Octavius is town hopping, trying to find a permanent gig. He meets Vinyl Scratch. What'll Happen when uptight meets hang loose?
This is a story about Octavius (rule 63 Octavia) and Vinyl Scratch, and how she'll try to change his life. They'll meet many different people, and they'll learn and grow. And maybe Octavius can learn how to be human.
Octavius took his final bow, smiling at the roaring audience. He had finished his performance and received a standing ovation. He expected no less; he was a master cellist, after all. He turned and grabbed his cello, gave one more nod to the still raucous applause, and departed the stage.
He placed his cello in it’s hard case and snapped it shut, placing the bow in it’s own case. He slung the large instrument over his shoulder and glanced in his mirror. His face was sweating a bit, probably from the bright spotlights that had shone on him while he played. He quickly readjusted his slightly messy black hair and walked out of the dressing room into the relatively quiet hallway.
He made his way towards the exit, shaking hands with various people in the lobby of the large building, thanking them for their praise and congratulations. He eventually made it outside, moving towards his car. He opened the back door and set his cello neatly down in the seat, making sure it wouldn’t be able to move. He nodded when he was satisfied and closed the door, getting into the drivers seat. He cast a quick look at the clock in his car as the battery came to life; it was 9:30 at night. He considered going to his hotel, but decided against it for now. The night was still young, and there was merriment to be had.
He stepped out of his car, dressed down in a white button up shirt, slacks and a pair of black dress shoes. He had removed his jacket and tie, laying them inconspicuously over his beloved cello; while this part of town wasn’t known for theft, he wasn’t going to take a chance. He pressed the lock button on his keys and tucked them into his pocket, walking towards the bar. He usually liked to end a good performance with a good drink. Octavius wasn’t a drunk by any stretch of the word, but he could appreciate a good beer as much as a fine wine.
“Gin and tonic,” Octavius told the bartender as he sat down. The man behind the counter nodded and prepared the drink, handing it to the cellist. Octavius took a drink and set it down, swirling it slowly, looking at the ice floating in the mixture. He heard murmurs involving his name in a nearby booth. He looked over to see three young women whispering excitedly, pointing at him occasionally. Octavius turned back to his drink coolly, waiting for the inevitable. Apparently, even the younger generation could appreciate classical music.
As expected, one of the women stood and shyly made her way to the man, sitting beside him at the bar. He had already finished his drink and ordered another one. He turned his gaze to her, as the glass was set in front of him. He looked her up and down, quickly assessing her. She was about 5 foot 4, relatively short compared to his 6 foot 3. She had smooth, straight blond hair with brown roots and a good amount of make up on; this woman was very concerned with looks, and not proud of her natural look. She had on a fairly short skirt and a tight fitting shirt; she came to the bar to find a man. She had striking blue eyes and pale skin; she took care of herself, also evident in her slight figure.
“Hey, mister,” she said airily, twirling her finger in her hair. Octavius sighed internally. “My friends and I were wondering if we could maybe get you to sit with us?”
Octavius considered this a moment. This woman probably knew who he was, though it was apparent from her dress that unless she had changed like he had, she had not come from his performance. Casting a quick glance to her friends, he realized it was also very unlikely they had been there. As a matter of fact, judging by her breath, she’d been at the bar for a while. Another glance at her eyes revealed a slightly dazed look, and they were a bit dilated. This woman was drunk, and her friends probably were too. Octavius reached a conclusion.
He smiled at the woman. “I’m sorry, miss,” he said, sounding deeply remorseful. He had to try not to laugh. “But I am otherwise engaged this evening. You see, I was supposed to wait here for a friend of mine. They’ll be here soon, and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The woman had a look of extreme concentration on her face, as if trying to process what the cellist had just told her. Again, Octavius had to bite back a fit of laughter, instead drowning it in another drink.
Octavius watched as she stood and disappointedly walked back to her friends, muttering something about “Stupid prick” as she swayed back to her booth. Octavius smiled as he turned back to his drink.
Octavius sat in the driver’s seat of his car, listening to one of his own masterpieces on the stereo. He wasn’t quite drunk, so he decided to chance the ten-block drive to his hotel. He rolled up in front of the complex and pulled into his usual parking spot. He opened his door and stepped out, a bit wobbly, pulling out his cello from the back seat and making his way to the entrance of the building.
The doorman greeted him and pulled open the large glass door, revealing a grand interior with fancy chairs and couches and tables spread throughout the lobby and a rather ornate front desk. He strolled right up to it proudly, his cello in tow. He pressed down on the small bell, the ching resonating through the mostly vacant room. The clerk smiled at him and told him, “Good evening, Mr. Melody. Yes, your bags are already waiting up in your room. Here is your key. Have a wonderful evening, sir.” Octavius nodded and departed, heading towards the elevator.
As he got in, he pushed the button for the eleventh floor and watched as the stainless steel doors closed quietly. He tapped his fingers against the back wall anxiously; while he’d never admit it out of pride, he was a bit claustrophobic. He felt an involuntary jolt of panic shake him as the elevator slowed on the seventh floor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it was simply another person getting in the small car. It was a woman with blue hair, dark and light, and a pair of purple sunglasses over her eyes. She had on a white hoodie and some black jeans, with some large headphones over her ears, blaring that ghastly, what was it, DUBSTEP that everyone was into nowadays. Octavius grimaced as he also noticed this woman was about his age. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned to look at him.
She gave him a big smile and slid her headphones to her neck after pausing her ‘music’. “Hey there!” She held out her glove-covered hand to him. “My name’s Vinyl. What’s yours?”
“I am Octavius,” he said, cautiously taking her hand and shaking it.
She smiled at him again. “Nice ta meet’cha, Octavius!”
“I wish I could say the same,” he said, eliciting a confused look from the woman. “Your ‘music’ is too loud, miss. I would appreciate it if you would turn it down.”
The woman’s smile faltered. “Aw, come on, dude! Don’t kill the wubs!”
“Your ‘wubs’, as you call them, are a grievance upon my refined musical tastes, and I do not wish to sully my finely tuned-“
“UGH!” The girl made a face at the man and groaned. “You are such a stiff, man! You need to chill out and relax! Here…”
Against the man’s protests, she placed her black headphones over his ears and scrolled through her iPod. She must’ve found what she was looking for, because she smiled and pressed play. Octavius braced himself for the worst, squeezing his eyes shut.
A calming piano was heard, playing some basic chords. There was a harp added in, then some flutes, then clarinets and saxophones. Eventually, there was an entire ensemble playing. Octavius closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, forgetting this obnoxious girl and this tiny elevator, which had continued its ascent to the eleventh floor.
Just as Octavius was about to start conducting, as he usually did while listening to classical, everything changed. The instruments started to change pitch and bend and mold where they hadn’t before. Some new parts were added, some electronics inserted into the piece. He liked it. It made the old song feel new and revitalized. He smiled slightly, losing himself in it.
All too soon, the elevator reached the eleventh floor.
Octavius opened his eyes to see Vinyl staring at him with a smile. He cleared his throat awkwardly and removed the headphones, handing them back to her. She took them, but kept smiling at him. He looked around uncomfortably, trying not to look at her.
“You liked it, Tavi.”
“No, I did not. And please,” he added, grabbing his cello and stepping off the elevator. “Don’t call me Tavi.”
Vinyl followed him, looking at the case on his back. “What’s in there?”
“The body of the last person who asked what was in my case,” he replied sarcastically. He approached his door and removed his card key from his pocket.
“Cool,” said Vinyl, undeterred.
Octavius sighed and turned to her. “It’s a cello, ok?”
Vinyl feigned disappointment. “And here I thought I’d met an awesome murderer. I’m just a boring ol’ DJ.”
Octavius shook his head and opened his door, stepping into the room. He turned to look at the blue haired woman. “Alright, Vinyl, this is where we part ways.”
Vinyl gave him her signature smile. “See ya later, Octy!” She skipped merrily back down the hall to the elevator.
“Don’t call me Octy!” Octavius watched as she disappeared around the corner and sighed in relief, closing his door. He turned to his well made bed, which at that moment seemed to be calling his very name, inviting him into it’s warmth and comfort. He stripped off his clothing and pulled on some shorts and a tee shirt, tossing the discarded clothing in a heap on the floor, uncaring right now. What he wanted most was to sleep.
Octavius’ eyes shot open. He glanced at the clock beside his bed.
8:32 in the morning.
He groaned and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
He sighed and stood, pulling off his shorts and putting on some jeans and a new tee shirt, quickly putting on some deodorant and shaking out his hair. He moved to the door and pulled it open, being greeted by Vinyl.
“Hey, Octy!” She smiled at him and waved, looking very happy.
“Vinyl,” he acknowledged, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today!”
Octavius considered. Her hair color and style signaled she liked to party and be wild. Her shades told him she had something to hide. She had her headphones around her neck, so he knew she was at least a fan of music, if not a performer herself. She was very clean and smelled lovely, so she wasn’t an alcoholic or a druggie, though her long fingerless gloves could be hiding some marks from injections. She seemed like decent company for now, though.
“Let me shower,” he muttered as he turned back into his room.
“All right, I’ll meetcha down in the lobby, Tavi!” She waved at him as she headed back to the elevator. Octavius half-heartedly waved back. He closed his door and headed into his bathroom for a quick shower and to freshen up a bit.
Octavius made his way down to the lobby, Vinyl waiting for him by the door. She had on a hoodie and jeans again, but her headphones were missing; once again, though, she had on her purple sunglasses. She also had on a small backpack full of God only knew what. “There you are, slow poke!” She ran up to him and dragged him along through the door and out into the cloudy day. Octavius instinctively moved towards his car, but Vinyl pulled him the other way, telling him they were walking today. Octavius grumbled but followed her.
Their first stop was breakfast at a local restaurant called Coffee-‘n-More. They stepped in through the door, and the first thing Octavius noticed was the smell. Coffee hung heavy in the air, as he expected, given the name of the place. He and Vinyl went and sat at a table together, picking up menus.
“So Tavi-“
“Don’t call me that.”
“-What should we do today?”
Octavius stared at her blankly. She had invited him out, yet she was curious what he wanted to do? She was an odd person indeed. He considered her question for a moment, then said, “I’ll let the lady decide.”
Vinyl laughed. “Dude, why so formal?”
“Well, I pride myself in my behavior and linguistics, so it should stand to reason-“
“BORING!” Vinyl waved the waitress over to their table and ordered milk and half a dozen donuts. Octavius merely asked for some coffee. “Dude,” Vinyl started as the waitress walked away. “You need to learn to relax! You seem so uptight, man. Chill out!”
“Vinyl,” Octavius sighed, moving his arms out of the way as the waitress brought back his coffee. “I am not a relaxation kind of guy. I must be formal and professional in appearance at all times.”
Vinyl groaned. “Man, there’s more to life than that!” She took a bite out of one of her donuts. “You gotta learn to be loose and have some fun!” A stray crumb flew out of her mouth, landing on Octavius’ chest. He groaned in disgust and wiped it away.
“Yeah, no.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes and took another bite of her donut. She stared at the cellist through her purple sunglasses, contemplating his looks. She thought and thought, then had an idea.
“Octy,” she started, ignoring the groan from the man. “I have the best idea! Like, in the history of forever!”
Octavius rolled his eyes. “Forgive me if I with hold my enthusiasm.”
Vinyl took out her wallet and looked inside, only to stare into an empty pocket. She looked at Octavius, who sighed and paid for the meal with his credit card. Then he and Vinyl departed the restaurant with Vinyl in the lead.
Octavius followed her a couple blocks to an old looking building. The sign above the door read, ‘Dash’s’. Octavius was confused as to why they stopped here; the sign said it was closed, and there were no lights on inside, and there weren’t any cars parked out front. But Vinyl simply strolled in, pulling the hesitant man behind her.
A woman with rainbow colored hair stepped from behind a door, holding a handgun up at the two. “All right, buddy, I –“ She noticed who was standing before her and a smile grew on her face, placing the gun behind the counter. “Vinyl!”
“Hey, Dash!” Vinyl smiled back and pulled the other woman into a tight hug, which was reciprocated. “Dash,” Vinyl said as she stepped back. “This is my buddy Octavius!”
Octavius stepped forward with his hand extended. “A pleasure, miss Dash.”
Dash took his outstretched hand and pulled him into a tight hug, making him groan in pain. He was surprised how strong this woman was for having such a small frame. When she released him, Octavius did a quick assessment. She was indeed small, but very well built. She seemed to exercise a lot, going by the massive personal space violation he had received. She had a smile on her face as big as Vinyl’s, so she was a relatively happy person; the two women were also obviously friends, given their greeting to one another. She had on a light blue tee shirt and blue jeans with some red shin high boots over the legs of said pants. Her rainbow hair was a mess; she liked to look good, but wasn’t obsessed with it.
Octavius rubbed his ribs to return feeling to them as he smiled weakly at her. She smiled back and turned to Vinyl. “Is he you’re new boy toy, Vi?”
Vinyl’s pale face heated up quickly. “No, we just met!”
Dash turned back to the man. She looked him up and down, a slow smile forming on her nice lips. Octavius noticed she wasn’t wearing any make up. “So he’s up for grabs?”
Octavius felt his own face get hot. Vinyl laughed and said, “Dash, he’s not your type. He’s a pompous, stuck up stick in the mud. He plays cello and likes wine and shit like that.”
Dash smirked at Octavius. “Always did want a gentleman to treat me like a real woman instead of a piece of ass.”
Octavius forced a smile and said, “Miss Dash, while I’m sure you are indeed a very charming young woman, I am not interested in a relationship at this time, least of all with some person I just met.”
Dash smirked again at the man. “Well,” she moved closer, half closing her eyes seductively and placing her hand lightly on Octavius’ heart. “Maybe we should get to know each other better…”
Before Octavius could retort, Vinyl stepped in. “Okay, Dash, let’s leave the poor guy alone. Tavi here was just looking for a good day on the town, seeing as he’s new here and all.”
“Actually, you invited me –“
“A good time, huh?” Dash looked at Vinyl, then back to Octavius. “Well, TAVI, let’s see…” She thought a moment, Octavius groaning internally at the ridiculous nickname he seemed stuck with. “How about you, me and Vinyl go to the mall?”
Vinyl got really excited. “Yeah, Octy! Let’s go!”
“But I’d rather –“ Any protest the man was going to make was drowned out by the two women prattling excitedly to one another as they grabbed his hands and dragged him back out into the now warm sun. Vinyl took off her hoodie and shoved it into her backpack, slinging the bag back over her shoulder. Octavius, being a proper gentleman, offered to carry it for her.
“Vinyl and Tavi, sittin’ in a tree,” Dash sang mockingly, dancing in front of them as Vinyl handed him the bag. “F-U-C-K-I-N-G.” Octavius took a note of this woman’s foul mouth and cruel sense of humor as he slid on the backpack, Vinyl blushing a bit.
“Whatever, Dash!” Vinyl tried to laugh off the taunts. Dash laughed to herself, eyeing the two people before her.
“So miss Dash,” Octavius started. “Where exactly is this ‘mall’ we are going to?”
“Not far, man,” Vinyl answered for the other woman. “It’s just a couple blocks this way.”
Dash looked at Vinyl. She smirked at the other woman. “Hey, Vi! Race ya!”
Vinyl laughed and took off after Dash. Octavius watched them quietly, not partaking in something so crude. Dash and Vinyl ran between the few people on the streets, eliciting a few angry grumbles about ‘grown women’ and ‘maturity’. Octavius shook his head and followed the pair.
As he rounded the corner that Vinyl and Dash had disappeared around, he saw them in front of a very large man.
“We’re sorry, mister,” Dash was saying, Vinyl standing behind her. The man didn’t look very happy.
“You bitches ‘ad be’er explain yourselves! You nearly knocked me on me arse you twats!”
Vinyl looked at the man. “Look dude, we said sorry. We were playing around and didn’t see you.”
“Well, ‘ere! Maybe this’ll ‘elp ‘em eyes ‘o yours!” He swung hard and knocked Vinyl’s glasses off her face; he also knocked the woman to the ground. She fell quietly, out cold.
“Hey!” Dash jumped the man, trying to take him down. He merely knocked her aside and to the ground. However, she retained consciousness, looking defiantly up at him. Octavius looked around, but there was no one to help. This street was completely empty. He sighed and decided to save the two women.
“Excuse me, sir,” Octavius approached the man coolly.
“Whadda you wan’, tiny?” The other man sneered at the cellist.
“That was not a very nice thing to do,” Octavius replied calmly. He noticed the larger man was favoring his right leg. “You need to apologize. Now.”
“An’ if I don’, shrimpo? What then?”
“You have until the count of three,” Octavius said. “One.” Knife in the man’s belt. Inaccessible at this point. “Two.” The man popped his neck loudly. A bit too loudly. “Three.” Octavius swiftly kicked the man in his left knee, dropping him quickly, then brought his foot up into the mans throat, knocking him back and making him choke for air. The fight was over in five seconds.
Dash stared at Octavius in awe. The man who had so easily knocked her down now lay in a mess at Octavius’ feet. Vinyl slowly came to as well, dazed but unhurt otherwise. Octavius turned his attention to them, looking down at them.
Vinyl started to panic and kept her eyes squeezed shut. “The light hurts! Glasses! Glasses!” She pawed frantically at the ground, trying desperately to find her purple sunglasses. Octavius knelt and picked them up for her, handing them to her quietly. Dash watched in silence as her best friend slipped on her signature shades.
“Better?” Octavius asked the woman as he helped her to her feet. She smiled a bit and nodded as Octavius turned and helped up Dash.
“Thanks,” both women said in unison.
Octavius smiled slightly and nodded. “So, where exactly is this ‘mall’?”
Dash smiled back. “Right around the corner there.” She led her small group to the corner, and splayed out her arms to display her point. Before them sat a rather large building, the lot in front of it full of cars and people.
“There it is, Octy –“
“Octavius.”
“- The Central Town Mall. Not a creative name, yeah, but a name.” Vinyl smiled at him happily. There was a bit of dried blood on her lip. Octavius involuntarily grimaced, remembering the hit she took. Did she remember it? Did she remember hitting the ground? Did she know he had saved them?
“Let’s go!” Dash started to run ahead, but quickly thought better of it, walking calmly with her friend and Octavius.
When the trio stepped over the threshold, Octavius immediately took note of his surroundings. He was in the middle of a large crowd, who were all moving noisily between the shops. He felt his heart rate quicken as his claustrophobia started to act up. He looked at Dash and Vinyl, both wide eyed and staring at everything. He took a deep breath and held it, then let it out slowly.
“Octy?” Vinyl looked the man, concerned. “Hey, Octavius? You okay?”
He nodded and flashed a smile. He didn’t want to ruin their fun. “I’m fantastic, thanks. How are you and miss Dash?”
Dash looked at him for a moment and smiled warmly. “Dude,” she said, reaching over to him with her hand. “You’re claustrophobic. You don’t like this. It’s all right, man, we’re here for ya. Dashie won’t let anything happen to her Tav-Tav!” She winked and laughed, taking his hand in hers. Vinyl grabbed his other hand with a reassuring smile. While Octavius was not the biggest fan of touching, especially by people he barely knew, somehow their simple act helped him relax somewhat. With that, the trio headed deeper into the store.
“But Dash!” Vinyl was holding a pair of headphones, trying to reason with her friend to get them for her.
“No, Vi,” Dash said with a stern face. “You have headphones in that bag Tavi has. They work just fine.”
“But these are sooooo much cooler, Dash!” She shoved the box in her friends face to exemplify exactly how cool said headphones were. Dash shook her head and the argument continued. Octavius, meanwhile, was looking at a different set of headphones disinterestedly. He was waiting for them to finish their squabbling so they could move on. He had no interest in this store, and was curious what the rest of this mall had to offer.
After a couple minutes, Vinyl dejectedly returned the box to its place. Octavius took note of them. They were a rather nice, red pair of T.P.O.Z. headphones. Of course, they came with a hefty price of $299.99.
He pondered for a moment, casting a glance at Vinyl; she looked so disappointed, slowly trudging back to her friend. Octavius smiled to himself and told the girls he’d catch up in a moment.
When they’d left, Octavius picked up the headphones and went to the front register, setting them down. The clerk smiled at him and rang him up, handing him back the box. He thanked her and stuffed the box down in the backpack beneath Vinyl’s hoodie. He thanked her one more time, then departed the store. He seriously wondered what the hell had possessed him to do that as he looked for the girls. He barely knew this woman, yet here he was buying her a 300-dollar pair of headphones! He shook his head in disbelief and kept looking for Dash and Vinyl.
After about ten minutes, Octavius started to get worried. He hadn’t seen them, and the crowds in the mall made everything feel very confined. He was slowly starting to hyperventilate, panicking and worrying he’d never find them and that they’d left him to the mob of strangers. Octavius loved to perform for others, but hated being trapped in their midst.
Suddenly, he felt two hands take his, one in fingerless gloves, the other feeling very soft. “It’s okay, Octy,” Vinyl whispered to the man quietly.
“We’re right here, Tav–Tav,” Dash added, giving the man’s hand a squeeze, which he returned in appreciation. He turned and looked at them; both women were smiling kindly at him, and he smiled back. He was glad they were here, though part of him wished they would stop with the nicknames and another part didn’t like being touched without permission. He ignored these thoughts, though, and let them guide him to the next shop.
The group walked out of the mall a few hours later, Octavius burdened down by quite a few bags, the girls carrying hardly anything. Octavius was less than pleased that he had become the pack mule during their adventure.
Vinyl looked back at Octavius. “Hey, Tavi! You wanna go with me and Dash to get some din-din?”
Octavius rolled his eyes at the woman’s vocabulary, but nodded. He didn’t have a show that night, so he figured he might as well finish out the day with the two young ladies. They all went back to ‘Dash’s’ and dropped off the bags, deciding to get them when they got back from dinner. Octavius, however, kept the backpack and tossed in an umbrella, noticing dark clouds forming in the sky.
The three exited the building and walked around town, looking for a place to eat. Finally, Dash pointed out a small restaurant whose name had faded beyond recognition. However, the place was quite busy, so Octavius knew it simply had to be an old sign. They entered the building and were met with a smell of pasta. Octavius smiled faintly; he adored good Italian food.
“Good evening,” said a woman wearing a red polo shirt, black pants and a smile. “3 this evening? Okay, right this way!” They were led to the back of the restaurant and seated in a booth, Octavius on his own bench, the girls sharing the one across from him.
Dash smirked at Octavius. “So will you be ordering for yourself and the lovely lady to my left?” This made Vinyl blush hot and hide her face behind her menu; Octavius, however, stared at Dash.
“Very funny, miss Dash,” he said. “But I believe she can order for herself. I will not be placing her order or yours.”
Dash scoffed. “Man, you’re such a stiff.”
Vinyl was busy scanning the menu and finally spoke up. “I think I’ll have the ravioli Parmesan with garlic bread.”
Dash looked over at her friend. “Thank you for announcing that, Vi. You know, we were both DYING to know what exactly Vinyl Scratch was going to eat for dinner tonight!” Vinyl slowly hid her face again as Dash laughed.
Octavius turned his attention to his menu, examining all of the dishes. He finally settled on a soup with some bread and cheese. He looked up at the two women across from him, who were busy talking about some new hot guy on the pop music scene. He stared at them, lost in thought.
He considered Vinyl. She was very different from almost anyone Octavius had met. She insisted on wearing sunglasses no matter the lighting. She listened to loud music most of the time, as if she were trying to drown out the world with dubstep. She dressed in very plain attire, hoodies and jeans and tee shirts. Her hair was very interesting, two different shades of blue in a disorganized mess. All in all, Vinyl Scratch, as Dash had called her, was someone Octavius shouldn’t have any interest in whatsoever.
Yet he had bought her the headphones; he had agreed to a day with her and her friend, another woman Octavius had no idea about prior to that morning; and he was sitting here with said women, ordering a rather expensive meal and wine. When the waiter had departed the table, Vinyl and Dash both smirked at the cellist, making him rather uneasy.
“What’s with that look?” He eyed both women suspiciously.
Dash smiled innocently. “Oh, nothing, Tav-Tav. We were just thinking how utterly cute you looked in the mall when you thought we were gone. You looked so lost and helpless and shit!” She started to laugh, irritating Octavius.
“Yeah, man,” Vinyl continued Dash’s thought. “What was up with that? You were tripping out and your breathing got fucked up. You seemed to be panicking. So what’s the deal? Got some weed in your pocket that ya lost?”
“Or did you miss us that much?” Dash smirked at the man. “Oh, wait! I got it! He missed his Vinyl!”
Octavius glared at the women. “Why are you being like this? What did I do? I bought you lunch and am buying your dinner; Vinyl, I paid for your breakfast. I spent the day quietly with you two. What did I do wrong?”
The two laughed cruelly at him. Dash nudged Vinyl. “Look at this pathetic bastard! He thinks we care about him!”
Vinyl gripped her side. “Ow, ow, quit it, it’s too much! Why would we care about him?!”
Octavius started to hyperventilate again, looking at the laughing women. This was wrong. They weren’t like this. They couldn’t be. But what if they were? Maybe they just –
“Yo, Tavi!” Dash snapped her fingers in front of Octavius’ face, making him start. “Hey, man, what’s going on?”
Vinyl stared at the man, looking worried. “Yeah, you started to freak out just now. Is everything ok? Look, we can cancel the orders and just go back to –“
Octavius stood up from his bench at the booth quickly, nodding. “We need to go.” He glanced at his watch. 8:45. He cursed himself and quickly went to the waiter, telling him to drop their bill and that they were going. The waiter was hesitant, but the frenzied and panicked look on the cellist’s face convinced the waiter to agree. Octavius turned to Vinyl and Dash, who were waiting by the door, Vinyl holding the bag. He met them at the door and took the bag, and the three departed.
As they stepped outside, they instantly were drenched; it had started raining while they were inside, and given Octavius’ state, they had forgotten all about it. They were more worried about getting out than staying dry. Octavius quickly retrieved Vinyl’s jacket, as well as his own, which he offered to Dash, who took it gratefully. After the girl’s were covered, they quickly moved towards ‘Dash’s’, deciding to take shelter in there for the evening.
When they entered the building, Dash flipped a light switch, illuminating the room. Octavius hadn’t had much of an opportunity to look around earlier, not that there was much to look at. By the looks of it, ‘Dash’s’ was in a desperate state of disrepair, the tables held together by patchwork and duct tape. He noticed that a few lights were flickering, adding to the whole ‘run-down’ look the place had going for it. He turned back to Dash. “What did this used to be?”
She smirked at him. “This IS a restaurant for those who can’t afford a restaurant. I don’t give charity, but everything is way underpriced. I can’t help it, man. That’s why it looks like shit. Now you answer me something, Tavi.”
Octavius looked at her, an eyebrow cocked inquisitively.
“What happened in the restaurant?”
Octavius sighed. “I have this medicine I need to take. I missed my dose, but I snuck one while we were swapping jackets and all. I was hoping you would forget.”
Vinyl was stripping off her wet hoodie while Octavius was explaining, tossing the soaked jacket on the floor for later. She turned to Octavius. “Why would you hide that, Octy?”
Octavius sighed. “My name is Octavius. And, well, it’s embarrassing to have to have a pill to control my thoughts and actions.”
Dash unzipped Octavius’ jacket and tossed it with Vinyl’s, then smirked at Octavius, changing the subject. “Well, given the weather, and the fact that you keep getting more interesting by the second, I simply MUST insist that you and your girlfriend stay the night here. I’m sure I can rig something up in my room for you guys to get all nice and cozy.”
Vinyl’s hand connected with the back of Dash’s head, who laughed off the blow. “I told you we aren’t dating, you bitch!” Vinyl laughed and cast a glance over to Octavius. “You don’t mind sharing with two beautiful young women, do you?” She emphasized beautiful with a teasing trace of her hand down her side, winking playfully at the cellist.
He sighed and turned away. “The hotel isn’t too far away. You two enjoy your sleepover while I –“
A flash of lightning streaked across the dark night sky, lighting it up. Seconds later, a deafening crash of thunder rolled nearby, shaking the building a bit. Vinyl screamed and fell to the floor, her hands on her head, her glasses falling from her face. Octavius looked back and rushed to her side, Dash already with her.
Octavius pieced everything together as Dash picked up Vinyl and held her close, slowly swaying back and forth, Vinyl clinging desperately to her friend, sobbing. Vinyl Scratch had a fear of thunder and lightning. If the situation were different, Octavius might’ve laughed at the irony, considering Vinyl’s profession of DJ’ing.
Another roar of thunder resounded closer to the small decrepit building, shaking the windows in their panes. Vinyl yelped in fear, clutching her friend tighter. Dash slowly stroked the other woman’s back soothingly, shushing her, whispering calming things to her friend.
Octavius retrieved Vinyl’s glasses and placed them back on Vinyl’s face, hiding her eyes, which were squeezed shut and flooding tears, behind them. He then stood and took her gently from Dash, though not without a bit of resistance from the trembling, sobbing woman. He led her slowly into the back room that he had seen Dash emerge from that morning, Dash following them in and closing the door. Octavius gently laid Vinyl on the bed in the decent sized room, sitting on the edge by her. He looked up at Dash.
“How can a DJ,” he started quietly. “Be afraid of thunder and lightning?”
Dash sighed a bit. “She wasn’t when she started her career. I remember this woman when she was fearless. You couldn’t stop this bitch.” More thunder, causing Vinyl to panic, Octavius clutching her hand. “She loved to do anything normal people would say was stupid, moronic, hell sometimes suicidal. You think it and she’d do it.
“Then one night, she was on her way back to her apartment. It had started to rain; no big deal, a little rain, some thunder and lightning, nothing to worry about. Suddenly, next thing she can remember, she’s in the hospital in really bad pain. Docs said a bolt of lightning hit her. They had to restart her heart. Twice. The docs said she was lucky to be alive; they nearly declared her dead the second time.
“Now anytime it does this, she freaks. She knows she used up her extra lives, and she doesn’t want to lose that last one. She’s afraid she’ll get struck again and not wake up.” Dash came over and placed a kiss on Octavius’ cheek. “Thank you for the help, Octavius. Really.”
Octavius quietly smiled, Vinyl passed out on the bed, the thunder dying in the distance. He stood and turned to Dash, who looked up at him with a small smile. Suddenly, Octavius found his lips pressed firmly against Dash’s, kissing her hot, her hands moving down her back, his hands keeping a firm grip on her nice hips. They kissed hot and heavy for about a minute before Dash pulled back for air.
“Well, well, Tavi,” she smirked at him. “You certainly seem to know what you’re doing. You’re no virgin boy. You’re a real player.”
Octavius silenced her with another deep kiss, which she happily returned, pulling him to another side room with her, laying back on a small guest bed and pulling him on top of her.
They continued to kiss, Dash reaching up and pulling off Octavius’ shirt, the cellist returning the favor to the woman, also removing her sports bra, leaving them both exposed to the other. Octavius kissed and bit at her neck as she groaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. Octavius made his way lower, placing a nip on her collarbone before freezing. Dash looked down at him in frustration, thinking he was teasing, but a slow smile spread across her face.
“Oh, my god,” she started to laugh, making Octavius’ face heat up. “You ARE a virgin! Holy shit, man! With play like that, I thought you must’ve had a bitch at some point or another. Ok, do this.”
She took the cellists hands and slowly traced them up her sides and placed one on one of her decently sized breasts, coaxing him to squeeze it and play with it. His face lit up hotter and he pulled his hand away. Dash looked concerned but managed a small smile.
“Strange, usually I can’t get guys OFF my tits,” she said, staring at Octavius. She narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t play for my team do you?”
Octavius was confused by this for a minute, but caught on quickly and shook his head. “No, it’s just –“
“Dude, it’s just meaningless sex is all it is! No commitment or anything, just fucking!” She smirked at him. “So let’s just fuck! I’m on the pill, don’t worry about that. No, I’m not a whore who will sleep with any guy, contrary to what you might’ve heard at the mall today. Yes, I am clean. Yes, this will be fun. Now bring those talented hands of yours over here.” Octavius complied, doing as she asked. She smirked and muttered, “Let’s see if mama can break this stallion.”
Octavius was awoken by the sound of thunder and a screaming Vinyl. He quickly tried to sit up, but felt a weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw Dash sprawled out on him asleep. He carefully edged out from her and walked to Vinyl’s room, sitting by her on her bed.
He placed her hand in his, squeezing it lightly. A sudden clap of thunder resounded overhead and Vinyl shot up, terrified, screaming. Octavius pulled her close to him and held her tight as he felt her tangle her fingers in his shirt. He slowly swayed with her as he had seen Dash doing earlier, shushing her. He felt her tears on his neck and he stroked her back up and down.
“I know what you and Dash did.”
Octavius sighed and kept her close. “Yeah,” he said, still swaying with her, squeezing her as another clap of thunder sounded. “Well, she didn’t try to be quiet.”
Vinyl looked up at Octavius. “How was it?”
Octavius was taken aback by the question, but decided to talk about it, telling Vinyl it was his first time; elaborating how he had only seen how to do some of the things he’d done on his particularly lonely nights.
As he talked, the thunder slowly faded and the rain let up little by little. Finally, everything was quiet. Vinyl had fallen asleep in Octavius’ arms. He laid her on the bed quietly and stood to go. However, as he did, he felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked down and saw Vinyl staring up at him.
“Stay with me, Octy,” she whispered, pulling at his arm.
Octavius sat back down and laid next to her, looking at her. She smiled and hugged him, clinging to him as she fell asleep on his chest. He sighed a bit, but smiled and relaxed, eventually falling asleep as well.
Octavius blinked his eyes a couple times, stretching his arms over his head. He looked around in a daze. He cast a glance down to find Vinyl missing. He sat up and swung his legs off of the bed, rubbing his eyes. He noticed a discarded shirt and jeans on the floor, along with a bra and a pair of panties. Octavius quickly looked away from the underwear, standing and leaving the room. As he passed a door in the room, he heard water running; Vinyl was showering.
Octavius stepped out of his room and walked out into the main area of the building. He sat at one of the slightly nicer-looking tables and brushed the dirt away from the tabletop. He heard a door open and looked up to see Dash come into the room, wearing a towel around her body and around her head.
“Hello there, Tavi.” She gave him a smile, not minding her lack of clothes.
“Dash, why aren’t you wearing clothes?”
“Just finished with the shower,” she said. “Letting myself dry off before I put on some duds. Why?” She smirked at him. “I thought you liked me without clothes on?”
Octavius stammered a moment, caught off guard. Dash laughed at him and set down a cup of coffee in front of him. “I’m just kidding, man. I told you, it was meaningless sex. I don’t want any of that commitment shit.”
Octavius took a sip of his coffee to let the moment pass.
Suddenly, he heard the water shut off, and the shower curtain being pulled back. He thought back to the night before, how he and Dash had had sex, how Vinyl had asked him to stay in her room with her. There was something a bit odd about these women, but his mind wasn’t exactly awake enough just yet to think about it.
Vinyl emerged from the back room, dressed in some jeans and a black tank top, as well as her ever-present purple sunglasses. Her bare feet padded quietly against the wooden floor as she sat across from Octavius.
“G’morning, Tavi,” she yawned. Dash brought over two more cups of coffee, handing one to Vinyl and keeping the other for herself, somehow being fully clothed in a tank top and shorts. Vinyl took a sip of the hot liquid, yawning again.
“Tired there, Vi?” Dash grinned at her sleepy friend.
“Yeah, you know, I have some really noisy neighbors. I don’t know what was going on, but some woman kept screaming praises to god! It must’ve been pretty intense!” Vinyl smirked at Dash, who blushed slightly, but grinned at Octavius.
“Hey, what can I say? A cellist can use his fingers pretty damn well!”
Octavius groaned, taking another drink of his coffee.
“Not that I’m saying you’re a good cellist or anything.” Dash smirked at him.
“Yeah,” Vinyl added. “I mean, really, what good cellist isn’t booked every night?”
“Right?” Dash agreed, looking back at Octavius. “You’re just some fake, man! You probably suck at cello just as bad as you suck in bed!”
Octavius tried to let the insults roll off his back, but this was getting out of hand. He tried to speak, but started to cough instead.
“What’s the matter, dumbass?” Dash asked cruelly, mocking the man. “Can’t think of a comeback?”
Octavius fell to the floor, breathing heavily. These women were cruel. They despised him. He started to hyperventilate, panicking. He was going to die here on this floor, and all they’d do is laugh. He shut his eyes tight, waiting for the end to come.
Suddenly, his head was tilted up and placed in someone’s lap, and he was being given a pill and some water, which he quickly took. When his breathing calmed down, he looked up to see Vinyl staring worriedly down at him.
“You alright, Tavi?”
“Where did you find my medicine?”
“Dash found it on the counter. You put it there last night.”
Octavius looked over at Dash, who was looking at him as well, concern on her face. He sat up and looked at the two women. “We barely know each other. Why are you so kind to me? Why so friendly and giving and… and…” He didn’t know how to finish his sentence, so he let it hang in the air.
“Because that’s how we are, Tav-Tav,” Dash said with a smile. “We’re kind and fun, and yeah, we like a bit of trouble,” she winked at him, “but it’s just how we are. Plus I think Vinyl there’s got the biggest fuckin’ crush on ya, dude.”
Vinyl glared at her friend playfully, then turned back to Octavius. “We like you, Tavi. We want to be your friends, if you’ll let us.”
Octavius thought for a minute. Here these two women were, both whom he barely knew, asking to be his friends. He sighed with a smile. “First off, my name is Octavius. Secondly, I think maybe we could try to be friends, if you want. Just, don’t get too… Touchy-feely…”
Dash laughed and smiled. “Man, you sure weren’t sayin’ that last night!”
Vinyl laughed as well. “You were just as bad as she was, Tavi!”
Octavius stood, smiling very slightly. “Well, I have a performance this evening, so don’t worry yourselves. It won’t happen again.”
“But Tav-Tav,” Dash said, darting up and placing herself directly in front of him, a hand seductively tracing down his chest. “What if I want it to happen again?”
“Dash, leave the poor man alone!” Vinyl said with a smile.
Octavius sat in one of the back rooms that Dash had set him up with, his cello resting against him, his bow in hand. He slowly pulled it across the strings in an improvised fashion, making up the notes that he heard in his head. Vinyl and Dash had left shortly after they decided to try to be friends, so he thought this would be a good time to practice. He closed his eyes and swayed in time, losing himself to the melody at his fingertips, thoughts slowly going through his mind.
First, of course, was the memory of what had transpired the night before. He had no idea what had possessed him to do such a thing; he was sure Dash wasn’t what he was looking for in a woman. Perhaps the night had been a bit too stressful, and he was simply trying to get it out? Or maybe he did have feelings for her? He wasn’t sure, but he hoped it was merely the former.
Slowly, as his piece ended, he set his bow across his lap. “What am I doing?” He placed his hand to the bridge of his nose, as he often did while thinking. “I barely know these women, yet here I am buying them 300 dollar headphones, taking them to dinner, and hell, I even had sex with one of them. Why am I doing this?”
Because you want this. They make you happy and you want that.
Octavius shook his head, trying to block out the noise. “They do make me happy, but why? I shouldn’t be around people like them, partiers and slackers. I am a professional, one of the best, an elite. I shouldn’t even associate with them, let alone be their friend!”
You want this. You want to let loose and have fun. You want to be happy. You need to be happy. So be happy. Let go. Have a party and dance and laugh.
Octavius sat quietly, thinking. He did want to have fun. But, he couldn’t. What would become of his high reputation were it to come to light that he was out getting drunk and partying with a couple girls he’d just met?
He picked his bow up and started to play once more, a piece by some forgotten composer springing from the strings. He played quietly, and he played loudly. He played slow and fast. He played happily, and he played lamentingly. He played his cello to the best of his ability, his fingers dancing along the neck of the instrument easily. He played his music to his audience of none, and he smiled quietly, knowing he could do this.
As the music slowly died down and ended, he heard applause from the doorway, making him jump. There stood Vinyl and Dash, smiling at him. They quickly entered the room and sat by him.
“Damn, Octy,” Vinyl said with a grin. “When you said you were good at cello, I didn’t know you meant THAT good!”
“Yeah, man!” Dash smiled at him excitedly. “That was fuckin’ awesome! Will you play us another where you move around and close your eyes?”
“I like the ones where you smile,” Vinyl added.
Octavius stared at the two women. Of all the people to like his music, he’d figured these two would be the least likely. He smiled slightly and nodded to them, picking his bow up and pulling it slowly across the strings, playing another old melody. As he played, Vinyl and Dash sat quietly and attentively, paying close attention to his playing.
As his piece wrapped up, they heard a voice call from the front of the restaurant. “Hello!” The voice was masculine, though certainly not harsh or abrasive. It was very calm and smooth, as if the man were fairly young. Octavius guessed probably his mid to late twenties. Octavius and the girls stood and walked back into the dining room.
At the counter stood two people, a man and a woman. The man was tall, maybe about six feet tall, give or take, with dark brown hair and eyes. He wore a blue suit with a brown trench coat on top. He was smiling kindly at the trio. However, the man wasn’t the one who held Octavius’ attention. It was the woman.
She was about five foot four inches tall. She had bright yellow hair, as well as yellow eyes that seemed perpetually crossed. Around her neck she wore a digital camera, which she was holding in her hands, at the ready to take a picture. She smiled at Octavius and lifted her camera, taking a picture of him and lowering it. She smiled wider and stood quietly at the other man’s side.
“Hello there,” the man said to Octavius, extending a hand to him, which Octavius shook. “I’m David, but everyone calls me ‘Doctor’.”
“I’m Octavius,” replied the cellist. He looked at the woman. “And may I ask your name?”
The woman seemed surprised he wanted to talk to her. “M-my name is D-D-Ditzy,” she stuttered out, seeming to struggle over her words. Octavius looked to David questioningly, but he was simply smiling warmly at the blonde.
“Well,” said Octavius after a moment. “It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss Ditzy.”
“How’s it hangin’, Ditzy?” Dash grinned at the blonde and stepped out from behind the counter, giving her a big hug. As the two separated, Ditzy raised her camera and pointed it at Dash, who in turn stuck her tongue out playfully. Ditzy snapped the shot and lowered her camera, smiling.
“Hey, D-Dash,” Ditzy stammered, trying to focus on her words. “Who i-is he?” She pointed at Octavius. Octavius tilted his head curiously. He had introduced himself not two minutes prior, yet she seemed to have no idea who he was.
David smiled at Ditzy. “Ditzy,” he said, sounding like he was almost talking to a child. “This is Octavius. He introduced himself to you earlier. Do you remember?” Ditzy shook her head slowly. “Why don’t you look back at your pictures?”
Ditzy pulled up her camera, and David pushed a button, scrolling through the pictures she’d taken. There was Dash, and right after came her picture of Octavius. Her face lit up. “Oh, yeah!” She smiled at Octavius. “S-Sorry, O-Oc-Oc-“
“Just call him Tavi, hun,” Vinyl interrupted. “All the cool kids do it. Right, Dash?” The other woman nodded with a grin.
Ditzy nodded, smiling. “A-Alright, I’ll be c-cool, too, Tavi!”
Octavius was about to protest, but stopped himself at the cold look David gave him. Don’t say a word. Octavius bit his tongue and asked, “So, Ditzy, why do you have the camera?”
“Th-They’re my m-m-memories,” she stuttered, focusing rather hard on her speech.
David nodded. “When she gets home, we upload them to a computer, and she can view them whenever she likes. That way, she can ‘remember’ that day.”
Octavius was about to ask another question, but just then, the front door swung open. He looked past David and Ditzy, and saw two girls walk in, one with pink and white hair, the other with silver hair and glasses.
“Hey, Dash!” The one with pink and white hair was very abrupt and rude, no respect in her voice.
Dash grit her teeth, but forced a smile. “Yes, Dia, how may I help you?”
The one named Dia sneered coldly. “Daddy said I could have a free lunch. So make me and Sil lunch!”
“All right, Dia,” Dash said through her teeth. “How about a knuckle sandwich, you little…” Dash mumbled under her breath as she went into the back to start making the food. Octavius watched as Ditzy tried to hide behind David, who was trying to act like he didn’t notice the two girls.
“Hey, Derpy!” Dia and Sil walked up to the counter where David and Ditzy stood. “H-how are y-y-you?” Dia smirked cruelly at her impression of the blonde. Ditzy tried to ignore the child, which irritated Dia. “Hey, Derpy, I’m talking to you, you RETARD!”
Octavius had heard enough. He knew Ditzy certainly may have a mental issue, but pointing it out and making fun of her for it was too far for him. “Listen, you-“ he started, but was interrupted by Vinyl stomping rather hard on his foot. He looked over at her, and she shook her head.
“What was that?” Dia looked Octavius dead in the eyes. Octavius tried to come up with something to say, but his mind was abuzz in anger. Luckily, Dash re emerged at that point with the food for the kids. The two girls stared Octavius down, then turned. “I don’t want to be near that retard any longer than I have to,” Dia murmured under her breath as she left the counter.
Octavius looked at Ditzy. “Why didn’t you take their picture?”
Ditzy hung her head, on the verge of tears. “I don’t want to remember them,” she said clearly. “Th-they’re mean. They call m-me names. L-like Derpy and r-ret-tard.” Her stammers now were not coming from her impediment, but between sobs. Tears rolled down her cheeks, landing on her camera. David pulled her into a hug, and she buried her face in his chest, clutching his trench coat tight in her fingers.
Octavius watched on sadly as Ditzy cried, then turned to Vinyl. “Why did you stop me from telling off that brat?”
Vinyl sighed. “Her father is a man named Mr. Rich. He owns, like, half of the city here, so we can’t say anything to her. Otherwise she’ll go running to him, and we could lose the diner.”
“But I thought Dash owned this place,” Octavius said.
“She does,” Vinyl replied. “But Rich can still find a way to shut her down. Basically, Dia can do whatever she wants, and we can’t do a fuckin’ thing. Oh,” she quickly added, placing a hand over her mouth. “Sorry about the language, Ditzy.”
Ditzy pulled away from David, wiping at her eyes. “It’s o-ok,” she said quietly, trying to keep her tears contained. “I’m used t-to it.”
“You shouldn’t have to be,” Octavius muttered. Then an idea occurred to him. He smiled and said, “Excuse me, miss Ditzy, but may I ask you, are you busy this evening?”
Ditzy looked at him, slightly confused. She looked up at David. “A-am I busy, Doctor?”
“No, Ditzy,” he said. “You’re not busy. Why don’t you find out why he asked?”
“O-ok,” Ditzy turned her attention back to Octavius. “W-why do y-you ask?
“Well, I have a performance this evening,” Octavius explained. “And I think it would be fantastic if you and David here were to attend, as well as Vinyl and Dash.”
Ditzy’s face lit up, beaming. “I w-would love to co-come see y-you, Oc-o-oct,” she paused and closed her eyes, focusing hard. “Octavius.”
Octavius smiled, as did Vinyl and David. Dash spoke up from behind the group. “I think this calls for lunch on the house.” Everyone cheered except Octavius, who retained his composure. He checked his watch. It was going on 2 o’ clock. He had about three more hours before he had to head to the recital hall for rehearsal and warm up. He lifted his head and smiled at Ditzy, who smiled back at him.
“Thank you,” she mouthed to him. He replied with a small nod. He and the rest of the group walked over to a table, where Dash set down bowls of soup in front of them. Everyone thanked her, and dug in to their bowls. Octavius calmly sipped his soup from his spoon as he eyed David and Ditzy. David radiated class and finesse, carefully lifting his spoon to his lips and consuming the substance quietly. Ditzy, in contrast, seemed to having a bit of trouble with her spoon, her hand shaking a bit as she tried to eat her food. Usually, by the time it reached her mouth, there was nothing left on it, so she dipped her spoon in her soup once more and tried again.
Octavius admired her tenacity. Even when she kept failing, she never gave up, and every so often, she’d manage to get a full spoonful into her mouth. Octavius turned his attention to David once more. He cleared his throat to get the brown haired man’s attention. “Excuse me, David,” Octavius started politely. “But if I may be so bold as to ask, why are you called ‘the Doctor’?”
“Oh, that’s an easy one,” said David. “You see, I take care of miss Ditzy here. I’ve known her ever since we were kids, but all she’s known is doctors and tests and mockery. I’m a man in a coat who’s nice and takes care of her, so she calls me ‘Doctor’.” He smiled some. “The name kind of stuck.”
Ditzy smiled at him, a bit of soup on her chin. “My Doctor is s-so sweet t-t-to me,” she said as David grabbed a napkin and gently wiped off the blonde’s chin. “H-he helps m-m-me and doesn’t l-laugh at me.”
Octavius smiled at the pair. Here they were, two people who shouldn’t really be associated with one another, at least by appearance, yet they were the best of friends. He felt his gaze shift involuntarily to a certain blue haired woman at the table.
“So, Octavius,” David interrupted the cellist’s train of thought. “How long are you planning on staying in town?”
“Only tonight,” Octavius replied. “I’m trying to find somewhere where I can get a permanent booking. Somewhere that I can stick around longer than a couple days.”
“Maybe tonight will be your night, man,” Rainbow said with a wink and a nudge. Octavius ignored the comment and quietly sipped his soup.
Octavius stood in front of the bathroom mirror, adjusting his black necktie. He reached over and grabbed his black vest, pulling it over his white dress shirt. He looked himself over in the mirror once more, ascertaining that everything was in order.
“You can do this,” he told himself. “It’s just a recital. Just get up there and blow them away. You always do this. It’ll be fine.” He grabbed his pill that was sitting on the counter and popped it into his mouth. “You’ll be amazing.”
He stepped out of the bathroom into the room that Dash had let him use for the previous night. He had gone to the hotel and grabbed the suit he was going to wear that night, then checked out and returned to ‘Dash’s’. He’d gotten everything packed up into his car and was ready for his big performance.
He picked his suit coat up off his bed and slid it on, fastening the buttons quickly. He straightened out the slight wrinkles and departed the room, closing his door behind him.
When he stepped into the dining room of the slightly dusty restaurant, the sight he beheld shocked him. His new acquaintances were all there waiting on him, and they all looked amazing.
The first thing to catch his eye was Ditzy. Where before she had been wearing a yellow tee shirt and some jeans, now she had on a loose knee length grey dress with some sequins along the bottom edge. She was also in a simple black pair of flats. Around her neck hung her camera. Next to her was David. He was wearing a grey vest and pants over a white dress shirt, but no tie. On his feet were red and white Converses. He had a small bag on his back
Dash was sitting at a table, wearing a red dress shirt with black pants. Her rainbow hair was pulled neatly into a ponytail. Her shoes looked nearly identical to Ditzy’s. But despite how fantastic they all looked, only one truly caught his eye.
Vinyl.
She was wearing a white dress that reached just below her knees, with bell sleeves made of white see through lace. Her usually wild and unkempt hair was brushed down, falling to between her shoulder blades. She had on a pair of black leggings underneath, with white flats covering her feet. And as always, she wore her purple sunglasses. Octavius hated to admit it, but this crazy, insane, immature girl cleaned up into an amazingly beautiful young woman, a thought which he mentally slapped himself for thinking.
He cleared his throat to recollect his thoughts. “Everybody ready?” The group nodded, and they all stepped out into the cool air.
As they walked to Octavius’ car, Dash fell back to talk with him. “She’s not too shabby, is she, Tav-Tav?”
Octavius felt his face heat up. “Who?”
Dash laughed quietly. “Dude, you were hardcore checking her out! You were like, hypnotized or something.”
“I was not hypnotized,” he protested, looking around nervously. He hated to be flustered, especially before a major performance. He walked ahead of the woman, causing her to laugh.
“Whatever you say, lover boy,” she grinned behind his back, getting into the backseat of his car with David and Vinyl. She looked over at David. “I figured you’d want the front seat, since you’re so tall.”
“Well,” David said. “Usually I would be driving Ditzy anywhere she can’t walk, but if we’re both passengers, she always gets front seat. She gets motion sick really easily, and the front seat helps prevent that.” While the two were talking, Ditzy lifted her camera up and snapped a picture of the inside of Octavius’ car.
Suddenly, she turned to David, a look of sadness on her face. “Doctor! M-my camera c-c-can’t take anymore p-pictures!” Octavius looked over at her and saw that there were tears welling in her eyes.
“What do you mean, Ditzy?” David grabbed the camera from Ditzy and examined it.
“What’s wrong with it?” Octavius glanced into the rearview at David, whose tense face relaxed. He reached between his legs and grabbed his bag, unzipping it and removing a memory card. He swapped the old one with the new one, handing it to Ditzy.
“All better,” he said, causing the blond to smile.
“Thanks y-you, d-doctor.” She raised camera and pointed it at the three in the backseat. All three smiled and David wrapped his arms over the girls’ shoulders. Ditzy smiled and took the picture, then turned back around in her seat. She looked over at Octavius. “Smile, T-tavi!”
Octavius glanced over at her. That split second was all it took. The next thing they all knew, they all slammed forward, the sound of metal slamming into metal filling the air. Octavius sat up slowly. His head felt very light, and he felt blood dripping down his face.
Looking over blearily, the sight nearly brought tears to his eyes. Ditzy was unconscious, her head hanging limp. She had a massive bruise on her face where the camera slammed into her face, and the lens was broken. Blood was peppered along her dress, cuts and gashes all along her face and arms. She slowly came to and looked over at him.
“Tavi,” she sobbed, tears starting to fall. “It h-h-hurts. H-help me.”
Octavius tried to reach for her, but cried out when he moved his arm. It was broken. He suddenly became aware of how much blood was coming from his head. He started to feel dizzy. The last thing he saw was Ditzy crying and David trying to get the door open to help her. Then everything went dark.
Octavius’ eyes shot open, looking up at a white ceiling above him. He scanned his eyes left to right. He heard a beeping noise beside him, and felt his arm being held up in a sling. He felt an IV in his other arm. He was in a hospital, and was apparently pretty badly injured. He felt a bandage wrapped snug around his head and also around his leg.
“H-hey, Tavi,” a soft voice called to him. He looked to his left and gasped.
“Ditzy.” She was covered in bandages, and her left leg was wrapped in a splint and elevated. She had several sets of stitches across her forehead and arms. But she still smiled at him.
“I d-d-don’t think I-I should t-take a pic-picture of this,” she joked half-heartedly.
Octavius could only stare in disbelief. “Ditzy, I-“
Suddenly, the door swung open, and David, Dash and Vinyl all walked into the room. Dash nudged Vinyl, who put her hands over her mouth to hide a smile. She rushed over to Octavius and took his hand in hers. “Tavi, you’re ok!”
“Is just fine,” David interrupted. He smiled kindly at Octavius. “She broke her leg in that crash, but other than that she just got a little banged up. She did a lot better than you did, my friend.”
Vinyl squeezed his good hand slightly. “Tavi,” she muttered. “We weren’t sure how long you’d be out.”
“How long was I out?” Octavius looked worriedly at the others.
Dash shifted from foot to foot. “Two days.”
“Two days?” Octavius thought it hadn’t been more than a few hours. “Wait, what about my performance? I missed it! My chance for a permanent booking! My career!”
“It’s fine, Octavius,” David said. “I spoke with the theater manager. He said he understood, and would be willing to reschedule.”
Octavius sighed with relief. “So, what did happen?”
Ditzy looked down a bit ashamed. “Um, w-when I asked y-y-you to smile, an-nother c-c-car came int-to the lane. W-we hit h-head on.”
Octavius looked around. “You all are ok?” Everyone nodded.
Dash grinned at Vinyl. “Man, Vinyl there cried like a baby when the docs wheeled you in on a stretcher. ‘Oh, please, not Tavi!’” Dash laughed as Vinyl blushed hotly. “And don’t worry, Tav-Tav,” she winked at him. “I took care of your ‘issue’.”
Octavius nodded appreciatively. He looked over at Vinyl, who was still clutching his hand. He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Thank you for the concern, Vinyl.”
Vinyl grinned back at him. “Well, I can’t exactly not care about’cha, bud,” she laughed. “You’re my friend, right?”
“He’s my friend, too.” Dash smiled at the cellist.
“And mine,” David smiled from beside Ditzy’s bed.
“A-and he’s m-my friend, t-too,” Ditzy spoke up from her bed. Octavius smiled at them all.
“You guys are too good for me,” he said, casting his eyes down. “You could’ve been seriously hurt by-“
“Stop right there, dude,” Dash said, holding her hand up. Octavius noticed a bandage wrapped around her palm. “We didn’t die. We weren’t broken into a million pieces. We’re fine, man!” She smiled at him. “So chill out and relax!”
Octavius sighed, but smiled as well. “Alright.”
A nurse rapped her knuckles on the door. “Ok, everyone, visiting’s over. Time to go. You can all come back tomorrow.”
Everyone nodded to the nurse and stepped out of the room. However, before the door swung shut, Vinyl quickly ran back into the room and kissed Octavius on his cheek. “I’m glad you’re ok, Octavius.”
He smiled at her as she ran back out. “S-she sure is c-cute,” Ditzy said with a grin at him. He merely blushed and hid his face. “I-I’m glad you’re o-ok, too, T-Tavi.”
Dash, Vinyl and David all stepped out into the lobby of the hospital, getting ready to leave. Dash turned suddenly on the blue haired woman. “All right, flirty,” she grinned. “Out with it.” David smirked and crossed his arms over his chest expectantly.
Vinyl blushed subtly and turned away. “I don’t know what you mean, Dashie.”
“You ran back in there when we left,” David said, not giving the woman a chance to evade the question. “Why?” He grinned evilly.
“I didn’t run back.” Vinyl was trying very hard to get out of the situation she found herself in.
Dash grabbed the woman’s hand as they exited the building to the parking lot. “Vinyl, spill it. You went back in to see Tav-Tav.”
Vinyl didn’t reply, but her blush intensified.
“Man,” David grinned. “I could tell you had it bad for him. But not this bad!”
Vinyl looked up at the man, shock on her face. “You knew?”
Dash wrapped an arm around Vinyl’s shoulder. “Hun, we all know. I think the only one who doesn’t know is the bone head with the broken arm and totaled car.” Vinyl stared at Dash angrily, suddenly rounding on the woman. “That’s not a joking matter! He got hurt really badly! So did Ditzy!” She turned to the brunet. “And you,” she started in on him. “You’re supposed to take care of her! But now she’s laid up in a hospital bed with Tavi because of her goddamn pictures!”
David’s smile instantly vanished, replaced with a look of anger, dark shadows being cast on his usually kind face. “Vinyl,” he said, deathly quiet. “I understand you’re upset. We all are.” He advanced quickly on the woman, grabbing her shirt collar and holding her in place, pressing his face to hers. “But if you think, for one instant, that will excuse you insulting Ditzy, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Vinyl didn’t bat an eye as she simply smacked his hand away. Dash stepped between the pair. “Ok, guys, let’s just chill out here,” she said calmly, trying to defuse the situation.
“Oh, yeah, Dash,” Vinyl yelled, emotion taking hold. “Let’s just all relax and have a grand time while our friends were nearly killed in a car wreck that was all my fault!”
“How is it your fault?” David stared at her, concern on his face.
“If I hadn’t’ve pestered Octavius like I did,” she said, tears starting to fall from behind her sunglasses. “He probably would’ve forgotten all about me. He wouldn’t have come to town with me and Dash. He wouldn’t have freaked out at the restaurant. He wouldn’t have crashed –“
“ENOUGH!” Dash cut the other woman off with a shout and a fairly vicious slap across the face. “For fuck’s sake, woman, calm your bitch tits!” She let Vinyl collect herself before she continued. “This is no ones fault, ok? It was just stupid dumb luck!”
David nodded in agreement. “It honestly could’ve happened to anyone.”
Vinyl hung her head. “I just wish it didn’t have to be him.”
Dash sighed and tilted her friend’s chin up to look her in the eyes. “Look, Vi, we’re all concerned about Octavius and Ditzy. But the last thing they need is for us to be freaking out and blaming ourselves like we’re in some fucking soap opera.” Vinyl smiled slightly at that. “You’re right Dash.”
Octavius was awakened by the sound of someone entering his room. He looked out the window and saw the sun has started to come up. He had fallen asleep after everyone had left, and had apparently slept through the night. He sat up as best as he could in his bed, looking at them.
Before him stood a girl with bubble gum pink, fluffy hair that seemed to defy gravity. She was a bit pudgy, and she carried a very sweet smell with her. She was grinning very goofily, her smile seemingly too big for her face. Oddly, she reminded him quite a bit of a certain DJ.
She skipped over to his bedside, carrying a bunch of flowers and balloons. “Hey there!” She beamed down at him and plopped the flowers in a vase on the table, then tying the balloons around the bedpost.
“Hello there,” Octavius replied, staring at the bubbly girl. “Might I ask what you are doing in my room?”
“I came by to cheer you up, silly,” she replied, smiling at the injured man. “Nurse Redheart told me someone came in a few days back from a car wreck. They wouldn’t let me in until today though, because they said he was sleeping.” She looked sad for a moment, but her smile returned. “So when I came in this morning and they said you were awake, I ran right over and came to see you!”
Octavius sighed. “Ok, I understand that, but why exactly are you in MY room?”
The woman giggled. “I don’t like seeing people all saddy-waddy, so I bring them flowers and balloons lots of other fun things. Technically I work over in the sweet shop, but I volunteer here whenever I can!”
Octavius’ expression softened some. “Well, may I ask your name?”
“That’s easy,” the girl smiled. “I’m Pinkie Pie!”
“Hello, miss Pie,” Octavius held out his good hand. “I’m Octavius Melody. Pleasure to meet you.”
Pinkie grinned and shook his hand enthusiastically. “The pleasure’s all mine, Tavi!” Octavius groaned internally. He had known this woman less than five minutes, and already she was calling him Tavi.
“Could y-you two p-p-please keep it d-down?” The pair looked over to Ditzy, who was playfully glaring at them. “S-some of us-s are t-trying to g-g-get a little m-more sleep.”
“Oh, sorry, honey,” Pinkie said with a blush, grinning. “I guess we were being a teensy bit too loud.”
Octavius looked at Pinkie. He noticed she had on a bright pink tee shirt with a pair of blue jeans and some pink tennis shoes. She smiled a lot, so she was at least an outwardly happy person. She seemed like a nice enough person overall, though maybe a bit too silly for Octavius’ tastes.
She smiled down at him. “I’m glad you’re doing ok, Tavi!”
He groaned again, but returned the smile. “I appreciate the concern. Though, if I may, why would you go out and spend time and money on someone you don’t even know?”
“Because sometimes people are all alone here,” she said, her smile faltering some. “They look so sad, just laying there by themselves.” She looked up at Octavius again, her smile returning. “So I come here and do my darndest to put a smile on their grumpy faces!”
Octavius couldn’t help but smile at the woman. “Well, miss Pie, I think that’s extremely kind of you.”
“She comes and s-sees me when I a-accidentally g-g-get hurt-t,” Ditzy said, grinning as well. “She a-always m-makes me f-feel b-b-better.”
Octavius turned to face Ditzy, cringing slightly at her battered state. “I’m glad she’s able to cheer you up, Ditzy.” He looked back to the pink haired woman. She walked over to Ditzy’s bed and placed some flowers in her vase as well, tying a few balloons to her bedpost.
“And how are you doing today, Ditzy?” Pinkie smiled down at the blonde.
“I-I’m doing f-fine,” Ditzy grinned up at her.
“Fan-TASTIC!” Pinkie beamed widely, clapping her hands excitedly. She turned to face Octavius. “Well, Tavi, I gotta run, but I’ll come back sometime again this week, mm-k?”
Octavius nodded with a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you, miss Pie.”
“You too, Tavi!” She ran over and shook his hand roughly, bouncing up and down. She waved goodbye to Ditzy, then skipped merrily out of the room.
Octavius looked over at Ditzy. She looked back at him with a grin. “She’s gotta b-be the sweetest p-person I know,” Ditzy said. “Besides my Doctor, of c-course.”
Octavius smiled slightly. “She certainly is something else, isn’t she?” He had never figured a complete stranger would come to visit someone else, just because they wanted to. She spent her own hard earned money on people who had no one else, who were all alone in there hospital beds, waiting to get better to return to the nothing they had before. He wondered who brought them flowers in the real world.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Octavius called, sitting up as best as he could in his bed, wincing slightly as he strained his broken arm.
The door was pushed open, and Vinyl and David walked in. David moved to Ditzy’s bedside, taking her hand in his, while Vinyl sat by Octavius’ bed in a rolling chair. “How ya holdin’ up, Tavi?” She smiled weakly at him.
“I’m alright,” he said, concerned. “Is something bothering you, Vinyl?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, a bit too hastily.
David rolled his eyes. “She’s upset over this whole ordeal, saying everything is her fault. Dash and I spent all yesterday trying to convince her it wasn’t.”
Ditzy looked around. “W-where is D-Dash?”
“Ri’ he’e,” came a female voice from the hallway. Dash walked in with rolls in both hands and another in her mouth. “Ma’, dis hothpil hath goo’ foo’!” She swallowed the roll, sighing contently. “So how’s it hangin’, everyone?”
Ditzy laughed, but quickly stopped, holding her side. “L-laughing h-hurts,” she said quietly. David smiled sympathetically.
Vinyl looked at Dash. “Where the hell did you get that?”
“Cafeteria,” she replied casually.
“What cafeteria?” David looked at her, still clutching Ditzy’s hand in his.
“The one on the first floor,” Dash said, looking at him. “Didn’t you see it on the way in?” She grinned at the DJ and the Doctor. “Or were you too concerned for these two?”
Vinyl blushed while David merely shook his head in mock exasperation. “Honestly, Dash,” he said, grinning up at her. “Sometimes you are too much.”
“You were concerned about me?” Octavius looked around the room at the three uninjured people, all of whom nodded. “Why?”
“We told ya man,” Dash said. “You’re our pal!”
“It’s what friends do,” David said.
Vinyl nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with Octavius or Ditzy.
Ditzy looked at the DJ concerned. “Vinyl, p-please,” she started. “D-don’t feel bad.”
“How can I not?” She looked up at the blonde.
“B-because ev-everything will b-be all right,” Ditzy smiled reassuringly at the other woman, who smiled back weakly. “W-we’re both t-tough, right, Tavi?”
“Right,” Octavius said, looking at the DJ. “It’ll take more than some silly car crash to stop us.” Octavius groaned internally. Even if he wasn’t going to die, he’d still be set back a few months in practice due to recovery time. He’d have to try to get another job. He might have to leave town, and leave behind his friends.
Octavius started to panic. What if he did have to go? These people really seemed to care about him. They were so different from what he was used to, not cold and heartless but warm and caring. He didn’t want to go back to being alone. He hated being alone. He wanted to be with his friends. He wanted –
“Here,” Dash whispered in his ear, slipping something into his hand. He looked down to see his pill, which he quickly popped into his mouth. “You were breathing a little funny. Figured you might need it.”
He nodded appreciatively. Looking around, he saw worry on the faces of pretty much everyone in the room. He blushed a little. “Sorry, everyone.”
“I-it’s ok, T-Tavi,” Ditzy said, flashing a smile. “Y-you don’t h-have to w-worry.”
Octavius returned the smile. He looked over to Vinyl. She smiled at him and slowly stood up. “I think we should go,” she said to Dash and David. “We don’t wanna freak poor Tavi out again.” She grinned at him, sticking her tongue out childishly.
Octavius rolled his eyes as the trio trooped out of the room.
“I l-like it when th-they come t-to see us,” Ditzy said, smiling.
“Me, too,” Octavius said. He glanced over at Dtizy to see her settle into her bed and close her eyes.
“I’m g-gonna t-take a nap,” she said. “I-if I sleep, it d-d-ddoesn’t feel l-like they’re g-gone so long.”
“Alright, Ditzy,” Octavius said with a smile. “Good night.”
“Good n-night, Tavi,” she said, sighing as she got comfortable.
Octavius watched as the blonde drifted off, leaving him with his own thoughts. He thought back on his panic attack. Did these practical strangers mean so much to him? Was he truly that worried about losing them?
Yes.
He tried to shake the voice out of his head. He was a professional. He didn’t have friends; he had colleagues. People who he worked with and nothing more.
These people are your friends. Let them into your heart. Open up. Be human for once, and not the machine you’ve always had to be. Trust them.
Octavius scoffed at his own foolishness. Trust only led to hurt and betrayal in his experience.
This isn’t like before. Try it. Let them in and come out of your shell. You’ve hidden for so long and missed so much. Live a little and have some fun.
Octavius sighed and settled in himself. He looked over at Ditzy, who was sound asleep. He sighed again and closed his eyes. Maybe she did have a point.
Octavius sat up like a bolt of lightning, wincing as he strained his arm. He looked over to see Ditzy flailing in her sleep violently. He immediately pressed the alert for a nurse, calling for help as he did. Almost instantly, a man in a white coat and a woman in scrubs rushed in.
“Hold her down!” The doctor rushed to Ditzy’s side, trying to hold her left arm and leg down while the nurse held the right.
“No!” Ditzy struggled harder. “Not m-my Doctor!” She was screaming very loudly, desperately wanting away from the two people holding her down. Octavius moved to stand, but remembered he had an IV stuck in his arm. He thought for a moment on what to do, before he spoke up.
“Ditzy,” he said calmly between her shouting. “Ditzy, it’s me, Tavi.”
Ditzy seemed to lessen her struggle, but fought nonetheless. “T-Tavi, help me!” She was crying at this point, in complete hysterics.
“What’s wrong?” Octavius kept trying to calm the woman down.
“D-Doctor,” she said between gasps for air. “My D-Doctor! H-he’s h-hurt! He’s d-dying!”
“Ditzy,” Octavius replied, shaking the awful image of a broken, bloody David from his mind. “Ditzy, listen, I promise you, he’s just fine.”
“HE NEEDS M-ME!” Ditzy suddenly renewed her attempts for freedom, but soon realized they were pointless, and merely broke down crying. “I… I n-need him...”
Octavius motioned for the two to get off of the blonde, looking over at her sympathetically. “He’s fine, Ditzy,” he said quietly. “He’s going to come and see you right now.” Octavius looked expectantly to the medical staff, both of which nodded and left the room to contact him. “See?” Octavius smiled some at Ditzy, hoping to cheer her up. “He’ll be here faster than you can say, ‘where has he gone to now’?”
Ditzy sniffled, looking up at the cellist, smiling a bit. “Where has he-“
“Not that fast,” Octavius grinned. “But pretty fast.”
Ditzy relaxed slightly, looking up at the ceiling. “I m-miss him,” she lamented quietly, folding her hands over her stomach. She looked over to Octavius. “I c-can’t s-s-see him every d-day like I u-used to.”
Octavius looked over at her as new tears started to flow down her cheeks. He looked back up to the white ceiling, unsure what to say to help her. He didn’t exactly have much experience in the ‘soothing’ department.
They lay together in silence for about thirty minutes before the door slammed open, David running in like a mad man.
“Ditzy!” He rushed to her bedside, staring down at her. “Oh, dear, what happened?”
Ditzy hid her face in embarrassment, not wanting to meet David’s gaze. “I f-freaked out a bit,” she muttered.
David pulled up a chair and sat by her bed. “But why? The nurse told me you were screaming I was hurt, and that you had to help me. What scared you into thinking that?”
“I-I had a n-nightm-mare,” Ditzy said quietly, still not looking at him.
“What about?” David had nothing but worry for her in his voice.
“I-it was the w-w-wreck,” she whispered. “You w-were in m-my place. You got h-hurt. You w-were b-bleeding.” She raised her tear filled eyes to his. “Y-you were dying.”
David sat back in his chair, his mouth slightly agape; however, the man quickly regained his composure. He smiled at the blonde. “Well,” he said, placing his hand on her cheek delicately. “I’d never let something like that stop me.”
“I know,” Ditzy said quietly.
David grinned, trying to coax a smile out of her. “And why is that?”
Ditzy finally cracked a smile. “Because m-my Doctor w-will a-a-always be th-there for me.”
“That’s right,” David said, smiling down at her. “I’ll always be here. I’ll never leave you alone.”
Octavius’ face lit up at the scene that had unfolded before him. This was friendship. This was caring, and trust, and everything he never had.
And now, he realized, it was everything he wanted. And nothing he wanted to lose.
David turned to face the cellist. “Thank you,” he said, rising from his chair and approaching the other man. “They said you helped calm her down. I really owe you.”
Octavius waved this away. “You got me another chance to perform,” he replied. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
David grinned and said,” Oh, I think you could.”
There was a knock at the door. Looking over, he saw Vinyl standing there in her dress from the night of his performance, though it had the blood washed off and the tears fixed. She had on her leggings, and her white shoes, and her sunglasses. She was also carrying her laptop.
She approached his bed and pulled up a chair, setting the laptop on the bedside table and flipping it open. She opened a program, and then turned to face him.
“Hey there, Tavi,” she said quietly.
“Vinyl,” Octavius acknowledged, curious as to what she had planned.
“So you remember how we met, right?” She grinned slightly at him. “Elevator, dubstep, dead body, all that jazz?”
Octavius nodded.
Vinyl pulled out a pair of headphones. “You got me thinkin’ about somethin’.” She slipped the headphones over the man’s head, then turned to her computer and tapped the spacebar.
Octavius immediately recognized the opening strains of a cello solo; one of HIS cello solo’s. He looked up to Vinyl, who was simply smiling down at him. He listened attentively to the piece as it began to warp slowly, changing into something new.
However, unlike the loud rave music he detested, or the remixed orchestra he’d heard on their first meeting, this one was different. It kept the cello, and layered in other portions of the song, and even parts of some of his other works.
The piece ended how it started, with his solo. As it wrapped up, and the last chord faded, he removed the headphones, looking up at the DJ.
“Classical meets dubby wubs,” she said with a smile. “They worked beautifully together, didn’t they?”
“They certainly did,” Octavius answered, unsure of where exactly this was going.
Vinyl looked like she desperately wanted to say something, raising a hand and opening her mouth, but shutting it again. She looked down, clearly ashamed of herself, but looked back up. “I’m really glad you liked it, Octavius,” she said with a sad smile. She closed her laptop and stood to go; however, Octavius grabbed her hand, holding it tight.
“Stay with me, Vinyl,” he said, pulling at her arm. Vinyl smiled at him and sat back down.
“Whatever you want, Tavi,” she said.
The cellist grinned and looked over at David and Ditzy, both of who were smiling warmly at him and the DJ.
“May I ask why you choose that attire?” Octavius gestured to Vinyl’s rather nice outfit.
She grinned. “This,” she patted her laptop. “Was my performance to you, Tavi.”
“She spent all last night bugging Dash and I about it,” David said, causing the DJ to turn and playfully glare at him. “She worked very hard on it to make it the best it could be for you, Octavius.”
Octavius locked eyes with the DJ. “Really?”
She nodded, blushing some. “I wanted it to be perfect so you would like it. I figured since we missed your performance, I would give you one instead.”
Octavius smiled at her. “I’m honored, Vinyl. Though I’m curious, why my music?”
Vinyl scoffed, “Because you’re into the stuffy, uptight shit!” She grinned at him. “But, really, I figured that’d be the best way to ease you into the modern age.”
Octavius laughed. “I see,” he said, smiling at her.
“K-kiss h-her already, dummy!” Ditzy was cheering them on from her bed, earning a look from David. Octavius stared at Vinyl, who met his gaze.
And then their lips met, not in a heated lust, but in a loving embrace, gently feeling out the other. Octavius closed his eyes instinctually, as did Vinyl, who leaned a bit closer into the kiss. David covered Ditzy’s eyes, as well as his own.
After what seemed like an eternity, Octavius pulled back from Vinyl, meeting his own gaze in her reflective sunglasses. “Vinyl,” he said quietly.
“Yes, Octavius?” She seemed a bit out of breath.
“I want to see your eyes,” he replied. “David, shut the blind and turn off the lights, please. It can’t be too bright in here, or it’ll hurt her.” He remembered the day that brute had knocked off her glasses and the way she panicked when she couldn’t find them; how she complained of the light hurting her eyes.
David walked over to the blinds and closed them, then went and shut the lights off, nodding to Octavius. While it was dark, there was a bit of lit coming in through the slats in the binds. “Whenever you’re ready,” Octavius said.
Vinyl nodded and took a deep breath, then reached up. She gripped her glasses with slightly shaky hands and pulled them away from her eyes, which were closed tight. She slowly peeked one eye open a sliver, then the other, carefully adjusting them to the light around her.
Finally, after about a minute or so, both her eyes were open. She looked at Octavius, who was staring back into a pair of beautiful dark red eyes. “They’re lovely,” he said, transfixed by them. They almost reminded him of Dash’s eyes, though Vinyl’s were a bit darker.
Vinyl smiled. “I’m glad you like them. I’m also really glad,” she added. “To finally be able to see you with my own eyes, rather than through that filter.” She slipped her shades back on, hiding her eyes once more.
David turned the lights back on, and reopened the blinds. “Well,” he spoke up. “I think Vinyl and I have to go.” He motioned to the nurse, who was waiting patiently by the door with a food cart. “Seems to be about dinner time for these two.”
Vinyl leaned down and placed a quick kiss on Octavius’ cheek, and smiled at him. “See ya, Tavi,” she said as she left with David. Octavius waved to the two as they departed, to be replaced by nurse Redheart.
She walked over to Octavius’ bed, setting down his dinner tray. “She’s pretty,” she whispered with a wink. Octavius rolled his eyes and dug into his dinner.
“Knock knock,” Dash said as she strode into the room, with a little girl following her, oddly enough.
“Hello, Dash,” Octavius replied as he looked beyond the woman, taking note of the child. She had wild purple hair and bright purple eyes. She had a grin on her face as big as Dash’s, and was looking around the room, taking everything in excitedly. “Might I ask who the young lady is?”
“I’m Scootaloo!” The girl seemed very pleased to be at the hospital, though Octavius had a hunch it was more who she was with that made her happy.
“It’s a pleasure, Scootaloo,” Octavius kindly smiled. “I’d stand to shake your hand, but, as you can see, I’m in a bit of a bind.” He barely moved his right arm, the one in a sling, to emphasize his point.
“It’s all right, man,” Scootaloo grinned, waving her hand dismissively. “Dash told me all about you! You sound like a pretty cool dude, except for the part where you play cello.” She stuck her tongue out in mock disgust. “That’s kinda lame.”
“How’s it going, Tavi?” Dash spoke up for the first time since her arrival. “Hangin’ in there all right?”
“Yes, I am,” he answered her, shifting his gaze to her. “Ditzy seems to love sleeping; she’s almost always napping.”
Glancing over, he saw that she had a smile on her face while her eyes were closed. Octavius hoped she was having a good dream; after all she’d been through the past couple of days, she deserved every respite she could get.
“Had anymore, uh, ‘episodes’?” Dash struggled for the right phrase, hoping to not offend him.
“The doctors here were very helpful,” Octavius said. “They provide me with the things I need to be ok.”
“Good,” Dash sighed in relief. “Your bottle is empty, you better see if they’ll get you more.”
“Thanks,” Octavius smiled at her. “Now, why didn’t you tell me you have a sister?”
“I don’t,” Dash said, putting a hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Well, not technically. But, really, we’re so close we may as well be. Right, Squirt?” Dash beamed down at the girl, who smiled back.
“Totally,” the girl agreed. “Dash is the most awesome-azing person in the history of forever!”
Octavius smiled some. “Do you have any family, Scootaloo? Besides Dash, I mean.”
Dash immediately went rigid, making a cutting motion across her throat, trying to get him to stop. Scootaloo’s smile faltered slightly. “N-no, I don’t,” she said, a little quieter. “There was a fire… The firemen could only save me…”
Octavius felt like his heart was broken worse than his arm. “Hey, I-I’m sorry, Scootaloo-“
“Everyone’s sorry,” she muttered. “Everyone’s always sorry, aren’t they?” She looked up to Dash. “Why are we here?”
“I wanted you to meet Tavi,” Dash replied. “Then we were going to see the airshow at the stadium. Why don’t we go ahead and say bye?”
Scootaloo turned and left without a word.
“Dash, I-“ Octavius started, but was cut off by Dash.
“She struggles with that everyday of her life,” she said. “Remember Dia and Sil?” Octavius nodded. “They never let her forget. They always ask, ‘who got burned today?’ or, ‘why did you have to be the one who got out?’” Dash looked down at the ground. “I pick her up from the orphanage as often as I can and try to give her a good day. Usually we’ll go out for some ice cream, or a movie, or we’ll go to the mall or something. The Wonderbolt’s are performing an airshow today. They got some new planes to show off.” Dash smiled some. “Squirt always tells me she’ll be a Wonderbolt someday, and then no one will make fun of her. Everyone will love her.” She laughed some.
“I always tell her, ‘Well, if you become a Wonderbolt, can I come to your shows for free?’” Dash continued. “And she’ll laugh and say, ‘Of course, Dash! You’re the greatest sister ever, so you can always be there to cheer for me!’” Dash looked up at Octavius. “A few weeks ago, though, the director at the orphanage told me they’d found her in the bathroom throwing up a lot.” Dash hugged herself tight at the memory. “She’d O.D.’d on some painkillers. The strong prescription shit.
“They nearly threw her out, but I convinced them to let her stay for a couple more weeks. I’m getting one of the rooms in the diner ready, and I’m going to adopt her.” Dash smiled some. “Christmas is coming up soon, right? I figured I’d pick her up, and her present would be she gets to come stay with me.”
Dash looked up at Octavius. “I want that kid to succeed, Tavi,” she said. “She’s been through so damn much. She deserves a break. I wanna see her become the greatest Wonderbolt ever. I’ll go to all of her shows, and she’ll never have to feel alone again.” Dash smiled at him. “Because her big sis will always be there with her.”
Octavius brushed the tear that’d fallen away from his cheek. “Dash,” he said quietly. “If there’s ever anything I can do, don’t hesitate.”
“Thanks, man,” she said quietly. “Now, I gotta go. The future captain is waitin’ on me.” She smiled at him. “Later, Tav-Tav!”
“Bye, Dash,” he smiled back. “Come back anytime, and by all means, bring her with you.”
Dash nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Octavus stared up at the ceiling in silence. He’d never figured Dash to be the caregiving type, but then again, most of the people he’d met in the past week had been completely different from what he’d initially anticipated.
He looked over to his window and saw a few snow flurries falling. He did find it odd that it’d been storming not five days earlier, but the weather around here was a bit odd. He smiled as he stared out the window; he’d always loved watching the snow fall. It’d always lull him to sleep when he was younger.
“Hey Tavi?” A voice from across the room caused Octavius to jump, wincing as he moved his arm.
“Yes, Ditzy?” Octavius looked back to her.
“W-what are y-y-you doing for Ch-Christmas?”
Octavius pondered this a moment. Typically, he’d sit alone and sip some hot cocoa, watching bad Christmas movies. “Nothing really, why?” He looked at the blonde, intrigued.
“W-wanna g-go to a part-ty?” She smiled at him. “D-Dash always h-holds one, a-and I h-heard the doctors s-say we’ll be out i-in a couple o-of d-d-days.”
Octavius smiled back. “Ditzy,” he said. “I would love to go to that party.”
Ditzy grinned happily. “I-I can’t w-wait!”
Octavius looked back to the snow. “Me, either, Ditzy,” he said happily. “Me either.”
A few days later, the pair was out in the lobby of the hospital, Ditzy in a wheelchair for her leg while Octavius had to keep his right arm in a sling. Pinkie had tied some balloons to the arm of Ditzy’s chair and insisted on decorating Octavius’ sling with ‘pretty stickers’ while they waited for David to come pick them up. Dash had taken Scootaloo out again, and Vinyl had fallen under the weather, though nothing severe.
David walked in through the big sliding glass doors, smiling at them and holding a wrapped box in his hands. Octavius wheeled Ditzy over to David, who placed the box in her lap.
“I got you a present, Ditzy,” he said with a grin. “Since you were so brave here alone.”
“I-I wasn’t a-alone,” she said, smiling back at the brown haired man. Octavius noted that he was once again in a blue suit and tan trench coat. “I h-had Tavi with m-me.”
David looked up to the cellist appreciatively. “Thank you, Octavius,” he said. “You did so much for her while you two were here, even with your own injuries.”
“It wasn’t a problem,” Octavius replied, waving his good hand dismissively. “It was really my pleasure to spend some quality time with miss Ditzy here.” He looked down to the woman, who was opening her present.
When the wrapping paper was pulled away, a new camera was sitting in Ditzy’s lap, waiting for her to use it for her memories.
“Why don’t we make the first picture you and Octavius leaving after getting all better?” David took the box and opened it, pulling out a very nice looking silver camera. He powered it on and pointed it at the pair, who smiled at the lens. The flash went off, the shutter clicked, and David lowered the camera with a grin. “Fantastic!”
He handed the camera to Ditzy, who held it in her hands as if it were the most important thing in the world. “W-what happened t-to my other one?” She looked up at David inquisitively.
David’s smile cracked slightly as he cast his gaze down. He sighed. “It was broken in the wreck,” he muttered, not looking at the blonde. “We couldn’t get it fixed; the damage was too extensive. But,” he said, looking back up at her, smiling once again. “This new one is pretty much like your old one, just a little nicer.”
“Ok!” She grinned at him, clearly not bothered by her camera being broken. “Thank y-you, Doctor!” She aimed her camera at him, and he smiled as she took his picture. “There,” she said, lowering it. “N-now I h-have a picture of y-you too!”
“That’s wonderful,” David smiled and took Octavius’ place behind the blonde, pushing her towards the door while the cellist followed them.
Stepping outside, Octavius noted how much significantly colder it was than a week ago. He shivered slightly, grimacing as his broken arm twitched. As they approached David’s car, he caught a glimpse of himself in the side view mirror.
His black hair was disheveled where he’d been in bed for a week, and there was a nasty little scar from his left eyebrow to his scalp. He’d need to find a way to cover that up until it faded more. He had a black sling covered in stickers holding up his right arm, while his left hung by his side. He had on a red tee shirt that Dash had brought him a couple days ago, and a pair of blue jeans as well. Luckily, the injury to his legs hadn’t too severe, and the glass cuts had healed nicely. Lastly he glanced down at his feet, which were resting in a pair of plain black tennis shoes.
He cast his gaze to Ditzy, who David was currently helping into the back seat of his car. She was in a simple gray dress, one without sleeves. She didn’t want to put anything on her arms; she complained that it hurt too much. She also couldn’t wear pants, considering her broken leg. The doctors had all agreed her coordination was too poor for crutches, so they’d given her a plain black wheelchair, which David was removing the balloons from. Octavius smiled at the memory of Ditzy’s face lighting up as Pinkie had tied them on. David handed the balloons to Ditzy, who gratefully accepted them.
Octavius smiled as he opened the passenger door and sat down, pulling it shut behind him. He looked back at Ditzy, who had her leg laid across the back seat. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. “You excited to go home?”
“Yeah,” she answered happily. “I m-miss my r-room and my b-bed. But m-mostly,” she said, more to herself. “I-I miss the D-Doctor.” She looked back up at him with those big, bright yellow crossed eyes. “I c-can’t wait to g-go home!”
Octavius smiled as he turned back around in his seat while David got into the car, putting his keys into the ignition. He looked at his passengers with a grin. “Ready to go?”
The pair nodded, David backed out of his parking space, and they were on their way.
As the car travelled though the small city, Octavius kept hearing a shutter clicking, and smiled when he looked back to see Ditzy snapping pictures of everything she saw. He turned his attention to David as a thought struck him.
“Excuse me, David,” he started. “I don’t mean to be rude here, but where will I be staying? That hotel was only good for that night, and I’m not exactly from around here. Plus, my car is totaled.”
“That one should be obvious,” he grinned. “Dash offered to let you stay at the diner, and Vinyl will be staying there as well.” He cast a quick glance at Octavius. “The two of them’ll take great care of you, don’t you worry.”
Octavius wasn’t sure, but he could’ve sworn he’d heard Ditzy giggle from the back seat.
Octavius sat in the room that Dash had let him use, staring out at the dark night sky. The full moon shone bright in the sky, casting a whitish glow over the small city. A few cars drove by occasionally, but for the most part it was relatively quiet outside. Octavius sighed and looked down at his broken arm
“Well,” he said aloud to himself. “It’ll be a couple months before I can play again, but it’s better than nothing.”
He stood up and walked out into the dining room of the restaurant, making a cup of coffee from the pot that had been brewed earlier and sitting at one of the booths. He sipped on his coffee and looked over the darkened room. The moon cast odd shadows on the floor and walls, making them seem to move as clouds passed in front of it.
“Something bothering you?” A female voice caught Octavius off guard, making him jump slightly. He looked to the door and saw Vinyl standing there in a tee shirt and sweat pants, as well as her ever present purple shades. She grinned at him and sat across from him.
“No,” Octavius answered. “Just wasn’t able to sleep is all.”
Vinyl tilted her head a bit, seeming to analyze him. “You’re lying, Tavi.” She folded her arms over her chest, mockingly scolding him. “What’s wrong?”
Octavius sat quietly for a minute, then sighed. “I was just thinking about everything that led me here.” He gestured to the restaurant around him. “I was wondering where I would be now if I hadn’t gone with you last week, if I had just told you to get lost and gone about my day.”
Vinyl looked very sad, frowning a little bit. “Oh,” she muttered quietly. “I’m sorry, Tavi. I didn’t realize I had –“
“I think,” Octavius cut her off with a grin. “I’d be in a pretty boring place.”
Vinyl’s expression changed to one of shock. “W-What?!”
Octavius nodded. “You and Dash, you girls made my life vastly more interesting than it used to be. Before, all I thought about was how perfect I had to be.” He looked down at his coffee. “I had to be exceptional, and become the greatest cellist ever. I never had time or need for ‘friends’. All that mattered was the future, and my career.
“While I do love the cello,” he continued. “I wanted it to be fun. But my dad always told me music wasn’t supposed to be ‘fun’. It was supposed to be ‘perfection’. He always pushed me, sometimes a little too hard. Sometimes I’d be forced to stay up all night and practice a piece because I missed one note, or I lost track of the tempo, or I forgot an entrance.
“And man, if I messed up at a recital, the hell I’d be in for when I got home.” He visibly shuddered at the thought. “He made sure I was the best in my class, or I direly regretted it. He’d beat me within an inch of my life, and then make me practice through the pain. I couldn’t be anything less than perfect.”
“Octavius,” Vinyl said quietly. “That’s awful…”
Octavius looked up at her with a smile. “It’s fine. If he hadn’t have been so tough on me, I might not’ve gotten the job here in town, and then I wouldn’t’ve met you and Dash. Oh,” he smiled. “And I wouldn’t have gotten to meet the lovely Ditzy or the charming David, either.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes, but smiled as well. “I suppose you’re right. You’re life might’ve been a real drag without us to make it fun!”
“So thank you, Vinyl,” Octavius took her hand gently. “You changed this boring old life of mine into one worth living. One I’m proud to have. You’re a fantastic woman, and the first friend I ever really had. I’m glad that honor is yours.”
Vinyl blushed but smiled at him. “You know,” she said quietly. “Vinyl is just a stage name. My real name is Violet.”
“Well, Violet,” Octavius pressed her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
“It was my pleasure, Octavius,” she replied, blushing intensely now. “My absolute pleasure.”
Octavius placed her hand back on the table and took his now empty coffee cup into the kitchen, washing it out and placing it in the drying rack. “Well,” he said as he walked back into the dining room. “If you’ll kindly excuse me, I think I’ll be off to bed. Thank you for listening to my troubles,” Octavius cast a grin over his shoulder as he walked out. “Violet.”
“Tavi~,” a singsong voice called out. Octavius groaned and blearily opened his eyes, being met with Vinyl’s grinning face.
“Good morning,” Octavius greeted her, wiping the sleep from his eyes with his usable hand. He carefully stood from the chair he’d slept in, raising his left arm above his head and arching his back slightly. “How are you today?” He cast a glance at his analog clock hanging on the wall. It read 8:30.
“I’m actually doing a lot better,” she smiled at him. “I’m glad you and Ditzy are ok.”
“You and me both,” Octavius grinned. “May I ask why you woke me up so early?”
“I figured maybe you’d want some breakfast,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the hall, which led to the dining room. “Dash said she had something really super important she wanted to talk to us about.”
Octavius sighed. He didn’t really like to be woken up, but he figured he could put on a show for her. He smiled. “I’ll be out in a moment.”
Vinyl nodded with a smile, then left the room, shutting the door behind her. He walked over to his mirror and combed out his hair, then pulled on a pair of jeans carefully, trying to avoid hurting himself. Once he was dressed, he walked out of his room and down the hall to join Vinyl, who was sitting at a table with Dash.
“Hey there, Tav-Tav!” Dash grinned wide and pulled a chair out for the cellist. “Please, come sit with your two lovely lady friends.”
Octavius rolled his eyes, but joined the pair anyway. He sat down and smiled at the women. “So, Dash,” he started. “Vinyl said you wanted to talk about something.”
Dash nodded. “It’s about Scootaloo. I wanted to tell you guys that she’ll be living here starting Christmas day.”
Vinyl’s face lit up with a magnificent smile. “Dash, that’s amazing!” She jumped out of her chair and hugged the other woman around her neck tightly. “I’m so happy for you!”
Dash laughed, a little embarrassed. “Thanks, Vi,” she beamed at her friend. “I’m glad to have your support on this.”
“You know this won’t be easy,” Octavius warned Dash. “You’ll be responsible for that girl. Food, clothes, a roof over her head, her education, that’ll all be on you.”
“I know,” Dash nodded at him. “I’ve got her enrolled at Central Middle School, and I’ve got another one of the rooms in the back cleaned out of the back.”
Octavius eyed the woman slightly skeptically. “Why exactly are there rooms behind a diner, anyway? I don’t think I’ve ever hear of that before.”
“I bought it like this,” she explained. “Apparently the previous owner didn’t wanna have to travel for work, so he put a bunch of rooms in the back for himself and his family. When his wife divorced him, though, he decided he didn’t want to live here anymore, something about it reminding him of her.” She shrugged. “He sold me the place for cheap, and I’ve been living here since, keeping up the restaurant and such.”
“I see,” Octavius said quietly, deciding to drop the subject.
Vinyl grinned at the rainbow haired woman. “I’m proud of you, Dash,” she smiled at Dash. “You’re actually being a grown up!”
“Fuck you,” Dash playfully shoved the DJ off of her. “At least I’m not spending my weekends out at strange bars getting wasted and playing dubstep!”
“Bitch, you know that shit is the hypest job in the world!”
Octavius watched the two bicker playfully back and forth. He lost himself to his thoughts while they fought.
He wondered what it would be like with another person living here. Maybe it’d be good for Dash to have to finally take responsibility for something. From what he’d observed of her, she was certainly very laid back and lazy, not really interested in doing much. He wondered if Scootaloo could become the captain of the Wonderbolts under Dash’s roof.
“Hey, Tavi!”
Octavius was jolted out of his thoughts. “Yes, Vinyl?”
“Were you paying any attention?” She jokingly scolded the man, who had clearly been spacing out. “Or do we just bore you that much?”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, turning to face them. “What were you saying?”
“We were just saying how the Christmas party is on Friday, and how all our friends will be there, and how Dash will tell Scootaloo that she’s going to live here then. Who knows?” The blue haired DJ grinned at the cellist. “Maybe you could meet some new pretty girls to swoon.”
Octavius rolled his eyes again. Sometimes these women really were too much. “I highly doubt that,” he smirked evilly. “Violet.”
Both women eyes went wide as Vinyl’s face lit up crimson. Dash started laughing hysterically. “You’re name’s VIOLET?! HOLY SHIT!” She clapped her hands together as she laughed harder. “I know your parents are all hoity toity, but damn, I didn’t know they gave you a name like VIOLET!”
Vinyl cast her gaze down, not looking at the other woman. Octavius felt really bad. Perhaps he had overstepped a line. He decided to speak up for the DJ. “I, for one, think it’s a lovely name,” he said, cutting off the rainbow haired woman’s laughter. “It’s beautiful and suits her very well in my opinion.”
Vinyl smiled up at him, staring into his eyes from behind her shades. “Thank you, Tavi,” she giggled. “I think you have a nice name, too.”
Dash stuck her tongue out in mock disgust. “Get a room, you two,” she groaned playfully. “All this flirty lovey dovey crap is gross.”
“Shut up, Dash,” Vinyl laughed, smacking her friend on the forehead.
Dash wandered through the supermarket, looking for some fresh vegetables for a new soup she was planning on trying at the diner. She had left Octavius and Vinyl at the diner so they could talk and catch up. No matter how much she might tease them about it, she really did think they were cute together. She just hoped they’d eventually BE together.
“C’mon, Dash!” She smacked her forehead. “They’re gonna get together, and everyone knows it! Octavius isn’t a dumbass, and neither is Vi.”
“Octavius?” A feminine voice behind Dash caught her by surprise. She turned to see a very well dressed man and woman standing side by side. She did a double take when she saw the man, who was the spitting image of the aforementioned cellist.
“Would you happen to be talking about Octavius Melody?” The man presented this question a bit coldly.
“Uh,” Dash stammered, trying to regain her composure after being caught off guard. “Y-yeah, that’s him. Who are you?”
“We’re his parents,” the woman replied shortly. “We’ve come to collect him.”
Dash’s heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. “W-what?” She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts. “Why?”
“We heard,” mister Melody started. “That the boy had failed to perform for mister Rich a week ago, and that he had sustained a broken arm in a car wreck.”
“Well, yeah,” Dash said. “We were on our way to –“
“That is unacceptable,” the man cut her off sharply. “He cannot afford to be stuck in a sling and unable to practice.”
“Wait, what are you -?”
“He will come with us,” missus Medley interrupted. “He will live at home until he is recovered, and then he will follow a strict practice regimen to make up for the missed time. He must come home immediately to be sure that he does not waste any time.”
“But he –“
“Where is the boy?” Mister Melody eyed the rainbow haired woman coldly.
Dash stared at the two in shock. They were just going to take him away? Dash steeled her nerves and stood tall. “I don’t know,” she replied calmly. “I haven’t seen him in a few –“
“Thank you for your time, harlot,” the man cut her off as he and his wife turned on their heels and walked away. “We shall be on our way.”
“Now wait just a –!”
“Good day,” the woman nearly growled, glaring at the younger woman over her shoulder. “We have nothing to gain from you. You are useless to us. You are useless to him. So piss off.”
And with that, the couple departed the store, walking down the street. Dash stood in the aisle dumbfounded, her basket hanging stupidly by her side.
Dash dropped her basket in the middle of the floor, it’s contents spilling out as she ran out of the store and back to the diner. She threw the door open and cried out, “VINYL! OCTAVIUS!”
The two emerged from the back of the diner, each from their respective rooms. Dash couldn’t help but smile slightly. Even alone, she thought to herself, they still won’t have any fun.
“What’s the matter, Dash?” Octavius cautiously approached the woman.
“Your parents, Tavi,” she started, catching her breath. “They’re –“
“Right here,” a masculine voice finished, one which Dash immediately recognized as belonging to mister Melody.
“See, darling?” Missus Melody smirked at the trio standing before her. “You follow the rat, and it will lead you to the nest.”
“Quite right,” the man agreed. “And what a dump this nest is. Look at this filth and grime.” He dragged his hand across a table top, which came back nearly spotless. “Disgusting,” he grimaced, wiping his hand on his smooth black pants, which matched the black suit jacket and white shirt he wore. His wife, meanwhile, wore a simple tight red dress, which showed off her voluptuous and curvy form.
Octavius’ face hardened from the concern he’d shown Dash moments before to utter hatred. “What are you two doing here?” He glared angrily at his parents.
“We’ve come to collect you, boy,” his father stated simply, ignoring his sons glare. “You’ve failed here, and we are going to insure that you do not fail again. I thought I’d raised you better than that, but clearly I have not.”
Vinyl looked up at Octavius. “Tavi, what are they -?”
“His name,” his mother cut in. “Is Octavius. And a street tramp such as yourself would do well to remember that. You’re much too familiar with him. You’re not his wife, and so you will not act as such. You are to call him ‘Octavius’ or ‘mister Melody’, but not ‘Tavi’.” His mother visibly shuddered at the name. “It is both ridiculous and childish.”
Vinyl could only stare at the older woman. “What the fuck are you -?”
“And you will do well to mind your manners, girl,” the man interrupted her. “You are not our equal, and you will not talk as if you are.”
Vinyl balled up her fist. “Ok, fancy pants, C’MERE!”
She rushed at the man, and was instantly knocked to the floor with a single blow from him, knocking her glasses across the room. He sneered down at her as she lay covering her eyes and crying in agony.
“Pathetic worm,” he mocked her as she screamed. “How dare you think that –?“
“ENOUGH!” Octavius finally yelled, his left hand balled at his side and gripping his jeans tight. “Leave her alone!”
Missus Melody tilted her head to the side slightly, then burst into laughter. “My god, darling, he’s fallen for this worthless whore!”
His father joined in his wife’s laughter. “That is rich indeed, love!”
Octavius sank to his knees, his breathing becoming erratic. Dash, recognizing the symptoms of one of his episodes, rushed to the cellists room, grabbing the bottle that the doctors had sent him home with and returning to the dining room.
She gently pulled Octavius into her lap and fed him the pill, which he swallowed. His breathing started to become more regular as he lay there in her lap, his parents watching the whole scene unfold.
“Are you proud?”
Dash looked up at the couple, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Do you really think he needs you?” His mother smirked down at Dash. “He does not. What he needs is to be fixed, and put back to practice. He will be excellent, and cannot afford to be held back by trash like you and the slut on the floor.” She pointed to Vinyl, who had tears running down her cheeks as she felt around the floor for her glasses. Mister Melody sneered and ‘accidentally’ stepped on them, cracking the lenses.
“Oops,” he grinned, looking down at the DJ. “I found the tramps glasses.”
“Get out,” Dash growled.
“Listen to the mutt growl!” Missus Melody laughed at the younger woman.
“I said GET OUT!” Dash rose to her feet after gently placing Octavius on the floor. “This is my restaurant, and you will leave, or I will call the police!”
The older couple stared at each other a moment, then turned back to Dash. “Very well, then,” mister Melody said calmly. “We shall go. But not for good.” He smirked as he and his wife turned and left, the door swinging shut behind them. Dash finally breathed out, relaxing.
When she looked down, she saw Vinyl sliding her broken glasses on before opening her eyes. Tears still continued to roll down her cheeks, the right one bruising badly where mister Melody had hit her.
Octavius sat up, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Vinyl, I –“
“DON’T TOUCH ME!”
Octavius and Dash jumped at her outburst. Dash knelt in front of the DJ. “Hey, girl, calm down, ok?”
The DJ glared at the other woman through her cracked lenses. “Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down, you fucking bitch. This is your fault!” She pushed the woman down, then stood. “I hate you, Dash!”
Octavius took her hand in his. “Violet –“
“FUCK OFF, OCTAVIUS!” She glared down at the cellist, who dropped her hand. “You don’t belong here! You don’t need a tramp like me around you!”
She stormed out of the restaurant in tears, leaving Octavius and Dash dumbstruck.
Octavius and Dash walked down the street, searching for Vinyl. A few snowflakes had started to fall in the half hour that the two had been outside, slowly starting to cover the ground in snow.
“Dash,” Octavius said, looking over to the woman, who met his gaze. “Where would she have gone?”
“I don’t know,” Dash replied, casting her eyes down to her feet. “She told me that her parents live just outside of town; maybe she went there?”
“Maybe she did.” Octavius turned once more to the sidewalk in front of him. Not very many people were out today, given the weather. He continued to walk down the empty, snow covered streets, lost in thought.
Vinyl had been fuming when she had left the diner. She had said she hated both him and Dash. But why? How was what happened their fault? He needed answers from her. He quickened his pace as Dash did the same.
“How far away, exactly, do they live?” Octavius turned to look at Dash.
“Maybe half a mile,” she replied, matching his pace. Octavius noticed she was shivering slightly, her hands clutching her arms. While she’d thought to throw on a bright blue sweater, she had forgotten a coat. Octavius shrugged his off and handed it to her. She grinned at him. “Look at you, Tav-Tav,” she laughed as she pulled on his black coat. “Always the gentleman, ain’t’cha?” Octavius simply rolled his eyes in response, but grinned.
“What kind of a gentleman would let a woman freeze while he himself was perfectly warm?” He laughed a little, then turned to continue walking. However, he felt Dash’s hand take his gently. He turned back to her.
“Hey,” she muttered. “You don’t agree with your parents, do you?” She looked up at him. “I’m not a whore, or a slut, or any of that, right?”
Octavius smiled at her. “No, you’re most definitely not. They just don’t like very many people. I promise it’s nothing personal.”
Dash returned the grin and let their hands fall, continuing to follow him as they headed to Vinyl’s home. She looked up at the cellist. “Hey, can I ask you another question?”
“Besides that one?” Octavius smirked down at her.
Dash rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. “Yes, smart ass, besides that one.” She playfully punched him in his good arm. “Why do they look down on everyone? It’s not like they’re royalty, is it?” She grinned up at him devilishly. “Or did I steal a prince’s virginity?”
“No, they’re not royalty,” Octavius said, ignoring her last comment. “They just… I don’t know, they view themselves as everyone’s superior. They only care about those who can help them get further in life, and spit on anyone else.” Dash was reminded of their cruel words back at the supermarket. “They want me to grow up and be this big important musician. Not because they want me to like it, or because they actually care about me at all. The way they see it,” his voice was low at this point, almost a whisper. “All I am to them is a way forward. Nothing more.”
Dash was stunned into silence. She had figured his parents were stuck up snobs, but what she had just heard from Octavius genuinely shocked her. She took his hand and squeezed it gently, an action he returned with a small smile. She smiled back silently, then dropped his hand, looking back ahead of her. “Up here on the right,” she told him, pointing to a small white house with a chain link fence in front of it. The house didn’t look too shabby, not showing much age. Octavius figured it was probably built within the last quarter century.
The two pushed open the gate and approached the door. They looked to each other one more time, then Octavius pressed the small doorbell.
The door swung open, and Octavius was face to face with a tall, slightly chubby middle-aged man. The man had short hair and red eyes like Vinyl’s. Octavius also took note of the dimly lit room behind the man. Octavius figured the man was Vinyl’s dad, and he had the same condition as Vinyl.
“Can I help you?” The man eyed Octavius questioningly.
“Excuse me,” Dash spoke up. “Are you mister Scratch?”
“Yes I am,” he replied, looking at the woman. “And you’re Dash, aren’t you? Violet has told me about you. Mostly good things.” He smiled a little at her. He turned back to Octavius. “Who are you?”
“I’m Octavius,” the cellist replied, extending his hand. “Octavius Melody.”
Mister Scratch, who had been reaching for Octavius’ hand, suddenly stopped. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘Melody’?”
Octavius stared at him, slightly puzzled. “Um, yes sir,” he said, dropping his hand.
The door slammed in Octavius’ face, causing the two to jump. “What the hell?” Dash looked extremely offended. “Talk about rude!”
“I think we should just go,” Octavius said.
“Oh, no,” Dash protested. “That dumb ass fuck face can’t possibly think he can treat us like that! I’ve had too much shit today as it is!” She pounded her fist on the door loudly.
At first, no response came. However, as Dash was about to knock again, the door opened, this time by a woman with black hair. “May I help you?”
“Yes, you can,” Octavius said. “We were wondering if Violet was here?”
“She is,” the woman replied. “Would you like to come in?” Dash and Octavius nodded, and they followed missus Scratch inside. The house was very dimly lit, blinds closed and curtains drawn shut. There were some stairs leading to a second floor, where there were some shut wooden doors. The floor was carpeted dark blue, and the walls were painted white. There were also some family photos hanging around the wall. “Make yourselves comfortable.” Missus Scratch gestured to the three seat dark brown couch.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Octavius smiled kindly as he and Dash sat down.
“Hold on, I’ll get Violet,” missus Scratch smiled politely and disappeared up the stairs. As she vanished, though, mister Scratch came from the kitchen.
“You!” Mister Scratch glared angrily at Octavius. “What the HELL are you doing in my house?”
“He was invited in!” Dash glared back at the older man.
“OUT!” Mister Scratch pointed to the door. “I refuse to allow a Melody into my home! I want you OUT!”
“Daddy, stop it,” Vinyl spoke up from the top of the stairs. “Leave him alone.” She came down the stairs, her cheeks tear stained.
“Violet, you know how I –“
“It’s fine,” Vinyl cut him off. Mister Scratch grumbled angrily and stalked upstairs.
Octavius stood up, approaching the DJ. “Vinyl, I just wanted to –“
“How DARE you come here?!” Vinyl glared at Octavius and Dash. “I told you I want nothing to do with you!”
“But why?” Dash jumped up and approached the other woman.
“BECAUSE!” At this point, Vinyl was practically yelling. “You, Dash, YOU are the one who brought them to the diner!”
“That’s not my fault!” Dash yelled back. “They practically stalked me!”
“And you,” she rounded on Octavius, ignoring Dash. “What the hell happened with you?! You’re a full grown man, but you can’t even stand up to your own parents?! You’re PATHETIC!”
“You wanna blame me? Fine!” Dash pulled Vinyl close by the collar. “But you know for a FACT that Octavius can’t help it!”
“No, Dash,” Octavius muttered, his eyes locked on his feet. “She’s right. I’m weak. I needed to stand up, but I laid down and let her get hurt.”
“But, Tavi –“ Dash tried to speak up, but was cut off by Vinyl.
“I think you both should leave.” Vinyl turned to go back up the stairs. “I said I don’t want anything to do with you two, and I meant it.”
Dash stared incredulously at Vinyl, then at Octavius. “Really, Vinyl? Don’t you think this is a bit much?”
“Let’s go, Dash,” Octavius gently pulled Dash by her arm. Dash sighed and followed him, casting one last glance at the blue haired woman.
“I’m sorry, Vinyl,” Dash muttered as she passed her.
Octavius and Dash walked out of the house, pulling the door closed behind them. Dash turned to Octavius. “How the hell can we just walk out like that?”
“She wants space,” Octavius replied. “Let’s give it to her.”
“Fine, next question,” Dash said. “Why does her dad hate you so much?”
“I really don’t know,” Octavius cast his gaze down briefly. “My parents never said anything about the Scratch’s. Until today, I’d never seen that man.”
Dash raised her hand, as if to continue the conversation, but dropped it in defeat. “Fine,” she muttered, walking with Octavius back to the diner. “What’ll we do about her, though? We can’t let her mope forever!”
“I know,” Octavius replied. “Like I said, we’re going to give her the space she asked for. I think that when she’s ready, she’ll come talk to us. We’ll get this all sorted out.”
“I hope you’re right, Tavi.” Dash cast a glance over her shoulder at the house one last time, the view slightly obstructed by the falling snow. Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing mister Scratch. “What the fuck?” Dash watched as the man walked up to the pair, a look of hate in his eyes.
He approached Octavius. “Alright, Melody, what the hell did you do to my daughter?”
“Sir, I didn’t do –“ Octavius started, but was quickly cut off.
“She comes home in tears, then you show up and leave her in a worse state! You’re family is nothing but spoiled brats! Do you think you can treat her like that just because she didn’t have a big fancy upbringing like you did? Because she actually had to work for what she has and didn’t just have it all handed to her?”
“No,” Octavius replied calmly. “If I may talk, sir, I didn’t do anything. It was my parents who –“
“You’re parents?! Oh, that explains EVERYTHING!” Mister Scratch took a step back. “Those good for nothing jerk offs were the worst people I’d ever had the misfortune to meet. They treated everyone like dirt.”
“Why?” Dash spoke up, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“They both come from insanely powerful families. Not quite royalty, but pretty damn close.” Mister Scratch looked over at Octavius. “I’d have figured pretty boy over there would’ve shared all this by now, though.”
“I never knew my grand parents,” Octavius stated simply. “My parents didn’t talk about them much. Typically all I heard from them was, ‘get back to practice, boy’.”
“Well,” mister Scratch continued. “Why don’t we continue this conversation back inside? Vinyl might be interested in hearing about this as well.”
The trio agreed, and headed back to the Scratch house.
“What the bloody fuck do you think you’re doing here?” Vinyl was seething with anger as Octavius and Dash walked back into the house with mister Scratch. “I thought I told you to get lost!”
“Violet, calm down,” her father placed a hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “We’re all going to sit on the couch here and talk everything out.”
“No, dad!” Vinyl slapped his hand away. “If Octavius is just another pompous pretty boy, I don’t want anything to do with him!”
Dash stepped forward. “Vinyl, c’mon, girl,” she started. “You know Tavi better than that, right?”
The DJ stared at Octavius intently, as if trying to see into his very soul. Octavius met her gaze silently, hoping she’d listen to reason. Finally, she sighed. “You’ve got ten minutes to convince me that you’re not some selfish narcissistic prick.”
Octavius smiled and walked into the living room, followed by Dash, Vinyl and mister Scratch. Vinyl, Dash and Octavius all sat on the couch; mister Melody occupied an armchair. He cleared his throat before he began speaking, “First of all, I’d like to apologize for my earlier behavior. It was unfair of me to assume that Octavius was like the rest of his family. From my understanding, he’s trying to get away from that?” He looked to Octavius questioningly, who nodded in confirmation. “Right, now, I think, Vinyl, you’re owed an explanation as to why I hate his family, and why his parents are assholes.
“Back in high school, I was quite the social guy, going out to parties pretty much every weekend and making new friends. I was living the good life in my eyes. Everyone knew me, and I knew everyone. Small town life was fantastic. Then one day, my dad got a promotion. He was going to be a manager of a new branch out here, but he had to move to get the job. We packed up and came out here.
“On my first day of my senior year, I met Ludwig Melody. He was a prim and proper pianist who always dressed super nice for school. Not in suits or something, but, like, polo shirts and slacks. Very upper crust. He carried himself with an air of superiority that just always bugged me, but I wanted to try to be friendly. So one day I walk up to him and try to talk, but before I get one word out, he gets all snooty with me. He dismissed me as a ‘lower class ruffian’ and turned away.
“Now that typically wouldn’t have bothered me; I’d have just shrugged it off and moved on. But every time the fucker saw me, he had some snide comment to make, be it about my clothes, my hair, hell sometimes he’d say something about how I walked! But I tried to ignore it.
“Then one day, the bastard really ticked me off. Maybe it was the look he game me while he insulted my girlfriend, calling her a slut and a whore; maybe it was nothing more than built up anger. I really don’t remember what happened, but I vaguely recall tackling him to the ground and whaling on him.
“Eventually, someone pulled me off of him, and I was taken to the principal’s office. He was cleaned up and brought in as well. Before I had the chance to defend myself, his hoity toity parents showed up and immediately said they were pressing assault charges. I spent a year in jail because of that asshat. I missed my graduation, my girlfriend left me, and it’s now incredibly tough to find a job!”
Mister Scratch stared at the dumbfounded group. He grinned. “I’ll tell you what, though, breaking his nose felt fantastically satisfying.”
Vinyl stared at Octavius. “Dude,” she said, fighting a grin. “You’re dad was a bitch.”
“He never once mentioned you, though,” Octavius looked to mister Melody.
“Would you if he beat the hell out of you?” Dash laughed a bit. “Man, you’re parents put on one hell of a show, but they’re really just a couple pussies, aren’t they?”
“Which reminds me,” Vinyl said, turning to her dad. “Why DO they act so superior to everyone else?”
Mister Melody shrugged his shoulders. “I think it has something to do with who their parents are. Honestly, I’m not sure. Maybe they feel entitled since they come from such prestigious families. I really don’t care, though.”
Vinyl looked back to Octavius. “Can you make me a promise?” The cellist nodded. “Don’t be like them. You’re not a spoiled brat. Mostly.” She smirked as Dash busted out laughing. “I still remember first meeting you, man. You were SO uptight! You wouldn’t even chill out when you were drinking your coffee or anything!”
“Says the one who was spitting donut crumbs everywhere?” Octavius grinned as Vinyl quickly turned her head away, stammering to come up with an excuse.
“Yo, lovebirds!” Dash interrupted the pair with a smile. She looked at Vinyl. “You wanna come back with us?”
Vinyl nodded, standing. “I’m sorry, guys.”
Dash waved a dismissive hand. “Girl, if it really upset me when you get all dramatic, would I still be standing here?” Vinyl blushed slightly, quickly running upstairs to get her things. As Octavius stood, though, mister Scratch grabbed the cellist by his good arm. Octavius looked back at him.
“You be kind to her, you hear me?” His eyes told the cellist that the older man was dead serious. “You may be an alright kid, but that’s my girl. You fuck up, I fuck you up. Got it?” Octavius gulped nervously and nodded, turning to see Vinyl coming back down wearing a back pack.
“Ready to go?” She grinned at the cellist, her red eyes hidden once more behind her sunglasses. He nodded, waving goodbye to mister Scratch as he walked out of the door with Vinyl and Dash, heading out into the snow and back towards the diner.
Dash turned to the DJ. “So listen, Christmas is in two days. I’m finishing up Scootaloo’s room, and I’m going to make some treats for the party. Meaning I’m going to need the diner to myself for tomorrow.” She turned with a smirk to Vinyl. “Why don’t you and Tav-Tav go on a hot date tomorrow? Just be back by sundown, you two.” She grinned wide as Vinyl blushed hotly, before Octavius spoke up.
“You know, Vinyl,” he said. “I’d love to see some more of the town. Why don’t we go somewhere fun, then grab a bite to eat, and head back? It should be a great time.” He smiled at the DJ, who smiled back and nodded.
“Then it’s settled!” Dash clapped her hands together. “You two go out and party, and I’ll stay and get ready for the REAL party!”
The cellist looked down at the DJ who had spoken to him as they wandered the snowy streets, looking for an interesting store to explore. Dash had thrown them out into the cold that morning, insisting she needed the entire diner alone to prepare for the party.
“What is it, Vinyl?” He stopped walking, looking at her. He could tell from her downward gaze that something was weighing on her mind. Her normal grin was gone, replaced by a worried frown.
She quickly looked him straight in the eyes, seeming resolute on something. “I wanna know, right now, when it’s just you and me here,” she said. “No, that’s not right. I NEED to know, Octavius; do you like me?”
Octavius stared at her dumbstruck. His mind instantly went into overload. He couldn’t come up with a fast answer, but the DJ continued her questioning. “I’ve seen those looks you’ve been giving me when you think I ain’t lookin’. And frankly, I’ve been checkin’ you out as well.” She grinned at him. “You’re not too bad yourself. And then there was the kiss in the hospital!”
As Vinyl seemed to ramble, Octavius was still trying to regain his normal composure. Finally, he held up a hand to silence the blue haired woman. “Vinyl,” he started. “I –“
Both musicians jumped and turned to see a pink haired woman bouncing excitedly towards them. She beamed from ear to ear at Octavius. “Up and about there, buddy? That’s great news! How’re ya feelin’?”
“Well, I –“
“Hey Vinyl! Got any new records coming out anytime soon?”
“Actually, that’s –“
“What’re you guys up t-MMMPH!”
A purple gloved hand was slapped over the girls mouth. Looking to the side of her, Octavius and Vinyl saw another woman with dark purple hair with a hot pink streak through it. She also had striking purple eyes that went very well with her purple coat and gloves that she wore.
“I’m so sorry about that, sir,” she said, grinning politely at Octavius. “She can be a bit overwhelming at times, can’t she?”
“That’s not exactly the word I would use,” Vinyl laughed, mostly to herself. She looked over at Octavius, who seemed to be in a state of shock. She waved her blue gloved hand in front of the cellists face, snapping him out of his stupor. He turned towards her. “Earth to Tavi, come in, Tavi!” She grinned at him.
“Sorry,” he apologized, remembering his manners and extending his hand to the purple haired woman. “My name is Octavius Melody. And you are?”
The woman shook his hand warmly, smiling at him. “Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, mister Melody.”
“Just Octavius is fine,” he said, returning his hand to the pocket of his dark coat. “And the pleasure is all mine.”
Twilight smiled politely, then turned to Pinkie. “Come on, Pinkie, let’s leave him alone, ok?”
“But I know him!” Pinkie stared at Twilight intently. “I visited him in the hospital after his accident! I beautified his sling with pretty stickers and fixed up Ditzy’s chair with balloons!”
“And I’m sure they greatly appreciate it,” Twilight started to drag Pinkie behind her. “But if you haven’t noticed, these two were in the middle of something!”
Pinkie looked over her shoulder at Octavius and Vinyl, the wheels almost visibly turning in her head. Suddenly, it seemed as if a light bulb went off in her head and she grinned mischievously. “Oh, I get it!”
Twilight turned to her. “You do?”
Pinkie skipped along happily away from the woman. “Nope!”
Vinyl and Octavius watched the odd pair leave, then turned back to face each other. Octavius started to speak, but Vinyl placed her index finger on his lips. “I want you to carefully consider your answer. And I want to hear your answer at the party. Ok?” The cellist nodded silently, Vinyl finger still against his lips. With a smile, she dropped her hand and started to walk away, Octavius trailing after her.
Do it.
Octavius nearly jumped at the voice in his head, something he hadn’t heard from in quite a while.
You know you like her.
Do not.
You’re right. You love her. You know you want to be with her. So give her the Christmas present she clearly wants and say yes!
Octavius shook his head to silence the voice, eliciting an odd look from Vinyl, who merely shrugged her shoulders. They continued to walk, but now Octavius was glancing at the DJ out of the corner of his eyes every so often. He noticed the way the snow softly fell into her electric blue hair, leaving tiny white specks that slowly melted away. He watched her white tennis shoes crunch through the layer of snow on the ground, staining the ankles of her black jeans with water. He saw her shove her gloved hands into the pockets of her big white coat. And every so often, he’d catch a hint of her lovely red eyes hidden behind her purple sunglasses. That when he noticed the smile forming on her face.
“Like whatcha see?” She grinned cutely at him, flashing her brilliant white teeth.
Octavius quickly averted his eyes, blushing slightly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Vinyl chuckled quietly. “If it’s this painfully obvious what you’re answer will be, I cannot wait until the party.”
Octavius sat in the darkened diner alone. Night had fallen, and once again he was unable to asleep. He looked down at his broken arm and sighed. He knew he was going to need some serious work on his cello when he was all healed up.
“Hey there,” a familiar voice called from the back area. Looking over, Octavius saw Dash standing there with a grin on her face. “I knew I’d find you out here all by your lonesome.” She sat down across from the cellist, folding her hands on the table. She was wearing a bright blue long sleeved shirt and some black sleeping pants; her feet were bare. “What’s eatin’ atcha?”
He looked down at his broken arm in it’s sling, the stickers that Pinkie had put on them still there, sparkling in the moonlight that filtered in through the frosty windows. “I’m just thinking about how I’m going to be so out of practice by the time I’m healed. My parents may have been rude, but they had a point. I can’t afford this downtime.”
“Dude, just relax, ok?” Dash smiled reassuringly at him. She stood up and went to the coffeemaker, putting in the ingredients to make a refreshing cup of coffee, then walked back to the table and sat across from the cellist. “It’s all gonna be alright. You’re gonna get better, you’re gonna get practicin’ again, and you’re gonna rock everyone’s fucking world!”
Octavius couldn’t help but laugh at Dash’s little speech. He smiled at the woman and nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Dash. I think I will,” he paused, but just for a moment. “Rock their fucking world.” Octavius shuddered slightly at his own foul language, but grinned at Dash. She seemed dumbstruck for a moment, then slowly applauded him, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
“We’ve done it,” she laughed. “We’ve finally corrupted innocent little Tav-Tav!” She laughed even harder, clutching her sides. She wiped a tear from her eye, still giggling. “I suppose hell must’ve frozen over!”
“Laugh it up,” the cellist sighed, but smiled. “You’re the worst influence I’ve ever met.”
“Speaking of bad influences,” Dash said, calming down from her laughing fit. “How was your date with our resident DJ?”
Octavius froze up for a moment, memories of the day’s events flooding his mind. He felt a slight blush creep onto his face when he remembered Vinyl’s question at the end of their day.
“I NEED to know, Octavius; do you like me?”
“Judging from that cute blush,” Dash smirked, looking back from the coffeemaker she was now standing at. “It musta gone well.” She returned to her seat, sipping on the fresh brewed hot liquid.
Octavius sat quietly, wondering what to say. He contemplated telling Dash what had transpired that day. Finally, he sighed and looked at her. “She wants to know how I feel about her. If I like her.”
Dash nearly spit out her coffee, choking on the hot liquid. She pounded her chest, then stared at the man with watering eyes. “W-w-wha? Really?!?” Octavius nodded, looking at her with concern. “Man, tha-hat’s awesome!”
Octavius felt his face get hot again. “I think I’m going to say yes. You know, give her my affection as a Christmas present.”
“Ew, that’s super cliché, man,” she smirked at the man. “But it’s also kinda sweet. At least anniversaries’ll be easy to remember.”
“That’s true,” he smiled. However, his expression turned serious. “So Scootaloo will be here in a few hours. Are you excited?”
“Honestly, I’m more nervous than anything,” Dash muttered, her humorous demeanor gone. “Like, I know we both care about each other, and I don’t mind taking care of her for a day. But I don’t know how I’ll do as a mother figure.”
“Explain?”
“Well, it’s like, up until now I’ve been the super awesome big sister. I take her to air shows, I get her lunch, we go see a movie she’s excited for, you know, fun shit.” Dash looked down nervously. “But now I gotta be a mom. I’ve gotta feed her daily, not just once every couple weeks. I’ve gotta get her through school, be there when she’s had a bad day, celebrate her good days. I’ve got to be better than awesome. And that’s a lot of stress, man.
“I’m not saying I don’t want to adopt the kid. She loves me, and frankly I’ve come to love her right back. She looks up to me like I’m some kind of super hero. In her eyes, I can do no wrong. I’m her whole world. And tomorrow, she’s going to become mine. I have to love and nourish and protect her.”
“You certainly seem to have your work cut out for you there,” Octavius said. He placed a caring hand on Dash’s folded ones, causing her to look up. “But don’t worry. At least for the time being you’ll have Vinyl and I here to help out.”
Dash’s face seemed to light up. “Really?”
“Indeed,” Octavius smiled. “It’s not like I can do much with this.” He weakly moved his broken arm to make his point. Dash placed her hand on top of his, smiling warmly.
“Thank you, Octavius,” she said quietly. “You really are making a major impact, both on my life and Vinyl’s. Especially Vinyl’s.” Dash smirked. “You should’ve heard her when you were in the hospital. You were all she talked about!
“She really cares about you, dude. Don’t cock it up and lose her. Hold on tight and don’t let go.”
Dash smiled and stood, walking back to her room. As the door swung shut behind her, Octavius looked down at his broken arm. He knew it was definitely going to be a hindrance for a while, but it was wholly worth it. The car wreck, the broken arm, the hospital time…
… To him, meeting her had made all of them worth it. He smiled happily, staring out of the frost-covered window. He knew what he was going to say tomorrow, and he had a pretty good idea of how to do it.
Octavius slowly opened his eyes, looking for the source of the voice. He looked left and right, but from his chair could see nothing. He finally felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up. Standing behind his chair looking down at him was Vinyl. She had on a Santa hat and her sunglasses, and as she stepped around to the front of the chair, he noticed the white sweater she had on and the dark blue sweat pants.
“Sleep alright, Tavi?” She grinned at him and took a step back, letting him stand.
“For the most part,” he answered, standing carefully, his arm protesting a bit. He stretched his good arm above his head, careful to avoid moving his bad arm. He smiled at the DJ when he relaxed. “May I ask why you’re here?”
She smiled sweetly and carefully hugged his left side, trying to avoid his broken right arm. “I wanted to be the first to tell you something.” She looked up at him. “Merry Christmas, Octavius.”
“And you, Violet,” he wrapped his good arm around her, returning the hug before she pulled back.
“Dash has the whole front ready to go,” Vinyl informed him, pulling him by his hand out of his room. “She went to pick up Scootaloo.”
Octavius felt a grin tug at his lips when he remembered the surprise the girl had in store, eager to see it play out. He sat at a table in the front of the restaurant while Vinyl brewed some coffee. He noticed all of the streamers hanging from the ceiling and the vinyl snowflakes decorating the windows, as well as the Christmas tree standing in a corner, decorated with lights, garland, a few shiny red and blue ornaments, and topped by a lit up star.
Vinyl sat down across from him and handed him a cup of coffee, which he sipped happily, thanking the DJ for the drink. She drank her own coffee quietly and seemed to look anywhere but the cellist. Finally, Octavius spoke up. “Is something wrong?”
Vinyl shook her head, casting him a sideways glance. “Nothing at all,” she said. “Just… Anxious, I suppose.”
“About what?”
“What you’ll say.”
Octavius smiled and took a drink of his coffee, letting the conversation drop. He had his plan ready, so he was not worried about it at all.
Unexpectedly, the door to the diner open; Octavius turned around and saw David pulling in Ditzy’s wheelchair, said woman sitting with a smile on her face and her new camera around her neck. The door swung shut behind them as David wheeled Ditzy over to where the two musicians were sitting.
“H-hey there!” Ditzy lifted her camera and snapped a picture of the two, lowering it again.
“Heya, Ditzy!” Vinyl grinned at the blond, then up at David. “What’s up, Davey?”
Octavius nearly choked on his coffee, busting into laughter at the nickname while David simply rolled his eyes. “I’m fine, Vinyl. And Ditzy here is doing much better. She’s certainly getting better with her wheelchair.”
Ditzy nodded. “Yesterday, I w-was able to p-push mys-self all the way down t-the block!”
“That’s right,” David said, smiling down at her. “You did very well.”
Octavius looked up at David. The man reached into his brown trench coat and pulled out an envelope. “This is for you. It’s from the theater manager. It’s a list of dates when you can perform over the next year. He said when you’re feeling up to it, give him a call; apparently, he’s really interested in you, Octavius.”
Octavius took the envelope in his hands, staring at it. He felt ecstatic, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. “Thank you, David.” He stood up and gratefully took the man’s hand in his, shaking it vigorously. The brown haired man smiled and returned the gesture.
“It was least I could do to give you that,” he said. “You helped Ditzy so much while she was in the hospital. I owe you.”
“With what you’ve just given me,” Octavius held up the envelope to emphasize his point. “I would say we’re even. You’ve given me another chance at a future.”
Ditzy clapped her hands happily and snapped a picture of the two men shaking hands, Octavius still holding up the envelope.
“Can I get you some coffee, Davey?” Vinyl stood up, walking to the coffee maker with her own empty cup.
“Yes please,” he replied, sitting by Octavius. “Just black is fine.”
Vinyl nodded and poured out the coffee, bringing back his and her cup, setting his down in front of him before sitting across from the two men.
“V-Vinyl?”
The DJ looked over at the blond, who looked down shyly. “What’s up, girl?”
“I w-was wondering i-if you would make m-me a song,” she kept her gaze down the entire time she was talking. “I want something m-more to re-remember you by th-than pictures.”
Vinyl smiled and nodded her head. “Of course I will, hun,” she said. “I’ll make you the best song I ever did write!”
Ditzy looked up happily. “R-really?” The DJ nodded again. “Oh th-thank you!”
“No prob!” Vinyl looked at David. “I betcha Davey here could even put the song to some of your pictures of me and make you a cool little slideshow.”
“I certainly can,” the man agreed, looking at Ditzy. “It wouldn’t be too hard. You and I could sit down together and pick out some of your favorites and I’ll put them together for you; that way, whenever you want to remember Vinyl, you only have to watch the slideshow!”
Ditzy clapped excitedly. “Yes, please!”
“Then when Vinyl finishes your song, we’ll do that,” David said, grinning. “It’ll be fun!”
The door once again opened, and Dash walked in with Scootaloo behind her. Immediately, the little girl walked up to Octavius, whom David moved to allow to stand. The cellist knelt down to the girls level.
“I’m sorry,” the girl said, looking away from him. “I didn’t mean to be rude like that. I just… I got too upset and I didn’t want you to see me cry.”
“It’s fine,” Octavius assured the girl, placing his left hand on her shoulder. “Honestly, I’m the one who should be apologizing. I was insensitive and hurt your feelings. Why don’t we start again?” He offered the girl his hand. “I’m Octavius Melody.”
The purple haired girl looked at his hand, then up to his eyes, smiling and taking his hand in hers, shaking it. “I’m Scootaloo.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Scootaloo,” the man returned her smile, dropping her hand. He stood up carefully, looking at Dash, who smiled at him.
The rainbow haired woman walked up to the pair, removing Scootaloo’s Wonderbolt jacket and hanging it on the back of a chair. “Now, Scoots, wanna help me get the food set out over there on the counter?” The little girl nodded, following the older woman into the kitchen and emerging with plates of food, Dash coming back with a large ham. They lined all the food up and placed some plates at the end of the line, along with some silverware. Octavius felt his mouth begin to water when the smell of the food hit him.
“It looks wonderful,” David complimented Dash, who grinned.
“’Course it does. I made it!” She smirked and walked back over to the group, pulling up a chair from another table as Scootaloo did the same. “So what’s going on in this thread?”
Vinyl caught Dash up on all that’d been said, ending with David offering to make a slideshow for Ditzy. Dash turned to look at Ditzy with a grin. “Be sure to put some pictures of me in there too, mk? It’ll make it so much more awesome!”
Ditzy nodded with a smile, lifting her camera and taking a picture of Scootaloo and Dash together, who both smiled happily. When she put her camera down, she looked at Scootaloo. “W-who are y-you?”
David placed a hand on Ditzy’s shoulder. “That’s Scootaloo. She’s Dash’s friend.”
Ditzy looked at David. “H-have I seen her be-before?”
David nodded. “Not very often, though.”
Ditzy turned her attention back to the girl, and lifted her camera, taking another picture of her. When she lowered her camera, she smiled. “H-hello, Scoo-t-taloo,” she said happily, waving.
“Hello, Ditzy,” the little girl grinned, waving back.
Octavius looked at Dash. “So how many more people are we waiting on?”
“Actually, we’re it,” Dash replied, looking around. “So I guess the party can start!”
Everyone dispersed, playing different holiday themed games and sneaking bites of food from the bar when they thought no one was looking. Vinyl hooked up her speakers and played some Christmas music for them, though obviously remixed more to her tastes. Suddenly, Vinyl stood up and pointed at David, who was wheeling Ditzy around to show her the various decorations. “MISTLETOE!” The DJ was grinning from ear to ear, her pointing finger shifting from the man to above the pair, pointing to a small green plant hanging above them. David and Ditzy both looked up, then at each other, blushing like mad. Everyone else started chanting, “Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her,” Scootaloo and Dash banging there hands on the table in time. Vinyl ran over and carefully took Ditzy’s camera, lining up a shot of the two, waiting for the kiss.
Ditzy looked down shyly before returning her gaze to David and leaning forward in her chair, closing her eyes. David shifted his weight nervously before leaning down and giving her a light peck on the lips, the room erupting in cheers as Vinyl snapped the picture of the two kissing. David pulled away, blushing hotly as Ditzy sat back in her chair, her face just as hot as his. Vinyl gave the blond back her camera and sat back at the table with everyone else, picking at the plate of food she’d gotten earlier.
Octavius looked at the DJ, about to ask what was wrong before he noticed that the party was nearing it’s end. He needed to act quickly if he were to meet his deadline. He stood up and cleared his throat loudly, looking around the room to be sure he had the group’s attention. “Hey, guys,” he said, smiling slightly. “I just wanted to say something. You guys have all changed my life in different ways. You’ve given me so much, helped me in so many ways, and made me into the person I am now, and I’ve known you all a week!
“You brought out the best in me. You helped me understand what life is; it’s not rehearsals and performances, shaking hands with boring people you’ll never see again, then getting drunk to forget how you’re wasting your life. It’s having fun, real fun, with people who do matter, and who’ll be there when you wake up in the morning, and when you fall asleep at night. It’s about those meaningful connections you make with certain people, and about helping others when they need it.
“Honestly, you’re all my best, and really my first, friends. You made my life so much better, and for that I owe you all so much. But none of this would’ve been possible without one woman and her blasted dubstep.” He cast a smile at Vinyl, who smiled back. “Without her, I’d probably never have met you guys. I really don’t know what my life would be like without you all in it, and truly, I don’t want to imagine it. You all complete me in ways you won’t understand. And so we come to my main point.”
Octavius pulled Vinyl up beside him gently, staring at her. “Violet, you’ve done so much for me, and it’s only been a week. I think you’re the most amazing, kind, caring, and beautiful person I’ve ever met in my life. So, to answer your question,” he pulled the woman close to him with his left arm, holding her tight and leaning down to kiss her lips gently, holding her there for a few brief moments before pulling back. “Yes, Vinyl. I like you. A lot.”
The room burst into applause as the DJ felt tears of joy stream down her face, her hand pressed over her mouth as she sat back in her chair, all her strength gone from her legs. She sat there like that for a moment, smiling happily and crying, staring up at the cellist, who smiled down at her.
“Um, excuse me,” Scootaloo muttered, looking up at Dash. “I hate to interrupt this moment, but I gotta get back to the house. It’s getting late.”
Dash grinned and knelt in front of the girl. “Yeah, Squirt, I guess you do gotta go home, don’tcha? Well, before you go, why don’t I give you my Christmas present to you?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small envelope, holding it out to Scootaloo. The girl took it, opening it and pulling out the letter inside. After a couple seconds of reading, her hand shot to her mouth as she screamed into her palm, eyes shooting up to Dash, who wore the biggest grin on her face. “Welcome home, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo threw the letter aside and jumped into Dash’s arms, crying happily into her shoulder. Dash held the girl tight in her arms, laughing and stroking the girl’s hair soothingly. Finally, Scootaloo pushed away from Dash’s embrace. “Is this for real?!” Dash nodded and Scootaloo hugged her tight again, laughing now through her tears. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Eventually, Dash set Scootaloo down and the woman looked at David. “Mind to go get her stuff?”
David nodded and went out to his car, coming back in with a couple large bags, which Octavius assumed were full of Scootaloo’s things. “Thanks,” Dash said. “Take’em down the hall, second door on the left.” Scootaloo picked up the discarded letter and re read it one more time, then hugged Dash tightly again.
“Thank you!” She looked up at the woman happily. “Thank you so much!”
“Scootaloo, it’s my pleasure,” Dash grinned.
Vinyl looked at Octavius and took his hand in hers. Octavius tightened his grip on the DJ’s hand, smiling at her. “Thank you,” she said to him, moving close to him and leaning on his good shoulder.
He leaned his head on hers, closing his eyes and relaxing contentedly, squeezing the DJ’s hand in his.