The Midnight Hour

Random slice of academic nonsense. It may or may not appear in this form. I've re-written a huge chunk of the essay twice already. Damn that university education, it's really kicking in again now...

Though Kinstrong demolished the perception of strict hierarchy, a soft hierarchy is still acknowledged within the herd, based on influence over and closeness to the Stallion, and closeness to other members. Such closeness is expressed and reinforced most obviously through physical means; as the reader may already be aware, ponies are a physically close species and it should be no surprise that we express even relatively remote companionship through close physical proximity and activity.

Within the context of the herd these physical reinforcements extend from mutual grooming all the way to sexual interaction between members of the herd. Indeed, in a larger herd setting it is not uncommon for some members of the herd to progress from grooming to sexual intimacy without reference from their herdmates, who may continue with whatever tasks they were engaged in or choose to join in[] as he mood takes them, in what has been described as an almost languorously casual attitude toward group activity.

An outsider may be surprised by this, especially if they view from the perspective of a species that considers sexuality to be something more "personal" or private than even the intimate familiarity of a herd. Dragons in particular appear to view any sort of sexual behaviour as something to be kept hidden and treated as secret, though there is obviously limited data available to confirm this.

Comments

[MoldyShishkabob]

Have problem,
====
blame school.

[Wild Zontars]

i.imgur.com/2hXpy.png So Twilight needs more hugs?

[Mr Good Cat]

As a PhD candidate, I can completely relate.
DAMN YOU ACADEMIA!