1003 ALB
There was something to be said about sunlight in Manehattan. About the first rays of Celestia's sun falling upon the glistening city. Reflected on the long glass surfaces of its tall buildings. Some piercing the sky.
A faint crack appearing, reflecting in the glass of one such building. A strange fog rolling across the city, before the crack reversed, and sealed. The clear mist wafting down the alleyways, and across the surface of building and ponies alike. The city seeming to fall out of sync with itself, dozens of cities stacked vertically. Giving the sense of duplication.
The effect noticed by one pair of brown eyes. Drawing a needle between fabrics in a shop somewhere. Sitting in a place among fabrics, with chatter going on nearby. No sooner did it begin, her eyes flickering, aching, then it ended. A breath let out, the sunlight pouring down.
Shaking off the peculiar movement, the needle was again held by a stable hoof, and watchful eyes. Stitch by stich, pulling together the loose bits of fabric. Drawing them shut at the ends. Concluding with an observation of a dark blue patch of fabric, over the center of a light blue plaid scarf.
It was then brought up and wrapped around. Tied onto the neck of a pink earth pony, with a messy purple mane. The needle being set to the side on the street, inside a small box there.
Her expression as empty as her dull brown eyes. Taking a breath, she pat either side of her face, and blinked a few times. Briefly sticking her tongue out, while pushing at the sides of her lips. Retracting her tongue and observing herself in a small mirror stationed just in front of her. Finding a slightly off smile looking back at her.
Adjusting it slightly, it came to look a bit more natural. The mare reaching out to pick up her mirror, only for a movement to knock it onto the ground. Into the center of the sidewalk.
She stared blankly, and observed as bit by bit, ponies passed. Trampling over it, shattering the mirror with no real regard to its presence. the breaking pieces. Merely passing her by, as if she didn't exist.
The mare maintained her empty smile, sitting on an old rug. A bunch of clothes placed on the space beside her. Various jackets, scarves, a hat. One or two individuals observing it, but nobody stopping to buy anything. Nobody bothering to ask, as she watched her mirror be knocked around, and crushed to glass dust.
A Pegasus approached, a mare with a crimson coat, and black mane. Her eyes golden in color. Wearing a jacket, as dark as her mane. The pink mare, with the purple mane glancing up.
"Out of curiosity, are you Suri Polomare?" The Pegasus inquired.
"Yes I am." Suri replied. "Have we met before?"
The winged mare smirked, wearing a dark smile. "You're a real piece of trash, you know that?" She asked. "How many people did you trample? How many did you steal from? How many lives, did you ruin for your own success?" Suri didn't respond, the pegasus tsk'ing. "Nothing to say for yourself?"
Suri kept her empty smile. "I have no idea what you might mean. Okay?" She let out practiced laughs, in a posh accent. "If you mean that contest, I-"
"Your lies as as fake as your accent." The pegasus replied, glaring. "You're not fooling anypony. You undeserving parasite." She laughed some. "Enjoy your punishment."
With that remarked, the Pegasus wandered away. Suri watching her go, her practiced smile seeming to waver some. And there she remained, sitting beside an empty building, watching the people pass her by. Like she was invisible to them. Silent, as the number of ponies passing by began to decrease, the sun-setting in the sky, breathing night into the world.
Lowering her head, she felt the smile fade to nothing. Her resolve buckling as sleep beckoned. Another day come and gone, same as the last. Her empty eyes staring ahead into nothingness, as she grabbed the box of things, and held it close. Keeping her eyes open, until they grew too heavy, and finally shut.
"Excuse me." A voice spoke, prompting her ear to twitch. "Uhm, I'm sorry, Miss?"
"Hmm?" Suri blinked, and looked around, "What?"
There was a blue mare there, wearing a white jacket. It had a tear along the side of it, on the sleeve. The strange mare sitting there, giving a little wave, and a smile.
"Hello. I'm sorry to wake you up, I just had a question about the uhm..things here." The Professor motioned. "Did...you make these, are these for sale or-"
"Yes." Suri replied, shaking herself away. "Actually, heh, they are. Hello, are you... looking for something to add to your ensemble?" She asked in her posh tone. "Perhaps a new jacket, I have a couple."
"Ah, well actually. I was curious if you did repairs." The Professor explained, while removing the jacket, stumbling some. "I had erm, hang on-" She sat down properly, and pulled a mechanical looking cylinder from the jackets pocket. "Well I was hoping to get this stitched up, see I was-" She held the device in her teeth and properly removed the jacket. "trhn ta git ta the capital. Wrong svish, n then I'm n sphasch. Run inta a sphasch bear too." She removed the sonic from her mouth, the jacket folded up some. "Didn't imagine I'd meet something like that, but there it was. All big and bear-y, in space."
Suri listened along to the rambling, and just nodded. She knew well enough to let people ramble on about their little day to day things. Drowning it out, while waiting for her opportunity to progress things, taking the opportunity to wake herself up a bit, while preparing what she'd need to stitch the jacket.
"That sounds very interesting." Suri responded, noticing the pause. "Regarding the jacket. I'm more than able to commit any repairs you seek. Though this is fairly damaged. Okay?" She laughed her practiced laugh. "So it may cost just a little bit extra."
"Well, normally I'd just do it myself, but my ship is being temperamental." The Professor seemed to consider for a moment. "How much are we talking about, exactly." She took something out of the jacket pocket, a pouch. "This planet uses bits as a currency, correct?"
Suri drew a breath, and replied. "Yes. We here on this...planet, do. Okay."
"Wonderful. I sometimes get them confused. Which, can be incredibly awkward for conversation. Especially when you were just attempting to visit the library, and may have gotten engaged to a living comet." The Professor spoke, pausing. "What was I doing? Oh right, well that jacket there is 15. I suppose about the same, yes?"
"Yes." Suri kept her smile, sighing. "I th-
"If I give you 20, can I watch you fix it?" The Professor asked. "Just, observe really?"
Suri glanced to the side. "Ah, if this is dubious belief due to those rumors-" Her smile wavering, as the accent faded briefly. "they're not all true. I can at least stitch a stupid jacket." The blue mare raised a brow, as Suri cleared her throat, and re-adopted her accent. "I-I mean, of course. Certainly."
"What rumors would those be?" The Professor asked, taking a seat while passing her jacket over. "Sorry, like I said, just blew into town, and am stuck doing maintenance. What's going on?"
"Right, traveler. You're...not from around here." Suri reminded herself.
"Well no. Not in the slightest." The Professor smiled some. "Did the accent give it away?" She added. "Cuz, between you and me, I like your real, like, actual one much better. It's more natural. More you."
Suri flinched and replied. "If you're going to be rude, I won't stich your jacket." She added, annoyed. "I still have some dignity, you know?"
"Rude, I'm not being rude. I don't think I'm being rude?" The Professor said quickly, considering. "I mean it sincerely, genuinely. Your fake accent, that one you put on with the...higher tone and all that. its rubbish compared to the real thing." She said, adding. "Real one's marvelous. Honest."
"I..." Suri hesitated.
"I may have offended you. Right. I am sometimes quite poor at conversational and social queues." The Professor admitted, thinking. "So, to re-shift, a bit...would you be alright with me watching you sew?"
"You were...serious?" Suri let the accept slip. "I mean, alright. For 20 bits, sure...but I mean, honestly-" She shrugged, and readopted her posher accept. "it is quite a privilege to watch a weaver work. Most wouldn't offer such a thing. Okay?" She let out the practiced laugh. "So maybe 25 bits is a bit fairer, considering."
"Sounds like a deal." The Professor replied with a friendly smile.
Suri almost laughed at this. It was the easiest con she'd had in months. Well, the only one she'd had in months. And all she had to do was stitch some stupid tear? Easy.
She gathered her needle, and thread, noticing that The Professor was simply sitting there patiently. Observing the wound in the jacket, she found it wasn't honestly that bad. For 25 bits, she could stitch it a dozen times over, on something far more serious. In addition, it was an easily mended tear, in that it was a clean slice. Like it had been magically cut by something.
She didn't bother to ask; it wasn't wise with oddities like that. Stitch by stich it drew nearer to completion. Sealing up the tear with a quick movement. Snipping the thread after securing it properly. The act of this, seeming to leave the blue mare absolutely transfixed in a fashion that was, frankly peculiar to Suri.
"It doesn't seem possible." The Professor muttered near the end. "How in world do these blasted things work?" She glanced over her own hoof, and then shook her head. "Thank you honestly, for well, everything." She laughed a little bit. "That was brilliant."
"Uhm, yeah, cool?" Suri raised a brow, and found 25 bits set before her. "Ah, you're welcome."
"If you ha-" The Professor paused and seemed to stare past her for a moment. "hmm. Right, well, it was lovely meeting you. I... have to get going."
"Fine?" Suri half-asked, as the other mare threw on the jacket, and put the weird wand in the pocket. "Not like I do conversations anyways."
The Professor promptly rushed off. Suri noticing that someone else had rounded the corner. Possibly someone the stranger knew, not that she cared personally.
The pink pony pulled the bits over, and smiled to herself more genuinely. It had been awhile since she really had any money to speak of, and longer since one of her little cons proved efficient. She almost felt bad about it, but then again, the crazy mare did it to herself. Able to go to bed more at peace that night. Dreaming about the food she'd get the next day.