• Story: My Time Among Clothes Hangers

    [m/m shipping]

    Author: Kegisak
    Description: After being dumped by the latest in a long line of marefriends, Pokey is beginning to wonder if he'll ever find the right mare for him. He never once thought that he might not be looking for a mare at all...
    My Time Among Clothes Hangers

    My Time Among Clothes Hangers (Alternate)

    Additional Tags: It's Scary, In The Closet

    141 comments:

    1. This is a....erm....new kind of shipping.....

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. Bleh! M/M shipping! Sorry, can't read...

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    4. Can someone remind me who Pokey is? A fanon pony?
      I'm not sure if I'm gonna read this. I have this rule about shipping...

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    5. @Bombedrumbum Nope, it's been done before. Braeburn/Mac I believe.

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    6. @Jelfes I meant something more along the lines of unusual/uncommon

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    7. Up on EqD! Awesome!

      Friends, I advise you all set aside prejudice and read this. It's excellent.

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    8. And why the hell is his cutie mark a safety pin!?

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    9. @Whitbane its in the episode where AppleBloom tries to get a cutie mark before Sivler Spoon/Diamond Tiara's party, where AppleBloom tries to hide behind baloons, and Pokey pops them all

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    10. OH MY GOD. IT'S FINALLY ON EQD :DDD
      Ponies, you really need to read this. It's an excellent story.

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    11. I had no clue what "m/m shipping" is when I saw that. I read the discription.

      Umm...I dunno if I wana read this... I think i'll back away slowly... (although this may be a little cute...Wait...WHAT? No why is my mind thinking this? GAH! NO no no. I'm a guy, I shouldnt be thinking this...)

      You know what, I think I may read it and see how...Umm...awkward it is...

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    12. @Bombedrumbum

      That makes sense, thanks!

      And, because several fellow bronies say this is good, I'll shall BEGIN.

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    13. So according to some of you...
      f/f shipping = okay
      m/m shipping = not okay
      I'm actually quite disappointed at some of you guys...

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    14. I think it's pretty funny that we have to specify when it's not lesbian pony shipping, in this fandom.

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    15. @Jelfes well, considering that the majority of bronies are male......

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    16. @Rauzu It's okay, I'm not saying I hate gay people, I don't, they tend to be the funniest people I've known. If that's not what you meant, then the other side of the story is that I've all ready read a couple M/M ships, they sunk, quick and painfully...

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    17. sorry.... i only do lesbian shipping...

      this topic of m/m shipping brings up old fchan images i'd rather forget...

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    18. I will read this based on the merit of the two people who exclaimed its greatness. Another post will follow on my thoughts.

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    19. Okay, no prejudice against gays here (love and tolerate), but its just that these sorta fics arent exactly what people think of when they think of a good shipping fic. Or, rather, not the preferred shipping fic......

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    20. i'm not against m/m couples in humanity, I just don't like it in my Ponies. <_____<

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    21. Do not forget about Love, Friendship and Tolerance Bronies.

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    22. @DreamChaser of course! Of course!.....

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    23. Can such accusations of hating a certain category of our population really be drawn from not reading a fic?

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    24. I gave it a read, decent enough. My opinions aren't really worth anything, though. I dislike shipping in general, it's as intense as my hatred for poetry.

      It was well-written, and the subtle humour was a bit funny. Characters are nice too, just not the genre that draws me in. I'll rate it a five outta five because it had no errors that I could see (granted it's 4 in the morning, so it's not like I can see much anyways) and seems like a good story, but just not something I'd actively follow.

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    25. @Rauzu

      Fucking seriously.

      You guys are no better than porn-obsessed teenage boys. Get over yourselves.

      Male/Male relationships are just as valid as Female/Female. Stop bitching about it.

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    26. If people are prejudiced against this shipfic because it has homosexual shipping then they should be against any and all shipfics involving mares and only mares because that counts as homosexual shipping too.

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    27. For the record, I dont really read shipping fics in general, unless its m/f

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    28. In fact, I'll add this to my PDF gallery just to annoy you prudes out there.

      At least, I will once it has a second chapter... d'oh.

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    29. I don't have any problem with M/M shipping (And I'm frankly a little disappointed in everpony here who does >:l) but it just doesn't catch my interest because none of the males in the show are all that well-characterized.

      I *prefer* fics with established characters, but I may give this one a whirl.

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    30. I knew it.

      I was always told people shipped 'because it was cute', but now when even a hint of m/m shipping comes up people get upset.

      And people constantly try to argue against the fact that I believe people watch this like a Japanese yuri show.

      Also, Seth is basically a shining example of the above. He actually avidly argued against putting M/M shipping up on the blog despite all of the F/F.

      Pathetic. I'm ashamed to share the same interest (show-wise) with you low-lives.

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    31. Again, not against it because it's dudes... Some people here are drawing large assumptions from nothing. Nobody here has gone, 'OMG dudes wit dudez?! WTF Guyz, thats totaly gros n wrong. te athor should feel bad!!1eleven1' Hopefully you can tell I was being sarcastic there by my use of uncharacteristic improper grammar.

      Analogy time!
      I like ice cream, but I don't like ice cream with strawberries in it. That must totally mean that I hate everyone that associates themselves with ice cream with strawberries(see what faulty logic does, it's not fun).

      Please, understand that nobody here is bashing on gay people, it's ridiculous to think anypony here is doing so...

      No more comments from me here, because it's become apparent that if I don't like what you like then I'm not welcome! *cough cough*tolerance*cough*

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    32. It was well written. I like the writer's style. I can't say I was as interested in this as I was interested in TwiLuna and DashiePie and their ilk, solely because those characters have emotional hooks already instilled in them.
      A decent story for people who want a lighthearted shipfic about fanon ponies.

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    33. @Cottonmouth We're not avidly saying "EW GAY PONIES!!", no, we bronies love and tolerate. We may not be for them, but it doesn't mean that we all hate them. Also, leave Seth out of this. He's been forced to do things that he didnt want to do due to high demand, Equestria after Dark being an example of that. So do us all a favor and do what your username tells you to: stuff cotton in your mouth and Shut. Up.

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    34. @Cottonmouth also, look at all the positive comments. There's proof that not everypony hates this.

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    35. Hey, guys, look. Calm down - I knew this sort of thing was going to happen when I wrote it. Don't judge anyone for being a bit reluctant to read it - especially not touting the line that you love and tolerate more than them. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and I knew it wouldn't be to everyone's tastes. I'm okay with that.

      For all you folks having a tough time thinking whether or not to read this because its M/M shipping, let me give you an alternative way of thinking of it.

      I only put up that tag because, yeah, two guys get together. But there's much more to it then that. In fact, its only a fairly minimal element. The main point of the fic is about Pokey discovering who he is. So think about it like that. Not a M/M ship fic, but a story of self-discovery. Because the most terrifying thing in the world is to look in the mirror, and not know what's looking back at you.

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    36. Awwww! That was a cute and sweet story! Kudos! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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    37. @Jelfes As show of good will I will read it as well, leave my comment on how it was, and that'll be that...settled? Satisfied? (in case you didn't already see, I've read M/M shipping before, in fact I've read every one that I've seen since becoming a brony)

      Usually don't go back on my word so quickly, but it seems that this was necessary to quell the accusations.

      /flame war
      Damn, didn't think one of those would happen for a long time... I am disappoint.

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    38. Alright, I'm fine with the m/m thing, I'm cool with the strong shipping dealio, and the writing wasn't technically wrong, but the style... it didn't grab me. Guess it just wasn't my type of writing. Then again, I don't normally go for shipping in a fanfic if I can avoid it...

      Wow, that's ironic, but whatever. Really, the bigger problem for me isn't homosexual ponies, but relationships in my ponies in general. Unless it is both well done and under-pronounced, I don't want my ponies in more than a friendship or a suggestion of more.

      That's my 2 bits.

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    39. Oh geez, comedy gold in comments here. Where's the oft advertised love and tolerance you guys? One m/m shipping story and the fur is flying.

      I am dissapoint. Not surprised tho.

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    40. Btw, above picture... Pokey and Trixie do make a very cute couple. Ship that!

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    41. @Darkfoxx

      Funny you should mention that... now that I look at it, that little colt is actually a pegasus in the show.

      DERP

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    42. Regarding the story... The formatting is a bit awkward at points, but the content itself is five-star material. Relatable, warm, fuzzy, and just Celly-damned cute! One of the better shipping stories I've read, mane cast or otherwise.

      Regarding the comments... I think a few ponies are just over-reacting to simple "I'm sure it's good, but I don't read m/m" remarks...but on the other hoof, why would anypony post about a fic they don't mean to ever read, just to say it's not their cup of tea? All it accomplishes is to invite the kind of comment debates we're seeing above, and like we saw initially when Cogs' "Apple Branches" went up.

      Now, more adorable stuff like this, regardless of what gender ponies are involved!

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    43. @MaximillianVeers

      Actually I dunno what I'm talking about. Archer cutie mark => earth filly.

      IGNORE ME.

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    44. A enjoyable shipping fic. I do notice that a lot of f/f shipping fics go for the journey of self discovery route. Almost always with the "what if they hate me" and the denial "I am not gay" angles. I enjoy f/f fics that dont need that. There are some. I have yet to read a single m/m ship that doesn't need the denial and self discovery angle. Anyway, good fic, enjoyed it.

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    45. Read it.

      Awwww. We need more cute like this. <3

      Master Kegisak, can we have more, please?

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    46. Alternate link. Its easier to read on fimfiction.
      http://www.fimfiction.net/story/906/My-Time-Among-Clothes-Hangers

      Very Very beautiful fic.
      I am sure every gay guy has been in this situation 1st coming out how will your friends/family react and finally accepting yourself for what/who you are.

      Soo recommending this to other people and you do not even need to be gay to enjoy this but hopefully it gives people and idea what it is actually like to come out.

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    47. @Darkfoxx
      That would be awesome, they seem perfect for each other.

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    48. The amount of controversy a M/M ship fic is getting is astounding. you'd think no one would care what with all the F/F ship fics.

      My point is not that every one has to like it, but don't make such a big deal over it. :|

      That being said, I AM bi so I have no problem with these fics and will now proceed to read this.

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    49. Dang, such a misleading pic... Here I was getting excited over Trixie x a male pony (or at least anypony other than Twi).

      also lol @ all the drama about m/m shipping.
      I don't care either way, but I like x/y shipping more than x/x or y/y shipping. Mostly because they're rarer than most (due to the insane amount of mares compared to stallions). Oh and there's also me thinking that x/x seems a bit forced due to the constant reminder that ponies make good friends and not, err... love with each other. I don't think I've even seen a pony in love in the show other than Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Twi's parents, and Spike.

      Aaand there's my two bits.

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    50. Finally, finished it after two hours of reading. There were some slip-ups in the story like using the word, "people," rather than pony. Some inconsistencies with the punctuation, but considering the size of this one-shot, they can, easily, be forgiven.

      Glad that I read this one, it was absolutely polar opposite of the other M/M ship fics I've read. I would say that I've learned not to judge a fic by its description, but this one, I think, was just an exception, because all the other M/M ships I've read/was going to read didn't have any work up in the relationship, they were pretty much started the shipee's off really close already, barely showing the feelings either of them had, and just had them, 'go at it,' right away, after getting together.

      This fic definitely stands out from the rest of the M/M, F/F, and M/F ship fics I've read... and I've read a lot of ship fics.

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    51. M/M SHIPPING IS AN ABOMINATION

      F/F shipping is awesome n hawt. zomg, appledash!

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    52. ^
      Hey, look, either an actual reason for you to get angry at someone, or just trolling/being sarcastic!

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    53. I'm not gay, nor do I like shipping, but...

      We need more m/m fics.

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    54. @Jelfes

      I'm guessing sarcasm. Sounds almost too ignorant to be natural.

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    55. i don't hate gay people or anything, but i hate them and don't think they should have any rights

      HOMOPHOBIC LIKE A BOSS

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    56. I'd like to comment that this fic REALLY needs a different image for it. It kind of gives the wrong impression about the story's contents.

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    57. @mycutiemarkisagun All right, I think that cleared up the micro-debate sufficiently.

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    58. That little filly that looks like Scootaloo but is an earth pony can be found in the classroom scene in the beginning of the episode "Call of the Cutie." Her fanon name is Archer and is also mentioned by Seth and Cereal in Q&Neigh part 2.

      As for Pokey, he can be found in the same episode, popping balloons that Applebloom was hiding behind during the party scene. There was one comic in the archives somewhere when he got his cutie mark by piercing his own ear.

      He is also found as a background character in the crowd in the Trixie episode (when Trixie is doing her stage show) and during the Show Stoppers episode (the talent show).

      Some think that he is Trixie's brother due to having a similar color scheme but that is just fan speculation at this point.

      P.S. I hate when Blogger eats my comments, I should probably copy my long posts in case it does, because remembering my long comments can get tiresome. Anyhoo, just wanted to give a little more information, because you can never have enough.

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    59. Ok, just finished, great story and you've captured the emotions perfectly. My only real complaint is the writing style jumps around a lot, but it seemed to get better byte second half of the story.

      I hope all the controversy hasn't discouraged you from writing more stories.

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    60. I think the image should be changed to the one used for the fic on fimfiction.net

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    61. I didn't like this fic. Fics where the closeted character constantly gets asked "are you sure you're not gay?" are doomed imo. It's not a great setup. Either he's not gay and his friends were being annoying or he has to realize that he is gay.

      The latter choice is the "right" one but really hard to pull off. They were just friends, and the only "non-friend" thing they talked about was asking what it was like to be in a long-term relationship and then he get's uncomfortable then nervous. I didn't really feel anything.

      However, him coming out to brolly was very well-written and did make me feel. That is the exceptional part of this fic.

      Otherwise, pedestrian.

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    62. I support gay shipping, as long as both mares are hot.

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    63. I can say that I really liked the story. I've been in a similar spot myself, coming to terms with my own gayness, and I can say it's pretty accurate.

      Myself, I wasn't quite as torn up about it since I came from a very understanding family, but I've known people who did and even with supportive parents it can be hard to reconcile what you feel with what the world tries to tell you.

      So yeah. I like the story.

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    64. The worlds need more Male/Male Shipping.

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    65. There was this one collection of really good Big Mac/Caramel fics titled "Apple Branches"...but I'm a bit wary of this one because I recently read a VERY badly written Soarin'/Braeburn clopfic. It was a little horrifying, honestly.

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    66. @Darkfoxx

      That threw me off, if this is m/m shipping why is that picture being used? I guess they don't have one of Pokey on his own. Shame.

      Anyway on to the fic: decently written, but it reminds me of a lot of 'meh' romcoms. Course this could be due to the fact that as fics go it is short and good stories need time for drama and tension. Thanks for the post though.

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    67. Heh, read this on Fim-Fic a while ago. Quite the nice piece. Reminds me of the troubles some of my friends from high school had. And honestly (from an outside perspective, so shoot me) folks need a more open mind about m/m relationships, in fanfics and real life - they go through a ton of confusion and social stigma just to be honest with themselves.

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    68. I'm not big on any shippings myself, except friendshipping really. I just don't like romance centric stories myself. I'll give this one a look after I'm through with Project Horizon.

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    69. Dawwww look at those cute "I don't hate gays BUT" sentences. I've seen alot of those. "I don't hate gays BUT why do they have to flaunt it?" "I don't hate gays BUT they're so queer." "I don't hate gays BUT they don't deserve the same rights." Those sentences make it very hard for me to love and tolerate others.

      Seriously, anytime you say, "I'm not a bigot BUT" you make yourself sound like a bigot. Why do you need to qualify your dislike for a gay (male) relationship in writing in a community that LOVES shipping females together? Why do you need to post that you won't read it because it's 2 dudes?

      As far as I can see, the only people overreacting here are the people that posted first. That they wouldn't read it because it was 2 dudes. I don't read pony fanfic, myself. But you don't see me posting on every single fic "ZOMG PONIES IN RELATIONSHIPS HOW DARE YOU!" I just don't read them. So rather than just not read it and not care about it, you proceeded to articulate your personal disgust smack dab in the middle of the internet. Then proceed to comment several more times about how "bad" m/m shipping is. And you really wonder why others are upset? Really? REALLY?
      I expected more from our community. First, in a community that has a TON of f/f shipping, to even complain about the concept of gay shipping is stupid. Second, it's offensive to members of this community THAT ARE GAY. Third, it's offensive to everyone else that doesn't have a juvenile mind when it comes to sex and relationships. Fourth, it makes you look like a total tool. And hiding behind the "love and tolerate" creed after doing neither is shameful.

      This is so disappointing.

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    70. Wow guys calm down it's just a shipping story

      Anyway I liked it, especially that part at the end with Pokey and Brolly, although I think Pokey got over his revelation a bit too fast.

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    71. The only thing worse than people complaining about m/m shipping are people COMPLAINING about the ones complaining. Come on, people are entitled to their opinions, right? No need to play the bigot card or the love and tolerance card--some of us just aren't really into m/m shipping. Don't be so sensitive.

      I for one don't generally go for m/m shipping because I've had some poor experiences with it--I can't recall a single m/m fanfiction in any sort of fandom that I can honestly say I enjoyed reading, mostly because it felt forced and OOC. It's certainly not because I hate gays, and I'm offended that anyone should think so. That said, I haven't read this yet, but I'll give it a shot since we're basically looking at a clean slate background pony with not a lot of fanon to his name.

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    72. It's ridiculous to flail in panic over M/M shipping when 90% of the shipping fics on ED are F/F. The comments about how "I wouldn't read M/M EVER!!1" seem to be crude attempts to discourage M/M shippers. Not appreciated.

      Anyway, getting back to the fic, I very much enjoyed it and liked that Pokey's angst wasn't over in two seconds, which tends to happen in some fics. Also liked that you had Pokey's roommate joking around rather than "RAWR GAY IS BAD", yet still had his comments gnaw at Pokey. It's not always the obvious remarks that hurt . . .

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    73. If you do not like the subject, do not read it. But they say, is to be nasty, a lot.

      By the way, I loved the story!! So cute!

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    74. What the heck does Trixie have to do with this fic? And more importantly this is m/m so why is there a picture of Pokey having a family with Trixie?

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    75. I'd like to continue reading this but the format of the text on this page looks like a mess.

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    76. after reading the comments here, I'll give this a shot simply cause people keep talking about the writing style..

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    77. I enjoyed it. Despite being a straight male, I've always loved gay romances. No clue why.

      The writing was fairly well done, and the characters were enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the interactions between Pokey and Brolly. I've been a fan of Pokey since reading "One Last Quest", and I was pleased to see him getting some more attention.

      I think that a lot of the opposition towards m/m comes from the fact that a lot of people prefer to read stories about established characters in the show, and the only males with any real characterization are related or children.

      Anyway, good story! I'm looking forward to seeing any updates.

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    78. I don't remember what it was called, but I remember a story where Big Macintosh discovered he was gay, and struggled with it. I hope this is as good.

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    79. Not a big fan of Normal/Shipping. I like Comedy and/or Adventure mixed in.
      Also I am not prejudiced against M/M shipping (clop I wouldn't read because it doesn't turn me on but SFW pony shipping is cute no matter who it is) however I am prejudiced against the majority of male ponies since they are so underdeveloped and I specifically dislike Pokey.

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    80. Also who is he being shipped with?

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    81. I look forward to MLP developing at least two of the male characters some time in the future. That way, if someone ships them (assuming it doesn't suck) and it still generates strong negative reactions, we'll all know the elephant in the room is a pink one.

      At the same time, it is silly to accuse some person of not liking gay people (men) because they don't want to read about magical male ponies falling in love. But why would such a person take the time to air that general disinterest in the comments of the fic that they don't care about? Maybe the novelty of it all just impels people to comment, but by going out of your way to post a response to story you haven't read because you don't care for that type of story in the first place- it gives a vaguely hostile impression. I just don't know what the motivation for that is.

      Does anyone here feel the need to let the authors of crossover fics know how much they don't like and won't read crossovers on the page where the crossover story is posted?

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    82. Well, this is going in my bookmarks. M/M shipping is rare in a 90% female cast, and the reviews on this seem positive. I'll be reading this after class.

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    83. why is it that whenever you see a mane cast f/f shipping fic, you all love it, but when you see a m/m fic you back away slowly?

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    84. Considering how often we collectively ship the mane 6 together, it's a lil' hypocritical to judge an m/m story any differently. The fact that we even find ourselves bringing it up is quite telling.
      Yes, the formatting is a little off and the friendshipping is pushed a little too hard, but the story does what it set out to do in a compelling and believable way. I approve.

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    85. Was an awesome read : ) We all could use some more M/M in our ponies... I'm a huge fan of Macintosh x Caramel ;)

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    86. Hmmm.............
      I expected some heterosexual....
      BUT THIS SEEMS ACCEPTABLE.

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    87. I love the smell of a Flame War in the morning.

      There's no smell like it the world.

      Smell's like...stupidy.

      With that said any and all of you jokers out there need to put a /sarc tag after your posts to prevent a whole lot grief in the comment section.

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    88. I'm glad this finally made it up, kegisak! This fic is very much worth reading, with attractive characters and a warm-and-fuzzy resolution.

      You may wanna change that picture, though, especially since the m/m tag is so small. =D

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    89. Whew, look at the size of this comments section! Okay, so maybe, MAYBE a third of it is actually about the story... it really is a shame to see a flame war here. Not because of the subject matter - like I said before, I knew some people weren't going to like it. I'm okay with that. No, it just makes me a little sad because at the end of the day, I write to make people happy. So It kinda bums me out a bit to see people getting mad at each other over something I made to put a few smiles on a few faces.

      Butit looks like some of you really did like it, and I'm glad of that! More than anything I'm really glad that I captured the 'coming out' feeling well - mine was completely pain free, but I know it can be hard for a lot of people. I'm glad that I handled it well.

      And thanks for all those people who pointed out that the formatting is an issue - once again, Seth only posted the FF.net link, which I only sent as a BACKUP, for people who couldn't read GDocs. I'm going to send in an email asking them to put up the GDocs, which has much better formatting. And while I'm at it, I may look into a better picture for him. This one is a bit misleading, I know.

      And one final note: A couple of commenters expressed interest in a second part, and... well, I don't have any plans to make one. Sorry. But then, I didn't have any plans to write the sequel to feedback, but I did anyways. So, I might have to do it yet. But either way, it won't be for a long time. I still have to finish The Colour You Bleed first.

      Thanks to everyone who read it, and liked it! Especially thanks to those who were reluctant to give it a try at first. I'm glad you decided to broaden your horizons a bit!

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    90. @Rauzu

      This a million times.

      Bronies, I am disappoint.

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    91. A coming out story, eh?

      Well, sounds interesting. I had trouble coming out... Probably much more than many people (considering I'm not gay, but a zoophile, which is much more socially taboo), so if this story was meant to capture that feel, I think I'll enjoy reading it.

      Also, my comments on the whole debate in the comments: There's a difference between not wanting to read a m/m shipping story and not liking homosexuality.

      It's the same in real life: You can find a guy and a girl kissing sexy, and perhaps two girls kissing sexy, but most males would find two males kissing decidedly not sexy.

      Does that mean you don't approve of their actions? No, of course not. It doesn't mean you find it wrong. It just means that it is not your particular area of interest.

      Now, if you don't think it should be allowed, now that's a whole different ballgame. If you are in favor of f/f but not m/m being allowed, then you are a hypocrite and a homophobe.

      Anyway, that's my two cents. I'll put in two more cents when I have time to read the actual story.

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    92. My question is: Why does this fic need the additional tag 'It's scary'? Is it because it's a M/M shipping fic, or is it because of how realistic it might be that it could hit close to home for some people?
      I'm afraid I don't have the time at the moment to read the fic in it's entirety to find out just why. But while I'm more of a straight shipper, I actually would be willing to check it out later when time allows me.

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    93. @Cel Phone: No, it's that the 'additional tags' were supposed to be taken as one sentence: It's scary in the closet. Most of the story is about Pokey freaking out and avoiding confronting his feelings for Ace.

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    94. Hee. That was. A fun read. I did love that the story expressed nicely that when it comes to sexuality, we can't always help what gender we're really attracted to.

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    95. *sees m/m shipping tag*
      Eh, why not? I'll give this a shot.
      *clicks title, sees massive number of comments*
      What the heck are they talking about?
      *reads comments, sees flame war*
      Seriously? It's just a fic.
      *clicks link, reads fic*
      *fifteen minutes later*
      Well, I don't usually read fics that just have a "shipping" tag, but this one was really good.
      Please read this one, bronies!

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    96. This ain't a flame war, folks. Well, I guess Cal's comment was pretty flame-y, and a few other ones, but that hardly qualifies as a war. Anyways, people are being pretty polite for the most part, and that's nice to see. Good job, bronies.

      Anyways, here's my recommendations: if you're not gonna read something, don't both saying so - 'tain't necessary or useful information. If you don't want to read the story solely because you don't relate to M/M relationships, give it a try and see - maybe I'm just a romantic, but the non-sexy stuff still brings a smile to my face (as for the sex, well, I don't appreciate it as much as some probably could, but whatever). If you're not reading it 'cos you've had issues with M/M romance fiction in the past, well, try not to judge a story by its genre. Especially if it's up here.

      Feel free to take as much or as little of my advice as you like. :)

      ReplyDelete
    97. @kegisak

      Oh, okay xD Sometimes tags are normally separated in commas, so I wasn't really certain. Thanks for clearing that up for me!

      ReplyDelete
    98. "Additional Tags: It's Scary, In The Closet"

      Oh... oh my.

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    99. Baw, that was so sweet. I really like this. Like, a lot. Really, read it.

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    100. it was nice. i, uhm, really have no other comment. sorry ...

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    101. Not that anyone is going to notice this, buried deep within the flame war, but here's my two cents.

      People can get worked up with shipping stories, particularly male/male shipping stories, because they automatically associate shipping with eroticism.

      There is no eroticism in this story. None whatsoever. It is instead heartfelt and endearing. It has good characters and explores their personalities. In other words, it's everything a shipping fic should be.

      Parts of it are a little slow paced, but the scenes with Brolly are golden. The way Brolly and Pokey play off of each other had me chuckling constantly.

      Particularly the climax. It's already been mentioned, but it's worth repeating. The climax of the story is incredibly evocative and very well-written. I don't cry. Ever. There must have been something in my eye, then, because it was realistic and true, and truly heartwarming.

      I love that scene and wish I could make a monologue out of it or something.

      And that's my two cents.

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    102. Congratulations. You have successfully creeped me out of reading this in just one chapter. I wonder if there's a prize for that somewhere...

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    103. I'd just like to say, I'm sorry for being part of the cause of a flame war. Under any other circumstance I simply wouldn't have commented, however I've become accustomed to commenting on pretty much everything that is posted here.

      That doesn't mean, however, that others should mutilate the original meaning of a comment which was meant to be harmless. I should have, in that first commented mentioned at least why I wasn't going to read it, because some people here read a comment and immediately jump straight to the bottom to make a comment of their own, before continuing through the rest of the comments to find reasoning.

      As I already said, this was a great fic, all ship fics should use this as their guidelines, being that it was done so well, and didn't have any clop for those unsuspecting of it.

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    104. D'aww, that was rather sweet. Formatting wasn't the greatest of all time with the version I read (spacing between paragraphs was inconsistent and often lacking), and it did sometimes feel like the joking about Pokey was overdone, but the end was sweet.

      Arothyss. I don't like to castigate, but that was a singularly unhelpful comment. Try explaining what you felt was done wrong - nobody is perfect; and if one takes it upon oneself to correct another, one had better put some effort into it, lest they themselves be corrected. (Also, that one chapter was the entire thing, looks like - tags say "complete")

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    105. So I read through the whole story and I gotta say it was one of the best I've read. Biggest problem I have with ship fics now is that I too often feel detached from the characters where as here I almost felt like I was Pokey. I felt the nervousness when he did, and at the end when he finally accepted his feelings I felt that same feeling once again when I finally accepted mine.

      Thank you for this great story.

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    106. Squeee~! This was a fabulous story! Super cute!

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    107. I've not seen a parasprite uprising like this on here since 'Trapping the Quarterback'!

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    108. *Look at the comments in the page*

      ''Well, it would appear that people go jolly-crazy for stupid reasons...''

      *Scratch my head*

      Isn't there a story to read here, no ?
      Moron haters go away OR !Read!... It's what stories are for... Reading !

      *Hypno-Toad* @~@ Read.

      ReplyDelete
    109. Okay, I found that an adorably sweet little story. Really, it's about time for more colts getting together. I mean, c'mon, like ninety-eight percent of shipping is all mares all the time, it's nice to have the other side of the coin once in a while. And even though I never much liked Ace, because his facial hair looks plain weird on a pony, he actually kinda fit.

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    110. Hmm was I the only pony hoping he'd get with his roommate? Lol good story. Formats a bit hard to make out at times, but then you did better then my first attempt at a story. I would read a second chapter if it has one. If it's a one off it works well too.

      Now then...it seems I missed the flame war...

      *sadly puts away his flame thrower and WWII helmet*

      I never get to use this stuff...

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    111. I'll be honest, the only reason I read this is because it had Pokey in it...but I'm really glad I did. So much shipping takes the protagonists' romantic inclinations as a given, it's nice to see a story that doesn't take anything for granted and walks us through the tumult of a pre-relationship.

      The humor throughout the piece was top-notch, and there was some real poignancy scattered throughout too. Wrestling with one's sexuality is scary, because it's coming to terms with who you really are, and that terror of not knowing oneself really comes through. Great job, through and through.

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    112. I also hoped Pokey would get with Brolly, mainly because he seems so cool. Seriously, Brolly was the best part of this story for me.

      The general awkwardness made it a really entertaining story, even if it jumped around a bit much.

      good story, I liked it, have a waffle (>º.º)>#

      ReplyDelete
    113. Wow, everyone is dicks. Great job on the fail, guys. Totally reinforces the idea that Bronies are porn-starved basement dwellers who think lesbians who perform for their delight are SO HAWT!! and gay (men) are SO GROSS!11one

      Also, if you only commented to say that you think gay fic is nasty BUT YOU'RE TOTES OKAY WITH PEOPLE HAVING THEIR OWN KINKS, U GUISE, you're gross too. Way to perpetuate homophobia under the guise of open-mindedness. Especially your butthurt when you get called out on it, lawls.

      Protip: The people who are most threatened by gay material are usually afraid they'll like it too much. Food for thought.

      Annnnnd I gotta force myself out of my writing rut ASAP, because this is something I need to remedy.

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    114. @Jimbo
      Supporting M/M stories is all good and fine, but you (or anyone in fact) can do it more, say, ''politely'', no ?

      Also, that so called ''protip'' is as old as the Internet, seriously... A bit weak too, politely said.

      ReplyDelete
    115. >But Medley was different, Pokey could tell. She would last.
      -Famous last words.

      >We... Pokey, I don't think this is working.
      -Amber alert ! Amber alert !

      >"Oh, Pokey, please don't make this harder than it is," Medley pleaded
      -One of the worst and weakest egoist things they can say...

      >She had offered to let him stay for dinner, to celebrate their new-found "friendship"
      -''to celebrate their new-found "friendship''... Good but extremely naive mare or sadistic marefriend pouring salt over a fresh wound ? One can wonder ?

      >Now go on, get out there and find yourself a nice colt.”
      -''Subtle'' foreshadowing !

      >“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just curious, was all.”
      -The relative 'subtlety' so far is relatively interesting. Relatively speaking.

      >We need to fight for the right to have a decent drink without stupid rave music boiling our brains out!”
      -Hey ? I hope he's not badmouthing DJ P0N-3's club ! How could he dare !

      >Stalliongrad - Pokey had heard that the ponies living higher in the mountains could be very friendly.
      -Russian-like ponies are great ponies.

      >“Sticking my nose in your business is pretty much the whole job description.
      -Wait ? Let me check that list... Huh... He's right ? It IS on the list.

      >“considering you stab people for a living, I guess it’s better than having you out on the street.”
      -Doctors AND Lawyers do that all the time too, and they are VERY well paid for that.

      > it’s also kinda tricky to get used to swinging a tennis racket with your mouth.
      -Wait ? ...ohhh ! He's that 'tennis pony', forgot the name he has on the wiki. Was it really ''Ace'' ?

      >“That’s all. Just a drinking buddy.”
      >“He seems... friendly,” she commented
      -Why does ''friendly drinking buddy'' INSTANTLY equals ''that'' in Rose's mind ? Seems like a bit of a forced thought here, really.

      >“I was boring and practiced all day
      -''I was boring and practiced..'' ? ...Should it be : ''I was bored and practiced..'' ?

      >“Are... are you serious? You’ve got a date with this guy?”
      -They never go get a bite with their friend(s) in this dimension or something ?
      It starts with friendly jokes, then slowly into harassing. Careful with that.

      >“In the mountains,” Ace told him, playing up his accent, “We like our food spicy! It gives it flavor, and keeps us warm!”
      -That and vodka. :)

      >“It’s the fat in it. So thicker milk has more fat, and yogurt has way more fat. Cheese helps too, I hear
      -Yeah, that's right :).
      Wait... cheese ? Huh ? I'm curious now; I might try that soon, one of these days. Any specific kind of cheese ?

      >“You take debit, right?” >“Oh... no,” Medley told him, “We’re cash only. Sorry.”
      -I hate it when places don't take debit card, but they really should, but they don't for whatever weird reasons.

      >You never know... talking about it might make you feel better.
      -Isn't it the third time this phrase is used ?

      >“Of course it doesn’t! Why should it matter?! I’m normal! I’m straight, just like everypony else!
      -3, 2, 1... Going crazy fast is a go!

      >“I’ve been saving this for you. Go get him, Pokey.”
      -Sounds like something from a movie. ;)

      -----

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    116. @Nova25
      -----

      Well, a long read, but relatively well made.
      Stuff were happening quite progressively and slowly, but I don't think it was a bad thing, especially in those kind of stories; where you need to set things right and solidly, before throwing the 'big things'.

      Still, I must *raise an eyebrow* at the fact that EVERY. SINGLE. PONY. kept having some sort of *Automatic-Instant-Magic thought* that Pokey was ''with'' Ace, almost every single time one opened its mouth to say something, seriously... yet, this apparently never happened relative to 'Brolly' ?
      It wasn't that bad of a thing, it still felt like it was, maybe, hammered a bit too much (obviously) in the story.

      Anyway, good story.

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    117. @Nova25: I don't actually know about the cheese, I was just extrapolating: milk and yogurt do help, so it makes sense. I would presume any sort of cheese, if it works at all.

      As for "everybody" guessing, keep in mind there were only three other cast members, all of whom knew Pokey reasonably well. Medley saw Pokey on a pseudo-date with Ace and saw how much he was enjoying himself, Rose noticed the way he acted with Ace and compared it to her own experiences (plus she works very heavily with couples, being a florist, and may have known that Ace was gay beforehand), and Brolly... well, he was just joking around like an ass. He legitimately didn't think that Pokey was gay at all.

      Anyways, thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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    118. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    119. @Nova25

      The moment you pull out the tone argument is the moment I stop listening. For further reading: http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Tone_argument

      (I also love how you start out with "you should be polite!" and then say something and try to back it up with "politely said." Politeness ... I don't think that word means what you think it means. You can't just tag it onto the end of sentences like a hashtag. #politeness)

      That said, I really should have finished reading the comments before I posted, because I would have realized that while the initial posters where completely [insert scathing statement of disbelieving fury], everyone else called them out on it brilliantly. Thanks for the reaffirmation of my pride in Bronies, guys. Very proud of you right now. :)

      @Cottonmouth, I am so shocked right now that we agree, but - I completely agree with what you're saying. I feel like there's this whole seedy underbelly of "the only good gay is one who performs for my benefit," (e.g. lesbians) and it's disgusting. I am glad someone else has noticed it. We may disagree on other points, but I highly agree with you on this one. Well said.

      @Cal - you are my hero, seriously. You said everything I wanted to say, but with less cussing. I'm sending you internet kissies right now. <3

      ReplyDelete
    120. @Jimbo

      Ey, ey, no. I appreciate you coming back to apologize for overreacting, but do not top it off by taking another pot shot. The flaming finally died down here, and I will not have it starting up again. I write so that people can enjoy it, and be happy for a little while. I do not write so people can use it as a platform against one another, and to be honest? The people coming in here to talk about how disappointed they are are annoying more than the homophobic comments. Seriously. No more of this. If you people want to comment on the story, fantastic! If you want to comment on each other, start a thread on ponychan or something. I say again: I write to make people happy. This is not a place to platform against one another, and I. Will. Have. No. More. Of. It.

      I apologize for being short about this, but well over half the comments are people taking shots back and forth. This is not the time or place. I'm sorry.

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    121. I liked the story. It was well told, and characters were well developed despite their background status.

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    122. Oh crap, that's a lot of comments.
      SOP camouflaged bigotry, but ah hay, we all get used to it.
      Maybe someday we will read it for the romance/plot/whatever we read things for, instead of running away of a m/m tag because "not gay".

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    123. That was a really good read. The part where he couldn't lie to himself any longer about who and what he was conjured up some of my own memories. My imaginary hat goes off to you.

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    124. @Jimbo
      Tone argument ?
      What are you talking about ?
      And *how* me ''possibly'' talking about... tone?... might have anything to do OR be relevant in any way to what is said here, now, in this page ?

      >(I also love how you start out with "you should be polite!"
      -Huh... yeeees ?
      You have something against 'trying' to be as polite as it's possible or something ?

      >and then say something and try to back it up with "politely said.
      -Yes, so ?
      If I find that an element or specific detail was badly done or that some action(s) seemed stupid, to my opinion... and THEN add ''politely said'', in order to state and reassure that my statement is *STRICTLY* addressed to what I specifically pointed, and not the story itself or the author... You know, in order to prevent people of thinking things that I haven't written or start making 'mountains out of molehills'...

      What point were you trying to make again ?

      -----

      ...anyway...

      ...There also the fact that you apparently disregarded the first part of what I said to you :
      >Supporting M/M stories is all good and fine, but you (or anyone in fact) can do it more, say, ''politely'', no ?
      -To put it simply... I said : 'Good to support this(m/m) story' and also 'defend it, yes, but be more polite/civilized than the haters'.
      A simple advice that had NO double-meaning whatsoever.

      So... I don't quite get why you feel the need to be (slightly) hostile toward me.

      -----

      ...the only thing that should be important here is that the story was 'ok'/good, and (as Twilight once said) that you shouldn't judge a book(or story) by its cover...

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    125. Well this is weird. My third month in EqD and I still don't get how people don't like these kinds of stuff... Meh, who cares.

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    126. I love how this fandom is more tolerant of gays than about 90 percent of the rest of the internet. Good job bronies :D
      I'll try this fic out, though I have my doubts about it. Hardly anything involving Pokey Pierce has been good in my experience.

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    127. For a background pony, he sure got an AMAZING story.

      Strongly reccomend to everypony, not just as a shipping but as a discovering-oneself, truth-and-life kind of fic. Beautiful, smooth, touching, and complete.

      Pokey x Ace forever! :D

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    128. This was beautiful! One of my favorite fics so far! It's sad to see it end just like that. I want more!

      And shame on some of you bronies! Male ponies can't love other male ponies but it's just fine when two females do? FOR SHAME!

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    129. That was a really sweet story, I enjoyed it. And I feel for Pokey, he's not had an easy time of love.

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    130. I'm getting really annoyed with all you guys saying "M/M shipping? Not gonna read."
      Honestly, there is no difference between F/F shipping and M/M shipping. You're all just being silly.
      For the record, this is a great fic, and I really enjoyed it. I love it when a couple nobody would have thought of becomes very plausible through good writing.

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