The Zest of Life

by Flutterpriest

The Cancellation Notes

Author's Note:

Well Hello. I didn't expect that I would be writing this today, but after being reminded that this story is not already cancelled, but rather oh Hiatus for several years -- I feel like I think it would be interesting to give in chapter form -- essentially my roadmap for what was planned for the story, rather than just drop this story from the worlds after 1337 words.

So, While I'm still in the author's note -- I'm going to talk a little about What this story was going to be and where my head was when writing it. So, I wanted to tell a music love story. In a lot a ways, it paralleled my high school experiences of meeting a few girlfriends and branching out into new music and new scenes. At the same time, I felt like I wanted to handle darker themes in a very believable and realistic way, where there are consequences for actions and more. So, there's going to be triggers happening in this "I tell the story in broad strokes" chapter.

What this chapter is, put exceptionally short, is the story beats that I'd want to tell with the story, and have with music -- as well as character details.etc.

Also, Cynewulf was 100% a force in inspring some of the music in this story because they would frequently just send me the coolest shit forever ago.

I hope they are doing well. Now. The rest of this author's note is intended for after the main course of the chapter is read - so please read the main story and come back.

fuck i want to write some house of leaves shit on fimfic now. damnit.

2 - Hello, welcome to the second part of explaining the story. Which is getting to -why i stopped-

because this story does not even remotely fit second person.

See, the character I was writing for "you" began to really resemble it's own individual persona. And while it's exceptionally fun to write stories that have decisions that are generally inoffensible and spoonfeed the reader into why/what things are happening -- the general rule of the story (we only show what is happening when music is playing in the mc's ears) Not only alienates people who dont have the general taste of the music being shared here, but also doesn't allow me to show things that could be incredibly important.

what ended up happening, is i just wanted to write these characters as humans. and not as fanfic characters. I mean, even reading this so far -- What other pony characters have I included? This is just a side character that I'm letting the reader romance. And. Well. Let's get into part two.

High school years aren't always great. And bands have drama. Hell, A part of me was seriously waiting for a band drama to happen so I could refer to it in this way that brought up the death of the author argument. So then they wouldn't see eye to eye on certain things. My general rule with setting up romance is that you front end with a little bit of disagreement, then find a LOT in common, then throw one or two things in that are major disagreements. so, lets get to those.

You - Anon -- Are a character that has a level of music knowledge that's about 2 levels deeper than the baseline level of music that would be played on a modern rock radio. Usually a bit angsty, but also has some guilty pleasure pop stuff. The strategy would be to find bands that either are popular but only share B-tracks, or, put a bunch of those B-tracks into spotify, and have it autogenerate a playlist, then share the "unheard of singles" that I hear as i write. Being new to Canterlot High, you got that whole "No friends, social anxiety to make friends" thing goin on.

Of course, you just met this Green haired, very pretty looking girl that kinda fits the "Cute Mute" stereotype. Not that she can't talk, she just doesn't really see a point. Kind of a Nihilist. Kind of a Goth. Kind of Preppy. A whole lot of mixed things that don't normally fit together.

So, isn't that an interesting pair? You -- the social outcast that doesn't really know how to fit into anything, but wants to. And the other being included in just about everything, but doesn't necessarily want to.

It's not even that the two of you share anything in common really. Except a huge love of music. The musical depth you guys share becomes, well a game. So then, chapter after chapter would be like -- a game -- in which they're sharing a song that they had either just heard with each other to see who can "out-music" the other.

Of course, this "challenge" has a lot of depth at it's core. What music a person is listening to says a lot about a person. Not every single day is gonna be Rockin metal riffs. Some days were gonna be emo music. Some days would be lo-fi hip-hop beats to study to (Literally a study session for them because they find themselves in the same class.)

That's another important aspect here. Your story is only told or shown during the time that music is being discussed or played. Not all the time does it fit the scene. In fact, sometimes the music being shared would be radically different than what the mood of the chapter would be -- giving off themes of denial or repression.

Which is, what the plot is essentially about. These two souls are repressed in a way that teenagers just do during that time period, so they do stupid things.

Stupid things such as:
Study together.
She takes him to a party to meet friends where it plays a bunch of hip-hop they hate. But then they hang out in the back yard and listen to the same ipod through sharing earbuds.
She teaches him guitar.
He has actually known how to play guitar for years but wanted an excuse to hang out.
Will they/wont they become a couple.
they decide not to be a couple ( Come on guys, leave them waiting)
School Dance - she has another guy that her girlfriends (shadowbolts) set her up with and its generally a terrible time, he pays the DJ to play a song that they dance to.
At this point, the dude clocks (You) in the face and you wake up the next morning.
She puts a coldpack on their face and they do the kissu.
Yeah at this point they get together.
So they do all the music cute things like sharing mixtapes with each other. She's revealed to have a deep, dark side that absolutely adores bubblegum pop. Cause characters have to have flaws. Its fine. He likes dubstep.

And now this is about where the story began to breakdown in my mind² - (see authors note.)

So, at this point, you and Lemon are together, and things are generally hunky dory - except her friends are doing the peer-pressurey dumpy thing. "Hes gross" sorta stuff. this is where i could leverage sour sweet but meh. Cancelled - fuckos.

The real key here is that you suggest to her that maybe her friends are holding her back from being happy and embracing who she really is. And this then becomes the theme of self-discovery. Because discovering music and discovering yourself are wholly different concepts.

She feels better after quitting the teams and so you and her hang out more. And then One day -- do the fug. Yes. It's very hot and very sexy. And they joke for hours about what song they're gonna bone to. Like. The discussion on what song to have sex to is longer than the actual sex-- which probably would have been a separate story. Reason being (other than to keep a teen rating here) -- You were keeping the song talk going because nervousness about being a virgin -- this is highschool here. She is too - and so the two of you decide to do it -without music- which is why it would have been off screen.

Then at this point, this is when the "High" of the relationship begins to wear off. Not that they don't love each other - but the two of them found their routine. Lunches. Outings. Study sessions. More than Studying ;) And thats when they begin to have this conflict about knowing each other's music tastes better than they know themselves.

So at this point, this would build to a chapter when they put together playlists of songs that they know the other person hadn't heard before but would love. Which is the other side of the coin from the very beginning of the story. They were originally trying to out music the other -- but now through knowing their tastes, they can easily find eclectic things that are outside of their knowledge. With that comes not only a degree of "love and cozyness" but also a set of emptiness. Is there anything about each other they don't know?

Well, she's pregnant now. Thats one thing.

Both are in deep fear. She was planning on going to college. He was planning on going to college.

And now it's time for the song that inspired the story

They agree to terminate. They handle it in a chapter I'd have to deeply research. They keep everything a secret. Only the two of them know.

The secret weighs down on them incredibly hard. At this point the chapters become strained. They worry the fire is gone. She feels isolated because she left her girlfriends. She only really had them before. And you suggested she leave them.

This whole scene turns on its head as you're the boyfriend that had her ditch her friends and have an abortion. It doesn't look good from the outside. And even though the reader had been there for tens of thousands of words, you know it wasn't really like that. the situation was way more complicated than that.

But that doesn't stop how YOUR character gets socially assassinated. Lemon isn't perpetuating it, its the cheerleader friends. Which, it's a high school. of course its gonna get all mixed up. (And this was the authorial goal. To write a second person story where you do everything that makes sense, and seems right, but then when summarized briefly, or taken out of context -- you look like a manipulative asshole. Given that YOU are the MC of the story, i was interested how an audience would handle that. My goal would be depression but let's keep going.)

So at this point, she's broken down. You're broken down. You apply for colleges for music and theres a big angsty phase where some chapters are just listening to the sad-emo-Bullet For My Valentine stuff, or just MC being sad listening to the music she likes.

She arrives one day (school/home whatever) and gives him a song of original music that the author of the story has composed and asked a VA to sing to try and explain how's she's feeling. In short - hurt but still loves him. She feels bad it's only one verse. He asks if he can write the second verse with her. She'd like that.

So, they applied for colleges before they got back together -- they're taking things slow. And the college forms came back. They applied for the same schools. She got into (Basically Equestrian Berklee) her top choice -- which was also your top choice -- but you didn't get it. So you got your backup.

Then it feels like theres a self-imposed timer put on them, just as they were beginning to mend things.

There's a lot of back and forth, but ultimately he builds up to take the entrance exam for the #1 school again, or looks into how hard it is to transfer in once he's started at the backup. She says she'd just go to the backup, but he knows how much it meant to her to go to that #1 school. She shouldn't drop out.

This is where The comments would probably be a big factor in deciding where the story goes. The more "realistic" ending is that they'd try doing long distance for awhile -- using music as a way to keep in touch. Recording songs together and sharing what they learn. He transfers in - she found a band and is really embraced in who she is, but he still keeps jumping around -- just like from the beginning of the story. she already has a life built. and there's just not enough room for you. Sad End. Breakup but still friends.

But, i feel like there would be an absolute fucking riot if I wrote that, so instead she promises to go to the #1 school, but it cuts to the first day at the #2 school and he's sitting alone eating lunch, and she leans in his ear asking if he's listening to Slayer or Megadeth. Surprise! Happy end. Good couple stays together forever even after incredible hardship.

Hope this is better than just a straight up cancel with no notes.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Far better than quietly ending it with no further notes. Thank you for providing this closure.

And yeah, this concept definitely outgrew a second-person story.

[CapNTilfy]

Woof. That was a lot to take in! I'm sad to see this cancelled, I would've loved to learn more about your musical tastes (not that I can't just ask you myself)!

Is there perhaps another Lemon Zest story you've written or are going to write? I feel she's a very underrated and underexplored character (much like the rest of the Shadowbolts) that could have so much depth and layers beyond just liking one genre of music or being borderline obnoxious yet slightly well-meaning.

[Flutterpriest]

11466242
My favorite kind of music changes from day to day and from mood to mood. My current listening right now is

"Cd that's always in my car" - Linkin Park discography.

Working music - Wage war - the stripped sessions

Xmas music - Charlie Brown Chrismas and maybe transsiberian orchestra

Anger/self loathing - this endless war album by whitechapel

Depression - The Amity Affliction

Friend party background playlist - best of 00's era Emo

Great mood - Polyphia

Wistful/thoughtful - The Contortionist

Writing playlist - Between the buried and me

Mellow music - The Antlers

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

A day to remember
Mick Gordon
Eidola
Lamb of God
Tenacious D sometimes.
Alex melton

That's what I'm spinning recently. It changes month to month. I've wanted to take some time to catch up on a few bands that put out new albums that I haven't kept up with like Psychostick -- but when I get an ear worn in my head, I usually listen to it until I'm sick of it before finding new stuff. Spotify has really broadened my horizons. I just need to play the algorithm more cause I worked on learning "I want it that way" for acoustic guitar and now I've got 90's & 00's boy pop all over my reccs

[Pete100]

Aww. That sucks

[CapNTilfy]

11466448
I haven't heard of most of those. I'll give them all a listen sometime!

Hope you're having fun with the boy bands!