Vinyl was certain of many, many, many things. For example, the concert she'd been forced to sit through on her friend's insistence was definitely NOT worth it. She'd been expecting something a bit more... wild. She really should have suspected this, though, when her friend said to dress nice because some of the guys in the ensemble were really absolutely positively cute. Then proceeded to bribe her with promises of buying her that new remix program for her system she'd been eying. Then looked at her with horror when she'd just come in a light blue blouse and a purple pair of pants. In retrospect, there were a lot of reasons she should have seen all this coming.
Except the blood leaking from her nose that now stained the front of her blouse. That the woman hadn't seen coming.
“I truly am sorry! I really thought you were with that ruffian!” her previous assaulter said for at least the thirteenth time while she dabbed at the woman's face.
“It's fine, really. I shouldn't have come up behind you after that,” Vinyl said with a chuckle, shaking her head. The concert had been mind numbingly boring. It wasn't that the music was bad, it really wasn't. She could have even danced to it a bit. That was the problem, though. They had to sit there and listen. Just listen, unable to move. She'd have even been willing to put up with line dancing by the end. Sitting for such an extended period had nearly driven her mad. Even worse because she had started sweating and made her clothes and back stick to those annoyingly warm chairs.
“I'm so, so sorry,” the woman said again, still dabbing away with the tissue and trying to get all the blood off, though Vinyl doubted there was any left to remove at this point. It barely even hurt anymore.
“It's fine, really. Mistakes happen,” she said again, nervously trying to laugh it off. After the concert she'd been on the verge of slamming her head into the wall. She'd wanted to run off, get something to eat and forget about the whole affair. Maybe stop at a club and get some dancing in. But of course Silver Spanner wouldn't hear of it! No, her friend had demanded that they try to see if they could see one of the ensemble members, in fact, she was certain she had seen one wander off alone. To Vinyl's surprise, they actually DID manage to find one of them. Octavia, the player of the cello, was caught in the parking lot. Why the woman wasn't with the rest of the ensemble, Vinyl couldn't imagine. But the woman had been cornered by a someone by the time they'd arrived on the scene and he hadn't seen intent on letting her go. She had to admit she was a little surprised they could even see her in the darkness, the tuxedo and her long, dark gray hair had made her blend in really well. If it wasn't for the guy, they might have even missed her.
“I know, but-- wait. Where's your friend? She was here a moment ago, wasn't she?”
Vinyl looked around and, true enough, Silver was nowhere to be seen. “Yeah, she does that. Probably trying to find your ensemble mates.” Things had turned violent a moment after they'd arrived. Octavia had said something and then the man had recoiled, only to take a swing at her a moment later. It had all happened so fast, but a second later the cello player had slammed and even managed to pin the guy to the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. She'd let the man go quickly. Vinyl had the smart idea to run up behind Octavia, unfortunately the woman had whipped around and rammed an elbow into her face, knocking her back and leading to the outflow of blood. It had taken her a moment to realize what had happened, and a few more before she was shrieking apologies and helping get her inside, alongside Silver. Now there was a large pile of tissues on the ground besides them.
“Oh, so she's one of those,” Octavia mumbled a bit darkly, before cringing. “A-ah, my apologies, I didn't mean--”
“No, no, she really is,” Vinyl said with a shake of her head. “So, give it to me straight doc, will I ever be able to smell the roses again?”
Octavia gently reached down and pinched the nose, before pulling back. “Nothing seems to be broken. I'm... really sorry about that. You were closer than I thought, I wasn't aiming for your face, I was... it doesn't really matter where I was aiming. I really should have paid more attention. I cannot apologize enough.”
“No, it's fine. After dealing with that jerk, I'm not surprised you were a little tense,” Vinyl said before looking down at the counter nearby and sighing. While her nose would be fine, her glasses, unfortunately, didn't survive the attack. They hadn't shattered, but they were cracked.
“That's no excuse,” Octavia said before reaching down and picking the glasses up and holding them out. “I'll pay to have them fixed. I truly am sorry.”
“It's fine, really! You shouldn't say sorry so much, people will think you don't mean it,” she said before putting the glasses on and looking into the large mirror against the wall. Well, the glasses were ruined, but at least she hadn't got any blood in her hair. It was a real pain to get the dark and light blue stripes to work just right through it. “What did he want with you anyway?”
“He hadn't read the program very closely and decided to take his mis understanding out on me,” Octavia said before standing up. “I should try to find your friend. I hope she isn't bothering the others.”
“I think she has the biggest crush on the guy who was playing the piano.”
“Ah, Frederick. Of course. She--” The woman was halfway out the door before stopping. “Wait, guy who plays the piano?” She looked back. “Are... you not a fan?”
“I--” Vinyl stopped. Before the woman had seemed quite worried and upset. But now her face was completely still and almost stone like, not a hint of emotion in it. “Errr...”
“It's fine if you're not, I don't mind.” Her lips didn't even twitch. It would have been better if she'd looked upset, but this was so obviously suppressed, it was a little disturbing.
“I'm not really that used to it, honestly,” Vinyl said with a shrug. “I liked it, but I'm still kind of new to the whole classical thing. Silver wanted me to come because she thought I'd like it.” It was close enough to the truth she didn't have to feel bad.
“There's no need to make things up,” Octavia said before turning towards the door. “I understand completely. You're hardly the first person dragged along by their girl friend to one of our concerts.”
“No, really! I did like it! A-and she's not my girl friend. She's my gal friend,” Vinyl said. The other woman was like a rock, unbending and unmoving. But she hadn't been like that before. It was obvious she was upset about it and Vinyl really didn't want to be the cause of that pain. “You play the cello quite well. I'll be honest, I don't get much classical music in my job, but it doesn't mean I don't like it. I'm just not as experienced in it. That third one was based on Wright's Hunt of the Golden Tiger, right?”
Octavia looked back, her eyes widened slightly, just slightly. “You're familiar with that music?”
“Not extremely, but I've heard it a few times. Neon did an entire record dedicated towards Wright's numbers and Hunt of the Golden Tiger was one of the best ones. I've heard the full song, though.”
“Interesting. Yes, it was a dedication towards that particular song. I'm impressed you were able to catch it. What exactly did you say you do again?”
“I didn't. But I'm a DJ,” Vinyl held out her hand. “DJ P0N-3. You might have heard of me, I have a permanent spot at the Bronze Idol club on fridays and the weekends.”
Octavia shook her head before slowly reaching out to shake her hand. “I'm afraid I have never been there. I'm not one for clubs, however. But still, it is a pleasure to meet you.”
“You should come by sometime! I can get you in, not something a lot of people could do you know. Bouncer is an old friend of mine.”
The cellist chuckled. “Perhaps I'll try to make an attempt to visit. Though the weekends do tend to be my busiest time due to--”
“Octyyyyy!” a voice called from the doorway, making them both look up. A woman was standing there, her brown hair pulled up over her head and wearing a dazzling red dress. Vinyl recognized her as the tuba player, Beauty Brass. “Can you help me? The back of my dress, the knots are stuck and I can't--” It was then her eyes fell on Vinyl. “O-oh, you have a guest.” She looked at the woman's nose before sighing. “Really? Another one?”
“It was an accident, she snuck up behind me,” Octavia said coldly. “We've already worked it out, it's fine.”
“Still, you need to be more careful. You're going to end up getting arrested one of these days. The laws don't look kindly on guys who beat up women.”
“It was an accident,” Octavia said before walking to her friend. “Here, I'll untie the knot, just turn around.”
Vinyl watched them for a few moments, before what Beauty said finally clicked. She looked Octavia over quickly, her eyes widening. Sure, she was in a suit and a little flat chested. But that face. Those curves. Even the voice was... there was no way. But Beauty had said... what if she was making a joke? What if it was just to mess with her? She had to think of a subtle, simple way to ask without her finding out! All she had to do was-- “You're a guy?!” Dang it brain!
“Yes,” both Octavia and Beauty said in unison.
Vinyl's eyes went even wider. “W-wait, you BOTH are? But you're so... you're in a dress!”
“So? He pulls it off quite well,” Octavia said quickly. “You didn't read the program all the way through, did you?”
Vinyl coughed and looked aside. “Well, I didn't, err, fully. I mean, I kind of... skimmed it a little bit. But all the way? Not... errr...”
“There's one on my changing table,” Octavia said. “How about you take another look?”
Vinyl gave a sheepish smile before quickly moving over towards the table, picking the program up.
“How did you even get it this tight? Where does this knot even end?” Octavia grumbled. “Who did this for you?”
“Parish.”
“Of course he did. I really do wish you'd come to me for these things. His idea of a knot is tying so many of them that the thing can never be undone. Just be thankful you wax your back or this would hurt a lot.”
“What does that-- OW! You did that on purpose!”
“A little. One knot down.”
“W-why are you always so mean?” Beauty asked with a mock sniffle.
“Because you really should know better than to have Parish do this. Where is he, anyway?”
“Already headed out. I saw Frederick leaving a bit ago with a woman with silver hair.”
“That would be my guest's friend. I was wondering where she'd run off to. Second knot down.”
Vinyl stared at the program. It was all there, held in her hands. An all male group. She really wished she'd read it a little closer. She glanced up to Octavia and gulped. “I uhhh, sorry. I guess I should have read this a little closer. Wait, is this why that guy was attacking you?”
“There. Done, hold this so it doesn't come off,” Octavia said before holding the strings against Beauty's shoulder. “That ruffian? Indeed. He wasn't exactly... thrilled about finding out about what I was. He could have just read a little more and saved us both the trouble. Such a shame.”
Vinyl nodded slowly. “I... see. I guess... that happens a lot?”
“All the time,” Beauty said with a chuckle. “But Octavia knows like... all the martial arts moves, so he usually keeps us safe.”
“I know self defense,” Octavia said with a roll of her eyes. “I do not know all the martial arts. I have a barely rudimentary grasp of barely any of the martial arts. I just know enough to keep myself safe. And you, half the time.”
“That's pretty horrible,” Vinyl said with a shake of her head. “It's cool, though. I know it was just an accident. I guess if I had to deal with things like that... well, I'd probably be a bit jumpy too. Why were you even out there?”
“The concert hall gets quite hot during and after the show,” Octavia said. “I need a bit of time to cool off. I try to keep to myself, but he found me. Beauty, are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah. The manager can give me a ride back to the hotel,” he said before making his way to the door. “She's cute, have fun on your date.”
That made the cellist stop and stare. Before he could respond, the door closed. He then quickly covered his mouth and coughed. “I... apologize for him. He doesn't quite... think before he speaks. It seems your friend has more or less abandoned you. Would you like me to call you a cab?”
Vinyl shrugged. “Silver's kind of... like that. She's good, really! A good person! She just doesn't always think things through before doing what she wants. Tomorrow morning she'll call me in a panic and ask what happened, begging for forgiveness profusely. I guarantee it.”
“She should have at least made sure you were okay. If you'd like, I can give you the number of our manager. He'll make sure you get your new glasses and everything you need.”
“It's fine,” she said before getting to her feet and picking up the broken rims of her glasses. “They're more or less a prop, anyway. Cheap enough to replace. So, how long have you been in town for?”
“Since monday. I--”
Vinyl grinned before looking towards the door. She crossed her arms before nodding. “Well, in that case, I think it's only fair you let me show you around town a bit. You haven't been here long enough to see all the sights, after all.”
“W-what?”
“It's too early to go home and with Silver gone, I've lost my party girl. You'll have to do in a pinch.”
“Again, what?” He gave her a flat stare, devoid of any amusement.
“Come ooooon. It'll be fun. I can show you where I work. They'll be open all night. It would be a great way to make up for almost breaking my nose, too.”
The flat stare devolved into one filled with guilt. Finally he gave a nod and sighed. “Very well, if you wish. But I truly can't be out past midnight.”
“Why, going to turn into a pumpkin?”
“No. But I do have a job that I simply can't abandon. We don't have a concert tomorrow, but we still have rehearsal. I need plenty of rest to--” He was cut off when she put a finger to his lips.
“It'll be fine, I swear. We'll go out, have some fun, you'll buy me a few 'I'm sorry I clocked you in the nose' drinks, I'll make a few jokes about how up tight you are, one of us will end up dancing on a bar top.” Now he just looked horrified. “Besides, your friend did say I was sexy.”
“He said you were cute.”
“It was implied.”
The cellist sighed and put a hand to his forehead. But, after a few moments he gave a nod. “Very well. I suppose a few hours won't be so bad.”
“You won't regret it.”
------
Octavia regretted it, so much. His head pounded, the drinks were a bit strong for his taste, though he'd only tried a sip of the first one. There were pounding lights and everyone just kept bumping in to each other. If he didn't feel so guilty, he'd have left the moment they stepped into the building.
But, then again he had almost broken the poor lady's nose. He couldn't imagine what possessed her to invite him out to drinks like this. Was it because she expected him to pay? He would, of course. But he really would have preferred to just give her the money and been on his way. The club was hot and stuffy and all the quickly blinking lights were annoying.
“You seem pretty annoyed,” Vinyl said from across the table, grinning at him. She then looked horrified. “O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that!”
“Huh? What?”
“The whole... well, how crowded it would be. Are you feeling okay? No one is going to try anything with you, I swear. Here,” she said before getting to her feet and taking his hand in one hand, her drink in the other. He barely had time to grab his drink before he was hauled away. She dragged him across the club, people bumping and grinding into him the whole way, before she walked up to a rather large man with more tattoos than she thought possible. He had a scowl and Octavia couldn't be sure, but he would have sworn his earing was a clip on, not an actual piercing. The flashing lights made it too hard to see. His escort talked for a few moments, before she started hauling him around again.
To his surprise, they stopped at a booth a few moments later. The table had the remains of some meal still, but there was a nice wall behind it. He sat down and smiled. The music wasn't so loud and the lights didn't seem quite so intense here. “Thank you, but why did you choose this spot?”
“You nearly broke my nose when I walked up behind you in the parking lot,” she said with a smile. “I'm guessing you've had it happen a lot. I figured you'd feel more comfortable with a wall behind you.”
His eyes widened slightly. “Why... yes, in fact. I do. Thank you, that was quite thoughtful.”
“That and you seemed so stressed, I wanted you to relax a bit.” She reached out and tapped his hand. “You okay?”
“I'm not stressed,” he said firmly. “I'm merely... not used to such places. The loud music and lights are... not exactly my preference. I never really liked this song, either.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes. “It's not a bad song, you know. There's a lot of pretty good parodies of it too. I think there was a really good one, join the... something. I don't know.” She shrugged. “Come on, you should try to enjoy yourself. You only get a few hours with--”
“Oh my gosh, Vinyl, what happened?” a voice said, making the two look up. A woman with neon green hair walked up to the table, putting a hand on it. “Your nose looks horrible! What happened to your glasses?”
“Thanks,” Vinyl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “There was an accident and they got damaged. Trust me, the nose looks worse than it is. Octavia, this is my boss and owner of the club, Strobe Light. Strobe, this is the cellist of the quartet I went to see, Octavia.”
“A pleasure,” Octavia said, bowing his head slightly.
“Wait, really? I thought Silver said they were all supposed to be guys.”
Octavia let out a little snicker and quickly covered his mouth. “I... ahhh, am a guy. Though I do find it humorous that your friend told you, but not Vinyl.”
Vinyl's face turned just a hint of red, as did Strobe's. “O-oh. Err... I mean, looking at you now I can see why... err... so many masculine... features like... the...” She coughed. “Really, if you want to not get confused for a girl, cut your hair.” She then stormed off.
“I... think I might have upset your boss,” Octavia said as he watched the woman walk off.
“Oh, her? Nah, she'll be fine. She just doesn't like being corrected. And she's kind of a bitch, anyway. So don't worry.” She reached up to touch her nose. “Does it really look that bad?”
“It's hard to tell in the flashing lights, but I'd have to say no. The edges around the base are a little bruised, but it is nothing that shouldn't go away in a few days. Again, I am dreadfully sorry. I never meant to--”
“Oh relax. It doesn't even hurt any more. I bet Strobe was just making a big deal about it because I don't have my glasses on. They're kind of my signature, you know. Without them, half the people here won't even know who I am. She hates that.”
“I find that hard to believe,” Octavia said with a chuckle. “You do happen to leave quite the impression, with that hair and... well, everything about you.”
“Was that a compliment or an insult?”
“I don't quite know yet. A part of me honestly feels like I'm being kidnapped at this point.”
She let out a snicker. “Oh, okay then. Tell me, what would you be doing now if you weren't here with me?”
Octavia rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, before leaning back. Finally, he nodded and opened them. “I'd likely be at the hotel, either sleeping or reading a good book.”
“Oh? Which one?”
“I'm currently in the midst of reading a series by a young mare known as Audi Valet. It's an older series.”
“Ohhhh, the bards of Cantermar? I never would have figured you for a fantasy reader.”
Octavia looked taken aback, his mouth opening slightly. “You've... heard of them?”
“Of course. I used to love the music she added with the books, they were pretty great. I think my favorite was Philosophy. That thief bard was always one of my favorites.”
“I have found him quite interesting, but I think my current favorite is still the princess. It was nice seeing her evolve from a spoiled child to a bard of the realm.”
“Ohhhh, has she gone on her quest yet?”
“No, not yet. But I do believe it happens in this book, now that her training is complete.”
“I won't spoil it then. It's awesome, though. You're going to love the axe, Want.”
“The anti magic axe? It's been interesting so far.”
“Oh, it gets a lot more interesting.”
The cellist let out a soft sigh before taking another small sip of his drink. “I... must say. I'm quite impressed. I don't meet many who have read her books.”
“Told you, all the music is what got me interested. You've heard the songs, right?”
“Of course. I've actually played a few on the fiddle.”
Vinyl's eyes widened. “Wait, really? You can play them? That's awesome! But I thought you were a cellist?”
“I am. I am a passable fiddler, however. It's really not that hard once you know how to play the strings and properly play the notes. I'm no master, of course.” He glanced towards the stage. “Well, tell me. What would you have done if I'd denied coming here with you?”
“Probably come here anyway,” Vinyl said with a shrug. “Texted Silver like a hundred times to guilt her a bit for abandoning me like that. Probably danced a bit. Actually...” She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Come on, let's dance.”
His eyes widened. “W-what? I do not--”
“Don't tell me you don't dance. Every guy says that.” She got to her feet and started dragging him towards the center floor. “Trust me, half the people here can't dance either, that hasn't stopped them.”
“I've noticed.”
“See? If you can be condescending about it, you can come out and entertain me a bit. Please?”
He sighed and motioned to the table. “We shouldn't leave our drinks behind. It's not safe to do in bars, you know.”
“It's a club, but fine.” She walked to the table and downed hers in one quick gulp, before grabbing his and thrusting it in his face. “Drink or wear, your choice.”
The cellist let out another exasperated sigh. “Are you always this forceful?” He took it in hand and tipped it down his throat, shuddering slightly.
“Yep.” She barely gave him a chance to put the drink down before she was dragging him towards the floor. “Are you always this tense?”
“When around people such as you, yes,” he mumbled as he had no choice but to follow her. People were bumping and jostling them the entire time but he tried to ignore it. He was sure the club was a fine, up standing establishment. Or at the very least, a safe one. Yet he couldn't shake the feelings of unease. He never really liked places like this. Still, he had assaulted the young woman and the fact she wasn't pressing charges was reason enough to at least play along for now.
“Come oooon. It'll be fun. Tell you what, one song, and we can get out of here. Okay?”
“Truly?”
“Yes, truly.” She then turned around and he didn't stop in time, accidentally stepping into her.
“Sorry!” he said quickly, backing away. His cheeks turned a little red as he became distressingly aware of just how... soft she and her clothing were.
“It's fine, come on! Relax and try to have fun!” And she started to dance.
Octavia sighed and at least... attempted to imitate the movements to an extent. He felt extremely foolish, though. He swore the woman looked more like she was having a seizure than any rhyme or reason to her movements and following them was near impossible. Then again, he figured such movements suited the woman. She'd yet to have shown any rhyme or reason since he met her.
Still, he tried to keep up. By the time the music stopped, he felt like his heart was going to explode and sweat had started to gather across his shirt. Vinyl, on the other hand, looked completely unphased. As if she'd done nothing but a short walk. She led him to the door, gently pulling him the whole way. Once he was out, he had to lean against the wall to catch his breath.
“Are you okay? I thought you'd have done this stuff before,” she said with a light snicker. “Well, some dancing.”
“I told you, I don't dance. Not to mention it is extremely hot in there with everyone so close. I'm amazed no one gets hurt with all those drinks and bodies huddled together.”
Vinyl gave a low nod. “Well, we did what I wanted. Let's do something you want. What do you like to do when you visit a new town? I bet there's all kind of fancy rituals you have. See the museums, visit tea shops?”
He blinked and slowly shook his head. “No? Why ever would you think that?”
“You're kind of... stuffy and distant. You seemed like the kind of guy who would go to those kinds of places just to brag about going to them.”
He cringed and gave a sigh, before looking away. “I'm... sorry. I didn't mean to give such an impression. It has been a charming evening, truly. But I am just not the kind of person who enjoys these kinds of things.”
“Well, fine then. What kinds of things do you like?” She walked besides him and took his hand.
“I... do enjoy walking,” he said softly. “When I visit new places, I'll often head to the parks and walk many of the trails. I enjoy the fresh air.”
She nodded and started leading him down the street. “Well, there's one near here. You ever go on the parades and those kinds of walks? Running those five Ks and what not?”
“What? No. If I was going to do that I'd do it on my own. Why would I want to do it amongst such a crowd?”
“Ohhhhh. I see how it is. You like doing things, but you just don't want to do them with so many people?” She gave his hand a little squeeze. “Fine, how about you and I dance in private then?”
His face turned bright red at that. “W-what? I-I don't, I wouldn't, I-I don't like to dance at... at all,” he said softly, looking away.
She snickered and squeezed his hand again. “Relax, I was just kidding. You know, you should try calming down a bit. There's no need to get so upset and worried about everything.” She looked back at him. “You don't go out very much, do you?”
“No, not particularly. I sometimes go out with Frederick, but I... prefer to stay in my room alone most nights.”
“Is it because you're afraid you'll get attacked? Or get hit on by guys too often?”
“More often the latter. The former normally only happens when alcohol flows freely.”
“Oh. Another reason not to like the club, huh?”
“Are you often like this? I mean... with people you've just met? I could be some kind of crazy person. Maybe I'm trying to get you alone to... will you stop laughing?”
“Are you kidding me? You're like... a big stuffed bunny. Not even a teddy bear. I doubt you could hurt anyone who didn't attack you first.” She smiled back at him. “I'm a real good judge of character, you know. I can know within three seconds just by looking at a person if they're going to be okay, or if I'm going to have to have the bouncer toss them out.”
“Really?”
“Well, sometimes. But trust me, you pick up on things like that pretty quick you hang out with enough people. We're here.”
He looked up. “It's... nice?”
“It's a park. What, did you expect flashing neon lights and confetti cannons around the entrance?”
He smiled at her. “With you? Yes, a little bit.” He stepped forward through the small gate around the park. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sprinklers had been on a little bit ago, so the scent of water mixed with the grass to give it a pleasant, gentle aroma. There was a soft, cool breeze occasionally blowing across the path, a pleasant surprise considering the warm night. The path was dirt and surrounded by grass, but still soft underfoot. He could hear the gentle tinkle of water off in the distance. “Is there a pond here?”
“Yeah. I wouldn't go swimming in it, though,” Vinyl said as she walked besides him. “So, you like this more?”
“Yes, it's quite pleasant.” He smiled to her again. “Thank you. You've been quite the excellent host. I truly do appreciate you taking the time to make me feel comfortable in your town.”
“Eh, you bought the drinks, I think we're even. Besides, I don't really like going out on the town alone. It's always good to have someone with you.”
“Even someone you just met?”
“You seem like a good enough girl.” She cringed. “Guy. Good enough guy. Sorry.”
“It's quite alright,” Octavia said with a shrug. “I've been receiving comments like that ever since I was a child. I don't believe you mean anything ill by it, so I see no need to get upset.”
“So, how often do you travel?”
“It can vary. During our busy seasons we can go entire weeks never being in a town for more than two days. Times like now, however, we'll be here for a few weeks. We have a week playing in that hall. After that, we have a few parties we'll be playing at. We'll be leaving the saturday or sunday after this one.”
“Really?” Vinyl asked with a little snicker. “I never imagined you for the kind of person to play at parties.”
“Not the sort of parties you'd imagine,” Octavia said with a gentle chuckle. “Gallas, balls. Things of that sort. Occasionally we'll even be hired for private lawn parties by a politician or some other... extremely well off person.”
“It must be kind of lonely traveling like that all the time. Do you make many friends?”
“Not particularly. Beauty, Frederick and Parish have been my friends since child hood, however. I believe they're the only friends I truly need. I have a few friends in other locales, but I rarely speak with them. How about you? I imagine you must have dozens of friends.”
“Totally,” Vinyl said with a chuckle. “Though Silver's my bestie, we go way back.”
“That's a shame. I'd hope you'd have a best friend who wouldn't so quickly abandon you.”
She sighed. “Listen, she's really not that bad. I know she can be a bit flaky sometimes. But we've been watching out for each other for years. If I was in any kind of real trouble, she'd have never have bailed.” She then moved a little closer and reached out, gripping his hand. “Besides, I'm having a nice time. I love meeting new people, especially when they're so cute.”
He let out a little yelp and tried to pull away, but she didn't let his hand go. “W-what? I didn't, I wasn't--”
“Oh, don't be modest. You're absolutely adorable and we both know it.” She reached around and grabbed his other hand. “A bit shy too, but I don't mind.”
He gulped, slowly backing away, or trying. But she had a grip like a vice and he couldn't really pull free. “I-I never... meant to, I-I wasn't giving the impression that--”
“Oh? Are you seeing someone?”
“W-well, no, but--”
“Then what's wrong with having a little fun?”
“I-I didn't-- MMPH!” he let out a startled gasp when she stepped in quickly and put her lips against his. It only lasted a few seconds, but when she finally pulled back he couldn't move, his eyes wide.
“See? A little fun. Oh, relax. It was just a kiss, no need to get so up tight about it. Come on, let's go see the pond. If you don't relax, I'll push you into it.”
“B-but you just... you...” he said softly, following behind her because he had no real choice. She only let one of his hands go.
“I kissed you. So? You're cute and I think you're interesting. Relax, it's not like I proposed or tried to strip you down. I usually wait for the third date for that.”
“W-what?” Octavia asked, his eyes going even wider as he struggled to process what she said. “W-why are you, what are you--”
“Stop complaining or I'll kiss you again.”
“S-sorry,” he squeaked softly. She finally drew him to the small pond. It was a wide oval with a floating bridge crossing it from one end to the other. A small plaque was in the center and rows of flowers lined the guards on the sides.
“You never gotten a kiss by a pretty woman before?”
“O-of course I have!” he said quickly, his cheeks burning even redder. They were halfway across the bridge before he finally managed to pull on her hand and get her to stop.
“What?”
“Why did you kiss me? I want to know,” he said firmly, glaring at her.
“Why not? I told you. You're cute, you're interesting. Shy as heck so it's not like I could expect you to try it. And I kind of wanted to know if you tasted like a girl or a boy.”
His cheeks turned even redder. “W-what? Wait, you can tell by taste? H-- wait, you've kissed--”
“Both? Yeah. Honestly, you did kind of taste like a girl. Sorry.”
He let out a sigh. “Just... give a little more... warning. Please. Before you do something completely... insane.”
“Never.”
“Wait, you were expecting me to make a move on you? Why?”
That actually made Vinyl pause and glance back at him. “Wow. That was just... wow. That's a bit of a hurtful thing to say.”
“What? Why would--” His eyes widened and he shook his head. “N-no! I didn't mean like, no! Not like that, I just, err, I meant because I'm leaving soon. I thought... err... there's no real time for--”
“Who said I'm looking for a big relationship?” She started walking again, dragging him along. “Maybe I'm just bored and your a fun little fling I can brag to all my friends about. I got a cellist. They'll be so jealous. Especially when I show them the pictures.”
Octavia let out another exasperated sigh. Just as soon as he'd finally begun to relax and think he had this strange woman figured out, she threw him for another loop. He watched her for a moment before smiling. Well, she was interesting, and cute. He gripped one of the bridge posts in his free hand. He then pulled with all his might, making Vinyl let out a yelp as she suddenly came rushing back to him. He tried to catch her, but when she stumbled into him he fell back, bringing them both crashing to the ground. He looked up at her and groaned. “That... that went far better in my head.”
“What on earth were you trying to do?” she asked as she let him go and got to her feet, only to hold her hand out and help him up.
“I was trying to... I don't know... be a bit romantic. I mean, you made a move and I--”
“It's fine, it's fine,” she said before slowly leading him away again. “If anyone asks, we'll pretend it went well and you totally swept me up in your arms, completely romantically.”
He chuckled and then looked down the path. “I uhhh... I am sorry. I'm not usually one to... errr...”
“You don't get flirted with a lot?”
“Not by women.”
“I can pretend to be a guy, if you like.” Vinyl took a deep breath before talking in a deep voice. “Hey. Octy. Let me grab your butt. Mmmm, that's some good shake in that trunk.”
The cellist stared at the woman as if she was mad. “Even if... why would anyone ever talk in such a strange manner?”
She shrugged. “I don't know. You should be thankful, though.”
“Why?”
“If the rail guards weren't so high, we might have toppled into the lake. That would have been a lot harder to explain.”
He chuckled before starting to walk a little faster, moving besides her. “You... know what? You're actually quite the interesting woman, miss Vinyl. I think tonight has been absolutely delightful, yet somehow dreadful, and I probably won't forget it for a long while.”
“Not without therapy and the right medication, at least.”
“Quite. But I do believe it's about time I head home. I wish I could stay out all night, but I must get back home to practice. The others will be furious with me if I don't show.”
She let out a sigh, before giving a nod. “Fiiiine.” She turned around, tugging him back the way they came. “I assume you'll at least escort me back to the club, right?”
“Err, of course. You'll be fine getting home, won't you?”
“Of course. I can probably get a ride with someone from work in a few hours.”
He nodded and glanced back to her. He was quite certain now, even if he never met this woman again, he'd definitely never forget her.