Rough grabbed a handle, pulling a large glass door open and motioning for me to walk inside first. "Hey, remember: No talkin'." Rough whispered as I moved past. A small bell chimed as the door opened and I was struck with the smell of cooking food and the sounds of casual conversation.
The restaurant was warmly lit by orange lighting, deep red wood accented with strips of metal for flooring. There were a lot of couches with tables between them with lights dangling from the ceiling. There were only a few not-minotaur in the room, some of them large, some overly dressed and minding their own business while being hunched over their drink or some kind of paper. A very flashy metal box with a great many buttons was sitting in the corner, drawing my attention. I quietly maneuvered over to said thing and wondered at it for a moment before I felt two large hands wrap around my middle and lift me into the air.
I tried not to squeak in surprise when a voice said "Ooh baby, Lookit you!" They turned me around to face a darker colored not-minotaur, more heavyset and wearing a uniform that said 'Alice' on it. Their voice was happy, but also slightly deep... soulful? I'll call them Soul. "This your dog, Ricky?" They asked Rough, soon flipping me upside down and cradling me in their arms. Soul was a fountain of joy, affection and nurturing. It was enough to make me want to get closer to them involuntarily, digging my nose into their side and wiggle. "She's just precious!"
"Hey Alice!" Rough replied, "Haven't seen you in a while; thought I'd drop by and have ya meet Blue."
Soul looked back to me, meeting my eyes. "Woo! Those are the prettiest blue eyes I ever saw. Is she one of Maria's new strays?"
Rough looked at me and smirked, "Yeah, I guess you could say that. Picked her up just last night from the side of the road."
"The roadside? Shucks; she's so well mannered for a stray, and no collar neither!" Soul chuckled, scratching my belly. This not-minotaur was growing on me fast, both from the compliments (Even if directed towards myself as a dog) and from the lake of never-ending positivity that seemed to be the core of their being.
"Maria went off to college n' I thought it'd be nice for Blue to get out of the house. You have any specials today?" Rough asked, taking a seat on one of the couches next to the table. Soul moved closer to Rough, giving me a final scratch before setting me down carefully on the opposite couch to Rough.
"Well, we got that Eggs Benedict like always, that pancake special with eggs you like so much, and for today I'll throw in a bowl o' dog food for free, too!" Soul happily replied, taking out a small square of paper and something to write with while waiting patiently on Rough.
Rough looked at me and smirked for a second before facing Soul. "I fed Blue just before we went out; didn't want her to get sick or anythin' while she was walkin' around with me."
"Oh, bless your soul Ricky. But what about you? You're so skinny! You need more'n a big breakfast to help you get big and strong, don't ya?" Soul replied jokingly, a warm smile on their face.
"Alice, you've been tryin' to make me bulk up since we met. Remember that time you gave me three platters of french toast with eggs and syrup, and sausage? I didn't get a single pound from that!"
The two seemed caught up in conversation so I decided I would be able to slip by and examine that metal box with all the buttons again. The moment Soul adjusted their stance to face a tiny bit away from me, I made for my escape and hopped off of the smooth couch towards the box once more. The thing was giant, like so much else in Earth. Some kind of mesh was in the center and scratching it lightly with my paw didn't give me any hint as to what it actually did. Was it just decoration? Maybe it was like a painting, except just... a box. It's nice looking, and the not-minotaur are strange already...
"What'chu doin' with that Jukebox, Blue?" I heard Soul ask in good cheer behind me, like I was an ornery nymph getting caught outside of the nursery. My ears shot up in surprise as I looked up to the looming figure of Soul, smiling down at me. "Think she wants some music, Ricky?" Soul asked, turning their body to speak with Rough.
"I dunno, you could always try somethin'. Maybe let Blue choose?" Rough shrugged.
Soul gently picked me up once more, bringing us closer to the 'Jukebox' and revealing even more shiny buttons, a row of black discs and some kind of needle on a lever. They then reached into their pocket with a free hand and pulled out what looked like a smaller, flattened silver bit and slid it into the box, causing it to come alive with the buttons flashing and beeping.
"Please select a song." A cold voice stated from within the box. I couldn't feel anything from it, and it gave me the 'Eugh'.
"What you wanna listen to, Blue?" Soul asked, holding me by the chest as my hindlegs dangled beneath me. My forelegs were free to choose any button, but from the lack of emotion in the metal box despite it speaking, I was hesitant to touch it. Since the two were waiting on me, I decided to press a button at random. With a click, what looked like lettering quickly scrolled across a shining blue face.
"Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata in Full: Selected. Please Enjoy your auditory experience."
"Dang, Blue! I haven't heard that song in forever!" Soul coyly praised me, not really expecting that I had any idea what I was doing. I really didn't.
After a short pause, A song began to play. Mostly instrumental and reminding me of Canterlot just before the attack. I had seen a grey mare playing a very large device that sounded like this and it brought me into a memory.
A very large hall, marble tile and white walls. A large golden chandelier hanging above with magically lit candles. Noble-ponies everywhere, conversing idly about nothing important. Mostly gossip about whom was dating whom, theories about what Princess Celestia did with her free time, scandals about affairs, that sort of thing. The music playing wasn't exactly the same, but the mood was similar. It was calm; relaxed.
It wouldn't be for long.
It was the moment right before the main hive was to break down the barrier between Canterlot and the outside world. My role was to provide distraction for the Royal Guard and lead them into an ambush for the stronger Warriors. All I would have to do is shout around a corner when I had spotted guards, and the warriors would subdue them. There was no reason to kill anypony; We can't harvest love from the dead. That's what the chrysalis' are for. They allow the queen to siphon love from a pony's memory, eventually draining them entirely.
I was nudged by a fellow disguised changeling. "It is time."
Blinking, I woke from my trance. I was still in Souls' arms. "There she is!" Soul coo'ed, "You must really like Beethoven, huh?"
"What do you got Beethoven in a Jukebox for, anyway? You don't got any swing or rock?" Rough commented, walking over to the both of us and examining the Jukebox. "You got Beethoven, Twenty-One Pilots, Bob Marley and Metallica?" Rough asked, surprised. "Didn't know you liked all that, Alice."
"Hey, a girl can have taste in music too! Ain't like I gonna listen to Beyonce' all day." Soul sassed playfully. "Here, I gotta get your order in." They said, handing me over to Rough.
"See ya soon, Alice." Rough called after Soul, whom waved behind themself and dissapeared around a door to the back. Walking back to our couches with table, Rough placed me on one of them and sat opposite to me. "So, how do you like Alice? Get some love?"
I was about to speak, but remembering the amount of not-minotaur around, I nodded instead. The music from the jukebox was still playing, now increasing in tempo as it switched to a different portion of the song.
The bell to the door chimed again, a familiar voice announcing themself. "Hello, everyone!" Kind said, taking off their hat and resting it on a stand. "How's everyone doing today?"
Rough turned around, resting their arm on the back of the couch. "Officer Brady! Nice to see you here." Rough was casual in his tone, but his emotions spiked with intense worry and nervous energy.
"Ricky? Haven't seen you here in a while." Kind commented before looking to me. "Wow, those eyes are really blue! Just gorgeous." They smiled, walking closer to me. With a hand waiting above me, Kind paused and looked to Rough. "Do you mind if I scratch their ears?"
Rough pointed to me. "That's Blue, n' it's up to her." they smiled, though I saw sweat beginning to form on their forehead.
"Blue, huh?" Kind asked rhetorically. They looked down at me. "So, Blue. Mind if I scratch?"
I looked between Rough and Kind, but despite Rough's nerves, Kind didn't seem to be malicious. I sensed affection and... sorrow coming from Kind. That was very odd. In any case, I looked up at Kind and nodded.
Kind seemed impressed by this. "Well, smart dog you got here, Ricky!" Scratching behind my ears, they continued to speak with Rough. "Where'd you find her?"
Rough shrugged. "It was last night, after you stopped us. Maria spotted her walking along the road and just had to help. You know how she is with animals n' all."
"Where is Maria, anyway?" Kind asked, scratching the top of my head.
"She's off at college today. I think she mentioned somethin' 'bout a test, too." Rough replied casually, looking towards the back of the diner where Soul had dissapeared.
Kind seemed to notice Rough's look and asked, "Hey, have you seen Alice today?"
"Yeah, she just went in the back to place an order."
Kind looked to the back room and sighed. They then took out a square of paper and a pen, writing down something on it and then handed it to Rough. "Give her this for me, would you?"
Rough took the note without reading it, placing it face down on the table. "Don't worry 'bout it, Officer Brady. I'll get it to her." They smiled.
"Thanks Ricky." Kind smiled, before pausing and looking towards the Jukebox. "Really? She has Beethoven on that thing?"
Rough gave a polite laugh. "I know, it's crazy. It fits her though, for some reason."
Kind nodded and moved towards the door again, picking up their hat from the stand. "It was nice seeing you, Ricky." They paused, then looked at me and nodded again, "Blue." before leaving the restaurant.
The moment the door swung closed and the bell chimed, Rough let out a huge sigh and practically melted in their seat. "Whew! That was way too close!"
I noticed moment and saw the door to the back room open once more, Soul holding a large platter in their hands with steaming food on top of it. They gracefully maneuvered around a few tables and customers before reaching our own table, setting the food down. Soul then noticed the note on the table, raising an eyebrow at Rough.
"It's from Officer Brady. He left it for you-- an' I didn't read it." Rough explained, handing the note to Soul.
After a moment of reading it, Soul placed a hand on their chest, smiling. I was blasted by a wave of affection, concern and most importantly, love. For some reason, the emotions of not-minotaur is intensely strong... strong enough to knock me over and cause me to flop onto the couch. Thankfully, this didn't cause concern. Instead, Rough and Soul looked at me with surprise before laughing, their affection washing over me on top of their other emotions.
"Blue is just precious, you know that Ricky?" Soul chuckled.
So cute. Cuteness levels: 120%
Dont worry about getting as many chapters out as you can. Im sure most people wouldnt mind not getting a chapter every day or two. I personally prefer quality over quantity and this story has that so far. Keep up the good work.
> We can't harvest love from the dead. That's what chrysalis' are for.
Chrysalis should be capitalized, and I think you're missing a word here.
Keep up the great work!
What is this? Does the good officer have a thing for Alice? Cause I totally ship it now, even if that wasn't your intent.
7629583
That one threw me off at first too, but I think in this case the second instance of 'chrysalis' is referring to a literal chrysalis rather than Chrysalis the character. Though I would still recommend switching it to another word to get rid of that confusion. Something like cocoon would work.
7629583
'chrysalis' refers to the actual chrysalis', not Queen Chrysalis, whom is different.
"Awwww..."
"Urk"
(Whooosh)
*Thud*
"Awww..."
7629551 Agreed.
An 11 hour work shift?? I didn't even know that was something that happens.
Curse you and your cute overdose changeling
I need to post this video/song
Oh god, the levels of cute, heart failing...
Your technique is excellent, and so are your characters!
7629757 if it's hourly, they can't make him work past 8 hours without paying OT. If it's salary, it's dependent on how greedy corporate is. Course some places let you work 4 ten hour days in exchange for an extra day off each week guaranteed
7630059 my job is part time in a sex store
7630063 then I hope some of that is OT. It can add up
Don't worry, I'm reading this on my break. I've got a 10 hour shift...
7630042
I have Technique? Wat
Mmmh...mmh. Mm...?
Ah, sorry.
First, good story.
Very stable in terms of quality, and seemingly well developped and relatable secondary characters. Rare.
Also a rate of quality, non filler updating never seen before on this website. By my count anyway, in the last four years or so.
A question however. I don't know if I have missed it, or if it has been answered before, but why does Blue does not change into a human again ?
It certainly would seem to be easier, as a sapient being, to fake being the only sapient creature available rather than try to dumb herself down to an animal level.
I certainly understand the theme of the story, with the title and all that, but it seems strange to me that even our changeling heroine's companions wouldn't even try to propose it as an option.
That's all. Carry on...
7629597
Yep, it took me a moment to get that, too, but only because of that greengrocer's apostrophe at the end. I'm not sure what the plural form of chrysalis might be, but I'd just about bet against it being chrysalis'. Maybe chrysalises.
Either way, I'm not here to quibble over grammar. This is a very good story.
7630113
Hum, chrysalides ?
Sweet mother of GOODNESS do I already like Alice a.k.a "Soul" character. Love characters with such vigor.
7629597
Don't be surprised. This story is adorable.
11 hours annoy me. Just give me the full 12 you cheapasses. 11.5 feels like a slap to the face, I actually get angry when I see that.
I hate 8 hour shifts, waste of my time.
7630110
I'm guessing that while Blue could mimic a human form, there's not enough mass to fill out the human stature any more than a... 5 year old child, or a dwarf. The size is still kind of subjective so far as the only hard reference was the horn being the same height as someone's belt. And when Soft, er, Maria put Blue in the tub, their changeling form could barely see over the edge while standing. Either that's a very deep tub or Blue is about the size of a medium dog... possibly smaller.
Taking the form of a common pet, such as a dog, is the safest disguise. Blue doesn't have to talk, just act cute. Most everyone loves a cute dog so it's a win-win for an emotivore like Blue who can lay back and bask in the positive emotions.
I'm still waiting for Blue to use their magic to do something... er, magical. Surprise the kids with some basic TK or show off how well a digger Blue is with that hoof hardening spell. Could even set up the plot so someone gets trapped in rocks or rock-like material and Blue jumps in the save the day, endearing it to everyone involved-- like when Maud saved Pinkie from getting squished by that huge boulder by kicking it to rubble with her bare hooves.
I can't wait to see if chrysalis shows up or not. (Goosebumps)
I love this story!!!
7628904 I suppose, but I doubt Chrysalis would be stupid enough to try a takeover again....then again maybe she would.
7630059 Huh. I probably won't remember all that, but thanks for explaining that to me.
7630109 You have the rich vocabulary of a refined-ass intellectual and your grammar is on the spot. That means you write good
7631930 Heh, thanks!
I usually feel like I run out of words to say things though
7631119 It all depends on how clever the writers are.
You know, since Chrysalis is a fictional character and all.
Part of me was hoping Blue's random musical selection would've given him a skewed opinion of humanity.
="The Bird is the Word"
="Ghostbusters"
="Baby Got Back"
="Thriller"
="YMCA"
GIMMEH MOAR i like dis a lot
Blue needs to learn to fall over like a pro:
media.giphy.com/media/tsIFjie7obBM4/giphy.gif
Putting aside odd contradictions, I'm liking this so far.
If I may, is there a reason our Changeling protagonist never uses 'he' or 'she' only 'they'? It is rather disorienting and it breaks the flow of the story rather harshly.
7658708
Changelings in this story have no specific gender, and so they would be the best use of gender for a changeling or it but that just sounds rude
This story is very cute so far. I love how affectionate everyone is to Blue in their dog form, and the way they give all the humans nicknames based on the personalities is an original touch. However, what did the note Officer Brady left for Alice say, and was the part about Ricky not gaining a pound from the huge amount of food meant to imply he can't gain weight for some reason, or just that he has a very active lifestyle?
7689263 Probably someone with a high metabolism, combined with just the slighest bit of activity, resulting in the person being seemingly unable to gain any weight.
My brother is like that. Not joking, He once went two full weeks of eating nothing but "Sour Cream and Onion chips", "Nacho cheese Doritos" and the ocasional plate of Dinner as food, drinking only Coke, Ice-Tea and Energy drink.
During this Time he only took short walks to the local shop to buy his stuff and went to school. 4km or about 2.4 miles a day tops.
After the two weeks he had gained 1,4kg or about 3 pounds of weight.
Had I done the same I would have gained 30kg or about 66 pounds...
7702762 that shits nuts man
HHHHHHHNG FELLOW CLIQUE MEMBER
I relate to alice on a spiritual level
who was dating whom,
The story works. I can't say I'm a fan of dogs, though.
7702762 my best friend is just like that. He will eat a lot and gain a few pounds and then be lose 8t the next day
You wouldn't happen to have some exotic butters with it?
I love the way you write this story. The humor and the characters are perfect!
Oh,btw. Would be funny to make Blue watch Alien, just to see if he would be surprised or scared. Maybe he'd just be like: " meh, that's pretty much our Queen in a nutshell. "
Anyway, have a good day/night!
7870180 That's exactly what I thought when I saw it.
7630134 as a man hoos only playd about half of x com eu i have only this to say.
FUCK CRISALIDS ...NUM ....AND SIDEWAYS .....
...
WITH A CACJTUS!!
...have a nice day.
i think i am dead, hang on.
*Checks for pulse*
Yep i am dead...oh wait
*Ded*