Welcome back to the newest thread of Occupied Equestria
In Northern Equestria on the Changeling side, Spark has given refuge to a mare claiming to be stalked by a Changeling drone.
In the southeast, in Baltimare, Amber tries to slip past police in her infiltration of the Police Headquarters. Iron prepares for his next fight against griffin gangsters. Silver enjoys downtime, and Midnight checks out a local church.
>>148690“In the war?” She asks, not answering his question
>>148691Don’t make me do it
>>148692"That,As well as some family members."
He frowns
He takes another drink
>>148693“What a waste. I mean the War. So many sacrificed to achieve nothing.” She says
>>148694is she still smug?"I Know i can still hardly believe its real."
>>148695She has an air of moral "knowing," but the smugness shared by herself and Lens concerned talking about the school"I know. My own June was even called to the draft, though he got a deferment. We had to shelter in place during the shelling."
>>148697"Our neighbor's house was hit by a shell. I can still hear the groans."
He takes another sip
>>148698"Oh. I see... I think June knew some ponies killed in the September uprising." She blinks "What were they trying to shell in the countryside?"
I have to sleep now though...
>>148699"You know the Fascists. They like to case as much misery as possible."
Same here. its been like 24 hours.
>>148700The cream unicorn mare is silent at this, but Mars Loaf says:
"Oh yes, I know. We had to go hide in the basement during the shelling. We could feel the vibrations in the room as we were hundled together. Soldiers came in and they... they searched each one of us, asking if we had any weapons."
June, having migrated across the room and with an entire wine bottle in his magical glow, slowly walks up, placing the bottle down on the floor beside him, and removing a lit cigarette from his mouth. He speaks to Dark Star:
"What do you know about the misery? I was there on the barricades when they started blasting away. Going down the roads street by street, and house to house. I saw creatures killed."
At this, Mars loaf places hooves around him, holding him in a hug. Using his magic to hold both the cigarette and now pick up the wine bottle, he takes a swig directly out of the bottle.
>>148712"Me Personally? I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Foals being kicked to death. an old griffin woman cut in half with a Dull axe. Other Terrible Crimes i dare not even speak about."
Dark Star stares into a corner with a blank look on his face as he takes another sip
>>148713+1 point for the Blade Runner referenceA bluff check would be helpful
June was certainly not expecting this response, and is taken back for a moment. Star Cut and the stallion who let Dark Star in, formerly having their own conversation, seem to listen in.
“When did this happen?”
>>148719Dark Star’s lie isn’t the most persuasive, but June made a fatal slip when he tried to match Solar Night.
Lens:
“I have t heard that before”
Star Cut:
“Why would you? They try to suppress snd hide their crimes. You know these things happen.”
Mars Loaf, Lunar Nadir, and the unnamed mare are all deeply disturbed by Dark Star’s report
>>148718Yea that is a problem i have when playing a specific class. i play the character as if they were a different class.>>14872021 would be June with the big iron on his hip"Look,I Don't Mean to be a downer. This is a party we should be having a Good time."
>>148721There is silence for a moment, but the appeal to partying breaks through to Star Cut, the other stallion, and the other mare. Star cut, then the short cut stallion, raise their beers with a “woo!” and walk away. Lens follows after a delay. June lingers, looking at Dark Star in silence.
>>148722Dark Star matches his gaze
He takes a sip of his beer(assuming its not empty yet)
>>148723He’s near empty. June continues staring at him for a moment, places a leg on Mars, and moves to walk away. He yells out
“Are you ready for a dart game?”
>>148721Just play a Rogue/Scout Swift Ambusher build, or an Urban Ranger/Scout Swift Hunter Build. There are plenty more Ranger variants and Ranger combinations that accomodate what you're trying to play.
The Urban Tracking feat is based on Gather Information, rather than Survival, so an Urban Ranger can be charisma-based, especially when combined with Dynamic Priest for spellcasting. The Rival Organization ACF is also better in urban settings if you want to maximize Favored Enemy. Mystic Ranger is also pretty good if you want to use spells more in combat and tracking, fitting well with the variant Spell list the Urban Ranger gives.
Dips into Marshal or Factotum may also be better accommodating to your build, although it really depends on your stat distribution.
You can always gain Bluff through dips or feats. If you're taking an Anarchic feat for Bluff and want to be charisma-based, consider Iajutsu Focus and Use Magic Device.
Also, did you find your phone yet?
>>148724He thinks to himself "I might play you in darts"
Dark Star looks at the ground then to lunar nadir.
"You want another beer? mines almost empty."
>>148725Interesting. i like that idea. I might go down that road.
Not yet. Still raining.
>>148726“Yeah! Sure. Another beer.”
June and the other stallions move off, although only the yellow mare follows them, at least so far. Lens and the unnamed mare move together nearer a bar-top county by the kitchen. Mars Loaf moves over around Solar Night, and hugs Nadir. She closes her eyes, smiles, and raises a wing to sort of wing-hug Mars. Mars then moves off with the other three mares, leaving Dark Star and Nadir to themselves in this portion of the living room.
>>148728He walks over to the Beer crates and grabs 2 then he walks back over and hands Lunar her beer.
"Want to play some darts?"
Dark Star smiles at her
>>148729She takes one, and stands up
“Uh, I can try” she says, attempting a smile after saying that.
>>148730"I Don't want to overstep my bounds,but do you need a hug?"
>>148731She says to Dark Star
“I’m fine. I can do without.” Looking away
And then looking back to him
“But I’ll take one.”
>>148733Dark Star Gives her a Quick hug
>>148734She is hugged, presumably by Solar Noght wrapping his hooves around her. She moves her wings back to her body as he does so. Her wings are a soft velvet, but bony at places, and her fur is short and course.
>>148735He breaks the hug and starts walking towards the dart board.
"Looks like fun." he says to lunar.
He watches them throw the darts to scope out the competition.
>>148736So far, the ponies competing are, well, the stallions. Star Cut isn’t especially good, but the short cut stallion is decent. June seems to be winning, being the best of the small lot. The yellow mare is the fourth contender, laughing as she tries with the stallions egging her on. But she isn’t particularly good.
The room used for the dart playing seems to be a bedroom, though it isn’t being used as one. There is a mattress on the floor, one dresser, and a couple chairs.
>>148737He thinks to himself "June seems to be the best. i can beat him though"
"Wow every creature is so good. I've never played darts before. but i'd love too."
>>148738The ponies look back to Solar Night. It’s Star Cut (of all ponies) who says to him “come on, want to join?” June looks at Dark Star, and moves back.
June:
“Why don’t you give it a try?”
>>148739should i roll now?"wow i can join? id love to."
He takes a dart
>>148740Dark Star takes a dart
Roll. You can treat it like a ranged attack
>>148742did i just roll a 1? Well there goes someones eye.
>>148742>>148743Dark Star’s dart goes wide, and hits the wall next to the dart board, leaving a little hole, and then falling down. June and the yellow mare laugh.
When he recovers, June smiles, and says
“Don’t feel too bad. Let me show you how it’s done.”
He picks up a dart in an aura of green magic, placed it before his right eye, aims, closing his left eye, and throws it
[1d20+3 = 19]
>>148745>>148743He almost lands it inside the outright of the Bullseye. Star Cut and the short cut stallion seem impressed.
“Pretty good.”
>>148745>>148746Dark Star laughs it off and says "Oh wow sorry about the wall."
He thinks to himself "Perfect start. They'll never see my win coming."
>>148748As Dark Star plays 5 dimensional chess, Star Cut, the short cut stallion, and the yellow mare play their rounds. Lunar Nadir sits down and watches in silence.
[1d20+2 = 3][1d20+1 = 20][1d20 = 19]
>>148748>>148749The short cut stallion, thus far the second favorite, misses his mark considerably, hitting the wall in a way that causes the yellow mare to flinch. Star Cut and the yellow mare, meanwhile, land hits near the center that almost equal June’s performance. Almost.
Solar Night’s turn.
>>148751Dark Star hits the board, and does considerably better than before. But he fails to equal the performance of the other ponies.
June tries.
[1d20+3 = 14]Then the other three
[1d20+2 = 9][1d20+1 = 12][1d20 = 3]
>>148752Dark Star Throws his next one
[1d20+4 = 16]
>>148753>>148752Dark Star performs better this time, and in fact, better than anypony in the previous round. June remains in the lead
June
[1d20+3 = 15]Others:
[1d20+2 = 21][1d20+1 = 9][1d20}
>>148756>>148754June remains in the lead, with Star Cut catching up to the short maned stallion. The yellow mare remains in last. Dark Star has moved past the yellow mare, but is unfortunately not yet equaling even Star Cut
June:
[1d20+3 = 17][1d20+2 = 10][1d20+1 = 4][1d20 = 16]
>>148757[1d20+4 = 13]Dark Star is determined to win
>>148758June has just not really had a bad performance thus far, although Dark Star has done better this round than anypony save June in the last. The yellow mare finally gets a good performance
June:
[1d20+3 = 6]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 5][1d20+1 = 7][1d20 = 8]
>>148759Dark Star sensing his time puts in Maximum effort
[1d20+4 = 8]
>>148760Dark Star's performance is, well, not great. But he's performed as well as anypony in the terrible last round (save himself), which marked Solar Night's first definite victory, and June's first mediocre performance.
June:
[1d20+3 = 10]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 12][1d20+1 = 19][1d20 = 5]
>>148762Dark Star lands in the lower corner, not too far from the bullseye. June again fails to come out on top, and the score is becoming more even.
June:
[1d20+3 = 4]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 11][1d20+1 = 5][1d20 = 2]
>>148764Dark Star performs as well as the best performer in the last round, but it's a mediocre round. That was round 8. Only two more to go...
June:
[1d20+3 = 4]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 6][1d20+1 = 14][1d20 = 16]
>>148766Dark Star's performance leaves something to be desired. But so did June's in the last round.
June:
[1d20+3 = 14]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 7][1d20+1 = 17][1d20 = 12]
>>148768Dark Star gives an okay performance. The other four complete the last round
June:
[1d20+3 = 7]The rest:
[1d20+2 = 17][1d20+1 = 7][1d20 = 11]
>>148769>>148768The short game is over. June wins, although the confidence he had before has been tempered by a mediocre performance in the last half of the game. Star Cut ends up winning over the short maned stallion. Dark Star performs better than the yellow mare, and had a couple rounds where he came out on top, but fails to win.
>>148770>>148771:( of course i get the 19 now
>>148772>>148771Dark Star's last throw is the best so far, and better than June's performance in the last several rounds. The other ponies take note.
June:
"Not bad for a first time."
He pats Dark Star on the back
"You'll get better."
>>148773"Thanks,You Did Good Too!"
He pats him Back
>>148774He has an awkward expression, but accepts it.
Star Cut and the other stallion are out of beer, and so leave the room
>>148775Dark Star says after the rest leave the room
assuming its just them in there he says."Hey. I Actually have a bottle of whiskey too. want some?"
>>148776Is Dark Star attempting to say this to Nadir alone?
Nadir:
“I’ve never had whiskey. I… I’ll try it.” She says
Anypony else who may have heard (The yellow mare, maybe June)
“I’d love some whiskey.”
>>148777"Got any shot glasses?"
He pulls out one of the bottles he has left
>>148778Is he speaking to June? If so June leaves the room to get shotglasses
"I have some in the kitchen."
>>148779Yea he was talking to june
"It can be a little harsh on the first sip. but it gets smoother the more you drink." he says to nadir
>>148780“Uh, okay” Nadir says.
Unfortunately, June’s grabbing for shot glasses in the kitchen is noticed by Mars, and Mars asks why he’s grabbing them. June let’s skip that there is whiskey, and soon, a small herd of mares forms a feeding frenzy looking for shots, with the unnamed mare, the yellow mare, Mars, and even Lens, all expecting shots. The stallions and Nadir keep their distance a bit.
>>148780>>1487815% after it dies i'll be back in an hour and a halfDark Star is about to say something to nadir.
Then his eyes go wide as he see's the herd surrounds him
>>148782“Shots?”
The unnamed mare looks up at Dark Star with a begging expression.
>>148783He Quickly regains his cool
"Sure i have enogh for every Creature!"
He starts pouring the shots
He himself takes the first one
>>148784She takes one, then the Yellow mare. June finally makes it in and then takes one, then Mars, then Lens. Dark Star presumably gives one to Nadir, and the stallions, who aren't rude in forcing the shots, seem to want some as well. Dark Star's whiskey is draining quickly.
>>148785He Gives one to Nadir,yes.
He continues pouring
>>148786Every creature takes a shot. Nadir takes a sip... and almost chokes on it.
>>148787"Oh my! Are you ok,Nadir?"
>>148788"Yeah. *cough* I'm okay. *cough cough*. It's a bit strong though."
>>148789"It Can be very....Rough."
"Its definitely an acquired taste."
He pats her on the back
>>148790She is pat one the back, and sits next to Dark Star. She places the shot glass in a set of what look like fingers in the middle of her wings (it’s a bit odd). She takes it, and successfully drinks the whole shot in one swallow, though she scrunches afterward.
>>148791Dark Star Pours himself another one.
"Want some more?"
He looks around the room
>>148792He says want some more to nadir
>>148792>>148793“I… I’ll take another, sure.” She says.
Dark Star keeps this a secret.
>>1487941%How much whiskey is left?
>>148795Enough for several more glasses, at least.
>>148796"Who else needs one some?"
almost dead
>>148797The unnamed mare, then Lens, then Mars, then the yellow mare. The short cut stallion as well.
>>148799The ponies take the shots, and move about, talking to each other. The radio plays music, thankfully not jazz this time, but a soft love song.
>>148800Dark Star Turns to nadir
"Are you sure you are feeling ok?"
>>148801"A little-" She sways a bit "I'm okay
>>148802"Do you need to sit down?"
>>148803"I think I'll be okay." She says, and blinks
"But I can sit down."