Winterheart, Venice, OTP assimilation, and various blitherings. · 3:14am Mar 1st, 2017
A few things to rattle through in this post, the first two of which are entirely due to other lovely folk, one of which is a new story, and the other of which pertains to what I done on my holidays. Let's get started, shall we?
Firstly, for the benefit of anyone who's noticed my tendency to drop in minifics and various disjointed bletherings of variable sense and appropriateness into my story and blog comments, Giginss has done god's own work (or some sort of deity's work, at any rate) and compiled them all into one comprehensive google doc, complete with context and a'hin! Much obliged to Giginss for the effort, and it's an unexpectedly high volume of minificcing to have produced. It also showcases just how mad and/or alcoholic I tend to make Celestia and Luna in these as well, so it's good fun in that regard.
Secondly, remember that fever-dream entitled The Strangest of These, featuring the only OTP anyone has or ever shall need in their lives? One excellent soul on the site, TheAppleOfThyEye, concurs, and their own Strangest of These-inspired story, Troubled Chocolate Rain, has gotten off to a fine start. It even surpasses what my own story could offer by splicing Pinkie Pie into the madness, so do gie it a gander.
Thirdly, new story! Winterheart, to be specific!
The Time Action Glory Challenge group's a surprisingly good source of inspiration and prompts for less-used characters, some of whom more than deserve their own sagas and crackfics and every sort of horseword endeavour in their name. I'll do my best to keep regularly chipping into it as time goes by, and you should all totally do likewise. It's good fun. In the meantime, though, have a story about the most diligent (and sole) messenger of the Griffonstone postal service, and what windigo-themed problems cross her path during her regular postal run one lovely winter's day.
And fourthly and finally, I was in Venice! Pictures enclosed below the break of some of its fancier sights.
Spoiler warning, it's an affa nice place.
Say hello to Venice's Grand Canal, the main artery for all transportation within the city. Venice doesn't do land vehicles beyond trains and buses at particular stop-off points, and so if you want to get anywhere, you're either walking it or boating it. This also means that if there's any function performed by a land vehicle you may think of, such as taxiing, bussing, rubbish-collecting, or goods-delivering, there's a boat for that.
Pretty buildings abound, such as the Doge's Palace. It's odd to build a palace for an entire meme, I'd have thought, and especially to do it centuries in advance of the meme actually coming into existence, but I shan't judge.
Carnivale season was in full flow when I arrived, and folks like these were a common sight, usually wandering in pairs. After a while, it becomes everyday. Almost.
All manner of shops and stalls exist if you want to don a wee mask for Carvivale yourself, as well as more dedicated shops if you're really keen. Want a jewelled mask? Venice has you covered. Want a matching jewelled set of buttocks? Venice has you covered there as well.
The entrance to the old Arsenale, which in its Renaissance heyday boasted a complex of ship factories working on an assembly-line process, capable of putting together a fully-equipped galley in a single day. Venice didn't muck around when it came to maritime stuff.
And this is a useful sign.
Absotively stunning, congrats on the beautiful trip.
Somebody's been busy.
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Grazie! Venice has a persistent habit of being stunning, even when faced with my cack-handed photography.
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It helps when two other folk do things you can blog about. That always help pad things out and give off the impression of competent effort. Honestly, my business was limited to gurgling back red wine by canals and occasionally poking at a keyboard to make horse words.
Venice spent centuries and untold amounts of money and blood in building itself up, and has followed that by centuries of refined and genteel decadence. It deserves the fame it has, and I really wish to visit there before it sinks for good.
Ah, Venice. The Flooded City.
Is there a Palaververse equivalent? Could there be an equivalent?
For some reason, I am connecting Venice with The Freeport Venture. Probably from the large amount of water and surrounding island in Freeport (I recommend reading it and its sequels if you haven't already, it is an excellent story).
Doge's Palace? I had no idea that was a thing.
That sign couldn't be more helpful if it was pointing in a non-specific direction.
Ah, Venice, The Horse City.
Something something only Equestrians could invent a city like this. I'm sure.
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Oh please, yes!
Looks like a lovely trip! I hope to get out there some time myself, but the peskey ocean in the way makes it difficult. Only you, Carabas, could come up with a story involving blowing snow and freezing conditions more akin to Winnipeg winters that I've been dealing with while sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean drinking wine!
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It's as decent a life arc for a city as any. Plunder the bejesus out of everyone in your youth with war and finance, live a luxurious life on your fortune, and then descend into the Adriatic while flipping off the outraged cities you plundered before they can take revenge.
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No exact Palaververse equivalents in mind - Asincitta has some of its maritime stuff going on, but is largely land-based and at not much risk of sinking any time soon. There's lots of coastlines, though, so somewhere should resemble it a great deal somewhere.
Not read The Freeport Venture, but it looks good, and the author's written other things I've liked. I might just have to check that out.
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From the Maritime Museum:
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In Venice, they keep their horses in wooden clamps so they don't run off and cause mischief.
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Venice is way less warm than you'd expect for Northern Italy. There's a real chill that comes off all the water, and I spent nearly all my time outdoors there swaddled up in a hat, scarf, coat, and gloves, even though the skies were clear and filled with sunshine the whole time. Blizzard conditions weren't too much of a stretch to envisage.
4440700 You know, that is probably some sort of Equestrian form of, uh, things ponies do under Luna's moon, so to speak. That or like, an invention of the Capricious Crown, one of the two.
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Two concepts hopefully rarely if ever married.
4440739 It's the crown's fault for thinking it could capture an alicorn. In reality, Luna is just that into - well, you know.
Venice is great, as long as you don't go in the summer, because they don't believe in air conditioning. I got lost in the Doge's palace and spent almost an hour wandering around the dungeons before someone found me and made me leave.
Is Winterheart set in the Palaververse?
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I've been advised by an Italian friend that I picked a good time of year to go in. Apparently the canals can get a bit whiffy in the summer as well.
And yep, it's set in the Palaververse!