Spare Some Change?

by Nadir

A Chance Meeting

“Spare some change?”

The clinking of a cup accompanied the phrase, the sound of sparse coins jingling inside of it.

“Spare some change for the needy?” The mare repeated again, voice droning, exhausted.

The winter chill bit at any exposed flesh, and with the ragged clothes the homeless mare wore, Octavia couldn’t help but have sympathy nip at her in the same way the cold did. That, and there was absolutely something strikingly entrancing about those red eyes she saw damned near every morning.

Octavia stopped in front of the mare, thick, furred coat bundled up around herself, cello case across her flank and a small handbag on the opposite. Octavia, modestly enough, looked quite radiant in the morning air. Winter had come particularly early that year, and it showed.

The trees showed it, the air felt it, and the little mare bundled against the ground displayed the sight of it all the more prominently. Even through the thick swathes of soiled cloth and clearly mismatched blankets, Octavia could tell the girl was a waifish thing. Small, very likely young, not the sort that should be sitting on the side of the street begging. Something that definitely brought a frown to Octavia’s cultured face. She'd seen this shape before, seen them quite a few times. They were always here, always begging for anything and everything. Some days, Octavia even went as far as to offer her lunch, or the few bits that she had on her. Other times, Octavia walked past like so many other in the crowds.

By now, the mare had realized Octavia’s staring, leveling piercing red eyes up towards Octavia. “Spare change?” she asked, the voice sounding hopeful. The high pitched nature of it reaffirmed Octavia’s initial confirmation: young. Definitely young.

Octavia sighed and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, dear. I’m afraid that I don’t have any bits on me, though I must admit I've seen you quite a bit. What’s your name?” she asked daring to take a step forward.

The other mare scooted back, pressing against the wall, as if Octavia would hurt her. That sparked another thought within the cultured mare’s head: abuse. Or fear, one of the two. Something had happened here. Nopony would land on the streets this young, this scared without something spurring it.

Homeless ponies in Canterlot didn't stay homeless for long. Some shelter took them in, some family care for them. That, or they'd find a job of their own. To consistently see this one down on her luck with no change.... well now, that was different, wasn't it?

At least the other mare had enough within her to answer the question. “Lu- Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch,” she answered back. Scratchy, raspy, definitely a lie. But one that Octavia would choose to believe for now.

“It’s very pleasant to meet you, Miss Scratch. My name is Octavia Philharmonica, perhaps you’ve heard of me?” she asked, unable to help the pride swelling in her chest. But she waved a hoof, as if to dismiss the thought. “Or perhaps not." Octavia couldn't help but laugh at herself a little. Not everypony knew her, of course. She rapidly changed the subject: "It’s cold outside, isn’t it?” she asked, doing her best to sound caring, confident. Octavia wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery, discern why Vinyl had stayed on this corner for so long.

“It’s not that bad.” Vinyl answered, though the way she directed her eyes downwards made Octavia suspect the girl lied. “You get used to it and all. Besides, a few ponies have given me some more clothes,” she added, shifting where she sat enough to show off one of the multiple jackets draped around her frame. "You know how generous everypony here is. I get well fed at least," Vinyl said, slowly, deliberately. Octavia imagined the other mare chose her words carefully.

“Oh, yes, of course,” Octavia replied. She inspected the form before her a little more carefully, trying to judge if they were stolen. She’d grown so used to seeing fine thread and needlework that even she could tell that the ones Vinyl wore were worn down, used and abused. “How exactly did you end up out here anyways, Miss Scratch?”

Vinyl leaned against the side of the building a little more, though a flash of cyan magic brought her cup of change back against her. A paranoid look affixed Octavia in place for a second before relaxing once more. “You know how it is. Ran out of money. Didn’t have anywhere else to stay. Not really good at anything,” she answered.

A lie. Such a pure and simple lie. Vinyl’s filthy, white ear had flicked. She’d looked away. Her body had been shifting back and forth, betraying her discomfort. High society taught ponies all of these cues, they’d taught Octavia how to behave and how to notice when others manipulated. And Vinyl lied. The homeless in Equestria didn't lie, it was such a surefire way of losing your chance, why would you? Octavia's curiosity only bit at her harder.

“I see,” Octavia answered instead. A gamble. She could spend some time on a gamble, couldn’t she? It was the weekend, she had some time, she had the space, and she could certainly use the company. What other plans did she have? Spend another several hours moping about the estate? Perhaps practicing her instrument for the millionth time? Such was the life of a recluse. Which begged a different question instead: Why not?

“Well, Miss Scratch, I can’t offer you any money, but I can perhaps offer you something better?” Octavia paused for dramatic effect, watching the hesitant, fearful looking mare examine her. Vinyl didn’t believe her. That was good. “How would you like to come to my home for breakfast? I’ll feed you and ensure you have better clothes to come back with. Think of it as a way for you to get something good in you,” she offered. Octavia’s muzzle split into a kind grin.

It was all about sincerity. Octavia sincerely wanted to help Vinyl, something just struck out as so different. A pony couldn't stay on the streets so long, and no type of scam would leave one homeless for so long. She had to do something, even if it would only benefit her for today. Apparently, Vinyl didn’t quite believe her either, something that hardly bothered Octavia. So many urban legends concerned this very subject.

Apparently, desperation won through with a loud growl of hunger. The smaller mare sized Octavia up with a look, one that seemed assured of her chances. She nodded her head, hooves and magic both scrambling to stuff an old, threadbare pack full with her things. “Okay. Just for breakfast, right?” she asked, still sounding suspicious. Up the dirty white mare stood, a little unsure on her hooves, a little back and forth.

Success, such sweet success. This poor thing needed love, and perhaps Octavia could be the one to give it to her. She smiled a little wider, showing her happiness. “Of course. Just for breakfast. Perhaps we could get you a shower and one of my coats as well,” she suggested. That may have been a bit much, but she'd already said it and there would be no taking it back now. Octavia turned on her hooves, preparing to lead the dumbstruck Vinyl Scratch. “Come along. Let's get out of this cold,” she went on.

To Octavia’s happiness, Vinyl did follow her. A little more slowly, a little more hesitant, but still coming. She kept peeking over her shoulder, as if she expected somepony to be following them, but at least she came. Octavia really didn’t know how she managed to carry that pack. Briefly, she couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since Octavia had had another pony over. Servants didn't count, so... months, perhaps? Maybe even a full year. Was it pathetic or altruistic to take a homeless pony home for company?

“So how long have you been doing this?” Octavia asked, wanting to keep the conversation continuing. “Have you been safe? I imagine that living on the streets isn’t exactly the most pleasant of livings,” she noted. She could only imagine how absolutely chilled to the bone Vinyl felt. Octavia, even in her warm, furred coat couldn’t help but shiver occasionally. Vinyl only had a patchwork mess.

“Oh. You know, a few months,” Vinyl answered, noncommittal and looking over her shoulder again. “Yea, it kinda sucks. You really do get used to it, though. And Canterlot is a nice city for it. There’s a lot of rich mares who have a lot of sympathy, though some of them are kind of dumb,” Vinyl went on, the most she’d said since the start.

Vinyl looked over her shoulder again, a frown setting into her muzzle. "Hey, look, you aren't like... going to murder me or anything? I mean, everypony has heard about stuff like that. You don't really seem like the type, but just so you know I can really handle myself in a fight!" She finished, nodding her head, apparently quite determined of herself.

A clear peal of laughter erupted from Octavia's throat, the girl shaking her head slowly. "Of course not. I was simply thinking we could warm you up and get a good meal in your belly. Nothing more, nothing less. Are you worried that I would?" she asked, shooting an almost teasing glance over her shoulder.

A nod answered her instead. Octavia’s heart darkened in her chest. She could only imagine what that felt like. Before she had a chance to pry more, Vinyl spoke instead.

“Hey, is that a cello case, by the way? I noticed it when you were walking by. Can you play it?” Vinyl asked. She hurried up a bit more, getting even with Octavia’s side and peering down at the case.

Pleasant surprise bolstered Octavia, strengthening the decision that she’d already made. “Yes, it’s a cello, and yes, I can play it. I’ve been practicing it my entire life, though I do it the Earth pony way,” she explained. Octavia ensured that she kept her eyes on the other mare. “I’m part of the symphony up in the castle, one of the few that Princess Celestia has on retainer.”

Vinyl arched an eyebrow at that. “Really? Huh. That’s pretty neat. I used to be able to play. Well, I could play the piano mostly, but…” Vinyl tipped her head back, the front of one of her hoodies pulling back to show her forehead. Instead of a normal unicorn horn, hers had been mangled, destroyed, broken into bits. Only a jagged, cracked stump remained, one still glowed an almost ethereal blue, but it glowed rather than sparked. “Can’t really do it without that, you know?” Vinyl went on, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Even Octavia could tell it bothered her. That flash of hurt was obvious, even if Vinyl did go right back down to looking at the ground afterwards. And what unicorn could handle that? What unicorn could handle losing their horn? “How did that happen, dear? I’m so sorry. It looks painful,” she soothed, trying to offer some of her own sympathy. She pressed her side against Vinyl’s, and though the smaller mare flinched, she eventually pressed back.

“It’s no biggie.” Another lie. One all the more obvious. “Accidents happen. Tripped and fell and all that and wow is this where you live?”

They had indeed stepped onto the walkway leading to Octavia’s house. In Canterlot, merely having a walkway meant having a great deal of wealth. Having a walkway with a fully furnished garden leading up to an old style manor… Well, that was an even more obvious display.

Octavia blushed faintly, trying to play it off as they walked up the little path way. “It is, yes. The Royal Orchestra pays well. Shall we?” she asked. Octavia reached to open the door for her guest, ushering inwards and into a new life.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

The cover art is very impressive. Did you make it yourself?

[Nadir]

9079436
I wish! Source is linked on it though :)

[JediAlexColbent]

[Nadir]

9079534
LOL

[JediAlexColbent]

9079544

[The Iguana Man]

Well, that all happened remarkably quickly.

You've got an interesting idea here, but I can't help but feel it moved far too fast for its own good. We've just met both Vinyl and Octavia and suddenly Octavia feels this connection to Vinyl and invites her into her house and Vinyl accepts. We have no clue why Octavia might feel this drawn towards this homeless pony she's never met - the description says that she's lonely and isolated, but we haven't seen any of that in the actual story, so it comes across as if the only reason she started talking is because Vinyl has pretty eyes.

And as for Vinyl, I get that she's supposed to be desperate enough to accept her offer, but that still feels like a bit of a stretch. I'd have thought that anyone who's been on the streets for any significant amount of time would know better than to trust a stranger like this no matter how desperate they are. After all, having a full belly's not going to do you much good if a knife's about to go into it.

I feel this needed to take a lot longer building up their respective characters and forging a connection before this point. For example, you say that she takes the same route every day, you could use that and have them meet a few times before she invites her to her home. That's just one possible way of doing things, of course, I'm not trying to be prescriptive, but you get my point, I hope. The whole thing feels somewhat rushed or, at the very least, premature.

I apologize if I'm being harsh, it's just there's a solid idea here and I think that, with some polish, this could make a pretty good story. And I will track to see where you go with it, but I do think there's significant room for improvement.

[Nadir]

9079726
Honestly, this was written in an hour, so any rush that you might have read probably existed.

I'm trying to do this in a more bite sized manner than the stuff I've done previously, but how well that's going to come across is an entire different story. More likely, I'll have to get a lot more practice with this format so I can use it to write the romance I want to write a fair bit more than this one (no offense to VinylTavia, but not what I'm really wanting to do.)

Essentially, the reason that I have it working the way it is is because of the setting that it takes place in. In general, I envision Canterlot and Equestria as a whole to be a much more accepting and friendly place than anything we have on Earth. So the idea of taking a pony in for a meal or for a night wouldn't be something that's out of the ordinary.

Like you said, this could definitely get expanded on as well to actually illustrate this to the reader rather than leaving it in the gaps for people to just guess.

I think I sort of screwed myself by rushing it so much. Just been so busy, I really wanted to get something out, you know?

But thank you for the detailed feedback, I appreciate it a ton!

[Nadir]

9079726
Also, I just edited a fair amount. It's not a lot, and I think any big changes for meetings earlier and all would take me more time, but I think this might help it out in the mean time. Added some more ~details~. I'd love to hear what you think ^^

[FallBlau]

I love where this is going, I hope to read more!

[Shadow_Wolf]

Looking forward to more

[Howff]

As beggings go, this is promising. Vinyl and Octavia are in character and there's a sense of mystery with the former's current state. However I can't help but feel it's a tad bit too fast paced, what with the instant housing offer. Looking forward for more.

[Nadir]

9080199
You arent the only one to think that! Definitely gonna be something I look to fix as we go on. The additional fluff on the chapter helped, but not by a ton.

[Nadir]

9080199
I don't mean to spam my comments, but I've edited a bit, would love to see what you thought of the changes.

[The Iguana Man]

9079894

It's certainly an improvement and probably close to as big an improvement as you could make without rewriting it. I'd be lying if I said it fixes the problems I had (for example, noting that Octavia's seen Vinyl before is good, but just saying it doesn't have anywhere near the same impact as actually showing it), but it certainly shows a positive change.

[Vedues]

You've got my attention, and I really enjoyed how Octavia notices body language so much. It's a wonderful bit of characterization for her. I'm also curious about what on earth happened to Vinyl. Looking forward to reading the rest!

[Kirtai]

Cute beginning, I'll keep an eye on this one

Btw

But one that Octavia would prove to believe for now.

Choose

A clear peel of laughter erupted from Octavia's throat

Peal

[CrossoverFanficReader]

Vinyl arched an eyebrow at that. “Really? Huh. That’s pretty neat. I used to be able to play. Well, I could play the piano mostly, but…” Vinyl tipped her head back, the front of one of her hoodies pulling back to show her forehead. Instead of a normal unicorn horn, hers had been mangled, destroyed, broken into bits. Only a jagged, cracked stump remained, one still glowed an almost ethereal blue, but it glowed rather than sparked.

Oh no, she got the edgy horse treatment.

[Dashie04]

“Lu- Vinyl. Vinyl Scratch,”

Wait, what was she going to say?

It’s certainly making me interested already.