After an attempt to restore some of the memories lost to the Memory Stone succeeds, Sunset finds herself caring for a horribly traumatized and emotionally unstable Wallflower Blush.
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Ooooooh my heart, it twists.
First, I must say, the "being unneeded" segment was a very special ouch. Wait wait, is she also slowly building up to absolutely ghosting the squad oh no. Second and much more importantly, massive credit to Sunset, being a good person in the face of a complete surprise, but oooooooooh the situation may have gotten more complicated and I feel like it can somehow go awry and I wasn't ready for this kind of emotional conflict aaaaaaaaaah!
Goodness. My heart's like oh wow they're precious and this is adorable but then my brain (and the story!) grabs me and shakes me and reminds me how fraught this situation still is. We don't really know Wallflower's thoughts here, where she's coming from; she could really be moving past the trauma and reclaiming her sexuality for herself, but with all that's happened it's hard not to be skeptical. Whatever the case, it's definitely something both of them are going to have to deal with and figure out, and Sunset's in a really tough position here. Ack.
Oof. I knew they were kindred spirits, but I didn't see that kiss coming.
Oh Light and Darkness. Sunset's drifting away from her friends because she's convinced they don't need her, and Wallflower, dear child, acted upon her belief that she needed to pay Sunset back with her body. I'm proud of Sunset for recognizing that at this time, it isn't what Wallflower needs, without pushing her away completely.
Ohhh boy.
It seems like Wallflower is developing a really unhealthy dependence on Sunset (though, admittedly, it's a heck of a lot healthier than what she was doing before). Good on Sunset for putting a stop to the romance, that's something they (especially Wallflower) definitely need to talk through before jumping in.
I also can't help wondering if Sunset's going to start feeling smothered, or if based on that idea that the others are fine without her, if she'll go the other way and get into a whole mess of codependence with Wallflower.
There's just... so many ways this could go badly. Don't you hurt me, Scampy
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Is this your first time reading a Scampy fic? =P
Uh oh. We're drifting towards "Not Safe For C2" territory
Freaking adorable. This is gonna stur up some tension though.
I detect a pattern.
Sunset strikes me as the kind of
personpony to employ reusable bags.Sunny should buy a tube for Wally to go hiding in.
Yup. It's that kind of a friendship.
At least she's become relaxed enough to be cheeky.
JUST FRIENDS
Not exactly the smoothest way to initiate.
Alright. Wasn't expecting this on Sunset's part, but I suppose it makes sense. Probably won't last for long though.
You can't have
nicetotally inappropriate things.Oh noice. Cuz Sunset's magical BS, she can remember for Wallflower and make the right decision. Not to say that anyone else in her place not gifted with telepathy could likewise make the right decision, but it's a visceral way of explaining Sunset's choice to the audience.
And the back and forth.
I really can't imagine that she would have gone to sleep anytime soon.
At the end of the day...
...I really hope Sunset gets to commune once more with her friends.
Well, back to reading few the accumulating updates of this. Boy, there's really no "right" chapter to dive back in again, is there?
Also, there's a non-con tag now if you want to add it.
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Ok spoilers for other people. Cool? Cool.
The reason I haven't included that tag is for the sake of not revealing what the story is about ahead of time. That might seem counter-intuitive at first--tags exist for that purpose, after all--but with this it's a special case, or at least I think so.
I started writing this because I read that Mr. Numbers blog a while back and the comments freaked me the fuck out, and afterwards I started to notice how fucked up this site was regarding treating women as worthwhile living beings. I was sick to fucking death of all the vile non-con fetish garbage on this site. I wanted to write something that shows sexual assault as the bleak, life-shattering trauma that truly it is, but were I to include that tag, a not-insignificant part of me is terrified that some sicko fetishist will stumble upon my story and fawn over it like it's porn.
On a more shallow level, I'm a conceited bitch who constantly overestimates herself, and my hope with this story is to create a sort of meta-microcosm of Wallflower's experience. Wallflower had no idea that she was going to be assaulted when she walked into her apartment that night. It happened without warning and was over just as fast, and I want the reader to feel as confused and caught off guard and suddenly terrified as Wallflower did. I want them to feel as shocked and disgusted and distraught as Wallflower did. I want them to wish they could go back and let their past self know what they're about to see, but be forced to reconcile with what just happened regardless. Do I think the story is accomplishing any of these goals? Heck if I know.
Now, for the obvious sake of content warnings, the chapter itself contains a REALLY BIG AND BOLDED author's note right at the top, clearly stating that the chapter contains a graphic depiction of sexual assault. As for what comes before that warning, I pored over Chapter I for a long time making sure it was safe for a more general audience, and so far as I can tell, it is. Granted I used my own sensibilities as a basis for what was and wasn't okay, but I'm a fragile little child all things considered, so I think it should be fine.
I hope this is a good enough compromise, or at least that I've explained my thinking. This story is extremely important to me, and the last thing I want to do is unintentionally trigger someone.
So here we have the first significant time skip and it seems like a lot's calmed down in those few weeks. The balance of your narrative seems to have shifted towards Sunset’s uncertainties rather than Wallflower’s experience, and the new perspective definitely keeps things fresh.
Talking of, Sunset’s fear of feeling unneeded doesn’t half hurt. And once again, that little note on giving Wallflower a knife reminds us that these thoughts – for both the sufferer and the supporter – don’t just disappear when things start being okay.
Your direction for this chapter’s climax skirts dangerously close to the exact kind of sappy romance novel that Wallflower mocks, before…
Ruddy hell, you drag us right back into that world of hurt.
Onward-looking, it’s easy to see a lesser author take this in a “Wallflower fortnite default dances the trauma away” direction. Fortunately, you’ve done traumatic topics enough justice throughout, well, pretty much all of your works that I’m looking forward to where this is heading.
Sunny, no. You can't isolate yourself. I know Sunset is an incredibly strong person, but everyone has needs and a breaking point. She knows this all too much about Wally, but doesn't see it in herself. And that's going to come to a head very soon, especially after the rest of this chapter...
Sunset thinks she's doing her a favor here, but Wally shouldn't be isolated either.
Oooh, man. Sunset is falling into a codependent dynamic here, which is affected by her own side of the memory stone as much as it is Wally's. And she doesn't even realize it. Very realistic, and ties in nicely with the show canon. Keep digging that knife in, why don't ya?
I'm in this excerpt and I don't like it.
Alright, I couldn't think of anything to specifically address for the rest of this chapter because it all just flows together so well. I would have to pretty much quote everything from the kiss on. Everything Sunset wrestles with has its own, acknowledged counterpoint. I found myself arguing with her in one paragraph, only to realize it was addressed in the next. You really covered your bases regarding how complicated this situation is.
I continue to be surprised at how deep these chapters are in such a tight wordcount. I struggle to publish anything, chapter or story, that is below 3K words. This is a skill I'm envious of.
Now for more feelings.
EDIT: Deleted comment was on the wrong chapter.
Oof, oh no oh no. It’s starting.
Oh no.
Dang, Sunset. Way to call me out like this.
Again, I choose to take this as a nice moment, divorced from its context and anything that could possibly be building up in the background. It is good to be in a place that feels like home! That is a very nice thing, and I am glad for Sunset. :)
Ah, the finger-lacing, always coming up now and again.
Oh no.
Whew whew whew.
Such a fine line to walk. I love her thoroughness in thinking things through here.
Sunset, you are so good.
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This is pretty much exactly 100% why I figured you didn't include the tag on the story, particularly the part about the other stories you would be sharing that tag with, and I agree with and support you 200%. It is unpleasant to sit and really think about some of the kinds of content on this site, and what it reflects of the species we live in. It's something I kinda have to deliberately ignore sometimes to keep feeling okay with being here.
All I can say is thank you so much for writing this story, and casting a beautiful arrow into the heart of the beast. I hope that maybe some readers have learned or realized something through it, but in any case as a work of art this is something that definitely worked on and moved me, and taught me a bit about writing as well. (Just in case your ego needed any more swelling.)