Applejack eyed her MyStable feed with a twinge of annoyance.
Typical peachy, lol...so boring
She blew on her bangs, her eyes narrowed in irritation.
The comment was in response to a photo she'd posted of the Apples' prize red delicious tree, Bloomberg, who had a record crop of unusually large, ripe, shiny apples coming along. Bloomberg was her pride and joy, and she was especially pleased with the finest crop the old tree had ever produced.
Yes, apples and farming were her passion. They were her life. She could understand how some might not find that very interesting, but that wasn't any reason to go off and call her boring.
It damn sure wasn't cause to go off and call her boring for being a "peachy".
"What's up, Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked, shuffling into the room. She glanced at Applejack's computer screen and winced. "Ouch."
"Eeyup," Applejack said with a bored sigh.
"Ah can't believe people sometimes, y'know?" Apple Bloom said, sitting down next to Applejack and crossing her arms and legs. "Me an' Taps are on th' outs 'cuz he got mad at me fer 'actin' yellah', whutever th' hell that means."
Applejack frowned. "You're puttin' up with this kinda shit too?"
"Eeyup." Apple Bloom sighed. "Hell's that supposed t' mean anyway, 'actin' yellah'?"
"Damned if Ah know," Applejack snorted. "Ah personally know two, maybe three yellah gals, an' ain't none'a y'all act nothin' alike!" She frowned. "When'd this all start, anyway?"
"Shoot, Ah dunno," Apple Bloom said. "We was doin' homework an' watchin' TV, then it jes' came outta nowhere..."
"Hmm." Applejack pursed her lips. "Let's ask Fluttershy if she knows whut it means. She's so worried about ever' little thing folks say, she's bound t' know..." She pullled out her phone and put Fluttershy on video call.
"Oh hello, Applejack! Apple Bloom. What's up?"
"Fluttershy, whut's it mean when people say we're 'actin' yellah'?" Apple Bloom blurted out.
Fluttershy blinked. "Oh. Oh my." Her irises contracted to pinpricks. "Is...is somebody saying that about you?"
"Tender Taps," Apple Bloom said. "We're kinda fussin' right now."
"Oh." Fluttershy blushed. "Um. How did that...start?"
"Shoot, Ah dunno! That's why we called, see if we can figger out whut it might mean."
"Oh. Um. Okay." Fluttershy ducked her head and coughed. "W-well. You know how pink-skinned people, especially girls, have kind of a reputation for being, well...out of control wild party animals?"
Applejack chuckled. "An' at least one pink gal we know is exactly that," she said.
"Well...yes...but I don't just mean what Pinkie Pie normally does. I mean, umm..." Fluttershy blushed. "The...the kind of party you have, umm...naked...and sometimes sell videos of it online..."
"Oh," Applejack said, blinking. "Uhh...okay, that's a new one on me."
"Oh yeah, that whole super-slut reputation pinks have," Apple Bloom said, nodding.
"W-well..." Fluttershy coughed. "Yellows...we don't have, umm...that reputation? But, umm...there's kind of this stereotype associated with being yellow where you, umm...h-have a dirty mind. Like, a really dirty mind." She blushed furiously.
Apple Bloom groaned. "Oh, is THAT whut it is?" She shook her head and sighed. "Taps is actin' all stupid jes' cuz Ah got mah mind in th' gutter? Ah thought it was somethin' serious!" She stood up and stretched. "Thanks, Fluttershy. That was buggin' me somethin' fierce."
"Oh, umm...you're welcome," Fluttershy said. "Was...was that all?"
"Yep, that's all, bye!" Apple Bloom waved. Applejack frowned, disconnected the call, and stood up.
"Now you jes' wait a dang second!" she yelled. "What's this about you havin' yer mind in th' gutter?"
"EEP!" Apple Bloom took off like a shot, her sister chasing her all over the house.
* * * * *
Flash winced at the comments on Applejack's MyStable post. "Ouch." He sighed and went back to changing his A-string. "Hey, uhh...Sunset? I'm not...I'm not boring, am I?"
Sunset, who was tuning her guitar across from him, blinked. "W-well...not really?" She shook her head. "I mean, umm..." She coughed. "You play guitar, you're a good guy, you help people out all the time, you've got a cool car..."
"Yeah yeah, but..." Flash sighed. "It just seems sometimes like I'm just in the background, like...like I don't stand out or anything." He scratched at his arm, frowning. "I just..." He winced. "Do people just see me as a boring peachy?"
Sunset groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I swear to Celestia, I will never understand chromism." She shook her head. "These chromist stereotypes are just so stupid..."
"W-well, yeah, but..." Flash took a moment to tighten his strings. "You gotta admit, they're not totally...I mean..." He frowned. "Look at Rainbow Dash and Trixie. I mean, they're both blue, and they're super showoffs. Y'know, like people say about blues."
Sunset groaned. "Sugarcoat from Crystal Prep is blue and she isn't a super showoff."
"Yeah, but their Lemon Zest is kind of a crazy party girl, and, well..."
Sunset winced. "Okay, you know? I'm not even gonna argue about the pinkist stereotypes, because..." She deflated. "I honestly can't. I mean, every pink girl I know is kind of a party animal. I mean, not the super slut stereotype party animal, but..." She frowned. "Wow, I'm trying to say chromism is stupid, and here I am proving it's..." She bit her lip. "Gah."
"See what I mean?" Flash exclaimed. "I hate these chromist stereotypes, but...but they kinda stick sometimes. I mean, I'm a peachy and I feel like I'm...pretty dull and bland. I look at Rainbow Dash and I see all the blue stereotypes." He shook his head. "I don't know what to think."
"I know what to think," Sunset said. "You shouldn't expect a person to act a certain way just because their skin is a certain color. You have to understand everybody for who they are, regardless of what they look like, and accept them for their own uniqueness." She blinked, then chuckled. "Wow. That got preachy."
"A little, yeah," Flash said. "But you're right." He sighed. "I'm just being stupid about this. I guess...because lately I just feel like I don't matter."
Sunset walked over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You do matter, Flash," she said. "And you're not boring! Not you, not the Apples! Don't let anybody convince you otherwise, got it?"
Flash smiled. "Yeah. Thanks."
The door to the music room opened, and Fluttershy peeked in. "Sunset? I wanted to—oh." Her eyes widened. "Oh my. I'm sorry. Um. I'll go now." She started to close the door, then paused. "Do you two, umm...need any protection? Or lotion? Or...or anything? Are you good? Are you—"
"FLUTTERSHY!" Sunset yelled, face flaming. "We're just working on our guitars, not—GAH!"
"Eep! S-sorry!" Fluttershy closed the door quickly, her face flaming.
Sunset and Flash sat awkwardly for a long moment, refusing to look at each other.
Flash coughed pointedly. "So uhh...do I even need to point out—"
Sunset groaned and facepalmed. "Don't," she said. "Just...don't."
A loud shout drew their attention to the window. Pinkie Pie ran by outside, completely naked.
Pinkie being a (occasionally) in control party animal, yes. This is getting fun.
OK...
Huh, interesting.
No, a bit dull perhaps, but I'd rather that than you be a massive ass.
As far as you know. You've had fairly little interaction with her and know (as far as I know) little to nothing about her day to day beyond what you could logically extrapolate from what you DO know of her.
A bit. But, there's worse things to be than a bit preachy.
Aww, I'm a self admitted sucker for these small things.
Dammit Pinkie!
Works for me.
...I have no idea what I just read, but it was fun.
naked eg pinkie is funny
Couldn't agree more. Shadilay!
Oh...my...God...that was glorious.
Chromium, so that's what they got. I wonder just what they say about white skinned people in that universe?
Racism is bad enough in the real world, but when your skin can be any color of the rainbow and more like it is in this universe then it gets ridiculous.
I loved this.
I guess Pinkie is trying to replicate Sunset's Naked Mile.
I guess this is relevant
Coming up with your own skin color stereotypes for the skittle humans. Clever.
This satire comes to mind
*video removed*
EDIT:
I just realized someone two comments above beat me to the punch.
Why did you end the chapter when naked Pinkie showed up? That's not the sort of thing you should ever cut off!
This was cute. Though I'm forced to wonder what Tender's problem was. Damn oranges...
8483974
For me, this is what came to mind:
Wise words here. I was feed a lot of stereotype growing up and didn't have to wait long to see there are a load of bull, but are still fine to use as jokes.
Though I did encounter some people with a stereotype, a bad one as of it, and there are actually sticking to it, just without a care of hoe much of a disservice they are doing to themselves.
Dam it Pinkie.
"We are havin' a long talk about why you know that an' I don't."
"And I'll never understand why you swear by the principal."
"Because her pony counterpart raises the sun!"
"It's like you think that will make sense if you say it enough times."
"THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR THIIIIIS!"
In any case, fascinating bit of world building. You'd think that a full rainbow of skin tones would preclude stereotyping, but that clearly underestimates the human mind's talent in finding patterns where there are none.
(Besides, everyone knows blue people are thoughtful and contemplative. It's the red ones who can't help but show off. And occasionally blow themselves up. )
I think if I encountered something like this, I'd laugh. "Oh yeah, that stereotype totally applies to me."
Damn it! I already liked and favorited
There are people who break the molds. Indigo Zapp is a peachy, but has a blue personality.
Also, I wouldn't call Sugarcoat blue; she's more grey to me. Sunny Flare is blue, but we know next to nothing about her.
This was an interesting chapter, and I'd like to see more of this topic discussing other chromist stereotypes.
Before I read this, I must know: What is the sex tag for?
GODDAMMIT PINKIE.
Poor Flash. DOES he matter anymore? Did he ever?
8484179
Conversations about adult topics, innuendo and implication galore but nothing explicit.
Hahahaha, ooooh, that was good... really good, good show!
I want to know what people say about other colors. Are all grays emotionless? Are all whites vain?
8484179
The same thing it's for in any Teen rated Equestria Girls story.
8484020
That would be in this story's M-rated partner.
8484317
Well that stereotype doesn't really fit, yes Maud comes off emotionless but Limestone is Grey and always angry. Not that such stereotypes wouldn't exist despite the EQG universe seeming to have ethnicity and skin color full separate. Sunset knows 5 pink girls (admittedly 2 of said girls she knows only as ponies) and only 2 are party types, she wouldn't say the stereotype fit most pinks she knew because the opposite is a true.
Thank you for writing this. With all the racist nonsense on both sides, the world could use some enlightenment.
And laughter. Lots of laughter.
Really? I thought Sugarcoat was a light purple? Must be different perspective...
Other than that, great take on the multiple color skin tones of this chapter!
Well, I suppose this answers the question of how racism is handled in this world.
I went to give you an upvote, and was confused for a moment when I saw I'd already done that.
8484669
Would you believe this is an outgrowth of a running joke from another story? In Persona EG there's a running joke about pink women being oversexed...
The problem with the world is that everything is called offensive. Some people mock the stereotype, some embrace it, and some go batshit crazy when they are stereotyped. As long as you stereotype me correctly, I don't care.
Oh, right, I was reading fan fiction. Just as random as I have come to expect from this story. Glad to see you're back into a semi-rythem.
8484733
True, true.
If that was your intention you probably shouldn't have made your punchlines "but turns out the stereotype is correct".
The thing is that, if Pinkie Pie or Lemon Zest ran by naked, I wouldn't be surprised because of the characters' personality.
FWIW, I wouldn't be surprised if the writers do have stereotyped coat colour personality characteristics because of some subconscious association of colour to personality. However that's meta. In-universe, I wonder if it's a kind of cultural stereotype conformism. People with certain skin colours are expected to act certain ways and so you subconsciously find yourself doing that because, frankly, it's easier to fit in that way.
FWIW, Sunset is more like a mix of Twilight and Rainbow than anything else; I really don't think that she fits into the 'boring' stereotype of her skin colour. Of course, you could shrug that off because she's an alien.
8485119 Isn't she orange?
Juniper Montage is a Peachy and she wasn't boring. I wonder if the stereotype for Purple folk is that they're all super smart?
8484317
Are you really trying to come up with a skin color emotional spectrum?
...
Wonder what brown would be...
When they said 'yellah', I was so sure they meant cowardly. Like how people in the Wild West referred to people as yellow-bellied xD
Aww, sweet Flash and Sunset moment. They don't come often :3
...Okay, you got me curious. What is the Chromistic stereotype for whites like Rarity or Reds like Mac...
8485563
Well EG Mac is a peachy. As for whites...generally prone to drama?
8485571
Fantastically creative but monomaniac to the point of socially dysfunctional - Fits both Rarity and Vinyl.
8485997
And their cooches taste like marshmallow!
8483925
Most likely that they're prissy, stuck-up elitists. I.e. Rarity, Blueblood, etc.
What about Cherilee?
One side of the fence - yes, stereotypes are bad. The other side of the fence - the stereotypes exist for a reason. It's a vicious circle.
Still, this was a pretty clever play on that, good job!
8488305
Remember her younger days? 80s cheerilee?