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dewicking Completely Missing The Point
Deleted line(s) 13,16 (click to see context) :
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: At several points, Diamond Tiara refers to or receives lessons from her father that are clearly intended to teach her practical business lessons, mostly relating to humility, empathy and ethics. She invariably twists these to support her own selfish, lazy, manipulative creed. For example, from the start of Chapter 4:
--> '''Few businesses can hope to become part of the community without contributing to it. Each settled zone is created not just to make a place of safety, but one of '''family'''. Unless you actively work to become part of that extended relationship, there will be those who see you as standing aside from it, taking without giving -- and in time, there will be nothing to take. Sponsor field trips, rebuild playgrounds when the disaster relief funds don't cover the slides during the first week, learn an instrument and play it while marching in the parades. If you can be seen as one who provides more than they extract, your enterprise will find that much '''given''' to it.'''\\
\\
Or in other words, make token efforts which tricked ponies into thinking they were getting something from you instead of the other way around, and you could keep doing the same thing forever.
--> '''Few businesses can hope to become part of the community without contributing to it. Each settled zone is created not just to make a place of safety, but one of '''family'''. Unless you actively work to become part of that extended relationship, there will be those who see you as standing aside from it, taking without giving -- and in time, there will be nothing to take. Sponsor field trips, rebuild playgrounds when the disaster relief funds don't cover the slides during the first week, learn an instrument and play it while marching in the parades. If you can be seen as one who provides more than they extract, your enterprise will find that much '''given''' to it.'''\\
\\
Or in other words, make token efforts which tricked ponies into thinking they were getting something from you instead of the other way around, and you could keep doing the same thing forever.
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* WouldHurtAChild: From [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/195040/4/a-confederacy-of-dunce-caps/community-disorganizer Chapter 4]], Mr. Gastrope, almost attacking her with his magic, before [[spoiler:slamming the door on her]] and almost charging at her with his {{horn|Attack}}.
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* GenderScoff: From Chapter 3, with emphasis on "boys", while Diamond Tiara is insulting them:
--> ''[='=]Try to form some level of personal connection with your employees. Have a conversation with them. It doesn't have to be a deep one. Just show them you have some things in common.'''\\
As if Diamond would ever have ''anything'' in common with the world's dumbest ''boys''.\\
[...]\\
Talking to ''colts''. Stupid ones. There really wasn't anything she wouldn't do to make her daddy happy again.
--> ''[='=]Try to form some level of personal connection with your employees. Have a conversation with them. It doesn't have to be a deep one. Just show them you have some things in common.'''\\
As if Diamond would ever have ''anything'' in common with the world's dumbest ''boys''.\\
[...]\\
Talking to ''colts''. Stupid ones. There really wasn't anything she wouldn't do to make her daddy happy again.
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* HeadsOrTails: From Chapter 4, when needing to decide between Snips and Snails:
--> She'd flipped a single bit shortly after leaving the schoolhouse, let the facing pick the initial target. And then she'd followed one of her ''employees'' home.
--> She'd flipped a single bit shortly after leaving the schoolhouse, let the facing pick the initial target. And then she'd followed one of her ''employees'' home.
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Changed line(s) 13 (click to see context) from:
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: At several points, Diamond Tiara refers to or receives lessons from her father that are clearly intended to teach her practical business lessons, mostly relating to humility, empathy and ethics. She invariably twists these to support her own selfish, lazy, manipulative creed.
to:
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: At several points, Diamond Tiara refers to or receives lessons from her father that are clearly intended to teach her practical business lessons, mostly relating to humility, empathy and ethics. She invariably twists these to support her own selfish, lazy, manipulative creed. For example, from the start of Chapter 4:
--> '''Few businesses can hope to become part of the community without contributing to it. Each settled zone is created not just to make a place of safety, but one of '''family'''. Unless you actively work to become part of that extended relationship, there will be those who see you as standing aside from it, taking without giving -- and in time, there will be nothing to take. Sponsor field trips, rebuild playgrounds when the disaster relief funds don't cover the slides during the first week, learn an instrument and play it while marching in the parades. If you can be seen as one who provides more than they extract, your enterprise will find that much '''given''' to it.'''\\
\\
Or in other words, make token efforts which tricked ponies into thinking they were getting something from you instead of the other way around, and you could keep doing the same thing forever.
--> '''Few businesses can hope to become part of the community without contributing to it. Each settled zone is created not just to make a place of safety, but one of '''family'''. Unless you actively work to become part of that extended relationship, there will be those who see you as standing aside from it, taking without giving -- and in time, there will be nothing to take. Sponsor field trips, rebuild playgrounds when the disaster relief funds don't cover the slides during the first week, learn an instrument and play it while marching in the parades. If you can be seen as one who provides more than they extract, your enterprise will find that much '''given''' to it.'''\\
\\
Or in other words, make token efforts which tricked ponies into thinking they were getting something from you instead of the other way around, and you could keep doing the same thing forever.
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Changed line(s) 9 (click to see context) from:
* BecomingTheMask: Debatable. Diamond comes to some degree of understanding with Snips and Snails over the course of the story, but it's difficult to judge whether she actually forms a true friendship with them. Notably, she refuses to commit to seeing them over the summer -- but in the moment she was asked, she was facing the possibility of grounding, summer school, or both: it's possible that she didn't answer because she didn't ''know''.
to:
* BecomingTheMask: Debatable. Diamond comes to some degree of understanding with Snips and Snails over the course of the story, but it's difficult to judge whether she actually forms a true friendship with them. Notably, in Chapter 5, she refuses to commit to seeing them over the summer -- but in the moment she was asked, she was facing the possibility of grounding, summer school, or both: it's possible that she didn't answer because she didn't ''know''.
* DeliberateUnderperformance: Mixed with ObfuscatingStupidity. As said in the third chapter, Snips and Snails can pass Cherrilee's classes, they just don't, so they can hang out in summer school.
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* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work during the summer -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them separate. Under normal circumstances, they ''only'' see each other at school -- and so their solution was to find a way of taking classes year-round.
to:
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Mixed with DeliberateUnderperformance. It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class and flunk, so they'll be forced to do remedial work during the summer -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them separate. Under normal circumstances, they ''only'' see each other at school -- and so their solution was to find a way of taking classes year-round.
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* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this, in the face of either studying on her own or failing the class.
to:
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this, in the face of either studying on her own or failing the class.class.
----
----
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Changed line(s) 14 (click to see context) from:
* ComplexityAddiction: Diamond Tiara would rather come up with an elaborate plan to secretly tutor Snips 'n' Snails and then cheat off of them then take the far faster and easier route of just studying on her own. Ultimately subverted when, after being forced to confess, Snips and Snails sit down with her and help her study for herself.
to:
* ComplexityAddiction: Diamond Tiara would rather come up with an elaborate plan to secretly tutor Snips 'n' Snails and then cheat off of them then than take the far faster and easier route of just studying on her own. Ultimately subverted when, after being forced to confess, Snips and Snails sit down with her and help her study for herself.
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Changed line(s) 9 (click to see context) from:
* BecomingTheMask: By the fanfic's end, Diamond Tiara and the colts have actually become friends.
to:
* BecomingTheMask: By the fanfic's end, Debatable. Diamond Tiara comes to some degree of understanding with Snips and Snails over the colts have course of the story, but it's difficult to judge whether she actually become friends.forms a true friendship with them. Notably, she refuses to commit to seeing them over the summer -- but in the moment she was asked, she was facing the possibility of grounding, summer school, or both: it's possible that she didn't answer because she didn't ''know''.
Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* ChildProdigy: Diamond Tiara evidently came into her magic quite a bit before the norm for earth pony foals, as she's capable of carefully coaxing bugs to the surface with it in what is implied to be a rather advanced maneuver.
to:
* ChildProdigy: Diamond Tiara evidently came into her magic quite a bit before the norm for earth pony foals, as she's capable of carefully coaxing bugs to the surface with it in what is implied to be a rather advanced maneuver. (Essentially, she slowly and carefully collapses the microtunnels behind the insects, filling in the passage in such a way as to force its occupants to move ''up''. As tools go, it's something which doesn't require any real raw power -- but the degree of field dexterity necessary to perform manipulations that fine isn't a low one.)
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* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo". Her fascination with Cameo is so obvious that Snails decides Diamond Tiara would be a good choice to take care of her instead.
to:
* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but invertebrates: it's the actual focus of his mark, including a communication ability similar to Fluttershy's. And surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo".Scarab named Cameo. Her fascination with Cameo is so obvious that Snails decides Diamond Tiara would be a good choice to take care of her instead.
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* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Make no mistake, it's buried deep, ''deep'' down, but, Diamond Tiara does show small signs of caring for others. Most notably in chapter 5; not only does she allow Snips and Snails to play with her toys, even playing alongside them after coming up with a suitable "excuse" for herself, but there's what happens at recess. After hearing that Snails has to dig with his horn for bugs because ''differentiation'' prevents him using telekinesis to extract them, she secretly uses her own earth pony magic to coax some bugs to the surface for him, revealing an implicitly very rare species that he's clearly been after for a long time.
* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: Diamond is afraid Cheerilee will invoke this after the teacher catches Diamond using ''truespeech'' around Snails.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them separate.
* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: Diamond is afraid Cheerilee will invoke this after the teacher catches Diamond using ''truespeech'' around Snails.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them separate.
to:
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Make no mistake, it's buried deep, ''deep'' down, but, Diamond Tiara does show small signs of caring for others. Most notably in chapter 5; not only does she allow Snips and Snails to play with her toys, even playing alongside them after coming up with a suitable "excuse" for herself, but there's what happens at recess. After hearing that Snails has to dig with his horn for bugs because ''differentiation'' prevents him using telekinesis to extract them, she secretly uses her own earth pony magic to coax some bugs to the surface for him, revealing an implicitly very rare species that he's clearly been after for a long time.
time -- but at the same time, it's possible that she just did it because she was bored with watching the slow route and thought she could get away with using the magic around the other earth pony students.
* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: Diamond is afraid Cheerilee will invoke this after the teacher catches Diamond using ''truespeech'' aroundSnails.
Snails. It doesn't quite work out that way: Cheerilee does tell Diamond to find an excuse why the supposed 'tap the soil to bring the bugs up' trick won't work twice, as Diamond probably doesn't want to follow Snails around for the rest of her life -- but there's also a hint that the teacher isn't exactly fond of the Secret.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work during the summer -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep themseparate.separate. Under normal circumstances, they ''only'' see each other at school -- and so their solution was to find a way of taking classes year-round.
* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: Diamond is afraid Cheerilee will invoke this after the teacher catches Diamond using ''truespeech'' around
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work during the summer -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them
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** Likewise, at the chapter's end, when Cheerilee implicitly threatens her that she had better get Snips and Snails to pass after Cheerilee went along with Diamond Tiara's false claim.
to:
** Likewise, at the chapter's end, when Cheerilee implicitly threatens her that she had better get Snips and Snails to pass after Cheerilee went along with Diamond Tiara's false claim. After all, Diamond had told the parents of both colts that she ''had'' to tutor their sons or be punished -- and hadn't specified what that punishment ''was'', giving Cheerilee a lot of leeway in creating something suitable.
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** Diamond Tiara allowing Snips and Snails to play with her toys.
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rare bugs.
** Snails decides to give his precious jewel scarab, Cameo, to Diamond Tiara because he thinks she would make a good owner for her.
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rare bugs.
** Snails decides to give his precious jewel scarab, Cameo, to Diamond Tiara because he thinks she would make a good owner for her.
to:
** Diamond Tiara allowing Snips and Snails to play with her toys.
previously-unopened toys. (But just the ones which show no signs of appreciating in value on the secondary market.)
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rarebugs.
bugs. (However, this one's debatable: she was operating on very little sleep at the time, and her thoughts suggest that part of her reasoning was in simply doing something which unicorn magic couldn't: showing off to herself.)
** Snails decides to give his preciousjewel jeweled scarab, Cameo, to Diamond Tiara because he thinks she would make a good owner for her.
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rare
** Snails decides to give his precious
** And then the very last chapter puts Diamond on the unleashing end, chewing out Snails' father and Snips' mother from the elevated lecturing point of Cheerliee's desk.
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* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Snails doesn't just collect bugs. He can communicate with them by reading their body language and actions. He claims it's the special talent related to his mark.
* SpoiledBrat: The whole story revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara's father realizing he has spoiled his daughter and trying to force her to change -- and her reaction to that.
* SpoiledBrat: The whole story revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara's father realizing he has spoiled his daughter and trying to force her to change -- and her reaction to that.
to:
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Snails doesn't just collect bugs. He bugs: he can communicate with them by reading their body language and actions. He claims it's the special talent related to his mark.
mark -- and then proves it by speaking about the little tunnels which Diamond collapsed, relating the event as the insects perceived it. (However, he believes those collapses were due to the vibrations from tapping hooves, and just says he won't do that again.)
*SpoiledBrat: The whole SpoiledBrat: Much of the story revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara's father realizing he has spoiled his daughter and trying to force her to change -- and her reaction to that.
*
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* KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade: Diamond is afraid Cheerilee will invoke this after the teacher catches Diamond using ''truespeech'' around Snails.
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* AbusiveParents: They're not physically abusive, but the emotional abuse, and their feuding, ultimately has Cheerilee sending Diamond Tiara to the police station to get the local child welfare officer to intervene between the Gastropes and Bradels, because she thinks they're that bad.
* BecomingTheMask: By the fanfic's end, Diamond Tiara and the colts have actually become friends.
* BecomingTheMask: By the fanfic's end, Diamond Tiara and the colts have actually become friends.
* CallingTheOldManOut: After Diamond Tiara finally calls the Gastropes and the Bradels out on their foolish vendetta and blaming each other's son for the trouble they both get into, Snips and Snails muster the courage to do similar. Snails in particular warns that if they do force them to move to seperate settled zones, his special talent will let him find Snips and the two of them can both escape and find each other whenever they want.
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* ComplexityAddiction: Diamond Tiara would rather come up with an elaborate plan to secretly tutor Snips 'n' Snails and then cheat off of them then take the far faster and easier route of just studying on her own.
to:
* ComplexityAddiction: Diamond Tiara would rather come up with an elaborate plan to secretly tutor Snips 'n' Snails and then cheat off of them then take the far faster and easier route of just studying on her own. Ultimately subverted when, after being forced to confess, Snips and Snails sit down with her and help her study for herself.
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* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo". Her fascination with Cameo is so much
to:
* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo". Her fascination with Cameo is so much obvious that Snails decides Diamond Tiara would be a good choice to take care of her instead.
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Changed line(s) 12 (click to see context) from:
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Every sign indicates that Diamond Tiara would probably do just fine if she studied, and in fact by tutoring the colts she's pretty much studying herself. She just refuses to do things honestly because it's beneath her... even if it means doing more work than would actually be required to do things the honest way.
to:
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Every sign indicates that Diamond Tiara would probably do just fine if she studied, and in fact by tutoring the colts she's pretty much studying herself.anyway. She just refuses to do things honestly because it's beneath her... even if it means doing more work than would actually be required to do things the honest way.way.
* FawltyTowersPlot: Pretty much everything is being driven by Diamond Tiara lying to various ponies in order to cheat her way to victory on the exam. And, in true ''Series/FawltyTowers'' tradition, it all comes crashing down on her.
* FreudianExcuse: Subtle signs about just how much of a messed up little filly Diamond Tiara really is slowly build up over the course of the story.
* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo". Her fascination with Cameo is so much
* IdiotBall: In chapter 6, after Snails has made a present of Cameo to Diamond Tiara, he then stops her from leaving and tells her he needs to take the bug off of her tiara. Diamond immediately assumes he's suddenly changed his mind and runs away -- in actual fact, he was trying to warn her that if she's spotted with an unusual bug on her head, it could give away that she's been hanging around with Snails. Sure enough, in the very next chapter, it comes to bite her, as Snips and Snails' parents realize their sons are hanging out with each other, which results in everyone being forced to "talk about it" in Cheerilee's schoolhouse.
* FawltyTowersPlot: Pretty much everything is being driven by Diamond Tiara lying to various ponies in order to cheat her way to victory on the exam. And, in true ''Series/FawltyTowers'' tradition, it all comes crashing down on her.
* FreudianExcuse: Subtle signs about just how much of a messed up little filly Diamond Tiara really is slowly build up over the course of the story.
* FriendToBugs: Snails, obviously, is very devoted to invertebrates, but surprisingly, Diamond Tiara becomes quite enamored with one of Snails' collection: a rare Saddle Arabian Jewel Scarab, which she calls "Cameo". Her fascination with Cameo is so much
* IdiotBall: In chapter 6, after Snails has made a present of Cameo to Diamond Tiara, he then stops her from leaving and tells her he needs to take the bug off of her tiara. Diamond immediately assumes he's suddenly changed his mind and runs away -- in actual fact, he was trying to warn her that if she's spotted with an unusual bug on her head, it could give away that she's been hanging around with Snails. Sure enough, in the very next chapter, it comes to bite her, as Snips and Snails' parents realize their sons are hanging out with each other, which results in everyone being forced to "talk about it" in Cheerilee's schoolhouse.
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* PetTheDog:
** Diamond Tiara allowing Snips and Snails to play with her toys.
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rare bugs.
** Snails decides to give his precious jewel scarab, Cameo, to Diamond Tiara because he thinks she would make a good owner for her.
** Diamond Tiara allowing Snips and Snails to play with her toys.
** Diamond Tiara risking exposing The Secret, or being censored for her near-exposure, to help Snails find some rare bugs.
** Snails decides to give his precious jewel scarab, Cameo, to Diamond Tiara because he thinks she would make a good owner for her.
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Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Deconstructed. Yes, Diamond Tiara has been able to use her father's wealth and/or status to escape punishment or get her way... but, this has an impact on her father's reputation. It's led to her father's Ponyville business dropping as the parents of the classmates she bullies stop buying from him in silent, perfectly legal protest
to:
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Deconstructed. Yes, Diamond Tiara has been able to use her father's wealth and/or status to escape punishment or get her way... but, this has an impact on her father's reputation. It's led to her father's Ponyville business dropping as the parents of the classmates she bullies stop buying from him in silent, perfectly legal protestprotest.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Snails doesn't just collect bugs. He can communicate with them by reading their body language and actions. He claims it's the special talent related to his mark.
* SpeaksFluentAnimal: Snails doesn't just collect bugs. He can communicate with them by reading their body language and actions. He claims it's the special talent related to his mark.
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YMMV
Deleted line(s) 12 (click to see context) :
* CryForTheDevil: Despite Diamond Tiara's self-centered attitude and bullying ways, it's hard not to feel a little sympathetic for her when she breaks down over her father's disappointment. The scene in chapter 5 where she can't sleep because her father refuses to come into her room and kiss her presumably-sleeping forehead, their nightly ritual, is particularly poignant because it really shows just how lost and scared Diamond Tiara is of the idea that she's lost her father's love, maybe for good.
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* ComplexityAddiction: Diamond Tiara would rather come up with an elaborate plan to secretly tutor Snips 'n' Snails and then cheat off of them then take the far faster and easier route of just studying on her own.
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* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Every sign indicates that Diamond Tiara would probably do just fine if she studied, and in fact by tutoring the colts she's pretty much studying herself. She just refuses to do things honestly because it's beneath her... even if it means doing more work than would actually be required to do things the honest way.
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* BlessedWithSuck: Diamond Tiara actually doesn't think very highly of the earth pony talent for geokinesis; this is because their talent requires "asking" the earth to respond, which means it has a chance to fail, and she can't tilt the odds in her favor like she can with a pony because the earth doesn't care about her tantrums, bribes, blackmail or threats.
* ChildProdigy: Diamond Tiara evidently came into her magic quite a bit before the norm for earth pony foals, as she's capable of carefully coaxing bugs to the surface with it in what is implied to be a rather advanced maneuver.
* ChildProdigy: Diamond Tiara evidently came into her magic quite a bit before the norm for earth pony foals, as she's capable of carefully coaxing bugs to the surface with it in what is implied to be a rather advanced maneuver.
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* CryForTheDevil: Despite Diamond Tiara's self-centered attitude and bullying ways, it's hard not to feel a little sympathetic for her when she breaks down over her father's disappointment. The scene in chapter 5 where she can't sleep because her father refuses to come into her room and kiss her presumably-sleeping forehead, their nightly ritual, is particularly poignant because it really shows just how lost and scared Diamond Tiara is of the idea that she's lost her father's love, maybe for good.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Make no mistake, it's buried deep, ''deep'' down, but, Diamond Tiara does show small signs of caring for others. Most notably in chapter 5; not only does she allow Snips and Snails to play with her toys, even playing alongside them after coming up with a suitable "excuse" for herself, but there's what happens at recess. After hearing that Snails has to dig with his horn for bugs because ''differentiation'' prevents him using telekinesis to extract them, she secretly uses her own earth pony magic to coax some bugs to the surface for him, revealing an implicitly very rare species that he's clearly been after for a long time.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Make no mistake, it's buried deep, ''deep'' down, but, Diamond Tiara does show small signs of caring for others. Most notably in chapter 5; not only does she allow Snips and Snails to play with her toys, even playing alongside them after coming up with a suitable "excuse" for herself, but there's what happens at recess. After hearing that Snails has to dig with his horn for bugs because ''differentiation'' prevents him using telekinesis to extract them, she secretly uses her own earth pony magic to coax some bugs to the surface for him, revealing an implicitly very rare species that he's clearly been after for a long time.
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* OhCrap:
** Diamond Tiara's reaction in chapter 5 when she realizes Cheerilee recognized Diamond Tiara was using her "earthspeaking" skill in front of a unicorn.
** Likewise, at the chapter's end, when Cheerilee implicitly threatens her that she had better get Snips and Snails to pass after Cheerilee went along with Diamond Tiara's false claim.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Cheerilee isn't sure of what Diamond Tiara's plan is, but the hope that the filly is really trying to help the two class clowns is enough to make her support Diamond Tiara's claim. Though she promptly follows up on this by confronting Diamond Tiara and making sure that she's not going to screw things up for the colts. Likewise, there's a possible implication she doesn't really support the idea of earth ponies keeping The Secret from the other tribes.
** Diamond Tiara's reaction in chapter 5 when she realizes Cheerilee recognized Diamond Tiara was using her "earthspeaking" skill in front of a unicorn.
** Likewise, at the chapter's end, when Cheerilee implicitly threatens her that she had better get Snips and Snails to pass after Cheerilee went along with Diamond Tiara's false claim.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Cheerilee isn't sure of what Diamond Tiara's plan is, but the hope that the filly is really trying to help the two class clowns is enough to make her support Diamond Tiara's claim. Though she promptly follows up on this by confronting Diamond Tiara and making sure that she's not going to screw things up for the colts. Likewise, there's a possible implication she doesn't really support the idea of earth ponies keeping The Secret from the other tribes.
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Changed line(s) 8,9 (click to see context) from:
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them seperate.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this.
to:
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: At several points, Diamond Tiara refers to or receives lessons from her father that are clearly intended to teach her practical business lessons, mostly relating to humility, empathy and ethics. She invariably twists these to support her own selfish, lazy, manipulative creed.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep themseperate.
separate.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Diamond Tiara gets a very gentle, concerned one from her father early on. It doesn't really affect her attitude, but it does scare her with the idea that she's lost his love, which is why she's so driven to get her perfect grades.
** Diamond Tiara gets a more conventional one from Snails' father when she shows up to tutor Snails.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Deconstructed. Yes, Diamond Tiara has been able to use her father's wealth and/or status to escape punishment or get her way... but, this has an impact on her father's reputation. It's led to her father's Ponyville business dropping as the parents of the classmates she bullies stop buying from him in silent, perfectly legal protest
* SpoiledBrat: The whole story revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara's father realizing he has spoiled his daughter and trying to force her to change -- and her reaction to that.
** It's also a Deconstruction of the trope in that it shows how, realistically, the other ponies of Ponyville would react to Diamond for being such a brat. At one point, Snails' father gets extremely hostile when Diamond Tiara shows up, making her genuinely fearful of him.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to dothis.this, in the face of either studying on her own or failing the class.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Diamond Tiara gets a very gentle, concerned one from her father early on. It doesn't really affect her attitude, but it does scare her with the idea that she's lost his love, which is why she's so driven to get her perfect grades.
** Diamond Tiara gets a more conventional one from Snails' father when she shows up to tutor Snails.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Deconstructed. Yes, Diamond Tiara has been able to use her father's wealth and/or status to escape punishment or get her way... but, this has an impact on her father's reputation. It's led to her father's Ponyville business dropping as the parents of the classmates she bullies stop buying from him in silent, perfectly legal protest
* SpoiledBrat: The whole story revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara's father realizing he has spoiled his daughter and trying to force her to change -- and her reaction to that.
** It's also a Deconstruction of the trope in that it shows how, realistically, the other ponies of Ponyville would react to Diamond for being such a brat. At one point, Snails' father gets extremely hostile when Diamond Tiara shows up, making her genuinely fearful of him.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do
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Added DiffLines:
Diamond Tiara has a simple system for getting perfect marks in school. Silver Spoon does all the studying, and then she lets Diamond Tiara copy her answers. Unfortunately for Diamond Tiara, Cheerilee has caught on to this and has switched their seating around. Now Diamond Tiara is sitting with Snips and Snails. Faced with the unspeakable alternatives of either failing her class or actually trying to catch up on her studies in the last week before finals, Diamond Tiara is determined to coax her new "partners" into doing the studying for her instead.
Read it [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/195040/a-confederacy-of-dunce-caps here]].
----
!!Tropes found in this story include:
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them seperate.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this.
Read it [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/195040/a-confederacy-of-dunce-caps here]].
----
!!Tropes found in this story include:
* ObfuscatingStupidity: It turns out that Snips and Snails ''deliberately'' act up in class so they'll be forced to do remedial work -- which gives them an opportunity to hang out together, as their parents are trying to keep them seperate.
* TakeAThirdOption: The entirety of the story's plot revolves around the concept of Diamond Tiara attempting to do this.
