1307 replies and 84 files omitted.
>>173757“Hehe, and bananas.” She says, wriggling her ears. She looks around, down another street, and…
“Oh hey, there’s a restaurant.”
Going closer, Kira can see that there is set of tables outside, and a counter inside.
>>173758"Great! If they have bananas, I'll let you have them all, I've pretty well had my fill for a long while."
Kira slithers towards the restaurant with her deer. It's the first time she'll have been to one, so even though they don't
really share much in their diet, she'd still like to try something.
>>173759A sand yellow Pegasus at the counter answers with a smile. “Hello, and welcome to Shifting Sands. You may seat yourself, or you may order here.”
She reacts more to Neela than to Kira, and Kira may believe she hasn’t seen all of Kira.
>>173760Kira isn't going to look a gift pony in the mouth, she's going to look her in the eyes, smile, and waves at her with a, "Hello! Thank you very much!" She looks to see what Neela wants to do first before she takes an action.
>>173761Neela looks over at Kira
“
Maybe better if we get it to go.”
>>173762"Are you sure? It'd be nice to sit down and eat at an actual restaurant." Regardless of her answer, Kira turns to the mare behind the counter. "I haven't been here before. Is there anything you would recommend to order?"
>>173767The mare turns around to point a hoof to the board above her
“The falafel is the most popular, but we also have our fried bell pepper with rice, the pita bread-“ she lists items
Neela whispers aggressively
“You haven’t exactly been welcomed everywhere. Best to get out before they notice.”
>>173768Kira begrudgingly has to concede, though she admittedly would still like to sit and eat like a normal pony.
"I'll take a falafel and fried bell pepper with rice. I'm really hungry..."
>>173769“Alright… one falafel…” Neela adds “and another falafel and… three… better make that four breads…”
“Okay… that’s… 8 bits.”
Neela looks up to Kira with pleading eyes that may make her want to order more.
>>173771Neela is very cute when she uses those eyes. Kira relents and orders another falafel, another order of fried pepper with rice, and some breads.
>>173772“And that’s… wow, that’s 12 bits. It should be ready in a few minutes.”
Neela adds peech juice because of course.
>>173773Kira blushes and remarks, "I'm
really hungry..."
She looks over to Neela. "I forgot to tell you to order whatever you want. I'm paying."
>>173774Neela:
“Maybe it’s best for you to… not be so conspicuous while we wait.”
Neela grabs another can, and the mare accepts Kira’s bits
>>173775Kira tilts her head at Neela after giving the cashier the Bits, like she either doesn't understand what she said or how she would be inconspicuous.
>>173775>>173776Hide: Kira does her best to keep her snake tail out of view.
[1d20+13 = (18+13) = 31] >>173777>>173776Kira is able to press her body against the bottom of the counter, making her invisible from behind it, inconspicuous from most angles, and even appear like part of the decorations or a foot rail if glanced from outside or from a table.
Kira and Neela wait, and are eventually hoofed over several paper bags containing their items by the still smiling, black maned Pegasus pony.
>>173778As a bonus, Neela now has an example of how adept a lamia like Kira is at hiding.
"Thank you so very much! I hope you have a great day!"
Kira uses her strength to carry the bags full of their food, and slithers out of the restaurant with Neela. She pauses at the tables outside.
"Would you want to eat out here, Neela, or head home to eat?"
>>173779Neela looks on at the sight, both Kira's ability to become a decorative foot rail, and to have actually pleasant interactions with random ponies. Neela wastes no time in exiting.
"It could get cold if we wait... but then I don't know how long you want to be seen in the open."
>>173780"I'm not afraid of being seen. Are...are
you afraid of being seen with me in the open?"
Kira previously chipper attitude is shaken by the worry that has just popped into her mind.
>>173781She pauses, turns her head ever so slightly to the side, and says
"... No?"
>>173784Kira seems to accept the answer, and brightens back up a little.
"Alright. I'd like to eat here outside the restaurant."
>>173785"O..kay then. Well, let's sit." Neela moves up to one little wooden table on the edge, moves a seat, and sits down. After placing one of the bags on the table, she opens it and grabs a falafel, ready to bite into it.
>>173786Hide: Kira likewise moves to a table, coiling around its legs/base to appear less conspicuous to onlookers.
[1d20+13 = (18+13) = 31]She opens up one of the bags, and investigates this strange food known as a "falafel".
>>173787With the help of a plant, a table cloth, and how she'd almost colored like a chair, an onlooker would have to try to find the anomaly to notice Kira.
Kira finds little fried bread balls inside.
>>173788Tenatively, Kira
nibble nibble nibbles on the falafel. Deciding that it's not objectionable to her palette for being prey food, Kira copies how Neela is eating to appear more "normal". Close observation though would show that it really isn't natural to her, biting, chewing, and mushing up the fried dough ball with her teeth before swallowing.
>>173789Kira's teeth are better at cutting and tearing than anything resembling actual chewing or mushing, and all she can do is to cut the balls in half or slice portions off. Doing so reveals the interior of the balls contain fava beans, an item that Kira does not like the taste nor texture of, and in general the soft and goey interiors are not pleasant. Kira can't really make her mouth make the side-to-side motions that Neela can in order to chew. Attempting to swallow, the sizes and textures are a bit off, with the items slowly sliding down her throat but not quite being forced, such that it feels awkward. It isn't all bad - the taste and texture of the fried bread is not awful - but Kira has the distinct feel of eating something like livestock feed.
>>173790Hmm...yeah, on second thought, she decides that
not tasting the gross beans and not feeling like a cow would be the far better choice. There's a slight quiet
pop as she opens her jaw ever so slightly, before scarfing the falafel down her cavernous maw.
>>173791With the breaded balls being about golf ball sized, she doesn't have to open her mouth
that wide. Her mouth only makes contact with the portions of the food she likes most - the bread - and it has a quality that Kira likes out of her larger, normal cuisine that Kira likes, but can't always get: it's warm. The outside of the balls is dry and a little rough, so it goes down her throat slowly, but this is what Kira expects of her usually dry, furry food. Still, it's very small, and Kira may think she would have preferred at least a rat or some comparatively normal food.
>>173793Perhaps she would prefer some normal food, but this prey food has at least one positive quality: she can enjoy it with Neela without scaring her or grossing her out. She takes care of her falafels quickly before moving onto the fried peppers with rice, and one look at this food is enough for her to tell that this is some of the most prey food she's ever seen. Still...she's doing this for Neela, plus she's still hungry, so she digs in nonetheless.
Any word on Posey's search?
>>173794The bell pepper is wider than the falafel balls, and has a smooth texture. Biting into it, it is comparatively hard, has an odd texture, and has a taste that Kira has very likely never tasted anything like before in her life: it's
spicy. She's likely less sensitive to it than herbivores, but the taste is novel. Inside is rice, which has less flavor, and a comparatively soft and mushy texture.
>>173687Peering into the room, Silver can see Khoi laying down on her bed, which has already been made up neatly. She is lying with the long side of the bed near the center, and Silver is perpendicular to her. Her tail is almost straight out, but curling down at the end so that it touches the bed. Her hind legs are underneath her. Both of her forelegs are curled under her in a "loaf" position, and Khoi is brushing her mane with her magenta magic. There is a cup of tea on a dresser behind her. She doesn't react immediately to Silver.
>>173798"Mmmmhmhm!" While Kira doesn't care for the rice, she is already in love with the pepper. The bold zest and zing that causes her mouth to tingle combined with the crisp snap of the pepper's flesh is the first indication she's had so far that prey animal food isn't all bad, and in fact might have some special qualities about it. She swallows the rice on its own whole to avoid dealing with the lack of flavor and unappetizing texture, but the peppers she ordered she takes her time with to bite, chew, and savor every last morsel.
>>173798Heh, do I have two cats in house now?Seeing she's up, Silver attempts to quietly close the door before properly knocking on it to be let in.
"It's really humid in this swamp. It'll take forever to get my mane back in shape."
Can Posey continue her adventure today?
Do you have time this weekend, GM?
>>173810Yes
>>173809Awww....
pet pet pets the sad pone>>173803Correct, though the colder winter air reduces the humidity
>>173802She slowly turns her head to the right to look towards Silver as he opens the door, and extends her left foreleg in front of her, in a slow and controlled set of actions implying she is not surprised or frightened.
"Yes?" She finally says
>>173801The rice, being small, has a tendency to catch in her throat, though surely it will make its way down eventually.
The pepper does, however, have a nasty problem. Kira can't exactly chew it properly, but rather cut it. It's still a vegetable with a hard shell, albeit with a pleasant "sting."
>>173811Is Posey able to trace the path of the artillery fire to its source, as described above?
>>173812It would seem that she does not, given the randomness of the presence of the little pools of stagnant water, and the random presence of trees sometimes split in pieces as if by especially vicious lightning, or rent of branches and made to look like twisted telephone poles. But as the ground becomes higher and drier, the number of leafless, branchless trees increases and the number of muddy craters increases, and Posey sees she is nearer the site of a true battle.
>>173811"Just checking up on you, seeing how you were doing. Are you hungry? I am going to make breakfast."
>>173813>Posey sees she is nearer the site of a true battle.Posey continues towards the battlefield, uplifted by the end of her journey drawing near.
>>173811If Neela is curious, lamias cannot apparently cough, as she tries to make some kind of wheezing action to try to dislodge the rice in her throat. It doesn't work too well, but it's more an annoyance than a genuine threat to her life, so she continues to cut and snap pieces of pepper off to eat it. She finishes by eating her bread, which she absolutely has to eat like a "normal pony" if she doesn't want it gettting stuck worse than the rice.
>>173814Khoi blinks, looks down, moves her right foreleg out but at an angle to her body towards the right, and then with her brush, places it in her mane and tries to move it down.
"I suppose..." She answers
>>173816The rice is slowly making its way down, and at worst, she can wash it down with something like a tasty deer later. She's not in any danger of choking.
The bread, however, shows that Kira is not built for this kind of food, as she cannot chew it properly. It isn't especially flavor filled, being a little better than the rice. However, it's drier than the rice, less solid than the pepper, and not shaped in convenient balls like the falafel, so swallowing it is difficult.
>>173815Are any checks necessary for this, or can she simply find her her way there?
>>173813Does Posey make it to the battlefield?
>>173817"You suppose?" Silver chuckles. "You do not sound so certain about breakfast. What is it, Khoi? Something on your mind?"
>>173817"Hmmmm..."
She ponders on what to do about the bread, before coming up with an idea. She goes back into the restaurant and up to the counter.
"Excuse me? Could I have some water, please?"
>>173822She pauses for a moment, and pulls herself slightly closer to Silver
"Well I have to get ready for work..." looking down again, and then looking back at Silver
"Shouldn't I be making breakfast?"
>>173823The mare looks over, then jumps back and folds her wings out
"Ahhhhhhhh!"
>>173824Kira tilts her head at the mare, confused.
"...is that a no?"
>>173824Silver smiles, and chuckles a bit more.
"I do not mind making breakfast, it is how things used to be in our household with duties being split between us. If you really wanted and you had enough time, I would appreciate some help with making pancakes for breakfast."
>>173824What does the battlefield look like?
>>173830I'm ready when you are then.
>>173830So, what does Posey find?
Waits to see what battlefield looks like
>>173835shrugs>>173834>>173832As Posey has surely gathered by now - the entire country is an old battlefield. Near every inch changed hooves in the most recent war, and that is but the most recent in a long series of wars going back several thousand years to the Empire of Tambelon, and perhaps even before that. Peace and the weather have erased most traces, but Posey can still see many remnants. As she moves westward, the signs increase. The ground becomes higher and firmer. Hanging cypress trees become sparser as the ground dries, replaced occasionally with pine. But these are interrupted by craters sometimes as big as swimming pools, tree trunks split in two, rocks that have no business being above the soil layer occasionally sitting on branches, and then periodic pieces of metal of varying size, shape, and evident purpose. Posey comes to a location with more craters and more destroyed trees than normal, including a clearing.
Roll Spot
Roll Listen
Roll Search
>>173826She peaks her head up, looking at Kira
"What do you want?" She asks, frightened, as if Kira hadn't already answered that explicitly
>>173827She lowers her head towards the bed, and then tilts it
"What is a 'pancake'?"
>>173836Spot
[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]Listen
[1d20+3 = (6+3) = 9]Search
>craters sometimes as big as swimming pools, tree trunks split in two, rocks that have no business being above the soil layer occasionally sitting on branches, and then periodic pieces of metal of varying size, shape, and evident purpose"That's... Odd... Perhaps it's a vestige of the battle."
[1d20+3 = (17+3) = 20] >>173837"Uh...I asked if I could have some water, if that's okay."
Despite her now apparent monstrous appearance, being a merging of snake and pony, Kira
does appear friendly enough. And, if the mare remembers, she only ordered vegetarian items. You know, not that there are any meat items on the menu, but still.
>>173837Silver looks surprised at the question.
"Huh, did not know they do not have pancakes where you are from. They are light, fluffy, flat cakes cooked in pan or skillet and usually served with syrup, whipped cream, or even peanut butter. They are very popular breakfast item here, especially among foals."
>>173836>several thousand years to the Empire of TambelonDoes she see any ruins of this empire?
>>173836>including a clearingWhat is in the clearing?
I've made my rolls. Is there a surprise round?
>>173836>>173838GM, what are the results of my rolls? What did I roll for.
Spot + Listen gives me the sense that there's creatures. What do I encounter?
>>173842If there is a surprise round, it hasn’t hit yet
>>173841The lost city that was the capital of Tambelon is said to have returned to the realm of mists when the dark sorcerer Grogar was defeated. Whatever remains of that Empire, it isn’t visible standing above the surface of this swamp, though who can say what lies under the mud and black water.
>>173838Posey sees the movement of leaves on the trees, a pair of birds as well as a few dragon flies further off, and a glimmer in the air nearby that may be the humidity, or perhaps swamp gas. Birds sing their songs, wind blows through the trees, with a sound almost like humming.
Posey can see that the clearing is large, like a field, with the far left side being lower and having trees, albeit denuded of leaves, and the far right ending in a canal-like depression that is presumably a ravine, with trees beyond. In the fore, a little less than 100 feet away on the right is a muddy, partly grass covered section of higher ground that has many signs of debris. Steel poles lay on the ground, as well as remnants of mud-covered olive drab canvas. Thick plastic bags likewise stick out of the mud, although exactly what is over there is obscured by grass. Behind this is a blackened-steel rectangular mass that appears to be the ruined remnants of a burnt out truck. To the left of all if this the ground is lower, with multiple large craters at least partly filled with water. Beyond this part if what was surely once a stone house, though the right-three quarters of the building is collapsed and gone. Posey can’t see beyond this, but it it seems to also be mostly bereft of trees. Some kind of vehicle pathway seems to come from the right, turning to move by the destroyed house.
>>173843Shhhhh don’t rush things
>>173840“What is ‘syrup’?” she says to herself, then smiles in a way that shows off her small fangs, and says
“Uh, well I suppose I should learn how to make ‘pancakes’…”
>>173839She peers up over the counter…
“Oh…Kay…” evidently she pours out a cup of water, as a paper cup full of water is pushed towards Kira over the counter.
>>173844>The lost city that was the capital of Tambelon is said to have returned to the realm of mists when the dark sorcerer Grogar was defeated.~Oooh, spooky.
>Whatever remains of that Empire, it isn’t visible standing above the surface of this swamp, though who can say what lies under the mud and black water.Definitely going to want to come back here when it's less wet. Gotta help myself to done forbidden treasure.
>a canal-like depression that is presumably a ravineREEEEEEEE a small creek
>Beyond this part if what was surely once a stone house, though the right-three quarters of the building is collapsed and gone. Posey can’t see beyond this, but it it seems to also be mostly bereft of trees. Some kind of vehicle pathway seems to come from the right, turning to move by the destroyed house.Posey moves towards the house, checking out the environment as she strolls.
>Shhhhh don’t rush thingsWell, it is kind of late...
>>173844>capital of Tambelon is said to have returned to the realm of mists when the dark sorcerer Grogar was defeatedA very historic site. Always interested in Grogar's stuff.
I think I might raise my castle here, once I get to lvl 8 and figure out how to nail together a few necrosis carnexes with Landlord. It's prime real estate.
>>173848A tower, conjured from blackened crystal in the middle of the cursed mire, built upon the ruins of an ancient kingdom, surrounded by poisonous plants and deadly monsters... It would make an excellent base of operations (I've had a long time to think about this).
Posey finds herself daydreaming
>>173849>>173848You misunderstand. The swamp is not the exact site of the lost city. That was much further west, and further north, and in any event, that city slipped into another dimension, and its ruins are not present anywhere in Equestria. The swamp is a part of the Empire's former territory, but so is ~2/5ths of all of Equestria
To her left, Posey can glance down into the muddy crater, and the see the remnant of a helmet sticking out. Beneath her in the mud, a few cartridge cases. And to her right are several items of debris - plastic, poles, and suggestions that this area of ground had been cleared of vegetation and dirt moved and leveled, with remnants of tarp and canvas. Beyond this is the ruins of the burned out truck remain, with broken glass and its hulking steel. There is also more than one steel barrel, one near(ish) the truck, and one beyond the craters.
Posey can hear more birds, and a humming blown through the wind. The air glimmers periodically, perhaps gas. Moving up towards the house, Posey can see that the roof has collapsed alongside the walls, save for a small portion on the rightmost edge. The house was made of stone, and if she peers over the remains of the walls, she sees that there is a depression inside filled with stone, perhaps another crater.
Craters are not all of the same size. Some are very large, maybe 20 feet across and several feet deep. Some are only a few feet across and a few inches deep.
>>173850>that city slipped into another dimensionOh well
>The air glimmers periodically, perhaps gas.Like, explosive gas?
Posey stays back, moving along in her quest for her artillery tube.
>Craters are not all of the same size. Some are very large, maybe 20 feet across and several feet deep. Some are only a few feet across and a few inches deep.Perhaps made by explosions?
Posey investigates the craters she passes, trying to find any patterns that might lead her to the source.
>>173850>The house was made of stone, and if she peers over the remains of the walls, she sees that there is a depression inside filled with stone, perhaps another crater.Posey decides to investigate the house, out of curiosity.
>>173851>explosive gasVery possibly, though it may be a refraction of light through the humidity. All that Posey can say for sure is that sometimes, the air glistens and glimmers.
The craters are mostly circular or nearly circular, have moved mud and rocks, do not have large plants growing in them (smaller plants are not uncommon) and mostly have formed pools of stagnant, opaque water. One has a gasmask along its edges.
>>173845Kira smiles brightly at the mare, and takes the cup of water. "Thank you!"
Returning to her table outside, Kira does something with the water that other, non-carnivorous creatures might find objectionable: she pours her water onto her bread, wetting it and turning it back into a doughy state. She then breaks the bread apart and reshapes it into little dough balls that are easier for her to eat.
>>173845Silver smiles at her.
"I will help you learn. Whenever you finish your grooming, come downstairs and we will make pancakes."
Silver leaves Khoi's bedroom, moving onto the next to check up on the next creature in the household: Mala, the good boy.
>>173853Posey searches for any signs of artillery
I guess I'll roll for Posey to search this area, before moving on.
[1d20+3 = (10+3) = 13]
>>173853>One has a gasmask along its edges.Posey looks for any other remains of pony activity that could lead her to the artillery.
>>173849Posey decides to walk into one of the craters, to see if there's anything of note inside.
She enters the crater with the gas mask beside it.
If Posey doesn't find anything after searching the entire clearing and visible structures/indents/objects, she moves on, moving to higher ground.
>>173853>>173852Did the house have anything in it?
>>173855Silver opens the door of the room, which is otherwise cracked slightly open. Looking inside, Silver can see that the curtains are completely closed on the few windows to reduce light as much as possible, and items are strewn out on the floor, including an open encyclopedia, another book, and a couple toys. In the bed are sleeping both Mala and Mint Marine. Mala is on his belly, turned diagonally on the bed stretching from the left edge with a rear paw stretched out over the end of the bed, his left foreleg underneath him, his right foreleg extending out from the side of the bed, and his muzzle slightly exceeding the side and extending out. Mint Marine is at the head of the bed, taking up the remaining one third. He is almost perpendicular to the direction of the bed, laying on his side with his head on a pillow that is propped against the head of the bed, and his belly touching Mala's head. His hind legs must be behind Mala, as is his tail.
>>173856If by that you mean she searches for the actual artillery pieces, none are found here. If you mean signs of the activity of artillery - it's all around her.
>>173860>>173859The gas mask is partly in the water and covered in mud. The water itself has a discoloration and a gleam, as if tainted by gasoline - though surely most chemicals should have evaporated by now. Here, Posey sees again a blue glimmer in the air above the water, and hears that humming through the wind. Posey does not find Equine remains, nor weapons of any kind, though she's surely not the first to visit this side, nor has she uncovered the mud and soil.
>>173859>>173860Cooler air moves into the crater, and also the remains of the house, whether it be because of a winter wind, or cool air collecting in low points
>>173864D'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
Well, Silver doesn't want to disturb the two while they appear to be sleeping so soundly. He quietly closes the door and goes downstairs, both to head to the kitchen and to check on the last two members of the household, White Orchid and Paper Clipping.
>>173865>If you mean signs of the activity of artillery - it's all around her.She searches for signs of artillery that could lead her to a new location that might have the pieces, based on the pattern or direction of the shots.
>nor has she uncovered the mud and soilPosey uncovers some of the mud with her shovel, to check for anything of note.
>>173866Posey checks the house and searches it for anything that could lead her to the direction of the artillery.
If the house is partly collapsed, would the collapsed side be the angle that the round was fired from? If so, Posey sets out in that direction.
>>173867Mala’s head should be up against the edge of Mint Marine’s chest, actually. Ming Marine’s left foreleg must be folded up and between him and Mala, while the right is either also folded, or over top of Mala. Mala has his blanket over him, which also covers at least Mint Marine’s hind legs. Silver would likely want to be very careful when closing the door and walking away, to avoid waking Mala.
Going downstairs, Silver can see that the whole of the downstairs is illuminated by natural sunlight. He finds Paper Clipping sleeping on that same couch he’s usually on when Silver is around. Paper Clipping is lying on his back, with his head against the armrest, and his hind legs exceeding the opposite armrest, hanging slightly over the armrest. He has a pillow over his face, specifically over his eyes. His muzzle, however, is exposed, slightly open with his tongue hanging on the side. His breathing is a little loud, but not snoring. He has a blanket over his neck up to his muzzle, and over his chest. His injuries and bandages are thus covered. His lower belly and flanks, and everything else, however, is completely uncovered, though perhaps Silver thinks it should be.
Silver sees a folded blanket over near a loveseat and a chair, but no White Orchid.
>>173869No White Orchid? Hmm...worrisome. Surely if something had happened Clip would have been woken up, but still...
Silver looks around for the missing colt, hoping he's somewhere still in the house, or perhaps out in the backyard.