Concerto Quattordici
“Have at thee, vile Jockey of the Discs!”
Octavia brandished her cello bow like a sword, waving it at the white unicorn across from her, who gasped in mock amazement.
“You think you can defeat my music, Violin player?”
“Cello.”
“Whatever. I will make music so loud, your precious cello will play nothing but dubstep for weeks!”
Octavia took her turn to gasp in a most theatrical manner, once more jabbing her bow in Vinyl’s direction.
“Wanton words shall be your downfall, Mistress of the Mic’! Now I will show you what real music sounds like!”
Octavia brought her cello up on its stand, giving it a showmarely twirl before locking it against her shoulder and beginning to play. She burnt across the strings in a rapid fashion, a way she hadn’t played in for years. Inevitably, one of the strings would probably snap, but she had spares at home for after the little battle. Around the moment Octavia’s ankle began to cramp she wrapped up the piece in a melodramatic crescendo, bowing to the children still watching as Vinyl crossed her forelegs, pouting at Octavia with a put-out expression across her muzzle.
“Not bad, Octy, but you haven’t seen nothing yet.”
Vinyl flipped a record into the air with her magic, catching it with the tip of her hoof and balancing it there. She allowed a moment of fervent applause before she flicked her ankle, sending the record somersaulting into the air before it landed on the deck, already spinning as she set the needle down. She then began her own, little embellishments on the track, a fairly mundane electro piece. Hooves working across the levers and switched on the deck, warping the track into a powerful leviathan of bassy wrath. She decided to show Octavia up. Remembering the old bet over her magic, and found herself performing the whole song by hoof.
She brought the whole song to a summit; anticipation in the music rising as she progressed. Tempo and power becoming increasingly excited towards an almost unbearable ultimatum until, finally, she made the drop. The song plummeted into an abyss of bass and rapid pulsing electro, before she finally petered the melody out into a fine, crystalline chime that she held until it disappeared beyond everypony’s hearing. Vinyl shut off the deck, catching the record as it spun to a halt, and flipping it back into its sleeve. Rapturous applause greeted Vinyl as she bowed to the children
“Very well played, for a DJ, Miss Scratch. But I’d like to give my commiserations, because I feel confident in my ability to beat you.”
A light cough came from beyond the symphonic standoff, and the audience enthralled in it. It cut off Octavia midway through the falsetto introduction to her next piece, and she lowered her bow to identify its source.
The source was the receptionist mare who had greeted her on the way in. She carried an expression that was a mix of concern and apology, trotting up to the children arrayed on the floor and herding them together.
“I’m sorry to cut this short, Vinyl and...you know, I don’t believe we exchanged names. I’m Crystal Murmur.”
Octavia stepped off the stage, greeting Crystal with a hoofshake.
“Octavia. I won’t bother with my surname, it will only cause Vinyl to laugh.”
“You know it!”
Crystal’s face lit up in recognition, sparking a light excitement in her tone.
“Oh, I’m so sorry to have cut you off. It’s just that some ponies need their sleep, sorry fillies and colts, I’m sure Vinyl and Octavia will...come again soon?”
Octavia nodded at the promise turned request, right as the group of colts and fillies turned towards her, eyes glimmering with hopefulness.
“Of course. I still need to show somepony what real music is.”
“Self-teaching’s the best way, Octy.”
“Silence, you.”
Crystal managed to gather the fillies and colts back together, after they had begun to dance around in joy.
“Alright fillies and colts, say goodbye to Vinyl and Octavia.”
A chorus of gratitude met Octavia as the little ponies congregated around her. Crystal smiled, inclining her head as she shooed the herd of children from the room. She waited a moment before she followed them, glancing up at Vinyl standing on stage before turning back to Octavia.
“You know, Vinyl’s said many good things about you. It’s been a pleasure to meet you in the end.”
“Oh, she has, has she?”
Vinyl must have felt the weight in Octavia’s words, because she had taken it upon herself to bury her head in the chest of records, feeling the need to alphabetise them all of a sudden. Crystal nodded, her little smile causing her cheeks to pinch and brighten.
“Yes, she has. I look forward to seeing you soon, Octavia. You too, Vinyl!”
“Later, Crystal! Tell ‘em I’ll see them next week.”
Crystal departed the hall, while Vinyl kept her head buried in the chest. In actuality, she was just flicking records around to keep up the act of looking busy, but it didn’t take long for a certain somepony to notice the act. She noticed the shadow fall over her, just after the sound of a cello being packed away had finished. She tried to hum a song to look even busier, but humming dubstep is difficult until one developed a subwoofer in one’s voicebox.
Octavia’s face appeared from the side, and Vinyl turned her head slightly to avoid her gaze. Still humming, though she was now doing so through a beaming grin. The face appeared on the other side, and she turned again, little laughs cracking her rhythmic musings. Finally, Octavia decided to grab her by the shoulders, rolling Vinyl onto her back in an effort to bring her into the inevitable position to see Octavia’s own smile.
“Wow, Octy. Mind not lying on top of me like that? You’re lucky the kids aren’t still here.”
“Oh shush, you! You really are quite the specimen, Vinyl. Always oscillating between the idiotic and the saintly. Spreading my good name around to everypony you meet.”
Vinyl stared into Octavia’s lavender eyes with her own naked, ruby ones. Her shades had fallen on the floor during Octavia’s uncharacteristic little rough-and-tumble.
“One of a kind, you’d have to travel all over Equestria to meet another pony like me, Octy. I guess you’re pretty cool, too.”
“Oh, you can be insufferably arrogant. Endearingly, insufferably arrogant.”
“Well, Octy, I guess you’re just going to have to...” Vinyl retrieved her shades from nearby her, the grey aura fading as she set them over her eyes. ”...Deal with it.”
Octavia closed the distance with a peck on the lips, before drawing back to see Vinyl’s giddy smile.
“I suppose I’ll have to, won’t I?”
“So, what do you wanna do tonight, then?”
Vinyl’s grin spread across her cheeks, arching an eyebrow for good measure. Octavia gaped at her for a second, before experiencing a moment of blushing realisation. Her voice turned to a hushed whisper, tinted with laughter.
“Vinyl, you really can be so forward sometimes.”
“What, I didn’t suggest anything. Not thinking dirty thoughts about us again, Octavia?”
“Oh, but you...You really are the most irritating tease, are you aware of that?”
“I aim to please, m’lady.”
“Well, I was feeling something more towards a nice, relaxing drink than anything else.”
Vinyl gently raised her shades from over her eyes with the tip of a hoof, narrowing her eyes in an intently scrutinising expression.
“Alright. But I’m not drinking that weird stuff you do. It’s Bacoltis all the way for me.”
Octavia rolled her eyes, offering a hoof to help Vinyl from the floor.
“I suppose my attempts to integrate some self-respect and class into you have failed?”
“Completely and utterly.”
“Yet you are still satisfactory.”
Vinyl gasped in faked amazement, standing on her hindlegs while spreading her forelegs as wide as possible.
“Satisfactory? I’m the best mare out there, Octy!”
Vinyl’s Equestria-beating composure was fragmented as Octavia playfully nudged her in the ribs, causing her to topple backwards onto her back. Octavia scampered over to where she had fallen, concern evident on her face as she leaned over Vinyl’s horizontal form.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Vinyl.”
“You will be.”
“Wha-?”
Vinyl grabbed a hold of Octavia, rolling over and pinning her down on her back. Octavia struggled against the pinning of her shoulders, staring up at Vinyl who had repeated her forelegs-wide gesture of triumph while sitting on her to complete the pinning maneuver..
“You’re forgetting something, Miss Philharmonica.” Vinyl leaned in, whispering in Octavia’s ear. “I know your weakness.”
“What is that...oh Celestia, please no, Vinyl. Not here.”
“Nope, it’s my revenge, and I’m having it how I want it.”
Vinyl snuck the tip of her hoof into the side of Octavia’s stomach, rapidly tickling her across the vulnerable area. Octavia devolved into paroxysms of laughter, fighting harder than ever to break free of Vinyl’s vicegrip.
“No, Vinyl...please! I...this is just...immature!”
“I knew you’d be the ticklish type, Octavia.”
Vinyl snuck the hoof-tip into Octavia’s neck, watching as she jerked her head around in an attempt to escape the crippling laughter-inducing nerve attacks.
“Vinyl..for Celestia...stop, now!”
“What’s that, Octy? Tickle harder? I’ll be the gentlemare and oblige.”
“No...ser...iously. Stop!”
“Let’s turn it up to eleven.”
Octavia fidgeted further under the increased magnitude of tickling, managing to wrestle her hindlegs free. Octavia pressed them against Vinyl’s midriff, pushing her clean off and causing her to land in an uncoordinated sprawl on the floor. Octavia clutched at her ribs, still attempting to regain control of the heaving fits of laughter rolling across her body.
Vinyl managed to get to her hooves roughly around the moment Octavia was stumbling to hers. She placed her trademark shades back across her eyes, laughing as she saw Octavia struggling to stand after the fervent tickling session.
“Wow, Octy. I haven’t seen you this red faced since that night after the audition thingy.”
“Shush...you. Just...struggling to get my...breath back.”
“I could give you the kiss of life, if you want. Or a hoof onto your hooves?”
“I’ll...pass on the kiss, thanks. Just...lend me a hoof.”
Vinyl reached under Octavia’s ribcage, groaning as she lifted her unsteadily to her hooves. She wrapped her leg across Octavia's shoulder, enjoying the slightly close embrace as Octavia completed the pony crutch.
“The best part about this, Octy, is that we haven’t even started drinking yet.”
* * * * * *
“Barkeep, two Flaming Sambuckas!”
“Vinyl, I’ve not even started drinking yet. Do you want me to drink a Sambucka already?”
Vinyl stroked her chin for a second, before turning back to the bar.
“Make that one, we’ll split it.” She leaned in close to the barcolt, hissing in his ear. “She’s a lightweight.”
“I am not, and we’re not splitting it.”
“Aw, but it’ll be roman-.”
“A Chardonnay, if you’ll please, sir. And...a Bacolti?”
“Sure, why not?”
“Terrific.”
Octavia hoofed over the money, before picking up the two drinks and beginning her journey to the table. Vinyl and herself had decided to spend the night in the winebar, that was now, thankfully, absent of ice-cream ponies and other awkward occurrences. The barcolt was still here, however, flaunting his marely mannerisms as always. She was halted, however, by the same barcolt who had just served her, levelling a pointed hoof and stare at Vinyl.
“Excuse me darling, may I just trouble you for your ID, please?”
Vinyl stopped in her tracks, worried shock appearing over her face before casual calm took its place. She whirled around, grinning as she fetched her ID from her pocket.
“I gotta say, it’s flattering to be told how young I look. Here you go, brony.” The ID danced before the barcolt’s eyes, somewhat unsteadily, before her nodded and dismissed her with an effeminate wave of the hoof.
“Sorry to bother you. Just new policy and all, enjoy your night, you two!”
“I...yeh, will do.”
She turned back to Octavia, shrugging her shoulders before they continued on to the table.
“I guess I must look quite young and fit, then, Octy. What do you think?”
“I suppose you do look quite young and...fit, Miss Scratch. I’m intrigued by the ID, however. I don’t even have one and they let me go.”
“It’s ‘cause that bow-tie makes you look like my grandma.”
She spotted the trademark indignant expression, opened mouth and raised hoof that heralded the onset of an Octavia rant, and decided to cut it off in its infancy.
“I’m just foaling around. Only a joke, my little pony.”
“I...don’t patronise me.”
Vinyl flipped the small ID card back out, revealing a photo from some years ago emblazoned with various specifics and details of herself. Octavia, however, homed in on the name rendered in bold, black font across the top.
“Vinyl Jennifer Scratch. You never told me you had a middle name.”
The ID card was snapped out of the air and stowed away in Vinyl’s pocket once more. She turned to hide her crimson cheeks, finding a table in the corner that would do nicely for the night.
“My mum thought it sounded nice...anyway, there’s a table over there with our name on it, Octy.”
“It is a very nice middle name. Almost gives you a sense of...decorum. Pomp and circumstance, if you’d like.”
Vinyl laughed as Octavia set the drinks down on the table, waving away the compliment.
“Probably as classy as I’ll get, Octy. I don't wanna be a posh mare, just somepony good at what she does.”
“Well, I believe you’ve already shown a surprising capability on that front. Perhaps others can be considered.”
“Nah. Not the poshness that’s the problem, just the stuffiness that comes with it...no offense.”
Vinyl dived back onto the soft couch beside Octavia, grabbing her Bacolti and swigging back half the bottle in one gulp. She reached out a foreleg, drawing Octavia closer in a soft, warm hug. Octavia had taken it upon herself to be more frugal with her alcohol, and was delicately sipping her wine, allowing herself to admire the taste and texture of it before swallowing. Sadly, she hadn’t gotten Vinyl into the habit of drinking alcohol for anything more than the task of simply getting drunk.
Vinyl heaved a sigh of contentment. She slouched back further in her seating position, pulling Octavia slightly closer to herself while sipping more of her drink. She soon noticed the familiar sensation of the soft weight of Octavia’s head on her shoulder, and gently rested her own head on Octavia’s.
Decent drink in one hoof, great mare in the other. Vinyl felt she could chalk down life as something of an excellent occurrence at that moment.
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“Well, Octy, I guess you’re just going to have to...” Vinyl retrieved her shades from nearby her, the grey aura fading as she set them over her eyes. ”...Deal with it.”
LOL
It just gets better and better
... makes me fear that there will be something for the worse on it's way, though
....YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
ok i'm better now
"You drink a flaming sambuca sober?!
The hint as to why you shouldn't do that, my dear, is the fact that its on fire."
Though i can totally see Vinyl drinking one.
stunning as always xD
great work on all the chapter!
God... so many epic lines in this chapter.... You even got My little pony and brony in there!!!!
loved it!
A cute, fluffy chapter. I like it. :D
So CYUUUUUTE
Oh how I wish I could write like you... Very well done sir as always.
Mistress of the Mic I like that, ad once again you field in disappointing me, by writing yet another great sweet chapter!
I am really glad you did not send them into the bedroom, there relations ship is still really new, I am glad you are taking it so! Keep it up!
ANd now here is Rainbow Dash Kissing Twilight Sparkle
PH34R T3H TICKLES!!!
Great job, duuuuude!
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i c wut u did thar
A well done chapter, even if it didn't add much to the story (possibly, this chapter might be super-important later on for all I know). Keep up the good work!
I love this fic so much, keep up the amazing work!
So many memes.
AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
I NEED MORE.
this book is really good, I cant read othe Octavia/Vinyl ship fics because this one make too much sense.
Please update asap.
All i could think of was...
Trolloolloolloolloolloolloolloolloollollooll
uhm yay?
This..
me gusta.
i remember a fan fic were they were making out and tavi gasped for breath and vinyl was like, i guess i -puts glasses on- took your breath away. EEEYYYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
"She tried to hum a song to look even busier, but humming dubstep is difficult until one developed a subwoofer in one’s voicebox."
This made me laugh so hard. Keep up the great story!
Am I the only one who had alarm bells going off when he asked for only Vinyl's ID? Octy was recognized and he wanted the name of her date for the tabloids! Now off to continue reading to see if I'm right.
hnghareolutiphhnghng.
So cute.
"warping the track into a powerful leviathan of bassy wrath"
just ingenious
When Vinyl put on the shades and said "...Deal with it," I was expecting a "and somewhere in Equestria, a ripped white stallion called, 'YEEEEEAAAAAAH!'"
But that was good.
"Well, Octy, I guess you’re just going to have to...” Vinyl retrieved her shades from nearby her, the grey aura fading as she set them over her eyes. ”...Deal with it.”
Translation: *sunglasses*
Aah, embellishment at its finest.
You didn't.
You did.
Did anypony else notice that Vinyl pulled her I.D out of her "pocket"?! And yet there was no mention of her wearing a jacket or any clothing....
Oh sweet Celestia...
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5659064
What do you mean?
Isn't it obvious that Vinyl has a pocket in her sunglasses?
I can't be the only one who noticed the shady move that bartender just pulled!