Beyond a Boundary

Mystic Sunrise #1 · Dec 2nd, 2023 · 2 · 2 · A New Game to Play ·

You get bonus points for doing a story with cricket in it for sure. Don't think there's any other story on the site with it.

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #2 · Dec 2nd, 2023 · 2 · 2 · A New Game to Play ·

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11765270
Ha, thanks! There was really absolutely no reason for there to be cricket in this story either, but it's been my ambition for years to shoehorn it into a pony story somehow, so... Here we do are.

Mystic Sunrise

Mystic Sunrise #3 · Dec 2nd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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11765279
.

Spamotron

Spamotron #4 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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Glad to see you’re back. This was cute.

Mockingbirb

Mockingbirb #5 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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I'm sure glad that warning label was accurate. I mean, it worked out well for me.

Reily

Reily #6 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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Good on Spearhead and Blank Slate.

Also I still don't get how cricket even works.

Mockingbirb

Mockingbirb #7 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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11765279
I think there were multiple benefits to having cricket in the story!

I think I'm just reminding you of things you already knew as you wrote the story, though.

Opportunities for 'international' culture clash and concerns about culture clash. Cricket, being a Commonwealth sort of game, more readily brings together people from very different parts of the world, whereas 'soccer'/'football' might instead have involved other Weatern European equivalent cultures, which are less different from a U.K.-ish culture.

Also, a sport was useful for reasons I won't go into, like incidental gender segregation and preparation in locker rooms are commonplace. Other advantages I won't go into because pretty indirect and some people would disagree with me and I don't feel like getting into an argument.

So, yeah, you could have avoided cricket if you really wanted to avoid it, but why?

Edited to Add: But if you'd had Transgender-Friendly Off-Brand Quidditch, you could have had Blank Slate catch (or block) a bludger.

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #8 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 1 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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11765451
I tried hard to make it so people didn't have to know the rules to get the story, I hope that sort of worked.

Cricket is actually really easy to understand (it's a much simpler game than its nephew, baseball, for example) but because it's encrusted in 200 years of jargon and British culture, and because it has some very specific quirks (a single match can last five days! They officially break for tea!) any attempt to explain it ends up sounding way more complicated and arcane than it actually is. But I love it

TCC56

TCC56 #9 · Dec 3rd, 2023 · 2 · 1 · A New Game to Play ·

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Using Spearhead? And Corriander Cumin? Bonus points for that on top of an already wonderful story.

AltruistArtist

AltruistArtist #10 · Dec 10th, 2023 · 1 · · A New Game to Play ·

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I love that you went for what you love by having the backdrop of this story focus on a cricket team. It's unique and immediately compelling and I enjoyed getting to learn a bit about the sport through its presence in the lives of the central characters!

Your handling of Spearhead's characterization was really enjoyable. His concerns were legitimate yet based in the sort of prejudiced thinking he, himself, was wary of receiving and that was a great parallel to explore. Good on Thunderlane and Blank for giving him a reality check.

And, I love that the scarf Blank gifts him is the one he's seen wearing during his episode appearance. That's adorable!

Loganberry

Loganberry #11 · January 10th · 1 · · A New Game to Play ·

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Hello! Have a review. As well as this courtesy note, there's a like and a favourite too. You already know I really liked this, but that a fic about cricket (albeit as a mostly background event) is also very nice makes me very happy.

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #12 · January 15th · 1 · · Prologue: A Plate Glass Window ·

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Almost without thinking, he stuck out a foreleg and dived to catch it, landing in a ball, rolling on the Canterlot sidewalk and into the road. A cloud of dust was shaken up into the air as he opened his eyes.

a natural fielder! love it

Blank shrugged. "I'm glad I could catch it. I was more worried about..." - he gestured to the Canterlot Boutique behind him, with its huge plate glass window.

aww very glad that he managed to save the huge plate glass window of my wife’s boutique!

"Let me ask you a question, young stallion. Have you ever played cricket before?"
"...I don't even know what that is," said Blank, with a shrug.

most worldly Amare-ican

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #13 · January 15th · 1 · · A New Game to Play ·

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Now, though, instead of strapping on gleaming ceremonial armor, the ponies around him were strapping on white foreleg-pads and pulling on thick knitted sweaters.

of course Equestrians use traditional cricket whites because it is a nice place there

"Supposedly, the Crystal Empire XI are in even worse shape than we are. He's calling in favors from every friend who's even vaguely athletic, trying to bring in some ringers. Word is he even tried Rainbow Dash."

ah the travails of associate-level cricket!

Spearhead looked over to the opposite side of the room, where The Rookie - whose name he knew was Blank Slate - was warming up. The rookie slowly reached his neck out to pull a pristine white sweater out of his kit bag, the colour of the wool matching the colour of his coat.

aww i bet the fashion student would have the best regulation white sweater

"Yeah," said Spearhead, but he wasn't really thinking about cricket.

ehehe

Blank Slate's eyes flashed with elation as he threw the ball in the air, lying stretched out on his back. Spearhead watched the umpire in the distance raise his hoof - out! - as a smattering of stomped applause rippled around the practice field.

auauagh love the customary polite stomped applause!

Spearhead quickly let go of Blank's hoof and trotted back into position. Halfway there, he felt the need to look back, and saw Blank still on the boundary rope, watching him leave, smiling after him.

love it

Out beyond the boundary, Celestia lowered her opera glasses and raised an eyebrow.

and of course Celestia watches the game with opera glasses! perfection

"This game is new to many of the players, I suppose," said Celestia, and Cadance heard the smirk again.

ehehe double meaning

Quickly, surreptitiously, he made his way over to the bench next to Blank's locker, mouthing a silent prayer to Celestia that the white stallion had left his kit bag out in the open.

love the silent prayer to Celestia, who was literally watching the game in pony just minutes earlier

Gingerly, he slipped a piece of paper into the bag, underneath the books.

smooth!

Sure. Sure. Spearhead was a royal guard built like an oak tree, who used to spend every available hour in the gym and wore silk scarves, and who'd never had a marefriend to anypony's public knowledge.

those were good silk scarves!

"Y-...Yes," he murmured, as he eventually managed to force the words out. "I'm, uh. I'm an artist. I, er, I do... art."

absolutely love the awkwardness of this whole exchange, so relatable and adorable!

Spearhead tried his best not to give a curious look back, and thought about how to appear nonchalant; he considered whistling, decided this was too obvious, and settled for flicking his scarf behind his ear.

trying to appear nonchalant is the most chalant-seeming one can be

A lesser pony might have noticed that Spearhead was furiously facehoofing internally at his complete and utter lack of composure, and made fun of him for it. Spearhead was certain Blank had noticed his embarrassment, but instead of laughing, Blank just gave him a little smile.

love this

"Sure!" said Spearhead, a little too eagerly. "...Blank," he added, with half a mock-theatrical bow.
The white stallion grinned before heading into the locker room, and Spearhead suddenly felt ready to play ten games in a row.

he is such a dork love him

Blank reached into his bag and pulled out the most elegant scarf Spearhead had ever seen, crimson and pink with an intricate woven pattern. Spearhead took it from him with his forehooves, wordlessly turning the silky material over and over in his grasp, looking at his brown coat through the slightly translucent fabric.
"It, uh... It compliments your eyes," said Blank, while not quite making eye contact. "Fashion students know these things," he said, with a nervous attempt at a laugh.

ooh, perfect way to bring Blank’s own background and talents into this

"You, uh... Sometimes, Spearhead, when we're talking, you sound like you need breathing techniques."

ahaha

"Haha, the way you said that... Hey, you two there in the corner, you are like colts at the school dance!" said Coriander with a grin as he trotted over to Blank and Spearhead. "Do you two like each other or something, huh?" he asked, nudging Spearhead with his foreleg.

Coriander is giving off immaculate middle aged immigrant dad vibes here

"What? Don't be ridiculous!" snorted Spearhead, a little too quickly.

noooooo

"It's just a game," said . "A dumb game nopony's ever heard of."

noooooo it’s a great game that is awesome!

"I know we can play better than that," growled Thunderlane. "Everypony, think about the good stuff we've done this week, and let's go out tomorrow and make Celestia proud, okay? Now I say we all go get a good night's sleep, and pretend today never happened."

invoking Celestia so much adds another layer to this team being the one to represent Celestia’s city, haha. augh i love it

Above the sketched-in pencil lines depicting Blank's face, deep in concentration, was a more crudely sketched red mark, instantly recognisable as a broken heart.

noooooo

It didn't fall straight back down; instead, it deviated in some weird, twirling path, and landed on the floor with a surprisingly loud thunk before bouncing off into a corner.

aww Spearhead discovered swing bowling

"Fix it before tomorrow, please."

ahahaha! so this is a sports movie where at the climax the protagonist has to accept his gayness in order for the team to win, i love that so much

"Hey, Thunderlane?" asked Spearhead, as his captain turned to leave. "Did... did anypony not know?"
"Well, you, at least," said Thunderlane, on his way out of the door.

gottem

"I think-" he said, but didn't get any further, as the silence was once again shattered by the rest of the team trooping in. None of the players failed to notice Spearhead and Blank sitting next to one another, and to Spearhead it felt like their eyes were boring into them. He didn't move a muscle, but he was aware Blank had shifted in his seat and was no longer touching him. Had he flinched? Was this intentional?

augh, what timing!

Spearhead reached out his foreleg and took Blank's hoof in his own, giving him a little smile he hoped was encouraging.
Blank looked up, and their eyes locked for half a second before he moved back closer to lean against Spearhead. They continued to hold hooves, ignoring the rest of the team.

but it was necessary to make this decision the most meaningful!

love cricket, Equestria. and cricket in Equestria. and you really succeed in making this actually feel like Equestria! really love to see it, and i hope this inspires others to write stories of cricket in Equestria as well (me, for instance).

thank you so much for writing this, Mist!

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #14 · January 16th · · · A New Game to Play ·

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11765986
Thank you so much for the kind comment! I thought hard about candidates for the central ship and Spearhead just seemed ideal (and I still couldn't find a canon shipping partner I really liked for it, hence the deliberately named OC). Meanwhile, it was the existence of canon Indian ponies that gave me an opening in the first place, and a perfect opportunity to talk about assumptions over "cultural differences". I had lots of fun writing it!

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #15 · January 16th · 1 · · A New Game to Play ·

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11771466
Thank you for this (and congratulations!) - I'm so glad you liked it and I'm especially happy you noticed Spearhead's scarf being the one from the show

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #16 · January 16th · 1 · · A New Game to Play ·

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11796060
Thank you for the kind review, it was really lovely to return after such a long time away and still get positive notices on Louder Yay !

The Cloptimist

The Cloptimist #17 · January 16th · · · A New Game to Play ·

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11799600
I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and got so much out of it! I was writing for people who've never heard of cricket but also hoped it would be enjoyable to cricket lovers, so this really makes me bouncingly happy! I was a long time away but the way this seems to have struck a ~~cover drive~~ chord with readers is genuinely humbling and makes me so proud

The Cloptimist

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