The Artiztrotzian border is well known for being difficult. People have called it glacial, asinine, and draconian, but to me it’s my job. I inspect paperwork, verify documents, and keep records of all visitors. The line is long and the process is slow, as we're understaffed and I only get paid if I don’t mess up.
For the longest time, my only interaction with ponies was to watch their ears droop and faces fall as I pointed them back out the exit. We don’t accept livestock, or didn’t. Today I got new orders, and suddenly everyone crossing the border must bring a pony or be turned away.
The sudden flip is perplexing, but it's not my job to question orders, only to follow them.
Welcome to Artiztrotzia, and show me your pony, please.
***
Loosely based on Papers, Please.
I will most certainly be checking this out later. The premise amuses me.
It’s uhhhh.......a unique story?...
Interestingly enough, I'm actually against the ponies here. The guy was just trying to do his job and Celestia destroyed his country outright. She clearly doesn’t care about their history in the slightest. Doesn't matter if the country was oppressive, historical sites and documents are still important. She's also mind controlling humans "for their own good."
All that said, I did enjoy the story.
A Papers, Please story? i never thought i would see one of these as the game can be sort of bland, but this looks interesting.
It's unique enough I would say... but it's more unsettling than it is funny in my opinion , since the ending was quite dark if you think about it.
And since it's foreshadowed , the story took a foreboding tone around the middle for me , preventing me from finding any comedy in it
TRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOLLLLLESTIA
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Considering the example given for at least one of the lawmakers, and this not being seen as particularly remarkable, replacing them all with anything, let alone an actually competent politician, would be an improvement.
As for historical sites and documents... such things do tend to suffer a certain degree of damage when new regimes take over, and their visible and public destruction tend to cut down on the number of "absolutely genuine 100% real" versions which turn up later to be sold to collectors and rebel groups. I do have to wonder, though, if the particular items which were destroyed were, in fact, the originals... or if the originals found their way to Equestrian museums or artifact storage.
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You might be surprised...
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Honestly, the part that bothers me the most is that they effectively used mind control to take over. I don't care what the goals or end results are. Any plan that robs people of their free will is a bad plan.
Wow...
Ok I loved every moment of this.
Probably the best part:
“Did you bring a pony?”
“Uh...” She blinked, then put on a huge grin. “That would be me.”
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Doesn't sound like there's much difference for the general citizenry, in that case.
Oh, one small thing to mention.
“Watt?” He replied in broken English, and his eyes widened and darted around.
Would that be Artiztrotzian rather than English?
Was kind of hoping he was going to confront Celestia and demand recompense for stealing office supplies.
For anyone interested, I posted a reading of this fic on YouTube.
The story was quite good, then he let Celestia in, and then it improved back to an it's alright", then Luna passed, then it was... acceptable, then Celestia took over and my "acceptable" turned immediately to "oh, brainwashing, Celestia taking over the world? Conversion bureau" and so in an ironic twist, the approval stamps LOST my approval.
Uncanny als hell.
Good writing, though, and I actually enjoyed it like that.
An amusing little tale.
Also horribly disturbing, but that’s comedy for you.
All in all, I give it a 7. The ‘Equestria takes over’ part was done well, but it’s not something I care for in the first place.