Chapter 14
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“Octavia, I have a reputation to maintain,” Vinyl muttered, cheeks red with shame as she tried to pull the beanie over her eyes.
“Oh shush, you sound just like Ps—” The cellist stopped talking abruptly, freezing in place.
“Like who?”
“Like… a broken record, I meant to say.”
“Whatever, I still look stupid.” Vinyl tore the beanie off her head and placed it back on the hook.
Luckily, the shop wasn’t very busy this early in the morning. Only two other ponies were nearby, and they were too busy obsessing over different coloured saddles to pay the other couple any mind. Which was fortunate, because they weren’t being very subtle today.
The DJ had been so drunk on the fact they shared the bed again (innocently, of course) that she hastily agreed to the plan her roommate set out for the day. It was Thursday, so the grey mare had two tutorials in the afternoon, which meant she wanted to get as much done in the morning as possible.
Remembering the difficulties they experienced on their spicy date a few days ago, Octavia decided that proper clothing was of utmost importance in the event they wanted to venture outside again. She had already secured herself some lovely blue boots and a white scarf, and was now attempting to outfit her roommate in similar clothes.
“But it looked great! It matched your mane perfectly,” Octavia persisted, following the DJ as she walked over to a different rack.
“Hmm… well, this one isn’t too bad I guess.” Vinyl plucked a greyish beanie from a hook and pulled it over her head. Most of her mane still stuck out from underneath it in a spiky mess, making her look rather cute. Octavia didn’t dare say as much out loud, of course. “Pretty sexy, huh?” said Vinyl.
The cellist didn’t reply verbally, instead fluttering her eyelashes and smiling. She may have been new to this ‘flirting’ activity, but she was learning quickly, as evidenced by the DJ choking on air for a moment. “Is something wrong, Vinyl?” Her smile grew.
Recovering somewhat, the unicorn stepped closer. “Dammit, Octavia,” she whispered. “That was totally unfair.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” the grey mare replied innocently, brushing past her roommate in order to inspect the hoofwear section. “Now why don’t you pick out some boots? You’ll need them, especially if we go out walking at night again.”
“Alright, alright.” Vinyl turned and glanced at the display. “How about these dark ones with the black rim?”
“Rather droll, don’t you think? Besides, I expected more colourful choices from you.”
“But grey and black are my favourite colours!” the DJ replied defensively.
“I’m only saying that it’s… rather… odd…” Octavia trailed off, and when Vinyl looked to see why, she found the cellist smirking knowingly at her.
“What?” Vinyl frowned.
“You’re very sweet, but I don’t mind if you want to pick brighter shades. Really, they would suit you better.”
“I… huh?”
It was Octavia’s turn to frown in confusion. “You mean you’re not doing this on purpose?”
“Doing what?” The DJ was getting rather bewildered at the odd behaviour of her roommate.
Her perplexed look giving way to a soft smile, she waved her hoof slightly to dismiss the issue. “Oh Vinyl, you’re even sweeter than you realise. Don’t worry about it.”
“O-kay…” Vinyl turned her attention back to the boots. “Screw it, I’m gonna get these and I don’t wanna hear a word against ‘em.”
“Not a word.”
On the short trip to the counter, Octavia seemed to stay closer than was really suitable in a public environment, yet Vinyl couldn’t quite summon the motivation to step away. As if standing next to each other in front of a shopkeeper was going to get them in trouble.
Still, she hated how her first thought was of what other ponies might think. That kind of restriction was something she hadn’t experienced in years. Her time in high school had affirmed her self-confidence to the point where very little could shake her.
But now she had a weakness. A gorgeous, incredible, amazing weakness, but a weakness nonetheless. Octavia was the chink in her armour; the soft spot in her psyche. She was simultaneously the most valuable and the most vulnerable part of her.
So now she had to worry about what other ponies would think, for Octavia’s sake. Before, she could ignore the opinions of others on the basis that she had nopony to answer to but herself. Her parents had long given up, and she had no siblings. It was sort of why she became so self-assured in the first place, despite her failings: The world expected nothing from her, so nothing bothered her.
This weakness, she realised, was an inherent part of what she now shared with Octavia. Whatever it was, it was absolutely crucial. It was this gap in her protection that allowed her to feel the way she did.
Vinyl paid for the clothing on autopilot, still deep in thought. They exited the shop and stood for a moment in the street, letting the steadily-growing crowds shuffle by. It didn’t take Octavia long to realise something was wrong when her DJ didn’t say anything.
“Vinyl? Are you alright?” she asked, more than a little bit concerned at the uncharacteristic silence.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” The unicorn seemed to come out of a daze, quickly donning a grin that put her roommate’s heart at ease.
“Is there anywhere else you want to visit before we go home?”
Home, as in, our home, that we share, together, home.
“Nah, let’s head back. I’m sick of sharing you with the rest of the world,” replied the DJ, cheering internally at the blush on Octavia’s cheeks. It usually meant that she would be treated to an extreme close-up of those pretty amethyst eyes as soon as they got through the door. Which, the fluttering in her chest admitted, was quickly becoming her favourite hobby.
It was fortunate then that the cellist seemed just as enthusiastic about their latest shared activity, because kissing was extremely fun. Staying up into the early hours of the morning, holding each other tightly, with nothing but the soft sounds of lips against each other to disturb the peace… it was magical. More magical than actual magic.
As they walked back through the streets of Manehattan, Octavia seemed to accidentally bump her hips against Vinyl’s a lot more than usual. It wasn’t much, but it pushed the DJ’s mind into uneven terrain. It was a topic that was bound to come up sooner or later, and she guiltily admitted to herself that she wasn’t exactly trying to stop thinking about it. If just kissing was so fun…
But those were dangerous waters to tread. Vinyl buried the thoughts under a pile of worries and did her best to ignore them for the time being. Her cellist trotted along merrily, completely oblivious to the impure thought processes transpiring in the white pony beside her.
As they entered and traversed the university campus, Octavia snuck a glance at Vinyl, who was still grinning at something unseen. The cellist knew, on some level, that she didn’t really have to ‘sneak’ glances anymore, and that Vinyl probably wouldn’t mind in the slightest if she asked to spend the rest of the day (the year(my life(eternity))) just studying her every facial feature. The only thing that stopped her was the ever-present fear of creeping her roommate out.
Sure, she had gotten away with a lot of things lately, but there was no reason to push the boundaries. Vinyl hadn’t even said a word when she woke up and saw Octavia sheepishly pushing her bed against the DJ’s so they could have more room to roll around during their… experiments, she liked to call them.
Because that’s what they were, really. She needed to find out if it was possible to kiss a pony until they could no longer articulate thoughts. It was, but further study was needed. Octavia was good at studying.
And so the cellist found herself wearing a grin not unlike the one on the unicorn beside her, while entertaining some thought processes that were also not far removed from her roommate’s.
As they wandered down the path leading to the student village, the two ponies noticed a particular secret waitress stepping out of their building. She spotted them immediately and trotted over, blue-and-pink mane bobbing with each step.
Vinyl tensed up and edged slightly closer to Octavia on instinct. For her part, the cellist summoned a warm smile while simultaneously mentally preparing herself for what could be a battle of words.
“Octavia, I was looking for you,” said Bonbon as she drew to a halt in front of them. “And, um, hi Vinyl.” The addition was as forced as it was awkward, the cellist noted.
So she is more comfortable with me than with Vinyl for some reason… interesting.
“Hello Bonbon. How can I help you?” Octavia replied, opting for a friendly tone.
“Well, you already have, actually. I just wanted to thank you.”
“I have?”
“Um, you have spoken to Lyra recently, right?”
The grey mare nodded, the surprised reaction of the white pony in her peripherals making her feel a little guilty for not telling her sooner. Lyra was as much Vinyl’s problem as hers. “Did my words influence her?”
“A lot.” Bonbon stepped closer and looked around to make sure nopony else was nearby. “She came into the shop I work at. I won’t go into detail, but she was really depressed. I went over to take her order, completely forgetting that she didn’t know I worked there. It… wasn’t my brightest moment.” The mare reddened, but pushed onwards. “As soon as she saw me, she started crying. I’ve never seen her cry at anything. Granted, I’ve only known her for a semester, but still… she’s not the type to bawl her eyes out. Oh, and please don’t tell anypony what I’m telling you.”
They nodded quickly.
“Alright, well, I took my lunch break and we went into the back room to talk. She broke down and told me all of these things I had no idea about, things I didn’t think she was even capable of understanding. At some point, I asked her how she came to all those conclusions. She told me that you spoke to her, Octavia, and your words made her rethink everything.”
The cellist tried to exchange incredulous looks with Vinyl, but the unicorn was too busy wearing a huge, proud grin.
“Which is why,” Bonbon continued, “I want to thank you. Honestly, I think you’ve saved the best friendship I’ve ever had. I can never repay you.”
Octavia was beginning to realise that Vinyl wasn’t the only pony who was more complex than they appeared. It seemed everypony had their own stories, and even if she didn’t quite understand them, she could at least be happy she helped them.
But there was one little problem…
“I’m very glad to hear that you two are friends again. However, I must ask, did you… tell her about Vinyl and I not exactly being enemies?”
Bonbon’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, definitely not! It couldn’t have been further from my mind.” After a moment, she cocked her head to the side curiously. “I know it’s none of my business, but… are you two… together?”
Octavia had lowered her defences as soon as it became clear that Bonbon’s intentions were good, so instead of replying with a carefully planned and convincing response, she spluttered a few nonsensical noises and fell silent. Fortunately, Vinyl stepped in to reply in her stead.
“What makes you ask that?” she said, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance.
The cream-coloured mare’s gaze focused very deliberately on every article of clothing the two ponies wore. Vinyl followed it, finally realising what Octavia was talking about in the shop.
Grey and black boots and beanie. How did I not see that?!
Still, part of her felt giddy with happiness at seeing her cellist wearing her colours in return. It was completely unfashionable and had a terrible contrast, but she wore them anyway. White and blue on grey…
I could get used to that.
“Uh, so we’re wearing clothing that just happens to be the same as each other’s coat and mane. That doesn’t prove anything,” Vinyl said defiantly. It was a shaky retort, and she knew they were in trouble.
“If you say so. Everything looks pretty clear from where I’m standing, anyway.” Bonbon smirked at them both, making it clear that she wasn’t about to believe any excuses.
Octavia managed to reclaim the ability to form complete sentences. “W-well, I’m sure you’re not the type of pony who would go sharing your theories with others.”
The blue-and-pink maned mare had the decency to look offended. “Of course I’m not! Gossip was what almost ruined my friendship with Lyra in the first place.”
“Regardless, please try and be careful.”
“I won’t tell anypony, I promise. It’s the least I can do for you both.”
“Us both?” repeated Vinyl, raising an eyebrow.
“Well, yes. It’s clear to me now that you’re not nearly as bad as Lyra used to insist. Please understand, she is a very complicated pony.” Bonbon had a strained expression, as if desperate to make Vinyl see Lyra differently. “We didn’t mean anything by the jokes we made in class, I swear. She was a different pony, and I… well, I don’t really have an excuse. I thought they were funny. But we’re still sorry, though.”
Vinyl thought it over for a few moments, then broke into a grin. Ponies who held grudges never got far in the world, she reckoned. “Don’t worry about it.”
The grey mare beside her also started to smile. “I would prefer a friend over an enemy any day.”
Bonbon beamed. “Great! I admit, it was pretty daunting telling you all of that. But Psych was right, you two really are nice ponies.” Their jaws dropped, unnoticed by the happy cream-coloured pony. “Well, I’ll talk to you later, new friends!” She giggled and trotted past, heading back to the main area of the campus.
“Psych…” croaked Vinyl.
“Is there anything that pony isn’t involved in?” Octavia said disbelievingly.
Gasping in realisation, the unicorn rounded on the cellist. “What if he knows? Did he tell her to come see us? How does he know we live in this building?”
“Um, Vinyl, perhaps we should take this to our room.” Octavia knew she couldn’t put off telling Vinyl about Psych any longer. Guilt flooded her mind as she realised she probably should have told her a few days ago.
They made haste into the building and up the stairs, welcoming the warmth inside. The cold was less noticeable when they had clothes on, but it was far from gone. Once inside their room, Octavia deliberately took her time taking off each boot, trying to stall the dreaded moment for just a bit longer.
Vinyl pulled her beanie off, letting her hair resume its former shape. She slipped off the boots and approached her roommate slowly. In any other circumstances, she would move in for a kiss, but she was far too worried to be in the mood.
“Do you know something I don’t?” she asked quietly.
Octavia cringed and looked at the ground. “Please don’t get angry.”
The unicorn felt a stab of pain in her chest at the idea. She quickly moved closer and raised the cellist’s chin so she looked her in the eyes. “I’m not gonna get angry. Just tell me what’s up, cause I feel out of the loop here.”
Taking a deep breath, Octavia took the plunge. “Psych is the current student councillor. When I went to see a professional, it turned out to be him.” Jamming her eyes shut, she continued quickly. “I told him everything. How the arguments were fake, how we became friends, how… how you make me feel…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Everything.”
She didn’t dare open her eyes to see Vinyl’s reaction, for fear of seeing those garnet eyes laced with disappointment, or rage, or sadness. It would be too much. “Vinyl, I am so, so sorry. I-I was confused about so many things, and–”
The feeling of lips quickly pressing against hers indicated it was time to stop talking. It was a short peck, meant to silence and reassure simultaneously.
“What did he say?” the DJ asked softly.
“He gave me some advice. It gave me the courage to come back to you and… well, you know what happened.”
“He didn’t say ‘I knew it’ or anything?”
“No, definitely not. He was completely professional.”
Vinyl sighed in relief. “I’m glad to hear he’s not as much of a douchebag as I thought he was, but I’m still kinda hurt that you didn’t tell me.” She immediately found herself enjoying the extreme close-up she had been thinking about earlier in the day. “Mmfgh!” It was impossible to not immediately accept the cellist’s apology. “You know what, I’ll get over it.” With the words out of the way, she moved in to return fire.
This was something she hadn’t considered during her reverie at the shop. She had thought of Octavia as a weakness, albeit one she couldn’t do without, but a weakness nonetheless. That may have been true, but it wasn’t the extent of Octavia’s influence in her life.
As she had just felt, her cellist gave her the strength to not let the little things affect her. She was her greatest strength as well as her most vulnerable weak point. It didn’t matter that Psych knew, or that Bonbon suspected, or that everypony would probably know soon enough.
All that mattered was Octavia, breathing hard and blindly trying to pull Vinyl closer than was physically possible. At the end of the day, as long as she could come home to her cellist, nothing else mattered.
Another new addition to this story’s steadily-growing soundtrack was made by Le Soldat Pony. It’s a delightful classical instrumental that encapsulates Octavia’s mixed feelings and how they conflict with the way she was raised. I didn’t realise that part was apparently so moving!
Regarding clop: If there are any sex scenes in this story, they will be submitted in a separate story altogether and linked to from here. I understand that people like reading pony romance in certain levels, some just like the flirty, playful banter, some like the pure, emotional bond between two beings in love, and some like the full-on progression of events leading to and including sex, so I’m going to play it safe and make any questionable scenes entirely skippable by those who don’t want to read them.
That said, I believe that sex is a fairly important part of romantic relationships, and I will not be avoiding the issue in the main story. As beautiful as their growing love may be, it has manifested inside two beings who I have attempted to make fairly realistic: they have flaws, hopes and desires like any sentient creature. I can’t bring myself to completely ignore the ‘desires’ part on the off chance that a reader might find it disturbing. I hope I don’t lose anyone because of this, but it’s the way it has to be.
To summarise: there will be no clop in this main story, but the issue of sex will not be avoided.
Also this has +1800 favourites now. That’s nuts. You’re nuts. I love you.
(I swear I’ll stop writing massive author’s notes now!)
And here we see Psych does not even have to be there to be awesome.
I refresh my page and it updated.
HOORAY!!
~Great chapter as always, very cute :3~
We love you too mon
925783 agreed
Love!
Yay! Update! *does update dance* Psych is awesome as always, and he didn't have to be there to do so!
Awwwwwww yeahhh...... Matching/inversely colored clothes. Too cute.
On the A/N: huzzah! Someone else who thinks like I do.
(the year(my life(eternity))) brackets within brackets within brackets?
We need to go deeper!
Anyway, awesome chapter and I look forward to seeing the relationship between Vinyl and Octavia intensify and Bob-bon's and Lyra's relationship blossom! Damn this story is good! And so many soundtracks!
By the end of the story, you could sell an album called Vinyl and Octavia: University Days
Bravo, I say, bravo! Simply brilliant as always.
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I was just thinking that, haha. When it's over I might contact the artists and see if I can throw them all into a free album on bandcamp or something, just for fun.
925877 Do it. Just... Do it....
Seriously, the songs that the musicians are making are just........
Great chapter. Keep up the awesome writing
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Yeah, I'm floored by the quality of each song. There are some talented bronies out there.
I just wanna hug you *hug author of my favorit story*
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*hugs back*
I like the massive author's notes. It gives me (I can't speak for anyone else) a better understanding of why you take the story where it's going. The story itself is a polished gem, but with that type of background, it becomes something more. So please more massive author's notes?
Loving all of the flirting going on in this story, and I am glad that you decided to separate the more cloppy elements of their relationship, it makes this entire story feel more like a book that i would find in a store.
Please keep up the good work mate.
925918. Yays how long does it normally take you to do the rough draft of each chapter
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It varies a lot. This one took about 3 days, but that's cause I procrastinated a lot beforehand and realised I needed to get it done. Most chapters take up to a week or more.
925961. Cools im starting back up writing again normally i just stick with playing my cello and football (i play nose guard) but football's not going on right now so i think I'll try to finish the story i started
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the Author's Notes approval will be Doubled!
and as for the cloppyness note, I'm glad that the preferences of a few won't hold you back from making this story as complete as you feel it needs to be. making the 'fun' parts a separate option is a good compromise, and I for one, can't wait to read anything and everything you come up with
Wow, Pyshc really is awesome!
Its going to be interesting to see how Lyra and BonBon have changed.
I must say this is by far my favorite non complete VinylxOcty fic! Also regarding the sex and stuff i think you approached it the right way. Everytime i finnish reading a chapter i wanna like and favorite but i can't twice... That makes me sad :(
NEW CHAPTER! BUCK YEAH!
Wow, I just finished the other chapters yesterday, and I wake up today to see a fourteenth chapter out. I have a long day ahead of me, so I thank you for making it just a bit brighter.
couldnt help but smile the whole time I was reading
I don't believe I've commented in a while so I'll just say this,
MOAR PLEASE!!!!
Seriously, one of my favorite fics. Keep up the amazing work.
Somewhere, in a darkened room, Psych is tapping his hooves together and muttering, "All according to plan."
Another chapter, another song, another great time reading and listening to said artistic items.
I really enjoyed how you got those two to inadvertently get the colors of each other, it was very cute. Especially when Bon-Bon pointed it out. Indeed, Vi, how'd you miss that?
I'm still rather interested in what will happen when Tavi's mother gets wind of all this and stuff.
I like where this is going!
Psych is reaching memetic levels of awesomeness. ARE THERE NO PICTURES OF THE STALLION!?
OHMAGOD IT UPDATED!
This was even more adorable than the previous entries. Matching outfits coloured like the other, Lyra is at least partially redeemed, and the phrase "Her cellist" conjures up the cutest image. Beanies mean cold weather, then comes snow, and that brings us closer to the Hearth's Warming chapter and -speculation, naturally- something with Octavia's mum. To quote Bender, "Whoever's directing this is a master of suspense!"
Phew that was an awesome chapter! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Vinyl_Scratch_lolface.png
Anyways I loved the whole colored coordinated clothing and how Vinyl didn't notice at first.
Also I'm really interested in seeing more of the relationship between Lyra and Bonbon but now it seems like they are both just close friends and straight (for now?) which can work out too but time will tell I guess.
Regarding clop, I'll admit to being one of the readers that only likes the "pure, emotional bond" of romance and I only read Scratchtavia fics because I love the bond that grows in them and to be blunt (because as you said we're not skirting around issues here) I would be too disturbed to read any clop however I wouldn't be upset if there's just references to their romantic actions because let's face it they are in a romantic relationship as opposed to just plain friendship.
That was kind of a ramble so basically: I don't want to read clop (and am glad it will be skippable) but I understand that they might have to make references to it in the story.
Finally I ALWAYS look forward to the next update of this dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Vinyl_Scratch.png
Keep up the good work!
Congrats on another amazing chapter. I love how careful you are with the relationship between Octavia and Vinyl.
Although, I have a question. How do you check the stats of your story? I can't seem to find that option.
Yay update! I know that you've got a life outside this story, and I appreciate that it will (generally) come first, but sometimes I just want to reach through the screen, grab your head and yell "I NEED MOAR!" because I just can't get enough of this story! Maybe it's that VinylxOctavia is my OTP, maybe it's that I think you've got a fantastic story going, or maybe it's both in one giant...thing. (Words fail me )
I love that you're making LyraxBonbon a subtle side-story (maybe even a full on part of the plot? (double dates in the future if that's where you're taking their relationship?)) and I have to ask: are there going to be any Lyra/Bonbon centered chapters or will they just be something we'll figure out? And if it's the second, could you please write their story?
I agree with Web of Hope about any future clop. It's nice that you'd make them separate for your more "innocent" readers, but that'll never stop me from reading them!
Vinyl and Octavia's University Days, My Roommate is a Vampire, and Accidental Harmony were all updated on the same day. I couldn't be any happier right now. Thank you very much for your time and effort, but I must ask for MOAR!
I also approve of the MassiveAuthorsNotes.
I love the flirting, it's what makes relationships fun to read.
926256
Just below the list of chapters, there are two buttons, one marked 'Stats' the other marked 'Add to Group'.
926260
This story is centred on Vinyl and Octavia, there won't be any Lyra or Bonbon chapters.
I have considered writing Lyra and Bonbon: University Days, but if I do it will likely be after I finish this, and that's not for a while.
awesome chapter cant wait to see where u will that this
Hot Octivynl makeouts are -always- the best way to start the day.
926288
But wouldn't that basically be this story, but from the perspective of bonbon / lyra?
Anyway, loved this chapter. Great writing as always
926370
Sort of. This story only sees little bits and pieces of the plot involving Lyra and Bonbon, and it would be reversed if I wrote their story. As in, there would be brief, unexplained encounters with the Vinyl and Octavia. I hope that makes sense.
Regarding your little addition at the end, I applaud you for realizing you're treading on dangerous territory, and that lots of people don't really dig this kinda thing in stories that have ponies rather than people. As for me personally, I can tolerate a small amount of sex as long as it's not gratuitous (meaning it's not meant for 'clopping') and just another part of the story. Most of us are adults here, if not by age by virtue of maturity, and we can go about things like this in a sensible manner. Besides, I found this story through EqD and they always check their stuff before publishing it. So I have faith that I'll like whatever comes next as much as I liked the rest of the story.
This is one reader that you certainly haven't lost.
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That's what I thought
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Ah, Thank you, much obliged.
926178
I Have to admit I was thinking along the same lines..
925918
And I have to Give you another hug. *HUG* And Thank you for writing one of my favorite OctyXScratch Fics I have read on this site.
I just read a chapter of my roomate is a vampire before reading this and the stories scrambled together in my mind for a paragraph or two.
i love this chapter! and psych is still awesome.
I have to say, one of the things I like so much about this story is how it does actually seem like a real romantic relationship. It seems very natural and you can see these two characters have a very genuine emotional bond. Combine that with likeable characters, good pacing, and a nice style of writing, and this story is definitely my favorite (and if not, it's very close!)
yay new chapter -does happy dance- so question about the future that will probably not get answered right away. will octavia's mother try to get psych fired at some point in the story, it just seems like something that she would do.
925984 oh cool you play nose guard too, how good are you at getting into the backfield and screwing up the offenses play?
What a great way to start the day off. This chapter was really cute too, seriously everyone in that class will learn about them one by one it seems. Also nice to see Lyra isn't being to conceited now. As always, I want more now but only after today. Got a meet-up to go to.
926342
Ya, pretty much.