Mansion on Haunted Hill [Closed]

Kestrel, ever the stoic that he was, stared at his PipBuck in a silent grimace watching it roar up at him evilly. So...something was amiss in this place after all. Kes wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the possibility of something beyond his control and capability to deal with was not exactly comforting him.

The chill in his head was proof enough of that.

Turning the Pipbuck back to his inventory screen Kestrel set his limb down and went back to watching the room he was now in. Keen eyes watching the others, seeing if anything else was going to go amiss.

Trails' near dropped when he saw the pair of mint Les Pauls in the music room. He'd never so much as dreamed of seeing one of the legendary instruments, let alone two untouched survivors. One was a true thoroughbred: A sunburst 59 with it's stock humbuckers still shining. It looked like whoever bought it had just set it on the stand and forgotten about it. The other was something more up the stallion's alley, a bit of a Frankenstein. It had a metallic silverburst, something that no doubt affected the sound. Even better was the triple humbuckers with a coil splitting system that just made him go weak in the knees.

After a moment of collecting himself he grabbed the Frankenstein, trembling a little in anticipation as he plugged it into the waiting amp. A crackle followed by a downright erotic hum came from the amp. He swallowed and set a forehoof on the fret board. It'd been so long, but as he began to pick the notes came flooding back. This...this was ecstasy.



(recording software was being a bitch, so this will have to do. yes i can play this)

Ale noted how maze like the trot to the music room was, "Best not get lost in a place like this, even if there's no danger here, i'd probably stave to death wandering these halls." When they finally reached their destination ale had to admire the pristine collection of instruments present. He trotted over to the large harp and plucked at a few of the strings with his magic. He was no musician but he found the sweet sounds it gave of to be rather soothing. His inner peace was shattered by the sound of trails going to town on one of the Les Paul's. Ale stood there silently as the stallion played his music. It was a bit rough at the start but he soon found himself to be tapping his hoof to it and enjoying it. When trails finished ale remembered an old pre-war tradition he once heard about and as the buck started to set the guitar down ale stood up on his hind legs and shouted, "FREE BIRD!"

At the end of Happy Trails' performance, Sooth Sight clapped his hooves together politely, yet enthusiastically, "I say, good show! I honestly just couldn't grasp how to play the darn thing. The ancestor who bought it neglected to buy any playing instructions or inspirations for it, so after the bombs fell it simply sat there... Well, the caretakers looking to the maintenance of its condition, of course." So far, I have learned how to play the piano other there and by extension the pipe organ, and the cello." He sighed and looked out at the instruments, "Until civilization rebuilds itself, however, I fear not many will be able to appreciate the sounds of these majestic items other than my fellows and my subsequent heirs."

Sooth then looked to Ginger Ale, "Free Bird? Is there a bird caught in the room?" He looked around at the instruments, not seeing the bird that he thought Ale was referring to, "Odd." he said. He then looked around at everyone, "Well, should we stay here for a time or continue with the tour?"

Dash, meanwhile had made his way over to the pipe organ which seemed like it was partly built into the wall where it was. Although when he took a closer look it seemed like it was indeed its own thing. He couldn't imagine how frustrating it must have been to move the thing into the room, even if they disassembled it. He sat down infront of it, and pressed a hoof lightly at one of the keys. The instrument responded by making a rather loud blare. Dash almost immediately backedhis hoof away, "Man." Dash said.

Hoping over to the drum kit Aqui Smiled as he ran his hoof over the pressed leather heads. Taking a seat behind them he picked up the sticks and spun them around, last time he played the drums it was during that Nightmare Night party. Looking over at Trails Aqui smiled, "I'm game for a song if your up to go again." Looking around when he heard a pony shout Free Bird after the song Trails was playing had ended. "I think I heard that once, long time ago... I might know how it goes, How about you Trails?"

Trails smiled ruefully at the zebra and nodded curtly before saying, "Which part? There's two lead guitars, I'm good, but not that good." he paused to think while he picked at the instrument some more. It danced to any tune he wanted, every note letting out a small part of his soul.

Smiling back Aqui thought for a bit, "Which ever you want, I have the drums covered." Pounding on the bass for a bit he got a steady rhythm working while he waited for the pony to decide which part he would play. "Wonder if anypony else around here can play guitar..."

Deus watched the others play around with the musical toys that filled this toybox room. She cared none for music, and wasn't all too interested in their songs. She was herself terrible at any instrument, including her own voice. The only sounds she seemed capable of making was a horrible dissonance. She sat herself in the darkest corner and watched the others.

Kestrel had taken to keeping to himself and just looking around and watching the others from his place. Unlike Deus, who was currently curling up in a shadowy corner, however, Kes was sitting mostly in the open. It was easy to monitor others out of ones peripheral vision if you practice enough.

And Kestrel was a master at it.

For now he was content to sit there silently, watching, waiting for something to slip or happen. He had a feeling that something was about to happen soon and his guard was raised because of it.

Cuppa could hear instruments as she waited for the others to get out of the music room, but it seemed the ponies were too determined to play silly music than actually try and finish this tour before inevitably going back to this room to play music and revel in their tom-foolery.

Trails smiled and shook his head at the Zebra. "I'd settle for somepony who could sing worth a damn, my voice just aint made for that key. You know anything else? If not, I've got a couple songs in my repertoire that are just guitar and drums if you can follow my lead."

Keeping his beat steady he turned to face Trails, "I can usually make it up as I go. Play a few and I'll join in." smiling Aqui started to beat the drums in a flurry of movements.

Sooth sight looked at a working watch on his hoof, "Ah, you are all likely very good at making music; But, the hour of no return is approaching, and I'd like to present the required things to you before all of you are trapped in here for the remainder of Luna's night. Moving on, shall we?" He motioned for everyone to follow him out of the music room, "You can participate in the music making all night if you so desire. I doubt that the sound from even the highest levels of the amplifiers could reach the guest quarters, nor even my quarters." He stood near the door, waiting for a majority of the guests to come to the exit before beginning to move back toward the Dining Room.

"Were the caretakers informed to set things up in the dining room, dearest?" Sooth asked Bane Silver. The white mare flicked a bit of her mane out of her face, "Yes, honey, I made sure they knew where and when to put everything." she said with a smile.

As much fun as the little jam session was, ale was happy to be moving on in the tour. He walked close to sooth sight and decided he would actually get to have a say in the next destination. "Well I think the kitchen should be our next stop, i'm a bit peckish and could go for a snack." While this was true ale had another reason for wanting to go to the kitchen. Kitchen meant knifes, knifes meant weapons, weapons, well I doubt I need to enplane that.

Kes moved to stand at the call of the home owner, making a mental note of his wife's comment to him. "After you" Kestrel said as he approached the stallion, giving a bow of his head.

There was little else to do at the moment.

Aqui walked with the group into the dining room, food was definatly something on his mind. As they walked Aqui could only smile as he still felt the vibrations from the kit he was just in.

Cuppa saw the others now exiting the music room, thank goodness they'd decided to move on at last. With the others outside the music room with her, Cuppa gave a small smile before she started following alongside them.

"Ah'm jus' glad to be movin' again." Cuppa rather flatly chimed in during the conversation over heading somewhere else, apparently they were to head to the dining hall now? Food might be nice, actually. "Wait a sec, Mrs. Silver, wha' d'ya mean "where an' when to put everythin'"? Surely ya can only place things in a where unless y'are plannin' t' have yer caretakers still be doin' stuff when all these spirits are meant t' be out?"

Trails reluctantly let go of the awe inspiring instrument he had in his hooves. To have played a 59 was an honor, one that he wasn't quite sure he was worthy of. They instrument had danced to his tune, and then made it more. Made every note full of life and death simultaneously. It was a thing of such heart aching perfection, he only hoped he'd get another chance to play the beauty. After his moment of melancholy reflection he turned and strode on with the rest of the group.

Bane Silver raised an eyebrow at Cuppa, "Well, you did hear my husband, didn't you? He was asking me to make sure I had the survival kits you are all to receive were placed in the dining room. He had to go through a lot of trouble to get the items each will contain." she said. It was a relatively short walk back to the dining room, visiting a few of the other rooms on their way over. Upon entering the Dining Room, everyone would see that there was a placemat set out for each of them with a hearty dinner meal for each of them.

The food was mainly salads and flower snadwiches for the ponies and zebras and, surprisingly, some well-cooked meat for Kestrel. However, beside each of the placemats was a coffin-stylized box, clearly custom made for the occasion.

Everyone would only have a few seconds to concentrate on what was on the dining room table. A few seconds after the entire group was able to enter the room, a chandelier directly above the door to the Main Hall in the Dining Room, suddenly began to plummet. Falling toward Winter, Cuppa, and Bane Silver, with the size of the chandelier and the crystals it sported as decoration, it would surely crush them as well as slash them to pieces!

The smell of dinner caused ale's mouth to salivate, he'd haven't had anything to eat since the nightmare night party. The box was a curious sight however. "what could possible be in a survival kit for a sleepover, a toothbrush?" Ale's train of thought was cut off by the a snapping sound from above. Looking up he saw the decorative chandelier was getting bigger, very rapidly. "Look out!" Ale yelled as he ran and tackled bane silver out of the way.

(Agility-7, tackle bane silver)

Trails was minding his own business, thinking back to his comfortable bedroll in the Mohoofe and his dwindling supply of smokes. He'd have to ask his host if he had any, which he doubted. This pony didn't seem like the type, hell most ponies for some reason weren't. The entirety of Prewar Equestria smoked, based on the number of the things he was able to find in the wastes, but still these ponies turned up their muzzles. More for him.

A loud snap jerked Trails from his though and immediately into action. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening, and dive for the mare closest to him. It was Bell who would be the lucky recipient of a rushing Happy Trails crashing into her if all went well. And if not, well, he had a lot of black broth.

(Agility 6)

Kestrel had just claimed his package, talons carefully tracing across the rather morbidly shaped object. Interesting choice. He was just about to open the little box when out of the peripheral part of his vision Kestrel noticed movement, movement accompanied the sound of the sharp whistle of crystal caused him to turn his head.

There, where not but a few moments earlier he had entered the room, a chandelier was falling. He could have rushed forward, and tried to save the three...but it was a bit to late for that. Kestrel was well aware of what his body was capable of. His position being what it was was, namely being at the end of the table furthest away from the scene caused issue. He knew he was capable of great things.

Rushing the length of a room and stopping a massive chandelier from crushing those he was acquainted with was not one of them.

So it would come as little surprise then that Kestrel sat there silently, watching as it fell.

Cuppa continued walking and sort of frowned as Bane Silver replied. "Ah more meant-" Was all she got to say before something snapped and the chandelier was falling towards her and her alone, thanks to two stallions tackling both Winter and Bane Silver out of the way of the falling decoration.

This was bad, Cuppa assumed she was just about to die and couldn't think of much else to do, thankfully, being a clever pony was useful sometimes. She just managed to think of something that she could maybe do safely.

Horn flaring up with light, Cuppa pushed it away from herself as hard as she could just to slow it down, she most definitely couldn't throw something like that with her magic alone.

Using the possibly slowed descent of the chandelier, Cuppa would then kick back as hard as possible to throw herself backwards, away from the deathly object and to safety.

(Agility 6, diving away from the chandelier
Magic 50, slowing the chandelier's fall to make some time)

As the Chandelier fell the great fall, the group clicked into action as they had all come to expect of one another. Noticing the falling ceiling ornament proved instrumental for Cuppa Beans and Ginger Ale. Cuppa managed to spring into action on her own and dodge out of the way. She then attempted to use her magic to slow the descent of the lighting fixture. Unfortunately the object was far too heavy and moving far too fast for her to significantly change its course or slow it down. Fortunately it was just enough for those who hadn't sprang into action quickly enough to redeem themselves.

At the very same moment Happy Trails began dashing to save Winter Bell, but the stallion suddenly felt his hoof get caught on the edge of a rug. With all the grace of a fully-loaded dump truck with severe transmission problems, Happy Trails fell to the floor.

However, like a blinding flurry of snow, Ginger Ale dashed forward and put all his weight into pushing Bane Silver and himself out of the way, unscathed.

---

Seeing no one yet going to save Winter... Or perhaps her would-be savior had tripped on a Persian rug... Dash thrusted himself forward, attempting his own hooves at saving his old friend. He wouldn't have forgiven himself for not acting. Dash probably wouldn't be able to handle losing anypony else who he cared about.

(Agility 9, moving to save Winter)

---

Rolls:

SAVE ROLL- 130 Agility

-Trails: 63 (3)
-Ginger: 159 (89)
-Dash: 154 (64)

ESCAPE ROLL- 135 Agility (130 for Cuppa)

-Cuppa: 133 (73)
-Ginger: 166 (96)
-Dash: 189 (99)

MAGIC ROLL- 100 Magic

Cuppa: 30 (5)

No pony died! :D

---

Dash wrapped his hooves around Winter's midsection and powered his wings as hard as he could. He flew out of the way of the deadly lighting fixture with almost the grace of a Wonderbolt. With two elegent flaps, he slowed himself to a stop, hearing the chandelier smash against the floor, "Winter, you alright!?" Dash asked quickly, concerned.

---

The way the chandelier hit the floor, flying crystal shards lanced out in almost all directions. Fortunately almost all of shards that did go flying missed everypony. However, one flew directly at Kestrel, hitting and scraping one of his talons.

Kestrel takes 1 DMG

Seeing that the three had not been crushed Kestrel got back to what he had been doing; Examining the box and questioning its shape. Carefully he tried to open it to see what was inside, doing so at the very moment the crystal from the chandelier tore into his talon. He hadn't even felt the shard of crystal leave a gouge on his nails, but he noticed it when he finally opened the box.

The damage was assessed, found pointless, and then ignored. The contents of the box memorized, then its lid was shut; assuming Kestrel could have opened it.

Kestrel had acquired far worse in his past, the scars on his hide were proof enough of that. After that was done the massive bird of prey turned and faced the others again, waiting on them to see what their reactions would be.