Rares & Pie: Burgers n' Fries

by kaminakat

Ep 1 - Friendship is Something

In the back of a crummy mall food court burger joint, propping the door to the walk-in freezer open with an errant leg, a young woman lay sprawled out on the cold tile floor. Her hair, purple, but showing a bit of brown in her roots, was splayed out in every which way in a fashion most tragic.

For this was, as the young lady was want to exclaim to the world, a TRAVESTY.

Her arms flailed with a lack of purpose. The freezer echoed her exasperation back to her.

“It’s all just such a damned waste!” she declared after a deluge of whingeing groans. “A woman in her PRIME, cast into servitude to peddle BURGERS. No matter her inner world just aching to be told, her creativity boundless; never before has such a TRAGEDY befallen this weary world-“

The woman’s diatribe was cut short as she felt the bump of the freezer door pushing against her leg. She looked up.

Another young gal, this one sporting a similarly unkempt mane (curly and pink, however), stood looking down at her.

“Oh, hi!” chirped the pink-haired girl. “I thought I heard someone having a moment back here.” She leaned down a bit. “I’m the new girl, I start today. Is everything okay down there?”

She grinned with a smile that would have seemed teasing if she didn’t exude such sincerity.

Floor-bound legs kicked and the freezer girl groaned like a thousand grumpy tomcats.

“It’s all just too much. We weren’t meant to be here every day, stuck under heat lamps and cleaning out grease.”

Her arms shot up, emphasizing her screed.

“We are to be running through the grass, frolicking! Enjoying! LIVING! I shouldn’t be wearing this uniform; I should be sat under a tree in an evening gown, writing up a book of poetry. There is love in my heart, you see!! Love in my heart, weariness in my eyes, and above all an endless sonnet alight in my head.”

The girl’s arms slapped back down to the floor with pure dramatics.

Standing above her still, the curly-haired girl paused for a moment.

“...you have a sonnet in your bonnet?”

“Yes, I suppose I do.”

The new girl smiled again and squatted down to address her coworker.

“Well, maybe you can tell me that sonnet some time. Right now we have a line though, so we better get back to it.”

She offered out her hand to the weary woman.

“I’m Pinks by the way. Nice to meetcha!”

The purple-haired one sighed and took the hand.

“I guess you’re right. Call me Rares.”

---

As one girl helped another up, in the back of a crummy burger joint in a run down mall, things would start to move into place. Because even in this world a few removed, where things aren’t so special and magic is but a dream: people need each other, and people need to eat.

RARES & PIE: BURGERS N FRIES
EPISODE ONE: FRIENDSHIP IS SOMETHING

---

“Here you go, sir. Have a nice day, thank you for-“

Before Rares could finish her pre-programmed spiel, the man she had handed his tray did a prompt about-face and headed to a table.

“...nothing,” Rares finished under her breath.

She stood (feet aching) manning (womanning?) the cash register under the neon burger sign denoting her place in the run down food court of the equally run down Canterlot Springs Mall. Pinks was whistling a tune while she womanned the grill, so Rares was stuck dealing with the rubes.

Luckily for her, a more familiar face approached the restaurant.

“What was his problem?” asked a mousy looking girl with thick bangs and thicker frames on her glasses. She wore a white lab coat over her casual clothes, which in the setting of a food court just sort of made her look like someone in costume at a convention. Held against her chest were some papers.

“He eats here,” replied Rares in a tone as flat as the tile floor.

The science lady scowled.

“I eat here sometimes, Rares.”

“I’m aware, Twily.”

Her eyes rolling up and behind her thick frames, Twily handed the papers over.

“Here’s your lab from yesterday,” she stated, “everything looks to be where it should.”

Pinks popped up beside Rares behind the counter.

“Whatcha got there?”

Rares held up the paper.

“This is my Woman Stat Sheet,” she explained dryly. She put it down and pointed to the girl in the lab coat. “This is my friend Twily.” She then pivoted, looking at her friend on the other side of the counter. “This is The Pink One. She’s from out of town.”

“Nice to meetcha!” exclaimed Pinks. She pointed at the other girl’s lab coat. “Are you a doctor or something?”

“Lab aid,” explained Twily, adjusting her glasses. “I work at the Med Lab across the street.” She pointed a finger at The Pink One. “And listen, you-“

“Pinks.”

“Listen, Pinks. I know we don’t know each other, but you need to promise me something. You do NOT tell ANYONE that Rares here is my patient, and that I run labs for her. As far as you are concerned, Rares doesn’t know anything about my work. Kapeesh?”

“Yes m’am!” replied Pinks, saluting.

Rares snickered under her breath. “Didn’t you take an oath or something?”

“Turning away the poor from care IS doing harm,” Twily retorted. “Also, missy, you really shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Rares scoffed and then reached over to the soda fountain and filled a large cup.

“And you the same,” she said, handing Twily the drink.

The two stuck their tongues out at each other, paused, then both laughed.

As they regained their composure, Twily noted a woman in her periphery who seemed to be heading towards the burger joint.

“Anyways,” Twily remarked, “I better get going. Remember to take your meds.”

Rares flinched. “Thanks for the reminder I actually forgot this morning.” She reached down and pulled up a backpack, sticking her arm in and rifling around. Producing a small pill bottle, she unscrewed the cap and popped a small yellowish tablet into her mouth.

Twily handed her the drink for a moment as she washed down the medicine.

“Pinks,” said Rares as she handed the drink back, “go grab me some fries.”

The Pink One saluted once more and headed back to the fryers. Rares dug back into her bag until she came to an unpleasant realization.

“The other one isn’t in here.”

Twily frowned.

“Well, you better find it. I can’t get you more until your refill date.”

As Rares shook out her pack to no avail, Twily turned back towards the mall entrance on the other side of the room.

“I’ll see you later. Good luck.”

Rares watched as after Twily left another girl approached, but then dropped a quarter which started rolling away. The would-be customer took notice and chased it out of Rares’ field of view.

“Same...” she muttered to herself.

“Your friend was really nice!” said Pinks, walking up beside her, chomping on fries. “See, not everything is bad. You got friendship! Oh, sorry, here’s your fries.”

“Friendship is whatever,” replied Rares, “right now I need to find some missing meds.”

“Maybe one of those two can help!”

Rares looked up just as two more customers approached. One was a tall girl with jet black hair, wearing a nice gray blouse. The other was a short and rail thin person who looked more androgynous, wearing a white tee shirt and a beanie over messy electric blue hair. The second one’s eyes were obscured by a pair of tinted magenta shades.

“Oh, those two,” said Rares with a chuckle, “nah they’re just a couple of like, mall hooligans. In 2023. It’s hilarious.”

The tall girl stomped her foot. “Rares, we are not hooligans!”

“...Octavia. Be serious. Come on.”

“I’M not!”

Rares laughed. “Yeah, sure, YOU aren’t on your own.” She smiled and gestured toward the blue haired person. “Get them involved and you’re basically aiding and abetting.”

The individual in question grinned and gave finger guns.

“Vinny does what Vinny does,” explained an exasperated Octavia, “I just try to keep them out of prison.”

“Ooo, intrigue!” said Pinks, perking up.

Vinny grinned, reaching into their pocket. Octavia smacked their hand away.

“What have I been telling you!?”

Vinny shrugged dismissively.

Octavia turned to the burger girls.

“They have been selling just random loose pills,” she started, then glared at Vinny, “to TEENS SOMETIMES.”

Vinny looked up at the ceiling, as if not hearing what Octavia had just said.

“I don’t even know where they find this stuff,” Octavia continued, “it’s like they just find them around here on the floor I swear.”

Pinks raised a finger to her lips. “Hmm, I wonder what kind of stuff she finds?”

Vinny again tried to reach for their pocket, and was again slapped by Octavia. They stuck their tongue out at her.

“You are NOT trying to sell this new chick that E,” said Octavia sternly.

Rares perked up this time. “My prescription!”

Octavia gave her a look.

“...you got prescribed ecstasy??”

Rares head slammed into the counter.

“Geez, easy there!” yelled Pinks.

“What’s the pooooOOOINT!” asked Rares, groaning as she turned her head up to look at the folks on the other side of the counter.

Vinny gave her a sympathetic look. They reached into their other pocket and produced a small glow stick attached to a plastic string. They cracked it, letting it glow to life a neon blue, and then placed the string over Rares head. It fell down and hung in front of her chest.

Looking up, Rares tilted her head.

“T-thank you?”

Vinny gave her a thumbs up, put their hands behind their head, and turned and walked away.

Octavia took a second to notice, flinched, and then walked after them.

“Oh no you don’t!!”

Pinks watched as the two made their way out of the food court. “Your friends are funny.”

Rares let her face droop back down on to the counter.

“I’m doomed. It’s all over.”

“Aw, it’ll be okay!” cheered Pinks. There was a pause, and then: “Look, that girl has a cowboy hat! Neat!”

Ice shot down Rares spine.

“Oh no.”

She was able to look up for a split second to see the person wearing that hat walk towards the restaurant.

It was a tall, gruff woman with golden blonde hair and freckles over her face. On her head was a Stetson hat and in her right hand she held a red toolbox. Her name was AJ, and Rare knew her well. Very well. Thought about her. A lot.

A lot a lot.

Rares slid down behind the counter in an instant. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

“Pinks!” she whisper-yelled. The Pink One looked over. Rares pointed to her and then the register.

As Pinks walked over to take command of the counter, footsteps echoed louder as AJ approached.

Rares tensed up even more, wrapping her arms around herself and trying to breathe.

She perked up her ear and held her breath as Pinks greeted the customer.

A loud CLUNK sounded as AJ set her toolbox on the counter, causing Rares down below to squeeze her upper arm in her hand so hard it would leave a mark. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she listened to the two girls talk.

“Well, it’s mighty fine to meet ya,” said AJ in a slow, thoughtful voice.

Rares bit her lip.

“Not that I mind, but what happened to the other lovely lady workin’ here?”

Rares lost control and bit down too hard, nicking her lip. She yelped silently and put her hand to her mouth.

She looked up to see Pinks looking straight at her.

“She wants to talk to you!”

Infinite profanities ran through Rares’ mind. She muttered out some combination of whispering, scolding, and pleading for Pinks to stop.

“Ah,” said Pinks, turning back to AJ, “she says she isn’t here right now.

Rares grabbed her book bag and screamed into it.

Breathing heavily, she tried to calm herself to hear the rest of the conversation.

AJ was laughing. Not in a mean way, just in her usual gentle voice. “Well, that’s a shame. Tell her I said hello when you get the chance.”

Pinks looked back down at her.

Rares gave her the iciest glare she could.

“Ooookay!” said Pinks, “I’ll go get your order started.”

“Thank you kindly,” AJ replied, before leaning against the counter as she waited, causing it to creak.

Listening as AJ whistled a soft tune, Rares felt her breathing even out. She lifted a hand and placed it against the back of the counter, where she knew the other woman to be. Her eyes closed and she sighed.

Pinks brought the food out and waved off the woman who brought such a reaction out of Rares.

After hearing the footsteps fade out, The Pink One glanced down at her coworker.

“All clear!”

Letting out a breath she was subconsciously holding in, Rares shot up and flopped over the counter.

“Oh my god,” she said, letting her arms dangle over the side.

“Yeah, seriously,” replied Pinks, grabbing herself a drink. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone react like that to anything.”

A new voice came from across the counter, soft and airy yet totally monotone.

“Rares is down incomprehensible for AJ, everyone knows that. It’s practically a law of nature.”

The burger girls looked over to see a petite looking young lady wearing a hoodie sporting an inexplicable pair of what looked like droopy dog ears attached to each side of the hood, which she had up. Her face was decorated with various piercings and some sort of shiny stickers here and there. Around her neck was a faux leather collar with a small dog-bone shaped tag, which simply read: “Flutters”.

“Bark,” she stated extremely plainly, before looking up at the menu.

“Shut up shut up shut up,” mumbled Rares, still flung dramatically over the counter. She felt her cheeks burn a bit.

“Such fascinating folks at this mall!” said Pinks, before addressing the new girl. “Flutters, I presume?”

“Yes,” replied the dog-hoodie clad individual. “Wags tail.”

“So you’re like, a dog?”

“Puppy girl. Yes. I think that’s quite apparent.”

“Interesting....”

Pinks took the pup’s order and Rares peeled herself off the counter to go make it.

“So, how long have you been doin the dog thing?” Pinks asked before slurping on her soda.

“I’m trying it out this week.” Flutters watched as someone else walked by. “Grr.” she remarked, showing her teeth, but in a very non-confrontational manner.

“I see, I see,” replied Pinks. Her coworker came up next to her with a tray of food.

“She’s just like this,” explained Rares, “every week it’s some new aesthetic or something.”

“Let people enjoy things,” stated Flutters, before shaking her head and allowing her ears to flop to and fro. “Dogs, in my case. Bark. Woof, even.”

Rares rolled her eyes.

“Listen, Fido,”

“That’s not my name.”

“Flutters.”

“Wags tail.”

“Both you and I know that these constant bits are an attention thing. Just be straight up about it.”

Flutters shook her head.

“Just because you’re a drama queen doesn’t mean everyone works like that.” She lifted up a hand (paw?) and scratched behind one of the floppy ears. “The planet is going to become uninhabitable during my adulthood. I might as well have fun dressing up as a dog while I can.”

“Geez, Flutters,” commented Pinks.

Rares sighed.

“Sorry,” she said, “I’m just stressed out cause I lost my meds. I don’t know what to do.”

“Why don’t you look in the mall lost and found,” suggested Flutters. She then gave Pinks an aside glance. “Ruff, in other words.”

Rares perked up.

“There’s a lost and found?!”

“How do you know that?” asked Pinks, handing over the order.

“I work at the movie theater at the other end,” explained Flutters, gesturing towards the hallway with her head, “people are always leaving random stuff in there. Bow wow wow.”

As the puppy girl turned to leave, another customer cropped up. A tomboyish gal in a tracksuit, she tried to get Flutters attention.

“Lost and found is in the service hallways,” Flutters hollered back, followed by a frank “awoooo” as she power walked away.

The tomboy sighed, watching her go.

“So what, she’s a dog now?” she asked in a raspy voice.

“Apparently!” said Pinks, “although I just met her so I didn’t really have any other context. I’m Pinks, who are you?”

“Dash,” stated Rares, getting the gals attention. “Actually, I need you to do me a favor.”

Dash groaned. “Right now?”

With a hop, Rares slid over the counter. She pulled of her visor and put it on Dash’s head.

“Cover me for just a sec.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Just do it!!”

As Rares scurried toward the hallway she could hear Dash grumbling to a sympathetic Pinks behind her.

The mall wasn’t too too busy, and the echoes of her sneakers turned a few heads. Rares slowed her roll and kept an eye out for the service door. While passing the arcade, she got a peek inside to see Flutters atop a DDR machine. She had a crowd of a few people around her as she chanted “bark. bark. bark.” with each foot placement.

Right after the water fountains, Rares headed into a door marked “Staff Only.”

Inside, the echoes of mall goers was all but removed. Bleak gray walls surrounded her, with various instructions on where certain things were located notated in faded paint here and there.

She started heading down the hall when she heard some sort of rumbling that sounded like it was coming from the ventilation. Feeling unnerved, she proceeded until the noise seemed to grow louder.

“Um, excuse me.”

Rares nearly jumped out of her skin.

Turning to her side, the vents led into a large fixture on the wall. On the front of it was a grate. Behind them was a woman she thought looked familiar.

“Shoot, uh,” Rares mumbled, looking over the grate. It was held on by a few screws. “Let me try...”

They all were a bit loose and she was able to pry the thing off without too much trouble.

The woman stepped out, looking embarrassed. She had a quarter in her hand.

“Ohhhhh,” said Rares, “Oh my god it was you from earlier.” She looked over at the vents. “How...how did you even manage this.”

The woman searched for words.

“I...um. Uh.”

She shook her head.

“I can’t lie to you, I just don't know what went wrong.” She handed the quarter to Rares. “Thank you. I gotta go, my friend must be worried sick.”

Rares waved goodbye, before turning around into another familiar face.

“Well, thank you,” said AJ, tipping her hat, “did my job for me.”

Resisting the urge to scream, Rares nodded furiously.

“Pardon me,” said AJ, gently nudging Rares aside. “Was getting people sayin’ weird noises was coming from the vents. I figured it was a possum or some.” She withdrew a screwdriver from her back pocket and picked up the grate.

“Ah, I see,” added Rares, begging her brain to fire as normal.

AJ secured the gate, then turned back to the other woman. “By the by, what brings you in here? If you don’t mind that is.”

“I, uh, well-“

A strong hand reached forward slowly, softly grabbing the glow stick around Rares’ neck.

“You goin to a party?”

Rares took a sharp breath.

“I’m looking for lost and found.”

AJ nodded. “Gotcha. Need me to show you where?”

“Please,” said Rares quietly, looking at her feet.

AJ grinned and let the necklace go.

“Follow me, sweetheart.”

Rares heart skipped a beat as she followed behind her.

The walk down the hallway felt like eons. Rares wanted nothing more than to talk, but her words were lost to her. She couldn’t focus on anything but the person walking ahead of her. Her flowing blonde hair, her strong looking arms, her hands ohhhh my god oh my god.

They mercifully arrived at a table with a large plastic tub on top which housed all sorts of nonsense.

“There we are. What exactly are ya lookin’ for?”

Rares mumbled something about medication as she rifled though.

“Oh, this it?”

Rares head snapped around to see AJ holding up a small pill bottle.

“Let’s see,” she said as she went to read the label-

In a split second Rares swiped it out of her hand. She looked down, read “Estradiol” under a large Sharpie marker line and immediately stuffed it in her pocket.

“Yupthatsitokay”

AJ blinked.

“Well alrighty then.”

“Um,” Rares added, “t-thank you.” Her eyes kept drifting to the floor.

She looked up to see AJ with a kindhearted smile.

“Course. What are friends for?”

“Friends?” thought Rares. Her mind raced. She never thought of them as friends.

“Ah, sorry,” said AJ, shrugging, “guess I never really clarified.” She held out a hand, gently. “Would you wanna be friends?”

A stone dropped into Rares ‘stomach. Just friends. That’s what was happening. It was just as well, the poor girl wouldn’t want to put up with everything Rares had going on. She was a lot.

Something came across AJ’s face, and she looked down for a moment in thought. After a second, she smiled again and looked back up.

“Like to get to know you better, if that’s okay.”

Rares mind burst alight with color.

She forced her hand against its will into AJ’s. It felt like grasping a warm piece of leather pulled taught. After a moment she was able to muster out a single word: “same.”

“I look forward to it, Rares.”

AJ tipped her hat, then turned to leave.

After holding it together while the other woman took her exit, Rares let out a squeal of excitement/terror.

“Oh my god oh my god,” she muttered to herself, “oh I hope she didn’t hear that.”

Whatever, she felt charged up beyond belief.

Leaving through a different door, she made her way back down the mall hallway towards the door court. It was about time to wrap up the day anyways.

Dash was sitting on the counter as she waved Rares over.

“Bout time you got back,” she said, placing her visor back on Rare’s head. “What took you?”

Rares hopped over the counter, feeling newly invigorated. “I got my medicine,” she said, “and...more.” She felt her lips curling up into a smile.

“God you are such a sappy dweeb,” said Dash with a raspy laugh.

“Aw!” added Pinks.

All thee girls’ attention was grabbed as a giant plush cat made its way up to the burger joint.

Flutters set down the giant plush on the counter.

“Hello again,” she said, before turning to Rares, “and also, woof.”

She pointed at the colossal plush. “Some guy won this for me in the arcade. Due to my canine persuasion, I find this creature offensive. So you may have it, Rares, since you’re having a bad day.”

Rares blinked.

“Gosh I, I don’t know what to say.”

Pinks threw an arm around her shoulder.

“Told ya your friends were nice!”

Rares looked at her coworker and smiled.

“Yeah. Friendship is...something.”

“At least there’s that.”

---

In this world a few removed, where friends are peculiar and your new cat plush takes up half your dang bed: things were looking alright, and at the end of the day that was enough.

Comments

[Christinaz]

Thankful for the little by little useful exercise. Has conclusively the ordinary impact. Allied Universal eHub Benefits

[Ri2]

Oh god, I love this Fluttershy.

What's that medication for?

[kaminakat]

11569713
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Transgender_Pride_flag.svg/383px-Transgender_Pride_flag.svg.png

[Ri2]

11569828
I thought so.

[overdue]

god damn, couldn't you have made fluttershy a veterinarian or zoologist or something instead of whatever the word for this is. I guess this fluttershy can't cope with the real world and spends most of her time uploading cliches into her soul on the internet? It's just so so sad