In case you missed me posting nothing but Limestone related pictures for the last two days, I've had her on my mind quite a lot lately. It's no secret that I like grumpy characters. There is something about them that I always relate to and it's just fun to think about what is going on inside their heads.
So let's dive into the mind of Limestone Pie and find the things that make up her inside world.
Starting with...
Stress
I think the source of Limestone's perpetual anger is stress. She is supposedly the one who runs the farm, which brings its own responsibilities. She also has to take care of her elderly parents. Or at least, I assume they're elderly, because why else wouldn't they be running the farm. At the very least, they do expect Limestone to do it instead of them. So there is the responsibility to the family as well. And considering how protective she is of Holder's Boulder, she is also concerned about that.
And on top of that, she's gotta take care of Marble as well. I mean, that girl seems to be practically mute; she's very vulnerable and needs a lot of care and support. Now whether or not Limestone is good at that is debatable, I like to think that she's the kind of jerk who will push you down when you're on the top, but will be the first one to offer a shoulder to cry on when you're on the bottom. And Marble must be on the bottom a lot, especially with how badly Big Mac hurt her.
So there's the constant stress of responsibility on her back. But there is one other thing that might be bothering her: Longing.
I don't imagine life on a rock farm being terribly good. I mean, it's not the worst thing, the Pie family does seem to be passionate about it. But it's probably not the same sort of passion the Apple family has for apple farming. More like, a thing they do for a living. A job that runs in the family, whether they like it or not. And considering how Pinkie talked about her life there, before she got her cutie-mark and the fact that even Maud is moving away from that, it's probably not their desired path in life. And Limestone is probably not an exception either.
Consider this: Pinkie Pie moves away and becomes central in the life of a small town, and becomes everypony's friend, constantly brightening their days. Maud moves and away and BAM boyfriend! Even Marble, she didn't even have to say a word and she still turned the head of a very pulchritudinous stallion. It's possible that she wouldn't even have to try to get into a relationship. It's another thing, that she failed to capitalize on the situation... But really, that's just more emotional baggage on Limestone, because she's the one who's got to comfort her.
It's like, everypony around her is taunting her with their success in leaving the farm (or at least, their potential). And she's stuck there on the rock farm. Possibly doomed to be lonely, with her rock farm related responsibilities.
Of course she's grumpy, she's got a lot on her mind.
It's a difficult place to be in. I mean, somepony does have to run the farm. And it's not like her parents are going to take care of themselves. And Marble needs a bit of pushing as well, to get her through her emotional vulnerability, which isn't an easy thing to do. Especially when you grew up in such a cold and stoic environment. So there is no easy solution.
Maybe she should just take a brake once in a while and have a few "me days". Maybe that would help her get herself together. But who's going to run the farm while she's away?
Her relationship with Marble
I like to think, that just like the way Pinkie and Maud seem to be each-other's favourite sisters, Marble and Limestone might have a similar relationship. Marble is timid and vulnerable, so she does need a strong figure who is willing to carry her. (This is why Pinkie talks Rainbow Dash out of pranking Fluttershy, she's got experience with emotionally fragile ponies.)
Perhaps they share some of the same grievances, maybe Limestone is just a big softy on the inside, maybe it's just the strength that Marble needs to keep standing.
On the flipside, this might actually be somewhat harmful on Marble's end. She might grow too camplacent with her helplessness, leading to a pony who makes Fluttershy seem like charismatic superstar. And Limestone might just not be the best pony for her in this case. Limestone sympathizes with pain, but she doesn't have any meaningful to add when it comes to getting over it. Not Pinkie or Maud either, because they are pretty confident on their own as well, even if they lack Limestone's sheer personal power.
I'm sure Limestone tries pushing Marble out of her comfort zone from time to time. She probably often tells her that she needs to speak up, if she wants to get ahead in life. She probably pushed her to talk to Big Mac as well. And after Marble's heartbreak, Limestone probably told her the she failed because she just didn't open her mouth.
This is probably a hurdle on their relationship, because Limestone just simply doesn't understand how being sensitive works. She understands pain, but she doesn't understand fear. What Marble needs, is some very soft encouraging words, not Limestone's raspy nagging, even if she is the best hugger in the world. (Just like how Pinkie wasn't the best at finding a friend for Maud either.)
Other than that, Limestone provides a stable standing ground for Marble, through her sheer strength of character. And Limestone herself must feel very protective towards her and would rather die than see her cry. But she also sees Marble having a lot of difficulties down the line, due to Marble's extremely timid nature. She just doesn't know how to deal with it. Though, she does try.
This really just gives Limestone more things to stress about.
Conclusion, TL:DR
Whew, I talked a lot already. What can I do, a lot of things can go through one's head working in a factory. I didn't even mention how I shipped her with Lyra.
Anyway, what else do you have to add? What do you think of Limestone as a character?
Edit: Added bolding and emotes.
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/mylittlepony/comments/b9g600/character_analysisdiscussion_limestone_pie/?utm_source=ifttt
