Background Pony #E246
I can’t believe I somehow missed this.
You may think it odd but this is one of those rare pieces of writing that’s really touched me. jj is right to say this is somewhat melancholic in offering a glimpse into the mind of a stallion who wants to be something he’s not. But I do feel that overall–and especially with the ending–there’s an air of acceptance. Even if he can’t physically be a more effeminate looking stallion, he can at least don apparel that lends itself to that.
And, I think, that does go some way towards fulfilling his dream - you note casually that a lot of mares find him attractive which I think we can definitively say, given events in the show (and perhaps to a greater extent, the comics). And while that may not be the kind of attractiveness he’d like to exhibit, being able to put on lingerie… well, it’s obvious it makes Mac feel sexy in the way he does want. So yes, while he may never be a slip of a stallion that doesn’t mean he can’t adopt the mannerisms and, in some ways, the appearance of one.
Which brings me to my next point: just how deliciously erotic this is! And that is sadly a word I can’t often use when talking about explicit writing. It’s easy to make something arousing and alluring but this feels a little more careful in that regard. The detail you lavish upon Mac’s appearance, on that of the lingerie and how he puts it on is sumptuous. And the little asides about Cheerilee and Rarity only add to that (she’s precisely the kind of person I’d see doing something like that, it was perfect!). He’s not escaping into fantasy to avoid a world and society that dislikes him, but because it just makes him happy and he has friends who equally want him to be happy.
There’s no shame here, Mac delights in what he does and that kind of happiness in itself can be awfully enticing. And again, I come back to the ending because, well, I think you’ve made it adequately clear that this isn’t something that hangs over him so again, it feeds into the idea that deep down he is happy.
But I’m taking it all piecemeal there, which doesn’t really address why this touches me so much. Although I’m struggling to find a better way of saying “it’s just the way it all comes together”. Maybe it is, just as with Mac, being gay I’m used to feeling that same “round peg in a square hole” way though for different reasons. Though I think anyone who runs counter to society’s norms could see something of themselves in this.
So thank you for writing this, GMA. It’s a little treasure.
You may think it odd but this is one of those rare pieces of writing that’s really touched me. jj is right to say this is somewhat melancholic in offering a glimpse into the mind of a stallion who wants to be something he’s not. But I do feel that overall–and especially with the ending–there’s an air of acceptance. Even if he can’t physically be a more effeminate looking stallion, he can at least don apparel that lends itself to that.
And, I think, that does go some way towards fulfilling his dream - you note casually that a lot of mares find him attractive which I think we can definitively say, given events in the show (and perhaps to a greater extent, the comics). And while that may not be the kind of attractiveness he’d like to exhibit, being able to put on lingerie… well, it’s obvious it makes Mac feel sexy in the way he does want. So yes, while he may never be a slip of a stallion that doesn’t mean he can’t adopt the mannerisms and, in some ways, the appearance of one.
Which brings me to my next point: just how deliciously erotic this is! And that is sadly a word I can’t often use when talking about explicit writing. It’s easy to make something arousing and alluring but this feels a little more careful in that regard. The detail you lavish upon Mac’s appearance, on that of the lingerie and how he puts it on is sumptuous. And the little asides about Cheerilee and Rarity only add to that (she’s precisely the kind of person I’d see doing something like that, it was perfect!). He’s not escaping into fantasy to avoid a world and society that dislikes him, but because it just makes him happy and he has friends who equally want him to be happy.
There’s no shame here, Mac delights in what he does and that kind of happiness in itself can be awfully enticing. And again, I come back to the ending because, well, I think you’ve made it adequately clear that this isn’t something that hangs over him so again, it feeds into the idea that deep down he is happy.
But I’m taking it all piecemeal there, which doesn’t really address why this touches me so much. Although I’m struggling to find a better way of saying “it’s just the way it all comes together”. Maybe it is, just as with Mac, being gay I’m used to feeling that same “round peg in a square hole” way though for different reasons. Though I think anyone who runs counter to society’s norms could see something of themselves in this.
So thank you for writing this, GMA. It’s a little treasure.