Coco kept low as she quietly left the busy fast-food restaurant, breathing a sigh of relief as she successfully got outside without being noticed. She adjusted flaccid looking lavender saddle bags as her sassy side piped up.

Look, I feel bad not buying anything. Coco frowned as her stomach began to growl. Which I would have done since we’re on lunch break if we—I had any money!

Coco smiled as she walked up to a day-glow green thermal blanket that had had a large lump under it. The blanket made a loud crinkling noise as she grabbed it and folded it up, revealing the wagon full of miscellaneous stuff, now including the souvenir of an empty rusting can which formerly held creamed corn. The blanket was strange enough that it seemed to make everypony simply stare at it rather than peak under it and perhaps help themselves to the… whatever underneath.

Coco wasn’t quite sure if her sassy side meant the wagon, or the insulation blanket specifically. Hipsterdouche had her fashion it into a cape at one point… a very loud, annoying cape.

Wait… You heard… er…that?

Coco felt a cold sweat come over her. She wasn’t sure what the implications were of her sassy side knowing everything she thought, but she know she didn’t like it.

Coco sighed internally as she began walking down the sidewalk once more. Let’s just go meet up with Rarity.

There’s no way you… I can eat fifty hotdogs.

Coco kept her head down as she walked through Manehattan’s central park. Though the vast expanse of well kempt grass, trees, fountains, and the odd pond was usually a source of relaxation for her, she currently was very self-aware that she was being stared at by quite a number of ponies due to the wagon and the odd collection of items it carried.

That would just get more of them to stare at me!

Coco sighed as she remembered one of many bizarre artifacts held in Hipsterdouche’s bag. The turnip baller, like many items in the foil and duct tape bag, would often rip through the multiple (though mostly torn) layers of flimsy foil. However, carrying the bag in a wagon had already noticeably lessened her need to stop and repair the bag.

“Coco, darling! Over here.”

Coco looked up and smiled at the friendly greeting.

Oh, hush you! Coco trotted over towards the fountain that Rarity stood in front of. In the center of a large, circular pool of water, a massive metal centerpiece of Celestia on a several story tall pedestal stood. The water seemed to come out from just below Celestia’s hooves and drizzle into a larger basin which emptied out into the pool below. Directly under Celestia where more metal statues, these of small foals of all races smiling as water rained down in front of them.

Coco had seen the fountain many times, she instead focused her attention on Rarity. The white unicorn had obviously picked up on some of the latest local fashion. Rarity’s purple mane sprung out from under a black, wide brimmed hat and she sported a large pair of sunglasses. Fancy-looking black saddlebags completed the ensemble.

Rarity grinned wide and motioned to the park that surrounded the two mares. “My dear, however do you manage to live amongst such glorious spendor without simply getting lost in it all?!”

Coco gave Rarity a small smile. “Well, I guess it is pretty nice. But there are its downsides.”

Rarity giggled. “I dare say you probably have trouble finding those given your current state of affairs.”

“Come again?” Coco asked.

“Your career, darling! It must be sooo rewarding to help such an influential pony!”

Coco forced a smile that somehow looked earnest despite her misgivings of working for Hipsterdouche. “Yeah… every day’s an adventure with Hipsterdouche.”

Rarity smiled. “I can only imagine! It must be endlessly fascinating to be on the vanguard of what’s new and upcoming!”

Coco tried her best to maintain her smile. Thankfully, she had much experience here and somehow kept it looking earnest. “‘Fascinating’ certainly is one way to describe it.”

“Oh don’t be so modest, dear! I can’t wait to hear all about, it!”

Coco’s smile dropped ever so slightly.

No! She’s being nice to us! And she may be the answer to our money problems!

Do you want hotdogs or not?!

Then I can’t just break Rarity’s heart! No matter how misguided her feelings are.

“Coco, darling? Are you feeling alright? You’ve gone awfully quiet all of a sudden. Even for such a soft-spoken pony such as yourself!”

Coco looked at Rarity as if suddenly coming out of a daze. “I’m sorry Rarity! I just got a little lost in thought.”

“Quite alright dear,” Rarity said with a smile. She tilted her head slightly, looking past Coco. “My, that’s an unusual assortment of items.”

Coco grimaced.

Rarity gave Coco a concerned look. “Don’t tell me this wagon… and erm… bag…? is how you carry around your necessities.”

Coco shook her head, “Actually the bag and everything in the wagon is Hipsterdouche’s. I purchased the wagon just today to… erm…

“… assist with my secretary duties.”

Rarity’s expression changed immediately to one of wonder and awe. “This… this gloriously forward thinking bag belongs to the Hipsterdouche?!”

Coco nodded. “Yes, it’s where Hipsterdouche keeps all his… tools he might need.”

Rarity began to sweat and she swallowed. “You don’t think… You don’t think I could purchase the bag, do you?”

Coco gave Rarity a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Hipsterdouche would never forgive me if I somehow lost his favorite bag!”

“I see…” Rarity said with a touch of disappointment. “Perhaps one of the items he uses inside?”

Coco shook her head sadly. “Sorry, Hipsterdouche has me inventory the contents of the bag every day in front of him. He might notice if something was missing.”

Rarity’s look of disappointment only increased, but then suddenly disappeared as her ears perked up and her eyes went wide. “Can I touch it?”

“Five bits,” Coco uttered before her face flushed red and she covered her mouth.

“Done!” Rarity said without so much as batting an eyelash. Her horn glowed azure as the flap of one of her saddle bags opened. Rarity turned and thrust a forehoof into it, and within a moment, she was holding out five shining bits.

Coco swallowed. Part of he knew this was wrong.

Coco’s stomach growled in agreement with her sassy side.

Somewhat reluctantly, Coco collected the money from Rarity and placed it in her lavender saddlebags.

Rarity grinned wide and giddily reached out a trembling forehoof. Slowly, she pushed it into one of the bags many bulges.

‘Rip!’

The already stressed foil gave out almost immediately at Rarity’s touch, and a number of mostly unidentifiable objects spilled out into the wagon.

Rarity quickly retracted her hoof. “Oh goodness me! I’m so, so sorry!” Rarity’s lower lip began to tremble. “I just destroyed a one of a kind piece of fashion.”

“It’s okay!” Coco insisted. “Happens all the time!” Coco slowly opened the bag and pulled out a roll of foil and a roll of duct tape. Carefully, she rotated the bag and put the spilled contents back in the hole. She then patched the hole up with a layer of foil, some duct tape, then repeated the process a couple times to make sure the bag would at least hold for a little while longer.

Despite what was a pretty mundane task to Coco, Rarity seemed to watch in a sort of transfixed amazement.

“There!” Coco said as she placed both foil and tape back in the bag made of the same material. “Good as new!”

“Oh darling, you simply must make me one of those bags.”

“You want a bag made out of foil and duct tape?”

Rarity nodded her head up and down. “If Hipsterdouche himself has one of these, I’m sure it’ll soon be all the rage around Equestria.”

Rarity continued. “I shall commission you at once!”

Coco thought briefly about using her clothing making skills to do something as ridiculous as make and sell a bag made out of foil and duct tape. An item she knew from experience that would break constantly and prove to be incredibly impractical. “I… I couldn’t…”

“Come, come now,” Rarity said. “I know a pony of your talents could pull this off. Don’t worry, I brought plenty of capital for this trip,” Rarity said as she produced several large, multicolored gems from her saddlebags.

Coco’s eyes sparkled with the promise of being able to afford real food for quite some time. “Won’t you need that money? I mean… traveling all this way for fashion shows can’t be cheap.”

Rarity waved a forehoof around dismissively. “Not to worry. The ponies of this town just love anything I cobble together! You should see how much money I’m making off my new line of capes.” Rarity giggled to herself and leaned close to Coco. “You might say the primary material is ‘shower curtain’,” she said in a whisper.

Coco eyed the gems. “I see… Well… I suppose I could fit making a bag into my schedule.”

“Perfect!” Rarity exclaimed as she floated the gems over to Coco. “I can’t wait to see the results.”

Coco forced a smile. What has become of me?

Rarity smiled once more. “Now… Our correspondence suggested you had some other item that might be of interest to me.”

Coco’s smile began to waver. Oh Celestia, forgive me! I don’t… I don’t think I can do this anymore!

Before she can properly sort out her moral quandary, Coco’s stomach growled loud enough that Rarity’s ears perked up. Coco’s ears flopped down around her head as her cheeks turned crimson.

“Oh goodness me, where are my manners?” Rarity said. “You must be starving after your busy morning with Hipsterdouche! Allow me to treat you to lunch!”

What?! NO! What if she wants to do stuff… in BED with me?!

Well… yes.

“Coco, dear? You’ve gone quiet again.”

Her cheeks turned slightly pink as Coco shook her head. “I’m sorry Rarity. Lunch sounds wonderful.”

Rarity grinned. “Good. Well I know a place nearby I’m sure you’ve just been dying to see again!”

… A place I’ve seen before? Around here…? Oh… Oh no…

Soon Coco and Rarity had arrived at a busy restaurant. Coco did her best to hide her dread and disappointment. A sign that looked like it was made out of children’s building blocks colorfully declared that the restaurant was ‘Connections’ adding ‘Where food and ponies connect!’ in smaller blocks.

Though Coco had to give the restaurants some points for originality, the fact was the food was absolutely dreadful. The creator and owner of the restaurant had made food that fit together, much like colorful puzzle pieces. The problem was that in doing so, she had to make each piece hard enough as to not break while ponies took apart or put together their edible structures. Each ‘edible’ piece was almost rock hard and had almost no flavor. Chewing it and getting even one piece down took tremendous effort.

Hipsterdouche had dragged Coco to the restaurant early in his career and managed to capture the wonder and excitement of building stuff out of food along with pushing the health benefits. Though Coco wasn’t sure burning so many calories trying to eat a meal of dubious nutritional merit was really healthy, his readers ate it up… literally in this case.

The article was so popular, in fact, that Hipsterdouche immediately became a pony to keep an eye on… At least to a few ponies with deep pockets. Sadly, this just meant more ridiculous activities Coco was dragged to as his financiers hoped the broken clock that was Hipsterdouche would be right again at some point.

Coco scanned the restaurant. The outside was absolutely packed, and Coco surmised the inside was as well. Most everypony she saw had a multicolored structure in front of them, and most of those ponies laboriously chewed their food with an eerie, slightly empty smile.

The one notable except Coco could see was a two fully grown ponies who seemed to be ignoring their ‘food’ in favor of making faces at one another. The female of the pair, a green earth pony with a medium-length dark-brown mane and cutie mark of a light bulb surrounded by eight different colored dots scrunched both her muzzle and brow as she glared through sunglasses at the stallion in front of her. The stallion in turn, a navy blue colored unicorn with long dark brown hair and brass scales for a cutie mark, had raised his own tinted glasses for greater impact of his own silly face: a stuck out tongue and a lower eyelid pulled down by a forehoof.

Coco silently hoped the restaurant would be too full for Rarity and her to get seats, she was afforded an extended lunch break, but it wouldn’t last forever. Hipsterdouche’s lunch breaks were long and Coco was never sure where he went or what he did during them.

Rarity chuckled. “Goodness, this place is popular! Good thing I arranged reservations!”

Coco sighed internally. At least she had money. Hopefully she could find the time to grab a hotdog, or two… or four after her ‘lunch’ with Rarity.

The two ponies walked up to a purple stallion with a dust blond mane behind a podium. The stallion smiled wide with eyes that screamed, ‘FUCKING GET ME OUT OF HERE!’

“Reservation for Rarity, please,” Rarity said.

The stallion kept smiling as he scanned an open notebook in front of him. “Right this way, please!” he said as he lowered himself to all fours and trotted past the tables, snaking his way between the narrow spaces between restaurant patrons. Rarity followed.

Coco turned back and shot her wagon a worried look. Getting it to the table would be a challenge.

Coco swallowed and began to trot after Rarity.

‘Crash!’

“Hey! Watch it!”

“Sorry!”

‘Thud!’

“What the hell, lady?!”

“I’m so, so sorry!”

‘Crunch!’

“MY LEG!”

“OHMYGOSH! I’M SO INCREDIBLY SORRY!”

Are you kidding?! Everypony is staring RIGHT at me!

No! I’m making a big enough scene in front of Rarity as it is!

Soon the ponies had arrived at the table. Coco quickly grabbed her menu and hid her bright red face behind it despite the fact that she had no intention of eating anything listed on it.

Rarity chuckled. “Goodness, well that wagon sure is eye catching at least.”

Coco sighed as she continued staring at her menu. “Hipsterdouche likes it, but wants me to paint it some shade of neon.”

Rarity’s tone immediately changed. “He… he does?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Perhaps I should invest in one for myself before leaving Manehatten. It seems so useful.”

Ew!

“Can I get you two anything to drink? Coffee? Water?”

Coco lowered her menu as she heard a familiar feminine voice. Much to her surprise, the barista from the beet coffee shop was standing at her table, wearing an apron with a notepad at the ready.

Coco couldn’t hide her surprise, or her slight blush as she realized the pony likely knew Coco had lost her breakfast to the very beet coffee the mare had served. She attempted to pretend she had never seen the pony before in the hope that this morning’s events would not be brought up.

Rarity spoke up, “Iced tea with lemon for me, dear.”

“Just water, thanks…” Coco said meekly.

The mocha colored mare gave Coco a tired smile. “Don’t worry, there’s no beet pulp in the coffee here. Actually it’s pretty good.”

Coco’s blush increased. “Coffee then…”

The waitress smiled and wrote down the mare’s orders.

Slightly embarrassed, but unable to stave off her curiosity, Coco addressed the mare again, “So you work here too?”

The mare chuckled. “Just here.” Her tired eyes wandered off into space as if they suddenly got lost amongst a barely edible town made out of colorful fitted pieces. “Selling that coffee was a little too soul crushing.”

Coco couldn’t help herself. “So you got a job here?”

The mare winced slightly and gave Coco a sheepish smile. “It’s hard to make ends meet in the big city, you know?”

Coco nodded solemnly. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“I’m sorry,” Rarity said, “do you two know one another?”

Coco tensed up, suddenly remember emptying the contents of her stomach that morning.

The waitress just smiled. “We had a run in at somewhere else I used to work at.” She placed her notepad back in her apron then lowered herself back down to all fours. “I’ll get your drinks.”

“Friend of yours?” Rarity asked.

Coco gave Rarity an unsure smile. “I don’t know. We just met today while we were both working.”

“Oh?” Rarity asked. “Do tell!”

Coco’s eyes went wide. “Hey!” she said reaching into her saddlebag. “I have that item that might interest you.”

Rarity’s eyes opened and her ears lifted with enough force that her sunglasses fell right off her face. She stared at Coco with massive black pools for pupils that had almost blotted out the sapphire-blue of her eyes. “That would... that would be most good,” she said.

Coco gave Rarity a worried smile as she pulled out a small clear plastic box with a white lump in it. “Here… I wasn’t sure if you wanted more gum for your… er… ‘appreciation’ corner, but this is only a days old, so…”

Rarity let out a squeal of girlish delight. “Fresh?! Do you think it’s still moist?!”

One of Coco’s eyes twitched involuntarily. “It… it looks like it still has some of his spit on it, sure.”

In an azure flash from Rarity’s horn, a modest pile of gems was slammed onto the table.

“GIIIIIIIIVE!” Rarity cried in a ravenous tone.

Coco’s managed to keep a smile despite the fact that worry had clearly taken over her features with about the same amount of speed that it took Rarity to turn from ‘calm and collected’, to ‘insane fan girl’. Coco slowly extended out the hoof with the box as she used her other arms to subtly collect the gems on the table.

In a flash of white, Rarity snatched the box, opened it, and tossed the gum into her mouth.

Coco’s mouth hung open as she watched her friend, who she even looked up to a bit, chew with on the used gum. Rarity sported a huge grin as tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Oh, yes! YES!” Rarity moaned in an orgasmic tone. “I can taste his delicious saliva on my tongue!”

Coco felt the all too familiar feeling of her stomach doing somersaults inside of her, she quickly bolted from her chair and into the restaurant.

Coco quickly picked out the mocha-colored mare in an apron and ran up to her. “Bathroom?!” she said quickly.

The waitress sighed heavily as she gave Coco a sad, sympathetic look. She pointed off into the restaurant.

Coco fled in the direction the hoof was pointed in.

Author's Notes:

Special thanks to a little of something whose continual input has helped shape... whatever this all is!