In the Mind of: Vanilla Mocha · 5:11pm Dec 13th, 2017
This analysis is just my personal opinion on the work of Vanilla Mocha, not a review. Is not intended to be an exhaustive or definitive analysis of her work. This analysis may contain spoilers from her works.
Hi, I'm Vanilla Mocha and I just joined FimFiction a few days ago! Wow, I've never done a blog or fanfic before so all of this is really new to me... so yeah, 'Hi'.
With this words, Vanilla Mocha started her journey on September 30th, 2014. Almost immediately she decided to write about her personal experiences, encripted in stories with romance, random humor and bitter drama. The perfect example for this is her story "Pegasus Feathers" and its sequel "Summertime Sadness, which unfortunaltey I haven't read yet. During her experience writing her first project, she wrote minor ones with normal activities with a hilarious structure, such as The Shopping List, Gummy's Secretive Life (which took some inspiration from Phineas & Ferb in the form of Perry) and:
“Just Keep the Dang Change!”: Sweetie Belle and Rarity go shopping. As simple as that, however, when Rarity starts acting greedy about what she buys, her younger sister tells her that she's not being very kind. The structure may be overly-simple, but the way Rarity expresses her frustration about a remaining $00.01 is hilarious. One of her minor works, but comprehensible because of her novice beginning.
But she proved to all of us she could do drama as well, so she released a shorter drama while Pegasus Angels was on process.
November 15th: Scootaloo looks up at her calendar hung up on her wall by a single yellow tack. Today is November 15, and exactly a year ago her mother passed. She remembers what mother-daughter love felt like, and it almost seems real. One of Vanilla Mocha's recurring themes is death, constant in most of her dramas. She makes us want to perceive this theme from the point of view of a young mare and how she has to deal with it and there's no sentimentalisms or manipulation, it's sincere.
She had a constant publishing date, with weeks of difference, trying to not leave her reading fans alone for long periods, here's when it comes a collaboration between her and another author.
Rainbow Drab and Apple Jewel: Taking inspiration from the episode Simple Ways and Blu Ray's Pinkie Pi, puts the Mane 6 in different roles and in different situations unusual for them. Although this is nothing really new, she isn't being pretentious or anything, she just gives what you supposed to give. Having a timid Rainbow Dash and Rarity and Applejack as the other is an interesting perspective to say the least.
Taking material from other sources was also expected from her at this point. In terms of plastic arts, she's not a painter, she does collage: taking already existing elements and giving her another meaning to them or simply creating an homage to the original source material. Proof of this was her version of one of the most (if not the most) underrated show of the 2010 decade.
Sneakie Pie: Pinkie Pie comes home from court one day, and finds out someone has stolen her identity. No one tends to believe her until they see for themselves. She nicknames the impostor "Sneakie Pie". An homage to Dan vs. and takes this idea to MLP, to the point where you wonder how this story hasn't been done yet in the show, when it could be interesting and show another look of life. Pinkie as Dan, Mr Cake as Chris and Mrs. Cake as Elise is hilarious. Some may say that Pinkie is out of character and, although its true, it's understandable why. I mean, wouldn't you react the same if someone's stealing your life?
While this was in her mind, she finished her first story, but it wasn't over for the drama. Three stories came next, all experiencing love (whether friendly of familiar) and death.
Angel Kisses trilogy: There are many stories about Applejack dealing with her parents' death, but this is one of the few where Applejack is a filly and, like Bambi and Simba before her, it shows the harshness of losing a parent when you're a kid. Ohter kids in school bullying you for it, condolences, forgiveness, regret, love, value the things and person you have. Considered her magnum opus, it's definitely one of her best.
You’re a Part of Me: Rainbow Dash realizes that Soarin isn't only a Wonderbolt or a good friend, but he's also a part of her... a part that she lost. Many say things about what is love and how it affect us, that it may be corny or false, but we still believe that there's destiny with ti (like 500 days with Summer). Here, she retakes moments of a life and gives them a meaning, showing that every person we've had contact with, can become more than we thought.
Discord’s Immortality: Discord's best friend Fluttershy is sick… and to Discord, she's more than a friend. He always knew this day would come, he hates being immortal. This is why he wanted to have friends in the first place. But... Was this friendship worth it? The bond of love between them won't die… right? The concept of Discord dealing with Fluttershy's passing is nothing new, especially if you read Forever Young and Bride of Discord (the best and most popular stories of this concept) before this one. However, I think adding Sombra to the mix makes this more intriguing because now there's a reason for them being apart and I like the idea of Discord not seeing Fluttershy again until the war is over.
2015 was a great year for Vanilla Mocha, not only in stories but in her personal life as well, meeting Icy the Charmander on the site (they'll become a couple later). She finished the year with two classics.
Smacking: Vinyl Scratch's younger sister, Octavia, always smacked. All her life, Vinyl hated the sounds of loud chewing. But now that she is deaf... That is all she wants to hear. Divided in two parts, it's hearbreaking with the pacing and the description of how Vinyl feels about Octavia. A great perspective from a handicapped.
Pinkie Pie Tries To Get Twilight Sparkle To Eat A Quesadilla: Considered one of her best stories... it feels more like junk food for your mind. A story out of place, humor too random, a nonsensical plot and a horrible twist ending. If all her stories where a family of beautiful women, this one would be the "deformed sister who hide in the attic because of the shame". However, it's not pretentious, it delivers what it promises, being proof that nobody is perfect. It spawned a sequel called "Rainbow Dash Becomes an Alicorn", better than this one.
2016 began strongly with two classics.
Fulfillment: Similar to Skywriter's "Sun Princess", but focused on Opal rather than Winona. Through the perspective of the cat, she narrates all those moments before she dies.
First World...: Pinkie Pie is the element of laughter. The town comedian. The pony with all the friends, with no true enemies. She has never been hurt in any way, and she has all she wants and needs. Pinkie Pie has no real reason to feel sad. So why does she? One of my personal favorites thanks to the deep construction of Pinkie's psyche. It even inspired me to write my own version called "The Processing".
During this period however, it seemed that Pinkie Pie's depressing state grabbed Vanilla Mocha to never released her again. Her stories became fewer and fewer with more space between them, she published in her blogs about her mental state and she constantly felt depressed about her residence in Fimfiction, saying that she felt bullied and insulted. She was misunderstood, how the joyful community she joined in the first place was so hostile and rude to her. She limited to one story per month, stopping her back then excellent time. She finished with two dramas, focused on characters she never wrote before.
Classhates: Before she had a visit from the Princess of Friendship, another royal pony paid her a visit. Due to reoccurring nightmares and an inability to admit her fears and concerns, Moondancer has grown to be grumpy and introverted. Can Princess Luna point her in the direction she needs to be in? Written like a regular episode of the series and showing the many perspectives from Moon Dancer, it was succesful before becoming stagnant over time.
Maud And Boulder: A different perspective never seen before on Maud Pie and her behavior. This probably the most intriguing headcanon I've ever heard. It also adds a side to Maud that isn't often shown in the show and it even changes perspective on her pet rock. Honestly didn't see the twists coming, as I anticipated another backstory entirely.
The critics surrendered before her, the audience applauded her return and she could relax. She knew she had done well, she knew he had given a beautiful gift and she, remaining inert before the offenses and compliments throughout her stay, would be satisfied with it. She occasionally came back once in a while to the site she loved, but it was time. On March 23rd, 2017 at 8:30 p.m., she would retire from us all forever leaving us her legacy and we still miss her.
I still miss her.
Some recurring images:
-Random humor
-Applejack and Pinkie Pie as the main characters, with Twilight and the CMC'S at second
-Meaning of love
-Collaborations with other artists
-Collage and homage to other existing ideas
-Existentialist dilemmas and crisis
-Death, loss and grief
-Meaning of life
I miss her too.