Session 7

(2:43:56 PM) ApricotCordial: == Session #7 Start ==
(2:45:06 PM) ApricotCordial: It's a brand new fall day on the Whinnysota plains!  After a hearty breakfast of hot barley and all the tea they could drink, the trio is faced with.... Whatever it is they want to do today.
(2:50:16 PM) ***Shim informs the party that at somepoint when they return to town. That she is going to take a personal evening. Just so they aren't caught unaware.
(2:52:05 PM) ***Nessa tries to stow that can of Equestrian Army paint inside or with Red Alert. She'll get her painted later. When they aren't about to travel vast distances on hoof.
(2:53:10 PM) ***Arcadia trots in a few minutes after breakfast had started, having bathed happily in that pool of radioactive water that Fondant had pointed out and then waited outside for a bit to keep her radiation bleed stable out. "Aaahh! This feels much better!" She was even glowing a little bit!
(2:53:31 PM) ApricotCordial: Red Alert has a handy set of webbing hardpoints for just such occasions!
(2:54:03 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant waves good morning to her and sets a plate of hot grain mush on the table at Arcadia's empty seat!
(2:54:13 PM) ***Nessa keeps her distance from Arcadia with a grimace, PipBuck clicking...
(2:54:14 PM) Shim: "You're positively glowing." Shim goes for the low hangy fruit of jokes
(2:56:51 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant then proceeds to stay very far away from the alicorn.
(2:57:21 PM) Nessa: "'Morning," Nessa says.
(2:57:39 PM) ***Shim doesn't mind the glowing too much...as stated she seems safe enough.
(2:58:26 PM) ***Arcadia carefully takes the plate with her magic, keeping a short distance from everypony else. "Sorry about the radiation, I can't help but bleed off a little bit at a tiime."
(2:59:36 PM) Shim: "I learned to cut myself to bleed it off faster when I didn't which to irradiate others."
(3:01:03 PM) ***Nessa asks Cake Fondant about a weapon for Red Alert.
(3:01:59 PM) ***Nessa before heading off to resume work on the prosthetic for Mousse.
(3:02:29 PM) Shim: "It is unpleasant...but it gets the job done."
(3:02:56 PM) ApricotCordial: Their hostess indicates via text she'll have it whenever Nessa asks for it.
(3:10:23 PM) ***Arcadia takes a bite of the mush, humming quietly. "Not the most flavorful, but it's not bad. And Shimmer, I... tend to bleed off faster if I'm damaged."
(3:10:51 PM) Shim: "That was what I was saying." Shim says.
(3:11:27 PM) ***Shim smiles. "It helps when traveling with others that are not similiarly endowed."
(3:12:42 PM) ***Nessa saws, files and cuts wood, metal and cloth into a set of prosthetic legs.
(3:13:31 PM) Arcadia: "Wouldn't that be a bad thing, considering present company? At least like this, my bleed is barely above background levels in most areas. Only a little bit every hour. Plus, I feel so much more powerful already!" She beams, before taking another big bite of mush. "Besides, the extra power will be very useful if we run into anything else that wants to fight, much outweighing the penalties of barely perceptible radiation increase."
(3:15:25 PM) Shim: "The process is more internalized when healing as the energy is consumed." Shimmer says. She'd probably be considerably more uncomfortable if she weren't similiarly endowed.
(3:15:50 PM) ApricotCordial: Keep in mind, everyone, you are surrounded by small children :I
(3:16:42 PM) ApricotCordial: Most of them seem to be not  paying attention to Arcadia and Shimmer's discussion, but Nessa has drawn the oldest filly and a few of her siblings to watch her mechanical workings.
(3:19:34 PM) ***Nessa works steadily.
(3:20:09 PM) Nessa: The littlepones might be able to pick-up a thing or two if they watch closely.
(3:20:58 PM) ***Arcadia tilts her head slightly, too engrossed in conversation to notice much else. "I don't know about that. But then, I haven't paid attention to how exactly my body purges radiation. It's still more beneficial for me to hold onto it as long as possible. I really doubt it's very dangerous to anyone not already rad-sick."
(3:22:39 PM) ApricotCordial: That seems to be the point!  They're seeing exactly what Nessa's knows and how she's applying it!
(3:28:27 PM) ***Nessa seems receptive to questions.
(3:28:48 PM) ***Nessa ... but if the foals start asking too many, she'll remind them that she's on a bit of a schedule.
(3:31:49 PM) ApricotCordial: Time passes.... Fondant cleans up the table, chases around some dirty foals and herds them towards the bathroom!  Arcadia and Shimmer are left alone.
(3:32:41 PM) ApricotCordial: The oldest asks a few about her adhesives.
(3:32:43 PM) ***Shim does her best to pass the time in a fruitful manner!...mostly talking to the few foals that weren't enamored by Nessa's awesome skills!
(3:33:09 PM) ***Arcadia whistles a little to herself, bobbing her head to the tune, which anyone receptive to her telepathic link could catch as a vague musical tune
(3:35:44 PM) ***Nessa says she's just using the materials she found buried in the detritus.
(3:36:40 PM) ***Nessa says part of her Ranger training involved cultivating resourcefulness.
(3:37:04 PM) ApricotCordial: Little pones nod!
(3:37:15 PM) ***Nessa ... because supply-lines can collapse, but ponies still need help. So she uses what's available.
(3:38:02 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer actually finds that the majority were hearded off for baths by their mother; only a few lucky escapees are sitting downstairs with Nessa and a few playing in the living room!  They're more then happy to chat with pretty magical princess mares!
(3:38:09 PM) ApricotCordial: *Shimmer and Arcadia
(3:38:17 PM) ***Nessa says she can make all kinds of herbal remedies or purify medicines out of natural sources.
(3:38:39 PM) ***Nessa ... which is why she's been asking for various kinds of healing herbs.
(3:38:52 PM) ***Shim giggles softly. "I'm not a princess...though I'm happy you think I'm so pretty"
(3:39:59 PM) ApricotCordial: Younger pones are quietly impressed!
(3:41:15 PM) ApricotCordial: One colt chimes up that they don't see fancy city ponies very often!  They're all so big and clean and shiny, so they gotta be important.
(3:45:34 PM) ***Nessa sighs as she files and bends scrap metal, and runs wiring and places servomotors inside the chassis she constructs.
(3:45:39 PM) Shim: "I'm...not terribly big...and Arcadia...is kind of a rare example hereself."
(3:45:42 PM) Shim: herself*
(3:46:12 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant eventually returns to the main room, splashed with water and damp, tromping downstairs with a gaggle of clean foals spilling downstairs into the outside after her~
(3:46:47 PM) ***Nessa smiles as she watches Fondant go by, back to caring for her foals...
(3:49:06 PM) ApricotCordial: Their maternal host wiggles a hoof chidingly at her brood, before disappearing down an alley as they scatter around with shouts and giggles to a game of hide-and-seek.
(3:51:38 PM) ApricotCordial: Little pones nod, but don't seem to really absorb Shimmer's lesson.
(3:52:04 PM) ***Shim is happy to keep trying to teach though
(3:55:35 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant returns after twenty minutes or so with a bundle across her back!
(3:55:51 PM) ApricotCordial: The foals seem pretty insistent that Arcadia's a princess!
(3:58:02 PM) ***Arcadia blushes a little at the idea. "O-Oh no, no... Little ones, I'm not a princess..."
(4:03:56 PM) Nessa: As Fondant walks back in, Nessa sits back and assesses the work of her hooves...
(4:15:13 PM) ApricotCordial: Little foals hmmf and frown, not exactly willing to give up the fight but conceding for now that Arcadia might be right....
(4:16:05 PM) ***Arcadia folds her ears back. "I'm sorry if I'm not what you want, dears... But I'm really just a pony, a little different admittedly... But just like you, now."
(4:17:13 PM) ApricotCordial: Little ponies don't seem disuaded that much.  They give sad giant mare a hug, at least.
(4:18:43 PM) ***Arcadia smiles and wraps those massive wings of hers around the little ponies, doing her best to hug all of them at once!
(4:19:13 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa has done some good work it seems....  Fondant steps up beside her, peering down with a studied expression.
(4:21:38 PM) ApricotCordial: She sets the bundle on the table in front of Nessa.
(4:22:41 PM) Nessa: "Is that it?" Nessa asks Fondant.
(4:23:17 PM) ApricotCordial: She nods.
(4:23:39 PM) ***Nessa takes a peek.
(4:28:30 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa has done a pretty good job considering the time and materials available to her.  While no world beater, she's given the crippled filly her mobility back with her creations.
(4:30:07 PM) ApricotCordial: She, on the otherhand, unwraps a very battered light machine gun, one with the stock removed and trigger mechanism replaced with the appropriate linkages for a battle saddle!
(4:30:35 PM) ***Nessa mmms!
(4:31:12 PM) ***Arcadia releases her little posse of ponies, peeking over to look at what was in the bundle herself.
(4:31:58 PM) ApricotCordial: Foals scatter when Arcadia lets them go, waving farewell as they run outside to join their siblings!  Nessa and Fondant are downstairs, below Shimmer and Arcadia.  If the group wishes to reunite they'll have to go downstairs.
(4:32:49 PM) ***Arcadia does so, departing down the stairs with a giggle as her graceful steps cause the boards to creak
(4:33:55 PM) ***Nessa thanks Fondant~
(4:34:22 PM) ***Nessa ... and says that Mousse will have to practice with her prosthetic every day if she wants to get any good at using it.
(4:34:30 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant nods somberly.
(4:35:24 PM) ApricotCordial: She adds that Nessa is welcome!  She has no ammunition for the weapon, but that it's in 5.56 EA which isn't difficult to find!
(4:35:24 PM) ***Nessa says it should probably last a year before she outgrows it. Then they might want to talk about cyberlimbs, or possibly some kind of restoration magic.
(4:35:48 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant nods again!
(4:36:57 PM) ***Nessa says that it's hard to find a good doctor-unicorn who's accessible -- price wise -- but natural limbs are orders of magnitude more efficient than cyberlimbs.
(4:37:42 PM) Arcadia: "I take it the little filly is going to be alright?" the alicorn asks as she steps to the floor. "That's good. She deserves a chance..."
(4:37:54 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant signals her awareness of the fact.
(4:38:21 PM) ApricotCordial: She turns aside enough to look towards Arcadia and presumably Shim.
(4:39:18 PM) ***Arcadia smiles, a soft and somber look. "Thank you again for the meal, miss."
(4:39:18 PM) ***Nessa lifts the LMG up and walks it over to Red Alert, where she promptly begins attaching it to the robot's weapon hardpoints.
(4:39:51 PM) ApricotCordial: The earth pony mare waves a hoof!  She tells Arcadia to think nothing of it!
(4:41:48 PM) ***Shim waves back again. "We...are gllad we could help as much as we did..."
(4:42:53 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant signals her apology again in text, and her appreciation for their help on a level she can not repay!  That being said, she hopes that the results of their act of mercy will stay with them as they adventure...
(4:43:38 PM) ***Arcadia giggles musically. "Still, it was more than most would have done."
(4:47:35 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant agrees with Arcadia and expresses her appreciation from all her children as well for their generosity!
(4:48:03 PM) ***Nessa patpats Red Alert and checks to see if she can properly recognize her new armament.
(4:48:58 PM) ApricotCordial: Robot hums and whirs!  It really looks likes she's mated with her new weapon system!
(4:49:44 PM) Nessa: "All lights green, and now you look /much/ more intimidating..."
(4:49:52 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs her wings. "It's what was right, miss. We're trying to do better."
(4:50:12 PM) ApricotCordial: Red Alert beeps back at Nessa!
(4:50:29 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant nods approvingly!  She asks if they're getting ready to leave?
(4:51:51 PM) ***Nessa writes-up some quick instructions/pointers for the cyberlimbs, gives Fondant her PipBuck tag in case something goes terribly wrong and she needs help, and then that's it! She's ready to depart.
(4:51:58 PM) ***Arcadia nods. "If my companions are ready, we'll leave shortly. Thank you again for your hospitality."
(4:52:08 PM) Shim: "We are sadly...but we will do our best to visit"
(4:52:32 PM) ApricotCordial: Fondant indicates she's willing to have them over any time!
(4:57:16 PM) ***Arcadia gives Fondant a gracious bow. "We'll see about stopping by on our way back to town."
(4:57:28 PM) ***Nessa asks her companions if they can do a little scavenging for herbs before they leave the relative safety of Fondant's place.
(4:58:00 PM) Arcadia: "I might not be much help with that, Nessa, but I can do my best."
(5:06:32 PM) ApricotCordial: The ponies depart Fondant's house amid a chorus of shouts!  Fondant gives Nessa a few directions to places she's seen herbs growing and her best wishes!
(5:07:38 PM) ***Arcadia turns to wave towards the group, smiling brightly as she walks down the road.
(5:07:54 PM) ***Nessa follows-up on those pointers!
(5:08:19 PM) ***Shim waves alongside Arcadia until they've departed a good distance. "I...am happy that ended as well as it did..."
(5:10:23 PM) ***Arcadia nods. "We are too. I was hoping to talk our way away, but... This was better. Somewhat."
(5:13:01 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa finds the way easily enough with Fondant's directions!  It turns out there were quite a few herbs in the old apartment building's garden that Fondant pointed her too; even better it isn't far off their northern track.
(5:14:20 PM) ***Nessa is pleased! This should definitely help recover some of the resources they used saving the foals...
(5:20:11 PM) ***Shim does her best to help gather...but she isn't likely much help!
(5:21:11 PM) ApricotCordial: The gang altogether gathers quite a bundle of dirty little root bundles of hidden healing powers!
(5:21:49 PM) ***Nessa cleans up their harvest and gingerly finds a safe place in her pack. They can process it later.
(5:37:01 PM) ***Arcadia really has no idea what they do! She's a bit clueless when it comes to alchemy
(5:38:59 PM) Shim: "We should try and make some progress to the dome...that or the military base."
(5:40:05 PM) ApricotCordial: Fort Ripple is along the path they've charted!  The Pip-Buck icon is still pointing Nessa north along the banks of the river through the destroyed city.
(5:40:17 PM) Nessa: "We... /are/ heading to the base," Nessa says, looking up from her PipBuck.
(5:40:30 PM) Nessa: "Fort Ripple."
(5:42:15 PM) Arcadia: "Could we do a quick look around? We... Need something faster than our magic. What if we're ambushed again? "
(5:43:09 PM) Nessa: "Alright. And if you find any 5.56mm EA, let me know," Nessa says.
(5:44:54 PM) ***Arcadia does a quick nod, her horn flaring up as she summons a small black storm cloud. "Will do. One minute..." She says, leaving the cloud near her companions as she wanders off to search
(5:45:50 PM) ***Nessa looks around as well.
(5:49:36 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia and Nessa both prowl the surrounding blocks.  They find that they're in a mostly ruined residential housing project.  Big housing blocks rise high above them, too large to easily search and in many cases to decayed to do so safely.  All in all the two mares find very little.  Nessa finds some irradiated water, a few hoofballs, a baseball, an unopened pack of scented votive candles.
(5:50:31 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia nearly falls through an abandoned, very much looted gun shop's floor.  In the process she finds what might once have been a plasma rifle that appears to have had a catastrophic failure, slagging itself.  She also finds some irradiated water and an unopened, warm Sparkle-Cola.
(5:51:38 PM) ***Arcadia grumbles mentally about dumb holes and exploded guns, snatches up what little she found, and wanders her way back to where she left her cloud
(5:52:08 PM) ***Nessa figures she'll give the water to Arcadia, discards the hoofballs, keeps the baseball 'cause it might make for a good distraction, and opens the candles to give them a smell.
(5:56:08 PM) ApricotCordial: They are melon scented!  Or at least what pre-war ponies called 'Watermelon'
(5:56:55 PM) Nessa: "... not bad," Nessa says, returning to where Shim and Red Alert were holding position.
(5:58:04 PM) ApricotCordial: The trio are reunited?
(5:59:12 PM) ***Arcadia hops up onto her cloud, still looking a little grumpy. "I was hoping for something better... But I guess we're a little late for scavenging."
(6:00:28 PM) Nessa: "I wasn't expecting much. Found a baseball, though," she says.
(6:00:34 PM) Nessa: "So we can mess around with that."
(6:03:04 PM) ***Arcadia perks up a little. "Baseball?" Cue a quick flood of dirty thoughts through her link while she blushes furiously, stammering and attempting to clear her mind of such... Lewd things!
(6:03:59 PM) Nessa: "... what?" Nessa gives Arcadia a weird look.
(6:04:38 PM) ***Arcadia flushes deeper. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all! Pretend we're not here, and that you didn't just see all of that!"
(6:06:09 PM) Nessa: "I seriously don't get it," Nessa says.
(6:07:21 PM) ***Arcadia hides her face in her cloud. "J-Just pretend nothing happened... Please?"
(6:08:24 PM) Nessa: "Oooooookaaaaaaaaaay?" Nessa walks away from Arcadia to give her robot a few pats...
(6:08:41 PM) ApricotCordial: Robot swivels to stare at Nessa!
(6:09:44 PM) ***Arcadia mutters about many things, including dumb hormones. That's one thing that she's missing from Unity. It's so weird!
(6:10:10 PM) Nessa: "I have no idea what she's talking about. I tuned her out about an hour back when she started... 'experimenting' with mental humming," Nessa whispers to Red Alert.
(6:10:29 PM) ApricotCordial: Robot makes an alert boop!
(6:15:26 PM) ***Arcadia perks up a little at the boop-sound.
(6:15:53 PM) ApricotCordial: Red Alert seems to have been acknowledging whatever Nessa was whispering to her.
(6:18:55 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia and Nessa are left standing alone, waiting for Shimmer to return from whatever she disappeared to do!
(6:19:51 PM) ***Arcadia flicks her ears and starts humming again, tugging her scarf around tighter upon her neck
(7:04:58 PM) Nessa is now known as Shellac
(7:17:20 PM) Shellac is now known as Nessa
(7:23:29 PM) ApricotCordial: Shim wakes up from her nap, or whatever she's been doing, and joins Arcadia and Nessa?
(7:24:16 PM) ***Arcadia is very surprised she didn't give Shim a wet dream! She was still flushed and everything!
(7:24:32 PM) ***Shim mostly looks confused.
(7:25:18 PM) Shim: "I...had the strangest daydream..."
(7:27:31 PM) ApricotCordial: The party has options!  On their way through town they passed a bridge across the river that looks like it leads to the distant strip of asphalt they can see headed north on the other shore of the Missipony.... Or they could just head off due north through what seems to be rolling fallow fields of barrel-high grass!
(7:28:34 PM) ***Shim does seem a bit flustered because that does amuse me!
(7:28:52 PM) ***Arcadia is pushing along her cloud. "So, uh... Which way are we headed? We were going to the military base, right?"
(7:29:49 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa's Pip-Buck is pointing her up along this side of the river.
(7:29:59 PM) Nessa: "Yes. We are headed to the base. I'm leading us to the base," Nessa says.
(7:31:04 PM) ***Arcadia perks up a little. "Great! I'm hoping to find something that I can use in case we're ambushed." She glances down at her cloud. "And that I don't need to be outside to create."
(7:31:51 PM) Nessa: "I'm hoping we'll avoid any ambushes along the way," Nessa mutters.
(7:33:19 PM) Shim: "Well...if you're proficient with fire arms...I can let you borrow my shotgun."
(7:33:24 PM) Nessa: "Bridges are the perfect places to set-up a 'toll booth'," Nessa says.
(7:33:37 PM) Shim: "I can still turn invisible if worst comes to worst."
(7:33:41 PM) ***Arcadia rolls her eyes. "Hope isn't going to make it impossible to ambush us. We're not stealthy in the least as a group. I'm a monster to most ponies here, you're controlling a mechanical stomping machine... I'm pretty sure only Shimmer there is even capable of stealth."
(7:34:03 PM) Nessa: "So we can follow the road across that bridge," Nessa says. "Or we can head along through the fields until we find another crossing."
(7:34:15 PM) ***Arcadia glances at Shim. "I... Would prefer something larger. I feel more comfortable with something like a missile launcher.
(7:35:28 PM) Shim: "oh..."
(7:36:35 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs, pushing her little cloud. "Yeah... I tend to, well... Make small things explode in my face."
(7:38:43 PM) Shim: "Stallions must love you." Shimmer tries to make a joke to cover her slight disappointment. "and Nessa if you like I can take a look at the bridge."
(7:38:53 PM) Shim: "ahead of the group to avoid any 'tolll booths'"
(7:39:04 PM) Nessa: "Yeah. That'd probably save us a lot of time," Nessa says.
(7:39:50 PM) ***Shim casts a spell and shimmers out of sight! Before hurrying toward the direction of the bridge!
(7:41:42 PM) ***Arcadia blinks. "Why would stallions love me...?"
(7:42:02 PM) Nessa: "That was a dick joke," Nessa helpfully informs Arcadia.
(7:42:11 PM) ApricotCordial: The bridge curves across the river from a short approach ramp!  As Shimmer scampers along through the ruins it slowly looms over her head!  It looks intact from below.
(7:42:29 PM) Nessa: "You know. 'Cause stallions--" Nessa mimes finishing-off a hoofjob.
(7:42:46 PM) Nessa: "Pew-pew..."
(7:43:44 PM) ***Arcadia tilts her head. "I don't... Oh... Oh!" And there go her cheeks again, burning bright red!
(7:47:15 PM) Nessa: "Yeaaaaaah. There you go," Nessa remarks nonchalantly as she goes back to reading the map.
(7:48:26 PM) ***Arcadia folds her ears back and clambers up onto her cloud, digging her head inside a small mound and whining in embarrassment
(7:49:16 PM) ApricotCordial: Time passes as Shimmer investigates the bridge....
(7:51:07 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer returns after fifteen or twenty minutes the same way she came through the overgrown woods along the river bank, empty except for abandoned junk, trash, and some partially buried skeletons.
(7:52:45 PM) Shim: "It's clear!" Shimmer says from no where in particular. "I even made a little bit of noise to be sure that I didn't miss anything that was looming and looking....all there was was a tiny lizard I accidentally scared off by kicikg that can."
(7:53:06 PM) ***Arcadia peeks out of her cloud. "CLear? Okay, so... That way then?"
(7:53:33 PM) ***Shim nods. "Also...you look like an adorably fluffy turtle poking your head out of the cloud like that."
(7:54:32 PM) ***Arcadia huffs, her cheeks still red as a tomato. "Hey, I can still shoot lighting at you!" She yells. "If I could see you..."
(7:55:22 PM) Shim: "aww..."
(7:55:42 PM) Nessa: "Let's head on over," Nessa says.
(7:56:13 PM) ***Arcadia is a bit grousy and grumbly about the joke, but she'll get over it. A few flaps of her wings sends her cloud-fortress towards Nessa as they head out
(7:57:34 PM) ApricotCordial: The trio can at least head the same way Shimmer had gone the first time, into the thin fringe of woods that get's deeper.  They have to watch where they place their hooves to avoid the heavy layer of rusting junk; cans, appliances, shopping carts...
(7:58:22 PM) ApricotCordial: By the time they're almost to the bridge on-ramp they pass through a heavily vegetated clearing.... There are a dozen or so standing stones in rows at the far end, almost covered by the sparse, dying grass.
(7:58:39 PM) ***Arcadia is happily floating a few feet above the ground! It's great for giving those hooves a rest~
(7:58:43 PM) ***Nessa hrms.
(7:59:06 PM) ***Arcadia pokes her head out of the cloud. "Did you find something?"
(7:59:18 PM) ***Shim reappears soon enough!
(8:02:53 PM) Nessa: "... what's with the stones?" Nessa asks, pointing to them.
(8:02:57 PM) ApricotCordial: The road and bridge are visible ahead.  The group can see the bridge looks to be in pretty good shape from where they're walking below it!
(8:03:38 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs. "I dunno... They don't look particularly... Normal."
(8:04:19 PM) Shim: "Tombstones." Shimmer says. 'They didn't really bare mentioning..."
(8:04:40 PM) Nessa: "Oh."
(8:04:51 PM) Arcadia: "Eh... Not super interesting then. Shall we just... Head over the bridge
(8:04:55 PM) Nessa: "... Rangers cremate their dead," Nessa says, walking on.
(8:04:55 PM) Arcadia: *>"
(8:05:55 PM) ApricotCordial: As they step out onto the bridge apron, the group can see a cluster of burned out shacks at the apex of this side!  Approaching, their hooves have to be placed carefully if they want to avoid the piles of ash that seem to be dotted around.
(8:06:52 PM) ***Nessa mmms softly as she sees the burnt-up homes.
(8:07:08 PM) ***Shim sighs softly and does her best not to be the empathetic bug she was.
(8:07:34 PM) Arcadia: "Is this normal for this area...? That looks like a lot of fire was used..."
(8:08:32 PM) ApricotCordial: Near the top the damage to the bridge span becomes obvious; it looks like the center span collapsed, or was destroyed.  In its place is a wooden truss structure that looks surprisingly sturdy for wasteland construction.
(8:09:10 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can't really tell much from this ash.... There's enough to them that it could have been flame weapons or magical sources that wrought the destruction.
(8:12:06 PM) Nessa: "I don't know if this kind of thing happens often. That'd be a question for Shimmer," Nessa says.
(8:12:26 PM) ApricotCordial: It appears as they trot/float along that Shimmer's report was accurate; doesn't look like anyone's decided to claim this bridge for their own.
(8:12:48 PM) ***Arcadia climbs out of her cloud and hums softly. "This doesn't really sit right with me... It feels too quiet."
(8:12:50 PM) Shim: "Well..."
(8:13:19 PM) Shim: "It's not been on my trade routes for a long time for a reason..."
(8:13:23 PM) Shim: "It's a violent area..."
(8:14:08 PM) ApricotCordial: The bridge stands waiting for them to cross!
(8:14:38 PM) ***Nessa wonders if Red Alert will be able to make it across.
(8:14:56 PM) ApricotCordial: Robohorse has thumped along in their wake, her head swivelling side to side.
(8:15:09 PM) ***Shim crosses the bridge.
(8:15:36 PM) Shim: "I...think st. Cloud though...was struck by a disease epidemic..."
(8:15:57 PM) ***Nessa hrms...
(8:16:01 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa could probably guess that the bridge would hold a pony in power armor, so it'd probably hold her much less heavy robot.
(8:16:29 PM) ***Arcadia pushes her cloud across. "Disease... Fun..." She mutters.
(8:17:14 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia's high enough to see fog still clinging to the river north of them, and in low spots along the road.
(8:18:06 PM) ***Arcadia raises a forehoof above her brow. "Huh... Still a lot of fog, considering the time..."
(8:18:50 PM) Nessa: "Well. We're burning daylight," Nessa says. "Let's cross."
(8:19:06 PM) ***Nessa beckons for Red Alert to come with as she heads on.
(8:19:12 PM) ApricotCordial: It's early afternoon, but the weather is overcast and cold.
(8:19:17 PM) ApricotCordial: The Robot follows Nessa
(8:19:52 PM) ***Shim was already across.
(8:20:01 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer crosses easily and finds herself on the other bank in short order, followed by Nessa, Arcadia, and Red Alert.
(8:20:06 PM) ***ApricotCordial knows, yes)
(8:20:10 PM) ***Arcadia tugs her scarf tighter. "This just doesn't seem right to me... Call it mare's intuition. But..." she shrugs. "I guess we're not gonna avoid it if we just sit around."
(8:20:54 PM) ApricotCordial: The four lanes of cracked asphalt weaves north through the woods that have been steadily overtaking it for centuries.
(8:22:09 PM) Shim: "I would agree...we should keep going..."
(8:22:30 PM) ***Nessa sighs and activates her EFS as their visibility starts getting restricted by terrain and weather...
(8:22:47 PM) Nessa: "Wonder if we're going to run into more of those... wild ponies," Nessa remarks.
(8:23:27 PM) ApricotCordial: The EFS shows nothing at the moment; Arcadia and Shimmer can't see anything in the brush around them, for now at least.
(8:24:55 PM) ***Arcadia shivers in the cold mist. "I don't like this weather..."
(8:26:47 PM) Nessa: "Yep," Nessa sighs, but her winterized clothing provides some insulation against the chill.
(8:26:52 PM) Shim: "I do not blame you...but laying on a damp storm cloud will not help with the cold."
(8:27:08 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa's Pip-Buck arrow swings slightly to point north and at a slight angle across the river.
(8:27:39 PM) ***Arcadia grumbles. "But I wanna keep it with me... It's so shocky~!"
(8:28:30 PM) Shim: "Remind me to get you a spark battery and some clamps at somepoint..."
(8:28:50 PM) ***Arcadia blinks. "... Do I want to know why?"
(8:29:08 PM) Shim: "if you like the cloud because it's shocky"
(8:29:26 PM) ApricotCordial: The three are all dressed well enough that while they know it's chill, they feel no ill effects!  They trot along steadily, eating up ground as they move north along the river, in and out of drifting chill banks of fog.
(8:29:39 PM) Arcadia: "It is! It's full of lightning!"
(8:30:01 PM) ***Arcadia sniffs at the fog... Gathers up a little in her hoof... And takes a curious bite.
(8:30:23 PM) ApricotCordial: It tastes a bit... Acidic.
(8:31:19 PM) ***Arcadia grimaces and spits a few times. "Bleh... Yuck! Note to self... Don't eat mysterious fog."
(8:32:02 PM) ***Nessa leads where her PipBuck points, but keeps checking it against the larger region map.
(8:32:32 PM) ***Shim pulls her cloak up a bit over her mouth but keeps trotting
(8:32:58 PM) ApricotCordial: They're on the opposite side from their destination marker now, but they're moving steadily up the widest road line in the area!  There aren't any marked on the other side until she scrolls way in.
(8:38:42 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia and Nessa see through the thin fog almost like it wasn't there.  As they come to what looks like a clearing across the road from the river towards the interior, the two mares can see what looks like a terminal in the road.
(8:39:43 PM) ***Nessa raises an eyebrow. That's odd...
(8:40:14 PM) ***Arcadia tilts her head to the side. "Anypony good with computers?"
(8:40:23 PM) ApricotCordial: There's no sign of any infastructure around it;  a thicker patch of fog obscures Shim's view of anything other then the holes in either line of trees.
(8:40:44 PM) ApricotCordial: It doesn't appear to be active, though they're not close enough to get a good look at it yet.
(8:42:18 PM) Arcadia: "Should I fly closer...?"
(8:43:05 PM) Nessa: "Yeah. Careful, though. They can be rigged to blow," Nessa says.
(8:43:43 PM) ***Arcadia nods, pushing her cloud ahead of her as she flutters towards the terminal.
(8:45:03 PM) ApricotCordial: As she gets closer, it resolves into a strange looking design.
(8:45:32 PM) ***Nessa approaches fairly close behind Arcadia.
(8:45:41 PM) ApricotCordial: The body of the terminal looks fairly normal, if brighter in color, but the keyboard looks like it's made of clouds!
(8:47:19 PM) ***Nessa approaches and raises an eyebrow.
(8:47:57 PM) ApricotCordial: It looks to be off.  The screen has a massive crack down the middle.
(8:48:01 PM) ***Arcadia hums a little, placing her cloud to the side as she peers at the terminal. "Huh..."
(8:49:09 PM) ***Shim watches the others unsure of what she should be doing so she trots about keeping an eye out.
(8:50:32 PM) ApricotCordial: The pair examine the terminal... Neither has seen anything like the strange, part-ethereal device before in their experience.  Arcadia is fairly sure that the large crack and slight indentaton in the body means it probably doesn't work.
(8:51:31 PM) Nessa: "... what the fuck /is/ this thing," Nessa says, looking for a PipBuck jack.
(8:51:40 PM) ***Arcadia prods the terminal a couple times in various places. "I think it broke." She then starts tugging a little at the base.
(8:52:26 PM) ApricotCordial: It rattles like a box of scrap when Arcadia pushes on it; Nessa finds a jack on the back beside the dryrotted power cable.
(8:52:50 PM) Nessa: "Well, that's no good," Nessa says.
(8:53:11 PM) Nessa: "... but, honestly, I'm just plain curious now."
(8:53:15 PM) Arcadia: "I was hoping I could take it, but..."
(8:53:48 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer, on the other hand, sees through the drifting fog that the clearing isn't naturally caused.... In the river lies a massive ruined structure.... From way to the interior, across the road, and in the dead ground between there and the river lay a hefty scattering of loose junk and what look like bodies.
(8:54:27 PM) ***Nessa checks to see if the terminal responds to her PipBuck queries.
(8:54:34 PM) ***Shim describes what she sees to the others!
(8:54:35 PM) ApricotCordial: It does not.
(8:55:15 PM) Nessa: "Well, if you lift it up, we could probably get whatever data's left in it. I've got some spark packs and could probably get some juice int-- huh?" Nessa looks over at Shim.
(8:55:21 PM) ***Arcadia lifts her head and blinks at Shim. "Bodies... Should we check it out?"
(8:55:28 PM) ***Nessa heads where Shimmer points.
(8:56:01 PM) Shim: "I suppose we should..." Shimmer seemed quite nervous of the bodies for some reason she can't explain
(8:58:01 PM) ***Nessa heads for the bodies, awed by the sheer size of the disaster...
(8:58:28 PM) ApricotCordial: Whatever it is in the river is barely above water; as the others get closer they can see the larger object Shim saw on a sandbar, tilted over to one side with an open back compartment exposed to the air.
(8:59:19 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia stumbles across the first body; long dead, covered in maggots, the pony's black and gray uniform has partially rotted in the moist weather.
(8:59:28 PM) ApricotCordial: It's hard to tell but it was probably once a pegasus.
(8:59:35 PM) ***Shim gags a bit from the stench.
(8:59:38 PM) ApricotCordial: *but still covered in maggots
(9:00:22 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa and Shimmer find a few more, most of them dressed like the first, and most of them also endowed with wings, or what's left of them.
(9:00:59 PM) ApricotCordial: Several appear to have had them disarticulated at the shoulder, like a butcher would disjoint fowl.
(9:01:57 PM) ApricotCordial: Strangely there are no weapons on any of the corpses.  Drag marks leads towards the river...
(9:02:21 PM) ***Shim can not manage to keep the search up at this point heading back to where she could breath without the stench of death.
(9:02:35 PM) ***Nessa narrows her eyes and tries to judge cause of death... as well as determine what these uniforms mean.
(9:02:38 PM) ApricotCordial: Thankfully the fog seems to keep it fairly localized.
(9:03:54 PM) ***Arcadia wrinkles her nose and gags. "This is disgusting..."
(9:04:07 PM) ApricotCordial: There's strange logos on the caps and tunics of the deceased.
(9:04:29 PM) Nessa: "These are Enclave uniforms," Nessa says. "Grand Pegasus Enclave," she says like the words leave a bad taste on her tongue.
(9:05:29 PM) ***Arcadia tilts her head. "You don't think there's any in my size, do you?"
(9:06:41 PM) ***Nessa heads towards the open compartment of whatever machine it is that's over on a sandbar.
(9:06:44 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can tell on a few that they appear to have been shot, mostly in the body or chest, and at least one shows signs of damage to the throat.
(9:07:27 PM) Nessa: "Violent deaths," Nessa says. "From /before/ they hit the ground."
(9:07:48 PM) Nessa: "Most shot. This one, strangled," she indicates, walking along.
(9:08:00 PM) ***Arcadia flutters her wings and drags her cloud closer. "I'll just keep this close then..."
(9:09:03 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia can see that most of the uniforms are far too small for her.
(9:09:45 PM) ApricotCordial: If they keep going towards the bank, they find the first armored Enclave soldier.  The mare's leg is stuck in a beartrap, the broken end of a spear sticking out of her eye sockets.
(9:09:56 PM) ***Arcadia pouts a little at this revelation. Those uniforms looked really neat! "So... they weren't killed out here?"
(9:11:38 PM) Nessa: "Well, actually, they just didn't die by hitting the ground."
(9:12:19 PM) Nessa: "This mare, for instance, looks like she probably died here," Nessa says about the armored soldier.
(9:12:40 PM) Arcadia: "Oookay then..." She snorts and flutters over. "Huh... I like that armor..."
(9:13:06 PM) Nessa: "You're too big for any of this," Nessa says
(9:13:32 PM) ***Arcadia poouts. "A mare can dream, can't she?"
(9:17:55 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa can't see anything worth salvaging from the armor; it's been damaged in a lot of places by the weather, including burned out servos and the lack of helmet.  Arcadia, on the other hand, sees that the plates themselves are probably salvageable!  While still undersides there's a chance she could do something with the heavy plating even without the frame.
(9:18:26 PM) Nessa: "This armor'll never move again," Nessa sighs.
(9:18:44 PM) Nessa: "Pity."
(9:18:47 PM) ***Arcadia grins and rubs her hooves together. "Okay, stand back... I think I can manage something out of this mess~" She says with immense glee!
(9:19:04 PM) Nessa: "What are you going to do?" Nessa asks.
(9:19:49 PM) Arcadia: "Anything I can. I doubt I can get it in one piece... But I think I can utilize that plating, even if I can't fit inside it."
(9:19:59 PM) ***Nessa hrms...
(9:20:06 PM) Nessa: "You... might be right, there..."
(9:20:38 PM) Nessa: "... but there's no way it's covering all of you. The underarmor is a wreck," Nessa says.
(9:22:00 PM) ApricotCordial: As Arcadia starts pulling and hacking, she finds the same thing; most of the plates are fairly intact but the actual armor set is a complete wreck.
(9:22:33 PM) ApricotCordial: The fog shifts....
(9:22:36 PM) ***Arcadia snorts. "Still, I want it." She mutters, pulling and tugging those plates free.
(9:23:53 PM) ApricotCordial: ....revealing a single bare rough pine pole on the river bank.  From mid-way to the top skulls with scraps of flesh clinging to them rest on the stumps of branches that were shorn off.  At the top sits a power armor helmet in front of a massive fan of wingbones and rotten feathers.
(9:24:07 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia feels nothing whatsoever.... Nessa feels a nagging discomfort.
(9:25:01 PM) ***Arcadia whistles along as she works, stashing plates into her pack as soon as she frees them from the scrapped frame. "Maybe I can find enough to make my own set..."
(9:25:30 PM) ***Nessa mmms uncomfortably...
(9:26:47 PM) ApricotCordial: It's likely Shimmer can see it in the distance, but not well enough to feel the nagging dread the macabre sculpture causes.
(9:26:51 PM) Nessa: "... I think we might not be safe here," Nessa says to Arcadia.
(9:27:12 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia gets all she's going to get!  About twenty pounds of useable armor plate.
(9:27:14 PM) ***Shim wouldn't touch that pole with an equal lengt one
(9:27:40 PM) ***Arcadia lifts an ear and twists it to focus on Nessa. "But I'm almost done! Just one more..." She pulls it free with a metallic scraping sound. "Aha!"
(9:28:00 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa is close enough the river now to see that the beached machine is an enclave sky carriage!  It looks like there are more bodies around it.
(9:28:51 PM) ***Nessa draws her other pistol from its holster-- the one she hasn't yet drawn around Arcadia and Shim.
(9:29:39 PM) ***Arcadia whistles happily and adjusts her pack around to keep those plates from scratching together. "Anyways... Why do you feel like it's not safe?"
(9:29:44 PM) ***Nessa It looks vaguely like a pocket-sized tesla coil with a pistol grip and trigger attached at the base.
(9:30:09 PM) Nessa: "Because those wings are fresh," Nessa says, still eyeing the grisly effigy.
(9:30:22 PM) ***Nessa walks towards the sky carriage. To loot it.
(9:31:05 PM) ***Arcadia blinks a bit. "Wings? What do you mean...?"
(9:31:18 PM) ***Arcadia still hasn't turned around to look at the effigy.
(9:32:42 PM) Nessa: "There's a pole with a bunch of chopped-up pony parts arranged into some kind of symbol," Nessa says.
(9:33:17 PM) ***Arcadia blinks a couple more times. "It's right behind me isn't it?"
(9:34:16 PM) ApricotCordial: The sky carriage is in the river.
(9:34:45 PM) Nessa: "Actually, it's right in front of you," Nessa says.
(9:34:58 PM) ApricotCordial: She's either going to have to wade or swim out to it.  Barring the much larger sunken machine that descends down to the muddy depths close to shore...
(9:35:38 PM) ***Arcadia lifts her head and blinks. "... Oh. Well then..."
(9:35:48 PM) Nessa: "Hmm. I could swim out there, or you could fly out there," Nessa says to Arcadia.
(9:35:57 PM) Nessa: "Which should it be?" she asks.
(9:36:19 PM) ***Arcadia turns her head to blink at Nessa. "Fly out where? To the crashed thingy in the river?"
(9:37:27 PM) Nessa: "Yeah. Might have something worth taking," Nessa says.
(9:41:50 PM) ApricotCordial: It looks like there's more armor and gear around the downed aircraft!
(9:42:39 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs and spreads her wings, pushing her cloud over with her as she goes to investigate the aircraft. "What is this thing, anyways?"
(9:43:16 PM) Nessa: "Sky wagon. Aerial vehicle," Nessa says. "The Enclave uses a lot of them."
(9:44:53 PM) Arcadia: "So should I try and not break things over here?" She calls back
(9:45:25 PM) Nessa: "Look for energy cells, batteries, bullets, medicine... all that good stuff."
(9:45:28 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia lands among a bunch of... Empty armor suits.  They look like they were ripped open with some sort of toothed weapon.  There are no bodies to be seen but plenty of blood.
(9:45:32 PM) ***Shim shouts from wherever she is. "What is taking you all so long?"
(9:46:04 PM) ***Arcadia shivers a little. "Uh... There's a lot of torn open armor here..."
(9:46:06 PM) Nessa: "We're looting!" Nessa shouts back to Shim.
(9:46:24 PM) Nessa: "And pay attention to Red Alert! She's watching the area!"
(9:46:33 PM) Nessa: "She might notice something you miss!"
(9:47:10 PM) ApricotCordial: The Robot stands behind Shim's shoulder.
(9:47:37 PM) Shim: "She's been keeping me quite good company."
(9:48:07 PM) ***Arcadia frowns a little, leaning her head down to examine the armor sets for anything that looked like what she just scrapped. "This is just eerie..."
(9:48:25 PM) ApricotCordial: Arcadia manages to find a a scattering of energy cells, expended, and a few batteries.
(9:49:17 PM) ***Arcadia stashes the findings into her pack immediately
(9:49:47 PM) ApricotCordial: All six bodies on the outside are in identical power armor to the first set; these are beyond salvaging however.  Two ponies in leather jackets and uniforms are seated in the cockpit; one's head is in his lap and the other has the stearing column rammed through her chest.
(9:50:37 PM) ApricotCordial: The one jacket looks salvageable, and that it might fit her companions.
(9:51:07 PM) ***Arcadia pouts, she was really hoping to find something she could use... Oh well! She goes back to shoving bodies out of the way, looking for more stuff, snatching that jacket with a little work, and seeing if there's any weapons sitting around.
(9:51:23 PM) ***Nessa waits by the shore, eyes to the treeline. Unnerving...
(9:52:43 PM) ApricotCordial: There don't appear to be any; even the gatling gun from the side door mount is gone, the suspension system twisted as if ripped out of the way.
(9:53:29 PM) Arcadia: "Hey guys, is it odd that there's no weapons on here... Not even the hardware that should be here! Oh, I also found a jacket for one of you!"
(9:54:16 PM) Nessa: "Well, we've seen pretty clearly that someone else was through here before us," Nessa says.
(9:56:43 PM) Arcadia: "And this armor looks... Sort of like something tore it open with its teeth!"
(9:57:07 PM) Nessa: "... oh. I don't like the sound of that," Nessa mutters.
(9:59:07 PM) ApricotCordial: The day seems to be getting later, even as the fog burns off a little they're loosing daylight and there are still several hours left to walk.
(9:59:49 PM) ***Arcadia shakes her head and books it back to shore. "I'm not staying over there. It's too quiet for my like..."
(9:59:59 PM) ApricotCordial: *losing
(10:00:00 PM) Nessa: "We'd better get out of this forest before we have to stay the night," Nessa says. "Let's make tracks."
(10:00:12 PM) Nessa: "You get any batteries?" Nessa asks Arcadia.
(10:00:22 PM) Nessa: "Oh! And that terminal."
(10:00:40 PM) Arcadia: "A few... Nothing much though."
(10:00:58 PM) Nessa: "And did you get any drained cells? I can recycle those."
(10:01:19 PM) ***Arcadia nods. "Uh huh. Again, only a scattering..."
(10:01:30 PM) ***Nessa holds a hoof out.
(10:01:38 PM) Nessa: "Mind if I take 'em?"
(10:02:02 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs, plunking the loot into Nessa's hoof one by one.
(10:02:15 PM) ***Nessa sticks it in her pack for later use.
(10:02:30 PM) Arcadia: "All their armor was scrapped to Tartarus and back..."
(10:02:36 PM) Nessa: "Mm..."
(10:02:48 PM) ***Nessa heads back to the place where the terminal fell.
(10:02:59 PM) ***Arcadia pouts again. "I was hoping to find more plating..."
(10:03:58 PM) ***Nessa checks the terminal for any holotapes.
(10:04:15 PM) ApricotCordial: There's one in the drive!  With no power left to it, she'll have to pry it out.
(10:04:38 PM) ApricotCordial: Shimmer can feel a great emotional disturbance hanging over the whole clearing...
(10:04:49 PM) ***Nessa teases it out.
(10:04:55 PM) ***Nessa Or tries to, anyway.
(10:06:26 PM) ApricotCordial: Nessa gets it out, but she hears a loud snap within the drive itself.
(10:07:54 PM) Nessa: "Oh, fucking--"
(10:08:04 PM) ***Nessa removes her hoof and shakes it.
(10:08:24 PM) Nessa: "... Discord. That bastard," she mutters.
(10:09:09 PM) ***Nessa doesn't try digging it out any further. Maybe there's a chance she can repair and retrieve the data, but not if she busts it up any further.
(10:09:16 PM) ***Arcadia blinks a bit, pulling out the jacket. "Either of you want this thing? It's kinda smelly, and too small for me..."
(10:09:32 PM) Nessa: "So. I busted the disk," Nessa says. "We'll have to take the whole terminal."
(10:10:38 PM) ApricotCordial: nessa got the disc, just broke the terminal
(10:11:02 PM) Nessa: "No, wait. Other way around."
(10:11:14 PM) Nessa: "... that's a shame," Nessa mutters.
(10:11:53 PM) ApricotCordial: The fact that its power cable had dry rotted and it rattled when moved, there's a good chance it was beyond help.
(10:12:16 PM) Arcadia: "I'm surprised you could do that... It already seemed pretty banged up, not to mention made out of cloud."
(10:12:29 PM) Nessa: "Partially made of cloud," Nessa says.
(10:12:45 PM) ***Nessa sticks the disc in her pocket
(10:12:55 PM) ApricotCordial: The disc appears to be standard.
(10:13:40 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs.
(10:13:55 PM) Nessa: "Did you check the pockets?" Nessa asks Arcadia, motioning to the jacket before heading to the front of the group and leading forward again.
(10:14:10 PM) Arcadia: "Uhm... No? Should I?"
(10:15:09 PM) Nessa: "Yeah."
(10:16:33 PM) ***Arcadia digs a hoof through the pockets. "Huh... There's a couple holo-tape-thingies and a wallet..."
(10:17:03 PM) ApricotCordial: The tapes are labele in numbers only; the wallet has the same logo from the uniforms worked into it.
(10:17:10 PM) Nessa: "Oh, good! I'll take those," Nessa says. "What's in the wallet?"
(10:17:21 PM) ***Nessa holds her hoof out.
(10:17:43 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs, dumping the tapes out and flipping the wallet open. "Dunno, I haven't looked yet."
(10:18:11 PM) ***Nessa takes the tapes and puts one into her PipBuck holoreader.
(10:18:25 PM) ApricotCordial: Inside is the ID Card of Captain Blazing Crysanthimum, some weird looking pieces of paper, and a few photos.
(10:19:41 PM) ***Arcadia hums a little. "It's for some... Captain Blazing Chrysanthemum... What's this?" She pulls out the paper stuff.
(10:21:47 PM) ApricotCordial: It has a picture of an older pegasus stallion in a suit on it with numbers in the corner.  There are several different styles.
(10:22:33 PM) ***Nessa looks over.
(10:22:51 PM) ***Arcadia shows one of them to Nessa. "Any clue?"
(10:22:52 PM) ***Nessa ... coming from a Pre-War Equestrian military tradition, she might recognize something relevant.
(10:23:21 PM) ApricotCordial: It appears to be Enclave script, for exchange at Enclave military exchanges or in occupied areas.
(10:23:25 PM) ApricotCordial: *scrip
(10:23:51 PM) ApricotCordial: The roads leads forth, unobstructed the rest of the way north!  In the distance they can see a collection of buildings surrounded by a wire fence.
(10:24:04 PM) ApricotCordial: A military bridge leads across the river from bank to bank, guiding them right towards the installation, past a broad field of white tombstones.  A chipped, damaged sign is lettered FORT VANILLA RIPPLE above WHINNYSOTA NATIONAL GUARD, left justified to give space for the Equestrian Army seal.
(10:24:06 PM) Shim: "So...I have to wonder what could have done all this..."
(10:24:26 PM) Nessa: "It's... credit," Nessa says. "For goods and services from the issuer. Which would be the Enclave."
(10:24:45 PM) ApricotCordial: A burned out APC sits by an empty guard hut, the barricade still down and sandbags still piled in place to form bunkers at the entrance.  A couple ruined trucks sit on rims alongside the road.
(10:25:19 PM) Arcadia: "So... Keep then?" She asks, hovering just ahead of the group. "And I think we found the base."
(10:25:34 PM) Shim: "You know...we might want to stake a claim here."
(10:25:43 PM) Shim: "We've got a varitable fortune already."
(10:26:12 PM) Nessa: "Shim, I'm not sure if you saw, but this is someone else's territory," Nessa says.
(10:26:19 PM) Nessa: "And they've got /teeth/. Literally."
(10:26:33 PM) ***Shim nods.
(10:26:48 PM) Shim: "Depending...on what it is." Shim shivers. "I might be able to handle that..."
(10:26:57 PM) ***Arcadia shrugs and packs the wallet away. "So, uh... Are we ready to take a base on?"
(10:27:40 PM) Nessa: "... and yeah. There stands the glass," Nessa mutters.
(10:29:33 PM) Nessa: "If you're thinking of doing that... weird mind-rape thing," Nessa says to Shim. "Good luck."
(10:30:04 PM) Nessa: "Good luck doing that to however many decide to set on us."
(10:30:32 PM) ***Shim frowns. "please...do not call it that..."
(10:31:20 PM) Nessa: "Does it have a name?" Nessa asks.
(10:32:54 PM) Shim: "Yes..." She says trying to remember the pony name for the technique. "Compulsion..."
(10:33:51 PM) ApricotCordial: With that, the trio face their next great challenge!
(10:33:57 PM) ***Arcadia pushes her cloud towards the fencing with a little more speed. "You two are being slow. And didn't pick who was gonna take this jacket that won't fit me!"
(10:34:33 PM) ApricotCordial: == Session #7 End ==
(10:34:34 PM) Shim: "I am fine...with not wearing the cloth of the enclave."