[IC] Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour: Explorers of STOMP

CoffeeHorse · Jun 20, 2022

Amber looked at Maple quizzically. "Wouldn't a fourp - erm, quadruple agent double back on us again?" she asked, making a couple of quick gestures side to side with a hoof. "An agent for us who's really an agent for them who's really an agent for -" Amber stopped. peaked her hooves, and slid back from the table slightly, gradually remembering her pastry.

Amber looked at Maple quizzically. "Wouldn't a fourp - erm, quadruple agent double back on us again?" she asked, making a couple of quick gestures side to side with a hoof. "An agent for us who's really an agent for them who's really an agent for -" Amber stopped. peaked her hooves, and slid back from the table slightly, gradually remembering her pastry.

"Careful love, or I think you might go cross-eyed trying to figure that out."

Amber nodded. "Wou sound advice," she said, somewhat weakly.

"I wonder if that's the trick of it then... some form or redirecting magic... like um... how a beaver damn can turn a river into a lake... Maple paused, lifted her head out of her hooves and added ... or maybe it's like putting a plug in a bath tub. These floating, objects that remain after she leaves could be the important part of her 'ability'... It might be that she doesn't have any form of Abnormal teleport magic... it could be she's just winking out normally because she redirects the energy that should be preventing it to these objects."

Maple puts her head back to her hooves and sighs... "but maybe not."

"Any further things of note? I need to head back to my office but wanted to see if there was anything else."

"Just her weapon. She keeps one eye covered with her mane. At first I thought that was just how she wore her hair. But when she threatened me last time we met, she pulled her hair out of the way like she was about to attack. I didn't get a good look at what ever the weapon was or saw what it does because that's when the police intervened. But, yeah, she must have some kind of magical trinket or something."

Light Fantastic's eyes lit up, and she rushed to grab up the pony in a big hug.

"Jam!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again! What have you been up to these days?"

"Just a few world tours here and there while perfecting recipes on the side. Then, the craziest thing happened. Got an invitation to perform in Petrichor Falls of all places. It'll be a few days so me and the crew are resting up here before we head north. What about you?"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

Amber spoke hesitantly to Steel Flint. "Mr. Skies, Mr. Cap, and I still need to determine what the connection might be between all of these unusual artifacts. I would like to be able to focus our energies on that problem, but if the Keep really is at immediate threat from Ms. Midnight and Ms. Belle, then that is something we must obviously attend to. What should the three of us be working on?"

"I'll try to look into all this as I get the chance. Brisk Iron will likely brief us in the meeting after work so until then, enjoy your lunch and just continue the projects you're already on." Steel Flint then departed. The STOMP team continued lunch and carried on the rest of the day until the end of the shift. Brisk Iron had briefly stepped out of her office but Anchors Away and Steel Flint were already seated and waiting as the team began to arrive.

Spoiler

Static gave a silent nod to Anchors as he entered. He still wasn't sure how things were between them. The ride back from Nightmare Heights was quiet and they hadn't seen eachother since. He tried to measure her reaction to him entering and his nod.

Spoiler

Anchors Away seemed fairly amicable. She waved as she saw Static Signal enter the room. Not far behind him was Flairvoyant. "Anchors? Wow, it's been a while!" "Glad to see you again. I'm actually supposed to be leading this team.""Really? Well, nice to see you moving up. I'm now working here so let me know if you need to talk about anything."

Normally, Snowy couldn't possibly say he would enjoy a meeting with Brisk Iron. But with a (finally) full belly, some quiet practice under his belt, directions to the bowling alley, and his considerable skills at weaving falsehoods, he felt confident that he could act as though he wasn't put off by Brisk Iron's persistent distrust. Maybe even well enough to fool her; half the problem was that she always looked at him like she could see right through him.

In any case, Snowy appeared at ease when he walked into the room, his viola in its case at his side. He settles down in a seat not too far into the office, but just far enough that he can watch the door as ponies enter.

Static was so lost in thought he didn't even notice Maple had shown up and was trying to get past him to find the chair with the longer legs...
"hey Static, go sit next to her and offer her the water I gave you before." Maple whispered at his ear to get him moving again.

Static sucked in his breath as Maple started to talk to him. Sweet Luna, where did she come from?

Offer her the water? That seemed random. What if wasn't thirst...oh...oh riiiight! Seapony. Maple must've had this planned all along. She's a smart one.

He hesitated but walked up and offered Anchors the water. "Mind if I sit here? I...I know we only have a couple minutes before the meeting, but I was wondering if maybe we could talk afterward?"

"Sounds like you've been pretty busy," said Light Fantastic, "I've been off adventuring and trying to stay out of trouble. We also performed an Anugypt themed ballet not too long ago as well."

Misty enters and quietly takes a seat. She can't help but feel a little tense every time she's inside this office. Still, she puts on a smile and tries to look pleasant as she waits for the Chief Director to start the meeting.

Still looking for the tall chair, Maple passes Misty. A small smile crosses her face as she puts a small candy down on the table in front of the larger Pegasus... before moving on in her quest for ... equality in eyeline-ed-ness!

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"Oh, Maple, you dropped your candy!" Misty points out helpfully.

Giving up on finding the chair Maple just went back to sit next to Misty. She enjoyed spending time with her so any chance to do so was great ...3 times today already

yeah!

Somehow keeping her excited yelp internalized, maple righted ship and fluttered back over to Miss monsoon's spot... not even registering that despite her victory over audible squees ... she had in fact leaped into the air and did a happy little twirl.

"oh, that was for you... you looked a little nervous. This room can do that to you." Maple said as she pulled out the neighboring chair and sat down.
Though not as bad as she feared -as she could still see everypony.. Maple was just going to have to look up at all of them... she was use to it, and the spot was worth it.

Jam Session said, "I got some things to take care of but were you doing anything later today?"

"Really? Thank you!" Misty happily scoops up the candy and pops it into her mouth. "Mmmmm."

Maple grins from ear to ear, fidgeting a little in her seat a little as she tries to tuck her tail under her rump, if only to look slightly taller.

"Of course you can sit there, Static."Flairvoyant looked back and forth between them. "Ah. Well, I'll sit over here to give you two the space."

Rhapsody went about her day as normal, reporting her findings to Destiny Spiral about the artifact they recovered as well as her other duties till the end of the day. She was never fond of these meetings with Brisk Iron, but with all that was going on lately this seemed more important then usual. She made her way in and took a seat, waiting for things to begin.

Static sits down by Anchors. Still not sure how long they had before Brisk Iron would arrive to start the meeting, he didn't want to start any conversation that would take too terribly long. So he just sat there in awkward silence.

it's kinda sad he's got no idea how to talk to a filly. Maple thought as she looked across the table at Static... if only she could give him an example, but she wasn't a colt...

o_o? but maybe if I can get Miss Monsoon to play along ... no no Maple, now you're just being silly. Maple's expression changed rapidly as her thoughts played across her face... oh what the heck! her Friend static needed help... and Mr. Night Cap wasn't around..so she'd just have to fill in.

"So Misty how was your day? Have you done something knew with your mane since I last saw you? Do we still have you to thank for this lovely weather we're having?" Maple sighed internally, She hoped this worked... and that it might help Static.

Static grinned at Maple. Bless her! Subtlety wasn't her strong suit, but he did get the message.

He took a deep breath and turned to Anchors. "So...umm...okay. I know we should probably talk about what happened at Nightmare Heights. But I'm not sure we should really get into it right now...you know...not knowing how long we have before Ms. Iron comes in and starts the meeting. But...well...silence is killing me...so...umm...how was your day?" Static tries to smile. Realizing smiles never looked good on him, the smile quickly disappears and he bangs his head on the desk. "Stupid," *bang* "stupid," *bang* "stupid!"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"So Misty how was your day?"

"Well... it was kinda crazy, but fun, I guess?"

"Have you done something knew with your mane since I last saw you?"

"Not really?"

"Do we still have you to thank for this lovely weather we're having?"

"Maybe? Well, the other weather ponies deserve credit too."

"Stupid," *bang* "stupid," *bang* "stupid!"

"Ummm... is something wrong with Static?"

"YES"

"Uh, Static? Look at me for a moment."

"Oh. Huh."

Curious, Misty lightly touches Maple's mane with a wingtip.

Static took a deep breath and looked to Anchors. "Sorry! Sorry...it's just...'crazy day' doesn't even begin to cover it."

Supposed to be a simple speech when bugs attack, COIN making massive strikes all over Caballuston, Silent Belle and Dazzling Midnight both on the loose...no...'crazy' doesn't nearly cover it. The whole world had just gone mad!

it's soft spongy texture lets the wingtip sink in only so far before it meets resistance and a subtle but rapid resisting force .. that gently pushes the wingtip back out

Maple Giggles at the strange feeling

Misty pokes the spongy mass a couple more times.

"Hmmm... I see what you mean."

Snowy motions to Flairvoyant that she can take the seat next to him. "I'm Snowy Skies." He says, sounding friendly. "How do you know Anchors?"

"I used to lead some STOMP teams so we've interacted on those. I grew up on an island so it's good to have a teammate that's good in the water. Oh, my name's Flairvoyant. Navigator by trade but I've also got light spells."

Snowy nods. "That makes sense, given your cutie mark. Are we headed overseas?"

Maple continued to giggle as the strange feeling kept happening... Miss Monsoon's feathers kept pushing in and out... it felt different then when she hid things in there herself.

"We were planning on going bowling later this afternoon," replied Light Fantastic. "Would you like to meet us there?"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"I've done land navigation. Still, I have no clue why we're here."

"Sure! Most of the others aren't that big on bowling but I'll certainly be there. Well, catch ya later!" Jam Session said.

After several hours practicing for the upcoming play, Light Fantastic got a request to come to the Equestrian Expedition Keep. As she and the others arrived in the room, Steel Flint and then Brisk Iron entered. As the Chief Director sat at her desk, she said, "Thank you all for coming. Before we discuss all matters, I request Flairvoyant and Steel Flint briefly step out of the room." The two looked at each other, then stepped out of the room. "Thank you all for coming. Before we discuss all matters, I request Flairvoyant and Steel Flint briefly stepped out of the room." "Giving this time to talk about Barometz. Anchors Away informed me of what happened. Keeping it brief since I don't want to keep the others waiting too long. This will only be addressing concerns about him specifically and not the trip as a whole."

"I think so long as the area is quarantined, and very well marked as such...there shouldn't be any issue. Of course, someone who doesn't think the rules apply to them...like oh say...COIN...might try to ignore the quarantine. But then...well...I'd actually like to see that."

"Personally, my concerns are more about figuring out how to introduce fire to a water-based ecosystem..."

"Such capacity is typically fictional," Static said sourly.

*sigh* "I don't like entertaining the idea of destroying an entire ecosystem, one used by a nearby populace, just to attack one enemy. That sounds like something COIN would do and we're not them. That said, I understand frustration. I think Anchors Away brokered a fairly useful loophole in the deal. All of you are under an oath to return to Barometz with any new information about the wands.

I am under no such oath.

I'll be doing everything in my power to look for a solution to this. It's just that unfortunately, I can't tell you anything I discover and this will take time."

Static cracking under invisible pressure? Check. Unusual breaches of equinal space? Check. Ms. Iron's office wasn't starting to make any more sense than it ever had, but at least it was becoming predictable. With no particular reason to feel nervous and little information to add, Amber had kept quiet beyond exchanging greetings and tried to think of the room as another model of a chaotic system, like the ping pong game, that might help her improve her tactical senses. Her attention focused somewhat as Ms. Iron asked about Barometz.

Amber hesitated as the others spoke, nodding at Rhapsody's comment. "It's my belief that he remains a threat, ma'am," she said. "At the very least to the ponies of Nightmare Heights, and possibly others. It's becoming evident that the Keep has an interest in further study of the caves and surrounding swamp. And isn't STOMP meant to keep just such kinds of rampaging magical forces under control?"

Brisk Iron nodded, "Correct. Make no mistake, he will be dealt with. It's just that we're not to cause collateral damage that will make things worse. What bugs me is that I think Barometz wants something. He's sitting on his power instead of expanding. That or there's limits he knows that we don't."

Amber nodded, almost enthusiastically. "Understood, ma'am."

"While I do not like the idea of razing an entire Eco-system anymore then you do ma'am, I think such an option should at least be considered if only for a last resort. This isn't 'one' enemy in the traditional sense, this is an entity that potentially controls an entire biome. Anyone or thing that gets sent in there, even from the local population, is potentially at risk." She states calmly "I'm not going to demand extreme action, but sometimes one must be prepared for them as we may have to end up considering the needs of all of Equestria and not just one town if things! get out of hoof."

"We all know he's a threat, and we only survived because of that deal." She says with a huff, still being annoyed by it. "I suspect if any of us hadn't been stressed, we might have found a way to better use it to our advantage. None of us fault you for having to hide this stuff from us til he is dealt with" Rhapsody replies and sits back, closing her eyes. "As for him sitting on his power, its probably too much to hope he does indeed want to just be left alone, and may be heeding my words that too much use of his powers would likely enact a scenario like the one I am suggesting we consider anyway."

"Severing his power is probably the best option. I'm not sure if the other wands can provide that, though. Little is known about them and we've seen just how volatile the Wand of North Wind is. Though the idea that fear begets fear has merit. Barometz wants to be this terrifying force but making too much of a play will put himself at risk. Hmm."

"Ma'am...far be it for me to agree with Rhapsody. But...I'm afraid I have to agree with Rhapsody. The ponies of Nightmare Heights have enough grief to deal with without having to be terrified of walking outside the boundaries of their own small little town. Yes he realized that 'small little' was redundant, but thought the destitution of that small little town couldn't be overstated. "So, yeah, I would love to avoid collateral damage as much as the next pony. The ponies of Nightmare Heights were incredibly kind to us."

"But the threat of Baromets must not be trivialized. He nearly crushed the entire team with barely a wave of his hand. And he doesn't exactly have the warm fuzzies for pony kind."

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

Amber began to look flustered. How in Equestria was it that the two of them were more upset about Barometz than she was? "Rhapsody, I wasn't convinced that giving Barometz what he wanted and getting ourselves out was the best choice at the time, but what's done is done, and Ms. Iron agrees with us that this is a priority. We can't risk somepony else getting hurt in our place."

Rhapsody wasn't upset, annoyed sure, but she was seeing the practical side of things. "Which is part of what I am getting at." Rhapsody says when Amber comments about not letting others get hurt in their place. "While there is a chance that fear or reaction might keep him at bay, there is also an equal chance that anypony that stumbles to far into his territory is going to set him off. Plan for today, but prepare for tomorrow. I am suggesting we have to be ready in case such a worst case scenario happens."

"We also have to consider there is a chance that our actions, even a quarantine of the area; could invite trouble from COIN. They are after the wands and artifacts just as much as we do. What happens when they try to go into the Swamp looking for it, and then anger the giant plant monster? Just hope that it wipes them out and goes back to being peaceful? Risk another confrontation trying to contain things?"

[Ponyfeathers, Rhapsody! Stop saying things I agree with!]

"I hadn't even considered that. Far from ignoring a quarantine, COIN might even be lured in because of it. And while I certainly wouldn't mind seeing the two destroy each other, that would mean one of two things. Either we're still left with Baromets to deal with...or we're left with a COIN group actually powerful enough to destroy Baromets."

"I surely like to be prepared in either case."

Misty raises a hoof. "Umm... if the big monster stays by the cave and the ponies from Nightmare Heights don't go past the big fallen tree, then they're not going to cause trouble, right?" She figured Brisk Iron would know the relative distance between the two landmarks, having submitted her map with hoofwritten notes to Anchors at the end of the expedition.

"Maybe a few of us should go talk to Baron Mets again. That's what he wanted us to do, right? If he gets to know us better, he might open up a bit more and tell us about the cave."

"He doesn't particularly like us either," Static muttered. "He may tolerate us when we can give him information, but I doubt he'd be so tolerant for chitchat."

Maple's report on the incident had been the longest thing that she had ever written... switching from wing to mouth to wing and back a number of times before she'd worn her little pencil down to a nub. She didn't really want to talk about it anymore. Especially with every pony around. She wasn't worried about explaining what she did to Baron Mets... as Misty had called him

...- to the chief directer. But it was weird to talk about with her friends... ponies tend to start not trusting you if they know you could maybe make them change their mind about something....

"I'm really of two minds about it... on one hoof -I never want to be near that creature again. Naturally the other hoof wants me to go back as soon as possible to complete the mission." Maple added.

"Sure he was kind of grumpy at first, but we can't expect everypony to have a change of heart right away?" Misty replies to Static.

She thinks for a second. "Although, we might want to think carefully about who goes to see him."

Static disagreed vehemently with Misty. But he'd already made his thoughts known. He thought it probably wasn't best to prolong the conversation while Steel Flint and Flairvoyant were still waiting outside. He simply shook his head, leaned back in his chair and remained silent.

Maple held a Wing out to Misty and nudged her shoulder a little.
"See you're doing fine, way to go Misty!" Maple whispered.

Maple held a Wing out to Misty and nudged her shoulder a little.
"See you're doing fine, way to go Misty!" Maple whispered.

"Ahahaha... thanks," Misty whispers back, suddenly feeling much more self-conscious.

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"Valid points. I don't immediately have the answers but I will certainly be seeking them. However, Barometz is not the only concern of the day so if you could please let the others in." After the others were let back in, Brisk Iron pointed at Flairvoyant. "This is Flairvoyant. She has skills in navigation and light creation, including always knowing which way is north and her own lighthouse spell. From this point forward, she will the pony on the other end of the Morse code transmitter.

With the introduction done, I believe there's some concerns about the prior expedition."

Spoiler

"My biggest concern, and what become very clear on the last expedition: We need a leader." She says and looks to Static and Anchors. "No offense to you, but this team needs a leader that's actually able to deal with all of our quirks." She says and looks back to Brisk. "This team also... it really needs honest team training. and not just the individual training. We've basically been thrown together and have to hope for the best. Even Sky Lynx felt disappointed that only a few came to his gym that night. We are likely to get ourselves killed out there in our current state."

Static could think of several concerns about the prior expedition. He was hoping Flairvoyant would be a step in the right direction in helping with one of them. But as for whatever specifically Brisk Iron was talking about, he waited patiently for her to elaborate.

"I think Miss Away did a fine job, considering she was the most recently thrown... um... most recently added member of the team, though I guess that's you now Miss Flairvoyant... Hi I'm Maple!"

Maple waved a wing at the new pony, before turning to smile at Miss Away.

Static saw what Night Cap was trying to get at. But he also saw he was trying not to reveal what his 'area of expertise' is...and it threatened to open up his argument to some unfair flak...because it was a really good point. This was probably where he needed to step in.

"Like, Rhapsody's the battle expert, Maple's knows how to talk to ponies, Amber's our tech engineer, I'm the one who can use tech, Night Cap...well, I think there's a couple of us who know what Night Cap can do...but he seems to want to keep it a secret...so I won't be the one to reveal it."

"So in certain situations we need to defer to those ponies because they're the ones who know what they're doing. But it also needs to be clear to those ponies why they're there. No one should be knee deep in an expedition and not know why they're there."

"As far as leadership, I'm afraid we also have a team with quite a few alpha personalities. That...can...work? Maybe? But we're going to have to figure out how."

"We have one leader who knows how things should go, who has experience leading STOMP teams...but is a bit disillusioned about how this STOMP team does and doesn't work and was thrown into the thick of trying to lead a new team she doesn't know," he said giving a glance to Anchors.

"We have one leader who's battle savvy, who can really work the battle field and rally the soldiers...but outside battle doesn't seem to know the difference between leading ponies...and throwing around orders and rolling over others to get her way," he said giving a glance to Rhapsody.

"We have a couple good leaders who just need some edges buffed out. I could follow either one of them. But either one would need some training. One needs to adapt what she knows to a team that's completely different than anything she's lead before. The other needs to learn how to lead ponies...and not just throw out orders and try to get her way all the time."

"Miss Spark or Mr. Skies would be good leaders too... they both seemed to keep level heads last mission." Maple added from her spot. Her voice trailing off toward the end as she realized -she'd already had enough of this struggle in Nightmare heights, and would be better served not to prolong it further.

Static nodded his agreement. "Also true. Actually, I'd be hard pressed to find a single one of us who doesn't have some leadership qualities...while lacking others. It's just a matter of who deserves it more and can be trained to make up for what they lack."

"Awesome!" said Light Fantastic. "It'll be fun."

"In fairness, Mr. Cap, it's not in any dictionary I could find - and, hmm, at risk of stating the terribly obvious, I can find quite a lot of dictionaries."

Amber realized that speaking for Rhapsody might do her rather more harm than good, but turned to Maple. "As flattering as the suggestion is, Miss Jack, I really don't believe I'm appropriately qualified for a role of that kind."

Static shrugged at Ambers comment about herself. "Strengths and weaknesses. Strengths, analyzing a situation quickly and coming up with a strategy to work around it. Weakness, pony skills.**"

**(read 'interpersonal relationships' or 'people skills')

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"Not knowing why you're here is actually something that bugged me during the prior meeting. Previous STOMP teams haven't had that problem but I think it's due to a change in culture of sorts. Other than outside hires, Keep employees tended to have knowledge of STOMP through rumors and such. Joining a team was thus an honor. Many were ready and eager when the time came, often falling into place per mission. Unfortunately, little was focused on direct training. Over time, the secret became better kept and there were simply fewer STOMP expeditions so the level of readiness slowly waned." "Something that came up in a recent discussion we had is that part of the problem wasn't attempting to catch lightning in a bottle twice. Rather, it's that it worked and it happened enough times to hide some fairly glaring flaws in how we operated. Flaws the prior meeting shined a light on. It was finally time for a change of plans." "Indeed. First order of business: As of yesterday, all department heads for this location have been properly briefed on what STOMP is and your roles within it. Some had more questions than others but this will give a better venue for you to discuss things that happen on a mission. As far as this group in particular, one of the difficulties is the size. While normal expeditions can be large, STOMP teams tend to be fairly compact. That might be part of the concern of alpha personalities. Still, perhaps I should state what I see in you to better clear up some confusion. Would any volunteer to be first?"

Static cringed inwardly. He was acutely aware of his shortcomings. They were many. He wasn't excited about having them all listed, even if she were able to pepper it with strengths. But, best to get it over with. Maybe by the time she gets to the rest of the team, whatever's said about him will be forgotten.

"Better sooner than later," he said with a sigh.

"Actually Static, I think I should be first- I've been struggling from the start trying to figure out how and what to tell every pony about... and it might have avoided most of what happened in the swamp if you all had known what I was doing.... It might never come out if left to me because I'm so worried how every pony will take it..."

Maple sat back down in her chair when she realized she was half standing on the table

"Fair enough."

"I'll be starting with Static Signal since he initially spoke first. He has some negatives that made his inclusion questionable. However, they may be what led to his selection. As you are aware, the Manehattan branch of the Keep is under investigation. There's a lot of problems that made for poor working conditions for the employees. However, something happened one day when Static was going home. Happening upon a mare being robbed, he stepped in and fought the attacker off. This was done for no reward and some ponies could have turned a blind eye. Despite conditions that could bring out the worst, he still chose to do the right thing. Reviewing his work record, he showed aptitude that could grow in a better environment--so the environment was changed. Many in the Keep are what some might call "sheltered" but he was clearly not and still persevered. Now, I'll admit that better training could have helped avoid some of the problems that have come up but he's shown he has the dedication and raw ability."

Maple sighed as she listened to the story of Static's heroism... not because it was something that she already knew, but because it was only going to make her reason for being there sound so much worse. Static was here because despite his ruff edges he had a heroic core to him. Maple was here because despite her best efforts there was something maleficent in her and despite not knowing what it was... she could and did use it.

"Maplejack is on the team for a slightly similar reason. She's been traveling a bit and she's touched the lives of ponies in every location she goes to. Maple is on the team not so much for the intellectual pursuits, though she does have skill in botany. Rather she's here because sometimes you need somepony who is good with ponies. And she can do it by virtue of having a pure heart."

"Hey, way to go!" Misty softly ruffles the top of Maplejack's mane with a wing.

Amber looked surprised at the revelation about Static's resumé, but nodded and smiled appreciatively as Static's and Miss Jack's strengths were explained.

O_O Maple just kinda sat there quietly ... does she not know? oh rumps I'm still going to have to do it.... Maple sat there and took the ruffles from Misty, and doubted that it would ever happen again when she told her.

[Night Cap]

This is going to be fun. Soon we're going to be talking about me!

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

"Misty Monsoon is on the team as a direct request from Anchors Away. With Anchors in a leadership role, she wanted somepony else to handle navigation duties, especially inland. Anchors chose somepony she felt could be trusted with such role and could assist with errant weather."

Maple's job description was nothing new. Static's was interesting, but perfectly believable. Maybe now that he was knew others saw strong morals in him he'd be less scared of getting wild. Though he controlled himself externally, nodding along, Snowy was beside himself with curiosity about why Brisk Iron thought he was here. He suspected that it would not align with his own opinion, but that only made him more ravenous for information. "I can go next." He says, his voice quiet as he flashed a small, enigmatic smile. He wanted Brisk Iron as peeved as he could manage before she started talking, and he couldn't think of a better way than pretending he had a secret.

Misty was quite thankful that Anchors had put in a good word for her. It was certainly quite remarkable to go from washing ashore in a strange town, to being a member of the town's most elite adventuring team in just over a month's time.

She noted that Maplejack still seemed gloomy, even after receiving glowing praise from the Chief Director. She felt the need to ask if something was wrong... after the meeting, of course.

"I'll need to do the next two together since their choice is somewhat intertwined. There will be some revealing of secrets but it may need to be breached for this. Snowy Skies is an illusionist of expert caliber, skilled with both visuals and sound. He's on the team for what he does but that's not what led to the choice. In a similar but different way to Static, he's had a rougher background than most here. From here, allow me to briefly segue. Some of you have discovered already, Zig Zag is a dreamwalker. Through a nightly excursion, she landed in one of Snowy's nightmares. It was a harrowing situation but as fat! e would have it, Night Cap is also a dreamwalker and wound up in that same nightmare. He saved both of their lives that night. Zig Zag did some background work on both of them and then made nomination for their entry. I questioned the selection of Snowy Skies but I try to trust those who work for me. Her intuition paid off in Snowy being the one to ultimately defeat the Princess of Anugypt.

Night Cap is...odd...as a choice. His ability doesn't always come into play but it has merit. He has prior adventure experience but he's fairly unconventional. Night Cap, you mentioned not knowing your role in the plan. In many ways, you're here for when there is no plan. The one pony that's had experience with the unexpected and unknown." "Congratulations, Night Cap. You're one of Brisk Iron's infamous wildcards."

Misty's mouth gaped involuntarily. "Dreamwalker... wow."

Static tried to puzzle through what was just said about Night Cap and Snowy.

Of course, he knew Night Cap was a dream walker. He drew some satisfaction that Brisk Iron found him as enigmatic as he did. "Night Cap is...odd...as a choice." Static had to suppress a chuckle at the phrasing of that. He had to agree that "wildcard" was the perfect title for him.

Snowy still remain remained elusive. Static had already known he had a past.

if I give her the truth, I probably won't get to be with her at all. I might end up dead, and I'll probably end up back in jail.

That conversation flitted through Static's mind. He'd probably been one of the few ponies Snowy had said that much too. And really, that should be enough. What does it matter what Snowy was in jail for? That wasn't who he was any more, any more than he was the same Static he was in Manehatten.

Yet, Static wasn't sure Snowy saw it that way. Something from his past still seemed to be nipping at Snowy's heals.

Static hoped Snowy would trust the rest of them with that secret sooner rather than later so that maybe they could help him with it before it was too late.

Light Fantastic flashed a surprised look at Night Cap.

"A dreamwalker?" she thought.

He and Brisk Iron thought along closer lines than Snowy had originally thought. But then, he wasn't coming to like her for no reason. They even viewed Night Cap in a near-identical capacity. It was good that he could stop dancing around Night Cap's privacy altogether now. Was there anyone else curious or confusing on the team at all? He glanced around the room. Rhapsody thought she knew why she was here, and he wasn't about to tell her otherwise. Amber was perfectly aware of why she was here, but certainly needed to hear it from someone in power before she believed it. Light was, well, Light. She did good work, and she was much appreciated. Perhaps the most inte! resting pony left was the one that might not get Brisk Iron's two bits: Anchors Away. Was her sole capacity on the team to bring greater experience and leadership? Because if so, she seemed a mediocre choice at best, thus far.

As was so often the case at these meetings, the only way to learn anything was to let the conversation flow along, so Snowy continued to nod along, looking reasonable but saying nothing.

Steel Flint interjected with, "If I may, I'd like to explain the reasoning behind Amber's choice. Most mentioned have been due to special or outside circumstances. However, we're still a museum at our heart. Amber Spark is fit more in the mold of most traditional STOMP choices. She's an intellectual who will have museum interests in mind and thus things like the allure of treasure hunting hold no sway." "Arguably, Anchors Away is here for many of the same reasons. She knows the level of excellence expected of those in the Keep. This might have wound up causing a bit of problems with this group's collection of personalities but when she's on point, she's just as talented as anypony here. Don't let a soft voice fool you, she's experienced more than most."

"I know what that can be like... But I still think we should have investigated the caves more, despite the loud neigh saying voices. We have one mystery on our hooves that staying might have really benefited Miss Spark's work on the puzzle pieces.

Maple was speaking clearly, but she hadn't really moved since her turn was over.

"We found a piece of the puzzle thing she's working on in one of the cave's branches... does that not seem odd to any pony? We nearly don't make it out of that swamp... against a giant monster who seems well equipped to handle undesirables in his realm... yet we find one of these pieces.

We're also dealing with a unicorn with strange teleporting powers... perhaps this is game Miss Midnight is playing on us...

We also seem to have met 2 other persons while we were there who might have been responsible... I haven't heard how the pony we resqued is doing and I don't want to cast dispersion on the injured Or maybe it was put there by this mystery writer from the book we were discussing earlier ....

Or yet Perhaps again Miss Rhapsody is correct and whatever is in the heart of Baron Mets is responsible for the piece being there and has lost itself to the wand's power.

Maybe those last 2 options are actually the same...

A defined chain of command in the field would be wonderful. " Maple added before sinking her head into her hooves again.

CoffeeHorse · Jun 22, 2022

Amber more like traditional STOMP choices? That would be all well and good, but with no frame of reference to what 'traditional' means...

"If I may," Static decides to speak up. "Could you elaborate on 'traditional' STOMP choices? I mean, I hear the 'intellectual who has museum interest in mind and the allure of treasure holding no sway. But then...that's kinda vague. I mean...as far as that goes, I think the only qualification any of us may or may not lack would be 'intelectual'." He couldn't help spare a glance at Night Cap. Okay, maybe allure of treasure hunting may be a weakness for one or two others...but he decided to diplomatically gloss over that bit. "I don't remember anything readily available...but...would there be any films, documents or...something...that would tell us what older STOMP teams were like? Maybe help us know more what's expected of us?"

Rhapsody sits back mostly quiet as she listens to each rundown, from her past confrontations with Brisk Iron, she already had a very strong idea why she was here. Brisk knew what she did in her spare time, that she was the hero Black Night. She could be counted on to make sure everyone was safe or die trying. She also knew Brisk would hope she could inspire others. For the others she simply files away these facts, sure they could be important later on.

Snowy chimes in. "What happened to the previous STOMP team? You describe them as lightning in a bottle. Why did you need to hire us at all?"

Maple sighed into her hooves, given enough time and opportunity... she could have made all of them stay... they might know what is actually going on by now if they had... she was almost on the verge of tears with the realization that she wasn't sure if she'd made the wrong choice -not to try ... oh rumps they're all going to hate me. Maple pulled some of her hair down over her eyes as that last thought sunk in, and a few silent tears did get lost in the soft curls.

Static studied Maple as she buried her eyes in her hair. He knew when someone was trying to hide their emotions and he could easily figure what was bugging her.

"Before we get to Rhapsody, it seems like whatever Maple has to say is causing her a lot of needless anxiety. Maybe we should let her come out with it?"

Static then turned directly to Maple. "I think you'll feel a lot better once you're not holding it in any more."

Maple's eyes roll up to look across at Static... ringed in red, besides her hair. She doesn't blink -
"Do you really feel that way Static?" Maple doesn't wait for an answer...
Spoiler
"no need to answer. I know you do. You really do want to help... well maybe you'd be willing to help with a demonstration?"
This time she does wait for an answer ..still looking at him without blinking...she sits up a little and moves the hair back from her face with her wings.

"Sure, I trust you. Where do you need me?"

"you're fine where you are...." Maple sighed and then spoke to the rest of the group without looking away from Static.

"As far as I know i've always been able to do this, I have no way of knowing if I've ever used it to hurt some pony... and Static is right, I've been worried sick about all of my friends finding out I can do this... because then you'll wonder if I have." Maple stood up on her chair, her front legs coming down on the edge of the table to steady her. "I thought this was what I was selected for... but if it really wasn't, I can't keep being dishonest with you all."

Spoiler

Maple's face softens and she sits back down ...
"Oh hello Static, I'm happy you made it to the meeting... we were all just talking about the race you and I had earlier today. And yes you were absolutely right I won fair and square because you didn't state it was a foot race before running off trying to get a head start." Maple hated doing this to her friend, eventually he'd remember his true feelings on the subject... maybe. Maple turned her head slightly and gave Miss Away an apologetic smile.

"It was so nice of you to give Miss away that bottle of water as you came in just now... was their anything you wanted to tell her?" Maple closed her eyes ..that was enough. she slid back from the table and walked over to the corner of the room and faced the wall... she didn't want to see this.

"Oh yes, it was totally fair and square. As far as I'm concerned, we never need to revisit it.

Static turned to Anchors.

"I wanted to say that things were explosive during the Nightmare Heights mission. I think that mission made a lot of emotions raw for several ponies. While I can't say I'm sorry for what I said to Rhapsody, because I meant every word of it, I'm sorry that it escalated into what it became. I'm sorry you had to see such an ugly side of me. I wish I could say 'that's not who I am'. Unfortunately, it really is who I am."

"But you make me want to be better. You make me wan't to try to be somepony better than what you saw. And I think if you could've just seen me today, you'd have seen I actually have improved even in this short of time."

"I guess what I really wanted to say is...please don't judge me on what you saw the last couple days. I can do better."

from her spot in the corner.. Maple sunk lower and lower to the floor with each thud on the table... covering her head with her wings. the only saving grace was Statics memory already hit upon the error she intentionally left unaccounted for....Ms Irons was in the room... Static's mind should recognize the discrepancy... and most of what Maple had just done wouldn't be permanent...

Static's thumping did stop suddenly.

"Wait a minute...Ms. Iron?" Static looked to where Ms. Iron was sitting. "When did you...? What's going on here?"

Light Fantastic tapped her hoof on the ground for a moment before speaking.

"Ms. Iron," she said, "I don't know you might feel about it, but would it be possible to take a rain check on this mission? I've got a major play coming up, and with all the adventuring I've been doing, I don't need to neglect my practice any more than I have."

Pulling her eyes away from the scene with Static Signal and Maplejack, Brisk Iron nodded in response to Light Fantastic. "Understood. I thank you for the time you have given us and I wish you good luck on your ventures."

Amber's first question to herself was how to respond to Maple's display, but that seemed simple: don't. Her second thought was how to feel about what she was seeing. Maple's ability certainly seemed useful. As she'd had to acknowledge, even Mr. Skies' illusions had very practical applications. Maple's magic was - only the very most extreme and discomfiting variation on illusion craft that Amber could imagine. Amber held her forehead very still and found herself wondering if it was time to blink.

Snowy had to resist laughing, just a little. Static's exact reenactment of the previous minutes was funny, from a certain macabre perspective, but he knew laughing was a terrible idea just then. He felt a quiet urge to fess up his own secret to everyone in the room, despite its complete irrelevance to his use to the keep. Part of him just wanted to one-up Maple, but a larger part of him wanted to comfort her, and the best way to do that at the moment was probably to distract everybody from the matter at hand.

It was out of the question, of course. He had made that decision a long time ago. But Maple was suffering in much the same way he had always expected he would suffer from the truth. It didn't seem fair that only the one who was honest was punished...perhaps there was a way to split the difference.

Snowy quietly stands up and walks to the corner, getting as close to Maple as he can. He hopes her hair won't dampen the sound of his voice too much. Cutting their corner off from the rest of the room, he gives Maple his most genuine smile and says "You're still not the biggest monster in this room."

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

Maple's sobbing stopped sharply at Mr. Skies' words of comfort. He was a Nice pony, she knew he meant it that way.. as a comfort, but the words that fell from her lips in reply were ice cold.
"Not the biggest... but still a monster."

Snowy looks a bit bemused, but mostly serious. "...We're all monsters, Maple. Haven't you noticed?"

"...we..." Maple had finally heard what Mr. Skies was actually telling her...
"I understand. Thank you Mr. Skies." Maple got up and walked back to her seat.
Perhaps it was a good thing Miss Fantastic had to leave...

Snowy frowned at Maple's back. He suspected that another talk would be in order eventually, but now was not the time for that, so he quietly returned to his own seat.

"I feel you and I see this in quite a different way, Maple. Wait. Steel, hold Static for a moment. Steel Flint swiftly held Static Signal with her magic to prevent him from banging his head on the table again. Well then, seems you have something akin to a type of hypnosis. It's an ability that is not evil in itself, it's just all in how one chooses to use it. I'm sure you can reverse it if you try but the more important thing is that you have concern over what you do so it's not wielded with careless abandon. Some of you have darker pasts but this is a chance to move forward. I believe in my employees and if that trust is retained I'd fight Celestia, if not all of the princesses, in your name. Thankfully it'll never come to that since they're on our side but I meant what I said."

Spoiler

"Mr. Signal, I'd like to come clean for the group about my ability... since we've talked about it, would you like to help me?" Maple did her best to sound like herself... as odd as that sounds.

Static remembers everything.

Brisk Iron had the briefest smile before returning to her normal composure. "Now, back to prior questions. While record of prior expeditions exists, it's generally kept classified. In a way, knowing what prior teams were like is a lost art of sorts due to things becoming more secret and a time of not banding teams together. Unless you were there. I can try to find the right way to describe it if I..." "I think I can help with that."

Anchors Away stood up from her seat. "Several years ago, Flair and I were on an expedition on an island chain far out in the ocean. Time was limited to observe a rare flower bloom but things were going fine until it happened. Some unchecked storm clouds drifted out and formed a massive hurricane. It wasn't powerful but it was huge and it rolled in fast. Rain dimmed vision even in the day, though it was sun was setting fast. Adding to that problem, the storm knocked out power. I was farther out so I knew I had to help the kelp harvesters back home. Then we saw it. A jumbo sized, fancy class blimp was downed but floating. The pilot decided to land and deflate instead of crash. He then told me he wasn't alone. The voyage had two other airships accompanying them and full of passengers. I didn't know what to do until I saw it. Flair had found a spot on the island and was projecting her lighthouse spell for miles. I had to tug each blimp back to the island until the storm passed but everypony got to safety.

With the time it took, we failed the mission...but we didn't fail our mission. While we have science and exploration in mind, it's kinda useless if ponies aren't there to share it with. It's about the community, even if it's not our hometown. I don't know if I want to use the term "heroes" but what we do isn't selfish like those COIN ponies. With the expedition to Nightmare Heights, finding Desert Rose meant one mission to explore ended and the mission to get her to safety began."

"Thank you, Anchors. I think that's a good summary from a more narrative perspective. I'll be looking through the vaults for some of the earliest mission reports. It seems I need to go back to the beginning with this." "You also still need to mention the reason for choosing Rhapsody."

Rhapsody does smile as she listens to the story, as it does line up with her own beliefs. The mission itself may be important, but the lives of very pony else should always try and come first. While everypony else had been commenting about staying behind to explore the caves, she still believed getting the team and Desert Rose to safety needed to be priority, and the fact that there are stories of STOMP that made similar calls made her feel better about the group, and gave her new respect for Anchors.

All of the princesses Maple thought to herself as she sat quietly Mr. Signal was right, Maple too -didn't see that going well for the Princesses. While Maple admired the story of Miss Away's past mission, the size of this current team may have lent itself to more options then were available to two ponies facing a hurricane. But maple kept quiet. she'd spoke enough already.

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

"Yes, Rhapsody. As many of you should be aware, she's fiercely dedicated to the team and in excellent physical condition. However, this aided the final choice but was not the final choice. Rhapsody is a pegasus and also an astronomer. A life in the sky can be mundane to many but she's still capable of wonder. That spirit that makes one want to explore and learn is something needed." "As far as the term "lightning in a bottle", that was in reference to the overall concept and arguably earlier teams. It's just that more changes should have been made over decades. As far as more recent teams, some members have retired. Flair and Anchors are right here. Also, teams are meant to slightly fluctuate for the requirements of each expedition. I think as the Keep opened museums in more locations, we may have wound up spreading too thin for some things." "Hmm. I believe some of you had more concerns over the prior expedition?"

"Miss spark's puzzle pieces, i'm concerned one was found in such an apparently inaccessible area - or what somepony is desperately trying to convince us is an inaccessible area." Maple said, lowering her head to the table.

"Wait, wasn't the puzzle piece given to Night Cap by that little filly?" Misty points out.

Static's ear twitched at the call for concerns over the prior expedition. He did have concerns. But at the moment, he had to think that they were being resolved on their own.

He glanced at Rhapsody. He had a new found respect for her. Especially since he'd just found himself agreeing with her no less than twice in the past 10 minutes. And all this time he thought she was just coldly 'doing her job,' turns out she actually did care! And not just because Brisk Iron said so...he was beginning to see it himself.

Basically he only ever had two concerns about her. They were rather big concerns, but...

Static glanced at Night Cap, concern number one. That was basically dealt with. Night Cap knew how Rhapsody felt about him...or...if he didn't, he couldn't say he hadn't been warned. Even at that, the sheer animosity may have been (hopefully) helped by this meeting. In any case, Static did what he could and was basically out of that fight.

And then of course there was one other thing...something he may have been guilty of himself.

"I don't know about any pony else. But of the concerns left over that would still need dealt with, my primary worry is the alpha personalities. I...hate to bring it up, since, in that regard, I may be one of the ones who needs knocked down a peg. But...I don't know...what does a team do about that?

"I mean that seriously. I'm a life time loner who's only had to work as part of a team for about a week now. I honestly don't know. How does a team deal with that?

"I think I'm coming out of this meeting with a new perspective on Rhapsody...a good one. But, lets face it. We're both of us really head strong with often very different, very strong opinions. I'm...not sure how to avoid butting heads in that regard."

Maple looked at Misty...

"I completely forgot about that one...but no I mean the one at the bottom of the little cave lake."

Light Fantastic gave Brisk Iron a smile.

"And it's been an equal pleasure working with you," she said.

Before leaving, she turned to other ponies in the room.

"I've also enjoyed the time we've spent as a team. It's been one wild ride. Don't any of you be a stranger. If you're ever in the area, feel free to look me up. I may even be able to get you free entry to one of our performances."

She gave Snowy a gentle smile.

"See you on the flip side."

With a quick jaunt, she exited the room.

Spoiler

Static sighed as Light exited. Out of the team, she was the one he'd interacted with the least. But it was always pleasent when he had. He hoped for a quick return.

...
...

Does this mean he wouldn't have to wear a tutu?

Brisk Iron certainly knew how to make a speech. And given who she was, he was inclined to believe it. He might even be counted as part of her cohort now. How exciting. Regardless of how well she may have handled it, he was quite certain that another talk with Maple was still in the works, but even more certain that it still was not the time for it. Anchors story had stirred something in him. It certainly wasn't the sort of feat one could dismiss out of hoof. Really, it frustrated him. The more he heard about prior STOMP exploits and expeditions, the more he got the feeling that someone like him had never been on the team before...and that there was a very good reason for that.

Of course, all that went out one ear when Light Fantastic smiled at him and vanished. Part of his brain cooled down, no longer worrying about her, while another part started up, playing a pleasant but loud violin piece. He has a vague expression on his face, with a hint of shell-shock, and as he unconsciously ruffles his fur a small kaleidoscope pattern can be seen whirling atop his cutie mark.

Snowy tries his hardest to pull himself back together, perhaps to actually participate in the conversation now that it wasn't introductions, round 2. "Amber, and perhaps Steel Flint, where did the puzzle pieces in your lab come from?"

Static spared a brief glimpse at Snowy. That had to hurt. He didn't want to say anything with everyone else there since Snowy seemed to want to keep his and Light's relationship a secret. But he made a mental note to say something later.

Maple watched the exchanges between Miss Fantastic, and Mr. Skies... and then saw the look on Mr. Signal's face...

hmm, You think worse of yourself then you need to Mr. Skies. I doubt Monsters... can feel heartbroken. Sadly, Maple proved to be at least a worse monster than Static... as her face gave away none of her sympathy when she looked at Mr. Skies. If he didn't want to appear phased by this, she would let him keep his illusion.

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

Brisk Iron looked over to Steel Flint. "Those puzzle pieces seem quite the oddity. They were found by somepony else and given to the Keep. Those do have a bit of mystery to them, though I don't know if they're properly within the scope of this meeting." "As far as alpha personalities, I think that's where more regular teamwork situations will come into play so you can learn to work together. In fact..." Brisk Iron and Steel Flint whispered back and forth until Brisk Iron began to rub her hooves together and looked back at the team. "I have...an idea. Tomorrow morning, you are all to meet me in the front lobby. Your workday will be a little different than usual."

"I still don't trust those puzzle pieces." Rhapsody states. "Something about them seems off... too... convenient..."

"Heavens help us." Snowy comments, nodding with a wry smile.

"Will we see you two tonight at the bowling match?" Maple asked her superiors.

"I won't be participating in the bowling league. And even if I were, it looks like I'll be busy tonight." "On the other hoof, I'll certainly be at tonight's practice."

"Oh...umm...one more thing...I...kinda hate to bring up. But there's one issue that greatly impacts group performance and morale that I would be remiss to let slide...specifically...the coffee issue?" Static looks to the others for help here.

"What do you mean by 'coffee issue'?"

Maple's blank face watches to see which of the other coffee crazies will jump to back up Mr. Night Cap first.

"I don't pay attention to the coffee machine in the break room since I brew my own differently. You'd have to take that up with accounting. I thought there were concerns over the prior mission but if it's just about the break room..."

"There might be, but can you tell us what you might be thinking we may want to talk about? ...things where ponies wont have to leave the room again?"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

"No no!!!!" Static glares at Night Cap.

[Don't...ruin this!!!]

"It is the lack of coffee on the mission. I'm not sure how to plea my case to those who are fine with tea. But those who are used to coffee...they just can't function without it...and tea just isn't much of a replacement." Static sighs. "Coffee for some is kind of a necessity. I mean...at first I thought it was just me because, well...I've actually been using coffee as a way to fight off...other...things. So I wasn't going to say anything."

"But when I saw the others waking up and...well...it seemed like mine was a more mild case. But I was afraid Anchors was about to face a revolt...not sure how much I'm exaggerating! I mean...I think some were grouchier than others. Some functioned better than others. But...sweet Luna, I know I'm not the only one! Somepony please help me out here!" Static glanced at Night Cap. "Somepony who's not Night Cap, please help me out here!"

"I do have to agree with Static. Coffee is very much a thing many on this team needs to survive. And not the manure from the first mission either. Actually good coffee, fresh warm, actually bothers to taste like someone actually put effort into making it. I'm not saying we need the top shelf ultra fancy stuff like Light likes. But it needs to be there, and it needs to be of good quality for those of the team that needs it to run with out issue. This isn't a one off thing, It feels like each mission we've been on has had a 'coffee crisis' of some form..."

Static knew he could count on Rhapsody...which...kinda creeped him out still. Nevertheless, he nodded his appreciation.

"Maybe it is just learned behavior from my nights on the road... but luxuries, should never be confused with necessities." Maple reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a pouch like the ones she'd handed out earlier... "Planning ahead on your own isn't hard."

"The coffee is, hmm, ah, not the entirety of the problem, ma'am," said Amber, gradually stepping forward. "While provisions would have been - perhaps very helpful given the conditions in Nightmare Heights, even the equipment we received was somewhat, hmm, mislabeled. There were some - " Amber couldn't help cutting a snap glance from Rhapsody to Static - "tensions, as you know, and I don't think the misappropriated gear helped. Mr. Signal's recording apparatus developed problems early on and had to be jerry-rigged in the field, as well. Well, the bog, I should suppose," Amber said with a tilt of her head. "I'm not sure that any of us really had a clear indication of what kinds of supplies we might be expected to bring along ourselves.'

maple put her pouch back in her saddlebag. This was obviously not the time to talk about personal responsibility in the field.

"Back i..." *cough* "Don't worry, none of us heard you say 'back in my day'. Continue." Brisk Iron grumbled but continued. "First things first, the brew used in the northern base is solely meant for its warming properties. That's why there's restrictions on what can be added to it. As far as other coffee uses, I generally view it as more of a luxury than a requirement. Not saying to never drink it...but it's not my first thought for an expedition. I'd almost go as far as to say I should be looking into ways to get you less reliant on it but that's probably the wrong kind of drastic. I'll look into seeing what will be done but I'll have it known that it's adding to your supply list when STOMP teams tend to pack lighter than normal expeditions. In fact, the prior mission had so much sent with you because it was just supposed to be a normal expedition. You would have been in more optimized teams if it was supposed to be a STOMP mission.

However, in speaking of supplies, missing and mislabeled supplies won't be tolerated. That's a hazard to any team. I've had a very long talk with those responsible and I can assure you that it'll never happen again."

"It's not so much of weight as size. It's easy for things to be lost or restrict movement."

"I think lethargy would restrict movement more than a packet of coffee. I mean, sure, I have no problem buying my own and taking it with me. I think the main thing was that we weren't expecting not having any...and...well...it was kind of an issue."

Maple lowers her head back down to the table... this might take a while

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

"Not size for the coffee itself but for everything else: mugs, coffee maker, extra water separate from the usual."

Static face hoofed.

[I'm agreeing with Rhapsody and Night Cap's pissing me off. It truly is the end of times!]

"Actually, Night...espresso is about as pricey as it gets."

Static was beginning to be sorry he brought it up at all.

"Don't need a big industrial maker. Simple coffee press and a mug. Don't need to carry too much more water. We've got Misty. Or just give me a pond and a few drops of iodine."

"Hmm. I'll make no promises but I'll see what I can do about the coffee situation. If there's no other concerns, I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

Spoiler

As the others started to chat, Static stood and faced Anchors. "Umm...Anchors? Can we talk...like...away from the others? This room...I think it has it out for me. I don't think I'll ever be able to speak in here without embarrassing myself."

Anchors Away nodded and followed Static Signal outside of the meeting room.

Static took a deep breath. He wasn’t expecting this to be pleasant. “Right…so…umm…we haven’t really talked since we got back. The last word I heard from you was before things got…ugly…at Nightmare Heights. I guess…I just wanted to know how things are between us now.

"I think that mission made a lot of emotions raw for several ponies. While I can't say I'm sorry for what I said to Rhapsody, because I meant every word of it, I'm sorry that it escalated into what it became. I'm sorry you had to see such an ugly side of me. I wish I could say 'that's not who I am'. Unfortunately, it really is who I am. I saw some things going on there I just couldn’t abide.

“I’m not sure you noticed, but keeping my mouth shut? Not one of my strong suits.

“But…for all my faults, and believe me, I know I have many...you make me want to be better. You make me want to try to be somepony better than what you saw. And I think if you could've just seen me today during the attack at the presentation, you'd have seen that I actually have improved even in this short amount of time. I can be better."

"I...I'm hoping we can work this out. I'll be blunt--I don't like the bad side of you. But...I like the good side and want to see more. I've spoken with Brisk Iron so I'll at least be with the team for a bit. We can see how well things hold up. I will still have some traveling work but not as much. In fact, I have some offshore research work I'm supposed to help out with this afternoon so I'm going to have to push to be back here by morning.

Do you...do you think we'll be able to work this out?"

"I hope so. I mean...I have a ways to go. But I've already been working on some of my habits. It's just... Static sighs. "I want to be better. For you, for STOMP...I want to be a better pony. And I am! You compare who I am now to who I was when we first met...I mean...I am better than I used to be.

"But...I'm still me. I'm...always going to be me. Try as hard as I might, there's going to be some things about me that just...aren't pretty.

"Can you forgive that?"

Anchors Away hung her head. "I hope so. I gotta go but we'll need to talk about this more in the future. Just...work on something that'll help you focus on your good side. And not just me. We all have a lot of good in our lives despite the worst. The cooking you were doing? Keep working on that."

Static hung his head and sighed heavily. Well, at least they were still together...for now. Still, that hurt worse than any punch to the face or kick to the gut.

Static left to join the others at the bowling alley.

Night Cap eventually had to get back to the planetarium and take a few more pictures of the astrolabe in its new home, all the while telling the heroic tale of his adventure in the police station.

Maple arrived at Saccharine Sweets' Sugar Shack, like a single grey rain cloud on a sunny day... However once through the door -what her eyes were seeing put a smile back on her face...

Miss Sweet's on a little stool pinning little chocolate birds around the walls of the candy display room... Maple's nose aided the visuals by confirming that while the birds wings were wrapped in shiny green foil... the chocolate was also mint chocolate.

Maple's mood improved dramatically -seeing what her friend had done, her little hooves trotting on the spot waiting for Miss Sweets to get down on the floor again before she swooped in to deliver what may be her most timely needed hug ever. Maple Grinned from ear to ear...

"How about some CoCo-Rockas!"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

Many emotions left the STOMP meeting. Will hearts be able to reconcile? Will the team manage to see eye to eye? Tune in next time folks for more of the Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour!

*static crackle*

*static crackle*
"How am I supposed to live with somepony who can't make a decent grilled cheese sandwich? It's like a betrayal of my taste buds. Betrayal!

*static crackle*

Good evening folks! Hope you all enjoyed that stunning drama because now it's time for another exciting Saturday night with the Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour! This week we once again bring you to the riotous ramshackle of the Explorers of STOMP!

Previously, the Specialized Team for Obtaining Museum Pieces had quite the eventful day. Ranging from mauve mobsters to bold breakouts and irritable insects many things seemed to be in motion. Now, the team prepared settle down to a nice, relaxing night of bowling. It seemed like the Marketing Department was already there talking. Plaid Paisley was chatting up Semolina Sway while Bold Standard was cozily sitting next to what looked like the greeter from the Pancake Pilferer.

Static walked into the alley. He zeros in on Plaid Paisley as his clue for which lane the Keep was using.

"Hey, hey, hey! Plaid! Nice to see you again." Static looked Semolina over a moment, trying to place her. "I've seen you before. Aren't you Semolina? Night Cap's told me about you...or...he was talking about you and I was in the room. Can't remember which. Next chance I get, I'm going to have to visit your kiosk." He turns to the greeter from the Pancake Pilferer. "I remember you too...from the Pancake Pilferer, right? I'm afraid I never did get a name."

Bold Standard spoke up. "This is my husband, Chain Better." Before Chain Better could speak up, Plaid Paisley piped in with, "Heh heeey, glad to see you made it. Hope this little practice night is fun for everypony. Since this wasn't part of the actual league, I figured it would be a nice date night, too."

"Of course you did!" Static said with a wry smile to Plaid. Static looked around at his surroundings. "I guess I should try to find the ball rental counter. Oh, hey Night Cap! Why don't we see if we can't find it together?"

Snowy had wanted to talk to Maple after the meeting, but she had disappeared like lightning. Now he found himself at the bowling alley, songless but refreshed by a long practice, contemplating the...truly international package on Maple's back. Perhaps it was a personal bowling ball, he thought, approaching the growing group of Keep employees and nodding quietly.

Misty enters the bowling alley wearing a large ceramic bowl on her head. Looking around, she spots Night Cap and Static Signal. She trots over to meet them. "Hi guys! This is my first time bowling. I hope this bowl is the right size."

Static gives Misty his patented "you have got to be kidding me" look. "Uh...yeah...Misty...I think you'll be just fine."

As Night Cap, Static Signal, and Misty Monsoon found the rental counter, Plaid Paisley waved Maplejack over. "Over here, Maple. Looks like you brought a lot of stuff."

"Oh Hello Mister Paisley, yes indeed... so many things and so little back." Maple moved toward the group, saying hello to everypony else once she'd stopped and got everything set down on or under a table.

Static nods politely to the pony behind the counter. "Umm, yes, I'm here for the Equestrian Expedition Keep's practice...thingy. I guess I need to rent a ball and shoes. Umm...actually, I hear its better if you buy your own if you expect to be doing it for a while...and...well, who knows how long these things can last...right? So, do you sell balls here or just rent?"

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

The stallion at the rental counter said, "We sell and rent. In fact, if you let us know ahead of time, we can make a custom ball for you. It looks like tonight's rentals have been paid for by a few of your coworkers who made big purchases. We've got a special going on."

Meanwhile, Destiny Spiral flew into the bowling alley. Looking around, she walked over to Snowy Skies, "I guess neither Dusty nor Rhapsody has shown up yet, huh? Gosh, with so many departments here it's hard to find ponies you recognize." "I'm sure I can help with that." Steel Flint walked in carrying both a bowling ball bag and several sheets of paper with her magic. She seemed to be in a fairly good mood. "Our table is over there. I'll direct any others who come in."

[Night Cap, of course]

Someone else pays again. It's like magic, but better.

"Oh I love it when that happens. Where shall we begin?"

"Well, in that case, I guess I might as well buy one. Looks like I'm in this department competition for the long haul in any case. I figure any extra cost in buying one would eventually be offset by repeated renting fees. I don't know how custom I'd need it, though. I mean, what do I gain by getting something custom?"

"I've no idea where they are, but they may be arriving together." Snowy elects not to mention that he knew everypony here by name anyways (whether they knew his name or not), instead just nodding and smiling in agreement. "Where do we get our bowling balls?" He asks Steel Flint.

Steel Flint pointed with her horn. "The ball rental desk is right over there."

"I don't even know who I am," Static thinks to himself. "Maaaaybe..." "Would I be able to get one with a movie camera on it? A bit on the nose, but hey! If this is going to be his new hobby next to cooking, a bit of personalization couldn't hurt.

"Sure, it's possible. It'll take a few days to get made but it'll be the best you've ever seen. What color choices would you like?"

Snowy looks turns his head, taking in the mid-sized sign over the counter. "Yes. Yes it is." He walks over, catching the tail end of Static's conversation. Discarding any number of cheap innuendos about the best balls they had ever seen, he instead suggests "Try white with black streaks. The camera will stand out, but the black streaks will make it's presence more normal."

Well, if he was going to be obvious about it anyway..."Black for the camera design, yellow for the ball itself."

[Ah Static! Your ability for imagination truly staggers me.]

"Will that be yellow with black stripes or white with yellow stripes?"

Yellow with black stripes...except...not this shade of yellow," Static says indicating his hair. "Like...you know those tiger eye gems? Maybe like that with the camera insignia."

[Woohoo! Look at you getting all fancy!]

[I've never had anything fancy in my life. Just...let me have this...please?]

[You still have a bed to get. Should probably get something nice for Anchors too, smooth things out.]

[The bed can wait. And I'll get something for Anchors on the way home. But...please...let me have this one thing...please?]

[Ooooookay!]

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

Snowy didn't think he'd ever seen a shade of yellow that would look good on a bowling ball in his life, but he kept that to himself. "I'd just like to rent a ball, please."

The stallion at the rental desk passed Static Signal an order form with the final price and a place to sign his name, then he got Snowy Skies one of the rental balls. It was a dull color that couldn't decide if it wanted to be grey or pale orange. Meanwhile, Steel Flint waved for Night Cap to follow her. "We have two lanes reserved for practice tonight, though the for the league we'll have three.

As far as your questions Maple: No prizes tonight, just mingling and bragging rights. I don't know if the league itself will have prizes. Of course, gifts and friendly wagers among coworkers are fine. Besides, I'm sure math will lead to more crushing than tour posters." There was a devious twinkle in Steel Flint's eyes as she set her papers down on a table.

Maple rand back to her stuff and then moved it all over to a table that was closer to the lanes they would be using... it was at this point she started setting out her display of mint chocolate green wings and coco-rockas!

"I like both of these so I'll let the team that comes in second have first choice... not everypony likes mint and coconut."

Static filled out the form and turned it back in. He then asked for a rental for that night.

Misty observes Static getting a large ball from the rental counter. She looks around. All over the bowling alley, ponies are rolling large balls down the lanes. She sees other Keep employees arriving with bags that appear to contain more of the strange-looking large balls...

A realization slowly sets in.

She leans over to Static and whispers. "Pssst... Static... is it 'bowling' or 'balling?'"

Snowy suspected that every rental ball was equally unpleasant in color, and that it was all a plan to coerce patrons into buying their custom balls. This suggested that requesting another ball was a waste of time, but as he tried to lift the ball he discovered another important consideration. "Can I get a...lighter...ball, please?"

Misty observes Static getting a large ball from the rental counter. She looks around. All over the bowling alley, ponies are rolling large balls down the lanes. She sees other Keep employees arriving with bags that appear to contain more of the strange-looking large balls...
A realization slowly sets in.
She leans over to Static and whispers. "Pssst... Static... is it 'bowling' or 'balling?'"

Static grinned and hoofed Misty a ball. "It's called 'bowling', but, well...you'll figure it out. I've never actually played before. Looked like Maple has, though. C'mon! We can bug her about it."

Static sighed as he looked at Maple. He should probably play a few games first before challenging her to any personal competition.

"OH HI MISTY! I LOVE YOUR BOWLING HAT!" Maple called out as she saw her two friends looking over at her. She hoped they were on their way over, as she wanted to talk to them briefly before the competition started and they became the enemy >_> who will be crushed!

If any ponies deserved a special pregame pick me up it was her fellow heroes of bug-stomp! so Maple quickly set out a plate each of the two treats she had brought.

Upon hearing Snowy Skies' question, the stallion at the rental desk looked under the counter. "We don't really have anything lighter. The weight is needed to knock over the pins. Good exercise, though. I guess I could get you a foal sized ball if you wanted it?" Just then, Dusty Winds arrived. She ordered her rental ball and tucked it under her wing. "Hey Snowy. Good to see others have already arrived."

Snowy smiles at Dusty. "Yup, I got here somewhere in the middle. Plaid Paisley is here with one of the food contractors, I suspect it may be a date." He really shouldn't attempt gossip. Letting those tidbits out just left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'll keep this one." He says to the rental pony, awkwardly picking up the unwieldy ball in one hoof and guiding it to the floor. At a loss for how to transport it halfway across the alley (he suspected tossing it would be frowned upon), he simply bends down and noses it forward, dribbling it towards the crowd, his irritation growing with every step.

CoffeeHorse · Jun 27, 2022

Static took a look at Maple's ball. "So you have done this before. I...may need to do this a couple times before we make any side wagers. I've never even touched a bowling ball before."

He looks with intrest as Snowy noses his ball towards the lanes.

[Wow! Take away a unicorn's telekinesis and they're just downright helpless!]

"Here, let me help you with that!" Static takes the ball and tripod walks over the the lane and sets it down. "Hey, Dusty! How've you been? Trade Wind been behaving himself?"

"Oh, thanks! It's... not really supposed to be a hat... oh well. Hey, snacks!"

"I...but, well there he goes." Maple watched as Static went about taking away Mr skies' chance to get a feel for the weight of the ball he rented.

"well it is a lovely accidental hat then." Maple smiled as she slid one of the small plates toward Misty.

"I came home today and Miss Sweets had made mint chocolate Green wings to celebrate our presentation... and then her and I came up with these Coco-rockas to celebrate You and Static and I saving the day!... so please have these Misty. It's okay if you don't want any, mint and coconut are sometimes acquired tastes when it comes to treats."

"I've got it." Snowy mutters quietly as Static picks up the ball anyways. "I had it." He says, louder and more grouchily as he rejoins the group, putting his ball back on the floor next to his hoof. He really did have it, now. He had just about figured out how to steady the ball with magic, to make it go right where he wanted it to, when Static had grabbed it. He suspected that he could cheat through the whole tournament, with a bit more practice. But for now he contented himself with keeping the ball perfectly still next to his hoof. He kept a tentative watch on the side closest to Static, in case an opportunity to roll the ball in front of him presented itself.
The cloud over his head clears slights as the chocolaty scents make their way to his nose. "...Are those mint?"

"Yes Indeed Mr. Skies, well the birds are... the bugs are Rock candy coated, chocolate covered coconut and cocopuff balls." You can have Mr. Static's sample if you want..since he, Maple paused and looked at the Ball at Snowy's hooves. "oh well Congratulations Mr. Skies on picking it up so fast, I Have a whole bunch more of each waiting for the two teams that come in after the tour department... but I suppose I could sneak you one."

Maple grinned. "Miss Sweet would be thrilled if you liked it, she'd love to have all my friends come by the shop, she's not against making custom orders..." Maple did her best amalgamation impression of her friends in the marketing department... it wasn't exactly easy as she discovered

Maple's speech wasn't as bad as Bold Standard's, but it was close. It set his teeth on edge. "The bugs sound terrifying, But I'll gladly take a bird." Snowy gathers one in his magic, pretending to inspect the finish and the detail for a moment while he tested what holding the bowling ball in place alongside something else was like. Of course, he wasn't really pretending. Chocolate had the most fascinating textures, Artisan chocolate especially. He hadn't the slightest idea what the details of the finish meant, but he liked them a great deal. Realizing that he had scrutinize the chocolate for a conspicuous period of time, he glanced at Maple. "Are you sure its al! l right if I have this? I'm happy to win."

"Aww!" Static pouted as Maple offered the candy to Snowy she was originally going to give him. "I was only trying to help."

"Go ahead Mr. Skies, I was only teasing.. you can take one from the tray if you like Mr. Signal." Maple smirked.

"Well don't help me with that unless my life is in danger." Snowy says tartly, precluding any further argument by popping the mint wing into his mouth and closing his eyes, savoring the taste.

Static had no response to that he just sighed. He then remembered he'd asked Dusty a question and didn't wait for the answer...typical. He returned to her, tail between his legs. "Sorry about that. Anyway, Tradewind been behaving himself?"

"He's not going to have much energy left for bowling if he keeps rushing back and forth like this." Maple sighs, and then looked to Miss Monsoon.
"Have you ever bowled before?" She asks, peaking her head under the edge of the bowl on Misty's head

CoffeeHorse · Jun 29, 2022

"Nope! Never heard of it until today. But I'm sure I'll have fun with it!" Misty replies, before chomping a coco-rocka.

"I hope so, it can be a lot of fun... you just need to roll the ball down the alley and knock the pins down with the ball -the specifics are easy to pick up as you go..." Maple giggled as Misty ate the whole Coco-rocka candy... "If you really like the, you can come by the shop whenever you like and I'm sure Miss Sweets and I can make you something special with whatever flavors you like best." Maple swished her hoof around a little on the floor.

Bold Standard tilted her head in confusion at Maplejack's attempt at imitation. "Are you okay, Maple? You sound weird." Meanwhile, Dusty Winds replied to Static Signal with, "Heh, Tradewind never behaves. But I guess he's been better than usual."

"Yeah, takes a while to train those headstrong ones," Static responded with a grin. He almost asked if Tradewind would be there...but then the image of a breezie trying to push a bowling ball ten times his size and a hundred times his weight was just too hilarious.

Maple blushed, and slightly hid under a wing as she turned to address Miss Standard.

"I might just stick to guiding tours and leave the marketing to the professionals."

Destron D-69:
"I hope so, it can be a lot of fun... you just need to roll the ball down the alley and knock the pins down with the ball -the specifics are easy to pick up as you go..." Maple giggled as Misty ate the whole Coco-rocka candy... "If you really like them, you can come by the shop whenever you like and I'm sure Miss Sweets and I can make you something special with whatever flavors you like best." Maple swished her hoof around a little on the floor.

"Oh, that" *CRUNCH* "shoundsh like" *CRUNCH* "a great idea" *CRUNCH* "Maple! Mmmm..." *CRUNCH* "this ish good."

"I'll be watching the door for the last few to arrive." Steel Flint pulled her bowling ball out of her bag. It was primarily a green that matched her jacket. On it was a right triangle and the equation for the Pythagorean theorem in a green that matched her magic. It orbited around her as she walked towards the door. Just then, Melon Hide walked in. He nervously looked around as Steel Flint pointed to where the other Keep employees were.

"MR. HIDE OVER HERE IT'S MAPLE!!" Maple was happy to see her boss, if she had help with the 'crushoning' ...her friends might not be too upset with her to enjoy their candies...

[IC] Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour: Explorers of STOMP

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.