Post Turkey Day update · 3:50pm Nov 29th, 2021
Or actually, in my case, post-Turducken day (chicken breast stuffed inside a duck breast stuffed inside a turkey breast). Yes, it exists, and I prefer it to turkey for having a variety of flavors instead a single type of meat:
https://www.amazon.com/Catullo-Prime-Meats-Turducken/dp/B0006ZWPV6
Anyway, to business: despite having to work one day last week—and they damn well better give me another day off for my Christmas vacation because of it—I did a great deal of writing last week, including finishing a new Feathered Hearts chapter which has been received quite well by prereaders (see previous blog for a teaser), and putting down the first 6200 words on the new commissioned story I’ve taken on.
To this point, I’ve written a 3000-word prelude chapter that will fully set the scene, and 3200 words of the first full chapter. I’ve been paid to write 6000 words per chapter, one per Humane 7 member, so that’s what you’ll get. I promised it would be ready to launch by month’s end, but at this point, that’s going to be a difficult deadline to meet.
I could just launch the prelude chapter, but I know from experience that would be a mistake. I tried that with Temptations and Transformations, and the result was poor initial interest because (I think) I didn’t include enough sex to start—enough meat on the bone, as it were. I want at least one full chapter ready to go along with the prelude before I launch, so new readers will understand what the story is about and hopefully get hooked.
Most likely release date at this point is next weekend, as I’ll need that much time to finish the chapter and have prereaders hit it. But, I do think I owe readers something. So, here’s a teaser from the prelude chapter, slightly sanitized. As you’ll shortly see, I’m putting my usual measure of plot and character development into this, even if it’s ultimately just an Unleash the Magic-type clopfic:
“Whew! And that’s a wrap!” Rainbow Dash announced as they ended their latest band practice session with a near-perfect rendition of Better than Ever, which had become the song they always ended with to show that they really were better than ever. “Come on, girls! Let’s get packed up so we can hit the Big Burger Palace! I’m famished for one of their triple-decker specials!” Rainbow tried to suppress her lingering horniness with her hunger. “And besides, I think Trixie’s band has the room reserved next.”
“We do indeed!” Trixie didn’t wait for them to leave before barging in with her band, who looked as impatient as ever. “About time you girls finished! We were due to start five minutes ago!”
“Yeah, well, hold yer horses, Trixie,” Applejack spoke up in an annoyed tone while Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes—there was no better distraction from just about anything, they had learned long before, than the presence of Trixie Lulamoon. “Especially since if memory serves, your band ran over by twenty minutes last time!”
“Hmph! Perfection cannot be rushed! Trixie’s Great and Powerful band needed the work to win this weekend’s competition!”
“A competition? What competition?” Rarity asked in annoyance.
“You mean you don’t know?” Trixie went aghast, then smug; an expression promptly copied by her three bandmates—Shimmersage, Shadebloom and Azura. “Well, I suppose it’s not too surprising! After all, only the best bands were invited!” As one, they all stuck their noses in the air.
“A contest? That we’re not in?” Rainbow Dash said suspiciously. “How could they not invite us? We’re the best band in school!”
“What? Certainly not better than mine!” Trixie harrumphed.
“I don’t know, Trixie. Flash’s band is pretty good too…” Sunset pointed out with a smile and wink to her friends.
“Ha! Those pop-playing guitarheads? They’re not better than us!” Trixie boasted.
“They sure are! And so are Lyra and Bonbon,” Sci-Twi said with a grin of her own as she levitated her laptop into her packback. “They do some really good synthesizer work! You should have heard their remix of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony!”
Trixie gave her a look of disbelief. “They’re not a band! They just play sappy piano songs!”
“Oh, and don’t forget about the Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!” Pinkie Pie added as she somehow stowed her drums behind a curtain, which disappeared as soon as she drew the shade back. “They’ve become internet sensations!”
Trixie’s jaw fell open further. “Those three? The self-described ‘Destiny-Seeking Teenagers’? The only thing they’ve succeeded at is becoming memes!”
“Oh, um… I really like Bulk Biceps on the violin…” even Fluttershy decided to get in on the teasing.
“Oh, please! Who even cares about classical?” Trixie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in a gesture once again copied promptly by her bandmates.
“Well, Octavia does. Reckon she and Vinyl would make a pretty good label.” Applejack offered a very deliberate shrug while giving the rest of her friends a wink, trying not to laugh.
“Vinyl Scratch? That chatterbox? Her wubs overpower everything and she never lets anybody get a word in edgewise!” Shimmersage answered this time.
“And don’t forget about Snips & Snails rapping!” Pinkie Pie piped up, feeling so good and ready to both give and receive oral that she vowed to visit Hollow Shades High soon, where she had enjoyed the company of two students there named Chest Candy and Triton. “They’re better than you, too!”
A blood vessel bulged on Trixie’s forehead and an eyebrow twitched. “Are you insane? Those two can’t even make a proper rhyme!”
“Yep. And then there’s Derpy’s band…” Rainbow Dash went for the kill, no longer thinking about the contest so much as teasing Trixie, which was nearly as fun.
“Derpy???” Trixie and her three bandmates chorused.
“Oh, yes! She does some truly magnificent music with her homemade Sitar!” Rarity struggled not to chortle as she carefully secured her keytar in its hard case and locked it shut.
Trixie’s outrage reached a boil. “It has one string and sounds like a cross between fingernails on a blackboard and a caterwauling cougar!” she all but shrieked, only to fall silent and fume as Rainbooms could contain themselves no longer, collapsing in laughter.
This excerpt is heavily sanitized over what’s actually there—at this point, the girls are starting to have severe urges to strip—but I just wanted to show that I’m not neglecting the worldbuilding, character building or plot aspects for this. To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible for me to write without having them at this point. The band contest will figure prominently in the story’s eventual conclusion, allowing for a grand finale of sorts.
Oh yes, and you note the names of Trixie’s bandmates—Shimmersage, Shadebloom and Azura? That’s a shout-out to one of AJ_Aficionado’s more unlikely successful stories, which you are encouraged to read if you haven’t already:
[Adult story embed hidden]
More updates as we get closer. In the meantime, I hope all my US readers had a good Thanksgiving week, and welcome to the holiday season, folks.🎄
Oof, poor Fuchsia and Lavender.
Huh. I figured she'd stick with the musical saw. Or take up the theramin. In any case, always good to see respect paid to the band who clearly should've won the competition.
Looking forward to seeing this fleshed out.
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I wasn’t aware they had names, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. No matter. As homage to AJA’s work, these are their names here.
Once again, I learn a new word: theramin. Had no idea that was a thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6KbEnGnymk . It looks like it would take a lot of practice to be good at since you’re just waving your hands over it and the distance has to be precise.
And yes, Derpy should have won the Battle of the Bands hands down were it not for siren-influenced cheating!
You’ll hopefully see by this weekend. This is a rather unique challenge, and the first story commission I’ve ever taken. May I be able to do it justice and satisfy both the requester and readers in the process.
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Thanks for the shoutout! The story was a modest success but it did feature for about 15 minutes or so back in 2019. I'm just happy to be one of the few FoE stories to achieve triple-digit upvotes.