//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty Three- Whispers Of a DJ // Story: The Strings Of Life // by MLPxMaestro //------------------------------// The Strings Of Life: Chapter 23- Whispers of a DJ: “Pretty much, yeah, this one mare who goes by her DJ name lives just a couple of blocks that way. I managed to help her move some of her stuff in, since that was just the neighbor in me.” a stallion states to them at his doorway. “Thank you for this information, we appreciate it.” Octavia gave a sincere smile in return. “No prob…and oh, if she’s not there, she probably hanging out in a club somewhere down the street I’d assume.” He added. “Thank you again.” Octavia replied once more, before her and Maestro finally left. Her and Maestro were now picking up the pace towards the direction the stallion pointed out to them, and was even nice enough to give them her apartment number. “Okay…so it’s room one-one-seven.” Octavia continued looking at the piece of paper with her number scribbled down on it and some brief directions, still thinking about all the great times they had together as being the best of friends. “So Octavia…” “Yes?” she turned her head facing him. “I’d like to know more about you and Vinyl Scratch. How did the two of you meet, and some other stuff I wondered too.” “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” Octavia then faced off again in the direction of the apartment she was living in that was out of sight, almost like she hadn’t seen her in forever. But of course it has definitely been some time since those very troubling times between the three of them. “Well…we we’re roommates at one point in our lives.” She began recapping memories of the two of them back when they first met. “I heard I was going to have a musician as a roommate, which I was excited for. But never did I expect her to be a DJ.” She added. Maestro’s eyes stuck on Octavia, implying he was intrigued by her story. “Keep going, I want to hear more about your friendship.” He said. “Right, right, well later then, I opened the door, and there she was making her own mixes on a mobile uh, what do you call it again?” “Uh…turn table?” Maestro shrugged guessing. “Of course…can’t believe I forgot that.” “It’s fine, continue.” He gestured. She then clears her throat once more and proceeds to continue. “When she looked at me, she acted like I was from a different era, like somepony who had been from the past. Of course I looked at her like she was from the future of course, having those headphones on her head, listening to her favorite music and finding all kinds of different ways to ‘drag and paste’ as she liked to call it to be funny.” Octavia and Maestro were now right under Vinyl’s room, and could actually hear bass coming from her room. “S-she’s there, let’s-” she was then stopped, as Maestro grabbed one of her hoofs, keeping her from going, and brought her down to where he was sitting. “We know she’s here, that’s all we need to know. When and if she ever leaves, we will know it, and we will know where she’s going too.” Maestro states. “Now…where were you exactly?” Octavia pondered for a mere moment or two, then back on track with her story. “Ah yes, well then…me and her were attending a university, but however, she was certainly far from what I expected.” “What do you mean?” Maestro wondered. “She had no manners, well…okay maybe some…but she was somewhat of a tomboy come to think of it, but that wasn’t much of an issue though. I taught her some things about making a good impression on others, and surprisingly enough…she even taught me some things about society that I never knew as well. It was rather impressive actually.” “Seems like a wonderful friend to have.” Maestro replied briefly. “Well, she was certainly not your everyday pony, she was in fact in many terms, opposite of what I apply into my lifestyle. We however as the time had gone by, we warmed up to each other more and more, and became more interested into what we do and such.” “Did something happen between you two?” “Well uh…I suppose you could say that he-he.” Octavia put both of her hoofs together lightly tapping them together feeling a bit embarrassed now on what she now had to tell him. “What happened then?” “Well one night when we were at a party, she was playing her music over the speakers, then well…spin the bottle was yelled out among the crowd.” “Oh boy…that game.” As Maestro then recalls himself playing a few games of it himself when he was in his high school years. “Exactly, that game.” Octavia awkwardly grinned. “But when well Vinyl was dared, she was dared to do something ridiculous, and that was the problem with spin the bottle.” “You have to go with the dare.” Maestro added in. “Exactly…” she then rolled her eyes, knowing how much madness was in the game. “Well she was dared to…” “Dared to what…oh…wait a minute…you didn’t?!” Octavia then smiled at him as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and feeling very odd now at the moment. “Right, but we were dared to…well…kiss…and so we did.” Maestro’s mind then went off to the thought of them locking lips with each other. “Oh come on Maestro, damn dude, don’t be thinking like that, Octavia’s right here.” He said to himself, snapping out of the thought of them kissing. “Yeah, I knew this conversation would take an awkward turn, maybe I should just stop there.” “That’s the problem, you stop there, then that image is going to be burned into my mind.” He replied. Octavia gave a soft giggle, knowing how weird that must have felt to him hearing that. “I understand, well I mean, we actually managed to make our own music together though?” she added in order to clear up the subject. “Like what kind of music?” “Well I guess a blend of instrumental and dance music or techno I believe it’s called.” “Hm, that actually sounds like an interesting genre?” “Oh it was, and I was even surprised myself of how neat it sounded, she was a professional at mixing different sounds, editing it, making a rhythm repeat, the usual. But in my eyes, she seemed like she was born to do something like that” said Octavia. They continued on with her stories about all kinds of great and funny experiences they had together. How Vinyl stepped up for Octavia when she was being bullied and made fun of for her being the only cello player at that university. How Octavia shared her sandwich with Vinyl, and Vinyl was nearly in tears of joy…whatever that reason was for? Tales even of how Octavia made sure Vinyl knew proper table manners when Vinyl’s parents came over to check on how their daughter was doing one day, and they loved Octavia being such a proper and upper-class friend to her. They however didn’t graduate together, as Vinyl dropped out of the university to pursue and start her own gig in music. As for Octavia, she actually left also, since it wasn’t the same without Vinyl being there with her. As their experiences and laughable memories together continued on, they both had noticed that the bass had then stopped. “There, she’s stopped, so now either she’s heading out or she’s now just taking it easy. Either way, let’s get up there like you said.” Maestro spoke in a more quiet tone. “Well, I just…oh goodness.” “What’s wrong now? Didn’t you want to do this?” he asked her. “You did too.” Octavia pointed back at him. “Well…okay fine, true.” “I just…I just don’t know how to react or talk to her when we meet?” Octavia began worrying. “Just focus on what needs to be done, rather than have your mind beat around the bush, and starting to think of negative things that may or may not happen.” “May?!” she exclaimed. “Shhh!” Maestro immediately covered her mouth with one of his hoofs, gently bringing his hoof off of her mouth and gesturing his hoof to follow behind him up to her place. They were now slowly making their way up to Vinyl’s place, or atleast they were hoping it’s her place. Some of the floorboards made a distinctive creaking noise as it was surprisingly quiet, but many ponies here enjoyed the night life, which must’ve implied to some of the residents here sleeping during the day, which seemed to answer why it seemed so quiet. “Okay…here it is Octavia…you ready?” Maestro then extended his hoof towards the door to knock on it. “W-wait, p-please…I’m…I’m not ready yet.” “You’re just nervous and afraid aren’t you?” he asked her, giving her eye contact. Octavia said nothing to him, and simply stood there looking at the door, then back at him, then looking away over a balcony between the suspected room and another room right across from hers. “Octavia…come on now…let’s live up to your promise, got it?” he reminded her in assurance that he had her back in case something went wrong. “How about you being the first one she sees? She’d be more comfortable seeing you as a sight for sore eyes, rather than me.” Octavia added. Maestro’s mind could be seen working, as he looked back at the room’s door, then back at her. “Okay…we’ll see how this plans out, I’ll do this.” “Oh thank you so much.” She leans into him with a grin of relief. “But only if…when I talk to her for a few moments, you will fess right up and do what you have to do…okay?” Octavia simply nods, as she then makes her way out of sight from the doorway. Maestro turns back around towards the door, and proceeds to knock on it. “Yeah? Who is it? If it’s the pizza guy again, I’m not paying again, you got that?” Maestro and Octavia’s ears immediately erected right up into the air, recognizing that voice from anypony. “It is her.” Maestro thinks to himself. “Oh my…looks right we have reached the right room.” Octavia thinks to herself as well. They both could then hear hoofsteps approaching the door, luckily Maestro comfortably stayed out of sight for him to be fully recognized through the peephole. “Who are you?” the voice called out to him. “Uh…hello?” The voice went silent for a few moments. “M…Maestro? I-is that you?” the voice rose in shock and of slight excitement. “Um…yeah, it’s me…that you Vinyl?” “Oh my gosh it is you! Uh here, lemme unlock the door for you!” the voice exclaimed, as the door could then be heard in a flurry of noises unlocking the door. The door then finally opens, and they were right…it was Vinyl Scratch. “Maestro, oh my gosh, holy crap man! What’re you doin all the way out here! How did you know I even lived here?!” Vinyl’s face lit up, glad to see a familiar face. Good thing her and Maestro didn’t stop being friends, but that unnecessary drama left them separated, feeling too down to really feel like doing anything. “Well I found out where you had moved to from the Ponyville residential archives from the mayor of the town. It was recorded where you’re next destination of residence would be designated, and so I found it.” he replied. Octavia continued to stay clear out of sight from even slightly appearing out of the corner of Vinyl’s unique eyes. “Well don’t just stand there dude, come on in!” Vinyl Scratch then backed up from the doorway and back into her place insisting he come in, so they could finally have a chance to catch up. “Um…Vinyl?” Maestro briefly looked to the side of him, gesturing Octavia to get ready to show herself. “Yeah, what’s up?” “I kind of brought somepony along with me, I think you’ll recognize her.” he smiled with a little uneasy smile. “Uh, okay? Who is this? Wait a minute, don’t tell me, don’t tell me. Is this that one chick who I saw checking you out that one day when we were in Ponyville?” Vinyl asked. “What? Oh goodness no…wait a second…what now?” “Pfft, yeah, that chick was totally into you. She waved at you, but you must’ve not seen her or something…Roseluck I think was her name?” “How is your memory that good, my gosh!” “Eh, a mare has her ways of remembering.” Vinyl replies with a smirk. “Well it’s not her, not even close. It’s someone…you were once friends with.” Vinyl then paused for a moment, her eyes got big as she simply stood there looking at him. “Y-you’re k-kidding…surely you are?” Maestro said nothing, as he proceeded to open up the door entirely, thus revealing Octavia stepping back into complete sight of her. Vinyl could say nothing to her, as her mouth lay there a partly agape, thinking that surely it must have been some sort of dream. “Oh…no…oh no, no, no.” Vinyl then placed her hoof on the doorknob implying to Maestro she wasn’t going to go kindly along with it, or for this part of that matter so far. “This can’t be happening…what the buck is that jerk doing here?!” she asked Maestro agitated, stirring up past feelings. “It’s not like that anymore Vinyl, just listen to me!” “Hell no dude, hell no! I’m not going to be friends with that…that thing.” Vinyl looked away from her. Octavia couldn’t believe it, though she could at the same time. From what Maestro and Octavia were experiencing from Vinyl, history was repeating itself, and biting Octavia right on the flank. “Don’t let history repeat itself Vinyl, just allow me to explain everything to you.” “What do you got to explain, I’ve moved on Maestro! You’re fine, I have no problem with you at all, and it’s her I don’t prefer.” Vinyl replies. Maestro then looks back at Octavia then back at Vinyl, and proceeds to go in anyhow. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing mister!”