10th Hat

[busy_fists]

[There is a forlorn looking man holding a cake sitting on the curb just outside 1490 Kramden Road.  Approach?]

Comments

[party_hard]

[Hey, it's one of your neighbors! And she looks quite concerned to see a sad face on her street! Who could be so sad when they have a cake? Pinkie has a new mission now--to get a smile out of this guy.]

Hi, there!

[busy_fists]

[Huh, talking pony. This is actually his first encounter with one, but Dad's seen weirder, and she seems friendly enough.]

Oh, hello.

[party_hard]

[Pinkie sits down next to him.]

Why the long face? You seem kind of down!

[busy_fists]

Well... it's my son, actually. It looks like he's been droned for good.

[party_hard]

Oh, that's AWFUL! I'm so sorry to hear that!

[Pinkie thinks for a moment.]

Somepony told me that when that happens to you, you get to go home. Do you think that's true?

[busy_fists]

I'm not sure if I believe that or not, but even if it's true, John doesn't have much of a home to go back to in the first place.

[party_hard]

Oh, poor thing...why isn't it much of a home? Everypony else seems to think that anywhere is better than here!

[Not necessarily Pinkie; she's loved meeting so many new people here and hasn't seemed too bothered by Mayfield's weirdness.]

[strawberryredgrave]

(Damn right he's gonna approach!

But seeing this guy like this...something happened. Dante doesn't know what, but he knows something happened.)

Hey.

[busy_fists]

[Dad glances up, nodding.]

Dante.

[strawberryredgrave]

(He'd ask about the cake, but...)

Something got you down, Joe?

[busy_fists]

You remember my son John, right?

[strawberryredgrave]

Yeah. How's he be-

(...oh shit. Dante cut himself off immediately after putting the pieces together.)

...when did it happen?

[busy_fists]

I'm not sure. Probably recently.

[acuity]

[ walking by... wait a minute. ]

Mr. Egbert?

[busy_fists]

Oh, Platina.

[He plasters on a smile.]

How have you been?

[acuity]

I'm doing fine. It's always nice to see you again!

But... could I ask what the cake is for?

[busy_fists]

It's nice to see you too.

[Dad looks at the cake, frowning a bit.]

You can have it if you'd like.

[acuity]

[ instinctively backing away a little when Dad looks down at the cake, but the frown makes her hesitate. ]

Really?... Are you sure?

[busy_fists]

There's no one here to share it with.

[ooeeooahah]

[ She stops a few feet away from him. ]

Do you want to .... [ No, it's unlikely he wants to come inside the house with a drone version of his son there... ] go somewhere for coffee and talk?

[busy_fists]

Coffee sounds good. But I wonder if I could ask you a favor before we go, Ilsa.

[ooeeooahah]

I'll do what I can.

[busy_fists]

At his birthday party, I gave John a present. I suppose you could call it an heirloom of the Egbert family. It's a rather heavy old book that goes by the name of Colonel Sassacre's Daunting Text of Magical Frivolity and Practical Japery. If he's really gone for good... I'd like to have it back for safekeeping. If he ever comes back to Mayfield, I'll make sure he gets it again.

[ooeeooahah]

That I can do. It's in the living room, for now.

[busy_fists]

Thanks, I appreciate it.