"Wake up." Vinyl, dressed in nothing but an apron, stretched herself over the bed, and nuzzled Octavia. "Breakfast."
"Tired," Octavia muttered, and rolled over, wrapping herself in the blankets.
"I didn't even see you come in last night." Vinyl nudged her. "That's what you get for being out all hours of the night." She pushed Octavia a little harder. "I made waffles."
"Waffles?" Octavia's eyes opened. Perhaps she could get up for waffles. "Coffee?"
"Brewing right now," Vinyl told her. "I was going to make you a cappuccino-" She smiled. "-but I couldn't figure out your machine."
"It's alright. Coffee will be fine." Octavia pulled her robe from a hanger on the valet stand. "How late is it?" She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and looked at the clock on their nightstand. "I need to be at the office in two hours."
"Not today," Vinyl kissed the Octavia on the cheek. "Fancy Pants said that you're taking a day off." She wrapped a hoof around Octavia's neck, and kissed it tenderly. "We got the whole day together."
"I wish he would have let me know earlier." Octavia blushed at Vinyl's advances. "You said something about waffles." She looked in the mirror. Octavia did not feel like she deserved a day off, but the countenance of the mare in the mirror seemed to disagree with her. The bags underneath her eyes certainly indicated so. "Yes," She admitted to Vinyl and herself, "I could use a day off."
"I know that," Vinyl proclaimed, "Which is why we're doing this." She nodded, and walked into the kitchen. "You just take a seat in the breakfast nook," She yelled amid the clattering of plates and silverware. "I'll be there in a second."
The breakfast nook was not as large as their dining room, but that was really the point of it. Coziness. Even in this high rise apartment, Vinyl and Octavia still tried to have a few rooms that were cozy. While other rooms were a clear attempt to intimidate or awe guests with their abundant wealth, the breakfast nook was only meant for them to share. A white wicker table and two matching chairs with green cushions rested on pink rose marble floor. A few potted plants decorated the interior of a large bay window.
That bay window had a view that would take a pony's breath away. No other high rise in the city afforded a view like this. From that window she could see the white alabaster walls of the palace, the lush greenery of the palace, and a grand view of the bustling market street some thirty stories beneath them. Octavia could not help but smile to herself as she watched the hustle and bustle beneath her. She took a moment to appreciate not partaking in any herself, at least for today. Sometimes a brief rest was necessary.
Vinyl came in with plates, silverware, and toppings firmly grasped in her magic. She set them down gently on the wicker table. Octavia lifted her fork, and paused. Butter and maple syrup, or strawberries and cream? Octavia furrowed her brow, hopefully this would be her most difficult decision to make today. Her concentration was interrupted when Vinyl made the decision for her. A large spoonful of strawberries was plopped onto her waffle, followed by a dollop of whipped cream.
Octavia took a moment to appreciate the blend of flavors as Vinyl waved a fork just underneath her mouth. She did not normally allow Vinyl to feed her, but she had been somewhat neglectful lately. Octavia would allow it just this once. The cream was clearly fresh. The strawberries had been preserved, but that only served to make them sweeter. The waffle was light and fluffy, with just the right amount of sugar in it. Vinyl had outdone herself.
"Vinyl," Octavia plucked the fork from the air. That was enough of that, enjoyable as it had been. "This is wonderful." She used the side of her fork to cut off a small section. "When did you learn this?"
"I've been taking a few classes," Vinyl admitted. "Do you really like it?"
"I love it," Octavia placed the morsel i her mouth. "It's amazing." She chewed thoughtfully, and, without an adherence to etiquette, said, "Do you know what this means?"
"What?" Vinyl asked.
"I'm never eating out again," Octavia told her.
Vinyl smiled, stood up, leaned over the table, and whispered in Octavia's ear. Octavia blushed.
"Race you," Octavia challenged, and placed a final bite in her mouth.
Octavia and Vinyl rested in hot water in their large copper tub. They were dwarfed by it's size, but that only helped them bathe together. Octavia leaned back, and rested her head on Vinyl's chest, staring up at the engraved ceiling tiles. The bathroom was likely the most elegant room in their high rise apartment. Copper fixtures were polished to a bright shine, tasteful artwork lined the walls. Rose scented soaps filled the air.
Vinyl poured water over Octavia's mane, and scrubbed lilac scented shampoo into a lather. Octavia took a sip from her champagne flute, and set it beside the bottle on the banister. She lifted herself up, and splashed some water on Vinyl. Grinning madly, Vinyl took her empty champagne flute, and used it to splash water on Octavia.
Octavia quickly downed her champagne to avoid getting bathwater in it, and retaliated. The giggling pervaded the house. The splashing of water continued.
A particularly embarrassed mailpony knocked on the door to the high rise apartment. He had not seen anything, but he knew what those noises meant. Had it not been for the sheer importance of the letter's sender, he might have simply left it at the door. The absence of a mail slot prevented this.
He coughed as multiple locks tumbled, and chains rattled. He hoped the chains were used to secure the door. On his last delivery he had seen things. The door cracked open, and Octavia angrily eyed him through the crack with the door secured by one last chain.
"Miss Melody?" He raised a letter, and extended it to her.
"Who's it from?" She did not take it from him, and continued eyeing him.
"Fancy Pants," The mailpony responded, "He said it was most urgent."
"Urgent?" She eyed the letter. "Did he say what it was about?"
"I believe it's an invitation." He inched the letter closer to her.
"Hold it up to the light," Octavia ordered, snapping the last chain off the door, she craned forward. Looking intently at the letter, she traced its edge, feeling for weight without taking it from his grip. "Very well." She took it from him. "Are you supposed to carry my reply?"
"Yes, ma'am, I am," The mailpony waited.
"Stay here." Octavia slammed the door, and snapped the locks and chains back into place.
"What is it?" Vinyl walked out of the bathroom with a towel around her neck.
"An invitation," Octavia explained, and ripped the letter open. "To Arion's at the River." She picked up the engraved invitation. "For lunch. Fancy Pants already made the reservations."
"Isn't that one of those fine dining places?" Vinyl asked skeptically, "Can we really afford that?"
"I'm certain that our account will be fine." Octavia glanced over the gilded statues in their foyer. "We're not exactly strapped for bits."
"But don't those places have dress codes?" Vinyl vigorously dried her mane. "I don't have clothes like that, Tavi." She threw the towel back around her neck. "I've never had clothes like that."
"You can wear something of mine." Octavia reached for a pen. "Fancy Pants and Fleur has been to good to us for us to turn them down."
"I was kind of hoping we could stay in bed today." Vinyl took off the towel, and batted her eyelashes. "Please?"
"Tempting, but we need to be social." Octavia wrote out a brief reply on the back of the invitation. "Let's get dressed. We don't have much time."
"Fine," Vinyl whined, and snapped the towel at Octavia's flank.
Octavia dropped her pen, blushed, and shooed Vinyl away. She began the long tedious process of unlocking the door.
"Alright," She commented, and slid the letter through the crack. "Off with you."
She shut the door, placed every horizontal lock, every vertical lock, every and chain back in place. She trotted off to the bedroom, and laughed at the sight of Vinyl trying to tie a bow tie. The silk was bunched up around Vinyl's neck into a square knot.
"Vinyl," Octavia sighed, raising a hoof to her face. "Arion's is a fine dining restaurant. A bow tie over your bare neck is not enough." She untied it for her, and tossed it over the mirror. "Let's find you something a little more suitable." She pushed Vinyl into the walk in closet.
"I'm not wearing a dress," Vinyl stated, "I'm not wearing anything frilly."
"But this would look so good on you!" Octavia raised up a pink sundress.
"Tavi, it's like thirty degrees out." Vinyl put it back on the hanger. "I hardly think that would work."
"Alright." Octavia held up a black v-neck cocktail dress. "How's this."
"I said I'm not wearing a dress," Vinyl repeated her earlier statement, "And nothing frilly."
"If you do this for me." Octavia pushed the dress closer to her. "I'll do that thing you like."
"The thing." Vinyl's ears perked up, and a mad grin appeared on her face. "The thing with the thing?" Vinyl kissed Octavia. "Tonight?" She waited for Octavia to nod. "I'll wear anything."
Octavia helped Vinyl into the dress, and handed her a thick blue coat to go with it. She rifled through her jewelry box, until she found a gold hat pin with a sapphire stud at the end of it. She then lifted up a hat box from the top shelf, and gave both to Vinyl.
"Do you know how to use a hat pin?" Octavia asked her, sighing at Vinyl fumbling with the blue bucket hat. "You pierce the hat, and put the pin through a section of your mane." She guided the hat pin, so that Vinyl would not stick herself. "And then you bring it through the other side."
"Now for you," Vinyl insisted, "We're gonna make you look awesome."
"Professional," Octavia corrected, "I need to look professional constantly."
"Sure," Vinyl tossed her a cream blouse. "Put that on."
Taking a close look at the blouse, Octavia ran a hoof across the lace cuffs and placard. A little bit of lace made it feminine, and she appreciated that the collar was only lined with it. She threw it over her back, pulled on the sleeves, and ran her hooves across the mother of pearl buttons. It was a fine blouse of stiff cotton.
Vinyl handed her a long black skirt. Octavia pulled it on, appreciating the feel of the wool fabric. She ran a hoof across the cream silk piping at the hem.
"Don't you think I should add a bit of color?" Octavia asked, "Black and cream needs something to add a little pop to it."
Vinyl rummaged through the black felt jewelry box, and handed Octavia a gold hair brooch with an enamel light purple stylized chrysanthemum in the center. She affixed it to her mane, just in front of her left ear.
"I think I'll need a coat," Octavia informed Vinyl. "Will you be a dear, and hand me one?"
Vinyl went through the insane amounts of coats in the closet. Most of them were the exact same design with minor variations, black single vent coats with notch lapels. A few had topstitching, some had welted pockets, a few had patch pockets, some had double welted pockets, and others had no pockets. She paused at one final coat. It was as if it was made to go with Octavia's current ensemble. A stiff two button coat with black enamel buttons, and silk cream piping at the edges of the lapel and the cuffs. She beamed as she handed it to Octavia.
"This is lovely." Octavia smiled as she threw it on. "I had forgotten about this one."
"That's because you have more coats than brains," Vinyl teased, "Let's go."
They stepped into Arion's at the River. It was a large place with high red walls, spotless table cloths, waiters in white smoking jackets and black ties, and perfectly dressed smiling patrons. Octavia nodded to some of her board member as the maitre d' escorted her and Vinyl to a table on the second floor.
Fancy Pants stood as they approached the table, and joined the maitre d' in scooting back chairs for the mares. He shook their hooves, and sat down. Fleur greeted both of them with a kiss on the cheek, and sat down as well. Scooting her chair closer to her husband, Fleur leaned her head against him.
"It's so good to see the two of you." Fancy Pants opened his menu. "I recommend the fontina polenta. They don't make it better anywhere else."
"Darling, won't you try something new?" Fleur raised an eyebrow. "You just eat the same thing every time."
"Is the wild mushroom ravioli good?" Vinyl asked, doing her best not to gawk at the prices on the menu.
"Nothing quite like it," Fancy Pants commented, "Though apparently I'm in no place to judge." He nuzzled his wife. "Some pony here thinks I'm a foal when it come to food."
"I never said that." Fleur turned to Octavia, and mouthed, "He is."
A while later, they gazed at their plates. Vinyl was quite pleased with her wild mushroom ravioli, Fancy Pants enjoyed his fontina polenta and stuffed peppers- much to Fleur's chagrin -Fleur took small bites of her eggplant parmagiana, and Octavia pushed around her butternut squash mezaluna.
"So, Miss Melody." Fancy Pants looked up from his meal. "How has your day off been?"
"Quite good," Octavia admitted, "It's the first I've had since we started up the factory."
"That's what I would like to talk to you about." Fancy straightened his tie. "I'd like for you to take at least one day off a week." He set down his fork. "Preferably two, but at least one."
"I'm not sure that I could do that." Octavia sat her fork down as well. "The business is only just coming out of the red."
"It's a young business, Octavia." Fancy sipped his tea. "But do you know why most businesses fail?" He raised an eyebrow as he spoke, "The owners work themselves to exhaustion, thinking that burning the midnight oil is the only way to get ahead." He paused to let that sink in. "It's not. What we're doing right now? This is business, but it doesn't have to feel like work."
"Do you want me to be a socialite?" Octavia asked, "I'm not sure if I'm cut out for that, Fancy."
"But you are," Fancy insisted, "And it would be very good for the business if you became one." He smiled. "The company doesn't simply need a paper push, Octavia." He took another sip of tea. "It needs a face, someone that every pony sees, and says 'That's what this city needs'." He smiled. "And this way, when you're working all night, you can bring Miss Scratch with you."
"That sounds promising, Fancy." Octavia nodded. "But who would take care of all that paperwork?"
"You do remember that you have a secretary?" Fancy reminded her, "Paperwork is her job."
"I suppose," Octavia agreed, "But I have to admit that we might need more employees. Who will take care of the hiring process if I don't."
"I..." Fancy paused. "I took care of that today." He looked over to Fleur, who nodded to him. "More of Blueblood's captives escaped last night." He winced. "Four of them. I hired them as our worker relations department."
"I see." Octavia noddded. "I agree, but I hope that you'll inform me before making decisions like this. I want to see that-" She looked around, and whispered, "-Bastard suffer more than anyone else." She leaned back, and sighed, "Did you hear that the Princesses are looking at reinstating the death penalty?" She laughed, "Just for when he gets caught." She shrugged. "But next time? Let me know."
"I assumed you wouldn't have a problem with it," Fancy explained, "Seeing as you hired Blueblood's old chateau staff." He sipped his tea again. "But I apologize. I overstepped my bounds, and I won't do it again."
"Wait," Vinyl deadpanned, "Blueblood's staff? The ponies who ran the kidnapping ring?" She looked at Octavia. "You hired them?"
"They interview very well," Octavia insisted, "And only one of them actually ran the kidnapping ring." She shrugged. "I didn't hire that one."
"But they should have told somebody," Vinyl objected, "You can't trust them." Vinyl paused for a moment. "Wait, how do they interview well? They can't even speak."
"Do you have something against the handicapped, Vinyl?" Octavia teased, "I assure you, they're wonderful stallions." She smiled. "I have them in the research and development wing. They do wonders down there."
"I've met them," Fancy added, "They've never seemed like bad ponies."
"Blueblood didn't seem like a bad pony, either," Vinyl snorted, "We can see how that turned-"
"Yes, I was abused for a few months, and then we got a massive court settlement," Octavia interrupted her, "Now we're having an amazing lunch at a place we might have gone to once in our lifetime." Octavia shrugged. "Now we could afford to eat here everyday for every meal." Octavia frowned. "Oh, and we have two wonderful friends we wouldn't have otherwise."
"Well, thank you." Fleur patted her mouth with a cloth napkin. "But I think we're making Vinyl very uncomfortable." She looked around the table. "I think a change of subject is in order. Would any pony like dessert?"
Octavia and Vinyl walked the gas lit streets of the city, still dressed in their finery. Octavia wished that she had worn a hat. The cold December snow whipped around their legs.
"Octavia?" Vinyl stopped.
"Yes?" Octavia looked over her shoulder. "What is it?"
"Are you happy?" Vinyl looked at her. "I mean- back at the restaurant. You made it sound like you were happy about life now." She paused. "But sometimes I hear you crying at night." She looked up at her. "When you think I'm asleep." She moved closer to Octavia. "I would get up then, but I know you don't like for me to see you like that."
"Vinyl." Octavia hugged her tightly. "Some days are harder than others." She tightened her embrace. "I want to be happy, I really do." Her voice wavered. "I have the best marefriend in the world, more money than I can wrap my head around." She shivered, but not from the cold. "I want to be happy, but it's hard." Tears streamed down her face. "I know I sound terrible. I have everything I've ever wanted, but-"
"Hey," Viny shushed her, and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Y'know what makes me happy when I can't get out of it?"
"What?" Octavia rubbed at her own face.
"Pet store," Vinyl decreed, pointing in a shop window.
"I can't do that, Vinyl," Octavia objected.
"Yes, you can," Vinyl insisted, and pulled her into the shop, "Think of it as one more way of socking it to Blueblood." She smiled. "You made a candle factory. I know you can handle a few pets."
"You're right," Octavia agreed, and looked across the animals. "Are we buying?"
"Can we afford a pet?" Vinyl asked.
Octavia stared at the large sapphire in Vinyl's hat pin. "I think we'll manage."
Vinyl looked at a small ferret, running around its pen. He was a long, lanky thing. Giggling at the way he bent over himself, Vinyl pointed to him ecstatically, and grinned madly at Octavia. Octavia gave her a deadpan look. Vinyl's grin fell, and she began making puppy dog eyes at her marefriend. Octavia sternly shook her head. Giving Octavia the deepest pout she could muster, Vinyl silently pleader with her. Octavia shook her head again, even more sternly this time.
"They're not good pets," She explained, "They smell, and they eat meat."
"Actually," The mare at the cashier interrupted, "That one has had his scent glands removed." She pointed to some bagged food on the shelves. "And their food is actually a protein synthetically laced with the nutrients they need."
Vinyl bolted to the pin, and extended a hoof. The ferret ran along her leg, twisting its way onto her back. He nibbled on Vinyl's collar.
"A ferret?" Octavia laughed to herself. "Do you like ferrets, Vinyl?"
"Love 'em," Vinyl stated, "Can we keep him?"
"Only if I get to name him," Octavia insisted.
"Done," Vinyl held the little guy up to her face, "What's his name?"
"Well." Octavia thought to herself. "I'm not sure, but I think I have one." If this was a way to stick it to the dis-entitled prince, then she would need a name to show that. "Blue."