Octavia let out a long sigh as she tossed a small stack of papers on the coffee table. She grabbed her glass of wine before leaning back in the couch.
“More bills?” Vinyl Scratch asked as she flopped down next to Octavia, tossing her shades onto the table. She draped a foreleg around Octavia’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about it! I got another gig in a couple of days.”
Octavia took a sip before replacing her cup and resting her head on Vinyl’s shoulder. “Worse. It’s my parents. Believe it or not, they want to meet you,” she said, shaking her head a bit. “I can't tell you how critical they’ve been about me dating another mare. I’m afraid if they actually met you... well…”
“Hey! What’s not to like?” Vinyl replied. “I’m good to ya, I love ya, and we’re happy together! That’s all that really matters.”
“Yes, well, try explaining that to my parents. Of course I love you, but they might see you as… something of an embarrassment.”
Vinyl nodded. “I know what you’re talking about. My parents can be super critical! It’s always such a pain.”
Octavia blinked before pushing herself up to look Vinyl in the eye. “What do your parents think of me?”
Vinyl burst out laughing. “Aw, man,” she said, trying to stifle her laughter. “No. My parent’s don’t even know I’m seeing anypony.”
Octavia’s eyes widened as her mouth fell open. She snapped her mouth shut, settling on a slight frown as she glared at Vinyl. “We’ve been together for months! Why wouldn’t you have told your parents about me? Are you... ashamed of me?”
Vinyl got up, waving her hooves. “No! No, it’s nothing like that, Tavi. It’s just… well I don’t really keep in touch with my folks. That’s all.”
Leaning forward, Octavia retrieved her wine glass, finishing it off with a single swallow. “You still should have at least mentioned me!”
“No way.” Vinyl shook her head. “It’s way more trouble than it’s worth, trust me.”
“What?” Octavia leapt to her hooves, glaring at Vinyl. “You are ashamed of me!”
“No, it’s just…” Vinyl Scratch facehooved. “You wouldn’t understand, Octy. Can’t we just forget about this?”
Octavia grabbed her wine glass before storming past Vinyl, swishing her tail at her. “Fine.”
“Come on, Octy, don’t be like that!” Vinyl called after her as Octavia stormed into the kitchen. An angry clattering of glass was the only reply she received. "Smooth, Vinyl," she muttered to herself as she hung her head. With a sigh, Vinyl trotted over and meekly peeked into the kitchen. With her ears folded back, she put on her most pathetic look. “I’m sorry, Octavia. Come on, let’s talk about it.”
“Talk about what?” Octavia’s tone was sharp and critical.
“I’m sorry!” Vinyl said as Octavia again brushed by her.
Octavia marched straight for their bedroom. Opening the door, she turned to look back at Vinyl. “Prove it!” She punctuated her shout by slamming the door.
“Fine! I will!” Vinyl shouted back.
The morning light filtered in, landing on Octavia’s face. “Hhng,” she muttered as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She looked over to find the rest of the bed still made. “Not again.”
Rolling out of bed, Octavia made a beeline for the couch. Vinyl wasn’t there, either. Octavia let out a frustrated groan as she moved to the kitchen. “I swear, if she’s gone and passed out at another bar… Oooh! What I’ll do to her!” she said aloud as she put on a pot coffee. “And then she’s just going to expect me to check every seedy little place in Canterlot and drag her home. Well, I’m not doing it this time!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Octavia groaned and rolled her eyes at the sound of hoofbeats on her door. “You even managed to lock yourself out?” she shouted as she trotted over. Opening the door, she found… a well-groomed stallion. His ebony hair matched perfectly with his grey coat and black suit. Even his posture was flawless.
Octavia blushed as she ran a hoof across her mane. “O-oh, I thought you were somepony else,” she said. “I must look a sight.”
“Quite,” the grey unicorn replied in a haughty tone. “I have simply come to deliver you this.” He floated a sealed scroll to Octavia. “Good day, Miss Melody.”
“Uh, good day!” Octavia called after the retreating stallion before closing the door. She looked at the ornate scroll in her hoof. “How odd.” Her efforts to break the seal were interrupted by the intoxicating scent of fresh-brewed coffee. Making a beeline for the coffee pot, she set the scroll aside in exchange for a coffee cup. After stirring in just the right amount of sugar, she picked up the scroll again and headed back to the couch.
Finally managing to break the seal, she unfurled the scroll as she sat down.
Hey, Tavi,
Thanks to you, I’m stuck here at my folks’ place. But, hey, at least you’re going to get your way. They want you to come by for dinner tonight. You don’t have to come though, really. They’ll send a cart to our apartment at 5:00 to pick you up. Make sure you’re ready on time. My folks are real sticklers about that sort of thing. Anyway, don’t forget you still have the option not to come. Seriously, Octy, don’t come!
The D.J.,
Vinyl Scratch
Octavia put her coffee down as she reread the letter. Send a cart? she wondered. Vinyl never struck me as somepony whose parents were well to do.
She shook her head, dismissing it. It didn’t matter. She would simply wear her bowtie and be on her best behavior. It couldn’t be anywhere near as bad as Vinyl kept making it out to be.
Of course, Vinyl got the time wrong. Whether it was intentional or just her normal, blasé attitude was anypony’s guess, but Octavia noticed the cart pulling up over an hour early. At first, she wasn’t even sure it was the right cart. The ivory cart gleamed with gold trim, pulled by a quartet of identical, immaculate stallions. After it pulled up, the door opened to reveal the same stallion from that morning.
Recognizing him, Octavia rushed out to greet him, thanking her lucky stars that she was properly groomed and dressed this time. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you so soon!” she said, trotting up to the cart.
“Miss Melody,” he said, extending a hoof to help Octavia into the cart.
She sat down, the door shut, and the cart started off. Octavia looked around the roomy cart in a daze. The inside was just as luxurious as the outside. Red velvet and posh padding adorned the seats and walls. There was even a mini bar in the cart!
After gawking for some time, it occured to her that she was being rude. Clearing her throat, she spoke up. “My, I wasn’t expecting such an extravagant cart."
“Only the best for the Mistress.”
Tilting her head a bit, she raised an eyebrow. “‘Mistress?’”
He breathed out a measured sigh. “You may address her as ‘Vinyl Scratch.’”
“O-oh. So, you’re like, her butler?” Octavia held up a hoof.
“I am the Mistress’s personal servant. You may call me Grey.”
Octavia let out a nervous giggle. “You know, I never knew Vinyl’s family was so… affluent.”
Grey raised an eyebrow. “Surely, Madam, you jest.”
Octavia shook her head. “I really had no idea.”
“You are telling me that you do not know who the Mistress is?”
“No. I mean, not really.” Octavia responded, a hoof tracing circles across the silken fabric of the seat. “You know, now that I think about it, she’s always been very closed when it comes to talking about her family,” she said as the cart came to a halt, urging Grey to get up and exit. He stood by the door, offering a hoof to help Octavia out.
“Well, Madam, I can certainly assume that you are in for quite the surprise,” he said as he assisted Octavia.
As she stepped free from the cart, her pupils shrank as her eyes widened. “Why are we at the castle!?”
After being led through countless ornate halls, Grey asked Octavia to wait in a luxurious sitting room. Octavia focused on a nearby couch. It was made of exotic fabrics she couldn’t even identify, and the frame looked to be made of jewel-encrusted gold. She reached out a hoof, pausing momentarily before pressing into the silky fabric. It was as plush and soft as it appeared. Is Vinyl’s family really this well off? she wondered as she hoisted herself up onto the couch. Maybe I should’ve dressed up more…
The door slammed open, startling Octavia enough to send her into the floor. “Tavi! I thought I told you not to come!?”
Octavia looked up to see what appeared to be some facsimile of her girlfriend, but this version of Vinyl didn’t have a messy mane and a pair of shades. This Vinyl had her mane neatly pulled back and wore an extravagant red dress. “Vinyl?” Octavia said, her voice laced with wonder and disbelief.
“I even told you the wrong time so you’d miss the cart!”
Octavia trotted over, marvelling over Vinyl. “I don’t understand, Vinyl. I had no idea your family was so... Just, wow.” She let out a little laugh. “It’s almost like I’m dreaming. The next thing you know, you’ll be telling me you’re a princess or something.”
“Aw, no. Nothing like that.” Vinyl dismissed the notion with a wave of her hoof. “I’m kind of like a duchess… I think,” she said, raising a hoof to her chin. “Well, my mom’s the Duchess, so whatever.”
Octavia’s eye twitched. “Y-you’re related to the royal family?”
“Yeah, something about us being descendants of Princess Platinum, or something,” Vinyl said, waving a hoof as she rolled her eyes. “More to the point, what in the hay’re you doing here? I told you not to come!”
“Why?” Octavia asked, a sharpness in her voice. “You didn’t want me to meet your family? No. You didn’t want your family to meet me!” She frowned as she glared at Vinyl. “You’re ashamed of me!”
In an instant, Vinyl was at her side, draping a foreleg around her withers. “No, Octy. Never. It’s just... Look, my parents are not going to like you. Especially my mom. She’s gonna meet you and she’s gonna insist that I dump you. No joke.”
“Pardon the intrusion, Mistress, but I am obligated to inform you that the Duchess’ dinner is scheduled to begin in one hour,” Grey said as he entered the room.
Vinyl groaned as she rolled her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t tell her Octy was here.”
“My apologies, Mistress, but the Duchess has already been informed of your guest’s arrival.”
Vinyl facehoofed before turning to glare at Octavia. “Why didn’t you stay home?”
“Well, forgive me for taking an interest in my girlfriend’s life,” Octavia replied, an angry tone in her voice. “When were you going to tell me about all this? Were you going to tell me about all this?”
Vinyl rubbed her neck as she averted her gaze. “I-I dunno. Probably after we were married, or something.”
Octavia took a small step back. “I… Why would you wait until then?”
“It’d be too late for them to do anything about it,” Vinyl replied.
“Mistress, the Duchess intends to speak with you before dinner.” Grey spoke up again. “Might I suggest… accommodating your date more properly.”
“Ugh.” Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Come on, Tavi. We gotta get you dressed.”
Vinyl and the butler started off, leaving a baffled Octavia trailing after them. A few dizzying halls and two flights of stairs later, they ended up in a room not too different from what she’d expect from Vinyl—the immaculate cleanliness aside. Granted, everything was opulent, but the walls were covered in posters of bands and DJs. There was even a DJ booth taking up a large portion of the room.
Vinyl threw open a nearby door, revealing a massive walk-in closet. “Grey, what do think’ll go with Tavi’s mane and eyes?”
“With all due respect, all of your formalwear is custom-made. It is unlikely to fit anypony else,” Grey said as he followed Vinyl and Octavia into the massive closet.
“Then go get the tailor to fix it,” Vinyl said as she used her magic to sift through the dresses. “What do you think, Octy? Blue? Lavender?”
Octavia watched Grey leave before turning back to Vinyl. “What’s gotten into you?” she asked with a pointed tone.
“What do you mean?” Vinyl asked as she got a dress and held it up to Octavia. She shook her head before tossing it aside and grabbing another.
Placing a hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder, Octavia got her to stop and look at her. “Grey was just trying to help you and you were so rude to him. Vinyl, I’ve never seen you like this.”
Vinyl hung her head, looking away from Octavia. “I-I...uh.” Breathing out a long sigh, she looked back at Octavia. “There’s a good reason I left this place. A lot of good reasons,” she said, pulling a hoof through own mane. “Remind me to apologize to him when he gets back, okay?”
“That’s not an answer,” Octavia said, staring hard at the sheepish DJ.
“Everypony here acts like that. I hate it,” Vinyl said, busying herself with the racks of clothing. “And I hate that I started acting like them, too.”
“Then don’t,” Octavia replied, stepping in front of Vinyl. She reached up, messing up her mane until it resembled its usual, sloppy self. She kissed Vinyl as she easily undid the dress, letting it fall to floor. She pulled back, a smile on her muzzle. “That’s more like the mare I love.”
Vinyl gave her a grin in turn. “Oh, mom is going to hate your guts!” She gave Octavia a quick peck before galloping into her room. She opened a nearby drawer, levitating her shades onto her face.
Octavia pressed a hoof to her own chest. “If she doesn’t like me for who I am… Well, that’s her problem.”
Vinyl’s grin faded away. “Well… actually she’s gonna make it our problem, too. She’s let me slide for this long, but I, uh, I never told her that my roommate was… more than my roommate, you know?”
A grey hoof found Octavia’s face. “Vinyl why…” She sighed shaking her head. “You know, I always let it pass how you dodged questions about your parents. Maybe I shouldn’t have.” Octavia raised an eyebrow as Vinyl’s posture stiffened and she hastily removed her shades.
“You shouldn’t have,” a stern voice sounded from behind her.
Octavia turned to see a towering, white mare. She had a fiery mane that spilled over shoulders and a pair of red eyes glaring in her direction. Octavia put on a nervous smile.
“M-mother, what brings you here unannounced?” Vinyl asked.
“My eldest daughter is home for the first time in over a year, and I am not permitted to visit her as I please?”
Vinyl hung her head a bit. “My apologies, mother.”
The duchess turned her glare back on Octavia. “So, you are the siren that has led my daughter astray.”
Octavia gave her an uneasy smile. “Actually, she was even wilder when we first met,” she said. “I’ve done well to rein her in.” When the duchess’s frown turned into scowl, Octavia mentally kicked herself. “Uh… I-I just meant...”
“Do you not understand who my daughter is? What position she holds?” the duchess asked, stepping forward to tower over Octavia. A meek headshake was the only indication that Octavia had heard her. “Vinyl is my firstborn daughter. It is her royal duty to continue our bloodline.”
“Let my brother do that,” Vinyl intervened. “Hay, I would bet he’s already sired several—”
“You are my daughter. Our bloodline rests on your shoulders and you know that,” the duchess said, her voice sharp and critical. “Your father has insisted that you choose your own path in life, but you cannot forsake your family and your duty. I won’t allow it.”
“Mother…”
“I believed that if you got it out of your system that you would come to your senses, and I knew that when you were ready for motherhood that your maternal instincts would bring you back here to raise your foals in the best possible environment.” She turned, glaring again at Octavia. “But it seems that the debauchery outside these walls have lured you into some sort of sordid affair with this harlot.”
“Hey!” Vinyl stomped a hoof. “Don’t talk about Octy like that!”
The duchess’s ears folded back as she stared hard at her daughter. “Watch your tongue.”
“Watch yours!” Vinyl retorted. “Tavi’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me! She’s nice, and funny, and clever, and—”
“A commoner! A mare! An earth pony!” her mother shouted back at her. She squared up to Vinyl, glaring down at her. “She is beneath you.”
Octavia snorted, a wild grin on her face. “I’ll have you know that I’m usually the one on top.”
The duchess whipped around, fire in her eyes as stomped up to Octavia. “You… defiled my daughter! I should send you to the gallows!”
“Tavi, don’t—!”
“No, I wasn’t so lucky as be Vinyl’s first,” Octavia said, matching the duchess’s glare with one of her own. “But I’ll tell you this much, Duchess: I fully intend to be her last.”
Vinyl’s mother seethed, her chest heaving in and out. “Out.” After a moment she stomped a hoof before pointing it to the door. “Get out! You are not welcome here!”
Octavia glanced over at a slack-jawed Vinyl before turning back to the duchess. “Fine.” She trotted over to Vinyl, reaching a hoof behind her head as she drew her into a kiss. “I’ll see you at home, Vinyl,” she whispered to her.
“Guards!” the duchess shouted. “Guards!” In a flash, two pegasi leapt into the room. She pointed a hoof at Octavia. “Remove this menace at once! See to it that she never sets hoof on these grounds again!”
The guards grabbed Octavia, dragging her from the room and the castle. The next thing she knew, Octavia was being tossed out on the curb. She breathed out a sigh as she dusted herself off and straightened her mane. “Well, that was foolish.”
She looked around, seeing little more than a long road leading away from the castle. Great. A long walk home to reflect on my stupidity. Groaning, she started walking.
“Tavi!”
Octavia froze. She blinked in recognition before turning to see Vinyl galloping towards her. Vinyl crashed into her, wrapping her up in a hug.
Vinyl took a step back, grinning at Octavia. “You are officially my hero! The way you stood up to my mom was freaking awesome!”
A slight blush painted Octavia’s cheeks as she averted her gaze. “It was more foolish than anything. She was just saying those things as if I weren’t even there, and I saw red and… I just snapped.”
“Octy, no one has ever stood up to my mom like that, not even my dad. That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” Vinyl said, throwing a leg over Octavia’s shoulders.
Octavia leaned into Vinyl. “Still, I can’t help but feel like I’ve opened a proverbial can of worms.”
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Vinyl said as she withdrew her hoof, though she kept Octavia right next to her. “You wouldn’t believe how much influence my mom has around Canterlot.”
“What are we going to do?” Octavia asked.
Vinyl chuckled a bit as she nuzzled Octavia. “Well, first I was thinking of taking you home and showing you just how awesome I think you are.”
“Mmm.” Octavia nuzzled her in turn. “Sounds heavenly. Then?”
“Well… uh, maybe we should leave Canterlot.”
Octavia recoiled. “Wha-leave Canterlot? You cannot be serious! My position in the orchestra—”
“Probably won’t be there tomorrow,” Vinyl said, rubbing her neck. “My mom’s gonna have it out for you and she’s gonna try and make both of us as miserable as possible.”
Octavia breathed a heavy sigh as her ears drooped down. “I suppose I only have myself to blame.” She kicked the ground underneath her hooves.
“Hey!” Vinyl threw a leg around Octavia again, pulling her close. “Don’t let her get to you. That’s just what she wants.”
With a small whimper, Octavia pulled Vinyl into a hug. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Come on, don’t be like that,” Vinyl whispered as she ran a hoof through Octavia’s mane. “Isn’t it romantic? Two young lovers hitting the road to find their own place in the world?”
“The place we’ve had suited us just fine,” Octavia muttered.
“I know.” Vinyl kissed Octavia’s forehead. “I know.”
Octavia chuckled just a bit. “Never thought I’d say this, but you were right. I should’ve left your family alone.”
Vinyl shook her head before resting her chin atop Octavia’s head so that Octavia could bury her face in her chest. “This was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“A little warning would’ve been nice. You know, like: ‘Oh, and by the way, I’m royalty.’”
“In my experience, ponies treat you differently when they find out you’re royalty,” Vinyl replied, still stroking Octavia’s mane. “Nice to know you’re still treating me like the idiot I am.”
Octavia pulled back, a thin smile on her face. “You’ve more than earned it.”
“Yeah, just wait until I show you what you’ve earned,” Vinyl replied, giving her a nudge.
Octavia gave Vinyl a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go home.”
“Sure thing, Octy.”
As they walked together, Octavia glanced over at Vinyl. “You know, you still have to meet my parents.”
“Let’s see, my parents are royalty, so let me guess, your folks are like mafiosos or something.” Vinyl laughed a bit as she looked over at Octavia. She just looked away. “O-Octy, I was joking!” Octavia kept her gaze averted as she continued to walk in silence. “Come on! Say something!”