Group 4 Session 64b

<uSeaGM> **Group 4 Session 64b**
<uSeaGM> The party are somewhat washed and rested and the moon hangs high in a sky heavy with clouds. The coast is long lost behind them, but the swirling storm over the land is still in view, a sinister speck on the horizon. Thunder Child confidently sails through the dark, inky water as the night deepens around her.
<uSeaGM> Last time, Genie brought everyone to the armoury and invited the group to help themselves to anything left inside. The group picked up a few extra guns, some much needed ammo, and several sets of navy-edition Trooper Barding. There was also a set of gas masks, enough for everypony, but they are all made to fit equines.
<uSeaGM> Not that it stopped Jasmine trying to wear one, of course.
<uSeaGM> -Session begins
* Prism is just going to follow Genie around and say little.   Because he had little to say, to anyone really.
* Logic_ is now known as Logic
<Whisper> "So, I noticed we haven't been attacked by anything terrifying yet. Uh, is there any chance that that will continue for the rest of the trip?"
* Jack was still having a smoke having finally calmed down.
<uSeaGM> Genie smiles. "Hopefully. Until we need to act as bait to keep the fishing boats safe, at least."
* Whisper gulps. "Right. Bait."
* Jasmine was ogling all the stuff in the armory, as best as she could with a gas mask on which did not fit her. It was like a.... secret hide out with all kinds of neat gadgets! Of course, there wasnt much that Jasmine could use, but it was the thought that counted, right? Jasmine began to stumble around half blind, but hey.... SUPER HERO MASK
<uSeaGM> The optimistic mare waves away the possible extreme danger. "We'll be fine. I mean, there was only a problem last time because the giant ones attacked, and my grandpa says they've only been seen a few times in decades!"
* uSeaGM gives voice to Milia
* Whisper laughs nervously. "So, that means we're due for a break, right?"
* Milia will be taking this opportunity to wrangle in her new fire spirit...who honestly she's had very little chance to actually talk to and question about just what the hell happened. There was still the whole matter of Whisper's request, too...his outdated request, granted, but Milia doesn't know that yet.
* mimezinga is now known as BerryLeBeau
* Notify: mimezinga is offline (irc.canternet.org).
* BerryLeBeau is now known as BerryLaBelle
* Jack approaches the others.
* Jack doesn't say much but he's calmed down and smoking.
<uSeaGM> Genie nods. "We sure are. And I doubt we'll another giant laser beam coming out of the water, too... so, hooves crossed!"
<Jack> "I would be more worried about that storm...nearly lost myself there."
* Whisper decides not to actually cross his hooves, since following Genie would be difficult if he kept tripping.
* Milia takes Mercy (tucking the little spirit under her leg and hobbling if she had to) and heads to a corner of the bridge. She was still practically glowing from her shower with Artifica. Her thorough, thorough shower. "You. Me. Talk." she oh-so-eloquently states to her fiery friend.
* Prism was wary.  Jack made any sort of move, and he was going to test his new assault carbine.
<uSeaGM> Genie glances around, then looks at Prism. "Where is your griffin friend? I promised to show her how to steer."
* Artifica huggles mime!
* BerryLaBelle is still deciding if prism coul be a usable nap perch. the stllion is small, it could be troublesome.... maybe whisper, instead?
<Prism> "Friends...funny.    No clue where she is."
<Whisper> "I think she's still down the armory. I can go get her if you want."
<Whisper> *down in
<uSeaGM> Mercy doesn't resist as she is marehandled into a corner.
* BerryLaBelle but she was also told that ponies arte super resilient, so maybe prism is small but strong.... there's only one way to know! investigate! the filly starts sniffing prism and then tries licking him
<BerryLaBelle> -LICK-
* Milia sets the tiny horse down and plops down to her haunches. She stares down at the bright little horsie, a perplexed look having made its way onto her face. "...so, how's your first day been?"
* Artifica follows Milia, interested in her marefriend's little mare.
* BerryLaBelle keeps studying prism with undivided attention and some indecision
<uSeaGM> Mercy looks between Milia and Artifica. "Your world is weird. Soo... I tried to fit in, like doing what you two were doing."
* Prism is trying his best to ignore Berry, really.
* Whisper walks over to the window of the bridge to look out at the sea.
* Artifica cocks her head.  Then her eyes widen with understanding.
* Milia looks over to Artifica, knowingly. "Look at that, sweetie. We're role models." she says with a somewhat forced laugh, then looking back down to Mercy. "And I'll get to that in a sec...but first, I think you owe me a few answers about this whole...uhhh..."
* Milia makes a grand, yet ambiguous and ultimately meaningless gesture with her forehooves. "...situation."
* BerryLaBelle is being ignored. this is bad. it needs a fix "ah... say, prism..." the filly has no idea of what to say! ohnoe! but she starte a conversation! what now!? "ehrm... do you like.... ah...." something! anything! "stuff?"
* BerryLaBelle facehooves
* Artifica chuckles and leans close.  "We've had a little pony for only a day, and you're already having to explain the birds and the bees."
* Whisper looks around the bridge, feeling very out of place, before walking up to Jack. "So...grog, am I right?"
* Milia shares the now-genuine laugh with Artifica, leaning in as well and resting her head against the mare. "Next we need to put aside some caps and start saving for the college fund..." she begins.
<Jack> "Good stuff."
* Whisper mumbles, "Not really."
<Prism> "Yes.  I like a lot of stuff."   He tries to humor Berry, really.   Just to break his silence.
* BerryLaBelle "oh, that's nice!" it worked, it worked! smart berry, queen of the stage! "i like stuff too! we could be friends!"
* BerryLaBelle holds breath in hope
<uSeaGM> Mercy nods. "Oh, right. Weeell getting into this world is usually kinda tricky for a little spirit which is why I leapt at the chance when I could. One of your ancestors must have made a blood pact a long long time ago, and when you were dying your soul called out for help, and I was there to answer!"
* Whisper clears his throat and tries again to strike up a conversation with Jack. "So, piracy. What's that like?"
<Jack> "Really depends."
<Jack> "All goes well profitable, and surprisingly peaceful."
<Jack> "fire a couple shots they surrender you steal their stuff and everypony goes home alive."
* Milia jolts to attention as Mercy begins to unload a surprisingly clear explanation about their little arrangement. The mare takes a few moments to silently process the information, before finally speaking up. "S-so...okay...hold up...just...first tell me..."
<Whisper> "Did...who do you usually, uh, pirate?"
* BerryLaBelle turns a little cyan holding her breath
<Jack> "Now?"
<Jack> "We just kinda faff about."
<Prism> "Maybe.  I think so."
* Logic_ is now known as Logic
* Milia bites her lip, and manages to ask the question she'd been wanting to ask for a while now. "...am I still like...me? Like...a zebra, and everything...I mean, I still FEEL like me...but I don't know if the me I feel like now...is the me I felt like before I died yesterday."
* BerryLaBelle "yes!" smiles happily "you know, i had this terrible feeling that you didn't like me at all since we met and i couldn't shrug it off but if you say we can be friends it's all fixed! so... what can i do for you in the name of friendship?"
<Whisper> "So...you guys are, uh, you know...safe? Like, you don't take tiny, feeble ponies as galley slaves or anything?"
<uSeaGM> "The Soulstorm made things easier of course," Mercy continues, "and I really wanted to out of there when all the death spirits got excited." She finally hears Milia's question. "Yeah, you're still you. At least I think you are. Most of that was from the pact. The new hoof and so on. It was old magic."
<Prism> "It's not that I dislike ponies...far from it, it's more they don't like me because of some of my social issues and my background."
<Jack> "Slaves aren't typically something you want on a ship."
<Whisper> "Really? What about the plank-walking? Is that real, or just a legend?"
* Milia briefly shoots an alarmed look toward Artifica. The zebra returns her attention to Mercy, her train of thought momentarily diverted, for very good reason. "...Woah woah woah! Soulstorm? Death spirits? You can't just like...say that like it's a normal thing! That is not a normal thing you just said! Do you know what's going on with that...weirdo storm thing?"
* BerryLaBelle "who isn't a complete weirdo these days? really, i knew a griffon who wouldn't back off even from the most stupid and suicide fight... he had friends too"
<Jack> "Pretty rare I don't rightly recall it happening much."
* Whisper looks off into the distance, as though contemplating. "Huh. You, uh, you guys don't seem as terrifying as pirates are usually assumed to be."
<Prism> "I just figured it was me.  The fact that I don't like the spirit that's following us around seems to be a strike against me too."
<uSeaGM> Mercy shrugs. "That's what the death spirits called it. And then they went on about the return of their chosen son and drowning everything in blood and blah blah blah. Typical death spirit stuff to try sounding cool. Anyway, the storm made the way between worlds much easier."
<Prism> "And it's not that I hate it, it's just more I don't trust the circumstances that brought it about and what Milia had to give up to bring it about."
<Jack> "We generally aren't and we've settled down a lot lately."
* Whisper nods slowly. "Oh. Well, I mean, that's cool. And good." He lapses into silence, looking around awkwardly.
* Milia lets out a low, prolonged groaning noise. "...I have...so very, very many comments to make about that, and I just don't know where in Tartarus to begin."
* BerryLaBelle taps her chin "it's some sort of magical mumbo jumbo... i don't know ifthe spirit is good or bad but i guess we will deal with it if and when we will need to... don't worry too much about these things, really, you will simply lose your appetite"
<Prism> "Yeah, this is just me talking.   I'm a huge egghead and things I don't know fully about just gnaw at me like you wouldn't believe."
* Milia decides to revisit it later...tonight was setting up to be really weird. I mean, no big surprise there, but after the day their group had had, Milia was trying to keep things in her own little world hovering more towards 'well don't that beat all!' and less toward 'batshit fucking crazo land'. She really didn't want to visit batshit fucking crazo land again. Not so soon, at least. And especially not after that nice shower.
<Prism> "I'll ask Milia later.   I don't want to ask the spirit itself, because spirits are known to lie."
* Logic_ is now known as Logic
* BerryLaBelle "well, that's legit... curiosity is a good idea until you dont' go sniffing killing joke... if you ask me, keeping an eye open on the fire thing isn't going to hurt anyway, until we don't get completely paranoid about it"
* BerryLaBelle "mostly because paranoic ponies destroyed the world in a couple days"
<Milia> "So...okay...you mentioned a blood pact.  That I'm quite obviously bound to, also.  What...uh...do I like...gotta do stuff for it?"
<BerryLaBelle> *paranoid
<Milia> "Like...rituals?...or special evil dances or something?..."
<uSeaGM> She shrugs again. "Idunno. I think it's like a left over thing. Blood runs deep. I just took the ticket to ride."
* Whisper gets up and walks over to where Milia, Artifica, and Mercy are talking. "Uh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything here?"
<Prism> "Paranoid ponies and weapons capable of killing countless amounts are not a good combination."
* BerryLaBelle nodnods "so... where are the others?"
* Artifica leans down and boops Mercy.  She smiles.  "Well, all the scary stuff aside, I want to thank you.  Thank you for being there and hearing Milia's soul cry out.  Thank you for saving her!"
<Prism> "Not sure.  I've been sticking with Genie, because she's doing the important stuff.   And because I, um, like her."
* BerryLaBelle "ah... like as in... wanting private time with her?"
<uSeaGM> Meanwhile, Genie pretends not to be listening and takes over the helm from Black Beard.
<Prism> "Not that far into things."
* Whisper gives a little wave to Mercy. "Hi Mercy," he says weakly.
* BerryLaBelle "okay, then i guess i'll let you play your cards. see you around pal" the filly waves bye bye and trots away, looking for more victims to harass
<uSeaGM> Mercy smiles at the boop and waves at Whisper. "Hi Whisper! He likes horsies with wings, she adds."
* Whisper blushes furiously. "I- whu- y-you -Mercy!" he gapes at the spirit.
<uSeaGM> Two little flamey wings sprout from her back. "Like these. Do you like these?"
* Milia blinks a few times at Whisper. She looks back and forth between him and Mercy a few times. "...wait, shouldn't you be like, flipping shit and shrieking in terror right now?" she asks, cocking her head in the stallion's direction.
* Whisper 's jaw works for several seconds, nothing coming out. "Yes...," he finally squeaks to Mercy.
* Whisper pointedly looks down at the floor, away from Milia. "W-well, funny you should say that..."
* BerryLaBelle trots around the ship looking for the rest of her friends and singing what she thinks are good pirate songs "i've got your name written here in a rose tattoo"
<uSeaGM> Up on the bridge there are dozens of consoles and panels lined with shiny buttons and levers. The captain's chair is in a central position and the ship's wheel is situated towards the front, giving its user a good view from the forward windows.
* Milia stares at Whisper's bashful display. "...the floor isn't going to save you from explaining this, dude. /Maybe/ if you had an escape hatch installed or something, but we haven't been on this boat long enough for that."
* BerryLaBelle arrives on the bridge and sits there, listening for a while to what the others say
<Whisper> "I, uh, well, me and Mercy talked a little bit. And, um, she and I kinda...you know...sorta...maybe, a little bit...," he finishes in a tiny squeak, looking Milia in the eye nervously, "like each other?"
* Prism starts mentioning that the surroundings seem like the memory orb.
<uSeaGM> Mercy nods. "Yes, Whsiper was the first to show respect for my mighty awesome powers! So I like him."
* Whisper blushes again. "Yes. Um. And Mercy was the first anything female that's ever been interested in me like...like that. She's, um, growing on me."
* Milia raises an eyebrow at Whisper's comment. She recalls back to a certain incident on the pier... "...literally, I imagine, if you play your cards right." she adds.
* Whisper 's eyes go wide. "Wait, /literally/? Um, I'm not sure I want another pony's head sprouting from my shoulder or anything."
* Milia facehooves. "I mean she can grow big, you dork!"
* Milia looks down to Mercy. "...you can do that again, right? That wasn't like a one time thing I wasted on you torching my severed leg, right?"
* Prism watches Genie pilot the ship.  "So you alright?"
* Whisper looks embarassed. "Right. That's what you meant. Sorry. That was stupid of me."
<uSeaGM> Mercy shakes her head. "No, I can do it again. But I have to be standing next to you." She pauses then adds, "And Whisper wanted a big pony hug from a friend with benefits, or something like that."
<Jack> "Pony mouth hug?"
* Whisper turns bright red again. "Mercy...," he says in strangled voice, "there's...certain things we ponies generally keep, uh, private."
<uSeaGM> Genie smiles at Prism. "I still feel bad from before. I'd like to appologise to everypony."
* Artifica smiles at that and refrains from a snicker.
* Logic_ is now known as Logic
* Milia gapes, slowly turning her head over to Whisper. She then lets out a loud, barking laugh, showing considerably less restraint than her marefriend. "Bold, Whisper. Bold."
<uSeaGM> "Mouth hug? Like this?" Mercy practices on Milia and hugs the zebra's face.
<Jack> "I never expected the lad to be so Bold."
<Jack> "Well...that is kinda...no nothing like that."
* Milia however, then finally connects the dots. "...uh...wait...so if you two /do/ get serious...as absolutely /adorable/ as that would be...and you can only get big next to -mmphhhfmphfmhfphfmhfhphf"
* Jack whispers an explanation into Mercy's ear.
* Whisper blushes again, this time blinking back tears. "W-well, you and Artifica...a-and I've never...just gimme a break here!"
* BerryLaBelle "well.... it was the point of the thing from the beginning, right? why should we give him porn magazines if we didn't want him to be bold?"
<Jack> "and THAT is a pony mouth hug."
<uSeaGM> Mercy stares at Jack incredulously.
<Jack> "and that might be something you can do tiny."
<Prism> "I still don't see why you should apologize.  You were very much in the right."
* Whisper looks nervously at Jack. "Jack...what did you tell her?"
* Jack winks to Mercy. "Maybe you'll see"
* Whisper becomes even more nervous. "Jack, the last time you did something to help me I woke up puking my guts out with a massive headache."
<Jack> "I also talked to Mercy."
<uSeaGM> Genie shakes her head. "I should never have lost my temper." She calls out to attract the attention of the group that was busy educating an innocent spirit about birds and bees. "Everyone, I wanted to appologise for shouting at you earlier. I know you didn't mean any harm by it."
* Jack tuts. "you'd think I never did a buck a favo."
* Jack looks to Genie. "You were doing yer Job Lass. Nothing to apologize over."
* BerryLaBelle tilts her head "you shouted at us?" is confused
* Whisper doesn't even look at Genie, he's too busy being dumbstruck and worried. "It's fine," he absentmindedly says.
* BerryLaBelle trots to ganie and pats her on a hoofie "there, there.... don't worry, everypony has her bad day." then hugs the mare's leg "see? we're friends again, and to show you i'm sincere, i'll give you the special status of nap perch. it's something i onl give to my friends." then yawns "nap time" climbs on genie's back, curls and naps
* Logic_ is now known as Logic
<uSeaGM> Genie 'Eeps' in surprise at being used as a nap perch. "Thanks, I'm glad you can forgive me. Hmm, she's quite cute when she's being quiet."
<uSeaGM> She smiles at Prism. "I feel much better now."
* Prism smiles back.  "I'm glad.   Didn't realize it was eating at you that much."
<uSeaGM> “No harm was done. If we were in danger then the sonar would have picked it up before we reached it.” She continues to smile serenely but her expression fades into a puzzled frown. “Now that I mention it, we should be able to hear the sonar going right now...”
<Prism> "Is it functioning properly?"
<uSeaGM> She trots carefully over to a console and freezes. “The sonar is off! When? How? Ahh! Contacts below the water, we're going to plow right through a swarm of them!”
<uSeaGM> **End of Session for Group 4**