Actually, I'm Dead - Editorial: Trixie's master and design influences · 2:49am Jun 30th, 2015
Okay, I said what I wanted and I expect for it to be heard but so far, the matter is closed. Moving on!
We're back to the story again, this time to do a little more analysis on the last chapter of Actually, I'm Dead. This time to talk about what does imply the revelation of Trixie's past with the ponies who trained her. Also, I want to discuss the design of Rarity's outfit and see what do you guys think on what do I have in mind.
The Seven Master from Neigh Orleans (may need a better name)
Well, the thing when coming with the idea of Trixie having several mentors goes in hand with my "Trixie is the equine universale to Twilight's über pony". What does this even mean? It means that, if Twilight is some kind of super pony with the latent power of an alicorn then, in order for Trixie to keep it up with her, Trixie knows all what Twilight doesn't. In a more conceptual level, for every scholar grade that Twilight has, Trixie know someone who taught her informally.
Now, so far, I've presented four of the seven of them. Although I mean to keep the identities of the other three hidden till it's their moment, I think it's safe to talk about them as a whole.
These guys used to know Hope Lulamoon, Trixies mother, and all of them are heroes from another story. Some of them come from places that only Celestia knows and others are from Equestria itself. The idea here is that Trixie met them all in their twilight years, ready to either retire themselves to a more peaceful life or at least take things easy. When they stumbled with their missing friend's daughter, all of them found a new sense of responsibility and decided to train Trixie in all the thing her mother mastered, so Trixie could carry her family's name properly.
for some of my older readers, they may recognize this as the same mini-story I inserted in Show MUST Go On!'s canon. As I said some posts ago, that story is extremely personal an it means a lot for me, so there will be more than one nod to it but I mean to explain myself in-story when it comes to Actually, I'm Dead.
Trixie's new outfit and its influences
I must be hones with you guys, I have nothing solid yet. What I do have, is a top of characters and visual that I will use as a reference when it comes to the design itself. So, sit back and enjoy Wave Blaster's Considered Designs:
Doctor Doom
Romani descendant, arrogant, perfectionist and wants to hide his appearance from the world. Wait, I'm talking about Trixie S. Lulamoon or about Victor von Doom?
I mean, it's not a very usual happening to stumble with a character with both, a similar background and a similar motivation for his wardrobe choice.
Spawn
Gaze! Upon the most BADASS! cape since Neil Adams' run drawing Batman. GAZE!
McFarlane first and Capullo later would make Lt. Colonel Al Simmons the owner of one of the very few designs from the 90´s that still holds its ground today.
Esmeralda
Why introduce Trixie as a pony romani if I'm not going to use it? Maybe not the design itself, but I really like the combination of colors and elements of this one. Plus, the colors kinda sorta match with Trixie's original cape.
Phantasm
To be honest, it literally has the exact three core elements I'm looking for; cape+hood+gloves. No, I'm not keeping the shredded part and I haven't decided about the mask, I've yet to talk about it with nightwalker.
I say keep the mask. It looks cool. Rule of Cool and all.
Kunai Tail was Scorpion?
I... feel really dumb now. I recognized Miracle, Barda and Zatana, but could not place the first Master.
Anyway...
Of the designs, I'd say go for some kind of mix between Doom and Esmerelda- and it is only sheer coincidence that those two are the Romani on your list. But... I think they both work, for almost the exact opposite reasons. Trixie has Doom's shame of her appearance right now, but she is also fiercely proud of her heritage. I can see her using Doom's cape to cover herself while out in public, but maybe something more open and Esmerelda-like for her private-life- or if she ever starts to become less ashamed of what she looks like, and becomes accepted by Ponyville.
(Though I would recommend against the metal face mask and gauntlets, personally.)
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Mmm, although I am partial to the mask, I still have yet to talk about it with nightwalker, so it's still undecided.
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Yeah, I tried to be as subtle as possible with Scorpion's part, so the focus would stay with Trixie, hence why all of them will not use their actual names (except Mister Miracle, because Scot Free actually does sound like a pony name anyways).
Well, the plus of Victor's one is that hood and cape are two separate pieces, which would go hand in hand with Rarity's notes and also to the function of graduating how hidden does Trixie want to be. And don't worry, unless Larson recons Rarity into a secretly skilled blacksmith, this will stay in only clothes territory. About the mask, I think it could work in a V for Vendetta/Rorschach kind of sense; a mask that reassembles Trixie's living face and have Trixie treat it as her real face. But has a lot of psychological implications, so it's still under discussion.
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Oh, don't be sad. Here, have an exclusive scrapped design with the tryouts for the possible mask:
s24.postimg.org/cyy2axxw5/try_1.png
Note how it gets doom-ier by the progression. Feel free to curse Reed Richards' name.
3198699 Doom does not bother with petty curses.... he ensures that they hurt.
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Doctor Victor von Doom *looking up and waving his fists*: RICHARDS!
The Great and Powerful Trixie *looking up and waving her hooves*: SPARKLE!
Me *looking up and waving my hands*: SHIPPING!
3198766 Me *looking up and waving my hands* HASBRO! (They cancelled GI Joe: Renegades..... I liked that show and it was still in season 1.)