Hot Coco

>Be Anon
>Be in horseland for 11 months
>It just happened one day back at Earth
>You were hit by an asshole cab somewhere in Manhattan
>Bastard
>When you woke up you found your nurse to be some small looking horse bringing you a tray of what appears to be your lunch
>At first you thought it was some prank and played it off
>Then she talked
>Fancy
>You got out of bed and noped the fuck out of the room despite the small mare's protests
>Only to be greeted by another horse only more stern looking
>Said he was your doctor and was now scolding you about getting out of bed so abruptly
>His words fall on deaf ears because you're now eating pavement, passed out
>You woke up once more to find a large white horse... unicorn? With regal looking wings and a trippy mane.
>You quickly found out of her royal status, the land where you are and how you got here.
>To clarify how you got here, you were found on the street by some local girl... mare in the middle of the night. You were also bloodied pretty bad but nothing a few bandages couldn't fix. Still it hurt all over.
>Upon talking to the princess, you make your way out of bed and peer out the window only to see a bustling city not unlike where you came from. Only this time, the populace below, even above as you can spot some with wings, consists of colorful horses. Great
"Fuck!"
"I-I'm sorry?"
>Swearing in front of royalty. Classy
"Nothing, Princess... just surprised by my... circumstances, I guess"
>She giggles
"Perfectly understandable Mr. Anonymous. Still, might I suggest you return to bed? Your doctor will throw a fit at me when he sees you up and about.You are still quite injured you know."
>Now that she mentions it you do feel pain. Particularly around your forehead area, still wrapped heavily in bandages.
>You look at your clothes. Bloodstained and grimy but still wearable. Well wearable for your standards, you were pretty much a slob
>You sigh and crawl back to bed.
"So what now, Princess?"
"First things first though, you should rest and focus on getting better."
>The whole situation hasn't fully hit you yet but it will.
"... I suppose. Any chance of me returning home?"
>She puts on a serious face
"I'll be frank, Mr. Anonymous. Inter dimensional travel is something even above the scopes of the magic here in Equestria but I can assure you, we will do our best."
>Figures...
>Wait, magic?
"...Princess, you said... 'magic'?"
>She smiles and her horn glows brightly. Suddenly the glass of water next to you levitates. You give out a totally manly, not girlish in anyway whatsoever, yelp. The glass of water nudges itself on your hands. You hesitate grabbing onto it but after that display, you need a drink.
>Then it hit you, your all alone in a land of magical horses with nothing on you but the clothes on your back...
>At least you aren't dead considering how you arrived here in the first place.
>Maybe you are dead and this is heaven.
>Or hell.
>You sit there open-mawed and dumbstruck
>The princess notices this and clears her throat to snap you back
"Well, I would love to stay and chat some more, and to an alien species no less, but I still have royal duties to take care of. Rest assured that the ponies here will do their best to help you get better. Do not worry about the hospital bill, they are already covered. And once you are discharged, you will receive a lump sum of bits to your name. So just focus on getting better and rest assured knowing the I will do my best to find someway of sending you back home."
>...That was too nice an offer. What's the catch?
"Wait, you trust me that much? We only just met. You don't even know if I'm evil"
"Are you?"
"Well, no but that's not the point."
>She chuckles.
"I think I could trust you. Besides if you are actually evil I doubt you would even bring that up in the first place."
>Either she is an outstanding judge of people or a really really bad one.
>Either way you are grateful.
>She opens the door out of your room and proceeds to head out but stops to turn to you.
"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask"
>It makes you feel uneasy all this mooching off. You have major issues about relying on others. But really at this point, what else can you do. Might as well push it a bit.
"Well, since you asked. I need some clothes at least...it might be difficult considering I have a diffe-"
"Done."
"What?"
>She chuckles
"Will that be all?"
"Hey...Thanks."
>She smiles and proceeds to step out of your room leaving you to yourself.
>Your time at the hospital afterwards was peaceful if not a bit uneventful.
>The peop- ponies that worked there are nice. You talk to them once in a while. They are not really all that fazed about having a completely new species to tend to. But you chalk it up to them having more sentient species here than the paltry sum you were used to back home.
>After your discharge, you received a rather large parcel and a stack of clothes. True to her word, the parcel contains shiny gold coins you learned to be called bits. And there were a lot of them. It even contained a map. Hot damn.
>And you are surprised the by the clothes here, at how they were able to make one for your size and shape but you remember one the nurses talking to you about minotaurs. These clothes look expensive and hand, er hoof-crafted. Not the style you would wear but beggars can't be choosers. You inspect the brand. 'Suri Polmare works'. Definitely fancy sounding.
>Could've gone way worse, you say to yourself. At least the little accident back then only left you with a scar on you forehead. No permanent damage that's for sure.
>You step outside the hospital to be met with the scenery outside the window. It was a hustling and bustling city not unlike your home. Manehattan, as the doctor said. Surely that's no coincidence but whatever, you'd rather no burst a vein thinking about it.
>The ponies passing by are just what you people from back home act like. Busy, always needing someplace to go.
>You are met with a few odd looks but that's as far as it goes.
>First things first though. Find a place to live. Taking your map you wander around the city looking for an apartment or something.
>You found a rather decent apartment suited for you. It's no MGM Grand but it works. Hell, it was way better than the type of shit you had back home.

>And fast forward to now.
>You're on your last leg on the bits. Apparently employment is not that easy to here. As you found out, having a cutie mark is the equivalent of a college degree.
>You sigh and put away the bits you were counting
>If you're lucky you can make it next week. Still no sound from the princess. Still not like you were expecting it. She did say sending you back was a very very very long stretch. And regarding you're situation, you're much to prideful to outright beg for sustenance after all you were given initially. And you have made no friends to rely on. Not that you would rely on them. Stupid pride.
>You sigh as you look out the window.
>Midnight. Be that as it is, it's still pretty active. Just like home.
>You miss home.
>But well, considering you're supposed to be dead, you're in no place to complain
>You decide to walk around the city in the dead of night
>You do this pretty much every chance you get which is almost always
>Back home this would be pretty stupid and foolhardy but small talking ponies with bright colors aren't really known for crime.
>You went to the nearby convenience store but just hung around there doing nothing
>If you had the money to spare you'd go drinking.
>You sigh. Let's go back home.
>You decide to take the long way back and through the par just for a change in scenery
>The park is really beautiful at night. The small lake. The stars. The passed out mare. The cool night breeze.
>...
>You rub your temples.
>You walk towards her. She's still breathing so that's a plus.
>Isn't it a bit unsafe to be here like this? Won't she be raped?
>...
>Are ponies even capable of rape?
>Anyway, you squat down and poke her cheek trying to wake her up.
"Hey. You ok?"
>No budge. You poke her again.
>Soft. Her cheeks are really soft.
>You poke her again and again
>Ok, that's enough
"Hey. Seriously wake up for real this time."
>She doesn't come around
>You notice she's visibly shaking and cheeks flushed red
>Either she's aroused or sick. I'll chalk it up to aroused. Jackpot
>You place your hand on her forehead. Damn. Ohwell.
>Must be fever.
>You sigh
>You slide your hands under her and lift her up. You proceed to walk back to your apartment.
>She's quite light. Then again so are the other miniature equines
>You reach your abode.
>You place her on your couch.
>You head to the kitchen and grab a cloth and rinse it in water. Granted its a dishcloth but its the thought that counts. You wring it dry and place it on her forehead.
>Still fast asleep it seems
>Soooo what now?
>You're not exactly the best at caring for others.
>Hmmm. What would I need when I'm sick? Water I guess.
>You go to your fridge and grab the pitcher. You also grab a glass and place them both on the coffeetable in the living room
>Ok that's good now what?
>I guess something to eat? You check your fridge again.
>You wince, you're really running dry. You'd rather not use the already limited amount of food you have.
>Grass? Horses it grass... right? You went out the apartment and pull of a handful of grass from the lawn. The landlord would have a fit but ohwell.
>You return inside and grabbing a plate in the kitchen, you place the grass on the plate on the table next to the water
>Soo... what more?
>You look at her. Seems like she's still out.
>What's with that collar? What purpose does that serve?
>You sigh. Stupid horses doing weird things.
>You gently remove the collar of her and place it next to the table. You know, so that she breathes easier, get your mind out of the gutter.
>What now?
"...Guess I should sleep now..."

>Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy. If P. Diddy was stuck in a land of horses and unemployed, but it's the thought all the same.
>You suddenly remember that little horse on your couch from last night.
>You rush to your living room to find out only to chance upon it empty
>You see a small slip of paper on the couch. It says 'Thank You' in nice elegant han- hoof writing.
>You look at the table. The grass is still there. Yeah. There's a quarter of water missing from the pitcher. At least you did something right. You also see something shining next to the plate.
>A few bits.
>Tch. Handouts.
>Normally people would be glad about free money right? But you're different. You have a lot of pride.
>You ignore the bits on the table and go about your day.
>One breakfast and a trip to the bathroom later and you're ready to go about your day. Which is not much considering you spend it the entirety of it finding work.
>A few hours later and what do you get? Jackshit.
>You sigh as you look at the sky from your bench
>At least this park doesn't judge you, you chuckle a bit to yourself
>It's now noon.
>You get up from your bench and begin your walk back
>That is until you see the pony from last night carrying large bolts of cloths. She's struggling to no end
>Aaaand she's tipping over...
>She feel down on the grass
>She sits down looking teary-eyed at the bolts scattered about
>All the ponies passing by don't help her.
>Just like all the jerks back in Manhattan.
>This really your home away from home. Heh.
>She tries to gather them all up again
>This is difficult to watch.
>You walk over to her.
"Need help?"
"Oh thank y-"
>She looks up to face you. She stops mid sentence
>She doesn't speak .
"You OK?"
>She snaps back
"U-u-uhmm I-I'll be alright. H-haha."
>She hurriedly gathers the fabrics on the grass and proceeds to trot off quickly
>Huh.
>Was she scared of you?
>That's a first.
>Well, can't say I blame her. In fact, I'd say she has the most down-to-earth (down-to-equestria?) reaction upon meeting a legit alien. The other ponies are rather apathetic.
>You shrug and head back but your stomach gurgles
>Fuck...
>You decide to head for the convenience store for dinner
>After filling yourself with the cheapest human edible thing you can find, you decide to head back to the park to burn some time
>The park is always calming. Just the thing you need to when you need some time to think. Not that that's in any short supply with you being unemployed and all.
>You accidentally nod off to the cool evening breeze
>You wake up two hours later
>Didn't mean to nod off like that.
>You check your belongings you had on you. Cheap watch, handkerchief, a few pocket bits. All there. Sometimes you think this place could use crime.
>You mentally slap yourself for thinking that
>You proceed to head home for real this time
>As you turn the block, you bump into a pony. You knock on her on her ass. Not on purpose.
"Ah, sorry about that miss, are you alright?"
"No I'm fi-"
>She manages to regain her composure before getting a good look at you and you at her
>It's the same one from before
>We've got to stop bumping into each other like this
>You can practically hear her shaking teeth
"I-I-I'm f-fine... Sorryaboutthat!"
>She says with a quick bow and proceeds to trot away nervously
>She hurries on ahead... in the direction you were supposed to go in anyway
>Shrugging you continue to follow the path and, inevitably, her.
>You continue walking at a leisurely pace.
>It's cool
>No need to rush
>Not like you have work tomorrow
>Or the day after. And after that.
>Sigh.
>At least the night is very tranquil on this side of the city. Only the hoofsteps from the nervous mare ahead of you can be heard.
>Speaking of which, why is she walking down your path if she's so afraid of you. Weirdo
>You shrug
>You eventually hear the sound of clattering trashcans.
>Probably her. You hurry a bit to catch up to her.
>She's knocked the trashcans on the walk
"...You OK?"
>I should really expand my vocabulary
>She gets up quickly from the sound of your voice
>She backs away from you nervously
>I should probably clarify on some things.
"...You know, I don't eat ponies."
>She goes full on gallop mode in the darkness.
>Smooth move, cowboy.
>You apply your face onto your palm. Liberally
>You then proceed to head back to your very own little slice of purgatory.
>A bath later and it's time for bed.

>7am, waking up in the morning
>Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs. Well, next room to be exact.
>No job hunting for now. Weekend.
>Funny how you don't appreciate it as much when you're unemployed. The little things you notice.
>Morning rituals and breakfast. Then what?
>Hang around the park again you guess.
>You pretty much hang back on the same usual park bench just enjoying the view
>Your stomach gurgles
>You guess you should eat lunch at home for now. Money's really REALLY getting tight.
>Sigh.
>Whatever. Heading back.
>What?
>That strange pony is on your door carrying what looks to be flowers.
>Seems like she's waiting patiently in front of it.
>So first she's scared of you, now she's courting you. Sometimes you have trouble understanding ponies.
>You walk casually to your apartment.
>She still hasn't noticed you given that she's facing the door right now.
"May I help you?"
"Eeep!"
>With a girly yelp, she jumps facing you
>She looks at you with surprise first, then the usual fear. What? You thought she has the hots for you.
>You can see her shaking
>Ugh right.
"...May I help you?"
>You ask again slowly not to panic
"A-A-Are you stalking me?!"
>Great. Now you're a sexual deviant apparently. Sorry, dad. 10 years ahead of schedule.
"Ugh..."
"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"
>Sigh. You give up.
>You rub your temples in defeat.
>You pull out your keys and unlock the door despite the cowering ball of fur below you
>You step over her and proceed inside
>She looks visibly surprised
"Wh-wh-wh-where are you going!?"
>You sigh
"...Inside my apartment?"
"Y-y-you live here?!"
"No, I go here to go shopping"
>You make it a point to make your sarcasm obvious
"Th-then... you... th-that night..."
"...Well I found you passed out in the park..."
"Wh-wh-why didn't you say anything?!"
"Well, you're not exactly the most sociable pony I've met."
>She looks embarrassed. Scared but embarrassed.
>At least she can form proper sentences now. That's a plus
"So... can I go eat lunch now?"
"W-w-wait!"
>She picks up the bouquet no the floor with her left front hoof. Wait, how did that work?
"Th-this is for you!"
>She says eyes closed, cheeks flushed.
>Is this a confession you hear so much about in your animus?
>'Senpai-san I really like you. You so kawaii ugu desu desu~ :3'
>You slap yourself mentally for thinking that.
"Um what is this?"
>Her cheek reddens even more
"I-I-I m-made you lunch... as thanks..."
>Lunch.
>Ugh.
>Sometimes you wish you can palm yourself through the face.
"Look, I appreciate the gesture but I don't- rather can't eat... daffodils"
>She looks a bit dejected.
"...I'm sorry..."
>Sigh
"It's alright"
"No, I mean...sorry... for being so scared... of you..."
"...No harm done."
>You'd say it was rather interesting. At least you got to know what it's like to be feared for a change.
>...But you won't tell her that.
>She still has reservations but at least she's easing up now.
"Hey, let's start over. My name's Anonymous."
>She looks to you and smiles meekly
"...Coco Pommel. Pleasure to meet you"
>Pleasure. Heh.
"Likewise... Can I eat lunch now?"
"Oh umm... wait, c-come with me a sec."
>You sigh and walk out
>She trots over sheepishly to the next door to your right.
"Umm th-this is my apartment. I-If you're in need of anything, don't hesitate to ask. Umm, it's the least I can do."
>Tch. Asking for handouts.
>But she means well. It's a rather nice gesture.
>Still surprising she's actually your neighbor.
>Small horse-filled world.
>Heh. NEIGH-bor
"I'll keep that in mind, thanks."
>You probably won't but said it nonetheless.
"So... can I eat lunch now?"
"Oh! Umm sorry. Don't let me keep you."
>With a small smile, you proceed back inside.
>You head to your kitchen and fix something up.
>Just a simple sandwich
>Nothing fancy, just lettuce and tomato's, some mayo and cheese.
>Meat's not really much of an issue for you but you miss it a bit to be honest
>No pork and beef here that's for sure but fish seems to be okay
>You'd get some if you actually have the dosh to spend around
>At least the produce is pretty cheap
>You went out after 'lunch'
>Coco's probably inside her apartment seeing as her door's closed
>You guess you'd waste some time at the park again
>The rest of the day is pretty much uneventful. A bath and a dinner later and it's off to bed.

>And you wake up in the morning and your head feels twice the size. Whatever that means, you never got to ask Amy MacDonald.
>You hang out in bed a little longer.
>Sigh
>Weekends sure suck.
>...
>You slap yourself mentally for thinking that
>With a grunt, you get out of bed and check whatever you have in the kitchen for breakfast
>Crud
>Supplies are really dwindling down
>So very not good
>Another more of that sandwich it is then
>Soon after, you head for the bathroom for all your morning rituals.
>Feeling fresh, you are ready to tackle the day!
>Which is probably just you spending it in the park as usual
>Sigh.
>You sigh a lot lately
>You make another sandwich and wrap it up. Take out lunch, ahoy.
>You head out the apartment. Coco's probably inside her apartment. What a shut-in. Heh.
>You make your way to the park as always
>And just like everyday, you hang around here to pass the time. It's pretty nice. But importantly, it's free.
>The whole day passes and it is now evening
>Time to head back, I guess
>You see a little cream coated mare in the nearby distance struggling with large bolts of fabric
>Was she working this weekend?
>She's no better at carrying those than the last time
>This is sad
>You walk up to her just like last time
"Need help?"
>You say just like last time
>You startle her just like last time
>She turns to face you and puts on a look of fear, just like last time
"...Yes, please"
>She accepts your offer graciously... that's new
>You take the three from the five bolts she has on her back
>This... is actually quite heavy
>How and why is she carrying these?
>You walk cold streets of Manehattan with her towards your apartment
>It's quiet and the awkwardness in really palpable. Not that you'd want to palp it
>She seems bit uncomfortable. Though you can't really blame her
"You have work on weekends?"
>The sudden question caught her off guard
"Oh! um yes. There's this big order coming up..."
>She eases up a bit
"And with the new fall season coming in so soon, the demand for the new fashion line is quite high. Especially now that the Lettuce Hem style is predicted to take precedence over the Raglan and..."
>She continues on
>She getting fired up and she looks a completely different pers- pony the way she is now
"Oh... Um. Sorry. Was I boring you?"
"Well no not really, but I admit, I couldn't follow you the entire conversation. You lost me at 'Lettuce Hem'."
>She chuckles
"It's not that difficult, Anonymous. A Lettuce Hem is simple the style in which the hem of the dress looks like a lettuce."
>That really doesn't bring much to light
"...You must really love your work, don't you? It shows in your flank"
"W-w-what!?"
"...I meant your cutie mark."
"O-oh. And yes. I do enjoy it, very much."
>She looks of into the distance
"I enjoy that feeling of seeing my beloved work worn by other ponies. Even if they don't know I did it and don't give me any recognition, the fact that they are wearing it, means a lot to me. It's a special feeling I can't describe."
>She turns to you with a smile
"Just like the clothes you are wearing now."
"...You made these?"
>You look down to your clothes. They have been worn down over the months but they're still in a decent condition. Pretty good actually. And considering how you still have those bloodstained clothes you were wearing when you got here, that's saying something.
"Yup. Suri Polmare is my boss. I work for her."
"That was way back. I'm surprised you can remember these given how you must've made tons more of clothes more memorable than this in that timespan."
>She chuckles
"How could I forget? A direct order from the Princess herself. And not your typical pony wear too, to be honest."
>She has a point
"And I spent many sleepless nights working on those."
>She puffs her chest out proudly
>...Great. Now you feel guilty. Stupid considerate horse.
"...But even if this is my special talent. I know I have much to learn."
>She wears a look of determination... which doesn't really mesh well for a cute little pony
"But I'll do my best!"
>She reminds you of those stereotypical animu protagonists. Except not a faggot. And not being chased by a harem which includes their own sister.
>You laugh to yourself
"...Thanks Coco. For the clothes."
>You interrupt her speech. That caught her off guard
>She looks at you with a smile
"You're very welcome, Anonymous. Promise me to take good care of them."
"You know, I already do."
>She nods to herself
"That's what I want to hear!"
>She relaxes her composure
"It feels nice."
"What does?"
"Hearing gratitude for your work. It's the first time I heard it."
>...You can't thing of anything to say at this point.
>Must be nice though. Having something so passionate about.
"We're here."
>You look to see that familiar aging apartment
>You walk up to her door and handing her the fabrics, she takes them and places them by the doorway.
"Goodnight Anonymous, and thank you for your help this evening"
"No sweat"
>Not true. Your arm is sore as hell
"I have to work on these now, I'll see you later. Thanks again."
"Yeah. Goodnight Coco. Don't overwork yourself."
>She chuckles
"I won't. Goodnight."
>A quick dinner and bath later and you're off to dreamland.

>Wake up call, caught you in the morning with another one in my bed. Another bed bug bite if that's what you mean. You should really clean the place up once in a while.
>You bathroom and breakfast just like everyday. You're getting sick of all these el cheapo sandwiches but what else can you do?
>This is getting repetitive
>Just the usual going about town looking for work.
>Sigh
>You head to your living room and rest back on the couch and stare at the ceiling
>You spend a few good minutes just being like that
>With a sigh, you snap back down.
>You look over to the the table to see the few bits you received from Coco still there.
>It just doesn't feel right taking these.
>You take a coin from the pile
"Tails I get lucky today."
>You flip the coin, catch it in mid air and place it on your arm, palm cupped
>You remove your hand quickly to see the etched image of Celestia on the bit.
>Well that sucked. Fuck you coin.
>You flick the coin back on the table.
>With a sigh, you go to your bed room and grab some pocket bits.
>...
>You can take the few bits you have left. This is not a good sign.
>Alright no time for whining. You steel your nerves and walk out the door
>You check over next door.
>Closed. She's probably at work.
>Anyway let's do this.
>You spent the whole day looking for work
>No such luck.
>The whole damn day. Fuck
>Dejected you head as the sun is setting
>You peer over to the door next to yours before heading inside.
>Still closed.
>You go to your kitchen and try to at least fix something up but your mind is really out of it and you knock over the pans which send loud clattering noises everywhere.
>Great
"Anonymous, what was that? Are you alright?!"
>You hear a muffled voice from across the wall
"It's nothing. I'm fine Coco"
>You shout back
"Hold on, I'm coming over!"
"You don't hav-"
>You're cut off by the sound of hooves trotting off
>You sigh
>You go to your door and open it
>You catch a glimpse of her
"You know, it's really-"
>She rushes past you before you can finish your sentence
>Grudgingly, you follow her to the kitchen
>She looks at the mess then on you, a slight worry shown on her face
"What happened?"
"...Nothing. I was making dinner, bumped a few pans and fell. That's all"
>She doesn't look convinced
"Are you sure? It sounded like somepony trying to wreck the place"
"Well they will be loud, they are hefty metal afterall"
>Now that you get a good look at her, you can see her unkempt mane and dark circles under her eyes.
"If you're sure... Sorry about rushing here, your startling woke me up is all."
>Now you feel like a total dick.
"No don't be sorry. I'm the one who has to apologize. Sorry, really"
>She giggles wearily
"It's alright."
"...Isn't it a bit too early to be sleeping?"
"Hm? Oh, well I stayed up all night working on the dresses."
>Now you feel even more of a dick.
"...Anything I can do to help?"
"Oh it's alright, I just finished the job and was just catching up on sleep"
"...Sorry"
"It's alright"
>She says trying to smile brightly
>She steps out of the kitchen and you follow suit. She stops as she saw your couch
>She giggles to herself
"...Imagine my surprise to waking up suddenly in a really strange place, not know how or why I ended up here. I was pretty much crying in panic as to my current situation only to find out it was just next door."
>She chuckles once more before look at you
"Then I find a damp cloth on my forehead, a glass of water and some grass next to me. I put them together and came to the conclusion that somepony, or rather someone, kind looked after me."
"I really didn't do much"
>She just smiles in response
>She looks over at the table and notices the shining gold coins scattered there
"Are those...? Why didn't you take them?"
>You sigh
"Look Coco, not to belittle your graciousness or anything but if you're gonna know something about me, it's that I don't like a free lunch."
"But it's night time"
>Sigh.
"I meant I don't like free things given to me. Something about pride. A human thing, sorry."
>She looks at you inquisitively before nodding
>I guess she understands
"So you can just take these bits back. I appreciate the offer though."
"No."
"...Huh?"
"I don't like taking back things I meant. A pony thing, sorry."
>She says with a smile
>Stupid horse
>You laugh to yourself silently
>She makes for the door.
"Well, goodnight Anonymous. Sorry for intruding."
"...Hey."
>You call out to her.
"If you ever need help with something, don't hesitate to ask alright?"
>She stops and turns to face you
"Actually, I need help... I said I already finished up work... That's a lie really. If you could come by tomorrow, I would really appreciate it."
>She says meekly
>Huh. You completely expecting her to turn down or shrug off your offer. At least, that's what you'd do in her place.
>Not that you weren't willing to lend a hoof... hand. Stupid horse land.
>And plus, you doubt you'd find work tomorrow.
"...Alright. Sure I'll drop by."
"Thank you, Anon. I really appreciate it. Well goodnight. Sleep well."
>She says with a small court bow.
>You follow to close the door behind her.
>Huh.
>Anon.
>Been a while since you heard that nickname
>You make a proper dinner. As proper as your meager supplies can allow.
>A quick bath later and you face down on the bed.

>Fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy. Wake up!
>I'm running out of wake up songs.
>You go about your usual morning routine along with breakfast
>You contemplate a bit if you're really up to the challenge of lending a hand
>It was either this or look for a job, and looking for a job was definitely the more prudent choice, especially with your situation
>But still, you need a change of pace, you admit to yourself
>With a sigh, head out and proceed next door
>You knock
"Coco, it's me"
>A few shuffles can be heard through the door
>The door swings open with a light creak
>Out peers that usual cream colored pony with bright blue mane. She's looking better than she did yesterday evening
"Good morning, Anon. Have you had breakfast?"
"I did, yeah"
"Oh. I was going to ask you to join me. I am having breakfast right now"
"That's OK, I can wait out here when you're done"
"That won't do, come inside"
>She opens the door wider, signalling you to enter
"If you insist I guess."
>She smiles and walks back inside
>Hmm. I've never entered a ponies residence before. Should I leave my shoes out.
>Seeing as they walk around bare hooved, I should probably so.
>You take your shoes and put them neatly beside the doorway outside but not before getting a good look at them.
>You wore these when you came here.
>It's still holding up. Just like me. That's good I guess.
>...Whatever.
>You head inside and are met with a rather nice looking living room
>Aside from the work related clutter around, you can tell it's rather well-kept. So unlike your own
>You sit on the couch and wait for her
>She enters the living room with a plate of what appears to be half-eaten omelette and a glass or orange juice on it.
>She sits on the couch next to you
"I thought I should keep you company here. It would be very rude of me to keep you waiting."
"You don't really have to, you know"
"It's no trouble at all"
>She says taking the spoon with her hoof and proceeding to eat breakfast. How does she do that?
>She sees you staring
"Oh. Did you want one? There's still some left in the kitchen."
"No thanks I already ate... But what is that exactly? An omelette?"
"Yup. An apple omelette."
>She takes a piece and shoves it into her mouth
"Apples? You're kidding right?"
"It's really good."
>She cuts a piece and scoops it up with her spoon and points it at you
"Here, taste it. Say 'ahhh'."
>...
"I can feed myself just fine, you know."
>She pouts
"Just do it."
"...Fine...Ahhh"
>You hesitantly open your mouth and let a small cream colored pony mare spoon feed you. You're pretty sure you're manliness quotient just went down a notch.
"How is it?"
>It tastes... Well, it's something you're not used to. It's not bad exactly. It's just strange. You're not used to sweet taste of fruit with the usual saltiness of eggs. Still it's a lot better that what you usually eat.
"It's...good."
>Well it kinda is actually.
"Do you want some more?"
>She looks at you expectantly
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Okay then."
>She proceeds to continue breakfast while you slump lower on the couch waiting on her. Damn, her couch is way better than yours.
>The two of you spend the time in relative silence
>With a clank, she places the plate on the table and after drinking her orange juice, proceeds to do the same with the glass.
>She takes the plate and the glass and starts to walk back to the kitchen
"Want me to help with the dishes?"
"Hm? Oh I'll just pile them on the sink for now. We need to get started."
>She returns to the living room
"So what do I have to help you with, Coco?"
"I was hoping if you can help me with the simple stitches. Can you sew, Anon?"
"Wellll, no sorry...And it would probably be a bad idea if a complete beginner would work on the dresses for your clients."
>She ponders a bit before looking a bit dejects
"...You're right..."
>Awkward silence
>A tumbleweed passes by
"...I never asked you this but what's your cutie mark, Anon."
"...Well... Humans don't have cutie marks."
"W-what!?"
>She seems legit surprised at this
"...Then what's on your flank?"
>What kind of question is that?
"...Skin?"
"Just skin?"
"...Yeah...?"
>Her cheeks go red before quickly shaking her head to clear her thoughts.
>She ponders a bit
>So yeah. How will you help her now?
"What now..."
>She asks
"I didn't expect this too well... I can help with the grunt work if you want, carry things, fetch things you name it"
>You scratch the back of your head
"...I'm also pretty dexterous, if that helps"
>You say wriggling your fingers
>Somewhere on a certain town, a green unicorn just creamed herself
"Hmm... I guess that works too... Let's go to my room"
>...
"D-don't think this the wrong way or anything."
>She says with pinkish cheeks
>You roll your eyes. Not like you're not also blushing slightly
>You follow the mare inside a door by the hall
>On the inside is a rather nice if a bit girly room. One noticeable thing is that the place has lots of mannequins... with a pony form. (equinnequin) And on them rests some half made dresses. You know nothing about fashion so you're just going to chalk it up as fancy brown dresses.
>She trots over to one the closest one while you still inspect the room
>There's some cute plushies on the desk
>They're actually really well made.
>They're ponies of all colors and shapes.
>You walk up to one in particular.
>It's a plush version of her. It's so meta... It's like a plush self-portrait
"Anon!"
>You almost drop the plushie on the floor.
"What? Sorry...what were you saying?"
"...Could you get the black fabric from the living room?"
"Yeah sure..."
>Returning the plush, you head out and grab the bolt.
>You return the room and hand it to her.
>She takes a small cutter with her mouth and expertly slices a piece of it
>That rather dangerous... and impressive to be honest.
>The takes the piece and returns to the dress she was working on
"U-umm. You must think I'm strange for making those..."
>Those? She means the plushies?
"You made those. I'm impressed. It's actually really well-made"
>She stops and faces you with a small smile
"...Thanks, Anon."
>She returns to her dress
"I made them in the likeness of the people I know."
>She stops for a while and peers over to the desk.
>She points at one in particular
"See that one? The one with the pink coat and violet mane? That's my boss, Suri Polomare"
"Oh, I see."
>You look at that one in particular
"...Why does she look so angry?"
"Umm... well she usually is."
>Oh. That type of boss. I see.
>You sit on her bed to pass the time while you let her work.
>This isn't rude is it?
>She's not complaining or anything so I guess it's okay.
"...Hey Anon. Can you hold this part for me while I get it stitched?"
"Gotcha"
>You get up and walk over to her and hold a little makeshift rose made of fabric while you let her stitch close to you. It's amazing how she can use her hooves like that.
>There's a silence but it's not really the awkward.
>Plus at this range, you can smell her mane. It has a hint of vanilla so you're not really complaining.
>...
>It's strange the way she looks blooming when she's so engrossed with work
"Hey, Anon..."
>That snaps you out of your trance
"Yeah...?"
"...What's it like not having a cutie mark?"
>What?
>You'd laugh but hold back after seeing her melancholic look.
"It's just like how you are before you had yours I guess"
"...I mean... knowing your whole life ahead of you, you will never have one. How do you know your purpose?"
>...
>Shit. That's deep.
"I guess it's... never. Considering that some of us never know what we truly want in life our whole lives. It's kind of a lifelong journey trying to find what a person truly wants individually."
>She stops mistitch, looking at the dress
"...Isn't that a bit sad?"
"...I guess in a way it is... But it's also what life interesting... not knowing what tomorrow comes"
>She falls silent some more
"What about you, Anon... Did you find out what you want to do?"
>You never thought about it... much...
>You avoided thinking about it...
"...No"
>She faces the floor
"Sorry...I shouldn't be prying"
>You sigh
"It's fine"
>She turns to you with a bright smile.
"Hey, let's eat lunch. My treat."
>You're about to protest but you digress.
>With a smile, you sigh once more
"I'd like that. Thanks."
>The two of you step out to the living room. You wait on the couch while she prepares lunch. Not that you're complaining. Her couch is high class.
>She comes back with some plates of spaghetti
>You snicker a bit to yourself
>The two of you pass the time talking about fashion. Not that you participated much in the conversation, it was pretty much just her sharing to you the things she know. And you'd nod trying to understand them. Every once in a while a particular tidbit catches your interest and you'd inquire about that.
>After lunch, the two of you return to work with her working on the dresses and you waiting on her, doing the grunt works.
>Every now and the two of you'd talk about little things.
>It's not bad. All in all.
>And here you two are, having dinner on the living room. It's the same spaghetti you had earlier. And no, you're not complaining. It's quite delicious
"I'm surprised your boss let you not attend work for the whole day"
"It's usually like this. There's an order and and I work on it until it's finished. It's really simple"
>Simple my ass. She's overworked left and right
"Coco, doesn't it seem like you're being taken advantage of?"
"...I know it must seem like that but I enjoy work. I really do."
>...If you say so.
"What about you, Anon. You spent the whole day today, what about work?"
>That caught you off guard. You literally drop the spaghetti... back on the plate
"...Well...I...don't have one...I'm actually looking for work for a long time..."
>You hate being pitied, that's a fact
>She stops eating to stare at you
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"...It wasn't important. Besides it's my problem"
>She doesn't say anything for a while
"...I'll help you."
"What?"
"I'll help you."
>She says with determination
"I don't need your help"
>You blurt out without thinking
>She looks visibly hurt
"...Sorry. But it's my problem, I'd prefer to solve it by myself. This isn't the same thing as the free lunch or dinner. Come on, Coco, I'm sure you understand that."
>...
"No."
"Coco."
>There's a slight sternness building up in your tone
>She doesn't back down
"Anon, you help me a lot. If I say right now that I didn't need your help all this time, wouldn't it be presumptuous of you all this time?"
>She faces you all serious
"And isn't the reason you came to me for help was because you pitied me?.
>...
"I'm not pitying you, Anon. I want to help you out. I want you to rely on me. We're friends. It's what friends do."
>...Are we friends...?
>...Yeah...I suppose we kinda are. Sigh.
>You rub your temples with a weak little smile
"...fn..."
>You speak up, barely audible
"What was that?"
"I said 'fine'..."
>She wraps her hooves around you for a quick hug.
>You roll your eyes and place your hand on her back
>Soft. Just like those cheeks.
>Well you've  made your first friend in this place. A small cream colored fashion apprentice mare. I wonder what sis would say.
>She breaks away
"Meet me tomorrow morning, alright?"
"Like I have a choice?"
>She chuckles at your response and resumes to eating the spaghetti
>You shake your head and follow the same
>You help her clean the dishes afterwards and saying goodnight, you went back to your side plopped down headfirst unto the bed.
>The two of you only finished one dress today but that's alright from what she said. And considering how much effort it made, you believe her.
>...
>Tomorrow, huh.

>Wake up! Wake up! On a Saturday night.
>Well no, it's Tuesday.
>You get breakfast and bathtime before readying yourself for whatever it is Coco has planned.
>You head out and knock on her door.
"It's open."
>That means to just head inside right? Yeah.
>You slouch down on the couch. You really have to ask her where she got this.
>She enters the door wearing the dress you two made last night. Mostly her really.
>She swishes it around before turning to you
"How's it look, Anon?"
>You know jackshit about fashion so to put it simply, it's a brown dress with black highlights.
>It looks pretty nice one her. Modest and classy
>Wish she'd take off that collar though
"It suits you."
>She flutters her dress once more with a smile before turning to you once more
"Thank you very much, Anon. I was a bit worried about the strength of the stitches considering it was a bit rushed yesterday evening."
"How is it?"
"It's holding out fairly well, thank goodness"
>She gives one last look over before turning to you again
"Can you help me out of this, Anon?"
"Sure"
>You walk up to her and inspect her back.
"Can you unzip it?"
>That's what your mom said last night
"Hold on"
>You take the zipper on her back and pull it down gently
>This would be pretty sensual if she were a human
>...Actually this is still pretty sensual.
>Your hand brushes on her really really soft coat
>With the dress hanging half loose, she shakes it off
"Thank you, Anon"
>She steps off and takes the dress by the hoof and places it on her back
>You sorta wish you can feel her coat one more time but ohwell
"Come on, Anon. Let's go."
>Sigh
"What do you have in mind?"
"I'm going to introduce you to Suri and hope she can give you a job"
>You're not particularly hopeful but...
"...I'll admit, I'm not really expecting much, Coco"
>She looks down
"...Actually, so am I... but I want to at least try."
>She puts on her determined face.
>You should probably tell that look is not that intimidating
>She nods to herself
"Don't worry. I'll do my best"
>You just sigh in response
>...Still, you appreciate a bit what she's doing
"Let's go, Anon"
"Fine..."
>You head outside with Coco following you from behind
>She closes the door behind her and locking it
>Are locks really that needed here?
>She trots forward, while you hang back, still hesitant
"Hurry up, Anon!"
>She turns back to you. She seems eager
"Alright, alright..."
>You follow her at her side
>The two of you walk along the usual path you take every morning
>Celestia's sun is shining less brightly today though, must be a scheduled downpour later. I really should check the weather schedule more.
>You look down next to you.
>She's wearing this little timid smile she usually does
>Heh.
>Seems like just a few days ago she's in so much panic around you... Well it WAS just a few days ago. Still point still stands.
>She leads you to the park
"We go through here."
>She turns to you
"See that building over there on the other side?"
"How could I not? It's the tallest one on the block."
>It looks pretty swanky to boot
"That's pretty much central hub of the fashion world. Sometimes you can even catch celebrities such as Prim Hemline and Photo Finish inside the building"
>She says with a certain giddiness in her tone
>You don't know who Prim Hemline is but you've seen Photo Finish on some of the billboards here. She reminds you of Anna Wintour from back earth. Either that or Lady Gaga.
"Come on, let's go"
"Lead the way"
>The two of head inside the park
>It's as tranquil as you remember it to be. Definitely the best place in the whole city.
"Wait hold up, Coco."
>You stop at the spot you usually stay.
>Coco stops and notices you staring at the lake.
>It's reflects the sun and the nearby scenery on the clear waters beautifully
>You hear a light chuckle
"You always loved this place, huh Anon. I've seen you a couple of times here, on that bench mostly"
>She says pointing to your usual bench
"Umm... from a distance of course...back then, I thought you were some evil unknown monster and everyone else has been tricked... or something."
>She smiles at you
"For the first time, I'm glad to know I'm wrong."
"Heh. Well who can blame you. Still, thanks."
>She nods before speaking again
"Let's go, Anon"
>You glance one last before responding
"Alright"
>The two of you continue your walk, passing through the park and reaching that really fancy-ass building
>You can't help but whistle. Interior's be bitchin as fuck
>You've never been here during job hunts. You doubt anyone here would even bother with you
>You let Coco take the lead, this is uncharted territory for you.
>You see lots of ponies busy with clothes making materials shambling all over the place. Spitting image of Coco when she's working
>There's pony models here. I guess it would be a stallions wet dream. If you were back at earth, you know it's yours
>Lots of paparazzi. That's expected
>She leads you to a hall of elevators
>She presses a button. The two of you wait a bit before one opens up.
>The two of you step inside as she presses the '42'
>Classy Jazz plays
"Classy."
"I know."
>A few moments later, the elevators opens with a 'ding'
>She steps out and begins walking to a purple color door. You follow suit
"Here we are."
>She trots up to the door
"Let me talk to her first, alright Anon?"
"Alright"
>She takes deep breath and puts on her determined face
>She nods to herself before proceeding
>She opens the door and proceeds inside
>You follow suit, hanging in the back all the while
>What greets you is a professional looking office with an annoyed looking mare on the desk going over what seems to be a catalog.
"U-um... Ms. Suri."
>Her determined look from before melts away. Great. Just great.
"Since you're here, I would assume that the order is finished then?"
>She speaks form her desk not breaking stride in her conveyance of annoyance
>She has that city girl accent thing going on. Which you personally find rather cute and charming in a woman.
"Um...N-not yet Ms. Suri. But I've finished one for you to check."
"Tch. Bring it"
>Bitch.
>Coco sheepishly walks over to the desk and places the dress on the other end.
>Suri gives it a quick glance over before return to her catalog
"The trim clashes with the hue, the underhand stitch is underwhelming, the body is too voluminous and the hem looks like it was made by hydras. This is poor. Did you even put any effort into this? What's this part anyway?"
>She says pointing to a part of a dress
>Ass.
>It stings you a bit considering you also put in some effort on that dress
>Still you can tell she knows her shit. Mostly from her quick diagnostic that you didn't quite catch on.
>She looks more annoyed than before
>Her assistant on the other hand looks like she's about to cry... Can't blame her. This looks painful to watch and seems to drag on so slowly. Mostly because the author is too busy googling fashion terms.
"U-um I used the chiffon fabric like you said"
"I didn't say to use it like a cheap patch on quilt, you moron".
>Dick
"Um I-I'm sorry... I'll fix it again"
>She says looking down while going over to the desk to retrieve the dress
>Coco's really holding back her tears at this point
>Suri gives a loud obnoxious sigh before finally turning to you
"What's the town monkey doing here?"
>Cunt.
>You open your mouth but Coco cuts you off immediately
"Th-this is Anonymous. He's looking for an employment. I was hoping he could help me with the orders and such"
"Ugh. Having to deal with you is enough already...Hey monkey, what's your cutie mark?"
>Jerk
>You open your mouth once more but Coco steps in
"H-he doesn't have one. Human's never have one."
>Suri laughs condescendingly
"That's sad. If you don't even have one, what makes you think I'd hire your sad monkey flank?"
>Bastard
"H-he's real helpful. He's like a jack of all trades. He even helped me last night with the dress."
"Hey idiot, let the monkey talk. Hey. You CAN talk, can you?"
>She turns to you
>Coco clamors up fighting back her waterworks and sniffles
>She's completely lost her look of determination from earlier
>Still, she's really trying her best despite the circumstances. It's a bit... endearing.
>Guess, it's my turn now huh.
"Yes, maam. I apologize, maam."
>You say straightfaced
>A sweat drips down though. No way you're gonna fuck this up... Not after Coco stood up for you like this
>Still, you don't particularly relish the concept of having to suck up your pride for this asshat.
"Ha, 'maam'. Cute. Did you really help this idiot?"
>Fucker
"Yes,maam. Though concede that Ms. Pommel did the majority of the endeavor."
>Gotta pull out your fancy sounding words. She seems unimpressed
"Well, the end result is stupid. Go away."
>ill rek u m8 i swear on me mum
>Still, you figured as much. Just like always
>You sigh internally
"But his help was really needed! I wouldn't have had to finish that one today, otherwise! You know how time consuming it is to make a dress Ms. Suri"
>Coco quickly interjects.
>Her eyes are clearly tearing but she hold firm, despite shivering a bit
>You don't have to try this hard for me, you stupid horse.
>Suri rolls her eyes.
"...Tch. Fine."
>Motherfuc- wait, what?
>You're surprised. You see Coco is too. At least she's smiling now, even if a bit feint
>She turns to you
"Hey monkey, you're under that idiot. Do what she says, you're her slave. If she doesn't improve, you're out. And maybe even her too. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, maam."
>Great, now Coco's at stake
"Good. Go to the mare on the reception desk on the lobby, tell her you're under Suri Polomare's payroll... Well, what are you waiting for, Hearthswarming Eve? Get out of here! The two of you have dresses to make."
"Understood, maam. Thank you, maam"
>You'd call her more mean names but she just gave you a job. Ah what the hell. Slut.
>Feels pretty good to actually have a job now though. For the first time in forever.
>The two of you leave the room.
>Your pokerface falls apart and a scowl appears in its place
>Coco's not fairing any better, she let one small tear run down her cheek
>...Dammit
>She sucks it up before turning to you with a large smile on her face
>You've never thought about it but she looks real cute.
>You feel your cheeks redden
>You place a hand on her head and look away
"...Thank you..."
"...You're welcome."
>She says before trotting to another door
"Anon, let's stop by quick here."
>She opens the door to reveal an office not unlike Suri's but smaller by comparison.
"This is my office, come in Anon"
"You have an office?"
"Mhmm. But I don't use it as much because I take most of the work at home"
>She trots over to the window
"Come here, Anon! I want to show this to you"
>She's like a schoolgirl that was noticed by her beloved senpai
"Alright alright"
>You say walking to her
>She opens the window. The city breeze rushes in flowing her bright blue mane. She wears a look of melancholy
>You can't help but stare
>...
"...Beautiful, isn't it?"
"...Yeah...Oh! You're talking about the view, hahaaa..."
>You look over at the view
>...
>It's breathtaking. You can see the park from here. That lake. The little plaza. The high rise buildings. It looks just like that time your dad took you to the top of the building he worked.
>...You feel homesick.
"You know, after being here for almost a year, Equestria has really grown on me...but it's not exactly Earth..."
"Anon?"
"We should probably head back and get a head start on those dresses."
>She takes on last look from the window before nodding to herself
"You're right. Let's go."
>The two of you head out of the office
>You stop by the mare at the lobby and mention her your employment to Suri
>She asks for your name, contact details, age. The usual.
>Coco helps you for the strange ones you have no idea how to answer
>The two of you stop by a restaurant to take out something for lunch
>Sure long term money problems are taken care of somewhat but until you've gotten your first paycheck, you're still in the red
>You look over to Coco busy looking at the menu
>She's such a good friend. You'd hate to come off as ungrateful
"Oooh so many choices. What'll you have Anon?"
"...No thanks, I'm good."
"Anon."
"Really, there's still some leftovers at home. I'm okay"
"Anon."
"What"
"Anon, there's nothing wrong with asking for help once in a while"
>...
"...You're not gonna let this go easily huh."
"Nope. Besides I'm not treating you. You're going to owe me lunch when you're able to"
>Guess that's works too
"Fine. Letsee..."
>You lower yourself to look at the menu Coco's holding
>You haven't thought about taking an order. Some meat would be nice. But barring that, something with cheese.
"Umm...Anon."
>Well, there's no meat here. No fish here too. Guess this is an exclusively pony place.
>Hey pasta. Lasagna seems nice. Vegetarian but that doesn't bother you at all
"Anon."
"Huh?"
"Umm... You're too close"
>You turn to her only to be met with her reddened face mere inches from yours
"Ah, sorry"
>You say quickly pulling back
>She chuckles
"That's alright. Made your choice yet?"
"I'll take the Lasagna."
"Ohh. That's nice too. But I'll still stick to the salad."
>She walks up to the waiter to tell him our orders.
>After few minutes of waiting and idle talk, the two of you take your orders and head back
>The two of you enter her apartment. She quickly places the dress on the living room while you remove your shoes at the door.
>You follow inside the room to see her contemplating on the dress. You place your ordered food on the table before plopping down on the couch.
>Damn, I'm sure as hell getting a couch like this.
>She looks like she's stressing herself
"...Still thinking about what Suri said."
"I know she must seem really mean but she knows what she's talking about."
>Not that you can really prove otherwise.
>She runs back and grabs a paper and a pencil
>She quickly takes it with her mouth and sketches out something
>You peer over to look
>She sketching out what appears to be the dress worn on a pony
>Rather impressive. She's way better with her mouth than you are with your hands... No sexual... Alright, slightly sexual.
>She encircles some parts on it.
>She drops the pencil and takes the paper and shows it to you
"See this part, Anon."
>She motions on a circle near the hem
"This clashes with this part"
>She motions on the encircled part on the withers of the sketch
"And here. I thought a simple underhand stitch would suffice but... I see... how hind-sighted of me..."
>It's all so very complicated and you don't really catch on much
>She continues on trying to teach you. Well, maybe not really. It's kinda like the rubber ducky debugging you used to do at home. Only you used army men toys. Particularly the minesweeper guy.
>You can't help but chuckle to yourself
>She looks so rather cute when she's so fired up like this.
>She nods once more to herself before going back to the paper and pencil for another sketch
>You slouch back on the couch, just watching her go about her way.
"Hey. Tell me when you need some help alright."
>She just smiles at you in response
>You let her do her thing.
>Wish you could be more of a help though
>She looks at you slumping down on the sofa
"...Hey, Anon. Want me to teach you some? It's really fun. At least for me it is"
"Coco, I'm really bad at that kinda stuff."
"You don't know if you don't even try, Anon"
"I think I can speak for myself when I say how hopeless I am at this."
>She looks a bit dejected
>...
"...I appreciate the offer though."
>She looks blankly a while before turning to you with a smile.
"Anon can you fetch me the cyan and blue fabrics. And also my measuring tape and scissors "
"Got it."
>You do as you are told
>Taking the materials, she expertly cuts some pieces off
>She then does various things like adjust the trim, ruffle the coat, polish the sheen among other things
>She asks for your help once in a while, asking you to hold down a part, pull on one to give it the tension while she sews, that kinda thing.
>You go to the kitchen and warm up the food the two of you bought
>She's still busy with the dress by the time you return
>She's so hardworking
>...
>Why are you a bit upset though?
>Shrugging, you walk up to the table and place the food on it.
>She's so engrossed with the dress she doesn't even notice.
>You slowly reach up to her and poke her cheek
>She gives out a small surprised yelp
"A-anon?"
"Lunchtime."
>You motion to the plates of food
"Oh. Lunch time already?"
>You nod as you hand her the salad
>You take your lasagna
>You take a bite.
>Damn, this is good pasta
>You look over to Coco whose enjoying hers too likewise
>It looks like your usual salad but it has roses and sunflowers on it. Shame. It looked delectable too
>She sees you staring
"This is really good, Anon. Want some?"
>She says holding over a fork with some lettuce and rose petals on it.
"Still can't eat flower, Coco."
"Oh. Right Forgot about that... How about the lasagna, can I try some?"
>You offer up the plate to her
"Ahhh..."
>She says mouth open, eyes closed
>You roll your eyes
>You cut a piece with your fork and feed to her
"...This is good too!"
>She says while chewing with a smile
"I'll have to remember to try this out next time we go there"
>This is good but it was also pretty expensive
"Next time?"
"Mhmm. You owe me after all"
>She says with a smile
>Well, you kinda do
"Fine...When I got my bearings, I'd love to take you out"
>She giggles
"I'll hold you to that then"
>The two of you eat lunch together while chatting idly
>After you finish, you offer to clean the plates while she continues on
>You do just so and accompany her after you're done with the dishes
>After an hour, she pulls up the dress and beams at you
"How is it? How is it?"
>She's so excited
>The dress itself, well... Honestly it doesn't look all that much different. A few things changed here and there but the overall appearance is the same as it was originally. The little things that differed however are quite noticeable and also quite an improvement
"Truth be told, yeah it looks better but not by much. But that's just a beginner's opinion"
>She looks a bit down before nodding to herself
"As long there is, it's good enough for me. And besides, the little details actually matter quite a lot in the fashion world"
>She nods once more to herself.
"Let's get started on the other dresses, Anon."
"Alright"
>You say as you follow her into her room
>The amount of fabric left scares you a bit.
>At least you know the two of you'll be busy for a while... well, mostly her.
"You know, you guys don't usually wear clothing so why the high demand for these"
"Clothes are for special occasions, silly. Everypony would want to have the perfect ensemble for those special moments."
>Kinda answers why your clothes look a bit gaudier than everyday wear you're used to.
"What about that little collar you wear all the time?"
>You say motioning to her violet collar with a red ribbon
>She looks puzzled
"What about this?"
"It's kinda strange. It's just a collar without a shirt attached"
>She drops her head to look at it
"This was the first thing I ever made. I tried to get my father a birthday present but seeing as I'm still a little filly with no bits, I decided to make him one instead."
>She looks at you
"I wanted it to be a surprise. So one day I snuck into my parents room and grabbed what ever material I can use. I tried making it from the top first and started with the collar. I used the books I borrowed from the local library to help me. It was really difficult. But strangely, it was also fun, learning like that even if it was only the part on putting together a collar, not yet even the actual shirt. I was so engrossed at the whole thing that I didn't realize the collar was actually finished. When I was finished, I realized how much I enjoyed it. Creating something for another pony. Trying to learn more so you can create better for them. It was a strange feeling. Then it hit me."
>She motions at her flank
"My cutie mark."
>...Trying to please her dad, huh...
>...
"It's my most important possession."
>She says once more looking at it
>...Now you feel like a dick for mocking that little collar. Splendid.
"...Then what happened?"
>She was a bit surprised by your question.
>She looks at you, giggling a little
"I made him a birthday card instead."
"What?"
>She chuckles once more
"Well when I got my cutie mark, father was so proud that he refused to accept the shirt, even before it was finished. Said it belonged to me and only me."
>...Proud huh.
>...
"...Sorry, if I thought it... nevermind. Just, sorry."
"...You can be honest with me, Anon. We're friends."
"It's not important"
"I want to hear it."
>She looks serious... As serious as a cute little cream colored pony looks.
"I thought it looked rather stupid."
>She looks rather hurt
"...But that's just me. I have no knowledge in fashion whatsoever."
>Her ears perk up. She's looking expectantly
"Then why don't you learn?"
>Wait aren't we talking about the collar?
"It's just not my thing..."
>She pouts at your response before easing up and nodding to herself
"Thank you, Anon."
"...What for?"
"For being honest with me. I appreciate that."
>She gives you a small smirk
"But sorry to say, I'm still going to wear this."
>She says playfully
>Maybe I should play along. Why not?
"So you're going to continue looking silly?"
"Only if you continue having bad taste."
>Damn. Touche, small horse. Touche.
>She laughs playfully at you.
>What the hell, you join her.
>The two of you try to work on a new dress. You both went at it for the whole day.
>She treated you to some egg soup she quickly made. It was rather delicious for something so simple.
>The two of you went about dinner talking about small inconsequential things.
>It was nice.
>You went back home, and took a bath before plopping down to bed.
>As you close the lights, you hear a knock on the wall next to your bed.
"Anon?"
>A muffled voice beckons
"Yeah."
>You say back, you voice slightly raised to make sure it reaches her
"I had fun today. Thank you"
"Yeah. Me too...Best I've had in Equestria"
>You can hear a muffled giggle from the other side
"Goodnight, Anon."
"Goodnight, Coco"
>First job since coming here. It's not as difficult as you imagine it to be, though your mare work partner certainly helps it to be. Still it was rather easy, if not a bit underwhelming.
>But more importantly, you have a friend here. That's really something. You wonder again what your sister would say.
>...Probably something mocking.
>Whatever.
>You shrug it off and drift to sleep.

>A month passes by
>The order was completed in a week. Though other smaller orders happened to trinkle in from time to time
>Thankfully, your asshole of a boss did not show any qualms about the first one. Thus, the two of you made the other orders in an almost similar pattern. Mostly her rather, you were just the grunt man in a way.
>Still, it was far from unpleasant.
>She is really eager to learn. She jumped at every chance she can to practice her craft...it annoyed you a bit for some reason.
>You can tell she loved her work despite the mare that oversees the two of you. Thank God- or rather, Celestia- that the two of you don't have to appear to work that often... which is kind of a shame because the building is a really swanky place.
>The two of you gotten a lot more closer. Guess it was bound to happen considering how much time the two of you spend together. Even during off hours the two of you'd hangout. When the inspiration was getting tight, the two of you'd clear your head in the park. She took you shopping twice. You didn't get anything, her too. Mostly just a way to look at designs, perhaps gather some inspiration. She'd talk to you about fashion. She'd try to teach you a bit but you don't really learn much considering it's not really your interest. But you'd still listen. Just not as much as she'd like truth be told.
>She'd go out once in a while with her friends. Mostly from the other ponies she got to know in the building where the two of you worked. She introduced them when you met them one day during a visit to Suri. They're nice. A bit stuck up but not to the point of obnoxiousness. Guess it comes with being involved in the fashion world. Coco's a rather interesting exception.
>The financial situation has steadied out. You're no Bill Gates but at least you're not on the verge of eating out of the garbage anytime soon.
>Still no news from the princess though. But you mostly forgotten about that already. You had pretty much settled here. No major plans though. Just living comfortably from day to day.
>You don't think about Earth much.
>All in all this is pretty much a rather good situation to be in. Nothing could bring this down.
"Hey monkey"
>Except her
"Hurry up back there"
>You grunt under the stack of bolts you are carrying
>You're now at the runway. Apparently, a big event is gonna happen soon. Lot's of ponies here all busy. Lots of models and designers. This place is more colorful than a gay pride parade.
"Yes, maam"
>And here you are carrying some supplies while Suri went over the event to Coco.
"See that mare by the door, tacky outfit. Color pattern like that makes me want to vomit. The stitches are bold, I can see them from here and..."
>She continues to berate the model pony from afar
>Huh. You thought the outfit looked kinda good on her
>Coco on the other hand seems to be listening intently with her trademark determined expression. You chuckle a bit to yourself.
"Listen to what I'm saying you, moron! I don't want you making those mistakes on the dresses! I need that first place prize."
"U-um I am..."
"Good, now bring me coffee. Hurry!"
>You plop down the bolts of fabric by the wall just as you are told earlier. You begin inspecting the rolls for any major defects it may have. It's nothing major. At least it didn't leave much interaction from your boss.
>You see Coco return with the coffee.
>Suri takes a sip and grimaces in disgust.
"Disgusting! You're so incompetent!"
>Coco looks really hurt
"If your incompetence shows on those dresses, I swear...You're as useless as ever. If I don't win this, I-"
>Coco's holding back her tears
>That's it.
"Hey! She's making the clothes for you to enter, you chuklefuck. You don't even have to lift a damn hoof. The least you can do is not fucking yell at her and be grateful for even accepting the heavy workload, you ass."
>Coco looks surprised at your sudden outburst
"Did I ask for you opinion, monkey? Besides it was her bright idea in the first place"
>She says motioning to Coco
"What?"
>Coco looks downward
"This is stupid. Just make sure you bring me the dresses, you incompetent fool."
>Suri says as she makes her way out of the room.
"What the hell, Coco?! What were you thinking?!"
>You can't help but raise your voice. Of all the stupid ideas.
>She looks even worse now with you than with Suri. She's really fighting back her tears.
>...
>...Fuck.
"...I'm sorry... It's just...That was... Why?"
>You say with your voice significantly softer
>She sniffs
>...Fuuuck
"...Alright. I'm really sorry... you don't have to tell me, if you don't want. I just...I'm worried about you. You're overworked enough as it is."
>She wipes her eyes with her hoof before speaking up
"I-I s-still can't enter fashion week because I'm still not a designer myself"
>She wipes her eyes once more
"But if my designs make it, I know I...I..."
>Her voice shakes and stumbles around
>You feel like you need someone to point a gun at your head and pull the trigger right now
>You bend down and give her a hug.
"...Alright I get it...you don't have to say anymore"
>She presses her face on your shoulder
"You're not upset?"
>She says, her voice muffled by your clothes
"Far from it. Just... don't push yourself too hard alright."
>She pushes away from you. She wipes her eyes before nodding to herself.
>She turns to you with a bright little smile
>Sigh... Stupid little horse.
>You hear a stomping of hooves and jeers
"Woooo."
>The two of you look around to see the ponies in the room cheering
>The two of you turn red. Apparently every one here saw your little scene.
"I-I-I-It's not funny guys!"
>Coco speaks up
"Daww, widdle Coco's blushing. How cute!"
"So that's your type, huh Coco"
"So how's them fingers?"
>The other ponies jeer and swoon
>They're Coco's friends so it's all in good fun. They're not being mean or anything.
>It was rather embarrassing though.
>Much to the chagrin of the two of you, you both left the room and the building afterward with you carrying the bolts of cloth.
>It's afternoon now. Guess fashion week really did require that much work. You're sore in some spots.
>The two of you walk the sidewalk in awkward silence
>You should probably be the ice breaker here considering it is your fault. Your outburst after all.
"...Sorry about all that. Didn't mean to embarrass us like that..."
"Umm... It's alright..."
>She says looking away, bright red in the face
>She nods to herself before turning to face you with a rather warm smile
"Thanks for standing up to me, Anon."
>Now it's your turn to be red
"...Yeah... No problem."
>She giggles
>The two of you continue to walk down the path back to your home
>At least the silence is no longer awkward
>She's humming a light tune from a song by Sapphire Shores
>It's rather cute and upbeat
>The two of you reach the park
"Hey, Coco"
"Mhmm."
>She nods. She already knows. It became somewhat of ritual for the two of you to spend a few minutes in front of the lake. It was a small inconsequential thing. And it was rather relaxing after a stressful trip from the fashion building as you'd taken to calling it
>After a few minutes she smiles at you
"Let's go, Anon."
"Alright."
>The two of you reach your apartments. After dropping off the fabrics at her place, you went back to yours to fix a dinner for two.
>It was a thing the two of you have been doing. One of you would make breakfast, lunch or dinner for two in alternating fashion. And you'd eat it together at her place. Mostly because she knows how much you're in love with her couch... And it was fun, spending a meal with someone...close
>Right now is your turn. You're making spaghetti. You have a thing for pasta which you never understood why.
>You take the two plates and bring it over to her place. The two of you don't even bother to close the doors anymore. You're free to enter her place whenever and she enter yours.
>It's rather nice having someone to trust you this much. You never got this back on Earth.
>You enter the living room to see her on the table reading the fashion magazine she bought last week.
"Hey, guess what."
>You say from behind her
"Oh. Oh. Wait a minute"
>She says sniffing the air
"Fettuccine"
"No."
"Spaghetti"
"Ugh."
>You groan as you hand her her share and take the place in the table next to her
"Too easy?"
"You can only cook two pasta dishes, Anon."
>She says as she takes a forkful and taking a bite.
>She smiles as she does so.
"Well, I don't see you complaining"
"I washnt"
>She mumbles with her cheeks full.
>The two of you continue to eat.
"Should we start on the dresses tomorrow, Anon?"
>Woops. You almost forgot. You have something you'd like to do tomorrow
"Oh come on. It's Saturday. We should take it easy."
"Well... I was kinda hoping there's no plans tomorrow."
>She stops to look at you
"What's wrong?"
"Well... nothing. Just feeling a bit lazy is all."
>Tomorrow is your birthday. Well sort of. It has been 1 year since you came here. You think what to take it easy tomorrow. Get a meal and just laze out, nothing special.
"Don't mind me."
>She furrows her eyebrows
"...If you say so..."
>The two of you finish dinner
>With a goodnight, you take the plates and return to your side.
>You wash them hastily before taking a shower and plopping down on the bed afterwards.
"Coco, you there"
>You say to the wall.
"What's up, Anon?"
>She replies, muffled by the wall
>I was gonna invite her tomorrow but she'd probably prefer working on those dresses. They are rather important to her after all
"...No, it's nothing. Goodnight, Coco."
"Wait."
"Yeah?"
"I really want to thank you... about earlier... with Suri"
"You already did that you know. Besides, it's not really the first time I stood up for you"
"I know... That's what I mean... Thank you."
>...
"You know, I owe a lot to you too, Coco. Even more so, if you ask me."
"You know I can't have that."
>She giggles from the other side
>Yeah. Just like her usually.
"Anon, how about this? We'll call it even. Deal?"
"Yeah. Deal"
>She giggles once more
>You can picture her nodding to herself
"Goodnight, Coco."
"Goodnight, Anon."

>Woke up feeling Thirty-five. Though grateful that I'm still alive.
>Maybe not really but you are kinda grateful about not being dead.
>You make it a point today to get up much earlier than usual
>You take a quick bath and go to the kitchen afterwards
>You make breakfast for two. Just an onion and garlic omelette along with mango juice, nothing special.
>You take the two plates and head outside.
>You enter her apartment and head for the living room. It's funny how the two of you don't bother locking up anymore. That would really be a stupid move if this was Earth, though.
>You place them on the table while you wait on the couch
>Oh couch, why do I love you so.
>You almost nod off completely before hearing a door creak open
"...Anon? Is that you?"
>In comes Coco with bedhead. You've already seen her a couple of times like this and it steel looks adorably ridiculous
"Morning, bedhead. I made breakfast."
>She walks up to you
"I thought it's my turn today?"
"Just thought you should take it easy for a change."
>She giggles
"Thanks, Anon."
>She says taking the seat next to you and taking the plate for her.
>You do the same
>The two of you eat breakfast in relative peace with some idle chat here and there.
>You take the plates as you two finish
"Anon, I'll just take a bath first ok?"
"Alright, I'll just clean these. I'll be right back"
>You went over to your side and begin cleaning the plates
>You return back to her side and wait for her on the couch
>After a few minutes she steps out of the door looking neat and proper, just how she usually looks.
>She goes over to a dresser and pulls out some paper and writing materials
>She places them on the table before speaking up
"We should get started, Anon."
"Alright."
>You get out from the slice of heaven you call the couch and sit up next to her on the floor.
>She takes a bunch of fashion magazines and inspects some of them
>She gets to work immediately
>She's rather enthusiastic. Much more so than she usually is.
>The highlight of Fashion Week is still a week a away. Plenty of time, right?
>You guess.
>Coco's going though paper like you would go through bacon, sketching various dress designs with reference to the open fashion magazines scattered about. She'd then go over the drawings and grimace before discarding them completely. Every once in a while she'd nod to herself over a particular drawing and put it in another pile.
>You're just here next to her, staring. Not much you can do here.
"Anon, why don't you look at these and see if you can come up with a design"
"Coco, you and I both know I wouldn't be able to do that even if my life depended on it"
>She stops to give you a rather concerned look
"...You're not even trying, Anon..."
>She mumbles something you didn't quite catch
"Come again?"
"...It's nothing."
>She returns to her work looking a bit dejected.
>What was that all about?
>The two of you continue on like this.
>You read a few articles on one magazine, those ones that don't talk about fashion.
>I'm bored, don't judge me.
>It turns out to be the typical bullshit they publish on women's magazine
>You realized it's lunchtime.
>Coco's still engrossed with her usual thing.
>You poke her cheeks
"Wha-?"
>She says surprised
"It's lunchtime."
>She looks at the clock before back to you
"Oh! Umm. Lost track of time... Sorry, Anon"
>She gets up after putting aside all the things she was working on
"I'll fix up something in the kitchen. You have anything particular you want, Anon?"
"Actually, I was thinking of taking us out today. My treat."
>She looks at you
"Are you sure, Anon? You already did breakfast."
>You get up from where you're standing
"It's no problem at all. I promise. Besides, don't I owe you that lunch from before?"
>She thinks a bit before nodding
"Well, if you say so... Alright let's go"
>She says walking up next to you with a smile on her face.
>The two of you went out to a rather classy restaurant just a few blocks from your apartments
>She turns to you with worried look
"This looks really expensive, Anon. Are you sure about this?"
"Of course. It's fine once in a while right?"
>She furrows her eyebrows before nodding
>The two of you head inside to be greeted by a frenchie waiter. The guys sits the two of you on a table for two near the far side of the wall.
>Inside is just as you'd imagine it judging from the outside of the establishment, really really fancy
>This would've been probably better for dinner but no matter, you're already here.
"Order anything you like. It's on me"
>She looks worried over to you before looking at the menu
>You do the same
>After a few moments, the waiter checks back on the two of you. She orders a daffodil stew and you, ravioli with white sauce..
>The waiter nods before trotting away.
"Alright, Anon, what's with the lavishness?"
"I just thought it could be a nice change of pace"
>She doesn't buy it
"Anon."
"Oh alright. Today's kinda a special day for me. In a way"
>She blinks, looking at you expectantly
"It's my birthday today...Kinda. It's been one year since I've been in Equestria."
>She beams quickly before frowning
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's not that of a big deal. Besides, getting a headstart on those dresses would probably be more important."
"Anon it's a very big deal! You're somepony important. The dresses can wait."
>Somepo- someone important, huh.
>...
"I also didn't want to blow this out of proportion, a nice meal is enough for me"
"No, Anon. After this we're taking a break"
>You raise and eyebrow
"I thought those designs are important to you."
"They are but you're more."
>You roll your eyes... it does feel pretty nice hearing that though.
"Coco."
"No, Anon. I won't take no for an answer."
>She says with her determined face before nodding to herself
>You sigh.
"How come you can stand up to me but not to Suri?"
>She giggles
"...So what do you want to do after, Anon."
"Well, I don't know really. Probably just laze around the apartment the whole day."
>She pouts
"That won't do, Anon."
"I'm not really the 'party-hard' kind of guy. I'm more of a laid back 'come-what-may' guy."
>She looks a bit annoyed by something you said.
>She shrugs it off before nodding to herself
"Anon, you're going with me after this. No 'but's."
>You roll your eyes
"...Alright, alright."
>She smiles at your response
>...
>Stupid mare.
>After a few minutes of enjoying each other's company, your orders arrive.
>You immediately dig in.
>This is good ravioli. Pretty damn good.
"This is pretty good, Coco. Now I know why this place is so damn expensive"
"That's ravioli right, can I try?"
"Sure"
>You say pushing her your plate.
"Anon, you're so uncultured."
>She says with a pout.
"What?"
"Ahhh..."
>She says, mouth open
"Seriously?"
>You shrug it off and go along with her
>You take a saucy piece feed it to her
>She munches happily on it.
"Mmm! You're right!"
>There's some sauce on her lips
"Coco."
>You say motioning to your lips
>She stares curiously before turning bright red
"A-anon... This is so sudden...but..."
>What's she talking about?
>Before you can ask, she closes her eyes and puckers up her lips to you
>There's a delay before the gears in your noggin start turning.
>Oh! Ah...
>Now you're also red in the face.
"...I meant there's some sauce on your lips, Coco..."
>She pulls back in surprise
>That was awkward.
"Umm... Sorry... Anon..."
"...It's fine..."
>The two of you wear deep red blushes while she grabs a napkin to wipe her mouth. You avoid each other's eyes all the while
>...That was probably a bad move, Anon.
>You mentally slam your head into the table.
>You can hear her giggle.
>You roll your eyes before joining her in laughter
>The two of you finish. After paying the bill, she practically drags you along the street outside.
"Come on, Anon!"
"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to pull me, you know"
>The two of you reach the park
"...And here I thought you have some super secret hot spot location up your sleeve"
>Not that you're complaining
>She smiles at you
"I just thought we could hang out here and watch the sun set"
>She says as she takes the seat on the bench
>You laugh a bit to yourself before taking the space next to her.
>You ease up and slump down on the bench
>Suddenly, she rests her head on your lap.
>...
>...Not like it's a bad thing.
>You take one hand and sift it through her soft mane
>She turns her head to face the view. Her cheek pressed firmly on your leg. She looks melancholic at the scenery... as you do too
>The afternoon breeze blows by at an idle pace
>The orange sky reflects upon the shimmering water of the lake
>...This isn't bad. Yeah. Not bad at all.
>...
>Time moves by slowly. It's nice like this. Just being like this.
>A few moments pass in relative silence.
"...Anon."
"...Yeah?"
"...What's your dream?"
>What a strange question
>...
>...What IS your dream?
"...Well...Nothing, really."
>She turns her head to face you with a teary look in her eyes
"What?"
>She furrows her eyebrows before returning to as she was before
"...Nothing."
>...
"...Tell me about Earth."
"...It was shitty."
>She doesn't reply. Strange. You thought she would be more forceful about this.
>You feel a bit guilty.
"Sorry, Coco. I'm just not comfortable talking about my life before."
>Talking about dad. Sis. Yeah, not exactly happy fun topic extraordinaire
>She presses her cheek harder
"I understand, Anon..."
>...
>The sunset is beautiful as always.
"...It's getting pretty dark, Coco."
>She gets up, rubs her eyes a bit before nodding to herself before returning that bright smile on her face
"Anon, lets stop by someplace. I want to get something."
>She steps off the bench before you do the same
"Alight, sure."
>She chuckles
"Thanks, Anon"
>She practically drags you to a confectionery shop.
>You're familiar with place but you heaven't tasted any of their goods yet.
>She presses her face on the shop window like a kid in a candy store
"Anon! Anon! There's so much!"
>She's like a little kid
"Careful not to drool on the window."
>She turns and sticks her tongue at you before pressing once more against the glass
"What kinda cake do you want?"
"You're treating me?"
"Of course!"
>You roll your eyes
"I suppose arguing with you is pointless, huh."
"Yup! Now what do you want?"
>Sigh. This mare.
>Letseee. You walk up to the glass to get a better look at the cakes.
"That one. Blueberry"
>You say pointing on the far left one.
"Alrighty!"
>She says as she enters the shop practically trotting inside
>You opt to follow her in but decide to wait for her outside.
>You get a good look at the stars. You have to admit, it's rather enchanting when you can clearly see the night sky. Something you never got back at Manhattan
>She steps out into the street carrying a box in her mouth along with a paper bag
>You offer to carry them for her. She accepts.
>Turns out the paper bag contains a bottle. Some red wine to be precise.
"...Wine?"
>She smiles at you
"It's fine once in a while, right?"
>You can't help but smile too
"...Yeah."
>The two of you reach her apartment and enter inside.
>You grab some plates, utensils and wineglasses from the kitchen before joining Coco in the living room with the cake out of it's box
>She looks so eager to taste the cake. Can't blame her though. It does look pretty impressive
"Hurry, Anon!"
"Yeah, yeah. Hold on."
>You grab a slice and hand it to her. She immediately takes a bite
"Mmmmmm! Anooooonnn, it's soooo goooood."
>You snicker
"Yeah, I can tell"
>You take a slice yourself and try it.
>...Well, she wasn't kidding.
>She looks at you with a little grin
"Say it."
"...Say what?"
"Say: 'Thank you, Coco. You're superior judgement is inferior to mine'."
>You roll your eyes
"Thank you, Coco. Your superior judgement is inferior to mine"
>She nods to herself
"That's better."
>She opens the wine and pours the drinks on the two glasses
"Come on, Anon. Toast!"
>You take yours
"Ugh, to what?"
>She ponders a moment
"Mmmm... To you."
"To me?"
"To you!"
>She says as she clanks her glass with yours
>She starts drinking it
>To me. Heh.
"Yeah...To me..."
>...Thanks Coco.
>You drink yours. It was what you expect red wine to taste like, except fruitier. You can't really tell if that's good or bad, you're no wine connoisseur.
>Coco returns to her cake just as you do.
"Hey Anon, heads up"
>She says as she pours more wine on your glass and hers
>You're going to question about her doing that so abruptly but the taste of the red wine goes surprisingly well with the blueberry cake.
"To... umm... what now, Anon.?"
>You clank glasses with her
"To you."
"Yeah. To me."
>She smiles at you.
>The two of you drink the contents of your glasses.
>That was pretty nice.
>You feel something wrap on your waist. You see Coco hooves locked with a sleepy looking face.
>...
>She doesn't say anything... Neither do you.
>You lay your hand on her head. She brushes her tail on your feet
>...
>This continues for a few minutes before she stands up.
"...Anon, It's getting pretty late. Is it alright if I go to bed first?"
"No that's fine. I was almost done too anyway."
"Alright... Goodnight, Anon"
"Goodnight Coco"
>She makes her way to the door
>You finish your current cake slice before you take the wine and the rest of the cake into her kitchen. You put them away before you head back to your apartment for a bath
>You plop down on your bed afterwards
>...
"Anon?"
>A voice from the other side of the wall speaks up
"Yeah, Coco?"
"...I can't sleep. Tell me a story"
>You roll your eyes.
"I don't really know any good bedtime stories."
"Anything's fine..."
>...
>Fine. What's the worst that could happen.
"...Alright. This is the stories of Bill... When Bill was born, his mother died of complications from childbirth. So Bill never knew his mother. He grew up without one. Bill had a dad and an older sister. His dad loved his mother very much. That's why from time to time he would drink. Whenever his dad would drink, he would take out his frustrations on his kids. Mostly Bill. Especially Bill... But Bill's dad was an ok person when he wasn't drunk, taking him to places around the city. But Bill always knew his dad could never like Bill because he was blamed for what happened to his mother. His sister turned her attention to studying. Whenever Bill's dad would come home drunk, she'd use studying as a way to filter out everything. Bill on the other hand, got the short end of the stick. That made Bill rather depressed and angry. Bill dropped out of school while his sister graduated college. Bill became an even bigger disappointment to his father. His sister left the house to start a family only leaving Bill with his father. His sister became quite successful. One day, Bill's dad was particularly violent that it prompted Bill to runaway from home. He went to stay at his sister, though reluctant about it. His sister doesn't like Bill. She knew that Bill was worthless. So Bill took random odd jobs, getting fired from each one. All the while being berated by his sister and the awkwardness from her family. So Bill hated everything but did not complain because he was in no place to..."
>You pause for a while.
"...Anon?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened to Bill?"
>...
>...
"He decided one day to be happier and everything turned out alright. Then Bill lived happily ever after. The End"
>You fight back the tears
"...Anon?"
"Yeah?"
"That was a terrible ending..."
>No shit.
"You could change it to something better...Say...'One day, Bill met this mare. Her name was Lilly-pad. Lilly-pad was a shy mare. Lilly-pad had lots of problems. Lilly-Pad was pushed around. But Bill helped her through her problems. Bill stood up for Lilly-pad. She was thankful for Bill. She did not see Bill as worthless or a disappointment'."
>...
"Lilly-pad became close friends with Bill. She never judged Bill. She spent some memorable times with Bill. She wanted Bill to be happy..."
>She falls silent
"She fell in love with Bill..."
>...What?
"Coco?"
>She doesn't respond.
"The End... Goodnight, Anon..."
>...
>Dammit, Coco
"Goodnight... Coco."
>You say, partially distorted by the wall and your sniffles.

>wakeupsonglyrics.text
>You get out of bed and take a bath
>Soon after you head into her place without thinking much. Its basically a routine.
>You plop down on the couch with an audible 'pomf'
"Umm...A-Anon, is that you?"
>She says from the kitchen
"Yea."
"Umm... I-I'll be almost done with this so p-please be patient."
"Mhm."
>You mumble as you slump down on the couch
>...
>You're out of it today.
>In she comes with your breakfasts
>She's looking a bit... meeker that usual with cheeks bright red...Not that you're really surprised
>She hands you your plate before taking the seat next to you
>Without a word, she starts eating hers, managing to avoid eye contact
>Things are really awkward
>You look at your plate. Vegan sausages.
>You take a bite. Not bad but you really can't enjoy this until you've addressed the obvious
>...
"...Hey, Co-"
"Anon!"
>She cuts you off hastily
"Ummm. Last night, I want you to know that was the alcohol talking. Hahaaa..."
>Nice try
>She breathes deeply before nodding to herself
"A-And ummm... Maybe you picked up on some... things...Haha...B-but m-maybe we shouldn't really focus on those right now s-since the Fashion Week is going to start soon and we need to concentrate on the task at hoof here..."
>...Yeah. Yeah that works too.
>You give her a gentle reassuring nod
"Yeah. I understand."
>She steals a peek at you
"Th-thank you..."
>You never really thought about it. About relationships and all that considering you were more focused on getting your shit together.
>...Now you can't really place it out of your head so easily. You're now becoming more aware of Coco, not just a friend, but a woman... err, mare.
>...And yeah, she's not bad.
>You steal a glance at her drinking some orange juice...Yeah, definitely cute.
>You can feel your face heat up
>But she has a point, there are more pressing matters at hoof... hand, whatever.
"...For the record, Lilly-pad seems like a great mare."
>You say looking away
>She sputters on her juice.
>She's having a coughing fit.
"Ah. Sorry."
"I-it's alright."
>She cleans after herself before the two of you finish breakfast
>She helps you with the dishes. It goes much faster, though you did toss some suds playfully at each other...Not that you hate it.
>After that little bit, she practically drags you to her room. She's rather excited
>She takes the stack of papers by the dress and presses them against you
"What do you think? What do you think?"
>On the papers were concept sketches of the dresses she was planning
"They look good."
>She narrows her eyebrows at you
"...That's it?"
"Well, yeah. I don't know about fashion but I know when something looks good"
>She grimaces at your response
>What'd I say?
>She shakes her head before returning to her former excited state
"Well, anyway let's get a head start already, Anon!"
>She's so eager about all this.
"You know the main competition is still 6 days away. We have plenty of time."
>She pouts.
"There you go again with your lethargic attitude."
>You roll your eyes.
"Alrgiht, alright. I wasn't complaining, you know. Just voicing out my thoughts."
>She continues to pout before nodding to herself.
"Ok, then..."
>She rubs a hoof on her chin
"Grab...hmmm... all the fabrics from the living room and bring em here."
>You nod.
>You do just so.
>You spent most of the day doing the grunt work for Coco.
>You wish you could be more help but...
>You even offer to task yourself with making both lunch and dinner. She's reluctant but you insist. It's the least you can do considering she's doing the majority of the work herself.
>The two of you finish up making the base form of the dresses. Nothing fancy yet, but at least the planning and the macro scale of the design is finished... Though, according to Coco, those were the easy parts.
>You head back to your side after dinner, and after a bath, you drift off to sleep

>Four days have passed
>The dresses all have been finished
>Coco really did a wonderful job on them. Tomorrow, is the start of the main event of Fashion Week.
>As you heard from Coco, turns out tomorrow is pretty important for designers everywhere considering a fashion bigshot named Prim Hemline will oversee it. It's really a big deal.
>Still, as impressive as the finished products Coco made, you can't help but feel bad. At yourself particularly, mostly for being unable to assist Coco any harder.
>That's why you're here now, tending to her fever.
>She's been terribly overworked these past few days. Guess the previous work from before really helped bring her to how she is right now. Which is to say in really bad shape. She's on her bed right now resting while you're currently wringing out a fresh wet cloth to place on her forehead
>You sigh to yourself.
>You should get to cooking breakfast already.
>You gently sift your fingers through her frazzled mane.
"I'm gonna fix us breakfast. Are you gonna be ok for a while??"
"Thank you, Anon. Don't worry about me."
>You rub her head softly. Her ears flicker at your touch
"Any requests?"
"Some soup would be nice."
"Gotcha."
>You go to her kitchen to fix up something you always had when you feel like crap, egg noddle soup. Didn't take all that long to make. After a few minutes, it's done
>You take two bowls and two glasses of water and bring it to her room.
>You place the food on the nearby table.
>You help her sit up on the bed and taking the bowl and a spoon, you feed it to her.
>She flinches
"...It's hot..."
"Oh. Right. Sorry."
>You internally palm your face
>You blow on the spoon before gently moving it towards her.
"How is it?"
"It's delicious, Anon"
>She says with a weak smile
"Thanks. It's kinda my specialty since I've managed to cook this for myself even when I'm sick."
>She looks down for some reason
"What's wrong?"
"...Does that mean no one tends to you when you are sick?"
>You think about it for a while. Even back Earth, that still holds true to a degree
"I...guess. But I live alone, you know. That's expected."
"..."
>She doesn't say anything.
>You take this as an opportunity to feed her more. She finishes the rest of her meal in silence.
>You offer her the glass of water. She drinks it. You kinda have to help her a bit because of her slight shivering
>You help her back down on the bed
"You should probably get some rest now."
"Where will you be?"
"Just here."
>You say sitting on the floor, leaning on the bed.
"...Sorry, about all this, Anon"
"If you're really sorry, do your best to get better. I'm really worried about you, you know"
>She chuckles a bit before pulling up the cover to her neck
>You take the other bowl and begin eating. It's gone a bit cold but it's still decent.
>You finish with a glass of water.
>You leave the bowl and glasses on the table. You're gonna clean them later
>You rest your head on the bed and stare at the ceiling.
>...
>You can't get your mind of Coco. About her condition. Even if it was just a case of a little bit of fatigue. Even so...
>...
>You turn your head to face her. She's sleeping soundly
>She looks really peaceful like this.
>...
>You laugh a bit to yourself. Never in your whole life would you imagine yourself tending to and worrying about a little cream colored mare... Much less falling in love with one.
>You envy her a bit. Having a goal, working towards that goal, you know, the whole routine.
>It makes you look pitiful by comparison. Sigh. Well, whatever.
>...
>You brush the back of your hand against her cheek.
>She murmurs something about red laces... Yep, definitely cute.
>Your eyes fall heavy just staring at her.
>It's a rather calming scene
>...
>You let yourself nod off a bit. A few seconds can't hurt.
>You feel something soft poke you on the cheek
"Anon?"
>You stir together
"Wha-? Oh. Sorry, I feel asleep. What is it Coco?"
"Umm It's lunchtime. I'd make it myself but if you found out I got out of bed, you'd probably go insane"
>She knows you too well.
>You laugh to yourself
"Yes. Yes, I would."
>She smiles at your response
>You pat her head and rub your eyes
>You stand up and turn to her
"I'll make the same soup again, please bare with it. It's better for your digestion"
>She beams at you
"Anon, I'm not complaining"
>You pat her one last time before heading back into the kitchen
>You fix up some of that soup from before. After a few minutes you return to her.
>You feed her the soup and you eat for yourself after.
>You pill the bowls and glasses atop of the previous ones and return to the kitchen to clean them up
>You return to the bedroom afterwards to find Coco a bit shifty.
"Anon..."
"Yeah?"
"...C-can you help me take a bath"
>The two of you turn bright red.
"Oh. Ugh. Alright..."
>You gently scoop Coco into your arms.
>She covers her face with her hoof in embarrassment.
>You bring her to the bathtub and carefully remove the collar off her. It is rather important to her.
>You open the faucet with great care, turning on the warm water. When the water level reaches for her waist, you close it.
>You don't know much about giving baths to sick ponies but you do know that sponge baths are the ideal here. At least, that's what you'd do.
>You take the loofah hanging around the other cleaning products and wet it. You gently scrub Coco's back.
"...Tell me if I'm being rough alright"
"...Alright..."
>There's a small smile across her face. She seems to be enjoying this...Well, you kinda are too.
>You spend the next few minutes cleaning her as gently as you can.
>You make an extra note how soft her fur is.
"...Anon."
>She says, facing you
>She closes her eyes and slowly pushes her face in front of yours
>Her lips makes contact with yours
>You can feel the shiver in her
>It caught you a bit off guard...But you're not hating this. No, definitely not.
>You close your eyes and relish the feeling
>Her soft wet lips quivered all the while
>It was a simple kiss. No sloppy make outs. No tongue entry. Just simple contact between two lips
>...
>It was simple and pure yet it conveyed more emotion than you thought possible
>She breaks away after a while
>She returns to looking down on the tub cheeks bright red as before.
"...Thank you, Anon."
>...
"...You're welcome, Coco."
>...
>You finish bathing her
>After drying her off, you return her collar and place her back on the bed.
>She slept a bit while you ran your fingers through her fine mane.
>You stayed like this a few hours.
>You then fixed dinner, soup, the same as before.
>You feed it to her.
>...
>None of you said anything all the while... Not that there's really anything needed to be said.
>You finish dinner and after cleaning the plates, you return to her room.
>She finally breaks the long silence.
"...Anon."
"...Yeah."
"...Can you sleep with me tonight?"
>She says before quickly pulling the covers on her reddened face after realizing what it is she just said
"I-I-I d-didn't mean it l-like that!...I just-"
>You laugh a bit to yourself
"Yeah, I got it, Coco"
>After turning off the lights, you slowly lie down next to her. You pull the little mare closer to you.
>She presses her muzzle on your chest.
>...
"Goodnight, Anon."
>She says, her words muffled on your shirt
"Goodnight, Coco"
>You say as you stroke her mane gently
>She's still a bit hot from the fever but not as intensely as before.
>She soon falls asleep in your arms
>You can feel the soft little breaths on your chest.
>You chuckle a bit to yourself before kissing her on the forehead and drifting off yourself.

>Wake up wake up dead man!
>Not really. You feel more alive than you've ever been
>You groggily look around the room
>It's a lot more feminine than you remember.
>Oh right.
>You check your side. She's not there
>You leave the room. Not in the living room
>You check the kitchen. She's on her hindlegs stepping on the counter mixing something that looks to be a batter on a bowl using her mouth. Guess that's pancakes.
>She looks cute like this. Not that she isn't normally. It's just more adorable when there's bits of flour on her nose and cheeks
"Are you sure you should be up like this?"
>You're pretty sure she is but you're still worried all the same
>She's a bit surprised by you sudden voice. She turns to you with a beaming
"Good morning, Anon. And yep. I a lot feel better."
>You walk to her and place the back of your hand against her neck to be sure. Pretty normal temperature.
"I still say you should be resting."
"I can handle myself just fine, dad."
>She says sticking her tongue out. You roll your eyes.
"Any requests to how you want your pancakes done?"
>You ponder a bit. Not really in the mood for anything fancy today
"Just a simple one, please."
>She nods
"Extra boring, coming right up!"
>You roll your eyes. Still, it's pretty nice to see her in high spirits.
>You head back to the living room and wait on the couch. Her ever-loving couch. So when are you gonna buy a couch like this, Anon?
>She comes back with plates and a stack of pancakes drizzled in maple syrup and butter
>She hands you the simple looking one. Her's seem to have both strawberries and blueberries on them. Maybe you should've taken up her offer.
>She looks at you with a smirk
"Regretting your decision, Anon?"
"...Maybe a little"
>She giggles
>She takes her seat on the floor in front of the table. You get up from the little slice of heaven and take right spot next to her.
>She leans on you. You wrap your left hand on her. You lightly play with her fur on your fingers. She giggles lightly before taking a piece from her pancakes.
>She swoons at it.
>You try out yours. It's rather ok. What pancakes usually tastes like
"It's alright."
"Oh come on, just alright?"
>She pouts
"Well, it's just what pancakes usually tastes like."
>She continues to pout
"Oh fine. 'They are the most heavenly pancakes I have ever had the pleasure to grace on my unworthy tongue.' Happy?"
>She nods
"I suppose that'll do."
>Cheeky mare. You roll your eyes
>Her face turns serious
"...Anon."
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared...I want to win... even if it is not my name as the designer"
"Isn't the actual competition tomorrow?"
"That still doesn't change the way I feel about this."
>You put your fork down. You pull her in closer, resting your head on her mane.
"You'll do fine..."
>She giggles a bit, rubbing her cheek on your arm
"That's so cliche, Anon."
"Fine, you'll do horribly."
>She playfully punches you on the rib. It's the equivalent of being hit with a long fuzzy pillow.
>Still, that seems to ease her up.
>You bury your face on her mane and sigh contentedly. She mimics your sigh in return...Yeah, definitely could get used to this.
>You let her go in a while and the two of you continue breakfast chatting about all the other big name fashionistas entering the event. Mostly it's just her talking.
>The two of you finish breakfast.
"Leave the dishes to me, Coco. You need to get ready. Big day ahead of you."
"Are you sure, Anon?"
>You gather the plates
"It's only dirty dishes, you know. Nothing major"
"Well, alright. Thank you, Anon. I'm going to take a bath."
"I'd love to see that"
>You tease. She goes beet red
"V-very funny."
>She says before heading inside the bathroom
>...You were half serious though.
>You head for the kitchen and clean the plates. You leave for your place soon after to take a bath yourself.
>After bath, you head for the dressers
>You rummage around to find something fancy to wear today. Well they're all pretty fancy, but you needed the fanciest of the lot.
>...
>You found that old shirt. The one you came to Equestria in. Still stained from your blood. You never wear this anymore but you can't bring yourself to throw it away. You think back a bit.
>...You hate a part of yourself for never being able to be something of yourself back at Earth. You never really become much more than a disappointment to your old man.
>You sigh and put the shirt back
>You get dressed and head back to her place.
>She's still inside. There must be an inter-dimensional rule that states females spend more time in the bathroom than males
>You hang back on the couch. That couch that you ever so love... Non sexually...Slightly sexually
>She steps out of the bathroom with a light steam trailing her from behind. She's looking pretty fresh.
"You're looking good. Ready to go?"
>You say motioning at the wheeled coat rack carrying all the dresses she made.
>She hesitates
"Um... Hold on a bit..."
>She heads inside her room. You just slump down on the couch in response.
>She returns to the living room holding something. She's looking rather sheepish
"Anon...I want you to have this."
>She hands (hoofs?) you a small plush doll of you.
>...
"...Coco?"
"I made that during my free time. I was supposed to give that to you yesterday but I got sick."
>...No one ever made you something this well-made and heartfelt
"...Coco, I can't accept-"
>She cuts you off with a tight warm hug
>...
>She nuzzles her cheek against your chest
>You fight back choking on your feelings... You're not doing a very good job at it.
>You sigh and return the hug.
"...Thank you, Coco."
>You say as you stroke her mane gently
>She breaks away.
"Anon, please take good care of that for me"
>You pat her on the head
"Like you even need to tell me that"
>She smiles at you before going over the clothes, inspecting them over
>You just sit there looking at the little plush
>It has a goofy looking scowl on its face while having red cheeks. Great, apparently she thinks you are a tsundere... B-baka Coco.
>It's pretty well made, hoof stitched and all. It's pretty-
"Anon?"
>Her voice interrupts your line of thought
"Can you help me with these?"
"Of course"
>You quickly pocket the Anon plush and head over to the wheeled coat rack.
>She opens the door for you while you push along the rack
>The two of you head for the usual fashion building on stopping for a quick view of the lake over at the park.
>As you enter, Coco heads for the receptionist. She's a friend of Coco as you came to know. She introduced you to her. She's pretty cool, a bit laidback and all.
"Goodmorning Janine."
"Coco. Anon."
>She says without even breaking stride in her typewriting
>You nod in acknowledgement
"Is Ms. Suri here yet?"
"Already on the runway along with the other designers. She's looking pretty annoyed."
>Isnt she always?
>Coco falters a bit
"I-I see... Thanks for the heads up, Janine. I'll see you later."
"You too Coco. Anon."
>She says still not looking up
>The two of you head for the runway to see all the other designers already there with their entries.
>Coco nods to herself before proceeding further
>The two of you reluctantly head for Suri who is now tapping her foot in impatience
"There you two are! Sure took your sweet time getting here!"
>You'd talk back but remind yourself that this could affect Coco and all the hard work she put into this.
>You just wheel the coat rack towards her way
>She goes them over quickly before giving out a rather obvious sigh of disapproval
"I have to enter THESE under the Suri Polomare name? Ugh. Fine better than nothing."
>Bitch
>Coco looks visibly hurt.
>Suri takes the coat rack and pushing along the with the other designers.
>She then started chatting with them with a friendly face. Ass.
>You turn over to Coco who's trying her best to hold her emotions down
>...
"Hey look at the bright side, Coco. Your competition thinks your designs are impressive"
>You motion at Suri's direction. The other designer ponies are talking to her, stealing glances at the clothes. Other's are outright inspecting them a look of wonder on their faces.
>She looks up to take a look. She smiles at the scene. Her eyes sparkle a bit. She looks as if all her hardships at this point was all worth it. And you're inclined to agree until...
"Yes, all completely my work. Wasn't that hard honestly."
>Suri says in a rather loud fashion
>Your eyes twitch. You can almost feel the blood vessels in your head pop one by one.
>You glance at Coco. She's not really as furious as you are. In fact, she looks as if she was expecting this.
>...Why didn't you anticipate this again, exactly?
>You inhale deeply trying to calm yourself. You'd rather not make a scene right here and now.
"Coco, I'm stepping out for a bit."
>She looks rather surprised
"Anon, you're not staying here?"
>Sigh
"I'd love to stay but you can't expect me to watch and tolerate little miss Asshole pose off all your hard work as your own."
>She winces at your language.
"Besides the real competition's tomorrow right?"
"I guess..."
>She looks downward
"Come on, chin up. Would you feel better if I stayed and went ballistic on her bullshit?"
>She sighs before giggling
"I guess not."
"Thought so. I'll be at the usual spot in the park. I'll see you later"
"I'll see you later too, Anon"
>You give her a quick hug before you go out and exit the building
>You're still pretty pissed but fresh air is just what you need right now.
>You look around the street. Aside from fashion week, it seems pretty normal.
>... Hold on.
>Is that unicorn out in the distance singing or something?
>...Weirdo
>You steer clear from the broadway mare and her friends and head to the park
>You head for the usual park. To the usual park bench overlooking the lake.
>You haven't spent a long while here. That's a good sign I guess.
>...
>Still as beautiful as always.
>Just what you need to calm your nerves.
>You lean back and stare at the sky.
>It's pretty nice. Like this.
>If only everyday was like this. Sure it was stagnant but that's not a bad thing... Right?
>...
>You close your eyes. Only a few seconds...

>You woke up to a shuffling on the seat next to you
>You stir around, opening one lazy eye to check
"...Coco?"
>She's looking rather excited.
"Anon look!"
>She practically presses the bolt of fabric she's carrying
>It was shiny. I mean really shiny. It jolts you awake
"...Wha-"
"Look!"
>You do look...What are you looking at? It was a rather strange purple fabric. It seems to shimmer on its own. Like it was magic or something... Is this what LSD looks like when woven into a cloth?
"Coco what is this?"
"I get to make dresses with this?"
>...What? I must be missing something.
"Clothes? What happened to the ones you made?"
>She hesitates a bit
"Umm... Suri discarded them."
>What the fuck!? Your eyebrows furrow. I have no idea what's happening but I have a feeling I wouldn't like it.
"She what!?"
>You can't help but raise your voice bit
"B-but she gave me this. Said a friend gave it to her. I get to make dresses for tomorrow using th-"
"And you just agreed to it like that!?"
"But it's a really beautiful fabric, Anon..."
"I don't care how it looks! You just came back from exhaustion from fatigue and now you accept a week's worth of work?! And for one day, no less!"
>She looks hurt but also a bit angry
"I can pull this off if you actually helped me more."
"I can't even fucking sew!"
"That's because you don't even try!"
>She practically screams at you. You've never seen her this mad before. You've never even seen her mad at all.
You say you can't but you don't even make an effort to at least learn! You don't even care about your future!"
>She's screaming at you now. Her tears are streaming down.
"You don't even have a dream to work for! That's why you'll always stay like this!"
>...
>Is this what she really thought of you?
"If you don't change, you'll always be worthless!"
>She's crying through her rage
>She picks up the fabric and runs off.
>...
>You feel pretty furious too.
>...
>Tch.
>You head back home
>You reach your apartment door. You rest your head on the door, not particularly excited to head inside.
>You look over to the side. Her door's closed.
>...
>You enter yours and immediately went to your bed. You're sick of this shit.
>You try to sleep but the whirring of the sewing machine and her sobbing can be heard through other side of the wall.
>You try to cover your ears with your blanket but it's not very effective
>... Fuck this.
>You head outside and walk over to hear door.
>You practically bring it down with your banging.
>After a few minutes, the door opens to reveal a furious looking mare giving you a cold glare of hate. Her eyes are wet and redden.
>...You return the glare back
"...I'm still your assistant, like it or not."
>You say forcing yourself in.
>She doesn't say anything else.
>You follow her into her room.
>You sit on one corner of the floor, waiting.
"Scissors."
>She says in a cold tone.
>You shoot her an evil eye before grabbing it and giving it to her.
>She went back to her fabric.
>...
"Hold this."
>You walk over and hold the part she's motioning
>She begins sewing it in place.
>You say nothing
>...
>The two of you continue on like this for the whole night.
>She barks orders, you do it.
>Nothing more was said. The place is quiet save for the hum of the sewing machine and the occasional orders.
>You skipped bath and you con't care
>You skipped dinner and you don't care
>You skipped sleep and you don't care
>Every now and then you'd spot a tear drop down her cheek
>...
>You'd look away everytime that happens
>The night continued on like this.
>Until the sky turned orange
>Until the moon slowly sank in the horizon
>Until the sun took it's place.
>She continued to work, You continue to be useless.
>...
"Done."
>She says softly to herself, catching her breath all the while.
>Without a word, you exit from her room.
>You leave her apartment.
>The sun is up and you can clearly see the ponies getting ready to start their day.
>The look pretty normal. You envy them a bit.
>You head inside your place and immediately plop down on the bed.
>You breathe deeply but it doesn't quite do the trick.
>...
>You can hear her on the other side of the wall crying once more.
>...
>...Stupid horse...She's going to be late.
>After a few minutes of tossing and turning in bed, you get back up on your feet.
>You missed sleep but you don't feel that tired... You don't feel much to be honest
>You go to the kitchen. You grab some slices of bread and stuff it into your mouth
>Breakfast of champions
>You head out
>You look over to her door. It's closed... Must've left already...
>You head to the usual park. With its usual bench. And usual atmosphere. Enjoyed by the usual visitor. Living the usual life. The usual unchanging stagnant life he has
>...Yep... The usual...
>Sigh.
>...
>You slump down on the bench and stare at the sky
"So who do I blame for all of this?"
>You whisper to yourself hoping the sky or the sun knows the answers. Hoping Celestia herself would come down and answer your question. But it's pointless asking a question you already know the answer to.
>You realize you've been carrying something in your pocket all this time
>You pull out the plush doll she made for you
>...
>I wonder how far I can throw this in the lake?
>...
>You physically punch yourself thinking that
>You look at it once more.
>It really looks well made. You can tell how much effort she put into this. You inspect every stitch. You feel the fabric she used. It's no cheap object that's for sure.
>You something on the back
>It's a little ring sticking out.
>...What?
>You pull it.
"I don't need your help"
>The dolls speak out... It was Coco's voice deepened down to imitate your own.
>...
>...Heh.
>You can't help but laugh
"Heh. Hehe... Hahahahahaha!"
>You're laughing so hard that tears started pouring down
>It dripped at every breath you let out.
>You must look pretty stupid to everyone passing by right now
>You stop laughing
>...But the tears still continue... Why is that?
>You just sit there on the lonely park bench wiping your tears into a little plush doll of you.
>...
>After you calmed down, you place the doll on your chest and return to looking at the sky
>You just sat there and looked at the clouds. They're getting darker
>...Great, it's raining... At this point you don't care. You just sat there and let yourself be drenched
>You think about what you had back home. About your family and your situation. It's not very glamorous. Dad and sis probably have written you off as dead. You wonder a bit if they cried for you
>You think about what you have here right now. Aside from a few acquaintances, all you really have is Coco, a crappy apartment and a bloodstained shirt to remind you of Earth. Even your job is tied to Coco.
>You think about what you will have in the future... Try as you might, nothing comes to mind. Nothing to hope for, nothing to strive for.
>...
>You sat on the park bench until it got dark. Until you saw the stars up in the sky.
>You're cold, wet and hungry, looking at the sky, waiting for a shooting star or some other shit you can make a wish on.
>Nothing really comes by. No surprise.
>You begin walking back to your apartment
>You reach the apartment
>You look over to her side. It's closed.
>You consider briefly heading straight into your place but that doesn't feel exactly right
>You knock on her door, silently hoping she's not going to answer... You're let down.
>The door creaks open to reveal the same cream colored mare you know and love.
>She looks rather fine, like how she usually is. As opposed to you, cold, wet and shivering.
>She looks at you with gloomy depressed eyes.
>...You look away. At least the furious glare she gave you was manageable
>None of you speak for a few seconds.
>You'd do it but you're not exactly the most eloquent person. You're scrambling for words at this point
>...You do it anyway.
"...Still hate me?"
>She glares at you before softening up
"...I never did."
>...
"Anon, I-"
"Wait. Me first."
>You cut her off.
>you take a deep breath to be careful to now fuck this up
"You're right... about everything. I don't really know why I'm like this but if I had to guess, I got used to this. You know, dropping out of school, getting fired from my previous jobs, I guess in a way that said a lot to me. About my self-worth in particular."
>You laugh a bit to ease up the tension
"And you can probably guess, that's not really a confidence booster... But that doesn't mean I want to stop working for you. Or being with you. Or something...Sorry, I'm not really good with words..."
>She walks up to you and gently wraps her hooves around you despite being drenched in rainwater
"Anon."
"...Yeah?"
"You're so worthless."
>Sigh
"...I know."
>...Stupid horse, pointing out the obvious.
"Anon."
"...Yeah?"
"We're unemployed."
>...What?
"I quit. And I guess, by extension, you did too."
>...On one head, she finally stood up for herself and that's good. On the other, we're fucking unemployed and that's bad.
"That's...ugh...great... I guess? Maybe?"
"Remember that fabric I got?"
"Yeah?"
"It was from someone Suri tricked... And it felt bad having to go along her scheme. She won the Fashion Week but you know what she did?"
"I'm listening."
"She ran off the stage when she realized she won at the expense of her friends."
>Woah. Ballsy move.
"She reminded me of you in a way. You're not able to help me at work but you're still here for me when I need it... That matters...A lot more than you realize... She also reminded me how much I'm capable of when I have someone to rely on. Just as she is with her friends."
>She hugs you tighter.
"So I quit working for Suri. I splashed coffee on her and it was hilarious and... that's not important."
>You laugh at the mental image of Coco one upping Suri. You wish you could've seen it.
"So I talked to that mare. Said to her all about Suri's scheme. She, ummm, she gave me a referral, designing the costumes for the next play."
>She nods to herself before looking at you with a smile
"I know I can do it but I'm going to need the help of certain someone."
>You sigh to yourself
"Are you sure you want me? You just called me worthless, afterall."
"That doesn't mean I want you to stay that way...Also, that's only when it comes to work"
>You rub her mane
"I don't know if I can change that easily... old habits and all that."
"I'll be with you every step of the way."
>You sigh.
>...
>You nod to yourself copying her.
>You kneel down
"I want you to speak up. If you feel like I'm slacking of or something, I want you to scold me, hit me, whatever. Bring me back to my goal, alright?"
"You got it, Anon."
>She says as she plants a kiss on your lips.
>...
>You got a lot of work ahead of you... But that's alright, I guess.

>5 months pass.
>After that costume design job was finished, her name was passed by the director to another who needed her expertise. And her name was passed along, slowly but surely. Sure that first costume design took a while because you're still pretty crappy when it comes to fashion... but you studied her, her work. She helped you with some books she recommends herself.
>It's been a long time since you last studied in a textbook fashion and frankly, you're a little rusty at it. Still, it's pretty nice having to put down a book after a hard days worth of studying only to find some afternoon snacks made by someone who loves you... Pretty cliche but it is what it is.
>At least the next few jobs she received involved much more than just bringing her tools and holding up parts. There's still no way in hell you can pull of a Lazy Daisy stitch but it was a lot more than just being the grunt man.
>She's made quite a name for herself. No Tommy Hilfiger but you're recognized somewhat. I mean you're far from bankruptcy and that's always good.
>The princess never found out a way to return you home. Not that it matters anyway.
>And you realized your special talent. It was cooking. Not that shocking but still, you know you're way around the kitchen pretty well. Not that you're going to quit a become a professional chef, you're content with just cooking for the two of you.
>And here you are, making your first dress in her office while she worked on a costume. No help from Coco. No looking over references. Just you and your knowledge.
>You'd make yourself a shirt but most of your knowledge pool involved making dresses so why not make the most out of it, right?
>You can practically see it finished. And yea, it's pretty exciting having to finish something you made entirely yourself. Even if it is pretty terrible from a professional's viewpoint.
>And...3...2...1
"Finished!"
>You hold up your dress to Coco.
"What do you think? What do you think?"
>She inspects it a bit before giving a little giggle
"Anon, that's pretty terrible."
>You feel dejected.
"Way to shoot down your boyfriend like that."
>She trots up to you with an apologetic look on her face to give you a hug.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just said what I thought about it in all honesty as a designer."
>Sigh.
"I know."
"At least we've proven that you're bad at this rather than you simply speculating."
"...Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
>She kisses you on the cheek
"No, but it does to me."
>Sigh.
>...Stupid girlfriend...marefriend, whatever.
>She nuzzles your cheek.
"Really, Anon, you don't know how happy I am right now..."
>She hugs you tighter.
"You can bring Photo Finish, Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores in this very room right now to place an order and it still wouldn't compare to how I feel right now."
>...
>You return the hug.
"...I don't really know how to respond to that..."
"You could tell me you love me."
"Well... I love you, Coco."
>She turns red.
"I love you too, Anon"
>She says before pressing her lips onto yours.
>It was soft and quivering, just like how you know it.
>...
>Yep. Could definitely get used to this...

The End

>You push open the door to the hotel room. You make an extra effort to be careful considering you have your special somepony in your arms right now. You make your way to the bedroom
>You gently place her on the bed. She giggles all the while
>You take the side next to her. You pull her in closer to you.
>You kiss her on her adorable little blushing cheeks before looking over to her dress.
"...You know I still can't believe you wore that thing. And to our wedding no less."
"Why wouldn't I? It is your the first dress you ever made."
"Exactly, that's why it's quality is questionable enough as it is. I know that clear as day know. It already clashes enough with itself, more so with you and your collar."
>She strokes her collar, a bit hurt by your statement.
>You sigh
"No, I'm not mocking your collar, I'm mocking that ridiculous looking dress."
>She presses herself to you
"Anon, it's alright...Besides, you're the only one who thinks so. Everypony else knows the story behind this dress. Mother, Father, Janine, even Rarity thinks it's a rather sweet and charming gesture, more than enough to make up for the way it looks. And that's coming from Rarity, you know how finicky Rarity is with looks, right?"
>Sigh.
"Still, I wanted you to look your very best. This is a very special day, you know."
>She gives you a quick kiss on the lips
"Anon, even if Celestia herself made me a dress, I still would choose this any day."
>You roll your eyes.
>You gently stroke her mane, sifting your fingers in between her the soft silky strands.
"Something on your mind, Anon?"
"...How'd you know?"
"I've known you well enough to know how much you love feeling my mane when you're deep in thought."
"...Well it is pretty calming to do so."
>You say as you kiss her on the forehead
>She giggles
"You always have free access to my mane, Anon... So what's bothering you, Anon?"
"...Just thinking about dad and sis..."
>She loses her smile. She snuggles against your chest. You stroke her mane once more
"Despite how they feel about me, I kinda still want them to be here. They're still family after all. And I kinda want them to see that I'm not as worthless as they think I always will be, working for a big shot sexy beautiful caring fashion designer and all that."
>You say to ease her up. It doesn't really work
>You wonder what mom would feel if ever she got to know you. At least she can see you from where she is, right?
"...mfm...mm"
>She says meekly, her words muffled on your tuxedo
"I didn't catch that."
"I'm sorry, Anon..."
>You play with her ears, tugging them lightly like soft little toys on her head.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for Coco."
"I know that it's just..."
>She sighs before nodding to herself and wearing that determined look. That determined look that makes her look more adorable rather than imposing.
"You always have me, Anon. Me, my family and friends, we'll always be here for you. We're your family too."
>You fold her ears
"You don't have to tell me that, Coco."
>She giggles.
>She takes a deep breath before nodding to herself
>She reaches up to kiss you before whispering in your ear.
"You know... I know what it takes to make you feel better... but your clothes are in the way..."
>You roll your eyes before smirking back.
>You slowly strip off your tuxedo, your pants, your undershirt, your boxers, everything...
>She looks away, deep red in the face.
"...You're that aroused already?"
>You stroke the fur on her ears. She has a soft spot on her ears as you came to know.
"Umm... th-there's something...e-e-exciting... about you taking off your clothes when you're always wearing them. It seems... hotter..."
>You kiss her on the cheek with a whisper.
"...Aren't you going to join me?"
>She giggles before she slowly starts removing all her clothing.
"Hold on."
"A-Anon?"
"...Keep the collar on."