>>35208736
>Nerds don't exist

"Babe, I'm back!"
>"Hiiii!"
>You let Applejack walk into your house, and walk in behind her.
>She hasn't said a word since you left Moondancer's place.
"I showed Applejack my O&O game, just like I said!"
>From the kitchen, you can hear Minuette shout back at you.
>"How'd it go?"
"Pretty good!  It was a short game this time because Lemon Heart had to catch a train to Canterlot, so we got home early."
>"Tell them I'm free to join them again next week, okay?  And don't let them do anything weird to my character!"
" 'kay!"
>You lightly nudge Applejack with your leg, and she jerks away from your touch.
"How'd you like it, Applejack?"
>Applejack just looks up at you.
>She looks scared and worried.
>She licks her dry lips before speaking.
>>"It.... It, uh..."
>D'aww, she's worried about offending you!
>You can't help but smile.
>Oh, man, you guess this sorta nerd shit just isn't for her.
"I get it if you didn't find it very exciting, Apples.  It's not for everyone."
>Applejack just... stares at you some more.
>The easy grin on your face slips away, and you start to feel a little anxious.
"Apples?"
>>"...Anawn, nopony was there."
>You frown.
"A few players had other business, so I guess things were sparse.  But I wouldn't say that nobody was there."
>Applejack gulps loudly, the sound louder than it should be in the silent hall of your entryway.
>>"No, Anawn," she reasserts firmly, "Nopony was there."
>You feel a scowl stretch your lips.
>Okay, now she's just being rude.
"Hey, now.  If you didn't like the game, that's fine.  Sometimes they're slow-going, bu-"
>Applejack suddenly rears up and plants her hooves on your shoulders; you take a few steps back under her weight, and Applejack meets you step for step.
>>"Anawn!" she barks hoarsely, "Nopony was there!  Y'all sat at the table like a stump in the yard and talked at NOPONY!"
>You blink in confusion.
"Wh-what?"
>>"Y'all rolled dice, and y'wrote on some paper, and y'moved around yer 'lil plastic mare and acted like you was talking to a big ol' group of ponies!  You were ALONE!"
"I-"
>>"By yerself!"
"Would you-"
>>"Y'all were literally the only living critter in that there room, other than me!"
>...what?
>Applejack's huffing and puffing, and you can feel her moist breath on your face.
>You shove Applejack away, heart pounding in your chest.
>She stumbles away from you, barely recovering and nearly falling on her rump
>This puts her on the other side of your door; she's now standing just outside your house.
"What the hell are you talking about?  If this is some shitty horse version of April Fools, then it's not funny."
>Applejack stares up at you, expression unreadable.
>>"I'm the element of Honesty, Anawn," she croaks, voice shaking noticeably, "Y'all know I'm about as good at lying as apples are at not bein' delicious."
"I don't...  What?"
>You feel dizzy.
"I-I-I..."
>For not the first time this evening, Applejack looks concerened.
>>"Anawn, what's going on with you?  Are y'all feeling alright?  You don't look so good."
"I..."
>You feel funny.
>Like you're drunk, but also completely sober.
>You have tunnel vision, but you also don't.
>It's impossible to describe.
"I need to go to bed now," you hear yourself mutter, reaching for the front door.
>It sounds like your voice is coming from far away, like someone else is saying it.
>In the split-second you can see her before the door slams shut, Applejack's eyes widen in surprise, and she reaches out with a hoof.
>>"Anawn, DO-!"
>SLAM
>CLICK
>You lock the door, just for good measure.
>Applejack pounds on the door a few times, and you lean your back against it.
>She's shouting something, but you can't make it out.
>The words coming out of her mouth don't make sense.
>It's gibberish.
>Once the pounding on the door seems to fade, you slide down until you're sitting on your ass.
>You're still breathing pretty heavily from your altercation with Applejack.
>"Anon?"
>Minuette's voice emanates from the kitchen, clear as crystal.
>It acts as a balm on your confused mind, and you feel your pounding headache recede.
"Yeah, Minnie?"
>"Who was at the door?"
>You just told her, but whatever.
"Just Applejack."
>A familiar tinkling laugh greets you.
>"Was she trying to sell those rotten apples to you again?"
>You laugh too, feeling almost giddy.
>Finally, the world feels normal again.
"Minnie, I keep telling you - she didn't know they were rotten!  You're just mad that we only found out because YOU took a bite of one."
>More laughter bounces off the walls from the kitchen, and you join in again.
"Need a hand in there?"
>"No, it's fine.  I'm just about done with dinner, anyway."
>Minuette was always a weird mare.
>She was the only mare you know who acted like knowing how to cook and clean wasn't the gayest shit in the world.
>She acted more like a normal girl than most of the other mares in town.
>Same with your O&O mare friends, for that matter.
>They were like little slices of home, connections you desperately desired to everything you left behind.
>These mares were the only thing keeping you sane in this strange, backwards world.
"Oh yeah?  What'd you make?"
>"..........."
"Minnie?"
>"..................."
>You feel the smile slide off of your face.
>The house has an oppressive quietness, now.
>It's heavy and sinks into the corners of the room, and you feel almost afraid to break it.
"Minuette?  You cool in there?"
>"............................"
>You slowly get to your feet, feeling oddly weak in the legs like you just ran a marathon.
"C'mon, answer me."
>You're still breathing pretty heavily.
>Your heart is still pounding from your argument with Applejack.
>In fact, that's not the only thing that's pounding - someone is banging on your door.
>Probably some asshole trying to sell you something.
>There's more shouting from the other side - more gibberish that makes your head hurt even more.
"Are you holding something in your mouth?"
>She's a unicorn, but she does things the earth pony way half the time; that's why she doesn't speak to you sometimes.
>That's why the house is so quiet sometimes, even though you know she's there.
>You grab onto furniture on your way towards the open doorway leading to the kitchen, leaning onto the wooden frame of your couch for support.
"J-Jesus fuckin' CHRIST, Mins...  Y-You cookin' something?"
>Why is it so goddamn HOT in this room?
>Did Minuette turn the heat on again?
>Why does that mare like it so damn HOT?
>Christ, you're sweating like a pig.
"M-Minnie?"
>You reach out with a weak, shaking hand and grab onto the doorway as you finally reach the kitchen, and you peer inside.
>Empty.
>The kitchen is completely empty.
>The stovetop doesn't have anything on it; the table is bare; it doesn't look like anybody's used it since you made you and Minuette lunch before you left for O&O with Applejack a few hours ago.
>The plate's still in the sink.
"...Min?  Min-max?"
>You lean heavily against the doorframe, shoulder slamming against the wood.
>Hard; harder than you intended or expected to hit it.
>This is the ONLY entrance to the kitchen.
>The window doesn't open at all - it's not designed to.
>There's no way that Minuette could have left the room without you knowing.
>So where is she?
"Min'nuette?"
>Why does your tongue feel too big for your mouth?
>God, your head is pounding.
>Your heart's beating a mile a minute, and the sound of hooves on your damn DOOR is getting more and more frantic.
>It's like a jackhammer on your brain.
>Your legs are like lead and jelly at the same time, and to your surprise, you find they can't support your own weight anymore.
>You start to slowly slide down the doorframe until your ass comes in contact with the ground.
"I..."
>Christ.
>You...
"I c-can't breathe..."
>Your vision swims, and you can't keep the room from prancing and dancing and twirling.
>Why is...?
>Why is the room...
>...
>Why is it....
>......
>......
>Why is...?
>.....................
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>"...ood thing you got him here when you did, Applejack.  As it is, he nearly didn't mak..."
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>"...umor the size of a golfball right on his fronta..."
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>"...ucinations and delusions are common with this sort of thi..."
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>"...u mares telling me he's been all alone this entire ti..."
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>"...ho the RUT is Moondancer?  I've never heard of her, let alone some mare name Minu..."
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>"...uilt-up magic in his system.  It's simple biology.  He's just not built to handl..."
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>"...n't help but feel responsible, mares, we could have checked up on him.  We could have done a lo..."
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>"...ho wants to be the one to break it to him?  I can't think of nopony who'd react well to being told their best friends don't exi..."
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