There was a moment in Tote Bag’s life when she had just suddenly stopped obsessing over her blank flank. Where she had stopped trying a hundred and one things in her spare time, and instead she just coasted through the rest of her life. She stopped looking in the mirror, at the soft lavender curve of her hind leg, and told herself she was content to patiently wait for her cutiemark to just appear. Isn’t that what everypony would say? Be patient and it’ll come?
That was when she was still in filly school.
She ignored the fact that she was not only the last pony in filly school to get a cutiemark, but also the last in her general studies college classes, and now? She was a graduated, fully grown mare, with no family, no one she could really consider a friend, and unable to pay her rent in the small town of Ponyville because she not only had no job and no specific talent… but she was still a pony with no cutiemark. So, with a quivering bottom lip, she swallowed anything remotely close to ambitious and grabbed her single saddle bag, the contents the only thing she owned.
She kept her blue eyes cast downward, watching where she trotted. There were no ponies for her to cross and greet today, because it wasn’t even today yet… for the sun had yet to rise by Princess Celestia, who no doubt was nestled high in Canterlot Castle. But Tote Bag couldn’t be late, because today was her first day at work, in her new home, the Rich Family Mansion, where Tote Bag would be one of many maids living on the property.
Maybe she’d make a friend?
As she left the cozy neighborhood of small cottages and entered a large gardened clearing, she took note of the high black bars that served as a fence for her new place of employment, and tried to see it as an opportunity, not a prison. Tote Bag took in a deep breath from behind her saddlebag strap, and pressed the button on the stone archway, leading to the Rich Family Estate. She waited patiently, listening to the soft nightly breeze and the choir of crickets chirping.
A male voice buzzed in, “Rich Family Estate, what is your business?”
Tote Bag dropped her saddle bag and replied quickly, “My name is Tote Bag, I’m supposed to start as a maid today?” She finished nervously. There was a deliberate pause that made her stomach twist in anticipation. A camera she had not noticed before turned at her, red light blinking and lens focusing. She shyly looked away, rubbing her foreleg as she was studied. Should she turn sideways and show her blank flank?
“Please come onto the property, stay to your left, and come into the mansions back door. You will be met with our Lead Maid who will direct you in your assignments.”
Tote Bag didn’t get a chance to thank the speaker, and flinched at the audible buzz and loud click of the front gate beside her.
“Lock the gate behind you,” the voice directed, and Tote Bag grabbed her saddlebag, shuffled open the cold black bars, swung around to the inside, and pushed them closed. With a snapping noise, she was officially locked onto the property.
“Okay,” Tote Bag tossed her saddle bag over her shoulder, “stay to the left…” she trotted down the smooth path, passing bushes of trimmed ponies, and statues of various Rich family members. She heard the trickle of a stream, but couldn’t see behind the wall of bushes and various flowers that had yet to bloom in the Spring chill.
Minutes passed, and the lavender pony began to canter down the trail, her heart hammering in her chest as she noted the rise of the sun over the distant mountains. Was she lost? Oh gosh, was she going to be late?! Would they think she was just wandering around their property because she was taking this long to…
And then, over the next hill, she finally found the mansion. She gasped with relief, slowing back down to a trot to cool herself off. She hoped she hadn’t over worked herself already, or made herself smell with sweat. She gritted her teeth and continued onward, past the enormous cream building with pink shutters. Tote Bag shook her head, she’d observe the scenery later, she had to get to work!
The back door was easy enough to find, and it opened with ease into what looked like a laundry room. There were baskets of bed sheets, table cloths, curtains, rugs, but no clothes save black and white laced maid outfits. Tote Bag blanched at the sight, but jumped at the sudden, “ahem.”
An orange mare, a few years older than Tote Bag, stood in the middle of the room. She had deep purple eyes and soft pink curls. She too was dressed in a maid outfit, but the skirt sloped over her blank flank and came down mid-hind-leg, in an attempt at modesty. She had a tired but stern look about her, as if she hadn’t slept well that night. “Good morning, you must be Tote Bag.” It wasn’t a question, and Tote Bag found herself nodding yes. “I’m Twinkleworks, but until you become a proper maid, you’ll address me as Ma’am, is that clear?”
“Yes Ma’am,” Tote Bag nodded once more.
“Good,” Twinkleworks pointed to folded maids uniform on the dryer to Tote Bag’s left side. “You will put that on, and you’ll receive three pairs. You will wear them at all times except of course for when you are bathing.” She held her hoof up until Tote Bag noted the cue and quickly dropped her saddle bag to the floor and began to shuffle into the black and white lace.
She felt her face growing hot. This uniform, unlike the one that Twinkleworks wore, was vastly more skimpy and barely covered her blank flank. If anything, it seemed like it was something that should be in an adult magazine for single stallions, not on a working maid. It was also, to Tote Bags distress, a size too small. Once put on, Tote Bag looked up at Twinkleworks, unable to hide the blush and discomfort in her face. There was a mirrored look of pity from the orange mare, but only for a moment before those deep purple eyes glazed over. “As you earn your place as a maid and gain more responsibilities, you will be rewarded with more mature and respectable attire, but until then, you are responsible for cleaning your own uniforms. Follow me,” Twinkleworks turned quickly and headed out of the laundry room.
“You will be shown the living quarters for the maids later this evening, and of course you will be eating with the rest of the staff at seven am and two pm, but until then, I will be showing you what your duties will be,” Twinkleworks spoke quickly, yet quietly, so not to disturb anypony as they crossed the hall and entered a kitchen. “You will preform the same duties daily, unless otherwise instructed by me, is that clear?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“You will not attempt any social behavior or start any hobbies until all your duties are complete for the day, is that clear?”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“You will not leave the property without permission, and you are to swear that anything you witness from this moment onward is classified and not to be discussed, questioned, or repeated on or off the Estate, do you understand?”
Tote Bag was having trouble keeping up with Twinkleworks, who seemed To have mastered walking quickly without making a sound. “Yes Ma’am,” she all but panted out.
“Good,” Twinkleworks said firmly before stopping suddenly. Tote Bag almost bumped right into the orange mare, but caught herself and leaned back. Twinkleworks was looking over her shoulder, “and Tote Bag…” she said softly. “It will get easier… I promise,” her voice held something painful in it, “But first… it’s going to be very hard…”
Tote Bag swallowed down a thickness that built up in her throat and whispered, “Yes Ma’am…”
