History Fanfic / ChrysalisVisitsTheHague

** Estermann is a borderline dogmatist who struggles with the moral and social stigma of defending an brutal tyrant.

** Mullan joking that Estermann should booze Chrysalis up with Poitin. Estermann just does that in a later chapter.

** Her superior Pierre Abel approaches both the UN and Equestrian high-handedness it with protest and open (if largely futile) defiance.

** Estermann is a borderline idealist who struggles with the moral and social stigma of defending an brutal tyrant.

* BlitheSpirit: Most of the main characters, in one way or another.

** Edith Saric jumps the bureaucratic imitations of the UN with almost carefree disregard.

** Even prosecutor Pierman has to struggle against her own court's stringent rules of evidence in order to get to get to Chrysalis.

* ShadowArchetype: Alexander Estermann and Serafina Pierman bear a number of striking similarities, down to their very names: Both are dogged legal professionals who fight their battles out of sheer conviction, and both receive help from their overtly dedicated pony assistants (Lyra Heartstrings and Indigo Beam respectively).
* ShellShockedVeteran: Shining Armor shows signs of increasing paranoia and obsession as a direct result of Chrysalis' mind control. Estermann and Mjoberg lampshade this heavily.

* ShellShockedVeteran: Shining Armor shows signs of increasing paranoia and obsession as a direct result of Chrysalis' mind control. Estermann and Mjoberg lampshade this heavily.
* ShowWithinAShow: One time, Chrysalis watches a ''supremely'' clichéd prison drama (while being in prison herself, naturally), complete with a DeepSouth setting, a [[WardensAreEvil sadistic warden]] and some heavily implied [[PrisonRape soap-droppin']]. [[WordOfGod The author]] calls it ''[[Film/TheShawshankRedemption 'The Shawshank Pretension']]''.

* DiplomaticImpunity: Invoked, played straight, subverted and defied throughout the story. Many if not most of the characters have diplomatic protection in one way or another (since they work for governments, international organizations or are otherwise guaranteed immunity), and many try to exploit it, though it doesn't always work. [[spoiler:Pierre]] for instance quickly discovers that ''his'' immunity (functional immunity) doesn't extend to acts that are, in nature, unrelated to his UN work ([[spoiler:like breaking and entering or arson]]).

* Mundanger: Despite revolving around [[TheMagocracy powerful Magocracies]], [[EmotionEater emotion eaters]], [[{{Shapeshifting}} shapeshifters]] and [[MindManipulation mind controllers]], the ''most'' menacing and crucial dangers that are depicred are things such as [[FantasticRacism racial tension (between ponies, changelings and humans)]] and [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters war (of the undeclared civil kind)]], [[{{Realpolitik}} political power play (both foreign & domestic) and the grasping for strategic interests]], [[CorruptPolitician corruption (also of the non-magical kind)]] and [[ObstructiveBureaucrat crippling bureacracy (plus the subsequent inability of lawmakers and peacekeepers to do their jobs)]] as well as [[MyRuleFuIsStrongerThanYours the trappings of due process]] and [[KangarooCourt the perversion of justice]] (since it's a CourtroomDrama).

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* Mundanger: Despite revolving around [[TheMagocracy powerful Magocracies]], [[EmotionEater emotion eaters]], [[{{Shapeshifting}} shapeshifters]] and [[MindManipulation mind controllers]], the ''most'' menacing and crucial dangers that are depicred are things such as [[FantasticRacism racial tension (between ponies, changelings and humans)]] and [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters war (of the undeclared civil kind)]], [[{{Realpolitik}} political power play (both foreign & domestic) and the grasping for strategic interests]], [[CorruptPolitician corruption (also of the non-magical kind)]] and [[ObstructiveBureaucrat crippling bureacracy (plus the subsequent inability of lawmakers and peacekeepers to do their jobs)]] as well as [[MyRuleFuIsStrongerThanYours the trappings of due process]] and [[KangarooCourt the perversion of justice]] (since this story is a CourtroomDrama first and foremost).

* WindowPain: Shortly before the story is set, Judge Mullan's window gets smashed by a hefty battery wrapped in a note reading, "Paardenneuker"[[note]]"Horse fucker" in Dutch[[/note]].
** In a later chapter, Twilight [[spoiler:punches Chrysalis through a security window in rage]].

* SillyReasonForWar: At one point, Estermann recounts the events kicking off the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Jenkins War of Jenkin's Ear]] to Lyra, making the point that impressions don't need to be factual to have an impact.

* PublicBathhouseScene: Estermann and Mullan [[spoiler:and Lyra]] share one at one point. It's decidedly awkward, though not necessarily for all the ''expected'' reasons.

* UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks: Chrysalis is brought to the Netherlands in a US Air Force plane, and guided through her extradition by US Military Police.

* DoorStopper: A minor one, having passed (and continuing from) the 200,000 word threshold after almost three years.

** [[spoiler:Golden Dirk]]'s assertion to "Follow the [[spoiler:footnotes]]!" might be a reference to [[Film/AllThePresidentsMen Deep Throat's]] "Follow the money!", especially seeing how similar their [[MysteriousInformant roles]] are.

* MysteriousInformant: Sergeant Golden Dirk, service number two, two, seven, niner, three, eight, one...