Chapter 16
Octavia was quite pleased that Lyra had accompanied Bon-Bon to meet her at the train station. Although the cellist was no stranger to lugging around heavy bags, boxes and equipment on occasion, she didn’t think she’d have enjoyed dragging her suitcase through the town. It had taken the trio a half hour to arrive at the unicorn’s house, and not a single pony had stopped them other than to say a hearty hello or similar greeting. Octavia found it very refreshing.
Having lived in Canterlot for the majority of her life, she was well aware of how quickly news spread, and how people’s reputations could be tarnished by such trivial matters. Despite her reputation being dragged through the mud by a magazine as uncouth as ‘Mare’s Weekly’, the ponies of the capital were quick to pass judgement between themselves.
Ponyville seemed to be the exact opposite. Nopony was watching Octavia through the corners of their eyes, no non-to-subtle whispering behind her back, no flashes of cameras. She was finally able to let her guard down, as evidenced by the way she slowly began to stop looking over her shoulders and down every alley they passed—which Lyra was quick to notice.
“Really,” she had commented, drawing the grey mare’s attention, “you have nothing to worry about here. We don’t get that many visitors in Ponyville and the only ponies that would recognise who you are would be pleased enough just to know that you were in town rather than pry into your personal life.” Octavia very much doubted that at first, but found that her journey across the town had been pretty uneventful, even if she had only just arrived.
And now, with Bon-Bon excitedly ushering the cellist through the charming little gate that marked their garden, Octavia allowed herself to relax fully, knowing that, at the very least, she’d get a couple of weeks away from the spotlight.
The front of Lyra’s house boasted a modest garden, neatly maintained by Bon-Bon. A stone path led from the gate to the front porch, which kept the grass surrounding the property from being trodden on during wet spells. It was all very quaint, Octavia thought, even more so as she spied the stylised emblems on the front door; a harp and a piece of candy matching the home owners’ respective flanks.
“Welcome to our home,” Bon-Bon beamed, unlocking the front door and waiting for Octavia to step inside.
The cellist only hesitated for a moment before complying, crossing the threshold with the awkward gait that most ponies use when entering somepony’s home for the first time.
Lyra brought up the rear, the unicorn levitating the suitcase she was carrying through the door, forcing Octavia to move further inside the building and into the living room. Bon-Bon was already there, taking on the persona of a hotel porter.
“Here you’ll find the living room,” she smiled, waving a hoof around the surrounding area, “it will be where we’ll be spending most of our time together, and unfortunately where you’ll be sleeping.”
“We don’t have a guest room… and we’d give you our bed, but, unfortunately, we only have the one sofa…” Lyra explained. Octavia perfectly understood, of course, and would have refused the bed anyway; she was a polite house guest.
“Over there you’ll find the kitchen and dining area,” the excited sweet maker continued, barely put off by Lyra’s interruption. “I’ll be doing most of the cooking whilst you’re with us but Lyra will chip in from time to time too. I actually have quite the surprise for you for dinner this evening—I hope you enjoy it.”
“I’m sure I will,” the cellist smiled, watching as Lyra settled the suitcase against the wall, under the window and out of the way.
Octavia could only describe the room as cosy as she looked around it. Barring the sofa that was situated almost in the centre of the room facing the fireplace, there weren’t many obstacles to avoid. Most of the clutter was packed onto bookshelves and around the fireplace. Various photos of the inhabitants and what was most likely other family members took up most of the space, but hidden in alcoves and behind picture frames were other items, and plenty of books filled in the rest.
Lyra could see Octavia admiring the sheer amount of stuff that was packed into what would otherwise be a homely little room, and chuckled bashfully. “Yeah… we’re pretty rubbish at throwing things away,” she commented, looking towards Bon-Bon and then rolling her eyes as she watched her mare-friend pout at being interrupted once more.
“I think it’s quite lovely that you keep so many of your memories,” Octavia responded, walking over to the fireplace and admiring a photo of the couple sharing a milkshake. “To be honest, it is sort of what I expected before I came. Most of the houses and apartments in Canterlot are considered just that: houses and apartments. But here… this is a home; it’s obvious that you two are happy here.”
With that, she turned around to see the two smiling, and watched as Bon-Bon wandered over to Lyra to give her a quick nuzzle, causing the latter to blush. “Oh, we are happy,” she agreed, before giving Lyra a nudge in the ribs, “but this one feels we need a bigger place… and she’s probably right. I keep the house pretty clean but it doesn’t look particularly tidy thanks to all the clutter. But it serves its purpose for now.”
Octavia nodded as she listened before noticing the numerous sheets of music that had been collected on the table beside the sofa. Before she could get a good look at them, a flash of Lyra’s horn whisked them away under a door beneath the stairs. The cellist watched, then looked towards Lyra, who gave another hesitant smile. “They’re not ready yet,” was all she said, but, of course, Octavia understood—a musician’s work could be a deeply personal thing.
After a few more instructions from Bon-Bon and directions to necessities such as the bathroom and its surplus of bath products—which Bon-Bon said Octavia was more than welcome to use—the trio found themselves sat in the kitchen, each with a cup of tea around the dining table.
“So how has it been for you in Canterlot the past few weeks?” Lyra asked after taking a sip from her cup.
“Besides the obvious?” Octavia chuckled, to which the unicorn nodded with a sympathetic look. “Well, I’ve had a lot of time on my hooves if I’m honest. I’ve become a bit of a… ‘Disruption’ to the Orchestra’s activities, at least that’s how our Manager put it, and because of that they’ve taken me out of the group for a while.”
“They took you out of the group?” Bon-Bon chimed in, quite taken aback. “Isn’t that a little extreme? I mean, it’s only a little gossip column in a magazine: surely it can’t have caused that much upheaval.”
“You’d think that, but it’s very important that the Orchestra doesn’t come under too much public scrutiny. If some of the higher nobles begin to doubt its integrity, then its audience will begin to decline. Although it pains me to take a break, it has to be done. Besides, I still do performance work with my ensemble: private parties and such. Plus, it also gives me the chance to visit you two and Vinyl when she returns. It’s not a massive issue.”
Silence crept into the room for a few moments, the only sound coming from the clinking of cups and saucers, along with the occasional slurp from Lyra; she’d never really mastered the art of tea drinking.
Finally, Bon-Bon muttered, “so, you’ve not been fired from the Orchestra then…”
The grey mare almost choked on her tea. “Oh, heavens, no,” she quickly replied, clearing her throat before continuing. “No, that would be frowned upon even more. It’s just until the media dies down a little. None of us expected there would be such an interest in my personal life when it first became public knowledge. My friends and I think it’s because nopony in the CSO has been involved in anything of the sort of nature that blasted magazine is suggesting. I suspect things will have died down by the time I return, and then I can continue to perform. It’s not easy to replace a principal cellist after all.” With that, Octavia smiled, before drinking down the rest of her tea.
“I didn’t think there was such a stigma when it came to mares dating mares in Canterlot,” she said as she offered Octavia more tea. When the cellist declined, Bon-Bon continued. “I’m sure I saw plenty of couples of all genders whilst we were visiting and nopony gave them much notice. Why should it affect your job so much?”
Octavia was about to reply but Lyra jumped in before she could. “It’s not because it’s two mares, Bonnie, it’s because Scratch is involved.” The cream mare began to protest but, again, Lyra began to speak before she could. “I know what you’re going to say: that you think Vinyl shouldn’t have that much of a negative impact. But the sad truth to the matter is that she doesn’t help herself.
“You and I both know her quite well and we wouldn’t change any part of her because we know she usually has her heart in the right place. But you have to admit, she plays it pretty fast and loose with traditional morals. It’s causing Octavia issues because it doesn’t sit well with the higher-up noble ponies that she’s supposedly had a fling with a notorious lecher.”
The silence, along with a sudden air of tension, that followed seemed to last more than the few seconds that had actually passed, and Octavia found herself regretting turning down the refill of her cup; sipping from it would have at least given her something to do to avoid meeting either of the other ponies’ gaze.
When the silence began to become almost unbearable, Bon-Bon stood up and made her way to the fridge, still without a word. Octavia watched and turned towards Lyra in hopes of an explanation but all she got was an exasperated sigh and a shake of her head. Clearly, Vinyl’s lifestyle was a bit of a touchy subject for the two, and although she knew Lyra was right, Octavia felt she could understand why Bon-Bon was upset. Even though she’d only met Vinyl for a comparatively brief time to the others, the musical earth pony felt a twinge of discomfort at hearing the DJ being called something as low as ‘lecherous’.
“Why don’t you take Octavia down to your music room, Lyra,” Bon-Bon eventually said, in a neutral tone that made Octavia admire the way she continued to play host. “I’ll get started on dinner and we can have more… pleasant conversation whilst we eat.”
“Bon-Bon,” Octavia began, not wanting the two to be upset with each other, “Lyra probably didn’t put it in the best words but that is why the orchestra wants me to sit out for a little while.”
“Oh, I understand, dear,” came Bon-Bon’s reply as various food stuffs began to accumulate around her as she extracted them from different parts of the kitchen. “But I hope you know that Vinyl is most definitely not a lech, despite what some ponies might think.”
“I don’t think that Scratch is a lech, Bon-Bon,” Lyra grunted, standing up from the table and motioning for Octavia to do the same. “I was just explaining that some ponies don’t like the way she goes about doing some things.” When it was clear Bon-Bon had nothing more to say on the matter, the unicorn sighed once more. “Alright, I’ll take Octavia downstairs, just shout us when you want us.” And with that, they left the stewing mare to her kitchen.
“Is she really upset?” Octavia whispered as they made their way out and towards the door under the stairs where Lyra had hurriedly disposed of her sheet music to keep Octavia from reading it.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Lyra replied, lighting up her horn and opening the door for Octavia to descend the steps it revealed. “Scratch is a very close personal friend, and although she’s my foalhood friend, Bon-Bon is very protective of her. I don’t get it really, you’d think my current marefriend would be a little less bothered about my ex-marefriend’s reputation.”
Octavia gave a light chuckle at that remark as she walked down the steps to the basement, where she soon found herself in what could only be described as organised chaos.
She was told she’d be entering a music room, but as far as she could tell it was several rooms smashed into one. It was true that there were several instruments around the area, complete with a little table for composing sheet music. But there were also boxes of clothes, random ornaments and decorations, and even a few furniture pieces that didn’t quite match the décor of the rest of the house, all put into categories of either size or type.
“See what I mean about needing more space?” Lyra commented once she’d caught up. She wandered over to the side of the room that seemed dedicated to music and plucked her lyre off of its stand. “This was a room full of my inspirations and work. Now it’s more of a nook than a room, but I suppose it still does what I need it to.” She strummed the strings of her instrument for emphasis, the notes peeling away into the room.
Octavia simply continued to stare incredulously, unable to comprehend that the music she had heard Lyra play had been composed in such a place. She then considered her own bedroom back in Canterlot - with the coffee-stained music desk and sheet music littering the floor amongst scruffy detritus - and thought twice about what a pony might consider a suitable working environment.
“So… this is where you compose your work,” the cellist spoke, more to herself than as a question to Lyra but the unicorn answered as if it were anyway.
“Well, I used to,” she began, her horn gripping the compositions off the stairs from where she had stashed them away from Octavia earlier. They floated through the air and shuffled themselves into order before landing neatly on the tucked away table. “I mostly just come down here if Bon-Bon needs me out of the way whilst I work, like when she’s cleaning or napping or something. Otherwise, I write in the living room and play around the house.
“Sometimes I go to the park or sit around the fountain in the market and play. I get a few bits sometimes and being out in the air can be quite a refreshing change.” The mint green mare placed her lyre back onto its stand before beckoning Octavia over, pulling an old cushion out of the pile of furniture and placing it by her desk, beside the aged rickety stool which Lyra took position on. Quirking a brow, the grey mare did as asked and, ignoring the dust that adorned her improvised seating arrangement, sat herself down on the cushion.
The desk was low enough for her to see what was on it, with Lyra only towering over her by a half foot, so she didn’t have to strain too much to look at the notes that the unicorn pushed over for her. “These are some of my latest works,” she commented, a slight apprehension in her voice. “I don’t normally let other ponies see them before I’ve finished or played around with them to iron out the kinks… but, seeing as you’re a big time musician and all, I thought maybe you’d like to have a look.”
Lyra was then quiet for a few minutes whilst Octavia studied, but the cellist could still sense the anxiety coming from the other mare. She could hear the gentle tapping of a hoof on the side of the stool, and the rustle of her tail flicking every so often. But it wasn’t enough to distract Octavia from her reading. The notes were sound, flowing well from chord to chord and creating pleasant melodies on each sheet. She played them in her head, as if she were performing them with her cello, and although she occasionally found herself thinking she’d change a note here or there to suit her own tastes, they played very well.
“These are good,” she finally said, still half lost in the music. Of course, even just the tiniest of compliments was enough to make Lyra relax a little. “I’m surprised that you haven’t become more of a success if truth be told.” Lyra began to blush at that point.
The unicorn laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof before trying to brush the comment off. “It’s hard to get noticed when there isn’t much of an audience,” she said, putting the music away to one side once Octavia had finished reading. “I can only really advertise my music when I travel, and I can’t do that very often. In fact, the music convention was the first time in months I’d been able to get away to do it; bits have been tight lately.”
Octavia understood. She herself had been fortunate enough to be brought up with strong support from her family. Her musical career had been bolstered by expensive schools and top tutors, who could then put her in touch with the right agencies to promote her work. For the ponies who didn’t have such a good network of connections, breaking out into the public eye was difficult. And even then, she’d seen many a fine musician get left behind by the competition, too overwhelmed at how fierce the game could be.
And here she was, a pony who could put Lyra in touch with the right agencies, a pony who could whisper words of influence that, despite her hopefully temporarily tarnished reputation, would still carry some weight. “You know,” she began, contemplating on how she would go about doing it rather than to just make promises she couldn’t keep. “I’m pretty sure I could have a chat with a few colleagues when I return home. I can’t put a guarantee on it but there aren’t that many well-known lyrists in Canterlot: you might be able to fill a niche there, maybe catch your big break.”
The excitement on Lyra’s face was enough to tell Octavia that she really liked that idea. But it quickly began to diminish, until the grin on the unicorn’s face became more of a frown. “I couldn’t ask you to do that, Octavia,” she explained, causing the smile that had been on the cellist’s face to disappear too. “I’d feel like I’d be taking advantage of you just because you’re big over there.”
“You’d not be taking advantage of me,” came the curt reply, Octavia being mildly offended at such a notion. “It’d be my pleasure to help such a talented musician as yourself. In fact, it would be remiss of me not to. Friends help each other out, and it’d be the least I could do to repay you for housing me whilst I’m here.”
There was a pause before Lyra gave Octavia’s shoulder a gentle tap with a hoof, a bashful smile adorning her face. “Thanks.”
“As I said, the least I could do.”
The two ponies remained in companionable silence for a little while, occasionally shuffling through the papers that littered the desk before them before Lyra gave a light chortle which caused Octavia to prod for the joke.
“It’s nothing,” Lyra laughed again, head leaning back as she thought. “It’s just, I remember the last time somepony tried to help me out with my career. It didn’t work out too well.”
“Oh? Nopony took an interest?”
“Well I wouldn’t say that exactly.” With that, Lyra opened a drawer under the desk and pulled out an old newspaper clipping. She slid it over to Octavia who caught the headline and immediately groaned. There was a large photo of a familiar unicorn, whose wild hair was still instantly recognisable despite the black and white print. Above that was a large headline that read ‘Local DJ causes town-wide panic’.
“She thought the best way to get my music out there was to get as many ponies as possible to hear it.” Lyra explained, chuckling to herself more easily as she remembered. “Her solution to that was to rig one of my recordings to her amps and turntables and blast it through her windows for a while. Unfortunately she must have crossed a wire or something because the only thing her speakers pumped out was this horrible high-pitched screech.”
“… How does that create town-wide panic?”
“She hooked her speakers up to the town’s PA system. It wasn’t the end of the world, or the beginning of everlasting night, but it was enough to fill Nurse Redheart’s diary with ponies getting their ears checked.” Octavia blinked. “The Mayor had to get Scratch to sign a form that made her promise never to go near any government property again and that she’d need a permit every time she wanted to ‘experiment’ with her toys.”
“I can see how that’d be counter-productive to your career.” Octavia commented, imagining the damage Vinyl could do to Canterlot with such a set-up.
“Yeah, trouble seems to follow her everywhere, but her heart is always in the right place. It’s just a shame her brain isn’t usually there with it.” The unicorn sighed, giving Octavia and apologetic look. “Like when she stayed with you in Canterlot. I couldn’t believe it when I read the article they did on you two. She should have known better than to carry on like she was doing.”
Confusion sunk into the grey mare, unsure at what Lyra was getting at. “It wasn’t Vinyl’s fault,” she replied, “the whole article was taken out of context. Those pictures would have been perfectly innocent if they hadn’t been interpreted in such a way.”
“But she knows what happens when she goes out on the town like that: she should have expected something in the news the next day. She shouldn’t have been dragging you around with her.”
“Well I didn’t exactly try to stop her…” Octavia paused, looking down at her hoofs before she looked back up to the mint unicorn with a wavering gaze. “I had a lot of fun, more than I’d had in such a long time… the aftermath and all the trouble it’s caused me with the media afterwards is annoying, definitely, but I wouldn’t go back and change any of it.”
“Well, you wouldn’t,” Lyra began to tease, “what with your massive crush and all.”
“It’s not a massive crush,” the cellist contested, a warm sensation blossoming in her cheeks.
“Whatever you say, Octavia,” was Lyra’s only response, but Octavia knew that she’d never hear the end of it.
Lyra’s music room, or nook, as Octavia found herself naming it, kept the two musicians occupied for a good hour before the sound of Bon-Bon calling them from upstairs came. The smell of a rich, home-cooked meal invaded Octavia’s nostrils as soon as they left the basement and it was then she noticed just how hungry she was.
Bon-Bon was waiting for them in the kitchen, and despite the earlier tensions, she wore a beaming grin on her face as she ushered them to the table. Awaiting them there were bowls full of steaming vegetable soup, the scent of which made Octavia’s mouth water.
A second helping was had, after much insisting from Bon-Bon, and with her appetite sated, the cellist felt truly at peace in her mind for the first time in weeks. She sat contently, watching and only half listening as Lyra and Bon-Bon exchanged apologies to each other over their earlier argument.
With her worries of paparazzi ponies jumping out from every corner diminished, and watching as Bon-Bon reached out with a napkin to wipe a small drop of soup from Lyra’s chin, Octavia found herself feeling just that little bit braver. With her present company she knew she was in very good hooves to help her with her DJ issues.
She had discussed her feelings on the whole mare dating mare matter with her friends, and although they didn’t really have all the answers she needed, they’d be very supportive of whatever she chose to do. Now, sat in the kitchen of her two newest friends, she could finally begin to put some of her other curiosities at rest.
“Does Vinyl date many mares then?” The first question she came up with caught the other ponies in the room off guard by its suddenness. The two looked to each other then back to Octavia before the cellist elaborated a little further. “I mean… you said earlier, and the magazines definitely allude to it.” That was Octavia’s biggest worry. That, despite whatever friendship she and Vinyl would share, if anything more came from it she’d only be another notch on an increasingly growing bedpost.
“Well, not really, no,” came Bon-Bon’s reply, a sheepish look to match her uncertain response. She looked towards her marefriend, who thought for a moment before continuing.
“Scratch has had a few… rendezvous,” she muttered, Octavia catching the meaning but not interrupting the unicorn. Lyra struggled for the right words for a moment or two before continuing. “I think dating is a little difficult for her, what with her busy schedule. It’s definitely not as bad as what the magazines make it out to be, but I suppose that’s why she seems to have had so many different ponies attributed to her. That and several of her encounters go to the press themselves to cash in on their experiences. You know, kiss and tell type stuff.”
“The fact ponies are keeping count is just rude,” Bon-Bon chipped in, standing to remove the dishes and place them in the sink. “They should just mind their own business and let Vinyl get on with her life.”
Octavia thought on that for a moment. She couldn’t decide on whether or not it was better knowing Vinyl had had several partners in the past, when she herself hadn’t had any. It was a daunting thought, but it wasn’t enough to scare the cellist from pursuing her curiosity. She still hadn’t decided on whether or not to explore her feelings when her thoughts drifted back to what Beauty Brass had said to her: how she’d never know if she didn’t try.
“I-,” she began, cutting herself off as her brain stalled before trying again. She lost her words once more and with a sigh of frustration, she leaned her head against her hoof and slumped over the table. “Look, I have no idea what I’m doing here. What possessed me to come in the first place wasn’t just to hide away from the world—that’s just a convenient by-product.” The words just seemed to spill out of her once she finally began, her brain disgorging its contents to anypony who might listen.
“Ever since I had that night out with Vinyl I can’t stop having the occasional notion that maybe I like her. Sometimes it goes away and I just chalk it down to having met an interesting pony who I had too much to drink with. Other times I get so distracted by it that I just wander off with my imagination. Truth be told, I’ve never felt this way about anypony. It might be nothing, but I suppose I need to get out and live a little more sooner or later and I guess I might as well start off with whatever... this is.”
Lyra and Bon-Bon simply listened as Octavia finished, the latter with a noticeable smile on her lips. Octavia chuckled to herself, only slightly, tickled by whatever thought had crept into her head. “I never thought I’d be interested in a mare,” she said, lifting herself back up off the table. “Mother and Father never said there was anything wrong with it, but I always figured I’d end up fawning over a stallion. I bet they’re still expecting grand foals someday.”
“They get over it eventually,” Lyra smirked, amused at what she was hearing.
“And my reputation will probably take a beating for it,” the cellist continued, with Bon-Bon hopping up and down with barely contained excitement.
“But I suppose I’m not getting any younger and if Vinyl would be even semi-sort-of-interested, I should see where things go.” Bon-Bon couldn’t have wrapped Octavia into a hug any faster, the cellist almost being knocked out of her chair from the impact.
Lyra sat opposite, shaking her head but she couldn’t help herself from smiling. “Vinyl’s not going to stand a chance; Bonnie’s been trying to set her up with somepony for years.” The lyrist thought for a moment, trying to remember when Vinyl was due back off her tour, before shrugging it off and trying to get Bon-Bon to calm down before she choked Octavia into a coma.
“Oh, I was hoping something like this would happen,” the sweet maker giggled, giving in to Lyra’s demands and relinquishing her hold on Octavia. She continued to prattle on, discussing plans for first dates and future plans, but neither Lyra nor Octavia were really listening.
“Just ignore her,” the unicorn quietly said, motioning for Octavia to lean a little closer to her so they could talk without interrupting Bon-Bon. “She’ll interfere a bit, but she’ll mostly leave you alone once Vinyl is back.”
“That’s a bit of a relief really,” the grey mare replied, worrying that perhaps she’d gotten in over her head. “I’ve never really done something like this before, and I’m pretty convinced it’s just a silly crush…” A sense of doubt soon grew at the back of Octavia’s mind and she found herself beginning to worry again and looked down towards the table. “Maybe I shouldn’t even mention it to her. I wouldn’t want to ruin what friendship we already have.”
A green hoof found itself on top of her own, and the cellist looked up to meet Lyra’s gaze. “Even if you mention it to Vinyl and she isn’t interested, she won’t let it get between any friendships. She’s a good mare, really, and she does like you; she wouldn’t have taken you out like she did if she didn’t. Plus, you’ll have me and Bonnie for backup.” A devilish grin then appeared on Lyra’s face before she continued. “If the worst happens, Bonnie can bake you cakes and provide emotional support, and I’ll go round to Scratch’s and kick her flank. What better team could you have on your side?”
The thought made Octavia laugh a little, and though she hoped Lyra was joking about the potential flank kicking, she knew she had to at least talk to Vinyl. Before she could say anything else, a large bang rattled the table, and the two conversing ponies jumped and turned to see that Bon-Bon had slammed a freshly baked carrot cake before them. From the sight of it, it was then clear to Octavia what the surprise for dinner was that Bon-Bon had intended.
“My word,” the cellist exclaimed, her eyes lusting over the moist looking texture of the sides, completely ignoring the full sensation her stomach was giving her. “That looks absolutely delicious, Bon-Bon.”
“Well, I figured we’d wait a while and have some for supper, but seeing as this is now a special occasion, we might as well enjoy it now.” The cream mare began to cut into the surface of the cake, extracting a large piece and placing it onto a plate before sliding it over to Octavia.
The grey mare looked it over, mouth almost watering once more as she eyed up the icing that covered the top. Before she dug in though, she shook her head towards Bon-Bon who was busy slicing out two more pieces. “I’m sure it’ll be lovely, and I’ll partake anyway, but I don’t think this is really a special occasion.”
Lyra snorted, rolling her eyes with a tired smile on her face as a piece of cake was deposited in front of her. “You’ll quickly learn, Octavia, that when it comes to matchmaking, Bon-Bon considers anything to be a cause for celebration.”
“Well obviously,” Bon-Bon chipped in, a large and perhaps maniacal grin on her lips. “I finally have another couple to double date with.” Lyra flashed an annoyed look at her, and Octavia blushed somewhat before Bon-Bon added. “Eventually, I mean. Take as much time as you need, dear… just hopefully not too long.”
Octavia looked down at her cake, avoiding the would-be-cupid at the table and suddenly gained a sense that she didn’t exactly know what she’d gotten herself into.
--
A long, trailing wisp of breath floated off into Ponyville's night sky as Vinyl yawned. The other passengers were equally as tired as they stepped off the train and onto the platform and as the DJ looked up at the station's clock, noting the time to be ten in the evening, she grumbled.
Although the unicorn had been happy to be rid of her agent at Canterlot, the train needed to have its water tanks refilled. Unfortunately that added another hour to her journey. She had thought that maybe she could have visited Octavia whilst she waited, apologise for whatever trouble she’d caused. But with such little time and no idea of where the earth pony might have been, she thought better of it, resolving to send a letter once she’d returned to Ponyville and instead waited on the train, bored out of her skull.
But all that latent boredom and frustration left behind from waiting around on the train soon began to ebb away as she took another deep breath of the night air. She was home. And that was all that mattered.
With a slightly renewed vigour, she began her trek through town, thankful that she didn't need to worry about any baggage. One of the benefits of having Opel cater to everything was that Vinyl never needed to pack anything. She just had to turn up to where she was meant to be and everything she needed was there waiting for her. All her performance equipment was simply moved from venue to venue, which meant she could leave her favourite sets and turntables at home to use and practice with whenever she felt like, though she tried to limit her inspirations to during the day.
There weren't many ponies wandering the streets as Vinyl continued her journey, the flickering lights behind closed window shutters revealing the town's inhabitants to be warm and snug in their homes. During the summer, she might have seen a few of them sat in their gardens, enjoying the warm evenings. But not today; it was far too cold for that.
The DJ relished the silence that accompanied the cold, however, her walk through town a refreshing change after her recent tours complete with screaming fans and stone-faced bodyguards. If it weren't for the times where she could return home and mix with normal ponies from time to time, she figured her fame might have gotten to her head, at least more than it already had; she was still wearing her promotional glasses after all.
Plus, her friends lived in Ponyville, along with all the home comforts such friends provided. Her stomach growled to remind her of one such comfort as she passed Sugar Cube Corner, the shop being way past closing time and in being so taunting her with all the treats contained within. She made a mental note to come back over the next couple of days, perhaps with Lyra to keep her busy whilst Bon-Bon worked. She could also catch up with Pinkie Pie, and though she’d enjoy the company, she’d be lying if it wasn’t because there'd be a 'welcome home' muffin in it for her.
It didn’t take the unicorn as long as she thought it would to get home. The time had flown as she’d basked in her surroundings, and the darkened windows of her house with its unkempt garden soon came into view. As she grew closer, she thought that it looked a little neglected, but she’d soon sort that out over the next few days.
Using her horn to light the way, she approached the front door before realising that she’d given her key to Lyra in case of emergencies. She considered going to get it, but after remembering the lateness of the evening she shrugged and pointed her horn at the lock.
She’d used magic several times to gain entry to her house, having familiarised herself with the lock after the uncountable number of keys she’d lost over the years. It still took her time, however, and after several minutes and many muttered curses she finally heard the click she was waiting for and opened the door.
Inside, everything was exactly as she’d left it; cold and deserted.
She immediately began to remedy that and, after switching on the lights, used her magic to throw a log into the fireplace, seeking to add heat to the room. With a spark from her horn and receiving a nice fire for her efforts, she began to gather up the odd plates and few glasses that had been left behind from her last few meals at home before depositing them into the kitchen sink. Vinyl found herself thinking it was probably a good idea that only Lyra had a key; if anypony had been in her house whilst she was away, they’d think that she’d been abducted in the middle of the night.
With a quick look into her fridge, and an annoyed grumble at how empty it was, the DJ decided that she’d finish whatever house work she needed doing the next afternoon. She picked up a fresh glass from one of her cupboards with her magic, filled it with water and began her journey to her bed, deciding on the way that she’d go round to Bon-Bon’s for her breakfast before doing anything else in the morning.
Setting her water on to her night table, the DJ was quick to throw herself on to her mattress, the bed already unmade from the last time she’d slept in it. She rolled onto her side for a moment, giving her space to take her glasses off and soon curled herself up beneath whatever covers she could get at, too tired to wrestle the sheets out from underneath her body.
With the fire downstairs slowly heating her house, she sighed happily, content to be back home in Ponyville, where her only commitments were to her friends and nopony demanded her presence.
--
A few streets down from Vinyl’s house, Octavia lay in the darkness of her temporary accommodation, her head resting on a loaned pillow and a blanket keeping her warm. She stared at the ceiling, her thoughts racing back and forth from one to the other and then to occasionally nothing at all.
She didn’t feel tired, despite what she’d told her hosts: she just wanted to get some time to herself. The couple upstairs was all too happy to oblige her, unfolding the couch for her and meandering upstairs to their own room. The cellist could still hear the occasional hoof step from the ceiling above belonging to one of the two, however, which made her feel a touch of guilt on top of her anxiety.
Although she’d explained how she’d felt to Lyra and Bon-Bon, Octavia had only really scratched the surface. Her mind was in a constant turmoil, memories flashing before her eyes of the days she’d spent with Vinyl in Canterlot. That only got worse as the days had gone by after the convention. She hadn’t realised just how much she wanted to see the DJ again, to talk with her and have fun. It was a very alien sensation to her.
The grey mare sighed and rolled over, trying a different position in the hopes she’d become comfortable enough to doze off, but she found that her new perspective gave her a view of some of the pictures that adorned the room’s shelves. As luck, good or bad, would have it, a muted light of a street lamp crept in behind the curtains, allowing the musician to see the ponies in the picture frames. One of them featured the grinning face of Vinyl, her signature glasses nowhere to be seen on the photograph, allowing a clear look at the unicorn’s eyes.
Octavia grumbled, rolling over once more to face the other direction. She was annoyed with herself, annoyed with the fact she was fixating on the unicorn so much. She had only spent a couple of days with her, and she kept saying to herself that she couldn’t have developed such a strong attraction to Vinyl in that amount of time. But even then, she’d find herself debating on what to say to the DJ the next time she saw her, whether or not to start with how she felt or to just see how things went after a few more days in her company.
She knew it’d probably be the latter, severely doubting her forwardness to just come out and ask Vinyl out for dinner or some other equivalent gesture. She’d no doubt bluff and stumble her way through social niceties before she either grew out of her little predicament or some happenstance occurred to develop things further.
With a sigh, and an internal reprimand to herself for doing it, she rolled back for a final time, looking at the picture on the other side of the room. Her eyes studied it for a few moments, allowing herself to daydream about whatever took her fancy, and before long her daydreams turned to real ones, as she drifted off into slumber.
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Yeah update. Keep it coming u magnificent beast. I just cant get enough of this story
Loved it man, keep it up! I'm loving the rising tension of their inevitable reunion. Also hoping we haven't seen the last of Flitter Flash.
5278242
This probably could've been up 12 hours earlier if I hadn't goofed. My bad.
AIP§
5254533
Shoot. Noted.
Yes! The pace of this story pleases me greatly. And you know what else I enjoy about this story so much? The British English! I swear, every time I came across a word spelled with an 's' instead of a 'z' or a past participle formed with a '-t' instead of an '-ed' a small part of me beamed on the inside, even though I'm American. I can't get enough of it.
Well, actually, there are some things I just can't quite get used to. Case and point: your use of the word 'whilst' was particularly jarring after the first few instances. Since I am a fan of sparingly using what could be considered 'dated' English in the appropriate situations, I adored its use at the beginning of the chapter. But as it progressed, I found myself wishing that some of them were 'while' instead. It simply sounded better in my head.
However, I realized this wasn't a matter of what sounds better but one of linguistic difference, so I resigned myself to mentioning how I would appreciate some of the instances of 'whilst' to become 'while', particularly in character dialogue. I do, however, seem to be more comfortable with its use in narrative. But, alas, 'tis your decision and yours alone to make whether you mend this tiny misgiving which holds little sway over anything at all, really. I'll enjoy this story no less than I already do, no matter what.
5280363
I find myself having to agree, actually.
"Whilst" in dialogue is unlikely for these characters: I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the next chapter.
Thanks for the tip!
AIP§
i love it and enjoy reading all chapters ^_^
I can't help but look at the published gap between chapters 14 and 15. Over two whole years. Then I look at the time between 15 and 16 and smile with happiness. I'm so glad that this story lives again!
Holy fucking shit this is back!?
Isn't it so much nicer that way?
Glad to see this isn't dead. You got a few errors here and there but I'm not going to bring them up as you can easily just gloss over them. If I may point out though, you seem to have a bad habit of using words that sound similar but have completely different meanings
. Overall a great story still
.
5306420
In that case, could you send me a PM with your thoughts?
You write Octavia almost, if not, exactly like my personality. It's somewhat scary, but then again most authors do. I suppose that's why she is in my top 3 ponies list, all tied for first. Keep up the good work. ^-^
This being back is just the best
When is chapter 17 coming up?! This is a crazy cliffhanger here! fuuuuuuuuu!
5366458
I'm hoping by the end of the week
5366490
Fantastic! I can't wait!
Finally caught up.
Hey there! I've been considering what to write for a few days. I do apologise if this is a little unfocused.
I've not really been directly involved or keeping up with the brony community for well over a year, after 3 years it's just not been there for me anymore. I used to write music and stuff based around the show, the characters, but that inspiration dwindled along with my interest in the community. You're probably well aware of the progression and tone of the fandom, so I won't reflect here.
One thing that has remained consistent for me, however, is an attraction to the characters Octavia and Vinyl. I still appreciate the art, their representation in the show to this day, with their characters being influenced by the output the community has, that kind of impact is crazy cool to me. For some bizarre reason, the other aspect I still enjoy is these stories that involve them.
It's silly. I really don't like interacting with the community anymore, but this is the one thread that still engages me. It might even be hypocritical to say I'm not involved yet I read these. I've never been very 'omfg brohoof everypony!', a fringe dweller if you like. Changes was I think the second story I started reading that paired these two characters. It's been one of three stories that have kept me engaged, alongside Allegrezza and University Days. I'm extremely picky about what I read, even when it comes to published works of fiction, if the characters don't grab me, if the pacing and tone are off, or even the setting doesn't engage me, the book doesn't get read. It's terrible of me, but I find reading difficult, so I limit myself to things I can get totally engrossed in. (Eyesight problems, to clarify.)
I've really enjoyed reading this story, the dynamic between all the characters is interesting, the pacing feels pretty fluid. It feels like you're actually planning out the progression and development, instead of purely writing on the cusp of inspiration. You explore deeper subjects in a very lighthearted way, too, without delving too far into detail, something that can turn me off from a story and many authors of fanfiction seem to be guilty of the blatantly obvious.
There are of course some tiny issues I have encountered within this story, mostly present in the earlier chapters. Referring to fandom tropes is a bit overplayed and doesn't fit the rest of the story's character, but that's nitpicking. There's a few errors here and there in the earlier chapters also (Misuse of site / sight, that kind of thing) however I'm no author, so in one of the early chapters you note potential overuse of commas, which I didn't pick up on as just a casual reader. If I'm honest, this is a story you could complete, then do a revision of the entire thing. Like an early access work of fiction... Maybe.
I'm not sure why you've returned to this story, as many others have lamented upon the lack of updates. It's refreshing to read more, and the kick of frequent updates is great to see. I will go delving around, you might have written a journal or something explaining the absence once I publish this. All the same, I wish you the best in completing the story! I'll be reading to the conclusion, and am interested to see what you do beyond this outside of the community as an author.
Apologies for the ramble. Best wishes!
Hey there! Great chapter, and wow what an amazing story! I just found it yesterday and have already finished up to here! Sleep be damned!
I really like your characterization of the cast, usually in stories with Lyra and Bon-Bon I feel they're just tacked on and boring, but you do a great job at conveying a real loving relationship out of them. And of course Octavia and Vinyl are beautifully written! I love the little spats the characters seem to always get into, and it's nice to see a story where it's Octavia to have the first feelings for once. Poor Vinyl doesn't know what she's getting into!
I see a lot of potential in this story, and I look forward to your updates!
Normally I feel a strong kind of self loathing, regret and rage upon reaching the end of a wonderful story that has sat incomplete for so long, however I am pleased to say that for once I am not. Now this has nothing to do with how arbitrarily 'good' I feel the story is (it's quite possibly my favorite Vinyl Octavia story in all actuality), no I say this simply because your pacing is astounding! You write, or use to at least, at a speed that even though you have left us with the terrible sin of a cliffhanger I felt oddly content. It's like my distain and fury went to bed at the same time that Vinyl and Octy did.
Still, I suppose that is enough of my fangirling. On a more literary note, I have to compliment you on your characterization. It is exquisite, truely wonderful! The way you write the primary and even the secondary cast was very enjoyable and the characters themselves were relatable and consistent. All in all it gave the cast a very well rounded feeling to it, no sharp inconsistencies that I could see. It's times like this where fantastic characters make the story.
That all said, the only real grievance I have with the story is that it's unfinished and that in the early chapters Opal is called Opel for some strange reason.
I truly give you my best wishes on picking up the reigns on such a wonderful work again. It is a great shame that it has remained unfinished for so long and I can only be found reminiscent of the time one of my favorite book series went four years without a follow up to the cliffhanger at the end of the ninth book.
5587980 preaty got critique, I might add. Could use you on my pre-reading team
5612316
Unfortunately, I am in a position that renders me mostly useless for editing or pre reading purposes. Sorry. n.n'
5621854 worth a shot, need any for your own story's till then though
5622662
No, I am fine. I try and not post stories anymore if I can help it. I have...issues with my own writing.
Consarnet!!!! Darn cliffhanger... Anymore of these and I'll break my back fall from one of these mountains!!!
~ SilvrStrings
Hey I was thinking about starting this story, but i wanted to check if it was still in the works. Will this ever be updated again? Or is it on hiatus for some period of time? If anyone knows, please reply. Thanks!
5742710
... what do you mean by starting this story?
5745856 Sorry, i wasn't clear; I was thinking about starting to read this story, so if anyone knows if it will be continued, please let me know. Thanks, and sorry for the confusion!
5889451 Then it's fortunate that, unlike some people, I'm not trying to make harsh critiques. And that when I do choose to make them, I don't have to fake implausible misunderstandings to make them work.
I know I probably have a reputation for not always making myself easy to understand, but I assure you that is not intended to be a license to pretend to understand nothing at all. I don't see what you're trying to gain anyway from attempting to convince me you're that stupid; I suspect you'd rather I call you on it, given the alternative.
And by the way,
images.wikia.com/mlp/images/archive/c/c6/20120422222925!DJ_Pon-3_removes_her_shades_S2E26.png
4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fo4k-wWXgAo/T4Nr7XApjlI/AAAAAAAAlrQ/Rg-FpgRHK9w/s320/DXhfV.png
Sure, let's throw this one in too.
Finally caught up with this story and I'm loving it so far!
Looking forward to the next update!
I'm legitimately concerned that the author died or something of the like.
mooooooooooooo-ooooooooore!!!!
is it called Changes because Opal's name just changed to Opel again? 🤪