//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Warming Up // Story: Pretence // by Kapuchu //------------------------------// The previous day had gone far better than Vinyl could have expected, and even now, a full twenty four hours later, her mood had not dropped at all. Octavia had, after all, said yes to her invitation, and she had even managed to avoid embarrassing herself. She walked with a skip in her step towards the market, a million ideas of what they could have for their dinner tomorrow rushing through her head; each more tantalizing than the last. Vinyl had always had a particular fondness for apples, so she had to include them into the menu somehow. An apple pie, perhaps? It would work well as a dessert, but she also had to think of the main course. She entered the market proper, chewing on her lips as she swept her gaze over the multitude of stalls. She clicked her tongue thoughtfully, brows furrowing behind her glasses. One stall sold eggs, another a variety of cheese. A third dealt in onions and garlic… An idea was slowly starting to take form, and with every step further into the market she found another stall, selling another ingredient which she added to her mental list. Within minutes she had both a completed list of ingredients and a saddlebag full of culinary puzzle pieces. She had decided upon a good old lasagna, which was all well and good if she remembered how to properly make one. It wasn’t something she had often gotten as a child, as her mother had seen it as somewhat unrefined, and not food fit for them. Even so they had gotten it occasionally, and she had learned to like it. Still, she would need to ask her mother for the recipe she had used back then. As it was she could only just remember which ingredients went into it. Nevertheless, lasagna followed by apple pie sounded like the perfect thing for their dinner. It wasn’t as simple as just pasta and tomato sauce, but neither was it as pretentious as anything she’d find in a five star establishment. She nodded to herself thinking, that if she were to borrow a phrase from an old story from her childhood, she would say it was ‘just right’. Now all she had to do was go home and start preparing for the date tomorrow, maybe pick out a nice dress or something. She did want to impress after all, did she not? Or would it be too much? She technically hadn’t asked Octavia out on a formal date, so maybe she should remain casual? Octavia almost always wore her bowtie, so perhaps it wouldn’t be too extraordinary if Vinyl wore something as well? Something small? She’d have to think that over when she got home. Speaking of home, she also needed to clean. She stopped, and blinked. Oh Celestia, I have to clean. Octavia felt a little smile tug insistently at the corners of her lips. It wasn’t because Harpo was walking beside her, not entirely. He was a good friend, but this time there was something more to the reason why she felt giddy inside. She was finally getting back to the ‘Dojo’, as she liked to call it, though in reality it was more of a glorified gym, that the club used to train in. She had been admonished to no small degree by Harpo—and by Vinyl as well to a lesser extent—that she not overexert herself lest her stitches break, but not even that had been able to put a damper on her mood. The Dojo had become a place where she spent much of her free time in the last decade, which gradually transformed it into something of a safe haven. It was as if some weight had been lifted from her shoulders seeing the place again, and felt giddy being here again. It was more than just the prospect of getting to train again, but returning to a place where there were people she actually liked. Granted, getting back into shape was a definite plus. On the other hoof, the thing that was most important was that it had provided her with a place where she could empty her mind of everything that burdened her, large or trivial, and just focus on the movements. She sighed, looking ahead to where a sign advertised the gym. She could only just make out the words on it, detailing opening hours, as well as which timeslots were taken up by clubs such as Octavia’s. There were other martial arts clubs using this location, after all. She reminded herself, with some chagrin, that she would have to take it easy this time, and probably for the next few weeks as well. Maybe it would be best to revisit the basics, that didn’t really require more movement than when walking. Looking to her side, she was met with the grinning face of Harpo, who seemed extraordinarily excited, even moreso than on an ordinary day. He looked even more giddy than she felt, though it had abated somewhat at the reminder of her stitches. She raised an eyebrow at him as he skipped alongside her, but remained silent. There was something to be said about that stallion’s ability to remain happy regardless of the circumstances. He was even humming a tune, and she could have sworn it was one she had once composed. “That excited, are we?” She asked teasingly. Harpo looked at her, his grin widening at her words. “Of course! I’ve wanted to try this for ages, and after that small taste you gave me a short while back, I’ve been even more stoked to try it.” “In that case,” she replied and stopped, waving her hoof at the building beside them, “welcome to the Dojo.” Harpo apparently did not need to be told twice, and pushed the door open without preamble, pausing only briefly to hold it open for Octavia before he headed in himself. They were greeted by one of the instructors, a dark blue unicorn by the name of Azure. True to his friendly nature, Harpo wasted no time in walking up to her and said, “Hi!” Azure looked taken aback for a second, before she glanced at Octavia with a questioning look on her face. “Friend of yours?” She asked. “His name is Harpo, and he’d like to sign up,” she explained before the stallion could. She walked up besides them and motioned towards the other mare. “And Harpo, this is Azure, she is one of the instructors here. I would advise that you show her a smidgen more respect than you do me,” she added with a bit of humour near the end. Azure nodded and, Octavia knew, adopted her no-nonsense demeanor in an attempt to get her own little fun out of the situation. “If you do intend to join,” she said sternly, looking down at Harpo, “then you may address me as Sensei.” Already Octavia was rolling her eyes and struggling to suppress a smile. The customary grilling of prospective students was about to begin. She stepped up beside Azure and sat down, the two of them facing Harpo. Harpo, for his part, looked put-off, not just by the stern tone but also the appearance of Azure. The way he slowly glanced up and down at her, indicated that he only just now noticed, that this mare was far more muscular than he was, as well as a fair bit taller. He swallowed and nodded, offering his best attempt at a military salute. “Yes ma’am—Eeh, Sensei,” he said, quickly correcting himself when Azure simply arched an eyebrow. The brow, however, remained raised. Azure shifted her weight from one side to the other, still waiting. Harpo glanced over at Octavia, the question in his bewildered expression clear enough to see, but just telling him the answer wouldn’t be right. He was clever, he’d figure it out. Or he wouldn’t, and he’d embarrass himself. She let him stay frozen in his salute for a few seconds before she acquiesced his silent request for help, and lowered her head. Not quite in a nod, but more as a bow. Harpo, luckily, was quick to catch on and mimicked her, but took it a step further and planted his hoof on the ground, and bowed at Azure rather than saluting. “Yes, Sensei,” he said and straightened up again, meeting Azure’s eyes. She was smiling down at him. “I think he’s learning,” Azure said casually, glancing down at Octavia. “Either that, or he had a little help?” She added. Octavia nonchalantly polished her hoof against her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, making a point of not looking at Azure. The feigned ignorance could not last forever, however, and the facade cracked when she looked up again, seeing the perplexed look of the stallion in front of them. “Um, can you two tell me what this was all about?” He asked. “Just teaching you the traditions,” Azure said lightly, sitting down like the other two. “Martial Arts like what we teach here comes from Neighpon, and a few other countries neighbouring it. Bowing rather than saluting, and the whole ‘sensei’ title, is from there.” Harpo’s mouth opened in a small ‘o’ of realisation. “That makes sense. Preserving traditions, then?” Azure nodded, offering him a smile. “Exactly. I don’t teach here just to teach ponies how to defend themselves, but also because I want to share a bit of foreign traditions. They’re fascinating once you get to know them.” Octavia, not so subtle, coughed into a hoof. Some might claim she uttered the word ‘nerd’ under her breath, but she would forever deny it. Azure wrinkled her muzzle at being interrupted, but met only a smile when she mock-scowled at Octavia. She grunted and turned back to Harpo, getting a little more serious again. “Octavia said that you wanted to join. That’s true?” “Yes.” “Right, but I want to ask you, why do you want to join?” She pointed at herself and then Octavia. “Both of us had a reason for joining. For Octavia it was health related, for me it was an interest in the sport aspects, but what about you?” That that was a question Octavia recognised. It was one posed to all prospective pupils, and Octavia still remembered when she had been asked. Azure had explained, that it was a tradition she had started on her own because she found it interesting to hear why ponies joined. Rumours, however, claimed that it was because of one pony, who had once joined only to learn how to hurt others. Azure had repeatedly stated that it was not true, but rumours were persistent things. Nevertheless it was hard to keep back the snort that threatened to escape her, as Harpo’s mouth opened in a comical display of surprise. The answer, it turned out, did not come easily to Harpo. He had sat down himself, humming in thought, and raised a hoof to scratch his chin. Octavia found herself amused at this, not because he looked to be thinking, as that was a joke for another day, but because it reminded her of their first meeting. He had been thinking of things to do so hard, back then, to get her to warm up to him. They spent the next few moments in relative silence, interrupted only by the sound of Harpo scratching his own face, and then his hooves clapping together as he kept trying to come up with an answer. When he finally did answer it was with a contemplative frown marring his features. “I just wanted to, I guess?” He said with a shrug, and looked up at Azure. “I knew, that Octavia has been training here for years, and I’ve seen the results on her body and—hey, don’t look at me like that, Octavia, we both know you have a great body.” Octavia held the stare for another few moments, letting Harpo sweat under the combined glares of her and Azure. The smile he met them with was entirely too calm and bordering on smug, and she wondered if she should find some way to get back at him for that comment. Octavia had to give it to him, he knew he was right, and someone not afraid to speak his mind. Granted, it was a compliment. Harpo, choosing now to ignore her stare, continuing his explanation. “I know it’s been a good stress reliever for her, and has contributed quite a bit to making her happier.” He paused, glanced to Octavia, and for a moment she swore she could see concern in his eyes, but if it had ever been there it disappeared as quickly as it came. Harpo turned back to Azure. “I also would like to learn how to defend myself should the need arise, and—” A cobalt field of magic formed around Harpo’s muzzle, holding it closed. Azure fixed him with a firm stare, the intensity of which Octavia had only ever seen when some smart-mouthed colt bragged about how he could now beat up people who gave him trouble, with all the things they were taught. It always made her skin crawl whenever she saw it, even if she was just in the peripheral of it. Harpo seemed to be no exception. “Let me make one thing clear, Harpo,” Azure said in a steely voice, “we do not train here to become better at fighting other ponies. Our purpose here is not to become fighters or vigilantes, but to hone our minds and bodies, and become better versions of ourselves.” The magic aura around Harpo’s muzzle vanished. “Understood?” She asked, her glare lessening somewhat. He took a deep breath and sat down, taking a second to gather his thoughts, it looked like. When he stood and looked up at Azure again, his tone was far more mellow and thoughtful, as if reciting lines that were half prepared, and half made up. “I’m sorry if it came across as me wanting to go look for a fight, but I swear that is not it. The last thing I said before you silenced me, was more about…” He fell silent, but did turn his head slightly towards Octavia, and more specifically her bandages. Azure followed his gaze, uttering a simple “Ah.” Though annoyed that attention was directed to her wounds, Octavia said nothing and let Harpo finish his explanation. “I have no intentions of getting into fights on purpose, but if I am ever left without a choice, then I would want to be able to know enough to keep myself, and others, safe.” He then sat down again and looked expectantly up at Azure who, at this point, was standing completely still and simply staring at the shorter stallion. Though it was intensely irritating to be reminded of her failure, she knew where he was coming from. His words, and how he looked at her, told her that he felt like she did about Vinyl. Just like she felt like she had failed her newest friend, so too did Harpo feel like he had failed her, by not being there to defend her when she’d been hurt. He wasn’t just her friend because he had wanted to be, it had been almost an assignment when they first met, and yet he had grown to be one of her best friends in the years that followed. She smiled a little to herself, feeling a small bit of joy at the knowledge that he cared for her that much, but it also brought with it another, more sobering thought. “What do you think, Octavia?” Azure asked bringing Octavia out of her own thoughts. She hadn’t turned away from Harpo. “You know him better than I do. Is he being honest?” Octavia pursed her lips and met Harpo’s eyes, as he had turned to look at her. He looked sincere with not a glimmer of mischief or anything untowards in his expression. It was an alien look on him, as he almost always seemed to be trying to be overly positive and entertaining whenever she was otherwise with him. He offered her a small half-smile, as if he was silently inviting her to tell whatever she believed to be the honest truth. She gave him a nod in return which seemed to satisfy him. “I’ve never known him to lie about anything. Not anything serious, anyway. The small, odd lie here and there to playfully hide something, or to be mischievous. But with this, I am convinced he’s telling the truth.” With every word, Harpo’s expression brightened a little. She looked up to Azure, who seemed to be weighing her words, her steady gaze on Harpo; no longer piercing, but simply calm and contemplative. “I know him well enough to realise why he said what he did. He is not going to be looking for fights.” Azure didn’t speak up immediately, humming tunelessly in the time that passed. The expression on her face gradually eased, causing the furrow on her brow to even out until she eventually met Harpo’s surprisingly disciplined expression with a smile. “Very well then, welcome to our little school, Harpo. Octavia’s vouching for you, so don’t let her down, you hear?” Harpo snapped off an instant salute, his back straight as a ruler. “Yes Ma—Sensei!” “He’s learning,” Azure said with a look towards Octavia. “Training begins in about half an hour. You can fill him in on the details, other traditions and the like.” To Harpo she said. “You can train today for free, let it be a trial and see if you’d like to continue. We’ll sign you up when we’ve finished, if you still want to join. I’ll go change, and lay out the mats if you need me.” She then turned and walked into the dojo proper, and the brief look that Octavia had of the room behind the door, revealed it to look much like a normal gym room, sans the mats that usually covered the floor. “I’m excited,” Harpo said simply, looking at the door Azure had disappeared through. “So… Half an hour until it starts.” He looked at Octavia. “Who else will show up?” She shrugged. “It changes. Sometimes all nine of us are here, other times it’s only a few.” “And are there any other Senseis? Nine ponies is a bit much for one teacher, isn’t it?” “There is one other teacher, he has this weird thing where he doesn’t want to tell us his real name, so he just goes by Sensei, or Gale when he’s not present.” “‘Gale?’” Harpo echoed. “So he’s a pegasus?” “The wind-related name gave it away, huh?” “Nah. The ‘A’ and the ‘E’ did. ‘Pegasus’ has those letters in it, too.” Yesterday had been interesting, if not outright fun for Octavia. Harpo’s first attempts at martial arts were about as clumsy as she had expected, but that wasn’t really a surprise, seeing as everypony started out clumsy on their first day. She had been much the same, stumbling over her own legs. It had taken Gale to single her out, and take her aside before she really got the hang of things. Speaking of Gale, one thing she really should have seen coming was Harpo’s immediate reaction to him entering the dojo. Even then, for some reason, she still found herself staring in disbelief as Harpo, upon having the pegasus identified, walked right up to him and promptly asked what his real name was. Octavia’s facehoof was mirrored by pretty much every other student, but Gale only chuckled and said what he always did, that he would be addressed as Sensei. She chuckled as she was, for the third time that day, reminded of Harpo’s dejected look as he turned around and returned to the mats. She ran the brush through her mane and gave the mirror a discerning stare, then nodded and moved on to her tail. She gave it the first stroke of many to come as her thoughts turned to the rapidly approaching dinner. Just two hours from now she would be on her way to Vinyl’s place. She turned to the mirror, studying herself even as she kept brushing her tail. She never really wore clothes, not outside of formal gatherings like her mothers’ anniversaries. Her bowtie was the only thing she wore regularly, but that had become so normal that she wasn’t sure if it really was enough for the coming dinner. It was an informal dinner, after all, but even that deserved a bit extra she felt. Her eyes fell on her tail, namely a tangle she was trying to get out of it. It gave her an idea. She was certain clothes were overdoing it, but making something of her mane and tail might work. Only trouble was, that she was bereft of magic to do anything more intricate than the simplest of braids. She glanced up at the clock, and seeing that she still had a little less than two hours left until the dinner, decided that a pitstop at the salon was due. She needed a trim anyway.