[OOC] STOMP Remembrance Project
- Thread starter CoffeeHorse
- Start date
NGL the idea of a cyberpunk Amber intrigues me.
Oh I know, but right now, if everyone joins that shows interest that'd only be at 5 players, which is a good starting size; but I've managed slightly bigger groups in 'live' play.
Tech role seems made for Amber. I picture Static as a netrunner. Not sure about NightCap. Mostly merc, but he also got some field medic skills there at the end.
Shadowrun Night Cap was supernaturally useless. He wasn't a coward or lazy. He was always willing to sign up to be on the front lines and do stuff, but then he'd roll dead last on Initiative and the situation would resolve itself before he gets to do anything.
He's the team Luigi. He wins by doing nothing.
He's the team Luigi. He wins by doing nothing.
I don't disagree, but it does do me a concern to think of it that way. In Shadowrun, I've played a drone jockey, a hacker, and a cat burglar, which were all the techiest roles available. Of those, the hacker was the most fun by far, and predictably the most magic-user-like, since it's a high WIS, dumpstat STR type role. (The one caveat being, CON (called "Body") matters for SR hackers since they do take damage in the net, and we know Amber has shitty CON because she faints all the time.) None of which is me trying to steal the hacker role from you, especially since of the three SR characters I've played, the hacker was already the most Amber-like, but Static fights with his hooves and makes illusions while acting as the radio man, while Amber is an archeologist who talks to machines, so we might have to wait and see what works in this system once we know what roles exist and how the numbers break down.
Static could be the guy who hacks all the surveillance cameras.
Yeah, now that I'm looking at the classes, Static is just too good a fit for the Hacker class and Amber would probably fit best, with some jamming and prodding, into the Tinkerer class. Which itself sounds a lot like Novi from the SR game, but she was luckily very unlike Amber in personality.
Look what I found.
After traveling another mile, the STOMP team arrived at a large overturned bald cypress tree blocking their path. If still standing, it would have been 150 feet tall and the trunk was 10 feet thick. It seemed partially rotted, giving evidence that it had been here for quite a while. Inferno Blue patted his bulging saddlebags and smiled, "This vent faster than any other time I've collected svamp peppers. This is as far as I go, so thanks for the help." He then walked back the way they came. After he was fairly out of earshot, Anchors Away breath! ed a sigh of relief. "We should be able to talk a little more freely now. Glad you figured out the request, Snowy. You were doing the cracked horn thing and I didn't want to blow your cover. So now to figure out a way around this WHOA!"Anchors Away fell through a puddle only to soon poke her head back out. "Looks like I found a sinkhole or something. Gimme a sec."As she dove under, a fin could could be glimpsed as her body arched. After a minute, her head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side."
As much as Static may have known it in his head before, it didn't really hit home until just now.
[Yeeeeah...I'm in love with a seapony!]
He looked around to the others. "Great...so...what about the rest of us?"
Maple wasn't shocked seeing Miss Away in her true form. Though she was already missing Mr. Blue, he was fun. But he did not seem to want to be out here for very long.. Maple could only wonder what it was beyond this point that would pickle the pony's packs of purple peppers.
Maple looked over at Misty and then to Rhapsody after hearing Night Cap's Suggestion. She would do it, but they were both so much better.
"If she's just swimming to the other side of the log we should hear from her again shortly Mr. Signal." Maple smiled.
After a minute, Anchors Away's head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side. Everypony else climbing, or flying, or what?"
Maple opts to try flying...
"Flying works for me! ... although I'd be happy to give somepony else a lift."
Static considered his options. With the equipment on his back, he wasn't sure he should try swimming. He didn't even have to look at his shoulders to know flying was not an option. Seemed like he was going to be climbing then!
Light Fantastic shrugged.
"I guess I'll climb," she said.
Oh. That sort of sea pony. Amber calmly opened her notebook and made addenda to Ms. Away and Mr. Skies' entries, in large capital letters, as well as a question mark in the case of Mr. Skies.
She stared at the tree for a moment, considered the merits of climbing, then glanced around to see if Rhapsody was nearby. Really, though, I shouldn't bother her with every little vertical inconvenience, Amber thought. Still glancing in Rhapsody's direction, she began thinking very hard about the feeling of bark under her hooves and drawing a globe of sparking trails around herself from her horn. Moments later, with a sharp, electric pop, she was standing on top of the log.
Snowy's face hardens as Amber blinks onto the log, and hastily moves to clamber over the lump of dead wood. Perhaps too hastily...
Rhapsody watches a most everypony attempts to climb over the Tree, She was about to Offer Amber help, seeing her glance to her, but then the beige unicorn just winks up onto the tree in an instant. She glances over to Snowy, she had figured something was up with his horn, but now knew that it was an illusion, she remains quiet on this for now as she flies over the tree.
Most of the STOMP team managed to bypass the obstacle in their path and many with little effort. However, as Snowy Skies attempted to scramble over the fallen tree there was a loud crack and the rotted trunk gave way, causing him to fall in and taking Amber Spark with him since she was still standing on top. Soon, the group heard a large buzzing as that section of tree was home to a hive of wasps. Initially resting peacefully since they didn't even hear the STOMP team coming, they were quite furious at the intruders to their home. Many directed their ire to Snowy Skies and Amber Spark while the others spotted their nearby friends...
After traveling another mile, the STOMP team arrived at a large overturned bald cypress tree blocking their path. If still standing, it would have been 150 feet tall and the trunk was 10 feet thick. It seemed partially rotted, giving evidence that it had been here for quite a while. Inferno Blue patted his bulging saddlebags and smiled, "This vent faster than any other time I've collected svamp peppers. This is as far as I go, so thanks for the help." He then walked back the way they came. After he was fairly out of earshot, Anchors Away breath! ed a sigh of relief. "We should be able to talk a little more freely now. Glad you figured out the request, Snowy. You were doing the cracked horn thing and I didn't want to blow your cover. So now to figure out a way around this WHOA!"Anchors Away fell through a puddle only to soon poke her head back out. "Looks like I found a sinkhole or something. Gimme a sec."As she dove under, a fin could could be glimpsed as her body arched. After a minute, her head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side."
As much as Static may have known it in his head before, it didn't really hit home until just now.
[Yeeeeah...I'm in love with a seapony!]
He looked around to the others. "Great...so...what about the rest of us?"
Maple wasn't shocked seeing Miss Away in her true form. Though she was already missing Mr. Blue, he was fun. But he did not seem to want to be out here for very long.. Maple could only wonder what it was beyond this point that would pickle the pony's packs of purple peppers.
Maple looked over at Misty and then to Rhapsody after hearing Night Cap's Suggestion. She would do it, but they were both so much better.
"If she's just swimming to the other side of the log we should hear from her again shortly Mr. Signal." Maple smiled.
After a minute, Anchors Away's head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side. Everypony else climbing, or flying, or what?"
Maple opts to try flying...
"Flying works for me! ... although I'd be happy to give somepony else a lift."
Static considered his options. With the equipment on his back, he wasn't sure he should try swimming. He didn't even have to look at his shoulders to know flying was not an option. Seemed like he was going to be climbing then!
Light Fantastic shrugged.
"I guess I'll climb," she said.
Oh. That sort of sea pony. Amber calmly opened her notebook and made addenda to Ms. Away and Mr. Skies' entries, in large capital letters, as well as a question mark in the case of Mr. Skies.
She stared at the tree for a moment, considered the merits of climbing, then glanced around to see if Rhapsody was nearby. Really, though, I shouldn't bother her with every little vertical inconvenience, Amber thought. Still glancing in Rhapsody's direction, she began thinking very hard about the feeling of bark under her hooves and drawing a globe of sparking trails around herself from her horn. Moments later, with a sharp, electric pop, she was standing on top of the log.
Snowy's face hardens as Amber blinks onto the log, and hastily moves to clamber over the lump of dead wood. Perhaps too hastily...
Rhapsody watches a most everypony attempts to climb over the Tree, She was about to Offer Amber help, seeing her glance to her, but then the beige unicorn just winks up onto the tree in an instant. She glances over to Snowy, she had figured something was up with his horn, but now knew that it was an illusion, she remains quiet on this for now as she flies over the tree.
Most of the STOMP team managed to bypass the obstacle in their path and many with little effort. However, as Snowy Skies attempted to scramble over the fallen tree there was a loud crack and the rotted trunk gave way, causing him to fall in and taking Amber Spark with him since she was still standing on top. Soon, the group heard a large buzzing as that section of tree was home to a hive of wasps. Initially resting peacefully since they didn't even hear the STOMP team coming, they were quite furious at the intruders to their home. Many directed their ire to Snowy Skies and Amber Spark while the others spotted their nearby friends...
"Buck! Umm, when I was a kid, I was told to stand absolutely still when there were wasps around. I'm kind of inclined to listen this time. Umm...Misty? You maybe wanna drown the hive?"
Maple stands up on shaky legs and hears the loud buzzing ... and Mr. Signal's Idea was effective but not nice... Maple had an alternative.
"We're sorry." Maple says to the wasps... her eyes wide staring down the swarm, she only hoped her magic worked the same on a lot of tiny mad bugs as effectively as it did one large photogapony.
The wasps seemed to calm themselves at the sound of Maplejack's cheerful and friendly voice. However, this moment of calm was lost when Night Cap tripped over a tree root and rolled several yards before loudly splashing in a puddle of mud. The wasps grew angry again with many redirecting their attention to Night Cap.
Still, wobbly and perhaps mildly concussed, Maple slumps back on her haunches... unable to save Mr. Night Cap...
"MIS-TER-SKIES!" Amber shouted on the way down, half out of anger and half of concern for him. Righting herself and shaking herself off, she drew out three of the brass orbs from her saddlebag and began spinning them around herself in a close orbit, crouching and looking as if bracing for another tennis ball.
Why are you blaming me for this? Snowy barely has time to wonder as the tree collapses underneath him. He's rather perplexed by the buzzing until the wasps swarm out of the tree, at which point, amidst the hazy swarm of stingers, he has to ignore the pain and focus on an illusion. He quickly shapes the plan in his head: an iridescent pony, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, would spring from his side side, running back down their trail at a reasonable but not breakneck pace and making a wide array of branch-snapping, leaf-rustling, and pebble-kicking noises.
Things do not go as planned.
Static moves really slowly, trying not to draw any attention from any of the swarming insects, as he tries to move away from the swarm. Paramount in his mind, thank goodness Anchors is underwater. She should be safe there.
The pain of the stings proved to be too much for Snowy Skies to properly concentrate. In attempting his illusion, he conjured an image of a pitch black alicorn with glowing electric yellow hair and a striped magical aura. Prancing about, the display of warning colors further angered the wasps as they were whipped into a frenzy.
However, Misty Monsoon's fog seemed to slow the swarm slightly and the illusion eventually disappeared to lessen their aggression.
Maple couldn't do much but sit there and get stung ... Miss Monsoon's idea seemed to work... maybe if she tried again with a little help.
Had Snowy been in a better mood (or perhaps a better vantage point), he probably would have appreciated the absolute chaos going on around him. As things stood, he just wanted to make a path and get people across. The fog was dampening sound, but it seemed like the majority of the shouting, buzzing, and irritation was coming from behind him. That made sense, because he didn't think he'd turned around while being stung, and he'd been facing away from the ponies behind him while climbing the tree. He steps forward, trying to pick out a way to flag down Rhapsody in this fog when he's whisked away by Misty, losing most of his breath in the process. Once he understan! ds why there's no wood under his hooves and takes a few breaths, he says "Work--with Rhapsody--make heavy winds--back down the trail."
Maple watched Misty take to the sky... and just didn't understand... oh... didn't she tell her she should try the fog again... why does her head hurt?
"Miss Monsoon... try making the fog thicker.. please..."
Maple's eyes spun in her head and she was out.
Wasps. Why did have to be Wasps? She wasn't sure which would have been worse these or arachnids... This is why she hates swamps and such. Rhapsody huffs and shakes her head as she watches all chaos break loose after Snowy attempts to climb the tree. The only thing that really spurred her onwards, was the fact that Amber was in thattree wasps nest, that thing had ceased being a tree ages ago... She'll be fine, right? She's a unicorn, she probably has dozens of spells for this... then remembers that is is Amber if it doesn't involve books or puzzles, then she doesn't have a wide array of spells and doubts a single night of having ball! s lobbed at her head would prepare her for wasps. "Luna Darn it, you all just need to grow wings." She huffs to herself.
The light fog that appears thanks to Misty doesn't help things much, but she knew where the tree was. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and dives in to retrieve her marefriend... its days like this that she wished she had actual superpowers... any one of the Power Ponies could take care of this easily, but this group will be lucky just not to have half the party wiped out by bucking wasps...
Well, stealthing his way out of the swarm didn't help Static any. And it seemed like few of the other escape attempts were working very well either.
Static rolls his eyes. "Yeah, remind me when we get a moment, I'll get right on that!"
Static sees Night Cap digging in, as if a few mud splatters would do anything for him. Stealth be damned, Static ran over to Night Cap and tries to nudge/shove him out of the danger zone.
"What the buck's going through your head? RUN!"
Night Cap takes off just as Static is trying to nudge him forward, causing Static to be overbalanced. Static falls face first into the mud.
"Well, whatever works."
Static runs through a mental list: Rhapsody saved Amber, Misty saved Snowy, Night Cap saved himself, Anchors should be able to stay underwater long enough to outlast the swarm. He couldn't see Maple, so either she got to safety herself or is beyond his help anyway. If Light Fantastic hadn't run away yet, she was certainly faster than he was. If anything, he'd hinder her.
Time to think about his own skin. He tries to outrun the swarm.
Acrobatics
1d20+5 → [1,5] = (6)
buck
Static trips over the deep muddy hoof prints left in the mud from Night Cap's stomping.
Misty sets Snowy down a good distance away from the fallen tree. Without so much as a word she heads back to make sure that someone had helped Amber.
She spots Rhapsody taking off with Amber. However, she also spots Maplejack, who had apparently lost consciousness. Diving down, she scoops up her smaller friend as quickly as she can, and carries her away from the tree as well.
Light Fantastic was desperately trying to escape from the wasps.
"Do we know where they're coming from?" she asked.
"The nest is in the fallen tree! Just run!" Meanwhile, Anchors Away swirled the water to make a giant bubble. Climbing back on on land, she stuffed Static Signal in the bubble and dragged him underwater. After a few minutes, she surfaced at a nearby lake and pushed the bubble with Static Signal in it to shore where it then popped. "Now to figure out how to regroup. You might be able to catch their attention if you use the projector to make a beacon."
Static's head spun. One moment he was face down in the mud, then water, now he was being told by Anchors to make a beacon. Though he did smile inwardly that now he'd seen the real Anchors Away, not just a glimpse of her as she dove under. But he could let that sink in later. Right now, he'd been given an order.
"Yes, ma'am!" he said as he snapped to it. In five minutes, a beacon of an anchor and a radio tower side by side and an arrow beneath them pointing down shot up 50 feet into the air.
"You don't suppose that's a little on the nose, do you?" he asked turning to Anchors. "Thanks for the save. I feel like a rank amateur tripping up like that."
After carrying Maplejack away from the tree, Misty carefully sets her down. She's breathing heavily from expending all that effort, but hasn't forgotten Snowy's words. She looks at Rhapsody. "Heavy winds... down the trail... for cover," she manages to spit out.
She raises her wings and begins to summon the winds...
In the fog and the milling wasps, Amber had lost all sense of direction. The ring of orbs continued to orbit, turning up trails in the mist, but she couldn't see clearly enough to do anything about the wasps. She gasped in surprise when Rhapsody broke through the fog.
Rhapsody smiles, trying to not look shaken from diving into a Wasps nest. "You're Welcome, Amber." She replies and chuckles faintly. "I think that might be wise." She says before hearing Misty above her. Heavy winds, huh? She wasn't the most skilled when ti came to weather crafting, but she's sure that between the two of them they could do something effective. She takes to the skies once more flaying near Misty as she starts to flap harder.
Light Fantastic made sure to stay the heck away from the tree as she darted around trying to shake the wasps.
As Light Fantastic managed to evade the wasps and get away to safety, the wings of Misty Monsoon opened as she began her marvelous work. Masterfully beating the wind as if a chef preparing batter for the grandest cake of their career, she stirred the fog into a floating, airborne foam to capture the multitude of stinging insects. They were then blown farther down the path previously traveled. This was neither painful nor harmful to the wasps as the precipitation of scolding was manifested as a sedative and reassuring lullaby. Once they dried themselves out, the swarm would be in a calmer mood when they returned to the hive. By then, the STOMP team would be long gone. For now, it was time for the STOMP team to regroup and rest.
Maple stands up on shaky legs and hears the loud buzzing ... and Mr. Signal's Idea was effective but not nice... Maple had an alternative.
"We're sorry." Maple says to the wasps... her eyes wide staring down the swarm, she only hoped her magic worked the same on a lot of tiny mad bugs as effectively as it did one large photogapony.
The wasps seemed to calm themselves at the sound of Maplejack's cheerful and friendly voice. However, this moment of calm was lost when Night Cap tripped over a tree root and rolled several yards before loudly splashing in a puddle of mud. The wasps grew angry again with many redirecting their attention to Night Cap.
Still, wobbly and perhaps mildly concussed, Maple slumps back on her haunches... unable to save Mr. Night Cap...
"MIS-TER-SKIES!" Amber shouted on the way down, half out of anger and half of concern for him. Righting herself and shaking herself off, she drew out three of the brass orbs from her saddlebag and began spinning them around herself in a close orbit, crouching and looking as if bracing for another tennis ball.
Why are you blaming me for this? Snowy barely has time to wonder as the tree collapses underneath him. He's rather perplexed by the buzzing until the wasps swarm out of the tree, at which point, amidst the hazy swarm of stingers, he has to ignore the pain and focus on an illusion. He quickly shapes the plan in his head: an iridescent pony, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, would spring from his side side, running back down their trail at a reasonable but not breakneck pace and making a wide array of branch-snapping, leaf-rustling, and pebble-kicking noises.
Things do not go as planned.
Static moves really slowly, trying not to draw any attention from any of the swarming insects, as he tries to move away from the swarm. Paramount in his mind, thank goodness Anchors is underwater. She should be safe there.
The pain of the stings proved to be too much for Snowy Skies to properly concentrate. In attempting his illusion, he conjured an image of a pitch black alicorn with glowing electric yellow hair and a striped magical aura. Prancing about, the display of warning colors further angered the wasps as they were whipped into a frenzy.
However, Misty Monsoon's fog seemed to slow the swarm slightly and the illusion eventually disappeared to lessen their aggression.
Maple couldn't do much but sit there and get stung ... Miss Monsoon's idea seemed to work... maybe if she tried again with a little help.
Had Snowy been in a better mood (or perhaps a better vantage point), he probably would have appreciated the absolute chaos going on around him. As things stood, he just wanted to make a path and get people across. The fog was dampening sound, but it seemed like the majority of the shouting, buzzing, and irritation was coming from behind him. That made sense, because he didn't think he'd turned around while being stung, and he'd been facing away from the ponies behind him while climbing the tree. He steps forward, trying to pick out a way to flag down Rhapsody in this fog when he's whisked away by Misty, losing most of his breath in the process. Once he understan! ds why there's no wood under his hooves and takes a few breaths, he says "Work--with Rhapsody--make heavy winds--back down the trail."
Maple watched Misty take to the sky... and just didn't understand... oh... didn't she tell her she should try the fog again... why does her head hurt?
"Miss Monsoon... try making the fog thicker.. please..."
Maple's eyes spun in her head and she was out.
Wasps. Why did have to be Wasps? She wasn't sure which would have been worse these or arachnids... This is why she hates swamps and such. Rhapsody huffs and shakes her head as she watches all chaos break loose after Snowy attempts to climb the tree. The only thing that really spurred her onwards, was the fact that Amber was in that
The light fog that appears thanks to Misty doesn't help things much, but she knew where the tree was. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and dives in to retrieve her marefriend... its days like this that she wished she had actual superpowers... any one of the Power Ponies could take care of this easily, but this group will be lucky just not to have half the party wiped out by bucking wasps...
Well, stealthing his way out of the swarm didn't help Static any. And it seemed like few of the other escape attempts were working very well either.
Static rolls his eyes. "Yeah, remind me when we get a moment, I'll get right on that!"
Static sees Night Cap digging in, as if a few mud splatters would do anything for him. Stealth be damned, Static ran over to Night Cap and tries to nudge/shove him out of the danger zone.
"What the buck's going through your head? RUN!"
Night Cap takes off just as Static is trying to nudge him forward, causing Static to be overbalanced. Static falls face first into the mud.
"Well, whatever works."
Static runs through a mental list: Rhapsody saved Amber, Misty saved Snowy, Night Cap saved himself, Anchors should be able to stay underwater long enough to outlast the swarm. He couldn't see Maple, so either she got to safety herself or is beyond his help anyway. If Light Fantastic hadn't run away yet, she was certainly faster than he was. If anything, he'd hinder her.
Time to think about his own skin. He tries to outrun the swarm.
Acrobatics
1d20+5 → [1,5] = (6)
buck
Static trips over the deep muddy hoof prints left in the mud from Night Cap's stomping.
Misty sets Snowy down a good distance away from the fallen tree. Without so much as a word she heads back to make sure that someone had helped Amber.
She spots Rhapsody taking off with Amber. However, she also spots Maplejack, who had apparently lost consciousness. Diving down, she scoops up her smaller friend as quickly as she can, and carries her away from the tree as well.
Light Fantastic was desperately trying to escape from the wasps.
"Do we know where they're coming from?" she asked.
"The nest is in the fallen tree! Just run!" Meanwhile, Anchors Away swirled the water to make a giant bubble. Climbing back on on land, she stuffed Static Signal in the bubble and dragged him underwater. After a few minutes, she surfaced at a nearby lake and pushed the bubble with Static Signal in it to shore where it then popped. "Now to figure out how to regroup. You might be able to catch their attention if you use the projector to make a beacon."
Static's head spun. One moment he was face down in the mud, then water, now he was being told by Anchors to make a beacon. Though he did smile inwardly that now he'd seen the real Anchors Away, not just a glimpse of her as she dove under. But he could let that sink in later. Right now, he'd been given an order.
"Yes, ma'am!" he said as he snapped to it. In five minutes, a beacon of an anchor and a radio tower side by side and an arrow beneath them pointing down shot up 50 feet into the air.
"You don't suppose that's a little on the nose, do you?" he asked turning to Anchors. "Thanks for the save. I feel like a rank amateur tripping up like that."
After carrying Maplejack away from the tree, Misty carefully sets her down. She's breathing heavily from expending all that effort, but hasn't forgotten Snowy's words. She looks at Rhapsody. "Heavy winds... down the trail... for cover," she manages to spit out.
She raises her wings and begins to summon the winds...
In the fog and the milling wasps, Amber had lost all sense of direction. The ring of orbs continued to orbit, turning up trails in the mist, but she couldn't see clearly enough to do anything about the wasps. She gasped in surprise when Rhapsody broke through the fog.
Rhapsody smiles, trying to not look shaken from diving into a Wasps nest. "You're Welcome, Amber." She replies and chuckles faintly. "I think that might be wise." She says before hearing Misty above her. Heavy winds, huh? She wasn't the most skilled when ti came to weather crafting, but she's sure that between the two of them they could do something effective. She takes to the skies once more flaying near Misty as she starts to flap harder.
Light Fantastic made sure to stay the heck away from the tree as she darted around trying to shake the wasps.
As Light Fantastic managed to evade the wasps and get away to safety, the wings of Misty Monsoon opened as she began her marvelous work. Masterfully beating the wind as if a chef preparing batter for the grandest cake of their career, she stirred the fog into a floating, airborne foam to capture the multitude of stinging insects. They were then blown farther down the path previously traveled. This was neither painful nor harmful to the wasps as the precipitation of scolding was manifested as a sedative and reassuring lullaby. Once they dried themselves out, the swarm would be in a calmer mood when they returned to the hive. By then, the STOMP team would be long gone. For now, it was time for the STOMP team to regroup and rest.
Oh that makes me so happy. Thank you and congratulations, Fnu 
By the way, none of that formatting pastes into our new forum post editor. It all has to be reconstructed.
Fnu: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. It's so nice being able to see these snippets that we thought were lost. Thank you.
Shadowrun: My main thing with playing Static again is that I'm looking at what was originally his secondary characteristics.
Primarily in battle he was the tank/bruiser. And I guess I played the part sufficiently well enough. But while I do want to play Static again, I absolutely don't care to do the tank/bruiser role again.
His secondary roles (particularly after Amber left) was the techie, though I don't think that it was really delved too deeply into.
It looks like in this world, techie could either mean hacker or tinkerer. I could be quite happy in either role. It kinda struck me Amber was more of a tinkerer and Static with his radio equipment might transition more into a hacker.
But like I said, I could be quite happy in either role and wouldn't want to take your preference for Amber away.
Shadowrun: My main thing with playing Static again is that I'm looking at what was originally his secondary characteristics.
Primarily in battle he was the tank/bruiser. And I guess I played the part sufficiently well enough. But while I do want to play Static again, I absolutely don't care to do the tank/bruiser role again.
His secondary roles (particularly after Amber left) was the techie, though I don't think that it was really delved too deeply into.
It looks like in this world, techie could either mean hacker or tinkerer. I could be quite happy in either role. It kinda struck me Amber was more of a tinkerer and Static with his radio equipment might transition more into a hacker.
But like I said, I could be quite happy in either role and wouldn't want to take your preference for Amber away.
Yeah, once they mentioned laptops for hackers in the book I couldn't get it out of my head, Static's always crouched over his projector or the radio and seeing him furiously hoofing away on a laptop on the ground is just too right.
Crud, I'm going to have to learn to draw slim and efficient technology.
Amber's eyes widened at Static's reference to Dazzling Midnight's words, and she didn't hide her uncertainty at how to answer his question. "They are ..." she started, thinking of Splash Flaunt (whom she hadn't exactly liked , but found less threatening than, say, Hazel Naught) and Bottle Wary, but also of the tough mercenaries who attacked the research station, and now this plan to steal the Sword and Strut. But hadn't STOMP stolen the Wand of the North Wind from them after being beaten to its discovery and rightful claim? And been prepared to destroy it afterward if it seemed too dangerous?
"COIN are our rivals," she said, slowly. "They're businessponies and -" she thought of Bottle Wary - "misfit researchers along with some hired backs. They don't care about archeology at all except for the money they can make from it - classic tomb raiders, I suppose." She shook her head. She couldn't quite quite shake the image of Night Cap and Bottle Wary's conversation and the thought that they could just as easily have met from opposite sides. "It's not really important what kind of ponies they are," she said, shaking her head and speaking as if reassuring herself. "They could hurt ponies and damage research tonight if we don't stop them."
She paced uneasily. She thought of Rhapsody's disdain for COIN, and in a strange way, it reassured her.
"At least there's something we all agree on," she said. "Nopony benefits at all if these artifacts end up being abused to the ruin of Equestria."
Static Signal wondered at her halting words, wondering what wheels could be turning in her head.
"Well, I'm glad we can all agree that we don't want to kill ourselves!" He said sardonically. "You don't seem to have anything particularly...bad to say about them. So what would you think of me now if I had taken Ms. Midnight's offer? Would you join COIN if we ever did run into a group that was...less restrained about the end of the world?"
Amber blinked and paused for a long moment. "Mr. Signal, you seem like a nice enough sort, and as a projectionist, I know you must have some respect for carefully studying and recording the truth and sharing your knowledge with others. Knowing that ..." She couldn't help allowing her horn to build up a small electrical aura, and she smiled very slightly at a faint crackle in the air, wagging her head slightly to indicate her horn. "If you were with them and not with us, threatening the Keep's research, I think I might feel rather bad about having to use this on you tonight." She looked upward at her own horn and frowned slightly, really thinking about the thought of hurting Mr. Signal. It really was unpleasant to consider. She tried to shy the feeling aside.
Static grinned at the threat.
"Good!" he said. "Because my, admittedly limited interaction with them consists mainly of them coming into my home and trying to convince me to play the part of a spy against my current employer. It even seems they got to my boss, getting him to try and sabotage this exhibit we've got going on. I may not know about individuals within the organization...and like I said, my interaction with them has been limited...but I can tell you this much. COIN is not what I'd consider good ponies.
"If they hiring practices include persuading ponies to betray their current employers...Celestia only knows what the insides of their own organization is like!"
Set at ease, Amber smiled easily. "Indeed. Such attempts at professional espionage are simply intolerable," she said with a bitter snort. "You know, during my underungulate studies, I heard rumors of a student research assistant who had been stealing and selling test answers. Once the faculty discovered him, I do believe that he would have been better off exiled to the moon," she said cheerily.
Amber seemed to lose herself in reminiscence, and a long moment later found herself having been staring at the recording equipment and trying very hard not to. "So, ah, how exactly does this apparatus operate? I see the lens and optics here and the film advancement mechanism....."
Static shows Amber the basic functions: how to load the film, the focus, film speed, switching between still shots and movies. There was even a function for projecting illusions. But until he had some actual photage to use, he didn't really have a way to show off that particular function yet.
"And that's about as much as I can show you with just a crash-course," he said finishing up. Static looked at the time again. "Time's crawling. I'm not exactly excited about the prospect of meeting up with Dazzling Midnight again. But I kinda wish it would just happen so it would be over and done with. Lady gives me the creeps."
Amber peered over the device and tried to sort out its workings as Static Signal illustrated its use. She hadn't expected the practical upshot of learning how to use the equipment, too, but she took some quick notes as he illustrated each of the controls and began to look forward to seeing the device in action. "Simply capital," she murmured in exclamation as Static Signal indicated the projection function.
Amber nodded as Static Signal expressed his impatience. "Quite agreed," said Amber. "I won't lie to you, Mr. Signal, I do have some anxiety about tonight's tangle. But the sooner COIN begin their attack, the sooner we can solve that problem and return to our own work," she said.
"Yeah...that...would be great," Static Signal said, less than enthused. He let out a weary sigh. "Except it really wouldn't. I haveta level with you, Amber. This one night has completely changed my life. For the first time since I've began my carreer as a projectionist, I feel alive.
"I normally sit in a dark booth showing one dull movie after another...movies I've seen several dozen times over. I go home, crack open a bottle of bottom shelf Flim Flam cider, eat a couple value pack frozen chimicherrychangas and call it a night.
"For the first time in...ever...I feel like I'm doing something important. And though it means my life is on the line and I've been so frightened for my life this entire night that I'm lucky horses can lose their lunch...I have to admit that I've never felt so...exhilarated. How do you go back to normal life after this?"
Oh, Amber thought. He really is that kind of projectionist; but she didn't dwell on it. The last expedition had taught her to trust Brisk Iron's judgement in selecting her staff.
Amber accepted Mr. Signal's invitation to honesty with a conspiratorial duck of her head. "You know, Mr. Signal, there are some days, if you can believe it, that I don't even find endless hours poring ovelr the research on a pivotal antiquity or creating pains-takingly detailed records of the characteristics and measures of a partial remainder of an ancient mechanism exciting - not every moment, at the very least," she said in a hushed tone. "And I must admit that I do find this all - rather stimulating," she said with a smile.
Amber didn't want to presume; she couldn't help thinking that if Mr. Signal was happier to risk life and leg in defense of a museum exhibit than to go through his daily routine, he might really consider looking into a new line of work. But he had also, after all, seemed quite upset about the now very likely-seeming loss of his job. But she kept the observation to herself.
"COIN are our rivals," she said, slowly. "They're businessponies and -" she thought of Bottle Wary - "misfit researchers along with some hired backs. They don't care about archeology at all except for the money they can make from it - classic tomb raiders, I suppose." She shook her head. She couldn't quite quite shake the image of Night Cap and Bottle Wary's conversation and the thought that they could just as easily have met from opposite sides. "It's not really important what kind of ponies they are," she said, shaking her head and speaking as if reassuring herself. "They could hurt ponies and damage research tonight if we don't stop them."
She paced uneasily. She thought of Rhapsody's disdain for COIN, and in a strange way, it reassured her.
"At least there's something we all agree on," she said. "Nopony benefits at all if these artifacts end up being abused to the ruin of Equestria."
Static Signal wondered at her halting words, wondering what wheels could be turning in her head.
"Well, I'm glad we can all agree that we don't want to kill ourselves!" He said sardonically. "You don't seem to have anything particularly...bad to say about them. So what would you think of me now if I had taken Ms. Midnight's offer? Would you join COIN if we ever did run into a group that was...less restrained about the end of the world?"
Amber blinked and paused for a long moment. "Mr. Signal, you seem like a nice enough sort, and as a projectionist, I know you must have some respect for carefully studying and recording the truth and sharing your knowledge with others. Knowing that ..." She couldn't help allowing her horn to build up a small electrical aura, and she smiled very slightly at a faint crackle in the air, wagging her head slightly to indicate her horn. "If you were with them and not with us, threatening the Keep's research, I think I might feel rather bad about having to use this on you tonight." She looked upward at her own horn and frowned slightly, really thinking about the thought of hurting Mr. Signal. It really was unpleasant to consider. She tried to shy the feeling aside.
Static grinned at the threat.
"Good!" he said. "Because my, admittedly limited interaction with them consists mainly of them coming into my home and trying to convince me to play the part of a spy against my current employer. It even seems they got to my boss, getting him to try and sabotage this exhibit we've got going on. I may not know about individuals within the organization...and like I said, my interaction with them has been limited...but I can tell you this much. COIN is not what I'd consider good ponies.
"If they hiring practices include persuading ponies to betray their current employers...Celestia only knows what the insides of their own organization is like!"
Set at ease, Amber smiled easily. "Indeed. Such attempts at professional espionage are simply intolerable," she said with a bitter snort. "You know, during my underungulate studies, I heard rumors of a student research assistant who had been stealing and selling test answers. Once the faculty discovered him, I do believe that he would have been better off exiled to the moon," she said cheerily.
Amber seemed to lose herself in reminiscence, and a long moment later found herself having been staring at the recording equipment and trying very hard not to. "So, ah, how exactly does this apparatus operate? I see the lens and optics here and the film advancement mechanism....."
Static shows Amber the basic functions: how to load the film, the focus, film speed, switching between still shots and movies. There was even a function for projecting illusions. But until he had some actual photage to use, he didn't really have a way to show off that particular function yet.
"And that's about as much as I can show you with just a crash-course," he said finishing up. Static looked at the time again. "Time's crawling. I'm not exactly excited about the prospect of meeting up with Dazzling Midnight again. But I kinda wish it would just happen so it would be over and done with. Lady gives me the creeps."
Amber peered over the device and tried to sort out its workings as Static Signal illustrated its use. She hadn't expected the practical upshot of learning how to use the equipment, too, but she took some quick notes as he illustrated each of the controls and began to look forward to seeing the device in action. "Simply capital," she murmured in exclamation as Static Signal indicated the projection function.
Amber nodded as Static Signal expressed his impatience. "Quite agreed," said Amber. "I won't lie to you, Mr. Signal, I do have some anxiety about tonight's tangle. But the sooner COIN begin their attack, the sooner we can solve that problem and return to our own work," she said.
"Yeah...that...would be great," Static Signal said, less than enthused. He let out a weary sigh. "Except it really wouldn't. I haveta level with you, Amber. This one night has completely changed my life. For the first time since I've began my carreer as a projectionist, I feel alive.
"I normally sit in a dark booth showing one dull movie after another...movies I've seen several dozen times over. I go home, crack open a bottle of bottom shelf Flim Flam cider, eat a couple value pack frozen chimicherrychangas and call it a night.
"For the first time in...ever...I feel like I'm doing something important. And though it means my life is on the line and I've been so frightened for my life this entire night that I'm lucky horses can lose their lunch...I have to admit that I've never felt so...exhilarated. How do you go back to normal life after this?"
Oh, Amber thought. He really is that kind of projectionist; but she didn't dwell on it. The last expedition had taught her to trust Brisk Iron's judgement in selecting her staff.
Amber accepted Mr. Signal's invitation to honesty with a conspiratorial duck of her head. "You know, Mr. Signal, there are some days, if you can believe it, that I don't even find endless hours poring ovelr the research on a pivotal antiquity or creating pains-takingly detailed records of the characteristics and measures of a partial remainder of an ancient mechanism exciting - not every moment, at the very least," she said in a hushed tone. "And I must admit that I do find this all - rather stimulating," she said with a smile.
Amber didn't want to presume; she couldn't help thinking that if Mr. Signal was happier to risk life and leg in defense of a museum exhibit than to go through his daily routine, he might really consider looking into a new line of work. But he had also, after all, seemed quite upset about the now very likely-seeming loss of his job. But she kept the observation to herself.
Static gave Amber a smile. He still had a lot to straighten out in his head. He didn't wan't to lose his projectionist job no matter how sick he was of it. He found the oppurtunity to work with STOMP exciting, even if it was the most danger he'd ever been in. So many conflicting thoughts and emotions ran through his head and yet now really wasn't the time to dwell on it all. Still, Amber's words helped.
"Static." He said with a slight nudge. "My name...Static."
Amber nodded and smiled. "Yes, Mr. Signal," she said. "I'm ordinarily quite terrible with names, but I wrote yours down. See?" She held up a page of notes with "Ponies of Note" at the top and Static Signal's name among a list including "Tangerine Sands," "Dazzling Midnight," and "Double Dusk", with notes written next to each in an illegibly tiny scrawl. She drew the notebook back before Static had any chance to read the notes under his own name.
Amber stared pointedly at the projection device. "I can't help wishing we had one of your terribly dull movies here right now," she said, looking ever more impatient as she paced a circuit on the marble tile.
Static Signal was taken aback. "Yes...ma'am...Ms. Spark." He checked the time and returned his attention to the floor. Time was dragging again.
"Amber is fine," she said absently, staring at the pedestal. "I do wonder how the COIN ponies are going to enter this chamber." She thought back to Rhapsody's assessment that COIN might intend to nab the Sword in transit, before anypony had mentioned the Strut. "I suppose that if they really are interested in the Strut, they might well be entering with the Sword. I'm sure that the Chief Director and Mr. Sands have considered all the possible plans of attack COIN might intend to employ, but I do wish we had been told a bit more about what to expect."
"At this point I think it's anyone's guess. Could be if they take it in transit, they may not even come here and we'll be sitting here for a very long while with nothing to do."
Amber frowned. "That wouldn't explain the postcard, unless it was a distraction meant to keep us here. And Dazzling Midnight's proposed 'dry run', as well."
"I guess that's true, though the postcard only mentioned the Strut. Still, best to have all bases covered. It's just the whole waiting thing is..."
Static sucks in his breath and nearly jumps out of his skin...again. He picked a hell of a day to stop drinking!
"All's well here, Mr. Sands." Static looks at the time again. "The clock seems to be moving extraordinarily slow. Other than that, we're good."
Amber nodded. "Yessir, sir, I believe we're ready, sir," said Amber, in a slightly gruff voice, or what she might have though gruff sounded like. "Mr. Signal's equipment seems to be set and ready, and so am I." Amber paused. "We had just been discussing COIN's possible plan of attack tonight - have you and the Chief Director determined anything about what strategy they might have in mind?"
Static gave Amber a warning glance. He didn't want any pony to know where he hid the camera, or even that he had one...not even keep employees. That's why he had it hidden.
"Static...my name's Static." he said with a sigh.
Amber blinked. "Mr. Signal, I do think we're all quite aware of your name by now."
Static Signal facehoofed, shook his head and turned to regard Amber. "Okay, let me try a different tactic. Could you please...please, please, please, please...PLEASE...call me 'Static' instead of 'Mr. Signal'? Mr. Signal is what people used to call my father. Besides, it's just awkward to be calling you 'Amber' while you're calling me 'Mr. Signal'. So...please? Call me Static?"
Amber nodded. "Static, yes, of course, thank you," she said, nodding. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Really, I wouldn't wish to make you uncomfortable."
Amber turned back to Tangerine Sands.
"Static." He said with a slight nudge. "My name...Static."
Amber nodded and smiled. "Yes, Mr. Signal," she said. "I'm ordinarily quite terrible with names, but I wrote yours down. See?" She held up a page of notes with "Ponies of Note" at the top and Static Signal's name among a list including "Tangerine Sands," "Dazzling Midnight," and "Double Dusk", with notes written next to each in an illegibly tiny scrawl. She drew the notebook back before Static had any chance to read the notes under his own name.
Amber stared pointedly at the projection device. "I can't help wishing we had one of your terribly dull movies here right now," she said, looking ever more impatient as she paced a circuit on the marble tile.
Static Signal was taken aback. "Yes...ma'am...Ms. Spark." He checked the time and returned his attention to the floor. Time was dragging again.
"Amber is fine," she said absently, staring at the pedestal. "I do wonder how the COIN ponies are going to enter this chamber." She thought back to Rhapsody's assessment that COIN might intend to nab the Sword in transit, before anypony had mentioned the Strut. "I suppose that if they really are interested in the Strut, they might well be entering with the Sword. I'm sure that the Chief Director and Mr. Sands have considered all the possible plans of attack COIN might intend to employ, but I do wish we had been told a bit more about what to expect."
"At this point I think it's anyone's guess. Could be if they take it in transit, they may not even come here and we'll be sitting here for a very long while with nothing to do."
Amber frowned. "That wouldn't explain the postcard, unless it was a distraction meant to keep us here. And Dazzling Midnight's proposed 'dry run', as well."
"I guess that's true, though the postcard only mentioned the Strut. Still, best to have all bases covered. It's just the whole waiting thing is..."
Static sucks in his breath and nearly jumps out of his skin...again. He picked a hell of a day to stop drinking!
"All's well here, Mr. Sands." Static looks at the time again. "The clock seems to be moving extraordinarily slow. Other than that, we're good."
Amber nodded. "Yessir, sir, I believe we're ready, sir," said Amber, in a slightly gruff voice, or what she might have though gruff sounded like. "Mr. Signal's equipment seems to be set and ready, and so am I." Amber paused. "We had just been discussing COIN's possible plan of attack tonight - have you and the Chief Director determined anything about what strategy they might have in mind?"
Static gave Amber a warning glance. He didn't want any pony to know where he hid the camera, or even that he had one...not even keep employees. That's why he had it hidden.
"Static...my name's Static." he said with a sigh.
Amber blinked. "Mr. Signal, I do think we're all quite aware of your name by now."
Static Signal facehoofed, shook his head and turned to regard Amber. "Okay, let me try a different tactic. Could you please...please, please, please, please...PLEASE...call me 'Static' instead of 'Mr. Signal'? Mr. Signal is what people used to call my father. Besides, it's just awkward to be calling you 'Amber' while you're calling me 'Mr. Signal'. So...please? Call me Static?"
Amber nodded. "Static, yes, of course, thank you," she said, nodding. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Really, I wouldn't wish to make you uncomfortable."
Amber turned back to Tangerine Sands.
As you can see I did a lot of rearranging as well as shortening.
