It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #80 · 7:09pm Sep 28th, 2022
Rounding out the alicorn set, we dip back to Flurry Heart.
The first today is the more sensible of the two: A Lesson in Regicide by MayhemMoth from last year's Cadance Is A Terrible Mom contest.
Seven year old Flurry has been learning history, you see. She's picked up a few bits about the line of rulers for the Crystal Empire and asks Cadance if Sombra was Amore's son. Cadance patiently explains to her daughter that no, Sombra killed Amore to take over the Crystal Empire; and that in turn she and Shining had killed Sombra so they could rule. Flurry understands this and that she's going to be Princess after her mother.
So while her parents agonize over if Flurry is old enough to really talk to about death, she takes it all to the logical conclusion like any seven year old would: by getting a crossbow so she doesn't have to go to bed early any more.
As I said last week: this is one of those stories where you either see the comedy off the bat or you never will. It is funny, of course - if you get the humor. Adorable little Flurry innocently attempting to murder her mother as the parents completely miss her shots is a laugh riot for me. And while she's a precocious little gremlin, Cadance and Shining are what make the story. They're just so earnest on debating if Flurry is mature enough to understand the harsh realities of life while she poisons their food so she can avoid homework.
MayhemMoth's one of those writers who frequently slips under the radar, and this is probably their best work. Totally worth the hilarious read.
On the other side of the coin, we've got...
Well...
The story is PROTOTY by fandom titan shortskirtsandexplosions.
That's where this recommendation goes off the rails. Skirts needs no introduction and I can't introduce the story. Normally I drop a quick summary of the plot, but that isn't really plausible here. PROTOTY is something I can only describe as 'experimental'. It's a profoundly weird story that pushes a lot of boundaries of format and coherency; it exists as the left half of a story we'll never get the right half to; the chapter names themselves are bugs in the system; even the Cancelled tag is part of the story.
Any attempt I make to parse this story for you is going to fail. (I think that is probably intentional.)
Most readers will bounce off it. It's experimental and surreal and weird. But for some people, this is going to absolutely be your groove, and in that case? It's art.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
That regicide comedy looks funny! How to make evil Flurry funny? Make it a comical misunderstanding on the part of a filly interpreting their parents' logic literally! Will be sure to give it a look in.
The shortskirtsandexplosions experimental one looks a bit beyond my comfort zone. Maybe some day.
Y'know I've been a bit off with pony writing lately but I gotta admit seeing any of my stories get recommended in any way is bound to get me to smile. And dang did that description make me laugh.
Thanks for recommending A Lesson in Regicide! I'll have to check out that other story when I get the chance too.
Apparently, I read PROTORY at some point in the past and gave it a thumbs up, but I genuinely have zero memory of it. Strange.
Judging by the fact that I added it to my "Tracking" library, my past self seems to have missed the point entirely.
Thanks for the reminder to reread it! I'll see about giving Regicide a look, too.