Coffee growing in the Everfree forest came from a greentext second person anonymous story called Coffee. While I think greentext second person anonymous stories are a scourge against storytelling, I liked the idea of growing coffee in the Everfree, and so I decided to borrow it here.
Couldn’t do it. Straight up couldn’t do it, and I recognize the potential consequences associated with that decision. I could do a donor of some sort to help with pregnancy, but full on adding another stallion or letting the mares stable with other stallions?
Like said, I recognize that it’s selfish and that there’s potential fallout but I just don’t think its in me to pull that off.
Props for showing Lero put on a brave face and then have a bit of a breakdown in the shower, though.
Bellerophon had lived up to his legendary namesake, and had slain the chimera.
I'm terribly sorry, but I don't understand what this reference is trying to convey. I remember that Bellerophon really did, in Greek myth, successfully slay the chimera, but I don't recall much else about it.
What is Lero's "chimera"?
Post-Dignity Edit: Ahhhh, that makes sense. Thank you.
6320752 Pretty sure it's referring to a child made by a human and a pony - a halfbreed, which could be conceivably thought of as a chimera. He didn't so much slay it, as be unable to bring one into being, which is sorta the same end result.
and this is why lero needs bio-genetic engineering even if the best he could possible pull off is the handyman half roll of duck tape and a prayer solution
The statement about the Everfree affecting his behavior combined with the zoning out time jump when thinking about his feelings on sex and relationships and sacrifice for his mares seems to heavily imply that the everfree is fucking up Celestia's block on his memories and the conditioning and trauma from being tortured by Fae are bleeding through. It would make sense given his extreme submissiveness and near compulsion to please his mares or those he considers as "My lady".
That said it heavily dislike this chapter because he is flat out encouraging them to replace him, sexually and reproductively. Yeah they still love him, but you can love friends and brothers and fathers, the fact that he isn't "their stallion" but no just one of their stallions (specifically the one that can't truly function in the defining sense of being a stallion) and he hates it but goes through with it for their sake while they sacrifice nothing is fucked up. It makes me 'respect' his resolve more but also heavily dislike him and makes me not want to read anymore about this specific line of Xenophilia. The only way this could play out and me not hate and spite all of his mares is if they flat out refuse his offer because they are willing to sacrifice one of their dreams to not cause untold emotional pain to their 'loved' one.
6320897 You're probably going to end up hating and spiting some of his mares. I don't see this as being a 'replacement', as pony herds in the Xenoverse don't work that way. It's an addition, not a replacement. If anything, any future stallion that joins may end up feeling left out, as he sees the mares love and adore Lero to a level that stallion can't hope to achieve.
I'm trying to write Lero as someone who loves his wives in that self-sacrificing way, but not someone who's 'extremely submissive'. I, perhaps, need to be more careful with how I word his relationship. I appreciate your criticism, and hope you'll continue to offer it if you decide to stick with this story.
6321065 I appreciate your response but I have to respectfully disagree with any statement that the dynamics of their relationship are healthy. He clearly sacrifices a great amount for them in every way he can and ask nothing in return... so they give him nothing in return. There isn't a single sacrifice or concession they make for him on par with what he does for them. He is giving up parts of his culture and basically parts of his identity to try and make them happy and they moan and whine over how they don't want him hurting himself before just saying ok and letting him hurt himself for them.
Why does he have to force himself to accept something that clearly disturbs and upsets him, for good reason, when they can't do something as simple as fucking adopting. Those adopted foals would be as real to them as the foals they have with another stallion would be to Lero. So either foals that you raised but aren't your blood aren't good enough for them but Lero should be happy with it or they are good enough but the would rather have blood ones and expect Lero to just suffer through it because they want their perfect little family without ever making compromises for his sake without serious prodding.
Letting someone hurt themselves in a desperate attempt to please you isn't healthy or 'ok' but that is what they are letting Lero do. He may have offered it but he clearly isn't happy with it and they all know it, but they won't try and stop him and make him happy because they are getting what they want out of it and he will 'get over it'. If they actually cared about his happiness and well being they would turn down his clearly pained and martyr driven offer.
Hell, the starting of the chapter was Lero acknowledging to himself that he is clearly mentally not ok and can't understand why he is pathologically incapable of changing and accepting their affections in the form of fellatio in the same way he is ok with changing and accepting anything else that leads to them being happy. However kind and calm he is that doesn't change the fact that he is clearly mentally and emotionally damaged by what happened with the Fae and that suppressed PTSD is clearly showing with how he martyrs himself constantly for his mares and jokes about his own perceived inadequacies.
Their relationship isn't four happy healthy people working things out together, its three happy healthy people working things out and one damaged but loving person that goes along with just about anything. He shows a spine and stands to others on anything but himself, about his wants and needs and deserved respect. His biggest flaw as a person has always been that he puts himself and his happiness below everyone else he loves to the point of being self damaging. They, unwitting or not, are taking serious advantage of his damage and they flat out shouldn't, they should know better.
I understand if that isn't how you see this scenario or how you envision their characters but it is how its playing out and chances are after I see this next chapter I'm going to have to stop reading this story no matter how well written it may be.
6321103 I personally think Lero is going through a bout of depression as this whole thing has weighed heavily on his mind. Stages of loss and all that jazz. As for the adoption thing, I think it would be a good world building idea to explore. I don't think that it would be like how we have it on earth.
6321103 The healthiness (or lack thereof) of their relationship isn't something I had fully considered, and I find myself agreeing with your viewpoint on Lero's attempted sacrifice.
His mares will reject his offer in the next chapter for the reasons you mentioned, though if any stallion joins in the future, it'll be because all four want him to join - it won't be just because Lero wants them to be happy.
You've also given me much thought on Lero's PTSD, so I thank you for that.
6321170 I'm glad I could be of help, and thank you very much for listening. This is a wonderful story and I'm very happy it isn't taking a turn I can't bear to follow. I look forward to more of your writing.
6321065 Didn't think so, and thanks. Again, this is how I would see this situation play out in this herd, unlike another story I've read.
As to the situation overall? I can see Lero having some emotional issues if his mares do invite another stallion into the herd, but they have made it clear they have no desire to replace him, merely to have offspring, and he's okay with that idea.
Further, as Rainbow Dash said, no stallion gets into the herd without his approval, which should help somewhat. Yes, there might be issues here and there, but in the end I feel the herd will stay together, and stable, because they are taking pains to be sure nobody steps on anybody else.
Equestria was a nation of tea drinkers, and Ponyville, despite being an outlier in so many other areas, towed the line with the rest of the nation in tea drinking. -- toed the line
I bet it didn’t even phase his ego. -- faze
(But you got the past tense of lay vs. lie right!)
Why does he have to force himself to accept something that clearly disturbs and upsets him, for good reason, when they can't do something as simple as fucking adopting.
The concept of orphans and adoption as we know it doesn't make sense in the xenoverse.
Every foal has on average 3 or 4 parents, and every single one of them consider all of their foals their own, whether they are the biological parents or not.
For a foal to become an orphan that needs adopting not only would her parents need to die, but also her herd parents. And even if that were to happen, a foal would have 9 - 16 ponies in her grand parent herds, which means there would have to be a huge number deaths and heartless ponies for them to become abandoned. The safety net for foals is one of the main advantages of the whole herd setup, if not the most important, and cannot be ignored, just as the disadvantages can't be ignored.
The more extreme cases where a foal is left to fend by herself surely exist, but they are likely too few and far in between for adoption to exist as an institution as it does for us, there's no warehouse full of orphans waiting for someone to pick them up, rather they are probably handled on a case by case basis by the local government as they pop up and as they see fit.
From a herd looking for foals it's also hard to imagine, even if a mare cannot have foals she would still tend to think of all of the herd's children as her own, so there's hardly the need to adopt, and if the stallion was sterile, they normally wouldn't think twice about having another one join them, which is the main conflict being presented here.
6327171 Death of family isn't the only way to cause adoption. With the way heat works in xenoverse it stands to reason there are at least occasional unwanted pregancies and those pregenancies won't always be in large herds, or financially stable, or even in herds at all.
The way Pony culture seems so far it appears unlikely that abortion is a 'thing' unless it is needed to save the mare's life from complications. So all those unwanted pregnancies have to go somewhere.
It stands to reason there would be a foal services organization for matching single or poor expecting mothers with loving herds that for one reason or another can't have their own. Lero's herd would probably end up as a sponser for an accidentally pregnant mare and supply all the shelter and prenatal care costs in return for a brand new foal that the mare didn't want in the first place.
After all there is already evidence of relationships like monogomy so it would be unreasonable to assume that there are ponies that don't like the idea of multiple stallions in a herd and need a solution for sterility problems. Lero may be unable to impregnate his mares for a unique reason, but that isn't a unique problem, and adoption surely exists in some form to address it.
I am so glad that this particular route wasn't taken. I wish to Thank Inabit for convincing Goat Licker to do so otherwise. Then again, with the points he has made, I can't really argue with him (except for one thing but I will get to that later)
at first, I was on board with the way Goat Licker was trying to portray. this is probably bias of me because I have read a small oneshot (from a collection of oneshots is the Xenoverse) where a big bunch of fillies was crowding around Lero who proclaimed that while they may not be bound by blood (implying that a Stallion was included in the herd, in fact, it was probably stated by one of the fillies but I can't remember now) he still loves them as they are family, it ended with Lero kissing each of them in the head saying "I love you" to each of them.
at first, I thought it would be like that, you know? figured it would be like some sort of prequel to that oneshot. That is, until I read the last paragraph
The warm water poured on Lero as he stood in his shower, eyes closed, leaning his head against the tile wall.
I can do this, he thought. It’s for them. I can do this.
He hated that he was shaking. Lyra said they could detect the tumult in him, but he hoped they didn’t realize how much it took out of him to simply tell them to court stallions.
It’s wrong to hold them back, he thought. They’re ponies. It’s natural for them, I can do this.
A flash entered his mind, of a stallion on Twilight’s back, rutting her while she moaned, while he watched them like a dumbstruck sentry—
Stop, he thought. Any stallion that joins our herd will love them. It’s okay.
He knew his mares would always love him. Why is this so hard?
He laughed, then. He wouldn’t have children. Cross-genetic children with his mares. Bellerophon had lived up to his legendary namesake, and had slain the chimera.
This. This shit right here, especially when the flash came up. It stabs me right in the heart. Right in the FEELZ!!!
It made me question whether this is something Lero can really take on an emotional level. He has always tried to adapt himself to the different and alien customs and culture he found himself in (its one of the things that made Xenophilia Xenophilia after all) but maybe this is just one thing that he can't really change with himself.
I was really hoping that by the next chapter that the mares would come to notice his pain, particularly, Rainbow Dash. Considering how she was the one who noticed how he was afraid of Celestia in Canon from simply being next to him, the signs should have been screaming at her, loudly proclaiming to her saying "I am really not okay with this idea no matter what I consciously say to you"
Hell, I even managed to cooked up a scene for the decision to reject his offer to be more dramatic.
Lero would have a nightmare about a stallion rutting one of his mares while he is just standing there dumbstruck, just like the small flash he had in the bathroom only expanded. he wakes up either screaming, waking his mares that are sleeping with him or quietly wake-up in cold sweat in the middle of the night and go to a balcony for some fresh air and a quiet place to think. His mares would notice his disappearance and find him in the balcony under the full moon. either way, they have a heart to heart talk. Maybe Lero would say that its nothing but Rainbow would call bullshit and this is something that is clearly bothering him and eventually relent in talking about his nightmare.
the kicker here is that as he talks about it, another flash would appear only this time he can't hold back and tears starts falling from his face. This would pretty much cement their resolve to reject his offer seeing as if this is how much his suffering from simply thinking about it, the real thing would be too much for him to take.
There would be hugs, tears, proclamations of love and all that stuff. plus some lovey-dovey sex for when they go back to sleep.
Not sure if we should include Luna in his dreams and maybe have a bit of a talk with one another regarding the issue? they are friends after all. maybe he wakes up in the dream before she manage to arrive and do something about it?
feel free to use the above example if you wish Goat Licker, I just want to share some Ideas to help make this fic as great as it can get.
again, I am thankful that the offer is rejected, It is hard to really imagine how Lero would take something like that and NOT be crushed with the emotional pain that comes with it.
alright, on a lighter note, there is something I would like to point out to Inabit. you said, and I quote
That said it heavily dislike this chapter because he is flat out encouraging them to replace him, sexually and reproductively...
I will concede to your point on the reproductiveness (and everything else you have said in your other comment) but I disagree on the sexual part.
Correct me if I am wrong but so far, from all of the fics that I have read regarding the Xenoverse, Lero has always been proclaimed as the closest thing the Ponies have to a Sex God (barring Celestia and Luna of course). With his Human endurance, he can outlast any stallions in bed, hell, this very chapter said that the romp between Twilight (and her Futa spell) and Lyra lasted four minutes and that is apparently considered above average. There is also his hands and Human Dexterity that comes with being an upright two-legged being. it allows Lero to do things to his wives that any other stallion flat out cannot do.
Simply put, Lero has Broken his mares for any other stallion. I cannot see how one stallion can ever satisfy anyone of Lero's Wives alone, even if its just one-on-one, much less all three of them. oh sure, they would say that they understand that it is not really fair to compare the stallion's performance to Lero's but that doesn't change that fact that it would still more than likely leave them sexually frustrated by the end of the day if Lero isn't there with the session. in fact, Lyra would be the only one to actually truly appreciate the stallion's efforts since she already has experience to compare it to other stallions. Twilight was basically a virgin before Lero and Rainbow Dash hasn't had a good experience with any Stallion until Lero came in to her life.
IF any stallion ever get in Lero's herd, well...I would just like to add in what Goat licker said in one of his responses. the Stallions isn't only going to feel left out, he is more than likely to feel embarrass with himself for essentially being the stallion who cannot satisfy his mares. Not sure how that exactly translate in pony culture but I am pretty sure its embarrassing to be said stallion.
At the very least, sexually speaking, Lero wins against any stallion by a landslide. considering what is being talked about though? good or bad, take this little fact however you will. (personally, I see it as a good thing but then again, I could be missing something here that says otherwise)
That's it. I have said my piece. Good luck on this great fic Goat Licker. I will be looking forward on how you will handle the mare's rejection to the offer.
Edit: I noticed a typo where I meant to say that the stallion can NOT satisfy his mares. I fixed it now, hence the edit. (plus a small tidbit I added in my second to the last paragraph)
First that unwanted pregnancies are common. In the xenoverse the ponies are very aware of their own sexuality. They know when their estrus starts, they know what behavior comes with it, they can literally smell it, for a foal to be born both parties are aware of what they are doing, it doesn't happen by accident unless it's due to rape.
A big part of their behavior even revolves around the idea of estrus and how to control it, mare helping each other cool off is a huge part of the fiction, rather than going out and looking for unknown stallions, which is something they only indulge in out of season. Stallions themselves are rare and they are likely to be kept in check (or busy) by their own mares, and are likely not going to go around looking for casual sex during heat season.
Heck, even the original fanfic had an entire chapter dealing with how Dash dealt with her first heat with Lero (with mostly implied running away). Apart for a few unscrupulous stallions and mares, chances of foals being born out of a herd are fairly low.
Then you also need to assume that an unwanted pregnancy will turn into an unwanted child. While this probably happens now and then, there is no reason to assume it's the norm. Again, there was no accident involved in producing the foal, at the most the parents might have been too impulsive, but they both know what they are doing going in.
And even in the case of monogamous couples, chances are the foals still have 6 - 8 grand parents, plus sibling herds with also a potential 3 or 4 adults each. If any of them had an unfertile mare, who do you think would be the prime candidate to take over rising an orphaned foal from a close relative?
Like I said, extreme cases sure exist, but there's no "all those poor foals" in it. An orphanage in the xenoverse would be an empty room with a guardian pony mostly solving crosswords for weeks or months on end. Orphan cases would likely be handled as part of a larger social welfare institution, if adoption is even assumed to be the beaurocratic mess it is for us rather than just done informally, given that ponies typically don't even marry unless it's for political reasons, herds form without government oversight and the concept of a bastard doesn't even exist (Twilight and Shining are both bastards by our definition, but that has no impact in their social standing).
For that matter, they already have an adoptive child (Spike), and the adoption process was basically Celestia handing over Spike to Twilight and then the other herd members just accepting him as part of their herd because he was already under Twilight's care.
I quite like this portrayal of Diamond Tiara. Surrounded by fools and unable to comprehend that fact? It actually kind of works for her.
I also find the idea of Bulk Biceps being raised by minotaurs appealing. I may need to consider that for my own headcanon.
"Female Uterine Transformation Amulet." That's a fine backronym right there. Though the UV penis makes me raise an eyebrow. Can ponies see shorter wavelengths than humans, or is Lyra just exaggerating?
Hmm. Psychological aftereffects of being in the Everfree. I wonder how often that circuit breaker in Lero's head gets tripped...
As for the ending, I get the distinct feeling that Twilight's not going to accept that as the final word. Let's face it, the girl was practically born to transgress in Faust's domain. If anyone can make this work, it's her.
I understand that Lero wants to make his mares happy. They all want blood-related children, but at present, it's not possible for him to give them those children. It's quite possible he may never be able to give them those children. As a result, he's "willing" to let stallions into the herd to provide his mares with those blood-related children since the mares apparently prefer those to adopting in their situation.
Lero wants to be the father of their children but he can't. This is emotionally tearing at him, which I think is why he's pulling out the desperation card of "let stallions into the herd." The problem is anyone other than him getting his mares pregnant is going to emotionally destroy him and he won't be able to hide it. Chances are he wouldn't even be able to be in the same building while it was going on. His reaction in the shower shows this. I understand he thinks he making this sacrifice out of love, but it's just going to end up hurting them and tearing them apart (emotionally and possibly relationship-wise as well) if they go through with it.
He laughed, then. He wouldn’t have children. Cross-genetic children with his mares. Bellerophon had lived up to his legendary namesake, and had slain the chimera.
And that chimera is any chance of true happiness for himself.
Wow, I thought he was simply going to ask them why they like giving him blow jobs so much, not tell them that it's alright to let another stallion or mare into the herd and be hurt by making this decision. He's not taking Rainbow's advice at all.
6328351 Um, I think you need to spoil the "decision" part like Goat Licker did.
I enjoy seeing some of the slice-of-life parts. I like the back and forth between characters. It's nice to see magic being experimented with. I was taken completely by surprise by the blowjob interlude, and scratched my head afterward.
I'm a little.. I suppose disheartened would be the word. Disheartened, that there's the dynamic of Lero agonizing over children. In most of the stories I've read, the issue is danced around or simply ignored. Lero almost always seems to loose his character and turns into Fluttershy.
Here, for all their talking, nothing has been resolved or discussed and it gives a distinct sense that he's being manipulated rather than really giving his stance. I mean, if nothing else, Twilight's a smart mare. A Lero-sired pony or hybrid isn't possible? Adopt. Pony orphans are rare? Well, we've got intelligent creatures crawling out of the woodwork in the series. I'm sure some of them have orphans. If you really need pony, get a relationship counselor before and possibly after the stallion enters the picture.
6346916 I was of the same mind as I read this chapter at the end. He can say it all he wants, try to trick himself into believing it but most likely it will kill him on the inside knowing another stallion is taking his mares so they can get pregnant. Honestly. I can't see this situation as turning out as anything but bad. Me? I know I would be and I don't think I could offer that up like he did. Not because of a posessive thing or even jealousy, but because I think I'd just feel utterly worthless knowing i had to allow another stallion into this herd to allow my mares to have lil kiddos.
And this story was actually going good right up until it hit the futa part and the rest of the chapter. Now the story has slit its wrists, it's throat and thrown itself into a woodchipper.
7086465 I wouldn't say so. Berry Punch part in the story isn't catching my interest as much as I first thought it would. Maybe just too much set up and not enough progress. Hope to see honey dew again.
Coffee growing in the Everfree forest came from a greentext second person anonymous story called Coffee. While I think greentext second person anonymous stories are a scourge against storytelling, I liked the idea of growing coffee in the Everfree, and so I decided to borrow it here.
Wow, that was deep. I know I wouldn't be able to do the same were I in that position.
The Drunken Master vs the Still Way Master?
I'd have bought a ticket to that fight.
That got pretty heavy at the end.
Sad pandas
This is how I feel this situation would likely go down in their herd.
Also, the F.U.T.A. Really? Are you being completely serious right now?
Damn. These last three Cultural Norm chapters have been pretty damn heavy.
Couldn’t do it. Straight up couldn’t do it, and I recognize the potential consequences associated with that decision. I could do a donor of some sort to help with pregnancy, but full on adding another stallion or letting the mares stable with other stallions?
Like said, I recognize that it’s selfish and that there’s potential fallout but I just don’t think its in me to pull that off.
Props for showing Lero put on a brave face and then have a bit of a breakdown in the shower, though.
I want to see where you'll take this.
so this story is taking a different approach to the foaling than further tales
Clerks reference?
I'm terribly sorry, but I don't understand what this reference is trying to convey.
I remember that Bellerophon really did, in Greek myth, successfully slay the chimera, but I don't recall much else about it.
What is Lero's "chimera"?
Post-Dignity Edit:
Ahhhh, that makes sense. Thank you.
6320752 Pretty sure it's referring to a child made by a human and a pony - a halfbreed, which could be conceivably thought of as a chimera. He didn't so much slay it, as be unable to bring one into being, which is sorta the same end result.
and this is why lero needs bio-genetic engineering even if the best he could possible pull off is the handyman half roll of duck tape and a prayer solution
The statement about the Everfree affecting his behavior combined with the zoning out time jump when thinking about his feelings on sex and relationships and sacrifice for his mares seems to heavily imply that the everfree is fucking up Celestia's block on his memories and the conditioning and trauma from being tortured by Fae are bleeding through. It would make sense given his extreme submissiveness and near compulsion to please his mares or those he considers as "My lady".
That said it heavily dislike this chapter because he is flat out encouraging them to replace him, sexually and reproductively. Yeah they still love him, but you can love friends and brothers and fathers, the fact that he isn't "their stallion" but no just one of their stallions (specifically the one that can't truly function in the defining sense of being a stallion) and he hates it but goes through with it for their sake while they sacrifice nothing is fucked up. It makes me 'respect' his resolve more but also heavily dislike him and makes me not want to read anymore about this specific line of Xenophilia. The only way this could play out and me not hate and spite all of his mares is if they flat out refuse his offer because they are willing to sacrifice one of their dreams to not cause untold emotional pain to their 'loved' one.
Holy shit, this version of Diamond Tiara is scarier than her canon self. That said, I'd vote for her.
Time to "invent" Starbucks.
Ewww... robusta.
6319367
Next chapter.
6319655
Not completely serious.
6320288
Clerks reference.
6320897
You're probably going to end up hating and spiting some of his mares. I don't see this as being a 'replacement', as pony herds in the Xenoverse don't work that way. It's an addition, not a replacement. If anything, any future stallion that joins may end up feeling left out, as he sees the mares love and adore Lero to a level that stallion can't hope to achieve.
I'm trying to write Lero as someone who loves his wives in that self-sacrificing way, but not someone who's 'extremely submissive'. I, perhaps, need to be more careful with how I word his relationship. I appreciate your criticism, and hope you'll continue to offer it if you decide to stick with this story.
6321065
I appreciate your response but I have to respectfully disagree with any statement that the dynamics of their relationship are healthy. He clearly sacrifices a great amount for them in every way he can and ask nothing in return... so they give him nothing in return. There isn't a single sacrifice or concession they make for him on par with what he does for them. He is giving up parts of his culture and basically parts of his identity to try and make them happy and they moan and whine over how they don't want him hurting himself before just saying ok and letting him hurt himself for them.
Why does he have to force himself to accept something that clearly disturbs and upsets him, for good reason, when they can't do something as simple as fucking adopting. Those adopted foals would be as real to them as the foals they have with another stallion would be to Lero. So either foals that you raised but aren't your blood aren't good enough for them but Lero should be happy with it or they are good enough but the would rather have blood ones and expect Lero to just suffer through it because they want their perfect little family without ever making compromises for his sake without serious prodding.
Letting someone hurt themselves in a desperate attempt to please you isn't healthy or 'ok' but that is what they are letting Lero do. He may have offered it but he clearly isn't happy with it and they all know it, but they won't try and stop him and make him happy because they are getting what they want out of it and he will 'get over it'. If they actually cared about his happiness and well being they would turn down his clearly pained and martyr driven offer.
Hell, the starting of the chapter was Lero acknowledging to himself that he is clearly mentally not ok and can't understand why he is pathologically incapable of changing and accepting their affections in the form of fellatio in the same way he is ok with changing and accepting anything else that leads to them being happy. However kind and calm he is that doesn't change the fact that he is clearly mentally and emotionally damaged by what happened with the Fae and that suppressed PTSD is clearly showing with how he martyrs himself constantly for his mares and jokes about his own perceived inadequacies.
Their relationship isn't four happy healthy people working things out together, its three happy healthy people working things out and one damaged but loving person that goes along with just about anything. He shows a spine and stands to others on anything but himself, about his wants and needs and deserved respect. His biggest flaw as a person has always been that he puts himself and his happiness below everyone else he loves to the point of being self damaging. They, unwitting or not, are taking serious advantage of his damage and they flat out shouldn't, they should know better.
I understand if that isn't how you see this scenario or how you envision their characters but it is how its playing out and chances are after I see this next chapter I'm going to have to stop reading this story no matter how well written it may be.
6321103
I personally think Lero is going through a bout of depression as this whole thing has weighed heavily on his mind. Stages of loss and all that jazz. As for the adoption thing, I think it would be a good world building idea to explore. I don't think that it would be like how we have it on earth.
6321103
The healthiness (or lack thereof) of their relationship isn't something I had fully considered, and I find myself agreeing with your viewpoint on Lero's attempted sacrifice.
His mares will reject his offer in the next chapter for the reasons you mentioned, though if any stallion joins in the future, it'll be because all four want him to join - it won't be just because Lero wants them to be happy.
You've also given me much thought on Lero's PTSD, so I thank you for that.
Thank you for your comments.
6321170
I'm glad I could be of help, and thank you very much for listening. This is a wonderful story and I'm very happy it isn't taking a turn I can't bear to follow. I look forward to more of your writing.
6321065 Didn't think so, and thanks. Again, this is how I would see this situation play out in this herd, unlike another story I've read.
As to the situation overall? I can see Lero having some emotional issues if his mares do invite another stallion into the herd, but they have made it clear they have no desire to replace him, merely to have offspring, and he's okay with that idea.
Further, as Rainbow Dash said, no stallion gets into the herd without his approval, which should help somewhat. Yes, there might be issues here and there, but in the end I feel the herd will stay together, and stable, because they are taking pains to be sure nobody steps on anybody else.
No thanks.
A couple of small errors:
Equestria was a nation of tea drinkers, and Ponyville, despite being an outlier in so many other areas, towed the line with the rest of the nation in tea drinking. -- toed the line
I bet it didn’t even phase his ego. -- faze
(But you got the past tense of lay vs. lie right!)
6325322
Thank you for the corrections.
Tough choice. Not sure I could be that strong.
6321103
The concept of orphans and adoption as we know it doesn't make sense in the xenoverse.
Every foal has on average 3 or 4 parents, and every single one of them consider all of their foals their own, whether they are the biological parents or not.
For a foal to become an orphan that needs adopting not only would her parents need to die, but also her herd parents. And even if that were to happen, a foal would have 9 - 16 ponies in her grand parent herds, which means there would have to be a huge number deaths and heartless ponies for them to become abandoned. The safety net for foals is one of the main advantages of the whole herd setup, if not the most important, and cannot be ignored, just as the disadvantages can't be ignored.
The more extreme cases where a foal is left to fend by herself surely exist, but they are likely too few and far in between for adoption to exist as an institution as it does for us, there's no warehouse full of orphans waiting for someone to pick them up, rather they are probably handled on a case by case basis by the local government as they pop up and as they see fit.
From a herd looking for foals it's also hard to imagine, even if a mare cannot have foals she would still tend to think of all of the herd's children as her own, so there's hardly the need to adopt, and if the stallion was sterile, they normally wouldn't think twice about having another one join them, which is the main conflict being presented here.
6327171
Death of family isn't the only way to cause adoption. With the way heat works in xenoverse it stands to reason there are at least occasional unwanted pregancies and those pregenancies won't always be in large herds, or financially stable, or even in herds at all.
The way Pony culture seems so far it appears unlikely that abortion is a 'thing' unless it is needed to save the mare's life from complications. So all those unwanted pregnancies have to go somewhere.
It stands to reason there would be a foal services organization for matching single or poor expecting mothers with loving herds that for one reason or another can't have their own. Lero's herd would probably end up as a sponser for an accidentally pregnant mare and supply all the shelter and prenatal care costs in return for a brand new foal that the mare didn't want in the first place.
After all there is already evidence of relationships like monogomy so it would be unreasonable to assume that there are ponies that don't like the idea of multiple stallions in a herd and need a solution for sterility problems. Lero may be unable to impregnate his mares for a unique reason, but that isn't a unique problem, and adoption surely exists in some form to address it.
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I am so glad that this particular route wasn't taken. I wish to Thank Inabit for convincing Goat Licker to do so otherwise. Then again, with the points he has made, I can't really argue with him (except for one thing but I will get to that later)
at first, I was on board with the way Goat Licker was trying to portray. this is probably bias of me because I have read a small oneshot (from a collection of oneshots is the Xenoverse) where a big bunch of fillies was crowding around Lero who proclaimed that while they may not be bound by blood (implying that a Stallion was included in the herd, in fact, it was probably stated by one of the fillies but I can't remember now) he still loves them as they are family, it ended with Lero kissing each of them in the head saying "I love you" to each of them.
at first, I thought it would be like that, you know? figured it would be like some sort of prequel to that oneshot. That is, until I read the last paragraph
This. This shit right here, especially when the flash came up. It stabs me right in the heart. Right in the FEELZ!!!
It made me question whether this is something Lero can really take on an emotional level. He has always tried to adapt himself to the different and alien customs and culture he found himself in (its one of the things that made Xenophilia Xenophilia after all) but maybe this is just one thing that he can't really change with himself.
I was really hoping that by the next chapter that the mares would come to notice his pain, particularly, Rainbow Dash. Considering how she was the one who noticed how he was afraid of Celestia in Canon from simply being next to him, the signs should have been screaming at her, loudly proclaiming to her saying "I am really not okay with this idea no matter what I consciously say to you"
Hell, I even managed to cooked up a scene for the decision to reject his offer to be more dramatic.
Lero would have a nightmare about a stallion rutting one of his mares while he is just standing there dumbstruck, just like the small flash he had in the bathroom only expanded. he wakes up either screaming, waking his mares that are sleeping with him or quietly wake-up in cold sweat in the middle of the night and go to a balcony for some fresh air and a quiet place to think. His mares would notice his disappearance and find him in the balcony under the full moon. either way, they have a heart to heart talk. Maybe Lero would say that its nothing but Rainbow would call bullshit and this is something that is clearly bothering him and eventually relent in talking about his nightmare.
the kicker here is that as he talks about it, another flash would appear only this time he can't hold back and tears starts falling from his face. This would pretty much cement their resolve to reject his offer seeing as if this is how much his suffering from simply thinking about it, the real thing would be too much for him to take.
There would be hugs, tears, proclamations of love and all that stuff. plus some lovey-dovey sex for when they go back to sleep.
Not sure if we should include Luna in his dreams and maybe have a bit of a talk with one another regarding the issue? they are friends after all. maybe he wakes up in the dream before she manage to arrive and do something about it?
feel free to use the above example if you wish Goat Licker, I just want to share some Ideas to help make this fic as great as it can get.
again, I am thankful that the offer is rejected, It is hard to really imagine how Lero would take something like that and NOT be crushed with the emotional pain that comes with it.
alright, on a lighter note, there is something I would like to point out to Inabit. you said, and I quote
I will concede to your point on the reproductiveness (and everything else you have said in your other comment) but I disagree on the sexual part.
Correct me if I am wrong but so far, from all of the fics that I have read regarding the Xenoverse, Lero has always been proclaimed as the closest thing the Ponies have to a Sex God (barring Celestia and Luna of course). With his Human endurance, he can outlast any stallions in bed, hell, this very chapter said that the romp between Twilight (and her Futa spell) and Lyra lasted four minutes and that is apparently considered above average. There is also his hands and Human Dexterity that comes with being an upright two-legged being. it allows Lero to do things to his wives that any other stallion flat out cannot do.
Simply put, Lero has Broken his mares for any other stallion. I cannot see how one stallion can ever satisfy anyone of Lero's Wives alone, even if its just one-on-one, much less all three of them. oh sure, they would say that they understand that it is not really fair to compare the stallion's performance to Lero's but that doesn't change that fact that it would still more than likely leave them sexually frustrated by the end of the day if Lero isn't there with the session. in fact, Lyra would be the only one to actually truly appreciate the stallion's efforts since she already has experience to compare it to other stallions. Twilight was basically a virgin before Lero and Rainbow Dash hasn't had a good experience with any Stallion until Lero came in to her life.
IF any stallion ever get in Lero's herd, well...I would just like to add in what Goat licker said in one of his responses. the Stallions isn't only going to feel left out, he is more than likely to feel embarrass with himself for essentially being the stallion who cannot satisfy his mares. Not sure how that exactly translate in pony culture but I am pretty sure its embarrassing to be said stallion.
At the very least, sexually speaking, Lero wins against any stallion by a landslide. considering what is being talked about though? good or bad, take this little fact however you will. (personally, I see it as a good thing but then again, I could be missing something here that says otherwise)
That's it. I have said my piece. Good luck on this great fic Goat Licker. I will be looking forward on how you will handle the mare's rejection to the offer.
Edit: I noticed a typo where I meant to say that the stallion can NOT satisfy his mares. I fixed it now, hence the edit. (plus a small tidbit I added in my second to the last paragraph)
6328132
This only works if you make several assumptions.
First that unwanted pregnancies are common. In the xenoverse the ponies are very aware of their own sexuality. They know when their estrus starts, they know what behavior comes with it, they can literally smell it, for a foal to be born both parties are aware of what they are doing, it doesn't happen by accident unless it's due to rape.
A big part of their behavior even revolves around the idea of estrus and how to control it, mare helping each other cool off is a huge part of the fiction, rather than going out and looking for unknown stallions, which is something they only indulge in out of season. Stallions themselves are rare and they are likely to be kept in check (or busy) by their own mares, and are likely not going to go around looking for casual sex during heat season.
Heck, even the original fanfic had an entire chapter dealing with how Dash dealt with her first heat with Lero (with mostly implied running away).
Apart for a few unscrupulous stallions and mares, chances of foals being born out of a herd are fairly low.
Then you also need to assume that an unwanted pregnancy will turn into an unwanted child. While this probably happens now and then, there is no reason to assume it's the norm. Again, there was no accident involved in producing the foal, at the most the parents might have been too impulsive, but they both know what they are doing going in.
And even in the case of monogamous couples, chances are the foals still have 6 - 8 grand parents, plus sibling herds with also a potential 3 or 4 adults each. If any of them had an unfertile mare, who do you think would be the prime candidate to take over rising an orphaned foal from a close relative?
Like I said, extreme cases sure exist, but there's no "all those poor foals" in it. An orphanage in the xenoverse would be an empty room with a guardian pony mostly solving crosswords for weeks or months on end. Orphan cases would likely be handled as part of a larger social welfare institution, if adoption is even assumed to be the beaurocratic mess it is for us rather than just done informally, given that ponies typically don't even marry unless it's for political reasons, herds form without government oversight and the concept of a bastard doesn't even exist (Twilight and Shining are both bastards by our definition, but that has no impact in their social standing).
For that matter, they already have an adoptive child (Spike), and the adoption process was basically Celestia handing over Spike to Twilight and then the other herd members just accepting him as part of their herd because he was already under Twilight's care.
I quite like this portrayal of Diamond Tiara. Surrounded by fools and unable to comprehend that fact? It actually kind of works for her.
I also find the idea of Bulk Biceps being raised by minotaurs appealing. I may need to consider that for my own headcanon.
"Female Uterine Transformation Amulet." That's a fine backronym right there. Though the UV penis makes me raise an eyebrow. Can ponies see shorter wavelengths than humans, or is Lyra just exaggerating?
Hmm. Psychological aftereffects of being in the Everfree. I wonder how often that circuit breaker in Lero's head gets tripped...
As for the ending, I get the distinct feeling that Twilight's not going to accept that as the final word. Let's face it, the girl was practically born to transgress in Faust's domain. If anyone can make this work, it's her.
I understand that Lero wants to make his mares happy.
They all want blood-related children, but at present, it's not possible for him to give them those children. It's quite possible he may never be able to give them those children.
As a result, he's "willing" to let stallions into the herd to provide his mares with those blood-related children since the mares apparently prefer those to adopting in their situation.
Lero wants to be the father of their children but he can't. This is emotionally tearing at him, which I think is why he's pulling out the desperation card of "let stallions into the herd."
The problem is anyone other than him getting his mares pregnant is going to emotionally destroy him and he won't be able to hide it. Chances are he wouldn't even be able to be in the same building while it was going on. His reaction in the shower shows this.
I understand he thinks he making this sacrifice out of love, but it's just going to end up hurting them and tearing them apart (emotionally and possibly relationship-wise as well) if they go through with it.
And that chimera is any chance of true happiness for himself.
Wow, I thought he was simply going to ask them why they like giving him blow jobs so much, not tell them that it's alright to let another stallion or mare into the herd and be hurt by making this decision. He's not taking Rainbow's advice at all.
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Um, I think you need to spoil the "decision" part like Goat Licker did.
Interesting chapter. Mixed feelings here.
I enjoy seeing some of the slice-of-life parts. I like the back and forth between characters. It's nice to see magic being experimented with. I was taken completely by surprise by the blowjob interlude, and scratched my head afterward.
I'm a little.. I suppose disheartened would be the word. Disheartened, that there's the dynamic of Lero agonizing over children. In most of the stories I've read, the issue is danced around or simply ignored. Lero almost always seems to loose his character and turns into Fluttershy.
Here, for all their talking, nothing has been resolved or discussed and it gives a distinct sense that he's being manipulated rather than really giving his stance. I mean, if nothing else, Twilight's a smart mare. A Lero-sired pony or hybrid isn't possible? Adopt. Pony orphans are rare? Well, we've got intelligent creatures crawling out of the woodwork in the series. I'm sure some of them have orphans. If you really need pony, get a relationship counselor before and possibly after the stallion enters the picture.
I see what you did there
6333584
I believe Lyra meant 'fluorescent purple'.
6362593
I'm glad someone spotted that.
6346916 I was of the same mind as I read this chapter at the end. He can say it all he wants, try to trick himself into believing it but most likely it will kill him on the inside knowing another stallion is taking his mares so they can get pregnant. Honestly. I can't see this situation as turning out as anything but bad. Me? I know I would be and I don't think I could offer that up like he did. Not because of a posessive thing or even jealousy, but because I think I'd just feel utterly worthless knowing i had to allow another stallion into this herd to allow my mares to have lil kiddos.
And this story was actually going good right up until it hit the futa part and the rest of the chapter. Now the story has slit its wrists, it's throat and thrown itself into a woodchipper.
7086465 I wouldn't say so. Berry Punch part in the story isn't catching my interest as much as I first thought it would. Maybe just too much set up and not enough progress. Hope to see honey dew again.