Let's play a game, /mlp/! Voted "a thing" by /mlp/!
If you don't know what's happening, catch up here: http://anonpone.pineapplecomputing.com/threshold/23516424
>>25505763
first for more chocolate squishy
>>25505763
Last time, Dandy successfully reunited a ghost filly with her grieving mother. Even better, he (along with the rest of Equestria) was lucky enough to NOT die a horrible apocalyptic death due to the Moon escaping or falling from its orbit... oh, and turning into a colossal alicorn machine, I guess.
His duties done for the day, Dandy returned home for some much-needed sleep. He took Squishy with him, as well, granting her a reprieve from her... limited lifestyle, and allowing him to keep an eye on her without risking her running away again. Or worse.
Now, it's the morning of Dandy's third day, and some slightly soiled bedsheets aside, Dandy is bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and ready to meet whatever new challenges the Threshold has to offer him!
Squishy, on the other hoof, is a lazy little squirt who'd rather go back to sleep. Oh well, maybe she'll be more talkative later.
HP: 100%
Bits: 204
CC: 2374
Inventory: 1 house key, 1 comb, 1 white fedora, 1 temporary access card, 1 two-way radio, 1 Snapdragon, 1 lab coat, 1 moon cake, 1 bag of maple yogurt drops, 1 drinking bird, 1 coffee mug, 1 color-changing putty, 1 poster, 1 Cathedral of Terra pamphlet
This is where your quest continues.
>>25505872
She's gonna need some new water.
>>25505872
Put a little coffee in her bowl, that should wake her up soon enough
I don't like the idea of letting her alone in our house while we go to the threshold
>>25505872
See if we can scoop her out and put her in a cleaner bowl.
>>25505872
Do you have a strainer so you can pour the chocolate water out and keep squishy?
>>25506013
>'Give her coffee? HER?! Are you cracked?'
>>25505958
>>25506021
>>25506125
Shaking his head, Dandy brings Squishy's bowl to the bathroom and carefully tips out the cloudy chocolate-water, then he fills it with clean water. To Dandy's surprise, Squishy totally ignores the bowl's movement and the noise of the running water.
>'Huh... Heavy sleeper.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea8c1cm4fpc
A few seconds later, and Dandy is holding a bowl of cool, clear water with a sky-blue lump of goo sitting in the middle of it.
>'Perfect!'
>>25506604
Are those soaps on your toilet?
>>25506604
While you're here, grab that burning mouthwash of yours. Gotta placate those bees.
>>25506604
Time to get ready for the day. Clean yourself.
>>25506614
Dandy scratches the back of his head sheepishly.
>'That's potpourri. Don't ask what it's there for.'
>>25506627
>'Already did that.'
>>25506618
>'Oh, right! Thanks for reminding me.'
Dandy opens his medicine cabinet and pulls out a bottle of a fiery red liquid.
>Extra-strength... This stuff could burn a cragodile's tongue in thirty seconds. I better be careful with it.'
>PEPPERMINT MOUTHWASH added to inventory
>'I'm kind of hungry... I wonder if I have time to eat breakfast before I leave...?'
>>25506841
Make like a uroboros and feed on your own semen.
Gotta be efficient and eco friendly ya know?
>>25506865
Anon no
>>25506841
If not, grab a cereal bar or poptart or something.
>>25506910
Yes
>>25506865
That's stupid. You need extra energy to produce semen.
Eating other ponies' semen on the other hand would be better for you. But it kind of is vampirism, almost cannibalism...
>>25506841
There's always time in the morning for a healthy breakfast. Or eat some buttered toast.
>>25506929
Eat the buttered toast while running to work
Just like in your neighponese animes!
>>25507041
But I don't want Dandy to be a sailor scout
>>25506841
The schedule looked like you just needed to finish an assignment before a certain time so as long as we don't waste time we should be able to arrive without problems.
>>25506865
>>25506920
>>25506926
>'On... second thought I'm not that hungry anymore...'
Dandy sets the bowl-o'-Squishy on the kitchen table.
>"Squishy, I'm going to work. I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Blblrblublub....." Squishy mumbles in response.
Dandy sighs, then goes into the living room and opens Quiff's cage door to give him some fresh food. The response from Quiff is as prompt as it is noisy.
"WeeEEE! WeeEEEE!!"
>"Yeah, yeah, I know you're hungry, buddy. Listen, I gotta go to work. If Squishy wakes up and starts wigging out, fill her in, okay?"
Quiff composes himself as he receives his beloved blue dish full of food and hay, squeaking inquisitively at Dandy around two puffy cheeks full of pellets.
>"Uh... Hold on."
Dandy grabs a piece of paper and scribbles something down on it, then sets it next to the cage.
>"Just show her that, okay? I don't know if she can read, but she should get the idea... I hope."
Quiff examines the paper for a moment, then nods and salutes Dandy, before resuming his gorging.
>"Thanks, pal. I knew I could count on you... Well, see you tonight."
Dandy pats his friend on the head, then turns and trots out the door, being especially sure to lock up behind him this time.
A few seconds later, he comes back.
>"Forgot my lab coat."
THEN he trots out the door and locks it.We'll arrive at work after I get some dinner.
>>25507448
I like your art, Dandy, you should consider taking it up as a hobby.
>>25507884
>'Heheh... Thanks, Anon! I actually kind of wanted to be an artist before-... I mean, when I was a kid. I guess it's sort of stuck with me.'
>>25507448
A short while later, and Dandy has arrived at the totally inconspicuous front for the Threshold. Dandy walks around the building and enters through a door marked 'Employees Only' in bold red letters.
"Whoa, hey, who are you?" a clerk demands menacingly, reaching into his apron.
>"New employee."
Dandy shows the clerk his access card. The clerk freezes and turns a little pale. "O-oh, sorry sir. Please, go right on ahead."
>"Cool, thanks."
Dandy enters a door marked "No, Really - Employees ONLY Beyond This Point!," in even bolder and redder letters; he finds himself in what looks to be an elevator, albeit with no buttons. Seemingly of its own volition, the elevator closes its doors behind Dandy and quickly descends to the basement, then B1... B2... B3... TH.
>DING!
The doors open, and Dandy walks into the receptionist's office with a friendly smile.
>"Morning, Miss Trotts!"
"Good morning, Sandy." the receptionist replies flatly, not bothering to look up from her magazine again.
>'Well, everything's normal with her.'
Dandy trots towards the correct door, feeling much more confident than he did the last time he came through this way.
"There's a meeting starting in twenty minutes."
Welp, so much for confidence.
>"Huh?"
"A meeting." Miss Trotts repeats, a bit irritably. It's for all the researchers and some of the head Level 2's. Something about all that whole Moon fiasco last night and a shortage of available staff, yadayadayada... You might want to look into that, kay? Or don't." She shrugs. "It's your skin, not mine."
>>25508132
Where is this meeting? Go to it.
>>25508132
Thanks, can do.
>>25508132
What rooms the meeting in?
>>25508132
We should head to the meeting early so we can chat with our coworkers.
>>25508132
>shortage of available staff
Oh boy
Well, I doubt a brand-new recruit would be of much use to them, but this is the Threshold after all. So they might very well ask what you did last night. But I think sleep is a valid excuse.
Anyways, you should probably ask where the meeting is.
>>25508159
>>25508249
>>25508370
"In the meeting room."
>>25508771
Then go to the meeting room.
>>25508771
Let's go then. Thanks whatever your name is
>>25508771
Pays to make sure, especially when small missteps can lead to demotion.
>>25508771
Oh hey. Well, time to consult the building plan in the transporter room, then.
Wish Miss Trotts a nice day and move that flank. Better not be late.
>>25508789
>>25508797
>>25508821
>"Makes sense. Have a nice day, Miss Trotts."
"Never do."
>'She's probably really sweet once you get past her cold, bitter exterior... Like those coffee truffle candies they sell at the fancy candy shop. Mmm... I should get some of those later. Or sooner. Why did I skip breakfast again?'
Dandy takes the tele-pad to the appropriate floor and follows the map, which has indeed changed once again. But there's nothing really complicated about it, so Dandy just follows it of his own volition. Awwww, he's learning! How cute. A short jaunt down a long hall later, and Dandy finds the meeting room. And he can already here a few voices from inside it...
"These chairs suck! How am I supposed to fit in this thing?!"
Dandy stops in his tracks.
>'Oh, great. Blazar's here... Maybe if I sneak in, he won't see me.'
Dandy peeks into the room. It looks like only a few ponies are present so far. There's Blazar near the far end of the table, and a few empty seats to his right is an older blue stallion in the same fatigues that the Level 2's wear, albeit with more accolades covering his uniform. A few seats to HIS right are Dr. Pinion and Dr. Knockout, talking to each other about something too quietly for Dandy to hear. At the end of the table is Dr. Fortissimo.
"All the rest of us can fit in these chairs just fine!" the blue stallion snaps back at Blazar. "Why in Celestia's name can't you? If there were some donuts in front of that chair you'd be the first one squeezing your fat ass into it!"
"Shut it, old timer!" Blazar bellows. "I outrank you; I can have you demoted for insulting me!"
"You must be stupider than you look if you think the Board would approve a demotion that YOU put forward!"
>'Okay, Dandy, no sudden movements...'
Dandy steps into the room. Fortissimo's ear twitches and she turns to him.
"Dr. Pomp?"
>"Aaagh!"
"I didn't expect to see you here... It's good to see you taking some initiative. Have a seat."
>>25509302
Might as well sit next to her and Jean or whatever her name was.
>>25509302
take a seat over there dandy. There's an open chair right there.
>>25509302
Take a seat Dandy
>>25509302
Sit next to the older blue stallion and see if you could get to know him.
>>25509302
>Hungry
I already said, make like a uroboros.
You guys going to make an actual vote, or what? This is the part where you're supposed to build character relationships or some bullshit like that. That's how these 'good CYOA's work, right? They're supported by character interactions instead of "go left/right" and "inspect and then inevitably pick up shiny thing" puzzles?
>>25510034
We're sitting down for a meeting.
Not something I thought would be that important.
>>25510034
I don't give a shit who we sit by, long as it's not Blazar.
>>25510034I'd help more, but I've been depressed due to writer's block.Sorry.
Go with the second pone from the left, the one with the dandy hair that's looking at the right.
>>25510034
I'll second >>25509384, then. While it would be nice to talk to Dr. Knockout and maybe even Dr.Fortissimo again, meeting new ponies is probably more important for a newbie.
>>25510034
Dandy can sit where pleases. We don't need to lead you by your little hoofsies to a seat, do we Dandy?
>>25509384
Thirding.
>>25510195
>'Hey, this guy's right! I should make more of my own choices.'
>>25509384
>>25510165
>>25510280
>'And right now I'm choosing to listen to these guys.'
Dandy decides to sit next to the blue stallion in the hope that he'll offer some protection. The stone-faced stallion glances over at Dandy, who waves at him sheepishly.
>"H-hi."
"You one of the new kids?" the stallion asks.
>"Yes, sir. I'm Dandy Pomp, a junior researcher."
Dandy offers a hoof; the stallion slowly grabs it and shakes, giving a slight smile.
"Staff Sergeant Echelon." he replies, nearly crushing Dandy's hoof in his vicelike grip. "Nice to meet you, kid."
>"Y-you too."
>'He's kind of intimidating... What should I say?'
>>25510545
I really hope the moon won't try eating us again.
>>25510545
Pretty crazy with that whole Grandma and Moon thing, huh?
>>25510545
Any tips for the rookie? Any idea how to deal with the bees?
>>25510545
Ask him if this kind of activity (The Grandma breach and the Moon shortly after) is normal for the Threshold.
>>25510766
I mean in the sense of frequency of the breaches.
>>25510565
>>25510569
>>25510570
>"So... What's your take on all the stuff happening around here since yesterday?"
Echelon raises an eyebrow. "Stuff happening?"
>"Um... You know, the breach yesterday with Grandma, and the Moon thing last night?"
"Oh, that stuff." Echelon leans his head back. "Why, you worried about one little security breach?"
>"I'm worried about the Moon waking up and trying to eat us again."
Echelon chuckles. "Well, that's what we're here about. I'm guessing that we don't have anything to worry about since the Princesses talked to that... whatever it was."
>"They... talked to it?"
"Not in Equestrian English, but it sounded like they were talking to it. It didn't answer them at all, but when they stopped talking it just kind of... folded back up into a ball again. That was when they gave the all-clear."
>"So... This sort of thing is normal?"
"Actually, to tell you the truth, yesterday was kind of calm. Shit, just last month the entire Northeast vanished."
>"Vanished...? Like, turned invisible?"
"No, vanished like just GONE. Whatever happened to it, my clearance ain't high enough for them to tell me. It came back a couple of hours later with all the clocks behind, but still... That's the sort of thing that'll keep you up at night. Especially those ponies that were right on the border of it... It's a lot different seeing a stallion's guts while they're alive and pumping compared to in a picture, let me tell you."
>'And now I'm glad I skipped breakfast again...'
>"Do you have any tips for a new guy? Particularly regarding A3-96?"
"Experience is the best teacher, kid." Echelon answers as Dr. Lumis walks into the room. "Just keep a cool head and learn to make friends with NyQuil-"
"Alright, everypony, settle down." Dr. Lumis interrupts from the end of the table.
"And don't eat more honey than you have to." Echelon quickly adds.
"Alright, I'm already running late," Dr. Lumis says, "so let's make this quick."
>>25510980
Stopping here for now. We'll pick this up next time I'm here, which will probably be in a day or two. I'm as tired of this once-a-week shit as you probably are. So, see you guys later, and thanks for playing!
>>25511010
K bye.
pep
