Love is said to be a fickle thing. Something that surprises you, catches you off guard, and just hits you when you don’t know it. I liked to think that it was something you earned. It was earned with blood, sweat, and tears, you don’t just get it. Sure, you can easily fall in love, whether it’s a passing spark of warmth in your heart at that lovely lady down the aisle in the library or a nice evening with your special someone. But to truly be loved back, you had to work for it. That’s what I thought at least, I knew I hadn’t earned what I was given just yet.
I wanted to work harder to earn what Octavia had given me, because, in my mind, the easy-going, quick to flirt attitude she had adapted was too trusting for me. Don’t get me wrong, it got me all tingly inside when she did that, but then I crashed into what I could only describe as some kind of guilt. A guilt toward not doing enough for her, for not being able to make up for our first meeting, and lastly, possibly more importantly, not being able to fully understand the relationship between the both of us.
Partners was still the best way I could describe us, and for the time being I would have to deal with it. Yet, while I stretched my arms wide and glanced at the somehow still amazing (though she had quite the bedhead, hence my surprise at how good it looked) hair on Octavia’s head. Then shortly after, my eyes drifted to her face, a cute, content thing, though a small drool trail traveled down the dimple next to her mouth, her slight smile affected it’s path and somehow made her even more adorable.
I took a bit of my time to stare at the mounds the covers tried to, well, cover. I wasn’t ashamed to admit I could stare at them forever, the soft, light skin that peeked out from her gown beneath the covers was alluring to no end. Octavia’s curves made the covers of the bed look like a makeshift desert, her bosoms acted as hills that held an oasis in between them, that is, the large crevasse that was her cleavage. They were crazy enticing, I felt like I could throw some whipped cream on top and they’d just be these beautiful mountain tops.
Right then and there I knew I had a side quest; get Octavia to the beach, and in a bikini. Honestly, we could probably pick one up somewhere in Canterlot, and I’d be able to see them in their full glory. Right now, I wanted to play dress up with her in all the hottest clothing I could find, and with a city holding what I assumed was one of the largest malls in Equestria, I might just get that. Plus, I could count it as armour training before we went to Rara. Hopefully, today, when I talked to her and Neon I could figure something out to benefit me in that respect.
I did have a slight problem that I was not too keen on thinking about (with Octavia’s large breasts pressed against my arm, even touching my own, I was a little distracted), and it had to do with getting Octavia some trainers to help out with the, well, training. Neon was fairly close by, only about four or five hours, so we wouldn’t have to worry about him as we could crash over there and come back on the weekends or something of the sort. Which, again, I’d figure out as I went, because I’d rather be thinking about things, or to be specific, two things.
As for Rara, I hadn’t gotten that far into the plan yet. I really was just winging it at this point, using my spare time to think up stuff. Rara was all the way over in Manehatten, where she’d set up base last time I heard. Though I think she had just come back from a tour around Equestria not too long ago. Though she was a full time singer, she was also a Master Blacksmith for Assassins of all ages, male or female, from any academy, and so on, she didn’t care, she just wanted you to put the “flash” into “flashbang”.
Blacksmiths weren’t really true blacksmiths in the Assassin world. Sure, they made all kinds of armour ranging from metal armour to kevlar vests that somehow still let you show cleavage and your belly and still cover vitals, I didn’t question it, I just admired it. They seemed to have adopted a mindset that pertained to most generic MMOs, the less armour, the more defense. I think it was really the effect it had that made how they had the armour work, as you were teased in such a way that (if it did it’s job right) you would forget about fighting your enemy and just stare.
If it didn’t work, well, at least you looked nice, because good luck covering your whole body in metal and still being stealthy. I think it added an extra layer of skill for Assassins, all having to be a bit more nimble to avoid being poked in those less desirable spots. They did their job most of the time, so that was all I could as of the stuff. Plus, Rara was one of the best in the business, I would trust her to do it right.
My only problem with having her pimp my student was that she was all the way up to the North of Equestria, and I couldn’t just have her fly all the way every other day to train someone she didn’t even know. I had no idea if the Academy would even allow me to have her around anyway, which meant I would have to do it the old fashioned way; go ask her in person.
Now, one might think that I could just call her up, she’s a good friend right? Well, for one, she always was getting new phones, and had so many people answer for her, there was no point in even having a conversation over, say, FaceTime, then trying to talk over it. So, I’d just catch a nice train ride over there and get to her apartment by lunch, hopefully. After that, I’d deal with Neon. And lastly, begin my trip to Canterlot with Octavia after checking out with Rainbow Dash. Easy.
I took a moment to take in Octavia, as I wouldn't be seeing her for the rest of the day, I don't know if I could physically or mentally handle it. You can only be deprived of so many cuddle before a cardboard cutout begins to look like a suitable substitute. But alas, Octavia needed her rest, and I needed to get going.
I grunted as I lifted myself over the side of the bed, doing my best not to wake Octavia. I watched as she shifted, making cute, little noises. Taking advantage of the opportunity I snapped a picture, adding it to my ever growing collection of pictures focused on Octavia. I kissed her forehead, leaving a sticky note on it telling where I'd be for the day.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Before I began my trip to Neon, I went to notify Dash about where I was going, just in case any rumors of desertion were spread. She was fine with it, saying she’d keep a close eye on Octavia, not too close, obviously. As I made my way out the door, Lily Heart called out to me, having previously been busy with a phone call when I’d first passed her.
“Hey Vee! How’s it going?”
I stopped to her left, leaning over the counter, “Great, especially after a good night’s sleep. And you?”
Lily smiled, “Not too shabby, if I do say so myself, thanks for asking. Now, where might you be wondering off to?”
“I have to set up some stuff for Octavia’s training, talking to the right peeps and all that.” I replied.
“Oh, that's good, I hope it all goes well,” Lily trailed off a bit, looking like she was deep in thought, “I thought about what you said yesterday, by the way.”
“Really? About you going to do some of those missions, yeah?” I asked, genuinely curious. Though I thought that Lily Heart did a great job at the front desk (based off my one and only encounter with her), I could tell she had wanted to get out more and explore. I had an itching feeling that she read a lot of Daring Do books.
Lily nodded shyly, her long bangs dipped in front of her eyes, adding even more to the effect, “I think I'm going to put in a request for a mission or two, just after a find a willing partner.” She mumbled the last part.
I tapped my chin, trying to think about any possible candidates, then lifted my index finger up when I did, “I may be able to help with that.”
Lily’s eyes lit up, “You can?”
“Yeah...yeah, I think so. Could you wait until Octavia and I get back from Canterlot, I'll be able to set you up with a call then, alright?”
“A-Alright.”
I grinned, “Great! See ya later!”
Lily gave a polite send off, returning to her work shortly after.
Thankfully I'd grabbed Octavia’s keys, or I'd have been in a pickle with no money to give to a cab. Neon was not far away at all, but he most definitely wasn't in walking distance. I took in the pleasant breeze and warmth of the newly born morning, letting my arm rest on the opened window of the car. Slow cars let me mentally practice my abilities, which were totally not going to be used on a butthole of a driver someday. Though the thought was strangely enticing.
The neon sign of the Guns and Lights building came into view after a good twenty minutes of driving, bringing a smile to my face at the hopefully intentional pun. Pulling into the parking lot, I threw on my shades to add to my style and for Neon when I saw him. The glass door of the entrance moved open slightly, pushed by the electronic signal of the handicap button. My laziness had won out, obviously.
I was greeted to walls of guns, a well lit but dark colored room with the matte black of many of the products not helping the case. It had a distinct smell too, something that I noticed happened in certain places, like an old person’s house. I inspected the different attachments, gear, and miscellaneous things that were to my sides as I made my way down the aisle, noting what I could grab later if I had the time. As I got the end my grin stretched to my ears when I noticed black spiked hair poking out over the counter. I sauntered over to it, plonking my elbow on the glass top.
The head shot up, “Hey this isn't bulletproof or anything, we’re a gun shop, not a practice range. Though we do have one, but that's not the point"
“Sup sugertits.”
Neon’s eyebrows sprang up to the top of his forehead, a journey that should've lasted forty days and nights completed in a half second, “Vinyl!”
I leant over the counter, exposing my breasts hanging out in my tank top, not necessarily caring to show them to my best guy friend (Rainbow Dash was my girl best friend), “Like what you see?”
“I'd like to see my best friend, and why would you care, you're gay.” Neon harrumphed.
“Hey, I like guys too…”
“Oh yeah, you know how I know you're gay?”
“How?”
“Because you have a rainbow bumper sticker that said “I like breasts in my mouth.”
I tapped my chin, “Well, you know how I know you're gay?”
Neon grinned, “How?”
“Because you aren't enraptured by these glorious mountains.” I said, cupping Thunder and Lightning.
“Hey, I like to be able to manage the boob per hand ratio, you've got just a bit too much my friend. But hey, no shame, I'm sure you'll find some girl that likes it.” Neon said, leaning over the counter to show he wasn't distracted.
“Excuse me, I've done plenty of boob jobs in my day.” I huffed.
“Using your neighbors eggplant in eleventh grade does not count.”
“Ugh, that was like, four times, okay?” I waved my hand around in exasperation, “Let's compromise, you admit that I'm flexible with the two sexes and I'll admit that you're possibly not gay.”
Neon shook his head, “Sure, sure, what exactly would it take for me to prove to you I'm not gay?”
I shrugged, “I already know that, I was just going along with the reference you were doing.”
“Reference?” Neon cocked an eyebrow, “I legitimately thought that you had that sticker.”
I blinked, “R-Really? I…Okay, well, I don't know what to think about that.”
“Anyway, what brings you to my humble abode? The garbage collectors just left, maybe you can catch up.”
I scoffed, “Very funny. But no, that’s not why I'm here. I've got a favor to ask, something that I can pay you with...in a way. Probably actually pay, if I have to.”
Neon looked interested, “I'm listening.”
“So, long story short I need you to train a new student of mine in guns n’ stuff.”
“For free? Scratch, you're a great friend and I owe my life to you, but free doesn't work, there has to be some kind of trade,” He sighed, “especially if it's what I'm thinking you're saying.”
I scratched my head, “Okay look, I can pay you, but not directly.”
Neon tapped his fingers on the counter, “Well, let's hear it.”
“There’s this nice pink haired, perfectly boobied for your taste, good looking girl that works as a front desk lady over at the Wonderbolts Academy-”
“You meant Shadowbolts right?” He took a moment to take my serious face in, “Okay Scratch, this isn't just a long story, this is a sit down and tell me everything story.”
We went to the lounge to talk, instead of hanging around the merchandise. Once we were comfortable, I told him the whole story of what my life had been for the past few months. For the most part, Neon was on board for training Octavia, along with being interested in doing a mission or few with Lily Heart. But he still had one gripe:
“Are you sure they’ve taken care of Gilda?”
I had to take a moment to think about it. I hadn’t really questioned the methods the Wonderbolts used to take care of traitors and/or enemies, I’d just assumed Gilda was either on the street barely surviving or had been completely wiped off the face of Equis. It was how the Shadowbolts did it, it was what was expected. (insert Tanya’s speech)
“I’ll have to get back to you on that. I never really considered it, Dash never told me. She just said she would handle Gilda.” I said, taking a mental note to find out what happened.
Neon took a swig of his recently poured sweet tea, “Well, I need some more info on this Lily girl. Some answers to certain questions would be solid.”
I did the same, “Fire away.”
“I gotta say this sounds good and all, but the most important question would have to be,” He lent forward, “Is she single?”
I laughed, “Yeah, she is. Since she’s been itching to go on a dangerous adventure, I figured you'd be the best one to see about a partner in the said endeavor.” I winked, hoping he would take the bait.
“Is there a time limit, you know? Is there a certain date she wants to have the adventure by? Is she younger or older? Does she have any past experience with this stuff?” Neon rambled out as many questions as he could off the top of his head.
“No, younger, by just a couple years I'd say, and not entirely. We’ll figure out the details later, alright? Show me around this place.” I gestured to the whole room, more so the building itself.
“Yeah, yeah, lets get this over with.” Neon grunted as he sat up, nodding his head to one of the hallways.
I followed him to whatever he was wanting to show me, hoping it would be something that was actually interesting and not his pet rock. I wasn't disappointed as the next place we arrived at was a large arena of sorts, I looked at Neon for a description of the holy land.
“This here is our paintball slash airsoft arena, depending on what's happening and whose training we move it around and accommodate the civilians and military people, or really any type of people that come through. Seeing as this is one of the few places in these parts that you can shoot what you want, as long as it's not lethal, we change them out frequently.” He moved through the fields and makeshift shacks, letting me take in the awesomeness of the place he ran.
I knew this was the right place for Octavia to train, the versatility that the arenas offered and the experienced people that would train her got me excited for the future. I wasn't that big of a fan for using guns, seeing as they don't always work, they're usually really loud, and they don't have unlimited ammo. A sword has unlimited ammo, a knife isn't loud, and your hands will almost always work.
Octavia needed the training, she and I both knew that. I'd taken her down a little too easily, to be honest it was like I was facing a civilian. There wasn't much that I had seen her do to try and counter me, and it had to be fixed. Sadly, at her point in training she had to be way more adverse at things than she was now. Gilda’s teaching methods were most likely the cause, or the most likely lack there of.
The crash course I had planned for Octavia in the next few months included Neon, who would teach her everything he could about the ins and outs of weaponry. Eventually she'd be able to hit an apple off someone's head while driving, or at least get a bullseye on a target. I was hoping for the former, but the latter would be a start. I'd take any improvement to be honest. The assignments and missions that I have lined up for us aren't something to scoff at, and by the end of the training I won't be worried about a thing.
When Neon stopped I almost ran into him but my amazing sixth sense ninja-like assassin skills, also known as situational awareness, allowed for my split millisecond decision making to allow me to do the impossible; stop before I hit him. “Woah, what's the hold up Neon?”
He turned to me, showing the closed doors, grinning as he opened them, “Welcome to The Armory.”
If there was ever a rebellion by edgey teenagers I knew where to come. The Armory was a whole room with sections for guns of Airsoft, Paintball, and even Nerf. Everything I could think I'd want and more flooded the walls and chests within the place. I glanced over to Neon, “We’re trying this out right?”
“Course, what do you want to do first?” Neon lent against one of the few walls that didn't have anything on it, though it had empty tables against it for gearing up.
I clapped my hands together, “Nerf war it is!”
Neon shook his head, chuckling at my slight childishness, “Sure, sure, let's get it going.”
I hustled over to the wall of Nerf guns, checking out the ones that I hadn't seen in years and the ones that I assumed were modified, even some that weren't sold anymore. I'd stopped using them once I got into the real guns, leaving them in a trunk sitting somewhere in one of my closets. As I looked through all the guns waves of nostalgia hit me, all the times I tried to duel wield Mavericks or act all tactical and fit as many things on the new and buff (at the time) Stampede, souping it up with a bipod, shield, laser sights, and scope on the rails, getting the biggest mag I could find to absolutely destroy my friends in battle.
Then I remembered the whiles of picking up the darts in the aftermath, I moved on, wanting something a bit more practical and less noisy. I’m an assassin after all. I couldn't resist the Maverick however and holstered it in my cargo shorts, soon after stuffing them full of whistler darts. I took off my jacket to put on the neat vest that allowed me to transfer the darts to a more neat and accessible place, the Maverick fit nicely into its holder.
I shifted over to the section with elite blasters and nabbed a Retaliator, the reliability and adaptability won me over. I'd used it plenty of times in all out nerf wars, switching between an accurate rifle to a pistol in close quarters. After I filled my vest with some eighteen round magazines I attached one of the shoulder straps hanging from the wall onto it, letting it hang loosely while I searched for my last weapon.
I wanted a sniper rifle, I just didn't know if I wanted to go overboard or not. The Longstrike was my first, and I recalled when I threw up balloons to try and shoot them from my stairwell. The frequent jamming that occurred when handling it worried me and I knew I had narrowed my choices to the Longshot and the Centurion. The longshot was going to be the all around one, letting me carry it on my back easily and switch to and from better than the latter. It was just the amount of “firepower” the Centurion offered was tempting, it was like the fifty cal of the nerf world in my opinion.
In the end I went with the Longshot, I wanted to mess around, but not too much. Competition was in my blood, and in missions it combined with a survival instinct to create something deadly. Which worked out fine for me, seeing as I was still alive and kicking, that's not to say the other person wasn't kicking. They just weren't kicking anymore, as well as alive.
Once I'd decked myself out in Nerf gear I went back to the entrance where Neon was waiting. He grinned when I came into view, “Lookin’ good Scratch, sadly looking cool won't help you win.”
I placed a hand on my hip, jutting it out, “Oh sure man, just wait and see.”
Neon went inside to grab his things, talking to me all the while, “So, this'll be a last man, or woman, just so you don't get your feelings hurt.”
I grabbed my chest, “I don't know Neon, I-I just feel like you don't respect me enough.”
Neon scoffed, “I'm sorry Your Majesty, forgive me for me insolence.” He went to pick up two Stryfes, slipping them in obvious custom holsters.
“You're forgiven peasant.”
We moved to the wall of bigger blasters, “Anyway, this game goes off a kind of hangman like play style. If you get hit with a bullet in the fingers. Your hand doesn't work, same with your arm, your legs, and yes, you'll have to pop those fake tits if they get hit too.”
“Hey don't hate because you don't have them!”
Neon rolled his eyes, “I'd rather not thank you. Continuing on, a headshot is obviously an instant win, but skims don't count on anything, catching is allowed too. You'll start at anyplace in the field you'd like, I'll be out in a few.” I stood there for a moment longer trying to see what the third or fourth weapon he'd choose was, but he shooed me away after he reached for a Recon.
Huffing while I walked out of the entrance I went straight for the second highest tower in the arena, knowing that even if it wasn't the best bird eye view, it let me cover the main intersection and the higher tower if needed. Then I waited for the trap to be sprung.
After a few moments I saw a shadow peak around the corner, then disappear as Neon most likely went into one of the corner buildings of the intersection. I pointed my Longshot at the open window nearest to where he went in, slipping a six dart clip out of my cargo pocket and setting it next to me, just in case I needed it.
I was betting on him wanting to cross, eventually trying to get me on the higher tower, where I would then get a quick shot or two in once he crossed. A head came into view behind one of the tables in the room, he was trying to be inconspicuous, but the light was not on his side. I tapped the trigger. The shot went through the window and fell short of the table.
I tisked, five shots left in the clip.
I adjusted my aim and let two more fly, grinning as one nailed him in the shoulder. But I knew that I had my position revealed, three shots left I stuffed the other clip back in my pocket and crawled over to the edge of the tower, peeking over to see that the roof of the neighboring building was close enough to jump to.
A grunt followed once I landed, and my clip jumped out of my pocket and slid off the roof into the intersection. I couldn't get it, anyone could see that it was a lost cause. It wasn't too big of a deal, as I had a couple more, but it was still annoying. And I needed the rest for my rifle, not for something that couldn't work in all the types of combat.
I jumped down to the other side of the building, using the nearby table as a makeshift stabilizer to fire at the door if Neon came through. But after a few minutes of waiting, he surprised my super legendary unsurprisable senses and came through the large window in the room. I turned my gun and pressed the trigger, but was greeted with silence since it had jammed.
I pushed the table over, hearing the thuds of bullets from a gun that was definitely not what I'd saw him grab. The fire rate was slower than I'd expect from something pumped and the electric whir caused me to believe that he had some kind of assault rifle. I slipped out my Maverick blind firing over the table with my left hand and working on the jam with my right. Sadly, all that I accomplished was my Maverick running out of bullets, the Longshot still being jammed, and my left hand getting put out of commission.
I cursed, ditching my guns and bolting through the back door. I would have had the advantage if I'd hit his left shoulder with my sniper, but I'd let myself fall into a statistical probability guess instead of taking a moment to remember that he wasn't right handed. On the bright side, he couldn't use his Recon or the Strykers at the same time or really at all, but that electric gun allowed for him to disregard that.
This was the mistake I'd made, not choosing something that I could fire without both hands. It could possibly make me lose the game…and my dignity. I essentially had one shot left, unless I wanted to taste plastic and use my teeth to reload, then I had to make the shot count. And I knew exactly how to do it.
I ran to the ladder nearest to me and climbed to the rooftops, jumping over the gap back to the door that I had ran out of. As carefully as I could, I flipped over and hung by the tips of my shoes, pointing my gun at the aforementioned doorway. Then waited for my prey to come to me.
The door creaked open eventually, and I raised the rifle to head level, letting my finger itch the trigger. First, a barrel poked out, then eventually the shield attached. If I'd been on the ground, Neon would eventually have gotten me, no doubt. But I was a bat, practically a vampire because I was about to suck out all his fun. With a pump of the trigger, the bullet flew in slow motion, or at least looked like it, because it was at regular speed and doing that weird thing to my brain that made it like I had superpowers. Anyway, I dropped down after the headshot landed, letting my feet slip but doing that cool superhero landing where I land on the ground with my knee propped up and my hand punching the ground.
It looked cool, but didn't feel too good, “That's how it's done young padawan, maybe someday you'll live up to this legacy.”
Neon lowered his weapon, conceding defeat, “Well we both know that I'd win in a real gunfight, let's be honest here.”
“I know, I know, that's why I came here.” I went over and slapped him on the back, “Alrighty, well I'll be back here in a month or so. Hope you'll have a good training camp prepared for her!”
“A month?!” Neon yelled, then saw my face and sighed, “Alright, alright, I get it. Win-win, fine. I'll try my best.”
I blew him a kiss, “Thanks buddy,” I sat my gun against the wall, “Now I've got a plane to catch. I had fun, let's do this again sometime!”
As I made my way out of the building I heard Neon comment, “Why do I always have to clean up everything?”
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
My next quest was to find a way into Rara’s busy schedule and get her to agree to give Octavia a few lessons in “armour” and the ways of clothing. But with Manehatten so far away I needed to grab a plane ride, and my experiences with commercial planes did not help my motivation to get one. Sadly, I'd already ordered a flight before I'd gotten to Neon’s, so I had to tough it out.
The flight would only take an hour or so and take off was in about twenty minutes, which gave me plenty of time to grab a large sandwich to bring (or sneak in more specifically) for lunch. I made my way to the deli, glancing around to see the different tourists, business people, and so on. It was always fun to guess who was what and what they did. A family of tourists struggling to move all their bags made me guess that they were going to see the castle and fill the storage of their phones within the first day.
A child running around while the mother chased them told me that someone was going to become a yoyo child real soon. But it did make me think of my future with Octavia. I obviously wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, as short as it most likely would be in this line of work. I just didn't know how long I would be an assassin for, how long I could go without messing up and making her lose me or the other way around. Even with the many trials I knew that would face us, I already trusted her to have my back. In just a couple months she'd won me over, though it wasn't too hard, I couldn't resist her good looks and tough personality.
I was already doing what I could to prepare her for the future, because I wanted to spend it with her, not worrying about the enemies that would come after us. I hoped to eventually go to a secluded island and not have to do anything but make her happy. And to do that I had to put in some extra work, getting my contacts to train her to the best of their abilities. Because I knew that it wouldn't be some routine missions here and there, something big would come and we had to be ready.
A nagging feeling had begun to pop up every once in awhile though. Gilda was taken care of, but the fact that she'd been so easily apprehended made me think she was going to find a way to get back. Maybe she wanted to get caught and it was all apart of her dastardly plan to give info to the Shadowbolts so they could take over the HQ. She'd have full control of the system within minutes, and maybe even control of Octavia. Because it's entirely possible she snuck some unknown device that could go off at anytime and explode.
Even though I knew it was impossible, I still worried and since we had taken off I knew I had a chance to call Octavia. Just to hear her voice and calm myself down, because sometimes experience fueled a mixture of my intuition and imagination creating a vision that had somewhat of truth to it but ultimately too crazy to be true. Before I went too deep down the rabbit hole of despair, the ring of my phone snapped me out of it.
A click, then a groggy, “Vinyl? Hello?
“Hey honeybuns, how're yo-”
“Honeybuns?”
I grinned, “‘Cause your buns remind me of honeybuns. Sweet, round, and most likely delicious.”
I could practically hear the blush, “W-Well, as long as you don't call me babe every other sentence then I suppose I'll accept it.” A yawn. “Anywho, whatever are you doing? I thought you had this weekend off.”
I slouched down in my seat, “Yeah...I do. I've been setting up some trainers for you this morning and I'm on my way to the next one, then I'll be back for dinner alright? We can go to Canterlot, yeah? I can get the full tour from you and show you the best clubs I've played in.”
Octavia, hopefully, perked up, “Well, I think that sounds delightful. I'd love to experience another side of you, Miss Scratch.”
I smiled, “I was thinking we could leave today and stay overnight in a hotel. If you're comfortable with that, no pressure or anything.”
A moment of silence passed before she answered, “I'll think about it. It's not a yes or no, just a we’ll see.”
“Works for me. We can talk more when I get back, get some more rest. I'll need you at a hundred percent when we start this stuff.”
Another yawn, “Alright, see you later. Good luck, Vinyl.”
My heart warmed, “Thanks, see ya.”
The rest of the flight went great, especially with my sandwich that had successfully made it past enemy lines. Within an hour I was in Manehatten, walking down its beautiful streets and hoping that Rara would be able to meet me on such a short notice. And when I made it to her building, Battle Beauties, I knew it was going to be interesting.
I'd met Rara when I was first starting out as an assassin and a DJ, same with her meeting me just as she was an up and coming singer and Blacksmith. She'd wanted to experiment with music and I wanted some better protection, so it became a co-beneficial relationship, along with just a plain old good friendship. After Rara got a big contract for her designs, she took off in the second world of Equestria, putting her career as a singer to second place on the pedestal of importance.
She believed that the Academies were doing the dirty work for the good people of Equestria, letting the higher ups do the things that they couldn't because of some cozy person who wanted to act like they did something protesting about whatever decision they wanted to make. That would be when they would call us up and we'd grab some gear she'd make, at some point in the mission a bullet would be blocked by it, or a sword wouldn't go all the way through, or this wouldn't work or that wouldn't do it. All from the master craftsmanship of a single woman.
I walked up to the front desk of the building, going straight to the receptionist. The man looked about forty and had black hair with white stripes, “How can I help you?”
I smiled, “Hi, uh, I'd like to meet with Rara please.”
He nodded, “Alright, and your name is?”
“Vinyl Scratch.”
A few moments passed with him scrolling through pages on his computer, “Well I'm sorry to say Miss Scratch, but it looks like you don't have an appointment scheduled with Lady Rara.”
I scratched my head in nervousness, “Yeah, you see, I kinda want to see her right now and I know, because I didn't schedule one.”
The receptionist cocked an eyebrow, “Miss, I'm sure plenty of people want to see her.”
“Can you call her? I can't seem to get a hold of her, because, well, she's always too busy.” I asked, hoping that he'd comply.
Sadly, he sighed, giving me a look, “Okay, how about this lady? You prove to me that you somehow have the power to stop Lady Rara from whatever she's doing without an appointment and I'll call her.”
I pulled out my phone, flipping to my contacts and went to the picture of us, “Here.”
“That's great and all, but how do I know that's not photoshopped, huh?” He said, a smug look plastered on his face.
I huffed, clicking out of the photo and pointing at the phone number, “There, that's her personal cell...at least the last one that she gave me.”
The spectacled man adjusted his glasses, “Hmm, that does look like it. Fine, I'll let you go to her, with an escort.”
I sighed, “Sure, let's do that. Whatever gets me to her the fastest.”
After some talking on the corded phone a handsome muscled man came along, “Cold Steel here will be your escort. Please behave around him, I wouldn't want you being escorted out instead of in.”
As Cold Steel and I walked toward the elevator I fired off a salute, “No need to worry, I'll be good.”
It wasn't too interesting of a trek to, since Cold Steel didn't want to talk at all. I didn't mind because I was focused on getting to Rara, not making a new friend. Though I'm sure he was a fine person, I just wanted to get back to Octavia and sort out the rest of her training sooner rather than later. Eventually we made it to the door of Rara’s office, just as her latest appointment was making their way out.
I poked my head in, overhearing the conversation that was going on, “-just get the car ready for me, I need to be at the show early to take a final look at the wears, okay? Okay.”
A click of a phone sounded and I took that as my cue, revealing myself through the doorway to Rara’s office. “Hey Rara, how's it goin’?”
The said Rara turned around, “Oh! Vinyl, hi!” She rushed over to hug me, jumping up and down as she did so, “It's been so long since I've seen you.”
I pushed back Rara (totally not because I felt her breasts smack boxing mine) smiling while I held her shoulders, “Hey, I hope I didn't come at a bad time.”
Rara shook her head quickly, “Oh no, not at all, I've got a good hour before I go to watch my new line of bullet proof bikinis and the like go out on the catwalk.” Her eyes widened, “You should come with me! It'd be great Vinyl, we can go have some coffee at the cafe nearby while we wait.”
I took a second to process what she had just said, thinking hard about it, “I'm sorry did you just say bullet proof bikinis?”
“It was Miss Jelavic’s original idea, but seeing as she's a bit busy. She let me take the reins to the beginning of what I think is going to be the newest trend!” Rara walked to a closet, pulling out a set of loose frilly clothes and slipping them on, “Would you please come with me Vinyl? I'd be overjoyed to show it to one of my besties.”
“B-But they're so impractical.” I stomped my foot, “You know I'm fully with Miss Jelavic’s wisdom, and her sayings, but come on Rara, even if the bullet hit the top. You'd probably pop something, let's be honest.”
Rara pouted, “Can you at least make your decision over a drink? Then I can hear about why you're here all the sudden, yeah?”
I sighed, “Fine, I'll hear you out. But you're paying, not just because I don't have any money on me.”
Rara laughed, “I'm sure the bill won't be hard to pay. I bet it'll be quite large seeing as we haven't had a good talk in forever.”
I smiled, “Well I guess I'll have to fix that.”
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cold Steel escorted us to the limo with all that fancy stuff that makes it sound cool and professional, like bullet proof everything essentially. The plush leather and actually decent wine helped too. We sat across from each other in the relatively empty limo, only Cold Steel was in it along with the driver who only followed directions.
I looked at the stoic body guard, curious of why Rara would have one when she was purely capable of handling anything herself. I turned away from my gazing, looking at Rara before beginning my question, “So Raster, what’s up with the handsome body guard dude? You just like ‘em or somethin’?”
Rara chuckled, “First of all Vinyl, you should know by know that the first defence is your appearance. Any false weakness should be our advantage in a fight. In this case, I have a body guard to imply that I’m a helpless wittle blacksmith.” She wiggled back and forth with puppy dog eyes.
It made sense, “I see…”
She leaned toward me, starting off with a whisper, “Plus, I’m thinking of getting serious with him soon.”
My eyebrows shot up and I whispered back, “You like him!? I haven’t even heard him talk once!”
“Well, you see that’s really just part of his job. I can make him do whatever he wants, along with only talking to whom I say.”
I sighed, “But what if he only begins to date you because you said so. Like, because he doesn’t want to have to eat his own dick or something if he says no to you.”
Rara brightened, “What a splendid idea, you know just what to say Vinyl.”
“Rara noo…” I said, deadpanned.
“I’m kidding Scratch, I wouldn’t do that. I’ve told him specifically to say what he thinks and act the way he wants when we aren’t on the job, because of that specific reason. I think it’s a type of reverse psychology.”
I leaned back, “Sheesh, I’m bad at telling when someone’s joking Rara, don’t do that to me.” I thought back to what she had said, “So, you’re saying that he will do anything you say. Like anything.” I emphasized the last point because I had to be totally sure she understood my question.
Rara shrugged, “Oh sure, watch this.” She gestured to Cold Steel, who scooched over to sit next to her. “Drop your drawers buddy.”
On cue, Cold Steel dropped his shorts, underwear and all, then my life flashed before my eyes. “RARA NO!” I couldn’t believe it, “Oh sweet baby Jesus, look at the size of that thing. You’ll be torn apart faster than a lightsaber slicing through ya. You’re too young to die Rara, remember yourself, I’m here for you, just don’t do it. Wait till marriage at least.” I took a breath, aghast at what I had witnessed.
Rara burst out laughing, “Trust me I’ll be waiting a bit till I put some armour on that bad boy. What’s the problem Vee? You usually find these things fascinating.”
I shook my head, “No you’re right, that thing is awesome. But I have a partner Rara, I can’t be even near them anymore.”
“Oh really? Congratulations! Who-” She paused as I pulled my phone out, “What are you doing?”
I tapped the camera, “Taking a picture of that monster of a penis and sending it to her.”
My friend laughed, “Alright, Cold Steel you can return to your post. Pull your shorts and stuff up too, I gotta keep those things to myself, huh?”
Cold Steel grinned, nodding in response.
In a few minutes we arrived at the coffee shop. Not surprisingly, we were seated right away and Cold Steel stood near us. The quaint shop had the usual smell that came along with it, but the view from outside of the park nearby made it obvious as to why Rara frequented the place. Soon enough, I had a hot cup of joe and had begun catching up with Rara. After I had given her the speal that pertained to her job offer, she went silent for a moment.
“Why that does seem like an interesting proposition.” She said, leaning on her hand as she grinned. “Now, I must ask, how are you two doing?”
“Great, I’ve gotta say, every time I see her I know the reason I came to like her.” I replied, feeling a bit warmer in my chest, even with the coffee.
Rara tapped her cup, showing a bit more thought, “I just need two things from you to do what you’re asking, alright Scratch? No money needed.”
“Hmm,” Everyone wanted money, and if it wasn’t money they wanted than it was a favor. And favors are way more dangerous than some ‘ol money. “Fine, but only because I know you’re the one of the few people I would trust seeing Octavia with less clothes on to fit her.”
“But of course,” Rara giggled, “I only need her to come to me for a test fitting and to walk around the building to get a feel and do some other training things.”
“And?”
“I would like a favor from you Vinyl.”
I sighed, “That favor would be…”
“Why, being a last minute addition to my show.”
It wasn’t that I didn’t mind showing off my body, honestly I didn’t really care. I had done way worse in way less clothing, but for some reason it felt wrong to do so after I had gotten together with Octavia. It kind of felt like a betrayal in my eyes, letting others see what only one should be able to look at. Then again, I could think of it like going to the beach, instead of going for fun, I was doing it for Octavia.
I tapped my chin, still in thought about what to do, “I don't know Rara, normally I wouldn't mind. But right now it just doesn't seem right.”
“I think that will make our business a bit harder Vinyl, I know you can figure out a way to do it.” Rara seemed to be curious, “You've always been good at things like this, showing off your curves never seemed to be a problem when we worked together before. What's the problem now?”
“Like I told you Rara, I've got a nice looking girlfriend that I want to stay on the good side of. Acting like a mobile mannequin that people can stare at isn't on the list of things I think would make her favor our relationship.” On the other hand, I thought as I ran my hands through my hair, I could just ask for permission. I mean, that's how these things work, right?
Rara smiled, “Why Scratch, I think this is the first time you've shown a bit of compassion for something other than a weapon.”
“Hey, Dave was the best fifty cal I could've ever had and Becky just had to counter-snipe me through the barrel! Smashed it to pieces, or really shot, but you get the point!” I huffed, not wanting to re-live bad memories.
“Okay, how about you just call her. That would be good yes?” Rara patted me on the arm, trying to calm me down.
“Yeah, yeah that would be good. I was just thinking of that.” I said, pulling out my phone and going to the favorites, then clicking on Octavia’s name. After a few rings she picked up, “Hey Octy, got a quick question.”
“But of course.” Octavia replied, seeming curious from her tone.
“Can I sell my body for your benefit? It’s for a good cause.”
“What?” Octavia didn’t reply for a moment, but began laughing shortly after, “No need to scare me Vinyl. I’m wide awake already for your information.”
“No really, I need you to say it’s okay.”
Octavia sighed, “You have five sentences to explain yourself Scratch, or it will not be looking too good for you in the future.”
“Thanks a bunch Octavia.”
“Four.”
“Uh, well, Rara wants me to be in her show that has armoured bikinis because I owe her if she is going to help us. She’s one of the best blacksmiths I know and I trust her, but I figured I should ask for permission.” Sweat dropped down my brow, “You’ve been a great influence on me for these past few months and I wouldn’t want to dirty that with basically selling my body.”
“Hmm, it seems you have one sentence left to decide the fate of our relationship Miss Scratch.” Octavia said with a very menacing voice. “Is. This. Show...Livestreamed?”
I looked at Rara, assuming that she heard Octavia, nodding furiously. I didn’t care if she had to create a whole channel for the event in the next dozen minutes, it was going to happen. Thank baby Jesus she gave the affirmative. “O-Of course.”
I could practically see the cheshire grin, “Great! I look forward to seeing you! Oh and Vinyl?”
“Yes, my angel?”
“Please do explain the situation before you do something like that again.”
“Definitely.” I said, hoping she could hear the truth behind my answer.
After Octavia hung up on me, Rara burst out laughing, “Oh that one’s a keeper Scratch! Don’t let her go.”
I rubbed my face, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Rara got up and patted my back, “Let’s get going Vinyl, we need to get you dressed.”
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Shortly after that debacle, we arrived at the destination that Rara had been talking about. The modern looking building had cars lined up around it that were worth more than houses, while the people walking inside barely had on what could be called clothing. Someone even walked in with a tablecloth as a cape and that was it. I couldn't believe what was called “armor” these days.
The outside of the building was like an old theater for broadway, in fact it would likely have been based off something related to that. The big tower that protruded from the front had the show listed on both sides, along with the times that lined up with when we had arrived. Going in there were guards after guards, just to keep the crowd under control. I followed Rara into what seemed to be a dressing room, though it was really a separate area that people got dressed in. There were stations that seemed to be geared toward a specific thing, the first was a deposit of clothing, then a fitting station, eventually a makeup one too.
I turned to Rara, “Why aren’t there, like, separate rooms, or places for each model?”
Rara giggled, “Oh right, I haven’t given you the background to this operation.” She stopped in front of the “operation”, “This is the first part of my week of showings, so to make it easier and more efficient to show off everything to the highest bidder I created a human assembly line.” She paused, “You know, that sounds weirdly slave related, let’s say a workshop of scantily clad entertainers. No, that’s a brothel...I’ll work on it.”
I laughed nervously, “Yeah, well, do I have to go through that?”
“Oh, no, no, Vinyl,” Rara patted my arm, “I have to give you back to your partner in better condition than I got you!”
“Great…”
She brought me over to what I assumed was her personal room, seeing as it was labeled “Rara”. The room was filled with anything related to fashion that I could think of and recognize, it even had things that I didn't know of. Rara walked over to one of the desks in the room and pulled out a tape measure.
“Alright, drop the clothes.” She said, pulling the tape measure to its full glory.
“U-Uh, what?” I stuttered.
“You really weren't looking at all the other people Scratch? This isn't some sixth grade play where we can't show your shoulders, it's a professional gathering that gets me some good money. So, as I said, drop ‘em or I will.” Rara said, slowly advancing toward me.
“Fine! Fine! I will, give me a sec.” I pulled off my primary clothing, leaving it on the desk and still stood half-naked in my underwear. It wasn't that I was nervous, I knew I had a rockin’ bod. The thought of Octavia, however, still loomed in the back of my mind.
Rara gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, “It’ll be over before you know it Vinyl.”
I sighed and dropped the rest of my clothes, “Yeah, yeah, just do whatever you need to.”
“Ah, like to keep it like a desert, huh?” Rara commented, “I guess you have an abundance of rain with Octavia anyway, so it doesn't mattered.”
I covered my crotch, “Hey, I thought you were gonna do your fashion thing. I don't care what I gotta wear, just as long as I don't have to for too long, okay?”
“But of course,” Rara said as she pulled out some utility belts and a few chains of bullets out of the closet nearest to her. “I just need to throw these on you and we’ll be set.”
It only took a few minutes, not even that really seeing as it was just two utility belts and a chain of bullets. I turned around, admiring how I actually pulled off something so trivial. Not that I minded that Rara had somehow done such a good job with so little.
One utility belt wrapped around my breasts, squeezing them just enough to give notice to some solid cleavage. Someday I hoped to catch up to Octavia, but I doubted it would ever happen. I just kept with the good ‘ol motto of “Quality over quantity.” Whenever I felt down about their size. The other utility belt hung slanted over my waist, shadowing and covering just enough. The bullets were wrapped around my left leg on the thigh, supposedly acting as easy access for sniping. I didn't see the point, but it wasn't my place to complain at the current moment.
There was a knock on the door, soon after a head popped in, “Miss Rara, your guest is up.”
I sighed, “Let's get this over with.”
Once the lady that had come to us led me to the line of people going on to do their strut I realized that I really had gotten to the point that I would do anything for Octavia. Sure, the great views in front of me made it a bit better, yet even they made me think of her. A few minutes passed until I heard my name called, and (maybe?) thankfully I didn't even have to imagine the audience in their underwear.
I thrusted my hip side to side as I walked, letting the belt on my waist jump just a bit with each leg strut. The thrill I got was honestly a bit surprising, watching the sparkles of the camera flashes while people took notes upon notes just because of me caused a spark of interest in how a few seconds of such a preview could entice an audience. The end of the walkway neared and just before I got to the end I stopped abruptly, letting the belt on my chest loosen with the jerk and fall slightly but not a huge amount, showing the audience of fashion peeps what I could do.
Lastly, I put a foot forward, letting one arm fall on it and I bent down slowly, running my hand along the said leg until I slid one of the bullets out. Right as I turned around I flicked the bullet up behind me, catching it point outwards in my mouth. The increase of flashes and clicks told me I had just won them over, and before they could get anymore I had made my way off the walkway and into Rara’s room.
While she was taking the belts and such off I inquired about the fashion choice, “So, where'd you get the idea to do this?”
Rara shrugged, “Just saw it in a show, it’s really just a concept piece I hope to build off of if I get any offers.”
“And the reason for bare feet?”
Rara scratched her cheek, “Well, the official answer is that it's for increased stealth, but the unofficial answer is it looks better.”
By the time she had finished replying I'd gotten the rest of my clothes on. “Well, I had a better time than I expected. But don't come hoping you'll get me again, ‘cause I didn't enjoy it that much.”
“Sure, as for your new partner, do let me have her come here sometime for a makeover. I hope to get her tidied up before going through the motions.” Rara said while she put the belts away.
“We’ll be in touch. Now, can I grab that limo to the airport? I've only got about an hour and a half before my plane leaves.” I said as I opened the door. “It's no big deal, I was just curious.”
“Oh it's no problem at all, just make sure to behave yourself.”
I chuckled, “No promises! See ya soon Rara!”
“Goodbye Vinyl!”
The drive to the airport was way better than the initial one to Rara’s. I got on the plane easily enough too, all that was left was getting back to Octavia for my first legitimate date since we had gotten closer. I put off contacting the third and final person for her training, since I knew they were coming back soon to the area and would likely be there when we came back. They would be the first person to teach Octavia in what I hoped to be a good six week long training marathon, the longest out of all the training that she would go through at the start.
I knew Octavia had what she needed down, what was enough to get into the school. That much was obvious since she was already in. But what I needed was the best from her, and she wasn't at that yet from her time spent under Gilda’s wing. I estimated the total amount of time we would spend training before our first mission would be a good two months, bringing us just a couple months before the largest gathering of the world’s most dangerous people in one spot.
It was interestingly named “The Gala”, really to make fun of how people showed off the new things they made and brag to each other about missions. But the real part of the show was the gathering of all the heads of the academies, which meant it was required that I go since Twilight would be attending. Octavia would hopefully be ready by then, but I would have to wait and see. Right now, I was only focused on getting back to Octavia and spending some quality time with her.