The casino was bouncing. Not literally, of course, but there was plenty of fun-seeking ponies looking to get their fix, and the casino, and its showmares, were there to help make that happen. "Oui." Fleur gestured to the right. "You will want that." The guest nodded and ambled off at a lively trot. "What a crowd..."

More than usual. Fleur had to navigate that same crowd, weaving slowly. She was a large pony, which only slowed her progress. Ponies were not as eager as she'd have liked to dive out of her way. Most just started to move when she was on them, making it a slow slog.

"Here ya go!" Apple Bloom was just as overwhelmed as the others, hurrying order after order into waiting hooves as quickly as she could.

"This isn't my order."

Apple Bloom slapped a hoof to her face. "Right." She grabbed the tray and swapped it to another pony. "Be right back!" and she dashed into the back.

Fleur shook her head. At least she wasn't alone in the crush of the wave. What had drawn so many customers in at once? Flim and Flam, at least, were surely pleased.

Her thoughts strayed to calmer times. She remembered enjoying the slot machines. She walked up to one, took hold of the knob in her hand.

Hand? She did not have hands. Her magic! Obviously. Her magic could form a hand, for pulling just a thing and hoping for a lucky spin, yes, clearly…

"Fleur!" There was Flam, waving at her. "Go get Octavia out here. All hooves on deck!"

Any excuse to escape that crush was a welcome one. "Je suis sur l'affaire," she called in reply, working her way towards one of the staff hallways.

Ah, blissful quiet. The doors between the gaming areas and the staff areas were quite well made, little sound but a faint murmur of that riot getting through, leaving Fleur to her own thoughts in peace.

But she did have a task. She marched down the hallway, not erupting into a trot. A little time in the quiet wouldn't hurt her…

"Is that you, Fleur?" Octavia had heard her approach and somehow knew it was her despite only hearing her hoofsteps. "On break already?"

Fleur willed the door open, poking her head in. "Non. Flam sent me to fetch you. It is quite busy today."

"That I can hear it at all is testament to that." Octavia rose, approaching her cello. "Does he want me to play for them?"

Fleur folded an ear back, considering that. "Non… They would barely hear you in their state. I imagine he is hoping you will serve them directly."

Octavia frowned at that. "We are mares of specific talents." She rose to her hooves. "How do you put up with it? I swear… I am a cellist! Not a bartender. Not a maid. Not a dancer…"

Flits of her troubling thoughts returned to her. "About that… 'Tavi, if you've a moment?"

"Hm?" She put her cello back against the wall, apparently not needing it at the moment. "For you, you know I always have a moment." A kind smile returned. "I'm not angry at you, not at all. What's on your mind?"

"A few things." Fleur slipped in, the door closing behind her with a glow of her magic. "Odd flights of fancy, as they say… Let's start with… the most rooted." She sat in place. "How long have I worked here?"

Octavia frowned at that. "About a week? At least that's when I started seeing you, whyever is that a problem? We were all new at some time. You've adapted rather nicely, if you ask me, which you are."

"It still bothers me." Fleur scowled with renewed irritation. "I remember more than a week. One of the brothers said more than a week… Where is that week, Octavia? Où est-ce?"

"What else is bothering you?" deflected Octavia. "It's not just a typo on your pay stub that has you looking like that."

"Non… no…" Fleur took a slow breath. "I keep remembering things. They feel… impossible." She thrust a hoof at Octavia. "This is a hoof, is it not?"

"It is a lovely hoof." Octavia set her own hoof atop it. "That belongs to a lovely mare, who is obviously quite rattled."

"I remember grabbing something, with a hand! Une main!" Fleur waved that hoof that was not a hand at Octavia. "Where can that come from?"

Octavia trapped the hoof between both of hers. "You do not have any hands," she stated in clear confident tones. "I am holding a hoof. That is what you have."

"What I have." Fleur settled on her haunches, allowing Octavia to just cradle her hoof. "Of course." She leaned in, touching nose to nose with her roomie. "Thank you for allowing me this moment of nonsense."

"Nonsense is not a word I would associate with you." Octavia pushed Fleur back as she rose herself. "If you are having these…" She trailed off with a frown. "Have you had other thoughts? Things that bother you? Do tell me. I will not judge."

Of that Fleur was doubtful. Octavia judged, a lot, when she thought the one being judged couldn't hear. "It's… hard to put in words… I have this nagging feeling, as if I were not… being entirely myself." She suddenly grunted, clopping the ground as she turned. "I must sound like a mad mare!"

"Perish the thought." She perked an ear. "Somepony's coming. Someone crude."

"Ladies." Flim had arrived, knocking on the door. "We need everyone out on the floor. Today's quite the busy day."

"On the way," Octavia called out, but her eyes were on Fleur. "We are not finished." She rose herself up fully. "We have work to do, but we will continue this conversation."

Fleur stepped out of the way for Octavia to move past, following along afterwards. "Have you ever had such thoughts?"

Octavia turned an ear back at her friend. "I will gladly share, later. For now, let's put on a brave face." She forced a smile. It was not her usual look. "And make some ponies happy to be here."

They emerged into the thick of it. For a while, there was little time for inner thoughts. Their job had need of them. They were called to positions they did not often frequent. Fleur spotted Sunset helping ponies onto the roller coaster. "Tell me you have a clue why we're so busy?"

Sunset swung shut the door with her magic, getting the car moving down the track. With a heavy grunt, she turned to Fleur. "An entire airship of ponies came for a trip. The place they were going to stay at? Closed for extermination. Guess who got the overflow." She tossed her head at the crowd. "Flim and Flam jumped on the chance, took it all without thinking how hard it'd be to keep up."

Fleur had to take a moment to imagine just how large that airship must have been to carry so many extra ponies to their doorstep. "Well… good for them…" Not so good for the rest of them. "I had better go." There were no breaks, not that day. "Appels de travail." And she dove back into the crowd to do her part.

She buckled down. It was crunch time. She'd survived Christmas rushes! She'd survived Black Friday! She could handle a press of customers. She knew retail!

What was Christmas?

Another strange thought. No time for that. It was Friday, but no more black or any other color. What… No, stop being distracted. She clopped and forced herself back on track. "Just this way." She was a waiter and servant. She'd get ponies where they needed and make sure they had a lovely time while they were there. That was the job she accepted.

She had… applied…

When had she applied? Why did she take the job? Where was she before she had the job? The questions kept coming even as she pushed through the day.

But the pressure did abate. Fleur wasn't sure exactly when, but there was room around her. She could hear ponies speaking again. Ah, there was Flam. She approached at a brisk trot. "Are the guests retiring to their rooms?"

"Yes," he snapped. "But not to ours. 'Too crowded,' they said." He rolled his eyes with a loud snort. "They've gone to other hotels, most of them. Still, today was a capital day." Ah, his smile was back. "We'll have to count it up, but the registers didn't even have a moment to calm down." He slapped Fleur on the side. "Good work! Be a doll and tell the others they can go back to their usual shifts."

Fleur's snort was far quieter as she walked away from the grinning Flam. Ah, there was Sunset, leaning heavily against the same rollercoaster. "They've gone. You can--"

"--Finally!" Sunset hopped down from the platform and trotted out of that nook to join Fleur. "I'm a bartender, not a… whatever that job was." Was there a name for someone who ran a rollercoaster? "That was a lot of ponies." She went past with a determined expression.

Fleur smiled a little, imagining Sunset was headed right back to her spot at the bar. "Now… There." She saw Octavia dealing cards, which was not easy for her to do. She was an earth pony, and not trained in the art. She was doing her best, keeping the game moving. "Tempest?" She craned her neck left and-- "Oh!" Tempest had appeared as if by magic from the thinned crowd. "There you are."

Tempest nodded at Fleur. "Congratulations, you survived that mad trip. What do you need?"

Fleur lifted an ear. "You already know? This is good. Can you take that over?" She pointed over to where Octavia played. "Poor thing."

Tempted winced at the sight. "On it."

And soon Octavia was free to get away from the table. Before she could get far, Fleur cut her off. "I know you are tired."

"Tired is not the precise word I would select." Octavia looked over Fleur in kind. "Aren't you?"

"Very… But I would like to perform, with you, if I may? My magic, she is better with your enchanting accompaniment."

That got a gentle smile from Octavia. "Now… that is an offer that's hard to turn down. Alright… I'll get my cello. You freshen up. We'll meet on the stage."

For a few quiet moments, what was more like ten minutes, give or take, Fleur and Octavia knew peace. There were many ponies there. They were watching them both. Magic and music blending together as if the two of them were dancing. In that moment, Fleur felt whole again. However rough the day had been, she had her performance and that delightful music. It was all right again.

With the last sweet note, Fleur bowed to the audience. The curtain dropped, muffling the soft applause that was coming. They had enjoyed her show, good. She walked down the hallway only to find Octavia waiting at the first intersection. "Hm?"

"There you are." Octavia went past down the hallway that led towards their room. "That was jolly fun, but we have a discussion to have, or did you forget? I rightly did not. You're not escaping until we get this sorted out." She glanced over her shoulder. "So save your excuses."

Fleur followed behind sheepishly. She hadn't expected that, no… "Am I in trouble?"

"Clearly so." It was quiet a moment, just their clip-clops. "And that is what I wish to address. Fleur, you are not alone. You have friends. I do hope you see me like that as well?"

"Of course!" Fleur hurried to get a leg over Octavia, but was rebuffed, denied that contact.

"Not the time," warned Octavia. "You are clearly in pain, and we will address it, as friends. Now, in." She pointed to the door leading to their room. "And let's start from the start, as they say, hm?"

Author's Note

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