Blocked Things
I have a back beat.
I have the skeletal makings of a rhythm in mind.
But each time I attempt slathering together the first layer of a melodic section...
...I fumble.
All I can do is repeat and repeat, listening to the same bland beat rolling over itself, producing nothing.
I scroll through my samples. I try a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But there's nothing good to paint with. The masterpiece remains unfinished—a watery soup of misdirection and emptiness at best.
Nothing comes to me. Either the genius is gone or the drive or...
The inspiration. Without that I'm just a pale bum in shades.
Slumping, I lean back from my turntable in the middle of the apartment's foyer. Afternoon sunlight drips in through the window, magnifying all the dust around me. I tilt my head to the left and all I see are albums... albums... albums...
What is there to create that's new?
Better yet... what's there to create that can trick ponies into thinking it's new?
In less than a week, I have to get a musical session prepared for the attendees of Twilight Sparkle's Friendship Gala. I can't just be re-hashing old material. I need to have something unique... something new...
...right?
I mean... it's all about the friendship, not the music. Who am I trying to impress here?
Who am I ever trying to impress?
And, hell's bells, as prophecy would have it...
"I know! Isn't it positively hilarious?!" Her violet voice drips in first, followed by her body, her eyes, her velvet. Octavia fumbles through the door, and she's not alone. Bon Bon trots up close behind. The latter assists my roommate in placing down a set of neatly-ribboned pink packages. "And to think that—months ago—she used to be terribly obsessed with that stallion!"
"Heehee... I know, right?" Bon Bon smirks, standing besides the front door. "Could you imagine if Rarity actually got to start dating him? Her heart would be soooo crushed!"
"That's why you should never court a celebrity," Octavia says, carrying the packages to her bedroom. Scribbler hops up on the kitchen table, purring with maddeningly orange vibrance. "I should know. I've had several renown artists hit on me back in Trottingham. I rebuffed them, of course, and it was all for the better." She puts the items away, closes the bedroom door, and returns. "Most of them ended up with their legacies blemished by one scandal or another... many of them far worse than what Trenderhoof is going through."
"Worse than Trenderhoof? Pffft!" Bon Bon waves a hoof. "Oh Tavi. Get out of town."
"Heehee..." Octavia stands in the kitchen and pets Scribbler amicably. "Let me put it this way. Trenderhoof is lucky he was only caught sampling parasprite dust... instead of trafficking it."
"Hah! I almost want to go to Trottingham now!"
"That's what many ponies once thought," Octavia remarks with a nod. "Until they brushed paths with the Trotland Yard."
"Hiya, Vinyl," Bon Bon says with a wave. "Working hard? Or hardly working? Heehee!"
I wave back with a limp forelimb.
"Did you feed Scribbler this afternoon, Vine?" Tavi asks.
I nod.
"Mmmm... best roommate is indeed best roommate." Tavi shuffles around the kitchen counter with the cat following. "Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give him a treat or two."
"We just came by to drop off Octavia's new dress that Rarity made," Bon Bon explains. "It looks absolutely gorgeous on her. You have no idea!"
My lips curve slightly.
"When are you going to get your dress for the Gala, Vinyl?"
"Oh Bon Bon, don't be so silly," Octavia says with chiding purple. She drops a few tender nuggets of cat dessert into the half-full dish for Scribbler to gorge on. "It simply isn't Vinyl's style to go all elegant and formal. And the way the Council of Friendship has described it—this Gala is going to be even less strict in terms of dress code than the last event held at the Castle. And Vinyl didn't dress up for that."
"That true?" Bon Bon asks.
I nod.
"Awwww... well, if that's the way you prefer it." Bon Bon smiles. "Still, I'd bet you'd look ravishing in something shiny—like your shades! A flowy red to match your eyes, perhaps. Or shimmering blue."
I bite my lip, glancing into the corner of my shelves where the space for a missing album lingers.
"Oh! Vine, love..." Octavia trots back towards my side of the foyer. "Where are my manners? Bon Bon and I are going to join the others at Sugarcube Corner. It'd be absolutely smashing if you came and dined with us."
"I've always wanted to hang out with the Princess and her friends more!" Bon Bon chirps with a smile.
I look at Octavia and I mouth: "Others?"
"Mmmm—indeed. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy..." She grins. "It's Rarity's invite!"
My ears fold back.
"She has this delicious gossip to share about the... errr... former editor-in-chief, Trenderhoof. Isn't that right, Bon Bon?"
"Heeheehee-yeah!"
I exhale with a sigh, then shake my head.
"Awwww..." Bon Bon pouts. "No?"
I shake my head again and wave with a smile.
"Well, if you insist. We'd love to have you with us sometime. Feels like you've been such a stranger lately, Vinyl."
"Mmmmm... yes. Quite." Octavia clears her throat, and I'm only partially surprised to hear it taking on an indigo quality. "Say, Bon Bon, I feel positively dusty from that walk across town. I think I'll freshen up a bit before going to Sugarcube Corner. Would you a dear and let the others know that I'll be about fifteen minutes late?"
"Mmmm... fashionably late." Bon Bon winks. "I do think Rarity will understand that."
"Heehee... indeed."
"I got ya covered, Tavi." Bon Bon waves, then trots off. "See ya, Vinyl! Heehee... see ya, Scribbler!"
There's an orange chime in response.
Then Octavia closes the door. She leans on it for a few breathy seconds, then turns toward her. Her voice is calm, subdued... like the dimness in her eyes. "Vine... is everything quite alright?"
The ghostly question marks above my head are practically opaque.
"I mean... I-I don't intend to come across as some pretentious nuisance... b-but I feel... I-I almost feel as if you've been purposefully making yourself absent from most social gatherings as of late. I mean... I-I know that you need your space and all, but this is... rather alarming." She gulps. "Even for you." She takes a few steps forward, and it's all I can do to keep from imploding from my pounding chest. "If... if something was troubling you, Vinyl, you would... trust me with the ability to help you through it, yes?"
I look at her.
I look at her and I nod.
"Then..." She chews on her bottom lip, her voice scraping the darkest indigo. "Then you are alright?"
I point at my turntable, and then I motion my hoof in the general direction of the Castle.
She exhales, and almost immediately her breath lifts back into violet. My heart returns to normal.
"So... just caught up in your work, huh?"
I have no voice to turn brown. So I merely smile.
"Hmmmff... I can understand that." She gazes aside. "In truth, I haven't made any new symphony for the gala. But that's primarily because I do believe I've had my time to shine at the Castle. My talents will prove their worth at another performance, most certainly. If anything... this should be your time to take the spotlight. And I'm quite glad to know that you're working to take advantage of just that."
I clench my teeth, nodding again.
"Well... best of luck to you and your musical endeavors. But... then again..." She chuckles slightly, shuffling towards the door with a smile. "...we both know that I needn't wish that upon a living miracle, right?"
She leaves with a wave.
I hang my head.
Right...
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Oooooof course.
I understand that everyone has their own preferred poisons, but parasprite dust sounds like something I definitely wouldn't want entering my system.
renowned
So then brown means bullshit?
Well done, well done.
Awww I wanna give her a hug Dx
Okay, I swear if this keeps up I'm going to flat out reach into the pages, shove the two of them into a room and not let them leave until Vine confesses her feelings.
I mean... Sheesh!
Hm. Methinks Vinyl needs to do some serious apologizing if she's going to get more of that wonderful blue material to work with.
Truth will st you free.
Also, just wanted to say: This is amazing story. Now I actually have a reaon to look forward to my mornings.
6626159 I like your profile pic.
And here we see passive social manipulation at work. Continual punishment for something that wasn't particularly bad in the first place and by all accounts is already in the past. Can't go out and be social around town because Rarity knows everyone and is already wrapped around Octavia. Not banned from Rarity's presence, but will be incredibly awkward with Rarity around - something she can hide and Vinyl can't, winding up as the third wheel even more than she already is considering she's disabled and can't join in all the gossip and chatter. Best choice to avoid this is to just stay home unless absolutely necessary - leading to isolation and increased depression, especially when it separates you from the one person in your life that you can count on for comfort. Apologizing won't help because Rarity already knows Vinyl wasn't -trying- to do wrong, so that wouldn't clear anything up or tell Rarity anything she didn't already know.
Startin' to hit home. Seen a couple people go down an awfully dark road from something like this.
Agh!! This is so frustrating. Good. But frustrating.
Oh, Vinyl...
I don't think that poor Vinyl will get out of her block will be if she finds some way to make peace with Sweetie and Rarity.
I'm still saying that, eventually, the healing moment will be when Vinyl mixes one of her old songs with Sweetie singing the vocal track.
6626652 This started long before Vinyl went off on the crusaders. If we are being honest, Sweetie Bell was being extremely rude and invasive bringing her friends inside someone else's house. Especially given she got access in the first place because she owed Vinyl a debt for saving her life. What messed Vinyl up was seeing human Tavi and Vinyl's relationship.
6626668
This has little or nothing to do with Sweetie and everything to do with Vinyl coming to terms with her past and stopping repressing it and how much she misses it.
SS&E has signposted very clearly (through the references to her having a 'blue' voice) that Sweetie is the only pony who can sing the way Vinyl used to. Ergo, the only way to come to terms with her past is to let Sweetie give it voice again. Which requires that she make peace with Rarity and Sweetie.
Gosh, Vinyl listens to everyone, is the silently supportive friend who sits there patiently and understandingly while everyone else works through their problems.
Everyone needs a Vinyl in their life. Especially Vinyl herself.
Vinyl needs a changeling or something, who can hear her thoughts and help her work through things the way she helps everyone else.
It's slowly getting to the point where Vinyl's pension to keep her problems completely to herself is becoming less selfless and more stupid and stubborn.
For someone so silent, you are surprisingly... silent.
What I'm trying to say is taht you really should ask for help.
6626254 I personally don't think she owes sweetie an apology. Sweetie Belle was in the wrong by going through another's personal belongings, not that but she invited friends favor to a house that's not hers.
6627389
More for Rarity's benefit than Sweetie's. All Rarity knows is what Sweetie told her, and that is that Vinyl flipped out for 'no reason'.
6627407
Rarity is intelligent, and perceptive. She's shown to have the sort of skills and talents needed to be a powerful judge of character. She 'knows' more of Vinyl Scratch than the other Mane 6 do in that sense. Which means she knows Sweetie did something to deserve being spooked out. Which means she knows Vinyl, who nearly DIED to protect Sweetie Belle, had to be extremely adversely affected to show her anger enough to scare her away. She knows Vinyl is a good pony, who doesn't abuse children if that's what Sweetie made it sound like. She's even said her sister and her friends exaggerate everything, so she already believes that the story Sweetie gave her wasn't entirely true or wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded.
Assuming less violates her depiction in this series and canon (put into the more realistic vein of this series). As a great fan of Rarity, this troubles me. Equines are herd animals, and Rarity has the potentially unique power to cut ponies out of the herd. Herd animals out on their own die slow and lonely deaths.
From everything we've been shown so far, an apology wouldn't help the situation because Rarity already has a good idea of what Vinyl would say had actually happened, and likely a good guess as to the reason (intense emotional pain) which makes her reaction understandable, justifiable, and deserved. At this point she's simply being malicious. We can even see it when she unloaded on Vinyl, she plainly said in that manipulative double-talk "I might not have the authority to oust you from your position as royal minstrel, but I certainly have the ABILITY to make it happen if I should so choose to have you fired."
Honestly, with her connections and wit, she could ruin P0n-3 all across Equestria. If Sweetie hadn't already horribly wounded P0n-3, she'd be Vinyl's only fallback with Octavia being sucked away from her. Now she's just got nothing - and the worst part is, all of this shit keeps happening to her because she was ALTRUISTIC. Because she did something heroic and good, she lost her voice and identity as a famous singer. Because she did something noble and self-sacrificing, Sweetie Belle was placed in the perfect position to make her an enemy of Rarity.
Yeah, no apology would fix this without going after-school special.
Welp, that all but confirms the brown=dishonesty idea