>>370697>Katyal lifts the bottle to drain, cap, and toss it into the seat-locker, slouching back with a killing grin."Got done with a late shift at the bio-med center. Went to my favorite bar on the corner, knocked back three Dead Rippers, went out and started back to my shitty little foot thick steel apartment. Ten blocks in I hear big tires, look back, an armored fast-attack Genetic Security rig. Brand new, dual chain-plasma guns all over it.
Figured they were going to follow me home just in case. Kept walking... more like staggering until getting about a block and a half out. Those big eighteen cylinder diesels got a lot of power and noise, can feel them from quite a ways. Then the tires screech, couldn't turn fast enough to drop a grenade or my satchel, but I could feel that monster staring at me through screens.
Imagine a hyper-intelligent extraterrestrial 'being' made of nothing more than long striated pseudo-cells that only need a few drops of blood or tiny scrap of flesh to near-perfectly replicate a creature, all the way down to tiny micro-scars.
Now imagine it can read neural processes from living or dying beings. Sinks these super tiny ciliated proto-organic needles into the nervous system, or straight to the brain. Carefully though, takes a few minutes and close or direct contact. Or break 'em off and create a new monster after a few weeks to months. Requires a serious scanner to find said needles, and that's only IF they leave the body where it can be found.
Add the two together, what does that make?"
>Lips thinning briefly, she turns a hard stare at the opposite wall panels."Now
that I respect. Contamination's a real danger to ponies, just not the way you've probably been thinking. Objects themselves aren't the danger, it's the
concepts behind them.
Remove everything associated with unnecessary war, natural resource exploitation, subversion, industry, religion, sabotage, political profiteering.. ..lawyers.. the shit ponies hate most, they'll pick up on that. Might work out well.
Also, you don't feel, look, sound, or act even a quarter as fucked up the six notches on my belt were made for. If most of your world isn't a bunch of greedy backstabbing assclowns and morons, that lessens the chance.
Still, there's plenty of choices on why or what one can acclimate to. Who do you think taught me?"
>Left index finger pointing towards the driver compartment, she flashes a barely appropriate grin."No deities where I'm from but here you can actually meet a few of those.. except for Greenie, he's us but not exactly reliable.. just like us, really! There's an Empress gone missing though, Spring, Fall, and Winter are approachable, and-"
>Physically relaxing for a second, her empty hand swings up in a blur, backfisting a certain Draconequis snout straight through the hull, leaving only his lips behind."THIS one's not worth getting angry at, trust me."
"I WAS ONLY GOING T-"
"Cocoratulate me, right?"
"I am deeply wounded but mostly insulted! After all, I've used THAT one before!"
"Best way to ignore him is to ask yourself why it takes three mares on fire and a dead squid exactly one hour to peel a boat."
"It WAS going to be congospatulate but you were already thinking it!"
"What is wrong with.. can't you make a living jelly tree and set it loose in Folu's garden?"
"No?"
>Waiting precisely one second to continue, her eyebrows raise in mildly exasperated amusement."Could be neutral for quite a while, that'll require a constant force of will and might burn you out. Could do what the Malurians do, find a piece of Nature you enjoy and become so in tune that it accepts you as an equal. Unicorns, raw magic, symbolism of a million types, Elemarentals. Pegasi, clouds, wind, air. Minotaurs, Arkadians, earth ponies..."
>Left eye twitching and losing her focus briefly, Katyal releases a slow, measured exhale."You don't strike me as a from-the-earth type. Sea's Bounty, some of the Ferron, batponies, they all like the sea and Void spectrums. Some a BIT too much. But if you're thinking about... why are you back?"
>Squishing through the roof hatch in front of her, Discord sniggers quietly, whispering in all caps."WHY A TREE WHEN I CAN FILL HER ENTIRE TRIBUTARY WITH GUMMY FISH?"
"Did you seriously do that?"
"No. quite frankly, why would I?"
"Because it'd be hilarious to watch her get irked, she's already trying to lose weight.. what DID you do?"
"Cucumber crocodiles. With googly coconuts for eyes."
".....do they make funny-"
"Loud clopping noises like horses do when they waddle about? YES!"
"You're a genius. Now, please leave?"
>Grimacing as Discord worms his way out, one finger gun points at you."My choice then. Well, you already got a bunch of Rift stench, that's never good from what I've been told. Tiny touch of Vortex.. nothing dangerous. Gonna need to either balance those or purify the first."
"Like that?"
"What?"
"That. It pure."
>Following Dul's gaze and pointed hoof at your locker, Katyal's eyes close briefly, snapping open in shock."...THAT'S pinksteel? Holy giant Lovehorse's teats on a window frame, that stuff is BEYOND impossible to get ahold of.. you have any idea what that's worth to the right spiritist? She won't even let Roam's Volkanus Guard have a single tiny damned chunk.
All right, new plan, you grab that neat little dagger, and that shield of yours needs some tuning. It's entirely possible to refine an enchantmarent by communing with it, like I did with.. nnnnevermind.
Gonna need you to take those two out and prepare to summon that shield in every single possible configuration, see what the maximum size is, spread the shape, check speed of summoning, that sort.
Miss Dul, gonna need your help BIG time!"
[1d6+4 = (5+4) = 9] <Overclocked Spiritist's Combat Training
[1d6+4 = (4+4) = 8] <Vortex: Planar Purification
[1d6 = 6] <Awakening[1d6+4 = (6+4) = 10] <ExoTech Optronic Particle-Scanner
[1d6+9 = (6+9) = 15] <GM.Mysticism: Cascading-Sweep
[1d6+9 = (4+9) = 13][1d6+9 = (4+9) = 13][1d6+9 = (6+9) = 15][1d6+3 = (3+3) = 6] <E.Electronic Warfare
[1d6+3 = (3+3) = 6][1d6+3 = (4+3) = 7][1d6 = 4] <Travel Time