The Roller Rink
Octavia’s eyes slowly opened, revealing bloodshot whites and pinpoint pupils. The sunlight through the bedroom window had moved over her head as the morning hours progressed, causing her to stir from her sleep. The first thing that crossed her mind as she slowly sat up was a dull headache unlike anything she had felt before. It wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, but it felt somehow heavier and drearier than the usual migraines she sometimes suffered while practicing her cello for hours upon end. Her mouth felt dry and her jaw actually ached as she yawned, and she badly craved a glass of water.
Having already woken some time ago, Vinyl sat in a chair in front of her laptop and mixing board, headphones over her ears and an energy drink in one hand. She had the appearance of a hardworking socialite or artist considering her tattered oversized black t-shirt and white cotton shorts, her hair somehow more messy and wild than usual. To Octavia, she looked like a scholar of sorts, someone who understood the world as it really was instead of the lie she was raised on. In her own unique way, Vinyl looked radiant, bursting with youthful charm and pizzazz. “Oh, hey, Tavi.” She said, turning to the sleepy cellist when she heard a yawn. “Morning.”
“W-What…” Octavia cleared her throat, swallowing back the hoarse tickle in her throat. “…time is it?”
“Um…” Vinyl checked the screen of her laptop. “Ten forty.”
“Oh dear…” Octavia rubbed her eyes hard and ran her hands through her hair. She had never once in her life slept past eight in the morning, her mother always sure to have her out of bed early to either practice or study. “…Did I really sleep for so long?”
“Uh, not really. We were up past midnight.” Vinyl took a sip of her energy drink and shook her head.
“Oh…..dear….” Octavia sighed and slowly swung her legs out of Vinyl’s bed. Her mind was still a bit foggy on the night before. She only vaguely remembered being helped upstairs to bed, but it wasn’t physical memories that filled her mind. What she remembered most was a tumultuous amount of both good and bad emotions that had nearly consumed her well into the night. For some reason she wasn’t entirely sure of, she remembered the experience rather fondly. It was only until a minute later after battling the urge to go back to sleep did she remember being very physically close to Vinyl. This made her blush a little.
After putting her headphones down on her mixing table, Vinyl had gotten out of her chair and knelt down in front of her. She pushed some of Octavia stray hair away from her face and raised an eyebrow. “You feel ok? Got a headache or something?”
“I…do, actually.” Octavia slowly nodded. “How did you know that?”
Vinyl simply shrugged and stood. “I kinda have one too.”
“I see…” Octavia slowly stood and began smoothing out her clothes, realizing that she had slept the entire night in her usual wardrobe. Mother would be furious right now. She mused with a giggle.
“Here, have some of this.” Vinyl held out the energy drink can.
Octavia eyed it curiously. “A-Are you sure?” She asked, stuttering a bit. “You did drink from it.”
Vinyl laughed and rolled her eyes. “What, you worried I have cooties or something?”
“…Cooties?” Octavia looked up at Vinyl with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, nooo, no way.” Vinyl shook her head as her eyes grew big. “There’s NO way you’ve never heard of cooties.”
“I’m sorry, Vinyl.” Octavia nervously squeezed her hands together. “I honestly do not know what you’re talking about. Is it some sort of cold or flu?”
“Just…” Vinyl sighed and grabbed Octavia hand, forcing her fingers to wrap around the can. “…drink the rest of this. You’ll feel a lot better.”
Octavia looked down at the can. She could actually smell the sweet carbonated liquid from nearly two feet away. With great hesitation, she took a sip. Her eyes widened and her lips broke out into a soft smile when the delightfully playful taste and texture danced across her tongue. It’s…amazing! She gasped and cast an excited glance at Vinyl before taking another sip. “…It’s…rather quite delicious.”
“Right?” Vinyl giggled and thumbed her gently on the back with an open palm. “Have as much as you want. I got tons of those things in the fridge.”
Octavia nodded and began gulping down the rest of the drink, her parched lips no longer concerned with water now that she had something better. Her head was beginning to clear up and her vision returned to normal. Her feet no longer felt so heavy, and her body felt more fluid and loose. “I rather like this.” She said with a giggle of her own.
Vinyl nodded appreciatively and flopped down back in her chair. “You hungry at all?” She asked, sliding her headphones around her neck.
“Not particularly.” Octavia replied. “Are…you hungry?”
“Eh.” Vinyl shrugged. “Not really, but I might be in a couple hours.”
Octavia took a seat on the foot of Vinyl’s bed and finished the can before politely disposing of it in the wastebasket by the door. “Thank you for that.”
“Yeah, totally.” Vinyl nodded and closed her laptop. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I was, uh…kinda worried I messed you up last night.” She sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “You know…with the booze.”
Octavia could tell Vinyl was feeling a little guilty. “It’s quite alright.” She quickly interjected. “I’m feeling much better now, Vinyl. And…well, I rather enjoyed it. The headache isn’t so much fun, but…I’m not upset or anything.”
“Cool.” Vinyl smiled at her and nodded. “Yeah, I’m just kinda worried about getting you in trouble. I mean, you’re…super, you know, proper and stuff. I’m actually starting to wonder if I’m a bad influence on you…or whatever…”
I think we both know the answer to that. Octavia giggled softly and shook her head. “Well, perhaps a little. However…I’m not concerned about it. You’re my friend, Vinyl. I enjoy doing things with you, even if they are somewhat…delinquent.”
It was clear Vinyl didn’t know what that word meant, but she was smart enough to make an educated guess based on the context. “Thanks, Tavi.” She got back up and sat down next to her. “But feel free to say no if you have to. You know you can tell me off if you feel like it, right?”
“Tell…you off?”
“Yeah, like, feel free to tell me to can it or shut up.”
Octavia gasped softly and immediately shook her head. “Oh, no I couldn’t possibly do such a thing.”
“Yeah, you totally can.” Vinyl smirked and gave her a wink. “Try it. Say ‘Go eat a brick, V.’.”
“Really, Vinyl…I couldn’t. I would never say-”
“Tavi, just try.” Vinyl patted her on the back. “Say ‘Go eat a brick, V’.”
“Vinyl…I really don’t think it’s an appropriate thing for me s-”
“Babe! Just do it!” Vinyl laughed.
Octavia sighed softly and looked down at her knees. It was clear Vinyl wasn’t going to let this one go so easily. “Go…” She cleared her throat. “…eat a brick…”
“Aw, come on. That’s all you got, girl? Louder.”
“Go…eat a brick…” Octavia muttered only a tiny bit louder.
Vinyl palmed her face and shook her head with a sigh. “I’m not really feeling it, babe. You gotta mean it.”
“Do…I really have do this?” Octavia pleaded.
“Uh, yeah.” Vinyl laughed.
With a heavy sigh, Octavia nodded. “Alright…” She cleared her throat one last time before speaking as clearly as possible. “Go eat a brick, V.”
“Yeah, yeah yeah yeah, better.” Vinyl looked very pleased with herself despite being insulted. “Try screaming this time.”
“U-Um….” Octavia giggled softly. “…Go eat a brick, V!”
“Perfect!” Vinyl clapped her hands together loudly. “Now say ‘Yes! More, Vinyl! Give me more!’.”
“W-W-What???” Octavia gasped loudly.
“Just do it!” Vinyl shouted. “Just do it you wimp!”
Octavia rolled her eyes and pushed both of her palms down on the bed beside her hips to steady herself before screaming “Yes! More, Vinyl! Give me more!” Once the words escaped her lips, her face turned bright pink. Vinyl flopped back on the bed and rolled back and forth while laughing hysterically. She was laughing so hard that she even snorted a couple times as she gripped her sides. Octavia felt extremely silly and painfully embarrassed all the while completely oblivious that things were about to get worse. Vinyl eventually got a hold of herself long enough to pull her phone from her clutched hand. She had hid the device under her shirt until now, and as Octavia cast an inquisitive glance, Vinyl pressed a finger against the face of the screen.
“Yes! More, Vinyl! Give me more!”
The voice was partially muffled and the audio quality wasn’t great, but Octavia could hear herself quite unmistakably. “You CAN NOT be serious!” She exclaimed. Vinyl began laughing again, this time so hard that she rolled off the bed and flopped down on the floor with a hard thud. This didn’t keep her from enjoying the moment, however. She continued to roll around, cackling hard enough to produce tears. Octavia leapt off the bed and tried to tackle Vinyl, but she was no match for her quick reflexes and caffeine fueled fit. Vinyl got off the floor and raced towards the bedroom door, Octavia right on her heels. “Vinyl, I forbid you to keep that recording!”
“Oh, heck no!” Vinyl took a deep breath at the foot of the stairs, staring up at Octavia determined expression from the second floor. “I’m making this my new ringtone!”
“Vinyl!” Octavia hopped down the stairs, surprising herself by her own speed. “Vinyl, you return to me right now and give me your cell phone!” She was closing in on Vinyl quickly…too quickly. When her feet crossed the threshold from the hallway to the living room, Vinyl sidestepped with ease to avoid a collision, but Octavia had no way of stopping without crashing into something. With as much grace as a pigeon learning to fly, she smashed into the couch, landing on her side on top of the cushions, spilling a couple of the couch pillows on the floor in the process.
“Coming in hot!” Vinyl shouted, diving onto the couch on top of her.
Octavia felt a good portion of the wind in her chest get knocked out of her, but she still had plenty of fight left in her. She kicked and squirmed to get out from under Vinyl’s butt, now firmly pushing her down. “Vinyl, you delinquent hooligan!” Vinyl wiggled her butt against Octavia’s torso, keeping her pinned down long enough to finish fiddling with her phone before dropping the phone down on the floor like a microphone on stage. Octavia firmly pushed Vinyl off her chest and dove onto the floor for the phone. “There!” She shouted, picking herself off the floor, panting heavily. “Vinyl, you are insufferable!”
“You know you want more.” Vinyl said with a smirk and a mischievous wink.
Octavia scowled at her before looking down at the phone. Vinyl’s messaging application was open, and there were two recipients of a newly sent message with an added attachment. Octavia didn’t have to guess what it was. Her voice had now been immortalized by technology to both Bon Bon and Lyra. “You…you didn’t!!!”
“I did.” Vinyl giggled hard. “I totally did.”
“Words…” Octavia growled, her ears on fire. “…cannot describe how much I want to hit you right now.”
“Bring it, babe!” Vinyl countered, thrusting her chest out.
Octavia grabbed one of the pillows off the floor and swung as hard as she could, hitting Vinyl square in the face, knocking her down on her back on the floor. This didn’t seem to faze her much considering she had started laughing again, and Octavia had no intention of actually hurting her. But she will pay for her crimes. Octavia quickly sat on Vinyl’s knees, keeping her lower body pinned against the floor.
Vinyl leaned back on one arm while pointing a finger up at the cellist. “You should’ve seen your face, Tavi!” She exclaimed through a giggle. Octavia narrowed her eyes and gripped Vinyl’s sides firmly with both hands. To her surprise, Vinyl had quite the reaction to this physical contact. Her whole body tensed up and her eyes grew wide in terror, and Octavia was quick to work her friend’s newfound weakness. “ACK!!” Vinyl jerked to the side, fighting with all her might to squirm away as Octavia began digging her fingers into her sides. “S-Stop T-Tavi that t-tickles s-seriously o-oh my gosh k-knock it o-off!!!” She tried to shout in protest through her painful giggling, but it did absolutely nothing to provide relief. Octavia was quite determined and still fuming too much to listen to Vinyl’s pleas. She began working the tips of her fingers against Vinyl’s sides in haste, taking great satisfaction in her victim’s hilarious anguish. “Ahhahaha o-owwwwie-owww h-hahaha Tavi you’re k-killing m-me ahahaha o-owwww!!!”
Only after her arms began to fatigue did Octavia stop. She pressed her hands down on Vinyl’s waist and took a deep breath, but deep down she was still a bit surly. “I cannot believe you did that.” She muttered hoarsely. “Have you no shame, Vinyl?”
“Naw, not really.” Vinyl coughed and choked out a giggle, her voice raspy and her stomach in knots. “But you still love me.”
Octavia sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. “You do make it rather difficult sometimes…”
“Sooo, you do love me then?” Vinyl smirked and pressed a finger against Octavia’s nose.
“Oh, hush…” Octavia swatted the finger away playfully.
“Heh.” Vinyl slowly sat up with her nose only a foot away from Octavia’s face. “You know, you’re pretty quick for a nerd.”
“I-I…I am not a nerd.” Octavia blushed slightly and leaned back a bit.
“Uh, yeah you kinda are.” Vinyl giggled. “You’re a cute nerd, but you’re still a nerd. Maybe it’s the clothes or something, but hey, at least you work it pretty good.”
“Vinyl, please.” Octavia pressed the other pillow from the floor onto her best friend’s face for a moment. “I think we both know what I will need to do if you continue to tease me.”
“Aw, but you’re freaking adorable!” Vinyl huffed as she slipped out from underneath Octavia’s behind. “Besides, you liiiiiike it.”
“Don’t be silly.” Octavia’s blush deepened a bit as she shook her head.
“Hey…” Vinyl put a hand on Octavia’s cheek and leaned forward. “…You’re not…actually mad at me…are you? I know I went…sort crazy there…”
Octavia relaxed her shoulders and giggled softly. “It’s…fine, Vinyl. No, I’m not mad. To be fair…” She cleared her throat as the blush intensified exponentially. “You’re also rather cute…when you become animated.”
“Awwwww, Taviiiii...” Vinyl threw her arms around her shoulders and squeezed tightly.
“Um…” Octavia patted her on the back. “I am going to need you to let go, please.”
“Aw, come on. Just a little while longer.” Vinyl continued to hug her. “I might not ever get another chance to hug you to death again.”
“Well, if you happen to kill me, then I suppose you would have bigger problems.” Octavia sighed. “Besides…I…need to use your bathroom.”
“Oh, heh.” Vinyl let go and snickered. “Y-Yeah. Uh, do you know where it is?”
Octavia shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
“Just, uh…” Vinyl pointed towards the hallway. “Second door on the right.”
“Thank you.” Octavia nodded and slowly stood, taking care to smooth out her long pleated grey skirt. She swatted Vinyl in the face one more time with the pillow before attempting to exit the living room.
“Oh, uh, Tavi.” Vinyl stammered, slowly rising to a sitting position on the couch.
“Yes?” Octavia turned back towards her.
“You’re…pretty great.” Vinyl said with a slight shrug and a bit of a blush. “I know I said this yesterday, but uh…I’m really glad…that you’re talking more and stuff. It’s a…lot of fun having you around. Thanks for…you know…chilling with me overnight and whatever.”
That was…very sweet. “W-Well, um…” Octavia smiled sheepishly, her blush returning to her face. “…You’re welcome…Vinyl. You’re quite, um…great…too.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Vinyl rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively, but Octavia knew she only did so because she was uncomfortably flustered. “Go do your thing, babe…”
-o0o-
It was a quarter past noon by the time they arrived at the roller skating rink, and since neither girl had eaten anything in over twelve hours, both Vinyl and Octavia had their sights set on food before anything else. They might have had a chance to eat something before leaving Vinyl’s home, but almost last minute, Vinyl decided the cellist needed a complete wardrobe change if they were to go out again. Having traded in her long grey skirt and dress shirt, Octavia now wore a pair of tattered and rather tight fitting purple pants that supposedly matched her eyes and loose tank top of Vinyl’s choosing. The tank top was black, and printed on the front was a luxurious high class mustache and matching monocle. Vinyl made it clear she found this outfit to be ironically amusing, and Octavia had to admit it was much more comfortable than her usual wardrobe. Still, being changed into entirely different attire without much verbal preparation had been quite the strange experience for Octavia. At least Vinyl seemed happy with it, and that was all that really mattered.
Since it was a Saturday afternoon, the roller rink was fairly crowded. Upon entering the front doors, Octavia was immediately hit by a wave of exuberant and youthful voices, children of all ages burning off pizza and caffeine by either skating, playing arcade games, or just hanging out in one of the many booths that lined the edges of the building. Octavia had never said this about loud music before, but this time she was very grateful that loud electronic music was playing in the background. If the hard bass notes didn’t drown out the screeching of children, she definitely would’ve asked management for some earplugs. Vinyl was already nodding her head back and forth, her eyes well hidden by her oversized glasses. She looked to be enjoying the music among many others stepping to the beat of the noise. Lastly, the roller rink was colorful, almost painfully colorful. Everything was dashed or smudged with different colored paint, and the lighting in the establishment made everything have a glowing aura.
“No scope!” A rolled up green napkin flew from one of the booths near the entrance and hit Vinyl in the face. Vinyl jerked her head back in surprise before looking towards her assailant. Her lips parted into a grin as she grabbed the napkin from the floor and threw it back at the mint-haired girl.
“Scoot over, dude.” Vinyl nudged Lyra on the shoulder before inconveniently sitting down beside her and grabbing a slice of pizza from the table.
“Whoa, hey, you gotta pay for that.” Lyra said with a scowl.
Bon Bon rolled her eyes dramatically from across the table. “I’m the one who’s paying, Ly. Not you.”
“Cool, so, can I have this?” Vinyl asked, a bite already missing from the end of her slice.
“Yes.” Bon Bon said with a sigh. She turned to look up at Octavia who still hadn’t taken a seat. “Hello, Octavia. I see a certain someone decided to dress you up.”
“Doesn’t she look hot?” Vinyl jabbed a thumb in Octavia’s direction.
“She’s dressed like you.” Lyra pointed out. “Except she can pull it off.”
Bon Bon patted the spot next to her with a smile, and Octavia took a seat beside her. “I think you look nice.” Bon Bon put an arm around her for a quick hug. “You hungry?”
Octavia smiled back and nodded, very glad the overall noise of the roller rink completely muffled the sound of her rumbling tummy. “Thank you.” She gratefully took a slice of pizza and nibbled purposefully.
Lyra traded a knowing glance with Vinyl before attempting to conceal a snicker. “So, you guys had fun last night, huh?”
Octavia looked up from her pizza with genuine confusion, taking a moment to realize what was being implied. She blushed heavily and looked back down at her food. Vinyl giggled hard and traded a jab to the shoulder with Lyra. “Yeah, you could say that. You could totally say that.”
“Alright, I’m just going to have to put my foot down on this one.” Bon Bon interjected. “Vinyl, you tease Octavia too much, and normally I don’t say anything about it, but now you’re encouraging Lyra.”
“Aw, Bonnie, come on.” Vinyl sighed. “She’s cool with it!”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Bon Bon put a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “Look, if we’re all going to be friends, let’s try not to make anyone mad or embarrassed, ok? Can we just for once hang out and you two not get all weird?” She asked, pointing to the girls across the table.
“Alright, alright…” Lyra nodded. “Sorry, Octavia. But seriously. I did NOT know you could say stuff like that.”
“W-Well, I really didn’t intend to.” Octavia shook her head adamantly. “It was…more hypothetical than anything else.”
“Huh?” Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“I kinda tricked her into saying that.” Vinyl giggled. “She just walked right into that one.”
“Oh, for the love of-” Bon Bon palmed her face. “Would. You. Two. Stop?”
“Ok, ok, ok…” Lyra rolled her eyes. “Geeeeez.”
“Seriously, Bonnie. It’s totally cool. It was just a prank, dude.” Vinyl said with a nod while crossing her arms. “Besides, we kissed and made up, so it’s all good, sister.”
Bon Bon cast an inquisitive glance at Octavia who replied with a slight nod. “Fine.” She said with exacerbation.
Lyra let out a burp and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “So, are we gonna skate or-”
“What do you say when you do that?” Bon Bon asked, palming her face while pinching the bridge of her nose.
“Excuse me.” Lyra quickly corrected herself before continuing. “So, are we skating or what?”
“I’m kinda in the middle of something.” Vinyl said right after swallowing a big mouthful. Octavia didn’t say anything, allowing the pizza in her hand to do the talking for her.
Bon Bon held out a couple quarters to Lyra. “Here, go play a game or something while we finish eating.”
Lyra’s eyes grew wide, and she snatched them up before crawling under the table to leave. Vinyl scowled as she felt Lyra jerk her legs side to side before popping out from underneath. “Seriously? Give a girl some warning next time.”
“Lyra, also while you’re gone, can you please get me a refill on my cola?” Bon Bon held up her empty paper cup as if to illustrate.
Lyra groaned and took the cup. “Sure, but you know I spoil you.” Vinyl snickered hard, almost expelling bits of pepperoni out of her nose. Bon Bon nearly did the same, but she was fortunate enough not to have a mouthful of food. With a roll of her eyes, Lyra walked away towards the arcade corner.
“So, Octavia.” Bon Bon turned to her and gave her another warm motherly smile. “Have you ever roller skated before?”
“N-No.” Octavia shook her head and put the remnants of her pizza slice down. Between her small stomach and the morning’s caffeine, her hunger had been satiated quickly, now replaced with yet another urge to pee. She politely refused herself the luxury of the bathroom to finish her conversation. “But Vinyl has told me roller skating isn’t particularly difficult.”
Bon Bon gave her a once over with minor trepidation. “Mn, yeah, maybe for her.” She paused when Vinyl flashed a glare in her direction. “I mean…I’m not trying to make you feel bad or anything, but I really don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Bonnie, you stress wayyyy too much.” Vinyl sighed and decided to take her glasses off, the somewhat dim and erratic lighting made wearing them a pain. “She’ll be safe with me, I promise. We’ll even hold hands the whole time.”
“I-I don’t think that will be necessary.” Octavia shook her head with a blush. “T-That is to say…I do see a lot of young children here, so…it can’t be too hard.”
“Well, ok.” Bon Bon gave a satisfactory nod. “But please be careful. I would hate to call your mom to let her know you hit your head or something.”
Oh, as would I… Octavia almost shivered at the thought. Her mother would no doubt come all the way out here to fetch her daughter, but to see her in such attire and in such an establishment would yield quite the uncomfortable lecture.
“It’s cool, it’s cool. Chill, girl. Pass the pepper?” Vinyl asked, pointing to a small shaker bottle.
Bon Bon did as requested and looked down at Octavia’s paper plate. “Done eating?”
“Hm?” Octavia brought herself back to the land of the living and turned back to Bon Bon. “Oh, yes. I am.”
“Great. Let’s go get you some skates.” Bon Bon motioned towards the end of the table. “I’ll show you how to lace them.”
“W-Well…alright.” Octavia got up and followed Bon Bon towards the rental counter right after Vinyl waved apathetically with more pizza stuffed into her mouth.
When they arrived at the counter, Bon Bon had Octavia get her feet measured properly before ordering a couple pairs to try on. There was a small bench by the counter where they sat to take their shoes off. Now separated from the other two girls, Bon Bon took the opportunity to get some clarification she needed. “So, I gotta ask…” She said, unlacing her casual blue and pink sneakers. “…and you don’t have to share with me if you don’t want to.”
Octavia had a very good idea as to what she was referring to, but she resigned not to jump to any conclusions. “Yes?”
“That message I got this morning from V, the one with your voice.” Bon Bon blushed slightly and giggled. “How in the world did she get you to say that?”
“O-Oh…it’s a long story.” Octavia returned the blush and focused her gaze on the tangled laces of the roller skates. “…I…didn’t see it coming…and she was quite clever about it…I suppose.”
“Hm…” Bon Bon raised an eyebrow. “I hope she didn’t pressure you or force you to say that.” She said with a surprisingly stern tone. “Lyra may think it’s hilarious, and Vinyl too, definitely…but, honestly…I don’t know.” She paused to consider her words. “I guess if it was me, I’d be kinda freaked out.”
Octavia’s blush continued, but it was no longer a result of being flustered. Now she was feeling a hint of shame. “…I-I…I am inclined to agree…If my mother heard me say those words, w-well…I suppose life would be quite different for me for the next couple of weeks.”
“Yeah, see…that’s kind of what I’m worried about.” Bon Bon put a hand on her thigh for a moment to emphasize her point. “I mean, Vinyl is deep down pretty harmless, but…well, like I said before, she can get into trouble sometimes. And…I’ve never met your parents before, but I don’t get the feeling they’re super cool with a lot of stuff the way Vinyl’s mom is.”
“That’s…true. I won’t…deny that.” Octavia had absolutely no idea just when or how Vinyl had gotten into any sort of hot water, nor did she have any idea how deep the water went. However…Bon Bon had told her something rather shocking not too long ago, and it just occurred to her that Vinyl probably got in trouble for kissing that girl back in middle school. She had been far too jealous and astonished by the news upon hearing it that she hadn’t considered what consequences Vinyl had to suffer because of her actions.
Bon Bon sighed and lowered her hands to bench beside her. “Octavia…when I told you about Vinyl the other day…and that kiss…” She sighed again. “I don’t think it was my place to do that.”
“I…don’t understand.” Octavia turned to face her.
“Look, you two are obviously good friends, and I can see that Vinyl trusts you. Heck, she didn’t even let me come over to her house until a whole semester was over… So…I really don’t think I should’ve told you that.” She smiled and gave a half shrug. “But… I’m worried that you might end up in some sort of trouble if you’re not careful. Whatever happened this morning…it was harmless. I’m just kind of worried that the next time…it won’t be.”
Octavia looked down at the ground and pondered those words as fear began to grip her. It felt irrational, but in this new and crazy world she had no experience of, she supposed anything was possible. The thought never crossed her mind that Vinyl might cause her grief at some point, but now that the idea had surfaced, it didn’t seem so far fetched. If her mother ever actually met Vinyl in person and found out about their behavior last night, Octavia might not leave Melody Manor until her graduation into legal adulthood. If Vinyl ever visited her home, all she needed to do would be to act and speak like usual, and that would be the abrupt end to all of Octavia’s newfound social interaction. She could see it clearly in her mind. Vinyl would whip her hair back like always, and her mother would become socially nauseated. “Do…you really…think it could happen?” She asked, a painfully obvious stutter in her voice.
“I really hope not…” Bon Bon said with a forced smile when she saw Octavia’s solemn expression. “…And I think we both know Vinyl deep down is a sweetheart. She would never, you know…do something on purpose to make you mad or something.”
Oh, I do know that… Octavia giggled once and smiled sheepishly. “She can be quite thoughtful when she tries.”
“Yeah…” Bon Bon nodded in agreement. “So…what I said a couple days ago, about telling me if she does something weird…”
“Y-Yes?” Octavia turned to face her again.
“Well…I still want you to do that.” Bon Bon eventually finished that thought. “…I don’t want to seem nosy or annoying about this, but I’m only saying this because…I like you, Octavia. You’re a really nice person, and you make a good friend to me and Lyra…and Vinyl, obviously. You have nice manners, and…to be completely honest…it’s nice having someone in our little group I can talk to like this.”
“O-Oh, t-that’s…um…thank you.” Octavia stammered. “I…I’m glad you think so.” She smiled and surprised herself by putting a hand on Bon Bon’s thigh. “I think it’s really nice that you try look out for everyone. I find it…refreshing. Lyra and Vinyl are very lucky to have you as a friend…even if they don’t know it.”
“Octavia, you are way too cute.” Bon Bon laughed and gave her a quick hug. “I’m sure Vinyl’s told you that like a thousand times by now.”
Maybe not that many times…But, yes… Octavia mused with her blush returning. “Well…she has made that very clear on multiple occasions.”
Bon Bon laughed once more and gently bumped Octavia’s hip with her own. “Let’s do these dumb laces and go skate.” Bon Bon said with a smile, and Octavia nodded in reply. They spent the next few minutes going over how to lace their skates, and after practicing the multiple loops necessary to secure the ankle support, Octavia soon got the hang of it.
With only the last knot left to tie, Octavia nearly gasped when Vinyl plopped down on the bench next to her with her own pair of skates. “Hey, guys.” Vinyl kicked her shoes off immediately and drove her feet hard into the worn leather of the skates. “Looking good, Tavi. You look like a natural in those.” She remarked, lacing her skates haphazardly without much attention to the proper riveted holes. Octavia wondered if what she was doing was safe, but all things considered, Vinyl probably skated here a lot.
“I’m going to go find Lyra.” Bon Bon said while standing up. She shuffled her feet a bit and began skating backwards away from the bench. “Be careful you two.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Vinyl rolled her eyes before slipping her glasses on. “You ready, babe?” She asked, standing up with practiced ease. Octavia tried to do the same thing, but she immediately felt her feet move in opposite directions. Her entire posture felt compromised as her weight dropped towards the floor. Her arms flailed towards the nearest physical support which happened to be the bottom of Vinyl’s shirt. “Whoa! Ok, let’s try that again.” Vinyl slipped an arm around her waist to help Octavia steady herself. “You ok, Tavi?”
“Y-Yes.” Octavia slowly nodded, feeling an unmistakable wave of adrenaline increase her heartbeat. She knew it was very unlikely that she could get terribly injured, but this was the first time in her life ever trying to stand on skates before. Her legs had absolutely no idea what to do. “…But…I am going to need your help…”
“That’s what I’m here for, girl.” Vinyl giggled and slowly began moving forward. Her grip around Octavia’s waist tightened as they inched towards the roller rink.
Octavia’s heartbeat began to quicken, but it wasn’t due to adrenaline. The feeling of Vinyl’s soft yet reassuringly strong fingers grip her lower back sent a powerful wave of heat up her spine. Vinyl’s cheek was pressed against the back of her head, and she could feel her warm breath against her ear. Before she could take the time to truly appreciate their physical contact, Octavia almost slipped once more. When this happened, Vinyl grabbed her hips with both hands and pulled her back up just in time. “Good heavens!” Octavia exclaimed, her knees shaking in unsteady spasms.
“Don’t worry, I got you. Relax, babe.” Vinyl giggled with amusement. “Just…push off with one foot, and put all your weight on the other foot.”
“A-Alright.” Octavia swallowed hard and gave it a shot. She pushed off slowly and was pleasantly surprised to see herself glide a few feet without falling. A smile parted her lips, but it only lasted for a moment. When her feet stopped moving, that uncontrollable sensation of imbalance took over once more, and she began to lean too far to the side. “V-Vinyl! H-Help!”
Vinyl rolled right up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, picking her up off the ground while leaning into a turn to avoid a nearby booth. “Gotcha!” She came to a controlled stop and turned Octavia to face her, keeping her hands on the cellist’s hips.
Octavia sighed with a bit of frustration and lowered her head. “…Perhaps I shouldn’t try to skate today.” She said with a hint of disappointment. “I’ve never been very good at anything athletic.”
Vinyl put a finger under Octavia’s chin and titled her head up so their eyes could meet. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up. You can do this, ok? I’ll be right next to you the whole time, and you’ll totally have fun.”
“Will…you have fun?” Octavia asked with a fierce blush. “…Wouldn’t you rather go skating without me? I just know I’ll slow you down.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Vinyl laughed. “I didn’t come here to skate by myself. I came here to skate with you. Just give it a shot, and I promise you’ll have a good time.”
“…T-Thank you, Vinyl.” Octavia closed her fingers around Vinyl’s hand and squeezed for a moment. She looked up with a smile, very grateful for the encouragement. Vinyl had to be the only person in the entire world who had given her any form of encouragement, and each time she did, Octavia could feel a couple butterflies dancing about in her tummy. With a determined nod, Octavia smiled brighter. “I will do my best.”
“That’s my girl!” Vinyl giggled and patted her on the back before taking her by the hand. She pounded the ground with one foot, taking off with astonishing acceleration.
Octavia had no need to do anything as they skated towards the rink. Vinyl was towing her with such speed that any form of movement was unnecessary. The only thing she could do was scream. “Vinyl! V-Vinylll!!!”
-o0o-
Of all the times to call…she had to call now…
She had been having so much fun… She had been making some wonderful memories… But right now, none of that seemed to matter as Octavia sat in the backseat of her chauffeur’s luxury vehicle. There weren’t any more clouds in the sky than earlier that morning, but the car’s tinted glass seemed to cast a somber shadow across everything outside. With very nervous feet tapping away at the carpeted floor, Octavia held her tummy with both hands and shook her head. She wasn’t sick, but she sure felt like it. Painful knots of anxiety tugged and clenched her insides like a boa constrictor, and there wasn’t anything she could do to make the anguish go away.
Roughly a half hour ago, her mother had tried to call her cell phone. It had been a fruitless effort mainly due to the loud music and Octavia’s complete lack of attention to the device as she skated. As Vinyl had predicted, she had picked up the skill rather quickly. She was nowhere near as fast as her friends, but she no longer needed physical support after almost two hours of practice. It was during this time that her mother tried calling her, not once, not twice, but five times. Her mother had eventually given up, opting to utilize the GPS tracking feature in Octavia’s phone, an option she had purchased without her daughter’s knowledge. Once she had the address of her daughter’s location, she immediately sent one of the family’s town cars to bring her home.
Now, after being abruptly taken away from the roller rink by two hired security personnel with barely an opportunity to offer some form of a farewell, an experience Octavia found incredibly embarrassing and humiliating, she would now have to face the wrath of her mother very soon.
These clothes! Octavia internally screamed. Mother will be furious with my attire! Why did I have to agree to change into this ridiculous outfit! She knew it wasn’t ridiculous, and in fact, she rather liked Vinyl’s style. It was much more comfortable and casual than her normal clothes, but what she was wearing right now had not been approved by her mother and would most definitely never be. I’m sweaty…I’m disheveled…I’m a mess! She began to panic as her neighborhood came into view. Alright…it’s not a complete disaster. I’m sure mother had her wine by now, and this will all be over by supper.
Her eyes snapped open in sheer terror. Her heart stopped as her face turned pale and her lips turned purple. …MY CELLO!!!!! Octavia gasped loudly, sucking down much needed oxygen as the car turned into the long paved driveway leading up to the manor’s entrance. I forgot my CELLO!!!
This was it. This was the end of her life as she knew it. If her mother cared about anything more than her daughter, it was probably the cello. Without it, Octavia was not her complete self, and her mother no doubt knew this better than anyone. In fact, playing the cello was the only reason why her mother ever attended any of her school functions or musical recitals. It was the one thing in her life that still separated her from the rest of the common population, and she had senselessly left it behind.
The car came to a stop in front of the manor’s entrance, and sure enough, her mother was standing at the top of the stairs leading to the front door. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight professional bun, and her once lovely features were strained by the perpetual scowl of disapproval Octavia could recognize within a sea of strangers. The driver of the car got out and opened Octavia’s door, and her mother stuck out a finger, pointed to her, then pointed to the ground at her feet. With very heavy shoulders, Octavia got out and trudged her way up the steps to stand in front of her mother.
“M-Mother…I-I…” Octavia’s stammer was so strong that her throat felt scratchy. “…I’m so sorry. I-It was n-never my intention to miss your call! I was unaware that you were trying to reach m-”
“Your clothes.” Her mother stated, her voice raspy and stern from years of bitterness and frequent alcohol consumption. “Where are they?”
“They…” Octavia swallowed. “T-They’re still at my friend’s home…”
“Are they? Along with your decency, your respect, and your grace?” Her mother crossed her arms.
“I-I…I meant to change back into-”
“Get inside!” Her mother stepped back and pointed to the door. “I shall meet you in the study shortly. Don’t you dare go to your room.”
Octavia squeaked loudly with fright at her mother’s raised voice, and she hurried inside, walking towards the long hallway leading to the study. Once there, she stood nervously between her father’s lounge chair and a bookcase full of expensive first editions that she had been forbidden to ever touch. Her mother came in a minute later with a glass of wine in her hand, her sour expression now rotten with anger.
“You’ve had quite the weekend, haven’t you, Octavia Melody?” She said, pacing in front of her daughter.
“I-I…suppose…” Octavia almost whimpered.
“You suppose?” Her mother asked through gritted teeth. “I was just informed by my security that you were at some form of skating facility?”
“W-Well…a roller skating…rink…” Octavia slowly nodded. “…Yes…”
“With loud and ghastly music, a multitude of hormonally imbalanced teenagers, and no supervision. Am I in any way mistaken?”
Octavia knew it was a terrible idea to try and make any corrections. So, to give the safest answer possible, she merely agreed. “T-That…is correct…”
“You disappoint me, Octavia.” Her mother spat, stepping forward to point a finger at her nose. “After all these years of proper education and mannered upbringing, you insult and disgrace yourself and your family by dressing like an eager little courtesan at an underage brothel.”
“I-I…” Octavia felt a familiar anger rise up from the pit of her knotted stomach. Speaking to her mother almost always gave her this feeling, but it had never been so intense before.
“And these new friends of yours.” Her mother continued. “If you have stooped to their level, then I must assume based on your current state that they are the worst type of youths imaginable. Have they no shame tainting your precious standing? Have YOU no shame for ruining yourself and your image?”
“M-Mother…I-I…” Octavia choked as she fought back tears.
“And where, pray tell, is your cello?” She asked, her voice almost suspiciously soothing. Her tone was almost believable if she hadn’t been showing her teeth.
Octavia bowed her head in shame, every part of her physical being going limp. She had absolutely nothing to say to this question, and there wasn’t anything she could possibly say or do to make this situation any better. Unfortunately, she wasn’t given that luxury. Her mother stood in silence waiting for a response, and she knew better than to be closed lipped when directly addressed. “M-Mother…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, please, Octavia.” Her mother spat, rolling her head disdainfully before sipping her wine. “It’s far too late now for recompense, and by your actions today, I can already conclude with perfect certainty that you have turned into quite the horrid child.”
Octavia’s eyes grew wide with rage. Her whole body tensed up as her hands balled up into weak little fists. The impression of her mother she had was never positive, but she had never been called something so terrible so directly right to her face. Those words sent a flare of righteous indignation into Octavia’s chest, and she brought a finger up to point at herself. “I-I…am…n-no…such thing!” She exclaimed hoarsely. “I-I-I-I can’t believe you would say that!”
“Don’t you dare raise your voice towards me, child!” Her mother screeched, bearing down on Octavia’s with a finger pressed against her chest. “I have had quite enough of your newfound attitude. You dare slam a door in my face, and now you dare raise your voice at me? You are the absolute worst, ungrateful, misguided little burden of a daughter anyone could ever be cursed with!”
Octavia was crying by now, hot angry tears streaming down her cheeks. She raised a fist into the air and shouted as loud as she possibly could. “I hate you!” She thumped her mother on the chest with both hands. “I HATE YOU!!!”
What happened next felt almost dreamlike, a half-conscious trance of which she could only experience on a feverish night. It happened so fast and was so incredibly unexpected that Octavia almost didn’t believe it actually occurred. Her eyes blurred heavily, completely distorting her vision as she stepped back from the impact. It wasn’t until a painful tingling began radiating across the left side of her face did she fully grasp what just transpired.
Just as her senses were returning, another figure entered the study. It was a man of noble height and build, his features worn by time yet strong in conviction. His pepper grey hair was slicked back and parted with precision, and despite the scene in front of him, he carried himself with great composure. It was her father, and Octavia was immensely relieved to see him. When he spoke, his voice was deep and broad like an ancient orator atop a hill. “Go to your room, Octavia.” He said, his words like solid columns supporting the foundation of his appearance. Octavia’s mother looked rather perplexed by the man’s sudden appearance, as if she had not expected to see him arrive home so soon. Even Octavia was surprised to see him home before the setting sun, but he had returned nonetheless. “Now, Octavia.” He repeated.
With a quick shuffle of her feet and a hand pressed against her cheek, Octavia did as instructed. She hurried to the study’s door and walked very nervously towards the stairs and up to her room. Once inside, she sat on her bed while looking down at her feet for nearly an entire hour, unable to think coherently or utter a single word to herself. After such a dramatic change to her once lovely day, she was still too emotionally turbulent to do anything besides sit. The sun had set during her time in solitude, and yet she dared not stir despite the urge to use the bathroom. Eventually, she realized that no one would be bothering her for the rest of the night, and considering the late hour, she knew she should probably get ready for bed.
As she dutifully prepared herself for sleep, taking the time to relieve herself and change out of Vinyl’s clothes, Octavia felt an intense anxiety. It didn’t diminish at all even after she climbed into bed. Normally she would’ve been happy right about now, taking the time to catch up on the latest messages Vinyl had sent her before drifting into unconsciousness. True to routine, her phone was filled with messages from her best friend, moreso tonight in fact, but Octavia had neither the heart nor the stomach to even look at her phone. Vinyl was probably worried sick about her, or ‘freaking out’ as she might put it. It hurt Octavia a bit, knowing she was purposefully avoiding any form of interaction with her at the moment, but she couldn’t bring herself to even pick up the device.
When she closed her eyes, Octavia whimpered softly into her pillow. She never knew until recently the joys of being hugged, and it was at this moment that she craved one terribly. Vinyl… She heard her inner voice say. Vinyl… At last, and in a hoarse whisper, she muttered, “Vinyl… Help me…”
-o0o-
On Monday morning, the whole world went about its usual business, as did every student making their way to school. Outside the busy steps of Canterlot High, boys and girls of various ages chatted aimlessly and almost carefree despite partially dreading another long week of boredom and monotony. However, there was one student who felt time move more slowly, painfully ticking away at a turtle’s pace. When Octavia finally arrived to school in her chauffeur’s vehicle, she saw the solitary figure leap from her perched position of the stair’s railing, turning to face her direction. Vinyl hadn’t heard from Octavia since Saturday, and it had been a very baffling sight to see her best friend escorted away by tall men in dark suits. Octavia had offered no resistance, and at least she had said very quick and apologetic goodbyes to her friends before leaving, but Octavia knew her best friend would have questions. No doubt she would be worried as well, and it would put both of their minds at ease to speak to each other.
With a deep breath, Octavia exited the car and stepped towards the school. It seemed her pace was much too slow for Vinyl’s liking considering Vinyl nearly ran straight towards her. They stopped in front of each other, and Vinyl spoke first. “Heyyyyy…you alright? You good?” She asked, placing a hand on Octavia’s shoulder. “You didn’t call me or text me or anything yesterday. I was kinda worried you got in trouble.” She paused and pushed her glasses up atop her head, showing worried crimson eyes. “You didn’t actually get in trouble, did you?” Octavia offered no reply, her eyes still fixed on Vinyl’s feet. “Y-You…uh, ‘cause…I mean, if you had like a curfew or something, you coulda just told me. I wouldn’t be all mad or anything about it.” When Octavia still offered no response, Vinyl’s face became noticeably concerned. “Whoa…hey…” She reached down and squeezed one of her hands. “Talk to me, Tavi…you’re freaking me out.”
Octavia nearly cried when she felt her fingers get squeezed in a soft and reassuring grip. She shook her head slowly, bringing her free hand up to cover her face as tears rolled down her cheeks. “I-I…a-am so s-sorry, Vinyl…” She choked.
“Awwww….fudge…” Vinyl gently circled her arms around Octavia’s shoulders and pulled her in close, hugging her firmly against her chest. In reality, she hadn’t said ‘fudge’, but Octavia’s memory wouldn’t permit such a word to linger in her mind. “Oh, man…Tavi…”
Octavia sobbed for a couple of seconds, pressing her face against Vinyl’s chest before sniffling back her tears. She wiped her face and looked up at her dear friend with an apologetic smile. “F-Forgive me… It wasn’t my intention to start crying in front of you.”
“Babe, I don’t care. You can always cry in front of me…” Vinyl wiped the back of her hand against Octavia’s cheek. “…I’m your best friend. That’s…I dunno…kinda why I’m here.”
“T-Thank you, Vinyl.” Octavia swallowed hard and took a small step back. She sighed and ran a finger across her forehead to push away the stray couple of locks that had fallen out of place. “…I know…I have said this before, and quite recently too, but…I’m terribly sorry for worrying you.”
“Oh my freaking gosh, babe.” Vinyl cracked a tiny smirk and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, don’t ever say you’re sorry to me about that.” She went back to squeezing the cellist’s fingers. “I don’t…look, yeah sure, I was kinda mad…maybe…but…” She sighed and thumped herself on the forehead with her palm. “…It doesn’t matter now. Right now, I just wanna know if you’re good. I just wanna know if…everything’s cool with you.”
“…Right now…” Octavia slowly nodded with a small sigh. “…Yes, I suppose.”
“Y-Yeah?” Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Ok, I don’t wanna sound like jerk, but you don’t look like everything is cool. W-What…what happened with you? I mean, if you wanna tell me. You don’t have to… You’re still my babe no matter what, but I guess…I still wanna know.”
Octavia giggled halfheartedly for a moment at Vinyl’s interpretation of their relationship. It was amusing and also reassuring to know she was still considered her ‘babe’ regardless of circumstances. “T-Thank you…again, Vinyl.” Octavia finally brought her head up enough to lock eyes with her. “It’s…Well, it was my mother…”
“Oh…that witch, huh?” Vinyl spat with distain, again using a word that Octavia’s mind immediately changed lest she hear it again in recollection.
“U-Um…yes.” Octavia said with a sigh. “She…wasn’t happy with me on Saturday. I suppose…I should have expected that. H-However…Saturday was even less than agreeable for her.”
“What?” Vinyl raised her eyebrow again. “So…she’s a total jerk all the time, but now she’s being an even bigger one?”
“That…is very aptly put.” Octavia nodded. “Y-Yes, I suppose…you could say it like that.”
“That is so messed up!!” Vinyl exclaimed with a fervor spirit before calming herself. “Sorry, I didn’t, uh…mean to yell...” She growled softly at the ground before rubbing her palm against Octavia’s lower back. “So…uh…I guess...she was a total witch and freaked out on you?”
“Yes.” Octavia nodded before quickly shaking her head. “B-But, everything is fine now…I suppose. She’s…going to be staying with her family in Manehatten for a while.”
“Yeah? Well, that’s cool.” Vinyl looked relieved. “Uh, do you know for how long?”
“N-No…” Octavia sighed. “…But…It will probably be for a long while. My father…does not want to see her home for the time being. At least, this is what he has told me.”
“Oh….damnnn…” Vinyl put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed Octavia against her side. “You got some serious family stuff going on, babe…yikes.”
“It would appear so…” Octavia laid her head on Vinyl’s shoulder.
“Well, look, I mean…if there’s anything I can do, uh…” Vinyl bit her lip for a moment while attempting to speak more clearly without sounding like an idiot. “…like have you over more or…I dunno…my mom would be totally cool with you chilling at my place for a while. I dunno how your dad would feel about that, but…”
“V-Vinyl, thank you.” Octavia hugged her waist tightly and smiled. “I appreciate the gesture so very much. I’m grateful, truly…” She let go and blushed a bit, moving her hands down the front of her formal skirt. “…But, you would probably be right about my father. I very much doubt he would be complicit with such a request.”
“Sooo…like…he wouldn’t be cool with it?” Vinyl asked.
“Yes.” Octavia nodded.
“Ah, it’s cool. No biggie.” Vinyl shrugged and gave her a couple pats on the back, but Octavia could see genuine disappointment on her face. It was a disappointment that she shared at least equally. “Hey, at least…you got some breathing room or…whatever. It’s…well, it’s still pretty messed up that you gotta deal with this crap, but…at least you’re still here…with me…you know?” Vinyl tried to finish that thought with a casual attitude, but a hint of a blush on her own face showed how truly deeply she meant those words.
“I’m very happy to be here with you.” Octavia agreed, wrapping her arms around Vinyl’s waist once more. “Thank you…for being my best friend, Vinyl.”
With a giggle, Vinyl rolled her eyes and placed a hand atop Octavia’s head. “Are you kidding me? You’re like…the coolest, hottest friend I’ve ever had. Tavi…I don’t think anyone can ever top you.”
“That’s…” Octavia giggled back and poked Vinyl in the ribs with two fingers. “…Very sweet of you to say… I don’t have…much experience in having friends, but…” She stepped back and smiled up at her. “I wouldn’t trade your kinship and sincerity for anything in the world.”
“Awwww, come on, babe!” Vinyl sighed heavily and palmed her face with a laugh. “See, how am I supposed to beat that? You got all these FANCY long words and stuff, and…I mean…there’s just no winning with you on this.” Vinyl smiled down at her with a deep red blush across her pale white face. “…Thanks, Tavi. That was pretty cool.”
Everypony, I'm running out of ways to thank you. 
I wish to express my gratitude for taking the time out of your day to read this, and as I always say, it means the absolute world to me. Thank you all, and I shall return shortly; hopefully within a predictable release schedule as I always promise but never seem to actually do. 
On quick thing I would like to ask you all. I VERY rarely ever comment on my own stories. I've done it...oh...maybe two, three times in the past two years. Would you like me to engage in conversation with you down below? I've been under the conception that doing so is unprofessional, but I'm worried I'm losing touch with some amazing ponies! Your opinions would be absolutely wonderful.
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7276713
I love shmoyoho. 'Specially songs like Bed Intruder, Damnx3, and Dead Giveaway,
Nice
You need each other
Go to her, go to her
No time to wonder
Go to her, go to her
How long you've yearned for this
An end to all your loneliness
But you've earned this sweet success
Daddy's home, bitch. You don't smack his little princess.
Yeah, no. I get where Bon-bon's coming from, she's just looking out for a friend, but this is kind of a dick-ish way to do it.
Like, really dick-ish
Great chapter, tho.
7311449
Not really. If you're worried something can go wrong, you make it a point to hammer that point home. You don't talk it up all flowery and make it sound like it'll never happen and you're just making "I'm just lookin' out for you~" friendly chatter. Never dumb down potential threats, especially when the friend is all caught up in how 'wonderful' everything is, because they'll be blindsided if something does go wrong.
If it doesn't happen, nothing's a problem. If it DOES, Octavia knows what to do - go see Bon Bon and have her mediate between her and Vinyl until they both understand each other enough through Bon Bon to talk things out themselves. I have a whole fucking lot of first hand experience in Bon Bon's position here. It only looks questionable in written form - if you were experiencing this you'd have a greater appreciation for having someone there to rely on who isn't the person that might become the problem. Octavia's completely out of her depth and incredibly gullible. If Vinyl's self-control slips for a moment or she says the wrong thing she can screw up what she and Octavia have, and what they could have had. Bon Bon is making herself available to protect Octavia AND to protect Vinyl, from Vinyl. Because she loves them both, and wants them to be happy.
7311489 Yikes. Think you can help me get my foot out of my mouth?
Another great chapter from one of my favorite Tavi(Octy)Scratch stories. Seriously, great job on this one. You do emotional scenes and teen logic very well, and for that I will applaud you.
I prefer when authors engage with their readers. You can help clarify things and perhaps even gain new perspectives on your own characters (I've seen it happen). Just avoid spoiling anything for us and keep engagement with trolls to a minimum.
And whether or not it would be unprofessional is not relevant here because as far as your readers see it, you are not a professional; you are a fanfic writer. You're a fan of pony things, I'm a fan of pony things, everyone else here is a fan of pony things; you don't need an arbitrary "professional" separation from your readers.
I absolutely hate, despise, and loathe character's like Octavia's mother. A better way of putting it, I suppose, would be that I love to see people like her get their comeuppance. How they view the world and treat other's is just wrong and I love seeing them get what they deserve. I sincerely hope you have something special planned for her.
will they just fuck already
7311583 seconded
7311505
"In my personal opinion I feel Bon Bon could have been gentler about this, but she's bringing her own kind of comfort to Octavia, who will appreciate it when there's a problem or miscommunication between her and Vinyl."
There you go, foot extracted and peppermint candy left behind. :D
Thou must continue!
Been a while since we had such great Octascratch story, keep it up
The IT Has Hit that fan doe Cant wait till next chapter
7311561 Me too, she can't win this, she must go down!!!
Just kidding, not in a violent way, but she should get repercussions for being a terrible mother and saying things like that to her own daughter for crying out loud.
ok, I wonder why I didn't do it before, but after this awesome chapter you definitly earned a fave from me for this story as well and you got a new follower. I really love your stories so far, and I haven't even read all of them yet
Great as usual. I love that the build-up is slower than usual compared to your other stories, which mean we're probably gonna get more!! :D
You're a great writer, and this right here is one of my favorite TaviScratch fic, right beside University Days and Accidental Harmony. Can't wait to read the next chapter!
"And just what in God's name is a 'roller rink'?" rage boiling over in her voice.
"Just a sort of entertainment hub for kids around Octavia's age and younger, ma'am. Nothing dangerous or... mature in nature is generally allowed." The security staff obviously not speaking up in defense of the child for the fear of losing their jobs. The phone was dialed again. This time however a voice was heard nearly shouting over extremely loud music.
"Hi, this is Lyra Heartstrings, self appointed secretary of Miss Melody. Im sorry but my associate cant seem to get her hands off of Tavi's ass right now and the couple's skate is coming up. Would you like to leave a message? Im sure I can slip a message in before the real fun starts!" the phone dropped back into the hook.
The security gaurd facepalmed as he headed for the black SUV.
You misspelled bitch. Get on that.
7311583 Thirdedededededededededededededededededededed. I third that opinion.
It's not bad, but at this point with how pyschial they get with other, I'm screaming, just get then together already! >.<
Dosnt help that Octavia knows Vyinal has feelings for her thanks to Bon Bon.
I find with romance stories, a major rule to fallow in the getting together phase: if the audience knows they'd be a couple if one acted, it's dragged on too long.
Like, the suspense comes from one charcter not sure if the other likes them, and if they asked then, X person can say no. If your audience can tell that won't happen, it just starts to drag.
And good sample to check out would be Green, and how close thy came to over staying ther welcome in Fluttershy and rarity getting together
7313310 the main reason oct has not accted is due to the whole not realy understanding even the most basic of relationships thing and v hasn't done anything because of the blowback the last gay experience had for her that they keep aluding to
7311801 You are too kind :)
7313534 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. Ok.
Mooooooorree.
I nneeed moooooorrrreee.
Give it to meeeee.
This story is killing me.
Yo. This is as good as University. Keep it up.
Awesome that was just so awesome so when are they gonna start dating
7311489 You are very astute and wise. You understand completely! Thank you
7311552 I agree with you. Perhaps I should've said 'weird' instead of 'professional'. I wasn't sure if replying would be awkward in any way.
7312521 Aw, thank you so much!
7312647 That is incredibly high praise! And yes, I want this story to be longer and have more depth than my previous works. You understand what I'm going for perfectly. Thank you
7312969 You are too funny!
7313511 I've never said hinted at directly, but your observation and hypothesis is especially precise. Bravo on your keen point!
7314641 OMN NOM NOM OMN NOM NOM OMM NOM
7314697 You really think so??? Oh my gosh thank you!
Tavi isn't very good at being assertive.
I was reading this chapter, and this song came to mind:
Regardless, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Its been ages since I've read a good Scratchtavia. And this is such a unique character dynamic compared to most, with an utterly socially inept Octavia. I can't wait for more.
7317640 That is so sweet! You made my sleepless night wonderful with that compliment.
That music video was absolutely beautiful. I think we have a new theme song here!
Well done. Catching my interest is a good feat. especially if that person is as talented as you were with this, and im looking forward to more chapters from this.
How i imagine this story! ^^^
Plus this story is so adorable . :3
This story keeps getting better and better keep it up!!
7317690
ok, firstly, you made the storyline escalate abruptly,and because of that i like your chapters
7317775 You flatter me, my good sir. Thank you
7320444
Flattery gets you nowhere.. Unless it's deserved, or being used to gain something... or just for amusement. Either way keep up the good work. (P.S. (Spoiler Alert!!!) This could probably even have a sequel for like... sophmore, junior, senior years too... or even college! (End of Spoiler!!!))
BTW... Here's something to listen to while ya work!!!!
Now I hate her parents even more. Fuck Octavia's mother.
Great chapter can't wait for the next one but her mother is a total drag
I could only imagine what Vinyls response will be when/if she finds out about Tavis mom hitting her