//------------------------------// // Sunset Shimmer, Octavia, and Vinyl Scratch // Story: The Platonic Pony Petting Café // by FrontSevens //------------------------------// “Hey! I’m Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset said, smiling. “Dan,” Dan said, shaking Sunset’s hoof. “So I’m the first petter of the day, I guess, huh?” “First petter I’ve ever had, actually,” Sunset said. Her hooves kept slipping off of her chair. She stiffened her shoulders as Dan took a seat. “So… five minutes at a time, right?” Dan nodded. “Yup.” “Not a lot of time to get to know a person, huh?” She rubbed her elbow. “It’s all right. I’ve been needing some practice on first impressions. So… what do we do? Do we pet? Do we talk? I don’t know how this thing works, so…” Dan shrugged. “Whatever you’re comfortable doing, you know? I’m not picky.” Sunset sat up, her hooves still slipping on the chair. “Okay. Let’s do the petting. I’m willing to try that. Yeah, let’s start with that.” “All right.” Dan reached out and placed his hand on Sunset’s neck, then pulled it back. “You’re shaking. Are you nervous?” “Nope. Terrified!” Sunset took a deep breath in. “But do it anyway. Twilight insisted that I give it a try, especially as a pony. I mean, I didn’t have much choice, since the portal to Equestria turned me into a pony, and I didn’t turn into a human coming into this world… Anyway, sorry, it’s a long story. Just go for it.” “All right, if you’re sure.” Dan reached out once again, this time more slowly and carefully. He placed his hand on Sunset’s shoulder and gently stroked. The more he stroked Sunset, the more Sunset relaxed. Sunset unwound in the chair, slumping and smiling. All her tension melted away as her head sank and her ears twitched. “Okay, wow, yeah. I can see why Twilight said I had to be a pony for this, too. This feels so good.” She looked up at Dan. “Can you… can you do behind the ear?” Dan did behind the ear. “Oh, that feels so good.” Sunset’s head plopped onto the table. “Okay. No longer worried about this petting thing. I feel like I could fall asleep right here.” Sunset closed her eyes as Dan scratched behind her ear. She sighed, trying to keep her hooves from slipping off the chair. Dan scratched his chin. “So… I’m curious. Why here?” “I’m sorry?” Sunset lifted her head. “Why’d you pick this place to be the first petting café to go to?” Dan asked. “They’ve got these things all over the world, you know. Why Cleveland? Why not somewhere more exciting like New York, or London, or Paris? Why here?” “Seemed like a nice, quiet place, at least when Twilight showed me on her tablet.” She bobbed her head and smirked. “Also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.” “Ah, that’s right. You’re in a rock band.” Sunset squinted. “You, um… you know? Oh, wait, right—” “—I’ve seen the movies.” “Yes, right. Those movies where they recorded all our lives for the world to see.” Sunset Shimmer slumped, supporting her head with a hoof. She sighed. “So you do know about my past, then, huh. Thought I could escape that in this world.” “Yeah, but it’s pretty clear you’re not that person anymore. Don’t sweat it.” Dan laughed. “And hey, you’re my favourite character, and it’s kind of because of your past.” Sunset perked up. “Wait, really?” “Yeah. I was first in line to pet you for a reason, you know. Your story of redemption, and trying to improve yourself… all the way to becoming a leader. It was great to see you progress as a character.” Dan scratched the base of Sunset’s mane. “I mean, every other character feels like a cartoon character, you know? But you just seem like the most normal out of all of them.” Sunset smiled. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.” Then she fell out of the chair. Dan stood up, startled, and rushed to Sunset’s aid. “Whoa, Sunset, are you okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine,” Sunset said, sprawled on the floor. She got to her hooves and rubbed her head. “Sorry. Been a long time since I’ve been a pony. Chairs don’t work for me, I guess.” “Here, I’ll get you another one,” Dan said, standing up. “I think we can borrow one of the leather ones in that lounge over there.” “Thanks,” Sunset said, her face burning. She shook her head. “Wow. Really need to work on those first impressions.” ~ ~ ~ “And there she is.” Octavia crossed her forelegs. “A full thirty minutes late.” Vinyl waved, yawning as she sauntered down the stairs and into the club. Muffled beats came through her headphones. She waved to Octavia as she walked to a nearby table and took a seat. Octavia scowled. “One-thirty in the afternoon. One-thirty. One o’clock is not hard to get up for. It’s not even in the morning. And no apology from you? No?” Vinyl shrugged. She motioned to a waiter nearby, who nodded and zipped behind the club’s back counter. Octavia thrust her hoof towards the small crowd of six humans standing at the other side of Vinyl’s table. “And look, you’ve made these poor, patient humans wait for you. They were scheduled here to pet you at one, one-o’five, one-ten… Waited for days on that online list, and now what? How will they pet you now?” The six humans looked around at each other. They each extended a hand and petted Vinyl. Vinyl settled in, putting her hooves behind her head as the flock of hands scratched her all over. Octavia blinked. “Oh. That works.” She pointed a hoof at Vinyl. “But you better not pull a stunt like that again.” She turned to the human petting her shoulder. “Apologies for that. Now, where were we?” Amit shrugged. He set the churro in his other hand down and wiped his hand on a napkin. “Something about how Vinyl is your best friend?” Octavia’s face grew red. “Heh, yes. It’s hard to tell based on that little exchange, now, is it?” She shook her head. “It’s just that I need to impose expectations, standards, all that. Otherwise she’d be sleeping in until two-thirty. Which she has, before.” “Ah,” Amit said. “Is it the late-night raves that keep her up so late?” “Without question, yes.” Octavia stroked her own mane, effectively petting herself. “We have a dedicated time for those parties—ten o’clock onwards. It’s at about nine that I race upstairs to fall asleep before then. Those things go on and on, usually until something like three in the morning. That’s when it’s my turn to put on a pair of earmuffs to get any hope of falling asleep.” “But you do get to sleep, right?” Octavia pulled down her eyelids. “Most of the time.” Amit frowned. “Now, I don’t mean to sound rude—you do what you want to do—but it sounds like you should find your own place. You sleep upstairs, right? Maybe it’s worth finding someplace to sleep that’s a bit quieter.” “Oh, I don’t know,” Octavia said, bobbing her head from side to side. “It’s not as awful here as I make it sound. I can function on little sleep. That’s nothing new. But Vinyl is a good friend. She has her demands, but she heeds mine, too.” She nodded her head up to the speakers mounted around the club, which were now playing soft classical music. “I get to choose the music that plays during the daytime.” Amit glanced down at his churro. “I can guess who chose the menu.” “Ah, yes. Mostly her demands, not mine—hence why this club serves churros, Cheetos, tacos, and chocolate milkshakes. However, she makes accommodations for me, too.” She raised her mug. “The tea, for instance. Though I do enjoy a good churro every now and again.” Amit kneaded Octavia’s shoulder. “Are you a musician as well?” “Yes, indeed.” Octavia sipped her tea. “I play the cello. The simple cello.” “Simple?” Amit raised an eyebrow. “Yes, well, it’s only one instrument.” Octavia nodded to the table behind her. “Take Vinyl. She’s a one-pony band. Plays all sorts of instruments through that giant cannon thingamajig—the whole gamut of screeches, squeals, earthquakes, garbage can lids.” “Wild guess, but I take it you don’t like dubstep.” “Indeed not. Neither of us like each other’s music.” She set her mug down. “And that’s the very reason we’re friends.” Amit grinned. “Oh, really? Why’s that?” “She’s always challenging me to improve,” Octavia said. “Both of us do that for each other. She likes to put a modern spin on some of my classical pieces. I help her put some actual music in her music. Dubstep without choruses or harmonies and such is just noise. It has no… musicality behind it, you know?” “Right, sure.” Amit smiled. “I guess now’s a bad time to admit that I like dubstep, then.” Octavia laughed, shaking her head. “No, it’s okay. I understand. It’s noise, but it’s set to a rhythm, and it’s still new and different and interesting.” She glanced up at the clock. “I suppose that means you’ll be back at ten o’clock?” “Nine thirty-five, actually,” Amit said, pointing to Vinyl Scratch. “I’ve also got a reservation with her.” Octavia turned around. Vinyl had brought over a beanbag chair and was sprawled on top as the six humans massaged her from all angles. She waved to Octavia from the beanbag. A few of the humans waved, too. Octavia grunted. “She’s popular, that one.” “And you’re not?” “Well, no. I shouldn’t say that.” Octavia leaned forward and rested her head on top of her forelegs. “Her waiting list is a bit longer, but we both keep busy.” She yawned. Amit rubbed her shoulder more gently. “Tired?” “Yes,” Octavia said, her eyelids fluttering. “Though I mean no offense. I am not tired because of our conversation, here—it’s very stimulating. But, you know, the rave last night—” “Say no more,” Amit said. “I’ll pet you to sleep, here.” “Mmm.” Octavia’s eyes drifted closed. “Most people don’t mind petting sleeping ponies, so it turns out. In fact, they say it’s more adorable that way.” Amit nodded, softly stroking Octavia’s back. “I’d have to agree.” “Excellent.” Octavia nestled down into her forelegs. She yawned again. “I must be adorable to accrue all those Instalikes and reTwitters and such.” “Heh, that’s right. But don’t worry about that. Sleep now,” Amit said. Octavia smiled and nodded, her back rising and falling with her breaths.