I am an extraordinary gentlecolt.

If you have not already read this, do so.

I’m supposed to tell you two things in this blog. The first is what my thoughts on the results of the experiment are. The second is my reason for joining the League.

But truthfully, I don’t care about the experiment. That’s not to say that popularity doesn’t concern me—of course I care a little. Of course I want fans and followers and fanart and Oh my god it’s AestheticB! Get him! That’s a very human need, a very human desire to have. You recognize it for what it is, you listen to what it has to say, and then you ignore it and do your own thing.

So all I’ll say in regards to our collected data set is that it’s a testament to the skill of the Extraordinary Gentlecolts that none of them failed to live up to the standards set by their partner.

So why did I join the League? A number of reasons.

I wanted to be in a league. Seriously, that was a big deal for me. We wear monocles and top hats and smoke pipes, and we look fabulous doing it. The mystique of being part of some big secret society has a lot of allure.

More than that, I wanted to make some friends and do something silly. Writing doesn’t need to be so serious all the time. This is a hobby, not a job, and that’s an easy thing to forget when you’re being asked for a new chapter four times a day by well-meaning fans. Writing is a pretty solitary activity, but being a writer doesn’t have to be.

I never set out to meet new people when I started writing pony fiction. I set out to learn how to write. I’m constantly amazed by some of the friendships I’ve made as part of this fandom. Here was a chance to hang out and work with some truly fantastic people, and all of us had a total blast. That’s why I joined the League.

I was paired with Arcainum.

I wrote Twilight Sparkle Gets A Free Salad.

He wrote Twi Hard 2: Twi Harder.

What was it like working with Arcainum? Funny story: all the other pairings worked off of prompts. A genie in a bottle. Psychedelic drugs. Humans, or something.

We didn’t. Comedy Random Action story starring Twilight? Independently thought up. Twilight reads a book to become an action hero? Also independent of one another. We had a little chat, told each other our ideas, and were amazed at how much we were both on the same page. In short, I don’t think the random number generator could have given us a better partner.

So go read Twilight Sparkle Gets A Free Salad. And go read Arcainum’s stuff, especially if you liked Twi Hard. Harpflank and Sweets is just pure fun.