288 - Just a Little Bit
River Bank had always hated her life growing up.
There hadn’t been a single day when she hadn’t been painfully aware of just how poor her family was, and just how unpleasant things were when you didn’t have money. She’d figured out quickly that the stuff that bothered her on a daily basis were things that other ponies didn’t have to worry about, just because they had more bits. There hadn’t been one part of her life that poverty hadn’t found a way to touch.
Her home had been the most glaring example. Her family’s house had sat adjacent the dockyards, and the stench of fish and salt had been there year-round. Worse, the entire place had been in constant need of repair, the damp air and sea spray serving to warp the wood in short order. River – or rather, Gold Bit, since she hadn’t changed her name until after getting married – had learned to be embarrassed of her living situation from a very young age.
Nor was her house the only thing she’d had to be ashamed of. While going naked was perfectly acceptable, polite functions typically called for something to wear, and for Gold Bit, that had meant whatever her parents had been able to sew on their own. More than once she’d been humiliated by having to go to a party or formal gathering in cheap garments that had been hoof-sewn the night before.
School had been the worst. On the very first day, some of the other foals had seen the lunch her parents had packed for her – dried seaweed, some crackers, and a few carrot slices – and they’d immediately figured out that her family was virtually destitute. From then on, she’d had to live with the nickname “Little Bit.” It had sent her home in tears that first day, and more than a few after that.
Nor had her parents helped. If anything, they were the source of the problem. Her mother and father had been blissfully unconcerned with how poor their finances were, telling her at every opportunity how the most important things in life weren’t bought with money: things like family, friendship, and love. “Apparently good food, nice clothes, and other ponies’ respect aren’t important things then,” she’d shot back once she’d gotten older, before storming out of the house.
In fact, that fight with her parents had been what led her to her destiny.
Desperate to make money, but still too young to get a job, she’d walked along the bay, fuming at how clueless her parents were, until she’d come to the river that fed it. Back then, the place where the river met the bay had been a popular picnic spot for couples and families, and she’d stumbled onto what was left of somepony’s lunch, abandoned on the sand. That had been where she’d found her purpose in life.
She’d started collecting the discarded utensils and plates, thinking she could sell them at a secondhoof store. That never made her very much pocket change, but it beat recycling cans or trying to swipe bits out of the fountain in the town square. But when she’d pulled the plate out from where it had half-sunk into the water’s edge, what she saw then changed her life: there was gold on the plate!
That had been when she’d learned what “panning for gold” was, and the prospect of being able to find gold – potentially a lot of it – simply by digging through the riverbed had filled her with so much hope for the future, so much joy, that she’d felt like her heart had been about to burst from her chest. It had only been later that she’d realized she’d gotten her cutie mark, the image of a river overflowing with gold proudly emblazoned on her flank. Even better, the money she’d made that day had been enough to buy her a beautiful new dress for her cute-ceañera. In the wake of the party, she’d decided: when she grew up, she’d be rich, no matter what.
But that’s over now. The thought made her sniffle, another round of sobs threatening to start up as she lay on the grass outside her manor, gazing up at the stars. It’s all over, all because of Lex Legis…
“Madam?” The voice was one River would have known anywhere, even if the tinge of worry it contained wasn’t something she’d ever heard in it before. “Is there anything I can bring you? One of the maids found some of the tea you like. The imported brand, Earl Dapple Grey. I could put a pot on…”
“No, Trotsworth,” moaned River, not bothering to look at him. “Just go away.”
“...I understand, Madam.” Trotsworth’s voice had returned to its usual, unflappable form. “Before I go, please allow me to report that young Master Piggy has taken to his room now that we’ve restored it to a semi-habitable state. As per your request, we’ve relayed to him that you’d prefer not to be disturbed for the time being.” A pause then, and when she didn’t answer, the worried tone began to creep back in. “I’ve taken the liberty of leaving a blanket and several cushions for you on the veranda. There’s also a small bell so that you can summon one of us if you need something during the night. Due to the state of the servants’ quarters, the maids are currently resting in the solarium, so one of them should hear if you-”
“I don’t care, Trotsworth. Just go.”
“…very good, Madam.” After a moment, she could hear the faint sound of hoofsteps crossing the lawn, before the louder clops announced that he’d returned to the porch a short distance away. When the door opened and shut, River sighed, knowing that he’d left. The quiet enveloped her then, as she stared into the night sky vacantly, thinking back to what Lex had done to her…
“NOW, YOU WILL PAY!”
River closed her eyes at Lex’s angry roar, unable to look as the monster he’d become – a shadow with glowing eyes – moved toward her. Unable to help but scream in terror, she raised her forelegs over her face, attempting to ward off whatever he was about to do to her. But she hadn’t quite gotten them all the way up before something whizzed past her head, and although there was no pain she couldn’t help but flinch, feeling blood begin to trickle down her cheek.
Certain she was about to die, River didn’t open her eyes, silently pleading that whatever he was about to do to her wouldn’t hurt too much. But as the seconds ticked by and nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes. What she saw reassured her, albeit just a little bit.
Lex had returned to his pony form, and although he was still glaring at her hatefully, his eyes had changed back to their normal color. His scythe was once again slung across his back, and the barest hint of red along the edge of its blade was all the confirmation she needed that it had been what cut her. Even the black crystals were starting to recede, collapsing in on themselves and turning into dust.
“Your punishment had been levied,” Lex intoned darkly. “For making a credible threat to interfere with Vanhoover’s recovery and the well-being of its citizens, all for the sake of your own greed, you shall be unable to partake in any material comforts, conveniences, or amenities.”
“What?” River felt her skin crawl at the words, shakily climbing to her hooves. “What do-, nngh, do you mean I-, hnrgh, I-, I won’t-, gnnrgh!” She couldn’t finish, realizing that it wasn’t what he’d said that was making her skin crawl. Rather, it was her dress! For some reason, the gentle garment’s silk felt like it was made out of sandpaper, and the sensation was getting worse by the moment!
Nor was it only the dress, she realized a moment later. The fashionable shoes she’d worn now felt like they were filled with sharp pebbles. Her hat felt like it was an anvil. Even her makeup was like mud for how it felt on her face now. The numerous unpleasant sensations assaulting her all at once were horrible enough that she felt her gorge rising, nauseated from the overwhelming discomfort.
“Wow,” remarked Sonata as she trotted up to Lex, watching as River nearly collapsed, moaning weakly. “What’d you do to her? I mean, I see the scythe-mark on her cheek, like you did for Fencer, but this is different, right?”
“As I said,” replied Lex, a look of grim satisfaction on his face as he watched River’s anguish. “I made it so that she won’t be able to enjoy the trappings of wealth.”
Sonata’s brow furrowed. “Wait, she enjoys setting traps? You mean the way Drafty and Aisle and those other ponies did?”
Lex gave a long-suffering sigh at that, but River was barely conscious of it. Instead, she weakly pawed at her ensemble, trying to get it off. Going around unclad was unbecoming for a lady of her station, and disrobing in front of someone else was doubly shameful, but she couldn’t bear to stay like this any longer! Her head was pounding as she gave it a toss, almost falling over as her hat fell from her head. Instantly, she felt better, and went to work on her shoes. Once they were discarded, the discomfort was down to the point where she no longer felt like she was going to heave her guts out. Instead, she just felt like she’d been rolling in an ant swarm, knowing that her dress and her makeup were to blame.
“Hey, wait a sec. How come she’s taking her clothes off?” This time Sonata’s frown was one of disapproval, giving Lex an unhappy look as River began to peel her dress off. “What’s that have to do with traps?”
“Let me make this easier to understand. I made it so that she can’t use nice things. She can’t wear nice clothes, eat nice food, or be in nice places without it causing her physical distress.” The smile that Lex gave then was a small one, but was no less cruel for it. “The more opulence she partakes in, the worse the effects will be.”
“Right,” drawled Sonata unhappily. “So basically, first you cut Fencer’s dress off her, then you had those sexy rub-downs with me, Nosey, and Aria, and now you’re making River here get naked for you too.” Even as she said that, River finally got her dress off, immediately wadding it up and using it to wipe her makeup off her face.
Lex finally turned his gaze to Sonata then, incredulous. “You’re placing undue emphasis on an incidental aspect of each of those situations, Sonata."
But River had heard enough by that point, throwing her ruined dress to the ground before turning and running away from the pair as fast as she could. The humiliation of having to disrobe in front of her tormentor was bad enough, but now that she was completely divested of ornamentation, the full weight of what he’d said had settled over her mind, and panic had followed. “I made it so she can’t use nice things,” he’d said. That thought formed a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing what her life would be like if he was right, making her run as fast as she could as she headed for her manor…
Of course, Lex’s curse had worked exactly as advertised.
Just setting hoof inside her manor, despite how it had been marred from the flooding, had left River reeling. Being in there had been like having a severe illness, as her sinuses had flooded, her head had begun to pound, and her stomach had once again begun to heave. It had been all she could do to stumble outside before she’d collapsed again.
The maids had tried to calm her down, serving her an afternoon luncheon that they’d brought from the boat, but the caviar spread had tasted so foul that she’d reflexively spit it out as soon as it touched her tongue. Despairingly, she’d tried the rest of the food – the sautéed onions, the stuffed peppers, and the raspberry tartlets – and found all of it utterly inedible. She’d begun to honestly panic, thinking that she’d starve to death, when she’d pressed something into her mouth that hadn’t tasted horrible. Quite the contrary, after what she’d just had in her mouth, it had tasted extraordinary. It had only been when the Trotsworth had informed her that she’d just eaten a cheese-and-pickle sandwich, made out of preserved foodstuffs that the maids had found in one of the manor storerooms, that she’d realized the flipside to Lex’s curse: she couldn’t enjoy luxuries, but the fare of ordinary folk was still available to her.
She’d made sure, of course. She’d explored a nearby shed where the garden tools were kept, and had been able to walk inside of it without so much as a shiver. Later, she’d ordered one of the maids to doff her uniform, taking the frumpy grey dress back to the shed with her and trying it on where nopony could see her. Sure enough, the ugly outfit didn’t bother her in the slightest. At least, not physically. Mentally, however, it had strained her to the breaking point.
Lex had taken away the things that she’d spent her childhood dreaming about. He’d made it impossible for her to enjoy the things that she’d spent her adulthood acquiring. With a single spell, or curse, or whatever it was, he’d taken away what she enjoyed most in life.
He’d robbed her of her destiny.
With one stroke of his scythe, he’d changed her from being River Bank – matron of the Banks family and one of the major power-players in one of Equestria’s largest cities – back to being “Little” Bit, the nopony who had nothing. It was beyond intolerable. It was a loss that negated her entire life.
“So what do I do now?” she whispered sadly, staring upward.
The night sky’s only reply was silence.
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When somethings too damaged, you have to strip it back down to teh foundations.
If the foundations are rotten, then theres going to be serious excavations.
Extra space for Bit to hang out.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is what is called karma.
never
Despite her internal turmoil, I feel little pity for River since she only lost the luxury of being rich. She's still wealthy in the sense that the money Lex confiscated is still legally hers, provided Lex doesn't forgo paying back the 'loan' as further punishment. Not to mention that she still has her home and a retinue of servants so while she can't enjoy the expensive things in life, which is far more than could be said for the ponies at the camp. The only thing she has to do is learn how to enjoy the simpler things in life like her parents did.
Hopefully, it will put things into perspective and teach her some humility and subsequently better herself as an individual though given her history, it's not going to be easy.
I like this curse. Too bad we can't have Lex pop over to our world and put it on the entire US government...
9249342 Unless you can find a way to shore it up...
9249362 D'oh! Typo fixed now.
But yeah, River really got what was coming to her. Lex likes to tailor his punishments to fit the crime, but this time he was more on-point than even he realized.
9249389 Typo corrected, thanks for catching that.
River is indeed still wealthy, notwithstanding that Lex is declaring that he's going to use what's hers until the crisis in Vanhoover is over. But as of right now the ways that she can enjoy her wealth are sharply limited. She can still throw it around, metaphorically speaking, but in terms of indulging herself in the things that her money can buy, there's little left for her to enjoy. Ideally, this will make her think about all the things she can do with her money that don't involve pampering herself, but we'll just have to wait and see if that lesson takes or not.
9249523 Well, to be clear, Lex had to pour additional magic into this curse in order to make it as strong as it is, so any sort of mass application is likely out. At least, until he figures out how to increase its power even more. After all, King Sombra cursed the entire Crystal Empire when he was defeated...
wow unbelievable i guessed the curse or the idea behind it.
and now “Little” Bit can start to really live.
i have a feeling Lex will lift this curse and in the long run “Little” Bit will be much better for this.
9249909 I admit, I was smiling when I read your previous comment, as you did indeed correctly guess the theme of the curse Lex used on her.
As for what happens to River now, that's up to her...
9249857
I do have a technical question about the nature of the curse, is it subjective to what River sees as luxuries? Would the saying 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' apply or is the trigger fixed by the caster's (Lex) definition of luxury?
The former would be rather cruel if River changed her ways only for whatever little luxury she may have left to rebel against her while the latter is quite subjective itself and creates a loophole if there was a luxury or two the caster did not consider.
Or
Does the curse have some form of magic that can quantify the value of a place and object which triggers the curse when the value exceeds the threshold?
Normally I'd just use the fandom's go-to explanation of 'It's magic.' and move on but given who cast the curse, I can't help but feel curious.
9249924 I'm planning on writing a blog post later (hopefully this weekend) that covers the various curses Lex had used over the course of this story, and what they look like in game terms, but this question deserves to be addressed in the meantime. That said, I'm not sure this is the most satisfying answer to your (entirely justified) question; I'll do the best I can.
The curse functions objectively, not subjectively. Specifically, it's based on the gold piece (gp) value of various things as determined under the d20 System rules. (Though there are certainly more things out there than are on the list linked to here, even if that is fairly comprehensive.)
This, of course, runs smack-dab into the problem behind the d20 System's "economy" (if we can even call it that): it assigns objective values of worth (in monetary terms) to things, contrary to the reality of how "worth" is situational in measurement. That is, there's no metric under the standard rules for varying the price of things based on local conditions in the market; the closest you can come are the settlement rules which measure whether or not various categories of magic items (categorized by price, of course) are available in settlements of a certain population size. That's it. There's no metric for altering the price of particular goods, services, or anything else based on rules of scarcity, supply and demand, or other salient factors that normally go into any real-world buying-and-selling transaction. Getting items for discounted prices tends to be a (higher-level) class feature, and issues of being able to create magic items for reduced prices because you know how to craft them yourself is something that warrants advice on how to handle it in your game.
The reason for that is because the game treats personal wealth as a separate method of tracking personal power. In the standard rules, available wealth translates directly into magic items, which enhance what your character can do in some measurable regard. That required the game to nail down absolute values on everything, and act as if those were fixed values that could not be altered. This isn't to say that no one has come up with ways to do that; A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe did the incredibly daunting task of coming up with marketplace modifiers for items based on local conditions (even if they have a flaw in the table that you use to measure that, since as written it doesn't align with the example given).
The problem with all of this, of course, is that it doesn't translate into a narrative format. As far as Lex (who has economic ideas that are, from Equestria's standpoint, groundbreaking) and everypony else is concerned, the idea of objective monetary values for things is (rightly considered to be) nonsense. No such standard would hold up to any kind of scrutiny, let alone the forces that underlie actual marketplace activity.
The end result is that there's a disconnect between what the game rules apply and how the characters view things. After all, it's not that outlandish for River to try and figure out how her curse measures "value" and then try to manipulate that in her favor. Unfortunately, there's no good way of resolving this, except to try and pretend that it doesn't exist; that the curse's judging of how valuable things are (i.e. how much the game rules say they're worth) always "just so happens" to line up perfectly with how the characters in the story would judge them. So even if Princess Cadance has a valuable outfit that she couldn't care less about, and was willing to sell for dirt cheap, it'd still be a royal outfit, still worth 200 gp, and still activate River's curse if she tried to wear it. That River would want it because she - and everypony else, besides (apparently) Cadance - would regard it as valuable is just a "coincidence."
As for how the curse itself is able to measure that, that gets into the nature of what curses actually are (and, to a degree, a question of "how" magic functions). But I won't go too far into that, as the exact nature of Lex's dark magic, which he received from King Sombra's horn, is something that still remains unclear (even to him, to a large degree)...
That never make her very much pocket change, -- That never made her very much pocket change,
9251349 Whoops! Typo fixed. Thanks for catching that!
9251697
We are all on the same side in this war on typos.