Scrap Basket

by Macgyver644200

Checking for Color

Suri growled as she walked across the stage. “Of all the stupid excuses,” she rambled. “OF COURSE WOOL SHRINKS! THAT’S WHY I DON’T USE IT!” she barked off stage. She put her face in her hooves and groaned. “Morons!” she snapped. “Morons, every single one of them!”

“Uhh…”

She glared up at the voice. Fidgeting in the aisle was a cream-colored mare with a light blue mane. She shrunk under Suri’s scowl and seemed almost determined to fit on one of the boards that made up the center aisle. “Am I bothering you?” she mumbled.

Suri huffed as she rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

“I really don’t-“

”Get up here and spit it out!” Suri snapped.

The pony jumped and stumbled up the steps onto the stage. Suri could notice tears threatening to fall out of the pony’s eyes, but the pony straightened up in front of her. “Uh, well, my name’s Coco,” she stammered. “Coco Pommel. I was just wondering if-“

“I don’t do collaborations,” Suri told her.

“Uh, no, that’s… not what I was asking,” Coco stammered. “I- I wanted to- I was wondering if… m-maybe I could…” Her breath stopped as Suri’s frown deepened. After staring at it, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and blurted “maybeIcouldbeyourassistant?”

Coco quivered as Suri glared down at her. Suri opened her mouth, but then she closed her mouth. Something wasn’t right. She took a deep whiff of the air around her, which confirmed it. She looked around the seats, but no-one was in them. “Excuse me a minute,” she said. Before Coco could say anything, Suri spun on her hooves and walked offstage.

Suri found a ladder and started to climb into the catwalks. When she was halfway up, she noticed somepony there watching her. She made it to the top, then bowed. “Greetings, your highness,” she said.

“So you’ve finally found me,” Princess Luna said. “When did you start suspecting?”

“I realized I was dreaming memories, your highness,” Suri explained. “That typically doesn’t happen. Then I realized certain parts of the dream were wrong. It already thundering back when I was with my sister, and Coco was wearing perfume when I really first meet her.”

“Yes,” Luna said, “details are always more difficult in a dream.”

Suri frowned. “Your highness, and not that I’m not honored to host you,” she clarified, “but why are you here? Don’t you usually watch over children?”

Luna frowned. “You’re never too old to ask for help,” she said. “I know that all too well. So I go wherever somepony needs me, adult or child. But yes, I normally do stick to children.”

“So why are you here, your-“

“You can stop calling me that,” Luna said. “It’s just the two of us. And as to why I’m here…”

Luna’s horn lit up and the dream vanished, as if the backdrop of a play had been taken down. Beyond the dream was an endless expanse of stars. Luna drifted off, pulling Suri alongside her. “Each of those stars represents a sentient creature, pony, griffon, or otherwise,” Luna said. “As I pass by them, I can feel certain parts of the dream.”

As they passed near one of the stars, Suri shuddered and put her hoof to her mouth. She felt traces of dread, and one of her teeth hurt, barely, but consistently. “If you’ll excuse me,” Luna said. Then she dove into the star. Almost immediately, the pain and dread disappeared and Suri tasted something sweet. Luna reappeared. “Dentist,” she explained.

Suri nodded. “I understand, y- I understand. But what did you sense with me?”

“What you feel in waking life,” Luna replied. “Jealousy, fear, hatred. Feelings that are familiar to me, especially when they run so deep, so I decided to intervene.”

Suri turned away. “Yeah, well, my feelings aren’t nearly so…” She stopped, unable to think of the word.

Luna chuckled as she turned Suri’s head back to hers. “I tried to kill my sister because she was more popular than me. Dignity and justification are the last things I would try to posture with.”

Suri looked into Luna’s eyes. She seemed sincerely accepting. Suri examined her longer, but Luna’s face didn’t change. Finally, Suri said “OK.”

Luna nodded. “Now let’s get back to understanding you,” she said.

The dream at the theater reappeared, with both Suri and Luna in the catwalks. Beneath them, Coco and another Suri were talking. “I’d just fired my last assistant,” Suri explained. “She’d ruined one of my outfits, or something that was supposed to be it. I don’t use wool, but she claimed I did and the event organizers sided with her. Then Coco showed up, and...”

The past Suri shook her head. “Look,” she told Coco, “you know your stuff, I’ll give you that, but I’m just not interested in having an assistant right now.”

“That won’t work,” Luna told her Suri. “Nothing is here that you don’t personally know.”

Suri stopped scanning the catwalks and frowned. “Nopony ever found anything,” she said. “I just hoped-“

Then a rope slipped its post, and the curtain fell freely, pulled along by a heavy iron rod along the bottom. Suri felt time slow down as she saw Coco freeze and her past self dash forward. She closed her eyes just as her past self made contact.

There was no crash. Suri opened her eyes to find only a white room. “I’ve broken bones, too,” Luna said. “I won’t make you go through that again.”

Rubbing one of her scars, Suri turned to Luna. “Thank you,” she said. “They actually shattered. I needed to have rods put in my legs. Even today, I can’t stand the cold weather, and nothing helps.” Suri sighed. “And worst of all, I lost dexterity in both of them. Sewing became impossible; even with my mouth, I had to hold the material. All I could do was design.”

“So you hired Coco?”

Suri nodded. “I had to. I hated it at first: I felt like I was helpless. Every time Coco did something for me, I thought…” she blushed. “Well, I know she wasn’t,” she said.

“You thought she was laughing at you,” Luna observed.

Suri turned away. “Yeah.”

“What changed?” Luna asked.

“Suri?”

Suri pulled her head off of the kitchen table. “Did you fall asleep?” Coco asked her.

“Huh?” Suri looked down. It was daybreak in her apartment, and she was sitting at the table. Right next to a large puddle of drool were three written letters. “Yeah, I guess so,” Suri said as she scooched them away.

“Did you finish those letters?” Coco asked.

Suri frowned, then sighed. “More like I couldn’t think of anything else to say.” She folded up the letters and put each in a stamped and addressed envelope. Then she dropped the envelopes in her bag and pulled on her coat. As she picked up her bag, though, she froze. “You think it’s going to be enough?” she asked Coco. “I mean, the last time everyone heard of me was…”

Coco put her hoof on Suri’s shoulder. “Not at first,” she said. “But give them time, and we’ll see what happens.” Coco put on a scarf. “And I’m always here for you,” she added.

Suri stood stock still, looking into Coco’s eyes. Finally, she pulled her bag on. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s go to work.”

<*>

“COCO?” Suri called out. She’d searched all over the basement, but she couldn’t find her. “COCO?”

“Something I can help you with?”

Agate strode down the aisle. “Have you seen Coco?” Suri asked him.

“No,” Agate replied. “I think she was going to talk to Garth, though. He’s in his little enclosure.”

Suri stared at him. “Enclosure?”

Agate quickly nodded. “Yeah, just head into props and look for the curtains hanging down. I’d show you, but I’m late for lunch and Saffron’s father is hosting us.”

“Ah,” Suri said. “That’s alright, I can find it.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you later.”

As Agate ran off, a corner of Suri’s mouth turned up. She slowly turned around and walked down the shelves until she turned left, next to a steel candle stand. Between a gap in two shelves was an open area with smaller shelves. Suri continued in and looked down the aisles. Finally, on the far end, she noticed a pair of curtains at one end of the aisle.

Suri walked between them and entered a small area with a desk pointed towards the wall. Garth was seated there, brush in talon and intensely focused on a piece of paper. Suri watched him as he swished his brush in a cheap cup of water, then rubbed it on the watercolor paints, then drew the brush across the paper. Suri tiptoed closer to the desk, slowly sneaking up until she was looking over his shoulder. There was barely anything on the paper: just a few bright yellow lines.

Then Garth looked over. As soon as he saw Suri, he started with a yelp. Suri leapt back. “Sorry!” she exclaimed.

Garth took a moment to slow his breathing, his wide eyes narrowing as he frowned. “I asked you not to do that,” he muttered, turning back to his painting.

“Sorry,” Suri said. “I forgot.”

Garth paused and stared into space. Suri opened her mouth but Garth motioned for her to be quiet. Then he took a deep breath and his frown faded away. “It’s OK,” he said. “What did you need?”

Suri took a moment to reply. ”Have you seen Coco anywhere?” she asked.

“She and Grant went out to lunch with the other theater owners,” he said. “Was there something you needed?”

Suri’s face fell for a moment, but she quickly hid it. “Oh, no,” Suri said. “I just wanted to tell her I’ve got the patterns ready to be sewn together.”

Garth’s eyebrow rose as he turned to face her. “Already?” he asked.

Suri frowned. “I work quickly,” she said.

“Do you sleep as quickly?” Garth asked her. “My mother’s coffee isn’t that-”

“Yes, I slept,” Suri snapped. “I just. Work. Quickly. Mkay?”

Garth nodded, raising his talons. “Understood.”

Suri sighed. “I’m sorry, Gar,” she said. “It’s just…” she trailed off.

“It’s alright,” Garth told her. “We’re fine.”

“Thanks.”

Silence fell between the two. Neither of them moved. Suri had wilted a little and Gar was sitting up straighter. “So, where’s Candy?” Garth asked.

“Off having lunch with her husband,” Suri said, her voice slightly more strained. “Same with Agate and his fiancée.”

Garth nodded. “I see.”

Suri nodded, then straightened up. “Yeah, I was thinking of just going out somewhere,” she said. “Do you know any good Chineighse places around here?”

Garth nodded. “Better,” he said, “I know an authentic Chineighse place.”

Suri’s brows rose. “Really?”

Garth nodded. “I can take you there if… if you don’t mind.”

Suri noticed Garth’s tongue stop for a moment. Then the corners of his mouth rose up. His eyes, however, remained as they were when his tongue stopped: a little too wide for him to be entirely at ease. Suri opened her mouth. “Just as friends,” Garth assured her.

Suri didn’t buy that for a second. But as she opened her mouth, she realized that she was the only person in the building who was alone for lunch. Garth frowned for a moment. “I can just give you the direc-“

“No,” Suri interrupted. “Let’s have lunch.”

<*>

Baguazhang was an octagonal building with the kitchen in the center and tables of all sizes around the sides. When Suri and Garth entered, the place was relatively full, but the greeter quickly found them seats. The two settled into a booth on the far end, near a lush peony plant. “How’d you find this place?” Suri asked.

Garth shrugged. “I just did. Went out for a walk and there it was.”

Once again, he fell silent. Suri frowned. “Anything good here?” she asked.

“Plenty.”

Silence. “Can you order for me?” Suri prompted, barely keeping the growl out of her voice.

Garth nodded. “Absolutely. Do you have any allergies?”

Suri’s mouth almost dropped open at the question. Slowly, she shook her head. “No,” she said. “I’m not too fond of spi-“

“Do you need a minute?”

Suri almost screamed at the waiter before she noticed his odd, unwelcoming tone. She turned to face the waiter, a grey dragon with yellow spikes and wings. He was staring at Garth, who was frowning back at him. Garth shook his head. “No,” he said. “No, uh, we’re ready.” Garth tensely gave out a list of dishes, which the waiter stiffly took down before turning on his heel and walking away.

Suri looked over to Garth. “What was that?”

Garth frowned at her. “Familiar face,” he said. “From… earlier in my life. I’d rather not talk about it.”

‘Of course you wouldn’t,’ Suri thought, repressing a roll of her eyes.

Garth rubbed his beak. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “It’s just…”

Garth took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then he let the breath out. He tried again, but he got a similar result. The third breath he sucked in, the frown on his face deepening. Suri’s frown faded. “Look,” she said, “if you don’t want to say anything, that’s fi-“

“I used to be in a gang,” Garth interrupted. His voice was strained, but he wouldn’t meet Suri’s eyes. “I was an idiot from a poor household, I thought I could make some extra money casing businesses for burglaries. I… saw a lot of dragons. Es-especially after…”

Garth’s voice hitched, and he put his head in his talons. “Garth, it’s OK,“ Suri said. “You don’t have to say anymore.”

Garth wiped his eyes, then put his hands down. Then he turned to Suri. His eyes had reddened and his mouth had formed a thin line. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m ruining your lunch.”

“That’s alright,” Suri said.

Garth stared at her for a moment, then put his head down on the table. The silence grew uncomfortable now, hanging like a thundercloud between the two. Suri occasionally opened her mouth, but whatever she’d try to say would lodge in her throat, and she would shut her mouth again. Once, she reached across the table, but Garth moved his talons back, and Suri followed suit. Then she noticed something. “Hey, Gar,” she whispered. “Look over there.”

Garth picked his head up and turned around. Several tables over, beyond the range of hearing, were several ponies in fancy dress talking among each other. The only griffon among them was Grant, and seated right next to him was Coco, both laughing and talking with the other ponies: the other theater owners. “Well fancy that,” Garth remarked. “I had no idea they came here.”

Garth turned around. Suri was staring at the far table, mouth wide open and face almost blank. “Suri,” Garth asked. “What’s the matter?”

Suri steepled her hooves, but she didn’t answer Garth’s question. Garth looked back at the table. While Coco wasn’t the biggest participant at the table, she was definitely holding her own, and Garth noticed her and Grant playing hoofsie under the table. Then Garth turned around. “Coco?” he asked.

Suri nodded. “She’s doing great,” she mumbled. “When I met her, she couldn’t even introduce herself. Now she’s holding her own as a manager.”

A tear rolled down Suri’s cheek, and she quickly reached up to wipe it away. “That’s good, isn’t it?” Garth asked. “She’s using what you taught her?”

”But I didn’t teach her that! It’s like-“ Suri stopped herself, then took a deep breath, wiping more tears away. “I taught her how to work with fabric, and now she’s thriving with people. I should be happy for her, and I am, but it’s like I never happened.” She sniffled. “And she’s happier that way.”

Suri put her head down and bit her tongue. The tears came anyways, but she was barely able to suppress the shuddering. After a moment, the emotional wave passed, and her head cleared a little. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I don’t make a whole lot of sense, do I?”

Then she felt someone grabbing her hooves. “I understand,” Garth said.

Suri sat up. Certainly enough, Garth had reached across the table and was holding her hooves in his talons. “I still have to live with my mother because I can’t pay rent on my own,” Garth said. “And there are days that she remembers why I went to prison. However, things got better. Those days came fewer and further between, but even then, if I died, she would’ve been upset. She remembers who I was before then and what I’m trying to do now, and she’s helping me succeed because she cares about me. No-one’s forcing her to do this, just like no-one’s forcing Coco to help you. She’s doing this because she cares about you.”

Suri stared into his eyes. Garth looked gently back at her, his talons still holding her hooves. “Wow,” Suri said. “I mean, thank you. I’ve just never heard you talk that much.”

“I usually don’t,” Garth admitted. “I’ve just always found it hard to talk.” His mouth hung open for a moment, but it slowly closed itself. With a final squeeze, Garth drew his hands back to his side of the table.

Suri’s heart sank, and the two fell into silence again. Finally, however, Suri smiled at him. “How about we head back to the theater?” she suggested.

“I don’t want to ruin your lunch,” Garth replied.

“We’ll pick something up,” Suri told him.

<*>

A few minutes later, Suri and Garth were in Garth’s alcove back at the theater, a bag of hayburgers sitting on Garth’s desk. Alongside it was a piece of paper, some watercolors, and a cup of water, all of which Garth was using. “You have a very thorough color palette,” Suri noted.

“Grant lets me have them,” Garth said. “He noticed I liked doing this, so he lets me use the watercolors for my own work.”

“And this is yours?” Suri asked, indicating the paper.

“Yes,” Garth replied.

Suri looked at it. Most of it was still incomplete. “What’s it going to be?” she asked.

Grant shrugged. “I thought I’d just paint what came to mind,” he said.

There was a knock on one of the shelves. “Hey, Gar,” Agate called, “are you in there?”

Suri saw Garth stiffen as he put the brush down. “Yes,” he answered as he looked up.

The curtains were pulled aside and Agate peeked in. “Thanks for sanding the props for me,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” Garth said.

Agate paused, but Garth refused to say anything else. After a few awkward moments, Agate nodded, said goodbye, and left. Garth turned back to the painting but did not pick up the brush. “Something wrong?” Suri asked.

Garth stayed silent. Suri was just about to speak again when Garth cleared his throat. “It’s… personal,” he said. “I’d rather not talk about it. Besides, he keeps calling me ‘Garth’.”

He turned to Suri, who had turned slightly pinker. “That’s not your name?” Suri asked.

Gar shook his head. “No, it isn’t,” he said.

“What is it, then?” Suri asked. “Because I doubt your parents called you ‘Gar’.”

Gar just sat stock still and frowned into the picture. After a few moments, Suri looked around for something to make conversation. Finally, she cleared her throat. “So, why’d you learn how to do props?” she asked.

“Everyone around here knows at least two things,” Gar said. “It helps in case someone can’t come in. That’s why Crescendo is up fixing the lighting whenever Candy has a doctor’s appointment. His brother Decrescendo takes over the orchestra, if he isn’t mending the floorboards.”

“Ah,” Suri mumbled. “Right.” She suddenly took notice of a plastic daisy chain, trying not to focus on anything else. She noticed that Gar was saying nothing, which made it harder to block out what she was thinking.

“Would you like to try?”

Suri turned back around. Gar had scooched away from the desk and motioned to the chair. Suri looked at the chair, then back to Gar. “Well,” she said, “I haven’t tried it in a while. At least since grade school.”

“Then why not get started?” Gar asked, gently.

Suri faltered, but slowly she put her hooves forward and sat down in the chair. “This is your painting,” Suri protested.

“I wasn’t really doing anything,” Gar said. “Just do what comes to mind.”

Suri looked back at the paper. The only thing on it was a set of bright yellow streaks. “It looks like a grain of wheat,” Suri thought. She picked up the brush, rinsed it out, gathered up some green paint, and dragged out of the paintbrush a long green stalk. Then she went back up, adding leaves and refilling the brush as she went. Gar stayed back, occasionally patting Suri on the shoulder when she tensed up after a mistake. Finally, the simple painting was finished. “Well done,” Gar said.

Suri frowned. “It could look better.”

“It will,” Gar said. “It will.”

Author's Note:

Alright, here we go! I'd hoped this would take less time, but it seems that my last chapter of A Blueblood for Everyone was a fluke. Comments welcome, you may fire when ready.

Comments

[howard035]

What an interesting idea for why Suri was so harsh to Coco, but Coco still took the job anyway. For a pony with a buttons cutie mark, never being able to sew again must be terrible. I hope Suri sees a doctor to get a second opinion on physical therapy to regain the use of her forelegs for sewing.