Chapter 24: Tis the Season For Shopping - Part One [The Musician and the Fashionista]
The next day, at around eleven forty-five, I was getting ready to go out into the city to meet Vinyl. I was already dressed, and I was making sure I had everything before I left.
Oh, and Auntie Celeste was in the room with me, too.
“So you’re getting a jump on your Hearth’s Warming shopping, huh, nephew?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I answered. “Rarity and Octavia are gonna be at the spa this afternoon, and Octavia’s friend Vinyl offered to shop with me.”
“Well, that’s nice of her. I’ll bet you’ll find the perfect gift for both your mares.” Celeste lit up her horn and levitated something over to me. “This may help you a little.”
I looked at the object that I was given, and my eyes widened when I saw that it was the same credit card that Celeste let me use when I went on my dates with Rarity and Octavia.
“Just don’t go too overboard and buy something like a carriage-car.”
I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“Good,” my aunt smiled. “So, what do you plan on getting your dear old auntie for Hearth’s Warming?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I dunno. I’ll think of something.”
Celeste gave me an offended look and stared me down. “What kind of answer is that? You should’ve had an idea of what you were gonna get me by now!”
“Relax, Auntie,” I smirked. “Don’t be a spoiled princess… Oh, wait…”
“Very funny, Marcus, but I’m being serious. I’m getting you a really great present this year, and I expect to get a present just as great.”
“You are such a virtuous mare,” I told her sarcastically. “No wonder all the ponies in Equestria look up to you.”
“Watch your tone with me boy. Go on and head out to the city before I put you over my knee.”
“Pshh. You wouldn’t,” I laughed.
“Keep talking and you’ll find out,” Celeste threatened, but then she cracked a smile and began to laugh, too. “Okay, you got me. I’d never do that to my precious nephew, now go on, then. I’ll leave the room behind you.”
I rolled my eyes at my aunt and left my room. If I stayed and kept humoring her foolishness, I’d be late for my meet-up with Vinyl.
I was relieved when my taxi was able to get to the city before noon. Vinyl and I agreed to meet at that time, and I didn’t like to keep others waiting for too long. We arranged to meet each other in the shopping district of the city. As I entered the area, I looked around for the mare, and I found her leaning against the wall of a building with her shades over her eyes and a pair of earbuds in her ears.
I approached the mare as she bopped her head to the music that was blasting in her ears. It was so loud I could hear what song she was playing. I could even hear the lyrics clearly.
“Vinyl?” I called once I was standing in front of her, only to receive no response. “Vinyl?” I called again, waving my hand in front of her face, but to no avail.
Were her eyes closed?
Realizing that just calling her name wasn’t getting me anywhere, I let out a frustrated sigh and yanked the earbuds out of her ears.
“Huh? What?” the confused unicorn said as she jolted up, her shades falling off of her face.
“Man, you were really out there, weren’t you?”
“Oh, sorry about that, man,” Vinyl said as she picked up her shades off the ground. “I tend to go into my own little world when I’m listening to music.”
“It’s fine. At least I have your attention now. So, where do you think we should go first?”
The mare shrugged. “That depends. How much money are you able to spend?”
“My aunt gave me a card to use, and she said that I could spend as much as I needed, so long as I don’t go too crazy.”
Vinyl smirked. “Luckily for you, Octavia isn’t too high maintenance. Do you plan on getting some other gifts?”
“Yeah. I want to get a gift for Rarity, Princess Luna, and Auntie Celest…ia.”
Phew, that was close.
“Well, we have plenty of time, so we don’t need to rush. C’mon, I already have an idea of what to get Octavia.”
Vinyl took the lead as she and I walked through the district until we finally stopped by a music store. “Well, this isn’t surprising,” I said, more to myself than to her.
“I know this seems predictable, but trust me on this one,” the unicorn said as we walked inside. “Last night, while Octavia was practicing her cello, she was telling me and Rarity about how she needed a new one since her current one was getting worn out.”
“You know, I was hoping to get Octavia something more meaningful than a new cello,” I interjected, disappointed at Vinyl’s idea.
“You didn’t let me finish, Marcus. This shop sells custom made instruments, so you add a personal touch. Plus, you can engrave a special message into the bow. It’s the perfect chance to come up with something romantic for one of your special someponies.”
I blinked when I heard her say that. “You know?” I asked.
“Of course. When three mares are living under the same roof, the subject of the opposite sex is bound to come up. Besides, ‘Tavi and I tell each other everything.”
“You two really are best friends, huh?”
“Of course! Now, I think we can get the cello with a nice glossy finish. As for the color, I was thinking one that matched her coat with her cutie mark painted on the side.”
“You know what it looks like?”
“I’ve been Octi’s roommate for two years. Of course I know what it looks like. I’m surprised you don’t know, or have you two not reached that point in your relationship yet.”
I gave Vinyl an unamused look, not impressed in the slightest by her little joke. She merely laughed in response.
“Dude, relax! I’m just screwin’ with ya! C’mon, let’s place the order in.”
The two of us walked up to the front desk to place the order, and the store owner, a human man, looked at Vinyl with a surprised look.
“Vinyl! Vinyl Scratch! Long time no see!” he said happily.
“What’s up, Gavin?” she asked as she bumped fists with him.
“Same old, same old. Where have you been, though?”
“Studying in Saddle Arabia. I’m visiting for the holidays.”
“Well, in that case, welcome back to Canterlot!” Gavin said. “Doing some early Hearth’s Warming shopping?”
“Actually, I’m helping out my friend Marcus here,” she answered as she put a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey,” I said as I shook hands with Gavin.
“So, whaddaya say, G? Can you hook him up for me?”
“Sure! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine! What do you need, Marcus?”
“Well, Vinyl told me you did custom jobs,” I explained.
Gavin smiled. “That I do, that I do.”
“In that case, I’d like to get a grey cello with a glossy finish,” I requested.
“And paint a magenta treble clef on the side, and make the strings the same color, too, while you’re at it.”
“Sure,” the owner chuckled. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, I’d like to get the bow in matching colors, and I want to engrave a message into it.”
“What kind of message did you have in mind?”
I immediately blushed when I was asked that question. Of course I knew that I had to say what my message was if I wanted Gavin to engrave it, but having to say it was a little embarrassing.
“Well, the message is… ‘For my beautiful Octavia’,” I admitted.
Gavin blinked. “Aaaaaaaaaah, I get it now. You’re getting this done for a special lady, aren’t ya?”
“You could say that,” I chuckled nervously.
“Well, with that in mind, on top of the fact that Vinyl asked me to hook you up, I’m gonna do all that for half the normal price. Quite the steal, if you ask me.”
“He’s right, you know,” the unicorn added.
“In that case, I’ll take it,” I said with a smile.
“Sweet! That’ll be seven hundred and fifty bits.” I handed Gavin my card and he swiped it with no problem. Once he returned the card to me, he handed me a slip of paper and a pen. “Alright, I should be able to get this done in about a week. Just fill out your contact information on this piece of paper here, and I’ll give you a call once your order is ready.”
“Great, thanks!” I said as I filled out the slip.
“No sweat. Thanks for your business, kid,” Gavin smiled, and then he looked at Vinyl. “See you around, V.”
“Sure, G,” she replied as she and I walked out of the store. “Okay, one gift down, three to go. Who’s next, Marcus?”
“Rarity,” I answered.
“So I’m guessing you want this present to be all lovey-dovey, too, huh?”
“You make it sound really cheesy when you put it like that,” I deadpanned.
“Chill, dude. I never said it was a bad thing. Matter of fact, I think you’re pretty lucky.”
“How so?”
Vinyl smirked and put her arm around me, pulling me close to her. “Do I have to spell it out for ya? You’ve got two smokin’ hot mares that want you, and you get to take your pick! I’ve seen the way you look at both of ‘em from time to time. Not that I blame you, though. They’re both pretty cute. That Rarity girl’s some nice hips, am I right?”
My face got increasingly red as she kept talking.
“Not that I’m trying to move in on your mare, of course,” she disclaimed. “I’ve already got a cute thing in Saddle Arabia.”
“You’re into mares?” I asked.
“I swing both ways,” she explained. “When you’re into the whole club scene, you’re open to experimenting. And before you ask, Octavia does know.”
“How did she react when she found out?”
“She was pretty okay with it. I told her a few days after we met. She just made it clear that she wasn’t interested in mares, and that she didn’t want me to try anything funny. It was a real shame, too. She’s a hot one, Octi.”
I thought about the idea of Vinyl and Octavia being in a relationship. While it seemed weird, what with their contrasting personalities, and all, I found myself oddly intrigued by the idea.
“So, where are we gonna find a present for your sexy little maiden?” she asked, though she sounded like she was asking herself that question. “Oh, I’ve got the perfect idea!”
Vinyl proceeded to lead me to a luxury clothing store, and she took me to the mare’s section.
“Alright, Rarity’s obviously a fashion-inclined girl,” she explained, “so getting her something nice to wear will mean a lot to her. So, what do you have in mind?”
“Well, how about something that she can wear while she’s lounging around her room, something she can just throw on whenever she’s thinking of me?” I suggested.
The unicorn smirked. “Good thinking, now let’s see if we can find something like that…”
Vinyl and I looked through the racks of clothing to find something that fit what we were looking for, until we finally came across something,
Namely a beautiful, indigo-colored silk robe with light blue accents.
“This… is perfect!” I said.
“Yeah, and check out the tag,” Vinyl added. “You can get it monogrammed for no extra charge.”
“In that case, I’m sold!” I declared as I took the robe off the rack and brought it to the front counter. The stallion behind it was a posh-looking unicorn with thin glasses.
“Ah, you have quite the eye, young man,” he said to me. “I suppose you want it monogrammed, as well?”
“Yeah,” I answered. “I’d like an ‘R’ sewn into the right hip, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Why, of course not, sir! ‘Twill be quite easy, actually. Simply be back to pick it up tomorrow. That is, of course, if you can pay for it.”
I smirked and handed the stallion my card and he swiped it for me. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” I told him as he handed me the card back.
Once Vinyl and I left the store, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket, and I answered it without bothering to look at the caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Marcus, darling! It’s Rarity. How are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine. You and Octavia enjoying your spa day?”
“Oh, it is simply divine, darling! Octavia is right next to me, would you like me to put you on speaker?”
“Sure. Why not?” I shrugged.
I heard a light click, followed by another voice. “Hello, Marcus!” it said.
“Hi, Octi,” I greeted back. “Are they treating you nice at the spa?”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she answered. “The attendants have been waiting on our hands and hooves! We’re in the hot springs right now.”
“And they’re miiiiiiiiixed~” Rarity chimed in musically. “You have no idea what you’re missing, sweetheart!”
My face went red again, which was happening often today. The thought of sharing a bath with Rarity and Octavia, the thought of the warm water against my skin as I relaxed in the bath, and then seeing those two beautiful mares walking into the room in nothing but their towels, towels that would soon come off and reveal their luscious bodies underneath.
The image rendered me utterly speechless.
“What are you and Vinyl doing, anyway?” Rarity asked, snapping me out of my stupor.
“Oh, we’re just hanging around the city. She asked me if I wanted to walk around with her since she was going to be by herself, so I figured why not, y’know?”
“I guess,” said Octavia, “but it would’ve been nice to have you here with us.”
I couldn’t help but think, “Yeah, it would’ve been…”
“Ah well. It can’t be helped. I’ll talk to you two later, okay?” I said.
“Okay, Marcus,” they answered simultaneously as they hung up the phone. I let out a heavy sigh, and Vinyl looked at me curiously.
“What’s the matter, man?” she asked.
I sighed again in response. “Nothing, V. Part of me is just starting to regret choosing to do my Hearth’s Warming shopping today.”
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Hmmm the perfect gift for Celestia and Luna…well he can do the perfect try gift to really show how much he love his aunts (Ah by the way is he will start call Luna aunt? I think that will be more than ok)
Anyway to successfully pull a perfect try gift, you need to aim at 3 parts at the same time, the stomach the heart and the brain.
-For the stomach = The tittle say it all, buy her favorite dish, if it can a cake, so a big creamy strawberry cake, with sprinkles, and 3 types of ice cream for them will do the trick.
-For the brain = Something practical something they use on their job and sure would enjoy, that will be kind of tricky consider their line of work, perhaps a paper organizer for Celestia and for Luna, a book of modern speech to help her learn a bit more.
-For the heart = The most difficult of all, something that came from the heart and was meaning to hit right at home something that its a one sure tear in their eyes when they open it. So…to Celestia that just love the concept of him as her own perhaps a call for their parents and his first shoes bath in bronze with the tittle of 'for the best aunt in the world' BOOM, if that not make Celestia crak into a fit of tears I don't know what will, but Luna is the real enigma there, what can possible he can give that can hit home really good?
Anyway THAT its how you pull a try perfect gift
thanks for the update
Great chapter.
Great chapter. The ending XD
one of the best fics on this site
This ending. I love it! I want more!
*zones out*
SunDrifter.exe has stopped working.
4239551
(Installs firmware update) There ya go!
4239982 Thank you kind sir. Now I may lay and wait for the next chapter!
[Insert "Evil Laughter" Here]
Gavin...?
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If not, oh well, I can imagine that it was the Gavin I was thinking about.
Okay, I'd like to see manga/anime style art of Octavia and rarity in a hot springs (like ken akamatsu's "love hina")
Oh god, poor Marcus. XD And I'm sure Vinyl would be swell with the hot springs idea as well.
Gifts for Luna and Celestia... That can be tough since they can get pretty much anything, but I guess it's the thought behind the gift that counts. Wonder what Celestia got for Marcus though?
Pft, you know, it'd be funny if Marcus somehow got Prince Blueblood a pair of socks or underwear for the holidays. That's what I got for my brother last year.
Aww, poor Mark...
4241431 Funnily enough, that was my mental image of Gavin X_X
I've mentally got one of the Slowmo Guy's faces tied to their name. Kinda freaks me out.
4241431 You're not alone there.
I thought Sketchy mean't that Gavin too.
But I still think of it as being that Gavin.
4240029 Evil laughter?
4241739 Do you know what would be an even better gift for Blueblood? Marcus stealing every piece of clothing Blueblood owns and dying them disgusting colors. And Celestia chopping up all his credit cards so he can't get new clothes.
I think Luna would like something video game related. As for Celestia... I have no idea.
4244210 Perrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect.
To be honest, I've never been one for romance-oriented stories (or just romance in general, but I digress), but the great writing encouraged me to to keep reading, and to be honest, I don't regret it at all. My only concern is that things are going too well for Marcus. Not to the point of Mary Sue-ness, of course, but it doesn't seem like much bad happens to this guy.
'Course, I'm not asking for something huge and devastating to happen to him, it just feels like things typically go in his favor, and the only real time I can recall him being in trouble was when he snuck out to go the Nightmare Night party way back in chapter 6, and while that was pretty big and lasted for a while, we haven't gotten much of anything since then; besides some minor teasing, Honey Pot (although she would be a good thing to a lot of men), and a somewhat regrettable decision (see ending of this chapter XP).
But yeah, all-in-all, I've been following this fic for quite a while, and while it is very good, things not quite going in Marcus' favor every once in a while would definitely make it more believable to me, and thus better.
Hope this helped in some way.
4244807 Im not sure about you, but I prefer the author doing it like this. Breaking away from the overused outline.
Look in the good side when he come with the presents the girls will do everything for him
4244317 Cake.
That was good, but I just woke up and haven't had my music fix yet...
*grumble**grumble*
This is what Rarity and Octavia would hear on their phoneline if I was in Marcus' place:
I can't wait for this story to update... no seriously I don't want to wait its to good... feed my romance addiction.
this story.....is actually quite good.im surprised.the summary drove me away at first, but now im eagerly awaiting the next chapter!
I put sooo many feels into this story
I also can't wait, for an update, as I start to sound like Zekora. Any-way, would it be within reason that Luna learns the specifics behind Tia losing her child (Orion) and as a Hearts Warming gift offers Tia the opportunity to be the surrogate mother for Celestia's child. That would one of the most heart warming things I have ever read.
you have made a great story here i cant wait till the next chapter is out
4241431 4242656
I too pictured Gavin as Rooster Teeth/SloMo Guys' Gavin Free.
Marcus: ...You two stay there, we'll be right over. *Immediately hangs up and turns to Vinyl* The girls are at a mixed hot spring an-
Vinyl: SHUT UP AND GET RUNNING!!
*Marcus and Vinyl sprint the entire way to the spa*
6320746
Your not the only one