Rescued From a Manticore

4 July 2015

15:07 < PolyFill> We could finish :o

15:07 < PolyFill> If I get logs >,<

15:08 < GyroTech> hmm I could go for that or the Ruzeth one, I'll leave that to skies

15:08 < PolyFill> Mk

15:08 < Seaward_Skies> Was kinda looking forward to the Ruzeth one...

15:09 < PolyFill> Ok :3

15:09 < GyroTech> Then sorry PolyFill, but hopfeully soon~

15:09 < PolyFill> It's fine!

15:09 < -> You are now known as Ruzeth

15:10 < Ruzeth> So, how do we wanna do this?

15:11 < Seaward_Skies> Hmm, we could start with Ruzeth collecting herbs and the like

15:13 < Ruzeth> Hmm alright

15:16 Ruzeth had wandered deep into the forest in search of some particularly rare mushrooms that bloomed inside of the caves in the forest. The muchrooms themselves emit a dull blue light from them that enabled the zebra to find them in the dim light. This particular cave he'd picked this time, however, hapened to be home to a particularly dangerous creature, not that he knew that.

15:18 < Seaward_Skies> (Do you want me to fill in for the monster, or are you going to do that?)

15:21 < Ruzeth> (Umm...well I dont wanna write a whole narative at once :P)

15:21 < -> Tenno is now known as Tenno|Sleep

15:22 < Seaward_Skies> (Fair enough :p)

15:25 Seaward_Skies sits not too far away, poking at a fire with the point of his harpoon, a couple of blankets set on the grassy ground as a makeshift seat, unaware of the zebra wandering closeby. The manticore in the cave, however, is aware of him, watching with hungry eyes as it flexes its stinger tail, slowly creeping to the edge of the mushrooms' light,

15:25 < Seaward_Skies> coiling up, ready to pounce the unsuspecting zebra.

15:32 Ruzeth creeps ever closer to the manticare as he moves futher along, gathering up mushrooms with a smile. The Zebra has a number of defensive potions in his pack, but he isnt paying particular care to his surroundings, figuring as long as he doesn t hear a beast he's probably safe.

15:36 < Seaward_Skies> The manticore salivates as it watches the zebra, strings of it dripping from its maw and tongue, licking at its fangs. It waits a moment longer for Ruzeth to creep closer in, then pounces, jaw agape, claws unsheathed and outstretched. It lands just a little off the zebra, pinning him under one paw with its stinger hovering menacingly overhead.

15:40 Ruzeth hears the scrabbling of a claw on stone and turns to look just a little too late. He dodges to the side but he's to slow to make the beast miss its mark entirely and crashes to teh ground under the claw with a grunt. He stares up at the beast with a shiver as his hoof searches his back for his bottle of knockout gas. "Get off me you beast!" He calls angrily up at it.

15:44 Seaward_Skies lifts his head, ears perked and a frown creasing his brow, sure that he'd heard a shout from somewhere close by. He rises to his hooves, harpoon gripped in his teeth, and trots towards the source as the manticore growls at Ruzeth, raising its other paw, claws gleaming, to make a killing strike at the zebra's neck.

15:52 Ruzeth seizes upon a potion and takes a big gasp of air before shattering it on the manticore's head when he seize the claw prepare. This one hadnt been the knockout potion he'd intended, but it does billow out a cloud of stinging burning smoke that disorients the manticore.

15:55 Seaward_Skies hears a pained, angry roar shaking the trees, and breaks into a run, before he bounds up into the air, grabbing his harpoon in his hooves as he takes to his wings, spotting the cave. The manticore pulls back, letting out another roar as it swipes at its face with both claws, stinger lashing out blindly.

16:03 Ruzeth takes a gasp of air as hes let free from the claw, which unfortunatly sends the the zebra into a coughing fit from the noxious smoke. He slowly gets to his feet and tries to make it out of the cave as hastily as possible, though in his current condition he wasnt moving too fast. The cloud extended some distance and dimmed the lights even further, which makes it difficult for the zebra to navigate. Little did he know he'd picked a dead end.

16:05 Seaward_Skies dashes into the smoke cloud just as the manticore growls and lopes off in pursuit of Ruzeth. The pegasus gets a half a breath of the smoke and splutters, pulling back to take a clean breath and lower his goggles over his eyes before darting in again. In the meantime, the manticore snarls as it closes in on Ruzeth and the dead end, blocking the

16:05 < Seaward_Skies> entire tunnelway out.

16:12 Ruzeth finally manages to cough out enough fo the smoke that he's breathing normally as he dashes only to run right up against the wall in his haste. The zebra gives a loud yelp as he collapses backwards against the ground. He can hear the manticore quickly approaching and whimpers, but is too disoriented to act.

16:17 Seaward_Skies glances left and right, trying to peer through the cloud of smoke, his lungs starting to ache, when he hears the yelp, and the snarling of the beast, and dashes after it, clearing the smoke and spotting both the manticore, poised, to strike, and its prey.

16:26 Ruzeth recovers from his daze, looking up to see the manticore right on top of him. He knows he doesnt have the time to retrieve another potion and as the stinger is coming down, he rolls to the side, barely dodging it. His ears wilt and his heart pounds as begins to realize he's trapped here.

16:31 Seaward_Skies gasps as he recognises Ruzeth, the young zebra from the market, and sets his teeth in a snarl, flaring his wings. He crouches, muscles taut, then springs forward, using his wings to propel himself, throwing his harpoon at the manticore and letting it strike the beast's flank before he smacks into it, grabbing at the wooden shaft.

16:42 Ruzeth doesnt even notice his savior until he hears the loud scream from the manticore as the harpoon pierces its flesh. Ruzeth's eyes fall on stallion who was on the creatures back as it tried to swipe at him and strike him with a stinger. Ruzeth finds his Light jar and shakes the contents together, illuminating the trio in a dazzlingly bright display. He grabs a bandana from his pack wand ties it around his face before pulling out a vial of blue liquid. "You better hold yoru breath!"

16:48 Seaward_Skies pulls the barbed tip free, a gush of blood coming with it, when the light blazes into being, half-shielded by the flailing manticore. He covers his eyes with a hoof, clinging on with the other, and sucks down a lungful of air.

17:05 Ruzeth dashes the bottle down on the ground and out from it springs a noxious gas the spreads slowly. Still to breathe it in would make ones eyes quite tired. The substance would be slow to work on a beast the size of a manticore, but within a minute it's movements were slowing.

17:11 Seaward_Skies hisses a little air through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed behind his goggles as he clings to the thrashing beast. As he feels it start to get sluggish, though, he drops down, ducking underneath its body and holding a hoof out to the zebra, trying to ignore the burning in his lungs.

17:18 Ruzeth breathes freely through the cloth, the tightly woven material keeping the potion from his lungs. He keeps back as the creature swipes at skies and waits. When the stallion gets off and invites him with a hoof, the little zebra moves closer and grabs it, following the stallion under.

17:20 Seaward_Skies has tears flowing from his eyes now as his lungs scream in protest, pulling the zebra under the now swaying beast and blowing out his stale lungful, sucking down a desperate breath once they've cleared the potion. He doesn't say anything until they're both outside, panting in the dim twilight. "Are you okay?"

17:24 < -> Chevron is now known as Chevron|AFK

17:30 Ruzeth feels his heart thumping as they come free into the open air, still quivering from the encounter as adrenaline pumps through his body. On their way out, they had heard the thud of the beast collapsing to the ground for a nap. It would be incapacitated for an hour or more. He lets out a sigh as Seaward_Skies asks him a question and nods. "Ya...I am now...but only thanks to you. Thank you...Seaward was it?"

17:31 Seaward_Skies nods back with a gentle smile even as he looks the young zebra over for signs of shock. He tugs on his hoof again, ruffling his wings as he sets his harpoon under one, the point still dripping red. "Come on, then. I've got a camp not too far from here, but it's far enough that the manticore shouldn't come looking."

17:38 Ruzeth gives the stallion a soft smile and takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He reponds to the pull by begining to follow along once more. "Ya...thats probably for the best...I dont have anything but a smokescreen left on me..." His eyes wander to the point of the harpoon and shudders again.

17:40 Seaward_Skies notes the shudder, but there's little he can do about the blood now save to keep the point out of view. He leads the colt through the trees until they arrive back at the merrily crackling fire, and he quickly stabs the barbed blade into the ground as he pulls a blanket from the floor, wrapping it around Ruzeth's back. "Here. Sit down, I'll get

17:40 < Seaward_Skies> you some water."

17:47 Ruzeth follows along quickly and silently as he's lead back to the campsite. The stallion gives a laugh and a smile. "Already have a fire going? I must have been in those caves for hours then..." He says, trying to make idle chatter as he curls up in the blanket in front of the fire.

17:47 < Ruzeth> "And yes please, water would be great. I think there's a astream not to far from here."

17:48 Seaward_Skies shakes his head as he pours some water from his canteen into a cup. "No, I had it burning already. Was just wanting to make sure I had a decent cookfire." He places the cup on the ground in front of Ruzeth, then settles down beside him. "No need for a stream, either. I brough my own."

17:53 Ruzeth smiles at the stallion and takes the cup up in his hooves, bringing it to his muzzle to take a sip. When he feels Seaward_Skies press up against him he turns to give the stallion an awkward smile before returning to his cup. "So...you're doing much better then. I take it you've been using those potions? What brings you out here?"

17:59 Seaward_Skies shrugs. "I come out here a couple of times a year, take a day or two to brush up my survival skills. And... I like getting back to the wild, too. But what about you? I take it you were gathering potion ingredients?" He keeps watching, eyes alert.

18:00 < -> Chevron|AFK is now known as Chevron

18:08 Ruzeth nods at the stallion and takes another sip of his drink before digging in his pack. He pulls out a jar of green leaves and sprinkles some in his water before setting it aside. "Yep, I was out gathering some important mushrooms this time. I spend a lot of time out here in these woods, and know a thing or two about being prepared. Still...you seem to be much more spritely than last I saw you.

18:11 Seaward_Skies closes his eyes as the adrenaline drains from his system, giving a long breath. "Aye, I'm not sure what it was, but I've not been having much trouble for a while now." He looks sideways at the zebra. "How are you holding up?"

18:23 < Ruzeth> (wait, is this after he's been...wait know he'd know)

18:23 < Seaward_Skies> (Huh?)

18:24 < -> Stringy is now known as Bowstring

18:25 Ruzeth nods at the stallion and holds out a hoof to him. "Well, give me your cup of water and I'll make you some of this too. It'll calm your nerves a bit." He gives Seaward_Skies a soft smile and shifts around. "Well...how long is a while? Since you've come out here?"

18:28 < Seaward_Skies> (Are you asking if this is after the whole Defenseless things comes to a close?)

18:32 < Ruzeth> (yep)

18:34 < Seaward_Skies> (That's...a very good question)

18:34 < Inky> (oh, is this how they're meeting?)

18:34 < Seaward_Skies> (They've already met, Inky)

18:35 < Inky> (oh? You mean before today? I meant the whole thing in its entirety)

18:36 < Seaward_Skies> (They met at the market, after Skies seeks him out to see if Ruzeth can solve his tiredness)

18:38 < Seaward_Skies> (I guess it'll have to be before, though)

18:39 < Ruzeth> (I bet its just been while he's been doing his survival bit. xP)

18:39 < Seaward_Skies> (Huh?)

18:40 < Ruzeth> (That he's been feeling better/more energised)

18:41 < Seaward_Skies> (Ah, right. Well, I did have a more specific time :p)

18:42 Seaward_Skies passes him a second cup, and gives a shrug with his wings. "A couple of days, maybe a week? Either way, I'm keeping an eye out in case it comes back." He taps a bag set down beside the fire, which clinks gently. "And I've brought a couple of potions, if I need a boost to get home. But...you didn't answer my question."

18:46 < Inky> (oh, right! I forgot)

18:51 Ruzeth drops another hoof ful of green dried leaves into the next cup and sets it next to the first. "Well...I'm feeling better now. It was just a bit of a fright, getting chased around like that...and nearly...well...I'm glad you hwere there and that I make those potions..." He says with another shudder, turning to look at the harpoon.

18:52 Seaward_Skies follows his gaze, spotting the harpoon standing in the dirt. The bloody tip is buried out of view in the soft ground, but he know's that probably isn't much help. "You ever seen anything like that before?" he asks softly.

18:59 Ruzeth gives a nod towards the stallion as he continues to look at it. "Well...maybe not anything as such, but a number of my tribe trained and practiced with Zebra swords to keep some of the hostile creatures at bay. Its unfortunate when one cant be at peace with nature though..." He says solemnly.

19:05 Seaward_Skies hums softly. "Well, sometimes nature doesn't want to be at peace with you, no matter how much you try. Those swords, did you ever see them actually being used? Seem somepony, or something, hurt bad in a fight before?"

19:14 Ruzeth folds his ears back and turns away as Seaward_Skies asks him a question and gives a long deep sigh. his tail seems to sink as he stairs into the fire. "Yes...I've lost one of my brothers before to a dragon...and we've beaten back many a beast...Only a few did we actually slay though.

19:17 Seaward_Skies looks down, hesitating for a moment, then gives himself a little nod and wraps a wing around the zebra's shoulders. "It's never easy, losing somepony close to you. And it makes it all the worse when you find yourself in trouble... You did well, though. That flash, and that potion, did a lot of good back there."

19:21 Ruzeth leans into the stallion's embrace, presing himself against his body and feeling his comforting heat. At the comment he just lets the silence hang in the air before reaching over and picking up the two cups. "THese should be ready." He says, before taking a sip of his mug, tasting the cool flavor the herbs had imparted.

19:25 Seaward_Skies tries his own cup, letting out a soft sound at the soothing taste. "Hmm... Times like this it'd be nice to have a hot cup of tea~" he purrs. "But this is competing pretty well." He glances up at the darkening sky. "It's getting late. I don't know if you'd rather stay here tonight, and head back when it gets light?"

19:32 < Ruzeth> (Does skies have a tent?"

19:33 < Seaward_Skies> (Would it be easier if I said yes? :p)

19:33 Ruzeth takes another long sip of his drink. By now the magic of the herb would begin to affect the pair, making them feel calmer and more relaxed despite the expierience still weighing on their mind. "Ya...its probably best if I spend the night here...if you dont mind too much? I dont mind sleeping out here so that its not too tight and uncomfortable for you in that tent."

19:33 < Ruzeth> (I'll take that as a yes :P)

19:34 < Seaward_Skies> (Heh, yup. Usually he wouldn't, but I'll say he took one because of the tiredness thing)

19:35 Seaward_Skies shakes his head with a chuckle, cutting it off with a longer swallow of the cooling, calming liquid. "Nonono, I wouldn't hear of it. It's a little cramped, but I used to sleep in a hammock on a catapult deck. I can deal with cramped."

19:45 Ruzeth turns to meet the pony's gaze and smiles softly at him, snuggling in a little closer to the wing. "Oh? You wouldnt mind? Well...Me and my colt friend share a twin so I can deal with cramped too." The zebra tilts his head over to lay on the colts shoulder.

19:47 Seaward_Skies blinks as the zebra mentions his coltfriend, then starts snuggling up to the pegasus, feeling a little confused. "Well... That's good. I mean, if you'd rather /I/ slept outside that's fine. I normally do, I just had the tent in case I had another...attack."

19:58 Ruzeth pulls away from skies and meets his gaze tilting his head, himself a little confused. "I...ummm...why would I want you to sleep outside? Last thing I'd do is kick you out of your own tent. Have you had another attack since being out here?"

20:00 Seaward_Skies looks back with a sheepish look. "Well, you're technically my guest, so if you wanted to stay but didn't want to share the tent I'd give it up... But I've not had one while I've been out, no."

20:03 Ruzeth snorts at the stallion and shakes his head. "Still...I dont know why you'd think I'd care about sharing a tent? I was just offering because I didnt know if you'd care...and I didnt want to impose..." The zebra shuffles against him once more and then brings another hoof up to play with a feather.

20:05 Seaward_Skies swallows as his wing is toyed with, instinctively wrapping it around the zebra again. "Well, if you didn't want to be cramped, or if you'd rather not because of your coltfriend... And those are kinda sensitive you know..." he says softly, though he doesn't move the wing away.

20:11 Ruzeth gives a little giggle and wiggles the primary a litte more and then turns his muzzle over to gently nuzzle at the stallion's wing. "Well...those seem like super silly reasons," the zebra responds with a giggle before taking a deep smell of the pegasus's feathers. "You know...I havnt had much experience with wings."

20:12 < Ruzeth> "They seem pretty neat though...almost as cool as a unicorn's horn."

20:16 Seaward_Skies shivers a little as the soft nose presses into his feathers. As he sniffs at them, Ruzeth would be able to smell salt, sweat, and the slightly musky scent of the natural oils his wings secrete. "Aye, th-they're about as sensitive, too, if you get the right spots," he says, ruffling the feathers gently. "Should you really be getting

20:16 < Seaward_Skies> so...familiar, though?" he asks quietly.

20:28 Ruzeth gives a soft purr as he takes in that pleasant scent, flicking his ears as hie continues to nuzzle against them. When Seaward_Skies asks that question he pulls back and looks up at him with a slight pout. "Lucent gets this way to when I mess with his horn..." he notes with a frown.

20:30 Seaward_Skies nods, a faint blush showing in his cheeks as he looks the colt up and down. "That's exactly what I mean. You have a coltfriend, would he be okay with this? Or what about my marefriend..." he muses out loud.

20:36 Ruzeth gives a long sigh and shakes his head with a half smile on his face. "Oh ya...ponies only have one partner..." He says sheepishly, though his eyes fall to the wings once more. "Still...its not really the same is it? I just want to examine them. Its not like I'm in love with you or anything," he counters cheerfully

20:37 Seaward_Skies bites his lip as he thinks it over for a moment. "Well... I suppose not..." He stretches out his wing to give the zebra a better look. "You've never had a chance to look over a pegasus' wings before?

20:48 Ruzeth shakes his head with sheepish smile on his face. "Well umm...no not really...Just...its never been particularly relevant." The zebra shifts, turning around and bringing a hoof up to the wing. He runs it over the feathers, staring with the stallion's primary, stroking all the way to his breast.

20:51 Seaward_Skies twitches the tips of his feathers, his breathing going slow and deep, the touch of the zebra's hoof oddly relaxing against his feathers. "Like I said, they're s-sensitive. So just...be careful with them."

20:59 Ruzeth gives a little giggle a he sees how the stallion reacts to his touch and then leans forward, taking one of the feathers between his hooves and gently nudging the others out of the way so he can get a good look at it. "They seem quite a bit like a birds wing..." he notes, "Are they as fragile?"

21:01 Seaward_Skies does his best to keep his face still and composed, but he paws at the ground gently with a forehoof. "They're a little tougher, but if a pegasus is going to injure something, more than likely it'll be their wings. But they heal pretty quickly as well, so it's not all bad..."

21:02 < -> Tenno|Sleep is now known as Tenno

21:10 Ruzeth hardly notices the stallion's discomfort as he's so engrossed in playing wiht the wing. He leans forward and gives it another little nuzzle. "Oh that's good then....I wonder if pegasus feathers are useful for potions..." He leans forward and grabs a feather in his mouth, and tugs on it gently, trying to preen it.

21:12 Seaward_Skies winces and puts a hoof on the zebra's nose, stopping him. "H-hey, that's a healthy one. You don't pluck good feathers, you take out the ones that are about to fall out on their own. Then you straighten the rest of them. And I have no idea, I never made potions."

21:24 Ruzeth pulls back with a bit for a frown, having left the feather more of amess than it had been going in. "I...wasnt trying to pluck it," He says with a sigh, lowering his ears. "I was trying to preen it like I've seen other pegasi do."

21:26 Seaward_Skies snickers lightly, smoothing the feather out with a hoof. "Ah, right. Well, I think maybe you should wait until you've had a few lessons in preening. And after you've gotten yourself a little more familiar with wings."

21:29 < Seaward_Skies> (I think I'm going to head to bed now, sweetheart. Got an early start tomorrow)

21:29 < BurpyHooves> ('Night Seaward_Skies.)

21:30 < Ruzeth> (Alrighty nini my darling~

18:20 < Ruzeth> I think it was your post~

18:21 < Ruzeth> Oh no it was mine

18:23 Ruzeth tilts his head and frowns at the stallion. "A few lessons? How am I going to get a few lessons when you're the first pegasus who has even let me mess with their wings?" He whines and then brushes across the sensitive feathers with a hoof once more, moving up the wing in opposite of air flow.

18:29 Seaward_Skies shifts a little uncomfortably, then takes Ruzeth's hoof in his own, gently stopping its motion. "Well... I guess you can consider this your first lesson. Alway go either with the wind, or with the feathers." He gently moves the hoof from the base of his wing, all the way out to the tips. "Like that."

18:34 Ruzeth gives a little giggle as the stallion ruffles from the movement of his hoof before frowning as his motion is stopped. "Aww...but it feels so funny when I go that way...the texture inst nearly as intersting like this..." He complains as his hoof is moved across the wing. Still the little zebra obliges, following the motion agian after the first stroke.

18:38 Seaward_Skies nods slowly as he strokes again, letting his hoof go. "It's also a good way to unsettle the pegasus in question. But that's okay, you're learning..." He hums softly, lifting a hoof to stroke his mane, the rings woven into it clinking. "So... What's so important about those mushrooms? What are they used for?"

18:41 Ruzeth moves his hoof off of the wings proper and begins to massage at the breast connection where the wings met his flesh, whilst at the same time leaning in to the hoofs gentle brushing. "Oh...they're used in a number of potions...they have the property of tending to increase the powerfulness of whatever they're put in to."

18:43 Seaward_Skies lets out a long, deep breath as he feels the zebra's hoof working against the joints, stroking a little hard along the back of his mane now, his body starting to relax. "Must be pretty useful, then... They make a potion go further?"

18:49 Ruzeth shakes his head, letting the rings against his head jingle even more. "No...I didnt say that they lasted longer silly, it just makes them more potent. Though...it makes everything about a potion more potent...even some latent effects that you might not have known existed on a normal one. Like, i a particuarl gender changing potion, it can even change the species of the pony." He says with a bit of a giggle.

18:51 Seaward_Skies shakes his own head with a chuckle. "That's not quite what I meant. I meant, if it increases the power of a potion, it means you have to take less to have the same effect, right? So the same amount of potion would kind of last longer..." Then he blinks. "But how would it change species? And what to?"

18:59 Ruzeth laughs even harder now, but this time at the pegasus. "No, no not at all. A unit of potions potency is independent of its time, and drinking more of a potion only makes it stay in your system longer. If you take a sip of a shrinking potion, you will have the full effects from that sip for its entire duration," he explains before returning to the wing with his hooves. "And...I'm not sure what determines it,but remember what I said? If an effect is below the threshold magical limit of activating...like changing a pony's species, then it wont activate, unless the mushroom boosts it."

19:03 Seaward_Skies sighs and shakes his head, frowning now. "No, you're still not getting it. I mean, if it takes so much potion to have an effect before you add the mushrooms, wouldn't it then take less potion to have the same effect once the mushrooms are added? I don't mean that the dose would literally last longer, but if the dose you need is smaller because

19:03 < Seaward_Skies> the potion is more powerful, you can get more doses out of a batch, right?"

19:05 Ruzeth snorts and facehooves as he feels like he just explained the process, and folds his ears down. "No...no...that doesnt work. If you take one gulp of shrinking potion, and then take second gulp of shrinking potion, you wont shrink doubly small, you'll just remain shrunken for just as long."

19:06 < Seaward_Skies> (I... Kind of feel like you're not getting what I'm trying to say)

19:07 < Ruzeth> (Umm...I feel like you're not getting what I'm trying to say

19:07 < Ruzeth> (Because the amount of potion only affects the duration

19:08 < Ruzeth> ( If you drink 2 potions you dont have A+A in intensity

19:08 < Ruzeth> (You have A+A in length

19:08 < Seaward_Skies> (I know. I never said that)

19:09 < Ruzeth> (Then...what are you saying then?)

19:09 < Ruzeth> (DO you mean diluting it?)

19:09 < Seaward_Skies> (No)

19:10 < Seaward_Skies> (Okay... I think I get where you're going, but you weren't really explaining it very well IC)

19:10 < Seaward_Skies> (Can we just skip back a little?)

19:13 < Ruzeth> (Umm maybe?)

19:14 < Seaward_Skies> (Just back to your penultimate post)

19:14 < Seaward_Skies> (So, I redo my last post)

19:24 < Ruzeth> (Go ahead)

19:24 < Ruzeth> (Sorry was tracing out tail sections while I waited for you post xP

19:27 Seaward_Skies frowns a little as he's laughed at, poking the zebra gently on the chest. "Remember, I'm no potion maker. But I think I get you now. Potency doesn't change with the size of the dose, that's what you're saying? So adding the mushrooms to a shrinking potion makes you shrink more?" He looks down and hums. "And... This whole 'latent effect

19:27 < Seaward_Skies> thing'... Potions are weird."

19:32 Ruzeth nods and smiles at him, happy that the stallion understood his explanation. "Yep, thats exactly it....So you'll just shrink more....I'd demonstrate, but I dont have any suitable potions one me...or really any more potions at all...And they arnt weird, they are a very special magical science."

19:35 Seaward_Skies shrugs, stroking down the back of his neck again as he turns his head to watch the crackling fire. "Well, I've never been one for magic myself. I mean, sure I need it to fly, but it's not something that I tend to think about. And I've never known any 'latent effects'. No, I leave those things to smarter ponies, and smarter zebra."

19:43 Ruzeth relaxes against the hoof and purrs happily at the stroking, turning to watch the fire roar as well. "Well...What about that wather stuff you ponies get to do as well? THats pretty neat and requires magic...You should like conjure up a cloud or something."

19:45 Seaward_Skies shakes his head gently. "Nah... Well, I guess kind of. It's just the same magic that lets us fly, or walk on clouds. I can't conjure a cloud out of nothing, there has to be enough moisture in the air for me to make one. And that would only be a small cloud. The big rainclouds? There are tanks and machines up in Cloudsdale that make those.

19:45 < Seaward_Skies> "

19:48 Ruzeth gives a loud little giggle and and pulls away to bounce in his seat. "Oh, so you can make a cloud then~ Can I see? I wanna see you make a cloud out of nothing~" The zebra says with a lithe tone. "Cmon please~"

19:50 Seaward_Skies shakes his head again with a chuckle, lifting his hooves. "I literally just said it wasn't out of nothing, but... Fine, I'll make you a cloud." He flares his wings, flapping them gently, pushing moist air into the area in front of him, which starts to get damp and humid. His hooves press against it from the sides, then start to move as if he's

19:50 < Seaward_Skies> sculpting clay.

19:57 Ruzeth goes still as Seaward_Skies begins to work, watching intently as the stallion does what appear to be a series of arcane motions with his wings and hooves. "Oh cmon, you gotta explain what you're doing. I just see you flapping your wings around..." The zebra says, sounding a bit impatient as he watches.

20:00 Seaward_Skies glances over at him, smirking. "It's nothing to fancy. I'm just pushing moist air in front of me, and compressing it with my hooves. That's the part of our magic that lets us stand on clouds, apparently it has something to do with making damp air more solid for us. So if I get enough moisture, and work it just so..." A vague, fuzzy blur

20:00 < Seaward_Skies> appears between his hooves, which soon forms into a tiny cloud as he sculpts it. "...then you get a cloud."

20:08 Ruzeth grins wider when the cloud begins to form, going so far as to jump up to his hooves excitedly "Oooh~ Thats really neat. I heard that sometimes you ponies can even make it so that other ponies can walk on top of it. Is that right?" He sticks a hooof out to the could and frowns when it passes right through the fluffy air. "But...I guess not these ones..."

20:09 Seaward_Skies shakes his head with a sign. "A unicorn could give you a cloudwalking spell. Or, if I had a bigger cloud, I think I could compress it enough that you could walk on it. But A cloud this small? It'd get to be a little smaller than your hoof before you could actually stand on it."

20:15 Ruzeth gives a little giggle and prods at the could again. "But you mean you could compress it enough for me to touch it? THat'd be really neat to see. Have you ever eaten a cloud before? What about a compressed cloud? What does it taste like?"

20:17 Seaward_Skies waves a hoof at the excited colt. "Hey, slow down a little! It's a little tough to do with just hooves, even on a cloud this small. And no, I've never eaten one, but I'm pretty sure it would just taste like water. Though you can use clouds to make a special cake. I can't though. Not that good a cook."

20:20 Ruzeth stops his bounching for a second and then sits, looking up at the stallion with the largest puppy dog eyes, meeting his gaze. "Awww, but please can you try? I've never seen compressed cloud before, and I know a good cook! One owes me a favor for a potion. If you make it I could give it to you!"

20:24 Seaward_Skies sighs and reluctantly nods. "I suppose I can try..." He narrows his eyes and starts to move his hooves around the cloud's widest point, pushing them inward so that each circle gets tighter. The further he goes, the more he seems to strain as the cloud starts to push back, but he keeps going, panting a little, until he has a small, dark grey

20:24 < Seaward_Skies> mass about the size of his hoof, which he holds out to Ruzeth. "There. Try that."

20:31 Ruzeth giggles again as the stallion sucombs for his cute charm and bounces up and down once more as he starts to press it together. He can see the pony shaking as it compresses furtehr until finally Seaward_Skies seems satisfied. The zebra presses a hoof against the mass and feels it give a bit before becoming firm and giggles. "oooh it is hard~" Picks it up with both hooves and sits back, turning it around in wonder.

20:32 Seaward_Skies sits back with a smile, breathing a little heavier than before, shaking his hooves out. "Aye, it will be. And if you know somepony who can make cloudcake go ahead, but I wouldn't worry about giving it to me. Never had a taste for that kind of thing."

20:41 Ruzeth brings the cloud to his mouth and bites down on it, feeling his teeth sink through it as the rest of the cloud melts in his mouth. "It...doesnt taste like much at all..." He notes, sounding a bit unimpressed. "Aww...but I want to make it up to you for donwt that for me..." he says with a bit of a frown on his face. Cmon please?"

20:43 Seaward_Skies laughs, poking him playfully as he pulls his blanket tighter around himself, feeling the night's chill starting to set in, the pair now lit only by the warm light of the fire. "I told you, it'll just taste like water." Then he shakes his head. "No, no point giving it to me, I wouldn't appreciate it. Besides, I think I owe you one anyway, for

20:43 < Seaward_Skies> what you did back at the market."

20:49 Ruzeth shivers in the open air as the cold air begins to set in and the dark presses around, the pair only illuminated by the light of the fire. "Well...But I carged you for it...so its not like I did you a bit favor or anything...just business..." He says sounding uncomvinced. "Still...we probably ought to make our way to bed...its getting late..."

20:51 Seaward_Skies nods, glancing around. "Aye, probably... And I think you went beyond just business. You didn't charge me for that chakra thing, did you?" He stands, moving over to his harpoon and pulling free of the dirt, wiping the blade clean before slotting a heavy dute sheath over it. "Come on then, let's get settled down."

21:03 < Ruzeth> (Sorry had to do a stitch :P)

21:03 < Seaward_Skies> (It's okay)

21:05 Ruzeth shrugs at the stallion and takes a couple steps towards the tent before turning around and picking up the blanket he'd been laying in previously and pulling it their as well. "Well...I mean...it was just a free consultation...I had to figure out what was wrong with you didnt I?" He explains, though his tone betrays his words."

21:10 Seaward_Skies tucks the sheathed harpoon under a wing as he crouches, sliding into the tent beside the zebra, then flops down and sets the weapon down beside him, between his blanket and the canvas wall. "If you say so," he says mildly. "Me coming after you today wasn't much either. What kind of pony would I be if I ignored a friend in trouble? So I say

21:10 < Seaward_Skies> we're still even." He pulls his blanket over himself with a sigh.

21:21 Ruzeth gives a soft squeak as he feels the stallion slide in next to him and ruffles his fur before settling back down again, scooching over in the dark. "But...but it certainly took a lot to go fight off a scary manticore like that...are you sure?" The zebra squirms under the blanket, pressing his fur next to that of his friend and wrapping him up with all four hooves.

21:24 Seaward_Skies blinks as the zebra moves up against him and pulls him into a tight hug, then rolls a little and puts his own forehooves around Ruzeth. "I think it takes a lot to go and investigate somepony's chakras." He lifts his head a little, looking at Ruzeth with the light of the fire filtering through the tent's slit. "Listen, that's the sort of thing

21:24 < Seaward_Skies> they trained me to do. I can't mix potions like you can, that's for sure."

21:30 < -> Clockwork_Orange is now known as Star_Shine

21:33 Ruzeth cuddles against the stallion with sigh and lowers his head, laying it on Seaward_Skies's chest. "FIne...I suppose..it did take a bit to get things all figured out...but now it isnt too hard...its jsut waht I was trained to do..." He takes a eep reath and lets it out slowly.

21:35 Seaward_Skies smiles, tightening his embrace a little and letting the zebra nestle up against him as he lays his own head down. "And that's how I feel about today. Just what I was trained to do..." He yawns, then shifts his eyes down to the colt. "Are you okay?"

21:38 < Ruzeth> hmm...I should probably cook dinner...

21:39 < Seaward_Skies> (Yeah, it's kinda late :p)

21:39 Ruzeth smiles in the dark and gives another loud yawn of his own. "Yes...yes I'm just fine..." he says softly, "Though...Lucent might be a little worried when I dont come home tonight...Still...I'm glad that I'm not alone...I hate sleeping out alone..." He nuzzles against the stallions neck like he might a lover and closes his eyes.

21:41 Seaward_Skies blushes a little as the little zebra gets a little more intimate, but he starts to gently stroke down along his back and mane, letting himself enjoy the company. "Aye... Me too, Ruzeth. Me too..."

21:43 Ruzeth takes a deep breath and then lets it out slowly. His breathing gets deeper and deeper until the little colt is sleeping peacefully against the stallion, basically on top of him. He keeps the pony in the hug, though it loosens as he slumbers.

21:48 Seaward_Skies is soon asleep as well, keeping his forelegs around the colt all through the night, almost as if he's trying to give him a sense of security. Eventually, though, his own embrace loosens a little as well, one foreleg draped over the striped colt.

21:52 < Ruzeth> (Hmmm so scene?)

21:52 < Seaward_Skies> (I think so, aye)