out-of-idol-curiosity

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

The obvious answer is that Saitama would utterly wreck Roger, and then Jessica would come down and tell Roger he was absolutely magnificent and carry him home, with Saitama looking on in absolute baffled jealousy because Roger has already won in every way that matters.

“Can One Punch Man beat-”

Yes. Always. Good lord. I never understand why people can turn this into a big serious discussion. Yes, One Punch Man would beat Thanos. He would beat Luke Skywalker, Superman, every single character from Dragon Ball Z, and every ninja from Naruto. He would beat Thor and Wolverine and the Hulk in a tag team match. 

Because he plays by different rules. One Punch Man is a PARODY character. His skill set is defined by comedy, not power levels or physical strength. One Punch Man not Superman facing off against an ever-more powerful lineup of villains. He’s the Roadrunner against Wil E. Coyote’s ever more convoluted plans. Deadpool is the only other super hero type character who comes close to living in the same realm of parody, but frankly, Deadpool repeatedly getting the crap beat out of him would be funnier than Deadpool winning, so One Punch Man would win that fight too, even if he can’t actually kill Deadpool in one punch. Because parody.

If I see another Youtube video recommended to me like “Could One Punch Man beat-” really, truly, I do not care. 

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hey been a long time since one of these have gotten through. Gotta know Idol, why don't you run a private masseuse shop? I'm sure plenty of ponies would enjoy your skills including the princesses!

There is little call for such thing, to my knowledge. Besides, I have little need for a 'side business'. I only take as much of my pay as I require and still usually have bits left over. As some guards complain about retirement costs, I presume those remaining bits will go towards easing their concerns about that particular strange pony custom.

Beyond that, why would I run a business when I could give such assistance for free to ensure more efficiency in my comrades and leadership, if they so desire?

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hey topaz I have an Idea on how to help idol get over his fear of trains. Its called model railroading. you take model trains and put them on tracks and run Magic/Electricity/whatever to make them run. and there smaller than Idol so that helps.

Okay, so.

I might have built the tracks around his cocoon while he slept and now he thinks their young are training to hunt him.

In hindsight I should have expected that, but right now it's just really, really funny that he made me chase them away with a broom. I'll explain it someday.

Training. Darn it, now I have to keep a straight face or he'll get suspicious.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hey, Idol! What would you do if there was a train, but it didn't use tracks, and instead made its own tracks? How would you feel about that?

Ask to be relocated to the moon.  Equestria will have become a place of demons and devil-roads.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

So Idol I've been thinking, about the caravan. Have you ever thought about sending a letter to them saying that you're alright and got the help you needed? Thinking on it, you can say you were actually a unicorn testing spells/learning Zebra magic in neighboring Zebrica, and a spell/potion went wrong and you got stuck in the desert as a pegasus, which because of the spell failure you got mind wiped and transmogrified by errant magic. Eh. Too complicated, perhaps cutting ties is the best.

I have found that, given a chance, ponies will create their own elaborate backstories for inexplicable events.  I am honestly loathe to deny my old caravan their fantasies.

For example, Topaz said her father used to insist foals came from a lettuce plant, while her mother insisted they were brought by a stork.  They eventually settled on her being inside a cabbage brought by a stork.  Apparently those are bits of traditional lore used to explain reproduction to foals too young for the more exact details, and her parents made the combination up on the spot.

Eggs are a much easier explanation, I think.

Also Topaz refuses to confirm that whether or not she actually believed this odd tale.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

To Shining Armor- do you ever get uncomfortable by all the mares and stallions that Idol invites over?

Well... maybe a little.  At least, it used to.  I can understand being a tail-chaser, but... they just sort of show up at our door.

I guess it makes for better gossip than anything about Cady, so I guess that’s good.  And he’s been really good about not mixing work with his... hobbies.  He doesn’t go chasing the palace maids or anything to my knowledge.  Even stays professional with Mothchaser, but I’m pretty sure that isn’t a mutual decision.

It’s actually kind of weird, he doesn’t chase anyone.  And it’s not like he brags about his exploits, they’re just sort of a thing that happens to him, I think.

...Maybe his reputation just gets around by word of mouth.

Harmony, makes a stallion wonder just what he’s doing to get that much attention...

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hmmm... After all these years, did you ever thought about those caravan ponies you met as Sandy?

I do occasionally think of them.  I hope Zaimare is still leading her caravans to this day.  I shudder to think of Wasta running them.

Mostly, however, I wonder about Rough Shod.  And what he would think of how things have changed since his day.

I do hope they are well, but I do not have much chance to visit.  The princesses need constant guarding.  Only through vigilance can safety be certain.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

So, this is for both Idol and Topaz. Here's a... well, a cliche thought experiment problem thingy. So, say there's a trolley rolling down a track, towards 5 tied-up ponies. You're at a switch and can use it to redirect the trolley onto another track away from the five ponies, but Honey Dew is on the other track. What do you do?

I save Honey, obviously.  She’s one of my best friends!I derail the train.  Its bloodthirst will go unsated this day.

That’s not an option!

Is it not?

What if there were ponies on the trolley?

They have the ability to get off, if not stop the vehicle.  Jumping off of a moving trolley is dangerous; being hit by one is fatal.  It is my duty to prevent harm to ponies.  That is truly the only option available to me in the situation given.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

What's your best piece of pottery you have made Idol?

The dishware Topaz and I use for most of our meals.  It is flat, solid, and most of all, useful.  It is also relatively simple, while at the same time still being a thing that I made and can easily identify.

Nothing I have made from an... artistic standpoint is as good.  Topaz has disagreed with me from time to time, but I am rarely overly pleased with my work.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Alright, this question's for Topaz! So, Topaz, living with Idol, what's your favorite thing about him?

I haven’t done the dishes in ten years, and we never have to worry about leftovers.Plus he keeps the house dress right dress and honestly I’ve gotten sort of used to things not being cluttered!Topaz is too good to me.  She allows me the best chores.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hey, Idol! So, I know that you basically just eat anything that doesn't harm you and all, but do you have a favorite food? Like, one that you like to eat more than others?

Honey and aged meat.  Aging meat is very difficult; the mouthwatering smells are enough to tempt me, and my self control is weak.

Topaz once suggested candied meat.  If such a thing exists, it is too good for one such as I.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

you say that you are not a warrior drone. yet you hold a position of authority and have undergone the requisite military training within the royal guard. you also have a combat history. dose this not, by default promote you to warrior class? what training dose a changeling warrior undergo that you have not? are you sure you are just a worker drone? or have you become something more?

There are drones who protect the hive on a day to day basis, yes.  There are also drones intended for... more proactive defense.  These are the closer to what you might consider a warrior class, but they are considerably bigger and less pony-like than your average drone.  Drones who protect the hive on a day to day basis tend to imitate them, because the larger warriors are... difficult to deal with.

As to what I am now... I am a guard and an excavation drone.  That is enough for me.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Idol... in theory, if you were to mate with a pony without the intent of procreation, would that still be a violation of your Queen's orders?

The purpose of mating is procreation.  What other intent matters?

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hey there, Idol! I'm a big fan of yours, and I'm a changeling like you! I was wondering, what's it like, being a changeling in the Royal Guard? I'm thinking of following in your hoofsteps and joining the Guard as well!

It requires a dedication to upholding the many varied laws of Equestria.  You will be scrutinized as a paragon of Equestrian virtue, and must be above reproach in all things.  It is not a task I would recommend for all of my kind, and my own situation is unusual.  While I manage, the duties tend to be hard on the body.  Without the benefit of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, I would likely not have done quite so well.

If you crave the structure that is so often absent amongst ponykind, you will be found a niche.  If you can maintain a position beneath the notice of your superiors, you may even be lucky enough to remain ensconced in a comfortable position of obedient service for the entirety of your natural life.  I very nearly managed it myself.  Alas, I cultivated busybody friends...

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

So Idol, do you think you might end up in the Night Guard? Luna seems to have taken an interest in you.

The Day Guard and Night Guard are distinct but not truly separate organizations.  Serving at dusk and dawn tends to let me interact with more of my fellow guards of both persuasions.  And tends to pay off in durians.

Mothchaser has begun enticing me with something called ‘maracuja’ that smells absolutely wonderful, and the thestrals in general have interesting tastes.

If only they would stop sniffing at me.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Hello! I would like to ask you a bit of a long question... Assuming that you have the average amount of an emotion directed at you for 5 minutes how much does each of the listed emotions fill your reserves? (Percentage wise) Romantic love Marital love Parental love Familial love Friendly love Joy Excitement Sadness Lust Betrayal Depression Indignation Anger Hatred Embarrassment Shock Envy Guilt Resignation

My... reserves are not exactly easily measured.  It is more like asking somepony how hungry they are.  I am aware that i have them and can roughly assume how long I can survive on them should I have no external emotions to draw upon, but that would also require a less... emotional state.  I do try to avoid excess, but again, I set a poor example.

Nopony’s emotions are quite the same, and a baseline is nearly impossible to determine.  The romantic love from the Princess Cadance is of such quality and quantity that mere moments in her presence will be enough to overfill a drone. I imagine actively feeding upon her would be akin to trying to stick one’s tongue out and catch a lightning bolt.

These emotions are all rather complex and it is difficult to compare them.  Any kind of love is filling.  Cadance’s love for Shining armor is powerful, but so too is that of Princess Celestia for Twilight the Younger.  That they are different kinds of love is more a matter of ‘flavor’ than function.  My ‘reserves’ are less a function of specific emotion in a certain place and more a collection that I can access.  A full reserve of love from Princess Cadance is overwhelming, but I usually passively absorb whatever comes my way.  True, love is more efficient, but everything has use.  Anger is useful for attack magic and so on.  I have never found good use for lust, but I am quite sure it must exist.  Negative emotions, in general, are more trouble than they’re worth.That said, hatred is something no drone wants to absorb.  It is worse than toxic and is usually expunged as soon as possible.  Drones given to feeding on hatred are... dangerous.

[out-of-idol-curiosity]

Corporal Hooves, thank you very much for taking the time, sir. I'm very curious about changeling culture, particularly in the social castes of the Hive. Within the basic categories of changeling specialists (like gatherers and such), are there sub-categories or ranks associated with the? My, ah... unnaturally up-to-date sources would suggest that Queen Chrysalis has advisors or generals of some kind who serve in battle. Where do these uniquely armored 'lings fall in the Hive's social hierarchy?

I am no warrior drone, and certainly was not kept informed of the business of the hive, so I am unlikely to be able to accurately explain the situation.  The social hierarchy of the hive does not really exist in the way you may imagine.  A warrior drone will do as it does, an excavation drone will do as it does, and guidance comes from above.  Whatever comes down is with the will of the Queen, and thus must be done.  It is entirely possible

Depending on how unique the armor appears, you may mean a drone in a warrior form, which is meant for very aggressive physical combat.  If your ‘sources’ saw one of the ‘lings the Queen herself has shaped into this form, I do not think this discussion would be occurring.  They serve a singular purpose and are very good at it.