[FwM] The Trotting Dead-Mlp without the Kiddy Thread XVI

[TheAmishPirate]

At Da Bar

Sandy tried to occupy as little real estate on his stool as possible. The hum and buzz of other ponies felt infinitely louder when paying attention to each individual sound. Was that laugh at him? Were those whispers pointing out the worst the Cirrus had to offer? Did those ponies stop talking to stare his way? That was the door swinging; they just didn't want to be in the same room as him, didn't they? The quiet engine room was so far away now. He'd have to pass through all of...all of town now...

"I-It's, um, b-b-busy....ain't it?" he meekly offered. The little engineer huddled up tightly, trying to lose himself in a nifty-looking knot in the wood.

[Lycan 01]

Back at the Cirrus however

"Hey Lucky......did things just get quiet around here?..." Gwen suddenly asked, putting down her hand of cards face down on the table as she glanced around the galley. She furrowed her feathery brow and reached for her beer. "You know.....I think we actually are by ourselves in this ship...." She then smirked and looked at Lucky to see what sort of response he would give her.

Lucky just kinda nods and goes "Uh huh." He's staring intently at his cards. The last several days have been relatively uneventful, mostly consisting of offering his hoof to help out around the airship, playing cards with Gwen, and just putting up with Gwen in general. The griffoness was... interesting, to say the least. At times fun and amusing, other times a bit grating on the nerves. And yet, Lucky enjoys her company regardless. Doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes, but good luck getting him to admit that.

"Ship to ourselves, yeah," he nods, continuing to stare at the cards. It seems he's entirely focused on them, trying to work out the best strategy or approach to take with this hand. He's totally oblivious to his beer, and what Gwen is actually saying, or trying to imply.

[Benson]

"I think a mild one to start off with. Someone needs to stay sober," Silverpine replied good-naturedly, gesturing at the barkeep, before taking his seat to the right of Gear.

"Bah...a certain lieutenant is just a wienie," She stuck out her tongue at him, waiting for their drinks.

At Da Bar

Sandy tried to occupy as little real estate on his stool as possible. The hum and buzz of other ponies felt infinitely louder when paying attention to each individual sound. Was that laugh at him? Were those whispers pointing out the worst the Cirrus had to offer? Did those ponies stop talking to stare his way? That was the door swinging; they just didn't want to be in the same room as him, didn't they? The quiet engine room was so far away now. He'd have to pass through all of...all of town now...

"I-It's, um, b-b-busy....ain't it?" he meekly offered. The little engineer huddled up tightly, trying to lose himself in a nifty-looking knot in the wood.

"Isn't it great? It has got such a lively atmosphere, sweet harmonica music playing in the background, the ponies gathering around the radio trying to listen in on the Hoofball game, there is just something classical about it." Gearstride grinned as she glanced around, and then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ho crap a pool table....we are totally playing." She nodded her head abruptly. The bartender then returned and slid the three their drinks as Gearstride immediately helped herself to a long hardy drink.

Back at the Cirrus however

Lucky just kinda nods and goes "Uh huh." He's staring intently at his cards. The last several days have been relatively uneventful, mostly consisting of offering his hoof to help out around the airship, playing cards with Gwen, and just putting up with Gwen in general. The griffoness was... interesting, to say the least. At times fun and amusing, other times a bit grating on the nerves. And yet, Lucky enjoys her company regardless. Doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes, but good luck getting him to admit that.

"Ship to ourselves, yeah," he nods, continuing to stare at the cards. It seems he's entirely focused on them, trying to work out the best strategy or approach to take with this hand. He's totally oblivious to his beer, and what Gwen is actually saying, or trying to imply.

"Yer not even really listenin are ya?" She waved a talon in front of his oblivious face. She puffed her cheeks and sat back down. "Hey Lucky, we should totally make out on this table." She said bluntly with a neutral expression. She bet he would hear that.

[Lycan 01]

[Back at the Cirrus However]

Lucky idly moves the order of the cards around in his hooves, shuffling them a bit and furrowing his brow. "Uh huh..." he nods, off in his own little world, and oblivious to what Gwen is actually saying. Something about the table? "Yeah, it's a nice table. Good and sturdy..." he mutters, deaf to the implications of what he's saying.

[Benson]

[Back at the Cirrus However]

Lucky idly moves the order of the cards around in his hooves, shuffling them a bit and furrowing his brow. "Uh huh..." he nods, off in his own little world, and oblivious to what Gwen is actually saying. Something about the table? "Yeah, it's a nice table. Good and sturdy..." he mutters, deaf to the implications of what he's saying.

Gwen actually found herself sputtering in surprise. "This card game ain't that interestin'!" She huffed and then left the table. "Ya can stare at your cards, and play solitaire or somethin' but I'mma headin on..somewheres....yea...screw it I'mma head on in to town, if ya heard that, yer welcomed ta join me...if not...well..yea." Gwendolyn's feathers were well...ruffled as she walked off, grabbing her beer and walked out the galley to the quarters she and Lucky were given to grab some of her things.

[Grif]

At Da Bar

Sandy tried to occupy as little real estate on his stool as possible. The hum and buzz of other ponies felt infinitely louder when paying attention to each individual sound. Was that laugh at him? Were those whispers pointing out the worst the Cirrus had to offer? Did those ponies stop talking to stare his way? That was the door swinging; they just didn't want to be in the same room as him, didn't they? The quiet engine room was so far away now. He'd have to pass through all of...all of town now...

"I-It's, um, b-b-busy....ain't it?" he meekly offered. The little engineer huddled up tightly, trying to lose himself in a nifty-looking knot in the wood.

"Bah...a certain lieutenant is just a wienie," She stuck out her tongue at him, waiting for their drinks.

"Said wienie pulled your butt out of more than one bar in Equestria," Silverpine replied with a tongue sticking of his own.

"Isn't it great? It has got such a lively atmosphere, sweet harmonica music playing in the background, the ponies gathering around the radio trying to listen in on the Hoofball game, there is just something classical about it." Gearstride grinned as she glanced around, and then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ho crap a pool table....we are totally playing." She nodded her head abruptly. The bartender then returned and slid the three their drinks as Gearstride immediately helped herself to a long hardy drink.

The lieutenant gently nudged Sandy to drink up as well. "The cider's best in town. Go on." And indeed, Sandy would find that it's actually pretty good. Not Apple quality, but good enough for a place like this.

[Merellis]

"I... ahh... I suppose. I-It's still quite a big town." Pulp closed her eyes and breathed in deep. Just like how Bitter taught her. It helped. A little. The unicorn opened her eyes and offered Joyous a small smile. "I-I f-feel kind of s-silly now."

It's at this point that a burly pint of a pegasus pulls up a chair and sits at their table. Bitter had been listening in, but figured showing up was probably for the best at this point, seeing as how Pulp was actually getting a bit comfortable. She gives the wingless pegasus a polite smile then grins at Pulp in that cheeky way of hers.

"Making friends already?" Her voice is light and amused, but her eyes drift along the crowd, searching out the doors, the windows. She's even sat herself in such a position that both Pulp and Joyous are between her and the cafe's building.

[TheAmishPirate]

[COLOR="#FF8C00"]The lieutenant gently nudged Sandy to drink up as well. "The cider's best in town. Go on." And indeed, Sandy would find that it's actually pretty good. Not Apple quality, but good enough for a place like this.

Sandy looked up nervously at his friend, before nodding along and taking a sip of cider. The lack of alcohol was immediately noticed and appreciated, shortly followed by the foamy, flavorful rush to his belly. The little stallion hiccuped, a cider-mustache across his muzzle. Even soft, a good cider could fill a pony's head with bubbles. He held his mug with both hooves and took another swig, striving to drown out his nerves in tasty, tasty drink.

[Benson]

Sandy looked up nervously at his friend, before nodding along and taking a sip of cider. The lack of alcohol was immediately noticed and appreciated, shortly followed by the foamy, flavorful rush to his belly. The little stallion hiccuped, a cider-mustache across his muzzle. Even soft, a good cider could fill a pony's head with bubbles. He held his mug with both hooves and took another swig, striving to drown out his nerves in tasty, tasty drink.

"Said wienie pulled your butt out of more than one bar in Equestria," Silverpine replied with a tongue sticking of his own.

The lieutenant gently nudged Sandy to drink up as well. "The cider's best in town. Go on." And indeed, Sandy would find that it's actually pretty good. Not Apple quality, but good enough for a place like this.

She smooched Silverpine and took a hearty sip of her cider, goofily smiling. "Heh....yea...well...insert a cool comeback here." She laughed and then glanced at Sandy. "It is good huh? Heheh."

"By the way, I am challengin ya both to a game of pool, you two vs me." She grinned and clicked her tongue.

[Kelvin360]

It's at this point that a burly pint of a pegasus pulls up a chair and sits at their table. Bitter had been listening in, but figured showing up was probably for the best at this point, seeing as how Pulp was actually getting a bit comfortable. She gives the wingless pegasus a polite smile then grins at Pulp in that cheeky way of hers.

"Making friends already?" Her voice is light and amused, but her eyes drift along the crowd, searching out the doors, the windows. She's even sat herself in such a position that both Pulp and Joyous are between her and the cafe's building.

When Bitter has her seat, both Joyous' right eye and the stumps on his back twitch. He doesn't focus on any particular portion of her anatomy, and his tone is even, if not friendly, but it's pretty obvious what comparison he's drawing. "We're talking and haven't started fighting yet. It's a good thing, but it doesn't make us friends. Making friends with me is social suicide, anyway."

[Grif]

She smooched Silverpine and took a hearty sip of her cider, goofily smiling. "Heh....yea...well...insert a cool comeback here." She laughed and then glanced at Sandy. "It is good huh? Heheh."

"By the way, I am challengin ya both to a game of pool, you two vs me." She grinned and clicked her tongue.

Silverpine reddened a little at the kiss, and quickly sipped his own drink to mask his reaction. "Mmm, exactly as advertised," he said, after a hearty swig of her own.

The earth pony tilted his head a little at the challenge. "You sure, Gear? Sandy here can shoot a mean ball," he said with a laugh, nudging Sandy again. "Right, Sandy?"

It's at this point that a burly pint of a pegasus pulls up a chair and sits at their table. Bitter had been listening in, but figured showing up was probably for the best at this point, seeing as how Pulp was actually getting a bit comfortable. She gives the wingless pegasus a polite smile then grins at Pulp in that cheeky way of hers.

"Making friends already?" Her voice is light and amused, but her eyes drift along the crowd, searching out the doors, the windows. She's even sat herself in such a position that both Pulp and Joyous are between her and the cafe's building.

The unicorn's eyes lit up with joy as Bitter eased onto the table beside her. "Bitter!" she exclaimed happily, quickly enveloping the burly pegasus in a brief, but tight hug. "I w-was l-looking for you... T-Thank the princess y-you're a-alright."

When Bitter has her seat, both Joyous' right eye and the stumps on his back twitch. He doesn't focus on any particular portion of her anatomy, and his tone is even, if not friendly, but it's pretty obvious what comparison he's drawing. "We're talking and haven't started fighting yet. It's a good thing, but it doesn't make us friends. Making friends with me is social suicide, anyway."

Pulp Fiction blinked her eyes at the unusual sentiment coming out of the not-pegasus. For the first time, her eyes studied the pegasus carefully, and the gentle twitch of the stumps on his back drew her attention. "Y-you... your wings..." she breathed, her eyes widening. "... y-you're a pegasus..."

[Kelvin360]

Pulp Fiction blinked her eyes at the unusual sentiment coming out of the not-pegasus. For the first time, her eyes studied the pegasus carefully, and the gentle twitch of the stumps on his back drew her attention. "Y-you... your wings..." she breathed, her eyes widening. "... y-you're a pegasus..."

Joyous shifts his hooves atop the table, as though he'd rather be doing anything else with them to kill some of the awkwardness of the moment. "I used to be a lot of things. Almost none of them still apply."

[TheAmishPirate]

Silverpine reddened a little at the kiss, and quickly sipped his own drink to mask his reaction. "Mmm, exactly as advertised," he said, after a hearty swig of her own.

The earth pony tilted his head a little at the challenge. "You sure, Gear? Sandy here can shoot a mean ball," he said with a laugh, nudging Sandy again. "Right, Sandy?"

Sandy half-choked on his cider, the comment catching him in mid-swig. "Whuh? Er, yessir. Of course sir." He nodded emphatically, doing his best impression of a pony who knew what in Equestria was going on.

[PurityIcekiller]

"If it helps you, think if it as an opportunity to be emotionally carefree and leave any neighsaying to somepony else."

"Well if there's one thing he'll be good at, it's putting a damper in the mood."

"Considering my life before now, I don't think that needs help."

The paladin seems pleasantly amused at the very job-interview-ish assessment. "I will, of course, defer to my more experienced counterparts."

Night Jewel smiled. "Good. The profession isn't exactly forgiving when it comes to mistakes. Most of those who last long in it learn not to try anything too risky."

"The difference between the Boss and other ponies is that she's too hardcore to care that it's 'technically disbarred'. It's also why we just let her do it for us; like anypony's gonna tell her 'no'."

Flare got a thoughtful look. "Interesting. I believe when I attempted to maintain constant terror to get my way, it resulted in my incarceration. Clearly I have much to learn from her."

"Oh that is such ponysh-" The ensuing shadowy mouthpiece is both astonishingly soundproof and very economical.

Arvadraa examines the arsenal with a recently-acquired and critical soldier's eye. "I knew not practicing with serrateds was going to come back and bite me. I'll need to focus on the double-edged daggers for now, until I can train a little bit more. But I don't think I'll be denying myself advantages if it means my life," she says diplomatically. "And you know that if anypony can blend your style of warfare and Stellar's responsibly, it's me."

"Incidentally, it will be a good idea to stock up on wooden arms and armor as well. Perhaps a thin layer beneath your second skin."

"I'm as much a fan of wood as the next pony," Arvadraa replies to herself, ignoring Stellar's sudden fit of muffled snickering. "But, um, why?"

"It's a symbolic representation of the natural world, which cursed beings abhor. Regardless of whether or not they can actually wound you, bearing the scent of wood will cause them severe discomfort if they make contact. And if you need to, you can shatter your own armor to make wooden shards offensively on the spot."

"Wooden armour?" Blades got a look partway between confused and intrigued. "I've heard wood makes not-too-shabby shields, but not armour. It probly wouldn't work well if ya didn't make it right. Ya can't shape it like metal 'cause it breaks 'fore it bends, 'n it'd have to be a good, tough kind of wood or it wouldn't stop even copper blades, 'n ya'd have to fireproof it too... Maybe some kind of wood-metal mix? Ya'd probly want to talk to a carpenter 'bout it if ya wanted to know more, 'cause carpenters know 'bout wood, although they don't usually make wooden armour, so ya'd have to find one that had tried..."

The metalworker suddenly perked up her ears. "Say, does it work with other natural things? 'Cause I had a thought 'bout something the griffs do..."

"If you are going where I suspect, dead animal parts would do the opposite. They do draw their powers from death."

"Wait, what? So dead animals make 'em stronger, but dead trees make 'em weaker?"

"It is the symbolism that matters, Mistress."

"Right, right. See, this is why I don't deal in magic. It makes no bangin' sense." Blades shook her head. "All I can say is, if spells 'n such don't work out for ya, just stick a sword through it or something. At least ya've got some idea of what that'll do."

"You're the one making the big deal out of all this you know. And it's not like I asked for this situation. I was just coming into town and you were all 'Halt or I'll shoot argablarga I hate casual conversation'."

Blueshield was taken aback.

"Ah, yes. I... apologize for my treatment of you. Under the circumstances, it was my assumption that you would be either of hostile intention or deficient of faculties." Both of which, especially the latter, cannot yet be dismissed, but I cannot consider them certified either. "I must observe how you acquit yourself further before passing judgment."

She took a moment to regain her composure. "I am willing to accept the disclosure of pertinent information, just as long as I am spared irrelevant details. I do not care what exactly you consumed for a midday meal the week before a particular occasion, for instance. I will also address inquiries of yours as long as they remain within reasonable limits. If you desire conversation and can provide a topic of mutual interest, then I will discuss said topic."

[Kelvin360]

Night Jewel smiled. "Good. The profession isn't exactly forgiving when it comes to mistakes. Most of those who last long in it learn not to try anything too risky."

"Hear that? Low risk, high reward, NOT the other way around."

"I heard her the first time."

Flare got a thoughtful look. "Interesting. I believe when I attempted to maintain constant terror to get my way, it resulted in my incarceration. Clearly I have much to learn from her."

"MM-mm mph, MMRRRPH mph." Stellar deadpans past her gag.

Arvadraa raises a hoof. "Promise not to make any bawdy jokes or insulting remarks?"

A brief glare. "...M-mif."

Arvadraa sighs and waves the hoof dissipating the shadow mouthguard. "That'll have to do."

"Geez, Brains, how bad does it get that me mouthing off is your exception to a magic celibacy kick? And anyway, Terra, weren't you partying around with ponies of equal scale? I can't even think of any local ponies who aren't normals. Location, location, location."

"Wooden armour?" Blades got a look partway between confused and intrigued. "I've heard wood makes not-too-shabby shields, but not armour. It probly wouldn't work well if ya didn't make it right. Ya can't shape it like metal 'cause it breaks 'fore it bends, 'n it'd have to be a good, tough kind of wood or it wouldn't stop even copper blades, 'n ya'd have to fireproof it too... Maybe some kind of wood-metal mix? Ya'd probly want to talk to a carpenter 'bout it if ya wanted to know more, 'cause carpenters know 'bout wood, although they don't usually make wooden armour, so ya'd have to find one that had tried..."

"I actually had an affinity for wood when I was a filly-"

"You're not making this any easier, Brains."

"Then cover your ears when I talk. Ahem. It got, excuse the pun, warped into what I have now after our incident, but if I can keep that connection, it's possible I can use wooden armor and weapons better than most ponies."

"I'm gonna take the Boss' side, here. Isn't that still magic?"

"On the whole, I would say not quite. If she had it from her birth, it's a fey power, making it bound to the natural world. More passive magic than active, such as how an earth pony gardener gains exceptional results when working with their special talent. However, as was noted, it may have been dampened by my experiments."

"Be kind, rewind. Fey power? ...Oh! Flutter pony! Wow, now I really want front-row seats to see you beating down a vampire. It'd be like a mythological antithesis pitfight."

The metalworker suddenly perked up her ears. "Say, does it work with other natural things? 'Cause I had a thought 'bout something the griffs do..."

"If you are going where I suspect, dead animal parts would do the opposite. They do draw their powers from death."

"Wait, what? So dead animals make 'em stronger, but dead trees make 'em weaker?"

"It is the symbolism that matters, Mistress."

"Well, I mean, if at all possible, I'd like to not kill a tree to get what I need. Bits and pieces are fine, maybe even parts that were going bad anyway. So...I mean, I guess totems from living - what, exemplars? - of the natural world could work. But I prefer wood because I know it, I have a connection to it."

"Freaking druids; go figure."

"Right, right. See, this is why I don't deal in magic. It makes no bangin' sense." Blades shook her head. "All I can say is, if spells 'n such don't work out for ya, just stick a sword through it or something. At least ya've got some idea of what that'll do."

"True enough! That's my offense plan A. Everything else is just to keep them from, you know, draining me of my life's blood and all that."

[MCerberus]

Blueshield was taken aback.

"Ah, yes. I... apologize for my treatment of you. Under the circumstances, it was my assumption that you would be either of hostile intention or deficient of faculties." Both of which, especially the latter, cannot yet be dismissed, but I cannot consider them certified either. "I must observe how you acquit yourself further before passing judgment."

She took a moment to regain her composure. "I am willing to accept the disclosure of pertinent information, just as long as I am spared irrelevant details. I do not care what exactly you consumed for a midday meal the week before a particular occasion, for instance. I will also address inquiries of yours as long as they remain within reasonable limits. If you desire conversation and can provide a topic of mutual interest, then I will discuss said topic."

"Yah well... I know some ponies think I'm a bit... much," Whadda replies sensing a little bit of awkwardness. For a second she lets the awkward sit before deciding to, of course, start talking again.

"Well you haven't said anything about yourself yet really. So what kind of topics do you have interest in anyway? Ooh and if you have any 'on-the-record' type stuff to say about this town that would be great."


((in the guardhouse, can we get to the meeting with the captain soon?))

[Grif]

(Long overdue. Time to kick this into action. I got permission from both Lycan and Amish to skip their turn for the time being.)

Forest Road
The meeting with the Captain was both brief and terse. They had only one mission: to find out just what the hay are the Dark Army up to, and report back. Alive. Extra emphasis on the final word. They are to steer well away from taking unnecessary risks, and if possible, not alert the enemy on their intentions. Any concerns about the make-up of the team were summarily dismissed. They were chosen because they were the best, not because of their personalities. In addition, there was a new unexpected addition to the team. The pegasus merchant that had been targeted by the assasins had volunteered to show the team a hidden way through the mountains, that might lead them directly to the village without needing to run headlong into the guarded entrances of the valley.

And thus, in a few hours, the group found themselves on the road, packed along with a week supply of rations, west-ward towards the general direction of Rusty Falls. Prose himself seemed to have gone ahead to scout the road, leaving Windy to follow the rest of the group, trailing slightly behind as she timidly plodded along.

Probably a good time for them to plan ahead, in any case.

[Kelvin360]

The Long Road

Dawnstrider, having ensured that everything he needed was packed and comfortably packaged a day before they left, marches in silence at the head of their crew, just behind their guide, keen green eyes keeping watch for threats all around. He still bears his black armor, even though after the battle he was offered a change in his color scheme for his efforts. This time, he wears it not for the memories of a hollower time, but because the darker coloration will be more ideal if stealth becomes a necessity. In evidence of his claims, despite his plate mail and musculature, he seems no stranger to stealth, and when the time comes to hide, he can match the caution and silence of any of his compatriots.

Privately, he goes over the discussion Starbeam had with them before they left...

"I'm not going to let you go with just the clothes on your backs. Moonlight wanted to use these, but the attack was too quick to organize a response, and so they come to you."

The magus carried on two conversations at once, though only she and one member of the group were aware of the second. "It's what we call FlippyTech, the result of advanced magical and technological experimentation" she indicated the bag full of magic items she bequeathed upon Staccata a few minutes prior. It contains an onyx box, a golden necklace, a pale violet staff, a standard javelin, a potion full of green liquid, a short elm wand, a black two-headed battleaxe, a rod atop which is inscribed images of skulls, a plain yellow gemstone, a silver tiara with a very shiny ruby embedded in its facet, and a throwing disc that looks the same shade of sickly green one turns when violently ill. "And don't be fooled by the silliness of the name - it's very powerful."

Spoiler: Vyx

Show

I've made an executive decision to keep our mental web open on my end. In Night Jewel's mind, Starbeam's voice was even more distorted by worry. It's...not ideal, but it will keep a means of communication open between all of us. Over a long distance, talking shouldn't be too strenuous, though I don't recommend trying to send me any spells.

"That onyx box is spring-loaded cover. If the button is pressed, it deploys into a fifteen-by-fifteen hoof wall for a variety of purposes. It has the durability of common stone, so if you start encountering, say, dragon's fire, it may be wiser to just run. The command word to turn it back into a box is 'Yonkers'.

The necklace toughens your skin - all the protection of hardened padded armor with no loss in agility. The necklace itself isn't as durable as it makes you, though, so try to avoid getting it damaged.

The staff produces a field of force around its bearer when struck against the ground. It's very sturdy and can last for hours if undisturbed, but again, the device itself can be damaged, and if the field takes too much punishment, the staff shatters.

The spear isn't much on the surface. It's a throwing javelin with minor enchantments making it harder to break. But it returns to your hooves when thrown."

Spoiler: Vyx

Show

You can send me sensory information over the link if you need to. Sights, smells, and so forth. In case describing a whole scene is inefficient.

"The potion has just enough for one dose. It's...sort of invisibility, in that it makes you imperceptible to most ponies, but it stops working if you draw attention to yourself.

The wand has exactly five charges and gives a brief boost to mental acuity. It assists in logical thinking and problem-solving, and generally makes you better at thinking quickly. The activation word is 'Fox'." She took a moment to shoot Night Jewel a slight smile at this. "The axe is heavier than it looks, so be careful. It won't serve much use in combat, but it's got an antimagic enchantment in it that will allow it to dispel most minor wards if it strikes them. Useful if you find a door locked by mystical means.

The Rod will summon illusory ponies to cause a distraction or a panic. They're designed to look like angry spirits. The activation word is 'Anguish'.

The gemstone attaches itself to a broken object and repairs it as long as it's set. If the object is broken again, the gem probably will be, too. Setting it and removing it - at which point the object returns to its broken state - is 'Clap On' and 'Clap Off', respectively.

The diadem - or tiara, if you prefer - confers the ability to induce a very sluggish state in ponies via eye contact. Some weak-willed individuals can be ordered in the manner of suggestions in this way, as with traditional hypnotism.

Finally, the disc is designed to be thrown and then return to your general vicinity. If it touches flesh, it causes instant nausea, most often resulting in brief incapacitation.

Finally, the bag itself is just large enough on the inside to fit all of them with maximum weight dispersal. If it's emptied, it should hold an average-sized earth pony. There isn't any air in there, though."

"We might want to discuss to whom each object will go," he comments. "I do not think I have much need for any of them, though I may be better suited to keep a hold of the axe, since it will slow me down less."

[Benson]

Sandy half-choked on his cider, the comment catching him in mid-swig. "Whuh? Er, yessir. Of course sir." He nodded emphatically, doing his best impression of a pony who knew what in Equestria was going on.

Gearstride glanced between her two boys with a playful smirk. "Well then...........shall we?" Griiiiiiiiin.

[Lycan 01]

[Back at the Cirrus]

Gwen actually found herself sputtering in surprise. "This card game ain't that interestin'!" She huffed and then left the table. "Ya can stare at your cards, and play solitaire or somethin' but I'mma headin on..somewheres....yea...screw it I'mma head on in to town, if ya heard that, yer welcomed ta join me...if not...well..yea." Gwendolyn's feathers were well...ruffled as she walked off, grabbing her beer and walked out the galley to the quarters she and Lucky were given to grab some of her things.

"Wait, what?" Lucky finally says, blinking in confusion as he looks up from his cards. "Was it something I said?" he asks in bewilderment, putting down his cards and quickly trotting off after her. "Gwen? Gwen! C'mon, wait up!" he whines. "I'm sorry, was I not paying attention or something? It's not like I asked you to make out or anything..." he protests, oblivious to the fact that she did exactly that.

[Benson]

[Back at the Cirrus]

"Wait, what?" Lucky finally says, blinking in confusion as he looks up from his cards. "Was it something I said?" he asks in bewilderment, putting down his cards and quickly trotting off after her. "Gwen? Gwen! C'mon, wait up!" he whines. "I'm sorry, was I not paying attention or something? It's not like I asked you to make out or anything..." he protests, oblivious to the fact that she did exactly that.

Gwendolyn paused and turned around and sported a wtf expression and slight head shake. "....Hauh?....." She questioned as Lucky would catch up with her.

"....Yer not even makin sense right there....are you alright Lucky?..." Her tone softened for a second and then she shook her head. "Aggh....Lucky...you are so dense...you'd sink in water ya know?" She sighed and shook her head.

"Look...ya deaf stallion...ack...yer lucky yer cute...wha?...oh yea...ahem...I was sayin if ya wanted ta join me for a day out in town....you know...maybe get a little drink on at the bar, see what the town has to offer, have fun." She cracked a playful smirk at the very latter.

[PurityIcekiller]

"MM-mm mph, MMRRRPH mph." Stellar deadpans past her gag.

Arvadraa raises a hoof. "Promise not to make any bawdy jokes or insulting remarks?"

A brief glare. "...M-mif."

Arvadraa sighs and waves the hoof dissipating the shadow mouthguard. "That'll have to do."

"Geez, Brains, how bad does it get that me mouthing off is your exception to a magic celibacy kick? And anyway, Terra, weren't you partying around with ponies of equal scale? I can't even think of any local ponies who aren't normals. Location, location, location."

"Perhaps, but even among them, I was the strongest."

"It's 'cause ya've got no style, Flare. Ya can't just go 'round shoutin' 'do what I say or I'll kill ya', 'cause that just gets 'em angry. Ya've got to do it properly!"

"I actually had an affinity for wood when I was a filly-"

"You're not making this any easier, Brains."

"Then cover your ears when I talk. Ahem. It got, excuse the pun, warped into what I have now after our incident, but if I can keep that connection, it's possible I can use wooden armor and weapons better than most ponies."

"I'm gonna take the Boss' side, here. Isn't that still magic?"

"On the whole, I would say not quite. If she had it from her birth, it's a fey power, making it bound to the natural world. More passive magic than active, such as how an earth pony gardener gains exceptional results when working with their special talent. However, as was noted, it may have been dampened by my experiments."

"Be kind, rewind. Fey power? ...Oh! Flutter pony! Wow, now I really want front-row seats to see you beating down a vampire. It'd be like a mythological antithesis pitfight."

After a few moments, Blades nodded. "Better than Horne's magic, at least." She then perked her ears up. "Say, I reckon ya'd be good with bows! Ya could make up a nice bow or crossbow, get some arrows, 'n ya could shoot those nasty ponies down 'fore they even got close to ya! What do ya think?"

"Well, I mean, if at all possible, I'd like to not kill a tree to get what I need. Bits and pieces are fine, maybe even parts that were going bad anyway. So...I mean, I guess totems from living - what, exemplars? - of the natural world could work. But I prefer wood because I know it, I have a connection to it."

"Freaking druids; go figure."

"But if ya cut a pony's legs off while they're still alive..."

"Mistress, none of us designed the laws of magic. We simply work with them as best we can. You cannot fault us for its inconsistencies."

"Whatever."

"True enough! That's my offense plan A. Everything else is just to keep them from, you know, draining me of my life's blood and all that."

"Glad to see ya up for this. Ya can never be too prepare, that's what I say."

"Yah well... I know some ponies think I'm a bit... much," Whadda replies sensing a little bit of awkwardness. For a second she lets the awkward sit before deciding to, of course, start talking again.

"Well you haven't said anything about yourself yet really. So what kind of topics do you have interest in anyway? Ooh and if you have any 'on-the-record' type stuff to say about this town that would be great."

"I..."

Blueshield hesitated. Condemnation. I can hold my own in a swordfight against elite soldiers, give a well-supported lecture on the drawbacks of self-serving malice, and calculate the courses of planets and other astronomical objects in my head, yet cannot handle a simple bit of casual conversation?

"...If you are of the variety that reads scholarly articles in their leisure time, then perhaps we have a common interest. I'm afraid I have little concern for less practical matters, aside from occasional indulgence in novels of sufficient quality.

"As for the town, I have not been here long, but I will answer as I am able. Is there anything in particular that you wish to know?"

[On The Road]

Openly, Night Jewel had been cooperative and kept out of others' ways during the briefing and the early parts of the trip. Privately, she still had reservations about working directly for the guard, even against a common foe.

I can expect a reward when I get back, right? Or at least absolution? Oh, Dark Mother, they'd better give me absolution. They wouldn't dare try to lock me away after all this, would they? They'd better not. If they so much as try, I'll-

Careful, girl. Starbeam's picking up all of this.

...Right. Sorry about that. I'm still not used to having someone other than... Well, I'm not used to you knowing my thoughts yet. Say, just in case, could you ask the guards what they plan to do with me once this is over?

After some time, she shifted her focus back to reality.

"Let's see... I want to get some of their shimmerite and gloomium, so I shouldn't carry much else. No weapons, certainly. I do want the wand, and possibly the gemstone, but that's mostly for use in my workshop later. The rest are up to you."

[Kelvin360]

"Perhaps, but even among them, I was the strongest."

"It's 'cause ya've got no style, Flare. Ya can't just go 'round shoutin' 'do what I say or I'll kill ya', 'cause that just gets 'em angry. Ya've got to do it properly!"

"Uhh, isn't that exactly what you do? Heck, it's pretty much what I do. We're just, I dunno, implicit? I guess for some reason yon average pony is cool with non-threat threats? Then again, yon average pony is kind of a moron, so I'll buy that."

"You make it sounds like you haven't been trained to manipulate, Stellar."

"I grew up in a tower that was nowhere even in the middle of nowhere. Social anything was kind of a non-issue. I just get the basic concept of lying and that the harmless filly trick gets results."

After a few moments, Blades nodded. "Better than Horne's magic, at least." She then perked her ears up. "Say, I reckon ya'd be good with bows! Ya could make up a nice bow or crossbow, get some arrows, 'n ya could shoot those nasty ponies down 'fore they even got close to ya! What do ya think?"

The flutter pony and the unicorn filly both stand stock still at that statement. Arvadraa begins blinking rapidly in disbelief and Stellar smacks a hoof firmly into her own forehead. "Brains' hoof-eye coordination is ludicrous, she can fly, and she has the 'nature warrior' shtick going. How in the everloving hay did we not get to 'bow' sooner?"

"Wait. I think I've seen one before...how, exactly, are ponies able to even use those? Don't you have to stand only on your back legs? And how can you draw and release the bowstring when its shape is-?"

"Because it does, duh. You might as well ask the Boss how she draws and throws knives using a mostly-flat surface."

Arvadraa looks horrified. "I...I never noticed that. How...how??"

Stellar keeps up her facade for an extra two seconds before she bursts out laughing. "The...the look on your face! Oh, oh wow, that was so worth it. Archers and specialist knife-throwers use special horseshoes that are designed to grip a string or hilt, Brains. It's not a big deal. Some bowponies use their mouths, too, but that's usually scouts with the smaller stuff. You'll be fine using the full-sized versions."

Arvadraa looks somewhat mollified and amused, herself at that explanation. "I've been meaning to ask; how do you know so much about weaponry now? I doubt it was in your curriculum back in the 'nowhere part of nowhere'."

"Sometimes I have trouble getting to sleep and I get bored. We live in a weapon and armor shop, Brains, there's pretty much nothing to read except schematics and histories of warfare. Well, that and back issues of Knives, Quarterly that somepony keeps leaving around everywhere..."

"A-actually, that was me."

[On The Road]

Openly, Night Jewel had been cooperative and kept out of others' ways during the briefing and the early parts of the trip. Privately, she still had reservations about working directly for the guard, even against a common foe.

I can expect a reward when I get back, right? Or at least absolution? Oh, Dark Mother, they'd better give me absolution. They wouldn't dare try to lock me away after all this, would they? They'd better not. If they so much as try, I'll-

Careful, girl. Starbeam's picking up all of this.

...Right. Sorry about that. I'm still not used to having someone other than... Well, I'm not used to you knowing my thoughts yet. Say, just in case, could you ask the guards what they plan to do with me once this is over?

She catches a hint of amusement over the mental connection. You didn't hear? Dawnstrider browbeat the Captain of the guard and that Knight-Commander, Blueshield, into leaving you alone. Something about foreign borders, criminal history not carrying over past them, and his being obligated to arrest them both if they tried anything without due cause? So, no, you're in no danger of being locked away, exiled, or exiled and then locked away where you're exiled to. I don't think most of the rank-and-file noticed you very much anyway, to be honest. The ambulatory ones have bigger haystacks to fry, and I don't think the commanding officers would send you off if they meant to imprison you. It's more like a secondary option if you'd been assigned the death-

A pause, followed by a flash of intense embarrassment. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be so negative. A-as for rewards, well, I get the impression Staccata would sooner burn down the guardhouse than do this unpaid, so you can make an equality argument if they're really that petty. And Dawnstrider doesn't accept monetary rewards for 'quests' anyways, so you'll probably end up with his share.

[TheAmishPirate]

Gearstride glanced between her two boys with a playful smirk. "Well then...........shall we?" Griiiiiiiiin.

Fortunately, there was a pool table open nearby. Unfortunately, the shortest stick was about twice Sandy's height. Unfortunatelier, the table wasn't much better.

The little engineer peered up at the pool table. "...huh."

[Grif]

Fortunately, there was a pool table open nearby. Unfortunately, the shortest stick was about twice Sandy's height. Unfortunatelier, the table wasn't much better.

The little engineer peered up at the pool table. "...huh."

Silverpine nudged the engineer again, an attempt at a friendly gesture, but probably just succeeding at knocking the engineer around. "Don't worry, Sandy. I'm sure we can take her. Two against one and all that. Come on!" He'd drag the engineer over to the pool table, along with a bar stool if need be.

[MCerberus]

"I..."

Blueshield hesitated. Condemnation. I can hold my own in a swordfight against elite soldiers, give a well-supported lecture on the drawbacks of self-serving malice, and calculate the courses of planets and other astronomical objects in my head, yet cannot handle a simple bit of casual conversation?

"...If you are of the variety that reads scholarly articles in their leisure time, then perhaps we have a common interest. I'm afraid I have little concern for less practical matters, aside from occasional indulgence in novels of sufficient quality.

"As for the town, I have not been here long, but I will answer as I am able. Is there anything in particular that you wish to know?"

"Don't have a lot of time to read that kind of stuff. Usually too busy to try and figure out what they're going on about. Used to know an associate editor at Astronomy Digest. He kept going on about how all the scientists kept yelling about finding rhetorical errors and all that junk. Sounded kinda boring."

This would be a good time to take a breath. Whadda doesn't.

"I'm really looking for ponies that know other ponies who see what goes on. Sources you can say, but really just trying to get 'in the loop'. Not much in the way of reporting going on. Only thing that gets out are wire reports and they're just what whoever sent it wants to say."

[Benson]

Silverpine nudged the engineer again, an attempt at a friendly gesture, but probably just succeeding at knocking the engineer around. "Don't worry, Sandy. I'm sure we can take her. Two against one and all that. Come on!" He'd drag the engineer over to the pool table, along with a bar stool if need be.

Gearstride chilled by the pool table with a cue stick leaning against the table as she /coolly/ gnawed on a candy cigarette and smirked as they set themselves up the stool for the short engineer.

She then casually set up a trick shot for the fun of it. Particularly the Just Showing Off Trick (youtube it :P) and gave a casual smirk at her boys. After she lined up the balls and prepped it, she then struck the cue ball and performed the trick and then gnawed away at her candy cigarette.

"I don't just miss my mark with explosions," She winked and tapped at her cutiemark. "I will let you two go first."

[TheAmishPirate]

Silverpine nudged the engineer again, an attempt at a friendly gesture, but probably just succeeding at knocking the engineer around. "Don't worry, Sandy. I'm sure we can take her. Two against one and all that. Come on!" He'd drag the engineer over to the pool table, along with a bar stool if need be.

Gearstride chilled by the pool table with a cue stick leaning against the table as she /coolly/ gnawed on a candy cigarette and smirked as they set themselves up the stool for the short engineer.

She then casually set up a trick shot for the fun of it. Particularly the Just Showing Off Trick (youtube it :P) and gave a casual smirk at her boys. After she lined up the balls and prepped it, she then struck the cue ball and performed the trick and then gnawed away at her candy cigarette.

"I don't just miss my mark with explosions," She winked and tapped at her cutiemark. "I will let you two go first."

Sandy leaned over to his superior officer, growing a tad more pale. "I-I'm a bit less sure, sir."

Gulping nervously, Sandy aimed down his cue at a fairly easy shot, but his timid strike wasn't nearly enough to sink the ball. The little engineer winced.

[Lycan 01]

Aboard the Cirrus

Gwendolyn paused and turned around and sported a wtf expression and slight head shake. "....Hauh?....." She questioned as Lucky would catch up with her.

"....Yer not even makin sense right there....are you alright Lucky?..." Her tone softened for a second and then she shook her head. "Aggh....Lucky...you are so dense...you'd sink in water ya know?" She sighed and shook her head.

"Look...ya deaf stallion...ack...yer lucky yer cute...wha?...oh yea...ahem...I was sayin if ya wanted ta join me for a day out in town....you know...maybe get a little drink on at the bar, see what the town has to offer, have fun." She cracked a playful smirk at the very latter.

Lucky frowns defensively. "Hey, I'm not dense. I'm just..." His ears pin back, and he gives a small huff. "Okay maybe I am a bit dense, but whatever," he grumbles.

He then trots past her, giving her a playful swat on the shoulder with his tail as he passes. "Yeah, sure, sounds good," he smirks wryly as he saunters by. "But you're buyin'~"

[Benson]

Aboard the Cirrus

Lucky frowns defensively. "Hey, I'm not dense. I'm just..." His ears pin back, and he gives a small huff. "Okay maybe I am a bit dense, but whatever," he grumbles.

He then trots past her, giving her a playful swat on the shoulder with his tail as he passes. "Yeah, sure, sounds good," he smirks wryly as he saunters by. "But you're buyin'~"

"Ya cheapskate...hehe....but very well...since it is mah invitation and all," She nodded and quickly walked to keep up. "Hey...uh..so what were ya thinking about as ya gazed into the cards? If'n ya don't mind mah askin...I do still doubt the cards themselves were that interestin'."