In a Cello Mood

Dear Diary,

That was the best sleep I’ve ever had. I woke up… Um, we woke up well past noon. You see, at night, Vinyl started muttering things in her sleep and fell off the bed. Then she began crying. I thought it was because she was hurt, but she said, sniffing, that it was “a bad dream.” Something gives me the impression she didn’t tell me everything. Well, maybe I still have to earn her trust. So we spent much of the night cuddling (yes, Diary, I know this sounds weird but bear with me here) and drinking beer. I really think I need to have a talk with Vinyl about cutting on alcohol. For both her and me.

Anyway, we woke up well past noon, my hooves around Vinyl’s neck. I apologised for making her uncomfortable, but she countered my words by saying it was very comfortable. I went home, and really wanted to take Vinyl with me, but she told me she had to buy the groceries. Which probably entailed beer and crisps. I “accidentally left” fifty bits on the table. I hope she gets the hint.

Of course, Mom was furious when I came home, and I get her: I hadn’t told her I would be staying at Vinyl’s. But when I told her everything, she understood. She said that Vinyl could live with us, and sleep on the sofa in the living room. Considering Vinyl’s nightmares, it would be better if she had somepony to look over her. Okay, generally, considering the state of affairs, she shouldn’t be left alone. I’ll have to talk to her. Celestia, this is gonna be hard.

Anyway, I’ll finish this entry later. I have a lot of homework to do.

***

I have a lot of homework to do.

With this thought, Octavia rose from her bed and packed the diary into one of her saddlebags. The mare sighed and approached her desk wearily. So much work, so little time. She took up her notebook and peered into the lecture. Celestia, my hoofwriting is atrocious. For a few minutes, she stared at the paper. Wait. Tomorrow will actually be my first Monday as a uni student. So I don’t have any homework for Monday yet. She stared at the Introduction to Patents for some time. All right. Might as well do the homework for the whole week…

Octavia’s gaze fell on her instrument, which rested regally in the corner, a slight film of dust coating it. With embarrassment, the cellist realised she hadn’t practiced for almost a week. She walked towards the cello, running her hoof along the neck. Shaking her head, she took a napkin and began cleaning the instrument. In a few minutes, the dust was gone, and Octavia eyed the instrument with pride and love.

She took it up and sat down on the bed. Taking her bow, the young mare closed her eyes and ran her hoof up and down the neck, playing some scales. Content with the sound, the cellist played the first bars of Summertime. She loved classical, but Summertime was her favourite jazz standard, and she was intent on making a cello piece out of it. So far, she had sixteen bars.

“I like Summertime.”

Octavia opened her eyes, only to see Vinyl standing in the doorway, leaning against the open door, levitating a familiar pouch. “You forgot your moneys.”

“Money,” Octavia corrected automatically. “And I left it on purpose.” She eyed Vinyl sternly. “It is so you can buy proper food, and not… what you usually eat.” The cellist was about to put down the cello, but Vinyl motioned for her to stop.

“Sorry, Tavi, I don’t want money to come between you and me.” She placed the pouch on the desk. “How about you take me out to dinner instead? Like, a lot.” Vinyl smiled, and Octavia’s cheeks felt a surge of blood rushing to them.

Octavia wanted to say something, but just stared into Vinyl’s beautiful magenta eyes. “Okay,” she said in a tiny voice. She motioned for Vinyl to sit in the armchair.

Vinyl followed, closing the door behind her, thus creating a closer, more intimate atmosphere. Which was not at all lost on the cellist. “Play something for me?” she suggested, and Octavia smiled. She couldn’t say no to those eyes.

Octavia put down the bow and prepared her hooves. She knew Vinyl loved jazz, so she tried something new. She began with playing intervals, because she hadn’t yet learned how to play full jazz chords on a cello, if that was ever possible. The fat bassline-like line, major and cheerful, grew into development, with a solo in mind. The solo followed the development, swiftly transforming into the theme. Right where the piano was supposed to come in, Octavia began to improvise. It was a simple, in-key improvisation, and one that always returned to the theme, but, for a classical musician, it was rather adventurous. She wanted to show Vinyl her other side. She wanted to show her that she, too, wasn’t always prim and proper. She wanted to show that the two of them were more alike than they’d thought. Back to the theme, and Octavia finished the song with a smile on her lips.

When she opened her eyes, she saw, with some surprise, that Vinyl was up and standing close to her, gazing into her eyes with those beautiful pools of magenta red. “V-Vinyl?” What is she doing?.. She isn’t trying to… is she?

“You are so beautiful when you play,” Vinyl whispered, taking a step forth, blushing, leaning in…

“Miss, your mother is asking whether you and Miss Scratch will be having dinner.”

Octavia yelped and grabbed Vinyl by the neck automatically, falling back, the white pony on top of her, confused and rather… warm. Okay. No brakes on the creepy train. “Jeffrey!” she yelled, still holding a very confused Vinyl close on top of her. “What happened to knocking?!”

“I am sorry, Miss,” Jeffrey replied in a manner that said ‘I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary’. “I did knock, but you and Miss Vinyl were probably so involved in your, ahem, activities, that you didn’t notice.”

“There weren’t any activities!” Octavia retorted, pushing Vinyl off her. She turned towards the bedazzled mare with a smile. “Let’s go have dinner, Vinyl.”

“S-sure, Tavs,” Vinyl replied, trying to sound nonchalant, and followed the grey mare, who, despite looking calm, had only one thought on her mind:

Did she really try to-?

***

“And that’s why I think you should live with us.”

With that, Octavia put down her cup of tea, tossing her best charming and disabling smile at the white mare, who was munching on a biscuit. “What do you think, Vinyl?”

“I think you’re being weird,” Vinyl admitted, finishing off her biscuit and taking another. “I mean, I get that you don’t want me to be alone, what with the nightmares and what-not, but,” she shrugged, “so far I’ve managed to live alone. So I really don’t see the problem here.”

“If you live with us,” Octavia tried, sipping on her tea, “you will be able to have all the biscuits you ever want. And hot, delicious food,” she added. “Every single day.”

Vinyl raised her brow questioningly. “Are you trying to bribe me into living with you?” Octavia opened her mouth to reply but Vinyl stopped her with a grin. “Because it’s working.”

“Will Miss Vinyl be making a habit of visiting young Miss every day?” Jeffrey asked, having materialised from nowhere, as he put the dishes into the sink.

“Miss Scratch,” Octavia replied defiantly, “will be making a habit of living with us from now on.” She gave Vinyl an encouraging smile. “And Mom has already agreed to this.”

“You talked about me living here with your Mom?” Vinyl whispered. “Without talking to me first?”

“In that case,” Jeffrey replied, heading to leave the kitchen and give the two mares their privacy, “congratulations on finding your special somepony, Miss.”

Octavia blushed. “It’s not like that!” she called out to the butler, who had already disappeared. How does he do that? “So, Vinyl.” Octavia smiled again. “Will you live with us?”

“I dunno, Tavi,” Vinyl admitted. “I am pretty used to being independent. Living alone. It’s really hard, changing places like that. Besides,” she took another biscuit, “that would mean I owe something to you and your mom.” She paused. “And probably to your butler.”

“No!” Octavia protested heatedly. “You don’t owe us anything! Please don’t feel burdened by that… I just want you to be mentally healthy and happy.” She smiled. “I want us to be together, always.” In a moment, her face fell as she realised the possible implications. “I-I mean, as friends! As two good friends. Best friends. Friendly friends.” Octavia looked around, laughing artificially. “Wow, is it hot in here?”

“So,” Vinyl said, as if she hadn’t noticed, “what would my duties be if I stay with you?” Octavia winced at the word ‘stay’. Why not ‘live’? “Apart from doing the dishes and having sex with you?”

“Well, Jeffrey does the dishes and-” Octavia’s eyes widened as she looked at Vinyl, who was looking at her innocently. “Vinyl! I would never make you have sex with me!” Besides, I don’t know how it works… “I-I mean, if you don’t consent! I mean, if you agree, it’s-! I mean!” Octavia felt like she was hyperventilating, her head spinning.

“Woah, woah, woah, Tavi!” Vinyl rose from the table and poured the cellist a glass of water. “Calm down, I was joking!” She levitated the glass over to the grey pony, who drank greedily, till she was coughing. “Okay, okay. Look. I’ll stay with you. For today. Tomorrow we’ll see. Okay?” She extended her hoof to Octavia.

“Okay.” Octavia smiled and nodded. Hope tomorrow Vinyl decides to stay. “I’ll tell Jeffrey to make the sofa for you.”

***

Lyra shifted uneasily on the couch, almost pushing Bon-Bon off. “Lyra, sweetie,” the cream-coloured mare remarked. “Be more gentle, okay?”

Lyra grinned and dragged her mare close. “That’s not what you were asking an hour ago.” She kissed her marefriend on the cheek sloppily and yawned, then rolled over. “Wake me up when September ends,” she mumbled.

“Do we have any more carrot juice?” Bon-Bon asked, trying to free herself from the mint mare’s embrace. “I’m thirsty.”

“You’re always thirsty,” Lyra mumbled without turning. “For my-” She was immediately rewarded by the punishing hoof of justice that struck her on the shoulder. “Ouch. Point taken. I think we have some in the-” Suddenly, the mint mare sprung up from the sofa, her eyes wide open.

“Did you have one of your magical premonitions?” Bon-Bon asked calmly, shaking her limbs.

“Not a premonition.” Lyra shook her head, getting up. “Told you, it’s just one more thing that I know. Wanna hear a thing?” The mint unicorn grinned, winking at her mare.

Bon-Bon rolled her eyes. “An omniscient pony, and she decides to waste her talent on sharing gossip with her marefriend.” The mare smiled. “Of course I do.”

“It’s about Vinyl and Octavia.” Lyra wiggled her brow.

Bon-Bon gasped on her way to the kitchen. “My Celestia! Did they- I mean…”

“They made a very important step towards a relationship,” Lyra said, following her mare into the kitchen. “They decided to live together,” she spilled the beans.

Bon-Bon gasped once more. “Already? I thought they only began dating…”

“They aren’t dating yet,” Lyra clarified, opening the fridge and getting a glass of cold carrot juice for Bon-Bon. “They are just living together because Vinyl… well, it’s personal. But soon…” Lyra made a devious grin. “Soon…”

***

Octavia silently descended the stairs and aimed towards the kitchen. She tiptoed around the lamp and ninjaed her way through the living room, stopping for a moment to listen to Vinyl’s musical snores. So cute~ the little pony in Octavia’s head squeed.

The cellist entered the kitchen and finally allowed herself a deep breath. She hadn’t woken up Vinyl. And I have also forgotten to finish my diary entry, she reminded herself. Octavia opened the fridge and fished out a bottle of water. Just as she prepared to open it, she heard loud sobs coming from the living room.

Octavia placed the bottle on the table quickly and ran into the living room. There, on the sofa, Vinyl lay weeping, her head buried in her hooves. “What’s the matter, Vinyl?” Octavia asked, sitting down next to the white mare, hugging her. “Is it… a bad dream?”

“It’s Melody,” Vinyl said and nodded, sobbing. “My little sis.” She sniffed, burying her head in Octavia’s shoulder. She continued in a damp, muffled voice, “She was the wanted foal. Mom and Dad loved her. When the two of us were t-together, Mom and Dad would play with, with b-both of us… We r-realy l-loved-” Vinyl broke into tears again.

Octavia stroked her friend’s back, holding the white pony close. She wanted to tell Vinyl to stop talking and just cry, but then realised that the DJ needed to finally tell somepony… whatever she was trying to tell her. “What happened, Vinyl?” Octavia asked softly, nuzzling Vinyl’s cheek. “You can tell me everything.” Even if I’m sure I don’t want to know the whole truth.

“Mom and Dad took her to a vacation in-in…” Vinyl cried, shaking her head furiously. “They couldn’t know there’d be cliffs down there! She just loved to dive… She loved to dive so much!” Vinyl wept, while a traitorous part of Octavia’s mind wondered whether she would wake up the whole house. The cellist quickly told that part of her mind to shut up. “S-she… W-when they found the b-b-b-body…”

That was it. Vinyl’s sobs grew into hysteria, and she collapsed onto the grey mare, pinning her to the sofa. Octavia felt uncomfortable under the weight, but held still, stroking Vinyl’s back and nuzzling her shoulder. Celestia, that’s horrible. That’s just horrible. She couldn’t think about anything else, and, for a while, she just waited for Vinyl to calm down and stroked and nuzzled.

In a while, Vinyl ceased, relaxing in Octavia’s embrace. “M-mom and Dad pretty much never talked to me after that.” With that, Vinyl exhaled and closed her eyes, her head on Octavia’s chest. Octavia shifted a little, trying to make herself more comfortable, and closed her eyes as well. She waited, and, in a few minutes, Vinyl began to snore.

Octavia sighed very quietly and, pondering, kissed Vinyl on the forehead. “Sleep well, Vinyl. I’m always here for you.” With that, she smiled and went to a short, troubled sleep.

***

I don’t know what else happened to Vinyl, but, from what she has already told me, she has had just enough adversity in her life. I want to be there for her. I want to protect her. I want to see her smile more. I love the way she smiles. I would give up my cello just to see Vinyl happy and well.

I want us to have a life together. That’s not the sort of conclusion to make at five in the morning, but I want us to live together. As… very close friends. Now, I can’t say I’m not attracted to her. I have searched my feelings, and I must admit that I do find her pretty. But I will by no means pursue a relationship with her. If something goes wrong… Besides, I’m not even sure she finds me attractive. Not to mention that I don’t “like” her like Lyra and Bon-Bon “like” each other. I think. I don’t know. Maybe I do. It’s complicated! Still, I want us to be friends, and I want us to live together, and I want to help her any way I can, and I really, really wanna go to sleep.

-   a very sleepy Octavia, September 13th