magic of it fascinated him. Everyone else's talents were so...
"At the very least, I'd say I make a very cute swamp beast." Lance teased, batting his eyelashes and grinning.
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 8:27 pm
"Adorable," the older stallion grunted as he jumped from the pit. There was so much more he could say, and yet he held his tongue this time. After all, he didn't want to put Lance on the spot too quickly. They'd only just met each other and bantered for one morning of hole-digging, too fast and he'd just end up scaring him. Probably. Umbra wasn't always good at the subtle thing. In this instance, he was gonna make the effort.
"Now for the fun part of hole-digging," he started sweetly, trotting around his pile of mud, "Filling it right back up." Umbra was only mostly sarcastic about it. It was only less hard than digging the hole in the first place because the dirt was already loose and they could just drop it in instead of having to haul it out. Or mud, in their case. The only thing being was they were pushing noon now and the sun was bright and hot overhead, a merry little ball of ******** to the humble layperson just trying to finish a patchjob.
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