For a while after this group was set up, there were a few characters who utterly lacked stories at all, such as Parcel Post, White Lightning, and Daisy. Since February, each of these characters has at least gained two stories each, and while not particularly impressive, that's at least something you could call an improvement.

Yet Mr. Stripes has not moved an inch, despite his daughter's tag progressing to two stories along with the others. I'm honestly starting to wonder why he was included at all. Then again, I thought the same thing about White Lightning, but her character's getting some mileage and may yet earn her place in the wider fandom.

Given the group's aims, stuck tags at the bottom of the heap are a problem. Moreover, given that the fandom's made more out of less before, I can't help but think this wouldn't be too hard to solve. So surely, there's a way to use his character and generate some stories for him?

Think about it: He's a nepotist, an extortionist, and a landlord who gave Rarity the space for her Manehattan branch of boutiques but threatened to destroy her business before it was even established. He lives in the pony equivalent of New York, dotes on a daughter who may or may not be plum loco, and hosts a fashion boutique despite clearly being no fashion authority himself (judging from his simple tracksuit and overconfidence in his daughter's "good" ideas).

Not to mention he's likely to regularly involve himself in the Rarity For You business practices, along with Coco Pommel, Plaid Stripes, Blue Bobbin and the other assistants, Vinyl Scratch, and the raccoon family (not to forget Rarity herself checking up on the shop). He and his overenthusiastic daughter alone could make a pretty good comedy duo, with her outlandish ideas backed up by his menacing yet blind faith in her abilities. And is there any significance we can attach to his accent, such as a foreign origin which could open up some world-building opportunities?

In short, I think there's material that can be mined and used, and I think it's worth at least creating some short stories to get him off the starting line. I did wonder about making a prompt specifically geared towards it, but that seems excessive when we just need at least one story out of him.

Penny for your thoughts?

5935969

He's a nepotist, an extortionist, and a landlord who gave Rarity the space for her Manehattan branch of boutiques but threatened to destroy the business before it was even established.

The quoted section is basically a big list of reasons not to write about him.

He's nepotistic, but not in the charmingly precocious way of Trixie. He's an extortionist preying upon someone that we've basically been conditioned to see as the underdog, so he's a massive jerk that nobody wants to give attention to.

Nobody cares about the Manehattan branch. If we want to write fanfiction set in dangerously-close-to-modern cities, we'd make some weird AU where all of Equestria feels like it's in the same era. Manehattan is a collection of New York tropes, AKA the tropes of every third-rate sequel that tries desperately to breathe new life into its premise by taking the protagonists to the big city. Rarity is most interesting in either Ponyville, where she is contrasted against country bumpkins, or Canterlot where she is contrasted against the cruel heartlessness of the aristocracy.

Both he and his daughter aren't particularly interesting. The two of them largely served as plot devices in their debut episode, although Plaid Stripes got given a weird spoon thing and a whole 'misunderstood genius' vibe. Mr. Stripes is just angry Russian father, with the downside that he lacks the mountainous frame, shaggy mane and general embodiment of Russian badassery tropes that we usually attach to Stalliongrad characters.

And this is before we get into the angle that he mostly seems like a male counterpart of Spoiled Rich, and that association means that the story someone's most likely to think of involving him is him being an abusive father to a daughter who could very easily be written as having mental difficulties that would elicit so much sympathy from the reader that they'd hate him forever.

Shall I go on?

5936005
Well, that's an argument against him. But this is the Time Action Glory Challenge. Can you make an argument for him?

5936021 He is secretly retired barbarian hero, Conan style. Back in old days, when did not need be so politically correct, he go on many adventure punching griffon and changeling and especially filthy yak. When world got too much modern, he retire and sell story of life to some wordsmith chappy.

Possible stories include good old-fashioned sword and sorcery adventures, creative differences with both his biographer and the eventual acquirer of his film rights, and rekindled romance with Princess Celestia.

Please note, my argument against him was primarily meant to answer Impossible Numbers' question.

Y'know, I wrote him into a bit part in one of my stories... and I can't justify tagging him considering how little screen time he gets, but I agree with 5936093 that he comes off as an easy mark for being an unlikable character. His daughter is who she is; this guy's problem is that he should know better, and he likely does, but he acts like a jerk anyway.

Still, I think he's worth exploring as a character to see what fans can come up with. I especially love the idea of making him a barbarian or whatnot. Maybe another part of the equation would be connecting him to some other character(s) through implied family ties?

All we need is one good story to set him on his way.

5936200 I was thinking one way of connecting him to other characters would be for him to literally be a pony from the age where might made right, who stumbled upon a fountain of youth and lived until the Modern Era.

And then a collage of random ships between Mister Stripes and all of history.

5936215
"Clever Clover. You say is windigoes are causing cold?"

"Yes, Mr. Stripes. We can—"

"I will punch them."

"Mr. Stripes, that won't—"

"I will punch them."

And yes, he kept the accent for millennia. It's a matter of pride.

5935969
Je ne regrette rien.

Well, no, I do regret not going with KingMoriarty's idea.

5986052

And thus the Age of Stripes has now truly begun.

Excellent.