State of the Lemur - asdfasfdaslfjadlkq;fdjlka;flafjalf(???) · 4:36am Sep 20th, 2015
Another Austraeoh art by Quiet-Wind
I've got Austraeoh on the mind lately.
There's a reason for that. The seventh book, Ynanhluutr, is about twenty chapters away from ending. This is always a crazy time... an exciting time... a stressful time--when I have to somehow logically segue from one kaizo east horse book to another.
And it so happens that this is the toughest book to end since Urohringr. It's all my fault. All things considered, Ynanhluutr is probably the "laziest" entry to date. Don't get me wrong, I feel as though it's firmly accomplished what it's set out to do. It's just that I've written too many tiny, purposeless chapters, and now I'm in the (short) long stretch of having to beef the chapters up and make them worth something, accomplishing a huge chunk of plot in so few installments. I'm kinda sorta nail-biting over how I'm going to make it all work out. On top of all this is the nagging suspicion that this is gonna be the least enjoyed climax to an Austraeoh book since Odrsjot, but whatever. The noble marsupials crazy enough to continue reading this series already deserve a medal, and I'm quite certain they've all faced the worst already.
So, it goes without saying that--as much as I'd like to work on the 99th fic and then tackle Trixiening, I'm a bit tied up with Imploding's... Colon, at the moment. It's almost comparable to how hard it was to write other fics while I was still writing Background Pony. All things considered, the day that the fandom becomes a forgotten memory, and all of our digital detritus has turned to dust, I suspect history will remember me the most for the epic shiet IC has produced more than anything else this lemur has tackled. Consider that a pendulum swung, if you will.
Good thing his pants are already brown
Meanwhile, I feel the tug of the mouse ears again. The only comfort I take in my current existence is that there are other, cooler people more obsessed than me.
As much as I'd like to have a traditional oneshot up in time for when I stumble over there next week, I'm not sure it will be possible... and I'm not even sure it'll be necessary.
I am, however, somewhat tempted to upload the first few chapters of a kaizo fic that I've been working on, even though it's only half-finished. If I do make this the 99th upload, be warned, it will be the absolute worst story I've published since "Hiccups." Who knows... maybe that would thematically make it the best thing to end the previous 100 train wrecks on. F'naaa
Holy hell did they deliver a cute one this time.
What's to say about an episode that's just so... so... fuzzagood?
It was really, really fuzzagood. Everything about the plotline felt free, easy, and joyously relaxing... which is a great thing, because with the subplot of Rainbow Dash nearly being kicked out of the Wonderbolts, it could very easily have sunken kidneys-deep into Angstville. But it didn't. In fact, the whimsy with which this CARTOON episode of a CARTOON show played out its CARTOON mechanics was reminiscent of Faustian poni poni poni, and yet nowhere did it ever dip into the insultingly trifle kerflailings of S2's Mmmystery on the Friendship Express.
What's so delightful about it, methinks, is just how much friggin' fun Rarity seems to be having. Not once does she ever lose her stride. She's biding her time, trying on dresses, monologuing verbosely, trying on dresses, socializing with the local citizenry, trying on dresses, and acting out the persona of her (ambiguously) beloved noir detective heroine. Did I mention something about dresses?
I've stated before that Rarity episodes are the best episodes. This episode was good for completely different reasons. Most Rarity episodes involve a very delicate, very adult, sometimes convoluted conflict. This episode--although it was focused on redeeming Rainbow Dash's image--was almost entirely devoid of conflict. That is to say, we could all tell from the beginning that the mystery was going to be solved and that Rainbow Dash was going to be exonerated. We just didn't know why... nor did we care to, methinks, because it was the sort of episode you laid back and watched unfold in all its... fuzzagoodness. I guess what I'm getting at is that I didn't realize until this episode that Rarity's character is something almost entirely mired by some sort of clash, conflict, or friction. This falls in line with my theory about her being a foil to everypony and everything. And while, yes, there was a definite clash between her personality and Rainbow's in this episode (courtesy of a pairing we don't often see, even though some of us dream of it), it was more or less ignored by Rarity herself. It was like she was on vacation the entire episode. In fact, if anypony's guilty of rocking the boat, it was Rainbow Dash from start to finish.
And jeebus if this wasn't the cutest Dashie we've had since S2. Almost feels like the animators were told "She's not the center of attention. Go nuts with her." I like this approach--a cute!goofy reaction to what would otherwise be an existential career crisis. It helped keep the tone of the story playful... which is precisely what this episode is. Making the tone of the episode super silly before the very introduction of the tropish "detective noir" element helps keep it from feeling like a bland knockoff that's attempting to paint by the numbers. Again... Mmmystery Express calling?
11/10 will watch again for adorable slice of life poni poni poni adventures in black-and-white fashionville.
And did I mention dresses...?
Burp
-SS&E
Okay I have to ask. It was bugging me through all 52 chapters of that masterpiece you never even came close to finishing.
What does "kaizo" mean?
I concur, good fellow. This was my favorite episode since season 3, and my favorite Rarity episode since season 2.
GOOD TIMES.
yeah, it was pretty good... for a rarity episode
ponychan.net/gala/src/1442724445570.gif
Say what you will about Hiccups, but it was the first story of yours that I read, way back in October 2012. My basic reaction was "Lulz, wtf?" and I've been tied to the front of the train ever since.
Also, the episode was delightful. The mystery was very easy to figure out, but it was just so well put-together and... well, fuzzagood. Also:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/9/19/983007__safe_rainbow+dash_rarity_animated_screencap_cute_soarin%27_boop_dashabetes_discovery+family.gif
This episode can be summed up with one emote:
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Crazy (and stupid, convoluted insanity).
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thankyouthatexplainssomuch
ಠ_ಠ
It was a nice episode, though I felt the plot a little loosy; Rarity was great, and we had a lot of cute Rainbowfaces and some brightening about the "rainbow is in the reserves" thing.
Oh, don't you worry Rainbow, I'm sure Rarity could help you with that too:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/288128/the-problem-with-pegasi
Literally making that Austreoh RD my new phone background right now.
You hit the nail on the head. It was the exact opposite of last week's Pony, which was reaching for the heavens and wanted you to feel deeply invested. This one was chill and just wanted to have fun. And funny enough, I liked em both on about the same level.
Heres me thinking I pretty much missed out on this weeks episode, due to managing to go to a coastal airshow, primarily to watch the last of the Vulcans, brought out of retrement a few years ago for celebrity appearences only, do what quite possibly is one of its very few last appearences before being grounded for good due to old age and structural fatigue. When it arrived, it was escorted in by the Red Arrows display team in Very close formation, as in wingspan spacing.
Then I got home, went on EQD, went on Youtube, and watched an episode that almost contained a near perfect repeat.
Did anyone remember to start the stopwatch? Cos Im pretty sure Dash beat old beatups record just getting to Spitfire and back.
So nice to see the Spitfire as well. Turned out our position a couple mile out, had us able to see the holding area as well.
We couldnt hang around for the primary display at the end, due to rivers and drainage ditches, theres only a couple of access routes from that part of the coast to the bulk mainland.
Still, remember those when the missing man formation flys by.
Especially those that 75 years ago saved the Western world.
Bugs really never got on with that Gremlin, did he.
I loved the new episode, it seems like the writers have been on a roll lately. The RariDash moments were great and Rarity taking RD's excitable personality in stride kept things goofy and fun.
I thought it was funny though that spitfire left on a quest to get a flower that would cure her mother. It kinda reminds me of another story written by a certain Lemur...
Hoboy...
Although the more naive and idealistic side of me wants Rainbow to complete her journey, beat up the bad guys, and get the girl all the while remaining a paragon of virtue and avoiding any further hardships, I ultimately know how much this would cheapen the story. So if things go south, I may not exactly be happy but I'd understand.
I was just complaining about Rainbow Dash in a recent journal, but I think I have to agree, she was great in this one.
You're already about to finish Ynanhluutr? Shoot, I gotta get reading. I'm not even done with the third.
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OHH Austraeoh fanart, that is awesome, that story definitely deserves some more public spotlight, i have been kinda gobbling it up from over the last 1 1/2 months so i am maybe a bit .. hyped about it. I am still catching up but at least i am reading at book 7 atm.
You did an absolutely great job with it so far, although i have to admit the excessive 4th wall breaks in Urohringr kinda broke the immersion a few times, anyway its still awesome.
If you NEED 225 chapters instead of 200 to finish out the book, use 225 chapters. I don't think very many lemurs would complain.
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inb4 WC cries silently as he holds Bard's bleeding body.
There's no trouble in adding chapters to the story--after all, there's no in-universe justification for only having 200 chapters per book; I've ranted about the usefulness of that possibility several times in the Skype chat. Nobody will complain, I'm sure.
Well, on the plus side (with respect to Ynan's ending), I'm pretty sure that I'm not gonna die this time.
Oh, I could not watch the episode yet because reasons, but I'm sure I will enjoy it because Rarity.
In the matter of Austraeoh, I don't think the ending of the current story has to be that big, as I already consider the next (Uruguay?) to be Ynanhluutr part 2.
Hmm...
The East Horse train has so much momentum at this point, I doubt that the ending of Ynanlhuutr will derail things.
Coming back after I had a chance to see the episode...
Yeah. I have a brand new favorite episode ever.