Fanfic / Spring Broke

A story in The Weedverse, Spring Broke is a sequel to A Basket, a Blanket and a Bundle of Bills, set a few weeks later.

Copperquick has had a trying few weeks since becoming both homeless and jobless after the sudden arrival of his daughter. He's only just keeping up with the schoolwork and the duties of being a single dad. Still, he's got a break now, and is taking a trip with Miss Buttermilk Oddbody to stay with her parents for a week.

While there, he finds himself caught in an old argument between Buttermilk and her mother, Butter Fudge, over Butter Fudge's rather conservative views, compared to Buttermilk's less conservative ones. Oh, and Seville Orange comes looking for Copperquick, hoping to kickstart his career as a reporter.

---

This Fanfic contains examples of:

• Ace Pilot: Ripple Rusher manages to impress Copperquick with her ability to drive a skiff.
• All Abusers Are Male: Discussed. Part of Copperquick's problems are people reacting badly to being told that it's Esmerelda's mother's fault that she's been neglected and stunted, usually in response to trying to tell him that he should let Esme be raised by her mother, because he can't do it properly.
• Alpha Bitch: Copperquick really hopes that Esmerelda hasn't inherited this off her mother. Despite her moments though, she doesn't appear to.
• Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Poor Buttermilk.
• Baby Talk: Esmerelda is just starting to speak (rather late, due to Cielo's Parental Neglect), and actually progresses from one word^note "Foosh", an imitation of the sound of a toilet, to indicate Potty Emergency to several over the course of the story.
• Baby Trap: According to Butter Fudge, Ripple Rusher's situation is the result of a botched attempt at this.
• Bawdy Song: Apparently Princess Luna authored some dirty poetry before her banishment that's still read.
• Big Brother Instinct: The oldest of Ripple's foals is displaying this. The fact he's having to so young is not a good sign.
• Big Damn Kiss: While at Flapper's Henhouse, Copperquick kisses Buttermilk, intending it to be a quick peck. She has other ideas.
• Body Surf: One of the villains in Sinister Dark Versus the Despicables is a wizard who has learned how to do this through golem bodies, and constructed hundreds. Sinister tricks him by implanting a golem core into her own body and trapping him inside.
• Brain Freeze: Esmerelda gets one while eating ice-cream. Of course, as soon as it passes, she eats more ice-cream...
• Briar Patching: Her disapproval of Buttermilk attending university was deliberately calculated by Butter Fudge to push her to go.
• But We Used a Condom!: Copperquick and Cielo didn't use a condom, but Cielo was on the pill. Unfortunately, it didn't work, possibly as a result of Copperquick being an earth pony. Later on, Buttermilk and Copperquick are having some fun, unfortunately, the condom breaks, causing Buttermilk to panic.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Buttermilk deconstructs Butter Fudge's worldview when the opportunity arises. To Butter Fudge's credit, she listens.
• Comforting Comforter: Buttermilk returns from a shopping trip to find that someone has done this to Copperquick.
• Continuity Nod: The encounter with Blancmange and the result are referenced.
• Cool Airship: The Factory Ship, an entire factory suspended in the air, allowing to to move to where the raw materials are and where the finished goods are needed, rather than the other way around. The particular one that shows up, flown by Captain Goldfrost, processes fish and crustaceans into meals for Canterlot, and does a sideline taking other products, including Butter Fudge's cheese, to market.
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: Mister Mariner is mentioned, apparently he's been trying to buy up all the locally-owned businesses. Fortunately, most of the community was smart enough not to let him.
• Cute, but Cacophonic: Esmerelda has her moments, like most young children.
• Daddy's Girl: Buttermilk theorises that this is why she finds being affectionate with Copperquick in the presence of Mighty Midge worse than doing so in the presence of Butter Fudge.
• Death Glare: Why Copperquick decides not to continue a smartflank comment to Butter Fudge.
• Divine Right of Kings: A Deconstruction of the trope (though it's presented in a nonstandard way). The belief that a cutie-mark indicating rulership or lawmaking prowess indicates right and fitness to rule is entrenched in parts of Equestria (including with Butter Fudge)^note It's actually impossible for those not so-marked to become a judge or magistrate, but it's permitted a system to become riddled with hypocrisy and corruption without overview, which is now collapsing once that's exposed.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: When Buttermilk is churning butter. Lampshaded like nobody's business with the effect on Copperquick's studying.
• Downer Ending: Sinister Dark Versus the Despicables has one, with Sinister Dark walking into Tartarus to trap the Golem Lord.
• Eating the Eye Candy: Copperquick takes his ability to do this as Buttermilk walks away from him as proof that he doesn't need glasses, really.
• Fantastic Racism: Seville gets some sympathy from Butter Fudge for the trouble he's having trying to become a reporter as an earth pony.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Mother: Buttermilk is concerned about how her parents will react to her news, due to their previous disapproval of her choices. Butter Fudge is overjoyed, as her previous disapproval was an attempt to get Buttermilk to leave and grow strong for herself, something she has more than succeeded at.
• Feed by Example: Done (fairly successfully) to try and ween Esmerelda.
• First-Name Basis: Copperquick and Buttermilk, reflected in the narration, which now generally calls Buttermilk by her first name, rather than "Miss Oddbody", as in A Basket, a Blanket and a Bundle of Bills.
• Freudian Excuse: It turns out a lot of Butter Fudge's dark opinion of stallions, and earth pony stallions in particular, may well derive from her own parents' problems. Her father forced himself on her mother indiscriminately, and when she finally snapped and fought off yet another attempt at marital rape, it drove them apart and lead to her father raping one of her friends, Daisy Belle. Daisy was blamed for the assault, as was Butter Fudge's mother, and when Daisy began showing, she was forced to marry her rapist. Butter Fudge left home to get away from the situation.
• Gadgeteer's House: Butter Fudge has turned her island into one after getting sick of lanterns and teaching herself electrical engineering.
• Gasshole: Esmeralda has a bout of it after being fed rather richer food than she's used to.
  Esmerelda: Foosh
• Genki Girl: Initially, Buttermilk isn't, despite her characterisation in the previous story. This is due to a lack of caffeine. Once this is remedied, she returns to form, and we find out that her parents are nearly as bad at times.
• Go and Sin No More: Buttermilk Discusses the trope to try and add a more positive note to Seville's report, saying that when someone makes a mistake, giving them the opportunity to fix it rather than cling to biases can be very important and end very well, like in the case of Copperquick and Esmerelda, but she does acknowledge that not everyone will take the opportunities, but still, it's Worth It for when it does work.
• Going for the Big Scoop: The reason that Seville has come so far to speak to Copperquick.
• Good Parents: Butter Fudge and Mighty Midge, as well as Copperquick and Buttermilk.
• Happily Adopted: Buttermilk completely considers Esmerelda as hers, despite the legalities being far from dealt with, most of the time, but sometimes the fact she's not Esmerelda's biological mother distresses her.
• Hell Seeker: Sinister Dark, in the film that the characters go to see, laughing and singing all the way. It's necessary to contain the evil wizard trapped in her body.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Sinister Dark walks into Tartarus, taking the Golem Lord with her.
• Hot Librarian: Despite not strictly being a librarian, Buttermilk hits the aesthetic, which, combined with Copperquick's feather fetish, leads to more than a little distraction.
• How Much Did You Hear?: After being caught watching Copperquick and Buttermilk get very intimate^note Though not actually having sex, although it's pretty close, much to her vocal disappointment, Butter Fudge is asked how long she's been there. Although she doesn't give a straight answer, she does say that Esmerelda was giggling due to Butter Fudge pulling funny faces. Esmerelda has been laughing for the entire chapter...
• Human Cannonball: Nearly the fate of whoever tried building a train track across the delta.
• Hypocrite: Justice Heavy Gavel, the "defender of the common mare", known to be harsh on philandering stallions (and the judge meant to handle Copperquick's case) turns out to have over a dozen illegitimate foals with several mares. It's part of a larger investigation into the judicial system instigated by Twilight Velvet to try and shift some of the mess.
• Hypocritical Humour: Buttermilk tells Copperquick off when Esmerelda begins repeating swear words, despite being the source of the offending remark.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Butter Fudge's opinion of her parenting style. After all, it worked. Also, Buttermilk isn't happy about having to report Ripple Rusher for investigation, but does so for the sake of the foals.
• Imagine Spot: Buttermilk slips into a double-entendre laden one while churning butter. Once it's over, she resolves to enact them that afternoon.
• Innocent Bigot: Mighty Midge's opinions on immigrants and LGBTQ ponies aren't as bad as they could be, but they're still enough to upset Buttermilk.
• Insult Backfire: While her mother is being particularly embarrassing:
  Buttermilk: Moomy! You are the most embarrassing mother alive! My face is on fire right now! Moomy, you are the worst!
  Butter Fudge: Why, Beezy, that is so kind of you to say.
• Internalized Categorism: Butter Fudge bites her tongue around Mighty Midge more than is really healthy, out of deference to the "man of the house", showing just how the sexist attitudes persist once entrenched. She's got the additional problem that if she does break from the role, then Buttermilk will call her on it, as she tried instill the same behaviours into Buttermilk^note When she finally does have a row with Mighty, it's after Buttermilk has already stormed out. Buttermilk herself isn't entirely immune, showing off her abilities at various traditionally feminine tasks to try and entice Copperquick, though he considers such efforts entirely superfluous (though far from unappreciated), after all, she's already won him over.
• It's All My Fault: Downplayed, but Seville blames himself for the arguments he witnesses between Butter Fudge and Buttermilk. Copperquick reassures him that they were arguing long before his arrival.
• I Want Grandkids: Discussed, Butter Fudge does want grandfoals, but doesn't push Buttermilk because she knows her daughter has other plans.
• Let Me at Him!: When Seville drops by unannounced, Butter Fudge, furious about the trespass onto her land, has to be restrained by her daughter. She changes her tune when she discovers why he has come. It's at least partially for show, after all, what would the neighbours think if they saw her welcoming a strange stallion into the house while her husband was away?
• Lie Back and Think of England: The majority of Copperquick's sex ed in the Grittish Isles had this sort of theme, which resulted in the counterreaction when he moved to Equestria, something he's trying to move past. Butter Fudge also gave this advice to her daughter, saying that if sex should turn unpleasant once begun, she should simply put up with it, because better some discomfort and sorting it later than to risk an angry and violent stallion. This freaks Buttermilk enough to put a major block on her ability to actually do the deed with Copperquick. Copperquick responds to this coming out by promising to do what he can to make sure that Buttermilk has nothing but good experiences of love and sex when it comes to telling Esme about such things.
• Like Mother, Like Daughter: Several times, Copperquick notices similarities between Buttermilk and Butter Fudge.
• Like Parent, Like Spouse: Butter Fudge sees a lot of Mighty Midge in Copperquick. Buttermilk, due to past experience with her mother's opinions, is wary.
• Madonna-Whore Complex: Ripple Rusher has been hit with the dark side of a society-wide Complex. She slept with one guy on the promise of marriage, but he betrayed her, and while he got acclamation for his "conquest", she was seen as merely a slut, losing her job and forcing her into The Oldest Profession just to make ends meet. (Note, this is the story as she told it. The truth may be less clear-cut, but she is still a victim of the trope). This is why when the case is brought to Twilight Velvet's attention, she arranges relocation as part of the aid package, to allow Ripple Rusher to escape the stigma.
• Massive Numbered Siblings: Ripple Rusher's foals, due to her profession.
• Meet the In-Laws: Buttermilk is not looking forwards to explaining everything going on to her parents.
• Miss Conception: Downplayed, but Copperquick's sex ed is a little spotty, including not knowing that earth pony stallions have been known to overcome the pill (which resulted in Esmerelda).
• Mistaken for Pedophile: Copperquick tells Seville that he's had a few incidents of this, due to people not expecting a single father to be about, especially when taking his daughter into a bathroom to change her.
• Mood Whiplash: The initially benign story takes a sharp turn for the miserable when they meet Ripple Rusher.
• Motor Mouth: Butter Fudge, as well as her daughter.
• Nervous Wreck: Due to Cielo's Parental Neglect, Esmerelda is prone to separation anxiety if she cannot see her parents, leading to some special instructions for handling her. ^note "You cannot raise your voice and begin shouting, because that does bad things to her. She’ll just shut down and become despondent. She has some abandonment issues. You can’t just put her down and say that she’ll be fine if she’s left to cry it out. She won’t. She’s afraid of the dark and Mrs. Velvet believes that it is because Esmeralda can’t see us. It isn’t enough to hear our voices or to touch us… and don’t cover up her face with a blanket to play peekaboo because she’ll freak out and have the worst meltdown you could possibly imagine."
• Noble Bigot: For all Butter Fudge's tribalism, homophobia and internalised sexism, she does genuinely try to do right by her daughter and granddaughter.
• Nostalgia Filter: Butter Fudge still believes in the "way things were", despite having directly witnessed the negative consequences (see Freudian Excuse, above).
• Not in Front of the Kid: Discussed when Buttermilk begins an angry rant in the same room as Esmerelda. Of course, this doesn't stop Esmerelda repeating the one curse word that does get out. For some reason, it's Copperquick's fault...
• Oh, Crap!: Buttermilk briefly panics when Esmerelda topples over mid-play and stops moving. Fortunately, she's just gone to sleep, as young foals do.
• Private Investigator: Yam Spade is mentioned, as the results of his actions make themselves known.
• Right Through the Wall: Butter Fudge is completely cognizant of what the thumping from upstairs means.
• Rule of Cute: In-Universe, one of the reasons that Buttermilk procures a ball for Esmerelda^note The other is to help her legs develop.
• Screaming Plane Baby: Much to the embarrassment of Copperquick and Buttermilk, Esmerelda is one while the train passes through a long tunnel.
• Shipper on Deck: Mrs. Velvet is apparently keen on Copperquick/Buttermilk, if the box of condoms is any indication. She's joined by Butter Fudge, much to Buttermilk's embarrassment when enthusiastic encouragement occurs.
• Singing in the Shower: Copperquick indulges himself while he has the opportunity (he'd recently been evicted from his own home).
• Security Blanket: Esmeralda has a stuffed carrot.
• Sleep Squashing: Downplayed, but Esmerelda is stuck underneath Copperquick when he fails at Getting the Baby to Sleep and succumbs himself.
• Show Within a Show: The characters go to see a film, a black-and-white Silent Film called Sinister Dark Versus the Despicables.
• The Talk: Butter Fudge gives one to Buttermilk on the peculiarities of earth pony sexuality, given the tribe of Copperquick. Buttermilk is somewhat skeptical of portions of the claims, as in a lot of ways, it's quite negative. Butter Fudge portrays earth ponies as sex-crazed, needing it above all else and needing to be quite strongly physical to get off, and she's concerned about Buttermilk being hurt. It leads into a revelation about where Butter Fudge's opinions have come from (see Freudian Excuse, above).
• This Is Gonna Suck: Copperquick's reaction to Esmerelda being fed an awful lot of syrup.
• Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Mighty Midge and Butter Fudge.
• Too Kinky to Torture: Briefly alluded to, as when Mighty Midge suggests that he should paddle Butter Fudge for misbehaving, she claims she'd misbehave more often.
• Tournament Arc: Mighty Midge enters Copper into a race in order to gamble on it (despite his usual opposition to gambling) and make money to help support Buttermilk and himself.
• Unreliable Expositor: Someone is not telling the whole truth about Ripple Rusher, either herself, claiming she was taken advantage of and fell afoul of the Madonna-Whore Complex, or Butter Fudge, claiming that she went off birth control in an attempt to Baby Trap her then-boyfriend and it backfired when her father threw her out instead of forcing a Shotgun Wedding. The direct narration doesn't particularly favour either side (and can be rather unreliable in The Weedverse anyway).
• Wrench Wench: Butter Fudge taught herself electrical engineering.
• Xanatos Speed Chess: Twilight Velvet's gambits to reform the legal system form a significant background element. Buttermilk is unsure how much is new improvisation and how much was planned, and is currently being kept out of the loop because she needs to focus on Copperquick.
• Your Cheating Heart: Discussed fairly deeply, as Butter Fudge cautions Buttermilk keep Copperquick satisfied to avoid him looking elsewhere. Buttermilk doesn't like the Unfortunate Implications of the attitude, but isn't able to articulate why straight away.

---