Probably the best part of this story is not knowing what's going to happen next just a unicorn balancing on the line of good and evil walking without direction
8122533 ...eh, maybe I'm reading more into it, but the way you described this particular locale, especially the focus you put on the Brickworks Orphanarium at the beginning, felt reminiscent of the Chase's Isles arc. Which meant I was already half-watching for a Loch, Ripple, or Thistle when the filly was introduced. And she had at least enough presence to stick in Dim's mind well enough to be remembered later. With the growth path you seem to be laying out for our dark friend, a forced relationship somewhere between parenthood, siblings, and master/apprentice (Sort of a dark version of Twilight and Spike's relationship with a bit of Bucky and Sunset thrown in) would be something I can easily see you using to push him along, reluctant though he might be (Especially given how uncomfortable anything resembling familial relationships are sure to make Dim). Also, given Dim's tendency toward protectiveness, and what I know about conditions girls in her apparent situation would have been operating under in the time and place this seems to be paralleling... So yeah, probably jumping to conclusions, but I'm fully expecting Dim to leave this town with a tagalong foal he doesn't really want but can't quite bring himself to get rid of, and so far she's the only candidate we've seen.
... that song feels incredibly biased. I'd like to see an English dog spend hours in my mid-day sun. The English sun is a nice little warmth to add to the cool day's, in most the countries they listed it blasts down on you.
ANYHOW! Got the shakesphere reference, clever one. And damn, fuck yeah i would make money off of getting out of bed, screw you sher- uhh, Fetlock, what did people ever do to deserve my kindness for free!?!
At one point, the English territories covered most of the world, the sun did not set on the British Empire. Some of these places were HOT.
There is a social context at work here that only a student of history can appreciate. When the English encountered other cultures, other peoples, and those people took naps in the middle of the day, the English called them lazy, worthless, and awful. The English worked their slaves to death in the blistering sun, not caring one wit that the current clime was not Jolly Olde England. The African and Indian colonies were particularly brutal, and failure to do a day's work meant getting flogged, or worse.
It was easy for an Englishman to be out in the midday sun, on safari, or doing whatever, because they didn't have to do anything or expend any effort. Slaves did all of the heavy lifting and hard work. Meanwhile, the English didn't understand why the big deal was, or why people kept passing out.
Yeah. We tribals still live in an occupied nation. The thieves still roam the land. This is why I feel no guilt, no shame when I go crop dusting or farting on elevators. My civil disobedience is justified!
The point is my friend. That I like this, if for anything, actually portraying how messed up plenty of the practices of actual Old-School aristocracy was. And While Dim is a fascinating character, he is a terrible person/pony, and would probably back hand him if I knew him in person. I can't wait to see what happens next.
On second thought, you deserve an explanation. The reason why I mentioned one of the characters I created is because he is practically the mirror opposite of Dim once I compare the two. Though Folklore has been around longer. As Folklore is an unicorn version of a early 20th century, African front WWI veteran from a middle class background, whose father used to be an 19th century factory worker, and his mother was a Earth-Pony Spiritual Medium that used to do live shows in a travelling Circus. (And she was the real medium too, not an impostor.) And while he is a bit of an intellectual elitist, he is an Individualist. He also has plenty of existentialist beliefs, and a complete disrespect for the Royal Guard and Canterlot.
He is also Irish. Or to be precise, the Unicorns from Manehattan and the northern East Coast of Equestria are from Celtic (Irish) decent. His grandparents by his fathers side came to Manehattan escaping from a Strigoi (Vampire) plague that ravaged the Old-World (Europe) for about three years. That did only as much damage as the real world Spanish-Flu Epidemic.
Basically, he is a Film Noir Detective with a wealth of occult knowledge, and often treats aristocrats as the butt of a pretty damn sick joke.
Folklore should get to know the aristocracy of the Weedverse before casting judgment.
Dim and his family are a pretty poor example of what they truly represent. Most of them actually do live up to the ideals that Dim wishes he could adhere to.
The rotten nobles are the exception, not the rule.
Oh Christ, you are going to kill Sherlock Holmes. HA! I mean that Dim should really be careful Sherlock "Celestiadammed" Holmes, already figured that he is living in hiding, and using a metaphorical "vizard" to hide. Not to mention that he has him pegged as an object of interest.
But I take it you will kill Sherlock Holmes. Which makes me sad, and at the same time giddy as a squealing fan-girl for that cameo alone.
8122742 More likely they knew and didn't care, when a human life becomes an asset rather than a life the top teir of society will quite cheerfully hoy those of lower status to their death.
do not be so quick to judge dim, for remember what you said about the necromancer? That turned out to be true! Granted he was honestly more of a dabbler, than a true necromancer, but still! You should never 100% discount what those beneath your station say, as sometimes there are great truths to be found, and sometimes things are EXACTLY what the seem!
Something's been bothering me for the last few chapters. . . then I figured it out. This story, after the first two posts, reminds me of another story I read in a different genre. A lower noble elf is trying to be a "bad" guy, but every time he does something shady or evil, it turns out great! A young noble like himself gets bitten by a venemous snake and is suffering terribly in the hospital, our villain abuses his rank and goes into the hospital room and releases a swarm of angry bees to torment the fellow even further. Turns out the bee's venom is an anti-venom for that particular snake's venom and nobody knew -- he's hailed as a hero by the family for saving their precious son. He sells a "treasure" map that he copied from an old scroll and randomly marked with an "X" to some treasure hunters. Two of the group return and want to know if he knows of any other maps because that last one exceeded their expectations, allowing several of the group's members to retire. A child, hearing one of his fake stories about ruins in a nearby dangerous forest, goes into the forest. Our villain hero hears the family begging the village Chief to rescue the child, laughs at their hopeless situation. Then he discovers the brat "borrowed" his favorite knife, so he heads out to collect the knife from the child's no doubt dead body. He catches up just as a vicious creature is about to attack the child it has been tracking. The creature sees him and attacks him because he is closer and coming from behind spooks it. He's hailed as hero for selflessly going to rescue the child. And so forth. It is, naturally, played for humour.
You story, of course, is different, but the "mistaken for good while doing evil" is funny.
This city was crowded and modern, but didn’t quite have the distinction of being a city-state like Liverypool or Trottingham. Abbeyford-upon-Avon was built upon the bend of a river and located near a natural clay deposit, a valuable resource. The largest building in town was the Brickworks Orphanarium, which was both a brickworks and an orphanarium all in one colossal super-structure.
The cynic in me sees something exploitative going on.
that would have been hilarious
8122067
What, exactly?
This sentence lacks context.
the team up would have been a very interesting go about things. Perhaps in a lighter toned story
8122087
Sherlock, er, Fetlock, he's a coke addict.
And uh, Doctor Washboard is an opium addict.
Would have been good times out on the moors, hunting the hound of the Baskervilles.
Probably the best part of this story is not knowing what's going to happen next just a unicorn balancing on the line of good and evil walking without direction
Like, I like how dark this story is. It's quite refreshing..
And also, I like Dim. And how he's toeing (hoofing) the line of morality. He's a very interesting character, and perhaps one of my favourite so far.
This story... It's different in a pleasing way.
Kudz? Won't you please give more? Won't you? Won't you?
Would be funny if they find out they're tailing Shedo in the moors. Classic case of mistaken identity.
...Why do I have the unshakeable feeling that the prostitute at the beginning is going to wind up being Dim's Piper?
8122523
Why on earth would Dim have anything to do with a disease-ridden twelve year old that has consumption?
Hound of the Breakervilles!
pre00.deviantart.net/9590/th/pre/f/2013/016/c/0/_non_canon__survivor_shy___staying_hidden_by_mattatatta-d4ykqhr.png
Unintentional reference to Skyrim character?
8122533 ...eh, maybe I'm reading more into it, but the way you described this particular locale, especially the focus you put on the Brickworks Orphanarium at the beginning, felt reminiscent of the Chase's Isles arc. Which meant I was already half-watching for a Loch, Ripple, or Thistle when the filly was introduced. And she had at least enough presence to stick in Dim's mind well enough to be remembered later.
With the growth path you seem to be laying out for our dark friend, a forced relationship somewhere between parenthood, siblings, and master/apprentice (Sort of a dark version of Twilight and Spike's relationship with a bit of Bucky and Sunset thrown in) would be something I can easily see you using to push him along, reluctant though he might be (Especially given how uncomfortable anything resembling familial relationships are sure to make Dim). Also, given Dim's tendency toward protectiveness, and what I know about conditions girls in her apparent situation would have been operating under in the time and place this seems to be paralleling...
So yeah, probably jumping to conclusions, but I'm fully expecting Dim to leave this town with a tagalong foal he doesn't really want but can't quite bring himself to get rid of, and so far she's the only candidate we've seen.
8122635
Or you know, a Shakespearian reference, or a callback to Mutiny On the Bounty.
8122636
Dim is going to kill a filly in this arc.
It was a spoiler! You control what you see.
8122642 I'd say Shakespeare was a reference to all of the above anyway.
... that song feels incredibly biased. I'd like to see an English dog spend hours in my mid-day sun. The English sun is a nice little warmth to add to the cool day's, in most the countries they listed it blasts down on you.
ANYHOW! Got the shakesphere reference, clever one. And damn, fuck yeah i would make money off of getting out of bed, screw you sher- uhh, Fetlock, what did people ever do to deserve my kindness for free!?!
8122725
At one point, the English territories covered most of the world, the sun did not set on the British Empire. Some of these places were HOT.
There is a social context at work here that only a student of history can appreciate. When the English encountered other cultures, other peoples, and those people took naps in the middle of the day, the English called them lazy, worthless, and awful. The English worked their slaves to death in the blistering sun, not caring one wit that the current clime was not Jolly Olde England. The African and Indian colonies were particularly brutal, and failure to do a day's work meant getting flogged, or worse.
It was easy for an Englishman to be out in the midday sun, on safari, or doing whatever, because they didn't have to do anything or expend any effort. Slaves did all of the heavy lifting and hard work. Meanwhile, the English didn't understand why the big deal was, or why people kept passing out.
8122742 ah imperialism, never fails to make Europe (and Japan) look like shitty people.
8122749
Hate to say it, but the US isn't immune from it either.
8122984 true. Philipeans, Vigin Islands, Latin America(that's the one that is the worst on our end), for a short time Japan.
8123096
Uh, how about the continental US, and what happened to the Native Americans?
8123130
Yeah. We tribals still live in an occupied nation. The thieves still roam the land. This is why I feel no guilt, no shame when I go crop dusting or farting on elevators. My civil disobedience is justified!
8123130 that's not imperialism. That's just purging natives.
8122742 the sun is still not setting on the british empire ^^;;
https://what-if.xkcd.com/48/
8124124
Folklore?
8124130 Sorry. Ignore that last sentence.
The point is my friend. That I like this, if for anything, actually portraying how messed up plenty of the practices of actual Old-School aristocracy was. And While Dim is a fascinating character, he is a terrible person/pony, and would probably back hand him if I knew him in person. I can't wait to see what happens next.
On second thought, you deserve an explanation. The reason why I mentioned one of the characters I created is because he is practically the mirror opposite of Dim once I compare the two. Though Folklore has been around longer. As Folklore is an unicorn version of a early 20th century, African front WWI veteran from a middle class background, whose father used to be an 19th century factory worker, and his mother was a Earth-Pony Spiritual Medium that used to do live shows in a travelling Circus. (And she was the real medium too, not an impostor.) And while he is a bit of an intellectual elitist, he is an Individualist. He also has plenty of existentialist beliefs, and a complete disrespect for the Royal Guard and Canterlot.
He is also Irish. Or to be precise, the Unicorns from Manehattan and the northern East Coast of Equestria are from Celtic (Irish) decent. His grandparents by his fathers side came to Manehattan escaping from a Strigoi (Vampire) plague that ravaged the Old-World (Europe) for about three years. That did only as much damage as the real world Spanish-Flu Epidemic.
Basically, he is a Film Noir Detective with a wealth of occult knowledge, and often treats aristocrats as the butt of a pretty damn sick joke.
8124203
Folklore should get to know the aristocracy of the Weedverse before casting judgment.
Dim and his family are a pretty poor example of what they truly represent. Most of them actually do live up to the ideals that Dim wishes he could adhere to.
The rotten nobles are the exception, not the rule.
Oh Christ, you are going to kill Sherlock Holmes. HA! I mean that Dim should really be careful Sherlock "Celestiadammed" Holmes, already figured that he is living in hiding, and using a metaphorical "vizard" to hide. Not to mention that he has him pegged as an object of interest.
But I take it you will kill Sherlock Holmes. Which makes me sad, and at the same time giddy as a squealing fan-girl for that cameo alone.
8122742 More likely they knew and didn't care, when a human life becomes an asset rather than a life the top teir of society will quite cheerfully hoy those of lower status to their death.
"Please, sir, can I have some more?"
Fitting the Dickensian nature of this setting ...
I'm starting to fully grasp why Beans & Toast got out while they could. And to think, Windia is likely worse off.
Also, this chapter may have contained the most literal grit in the Grittish Isles so far.
do not be so quick to judge dim, for remember what you said about the necromancer? That turned out to be true! Granted he was honestly more of a dabbler, than a true necromancer, but still! You should never 100% discount what those beneath your station say, as sometimes there are great truths to be found, and sometimes things are EXACTLY what the seem!
Something's been bothering me for the last few chapters. . . then I figured it out. This story, after the first two posts, reminds me of another story I read in a different genre. A lower noble elf is trying to be a "bad" guy, but every time he does something shady or evil, it turns out great! A young noble like himself gets bitten by a venemous snake and is suffering terribly in the hospital, our villain abuses his rank and goes into the hospital room and releases a swarm of angry bees to torment the fellow even further. Turns out the bee's venom is an anti-venom for that particular snake's venom and nobody knew -- he's hailed as a hero by the family for saving their precious son. He sells a "treasure" map that he copied from an old scroll and randomly marked with an "X" to some treasure hunters. Two of the group return and want to know if he knows of any other maps because that last one exceeded their expectations, allowing several of the group's members to retire. A child, hearing one of his fake stories about ruins in a nearby dangerous forest, goes into the forest. Our villain hero hears the family begging the village Chief to rescue the child, laughs at their hopeless situation. Then he discovers the brat "borrowed" his favorite knife, so he heads out to collect the knife from the child's no doubt dead body. He catches up just as a vicious creature is about to attack the child it has been tracking. The creature sees him and attacks him because he is closer and coming from behind spooks it. He's hailed as hero for selflessly going to rescue the child. And so forth. It is, naturally, played for humour.
You story, of course, is different, but the "mistaken for good while doing evil" is funny.
The cynic in me sees something exploitative going on.