Normally, even I would not be quite this tautologically redundant, but on this occasion, I am making an exception. I myself, congratulate myself on my own level of Lyrabon Superfan. And further, I mak... View MoreNormally, even I would not be quite this tautologically redundant, but on this occasion, I am making an exception. I myself, congratulate myself on my own level of Lyrabon Superfan. And further, I make a performance of watching my own performance, as pictured below.
"Those lips move, yeah, I can feel what you're sayin', prayin'
They say the beast inside of me is gonna get ya, get ya, yeah"
- Peter Steele
"YYYEEEAAAHHH!!!"
- Night Sky
[These are the first remarks that Twilight Sparkle committed to paper after arriving in the Louis XVI room.]
Dear Princess Celestia,
What an amazing journey we have had. As you no doubt recall, we h... View More[These are the first remarks that Twilight Sparkle committed to paper after arriving in the Louis XVI room.]
Dear Princess Celestia,
What an amazing journey we have had. As you no doubt recall, we had all been so baffled and worried for the longest time. It seemed as though we would never get to know the Monolith. And even its mere presence was causing everything in Equestria to go haywire.
We all came back into the room with it for another meeting. And suddenly, all at the same time, we all knew that it was going to be okay! The Monolith did something, and then we were far above Equestria, further even than the sky itself! You were right Princess, Equestria is a sphere! Even I had struggled to visualize it, but it's true.
The Monolith was there with us. Even though it disappeared, we could still see it, but not with our eyes. We saw it, no... we knew it with our minds. I know that it sounds strange, but that is as much as I can say. Then the Stargate opened. We have traveled through spacetime before, but only as it relates to Equestria. The cosmos is vast, Princess. I wonder if even you understand just how vast the cosmos really is.
We traveled through a hyperspace tunnel that is outside of time. I witnessed the birth of our universe. Did you know that it was an unimaginable explosion? Yes, the universe and everything in it is an explosion, a very long and slow explosion. I watched time, space, energy, matter and temperature become things. We visited a planet that is covered by one vast, single ocean that is a living organism, and is even conscious! But not like you and I are conscious. We also visited another world where the atmosphere is made up of LSD, mescaline and DMT.
And then the grand tour ended. The Monolith showed us into our beautiful new home and introduced us to our latest new friend, Doctor David Bowman. He is a charming and venerable old man. He comes from a world that is very much like our own, and yet also very different. They even have ponies on his planet, but they are also very different from us. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store and I will certainly write to you again soon.
Sincerely Yours,
-Princess Twilight Sparkle
This unicorn inhabits a world dominated by aesthetic concerns. These criteria inform her metaphysics and her morals. They also provide her with her sense of purpose. In her judgment, appearances are t... View MoreThis unicorn inhabits a world dominated by aesthetic concerns. These criteria inform her metaphysics and her morals. They also provide her with her sense of purpose. In her judgment, appearances are the point, cause and effect are regarded as secondary. Leaving her own touch on her environment and on her fellows, according to her creative impulses or aesthetic moors is her primary motivation. All of these are strongly negatives.
She consistently demonstrates high openness to new experiences, and high attention to detail. She is able to perform complex tasks repeatedly. She possesses a long attention span, and is able to stably focus her attention onto repetitive or cerebral tasks. Can simulate what patterns will look like while she manufacturing them. All positives.
She displays only moderate curiosity, and a tendency not to analyze situations rationally, both of these are negatives. She has a strong sense of empathy for others, and a habit of being the first to react, both positives. She has poor emotional regulation, and often adopts maladaptive coping mechanisms. She is at an elevated risk of psychological breakdowns and affective outbursts. All of these are negatives.
She has an uncanny ability to persuade her fellows to attempt new methods or experiences, this is a strong positive. She is rather reckless, and is riding as though she were on a surfboard.
She sees the diamonds, and immediately declares that they are for her. She has no conception of what they are, or what they do. Only that they are beautiful to her eyes, and that therefore they are hers. A profoundly erroneous, and dangerous assumption. Make absolutely certain not to fly near enough for her to reach out and touch them.
The Louis XVI room will likely overwhelm her for some time. But eventually it will cease to be overstimulating, and she will come to regard it as a built environment that confirms her values and worldview.
Admittedly, the dragon is a more complicated case. He is still at the dawn of a very long life cycle, relative to the ponies. He has had only incidental contact with his own kind. He strongly identifi... View MoreAdmittedly, the dragon is a more complicated case. He is still at the dawn of a very long life cycle, relative to the ponies. He has had only incidental contact with his own kind. He strongly identifies with ponies, but understands that he himself is not a pony, never was a pony , and never will be a pony. Severe identity disturbance, an obvious negative.
Highly adaptable. He is able to multi-task effectively, but also has a strong attention to fine details. These are positives.
He possesses a strong impulse to maintain order, and to see to it that ritualized observances are carried out correctly. Sees it as his responsibility to maintain existing structures and norms. A diplomat. Certainly, these are negatives.
Something obscure about his perspective enables him to see things that others frequently do not. This trait is ambivalent. Also, he may understand in some vague sense that he is being watched, and that the context he is entering into is entirely artificial. Further observation is necessary, proceed with caution.
There is something entirely unique about this Unicorn. She gallops through the Stargate without any hesitation or fear. High curiosity, a point in her favor. Far from being afraid, she positively deli... View MoreThere is something entirely unique about this Unicorn. She gallops through the Stargate without any hesitation or fear. High curiosity, a point in her favor. Far from being afraid, she positively delights in a profoundly new experience. Highly open-minded, relatively high aggression, low fear. All positives.
Strong emotions, strong sense of being a stakeholder, boldly subjective and idiosyncratic. Nominally, that's points off. But do those features enhance or impede her performance? She barrels towards a new experience, but she also seems to be running away from something. Something in her past, she disregards it, rejects it, but there it remains. So she is impelled to move, both by what is behind her, and what might be ahead of her. That can only be another positive.
And importantly, she is self aware of this aspect of her nature, and identifies strongly with it. In the background, her ego is influenced by two main ancillary complexes. One of them presents her with an image of herself as a benevolent scholar, who sees self and reality as fertile grounds for inquiry and future development. Another plus. The second complex is a version of herself that is more simply just a big teddy bear. It is somewhat more attenuated, but it still slightly encourages self-care and self-preservation. Marginally a positive.
It will be necessary to give this one some perception that she is still acquiring new knowledge, or at least curating existing knowledge. The small stack of books will therefore all be readable. The writing desk will be clearly visible, will remain fully stocked, and will always be accessible.
It is not coming to a bad end. The Monolith has determined that ponies are no threat, but this is the least interesting of its conclusions. Ponies have a far above average ability to empathize with th... View MoreIt is not coming to a bad end. The Monolith has determined that ponies are no threat, but this is the least interesting of its conclusions. Ponies have a far above average ability to empathize with those who are different. Ponies feel for strangers and enemies as much as they feel for themselves. Most civilizations that make it even as far as the ponies, have long since set compassion aside. Pony civilization has not adopted game theory and has not collapsed itself into payoff matrices. Ponies expand and innovate slowly, and do not necessarily disregard the needs of individuals in the name of the collective. Such a civilization will never threaten anyone.
But there is also the matter of the ponies' magic. Generally speaking, magic is just an artifact of an incomplete understanding of nature. Most of the species whom the Monolith evaluates are stuck in one error or another. But pony magic does seem to lend itself to the very evolution and transcendence which the Monolith is programmed to foster. The ponies are no mere novelty, they are exceptional. And further, there does seem to be something very unique about the seven ponies and their dragon friend to whom the Monolith had revealed itself.
Therefore, the ponies and the dragon will be transported for further evaluation. Even entering the Stargate seemed to trigger some kind of magical change, for the ponies have shifted their form. If nothing else it is something for the Monolith to study along the way.
They simply had to get it indoors. The Monolith had defied every known teleportation spell, but ultimately allowed itself to be moved by normal means. It seems to have mass, but every attempt to weigh... View MoreThey simply had to get it indoors. The Monolith had defied every known teleportation spell, but ultimately allowed itself to be moved by normal means. It seems to have mass, but every attempt to weigh it failed. The worker ponies had to exert effort to move it, but much to their own unease, they could not get a sense of how heavy it might be. Those worker ponies were well nigh traumatized, and they had to be sworn to secrecy on the matter. The problems Spike had foreseen are beginning top appear.
The decision to move the Friendship Map was taken with the greatest reluctance. But the Friendship Map resides in the most secure room of the Castle of Friendship, and there could be no discussion of the Monolith being sequestered anywhere else.
Starlight Glimmer postures defiantly at the Monolith. She also tries to rally her friends, and break the spell of dread and unbearable quiet that has recently set in. Starlight does not hate the Monolith, nor is she becoming hostile to it. However, the present situation is entirely unacceptable. How can it be so impossible to study something so mysterious, and yet so monumentally present?
Twilight Sparkle is at a loss, and she knows it. The Monolith mystifies her, its secrets elude her. Twilight is quickly realizing that perhaps the problem to be solved is not the Monolith itself. At this point, the most immediate concern lies in the fact that almost all known methods of investigation have failed. Twilight Sparkle suspects that before the Monolith can ever be examined in any real way, it will be necessary to devise new approaches to investigation. That automatically implies new ontological frameworks, new approaches to knowledge.
Rainbow Dash sits quietly on her hind end. She contemplates this mysterious black box that has effortlessly conquered her. For the first time in a very long while, Rainbow Dash considers whether or not a display of submission is necessary or appropriate.
Fluttershy has made no progress. Not only is the Monolith entirely different, it is entirely unyielding. Passivity is not the right word, the newcomer seems to be entirely indifferent. The Monolith does not care whether they leave it alone or stay with it. It does not react to being touched, or moved. But it negates any and all magic brought to bear upon it. Fluttershy has another problem. What does the presence of the Monolith in Equestria mean? It is not the exact opposite of everything Equestria has always stood for, far more perplexing is the fact that it is entirely different.
Rarity will not discuss the Monolith itself, she vehemently refuses to do so. Instead, she talks about what a suspiciously hard time the worker ponies who moved the Monolith are having. Rarity complains about lost time and productivity at the Carousel Boutique, about creative blocks and insomnia. Rarity protests that closing the Castle of Friendship indefinitely will have seriously detrimental effects on Ponyville. All of this is to say, Rarity rants and rambles.
Of course Spike tries to comfort Rarity, but it's clear she's not really listening. Anyway, Spike is already in over his head, just as he knew he would be. Indeed, closing the Castle of Friendship has become a real mess. Ponies are already asking troublesome questions and are becoming suspicious due to the non-answers Spike has been forced to provide. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are on their way, but they did not hold off on issuing orders. Uncomprehending and unhelpful orders. Star Swirl the Bearded and Chancellor Neighsay will have nothing meaningful to contribute, and will only start throwing their weight around. Spike now finds himself living within an institutional nightmare.
Applejack is less concerned about the Monolith and more with the effect that's it's having on everypony, especially Pinkie Pie. Applejack leaves the business of decision making to ponies better suited for that than herself. But Applejack knows fear and discomfiture when she sees it. Pinkie Pie should have been bouncing off of this Monolith the moment she saw it, or she should have fired her party canon at it, or hosted a welcoming reception for it at Sugar Cube Corner. Instead, Pinkie Pie is overcome by some fear which she cannot describe, and is now barely communicative at all.
Applejack doesn't know the half of it. For Pinkie Pie, the danger is not escalating or abating, it is stabilizing. And that is a whole lot worse. As long as the Monolith remains, their entire world hangs in the balance. The thought that at any moment, everything might end at the hands of an intelligence which they cannot understand, and which seems to have no interest in communicating, is more than Pinkie Pie can handle. What makes it so bad is the way in which she perceives the threat. Her Pinkie Sense has never lied to her, and it has never once gotten so stuck on, as it has been since the Monolith arrived.
While we're in space, check this out! My apologies to Iced Earth, but due to a slight change of the phrasing, I had to rerecord the vocals myself and mix them back in. Luckily, I found an instrumental... View MoreWhile we're in space, check this out! My apologies to Iced Earth, but due to a slight change of the phrasing, I had to rerecord the vocals myself and mix them back in. Luckily, I found an instrumental version of this song to use. I will post the original as a comment so you can compare the original vocals with my own.
It Seems To Do Nothing At All
For Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, fear and awe are now tempered by an arising frustration. The Monolith may very well be the deepest mystery they've ever taken... View MoreIt Seems To Do Nothing At All
For Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer, fear and awe are now tempered by an arising frustration. The Monolith may very well be the deepest mystery they've ever taken on. But there are not nearly enough clues. The Monolith positively lacks attributes that can be analyzed. It is indeed a physical object, but its impossibility lies not in what it is, but in what it is not. How can you learn about something that is not and does not?
Applejack and Rarity begin to realize that perhaps the Monolith does not have teeth and claws concealed within its shadow. But what in Equestria are they to do with something that does not relate in any of the ways that ponies have come to rely upon?
Rainbow Dash has given up trying to salvage her image. Now she backs off from the Monolith, the way she might try to back off from the sudden sensory perception of a new physical dimension. Her world has just acquired something she has no understanding of. The Monolith is entirely outside of any hierarchy into which Rainbow Dash might seek to place it.
Similarly, Spike is now entirely disoriented. Is the Monolith an elder dragon to whom he must show deference? Is it a God? Does it come from another world? What does it want? Is this Monolith dangerous? Spike knows very well that it is not just he who will be asking all of these questions. The Monolith, by simply appearing, will throw all of Equestria into chaos if the word gets out. What to do with this dark rectangle? Spike has been reduced to disarmed awe, and paralyzed puzzlement.
Fluttershy has taken several additional steps backwards. The inherent wrongness of the Monolith is staggering to behold. Something like this should be impossible in Equestria. And the Monolith's presence seems to confirm that the impossible has just happened. Nothing in Fluttershy's emotional and relational toolkit applies, and she knows it. That realization is both frightening and discouraging.
Pinkie Pie is now entirely overwhelmed, almost catatonic. Somewhere deep inside, she knows that if disaster does not strike, one of her friends will eventually take her in hoof. Until then, Pinkie Pie can only wait and watch. In the face of the Monolith's sheer power and total opacity, it seems that there is nothing else to be done. #rp
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