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Session 4

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Jul 12th, 2016
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  1. == Session #4 ==
  2. (7:01:01 PM) ApricotCordial: The group, guided by Nessa's Pip-Buck, were approaching the limits of Whinnyapolis's blasted, seemingly deserted suburbs.
  3. (7:02:00 PM) ***Arcadia hums her little jaunty tune, hooves clip-clopping in time with it.
  4. (7:03:34 PM) ***Nessa walks a fair distance from her PNEUMATIC DEATHBOT, Red Alert, so she isn't distracted by the sound of robot walking.
  5. (7:04:02 PM) ApricotCordial: The Robot clomps along steadily
  6. (7:08:08 PM) ***Nessa leads the group along in silence, watching her HUD compass and its markers...
  7. (7:09:18 PM) ***Arcadia glances towards the robot. "This thing is very loud... How will we keep hidden with it clunking around? "
  8. (7:10:08 PM) Nessa: "Diversionary tactics," Nessa says.
  9. (7:10:48 PM) Shimmer: "Well...I might...be able to find a way to hide myself at least..."
  10. (7:12:00 PM) ApricotCordial: It looks like the silent mares are being pointed up another decaying on-ramp up onto a new highway! The path ahead looks fairly clear as they head further north. Fairly soon the ruined neighborhoods drop behind them, tangled undergrowth and twisted pines rise up on either side of the highway. The carriageway seems to have been swept bare of abandoned vehicles.
  11. (7:12:31 PM) Arcadia: "Diversionary... How does that help when they can hear us coming a mile away?"
  12. (7:14:14 PM) ApricotCordial: Off to the right Nessa can see the gradient shaded line of a river, though the entire group can smell it from the road as they trot along. Every so often they pass by a group of ponies headed the other direction; most of them are pulling carts or wagons along. None pay them any attention.
  13. (7:14:56 PM) ApricotCordial: Periodically, roads branch off towards the great, sluggish, and low Maressissippi.
  14. (7:15:16 PM) Nessa: "Assailants go for the noisy robot, we outflank them. Or run, if they significantly outnumber us, though that would be a shame," Nessa says.
  15. (7:15:54 PM) Nessa: "Between Red Alert and my EFS, we should have /some/ advanced warning."
  16. (7:17:13 PM) ***Nessa observes the scenery as they pass through...
  17. (7:17:16 PM) ***Shimmer follows somewhat closely. She is doing her best to look the least threatening should someone see the party walking along.
  18. (7:19:54 PM) ***Arcadia can't help but look ridiculous, with her current getup and all... But she's arguably still the most intimidating of the three actual ponies there, simply because of her size.
  19. (7:21:23 PM) ApricotCordial: The merchant ponies seem to be studiously ignoring them, for whatever reason. As long as the trio stay out of their ways then they pass all the parties unmolested.
  20. (7:25:14 PM) ***Arcadia slowly leans her head down to whisper to Nessa. "Do you think our outfit is making them ignore us?"
  21. (7:25:39 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer and Arcadia slowly become aware that there's movement in the pine scrub forests along the road. Rather then being empty, as they supposed, there's at least a dozen equine forms moving in the brush.... Most seem to be armed in some fashion, bows, junkie looking rifles, and painted up in the fashion of the southern plains' buffalo.
  22. (7:25:42 PM) Nessa: "No. They just have places to be," Nessa says.
  23. (7:26:32 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer sees nothing other then a few traders she recognizes passing in the brahmin-cart convoys.
  24. (7:27:09 PM) ***Shimmer waves to the ones she recognizes. She seemed happy to see them.
  25. (7:27:12 PM) ***Nessa gives Arcadia a concerned look.
  26. (7:28:09 PM) ***Arcadia furrows her brow and lets out a low hum. "Everypony, stop. "
  27. (7:29:07 PM) ***Nessa stops walking and motions for Red Alert to do the same.
  28. (7:29:23 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer gets a few surprised waves back! No pony has any time to stop it seems, as a few shout out that they're on their way with the last of the fall harvest before the snow starts to fall!
  29. (7:29:32 PM) ApricotCordial: The Robot chirps and comes to a halt.
  30. (7:30:06 PM) ***Shimmer almost fails to stop and runs into robo rump before looking around
  31. (7:30:31 PM) ApricotCordial: Red Alert doesn't even move when Shimmer smacks into her.
  32. (7:32:03 PM) ***Arcadia shifts the chains on her pack slightly with her magic, frowning at the bushes. With another flash of light from her horn, she readies a spell. "We know you are there, ponies. Come out now, or we will be forced to act." Her eyes grow hard as she speaks, and even her voice becomes more cold... The voice of a calculated killer.
  33. (7:32:45 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadai starts to lose track of the figures even as she stares, though Nessa can still see them fairly well despite their camouflage. Most of the party seems to be continuing along parallel to the road but a few have stopped across from them.
  34. (7:32:52 PM) ApricotCordial: *Arcadia
  35. (7:33:26 PM) ***Nessa sighs as Arcadia starts barking ultimatums...
  36. (7:34:57 PM) ***Nessa assumes a slightly defensive posture as she waits to see the forest ponies' reaction...
  37. (7:38:06 PM) ApricotCordial: None of them move.
  38. (7:38:51 PM) ApricotCordial: For a moment, they stare back across at the towering alicorn.... Then swiftly vanish from sight.
  39. (7:39:29 PM) ***Arcadia sighs, rubbing a hoof against her temple. "We overdid it, didn't we...?"
  40. (7:39:45 PM) Nessa: "That was unnecessary, yes," Nessa says.
  41. (7:40:08 PM) Shimmer: "uhh....did I miss something?"
  42. (7:40:25 PM) Nessa: "I'm sure they would've acted before we noticed them if they'd intended us harm," Nessa says.
  43. (7:41:07 PM) Nessa: "There were some well-armed ponies running through the undergrowth," Nessa says to Shimmer, motioning towards the treeline.
  44. (7:41:38 PM) Shimmer: "oh..." Shimmer frowns. "Well...uhh I really hope that they don't follow us..."
  45. (7:41:42 PM) ApricotCordial: The trees and shrubbery are still now, limbs bouncing in the breeze.
  46. (7:41:47 PM) Arcadia: "We are sorry..." She mumbles, scuffing her right fore onto the cracked pavement. "We don't like ponies sneaking by us..."
  47. (7:42:41 PM) Shimmer: "Thats okay..."
  48. (7:44:03 PM) Nessa: "We're virtually anonymous," Nessa says. "The world cares very little for three strange mares and a robot walking down a lonely road in the hinterlands of Minneighsota."
  49. (7:44:41 PM) Nessa: "Not unless we do something, or we're worth something... which we haven't, and which we're really not."
  50. (7:44:45 PM) Shimmer: "Well...the robot..."
  51. (7:44:54 PM) Nessa: "Isn't even armed," Nessa says.
  52. (7:45:06 PM) Nessa: "Well, that's not strictly true. She can step on things."
  53. (7:45:07 PM) Arcadia: "That sounded like a bad soap opera plot..."
  54. (7:45:23 PM) Shimmer: "Exactly...and robots are valuable..."
  55. (7:45:26 PM) ***Nessa starts walking again.
  56. (7:45:44 PM) Nessa: "You can't eat them, and buyers are few," Nessa says to Shimmer.
  57. (7:46:12 PM) Shimmer: "fortunately...Arcadia...is frightening enough to keep would be thieves away." Shimmer shakes her head. "You just don't know where to sell then"
  58. (7:47:03 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs. "I knew this one stallion back home who would eat old radios..." She mumbles to herself, before blinking at the... compliment? "Uhm... thank you, we think?"
  59. (7:47:14 PM) ***Nessa gives Shimmer one sharp, derisive laugh at that.
  60. (7:49:01 PM) ApricotCordial: As the sun arcs across the sky, the criss-cross grid of streets and neighborhoods begin to reappear on Nessa's map. It's hard to tell through the heavy brush but they seem to be entering another ruined city, though one unaffected by the overpressure of a near-miss from a balefire bomb.
  61. (7:50:38 PM) ***Nessa observes as she does her best to lead her companions along the best path.
  62. (7:51:06 PM) ***Arcadia begins to hum again, looking around in the fading light, while letting her horn glow with a soft, warm light.
  63. (7:52:27 PM) ApricotCordial: Eventually she gets a 'ping' as "ST CLOUD" appears on her map. The directional arrow swings them off the main road they've been following as it curves off to the west.... Pointing them instead down into the crumbling remains of the city itself.
  64. (7:53:07 PM) ***Shimmer hums along to Arcadia's tune as she tenses a bit.
  65. (7:54:13 PM) ***Nessa hms.
  66. (7:54:13 PM) ApricotCordial: As the overhead view of the city resolves itself, Nessa can see the tick-marked line of railroad tracks in a bundle beside the river. Ahead is much the same as her companions can see. Suburban homes and small-city business blocks crumbling down into the street. There seems to be no sign of habitation.
  67. (7:58:34 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer remembers that there used to be a few decent sized settlements formed from old-town gangs in St. Cloud, but that the last few hard winters and a bad harvest have all but wiped them out. The survivors have dispersed, though a few turned back to raiding.
  68. (7:58:58 PM) Arcadia: "It is eerily quiet around here..."
  69. (7:59:06 PM) ***Shimmer explains this as they walk to break the quiet
  70. (8:01:43 PM) Nessa: "Mm. Starvation and the elements are a pony's most insidious enemies," Nessa remarks.
  71. (8:02:03 PM) ApricotCordial: If the group decides to follow Nessa's Pip-Buck, they descend into a heavily shadowed street where frost and flakes of snow edge the shadows of the looming buildings.
  72. (8:04:12 PM) ***Nessa checks the local-level automapping periodically.
  73. (8:05:21 PM) ***Nessa ... and follows the directions of her TECHNOLOGY.
  74. (8:05:38 PM) ApricotCordial: They don't have much to show other then damaged buildings.
  75. (8:05:45 PM) ***Arcadia shivers slightly, and her stomach releases a great growl from deep within. "Speaking of food... Remind us to eat when we stop. "
  76. (8:06:06 PM) ApricotCordial: Ahead though, as they trudge through the city, is a scrap and rubble barricade drawn across their path.
  77. (8:06:25 PM) ***Nessa raises an eyebrow as she catches sight of it.
  78. (8:07:31 PM) Shimmer: "I'll make sure to remind everypony to eat."
  79. (8:09:03 PM) Nessa: "Think we could just walk right up to that?" Nessa asks the others, pointing to the barricade.
  80. (8:09:14 PM) ***Arcadia frowns a little. "Who builds a wall in the middle of the road?"
  81. (8:09:51 PM) Nessa: "Someone who gets something out of blocking the path," Nessa remarks.
  82. (8:10:10 PM) Nessa: "You want to fly over there and check it out?" she asks.
  83. (8:11:42 PM) Shimmer: "Let me...approach...I can do it invisibly..."
  84. (8:12:54 PM) Arcadia: "Can no one else... Wait... We're the only one with wings, right..." She frowns and adjusts her pack once more. "We'll be right back." She says, spreading her wings wide and bringing them down in a mighty downstroke
  85. (8:13:03 PM) Nessa: "Uh... that's probably a bit overkill," Nessa says to Shimmer.
  86. (8:13:17 PM) Nessa: "There's a solid chance it's just a ruin from one of these gangs that died out."
  87. (8:13:38 PM) ***Nessa squints her eyes as Arcadia takes off, long lashes keeping the dust from irritating her.
  88. (8:14:26 PM) Shimmer: "well...better safe then sorry right?"
  89. (8:15:20 PM) ***Nessa motions for Red Alert to approach the barricade from an opposite, but parallel vector as her.
  90. (8:16:35 PM) Nessa: vector from her.*
  91. (8:16:49 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa stays in the shadows in front of a burned out toy store. The rest of the group bore right in, including the clunking of Red Alert maneuvering over the tumbled masonry.
  92. (8:20:45 PM) ApricotCordial: No one gets very far before Shimmer and Arcadia are greated by a number of presented weapons! Arcadia finds the bulbous tip of an RPG levelled at her, and at least three or four rifles are pointed muzzle-first at the not-so-sneaky Unicorn. The wielders are dressed in a hidge-podge of oversized leather armor with a few bits of Army combat barding strapped on, and none appears to be older then twenty.
  93. (8:21:11 PM) Shimmer: "Eep!"
  94. (8:21:13 PM) ***Nessa narrows her eyes...
  95. (8:21:16 PM) ***Shimmer raises her hooves. "Don't shoot!"
  96. (8:21:22 PM) Nessa: "Shit," she mutters under her breath.
  97. (8:22:40 PM) ***Arcadia backpedals her wings, blinking towards the armed ponies. "So there /is/ life here! Huzzah!"
  98. (8:23:24 PM) ApricotCordial: "Then back the fuck up!" a young mare in a too-big combat helmet with what look like deer antlers taped to either side shouts, waving a leg at Arcadia, "And you /land/, monster."
  99. (8:24:02 PM) ***Nessa continues observing from her concealed position.
  100. (8:24:03 PM) ***Shimmer does so slowly backing away.
  101. (8:25:02 PM) ***Arcadia pouts, feigning a hurt expression as she slowly lands, clipping against the ground. "Now that's just hurtful... We are not a monster. Manticores are monsters, we are a pony."
  102. (8:25:49 PM) ApricotCordial: "You've got a horn /and/ wings," the filly curls back her lip in fairly obvious disgust, "That makes ya double a monster. But we're willin' to give you a chance to make good on yer mistake."
  103. (8:26:33 PM) ***Shimmer frowns. Lovely Earth pony racists. She looked for an opportunity to turn this to her favor but said nothing else.
  104. (8:27:26 PM) ***Arcadia snorts softly, plopping her rump onto the ground. "We are not a monster..."
  105. (8:28:32 PM) ApricotCordial: "Yeah, and who's got the rocket and guns pointed at you?" the filly asks, chest puffing out a little. She gestures at both of them, "We're gonna make you a deal though. You pay our tax, and we letcha go without blowin' any of your limbs off."
  106. (8:31:50 PM) ApricotCordial: Part of what keeps Nessa hidden is her able positioning, protecting her from fulls-sight by the ponies on the barricade but keeping her from getting a very good view on them. It'd be better to find a new position before shootinh.
  107. (8:31:52 PM) Shimmer: "umm...with...how close you are...wouldn't rockets hit you too?"
  108. (8:33:48 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer has an excellent view of the fighting position of their extorters; the rubble is pretty steep, it'd be hard for her to climb quickly and it looks like there's broken glass and razor wire stuck into it near the top. The metal at the top looks like it'd stop small arms rounds.
  109. (8:34:16 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia takes similar information away from her point of view. Unfortunately she didn't get a good view behind it before being shouted down.
  110. (8:35:09 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly scoffs, "Uh, no? So whatcha say? You hand over any chems an' bandages an' stuff you've got and you can go on through."
  111. (8:35:36 PM) ***Nessa moves while her companions engage their foes in distracting conversation, trying to get to a better vantage-point as she draws her laspistol...
  112. (8:35:51 PM) ***Arcadia raises a hoof. "Also, if I'm a monster, what says that the rocket could even hurt me?"
  113. (8:36:58 PM) ApricotCordial: Some of the young ponies with guns mumble and whisper amongst themselves as the young mare frowns, "Anything can get killed."
  114. (8:37:26 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa gets closer, unnoticed.
  115. (8:38:07 PM) ***Nessa counts the number of foes, and tries to get an idea of how healthy and well-armored they are.
  116. (8:38:07 PM) ApricotCordial: "Come on, a bunch of rich ponies like you are gonna risk it for a coupl'a chems an' some bandages?" she asks, apparently incredulous of the pair's idiocy.
  117. (8:38:50 PM) Shimmer: "umm...actually we're...quite poor...we just accepted a job because we needed money..."
  118. (8:39:41 PM) ***Arcadia grins mischievously. "Certainly, but how many of you could I hurt, or worse, if that rocket doesn't put me down? I'll behave, of course... I don't want to do anything I'd regret later... But really, we are just passing through and noticed the wall here."
  119. (8:41:26 PM) ***Shimmer wishes she hadn't spotted the foals with guns. It worked against her plan...she was going to compel the rocket mare...to fire at another of their number...but foals?...She would only do that as a last resort now...
  120. (8:42:28 PM) ***Nessa regrets not buying any grenades.
  121. (8:43:21 PM) ApricotCordial: "Yeah, that
  122. (8:45:38 PM) ***Nessa looks for a flanking route that could possibly put her on the same elevation as the youngsters. Perhaps through one of the broken buildings...
  123. (8:47:05 PM) ApricotCordial: The mare looks a little nervous for the first time, her confidence wavering. Her group look about ready to drop their weapons and run until she leans out on the baricade and shouts, "Maybe, yeah, but how about you empty your bags before I blow you the fuck up!?"
  124. (8:47:31 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa could probably make it into the upper floor of the building she's pressed against with a little show of athleticism.
  125. (8:48:21 PM) ***Nessa tries to creep to that upper level and take-up a good position in case things go sour.
  126. (8:49:28 PM) Shimmer: "You...really should listen to my body guard." Shimmer says swallowing softly trying to cast softlight. "She has a soft spot for foals...so she'd really prefer not to kill you all...but if it comes to you guys or me...well...I paid the monster first." She tries her hoof at the negoations table
  127. (8:51:12 PM) ApricotCordial: There's further muttering from the assembled ponies on the wall, most of them look ready to make a run for it even if their leader is still snarling at the rest.
  128. (8:51:36 PM) ***Arcadia feeds a little magic into her horn, hoping that her horn-covering pith helmet would help the glow from being noticeable... So that she could snap- cast her shield spell
  129. (8:51:41 PM) ApricotCordial: One colt tugs on the helmeted filly's armor belt, "Come'on sis, it ain't worth it! Let'em go!"
  130. (8:52:06 PM) ***Nessa takes aim from her new vantage point, seeing the fear in the eyes of the assembled foals-playing-raider...
  131. (8:52:49 PM) ***Nessa ... and fires a hoofful of shots across their bow, so to speak.
  132. (8:53:46 PM) ApricotCordial: Events swiftly overtake the confrontation as bullets ping off the rubble in between the two parties!
  133. (8:53:48 PM) Shimmer: "For...what it's worth...I eep!" She jumps at the shot. "sorry...that spooked me...I don't like harming foals either."
  134. (8:54:05 PM) ApricotCordial: *ping off the wall above the stand-off!
  135. (8:55:33 PM) ApricotCordial: "Shit!" one of the fillies shouts, turning her junky gun towards the direction of Nessa's shots, "They're in the Luna-fucking walls!"
  136. (9:00:31 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa has an excellent downward angle on the whole line that's fairly protected from Arcadia and Shimmer's angle. Any of the ponies are within reach of her weapons.
  137. (9:00:51 PM) ***Nessa didn't see the well-armed foals fire... so she looks for the source of the bullets.
  138. (9:01:07 PM) ApricotCordial: The only shots fired have been her own.
  139. (9:01:41 PM) ApricotCordial: Meaning she's drawn the attention of the quicker-on-the-uptake members of the gang.
  140. (9:03:14 PM) ***Shimmer looks around in a panic aat where the gunfire is coming fro
  141. (9:03:16 PM) Nessa: "Back the /fuck/ off, or I'll fry the brains out of your /fucking/ skulls!" Nessa bellows at them, dialing-up the glow from her laser pistol's barrel so she looks more threatening.
  142. (9:03:43 PM) ***Nessa ... hopefully they don't know enough about magilas weaponry to tell the difference.
  143. (9:04:39 PM) ***Nessa gets ready to flee her position if they don't back down...
  144. (9:05:28 PM) ApricotCordial: There's no sign of immediate fleeing from the young ponies facing her. They seem to be gripped by fear, but not in the productive sort of taking-hoof sort of fashion.
  145. (9:05:59 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can see signs of camp behind them; it would appear that they're defending their home base as well as using it as a roadblock.
  146. (9:06:50 PM) ***Nessa thinks breaking the standoff is good enough... provided her allies take advantage of the opportunity.
  147. (9:07:37 PM) ApricotCordial: Most of the raiders don't seem to have diverted their attention from the other two.
  148. (9:09:40 PM) ApricotCordial: The leader filly stays partially up on the barricade, giving her room to fire the lever-action rifle in her ad-hoc battle saddle at shimmer. "Fuckin' get'em!" she screams in high-pitched anger.
  149. (9:11:01 PM) ApricotCordial: She's left high and dry when her old gun fails to fire, causing her to scramble back from the parapet and starting to hammer on it.
  150. (9:12:05 PM) ApricotCordial: At almost the same time the filly facing Nessa let's fly with her own weapon, largely blocked by her body until she swivelled Nessa's briefly starring down the wide mouth of a grenade rifle before it belches flame.
  151. (9:14:40 PM) ApricotCordial: The bullet-headed projectile is moving almost slow enough for Nessa to see before it bursts right in the earthmare's face.
  152. (9:15:29 PM) ApricotCordial: Brick and dust shower the ponies below as the old building's face explodes.
  153. (9:17:24 PM) ***Arcadia flinches at the explosion, setting off her shield spell almost instinctively. "Fucking... Time to fight then!"
  154. (9:17:31 PM) ***Nessa is directly hit by high explosives. "Pain" is an understatement.
  155. (9:17:53 PM) Shimmer: "Eep!"..."
  156. (9:27:14 PM) ApricotCordial: There's a loud WHOOSH as the rocket launcher fires, aimed right at Arcadia's shimmering shield.
  157. (9:28:41 PM) ApricotCordial: The rocket slams into the ground behind the shielded alicorn, throwing bits of rock and pavement into it with ineffective pings.
  158. (9:29:42 PM) ApricotCordial: None of the young raiders seem to be too on the ball; they're already aimed at Shimmer so the first few fire their shots even as their cohort crows her success with the grenade launcher, "I got'er! I got'er!"
  159. (9:30:01 PM) ***Arcadia watches the rocket go by, shouting out a loud "Whoosh!"
  160. (9:32:13 PM) ApricotCordial: A burst of small arms fire rains around Shimmer; the colt with an SMG at his side doesn't stop firing as he adjusts and the second burst hits the unicorn.
  161. (9:32:27 PM) Nessa: "Nngh, my fafe..." Nessa groans.
  162. (9:33:13 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer escapes unharmed.
  163. (9:33:52 PM) ApricotCordial: A rain of shotgun pellets also fails to do any damage
  164. (9:34:32 PM) ***Shimmer squeaks and practically turtles into her armor.
  165. (9:36:00 PM) ApricotCordial: The final pony futily adds her bolted-together rifle to the assault on Arcadia's shield.
  166. (9:38:17 PM) ***Shimmer casts her spell and fades from side rushing to cover. She pulls her shotgun and does her best to get close to a place she can use it
  167. (9:41:17 PM) ApricotCordial: Above them, one colt hustles to reload the RPG his compatriot is holding before sinking back below the barricade. The last raider fires a pistol wildly at the last place Shimmer was seen, shouting in annoyance, "The unicorn disappeared!"
  168. (9:43:56 PM) Nessa: "Get up there and beat them into submission!" Nessa shouts to Red Alert before taking aim at the pair with the RPG.
  169. (9:45:05 PM) ***Nessa flicks on her SATS and fires, trying to destroy the launcher.
  170. (9:45:13 PM) ApricotCordial: The robot beeps loudly in acknowledgement
  171. (9:49:06 PM) ApricotCordial: Bullets crack down amongst the raider's position for the first time, causing shouts of terror.
  172. (9:49:37 PM) ApricotCordial: The leader is back up and shooting now, levelling her rifle at the advancing Red Alert.
  173. (9:52:36 PM) ApricotCordial: The robot gets hit but keeps advancing.
  174. (9:52:59 PM) ApricotCordial: Grenademare fires again
  175. (9:55:11 PM) ApricotCordial: The first round flies high in her excitement, sending bricks rumbling past Nessa. The second round is little more then a dull 'thwud' and a sudden explosive flash from the raider's position.
  176. (9:55:45 PM) Nessa: "Feh," Nessa scoffs as the grenade riflemare suffers a mishap.
  177. (9:57:20 PM) ApricotCordial: Grenadier pony goes down on her face screaming in pain.
  178. (10:00:33 PM) ***Arcadia shifts her stance and places the tip of her horn against the shimmering shell around her. "Silence fills the empty grave..." She mumbles, her horn flaring as ethereal knives begin to form just outside of her shield
  179. (10:01:07 PM) Nessa: "They had better back-off before they all get killed..." Nessa mutters.
  180. (10:04:24 PM) ApricotCordial: Undeterred by the shimmering knives pointed at her, rocket launcher filly tries again, although her aim is wobbling severely under all the stress.
  181. (10:05:33 PM) ApricotCordial: Letting fly with another dust-raising 'whumpf' the rocket once again flies over Arcadia's bubble with with a whoosh! With a cry of despair, the mare abandons her weapon and tumbles back over the edge with her loader right behind her.
  182. (10:06:52 PM) ApricotCordial: The determined machinegunner turns his wrath upwards with no other assailable target in view, firing upwards in Nessa's direction.
  183. (10:08:17 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can't even hear the measely little bullets as the colt empties his gun and struggles to pull out another magazine stuffed in his vest.
  184. (10:09:35 PM) ApricotCordial: Shotgun filly holds onto her weapon, but she's bleeding badly from the side of her barrel closest the grenadier and lays still. Nessa can see the two that have abandoned their position disappear into a scrap-fronted building halfway down the block.
  185. (10:10:18 PM) ApricotCordial: The riflebuck keeps his gun steadied on the edge of the barricade and plinks away at Arcadia's shield, the weak cartridges easily stopped by her shield.
  186. (10:10:29 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer's turn.
  187. (10:18:19 PM) ApricotCordial: With a gasp, the SMG-wielding colt has a sudden realization.... His sister... Isn't right. There's something wrong with her eyes, and, her mane never looked like that before. It hits him like a falling sky-carriage; she's been replaced by one of those traiterous /bugs/. His own sister! Without hesitation he turns his gun on the infiltrator.
  188. (10:20:07 PM) ***Shimmer frowns and looks away. She had used her compulsion to make the foal turn on her. She had wished that this hadn't gone to a fight but it was what it was...
  189. (10:21:12 PM) ApricotCordial: At close range the oldest mare takes a burst of SMG fire from barrel to head, one creasing her neck. She falls over bleeding badly as the colt lunges at her, beating the mare with his useless weapon.
  190. (10:21:47 PM) ***Nessa sees this awful turn of events and is baffled...
  191. (10:23:29 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly with the pistol is similarly baffled, crying out in shock as her gangmates turn on each other. She shoves past the other filly with the rifle, slipping in the pooling blood of the wounded as she tries to pull them apart. "Candle! Ant! Stop it! What are you doing!" she screams in horror, dropping her weapon.
  192. (10:23:53 PM) Nessa: "What the fuck..." Nessa mutters.
  193. (10:24:18 PM) ApricotCordial: Into the chaos stomps the glowing-eyed robot, finally surmounting the slope with a crash as it slams both hooves through the sheet metal barricade.
  194. (10:24:25 PM) ***Shimmer can't really provide communication. So she can't explain...but maybe...they might be shcoked out of fighting...
  195. (10:24:44 PM) Nessa: "Less than lethal!" Nessa shouts to Red Alert.
  196. (10:26:25 PM) ApricotCordial: Apparently judging the surprised squealing riflemare the most serious threat it's drawing back a hoof before Nessa's audible command reaches her. With a audible whirr of acknowledgement, the robot seems to pull its tomp.
  197. (10:26:27 PM) ApricotCordial: *stomp.
  198. (10:27:36 PM) Nessa: "You fucking jerks could've saved yourselves a lot of pain by just backing down!" Nessa bellows from her position, bloody spittle flying past her busted lips.
  199. (10:28:59 PM) ApricotCordial: Her robot performs abysmally. Pulling it's punches lead it to slamming a hoof through the firing step and getting stuck, whirring uselessly in place as the riflemare sprawls back against the crippled grenadier, having some sort of attack.
  200. (10:29:43 PM) ***Shimmer allows the compulsion to fade. The others seems shocked out. She'd shimmer back into visibility as well near Nessa. "do...you think she died?"
  201. (10:30:21 PM) Nessa: "Motherfucking shitshow..." Nessa mutters under her breath as she wipes the blood from her wounded face and trots towards the utter carnage she's created.
  202. (10:30:27 PM) ApricotCordial: The SMG colt throws his gun aside, starring in shock at the bloody, beaten mare beneath him as the pistoleer grabs him around the waist and holds him back
  203. (10:31:08 PM) ***Arcadia tosses her head to the side, ghostly knives burying themselves into the ground at her hooves. "There is no forgiveness here..."
  204. (10:31:41 PM) Nessa: "Drop your weapons, surrender, and we'll be merciful!" Nessa shouts over the barricade as she marches up the incline. "Fucking... overconfident..."
  205. (10:33:06 PM) ***Shimmer frowns and looks down. She approaches the downed mare. She really regretted this she checked to see if the filly was still alive.
  206. (10:35:01 PM) ApricotCordial: None of the ponies remaining on the barricade have any weapons to throw away for Nessa, although the riflemare trapped beneath Red's hoof at least puts up her hooves in a show of surrender. The other four are either unconcious or too busy with their own affairs, as the colt and uninjured filly are cuddled close to each other crying.
  207. (10:35:27 PM) ***Nessa immediately begins triage.
  208. (10:35:51 PM) ***Shimmer sighs in relief. "Thank you..." She says under her breath
  209. (10:36:42 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer can't really tell what's happened to the victim of her compulsion spell; the filly may have been either beaten unconcious or to death. There's a lot of blood and broken bones.
  210. (10:38:35 PM) ***Shimmer hopes that they can save her...if they couldn't it was understandable...but still she felt bad about what she'd done.
  211. (10:39:32 PM) Nessa: "What the fuck happened with the SMG one," Nessa asks as she starts pulling surgical implements and bandages out of her saddlebags.
  212. (10:40:35 PM) ApricotCordial: The two injured in the grenade launcher blast lay at Nessa's hooves; the one quivering and shaking the most as she whimpers seems to have been only slightly wounded by grenade fragments. Entirely superficial wounds, though it looks like her limited armor stopped some potentially more serious ones.
  213. (10:41:59 PM) Shimmer: "I'll...explain later..." Shimmer says quietly.
  214. (10:42:23 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly that was actually wielding the now-destroyed grenade launcher is almost a total loss. Nessa can see she's practically self-amputated both of her forelegs; the right above the knee and the left below. She can also see right into her core; there's a lot of blast damage in some very important places.... If it weren't for the fact she can still see her lungs pumping it'd be easy to dismiss her as dead.
  215. (10:42:47 PM) ***Nessa whistles, pulling a healing potion.
  216. (10:42:56 PM) ApricotCordial: That being said she's in urgent need of treatment. Nessa could easily estimate another minute of life for the crippled filly if she doesn't take action.
  217. (10:43:35 PM) ***Nessa intervenes vigorously.
  218. (10:44:17 PM) Nessa: "And you." Nessa points to Arcadia. "Potion. Her. Now," Nessa points to the leader-mare who got filled with lead.
  219. (10:44:18 PM) Shimmer: "if...you need...you can give her one of my potions..."
  220. (10:44:45 PM) ***Shimmer responds by giving the leader mare a potion as asked.
  221. (10:46:34 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa works quickly. Her intervention seems to be working, the bleeding slows and stops.... The physical work is left to her hooves.
  222. (10:46:48 PM) ApricotCordial: None of the survivors try to stop the trio.
  223. (10:47:14 PM) ***Arcadia quickly ruffles through her bag, though with the hodgepodge of crap she was carrying, it was much too slow
  224. (10:47:15 PM) ***Nessa fashions tourniquets and starts cutting away the mangled flesh to the magic can heal the wounds neatly.
  225. (10:47:27 PM) Nessa: flesh so the magic*
  226. (10:48:10 PM) ApricotCordial: Flesh knits together in new stumps of legs for the young mare, her chest cavity a little deformed as the powerful potion attempts to rebuild destroyed bone under the increased pressure.
  227. (10:48:36 PM) ***Nessa helps keep the body-cavity from sealing-over while caved-in.
  228. (10:48:37 PM) ApricotCordial: Her breathing stabilizes finally, asleep.
  229. (10:48:49 PM) Shimmer: "a shame...we couldn't find her legs..." Shimmer gives the leader mare one of her potions
  230. (10:48:57 PM) ***Nessa This involves a needle, thread and some pulling. :I
  231. (10:49:18 PM) Nessa: "They're right there." Nessa points to the pile of squishy, bloody medical waste.
  232. (10:49:37 PM) Nessa: waste that's accumulated.*
  233. (10:49:56 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer doesn't really know what the healing potion's doing to her patient, other then that some of the bruising fades and the obvious bullet wounds are healing over.
  234. (10:49:57 PM) Shimmer: "I...had always heard that they could be saved...if they were found in time...I...guess not..."
  235. (10:50:12 PM) ***Arcadia shivers, chains clinking together in an eerie way. "Sadness breeds here..."
  236. (10:50:23 PM) Nessa: "It was a 40mm grenade," Nessa says, walking towards the fallen leader mare.
  237. (10:50:31 PM) Nessa: "Or maybe 20mm..."
  238. (10:50:55 PM) ***Shimmer nods. "It...looked like 20mm..." She says. "I'm...glad so far none...have died..."
  239. (10:51:08 PM) ***Nessa starts giving her as rough a diagnosis as necessary now that healing potions have been allowed to run rampant over her wounds.
  240. (10:51:12 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa's own muzzle is no doubt worse for the wear. It seems the grenade clipped the window sill, otherwise even the durable ranger would probably be out of action.
  241. (10:51:59 PM) Nessa: "They virtually killed themselves," Nessa says.
  242. (10:52:15 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can tell that the mare was badly beaten and shot, but it doesn't appear that any of it was fatal.
  243. (10:52:24 PM) Nessa: "... in some cases literally." Nessa shoots a pointed glance to the SMG colt.
  244. (10:52:43 PM) ApricotCordial: "Wh-What are you going to do to us now?" asks the dirty cream mare that's abandoned her pistol.
  245. (10:53:00 PM) Nessa: "Leave you to your fucking fates, I'm thinking," Nessa says.
  246. (10:53:29 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly nods, trembling, "Th-Thank you ma'am!"
  247. (10:53:34 PM) Nessa: "What the hell are a bunch of /teenagers/ doing trying to hold up an alicorn and a Steel Ranger."
  248. (10:54:27 PM) Arcadia: "We don't think they know what we are, Nessa... They just call us monster. An... Apt description, to be honest. "
  249. (10:55:21 PM) Nessa: "It was fucking stupid is what it was," Nessa growls.
  250. (10:55:53 PM) ***Nessa surveys who's left.
  251. (10:56:01 PM) ApricotCordial: "We.... M-Most ponies just tossed out some bandages or Med-X and kept going, n-nopony ever tried to kill us before," she stammers, clearly in fear that the trio might still make good on that.
  252. (10:57:39 PM) Shimmer left the room (quit: Ping timeout: 121 seconds).
  253. (10:58:09 PM) ***Nessa just glares daggers at the filly.
  254. (10:58:15 PM) Godna [Godna@Pony-8cpok1.publicBNC.canternet.org] entered the room.
  255. (10:59:01 PM) Nessa: "Then you've been very lucky up until now. And your friends are especially lucky that I didn't feel like leaving them to die."
  256. (10:59:35 PM) ApricotCordial: "P-Please, don't kill us!" she falls down on her knees in suplication to Shimmer, Arcadia, and Nessa, "We were just trying to help our mom! We don't have no more caps to pay for medicine, and, we had to get it somehow!"
  257. (11:01:21 PM) Nessa: "Great. So there's a double amputee because your mom needed medicine."
  258. (11:01:55 PM) ApricotCordial: "It wuddn't a great plan..." the filly sniffles, "But we'd die anyway, so, sis said..."
  259. (11:02:19 PM) Godna left the room (quit: Ping timeout: 121 seconds).
  260. (11:02:38 PM) ***Nessa looks to Arcadia to see what she thinks of this whole situation.
  261. (11:03:45 PM) Godna [Godna@Pony-8cpok1.publicBNC.canternet.org] entered the room.
  262. (11:04:31 PM) Godna is now known as Shimmer
  263. (11:04:35 PM) ***Arcadia frowns, giving her head a shake. "We cannot help very much, aside from what little I have to spare..." She mumbles, magically digging out those last sixteen caps of hers. "May we see your mother? "
  264. (11:05:26 PM) Nessa: "Mm," Nessa says. "Should also break the news that her... daughter is now a double amputee."
  265. (11:07:16 PM) ***Shimmer frowns. She was feeling horribly guilty. "I really wish...that this didn't come to a fight..."
  266. (11:07:47 PM) Nessa: "Shit happens," Nessa mutters, shaking her head.
  267. (11:08:36 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly looks lost and confused
  268. (11:09:08 PM) ApricotCordial: She shakes her head unsteadily, "N-No, you've helped enough... We don't need your caps... I guess, we owe you caps."
  269. (11:09:50 PM) Shimmer: "No. I won't let us take them..."
  270. (11:09:57 PM) Arcadia: "As we said: sadness breeds here... Take it."
  271. (11:10:19 PM) Nessa: "Actually, yeah. You got any medicinal herbs?" Nessa asks.
  272. (11:11:22 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly reluctantly takes the coinage. "Huh-uh," she shakes her head, "I don' know how to use any of that stuff."
  273. (11:12:46 PM) Nessa: "Mm. So what's your mom sick with," Nessa asks.
  274. (11:13:29 PM) ApricotCordial: She quavers under Nessa's glare, "I-I, dunno. It makes her insides bleed and she throws up sometimes..."
  275. (11:15:23 PM) ApricotCordial: "I don't think there's nothin' you can do," she murmurs to Shimmer, Nessa, and Arcadia, "I think ya should, go on your way."
  276. (11:16:04 PM) Nessa: "Show me," Nessa says.
  277. (11:16:45 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly fidgets nervously, clearly used to taking orders from older ponies but equally clearly not wanting to comply with Nessa's command.
  278. (11:17:42 PM) Shimmer: "She might be able to help..."
  279. (11:18:07 PM) Shimmer: "and at this point it's clear we don't want to hurt you..."
  280. (11:18:31 PM) ***Arcadia clears her throat and hums. "We could... perhaps we should... But we won't. Your mother needs help, and we will do our best to keep her with you..." She looks down, a deep sadness in her eyes. "So that you don't suffer a loss such as mine..."
  281. (11:19:27 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly keeps her mouth shut but nods stiffly :I
  282. (11:19:50 PM) ApricotCordial: "...I gotta pick up my sisters first," she says with a sniffle, "Then I-I'll take you there."
  283. (11:20:46 PM) ***Nessa lays her eyes on the pile of medical waste near the filly who had the grenade rifle.
  284. (11:21:15 PM) ***Nessa Disposing of that is always the hardest part.
  285. (11:22:31 PM) ***Shimmer swallows and when it looked like they were relatively alone. "so...the...SMG...thing..."
  286. (11:22:40 PM) Shimmer: "That...was me..." She says.
  287. (11:23:06 PM) Arcadia: "I'd offer our assistance, but... There is little we can help with... We only have one thing, and the side effects... are very much unwanted. "
  288. (11:23:14 PM) Nessa: "... what?" Nessa gives Shimmer an incredulous -- and somewhat disgusted -- look.
  289. (11:23:52 PM) ***Arcadia blinks, staring wide-eyed at Shimmer
  290. (11:23:54 PM) Shimmer: "Illusion mask...I made him think that she was...something else..."
  291. (11:24:08 PM) ***Shimmer it wasn't quite a lie or quite the truth
  292. (11:24:42 PM) Nessa: "They were so /incompetent/," Nessa says. "Not to mention pitiful."
  293. (11:24:48 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly stares at Shimmer in uncomprehending confusion.
  294. (11:24:52 PM) Nessa: "... and you did some illusion war-crime shit to one of them?"
  295. (11:25:27 PM) Shimmer: "It ended the fight..."
  296. (11:25:56 PM) ApricotCordial: "I don't think there's nothin' more you can do for us," the filly says again, "P-Please, let momma die in peace..... I gotta, figure out what to do now..."
  297. (11:26:34 PM) Arcadia: "We said we wanted to help, little one... Is there anything at all...?"
  298. (11:27:30 PM) ApricotCordial: She shakes her head more vigorously, shying away from Shimmer and Arcadia, "Huh-uh.... She's real bad off... We just wanted to make her not hurt so much."
  299. (11:27:55 PM) Nessa: "I want to diagnose her," Nessa says.
  300. (11:28:14 PM) Shimmer: "We want to help...I made my mistake and I want...to help how we can..."
  301. (11:28:52 PM) Nessa: "I'm not hopeful, considering she's been this way for a while. But I'm curious, and you did shoot at us over her."
  302. (11:29:03 PM) Nessa: "So."
  303. (11:29:05 PM) ***Arcadia lowers her head to the filly. "Please... We promise, we will do everything we can..."
  304. (11:29:56 PM) ApricotCordial: Her eyes are watering, "I-I can't stop you, b-but..."
  305. (11:30:36 PM) ***Nessa waits for the filly to finish her thought. Or trail off.
  306. (11:31:55 PM) ***Arcadia pulls off her scarf, carefully dabbing beneath the filly's eyes. "Let it out, if you need to, little one... We know you were desperate, just wanting to help the ones you love... Let us show you kindness, please? "
  307. (11:32:19 PM) Nessa: "Also, we need to camp soon."
  308. (11:32:35 PM) ***Nessa looks up at the sky.
  309. (11:33:07 PM) ApricotCordial: She shakes her head a little, scooting over to lift her much larger older sister up... With the help of her silent, tearful brother and slightly wounded sister they lower her down from the firing step. Then their contact shuffles over to pick up her freshly crippled sister.
  310. (11:35:35 PM) ***Arcadia sighs quietly, floating out a single rejuvenation potion towards the filly. "At least take this... It's not very much, but it might help somehow... I'd offer something else, but again... The side effects are unpredictable and... can be messy. "
  311. (11:36:18 PM) ApricotCordial: The filly gestures for them to follow the convoy of injured.
  312. (11:36:54 PM) ***Nessa starts walking and beckons her robot.
  313. (11:39:34 PM) ApricotCordial: Red Alert trots on behind her.
  314. (11:43:15 PM) ***Shimmer follows along She felt sick to her stomach...
  315. (11:46:03 PM) ApricotCordial: == Session #4 End ==
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