//------------------------------// // 99 Problems (And Vinyl Scratch is One) // Story: Vinyl and Octavia: Roommates Are Magic // by Jam Rocker //------------------------------// Silence. Can you hear silence? Is it just a stupid oxymoron, or can you actually hear the silence in things? Like, if you've spent your entire life listening to the backround sounds of birds before you slept, then one day, it suddenly stopped? Some may fear silence, but me... Oh Celestia. Silence is like a dear old friend, one that I never see often, but one that I love. There may be many negative effects to a drunk Vinyl Scratch, but the one positive effect is that due to her crazy night of blurs, she's too tired to do her daily routine of whatever she wants to do in the morning. So no weird sound-making contraptions, no early morning DJ sessions, no Resident Evil Pony playing, just silence. Now, you may be asking why I miss silence when I've just been living with Vinyl for two days. But let me tell you this: I live in Manehattan, and my best friend is a crazy DJ party mare. I've heard police alarms, screaming maniacs, and at very occasional times, Vinyl calling me at two in the morning because she's scared after watching Ponynormal Activity 3 by herself or whatever the reason is. Also, there's been hundreds of forced sleepovers from Vinyl, and at many hard times, hitting rock bottom and having to move in with a friend for a couple days. Vinyl and I both! Okay, I'm getting off topic here... So in conclusion, it was surprisingly a very peaceful night, and one that I cherished. Maybe except the dream... My dream was a little different from the usual nightmare of losing my Nobel Peace Prize. It was Vinyl. And the weirdest thing is that it was just... Vinyl. No random outburst of her destroying my original dream, just her. Sitting on a park bench. With me. What does that even mean? I was interrupted from my thought of the dream to hear Vinyl's door opening, and her hoofsteps clonking to the kitchen. I checked my clock, and noticing that it was already 10:00, I decided that it was perfect time to come up to and have some breakfast with her. I walked through the white hallway that separated the rooms from the kitchen and living room to find Vinyl at the dinner table, half asleep while waiting for her coffee to brew. Her blue hair was more ruffled than usual, and her front hooves were on the table and leaned up to her face, which she put down to cover her face from the light. "Good morning Vinyl Scratch," I greeted, her head popping up with slight confusion. "Oh, hey Tavi..." She put her face down to the table without her hooves covering. "Man... What happened last night? I think I blanked out at the bar..." "Yeah, you did." "Oh... Well, what happened?" I blushed lightly, memories of the yesternight coming back to my mind. I decided that the detail of the kiss was best to be untold. (Yes, yesternight is a real word. Don't let any other pony tell you differently.) "Uh... You just passed out, and I got some of my friends that worked at the bar to carry you back home. That was it." "Dang it." She scratched her head on the table and sighed. "Why 'dang it'?" "Oh, nothing... It's dumb... It's just that I had this dream, and yeah... Nevermind." ... Oh please don't tell me she remembered the kiss ... "What was the dream about?" She blushed lightly too. No. Celestia, take mercy on me! "Oh! Um... Space..." I couldn't tell for sure (her shades and all), but I was positive that she was looking around the kitchen. "Toasters! These crazy toasters... From space. I was hoping they were real because... I love space toasters." If she had pants on, she'd be rolling on the floor in flames. "Oh, that's... Peculiar. Heh." I heard a ring from the kitchen counter. "There's my coffee! Heh heh... You want a cup?" Escape the awkwardness, Octavia... "Yes please." After a minute, she magically put the cups on the table and we took a second to drink. "Hey, Octavia..." "Yes?" "What day is it today?" She looked at me with a serious and straight face. She had to be kidding... "...Sunday." "Oh, oh yeah... I knew that... Wait, what? It's Sunday already!?" I chuckled. "Yes, it's Sunday. Good thing your work is in the afternoon, or you'd be fired from your own record company." "Why would I fire myself? I'm like..." She puffed her chest out. "DAH BOSS. And plus, today is a slow day. Just work with this one stallion, work on album, then I'm done!" "Man, you lucky mare, getting paid for almost nothing at all." "Hey, I do my work good, and you know that!... Wait, what are you gonna do all day? Your work doesn't start until Monday." "Yeah, huh..." I thought about it for a while. I might as well do the whole weekend with Vinyl since it was still the first weekend of moving in. Plus, Vinyl's studio is pretty interesting, and dare I say, fun. "Would you be okay if I came with you to your studio? Just to observe, maybe?" She gave me her trademark grin. "Octavia Philharmonica, of course you can. You know the buttons and place and stuff in the studio and building, so you can help out in case I need an extra hoof! It's just me today, anyways." She grinned even more. "And after, we can go eat or something... Or see a movie! You down, filly?" I sighed and acted like I was thinking about it. She always thinks that I think about accepting her plans, but I really don't. One of the reasons I spend time with her is because she's actually really exciting and fun, but I don't admit that to her. That would be like giving money to the pony who stabs you with a knife, it would just help the succumbing evil. "Yeah, I guess. But I get to pick the movie." "What?! But I'm planning a surprise! I'll let you play in the instrument room in the building for exchange of that privilege!" "You already let me play in the instrument room, automatic privilege." "I'll let you do whatever you want in the building! I'll give you my passkeys!" "You already let me have that privilege too!" I smiled. I was winning. "Well I'll take away that privilege if you don't let me pick the movie." "Fine, fine... You can pick the movie." "Yes! Quick, make breakfast. I have to be there in an hour and a half to get the equipment ready." "So daffodil sandwich or daisy sandwich? Or fruit salad! That's pretty much equal to a daisy or daffodil sandwich," Vinyl said casually as we walked the sidewalk near the tall, grey building to Vinyl's recording studio. "Does it really matter?" She stopped and gasped. "Yes! The qualities of such sandwiches and salad can be the difference to a good lunch, or an awesome lunch! But it's to the opinion of our separate taste buds to choose for ourselves! It's a pretty big deal." That... Was actually pretty well said from Vinyl. "If that's the case... What fruits are in the fruit salad, what is the size of both the fruit salad and the sandwiches, and can you add condiments to such sandwiches?" "Apple, grapes, watermelons, oranges, and maybe a slice of pineapple here and there. The bowl that the fruit salad is in is the same as two cereal bowls from the apartment, and the sandwiches are as big as three quarters of a foot long. Also, yes, but only mayonnaise." "Hmm... I guess I'd get the fruit salad. More choices of fruits than just a sandwich." "Interesting choice... We're here!" She stopped at tall grey building that were the same as all the others, but instead of the dilapidated paint that were upon the other ones, the one that Vinyl's studio was in had new refurnished paint, and a shiny gloss to all the windows. We walked inside to the change to walk over the red, smooth floors, and clear white walls with pictures of artists and musicians from a plethora of different times. Vinyl's studio wasn't the whole building (it was only a floor that was shared with another artist), but the building she chose to work in was the most ravishing of any one in Manehattan. It was ironic to me, that a dirty DJ pony like Vinyl would be making her sweat-making music from a beautiful building like the one she worked in. We walked through the front desk worker to the elevator on the other side of the gigantic room. "Good afternoon Ms.Scratch and Ms.Philharmonica," the light green pony at the front desk said at Vinyl and me. "What's up Frosty?" Vinyl asked the pegasus with a half smile and half confusion. Frosty was the stallion that worked the front desk. "Pretty good, pretty good. How's are you two this fine afternoon?" He smiled. "Oh, cool, cool. We just moved to an apartment together," She bumped the side of my stomach. "Had a small get-together yesterday, small get-togethered, then we got drunk. I should invite you next time, Frosty. Never seen you party before." The elevator finally opened, and she waved a hoof back at him before walking in. "See yah!" We went up the elevator shaft to floor five, to where Vinyl and another stallion (and on occasion, two) shared the whole floor to their music businesses. In retrospect, that was completely fine, great actually, because not only were the booths completely sound proof so one business wouldn't affect the other, but there was more than fifteen rooms on the whole floor, and Vinyl owned seven to herself (the extra room between Vinyl and the other stallion was the lavish bathroom). For Celestia's sake, Vinyl had so many rooms, that she made herself a sleeping/play room, just in case she was so caught in her work that she'd just go across the hall and sleep there! "So Deadp0ny is coming by in twenty minutes to do some collab stuff with me, and I have to get my equipment ready." She handed me her white passkey tied with a light-green lanyard. "Here's the passkey. Do what you want, just stay low so they don't notice I give you my passkey for stuff, heh." I grabbed the lanyard. "Okay,Vinyl. I'll be back in an hour to check on you too." I winked as I was walking away and left the room. Yes. This is the moment I have been waiting for. The passkey that Vinyl gives me is like a key to heaven itself. The passkey allows me to go to any room that requires you to own property in the building, and let's just say that those rooms are, as Vinyl says it, "awesome as heck". They have buffet kitchens! They have instrument rooms! They have an exercise room, a reading room, a swimming pool, and so much more! I went back into the elevator and pressed the button for floor twenty-three, where the buffet was. When the elevator finally dinged, I went down the hall to the left, all the way to the golden doors that said "Dining Hall". I inserted the passkey into the side slot, the door dinged just like the elevator, and I was let inside. Through the doors was a beautiful and humongous dining hall, with the fancy tables, waiter pones, and everything. The whole finesse. Vinyl always disliked the Dining Hall because of the classy music they play, but she always made it through them. Away from that, one of the reasons why I love the Dining Hall is because all ponies come, from the high-standard classy ponies, to the ponies just like Vinyl. And both types seem to be okay with each other eating at the same place! It's quite a innovation, if you ask me. I went inside and took a seat to one of the unused tables. It looked like a slow day, today, so only a few ponies were there. I sat up and prepared to get my food (it was still a buffet in the end, even with all the fanciness). After a few minutes, I got back to my table with my food carried by a waiter pony. I didn't get too much food, just some salad, an apple pie, and a banana. I have to keep my posture, you know! After about fifteen minutes of eating, I became full and was left there with my thoughts while listening to the classy music on the radio. I thought about my job. I thought about the new apartment. And for the most of it, I thought about Vinyl. After thinking about it, I've come to notice that I know barely anything about her! Of course I know about the regular, best-friend-gotta-know type of stuff, like what's her favorite color (VInyl's is blue), what's her favorite food (daffodil sandwiches), what's her favorite place to go (it's the same as mine, Music Go Round)... But what about her family? How'd she end up in Manehattan? I haven't even seen her eyes, for Celestia's sake! Vinyl has got to be one of the most mysterious ponies I've ever known! And for the one question that makes may be a little bit awkward... Which type... Or what kind of... Er... How... Which type of pony is she accustomed to liking...? Oh, whatever... DOES SHE LIKE STALLIONS OR MARES!? I mean, any other way, that would be completely fine. Studies show that a good forty percent of Equestria is gay/lesbian, so it's not that big of a deal anymore. But the fact that I don't know if Vinyl is or not makes me a little bit worried, and it would change everything if she was (not changing the way I look at her, but the whole kiss-kiss situation would change). Wait a minute... I don't even know if I like mares or stallions! I've never been attracted to anypony in my whole life! Is that bad? "Umm, hello, Octavia?" A small voice said from behind me, while tapping my shoulder. I got out of my thinking phase to look behind me. "Oh, greetings Highwinds!" I said. Highwinds was this light-blue pegasus that is the marefriend (or some friend) to the pony next door to Vinyl. It wasn't a surprise that she was using the passkey of him, just like me using the passkey of Vinyl. "Oh, thank goodness, you replied. I saw you here and I was trying to call you for the last five minutes. I thought you weren't Octavia since you didn't reply." I blushed and checked the clock. I was sitting there thinking for twenty minutes... "Oh... Sorry." I said blushing. And then I did some type of "squee" sound... I don't understand how ponies do that. "It's quite fine. Would it be alright if I sat down with you? You seem lonely." "Yes, of course! And I was just thinking. How's Treble?" Treble was the pony next door. "Oh, Treble's fine. Always busy as always. How's Vinyl?" "The usual... She had a 'small get-together' yesterday... Then she got drunk and she k-" Oh wait. I'm not supposed to mention that. "...couldn't get up, so my friends and I had to carry her home. Heh." "Really now? I thought she'd be nice to you. She talks about you all the time. So how was your-" "Wait, what was that!? She talks about me all the time?" She scoffed. "Of course! I'm not here with Treble everyday, but on almost all the days when I'm here and I see Treble and Vinyl talking by the water cooler, she's usually talking about you. To me, it sounds a lot like a crush..." She leaned up to the table and winked at me. "Oh man..." I rested my hooves and face on the table. "Oh, do you not swing that way? Sorry I went a little too far." "No... It's not that I don't swing that way... Or I'm not sure. It's just that this whole predicament is confusing me." "Predicament?" "Highwinds, can you keep a tiny secret for me?" "Of course." If I wanted to find out more about this Vinyl situation, I had to let her know. I explained to her about the kiss Vinyl shot at me while she was drunk, and all the things I've been thinking since it happened. I talked about how I was confused about what kind of pony I liked, and if I liked Vinyl that way... After about twenty minutes, I explained all of it to her. "So..." I said, leaning up to the table like she did before. "What do I do?" She had leaned up against her chair since I started talking. She had her hoof on her chin like she was thinking too. "I think you're making this too complicated. I can end your problems with just two, maybe three questions, you know." "Really?" "Yes. But you're going to have to be honest to me. Not the usual 'Vinyl did something crazy and I got mad' type of things you usually tell me. You have to go deeper than that, okay?" I gulped. "Okay." She smiled. "Okay. Here's my first question. You ready for it?" "I'm ready." "Who is Vinyl Scratch?" "...What?" "Describe her to me." "Um... Vinyl Scratch is a DJ that makes dubstep music... She likes to party, do her job, and she likes to watch movies and go to restaurants, even though she gets kicked out of half the ones she goes to... She's exciting, adventurous, she doesn't like following many rules, and she likes to change things up everyday, which always seems to surprise me. She's also really comfortable to get along with. And some may be surprised, but she's really nice. She orders soup when I'm sick... She can't make soup. Last time she tried that, my apartment almost caught fire, heh. Did I mention she was a horrible cook? Away from that, she's really great. She's the closest pony out of anypony who isn't in my family... She's kind of amazing." "You're smiling." "What?" "You're smiling. You smiled when you said most of that." She was right. And I didn't even notice. "Next question," Highwinds said, sitting up straight. "How do you feel when you see Vinyl? Be honest." "Um... I feel a little worried everytime I see her. I never know what she plans." "Is that all you feel? Just worried?" "Well, of course not... I guess you can say that I also feel... Excited. Excitedly worried. And... Happy. She's one of the only friends that's ever been really close to me, and she's fun to be with. She's makes me feel like I'm not that uptight like how everypony says I am." This time I noticed I was smiling when I said that too. "Good answer." She looked smug. "Yeah... So is there anything else? How did that help?" "Well, I have one more question." "Yes?" "After hearing yourself say all of that, tell me. Do you like Vinyl Scratch?" How did she do that? "...Oh Celestia. I think I might like Vinyl Scratch! What will she think!? What will my mother think!? And what if she doesn't like me back!? I've never been in this type of situation in my life!" "Don't worry, from what I think, Vinyl might like you too." "But what I do!?" She looked me straight in the eye with the seriousness of a... Serious pony. Not the best metaphor I've had. "Just be yourself, Octavia." I stared back into her eyes until I noticed the clock behind her. "Oh, it's already three o' clock... I told Vinyl I'd be back in an hour." I got up and hugged Highwinds. "Thank you for everything." "It's all good. Tell Vinyl I said hi. And good luck!" I gulped. I got back to Vinyl's studio to find Vinyl sitting next to dark-blue stallion with a big mouse head on. Some DJs can be very peculiar. "Oh, hey Tavi! Perfect timing! We were about to record, and I needed someone to handle the outside of the booth while me and Dead here jam it up." Play it cool, Octavia. Be yourself. "I'd be happy to help." I said, smiling. "Good! Oh yeah, and this is Deadp0ny. Deadp0ny, this is my partner in crime, Octavia." We shook hands. Shaking hands with a giant-head mouse pony that plays music. That's a first. "Dang Tavi, why do you look like you're sweating? Did you go to the exercise room or something?" Play it cool... This is like any normal day, Octavia. "Oh! I'm just sweating because it was so... Humid in the Dining Hall. And Highwinds said hello." "Oh okay. And Highwinds... The marefriend of Treble?" "Indeed." "Cool, cool. Well, let's get on with this!" Vinyl and the other DJ went inside her black encased music booth, while I just stayed out to help them record. There's nothing to it, really. All I had to do was make a new file on the computer, press the big red button on the giant sound board, press it again when they're done, then repeat the whole routine for every new song. There was just one problem... They played about thirty songs. "Whew!" Vinyl panted while walking out the booth. "Well, that was awesome. It was fun working with yah, Deadp0ny." He bowed his big mouse head, then it flashed on the whole screen of it, "Thanks Vinyl S." What kind of witchcraft is this? "Hah! You're the bomb. See ya!" I waved at him before he left the room. "Isn't he just the best? A big mouse head. Who would've thought that?" Vinyl said, chuckling at the door he just left from. "Well you wear big funny glasses." "Awe. That was low, Tavi." We laughed together. Maybe this wasn't as hard as I thought. "Wait, what time is it?" I checked the clock on her computer desktop. "Seven. Why?" "Movie time! Dang it, it starts at 7:20, so we got to go now if we're going to walk there..." "Wait, you didn't even tell me what movie we were going to see!" "It's a surprise!" She did her trademark grin. Evil is bound to happen. "They made a Ponynormal Activity 4?" I asked, looking at the movie titles above the theater. "Yup! It's a sequel to the original, and not all those lousy prequels." She scoffed. "Come on!" "Seriously, Vinyl Scratch? Out of every movie, you have to pick this one?" She looked back to me with a devilish smile. "Are you... Scaaarrreed?" I blushed. "No!" "Well, come on!" It was dark. Cold. Quiet. There are times when silence is your friend, and there are times when silence is your sworn enemy. This was the time. I shivered as I walked through the darkness of the hallways throughout me and Vinyl's apartment. Making my way through the half-house, I made it all the way to the kitchen with nothing grabbing my hooves. No flickering lights? Check. No ominous shadows lurking over me? Check. No swinging chandeliers? I don't think we even have any chandeliers. Nothing touching my tail? Check...? Something brushed over it. "AHHHHHHHH!" I jumped up in a flurry of motions until I hit the floor with a loud thump. "AHHHHH!" Vinyl screamed back at me. "Why'd you scream?!?" She went back to a whispering voice. "Why'd you touch my tail?!" "I wanted to make sure you were here... I can't see a thing." She put on her puppy dog face. "Well take off your glasses you dolt!" "No! You know I can't do that! Now get me my water!" "Out of any night you could have done this, you had to get thirsty tonight... Why can't you do this yourself?!" "...I'm scared." "Yeah, I told you it was a bad idea to watch that-" Something was making a tapping noise outside. We both stood in the middle of the kitchen, as white as snow. "W-what was that?" She whispered as she slowly turned to me. "It's p-probably just a cat or something, nothing to worry abou-" Something hit the kitchen window, and Vinyl and I screamed and jumped in an instant. "AHHHHHHHH!" We screamed in unison, running back to Vinyl's room.