open Occult in the Swamps

[Hive King 2,001]

(OOC: Posting from phone.)

 

@Pretty much everyone on the boat.

 

Mirror kept her head low. Waiting for the stranger to walk away so she could keep talking to Wish. The mare stood still watching the shadow of the stallion. It looked like his foreleg was reaching out towards her head. For what reason she couldn't guess. No pony had see just reached out for her before. It sounded like he was saying something but she was too focused I the shadow to listen.

 

The cloak suddenly felt lighter, almost as if she were using her magic to lift it off. A horrible thought crossed her mind, This horrible stranger was trying to look at her face! Mirror instantly pulled back. Since her body was far smaller than her father it began to slip off, held firm by the stallion in front of her. Te mare shrieked loudly, easily drawing the attention of every pony on board the boat. In the moment of panic Mirror did all she could think of and cast the sleep she had been practicing for weeks. It hid the burns along te right side of her body and face. She knew she could only keep this spell going for one minute before she needed to rest.

 

The cloak no longer his her frail body. Gone was the shy and nervous mare that had reluctantly been talking to Wish. The mare stared at Skuldaf, with eyes full of malevolence. "THEIF! Give me back my cloak!"

Skuldaf blinked unemotionally before handing back the cloak. He was confused at the reaction. He had seen a flash of magic but dismissed it as an illusion or a bad memory from the training days before thinking into it. 

"Why are you upset?" Skuldaf questioned, his horn sparking slightly as it strained due to the levitation spell. As good as he was at blowing things up, the single minded training had nearly destroyed his ability to levitate objects or do anything not explosive with it.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

Just when she was making a friend way out here... A bit of a weird friend admittedly... but a friend all the same, somepony appeared and just... just walked into her!

 

'Wait, what did Scribe always say about letting ponies push me around...?'

 

And now he was... well... she didn't really know what he was trying to do but it was distressing her new best friend and that was enough for Wish - she stood as tall as she could and gave the stallion a piece of her mind!

 

"Hey!" She shouted, rapping a hoof on the arrogant stallions shoulder. "Leave her alone! It's no wonder your lonely you arrogant foal! Can't you see she's distressed enough without somepony like you bucking things up?! Celestia help me, I'll knock you into next Tuesday if you carry on!"

 

It was a surprisingly barbed threat, coming from a mare who was at least a head shorter than him. If course, it might have been a lot more threatening coming from a pony who actually knew how to defend themselves: and not a filly who had barely reached adulthood.

 

"And while we're on the subject - it's rude to barge into ponies and not apologise... and look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Edited November 15, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[Hive King 2,001]

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

Just when she was making a friend way out here... A bit of a weird friend admittedly... but a friend all the same, somepony appeared and just... just walked into her!

 

'Wait, what did Scribe always say about letting ponies push me around...?'

 

And now he was... well... she didn't really know what he was trying to do but it was distressing her new best friend and that was enough for Wish - she stood as tall as she could and gave the stallion a piece of her mind!

 

"Hey!" She shouted, rapping a hoof on the arrogant stallions shoulder. "Leave her alone! It's no wonder your lonely you arrogant foal! Can't you see she's distressed enough without somepony like you bucking things up?! Celestia help me, I'll knock you into next Tuesday if you carry on!"

 

It was a surprisingly barbed threat, coming from a mare who was at least a head shorter than him. If course, it might have been a lot more threatening coming from a pony who actually knew how to defend themselves: and not a filly who had barely reached adulthood.

 

"And while we're on the subject - it's rude to barge into ponies and not apologise... and look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Skuldaf turned to her, mildly confused. Why did she think she could beat him? Most ponies said he looked too big to attack. Skuldaf briefly mused that the mare might be insane before suddenly he heard a flapping noise.

"You scared the birds away" Skuldaf murmured, ignoring her rant and looking at the trees to see if there were any birds left.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

'What the... ?'

 

Wish stalled - unsure exactly how to react to the off hoof comment.

 

"I said to look at me when in talking to you!" Wish continued, infuriated. She didn't really know how to deal with the anger that she had managed to ball up I side of her, so she vented towards the pony some more. "You should be ashamed! Go on! Go jump in the swamp or something! Leave my friends alone or you'll have me to answer to!"

[Hive King 2,001]

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

'What the... ?'

 

Wish stalled - unsure exactly how to react to the off hoof comment.

 

"I said to look at me when in talking to you!" Wish continued, infuriated. She didn't really know how to deal with the anger that she had managed to ball up I side of her, so she vented towards the pony some more. "You should be ashamed! Go on! Go jump in the swamp or something! Leave my friends alone or you'll have me to answer to!"

"You're angry" Skuldaf said in a matter of fact tone as the mare fumed. "Quiet down or the animals will run away" Skuldaf said, putting a hoof over his mouth to indicate how he wanted her to be quiet. Perhaps she'd calm down after hearing the bird-song, it was quite beautiful with the many exotic species.

[SilverHeart 741]

@,

@,  

 

"I'm upset because you touched me and my cloak." She paused and felt obligated to add, "You also ran into Wish and then ignored her, you jerk." She said as she snatched her cloak and began to inspect it.There were no rips, tears, or stains, which meant that despite being temporarily stolen it was, in fact fine. The moment Mirror pulled the cloak back over her body she realized how quickly the illusion was draining her strength, making her feel weak. Knowing that her illusion would only last a few more seconds she tugged lightly at Wish's tail, "Let's just...let's just go Wish. We shouldn't have to put up with this."

[Umbreon 569]

Sabellah

 

@@Rokkurin, 

 

Sabel had been about to make a reply, just to make small talk, when the commotion from the other side of the boat caught her attention.  With the griffon's curiosity being stronger than her manners, she flaps her wings to fly closer, perching on the railing again.  This time close enough to eavesdrop on the other group.  She figured the other pony would come see what was going on too, so it didn't seem all that rude to her.  Who could resist watching something like this go down?

 

@,@, @@SilverHeart,

 

"So, what...  Do ponies go on vacations to fight or something?  Jeez, ponies are weirder than I thought...  Though it kinda sounds like a fun idea for a vacation.  Is this some kinda stress relief?"  She snickers to herself more than anypony else, her gaze flicking from one pony to the other.  With these other guests around, she was starting to think she may enjoy this time off.  Not that she had an actual career.

 

 

------

 

About this time, the destination comes into view ahead.  There is a long dock where the ferry will likely stop to let off the passengers, with a long sidewalk leading to what would appear as a very large, two story house.  There is a well kept lawn with a fountain to welcome guests, with a small shed off to one side.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@,
@@SilverHeart,
 
Glaring at the stallion - whom she had decided was one of her least favorite ponies - Wish turned abruptly to stand beside her friend. Starting to try and pull her gently away, she caught sight of their destination over the railing, pointing ahead with a hoof as she did.

 

"Oh, is that the place?" She asked, almost - but not quite - forgetting how furious she was in excitement. "Come on, lets find someplace out of the way until we get there."

Edited November 15, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[SilverHeart 741]

@, 

 

Mirror gave a look at the ferry landing. It still seemed far away and she could use a small rest before exploring the hotel. She had been planning on memorizing the resort as soon as she could, doing so would hopefully allow her to avoid more ponies. Mirror lowered her head until she was confidant that no pony would be able to see her face and moved until she was mere inches away from Wish. "Please, that sounds very nice."

[Contrast 292]

@, 

 

Hack saw two ponies storming off while he looked for the pony that had 'accidentally' gone off with Fi. He wondered what had made them so upset, but continued his search. "I've got to find her before we reach..." Only to add to the pain that his heart was feeling at loseing his friend, a tall island could be seen coming into view. "Really?"

 

It took him a few minutes, and the ship had gotten even closer (or docked) at the island, but he found the pony that he talked to earlier. He could see Fi still moving about on his back. Apparently she really liked this pony for some reason (assuming your Oc is good with animals).

 

Hack still thought it was a simple mistake though, walking of with Fi, so he calmly approached the pony and tapped his should.  "Eh... excuse me but... I think you may have something of mine."

Edited November 16, 2013 by danzxc123

[Umbreon 569]

The ferry gives off a loud whistle as it starts to dock.  Within a few minutes the workers had secured the boat to the long wooden dock and extended a gangplank to cross the small gap between them.  One of the old ponies leans out to call to the passengers.  "Y'all enjoy ya trip, now.  The boss behind th' desk in th' main buildin' will fix ya right up."

 

 

Sabellah

 

Rather than wait for the line to go off the gangplank, Sabellah flies across the small gap to the dock.  As she lands on the dock her talons sink slightly into the soft wood.  She starts to walk towards the hotel, though she slows her pace to let the other guests catch up to her.  She was still interested in these new ponies, after all.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@@SilverHeart,

 

Watching the Griffon pass overhead, Wish made a mental note to speak with her later: there was no question about it in her mind - a Griffon must have come from the Griffon Kingdoms... which meant that she must have travelled a long way...

 

"Huh, that didn't take as long as I thought..." She commented happily to the exceptionally close mare. Or maybe the distance was normal - maybe Wish just wasn't used to how close 'too close' was considered? She didn't really mind - it wasn't hurting anything.

 

"Is this your place too?" She asked, brimming with confidence and curiosity. "Oh it's great: I bet there's loads to explore! Stick with me Mirror Image: I'll handle any other ponies like that!"

Edited November 16, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[Hive King 2,001]

@, 

 

Hack saw two ponies storming off while he looked for the pony that had 'accidentally' gone off with Fi. He wondered what had made them so upset, but continued his search. "I've got to find her before we reach..." Only to add to the pain that his heart was feeling at loseing his friend, a tall island could be seen coming into view. "Really?"

 

It took him a few minutes, and the ship had gotten even closer (or docked) at the island, but he found the pony that he talked to earlier. He could see Fi still moving about on his back. Apparently she really liked this pony for some reason (assuming your Oc is good with animals).

 

Hack still thought it was a simple mistake though, walking of with Fi, so he calmly approached the pony and tapped his should.  "Eh... excuse me but... I think you may have something of mine."

(Yes, he just stands still and that works alright)

Skuldaf was still confused at the acidic reaction of the two mares but then saw Hack moving towards him. He nodded in acknowledgement as Hack asked for something. 

"What do you want?" Skuldaf questioned, happy he had one friend.

[Contrast 292]

@,

Hack looked at Skuldaf with and smiled. He was relieved that what he said was true. "If he doesn't know, it wasn't on purpose," He thought. Hack pointed towards the pony's back, and said. "I'm sorry, it's just I think Fi may still be on your back. Again, I'm sorry for her behavior." He tried to reach over and quickly grab Fi, but she kept shying away from his hooves. They were still dripping with water, and she apparently didn't want to get wet. In the firefly's panic to avoid water she started to climb onto the pony's nose.

Edited November 16, 2013 by danzxc123

[Umbreon 569]

((This post is mostly to set the scene for the hotel))

 

Upon getting a closer look, the hotel is much larger than it had appeared from the ferry.  It stretches backwards for some ways, with a very large plantation-style garden behind the building.  The shed that could be spotted from the dock seems to hold different supplies that the guests could use, namely fishing equipment but with a section reserved for tools that would likely be used by a groundskeeper.

 

Inside, the first sight to greet the arriving guests is a very long desk with a gray, white-maned stallion behind it.  A rack of keys is behind the pony, who introduces himself as the owner of the building.  He starts an introductory speech for each of the guests in turn, speaking in a slow friendly accent.  He would give the impression of a kind grandparent wanting to spend more time with their grandchild.

 

"Well howdy, friends.  Please, take yourselves a room key and get on settled in.  All the guest rooms are in the left wing here, choice of first or second floor.  Once y'all are settled, ya can come down to the dinin' room and join us for the evenin' meal whenever you're ready.  The right wing is where y'll find that, along with most've the staff rooms and the facilities we need ta keep the place runnin'.  You're welcome to freely explore the grounds as much as ya want, so long as ya kindly stay out've the places marked as employee only.  'Nd iff'n ya need anything, just ask for Ol' Mister Silver.  That'd be myself, me n' the employees will be more'n happy ta help."

 

((This way everyone can make their way around at their own pace with a basic idea of the layout in mind!  Also, Mister Silver and any other employees are essentially NPC's.  If you want to ask them something simple, you can feel free to go ahead and reply for them.))

[SilverHeart 741]

(OOC: Quick and poort post before bed.)

 

@,

 

Mirror Image nodded following the excitable mare. "Yes, I think this is where I'm staying too...I think it fits the description. The building looks nice though." Mirror said as the two followed the crowd off of the boat and into the hotel for the introduction. After the old stallion had given his speech Mirror turned to Wish "What floor do you want to be on?"

Edited November 16, 2013 by SilverHeart

[Hive King 2,001]

Skuldaf looked at the building with impassiveness before turning to the old stallion. He wondered whether or not to go to the top floor or the bottom floor, as both were good options for viewing wild life. 

"I think I'll sleep on the top floor" Skuldaf finally said.

[Contrast 292]

After Hack properly dried off his hooves and took the firefly back from Skuldaf, he cautiously step off the boat. "One bath like that is enough." He muttered under his breath. 

 

He started to walk towards the hotel and was shocked by how well the building looked. He didn't expect something free to be put so well together. "Well Fi," He said as he started to walk towards the building, "This place looks... nice." Fi started to buzz in a loud almost warning way. She reminded him off all the other times they had gone on simple 'trips', and nothing ever turned out right. "Quit worrying, all those other places were filled with crazy ponies. No one's going to try and kill us... again. I think for once we can get some rest here." He yawned again, "And hopefully soon too, I could use the sleep." 

 

He trotted of towards the building and heard the pony's speech about rooms and where not to go, and decided he wanted a 2nd floor room. "A room with a view would be nice right?" The firefly buzzed softly in reply, "Thought so, let's go check it out." With that he started to trot off towards the room he choose on the second floor.

Edited November 16, 2013 by danzxc123

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@@SilverHeart,

 

"Ooh, top floor! I..."

 

Wish paused. Her friend seemed more than a little shy - and whichever floor they were on was hardly going to matter in the end - but since everypony else seemed to be clamouring for the highest rooms...

 

"You know what, we should get rooms on the first floor. I bet there's loads more to explore around there anyway!" She said happily, starting to make her way towards the building. "This is so great - I can't wait to see what we find around here: a real adventure! I mean, I know adventures don't normally happen at hotels but... it's in a swamp, so that equalises it, right?"

[Umbreon 569]

Sabellah

 

Sabel snatches one of the keys at random using her tail, not bothering to look at what room she picked.  She'd figure that part out later, plus it was more fun this way.  She didn't have any bags to drop off, not wanting to leave behind her normal satchel, so instead she turned towards the other half of the room.

 

The griffoness turns a little to call back to the other guests.  "Hey, I'm going to go find the grub.  If anypony is bored after you get settled in, ya can come join me if ya want."  With that said, Sabel turns and walks off in search of the food the pony behind the desk had mentioned.  I really hope they have something other than pony food, otherwise this vacation is going to take a turn for the worse really fast...

[Hive King 2,001]

Skuldaf decided to go with the gryphon. He had never seen one before and cataloging its behavior and social habits would be interesting. 

"What's your name? I am Skuldaf, unit 16" Skuldaf said as he caught up to the rare creature. Hopefully he wouldn't make a mistake like with the mares

[SilverHeart 741]

@,

 

 "Are you sure? If you want to be on the top floor we can get rooms next to each other...or if you'd prefer I can stay on the bottom floor. I don't mind..." Something sounded slightly off about what Wish had said, or at least she thought so "Wouldn't it be better if we just explored everything instead? Just because we might not be on the second floor doesn't mean that we couldn't look at it, or does it?"

[Umbreon 569]

Sabellah

 

@, 

 

The griffoness turns to look at the pony following her, grinning slightly.  "Skuldaf Unisixteen?  That's a weird name.  You can call me Sabel."  

 

With a flick of her tail, Sabel tosses her room key up towards the front of her body so that she can catch it with a talon.  She casually drops it into her bag, again without looking at the room number, then looks at Skuldaf again.  "Fancy place, huh?  I just hope the food's as good as the hotel looks."

[Hive King 2,001]

Sabellah

 

@, 

 

The griffoness turns to look at the pony following her, grinning slightly.  "Skuldaf Unisixteen?  That's a weird name.  You can call me Sabel."  

 

With a flick of her tail, Sabel tosses her room key up towards the front of her body so that she can catch it with a talon.  She casually drops it into her bag, again without looking at the room number, then looks at Skuldaf again.  "Fancy place, huh?  I just hope the food's as good as the hotel looks."

"What do gryphons do?" Skuldaf questioned, ignoring her comment on the name. She seemed nice, especially since his training videos said that gryphons were all evil supremacists. Then again, those same videos said that any who didn't kill, were weak and unfit to serve.

[Umbreon 569]

Sabellah

 

@,

 

"What...  Do we do?  Huh?"  She blinks at the pony's strange question.  She was used to talking with ponies who hadn't met a griffon before, but the way he had phrased it had her unsure of what kind of answer he was wanting.

 

"Well...  We fly?"  Obviously.  Tell him something he doesn't know.  "Err, we hunt...  I don't know, job-wise we're kinda like ponies.  We do whatever we feel like."  

 

She flicks her tail at him as she starts to walk off again, still looking for the dining room.  She continues to speak as she walks, assuming he is still following her.  "If you meant me specifically?  Well, I travel.  Do some odd jobs here and there...  Whatever it takes to get me to the next place.  Trying to see more of Equestria, y'know?"