Tabitha walked down the road. She wasn't alone. She had Coco beside her. "Remind me how you got here?"

Coco smiled in that gentle way of hers. "I won't be that bad. I'm not here to be a pest, just to see that camera."

"You really need one?" She had mentioned she was going to pay that camera off and she had gained a Coco at her side without delay.

"Just for one thing," she murmured softly as she looked away and back. "Is it really that advanced? I... I'm not that good at cameras, so one that did most of the work for me would be fantastic."

Tabitha imagined the camera dangling around Coco's neck, next to her ascot and chuckled at what, to her, seemed an adorable image. "I'm the one paying for it," she reminded. "What do you even need it for?"

Coco raised a hoof to her chin as her other three hooves propelled her. "I'm looking at a particular park. I need to secure permission to use it, for a play. I would only need to borrow it a few hours, promise. I'll be very careful with it."

Of all the ponies she'd ever met, Tabitha could imagine saying no to Coco least of all of them. She reached out a hand and gave her a pat. She still wasn't sure if that was a 'thing'. She'd never seen the ponies casually petting each other, but Coco hadn't complained... "Alright, let's finish paying for the thing. It better come with a strap..." For how much she was paying, she hoped it came with everything it needed to get going.

They arrived at Steers only to be greeted by a smiling earth pony. "Hello!" She seemed excited to see Tabitha. Had reports of her money circulated through the store already? "How can we help you today? Are you here for the layaway department?"

Tabitha nodded at the mare. "I am, but... shouldn't you be more surprised?"

The mare blinked softly and looked Tabitha up and down. "You are Miss Tabitha, are you not?"

"I am."

She smiled brightly. "Oh good. They told me the color of your mane and fur and that you were a pegasus, and here you are. Besides, an... Um, please pardon me, but... Your lack of a cutie mark is a dead giveaway, ma'am."

"They didn't mention I was a pegasus?"

"Aren't you?" The salesmare leaned to the side to be sure of Tabitha's wings and her pony body. "I'm really sorry, Miss. Please, let's just put that aside. How can I help today?" She was smiling wide and ready to do her part. The fact that Tabitha was not really a pegasus seemed to mean little to her.

Coco cleared her throat, gaining the salespony's attention. "Excuse me. We want to finish paying for that camera."

"Oh! They said there was a good chance you'd handle that long before the due date. This way." She turned away and began to lead them off towards the layaway section.

The paperwork was minimal with the bits presented and Tabitha was treated as royalty, which implied to her that most ponies didn't just buy such expensive things that often or so quickly. She was the proud owner of a box! She wouldn't be happy with just a box though. With Coco staring on anxiously, Tabitha undid the wrapping and pulled out the camera. She also found a harness for hanging around a pony neck while keeping it ready to snap, and a basic cord. No tripod, and no film.

The fact that it needed film at all made Tabitha raise a brow. Expecting the ponies to have digital photography would have been a bit much... "So what kind of film does it take?"

Coco leaned in and looked at the well-crafted machine, "It looks like it would take the usual sort. I see some over here." She led the way to a rack full of various films with different numbers and labels. What each of them meant, Tabitha didn't know.

Fortunately, the salesmare was still there, and began explaining how each was ideal for a specific amount of lighting, exposure, and other little details a photographer would worry about.

Tabitha shook her head. "Assume we know nothing, which we basically don't. I just want normal, plain, film."

She reached out a hoof and took down a pack of five canisters in a small box. "With such an advanced camera? You don't even want the higher quality?" She brushed a hoof over another collection. "They take divine pictures." She didn't say a price. Of course she wouldn't. So far as the ponies were concerned, she was made of money.

Tabitha smiled gently. "We're just getting started, so let's go with the basic film, so we don't have to feel bad about wasting it."

"Of course, Miss." She secured the package. "Would you like a bag for your camera, to keep it safe and all the parts and film close at hoof while you're working?"

Tabitha knew when she was being taken for all she had, but a bag was far from a bad idea, so she did take that, and declined most of the extra goodies that she 'had' to have. By the time she had gone to pay for it all, Coco already had gotten a roll of film into the beast and was ready to use it, She even had it around her neck in that harness clearly made for ponies. "How do I look?"

Tabby couldn't help but smile a bit at it. "You look like you paid for it."

Coco had the sense to blush at that, and started to take it off.

"No no, keep it for now. Let's go to where you needed those pictures."

Coco nodded up at Tabitha. "Yes, let's."

As they turned to go, a familiar pony crossed their path, stopped, and turned to face Tabitha with wide eyes. "What happened?!"

It was the other layaway worker that she had spoken to before. Tabitha gave a blink of surprise before she remembered who he was. "Oh, hello there."

"H-hello yourself, um, Miss?" He blinked himself before he stood up. "What happened?"

The salesmare laughed in an obviously fake way. "We're just seeing Miss Tabitha to the door. She's had quite a shopping experience, and I'm sure she'll be ba--"

Tabitha held up a hand to silence the talk. "He's not bothering me, honest."

"If you're sure... I'll be just over here if you need anything at all, Miss."

Tabitha nodded before returning her attention to the befuddled stallion. "So, hideous huh?"

"No! I mean..." He started going red. "Please don't do that, Ma'am. Calling a customer ugly is hardly... I like this job, and you aren't ugly. Promise."

Coco glanced between the two. "You met her before then, Mister?"

"Oh, yes." He pointed to the layaway department. "I work there most days and I helped her a few times. I see you got your camera! That's fantastic." With his tail starting to swish, he smiled brightly. "I know you'll take some great photos with it. You do know we can develop your film here, right?"

Tabitha hadn't. "Really? I'll keep that in mind." She quietly wondered if there were cheaper places where she could get average film developed with less fuss. "You should get to work, shouldn't you?"

"Oh, yes, Miss, yes, but..." He rolled a hoof. "Are you alright? Please, as a friend."

Tabitha blinked at that. "We barely know one another."

"I still care, Miss. Are you alright? You're acting it, but..."

"The magic hiding me is gone. This is the real me," told Tabitha, lying by omission. "I'm not hurt, promise. If I don't look too... upsetting, I plan to come back here."

He nodded firmly. "Good to hear, Miss. Please, take care. I'll be swinging around to see that apartment if that offer's still available?"

"It is. Now get on before they get angry." Tabitha gestured faintly at the two store ponies that were watching them intently. More loudly, she proclaimed, "I'll be sure to come back later. With service this good, how could I not?" She winked at the stallion, and they both went their way.

Coco pointed across the road. "The place I was looking at is this way. I have a few in mind and want to take a few pictures of each before settling on one. It'd be nice if we could use the park, to tell the truth."

"Good view? Cheaper?" Tabitha stabbed at likely reasons, having no real idea.

"It's where it used to be, long long ago." Coco trotted across the street with Tabitha. "I'd really like to revive that tradition, but there are so many steps involved before that can happen." She nudged the camera she had been lent. "At least this will get the ball rolling, so to speak."

Coco arrived at a small run-down building with Tabitha at her side. She wrinkled her snout at it. "They said it was... a little fatigued, but this..." She produced that camera, swiveling it up to where she could see through it. Click, wind, click, wind. "This really is simple. Do you want to try it? It is your camera."

Tabitha's tail gave a flick as she considered. "Coco."

"Hmm?"

"Would you be upset... if I had an attractive smell? Like a scent?"

Coco looked baffled at the idea. "Did you always have it?"

"No, I think it was about when I went... tauric, you know, half-pony." She gestured over her horse body which was closer to three quarters of her body rather than half.

"I liked you before that, and I still like you." Coco tilted her head. "I'm afraid I'm not qualified to answer that. If... you wanted to..." She started going redder by the word, and abandoned the thought.

Tabitha got the drift quickly enough. "I'm not suggesting that. You're a lovely friend."

Coco returned the smile offered. "Good. I'd like to keep that, I mean, being your friend. This way to the next stop." She turned away and began walking along.

Tabitha followed along after. "This doesn't come up often, but just to be clear, if I push at a boundary, you tell me to fuck right off."

"What?"

"You don't owe me a damn thing besides the monthly rent, and following the rules. If I start asking for more than that, you tell me to shut up and mind my business."

Coco gave a little nod as she went. "So... even if you make a personal... proposition... I should ignore that you are my landlady?"

"Completely." Tabitha nodded as she walked. "If you don't want to, don't. Period. I'm not here to abuse my power, and I need a good friend, not a forced one."

"You're so different from Suri..."

That was her old boss, right? "Was she that bad?"

Coco rolled her eyes. "Let's not talk about her while she's not here. Have you considered taking some pictures of your own building to advertise?"

Author's Notes:

And nothing untoward happened! I liked this chapter. Tabitha and Coco got along nicely and really without complications.

I might have dropped the paper on some cooling pavement, beware typos.