This story is a sequel to Shining Armor Follows His Muse
Shining Armor is a very happy stallion. Why shouldn't he be happy? He has a good job, good friends, and just a good life overall. Sure, it would be nice if Cadance saw him as more than just a friend, but that's a pipe dream. At least things are going well with his RPG group—especially now that they've been joined by a lovely fey mare named Musette.
Even better, Musette and Cadance are on the road to becoming best friends with each other. And really, why wouldn't they get along? It's not like either one of them could ever be interested in Shining, or would have any reason to not like each other.
Yup, everything is going to be just fine.
Chapters (2)
Shining you dense idiot.
Fun story, but it doesn't really feel complete. Had to double-check that it was tagged that way.
A jealous fae is a very, very dangerous companion. Even an alicorn like Cadence should guard herself against her.
Poor Shining. It's a known illness to be sarcasm blind. He should seek support for it. No sarcasm blind person/pony can survive in the cutthroat world of feminine conversation.
You know what Sabaton is! That is the best thing ever! The story was really funny and great. Interested to see more of this part of Shining's life. Can't wait to see if Cadence was right about being weary of Musette. Edit: Just realized something. Flying Pommel. Let me guess: she "ends her enemies rightly" doesn't she? ;)
Shining nickname should be osmium.
Musette and cadence conversation was priceless
Shining, you dolt.
Shining Armor, Captain of Dopes.
Loving it! With a head that thick, does he even need a helmet?
I loved the roasts bewteen the girls.
Just delightful.
Please add more to this. Maybe a bonus chapter?
8247406
Shining and Rainbow Dash could have a contest to see which one of them is the most dense in this universe.
8247424
Derp, forgot I was posting the second chapter tomorrow and marked it complete a day early...
So this is a multi-chapter story? Oh good, I was worried it was just one short look into Shining's kind of complicated love life. Poor Shining, I'm not sure if its better or worse that everything they said flew over his head. Ignorance is sometimes bliss.
Though last we saw her, I thought Cadance had unknowingly friendzoned Shining, which is another reason he's missing hints. Well, I'm still catching up on that last Shining Armor story. Unless a rival has actually changed Cadance's thinking.
Looking forward to more, I hope somepony gives Shining a push rather so he won't just there in the crossfire.
8247610
Well that makes more sense then!
Cadance has absolutely no right to be upset with Shining over this. I can understand her concern for a friend but she's spent the past few years either willfully rebuffing or just being ignorant of Shining's feelings, but now suddenly she's interested because she's seen him with another mare. I'm hoping that Shining and Musette have a happy relationship for a bit before he finally hooks up with Cadance in this timeline.
Shiny...
i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/facebook/001/017/422/f63.png
It is said that the irony of this statement echoes to this very day.
In any case, I suppose a talent for defense comes with an incredibly thick skull, to say nothing of that classic Sparkle social capability. Hopefully this won't turn out as bad as it could for Shining in the short term.
Those thinly veiled insults were amazing, and Shining thinking that they're well on their way to besties- priceless!
He's so special!
8247671
You're assuming that Shining Armor has perceptiveness that he very clearly lacks.
Bard bard?
Hmmm... Bard Bard?
i.ytimg.com/vi/CjQeLObqdaw/maxresdefault.jpg
*Edit*
This feels to me like a chunk of story sliced out of a larger whole, similarly toCadance's Lovely Misadventure.The parts that are here are nice, but I'm left unsatisfied.I'm quite happy to say that I was wrong. Another chapter came out and nicely wrapped up this story.
OHHHHH SICK BURN!!!!
Oh my god the cattiness. And the obliviousness. Shining's gonna be dead by the time this is over.
Hah!
I'm a little surprised this is marked complete, it feels more like the start of a story than all of one.
Oh my sides! It's SO TRUE!
Can't spell lost without LT. Oh I love the officer jokes. Only makes it better that it's SA's love life that we are talking about as well.
If I where in a cafe and I heard a couple of women talking like that to each other, I would EVAC the area ASAP. Absolutely terrifying conversation.
I want more of this. I see you plan on putting out another chapter, but unless it's 22k words, I don't think that is enough to do this justice. Is it weird that I want Musette to have a chance? Obviously he would have to end up with Cadence in the end, but her being the one too metaphorically picks him up after he falls sounds to good not to see.
Second LT. Explains so much.
Haven't read yet, but you forgot to mark what characters are in this.
8247510
I thought that sounded like Sabaton! Figured it was just someone with a similar style because I was expecting the pun in the name to be a bit more direct, but I was apparently overthinking it a bit. Definitely a great band, though -- they do push the heavier end of what I enjoy at times (I tend to stick around Sirenia, Sonata Arctica, and Edguy, or Pandora's picks base on them; and that's when I'm not listening to indie folk or the really calm stuff), but even so, I can't remember a Sabaton song I don't like. Like Musette said, they just really seem to like what they do, and it shows in their music.
More to the point, Shining Armour's obliviousness is quite enjoyable to watch (at least in small doses like this), and Cadance and Musette are amazingly creative in their insults. Looking forward to the next chapter!
8248089
Thought I fixed that...
8248211
I see Cadance and Shining Armor tags on it.
8248367 Huh, they weren't showing up elsewhere... oh well. I read the first, this is on my "read it soonest" list right now.
Holy cheeseballs. ... Shining's a friggin' clod! By the middle of that I'd have recovered and tried to start separating them and working on the damage control!
The question is, does Musette actually want Shining or is she just mildly interested in him - and only sinking her claws in now that she knows there's competition? ... Is it the same for Cadence? Time will tell!
Well this is fun. And Shining appears to be a prime example of the literal application of getting lucky. The big doofus.
8248367 Sweet!
Dude, the Sabaton song. You did a really good job rewording it, very impressive. And Rorke's Drift is one of my top ten fave songs they've made so that made it even better!
8247845
Please elaborate. I'm honestly confused as to what you mean.
8248500
"she's spent the past few years either willfully rebuffing or just being ignorant of Shining's feelings"
Your assumption is that it's her fault because she hasn't been trying to get Shining to date her or shown affection of her own.
This only makes sense if you assume Shining is perceptive enough to notice such things, which as we just saw he clearly is not.
Her immediate reaction to seeing him enter the doughnut shop was to move her stuff aside so that he could sit next to her, she got herself into a catfight with his date and she just invited him into her home for "coffee". If she's been doing that for years at this point (possible) then the fact that Shining has never noticed falls squarely on his shoulders.
8248518
I suppose that's true. However we are shown in a previous story which takes place earlier in the timeline that Cadance either doesn't have romantic feelings for Shining, or is very adept at hiding them. She constantly either ignores or shoots down Shining's (admittedly poor) advances and then the culmination of the story is her mistaking him for gay. I'm not inclined to believe that she was interested in him romantically or physically before she sees him with Musette at Joe's.
good old Shining Armor. if ya think your shit with the fairer sex, look at Shining Dipstick. you'll feel better.
I JUST FARTED OFF SOMETHING NASTY!!
Interesting that you'd make Cadence's rival a Fey, even using such things that she must tell the truth, or that has to give a gift in return if she's ever given something.
Did you perchance read the Dresden Files? 'Cause that's the only other place I've read of Fey being used like this, in modern fiction.
8249028
Read? Wrote! We're fairly certain Chengar is actually Jim Butcher
Forever!
My Little Denarians
8249051
Nah, writing styles don't match.
8249077
Well it's either him or PsychicScubaDiver.
The Dresden Fillies: Strange Friends
8248443
I'd like to think Muse is just trolling Cadance.
Oh, you poor fool, Shining...
Can't exactly get too upset at Shining Armor for being dense around mares; his whole life, he was basically a muscled nerd who never socialized with fillies, and then he joined the guard and spent time around mares who focused on running drills instead of dating.
If Shining Armor hasn't picked up on subtle clues that Cadence is laying down, then it's up to her to spell things out plainly.
That's either an extra 'bard' there, or he's helping her make a character of the bard race with the bard class. Or a multi-class character where both classes are bard.
I'm actually shocked by the coffee bit, one would think that Cadence would want to actually date Shining a little first before moving onto... well, that. Also if you're gonna make that offer to someone whom you know isn't gonna get it, don't blame them when they don't get it, blame yourself.