Shopping for supplies (open)

A bright sunny day, not a cloud in sight. Starbridge stood infront of the store "Quill, Ink, and Scroll", a rustic looking old building, and his favorit haunt when needing new supplies. At the top of the stairs he turned, and took a moment to look out over everypony in the street.
Some fancy, some simple, and among them the castle guards did their rounds, ensuring the peace. He could spend hours, just looking at them, imagining their lives and what sort of adventures they got into. Lacking in the friend department himself, he took joy in watching other ponies and their friends have fun. He turned around and entered the store, the silver bell echoing through the store.

The sounds of the street faded around him as the door closed. It was almost as if entering a pocket, or a diffrent realm of existence. The store was neatly arranged, with shelves of quills and scrolls of varying type, thickness and color all stacked to the celling.
He gave a quiet nod to the clerk, who returned the gesture. Starbridge came here at least once a week, and so the staff was well aqquainted with him. But today was something special, not just the usual round-of-the-mill shopping. No, today he needed particular pieces.
He walked up to the counter, and gave the clerk a list. It was rather extensive, and the clerk looked up at him and smiled and nodded. "Give me a moment to gather it all up sir." Starbridge nodded and turned, using the time to wander the store, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Switchblade calmly entered the store with a nod to the owner, he loved getting put on cases in Canterlot; they were all simple vigilance missions that revolved around public happiness. He had a quick glance around the store first, it was very much the kind of supplies that excited his inventing side, but shopping could wait.

As he walked through the store, he examined the walls and decorations. He then noticed a stallion who was also wandering so he walked up with his trademark smile and nodded at the stallion "Good day, sir."

Starbridge turned, slightly startled. "G-Good day." He looked left and right, then back at Switchblade, "I don't work here. If you have questions i'd ask the clerk.." He smiled a little, trying not to look too surprised.

Switchblade laughed a bit to himself "Well actually, I only need to talk with any normal pony about their lives. Very boring guard work, but hey, it keeps me alive." he said casually.

He arched an eyebrow, and turned to better face the other pony. "Are you a journalist of some sort?" Starbridge had never had a taste for the limelight, nor felt the need to strut his stuff for other ponies. He didnt hold those that made it their buisness to snark in other pony's buisnesses their jobs, in very high regard, and as such, came off a little defensive. "I can asure you, I am no one of import, so you can take your notepad elsewhere."

Switchblade smiled "Journalist?" he mused, tapping an armoured hoof on the ground "I don't think that there are many journalists who wear guard armour and carry weapons." he said calmly.

He took a better look at the armour, as if checking its authenticity. "A fair point. Though, in some of the novels I have read, some detectives wore disguises, to better gather information." He smiled a little embaressed, noticing how he himself sounded making the accusation. "Forgive me, my imagination is getting the better of me."

Switchblade's face hardened at the pony linking the situation to novels "Life is never as easy as in novels; the scars never heal like that. You better think before you try to explain yourself, because sometimes, an apology is better." he said "Besides, a journalist would be arrested for impersonating a guard."

He frowned. "I never insinuated that it was. I know my fact from my fiction." He stuck out his chin, "Did you want something?" He didnt like the way this conversation was headed. Perhabs this guard thought that Starbridge had done something illegal, or something along those lines. The only thing he could think of was trying to be defensive. To think that this pony assumed that he, a scientist, didnt know what was in the marvelous world of books, and what was real. The audacity.

Switchblade looked at the stallion "Never mind; I'd get a better response from somepony else, I'm sure." he said, going to move off before his scimitar and armor started humming with energy and glowing slightly, he paused and started taking long deep breaths.

That, is not standard issue, he thought to himself. "Do you need a doctor..?" He asked tryingly, glancing over at the counter, hoping the clerk was done with his order soon. This guard was starting to make Starbridge nervous.

Switchblade finished his breathing with a sharp jump to the left, spinning out of the way of an arrow as it wedged itself in a bookcase next to him, with lightning reflexes, he drew his sword and hit the masked bandit in the doorway with a bolt of light, nodding to the guards that arrived to take the pony to jail. He smiled and turned to the other pony, his weapons losing their light and going silent "I'm fine now."

Starbridge stood flappergasted at the events that transpired infront of him. He shook his head, and slowly walked toward the clerk, who had gotten most of the supplies he needed, before the incident with the bandit. "If it is all the same to you, i'll be going... Being around ponies like you seems to be bad for my health.." He kept his distance, not really wanting any more to do with the guard with the weird armour that seemed to be attracting ponies of a bad character.

((Does anyone mind if I join in? ^^))

♪"Quills and ink, quills and ink, all I need are some quills and ink!"♪

The griffon had a skip to his step as he hurried down Canterlot's main street, he wanted to write letters to some friends he had made on his journey to Canterlot, and he hadn't realized that he was lacking two very important items to do this. So we was now heading towards the very place to get them, jauntily singing a made-up tune about it as he went. Earning him some odd looks from the ponies around him.

♪"Quills and ink and--aha!"♪

He let out a pleased chirp as he saw the place coming into view, curling his long tail and smiling, "There you are!" Just as he was heading to open the door and enter, he saw a sudden flash of light that seemed to knock over a rather unsavory looking pony. The sudden jolt caused his fur to puff out with fright, and once the pony was carted away by a guard, he ventured to poke his head in, his eyes large and round with concern, "Goodness me, is everypony alright in here?" There didn't appear to be many ponies inside the shop, just a rather nervous looking fellow and what appeared to be a guard.

The griffon pushed the door open and slipped inside, swiveling the tufts on his head at the sound of the bell, what a lovely sound, it made him want to break off into a song, but the situation didn't seem appropriate for that. He smiled after a moment and looked between the two, a little awkward from the tense situation, "Nice day today, isn't it?"

He chided himself, really Salem, you're making small talk about the weather? How cliche!

(( Not at all. :) ))

Starbridge nodded at the griffon. "Tis. Though I didnt expect ruffians within Canterlot." He composed himself, cleared his throat and took another step away from the guard, just in case more bad luck followed in his wake.

Switchblade smiled "Lucky for you then that your guard force did. I should have realised; I never get called to Canterlot for 'a routine survey'." he smiled at the griffin "It is brilliant weather. I haven't checked the weather team's notice board recently, is this planned do you know?"

Salem chuckled more earnestly, feeling the tense atmosphere ebb at least a little, though the poor fellow still looked mighty nervous. He regarded the armored pony and nodded, "I believe so! Quite generous of them after such a downpour the last several days." He chuckled and put a taloned hand to his chest, "Ah but the rain does do a body good! And tends to give me plenty of business!" He grinned at them both, "I am glad no one was harmed, my name is Salem, by the way, what may I call you fine gentlecolts?"

"Starbridge." He made a slight bow with his head. Gathering up the supplies, he joined the other two again. It'd be rude to just leave. "I hear that they have a nice shower schedualed for later this evening."