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Changed line(s) 15 (click to see context) from:
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Rainbow Dash notes frequently how Mare Do Well seems to be better at her at almost everything.
to:
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: AlwaysSomeoneBetter:
** Rainbow Dash notes frequently how Mare Do Well seems to be better at her at almost everything.
** Rainbow Dash notes frequently how Mare Do Well seems to be better at her at almost everything.
Changed line(s) 54 (click to see context) from:
** In chapter 20, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well completely freaks out when Rainbow Dash actually ''calls'' her "Mare Do Well.]]
to:
** In chapter 20, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well completely freaks out when Rainbow Dash actually ''calls'' her "Mare Do Well.Well".]]
Changed line(s) 59 (click to see context) from:
* HiddenDepths: EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. The philosophy behind the story as a whole seems to be that our perceptions of others are never quite enough to fully understand them, and that there's always more than meets the eye.
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* HiddenDepths: HiddenDepths:
** EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. The philosophy behind the story as a whole seems to be that our perceptions of others are never quite enough to fully understand them, and that there's always more than meets the eye.
** EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. The philosophy behind the story as a whole seems to be that our perceptions of others are never quite enough to fully understand them, and that there's always more than meets the eye.
Changed line(s) 61 (click to see context) from:
* [[spoiler: IdentityAmnesia:]] [[spoiler: Pinkie worries that she has this. She's sure her personality has changed so many times that she can't be certain who she ever ''was'' anymore. Rainbow Dash convinces her that who she was or may have been isn't important, and that she should start from scratch by no longer repressing her feelings and [[QuestForIdentity deciding who she ]] ''[[QuestForIdentity will]]'' [[QuestForIdentity be.]] ]]
to:
* [[spoiler: IdentityAmnesia:]] IdentityAmnesia: [[spoiler: Pinkie worries that she has this. She's sure her personality has changed so many times that she can't be certain who she ever ''was'' anymore. Rainbow Dash convinces her that who she was or may have been isn't important, and that she should start from scratch by no longer repressing her feelings and [[QuestForIdentity deciding who she ]] ''[[QuestForIdentity will]]'' [[QuestForIdentity be.]] ]]
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* IronicEcho: "You mean the kissy-face ''smoochies'' kind of like?" First said by Pinkie when Rainbow Dash tells her that Mare Do Well claims to like her, and later said by [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] when [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie confesses her feelings, immediately before attempting to kiss her.]]
to:
* IronicEcho: IronicEcho:
** "You mean the kissy-face ''smoochies'' kind of like?" First said by Pinkie when Rainbow Dash tells her that Mare Do Well claims to like her, and later said by [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] when [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie confesses her feelings, immediately before attempting to kiss her.]]
** "You mean the kissy-face ''smoochies'' kind of like?" First said by Pinkie when Rainbow Dash tells her that Mare Do Well claims to like her, and later said by [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] when [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie confesses her feelings, immediately before attempting to kiss her.]]
Changed line(s) 80 (click to see context) from:
* LovesMyAlterEgo: [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
to:
* LovesMyAlterEgo: LovesMyAlterEgo:
** [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
** [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
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** [[spoiler: [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Two Pony Love Triangle]]]]
Deleted line(s) 89 (click to see context) :
** [[spoiler: SelectiveObliviousness]]
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* RedOniBlueOni: Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well respectively.
to:
* RedOniBlueOni: RedOniBlueOni:
** Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well respectively.
** Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well respectively.
Changed line(s) 104 (click to see context) from:
* RedundantRomanceAttempt: Rainbow Dash eventually admits that she actually doesn't find Mare Do Well all that annoying, provided she's not putting on those superior airs.
to:
* RedundantRomanceAttempt: Rainbow RedundantRomanceAttempt:
**Rainbow Dash eventually admits that she actually doesn't find Mare Do Well all that annoying, provided she's not putting on those superior airs.
**Rainbow Dash eventually admits that she actually doesn't find Mare Do Well all that annoying, provided she's not putting on those superior airs.
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* TheReveal: Rainbow finally unmasks Mare-Do-Well at the end of Chapter 20.
to:
* TheReveal: Rainbow finally unmasks Mare-Do-Well at the end of Chapter 20. Became TheUnTwist in hindsight due to subtle clues the author added as early as the first chapter. Revealed to be intentional in the second TheReasonYouSuckSpeech above.
Deleted line(s) 108 (click to see context) :
** Became TheUnTwist in hindsight due to subtle clues the author added as early as the first chapter. Revealed to be intentional in the second TheReasonYouSuckSpeech above.
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* TheStoic: Mare Do Well, normally.
** [[spoiler: She proves to be NotSoStoic when Rainbow Dash gets her wings broken.]]
** [[spoiler: She proves to be NotSoStoic when Rainbow Dash gets her wings broken.]]
to:
* TheStoic: Mare Do Well, normally.
**normally. [[spoiler: She proves to be NotSoStoic when Rainbow Dash gets her wings broken.]]
**
Changed line(s) 137,139 (click to see context) from:
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' But this is fun, isn't it?
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' What is?
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' What is?
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
to:
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' But this is fun, isn't it?
-->'''Rainbowit?\\
'''Rainbow Dash:''' Whatis?
-->'''Mareis?\\
'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
-->'''Rainbow
'''Rainbow Dash:''' What
-->'''Mare
'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
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* TwoPersonLoveTriangle: [[spoiler:Turns out Pinkie has been pursuing Rainbow Dash as both herself and Mare Do Well.]]
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** It becomes apparent that Mare Do Well wants Rainbow Dash to learn how to spot these, and seeing her friends' hidden depths allows her to accept who Mare Do Well is after The Reveal.
Changed line(s) 91,93 (click to see context) from:
* OutOfCharacterMoment: Mare Do Well, who is normally calm, gets annoyed and hesitant when Rainbow forces her to perform the "Pinkie Pie Swear".
** [[spoiler: Mare Do Well gets a second one when she starts crying while attempting to patch Rainbow up when her wings are horribly damaged.]]
*** [[spoiler: {{Lampshaded}} by Mare Do Well herself at one point when she literally bemoans the fact that she's [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "fallen out of character."]]]]
** [[spoiler: Mare Do Well gets a second one when she starts crying while attempting to patch Rainbow up when her wings are horribly damaged.]]
*** [[spoiler: {{Lampshaded}} by Mare Do Well herself at one point when she literally bemoans the fact that she's [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "fallen out of character."]]]]
to:
* OutOfCharacterMoment: OutOfCharacterMoment:
** Mare DoWell, who is Well gets a few.
*** While normally calm, she gets annoyed and hesitant when Rainbow forces her to perform the "Pinkie Pie Swear".
** *** [[spoiler: Mare Do Well gets a second one when she She starts crying while attempting to patch Rainbow up when her wings are horribly damaged.]]
*** [[spoiler:{{Lampshaded}} by Mare Do Well She even [[LampshadeHanging Lampshades]] the trope herself at one point when she literally bemoans bemoaning the fact that she's [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "fallen out of character."]]]]"]]]]
** Rainbow gets unnerved when Applejack switches her accent to the one she picked up [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles while living with the Oranges]].
** Mare Do
*** While normally calm, she gets annoyed and hesitant when Rainbow forces her to perform the "Pinkie Pie Swear".
*** [[spoiler:
** Rainbow gets unnerved when Applejack switches her accent to the one she picked up [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles while living with the Oranges]].
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Rainbow Dash gives Mare Do Well one in Chapter 20, outlining just ''why'' she hates her.
to:
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
** Rainbow Dash gives Mare Do Well one in Chapter 20, outlining just ''why'' she hatesher.her.
** The author combines it with TakeThatAudience by calling out the readers who cried foul after TheReveal, especially those who said that Mare Do Well's true identity not being the pony they expected ruined the story for them, by stating that the mystery was never who was under the mask, but why they put on the mask in the first place.
** Rainbow Dash gives Mare Do Well one in Chapter 20, outlining just ''why'' she hates
** The author combines it with TakeThatAudience by calling out the readers who cried foul after TheReveal, especially those who said that Mare Do Well's true identity not being the pony they expected ruined the story for them, by stating that the mystery was never who was under the mask, but why they put on the mask in the first place.
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** Became TheUnTwist in hindsight due to subtle clues the author added as early as the first chapter. Revealed to be intentional in the second TheReasonYouSuckSpeech above.
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Names The Same is no longer a trope
Changed line(s) 4,5 (click to see context) from:
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the Magic the Gathering fanfic]] ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|MagicTheGathering}}'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the RWBY one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
to:
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the Magic the Gathering fanfic]] fanfic ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|MagicTheGathering}}'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the RWBY one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
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trivia
Changed line(s) 50,53 (click to see context) from:
* FandomNod:
** In a sense; in chapter 12, Rainbow Dash thinks over in her head which one of her friends might be Mare Do Well, using reasoning and wording that is very similar to the guesses and speculation readers posted in the comments. This may have been unintentional.
** The chapters surrounding TheReveal also have Mare Do Well bring up all the avenues of investigation Rainbow never pursued, some of which would have solved the mystery in minutes. Many of these ideas were previously noted in fan comments, so the author might have taken inspiration from the fans on this point.
* FantasticArousal: Pegasi wings are very, very sensitive.
** In a sense; in chapter 12, Rainbow Dash thinks over in her head which one of her friends might be Mare Do Well, using reasoning and wording that is very similar to the guesses and speculation readers posted in the comments. This may have been unintentional.
** The chapters surrounding TheReveal also have Mare Do Well bring up all the avenues of investigation Rainbow never pursued, some of which would have solved the mystery in minutes. Many of these ideas were previously noted in fan comments, so the author might have taken inspiration from the fans on this point.
* FantasticArousal: Pegasi wings are very, very sensitive.
to:
** In a sense; in chapter 12, Rainbow Dash thinks over in her head which one of her friends might be Mare Do Well, using reasoning and wording that is very similar to the guesses and speculation readers posted in the comments. This may have been unintentional.
** The chapters surrounding TheReveal also have Mare Do Well bring up all the avenues of investigation Rainbow never pursued, some of which would have solved the mystery in minutes. Many of these ideas were previously noted in fan comments, so the author might have taken inspiration from the fans on this point.
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tropes should not be spoilered or modified to fit the setting
Changed line(s) 82 (click to see context) from:
* [[spoiler: LovesMyAlterEgo]]: [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
to:
* [[spoiler: LovesMyAlterEgo]]: LovesMyAlterEgo: [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
Changed line(s) 136 (click to see context) from:
* [[spoiler: [[ThatManIsDead That Mare Is Dead:]]]] [[spoiler:Thought by Mare Do Well during the climax, when she finally drops the charade completely and concedes that she can't keep it up any longer.]]
to:
* [[spoiler: [[ThatManIsDead That Mare Is Dead:]]]] ThatManIsDead: [[spoiler:Thought by Mare Do Well during the climax, when she finally drops the charade completely and concedes that she can't keep it up any longer.]]
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Changed line(s) 23 (click to see context) from:
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her moments.
to:
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her moments.]]
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Changed line(s) 4,5 (click to see context) from:
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|MagicTheGathering}}'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
to:
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] Magic the Gathering fanfic]] ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|MagicTheGathering}}'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other RWBY one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
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I Have The High Ground is no longer a trope
* DramaticHighPerching: Mare Do Well seems especially fond of rooftops. [[spoiler:It turns out that she's actually afraid of heights and was only doing this to invoke RuleOfCool. Well, sort of. She's not afraid of heights, so much as when her Pinkie Sense goes off and she's dreading somepony falling and getting hurt.]]
Deleted line(s) 64 (click to see context) :
* IHaveTheHighGround: Mare Do Well seems especially fond of rooftops. [[spoiler:It turns out that she's actually afraid of heights and was only doing this to invoke RuleOfCool. Well, sort of. She's not afraid of heights, so much as when her Pinkie Sense goes off and she's dreading somepony falling and getting hurt.]]
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TRS cleanup
* FormulaBreakingEpisode: Chapter 21 (the aftermath of TheReveal) is a dialogue-only chapter.
Changed line(s) 75 (click to see context) from:
* KissingDiscretionShot: Oddly enough. In the [[SomethingCompletelyDifferent dialogue-only]] chapter 21, pauses in the conversation (indicted by ellipses) are used to imply that [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash kissed Pinkie]] with no actual description of the event.
to:
* KissingDiscretionShot: Oddly enough. In the [[SomethingCompletelyDifferent [[FormulaBreakingEpisode dialogue-only]] chapter 21, pauses in the conversation (indicted by ellipses) are used to imply that [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash kissed Pinkie]] with no actual description of the event.
Deleted line(s) 120 (click to see context) :
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Chapter 21 (the aftermath of TheReveal) is a dialogue-only chapter.
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Deleted line(s) 15 (click to see context) :
* {{Adorkable}}: [[spoiler: Mare Do Well]] is starting to show signs of this in recent chapters, with the [[NoSocialSkills awkwardness and insecurity]] that she's trying so desperately to hide finally coming to light. [[spoiler: And now apparently she's afraid of heights.]]
Changed line(s) 24 (click to see context) from:
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her {{Adorkable}} moments.]]
to:
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her {{Adorkable}} moments.]]
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per Trope Repair Shop, Jerkass Facade is being cut in favor of Hidden Heart Of Gold / Jerk With A Heart Of Gold.
Changed line(s) 21 (click to see context) from:
* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Despite her [[JerkassFacade seemingly smug personality,]] Mare Do Well isn't so much calculating and manipulative as painfully lonely, insecure, and desperate to keep Rainbow Dash's attention so that she doesn't lose her. Pinkie's multiple personalities aren't exactly that: instead, each one is a facet of the single personality that underlies it all. Rainbow wants to help her show her core personality more.]]
to:
* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Despite her [[JerkassFacade seemingly smug personality,]] personality, Mare Do Well isn't so much calculating and manipulative as painfully lonely, insecure, and desperate to keep Rainbow Dash's attention so that she doesn't lose her. Pinkie's multiple personalities aren't exactly that: instead, each one is a facet of the single personality that underlies it all. Rainbow wants to help her show her core personality more.]]
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the page this link points to is not about that kind of ending
Deleted line(s) 18 (click to see context) :
* AlternateEnding: [=AbsoluteAnonymous=] has stated [[WordOfGod there will be alternate endings]], but that they'll appear in a separate story; although they'll apparently be gag endings for the most part. Unfortunately, she's since deleted these "Supplementary Materials", although a (very incomplete) archive can be found [[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11554/* here]].
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Changed line(s) 43 (click to see context) from:
* DrivingQuestion: Who is Mare Do Well?
to:
* DrivingQuestion: Who is it under the Mare Do Well? Well costume?
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Added DiffLines:
* DrivingQuestion: Who is Mare Do Well?
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''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] ''Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayMagicTheGathering'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
to:
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] ''Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayMagicTheGathering'', ''Fanfic/{{The Games We Play|MagicTheGathering}}'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
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Moving to proper disambiguation.
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[[quoteright:312:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3479_7387.jpg]]
->''"But this is fun, isn't it? [[TitleDrop The games we play.]]"''
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] ''Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayMagicTheGathering'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
There's been another sighting of the mysterious Mare Do Well... but this time, all of Rainbow Dash's friends plead ignorance, insisting that they've put aside their costumes for good. Rainbow Dash is determined to uncover the masked mare's true identity before she's humiliated yet again, but this time around, the vigilante seems especially interested in her as well. Will Rainbow Dash be able to solve the mystery before the culprit takes the hoax too far? Or is she in danger of losing not only her mind, but her heart?
''The Games We Play'' is a remarkably psychological story dealing with hidden depths and the things we do for love. As Rainbow Dash learns, you can never take for granted who somepony is.
'''NOTE:''' To get the most out of both the mystery and the CharacterDevelopment, it is ''strongly advised'' that you read the story before perusing these trope pages, even with (or arguably on account of) the plentiful spoiler tags.
----
!!''The Games We Play'' provides examples of:
* {{Adorkable}}: [[spoiler: Mare Do Well]] is starting to show signs of this in recent chapters, with the [[NoSocialSkills awkwardness and insecurity]] that she's trying so desperately to hide finally coming to light. [[spoiler: And now apparently she's afraid of heights.]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Rainbow Dash notes frequently how Mare Do Well seems to be better at her at almost everything.
** [[spoiler:''Pinkie'' felt this way about her Mare-Do-Well persona, viewing it as strong, heroic, attractive and all the other things she thought she could never be. This is a major factor in her breakdown.]]
* AlternateEnding: [=AbsoluteAnonymous=] has stated [[WordOfGod there will be alternate endings]], but that they'll appear in a separate story; although they'll apparently be gag endings for the most part. Unfortunately, she's since deleted these "Supplementary Materials", although a (very incomplete) archive can be found [[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11554/* here]].
* AmusingInjuries: Averted.
* ArousedByTheirVoice: When Rainbow Dash [[CantHoldHisLiquor gets drunk]] at the Hearth's Warming party in Canterlot, she starts rambling about how Mare Do Well has a "really sexy voice" and how she's probably "really good at making out."
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler: What Pinkie Pie was terrified of.]]
* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Despite her [[JerkassFacade seemingly smug personality,]] Mare Do Well isn't so much calculating and manipulative as painfully lonely, insecure, and desperate to keep Rainbow Dash's attention so that she doesn't lose her. Pinkie's multiple personalities aren't exactly that: instead, each one is a facet of the single personality that underlies it all. Rainbow wants to help her show her core personality more.]]
* TheBet: Mare Do Well wants to get Rainbow Dash to fall in love with her. Rainbow Dash wants to find out who Mare Do Well really is. Who will give in first?
* BetaCouple: [[spoiler:Applejack and Rarity]] are together, and we see the clues and hints dropped about their relationship filtered through Dash's unknowing eyes.
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her {{Adorkable}} moments.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: Mare Do Well does this to save Rainbow after she gets struck by lightning.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler:Happens thoroughly to Pinkie Pie after Rainbow Dash rejects her feelings.]]
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Mare Do Well]] is hinted to be one, but it isn't until after TheReveal that we learn [[spoiler:how badly damaged she really is]].
* BrokenSmile: [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie after she gets rejected.]]
* CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem: Rainbow Dash openly dislikes Mare Do Well, but after [[spoiler: her wings are broken and Mare Do Well begins to avoid her out of guilt]] she finds that she actually misses her.
* CatchAFallingStar:
** Mare Do Well saves Rainbow from falling to her death when lightning hits her, preventing her from flying.
** During the climax, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well trips and falls during the chase across Canterlot's rooftops and Rainbow Dash saves her.]]
* TheChessmaster: Mare Do Well. [[spoiler: Actually, no, she has no idea what she's doing and is making it all up as she goes.]] Rainbow Dash secretly wonders whether Pinkie Pie is one of these who is using ObfuscatingInsanity to cover herself. Played with in that Dash cannot imagine Pinkie having any ''sinister'' motive and concludes that Pinkie simply arranges coincidences to make life happier for those around her. [[spoiler: Basically confirmed in the end.]]
* CerebusSyndrome: The early chapters come across as much goofier than the later ones. Around chapter 7, the story begins to [[GenreShift shift]] from a light-hearted romantic mystery to a darker, more twisted psychological drama.
* CharacterDevelopment: Tons, with most of it focused on revealing the HiddenDepths of the cast.
* CirclingMonologue: Mare Do Well pulls one on Rainbow Dash in one chapter [[IShallTauntYou while teasing her]] about the suspicious way she now views her friends.
* {{Cliffhanger}}: A few are thrown in every now and then, but the Mother of all Cliffhangers would have to be the end of chapter 19: [[spoiler: Mare Do Well calls the game off, so Rainbow Dash runs after her in an attempt to forcibly unmask her, and the chapter ends before she can catch her.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: Both Mare Do Well and Pinkie Pie can be this way at times [[spoiler: which makes sense, considering they're the same pony and all.]]
* DatingCatwoman: A strange variation. Mare Do Well is [[SingleTargetSexuality completely in love with Rainbow Dash]] and is perfectly willing to say so. No matter what she does, her motivation can usually be summed up as "I thought Rainbow Dash would like it." Rainbow Dash, however, despises Mare Do Well, viewing her not only as a rival, but as an enemy that must be defeated; yet she's still clearly attracted to MDW, even if she won't admit it to herself.
* DeadpanSnarker: Rainbow primarily, though Mare Do Well has traces of it.
* DestructiveRomance: Between Mare Do Well and Rainbow Dash. Mare Do Well is manipulative and downright ''mean'' sometimes.
* DrowningMySorrows: Applejack decides to partake in this during the Hearth's Warming Eve party and Rainbow Dash joins her, although it's mostly PlayedForLaughs. [[spoiler: Until Rainbow kisses Pinkie.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash, Mare Do Well and Pinkie Pie]] all have issues of their own they need to work through. Even the author [[http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/6541#comment_id_7943 admitted]] that her works usually invoke this trope.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: It took a lot of time, discussions, revelations, heartache, and pain, but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash finally work out their issues and slowly repair their friendship/relationship. As hard is it was, they finally find happiness and completeness in each other.]]
* EmbarrassingRescue: Rainbow Dash's main complaint against Mare Do Well at first is her habit of saving Dash when she [[UnwantedRescue doesn't want saving]], such as when she's hit by lightning while flying and Mare Do Well catches her, despite Rainbow's insistence that she would've been fine even if she'd hit the ground.
* ExactWords: Clarified at the start of Chapter 21: [[spoiler:"You said you wouldn't be mad" gets countered with "''I said it'd be okay. But that doesn't mean I can't be mad at you first.''"]]
* ExactEavesdropping: [[spoiler: At the time of TheReveal, it is likely that Twilight (unintentionally) overheard most of conversation between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, before she reveals her presence (also noting that Pinkie was dressed as the MDW). Played with in that both Pinkie and Dash hear another pony nearby, but ignore it to focus on their discussion. It's not revealed just how much Twilight heard, but it's hinted that she heard enough to know that Rainbow and Pinkie needed to work things out privately between themselves at their own pace and she asked their friends to respect that and not press the issue.]]
* ExpressiveHair: Dash eventually asks Pinkie why her mane goes flat [[spoiler:after unmasking her]].
* FandomNod:
** In a sense; in chapter 12, Rainbow Dash thinks over in her head which one of her friends might be Mare Do Well, using reasoning and wording that is very similar to the guesses and speculation readers posted in the comments. This may have been unintentional.
** The chapters surrounding TheReveal also have Mare Do Well bring up all the avenues of investigation Rainbow never pursued, some of which would have solved the mystery in minutes. Many of these ideas were previously noted in fan comments, so the author might have taken inspiration from the fans on this point.
* FantasticArousal: Pegasi wings are very, very sensitive.
* ForcefulKiss: [[spoiler: Surprisingly, ''Mare Do Well'' is on the receiving end of one from ''Rainbow Dash'' in chapter 20. May have edged on TakeThatKiss territory.]]
* FreakOut:
** In chapter 20, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well completely freaks out when Rainbow Dash actually ''calls'' her "Mare Do Well.]]
** [[spoiler: Pinkie, after the others saw her in her depressed state. Rainbow Dash is able to calm her down, however.]]
* GenreSavvy: Mare Do Well, who intentionally invokes RuleOfCool and various [[SuperheroTropes superhero]] and RomanceNovel tropes to try and appear interesting to Rainbow Dash.
* TheGlomp: Pinkie's traditional means of greeting Rainbow. [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash later gets one from Mare Do Well, too, when she first wakes up after having her wings broken.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Pinkie seems to go through one when Rainbow ditches her to continue looking for Mare Do Well. Rainbow Dash later suffers one as well, this time PlayedForLaughs, when she [[spoiler: learns that her biggest lead (the fact that Rarity sold one of the Mare Do Well costumes, most likely to the Mare Do Well who's following her) is actually useless, because ''Spike'' bought it as a Nightmare Night costume.]]
* HiddenDepths: EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. The philosophy behind the story as a whole seems to be that our perceptions of others are never quite enough to fully understand them, and that there's always more than meets the eye.
* [[spoiler: IdentityAmnesia:]] [[spoiler: Pinkie worries that she has this. She's sure her personality has changed so many times that she can't be certain who she ever ''was'' anymore. Rainbow Dash convinces her that who she was or may have been isn't important, and that she should start from scratch by no longer repressing her feelings and [[QuestForIdentity deciding who she ]] ''[[QuestForIdentity will]]'' [[QuestForIdentity be.]] ]]
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: [[spoiler:Dash, when Pinkie kisses her. Mainly from her experience with Gilda.]]
* IHaveTheHighGround: Mare Do Well seems especially fond of rooftops. [[spoiler:It turns out that she's actually afraid of heights and was only doing this to invoke RuleOfCool. Well, sort of. She's not afraid of heights, so much as when her Pinkie Sense goes off and she's dreading somepony falling and getting hurt.]]
* IKissYourHand: Mare Do Well kisses Rainbow Dash's hoof when they say goodbye to one another before Dash leaves for Canterlot in order to perform in the Hearth's Warming play. Indirectly, since it's through her mask, but the intention is clear.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Rainbow Dash.
* IndyPloy: [[spoiler:MDW rapidly falls into this.]]
* InterfaceSpoiler: After about chapter five or so, some of the more literary-minded readers may get the sense that [[spoiler:Mare Do Well has to be Pinkie Pie -- if for no other reason than that any other possibility would make no sense from a standpoint of technical narrative construction. Nopony else had enough screen time to even interact with Rainbow Dash long enough for it to not be a complete left-fielder with no buildup.]]
** Subverted with the Group listing on the [=FIMfiction=] page, as there is plenty of [[spoiler:Pinkiedash]] interaction in addition to Dash/MDW, [[spoiler:though it could be argued to be a DoubleSubversion by the end]].
** There were two camps who called foul on the original example, one because the example was in play, and another because it wasn't subverted upon TheReveal. The author ended up [[TakeThatAudience calling out the]] [[IncrediblyLamePun neigh-sayers]] by [[WordOfGod stating on-record]] that the point of the mystery was never who Mare-Do-Well was, but why the pony under the mask put on said mask in the first place.
* InVinoVeritas: After the Hearth's Warming Eve Play, Applejack and Rainbow Dash get a little tipsy and a little ''too'' honest with one another.
* IronicEcho: "You mean the kissy-face ''smoochies'' kind of like?" First said by Pinkie when Rainbow Dash tells her that Mare Do Well claims to like her, and later said by [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] when [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie confesses her feelings, immediately before attempting to kiss her.]]
** "Too bad." First said by Mare Do Well when Rainbow Dash demands that she leave her alone, and later said by Rainbow Dash [[spoiler:just before she unmasks Mare Do Well]].
* ItsAllAboutMe: Mare Do Well seems to love tweaking Dash's tail and getting under her skin, even as her actions start to hurt the Pegasi's relationships with others. [[spoiler:This was deliberate.]]
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:Mare Do Well]] doesn't take the events of Chapter 9 well.
* KissingDiscretionShot: Oddly enough. In the [[SomethingCompletelyDifferent dialogue-only]] chapter 21, pauses in the conversation (indicted by ellipses) are used to imply that [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash kissed Pinkie]] with no actual description of the event.
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: At the Hearth's Warming Eve party in the palace, Rainbow Dash gets drunk and kisses [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie.]]
* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: As much as Rainbow hates Mare Do Well, she agrees to the rules they set for their little competition.
* LetsGetDangerous: In relation to the above trope, [[spoiler:when Mare-Do-Well calls the game off, Rainbow Dash prepares to give her a stern chase in an effort to forcibly unmask her, contrary to the previously set rules--since they no longer apply]].
* LossOfIdentity: [[spoiler: Pinkie]] feared that this would become more likely as the Mare Do Well game continued.
* LoveHurts: [[spoiler:[[ThePowerOfLove But it can also heal]], if both ponies are willing to do what it takes to keep it.]]
* [[spoiler: LovesMyAlterEgo]]: [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
** [[spoiler:This is a major factor in the story. Pinkie noted that Dash was more interested in the MDW than her, so she continued being the MDW just so she can be close to Dash. Another factor in Pinkie's breakdown is the idea that Rainbow doesn't notice Pinkie's affections, despite being best friends with her, but becomes interested in the MDW after only a few minutes.]]
* LoveTriangle: Between Rainbow Dash, Mare Do Well, and Pinkie Pie, with Mare Do Well and Pinkie both competing for Rainbow Dash's affections. Although there's certainly the possibility that [[LovesMyAlterEgo Mare Do Well has been Pinkie all along.]]
** [[spoiler: [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Two Pony Love Triangle]]]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Rainbow Dash is convinced that Mare Do Well is one. [[spoiler: She's wrong.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Rainbow's ditching of Pinkie leads her into a HeroicBSOD.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Implied to be what happened to the unicorn lowlife who [[spoiler: broke Rainbow Dash's wings]] and accordingly became a victim of Mare Do Well's UnstoppableRage.
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Mare Do Well.
* ObliviousToLove: Rainbow Dash towards Pinkie Pie.
** [[spoiler: SelectiveObliviousness]]
* OffscreenTeleportation: Mare Do Well is able to do this; by the end, Dash [[spoiler:accepts she won't be able to figure out ''how'']].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: A running theme is Dash discovering that moments that ''seem'' out-of-character for somepony at first are just part of their HiddenDepths.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: Mare Do Well, who is normally calm, gets annoyed and hesitant when Rainbow forces her to perform the "Pinkie Pie Swear".
** [[spoiler: Mare Do Well gets a second one when she starts crying while attempting to patch Rainbow up when her wings are horribly damaged.]]
*** [[spoiler: {{Lampshaded}} by Mare Do Well herself at one point when she literally bemoans the fact that she's [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "fallen out of character."]]]]
* PrecociousCrush: In the supplementary materials, Scootaloo realizes her hero worship of Rainbow Dash is actually this [[spoiler:after seeing Mare Do Well kiss Rainbow]]. At least, that's what she ''thinks'' she sees, but since it's just an alternate perspective on a scene from the main story, the reader knows better.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Rainbow Dash gives Mare Do Well one in Chapter 20, outlining just ''why'' she hates her.
* RedOniBlueOni: Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well respectively.
** [[spoiler: And in chapter 21, surprisingly, Rainbow and Pinkie. That's right; ''Pinkie Pie'' is ''calm''…relatively speaking.]]
* RedundantRomanceAttempt: Rainbow Dash eventually admits that she actually doesn't find Mare Do Well all that annoying, provided she's not putting on those superior airs.
** [[spoiler: All things considered, Pinkie's attempts to woo Rainbow probably would have been much better off if she'd never come up with the idea of using Mare Do Well.]]
* TheReveal: Rainbow finally unmasks Mare-Do-Well at the end of Chapter 20.
--> '''[[spoiler: Pinkie Pie:]]''' Surprised?
* SanitySlippage: ''Very'' subtly happens to Rainbow Dash as she tries to figure out who Mare Do Well is. [[spoiler:It comes to a boil in chapter 19 when Mare Do Well decides to end the confrontations between them.]]
* SayMyName: In Chapter 20, [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash calling Mare Do Well ''Mare Do Well'' causes her to have a minor FreakOut]].
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Mare Do Well has a noticeably formal way of speaking and a habit of using long, unnecessary words. {{Lampshaded}} when Rainbow Dash complains about her pretentiousness. [[spoiler: She later reverts back to more casual speech after Rainbow Dash is hurt, revealing that it was just part of the act.]]
** Borders on SophisticatedAsHell at times, such as when Mare Do Well uses her elegant speech to make fun of Rainbow Dash for getting a [[MemeticMutation wing]][[SomethingElseAlsoRises boner.]]
** [[spoiler:After TheReveal, Pinkie Pie reveals that she can indeed talk like this when she wants to. Rainbow Dash finds this slightly unnerving and [[OutOfCharacterMoment out of character for Pinkie Pie.]] ]]
--->'''Rainbow Dash:''' You're still talking weird.\\
'''[[spoiler:Pinkie Pie]]:''' Huh?\\
'''Rainbow Dash:''' Mare Do Well…Mare Do Well talked really fancy, with big words and stuff. You're still doing that.\\
'''[[spoiler:Pinkie Pie]]:''' I'm not stupid. I can sound smart if I want to.
* SexierAlterEgo: Although there's no real change to her physical appearance (aside from the costume), Mare Do Well is charming, suave, and flirtatious, which is a far cry from how [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie]] normally acts.
* ShipTease: Aside from the Rainbow/Pinkie/MDW triangle, Chapter 19 seems to hint that Applejack has an interest in Rarity.
* ShoutOut:
** To various [[MemeticMutation memes]] in the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP]] fandom, including cameos from [[EnsembleDarkhorse Derpy Hooves,]] [[SomethingElseAlsoRises wingboners]] as plot points, "I emptied your fridge," and etc.
** [[WebAnimation/CharlieTheUnicorn "We gotta be sneaky, Dashie! Sneaky!"]]
* SlapSlapKiss: Once Rainbow starts developing some feelings towards Mare Do Well, their interaction frequently falls into this territory.
* SleepCute: [[spoiler: In chapter 14, Mare Do Well and Rainbow Dash fall asleep against each other. They both later wake up but mistakenly assume that the other is still asleep, so neither move away, not wanting to disturb the other. D'aww.]]
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Chapter 21 (the aftermath of TheReveal) is a dialogue-only chapter.
* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Almost. Pinkie describes Mare Do Well as being a different ''mood'' of hers instead of a definitive alternate personality. Unlike most examples which are aware of each other, the two never converse, though she's aware which one is in control at any given time.]]
* SpoofAesop: Referenced in the ending: Dash considers that the whole thing would be worth writing to Celestia about, only she can't put everything she learned into words. Instead, one of these gets suggested: [[spoiler:"Don't say your pet alligator ate your costume when he doesn't even have teeth."]]
* StalkingIsLove: {{Zigzagged|Trope}}. [[BrokenBird Mare Do Well]] truly ''does'' love Rainbow Dash, but that doesn't stop the Pegasus from getting freaked out - even as she eventually begins to reciprocate. Plus, it's evident that although MDW's feelings are real, they way they've manifested themselves stems from genuine instability and mental fragility. [[spoiler:That she's clinically insane might explain a lot.]]
* StalkerWithACrush: Mare Do Well, obviously.
* StealthHiBye: Mare Do Well pulls this off occasionally.
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler:Pinkie is becoming more and more like this as she get's broken up by her feelings for Dash versus her firm belief that her friends will no longer like her if she's not happy. She becomes one completely after Rainbow Dash rejects her.]] Chapter 21 reveals [[spoiler:she was one all along]].
* TakeThat: The author apparently has something of a [[FriendlyEnemy playful rivalry]] with another writer, Creator/Tailslover13 (author of Fanfic/TripOfALifetime and Fanfic/TotalMagicPonyIsland), who made no secret of the fact that his favorite character is Twilight Sparkle and that he firmly believed any other character being Mare Do Well would ruin the story completely. Shortly after the completion of the main story, [=AbsoluteAnonymous=] released [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11554/1/The-Games-We-Play%3A-Supplementary-Materials/Alternate-Ending%3A-The-Only-Ending-Tailslover13-Would%27ve-Been-Happy-With this.]]
* TheStoic: Mare Do Well, normally.
** [[spoiler: She proves to be NotSoStoic when Rainbow Dash gets her wings broken.]]
* TechnicallyASmile: [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie's expressions after Rainbow Dash rejects her feelings, complete with broken, hollow laugh. Dash is unsettled by this.]]
* TermsOfEndangerment: Mare Do Well starts calling Rainbow Dash "Dashie" and "silly filly" in one chapter just to make her uncomfortable.
* TitleDrop:
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' But this is fun, isn't it?
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' What is?
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
* [[spoiler: [[ThatManIsDead That Mare Is Dead:]]]] [[spoiler:Thought by Mare Do Well during the climax, when she finally drops the charade completely and concedes that she can't keep it up any longer.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Rainbow towards Mare Do Well. Possibly serves as a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]], since it is made very clear over the course of the story that Rainbow's mixed signals and inconsistent behavior cause Mare Do Well to go through a great deal of conflicting emotions and mental anguish.
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: The very premise of the story. One of Rainbow Dash's friends is playing Mare Do Well…she just doesn't know ''who.''
* WhamEpisode: Chapter 19.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** In Chapter 19, Rainbow Dash gets called out by both Twilight and Mare Do Well for [[spoiler:kissing Pinkie while drunk]]. Mare Do Well also accuses her of not taking their game seriously enough and claims she could have easily discovered her identity if she invaded her friends' privacy even more.
** Chapter 20 and 21 involve a rather extended one from Rainbow to Mare Do Well, especially after TheReveal.
----
->''Here I am. This is what I look like.''
----
->''"But this is fun, isn't it? [[TitleDrop The games we play.]]"''
''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/3479/The-Games-We-Play The Games We Play]]'' (not to be confused with [[NamesTheSame the other]] ''Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayMagicTheGathering'', or ''[[Fanfic/TheGamesWePlayTheGamerRWBY the other other one]]'') is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by [=AbsoluteAnonymous=].
There's been another sighting of the mysterious Mare Do Well... but this time, all of Rainbow Dash's friends plead ignorance, insisting that they've put aside their costumes for good. Rainbow Dash is determined to uncover the masked mare's true identity before she's humiliated yet again, but this time around, the vigilante seems especially interested in her as well. Will Rainbow Dash be able to solve the mystery before the culprit takes the hoax too far? Or is she in danger of losing not only her mind, but her heart?
''The Games We Play'' is a remarkably psychological story dealing with hidden depths and the things we do for love. As Rainbow Dash learns, you can never take for granted who somepony is.
'''NOTE:''' To get the most out of both the mystery and the CharacterDevelopment, it is ''strongly advised'' that you read the story before perusing these trope pages, even with (or arguably on account of) the plentiful spoiler tags.
----
!!''The Games We Play'' provides examples of:
* {{Adorkable}}: [[spoiler: Mare Do Well]] is starting to show signs of this in recent chapters, with the [[NoSocialSkills awkwardness and insecurity]] that she's trying so desperately to hide finally coming to light. [[spoiler: And now apparently she's afraid of heights.]]
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Rainbow Dash notes frequently how Mare Do Well seems to be better at her at almost everything.
** [[spoiler:''Pinkie'' felt this way about her Mare-Do-Well persona, viewing it as strong, heroic, attractive and all the other things she thought she could never be. This is a major factor in her breakdown.]]
* AlternateEnding: [=AbsoluteAnonymous=] has stated [[WordOfGod there will be alternate endings]], but that they'll appear in a separate story; although they'll apparently be gag endings for the most part. Unfortunately, she's since deleted these "Supplementary Materials", although a (very incomplete) archive can be found [[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11554/* here]].
* AmusingInjuries: Averted.
* ArousedByTheirVoice: When Rainbow Dash [[CantHoldHisLiquor gets drunk]] at the Hearth's Warming party in Canterlot, she starts rambling about how Mare Do Well has a "really sexy voice" and how she's probably "really good at making out."
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler: What Pinkie Pie was terrified of.]]
* BeneathTheMask: [[spoiler: Despite her [[JerkassFacade seemingly smug personality,]] Mare Do Well isn't so much calculating and manipulative as painfully lonely, insecure, and desperate to keep Rainbow Dash's attention so that she doesn't lose her. Pinkie's multiple personalities aren't exactly that: instead, each one is a facet of the single personality that underlies it all. Rainbow wants to help her show her core personality more.]]
* TheBet: Mare Do Well wants to get Rainbow Dash to fall in love with her. Rainbow Dash wants to find out who Mare Do Well really is. Who will give in first?
* BetaCouple: [[spoiler:Applejack and Rarity]] are together, and we see the clues and hints dropped about their relationship filtered through Dash's unknowing eyes.
* BettyAndVeronica: Pinkie Pie is sweet, affectionate, and bubbly, with a cheery personality [[spoiler: and a penchant for disturbing [[MoodSwinger mood swings]] and [[StepfordSmiler Stepford Smiling]] that doesn't go unnoticed by Rainbow Dash.]] Mare Do Well is dark and mysterious, with every intention of taking advantage of her own mystique to seduce Rainbow Dash [[spoiler: and absolutely NoSocialSkills to speak of. Her general awkwardness, coupled with the insecurity that she's trying so desperately to hide, leads to most of her {{Adorkable}} moments.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: Mare Do Well does this to save Rainbow after she gets struck by lightning.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler:Happens thoroughly to Pinkie Pie after Rainbow Dash rejects her feelings.]]
* BrokenBird: [[spoiler:Mare Do Well]] is hinted to be one, but it isn't until after TheReveal that we learn [[spoiler:how badly damaged she really is]].
* BrokenSmile: [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie after she gets rejected.]]
* CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem: Rainbow Dash openly dislikes Mare Do Well, but after [[spoiler: her wings are broken and Mare Do Well begins to avoid her out of guilt]] she finds that she actually misses her.
* CatchAFallingStar:
** Mare Do Well saves Rainbow from falling to her death when lightning hits her, preventing her from flying.
** During the climax, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well trips and falls during the chase across Canterlot's rooftops and Rainbow Dash saves her.]]
* TheChessmaster: Mare Do Well. [[spoiler: Actually, no, she has no idea what she's doing and is making it all up as she goes.]] Rainbow Dash secretly wonders whether Pinkie Pie is one of these who is using ObfuscatingInsanity to cover herself. Played with in that Dash cannot imagine Pinkie having any ''sinister'' motive and concludes that Pinkie simply arranges coincidences to make life happier for those around her. [[spoiler: Basically confirmed in the end.]]
* CerebusSyndrome: The early chapters come across as much goofier than the later ones. Around chapter 7, the story begins to [[GenreShift shift]] from a light-hearted romantic mystery to a darker, more twisted psychological drama.
* CharacterDevelopment: Tons, with most of it focused on revealing the HiddenDepths of the cast.
* CirclingMonologue: Mare Do Well pulls one on Rainbow Dash in one chapter [[IShallTauntYou while teasing her]] about the suspicious way she now views her friends.
* {{Cliffhanger}}: A few are thrown in every now and then, but the Mother of all Cliffhangers would have to be the end of chapter 19: [[spoiler: Mare Do Well calls the game off, so Rainbow Dash runs after her in an attempt to forcibly unmask her, and the chapter ends before she can catch her.]]
* ClingyJealousGirl: Both Mare Do Well and Pinkie Pie can be this way at times [[spoiler: which makes sense, considering they're the same pony and all.]]
* DatingCatwoman: A strange variation. Mare Do Well is [[SingleTargetSexuality completely in love with Rainbow Dash]] and is perfectly willing to say so. No matter what she does, her motivation can usually be summed up as "I thought Rainbow Dash would like it." Rainbow Dash, however, despises Mare Do Well, viewing her not only as a rival, but as an enemy that must be defeated; yet she's still clearly attracted to MDW, even if she won't admit it to herself.
* DeadpanSnarker: Rainbow primarily, though Mare Do Well has traces of it.
* DestructiveRomance: Between Mare Do Well and Rainbow Dash. Mare Do Well is manipulative and downright ''mean'' sometimes.
* DrowningMySorrows: Applejack decides to partake in this during the Hearth's Warming Eve party and Rainbow Dash joins her, although it's mostly PlayedForLaughs. [[spoiler: Until Rainbow kisses Pinkie.]]
* DysfunctionJunction: [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash, Mare Do Well and Pinkie Pie]] all have issues of their own they need to work through. Even the author [[http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/6541#comment_id_7943 admitted]] that her works usually invoke this trope.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: It took a lot of time, discussions, revelations, heartache, and pain, but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash finally work out their issues and slowly repair their friendship/relationship. As hard is it was, they finally find happiness and completeness in each other.]]
* EmbarrassingRescue: Rainbow Dash's main complaint against Mare Do Well at first is her habit of saving Dash when she [[UnwantedRescue doesn't want saving]], such as when she's hit by lightning while flying and Mare Do Well catches her, despite Rainbow's insistence that she would've been fine even if she'd hit the ground.
* ExactWords: Clarified at the start of Chapter 21: [[spoiler:"You said you wouldn't be mad" gets countered with "''I said it'd be okay. But that doesn't mean I can't be mad at you first.''"]]
* ExactEavesdropping: [[spoiler: At the time of TheReveal, it is likely that Twilight (unintentionally) overheard most of conversation between Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, before she reveals her presence (also noting that Pinkie was dressed as the MDW). Played with in that both Pinkie and Dash hear another pony nearby, but ignore it to focus on their discussion. It's not revealed just how much Twilight heard, but it's hinted that she heard enough to know that Rainbow and Pinkie needed to work things out privately between themselves at their own pace and she asked their friends to respect that and not press the issue.]]
* ExpressiveHair: Dash eventually asks Pinkie why her mane goes flat [[spoiler:after unmasking her]].
* FandomNod:
** In a sense; in chapter 12, Rainbow Dash thinks over in her head which one of her friends might be Mare Do Well, using reasoning and wording that is very similar to the guesses and speculation readers posted in the comments. This may have been unintentional.
** The chapters surrounding TheReveal also have Mare Do Well bring up all the avenues of investigation Rainbow never pursued, some of which would have solved the mystery in minutes. Many of these ideas were previously noted in fan comments, so the author might have taken inspiration from the fans on this point.
* FantasticArousal: Pegasi wings are very, very sensitive.
* ForcefulKiss: [[spoiler: Surprisingly, ''Mare Do Well'' is on the receiving end of one from ''Rainbow Dash'' in chapter 20. May have edged on TakeThatKiss territory.]]
* FreakOut:
** In chapter 20, [[spoiler: Mare Do Well completely freaks out when Rainbow Dash actually ''calls'' her "Mare Do Well.]]
** [[spoiler: Pinkie, after the others saw her in her depressed state. Rainbow Dash is able to calm her down, however.]]
* GenreSavvy: Mare Do Well, who intentionally invokes RuleOfCool and various [[SuperheroTropes superhero]] and RomanceNovel tropes to try and appear interesting to Rainbow Dash.
* TheGlomp: Pinkie's traditional means of greeting Rainbow. [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash later gets one from Mare Do Well, too, when she first wakes up after having her wings broken.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Pinkie seems to go through one when Rainbow ditches her to continue looking for Mare Do Well. Rainbow Dash later suffers one as well, this time PlayedForLaughs, when she [[spoiler: learns that her biggest lead (the fact that Rarity sold one of the Mare Do Well costumes, most likely to the Mare Do Well who's following her) is actually useless, because ''Spike'' bought it as a Nightmare Night costume.]]
* HiddenDepths: EVERY. SINGLE. CHARACTER. The philosophy behind the story as a whole seems to be that our perceptions of others are never quite enough to fully understand them, and that there's always more than meets the eye.
* [[spoiler: IdentityAmnesia:]] [[spoiler: Pinkie worries that she has this. She's sure her personality has changed so many times that she can't be certain who she ever ''was'' anymore. Rainbow Dash convinces her that who she was or may have been isn't important, and that she should start from scratch by no longer repressing her feelings and [[QuestForIdentity deciding who she ]] ''[[QuestForIdentity will]]'' [[QuestForIdentity be.]] ]]
* IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: [[spoiler:Dash, when Pinkie kisses her. Mainly from her experience with Gilda.]]
* IHaveTheHighGround: Mare Do Well seems especially fond of rooftops. [[spoiler:It turns out that she's actually afraid of heights and was only doing this to invoke RuleOfCool. Well, sort of. She's not afraid of heights, so much as when her Pinkie Sense goes off and she's dreading somepony falling and getting hurt.]]
* IKissYourHand: Mare Do Well kisses Rainbow Dash's hoof when they say goodbye to one another before Dash leaves for Canterlot in order to perform in the Hearth's Warming play. Indirectly, since it's through her mask, but the intention is clear.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Rainbow Dash.
* IndyPloy: [[spoiler:MDW rapidly falls into this.]]
* InterfaceSpoiler: After about chapter five or so, some of the more literary-minded readers may get the sense that [[spoiler:Mare Do Well has to be Pinkie Pie -- if for no other reason than that any other possibility would make no sense from a standpoint of technical narrative construction. Nopony else had enough screen time to even interact with Rainbow Dash long enough for it to not be a complete left-fielder with no buildup.]]
** Subverted with the Group listing on the [=FIMfiction=] page, as there is plenty of [[spoiler:Pinkiedash]] interaction in addition to Dash/MDW, [[spoiler:though it could be argued to be a DoubleSubversion by the end]].
** There were two camps who called foul on the original example, one because the example was in play, and another because it wasn't subverted upon TheReveal. The author ended up [[TakeThatAudience calling out the]] [[IncrediblyLamePun neigh-sayers]] by [[WordOfGod stating on-record]] that the point of the mystery was never who Mare-Do-Well was, but why the pony under the mask put on said mask in the first place.
* InVinoVeritas: After the Hearth's Warming Eve Play, Applejack and Rainbow Dash get a little tipsy and a little ''too'' honest with one another.
* IronicEcho: "You mean the kissy-face ''smoochies'' kind of like?" First said by Pinkie when Rainbow Dash tells her that Mare Do Well claims to like her, and later said by [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash]] when [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie confesses her feelings, immediately before attempting to kiss her.]]
** "Too bad." First said by Mare Do Well when Rainbow Dash demands that she leave her alone, and later said by Rainbow Dash [[spoiler:just before she unmasks Mare Do Well]].
* ItsAllAboutMe: Mare Do Well seems to love tweaking Dash's tail and getting under her skin, even as her actions start to hurt the Pegasi's relationships with others. [[spoiler:This was deliberate.]]
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:Mare Do Well]] doesn't take the events of Chapter 9 well.
* KissingDiscretionShot: Oddly enough. In the [[SomethingCompletelyDifferent dialogue-only]] chapter 21, pauses in the conversation (indicted by ellipses) are used to imply that [[spoiler: Rainbow Dash kissed Pinkie]] with no actual description of the event.
* KissingUnderTheInfluence: At the Hearth's Warming Eve party in the palace, Rainbow Dash gets drunk and kisses [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie.]]
* LetsFightLikeGentlemen: As much as Rainbow hates Mare Do Well, she agrees to the rules they set for their little competition.
* LetsGetDangerous: In relation to the above trope, [[spoiler:when Mare-Do-Well calls the game off, Rainbow Dash prepares to give her a stern chase in an effort to forcibly unmask her, contrary to the previously set rules--since they no longer apply]].
* LossOfIdentity: [[spoiler: Pinkie]] feared that this would become more likely as the Mare Do Well game continued.
* LoveHurts: [[spoiler:[[ThePowerOfLove But it can also heal]], if both ponies are willing to do what it takes to keep it.]]
* [[spoiler: LovesMyAlterEgo]]: [[spoiler: Pinkie starts off trying to pursue Rainbow as the Mare-Do-Well, but after Rainbow makes one or two comments about liking MDW when the drops the act, Pinkie also tries pursuing Rainbow Dash as herself.]]
** [[spoiler:This is a major factor in the story. Pinkie noted that Dash was more interested in the MDW than her, so she continued being the MDW just so she can be close to Dash. Another factor in Pinkie's breakdown is the idea that Rainbow doesn't notice Pinkie's affections, despite being best friends with her, but becomes interested in the MDW after only a few minutes.]]
* LoveTriangle: Between Rainbow Dash, Mare Do Well, and Pinkie Pie, with Mare Do Well and Pinkie both competing for Rainbow Dash's affections. Although there's certainly the possibility that [[LovesMyAlterEgo Mare Do Well has been Pinkie all along.]]
** [[spoiler: [[TwoPersonLoveTriangle Two Pony Love Triangle]]]]
* ManipulativeBastard: Rainbow Dash is convinced that Mare Do Well is one. [[spoiler: She's wrong.]]
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Rainbow's ditching of Pinkie leads her into a HeroicBSOD.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Implied to be what happened to the unicorn lowlife who [[spoiler: broke Rainbow Dash's wings]] and accordingly became a victim of Mare Do Well's UnstoppableRage.
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Mare Do Well.
* ObliviousToLove: Rainbow Dash towards Pinkie Pie.
** [[spoiler: SelectiveObliviousness]]
* OffscreenTeleportation: Mare Do Well is able to do this; by the end, Dash [[spoiler:accepts she won't be able to figure out ''how'']].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: A running theme is Dash discovering that moments that ''seem'' out-of-character for somepony at first are just part of their HiddenDepths.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: Mare Do Well, who is normally calm, gets annoyed and hesitant when Rainbow forces her to perform the "Pinkie Pie Swear".
** [[spoiler: Mare Do Well gets a second one when she starts crying while attempting to patch Rainbow up when her wings are horribly damaged.]]
*** [[spoiler: {{Lampshaded}} by Mare Do Well herself at one point when she literally bemoans the fact that she's [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "fallen out of character."]]]]
* PrecociousCrush: In the supplementary materials, Scootaloo realizes her hero worship of Rainbow Dash is actually this [[spoiler:after seeing Mare Do Well kiss Rainbow]]. At least, that's what she ''thinks'' she sees, but since it's just an alternate perspective on a scene from the main story, the reader knows better.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Rainbow Dash gives Mare Do Well one in Chapter 20, outlining just ''why'' she hates her.
* RedOniBlueOni: Rainbow Dash and Mare Do Well respectively.
** [[spoiler: And in chapter 21, surprisingly, Rainbow and Pinkie. That's right; ''Pinkie Pie'' is ''calm''…relatively speaking.]]
* RedundantRomanceAttempt: Rainbow Dash eventually admits that she actually doesn't find Mare Do Well all that annoying, provided she's not putting on those superior airs.
** [[spoiler: All things considered, Pinkie's attempts to woo Rainbow probably would have been much better off if she'd never come up with the idea of using Mare Do Well.]]
* TheReveal: Rainbow finally unmasks Mare-Do-Well at the end of Chapter 20.
--> '''[[spoiler: Pinkie Pie:]]''' Surprised?
* SanitySlippage: ''Very'' subtly happens to Rainbow Dash as she tries to figure out who Mare Do Well is. [[spoiler:It comes to a boil in chapter 19 when Mare Do Well decides to end the confrontations between them.]]
* SayMyName: In Chapter 20, [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash calling Mare Do Well ''Mare Do Well'' causes her to have a minor FreakOut]].
* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Mare Do Well has a noticeably formal way of speaking and a habit of using long, unnecessary words. {{Lampshaded}} when Rainbow Dash complains about her pretentiousness. [[spoiler: She later reverts back to more casual speech after Rainbow Dash is hurt, revealing that it was just part of the act.]]
** Borders on SophisticatedAsHell at times, such as when Mare Do Well uses her elegant speech to make fun of Rainbow Dash for getting a [[MemeticMutation wing]][[SomethingElseAlsoRises boner.]]
** [[spoiler:After TheReveal, Pinkie Pie reveals that she can indeed talk like this when she wants to. Rainbow Dash finds this slightly unnerving and [[OutOfCharacterMoment out of character for Pinkie Pie.]] ]]
--->'''Rainbow Dash:''' You're still talking weird.\\
'''[[spoiler:Pinkie Pie]]:''' Huh?\\
'''Rainbow Dash:''' Mare Do Well…Mare Do Well talked really fancy, with big words and stuff. You're still doing that.\\
'''[[spoiler:Pinkie Pie]]:''' I'm not stupid. I can sound smart if I want to.
* SexierAlterEgo: Although there's no real change to her physical appearance (aside from the costume), Mare Do Well is charming, suave, and flirtatious, which is a far cry from how [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie]] normally acts.
* ShipTease: Aside from the Rainbow/Pinkie/MDW triangle, Chapter 19 seems to hint that Applejack has an interest in Rarity.
* ShoutOut:
** To various [[MemeticMutation memes]] in the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP]] fandom, including cameos from [[EnsembleDarkhorse Derpy Hooves,]] [[SomethingElseAlsoRises wingboners]] as plot points, "I emptied your fridge," and etc.
** [[WebAnimation/CharlieTheUnicorn "We gotta be sneaky, Dashie! Sneaky!"]]
* SlapSlapKiss: Once Rainbow starts developing some feelings towards Mare Do Well, their interaction frequently falls into this territory.
* SleepCute: [[spoiler: In chapter 14, Mare Do Well and Rainbow Dash fall asleep against each other. They both later wake up but mistakenly assume that the other is still asleep, so neither move away, not wanting to disturb the other. D'aww.]]
* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Chapter 21 (the aftermath of TheReveal) is a dialogue-only chapter.
* SplitPersonality: [[spoiler:Almost. Pinkie describes Mare Do Well as being a different ''mood'' of hers instead of a definitive alternate personality. Unlike most examples which are aware of each other, the two never converse, though she's aware which one is in control at any given time.]]
* SpoofAesop: Referenced in the ending: Dash considers that the whole thing would be worth writing to Celestia about, only she can't put everything she learned into words. Instead, one of these gets suggested: [[spoiler:"Don't say your pet alligator ate your costume when he doesn't even have teeth."]]
* StalkingIsLove: {{Zigzagged|Trope}}. [[BrokenBird Mare Do Well]] truly ''does'' love Rainbow Dash, but that doesn't stop the Pegasus from getting freaked out - even as she eventually begins to reciprocate. Plus, it's evident that although MDW's feelings are real, they way they've manifested themselves stems from genuine instability and mental fragility. [[spoiler:That she's clinically insane might explain a lot.]]
* StalkerWithACrush: Mare Do Well, obviously.
* StealthHiBye: Mare Do Well pulls this off occasionally.
* StepfordSmiler: [[spoiler:Pinkie is becoming more and more like this as she get's broken up by her feelings for Dash versus her firm belief that her friends will no longer like her if she's not happy. She becomes one completely after Rainbow Dash rejects her.]] Chapter 21 reveals [[spoiler:she was one all along]].
* TakeThat: The author apparently has something of a [[FriendlyEnemy playful rivalry]] with another writer, Creator/Tailslover13 (author of Fanfic/TripOfALifetime and Fanfic/TotalMagicPonyIsland), who made no secret of the fact that his favorite character is Twilight Sparkle and that he firmly believed any other character being Mare Do Well would ruin the story completely. Shortly after the completion of the main story, [=AbsoluteAnonymous=] released [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/11554/1/The-Games-We-Play%3A-Supplementary-Materials/Alternate-Ending%3A-The-Only-Ending-Tailslover13-Would%27ve-Been-Happy-With this.]]
* TheStoic: Mare Do Well, normally.
** [[spoiler: She proves to be NotSoStoic when Rainbow Dash gets her wings broken.]]
* TechnicallyASmile: [[spoiler:Pinkie Pie's expressions after Rainbow Dash rejects her feelings, complete with broken, hollow laugh. Dash is unsettled by this.]]
* TermsOfEndangerment: Mare Do Well starts calling Rainbow Dash "Dashie" and "silly filly" in one chapter just to make her uncomfortable.
* TitleDrop:
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' But this is fun, isn't it?
-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' What is?
-->'''Mare Do Well:''' '''The games we play.''' I chase you, you chase me. Like an elaborate game of hide and seek; neither of us reaching each other, both of us circling one another…
* [[spoiler: [[ThatManIsDead That Mare Is Dead:]]]] [[spoiler:Thought by Mare Do Well during the climax, when she finally drops the charade completely and concedes that she can't keep it up any longer.]]
* {{Tsundere}}: Rainbow towards Mare Do Well. Possibly serves as a [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruction]], since it is made very clear over the course of the story that Rainbow's mixed signals and inconsistent behavior cause Mare Do Well to go through a great deal of conflicting emotions and mental anguish.
* TwoAliasesOneCharacter: The very premise of the story. One of Rainbow Dash's friends is playing Mare Do Well…she just doesn't know ''who.''
* WhamEpisode: Chapter 19.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** In Chapter 19, Rainbow Dash gets called out by both Twilight and Mare Do Well for [[spoiler:kissing Pinkie while drunk]]. Mare Do Well also accuses her of not taking their game seriously enough and claims she could have easily discovered her identity if she invaded her friends' privacy even more.
** Chapter 20 and 21 involve a rather extended one from Rainbow to Mare Do Well, especially after TheReveal.
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->''Here I am. This is what I look like.''
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