Chapter Text
Humans have a tendency to gravitate towards nasty habits.
From her stay in this realm, that was one of the most prominent observations she'd made in her time here.
For a place that was a mirror of the beautiful, vibrant, bustling land of ponies that settled amongst rolling green fields, it sure was rough. She definitely hadn't expected to have to live in aplace that was overrun with violence, desparation, and substance abuse, a lot of which being fueled by people trying to cope with their poor living situations.
It's not like Sunset had never heard of these concepts. Equestria was no stranger to violence, especially beyond Equestria's borders, where many other species prided themselves in warrior culture. But even within the country, ponies sometimes found themselves in a brawl at times. Not to mention, the occasional poniees who liked to abuse their magical ability.
There was also some amount of desparation too. Celestia insisted she did the best she possibly could for her little ponies, yet there were still hundreds out there who found it hard to get a consistent meal, and with jobs usually being so individualized between pony race or special talent, some ponies found themselves with a niche set of skills that couldn't be reasonably adapted into earning a proper income. Underwater basket-weaving could only go so far.
She even had some amount of familiarity of abusive substances. Moon sugar, found in the mountains, growing under the light of a full moon. Paradise herbs, foraged from the Everfree, steeped into water. Manticore venom, soaked into herbs, and burnt to inhale. Ponies got into some messed up stuff sometimes, it wasn't completely unheard of.
That being said, these things weren't very common, either. When you do something like earn a cutie mark, it gives you some sort of purpose. Something to aspire to. Something you can monetize and almost always ensure that you'll be able to find financial stability for yourself. And if you didn't? Go to some rinky-dink town or village of other simple souls and they'll usually find a way to pull you up. Maybe you won't be a millionaire, or own a big fancy house, or work some sort of dream job, but in Equestria, making it wasn't usually that hard. Some had to work harder than others, and the system does fail a small portion of the population, but the vast majority of ponies are generally happy, whether they were upper class or not. Happy ponies don't make a great market for drugs. Why would you risk your health and functioning when you have something to look forward to every day?
Here, in the human world, ‘making it’ felt like a constant uphill battle, where it's so foggy, you don't know if the top is a few yards away or a few miles away. It drove people to desperation… and Sunset would find that even somepony like herself wasn't immune to that struggle either.
She had a small sample of what was to come just by showing up in this place.
Her first few days were incredibly eventful. The sense of foreboding threatened to swallow her whole the moment she first came through that portal. She remembered wobbling, trying to function on all fours, before noticing her top half looked a lot like a minotaur, so she should probably be on two hooves, which she'd later learn to call feet. Trying to gasp and hyperventilate through the swirling nausea settling in her stomach and the leftover vertigo from the swirling rainbow-filled trip she took to get there. And then, when she finally got a good look around… It was drab. The colors weren't as vibrant, the air smelt like she was next to a train, chugging its pollution into the air. It looked like a slightly worse Manehattan, and she didn't even know what to think as she watched an old, torn grocery bag flutter through the wind and across the expanse of pavement and grass in front of this mysterious building.
The first thing she knew she had to do was find information. Books, a library, something. She stumbled and tripped, looking like a fool that first day, but it didn't matter. Sunset only had to learn. No matter what her first steps in this strange new world looked like, she knew that information could turn everything around for her. So she snooped around the building, peering through the windows, and trying to figure out what this landmark was. It would turn out, as evidenced by the chalk and dry-erase boards, as well as the large amount of books and teaching supplies, that this was a school. This was excellent. If she could find a way to attend, she’d have a starting point for making something of herself in this world.
But first, she knew she needed survival. She didn’t have any idea why the portal sent her here with clothing, but with the slightly chilly nip in the air, she was grateful for them. Though a skirt and a tank top weren’t exactly her top choices for keeping warm, especially with the weird lack of fur on this odd minotaur-esque body. This led her to wander the streets ahead of her, looking for more ideas on what this world was, and what she should be doing next. She knew she had been rather foolish, leaving with no supplies at the drop of a hat. But she could be resourceful, she would find a way.
It turned out, it was hard to figure out where all of the resources in this city were, until she happened to run across a building labeled ‘Canterlot Public Library’ on the front, showing a few signs of its age, but still being rather well maintained. Score! She wandered inside, getting a friendly wave from the librarian that she ignored, her eyes instead scanning for… there! The history section. She needed to know what these creatures were like, and there was nothing like history to inform someone of what was going on somewhere. And she’d need some biology textbooks. A few science, as she had no idea how the weather or celestial bodies were controlled with the lack of pegasi and unicorns around. The few magic books she found were only found under the ‘fantasy’ or ‘religion’ sections, which didn’t raise her spirits in terms of trying to advance her thaumology studies in this place. Her entire first day was spent there, speed-reading as much of this information as she could get.
The things she learned…
In terms of history, the people of this world were nuts! The history books said that slavery had been a world-wide problem for centuries, and it still isn’t fully erased. And she certainly didn’t remember reading about Sombra squeezing an ungodly amount of ponies into a packed area to transport them, letting them spread illness, sit in their own filth, and die on the way to their destination. Castration… the fact that that act had a term, and was used as a ‘punishment’ tool, was beyond disgusting. This was much beyond Equestrian slavery, as far as she could tell. And all for, what? You happen to find a community of ponies… people, she corrected mentally… and they have a certain religion, or stripes on their skin, and you decide that you are superior, and can use them for your benefit? It was a gross thing to learn, but considering she now had to live in a place with beings willing to do things like this, she was glad she learned it.
She’d also learned that she was now what was called a homo-sapien, more commonly referred to as a ‘human’. But judging by the language used in the books going over history and culture, they wouldn’t say ‘everyhuman’, but rather ‘everybody’ or ‘everyone’. She mentally tried to train her brain to remember to replace ‘pony’ with either ‘body’ or ‘one’. She should stick to saying ‘I am a person’ rather than ‘I am a human’. It felt weird, but adaptation was crucial to her survival.
Modern history showed that there was a lot of technology here. Those weird carriages she’d seen with nobody pulling them were called ‘vehicles’, which could be cars, trucks, vans, or a multitude of other names depending on the shape and size. And there were these things called ‘computers’, that could store and process data, which grants people access to the internet, which connected the entire world and basically contained the most prodigious, gargantuan collection of information she could ever think to dream of. It sounded absolutely, insanely ludicrous. Electronics were, obviously, massively underrated in Equestria. Ponies, who could fly, magically enchant books, and manipulate the earth, simply weren’t too concerned with trying to have a massive industrial revolution that causes the boom of an insane number of automated inventions run by ‘boring old electricity’. Sunset shook her head, wondering just what Equestria could be like if ponies didn’t try to ‘magic’ everything for all this time. For the first time, she found a subject that felt just as enthralling as magic. That fact felt ridiculous, because she’d devoted so much of her life to magic, poured her blood, sweat, and tears into learning everything about it. But somehow, machinery and electronics made her eyes sparkle in fascination.
And then… science. It made no sense. When she’d looked up ‘weather manipulation’, she found that the only thing that could be reasonably done and has scientific backing, was cloud seeding to induce rain. And the sun was apparently huge. Absolutely massive. It dwarfs this planet! Rather than a geocentric orbit, this planet instead experiences a heliocentric orbit around this absolutely colossal star. The moon, however, is still much smaller than the Earth, and it still orbits this planet as well. This all works via things such as gravity and other natural forces working together, all on its own. Also, they’ve sent people to the moon! With rockets! The only rockets ponies have are fireworks, but somehow, these humans have managed to make spaceships, and visit nearby planets and everything! The only pony that managed to go to the moon was an immortal goddess, being imprisoned there for a thousand years, using a kind of magic that the vast majority of the pony population couldn’t pull off, even with a full life of dedication to learning the magical arts and sciences.
Her ten-hour study binge ended when the sweet lady from earlier tapped her on the shoulder to inform her that the library was now closing. Reluctantly, she nodded and returned the books to where they belonged, before walking out of the building, and glancing at the half-set sun.
There was something familiar and nostalgic, getting kicked out of the library at this time. However, unlike usual, she didn’t have anywhere to go. She circled the building, before finding a little nook between the library and a nearby sitting area. It wasn’t warm, but it was clean and dry, so she settled down and, after a bit of fumbling, found a way to lay down as comfortably as possible on the concrete. She had a feeling she was going to ache in the morning.
The next morning, she hadn’t realized just how sore a body could feel until she opened her crusty eyes after her first nap in this world. Joints and ligaments popped and creaked as she sat up and stretched, and her stomach grumbled. But she had no money. She needed to learn more about this world to figure out how to get money.
Of course, she was going to try to use the computer this time, though. The library was open, and she walked in, past another friendly face, a guy this time, and ignored him just the same as the lady before him. A quick trip to the restroom, rinsing her face and running her fingers through her hair to try to untangle it left her looking mildly better than a complete mess. With that solved, Sunset walked along, reading the labels of different sections of the library until she found a computer section, and sat down excitedly in front of one. A decade old copy of a book helpfully labeled “How to Use Computers” told her that she should grip the mouse, and… oh, that’s not a ball mouse, it had some sort of LED under it? Worked the same as the book said, though, and she clicked on what she was sure was a web browser, something about ‘Chrome’? There was a section asking her to search Google, which she recognized as a search engine. She could ask this thing any question, and it would cycle through the most recognizable web pages that would attempt to answer her question. This was going to be fun.
Another relatively extensive binge went on for a good chunk of the day, before she decided that her behind was sore, and her eyes didn’t actually like being in front of a lit screen for that amount of time, completely uninterrupted. She had looked up ‘free food near me’, and found a soup kitchen, so that at least solved one problem. It would seem the nearest one was quite a distance away, to the south-east in the ‘poorer district’, so to speak, and she had no money for transportation. She had little problem with that, so long as she could survive. Thus, with a grumbling stomach, she walked out into the afternoon sun, enjoying its rays contrasting against the gentle late summer breeze. To think, Celestia probably couldn’t even dream of moving that thing. If she could, then she’d eat her own hat, provided she actually ever got one.
A couple of hours into her walk, Sunset began to notice that the sidewalks were starting to become less and less neatly paved. Many sections had grass sprouting up between the split-up concrete, and some were crooked or tilted. The buildings started looking less clean, as if the upkeep had gone down hill quite some time ago. Eventually she couldn’t help but keep her eyes glued to what she would later learn is called ‘urban blight, some buildings barely standing, with spray paint tags and symbols suggesting they’d get condemned… though they would probably stay standing in that awful state for years.
Eventually, she made it up to a brick church that was relatively nice and well kept, adorned with cross symbols and a bell atop the steeple. She walked up a couple of steps, before opening the doors and reading the signage that directed her on where to go and what to do. There were pamphlets about the church near the door, and she took one out of sheer curiosity, and followed the instructions to find the eating area.
All it took was a quickly muttered, “Uh, what do I do to get some food?” which was answered by a woman beckoning her to join a line of other folks, many older, wearier, disabled, or simply incredibly tired. Nobody looked at her funny or anything, so she supposed she looked like she belonged, in some way or form. Or maybe this version of Canterlot, especially on a side of town like this, didn’t care much about appearances. That was good, because she was rather disheveled and absolutely covered in sweat despite the crisp, fall air that had been gently pushing against her the entire walk.
A metal tray was filled with a meal that looked similar to something from home, but the ingredients used weren't anything close to what she was used to. Some sort of noodle soup with some odd chunks in it, an apple, and a sandwich with, based on her research, some sort of deli meat on it. Meat wasn’t off the table in Equestria, but ponies generally stayed away from consuming animals. She was the same way, but it was clear that she wouldn’t be eating a hayburger or daisy sandwich here any time soon. With a bit of trepidation, she gently added a couple of condiment packets worth of mustard on her sandwich, before taking a slow, tentative bite of the food. A few chews later, and her hunger, combined with the delicious taste of what she’d later learn was a combination of ham and turkey, would encourage her to absolutely demolish her sandwich.
S
She was soon feeling full and more satisfied than she’d been in days. Something about finally being able to eat after having nothing for around 48 hours just took her to a place of bliss, something she rarely, if ever felt. Eventually, she cleaned her area up, and decided it was time to scope out the place more for some resources. She needed to figure out a more permanent place to stay.
The fiery haired girl walked out of the soup kitchen, and began her adventure once more, looking around for helpful landmarks. She was luckily allowed to print out a map of the city and surrounding areas for free at the library, so she knew how to get back to the library, and that school, apparently named Canterlot High.
For some reason, the longer she walked, she felt a tingle in the back of her neck. The odd sensation caused her to temporarily pause and scan her surroundings. Not very many people were out here, and nobody was looking at her.
She huffed and continued her walk, hoping to find somewhere to stay soon. She really wished she had some kind of money.
Walking down the increasingly worse-maintained sidewalks, a part of her subconscious worried about the shadows growing longer and longer across the ground, she took stock of her surroundings. Pawn shop, liquor store, liquor store… huh, a lot of those around. Junkyard, laundromat, auto shop… a group of suspicious figures filling an area, seemingly discussing something important.
She didn’t get much further than that before she heard footsteps behind her, and when she turned around to face the person approaching, she was grabbed by the shirt and pulled towards a yellow man with blue hair and steely blue eyes. Her heart immediately began to hammer in her throat, and she attempted to pull away from him, but his grip held sturdily.
She was dragged a few blocks away, one hand clenching her shirt, the other silencing her would-be screams. There wasn't anyone else out and about to help. When he decided they were far enough away, they stopped moving, now facing one another. He grimaced at her.
“Just what in the hell are you doin’ around here, little girl?" the man asked, his voice an off mix of anger with a twinge of upset. His dark blue eyes darted across her frame, as if he was reading her just by looking alone.
“L-let me go, dude!” she growled, trying to pull away and balling her fists in preparation to punch him. If she were honest with herself, she absolutely did not know how to use this new body for self defense. The differences in anatomy didn't lend her any amount of help, but that fact wasn't enough to stop someone like Sunset Shimmer.
Her moment of rebellion was short lived, as suddenly, something metal glinted in the evening sun, before being put up to her neck.
“Wrong answer. I said, what the hell you doing here?” he insisted, punctuating his statement with a rough jostle. She couldn’t swallow with the amount of anxiety clogging her throat. She just got here, and she was gonna die. She was so, so stupid thinking she could handle waltzing into this world so casually!
“I… I was just taking a walk…” she answered truthfully, because that’s all she’d been able to do other than try to figure out what free resources she had at her disposal to live. The two stared at each other, Sunset unable to hold away a tremor of fear coursing through her body. She really, really didn’t want to die, and she seriously wished she knew how combat worked in this body, or that she at the very least had her magic…
The man huffed, frowning at her.
“That’s stupid. Nobody ‘just takes a walk’ around here when it's 'bout go dark. Not without a purpose. Fuck are you thinking, just wandering around in a place like this?” he asked incredulously, before he began patting her down. Sunset's breath hitched as Comet's hands moved methodically across her body, her muscles tensing at the unfamiliar contact. She hoped against hope that he wasn't taking advantage of the situation, her eyes widening as she forced herself to remain still. Thankfully, it seemed like he wasn't actually copping a feel, but rather looking for something. He soon stopped, and tsked. “Not even a weapon. Not a blade, no razors, screwdrivers, nothing. You don’t belong here. You need to go home.”
“I… I can’t. I don't have one,” Sunset admitted, blinking away a tear of fear that was trying to escape. She wouldn’t allow it to fall, if this was going to be her last few moments.
Comet stared at her, his expression inscrutable. After a moment, he huffed and shook his head, as if dismissing an internal debate.
“So. You’re saying you’re a homeless runaway child,” he stated plainly, not even asking. He already knew.
Sunset bristled at the ‘child’ comment, but she really couldn’t afford to be picky about his terms at this moment. “Y-yeah. I was just looking for somewhere to go, a-and…”
He rolled his eyes and sighed, grabbing her by the collar. “Come on. If you’re gonna be lookin’ for places to go, you just so happened to walk by my shop earlier, and I’m not lettin’ you walk even further to the east side. It really ain’t worth it. Like, you thinking I’m scary, but you got no business being over there.” With that, he began leading her into the junk yard.
Sunset was genuinely stumped. She did not have even the slightest clue of what this guy’s deal was, and her brain felt like it was malfunctioning on the spot.
“...what?”
He glanced at her for a quick moment from the corner of his eye, still judging and analyzing her. Eventually, she found herself within the bounds of the property that was supposedly his.
“Listen,” he started, having walked them through the piles of junk, before they found an area with a few chairs and a table, off in a rather clear and secluded area of the junkyard. He sat her down in one chair, and after sending her a glance that told her she shouldn't try to run away, he sat in the other. His leather jacket rumpled as he sat back, and the smell of something smoky faded with the distance he created between them. He pulled out a white and orange stick, and placed it in his mouth, before pulling out a lighter, and flicking it. No flame was produced, and he groaned, trying a few more times, with zero luck. Sighing, he put the stick back into a green ‘Newport’ box, and slumped backwards in defeat. “I could easily tell that you don't belong around here. While that's normally a positive, it ain't necessarily a good thing when you're wandering and lost. You could run into a crazy dude… hell, I’m one of 'em. But the other folks in the neighborhood you were headed to? They could be a hell of a lot worse than some sentimental asshole like me.”
Sunset stared at him blankly.
He groaned and rolled his eyes. "You were walking close to some illegal shit. Nobody wants to be around when that's going on. If ya smart, then you saw nothing and you heard nothing."
The sentiment was sobering to Sunset, who found herself hesitantly nodding. She had no real reason to believe that those people were more dangerous than this person who had physically threatened her, but she would be foolish to completely dismiss a warning from a creature who was native to this world. People generally seemed to be more violent here, so she couldn't disregard the idea that maybe random acts of aggression were more common.
“So anyway, you said you’re newly homeless. Nowhere to go. Here's the situation: the shelter is alright, and sometimes, you might need to use it, but it can be very crowded. The people there can be assholes, your shit can be stolen, and you can be locked out if you don't get there before curfew. There’s a “no drugs or alcohol” rule, and you’re not supposed to show up drunk, but during the busier months, that rule gets ignored. You're expected to only go in the evening and leave in the morning, and you gotta fend for yourself in the afternoon,” he explained, before reaching in her pocket again, pulling out her map she'd printed. “I'll mark the few that exist in the city. I saw you come out of the soup kitchen, some blocks back, and I'll mark some more of those.”
Sunset blinked. “You're… helping me?” She finally asked.
He huffed, giving a wry smile that didn't come off as looking too happy about what he was doing.
“You’re a cute little teenage girl just casually walking into the roughest part of the city… ain’t got no weapons for self defense, no idea where you are or who you’re messing with… so yeah. I’m helping.”
He then leaned back before gesturing to the piles of random tires, husks of what used to be cars, scrap metal, and other things forming makeshift structures around the large yard. The place was decorated by dirt, rust, and oil stains littering many objects around them. “This my cousin's place. Scrapping can be pretty profitable, compared to some other options, in terms of honest work,” he explained, pulling out her map and putting it on the table. He grabbed an almost humorously small pencil that really needed to be replaced soon, and started scribbling and circling things. “You aren't in the worst part of town right now. That would be the east side. You stay the fuck away unless you have some actual business over there and you know what you're doin’. But right around here, as long as you leave folks alone, you don't got a problem… usually.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow at him, to which he rolled his eyes. “Again, I said usually. You were heading towards the east side, and I wasn't gonna let you keep walking.”
“And… you had to threaten me with a knife, because…?” She asked, looking rather pissed. He didn't look to have a single ounce of remorse for that.
“Because I wanted to scare you away. You need to know that some places near here ain’t worth no casual ‘walks’ around town. People are fucking crazy sometimes if they're tweaking on something, or have beef with someone who just ‘looks like’ you or something. Heck, you could just be walking at the wrong time of day and get hit by a stray bullet. Plus…” he looked at her very seriously, even leaning in a bit. “I am not your friend, I just don't like seeing people get screwed over when I can stop it. I don't know you, you don't know me. But I know you're lost, and you know that I'm educated about surviving in your situation right now. At least, I'm sure I've proved that by now. And honestly? You don't wanna learn these things the hard way when you happen to wander in someone's area and your first lesson is you getting your ass jumped as a message to stay away.”
He fidgeted, reaching for his pack of cigarettes, before remembering the lighter was empty. With a quietly hissed ‘fuck’, he walked over to a metal workbench and opened a cabinet, pulling out two tall cans. He returned to his seat and set one in front of her and opened the other one, taking a long swig.
Sunset stared at the can, before pushing it away towards his side of the table. He nodded and shrugged, not paying any mind to the action. Instead he pulled it even closer to himself, the can sitting at the ready for when his current one disappeared. “But your problem probably wouldn’t be so much getting jumped. This is a long road, Park hwy. Our spot right here is just northern enough to be a relatively quiet area. But southern Park hwy, running through the south-east side? You could get trafficked. Me being a weirdo to scare you away is the least of your worries.”
The former pony fiddled with a small pebble on the table, frowning in thought. This guy was weird. Really weird. He’d previously mentioned being ‘too sentimental’... which made her feel like he was pitying her, a thought that made her blood boil. However, she was hesitant to actually buy into that supposed 'concern' of his. Part of manipulation was bending and stretching the truth to conceal malicious intent, and while he might have noticed she was lost in this place, there was no telling what he could get from her, especially if something such as human trafficking wasn't off the table in an area like this.
He had been absolutely correct when he said she didn't trust him. However, no matter what his later intentions were, she'd really needed some amount of help, so she guessed she couldn't be too picky about where that help came from.
“That being said, this place is still, well, literally a fuckin’ dump. Mostly just metal, old electronics, and car parts scattered around. Nothing glamorous or anything,” he said, noting her clothing. It was scuffed up, a bit wrinkled after being slept in on the ground, but it was still obvious that they were rather new. “I dunno what you’re running’ from, but you sure as hell ain't run into paradise.”
Sunset scoffed at the assumption. “I'm not running from anything. I'm running towards something,” she declared confidently. She was running towards power. She wasn't in her own element here, but when she managed to figure out how to gain a foothold here, nothing could stop her.
He just stared at her disbelievingly.
“Well, you seem like you're backtracking right now at least. I dunno what you're looking for, but prosperity don't come easy in a place like this.”
“I'll find a way.”
“You're cocky as hell,” he deadpanned.
Sunset scoffed.
“You're gonna need actual confidence walking around here. And you gotta get rid of that cocky shit. Confidence makes sure people leave you alone because you look like you know what you're doing. Cocky is what gets you shot and bleeding in a back alley, waiting two hours for the cops to show up.”
“The heck are you, a freaking life coach?”
He stared at her for a while, sipping from his warm, foamy beer. A snort eventually made its way through his nose.
“The heck is your name, little girl?”
“It's Sunset Shimmer, and you can stop calling me ‘little girl’.”
She could tell that her biology was that of someone in their mid-teens, based on the human biology books she'd read during her study binges. She was nearly nineteen years old as a pony, but only maybe fifteen as a human. So she couldn't get too mad about him, a human looking to be almost twenty years older than her current form, calling her young or little. Still, it was grating on her nerves because she knew she was older than that.
He shrugged.
“Whatever, Sunset. My name's Comet. I don't give my entire government name to nobody I don't need to. You probably shouldn't be giving yours too freely.”
Judging by context cues, she guessed a government name was a name recognized and documented by the government. Something she couldn't claim for herself.
“I'm uh… not from here. So as far as this place is concerned…. I don't have a government name.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You’re not from this country? How’d you get here?” He asked incredulously.
“I had to avoid some law enforcement, but I managed.”
He had a feeling it was a lot more complicated than that, but he didn’t think prying would help him understand better.
Shuffling himself a bit on the rickety chair, he tilted his head and crossed his arms. “And you managed to make it all the way here? Despite how clueless you are?”
She glared daggers at him, though he only stared curiously at her. “I was transported here. Now I’m on my own. “
“Illegal alien…” the words left him like a deep, tired sigh. “Okay. Sunset, you've got yourself in a fucked spot right now. Lemme guess. No counterfeit ID, or other faked documents so you can at least get a job?”
Sunset paled. This was definitely not Equestria, and would definitely prove to be harder to handle than her native land. They didn't care as much about that back at home.
“N-no…” she admitted self-consciously.
“Can't get a job, a minor from out of the country, no documents, no money, no friends or parents…”
Her look confirmed everything he’d listed. His brows finally rose with some amount of concern.
“Sunset. You are the luckiest little shit alive.”
Sunset's brows knit in confusion as he sat back, an exasperated look in his face as he opened the second tall can of beer and chugged. “The fact that you're even right here is insane to me. And then you manage to run into some nosey, meddling guy like me, and I just so happen to… usually keep my nose clean of most of the stuff folks around here do… You have no idea how many ways you could’ve been killed, harmed, or exploited in your situation.”
He leaned back, rubbing his eyes with his palms as he sighed, seeming a bit fidgety. Whatever was going through his mind was bugging him, she could tell by the annoyed grunts and mumbling he was emitting.
“You can leave and look for somewhere else to go. After all, I marked down the worst neighborhoods and circled some areas that provide resources, but I promise you, that's no life to be living. I know I threatened your life, and I dragged you in here… I was honestly hoping to scare you off to go back home… or at least educate you a bit before you got yourself hurt. I thought you were some kinda kid who was just mad at your parents and trying to piss ‘em off or something. But if what you're saying is honest - and judging by how you look like you’ve been sleeping outside, I'd argue you're probably at least being honest about having nowhere to go - then you need way more help than I thought…”
He could have… should have just let her keep walking. But something about her—maybe the defiance in her eyes, or the way she tried to hide her fear—reminded him of himself at that age. He had a knack for spotting lies, and while she was clearly hiding something, her current predicament seemed genuine. Damn it, he thought, running a hand through his hair. He was actually starting to feel bad for the kid.
Sure, he didn’t have the whole story. Nobody with common sense would believe her. Her accent and mannerisms of speech screamed ‘suburban kid from Canterlot’, she clearly hadn’t been sleeping outside for too long, and her attitude screamed ‘angry teen jumping the gun and running away’. But he was a firm believer in going by his gut. And his gut was telling him that he remembered seeing his own face when it looked just like hers. No matter the circumstances, one thing he could say for sure was that this girl was absolutely lost
He was going to end up helping her, wasn’t he?
“God dammit…” he grumbled, before heaving a heavy sigh. “What you good at, kid?” he asked suddenly.
Sunset's words stumbled at that question. “Um… mag- I mean uh…” She nearly blurted ‘magic’, which she’d quickly learned wasn’t a real thing here. It left her stumped, because it was her automatic response to that sort of question.
He grew impatient very quickly.
“Can you count?”
A sudden, harsh scoff left her at the question, a purely instinctual action.
“Of course I can bucking count.”
He blinked, before ignoring the strange term. “Okay. How's about this then? You can work under the table for me and my cousin, and we'll pay you. Not a fair wage, we ain't a charity. And you can feel free to stick around here. We have a lot of abandoned stuff that can be used in place of an actual living space. So a place to sleep, a soup kitchen a few blocks away, and a source of income… Whaddya say?”
Sunset narrowed her eyes at him. “And how do I know you're not playing up this whole ‘worried and caring’ act you've got going on so you can get me to do your dirty work and toss me to the curb when you're done with me?”
He smiled at that comment. “I love to see you showing some skepticism, Sunny.”
“Don't call me that.”
“But I promise you, Sunny,” he emphasized with a wink, causing her glare to harden, and her fists to ball up. “Only ‘dirty work’ I’d want is sweeping and mopping, maybe cleaning out the bathroom, and being willing to touch recyclable auto parts and appliances. Do that, and keep the cash register in order and I can pay you ‘bout $50 a week.”
Based on the brief look at this world’s economics she'd read online, she knew that wasn't even close to even being a partially liveable wage. Plus, she didn't know this guy, and he seemed shady enough to get herself in trouble just by associating with him. Then again, considering it wasn't even legal for her to be here, she'd be dealing with people who were okay with committing crimes no matter how she cut it, and there probably weren't a lot of people willing to employ her at a moment’s notice like this guy. She’d also seen that it was common practice for big businesses to hide illegal stowaways, pay them terribly, and treat them terribly. She likely wouldn’t find something much better in this country unless she got some fake documents for herself. She might have to play it a bit dangerous for a while, as she did more research to dig herself out of this mess.
“...under one condition.”
He frowned, though she could see it looked like he respected her willingness to try to take some amount of initiative and control in her situation. He nodded for her to continue.
“If you're gonna have an employee for dirt cheap, you might want it to at least look like I'm supposed to be here, so you're not accused of paying an illegal person under the table on purpose. So in that case, mind helping me get some fake documents?”
He paused, and smiled. “Heheh, alright Sunny. You might not be so bad. Yeah, I'll help you out and get those documents forged for ya. Do we got a deal?” He asked, holding out his hand. She glanced one more time into his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit, before shaking his hand and nodding.
“Deal.”