Rainbow Dash: I'm just saying, learn his secrets, then turn on him at the last second. Boom! Equestria is saved, and you've got his powers.
Twilight Sparkle: I am not– I am NOT. Doing! That!
Discord: Ha ha ha! Also, I'm still right here.
Rainbow Dash: That wasn't in-character – shaddup!
Discord GM: Then I guess I'm just looking on, waiting for your petty squabbles to stop being quite so amusing. Which shouldn't be much longer.
Discord: I'm a busy draconequus, so let's put the next clue on the table. Remember the cute little riddle I gave you back in the tower?
Twilight Sparkle: Yeah… Feels like it's been ages…
Pinkie Pie: I remember… Way back to a younger Pinkie Pie that was still innocent and starry-eyed…
Fluttershy: It was less than two hours ago…
Pinkie Pie: The war against chaos changes a pony.
Ah yes, the issue of what was said IC versus OOC. I sometimes have to ask PCs to clarify that because I try not to ding them on meta-knowledge that my NPCs shouldn't know. Seems only fair they try not to do the same back.
I heard of one group who got around the problem with a really neat theatrical trick.
They'd set a candle in the middle of the table. When the game was on, the candle was lit, and everything said was in character. If someone wanted to say something out of character, they had to snuff the candle first, and when OOC discussion was done, they'd light the candle again.
To be fair, they ARE dealing with a god of chaos, so reacting to ‘nonsense only it is privy to’ ie the OOC meta banter isn’t so far fetched. A little but not SO far fetched.
And now we get the reveal that Twilight was right all along, and that Discord never actually refuted her, just that Celestia DM misunderstood his hints.
But we're over 1100 pages in, so breaking your own stylistic choices is probably okay by now.