A Basket, A Blanket, and a Bundle of Bills
, part of The Weedverse and written by Kudzuhaiku, it is about Copperquick, who, just as he's about to leave for work, discovers a one-night-stand had significantly longer term results.
Now, with a foal he doesn't have the facility to care for, he is forced to seek help from Equestria's social services, only to find that the help they can offer is woefully under what he needs. Fortunately he attracts the attention of Twilight Velvet, who intends to use him to spearhead a badly-needed reform.
Now has a sequel, Spring Broke.
This story contains examples of:
- Alliterative List: The title: A Basket, A Blanket, and a Bundle of Bills
- Alliterative Title: By being an Alliterative List.
- Alpha Bitch: Cielo del Este is this character type.
- Badass Bureaucrat: We've seen signs of Twilight Velvet's credentials in earlier stories, but it's here that we see what she really does. Miss Oddbody is equally competent, which is why Twilight Velvet hired her.
- Beleaguered Bureaucrat: Foal services.
- The Big Damn Kiss: After the encounter with Blancmange, Miss Oddbody begins beating herself up over it, Copperquick comforts her and it ends up this way.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: From Chapter 3, as Miss Oddbody says:"My mother is a dairy farmer who makes soaps and cheeses and sometimes soapy cheeses when she hasn’t had enough sleep.”
- Cluster F-Bomb: After discovering Copperquick is getting evicted, Miss Oddbody shows her farmer's heritage.
- Contrived Coincidence: Helianthus showing up just as Copperquick needs to be told what to do. Assuming it was a coincidence, it wouldn't be the first time Helianthus has shown up out of nowhere just when she's needed.
- Department of Child Disservices: Unfortunately, Equestria's social services are utterly useless to Copperquick. Fortunately, he has Twilight Velvet backing him up.
- Fluffy the Terrible: Sapphire Shores' intimidating bodyguard is called Mister Fuzzy Slippers.
- Genki Girl: Miss Oddbody. It's the caffeine.
- Hot Librarian: Miss Oddbody has this look.
- Is This Thing Still On?: The magical hairpin Miss Oddbody wears while dealing with the bureaucracy never gets turned off after they fail, so Twilight Velvet hears all the emotional talk later on.
- Mama Bear: Sapphire Shores does not appreciate Cielo del Este's treatment of her foal.
- Meal Ticket: Discussed, Miss Oddbody believes Copperquick could get Sapphire as one, but he's not interested.
- Must Have Caffeine: Miss Oddbody runs on it.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: The Treasury Wing is full of them, they don't like handing out money to anyone for any reason.
- Parental Neglect: Cielo del Este neglected Esmeralda even before dumping her on Copperquick.
- Pick Up Babes With Babes: Discussed, and it seems to work with Sapphire Shores, although Copperquick doesn't press the opportunity.
- Spy Speak: Miss Oddbody and Twilight Velvet have a discussion about Stiff Upper Lips, horribly confusing Copperquick and any readers unfamiliar with Venenum Iocus.
- Social Services Does Not Exist: If you're a single father. Single mothers have some support (even if it is woefully inadequate and difficult to access).
- Through His Stomach: Two instances:
- From Chapter 3: Miss Oddbody's parents, as she says:
“My father, he pulls double duty in the postal service and selling life insurance. He’s a pegasus like me. Moomy is an earth pony, he saw her working in the field one day and came down to say hello, and she didn’t let him leave. She plied him with cheeses and hot buttery toast.”- Later on, Miss Oddbody and Copperquick.
- From Chapter 3
