Seamore Sandwich

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 384) “You say ‘railroad’ as if it is one word. I believed it to have been misspelled on the maps, but now I believe it to have a different meaning than that which I had originally thought. Please, if you will, tell me its meaning. What is the significance of its name?” Silvermane replied curiously. He had no knowledge of this modern world, so it stood to reason that he might be missing something important here. He had no direct help in planning the route, which now to him seemed a mistake. Unknown to him, this railroad would take most of the time off their journey. There would be a long walk still, but it wasn’t going to be quite the long journey they were all expecting. (Gaea remains on page 384, Penny on 385, and Charlie on 363)

@Blitz Boom I know I haven’t posted for a bit, but with everything going on I’ve been exhausted trying to keep up with all the extra people rushing to the store in their stupidity. I will be taking a couple weeks off starting Sunday, so I will likely be posting more during that time. I’m taking the time off because my father is at risk if he gets the virus, and working with the public makes it very likely that I will bring it home. The customers won’t stop going to the store to pick up ridiculous things, so I have to stop showing up to provide it for them.

@Blitz Boom Sorry for the delayed post. Work has been hectic with everyone showing up to buy toilet paper before it can hit the shelves. It’s exhausting. They’re rushing to the store instead of staying home, and some people are even ordering party supplies. I’m worried the anti-vaxers are escalating from Measles parties to something far worse. Hopefully my state gets a shelter in place order, because people won’t stay home otherwise. I’ll probably be leaving work an hour early each day this week, so there is a chance I’ll be able to post more than usual, but I make no promises. Stay safe.

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 381) “It seems my two left legs are on the right side,” Penny answered cheerfully, looking at the sign of her parents shop. The shop itself looked out of place with its vivid colors, and the structure was much shorter than the two neighboring buildings pressed against it. The width of the building wasn’t too small, but wasn’t exactly large either. It was made to look like a gingerbread house, though the wood grain pattern could be seen slightly on the walls. It wasn’t that the paint was thin, but rather that the wood itself wasn’t smooth. This almost seemed intentional, as if otherwise ponies might consider trying to eat the building. The windows were framed with pieces shaped to look like frosting with mint candies stuck into it to add color, and the door was round at the top and framed with what looked like a candy cane arch. The roof, which looked like it was made of chocolate shingles, was tilted toward the street, and reached all the way to the wall of the building behind it. There was a chimney made to look like brightly colored wafer candies stuck together. Through the window the selection of candies would look similar to that of Penny’s store, but there weren’t any of the magic chocolates on display. Instead there were a few extra shapes of chocolates, some candy bouquets and a selection of odd flavors of soda. “Should we stop in now to visit my parents, or should we come back after the delivery? If I’m right they’ll probably be busy prepping some of the candies for the day, so we might get caught up in that, and trust me, you’ll need some really good shampoo if any of what they’re making gets on you. I’ll leave it up to you if you’d rather not get a bit messy.” (Charlie is still on page 363, while Marcus and Gaea are on page 384)

@Blitz Boom Please excuse the puns, but I’ll be railroading the Marcus story slightly to help move things forward at a higher speed. Just trying to pick up steam here. Hopefully this helps get us back on the right track.

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 381) Brooke sat down on one of the beds they had set up with silk sheets they had stolen. She picked up the egg, which had been rested against the pillows and covered partially by the sheets like you would tuck in a child. Cradling it in her big arms like it were a baby, she began stroking it gently. “I hear those things learn quicker than most,” Skye began to say, “which means we can train it to help us steal before long.” Brooke smiled at this and continued to stroke the egg, but she sniffed and for a moment she was alert, facing the doorway. “What is it?” Skye asked, worried for a moment until Brooke sniffed a couple more times then relaxed herself and waved her paw as if to say, “it’s nothing,” before going back to stroking the egg. Just then, outside, Gaea had finally caught up to Zhu. She made little noise as she moved, but she was sure to approach Zhu from an angle he should be able to see her from, so as not to startle him and cause unnecessary noise. Since she didn’t know where the thieves were, she signaled to Zhu by pointing at him then pointing to her eyes, then waving her hoof horizontally. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 383) “Thank you. Soon you will get the chance first hoof to see why I have the followers I have. I could tell you tales of great battles I’ve fought in, but ‘tis best to save those for the journey. We’ll be trotting Buckington’s Rile Road as it seems that is the optimal path. It’s a long path, but it’s more direct than any other route, and according to the maps, there is a tunnel that was carved through one of the mountains along the way, which will save us time going around it,” Marcus said to Brute while the others were still focused on the ongoing fireworks display (Keg really went the extra mile and set up a whole fireworks display like you might see on a national holiday or something). To those in the know, it would be obvious he was mispronouncing “rail” and was in fact referring to the Buckington Railroad, which did in fact cut through a mountain. (Penny is still on page 381, and Charlie on page 363)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 362) “As many of you already know, much of my strength comes the power that has been stored within the crystals you all provide for me. The power they grant help me to cast Greatspells, ones that could turn the tide of wars. Those spells are normally a last resort, but given the circumstances, they must not be used at all. I cannot risk expending the last of your magic, so I will limit the use of my own magic greatly on this mission. I shall even wear a crystal myself,” Marcus Silvermane says, pulling a crystal out from beneath his armor on a necklace around his neck, “to ensure that in a time of need I will not use too great an amount of the magic you have given.” He let the crystal rest outside his armor. “With my power limited, I will rely solely on my skill. I shall do justice to the tales of me that you have been told. Tomorrow we embark on a perilous mission, and if any of us shall fall, may the world hear tales of their heroism! Better yet, may we all succeed and live to tell the tales ourselves! The Sacred Springs shall be ours once more!” As if on queue, Keg set of a display of fireworks that he had been working on as a bit of a side project for the last few days. It was a brilliant display with many beautiful colors, which even distracted Marcus’s gaze. He knew of fireworks, but had never seen any like these before. The ones from his time were simple, unrefined explosives. Technology had come a long way in his absence. (Gaea and Penny are on page 381, and Charlie and Naut are on page 363)

@Blitz Boom I just created an updated profile for Penny. I needed to take note of the names I came up with for her parents, so I went to update the page, but the old characters are locked, so I had to make a new one.

@Blitz Boom I’ve decided to put a hold on Charlie and Naut for the time being, time being the issue (I know, weird sentence, but I just went with it). I need to give Gaea and Zhu some time to catch up their story. I also want to tie Marcus Silvermane into it eventually, so I’ll be posting for that one as often as possible. Some of my plans have changed slightly from what they were before, but they’re basically still following the same path I had planned. I’m just shortening some parts that are coming later so they don’t drag on too much. The upcoming story is now 25% off! I had four things planned which needed to be found, but three actually works better for tying together parts of the canon with it, and through that I’ve managed to add deeper meaning to some things that are coming. Getting myself back on track has been a bit of work, but I think I’ve got a good plan, which also may mean an awkward reunion for one of your characters. I’ll be taking better notes from here on out.

@Blitz Boom Seeing as the image you have of Scarcity isn’t the same as the description you gave for her four years ago, I’m assuming she went through a bit of a design change? This is her description from page 189: ["Wings you say? Now that sounds fascinating." A unicorn mare with a base coat of green with yellow swirls in a pretty pattern, a long tail and elegantly styled mane that went down one side of her head - both a two-toned mixture of pink - and green eyes, went over towards Penny as she were yelling out about her magic chocolates. She were wearing a pure silver necklace with a large, tanzanite shaped like an eye dangling from it, an elegant saddlebag down her left, and shoes in pure silver with a star-shaped tanzanite embedded in front of them all, but not really anything else. She kept her need to follow any fashion at home, in case she needed to attend an important event, but otherwise she wandered around like most. Except the shoes. She liked to keep her hooves clean.  If Penny had seen Scarcity before were anypony's guess, as the owner of the antique store not all that far from here weren't exactly a hermit that stayed to herself, but not the sort to butt in on everypony either. That and her store were a rather high end thing, so not too many that didn't have a lot of bits to spare tended to go there unless they looked for her specifically.] To be honest, I believe over the years I’ve been picturing her as purple, possibly because I mixed up part of her description with Vivid in my head, but when Tock met her I had to go back over the description you gave and I realized I had been remembering wrong the whole time. Is the image above to be considered her current appearance? This may affect how I describe how Tock looks at her in the future.

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 357) As Zhu’s keen eyes may have noticed, he wasn’t the only predator following another. An owl began to follow him as soon as he gave chase, one that Gaea had asked for assistance, anticipating that she might not be able to leave camp quickly enough. The owl would keep enough distance behind Zhu that though he might be able to see the owl, it was far enough that Brooke and Skye wouldn’t notice. Along the way, the owl would leave markings for Gaea to follow such as scratches on trees and the occasional dropped feathers. Eventually, the two would lead the way to an outcropping of rocks that had a cave that went into the ground. The entrance they went through was well camouflaged with a sheet of moss covering the entrance. Inside the cave was a glow from an unnatural and most likely magical source. When the moss curtain closed behind Brooke and Skye, the moss was thick enough to block all the light from getting through. They set down their haul with a pile of gold items, and took off their enchanted rings, setting them on a small wooden table on which Zhu’s magical items lay. Skye put the toupee on her bald head and raised the scepter into the air and proclaimed, “None could have done this but Skye and Brooke, for no other thief would be so bold as to steal the hair from my sleeping head! Find them at once, and you may be shown mercy! If you allow my dignity to be tarnished so for much longer, you shall be punished in their stead!” Clearly she was mocking the noble. For not having actually met him that night, her assumptions of his personality weren’t too far from the truth. If he didn’t get his things back, especially his toupee and cane, his guards would suffer for it, though it wouldn’t go as far as any formal punishments, he would probably just work them much harder than normal, making ridiculous requests to make their jobs even harder than they had to be. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 361) “Let us hope that meeting comes soon,” Tock replied, looking forward to the next time they would meet. He could gaze into her eyes all day. He found her mysterious in a way. It was as if she couldn’t possibly exist. The world itself to him seemed out of place when she was in it. Somehow, she belonged there but everything else did not. It was a paradox within his mind, but it could not distract him from the reality that was her beauty. He would eventually ask to learn everything about her, but now was not the time. They were about to leave, so for now, all he could do was take in all of her beauty. He would keep her image in his mind until the next time they met. Penny began her countdown with instructions, “On ‘Go,’ put the chocolate in your mouth and let it melt. 3. 2. 1. Go!” If the others followed instructions properly, the chocolates would begin to melt in their mouths rather quickly, with the magic cream adding a light sweetness with a little bit of tingling. As the chocolate melted, the world would seem to melt around them in stages. First the sky would melt away, then the buildings, then the ponies around them, and then the ground beneath their hooves, until all that remained were the three of them and the cart. Where everything else once was, it was replaced with nothingness. It wasn’t just a black space, but it was truly nothing, a concept that couldn’t really be put into words. At the same time, it would feel as if gravity itself melted away, but it wasn’t like they were floating, it was just a feeling of weightlessness. Then in the same way the world had melted away, it came back as if it was melted, but reformed as it fell into place. However, the world that formed around them was a big city. The chocolates worked and they were now at the side of a road in Manehattan. “Did everyone make the trip in one piece?” Penny was slightly concerned since these long distance teleportations could affect those prone to motion sickness. (Marcus is on page 362, and Charlie is on page 363)

@Blitz Boom I know I haven’t been on here in months. For that I apologize again. I keep disappearing for months at a time. When bad things happen in my life, I retract into my shell, and then I keep finding reasons not to come out of it. When that happens I really need to push myself to get back to doing things that I love. Hopefully I’ll get back to posting soon. This post is an important part of my way of pushing myself: telling people I’ll do something. I don’t want to discuss the reasons I stopped posting yet, because there’s a lot of things that happened around the same time (a lot of which happened in the same week as my birthday). There’s also some changes happening with the schedules at work again, so hopefully I can have a regular day off early in the week and I’ll try to get more posts done at once, possibly on Tuesdays. I’ll reread some of the posts throughout the next couple weeks to catch myself back up, and I’ll most likely type up some posts the Tuesday after next, sooner if I get any good (or possibly even bad) ideas.

@Blitz Boom The post may be a bit short, but I did put a lot of thought into it. Charlie has potential for a lot of unusual interactions, and I feel I need to take advantage of that more often. Creating a name for the changeling was a bit difficult because the changeling brothers had a theme, but I wasn’t sure wether or not to try to break away from that. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to spell “Naut” because in a way it has multiple meanings depending on how you spell it. “Knot” can be a measure of speed in nautical miles, but then there is also the word “naught,” as in “all for naught,” which basically means “nothing.” There’s also the fact that his mind is basically in a knot, and that he’s specifically “not” Kilo. I settled for “Naut” as it is the best middle ground between options, and can be an abbreviation of Nautical for nautical miles.

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 354 “What’s the point of a silly tradition like that? I came up with my own name, so why shouldn’t he?” Charlie seemed genuinely confused by this question, not realizing that children aren’t born with the ability to speak. Language was originally a foreign concept to Charlie, but the way Charlie learned to speak was instantaneous upon accidentally possessing Briar. The changeling spoke, “I... this body was once called Kilo. There are many memories here, but none of them are my own. Even the name sounds unfamiliar to me. I don’t think I’m Kilo, so for now, call me Naut.” Naut might not have known who he was, but that internal struggle could wait. Right now he needed a name to make things easier for the others. “I was told by Princess Luna that ‘what Charlie seeks can be achieved by finding the Heart of the Woods,” and that Zhu knows the way.” Gaea 357 Penny 361 Marcus 362

@Blitz Boom It looks like I’ll be delaying my post again. Today was a long day, but I’ll be putting extra thought into the post.

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 353 In the pockets of the robe were several gems that had been charged with magic over the years. The purpose of these was storing magic to directly power Marcus’s spells. “You may stand beside me,” Marcus said to Sugar Lime, gesturing to a space beside him where the elders had left him some room to stand. Once Sugar was in place, he would continue, “Tomorrow we set forth at dawn for First Island, a Mountain range so tall it was once believed to be the only land when the world was covered in water. It is in the shape of a crescent moon, surrounding a forest known as the Lake of Leaves, whose canopy is unbroken, letting little light onto the forest floor below. There once was a path that cut through the forest leading to the Caverns of Cob, but the maps show that the path is now covered. There are beasts that lurk in the darkness, and without the path there is no sunlight to protect us. The beasts there are repelled by the sun, but not by torch or glow of horn. We shall clear a path of our own making after the journey has been completed, as to do so before would delay us too long. Each journey to the Sacred Springs we will widen the path. Once we reach the Caverns of Cob, we will Ascend through them to find the opening that will lead us to the Sacred Spring. We must not travel downward within the Caverns, as the spirits of creatures that once roamed the depths of the great ocean now traverse the depths of the Caverns. The one thing that keeps them at bay is the power emanating from the Sacred Springs. They dare not ascend as long as the waters still flow. There are many dangers on this path, and now that you all know them, if there are any who wish not to take these risks you may back down now, but once we leave tomorrow if you should turn back you will make the journey back alone. Are there any adventurers that wish to stay behind?” Gaea 357 Penny 361 Charlie 354

@Blitz Boom I’ll be posting tomorrow. My work schedule is a little different this week.

@Blitz Boom I couldn’t remember if Brick Wall was still with Penny and Scarcity or not. I’ll correct it later if he wasn’t. I’ve been getting a lot done lately, including getting a loan for a car because my other one kind of fell apart. I’m back on the road now so everything can get back on track.

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 352 “That definitely sounds like a plan. I haven’t had any opportunity to work with Everwood yet, but I hear it’s useful for returning things to their natural state. I’m thinking that might come in handy with one of my current projects.” Penny did well not to describe anything further here. Her particular phrasing could have been much more precise to her intentions, but in describing the abilities of Everwood in its vaguest form there could be no guess as to what her project were except by Scarcity, who already knew of Penny’s latest project, as she had commissioned it. She fully intended to test it for stabilizing the retransformation process when the Griffin chocolate’s effects wear off. “We’ll worry about that later though, the clock is ticking. We need to get the ball rolling on our investigation, and this delivery.” Tock waited patiently for Penny to finish before responding to Scarcity, “I would prefer to try this on my own. As a certain famous inventor once said, ‘Each test that does not end in the desired result is not a failure, but a successful elimination of one possibility.’ I tend to learn better when I make mistakes on my own than by avoiding them with a skilled tutor, but I do appreciate the offer.” He turned his attention toward Penny, who was already strapping herself to the cart. “Anyway, the cake stand is tied down pretty good, but the straps can loosen. Keep them tight, but not too tight. Also, the address is on the tag on it.” “No problem at all. Scarcity, I’ll need you and Brick at the back two corners of the cart with these chocolates when you’re ready. We’ll count down to eat the chocolates at the same time.” She levitated an upgraded teleportation chocolate to each of them. Gaea 357 Marcus 353 Charlie 354

@Blitz Boom Continued from 351 “I have the perfect thing in mind. Wait here and keep watch. When I get back, I’ll join them and ask to camp with them for the night. What I have back at my home will ensure that they won’t turn me down. Just stay hidden. If the thieves strike before I get back, try to follow them back to their hideout without being spotted. I’ll find a way to catch up with you if I can. I doubt they would strike this early though,” Gaea responded. She turned and walked away toward her home. After a while, she returned wearing a vibrant purple hooded robe with golden edges, and emblazoned with what Zhu might recognize as the family crest of the kind royal he once knew. Keeping her distance from where Zhu was hiding, she stumbled out of the forest, doing her best to look helpless and lost. “Who goes there?” one of the guards asked loudly. The royal pony pulled back the curtain with his scepter to see what the noise was about. At this point the last slivers of light were just about to fade from the horizon, but they still somehow managed to reflect brightly off the insignia on Gaea’s robe. “Who are you, and where did you get that robe?” the royal pony asked. “My name is Gaea, your highness, and I am but a weary traveler. This robe was given to me as a gift by her highness, Amrita, to keep me warm. I humbly ask that I may camp with your caravan for tonight, as it is not safe to be alone on these roads at night,” she said, bowing to the royal pony. “I don’t know why that girl is always so willing to give away what is rightfully hers. I would prefer not to allow a peasant such as yourself to remain in my company, however it seems my hooves are tied.” The last part was said through his teeth. He paused for a moment before speaking again, as if trying to think of a way out of this, but he could not find one. “Because Amrita has seen fit to aid you, I am obligated to grant you this small favor, but this will be your ONLY favor. Come tomorrow we shall part ways for you to finish your journey on your own. If anything is to happen to this caravan during the night, your protection will come second to the protection of me and my property.” As much as it pained her, she kept her bow and did not let her emotions show as the royal pony closed the curtain on his carriage again. She got back up, and asked the guard where she could rest for the night. He then directed her over to the others who would then set up some blankets for her to sleep on out in the open. She knew it was not likely to rain tonight, so she would not need to stay in a tent, but it would have been nice of them to offer. Since the royal pony had specifically stated that he would grant no other favors, she supposed that them even giving her blankets to sleep on might not go over well, so it wasn’t their fault. She would have had to turn down the offer anyway because she needed to be able to keep watch. She put on her hood and laid down on her “bed,” waiting for the thieves to strike. Hours later, after everything in the camp was settled, and most of the other ponies were in their tents asleep for the night, the thieves approached. Two guards stayed awake to keep watch, but Skye and Brooke were able to slip past them as they were making their rounds. Brooke climbed into one of the carts while Skye kept watch. Gaea saw everything, but continued to pretend to be asleep. The two made no noise, as if one of their trinkets was helping to maintain their silence. Once Brooke finished filling her sack, it was Skye’s turn to steal something. They both quickly made their way to the royal pony’s carriage, where this time Brooke stood guard as Skye quietly crept inside. It was a risky move, but that was the thrill. Skye liked the higher risk part of the heists, taking things that were closely guarded right from under the nose of those it was precious to. She made her way out of the carriage with a small chest that was so stuffed with gems and gold jewelry it wouldn’t close, the scepter, and what looked like a toupee. She closed the door carefully behind her and the two were off. They had to hide behind a cart for a moment while a guard passed by, but after that they quickly made their way into the forest. Gaea got up and walked at a normal pace to the edge of the camp where a guard asked, “Where are you going?” to which she replied, “If you really must know, I’m off to relieve myself.” The guard let her pass, but not before saying, “Try not to get lost out there.” The thieves would get a head start from this delay, but so too would Zhu. Penny an Tock: page 352 Marcus: page 353 Charlie: page 354

@Blitz Boom I’m rereading some of my old posts to prevent inconsistencies. In my search, I came across the contract between Penny and Scarcity on page 219, and I updated it to make more sense and be more profitable for investors. I also realized serious ways Penny could rip her investors off if she were the type to do so. She could in theory charge cost for the chocolates for the second month and therefore have a 0% profit margin, thus not owing her investors anything. We can just say there are additional clauses in the contract to prevent this, but without spelling them all out.

@Blitz Boom I forgot to post yesterday, I was getting ready for Bronycon. I’ll have a long train ride tomorrow, so I might try to type up something then.

@DripMoondrop This is the OOC (out of character) thread for the Casual Stroll Roleplay. The normal procedure for joining a Roleplay is to post in the OOC thread asking to join, linking your character, then waiting for whoever is in charge to tell you wether or not you are approved. In this case, it’s @Blitz Boom‘s decision wether or not to accept you, though I believe it is very likely you will be approved. However, @Blitz Boom would probably ask for some clarification on the Tracking spell, including how it works (does some kind of light lead the way, or does she just get a sense of which way to go, or perhaps it’s something else like enchanting a compass to point the way), and what its limitations are.

@Blitz Boom it’s another lone post. I had to dig way back into the Roleplay to find some information that was lost from Miles’ bio, possibly deleted when the layout of the site changed. I’ve spent about four hours on that short post. I ended up getting sidetracked rereading older parts of the RP while looking for that one piece of information.