A New Member Joins the Party! · 4:53pm Aug 2nd, 2022
Heya, Folks!
Hey, something’s popping out of the woodwork; no, it isn’t a termite, or an ant, or a beetle, but it is a buggo.
At BABS back in April I was happy to meet up with NavelColt, and along with a crew from the MLP forums, we’ve kept in touch and chatted it up quite frequently lately (at this point I was practically adopted into the group). Over the course of a variety of conversations revolving around my stories, his stories, possible collab stories (one of which is in the works, just going slowly), and everything else, something came to our attention. For all the times we chatted about his changeling story series, stemming from The King of Love Bugs (which I referenced and even briefly snagged mention of a character in A Risky Bet), we realized something kinda crucial— I never made a true buggo OC (
). Sure, I had ‘Understudy’ in Hitting the Big Time, but he was very basic, and stemmed from the Integration ‘Verse trilogy. I needed a reformed changeling OC, and Navel was happy to help me brainstorm and come up with a good one that can traverse the ‘verses in more ways than one. Between A Daughter and Her Dragon, Through Crimson Eyes, and various artwork, you’ve met Cotton Candy, Crimson Star, Tesla Coil, Starry Knight, and many, many more OCs of mine, but it’s time for someone else to get their turn in the spotlight. So let me introduce you…
to Palpus.
(Awesomely designed by BezierBallad)
Practically every canon changeling name we’ve seen so far has been insect-related in some way, and Palpus is no different. The name is derived from 'palp', which is a section of the joint or mandible of some insects. Its literal translation from Latin is 'to feel'— kinda perfect for a changeling, ain’t it?
Being about a year younger than Thorax, under Chrysalis, he was a recon expert who regularly infiltrated other lands and learned about their inhabitants’ strengths and weaknesses. However, he grew to appreciate the lands he infiltrated before actually locating their denizens, developing an interest in the landscapes and ruins he discovered along the way. Unfortunately, he never got to take the time to truly appreciate his discoveries, since under Chrysalis his missions were ‘scout, learn their strengths and weaknesses, then get back here.’
Under Thorax, he's able to freely travel where he likes, and can focus on the sightseeing and archeological adventures he enjoys, so his trips can last from as short as a few days to as long as a few weeks. Occasionally he meets the citizens he used to scout, so he’s learned bits and pieces of other creatures’ cultures as well.
Those of you who have read The King of Love Bugs know that NavelColt has created quite a few OCs in the process of writing the story and its side stories, but none stand out (to me, at least) as much as the hyperberry hug-bug, Calor. Well, Navel and I have determined that Palpus is Calor’s older broodmate from a different clutch (terms are being thrown around; basically they were born to the same parents—we know parents are a thing because of Ocellus—but Palpus was born about two years before Calor). So Calor has an official sibling to look up to—literally, since Palpus is a bit larger, as evidenced by the following artwork by AAnotherpony:
Due to Palpus’s penchant for exploration and cultural appreciation, his interests began branching out to more than just travel and archaeology, even pre-reformation. During one of his scouting missions to Manehattan, Palpus made his way into a Bridleway show, and discovered he legitimately enjoyed it. Thus, when Calor founded the new hive’s theater troupe, it only took a gentle nudge to convince Palpus to join; drama and theater are actually where Palpus and Calor bond the most, hence Palpus’s nickname for Calor being a ‘Ham,’ which is a theater term for an over-eccentric actor.
Having a primarily positive bond with his brother, Palpus allows Calor to bring him around to show him all the progress he’s made with the other activity groups Thorax put him in charge of moderating. Amazingly, Palpus has at the very least a mild interest in most of the activities and always has some kind of positive comment to give someling when he stops by, so he’s mostly universally liked amongst the hive, and returns from his trips are usually marked with excitement. Even Pharynx, who often comes to Palpus to complain about Calor when he begins dragging Thorax away from his responsibilities, has a respect for Palpus when he’s able to put his hoof down and get Calor to listen when he says enough is enough, since Pharynx never gets that response out of him.
Of course, Palpus can’t help but groan when Pharynx catches him being called ‘Pal-Pal’ by his younger brother, but he’s okay with the nymphs calling him that. He’s not as active at playtime when it comes to nymph interaction, but when Calor drags him into the nursery he’ll lightly noogie a few heads if they come at him. When he’s swarmed by the whole room, though, he has a tendency to shapeshift into a flea and just say, “Nope, I’m out.” 
The nymphs—and even some of the adults—have attempted to get Palpus into a cluster nap, but like Pharynx, he isn’t the biggest fan. He’ll hesitantly accept a one-on-one nap, maybe two changelings if he’s caught in the right mood, but he’s generally avoidant, especially with large groups. He will, however, always tolerate napping with his brother, who sees it as a beloved ritual.
Well folks, there you have it, a new member to my OC roster. This is the first time I’ve done a true background blog about someponyling, but Palpus is a very different kind of character, so I felt he needed a bit more of an introduction. He’ll hopefully make an appearance in future stories (or even artwork), but we’ll get to that when we get to it.
Until next time!
—LD
Hey LD. Looking forward to seeing more of “Pal-Pal”. He looks really good in his first piece of art!
Awwww! I really love this character. Also seems really cute that the Royal Brothers both have a favorite brother between Calor and Palpus. I can't wait to see him!
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Yep, here's hoping something with him comes out sometime soon. I have a lot on my plate, so Navel has my permission to use him as he sees fit.
I know this design was meant for 'Understudy,' but I think Palpus deserves it more. Understudy will use one of the alts from that thread.
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Yep, here's hoping we get something good out for him. Possibly with the rest of the hive. I dunno if I'll give him his own story just yet, but I'll get to it when I get to it.
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Sounds good to me. It’s amazing to see him come to life either way.
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Alright!! Can't wait!!
NavelColt will probably write something ridiculously adorable, but I still hope you decide to write something with Palpus yourself. This bugbro relationship is hyper lethal levels of adorable and fluffy from the artwork and blog alone!
Neat and nice. :)