Each month we will be spotlighting one pairing, or suggesting a writing prompt. As you may have seen on the main page, this month's area of focus is a prompt of 'Child-Friendly.'

Most of the siren stories out there have interactions that fall into two categories: interactions between the three sirens, and interactions between one or more of them and one or more Rainboom or CHS contemporary. Whereas a family-orientated character, like Applejack, we see interact with a broad spectrum of age groups all the time.

It's particularly the Cutie Mark Crusader age range we're interested in for this prompt, and that's the reason we suggest friendshipping rather than any romantic or sexual varieties. On one hand, the sirens are some of the least child-friendly characters in the franchise, never speaking a word to a child on screen, exhibiting a more mature demeanour with their confidence and sensuality, and presumably having little interest in anything children could offer. And yet, on the other hand, the sirens are born manipulators. If anyone could effortlessly modify their conduct to be child-friendly, it's them. And children are often the last to rush to judgement, and the first to forgive, so it might be that CHS accepting the sirens back after Rainbow Rocks starts with the school's youngest years.

So what reasons might there be for detailed interaction between sirens and children? Maybe the younger, more vulnerable family members make easy strategic weaknesses for getting back at the Rainbooms. Maybe Aria and Silver Spoon can have a heart to heart about how it feels to be an unappreciated second. Maybe the Dazzlings could do with some help from certain experts on understanding their cutie marks, if those talents led to hurting lots of people. Maybe, in a child of average intelligence, Sonata can find an intellectual equal. Maybe the sirens push for a commercial music career, and learn of the incredible buying power of preteen girls, so figure they'd better learn how to interact with an appeal to them (Hasbro realised it long ago, after all). Or maybe Adagio realises that to indoctrinate hearts and minds, you have to start young.

Here are some rules! Or guidelines, at least - who are we to tell you what to do?

There will be:

No maximum word limit!

No minimum word limit, aside from fimfiction's thousand-word standard!

No rating restrictions!

No prizes!

No SunDagio!

No AriNata!

No SonPie!

No time limit! ...I mean, it'd be nice to get it done this month, but, given the above thing about no prizes, if it takes you longer then it takes you longer... However, if you get it submitted this month then we'll read it and talk about it and shower you with praise, whereas by next month we'll have moved onto a different area of focus.

No foalcon or age-regression! Let's just not.

One last thing, further to the penultimate point about the time limit: I had a thought on how we can encourage and reward writing for the group's prompts or spotlighted pairings. In a few days we'll make a sticky thread for the forum here, which will list and link to stories created for our prompts and pairings.

To qualify, a story must do at least one of these two things:

1. Be written about a month's prompt or pairing, and published during that month.

Or

2. Be published at any time afterwards, but built around a specific example listed in the prompt.

So, taking this prompt as an example, the sticky thread would include any siren x child friendship story for the prompt published this month. It would also include a story written specifically of the sirens interacting with children as they're trying to start a child-friendly music career, whenever it's published, as that's an example suggested here. But it wouldn't include a story published next October about Aria bumping into Scootaloo in the supermarket.

This means essentially that there's some more incentive to write stories for the prompt within the time limit, which should hopefully make it more of a monthly 'thing,' but also not punish those who need a bit more time, leaving stories directly tied to the prompt to be published as follow-up pieces to previous months' discussion, while also avoiding us having to list, say, every Adagio x Rarity story published from the month of that prompt into perpetuity solely because we once featured that prompt.

And that's it! Happy writing, and may this prompt inspire you to come up with tales of the innocents and the insidious.

Huh you know I was working on a story where Adagio was attempting to help Diamond Tiara with a crush she has and in exchange Diamond Tiara promises Adagio something that the eldest Siren would not refuse. Just hitting a bit of a road block on who I wanna ship Adagio with. My top three being the following

1. Rarity

2. Sci-Twi

3. Applejack

Now I WAS thinking about aging Diamond up and having her crush on Adagio cause that could be fun BUT I am not sure how many people would wanna see that though but then again that would probably work a lot better than I think lol

6910017 There are plenty of stories out there in which both human and pony characters are aged-up, so clearly some people are into that. I find it problematic, personally, because if you've heard a child character speak in canon, they've done so with a child's voice, and I suspect that's how you'll still hear them in your head when reading a story, even though they're now described as older. That's my personal opinion rather than this group's official stance or anything, but that's why I'd edge the entries towards non-romantic feelings if possible.

Don't get me wrong, it could be done well, and be interesting. You could perhaps explore how Diamond Tiara isn't sure how she feels about Adagio, because she isn't really old enough to be certain, and is lacking comparative experiences. Does she admire Adagio as someone she'd like to be, or to be with? Or, more likely and more interesting still, bits of both? In which instance I'd suggest keeping the romance one-sided. What Diamond Tiara might see in an attractive, confident, older girl is obvious. But I can't see Adagio being drawn to a child in return, beyond possibly the same kind of not-sibling familial closeness we see from Rainbow to Scootaloo.

I will point out that the guidelines on this site are very rigid for any underage human characters. Even if a character is 17, and therefore over the age of consent in some areas (including this site's hosting location of the UK), even if engaging in as much sexual activity as they're able to is a driving force for many mid-teenagers, it cannot be depicted on the site if they're under 18. I can in fact quote the mods on this one:

If it happens offscreen and is mentioned only in passing, it's fine. If it's described offscreen to the point that you can hear and smell it happening in the other room even with the door closed, it's not allowed.

'They had sex yesterday' is about all you can get away with. Maybe waking up the morning after if there is no explicit details, just waking up and moving on.

If the story is about Adagio's interactions with Diamond Tiara, does Adagio really need to be shipped with anyone? It sounds like it might just be a distraction from the interesting bits

Lol I just do my best work with Adagio with the topic is of a romantic sense thats all. So like I said I wouldn't HAVE to ship her but I just prefer to. Though I can totally see her playing a big sister role to Diamond the same way Rainbow does for Scootaloo

6910097 Personally I'd say that a prompt like this is a great exercise in getting away from Adagio's flirty side; she can be a little more candid with those she's not busily trying to seduce. And children can sometimes see through things in the weirdest ways. They might push points adults would pick up on cues to leave alone, or recognise when an argument is a rationalisation rather than a reason.

So I'd say leave Adagio happily single and just focus on her and Diamond Tiara, especially if shipping her is the cause of the current stumbling block. But that's just me

Oh trust me like I said shipping her is really just a force of habit; one I can break and have on occusion. I may just have Adagio taking on the more "motherly big sister" role but keep her air of confidence she values so much and of course keep her a tease and a bit of a brat. I feel like she and Diamond would make great friends even if Adagio is much older than she is

Would a cute fluffy oneshot about any of the sirens (I say Adagio, because it'd be the most ironic) teaching the kids' about age of consent, or just consent in general, be against the rules?

Because I feel that could make for some decent comedy.

I've technically written one of these already (based on that very image!) in the form of chapters 10 and 11 of Cross Reference. Specifically, the relevant scenes entail the CMC approaching Adagio because there've been things they found out they need a chaperone for and they don't want to repeat the mistake of shunning the old villain as they did with Sunset.

I don't know if it it counts, because it's cut up across a bunch of other scenes completely unrelated to the prompt, a natural consequence of writing big stories as opposed to dozens of one-shots, but it might work as an example of the Mama/AuntiDagio flavor if you don't mind skimming past the rest of those chapters.

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I've technically written one of these already

Funnily enough, there were three stories that led to this prompt, and you two each wrote one of them. Sucker for a Cute Face was the first time I ever saw it done, with a couple of scenes between Adagio and Diamond Tiara. But, as you say, it's a bit awkward recommending a story for that when the pairing is a small subplot within a huge story. The third story of the bunch, Neighbours, had the same problem, despite a lovely interaction between Adagio and Sweetie Belle. So it took An Opal's Dazzling Bell being published a couple of weeks ago to provide a standalone example of a ship like this and give the prompt the go-ahead. Only when writing it out did I remember that, although the spotlighted pairings we do here list a previous story example, the story prompts don't bother. So it would have been fine either way

I don't know if it it counts, because it's cut up across a bunch of other scenes completely unrelated to the prompt, a natural consequence of writing big stories as opposed to dozens of one-shots, but it might work as an example of the Mama/AuntiDagio flavor if you don't mind skimming past the rest of those chapters.

I'd say it definitely counts enough that it's good to have it mentioned here in the thread, for people to peruse if they choose? Thanks for the direct chapter links, too. How easily would you say people can dive into just those two chapters and have much idea what's going on?

Would a cute fluffy oneshot about any of the sirens (I say Adagio, because it'd be the most ironic) teaching the kids' about age of consent, or just consent in general, be against the rules?

Because I feel that could make for some decent comedy.

Regarding Adagio teaching children about consent, and how that sits with the rules, is an interesting one! It sounds like a really good idea for a story. If that's something that would pass site rules, then it'll be fine for fitting the prompt. I'd hazard a guess it'd be ok on the site, but you might want to message the mods in advance, just to be sure? I suppose it also very much depends on how explicit it is in its content. I think you could talk about bodily autonomy, for example, without it necessarily being sexual in the slightest. That said, it might well benefit from being more candid with its subject matter at times, though, whatever's best for the story.

I'd say go for it, but maybe message a mod with your story outline and how explicit you expect it to get, before you go to the effort of writing anything.

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How easily would you say people can dive into just those two chapters and have much idea what's going on?

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the hardest, 10 being the easiest? I think a 5 or 6, unfortunately, because the first scene is going to raise a few questions (why Aria and Sonata are at Crystal Prep and why Adagio is looking for means of emotional comfort for future use, namely) if the reader doesn't have the context of the previous story, though I think the important, chapter(s)-relevant details can be inferred pretty easily just from what's in their first scene together.

On the other hand, maybe it can all be pretty much disregarded once the siren-CMC funtimes actually start, the meat of their interactions being the third and fifth scenes in chapter 11.

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Well, looks like you got your first entry: The Bellesitter.

Also...

Do the CMC folders already exist? If so, I couldn't find them.

6911159 They totally don't exist! And I set up this prompt without ever thinking of that

Ok, I only have a minute right now, so I've quickly set up a couple of folders for Adagio and Sweetie Belle. I will make the others this evening, when I have a bit more time

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Ok, all done!

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I was the first entry, really? Awesome! XD

I added one of my own to a CMC-age folder too, as it's the focus this month, though I should warn that I'd held off previously as the discussion of those characters make up only a few lines in an otherwise much longer story

As far as I know, though, it's the only Sonata x Diamond Tiara friendshipping on the site.

Now have an entry into it of my own: Self-Defense Scootaloo