Every year, snow or shine, Burnt Oak climbs the same hill at the same time of winter to light a campfire. Sometimes, he sings; sometimes, he talks to the breeze; always, he remembers the friend no longer at his side. And it's a nice, peaceful time of remembrance, one which the ponies around him know better than to interrupt.
Except, one winter, for an unexpected arrival - and for almost anypony else, Burnt Oak wouldn't have given them the time of day.
But he couldn't refuse his friend's daughter, could he?
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A story written for Jinglemas, as my (first) gift to the lovely Akataja. They didn't get a story last year, and I figured that it was on my shoulders to try and make things right again.
Chapters (1)
I really like this story, it is somehow romantic on a very plathonic level?
It is nice that this old stallion gets some love :)
A beautiful story. The emotions feel very real, in a way that can be hard to reproduce in prose.
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One of my goals in the future is to write a story in which a character's feelings for another are "platonically romantic:" a friendship (or something considered a friendship) felt at least as intensely as one would feel about a romantic partner vis-a-vis prominence in one's thoughts, consideration of their values, desire to be around them and know as much about them as possible, etc. Possibly unrequited, of course, but figuring out how to accurately portray that mindset interests me. Granted, i'm saying "in the future" because I don't feel I'm skilled enough to pull it off, but I tried to at least dabble in it here.
9375556 I'm super flattered! Thanks, dude.
And then they fought tree monsters together.
In all seriousness, a wonderful, quiet moment that provides a wonderful contrast the intense, faintly ridiculous action of your other Jinglemas entry. Burnt Oak's memory-blurred perspective makes for quite the read. Thank you for this.
Damn, that was good.
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