This story is a sequel to How Much Is Freedom Worth?
Aphid, a changeling, is now free of the cage that held her, and the life she'd been forced to live as part of the changeling swarm. Employed now as a maid for the family that helped free her, she struggles to understand something that she's never had before...
Freedom.
But the past has a strange habit coming back to haunt us, and it seems as if every employee in the Mason de Bleu has a secret... including Howe, the changeling who serves as the head butler.
Cover Art Provided By Pen Mightier
Chapters (5)
SEQUEL STORY START!!!
MORE SOON, PLEASE!!!!
You sir, are AWESOME!
I have been deprived of my Cubic Zerconia... Changeling Stories almost make up for it!
I need more...
Happy face level overload, transporting to static crazy face....
Well, so much for that nice, quiet, peaceful life….
LOL Game of Drones. Changeling society does resemble the politics of Westeros to a surprising degree. Except perhaps a bit more cutthroat. If I weren't gearing up to start a big long myth arc fic series, I might ask permission to write an adaptation/crossover. Howe's the exiled Aristo, isn't he? And I'm guessing he's gonna hook up with Aphid.
Anyone else hoping for more appearances by Captain Myr of the HMS Crazypants?
I'm confused. Is eight years old considered a young adult on changeling terms? Or was Aphid a child slave her whole life?
Aphid is going to learn an important lesson:
Life ain't peaceful
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From five years old until the Canterlot invasion (I don't consider that spoiling, since I expect nearly everyone reached that conclusion already), she was a slave. By eight, yes, the equivalent of an eight year old child.
Judging by the fact that you mentioned in the previous story that Howe's name is also derived from the rarest insect in the world, I think it's rather obvious what Howe's backstory is for those of us paying attention.
Although I doubt that was supposed to be some grand secret.
Fascinating. I am interested in what conflicts will arise.
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Indeed.
Hmm . . . the cover art was not changed. The words were, though. I'm not sure why, but oh well. This story looks good, so I'll go and read the first story.
Nice title and a good story too
I see what you did with that name.
simonleather.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/larson.jpg
in the king is dead long live the emperor you sated that lord scorpion was a she
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In the current time, yes, but back then, Lord Scorpion was still Pan's father. Given the timeline, it wouldn't be long before the changeover, though.
~Spies that cover image~
Das kewt.
NEW CHAPTER UP!!!
Wheee! The story's up!
I didn't even notice it sitting in the sidebar.
Now to read it.
4905971 Mission. Accomplished.
Woohoo ... looks like Aphid's got a real interesting bunch in the household. Looks like Duke Blue Streak was advertising instead of compensating. Wonder if Blueblood is a distant descendant of his, (and possibly Princess Celestia). If so, it looks like the decency's been bred out of him; the ego, not so much. Poor Lapis ... being so cowed and/or literal-minded that she scrubbed the floor for two days straight.
Still, it looks like Aphid is going to get along fairly well here.
Nerfherder
That's Nerfherder, sir!
That makes me really hope he shows up in Pan's story, assuming he is still around.
This house. This family.
I love it.
Scruffy Nerf(h)erder's...
Even in Equestria you can't get away from them.
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...
data2.whicdn.com/images/82325904/large.jpg
...
...that is all
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Of course, if he does show up in Pan's story, there's a good chance he'll somehow turn out to be even more unspeakably evil than all the unspeakably evil villains before him.
Love was in the air, every sight and every sound...
New favourite story, right here. It has shipping, adorableness, AND... Umm...
I'm sick with a cold, so I'm sorry I forgot what I was going to say.
4907420 Have I ever told you before that I love your changeling stories?
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.
Maybe, but I could maybe bear hearing it more often
That was fun. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
NEW CHAPTER UP!!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!!
wangs own head a few times.....yeah this is going to be a strange/interesting one
I like her! :3
Well dang ... I do wonder what became of the knight brother. And yeah, I'd call that an odd mix alright. What IS Jacquelynn, anyway. She acts a wee bit like a Weeping Angel ... or has she just mastered something akin to how Pinkie Pie pulls stuff out seemingly nowhere?
Jacquelynn can move really fast when someone blinks? But can move normally otherwise.
So she's not a 'Weeping Angel'. So then what is she?
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I don't want to spoil anything, but the best parallels I can give you are the following
In a horror movie, the monster is always able to vanish and reappear elsewhere if anyone takes their eyes off of it for a second. The monster always moves normally when on screen, but as soon as anyone blinks, or the camera pans away for a second, it's gone.
Likewise, leprechauns were legendary for their ability to vanish if someone blinked.
If you're playing one of the Slenderman games: Slender teleports, but only when he isn't being watched.
If you're playing Five Nights At Freddy's, the mascots, with one exception, only move when you aren't looking.
SHE'S A WEEPING ANGEL!!!!
A reference to King Arthur that doesn't involve Excalibur/Caliburn? You are a true hero.
Anyways, Jacquelynn seems... interesting. I don't recall any mythological being she might be based off of (although like pretty much everyone else, my first thought was Weeping Angel (either way, she gets points on creepiness)), and from the sounds of it the other maids aren't exactly normal either.
I'm guessing that the Ants aren't quite ready to let go of Aphid. I'm also guessing that they will regret this. Particularly seeing as how Jacquelynn is a horror monster (and very similar to the top horror of a show that gets off on making people hide behind their couches). I really can't see a way this could end well for the Ants.
Will we ever get to see a scene of Jacquelynn working her magic from the victim's perspective?
This is one messed up House of Blues, and I mean its just plain odd. Looking forward to more!
4929764 Sounds like she's some kind of boogeymane who's since developed past that stage, ceasing to be a nightmare entirely ... something Lady could only theorize about. Of course, she could be some kind of fey, more likely unseelie than seelie.
And goddamn it, you had to bring up Five Nights at Freddie's. My roommate is obsessed with that game, and insists on showing me his creepy gameplay footage and shit.
4929729
Related to pinkie.
That Jackie reminded me of SCP-173, a monster of the SCP Foundation. One that is solid cement when seen, but kills between blinks.
scp-wiki.wdfiles.com/local--files/scp-173/SCP-173.jpg
All I can think if is Peter griffin now because of that bird beard.
But yeah, I thought SCP-173. But the name suggests maybe a French origin? Ugh why is it that english or russian mythos are more prominent than others.