The Blood of Apples - Developing Mac & AJ

Okay, the next chapter of Blood of Apples has been posted. Finally got further into McIntosh's character in this one and I'm hoping I've hit the mark. Mac has always been an enigma of a character at times, but also one that holds out a lot of potential based on what we don't know about him. Here as with the last chapter I've delved into more of his traumatized past as a bullied youth who had very different expectations bestowed by his kin. (Don't let them keep kickin' ya down boy. Ya got to stand up fer y'r self, 'cause if you can't nopony else is gonna either.) Sometimes it's hard to grow up just being somehow different, and I really believe Mac is one of those individuals.

I also was able to get deeper into AJ's head as well in this chapter, getting a chance to work on her 'mama bear' relation with Apple Bloom, as well as further address some joint history with her and McIntosh. I've said it before that I found AJ as the perfect foil/counterpoint for Diamond Tiara in my erotica/romance/redemption fic An Apple Studded Diamond. Here I got to dig just a little deeper into AJ's memories to show off why. As a filly she was almost a different sort of pony as I see, her eyes were set on the simmering lights of her mother's home town of Manehattan, and the tales of her mother's fillyhood there. Yes, AJ was a good and respectful pony, she did her chores, did right by her family, but still I think managed to hold herself apart some how. My model for her younger self is actually something that occurred after I started assembling my head cannon, her 'Apple Jewel', persona from the episode 'Simple Ways'.

Thanks for reading,

Sir Barton (One Old Racehorse)