The Things Tavi Says

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Sandy Things

Author's Note:

A delicious melody of finely-crafted syntho-pop crackles into my ears. It gives the edge of the world a cool blue mellowness as I walk the beach of Baltimare. It's early. Deathly early. The birds haven't yet come out; the sandpipers are all hidden. A constant backdrop of roaring waves echo against the soothing beat, and I'm in heaven. A cold blue heaven—where even the colors surrender to the pure chill breaths that are tickling my ears.

One thing is for certain: I can always find ways to distract myself. At times, rapturously so.

The moon is a bright silver beacon, even into the liquid lengths of early morning. I stand to blame it for any bouts of mania this tour has wrought, but I'm not in the position to care right now. I gaze down at the soft sand, still moist from the rolling tide, and I see an ice cold shadow, a moon shadow. This far away, separated by the heavens, and still Luna's gift has found a way to kiss my forehead. I fall asleep, but only on the inside.

My eyes shut, and I keep the crashing of waves to my left as I trot south, shuffling past dune after dune, reveling in the cold salty breeze cascading all over me.

And then, out of nowhere, I stop. I stand against the morning wind, my short tail and mane fluttering like trails of sea foam green being billowed about by the waning cosmos above and around me.

I am here, and yet I am nowhere. I am a trailing thought, an abstract accident spawned within the plasma of a slowly dying star. I was dead long before I was born, and this waking dream has floundered my way, carrying with it soft textures, salt air, and the limp green haze of a coming day's blossoming penumbra.

The dawn is always the most exciting moment to be alive. It's the humid, bright afternoon that slaughters me, guts me like a fish and tosses me into the drink, where fears and doubts swarm in tight circles, craving. But that is far ahead of me and far behind me all the same. I teeter upon the crest of a dull blue marvel about to roll its way into the flames of passing. Agony and ecstasy, exhaustion and charisma. I know the refrains. They're built into my blood like song sheets, growing yellow and yellower with the passage of time—and yet—more pristine and valuable.

The sun will be coming up soon. It will bring with it a burning fire, consuming the moonshadow and all the other cool, comforting vestiges of this sacred moment. There was a time when this would bother me, but I'm starting to grow an affinity for the immolation of everyday things. If sleep is simply practicing for death, then I'm not ashamed to be lazy for once in my life.

I feel the first fingers of it as it spread over the horizon. Like an emerald dagger, it digs at my throat, and all that bleeds out is a sigh.

I'm about to do something that I don't normally do. For some reason, I'm not afraid. The sun this morning is laced with a purple sheen, a brief but palpable bubble of violet comfort that dissipates as soon as I contemplate it, a most charming idea, the feeling that I've indeed made a most daring masterpiece... and yet there are still more priceless ballads to come.

So long as they're laced with her, and the joy and class that she brings to this world, then it's a feeling that will never melt away, no matter how infernal the crest of this coming moment may be.

And so I do the impossible thing. I take my shades off. I keep my eyes closed—I'm no idiot. But with a tilted chin and a stupid smile, I pivot towards the precipice of everything. As the sun blossoms—its radiance covering my every contour—I am awash with green energy, bright and burning, rising and lowering in pitch until the frequency stretches out, rebirthing the endless hum of this foalish world that dares to twirl in the darkness.

And when the horizon is finally no longer blue, and the golden shrieks of seagulls echo overhead, I put my shades back, turn tail, and trot back to the hotel.

I think I can sleep now. Dreams can only be pale compared to this.

Comments

[Captain_Savage]

Its like reading a poem...

[heptaPon]

6250271 Agreed. The massive number of emotions placed into so few words is nothing short of amazing.

The story doesn't only give an experience of Vinyl's actions, either. Especially reading this latest chapter I was able to really feel her outlook on life. That's something I could do with few other works of fiction, which just confirms to me how incredibly well-written this one is.

[RoboRed]

Oh man, that synth...that, coupled with Vinyl's words..

It's sunrise here right now as I'm reading this, and I feel energized to take on the day.

The dawn is always the most exciting moment to be alive.

I agree. That, and dusk. Beautiful times of the day.

I'm starting to think based on Vinyl's narration in the chapter that with her synesthesia she not only sees song differently, but also color differently. Like, there are some thoughts and feelings that can be associated with color, but Vinyl sees much less of a separation between color and the rest of the world.

Purple/violet = Octavia
Tan = loneliness
Oily brown - lies/disonest speech
Red = *undetermined* (random noise?)
Orange = *undetermined* (contentment?) -Associated with Scribbles
Green = life
golden = *undetermined* -Associated with seagulls

[dragonjek]

This is an absolutely beautiful description of synesthesia, and the way you mix color with sound makes an already emotional tale even more moving.

But you've cruelly left us so many unanswered questions.
I hope the Romance tag eventually gets added to this.

6250515 A number of sounds have been golden. Lyra, the voices at the wedding, some laughter, etc. Cheerfulness, perhaps? Happy chatting is described as yellow.
Fluttershy is a soft pink.
Rainbow Dash is slick black.
Mrs Cake is lavender.
The bass range of Octavia's cello is burgundy.
And I think red is general environmental sounds. Tapping, the clicks of hole-punches, hoofsteps, brohoofs, sighs, etc.
There's a mention of the world humming green--I'm assuming the general sounds of nature blend together into that.

[Laknock]

6250347
There's no one around, and your phone is dead.
Out of the corner of your eye, you spot him.
Shia Lebeouf...

[GoneGuy]

Hey! A Vinyl/Octavia story in which no romance occurs!

...please keep it that way.

[Murkglow]

6253323
Only if the author wants to keep it that way. If they want to add it in then that's their choice to make.

[GoneGuy]

6254068

No crap.

I'm just hoping, because the last thing the fandom needs is another good fanfic conforming to some silly trope that some moron thought up one day.

[Murkglow]

6254118
*Shrug* And I'm just commenting, because the other thing the fandom doesn't need is people telling others what they should/should not like. That especially goes for authors on this site who get hit with a lot of people telling them how their stories should go. Not to say that was your intent but the comment still got a reaction out of me so there you go...

[Murkglow]

6249457
Red seems more like Anger. We see it with the conductor when he is mad and also with Vinyl herself when she can't sleep and is upset. It's also linked with Pain for Vinyl (as in the Red hurts her).

Orange was Scribbler's purring but in a broader context perhaps Contentment?

[GoneGuy]

6254342

As someone who abhors romance in fiction, I have my reasons for not wanting to look at that disgusting drek.

[Lead_Colored_Sky]

If sleep is simply practicing for death, then I'm not ashamed to be lazy for once in my life.

Beautiful.

[Ravemastaj]

6254832
Shia LaBuck.

I think it would be amazing if that became a thing. Like the whole Sombra/Crazy guy from Borderlands fic.

[Pentatonic Harmonys]

6255030 ah ok. Thats cool!

[Laknock]

6254834
WAIT, HE ISN'T DEAD, SHIA SURPRISE,
THERE'S A GUN TO YOUR HEAD, AND DEATH IN HIS EYES

[PiercingSight]

Beautiful... Also...
Please don't respond to this anyone... but, I have the strangest inkling that Vinyl's voice is green... and that she just sang some wonderful melody in her own voice...

[Stonecrop Sedum]

Liked, favorited, need a playlist of all the music in order, need more like this!

[Murkglow]

6255307
*Shrug* I like Dr. Pepper and don't really like most "normal" colas (Coca Cola, Pepsi, ect...).

[Dustchu]

Vinyl is very... what's the word?
Poetic? Yeah, she's very poetic, its beautiful and I love it!

Awesome work, again!

[redsopine]

6253323 I think the romance is from vinyls thoughts and how she feels about tavi

[Swan Song]

I am awash with green energy, bright and burning, rising and lowering in pitch until the frequency stretches out, rebirthing the endless hum of this foalish world that dares to twirl in the darkness.

Wait.

WAIT.

Is she...

Is she singing?

[Swan Song]

6254355 ...Then don't read them?

Seriously, I don't get this attitude. Like what you like, but don't shit on other people for liking what they like. There's more than enough room in this world for everybody and everything. Not everything has to conform to your standards and tastes.

[SpaceCadetAce]

This is an amazing story!! I am also very, VERY curious as to why she wouldn't open her eyes without her glasses on...

[BenRG]

That was beautifully poetic. In a story that's been almost non-stop poetry from the beginning, that was a most special composition.

Oh, Vinyl? Luna and Celestia thank you for your attention!

6394110
The sun is incredibly bright. Looking directly at it can burn out the retina and leave you blind.

[Seraphimus]

6404200 yeah but I get the feeling it is more than that with her eyes as well.

[berrytone]

I'm really enjoying this. The only downside is that, unlike appledashery, this has no promise of ending cuddles.

[Fire Zap]

Theory time!

Vinyl wears purple shades because she always wants to carry a piece of Octavia around with her, wherever she goes.