First, the good, since I don't want you thinking I'm just hatin' on this shiz, yo. The original premise was intriguing: I've always been a sucker for a playboy-in-love story. Probably the best thing this story has is the characterization, the focus characters are well developed and rounded, plus a backstory to boot. If you get pulled in, there's now a large AU written with lots of other authors involved, with usually the same quality. Finally, there are some scenes that made my heart feel fuzzy.
Now, the bad news. I said I usually like playboy-in-love stories, but what I liked about those stories is the protagonist developing from horny debauchee into a dedicated partner. Cloud Kicker goes from a horny debauchee into a horny debauchee, except we know why now. Combined with other endorsed stories in the canon, she borders on sexual harassment (which others strangely tolerate). I'll admit; Kicker tries, but flirting and sleeping with others while you're actually dating somepony else is something even she knows is a no-no. I'm looking at the latest chapter, *Spoiler Alert*, where Kicker boots Derpy out for worrying that Fluttershy would steal Kicker from her, and then immediately afterwards confirms all of Derpy's fears. Yes, I know, this was to show Cloud Kicker has poor impulse control, and that ship is sunk afterwards, there are points in which you just lose faith in some people, and this event was mine.
That one scene made me remember all the other small grievances I've had came rushing back. Not a chapter goes by without some kind of argument caused by a character acting suddenly bitchy or Oo C (Blossomforth's jealous ranting and Rainbow's sudden masochism spring to mind).
Also, I hope you like lesbians. Now, even within this story, girl-girl couples can be handled well, but I guess they need to be, as I've concluded that male characters don't exist and are in fact simply apparitions characters imagine. Even with the expanded AU, with Mac and Spike (who probably wear prosthetics), the background males stay background males while the background females get backstories woven like priceless Renaissance tapestries. After nearly a dozen pairings and none I ship, I feel like the bingo player who never gets his numbers called.
I'm still going to see this fanfic through, but I'm just not in love with it how I used to be.
Running out of steam, but I'm here to watch it crash.
First, the good, since I don't want you thinking I'm just hatin' on this shiz, yo. The original premise was intriguing: I've always been a sucker for a playboy-in-love story. Probably the best thing this story has is the characterization, the focus characters are well developed and rounded, plus a backstory to boot. If you get pulled in, there's now a large AU written with lots of other authors involved, with usually the same quality. Finally, there are some scenes that made my heart feel fuzzy.
Now, the bad news. I said I usually like playboy-in-love stories, but what I liked about those stories is the protagonist developing from horny debauchee into a dedicated partner. Cloud Kicker goes from a horny debauchee into a horny debauchee, except we know why now. Combined with other endorsed stories in the canon, she borders on sexual harassment (which others strangely tolerate). I'll admit; Kicker tries, but flirting and sleeping with others while you're actually dating somepony else is something even she knows is a no-no. I'm looking at the latest chapter, *Spoiler Alert*, where Kicker boots Derpy out for worrying that Fluttershy would steal Kicker from her, and then immediately afterwards confirms all of Derpy's fears. Yes, I know, this was to show Cloud Kicker has poor impulse control, and that ship is sunk afterwards, there are points in which you just lose faith in some people, and this event was mine.
That one scene made me remember all the other small grievances I've had came rushing back. Not a chapter goes by without some kind of argument caused by a character acting suddenly bitchy or Oo C (Blossomforth's jealous ranting and Rainbow's sudden masochism spring to mind).
Also, I hope you like lesbians. Now, even within this story, girl-girl couples can be handled well, but I guess they need to be, as I've concluded that male characters don't exist and are in fact simply apparitions characters imagine. Even with the expanded AU, with Mac and Spike (who probably wear prosthetics), the background males stay background males while the background females get backstories woven like priceless Renaissance tapestries. After nearly a dozen pairings and none I ship, I feel like the bingo player who never gets his numbers called.
I'm still going to see this fanfic through, but I'm just not in love with it how I used to be.