mylittlejamjar | --- [visual][locked from NPC!Princesses, officials, et al., except Twilight Sparkle]

[Sometime just before Q's winter wonderland lights up, the scroll goes to static. Or what counts as static on paper. And then cuts to near-complete darkness, a silhouette outlined by a window. If one looks closely, they'll see Canterlot Castle in the distance. Wherever this is, its in the capital city.

The figure - which has to be a pony - takes a moment for the image to sink in, before speaking. The tone is female, no-nonsense, blunt, yet soft. Low. Prim. Its not a voice many on the scrolls will have heard. In fact, of the off-worlders, only one pony may even have any inkling of who this poiny even is.

No matter.]

Good evening.

In the next week, Hoovesweek will be hitting stands in time for the holiday. It goes without saying that the content of this issue will be less than flattering to you. Which should come as no surprise. If it does, well, welcome. Whatever sediment you've parked yourselves under must have been exceedingly cozy the past year and a half, hm?

Of course, that won't be the end of it. Let's just say that the...boss of Hoovesweek...

[The slightest, slightest, sliiiiightest growl at that word. Boss. How...hm.]

...has something prepared for you in the next few weeks. You'll all be receiving something in the mail. An invitation. And when you get it? I suggest you be on your best behavior regarding it. I know some of you have difficulty in doing so, but that is exactly what the...boss is counting on.

I suggest you show otherwise, when the time comes.

[A pause.]

Oh...and you didn't hear of any of this before you received your invite. This must be seen as a surprise to you all, lest I be potentially found out. There are more than a few livelihoods at stake. But I felt that I should warn you, just the same.

That's all.

[And she...whoever she is...is out. She...whoever she is...may or may not respond to various inquiries from characters. You'll just have to see how much more generous she...well, you get the idea.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So hey. I'm out of the loop here, but since I'm a curious guy: what's the benefit of making sure you aren't found out?

As I said, there are ponies here whose livelihood depends on me. The boss would take any excuse to remove me from my position, if it was believed I had any hoof in hindering the new business "model".

[And given the distaste in the figure's voice, its clearly not one she agreed with.]

Edited 2014-12-21 04:58 (UTC)

Here as in this world and some of us, or here as in your company?

Because one would mean a lot more than the other. And if it is the latter, why should that matter to us? How often are you willing to provide more information like this?

My company.

[The voice softens, just a bit.]

Not anymore. But it should matter to you. Hoovesweek is still capable of forming popular opinion, after all, for better or worse. And there are quite a few ponies who aren't so well-disposed towards you off-worlders. Many of them in positions that mean something.

This will likely be the only time. I don't know.

That's business.

[There's no real softness in Pokey's voice, or empathy. Pokey was never a kind or good child, and even though Mayfield had managed to soften him it was an easy tactic to go back to previous patterns of thought.

In Mayfield, when things were getting serious, it was often necessary to be that cold. ...Sometimes, it bothered him how easy he could slip in to it, especially when he recognized how he should have empathy. But at the moment, and in this place he has no real feelings for, it's hard to care.]

I don't care what a bunch of dumb horses think about me.

[Still. Now, after so long, Pokey had come to recognize he had to think about more than himself. At least a little. Mayfield had taught him that much, and that much had become a constant in the boy.]

I can pretend to be surprised. Hey, there isn't really much that surprises me anymore. I'm a guy who's seen it all. Doesn't mean I can't pretend, though.

Any chance you can tell us more about what this invitation is?

To an event in Canterlot. An event where many infuential readers of Hoovesweek will be in attendance. The boss is orchestrating it all. He'll expect to see a few of you there.

Edited 2014-12-21 05:20 (UTC)

So, question: was part of the surprise of this invitation going to be that we wouldn't even know it was from this magazine or whatever? I still don't care that much. There's a bunch of shady rags anywhere you go.

And if this reader base is already so hostile to the weirdos who got dragged here. Hey. Seems kind of like we shouldn't even care about appeasing them if they can't be.

On the contrary. The surprise was based on the fact you were being invited. And...that it would overshadow certain events going on where you off-worlders are.

The boss expects you'll either refuse to come and stories about you can be filtered to the other invitees unhindered, or come in with your hostility and disrupt or destroy the event. It will serve to validate what Hoovesweek has been saying about you.

[He could have guessed the second part easy enough. The first part...he's still not sure what to make of that, or what the events will be if she's talking about anything other than basic holiday junk.]

If your boss isn't a moron, they're going to know something's up when some of us show up on our "best" behavior. I wouldn't trust most of these morons to know the way to balance how to act any better than I'd trust them to know what their butt is for.

Any chance we could make plans how to handle this over the network, or would any...'lines' I guess, or whatever, be insecure even if we privated it?

Not the scrolls. As you can see, we have access to it. Not even private entries are entirely safe. Not even my entry is entirely safe.

The best way might be to discuss it once the invites are sent, since my giving specifics may not be the best idea. You'll have a better idea what's happening when you do.

Edited 2014-12-21 05:56 (UTC)

Yeah yeah, sure. Makes sense this stupid thing isn't secure worth crap.

But hey, before we wrap this up got one last question for ya: what do you think you're going to get out of this?

To be truthful, I want my reporters to maintain their jobs. At the same time I can't allow the boss to simply gallop roughshod over you lot.

Good enough for me.

Sure. I'll take his invitation and play this game. Not like there's anything else going on in this dumb world.

--- [visual][locked from NPC!Princesses, officials, et al., except Twilight Sparkle]

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