Paul's Thursday Reviews CCXXX · 12:30am Dec 4th, 2020
It’s December already. This year has just flown by for me.
Writing has stagnated, but I anticipated that happening in light of my “get as much read as I can before my vacation” plans. The real question right now is what will prove stronger: my desire to focus on getting ahead on reviews or my guilt for having not written anything. Every day that second one gets worse. At the rate this is going, I’m reasonably sure I'll get at least some writing done during my coming vacation.
It looks like my time is soon going to be even more difficult to manage than usual. My cousin-in-law has asked me to join him in being part of a Youtube channel involving Minecraft, and I’ve agreed to give it a try. The general idea will be “aesthetically pleasing farming”. He’s obsessed with making automated resource farms with high efficiency, but he’s totally clueless when it comes to making them look good. I, on the other hand, am pretty meh at making resource farms (I suck at redstone circuitry), but am pretty good at building structures that are attractive… if useless. So we’re going to combine forces and make structures that both look good and serve a practical purpose.
No idea if it’ll get any views. It’s mostly just for a little fun. I may not even stick with it for very long; Minecraft has never been a game to hold my interest longer than two or three months at a time.
Anyways, that’s the single most exciting thing happening in my life right now. Oh, except my new car, which I’m calling Spoony because it’s silver. I’m gonna try to get Silver Spoon’s cutie mark on it. 
Enough! Time for reviews.
Stories for This Week:
The Many Secret Origins of Scootaloo by defender2222
From Equestria with Love by MagnetBolt
Can I be a friend of the moon? by Twilight Star
hearts, deep in their hiding places, by Nines
A Break in the Clouds by Rambling Writer
Twilight Frankenstein by Forthwith
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice by Donnys Boy
The Clarity of Darkness by Trick Question
Freeport Venture: More Equal than Others by Chengar Qordath
Broken Blossom by BronyWriter
Total Word Count: 211,751
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 2
Pretty Good: 4
Worth It: 3
Needs Work: 1
None: 0
The Many Secret Origins of Scootaloo
68,268 Words
By defender2222
Twilight abruptly realizes that she has no idea who Scootaloo is. Not her parents, not her hometown… nothing at all, really. What follows is a study in nonsense as different ponies begin telling Twilight their theories on the secret origins of Scootaloo – whether she likes it or not.
Or, to be more specific, defender2222 creates multiple renditions of Scootaloo’s origin, each of which acts as a parody of common or well known origin stories. Such things range from James Bond to The Hulk to Terminator and so many more. Is it stupid? Spectacularly. But the author at least keeps the overarching story consistent: it’s all about Twilight being tortured by her so-called friends in a warped rendition of Equestria where everypony is insane on some level. Except, unsurprisingly, Scootaloo herself.
The various chapters were hit-or-miss for me. Some of them I found boring. Others annoyed. A few actually earned some chuckles out of me. Overall, I left the story with no particular regard for it one way or another. I’m sure many people found it endlessly entertaining, but I felt that the story abused its premise and went on longer than it needed to.
Still, my issues with the story are entirely subjective. I’m fine with putting it on the middle ground; one man’s ‘meh’ is another man’s comedic gold.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
From Equestria with Love
2,867 Words
By MagnetBolt
Sunset Shimmer needs to get Rarity the perfect gift for Hearth’s Warming. That way when she asks her out she might actually say yes. But Sunset doesn’t know what to get a girl like Rarity. Her solution? Go to Equestria and ask Rarity the pony for advice!
This is a curious story that plays out almost exactly how you’d imagine. It starts without hesitation, diving into the situation and giving you no time to recover before the conversation is on in earnest. Which is not a common approach as far as I know, but I think I’m okay with it here. It really emphasizes Sunset’s eagerness.
I approve of MagnetBolt’s depiction of Rarity, who was the standout of the story. With her ego and confidence, how could she not be? I especially enjoyed how Rarity was borderline offended that Sunset hadn’t fallen head-over-heels in love with her EqG counterpart at first sight. Then there’s that twist at the end. I never saw it coming, even though the author dropped a few hints along the way. It’s the best way to do that sort of thing, such that you don’t notice it until after and then you’re like “oooooh, that little moment earlier makes so much more sense now!” Kudos there, MagnetBolt.
There was only one thing that bothered me about the overarching story: it is dialogue-intensive. You might think that’s only natural, considering the entire story is about a conversation. The problem is that the style doesn’t allow the conversation to exist naturally. There’s no narrative assistance, so you have no way to know how any given sentence is spoken at any given moment. That can be fine under the right conditions, but not as a continuous baseline, and most of the dialogue isn’t written in a way that allows us to readily recognize the intended tone, mood, or inflections involved. It makes the entire conversation feel bland, especially Sunset’s lines. So if I had any advice for MagnetBolt, it would be to add more narrative support for the dialogue.
As long as you can look past that issue, there’ no reason not to give this one a go.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
Can I be a friend of the moon?
1,544 Words
By Twilight Star
Little Trixie learns the story of the Mare in the Moon from her father, Jack Pot. She then comes to the firm conclusion that she will find a way to teleport to the moon and be friends with Nightmare Moon!
Yeeouch. This one’s got a cute premise, but that’s all it has going for it. Zero grammatical awareness, nonstep Tell, jarring transitioning, a pointless Twilight cameo, “you like my night, I’m gonna cry now!”, and so on and so forth. It’s a shame, because the idea of a filly Trixie trying to find a way to get to the moon is adorable.
I can only encourage the author to keep trying and, more specifically, to take the time to learn more about grammar and storytelling.
Bookshelf: Needs Work
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
hearts, deep in their hiding places,
8,929 Words
By Nines
Alternative Title: I just hope Charlene don’t find out about this, Coy.
Applejack is an adult now, and largely in charge of the farm. With a heartbroken brother, a bullied little sister, and a grandmother facing the onset of dementia or alzheimer’s, she needs to be the responsible one. That means her own heartache needs to be pushed aside. It means never admitting to the constant ache. It means never, under any circumstances, letting the pain show.
But Applejack is only human.
Sadficionados are going to love this... so to speak. The story centers around an Applejack who is struggling to keep her farm going. Her friends have all moved on with their lives, but there’s one who remains nearby. The best one. The one she’d give anything to have as more than a friend. So when Fluttershy calls her one evening asking for help with a lost animal, she can’t say no. The story follows, in non-chronological order, Applejack’s day. Most of it involves her siblings – and even her grandmother with her fading mind – knowing full well that she’s pining for Fluttershy and trying to convince her to do something about it.
What we get is a complicated and painful demonstration of overwhelming fear controlling a young woman’s life for the worse. It’s hard not to feel for Applejack throughout the story, even if you want to slap her for not taking the opportunities presented.
The topic covered in this story is nothing new. I’ve read similar stories time and time again. What Nines has over those is sheer presentation. The vivid depiction of Applejack’s struggle, whether it be through her thought processes or her actions, paint an unmistakable and heartfelt picture of longing and self-defeatism. Nowhere was this better demonstrated than in the deer scene. That moment was beautifully handled, concentrating to a crescendo all the pain in a single searing point.
Nines has my attention. I’ll be watching the story this is connected to, eagerly awaiting the day it is completed so I may add it to my lists.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
A Break in the Clouds
4,046 Words
By Rambling Writer
Tempest Shadow is travelling the world, letting everyone know about the Storm King’s defeat. Which seems pretty pointless, but it gives her something to do. One day she’s sitting at a restaurant in the Crystal Empire, where she’s known just well enough for everyone to hate her. Then a random stallion named Sunburst shows up wanting to talk. It’s the strangest thing, but he knows who she is and doesn’t seem to care at all. Even more interesting is that he has a theory regarding her broken horn…
This was nice. I haven’t read too many Tempest Shadow stories, and most were… eh, let’s just say they didn’t land on my highest bookshelf. Yet here we are with a story in which Tempest meets somepony who, miracle of miracles, she might be able to get along with. Sunburst even gives her a gift, for no other reason than he can. And magical curiosity, I guess.
The story doesn’t seem to have any greater purpose other than to give poor Tempest a break, but I’m okay with that. It’s short and pleasant. One might even call it heartwarming in a roundabout way. I loved the way Rambling Writer handles Sunburst’s dialogue, with him regularly pausing and stuttering and bumbling his words. It doesn’t necessarily match up with him in-show, but it works wonders in letting us grasp his personality and mannerisms, and those do match up with the show. It’s a rare good example of deviation for good reasons.
So yeah, this one gets a high grade from me. It’s different from the other works I’ve read by this author, but in a good way. A way that demonstrates some variety. Fans of Tempest or Sunburst will love it. Slice-fo-Life fans should also find it engaging.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Before Closing — Pretty Good!
Brittle — Pretty Good!
Rigid — Pretty Good!
Before Dark — Pretty Good
Twilight Frankenstein
5,237 Words
By Forthwith
Princess Celestia has noticed that her young protege, the filly Twilight, doesn’t seem to be approaching her latest projects with any real enthusiasm. Not that Twilight’s slipping as a student, far from it. But Celestia doesn’t want Twilight to feel like her assignments are a chore. Inspiration comes with the onset of Nightmare Night, and she decides to give Twilight a reading assignment: Merry Shell’s Frankenstein.
This story comes in two parts. The first, highly entertaining bit has filly Twilight reacting to Frankenstein and puzzling over why she was asked to read this particular book. Her conclusions are highly amusing, as the cover art suggests (I loved her solution to getting proper sound effects). The second part is Celestia and her discussing her reaction to the book, which in a way acts as a discussion of the real-world book itself. Not a complex or deep discussion, but a discussion nonetheless.
While I enjoyed the first half, the second was… iffy. Its intentions were never clear to me, and I’m not sure what point Forthwith was trying to make. At the same time, I can’t blame the author for treating the subject matter lightly; Celestia isn’t speaking to her fellow princess or even her teenage student, but a little filly. There are aspects Twilight can grasp, but she’s still a child. So I get it, at least from that standpoint. But I still don’t know what Forthwith is trying to do here, and that’s frustrating.
Regardless, I’d recommend people read this for the first part of the story alone. Watching a tiny Twilight go around in a lab coat requisitioning government property and re-enacting a beloved scene of science fiction is just plain adorable.
Bookshelf: Worth It
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Brief Reign of Princess Twily — Pretty Good
Works Every Time — Pretty Good
The Moon's Apprentice — Worth It
The Ghosts of Harmony — Needs Work
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
4,294 Words
By Donnys Boy
It’s not always easy being the kind one. It’s not always easy being the one who makes everypony else happy. Sometimes, you don’t want to be kind or happy. Sometimes the world needs to shove off for a bit. Fluttershy and Pinkie have formed a certain understanding of one another. It isn’t necessarily a pleasant one. Sometimes it is outright agonizing. But it is theirs, it is necessary, and it is...
Given the cover art, I thought this would be a story about Pinkie and Fluttershy reconciling after Iron Will came to Ponyville. Instead we get a mysterious story where Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie have formed a complex, painful relationship involving sex, violence, and a desperate need to be with somepony who sees them beyond their façades. It is written in a way that is borderline dark, and might be considered confusing by a lot of people.
I’m not sure what to think. I really liked the story, even as I struggle with fully understanding it. Is it a story about love? About abuse? About an unhealthy codependency, or perhaps a healthy one? Or maybe it’s about venting our worst traits in private so that everyone else only sees the best. I really couldn’t say. All I know is that this is a poetic and challenging bit of romantic sadfic.
I’ll rate it well, but its complex messaging and unwillingness to explain itself makes me question the right audience for it. I recommend you give it a shot if you’re into complex romance and sadfics. Even if you're not, maybe you should read it anyway; it might be right up your alley.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Seeking Beauty — WHYRTY?
The Color of Dreams — WHYRTY?
Not Unless You Mean It — Pretty Good!
The Lessons Left Unlearned — Pretty Good
The Clarity of Darkness
5,943 Words
By Trick Question
Requested by Trick Question
Twilight and Applejack find themselves in space. Specifically, being sucked into a black hole. Seems like as good a time as any to discuss their friendship.
This one is curious. I mean, Twilight and Applejack. In space, for some unknown reason. Outside their ship and about to get devoured by that Greatest of All Maws. The story mostly consists of Twilight trying to explain the nature of black holes to Applejack and the two of them finally acknowledging an attraction to one another (though they are each fiercely determined to insist upon it being platonic, despite blatant evidence to the contrary).
I see this as both another opportunity for Trick Question to nerdgasm over sciency stuff (reference Broken Symmetry) while trying to make it interesting to less eggheaded people with a romance underpinning it. And also maybe hint at a faith in Simulism. And you know, I’ve nothing against that at all. It works well, and as always the author does a wonderful job blending the two concepts.
Honestly, I think the story is better without the short ending chapter, but I don’t blame the author for including it. To be honest, I don’t think it could have ended any other way; the brunt of the story essentially tells us this is what’s going to happen. Still, leaving the ending nebulous might have made it better overall. With the ending separated from the main story, the only thing preventing the story from being at its best is the reader’s own willpower to accept the unknown. Which is fine by me.
Surprisingly emotional, while also being educational, and then providing an extra hit with a test to the reader’s ability to accept not knowing. I approve of this one wholeheartedly.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Broken Symmetry — WHYRTY?
The Price of a Smile — WHYRTY?
Winter Heat — WHYRTY?
Dead and Loving It — Pretty Good!
Motherly — Pretty Good!
Freeport Venture: More Equal than Others
12,660 Words
By Chengar Qordath
Sequel to The Freeport Venture
Sunset Shimmer, the only officially sanctioned unicorn magus in Freeport, learns of a fire blazing through the slums of the mercantile island city. She soon discovers that the events were the result of one pony’s Robin Hood-esque actions. Perhaps she should pay this criminal a visit... for purely altruistic reasons that have nothing at all to do with the bounty on her head, of course.
And we’re back to one of my favorite iterations of Sunset Shimmer. This story is simple, but also good as a showcase of Sunset’s perspective on what a better world might look like. Or rather, what she considers the wrong way to fix things. On the surface, the story is about Sunset and Starlight getting into an epic unicorn battle. Which is fine, if that’s what you’re after. The fight is certainly fun to watch.
That being said, social justice warriors should avoid reading this. The fight between Starlight and Sunset is between one petulant pony who shrieks social justice and causes untold damage to those she claims to defend and another who recognized her for the ignorant, hypocritical, and destructive child she is. Chengar Qordath captures the modern SJW with surprising accuracy in the form of Starlight Glimmer. Which means, of course, that SJWs will probably hate the story.
I liked it a lot. Partially because I agree with Sunset’s arguments, but also because it says a lot about Sunset’s intentions for the future. She wants to make things better in Freeport, but she wants to do it in a way that works for everyone. It’s interesting that Sunset, who in this AU is still unabashedly arrogant and selfish, still seeks what is best for her fellow ponies. This is not a brand of character you see very often – indeed, it’s something I noticed in the previous story – and as such it makes her unique and fun to watch.
Still. Sunset Shimmer vs. Starlight Glimmer. Front row seats. That’s the surface of this story. If that’s what you’re interested in, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this.
As short and simple as the overarching story is, I really liked it. It does everything it aims to do quickly and without fuss, with a plot that should appeal to both the “I just want a fight” and the “give me something deeper” crowds. As long as you’re not an SJW, you should be good with this one.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
A Moment in the Sun — WHYRTY?
The Freeport Venture — Pretty Good!
Broken Blossom
97,963 Words
By BronyWriter
Sequel to The Public Life of Sweetie Belle
Rarity was known as the most prolific serial killer in Equestrian history. So when Sweetie Belle admitted she murdered the children of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, nobody doubted her. After all, surely this kind of thing runs in the blood, right? What nopony knows is that Sweetie never hurt those foals. No, the true culprit was her eight-year-old daughter, Joyous Blossom. Now Blossom has to live with the guilt of her deed, and with letting her mother take the fall for her crime. That might have been manageable… were she not also having visions of her murderous and very insistent aunt.
Broken Blossom follows in the path of its predecessor by being all about the effects Rarity’s actions had on her family and friends. The story focuses on the life and troubles of her niece, Blossom, who shares Rarity’s mental problems but is determined not to be the next Ponyville Butcher.
The bad news is that BronyWriter’s writing skills haven’t improved at this point in his career. There are a ton of technical errors, from missing words to forgotten quotation marks. There were times when I really wished the author had prereader or editor.
There’s also the annoyance of character reactions, which is to say, tears. If anything happens in this story, anything at all, you can expect buckets of them. Just saw Mom for the first time in ages? Cry. Just had a bad dream? Cry. Just discovered you have a kid sister? Cry. Stubbed your hoof on the table? Cry. The sun is shining and there’s not a cloud in the sky? Cry.
I exaggerate, but only a little. And I’m not saying that crying isn’t an appropriate reaction for some or even the vast majority of the events we see. But every character at every event all the time? It stops becoming effective and starts becoming annoying real quick. Show some variety, for pity’s sake! Whatever happened to “Applejack only cries on the inside?”
But when we get to the story, that is where Broken Blossom shines. It’s hard not to feel for Joyous Blossom as the world converges upon her to make her life miserable. From the constant scrutiny of the princesses, her search for her father, and her internal struggle to be a good pony, the story is interesting and more than a little rough. BronyWriter has a strong grasp of the dramatic, with certain scenes being downright riveting (the Diamond Tiara one comes to mind).
That said, this is most certainly a tragic story. If you’re here seeking sunshine and rainbows, look elsewhere. One of the things I most approve of is how realistic the story is, at least within the confines of its own universe. I think BronyWriter was correct when they asserted to me a while back that this was the best of the series.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Freeze — Pretty Good!
No, I Am Not A Brony, Get Me Outta Equestria! — Pretty Good
One Word — Pretty Good
The Secret Life of Rarity — Pretty Good
The Public Life of Sweetie Belle — Pretty Good
Stories for Next Week:
Defender of Justice, King Sombra! by VashTheStampede
A little big secret by Centurion Pike-Wall
Pinkie's Pepsi Predilection by RhetCon
The Flurried Soul and the Troubled Heart by MasterThief
Old Tricks by Horizon Spark
A Lovingly Crafted Lunch by Daemon of Decay
Expecting by Shahrazad
Refraction by shortskirtsandexplosions
Being Honest With Yourself by Tinybit92
Hidden Goddess by TheEveryDaySparkle
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TBD
Yeah, it's the one with the most promise, but I wish I'd had a solid editor for the four main stories. You might want to skip Word just because it's really bad, but I think Shadow is the only one that's subjectively good. Real improvements as a writer.
Given the author's been on the site for exactly two years and has written over 100 stories in that time, I would not hold my breath. c.c;
Got a little extra bold at the end there, chief. :B
I'm shocked you haven't read anything of Magnetbolt's before now. They're one of the best still-active authors on the site. I bet you'd enjoy one of their longer-form adventure stories more.
Hey, let me know about the Minecraft channel though, my kid is really into that
I've read two this week! And the two you gave the highest rating to boot.
Nines's story... I liked it. I remember liking it. I read it less than a year ago. But even after reading your review and looking back over my own notes on it, this story does not ring a bell at all. It just didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
And TQ's. I agree that it's better without the second chapter, but then TQ says so too, and I understand why she added it. I wasn't quite as enthusiastic as you, but it's still one I'd definitely recommend. And hey, if I'd known you could be strong-armed into reviewing a bunch of an author's stories, I would have tried that years ago...
I really appreciate the review!
I admit that a lot of my fanfiction is written purely for therapeutic purposes or just to scratch some niggling idea that I have rather than breaking new creative ground. I reserve my more ambitious ideas for my original works. Still, I was glad that some readers found hearts to be suitably cathartic for them! It really helped me through a tough time in my life.
Unfortunately, the story it spins off of likely won't be completed anytime soon, but I'm committed to getting it there. Should you decide to check out my other stories, All The Little Rings is complete and is probably one of my better works.
5409341
"Skip", he says.
As if that were even possible!
It's good you brought up Shadow, though. Due to its length, it has to go into my Long Stories list. Better to schedule it now than wait for me to rediscover it again, which would make it take even longer to get to.
5409343
Well, the sequel was written six months later. I guess we'll see. But yeah, fingers ain't crossed.
Also: how did I miss that?
5409351
I was kind of surprised, too. I even triple-checked my archive to make sure the code wasn't broken on my author search tool, but no, somehow this is it. I could have sworn I'd read something by them already.
5409358
I'll probably blog about it when the first video goes up. It probably won't come out until at least next month, though.
5409370
Strange. I'd have thought the deer scene at least would have stuck around. Meh, it's not like there aren't some awesome stories I've neglected over the years. Once you read so many, they start getting jumbled in the noggin.
TQ didn't strong arm me. TQ was all "if you want, I've got all these stories to recommend", and I was like "I like TQ's stuff. I'm gonna read 'em all!", and TQ was like "Nooooooo, that's not what I meant at all!"
5409554
I'll keep that in mind for when I get back to reading some more of your work. Hopefully that won't be forever from now...
The funny thing about A Break in the Clouds is I have no idea where Sunburst's stutter came from. It just emerged naturally as I was writing. Still, I think it worked well enough that in the (very few) stories I've written with Sunburst, he keeps it, along with it vanishing when he starts talking about something he's invested in. (Fun fact: Samuel L. Jackson had a stutter when he was younger, and swearing helped him get over it. He still has "off" days occasionally, so he'll drop an MF-bomb, even if only to himself, to power through.)
5409603
Ah, reverse psychology. In that case, definitely don't read any more of mine.
5409683
Whatever you say, boss.
(Yeah, it's been two weeks since I logged in, but I'm still around. For the time being, at least.)
5409603
I'm very glad you've been able to get something out of my efforts.
You are, as always, too kind.
5409370
Romances can be hit-or-miss sometimes. bookplayer gushed over the first draft (not literally... okay maybe literally too) probably for the sole reason that it was some sappy SparkleJack, but her zeal warmed my ventricles nonetheless. Then I made the dumb move of accidentally deleting all the comments when I replaced the second chapter instead of updating it, so her glowing effusion has been sadly lost. (I did that on Back to Normal as well (after the rewrite), but that one might have been intentional (I can't recall) because the comments there were originally filled with bullying and threats, which was a rather disturbing intro to Fimfiction and the reason why I never add my stories to queer-focused groups anymore. There was a lot of bookplayer too, but incensed!bookplayer rather than gush!bookplayer. Protip: avoid having Twilight Sparkle make potentially unethical decisions, even if said decisions are so vaguely defined that the ramifications are left entirely up to the reader.)
I've always been tempted to delete the second chapter to Clarity, but without that chapter most readers were certain the heroes died at the end. Even after I added that chapter, I had to change the last paragraph multiple times because many readers still assumed they died, and apparently thought the last part was just a hallucination. This was due to misinterpreting the "event horizon" and "black hole" analogies at the end of the bonus chapter as literal, even though that makes no sense whatsoever given the rest of the story. It was a challenge (for me) to modify it to be even more overt about it without turning it super-cheesy (e.g. at one point I'd written "an event horizon of the heart" or something that sounds like a Brian Griffin novel). It took several cringeworthy tries before I finally fixed it (as best I could, anyway).
The reason I'm mentioning this is that it's useful for authors to realize a thing: sometimes you just have to be a little too obvious to hit a wider audience with your message. I had to rewrite the last couple lines of Motherly as well, because it was apparently too subtle and the entire message of the story hinges on those final lines. And again, many readers still don't understand the depth of what I'm implying at the end, so the ending doesn't seem to make any sense to them and it falls flat. (I don't know if you've read that one Pascoite. It's my short RCL feature. Paul did not like it quite as much, but I think it's one of my strongest stories. Also I love to type 'everybuggy'.)
Okay, time to get back to quietly looking through my 400+ notifications.
Glad you enjoyed More Equal Than Others, I quite liked the fight itself and fleshing Starlight out a bit. It’s interesting to see how the story’s aged considering I wrote it back in 2015, and before Starlight even had much in the way of backstory (which led to the old problem of Starlight in the Freeport series eventually becoming hard to tie into her canon self).
As far as the political angle goes, I wouldn’t take Starlight as a commentary on anything but Starlight. Freeport does have systemic issues that need to be addressed, but Starlight’s too short-sighted, and more out for the ego boost of seeming heroic than actually doing anything substantive. I did enjoy getting to bring Starlight back in a couple of the follow-up stories further along in Freeport Venture.