Deus Ex: Cosplay Revolution

Now that I think about it, just running past the guards was gonna be a real dumb idea. Fairly certain that if I played my cards right I could get right past them with a minimum of worry...

Needed to rearrange. I opened up the vest underneath my coat, slipped the baton into a little loop on the inside. Put my cash all in one bag, tossed everything but the apples and water, and smoothed out my hair. Best if I tried to pull off the traveler look. Anything that might make me look suspicious, I tossed into the trash. No mask, or I'd be mistaken for a terrorist of some sort.

With a crack of my knuckles, I exited the surprisingly-clean washroom and mosied on past the travelers, right up to the guards. They looked at me real odd, gripping their spears real tight. Dear god, I hope this works...

And just now I notice the horns on their foreheads.

Soon as I got close, they looked at me. "Sir, due to security measures put in place for the royal marriage of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, all travelers are subject to a search upon entrance to Canterlot."

I nodded. "Sure. No skin-to-skin contact. I got a condition."

They tensed.

I backed up. "Not contagious. Just made me look like... this." I said, pointing to my face with my hands. "If you want, you can search me. You aren't going to find anything out of the ordinary."

The first nodded. His horn glowed, an odd field passed over me, and I saw a satisfied look on his face. "Sir, empty your pockets."

Oh shit I think to myself, but I'm stoic on the outside. Almost mechanically, I drop the coinpurse, apples, and water bottle on the counter. "That's it, officers."

They nod, both of their horns glowing. Another field passes over my stuff. No alarms go off, so I guess I'm perfectly okay. Just had to wait for them to check off- ah shit.

Soon as they pulled out the clipboard I could feel an arrest coming up. They ask for a name, they put it in a database, they look into my background at all, I'd be fucked. Oh if they were gonna ask for my name or my signature I was fucked fucked FUCKED!

"Before you go, we would like for you to sign this," one of them says, holding out the board. I looked at it real close. Flowery border, pink paper, lots of names on it- was this a list? Could almost tell they knew I was confused. "The Princess is inviting any traveler who 'appears to be in poor condition' to her wedding for free food and drinks. All you have to do is sign, and a room will be booked for you at the castle for the duration."

Huh. Must've been a very nice pony, to do that. "When's the wedding?"

"Three weeks, on the twenty-fourth. Just show up there, sign in, and you'll have a pass you can use to verify that it is you."

I shrug. Free food, drinks, and a room? I wasn't complaining. Without another word, I signed my name as "D. May", handing the clipboard back over to the guard. Then I gathered up my stuff, stuffed it in my pockets, and started walking. Needed to find a place to sit down, think about this "I" guy.

Soon as I was out of sight I pulled the mask back on.

Sometime before nightfall, I was sitting on a park bench. Birds chirped, the wind blew, and the sun shone past a cloud. Air was cold, that much I could tell. Wouldn't look near as suspicious wearing a trench coat here, but I needed a wash.

But, apart from that and my growing unease with this "I" guy and the stuff I'd done to get here, I was pretty swell. The city was gaudy, almost tastelessly so, but in a kind of over the top way. Like a little girl's toy castle, almost. Big golden spires, shining white marble, purple trim, and streamers. Lots of fountains, statues, decorations, the kit and kaboodle. The people here were the upper-class, the elite, far as I could tell. Tailored clothes, glimmering jewelry, monocles.

They all held their noses up. A couple weren't, but those were few and far between. Either way, I was sipping on a bottle of water and thinking.

This "I" guy was going to contact me, that much I knew. Through a letter, an agent, or whatever other means he had, I'd not know. Be a bit concerned if he figured out how to broadcast a voice inside my head, but he hadn't so good. Wasn't feeling any side-effects of the augmentation, so that was good. Mustve had my best interest in mind.

I'd read through the book on my way to the city. Said the "Condiments of Marmalade" or whatever were hidden in a secret room in the castle in Canterlot, only accessible by one of the immortal god-princesses of the country. Paraphrased, that was, but I had a goal in mind.

Wasn't going to steal the Battlements, I was going to grab them and wait. Said they could banish things to "where they came". If that applied to me, then fuck yeah I was gonna find a way to get myself banished.

Just then a little piece of paper fell onto my shoulder. I grabbed it, almost made to slip it in my pocket, but the finely-madeness of it caught my eye. It was folded, so I unfolded it.

Almost yelled out "I fucking called it!" but resisted the urge. Of course, of course the "I" guy would contact me soon as I got to Canterlot! Of course!

Go to the Spin-Out Bar. An agent of mine will meet you there. Her name is Shade. if anyone asks for your name, say "Shadowfall."

-I