The big white mare didn’t like quitters. Copperquick took a few minutes to think about what to do as he and Miss Oddbody took a break on the sidewalk. So many thoughts tumbled through his mind, so many questions, so many doubts and fears. As he sat on the sidewalk, Copperquick began to question his life, his values, and what few things he believed in.
“I fear I am losing my conservative nature,” he muttered as his ears splayed out.
“But… your bowler hat!” Miss Oddbody replied.
“I always thought the bureaucracy was a good system of checks and balances against excess, but I was never really well informed. I just… sort of… based my opinion off of what was in the newspaper. Right now, I feel degraded and… I don’t even know what it is that I am feeling.”
“This is why I radicalised.” Miss Oddbody’s voice was now quiet in a most curious sort of way. “I was just a silly little pegasus filly fresh off of the farm. I grew up in Tall Tale. It is a quiet little town, conservative, monarchists, good ponies. The local opinion crafters have ponies believing that leftism is a vote for Discord and chaos, and nopony wants chaos, so we all grow up learning to hate it, to despise it, and we believe that we are right, and if we are right, then by default, they are wrong. Sadly, most of them think that voting stinks of leftism too, and that the Princesses should tell us what to think, what to do, and that we should get rid of voting, because that invites chaos and disorder.”
“And what of bureaucracy?” Copperquick asked.
“It is seen as a filter of sorts, to save us from ourselves. A single pony is weak and prone to failure. Many ponies are strong and bureaucracy is viewed as the strength of unity. Herd-think. One of my professors calls it ‘the tyranny of the majority’ and I am inclined to agree.” Miss Oddbody shook her head. “A little education changed me. I don’t think I can ever go home again. One day, I woke up, and I realised that the two ponies that I love the most are painfully backwards.”
“That’s rough,” Copperquick said, feeling bad for his pegasus companion.
“I can’t even convince my parents that everything is broken. My Moomy thinks that once I finish university, I’ll come home, get married, and get myself sorted out before I make too many mistakes that I regret. She says that everypony dabbles in new ideas when they are young, but you have to grow up sometime.”
Ears perked, Copperquick listened.
“My parents call themselves compassionate conservatives. They donate to charity and they talk about how generous they are, and how much they give, but I can’t seem to get it through their heads that the bureaucratic system they support is the reason why these charities need to exist in the first place. If we had a better system that saved ponies from falling down, these charities would not be required. The fact that these charities are needed is evidence of system failure. This system keeps so many ponies poor… and my parents seem to think that donating a few bits now and then will just fix the whole of the problem. But my parents don’t see it as a problem. They got theirs. They’ve never faced agonising circumstances.”
Overwhelmed, Copperquick just sat there, calling into question everything he believed in up to this point. As his brain overloaded, he was stricken with an idea that made the confusing jumble in his mind fall away from him. He needed to go and see Cielo del Este. She would have the forms he needed, he was sure of it. It would be awkward, it might be painful, but that didn’t matter. There was a filly that needed him to pony up and be a dad.
“We need to go to Boardwalk Studios and see Sapphire Shores.”
“What?” Miss Oddbody looked confused. “We have important things that need done.”
“My filly’s mother will be there. We can get the documents we need from her. And then, I need to eat something, so lunch.”
“Well, let’s not waste any time. I have to check in with Mrs. Velvet by threeish, and it is noon right now.” Miss Oddbody slipped the filly back into her carrier and smiled. “She’s a good girl. I think she’s enjoying the grand day out.”
“Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll find out if she has a name.”
Boardwalk Studios was an impressive building, a mix of old and new architecture. Copperquick supposed the name worked even though there was no ocean for thousands of miles, as this was the home location for Sapphire Shores. It was a sort of thematic thing, he reckoned. Hanging from his neck, his daughter burbled, made farty sounds with her lips, and blew spit bubbles to amuse herself.
Taking a deep breath, Copperquick approached the tuxedoed guard at the door. He smiled, his ears pinned back, and in as polite of a voice as he could muster, he explained why he was here and what he needed. “I need to speak to Cielo del Este about our daughter. She is one of Sapphire Shore’s dancers. I need to recover a birth certificate, vaccination records, and a tribal registry. I’m not here to cause trouble or beg for autographs.”
The guard, saying nothing, stared at Copperquick and Miss Oddbody. After a few tense seconds, he stepped aside and the door opened. No expression or emotion showed upon the guard’s face as he gestured for them to go inside. Looking at the door, Copperquick felt relieved that this had gone so well so far.
“Thank you, thank you so much, you’ve made a rotten day better,” Miss Oddbody said.
This time, the guard did respond, and did so with a heavy Manehattanite accent. “We do what we can, when we can.” The guard smiled. “I knows dat foal. Get inside and talk to Sapphire Shores so yous can find out what’s up. You’s bound to be disappointed, but don’t worry. Everything will work itself out fine.”
“Disappointed?” Copperquick licked his lips and felt his frogs go sweaty.
“Bruddah,” the earth pony guard said to Copperquick, “Let Miss Shores set you straight. Cielo del Este is a jive-ass turkey!”
“Okay.” Taking a deep breath, Copperquick headed for the door. Wondering what he might learn, he made his way inside the building and as he stepped through the door, he was hit in the face by a powerful blast of air conditioning that blew his mane back and made his filly giggle.
Almost right away, Copperquick found himself beset by a gaggle of pegasi, all of whom were cooing at his daughter. He heard Miss Oddbody clearing her throat and with all of these wings around, Copperquick found himself in a very good mood indeed. Perhaps having a daughter wasn’t just a good a thing, but a great thing.
“Will you hussies move!” Sapphire Shores demanded as she sashayed through the mob. “You!” The fabulous earth pony singer pointed her hoof at Copperquick. “I knew you would be coming. Well, I have bad news for you, Sugar, Cielo del Este has flown the coop.”
“What?” Copperquick’s mouth fell open and his eyes went wide.
“That bitch freaked out and left town. She went to Las Pegasus. That skanky ass ho went off and broke contract. I have half a mind to send my boys after her and…” Sapphire Shores’ words trailed off and she clucked her tongue. “Suffice it to say, I’m angry.”
“Can we please not swear around the foal?” Miss Oddbody asked in a pleading voice.
“Ah, little Esmeralda Verde.” Sapphire Shores came forwards, lowered her head, and planted a kiss on the foal hanging from Copperquick’s neck.
“That’s her name?” Copperquick asked. “I don’t even know what means.”
“Well, my dancers and I called her that. Cielo called her something else. A lot of something elses. None of them nice. One of my dancers got sick of that nonsense, dragged Cielo outside, and beat the stuffing out of her a few days back. Blacked that bitch’s eye. Things got tense.”
“Oh.” Copperquick blinked a few times and then looked down at his daughter.
“Emerald Green. Esmeralda Verde means emerald green.” Sapphire Shores moved even closer to Copperquick. “So… you gonna be a daddy, eh?” The earth pony mare’s voice was breathy, silky, and sultry. “Single fathers are great… you know they put out.”
“Hey!” Miss Oddbody bowled into Sapphire Shores and pushed the much larger earth pony mare out of the way. “As a Crown appointed representative, I have to keep the environment safe, sound, and healthy for the foal.”
Grinning, Copperquick said, “I like Esmeralda Verde… it’s pretty.”
Also grinning, Sapphire Shores looked down at Miss Oddbody, who was several heads shorter. “I’m sorry, farmgirl, I’ll be on my best behaviour. This big city girl didn’t mean to offend your country sensibilities. Hows about I get in touch with you later and you can tell me what a bad pony I’ve been… after dinner.”
“N-n-no, th-th-that’s okay,” Miss Oddbody stammered as she backed away, her face turning bright red.
“Oh, come now, I could use a little butter on my bread and I’m hot enough to make you melt—”
“No!” Miss Oddbody ducked behind Copperquick and scowled up at the much larger earth pony mare. “Look, we came here hoping to find the mother and secure some papers. I am on the clock and this is not a visit for pleasure. I don’t mix business and pleasure, as I am a consummate professional.”
“My business is pleasure,” Sapphire Shores said in a purring voice and her dancers giggled. Tilting her head, she turned to look at the filly hung from Copperquick’s neck and her whole demeanour changed. “It’s not fair, what’s been done to you. Your mother is a real piece of trash, but it looks like you have a good daddy. A girl can’t ask for much more in life.”
“She was left in front of my door. I just lost my job. I’m trying to get help. I want to keep her and do what’s right. But it’s real hard and I don’t know what I’m doing. Miss Oddbody has saved me more times than I can count.” Copperquick looked around the room and saw the faces staring back at him. He saw understanding, sympathy, he saw recognition, and he felt better.
“Cielo paid to get illusion magics done to hide her condition from me because she was afraid of losing her job. She worked almost to the point of birth, then said she was sick with the flu. She was out for about a week, then showed up at work one day with this here adorable filly.” Sapphire Shores eyes narrowed and she shook her head. “Things got strained after that.”
“I would imagine so.” Miss Oddbody stepped out from behind Copperquick.
“We made it work somehow,” Sapphire continued, “trying to be real understanding, but Cielo wasn't the sort of pony that was easy to get along with. She was temperamental under the best conditions. A real showbiz type. She was already looking for agents and scouts with the hopes that she could get Esmeralda into the business, because let’s face it, that little filly is purty. Cielo started coming apart at the seams. Started molting from the stress. The cracks started showing.”
“And nopony helped her?” Miss Oddbody asked.
“No, at that point, she was a real bitch,” Sapphire replied.
“That’s sad and unfortunate.” Miss Oddbody took a moment to pluck away some lint from her cardigan sweater with her wing. The prim little pegasus was regaining her composure after being flustered and she also straightened out her glasses. As she worked to get herself straightened out, more of her mane slipped out of her bun and spilled around her face.
“Hey… why don’t the two of you stay and have lunch with us?” Sapphire Shores offered in a warm, sincere voice that also came with a smile. “We were about to have a lunch break. Catering brought over a huge meal… what can I say, we eat like horses. Stay with us. You can put Esmeralda down for a little nap. Cielo del Este was a real bitch, but we like Esmeralda.”
“I’d like that.” Copperquick’s voice was hesitant and he gave Miss Oddbody a hopeful look. He was starving and needed a good meal. This was a chance to get full, have a rest, and give his daughter a chance to nap.
“Well, I need to report in at three, and we have some time, so… yes. We would be very pleased to accept your invitation. Thank you, for your generousity.” Miss Oddbody bowed her head.
“I bet skinny li’l farmgirl eats like a horse,” Sapphire Shores said with a wry grin.
“Only after I’ve had to wrassle a heifer,” Miss Oddbody replied.
“OOOOH… daaaayum, you went there!” Sapphire Shores began chuckling and shook her head. “Oh, I like you. You gots sass, but it’s the classy kind. And you kinda has this whole sexy librarian thing going on. Come on, let’s go and eat. Today the catering crew brought curry and a whole mess of fried frittery thingies.”
“I… I do not look like a sexy librarian!” Miss Oddbody’s face turned a garish shade of bright pink. “I am a responsible, well dressed young professional!”
“Mmm hmm.” Sapphire nodded and made a gesture to be followed. “Professional librarian. Somepony gonna wanna check out your books, farmgirl.”
“Ugh, well, I never—”
“Well then, you should! It feels good!” Cawing with laughter, Sapphire Shores led the group off to lunch. “Don’t believe me, ask baby daddy over there… he’ll set you straight. You know he done sampled the goods, and daaayum, if he don’t make a pretty baby. Make a mare think, a pretty foal like that.”
Fearing for his life, Copperquick hurried after Sapphire Shores and didn’t dare meet the gaze of Miss Oddbody.
Well, he has Sapphire shores on his side now. That makes it infinitely harder for the system to assassinate Copperquick's character.
7634913
Yes, because a slutty, sexually promiscuous pop star is the pony you want to have on your side.
7634953 she has status though, status gets you what you want more often than it should.
Very nice chapter having friends helps and while not pleasant Copperquick knows more about his daughter and her mother..
7634913 Sad to say bureaucracy doesn't really care or bother with celebrities. it has a life of its own that in most places outlasts leaders and their regimes. Multiple celebrities make a difference by getting said leaders and the public engaged in making a change that finally changes the bureaucracy
7634959 She could walk up to any stallion on the street and grope him and get away with it.
7634953
7634980 It's less about her being a Celebrity, and more about having a direct line to Rarity, and by extension, the Mane 6.
7634998 In this situation beyond Twilight as a princess are worthless its not an issue they can solve with the elements. My prior comment about bureaucracy still stands
7635005 Twilight isn't the princess I'm thinking of... Besides, try assassinating the Characters of several time national heroes, and by extension the rulers of the nation. That would go swell, I'm sure.
Oh the irony, straight from the pony's mouth.
Well that happened and I like Sapphire a lot now
7635012 bureaucracy doesn't generally try to assassinate characters they don't need to. Its a part of government that exists to handle the work created by the rules and regulations created by the leaders. They aren't worried about elections just following the rules
So, is miss oddboddy gay or bisexual?
7635295
Why does that matter?
Sapphire Shores is delightful. I want to see more of her in your fics.
7635457
As you wish. She'll be in this one a few more times.
When your less than a year old daughter has more connections than you...
Copperquick is about to set sail on the paper sea
[url=youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZhb1ELZzN4]The Paper Sea - Leslie Fish
.
7635633
7635638
Accursed phone won't let me edit my post. Thanks for the assist
7635664
Not to worry, friendo.
7635001
Well, he kinda already had that with Twilight Velvet, you know, PRINCESS Twilight Sparkle's mother?
7635691
I was wondering when somebody might point this out.
7635691
7635700 It crossed my mind, but I didn't dwell on that idea.
7635765
Luna in her manic phases and a full pot of Celestial Glory.
Would have gone with 'wrangle' but anyway, ROWWWWRRR! or is it BRRAAAAYYY!
i.ytimg.com/vi/TBAQBSQLDHQ/maxresdefault.jpg
I can't say im suprised, but i definitely wasn't expecting that.
Once more, i want to see where this goes.
7635918 Can we give some to Discord? Or would the multiverse Break immediately?
7634996 Too soon. /s
Sooo... I think this makes him a certified DILF. Sapphire can vouch.
7635296 Just curious, that's all.
It seems unusual that he describes his disillusionment with this government agency (and in general loss of trust in the media) as losing his conservatism.
Mostly because I didn't realize he identified as conservative, nor did Oddbody declare him as a conservative person after hearing his beliefs.
7637057
The bowler hat is a symbol of conservative labour. But not to Americans. So it is understandable that you didn't catch the reference. Little details at first, then bigger details and fleshing out.
7637076
Aha!
Well, as an American, I also no longer associate "conservatism" with implicit trust in authority anymore, as well.
7637145
In the comments section, there was a picture posted by 7632221
hatsandcaps.co.uk/images/articles/bowlers-labor-demonstration.jpg
So clearly, some people get it and understand it for what it is.
I understand and accept that the initial reference is convoluted and a bit out of reach.
I feel a bit irritated that you put your own political views into the story in such a ham-fisted manner. I mean, feel free to express your opinions, Lord knows I do in my stories, but use at least a little subtlety. You're better than that, bro.
needed
Approval and support from Sapphire Shores, that could be a useful angle for the overall effort. She may not have any direct influence or political capital of her own, but she almost certainly knows ponies that know ponies.
I came for the intriguing prompt. Staying for Sapphire Shores. Mare got sass!
So a sassy, sexy librarian squirrel
Cielo's gon die.
She gon git killed.
In the sequel.
Probably.
7637750 There is nothing wrong with a writer writing a political perspective, and this is the best I've seen it handled for awhile
Oh. I like Sapphire Shores. She makes that pony POP.
7637076
I grew up believing that the Republicans were good. That they were at least decent Christians, who were looking out for our best interests. That they were the party of morality.
However, as I grew up and started to take a hard look at what they ACTUALLY said and did...I became disillusioned. Preaching hate against immigrants, despite the Bible being pro-immigrant. Tons of double standards. Not even financially conservative. The party that I thought I knew was a bunch of lies.
A great example of our so called glorious system is Welfare to Work. Getting those "leeches" off Welfare and into jobs. Only it was canned, because "It costs money". Like either you hate people being on welfare and love them having jobs, or you do not! It's fucking saving your asses money long term! But noooooo! Can't have people paying taxes, because it costs taxes ~.~
Then there's the whole "Tough on Criminals, Soft on Crime" approach that we have to our so called "Justice System". Things like Poverty that we KNOW causes crime we allow, while simultaneously being tough on criminals, despite studies showing that it does NOT even work! Hell even the private prison people have said that their so called cost efficient prisons, are nothing but a revolving door for criminals.
7637750
I agree. I'm a right-wing leaning guy, and frankly found a lot of the opinions in this chapter to be somewhat insulting. Don't get me wrong, you're allowed to have an opinion, but that doesn't mean that you should label conservatives as unthinking, unfeeling a-holes who only care about money. I like this story because it shows a hard-working father who is trying to do the best he can for his daughter, which is a very conservative viewpoint to have. I can personally speak from experience that you don't necessarily have to go to college or university to make decent money and live a wholesome life; you just have to be willing to spend a few years on the bottom rung, and work your way up. It makes me wonder; does Copper have parents? Cousins? Relatives? Anyone who can help him raise his child while he works to make money to put food on the table? Shouldn't they be the first he goes to? Social services should be the last line of defense, the place you go to when all other options have failed.
Well, I'm done preaching. I feel better now.
9609293
It seems I must repeat myself.
I mean this respectfully as possible, but when you say things like the following:
The use of the word 'you' implies projection. It is infuriating. Leave me out of it. A writer is more than the sum of his or her characters' opinions. It's insulting. What makes things even worse is the fact that both Copper and Buttermilk are pro-conservative figures. That's right. They are. They're working on rehabilitating an existing system rather than tearing down and replacing it, which is the very essence of true, actual, conservatism. They're both conservatives trying to reconcile with the uglier aspects of conservatism, of which there are many. So... let's hash this out, shall we?
I am writing a story about a conservative protagonist trying to find his place in the world, trying to do good, trying to reconcile what he believes versus what he is experiencing, and how this affects his views. A character who clings tightly to his beliefs even though it costs him dearly. A conservative character that lives by his principles, his virtues, and his values, and rather than focus on this portrayal of conservatives, I get this bullshit instead.
See the problem here?