The End Ark Theatre

The  "My Little Pony" RP blog of Endark Culi. Currently favouring multiple characters. This blog's name is tenative, and may change in the future if a new, clever idea comes along. Avatar by Brainy Twilight & Axon, Header by Jekyll.

[end-ark-theatre]

((wait so how does this work again should I just keep reblogging it or should I send an ask to save space?))

((It’s probably better for you to reblog it, so that you can space things out into different paragraphs and whatnot.  If it gets too long, just remove most of the previous dialogue (I think the current Tumblr system lets you do that by clicking an (X)?), and maybe paste a link to the previous reply for other people following along.))

[end-ark-theatre]

Lyra pushes the door to The Carousel Boutique open just a few inches, but the bell still rings loudly. Lyra winces at the sound and, with an exasperated groan quickly pushes her way inside and closes the door behind her, while making as little noise as possible. Once the door is shut she calls out: "Hey, Rarity! Bons sent me to pick up the Nightmare Night costumes you designed for us? The... ugh... the 'princess dress' and the 'knight in shining armor' costumes?"

“Coming, darling!”

There were sounds of large objects scraping against the floor in the room above.  This was followed shortly by the Boutique’s owner gracefully trotting down the stairs to greet her guest, levitating a pair of opaque garment bags at her side.  The middle of this month was always an awkward period for business in Ponyville; reservations were usually made at the beginning, and those simply looking for a quick (yet still absolutely fab) bargain waited until the last few days, so Rarity mainly spent this time upstairs working on the custom orders.  And, lucky for Lyra, her friend’s requests had recently been completed…barring any changes due to dissatisfaction, of course.

“Right then, Lyra dear; apologies for the wait!  The orders are right here…though if you have any anxiety over my craftsponyship, you could try out your outfit in the changing room here and now, rather than waiting until you get home.  Though of course, I always try my best to impress with a dress!  …And also armor, in this particular situation, aha!“

[bonmod]

Lyra made a valiant attempt to smile at Rarity’s joke but fell short. “Uh yeah… Since you’re offering I have no idea how this armor is gonna look on me…”

Lyra carefully transfers her purchases from the other unicorn’s telekinetic field into her own and carries them into the changing area.

After a bit of noisy struggling she finally steps out wearing her costume, looking like the spitting image of the noble Unicornian Knights of legend.

She glances into a nearby mirror and for a second her eyes widen in surprise as she fails to recognize herself.

The moment passes and she smiles then frowns then settles on an unreadable expression, apparently forgetting rarity is there.

“So this is who she thinks I am”, Lyra mutters.

[end-ark-theatre]

The fashionista...was not expecting this kind of reaction.  Praise, perhaps, or some sort of nitpick about the outfit that could easily be dealt with.  A shine not shiny enough, not enough legroom for a dramatic gesture, and so on.  But it sounded as though Lyra had a problem far more complex than that.  And, though she may be called a busybody for doing so, Rarity just couldn’t stand by and let this pony be consumed by some issue that involved her outfit.

“Is there something I can he...what seems to be the problem, dear?” she asked, not wanting to sound overbearing.  There was nothing worse than causing an ‘it’s nothing, I’m fine, I don’t want to guilt anyone into helping me’ reply in troublesome situations such as this. “You’re in good company here.”

[end-ark-theatre]

Lyra pushes the door to The Carousel Boutique open just a few inches, but the bell still rings loudly. Lyra winces at the sound and, with an exasperated groan quickly pushes her way inside and closes the door behind her, while making as little noise as possible. Once the door is shut she calls out: "Hey, Rarity! Bons sent me to pick up the Nightmare Night costumes you designed for us? The... ugh... the 'princess dress' and the 'knight in shining armor' costumes?"

“Coming, darling!”

There were sounds of large objects scraping against the floor in the room above.  This was followed shortly by the Boutique’s owner gracefully trotting down the stairs to greet her guest, levitating a pair of opaque garment bags at her side.  The middle of this month was always an awkward period for business in Ponyville; reservations were usually made at the beginning, and those simply looking for a quick (yet still absolutely fab) bargain waited until the last few days, so Rarity mainly spent this time upstairs working on the custom orders.  And, lucky for Lyra, her friend’s requests had recently been completed…barring any changes due to dissatisfaction, of course.

“Right then, Lyra dear; apologies for the wait!  The orders are right here…though if you have any anxiety over my craftsponyship, you could try out your outfit in the changing room here and now, rather than waiting until you get home.  Though of course, I always try my best to impress with a dress!  …And also armor, in this particular situation, aha!“

[end-ark-theatre]

“Believe me, she’s actually a whole lot better now than when we first met.” Fireflare chuckled. “There was this time where she and I went for two days straight…”

They made their way up to the bedroom, locked the door behind them, and events, as they say, eventuated.

~~~~~~

“I…” Moonshine coughed. “I think I got the message across, to not expect adult feelings in a kiddie relationship, but I… wow.” He stared at the two ponies sparring on the yard as Solar Flare used his smaller size to knock Tempo’s legs out from under her. “Is… is this how you and Madre felt when you were trying to figure out what to tell me?”

“I’m guessing so,” Wishing Star replied vaguely.

“…I don’t think I told them about sex,” Moonshine clarified suddenly. “I just wanted to make sure they understood the relationship part of it.”

The brown unicorn sagged in relief. “Oh thank the princesses…”

~~~~~~

“Fun memories can be made anywhere,” Glory Star countered, “depending on the mindset of the one who is making the memories in question. No, my interest is more broad and far reaching than mere entertainment. Right now, behind that screen, so many numbers and equations are running so quickly in a delicately balanced system, interpreting my inputs and calculating the results, but what we see is my character singlehandedly taking off two hundred of this boss’s hit points. Incidentally, why does this boss have so many hit points? This is only the first level of, let’s be honest, a fairly simple game.”

Comet Trail winced as her character fell off the screen again. “Um… maybe it’s because there are so many players?”

Vinyl was about to let out yet another ‘what’, as otherwise she would still be at a complete loss for words, even with the knowledge that her little ninja girl wasn’t going...that far.  But looking at her daughter once more, now knocked on her back and laughing about a battle well-fought, eased the DJ’s mind.  She may be growing up faster than expected, but right here and now, Tempo was still a kid.  And...well, at least slightly, that was a soothing thought.

“So...Star...you wanna be there when Octy and I talk with Tempo about her budding emotions and apparent lack of self-control, or is this too much like a ‘here we go again’ TV show ending?”

~~~~~~

“Yeah, things scale up with multiple peeps,” Reverb answered, as her character dashed in and dealt a damaging blow of her own.  It wasn’t quite as hard, but her icon had speed where it lacked strength, and could strike again before retreating from a potentially damaging blow.  “Not much fun if a skilled pony just blazed through things without giving the other players a chance to actually do somethin’, now would it?”

“...Though, as I’m not much of a gamer, I appreciate you two still doing most of the work,” Pitch chimed in, getting knocked back (but not dying) from the hit.

[end-ark-theatre]

Fireflare and Wishing Star both glared at the disembodied unicorn head. The pegasus actually stood up–

–but Wishing Star held out a hoof and stopped her with a wicked grin. “You know, pet, part of being a mistress is handing out punishments when the pets are acting up. It’s all an exercise in good training, really.”

The brown unicorn rose, her hips sashying as she gripped the head gently in her forehooves. “So…” she breathed over Vinyl’s horn, “here’s what’s going to happen.”

With utmost gentleness, she lifted the white head and leaned into the DJ’s chest, sliding the neck through the collar with that same, wicked smirk. “Octavia,” she murmured breathily, “is going to endure the tender, sweet mercies of my dear Fireflare.” Her hoof trailed from Vinyl’s shoulder down her foreleg. “You… and I, meanwhile….”

She grabbed Vinyl’s Fetlock and suddenly dragged her into a standing position. “We’re going to check on the kids!” Wishing Star chirped brightly, tugging her out of the room. “Bye you two, Fireflare nothing above third level!” The doors slammed shut behind the two unicorns.

There was an awkward moment.

“Okay, just so you know,” Fireflare finally said, “she was completely serious. And she can, you know, kinda tell if we haven’t, uh…”

~~~~~~

Moonshine sighed, dragging a hoof down his face. “Look, even if you do have a crush on him, I don’t know if he can return those feelings. Like, at all. I mean, maybe he’s able to, I dunno, but–argh.”

He stared at the sky for a few seconds.

“Okay, okay. How about this. You two can hang out or whatever, and I don’t know, when he’s like eight maybe you can start kinda dating? I… no, that wouldn’t work… My point is, puberty. Puberty is when things get serious, because of… things. At least I think that’s what it’s called–no, what I’m saying is, I don’t think… I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to take two kids in love seriously, because, uh, you’re kids. So…”

He frowned. “I’m really not getting this across well. OKAY. What I mean is, just… just don’t expect anything grown-up from a kiddie relationship. If it lasts long enough, maybe it works, but… he’s five, so just… know that, right?”

Solar Flare rolled his eyes. “Are you two done talking over there? That pooka thing put yakity sax on, and you know what happens when he does that!”

~~~~~~

“I received no help from the fae in this endeavor,” Glory Star replied quietly. “I simply… have my reasons.”

“She can be stubborn when it comes to secrecy,” Comet Trail confided, accidentally jumping her character into a pit of boiling pudding. “Oh! Did… did I lose–oh, wait, there I am…”

“The deaths presented in this game are both less painful and less permanent than reality’s version, as an inherent property of a property meant to challenge. And I just found the hidden emerald.”

Octavia blinked, then blinked again.  Vinyl and Wishing Star’s departure had been…rather quick, and…somewhat intimate?  Even the DJ, who usually acted brash and in charge of things, had a submissive wide-eyed expression right before she was pulled out of sight.  It took a moment for the cellist to completely take in what had just occurred.

“Um…w-well, then.  I…I suppose that I…wouldn’t be against such a thing, honestly.  And we shouldn’t disappoint our spouses, of course,” Octavia stammered, a blush evident through the grey of her fur, though there was no signal of discomfort from that emotion-sensing collar Fireflare had given them the night before.  “So, uh…here? I mean, we’re behind closed doors, but still…”

~~~~~~

“…I understand, Moonshine-sama.  I have done something foolish, and will do a better job at restraining my emotions for the next…uh, couple of years to a decade, dependin’ on how Flare develops.  Until then, know that I both respect your judgement, and also would never intentionally cause emotional trauma to your lil’ bro.  This is…well, I guess it’s an awkward sitch for all of us, so thanks for…y’know, makin’ valid points without yellin’ and callin’ me foolish, I guess.”

Tempo gave one more respectful bow towards the colt that had been having a really unusual day so far, and then turned towards her favourite sparring partner.  “A’ight, ya punk!  Hope you enjoyed your break, ‘cause it’s only gonna get tougher from ‘ere on!  BANZAI!”

~~~~~~

“Oh, this is…good, I think,” Pitch commented, as the characters in the game were sent out of the bonus level and back to the main path. “Getting all of those emeralds unlocks…I want to say ‘the final level’?  Perhaps just an extra cutscene following the last boss’ defeat, since collecting such trinkets during the chaos of multiplayer is usually quite a feat.”

The four children progressed onward in the game, and after a bit of semi-uncomfortable silence, Reverb decided to talk more about something Star had recently said.  “So…yeah.  This is entertainment, a way t’distract yourself from the stress of reality while also testing skills like reflexes and hoof-eye coordination.  To give such a harsh punishment as a permanent death for checkin’ out something new, exciting, and dangerous rather…uh, sours the mood. Yeah.”

[askfireflare]

“No, probably not here. I mean, there’s a chance the kids could…”

Fireflare sighed. “Look… Wishing Star shouldn’t have done that. I mean, I was about to punt your wife’s head through a window, I’ll admit that, but the teasing was… absolutely the wrong ‘punishment’ for the situation and quite frankly she shouldn’t have brought you into it. She just reverts a bit to ‘sex goddess’ when she’s stressed… I’m pretty sure once she’s calmed down, she’ll realize what she did was wrong and apologize.”

The pegasus stood up. “That being said, for the moment she is a quote unquote mistress and she takes that duty very seriously. So… we should probably head up to the bedroom and, uh, yeah.” With an awkward glance behind her, the pegasus walked toward the living room door and opened it. “…After you?”

~~~~~~

Solar Flare took the charge with a firm stance, whipping up his forelegs in a block and quickly moving them about to counter the filly’s blows. Moonshine rolled his eyes, walking up to the porch and taking a seat to watch.

At this time, Wishing Star and Vinyl Scratch burst through the front door, the brown unicorn grinning like a maniac. “Well, it looks like our kids are sparring again. Moonshine, dear, how are things out here?”

“They’re fine now…” the grey colt allowed. “They got weird a little earlier, but… Uh…”

He fidgeted a bit. “…Miss Scratch, you may want to give Tempo that same talk that Mom and Madre tried to give me.”

Wishing Star, still smiling, turned her gaze toward her son. “…What.”

“…Cause, you know, I’m pretty sure I screwed it up.”

“…What.”

“…See, I kinda found them, you know, kissing, except I think she was kissing him–”

Wishing Star sat down and facehooved, her smile gone. “Wow, okay. We really screwed up this time.”

~~~~~~

“I, uh, don’t really get into video games that much,” Comet Trail admitted. “I mean, I can see the appeal and all, I just… there’s a lot of stuff that goes on in them and around them and it can get just so… overwhelming, you know? Not just playing the games, but keeping up with all the ponies that talk about them and the various strategies they come up with and… it’s all so complicated.”

“A combination of artistic expression, technological innovation, and sports-like competition,” Glory Star mused as her character effortlessly devastated a group of angry salamanders. “It really does contribute to a vast and complicated culture… although, sadly, so many corporations go for mass shallow rather than distribute the deep possibility.”

[end-ark-theatre]

With a nod, Octavia accepted Fireflare’s polite gesture and left the room, though she did turn her head back briefly to talk. “Apology accepted...in advance, I suppose.  ‘To err is pony’, as the philosophers say, and there are certainly more...’volatile’ ways of dealing with stress.  Hopefully, it’s just a matter of socializing more with others until she can properly...handle herself.”

~~~~

For a while, Vinyl had been stunned.  Star’s closeness, her authoritative tone, how she had alluded to what the loves of their lives would be doing before pulling a 180 and pulling her along...the DJ, usually the most brash pony in the household, was honestly blushing from it all.  But now, that blush was gone...and Vinyl was still stunned, but for an entirely different reason.

“What.”

She turned her head to the side.  Vinyl saw Tempo who apparently already had a crush that her momma didn’t know about seriously how had she MISSED THAT defend against the counter, and continuing the assault against a colt so much younger than you like for Celestia’s sake Tempo what the heck are you THINKING where did we go wrong if this isn’t puppy love then he’d better at least like wubs with some hoof smacks instead of trying to find another avenue of attack.  The DJ then faced Moonshine again.

“What.”

~~~~

“Eh, it’s a hobby,” Reverb muttered while assisting Glory, and while Pitch did her best to simply keep up; the polite sibling was struggling as much as Comet at times.  “Different ponies say it’s an addiction, an art form, a menace, a tool for intelligence and recovery, a material that’s going to crash thanks corporate greed...but at the end of the day, at least it all provides a fun memory or two.”

[end-ark-theatre]

Fireflare and Wishing Star both glared at the disembodied unicorn head. The pegasus actually stood up–

–but Wishing Star held out a hoof and stopped her with a wicked grin. “You know, pet, part of being a mistress is handing out punishments when the pets are acting up. It’s all an exercise in good training, really.”

The brown unicorn rose, her hips sashying as she gripped the head gently in her forehooves. “So…” she breathed over Vinyl’s horn, “here’s what’s going to happen.”

With utmost gentleness, she lifted the white head and leaned into the DJ’s chest, sliding the neck through the collar with that same, wicked smirk. “Octavia,” she murmured breathily, “is going to endure the tender, sweet mercies of my dear Fireflare.” Her hoof trailed from Vinyl’s shoulder down her foreleg. “You… and I, meanwhile….”

She grabbed Vinyl’s Fetlock and suddenly dragged her into a standing position. “We’re going to check on the kids!” Wishing Star chirped brightly, tugging her out of the room. “Bye you two, Fireflare nothing above third level!” The doors slammed shut behind the two unicorns.

There was an awkward moment.

“Okay, just so you know,” Fireflare finally said, “she was completely serious. And she can, you know, kinda tell if we haven’t, uh…”

~~~~~~

Moonshine sighed, dragging a hoof down his face. “Look, even if you do have a crush on him, I don’t know if he can return those feelings. Like, at all. I mean, maybe he’s able to, I dunno, but–argh.”

He stared at the sky for a few seconds.

“Okay, okay. How about this. You two can hang out or whatever, and I don’t know, when he’s like eight maybe you can start kinda dating? I… no, that wouldn’t work… My point is, puberty. Puberty is when things get serious, because of… things. At least I think that’s what it’s called–no, what I’m saying is, I don’t think… I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to take two kids in love seriously, because, uh, you’re kids. So…”

He frowned. “I’m really not getting this across well. OKAY. What I mean is, just… just don’t expect anything grown-up from a kiddie relationship. If it lasts long enough, maybe it works, but… he’s five, so just… know that, right?”

Solar Flare rolled his eyes. “Are you two done talking over there? That pooka thing put yakity sax on, and you know what happens when he does that!”

~~~~~~

“I received no help from the fae in this endeavor,” Glory Star replied quietly. “I simply… have my reasons.”

“She can be stubborn when it comes to secrecy,” Comet Trail confided, accidentally jumping her character into a pit of boiling pudding. “Oh! Did… did I lose–oh, wait, there I am…”

“The deaths presented in this game are both less painful and less permanent than reality’s version, as an inherent property of a property meant to challenge. And I just found the hidden emerald.”

Octavia blinked, then blinked again.  Vinyl and Wishing Star’s departure had been...rather quick, and...somewhat intimate?  Even the DJ, who usually acted brash and in charge of things, had a submissive wide-eyed expression right before she was pulled out of sight.  It took a moment for the cellist to completely take in what had just occurred.

“Um...w-well, then.  I...I suppose that I...wouldn’t be against such a thing, honestly.  And we shouldn’t disappoint our spouses, of course,” Octavia stammered, a blush evident through the grey of her fur, though there was no signal of discomfort from that emotion-sensing collar Fireflare had given them the night before.  “So, uh...here? I mean, we’re behind closed doors, but still...”

~~~~~~

“...I understand, Moonshine-sama.  I have done something foolish, and will do a better job at restraining my emotions for the next...uh, couple of years to a decade, dependin’ on how Flare develops.  Until then, know that I both respect your judgement, and also would never intentionally cause emotional trauma to your lil’ bro.  This is...well, I guess it’s an awkward sitch for all of us, so thanks for...y’know, makin’ valid points without yellin’ and callin’ me foolish, I guess.”

Tempo gave one more respectful bow towards the colt that had been having a really unusual day so far, and then turned towards her favourite sparring partner.  “A’ight, ya punk!  Hope you enjoyed your break, ‘cause it’s only gonna get tougher from ‘ere on!  BANZAI!”

~~~~~~

“Oh, this is...good, I think,” Pitch commented, as the characters in the game were sent out of the bonus level and back to the main path. “Getting all of those emeralds unlocks...I want to say ‘the final level’?  Perhaps just an extra cutscene following the last boss’ defeat, since collecting such trinkets during the chaos of multiplayer is usually quite a feat.”

The four children progressed onward in the game, and after a bit of semi-uncomfortable silence, Reverb decided to talk more about something Star had recently said.  “So...yeah.  This is entertainment, a way t’distract yourself from the stress of reality while also testing skills like reflexes and hoof-eye coordination.  To give such a harsh punishment as a permanent death for checkin’ out something new, exciting, and dangerous rather...uh, sours the mood. Yeah.”

[end-ark-theatre]

Oh trust me, Vinyl was making so much more than an ass of herself. The only reason Wishing Star held Fireflare back was because she didn't know what she was talking about. Also, yeah, Moonshine is totally lost at what to say.

mwpriddypinkie, I’m 99% this was sent by you, and I’m guessing that you being on Anon was a mistake.  Just wanted to let you know that I did read your reply, and will do my best to continue things when I can concentrate on it.

By the way, to everyone else: if you are interested in my writing, and want to see if I’m good at portraying characters, I recommend glancing through my RP blog at end-ark-theatre.  At the very least, if you’re a fan of my old Octavia Reads blog and are kinda ticked off that it hasn’t updated for months, you should be glad to know that some of my main ‘personas’ on that RP blog are of the OctaScratch family, including their offspring as (mostly) intelligent kids.

EDIT: It took me a few days to catch up on things, and to realize that this ask was sent to my RP account. So, I guess anyone reading it has already been checking out my RP blog, and I didn’t need to advertise it. Sorry!

[end-ark-theatre]

Wishing Star frowned. “Our past decisions have…. very little to do with the matter.”

“…maybe I should talk to my mother,” Fireflare said quietly. “She’d probably know how to… well, at least she’d have an… you know?”

The brown unicorn managed a wry, humorless chuckle. “Are you projecting, Fireflare?”

“…maybe a little, but… this is a serious thing.”

~~~~~~

“….I’m five,” Solar Flare pointed out. “And we’re both blank flanks!” he added. “I mean, I–This is–I have no idea how to handle this!”

“OOOOOOkaaaaaaay,” Moonshine intoned, walking up to Tempo and grabbing her shoulder, “this situation looks like it calls for a little Ol’ Bro’ intervention, whatnot, so, uh, Solar, could you maybe sit on the porch while I have a private chat with Tempo here?”

He didn’t wait for a reply as he dragged the filly a short distance away. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, though, he turned on her with a small scowl. “It’s obvious that you had something planned here, so don’t even bother trying to deny it. What exactly did you want to happen with my brother?”

~~~~~~

“Why are the ketchup bottles walking?” Comet Trail jumped her character over one, landing on a floating ledge and running past a glowing box– “Ah! My character is flashing silver, is that bad?!”

“It means you can throw forks now.”

“…Glory, you know an awful lot about this game….”

The other pegasus walljumped her character into what looked like a sun in the background. “I have my reasons.”

“I feel as though we are definitely missing some vital information here,” Octavia commented, “but I suppose that cannot be helped.  If your gut instinct is to seek out family over unprepared comrades, then that is probably the best path for you to follow.”

“Even though all this dartin’ ‘round the subject is making it sound like really juicy info that just gets more appealin’ the more you guys talk ab-”

Vinyl was then interrupted by Octavia putting her hoof on Vinyl’s mouth...well, at least an attempt to.  The DJ decided to be playful and lick it, eliciting a giggle from her spouse as the hoof was quickly withdrawn.

~~~~~~

Okay, so this was bad.  Getting pulled away from Flare helped Tempo realize just what she’d done.  She was supposed to be a master of stealth and secrecy; a shadow in the night that was not weighed down by emotional ties!  And yet, here she was, getting the stink-eye from Flare’s big bro.  Yep, this was definitely bad.

After taking another few seconds to consider how more awkward things could probably get, she tried to face Moonshine. But, she couldn’t look him in the eye, and instead she lowered her head in shame.  “A thousand pardons, Moonshine-sama.  The life of a ninja is a lonely one...and by that, I mean that your lil’ bro’s the first pony to actually take me seriously about it.  They don’t say it, but I get the feelin’ that my own ‘rents and sibs think it’s just some phase, and I’ll eventually find a more borin’ way of gettin’ a flank-mark.  But Flare is just as focused on his dream as I am on mine, and...and...well, just what kind of age limit is there ‘posed to be to start havin’ a crush?  Do I hafta hold it in an’ wait until we’re both adults, an’ a few years’ diff don’t mean diddly-squat, until confessin’ that I might like ‘im as more than just a sparrin’ partner?”

~~~~~~

“It’s apparently that Magmatron’s fault, Comet.  I think I read somewhere that he enchanted regular condiments to ruin the Waffle Kingdom’s main resource...or was it that he built the giant bottles of ketchup with mad science technology?  Either way, ketchup on waffles is...not a good taste combination.”

“But the more important question,” Reverb said, as the current level faded away and the word ‘BONUS’ appeared on the screen, “is what Glory’s ‘resources’ are?  I mean, I’m not gonna complain since we’re workin’ together here, but I sure wouldn’t mind some fae voice in my head helpin’ me find sweet extras from time to time.”

[end-ark-theatre]

“No. Yes. Maybe.” Wishing Star frowned. “It’s not my alter ego that’s important to the situation.”

Fireflare coughed. “She was… Dark Star did kind of…”

“Yes, I know, hon. I know. But that’s not the point.”

“…actually, I’m not sure if we should be talking about this. I mean no offense,” the pegasus added as she turned to the other mares, “but it’s kind of–”

“On the other hoof, they’re fairly normal,” Wishing Star pointed out. “Maybe they could give us some advice on how to handle–?”

“I don’t know if normal is a good source of advice here, and besides they can juggle their heads–!”

~~~~~~

Solar Flare was unable to think straight for a while. Lips touching–did that mean that mean he was married to Tempo now?! Wait, no, they had to have a wedding first–was this good? It didn’t feel bad, it was weird, she was a friend, not a–

“Uh….”

At Moonshine’s utterance, the smaller colt pushed himself off the filly with a sudden gasp. “I, I don’t, she just–!” His eyes went wide, and he gave the filly a pointed look. “Did you plan that?!”

Moonshine held up a hoof. “Er–”

“I mean, I didn’t–I’m not angry, I think, but–er, what I mean is, I’m just… curious. Yes. Curious.”

The Pooka stood on its boombox, hissing laughter echoing throughout the yard.

~~~~~~

“WELCOME TO BLARZIPAN, HOME OF THE WAFFLE KINGDOM. THE EVIL MAGMATRON HAS KIDNAPPED THE PRINCESSES! AND ALSO THE EMERGENCY BACKUP PRINCESSES! NOW IT IS UP TO A CREW OF MECHANICS TO SAVE HER!”

Comet Trail raised her eyebrow. “…how old is this game?”

Glory Star shrugged. “Sometimes nonsense makes the most sense. Oh, we’re starting. Do watch out for those walking ketchup bottles.”

“Juggle?  Missy, I don’t know where you come from, but jugglin’s no fun unless you have at least one more ball than ya got hooves,” Vinyl replied, as she pulled off her own head and scratched an itch that had suddenly manifested on the back of it.  Perhaps she and Octy had done some...really, really outrageous things involving science and magic back in the day, but there were good memories tied to those things, so the DJ didn’t let any semi-snide comments drag her down.

With a roll of her eyes, Octavia decided to take control of the situation.  “Well now, if we can temporarily put aside unusual abilities that may or not be spitting in the face of a laypony’s deity of choice, I honestly cannot say with certainty that we could be of any more help to you two.  But, if you wish for an honest and trustworthy reply to your current conundrum, Vinyl and I can still try our best.  Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Aww, yeah, that’s the spot....I mean, uh, yeah. Totally can tell you stuff without unfairly judgin’ your past decisions.”

~~~~~~

While still on her back, Tempo decided to go the route of plausible deniability, instead of admitting that she had angled her head a certain way on purpose before they collided.  Or letting the brothers know that she had a nice chat about ways to get close to Flare while cleaning up from the Downy incident.

“Plan?  PLAN?!”  Tempo’s eyes locked onto Flare as she righted herself, and got back onto her hooves.  “Are you insinuating, lil’ guard colt, that in the middle of a combat scenario, I would purposely endanger myself by allowing you to flip me into a...a smooch?  Why, that just sounds reckless and preposterous!  And...okay, so maybe we’re both already familiar with reckless and preposterous things ‘appening regularly. But some things just happen!  And after they happen, you’ve just got to accept that it happened, and be brave enough to decide what to do with the results!”

With that said, which should perfectly absolve her of any connection to the idea of her purposely making out with a slightly younger pony, Tempo took a deep breath.

“...So...uh...you wanna...go...out...for pizza some time?  Or, uh...something.”

~~~~~~

“Oh, ketchup, my old foe.  You chose to go against all that is right and just, soiling poor innocents with your staining red substance.  But you shall rue the day that you have messed with us, for we shall vanquish thee, spread thine remains over our hayburgers, and devour your-”

“Eh, don’t mind Pitch right now,” Reverb interrupted, defeating one of the bottles with a single press of a button.  “Very first game in this series was one of the very first games she tried.  Lost all of her lives to the first enemy and had to restart before figurin’ out the controls.  Still holds a bit of a grudge.”

“...Least I could still eat ketchup.  You swore to never eat beansprouts again after a certain boss foiled you one too many times.”

“I got over it!  ...Eventually.”

[end-ark-theatre]

-

[askfireflare]

Wishing Star rolled her eyes. “I’m not doubting your passion, pet. I got to see your passion first hoof last night. And this morning. And in the shower. And it’s quite a bit of passion.” She shrugged. “It’s just that raw talent can never outmatch practice and training.”

Fireflare suddenly groaned. “Oh frick… Starry, we screwed up.”

“What?”

“With Moonshine. About…” She sighed, gesturing at herself. “You know.”

Wishing Star’s eyes widened. “Oh. Oh yes, that. We were rather intense, weren’t we?”

“Yeah, when we do eventually tell him, he’s gonna freak.”

“Well… maybe he’ll be mature enough to handle it by then?”

~~~~~~

Let us now take a moment to consider the laws of physics.

Two objects are hurtling toward each other. The one is larger, but is hurtling up. The other is hurtling down, and has less mass. Oh, and both objects are somewhat anchored to the ground–the smaller one, less so, because the rest of its body is still charging at the rest of the body of the larger one. In the end, the additional forces behind the smaller object are enough to overpower the larger one, although the larger one is still somewhat able to direct the resultant motion due to stronger anchorage and the element of surprise.

The end result, therefore, is a very surprised small colt atop a slightly larger filly, with the added emphasis that their lips happen to be locked.

There is the additional fact that the Pooka is able to switch the music from battle to romantic without blinking an eye.

This is the situation that Moonshine walked in on. He stopped, staring at them for a few seconds in stunned silence, the words of his parents still bouncing through his skull.

~~~~~~

“Um…” Comet looked through the list. “This… Hark character seems kind of cute.”

“I believe he is the most compatible with your playstyle and mindset,” Glory Star agreed. “As for myself, I shall select Wanderban.”

“What kind of a name is Wanderban?”

“The kind that comes with a character rated ‘expert.’

[end-ark-theatre]

Octavia was about to reassure the couple, telling them that regardless of whatever new information they may need to express in the future, that they would now be prepared to give such talks.  Vinyl, however, was a tad more...dense, in this regard.  Perhaps she was still too focused on competing with Star to truly pay attention earlier. And unfortunately, it was the DJ that spoke up first. “Forget what, again?  We covered rape, incest, adult fun time...oh, wait, is this an alter ego thing?  It’s totes an alter ego thing, innit?”

~~~~~~

Tempo’s eyes immediately widened.  Here she was.  With Flare.  Kissing.

Okay, so...think, Tempo, think.  Look around and evaluate your surroundings.  This situation was...not horrible, to be honest.  The music was...unexpected, but nice.  Moonshine...eh, it didn’t really matter, but having an audience didn’t really help right now.

So.  Now what?  She could push Flare off...being the larger one of the two...but...well, she didn’t want to send the wrong message.  Not that this was really the best way of sending a right message, if you could call this that...

Ultimately, Tempo decided to wait until Flare broke off the kiss, which would probably be followed by a cry of ‘cooties’ and then some petty squabbling to save face in front of the guy’s bro.  That could work.  If that’s what Flare wanted.  Really, Tempo wouldn’t complain about staying like this even longer...

~~~~~~

“Expert?  For your first time ever with this game?  ...Well, knowin’ your luck, you’ll probably be fine, but speak up if you end up wantin’ to switch.  Now, me, I’m goin’ with Raistlin...”

“And...oh, I’ll just pick some ‘novice’,” declared Pitch, selecting such a character, not really caring much about the backstory behind it.  “And with that, I suppose we can finally begin.”

[end-ark-theatre]

-

[askfireflare]

Moonshine nodded. “And all those other times that you brought other people into your ‘happyfun times’…?”

“Presents,” Wishing Star said simply. “From Fireflare to me. I… am a little bit insaitiable, to be honest. It’s not healthy,” she added quickly, “it’s a side effect of my own trauma, but it does help me cope. You should, when the time rolls round, figure out your own level of how much you want, and talk it out with your partner.”

“Alright then. Well… this has been strange,” Moonshine quipped as he stood up, “but from what you said I’m guessing I would have gotten this chat sometime soon anyway, so… yeah, okay.” He shrugged. “I’m going to go… check on Solar Flare. He’s probably snogging Tempo while he can.”

Fireflare rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure he isn’t.”

“Hey, you never know.” With that, the gray unicorn walked out of the room, leaving the four adults to sit in awkward silence.

Which was broken by Wishing Star. “I am better at it, you know.”

Fireflare groaned. “Yes, we know… Seriously, though, how much did we screw that up?”

~~~~~~

Solar Flare charged at Tempo, reared up, and slammed his forehooves at her face. Was it a simple move? Yes. But it was also a powerful one. The Pooka, constantly grinning, watched on.

~~~~~~

“Okay, so… is this one of those ‘just go right’ kind of games?” Comet Trail asked, grabbing a spar controller in her wings.

“Actually, the box advertises a ‘three-dimensional multiplayer gravity-based experience,” Glory Star replied.

“Oh. So… it should be easy for us, since we’re pegasi.”

“Indubitably.”

[end-ark-theatre]

“Eh, you have skills.  Better than mine at times, even.  I’ll give ya that much, but don’t ya dare think that my passion for the art’s any less than yours,” Vinyl spat, focused more on Star’s last comment than the more pressing matter.  “PB&J?  Please; I could at least make one heckuva Blueberry Lemon Phyllo Parcel even without your tutelage...and yes, I do know how to actually make that outside of bedroom metaphors.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, sincerely hoping that this wouldn’t lead to yet another competition with semi-embarrassing results. “Right, yes, we’ll lend you the recipe sometime.  Back to the main point, I do believe that you two did just fine.  Despite your personal histories, you presented the matter without a strong bias one way or another.  I believe Moonshine successfully understands the high risk of pursuing such intimacy too quickly, while still learning that it is a natural component of life that can also lead to closer relationships.  I’m glad that we were here to help deal with some tangents, but ultimately, I think that things went well.  Perhaps you won’t even need us for your next foal...”

“Yep.  And hey, if y’ever need to tack on some extra addendum like buyin’ condoms or masturbation,” Vinyl added, “lil’ Moony’s going to be much more acceptin’ and willing to learn than he was before today.”

~~~~~~

This was it!  A moment that could decide the entire battle!  If Tempo missed and got a pounding straight to the noggin, or if she could disable Flare in the process, then one of them would surely be too disoriented to effectively fight for the rest of the battle!  Willing to take the ultimate risk, Tempo waited until the last possible second before moving her head around Flare’s hooves, and using her incredible closeness to her opponent to strike with a MIGHTY HEADBUTT!

...Well, not an effective mighty headbutt.  She was angling her head upwards, instead of down.  Leading with her mouth instead of her forehead...and aiming towards Flare’s...okay, either this was an extremely unusual disorienting technique, or Tempo was about to let her emotions get the better of her and straight-up kiss the poor colt.

~~~~~~

“Well, do remember that there are still limits on what can be replicated through modern technology,” Pitch spoke up.  She would have said more, focusing on the importance of the medium to present an environment that could be enjoyed by all without being biased towards particular characteristics, but it wasn’t exactly a lengthy process for Reverb to select a new file for them all to play with.

“Alright, folks, it’s time for the most nerve-wracking, strenuous point of the game...who wants to be what character?  Okay, okay, so maybe I’m oversellin’ it, but it’s always a lil’ painful to not be able to play as who you want to.”

[end-ark-theatre]

-

[askfireflare]

“So… that’s… all I can think of, really,” Fireflare finished lamely. “Oh! Don’t go looking for explanatory images, most of that is–designed to induce sexual longing. Textbooks should be fine though.”

“Not my textbooks though,” Wishing Star amended.

“Oh, definitely NOT her textbooks.” The pegasus nodded in agreement. “Trust me, those are… well, uh, do you have any questions?”

Moonshine tapped his chin. “…Okay, so… I’m assuming that sex is part of your adult happy fun time–”

“Basically all of it,” Wishing Star admitted readily.

“–and I’m assuming that it’s not something you’re going to ask me to join–”

“Incest!” Fireflare cried, facehooving. “Totally forgot about incest. It’s both wrong and illegal to have sex with anyone you’re biologically related to, especially directly.”

“–so I’m guessing that the collars that everyone but Mom is wearing is somehow a part of this…?”

Fireflare coughed. “Well… yes, but they’re not, uh, directly necessary–”

“Let me put it this way,” Wishing Star interrupted. “There’s food, which is stuff you eat, and then there’s food culture, which is preparation, organization of dishes on tables, the expected appearance of the chefs, how the diners should behave, the variety of tools that can be used in the kitchen, a few hundred unique recipes…. Similarly, there’s sex, and then there’s sex culture. In this metaphor, I am a famous five-star chef at a high-class restaurant, Fireflare is my loyal assistant slash apprentice, Octavia knows how to make an omelette at home, and Vinyl has just graduated from eating grass to making a PB&J sandwich.” She grinned broadly. “Basically, these two asked us to teach them a few tricks.”

~~~~~~

Solar Flare’s eyes narrowed as he bent down, intending to tackle the charging filly–but he ended up swinging his head as Tempo rolled around, trying to use her brief instability to push her into an unbalanced position! The narrator put on some suitably epic background music as the two unicorns battled for no readily apparent reason.

Well, actually, it was the pooka who put on the background music, but that was a minor detail.

~~~~~~

“This multiplayer sidescrolling platformer seems decently nonsensical,” Glory Star declared as she pulled one of the cases out.

“…what are those supposed to be?” Comet Trail asked, looking at the cover.

“They look like spherical fairy carpenters,” Glory Star replied. “I think this is an old video game franchise that gets away with its weirdness due to its fundamental nature.

[end-ark-theatre]

“Glare.  Hiss.  Grrr.”

“Oh, don’t mind Vinyl’s onomatopoeia,” Octavia spoke, before her partner could let out a ‘humph’ or a ‘leer’.  “There is simply a fair bit of rivalry between her and Star when it comes to this aspect of life.  Vinyl’s actually been, well, fairly pleasing on a regular basis since the honeymoon...”

Vinyl decided to stand up at this point, giving Octavia a lot more room on the chair.  “So, we all good now?  Any more Q’s or A’s?  ‘Cause, y’know, other than that last bit, I’d say that we’re fairly solid.”

~~~~~~

Flare’s gambit worked. Tempo had to be fairly close to actually accomplish anything with her roll to the side, and hadn’t factored in just how far the colt could swing his head.  She felt the nudge, and was pushed further than she would’ve liked.  Still, it wasn’t a difficult situation to recover from; she pushed against the ground with her kickers, and ended up standing on her forehooves.  It was a silly pose, perhaps, but it gave her enough control to swing around and face Flare before gravity dropped her back to a four-legged position.

She was a little scuffed up, and her opponent less so, but the little ninja was mostly prepared for whatever the future guard pulled next.  And dang, that Pooka had really good taste in music.  Really invigorating stuff!

~~~~~~

Reverb quickly recalled memories of playing that game, and while its simultaneous multiplayer could get chaotic, it was still enjoyable to work through things together.  “A’ight, sounds good!  Let’s pop it in ‘n play!”

And so, the game-loving filly obtained the case from her guests, took the disc contained within it, popped it into the appropriate console, and got ready to have a good time.

[end-ark-theatre]

-

[askfireflare]

Fireflare blinked. “Right. Okay, so… some possible side effects of sex include foals–”

“But only between reproductive pairs, such as a male and a female.”

“Right, and–”

“Hold on,” Moonshine interrupted. “You’re all mares. I thought that meant you were all female? How can you have kids?”

The pegasus rolled her eyes. “We, ah, have magical trinkets that let us ‘switch equipment’ as it were.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

“Other side effects,” Fireflare continued, “include a variety of personal and highly embarrassing diseases–which you can only get if your partner has them, so it might be good to check–and, well, just… exhaustion. Physically.”

“Really, you could find that sort of thing in a textbook,” Wishing Star pointed out.

“…I suppose… Anyway, the whole point is, this is a serious part of anypony’s life, and also a very ordinary one. Er, not ordinary. Regular, that’s a good word. It happens to… almost everyone.”

“Okay. Um…” Moonshine nodded slowly. “So… I know I should only do sex with ponies I trust, and who consent. I’m guessing it’s possible to not do that?”

Fireflare’s eyes hardened. “Yes. Sex without consent is called rape. The perpetrator forces the victim to stay close even if they struggle. It’s worse then murder.”

“And sex without trust is usually a sign of an abusive relationship,” Wishing Star added, “which tends to lead to… very bad situations.” Her eyes grew distant as she contemplatively rubbed her neck.

Moonshine gulped. “I… see. Did… I say something wrong?”

Instantly Fireflare’s eyes softened. “Oh, nonono. No. You’re right to ask, because if you didn’t you wouldn’t know, it’s just–”

“Before I met your madre,” Wishing Star managed, “I was… put through a number of bad situations. I’m… quite honestly, still a mess, but when she found me I was almost completely broken. We tend to react strongly when we think about… that sort of thing.” She smiled awkwardly. “Part of why we wanted the other adults here.”

~~~~~~

The end result of the first strike was essentially that Tempo kicked Solar’s foreleg, while Solar managed to land a decent punch on Tempo’s ankle. Wincing with pain, Solar Flare growled at the filly as she landed. “Too much showing off, not enough substance.” He started circling in the opposite direction, eyes on the flighty unicorn. “Put some distance between us, I see…”

~~~~~~

“Do you…” Comet Trail looked over the collection of games. “Do you play all of these regularly? Or… just to completion? Or what?”

Glory Star walked over to the stack of multi-player games and simply started sorting through them, her discerning eye eliminating any that her sister would not prefer.

[end-ark-theatre]

Octavia...didn’t really feel the need to speak up.  She gave a nod of approval with Wishing Star’s last sentence, but this part of The Talk was going much more smoothly.  Moonstar had thankfully not asked further about the state of his own existence as the offspring of mares, and despite their particular history with the term, Star and Fireflare were not being overly harsh with the subject of how to avoid abuse.  Barring any unforeseen questions, it appeared that the rest of the conversation should be going smoothly.

Vinyl, now somewhat bored, was simply holding her two hooves up and looking at them funny, to achieve a ‘floating sausage’ visual effect.

~~~~~~

Tempo quickly shook her hoof after successfully landing, hoping to get rid of some of the sting left by the impact.  “Hey, if you’d prefer me goin’ super-unicorn on ya and just warpin’ willy-nilly, instead of some kick-ass flips, just say so.  My fault for givin’ ya a sportin’ chance, I guess.”

The filly quickly took account of her surroundings.  There was still room behind her to dodge, if needed.  But that advantage wouldn’t last forever, especially if Solar maneuvered her into backing up against the manor.  Given that Solar had already made one move, it would be easier to make another, so trying to bait him once again would just be a waste of both of their time.  Ultimately, she decided to charge straight forward, as fast as a filly that wanted to be a ninja could.  The plan was to pretend to go for a head-on attack, but then roll to the side and hit whatever seemed most vulnerable.  An actual direct attack seemed foolish, and trying to flip or teleport completely behind Solar would probably lead straight to a painful counter.

~~~~~~

“Well, our moms would have a fit if we spent a ton of bits on a game and then NOT eventually beat it.  Sure, we don’t ALWAYS beat a game before asking for a new one...it’s easy to get bored an’ lose focus if you feel forced to do somethin’...but there’s still a limit on how many unbeaten things we can own before gettin’ more,” Reverb tried to explain, her eyes not shifting from their gaze upon the video game collection.  She’d used the word ‘we’ a fair bit, which was technically accurate, but Pitch and Tempo usually trusted her judgement when it came to requesting games they’d enjoy.

“As for why so many games are still on these shelves...well, most of these provide forms of entertainment that can easily be revisited,” Pitch added in. “Activities such as the ‘New Game Plus’, or reaching a new high score. But for quite a few titles, it is simply quite hard to find a store that takes in previously-owned games and actually gives you a good deal.  So, we may as well just keep them in our collection until, perhaps, some distant relative becomes interested in Final Fantasy and we can pass these things on to them.“

It was seconds later that Reverb finished scanning the assorted digital entertainment, and levitated one more game onto the stack.  “...And there!  Whaddya think?”

[end-ark-theatre]

-

[askfireflare]

“That’s skipping ahead, Vinyl.” Wishing Star lightly bopped the other unicorn with her feather duster. “And that’s something I don’t want to encourage in any thing regarding sex.”

Fireflare lifted her head. “Okay! So, intimate exploration of each other’s bodies. That’s basically what sex is.”

“Very basically.”

“But we’re not here,” the pegasus growled, “to talk about what sex is. We’re supposed to talk about what sex means. Emotionally, and socially, and… things like that.”

Moonshine frowned. “I’m still a bit confused. What does pooping have to do with–”

“Wrong hole, kid.” Fireflare held up her hoof to cut off her wife. “And we’re not talking about the what anymore. We’re talking about the why, okay?”

Wishing Star nodded, sitting back. “Alright, Fireflare, go on.”

“Okay, so…. because sex is so intimate, you–actually, you shouldn’t do it at all. Not until you’re eighteen–”

“Fifteen.”

Fireflare looked at her wife. “What?”

“Fifteen,” she repeated. “The usual range of puberty is around thirteen years old, so he’ll be very confused handling the way his body changes and should wait until he’s more familiar with the new hormones before he tries to form opinions. On the flip side, waiting too long will make him unable to really process whatever it is he’s feeling, so he could easily rush into a bad relationship.”

She fanned herself with the duster. “I speak from experience, believe me.”

Fireflare stared at her for a moment. “…okay, fine. Fifteen. And even then, it should be with somepony you…” She paused for a moment. “I’m going to go with ‘trust,’ because technically love isn’t necessary for sex, but because it is such an intimate act it’s kind of expected.”

“You didn’t really plan this talk out did you?” Moonshine asked.

~~~~~~

“…You know, if you’re going to taunt me,” Solar Flare pointed out, “you really should think about what you’re saying. Because what you said doesn’t make any sense, and quite frankly I–”

Without warning he snapped forward, feinting a swing at her right foreleg before swiveling into an uppercut.

~~~~~~

“The real trick is to ensure that both players feel the need to work toward the same goal while making neither of them feel redundant,” Glory Star mused.

Comet Trail frowned. “Yes, well, until the game designers stop flooding the market with samey clones, it’s not likely we’ll get anything like that.”

[end-ark-theatre]

“They planned enough to have us here to assist, so I suppose their foresight could be worse,” Octavia told the child.  “Still, I suppose that all these tangents aren’t really of use to you...”

Octavia then straightened her posture, and attempted to ‘straighten out’ the other adults.  “Ladies!  Sex.  Very intimate.  Wait until your body can accept it.  Only do it with those that consent, and that you can trust.  Now that we’ve recapped your points, shall we continue with the talk?”

Vinyl, meanwhile, was going to say something about ‘wrong hole’ not being a descriptive enough term when it came to colts. But she quickly decided to just sulk instead, not wanting to be treated like a filly and get another inanimate Downy boop.

~~~~~~

Striking in the middle of a sentence, to try and catch her off-guard?  Clever indeed, but the execution was not quite swift enough.  Tempo quickly transitioned into a backflip to avoid the initial swing, and attempted to kick Flare with her hind legs in the process.  The uppercut would graze her, but she’d at least give as good as she got, and once again be a safe distance from her foe once the flip was done.

~~~~~~

Pitch agreed with what was said, and had nothing more to add to the conversation.  It was fortunate, then, that they reached the triplets’ bedroom at that point in time.  It was a tad messier than usual, mainly as a precaution in case Wishing Star reanimated Downy again before leaving.  The area with Pitch’s egg was immaculate, however, just in case anything left haphazardly lying around could possibly lead to unforeseen consequences.

Oh, and over in a corner was Reverb, so distracted with pulling out games that she didn’t even notice the others enter the room.  She had made a decent stack of multiplayer games at her side, and was still looking for more. But, as to be expected when one sibling loved entertainment technology more than the others, it seemed that most of her shelf contained single-player experiences.  How fortunate that her parents were successful, well-paid musicians...

[roles-to-play-blog]

Once upon a time, Rarity dreamed that she was a blank canvas. But then Swift Sketch appeared, with a brush dipped in ink. With a few twists of her hoof, Swift had drawn the unicorn, who then jumped out of the canvas and into Swift's embrace. Ah, but the dream did not end there; Swift caressed her brush over the unicorn herself, the cool liquid giving her shivers as patterns were applied. Nearly all of her white coat soon tattooed, Swift's last stroke reached her privates, awakening her. The end!

“Wow uhm… T-that’s quite the dream huh?”

[end-ark-theatre]

“Indeed it was.  And if you ever wish to make it a reality, you know where you can find me, darling.  Oh, but do avoid leaving any permanent stains in the process...”

[askfireflare]

-

[end-ark-theatre]

Octavia merely sighed as Star quickly went down a tangent.  But Vinyl, finally realizing that she would have to play a larger role in this than moral support, decided to be a tad more vocal once the exchange had finished.  “S’yeah, two folks that’re compatible.  Get on with it!”

~~~~~~~

Tempo looked back at her opponent, giving a similar honorable bow.  She may have preferred stealth, but trying to pull something sneaky like a teleport this early on was just disrespectful.  Besides, reckless use of gimmicks and trickery had a habit of failing in past sparring sessions; it was far easier to wait for Flare to make the first move, and an opening in his defenses in the process.

~~~~~~~

Reverb’s ears picked up, even if parts of her face were still a tad droopy.  “Oh, video games? That’d be awesome!  I’ve got some kart racers, some brawlers, even a co-op blaster or two…you guys are gonna have a blast!”

The little filly then dashed out and towards the triplets’ bedroom, now eager to power up her console and pull out a few games from her collection.  Pitch merely rolled her eyes at the sight, and told the other kids to “Follow the bouncing ‘verb…”

[askfireflare]

“To be honest, I prefer the more… contemplative sorts of digital entertainment,” Glory Star replied. “Do not doubt that I know how the more visceral entries can be enjoyable–I’ve seen enough of my brothers playing, to be sure–but to see a digital medium provoke the same sort of thought that comes from merely observing reality is always an intriguing experience.”

“I, uh…” Comet Trail cleared her throat. “I don’t mind brawlers or anything, but… well, I don’t know. A lot of them seem so copy-paste….?”

~~~~~~~

“Right. So. When two or more individuals are attracted to each other, either romantically or physically, they will sometimes feel compelled to…” Fireflare blushed. “Uh… how do I put this–”

“Explore each other’s bodies,” Wishing Star provided.

“…that’s… a decent way of putting it, I guess.”

Moonshine frowned. “So, what… they poke each other a lot?”

“More like… rub against one another.”

“What, you mean like hugging?”

“No. Yes. No, I mean.” The pegasus twisted her hooves around each other. “Hugging is… anypony can hug another pony, and it just means they’re friends or something. Sex is more… close and… constant and… there’s a lot more going on, is what I’m trying to say.”

Moonshine frowned. “So…. like sparring, but full body instead of just hitting with hooves.”

“No!”

“It has been compared to wrestling,” Wishing Star pointed out.

Fireflare put her head in her hooves.

~~~~~~

Solar Flare raise his head, circling around Tempo carefully. It was tempting to be the first to strike, but that could give the filly an advantage. No, best to watch her closely, wait for an opening.

Although… a little taunting might cause her guard to slip…

“Ladies first,” he quipped.

[end-ark-theatre]

“Oh, you’re such a gentlecolt.  All the big city galls are gonna fall head over horeshoes for ya some day...’cause none of ‘em ‘re trained to see a joker comin’ from a mile away,” Flare’s opponent retorted, with a smirk.  “Just make yer move.”

Of course, if Flare insisted further, Tempo would have to strike first and give him the advantage...if only because she didn’t want to just stand around and banter for the rest of the dang match.

~~~~~~~

Octavia decided to chime in this time, not exactly disappointed with how the other adults were handling things, but unsure of what exactly they’d try to say next.  “It really...expresses itself in different forms, I believe.  Some ponies go their entire lives without ever wanting more from their loved ones that hug, and that’s fine.  But the majority of ponies, when they find someone to connect with, tend to show affection in...oh, how do I put this delic-”

“They’re talkin’ about using that part of your body that gives you a warm, tinglin’ sensation when you’re rubbin’ it in the shower, but in a way other than when you go potty.”

“VINYL!”

“What?  Someone had t’say it...an’ I knew you were never gonna, ya prissy...”

~~~~~~~

“It’s a shame there aren’t more contemplative forms of entertainment that also include multiplayer functions,” Pitch mused, as Reverb has gone too far ahead to really pay attention to the conversation.  “There’s that game with science-induced portals, I suppose, but attempts at coordination between multiple players is often far too unpredictable and chaotic to base meaningful challenges on.  It is far easier to build around competition than collaboration...though, Comet, I must agree with you that some extra innovation would be welcomed.  My sibling may be the gaming ‘expert’ in the family, but even I can see that too many companies are competing to be the ‘best’ at a certain genre and getting the most sales, rather than diversifying.”

[end-ark-theatre]

meowth

Dat’s right!