“LIFT!”
The stallion in front of me struggled with the weight bar, his muscles weak from so many bench presses. I roared in his face again, providing just enough motivation for one more rep. As he shakily reached the top, I hooked the bar with my talons and set it back on the rest.
The pony went limp and sucked wind. From his lying-down position he managed a smile. “Heh, thanks Gilda.”
I looked down at him as I leaned over the bar. “Just work harder, Tock. You don’t want me to keep babying you.”
Tock was a watchmaker or something. No idea why he wanted to be buff, but I don’t ask customers questions like that. If he wanted to improve himself, that was good enough.
My name was called from across the gym and I walked away. A pegasus needed a recommendation for wing pushups. I may have been a griffon, but I went to flight school with ponies. “Start in sets of twenty. If you get to one hundred, take a break and then start in with sets of ten.”
“Hey, thanks,” he said. I gave him a look and turned away.
Newcomers to the gym were surprised to find me employed there. Who would hire a pissed-off griffon to terrorize customers? Working out takes motivation. I won’t shoot the breeze with you. I won’t take it easy. I want you to succeed; that’s why I’m not your friend.
It was sometimes hard to turn off the attitude outside of work. Lately, I had been barely bothering to. Maybe that cost me some companionship. Not like I had loads of friends to lose anyway.
I spent most of the afternoon sparring with a few boxers. I may not have had the weight and power of a pony, but my reach was a lot longer. A hardened beak can take more abuse than a nose, too.
After a few rounds, they thought it would be funny to put me up against a minotaur. He was pretty big and had some training. It didn’t matter much. The fight lasted about a minute, but I decided not to knock him out. The gym was for training and learning. Beating a practice opponent senseless wouldn’t accomplish anything.
At lot of exercise training is about application of force. You only use the right amount to accomplish your goal whether it’s boxing, martial arts, or just going for a jog. Every so often, however, it’s important to really test yourself and find out how much you could use. Know your upper limits, but always be working to raise them.
There wasn’t much on my mind as I showered before leaving work. I put on my winter gloves to protect my talons from the snow. I headed for The Metronome.
There were a few decent music clubs around, The Metronome being the most convenient for me. They were all dark, quiet, and relaxed. I was rarely bothered by other patrons. The clubs were good places to sit and think after a day of exertion.
I had almost reached the jazz club when I remembered Octavia’s announcement the previous night about the fashion show. I stopped, grumbling in annoyance. It looked like I wasn’t going to get to relax tonight. Time to find something else to do.
Gilda doesn't seem the type.
so far its either Tock or Comb ...
unless Comb is an award winning level actor I personally can not see him as the killer...(that probably means that he IS the killer but anywho ..)
Tock sounds familiar ... I need to re read Miller ...
2517988
The reason that Tock probably seems familiar is that Cepia Tock is sometimes used instead of Time Turner or Doctor Whooves.
2518086
I have never, ever heard that name used.
2518279
I'm not surprised, its nowhere near as popular as the other two. It has showed up somewhere, though.
Tock doesn't seem to have any motivation at all, so he's hard to place. Gilda on the other hoof doesn't fit as the mugger (for obvious reasons) or the killer (for lack of apparent interest in the city's criminal elements).
Pissed-off Gilda Griffon was teased about her name relentlessly in elementary school. That's why she goes by her middle name nowadays.
2518691 Fixed
Tock. Hmmm... Serial murderer... Hmmm...
Was it only unicorns being killed? Hmmm...
Millie. Small, but cute. She can save the world....
Save the Cheerilee-like mare, and save the world...
Hmmmmm...
*sees 5 chapter update, get epic feeling of awesome, pic related*
1dut.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/awesoem-meme-wallpapers-1dut.com-17.jpg
*start reading*
cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/400x/31622954.jpg
*Randomly decide to re-read Miller*
*see the link to SEQUEL*
fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/307/b/5/squee_i_can_believe_in_by_officer_rabbit-d4exmqo.png
2519316 Oh come on, it's obviously Ice.
2518279>>2518294
I've seen it as Sepia Tock, and one of the running gags is that everyone believes he's the "Doctor" even when he's actually a clock maker. Colgate is his assistant. I think it's in EqD.