Sundown Companion: Chapter 1 · 9:28pm Jul 28th, 2014
For those who are following me now, I wish to explain why you are seeing this particular wall of text again. After a comment I believed it was for the best if I moved the explaination of the events to somewhere optional rather than stick it on the bottom of the story itself. I will not tag the blog with Sundown however, so only those of you who follow me should see each one of these. They will always be paired with a chapter.
Why am I continuing to do it though? Simply put I want this story to be both an intriquing read and informational. These explainations into the motivations are to show you what to do and what to avoid in a situation when you either are depressed or are comforting someone who is. I do feel strongly that this should be done for each chapter so I am going to do so.
Original chapter one explaination below:
Sunset's depression is one of complete self loathing stemming from her transformation to a demon as a reflection of her true self. This is a shocking revelation to Sunset who thought of her self as brash but "not a monster". Her room reminds her of what she gave up for her evil goals and the crowns remind her of the tactics she used to achieve them.
Celestia is very quick to understand that Sunset needed to get away from these things. So, she employs the tactic of inviting Sunset out of her room. Celestia is then careful to word it so it is not asking her if she would want to, but rather to make it a personal request. The difference is that this way it does not make Sunset feel that she is forcing the burden of herself onto Celestia by agreeing, but rather that Celestia wants her to go.
The aspect of removing a depressed person from their surroundings is a very tricky one. I advise if you think to do this to reconsider. A depressed person under this amount of stress should only be removed from an environment that is hazardous to their physical or mental health. Sunset's warehouse was feeding directly into her depression and with the broken crowns and the smell of blood, it was for the best that Celestia attempted to get her to leave with her.
This being said. IF you do move someone before talking, DO NOT take them out to a public area. Do not go see a movie, go to dinner, or go to a party. Those situations are not what people with severe depression need at those times. DO take them somewhere where they can feel comfortable, somewhere private. Both would be best but comfortable is preferred. Celestia takes Sunset to her home based on giving her a real meal, a hot shower, and that she does not know Sunset well enough to know any places she feels comfortable at.
When you get to talking, at first make it small. I did not write Celestia and Sunset's small talk over dinner because I felt I would like to get to the more interesting stuff faster and not waste my reader's time. Although I had wrote a bit of it and debated putting it in for informational purposes. Small talk should not be jokes and should concentrate on impersonal matters. I imagined their small talk revolving around food.
When moving to the more serious matter at hand. Do not force them to talk about it. Asking once is okay, but do not press. Sunset after the dinner had calmed down and resumed a familiar mask for her emotions. Sarcasm and dispassion as a defense of her true feelings. It breaks down and we get to see how Sunset is really feeling when Celestia reminds her of the Princess.
When someone starts crying it is time to stop asking questions for a while and to comfort them. Gentle and honest words are the best things to do.
This is only the start of the healing process. Expect more in the next chapter.
This is informative and awesome.
this was very good and very well written. i have read the comic book to were sunset is well dismissed from celesta's castle and believe the way she went about turning her back on sunset shimmer was both despicable and foolish to say the least. i can see why sunset has such feelings towards her principle and her well princess. i am looking forwards to reading the rest of this. again this was very very well written and very well made.