Octavia tended to be a planner. A forward thinker, if you will. She tended to try and plan for the future so that she may better avoid or at least understand possible obstacles.
One thing that had been poorly planned on Octavia's part, however, was the placement of the head of her bed adjacent to the window.
The poor planning proved to be Octavia's downfall the morning after as the first rays of light penetrated through her eyelids. Shutting them tighter, she resisted to be broken from her peaceful slumber. She began swatting at the curtains, which only caused them to fall completely.
Cursing, Octavia rolled over and pulled her covers above her head. The dreaded light was going to have none of it, as it at that very moment apparently decided to reflect off the metal curtain rod onto Octavia's pained face. Surrendering, Octavia opened her eyes and was immediately bombarded with what seemed to be the worst hangover she had ever experienced.
It seemed as if her very neurons were on fire with every thought. Her throat was so dry she could feel the desert-like cracks in it.
Giving up on the possibility of returning to the world of painless slumber, she finally pushed herself off the bed and wobbled into the bathroom. Minutes later, after she finished her daily morning routine, she walked through the hallway into the kitchen to retrieve breakfast and her newspaper.
As she sat on her living room couch devouring her food, she noticed several very peculiar things about that morning's paper. For one, her name was on the very front page. For two, there was a picture of her looking extremely drunk, falling all over herself and the white mare adjacent to her. A few moments recollection reminded her that the mare was indeed the same one she had encountered at the bar last night. Much of the night was a blur, but by the picture she seemed to have had a very fun time.
Delaying no longer, she unfolded the entire paper and read the headline that went with the picture.
LOCAL ROYAL ENSEMBLE MEMBER SEEN ACTING RECKLESSLY WITH LOCAL HOODLUM
The paper went on to talk about how several local parents were shocked and appalled about the behavior of somepony who was meant to be a high class citizen. Octavia pulled the paper back and just blinked a few times before continuing on. Worse yet, an interview with her employers had not seemed to go well, and, from the choice of some of the words used, Octavia would likely not hear the last of it any time soon.
A sharp ringing startled Octavia and caused her to drop her cup of tea, shattering it and splashing tea all over her.
Cursing, she stepped over the ceramic remains and answered the phone in a much sweeter voice than she had used moments previous.
"Hello, this is Octavia," She spoke, silently wondering who it could be.
"The very one? The very Octavia? The one who was in the newspaper headlines this morning?" The voice asked sarcastically.
Octavia's blood ran cold. It was her ensemble's manager. She braced herself for what she knew was coming.
"If so, I would like to implore you to tell me just what the hell you were doing last night! I cannot believe that you would attract such negative attention to yourself, especially not right after one of the best shows of our now very short career!"
Octavia winced, then spoke meekly.
"I... Had a few drinks, I admit..." She whispered, knowing as soon as the words were out of her mouth that she was making a mistake.
"Oh, well that's fine, as long as it was only a few drinks, " The voice sarcastically spat. "Maybe just a couple. Not that the upper class now views you as a complete hooligan or anything. You know, they're just the ponies we depend on for our livelihood." Octavia could practically feel the venom in his words weighing down her heart.
After a few moments of silence, the voice spoke again, this time much more calmly.
"I'm sorry, Octavia. I really, truly am. I'm afraid that my hoof is forced in this decision for the good of the ensemble,"
'Oh, no. Not another public apology. Upper class ponies are so uptight about every-single-little-thing! And to think that I even have anything in common with th-'
"-You're fired."
Silence flooded Octavia's mind as she was blindsided. She began to stammer as she realized the implications of this.
"W-wait! I can expla-," she began, only to be cut off by the other pony.
"I'm sorry, Octavia," He spoke, half-sincere pity laced into his words.
-Click.
She sat listening to the long, dull droning for a while before she hung the phone back on the receiver.
Her head sunk as the implications really sank in. Rent was due in a matter of weeks. She had not been paid yet for her attendance in the concert the previous night, and she was not sure that she even would be, due to her ridiculous contract. Grunting in frustration, she marched into her hallway and searched for her cello.
Upon finding, she haphazardly threw the case open and soon had the instrument ready to play, and play she did. It was an old habit of hers, playing music in times of crisis.
Usually, the notes would be soothing to even the most tormented of souls. On that day, however, Octavia found she could play nothing of the sort. The music was jagged and quick, just like her mood. As she finished the final note, the anger and grief finally boiled over as the tears broke through the dam. She stood and sobbed for a long while, using the Cello only as a crutch to keep her balance.
Finally, her tears were dried up and she was left completely exposed and empty.
'My career in music is definitely finished,' She thought.
Without another thought, she laid her cello on the floor, not even bothering to put it back inside its case, and walked outside and down the stairs.
"I need to take a walk to clear my head," She spoke to nopony in particular. Trudging along, she noticed several ponies along her way staring in her general direction and gossiping. Grumbling, she continued on her way.
"Mommy, look! It's that h-hoolig- hool-a-hoop the newspaper talked about," A small filly yelled, catching both the mother's and Octavia's attention. "Now, now, honey, we don't associate with the lower types such as herself," The snooty mother replied, raising her snout further upwards.
Gritting her teeth, Octavia stomped on. 'Really. It was one night. You ponies are unbelievable.'
Suddenly, her path was impeded by a pegasus flinging questions left and right.
"Miss Octavia, are the rumors true?"
"Erm, what rumors? I haven't heard any rum-"
"How is this sudden change in your career going to affect your music?"
Her mood soured after the question rang through her ears. Gritting her teeth, she responded in the kindest way possible.
"Well, I imagine that I'll be out on the street within a few months," She replied.
"Uh huh. How are the rest of your ensemble taking the news of your recent expulsion?"
Grunting in pure frustration, she attempted to meander around the pony slowly.
"I have no idea, as I haven't spoken to any of them since our concert last night," She answered in a less patient tone of voice, already beginning to walk away.
"Many of your fans believe that you have been acting selfishly by bringing this negative attention to your ex-ensemble. How do you feel about this?"
The question stopped Octavia dead in her tracks. Rage built within her as she turned back toward the reporter, and she had no intentions of holding it in any further. She had no job left to lose, anyway.
"How do I feel? Well, let me tell you. I feel as though the Canterlot elite, and anypony else who feels as though they're better than other ponies just because of their mere existence, should really recheck their priorities. You've caused me to lose my job, my only source of income, just because you don't approve of my way of unwinding after a hard show. Maybe I got a bit out of hand, sure. But, you know what? I don't approve of your eyes constantly beading down on everyone, waiting to criticize. Maybe if you ponies had your goddess-damned heads screwed on the right bucking way, you'd have your priorities in better shape," She responded in a huff, not missing a beat the entire way.
The reporter's mouth flung open as he wrote the final words on his notepad. He stammered, dumbfounded for words as Octavia departed from his vision in obvious rage.
Ponies on the sidewalk now shifted out of the way as she stomped along. Her mood had soured past what she had believed it could in one day, and she had no quarrels with unleashing it upon the very ponies who destroyed her way of life.
Finally, she came to rest somewhere on a bench under a streetlight. She sat, wondering what would become of her life in the near future. It was definately an uncertain future, to be sure.
A loud, crashing racket from behind her threatened to break her from her mind.
Ignoring it, she wondered where she had gone wrong last night, and then it hit her.
The damned DJ. She was the reason Octavia was where she was. Octavia had only wanted to unwind, but then the rowdy DJ had come into her life and helped her perform the coup de grace on her own career. Sure, Octavia had taken the drink, but only after the DJ had pestered her about it.
Another ear-splitting noise came from the building behind her, once again interrupting her thoughts, and exacerbating her hangover.
Gritting her teeth further together, she pressed on thinking about the DJ, and what she would say if they ever encountered one another again. She sincerely hoped, at least for the other pony's sake, that she would never see her again.
A shattering racket came from a few feet next to the bench where Octavia sat. Growling in anger, she finally turned around to see what all the fuss was about. That's when she saw the building.
The very building she had entered last night to have a nice, short drink.
The sound of yelling inside further motivated Octavia to storm into the building and give the damn DJ a piece of her mind. Before she knew it, she had already passed the new makeshift door into the dimly lit bar.
"You know how much the door's gonn' cost me to get fixt'?! Not to ment'on the property damage you caused after you came back for your later show," A brown stallion with a black goatee boomed towards the stage. By his vest, Octavia guessed that he was the manager of the bar.
Octavia grinned an evil grin. She was glad the DJ was getting a piece of someone's mind, even if it wasn't her own.
"Just deduct it outta' my pay," A familiar voice yelled back from the tangle of wires running behind the stage.
"Pay? HA! You think'a you're getting paid? DJ, you're done," The manager replied.
"Fine. I'll come back next week, then," The DJ replied nonchalantly, beginning to walk down the stairs.
He held out a hoof that Vinyl ran right into, stopping her in her tracks. "No, 'ju don't understand. You're finished. Fired,"
Octavia wiped the grin off her face in an instant. She had been mad at Vinyl, but this was a bit much...
Vinyl, however, just looked at him and laughed.
"Ha. Go ahead and fire me, then. I'm DJ PON3. I'll find another club to work at around here somewhere," She replied, continuing to walk toward the exit.
"With what equipment?" He asked with a smug grin.
She stopped for a minute. Her expression turned to one of worry and uncertainty.
"Well, I'll... just have to buy some equipment with my last paycheck, I suppose," She replied, regaining confidence.
"Huh. Well I guess'a you've got it all figured out. All except for the fact that I'm 'deducting it outta' your pay'," He shot back, still completely full of confidence.
Vinyl, however, was showing signs of cracking. "Well... I- Not-... I don't need you anyway! I'll get by just fine," She mumbled, finally noticing Octavia as she passed by her on the way to the exit.
Octavia, not sure what to do, followed her out.
"You don't sound too confident about getting by," Octavia noticed.
"Yeah? Well maybe it's cause I'm not the 'Canterlot Elite'. Not all of us have job security. I don't imagine you'd know much about us 'lower ponies', though," Vinyl retorted, making her way across the street.
That stung. Does she really me identify as one of them?
"I'm not like those ponies. I don't quite like them either. Job security? I don't think I have much of that, seeing as I no longer have a job," Octavia countered. The Dj actually looked back.
"You just told me last night you perform in the Royal Ensemble," Vinyl questioned.
"Not as of this morning. Don't you read the Newspaper?"
Vinyl lifted an eyebrow. "Read the newspaper? What for?"
Octavia facehooved. "Perhaps so that you would know what goes on around you. Anyway, you and I? We're front page material,"
Vinyl grinned. "Oh yeah? That's what I'm talkin' about! What're we on there for?"
"For our drunken rampage last night," Octavia deadpanned.
"Oh, that. Well, you can't win them all I guess. Wait, was there a picture?"
"Yes,"
"Neato. What'd it look like?"
"We were attempting to keep ourselves off the ground, and failing very miserably," Octavia answered.
"Well, it'll make good party talk, at least," Vinyl replied, sitting down at a table. They had seemingly come to an outdoor diner.
"Anyway, why are you here? I wasn't expecting an audience for getting fired," Vinyl questioned, honestly curious. Most of the ponies she had good times with after a night of drinking weren't usually too keen on seeing her again.
Octavia thought for a moment. She had originally had the goal of making the DJ's day miserable, but it seemed that her boss was already able to do that, and then some. She couldn't bring herself to kick a pony while they were down, especially since they were essentially in the same boat from what Octavia had overheard at the bar.
"Oh, you know, just out wandering around. Trying to make sense of my life. I guess I really came into the bar to see if you were there so I could yell at you for ruining my career, but seeing as we're about equal now..." Octavia echoed.
"Yeah, it's cool. I can see now that I was a bit pushy getting you to drink last night. I just wanted someone to hang out with, and you didn't really seem like the kind of pony to be friends with somepony like me when sober. Plus, you seemed like you kinda needed to loosen up a bit," Vinyl explained. "I just... I have no idea how I'm going to make rent on my apartment now. From the sound of it, I'm about 200 bits short, and it's due tomorrow,"
Octavia softened. Perhaps they were more alike than she had thought.
"I'm in the same situation, really. My rent is due in a few weeks, though, luckily," Octavia added.
The waitress was soon upon their table, taking their orders.
"I'll have the usual, I guess," Vinyl ordered, while Octavia sat awkwardly.
Turning the the grey mare, the waitress grinned and likewise asked what she would like.
"Um, well... I hadn't had time to adequately loo-"
"She'll have the same," Vinyl replied, covering for her stammering friend.
"Two lettuce burgers, coming right up," The waitress replied with glee.
As she trotted away, Octavia glanced between Vinyl and the ground. Noticing this, Vinyl spoke up. "Somethin' wrong? Don't like lettuce?"
Octavia started, and then replied hesitantly. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just... I don't have any bits on me. I was out for a walk and I didn't really thin-"
Vinyl waved a hoof and interrupted the anxious mare. "Nah, don't sweat it. I'll pay,"
Octavia just stared at Vinyl for a moment, dumbfounded. 'Here she is,' Octavia thought, 'Rent due tomorrow, and she still offers to pay for my meal,'
"I can't let you do that, though I really do appreciate it. You seem a very generous mare, willing to risk your own home security for my burger," Octavia began, trying desperately to think of some excuse to give the waitress so she could run home and get her bits.
"Nah, I don't really like my place, anyway. Plus, I kinda walked us here, so I'll pay," Vinyl assuaged.
The plates arrived, and they ate and chatted.
As Octavia finished the last of her lettuce, she patted her mouth clean with a napkin and smiled at the white mare.
"That was a very delicious meal, Vinyl. I really do appreciate you covering the price for me. Do you have some way I can contact you so I can ensure I pay you back soon?"
"Um, not really at the moment, no. Don't sweat the money, it's not really important,"
"A-Are you sure? I know it won't be enough to cover your rent, but..."
"Yeah, it's cool. Listen, I gotta be somewhere in about 15 minutes. It was really cool hanging out with you, though. You're a pretty chill mare," Vinyl replied, offering a hoof-bump to the said 'chill mare'.
Octavia stood confused for a short moment before she took Vinyl's hoof and shook it, happy to make a new friend.
Cocking an eyebrow and grinning, Vinyl turned away and began walking. "I'll see ya around, Octy,"
Octy, Octavia echoed in her mind. That's new.
Grinning to herself, Octavia bid the generous mare farewell and trotted back in the general direction of her apartment complex. Her troubles had been mostly forgotten for the time being. Vinyl's words played back in Octavia's head, causing the recently alcohol-impaired cogs in her head to begin spinning again.
I don't really like my place, anyway, Vinyl had said. Octavia needed bits soon to pay her rent. Vinyl would be losing her place within a day. Two ponies splitting the rent would be much cheaper for both.
Smiling, Octavia reached for her cell phone, but then the reality sank in.
Octavia had no way of contacting Vinyl...
Downcasting her eyes, she threw the idea away. 'Well, it was worth a thought, I suppose,"
Reaching the stairs to her apartment section, she pushed the door open and closed it on impulse, still deep in thought.
Suddenly, a great idea struck. She could put an ad in the newspaper for a roommate. She could only hope that Vinyl would read the newspaper, just this once.
A few phone calls to the paper later, and she had an ad ready to be placed in the paper the following morning.
Octavia spent the remainder of the day until sundown organizing her belongings. After a grueling several hours, she finally had the apartment looking the way she wanted. Soon later, she had dinner and a shower, cleaned up the broken teacup from that morning, and fell into a deep, relaxing sleep to the thought of her new friend.