Chapter 42
Despite her fears, Rose found "calling" work to be far less of a big deal than she would've thought. She'd seen Tracy play with that slab of metal and glass he called a "phone" plenty of times, and knew where he kept it.
As he had suggested, getting it to listen to her required she use a stylus in her mouth, tapping and scrolling before she finally found the place he had suggested.
Daisy and Lily would have nightmares about trying to figure this out, she thought. She tapped the “speaker” button, and it started to ring. Tracy always says there's no magic on his side, but it doesn't seem like that's true. Talking to ponies far away instead of just sending them letters or telegrams seems pretty magical to me.
Maybe it was just a question of attitude—they didn't want to call it magic, so they made up another name. But it was the same thing really.
There was a click, then a voice on the other end. A female voice, sounding young enough that Rose might've been worried. Might have, if it wasn't for how harsh and unfriendly she sounded. "Tracy? Since when do you call?"
Rose glanced over Tracy's notes one last time, then cleared her throat. "Uh... hi! My name is Roseluck, I'm Tracy's m—girlfriend."
"Okay," said the voice, tone entirely unchanged. "He never mentioned you before. But I guess he doesn't really talk about his home life at all. I assume he wanted you to call?"
"Yeah." She went through the lie they'd rehearsed as best she could. Rose didn't feel so bad about it, not when the important details were true. She was just translating the specifics so they would make sense to the creatures in the other universe, that was all. She didn't have to lie about the fear she felt at the time, or how seriously Tracy was hurt.
Despite her initial response, Janet became far warmer by the end of the conversation. "You let Tracy know I'll make sure everything's worked out with HR for the next week," she said. "Apex wants him to take the time he needs to come back healthy. Remind him that we're going into crunch next week for the Emmerson project, he'll know what that means."
"Sure." Rose scribbled that down, though she was fairly certain she'd completely botched the spelling. She spat out the pencil. "Thanks so much, Janet. You were one of the first things he thought of when he woke up—he's been stressed like you wouldn't believe over failing you."
The alien made a grunting sound that wasn't quite a word, one that Rose couldn't quite parse. Was it frustration, relief, confusion? "Tracy's lucky to have you. You should come with him to one of the company parties, meet everyone. Family's always invited."
The machine made a noise, the screen flashed, and the sound stopped.
Rose stared at it for a few more seconds, in case it started doing things again. But it didn't, and a few moments later she felt comfortable returning it to Tracy's desk. She's a little mean, but she does seem to care about him. Not the worst pony to work for.
Come to think of it, Rose didn't actually know what Tracy did with “Apex”. He spoke about himself so rarely that Rose sometimes forgot he had another life. Maybe I should go with him to a company party. He's become a part of my life, I should be more a part of his.
Rose took full advantage of the time alone to clean up the whole house, including Tracy's room. He wasn't the messiest stallion she'd ever lived with, but there was something about bats. He didn't buck the trend in terms of their organization strategy of choice: piles.
Her reunion with her own family was far less dramatic than the one with Tracy himself. "You don't have to make up a story," Daisy said, as soon as she finished explaining everything. "We get it. You found somewhere romantic up in Canterlot, maybe that... cavern retreat? Your bat would like that. You already live together, what's there to be embarrassed about?"
"We weren't—" It was a stupid thing to be embarrassed about. But mostly she was indignant. "You're going to feel awful when you see him, Daisy. He'd been so electrocuted that the nurses started calling him after it. I don't even know how long it will be before he can walk."
On this side. On the other, he only had two legs, and neither one had been damaged. But that was too much for them.
The stand wasn't particularly busy, but even so she could feel the pressure of eyes from around them. Lily leaned out from the back, watching closely. "You should've gone to the retreat. Don't you like caves? It would've been romantic."
"And expensive," she finished, holding up a hoof and glaring at Daisy. "We were planning on going camping in a week or two, off to the Peaks of Peril. He was willing to go with me. But... guess we'll have to wait for next month. Half the fun of camping is the hike out, and he'll still be hobbling around in a week."
"Good." Daisy patted her on the shoulder. "Please, please go. We can tell how you're getting, Rose. You need some attention. You aren't the kind of mare who can live alone and be happy."
Her face grew redder, but she didn't argue. Daisy wasn't wrong. She wasn't the one who had to live with an attractive bat who spent half his time dressed like he was some Canterlot dandy, while flying face first into danger whenever it flew his way. Even thinking he was an alien invader hadn't made it easier.
"The caverns aren't worth it," she said, as though Daisy hadn't said anything. "But we'll figure something out. I wish he hadn't been hurt so badly. Our first date went... really well."
She had to tell them, of course, in great detail. It would've given them something to talk about for the entire shift, if there hadn't been so many other distractions to talk about.
"Seems like you had a good time," Lily said, when she was finally finished gushing about it all. "Too bad about the ending. You should make the next one less dramatic."
"I kinda promised I'd do the next one in his world," she admitted, tensing as she said it. She wasn't wrong, either.
"That sounds dangerous," Daisy said, after settling a fresh display onto the counter beside them. "You, of all ponies? Magic and danger and faraway lands? You sure that's what you want?"
Yes. But how could she explain that? "It's the one thing I feel like I'm missing," she said. "With the others, I could see how they acted in their clan. But Tracy's like us—he doesn't have a family. So I want to see what he's like when he's himself."
Lily nodded. "That sounds smart. Want to know that he's really the pony you think he is. Didn't you say ponies are strange over there? You'd have to be like them."
She nodded. That was surprisingly insightful for Lily. Maybe she was listening better than Rose gave her credit for. "Weird, yeah. They're two-legged like minotaurs, stretched out and thin. I can show you pictures if you want, he's got some in his room."
"I want to see," Daisy said. "Not that I'm telling you what to do with your life, big sister. You're grown, and... honestly, picking a bat who can't fly away on you might be the smartest choice you ever made. Still not sold on his ideas for selling flowers, but... guess I shouldn't be arguing with success. You think it's worth sticking with, so I believe you."
The shift was uneventful after that. Nightmare Night wasn't quite close enough to bring in the demand yet, so having a pony at the front of the stall was probably more than they needed. But what we really need is a store, not a stall. Somewhere with enough room for a real fridge, and plenty of growing space.
Their parents had planned and scrimped and saved for that goal exactly, but all those bits had melted into the simpler mission of just surviving after the invasion.
We've just about paid off all the loans. I wonder if anyone would give us a lease on one of the empty buildings around Ponyville. That goal had not gotten easier as their resident librarian rose in prominence in Equestria. She took the town—and its real-estate prices—up with her.
She tried to bring it up with her sisters, but Lily didn't really have the mind for long-term thinking, and Daisy just agreed with anything Rose thought.
"But think about it. If we had our own store, like... out near the edge of town, by the train station. We'd get all the hoof traffic passing by the front, and we'd have the space to grow more of our own stock. That would mean better margins, since we wouldn't have to import. More free time too, since we wouldn't need to forage nearly as much. We could keep just one pony in the store on slow days, and all be there only when there are big holidays and large orders."
Finally she'd said something that was getting through to them, or Lily anyway. "I wouldn't mind more time off."
"Well, think about it. One minimum, instead of two. Or... buck, we could even have a service window for snacks out front. We'd be the first thing ponies see on their way into town, and their last chance before taking the train home again."
"Sounds fantastic," Daisy said, her tone flat. "By the way, are you sure you weren't the one who hit her head? Where's this coming from, Rose? Why isn't the stand enough?"
It wasn't for Mom and Dad. It doesn't have to be enough for us either. She didn't want to argue that now, not while there were still potential customers passing by. Even if there were no major holidays and no Pinkie parties in the next week, there was still the snacks. The reason they needed two ponies instead of one. And if we had a fridge, we could do that in advance too.
"It's something to strive for now that we're in the black," Rose said. "We've got the Harvest Parade and Hearth’s Warming coming up. The way things are going, we'll have..." She did the mental math, then stopped herself. If she told them, her sisters would want to spend it other ways, insisting on taking their share off on vacation or something. One third wouldn't be enough.
"Lots," she finished lamely, trailing off. She let the subject drop after that, though she would find somepony to talk to about it. Long-term financial planning might be another one of her bat's skills.
It was hard to shake the feeling that she should be doing something more, after she'd been the one to get Tracy into danger this time. But aside from cleaning their house and planning out the next week of meals, she couldn't think of anything else. She probably shouldn't be so excited about it, but she couldn't help but think of all the time she'd have together with him.
His work had given him a week to recover before coming in. On the one hoof, that hadn't seemed fair—but on the other, it would probably be the longest uninterrupted block he had ever spent in Equestria.
One way or another, Roseluck would make it count.
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Janet invited her?!
I sense a love powder keg that is gonna blow like a U boat
Well, that's relieving. I mean, I had figured she was probably going to be...but you know...there's always room for speculation when it comes to Janet.
I think that's a fair assessment of Janet's character, all right. She does come across as needlessly mean at first glance, but it's situations like this that makes me think it's really more of a tough love sort of thing. You know, she's "hard on her favorites" sort of thing, and thus pressures Tracy accordingly to that philosophy.
Whether or not that's the right approach for her to be actually taking though...I leave that to others to decide for now.
You know, I'd bet that's an occasional source of frustration for Twilight. I'm sure she doesn't want any towns getting gentrified on her account.
Though you can never be too sure with Pinkie.
I see the wheels are still turning. Glad Janet isn't heartless. Rose on the other side will be real interesting.
Well, that was rather nice of Janet. Colour me surprised. Then again, if he's critical for an upcoming project's crunch time, being nice to him for now is the pragmatic option.
And now Roseluck gets to attend company parties? That's a minefield of faux pas if I ever saw one.
Huh, they're getting a signal. Impressive. I suppose even when the back door is closed, the portal's still there.
Says the manager who is implicitly opposed to him having a home life at all.
Ah, the joys of multiversal values dissonance.
Between a week in Equestria and Rose getting invited to a company picnic, Tracy's definitely in for some interesting times in the near future.
I haven’t read this chapter yet. But I have to say that the pic at the begging is super cutie.
10531396
Tracy mentioned in narration back in chapter 27 that he couldn't go off to the flower shop because he needed to stay close enough for a signal because he might get a call at any time, so that presumably was something he checked on.
10531362
"So what do you do?"
"I run a flower shop. Tracy has been helping lately."
"Interesting. Tracy, I seem to recall a clause in your contact that says you aren't supposed to work anywhere else."
Ah, sibling savagry, nothing like it.
10531426
"I had to help them set up their computers" is something most people in tech would understand.
Easier? I'd say just the opposite. If real estate prices are going up that means rents are going to go up as well. Meanwhile, the price they get for their flowers hasn't really changed. Getting a place of their own is going to be harder than ever, especially when the land speculators start buying up everything.
10531442
You may want to re-read that part again.
10531366
I've known far too many HR people and managerial types who are so much like Janet to relax. Becoming all nice and understanding isn't necessarily a good sign.
10531449
Looks like I miss read that. Sometimes my mind does strange things to sentances.
10531426
Such clauses usually only require that you not work for competitors in the same field of business.
Unless Tracy works for a florist on our side, I think he's golden even if Roseluck mentions that he occasionally works at her shop.
10531396
Must be a universal carrier.
The picture is perfection. I'm gonna be spreading that one around for sure.
This was a great chapter and I like that Rose had no difficulty in calling Tracy's work and her idea about cooming to one of those parties is a good idea. Rose's sisters are also supportive of her decisions which is also a good thing just as Rose's plan for a shop and asking Tracy for the financial planning.
That call went smoothly. Company picnic? Well, just one way to mix both of Tracy's lives. It'll be interesting to see.
Well, each person's definition of "sufficiently advanced technology" is different.
Can't help but think Tracy lost some reputation points there. Not good after he's been climbing back up.
Face first into danger isn't exactly something Tracy does often on a willing basis. Also, your idea of dressed would get you arrested on the other side.
Well, the portal is a converter so it shouldn't take too long to get used to it. Humans or ponies are considered more or less equivalent so Tracy's bat form or Rose's human form are in a way completely natural to them. Calling the two human or pony would both be right. Though you could probably expand that to everyone else. It's just living mostly on one side would more or less make you decide which you identify more closely as. If the relationship goes far enough to bear children and the portal remains open, it'd be interesting to see the children's views on it, especially if they spend equal amounts of time on both sides.
It'll be a definite upgrade from the stall, but it'll come with extra work. It'll be harder to run but they've certainly acquired enough experience to make it work.
No doubt we'll start seeing something special between those two.
Let's hope Rose can manage people eating meat on the other side, that's by far the hardest hurdle for her.
Also let's hope Tracy isn't an idiot with the potions the crunch. If he does it right he can pass it as being shy on taking about his personal life and get brownie points by taking Rose to a party.
I'd say to use some of that to convince him to quit, but Discord seems to have plans, soooo...
Rose is increasing herself, her sisters are content to be complacent. Interesting.
She should totally take an experimental step to the other side, at least to confirm if she'll have clothes. Though seeing Tracy react to her nude human form would be priceless. "I'm naked almost all the time!" "but not as a human! That's different!"
Wait, it's not yet that time of year, is it? 😇
Seems the portal knew what it was doing making Tracy a bat. How many eerie similarities are they going to have before it's not just coincidence?
Keep going! ;)
10531471
Is he even getting paid!? It’s more like “she’s my ‘girl friend’ and I’m helping her out so I can spend more time with her don’tcha know?”
i.imgur.com/EUZHxUw.jpg
10531428
..... That's tame compared to what my brother and I put each other through. :P
10531606
I dunno.... I'm not feeling the floof googlies.
They should be.... Bigger. ;P
How big is the rental house’s lot on Earthside? I wonder if they could make use of Earth resources to help the flower business? Things like greenhouses or warehouse space etc.
What time is it Earthside? Did Rise call Janet at the office or on her cellphone?
10531601
He was getting paid, but it was all going towards paying for flying lessons.
That is an adorable picture.
Did Janet hang up or did the phones battery die because the latter could be bad. Either way I'm not sure I like Janet becoming warmer in my experience management only act like that when they want something and she only said she'd take care of HR. She didn't say it wouldn't be by having them fire him after the upcoming crunch time.
10531549
I think Discords plans involve him immigrating.
10531502
I recall one Ranma 1/2 fix where he gets cursed as a kid and rather than protesting he's a man he's instead so comfortable with both forms that he doesn't even think about it unless others ask. At which point he mentions things like going through puberty when which gender he's interested in literally depended on which gender he/she was at the time.
10531562
"Which is why I took Applejacks advice and wore a hat."
10531934
Seriously, though. If you're working somewhere that you don't like being, working with people who don't like you, it might not be worth it.
10531952
Oh the works generally fine the issues with upper management, my bosses, bosses boss and above. The ones you deal with just enough to be annoying but not on a daily basis. Not even as direct as Tracy and Janet. The ones however who'll decide giving you stand down for a day because you finished at 1 am is "fraud" so you need to come in at 1pm and sit alone in the office staring at a wall from 3pm till 6 pm for the 3 days required to make up the hours is more productive never mind that your a field worker who (a) can't do any work alone for safety reasons and (b) don't even have paper work to keep you busy (I do but the people the next level down from me don't and they're in the same boat). Wont even roster you past six so you get shift rates.
So like i said the jobs fine, the people i work with are fine but with upper management they arent nice unless they want something from you and any problems are your fault. Hence my suspicion about Janet getting nice when told her new, somewhat unreliable employee is going to be out for a week due to electrocutuon/broken arm.
Can't wait to see human rose
10531606
Googly Tia strikes again!!!
10531958
Still, you get my point.
10531396 10531426
Not only that, but Discord made it clear to Tracy when he signed the lease that his devices would still work in Equestria, and one of the first things Tracy did after moving in was put that to the test. He had his usual internet still on the Equestrian side, so a phone signal was a safe assumption too.
Plus I think he's called in from the Equestrian side before too. Didn't he do that when his friends went AWOL in Equestria?
Whatever the case, point is that, yes, it's been well established by now that Tracy's got a signal in Equestria, at least while in close vicinity of the portal.
10531453
True, probably smart to keep the ol' guard up nonetheless. But any chance of Tracy getting out of this without too much long term trouble I'm of course gonna root for.
I was thinking about Tracy's accident, and I remembered a bit from CBC's comedy news program 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes', where they related the real news story of how a man fell onto a roof, fell off the roof onto power lines, fell off the power lines onto an awning, fell from the awning onto more power lines, then fell to the ground... and yet lived. I believe the announcer, probably Rick Mercer, went "Those on the site described hearing the accident: OW! iiIIEEEE! ZAP! IIIEEEE! OW! ZAP!.... THUD!!!"
I couldn't find the clip from the show, sadly, but... it really made me think of it!
Come on Roseluck, you can do it! Be brave!
I really like this story.
10531476
If the reception is anything like here, it is NOT AT&T Universal. That coverage doesn't even work well in this city, and I'm pretty sure I'm in the same universe as you.
(It's one where people have views on masks and gatherings. Are people strange where you live?)
How invasive, I dunno if it's the company or the manager, but that's some invasive bullshit right there. Par for the course of what they've shown I guess.
Now that he's stuck in the hospital, the "stay awake" spell/potion can safely expire with no additional negative consequences.
Maybe he’ll get a letter from his human friend while he’s laid up. Might also be fun to see how his injuries/potion side effects manifest when he’s human. As far as what he should take Roseluck to do on our side, I think a Dave & Buster’s style arcade would provide a fun environment for her to marvel at our technology while also made uneasy by the violence.
In any case, love the fic, eagerly awaiting updates.
O i like were this is going.
Haha new chapter~!
I just actually saw a Tracy Maxwell on Pony Town, I went up to him and said "Starscribe!" Was a nice little interaction.
10531439
Didn't Tracy use some company resources when he was going through their finances and setting them up with the tablet? I recall him being slightly concerned about it at the time, but dismissing it because he was doing it in another universe.
If organizing things in piles makes someone a bat, there are a lot of bats on the human side. Twilight is a bat too, she loves piles of stuff.
10532017
Yes and I trust you get mine that managers who get friendlier when informed someone on thin ice has injured themselves are not a good sign.
10540380
Yeah, fair enough.
10541828
In his/her defense, Sttarscribe cleaned up the character very well as the story progressed. But I was never referring to how the character reacted to being displaced, I was referring to how the character interacts with other characters. His interpersonal relationships. In the early parts of the story he is written very oddly.
I do stand by the original post, this is a good story and a very unique spin on the HIE genre. Starscribe improved the character as the story progressed.
It is very well done and Im looking forward to more.
The Monk
“On her doorstep was Twilight Sparkle. While Derpy deeply respected the mare, like most in Ponyville, they wished she'd either switch to decaf, or start hitting the harder stuff.” -Dan_s Comments
What are you implying here, Daisy?