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/pj250/ Atmosphere

By Writefag_Roulette
Created: 2021-07-16 21:31:33
Updated: 2021-03-07 03:07:27
Expiry: Never
twilight sparkleocslice of lifesafeanonymous/pj250/pre-season 1

  1. 1.
    >there are no heroes in a punk rock band
  2. 2.
    >but damn if you don't feel like one
  3. 3.
    >the atmosphere is just right for it
  4. 4.
    >tonight, the band is Red Ring
  5. 5.
    >when the band is Red Ring, it's Sweet Heart on bass
  6. 6.
    >Green Hawk on drums
  7. 7.
    >Honeydew on lead vocals
  8. 8.
    >and you
  9. 9.
    >you're on lead guitar
  10. 10.
    >the fact that you never learned how to play guitar is, of course, no problem for you
  11. 11.
    >some might say the way your fingers strike the chords is random and haphazard
  12. 12.
    >but the ponies out there in the audience
  13. 13.
    >they get it
  14. 14.
    >they understand
  15. 15.
    >that randomness
  16. 16.
    >that chaos
  17. 17.
    >it's precisely what makes Red Ring worth watching
  18. 18.
    >as the night goes on, your hands find a simple melody that pleases you
  19. 19.
    >you spend the rest of the night experimenting with different variations on it, adjusting the sequence as your bandmates' music moves you
  20. 20.
    >unconstrained by the formality of meters and notes, what you're channeling is pure music
  21. 21.
    >pure power
  22. 22.
    >sure, it's true; when you step off this stage you'll be just a freakishly tall and bipedal lowlife
  23. 23.
    >but right now
  24. 24.
    >yeah
  25. 25.
    >you feel like a hero
  26. 26.
    >but no music, not even yours, can be completely without order
  27. 27.
    >every performance of every song is different, but the lyrics have to stay the same
  28. 28.
    >it's just not possible to go into a song as though you don't know how to sing
  29. 29.
    >and yes, you've tried
  30. 30.
    >the final words of the song pass through Honeydew's lips
  31. 31.
    >the song comes to an end
  32. 32.
    >you finish it off by repeating your melody one last time, striking the strings as hard as possible
  33. 33.
    >a climactic finale
  34. 34.
    >and then
  35. 35.
    >it's over
  36. 36.
     
  37. 37.
    >after the show, you find yourself in the bar area of the Kanterlot Klub
  38. 38.
    >your place on stage has been taken by a band called Spooky Parrot
  39. 39.
    >Hawk and Dew are making out in a corner
  40. 40.
    >Heart is laughing her ass off and surrounded by stallions
  41. 41.
    >and you
  42. 42.
    >you're just chilling by the bar
  43. 43.
    >your shitty drink in one hand and the band's beaten guitar propped up in the other
  44. 44.
    >it's moments like this
  45. 45.
    >the calm after a performance
  46. 46.
    >despite the surging life and sounds around you
  47. 47.
    >no, not despite it
  48. 48.
    >because of it
  49. 49.
    >the atmosphere is peace itself
  50. 50.
    >you take another sip from your battery acid flavored drink
  51. 51.
    >and then
  52. 52.
    >it happens
  53. 53.
    <"Um, excuse me."
  54. 54.
    "Hm?"
  55. 55.
    >you look down
  56. 56.
    >there's a little purple unicorn staring up at you with wide eyes
  57. 57.
    "What's up?"
  58. 58.
    <"I, um, well, I actually, you see, um-"
  59. 59.
    >Sweet Heart's voice cracks into you from across the bar like lightning
  60. 60.
    /"Yeah, Anon, get it!"
  61. 61.
    >the little unicorn looks down and begins to stammer twice as hard
  62. 62.
    <"Oh, I, um, I didn't mean, I didn't mean it like, I mean I'm not trying to-"
  63. 63.
    "Relax. She's just giving me shit."
  64. 64.
    >you pat the barstool next to yours
  65. 65.
    "You look like you wanna talk about something."
  66. 66.
    <"Yes, I um, I do."
  67. 67.
    >she clambers up onto the stool
  68. 68.
    >you swing around to face into the bar
  69. 69.
    >she, after hesitating for a moment, follows your lead
  70. 70.
    >the bartender is way down at the other end of the bar yelling at somebody over something
  71. 71.
    >for now, at least, you should be safe from too much attention
  72. 72.
    "So, what's up?"
  73. 73.
    >she takes a deep breath
  74. 74.
    <"Well, I don't mean to be terribly rude, but, um, what exactly are you?"
  75. 75.
    "Me? I'm lots of things. I'm a hard rocker, I'm a tender lover, I'm a starving artist, I'm a warrior poet, I'm a..."
  76. 76.
    >your voice trails off as the expression on the unicorn's face changes from wide-eyed and nervous to disdainful and cringing
  77. 77.
    <"Uh, no, that's what I mean. What I mean is-"
  78. 78.
    >she roughly prods your hand with her hoof
  79. 79.
    <"What. Are you?"
  80. 80.
    "Oh, that."
  81. 81.
    >you pick up your hand and stare at it for a moment
  82. 82.
    "We called ourselves humans back where I came from."
  83. 83.
    <"And where did you come from?"
  84. 84.
    >you shrug
  85. 85.
    "Dunno."
  86. 86.
    <"What? How can you not know?"
  87. 87.
    "I mean, I could describe it for you if you want, but I couldn't tell you how to get there. One second I was just some kid coming home from my first day at high school, the next second I was lost in downtown Canterlot. That was maybe, uh, ten-ish years ago."
  88. 88.
    <"You've been here for ten years?"
  89. 89.
    "More or less."
  90. 90.
    <"How come I never heard about you until yesterday?"
  91. 91.
    >you shrug
  92. 92.
    "Can't expect the band to get famous overnight."
  93. 93.
    <"No, I mean, you're a fascinating specimen."
  94. 94.
    "Hey, thanks. You're pretty interesting too."
  95. 95.
    <"I mean scientifically. There's no description of anything like you in any records I could find."
  96. 96.
    "Oh."
  97. 97.
    >you take another sip from your shitty drink
  98. 98.
    "Hey, just out of curiosity, who told you about me?"
  99. 99.
    >she frowns and gestures with her horn at a white unicorn with a pink mane, staring and giggling at you with couple other unicorn mares
  100. 100.
    "I see."
  101. 101.
    <"So I'd like to get some sort of description of you submitted to the scientific community if I can."
  102. 102.
    "What do I get out of it?"
  103. 103.
    <"Ten bits."
  104. 104.
    "Sold. When do we start?"
  105. 105.
    <"Uh, not right now. Where can I get a hold of you?"
  106. 106.
    "I'm... not sure, actually. I was planning on staying with some friends, but, uh..."
  107. 107.
    >Hawk and Dew's makeout session has gotten very hot and heavy
  108. 108.
    "I don't think they're gonna want any company tonight."
  109. 109.
    <"Wait. Do you not have a place to stay?"
  110. 110.
    "Eh, not exactly."
  111. 111.
    >the purple unicorn jumps down from the barstool and gestures at the exit with her horn
  112. 112.
    >a chorus of hoots and hollers erupts from throughout the Klub
  113. 113.
    >she ignores it
  114. 114.
    <"Stay with me tonight."
  115. 115.
    "Gee, lady, we don't even know each other's names."
  116. 116.
    <"I'm Twilight Sparkle, you're Anonymous. Let's go."
  117. 117.
     
  118. 118.
    >the next morning sees you descending the steps from some sort of library tower in uptown Canterlot, dead tired
  119. 119.
    >as you come around the corner, you spot the three unicorn mares who sent Twilight your way last night
  120. 120.
    /"Ah, this one's mine."
  121. 121.
    >Sweet Heart comes trotting from around the other corner
  122. 122.
    "Geez, Heart, were you camping here for me?"
  123. 123.
    /"Damn right. Now tell me everything."
  124. 124.
    >you shoot a sidelong glance at Twilight's friends
  125. 125.
    >and you get an idea
  126. 126.
    >you pull a small bag from your pocket and jingle it around a bit
  127. 127.
    "Got ten bits."
  128. 128.
    >Heart's jaw goes slack
  129. 129.
    /"She paid you for it?"
  130. 130.
    "Oh yeah."
  131. 131.
    >Twilight's friends unleash a scandalized gasp and dash up the stairs
  132. 132.
    >you grin at Sweet Heart
  133. 133.
    "She asked me a lot of questions about my biology, took a lot of notes, said she was gonna submit a paper to some science organization. The whole thing was strictly professional."
  134. 134.
    >Heart takes a second to digest this
  135. 135.
    >glances up the stairs
  136. 136.
    >and laughs
  137. 137.
    /"You're a dick, Anon."
  138. 138.
    "Yeah. We getting ready for the battle of the bands tonight?"
  139. 139.
    /"Uh, no? We never practice; you know that. It's not our way."
  140. 140.
    "I didn't mean practice. I meant dick around at Hawk and Dew's place til the show."
  141. 141.
    /"Oh. Yeah, totally. Let's go."
  142. 142.
     
  143. 143.
    >a few minutes later you're greeted at the door by a wild-eyed Green Hawk
  144. 144.
    >something's got him excited
  145. 145.
    >really excited
  146. 146.
    ~"Anon! Heart! Yo, what's up?"
  147. 147.
    "Sounds like we should be asking you that."
  148. 148.
    ~"Dude! Dew and I have got big news for you guys."
  149. 149.
    >Hawk looks over his shoulder and calls into his apartment
  150. 150.
    ~"Dew! Anon and Heart are here!"
  151. 151.
    >a call from within answers
  152. 152.
    _"Well, let them in!"
  153. 153.
    >Hawk gestures in with his wing
  154. 154.
    ~"Yo, come on in!"
  155. 155.
    >you and Heart follow Hawk inside, and he leads you to where his marefriend is sitting over a cup of tea at the breakfast table
  156. 156.
    >Honeydew smiles
  157. 157.
    _"Hi Heart, hi Anon. So, yeah, we've got some big news."
  158. 158.
    /"Well don't keep us waiting any longer, what is it?"
  159. 159.
    >Hawk and Dew share a sappy grin
  160. 160.
    >and Dew lifts her chin up a little
  161. 161.
    _"I'm pregnant."
  162. 162.
    ~"And we're getting married."
  163. 163.
    >you feel a big smile crack into your face
  164. 164.
    "Nice! That's awesome."
  165. 165.
    ~"Dude! I know!"
  166. 166.
    /"Uh."
  167. 167.
    >Heart falters
  168. 168.
    /"So are we still good for the battle of the bands tonight?"
  169. 169.
    >Hawk frowns
  170. 170.
    ~"Yeah. Yeah, we should be, right?"
  171. 171.
    >Dew cocks her head
  172. 172.
    _"I don't see why not."
  173. 173.
    /"Okay, but, um, what about, you know, later? In the future?"
  174. 174.
    >it dawns on you what Sweet Heart is getting at
  175. 175.
    "I mean, geez, we gotta let them live their lives, Heart."
  176. 176.
    >and then you see the realization hit the faces of Green Hawk and Honeydew:
  177. 177.
    >a baby is a lot of work
  178. 178.
    >more than likely too much work to be dicking around with an amateur punk rock band every night
  179. 179.
    _"Well, it doesn't have to be the end of the band, exactly."
  180. 180.
    ~"No, yeah, totally. We can still play sometimes. Just, uh, maybe not as much."
  181. 181.
    /"Yeah."
  182. 182.
    >a silence hangs over a kitchen for a moment
  183. 183.
    >and you feel the atmosphere
  184. 184.
    >and it feels all wrong
  185. 185.
    >so naturally
  186. 186.
    >you do something to fix it
  187. 187.
    "I mean, shit, you guys, what the hell are you getting upset about? You guys are having a baby. This is great!"
  188. 188.
    >Honeydew breaks back into a smile first
  189. 189.
    _"It is, isn't it?"
  190. 190.
    "Hell yeah. We've all had each other's backs for, what, ten years now? I don't see how something as awesome as that could ever ruin what we've got."
  191. 191.
    >smiles break out in the kitchen again
  192. 192.
    >and the atmosphere becomes just right
  193. 193.
     
  194. 194.
    >that night sees you hanging out once more in the bar area of the Kanterlot Klub
  195. 195.
    >the battle of the bands is over
  196. 196.
    >Red Ring got second place
  197. 197.
    >and that
  198. 198.
    >is pretty cool
  199. 199.
    >Green Hawk and Honeydew are sitting in the corner sharing a soda
  200. 200.
    >the winners of the battle, Screaming Grasslands, are performing up on the stage
  201. 201.
    >the lead guitarist is a unicorn
  202. 202.
    >you watch the way she plucks the strings with her aura
  203. 203.
    >there's a definite pattern to what she's doing
  204. 204.
    >and you have to concede:
  205. 205.
    >maybe you'd be a better guitarist if you actually learned how to play
  206. 206.
    >though you hate to admit it, there's probably something to be said for order and reason
  207. 207.
    >even in art
  208. 208.
    >someone climbs into the barstool next to you
  209. 209.
    /"Anon."
  210. 210.
    "Yeah?"
  211. 211.
    /"What happened to us?"
  212. 212.
    "What do you mean?"
  213. 213.
    /"You. Me. Hawk. Dew. Everything's all... different now."
  214. 214.
    "Yeah."
  215. 215.
    >you take a sip from your battery-acid flavored drink
  216. 216.
    >and you let the atmosphere take you
  217. 217.
    >your tranquility remains undisturbed when someone else climbs into the barstool on the other side of you
  218. 218.
    <"Mr. Anonymous?"
  219. 219.
    "Yeah?"
  220. 220.
    <"So I submitted what you told me to the Canterlot Scientific Society, and they're interested in hearing more."
  221. 221.
    "Like what?"
  222. 222.
    <"Everything, really. Your culture, how you got here, what sorts of magics you're familiar with."
  223. 223.
    "Sounds good. What's in it for me?"
  224. 224.
    <"Twenty bits."
  225. 225.
    "Need more than that."
  226. 226.
    <"What? What more do you want?"
  227. 227.
    "Some honest work, for starters."
  228. 228.
    <"What do you mean?"
  229. 229.
    "I mean, I've got a few marketable skills. I can reach high-up places and stuff."
  230. 230.
    <"You mean you want employment?"
  231. 231.
    "Yeah. That'd be cool."
  232. 232.
    <"Tell you what. I've heard the Canterlot Archives are looking for an assistant bookkeeper. You talk to me, I talk to them."
  233. 233.
    "Sounds good. You still at that library tower thing?"
  234. 234.
    <"Yes."
  235. 235.
    "I'll swing by tomorrow."
  236. 236.
    >after that, Twilight spends a few seconds nodding
  237. 237.
    >and she walks off
  238. 238.
    >you lean back and let loose a sigh
  239. 239.
    >Heart's head lolls over to look at you
  240. 240.
    >and she hits you with a dull gaze
  241. 241.
    /"Anon."
  242. 242.
    "Yeah?"
  243. 243.
    /"Did you just get a job?"
  244. 244.
    "Yeah."
  245. 245.
    /"Bruh."
  246. 246.
    >you shrug
  247. 247.
    "Had to be done. I can't crash at Hawk and Dew's place forever."
  248. 248.
    >Sweet Heart grabs your drink and takes a sip from it
  249. 249.
    /'"Man, what happened to us?"
  250. 250.
    "Dunno."

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