BaronEngel
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Floating Petals Sewing Machine and Vacuum Repair
🕑 Added 2025-03-17 19:34:25 +0000 UTCGrandma Coal pulled into the parking lot of a rather dilapidated strip mall in Royal Equestria Security Forces (RESF) dreamscape. Finding a parking slot for her 20+ year old station wagon she looked around the lot before shutting off the engine. For a weekday afternoon there was only a handful of vehicles parked. Many the old kirin recognized as belonging to the owners of the various businesses here.
Satisfied with what she saw the old mare shut off the engine and left the relatively comfortable confines of her air-conditioned vehicle. Summers in Ft. Trotterdale could be brutal and the downpours that rolled in almost every afternoon like clockwork did nothing to improve the situation. Grandma Coal hoped to have her errands wrapped up before then, but at the moment she had some business she needed to take care of here. Her destination was small nondescript shop that upon its front windows was painted in faded green letters.
Floating Petals Sewing Machine and Vacuum Repair.
The front door had one of those electronic motion detector that chimed when somepony opened the door to enter or leave or teleported close to it. However 30 years of daily use showed as it chimed a rather apathetic deedoo as the kirin entered. From the back of the shop music could be heard. The store was dimly lit and Grandma Coal was currently the only customer in store. Just how she liked it.
From the back part of store an elderly earth pony mare came sauntering out. Her eyes lit up when she saw the kirin.
"Coal dear. Howza doin'. Yu got my message I sent yu?"
"Yes dear. That's why I'm here. Hopefully they weren't too much trouble for you. I know they're getting up in their years like me, but they've served me well.
The shopkeeper grinned. "Well as I splained in my message one is ready tu go, but I'd like tu tweak the other just a bit longer if yu don't mind."
The old kirin smiled. "Of course dear, but do you mind showing what you've done so far?"
The earth pony gestured to follow and then turned and heading into the back part of the shop. In back of the shop was vast collection of old sewing machines and vacuum cleaners that were stuffed onto shelves and racks. 2 workbenches had various appliances in varying degrees of disassembly. A myriad of tools hung from peg hooks, and cryptic bins held a bewildering array of spare parts.
On a shelf above one of these workbenches sat a radio that looked as old as the shop. It blared out a tune that Grandma Coal didn't recognize, but that wasn't unusual these days. Ponies and their weird modern music. Working at one of these workbenches was a young, thin unicorn mare in her early 20s. She brightened up at the sight of the old kirin.
"Grandma Coal! How are you doing!" She hopped down from her work stool and came over and gently hugged the kirin. The old mare returned the hug.
"I'm doing fine dear. Just dropping by to pick up one job and check on the status of another."
The young mare perked up. "Oh! I hope you're happy with the work I did!"
The older earth pony grinned. "Ruby Hooves has dun some excellent work on yur jobs." The earth pony tilted her head toward the doorway they'd just passed through. "Ruby dear if yu don't mind. Would yu watch the front of the store fur a bit?"
The unicorn smiled. "Sure no problem." The mare lifted her baggy t-shirt and pulled .45 pistol from a holster on her waist. Giving it a quick status check she put it back in its place and it disappeared back under the t-shirt. Then she went forward to mind the shop.
Grandma Coal watched her leave. "I'm so glad she's worked out for you." She looked back at the older mare. "I'm in your debt Floating Petals for giving her a chance to turn her life around."
The earth pony laughed. "I dun't know. I feel like I o' yu. She's a bright, hard workin' mare. Tu be honest I'm thinkin' of givin' her the place when I hang it up." Then she waved her hand. "Come! Let me show yu what we've dun!"
The further you went back into the shop the more you found equipment that was not commonly found in sewing machine and vacuum repair shop. A heavy-duty drill press kept a machine-shop grade lathe and grinder from being lonely. Various files, taps, vises, hammers, a small welding station and a sandblasting booth took up the furthest corners in the back of the shop.
The other thing out of place in a sewing machine and vacuum repair shop was the old 7.62x51mm battle rifle that was carefully clamped into one of the vises. It was partially disassembled and parts of it were sitting in a large shallow tray. Floating Petals started speaking.
"I just gut the barrel and receiver back from the refinisher. Fraid I had tu farm that out, but they know their stuff when it comes tu ceramic coatings. Also they know how tu keep their pie holes shut. I also rebuilt the gas system with all stainless steel components because it was showin' wear from those crazy loads yu like!
The earth pony lifted the barrel and receiver from the stock. "As yu can see I did a more thorough glass beddin' of the stock and cut some inlets for a couple some steel pillar blocks. That should stop any further crackin' of the wood."
She then picked up an aluminum alloy upper hand guard that had a segment of rail attached to it. "This will replace that old, cracked upper, and will let me mount that micro dot sight for yu nice and low so it works with the comb on this stock." Floating Petals glanced over at the kirin. "Have yu ever considered just getting sumthin' newer?"
Grandma Coal slowly shook her head and gently ran a hand across the wood stock of the rifle. Floating Petals had refinished it, but one could still see numerous dings, nicks, and discolorations in the wood that were too deep to steam or sand away. "I've had this for longer than I can remember and it's always done its part."
The earth pony popped a stick of gum in her mouth she chewed on it for a second. "Aren't yu. Well, uh, retired now?"
The kirin looked over at her and smiled. "You only retire dear when you stop breathing, but not until then. Now about the other job that's ready?"
Floating Petals reached under the workbench and produced a large paisley pattern bag that wouldn't look out of place at the local sewing circle or a thrift shop. The mare unzipped it and produced a 9mm submachine gun and a suppressor that she attached to the weapon.
"This didn't need as much work. Still Ruby Hooves did a complete rebuild of suppressor fur yu along with refinishing the suppressor and the weapon. Oh and she put a brand spankin' new buffer system in it! We've tested fired it and it's blowin a lot less gas out of the chamber now. The girl also cooked up a sweet acoustical suppression ward on top of the actual baffles. Finally she did a gentle interior lappin of the all of the magazine bodies. She wasn't happy with a couple burrs she saw in them."
Grandma Coal adjusted her heavy frame glasses and then took the submachine gun. "Ah now that was very sweet of her." Slowly she examined it and with a smile on her face she said.
"It'll be nice to have this back home."
Comments
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
Why, when I am thinking of Grandma Coal's history, I keep hearing Sabaton's "Lady of the Dark"? 'Axe Seems appropriate.
Baron Engel
Nope its a 1980s Colt 9mm SMG also know as a M635. Complete with the fixed type carry handle with a Trijicon-like scope mount and a dot sight.
Baron Engel
Grandma Coal's past is very complicated individual, and she has many ghosts and skeletons in her closet.
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
interesting sub-gun. a variation on the Colt 9-mm AR-15 or the new APC-K??? 'Axe
WILLIAM C JOHNSON
I just had a vision of Grandma Coal going full Nerik with that full auto battle rifle! She surely was some kind of "Special Forces" operative. Would not like to be on the recieving end. 'Axe
Baron Engel
It happened I just didn't describe it because I am to try and keep these posting within a certain word count, and often I am cutting sentences and other descriptions to keep word count within my own set limits.
jeffh4
I see Grandma Coal has good trigger discipline. The one thing she neglected to do was immediately check the magazine and chamber. After all, Rule #1 of gun safety is to treat every weapon you pick up as if it was loaded.
Baron Engel
That would be a huge spoiler, but you'll be learning more about over the next month or so.
Menthewarp
Grandma Coal simply a mare with a long and complex life, or was she special forces at one point?
