Vinyl let out the most absolutely heartfelt sigh of relief as she finally got back to her own room. It had taken way way too long. Naturally, when Vinyl actually needed Stellar for her job, you know, booking gigs and hotels, the pony was nowhere to be found. Oh well, at least she had a place now.
It wasn’t quite as ritzy as her room in Canterlot, but it was close, and it had a better aesthetic, honestly. It was all modern looking, with glass and dark metals, soft chairs in monochrome, heck yes. She hadn’t planned to stay long, but Stellar was being Stellar again. She’d drummed up a couple of gigs for her at clubs here in Manehattan, which still really ticked Vinyl off, now that she thought about it. She got new gigs together before getting her star a freaking room? She couldn’t really turn down the pay, though. Or, apparently, the dreaded upcoming lunches with the snoot quartet. Bleh.
“This is where you’re staying?! Awesome!!” Dash yelped, from just behind her. Vinyl got a swift mental drop into a bucket of ice as she was reminded of her volunteer pegasus coach driver as the pony strode into Vinyl’s room. Whoops. “You must make the big bits, huh?”
“Nah, not so much.” Vinyl started emptying her bags. One pile for the bed, one pile for the bathroom, one for the random floor area by the couch. “I mean, yeah, I guess, but these are usually covered by my agency.”
“Make more than a weather pony, that’s for sure.” Dash started rooting around, looking for Celestia only knows what. Vinyl sighed, dumping the rest of her junk on the floor. She might not be actively hung over, but she was still pretty tired. Probably too tired to put up with Dash levels of energy, much as she liked the filly.
“Yo, Dash, I-”
“It’s cool, you don’t gotta thank me.” Dash interrupted, hoof clicking a half-decent beat on the buttons of the room’s espresso machine, eyes wide as a pair of records. “I was looking to get the heck outta there anyway. Whoa, cool.”
“Yeah, me too.” Vinyl dropped another hot sigh, but a mostly-just-kinda-sad kind this time. Wasn’t the first time she’d woken up somewhere weird, and it was always hella awkward, but this might have been the worst time in recent memory. “So uh, what’s up with that? They’re your friends, right?”
“Ah, it’s complicated, you know how it goes. We’re all really good friends, usually. It’s just been awkward lately without the others though, if it’s just us three.” Dash shrugged, wings flapping excitedly as she found a single serving of espresso beans and started trying to rip them open. Vinyl snatched it with magic before the crazy filly could cost her eighteen bits, and changed the subject before she could try it again.
“So, you and Applejack, yeah?” She bounced her eyebrows at the bright filly, hoping it came across as a form of lesbian fidelity and not as being a weirdo.
“Nah. I mean yeah, but nah. You know?”
“Yeah.” Vinyl didn’t know.
“Yeah.” Dash scuffed the carpet with a hoof, and then shrugged. “I should probably get going.”
“Word. Seeya” Vinyl spoke to the rainbow trail left behind, and sighed again, a relieved-but-kinda-bummed-at-the-same-time one. Why was it always so hard to get ponies out of her rooms?
“Wait, hang on!” Dash popped back in.
“GAH!” Vinyl lept half out of her skin, horn nearly reaching the roof. That would have cost me bits too. She turned back to face the pegasus again.
“I forgot to tell you that the other music pony has your awards.” Dash leaned against the doorframe, a slight smirk on her face.
“The who has my what?” Vinyl felt her eyebrows struggle to pull themselves off her face.
“The gray one with the snooty face and pink tie. And pink swirly thing on her flank?” Vinyl felt her legs wobble, and she moved to sit before she could topple over. She hadn’t been feeling hung over before, but she sorta was now. “You okay, dude?” Rainbow zipped over, face mussed into concern.
“Yeah, no, totally, totally.”
“Is she, like, your ex or something?” Rainbow’s eyebrows followed Vinyl’s. The revolution was spreading. Nopony’s brows would be safe.
“Nah” Vinyl had a sudden craving for another stiff drink. She scruffed up her mane and chewed on her words before saying “I mean yeah, but nah. You know? She’s mad enough at me to be, but we never even met before last night.”
“Dang.”
“Yeah.”
They stood in silence for a moment. Vinyl wondered if this was what ponies meant when they said misery loves company. Dash had taken up a seat next to her, and was idly picking at her hooves. Vinyl tried really hard to find something interesting in the little line things in the wood of the table. This was weird. But somehow, not bad.
Of moon-cursed course though, her phone rang right then. Dash scampered off, with a mouthed something. Might be ‘tell her to come by’. Or might be ‘sell you to some guy’. She hoped it was the first one, but once she checked the caller ID, she decided the other option might not be too bad either. Anything but this.
“Ivory. Good morning.” The voice from the other end. Loud and soft at once. It demanded attention, that’s for sure. Vinyl had come by her loudness honestly, at least. No one could accuse Harpsichord Delight of being anything less than the absolute freaking center of attention at any possible moment.
“Hey mom” Vinyl answered, trying to sound casual, willing her heart to slow down. “It’s kinda early yet.”
“Yes. . . I am proud of you for being up and at them.” A compliment, sorta. Mostly an insult with plausible deniability. “You have time today, yes? I have a luncheon I’d really rather you attend.”
“Ahhh, you know, I have work tonight and-”
“Tonight is not today, dear. Nor does it overlap with lunch. Silly filly.” Sweet. Too sweet, like candy that was designed specifically to hide sneeze powder. “You can nip over and be back in time for your hobbies.”
“No, but listen. I’m meeting someone.” Vinyl hesitated slightly, but knew she had to continue. If she wanted to talk, she had to take every opening “Did you watch the Music Awards last night?”
“Some small part of them. I was working. Why?” She sounded curious, but also like she didn’t care. Vinyl took a deep breath.
“You may have noticed a name in there? You know, mine?” She sped through the words, and then held her breath.
“. . . I did not! I am sorry.” She sounded sorry. “Not one mention that I heard. Do you remember which segment it was in? Or perhaps the timestamp?”
“. . . No, I don’t remember.” Vinyl elected- Err, decided not to mention she was slightly drunk and asleep most of the time. “Were you listening for my cutie name, you know, Vinyl Scratch? ”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I feel like you keep changing it on me.” Vinyl hadn’t been, but whatever. “Regardless, this luncheon? It’s really quite important. You know, Silver Platter and Silver Tongue will be there. . . you three were always such close friends. You remember that, of course.” Vinyl almost did, before she remembered not to fall for that. She’d never been friends with either of ‘em, she’d just been put in a room with ‘em a bunch and told that she was their friend often enough that she bought it.
“Nope, sorry. Doesn’t ring a bell. And like I said, I’m expecting company myse-”
“You are not. Stop lying to me.” Her voice hardened into a blade of derision. Vinyl held the phone away from her ear just in case she decided to yell, which was a good call. “You continually-” She began, in a voice that would have shredded Vinyl into marshmallow-
Thankfully, at that moment, there was a loud rap on the door. With a flood of relief that washed away even fear of the AGM, she pulled the door open with her magic. Octavia stood there, her impassive face cracked slightly.
“Octavia, you’re here!” Vinyl said, loudly. “Much sooner than I expected. Hold on mom, let me put you on speaker. Octavia Melody is here!”
“I really only-” Octavia cut off whatever nonsense she was saying as Vinyl drew a hoof across her throat repeatedly. Vinyls magic tapped buttons on the phone. Harpsichord paused in her tirade.
“Octavia Melody? You know my daughter? I was not aware! We’ve met before, Harpsichord Delight, you remember? From the Canterlot garden party, of course.” Her mother was suddenly all polite surprise and simpering kindness. “Congratulations on your award last night, very, very well earned.”
“Wh- Ahem, yes, of course I remember. Thank you. And yes I am familiar with your. . . daughter.” Octavia spoke. Vinyl could have died of happiness right there. This was a bailout bigger than any the Princesses had ever given to any failing farm or business. The kind of bailout that would turn desert into orchards, that would turn Everfree into Ponyville. AGM for Princess’ aide, seriously.
“Oh, well, then I will not interrupt you! I’m sure you will make beautiful music together, with your talent. We will speak later, Ivory. Do not keep such a talented mare waiting.” Her mom hung up without another word, and Vinyl sighed again in pure, uncut relief. She changed her mind about her sigh from earlier. This was the most heartfelt sigh. A sigh to end all sighs, really. She let herself drape sloppily over a chair, and then remembered Octavia. Whoops.
Vinyl lifted her eyes with great difficulty to face her new assailant. Octavia had said nothing. Her eyes were locked on Vinyl, but they looked way different without the scorn. Kinda pretty, actually. Vinyl’s forgotten statues framed her face, stuck into saddlebags. Vinyl scrambled to take them from her with magic, and reached for her words.
“I appreciate you doing this for me. It was a large favor and deserves appropriate recompense.” She said, mentally cursing herself and rephrasing hastily.. “Uh, so yeah. Good stuff. Thanks for the save there too.”
“Who were you speaking to? Your mother?” Octavia asked, eyes widening a fraction. “And hold on a moment, you are actually capable of speaking properly?”
“Nothing wrong with the way normal ponies speak.” Vinyl said, defensively. “Language is a tool for understanding each other, not like, something to fight about and uh, quibble over weird dumb trivia.”
“A tool for- That was almost intellectual!” Octavia’s eyes were now large enough to swallow the moon as easily as Stellar Wind swallowed cake. “Are you Vinyl’s body double by chance?” Vinyl’s chuckles dried up as she realized Octavia wasn’t joking, she was being totally serious. As if she was ever not. Vinyl sighed, and took off her glasses completely.
“Hi, I’m Vinyl Scratch.” She said, smiling. It was meant to be friendly but it came off a bit sheepish. Oh well. “I’m an audiophile and musician. You might have heard of my public persona, DJ Pon-3. I play everything from weddings to nightclubs. Mostly dubstep these days, but I used to do a lot of trance and house. Kinda want to get back into that too, but I follow the money, and ponies want their dance beats. So, yeah. Good to meet you.” She walked just close enough to stick out a hoof. Octavia didn’t take it. No surprise there. Unlike her eyes. Vinyl let the hoof drop and let the ramble continue.
“So. . . You’ve only ever met me once or twice I think, and I happened to be hella drunk. I can totally get how you’d think I was a real idiot. It’s also sorta part of the act, you know? DJs are supposed to be partiers. Which I am, totally, but maybe not as much as I used to be, but whatever. Keep that on the down low though.” Vinyl continued, trying to look anywhere but the other mare’s eyes, which were starting to pull her in, like a black hole or something. Vinyl almost said more, but she bit it back. She hadn’t told anyone about her family or her own situation, and the AGM was the last person who needed to hear it. Would probably be the subject of gossip in every tea party in Manehattan within the week if she did. They stood awkwardly, Octavia staring, and Vinyl avoiding the stare.
“I am unsure of what to say.” Octavia said, very apropos. Vinyl felt a somewhat hysterical laugh building, and choked it back.
“Yeah you and me both.” she rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, which reminded her she desperately needed a shower too. Great.
“The mare on the phone- Your mother?” Vinyl nodded, and Octavia continued, speaking very slowly. “She called you Ivory.”
“Yeah, it's my birth name.” Vinyl looked deliberately at the ceiling. Leave it alone. She conveyed, as clearly as she could without saying it.
“She doesn’t use your cutie name?” Octavia plowed on, heedless. “That’s rather rude. Although I suppose it took my own mother some time to get used to mine.”
“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t change it right away after. I went to school and stuff beforehoof. I only changed it all official like once I- Err, well, once I started DJing for real.” Vinyl felt herself turning red under Octavia’s refocused gaze. “But it’s not great, yeah. She's totally a ‘my way or the highway’ type of pony.”
“I am familiar with her reputation. She leads one of the finest orchestras in Equestria” Octavia nodded, as slowly as she was talking. “So, perhaps her attitude is warranted. She is quite a talent.”
“I can see you thinking ‘unlike you’, you know” Vinyl let this laugh out, and it behaved, mostly. Only a little hysterical.
“Manehattan disagrees with me, evidently.” Octavia gestured with a hoof at the statues Vinyl had dumped in the corner.
“Sure, I guess.” She shrugged
“You only guess?” Octavia’s anger was back in a flash, and Vinyl found herself suddenly on the other side of the couch. “You won two awards! Does that mean nothing to you? Ponies struggle and claw their whole careers for such recognition!”
“That’s just not really what I’m about” Vinyl peeked over the black velvet. Octavia had not come any closer, but she didn’t quite feel like giving up her defenses just yet. “I like making music. I’d still be doing it even if I wasn’t winning stuff or making money. Do you only do it for the awards or something?”
“No, of course not. However-” Octavia put her rage on pause, and looked thoughtful, hoof to chin. “Fame is desirable, is it not?”
“I mean, sure. Gets me more shows, more shows means more bits, more bits are always good.” Vinyl slipped back over the couch, taking a very late lounging pose. Yup, definitely not scared at all.
“Now who does not care about the music?” Octavia chuckled primly, hoof covering her muzzle, the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly. An actual laugh! Who’d have thought she even could? “You cannot be short of bits. I refuse to believe that. You are rather popular, and your mother is-”
“Yeah totally. Nah, I’m good. But you know how it is, right?” Vinyl cut her off. Her next laugh was not even remotely trying to be anything other than hysterical. It was howling right to the madhouse, lampshade over its head. “Anyway, thanks for the stuff, the statues I mean, real dumb I forgot them, huh?”
“As you said, you seemed extremely intoxicated. As was I, apparently, for taking them home with me rather than leaving them with your unconscious body at the motel. And I suppose also being present at the motel in the first place.” Octavia kept a perfectly straight face, with only a very faint hint of a blush as she said this. Vinyl let out what could only be loosely called a laugh, more like a bark that would make any Diamond Dog proud. That blush though, was enough to send Vinyl halfway to the moon. Very cute. Very much Ponanizing. Ponizing? Making Octavia feel like an actual pony, is what she meant.
“Oh, yeah. Dash told me you were wandering around with her friend Charity.” Vinyl chortled again. She tried, and failed, to imagine them creeping around in the night. All on tiphoof, maybe with ski masks? “I’m sorry, that’s real hard to imagine, honestly.”
“I would take offense if you said it was easy.” Octavia’s cheek twitched upwards ever so slightly. “I take no responsibility for my actions. These are the very Elements of Harmony. I plead the twelfth.”
“You plead that the Sun should adjust day length based on the season?”
“. . . No, you foal. I plead that mind control, ensorcelling, or magical impersonation was in play, which leaves me blameless for any crimes.” Octavia rolled her eyes.
“Oh. Then yes, totally. That also happened to me, actually. Except I just told very embarrassing secrets to Applejack instead of going to creep on sleeping mares.” Vinyl hurled herself back behind the couch with magic as Octavia took a threatening step forward. “Whoa, hey. Threatening the victim in the courtroom isn’t helping your case.”
“We are not- How is it possible you are even more irritating now? Go back to being a drunken fool” By the time Vinyl peeked over again, Octavia’s face was blank again, though it really sounded as though she had been smiling. Vinyl resumed her lounge pose, putting on her best paint-me-like-one-of-your-Canterlot-Mares.
“Careful, that almost sounded like you were asking me out for drinks. A filly could get the wrong idea. First creeping and now this. . .” Vinyl fluttered her lashes. Or did something sorta like fluttering her lashes. Close enough. Octavia took another step, but Vinyl held her ground this time, even adding a duckface. Octavia approached, and looked down at her.
“Upon further consideration, and with the upset of the very bedrock upon which my opinion of you was based . . .” Octavia was staring her smack in the eyes. Octavia’s own sparkled, and her lips snuck up into a smile. Vinyl felt her face ignite. Composure, Vinyl. Composure. . .
“I would still prefer to boil my head with the fried potatoes.” Octavia whispered, and turned on her backhooves, tail lashing the couch by Vinyl’s head. The DJ collapsed in a heap.
“You’ve got a real mean streak. No wonder you fit in with the upper class so well.” She put her glasses back on so she could tilt them down to watch Octavia leave. “Don’t let the door hit your rump on the way out.”
“I am a fast learner.” Octavia said sweetly, and closed the door.