Somber's game Session V log

[18:49:29] <%Somber> The friends had met the remnant of the NCR in the Shady Hollow's municiple Library. Although Red Line's healing had restored a little good will, the soldiers were very leery of the companions and suggested that if they wanted to build some good will, they could either find a heavy duty healing talisman from the hospital, or they could go to the police
[18:51:16] Aria ponders it over a little longer before saying, "I think we should hit up the hospital. These soldiers could use healing badly, and if they're back to one hundred percent, then it will catch the raiders off guard the next time they attack."
[18:51:22] <%Somber> station on the opposite side of town and kill the leader of the raiders sending attacks every night. They also wanted to find the NCR captain who was supposed to be in charge, not wanting to believe that she had died in all the bedlam. Corporal Whitechapel, the unicorn medic 'in charge' of the survivors, offered them a map of the town.
[18:51:28] <Aria> "Plus, we'll be here too to kick some flank."
[18:52:37] Red_Line nods "The hospital looks like are best bet."
[18:53:08] Mad_Modd boops Aria "Good idea! We hit the hospital fast and hard then come back here to set up a counter attack. It's fool proof! What could go wrong?"
[18:53:29] Skyshine grimaces. "Hopefully nothing..." she says, laying her ears back.
[18:54:14] Tiller levels a severe look at Mad_Modd. "Do you intend to invite even more disaster on us? You're already plenty good at doing it yourself, I daresay we won't need help from external forces."
[18:54:30] <Red_Line> "And I think we need more than my horn to fix all the bobo's."
[18:54:31] <%Somber> "He actually said it?" The corporal groaned, then shook his head and levitated over an old piece of paper. The map was definitely old, and was apparently made by the Ministry of Peace from the logo at the top.
[18:54:35] Mad_Modd smiles big "YUP!"
[18:54:58] Tiller groan quietly
[18:56:01] Skyshine pats Mad Modd. "I'm sure you just want to help. With... explosions?" She smiles.
[18:56:47] Mad_Modd deflates "I just want to help these ponies. I did kinda blow them up a little."
[18:57:02] Aria rolls her eyes. "Don't give him any ideas, Skyshine."
[18:57:30] Star_Chaser spends a few moments stretching with a frown. "Searching the hospital makes the most sense. I doubt we'll find anything useful there. Given all the destruction so far. But even so, there might be some supplies left in a lockbox somewhere. Or just some higher quality scrap to turn in."
[18:57:34] <%Somber> The town's main streets were laid out like a butterfly. Stretching north to Ghastly Gorge was the road that lead into town. Where it entered town was the school, in north central. On the north east was the fire station. And on the east central side of town was the library, where they were now. On the north west corner of town was the Shady Hollow's
[18:58:49] Skyshine glances over at the map. "Oh! Butterflies! I love butterflies! It's been AGES since I've seen one."
[18:59:25] <%Somber> Memorial Hospital. On the west central side was the police station. On the south eastern side was the Equestrian Community College. On the south west side was Barnyard Bargains. And in the south central side was a large building labelled "Ministry of Peace".
[18:59:51] <%Somber> In the middle, where the cardnial roads crossed, there was a park marked.
[18:59:53] Tiller peers at the map and wonders where West Egg is.
[19:00:05] <Mad_Modd> "I bet it has ridiculous security."
[19:01:05] <%Somber> There was a tiny radio antenna on the map at the community college.
[19:01:16] Star_Chaser tilts her head to one side. "Hm. There's a hospital -and- a Ministry of Peace headquarters here. This place must have been developed by them. Probably means a lot of valuable medical technology somewhere in this place."
[19:01:51] <Mad_Modd> "I needs more dakka before we can go in the Ministry hub."
[19:02:58] Skyshine tilts her head to the side in confusion. "What is... Dakka?"
[19:03:04] Red_Line shrugs "There my be so clean water at the hospital as well, as I don't think poopy pony gets in there."
[19:03:58] <%Somber> "It's the ministry of peace. How heavily armed could it be?" White Chapel said with a roll of his eyes. "I heard the biggest problem for folks was getting inside, as it's locked up tight and magically shielded too.
[19:04:13] Tiller "I bet that we could call for help from that radio studio at the college. From the NCR."
[19:04:31] Skyshine looks at Aria, then her cutie mark. "I bet Aria could get us in."
[19:04:33] Mad_Modd eye twitches "You don't know what...... dakka is!? Dakka is ALL! Dakka is EXPLOSIONS!? EXPLOSIONS!? And gunfire! But mostly EXPLOSIONS!!"
[19:05:19] Aria catches Skyshine looking at her butt and smiles nervously. I guess... I know a bit about magic."
[19:05:28] Tiller goes on, "I bet that's where Helter and Skelter are broadcasting their pirate radio from too."
[19:05:57] <Mad_Modd> "YARR!? There be pirate radio!?"
[19:06:54] Red_Line looks at Mad_Modd and think he be ten of a dozen
[19:06:55] Tiller is blankfaced. "Yes. We were listening to it just fifteen minutes ago, remember?"
[19:07:16] Tiller looks at Mad_Modd like he's a couple chicken fingers short of a picnic.
[19:07:30] Aria facehoofs. "It means illegal or unsactioned, Mad_Modd."
[19:07:55] Mad_Modd flails! "That was pirate radio!? We should take there ship!"
[19:07:57] <%Somber> "I don't know about a pirate radio," White Chapel said, looking at Mad uneasily. "I know there's a radio at the hospital and the college though. I was actually hoping that somepony might reach Junction or Tenpony and call for help, but nopony we've sent has come back.
[19:11:02] Skyshine looks up at Aria, then turns bright purple with embarrassment. "Um... so yeah... going... things... places..." She trots outside awkwardly
[19:11:17] Star_Chaser groans a little, sighing quietly. "I don't know about calling for help. The PipBuck wasn't picking up any broadcasts from DJ Pon3, after all. And the broadcasts for that reach just about everywhere. Probably something in these woods that keeps the broadcasts from getting out, otherwise these two DJs would probably have warned ponies away, or called for help themselves."
[19:11:54] Mad_Modd suddenly stops "I just had a brilliant idea."
[19:12:00] <%Somber> "Unless they're crazy too. I mean, playing music in times like this?" He shook his head.
[19:12:04] <Red_Line> "Or their part of the problem."
[19:12:10] Tiller shakes his head. "That might be the case Star, but we can't know that until we find out for ourselves. And any chance is better than no chance at all."
[19:13:06] <Mad_Modd> "We take over one of the radio stations. Then I'll hot wire it to reach outside this place!"
[19:13:11] Star_Chaser nods her head, wiggling her rear leg one side then the other to make sure whatever bullet wounds she'd taken wouldn't interfere any worse. "It's time to go then. Find out what makes this town tick..."
[19:13:14] <%Somber> "Anyway, you're better off than we are. Hopefully you have less of the crazy too. The sooner we get out of here, the better." He suddenly turned and looked over his shoulder sharply, but then frowned and stared at a shot up corner of the library.
[19:14:07] Tiller "Uh?"
[19:15:15] Aria grimaces. "I guess we should get going then. To the hospital then."
[19:15:35] Mad_Modd deflates again and leaves
[19:15:55] Red_Line nods at the corporal "So the sooner we get to back, the better."
[19:17:08] Skyshine waits quietly outside for the party, scuffing her hoof on the ground.
[19:17:44] Star_Chaser nods her head, turning to head out.
[19:18:14] Aria heads outside to meet Skyshine. "So... You like what you saw?" she says, throwing a hoof over the pegasus' shoulder and giving her a playful smile.
[19:19:05] Skyshine opens her mouth and squeaks at Aria's reply. "I... er... um... I..." She smiles and looks down at the ground. "Yes." She whispers.
[19:19:20] Mad_Modd gives Skyshine another brick "I think this one will be needed much sooner than the zebra one."
[19:21:12] Aria blinks, a little surprised, before giving a nervous grin. "Heh... I was just joking, but, I mean, I like you and you, um, I guess seem to like me kind of sooooo..."
[19:22:09] <%Somber> The friends went into town. It was surprising how the buildings were completely intact. The glass was still mostly in the windows. They passed boutiques with pre-war clothes still sitting on racks... appliance stores with old devices still sitting ready to be bought. It was odd how much stuff was left lying about, yet they couldn't find a single scrap of
[19:22:39] Mad_Modd wants to loot the shops!
[19:23:05] <Tiller> Tiller is not with the group. He's sneaking across town concurrently with the group, trying to stay in the shadows and generally out of sight.
[19:23:32] <%Somber> food nor bottle of water anywhere. Maybe it'd all been looted and eaten the last few days. It was clear there was a cornacopia of goods here... probably more than even in some cities like Manehattan.
[19:23:51] Skyshine trots quietly next to Aria, standing a bit closer than she had before. She looks in at the shops, looking over the pretty pre war clothes.
[19:25:01] Aria notices Skyshine looking at the clothes and joins her, looking for something in purple, her favorite color, and something that might complement Skyshine's bluish coat.
[19:27:32] Tiller starts searching through the clothing for garments sized for adolescent fillies. "Maybe there's something here Sweet Breeze can wear..."
[19:27:36] Star_Chaser furrows her brow and frowns. "I think our 'esteemed employer' may have raided this town ahead of time. Or possibly that someone else has been living here before he got here..."
[19:29:08] <%Somber> Dust poofs off the clothes as they're searched, but oddly they seem quite intact.
[19:29:36] Skyshine looks over at Star Chaser. "You think they'd do that? Why? Why go through the effort of putting everythign in vending machines?" she sneezes at the dust.
[19:30:46] Mad_Modd pries himself away from the washing machine "Later..... And I bet those cloths are contaminated with that purple crap. Take a big sniff now and join me in madness."
[19:32:24] Aria looks around in a panic. "What was that? Who's there? How do they know my name?"
[19:33:00] Skyshine whirls around. "Ok, um... who just... I... um... oh dear..." She says, turning bright red
[19:33:04] Red_Line looks at the silly ponies
[19:33:05] <Mad_Modd> "Yup. This is gunna be interesting...."
[19:33:33] Star_Chaser frowns, glancing around at the clothes. "Control. Everything here belongs to him. You want to eat? You work. You want to protect yourself? You work. You want to heal a wound? You work." She snorts. "Even the crazy ponies, the ones who have lost it completely, have to keep giving him what he wants or they die. Bastard has the entire town by a noose and is using it to line
[19:33:33] Star_Chaser his own pockets." She groans and face-hoofs. "And two of our friends are going crazy again..."
[19:33:34] Mad_Modd sits and waits to see it anypony gets violent
[19:34:54] Aria looks around, her ears twitching. "Someponies need my help!" she cries before rushing towards the back room.
[19:35:34] Skyshine looks around wide eyed at the party. "So... did she just... um..." She points to where Aria was before blushing furiously. Apparently her blushing turns her to a lovely shade of cobalt.
[19:36:57] Star_Chaser groans. "She breathed in whatever came off the clothes. More of that hallucinogenic gas I think." She trotted after Aria, not quite in such a hurry. So far there wasn't anything directly dangerous in the building, after all.
[19:37:03] Mad_Modd gets up and trots up to Skyshine "Describe everything you're seeing. Star_Chaser could you follow Aria?"
[19:38:22] Red_Line flops down as things feel like home
[19:38:28] Aria stops, looking down at the ground in terror. "They're back. The Steel Rangers are back... I'm coming, mom!"
[19:38:56] Tiller has been talking, then mumbling, then suddenly he yells: "NO!" and collapses.
[19:39:01] <%Somber> Aria was in the back room, standing before stairs leading down.
[19:39:35] Star_Chaser frowns and moves after Aria as quick as she can. "Aria! It's not real! You're having a hallucination!"
[19:39:42] Tiller is hyperventilating
[19:40:44] Aria starts to descend the stairs, but is stopped by Star_Chaser. "No! Let me go! I can save her! I can stop them! Let me save her!"
[19:41:21] Skyshine feels her ears turn red, her breath strangely heavy, then she stops, and trots out of the store. She sits down and starts crying. "I'm more than that..." She whispers... "I'm... I..."
[19:41:54] Star_Chaser attempts to prevent Aria from going down the stairs. "No. You can't. It's not real. We're still in the town near Everfree. You've been affected by hallucinogenic gas. I don't want to have to hurt you, or have you hurt yourself."
[19:42:05] Mad_Modd turns to Skyshine "One moment." and goes to drag Tiller over to her. So he could keep a closer eye on them both "Tiller you'll be fine. Just relax." taking there weapons away just to be safe
[19:42:31] Tiller shudders, his eyes unfocused and darting wildly.
[19:42:42] Aria blinks as the real world returns into focus. "What? Where did Stable Two go?"
[19:43:02] Skyshine whimpers. "Please stop. Please... I... uhn... why are you doing this? I'm.... I'm not just...uh...uh... a piece of tail to you, am I?"
[19:43:08] Red_Line gets up and trots to Skyshine putting a hoof around her neck "There there."
[19:43:54] Mad_Modd goes to get Skyshine in stead "Come on Skyshine. I don't think of you like that. Now help me with Tiller."
[19:44:43] Red_Line helps Mad_Modd with Skyshine
[19:45:07] Star_Chaser shakes her head. "You weren't in Stable Two. You were here. With us. Whatever that purple gas stuff is must have been all over the clothes. Made you hallucinate."
[19:45:21] Skyshine looks up at Red Line. "You'll protect me, right? I mean... really protect me?" She asks, running a hoof up his chest. "Right?~"
[19:46:24] Red_Line sighs "Yes if I can."
[19:46:43] Mad_Modd groans "Oh great. We have Heatshine now." still pushing her along "And what am I? Chopped liver?"
[19:46:56] <Red_Line> "Now come along will you."
[19:46:58] Aria blinks again before her eyes go wide. "That stuff got on Skyshine again," she says before rushing back into the main room. She sees the pegasus rubbing Red_Line's chest and her heart sinks. "Skyshine?"
[19:47:02] Tiller is breathing calmly now.
[19:47:24] Skyshine leans forward, pressing herself against Red Line. "So should repay you? I mean... it always seems like everypony wants under my tail..."
[19:47:53] Tiller "Urgh... What happened...? My head is pounding... My, my daughter...? My daughter was... No, of course she's not here. She's back in town..."
[19:48:20] Mad_Modd stops and blink blinks "We should just tie her up and carry her with us till she's over it."
[19:48:48] Tiller blinks. "What... What happened? I was looking through the clothes for my daughter, and then-then-then... uh, a nightmare...?"
[19:48:50] <Red_Line> "No no not now, we.... ah should go and see if we can help are frinds."
[19:49:58] Star_Chaser groans a little as Aria rushes off, following after a few moments later. "This is getting bad. We need to find gas masks, or something. Something to keep this from being such an issue any more..."
[19:50:18] Skyshine backs off and looks sad. "Oh... right... nopony wants you, Skyshine. Until they do. Then they want you to go away. I'm more than just a pretty face, Luna dammit!" She says, backing away from Red Line and bursting into tears. Again.
[19:51:22] Mad_Modd sighs, trotting up to Skyshine and giving her a big hug. Just holding her tightly till she stop crying.
[19:51:24] Aria rushes over to Skyshine and stopping. "Skyshine... I think you're more than that."
[19:51:48] Red_Line shakes his head "No one here is looking to do that to you."
[19:53:04] Star_Chaser snorts a little, muttering under her breath. "I think you're a pretty good pegasus. Civilian or not." SHe heads towards the door to check up and down the street briefly.
[19:53:39] <Red_Line> "Your more than a pretty flank, your ........ ahhhh..."
[19:53:44] Red_Line shrugs
[19:54:52] Star_Chaser ducks her head back inside and closes the door. "Doesn't look like there's anyone out there. We might have a few minutes for people to pull themselves together before we need to move again."
[19:55:58] Skyshine lets out a noise as Mad Modd hugs her. It's a strange, sad sound: a moan of pleasure mixed with the sobs of a broken heart. Her breathing spikes then slows as she whimpers... "No... I'm useless... just a piece of tail... No one cares, not really." She says, crying.
[19:56:40] Mad_Modd holds her tightly "No, from what I've seen of you, you are a wonderful pony. Now please stop crying."
[19:57:12] Star_Chaser peers back at the door and shakes her head. "There's something unnatural about this fog. Even without pegasus intervention this stuff shouldn't be hanging around this hard so late in the day." SHe snorts in annoyance. "This whole place feels unnatural."
[19:57:15] <Red_Line> "Stop that we care and your more than piece of tail."
[19:57:21] Aria adds herself to the group hug. "Yeah... We're here for you."
[19:58:03] Skyshine sniffles and stops crying. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me." She says, not quite looking Aria in the eye.
[19:58:06] Tiller has finally dried his eyes. "I really think we ought to get going."
[19:58:48] Mad_Modd "You sure Skyshine?"
[19:59:00] <Mad_Modd> (redact)
[19:59:27] Mad_Modd gives her a concerned look "Are you going to be alright now?"
[19:59:30] Aria tilts her head to try to look Skyshine in the eyes. "You don't have to apologize."
[20:00:40] Skyshine shrinks back a bit and nods. "Um... we should probably be going."
[20:01:17] Red_Line gose to the door "So thats it, lets go."
[20:02:09] Mad_Modd lets go "Alright new rule. Don't touch anything cloth! It's probably all contaminated."
[20:03:20] Red_Line nods "Don't touch anything sounds better."
[20:03:44] <Mad_Modd> "Still need bitz."
[20:03:59] Tiller sighs. Before he was overcome with hallucinations, he'd found what seemed like the perfect sky blue petticoat...
[20:04:10] Skyshine wipes her eyes. "Right. No touchie. Good rule." She says, looking slightly warily around at the party, and maybe just a bit ashamed.
[20:04:12] Tiller "Let's just... just go."
[20:04:33] Star_Chaser nods her head. "Let's get going. If we have a chance, look for gas masks of other filtration systems."
[20:04:51] <Mad_Modd> "I doubt the powers that be will be that kind."
[20:05:15] <%Somber> As they leave the shops and move down the street, they hear the sounds of soothing music. A few scavengers sit in the middle of the street with bored looks. Most don't even look at the seven. The calm, soothing music plays from flaking speakers as they approach the park in the middle of town. It was a large, circular affair, so they could go around it if
[20:05:21] <Red_Line> "Or just hold your breath."
[20:05:24] <%Somber> they didn't want to enter the park proper.
[20:05:25] Aria moves up next to Skyshine and gently nuzzles her. "I'm sorry you were scared."
[20:06:49] Mad_Modd looks into the park, trying to see if there was anything dangerous "this is either good and /very/ bad"
[20:07:09] Skyshine shudders slightly at the nuzzle. She takes a step to the side. "It's-it's fine. I'll talk to you about it later."
[20:08:15] Aria opens her mouth to say something, stops for a moment, before nodding and saying, "Okay."
[20:09:53] Red_Line follows Mad_Modd in the search
[20:10:50] Mad_Modd shrugs and trits a little ways into the park "Fuck it."
[20:11:17] Tiller is definitely interested in loot. He goes into the park with Mad_Modd and begins the search.
[20:11:53] Star_Chaser sighs quietly, shaking her head. "Does he consider anything at all before he acts?" She follows along none the less.
[20:12:07] Skyshine stops to look back at Aria. She stretches a wing out slightly to touch the other mare, then stops, trotting after the others.
[20:12:30] Mad_Modd stops to ponder for a moment "eeNope." and continues on
[20:12:33] <%Somber> The park was surprisingly green and grassy. Indolent ponies sat around. In the middle was a large statue of a pegasus... fluttershy who seemed to be holding something... a pony... a stallion. Barbed wire was tying him to the bronze statue in a grotesque embrace. "Shady Hollows: Helping ponies get better." read a plaque below the dangling stallion.
[20:12:41] Aria smiles slightly before following Skyshine, taking her own quick glance at the pegasus' flanks.
[20:13:17] Tiller is visibly disgusted by the statue.
[20:13:23] Red_Line looks to see if the stallion is ok
[20:14:46] Mad_Modd cringes "Lovely."
[20:14:55] Skyshine looks over the statue. "I don't think I'll ever undestand modern art." She says in an aside to Mad Modd.
[20:15:44] Aria steps next to Skyshine, looking up at the statue. "Wouldn't this be considered classical? It is two hundred years old, after all."
[20:16:34] Tiller "Nah, 'modern' and 'classical' describe styles, not era."
[20:16:47] <%Somber> The dangling stallion wasn't metal... but it wasn't clear if he was alive or not either. Somepony would have to cut him down.
[20:16:53] Red_Line looks to the rest "Can some one help me with him?"
[20:17:20] Skyshine eyes go wide. "Wait... wait... that... he isn't?" She looks ill.
[20:17:47] <Aria> "Sweet Celestia on a cracker!"
[20:18:32] Aria then quickly shakes her head. "Right, I'll help," she says before trying to gently levitate the stallion down.
[20:18:43] <Red_Line> "Fuck I have no way to cut him down."
[20:19:07] Star_Chaser frowns. "Someone's more than a little crazy here." She furrows her brows. "Helping ponies get better, huh? Would that be before or after you drive them mad?"
[20:19:16] <%Somber> It would take some wire cutter at least to seperate him from the statue. Worse, as they tug, he lets out a groan."
[20:19:30] Mad_Modd simply keeps watch "I have a bad feeling about this." getting his grenade rifle out
[20:19:49] Aria grunts. "Somepony try to cut the wire. I can't cut and lift at the same time."
[20:20:15] Skyshine risks fluttering up to the stallion. "Don't try to move." She says, putting a hoof on him. "We're here to help."
[20:20:34] Star_Chaser frowns and shakes her head. "I don't have anything that could cut wires. DOn't think firing bullets at it will help much. Anyone have a knife?"
[20:20:56] Red_Line try's to climp up on the statue and look for a way to get him down
[20:21:09] <Aria> "Did anypony pick up the crazy pony's switchblade?"
[20:22:11] Red_Line looks at Aria "A fucking swithblade an't going to cut this shit!"
[20:23:02] Skyshine puts her muzzle into her saddlebags and pulls out a pair of wirecutters. "Please hold him, Aria." She orders around the cutters, gently snipping the wires.
[20:23:49] Tiller watches passively. /Maybe he would even be grateful enough to pay us for getting him down!/ he thinks, idly.
[20:24:20] Red_Line mumbels under his breath "Fucking stable ponies don't now shit."
[20:26:10] Red_Line shakes his head "I don't know...... I just don't know?"
[20:28:09] Skyshine snips the wires connecting the pony to the statue. "Ok, Aria. It should be safe to set him down now."
[20:28:10] <%Somber> The wires are snipped away and he starts to fall free. Then folks get a good look at his face. This stallion is Scrapyard. Somepony busted out half his teeth and drove spikes into his eyes. He groans something, his mouth opening to show his tongue's been cut out as he gasps inarticulately.
[20:28:54] Aria smiles as the sweat starts to build on her forehead as she sets him down. "Great teamwork there, Skyshine," she tells her, giving the pegasus and smile and a wink.
[20:29:42] <%Somber> As he's pulled away, something between his body and the statue starts going BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
[20:29:55] Tiller runs away instinctively
[20:30:26] Red_Line jumps from the statue
[20:32:56] Skyshine hesitates, torn between trying to find the mines and getting away. She ultimately chooses to drop to the ground and bolt toward Aria.
[20:33:13] Star_Chaser goes wide eyed, backing away quick as she could manage from the beeping. No way was she going to be able to get it away fast enough.
[20:34:23] <%Somber> They jump and leap away as Scrapyard gives one last terrified, inarticulate scream of terror, then the mines against his belly explode in a spray of blood and meat as he's reduced to chunks no bigger than a hoof. Fortunately, the blast is mostly absorbed by him and Aria's shield.
[20:34:55] Star_Chaser goes wide-eyed then winces. "Fuck."
[20:36:15] Skyshine covers her head with her hooves as the explosion goes off and chunks of pony hit Aria's shield. "Why? Why would somepony do that?"
[20:36:15] Red_Line gets up and dusts him self off "Well I should ahve seen that come'n."
[20:36:16] <%Somber> A rain of pony salsa patters down around the statue, the kindly bronze features now ripped by shrapnel into a leer.
[20:36:27] Mad_Modd jumps "What the fuck!? You lot blew shit up without me!?" he's bright red for some reason...
[20:37:13] Tiller 's pupils shrink to dots. He moves unsteadily and swiftly for a park trashcan... doesn't make it.
[20:38:09] Star_Chaser glares at the fragmented remains. "Someone was even more angry with him than I was."
[20:38:52] Mad_Modd blinks "Was that buck what exploded?"
[20:39:18] <%Somber> Aria's pipbuck crackled and a stallion rasped, "Well now. Didn't expect anypony to actually try and save him. Then again... ya'll don't look like most of the folks that came here. Not yet anyway."
[20:40:18] Tiller is sprawled on the ground, threads of drool and vomit hanging from his muzzle.
[20:40:28] Aria raises her shield at the last possible moment to let Skyshine in and protect everyone. The force of the blasts rips through the pony and her shield, causing the blue orb to shatter and she stumbles to her knees. Shaking her head to get the stars to stop popping in her eyes, Aria stops, staring at her Pipbuck. "What in the hoof? Who the hoof is that?"
[20:42:27] <%Somber> "Well," he muttered. "Doesn't matter. Just surprising. When she strung him up, I'd have thought the other... well... doesn't matter. You'll end up like all the rest. I've seen it too many damned times to count."
[20:46:05] Mad_Modd stares up at the now bloody statue, seeing a faint reflection "We're being watched. Statue has cameras in it." glaring up at the lens
[20:46:30] Tiller is staring up at the statue from his slumped position. At the eyes.
[20:47:28] <%Somber> "Course. Yer always bein watched. Warned him bout that. Didn't listen. Idjit. Blinded by dreams of caps."
[20:48:19] Tiller sits up. "So... are you responsible for the robots exchanging scrap for chits...?"
[20:48:58] Star_Chaser blinks in surprise and frowns. "Observation of local ponies..? No flying..? Protection against teleportation? This place wasn't a town, it was a prison."
[20:48:59] Aria starts to get back up, her legs a bit wobbly after the explosion ripping her shield to shreads.
[20:49:59] Skyshine gets up and helps Aria to her hooves. "Thanks."
[20:50:29] <%Somber> "Clever girl. Most folks don't figure that out till too late," the stallion chuckles. "Then again, nopony expects Fluttershy to ever have a prison."
[20:50:36] <Aria> "I told you I wouldn't let anypony hurt you, and I mean it," Aria chuckles.
[20:51:20] Red_Line looks to the statue "So is that now modern art?"
[20:51:30] Mad_Modd groans "Prison? So this whole place was just some big M.o.P. prison?"
[20:51:46] Tiller "I... whuh? What do you mean, 'Fluttershy'? And if this is a prison... where's the warden's office?"
[20:51:59] Skyshine pales. "I don't think this was a prison... it wasn't intended to be. I think it's more like an asylum."
[20:52:10] <Mad_Modd> "I'm guessing the hub."
[20:52:21] <%Somber> "Oh, whether it was intended as such, who knows. But that's what it's been turned into. Tried to warn them all." The Stallion pauses. "Maybe there is more to you lot."
[20:52:37] <Mad_Modd> "And whatever stops flying and teliportation is part of the prison."
[20:53:21] Star_Chaser furrows her brow and contemplates a little. "An asylum might make sense. Something for treating the mentally damaged. Or those suffering Wartime Stress Disorder, I suppose." She sighs quietly. "Doesn't change anything now. Whatever this place was made to be, getting out is going to be challenging."
[20:53:29] Tiller "But... why the crazy gas? If this is an asylum, what reason would you need to make the occupants crazier...?"
[20:53:43] Aria growls at the statue. "You're making a mocking of Fluttershy. She'd be heartbroken if she heard what you're doing here."
[20:55:03] Red_Line looks at Aria hard "You mean the bicth that killed the world!"
[20:55:21] Red_Line mumbels under his breath "Fucking stable ponies don't now shit."
[20:56:05] <Red_Line> know*
[20:56:34] Skyshine glares at Red Line. "At least she tried. And if this is an asylum, it may not have always been like that. This... the weird stuff may have been some sort of psychopharmaceutical."
[20:56:51] Aria growls back. "She made a mistake! She thought better of ponies and zebra than they actually were! She paid the price! She had to watch all this for years as a freaking tree in Everfree!"
[20:57:39] Red_Line rolls his eyes
[20:58:42] Star_Chaser groans and rubs her face with a forehoof. "not really the time for this argument..."
[20:58:47] <Red_Line> "And I have seen enough of her mistakes."
[20:58:55] Mad_Modd twitches "Asylum....... I will get out! I got out of the last one! I'll get out of this one! I have EXPLOSIONS this time! You can't stop me! MWUAHAHAHAHA!" he seems more scared than angry by the end of his little rant
[20:59:43] Tiller shakes his head slowly. "I don't get it. I just don't."
[20:59:45] Skyshine looks over at Mad_Modd and puts a wing over his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find a way out. I hope we all will."
[21:00:15] <%Somber> "I don't know what the ultimate goal of this place was. Just knew it was bad. Place like this... too good to be true. Too wrong. This place eats ponies. Griffons. Dragons." The stallion coughs. "So, what's your plan? Wait to go nuts? Looks like two of you are on your way towards that."
[21:00:45] Tiller "So... what's your stake?
[21:01:06] Tiller "Why are you here? Why are you talking to us? Why do you even give a fuck? All the other ponies around here sure don't."
[21:02:09] <%Somber> "Me? That's my business. Just thought it strange anypony would help that bastard. Thought it was worth cracking this PB's FIRA. Old times."
[21:02:09] Aria stares up at the statue, practically glaring. "We're going to find a way out of here. That's a promise!"
[21:03:24] Star_Chaser frowns, then just shakes her head. "Too many problems to fix at once. One step at a time."
[21:03:25] Mad_Modd twitches, standing on his hind legs. He drops trow (or armour?) and yells "PUDDING!!" before scampering off with his pants (Armour?) around his ankles
[21:03:33] <%Somber> "Hope you do. Tell folks to stay hell and away from this place."
[21:04:17] Tiller "Gah, he's nuts. Just different nuts than the other ones around here. Nuts as we're going to be if we don't get the hell out of town."
[21:04:59] Aria thankfully does not see Mad Modd's display as she keeps glaring at the statue.
[21:05:16] Skyshine watches Mad Modd run. "I think I like him. He's funny."
[21:05:23] Red_Line nods in agreement with Star_Chaser "On to the hospital it looks."
[21:06:30] Aria growls as she sees Modd running off. "He's a real pendulum."
[21:06:36] Mad_Modd steps out from behind Red_Line "I'm ok."
[21:06:54] Tiller narrows his eyes. "That hacker... he's got fuckin' skills. I didn't even think it was possible, but he actually hacked your Pipbuck with a radio signal. Remotely."
[21:07:16] Aria blinks. "That's possible?"
[21:07:39] Red_Line pats Mad_Modd head
[21:07:52] <%Somber> "Not hard. I'd suggest pushing through the woods and make for that ruined Cathedral settlement. Timberwolves might eat you, but at least you'll die sane."
[21:08:23] Tiller "It sure as fuck seems to be, Aria. I thought that shit was hardcoded, but I guess there's a way in. Give me a week with his equipment and enough truth drugs to dissolve his brain and I might figure out how to do it myself, but... Wow. He's really good."
[21:08:25] Skyshine frowns. "Timberwolves are still around down here?"
[21:09:07] <%Somber> "Course. Bombs and spells just made em more... interestin."
[21:09:45] <Red_Line> "So nope on the woods."
[21:09:57] Mad_Modd groans "Of coarse it wouldn't be a Somber game if they weren't 'interesting'."
[21:10:33] Star_Chaser sighs quietly and shakes her head, moving on towards the hospital.
[21:11:17] Skyshine follows after Star Chaser. "How did ponies survive down here? Maybe I should have just stayed in the clouds. But I wanted to help! And, er... have fun..."
[21:11:42] Red_Line trots on with the others
[21:11:45] Star_Chaser pats Skyshine with a wing. "A noble intention. Better than a lot of pegasi I've met."
[21:11:57] Tiller "I got a question for you, Mr. Hacker pony. How the hell did you learn to hack so damn good?"
[21:12:10] Mad_Modd points at the statue menacingly "Who dose number two work for!?"
[21:12:13] Aria puts a foreleg around Skyshine. "And we're glad you came..." She pauses before adding in a hushed tone. "I'm glad you came."
[21:13:07] <%Somber> "Skills acquired in another life. Ask your friend there if you really want to know."
[21:13:19] <%Somber> "You know who he works for."
[21:14:17] Mad_Modd nods "Dr. Evil." and trots out of the park
[21:14:35] Skyshine nods at the hoof around her, looking torn between wanting to pull away and wanting to nuzzle. "I'm glad."
[21:15:12] Tiller is visibly repulsed.
[21:16:14] Tiller shakes his head. "This guy, he makes no damn sense..."
[21:18:35] Skyshine smiles at Star Chaser. "Did you come down here on orders?" She asks.
[21:19:11] Red_Line moves closer to Skyshine "Do you have an idea what that ass hat is talking about?"
[21:20:29] Skyshine shrugs. "The guy in the column? I don't know. Tiller? Even less so."
[21:20:43] Star_Chaser laughs at that, then snorts. "More like to get away from orders. You ever been told you should shoot an innocent pony, someone you knew you were only shooting at because someone higher on the command chain wanted them to shut up?" SHe looks to Skyshine. "When the clouds broke and we lost the SPP, things went badly. Riots in the cities, Enclave command probably thought it
[21:20:43] Star_Chaser was a full-scale revolution. Ordered us to start shooting civilians who were protesting." She scowls. "Bastards spent two centuries lieing to us, then had the gall to tell us to kill those who were unhappy."
[21:20:45] Tiller pouts at Skyshine
[21:23:20] Red_Line rolls his eyes "No the one on the... radio."
[21:23:38] Skyshine lays her ears back. "I... I didn't realise. Neighvarro was in such chaos after the attack..." She smiles slightly to Tiller. "Sorry Tiller. Mechanical bits I understand. Spell matricies are a bit above my pay grade."
[21:24:10] Tiller rolls his eyes. "Pff, whatever."