Dash wandered through the supermarket, looking for some fresh vegetables for a new soup she was planning on trying at the diner. She had left Octavius and Vinyl at the diner so they could talk and catch up. No matter how much she might tease them about it, she really did think they were cute together. She just hoped they’d eventually BE together.
“C’mon, Dash!” She smacked her forehead. “They’re gonna get together, and everyone knows it! Octavius isn’t a dumbass, and neither is Vi.”
“Octavius?” A feminine voice behind Dash caught her by surprise. She turned to see a very well dressed man and woman standing side by side. She did a double take when she saw the man, who was the spitting image of the aforementioned cellist.
“Would you happen to be talking about Octavius Melody?” The man presented this question a bit coldly.
“Uh,” Dash stammered, trying to regain her composure after being caught off guard. “Y-yeah, that’s him. Who are you?”
“We’re his parents,” the woman replied shortly. “We’ve come to collect him.”
Dash’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. “W-what?” She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. “Why?”
“We heard,” mister Melody started. “That the boy had failed to perform for mister Rich a week ago, and that he had sustained a broken arm in a car wreck.”
“Well, yeah,” Dash said. “We were on our way to –“
“That is unacceptable,” the man cut her off sharply. “He cannot afford to be stuck in a sling and unable to practice.”
“Wait, what are you -?”
“He will come with us,” missus Medley interrupted. “He will live at home until he is recovered, and then he will follow a strict practice regimen to make up for the missed time. He must come home immediately to be sure that he does not waste any time.”
“But he –“
“Where is the boy?” Mister Melody eyed the rainbow haired woman coldly.
Dash stared at the two in shock. They were just going to take him away? Dash steeled her nerves and stood tall. “I don’t know,” she replied calmly. “I haven’t seen him in a few –“
“Thank you for your time, harlot,” the man cut her off as he and his wife turned on their heels and walked away. “We shall be on our way.”
“Now wait just a –!”
“Good day,” the woman nearly growled, glaring at the younger woman over her shoulder. “We have nothing to gain from you. You are useless to us. You are useless to him. So piss off.”
And with that, the couple departed the store, walking down the street. Dash stood in the aisle dumbfounded, her basket hanging stupidly by her side.
Dash dropped her basket in the middle of the floor, it’s contents spilling out as she ran out of the store and back to the diner. She threw the door open and cried out, “VINYL! OCTAVIUS!”
The two emerged from the back of the diner, each from their respective rooms. Dash couldn’t help but smile slightly. Even alone, she thought to herself, they still won’t have any fun.
“What’s the matter, Dash?” Octavius cautiously approached the woman.
“Your parents, Tavi,” she started, catching her breath. “They’re –“
“Right here,” a masculine voice finished, one which Dash immediately recognized as belonging to mister Melody.
“See, darling?” Missus Melody smirked at the trio standing before her. “You follow the rat, and it will lead you to the nest.”
“Quite right,” the man agreed. “And what a dump this nest is. Look at this filth and grime.” He dragged his hand across a table top, which came back nearly spotless. “Disgusting,” he grimaced, wiping his hand on his smooth black pants, which matched the black suit jacket and white shirt he wore. His wife, meanwhile, wore a simple tight red dress, which showed off her voluptuous and curvy form.
Octavius’ face hardened from the concern he’d shown Dash moments before to utter hatred. “What are you two doing here?” He glared angrily at his parents.
“We’ve come to collect you, boy,” his father stated simply, ignoring his sons glare. “You’ve failed here, and we are going to insure that you do not fail again. I thought I’d raised you better than that, but clearly I have not.”
Vinyl looked up at Octavius. “Tavi, what are they -?”
“His name,” his mother cut in. “Is Octavius. And a street tramp such as yourself would do well to remember that. You’re much too familiar with him. You’re not his wife, and so you will not act as such. You are to call him ‘Octavius’ or ‘mister Melody’, but not ‘Tavi’.” His mother visibly shuddered at the name. “It is both ridiculous and childish.”
Vinyl could only stare at the older woman. “What the fuck are you -?”
“And you will do well to mind your manners, girl,” the man interrupted her. “You are not our equal, and you will not talk as if you are.”
Vinyl balled up her fist. “Ok, fancy pants, C’MERE!”
She rushed at the man, and was instantly knocked to the floor with a single blow from him, knocking her glasses across the room. He sneered down at her as she lay covering her eyes and crying in agony.
“Pathetic worm,” he mocked her as she screamed. “How dare you think that –?“
“ENOUGH!” Octavius finally yelled, his left hand balled at his side and gripping his jeans tight. “Leave her alone!”
Missus Melody tilted her head to the side slightly, then burst into laughter. “My god, darling, he’s fallen for this worthless whore!”
His father joined in his wife’s laughter. “That is rich indeed, love!”
Octavius sank to his knees, his breathing becoming erratic. Dash, recognizing the symptoms of one of his episodes, rushed to the cellists room, grabbing the bottle that the doctors had sent him home with and returning to the dining room.
She gently pulled Octavius into her lap and fed him the pill, which he swallowed. His breathing started to become more regular as he lay there in her lap, his parents watching the whole scene unfold.
“Are you proud?”
Dash looked up at the couple, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Do you really think he needs you?” His mother smirked down at Dash. “He does not. What he needs is to be fixed, and put back to practice. He will be excellent, and cannot afford to be held back by trash like you and the slut on the floor.” She pointed to Vinyl, who had tears running down her cheeks as she felt around the floor for her glasses. Mister Melody sneered and ‘accidentally’ stepped on them, cracking the lenses.
“Oops,” he grinned, looking down at the DJ. “I found the tramps glasses.”
“Get out,” Dash growled.
“Listen to the mutt growl!” Missus Melody laughed at the younger woman.
“I said GET OUT!” Dash rose to her feet after gently placing Octavius on the floor. “This is my restaurant, and you will leave, or I will call the police!”
The older couple stared at each other a moment, then turned back to Dash. “Very well, then,” mister Melody said calmly. “We shall go. But not for good.” He smirked as he and his wife turned and left, the door swinging shut behind them. Dash finally breathed out, relaxing.
When she looked down, she saw Vinyl sliding her broken glasses on before opening her eyes. Tears still continued to roll down her cheeks, the right one bruising badly where mister Melody had hit her.
Octavius sat up, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Vinyl, I –“
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Octavius and Dash jumped at her outburst. Dash knelt in front of the DJ. “Hey, girl, calm down, ok?”
The DJ glared at the other woman through her cracked lenses. “Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down, you fucking bitch. This is your fault!” She pushed the woman down, then stood. “I hate you, Dash!”
Octavius took her hand in his. “Violet –“
“FUCK OFF, OCTAVIUS!” She glared down at the cellist, who dropped her hand. “You don’t belong here! You don’t need a tramp like me around you!”
She stormed out of the restaurant in tears, leaving Octavius and Dash dumbstruck.