It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #139 · 8:07pm Nov 15th, 2023
So I've talked a bit before about my queue for this blog: I keep 10-20 weeks of pairs in a reserve shelf and generally pull from there as the mood takes me or as a situation comes up. Sometimes that ends up with sets that sit for quite a while because the right moment just doesn't arrive. It doesn't mean they're not good, it just never seems like the right time - maybe they're serious and I already did several serious ones lately; maybe they're being saved for a special occasion; maybe I'm just never in the mood.
This pairing today's one that falls into that category: I think it's been on the staging ground list for almost two years looking for the right moment. And I suppose that kinda fits? Anyway. Let's talk about Trixie and elderly people with dementia. (You can probably see why that one's hard to work in casually.)
The first is one that's deeply underappreciated: The Promise by moonwhisperderpy.
Trixie visits her grandmother. It's a somber occasion, because her grandmother's fading away both mentally and physically. But it's also hard because she's believed every one of her dear Trixie's stories of heroism and greatness. And now Trixie has to continue lying.
This is an amazing compact piece - 1001 words, but dense as hell. Moon did an amazing job at packing emotion in here and it really hits hard. (Regidar's comment sums it well that way.)
It's understandable how Trixie got into this situation: even without her ego and storytelling, I'm pretty sure most of us have had a moment where we made something up to look good to a friend or family member, only for it to end up digging us deeper. Trixie's story actually ends up ironically because she does become a hero - and she can't quite talk about the truth of it because of all the layered lies from the past. And coming clean is… difficult when your audience is a dying mare with memory problems.
Really, this one's damn depressing but it's just so powerful. Relatable, perfectly in character, and hits like a truck. And somehow it's gathered just 14 likes in 5 years.
So you wouldn't think that 'Trixie speaking to an elderly relative who's suffering from dementia' would be a common theme. And yet there's also The Longest Curtain Call by Trick Question.
Trixie and her wife Starlight Glimmer have come home to visit Jack Pot. He's deep in the throes of dementia, and his memory is, well, bad. It's the slow fade over years as he sundowns, and Trixie wants to be there for him. The big problem, though, is that Jack Pot doesn't remember his daughter Trixie - he only remembers his son.
So if the big blurb that takes up half the story card wasn't notice enough, this one's from Pride 2021. This is also reflected in the voting and the several trolls in the comments. Honestly, it's also one of my favorites from that event because it makes the Pride aspect part of the story rather than the story itself. (ed: I think I phrased that right?)
Like the last story, this one's a-hurtin'. Trixie loves her father. He's not perfect, but he's her father and that means a lot to her. (It means a lot to Starlight, too, even if she's a bit further removed.) And Trixie understands why Jack Pot's like this. He can't remember his best friend visiting him the day before and has trouble with his wife's name. But there's still this deep, aching hurt that he can't remember Trixie - only Trickster. Moreso because as background gets revealed it's obvious that Jack Pot does accept who Trixie is and supports her. He just… doesn't remember anymore.
Unlike a lot of Pride stories, this one isn't reliant on that aspect to land. Yes, it's an important part of the narrative but even if you aren't trans it still hurts because this is a very, very real thing and I'm betting a lot of readers have seen an elderly family member go through this. It connects with readers more easily and doubles down on the tragedy for those who get both sides.
It isn't as compact as the first story, but it's a hell of an emotional hammer blow. Trixie's struggle is harder in this one and I especially feel for poor Starlight: she's got to keep Trixie bolstered, too.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
I've considered always having the week's quintet of stories share a theme or a connection, but my attempts at themed weeks both take up too much effort to do more than every now and then, and tend to result in mixed averages, so it doesn't end up feeling like much a celebration. Still, I admire the effort you go to for it, not least holding some stories in reserve for nearly two years! I've had some in reserve almost that long, but most aren't more than half-a-year old.
As for today's pairing, I'm always willing to bat for a Pride story that integrates it as organically as The Longest Curtain Call does. Glad to see it here – it should hit hard for anyone!
Ooh boy, "talking to someone with dementia" stories are cruise control for crying for me ;_; love those ones