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It might not be fantastical and mystical, but that's the charm. It's calm. It's welcoming. It's home.
As you ponder the unicorn's question, your mind revisits some of the many notable places you've been to.
You think of the verdant woodlands of the Great Western Valley, or of the warm sandy beaches of the Lunar Coast. Of the beautiful seclusion of Starfalls Town, of the mystical isles of Wind Shepherd Village, or of the technological marvel of the Undercity.
You consider the natural wonders that are the everflowing Neighagara Falls, the unclimbable Mount Everhoof, or the legendary Yggdrasil Tree. You've even set hoof in the World Between Worlds, a plane that exists outside of the very firmament!
But ultimately, there is one place that you favour above all else. One that you will always come back to, and that will always greet you with familiar, smiling faces: home. And so, you decide that that is your answer.
Lyra Heartstrings: "I get where you're coming from! No matter where we go and how much fun we have, it always feels so good to come home."
Bon Bon: "That much we can agree on. Ponyville may not be the most peaceful town to live in at times, but it's what we've grown to know and love."
Lyra Heartstrings: "Come to think of it, it's been a while since our last disaster. Do you think we're overdue?"
Bon Bon: "I think there's going to be some kind of disaster tonight if you keep your guildmates waiting much longer."
Lyra Heartstrings: "Right! We better get going if we don't want to be late."
Bon Bon: "We...?"
Lyra Heartstrings: "See you around, Trailblazer!"
You bid farewell to the couple, and go your separate ways. As you trot along the western road to rejoin your own companions, the sun begins to set, casting a cool blue shadow over the land. From every corner of the festive town, autumn-coloured lamps and string lights begin to glow in defiance of the day's end.
After weaving between several crowded picnic tables and blankets, you finally reach your friends, and find that they have all been patiently waiting for you. They get up to welcome you back, and prepare to go get some food.
Moonflower: "Welcome back, Blazer!"
Sea Swirl: "There she is!"
Sassaflash: "Oh, good! Are you ready? I'm so hungry I could eat a haybale!"
You nod, and exchange some pleasantries before moving on to the buffet. The selection is more or less the same, yet all of it is fresh and appetizing.
First are the sandwiches, wraps and rolls, and the steaming soup in crunchy bread bowls. As an evening special, creamy mac' and cheese gratin is being served with veggies aplenty.
Next are the hayburgers, corn dogs and pizzas, with plain and seasoned bags of potato fries and onion rings. Then come the apple pastries — dumplings, fritters, turnovers and pies —, which happily struggle to meet the bat ponies' demand.
The desserts are lined up on the last table: various flavours of brownies, cakes, cookies, donuts, muffins, and more pies. Next to them, juice boxes, smoothies and fresh water promise to quench any thirst.
With the night still young, and plenty of fun yet to be had, you begin to think about how to best fill your plate.
Enter a comment
- Had to decide between this or reading Yggdrasil, but others probably want this more.
- I thought the food bar was a subjective measure of hunger (full is stuffed, empty is ravenously hungry). However, we're ready to eat a meal while our food bar is still 3/4 full, and we've only had one good meal today. Would it be more right to interpret it as "health" where full is full, while empty is dead from starvation? Seems we'd have 2 days until that point, but it shouldn't matter as we have regular access to food. Worth noting, healthy adults can go w/o food (w/water) for 2 weeks w/o much issue, but pony metabolism may vary of course.
- I've felt some conflict between my OOC desire to pass the time faster until something important happens and my desire to play things out in-character. E.g., should we converse with somepony and get some slice-of-life nuggets, or avoid slowing down the story an IRL week? Hopefully commands like this are a good compromise.