Group Precipitation

by FanOfMostEverything

The Pain of Returning Home, by FoME [Profanity]

Spontaneous bursts of laughter were a common occurrence at the Rainbooms’ lunch table. Pinkie Pie had a dozen jokes at various stages of development in her mind at any given time, and she reacted to inspiration striking with a giggle and pulling a glittery notebook out of her backpack to record the idea for posterity.

Far less common was a giggle coming from Fluttershy.

Pinkie’s smile widened as everyone turned to her, pink gel pen already in hand. “Ooh, ooh, what is it?”

“Oh, j-just a memory,” said Fluttershy, still shaking with mirth.

“Always nice to see a memory get that kind of reaction and not cringing in time-delayed embarrassment.” Twilight winced, shook her head, and sighed. “Like that.”

Sunset gave her a one-armed side hug and a shared smile before turning back to Fluttershy. “What happened?”

“Well, this was back during Rainbow’s first big soccer game, when we all knew we’d found our icons and really met each other for the first time.” Fluttershy gave Twilight an apologetic look. “Mostly.”

“I was there. Just with Mr. Discord, and he wanted to make sure I was with family when I found my icon.” Twilight shrugged. “No one else on the Crystal Prep side had the epiphany.”

“Anyway, some of us already knew each other; Rainbow knew me, I knew Rarity, Rarity knew Applejack.”

“And we all knew of Pinkie Pie,” added Rarity, “but she was more of a… phenomenon at the time.”

Pinkie nodded. “I bounced around most of the school’s social groups in freshman year. Turns out trying to be everything to everyone means no one ever gets to know you.”

“It’s tradition to…” Fluttershy hesitated and whispered the next part. “To perform the Mysteries with other people who find their icon at the same moment. So we were connecting and meeting and…” She trailed off and shook her head. “It’s hard to explain, Sunset. I’m still not used to talking about it.”

“No, I get it,” said Sunset. “A lot of lifelong friendships in Equestria begin with getting cutie marks at the same time. Plus, you know, I was there when the Crusaders got theirs.” She gave an uneasy smile. “And kind of responsible for them, depending on how you look at it.”

“Right. Anyway, when Rainbow Dash got her first good look at Applejack…” Fluttershy trailed off into more giggles, several of the other girls joining her as she jogged their memories.

Dash herself had gone an icy shade of pale. “I said something really clever and funny and that’s all we need to say about it. Shy, you gonna finish your pasta salad?”

Applejack shook her head. “No, no, I remember it now.”

“Shut up, no you don’t.”

“Now you gotta know, I’ve always been tall fer my age. Not as much as Big Mac, but back in freshman year, I was the tallest in some o’ my classes afore the boys’ growth spurts really kicked in.” Applejack grinned at Dash, who was sliding down in her seat as her complexion shifted to a blushing purple. “So me ’n’ Rainbow, this li’l slip of a thing, meet fer the first time, and she looks up an’ up an’ up, an when she finally reaches my face, she’s like a deer in headlights.”

Rarity smirked. “Her icon wasn’t the only religious experience she had that day, yes.”

“Dash isn’t here.” Dash had, in fact, buried her face in the table and pulled her jacket over her head. “She’s in Jacket Town.”

“Granny Smith an’ all their parents are there, figurin’ out who’s drivin’ who to the temple. An’ in front of ‘em all, she says, an’ I quote, ‘Holy brick, yer built like a shit fuckhouse.’”

Everyone took that in for a few moments, snorts and giggles bursting out of straining self-control here and there.

“I can’t believe I had a crush on you,” Dash said from the heart of Jacket Town.

Pinkie beamed. “Dad actually smirked at that! I think. Maud said he did; I wasn’t looking.”

Twilight turned to Sunset. “It’s nice to know that my own social fumbling is on par with that of the rest of the group.”

That got a nod. “Oh yeah. Speaking from experience, the first step to good social skills is having really, really bad ones.”

Author's Note:

For those wondering about the chapter title, it's the literal etymology of "nostalgia."

Comments

[ShadowLDrago]

That got a nod. “Oh yeah. Speaking from experience, the first step to good social skills is having really, really bad ones.”

I mean, yeah, checks out.

[Production Run]

“Dash isn’t here.” Dash had, in fact, buried her face in the table and pulled her jacket over her head. “She’s in Jacket Town.”

Sunset might want to keep her away from the reverse side of any dollar bills. It might not go well for the universe.

[FredMSloniker]

11871993
I often say that good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from bad decisions.

[Daedalus Aegle]

“Always nice to see a memory get that kind of reaction and not cringing in time-delayed embarrassment.” Twilight winced, shook her head, and sighed. “Like that.”

An excellent opportunity to try a new spell that came my way today.
64.media.tumblr.com/7ba7edaa8c54368f0302bc78bf933117/87e43581a22b3ffd-41/s640x960/142f838b32a3780aa9877a8e19fa6b321813302a.jpg

[Malandy]

“Always nice to see a memory get that kind of reaction and not cringing in time-delayed embarrassment.” Twilight winced, shook her head, and sighed. “Like that.”

Well, time-delayed embarrassment did happen, just for someone else!

Comedic short, but also sorta insightful!

Pinkie nodded. “I bounced around most of the school’s social groups in freshman year. Turns out trying to be everything to everyone means no one ever gets to know you.”

That got a nod. “Oh yeah. Speaking from experience, the first step to good social skills is having really, really bad ones.”

[The Voice in the Water]

Yea, that sounds like Dash.

[A.P.O.N.I.]

Glorious.

[Speckle]

Whenever Dash opens her mouth, there's always a 20% chance she'll insert her foot into it

Love it when Group Precipitation updates, sorry I've been out of it for a while in terms of inspiration. Nice slice of life comedy time with the girls

Also, does Jacket Town have any relation to Sweater Town?

[Eroraf86]

11871993
Am autistic, can confirm.