Tracy shouldn’t have been that overwhelmed by a few questions. The one asking them wasn’t even threatening, more the kind of creature a child would find at the best petting zoo ever.
“Thanks for helping me out of that,” he said, as soon as they’d left Lyra behind and were well on their way across Ponyville. His watch still read seven, so it wasn’t like he felt incredibly tired or anything. If only the sun wasn’t so bright. “I should’ve realized she would want to know everything. I’ve had months to learn little things about Equestria, but she’s trying to power it all down in a few minutes.”
Rose had seemed upset during the interview, though he couldn’t imagine why. Probably just the rotten brisket sandwich stinking up the kitchen. But now that they were out in Ponyville none of her sourness had followed her. “You invited her, you should’ve expected that. Or maybe not, I guess I should’ve given you some kind of warning first. Lyra wishes she could be out traveling other worlds, but she doesn’t get to very much so she spends too much time talking about when she did.”
I can understand that. If anyone at work knew that I lived in another universe, they’d probably have a few questions to ask too. But the more he did to talk about Equestria on the other side, the closer he came to tempt the terms of the contract. Given the one enforcing the rules, he would prefer to stay as far away from the terms as possible. “Well now that I’m out, I guess I might as well do what I said I would. I won’t be able to stay with you all day, since I’ve got work tomorrow and I need sleep eventually. But a few hours shouldn’t be a problem.”
He could just drink a second shot of espresso tomorrow morning. That was basically three hours of sleep in a mug.
Ponyville was closer to his hometown than San Jose, that was for sure. Everyone they passed greeted Rose by name as though they’d known her for years. A single central main street with most shops connected to it also seemed like home—though at least everything looked different enough that Tracy didn’t feel like he needed to run away. It was a strange new world, not the ghost of his past come back from the dead.
“Having good records isn’t going to save the shop on its own,” Rose said, stopping abruptly near where buildings ended and market stalls began. Closest was a fruit seller, where one of the little yellow horses he’d seen at the festival was there hawking apples. “But at least having all the numbers will show us what needs to change. The less time my sisters and I spend away from the plants, the happier we’ll all be.”
The stand was barely even large enough for one more adult to fit inside with the other two. Tracy followed Rose through the cloth flap, and was momentarily stunned by the smell.
He held still, expecting to descend into hacking coughs in just a few seconds. Allergies, are you on vacation?
Apparently so, because his eyes didn’t even water.
Lily and Daisy were both staring. “You brought him to work?” Lily asked.
Rose nodded, glowering. But there were so many other little stalls, and none of them very far apart. She hesitated, drawing a curtain across the front of the stall to obscure them.
“We talked about this. Tracy brought us something to help us keep records. We’ll always know everything we have in the store, all the orders we’ve placed, and everything anypony buys from here on.”
It would have to help them big-time, if he ever expected to learn to fly. But Tracy couldn’t help but conjure images of being pushed out of trees, so missing out on that might not be the end of the world. “It won’t take that long,” he said instead. “If you don’t like it, I can return everything.”
There were half a dozen little shelves of flowers, all packed together. Many were empty, though some had new stock. And between them all, Daisy was trimming away at her latest arrangement. Rose settled the saddlebags on an empty section of table, gesturing. “Go on, Tracy. Do you need any help?”
“Not really. Just some space.”
Tracy set to work as quickly as he could, conscious of the eyes of the other mares on him. Well, Lily watched. Daisy went to the front to sell flowers, or at least stand there. He unwrapped the little POS tablet, basically just an old iPad with a stand. He’d seen the same things in trendy shops all over San Jose, attached to little Square scanners and contactless payment terminals.
Ponies didn’t have any of that, and he’d had to fenagle the sales program to work with their database instead of some cloud-based subscription nonsense. Needless to say, he didn’t expect to have service in Ponyville.
The closer he got to setting it up, the more the flower sisters crowded around him to stare. Apparently Equestria didn’t have anything like plastic packaging, let alone tablet computers and point of sale devices. Soon enough even Daisy had come back from the outside to stare while he gave a running banal commentary of what he was doing. “This is the battery bank, it’s what will keep the tablet powered through the day. Now I’m plugging it in with a USB cable…”
Explaining didn’t really seem to help, but he kept going anyway because it stopped them from asking dumb questions. “Now we need to load the operating system I flashed to an SD-card with the specifics of your flower stand.”
Eventually he was finished, and the tablet sat on the table beside a tray of cut stems. Tracy could never really know how objects were going to come through the doorway, but all that happened to the tablet was that it seemed to grow in size, so large that the stand could barely hold it up anymore. But when ponies have to touch it with their feet to make anything happen, it makes sense it would be big.
The printer came last, along with several spools of thermal paper. “This is the important part. When whoever is at the front gets an order, it will come back here to this printer. You tear off a piece, and know what you need to make.”
“We already know what we need to make!” Lily called, glaring suddenly at Rose. “This arrangement Daisy is working on—it’s for a birthday party tonight. You know how Pinkie gets—if there’s one thing off, whole order is trash.”
Rose stiffened, color fading from her face. “Wait, that’s today? Oh buck.”
“Language,” Daisy chided cheerfully. “There are fillies outside.”
Rose spun to face him, ears flattening. “Hey, uh… Tracy? Do you think you could stand out front for a…” She glanced to Lily.
“A few hours at least.”
“A few hours?” she repeated. “Please?”
“I, uh…” He should head straight home and get some sleep. “I guess I could try out the new sales terminal? I’ll have to teach you three how to use it, but… I could help for a little while.”
“It’s easy!” Rose helped him move the tablet out past the curtain, settling it to one side of the stall’s front so it wouldn’t obscure the inventory display sewn into the curtain. “Just ask ponies what they want and tell us. Little things we’ll bring out right away. Any big customers, call for me and I’ll consult with them before taking the order.”
“Sure, but—” She vanished through the curtain without another word.
And just like that, Tracy was outside manning the stall. Excuses bubbled in his mind, popping away in seconds for not seeming convincing enough. He could’ve insisted, maybe gone back to get the rest he deserved.
But whenever he thought of it, he couldn’t help but remember Rose’s relief at seeing her records finally corrected. Something so simple, one of the few things his qualifications let him offer, had made a difference.
He could stand at a flower stall for her, if it would make her feel better. Besides, he would look so strange standing there that no one would want to buy anything anyway.
For a few minutes, that was exactly what happened. Tracy stood at the front of the flower stall, with the tablet resting in front of him with the inventory up. The sisters worked furiously in the back on their gigantic order, but it didn’t sound like they would finish anytime soon.
“You’re working for Rose now?” asked a voice from just ahead of him. He looked down, then slid to the side so the screen wouldn’t block his face. He’d seen this woman a few times now—once flying through the air, then again delivering letters.
She wore the same uniform as the last two times he’d seen her, the exact same brown as an Earth delivery company he knew of. “Is that why you’re living there?”
He shrugged. “I, uh… I guess I am working for the Flower Sisters.” He would be taking his proceeds to buy flying lessons, anyway. That was kinda the same thing. “Do you want something?”
“Oh, yeah.” She twitched, and Tracy could see clearly how walleyed she was. Does that hurt? “Breakfast special, please. Whatever’s fresh.” She plopped three gold coins down onto the table beside the tablet.
He raised an eyebrow, glancing back at the sign mounted to the wall. Unfortunately for him, it was entirely pictographic, so he couldn’t verify if “breakfast special” was real. “You know this is a florist, right?”
“Oh, I know.” She puffed up her chest, standing straighter. “Back when I just volunteered for the weather team, I never could’ve bought something so nice. But now I can get everything Ditzy needs for school and even splurge a little.”
Tracy sighed, glancing to the side and sliding one hoof along the tablet’s surface. It still worked, at least if he touched the screen with the fleshy part between the hard sides of each hoof. She wasn’t wrong, there was a breakfast special on his product list. He tapped it with a hoof, waiting. “What’s the name for the order?”
“Muffins,” she said. “What’s your name again? I think you probably told me once, but I forgot. I’m not very good with names.”
“Tracy, pleased to meet you.” He sent the order, then extended a hoof in the strange yet familiar greeting.
A few seconds later came the whirring of the thermal printer, along with several gasps.
“They’ll have it right out,” Tracy said, only a little smugness seeping into his voice.
The gray mare only nodded, settling back on her haunches as though she hadn’t even noticed anything unusual about the order.
Fine with me, I probably shouldn’t start reselling computers in a world that barely has electricity.
The curtains parted, and Rose emerged from within, clutching a paper plate by the rim in her mouth. The contents were basically just a pile of trimmings, probably from the same order they were making, though it was scattered with a dozen or so little blooms. “Good morning, Muffins.”
It looked more like a scoop of someone’s green bin than breakfast, but Muffins didn’t seem to notice. She only beamed, taking the plate in her mouth. “Good morning, Rose! Thanks for breakfast!” She gathered it up, vanishing away through the stalls.
“I keep forgetting you people eat that,” Tracy muttered, mostly to himself. “It’s not just weird desserts you make for special occasions. You just eat yard waste.”
“We do not!” Rose bopped him lightly on the nose with a hoof, glaring. “The Flower Sisters serve only the freshest flowers.”
This was a fun chapter. I like how the relationship between Rose and Tracy is developing and it was nice to see Derpy again. By the way I think you meant Dinky instead of Ditzy.
Very interesting to see that Tracy didn't bring his allergies with him. Different body, different immune system.
"Got it, bat pony magic."
(Also, how is he recharging the battery bank?)
Muffins, the mother of Ditzy. Well, that's going to cross some wires in my mind.
And don't insult the merch you're selling, Tracy. For shame.
... Wait, they conned him into working retail. Roseluck was the real villain the whole time!
I'm just very proud of Lily and Daisy for not screaming at the strange new device springing to life Guess they're getting used to Tracy after all
For one, that's finagle.
For the second, it means "to obtain something by devious or dishonest means". I'm not sure that fits here.
Correct me if i'm wrong.
Finagle. :) fun chapter!
I can imagine smoke coming out of their ears.
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Now now, working retail doesn’t make her evil.
Oh what am I saying. Of course it does.
10290831 Naa, you don't get into real evil until you work on commission.
10290810 Well, if it works on bat pony magic, it will have to recharge under Moonlight.
Dude. Tracy. Brain filters. One of these days you're going to offend the wrong pony with your interdimensional foreigner remarks.
"Oh my, a visitor from another world and I didn't know about it for weeks? You must allow me to make it up to you! I would be thrilled if you would join me this evening for a royal banquet of the finest yard waste Equestria has to offer. My treat."
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Even worse, Tracy wasn't even told whether or not the Flower Sisters would be paying him for his time.
Time that Roseluck knows is cutting into the sleep he needs for his actual job that night (well, day on his side of the portal).
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Probably just take it to his work each ‘day’ and charge it and then return it to Rose each ‘night’ to use at the stand... although I do like the idea of Georg’s Lunar charging systems... wouldn’t that be a concept if he could translate it into a technology to function overnight in tandem with solar panels, I’d be onboard to have lunar panels next to my solar panels to take the pressure off my recycled battery banks!
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Exactly! Retail pay scales are for underpaying hard workers, commission remuneration is for truly ripping them off. This is how you identify the most evil of bosses and businesses.
It seems that populating the POS systems item menu is going to be an eye opener as he realises that the items are just as much decoration as comestibles.
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https://www.dictionary.com/browse/finagle?s=t
1) to trick, swindle, or cheat (a person)
2) to get or achieve (something) by guile, trickery, or manipulation
3) to practice deception or fraud; scheme
Starscribe is using the second definition. Tracy achieved correct operation of the terminal through guile, trickery, and manipulation of the PoS software.
10290922
That's what I get for relying on Google.
Withdrawn.
I think you might have meant Dinky here. Unless Ditzy Do/Derpy Hooves aren't Muffins, our beloved gray mailmare.
So good
Yay! I like the paRt with the printerr
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The same way he was able to plug in his TV at the house, because everyone else seems to have forgotten he did that in chapter 6...
10290932
Well, you weren't wrong. The rabbit hole was just deeper than expected.
Let's hope Tracy can get some rest and Rose can get used to the computers. She should know Tracy has a second life on the other side.
Wow. Didn't realize Pinkie's a pony for perfection. Makes sense though. She's the type to know when and where the butterfly needs to flap to cause a hurricane. Same thing must apply to birthday parties.
Let's hope that doesn't turn to a few days or a few weeks. Still, other than the flight lessons, Tracy might actually be doing it for the romance points.
Yard waste!
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How the ponies react.
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I thought they had basic electrical plugs at home. 1930s style, probably.
Ah ha! You thought you were in retail, but it was actually food service!
I see a lovely trajectory here. I have become so invested in the story now that I feel my heart tugged by my own projected hopes and fears. If it is an ill wind that blows no minds, it is also an ill tale that tugs no tails. My tail is strongly tugged - holy chrome, but I hope this all works out happily!
In any case, such a lovely story!
Me 4 hours ago: “huh this looks interesting. Let’s give it a read.”
Me now: “noooo! I got caught up on it! I want more!”
I wonder if his allergies are just "on hold" while he's in bat pony form, and will immediately play catch up once he goes human again with an absolutely epic sneeze or something. I mean, if his allergies are anything like mine...I wouldn't put it past them.
I guess that settles the question of which shipping service is better--UPS or FedEx. Clearly, it must be UPS, if best background pony is the one who gets to wear their uniform.
Still haven't caught on that flowers equals dinner to ponies yet, huh, Tracy? I mean, how, dude? You've not only gotten plenty of clues, you've even had the chance to sample their wares.
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In a way, though, I suppose it makes sense, considering the pony body. I recall reading a study once in which it states that grazing animals (such as horses) generally were less likely to be affected by the likes of seasonal allergies as they would in humans or some other animals, the theory being that because such animals were continuously exposing themselves to such allergen producing plants their whole lives, they eventually evolved immunities that helped prevent or at least greatly minimize it. I imagine the same would apply to Equestrian ponies, though with more potential for exceptions (since I'm sure the show and/or comics have shown a pony with seasonal allergies before).
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I'm not too worried, seeing Roseluck has already demonstrated a guilty conscience for making Tracy help out and not be compensated for it somehow. Heck, the whole paying him for anything idea was all hers precisely because of that reason.
I mean, she may not remember to do it right away because of her attention being more on the large order at the moment, but I'm sure she'll remember eventually and rectify it accordingly.
10290849
I am surprised Luna hasn't suspected anything out-of-place with this Ponyville's thestral.
this reminded me of an old book, i think it was the original "fantastic voyage": someone invented a pill that would let someone get a full night's sleep in an hour, by making sure he was in REM mode the entire time...
BUT someone who had tried it said it gave him a solid hour of BAD dreams!
10291418
oh, that made me think of a silly story:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/316324/sunset-shimmer-is-fedup
Congratulations, you‘ve just volunteered for 24/7 tech support. Oh, you‘re still planing to move on in a year? Are you trying to kill these ponies, Tracy?!
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10290810
It's definitely possible that his allergies will act up once he goes through the door. Pollen tends to stick around (in your body, on your clothes), so it's possible that once he goes back his human allergies will just react to the pollen already present.
Wait till word gets out about in the Market about the tablet and printer - everyone is going to want one.
How rude! There's a saying we'd like to utter here: "Your failure to plan and prepare does not constitute my emergency!"
At least he's meeting more locals and showing his face, so net positive, but eek that work day tomorrow is gonna suuuck.
Nice to see the tablets work with frog-touch.
Thermal printer is a good choice, since it's only temporary we don't care if it fades to black in the hot sun.
Keep going! ;)
Smart man, using advanced technology to slowly invade ponies minds and make them slaves that are solely dependent on human tech.
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Swarm of bunnies: Deadly danger
AlienTop-secret batpony technology to save our small business: mana from CelestiaI've been meaning to read this story since March, very happy that I finally managed to read this awesome Slice of Life. Very interested in seeing how "Tracing" will do with flying lessons and the fact that his stay/residency isn't infinite... or is it?
I can't point out anything particular that makes this story so lovely to read, so personable, so appealing, but to me it is. This is an excellent slice of life story and I will certainly look forward to reading more about it on Thursdays.
I guess in the mean time I should have a look at Synthesis, or perhaps Through the Aurora?
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I mean, Food Services is a sub-category of Retail if it's the end of the supply chain.
Wait wtf I just realized I wasn't tracking this and missed the new chapters
Goddamn it
Lol! Same thing, Rose!
Anyway you look at it, the sisters are basically running an MLP version of what is basically a small street corner Barbecue Stand.
He basically walks into a restaurant, looks at chef and says "its not just weird food you serve, you make garbage."
Wow, just Wow.
I think a quote from "Dan_s Comments " fits this very well
The Monk
“Even in modern times, there are other ways to volunteer for concussive dentistry, but few as sure.” -Dan_s Comments
This is seriously the story of any college student or intern's life.
!?!?!
Is Applejack just considered especially vulgar?
Are they actually saying something else and the translation is screwing with him?
Is there a different inflection to the "buck" that means "fuck" and the one that means "kick"?!
10349569
Unlikely, maybe, probably
10349569
Don't think about it too much, you'll go crazy
10349569
Yeah, that's been a pet peeve of mine for years.
Rather than buck, words like bronc, rut, and mount (along with their gerunds) would be more appropriate as MLP substitutes for fuck. Bucking is clearly and canonly used solely for kicking out with their back hoofs. But it's one of those meme-weed that's firmly taken root in this site due to a lot of people doing unimaginative thinking.
10739213
Yep, definite Pinkie-thing going on there!
Hmmm the good stuff..
He got booped...
The bit still hasn’t dropped eh?
Umm, shouldn't that be Dinky since that's the child while Ditzy is just another alias for Derpy/Muffins? I currently took it as a misspelled Dinky for the translation.