Random Ramblings CCXLVIII · 6:46am Apr 9th, 2018
IN WHICH I, PFF, I DUNNO, WORDS
Hey. It's been awhile. Here's tonight's music upload.
What can I say? Laura Brehm is my favourite singer. Suzuka Nakamoto is a close second. Anyway, more on the flip-side.
Okay. Good news Bad news time again. Good News!: A Midsummer Day's Quest officially hit 100 net upvotes today (or technically yesterday since it's after midnight now). Thank you so much! Bad News: I'm not even close to finishing my next Recovery Arc story. I've barely worked on it at all in the last week. I wish I could say it's because I've been busy. But lying doesn't suit me -- it's because I'm lazy and have preferred sketching out other not-MLP story ideas. Also sleeping, eating, and watching far too many Babymetal and Sakura Gakuin videos.
Luckily, with my stories, even if I leave them for awhile, I'm usually able to pick up right where I left off. Here's a teaser just to prove to the two people who will read this blog that there is something to look forward to.
I've since edited that part somewhat, so what's published will not read the same way (plus there's over 2500 more words after that bit already with far more to come).
Speaking of editing, I also did something I don't like doing but did it anyway -- I went back and tweaked Highs & Lows (a.k.a my most popular story for some reason). Since FimFic now supports smart quotes and doesn't double-count words with them like it used to, the word count on that fic dropped noticeably. That plus updating one term to conform with future stories means the official word count is now 1,230 - down from 1,274 - so I changed the chapter title accordingly.
I'm thinking I should probably go back and tweak ALL of the Recovery stories -- the good ones anyway (so, everything except the first four chapters of Reconciliations) -- to do that. When you write a bunch of interconnected one-shots over a period of more than three years, especially when you're a useless hack like me, things are bound to get mixed up. Sunset's character has developed beyond where I need her to be at this point in time -- I had to seriously rein her in for Sasha so reading the arc in chronological order would make sense.
Some readers have asked me why I use the term "Canterville" when the canon clearly calls it "Canterlot". Well, I do have a good reason for that. At least I think it's a good reason. Sunset talks about her past a lot in my universe. She may originally be from Stalliongrad but spent several years in Equestria's Canterlot. From a reader's and writer's perspective, it's too confusing to have both cities use the same name, so I opted to rename the humanoid variant. No more, no less. Of course I know Canterlot is a pun on Camelot, but who the hell names a city that? Best not go to Camelot; 'tis a silly place. So, I opted for the next best thing. And now you know.
Besides, the longer the Recovery Arc goes on (and I don't watch the new episodes adding to the canon), the more it veers into AU territory. I'm far from the first writer on this site to put Sunny in a shitty-ass apartment, but my understanding is that she actually lives in a much nicer place with some sort of quid pro quo arrangement. Yeah, no, fuck that. My world, my rules. Sunset Shimmer lives in Apt.416 of The Crowned Arms on Fifth Street -- the building takes up an entire block east-west and most characters approach from the Harmony Street - west - side because that's where the bus stop is; Sunny's room is on the east side of the building, by Destiny Street. She does not sell sushi or anything like that; she is a freelance writer for the Canterville Underground Weekly Daily, a counterculture paper published in tabloid format hated by The Man™ but enjoyed by hipsters and iconoclasts.
In my universe, Sunset Shimmer did NOT de-age when she went through the portal (although I do love Little Sunny and that other story whose name I can't remember). Indeed, since she wasn't quite fully-grown when she crossed over, her very first leather jacket is a size or two too small for her now. That will become important later for a character who isn't Sunset. And, as I've mentioned multiple times in multiple stories, Sunset has been in the humanoid world for ten years. You do the math. Flash did and it's why Sunset dumped him like a sack of potatoes. By the way, adding that flashback to Exes Meet is one of the best writing decisions I ever made. Everything will be answered (sort of) in the penultimate Recovery story, although it's not like there hasn't been a flashing neon sign over this for three years. Readers have finally started noticing, which I'm happy about.
When I last worked on ATGE, Sunset was about to launch into a philosophical rant about Freedom as she left her apartment. She'll probably expound about religion and other things too while on her way to the park. To write this pseudo crap I figure I need to be both tired and highly caffeinated.
Leave my Sunset to her own devices and she just kind of rambles. Kinda like me. I want to think this is in character for her, as she's definitely the inquisitive type and nowhere near as inclined to bow to authority as Twilight. I always worry I've made her too much of a self-insert. But, as long as readers like what I'm doing with her -- as y'all seem to -- I'm just going to keep doing what I do. Actually, after three years, I can't really write Sunset any other way but the way I do, so we're both stuck with her, like her or not. Luckily, I do like her. If I didn't, I wouldn't keep writing stories about her and I would have wrapped up the Recovery Arc with Reconciliations like I originally planned. But no. I decided in my infinite idiocy that I would see this trainwreck through to its True End. She has three more demons to face. The first is herself. The second is Flash, kind of. The third... well, that should be obvious. It's Cadance! (no it's not, although her pony-form shall appear).
A reader asked me -- in a very snarky manner so I downvoted his ass -- if Twilight is a terrible individual in the Recovery / Burritoverse world like she is in my Mayor+Spike stories. The answer is NO. Pony-Twilight is only an antagonist to Spike and the Mayor. And the annoying yap-dog who lives next door. And in my very first story published on this site, Twilight wasn't an antagonist at all; she genuinely meant well even if her idea was a total fiasco.
Thus far, neither Twilight has appeared in the Recovery Arc. Princess Twilight will and has already been mentioned by name. Sci-Twi will NOT, and there's a good reason for that. Meanwhile, where is the humanoid variant of Sunset? I know. I've known for over two years. I hope someday soon to tell you. I may allude to it in this story as part of Sunset's insane rambling.
I planned from the very beginning (H&L) for Rarity to have a slight crush on Sunset. Maybe it's because I'm a lonely mofo thanks to being dumped nearly 18 months ago which I still haven't gotten over and don't plan to. But as time has gone on, Rarity's gotten f-ing thirsty for Sunset. She wants her so badly it hurts. I never expected her to fall that hard. And for the record, YES Rarity did kiss Sunset on the cheek during the epilogue of Spider Queen while Sunny was asleep and her brain slowly exiting la-la land. Rarity also wanted to do a nude photoshoot for Sunset but couldn't because she's underage and the photographer didn't want to be arrested. Once I publish the post-Recovery non-canon side story where they get it on, will Rarity be of-age? I'll leave that up to your imagination. No Sex -- remember, I don't write clop -- but expect quite a lot of groping naughty bits and tongue-play. Also, one of the two says those three important words. I can't remember who because it's been months since I wrote it.
Sunset Shimmer is literally the most important character in my universe, similar to Zaphod in the beginning of So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (I think that's the book). The second most important is Apple Bloom even though she hasn't made a single appearance yet, and won't in the Recovery Arc. After Recovery is published, I plan to shift the universe to a slightly different continuity, where the only difference is the existence of Anon-A-Miss -- I had no room to fit that story into the Recovery Arc, so I've constructed an alternate continuity where it does happen. This is why in my last story I had Sunset and Rarity joke about Anon-A-Miss. It's a wink and a nod to what I have planned next.
Well that's all the ranting for now.
Peace out!
That song is awesome, thanks for sharing it. Laura Brehm is awesome.
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Laura IS awesome. I hope she performs live at some point. I would drive to Colorado just to see her sing.