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DuneFilly — Fatherhood

#quibbledash #rainbowdash #mlpnextgen #quibblepants #harmonyverse
Published: 2018-06-04 12:02:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 30033; Favourites: 566; Downloads: 32
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Description Quibble stared with tired, desperate eyes at the tiny foal in his hooves. The rise and fall of his son's gentle breathing had put him in some sort of trance, and he had been unable to break his gaze away from the baby for what seemed like hours. Quibble felt he had hardly taken a breath himself as his heart raced when a voice from behind him nearly startled him out of his wits.

"You know, new dads need just about as much sleep as babies," Rainbow teased, peering over his shoulder to look at their little bundle in blue. She smiled warmly as Quill Feather twitched his nose, murmuring softly at the broken silence. 

All Quibble could manage was a quiet rumble in his throat as he snapped his attention back to their baby, running his eyes all over his small frame. Rainbow nuzzled Quibble's mane affectionately, placing a hoof on her husband's shoulder.

"Hey, what's going on, babe?" she asked softly, eyeing him with concern.

"...It's nothing, I just... Never mind," Quibble croaked, his voice hardly above a whisper in fear he'd stir Quill from his nap.

Rainbow frowned as she settled next to him, poking his shoulder gently. "Quibble, half of the time I have trouble getting you to stop talking, and now you have nothing to say? C'mon, talk to me." 

He sighed, resting his head on hers. There was so much he was thinking about, and so few words to explain the deep pit in his stomach that made him fear... this. The tiny bundle dozing quietly before him. The role he was meant to play in shaping this young mind, raising this small foal. Would he be able to do it? He was bound to make a million mistakes, who was he kidding? Quill would probably hate him, just as much as Quibble hated his own father. 

"I don't know if I can do this," he said quietly.

Rainbow furrowed her brow, her lips curling into that pout she always made when she felt a challenge coming on. "Of course you can," was all she responded with. Quibble began to shake his head, the fear mounting up from his gut to his throat.

"No, I can't, I don't know the first thing about being a father, and I don't know how to-"

Rainbow Dash cut him off with a swift nip to the ear, making him wince and exclaim in surprise. Quill stirred for a few seconds before settling down once more. Rainbow fixed Quibble with a deadly glare.

"Quibble Pants, no one knows how to be a parent until one of these," at this she jerked her head at their son,"pops into their lives. I certainly didn't know how to be a mom when Iris and Sunny came along, Celestia knows. Sure, there are books an egghead like you could read, but you don't learn how to be a parent by reading- you learn by doing."

Quibble remained silent, tense under his wife's gaze. He still hadn't managed to look away from Quill, forcing Rainbow to snap his head to look at her in the eyes. She stared at him for a few more hard seconds before her gaze softened and her voice grew gentler.

"I know you're scared, and I know you were nervous about this from the start, but trust me, you got this. We both got this. You're going to be an awesome dad." She smiled tenderly at Quibble, the confidence in her voice helping to ease some of the fright away from his mind. He spoke after a while, his voice still quiet, but much more steady than before.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just, thinking about this, about him, it just... makes me scared I'll become my father, I guess."

Rainbow leaned on his shoulder as Quibble slumped against her, taking their son into her own hooves gently. They both stared as Quill Feather shifted, wiggling a little in his blanket. She smiled fondly at their baby, remembering when her twins used to be this small, too. 

"You're gonna do just fine, Quib. I've got plenty of experience for the both of us, so if you ever doubt yourself, you got me to lean on." She said quietly, finally turning her attention back to Quibble. His eyes were closed, his breathing calm. Not much different from the sleeping baby in her arms. Rainbow rolled her eyes fondly as she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position while making sure Quill was alright before settling down herself, exhaustion catching up to her.

"Moms gotta sleep too," she mumbled quietly before happily dozing off with her two boys.
--


Whew, I don't normally write that much!   

I was in the mood to draw something QuibbleDash related, so here we are! Also, introducing their son, Quill Feather! I mostly wanted to focus on Quibble himself here, though, and his anxiety in becoming a parent before and after the birth of Quill. I'll delve more into Quibble's backstory later on, but the basic idea is Quibble had a terrible relationship with his father, so much so that, at least in Harmonyverse canon, he was thrown out by him during his near-adult years. It left a dark impression on Quibble, which mostly manifested in his weariness to become a father himself.

While Quibble was dating Rainbow after she got divorced from Zephyr, he remained a little distant from her kids Iris and Sunny. He interacted with them as much as he was comfortable with (Rainbow Dash never pushed him) and he genuinely liked them a lot, since they all got along very well, but he was always scared the kids would start to see him as a father figure in their life, so he tried to keep certain boundaries up (not as if Iris and Sunny began to ever look up to him as a father figure during the early stages of RD and Quib's relationship- they both liked Quibble just fine and were happy their mom was happy, but Quib was too much of a nerd for them to ever think of him as their new papa while they were still teens, heh). After he and Rainbow Dash married, and while he had already settled comfortably into the Dash family lifestyle, he was still more than nervous when the subject of children came up. He loved Rainbow Dash, no question about it, but he was still hesitant to put himself in that position (he was just getting used to being responsible for Iris and Sunny, who he had finally gotten closer to). Rainbow, knowing Quibble's anxiety, had never meant to make him a father until he was ready for it, but sometimes things can't be controlled- cue RD getting pregnant with Quill. RD's pregnancy floored Quibble- both the good and bad way. He was thrilled he would be having a baby with Rainbow, but also terrified at the implications of having to raise a child. Throughout the pregnancy and through several years of Quill's growing up, Quibble doubts himself a lot- but that's to be explored and developed more next time!

I really wanted to go a little further with this piece since I wound up liking it a lot, hence the rare shading and highlights I threw in- it's not perfect, but it's nearly 5:00 AM here, so I'm not going to judge myself too harshly. I had a lot of fun in drawing a rattled and disheveled Quibble! He ought to shave soon, hehe. Also, the colors from his mane are fading out- poor guy hasn't had the time to dye his mane since Quill popped into his life, haha!


Alrighty, I think I'm getting much more into the swing of things, if drawing well into the wee hours of the morning is any implication of that. Good night/morning, folks- enjoy!




Harmonyverse and art belong to me.
MLP:FiM belongs to Hasbro.
Related content
Comments: 54

4evrAllfand0ms [2020-05-24 03:18:40 +0000 UTC]

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11Quixotic11 [2019-01-02 11:21:19 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Commenter

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DuneFilly In reply to 11Quixotic11 [2019-01-02 12:12:18 +0000 UTC]

I think it's more of a generally assumed idea that Quibble dyed his hair for the convention, and I'm a fan of the popular headcanon that he's actually a blonde. Fatherhood's stressed him out so much that he hasn't had the time to redye his mane, so the color is fading out, at least for this piece, heh.

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Nautilus18 [2018-12-21 08:32:41 +0000 UTC]

On a scale from 1 to a Star Trek cosplayer, how big of a nerd will Quill Feather turn out to be?

Why does Quibble dye his hair anyway? Does it make him resemble his father or something?

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-12-28 09:42:36 +0000 UTC]

Haha! Quill is nowhere near a level of Star Trek cosplayer or anything of the sort, but he'll be modestly nerdy enough, I assure you. He won't be dying his mane anytime soon to mirror his favorite protagonist *cough* like his Dad *cough*, but Quill will enjoy a few posters and action figures of his favorite fiction characters when he grows up.

Quibble likes to dye his mane in homage to Daring Do because of what a big nerd he is, but also because it sort of empowers him, I guess, to be his own version of brave, like Daring. Your pretty spot on, too, with his not wanting to resemble his father- hopefully I can get into that later. But yeah, essentially, Quib didn't have a very good life up until he became an adult, and dying his mane has sort of helped him cope with things since the Daring Do books helped him a lot in becoming who he wanted to be. Also- he absolutely hates being a blonde. Makes him look like some dumb surfer jock, no thank you (though Rainbow thinks he looks great, hah!).

Again, sorry for the ages-old response! I'm just barely going through all my messages.

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CitrusEucalyptus [2018-09-20 02:28:09 +0000 UTC]

Awwww

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Rutkotka [2018-07-16 21:39:17 +0000 UTC]

I SHIP IT! oh my, your art makes me ship those two.
Great and amazing art you have!
Nice to watch you on dA

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DuneFilly In reply to Rutkotka [2018-07-17 05:54:48 +0000 UTC]

Haha, I'm glad to hear it, and thank you!
Also, thank you so much for the watch! Your art is phenomenal, so I'm flattered you like mine!

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DingoBreath [2018-06-16 19:09:06 +0000 UTC]

i love this!! quibble pants and rainbowdash are cute together and i almost shipped them together. i love the idea that rainbowdash tells quibble pants that it will be okay, and she herself is scared of being a parent. i like seeing dash as a decent mom tbh. not a lot of people let her learn from her mistakes and she usually tarnishes relationships with her kids. not saying that isn't okay because i can see her doing that!! but it's enjoyable seeing her as the 'cool mom' that also has a good bond with her kids.

your writing and art is good as always! i wish i commented on this earlier dfdfdfdf it's so nice. 

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DuneFilly In reply to DingoBreath [2018-06-19 05:32:03 +0000 UTC]

Aaah, thank you!! And I totally agree, Dash sort of gets a bad rep for being a mom, but I can totally see her pulling off parenthood, of course with a few tumbles here and there, with flying colors.  I'm glad you enjoyed the writing!

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Nautilus18 [2018-06-15 16:11:48 +0000 UTC]

I just realized Quibble has resting Dr.House face in this picture.

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-06-15 21:06:28 +0000 UTC]

Haha! I love House- interesting comparison!

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Nautilus18 In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-15 21:37:03 +0000 UTC]

Will you be doing any pictures of when Iris and Sunny when they were babies?

Ever since I saw the part of Rainbow remembering when her twins were "that small" I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-06-15 21:42:18 +0000 UTC]

Hm, I hadn't thought about it, but it's definitely a cute idea! Consider it a future piece, hehe.

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Nautilus18 [2018-06-06 09:05:55 +0000 UTC]

Is Quill an Earth Pony?

And you can never go wrong with Rainbow Dash in a mom-bun, but you made it look amazing.

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-06-06 09:25:18 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, nope, lil' Quill's a pegasi.
Also, thank you! Rainbow can rock any do.

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Nautilus18 In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-06 10:09:14 +0000 UTC]

I'm just curious, but do you have any intention of introducing Lightning Dust or Gilda into the Harmony Verse? I just like their characters and the drama they usually bring in other artist's au's.

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-06-06 10:32:30 +0000 UTC]

Hm, good question! And one that I haven't honestly thought much about! I agree with you there on the potential drama appeal either Gilda or Lightning Dust could bring, but I'm afraid I haven't really got any ideas in how or where to include them in Harmonyverse. Guess it's time to start making plans then!

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Nautilus18 In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-06 12:26:05 +0000 UTC]

I remember an idea H0mi had of Lightning Dust and Zephyr Breeze getting together.

IM not sure if that would just add unnecessary conflict or just create a closer bond with the characters.

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DuneFilly In reply to Nautilus18 [2018-06-07 05:42:00 +0000 UTC]

Hm, interesting! Though, I'm already shipping Zephyr off with Trenderhoof.
I'll definitely be thinking about adding some fun drama now- thanks for bringing this up!

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Nautilus18 In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-07 06:10:37 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome, I love getting to contribute and can't wait to see more of you're artwork.

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butlerkitties [2018-06-05 06:06:12 +0000 UTC]

OHGUGHUTH I LOVE THEM sO MUCH

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DuneFilly In reply to butlerkitties [2018-06-05 21:02:04 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, same here.

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WarriorFlashfire [2018-06-05 00:24:28 +0000 UTC]

I don't ship them, but I do absolutely love your art, especially the style you chose for Quibble's mane. Could I possibly use it as reference?

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DuneFilly In reply to WarriorFlashfire [2018-06-05 03:00:30 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, that's totally fine, and I'm glad to hear you like my work! Also, sure, go ahead!

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PokemonTrainerMax [2018-06-04 23:07:37 +0000 UTC]

I think you did a fantastic job at catching that moment every first time parent has: that moment where they realize that they helped create a new life and now are responsible for it.  Quib's reaction makes perfect sense, especially considering the backstory you got for him.  Luckily he's got Rainbow who's already done this before to back him up.

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DuneFilly In reply to PokemonTrainerMax [2018-06-05 03:02:38 +0000 UTC]

Thank you, I'm flattered you think so! I was a little iffy on the dialogue/story content, but I'm glad to see I captured the essence of parenthood well enough.
Also, definitely, if raising her two twin hooligans didn't give her all the experience she'll ever need, then I don't know what else could possibly help Quibble raise Quill, pfft.

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PokemonTrainerMax In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-05 06:15:01 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome!  Also, I really like your design for Quibble's natural mane/tail color.  It makes sense that he dyed his hair for that con and has a different natural hair color.

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Mashabrow [2018-06-04 22:39:37 +0000 UTC]

oh my goodness, this is so precious! and you're such a good writer, I'm jealous!
I love what you've done with Quibble. The fact that he's lost for words and so worried about his parenting is adorable

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DuneFilly In reply to Mashabrow [2018-06-04 22:59:44 +0000 UTC]

Aaah, thank you! I'm flattered you think so!
Hehe, you know Quibble's distressed if he isn't mouthing off about something, pfft.

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Microwaved-Box [2018-06-04 21:52:33 +0000 UTC]

The writing is Amazing! some truly sweet characterization 

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DuneFilly In reply to Microwaved-Box [2018-06-04 22:09:46 +0000 UTC]

Aaa thank you, I'm glad you think so!

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LezzyBugO3O [2018-06-04 16:46:54 +0000 UTC]

Awww I love this!

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DuneFilly In reply to LezzyBugO3O [2018-06-04 18:46:14 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, glad to hear it!

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ReginaBeastiarum [2018-06-04 15:32:34 +0000 UTC]

So sweet! Can't wait to see more of lil' Quill in the future! Beautiful work!

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DuneFilly In reply to ReginaBeastiarum [2018-06-04 18:46:02 +0000 UTC]

Hehe, thank you! No worries, Quill will show up again sometime soon.

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Ask-Y [2018-06-04 14:37:15 +0000 UTC]

Okay that is too scary....I just sketched something like this!! 

SO CUTE!! <33

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DuneFilly In reply to Ask-Y [2018-06-04 18:45:08 +0000 UTC]

Haha, nice! I'd love to see your sketch if you post it up! <3

Also, thank you!

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GanashiAshaka [2018-06-04 13:47:34 +0000 UTC]

I love this so much! ;-; Poor Quibble! 

Not going to lie, I wanted to draw a picture like this myself, but you beat me to the punch lol. 

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DuneFilly In reply to GanashiAshaka [2018-06-04 18:44:15 +0000 UTC]

No worries, Quibble at least has RD by his side for this.

Oops, sorry! At least two artistic minds thought alike, though, right?

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Claire-Cooper [2018-06-04 12:46:14 +0000 UTC]

aww poor Qubble. Also love his design for his original hair.

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DuneFilly In reply to Claire-Cooper [2018-06-04 18:42:07 +0000 UTC]

He'll be alright, he's just jittery, hehe. Thanks, I'm glad you think so!

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Claire-Cooper In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-04 18:47:46 +0000 UTC]

Glad to hear it.

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DoodletheExpoodle [2018-06-04 12:29:13 +0000 UTC]

Awwww it's just too cute! QuibbleDad is an oddly fun dynamic to explore

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DuneFilly In reply to DoodletheExpoodle [2018-06-04 18:41:02 +0000 UTC]

Haha, indeed it is!

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samwxch [2018-06-04 12:08:33 +0000 UTC]

I don't ship it but holy hecks the story got to me so hard! You're a skilled artist and writer!!! A huge inspiration to me! <3

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DuneFilly In reply to samwxch [2018-06-04 12:12:58 +0000 UTC]

Aaah, thank you!! I'm glad you think so, I always feel very rusty when I write here and there, so it's a relief to hear you enjoyed it- even while you don't ship QuibbleDash yourself, hehe!

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samwxch In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-04 12:16:27 +0000 UTC]

Hah, are you kidding?! You're a WAY better descriptive writer than I am. Keep up the amazing work!!! <3
Is it okay if I call you senpai?

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DuneFilly In reply to samwxch [2018-06-04 18:47:56 +0000 UTC]

Heh, thanks again!
Pfft, you can just call me Filly.

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samwxch In reply to DuneFilly [2018-06-04 18:51:05 +0000 UTC]

Yea no problem!!
Okey Filly! I was so wondering if you have a Discord account so we can chat and get to know one another better, if you don't mind...

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