Night And Day
"Hey Lady?"
Ladybird closed the novel she was reading, smiling. Little known fact: changelings have spectacular night vision. While it would be pitch black for a pony, it was practically daylight clear for Lady.
It was surprising that Honey was still awake. They'd gone to bed a couple of hours ago. In fact, she was certain that she'd heard the little filly snoring gently over the last hour. Clearing her throat, Lady asked, "What's wrong, Honey?"
The filly hesitated, then after a moment, she asked, "Are you alright down there?"
The changeling chuckled, and said, "I'm fine, Honey. I've slept in much less comfortable places than this." This was the plain and simple truth: a changeling slept anywhere that was safe. Comfort was a distant second to that concern.
"Okay," the filly said, then hesitated, before asking, "Are you sure? Because if you want up here..."
Ah, so that was it. No matter what their species may be, children are the same all over.
Suppressing a giggle, Lady asked, "Did you have a bad dream, Honey?"
"...Maybe."
"Okay, I'll be right up," Ladybird said, chuckling to herself. She had remained awake, just in case this happened.
Pulling her blanket, pillow, and borrowed book up with her, the changeling got up on the bed with Honey. It was a little bit of a tight fit, but there was just enough room for the two of them. After a little bit, Honey started snuggling up against Ladybird, then suddenly stopped.
"Your skin is really hard," the filly said, surprised.
"It's called a shell, sweetie. It's supposed to be hard," Lady said, her tone still light.
"Oh," Honey said, then thought for a moment. "Can't you, I dunno, change it?"
Ah, now there's a tricky subject. "It doesn't work that way, Honey. I can make myself look any way I like, but that's as far as it goes. I could make myself look like a pink fluffy pony with a coat of fur so thick that you could lose yourself in it, but it wouldn't change the fact that I'm still a thick-shelled bug underneath. Sorry."
"I didn't say it was bad," Honey said, giggling. "It's kind of nice. It just takes some getting used to."
Well that was sweet of her to say... and it seemed she really meant it, given that the filly promptly went back to sleep without further incident. It felt good to be looking after a little one again. Of all the things she had missed since the failure at Canterlot, the feeling of a little hatchling snuggled against her was something she'd missed more than anything else...
-----------------------
"Okay, Honey, have you got everything you need?"
Brass Ring smiled as his foster daughter checked over everything again. Backpack? Check. School books? Check. Watch? Check. Whistle? Check. Coat? Check. Lunch money? Check. Adorable little hat? Check. She was all set.
Grinning, the crystal filly said, "I've got everything I need, daddy."
Brass Ring knelt down, then gave his daughter a hug, and said, "Alright then. Have a good day at school, sweetheart. I'll see you this afternoon." With that, she was out the door and riding down the elevator.
Ladybird, a look of concern on her face, asked, "Are you sure it's alright for her to be walking to school on her own?"
The earth pony turned towards the changeling, and said, smiling, "Absolutely. The school is only a couple of blocks away, and there's an officer of the guard on every corner. The streets of Manehattan are among the safest in Equestria. Besides, she won't be walking alone: A half dozen other kids who live in this complex go to the same school she does, and her friend Babs will meet her at the front desk, with her big sister."
Smiling, Lady said, "That's good to hear." After a moment, the changeling looked a little uncomfortable, and asked, "So, um... what now?"
Brass Ring shrugged, and said, "I was invited to give a presentation today at Manehattan University to a group of business students. Nothing spectacular, and it shouldn't last more than an hour, really. Still, I'll be gone a good part of the day." After a moment's though, he added, "You're free to come along, if you want. It would be kind of dull here, all by yourself. Ah, Timor notwithstanding, of course."
The little proto-bogeymane was hiding in the closet. While he had responded well to Honey this morning, and enjoyed receiving attention from the filly, he didn't seem to want to leave the shadows. Given what sunlight could do to a nightmare, it was hardly unexpected. Timmy would probably be more active after sunset.
"Of course," Ladybird said. "I'd be happy to come. With my cold gone, I shouldn't have any problems maintaining a more appropriate appearance." With a flash, she put on a disguise, giving herself the appearance of a pegasus with a light red coat with a dusting of black freckles, along with a long, flowing black mane and coat. A cutie mark in the shape of a ladybug completed the ensemble.
"Wow," Brass Ring said, his jaw dropping. He'd heard about the changeling ability to change their appearance, but seeing it up close was something else entirely. The change in her appearance was nothing short of spectacular. She'd gone from an intimidating bug to a total knockout in the blink of an eye...
Chuckling, the changeling said, "Don't get too enamored, handsome. It's only skin deep."
Yeah, but what a skin...
Gathering his wits, Brass said, "That should do nicely. After the lecture is over, my schedule is clear for the day. On the way home, we'll swing by a place I know and pick up a bunk bed for you and Honey. I can put it together when we get back."
Raising an eyebrow, Lady asked, "Couldn't you pay someone to do that?"
With a raised eyebrow of his own, Brass asked, "Where would the fun in that be?"
----------------------
"Sorry about not being able to walk home with you yesterday," Babs Seed said, blushing a little bit in embarrassment. She was walking along with Honey and the other students to school, escorted by the earth pony's older sister.
Honey Darling giggled, and said, "It's quite alright. When the principal asks you to talk with her, what can you do?" After coming home from a visit with family members in Ponyville, Babs had finally started standing up for herself against the bullies that had been pestering her, by telling her sister about the problem, as well as the teacher. Within a short time, the bullying had stopped for her... and when the bullies started targeting other kids, she'd told her teacher about the problem as well. Within a few days, the bullying behavior had stopped completely for the entire class.
Beaming with pride, Babs said, "Well, it was good news this time: The principal asked me to become a hall monitor." That got a gasp of awe from Honey: That was a pretty big honor, from what she'd been told.
Grinning cheerfully, Honey exclaimed, "That's great! I'm so happy for you!" After a moment, Honey said, "I made a new friend on the way home yesterday. Remind me at recess, and I'll tell you all about her."
-----------------------
Timur crept slowly out of the closet, careful to avoid the sunlight coming in from the window. He didn't like the sun: when he touched it, the light burned. Light bulbs and candles were bad enough, but sunlight was the worst thing ever...
Now that he was alone, save for whatever it was that dwelt in the hall closet, he decided that it was time to do some exploring. The world was large, and interesting, and he wanted to see more of it. His first stop was the bookcase. The young filly had a collection of books that had apparently been selected at random for a small child of indeterminate age. Since Timmy couldn't read, most of them were of little interest. As he turned away, his tail thumped the shelf, and a book fell off the top shelf and landed, wide open and pages side up. A voice emerged from the book...
"This is the letter 'A'. It's a vowel, and it can go 'Ai' or 'Ah'. Try it for yourself."
Timur stared in shock at the mysterious speaking relic, then decided to try doing as it requested.
"Ai. Ah."
The book exclaimed, "Great job!" Tim beamed with pride. He wasn't used to being praised. The book continued, with a new challenge. "A is for apple. Can you say 'Apple'?"
A far more challenging task. Undaunted, the bogeymane mustered all of his strength, and said, "Ah-Pul."
"Great job!"
-----------------------
"My father," Brass Ring began, addressing the assembled students in the auditorium, "was a fairly successful businesspony himself, and he taught me three very important rules. Don't try to sell shoes to a snake; don't try to sell flippers to a fish; and strive to create repeat customers, rather than trying to make a quick bit. Now, these might seem like very simple rules, but they are so often overlooked. Let's take a look at what they really mean."
"Don't try to sell shoes to a snake is very simple: Don't try to sell someone something they don't need." Gesturing towards the students around him, ponies all, he said, "If somecreature tried to sell you a pair of mittens, would you buy them?" This got an assortment of laughs from the students: ponies, since they have hooves instead of hands, had no use for such things. "Exactly. A set of four winter boots is all a pony needs to keep our hooves warm. Gloves are of no use to us. But every now and then, someone, possibly because they didn't do any real research, sends a crate over here with the other winter wear. Now, there's a small market for gloves, since not every creature in Equestria is a pony, but it's still a very small market, and more money can be made selling them elsewhere."
Brass allowed a brief pause as the students took notes, then continued. "The second rule, don't sell flippers to a fish, can be a little bit trickier. It basically means, don't try to sell someone something that they already have. To explain this in detail, I'll give you an example: the story of how I made my first million." The students leaned forward, listening intently.
"Now, as many of you know, Minotauria has a culture built upon the idea of machismo: a minotaur is supposed to be very strong, athletic, courageous, and all that other good stuff. So, you would assume that items such as barbells, exercise equipment, sporting goods, and the like would sell if exported there, right?" There were a few nods in the crowd. "That same assumption has been made by dozens of former merchants who are now paupers. Minotaurs are fully capable of producing their own goods in those fields, and, since they don't have to be imported, are able to charge lower prices when selling to their own kind. If fact, if you were to pick up a barbell anywhere in Equestria, and check where it was made, it would tell you that it was made in Minotauria. I made my first million when I invested in a venture to do something that, at first glance, seemed insane: selling more... feminine items to minotaurs."
Clapping his hooves, the lights went low, and a projector displayed against the wall behind Brass an image of a minotaur. The one in question was a titanic specimen, with muscles layered upon muscles, with even more muscles atop them. The royal robes and crown that he wore made his identity clear, but Brass provided it anyways. "This is King Ferdinand of Minotauria, one of the mightiest beings in the world, and one of the few individuals that can claim to be as old as Celestia and Luna. He is regarded by his subjects as one of the most masculine minotaurs to have ever lived."
The projector went through several images: Ferdinand, in his garden, smelling flowers; Ferdinand, in a black unitard, dancing in a ballet; Ferdinand, before an easel, painting a sunset; Ferdinand, wearing an apron and baking cupcakes; Ferdinand, smiling, petting a fuzzy kitten sitting in his lap; and many others besides. This got chuckles from the assembled students, and when the projection stopped, Brass was smiling a bit himself.
"Minotaurian culture is built upon a very complex concept of machismo. Being macho is about more than just roaring loudly and punching others. One of the greatest accomplishments that a minotaur can hope to aspire to is being so masculine that you can perform tasks normally considered feminine, and still look macho doing them. In fact, it can be considered the ultimate expression of masculinity, in their eyes. However, minotaurs don't produce many such items themselves, so by exporting them, the expedition I invested in was able to give a massive return on the original investment. So much so that I personally funded a dozen other such expeditions, all of which were equally successful. If you want to be successful, find something that somepony, or somecreature, out there will want, and supply it."
That got more than a few nods from the assembled students. It made a lot of sense, when you really sat and thought about it.
"The third concept is one that far too many shady businessponies overlook, and end up getting themselves in hot water. For this, I'll give you a very recent example. Two rather shady characters, Flim and Flam, decided to go to the Crystal Empire and sell modern day conveniences to the Crystal Ponies. This would have been a good idea, but they decided to sell those items at absurdly inflated prices, to the point where only the very wealthy could afford them. The two brothers might have gotten away with it, had it not been for the fact that Princess Cadance and Shining Armor passed by."
A few chuckles emerged from the students assembled. The results of that incident had been in the papers recently...
"Now, what these two brothers failed to realize was, a thousand years ago, there were some rather... quaint methods of dealing with salesponies who tried that kind of thing. The law didn't protect shady businessponies like it does now, and it was often common practice to tar and feather the perpetrators, 'confiscate' their goods and money, and run them out of town." This got a few shocked gasps from the assembled students. "Different times, you understand. In those days, everypony had to rely on each other, and if you proved yourself to be dishonest, then the common practice was to make certain you weren't going to take advantage of somepony else. The Crystal Empire was actually rather relaxed about such things: other villages in Equestria were much more severe. Cadance and Shining Armor prevented the classic punishment from occurring, of course, but the brothers were required to refund the overcharge, and sell the rest of their goods at a more reasonable price. Given a choice between that and a tar and feathering, the brothers agreed. Afterwards, a restriction was imposed on travel to the city for the next five weeks while the populace was educated regarding the wonders of the modern world, as well as while their laws, regulations, and even their currency were brought up to current standards."
This caused a murmur of discussion, which Brass allowed to continue for a minute or two, then continued.
"This wasn't a popular decision, at least with a number of merchants who were planning similar schemes to the one Flim and Flam attempted, but it proved to be necessary: history is filled with cases where a more advanced culture began trade with a recently opened, less educated one... and exploited the less advanced culture mercilessly. Celestia wasn't about to stand by while such a thing happened to our fellow ponies, especially when it is instigated by our fellow ponies. Besides, it will take time before the city would have goods to trade with the rest of the world: Sombra had prevented his subjects from planting more than the minimum necessary to feed themselves, and while the mines they were forced to labor in provided ample raw material, it will take time to turn that material into finished goods for sale. When the restriction lifts in five weeks, you can expect a massive economic boom, both for the city, and for the rest of Equestria."
Again, there was a forest of nods.
"Had Flim and Flam decided, rather than trying to make a quick bit off of the Crystal Ponies, to instead work on building a long term relationship with the Crystal Ponies based on fair and honest trade, they might have gotten their hoof in the door on an untapped market of consumers that could very easily have made them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. Instead, no pony in the city will trade with them, now that they know that the two can't be trusted. Their greed for an immediate profit has ruined that opportunity for them."
Brass cleared his throat, then continued. "The best advice I can give you is to treat every customer you deal with fairly, and honestly. Nopony wants to deal with a swindler, and word can spread very, very quickly if you trick someone out of their hard earned money. The inverse is also true: a reputation for being a fair, honest businesspony will get you far more customers, and far more repeat business. That reputation can take a very, very long time to build, and a second to destroy. Build it, treasure it, and protect it."
That got a solid round of applause. Brass smiled, then said, "Now, since we have a bit of time left, I thought we might do a thought exercise. I mentioned earlier how I earned my first million by opening a market that nopony knew existed. Now, let me show you something."
Another clap of the hooves, and an image of a young changeling with a big blue ribbon, holding a sign that said "Free Hugs" appeared on the wall behind him. While there were a few glares at the image, there were far more "awwww"s and "how cute"s. Ling was an adorable little changeling, and had become something of a media darling since her appearance a few weeks ago.
"This," Brass said, "is Ling. She is a changeling that was stranded in Canterlot after the invasion. She has since been adopted, and is being raised by ponies. Because of her, we have learned far more about changelings in the last four weeks than any other species has learned in a thousand years... and has given us hope that one day, changelings may cease to be enemies, but instead be our friends."
A loud murmur of conversation followed that pronouncement. After a moment, Brass Ring cleared his throat, loudly, and everypony immediately fell silent.
"So this is my question: What would you sell to a changeling?"
The silence that followed was deafening, and after a moment, a mousy looking earth pony with big eyeglasses that gave her an owlish appearance raised a hoof. In a shy voice, she said, "Cosmetics."
That got a huge laugh out of the assembled ponies... except for Brass, whose expression remained neutral. When the laughter died down, Brass asked the blushing earth pony, "Why?"
Hesitantly, the mare continued, "Um, well, I just thought that, you know, changelings can make themselves look like anyone, but that's like wearing a costume: they can make themselves look like somepony beautiful, but that doesn't change what they look like underneath. But what girl doesn't want to make themselves look pretty? To feel good about how they look? Cosmetics would be a start, but there's also stuff like dresses and jewelry, too..."
Brass clapped his hooves together, and said, "Well said. Anypony else have any ideas?"
------------------
"Z is for Zebra. Can you say Zerbra?"
"Zee-bra!"
"Very good!"
------------------
Babs was stunned to hear about Honey's new friend during recess, to say the least.
"You mean to tell me, she's almost as old as your dad... and she doesn't have a cutie mark?"
"Um, well," Honey began, "I don't know if changelings get cutie marks..."
Grinning, Babs asked, "Well, there's one way to find out, right?"
------------------
"So," Brass asked, grinning, "How much of that was stuff you'd be interested in?"
The pair were walking home, Brass pulling a cart with the new bunk bed behind him. He'd made certain that the bed would be large enough for an adult to sleep in, but had a ladder that would allow a filly Honey's age to be able to climb up and down effortlessly, even in the dark. Safety first.
Ladybird blushed a little, before admitting, "You know, I honestly hadn't thought about what kind of things I'd want to buy if I had money of my own, but I admit, that first girl may have the right idea. Just because I'm, ah, unique, doesn't mean I don't like looking good from time to time."
Chuckling, Brass said, "It was a very astute observation, wasn't it? I think she has a real future ahead of her."
Rolling her eyes, Lady said, "Well, obviously she does, now that you've offered her an internship."
The mare, Bright Idea, had been ecstatic at having been offered the opportunity to work as an intern for one of the companies that Brass owned. If she was as smart as her name implied, she'd definitely go far...
The earth pony laughed out loud, and said, "Well, I have an eye for talent, and I try my hardest not to let an opportunity pass me by."
---------------------
Meanwhile, in a seedy dockside warehouse...
Monster Mash looked at the photograph, a grin upon his face. "Finally. Are you certain she's the one?"
His underling, but one of many, bowed low, his dull grey robes obscuring his appearance. "As certain as we can be, milord. It took considerable effort to confirm it, given the, ah, antiquity of the records available, but the signs are all there, the most important of which is the collection of creatures gathering around her..."
Mash laughed aloud, a grin upon his face. His black coat seemed to drink the light from the room, and his splash of red mane and tail rippled as he shook with mirth. After a moment, he regained his composure, and asked, "Oh yes, a changeling, a bogeymane, and... what else was it?"
The cloaked minion said, "We are uncertain, milord: it is not something common to this area. However, we feel that, given an opportunity, the creature would freely join us."
The tall, powerfully built unicorn considered this, then dismissed it as unimportant. "That is of little importance at the moment. The creatures that surround her, the pony that has adopted her, they are secondary concerns. Honey Darling is all that matters. I will need to speak with her, before Nightmare Night ends."
The underling knelt again, and said, "It will be as you say. However, I should mention that it will not be as simple as we would like: she is watched over nearly every hour of the day, as well as the night."
Mash's eyes narrowed, and with a flash of his horn, his hooves transformed into vicious looking claws, his flat teeth turned sharp and cruel, and his eyes turned wickedly reptilian. His coat became scales, with a line of spines running down his back. The voice that echoed from his mouth struck a primal chord of terror in the heart of the listener.
"AND YOU THINK THAT MATTERS TO ME? DO YOU THINK THAT ANY FORCE IN THIS CITY COULD STOP ME?"
The minion cowered, and said, "Please forgive me, milord, I meant no disrespect."
The unicorn's horn flashed again, and Monster Mash returned to normal, his face wreathed in smiles once again. "Apology accepted. I suppose I should not be so quick to anger. You did raise a valid point. It would be best if this is resolved without making a scene." Mash's expression turned serious, as he continued, saying, "However, we are running on a very strict deadline. She must part with her birthright, willingly, before midnight, Nightmare Night, or it will become a part of her forever... something that cannot be allowed. That gives us only three days..."
"...Luckily, I have a plan."
------------------------
Meanwhile, Neffy, the Jorogumo, also known as the monster in the hall closet, had butterflies in her stomach, both literally and figuratively: an insectivore could not afford to be picky. She had given herself away when she had spoken yesterday. She was now incredibly nervous: depending on the results of the interview this the evening, she may be asked to leave. She couldn't say why it was so important that she stay, but the thought of leaving here was more than she could bear...
She heard the door to the penthouse open and close, and, steeling herself, she got out of the closet.
-------------------------
Brass Ring's jaw dropped. The creature that stepped out of the hall closet was... unexpected, to say the least.
She looked almost like a pony, unless you gave her a closer examination. Her color pattern was dark blue with bands of yellow across her legs and her body, with red spots speckling her torso. She was in her early teens, maybe eight years older than Honey was. And were it not for the fangs, she'd look almost normal.
Ladybird broke the silence, asking, "What are you?"
Blushing, the creature bowed, and said, "You can call me Neffy, sir. I'm a Jorogumo."
Brass Ring asked, "What's a Jorogumo?"
Neffy sighed, then said, "It's easiest just to show you, sir." Her legs bent at odd angles, then split, so that instead of four, she now had eight, and her eyes split apart, so that instead of two, there were now eight of those as well. Her torso changed, and swelled, and within a few seconds, they were staring at a spider... that came up to Ladybird's shoulders in height.
"Oh," Brass said, more than a little startled. That was not something that an arachnophobe should have sprung on him without warning. "Okay. Ummm, would you mind, ah, changing back... before I start freaking out?"
The spider nodded, and changed back promptly. Once she was suitably arranged in a pony-ish configuration, she sat down, her expression nervous.
"Okay," Brass said, regaining his composure, "Now, before we start talking about what you were doing in my closet, and whether or not you can stay there, I have a bunk bed I need to put together. I would consider it a favor if you would help me out." Given that he was now allowing a changeling to stay in his house, along with a bogeymane, he supposed that he should keep an open mind...
Neffy nodded, smiling, "I'd be happy to, sir."
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New Chapter Up!
Excellent, though the foreshadowing has me curious. Was expecting a more "slice of life" for this one. Though I give you props for the Minotaur culture, surly there is a similar group we can relate them to in the real world
.
That spider bit.
So freaky and freaking cool at the same time.
...Jorogumo
....I can't honestly say I caught on immediately. That was very clever, B.N.
Ladybird had no response to Neffy's transformation. Did she faint or something?
4004829
Why would a transforming bug monster be shocked by a transforming bug monster?
I do admit, I didn't think to put in her reaction to it, though. Next chapter.
4004790 LOL... that japanese.
4004836 Hey, if fantasy has taught me anything, it's that giant spiders are freaking terrifying. And considering that spiders usually eat bugs...
4004790
4004773
The Jorogumo is a japanese spider monster that takes the form of a lovely woman. The creature also inspired the name of the golden orb web spider, the Joro spider. Neffy takes her coloration from that species of spider, as well as her name (their scientific name is Nephila clavata).
I am an arachnophobe and that made me piss my pants!
4004767
Well, there has to be a bit of plot, and one thing I haven't mentioned yet is what happened regarding Honey's parents.
4004860
Then you'd better run change them.
4004854 I figured as much. All I know for certain, is that Gumo means Spider.
"I could make myself look like a pink fluffy pony with a coat of fur so thick that you could lose yourself in it,"
A Fluffle Puff reference perhaps?
3961952 Abby and Ducky are the reason I watch NCIS. Gotta love the quirky old man, and the perky goth with a caffeine addiction.
Hold the phone, Brass Ring has two females in his home now...
Make it a harem!
Oh but for the story, I think more female bogeymares are in order. I mean it puts depth to the story, a slight comedy of female affection towards Brass and finally, some degree of protectiveness within the apartment.
Brass, don't be an idiot, let her live in the closet already. Think of all the ladies in your home, you can basically boast about having ladies in your home now.
interesting so now we have a changeling, a bogeymane, and a spider yokai. What's next one of the Ten Terrors or an Arrancar? XD
im liking this a lot you just need an slime in the house somewhere
After coming home from a visit with family members in Ponyville, Babs had finally started standing up for herself against the bullies that had been pestering her, by telling her sister about the problem, as well as the teacher. Within a short time
--She'd gotten the asskicking of her life by angry bullies who weren't intimidated by threats of telling their mommies. Namely, all of them. And so she spent the rest of her short little life getting stomped on because she never learned that being a tattletale is no substitute for fighting back.
Hmmm....this "Monster Mash" is introduced like a sterotypical villain, yet his plan requires that Honey "part with her birthright WILLINGLY.
What could that mean...?
haha fluffle puff
Monster Mash sounds like an older version of Timor.
Well the monster in the closet is a girl, there goes the idea that the closet monster could've worked as a butler.
4005206 A Maid is a mysterious being that all of us have heard of, but none of us have ever seen.
I wonder if I am just reading too much or just way off base here, but I think that these characters are working towards a family of sorts. Also, Honey Darling is the Monsters' Modern Missing Moppet Messiah (Hooray for alliteration)?
4004916 *GASP!* *Poomf* fur goes everywhere!
4004724 YAY!
I love this part of the new storys... This story is so fun to me....
4004916
.
4005667
But of course
4005144
.
4005592
Not gonna spoil it, just wait and see
It's good to see that the incident with Flim and Flam was explained more here. It seems much less like a simple con plan and more like an example of oversteer buisenessmen trying to make a profit.
And I feel that the brothers are berating themselves for their greed. But it is good to see that they learned and are trying to get better.
Question: Is the introduction of a Big Bad really necessary to this story? It was working fine as a straight up SoL.
4005125 I thought there was something off about the original.
I think you meant tail since well you say in the same sentence that she has a red coat.
Apart from that great chapter and story so far.
Can't wait for the next one
That spyder dough. And books talking?
Where am I? In the Harry Potter-verse?
I hope we get to see more monstrous ponies taking refuge in this safe new place. I vote for a Stone Golem pony. Big, heavy, absolutely dedicated to whomever he/she/it has imprinted on as 'master/mistress'... and they tend to be surprisingly light on their hooves, it's a little creepy how quiet they can get.
Either that, or have the entire house turn into a Genius Loci. That would be interesting.
Sorry, I like animate inanimate beings. I find them interesting.
Oh...OK...
So I personally believe the therory that a changelings diguise is transformation magic AKA the changelings actual body is that of the pony so therefore the coat would be soft like a ponies. I figured as much since Cryssy's voice matched Cadance's perfectly as well as she came into contact with several ponies and nobody noticed.
That would make this much more interesting...but it's your story and head cannon
4004767
A very similar, in some ways, culture were the Japanese Samurai. They were a specific class of people in Japan, they were masculine, extremely dangerous, and considered floral arrangement and poetry necessary skills.
Babs!
Hmn, so Honey Darling the boogeymane whisperer?
I'm loving the Jorogumo, sounds like a great creature to have on your side in a conflict.
Both! Do both :-) 4006150
4006280
It was more of a 'it wouldn't be real, just an illusion, no matter how real it feels' type of comment. Sort of saying that even if it seemed like she was a fluffy pony, she would know it's really her carapace, nothing but magic and concentration.
4006393
And next time, on Monster Whisperer, we help a poor, frightened, and very confused recreation of Tirek come to terms with having emotions. And now, a word from our sponsors.
I'm loving the reboot, but I really wanted to see what happened with cricket and his crew in the original,I mean awesome characters and plans and background, are you going to add the characters in a all encompassing sequel or something?I don't want them left behind...4004724
Hmmm. Another interesting chapter. I'm liking what is building up. Can't wait to see what comes of the conflict.
4005473 Originally I thought of her as an old guy with a British accent, you know some stereotypical things you see in butlers on some TV shows - then my brain put the rest of it together.
Now my brain appears to pushing her towards the 'cool big sis' category for Honey.
Jorogumo very interesting choice of yokai
GOD FUCKING DAMN IT! READING THIS CHAPTER REMINDS ME OF HOW LONELY I AM! THIS 'BRASS RING' HAS MORE WOMEN IN HIS HOME THAN I'LL EVER GET! (No, I'm not counting Honey, cause' she's his daughter and that'd be, well, ew)
YOU WILL BE GIVEN A THUMBS - OH SHIT I CAN'T DO IT I ALREADY DID! FACK!
4006142 the talking primer... seems like a straightforward concept that would be quickly implemented.
4006531
*snap snap*
*snap snap*
They're creepy and they're kooky
Mysterious and spooky
They're altogether ooky
The Addam's Lil' po-nees
*snap snap*
4006142
Well, there are books out there in our world that, if you push a button, it will read the story aloud for the child. With a bit of magic, you could do a lot more.
4006280
Well, I figured that, if it was a real transformation, instead of just an illusion, then couldn't they just solve the whole "Eat's love to live" thing by just changing into something... and never changing back. Besides, the body is an EXTREMELY complex organism, and changing it completely with magic would require a lot of time and effort, while an illusion can be applied and removed quickly and easily. That's just my headcanon, though.
4006337
.
You can also do parallels to Brony culture, as well as several other cultures across the world. One story that stayed in my memory was one of an island culture where their soldiers dress up as women once a year to commemorate a legendary victory that was won by a soldier who snuck into an enemy camp dressed as a woman. These guys really get into it: dresses, makeup, the whole nine yards... and these guys could kill you twenty times over before you finished screaming if you try to mock them for it. There's a trope called Real Men Wear Pink. Look it up sometime
4006393
Hmmm, not going to spoil it, but I suppose I can let this much out: it might be better to consider her something like a monster magnet.