Madame Opinion Publique, Sixth July, Eleven Seven Eighteen H.E.

Both alicorn and Pegasus hear an echo of well-known snapping digits.

Either of a furry manticore paw or a scaly cockatrix foot.

Both know who it is and surprised at this unexpected apparition.

Both had never seen Discord attired like this not once before.

The God of Chaos smiles good-naturedly at the pair of them, lone fang twisting a corner of his mouth.

Discord's manticore paw and cockatrix foot flap imaginary specks of dust off the black skirt draped over his legs. It was part of an ancient black hooped dress, tightly buttoned up and bulging over the draconequus's chest. White frills of lace pomfed outwards at throat, shoulders, and hem. Discord took hold of the umbrella stationary in the air beside him, drawing it shut with a click , briskly furling the folds with a strap of cloth.

"Good evening, you cheeky two," Discord says, stowing the umbrella in to the big black handbag with silver clasps at the opening. Twilight notices the hooked cane of the umbrella ends in a chunky bright red question mark. Flash, eyes sweeping up and down, sees Discord is wearing shiny high-heeled shoes, length a lot longer than a hoof should be, pinched at the end and pinched at the front.

Oh...ooaahh, okay, then. What is he up to this time?

Discord is wearing a wig of silver-grey hair, shimmering in the dim light. Dark fur on his long bony face is dusted thickly white, small clumps of powder standing out. Flash found it merciful he had not painted his lips red to match the dress or silver to match the wig. and finds himself both blushing and cringing at what the draconequus had said.

Ch-ch...cheeky?

"G...good evening - to you too, Discord," Twilight says after a long shocked pause, shutting her mouth. Flash closing his gaping maw too. Four eyes, purple and azure goggling at him.

Non, non Principessa Crepuscolo. To-night, I am Madame Opinion Publique!" the God of Chaos grandly declared in an affected honhonish Prancish accent.

More staring from Twilight and Flash.

"Um...who?" Flash asks tentatively, baffled.

"Oh you know," Discord describes in a patronising tone. "I was detailed by the Gods to follow Orphee down to Hades to retrieve Eurydice." The painted face grins, cracking the powder dabbed on, tiny puffs of dust arcing out to the floor. "I'm staying for the feast and the can-can cavortions. Oh, I can't wait!" he chortles.

"What...who...what?" Twilight queries, eyebrows lifting higher and higher til they were in danger of flying off in to her bangs.

"Oh, from the opera-grotesque."

"Sorry, no idea what you mean, Discord."

"Down to business," he says stridently, prissily unclasping the handbag with a wrench, burying a black silk arm down to the shoulder in, and bringing out a thick perfectly shuffled smooth wodge of paper. A snap of digits brought a clipboard in to existence, where the Mister "Madam Opinion Publique" plumped the paper down as if it were a platter.

"My duty in life is to inform ponies how they are perceived by the wider world."