LEGEND OF THE HOOVED ADVENTURERS!

(......I would prefer you to roll your own rolls when you attempt something and let me describe the results. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M ROLLING FOR YOU GUYS. Ugh. Could somepony googledoc the character sheets? YOUR GM IS WHINY AND DEMANDS ICE CREAM.)

Well, the dog seemed a bit weird, but there wasn't anything actually wrong about him right now....

As the float passed, the cheers increased. Confetti was everywhere. A few political pundits were at the front of the crowd, holding up signs asking for this or that legislation to pass, but they were overshadowed by the 'We Heart Manehattan' and 'The Mayor Is Sexy Awesome' crowd around them. Apparently the mayor noticed the second group; she strook a pose and grinned, eliciting cheers and laughter while 'Luna' rolled his eyes. The elements of harmony had a mixed reaction to their mother's working of the crowd.

A couple of overenthusiastic individuals managed to break the perimeter right in front of Bronx, Z-rock, and Outcast. They stood in the middle of the road, but what exactly they were doing in front of the float was muffled by the wild cheers of the crowd...

Masterweaver wrote:(......I would prefer you to roll your own rolls when you attempt something and let me describe the results. THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M ROLLING FOR YOU GUYS. Ugh. Could somepony googledoc the character sheets? YOUR GM IS WHINY AND DEMANDS ICE CREAM.)

(Well, what do you know? I was completely wrong. Will do MW.)

Masterweaver wrote:Well, the dog seemed a bit weird, but there wasn't anything actually wrong about him right now....

As the float passed, the cheers increased. Confetti was everywhere. A few political pundits were at the front of the crowd, holding up signs asking for this or that legislation to pass, but they were overshadowed by the 'We Heart Manehattan' and 'The Mayor Is Sexy Awesome' crowd around them. Apparently the mayor noticed the second group; she struck a pose and grinned, eliciting cheers and laughter while 'Luna' rolled his eyes. The elements of harmony had a mixed reaction to their mother's working of the crowd.

A couple of overenthusiastic individuals managed to break the perimeter right in front of Bronx, Z-rock, and Outcast. They stood in the middle of the road, but what exactly they were doing in front of the float was muffled by the wild cheers of the crowd...

Balthazar's teeth clacked together in sudden apprehension as he spied one of the guards' nervous scanning of the crowd. The other guards seemed bored or enjoying the fanfare, but this one seemed on edge...

"Folks," Balthazar slipped into a drawl as he jerked his head toward the adorable monster and the high-decibel Zebra, "I think we gots ourselves some trouble."

He slipped closer to the three moving in front of the float, his eyes scanning them... Trying to pick up on what they might be aiming to do. (33 to Perception, focusing on determining their intentions). "Pink Mohawk... You might want to get that guitar ready. Might need some attention right quick."

"Should they be doing that? It doesn't seem like they should be doing that. Should we do something about them doing that? Am I doing the thing you guys do right, because I've never done...." *pause* "...that?"

"Pink Mohawk...," Balthazar yelled, "You might want to get that guitar ready. Might need some attention right quick."

Z-Rock still didn't get what the big deal was. Hadn't anypony ever been to a rock concert before? This was just your typical mosh-pit chaos, but whatev... If the ass wanted Z-Rock to get some attention - oh he'd get it alright.

"Z-Rock is ready to play," the zebra rock star unslung his guitar, plugging it into his Cannon, "All the time and every day."

Z-Rock glanced at Outcast. She looked a little nervous. "Should they be doing that? It doesn't seem like they should be doing that. Should we do something about them doing that? Am I doing the thing you guys do right, because I've never done...." *pause* "...that?"

"Doin' fine, sunshine." Z-Rock nodded, "Doin' fine. Fair warning though, before I get ready and go. Better hold on to your socks - 'cause you know my Cannon rocks."

(Z-Rock is going to scan the group on the road and prepare an action to play his guitar if something starts to hit the fan [He can do that, right?]. Z-Rock got a 16 on his Perception check.

BTW - Ramsus, what blue color are you using on Outcast's text? I can't seem to find it in the color options.)

((Prepare an action.... what?))

It turned out all the ponies in question wanted to do is spray the mayor and crew with come champagne. Z-rock managed to punctuate the popping of the corks with a loud G base beat.

For a moment, the entire parade froze.

Then the mayor laughed out loud. "I'm sorry, gents, but I can't get drunk on duty!" She waves down the police who were trying to arrest the trio and the parade presses onward.

Masterweaver wrote:((Prepare an action.... what?))

(It means readying an action in response to something that might happen. It's like lifting a bat to get ready for pitch.)

Balthazar's eyes snapped open wide.

Under the cover of the champagne spray, one of the councilors had teleported off the float and into the crowd... Shedding the costume armor and now murmuring to the strangely-calm diamond dog.

"Hark," Balthazar jerked his head in the direction of the shift, "Feast your eyes on that little tidbit. Now why do you suppose an important fellow like that would disappear during such a distraction to chat with our tranquil friend?"

Balthazar thought he knew. The courtly intrigues were always full of such shadowy manipulations.

Something was going to hit the float.

"You wouldn't know anything about this, would you Outcast?" She was a monster after all. But he didn't wait for a response before waving a police-pony over. "Excuse me sir... But isn't that the councilor?" He gestured to the pony in the crowd.

(I assume that information was relayed via PM as a result of your perception check or something?
@Xand: Aha! Well, that's because I'm not using one of the shown options. I'm using teal! The best of all green-blue hybridizations!)

"About what? Spraying your duly elected officials with alcoholic beverages in public? News to me." Outcast shrugs.

When Balthazar points out what happened to the officer, Outcast sees it too. "Curious."

(How do you type in Teal?! )

Man, Z-Rock thought, these new friends of mine are quite the paranoid bunch, aren't they? Hmm... wonder if they can play instruments?

In response to Outcast, Z-Rock shrugged, "Curious, you say? Curious, today? My friends, I think you should both just let your apprehensions melt away. We're at a fair and in a parade, why do you think it's all a charade?"

(Yes, MW is PMing me)

"Ah, an augmented rhyme. Much better." He nodded to the zebra, "But Officer... Do you know what's happening with the curious councilor? So shortly after the champagne, seems suspicious."

The officer, it should be noted, was a police officer and not a follower of politics. So when the donkey pointed out the council member, he merely raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot allow wild accusations to sway me from my job. Especially when there's such an important event going on. If you have any real complaints, report them to the local station."

The pony Bronx called a councilor and the diamond dog finished their conversation. The pony glanced around, then walked into the crowd; the diamond dog tipped his hat and turned back as another float went by, this one populated by teenage pop stars.

"Then you won't mind at all if I say hello to the perfectly-innocent civilian." Balthazar popped a grin as he trotted over to the councilor.

"Why hello there good fellow! What might you be up to?" (26 to Perception on discerning his intentions, natural 1 on Streetwise to recognize his identity)

Outcast has a clever thought and tries to hide in the crowd (Stealth: 12+7 (< this is the d20 roll) = 19) and listen in on Balthazar and the councilor's conversation and gauge his reaction (Perception: 12+14 = 26).

(So the Diamond Dog is still watching the parade? If so...)

"Augmented rhyme..." Z-Rock smirked at the ass's complement, "If you'd like, I can do it every time."

But the zebra rock-star was starting to get curious now himself. Sometime the best approach is the direct approach, and seeing as Balthasar and Outcast seemed to have the ponytician covered, Z-Rock would take the mutt.

"Yo dog, 'sup?" Z-Rock nodded to the Diamond Dog, rolling up beside him, "Mind if I step up? A well-dressed citizen such as you deserves fine company, 'tis it not true? What a nice hat and mighty fine cane, nothing like the other dogs down the lane. Where did you get it, where is it at? I too would like a mighty fine hat. If you tell me good sir, I could repay with a stir. Yes sir, a stir, I do not slir, from my ax to your ears, let music meet them with cheers."

(Z-Rock is going to try to schmooze with the D Dog, get on his good side, then see why he's at the parade. I got a 26 on Persuasion to get on the Dog's good side. Z-Rock can play a soothing classical rhythm on his guitar to impress the Dog further [I say classical because this Dog clearly has refined taste]... I got a 16... but I forgot I had Freaky Knowledge in guitar playing. That puts my grand total on the performance at a 21. That might impress him... maybe...

Edit: Z-Rock played something along these lines for the D Dog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ4Og9LNJpk&feature=related)

(Unless you're playing the song of silence, don't follow Outcast. She's trying to be sneaky.)

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:"Then you won't mind at all if I say hello to the perfectly-innocent civilian." Balthazar popped a grin as he trotted over to the councilor.

"Why hello there good fellow! What might you be up to?" (26 to Perception on discerning his intentions, natural 1 on Streetwise to recognize his identity)

Ramsus wrote:Outcast has a clever thought and tries to hide in the crowd (Stealth: 12+7 (< this is the d20 roll) = 19) and listen in on Balthazar and the councilor's conversation and gauge his reaction (Perception: 12+14 = 26).

((High percept and low Streetwise...))

The pony snorted at at the donkey's question. "I'm just celebrating the city's 125th anniversary." While the donkey was certain that he'd been on the float mere seconds before, for the life of him he couldn't remember which pony he'd been. Still, he noticed that the pony was a tad annoyed at being randomly addressed by a stranger. "Why, do you have a problem with that? Or are you trying to sell me something?"

XandZero2 wrote:"Yo dog, 'sup?" Z-Rock nodded to the Diamond Dog, rolling up beside him, "Mind if I step up? A well-dressed citizen such as you deserves fine company, 'tis it not true? What a nice hat and mighty fine cane, nothing like the other dogs down the lane. Where did you get it, where is it at? I too would like a mighty fine hat. If you tell me good sir, I could repay with a stir. Yes sir, a stir, I do not slir, from my ax to your ears, let music meet them with cheers."

The diamond dog gave the zebra a friendly cuff on the shoulder "Ha, a fellow connoisseur I see! The cane, I'm afraid, I had commissioned, but my outfit came from the most excellent Hoity Toity line in the clothing district. And a musician as well, I may just have to hire you to play at my pup's birthday bonanza!" He flicked out a small rectangle of paper. "My card, good sir."

Feldspar Canine
107 2nd avenue

Masterweaver wrote:

XandZero2 wrote:"Yo dog, 'sup?" Z-Rock nodded to the Diamond Dog, rolling up beside him, "Mind if I step up? A well-dressed citizen such as you deserves fine company, 'tis it not true? What a nice hat and mighty fine cane, nothing like the other dogs down the lane. Where did you get it, where is it at? I too would like a mighty fine hat. If you tell me good sir, I could repay with a stir. Yes sir, a stir, I do not slir, from my ax to your ears, let music meet them with cheers."

The diamond dog gave the zebra a friendly cuff on the shoulder "Ha, a fellow connoisseur I see! The cane, I'm afraid, I had commissioned, but my outfit came from the most excellent Hoity Toity line in the clothing district. And a musician as well, I may just have to hire you to play at my pup's birthday bonanza!" He flicked out a small rectangle of paper. "My card, good sir."

Feldspar Canine
107 2nd avenue

(Score! I feel useful now! Also - Feldspar. I like that name.)

Z-Rock nodded, reading the card in his hoof, "Feldspar Canine, 107 2nd avenue - a fine name, and a street nice and true." The zebra rock-star gave a bow, "I would be most honored to play for you. As for myself, my name is Zero "Z-Rock" Zevran - a long name for a long claim, a long claim to epic fame. I may not have hit the big time yet, but my name is one you shouldn't soon forget."

Watching wistfully as the Teen Idols started to ride past on their parade floats, Z-Rock sighed. "Some day soon, that'll be me up on stage, rocking this town with all the rage..."

But then Z-Rock perked up again and smiled, turning back to Feldspar.

"By the way, my friend, I'm curious to know - what brings you out to this lovely show?"

(BTW - Z-Rock can play soft rock or classical when he feels the need, but he prefers to play loud when trying to attract attention - thus the opening outburst. So yeah, he's a zebra of many stripes.)

"Well sir," Balthazar beamed, "It just seems strange to see a councilor hop off the float and ditch his armor. Then the whole melt-away-into-the-crowd thing - almost looks like you're trying to avoid attention."

He winked toward the zebra, "And my friends are very good at attracting attention." Balthazar's ears flickered, "Since we're being so nice about not drawing all the eyes in the crowd to you, why don't you let a poor jester in on the secret... Or some similar consideration. Otherwise..." His eyes snapped wide in a commanding stare, the same one he used to quiet an audience. (Persuasion Check + Stare = 40 Result).

(*sigh* Well, you just killed my plan. So I hope that works.)

((Er what? Nobody's following Outcast.))

Ramsus wrote:(*sigh* Well, you just killed my plan. So I hope that works.)

(Yeah, he winked at my character [who, consequently, is occupied with Feldspar]. Outcast should still be hidden, if she made her stealth check.

Also, please note, from now on I will try to find a link on youtube whenever Z-Rock plays his guitar. I went back and added links for the first two major moments!)

Ramsus wrote:(*sigh* Well, you just killed my plan. So I hope that works.)

(Isn't your plan to watch his reactions to questions by hiding in the crowd? How has anything killed your plan? Balthazar only pointed out the Zebra.)

(My plan was to pretend to be the Diamond dog, which is now impossible since you pointed out he's right over there talking to the zebra. Anyway, it's happened so, MW, carry on?)

(You could have said that. And no, I'm still waiting for an Outcast post.)

(But...it would have been really meta to go "Hey guys, this is my plan that my character didn't tell you about". Also, I think Outcast is just going to keep watching since now she has nothing to do that wouldn't just make what the other two are doing harder.)

(It's fine to share information OOC, it just makes for a better gameplay - especially since our characters would often be able to pick on subtle hints to eachothers' intentions if they were really there. We can't see such things ourselves, so a good way to relay them is through OOC chat).