open Too much entropy

[Hederik 119]

DM: @Hederik

Players: @DwhitetheGamer as Discord

Status: potentially interested in an additional player

OOC thread: at your disposal

 

 

Character speech color index (because DM lacks memory and checking them is hard)

Cerulean Glow (teal)

Cheerilee (violet)

 

 

It was a silent December afternoon. Sun was shining restlessly over snow-covered roofs and alleys of Ponyville, but it was no match for the frost, taking good care of its omnipresent spawn. Hearth's Warming decorations hung over most windows , sills, doors and narrow passages, almost drowning the little town in their colorful glittering. Carefully stitched banners fluttered slightly in the delicate wind. The holiday celebrations have already come to an end in most places, but everypony enjoyed the view too much not to let the multitude of lights, tree branches, ribbons and assorted trinkets stay around for at least a few days.

 

Some distant cheering could be heard from outside the range of houses where several foals were indulging in the seasonal entertainment provided by the heaps of snow and frozen lakes, but between the buildings themselves the neighborhood could very well be assumed abandoned by a careless onlooker. Families and friends were cooped up in their cozy houses, their bellies full (and then some) from the ongoing feasting. With businesses temporarily closed as well, the streets displayed nary a sign of use, and the single-file paths plowed here and there through the mounds of white powder were steadily patching themselves up.

 

Should the hypothetical watcher possess a tad more knowledge about the object of their observation, a different theory might be proposed: the peaceful paradise was paralyzed in anticipation of an outbreak of panic. While once such words would have bewildered every villager, the period of peace and quiet was growing too long. Like a balloon on the brink of bursting, the blissful boredom threatened to break with a barbaric belligerence. Ever since the now-princess Twilight Sparkle has made the town her home, occasional bouts of once-dreaded "adventure" became the norm. Prolonged absence of such usually ended in earth-shattering showdowns sure to shock even those who believed themselves to have grown used to being a center of attention for forces both benevolent and vile.

 

Peeking in through the windows, the supposition would most likely swiftly be dismissed as silly. Satisfactory smiles pervaded on the faces of ponies absorbed in the seasonal cheer. As usual, the positive attitude of Ponyville's dwellers saturated the town with a near-palpable aura of happiness. As much of the typical wild goings-on centered around such personalities as Pinkie Pie, Applejack or the one and only ponyvillian princess of friendship, the absence of these particular ponies could well explain the lack of out-of-place events. Which was it then? A sate stagnation signifying the short stop in celebrations between the Hearth's Warming and New Year's? Or a feigned break in fanatic fun and feasting of ponies frozen in fear of what fate fomented?

 

Watching from the outside could not answer that. Shrödinger would be proud.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Hederik

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

 

Discord had just finished his chores for the day, however in a slightly depressed mood.  The Elements of Harmony have been gone for a long while now, and he was starting to miss them, although you wouldn't be able to see it in his face.

 

"Sweet Celestia, when will they be back?  The whole town is on the brink of panic!"

 

It was true.  The absence of the Elements of Harmony this long would cause a town-wide panic in Ponyville, and he knew darn well he would be blamed for it.  He thought for a few seconds on what to do, then a light bulb literally appeared above his head, showing that he had an idea.

 

"Maybe I can occupy the ponies here until they return.  That way there'll be no panic whatsoever."

 

And he knew right away how he was going to do it.  He could play a few pranks, or better yet, help some ponies plan on playing pranks on other ponies, as long as it doesn't get him in trouble.  But first, he had to find a good place to start.

 

"Hmm.  Where to start?  Ah, Sugarcube Corner sounds like a good place."

 

And so he set off to Sugarcube Corner, but not before snapping his fingers and making a large box full of prankster supplies appear.  He took an assortment of whoopee cushions, pies, and the like before heading out to Sugarcube Corner.

 

"Time to have some fun, ponies."

[Hederik 119]

Whenever braving thick mounds of snow to reach a place is necessary, it is natural to expect the effects of such an effort to be satisfactory. With nature being made into a silent ward of the ponies, finding happiness at the end of any exertion should be a given, then. Why the case wasn't so for Discord? Indubitably, someone could answer. As to Sugarcube Corners' doors, the case was quite the contrary. The shop's windows were dark, its entrance shut. Judging by the amount of snow collected all around it, there had been no other visitors over the space of a few days at least.
 
Perhaps the note posted on the doors had something to do with it. It read:
 

Sugarcube Corners will reopen three days before New Year's Eve.

Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, everypony!

Sorry I couldn't stay to join the pranking, Discord! ~PP

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

Discord wasn't happy when he read the sign on Sugarcube Corner's front door.  He was hoping to have a little fun with the ponies here, but it wasn't the case.  

 

"I know they close close to New Year's, but not this early."

 

He shook his head, then decided to venture to the south side of Ponyville.

 

"I hope somepony would like to have a little fun with me.  It's not too hard to pull off at least a few pranks, especially with everything happening."

[Hederik 119]

The town wasn't ignoring the Draconequus - everypony knew full well the dangers of such conduct. He simply went unnoticed, treading the deserted streets. A solitary figure of a pony moved silently somewhere in the background, clearly in a rush to get somewhere. The voices of foals playing in the snow were getting more distant as well. As if to add to the morose mood, a snowfall began, slight for now, but with the skies overcast, that could change quickly.

 

It looked like there would be no luck for the chaos entity today, bound to stay stranded in the cold... when suddenly, a door opened right next to him, basking the Draconequus in light and warmth. Visible from outside was a fireplace with a bright flame dancing merrily on a charred log, a table which bore the distinct marks of having just been used for a festive feast sitting in front of it. The interior was decorated with a wide assortment of items that could be described either as endearing or horrifyingly ugly, as they were clearly all made by foals of various ages.

 

All that, Discord had only a few seconds to observe before he was unceremoniously barged into by a pony he overlooked to the accompaniment of "Bye bye, thanks for every-!" The offending pony - a sky-blue unicorn mare, her dark violet hair trimmed shortly - stuttered at the last word while knocking the chimerical creature back a step. She gasped, promptly looking in his direction and produced a sound between a gasp and a shriek. How she didn't get the hiccups immediately was a mystery. "I'm so sorry, mister... uh..." she looked at him, unsure how to address the creature, this faux pas only adding to her mounting anxiety.

 

From within the house, an earth pony mare stopped closing the door and looked curiously at the developing situation. Everything about her was pink, from the darker coat, to a light, two-tone mane and woolen slippers she was wearing over all four hooves.

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Hederik, 

 

Discord was bumped by a pony, more specifically, a sky-blue unicorn.  He looked surprised, but recovered as the pony looked at him.

 

"Oh, it's alright, miss.  I should've stayed out of the way.  I am Discord, and I need to make sure this town doesn't go into a state of panic."

[Hederik 119]

@@DwhitetheGamer

 

"D-D-Discord?" the mare stuttered, backing out a step and looking up at the chaos entity apprehensively, then quickly plastered a smile onto her face, her eyes darting towards the other mare as she started to walk backwards towards her, constantly keeping a wary look on the Draconequus. "Ho-how nice. No panic here, Mister Embodiment of Chaos and Disharmony," she assured, now already behind the back of the pink mare. "Why aren't we running away, Chili?" the question came in a theatrical whisper from the corner of her mouth as she passed the second mare, who just sighed silently and looked towards Discord apologetically.

 

"I'm sorry for my friend. Cerulean Glow lives rather far from here and may not be... up to speed with events." Her smile became more benevolent as she turned her head and directed the last words to the blue unicorn.

 

The mare eyed Discord distrustfully, sticking her head from behind an armchair where she was currently hiding, but when he didn't outright attack her, she gingerly left the safe cover and glared at her host. "I knew you were pulling my hoof!" she accused her with a look of superiority. "To think for a moment I allowed myself to believe those tall tales of mind enslavement and chaos reigning... shame on you, Chili."

 

The attacked mare only smiled patiently, shaking her head slowly. "Now, now, that was all true. But Discord here has learned his lesson..." she looked towards the chimerical creature, then added with a sharper undertone, "twice, if I heard the stories right. But, where are my manners! Would you like to come in, Discord? We still have some cookies left," she added invitingly, motioning with her hoof towards the interior, despite the horrified look on Cerulean Glow's suddenly-pale features.

[DwhitetheGamer 867]

@@Hederik, 

 

Discord was rather taken aback by the mare when she thought the stories were fake.  He actually wished they were fake now, but the past is the past, and there was literally nothing he could do to change it.  

 

"Unfortunately, she's right.  I did cause chaos, but I'm reformed now, so I won't do so.  But the town is on the brink of panic, and I have to do something about it.  But of course I can, I would love some cookies."

[Hederik 119]

@@DwhitetheGamer, 

 

"You mean you have something to do with it..." Cerulean Glow's retort was cut short as she caught a patronizing glance from the pink mare. "Don't you look at me funny, girl, you're the one who kept the existence of this here..." she drifted away once more with her hoof targeted squarely at the Draconequus, who by now had been let in by Cheerilee. The pink mare, still grasping the door's handle, just looked at her with one brow raised in an expression that was somewhere between chastising and amused. "You- you purposefully didn't tell me about his reformation!" the blue unicorn gasped, her eyes alit as the new theory formed in her mind. "You both planned, just to scare me. Quite an elaborate prank, I must say. But I wasn't afraid for a second there," she assured them both, a glint in her eyes daring either to question that statement.

 

"Now, now. Let's all calm down here, lest the panic totters from its brink," Cheerilee proposed, winking discreetly to her friend while busying herself with cleaning a few empty dishes from the table and then dragging an additional chair to it for Discord to sit it. "Would you like some tea, Discord? You can tell us all about this Hearth's Warming Panic you're going to stop then," she added with a smile as Cerulean Glow lifted with telekinesis the kettle she had already begun to carry towards the fireplace. The unicorn still pouted a little, but at the same time looked mildly interested by the story the chimerical creature had to share with them.