Neurosis 01 [Visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

[The week was nearly over, and the air was starting to clear significantly... the town wasn't quite as blue as it was Monday morning. Literally or figuratively. Yet, trueberry-induced awkwardess hung in the air even still, liable to last a few more days yet. Now seemed like the perfect time to strike.

He'd spent most of the week watching from a vantage point nopony would question - after all, they were so worried about blurting out their deepest secrets that nopony paid the suspiciously new potted plant near Town Hall any mind, even though it was blatantly wearing a ratty toupee. And with that, he learned of the situation... including what was going in in town, and how he had gotten to a place like Ponyville anyway, when normally changelings still couldn't get within miles of Canterlot.

Making sure he's not seen, the changeling reverts back to his normal form, unrolling the nearby scroll and working its magic.]

Greetings, my little ponies. I see that I have arrived in your world during a bit of a... crisis. Something in the air compels you to speak truths uncontrollably, yes? I notice a large number of you are highly uncomfortable with the idea, and yet it is highly liberating, is it not? Being able to vent what is truly hidden deep in your minds. Perhaps it would help you to seek a neutral third party in this situation, to allow that truth to flow without fear of judgement.

I would like to introduce myself. I go by the name "Hain" amongst ponies, and yes, I am fully aware that I am a changeling. However, I have nothing to hide. I shall not pretend to be some random pony whom you have never met simply to garner love from you - I will do that, instead, with honesty and promise.

You see, I am a deserter of my changeling hive, and as of such have to subside on whatever love I can gather from ponies directly. To that end, I have taken up profession as a therapist. I help ponies with their problems, and in lieu of coin, they provide me sustenance. It is actually truly a remarkable deal, yes?

And it sounds to me like many of you need the assistance. While I do not have a place of residence as of yet, my non-existent doors are quite open for any and all of you.

However, do bear in mind that I do not work pro-bono. As I said, I ask only for my next meal, but that is payment I am unwilling to negotiate at this present time, as a sheer matter of self-preservation. I also do not take kindly to being short-changed.

Regardless, my offer is on the table. Allow me a meal, and I will listen to your problems, even help you through them.

And I assure you; despite the teeth, I will not bite.

Comments

[visual]

[sailorlaughter]

...wait, you mean you weren't playing hide-and-seek?

[visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

...Well, certainly the 'hide' part. [Even if he didn't usually lie, the trueberry storm made those small few half-truths impossible.]

I apologize for not accepting the cupcake, for what it is worth. Pony food doesn't particularly settle well when your body is designed to digest emotion.

[visual]

[sailorlaughter]

Awwww. If you'd stayed hidden two weeks longer, you would've broken the record!

That's okay! I'll just make you some Welcome to Ponyville Love instead!

[She sits and stares at him for a moment, smile slowly fading and head tilting as she realizes she has absolutely no idea how to do this. After a minute, she settles for waving her forehooves at the scroll with an intense look and whispering:] Looooooooooooooooove...

[visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

[You get a rather flat look from the changeling, one that is decidedly unimpressed.]

Miss Pie, I regret to inform you that, were changelings able to feed off of love via magical communication devices, there would be much more to fear regarding my kind in general.

visual

[etranger]

There's a pink pony just sort of staring into the scroll, completely baffled.

"Wait, what's a changeling?"

[visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

For his part, Hain has no problems answering.

"Changelings are creatures much like myself," he starts, stepping back to give her a good view as he extends his insect-like wings from beneath that chitinous 'saddle', "that can change their shape to that of other living objects, including ponies. We feed off of positive emotions, particularly love, and most changelings that you will see are male drone units under a single female queen."

Having properly shown off his appearance, he closes his wings and steps closer once more. "In a hive arrangement such as this, sustenance can be shared amongst the queen and drones empathically. I have abandoned such arrangements as I feared my queen would lead the entire hive into ruin, and as of such must hunt my own food in all circumstances, regardless of my health."

[visual]

[etranger]

Mako's eyes go very wide.

"Oh wow, that's amazing! A fully sapient race of shapechanging...hm. Are changelings parasites or is the relationship symbiotic? Are those holes spiracles or do they have some other use? If you feed off of positive emotions then what are the fangs for?"

She's fidgeting as her brain races ahead of the conversation, no longer speaking to Hain so much as at him.

"They'd make sense if changelings feed off of fear, as a sort of threat display, but you've already said that's not the case, they're unnecessary for consuming actual food...if it's a society with a single queen and numerous drones there won't be the kind of, of...dominance struggles that would need those...oh! Venom! You're venomous, aren't you!"

...Mako is especially...Mako-ish today, apparently.

[hangthedj]

Man, Iunno why you gotta be reassurin' us like this. We've already got another freaky changeling dude out an' about here, don't gotta tell us to calm ourselves down.

I mean, I like shrinks way less than I like changelings, but it sounds like you're doin' some legit work here. Doin' good by yourself, doin' good by the community. S'all good, man.

[And then the smuggest, most irritating smirk possible.]

Nice 'do, by the way.

[pseudacteon_emigre]

Yes, well. This was meant just as much for those who are native as for those who are from other worlds. After all, they have many things they need to get off their chests as well - such as their lingering resentment of the preferential treatment offworlders have gotten.

Ponies open up better when they speak to somebody with a mane. It makes them view me as less alien.

[hangthedj]

'Preferential treatment', huh? You sure you're just seein' stuff that isn't there? I had to spend my first few days here in a ditch, dude. Call that preferential.

I didn't know changelings thought 'mane' meant 'rat corpse'. Learn somethin' new every day.

[Visual]

[buckleupforsafety]

Is it really that bad there?

I should have come down from Canterlot to see to show.

[Visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

Even normally peace-loving creatures have secrets and hidden troubles that they do not wish others to know. When those come out in full force, the result is always quite chaotic.

[Visual]

[buckleupforsafety]

That's why I need some popcorn.

[Hmm...]

Do they have popcorn here?

[visual]

[queentakesknight]

(A deserter, eh? Have one disguised queenie, but it should be pretty clear to him who she really is.)

My my, you seem to have a fully established lifestyle, if you really broke away from your hive. It must be quite a change, huh?

[visual 1/2]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

[Oh, certainly. The voice, the utter lack of subtlety, the naturally ratty mane, and the general demeanor are a give-away even if he can't "sense" you over the scrollwork.

He could out you right now, but that would prove nothing, except that he's a vindictive sort - utterly ruining his credibility as 'trustworthy'. It wasn't a lie, yet ponies had this weird sense of what "trust" was - if you backstabbed one pony, suddenly you would backstab them all.]

I admit, it was quite harsh at first. However, never once have I regretted my choice to seek out a new path for my brethren. If I must martyr myself out to save my hive from utter incompetence, then it is a necessary consequence. Neither they nor their barbarous queen need comprehend it.

[visual, incredibly private][2/2]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

[There's a bit of a pause - he does have to stop himself from outing her like that, but he can't help but give a little, subtle jab privately.]

So, tell me. Were I the betting type of drone, how long did it take you to completely and utterly blow your cover to at least one pony with these foul trueberries in the air?

[visual, incredibly private]

[queentakesknight]

(She likes her mane, thank you very much. At least she didn't have to kill anything for hers

Of course, Chrysalis is naturally upset that he pretty much figured that whole "oops someone knows my real identity" thing out with minimal effort. She's hesitant to reply, but it's pretty clear by the grimace on her face that it didn't take very long at all.)

Shorter than I'm willing to admit.

(It was instantaneous. Also she's still working the truthberries out of her system, which is why she only seems to look more upset as a result of her own response.)

Do you really think I can't keep such delicate information contained? I have no problem keeping her silent through any methods I need to...but keep in mind that as a deserter, you have no room to speak of incompetence.

[Visual]

[bluesuit_hoofy]

"Interesting arrangement you're suggesting. Unusual for an empathovore to take that approach; even more unusual in this universe." Not that it's not possible Hain is on the up and up. On the other hoof...

"I don't trust vampires."

Wait, did he just...he just said that out loud. Great. "Not that you're a proper vampire, but blimey you're close and I've not exactly found that reformed vampires have a tendency to actually reform and stay that way --"

With an effort, Handy shuts himself up. Irritated with himself for not knowing better than to reply under the influence of trueberries, he looks for a moment like he's thinking of simply shutting the scroll off and pretending this didn't just happen. "Not a vampire," he re-acknowledges tersely. "Perhaps we can talk, er...later."

[Visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

"Vampires are a creature of storybooks that drink blood. I assure you I am no such thing, as you already stated."

Hain looks mildly indignant, but brushes it off with a shrug. "You have a firm grasp on the situation. Sharp, for a pony, which makes it all the more obvious you weren't originally one. Distrust me if you must, but rest assured I'm no more incapable of lying than you are at this moment."

[Visual]

[bluesuit_hoofy]

"Vampires are very real," replies Handy sharply. He's quite familiar with what proper vampires are, thanks, but that's not going to stop him from making the comparison.

He raises an eyebrow. "Insulting the locals, are we?" He's somewhat mollified, though, by the reminder. Of course, Changeling biology could react differently than that of a pony, but there hasn't been anything so far to suggest that any species is entirely unaffected.

[visual]

[honeycombing]

BZZZBZZZZBZZZZ!!!!

[...Well, she'd probably sound more terrified if she wasn't, you know, covered in bees at the moment.]

[visual]

[pseudacteon_emigre]

[Bees. My god.

Hain says nothing, simply looking at the pony-shaped mass of insects quietly.

Anyone who happened to see might wonder if he was actually listening, but that's silly. Bees don't talk.]

[ponymechanic]

[Well now he's rather curious since he hadn't heard about changelings yet.] So you can actually change into different forms? Are there limitations to that ability? Also, do you only feed on love and not other emotions?

[pseudacteon_emigre]

Only organic objects. There is another creature that can change into inanimate things, though it cannot assume the form of ponies.

[Curse this trueberry air. Regardless, Hain demonstrates by... transforming into an almost perfect copy of Tails, though his expression gives him away, as do the toupee and glasses.]


Love is the most filling and easiest to digest. Changelings can take in all emotions, but many cannot handle negative emotions, as they are more than mildly toxic to consume.

[ponymechanic]

[Tails couldn't help but grin at that. Tails hasn't been affected very much by the trueberry air since he's usually pretty honest anyway.] Neat.

[He nods.] That makes a lot of sense. Kinda reminds me of the Chaos Emeralds from back home.