Summer Breeze

[Midnight Breeze]

Summer Breeze

Art by Morning Glory

Race: Earth Pony
Gender: Female
Age: Middle Adult (Approximately 45-50 in human years)
Special Talent: Child Care
Occupation: Babysitter

Personality

Summer is a very loving, family-oriented mare. While she is genuinely a good and well-meaning mother she is extremely neurotic and worrisome; often to the point of being overprotective and unnecessarily restrictive. She has a strong work ethic and a steadfast dedication to her work, both out of passion for what she does and a streak of perfectionism.

Background

Summer was born and raised in Fillydelphia; where she has lived her whole life. From a young age she had a rather juvenile dream of meeting her soul mate and raising the perfect family. She was a bit of a loner in her early life, preferring to spend most of her time bopping around in her garden. As much as she loved gardening, it was not her special talent: she was still a blank flank well into her adolescence, causing her much confusion and distress.

In her late adolescence Summer took up a job in a local flower shop, where she quickly became known in the neighborhood for her flawless flower arrangements, despite taking forever to make them. It was here that she met her husband-to-be: Dusty Breeze, who came to the shop asking for a funeral arrangement for his mother, who had just passed away. As the two got to know each other better Summer quickly fell for him. Though she couldn't put her hoof on it, he just had "that one thing". She knew she had found her soul mate. Within a year, the couple was married with a bright future ahead of them. Dusty often joked that Summer was the first mare in Equestria to win a stallion's heart before earning her cutie mark. They were ecstatic when they found that Summer was pregnant for their first foal, they couldn't wait start their family.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. One day, Summer received the grim news that her beloved husband had met his demise in a freak accident on the job. She never remarried as she believed Dusty was her one true love, "Till death do us part" was apparently not good enough for her. With the untimely death of her husband, she was left to raise their unborn foal alone.

Summer gained two things on the day of her foal's birth: A son, and her cutie mark. When she looked into her colt's eyes for the first time she knew he would be her whole life. She had to protect him; he was all she had. She named him Midnight Breeze.

With a new colt to raise, Summer opened a Babysitting business in addition to her job at the flower shop. Horrified of losing her son like she did her husband, she kept Midnight in arms reach at all times; coddling him to no end. This unfortunately had a detrimental effect on Midnight's social development: he grew up to be an outcast and had trouble making friends. Once Midnight got his first job at Tock's Clocks; the local clock store, Summer was able to quit her job in the flower shop and became a full-time professional babysitter. She loves the children she cares for and sees them as the foals she never had.

Eventually, the day came when her son was ready to leave the nest. While Summer truly believed that Midnight's dream of a technological revolution was simply a lost cause, she supported him out of love, and encouraged him to make his place in life. With her lifelong dream cut short, she hoped and prayed that her son could somehow manage to achieve his. Today she lives alone in Fillydelphia, caring for the foals she loves until one day she can be reunited with her love.


Note: Yes, after 2+ months of procrastination I finally got around to posting the info I've been hoarding on Midnight's mother: Summer Breeze. Sorry about the crappy Pony Creator image; my go-to artist has a lot on her plate, and I just didn't want to have to pay for a commission.
(Thanks Morning Glory!)

[Morning Glory]

A strong earth pony mom with an everyday talent. Who would have thought that would be refreshing, unique and different from the norm?

I love that she's just your average pony for the most part. Happy normal Fillydelphia family. I feel like maybe getting her cutie mark when she had her son is a little strange. Ponies should have their cutie marks by the time they're adults. Maybe have her be a babysitter already that takes care of other foals because she wants one so badly, and she gets her cutie mark, but she's always desperately striving for her own and it's the most fulfilling achievement for her when she finally does have her own foal.

Her job sounds more like daycare than babysitter. Is that what you meant? Babysitting is usually reserved for teens and is typically a few hours while the parents are out, and the babysitter goes to their house. A day care would be more like the parents leave their kids with her while they go to work or whatever. Running a daycare feels like it might suit her better. But that's just my opinion.


I'm not sure how I feel about her tragically losing her special somepony...I mean, I have deaths of family members within the stories of my own OCs, so I can't criticize it too much. I wonder if there could be a better way to have the dad be out of the picture, or for her to feel exceptionally protective without killing him? Sent away for his work? Or maybe he's terribly hurt in the accident, but not killed? It doesn't feel right in the MLP world, but like I say, this all makes me a hypocrite, and the character is strong and the story logical, so you can leave it if it's really what you want to happen to this character. We just see so many deaths in the OC department around here...

Overall, a great character. It's nice to a pony that isn't 12-22. We need more older ponies.



Edit: Here, have some arts. The hair isn't quite the same as the pony generator, but I just can't get that style down. Hope you like it!



Direct link: http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t416/MorningGlorypony/Summerbreeze.png

[Midnight Breeze]

Golly, you drew that that quick? Great work! I appreciate it.

I love that she's just your average pony for the most part. Happy normal Fillydelphia family. I feel like maybe getting her cutie mark when she had her son is a little strange. Ponies should have their cutie marks by the time they're adults. Maybe have her be a babysitter already that takes care of other foals because she wants one so badly, and she gets her cutie mark, but she's always desperately striving for her own and it's the most fulfilling achievement for her when she finally does have her own foal.

Her being a 'late-bloomer' was intentional. If you look closely some of the adult background ponies in the show are still blank-flanks. Whether this is a mistake or a suggestion that adult ponies can be blank-flanks is debatable, but I like to believe its a possible rarity.

Her job sounds more like daycare than babysitter. Is that what you meant? Babysitting is usually reserved for teens and is typically a few hours while the parents are out, and the babysitter goes to their house. A day care would be more like the parents leave their kids with her while they go to work or whatever. Running a daycare feels like it might suit her better. But that's just my opinion.

Well, here in the South we tend to refer to a business run by one person or one family that runs out of their home a babysitting business. While a business that hires non-family employees and runs out of a company building would be a daycare. I may reword it to be clearer.

I'm not sure how I feel about her tragically losing her special somepony...I mean, I have deaths of family members within the stories of my own OCs, so I can't criticize it too much. I wonder if there could be a better way to have the dad be out of the picture, or for her to feel exceptionally protective without killing him? Sent away for his work? Or maybe he's terribly hurt in the accident, but not killed? It doesn't feel right in the MLP world, but like I say, this all makes me a hypocrite, and the character is strong and the story logical, so you can leave it if it's really what you want to happen to this character. We just see so many deaths in the OC department around here...

This part is set in stone because growing up with no father plays a crucial role in Midnight's development. I think the reason so many OC writers kill off their parents is because they just can't be bothered to write them. Admittedly I have very little written on Dusty myself, so I can hardly criticize.

I much appreciate your feedback and your art. Thank you again!

[Gracie Sky]

I think she is so normal because she's a supporting character. Of course supporting characters are just as important as the characters they support. But yes, this is a sigh of relief in the midst of all the other more extravagant OCs I've been reading recently.

I'm not particularly fond of the circumstances revolving around her husband's death. I'm sure you've explored all the possibilities, though. Still, I have to let you know that even hearsay of a pony dying has never happened... only them going missing in the Everfree. I wouldn't even leave the possibility that she doesn't want to talk about it off the table, much like Big Macintosh didn't want to speak of his parents in your story.

... and something about that pacifier bothers me.