The mare with the blue-gray coat and distinctively posh accent intrigued Roamer for a bit, before she put her focus back on the fact she hadn't eaten in about two days. She decided against asking for food just now.
 
However, her stomach painfully contracted, and she doubled over in pain. By the time she was over it, Flashfire was looking at her strangely, her head tilted just a bit. "Uh..do you need anything, dear?"
Dear. Roamer thought that Flashfire had some kind of early bond to her, even though they'd just met. It was the perfect time to ask. "J-just hungry..haven't eaten in a while. I can't buy food." She saw Flashfire's aquamarine eyes hang on her for a bit more, before going down to her purse.
"I have a bit of food with me, hotcakes. Would you like that?" Roamer waited as Flashfire unwrapped the package with magic. Hotcakes, just as she'd promised. And they were fried.
"I can have those? You're serious?"
"Go right ahead, they're yours." Gently, Roamer took the hotcakes, and they were still warm. She paced herself as she ate, still able to taste the syrup and sugar inside.
 
"T-thanks." She was able to say, after she'd finished. Flashfire nodded. "You're very welcome. Would you mind if I ask how you got stuck out here? You don't look like you're from Canterlot."
Roamer looked over herself. She was definitely not one of the rich, who'd been stripped of property and wealth. "I'm- well, I was a college student. Then the storm hit and I was stuck here, and the stock market crashed. Is that why you're out here?"
She saw Flashfire nod slowly.
 
"Yes, dear, I produced the Flash Oven. I trust you've heard of it?" Memories of Roamer's culinary class whipped through her head. Oh, what she'd do to have some of their food again. She nodded. "Yeah, they had some in my cooking class. It was so fast, and our teacher bought them with her own bits."
 
Roamer heard a rustle. It wasn't more food, but instead it was a large bottle containing a dense red liquid. As Flashfire opened it, Roamer knew what it was: Alcohol. She had a bottle of red wine in her purse.
"Flashfire," Roamer protested, "you realize it's the middle of the day? I know it's hard to tell because we can't really see the sun..but it's noon, I promise you. Don't drink." Flashfire turned her eyes up towards the sky, apparently thinking it over. "Drink with me, then."
 
A pause. Roamer stared at the blood-red wine, moving closer. "I'm nineteen, Flashfire, I can't drink. I'd rather eat snow."
Flashfire shrugged a bit and started slowly drinking in front of her. She must have known she wouldn't be able to last very long, and quickly caved.
"Alright. I'll have some. Isn't it supposed to keep ponies warm?" Roamer questioned.
"Well, technically, dear, it constricts your blood vessels and makes you feel warmer. But, it's the same idea." Flashfire stopped drinking and held the bottle inches from Roamer's mouth, using her magic. Roamer leaned forward and began drinking slowly. She sputtered a bit, but swallowed, then stopped.
"It burns a lot.." Roamer said. Coming out it sounded more like a whine.
"It doesn't burn as much as vodka," Flashfire comforted her. "But, no more for now. We'll be drunk before the day's out, Roamer."
Lowering her ears, she said, "Alright..."
 
She watched as Flashfire recorked the bottle and stowed it. After a while Roamer heard her posh accent again. "So, Roamer..you're an Earth pony?"
Completely insulted, Roamer retorted, "Pegasus! Not Earth! I have wings.." she lightly moved her right under her shirt, which covered most of her body. "But my left..I can't fly with it..I guess my wings are useless, might as well be an earth pony."
"Don't be like that," Flashfire hugged her closely. "I'd like to get it under a doctor's eye, if only I could actually afford one."
This managed to lift Roamer's spirits a bit more. She took a deep breath. Flashfire smelled like lavender. She was sure she was going to like everything about this mare.
Roamer nodded slowly as she heard Flashfire draw a breath, and keep speaking. "My money's worth nothing. Less than rocks. Nopony can afford anything. Would you mind if I took a look at your wing?"
Roamer shook her head, remembering the pony who did this to her: Kilano. "No, sorry, Flashfire. I don't really trust anypony with my wings." She was careful not to mention Kilano to her as of yet.
"That's fine, I understand. Roamer, I'm here for you."
"T-thanks."
 
Roamer heard another rustling and looked up at Flashfire, who was apparently either unaware or uncaring.
The sound actually came from above. Somepony was coming down the fire escape of a building.
The pony hit the ground with a loud thump, and this seemed to grab Flashfire's attention. Roamer felt her body turning to look at the pony. Its flat snout pointed it out as a stallion.
 
Roamer broke the hug, becoming somewhat nervous now. During her short experience with extreme poverty, she'd seen government ponies walking the streets, where they would gather up vagrants, and put them under curfew. The little food they had in these camps was disgusting, and they couldn't leave the grounds. She'd been on one. This stallion simply looked around and trotted towards them, being another pegasus. Roamer, having only seen government unicorns thus far.
 
Flashfire turned away and looked at the stallion, speaking. "Oh, hello. How are you doing this dreary day?" Flashfire's voice suddenly was unbearably loud at this distance of mere inches. The stallion appeared to recognize something about her. "I know you from somewhere.." he said vaguely.
"I'm Allezeite Flashfire? Producer of the-"
"Yeah, yeah, that bullshit." Not wanting to interrupt for fear of being yelled at, Roamer sat and watched, her forelegs loosely around Flashfire's waist.
"Anyhow, what are you doing out here?" The stallion moved closer, his face becoming clearer as he did.
"I'm learning how hardship works, dear. Isn't that what they say in Ponyville? Hardship is magic, right?"
"It's friendship," the stallion said. "Anyhow, you shouldn't be out here. Those ponies will arrest you."
Flashfire pulled from Roamer more. She shivered a bit, realizing she enjoyed the close contact with the other mare. She started to wonder if she was a filly-fooler.
 
The three introduced themselves; The stallion's name was Firestorm. He owned an apartment, with his friend(Roamer secretly thought they were special someponies) Rising Sun, who had bronchitis. Flashfire accepted the offer to stay, prompting Roamer to do the same.
She couldn't bear the thought of being alone again.