Roleplaying is Magic

Time and Space => Tales of Old => Topic started by: Clair on December 25, 2013, 10:45:30 am

Title: Clear Horizons
Post by: Clair on December 25, 2013, 10:45:30 am
"Okay, Clair.  Pick the next card carefully," Thyme said to the small colt sitting in her lap.  She took one of his hooves and pressed it against each of the cards she held in her hoof.  "Which one is it?"
The blind colt, head against his adoptive mother's chest, smiled as he considered his choices.  He ran his hoof along the cards again, settling on one two from the last one.  Thyme shook her head and smiled, saying gently, "Sorry, you can't play that one.  Pick another."  His face took on a look of concentration as he thought longer before settling his hoof on another.  Thyme played the card with a smile.  "Ooh, good choice.  Sorry, Star, looks like you won't be going just yet."  Starlight, sitting next to Clairvoyant and Thyme around the table with the family, gave out a huffed breath and rolled her eyes in a semblance of annoyance.  "Fine," she growled out with a smile.  "I'll get you for this later, Clair."  She reached out and tousled her adopted brother's mane with one hoof to make sure he knew she didn't mean it, since he couldn't see her smile himself.  He took her hoof and pressed it against his cheek affectionately before releasing it, smile growing.
They played through the rest of the hoof in this manner, Clairvoyant choosing all the cards Thyme and he played.  They ended up clearing their hoof of cards first, to the exasperated playful groaning of the rest of the family, who congratulated him enthusiastically while he blushed and pressed his face against Thyme.

While the rest counted up the points he had inflicted on them, he reached out to the table and gave it a rapid series of taps and rubs, clacking and scraping out a familiar message.  Almost in unison, everypony around the table chimed in with an offer to take him, a simple bathroom trip.  Clairvoyant surveyed the table with his ears before tapping the table again.  Clarity smiled triumphantly and stood from her seat, bouncing around the table to get to her twin brother.
On the trip around, she was accosted by Far Horizons, one of the pair of oldest twins, a pegasus mare whose white coat and grey mane contrasted with Clairvoyant's almost perfectly.  She whispered something in Clarity's ear, and Clarity grinned and nodded before going back to her seat while the other stood from hers and walked serenely over to Clairvoyant and Thyme.  "It's okay if it's me instead, right, Clairy?"  He picked up his head and nodded to her and Thyme wheeled her chair back slightly to allow him to climb off of her lap after tracing a heart shape with his hooves on her chest.  Horizons stepped up to him and let him do the same with her before turning them toward the hallway and wrapping her wing around him.  He pressed his face against her side as they walked, smiling broadly.

"...And you didn't guide him at all in those card choices, Thyme?" Jazz asked after the two had left the room.  She listened as everypony else listed their point totals and notated them down.
Thyme smiled and leaned back in her wheelchair, shaking her head.  "I didn't.  He won all by himself."
"Again."  Clarity laughs, her voice ringing like a bell.  "How often does he win?  5 times more than anypony else?"
"8," Snapdragon declares, voice serious.  "Clairvoyant wins about 8 times for each time anypony else wins.  And that's not 8 per each of us winning once, that's 8 per any of us winning once."  He shakes his head, then takes Horizons's cards and counts them up as well.  "That can't just be coincidence."
Thyme simply shrugs and smiles, passing her cards down to Woodwind for his turn to shuffle and deal.

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Title: Re: Clear Horizons
Post by: Clair on December 25, 2013, 10:46:20 am
From the hallway came a calling out of notes in semblance of a trumpet, a vocal fanfare.  All heads turned towards the source, everypony's faces lighting up while Snapdragon, expression still serious, stood and walked to the entryway.  "Their Royal Highness Princess Clear Horizons approaches.  Would all unexempt please stand and bow before them."  Far Horizons strode into the room, Clairvoyant perched on her back and grinning.  The family stood and everypony bowed, stifling giggles.  Clarity didn't even bother trying, laughing out loud with no attempt to quiet down.
The "princess" nodded and cleared her throat.  "Thy adoration doth please us much.  As such, we shall allow thee to come and express thine affection for us," her front head announced generously.  The gathered citizens all walked and rolled forward to embrace the "princess", hugging both Horizons and the colt atop her back.  They both returned the hugs, Clairvoyant tracing hearts on their foreheads as they embraced him.
With the Royal Hugtime over, Clear Horizons cleared her throat and spoke once more in her regal voice, head raised high in the air.  "And now, it is time for thy princess's treat.  We shall be served the Royal Ice Cream, and-"  Far Horizons stops speaking as Clairvoyant interrupts with tapping motions on her back.  She glances back toward him and looks play-confused.  "What, you mean we have to share with them?" she whispered, so quietly that only everypony in the room could hear her.  Clairvoyant nodded and tapped and rubbed again.  "Yeah, but we're-"  He interrupted her again, the rest of the family aside from Snapdragon rolling their eyes and quietly laughing amongst themselves while the princess argued with herself.
"Very well," Far Horizons said when they finished their discussion.  "There shall be ice cream for all, and all shall enjoy it!"  This was followed by a cheer from all the children in the family, proceeded as well by everypony turning their heads hopefully towards the parents, Horizons turning Clair's head towards them as his sightless gaze wandered.
Jazz giggled, leaning forward in a mock bow, Thyme following suit beside her. "Your wish is our command, your Majesty." She said, attempting, and failing, to keep a straight face, bursting out into another fit of giggles as she finished the sentence.
Clear Horizons's faces lit up at their parents' acceptance, and she gave a little jump of excitement.  "Then on, to the royal banquet hall!  Thou wilt be our guests of honor!" she said as the family moved to the dining room. 

Jazz made another overdramatic bow before leading the way inside.  The family gathered around table, smiles on their faces. Jazz stood near the princess, fighting to keep her laughter in check. "What flavor would Your Majesty like?"
The Princess had a short whispered and tapped conversation with themself as the rest of the family looked on, stifling their own laughter.  Far Horizons lifted her head up regally before declaring, "We would like a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with delightful caramel syrup.  So let it be written.  So let it be done!"
Jazz, managing to get her giggling under control, bowed once again. "It shall be done!" She announced, spinning around and making for the kitchen and stifling still more giggles.
While Jazz was off getting their ice cream, Clarity approached the princess and asked, "May I have the princess's blessing to bestow her hoof with a brush of my lips?"
"Why yes, you may kiss the royal hoof, our faithful subject!"  Horizons grabbed Clairvoyant's hoof and stuck it toward his twin sister, and she planted a sloppy kiss on it, followed by one for Horizons's.

Woodwind trotted forward alongside Clarity, chuckling silently at her question before tapping out his own, holding his ocarina out as he does.
The princess's main head turned back to the smaller one perched on her back, and he nodded with a grin on his face.  "Indeed!  Thy princess doth crave entertainment!"  The smaller head leaned forward to tap out a message to the larger, and she grinned and nodded as well.  "And you there, Duke Snapdragon!  Wouldst thou indulge thy princess with a dance?"
Woodwind turned his head to look expectantly at Snapdragon, who stood and performed a deep bow, face as neutral as ever. "As you command, my liege." He stepped forward as his older brother raised his instrument to his lips.
The music started and Snapdragon began to dance, hooves moving in a merry jig, his expression unchanging.

The princess clapped her hooves in time with the music, joined by the rest of the family.  A few measures in, Clarity jumped forward to join her little brother in the dance, her own face beaming with unbridled joy and merriment, her movements clumsy and unrefined but unambiguously exuberant.  Shortly afterward, Songbird stepped up next to Woodwind and started singing, adding words to the music.

"When marigolds dance and the willow trees sway,
Nopony else needs to ask if we stay!
Give me a joke, give me a chance,
and give me a partner to share in my dance!"

Clarity joined in the singing while she danced, taking Snapdragon's hooves and swinging him around.  Not literally, which would be quite easy for her, but dancing swings.

"Shoehorns and muffins and gallons of cider,
wires and fluff in the shape of a spider,
throw it all into a cheerful short song,
and give it a moment to all go wrong!"

The entire family joined in on the last line, and all the kids stopped singing except the two playing the part of the princess and hurled themselves to the ground in the most comical manner possible, Woodwind being careful not to damage his instrument in the process.  After a moment of silence, they all burst into giggling fits and stood, looking to the princess for approval.  She gave it, the grey and white Unipegasus laughing right along with them, especially the grey portion.

Jazz stood in the doorway, the enjoyment of her family bringing a wide smile to her face. As the music died down she trotted in, one large bowl of caramel covered ice cream surrounded by six smaller bowls and a mug of hot chocolate in tow.  She set the large bowl before the princess, bowing to her again before serving the rest and taking a seat next to her wife, wrapping a hoof around her shoulders and pulling her as close as the space between them allowed.
The princess nodded and smiled at Jazz.  "Thy offering doth please us immensely."  Then their expressions grew hard.  "Now, we command silence!" the front head said.  The family looked in mild (and in some cases completely feigned) surprise at the forcefulness of the statement.  "The princess will have the first bite," she chimed, smiles once again overtaking their faces.
The larger head turned back towards the smaller, and they conversed in whispers and code.  "You've been working on this, right, Clair?"
<Of course.  Don't worry!>
"Because I don't want a repeat of last time."
<Come on, the fire didn't take THAT long to put out.>
"Clair..."
<And I'm sure the library will fix the hole in the roof in no time!>
"Clair." 
<Yes, yes, I've got it.  Don't worry.>  Horizons nodded and pressed a spoon against Clair's hoof, which he grabbed with his levitation.
The spoon floated over the ice cream and downward, biting into the soft treat as Horizons held the bowl in place.  Then it shakily lifted back into the air and moved toward Horizons's face.  "A little higher, Clairy," she said with a giggle as it impacted her on the chin.  He nodded, face tense with concentration.  It moved higher, then toward her again.
"Agh!  Our eye!" Horizons shouted as the ice cream entered the wrong orifice of her face.  Clairvoyant dropped the spoon back into the bowl with a clatter, rubbing his sister's shoulders apologetically.  "Windy!  Thy princess doth require a paper towel!"  Horizons said, laughing and hugging Clairvoyant encouragingly.  "Don't worry about it.  I'll help you."  He nodded and wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes.
Woodwind nodded energetically after seeing that Horizons was okay. He dashed off toward the kitchen and soon returned with the requested item.  He tapped out a quick message. <Your paper towel, Highness!>  He bowed his head, presenting the paper towel to the princess.
"Many royal thanks, Windy," Horizons said as she grabbed the paper towel away from him with her wing and used it to dab at her eye, smile still large on her face.  "Let's try this again, shall we, Clairy?  Don't worry, I'll help you this time."  Clairvoyant nodded, and he took the offered spoon with his telekinesis again.  It scooped up more ice cream, then rose to Horizons's nose.  She gently tapped it from above with her hoof, and it lowered to mouth level.  She smiled wider and gently nudged it toward her mouth.  It moved forward into her open maw, and she bit down on it , licking the spoon clean before releasing it.  "Thy princess is well-pleased!  Thou mayest feast!"

Several more laughs went up around the table as the family eagerly dug into the cold treat. Soon, Starlight raised a hoof, pausing from her eating to speak. "Mmm. This calls for a toast!" She cried, lifting her bowl in the air, eliciting a chorus of "Hear Hear"s.
Everypony lifted their own bowl before them. "To the princess, and her awesome ice cream idea!" Starlight yelled, laughing as a cry of agreement went up around the table and they all lowered their bowls to continue eating.
The princess also resumed their consumption of the meal, but the smaller grey head seemed somewhat less enthusiastic about it now.
Horizons looked back at her little brother, turning her head to the side. "You okay Clair?" she asked, using her hoof to guide the spoon to her mouth once again.
<Yeah, it's just...>  His coding is slower than usual.  <I've been working so hard on that, and I still...>  Tears started to come to his eyes.  <I'm sorry, Rise, I just...>
Horizons leaned her head in to nuzzle Clairvoyant on the cheek. "It's okay Clair, you'll get it." she said, smiling. She looke down at their bowl of ice cream, still half full. "How about we finish this up and then we go flying? A princess needs her exercize so she doesn't get fat from too much ice cream."
Clairvoyant nuzzled back and smiled, wiping his tears off on her coat.  <Yeah.  That would be great!> he replied with a sniff.  He resumed feeding them with renewed vigor, spilling some ice cream on himself twice because of his enthusiasm.  He himself had no sense of taste, so the only enjoyment he got from the ice cream was the cool on his mouth and the smooth texture.  Clarity laughed as he did so and went to get another paper towel, her own ice cream having been finished very shortly after the feast was opened to them.

Jazz stood after everypony had finished, giving Thyme a peck on the cheek. She walked around the table to stand before Clear Horizons once again, lowering her head respectfully. "Would the princess like anything else?" She asked, letting out a small giggle.
Clairvoyant buried his face in his sister's neck and tapped out a message to her.  Horizons tilted her head back toward him in surprise.  "You sure?" she whispered, a smile on her face, answered by a blush and a nod against her.  She smiled and nuzzled him as best she could given his perch, and leaned towards Jazz.  "Her highness would like some chocolate for her flight."  An unusual request for one with no taste, but for the other reason...
Jazz looked up at her son, seated on his sister's back. "Of course she can." She turned, gathering the dishes from the table and trotting back to the kitchen, soon returning with a chocolate bar, which she hoofed to the grey head.
Clairvoyant took the chocolate with a sheepish little smile, then leaned over and gave Jazz a hug.  He tapped out a thank you and traced a heart on her chest, then righted himself on Horizons's back.  "Thy princess doth find this most satisfactory!  Now it would please her further if her entourage would escort her to her takeoff platform!"

Jazz hugged back, giving Clairvoyant a squeeze of her own. She walked over to her wife as the rest of the family stood and she leaned down to allow Thyme to climb onto her back.  Once she was settled, Jazz followed after the princess, heading up the stairs to the "takeoff platform".
The family took up their positions at the top of the stairs on either side of the double-width window.  "Ready, Clair?" Horizons asked, and he nodded, holding tight to his sister and his precious treat.  "Thy princess shall return anon!"  Far Horizons declared, and Starlight opened the window for them as the pegasus galloped towards it and leaped out, Clairvoyant shaking with silent laughter as they took off.
The rest of the family gathered around the window as the pair soared upwards, smiles on their faces as they watched their princess rise.

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Title: Re: Clear Horizons
Post by: Clair on December 25, 2013, 10:47:28 am
Horizons flapped her wings, lifting herself and her little brother higher into the night sky. Below them, the lights of the city spread out, glittering like jewels in the night. She slowed her flight, looking back at Clairvoyant to make sure he had a secure grip. "So, where to first this time?" she asked him with a wide grin.
Clairvoyant laughed silently the entire time as his sister carried him into the sky.  <Ooh, we should see the library!  I wonder if they've fixed the hole in the roof yet!> he tapped to her, needing to start over several times throughout the code due to his grip needing to be secure on her.
Horizons laughed along with him. "We'll just have to see," she said, orienting herself and picking up speed, leaving their house behind.
She talked as she flew, describing the city below them to Clairvoyant.  Occasionally, she folded her wings in close to her sides and swooped downward to get a closer look.
His face never lost its grin as they flew, and the only thing that kept him from laughing was his attention to his sister's words as they toured the city, trying to construct what it looked like in his head.  Of course, not even that could prevent what would be his euphoric shrieks and giggles if he still had his voice as they dove and rose back up.  He asked questions of his own, adding color to the scene in his mind.

Horizons coasted along toward home, nearly an hour and a full loop of the city later. By now, she was starting to grow tired, having to beat her wings harder to stay aloft. She glanced back at Clairvoyant, still holding the uneaten chocolate bar. "Ready for the finale, Clair?" she asked, rising higher into the sky in preparation.
He nodded enthusiastically, entirely too excited for words even were he able to speak.  Horizons reached a respectable height and then dove into a vertical spiral, looping once, then twice, larger, and a third as well.  At the apex of her third loop, she turned a barrel roll, tossing her passenger higher into the air.  He trembled with silent laughter all the while from the moment they start to when he left her back.
He fell through the sky, still laughing, body relaxed, enjoying the feeling of free-falling and the security of knowing he had absolutely nothing to worry about.  His descent was stopped as his older sister finished her final loop, catching him in her hooves as she turned right-side up again.  He wrapped his legs around her again, rubbing his face into her coat and laughing.  His horn glowed and the chocolate bar unwrapped.  He broke off a quarter of it and passed the rest to his ride, nibbling at his small portion.

Horizons nuzzled Clairvoyant as she flew toward their rapidly approaching house, a wide, happy smile on her face. She held him tighter as he ate the chocolate, hugging him closer to her body.
He returned the affection as his heartbeat slowed, the caffeine in the chocolate draining the energy from his body.  Though he gained no enjoyment from the eating of the chocolate, it delivered him straight from ecstatic over-excitement to blissful slumber rather quickly, his favorite way to end a day that he enjoyed as much as this one.  He began tracing a heart on her chest as he drifted off to sleep still a short way off from the house, but it ended up being just an open-ended dual arch upward, a shape as bottomless as the love he felt for his sister.
"Love you too, Clair," Horizons said softly as she slowed her flight, gently descending until she was just above the lawn. With a few final flaps she set down, being careful not to disturb her wonderful, delicate cargo. She leaned down, lifting him onto her back once again and walking back to the house.