Boxcars makes a gamble to get a better life for her brother, Domino, and herself, fleeing violence and prejudice as the Grittish regime in Windia collapses, she buys passage on a ship to Equestria. Upon arrival, she finds herself in the care of two doctors, Bertie Bunsen and Cactus Needle.
The Great Equestrian Gamble
is part of The Weedverse by Kudzuhaiku.
This story contains examples of:
- Apologises a Lot: Bertie used to apologise daily to Cactus for causing his Nightmare Face. He proposed to her in an attempt to finally convince her he's forgiven her, and had done long ago.
- Badass Adorable: Boxcars is a fairly young filly, but she's been through enough that she's genuinely dangerous. Doctor Needle's first impression of her is this, and he's not wrong.
- Beaten By A Girl: Cactus gets a little teasing on this theme once Bertie finds out that Boxcars actually did draw a gun on him.
- Born Lucky: Domino and Boxcars have done extremely well to survive as well as they have, and their luck is commented on. Their talents are for luck.
- Fantastic Racism: The reason for Boxcars' "Great Gamble" is due to being subjected to this because of their mixed Grittish and Kathiawari blood.
- Flat World: Although Terra Prime isn't one, Domino thought it was and worried they'd fall off when they left Windia.
- Food as Bribe: Doctor Bunsen attempts to secure Boxcars' cooperation with a promise of ice-cream. Unfortunately, Boxcars doesn't know what that is. She does promise to feed them later.
- Gasshole: Downplayed, but apparently Cactus has yet to learn how to say "excuse me" after belching. He reckons that given his job requires walking through the sewers, it's not exactly his biggest problem.
- Hates Baths: Domino's reaction of Bertie's suggestion is rather strong.
- I Am Very British: Bertie's accent is strongly Grittish, and it reminds Boxcars of her parents.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Cactus wants foals. Of course Bertie is infertile. It's why he's so keen to take in Boxcars and Domino.
- Like an Old Married Couple: Doctors Bunsen and Needle. They are actually married.
- Loophole Abuse: While Cactus and Bertie would struggle to be recognised as fit parents in order to adopt Boxcars and Domino, Cactus can take Boxcars as an apprentice, due to ancient legal traditions carried over from before Equestria was founded, buying the time they need to sort things out, and more, if Boxcars wants it.
- Military Brat: Boxcars' father was a soldier, and she's able to recognise the same demeanour in Doctor Needle.
- New Parent Nomenclature Problem: Domino asks Bertie if she'll be his mum precipitating an argument between Cactus and Bertie. Cactus wants foals, but Bertie is infertile. While she's not against the ideanote , she's much more cautious about it than Cactus, pointing out that they don't have a house, and their line of work is dangerous, there's no way they could be seen as fit parents. Fortunately, see Loophole Abuse, above.
- Nightmare Face: Doctor Needle has a "melted" face, and initially terrifies Boxcars and Domino when they see him unmasked. It's the result of an alchemy accident caused by Bertie while they were trainees.
- The Oldest Profession: Boxcars was nearly forced to prostitute herself (amongst other things) to secure passage on a ship from Monkeylore, but managed to avoid it.
- Orphanage of Fear: Boxcars and Domino fled one after Boxcars knocked Miss Blackstrap over the head.
- Parental Substitute: Cactus and Bertie begin developing this sort of relationship to Boxcars and Domino.
- Plague Doctor: The distinctive costume of the Rat-Catcher's Guild initially terrifies Boxcars and Domino.
- Potty Emergency: Domino suffers from one during the examination. It's not Played for Laughs, due to being the result of diarrhoea from the disease that infected the ship they were on.
- The Promised Land: Equestria is one to Domino and Boxcars. While the the tales they've heard are somewhat fanciful, it is genuinely a good place for them.
- Puppy-Dog Eyes: Domino is something of a master, and uses it to encourage Boxcars to take Cactus' offer of apprenticeship.
- Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Boxcars and Domino have had to grow up very fast just to survive. When given toys for Hearthswarming, they don't know what to do with them.
- Vader Breath: The tendency of gas masks to cause this makes Doctor Needle initially even scarier to Boxcars and Domino.
