Cringe-binge · 3:05pm Mar 29th, 2017
Dinner. Celestia made the reasonable assumption that sitting down to dinner together made them very much like any other family, just with a nicer table and silverware. Oh, and they ate together in a castle too, but it wasn’t that far fetched to assume that it wasn’t that different than an average family. Cadance and Shining Armor were here, with little Flurry in a chair like a big filly, though she needed a booster seat. Luna was present, sitting at the other end of the table,though she was rather sleepy looking, and Gosling was sitting just just to Celestia’s right.
Sighing, Celestia wished others were present, but if wishes were fishes, they would all be griffons.
The hors d'oeuvres were coming out, and Celestia was eager to see them, so eager in fact that she craned her neck in very much the same manner as an over-excited foal. Flurry too, was wiggling about in her chair, and drumming her hooves against the edge of the table. Gosling was wrapped up in his cloak, though he had taken his hood down at the table.
A tray of delicious looking canapés were set down upon the table, and Celestia sighed with contentment. As far as hors d'oeuvres went, these were perfectly suitable, but she prefered the nights when the hors d'oeuvres doubled as mini-desserts. It was difficult, eating for four and trying to be princessly.
It was all she could do not to devour the entire tray of canapés and she waited for others to get some first, all while staring with longing at the tray just a few yards away from her. When the others had served themselves, Celestia lifted the entirety of the tray, levitated it over to where she sat, paying no mind to the stares of others, she set it down, and she began eating, thankful that it was good manners to stuff the entire canapé in, whole.
Little Flurry stared at her plate, looking both curious and disgusted, trying to figure out what this weird new food was. She reached out one dainty, tiny hoof, prodded the edge of her plate, and gave her mother an incredulous look.
“Brains?”
“How would you know what brains look like?” Cadance asked, with a note of exasperation in her voice.
“Daddy’s comic books?” Flurry did her best to look innocent.
Cadance made a sound and she glanced over at her husband. Luna began snickering. Shining Armor gave his wife a sheepish grin. Flurry didn’t take her eyes off of her plate. Celestia found herself grinning, even though she was eating. Alas, poor Gosling, he stared at his food and did nothing.
“Flurry, those are sulfur shelf mushrooms… laetiporus gilbertsonii. Ponies call them tree brains. When they are young and tender, they are delicious when sautéd in butter and a little garlic.” Cadance looked tired, and her explanation lacked enthusiasm for the subject matter. It also did nothing to reassure Flurry, who continued to stare at her plate, much to her mother’s dismay.
“Cadance, dear, were you able to get some rest?” Celestia asked after she swallowed her food.
Lifting her head, Flurry’s ears stood up. “Mommy and Daddy wrestled and jumped on the bed,” she announced in a squeaky voice. Then she looked at her father and her face became as stern as a foal’s face could be. “Daddy was rough, Mommy was crying.”
A shade of pink, never before seen in nature or this plane of existence, manifested upon Cadance’s face. Celestia could see Cadance’s panic in the way she stared, pleading, begging with her eyes, but there was no way that this could be left alone. Luna was chortling, so much so that Celestia feared that her sister might choke.
“Shining Armor, what do you have to say for yourself?” Celestia asked, playing it straight, and she delighted in Cadance’s mortified expression. Shining squirmed in his seat, just like he did when he was a little colt. Not much had changed over the years, even though everything had changed. It seemed as though it was mere moments ago that Cadance and Shining Armor were both still foals, and she was lecturing them about snogging.
The white alicorn sighed while cramming in multiple canapés at once and began chewing.
Flurry Heart stared at her father and Shining Armor stared at his daughter. Cadance hovered somewhere near the point of spontaneous combustion, and Luna was dangerously close to choking. Celestia’s most firm conviction held true—foals made everything better, and she couldn’t wait to have her own. It had been far too long. Chaos such as this was delightful.
“Mistah Goose, you wrestle Luna?” Flurry asked, giving Gosling an innocent, wide-eyed stare. “Hold her down and make her cry?”
A stream of crumbs and half-chewed food shot from Luna’s mouth, she coughed, and then she sputtered. The clouds that cast a pall over Gosling dissolved, and he began chuckling, shaking beneath his heavy cloak. Cadance covered her face with both front hooves, and Shining Armor was glad the attention was no longer focused upon him.
The first course had gone well.
More courses are coming, if I can survive writing them.
*Is dead*
It's interesting seeing Flurry Heart develop in the past while knowing how she'll end up in the future. It's what makes prequels fun.
I read this during an incredibly dry chemistry lecture. Suffice to say, it's a good thing I'm in the back.
4476112
Why would you be reading during an incredible, dry chemistry lecture.
A teacher who can make dry chemistry interesting is someone who deserves respect.
4476159
*is startled by the idea of an interesting chemistry lecture*
4476875
Clearly your chemistry teacher doesn't know what students like.
My teacher knew, which is why at least one lesson she demonstrated how the subject matter could make something explode, or catch fire, or viscerally melt.
All in the name of safety.
4477023
In three months, we've done two experiments. She explains the same things over and over again to the point that once I understand it, I have to stop listening or else she'll confuse me. She jumps around between topics like we're in a bounce house, and she answers questions that are slightly different from the questions that were actually asked. On top of that, English is her second language, so I have to fight through her accent and weird grammar to figure out what she's trying to tell me. She's a nice lady, but I'm having to do almost all of my learning through YouTube and Google.