Chapter 9 : The Money Will Roll Right In
In which things start going too fast
~
They were all starting to get bored of doing nothing all day now. Work had started on re-doing the shop front now, but it would be a few weeks before it would be finished. Vinyl had started a temporary mail order record service to keep cash flowing in while the shop was out of action, she would send out lists of her stock, and ponies would reply by sending cash and their requested titles back to her, and in return she'd mail out what they ordered. This operation was run from Octavia's kitchen table, unless there was food on it.
Vinyl was sure she'd lose a lot of business to the other record shops in the area, but for anypony wanting something over than classical or cheesy pop music, she was pretty much the only way. She always had a reliable core market, she'd just have to work harder to win the other customers back after the shop was fixed up.
But for now, she was incredibly bored of the whole thing. Vinyl had her head rested on the table surrounded by paperwork, Octavia opposite her finishing off some tea. Lyra trotted into the kitchen wearing a trench coat and hat she'd acquired from Celestia knows where, and slowly made her way towards Vinyl, keeping her face behind the collar of the coat at all times and the hat low. Eventually they were side by side. Lyra's eyes were shifting all over the room, she put her muzzle up to Vinyl's ear.
"Psst, hey. Wanna see something cool?"
This piqued Vinyl's interest. Yeah, damn right she wanted to see something cool! Who was saying she didn't want to see something cool? She'd show them! She'd show them all! Nothing would stop her from seeing something cool!
"YEAH!" Vinyl exclaimed after a few moments, slamming a hoof down onto the table, making Lyra jump.
Lyra's eyes shifted around the room again.
"Come with me."
With that she grabbed Vinyl and led her out the front of the house. The adventure ended as abruptly as it had started; Lyra had led her to the little alley between Octavia's house and the building next door.
"Behold!" Lyra beamed, pointing a hoof to a dumpster.
Vinyl was not impressed.
"That's it? Lyyyraaaaaaaaa, this isn't cool! This is the opposite of cool!"
"No, look inside it you cretin."
"So what? You brought me out here to look at other pony's trash? Lyra, this is lame beyond- Ooooooooooooooh!"
~
Lyra and Vinyl stuck to the walls inside Octavia's house, various shushes were exchanged between the two. Lyra had her discovery (poorly) concealed under her coat, they didn't want 'Tavi to find out. Octavia was still in the kitchen, cleaning up at the sink. This meant she was facing away from the kitchen entrance. Ensuring the coast was clear, Lyra and Vinyl quietly made their way to the other side.
"What are you two doing?" Octavia said, not even turning her head to see.
"How did she-"
"I dunno..."
"Nothing..." Lyra and Vinyl replied in unison.
Their excellent deception was ruined when a large object fell from Lyra's trench coat with a thud and a twang.
"Ugh, smooth move." Vinyl said with a hoof on her face.
Octavia came away from the sink to inspect the scene, the two mares were now bickering with each other. She rolled her eyes and continued out. There on the floor between Lyra and Vinyl was a battered red guitar. Several of the strings were broken, the paint was scratched and chipped, and there were several stickers on the front. The name on the head stock identified it as a Splendor Mustang, favored by many underground bands for its ruggedness and cheapness.
"And just where did you two come across this?" Octavia asked with a scowl.
"Trash." They answered, again in unison.
"Rifling through waste, such class..." Octavia dead panned and took a step back from the guitar.
"Can we keep it? Huh, huh, huh?!"
"Do either of you even know how to play a guitar?"
Lyra and Vinyl both cocked their heads.
"Of course...And I don't know why you're asking me about keeping it, I'm not your mother! You both have your own homes and lives!"
"Oh yeah..."
Octavia turned back towards the kitchen.
"DIBS!"
"NUH UH! I FOUND IT FIRST!"
"YEAH, I CALLED IT!"
"TAVI! TELL HER!"
Octavia sighed.
"I might as well be their mother...
~
Tavi was reading the paper in the living room, one story in particular stuck out to her.
'FACTORY TORCHED IN ARSON ATTACK'
"Guess they're still out there then..." Octavia cast a worried glance out the window. It was dark outside now, it wasn't particularly late, but as winter drew in the days were getting shorter.
The slamming of the front door indicated Lyra was back, having gone out a few hours earlier to do...something? She didn't really say. What was clear, though, was that she was in a very good mood, evidenced by the fact that she had just moontrotted into the room.
"Well well, somepony seems very happy..."
"Yep!" Lyra replied while continuing to reverse, circling the sofa Octavia was seated on. "Guess who just got us a gig?"
"Wait, really?"
Lyra nodded, and continued on her backwards path.
"So, when it it?"
"Next week."
"NEXT WEEK?!"
Lyra stopped and gulped in response to Octavia's outburst.
"Next week, as in next week next week?"
"Y-yes...you don't seem very happy about this..."
"Lyra, how many songs do we know as a band?"
Lyra looked at the floor. "One and a bit..."
"What is the name of the band?"
"We don't have one..."
"How many shows have you been to where a band with no name played a single song and left?"
"I get the picture, Tavi."
Lyra lowered her head and left. Octavia head the spare room's door close, followed by sniffing and muffled whimpers through the ceiling.
"Oh buck, did I just do that?"
~
Octavia was still on the sofa, feeling pretty sorry for herself for upsetting Lyra like that. She could still hear her through the ceiling. She'd messed up this time. Vinyl came down the stairs with a disapproving look on her face.
"Well Tavi, what can I say. You messed up this time."
Called it.
"I know..." Octavia replied, looking anywhere but at Vinyl. "But I still have a point."
Vinyl shot her a funny look, and came up face to face with her.
"Octavia, do you know why Lyra went and got us a gig?"
She shook her head. "I dunno, experience?"
"She did it so she'd be able to pay you back for letting her stay at your house."
Octavia blinked a few times in realization, and bolted up the stairs to the spare room.
"Hey! Wait! I'm not done berating you yet!"
~
Lyra was curled up on the bed whimpering quietly to herself. She'd drawn the blind in the room, the only light was the soft glow from the street lights out side skirting around the edges of the window. 'I'm So Tired' by Fugrazei was playing on Vinyl's DJ decks, Lyra using her magic to move the needle back to the start of the song every time it finished.
She didn't hear the door open, but it was hard to miss the noise of somepony clambering over Vinyl's poorly placed drum kit. Glancing up, she found Octavia sat next to her on the bed. They both sat there wordlessly for a few moments, before Octavia wrapped Lyra in a hug, which caused her to tear up.
"I'm sorry." Octavia whispered to Lyra.
"W-why can't I d-do anything right?"
"Oh hush, enough of that now." Octavia wiped the tears from Lyra's face.
Both mares sat in silence for a minute or two, before Octavia turned to Lyra with a smirk on her face.
"So then, how about I start teaching you how to play that guitar?"
~
Great chapter. I just bought Songs About Fucking yesterday and I'm enjoying it so far.
4233784
Thanks man!
I love that album a ridiculous amount, the raw noisiness of it. Plus I can't help but
singshout along every time...Hosing out the cab of his pickup truck,
He's got his 8-track playing,
REALLY FUCKING LOUD
Another album I need to acquire on vinyl...I'll get it one day.
4233834 other than that I've been listening to power pop recently.
4233902
Fair one man, I've been listening a lot Death (the proto-punk band, not the metal one), absolutely love it, and I guess a lot of it is pretty power pop-y
Also the secret Nirvana gig after the RnR hall of fame induction, J Mascis playing 'School' is just the single greatest thing ever
4233924 I heard about it, I should go check it out.
4233960
Like I said, J Mascis on 'School' is a gift to mankind, its such a shame a lot of the songs weren't recorded, and the ones that were are pretty low quality. Still...
The St. Vincent covers are pretty great too if you find them. And Kim Gordon.
More name parody ideas:
The Celestia Lizard
The Plothole Surfers
The Replacemanes from Manesotta
The Neighing Heads
4238763
The Celestia Lizard, so much yes
I'd really like to come up with one for Devo, if you cant think of any...
I came up with 'Minor Trot' but I don't know if its any good...'Minor Treat' maybe
Spacemare 3
Drive Like Jehuna (Jehu + Luna? Not too sure on this one either)
I used 'Fugrazei' in this chapter, I'm wondering if 'Furgazi' would've been better
4239377 I got into the Jesus Lizard when their guitarist played for Tomahawk.
4242104
I got Goat a few months ago and loved it, I'm looking for Shot at the moment
You know it's sad that such a good fic is being overlooked. It's one of the few music fics which I completely approve of music selection in. Speaking of which Marevana?
4263855
Thanks man, its nice to know this is appreciated!
Marevana, Neighvana, something like that. Might have to make an appearance sometime...
"Daddy's little mare ain't a mare no more"
4263884 "She should've been a colt"
4263975
"She was born a Celestial apprentice"
4263983 You know we could just make a game out of ponifying song lyrics. Also, Scentless Apprentice is one of my absolute favorite Nirvana songs. So what have you been listening to? Other than The Amazing Snakeheads?
4264068
That would be something I would play, could prove to be cool. I agree with you, I'd say In Utero is my second favorite Nirvana album for the noisy aspect of it. Bleach takes the No#1 spot for pure rawness though...
I've been listening a lot to my Record Store Day purchases, I got Mudhoney live from the Space Needle, a very nice Dinosaur Jr. 7" collection, Pissed Jeans at the BBC, Ringo Deathstarr's God's Dream, Pussy Gold 5000, plus (even though it wasn't a RSD release) I found The Amazing Snakeheads on vinyl, good times!
4264104 Been listening to Weezer a lot, especially Blue Album, Pinkerton (my two favorites) and Maladroit. Came up with two album puns: "Milo Goes To Canterlot" and "Sweet Apple Grey".
4264140
"Milo Goes To Canterlot"
Love it!
Band name though, what about "The Decadents"
4264153 good, can't come up with any pony names for Hüsker Dü though. Neither for my favorite album by them, Zen Arcade.
4264170
Thats something else, for all the acclaim Hüsker Dü is another band I just can't seem to get into, similar to R.E.M...
Hööfker Döö? Not great, but still a start I guess
4264194 I don't know, I personally love both those bands. I personally recommend starting with Zen Arcade with them, it's their best and musically and lyrically heavier than albums they released after it. A lot of websites recommend starting on albums they released after that but I disagree, Zen Arcade really started my obsession with the band and was actually the album that got me into hardcore punk.
4264249
I actually have Zen Arcade on vinyl, I have listened to it a number of times, but I dunno, guess it just doesn't do anything for me. Oh well, guess that's just the way it is, brain weirding out on me again. By all means, I should like it, but for whatever reason, I don't.
Damn complexities of the mind...
4264278 still, Turn On The News is an awesome song. Been listening to King Tuff recently as well.
4264348
Yeees! King Tuff ~ King Tuff is one of my favorite albums! Was Dead, too
4264356 I know Bad Thing is just plain awesome. Alone and Stoned as well.
4264362
Anthem and Stranger are my top tracks from King Tuff, Sun Medallion and Just Strut from Was Dead. Still...
"I'm a baaaaaaaaaaa~d thiiii~ng!"