Manehattan House of Refugees

"Not now," Ghost asserted, his voice barely above a whisper. ”Leave me alone."

Let’s play.

"No," Ghost pressed on, "I don't want to play."

But I want to play.

Ghost stopped trotting to cover his forehead with a hoof. The white of his foreleg consumed his vision as he shut out the harsh summer sunlight.

"Is something wrong?" Amethyst turned around to ask. "Why are you covering your head?"

"It's nothing." Ghost sighed. Taking a tired look around, he saw no trace of his follower. Instead, he saw only the hustle and bustle of the Manehattan market district, filled with ponies loaded down with bags and dressed in immaculately kept couture. The various storefronts all came together to form a mess of words and images, each competing for another second of the observer's strained attention span, and more strained wallet. However, his gaze was quickly drawn back to the mare practically trotting in place ahead of him.

"Come on, the Seabreeze Café is just ahead!" Amethyst said with a smile, her amber eyes shining.

Nodding slightly, Ghost resumed his walk, all the while trying to keep his mind absent of any unnecessary thought. Amethyst chatted to him the whole while but he honestly didn't hear much of it. For a time, he simply studied the ponies around him. Many were clearly of a social class well above his own, or at least outwardly that would appear to be the case. However, they were balanced by an equal number of lower class ponies, if not straight vagrants down on their luck milling about the many shops and storefronts. What was more interesting, were the subtle interactions, fluid barriers and gestures that separated groups of ponies like oil from water. The turned heads, the looks that lasted a moment too long or a glance that came far too quickly... They painted a picture many would miss, a caricature of social values few were bold enough to comment on, but many still felt quite clearly.

The slight pang of sickness did well to distract him from his previous thoughts, though it took a sharp bump to the hip for him to refocus on his companion. He glanced over to see Amethyst staring at him with a look of playful annoyance, her pout barely covering for the edge of amusement gracing her face.

"Really, Ghostly, I'm not that boring, thank you."

"I just... I just got distracted is all," Ghost declared penitently. "You're not boring, I promise!"

"How would you know that if you haven't been listening to methis entire time?"

"Well… uh..."

Ghost found himself hip-checked once again, almost having his tail planted in the road from the sudden assault on his balance.

"I'm just messing with you. We're here!" Amethyst waved him over with an ever-widening grin. "Let's eat!"

Before them a small cafe sat overlooking the bay two stories down from the roadway. The pair quickly went inside through the double doors, each wooden panel looking ragged and worn as if carved from driftwood. Inside, the sea motif quickly became apparent. As the two cantered up to the reception desk--also looking to be carved of driftwood--Ghost couldn't help but let his eyes wander over the small restaurant. The pastel blues of the walls harmonized well with the earthy wooden accents. What looked to be real nautilus shells marked the far wall, where many other smaller shells and sea-colored stones created a widespread mural of color. A slight drone of quiet conversation gave the place life, stemming from many of the happy-looking patrons seated at circular tables and familiar-looking booths.

After only a minute or so, a stallion wearing a white collar and blue tie approached the reception desk.

"Hello, and welcome to the Seabreeze Café, would you like a table for two?" He asked with a slight bow.

"Yes please," Amethyst answered with a winning smile, "we would also like a booth if possible."

"Certainly ma’am. Right this way."

Ghost and Amethyst followed the stallion as he wound around the short aisles of tables. Soon, the pair found themselves let to a small booth underneath the mural. The stiff yet soft booth seats proved awkward at first to climb up on, especially given the rounded table and like-wise rounded seating, but soon the two were settled in. A server came by with two menus in her mouth immediately after, which were left in exchange for their order of drinks. Amethyst ordered a blended fruit cocktail--nonalcoholic, as was for the best--while Ghost instead ordered an orange tea. Both were swiftly left on the table by the kind mare in uniform.

"As I said before, this is my treat, so don't dare go with something lame," Amethyst commented, a mischievous smirk on her face as she sipped from her glass.

"I still don't feel right about that. You know that I--"

"I don't want to hear it," She cut him off, her smirk widening to a confident grin. "Today is my treat. You deserve it, and I don't care if you could pay for it yourself. I'm not letting you."

In a softer tone, she added, "You work really hard, Ghost. Sometimes ponies just want to do something for you. You're my friend, and I owe you that much."

Ghost's ears drooped slightly, before a smile parted his lips. "Fine... But I'll remember this."

Her mischievous look came back in full force. "Oh, I will make sure that you do."

She laughed. Only a second later, Ghost found himself joining in.

"So, how are things down at the shop?" he asked.

"Busy as usual," she said with a slightly fake smile, "nobles and business ponies all looking for the best for the least. Everything has to be just so or else they throw a fit."

Her body slumped a bit as she laid her chin down on the edge of the table.

"There was a nice young stallion looking for a wedding ring, but that has been the highlight of the whole week." Her eyes grew distant, and an honest smile spread back over her face as she visibly relaxed an iota. "He looked so happy picking out the perfect ring. He looked at it like he was looking at his dreams. To have a hoof in such a major step almost makes up for the... less pleasant ponies that have come in as of late."

"At least no one is threatening to blacklist you again, eh?"

She covered her head with her hooves, completely hiding her face by pressing it firmly into the table.

"That was a nightmare. If Ivory hadn't been there, or her extended family weren’t who they were… I just want to forget about that whole mess."

"Helps to have friends in high places, eh?" Ghost commented jokingly.

"Please," Amethyst said, picking up her head to give him an eye roll. "She and her family practically made those high places you speak of." She gave him a smirk. "Well... maybe not really, but dang."

"Dang indeed." Ghost mimicked, even throwing in a sage node for effect. He had only met Ivory a few times, and spoke very little with her at the time, but the mare was elegant and dainty almost to the point of making one feel dirty in her presence. From what he heard from Amethyst, her family was also one of the richest families in Manehattan, having a hoof in everything from real estate to banking. Ivory herself was still young however, and put her talent and poise to good use dealing with the finest jewelry peddled to the arguably finest of tastes of Manehattan. She technically worked under Amythyst, but Ivory’s family could probably buy her out if they felt the need, not that they seemed the type to.

"So what about you?"

Ghost coughed, not having caught the question immediately. After mumbling a small smattering of noise that came out as nothing more than a rough 'huh?', Amethyst went on to elaborate.

"Well? How are things going down at the house?"

Ghost rubbed his foreleg absently.

"They're going well. Ponies have been staying out of trouble, mostly. We haven't had any new refugees coming or going in awhile, not since Ember left for Canterlot..."

"That's good to hear," Amethyst said with a small, genuine smile. "I'm glad he finally joined the guard. I think it will do wonders for him."

"Yeah, so do I." Ghost nodded.

"And Velvet?"

Ghost's expression dropped just a touch. "She's doing about as well as ever..."

Amethyst coughed, a rare look of awkwardness crossing her usually confident face. "I've seen her all of once, but she seemed like a good pony."

"She is." Ghost nodded. "I just wish I could do more for her sometimes."

"I still think she should see somepony for help--"

"She wouldn't take it." Ghost interrupted with a smile. "And from what ponies I've talked to about her, I think it's best that we just give her the time she needs to recover and come to terms with everything. We can be there for her, but she has to accept that help.” Ghost swallowed, his throat tightening around his next sentence. “Sometimes ponies just...can't share what bothers them most, not until they learn to deal with it themselves first."

Another awkward moment passed as the two were at a loss for words.

"Well, what about Thespian? I'm sure he's always good for a laugh."

Ghost's expression switched over to complete and utter deadpan in less than a second. "I don't want to talk about it."

"...What did he do this time?" The look on Amethyst’s face was practically predatory in its amusement.

"…He may have snuck into the guard's barracks a night or two ago,” Ghost offered hesitantly.

"Oh?"

"...And he may have gotten so drunk off of the soldiers’ stashed whiskey that he paraded around the building singing 'cops'."

"Wow, so what--"

"--In a female guard's armor."

Ghost's forehoof was now firmly pressed over his forehead. He contemplated to moving it over one of his ears as they were suddenly assaulted by laughter.

"Wow... Oh, wow. I-I think that's a new new height for him," Amethyst commented, her laughter dying to a deep chuckle. "So did he spend the night in jail?"

"Well, after kicking his tail across the barracks, shaving said tail down to a stump in retribution, and putting him in the hospital for about an hour or so to make sure he wasn't hurt too badly, they just sent him on his way. He came parading back into the house dressed like a cross-dressing guard with an icepack on his head."

"Wait, he... what?" Amethyst blinked. “He was still wearing--”

"They let him keep it!" Ghost wailed pitifully.

"You think that guardmare would want her armor back after some stallion's junk--"

"Don't say it!" Ghost complained.

Thankfully, at that very moment, the waiter came back with their food. With a skillful twist of the neck, he had moved two large platters from his back to the booth's table, laying a tropical salad in front of Ghost and a seaweed and pasta dish in front of Amethyst. After laying down some utensils and napkins, he went on his way with a polite bow. Amethyst had already started digging into her food with abandon by the time Ghost had plucked a chunk of pineapple and placed it into his mouth.

"Ever think about eating in the same place as before?" Ghost mumbled through his piece of fruit. "I lost track of how many places you've taken me to on the spur of the moment."

"I do eat in the same places, sometimes," she huffed in return, "…when I can't find anywhere new. As big as Manehattan is, it does happen. Still, little places like this crop up now and then, thankfully," she said with a wide smile. "Besides, how else am I to get to know the city?"

"Do you really have to know every nook and cranny?" Ghost asked humorlessly.

"It helps. Besides, Manehattan is my home." After a moment's pause, she added, "and it's yours too. You may not have come here by choice, but even I can tell it's growing on you."

"...It's not really the place, so much as the ponies." Ghost admitted. "I know I'm only here because my family made me take over the refugee house here in Manehattan, but..."

Ghost shrugged.

"I honestly used to hate it, but even after just a few nights here, I've grown to like what I do. Even if I'm not the best at it, and the ponies there are largely accountable for themselves... I just can't think of anything else I'd rather do right now."

Amethyst smiled. "Yeah, but I bet it sucks to be filthy rich, and not able to touch any of it."

"You have no idea," Ghost said with a sigh.