Nightmare Night Side Story is go! · 4:25pm Feb 22nd, 2020
I asked readers in yesterday’s blog post as to whether they’d like a Nightmare Night side story containing tales of the corruption and conversion of various background ponies, and the answer was a resounding yes. But for it, I’ll have to delay the launch of the final main story chapter I had ready for now so I can launch the new story concurrent with its release. Have to find some artwork, and quickly come up with a story page. Also, I need to rewrite part of that last main chapter to match what’s in the side story, which diverged from what I originally had.
Regardless, I will *attempt* to make the story launch tomorrow morning with a single chapter, but only if it’s ready. It will be linked in the Author’s Notes of the story at the top. Please like and read to help build heat and get it featured! That will also draw new readers to the main story as well.
Seems fitting to offer a teaser, at least:
It had been an early night for Certified Mail, the third-shift manager of the Ponyville Post Office.
Having decided long before then that he was too old for foal games and candy, he’d retired early after the office Nightmare Night party, knowing he’d have to show up early the next day to supervise the sorting of the next day’s mail and receive pre-dawn deliveries from other non-postal courier services.
Discarding his cardboard costume (which a coworker’s foals had made for him) and crawling into bed, the middle-aged unicorn stallion had been rousted not long after midnight by a loud clap of thunder, which rattled his windows. Confused and unable to sleep—why hadn’t it been scheduled? Was it wild weather off the Everfree the Ponyville weather teams had failed to stop because they were lying drunk on a cloud?—he’d decided to head for the Post Office early, both to beat the storm in and to get a head start on his duties, hoping he could finish them and then get a few winks in his office after the storm passed.
A unicorn stallion and a longtime bachelor—an oddity in a culture and community where the skewed gender ratios meant available males tended to be snapped up quickly—he’d headed off through the party-goers collecting in pubs to continue the festivities, though at one point he’d heard some claims of Timberwolf howls coming from Town Hall.
He rolled his eyes at that—this is why I don’t drink alcohol or whatever the hay that special reserve cider of AJ’s is made of! he thought in some derision as he observed a drunken mare slobbering over a stallion not of her herd while her herdmates fumed. And THAT is why I never married! he further observed, finding he liked his solitude and being able to do whatever he wanted, when he wanted, having few friends and liking it that way. Guess I’m just not a pony person. Besides, no mare ever did it for me anyway…
He’d nearly made it to the Post Office by the time the rain was ready to fall; the thunder that preceded it quickly clearing the streets of passersby. The third mail shift was already present, sorting and prepping the next day’s mail deliveries; among other things they were expecting a single courier from the Griffon Express to arrive before dawn, meaning that their resident G-E liaison, Owlia Accipiter, would need to be present to receive him.
At least I can always count on her! he granted somewhat grudgingly with his thoughts, which was more than he could say for some of his equine subordinates. Though leery of her at first—like so many other residents of Ponyville, his only experience with griffons before her had been Rainbow Dash’s bullying ex-friend Gilda, after all—he’d quickly learned that the eagless was not even remotely like her; warm and friendly despite her predatory appearance and penchant for meat-eating. She’d also been perfectly willing to pitch in on regular mail duties, helping to sort and even taking over for sick delivery mares and front desk agents when needed.
Fine, I’ll say it—as a worker, she’s a keeper, he further allowed as he passed under the overhang outside the post office, a particular loud clap of thunder startling him, sending a sharp shiver down his spine. He made it inside just as the first drops of rain began to fall. Not that I’d want to lay her or anything...
The opening three chapters would be the seduction and conversion of Owlia (in a scene I’m very proud of) and thereafter, the rest of the post office. And after that? We’d have a couple chapters going into what happened to Mayor Mare (spoiler: Timberponies), and catch up with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as they go looking for Rumble and Button Mash (in a scene that will likely send me straight to hell!). Also featured in future will be Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody, and possible guest chapters written by AJ_Aficionado regarding Pinkie’s seduction and conversion of the Flower trio. I’ll take requests here as well.
Mayor Timbermare... There's a joke in there somewhere about bureaucracy and petrified wood, but I'm not sure how to form it.
I'm looking forward to the side stories that you'll be publishing.
I'll be able to start writing again once I've gotten some peace of mind regarding my health. I just can't do anything but pace around the house and curl up into a ball when the pain starts. I really do want to write I just can't do it yet. I have my own stories too I'm wanting to work on: updating Movie Night, doing something else with Roseluck and the zebras, doing something for that clop contest, and maybe even updating another of my stories.
I just can't focus on anything. I do one thing for an hour, whether it be reading or playing a videogame and then I stop, pace around a bit and do something else. It's maddening! I'm happy to keep prereading for you and I will be seeing my new doctor's RN so hopefully, I'll get satisfactory answers soon.
bing.com/th?id=OIP.DYhzhs9emQi1gC46LfLBxgHaEL&pid=Api&rs=1 Mayor Timbermare... why do I think she's married to this guy now?
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...
Is that a Kul'Tiras human from World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth?
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Lumberjack Uther, Heroes Of The Storm. (A skin for Uther the Lightbringer)
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Aha! I knew it had to be Warcraft related! Lok'tar ogar!
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For the Alliance...... (I'll note am a WC3 player, less a WoW one.)
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I played alliance in the recent WoW Classic remake but quit due to lack of willingness to commit myself to the grind and the Alliance losing every AV they play in. I served the horde from 2.1 TBC all the way to 5.2 MIsts of Pandaria. I do like the Alliance story and races better but my fondest memories were fighting alongside the Horde. I never played WC3 but I'm told it's a legendary game.
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If you like RTS yeah it's a real blast.