Octavia had very little conscience left since her encounter with her former employer, other than that she had somehow made it back to her apartment safely. As she sat at her makeshift home office, her coffee table, still reeling in a near comatose state at what had transpire earlier that day. Looking to her right she saw a growing stack of mail that consisted of bills yet to be paid and probably some junk mail. At least she’d have money to pay them for next three months hopefully, but what then would become her source of income. Playing her cello was her livelihood not only to make bits, but it was her life’s calling to someday play music that went beyond sounding nice, but reaching a different almost uplifting spiritual level. Now she faced a new issue; within three months if she didn’t manage to figure out a new way to earn of bits, she wouldn’t be able to provide not only for herself, but her unborn foal.
She found herself stranded with the bitter fact that she had no inkling to whom the foal’s father was. Having no explanation to how this whole ordeal was plausible, left her dumfounded and frustarted. It was making her feel no better than two bit hussy. Grasping her head between her hoofs, racking her brain for the non-existent memory to make sense of what was currently happening.
This was not how she envisioned herself becoming a mother. She always thought that she’d be married first, and that she had successful career before deciding to take time off to start a family. Now, she was unemployed expecting mare. There very was little chance she could make a comeback as classical musician seeing as Jazz’s reaction would good indication of other possible future employer’s first impression of her.
Letting out long frustrated sigh in defeat of this sordid day before she collapse exhausted into the coffee table. A dull pain throbbed at where her head came in contact with the coffee table and the crashes aftershock jostled the stack of letters. Resulting one off white letter drifting out the stack towards the middle of the table, landing next to the pamphlet the Dr. Gallop had given her nearly three days ago.
She so badly wanted to cry, but the tears would not come. She longed to cry shamelessly like a filly even if it seemed childish and be smothered with comfort and love that parents were gifted in bring to their child, making any issue seem less overwhelming. She knew better through, she was raised to be a strong self-efficient pony. It went against her proud nature to accepted hangout’s for something she alone be held accountable for. She’d rely on own her ambitions deal with her unforeseen predicament.
As Celestia’s sun vanish below the horizon signaling the days end and Luna’s moon rising, bringing forth the night. Octavia felt herself be hit a bout of fatigue that harshly reminded her how physically and mentally exhausting the day had been. Too tired to bother getting up too make the short trip to her bedroom. She shifted into a somewhat reasonably comfortable position before drifting off into a uneasy sleep.
Waking up with some minor soreness due to poor choice of where to sleep. She managed to rise despite a painfully stiff neck, only to be further disoriented as her vision currently was a white haze. Lifting her hoof to her face to discover a wad of paper comically struck to forehead. Snatching it off dismissively, and then rubbing her sore neck with her left hoof. Her refreshed conscious brought her back to questionable reality.
Royally bucked, it looked so far since the discovery she was to expect a dependent sometime roughly within the next nine and months; putting the foaling day somewhere between mid-fall to early winter. She felt a small amount of relief given a reasonable time frame to prepare considering it was only the middle of February. Then the issue surrounding her manner to earn bits would only continue to haunt her if she didn’t resolve her employment issue before things became dire.
Originally she had work lined up throughout the spring till the Grand Galloping Gala auditions; the most recent would’ve been the ensemble playing at an elite society social gathering during Hearts and Hooves Day. It probably would’ve been an exhibit of many shades of red and pink Hearts and Hooves decorations. It would’ve been a gathering of all sorts of ponies that would either be there with significant others or alone looking to make connections, while the ensemble played with renowned poise in the background.
The sight of stack of wayward bills permeated into her peripheral version giving her no chance to even faintly ignore her bit issues. It brought on some unpredicted sniffles that lead to the abrupt first sign of precipitation that quickly transpire into ironic tears she longed for last night. She became lost in within a wave of overwhelming emotion manifesting itself as heart wrenching bawling. She cried in frustration at the demoralization situation she felt unjustly thrown in. She cried in frustration at how she lack the memory to how all this was possible. Her tears continued to flow down stained cheeks for her botched reputation as acclaimed lady and a respectable musician. Because now she bestowed the impression as knocked-up whore who didn't know whom the brat’s father was.
Her first bout of negatively towards the foal stunned her, did really harbor resentment towards her child? For consequences she was momentarily struggling with. No, if anything she more disgusted with herself for bringing an innocent life into such an unfair predicament. She would not hold the foal at fault; she’d be accountable for stumbling into a single motherhood. With one last sniffle she began to recompose herself, she’d never allow herself to be seen disheveled. She was about to wipe away the last her tears to stop at sudden contact of paper crinkle against her cheek.
She had forgotten she still held the offensive wad that earlier had been struck to her forehead. Discovering it was consisted of two pieces; the pregnancy pamphlet she was long overdue to read and a letter. Inspecting the envelope she found it changeling to read due senders chicken scratch writing, but adorned on its back was a stamp sealing the envelop securely shut, was what she assumed most likely was the senders cutie mark; a backwards double waver. She set the pamphlet aside for now, her curiosity drawing her to find out what the unknown sender had written to her.
With a precise hoof she made a clean opening along the envelopes top to avoid damaging its contents. Giving it a gentle shake, she was shocked to have glow stick alongside a letter land into her hoof. Looking at the glow stick baffled at why anypony would send such a thing by mail. She found the letter written in the same somewhat readable chicken scratch. The glow stick join the pamphlet to the side as Octavia began a modest attempt to decipher the unknown senders writing.
Hiya Octy,
Just writing to ya to say hi, hope things are going well for you. Sorry about the hangover, but at least your birthday turned out to be quite a fun night, I think.... Too bad I can’t remember much of it, but what little I do remember was pretty awesome. You’re quite the dancer after a few drinks and I give you kudos at matching me for drinks downed. Your quite the surprising pony Octy,gue you seem all primed and stuffy, but get you liquored up and your quite the party animal. So if you ever feel like hanging out sometime, just mail me whenever and if don't want ta talk to me again. That's cool, I don't judge.
From Equestria’s most rockin DJ
Vinyl Scratch
PS: Don’t get too mad, but I told my friends the story about how you ended upchucking me and they found it hilarious. Also there's a glow stick for you as a birthday memento and good luck to another year older.
Images of the toothy grinning, white pony DJ flashed before her. She wasn't sure what she considered the DJ, a friend maybe. Of what little she did remember of her birthday, Vinyl Scratch didn’t seem that bad a pony. Sure she came off as a little bit sure of herself and a somewhat crazy, but then she recalled how chivalrous the DJ had been staring down a dangerous drunkard. Then again Vinyl scratch was DJ and Disc Jockeys were often involved with the lower deeps of society. Some were accessory with the hard-core partying scene that often was fuelled by vast amounts of alcohol consumption and drug use. Feeling at unease thinking about the possible dangerous things the DJ could be into; it set off an instinctive wave of protectiveness for her unborn child, which led to her hasty decision not to associate with the DJ ever again. Finished with Vinyl Scratch’s letter she set it down and rubbed her temples unsure how to proceed further within this day.
For three days she procrastinated in a vain attempt at avoiding the pamphlet, would somehow make this surreal situation just go away. Finally breaking down she pick it up for first time with intent to read it. It started off with a cutesy title, (Getting a New Mommy Started), which she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at. Giving it the quick scan through, it gave brief information on details like to expect within each trimester and to dos and don’ts to have a healthy pregnancy. Taking one last glance through the pamphlet, she took notice to Dr. Gallop’s scribbled writing indicating her estimated conception date.
From what she understood, it put the fertilization to implantation within a time frame of about a week sometime in the beginning of November. Which she found odd: considering she knew for a fact that she hadn’t been around any stallions other than her band mates, Fredric and Harpo. Also she factor in that she wasn't seeing or with anypony around that time.
She started sifting through her memories of last the November, looking for some form of closure so she may move on. She try her best to recalled that first week, not much had happen other than several rehearsals in preparation for the many different socialite events taking place around Hearts Warming Day. Then she vaguely remembered how let it slip to her band mate and close friend, Beauty Brass, that it was her birthday that following weekend. To which Beauty Brass had guilt trip her in doing something together to commemorate her birthday.
Then things began spin as pieces of the puzzle finally seemed to come together as a revelation dawned on her. There was really only one night she couldn’t account for, that night when Beauty Brass had dragged her to that nightclub. Concentrating all she had she strained her brain, attempting to force out all memories of that night, but all she could recall was arriving, Beauty leaving her , then being save from a drunken stallion by the DJ, then the celebratory birthday shots she shared with white pony, then some hazy flashes of dancing and hearing some pony mention body shots.
She shuddered hoping whatever she possibly did that night wasn’t too atrocious, but it still left her biggest question unanswered. Who did she apparently ended up having a one night stand with? It seemed the only way she might get some answers if she talk only pony it seemed she spent any time with that night, Vinyl Scratch.
For the first time she look downwards at her stomach, through still flat, but now knowing that some little pony was growing within her. It pushed the last of the shocked out her system and was replaced a mothers unconditional love. Laying her hoof across tummy, she muttered softly, “You don’t deserve this little one, but I promise do my best I can.”
Facehoofing in annoyance for if she wanted answers shed have to swallow her pride and eat her own words before approaching the DJ. Looking at Vinyl Scratch’s letter to her, she found relief to see at least the DJ knew how a write letter somewhat properly. Even through the writing was a manageable read, at least it contained a return address which she could as means to make contact with the strange pony. Her decision made that she,d seek out answers first, she opened the nearest drawer of her coffee table and grabbed a pen and paper.