#bookishdelight

HO HO HO!  MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRY CHRISTMAS, @elistodragonwings!

Sonic and Sally have put together a little photo album of the wonderful Christmas Party they had, so that you can share their warm memories!  Like Lina having a laugh at the stoic Ginko being there at all, or Garnet and Anthy showing the world their lovely Love, or Lexington being fascinated at how Alphonse works.

They, and I, hope you have the happiest Holidays. <3

And so Love Your Writer Week keeps right on rollin’!

Today’s subject?

bookishdelight

Who?: bookishdelight!  The Element of Smiles, they’re not only one of the best FiM fanfic writers on the planet, but a fantastic, fun friend, and and a super smart person overall!

Why?: They get this.  They get the purpose of Fanfic in just the best possible way, and they handle it accordingly.  They never go out of their way to insult or necessarily subvert the source material, but instead examines it, taking all the tools the source gives them and using those tools to further strengthen and explore the source’s own ideas.  

What?:

Some of my personal favorites of their body of work includes

* “Lulamoon’s Castle” (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic): Structurally ingenious, brilliantly insightful, and emotionally satisfying, “Lulamoon’s Castle” is almost the perfect example of what makes Bookish Bookish.  Everything in it jives with what you know from the series, it matches the show’s tone and style perfectly, but it also works to really, really reveal the innermost emotional lives of these characters, exploring their unique bond with each other and how that allows both to better themselves. 

* “Special Case” (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic):  Want a ‘fic where all the emotions ring loud and true from start to finish?  Want a story that elegantly delivers piercing insight and immensely satisfying closure?  Then “Special Case” is the story for you.  With wonderfully evocative prose, some of THE best dialogue in FiM ‘fics ever, and the richest, most rewarding interpretation of all the characters involved, this story isn’t just one of my favorite Bookish stories, it’s one of my favorite ‘fics ever.

BookishDelight’s EPIC HALLOWEEN by Gojira007

EPIC HALLOWEEN PROJECT 2014 marches into its final phase, this time with a crossover tailored specifically for one bookishdelight. MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC + THE WONDERFUL 101

Twilight Sparkle = Wonder Sparkle: One of CENTINEL’s youngest recruits, Tara Sparks has always been exceptionally intelligent and focused, but struggled to connect with others. Her remarkable talent as a Wonderful One made her the personal protege of Commander Celestia, but she came to worry that Tara’s intense dedication had blinded her to what it truly meant to be a CENTINEL. She thus assigned her to lead a small team of Wonderful Ones on remote Canterlot Island. Initially disappointed at this seemingly-trivial assignment, Tara would soon come to see her team mates as her closest friends, and began to learn that their powerful bonds were CENTINEL’s true power.

1. If you could hang out with a fictional character (anyone, even your own OCs) for a day- who would it be and what would you want to talk about?

Hoo boy, that's a tough one.  So many I would want to pick...and quite a few I'd almost certainly regret. XD  Still, I think I'd ultimately pick nikkinicolep's "Wreck-it Ralph" OC, Nicola Fizzman.  She's the kind of kid I know I can get along with smashingly, and she has juuuuuuuuuust enough basis in a real-life friend that I don't foresee us NOT forming a good relationship.

2. What’s one thing you’d really like to learn how to do?

Draw and write on some kind of schedule. lD;

3. What was your first video game that you remember playing? 

I think I answered this in an earlier meme, actually, but it is almost certainly the original "Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt" and "Legend of Zelda" cartridges.  My brothers and I would play those all the time at my Grandma's house.

4. What’s your favorite time of the year and why?

Summer Time.  It's when my birthday happens, it's when I get the weather I most like most often, and even though I no longer attend school, it still holds the symbolic power of School Vacation to me. 

5. If you could have ANY existing animal at all as a pet, what would it be?

A house cat.  Which I realize is the most boring possible answer.  And there are slightly more colorful animals I'd consider, like the ferret or the otter or even a horse.  I just dunno how good those animals would be as pets for me.  Cats?  Cats I know.  Cats I love.  And it feels like it's been far too long since I had one in my home.

6. If you were a superhero, what kinds of powers would you have?

I'm torn between the Superman power set or the Spider-Man power set.  Like...can I have both?  Let's go with both.  That would be perfect.   

7. What’s one thing you’re looking forward to before the year is over?

As always, getting to visit wingedhippocampus and nikkinicolep for Anime Weekend Atlanta. <3

8. What’s one of your biggest pet peeves and why?

Assuming you have the authority or permission to give me advice on how to take care of myself without my prompting or permission.   Friends and family, I understand, but casual acquaintances?  Hell, complete strangers?  Sorry, but that's a level of presumption that irks the crap out of me.

9. If when we die, and the afterlife ends up being each person’s perfect individual paradise (i.e. What Dreams May Come style), what do you think yours would be like?

Honestly?  Probably what my life is like now, except all my friends, family, and loved ones are in walking distance of me.  And I am Super Spider-Man.

10. What is one of the best feelings in the world?

The rush of relief that comes when I spend a prolonged period worried about someone I care about only to discover they're OK.

11. APPLES OR ORANGES???

Apples.  Partly because I genuinely find them delicious, and partly because Applejack is Best Pony. >W>

My questions

And now, I have 11 questions of my own to add!

1.) What's a movie you love that everyone else seems to hate?

2.) What's a video game you hate that everyone else seeems to love?

3.) Pick one of your favorite characters, any fandom.  If you could change exactly one thing about them, be it something in their design or appearance, their personality, or their role in the story, what would it be?

4.) What is your favorite song to listen to in order to get inspired/motivated?

5.) Favorite Cartoon Catchphrase?

6.) If you could have any one fictional weapon from a fandom of yours, which one would you choose and why?

7.) What would you consider the single funniest/one of the funniest thing(s) you've ever said?

8.) Do you know any good puns/jokes/riddles?

9.) What's a bad habit of yours you'd like to break?  

10.) What is your favorite number? 

11.) What do you consider your "quest" in life? 

Go for it!  I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.  As much as I generally like 13's combat system and most of the characters I still haven't actually finished any of the trilogy's games, so I suppose in a weird way it'd actually be a good one to get on since the giant timeskip basically means everyone's situation is completely different XD

((Tried publishing this as an answer, but tumblr apparently would not have it, so I'm doing it this way.  BookishDelight put in "aaaaaaaaplejack" for the "trait you think you share with a character" game; I decided to go overboard 'n' do a full-blown mini-essay on why Applejack is my favorite Pony and how I relate to her. ^_^))

So!  It's been a few days, but now that I've gotten everything sorted out, it's finally time to give you the no-holds-barred answer you deserve!

Like Sally, Applejack is a character I love so much because there are equal respects in which I relate to her and want to be more like her.  The dauntless work ethic, that never-say-die attitude that drives her to always always ALWAYS do her absolute best in every situation not because she wants to show off but because she has a sincere belief that every situation DESERVES that effort...I really do strive to find that same spark inside of myself every day, and even as I often fall short, it's nonetheless a strong standard to hold myself to.  It's one of the reasons I so enjoy things like, say, the opening act of "Applebuck Season" with AJ saving the town from the stampede, or her almost-successful effort to weed out the Parasprites in "Swarm of the Century"; she always takes to the jobs that need doing, and never gives those jobs anything less than her all.

Which segues nicely into the first level on which I relate to Applejack: I sympathize deeply with the extent to which she takes doing her very best so seriously.  SO seriously, in fact, that it often gets in her way or causes her to lose sight of the bigger picture.  That's a place I've been, and still go to when I'm not careful, so it always hits pretty hard when we see things like, say, her overwrought activities in "Apple Family Reunion", or her choice to stick it out rather than return home in "The Last Round-Up".  

Which in the end brings me to the most important link of all, and the thing that, for me, most fundamentally defines Applejack as a character: for her, it's all about the Family.

The farm is a part of that, of course, but only one part, and not even really the core of it, at least not in my perspective.  Think about it: why does Applejack want to go to the Grand Galloping Gala and turn a healthy profit?  Nothing to do with new farm equipment or bettering the Orchard; she wants to "make a lot of money for the Apple Family").  What does she ultimately consider those friends she holds closest to her heart?  Family.  This is why her back-story as shown in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" is so important (and beloved) to me; when it was only the Farm she could see as her life, Applejack left for Manehattan...but in the end, she knew the place she belonged was with her sister, her brother, and her granny, a.k.a. the three Red Apples on her Cutie Mark.

(This also goes a long way toward explaining why so many fans ((myself included)) believe that AJ's parents passed away somehow; it makes sense that we don't see much of the rest of the Mane Six's parents; Twi, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all MOVED to Ponyville, and Rarity's parents apparently travel a lot.  But Applejack lives WITH her family, and they're such an essential element of her character that there aren't a whole lot of explanations I can think of why we WOULDN'T see them otherwise.  But I've gone on a bit of a tangent.... x3; )

I too love my family.  I too consider those friends I hold closest to my heart as good as family.  And I too would absolutely drive myself into the ground if it meant keeping them safe, or making them happy, or helping them to get something they wanted or needed.  It is her impassioned dedication to the ones she loves that most draws me to Applejack, and that I most recognize in myself.  Like Applejack, it can be a weakness as much as a strength; I oftentimes over-worry about them (like she does), leading me to make choices that come from a place of love but wind up doing more harm than good (like she does), and end up frustrating or confusing the very people I wanted to help (like she does).