I built a jungle gym, what have you done today? · 11:50am Apr 15th, 2016
I hate it when Winter ends.
Because thats when my dad takes strange notions, buys a fuck ton of timber and sets to work building some new fuckoff or whatever and I get drafted.
So I spent yesterday helping to build a... thing. Like those things built for children to climb up, mess around and then slide down to the ground on. We had a slide for my nieces for when they visit, my brother bought it, we keep it because our backyard is bigger. Dad took that and built a wooden castle around it. Now we're building the roof and swingset today, fuck.
Well, not like I'm doing anything today anyway, even if I would rather be doing anything else, but at least I am done prying wooden panels off of concrete fencposts to be re-purposed for the project, because that was fun.
In any case I should have the next chapter done whenever. Maybe Monday, maybe three months from now. Probably tomorrow, who knows?
But I'll leave you guys this bit of conversation seeing as I dont talk much about how I approach the Mane Six in BM given that, you know, they are effectively background ponies in this fic for the most part. Essentially I don't depict them as much different from how they are in the show, when setting out on the story I took it as a given that each season of the show was effectively one year of time for the characters in the show (happening over the course of a year), and did various important things such as calculating ages based off of that.
For example I had it be that Twilight got her Cutie mark somewhere between the ages of 7-8, and spent a full decade under the tutelage of Celestia. A full decade. Of magical education. Under Celestia. So that by the time the show starts she's around 17-18ish, and an accomplished archmage in terms of magic (you spend ten years doing something you adore, being thought by someone with ridiculous experience and not become awesome at it). tack on another additional year, including the current season and she'd be around 23-24.
Bad Mondays starts roughly 6 years after the end of season three, BM Twilight is around 26-27. Keeping in mind that Equestrian years are longer than earth years, by comparison to Handy she's actually older than that. But fortunately for her Ponies age slightly slower and live for longer, (not that she needs to worry about that, being an Alicorn) I have reasons for all of this, stupid reasons, but reasons. Mostly I just wanted an excuse for an older more mature Spike (for little other reason than to have something more to work with than what the show or fanon can give me) and to give me a lot of breathing room canon wise in case shit happens... like the Treehouse blowing up... or Cadence having a fucking baby alicorn.
I regret nothing.
But this may result in some confusion for how similar the ponies are to their show counterparts. But in truth it makes sense. If you take the seasons as happening each over the course of an in show year, then the fact that their personalities don't radically change over the course of the show is a good indicator that is who they simply are as people. No sense trying to buck that, but rather work with it. This explains why Rainbow Dash is such an arrogant unthinking hothead despite becoming not only a wonderbolt but their captain. Its who she is.
And that goes on to inform a lot of what I do when I make the little changes I make to their characters, like say, AJ having a boyfriend she has apparantly told nobody about.
[12:03:55] Galloglasses: also i am surprised at the complete and total lack of a reaction to the fact I just shipped Applejack off
[12:06:00] Bowen Levine: Plus I think that's unrealistic. Age and personality change are not corresponding as often as people like to believe.
[12:06:05] Bowen Levine: And yeah
[12:06:19] Bowen Levine: How the shite did no one notice
[12:06:25] Bowen Levine: Or care
[12:06:46] Bowen Levine: I don't wanna call her the background pony
[12:06:50] Bowen Levine: But holy fuck
[12:06:52] Galloglasses: well, I got my liscence, time to start marrying off the mane six willy nilly
[12:07:06] Galloglasses: nah, I know how to write with applejack
[12:07:27] Galloglasses: most people are city folk and they don't understand how a farmer character like AJ could be a human if she doesn't want to leave the farm
[12:08:01] Galloglasses: or consider Rares a gold digger simply for wanting a wealthy husband
[12:08:07] Galloglasses: like... most women
[12:08:26] Galloglasses: lets be honest they do, and you cant blame them
[12:10:05] Bowen Levine: Well yeah, but I think gold digger is mostly applicable if said woman just wants to ditch the guy and run off with heaps of his money
[12:10:15] Bowen Levine: Which they can do
[12:10:27] Galloglasses: loldivorce laws
[12:10:44] Galloglasses: but yeah, but I don't think Rares is the gold digging type
[12:11:04] Galloglasses: and hilariously enough if you think about it, despite how fanon depicts her
[12:11:15] Galloglasses: she is HILARIOUSLY naïve about love
[12:12:59] Bowen Levine: That she is
[12:13:02] Galloglasses: I mean she gets stars in her eyes about the idea of trying to win a prince's affections, loses her shit over the pretty boy fashion designer who visits ponyville, is wildly optimistic about the realities of falling in love
[12:13:07] Galloglasses: and people think she's an expert
[12:13:53] Bowen Levine: Also
[12:15:34] Bowen Levine: If she hasn't noticed that Spike has an adolescent crush on her yet then she's also completely blind to how other people express intention of love.
[12:15:51] Bowen Levine: So she's naïve and blind to it
[12:16:07] Bowen Levine: Which is kind of hilarious
[12:16:26] Galloglasses: doubting making her blind to Spike this entire time would be believable
[12:16:34] Galloglasses: since I am pretty sure she is aware of it on the show
[12:16:49] Bowen Levine: I don't actually remember
[12:16:51] Galloglasses: girls are pretty aware when they are putting a guy they don't like in the friendzone
[12:17:02] Galloglasses: at least I think they are
[12:17:15] Galloglasses: if that entire phenomenon is unintentional then its pretty hilarious IRL
[12:19:03] Bowen Levine: It depends on how shy about it they are. A surprising number of people are just plain scared of accepting that someone likes them that way, and it's not necessarily because they don't want it to happen.
[12:19:41] Galloglasses: well I cant say I have much experience in the matter either way, I am just aware its a thing because it apparently happens to other people
[12:19:47] Bowen Levine: That's one reason why confidence is the big winner
[12:20:20] Galloglasses: well that does explain Rarity's initial reaction to the stallions she has liked on the show
[12:20:33] Galloglasses: both blueblood and the fashion guy were pretty confident in who they were
[12:20:48] Galloglasses: Spike is doing everything wrong by trying to win her heart by, essentially, being just a really good friend
[12:20:54] Galloglasses: which to be fair
[12:21:01] Galloglasses: is what I see a lot of whiny faggots do
[12:21:04] Galloglasses: and get zoned for
[12:21:20] Bowen Levine: Pretty much
[12:21:21] Galloglasses: bitch, women aren't looking for a 'friend'
[12:21:29] Galloglasses: they're looking for a man
[12:22:29] Galloglasses: I actually have Spike get over his crush in BM, but that's not all that important
[12:24:17] Galloglasses: Rarity, ironically makes the mistake if seeming too pushy, or desperate
[12:24:36] Galloglasses: which I can say is a hell of a turn off for a guy looking for long term
That said, see you guys whenever.
Your dad is pretty awesome.
I've been moving. And attending birthday parties, because all of those apparently have to be in the same month. What is it with April, anyway?
I hated when my dad decided to have a project; one time he decided to build a boat and I had to help. Then he decided to have a field and do some farming, so I had to help, woke up at 12 am watered olive seedlings then traveled to the field that took 3 hours. At 5 am we arrived our destination. I dug holes, poured fertilizers to these holes and planted olives. We worked till 10 pm then watered them. After that we returned back to home.
The really funny thing is during summer it miraculously hailed and most of the plants died.
Rescued chickens from being pecked to death before sunrise. Got kids up and dressed for school and dr. Picked fresh blend of mint for flavored coffee and spicy oregano for egg. Drove to work. Now sitting here setting up a shipment while waiting for the soldering instructor to arrive to finish up certification.
For some reason, your Dad tale reminds me of one of my own. Back when I wasn't even out of elementary school, my Dad would take me and my two older brothers along with him to these large scale antique shops. Being the History nut he was, he could stay at a single antique sale all day taking off his glasses and browsing the wares. And being the inattentive children we were, me and my bros were driven to crushing boredom for hours on end. We couldn't constantly ask to go home, 'cuz he was a firm, strict guy and we knew that our begging would only lead him to unnecessary anger.
Haven't been "antique-ing" with him for a looong while. I should really call him up and find a store with him. He'd probably love it now that I have more appreciation for the shtick.
And yeah, I didn't say anything about Applejack having a boyfriend because... well... she's the one I can actually picture getting one. It just felt so natural to me that i Just thought "Oh, well that's nice," and continued on. It especially pales when compared to other moments in the chapter like Handy and RD's scuffle, or Handy learning magic by standing still for 30 minutes. See, that's all way more interesting!
3871858
"Standing still" nothing, Crimson hot-wired him like a stolen car. I'm still laughing over that. The idea is just hilarious to me.
Hope she had a good run, because what happened last chapter just screams 'carrier ending fuck up'.
I’ve always figured that everything between the start of season 1 and the start of season 4 took place within one ‘year’. In season 2 episode 3 (Lesson zero), Dash demolishes the Apples old barn and they are still assembling the new one in season 3 episode 3 (too many pinkie pies), In Season two episode 10 Spike celebrated his ‘first birthday in Ponyville’ And in the first episode of season 4
's exposition and the simple fact that the holidays never repeat implies that this is the first summer sun thingy since Luna came back.. and the first gala we see at the end of season 1 and the next is in the 7th episode of season 5
3871865 Hotwired?
3871883
It's when you manually short out the ignition circuit to start the car without the correct key. The brute force approach, kinda like what Crimson did there, with herself as an extra piece of wire.
3871886 oh right, the scene in the previous chapter where she helped Handy connect with the magic.
Actually thats a pretty fucking succinct comparison, I get it now. I thought you were referring to this week's chapter, where he actually was standing still.
Yeah and now most people still don't get it that first episode of season 4 takes place exactly one pony year after premiere of season 1.
3871832 So that's where you've been, I thought I was seeing less of you responding to random threads in HiE.
3871839 My father took up farming as well, but he sticks it to the back yard and spare soils we have, even built his own greenhouse. Much preferable to buying his own land and planting and olive garden, I don't envy your Springs.
3871850 Sounds like a day, but at least its productive.
3871858 I didn't see the interest in antiques myself until I was at least 18 and appreciated history in general more. I can easily spend dinner watching British antique bid shows on TV with my dad now.
I suppose AJ would be more naturally inclined to get a boyfriend, but well, you know what this fandom is like. I was expecting more of a reaction, but I did pack this chapter with relatively interesting things so I guess it balances.
3871868 I guess, maybe I am just fucking around too much with the years, it ultimately does not matter seeing as BM is set 'after the events of the show' so I guess its alright.
3871915 Loltimes
3871994
Yeah, it's been a busy month.
Statistically, I'm expecting somewhere around the 9th of May. Although I'd be happy to be proven wrong...
3871994 When I first started reading It felt that this story was happening in tandem with one of the later seasons and you were ignoring everything pony side to let it be it's own thing. Spike's cough threw that out of the window a bit when it mentioned that he'd had it for 'years' but I never would have guessed that he's as old as 20...
Hey, mind if we switch dads? Sounds like fun to me. But then again, I build cabinets.
My dad is remodeling. Last week they put in wood flooring in the kitchen and dining room. This week they carpeted the living room, hallway, and stairs. I got to help with moving and pulling staples and boarding up the side of the stairs.
It's been a few years since I've parked a car in the 2 stall garage; some project or other in there. He's got 5? tractors. We have a swamp.
I need to move out so bad.
Well. It could be that applejack has a girlfriend... No? Okay, now who is it?
My dad bought some kayaks.
...because my mother told him to.
Also:
Nobody cares that background pone got husbando.
0/10 try that ship again
Building things? Manual work? I would die, but good on you!
What I did today was spend a couple hours trying to perfect a song, but I can't get the stupid delay on a certain pad to sync up properly. Oh well, at least the bass strings sound nice.
I always figured that the general Rarity The Romantic fanon zeitgeist ruled that Rarity is the epitome of the armchair-general personality type in her chosen fields of interests beyond her natural talent.
Example: If she ever got interested in movie making, She would be a 5-star film critic, but would be a Tommy Wiseau class of film director.
Therefore Her romantic expertise is generally accurate when someone else feeds her their own relationshp data to crunch, but the effectiveness falls apart the instant they lose control of the discussion.
This makes her an excellent foil in the spotlight and a universally effective supporting actor outside of it.
3871832 Wait for the september babies then. Because the parents were busy during new years.
3872918 Next chapter will involve Twilight!
Handyman is going to be so pissed or amused when he sees what I did hehehe
3874463 *Reads changes made to word doc*
JBL, what am I going to do with you?