A Recommendation for Required Reading: Daedalus Aegle's "Discourse on Fillies" · 9:11pm May 21st, 2016
(God dammit, how long did I leave that stupid "Defining the Comedy Genre" post up on my user page? At minimum, this'll at least get rid of that.)
I'm pretty sure I've never done something like this before, so I suppose that alone should stand as testament to what I'm about to say. Some of you may be familiar with Daedalus Aegle's premier and most popular work, "The Education of Clover the Clever"--which, now that I've brought it up, is absolutely fantastic and also something I sorely need to get caught up on. Stellar though it is, that fic isn't the reason I'm writing this blog.
The reason I'm writing this blog is the aforementioned author's most recently published (like, in the last couple hours or so as of this blog's posting) story, "Discourse on Fillies". Those of you who know me even vaguely should be quite familiar with the degree to which I adore and obsess over Diamond Tiara as a character, and Daedalus's newest work pairs her with Princess Luna for a 15,000-word conversation over tea. Put all in a row like that, those preceding words would usually describe an overwrought and overtly self-indulgent slice-of-life fluff piece, and in the hands of a lesser author that might have been the case here too.
Put as simply as possible: this story is none of those things, and Daedalus Aegle is far from a lesser author.
[Drama] [Slice of Life]
Diamond Tiara always knew that someday she'd be invited to dine with the Princess at the Royal Palace. She didn't think it would happen like this.But she's going to sit there and be polite and smile and not be bothered by all the ways this is all wrong. Because that's what good fillies do, and Diamond Tiara is a good filly now.
Right?
Everything I've ever believed, suspected, and tried desperately to impart upon others about Diamond Tiara's character arc is on full and gripping display in this story, and the same can be said for Luna's side of the proceedings as well. Daedalus handles these two lead "fillies" with gut-piercing precision, peeling them apart layer by layer and wrapping each slice around a philosophical and deeply personal core that it would be a disservice to spoil in this blog. The resulting narrative is at once tragic and spellbinding, and among what I've read elsewhere in this fandom borders on incomparable.
If you're not a fan of Diamond Tiara or weren't satisfied with the outcome of "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", you need to read this story. If you like her and/or that episode, you can't afford to miss it. And as far as Daedalus Aegle goes, a sub-200 follower count falls well within the "criminally underrated" range, so by all means look around their user page after the fact. They more than deserve it, and I'm sure you'll find their library of work more than worth your time.
Well, since it's you recommending it, I'll give it a chance.
Oh man. I don't even know how to handle a review this good. Except maybe to promise that now that the story is finished I'm going to do my best to write the next chapter of The Education of Clover the Clever as soon as I can
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Believe me, you're under no time pressure on my end. Shamefully, I did the same thing with that fic that I did with my first watch of Breaking Bad: got through a few chapters/episodes that I loved, and then somehow completely forgot about continuing for months. You keep producing, and I'll do my bit as a reader.
Why is everything always tea or chess? D:
Well, gee, I guess I have to read it now, don't I?
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Beats beer and knife fights.
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Nothing beats beer and knife fights.
Gonna have to give this a look, cause I really didn't like how rushed I felt that cmc episode was. Thanks for the pointer!
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Um, excuse you, no. :V
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UM EXCUSE YOU I HAVE TO GO WRITE THIS NOW BECAUSE I'M LAUGHING THANKS A LOT
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Hey, whatever teaching method works best! (Plus, cool scars!)