Canterlot's Hearth's Warming Party~{Open}

[QuickLime]

 

 

 

The setting was prepared, and Fleur was happy~ The ballroom was decorated expertly, and there was a HUGE  tree, decorated with all sorts of lights, and baubles, bows, and gems, it was absolutely beautiful and she was so proud of it!  The banquet table was loaded with an assortment of cultural  and familiar foods,  since the hostess wished all to feel included no stone left upturned.

 

Wreaths, and holly, and long draping ribbons of red and green silk,  and of course under the tree, there was a large pile of presents, each labeled, she'd tended to the guest list (which was huge) and with help from her family and a few tight friends she'd managed to get a lovely gift for ponies (and others) of all ages~

 

"I am so excited" She said in a breathy whisper, having dressed  nicely for the holiday, wearing a long, draped style sparkly black dress, that was semi transparent at the skirt, and trimmed with nearly glowing  off the shoulder ruffles, a tiny red cap with a red pom pom on the end, and green eye-shadow finishing up her look.

 

Using her horn she expertly placed a bit of mistletoe for couples to kiss under, next to a cute photo-op area, with wreaths, and fake snow.

 

"Perfect~"

[Arcus]

Y'know, most ponies don't like being late. They usually prefer to be on time and punctual, or even early!

 

But is there such a thing as too early?

 

Well, if there is, then Arcus either didn't know about that, or simply didn't care enough, for not long after Fleur had put the finishing touches on the elegantly decorated ballroom, did he trot in, obviously being dressed up just for the occasion. After all, you didn't get the chance to attend many Hearth's Warming parties, with a schedule as mushed up as his...

 

Expertly wearing a well-tailored, formal navy blue suit, in the style of the Royal Guard's traditional dinner dresses, he entered the ballroom with a smile on his face, obviously relieved at finally, finally having arrived. 

 

"Whew, at least I'm early this time..." Arcus sighed, before casting the curious gaze of his piercing orange eyes across the room, noting it to be, out of all things, empty.

 

Well, except for the beautifully dressed mare in it, whom you couldn't really miss! It would be quite rude to come to a party, and forget that the host was Fleur De Lis herself, a name he often heard and saw as he served the citizens of Canterlot. Noticing, of course, that they were basically the only ones present, again, he sighed. At least it was a perfect opportunity!

 

... For introductions, of course!

 

"... Right, maybe a little too early." He chuckled, casting one last glance at the ballroom's decorations.

 

And so, wearing his usual smile, Arcus trotted off towards Fleur. He knew her, but she definitely didn't know him! Eeh, that's what introductions are for, anyway...

 

And already, Arcus could tell.

 

This would be quite the Hearth's Warming party.

[PrinceoftheNight]

"You have to admit, she made a reallygood Job." Golden said as she walked into the room where the party would take place, being escorted by one of her best friends, a night guard called Darkness Knight.

 

"Indeed she did..." He replied smiling as he walked in with her with a smile, then soon noticed that he was not the only guard in there, at least off duty this day.

 

Heart's warming Eve was one of Golden's favorite times of all year. The snow, the decorations and light. Fillies and colts loved this time since they usually got presents from their parents, and the grown up? Well, they loved the parties hosted at different locations, and who else would make a really good job but the most well know mare, apart from the princesses, on Catnerlot, Fleur de Lis. It was odd to see her apart from Fancy Pants, but at the same time was happy for that.

 

Golden, the ex super model, was wearing one of her favorite dresses she got to use on a show herself. Her dress had a dark tone of gold in it that combined well with both her mane, tail and eyes, and some light brown details on it. It was slightly transparent on the flank area and her back legs, but it really fitted her. She also had some jewels she did herself for it, getting along with the color scheme pretty well.

Her companion was using a light yet quite fancy version of the night guard armor. It had mainly dark purple and black tones in it that went along with his fur's color, as well as the one of his mane and tail. All those dark tones made his eyes look even more blue than they usually did.

 

"And there she is, the host~" Golden said smiling as she saw Fleur finishing the last details for the party. She smiled and walked over to where she was, noticing that there was a stallion also going to do the same. And a royal guard also. Quite interesting.

 

She walked slightly faster and soon reached Fleur before the stallion. "You made this place quite lovely~" She said smiling to Fleur as she arrived with her. "A really fine job~" She added as she looked around. Really beautiful.

"Thank you for inviting us." She then said as she turned back to her. "And is a pleasure to meet you~"

[Blueblood]

Hearth's Warming: one of the great mainstays of the Equestrian Social Calendar, for all classes.  Noble and commoner alike would take this opportunity to gather among those who they shared their lives with, to toast the founding of their country, and the bonds which would sustain it into the future!  

 

In theory, at least.  In Prince Blueblood's experience, most of the parties he attended, for whatever occasion, always seemed to turn into arenas of social one-up-ponyship.  Whether that had been the company he kept, or the view he'd always brought to them would be difficult to say at this point.  In any case, after years of turning social pleasures into unpleasant social duties, the Prince had decided that it was long past time for a change.  He had more important things to care about than what Marquis so-and-so thought of Duchess whatshername's attitude over the unfortunate affair of Lord Whocares!  

 

It was a different Blueblood that was going out this year, and to a different party.  Abandoning the usual exclusive get-together favored by the upper aristocracy, he'd decided to accept the invitation of Fleur-de-lis to her huge, all-inclusive holiday gathering.  They'd struck up a friendship after the Prince had stopped by her shop to pick up some jewelry, and from what he knew of her, he could trust this to be a much better experience than years past.

 

He showed up a little earlier than was usual for him; Blueblood often liked to arrive at a time when most of the guests had seen him.  Now, however, he wanted a chance to talk with the hostess a little bit before it got too crowded.  He was dressed to the nines, of course, in a suit of a deep midnight blue, with coattails, hat, and stick.  The whole ensemble!  Maybe a little too formal for this gathering, but he liked being able to dress up.

 

"Oh, hello everyone."  Seemed there were a few guests here already.  A couple of guards, and what looked to be an ex-model he recognized from society paper back-issues.  Well, perhaps she and Fleur could swap stories over their former careers.  

 

He trotted up to the hostess, bowing over her hoof.  "Miss Fleur, it is very good to see you again."  He looked up to smile.  "You were spot-on with your recommendation for the sunstone brooch; Star Crusader loved it!"  He didn't mention that one of the reasons she was pleased with the gift was that it could be used to power an artifact shield she had received as an heirloom.  Still, a union of beauty with utility was a rare treasure, and if there were any doubts that Fleur was wasting her true talents in her current work, Blueblood could certainly testify otherwise!

​

 

"Let's see... sweet, sappy, cockle-warming, and nausea warnings. Perfect!"  Hearth's Warming music was one of the staples of any party this season, and behind a curtain, one of the hired musicians was preparing.  To all appearances, he was a small, grey-and-brown earth pony who called himself Heart Sight.  Even though this was a holiday to celebrate friendship and reconciliation, revealing his true form in a city which his kind had invaded might be considered a poor idea...

 

Not that his intentions were malignant.  Well, not what Kahz would have called malignant.  In truth, the little changeling was experimenting with the idea that music could be used as a tool of mass, and painless, love harvesting.  The Hive needed to innovate in such methods, given the disruptions of their old harvesting networks.  And it was season-appropriate after all; ponies needed love not to freeze to death, and changelings needed love not to starve to death!  What a perfect little holiday for them both.  *Or at least it will be, if this turns out all right...*

​

[MidnightMask]

Compromise. It was a word that Midnight Mask had come to call upon often, finding that, while the various talents she had developed in the pursuit of the art of fear meant putting her foot into many worlds- whether it be the creation of masks, props, & costumes, or a wealth of lore about the spooky side of Equestria- learning when being Spooky was appropriate or wanted was often a struggle. Thus, she was forced to compromise.

The full Windigo costume was massive, stilts putting her high in the air, sheer translucent white fabric and swirled designs giving it an ethereal quality, crystal hooves giving an illusion of ice, and the mask! The mask was the best part- carved crystal in the shape of a windigo’s head, eyes that light up blue, a whistle inside giving a wind like howl, with a small compartment to place dry ice, spewing cold mist from the mouth, eeeh!

Midnight Mask grinned from ear to ear and bounced on her hooves, the chilling effect of the costume exactly how she wanted it, but her mirth gave way to worry. She had really wanted to give the full costume a trial run this year, but considering that this was not some family party, but a grown pony ball? The presence of a costumed character might not be quite as welcome. She could always go skittering through the night with it later on.

Compromise. She carefully packed up the full costume in a white bag while putting on a light blue dress with a white fur trim and hood, sequins traced in swirls like the wind, the skirt nearly sweeping the floor behind her. But she couldn’t help but pick up the mask and bring it with her. She was proud of her work, after all, and the Windigo were a big part of the Hearth’s Warming story. If not now, when?

***

Before Midnight Mask arrived, she could be heard, as the wind whistled, whickered, and neighed in a low roar. The tall, quiet mare entered wordlessly, allowing the mask to churn out cold white clouds of condensation from it’s mouth and nostrils, the blue eyes aglow, the crystal of the mask to shining in the light of the ballroom. Holding for a long moment, she flipped up the mask to reveal her smiling face.

“Happy Hearth’s Warming everypony!”Midnight Mask called out. She walked forward to see if there was someone she knew, to look out upon largely unfamiliar faces, with the exception of a certain guard pony, primarily early arrivals, but having read the invitation, she knew who the pony hosting the event was.

Just how Midnight Mask had been invited wasn’t certain, and may or may not have involved a mail pony getting scared senseless on her porch and dropping something she mistook as having been delivered to her, but Midnight Mask wasn’t one to turn down an invitation.

Rather than swarm the hostess, Midnight Mask put her mask back on and took some time to take in all the decorations and effort that had been put into the party, touring the edge of the room.
 

[QuickLime]

 

And so, wearing his usual smile, Arcus trotted off towards Fleur. He knew her, but she definitely didn't know him! Eeh, that's what introductions are for, anyway...

 

And already, Arcus could tell.

 

This would be quite the Hearth's Warming party.

 

Fleur was just glad other ponies were showing up, she greeted Arcus with a kind smile "It eis so good you could come! Welcome! Welcome to zhe party!" She said warmly, just practically glowing with joy of the holidays right now, it was truly a wonderful time of year, and to get to spend it with so many? That was truly a blessing~ And this year maybe she wouldn't FAINT due to a surplus of sudden royalty...

 

 

"And there she is, the host~" Golden said smiling as she saw Fleur finishing the last details for the party. She smiled and walked over to where she was, noticing that there was a stallion also going to do the same. And a royal guard also. Quite interesting.

 

She walked slightly faster and soon reached Fleur before the stallion. "You made this place quite lovely~" She said smiling to Fleur as she arrived with her. "A really fine job~" She added as she looked around. Really beautiful.

"Thank you for inviting us." She then said as she turned back to her. "And is a pleasure to meet you~"

Oh my, more guests~! Fleur practically beamed with pride at the compliment "Oh zhank you, eit was a lot of work but I truly think eit is worth it, eit is a pleasure to meet you, and you are more zhan welcome for the invite!  Hearth's Warming eis about friendship and inclusiveness!~ 'ow could I leave any pony out?" Fleur realllly loved Hearth's warming, so very much.

 

 

He trotted up to the hostess, bowing over her hoof.  "Miss Fleur, it is very good to see you again."  He looked up to smile.  "You were spot-on with your recommendation for the sunstone brooch; Star Crusader loved it!"  He didn't mention that one of the reasons she was pleased with the gift was that it could be used to power an artifact shield she had received as an heirloom.  Still, a union of beauty with utility was a rare treasure, and if there were any doubts that Fleur was wasting her true talents in her current work, Blueblood could certainly testify otherwise!

 

 

And finally a familiar face~! Fleur grinned, and resisted the urge to hug the other "I am so glad zhe gift worked for you~" She clapped her hooves in delight "I am so glad you could come Your Highness~! I was afraid zhat you would have a prior engagement...." She really did think fondly of him and loved having friends so close to her...

When the pony with the mask came in she gasped softly "Oh..Oh~ ! Happy Hearth's warming~" 

[Arcus]

As he trotted over, Arcus gave the ponies a respectful nod, ending up near the little group that had suddenly gathered around her.

"Well, I'm doubtful that anypony would want to be absent at a party this grand, Miss Fleur." He replied, noting that he could see some familiar faces, and quite famous ones at that! Prince Blueblood, for one. And as for the mare, he couldn't really recognize her, but he couldn't really shake the feeling that he was supposed to, either. Maybe she was famous? Maybe he was just a little bit used to the famous ones stealing the spotlight...

Actually, speaking of stealing the spotlight, it was at that exact moment that a windigo, of all things, decided to trot into the ballroom, which was at this point slowly becoming filled with ponies. What in-

“Happy Hearth’s Warming everypony!”Midnight Mask called out.

... Honestly, Arcus didn't know what he expected. Midnight was probably the only pony he knew that would come to a Hearth's Warming party in a Windigo... Mask? Disguise? Insanely detailed replica? He didn't really know what she actually had planned, but he couldn't deny that it looked pretty amazing...

Hmm...

Now that you mention plans, it seems like Arcus' own had changed, as he seemed to look off towards the new arrival, his attention momentarily taken away from the group he was with.

"Actually, if you'll excuse me..." He smiled, turning to trot off towards Midnight...

"I might have some catching up to do."

And so, he ended up following behind her, as she skirted the edges of the room. Moving a little quicker to catch up with her, he chuckled...

"... Y'know, I never imagined I'd see a Windigo in a dress."

[MidnightMask]

"... Y'know, I never imagined I'd see a Windigo in a dress."

 

Midnight turned about in her mask, the blue eyes blazing, frosty mist roiling from her mouth, animated in her response, rearing up.

“We feed upon the hatred of ponies, die from the warmth of friendship!!!!... But who doesn’t like to dress up now and then?” Midnight Mask said with a chuckle as she flipped the mask back up, smiling and cheery.

“It’s good to see you Arcus. Hope you’re not here on guard duty tonight?” Midnight said. It really was good to see Arcus again after their adventure at sea, without the added pressure of playing foal sitter and dreading a parental response- not that it hadn’t been worth the effort in the end.

She lowered her mask and turned back to the walls, admiring all the lights and bows and baubles, dropping character as she paced along.

“This is so well done. I might be more of a Nightmare Night kind of filly, but I have to say, Hearth’s Warming is still something special. I’m surprised I was invited, but I’m honestly really happy to have a chance to revel like this.” Midnight said, pausing in front of the tree for a moment to take it all in.

[PrinceoftheNight]

Oh my, more guests~! Fleur practically beamed with pride at the compliment "Oh zhank you, eit was a lot of work but I truly think eit is worth it, eit is a pleasure to meet you, and you are more zhan welcome for the invite!  Hearth's Warming eis about friendship and inclusiveness!~ 'ow could I leave any pony out?" Fleur realllly loved Hearth's warming, so very much.

 

Golden smiled to Fleur at that. "True. It is nice to meet you, Miss Fleur." She finally said before turning around and walked over to see the rest of the place. Somepony dressed as a Windigo... that was something really odd yet silly to see. She then turned to the prince when he walked in and waited for him to finish talking with Fleur so she could address him properly.

 

 

Darkness soon saw both the guard and the windigo pony. Odd...

He sighed and walked over Arcus to see him first as he spoke to the other one.

"Good night, sir." He said calmly to him. "Darkness Knight, recruit in the night guard division." He said softly to him with a small smile, doubting he had any jurisdiction in him. He then turned to the windigo. "Nice to meet you." he said with a small smile to Midnight

[Arcus]

Midnight turned about in her mask, the blue eyes blazing, frosty mist roiling from her mouth, animated in her response, rearing up.“We feed upon the hatred of ponies, die from the warmth of friendship!!!!... But who doesn’t like to dress up now and then?”

Arcus gave a laugh back in response, eyeing the mask, and Midnight herself.

"Well, you do make a pretty convincing Windigo..." He replied, his orange eyes softening from their usual glare, to a much friendlier state. He was pretty sure that he didn't even need to be on watch for tonight, after all. Who'd crash a Hearth's Warming party? Seriously?

“It’s good to see you Arcus. Hope you’re not here on guard duty tonight?”

Oh.

Well, looks like it was expected of him...

"Guard duty? In a suit? Highly impractical..." He chuckled, adjusting said suit so that it would fit him a little better, and smoothing out a few tiny wrinkles with his hoof. This was one of... well, this was his only favorite suit. Blue seemed to fit him quite well, honestly...

"... But it's great to see you again too, Midnight." He smiled, his gaze dropping towards her for a moment, even as her face again disappeared behind the Windigo mask, and started trotting along. Blue suited her quite well too, he thought, especially in a dress...

He also thought that maybe he was liking blue a little too much...

Eh, probably not! Maybe? Nah...

“This is so well done. I might be more of a Nightmare Night kind of filly, but I have to say, Hearth’s Warming is still something special. I’m surprised I was invited, but I’m honestly really happy to have a chance to revel like this.” Midnight said, pausing in front of the tree for a moment to take it all in.

Pausing and looking right up the tree with Midnight, Arcus couldn't help but gaze at it as well. Fleur truly did an amazing job with it, the beautifully decorated tree being surrounded by piles upon piles of presents.

"Hearth's Warming will always be something special, Midnight. A celebration for anypony and everypony, and, well, I doubt that's changing anytime soon." He laughed, a rare sound to hear from the usually-stoic officer. But hey, it was Hearth's Warming! Gotta learn to relax and let loose sometime, after all.

Moments after thinking those thoughts, however, he heard a voice, a voice wishing him to have a good night... well, at least he was already having one!

Darkness soon saw both the guard and the windigo pony. Odd...

He sighed and walked over Arcus to see him first as he spoke to the other one.

"Good night, sir." He said calmly to him. "Darkness Knight, recruit in the night guard division." He said softly to him with a small smile, doubting he had any jurisdiction in him. He then turned to the windigo. "Nice to meet you." he said with a small smile to Midnight

Turning towards the source of said voice, Arcus found a sizably tall stallion, wearing what seemed to seemed to be... Night Guard armor? Huh, he didn't think he would see one here, but he probably should've expected that. This was a party for everypony, after all...

"Ah! Oh, I didn't expect to see a guard recruit here." He chuckled, dropping his gaze to find the stallion's blue eyes, matching his stare with his own orange ones.

"Of the night guard, Darkness? I see..." He continued, pausing for a moment, before going on...

"Well, you definitely don't know me, then. Lieutenant Colonel Arcus, officer in the Royal Guard Guardians." He smiled, offering a hoof to the stallion to shake, as he finished greeting Midnight.

[Blueblood]

Blueblood... wouldn't have minded the hug, really, though it was hardly his first choice as a gesture of greeting.  His smile did reach to an unusual level of warmth as he spoke to Fleur, though.  "Yes, well, this is really the first one of these things that I've really been looking forward to.  They're much nicer when you actually like the ponies you'll be sharing the premises with for the evening."  Something of a backhooved statement against parties past... and a wide-ranging complement for what was quickly becoming a roomful of strangers.

 

Still, he had to rectify that at some point.  He looked over to the other ponies gathered around the hostess.  Hm, one of the stallions looked familiar, hadn't he seen that guard before-

 

“We feed upon the hatred of ponies, die from the warmth of friendship!!!!... But who doesn’t like to dress up now and then?”

 

The sudden burst of cold and shouting brought out a stifled whinny from the Prince.  It was hard to blame him though; the kind of year he'd had was of the sort that made a sudden windingo appearance at least somewhat plausible.  Smoothing himself down, Blueblood hoped that nopony had witnessed his momentary lack of control.  Which was a foolish hope, of course, but he had to keep some kind of scrappy cover over his dignity.

 

He turned to the nearest guest to him, the mare he'd put down as an ex model.  "Ah, I don't believe we've met, though I don't think it too much to presume that you already know my name.  You'd have the advantage of me there, though, Miss...?"

 

(Long delayed return!  Sorry about that.)

[MidnightMask]

“We feed upon the hatred of ponies, die from the warmth of friendship!!!!... But who doesn’t like to dress up now and then?”

 

The sudden burst of cold and shouting brought out a stifled whinny from the Prince.

 

Midnight's ears perked up at that noise, turning and leering beneath her mask in Blue Blood's direction, turning on the eye lights until they shined balefully, the giddy thrill of a good scare racing through her. Midnight Mask's thoughts returned to the full windigo costume momentarily, wondering if perhaps she should have gone all out, but she was brought out of her spell when Arcus laughed. It was good to see the serious guard pony relaxing, rather than worried sick over somepony's welfare or being responsible. Midnight Mask couldn't help but smile as Arcus began laughing, talking to her, seeming to really enjoy himself.

 

"Good night, sir." He said calmly to him. "Darkness Knight, recruit in the night guard division." He said softly to him with a small smile, doubting he had any jurisdiction in him. He then turned to the windigo. "Nice to meet you." he said with a small smile to Midnight.

Speaking of serious guard ponies, the young pegasus in armor that approached, Darkness Knight, had treated Arcus as a ranking member and revealed himself as a recruit as well. Midnight didn't know enough about Royal Equestrian Guards to really know the ranks and regimens all that well, but she nodded her head to him anyway.

"To you as well. Happy Hearth's Warming. Have you embraced the warmth of friendship this year? You never know when the windigo might return. " she teased, blowing out a stream of fresh mist at the young guard from her mask with a wind blown whistle.