The Fire of Friendship Lives in Our Hearts

[friendyousohard]

Who: Twilight Sparkle (friendyousohard), Fluttershy (3_butterflies), Rainbow Dash (bestofthebest), and Imogen (for_realsies)
Where: Violet City Pokecenter
When: Christmas Hearth's Warming Eve
Summary: Pony holiday celebrations. Be warned, ye who enter here. There will be cuteness.
Rating: G.
Log:

Everything is set up. The room is decorated to look as festive and shiny as anypony could possibly want. Not that it's surprising, really. Just about everywhere was already decorated, and the differences between Hearth's Warming Eve decorations and Christmas ones was barely even noticeable. Which is pretty surprising if you think about it.

Twilight's mind is elsewhere, however, as she sets the last of the presents into the pile, humming a carol to herself. It's just about time to start the celebration, and if things are going to be a little more low-key this year than most, well... having only three ponies and one human to celebrate the holiday is going to put a bit of a damper on things.

Still, she hopes everyone enjoys themselves. It might be small, but she's certain the celebration can be just as meaningful.

Comments

Storytime

[friendyousohard]

[It's more traditional to perform the play, but Twilight figures she can just read it this year since they have neither the space nor the players to pull that off.]

Presents

[friendyousohard]

For all three ponies.

[for_realsies]

Imogen had been working on something with her sketchpad over the past day, and into storytime and presents. The sketchpad was for her offer to help design homes that were destroyed in the apocalypse that wasn't, but given how she guarded the thing and worked well into the festivities it had to be something else.

But it could be a house design, Imogen was a bit strange at times. The difference between her hypothermia ramble and her normal ramble was how well she could project it to a room.

"Um, I couldn't go out and get anything yet. And I dunno what's a proper Hearth's Warming Eve gift. Or if gifts are a thing for it," she was off to a good ramble when she caught herself and collected her thoughts back to the point. Creasing the top edge of the paper so it would rip cleanly and leave the binding edge in place she pulled out the top sheet.

She'd drawn the four of them around a warm fireplace that was not a part of the Pokemon center, with nine stockings pinned to it. Each person/pony doing something different, but very much right, and Imogen's artistic talent and care show in every detail of the sketch, no matter how rough it is. Twilight had her stacks of books and her Kadabra, she was sitting in a rocking chair that was also part of Imogen's imagination. Rainbow Dash was tending the fire with her Charmander. Fluttershy was grooming her Pokemon on a carpet, which was all her Pokemon too. Finally Imogen had drawn herself snuggled up on a sofa, Fiona's sofa back home, gently petting her Absol in front of her. The weird bit was that there were clear gaps in the picture, where Imogen didn't sketch anything. Five to be exact. And in the bottom corner, "Thank you for my first Hearth's Warming Eve."

"I'm sorry I couldn't draw you as ponies, I could only guess at that and I'd probably be way off. And I left some spaces for our friends, yours and mine, if they are ever here. Because even if they weren't here tonight, they woulda if they could and- I guess, what I mean is," Now that Imogen is awkwardly pausing in her nervousness and no longer blurting out thoughts as they show up in her head, she can think. And with a small awkward bow (awkward because she's sitting cross legged in a chair, not because she's so nervous), "Thank you. -I'll get you guys something else in the next few days, things you don't have to share."

Twilight's gifts

[friendyousohard]

"Alright, everypony. My presents are pretty simple, this year, but I think you'll like them."

She takes three wrapped packages from the pile and places them in the middle of the room. "This one's yours, Fluttershy." She pushes a tan box with pink stripes towards her. "This one's for Dash." Rainbow's box is blue with red and green racing stripes. "And Imogen's!" She finishes it off with a flatter package, not a box like the other two but a squatter rectangular shape wrapped up in bright pink. "Okay, go ahead and open them up!"

She beams in eagerness to see their reactions.

[OOC: Twilight's gifts are here. Go ahead and tag into this thread separately or together, I'll work with either.]

[bestofthebest]

"Ooh, thanks Twilight~!" Rainbow didn't even hesitate in taking the present, doing her best to save the wrapping paper since it looked very cool.

She pulled it out to reveal... "An egg?" This one was mostly green in color. "You do realize 'Auntie Twilight' will be working with me on whatever comes out in a few days, or...wait, how long have you had the egg, Twilight?"

[friendyousohard]

Twilight just smiled. "Over a week, but it's spent most of that time in the PC box. I kept it more or less just on the cusp of hatching, so you should be meeting your new friend in an hour or two at the most."

She waved off Rainbow's warning with no real sign of worry. "And of course I'll help you train it, Rainbow, you don't even have to ask."

[bestofthebest]

Rainbow's smile was almost as bright as one of her Sonic Rainbooms, really excited about the egg and what kind of Pokemon could be inside. She carefully put it down and hugged her friend. "You're the greatest, Twilight! You may be an egghead, but you're my egghead, hehe~!"

She could've worded her last comment a little bit better, however.

[friendyousohard]

"... Thanks. I think." She wasn't sure if Rainbow was calling her that just to tease her, or making a pun on her gift.

Probably both. She rolled her eyes a little at that thought, but gave her friend a return hug nonetheless.

[for_realsies]

Imogen spends about two minutes switching between staring at the gift, and staring at Twilight. She was fully expecting to be giftless and friendless this year. Far from home and on her own for the first time. But some folks took her in, and... she was slowly accepting she was their friend, and not their charity case.

But now one of them gave her a present? She just wasn't sure how to deal with this. Crying about it seemed a bit extreme, so she didn't want to, but it was pretty close to happening anyway. And she hadn't even opened up the present yet. She'd spent most of the month telling her today was any other day, and it wasn't. "Thank you Twilight Sparkle."

Imogen carefully worked her way into the paper, it didn't feel like a proper box under it so she wasn't sure if she might damage it if she got too energetic. Finding a journal, curious, Imogen quickly flipped through it and understood. "The story you told... Hmm... maybe next year we can find a way to do a proper production! Not with ponies but we can do costumes! That work to suggest what they should be!"

Imogen's head raced with all manner of thought as to do the sets and costumes. Costumes were rarely her thing to do, but she could have ideas. Besides, Fiona could definitely make... any... costume. And she was back on the edge of tears again. "I'll be sure to cherish it, thank you."

Rainbow Dash's Gifts

[bestofthebest]

"Alright everypony! Didn't have a lot of time, but I was able to come up with some cool gifts."

Rainbow grinned lightly while holding up two wrapped presents and placing them in the middle of the room. "This one's for you, Fluttershy." Fluttershy's box is yellow with butterflies all over it. "Twilight, this one's for you." Twilight's box is purple with stars on one side and compasses on the other; yes, it's a Daring Do reference.

She smiles apologetically to Imogen, knowing she hadn't pulled out a present for her. "Promise that I'll get you one in a few days, or when I'm able to get some kind of job. Ha, not sure what I'll find that'd suit my awesome talents!

"So, go on and open 'em up!"


(OOC: Here are Rainbow's presents! Tagging separately or in one thread works for me, too.)

[for_realsies]

"It's fine, I didn't end up alone on Chri- Hearth's Warming Eve, I think that's enough to offset the lack of presents," Imogen was never a really greedy sort on her birthday or Christmas. Well, she was, but she wanted people, not things. Her excitement for gifts wasn't "What's in the box" but "What did they think of with me."

"I usually just work at the PokeMarts. They are beneath my brilliance and excellence, but I would need to find a theater to be a set designer. Plus, they can use all the help they can get."

[bestofthebest]

"...A set designer?" Rainbow wasn't amused by her choice of occupation, just amused because Imogen reminded her of a very familiar pony who loved creating remarkable designs of her own. Those involved jewels, diamonds and very pretty, sparkly dresses. "Hehe, you should meet Rarity! The two of you would hit it off great."

[for_realsies]

"Well, sets are the only thing I can for sure put on a resume," Imogen mused a moment, "But I've designed rooms, parties, dog houses, tree houses, barns, house houses, doll houses, bird houses, and a strip club once, on a dare. Those just never got passed 'planned on paper stage.'"

Imogen stops and blinks for a moment, "Rarity? Which one is she again? The other Unicorn?" Imogen had done her best not to eavesdrop too much on the ponies. So she didn't actually know who their friends from home were. Imogen for her part did her best not to bring up her own friends from home because it felt weird trying to get involved in their memories. "Why should I meet her more than the others?"

[bestofthebest]

"...Eheh, right." She set up a strip club?! What the hay was that - some kind of strange candy she never tasted? That was definitely going under the 'weird' pile, and 'never bring up again.' as far as Rainbow was concerned. Plus it didn't sound too appealing.

"Yep, the other unicorn! She's from Ponyville but wishes she came from Canterlot. Twilight however, is a pure-bred Canterlot pony but loves it with us in Ponyville!" Rainbow grinned broadly before shrugging in response to Imogen's question. "Not saying you shouldn't meet Applejack or Pinkie Pie, just that AJ's more down-to-earth and Pinkie's...eccentric, outgoing..."

Plays 10 instruments at once...literally made clones of herself that caused havoc...

[for_realsies]

Imogen tried to put what Dash said into terms that were a bit more meaningful in her head. Fortunately Canterlot and Ponyville did set tones for big city and small town. Still, to be sure, "So she's a small town gi- pony but with big ritzy ambitions?"

That sounded right, but a lot of weird things sounded right to Imogen. Applejack was down to earth, probably a farmer pony, and Pinkie Pie... sounded like a fun person to hang out with. "I wish I could meet all your friends, and you could meet mine."

[friendyousohard]

Looking over the box, Twilight noted the color scheme with mild amusement. Trust Rainbow to work in both her love of astronomy and a symbol Twi was positive came from the first book series she'd ever convinced her to read. Twilight wondered if Rainbow even knew how much the stars and ponies ability to determine directions were related.

Peeling off the paper gently, she opened the box and lifted out... an egg.

"Well, looks like we had the same idea." Granted, it was a fairly obvious one. She looked the egg over, trying to figure out what species it was, but she'd never seen one like this before. "Thanks, Rainbow! I'm sure it'll make a great addition to the team."

[bestofthebest]

Nope, not at all! Rainbow did know that the stars reminded her of Twilight's cutie mark -and she wondered just where it ended up now that she was human- and the compasses were a reminder of Twilight convincing Rainbow to read books, and how her love for reading began. (Yeah it mostly revolved around Daring Do, but still.)

"Heh, yeah we definitely had the same idea!" Twilight should pretty much expect Rainbow to try this next Hearth's Warming Eve unless convinced otherwise. "Of course it'll make a great addition to your team; you have practically every type there is, right?"

[friendyousohard]

"Just about. I still need the Rock, Ground, Ghost, Dark, Water, and Ice types." She wasn't particularly concerned about that though. None of those types were particularly difficult to come by, and she was sure she'd be able to get complete typing across the board by some point in the coming year.

"Is this one of those? Or two?" She peered at the egg curiously, unable to figure out what it could be.

[bestofthebest]

"Uh, I think it might be two but don't quote me on that. Could end up being just one at first."

Rainbow was definitely eager to see Twilight's expression when her egg hatched. She made sure to tend to it as soon as it arrived, and though it might not hatch as quickly as other eggs it too was close to hatching like the one Twilight gave Rainbow.

And just good old fashioned hanging out

[friendyousohard]

[3_butterflies]

Fluttershy suddenly runs over to her friends, worried.

"Everypony! I think there's something wrong with Celest!"

Celest the Togepi, nestled in her arms, actually looks very happy. Happier than she's been in a long time... just like her owner. And she's glowing?

[bestofthebest]

"Whoa! Something wrong, Flutters? Should we call a doctor, a nurse or one of those on-call Chansey?" Rainbow Dash was first on the scene, eyes wide in surprise and suspicion.

[for_realsies]

Imogen turned her eye to Omen, her Absol, "Evolution?"

The disaster Pokemon eyed the Togepi, gave a non-committal grunt, and went back to his nap.

"You're absolutely no help sometimes," Imogen hopped up to join the ponies. Her attention back to them, and the Pokemon in question. "Um... it looks really happy? I dunno, that doesn't seem wrong to me."

[friendyousohard]

A quick glance told Twilight all she needed to know, and she sat down next to the others with a chuckle.

"Nothing to worry about, everypony." She assured them, slipping into the more familiar word with ease. "I've seen evolution enough times to recognize it when it's happening right in front of me. Congratulations, Fluttershy. It looks like you're about to be the proud owner of a Togetic."

[3_butterflies]

"But... but..." Fluttershy was confused about one point. "There's no level for Togepi to evolve at!"

But apparently her owner's happiness was enough. She suddenly jumped out of Fluttershy's arms - causing her owner to shriek - and then, in mid-air, evolved... into an adorable little Togetic, flapping its itty bitty wings.