ooc OOC Deep Science 1x1 with Blitz Boom

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Response will come tomorrow, but the post may cause some issues with things you have written, so a fair warning there.

Ashclaw won't move away from the first dart, is the first one. If it can be dodged, so too can it be bashed away, or caught, and the way it's written thus far, she's been given ample time to prepare for something, with the way that Vale reacted. She'd know there would come something her way. She wouldn't move until she were made to, as this would be a contest of skill and willpower in her mind, and if she bend away, it'd be the same as showing that she feared her prey. She's too prideful for that.

I were planning to have her moved though, but by Molotov. He wouldn't much care for the contest, and would assume the darts were filled with some sort of poison, so he'd push her aside. She wouldn't expect him to dare interrupting her, so this would move her, and likely get Molotov hit in her stead. Which won't make her too emotional, as it isn't like she likes him. Though she'll not exactly get nicer, if it looks like something potentially lethal.

She might also elect to use him as a shield, as his mechanical wings can provide some cover.

Alternatively, he could also just willing go in front after the first shot, wings spread, and try to keep the two of them separated. which likely wouldn't work, but there's a reason I had Void enter relatively soon, as to avoid a full on fight fest. But I feel this is a point where we have to chatter a bit about the events as it unfolds, as there are some difference between how I've prepared Ashclaw, and how she's perceived. I can't have her be that easily taken out, and give in to simple *I'll go slash your face now* instinct, without going against her character. Not saying she couldn't get hurt, for example by the one muting her though. It'd show that the doe had some things at her disposal, but wouldn't make her think better of her for that reason. Poisons are a cowards weapon, in her eyes.

Ashclaw is a predator. She knows hunting well, and keeps herself in check. Slapping Molotov is sort of a guilty pleasure, that served mostly to get him on track, whilst her chat towards Vale, were not just born out of annoyance at her assumption that she'd care for the opinion of a doe. She wanted to see if there were any spine to the doe, and would wait to see how she reacted. Plus, as Molotov said, she has her orders to not make a scene. Even if she have desires to harm Vale, the order comes first, and she won't succumb to primal instinct, over obeying that order. She won't fight back. She will stand her ground, and prove her point like that. She won't strike unless Vale is the one pushing into her, and she'd aim to knock the doe away.

I get the point in the field you mention. Getting hit isn't in the cards for Vale, but there's no mention that it also means she can shoot past all sorts of defenses. Great defensively, and to aim right, but it ain't like the darts are written as hitting with the speed of light - dodging would be impossible in the first place then - so they can be reacted to.

Not saying Ashclaw would dominate this fight either. She neither will, nor - as you have set it forth - can, hit Vale. Yet at the same time, she's not just gonna let herself be hit either. Best way to fight her, is to get her emotional enough to become unfocused on what is in front of her, and Vale doesn't know her enough to be aware what would do the trick there. Taunts about her being a bad hunter, will get her some dirty looks, but not much in the way of a physical retaliation act. Some curse words perhaps though.

...I dunno, is this making sense? Feels like I'm rambling. Been a long day.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Sounds good, Ashclaw has quite the level of restraint, one that Vale would not have anticipated.

Where it pertains to getting hit, it isn't that Vale can't get hit, it's that she can dodge most hits and deflect/redirect the hits she can't dodge, hence why she was still injured at the end of the path I set out, there wasn't a path where she got out of fighting Ashclaw unscathed.

Molotov or Void entering the fray would cross the path and cause it to fork, so we can just say that what I put is the path that Vale saw and started down, and would nonetheless guide her actions if possible.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

I wanted her to be a good predator, to fit her idea of watching others as prey, as well as her... Affiliation, that we will arrive at soon enough. Didn't seem like she'd be any good at it, if she wasn't able to be calculating, and restraint herself, even if she wants to curb-stomp someone. Being emotional and jump into things, is more Null's thing.

Not sure if Molotov and Vale will ever be able to see eye to eye, but thinking her and Ashclaw's gonna be annoyed seeing the other basically always.

And regarding Molotov, he isn't aware of the shady side of Equestria, nor what some of his inventions and concepts were used for. Anecdotally, he'll refuse to believe being told what atrocities had come indirectly from him, but if Vale have hard evidence, he's not gonna be able to refute that. Might be if she can procure something, there's a chance of the two of them eventually getting to understand one another somewhat on this. I dunno what it'd be though. An item he had assumed scrapped, turned into a weapon - like a solar-flare grenade, or something - or papers with his own scribbles and thoughts embedded on it. If Center Zero were monitored like you say, I can imagine they intercepted/copied some things here and there.

And if you want Troy to know/have something to do with what happened to the town, feel free to make up whatever, and consider it cannon. All I ever wrote in, were that an unknown entity had seemingly taken everyone away. The truth could be whatever.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

All I had in mind was that Center Zero produced the degenerative pathogen that the reindeer tested on Vale's village, she was only mildly affected, which is why she didn't die graphicly with the rest of her village. When Dell Conegher saved her life, using Minostralium to reverse the effects of the disease and engineering to replace the parts of her that had already decayed too much to be healed, revenge had been the furthest thing from her mind, she was a fawn at the time anyway.

When she entered Deep Science as an assistant to A. Clave Bunsen B. she discovered the file on Center Zero, and further that they had created the bio-weapon that had killed her village.

When she was Codex she was able to correlate the file to the records of all the known researchers who had been there, thus connecting Molotov to the weapon.

Tensions can be alleviated between Vale and Molotov with some simple proof that he had nothing to do with the weapon, likely it would take Void reminding Vale that she wasn't involved in everything Deep Science did despite being there, so the benefit of the doubt could be given that Molotov wasn't involved and likely wasn't even aware of what was happening. Once that is established she should be more amicable to Molotov.

I have no ideas at the moment as to why Center Zero disappeared, I'll let you know if I come up with anything lore-wise that would relate well.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Sounds okay to me. Part of the secrets worked on by the biochemistry lab likely.

I don't know if Molotov could... Huh, maybe, actually. I have it as cannon in his lore that one of his key achievements, were creating a functional AI. He did not submit any paperwork on it for others to look on, as this were done just months before the incident at Center Zero, and he did not want to put anything out there, until he was sure that it were stable and safe. He would wander around with the first success he had made though, after ten years of work, that being the spider you saw in the pre-calamity picture of him. A spider robot, he calls Carmen. A fully functional, learning AI, whom he tends to carry around with him as an assistent, and to show her around, that she might learn. Somewhat limited due to her small size though, not allowing for a lot of processing power, but it can be upgraded. Just haven't been time, what with the calamity and all.

Anyway, point is that she were just the first. After he got to Manehattan, and made a new workshop, he got a little paranoid on security, and made a second. Far larger spiderbot, connected to the power in the workshop itself, to keep it there, and given an AI as he believed it would help her adapt more. He called her Felicia, and for size, she could carry a full grown stallion on her abdomen.

Issue with giving sentience to something bigger? She grew more intelligent than he had anticipated, and started to exceed his expectations. She didn't want world domination though. Just to be let off her leash, like her smaller sister. They managed to work something out in the end, and she escaped along with him.

Reason I bring this up, is that - since I go some from what I have already written of him in my own thread - she went through the files, and copied them all to her memory. She planned to use them as leverage, in case he kept being reluctant to let her have freedom. Maybe she can present irrefutable evidence to them, and bring this whole thing into the open? She'd definitely not going to be in town, as that would cause too many eyes, but maybe he left her somewhere somewhat nearby. In an old ruin, somewhere in the dunes, or something. Just a thought anyway. Vale might still be able to peer through those files, in the way she did as Codex, with the correct setup?

Including the picture I have been using for her as well. She's less fuzzy, and more openly metallic. She was meant as a guard, and it seemed more intimidating in his mind. As for why spiders? He found them easier to build. Making an equine robot is still something he's trying to work on, but have not yet reached, with his plan to eventually upload Carmen into it. Felicia's perfectly happy being what she is.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Interesting...

They're far from the only AIs on the continent, between Colonel Panic and Blu's living gem creations, but your two are the first and only made by ponies rather than humans or human turned pony.

Perhaps if Felicia settled into the ruins of Silver Sigma she could eventually find her way down through the anti-magic fallout to the facility below and by extension the Codex harness. That would allow Vale and her to interface on a more personal level.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Hmm... I could imagine her being bored, and going down to check up on things after charging up her energy. She'd be prohibited from going into town as it were anyway, and knew it would be at least a day before Molotov would return, if not longer, so she'd want something to do. Exploring the area, and eventually finding that path, could well be a thing she might do.

How'd we do it though? Like, waiting for the right time, and then suddenly, Vale would feel the connection made, and I'd write up a *How she got there* sort of post?

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Vale isn't connected to Codex at the moment, so she'd be unaware of any attempted connections. I was thinking more Felicia could either clear the way for the others to get down to the harness, or she could bring the harness up so they could both connect to it. Alternatively, Felicia connecting to Codex would result in her getting a lot of Deep Science data downloaded to herself, which might be useful in making the argument that Vale was in much the same position as Molotov. It's more of a, once they are willing to interact with each other, this could be brought up to fully bridge the gap.

Per the RP, I imagine Void or Molotov will ask Vale to elaborate on what she knows about Molotov, to which she'd list off the several atrocities that Center 0 was responsible for, and the fact that Molotov was there when they occurred. Molotov would no doubt deny, not that he was there, but that the atrocities occurred or that Center 0 was responsible. Or something like that. They part ways at an impasse and it's up to Void to try and bring them back together if she thinks it worth the effort.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Taking it from the bottom here, Molotov's not gonna ask questions right now. He's just gonna wanna nope out of there until things have been cooled down, though he's sure gonna be curious about what the hay just happened, seeing as he don't see how him accidentally mentioning a harsh memory, should evoke that sorta response. Void's definitely gonna ask, since this here's a really bad, weird, and confusing start to the day in her eyes.

With Vale telling what his town, and he himself have allegedly done, she'll start to pale up a little, but she won't push him away, and deny meeting with him because of that. She won't believe it's that simple, and it's more in her character to keep somewhat of an open mind, and listen to nuances, so I think this will fit better, and she'll then have to sorta work as a mediator between the two of them, until Felecia can learn something.

As for that... I'll try something, come next post. Not sure if it goes anywhere, but there might be something to build on.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Added in her own section. Figured that was the easiest.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Not sure what your thoughts and plans are, but reread something to see who this might be, as I had halfway forgotten about Basher, and bit note in how Fheng wasn't seen dying. A bit different circumstances of course, but in case you do have plans, just poke me eventually, if it comes to it, and you need more info on her prior to Tartarus.

Also, definitely got surprised. Will be interesting to see what will happen with Basher.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Blitz Boom

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Completely forgot about Fheng, I'll have to read back and see if anything comes to mind about her, but I don't think I had anything in particular planned for her, you can feel free to use her as you see fit if you like.

Basher will no doubt prove a nuisance in the near future.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Hmm... I think I may have an idea about Fheng (whom I also forgot entirely), but we'll see how things goes. Might be you'd get there first, or it just doesn't go the way I thought at first. The future is fickle.

As for Basher, I can't exactly imagine he's there to share a cuppa of tea, so yeah, there's likely trouble somewhere in the future. Will be interesting.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Basher's pride has certainly taken a beating, and may be inclined to try and get even with Null if the opportunity arises.

I only have two more encounters planned for NP beyond Grey Mane, one can be moved to Troy if there isn't time and the other is optional, so feel free to get moving on Grey Mane as soon as you're ready.

The optional one mostly focuses on the changelings, and involves the changeling that also escaped the fort with Basher, but I'll only bring him in if you're interested in adding a fourth/fifth section to the RP.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Thing is, I have no idea how to move towards Grey mane. We got no indication of how to get to him, nor an opening to do so really. Null is still trying to figure out how to even get to the upper parts of town, where he is, to look for him. So really, so, far, I'm just playing it along until I do see something.

As for the changelings, I'm open for it. It'd be interesting to see how the changeling you speak off, would deal with the unified efforts of the remaining three members of Hive Cheshire, to keep their kin together, and be productive, non-violent members of the town. Except for the one who're spying on Null and Arcade.

And in regards to the thing with Le Perrine, it is as I have slowly worked towards, and you may now understand why I asked in about Fheng.  And who that large, karmic debt I spoke of, belongs to. How Molotov fits into that, will come up soon enough, though I assume you likely have some degree of an idea, about the matter of necessity that lead him to be around them. But we'll see where things lead with all the stories. Plenty in this world and setting to see and go through, even if we'll eventually thread into unscharted, unplanned teritory.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

21 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

Thing is, I have no idea how to move towards Grey mane. We got no indication of how to get to him, nor an opening to do so really. Null is still trying to figure out how to even get to the upper parts of town, where he is, to look for him. So really, so, far, I'm just playing it along until I do see something

I suppose my hints were a bit subtle, here's some of the entryways I had in mind:

• Information:
  • You've got a few creatures who'd likely volunteer information on Grey Mane if asked, such as the dragons and Epsilon.
  • If you express more in detail what exactly your goal is to Arcade, he may prove more useful in investigating once he knows how important it is to you.
• Investigation:
  • You already have access to The Stacked Deck, which can be used to reach the cloud district, though that area is mostly irrelevant to the story. I don't have anything planned up there. There are still things you could find in the tower.
  • You've seen shady ponies moving ponies to other buildings, which might be worth looking into.
  • You have yet to visit the court or meet the judges.
• Intimidation:
  • You've met some creatures who'd likely volunteer information if pressed, like the gang members, the agents, or any Grey guard, though a disguise might be useful first.

I'll do my best to leave more obvious hints now that I know you're looking more earnestly. 

 

22 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

As for the changelings, I'm open for it. It'd be interesting to see how the changeling you speak off, would deal with the unified efforts of the remaining three members of Hive Cheshire, to keep their kin together, and be productive, non-violent members of the town. Except for the one who're spying on Null and Arcade.

I'll get that started immediately, I'm excited to show off some more changeling lore.

 

22 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

Plenty in this world and setting to see and go through, even if we'll eventually thread into unscharted, unplanned teritory.

That's the kind of RP I enjoy most, where we can easily trade off who adds the information, to create a wonderful fusion between the two worlds. That's the sort of thing I had with @Randimaxis in A Cultural Exchange before he started his hiatus from the forums. I hope we'll soon get back to continuing on that. I look forward to seeing what you have in store on that front.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Moved it along by Null having confessed somewhat to Arcade. Where it goes from there, we'll see.  Depending on how he acts, she may tell more. Using the old poster for example, perhaps. We'll see.

And regarding Upbeat, he'll keep thinking your changeling is just doing a role, unless there is some sort of irrefutable evidence, since it seems silly in his mind to think this is the real deal. Probably just a changeling who have coped with things, by giving in to a part. As for your question regarding Cheshire and Gelatine: I'm gonna let the decision be fully up to you. I don't have anything planned around it, so lineage, direct or indirect, nothing perhaps- All up to you.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

10 minutes ago, Blitz Boom said:

As for your question regarding Cheshire and Gelatine: I'm gonna let the decision be fully up to you. I don't have anything planned around it, so lineage, direct or indirect, nothing perhaps- All up to you.

If I remember correctly you put Cheshire as on the younger side, So I'll go with her being younger than Sleipnir, let's say she's the daughter of one of Gelatine's older daughters, so Gelatine would be Cheshire's grandmother, Permu would be an aunt, and Oracle would be a cousin. It won't make much difference given she's dead, but if it does come up there it is.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Sounds fine by me, and certainly would be something she didn't want to discuss. Not the sort of family she'd be proud of, to put it mildly.

And forgot something in the OOC last time: This is how I am assuming Molotov would handle Blitz, if The Æther Project came for him. It'd keep her safe, and ensure that at least one of them were gonna survive the collapse of society. So if you have a use for her in some way, in the thread regarding this, do with this what you wish. She can be productive, long as she's kept under constant observation, and have at least one tracker attached to her, in case she manages to sneak off to explore.

Probably not gonna be relevant, but I like to offer options.

And for Le Perrine, in case you need it for the karma readings: She used to be a prominent dealing in the black market, before everything went haywire. How she have most of the odd things she does posses, with you more than welcome to make some up of your own, of course. I just rolled with whatever came to mind with the necklace.

It's not a profession you get into by hugging bunnies, so her karmic debt is not exactly unfairly earned. Will be interesting to see where this goes. I can imagine, it starts with Illiad eventually scaring the tar out of Molotov. xD That's gonna be fun.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

7 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

And forgot something in the OOC last time: This is how I am assuming Molotov would handle Blitz, if The Æther Project came for him. It'd keep her safe, and ensure that at least one of them were gonna survive the collapse of society. So if you have a use for her in some way, in the thread regarding this, do with this what you wish. She can be productive, long as she's kept under constant observation, and have at least one tracker attached to her, in case she manages to sneak off to explore.

I mean, if you want her to appear on the Æther project, you're welcome to.

7 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

I can imagine, it starts with Illiad eventually scaring the tar out of Molotov. xD That's gonna be fun.

I mean, if you want to.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

16 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

I mean, if you want her to appear on the Æther project, you're welcome to.

Eh, I like options for how things can go. I'll just keep it in mind, just in case.

16 hours ago, Illiad Easle said:

I mean, if you want to.

I'm just guessing what he's gonna do. How Illiad actually goes about this, is all your game mate. Looking forward to seeing how it pans out.  

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

Post something here when you edit in the last part of your post so I know it's done. Looking forward to it!

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

I've finished it. Sorry for the delay. The Molotov part took a bit longer than anticipated, but I think it went well. Tried to figure of some things that he had made that could be twisted, and then started ton the light absorber. Then I recalled the stories of how some parts of various populations, were used for testing diseases on, and figured that might be something that could be used here. It had a nice flair, and frankly, is horrifying to think about.

P.S. Really hope he got a vase or something. Can't have that nice floor stained.

Looking forward to how things goes here too, at various parts. Changeling one is blasting off now, for example. Good times.

[Blitz Boom 4,427]

@Illiad Easle

Just letting you know, I have to skip writing today. Extra shift at work. Will be back Tueaday.

[Illiad Easle 2,973]

@Blitz Boom

No worries! I probably wouldn't have noticed if you were a day late anyway