Winter's Chill

Manehattan is a city of glamour and lights, a tourist hot spot that constantly buzzes and bustles with activity. One of the largest cities in Equestria, it is the city that never sleeps, a glimmering beacon on the horizon.

But it has it's dark corners, the places that ponies don't want to see, don't want to acknowledge as real. The slums. The underbelly of Manehattan, where the lower class ponies scrape by on meager pay, barely able to put food into their own mouths, much less anyone else's. It is often every pony for themselves on these streets, especially when winter stretches its cruel tendrils across the city.

Indie usually didn't mind the winter, the cold weather was a welcome change to the heat of summer, and the somber stillness that settled over everything was soothing to his mind. For him, winter was a time of quiet, of complete serenity. The perfect muse for his music. But he'd ended up in the wrong place on his travels, and now the winter was foreboding and wicked, a threat to his very life.

It'd started as a cough, not particularly serious, but as the days grew colder, he found himself becoming sicker. The funny thing about the common cold was it's ability to go from harmless to serious in a matter of days, and the homeless traveler had nowhere to rest his head, to escape the cold, resigned to shivering on a park bench as the weather he normally cherished threatened to suck the life right out of him.

He looked up towards the sky and let out a shuddering sigh, it would be night soon, and with no bits for a room at a hotel, or even a visit to a hospital for medicine, he was in a pretty desperate predicament. He laid his fatigued body against the bench, his normally sunny face was a picture of despair as he settled down, resigning himself to a cold night attempting to sleep on the park bench.

(I went SO OVERBOARD omg I am so sorry. Anyone can join though, I just wanted to break this guy in a bit!)

Astutos Ingenio could think of no bigger waste of resources, than the resources it took to power Manehatten. Never the less, that's not why he was here. Astutos was here as a professor giving a week long lecture at Manehatten University, which had rather exhausted him.
       
 He was now on his way back to his hotel room for the night, as he was not very fond of partying. It'd been a long, and rather unsuccessful week. None of the students in his lecture could quite comprend his teachings, and this frustrated him. Astutos was now in deep thought as to how he could re-word tomorrow's lecture when he happened appon a park bench to stop and sit at for a moment.

          The only problem was the sleeping stallion on it. However, Astutos figured it wouldn't hurt if he didn't touch the other stallion. Astutos proceeded to sit on the opposite end of the bench, where there was just enough room for him to fit.

The problem with the cold, wet weather was how hard it made it to catch any actual sleep, coupled with the coughing fits and shivers, it made for absolutely poor rest. The stallion wasn't sleeping so much as he was falling in and out of a delirious doze, completely exhausted and mentally reprimanding himself for never bothering to invest in proper winter wear, the most he had was a worn old scarf, that hardly served any real purpose, too worn to keep anyone warm.

He was only barely aware of another pony approaching the bench, lifting his head when he saw the younger stallion sliding into the space that was left. He became a bit more alert as he moved into a sitting position, using his foreleg to cover his mouth as he coughed, "S-sorry...S-s-shouldn't have been t-taking up the whole bench." He gave a crooked smile, "My bad..." He focused his somewhat bleary eyes on the pony, who looked very well kept and important, what was he doing around these parts of Manehattan?

He cleared his throat a little and winced at the slight soreness, "S-sorry if this s-seems nosey...But what brings a pony like you to these dingy streets?" He didn't mean the question as an insult, and his tone was innocent and friendly, he was mostly just curious.

Astutos sat up a bit more and focused on the stallion next to him. "Well, I'm in Manehatten for a lecture at the university."
        Astutos shivered. Though this was more so because of a flash back  to today's lecture. He hated the school for not giving him a more capable class to lecture, but even more mad at himself for not being able to teach better. Never the less today was over and tomorrow would be better.
        He turned his attention back to his new found conversation partner. "So I take it you live here." Astutos wanted for an answer.

Indie gave a sympathetic look, noting his tone and the shudder, it was clear that it wasn't going too well, "Ah, I take it it isn't g-going all that well?" He flicked an ear and gave a friendly smile, "My ears are open if ya' need to let it out?" It was the least he could offer, an ear to talk into, and perhaps even advice if he had any he could provide.

He shook his head when asked if he lived here, "Nah, just passing through. I live wherever I lay my head...I don't really have a home." He covered another cough and gave a soft chuckle, "I'm never in the same place for long." He smiled at him, "My name's Indie, what may I call you?"

This rather saddened Astutos heart when he was told this poor stallion was wireless, and was sound rather sick. Never the less he decided to follow suit and intensive himself. "My name is Astutos Ingenio. It's nice to meet you Mr. Indie.  I just wish it was under warner circumstances. "

        Astutos half grinned back at Indie, then a thought ran through his head which he acts on. "Well, Mr.Indie seeing as it's rather could and dark , would you like to continue this conversation back in my hotel room?" Astutos just knew the stallion would greece to death out here otherwise.

Indie gave a soft chuckle, nodding in agreement, "I usually enjoy the cold, winter weather," He shook his head, "But this is a bit much, even for me!" He gave a friendly smile, "But it's a pleasure to meet you regardless, Astutos!" He would have offered his hoof to shake, but thought better of it being ill, "I'm kind of a nomad, here and there, so my home ends up being wherever I lay my head!"

His ears perked when he heard the younger stallion's offer, smiling and nodding, "That is a mighty kind offer, I would be happy to!" After all, he still didn't know a while lot about his new friend! He slid off the bench and shouldered his guitar, "Lead the way, Mister Astutos!"