Princess Pile Drinking Games

by GaPJaxie

Double Take, Changeling for Hire pt 4

This story continues to frustrate me. There's a lot of potential here, but I just can't find a version of Double Take I'm happy with.

Double Take

Professional Shapeshifter

Theater

Impressions

Roleplaying Events

Private sessions available on request.

Please note that due to recent political incidents regarding changelings and Equestria, discrete or confidential services are not available at this time. Any request to turn into a real pony, living or dead, shall be public to that pony or other reasonably interested parties.

I’m just about finished when the bell over the door rings. It’s Twilight, of course. Alicorns have such a potent scent I can smell her from a good three blocks away. It’s a distinctive smell too. Very rich. It’s quite handy to always have advance warning when she’s about to drop in. It gives me time to prepare and look my best. Or, in this case, to crush walnuts.

“Hello, Twilight.” I greet her without turning around, and I catch a flash of something in return. It’s the ballpark of anger, but not quite. “So good to see you again.” That’s what I mean when I say she’s rich. She’s complicated! Angry, yes. Frustrated. She doesn’t know how I did that, and it bothers her that she can never seem to get the drop on me. But, there’s more. Curiosity, just for starters. Some part of her is trying to figure it out, instead of just getting frustrated. Mistrust, and I’d guess she’s aware of the fact that I’m doing it on purpose to make a point.

“Well, I can’t say the same,” she replies. Snippy! “We need to talk. Now.”

“Of course, Princess. Please, make yourself comfortable.” I’m trying to picture it. Ears folded back, but only a few degrees, tail up, head forward. I take a breath. And there’s a glimmer there of something. Not respect, no. But she thinks I’m clever, and she respects cleverness. Which isn’t quite the same as respecting me, but I do appreciate it.

“Have you ever tried,” the last wallnut shatters in front of me, and I levitate the little pieces up toward the bowl, “ice cream and bourbon?” The little bit of garnish finishes things. “I’m given to understand it’s a treat in Equestria? Word of warning,” I give a deferential nod in her direction, even if I don’t quite turn around to do it, “this is the first time I’ve tried to make it, and the recipe was somewhat complicated. But I think it turned out well if you would like some.”

“Double Take, I’m not here to be your guest,” Twilight answers, her tone full of thinly veiled hostility. “Or do you fail to understand precisely how much trouble you’re in?”

“No, I understand completely. Assuming of course, you are here to discuss the matter of Lyra.” Two scoops, one in each bowl, and a spoon for each one. “But being a poor host will hardly make you less angry will it?”

I levitate the two bowls, and turn back to face her. She’s standing off on the far side of the room, next to the couch. There isn’t much to my home. It’s a bedroom, a small kitchen, and the front room where I work, which is itself nothing more than a cramped space containing a small desk and a purple couch I found used. Twilight is by the couch, but she isn’t sitting. I was spot on about how she looks, with that glare of hers.

“Besides,” I say, as I walk over her way. “I’ve been waiting for an excuse. Because this particular recipe, can only be enjoyed in the presence of others who are currently experiencing strong emotions. Which is rare you understand.”

I put her bowl on one side of the desk, mine on the other, and take a seat. She doesn't move but that’s fine. Her feelings haven’t changed, so I keep talking. Point right at her chest, lower my head. I’m not in a pony form right now, so I can’t emote properly, but little head motions do a lot. “It’s the alcohol.” I put a lot of breath behind the words, and really let the sound resonante out from my thorax. “You see, my body doesn’t process it the way yours does, and it’s not an emotion, so I can’t smell it. I have to infer it. Like a black hole.” I make a wide gesture with one leg, up towards the sky. “You can never look at it directly. You have to observe how it influences the things around it.”

“You’re crazy if you think I’m getting drunk in your presence,” Twilight replies, though she does at least take her seat opposite me.

“No! No, goodness no.” I buzz my wings a bit, shake my head, and settle back. “When I want to know what that’s like I just go to one of Ponyville’s many fine drinking establishments. I provide good conversation, help ponies home. It makes friends and it’s quite educational.” Ah, a little hint of surprise! It plays well with the rest. Moderates her anger a bit, though only for a moment. “No. I know what drunk feels like. And buzzed for that matter. Now I’m working my way down. That entire bowl of ice cream contains less than thimble of alcohol.”

“That’s not happening, Double Take,” she snaps. “Now quit stalling. You know why I’m here!”

“Perhaps you will change your mind later.” I shove both bowls off to the side of the desk. “Now. As you said. The matter of Lyra.”

“You turned into Bon Bon and slept with her.”

“At her request.” I lift a hoof, and sharply tap the desk twice. “That is a vital detail. Indeed, the detail that solely defines why this conversation is occurring here and so politely, instead of in a dungeon and rather more forcefully. I do imagine that had I slept with Lyra, or indeed anypony, while impersonating one of their loved ones, I would be having a far less pleasant day.”

She’s getting frustrated. That’s boring. I don’t like that. Anger suits her poorly. Drowns out her other feelings when she lets it. “It destroyed her relationship,” Twilight says, her tail flicking once to the left. “Destroyed. Worse, now the whole town knows. Half of the ponies of Ponyville think she’s a pervert who just has a shapeshifter fetish.”

“The disclaimer about privacy is right on the sign outside.” I gesture up to the door. “And if it helps, I can confirm that isn’t the case. Her feelings for Bon Bon are quite normal.”

“No it doesn’t help!” Twilight snaps, her wings flaring up by her sides as she glares. “I could have you arrested you know!”

“Indeed, you could.” I speak quickly. “She gave me money to lie down with her. That’s prostitution. Which I believe is still illegal, back from those days when the monarchy had much to say about who you could sleep with, when, and for what reasons. Though if you were to arrest me on the basis of those laws, you’d have to send Lyra to jail as well, which I don’t think you intend too. No. Far more likely you’d ah… well. Simply say that you’re a Princess and you dislike me. Isn’t that so?”

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

Is the problem still differentiating him from Siren Song? Or is it something else?

[Reese]

Sorry about the frustration.

[Southpaw]

Having read all four parts, I can tell you how I feel about Double Take, at least in these short bits: He doesn't really have a purpose. His character lacks all empathy, deliberately mimes all emotions, and responds intellectually to every situation - which gives him the feel of a sociopath (which in this case is probably true). This isn't necessarily a bad thing if it fits the overall story you're writing, but even though he has a purpose as a changeling (sending off reports, etc, to a larger purpose benefiting changelings), he still doesn't seem to have one as a primary story character.

There's not really a discernible direction to the story at this point, and so no reason for me to feel any emotion one way or the other about him or it as a whole, or about the ponies he's connecting to.

I am very curious to see what you do with this, though, and by extension, Double Take. Like you said, it has a lot of potential.

[AcademicPony]

6352248
I hadn't clued into the "sociopath" bit; that's an interesting insight. He's a bit more strategic than those tend to be, but that may be due to the fact that there's nothing actually broken with his thought processes.

Regarding being a mimic rather than a goal-driven character, that actually gives GPJ an out: Double Take's true character hasn't been shown (beyond being calculating, good at reading others, and good at hiding his own emotions), so picking a direction for him that distinguishes him from other characters could just be as simple as showing what Double Take does feel strongly about.

That said, I'm having a lot of fun just watching others interact with him; the character works just fine as-is as far as I can tell.

ObSpellingPedantry: "Discrete" means "in lots of separate pieces". You were probably going for "discreet" (secret). It might also be worth tweaking the phrasing of "reasonably interested parties" to make it clear whether you mean anyone who's curious (interested) or anyone with legal grounds to know (the people being impersonated, next-of-kin with trademark rights, police, and so forth). I'm actually not sure which was meant with the current phrasing.

It's good to see another update!

[equestrian.sen]

I just can't find a version of Double Take I'm happy with.

I have a really dumb question for you. What does this Double Take do that makes you unhappy with him?

It makes sense for him to be a little sociopathic in Ponyville since he's living among ponies, whom he doesn't care to empathize with. He fakes it well with the CMC, as expected for someone that fakes it for a living. Or maybe he just doesn't have anything against foals. He likes sparring with Twilight because she outwardly recognizes reason, inwardly acts on intuition, finds Double Take interesting and inexplicable, but dislikes him anyway, which makes her a fun, willing, and easy target.

Maybe it's the way he speaks? He speaks like a take-over-the-world villain. Or maybe it's that he's so focused on the present and that his thoughts are never about something outside of the scene. I think it's the combination of the two that makes it strange. Take-over-the-world villains are always thinking about the bigger picture, whereas Double Take only ever thinks about the here-and-now.

Anyway...

Making Lyra's session public was unexpected. I thought the private sessions were a way to further his mission, and the confidentiality seems important for that.

Alicorns have such a potent scent I can smell her from a good three blocks away. It’s a distinctive smell too. Very rich.

Smell really is an incredible sense. It's the only one for which parts of the outside world go straight to neurons unfiltered to give it raw access to all the little nuances. If any of our external senses were to dominate the sense of emotion, I think it would have to be the sense of smell, and I don't think there would be a close second.

[Myrandall]

6356295 I'm also curious about this.