SHARD #91,311
It was a perfect world.
It was also morning, and morning tasted a little bit saltier than usual today. Perhaps with a slightly tangy aftertaste.
She opened her eyes at a time that sounded like 7:15 AM when a wagon wheel, supporting an abundant load of fuzzy carpets and exotic spices with the power to rip her away from the world she knew and plant her firmly in a thousand foreign lands, hit a stone and let out a loud crack. The blackness of her slumber gave way in an instant to the blackness of a brand new day, and she swung her hooves over the side of her bed as she stretched the fading weariness from her spine with a wet snap that echoed around the room. Then she shook out her mane, tasting the oiliness on the tips of the few hairs that managed to land in her mouth, and trotted into the bathroom for a shower.
She showered because it was necessary, and not for any other reason. She’d considered asking Celestia to take away the need for it more than once, but ultimately decided not to. If nopony showered, they’d never smell any different. The mare wouldn’t know if that pony who’d just walked into a given room was coming in from a hard day’s work or an afternoon of leisure. Secretly, she revelled in all the knowledge she got from a single whiff that nopony else would ever know. Who had been the one to tell her friends that the mayor’s aide had been doing a whole lot more than ‘recording the minutes’ during his private meetings with her? The hint of the mayor’s perfume on his shirt collar told the entire story.
Still, for her showers were a thing to be endured rather than enjoyed. The water pounding against her coat tore away her touch. The crashing noise of water falling onto ceramic cut off her hearing. The few scented oils and shampoos she did use ripped out her sense of smell. When her tongue accidently caught a few droplets from the showerhead, they were disappointingly meaningless to the taste.
What else was there?
When, in the moments when she was feeling deeply morbid and she imagined what death felt like, she assumed it was like an eternal shower. Overwhelming and unending. Thank Celestia she’d never go through something so awful.
After an eternity of nonexistence, the ordeal ended. She was clean, and ready to imprint every part of herself with life. With this day which would reveal itself to her in a billion little ways, before everypony took a shower and it all started again tomorrow.
The mare walked downstairs, and heard the creak of wood under her husband’s hooves as he shifted his weight. He smelled anxious. His breaths sounded ever-so-slightly heavier than they usually did. When she kissed him good morning, he tasted like eggs, and flour, and inept-yet-earnest love. She grinned. He was trying to surprise her with pancakes again. Maybe someday he’d even get them right.
She sat herself down in the chair that was exactly where she expected it to be. Her husband didn’t help her. He’d learned a few centuries ago that he didn’t have to. She felt her smile stretch wider, somehow, impossibly, as he slid the plate in front of her. In the instant the first whiffs hit her nose she identified at least six mistakes he’d committed while making them. The sharp intake of breath beside her as she poured syrup onto them told her he knew it too.
She took a bite. They were pretty awful. Then she took another bite, and another, and another, and proclaimed them to be delicious.
The stir of air beside her told her that the stallion had leaned forward, just the tiniest bit, at her praise. He should have known better than to fall into such an obvious trap. With one smooth motion, she wrapped a foreleg around the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss. The syrup overwhelming her taste buds masked the presence of his tongue darting into her mouth, but she held the kiss until the two delicious sensations intertwined. Syrup-coated-husband more than made up for mediocre pancakes.
After eighty-seven (she’d counted) ticks of the clock on the wall, the kiss broke. They both had a rich, full day in front of them. Much as she’d love to tackle him to the floor and immerse herself in the sensation of him, there wasn’t time right now. Later tonight though, she’d make time. And if she couldn’t then she’d ask Celestia to make it for her.
Reinforced in body and spirit, the mare left her house to attack the new day. A lilting, familiar voice greeted her. The ever-mellifluous and resonant Daisy, her good friend, greeting her as she passed. Daisy was great. She was bombastic. She gave off a perpetually minty scent, unless she was upset in which case she took on the smell of frying eggplant. Other ponies, apparently trying to be helpful, had also told the mare that she was ‘yellow,’ whatever that was.
She shouted her own greeting back at Daisy, and the flower salespony stopped to chat about everything and nothing. Before they parted, they’d agreed to meet up for a wine tasting the next evening. The mare was quite good at those.
Turning her attention back East, the mare felt the rays of the early morning sun striking her face and knew she was pointed exactly towards where she was headed. Little hints of everything seeped into her nostrils, letting her in on so many tiny secrets nopony else would ever see. She could already tell it was going to be another good day.
It was a perfect world.
Also decided to update old chapters with a brief descriptor so people can find them as this thing gets longer. Expect that later tonight.
In the princess-dom of the blind, the SVATFAPped mare is queen.
Very cool idea. I used to work in one of those relay centers for the deaf and certainly am aware there are deaf people who would never choose to augment themselves with hearing, but it never really occurred to me that a blind person might choose the same, what with still being able to easily communicate in the same language and so not feeling so estranged. But I'm certain some would chose to remain blind.
There's a deaf-culture movement, but I'm not familiar with any parallel blind-culture. But sure, I'm sure someone out there would prefer it.
I wonder what sex is like for a blind person...
At first I actually thought the character might have synesthesia, and then I just got really confused. It was only the line about "yellow, whatever that is" near the end that made me figure it out. Great chapter, I love these things.
3872350
I think you got a little bit of extra 'A' in there.
3872880
I'm gonna guess that especially in a CelestAI SVTFaP world... completely mind-blowing and awesome.
3872948
I imagine it's all more intense. Or I'm projecting from blindfold experiences. Aw, blind people can't get off from blindfolds...
3872948 Sometimes I go with SVaTFAP so it's more pronounceable, but you're right, there's no reason for the first A to be capitalized. Forgive me, Bill Walsh!
Yeah, that's nice: you don't need to 'correct' what's already perfect.
I picked up that she was blind fairly early on. However, this is something like the first time I'm not creeped out by the Optimalverse. I mean, ok, she doesn't particularly want to be able to see, even though she could just ask Celestia to let her see and that would be it.
Uhhhh... big deal?
This almost makes up for the Cookie shard.
Hmm. Does this shard not have a nickname, or is it just one that can't be seen?
In any case, great stuff. As visually oriented as humans are, this is a fascinatingly alien view of the world.
Ha! "View." See what I mean?
Looking forward to more.
3874600
I have to wonder, if you were born blind, how would you react to sight? And for that matter, if a 'normal' person was given a sixth sense? Something so totally alien that you could only compare it vaguely with obtuse metaphors based on the senses you currently have; "Her zapha was like warbling neckties, the purple ones, not the blue ones."
She didn't ask for sight because she never had it to begin with.
3874600
They don't all have to be horrifying, they're a collection of thought experiments.
3875403
I'll nickname it later, I like people going into each new shard... Er... blind and making them figure out the twist.
3875558
If you do some research, there are actual cases where doctors have been able to give sight back to those who were blind since birth. It generally goes poorly.
It's incredibly awesome that you didn't overtly tell us that she was blind. The story is told from her perspective. Her worldview would be defined by what she experiences, not what she doesn't. Although the third to last sentence skirts dangerously close to stating it...I think I'd personally prefer it to have been left completely unsaid, but I suppose there are some who wouldn't get it otherwise.
Wait a second. SHE'S BLIND!
So, she was blind from birth as a human. And of course the optimal world for her is one full of interesting sounds, rich textures, wonderful flavors and informative scents.
Quite a beautiful read!
3875686
You mean like this?
She is blind. I wonder ¿why she does not have vision restored? ¿Why stop at just vision?:
It wat a beautiful story.
3875558
Isaac Asimov wrote the story The Secret Sense" about an human temporarily given a new sense and how terrible it is to loose that new sense.