Adventures in Saint-Trotez - On Set (Episode 6)

Sparks arrives just a short time after Storm Blade shutting and guarding the door behind him. "Kept you waiting?"

"Not by much." Necrar says, answering Sparks. "As for how I transform, I focus on the form I desire. Meditate on the form you wish for and try."

Snipe follows Stanza where the other pony wishes to go, with one of his guns at the ready just in case.

The merpony waves cheerily as everyone leaves the room, before moving back to her post as well.

As Snipe (and Tidal Pool, since usually boats don't have a way to enter the water from the inside) arrives on deck, he sees the majority, Stanza included, are looking out at sea on one side of the boat. You can see a ship vaguely nearby, innocently drifting around the direction this ship is heading. If she returns to the water, Tidal Pool sees a few of the other seaponies observing the ship as well...

---

Aces, you are alone in the room. Things kinda went quiet earlier than what you expected. Storm was about to say something important to the group, but then nothing. You burst into the room, asking why you were being kept out of the loop, but you kinda went quiet while nothing else happened (except Snipe showing off Struck to the seapony and Stanza asking for Snipe to follow him). So now you are alone in the room in the ship. What now?

Fury of the Tempest wrote:(... Uh... Storm Blade told everyone. EVERYONE. So Ace isn't out of the loop)

(I'm aware that Storm Blade had every intention of telling Aces High that he was a changeling, but something (or somepony) has intervened, and Ace did not receive the message. And of course, only whatever is responsible is aware of this in-character (if it even is a character), so as far as those who heard the message know, Ace got it too, and as far as Ace knows, Storm was going to say something important, and then silence...)

(And before anyone gets angry with Paper Shadow, I asked for this to happen, so be angry with me instead.)

Aces looked around. "Way to take the sails ou' of a pony's proclamation," he said, rubbing a hoof into one eye, not the metal one. Or the crystal eye. He was considering taking up smoking at this rate. Okay, what was going on? It wasn't like...everypony...to decide Aces wasn't worth talking to. Or thinking at. So. Everypony was silent for a while there, but...

Spoiler:

Retroactive Perception check: does Aces remember seeing any significant looks passing across the gang's faces, body language, etc.? It would be either that or a History check...or not allowed at all.
If so, Perception: 12 + 16(Bonus) + 3(My Good Eye) + 5(FK:Tells) = 36
Otherwise if so, History: 12 + 10(Bonus) + 3(My Good Eye) + 5(FK:Tells) = 30

Paper Shadow wrote:As Snipe (and Tidal Pool, since usually boats don't have a way to enter the water from the inside) arrives on deck, he sees the majority, Stanza included, are looking out at sea on one side of the boat. You can see a ship vaguely nearby, innocently drifting around the direction this ship is heading. If she returns to the water, Tidal Pool sees a few of the other seaponies observing the ship as well...

Snipe pulls out his rifle and puts the safety on. "I'm using this as a telescope." He says to everyone around, leaning the gun against the railing and starting to observe the other ship.

Spoiler:

roll perception. 1d20+14=3+14=17. ugh.

Fury of the Tempest wrote:"Focus and meditate... right..." Storm Blade said quitely at Necar's words. His head having turned to Sparks when the other guard entered, which would allow him to get a good look at the pegasi's changeling eyes before they were closed. The blue pegasus doing exactly what Necar suggested, and focused on a form, conjuring up the image of the changeling from the muesum's display, through pony-sized, and with less fangs. Once he was confident that he had it in his mind, the pegasus focused on changing into it.

(Now preparing...)

LoganAura wrote:Snipe pulls out his rifle and puts the safety on. "I'm using this as a telescope." He says to everyone around, leaning the gun against the railing and starting to observe the other ship.

Spoiler:

roll perception. 1d20+14=3+14=17. ugh.

It's a large ship flying the Equestrian flag. There seems to be nopony on deck...

"Yeah, we had a telescope. Had." A couple of ponies turn their heads to give a dirty look to one of the sailors, who responds by walking off, grumbling in Prench...

Quietkal wrote:...on a lesser note, Tidal will slip back into the water, cause that's probably where she's supposed to be.

"I don't like this," mumbles Admiral Streamflow as you return to the squad. Him, Shell Shocked, and Beach Head stand ready, also watching the ship. "Not one bit."

Shell Shocked responds. "I'm sure it's fine, nothing special, just a boat. Fishy is gonna come back and say that everything is in tip-top order and absolutely nothing is wrong and then we can get back to whatever it is that we are doing at the moment in this point of time."

Snipe frowns a little bit, glancing over to the sailors. "It's Equestrian. With no one on it up top. Which probably means something bad. Here." Snipe pulls back and holds his gun up about adult height. "Anyone else want to look just in case?"

LoganAura wrote:Snipe frowns a little bit, glancing over to the sailors. "It's Equestrian. With no one on it up top. Which probably means something bad. Here." Snipe pulls back and holds his gun up about adult height. "Anyone else want to look just in case?"

Some ponies do take you up on the offer. "It looked em'ty, bu' where's the bloody crew then?" asks Spring Breeze. You also hear some murmering between the sailors...

"Maybe the crew is hiding inside?"
"Mayb' th' sea monsta' got 'em,"
"But why's the ship still there?"
"Told you there was no monster, this is the work of pirates."

"It's a trap, I bet," comments Stanza as he stops looking through the scope. "I don't want to tango with it, somepony tell the captain to keep away with it."

Spring disagreed. "There cou'd be som'pony tha' knows wha's happ'ning out her', we should chec' it out."

Fury of the Tempest wrote:"Focus and meditate... right..." Storm Blade said quitely at Necar's words. His head having turned to Sparks when the other guard entered, which would allow him to get a good look at the pegasi's changeling eyes before they were closed. The blue pegasus doing exactly what Necar suggested, and focused on a form, conjuring up the image of the changeling from the muesum's display, through pony-sized, and with less fangs. Once he was confident that he had it in his mind, the pegasus focused on changing into it.

After about half a minute, your body shifts in a flash of green light. You have transformed into the bug-esque appearance of a changeling...

Paper Shadow wrote:"I don't like this," mumbles Admiral Streamflow as you return to the squad. Him, Shell Shocked, and Beach Head stand ready, also watching the ship. "Not one bit."

Shell Shocked responds. "I'm sure it's fine, nothing special, just a boat. Fishy is gonna come back and say that everything is in tip-top order and absolutely nothing is wrong and then we can get back to whatever it is that we are doing at the moment in this point of time."

Tidal smiles and nods, and on hearing that it's an Equestrian ship, she says, "Ah! Zey are probably heading home, and it is good." before specifically asking the Admiral. "You would know of this ship from the port, no?"

Paper Shadow wrote:

LoganAura wrote:Snipe frowns a little bit, glancing over to the sailors. "It's Equestrian. With no one on it up top. Which probably means something bad. Here." Snipe pulls back and holds his gun up about adult height. "Anyone else want to look just in case?"

Some ponies do take you up on the offer. "It looked em'ty, bu' where's the bloody crew then?" asks Spring Breeze. You also hear some murmering between the sailors...

"Maybe the crew is hiding inside?"
"Mayb' th' sea monsta' got 'em,"
"But why's the ship still there?"
"Told you there was no monster, this is the work of pirates."

"It's a trap, I bet," comments Stanza as he stops looking through the scope. "I don't want to tango with it, somepony tell the captain to keep away with it."

Spring disagreed. "There cou'd be som'pony tha' knows wha's happ'ning out her', we should chec' it out."

Snipe thought for a few seconds, pointing at each of them in turn. "There'd still be at least one pony above deck wouldn't there? To make sure they don't crash, The sea monster'd probably take the entire boat like they said, there STILL could be a monster out there. I gotta agree with you Stanza, it's probably a trap. Maybe it's pirates trying to lower our guard from a "Friendly" nation's flag?"

The sniper rubbed his chin curiously, staring across the way and grumbling. "Hm..... Either way though, it's a ship lazing about. If somepony is on it..." Snipe flaps his wings and starts hovering over the deck. "... Any other pegasi want to get a glance over there? Might be better than trying to board it from beside. it doesn't look like there's any danger in the air."

Quietkal wrote:Tidal smiles and nods, and on hearing that it's an Equestrian ship, she says, "Ah! Zey are probably heading home, and it is good." before specifically asking the Admiral. "You would know of this ship from the port, no?"

"There's nopony on the ship, it ain't heading nowhere," replies the admiral...

LoganAura wrote:Snipe thought for a few seconds, pointing at each of them in turn. "There'd still be at least one pony above deck wouldn't there? To make sure they don't crash, The sea monster'd probably take the entire boat like they said, there STILL could be a monster out there. I gotta agree with you Stanza, it's probably a trap. Maybe it's pirates trying to lower our guard from a "Friendly" nation's flag?"

The sniper rubbed his chin curiously, staring across the way and grumbling. "Hm..... Either way though, it's a ship lazing about. If somepony is on it..." Snipe flaps his wings and starts hovering over the deck. "... Any other pegasi want to get a glance over there? Might be better than trying to board it from beside. it doesn't look like there's any danger in the air."

Spring Breeze flies up as well. I'll go, got'a make sure e'erypony is safe, if the'e are ev'n anypony ther'."

Snipe nods, glancing over to the ship and looking back. "All right. Grab something to defend yourself. If it's pirates or something we might get hurt."

Down below deck, Aces High finished up his thinking, and came to a conclusion.

"Something strange is going on here."

It wasn't much of one, but the one his paranoia was shouting at him sounded...stranger than usual. He probably didn't have any room to talk considering the ghost incident a while back, but there you go.

That being said, Aces went up to the deck of the ship and...

...and...

...went to find Snipe. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?

LoganAura wrote:Snipe nods, glancing over to the ship and looking back. "All right. Grab something to defend yourself. If it's pirates or something we might get hurt."

(Spring Breeze is a guard and wearing his armour, and generally prefers using his hooves than any weapon. He is already suited up, unless you want him to bring more...)

AProcrastinatingWriter wrote:Down below deck, Aces High finished up his thinking, and came to a conclusion.

"Something strange is going on here."

It wasn't much of one, but the one his paranoia was shouting at him sounded...stranger than usual. He probably didn't have any room to talk considering the ghost incident a while back, but there you go.

That being said, Aces went up to the deck of the ship and...

...and...

...went to find Snipe. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?

You make your way to the deck, bumping across a grumpy sailor going inside. When you get to the deck, you see a huge crowd of ponies on one side of the ship, with Snipe and another guard flying above them...

((eh if he prefers his hooves, that's probably all right.))

Snipe glances at Aces and waves over to the gambler.

Aces waves back and walks up to the...well, the sniper. Hence the name.

"Let's cu' to business," Aces acts gruffly and a little worriedly. "I need you to think a' me."

Snipe blinks a little bit, thinking and trying to connect the thing to Ace.

"I'm going go over to the other ship... If this isn't working, that means that there's going to be a bit of an issue if someone could lock up my telepathy... Great."

Aces High receives the message...

"Okay...telepathy's still working..." Aces paused. "So then...were you no' using i' downstairs, then?...below decks, I suppose."