Compersion

by Etolia

1. Blue Is the New Purple

Music. All around her was the sound of music and the sensation of a light breeze flowing through her fur. A pony like Buffy only slowed down enough to experience such still and calm moments rarely, but there was something about the way that Viola played that was almost hypnotizing; she couldn't help but stop and listen.

It was Viola's music that first drew her to her. That day, several months ago, she looked so calm and serene, but her music was full of emotion, each note dripping with anger and sorrow. And by that music, Buffy couldn't help but ask what it was that made Viola play such an angry song. That question turned out to be the beginning of their relationship: a long series of musical communications met by enthusiastic verbal communications between the two of them.

This one was a quite a bit happier but still just as beautiful. Viola's song came to an end, and as the last notes were played, Buffy opened her eyes blearily, slowly coming out of her trance. But once she was awake, she turned her head to Viola with a mischievous smile on her face before springing up from her seat and bounding at her marefriend, tackling her to the ground.

"Viola that was amazing you're so talented and your songs are great and—"

"Buffy!" Viola cut her off with a shout as she wriggled out of Buffy's grasp. "What have I told you about tackling me after I finish playing?" she grumbled while brushing herself off.

"Ummm, don't do it?"

"Because . . . ?"

"Because I could damage one of your instruments?"

"Exactly," Viola said with finality, an unimpressed look on her face.

Buffy pulled her ears back flat against her head, lowering herself a bit and trying to pout. "I'm sorry, Viola?" she said quietly as she dropped her pout and the corners of her lips peeked upwards, the small smile betraying the fact that she wasn't really sorry at all. The opportunity to spring a hug on her partner was just too good to pass up, even if Viola did get annoyed about it every so often.

Viola rolled her eyes and placed a foreleg around her marefriend, pulling her in for a hug, a flat look on her face. Buffy nevertheless gladly accepted the invitation, happily snuggling into Viola's soft fur and nuzzling into her chest and neck. They said nothing. Buffy, on her part, felt more than content to sit in silence as long as she was cuddling with Viola.

She felt so lucky to have Viola come all the way from Canterlot to visit her, so she couldn't help but offer to share her apartment with her while she was here. Plus, it meant that she could spend all day cuddling and lavishing affection on Viola in as many ways as she could think of! And maybe get her to grin once or twice. That mare just didn't know how to smile, sometimes!

The silence persisted for several minutes, only broken when Viola said, "Do you have any plans for tonight?"

Buffy picked her head up off Viola's chest and looked at her. "Well, I think we'd get awfully stiff sitting here all night! I don't have any plans, though." Buffy frowned and looked off to the side. "I mean, I thought I might be going out with this mare I met, but she canceled earlier today. Honestly, I think she's kind of a flake. She's cool and all, but it's annoying that she's always bailing on me like this."

"That does sound irritating. I'm sorry, Buffy," Viola offered.

Buffy shrugged in response. "It's okay. Just part of the perils of being polyamorous, I guess. More opportunities for dates means more opportunities for getting stood up."

Viola simply nodded to that, but Buffy smiled and nuzzled into her fur again regardless. Even a lack of response was better than some other responses she got. She had known ponies in the past who weren't very nice about her being polyamorous—or downright mean about it, even. But Viola . . .

"If we're really going to try this whole dating thing, there's something I have to tell you, Viola.

"What is it, Buffy?

Buffy took a deep breath. Just because she had done it several times didn't make it any easier. "I'm polyamorous, which I know is probably not a word that you've heard before. It means I'm open to having more than one romantic relationship at a time. I know that sounds strange, and you've probably never had anypony you were interested in say something like that to you before, but it's a really important part of who I am. I just want you to know because I never want you to think that I would want to go behind your back and cheat on you or something! And I don't want you to think that you have to only ever date me while I go off dating whoever I want either. I want you to pursue whatever will make you happy, too!" Buffy finished her speech and nervously shuffled her hooves as she waited to see how Viola would react to her admission.

Of all the ponies Buffy had explained her relationship orientation to, Viola was by far the most understated in her response—she just said, "I don't think a little polyamory would stop me from loving you," and that was that! There was something so very sweet about it. She didn't need to ask a million questions and turn the conversation into an interrogation; she didn't need to examine and dissect it; she just accepted and rolled with it like she did with every piece of who Buffy was. It made her so happy that she could just cuddle her sweet and wonderful marefriend to bits. Of course, that would probably lead to a "Buffy stop that right now" sort of admonishment, so she settled for a gentle squeeze instead.

"Well, since I was planning on going out anyway, why don't we do that?" Buffy suggested. "I'm not sure where we could go, but I wouldn't mind just wandering for a while. There's always something new to do in Baltimare!"

"A walk sounds nice," Viola agreed, though she sounded no more eager than she did moments before.

With that, the two picked themselves up off the floor and left the apartment. Buffy took the lead, but not more than half a block down the road, she saw something she had to comment on.

"You know, I think that yarn store is new; at least, I don't remember seeing it before," Buffy said, pointing out a window display showing a dizzying array of colors and patterns. "I guess I could've just not noticed it. I mean I don't knit or anything. I tried it once, but I just ended up with a scarf full of holes!"

A mere few steps later, Buffy made another tangent to point something else out. "Ooh, those trees over there are in bloom now! Aren't they pretty? Pink is my favorite color. I wonder what kind of tree that is."

This was how their walks nearly always went, with Buffy stopping every twelve seconds or so to point out—that cloud looks like a train!—something or draw attention to whatever else she saw that caught her attention. Viola trailed behind, only chiming in on occasion. There was an energy that wanted Buffy to scamper on ahead and take in every sight she could, but she always managed to stick by Viola.

"Ooooh, do you smell that, Viola? I wonder where it's coming from, but whatever it is, it smells amazing! Do you think—" Buffy stopped mid-sentence when she spotted a familiar figure. Without warning, she rushed ahead, stood up on her hind legs, and waved her forelegs over her head. "Viridian! Viridian, over here!" she shouted at the green-maned earth pony in the distance.

Viridian perked her ears up and trotted over once she saw Buffy. Buffy met Viridian halfway and threw her forelegs around her in a hug.

"Viridian! It's so nice to see you! How've you been?" Buffy greeted. "I didn't expect to see you tonight! You said you'd be spending tonight in a theater somewhere watching Cervine Squad again."

"Buffy . . . tight!" was all Viridian managed to say before Buffy released her crushing hug and had her breathing a sigh of relief. "Actually I ended up catching an earlier showing so a friend could come with me. It was even better the second time. You and I should totally go see it together soon!"

"You know I've been dying to see this for months now, and of course I want to go with you!" Buffy said, hopping up and down. She stopped suddenly. "But you just saw it! You sure you want to go for round three with the same movie?"

"What can I say? I guess I'm pretty fawned of it," Viridian replied, smirking and waggling her eyebrows.

"Oooh! I see what you did there!" Buffy exclaimed before giggling. She looked behind her just in time to see Viola catch up and roll her eyes, which, to her, just made the pun that much more hilarious. But behind her still was a trotting blue mare moving towards them, one she didn't immediately recognize. Even from a distance, she could see the softness in her mane and tail and their fluffiness and the piercing gold light that reflected off her irises that was the same color as the sun but seemed bright and sunny in its own right and oh dear she was getting distracted again—

"Viridian, you are such a dork!" the blue mare said in a strong and confident voice, situating herself next to Viridian. "Seriously, if I had a buck for every bad pun you make—"

"You'd be able to film your own Cervine Squad sequel?" Viridian shot back, causing them both to crack up. Buffy laughed at the jab too, though she kept her eyes trained on this interesting and rather cute new arrival.

"Oh yeah, girls, this is Azura Peavielle," Viridian announced. "She just moved in here a couple days ago. Azura, Buffy and Viola, two friends of mine. We go way—whoa!"

Without bothering to check with her brain first, Buffy's legs propelled her towards Azura before Viridian was even finished. "Hi there! I don’t think we've met! I'm Buffy! I mean maybe you know that and Viridian already told you so of course you know that but I'm Buffy!"

And apparently her mouth wasn't checking in with her brain anymore either. She shrunk back a little in embarrassment. There was about a bajillion different ways that could have gone better.

Azura laughed. "Viridian did say something about a cute chatterbox of a mare she hangs out with. I'm guessing that would be you?"

Oh gosh, she thinks I'm cute.

"That, that does sound like me, yeah," Buffy said as she chuckled nervously.

Azura laughed again. "Thought so!"

"Azura, you should come with us!" Viridian chimed in. "I think you and Buffy here would get along pretty well, and then I'd have a whole group to go with! Oh, and if Viola wants to come too, all the better!" she added, looking over to her.

"Hey, I'm always down for a movie!" Azura said in that commanding, cool, announcer voice of hers. "Y'know, as long as it's another early showing. I have another gig tomorrow night and I can't keep the crowd waiting."

"A gig?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, it's a little night job of mine I do occasionally," Azura said while waving a hoof in a circle. "When I'm not hosting my radio show, at least."

Buffy gasped. "That is so cool!" She started to rapid-fire questions. "What's the job? What show do you host? Where can I listen to it? What kind of ponies—"

"Woah, settle down there, cutie, I can barely understand you!" Azura interjected, although while still wearing a good-natured smile. "I've actually gotta go live pretty soon, so I'll answer everything you've got when we go for the movie, alright?"

"Oh, okay!" Buffy was simultaneously disappointed that she wouldn't be able to talk with this cute, commanding, and now interesting mare any longer—she called me cutie!—and excited that she had the promise of a future meeting (and possibly more!). Remembering that there was yet still one mare who hadn't spoken at all through their entire exchange, Buffy turned back to Viola. "You wanna come, Vi? I'm sure it'll be fun!"

Viola cocked her head but didn't smile or frown. "Lunch sounds just fine, and I suppose the movie will be interesting enough."

"Yay!" Buffy exclaimed as she launched towards her marefriend and gave her another hug. She raised her head and looked to the others. "Then we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Can't wait!" Viridian called in response before walking away.

"See you, Buffy," Azura said, waving before departing. Buffy took just a second or two to once again admire Azura's long fluffy tail (and if anypony asked, that was all she was admiring) before separating from Viola.

"Isn't this great, Vi?" she said. "Tomorrow's going to be so fun!"

"If you say so, Buffy," Viola answered. She might have sounded bored to the average pony, but Buffy knew Viola for long enough to know that she just wasn't the kind of pony who got very excited or depressed over much of anything. She was just super sweet in her own ways.

"What do you think of Azura?" Buffy asked excitedly and much more animatedly than her companion.

". . . Fine?" Viola said, raising one eyebrow a little bit. "You realize that I didn't talk with her at all, right? That was all you."

"Oh, really?" Buffy barely noticed that Viola didn't talk. Even at the best of times, she didn't really talk much. "I mean, I think she seems cool. And she's cute too!" A silly smile grew on her face as she thought back Azura. Fierce but fluffy!

Viola raised her eyebrow more. "Is that so?"

"Uh-huh." Buffy nodded enthusiastically. "So you don't mind if I hang out with her a little more and try and get to know her, do you?"

At that, Viola stopped and looked straight at Buffy, wearing a look she could only describe as skeptical. "You know that you don't ask for my permission for anything, right?"

Buffy stared blankly at Viola. It wasn't a "yes" or a "no," really, and she didn't know if it was a "yes" or a "no" or even a different answer entirely. She could be very confusing at times. She stuck her tongue out of her mouth and squinted a little. "Um, all of the above?"

"Snnrk!"

Buffy's ears perked at that. It sounded like a sneeze, but she knew that sound. Viola didn't sneeze; she cracked! She had her head off to the side and was covering her face with a hoof, but Buffy knew she was laughing. "Goodness, Buffy, do you know how adorable you look when you do that?" she said in a voice strangled with suppressed mirth.

After a few seconds, Viola uncovered her face. She wasn't laughing anymore, but Buffy spied a small smile on her mouth. Those were so rare on her that even the smallest ones became all the more wonderful and lovely because of it. And ponies wondered why Buffy loved Viola so much when she seemed so stoic; this was why!

"Fine, Buffy. Yes, you have worthless permission." Viola dropped her smile and frowned a moment later. "And I see that look on your face. No, you do not have permission to tackle me, but you aren't going to listen, are you?"

Buffy flashed a wide, toothy smile and launched herself at her wonderful marefriend. "Nope!"