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Actually I think Mr Magnet is a Sea Serpent (of the 'River Serpent' subtype) rather than a dragon, although with the morphic variance seen within dragons it can be very hard (the prevailing theory in the scientific community is that dragons can in some way subconsciously control their development) there are few types which have less than 4 limbs, and hair is almost unknown amongst them. There is probably some distant relationship between dragons and serpents but it's not that close. I did attain a interview with Mr Magnet but he didn't confirm or deny what specieis he was, he would only say that he was... let me check my notes... 'fabulous'.

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He’zzz a wurm?! Like a tatzzzelworm?!

*scared bughorse noises*

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Well I've never seen one in person, I've only read a few studies, but no. As far as I know there is no relationship between the two species. Certainly the Tatzelwurm is not known to show pony level intelligence.

It is interesting that the Tatzelworm is found on your world as well as our own, given the number of species like this it seems to be more than a few random portals. Maybe at some point there were a large and semi-permanent link to other worlds. I understand that Starswirl had some one research on that front but my speciality is zoology and botany rather than magic. I really don't have the horn for it.

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"scared bughorse noises" haha I love it

Hey, Ocellus. What kinds of weapons do changelings have? Armor?

On a sort of out of character note I recently read a report on a scientific paper about the behaviour of a lobster after moulting, they exhibit nervous type behaviour after moulting which is extended if they are prevented from eating their old shell and can be stopped by injecting them with an anti depressant drug designed for humans. The notable thing is that the drug seems to work despite there being millions of years of evolution between the two species.

So maybe Pony medicine would make Ocellus a bit less anxious about her molt.

Right, I'm back. The next week is gonna suck (six work days in a row, four of them starting at friggin' 6 AM), but I'm gonna try and get some writing done anyway.

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I can see that as working. Ocellus will get at least one molt in during the course of Seasons 2-3, possibly two. Though the state of drugs in the Lunaverse is relatively unadvanced compared to us, given that they still use laudanum.

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I don't have long enough before I have to head out to work to respond to this, but I have seen it and will get to it some time today, plus more details in her Steven Magnet saga.

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As someone who has also worked six-day stretches, I can fully empathize with you. Take your time, get your rest, and no worries about getting back to us. We can wait.

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We have armor just like ponies do - since the Last Hive is underground many of our tunnels double as mines, though smelting and forging is difficult since we don't have a whole lot of good fuel. It's easiest and most efficient to use magma directly for heat to smelt metal, but that is, as you'd imagine, extremely dangerous, not to mention incredibly hot.

The Hive's armor is lightweight, meant to not impede flexibility, plus changeling drones aren't strong and probably couldn't manage the same sorts of armor that ponies wear. Common armor worn by drones is...well...to be honest, it's not...great. But that's because sometimes it's better to shapeshift into something small and run away, which means discarding armor, which means we want it to be able to be quickly replaced. Armor for a hive lord, meanwhile, might be enchanted to be able to change form or be absorbed into a new form when the hive lord shapeshifts, so no need to discard it. As for weapons, we mostly rely on spears and javelins. Again, changelings aren't strong, and any use of magic necessarily depletes our love as well, so we don't even like to use telekinesis unless we absolutely have to -

Ooh, who's this?

Oh! Um...hi, Steve. These are just some people who ask me stuff about changelings sometimes. Stormy Squall says it'll help out later and it won't expose me because it's not canon.

Well, they seem very nice. Good on you for making friends! And you were so skittish when we first met, too, who knew you were such a social butterfly?

I...don't know what that means? And I'm sorry...I did come out of hiding eventually...

It's alright. We got to play hide and seek! And I am very jealous of your ability to change your colors! If I could do that I think I'd be a different color every day. And just think of how much it'd save me on hair products!

...a lot?

Oh, you have no idea, honey.

Behold, a anatomical diagram of our subject!

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...the straw is that?

Hay.

Sorry. The hay is that? That doesn't look like me.

I dunno, it kinda' does, if you didn't have holes, or fangs. I kind of like your fangs, though. They look neat!

Yeah, ponies need fangs. Though I do kind of like how unicorn pony horns have that neat spiral going up them. And that they're a little fuzzy!

My mom says you shouldn't play with your horn-fuzz or it'll fall off and expose the bone underneath.

Not a problem for me! I can just regrow it!

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Satellite array? Great. Ocellus wants her MTV! :p

Not sure if anyone already noticed, but Luneverse Oceullus has fanart now...

Unrelated, but this comic also sorta reminds me of our delightfully voracious girl (link). I could totally see our version chatting somepony up like that whenever she's feeling a bit peckish.

Also this other skit just amuses me (link).

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I actually had seen that, and 'tis cute. And yeah, I like those comics.

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Awww! Sleepy little love bugs.

So...can you tell me a story from Protea?

It...won't be like pony stories. It won't be happy.

I know. But it'll just be a story. Tell me something you heard when you were a nymph.

Okay...let me see...

Long before any of you hatched (that's how you start a story to nymphs), a farmer drone named Strigae was down in the pastures, scraping lichen from the stones and storing it for the Hive, when a starving worker drone named Obtect came up and begged Strigae for a bite to eat.

"What!" Exclaimed Strigae in surprise. "How dare you? Each of us gets our share and no more!"

"But I am so hungry," Obtect whined. "I worked so hard and long on the outer walls that I missed my ration. I only want what's due to me."

Strigae knew that Obtect was indeed a hard worker, and so he agreed and gave Obtect a ration of lichen. But then Obtect transformed and revealed that he was actually Strigae's hive lord, Nervure. "Fool!" Nervure called. "This lichen is not yours to give out, it is the Hive's! Obtect works hard, and his hive lord sees to his needs - that is not your place!" And for his foolishness, Strigae was denied his own rations for three days.

See, it's a lesson. Actually it's a bunch of lessons. Your hive lord is always watching. Obtect was a hard worker, so even if he worked so hard that he missed his rations, his hive lord would see to it that he didn't starve. Strigae, on the other hoof, didn't even check with Obtect's hive lord, or his own. He gave away lichen. If that had really been Obtect and he had been lying, then Obtect would have received an extra ration he didn't earn and some other changeling would have had to go hungry.

Is this story the reason why you don't share food?

This one, and a thousand more like it. There isn't enough food to share on Protea. But there is here. You...you can have...thizzz cookie...that Zzzweetie Belle gave Zzzprite...if...you...want...

Thanks!

...hhhzzzkkk...

Your eyes can open really wide...

Yezzz...*cough*...Ahem. Yes. Changelings open our eyes as wide as we can when we're trying to intimid...I mean...um, well, there'zzz - there's a lot of reazonzzz...reasons. Hhhow wazzz the cookie.

It was great! Thanks for letting me have it. I gotta go home now. See you later!

Bye...

...

Snails is not to be eaten...you gave him the cookie, there's no Nervure, there's plenty of cookies, you're not even hungry...Snails is not to be eaten...

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Nymph steps Occellus, Nymph steps.

Ocellus, can you use the holes n your legs as manipulators?

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I can stick things through them, yeah, if I want. It feels kind of weird, though, and they don't really have any kind of gripping ability, unlike our hooves. I could shapeshift them smaller to "tighten" them, but if I'm doing that it's about as easy to just shift some hands. Or grab whatever I want to manipulate with my hooves or telekinesis (though changelings on Protea try to avoid the latter since it uses magic/love).

But why me, though?

Because I can taste that you're the least aggressive and least likely to eat me.

I'm not sure I like being called the least aggressive. And anyway, how do you know that Allegro and Cantata aren't just lurking beneath the water?

Because I'd taste them if they were nearby and...nope. Just you.

Okay, then. Come on in, the water's -

Ah no! No, no, no singing. I know it doesn't affect me, but still. Just in case.

Fine. So swim.

Okay...here goes...For the Hive!...Huh. This isn't nearly as cold as I thought it was going to be...

Well, of course not! It's heading into summer. And sirens can deal with cold really well. We live in water year-round, after all.

Makes sense. Wish I'd trusted you more last winter...Heehee...I like having a tail that actually does something. Hang on...wheee! Wow! You guys can move through the water! hang on...ha! For the Queen! ...did I get all my body out with that jump?

Just about! You're actually taking to this pretty well, like a snake to land. How's that even work? Like, how can you just copy something so well only by looking at it?

I don't...hang on, want to try breathing water, let's go under...wow this feels weird. But I'm breathing so that's good...anyway, I don't really know. It's part of changeling magic, when we see something we just get an instinctive sense of it. Oh, a fish! Hey fishy, come back here! You're not getting away!

Wait, Ocellus, don't eat -

Om!

Oh...you ate it.

I mean...yeah, okay, so I did. And you're right, it didn't taste good, but I've definitely eaten worse. Why can't...you...

Here it comes - crap let me get upstream!

BLLLEEEGGGHHHH!!!!

That's about right.

Hey, Chorus.

Hi Allegro. Hi Cantata.

So she ate a fish.

BLLLEEEGGGHHHH!!!!

Yup.

Poor thing.

I don't even want to eat her now.

And we agreed we weren't going to anyway. Don't scare her, she might hear you.

Haa..haaa...how is it even possible I'm throwing up this much, I didn't eat that big a - BLLLEEEGGGHHHH!!!!

There, there, bug. We all make the mistake sooner or later...

Okay...okay...I'll just..become a changeling again...keep the gills so I can breathe...but that sh-should...sh-BLLLEEEGGGHHHH!!!!

And that, for all you folks reading this out there, is why we don't eat seafood.

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Well Live and Learn Occellus, you might want to die for a few hours but you probably won't.

Hey, Occellus--in your siren form, do you already have the ability to control ponies via singing, or would you have to practice and train more to do that? If you have the ability already, are you going to use it to prank Snails?

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Come on in, the water's fine...
Please oh please, don't decline...
Come and dance on the river's bed...
Come on in and join the dead...

Anything? Snails?

...

Ha! It worked! Siren magic is pretty easy, it's in the throat so as long as you can get the throat just right, and of course I can do that...I mean, I bet my song would be pretty easy to counter or resist if you knew you had to resist it, but Snails is just a foal and didn't know so he was defenseless. Also I practiced on some squirrels and raccoons and birds first.

...

Heh, reminds me of an enthralled creature...heh. Um...okay, Snails, lift one leg. Good, put it back down. Wow, he really is acting like he's been enthralled...uh...

...but it's fine. it's okay, it'll wear off after a little bit. I'm not singing anymore...but I think the way the magic works is that once the connection is established, as long as I'm talking or making any noise, even just humming, it continues.

...

Hah...um...Snails, stop...stop just staring straight ahead. Focus your eyes or something. Look at me...no, don't just turn your head, actually look at me, like you see me.

...

S...Snailzzz...? Hhhzzzkkk...um, okay, I'm a changeling again! Siren song over! Stop...Zzznailszzz?

...

Zzznailzzz! Wake up! Zzztop it, zzztop...zzztop acting like I enthralled you! I didn't even eat any of your love today!

...

Oh no...oh no...okay, okay, zzztay...zzztay...no, don't zzztay here, you might...okay, follow me, Zzznailzzz! You can do that...keep following...keep following...

---

I could have sworn you said you weren't going to feed us ponies.

HHHZZZKKK! IF YOU HHHURT HHHIM I WILL TRANZZZFORM INTO A TATZZZELWURM AND EAT YOU!

Okay! Okay! Calm down!

What hhhappened? Why izzz Zzznailzzz zzztill enthralled?! Hhhow do I fix hhhim?

Normally it doesn't last this long. Can changelings enthrall things too? Maybe it's a mix of both our magics somehow. You were emulating what we could do but it mixed with what you could do, your body just started doing what it normally does...

Oh...oh no, that would mean...n...no. No, I can zzztill tazzzte love...all hhhizzz love. I didn't take any accidentally. FIX THIZZZ!

Bite him - hang on! Wait! I'm being serious. With our songs, pain normally breaks the enchantment, that's why we go for the vitals and fall back when we make our kills. Swear to Thetis, that's the best advice we can give.

Allegro's right, that or drowning him is the best bet. But I don't know how to get water out of an air-breather's lungs.

It's not normally a priority for us.

I...okay, okay. Hhhurt hhhim...

Um...harder than that. That's less "painful" and more "courting".

Hhhzzzkkk...okay. Zzzhift away my fangs...um...nape of the neck doezzzn't hhhave any vitalzzz...and...

OW!

Zzznailzzz...?

That hurt! Wait, what's going on? Where am I? Ocellus, where are we? Oh...uh, Ocellus...? Are those your...your siren friends you told me about...?

Hi, morsel.

Umm...

Zzznailzzz...Zzznailzzz, I'm zzzo....zzzo zzzorry, I - I accidentally - I wazzz juzzzt -

We were hunting and accidentally caught you in our song...pretty tight.

Yeah, ever since Ocellus started helping us get more than just squirrels we don't even try for ponies anymore, but our song doesn't really make distinctions. It was a mistake. And Ocellus was worried about you.

So we told Ocellus how to snap you out of it. She had to bite you. Hard.

...wh....bu....

Oh...okay...I, um...I don't think I'm supposed to talk to you three...or even be in the Everfree Forest...but thanks for not eating me. I gotta go, though.

The river goes right back to Ponyville, don't worry. And other monsters keep clear of it since it's our turf. It'll be safe.

Thanks...um, Ocellus, you're coming too, right?

R-right...just go on ahead, I'll catch up to you in a moment, need to talk to these three...

...what did you do?

It's called "covering for you". Last thing the colt's gonna want after waking up in the Everfree surrounded by four predators is be told that one of those predators, who he thought was his friend, messed with his head. He needed something "normal" to prevent a freak-out, and you're "normal" to him.

Yeah, but seriously...don't do that again. Violating a person's mind is just plain wrong. I mean, unless you're gonna eat them afterwards, that's different, that's just efficient hunting. But it's not something to prank people with.

Enchantment magic is powerful. Power shouldn't be used like a toy.

O...okay. I...I'm going to tell Snails what actually happened, though. Once we're out of the Everfree. I'm sorry if that ruins you covering for me -

Heck no! That's a good call, I was gonna tell you to do that anyway.

He might be angry with you, but telling him the truth is better.

If you really are his friend and he really is yours, then he'll know you made a mistake, that you didn't mean to hurt him, and he'll forgive you.

Okay...thanks, you three.

---

...

I'm sorry...I'm so...zzzo zzzorry! I never zzzhould hhhave enthralled you, even for a joke, I juzzzt thought...juzzzt thought I'd...it doezzzn't matter! I zzzhouldn't hhhave done it, and there'zzz no excuzzze and pleazzze don't hhhate me!

I...I don't hate you, Ocellus -

Yezzz you do! I can tazzzte it! It'zzz like azzzid, it burnzzz...and I dezzzerve it zzzo if you want I'll eat it and zzzuffer...

I don't want you to suffer! And...and I don't hate you. I hate what you did. That was just wrong, Ocellus. It was a very bad thing. It's the worst thing that anypony has ever done to me...well...maybe not the worst, but it's up there.

I know...I know...I'm zzzorry...

But...but it was a mistake. And nopony was hurt...much...ow. But I'm fine. And you learned your lesson, and you are sorry...

Zzzo...s-so...you forgive me...? I won't ever, ever, ever enthrall anything again!

...Pinkie promise?

Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.

Okay. I forgive you - ah!

Thank you thank you thank you thank you!

You really like hugging now...

They're tasty...but I'm not eating anything right now! This is...it's an apology hug.

Okay...now transform into Sprite. I think we both need some ice cream.

What about 'special' creatures? E.g., you can probably become a tapir without difficulty, but can you become a baku baku (the dream-eater tapir)? Those are supposed to be really rare). What about pony hybrids, like pegasus-unicorn hybrids--could you then use either pegasus or unicorn powers? Could you become a full alicorn, and if so, could you use magic from any of the tribes?

What about monsters? Could you become a lich like Grogar? A wendigo, a quasi-wendigo like that one apprentice of Luna's who went crazy, or a half-wendigo like Ice Heart? (You indicated Snails had told you about the Elements' adventures with wendigos up north.)

Ooh, or what about magical constructs? Could you become that big golem that attacked Ponyville the one time?

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Well, except for just cosmetically changing my appearance to look like something, I need to actually see something with my own eyes to become it. So I couldn't become a real lich or windigo or golem unless I actually saw one, I'd just look like one.

I can use pegasus and unicorn and earth pony magic all at the same time, but the more magic I'm using the faster I use up my own time when transformed and use up my own magic/love. Also I don't think being a pegasus/unicorn/earth pony all at the same time is the same thing as being an alicorn. I haven't seen Luna myself yet, but as I understand it she's...powerful. Very, very powerful. At least as powerful as Queen Chrysalis. I don't have the magic needed to become the Queen and emulate her powers. Basically I'm still limited to my own natural limits on how much magic I can put out at once.

Although from what I know of widigoes, given how they create and feed off of strife and hate, being near one might badly hurt me...and given what...what just happened with Snails and my magic mixing with siren magic, without me realizing it, I don't think I want to find out what would happen if I became a windigo.

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Hmm. A windigo might be a problem, then, but Ice Heart was a half-windigo and he seemed able to feel love and affection for his friends. I suppose you could probably become a half-windigo, then, if you met him.

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Are you able to replicate bloodline powers? For instance, there's a unicorn named TIM who claims that he has a couple of unconventional abilities on account of being descended from King Sombra; supposedly other unicorns can't do those things but only Somba descendants can. Would you be able to replicate his bloodline abilities (assuming he's telling the truth about how he got them) if you met him, or are you only able to replicate powers that are species-based?

What about artificial powers? Like, suppose a pony put on an enchanted bracelet which let the user turn invisible. If you saw that pony, would you be able to do the turn-invisible thing too, or would you need the bracelet?

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One last question and then I'll stop bugging you--can you replicate non-magical skills? E.g., if you turned into Raindrops or Juggernaut, would you have their strength? If you turned into Fisher--a pony who is really good at engineering and chess--would you have his intelligence and tactical skills? If you turned into Cheerilee, would you know how to pick locks or have her sense of humor?

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I don’t really know, but I can’t think of a reason why I shouldn’t be able to duplicate either of those things. I think I’d have to meet this TIM to test it. As for duplicating a magic item, I should be able to do that, again, within the limits of my own personal ability to channel magic. It would take practice and I’d probably never be as good as the real thing, though.

As for non-magical skills, if it’s an innate part of them, then yes, but if it’s a learned skill, then no. I also retain my own mind when I transform so, for example, if Fisher or Cheerilee are smarter than me then I don’t become smarter (same reason, though in reverse, as why turning into a fish or something doesn’t make me lose my intellect). Cheerilee’s personality is the result of her growing up where and how she did, I don’t get memories so I don’t get that. But on the other hoof I would get Raindrops’ innate strength, though not her martial arts skills.

Oh! But this might be related. Sometimes when we put a changeling into a pod we later realize that they knew something important, but we have a rule that once a podling is sealed up they are never let back out, even if they didn’t do anything wrong and are just in the pod as a “retirement” after a long life of serving the Hive. Something to do with how feeding on their love will have a really bad effect if they’re let out.

But anyway, if that happens then the Queen knows a special spell that lets her or a Hive Lord tap into the memories of the podling. I think it’d work on drones too but we never do it. Thinking about it if I could do it then I could probably near-perfectly disguise myself as a pony in a pod, since I’d look like them and be able to remember what they do.

But...that would be wrong. So I wouldn’t do it. I mean, unless Snails wants to try escaping from one again. But only with his consent!

Hello..."Sprite"!

Oh! Um...hello, miss...Pinkie Pie, right?

Yyyyup.

Can I, uh...help you?

Here. Take this.

Um, okay...what is this? A toy boat? Wait, hang on, it...comes apart...changes...into a pony? What's the point of - hey, where'd you go?

Note: Subject doesn't understand my veiled hint that I know she's a changeling. Not sure if revealing it in this thread will count anyway since nothing here is canon. But me and canon have an open relationship anyway, and Bluie said he doesn't mind if I'm "in a loose relationship with canon".

Because I don't -

Shhhhh!

Because I don't even know what that's supposed to mean. And why are you stalking a small filly? And why am I helping you?

Because this one is tough. Somehow she's avoided a "Welcome to Ponyville" party, I think because she's just visiting and technically doesn't live in Ponyville. But I'll get her! Just you wait! And her little toy boat too! Especially the toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat toy boat toy boat toy boat...

Do I know she's a changeling?

What's a changeling?

...right, I'm going to get us some tea. Or rather tea for me and lightly tea-flavored sugar for you.

Thanks, Bluie! You're the best!

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Hey Ocellus, I heard that Snails has a crush on Alula. Drawing on all the dating and romance knowledge you've learned in the changeling hives, what advice would you give him on how to win her heart?

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I don't have a crush on Alula!

Alula has a bit of one on you, though.

Wait, really?

Mm-hmm.

Oh. Well...I better go ask Raindrops what I should do about that.

Need to figure it out myself...

Okay, see you later, Ocellus!

Bye! ...seriously though on the one hoof Alula is a source of love - young love, very sweet, not very filling, I've discovered - but on the other hoof Snails is the only pony who actually directs love at me, the real me. Friendship-love, tastes like warm bread and butter with light cinnamon. So I don't know what to do about Alula since I don't want Snails to love me less if he starts loving Alula more. Except maybe I could turn into Snails...with his permission, of course.

Anyway, I don't think I could really draw on anything from the Hive for love advice. Changelings don't date and drones especially don't have anything to do with reproduction, if we did we'd overpopulate the Hive. Reproduction is done by Hive Lords and the Queen only. Drones do have the ability to reproduce, but if we actually do without having been selected as being special enough to reproduce with a Hive Lord, then we're punished and the eggs are eaten. The closest equivalent would be...I dunno, I guess asking the Hive Lord for permission to reproduce with them or another Hive Lord. The drone would have to be able to lay out a pretty good case, though.

As for just...dating, just being together for the sake of love without any desire to reproduce? That's got no changeling equivalent. The Queen and the Hive Lords forbid it, we don't have time for it and changelings can't eat the love of other changelings so it would just be wasted mental space. The most you get is a bit of camaraderie between your fellow workers.

But after observing ponies, if I was going to give Alula advice for asking Snails out...

Hhhzzzkkk...no. No, Ocellus, Alula can't eat Snails' love anyway, she's not taking anything from you...

I'd tell her to find out what Snails likes, and be that. That's what I do to get love.

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Wait, how do you know what buttered bread and cinnamon tastes like? Did you get money from somewhere to buy it? Do you have a part-time job as Sprite? Or is Snails sneaking you snacks?

7211849
Oh, Snails pays, of course! I never zzzteal - steal food. Never. That would be wrong, Snails said so, zzzo - so. Ahem. I don't need to eat solid food all that often so it's not a major drain on his allowance. And I'm not zzztealing food. Definitely not.

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Still, if he's buying you food you should do something for him. That's only fair. Maybe you could make him a present. Or help him with homework. Or take his place when he has to do something he doesn't want to do.

7211969

So, Ocellus, I see in the latest chapter of 'For the Mare Who Has Everything' that you have indeed started going to Canterlot with Snails to do some gardening in the Canterlot park districts. Assuming for the moment that winds up being canon (at least with respect to this thread), are you enjoying that? What did you think of meeting Puissance, Scepter etc.? Can you taste Greengrass's passion for his flowers and his care for that Notary pony? What other types of love have you tasted up there?