Fic recs, November 13th: Needed a Good Cry edition · 2:13pm Nov 13th, 2015
A while back, I read something that said crying releases neurotransmitters linked to sad feelings through tears. Why this is the mechanism for getting the sads out of your brain baffles me, but if true, it explains how one can feel better after a lengthy cry.
Now me, I hate crying. This isn't some macho guy thing; I can't stand that feeling of your face crumpling in on itself, or your body being wracked by sobs. It's tiring, and maybe a little painful. I haven't cried like that since my grandfather died, though, I think, and lately, in light of the above, I've been thinking I needed to do that once in a while.
Yesterday's debacle seemed as good a reason as any to test my theory. So I went to my RIL, did a little sorting, and now present you the top five (complete) Sad fics from it! Did the experiment work? Read below to find out!
H: 0 R: 3 C: 1 V: 1 N: 0
What If: Rarity from The Three Sisters Met With Chrysalis by Wanderer D
Sequel to The Three Sisters
Genre:
Lost and starving in the forest, the defeated Queen Chrysalis encounters a white unicorn who only wants to talk.
This is the second-highest rated (completed) sadfic on the whole site, after The Keepers of Discord. (I’ve read the other 8 stories on the first page of that search!) I would be very interested in seeing a reaction to this story from someone who hadn’t read the prequel, because the way it’s presented, the reader knows what’s going on while Chrysalis doesn’t, and it’s just a matter of waiting for her to experience the reveal and see how she reacts. I have to say, the writing isn’t quite as good as in the first story (this apparently wasn’t edited, go figure), and there’s some really goofy stuff, like the name that Chrysalis comes up with for Rarity. But this is definitely a good extension of the original’s premise, and in that vein, it’s a satisfying read.
Recommended
Tears: None
A Wooden Heart by Trials
Reading by Luvlessi
Genre: Adventure
A lost timberwolf pup finds comfort in a place filled with monsters.
The whole time I read this, I couldn’t help thinking that I’d read it before, and it had been better. Maybe I was thinking of something from Outside Insight, maybe something from a writeoff, I don’t know. All I can say is it was slow-paced, dull and full of typos. It gets a little more interesting once Applejack is introduced, but the addition of neither conflict nor world-building could change the fact that I just had no interest in this story, from almost square one. So on that note, I’ll say that if you want to read about a timberwolf from its perspective, this might be decent if you can deal with the writing issues.
Vaguely Recommended
Tears: Nope
Steel Soul by Masterweaver
Reading by Crafty Arts
Genre: Sweetie Bot
An accident reveals a secret.
Y’know, I’ve got quite a few in my RIL, but I’ve never actually read a Sweetie Bot fic before. And it’s sometimes hard to remember that she originated in Friendship Is Witchcraft, so ubiquitous is she in fanon. Anyway, this isn’t the cute “my primary function is failure” Sweetie Bot, but something akin to a “pony is a changeling” story. Sweetie’s robotic nature is revealed suddenly, no one, even her, seems to have known about it, and they have to figure out what to do. Pinkie takes a strange turn in this, though, having the knowhow to make repairs on a hydraulic system (not to mention calling her “Rares”; only Applejack does that!) Rarity is written well, numbly moving through the process of helping Pinkie fix her sister. I can’t say I liked Apple Bloom making a sexual joke, though; that alone demonstrates the age of this piece. And it doesn’t help that Rarity’s hard-hitting introspection is intercut by all the fanon and occasional poor joke. At least this has a good moral, even if it’s the same kind of moral as Would It Matter If I Was? And that comparison should tell you just about everything you need to know to decide whether you want to read this.
Recommended If You Don’t Mind Tonal Shifting
Tears: Not Even Close
It Spills Over by ambion
Genre: Character Study
A life change is never easy.
So! Here’s a hard-hitting look at alcoholism, and how recovery from a disease like it isn’t something that happens, but something that you do and keep on doing for as long as you live. What this does well is look at your typical fanon Berry Punch from every angle. We don’t just see how she is, but how others see her, and how much she’s aware of how others see her. Even more interesting is the decision to add in Spike as a sympathetic voice. Clever casting, right there. My complaints are a couple spots early on where the word choices felt bizarre; comparing that to later spots where odd word choices work suggests it was intentional, however. Also offputting are a couple POV shifts. Still, this is the sad near-tragedy I was looking for. It’s just wonderful.
Recommended
Tears: Maybe a Few
Eternity by DawnFade
Sequel to Pirates for a Day
Genre: Slice of Life
Dinky and Pipsqueak live a life full of love.
Much as I adore the original story, and DinkyPip shipping to boot, this is full of grandiose pronouncements about how pure and eternal love is, and I just ugh. That said, reading Pirates for a Day really isn’t necessary to get this one, though you absolutely should, because it’s great. I do wish the writing in this was a little less dramatic and/or blunt. But this is about the symbols that unite people, and about the changes that come with growing older, and in that regard, it’s nice. I use the term ‘slice of life’ because it’s literally scenes of important times in the lives of two people. It’s also saaaaaad. ;_; I got my cry in the end.
Recommended
Tears: All of Them ;_;
Success!
Darn. After reading that intro, I was kinda hoping I'd wind up seeing my Dinky fic in there. Oh well, so long as you feel better.
Close. Frustration is capable of inciting action and is meant (or at least, has evolved) to help overcome the source of that frustration, but when such an obstacle cannot readily be overcome, crying activates a chemical change that allows to brain to shift from sadness to resignation. I.E. 'nothing I can do about it so no point getting frustrated by it any more'.
3539610
Well, that's depressing! :V
Holy, DinkyPip, brb.
Yes.
Promote the Dinkysqueak.
Promote it.
Write it!
Really? I really had no idea!
Man, you've given me a list to read today. Where will my writing go?