More Trixie Talk · 10:26pm Jan 11th, 2015
The sequel.
Because one can never get enough Trixie.
Except when you really, really can.
Well, now that I have exactly one free moment and am no longer sick as a dog:
So the Golden Oaks Book Club went over Lulamoon's Castle with a fine-toothed comb and provided some sweet and awesome in-depth feedback. I've done some looking around, and honestly, I'd suggest joining if you're looking for more places to talk about stories in-depth. They group-concentrate on one story at a time so it's a bit laid back and easier to chat about and really get into the meat of a fic.
I usually have a policy to let people interpret what I write the way they want to, but... what the heck. Let's try things differently. Inspired by their combined feedback -- which you can read here and it might do well to do so before reading further -- here's a whole bunch of thoughts.
Hilariously, Magic Duel made this story worlds easier to write. I write happy, sappy stuff with a hint of pathos, so complete antagonists are usually out of my wheelhouse. But the second you show them having a shred of decency or sympathy -- even if they're still antagonists -- then I am no longer powerless. Quite the opposite, in fact!
I actually feel retroactively pained for the fanfic writers who were tasked to manipulate her character into something palatable or sympathetic while maintaining some semblance of believability before that episode. Whole lot of extra work had to be done, especially for people trying to write Twixie or whatever, just to make Trixie into an actual character. Show doesn't give her much definition. She has far more fanon than canon attached to her, and longtime readers know that I do my absolute damndest to go in the opposite direction of fanon consensus whenever possible. So I had to re-make a lot of things up. It probably explains why a lot of Trixie stories written pre-that episode have her with a chip on her shoulder. And heck, when canon followed lockstep in suit, who can blame them?
Having that tiny bit of remorse at the end of the Magic Duel helped wonders. Lauren Faust also saying she went to the Unicorn School worked double wonders (and I like the idea too, but married to it I am not). Things like her Unicorn School scene Manehattan performance aren't any sort of personal headcanon or fannish indulgence -- they're strictly there because the story and Trixie's character would have been broken without them. Things like that need to be shown to sell a concept. You can't just skip straight to the emotions. Well, you can, and it'll usually win you a trip straight to the feature box, but, uh... in the end... um... wait, where was I going with this? 
Speaking of Trixie affection (and the "privilege" line -- I like it too!), it should be noted that I sat down to this not really favoring one characters' point of view over the other. I've held both in my life, and actually still do. Yes, Twilight's Celestial Tutelage was a huge opportunity of privilege, but at the same time, Trixie really doesn't know the amount of work and sheer dumb luck it took for Twilight to become Celestia's student in the first place. To say nothing of the facing-down-deadly-villains thing. And that's the rub. It's to easy to see the grass being greener without knowing how many overtime hours was required for your neighbor to buy that imported fertilizer. Or something. Twilight could have easily pulled a "do you know who I am?" and it would have been totally valid. Heck, Season 1 Twi might have. But not the Princess of Friendship.
At the same time, holy crap, you guys. Have you ever just felt really proud of getting somewhere in life, only to find out it's nothing compared to where someone else has gotten in the same or less time? I sure have. Repeatedly. I meant every single one of Trixie's words, believe me. But I've also been that "higher" person. Having both perspectives, it's weird.
On the note of Princess Twilight, this story was where I happened on the incredible storytelling potential of her post-ascension self. I caught inklings of it when working on my Mighty Switch Force crossover, but here I got to really stretch it out.
I've beaten around the bush a lot about it, and I really should just dedicate a blog post to it, but short version for now: yes, I am one of those people who really didn't like anything regarding Twilight's ascension outside of the base concept (I LOVE princesses). I dislike how it was written, I dislike how it was handled, I dislike the timing surrounding it, and I greatly prefer the character she was to the character she is now.
But none of this is her fault. She just grew as a person, is all. That's the important thing to remember. Amidst all of the drama and spottiness of the circumstances surrounding her ascension, Twilight herself managed to remain unscathed and come out of things smelling like a rose. Having her be a neurotic pony forever just wouldn't have worked; just look at Fluttershy. Sometimes you gotta move on, and talk about how freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Or something.
At the same time, another important thing to remember about Twilight is that just because she's grown past her hangups in canon doesn't mean they've been erased. She has those experiences. She can still backslide from time to time (contrary to popular belief, learning a lesson doesn't mean you can't relapse from time to time). Those old times of neurosis and crippling doubt and fear are now more tools than hindrances. In Rainbow Rocks they served as both -- another reason that movie performs far above its station.
Twilight's been there, she can relate, and thus she can help others who she sees on those paths. I like wrting about that stuff. Meanwhile, her peaceful Friendship Princess mojo is a natural fit for my brand of happy sappy writing in general, so I tapped both, and here we are.
And now, finally, the big question, and the one I'm sure all of you came here for: is this a Twixie shipping story, or not?
Well, since I've heard all the kids these days like her, here's Sonata Dusk with the definitive answer:
Good night, everybody! 
~B
Glad to hear that you are better now! I can't get enough of Trixie no matter how many different ways she is written.
Thanks for clearing that up for us Sonata.
And thanks for not having anything taco related in that pic, sooooo sick of that.
I am happy to hear of a sequel, more so if it goes shipping, but that has always been my preference. As for Trixie prior to Magic Duel and the issues writing her, meh. I think some writers did very well with it, like Yukito, quite a few of his better Trixie stories took place before that and turned out really wonderful. Magic Duel added more character to Trixie, but Boast Busters I feel had enough to work with, as she had so much personality in such a short period of existance. Admittedly though, you had to analyze alot, and make up alot of your own stuff with her. Though I kinda prefer that, the more the writer's define Trixie, the more I fear them screwing her up, oddly enough.
Gotta admit, I read tons of Trixie stories before feeling I was decent enough to write one, picking up parts of the character that I liked from each writer as I could. I try to stick to her core, but the nice thing about Trixie is how flexible you can be about her desires, life, and even personality if you like. Some writers have her as always in third-person unless she is emotionally upset, others have it that the third-person is just her stage persona and she speaks normally when not around fans. Seen others explain it as a side affect of her magic, much like the thought that Zecora's potions wouldn't work if she gave up on her rhyming *magic always complicates things*.
Unicorn School scene Manehattan performance? I assume that was in a comic or something? One day I should give the comics a chance again. I tried one and kinda stopped after Celestia turned out to have a lover from another dimension that was pretty much Bizaro-Equestria. I do not like to think of that as canon in any sense, so I feared reading the others.
Looking forward to the sequel, and thought I doubt you've read my work, I hope my Trixie doesn't seem flat to you. Good luck!
Ah. Shrug of god. I love that trope.
God, I love Inconvenient Trixie so very much.
I don't honestly have a lot to add here, if only because you're basically saying stuff I've known about you and your style all along, and which have been integral parts of me becoming the Fan of yours I am today. <3 I will say, though, that I am as ever happy to hear you're doing a little better with Princess Twilight these days; I will never forget the heartbreak radiating off of you as we approached, and then experienced, MMC, so knowing that even if it's still not 100%, you've found a peace and fondness for Twi again just always warms my heart ever so. ^3^
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Inconvenient Trixie is canon. Just give it time.
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There will be zero tacos in my Sonata writings.
I promise.
Maybe.