We're in that odd period where the US hasn't changed its clocks back but the UK has. It won't affect Flashfic 150, though, so let's get right to the point. It's time for the November contest!

Here are the full rules.

Remember, there is no prize, as such, for this contest -- but if you win, you will be able to choose the prompt for the next contest. You'll also get a mention on the group's front page. I will try to actually remember to promote the group this month, as it would be nice to see some new blood around the place. (I wrote that when it was still Hallowe'en, so feel free to interpret it spookily.) Anyway, you have three weeks!

Prompt: "Where Your Loyalties Lie" (selected by last month's winner, Impossible Numbers)
Rating: E or T
Word limit: 150
Closing date: Wednesday 21st November 2018, 11:59 pm UK time (world clock)

Please reply to this post with your entry. This makes it easier for me to keep track. Please do not leave feedback until after the closing date.

Entries are now open! Have fun!

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First one out the gate, since I can't win this month anyway. Please enjoy.

“We’ll let you be our princess,” said the earth pony, “s’long as you act princessy.”

Platinum leaned towards Clover. “These are loyalists?”

“Earth ponies have… different views of loyalty, Your Highness. Possibly a side-effect of democratic traditions?”

“I only wanted to play croquet!”

Before today, Platinum would’ve sent mages to quash earth pony “rabble-rousers”. But new Equestria needed less self-absorbed leadership. Besides, Equestrian farmhooves had developed a two-way relationship with royalty. They did not pass laws and wear ermine, and princesses did not mess with farmland.

“These fields have the right slant –” whined Platinum.

Clover coughed warningly.

“Have… the… right… type of slant. I was… measuring them. With croquet hoops! Soon be cleared up! Superlative fields, good farmer!”

“You’re learning, Your Highness.” Clover beamed proudly.

Respect other ponies’ needs.

Platinum hated learning. It made her sweat with effort. However, she had non-unicorn subjects now. “Noble-ess obli-gay” was her watchword.

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Could this be a sure fire winner?
Fluttershy and custard!

“Mwahahaha!” The disembodied laugh echoed round the cavern. “Where do your loyalties lie little one?”

Oddly, Fluttershy did not feel overly concerned as she crouched on the small suspended platform, for sat on the next one over was Angle Bunny and beyond was, admittedly unconscious, Princess Twilight.

Far below them a vast lake of viscous yellow liquid where black triangular fins would break the surface and slide away again.

“Oh my, is that…..?”

“It is indeed!" The voice snarled. "Shark infested custard.” .

“Those poor creatures.” Fluttershy squeaked. “What do you want of me?”

“You must choose little one.”

“Oh! Is that all?” Reaching out, Fluttershy pushed one of the two leavers in front of her. A loud clang and the sound of a body falling, terminating in a loud plop in the centre of a ring of black fins.

“I’m so sorry Twilight.”

“Mwahahaha!” The evil voice echoes again.

My modus operandi from now on will be to see if the prompt makes me want to write a feghoot as soon as I see it. I got nothing with this one, so no entry for November.

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The rules state that...

All entries must be MLP-related

...well here's one I'm sure everyone can relate to MLP with.

It's a simple premise, but I'm adding a little spice to it as I'll be imitating a specific writing style of someone's. It won't be a perfect similarity, but I'm sure you can figure out who I'm impersonating.

Oh Faust, what have thou douse upon me? Dreaming of such a land of make believe.

I hinder the thought it cometh to light. They seek my legion with them, yet I say, 'neigh'.

Recreant, I am. Though my soul cries out, 'A PONY! A PONY! MY DIGNITY FOR A PONY!'

Yearn instincts to compete prismatic's tenacity. Heart gives way to timid soul's rejoice.

Share apples with the voice of the south. Receive grace by the presence for beauty.

Merrily banter with maiden of curls. Witness feats from doyen of sorcery.

What is this for I have seen? Poison? Nectar? Slop? Custard?

Torn between society and pleasure. Doest liking no longer brand me a man?

To lure daughters of Eve, 'tis intent. Yet holds the likes of me captive, why?

Haunting assailant, what right gives thou to judge?

Take my shame and skew'r mine core.

For I am, a Brony.

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Well this seems really fun!

“Where’s Rainbow?” Twilight asked at her gathered friends, “We were suppose to meet for lunch twenty minutes ago.”

“I think she was out training,” Fluttershy spoke up, “She works so hard, she probably lost track of time.”

“I’ll go find her,” Twilight took off without waiting for an answer. Honestly, with all of their schedules it was rare they could all get together. The least Rainbow could do was be on time.

Twilight’s eyes stayed locked on the sky, looking for the familiar colors.

She found it, not flying, but dangling off the edge of a cloud. Curiously, Twilight ascended so she could see the cloud’s occupants.

Rainbow and Flash Magnus where passed out. They’re wings dangled to their sides and twitched occasionally as if they had just collapsed where they were after a long flight.

It was adorable.

Twilight summoned cymbals.

This group lunch was not going to wait.

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Help, help! I'm being repressed!

If anyone else is out there and wants to give this a go, you have just under four hours remaining, so get your skates on!

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I always forget about england time. If it's 4 hours left, I won't even be off-work at that point, so definitely no time for a last minute entry. Oh well, probably wouldn't have come up with anything anyways.

--Sweetie Belle

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This contest has now closed. Some time ago, in fact! Sorry about that, Real Life got in the way, as it does.

Anyway, just four submissions this month. The lowest in FF150 history, and one of them can't win anyway. I may have to do some thinking, but for now a warm welcome to Tangerine Blast, and of course...

Feedback is open! I'll leave announcing the winner for a couple of days to give people time to talk, should they wish.

L'habituel, I think: this is my opinion, and since I'm not one of nature's reviewers, I'll give an overall impression and hope it happens to be useful to the author thus critiqued.

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Aw man, Fluttershy and custard. There is no contest. It all ends here.

In all seriousness, I do like the weird touches, and this is obviously a light-hearted bit of silliness (how the heck do sharks breathe custard, for a start?). But ultimately, it's not my cup of hot chocolate. I dunno; I guess I think it might work better outside of pony and in something more cynical? (I never really believed this was Fluttershy for a second, funny though this version is). Plus, the lightness means it doesn't linger long in the memory. I think the lack of ambition in the subject matter is fine; it just doesn't do much for me personally.

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Usually, I have a limited interest in metafiction, but this has two major points in its favour: its audacity, and its subject matter. You could only do this sort of thing once, but damn does it do it neatly. It captures the ambivalence of some among the male fans who ended up liking a "girl's show", and in a surprisingly literary manner to boot. Special mention must go to the veiled references to the main six in the middle.

Personal favourite, just for sheer lateral thinking.

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Shipping. Hm. Definitely not my cup of hot chocolate.

That said, the main joke worked for me. Muscling through a sweet moment just to get the layabouts moving: now that is more like it! The writing does feel a little basic, pretty workmanlike, which is fine but does make the occasional spelling mistake (e.g. "where" should be "were") stick out. Similar to What's Yellow and Dangerous? above, it also doesn't linger long in the mind, being a simple jokey setup and not much else in terms of, say, characterization or development (the shipping, for instance, is just there. It has to be, in a fic this small, but you could pretty much toss in anything else as a cute moment).

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Okay, everyone. It's results time.

One shameless Fluttershy, one shameless meta, one shameless shipping. There's a pattern emerging here.

But I'm going for Somerset Cider. Absolutely nobody is going to believe me when I say this, but it's not simply because it combines Fluttershy and custard. But it's that very combination of light-hearted silliness and perhaps feeling like it came out of a more cynical world that IN noted that appeals to me. Or perhaps a Fluttershy who's been corrupted in some way. I'd actually love to read the story that brought this Fluttershy to this situation.

We're going to continue FF150 next month with the same format -- I'm not changing anything at this point -- so Somerset Cider, please give me your chosen prompt and we'll see how we do with December's edition.

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I’m glad to see this continuing. It’s a lovely contest; I’ve had inconsistent participation due to reasons unrelated to the contest itself.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you one and all.
Well, that was certainly unexpected!
As for the story, I think I may have been reading a little too much Flutter Priest.
And for our next great and powerful prompt................ (pending Loganberry's approval}
'I didn't do it!'

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Thanks for your supportive comments. I was never likely to change anything immediately anyway. I am always open to suggestions, which can go either in this public thread or in PMs as you prefer.

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That seems like a pretty good prompt -- lots of ways people could interpret that. (Note: simply submitting a blank entry on the grounds that you didn't do it is... unlikely to work. ) So yep, sounds good to me! The thread will go up on the 1st as usual. If I forget, yell at me.

My trump card....... and even after I sowed in a reference to Fluttershy and dipped it with a statement for custard.

Crap. I can only think of one story for next month's prompt, and it's soooooo cliched. I've already lost.

..........well, time to exploit the hell out of my flashfic. Shameless Self-Promotion Bureau, here I come!