//------------------------------// // Oddity // Story: Fangs: The Order // by Sapphic //------------------------------// A familiar scene appeared in front of me, one of a long, two story, theatre draped with red curtains along the walls. Expensive carpets with even more expensive borders lined the rows of seats, of which were packed to the brim with people I didn't know. They all seemed eager for me to do something though. I couldn't remember how I had gotten where I was, but I knew what I was there for - the bow in one hoof and cello that seemed all to foreign to me were sign enough. I brought the bow up to the strings gently, sliding it across ever so gently as sweet music came to life as I willed it. One of the few places in my life where I seemed to be in complete control. A gentle chattering from the crowds came to my attention, most of it sounding positive as it seemed to mix in with the pull of my bow in a way that could only seem intentional. I felt a thrill kick up in my chest, one that had been long forgotten as I pushed aside what had been my passion - my obsession - for all of my life until recently. Basked in this feeling, I was living in the awe and approval of the crowd soaking up their admiration like a neglected sponge. But the world seemed to suddenly sway slightly, a gentle tilt that knocked my balance off just enough for my bow to waver, and for the song's perfection to shatter just as the prideful feeling in my chest did. The loving murmurs from before turned into sour ones of disgust, the burning passion in my chest turned to a chilling despair. My eyes shot open in fear as the murmurs ceased and I found myself staring at an empty auditorium. The hoof holding my bow dropped numbly to my side as I took in the sight. My head began to droop, my mouth slightly parted as I failed to grasp what had happened - how I had messed up - but a lone figure still in the stands caught my eyes and kept my head afloat. It did not make a move to express its approval or disapproval of my mistake, but more than anything I wasn’t alone, and a crowd of one is better than a crowd of none. I couldn't feel the bow in my hoof any more than a piece of my limb as I raised it back up to the strings, hoof quivering as I brought it shakily across the strings - the music forcing itself out in an unpleasant sound as my yearning to not make another mistake caused me to make flurries of them. My eyes were squeamish, dashing back and forth between the ground, ceiling and my lone audience member who I saw was now getting up from their seat. Then my eyes clinched, tears welling as I silently cried apologies and pleaded for them to stay. I opened my eyes solemnly, knowing the empty that awaited me, only to find the lone audience member from before making their way down the aisles towards the unseen exits. I felt my bow hoof drop to my side once again, my teary eyes finally convincing my now quivering lips that this was the end. Only they didn't leave. They turned at the end of the aisle, coming to take a seat square in front of me. The lights that had previously not dared to leave the stage now loosened their grips, letting visibility just barely leak into the stands. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to let me see the tips of my audience's hooves - which I saw were a snow white - and the glint of something near their eyes. A flicker of the furnace in my chest came back to life, spurring itself back to life despite having already died, and bringing a small warmth to my chest. I realized it wasn't the same burning passion that I had felt before when I soaked up the admiration of a crowd, but it was something surprisingly similar despite it being from a crowd of one. It was smaller, but it felt more meaningful. My bow was steady as it reunited with the strings, my eyes locked onto the lone figure in the auditorium as music began to flow through in a redoubled effort. The same tilting from before returned, protesting my playing as I felt my body begin to drop to one side. I had never been one to make a mockery of my stage performance, keeping an expected posture and a prideful look to myself, but there was something about my company that made me feel as if those were not nearly as important as the piece I was playing. My body seemed to flow with the tilt, turning my previous drop into something passionate as I danced around my cello with my eyes closed in bliss. The music became an afterthought, my ears still eating it up tastefully as it hooked even me into wanting more, but I was more focused on the joy that flowed through me as I spun across the stage, dipping my cello on its stand and dancing with it as if we were at a ball together. The song blossomed and died, reaching a satisfying silence as I dipped my cello down like a lucky mare at the end of a waltz. Never in my wildest dreams had I dreamt of ending a concert like this; sweat on my brow, broken bow strings springing out like a bad hair day from my bow and a beaming smile across my face that was only disrupted rhythmically by my heavy panting. I opened my eyes, quickly looking up to see what my lone audience member had thought of what I'd call my greatest performance yet. Only, they weren't there. In fact, there was no more auditorium either, but what had replaced both it and my audience was enough to make my cheeks flush and my eyes widen in a sharp change of feeling. Where there had been expansive and golden hemmed walls draped with velvet curtains, there was now compacted walls colored a dull blue-grey covered with book shelves and furniture all holding musical sheets and books. Where there had been row upon row of seats, there was now a single, familiar looking bed. And on that bed, sitting on her haunches, was an eager looking white mare with awe racing through her eyes and joy pulsing from her childishly wide smile that screamed amazement. Blue, two toned hair stood out against the bland room in a joyful rebellion that was led by a pair of dashing eyes that gave me a sensation that made my cheeks flush to match their deep red color. But more than anything, there was a sense that she had finally made me see something I hadn't before. She didn't speak, instead leaning close to my tilted down head with her eyes locked with mine. She got close enough to the point where I felt the warmth of her breath on my face. I felt paralyzed, but I couldn’t care less about how and why. Then, her eyes shut and as if by magic, I could breathe again. And all I felt was something soft on my lips. *~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~* "Vinyl!" I heard myself shout. I felt my body jolt, a thrum going through my very being as I shot up from my bed. Colors blurred thanks to my eyes not being quite as awake as my heart was, but I could definitely feel. My head suddenly filled with a sharp pain, followed by a dull ache that sent my eyes running back to the darkness they had come out of. "Ouch!" A familiar voice yipped. My eyes opened again at the voice, slowly focusing and concentrating until they could clearly make out the picture of a white mare sprawled out across the bottom half of my bed. She was propped up on a single hoof, rubbing her head with the other, as if she were on the verge of tears. "V-Vinyl..." I whispered shakily. She dropped her act in an instant, focusing on me with a gentle smile. "Hey Tav-" She began, but was cut off as I practically pounced on her and brought her into a deep kiss. She wiggled a little bit at first, but eventually melted like putty in my arms. I wasn't sure what had come over me myself, though I was certain it was love, but I could hardly contain myself at the sight of her finally being safe back in my apartment. The burning in my lungs eventually pulled me off her, and the sudden rush of oxygen to my brain finally let my actions catch up in with my brain - sending my cheeks into a rapid stammer for an apology as I pushed off of her. "I-I'm s-sorry-" I mumbled, tripping over my words as my brain began to wrack itself. "About what?" Vinyl giggled, propping herself up with her hooves, a look on her face that reminded me of a drunkard. The simple sentence ran through my head over and over again, and a thought occurred to me about all that had happened as of recently. All that I had been through, all that I had seen and felt. And I think I finally came to a conclusion. I gently pushed my hoof out until it reached the point where Vinyl's eyes lined up with it as it lingered just above her head as if to come down and pet her. I hesitated for a bit, but steeled myself with resolve and went through with what I had thought of. I hit her. Right on the horn, gentle enough to let her know no harm was intended, but just enough to let her know that I meant to cause her some discomfort. Though, judging by the visible scrunching on her face when I did it, a well of regret sprung up the second I went through with it. But I couldn't let her bring me to "sorry"s just yet, I needed to let her know something that had troubled my mind ever since she left and all of this became complicated. She looked to me confused and I tried to make myself a stone slate on the outside. "Don't ever agree to be taken from me. Ever." I said, eyes narrowing and voice evening out after finding a bit of encouragement in the fact I was finally saying something I wanted to say. I was serious when I said that. It occurred to me that, for the past two incidents, Vinyl had made the decision to give herself up without my consent. And frankly, it was infuriating that she could act so selfishly and ignorant to my feelings. She looked lost, taken by surprise by the authority I had in my tone, which I too was surprised as well, but slowly she nodded to me. The resolve I had built up crumbled at the sight of the innocent look on her face and I began to stutter something to ruin that moment of triumph I had shown; I blushed looking to floor in a bit of shame. But Vinyl seemed to realize this too. The gentle pounce of an even more gentle predator stopped my apology as a familiar pair of lips ran back to mine. There was a timid ripple of pain from both my shoulder and rib, but the pleasure from my chest was simply too large to allow those feelings to punch through. When she gently pulled away from me was when I noticed something different about her. Her eyes stared deeper into me than how they usually did - in a way that I would stare into her own eyes; an enraptured gaze that kept looking down into the seemingly endless well that was her. The familiar creak of my bedroom door tore into the moment, a mare familiar to the one sat on top of me looking into the room with her eyes shut - whether it was still considered "looking in" if her eyes weren't open was up to anyone, but I knew well she could still somehow see. "Oh dear, only a day after being near death and you two are already back to being on top of each other." Vinyl's mother said sweetly, a sly giggle slipping out at the end. I blushed only a little bit this time. Even if I couldn't help but turn as red as an apple when Vinyl teased me, I had somehow gotten used to Vinyl's mother and her types of teasing over the course of traveling with her. It was with her lingering in the doorway and Vinyl straddling me that a sweet smell drifted through, a familiar smell that reminded of my younger years when I was still living with my parents. A smell that was unmistakable, one that could send a pony of any age into a childish excitement. 'Pancakes.' I thought to myself. "We don't want them getting cold, do we?" Vinyl's mother smiled, shaking me from my trance and letting me realize Vinyl had already gotten off me and retreated into the kitchen, leaving me to simply bask in the smell. A numb feeling still lingering in my hooves when I got up, so I forced a façade of being relaxed as I trudged into the hall and admired the all too familiar doors and hall mirror. 'It truly is good to be home.' I thought, a smile creeping onto my face as I arrived in the kitchen to see Vinyl and her mother sitting at the kitchen table, seeming just as glad to be 'home'. The chairs felt foreign, but nothing could stop me from getting a share of my first real breakfast in long- actually no, very long time. They had already been prepared to the fullest. Cut in neat squares, lightly buttered and drizzled with syrup - needing only me to stab at them with a fork and melt in my mouth. Though, I questioned where either the pancakes, syrup, or butter had even come from, as my cabinets had been barren of anything but tea and plates when we had left. But I wasn’t about to let something like that stop me from eating. And eat I did. Vinyl's mother didn't seem to be partaking, so I had assumed she had eaten them fresh after she finished cooking. Instead, she held a newspaper in her magical grasp while she sipped idly on a cup of tea - the smell was unmistakably the Mare Grey I kept in the top cabinet. 'She must have quite the intuition to know where I keep my tea.' I thought, staring at her as I tried to better understand her. Around the time, I noticed Vinyl's mother and her absence from breakfast, I found that the pancakes had a very odd flavor to them. It was hidden by the syrup - whose origin I was still trying to figure out - but it was most definitely there. It wasn't inherently bad, just not what one would expect to taste in pancakes. "I had no idea you were this good of a cook, Miss Scratch - what might be in these?" I commented between bites. "Oh, I couldn't cook if my life depended on it dear." She said simply, turning the page and taking a sip from her floating porcelain, leaving the question up in the air. I stopped chewing at that, eyes drifting over to another white mare face deep in what had been inferred to be her own creations. "Vinyl?" I asked slowly. She perked up slightly, eyes gleaming at the sound of me calling her name. "Hm?" She grunted, mouth full. "Did...did you cook this?" I asked, again slowly as I had a bit of trouble accepting the fact Vinyl may have very well been a cook. She nodded enthusiastically. "But...where did you get the ingredients? I had nothing to make this in the cabinets." I said, getting a cute smirk from Vinyl. "I gave mom a list when we got back." She said happily. Casting a glance over to Vinyl's mother, whose grin shifted ever so slightly from a content smile to a "don't ask" one. I nodded slightly, ignoring the fact Vinyl had apparently recovered, for the most part, over the course of a mere few hours and went on to ask my original question. "So what all did you use to make them? They have a peculiar taste." I commented, taking another bite. Vinyl's nose scrunched as she begin tapping on her hoof as she read out the ingredients, "That white powdery stuff, salt, some eggs, butter, sugar, vanell-" she began, stopping as if confused. "Vanilla dear." Vinyl's mother chimed in. "Yeah, that. Blood. And some mi-" She was cut off by my choking. "S-say again?" I said, gag reflex suddenly kicking up as the tea that had been on its way to wash down the now questionable pancakes halted and almost spilled. She blinked once, before making a pouty face. "C'mon Tavi, I know I can't say some words, but you don't have to rub it in." She said, somehow turning this exchange so that I looked like the victim. "N-No Vinyl, I was referring to one of the ingredients you said. D-Did you say blood?" I asked, stammering a little. Her pout turned to relief, then back to cheer as she nodded. "T-That...that's what I thought." I said, looking down and staring at the pancakes that I now noted to have an ever so slight tint of pink. I probably would've said something and stopped eating there, but a quick glance at a now hurt looking pair of red eyes somehow managed to root its way down and make me question a judgement that I had thought rhetorical. 'You're...you're not actually thinking of...' Even my thoughts seemed to question me. As odd a trial it seemed, the pancakes - despite what their contents might have consisted of - were still delicious as ever. It actually reminded me of some social gathering my mother took me to where they would have 'mystery dishes' and you would only learn what you ate after you had finished your plate. Almost every time, you'd feel your stomach lurch at knowing what you had eaten despite having salivated at it a second prior. I looked up after the last bit had been cleaned from my plate, surprised to find Vinyl with a faint blush while her eyes were jutted down to avoid my gaze and her mother with a smile of both respect and appreciation - her piercing blue eyes open for once. It dawned on me that the both of them had watched me in silence as I had ate the pancakes - perhaps it was a test, or perhaps I was over thinking it. Probably the latter. In the show of silence, I noticed Vinyl's mother casting a glance back and forth between me and Vinyl as if she were contemplating something. I was confused at first, but before I could ask her what was on her mind, she shut her eyes and spoke. "If it's of any interest to the two of you, that cute sister couple from before might be worth paying a visit." She said simply, fluffing her paper and turning the page. "Sister couple... you mean Shakes and Sweeps?" I asked slowly, not bothering to delve into the meaning of "sister couple" and took at another one of her teases. "Yes dear," She said, lowering the paper just enough to see her shut eyes. "It might be good for the two of you to get some fresh air." I could definitely get behind that idea, but caught her on a single word. "'Two of us'? You mean you won't be going?" I asked. I'd half be willing to understand this choice if it were any other mother, but for Vinyl's mother to be saying that. Well, it was something different knowing her very motherly nature. "Eh, I think I need a break myself. It's also not my place to get in the way of a date." She said. I wasn't sure whether to take this as a sign of her approval or a genuine statement. Regardless, I felt like I had got somewhere in her eyes, somehow. "S-Sure..." I stammered. Vinyl, on the other hoof, seemed to interpret this response as something on an entirely different nature. She let out a cheer, jumping out of her seat and rushing off down the hall and bolting into my room. The sounds of her rummaging through piles of something, which I assumed was my closet. I found my stare returning back to Vinyl's mother, who had a smile that could only be called 'full'. Around the time I thought I found something else in that smile, the sound of galloping hooves came down the hall and a quick turn found Vinyl with an umbrella stuffed in her mouth and the infamous return of a pair of purple spectacles. Through gentle nudges, I found myself nearing the exit to my apartment room, still staring at Vinyl's mother in an attempt to dig under that smile that seemed all too content. *~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~*~~~~* The desk mare was out when me and Vinyl left the building, folding out the umbrella and sticking close to each other so that we both fit under the shade. Though I really didn't need to in the first place, Vinyl seemed insistent to keep us both under. That idea brought back a memory that had seemed to escape me, but now that it was back I could remember it like a photograph. "Hey Vinyl?" I asked her, my voice coming out more gentle that I thought it would. "Hm?" She hummed, looking up to me as the two of us made the first turn towards Shakes' bar, bodies pressed together. "Do you remember standing in the sun? From before..." I said, trailing off as the idea that the topic may be still sensitive to Vinyl. "Yeah..." She said, trailing off herself before she must've figured out that I wanted a bit more than a simple response. "-It was hot, kinda like heat just before it gets hot enough to be a burn. But it really was nic-" She said, coming out with a surprisingly poetic comparison despite how simple she tried to make it sound, but suddenly cut herself off as her eyes dipped down. She sounded like she wanted to say more, but she suddenly seemed to clinch harder to me an almost timid look to her. I was taken aback at first, looking up only to see the occasional noble out walking and a few couples. Despite how isolated we had been on my trip out of the city to get back Vinyl, Canterlot hadn't been through that and was proceeding as it did on any other day. I hadn't even noticed we were taking the most direct route to the theater, which was straight through the metropolis. But that only raised more questions. Why was Vinyl shrinking? Did she see someone she knew, like Beauty? Though that still wouldn't explain why she would react to it - she was too carefree. Though right now, that didn't seem to be the case. Scouting them out, I recognized many of the faces, but by no means knew any of the people they belonged to on any sort of personal level. Most of them I knew from various concerts or as friends of my parents. Though, they all seemed to know me more than I did, and judging by the curious stares they were giving me and Vinyl, they were beginning to get a few ideas. I looked back down to Vinyl, who was still a bit shrunken by their gazes. I had no idea why she was shrinking, but something told me to take advantage of it. I leaned into her a little bit, my metaphorical chest puffing out as I made my smile more know to those looking at the two of us. The murmurs and stares became more evident, but I could hardly hear them at this point. "Isn't that the Melody's kid? Who's that mare she's with?" "Are those two together? Isn't that Octavia Melody? The cellist?" "What's that mare with the odd hair doing in a place like this? And with a mare like that no less." I, actually, started smiling for a reason that most of the nobles would agree with, and that was from all the attention. I typically had no interest in being at the center of the room so to speak, but seeing Vinyl getting squeamish and vulnerable at it, made me want to do it even more just to see her reaction. It was like seeing a whole new side of her. And I got a good glimpse at that side for a good portion of the walk, which was far too short, but she gradually got more relaxed as we left the center of the city and grew closer to the district where the bar was. It was only when the bar came into view that I bothered to ask her about it. "Mind explaining that then, Vinyl?" I asked, catching her off guard for once. "W-What's that?" She asked, playing oblivious. It was sad, but if there was one person that was more easy to read than myself, it was Vinyl when she was hiding something. "Getting all squeamish back there, and don't act like I didn't notice it. You know, when you got real close to me and-" I began, recapping the whole scenario as a faint blush formed on her cheeks before she cut me off with a stammer. "I-I just know that you, uh, value how people see you. You know, in the 'public eye' or whatever." She stammered. While that wasn't entirely renounceable, you could tell that wasn't all of it - if it was any of it. But I decided not to press it and give her a break, as it was clear she was a little embarrassed about it. That, and we were at the door of the bar. Reaching for the handle, I let Vinyl go in ahead of me so that I could fold up the umbrella as to not be rude. Thinking about it, the umbrella on a relatively sunny day probably didn't help to not draw attention on the two of us. I could only shrug, putting the umbrella away, and walk through the wooden entrance. The bar had changed quite a bit since Vinyl was at the reigns, though mainly it was just the removal of her booth and the conversion of the dance floor into a few more tables and booths. Now the bar had shifted from a sort of dark place where one might rave, to a homely bar that had just enough wear and tear to be considered cozy. At a bar was the dynamic duo, Sweeps on one of the bar chairs with Vinyl climbing into one two seats over, while Shakes manned behind the counter with... 'Hold on. Who's that?' I asked, eyeing an unfamiliar face behind the bar. A mare with coat that was lightly purple, dim yellow eyes like an unpolished golden coin, and a muddy brown mane that seemed to rebel against the ponytail it was tied into - small sprouts of brown hair shooting down to form small, sideswept bangs. She seemed out of place for some reason. It was around that time I noticed that her eyes had shifted lazily over to me and seemed to be analyzing me just as I did her, though she finished far quicker than I did, and shifted over to Vinyl. Her eyes seemed to widen for a moment, as if shocked by something, before dimming down again. Though they were visibly wider than her previously half lidded stare. I made my way over, eyes keeping glued to the odd mare until I got within Shakes' view and settled on the bar stool Vinyl had left open between herself and Sweeps. I noticed Vinyl had chosen to sit directly across from the new mare, perhaps she also picked up on her out of place nature. Or perhaps she saw more. "Octavia? Hello? Anyone home?" Shakes' voice slowly drilled through my thoughts, eventually shaking me out of them and realizing that she was half leaning over the counter to get in my vision. "I-I apologize. I seem to still be sleepy" I said, offering a small smile. Shakes seemed content with the response, leaning back and to a more comfortable looking position. "No problem. Can't say I blame you on being a bit spaced out after everything you two just went through." She said, laughing a bit and turning to Vinyl. Vinyl was staring cheerful holes in the mare beside Shakes, her friendly demeanor seemed to freak the poor girl out a little bit. Vinyl seemed excited for some reason. "Vinyl. Manners." I said, nudging her a bit. "No freaking out the new employees Vinyl." Shakes chimed in. Both me and Vinyl turned to her for that one, my face full of confusion while Vinyl was more or less just waiting for an explanation because she knew one was coming. "Employee?" I asked. "Yep. I'd like to introduce you two to the new 'security' of the bar. I don't really know her name, and she won't tell me, so I'm calling her Purple until she cracks." Shakes said, gesturing over to the mare, who was still doing double takes at Vinyl. Sweeps leaned over to me, whispering. "We found her in some kinda cellblock at that base or whatever, we thought she was gonna fight us, but after Vinyl's mother did a bit of 'talking', she offered to tell us a way out of the base in exchange for a place to hide." She said. 'Did that mean that she was a...' My thoughts began, but Shakes cut them short. "And I, being the businessmare I am, decided to get some free labor out of it." Shakes said, somehow close enough to also be whispering into my ear. "Though we still don't know what her actual job is gonna be." Shakes said, rubbing her chin as she looked at the mare only known as Purple. "Isn’t it the term ‘intern’ or something?" Shakes said. We all looked over to her for her reaction, but only found both her and Vinyl playing the same game of 'Vinyl staring holes in her'. "Do you two wanna kiss or something? Better look out though Purple, Octavia's pretty protective over her mate." Shakes said, pointing at Purple. "Don't you think there is a better suited word other than 'mate' for this context?" Sweeps asked as she blushed furiously. 'Purple' looked at me for a brief second, eyes widening. "You are the mate of this one?" She asked, her voice smooth yet ragged at the same time - like torn satin - as she gestured to Vinyl, eyes widening. I blushed and looked down, but I could practically feel the nods of Shakes - and faintly of Vinyl herself - but when I looked up again I found that her eyes held a new kind of respect towards me. Whether I should appreciate that respect, I still wasn't sure. Just as I felt I was about pass out from the conversation at hoof, the opening of a door thankfully stopped all conversation. Though, as we all looked over to see who had entered, we all felt out blood run cold and our hearts all stop. In the doorway was a face of nightmares, one of a grey colored coat and glittering silver eyes. One that sent genuine fear down my spine, because she had been the only one to hold a candle to Vinyl in terms of fighting ability thus far. 'Silver...' The deafening sound of a lead pipe smashing against the cobblestone streets just outside the bar broke through the silence like a...well, like a pipe against a cobblestone street. Not even that, but the pipe dug down through the stone, knocking up individual tiles from the street and leaving a trench in its wake. We all turned to Purple, who had been the one to throw said pipe, seeing her eyes wide with a mix of anger and panic as she heaved ragged breaths. Not even half a second had past since Silver had entered, yet she had already attacked. "I thought you said you took her pipe?!" Sweeps shouted to her sister, her hooves covering head. Shakes blinked once, then dipped down below the counter. "We did. That was some of the plumbing." She said, hoof snaking around to the back of her head as a certain amount of agitation began to fill her face, but it quickly faded. "Well, at least she didn't hit inside the bar." Silver's faltered face returned to a smile that I saw as eerie as she began walking forward calmly, sending a piercing feeling through my chest as she did. I felt a bit of sweat begin to form, and the urge to either scream, run or hit something begin to surface. 'Were they playing ignorant to exactly who was in the room? Did they not see the potential problems here?' I began frantically thinking to myself, hoof shaking and digging into the bar counter. Even I was a bit shocked at my reaction, but the mare in front of us was one that came close to killing both me and Vinyl, and honestly only won because of me putting myself at risk to let Vinyl land a direct hit on her. Even now, looking at the shape she was in, it was pretty evident that she could've kept fighting after that. But at the same time, I was hesitant to trust that Vinyl had really went all out with her last attack. It might've been because of my intervention that she could've held back and tried to divert the blow out of my concern. Either way, I was still shaken by Silver as a person. I snapped from my haze as a pair of silver eyes sat mere inches from mine. I gasped a little bit and widened my own eyes, everyone else sitting silently as they watched on. Save for a cautionary white hoof placed on Silver's shoulder, and an out of place death stare coming from the mare it belonged to. Even Purple had been stopped from her fretting at the hoof that dared to reach out to give caution to someone who could pretty easily subdue all of us here - maybe save for Vinyl. She looked stoically at me, but also slightly concerned if that made sense. Wide eyes taking in every ounce of my reaction and facial movements, as if studying me down to level that could tell me secrets I didn't even know I had. After a few seconds, she backed up, content with her observation as a faint smile drifted onto her face. "Any reason you're here then?" Shakes asked, cool in her demeanor, but you could tell she was in about the same shape as I was. "A few actually. Though they aren't fighting or capturing." She said disarmingly. "Erhm, mind letting me sit?" She asked, turning to Vinyl and offering a sheepish smile. 'As if Vinyl would even think of letting that hap-' "Sure. But hurt Tavi and I might have to beat you up." Vinyl said, cutting of my thoughts with a response reminiscent of a child warning you not to break their toy, before getting up and freeing the seat next to me. "T-Thanks." She said, stammering a little bit. It was odd, she seemed to be coming off as shy, which really didn't fit the personality I had associated with her just a few hours ago. She pulled a small folder from a saddlebag, placing it on the counter with the clear intention it was meant for me. The curiosity on my face must've made her realize I wanted a bit of an explanation. "It's the folder containing the contract placed on Vinyl, as well as the information of the person who placed it. They aren't required to give their name, but it can be easily found by the stuff they do have to give us." She said calmly, her voice evening out as it became a bit more serious. "I did a bit of digging and found this for you." She said simply. I took the folder cautiously, opening it slowly, and looking in reluctantly. Sure, I would've liked to have known who had started all this madness, but there was always the chance that it might hurt me as well. The possibilities of who it could've been are endless, ranging from a complete stranger to even my own father. It was sad, but I had my own suspicions. Beauty, I could see doing it with how angry she was - and still somewhat is - with Vinyl. Any number of nobles that had seen Vinyl and me together. Father, with how he initially reacted to just the mention of Vinyl's name, was also a depressing - but still valid - suspicion. My eyes slowly scanned down the page like someone might walk to their own funeral - going over various numbers I didn't realize until I finally arrived at the name that made my eyes widen.