It’s uncommon to get a poem from someone you know.
It’s very uncommon to get a poem from someone you don’t know.
It’s extremely uncommon to get a poem from someone you don’t know you know.
Sunset doesn’t know in which of these three situations she’s in, but she can’t forget what the poems bring to her.
Inspired by Chasing Someday (That you should go read because it's beautifully written) written by Gay For Gadot (Who you should go check out her stories because the quality persists and the feelings only increase with each new story)
Pre-read by my friend Shimmeringsun and the extremly helpful applezombi
Reviewed by iAmSiNnEr: Review ("This was a nice and heartwarming story, it really gave me a few smiles after my weary day")
Happy Valentine's Day (Unless I missed the date, but have a happy day anyway)
[ecstatic screaming scampy noises]
You're really really good at SunFlower
10678920
*Gasp* coming from you that's a very high praise. Thank you!
I got really addicted to them
10678945
SunFlower is the truth \o/
10678974
Amén! \o/
Okay, first, I am extremely flattered that my story inspired you so much. Honestly, inspiring someone else to write is probably the highest compliment I could ever receive. So this made my day alone. Thank you.
As for the story...
First, you did not miss Valentine's Day at all, my overseas friend, and this was perfect for it! Don't think I missed the significance of the story's starting date, either. Like in your other two SunFlower stories I've read, you've got a good grasp on both characters. I love how Wally's passion and personality comes out in her poetry. I also really liked how Sunset responded; despite her cool-calm-collected persona, she has flaws, fears, and insecurities like the best of us. Seeing her be so flustered and investigative over her secret admirer was not only adorable, but very humanizing.
I think my favorite scene here is the band practice one. The Rainbooms were all written well. I particularly enjoyed Applejack's blunt skepticism, forcing Sunset to confront her feelings. The dual POVs were a good idea to showcase the impact of Sunset's response.
Now this was a clever idea, Sunny.
The addition of the dated paintings took this story from good to great, IMO. Sunset as an artist is something I don't believe I've ever seen, but could gladly incorporate into my headcanon. The fact that Sunset was so moved by someone else's creativity that it stirred her own has a lot of meaning to it, especially coupled with what the Memory Stone did and didn't erase.
These lines are about far more than just painting.
I'm happy to have inspired such a great story. Thanks again for writing this!
This was fantastic. It had a great flow and cadence to it, and while the poetry was raw, it was really good. You captured Sunset's determination and Wallflower indecisiveness and insecurity so well here, and it was a beautiful read. Thank you for writing this.
Very nice. Lovely conclusion.
Yeah, you're really selling me on the Sunset/Wallflower ship. It's quickly becoming one of my favorites, and you do it well.
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Thank you for giving me this idea, the love of these two needs to be shared more. And I'm happy that it made your day, that alone made the story worth writing.
Good eye. It's the unofficial SunFlower day
Those were the hardest to write, but I loved how they turned out at the end.
Even the best of us can find themselves in a situation they haven't experienced.
And she got it after she confronted what she felt about her admirer.
Actually, Sunset is canonically a painter, street artist, and draws comicbooks of her and her friends as superheroes. But it's true that it barely gets brought up in many stories.
One thing I love about artistic expression, is that you have a lot of ways to say what you or others feel, like you do with flowers and gardens.
Thank you for reading!
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Thank you for reading! The cadence really helped set the pace and the two perspectives wihtout being confusing.
I hope I can keep the quality in future stories.
10679135
Great! The more the merrier!
And again thank you for helping me make it what it is.
10678997
Off the top of my head, she’s taking a CHS painting class in “The Art of Friendship”, a grafitto artist in “Display of Affection”, and a comic-book artist in “Super Squad Goals”. I can’t seem to find a screen shot, but I vaguely remember art materials being part of the background for Sunset during the extended “You Are My Equestria Girls” opening the staff developed for later episodes and shorts. That doesn’t count directing a school play in several related shorts, and of course she’s a musician, both solo and as a member of the Rainbooms.
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She's also in the fencing club, beated Twilight at chess, and her powers apparently extend to inanimate objects.
However, not many people seem to use these things in stories, at least the ones I've read.
Reviewed here, thank you for writing :)
10697545
Thank you for reviewing!
I come into this story a fairly new fan of SunFlower. When I watched Forgotten Friendship I didn't get the sense of shipping her and Sunset the way so many did, but then, I was unaware of things like the original version of Wallflower's song. It still feels a little odd, because I'm used to shipping Sunset with the more obvious people... Twilight Sparkle, Trixie, Pinkie Pie... Adagio Dazzle... etc. And yet the more I look at this ship, the more it calls to me in a way.
Because I can identify with Wallflower, hard. I was lonely in school. I had few to no friends, what couple of friends I did have were, quite literally, taken away from me by my younger sister because she was more interesting or stable or something. I was frequently disquieted, had a lot of depression problems. Unfortunately I didn't have a Sunset whom I could look upon from afar and fall in love with at the time, though there were certainly those I developed crushes on.
That's neither here nor there, apart from how it informs how well I understand that way that Wallflower acted. Here she is, pouring her heart and soul out to Sunset, and yet she's so scared, so used to rejection, so anxious that it doesn't matter how Sunset could've reacted. She could've had an instant smile and arms open for a hug upon seeing Wallflower and Wallflower still would have memory wiped her. Because it didn't matter what Sunset was doing: she never could do it right, because Wallflower wouldn't accept it. I know what that is like. Because I would've acted the same way.
Naturally as the days progress Sunset's friends become more and more concerned, yet Sunset's faith never wavers. That's interesting to me, that she manages to keep feeling like Wallflower is genuine despite the repeated memory wipes. Because Rarity had a point--taken out of context, Sunset's sudden changes in direction or changes of expression could easily be seen as her being nervous about being stalked. And having been stalked before, I know how that's pretty damned scary.
But eventually things got to the point with the paintings. Here I will admit I was just slightly lost for a bit, as I had to go back and reread the passages a few times before I realized it wasn't some extended dream of Wallflower's. In fact, I was actually thinking, when she mentions all the poems, that this would end up taking place pre Forgotten Friendship and Sunset's actions the the poems are what caused Wallflower to switch to anger and making Sunset's friends forget her, aka leading into the movie proper.
But then that didn't happen, and instead it turned out Sunset had been making paintings... I feel like that wasn't hinted at as well as it could have been and while it was a nice reveal, it was also a bit jarring.
That aside however, the way Sunset finally confronts Wallflower and keeps her from resorting to the Memory Stone is wonderful. Especially with the last painting--that was brilliant.
I do wonder what happens after this though. The Memory Stone is still around... might it still be a temptation for Wallflower, should things start going badly, to simply wipe away everything from Sunset? Maybe this still is pre-Forgotten Friendship, and Sunset will make a mistake that causes Wallflower to get mad. Who can say?
Regardless, I loved this. A few minor jarring elements aside, this was fantastic.
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Thank you for the comment! I also relate a lot with Wallflower in some way, high-school memories aren't happy ones.
The panting thing, yeah, now that you mention it, it does kind of come out of nowhere, but wasn't really intentional, just didn't picture it in the scenes I wrote.
As for the fate of the Memory Stone and this being before Forgotten friendship, it is possible for it to occur, but I also have an idea for a future sequel someday. Time will tell.
Thank you for reading and glad you liked it
i couldn't help but scream "no!" in my mind as i read this, just so tragic. i could really feel myself in Wallflower's place, and that overwhelming fear of finding out overriding everything to the point where i would prefer to destroy any chance of getting what i wanted and hoped for.
aww! i was really touched by this bit. i would be just as moved as Sunset was.
and it is terrifying, isn't it? safer to not have things that bring you joy, because then you don't have to worry about losing them.
ah, loved how Pinkie Pie this was
small touch, but i really appreciated that Pinkie assumed "she". gave my gay heart joy
deft weaving-in of canon, great Rainbow characterization, and gardener Luna reference all in three sentences! very nice
wow, this really resonates with my thought process at Wallflower's age. just not even being able to imagine that someone you liked liking you back could be anything other than a dream you deliberately keep alive despite reality.
yes, that would be oof! can definitely picture Applejack's tone of voice here
and this is perfect Rainbow Dash. wow, is there a worse thing you can say to Sunset of all people?
and the protectiveness of Applejack, so good! really liking how you're writing them
agh! Luna would be the perfect adult figure to be able to connect with and reach Wallflower, it's heartbreaking that one forgotten promise ended up giving fuel to her worst fears
and i was relieved to read this! to see her not destroy that glimmer of hope, and very thematic that she avoids destroying it by avoiding everything!
you are breaking my gay heart here
turning back away, so close to being able to touch something real, agh
i loved this reveal, and there's something very fitting for the medium being paint. each brushstroke is just a single splash of color, like an impression or a feeling, but stitching together to become a greater truth. and of course, there is a mystery story-within-the-story that we are seeing happen from the wrong side of the stage! this little glimpse of it was very fun, gave the impression that we really are seeing a slice of a full world of moving parts.
and i really, really love this. the paintings aren't some grandiose gesture that declares Sunset's connection to Wallflower as a legible text. it's something that includes the real, breathing, flesh-and-blood Wallflower in front of her, to create something together. something that even has a sense of mundanity in being dull and lifeless in Wallflower's eyes. and if that's not a great metaphor, then i don't know what is.
i was so afraid that this would end by conforming itself to the canon, and that Wallflower would find some reason to erase everything, and finally succeed in erasing her own memories this time, setting the stage for Forgotten Friendship. that would have been a valid way to end it, making this a tragic tale. but i really love the hope that i see here. it is something truly worth cherishing.
a great piece, SB. this is a Romance story in absolutely every sense of the word, it was beautiful, and i loved it.
Howdy, hi!
This was a cute romance. I liked the meeting of two artistic individuals bonding through poetry and painting. Wallflower is so precious in this and I like how she tries to make an effort despite her own anxiety turning against her. Sunset also is great in her pursuit of finding her secret admirer.
I loved the ending where they came together. It was very soft and I'm always a sucker for a cute romance. It was just a really fun sweet story and Im so glad I got to read it.
Thank you for the excellent read!
Aw, Wallflower. This is awfully familiar, and my heart goes out for her.
I adore Sunset's confusion and genuine fondness for the poem, how it contrasts with Wallflower's sheer anxiety! Gah. Irony. Love / hate to see it, it's just so adorable and also dawww inducing.
I see what you did there
Nice. Can always appreciate seeing Gardener Luna around, hehe, and VP Luna having planted the seeds so long ago feels just right! Lovely 
Yes, you're you, and that's enough. Aw Wally....
I adore this. I didn't expect Sunset the painter to work so well, but it did! It compliments Wallflower very well, too.
A lovely little romance. I love it
Thank you.
Hello there! Quite a while ago, you submitted this story to be reviewed by the Pens and Couches Review Group. This group has since undergone some changes and rebranding, and we finally reviewed your story! Check out your review here!
Howdy, hi!
Here is a review from the mansion to you!
Ethically dicey and exquisitely written. I give this fic a G for gaaaaaaay