| IC date: | Summer 80, 1007 |
| OOC date: | September 8, 2012 |
| PCs: | Captain-Mwai, Kludge, Dream-Daze, Wintergreen, Lavender, Ruby-Blossom, Sky-Sparkler, Winter-Solstice, One-Shot |
| NPCs: | |
| GM: | None |
Mwai stumbles down the gangplank of the Destiny, his limbs moving in a kind of slow motion. In a strangely slowed-down gutteral ooze, he says, "Nnnnnnneeeeeeeeverrrrrr aaaaaggggaaaiiiiiiiiiinnnn… Aourughgh…"
Probably not the best time to be drunk and unstable, what with the STORM APPROACHING. Ominous black clouds line the horizon, while a grey fog sweeps in from the southwest. Already the wind is whipping about, cold and biting, bringing the occasional spray of cold rain with it. The assorted residents and shopkeepers that live and work along the boardwalk are busily preparing for the storm- resecuring mooring lines, closing up shutters and sealing up doors. It's not, like, some kind of crazy hurricane or anything like that. The town isn't about to be wiped off the beach. But it IS going to be wet. It's probably going to be uncomfortable. There may be lightning. Less secure construction thrown up after the last time the town got razed will be put to the test.
And while some ponies are off doing ~practical things~ to prepare for the storm, others have something else in mind. For example, Winter Solstice looks particularly determined as she stuggles out towards the beach, lugging behind her a dinghy on a rope. It's some old castaway from some fisherpony- seaworthy, but hardly a looker. There's a variety of supplies piled up inside. This is not an ideal time to go sailing, though, that's for sure.
Kludge isn't too worried about the storm. His wagon's wheels/rollers are double-chocked, and the wagon itself is staked down with extra ropes. He knows that Ruby's house should survive anything short of large chunks of building hitting it, and his wagon could probably withstand at least one direct hit like that… and since the storm doesn't look like it will have enough power to crack buildings like eggs, he's not stressing out about it.
Of course, not every pony is all that worried about storms at all. Or construction. Or even lightning. Shoot, this storm's probably a welcome change of scenery from the typical hot days that have been pretty constant throughout the summer. Particularly a certain foal, one little blue Dream Daze unicorn, who happily prances about in the whipping winds, testing the new cord she got for her explorer's hat. Let's set the weather take it away from her /now/!
Thus is Dreamy bouncing along the boardwalk, watching other ponies hard at work with getting things storm-prepped. Or…towing boats. And wagons. My there sure are a lot of interesting things to watch this evening!
Up the shore line comes a certain purple pony trying to catch her breat. "Oh…good…I've made it back to town…before the storm" She moves up to the street to look for a spot to take a quick break, apperently not noticing the blood coming from her hind leg.
Not too far off from Dreamy, maybe a little behind her, follows Lavender. Okay, /maybe/ the mute filly can take care of herself, and /maybe/ she doesn't need anyone looking after her, but that doesn't stop the rather protective other filly from sticking close by. Besides, friends, right? And hats need field testing.
Ponderously, Mwai cranes his neck skyward, and a few moments later a look of dismay begins to crawl across his face. His perception of time puts him at roughly a ten to one disadvantage to the other, unhindered ponies on the docks.
Ruby-Blossom trots into the Port from Main Street - her curious looking about certainly suggests she's looking for something or someone - she happens to spot this someone from afar, but her attention is quicly drawn to the pair of fillies along the shoreline. The chilly wind hits her square in the face and causes her to squint uncomfortably as she now makes her way towards the pair of foals travelling along the shoreline; she waves a hoof their direction in hopes of drawing their attention.
A rumble of thunder echoes from across the sea, while a few flashes promise more in short order. Off at a distance, a trading vessel hoping to ride out the storm is pulling in as its crew makes quick work of preparing the vessel, drawing the sails and mooring the ship with a swiftness and professionalism not normally associated with drunken pirates. These guys must not be local.
There's a big storm scheduled? Well, it's time for the town's newest weatherpony to come do what she does best! Sky-Sparkler has taken up position near the docks, standing guard and waiting for the storm to roll in.
Winter-Solstice finds a spot on the beach away from the docks, nice and clear, and decides that it is Good Enough. She ties the rope off on a nearby rock- although why, who can say, given that it's on the beach and not about to go anywhere- and starts rummaging around in the supplies piled up inside. There are chains visible, and a big, rope-bound bundle of canvas, and a big lunchbox and a thermos, and probably some other stuff. Every now and then she looks up to glance about the rest of the beach, seeing what everybody else is up to, before going back to work.
One-Shot wanders down the boardwalk, looking to the approaching storm with despair. He had been hoping to get some nice pictures of the Horseshoe Harbor sunset, but the sudden change of weather has put a wrench in his plans. If he had checked the weather report, he might have brought a poncho. Oh well. Pictures of a storm are nice too. He might even be able to get some nice shots of lightning. He looks around and sees quite a few ponies still wandering about, despite the ominous clouds and distant sound of thunder. This might be even better than taking pictures of the dumb sky.
Bounce~ Bounce~ Boing~
Seeing as Dreamy's got friends with her, she's not so much tearing down the boardwalk, and more stopping every now and then to pose for a pony, or to wave at another pony, or even to just pounce on Lav and be all giddy about hats. With strings!
Dreamy seems particularly entranced by the sight of a biiiiig pony pulling a boat along, when the corner of her vision catches Ruby's waving. This prompts a slight change of direction, as the little unicorn happily angles further bouncings in that direction.
The expression on Mwai's face drifts lazily towards a sort of exaspirated panic. A lightning storm at a factor of ten speedup can be a frightening thing. In time, he seems to be standing, and if the laws of physics would just cooperate and ALSO run slower, he might even be said to be majestically drifting difting through the motions of a graceful run down the boardwalk. As it stands he just looks very, very drunk.
Lavender takes note of Dreamy's new tack, and follows right along beside…but not before noticing a photographer over there. Oh, now that's interesting. She makes a mental note to raise some kind of havoc once the camera gets all set up. "Oh hi Mwai," she says, bouncing slightly as she continues on past in what must be a confusing blur, there and gone before one can blink, in merely a gentle canter.
With his wagon secured, Kludge looks around to see who else needs a helping hoof. Noticing Ruby, Dreamy, and Lavender, he wanders in their direction. Given how fearless the foals can be, keeping an eye on them (just in case they get in over their heads, mind you) is a good idea.
Ruby-Blossom offers Lavender and Dreamy a big ol' smile to the pair of fillies "Hi Sweeties. You out having a big adventure?" certainly amused to say the least as she plays into Dreamy's passion for adventure. "Where'd you go, hmm?
A particularly powerful gust of wind rolls through, putting Lavender's hat to the test, though it subsides before long. Otherwise the storm continues to do what it do, which is to approach at a gradual pace. What need has a storm to be in a hurry, anyway? Some ways down the beach, a trio of tipsy sailors- not as stylishly tipsy as Mwai, of course, but appreciably inebriated- are flying a kite shaped like a dragon. They're enjoying it immensely.
Mwai tips over. Slowly, his lips purse. "FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffffffffff…"
After getting his camera gear together, making sure to pick out a lens he doesn't mind getting a little wet, One Shot scans the harbor through his viewfinder. There's a rather tipsy looking zebra on the boardwalk, apparently stumbling his way towards safety from the storm. One Shot makes a mental note to keep him out of any shots.
The other thing that caught his eye were the fillies. It looks like they're more excited for the storm than anything. One Shot wonders if the earth pony they're talking to is responsible for them. It doesn't look like she's running for cover either.
Lavender reaches up and tugs her hat down with both hooves, then grins and tumbles head-over-heels in a most adventurous manner. She does hold that position for a moment…then blinks and glances camerawards. Now /there's/ a thought.
Storms are exciting! All those clouds, and rumbly thunder, and flashy lightning, and rainy rain… Dreamy loves storm-seasons. So she's happy as can be~ To Ruby's question of adventure, though, the unicorn just shrugs. Big adventures? Naw… Dream does send a quick mental scene to Ruby about a tree she tried to climb today though. It didn't go so well, she didn't even make it to the first branch, but the /effort/ was made, darnit!
Then Lavender goes tumbling, drawing Dreamy's attention. The little filly points a hoof at Lav's pose. There! That's the big adventure. Ruby got to see it all, too. Lucky~
Wintergreen passes by a stumbling Mawi but leaves him be. She is too tired right now to give much concern. The pony with the camera piques her interest and she heads in his direction. With heavy breathing she manages to get out a couple words. "HI, did you come out to photograph the storm? Aren't you worried that you could break your camera?" Now that she's stopped running, Wintergreen is beginning to notice the pain from her wounded leg.
Winter-Solstice is still hard at work. She's busily affixing chains to the edge of her little dingh, chains that lead back in and to the gathered bundle of fabric weighed down in the center. The little wooden boat rocks back and forth atop its perch in the sand as the wind rolls in off the surf and buffets Winter's sweet ride, but there's more than enough weight to keep it planted for the time being. She looks up frequently towards the stormclouds, clearly hoping to get her work done before they get here.
The drunken sailors' kite line abruptly snaps in the next gust of breeze and the kite sails up and away, over the rooftops and out of sight. The three sailors let loose a collective "Awwwww," stare disconsolately off towards the town, then cheer when they all realize they now have an excuse to go drink some more. They tromp up towards the town, heading towards some tavern or another. Any drinking hole worth its beans is pretty crowded right now, as many decide the best way to wait out the storm is to pack inside with like-minded rascals and booze it up.
Although it should be noted that even the bars that aren't worth their beans are also pretty busy. Any port in a storm, and any ale, lager, bilge-swill or moonshine as well.
Ruby-Blossom watches Lavender topple backwards witha soft little chuckle before 'listening' to Dreamy's explination. "I see, I see." she grins at the pair. That's an awefully cute adventure, but certainly not a big one." A thoughtful look passes by "Maybe you girls would like to hear a story about a real adventure?" Those large expressive eyes blinking as she realizes somepony is approaching from behind, turning her head to see Kludge approaching - lifting a hoof for a small wave. She catches sight of Winny, quizical peering at the girl from afar (She can take care of herself, whatever it is she's doing…).
Mwai is ponderously lifting a small, paper-wrapped losenge to his mouth. Either the blurdot will cancel the slickwick, or something really horrible will happen. Mwai doesn't see the Bone Mistress tapping an impatient hoof anywhere though, so that's a good sign………..
Lavender turns back to Ruby. "Hey now, we go on real adventures /all the time/." There's a grain of truth in that, too. Maybe not all the time, but it does seem to happen enough. She goes back from slightly indignant to excited again, "Doesn't mean we don't want to hear about it though!"
Kludge catches up with Ruby and the foals. "Having a good time?" he asks, noticing the smiles. And truth be told, he's actually enjoying the weather - if the storm proves that his construction is better than the usual local work, it might mean more business…
The purple filly's starts doing some strange dance move, and One Shot's trigger finger habitually gravitates to the shutter. He gets a couple decent shots, but then stops. Wait, is she looking over here? Did they notice I'm taking pictures of them? Taking pictures of other pony's foals, even in public, seems a bit weird. A wave of self- consciousness comes over One Shot and his camera shys away, even as the filly continues to vie for attention.
Mwai suddenly jumps to his feet! He takes some steps! "!dekrow ti elbaveilebnU" he exclaims, and runs backwards off the pier into the choppy water.
There will be even /more/ adventures if Dreamy gets her say in things… When Ruby mentions something pretty much equal to storytime, the little unicorn bounces up next to Lav, sharing in the excited moment. Bounce, bounce! Yes, they /totally/ want to hear about an adventure when a storm's about to soak every pony.
A splash from the docks makes Dreamy blink and look over though. Wasn't there some sort of unicorn statue just standing there a moment ago..?
Winter-Solstice pauses in her work to glance up and watch Mwai reverse gear into the water at some distance away. She stares in his direction for a few moments. It would be a heroic thing to go fish him out. Then again, that looked like the curious fellow that was handing out vaporization pills the other day- at least, that's what she THINKS they were, seeing as the two gentleponies who took them promptly vanished and haven't been seen since. So it's probably just as well that the zebra is off to adventure under the sea. He probably has it all under control. She goes back to work with a little whistle.
Ruby-Blossom throws a knowing grin Dreamy's direction. "I never questioned the fact you girls go on big adventures, why just the other day I saw dreamy on one of those very adventures." reaching out to pat Dreamy's head hat and all. Glancing back at Kludge she curiously asks "You planning on staying out here in this storm?" Was that a hint of concern - is it possible she was looking for Kludge to check on him? - Nah, couldn't be." she can't help but notice Mwai's unusual behavior - but better not to get involved.
Mwai paddles around awkwardly. "Siht htiw krow nac I on on," he mutters, and, despite looking an awful lot like somepony trying to brush their teeth with their hindhooves, he extracts himself from the water and begins a very odd-looking canter towards Kludge's wagon.
"Well, I hadn't planned much past making sure my wagon's secure," admits Kludge. "Wouldn't be the first time I've slept out a storm in that crate, but storms are more enjoyable when you have friends to hang out with."
The wind and rain is picking up; the storm is getting closer. By now it's at a steady, low howl, driving the rain at an angle towards the ground. Lightning still rings the clouds, flashing here and there, creating an ever-present rumble of fog-suppressed thunder, split by the occasional crack as a bolt streaks down towards the water at a distance. Fewer townsponies are out and about, most having finished their preparations and ducked inside or below decks. Still, there are a few storm-loving types out enjoying the mess of it all, even if it's just to watch from underneath an awning.
Mwai wobbles, and seems to be running forwards as though he were running backwards, but he makes steady progress. "Retal revocer nac i, ytefas ot teg ot tog tsuj…"
Dreamy blinks. Of all the ponies around struggling with storm stuff, /that/ one looks to be having the most issue. Already distracted, and ever the little nosy unicorn, Dream Daze hops up from her seat, smiles up at Ruby, taps Lavender on the shoulder, and then starts bouncing merrily towards Mwai. She's not sure what she can /do/, exactly, aside from maybe kicking a few little objects out of the zebra's way. Or something. But he just screams 'help me!' Or 'I'm really /really/ /REALLY/ drunk!' She's not entirely sure which.
Ruby-Blossom glances to Kludge with a look of mild dissapointment, before nodding towards the drunkard of a Captain. "I suppose we better help the fillies." Turning about to trot after Dreamy to provide additional assistance as needed. "I don't think weathering a storm outside is the brighest thing to do." she tells Kludge.
Lavender sticks a tongue out at Ruby. "Hey! This isn't so bad out here, it's perfectly" A gust of wind blows her right off her hooves, she tumbles, and lands on her feet again, "fine! And our hats will protect us."
Kludge gives a sheepish nod. "True, but somepony's got to keep an eye on these adventuresome foals," he point out. He steps forward a bit to give Lavender someone to crash into in event of further gusts of wind.
Mwai makes it to Kludge's wagon and, doubting his lockpicking skills at the moment, gets to its lee side. He announces, half to himself, "seillif eht pleh ylbaborp dluohs uoy, gnias M'i drow ydoolb a dnatsrednu nac ynopyna fi…"
Lavender rolls again and winds up upside-down leaning on Kludge. "Well where are we going to go~o," the soaking filly asks. "It's boring inside!"
Winter-Solstice has all her chains in place, each one leading from the edge of the dinghy towards the rope-bound bundle in the center. The lunchbox and thermos are stashed securely in the back. She rummages about further, hunkering low to better resist the wind blowing in off the water, and fishes out… a hard hat, battered and careworn, which is quickly donned and strapped into place. A pair of swimming goggles is soon added, and she blinks owlishly behind them as they're tugged into place. She takes a moment to look over her work, wiggling with excitement as she does.
Ruby-Blossom glances Mwai's direction with a curious look - the gaze could easily be read as one of annoyance and not confusion - perhaps /she/ understands him, and is just choosing not to admit it. She glances towards Kludge then Mwai, and finally to the fillies. "Inside has cookies and milk, and stories about a dashing and daring mare thief." she tells Lavender even as the wind hits her square in the face again.
When did the winds get so strong? Maybe Dreamy's just closer to the ground, so she isn't catching so many windbursts. Her hat's certainly been blown off a few times, but the neat cord she's got attached to it kept it from doing more than settling on her back. Tiny little thing that she is.
She surely didn't understand a single word of what Mwai said, but seeing as he's perfectly safe now, what pressed up against Kludge's wagon and all, the little unicorn gives the striped drunk a salute! Job well done! Then bounces off back towards the others! Ruby's mention of cookies and milk is /sure/ to draw an attentive perk of foalish ears. But… Then there's that pony from earlier. That one waaaay out near the water, looking like she's going to go swimming during a thunderstorm. Now that's just silly. Who would want to go swimming when they're already all wet?
A sudden lightning strike hits somewhere on the other end of town, quickly rocking the port with a rolling crash of thunder. The storm is nearly upon the town, the wind rising to a strong wail, the rain streaking through at an increasingly horizontal rate. Ships at the harbor bob and way in the surf, while whitecaps lace the dark waters far into the fog-shrouded distance.
Kludge smiles. "Is the offer of storytime just for foals, or may a soggy craftspony listen in as well?" he asks.
Winter-Solstice nods to herself. Time for action. Hauling up into the boat, she turns towards the shore and the lack of people there.
"CITIZENS OF HORSESHOE HARBOR!" she bellows, voice ringing out across the port, low and powerful. "THOUGH YOUR TOWN IS REALLY QUITE NEAT, I FEAR I MUST NOW BID YOU ADIEU! ADVENTURES AWAIT, AND I SHALL RIDE THIS STORM OFF TO SEEK MY FORTUNE!" She checks and re-checks the seating of her goggles and continues. One drunk sailor sitting underneath the boardwalk watches her, wondering what she's going on about and also why he didn't head inside with everybody else.
"BEFORE I GO, I ASK YOU ALL BE EXCELLENT TO ONE ANOTHER, AND ALSO, LIVE FOREVER WITH A SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE IN YOUR HEARTS." That said, she turns towards the rope-wrapped bundle and begins to fuss with it.
Ruby-Blossom gives Kludge and the fillies a very stern look as the lightning rattles the down - one might even accuse it of being motherly. "I really think you should all head inside soon, and frankly - I'm heading in right this moment." She glances to Winny with a look of great curiousity - only catching half her words among the gusts of wind; she doesn't understand what Winny is saying or doing - but is pretty positive she isn't going anywhere. She glances back at the foals; the look on her face all but suggesting she wants to drag them inside by the scruffs of the their neck! "Don't get the wrong idea Kludge, but you know you're always welcome.
Lavender whimpers. She has to struggle, evade, avoid the adult influence…but there's stories, and also treasure in the form of delicious food. "Okay…Okay, c'mon Dreamy…" Then, stares out in the direction of the hamful Winter with a grin. "I hope I never have to leave. This town is amazing."
Winter-Solstice pulls a rope, undoes a knot, and unbinds the bundle, before grabbing a fold of it in her teeth and launching it skyward. The wind catches the canvas and quickly pulls it upward- revealing a hodgepodge, patchwork, double-layered parachute-sail monstrosity. It's quickly filled out by the stormy wind and fills out, snapping tight against the chains that bind it to the dinghy's edges. Winter has moments to hunker down before the storm pulls the sail into the air, the boat with it, and the pony in the boat, and the whole, horrid contraption is soon soaring up into the air. Above the howl of the wind, Winter can be heard squealing with uttter delight.
She has a few moments to look down and see the town below her- the dingy taverns and boats, the fillies and unsavory adults hanging out on the pier. She almost gets a chance to reach out and wave good-bye. That's about when everything goes wrong.
Firstly, the sails split, tearing neatly open, arresting any further upward and outward movement as soon as momentum takes over. Then, the chains burst from the rusty bolts that affix them to the boat's edges. Then, the boat tumbles end over end, dumping Winter out in mid-air, and then splits apart for good measure as ancient wood finally decides it's had enough of these ponyfeathers and spliters against the storm. The rain is suddenly joined by fragments of rusty chain, chunks of wood, and tatters of canvas and one squealing lug of an earth pony, all of them tumbling towards the town. With a resounding crash, they punch a hole in the roof of a tavern, sending up a thick cloud of dust and debris soon swept off by the storm.
Then lightning strikes the chimney.
Shaking his head and tottering a little, Mwai steps out from behind the wagon and announces, "Is there also hot chocolate and stories for very very hung over and backward-talking Zebr— ooer I think that's fixed… I need to lie down…"
Dream-Daze tips her hat over her forehead. Aw fine… She waves 'goodbye' to Winter, since she apparently knows what she's doing, and spins about to trot after the others, heading towards dry and…
Oh holy sweet Celestia in a handbag what just happened? Dreamy watches the flying earth pony. Winces, even, upon the massive impact. …Um. Maybe this storm would be really good to get out of after all. Dreamy thusly /quickly/ scampers after Lav~
Kludge drops his jaw. "Yeah, going indoors right now is a GOOD idea!" he yelps, before following Ruby, Dreamy, and Lav towards Ruby's place. When it comes to falling debris, sturdy house = good, and open air = bad.
Mwai enthusiastically joins what seems to be an amicable parade towards not having storm debris swirling around his pounding head.
Lavender trots on in! Well, it's hard to see what's going on anyway aside from loud noises and debris flying everywhere. What will Dreamy do without her friend to protect her, yeah, of course! She hustles the other filly ahead rapidly, then follows close behind.