//------------------------------// // Blackout Bronzer // Story: Domestic Drabbles of Discord's Dimension // by GeekCat //------------------------------// "I must say, a Disneigh musical was quite a treat," Discord said as he and Fluttershy stepped into their hotel room. They could hear the busy Manehattan streets, even floors above it all. "I hate to enjoy too many mainstream things, but their writing and songs just suck me in." "It was a nice gift from Rarity," Fluttershy said as she stretched her wings. The white unicorn was rooming with Pinkie Pie, while Rainbow and Applejack shared a room. Twilight had come with them, but needed to leave as soon as the play was over. "Indeed," he said. With a snap of his fingers, a blue dress appeared on him. "Which of the Disneigh Princesses do you think suits me best?" She giggled as his dress changed to gold. Before she could answer, the lightbulb overhead suddenly popped and went dark. Her first reaction was to yelp. "It's okay!" Discord quickly said. She heard him snap his fingers, and saw the dress disappear from his silhouette. "I'll just make a new lightbulb." He flipped the light switch off with his tail, then reached up and began messing with the lightbulb in the ceiling. Once a new one was screwed in, his tail reached back over and flipped the light switch...and nothing happened. "Huh," he said aloud. "Either I made another bad bulb, oooooor the bulb isn't the problem here." "I...guess there's a blackout," she said. She could hear a few of their friends in the other rooms complaining about the power going out. "It must be through the whole building." There was a knock on their door, and Fluttershy opened it. Rarity stood there in the dark hallway, using her horn to light the area. "As...unfortunate as this is," she said. "Or dinner reservations still aren't for another hour...would it bother you two to wait here, even in the dark?" "It's nooo problem, Rares!" Discord said, slinging his arm over Fluttershy's shoulders. "I'm sure we can find something to do in the dark..." He kissed the nape of Fluttershy's neck, making both her and Rarity blush. "I, ah...I'll go check on Applejack and Rainbow," she said. "And see how soon the lights will be back on." She headed down the hall, and Fluttershy closed the door, turning to Discord. He cackled as soon as the door was shut. "Oh, the looks on both of your faces!" he chortled. "Priceless!" Her face was still flushed. "Are we, um..." she rubbed her neck, where he had kissed her. Sometimes he caught her off guard and managed to fluster her, even after all these years...something he seemed to delight in at times. "If you want to," he whispered into her ear. "But...perhaps we can find something else to do in this amazing chaotic opportunity." She tilted her head, her blush slowly dying down. "What do you mean, an amazing chaotic opportunity?" He shrugs. "Well...technology has failed us, and we're left blind in the dark, with only silhouettes to guide us..." "Can't you see in the dark?" she said. She spotted his gleaming eyes, practically glowing in the darkness. "A natural ability, but one I can turn off." He reached up towards his eyes, and she looked away. Even if it didn't hurt him at all, it felt odd to see him mess with his eyes. "Done," he told her. When she looked back, his eyes weren't gleaming or glowing anymore. "But...why wouldn't you want to see?" she asked, tilting her head. "Because this is new, and novel, and exciting!" he said. She could barely make out his tail wagging. "I've caused some blackouts before, but one's never happened to me! Listen, you can hear a bit of chaos happening around us..." It was true. If she lifted her ear, she could hear ponies in other rooms bumbling around, asking themselves and each other where the lights went. "So...you're excited because you're in the middle of chaos that you didn't have to make yourself?" "Ding ding, Sherlock," he said. He snapped his fingers, and she felt a hat land on her head...though she couldn't see what it was before it disappeared just as quickly. "So," he said, sounding eager. "What do ponies do during blackouts?" "Um..." She thought for a moment. "I think, most of the time...we try to find other light sources, after we panic about the lights going out. Then we just wait for the power to be fixed." "...oh," he said, sounding disappointed. "How...boring." "Sorry," she said with a shrug. She fumbled in the dark, trying to find her way to the bed. She ended up accidentally bumping into Discord. "Oh, sorry!" "It's fine," he said. Her eyes were starting to adjust a bit, and it was getting a little easier to see him... "But Shyfly, surely we can think of something more exciting to do with this opportunity than just waiting!" "I...don't know," she said. "Can you think of anything?" She maneuvered around him and found the bed, hopping up to sit on its edge. She watched as Discord began to pace in the dark, muttering to himself. Suddenly, he stopped, and a lightbulb appeared above his head. He cried out as it lit part of the room, quickly grabbing it and swallowing it whole. He sat in a chair in front of her. With a snap of his fingers, some sort of table appeared between them, covered in makeup containers. "Makeup in the dark," he said. She could almost see the grin on his face. "And, since it's too dark to see what each container is..." "...we'll probably use the wrong types of makeup," she finished. "It'll be a huge mess." "Exactly!" he said. "Doesn't that sound just wonderful?" She paused and thought for a few moments. It did sound...fun, in an odd way. And what else were they supposed to do when they could barely see a foot in front of their faces? "Alright," she said. "I'm in. How do we start...this?" He grabbed something from the table. "We take turns, I suppose," he said. "Grab whichever container you think is right, or choose something wrong on purpose. Apply makeup. Rinse and repeat. Could you please close your eyes?" She nodded and complied, closing them. She felt something be spread all across her face...either a foundation or something Discord figured was close enough to a foundation. She giggled a little bit...his fingers tickled as they gently flitted across her face, smearing the makeup everywhere they could. "Your turn, you little gigglebox," he said, making her giggle again. She opened her eyes to see him wiping his fingers off on some sort of cloth. She looked over the makeup in front of her. It was impossible to read the labels on them, but she could at least tell what their general shapes were. She grabbed a circular container...foundation came in containers like that, right? After unscrewing it, she saw there was some kind of powder inside, and a circular makeup sponge. She dabbed the sponge into the powder, then began to lightly apply it to Discord's face. "Don't be afraid to go crazy," he told her as she dabbed a bit above his eyebrows. "Remember, mess is best in this case." She giggled, and her hoof went astray and into his fluffy eyebrow. "That's the ticket!" he said, making her giggles grow, and her shaking hoof added even more of the 'foundation' on his eyebrow. Once she had coated his entire face in whatever the powder was, she set the makeup container down. "Your turn," she said, closing her eyes. She felt him dusting something all over her cheeks, blending in the makeup with his fingers...though she suspected it was an excuse to caress her cheeks. "Il tuo turno," he said. She slowly opened her eyes, and looked over the makeup selection in front of her. They took turns putting makeup on each other. Occasionally, they would both burst into fits of giggles—either from the other's hooves or fingers tickling them or simply from how absurd this whole thing was. "And...done," Fluttershy said, finishing applying what she hoped was mascara to Discord's eyelashes. A bit of it had smeared under his eyes, but most of it had gotten onto his lashes, at least... Discord opened his eyes as she set the makeup container back on the table in front of them. "That's the last thing, isn't it?" he said. "We just have to...wait for the lights to come back to be able to see our handiwork?" "I suppose so..." she said. "What else can we do, with the lights out?" "Hmm," he said. "...huddle under the covers, read books with flashlights, and giggle like schoolfillies?" She tilted her head and thought about it. "...that does sound kind of fun," she admitted. "But, oh...should we avoid looking at each other? To not spoil the surprise?" "Of course!" he said. With a snap of his fingers, he created two flashlights and two books. He handed her one of each and slithered under the covers. His flashlight turned on, and all she could see was his silhouette. She crawled under the cover with him, leaning against him, but keeping the blankets between their faces. She turned on her flashlight, looking at the book he had given her. It was an autobiography of a pony who had lived in the wild for years, living off the land and dealing with animals. "Oh, this looks interesting," she told him. "I figured you would like it," he said. She heard him open his own book and start to giggle at whatever the contents were. His tail snaked from under the blanket barrier to wrap around hers. She couldn't help but giggle herself. She leaned back against her pillow and began to read. They eventually finished their books, and leaned against each other in the dark, waiting for the lights to turn back on. "How much longer do you think it'll be?" she asked him. His fingers were currently tangled in her mane, and he was weaving loose braids into it. "Until the lights come back?" he said. "Who knows...hopefully soonish. I want to see our beautiful handiwork! That, and dinner is probably coming shortly..." She giggled...but her ears flicked up when she heard a sound. A flickering or maybe sparking sound. They both lifted their heads, looking at the lightbulb overhead. It was faintly glowing, but the glow slowly faded, leaving them back in darkness. "Well...that's a sign it'll be back soon," he said. The two of them watched the bulb. Slowly, the light flickered back on overhead. "Ooh, perfect!" Discord said gleefully. "Let's see how things turned out." They both turned to look at each other. "Pfft!" Discord said, slapping his paw over his mouth as soon as he saw her face. His shoulders shook with barely-suppressed laughter. "Is it that bad?" she asked, quickly biting her lips. Discord looked...ridiculous. His entire face was covered in rose-colored powder. She had apparently used blue eyeshadow instead of blush on his cheeks. Both of his eyes had a grey foundation on them, and his eyelashes were a glittery green. He tore his paw away from his face, showing that she had at least gotten one thing right—there was bright red lipstick on his lips. It was smeared though, and probably not entirely because he had placed a hand over it. "It's awful," he said with glee. "Absolutely awful. Should we both go to the bathroom and look in the mirror?" "O-okay!" she said, her own shoulders shaking with laughter. The longer she stared at him, the funnier it seemed to get. He teleported over to the bathroom door, opening it and gesturing for her to enter first. Stealing another glance at her awful makeup work, she went inside and slowly stepped towards the mirror. ...dear chaos, he wasn't kidding when he said it was awful. Her entire face was covered in purple eye shadow, aside from her cheeks, covered with messy swatches of green eye shadow. There were clear fingerprints between the edges of purple and green. Her eyelids, and the area surrounding them, were coated with sticky red lipstick. Her eyelashes had something pink and glittery on them...perhaps blush. Her lips were covered in black mascara. She had to take a step back as her shoulders shook with laughter. "Ah ha ha...it is terrible!" she said, smiling brightly. Discord stepped up to the mirror, staring for a few long seconds at his reflection. His shoulders trembled...and once again, he burst out laughing. "It's horrid! A total mess!" he exclaimed gleefully between laughs. "I absolutely love it!" He scooped her up and into his arms, carrying her back into the bedroom and spinning her around. They both laughed as they spun around, ending when Discord crushed her against his chest, placing a large kiss on her cheek. She giggled, noticing that some eye shadow had stuck to his lips...and was suspicious that he had left a lipstick mark on her eye shadow. "What would Rarity say if she saw us?" she giggled. "Oh, she would have a heart attack," he said. A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Why don't we wear this makeup to dinner with her?" "Are you sure that's a good idea?" she said. It was almost embarrassing, to think about going out in public looking like this... "No, not at all," he said with a grin. "But it'll be fun!" She frowned, considering it. "I guess...maybe?" Discord stroked his beard in thought. "If you want, I can bring some moist towelettes," he said. "Once we see Rarity and the others' reaction, you and I can remove the makeup if we want." The idea made her feel better. Showing her friends and having a laugh, but not going out in public like this? "Alright," she said with a smile. "I like that idea." He beamed and clasped his hands together. "Wonderful! Now, all we have to do is pass the time until Rarity comes to fetch us...which shouldn't be too long, now." He snapped his fingers and caused a golden dress to appear on his body. "In the meantime...which dress should I wear? I want to look fabulous!" She giggled a little, and offered a few suggestions. Eventually, he created a sort of hybrid dress, with swirling fabric in all colors of the rainbow. He spun around, the skirt twirling around him. She smiled, and they both exchanged curtsies. There was a knock on their door that made them both look up. "Oh, it's time~!" he said in a singsong voice. He skipped towards the door...but paused, his hand hovering over the doorknob. "Are you ready?" She nodded. With a wide smile, he opened the door. Rarity stood there, smiling. "Ready, you two? Our reservations—" She made a choked gasping sound when she saw Discord's dress and makeup. "Like it?" Discord said with a smug grin, posing with his claw on his hip. "Fluttershy and I helped each other with our makeup!" "I...uh," Rarity stammered. She took a few steps back, her mouth opening and closing. Discord sashayed past her, and Fluttershy followed him. Rarity's jaw dropped when she saw Fluttershy's face. "We were bored in the dark, so we did our makeup," Fluttershy explained. "What do you think?" Discord said with a wide grin. Rarity grit her teeth, and Fluttershy nudged his side, trying to signal that he shouldn't pressure her. He just grinned at her, holding up a finger. One second. Rarity's eye twitched. "How, um...outgoing of you two..." she said, forcing a smile. "Trying to...set new trends?" Rainbow and Pinkie both peeked around the corner to see what was taking the group so long...and burst into laughter once they caught sight of their faces. Applejack followed, and though she didn't laugh, the corners of her lips wobbled into a wavery smile. Fluttershy smiled a bit...even if it was embarrassing, sharing a moment like this between her friends felt nice. "We know it's bad," she said to Rarity. "But...we had fun. And we do look silly." She giggled. "While I prefer 'zany' or 'ridiculous' to just plain old silly," Discord said, holding a moist towelette out to his wife. "Dear zany Fluttershy here has it exactly correct." "Thank you," Fluttershy said, accepting the towelette. She wiped the makeup off of her face...though she struggled a bit, as Discord had applied it thickly, and it was somewhat caked on. "Oh, here," he said in a teasing voice. "I'll help." He began rubbing her cheek with another towelette—not quite a caress, but not too roughly, either. She smiled and leaned into his touch. After a minute or so, he discarded the towelette in a small portal. "There," he said, holding a hand mirror out to her. "It's not perfect, but I can keep cleaning it up as we head to the restaurant. And most of it's gone, at least." Her reflection showed that he was right. Most of the makeup had been removed, though there were a few stray streaks and patches of color here and there...especially above her eyes and around the edges of her face. It was noticeable, but...she glanced up at Discord, whose face was still covered in makeup, and who was twirling in his chaotic dress. He stood out much more than she did. She giggled as he posed, and his ears flicked towards her. His head turned towards her, and he gave her a smile. Rarity coughed into his hoof. "While we don't all look perfect," she said, glancing at Discord, as well as Rainbow and Applejack's ruffled manes, "Our reservations await us, so we should probably head out." The others agreed, and they headed towards the stairs. Fluttershy followed behind, and Discord floated along beside her. He quickly kissed the top of her head. "That was pretty fun," he said. "...thanks for joining me." She smiled, and almost kissed his cheek—but quickly changed her mind and kissed his neck. "You're welcome," she murmured against his skin. "...I kind of had fun, too." He grinned and snapped his fingers. A wet sponge appeared in his paw. "Now, why don't I make you a skoosh more presentable?" he said. "Either way, we'll both be the most fabulous creatures in Manehattan...don't tell Rarity." She laughed and leaned closer, letting him dab away at the spot of makeup on her face. He smiled and did so gently, the two of them just behind their friends as they headed towards the hotel lobby.