The Light Through The Window

Chapters

The First Chapter
The Second Chapter
The Third Chapter
The Final Chapter
The Bonus Chapter
Christmas Special!
The Song Of The Wind In The Pines

The First Chapter

Vinyl sighed and fidgeted as she stared out the open window. The cushioned bench beneath her was soft, but not so soft as to be considered comfortable. The cool night air swirled around her, rustling her vivid blue hair and tugging at her nightgown. It was cool enough to give her goosebumps, but not quite cold enough to consider closing the window. The night air held too many smells and carried too many sounds for Vinyl to want to block it out.

She was up late, again. Vinyl had always loved the night. Even though she had to be at work barely after the sun rose, Vinyl simply couldn't resist the urge to sit by her window and gaze at the cityscape below. It had a subtleness to it that the daytime lacked. Waking hours were always busy and hectic, everyone in a hurry. The nighttime was more often people going home, to a friend’s, the bar, the movies. They were happy. Vinyl was happy.

She sat for almost an hour gazing at the sidewalk below, until she felt that she had seen most of what there was to be seen below, and so turned her eyes to a more parallel line. The buildings on this side of town weren't nearly as tall as the ones in the center, but they still conveyed a sense of minisculity to anyone in their shadows. Most were apartments and flats, with a few luxurious penthouses within view. Almost all were dark. Vinyl loved to stare at the lit windows, trying to discover what the inhabitants were doing. After many sleepless nights, Vinyl had found certain windows had a pattern.

That one, several floors up and down a block, was on from sunset until ten every weeknight. That one across the street, a few over and one floor down, always came on at midnight, and went back off shortly after one. That penthouse up there was always lit, all night.

And then there was that one.

Two blocks down, other side of the street, two floors up, third window from the right.

Vinyl couldn’t explain it, but one window kept her interest more often than not. Maybe it was the fact that there sometimes was a figure visible, simply standing in the light. Only a dark outline was discernible at the distance, but Vinyl thought it was female. She passed the building most every day walking to work, and she doubted a guy would keep such a pretty flowerbox outside his window.

Vinyl liked to invent stories about the figure. A brooding wife in a bad marriage? A mysterious and charming spy, long undercover? An author, hoping the city after dark could cure their writer’s block? Each story was more detailed than the last, and Vinyl had often thought of writing them down. She could write a book.

Vinyl imagined it would be a romance. Maybe one day, she happens to meet the owner of the window. Maybe it would turn out that the mysterious woman would enjoy the same nighttime voyeurism, and had noticed Vinyl’s lit window and silhouette deep into the night.

The thought made Vinyl smile as she rose and closed the window. Turning out the lights, she surrendered her body to the bed, and hopefully to sleep. A single lit window glowed in her mind, the nondescript outline unmoving. She smiled again as she crafted more details into her little story of the lovers, brought together by their beacons.

It never hurt to dream.

Octavia slammed the short glass onto the table, grimacing. The drink had flavor, but sometimes it was hard to distinguish from the fire that chased down her throat and singed her nostrils. She had swore numerous times to never buy cheap alcohol again, but that was a promise often broken. Sometimes, she just simply didn’t feel like going several blocks out of her way just to spend more money for the same end result.

Pouring another generous helping, Octavia went to the window, glaring at the city around her. She was far too low to the ground to open a window, lest the winds blow in the foul stench of the streets below. That smell always took days to get out, no matter how many candles and incense she burned. She wrinkled her nose at the very thought. She meant to bring the little flowerbox that hung outside the window into her study, but every time she went to do it, she thought about opening that window and paused. It can wait.

Sipping her fierce drink, Octavia glanced upward, trying to find solace in the buildings above her. They were giant, silent monoliths, apathetic to the people around them. Scattered windows shone through the darkness, signalling another restless soul. The musician in her attempted to find a pattern, a beat to which the windows shone and extinguished, and sometimes she could. Most nights she didn’t care, others she was seeing far too many windows.

Octavia knew her drinking habits were what other people would call ‘bad’. She knew that drinking oneself to sleep every other night was discussed on talk shows as ‘destructive behavior’. More often than not, Octavia would tell herself she was going to bed sober, at least mostly. But as she threw her carefully ironed suit onto the floor every evening, she would catch a glimpse of a bottle on the table, and couldn’t resist a glass. And another, and another. Damn those musicians, they drove her to drink.

The thought of work made Octavia grimace more than the drink she downed. She had preferred being an unremarkable cellist, rather than the conductor of the entire ensemble. She had never realized how unruly they all are. Nor had she ever realized how noisy it can get with fifty seven people all mumbling to each other. A whisper plus a whisper plus a few more equals a dull roar. She had spread rumors through the grapevine about abdicating and going back to the cello section, and was disappointed by the reaction. Or, to be more accurate, the lack of reaction. The apathy made Octavia want a drink.

No matter who waved the baton, the musicians played whatever music was in front of them, perfectly and mechanically. Octavia had spoken to the leaders of the various sections about putting some spontaneity, some soul into the music, but what happened was cringe-worthy at best. She had attempted selecting the most vibrant and rousing pieces she could find, but they played that too perfectly, turning an intricate and emotional melody into just another song. It confounded Octavia, and drove her to drink.

Turning from the window, Octavia sighed, taking a seat behind her desk. Opening the first drawer, she took out a pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out, she lit it and searched for her ashtray. Failing to find the proper receptacle, she instead grabbed an empty shot glass. Taking a deep drag, Octavia closed her eyes as she felt the nicotene sweep through her brain. It was a disgusting habit, to be sure, but nicotine helped scratch an itch that alcohol just couldn't. On the really bad days, Octavia would make her excuses to disappear for ten minutes, just long enough to pop up the roof for a quick smoke. So far, she hadn't killed anyone, so Octavia took that as a good sign not to drop the habit just yet.

Glancing at the clock, Octavia rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. It was far later than she wanted it to be. A hot shower, then she would be able to get a few hours sleep before tomorrow. The last show of the year, at least until Christmas. Three months without the ridiculous hassle that was getting a stage set up for a concert. Putting on these shows was the entire point of the orchestra, but Octavia desperately wished for someone who knew how to set up the performance.

None of the musicians knew, they only worried about playing their part. The orchestra wasn't quite big or illustrious enough to have a horde of trained minions, either. Part of the reason Octavia was nominated for conductor when Harmony had stepped down was that she knew how to do the chores. Mostly, set up. She knew which sections to put where, exactly how to curve the arrangement for the hall, the order the pieces should be played, all the things that she thought would be common knowledge. Octavia had made a pact with herself that if she could find an actually helpful assistant, she would pay them the same she made, and would do many more shows. She hadn't told the orchestra that, obviously, lest they nominate any monkey who had adjusted their own music stand.

One last swig and the glass was empty. One last deep drag and the cigarette was finished. One last look out the window, and Octavia turned out the lights and left the room. The hot shower was nice, but the alcohol had numbed her nerves too much for it to be truly pleasurable. Her expensive satin sheets were comfortable, but still she was fidgety. A familiar anxiety had crept through her veins, causing her to toss and turn restlessly. Octavia's last thought as she fell to sleep was a lonely one.

Vinyl hummed as she skipped her way to work. She was wearing a daffodil yellow sundress that clashed beautifully with her electric blue hair, and she loved every odd look that came her way. She had always adored being the oddball in a graceful, flower-child kind of way. She had resisted the urge to wear her favorite neon red pants, for today was the day of a concert, and she knew the managers would have a fit if she didn't at least attempt to dress somewhat presentably. It was one of the few times Vinyl was grateful to work behind a desk off to the side. She didn't have to worry about hiding her bra straps and the other nonsense the ticket counter girls had to fuss over. She just had to be pretty enough, and she was just fine with that.

The sun had barely cleared the horizon, but the city was already alive with the typical hustle and bustle. The windows on the bakery were already open, so Vinyl skipped her way through the door and straight to the counter. Coming to a halt, Vinyl bounced on her toes as she waited to be noticed. There were sounds of work coming from further within, but so far, her presence had gone unnoticed, and Vinyl wanted to be on time today. She called out in a sing-song voice.

"Carrot Toooop!"

"Comin!"

A large, fire-headed woman sidled her way through the doorway from the kitchen, stopping and putting her hands on her hips as she regarded Vinyl.

"Well good mornin, buttercup."

"Daffodil!"

Vinyl sang out her indignation at being called the wrong color. It was an old game, springing from a discussion about modern fashion and thier insistance on using more and more mysterious words to describe their colors. It was a daily ritual, as Vinyl always made a point to stop by the bakery ran by the woman only known as Carrot Top every morning, or at least the mornings she could afford the time. Vinyl wriggled back and forth in front of the glass case that housed the fresh pastires, wrought with indecision.

"I want..."

She trailed off as she almost said cinnamon bun, but then almost said croissant. She had almost arrived at a consensus when she was interrupted.

"I gotcha somethin back here. A bit of an experiment."

Carrot Top vanished and reappeared a moment later with something that smelled extraordinary wrapped in a paper towel. She thrust it at Vinyl.

"Here. No charge. Lemme know if it's any good."

Vinyl chirped her agreement and skipped out the door, holding the mystery pastry in her arms as of it were a baby. Once she was out on the sidewalk, Vinyl slowed to a walk and unwrapped her present. It resembled a very large cinnamon roll, all spiraled up, but without the frosting. Examining it closely, Vinyl made a plan of attack and bit in. A delighted squeal barely oozed past the burst of frosting that came from hidden inside the roll. Another bite found more frosting, as well as a sprinkling of cinnamon. Examining the pastry as if it were a science exhibit, Vinyl walked on towards work.

Glancing at her watch, she found that she was on schedule so far, and so continued her leisurely walk. The pastry was chomped down on again, and an unruly glob of frosting landed just below Vinyl's bottom lip. She just so happened to catch the eyes of a construction worker across the road, and Vinyl couldn't resist the urge to wink and seductively lick the frosting from her lip, making effort to make it look as suggestive as possible, licking her finger a bit to heighten the illusion. She giggled in fiendish delight as he dropped a hammer on his foot, and continued on her way. He wasn't even vaguely her type, but Vinyl felt assured she had made the poor man's day.

Another block, and the pastry was gone, the paper towel used to wipe away the last of the crumbs and filling. Another block after that, and she arrived at her place of work. Forgoing the main doors, Vinyl wandered over to the side entrance and found it held just open with a brick, the keypad on the door blinking ostentatiously in protest. Swinging it open and allowing herself in, Vinyl walked down the short hallway to her desk. Her coworker was already there, typing away fastidiously.

"Morning, Bot!"

"Morning Vinyl. Ready for another lovely day in the H.R. department?"

"Our little slice of hell!"

Vinyl hummed as Morning Glory went back to her typing. She worked as diligently as a machine, and so Vinyl took to calling her The Robot, or Bot for short. It was her belief that everyone had a name that suited them more than their birth name, a kind of personal identifier. She took perverse pleasure in devising the perfect name for everyone.

And on the subject of nicknames, Vinyl booted up her computer to find an email from the one person she worked with that she hadn't been able to find an alias for. It wasn't for lack of personality or uniqueness, but Vinyl hadn't been able to spend enough time with Octavia to know her very well. Morning Glory's voice floated from behind her.

"Hey, did you read the conductor's email yet?"

"I just opened it."

Vinyl scanned the email, enough to see it was a building-wide email, asking if anyone knew where the spare extra-soft sticks to the kettle drums were. Apparently the slight leak in the drum closet wasn't fixed, and it had dripped onto the normal stock, rendering them soggy and unusable.

"Hey, Vinyl. If the mallets are wet, can't they just dry them out? We have, like, twelve hours until the performance. They'll dry out by then."

"They'll dry out, but they'll still be useless. The cotton will shrink, and the mallets will be too hard. The second movement is when they use the softs, and it's a very delicate piece indeed. The drums are supposed to sound like a smooth rumble of distant thunder, and any harder mallet would make it sound like a galloping horse."

Without another word wasted, the two girls went about their tasks, email forgotten. Important notes were categorized, and important people were communicated with. The day was going about as well as could be expected until lunchtime, when another email was sent out, again about the mallets.

"Jeez. Still no luck, I see. I feel bad for Octavia. She works too hard for those silly lumps in there."

"It's her job."

"I guess, but it's not her fault the percussionists can't store their equipment properly."

"Kinda is. She's the manager of the musicians, as it were, and I think it's part of her job to make sure they know what they're doing."

"I still feel bad for her."

More hours passed by in close to silence at the H.R. desk. Vinyl hummed from time to time, tuneless melodies that caught her fancy. Morning Glory popped away from time to time for her smoke breaks, but Vinyl didn't partake. The urge to inhale dirty smoke from toxic chemicals never really appealed to her. A disgusting and expensive habit, one Vinyl was glad to not bow to.

At around mid afternoon, while Morning Glory was away on her sojourn, another email appeared. It was from Octavia again, and practically begging anyone for information on the extra-soft mallets, or at least a nearby source of some. Vinyl clicked away from it with only a tiny pang of guilt, the thought that she knew of an alternative. No, she thought, her old high school concert days were no match for the professionalism of this assembly. The taped-up-and-zip-tied solutions weren't welcome here.

With only an hour until the doors opened to admit the rich and influential, another email appeared. It had a red exclamation mark above it, indicating importance designated by the sender. It was another email from Octavia, this one a bare-faced plea, begging for some soft mallets, else the second movement was sure to be a failure. Vinyl sat back in her chair and thought. She had encountered this problem before, years ago, but she had assured herself that her fix was sure to be shot down. But, she thought, here we are, barely an hour until go time. Worth a shot.

A few key clicks later, her reply had been sent, to only Octavia, else she be mocked by the others that worked there. A few tense minutes were spent watching anything but her computer, almost afraid of the scathing reply that awaited her. The clock on the wall ticked it's perfect rhythm, and after only a single minute, a reply appeared on her inbox. Vinyl clicked, with only slight trepidation.

The reply was not the one she was expecting. In fact, she barely knew what to make of it. There was only a single sentence, requesting her presence in Octavia's office immediately. A small fear tried to make it's home among Vinyl's thoughts, but she quietened it. She numbly told Morning Glory to hold the fort, then set about navigating the labyrinth that was the path to the conductor's office. She demurely knocked on the door, hoping like hell that Octavia wasn't in, or was too busy, or some other excuse. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something about meeting Octavia made her nervous.

Her soft knock on the door was met with a dull "Come in," so Vinyl did as bade. The office was smaller than she expected, and far more cluttered. Sheet music made up the majority of the debits, but other documents made sure their cameo was noticed. The desk was nearly incomprehensible under the ungodly task of supporting the plethora of stuff, and the woman behind seemed as if she was determined to be mistaken for a part of the unorganized mess around.

Octavia sat at her desk, head in her hands and looking down. Her gorgeous black hair was barely contained in a ponytail, and her eyes were haggard. Rest seemed like a distant memory to this woman, as did peace. Vinyl gingerly picked out a path to the desk, and just as gently perched upon a stack of papers that had conquered the only other chair. Even in such a trying circumstance, Vinyl couldn't help but analyze the woman with an appraiser's eye. The woman was slim and smooth, her outfit fitting perfectly. Her jacket flowed gracefully over her curves, but her shirt seemed to be straining around the top buttons. Vinyl felt a slight excitement somewhere behind her belly button upon viewing the figure before her, as she did when spotting a promising specimen. She longed for Octavia to stand up, to better gather observations, but her wish was naught. She remained seated, ignorant of Vinyl's lingering eyes.

"You said on your email you might have a fix for our problem."

The sentence was dry, one born of begging past desperation. Only then did Vinyl notice the small bottle tucked away under a sheaf of papers, crammed into hiding at the last moment. Vinyl abruptly remembered why she was here, and had to put a lot of effort into controlling her nervous stammer.

"Uh, yes. Well, in a manner. I once ran into the same problem years ago in my school's concert band. We took the soggy heads off and wrapped the sticks on a roll of toilet paper, taping it on place. Then we wrapped the tape in a ripped shirt to soften the impact. It worked for us pretty well, but I wasn't sure if you would like it or not."

Vinyl sat in a tense silence for a moment as Octavia raised her eyes to meet Vinyl's. The eyes were a startling shade of purple, and Vinyl couldn't help but imagine the face of a supermodel in an advertisement, those violet eyes jumping out of the page, begging to be noticed. She knew her shockingly blue eyes were attention whores, but Octavia's eyes were far more beautiful. Vinyl couldn't help but grow increasingly anxious in the silence.

"I, uh, understand if you think it's dumb. I just thought, you know, you were so desperate..."

"Yes, desperate we are indeed. Fine. Go grab one of the wet mallets and do one right quick. We'll see how it works."

Octavia waved one hand on a dismissive gesture and wordlessly turned to her computer. Vinyl took this as her sign to leave, so she did wordlessly. Once out in the hall, Vinyl oriented herself and set off towards the equipment storage.

The walk was a short one, and soon Vinyl found herself sitting on a toilet seat in the ladies bathroom, holding a drumstick. Carefully pulling the cardboard tube out of the roll, Vinyl slid the stick into the now vacant center, and squeezed it tightly as she secured the roll with some tape she had procured. Examining her handiwork, Vinyl smiled. It was going as good as it could be, given the circumstances. The old rag that was to become the outer layer had been procured from the percussionists, and even though it wasn't as soft as a cotton shirt, it would do. Wrapping the shirt around the makeshift head, she twisted the rag around the stick and there taped it tightly.

Hitting her leg with the new stick a few times, Vinyl grimaced. The cheap toilet paper was still too stiff, with far less give than she wanted. Grabbing another rag, she wrapped the head again, smacking her leg again. This time was far more satisfactory. Vinyl left the restroom and went back to the percussionists, giving them the new mallet to test. While not quite as smooth as a store bought extra-soft, it was better than any of the other mallets. Explaining to them how it was made, Vinyl made her excuses and left, heading back to Octavia's office. She found the conductor just as she was locking up her office. It was now only half an hour until show time.

"Octavia! It worked pretty well. They're doing the rest of the sticks now."

"Fantastic! I cannot thank you enough for this."

The relief on Octavia's face was grossly apparent, but not complete. Vinyl guessed it was because Octavia hadn't heard the new mallets, and probably wouldn't until the concert itself.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to help. It'll be fine, no one will notice the difference."

Octavia didn't respond with words, instead choosing to lean in and give Vinyl a quick and professional hug. Seeming to not notice Vinyl's blush, she hurried off to prepare for the concert. Vinyl clenched herself and forced her cheeks to return to their normal color. Once she was as sure as she could be about the color of something she couldn't see, Vinyl turned and headed back to her desk. There she found Morning Glory typing away, just as she left her. She almost thought her absence had been unnoticed. She settled back in and continued her typing.

Several minutes later, Vinyl heard a sudden increase n volume that indicated the door had opened. Out the office door, she could see a veritable flood of soft fabric and sparkling jewels that the rich and famous adored. She turned her eyes back to her work and tried to ignore them, even though her gut held a small knot in the center. If the last second fix on the mallets weren't satisfactory to their ears, Octavia would be displeased.

She knew it was unlikely she would get fired for something so far outside what she had been hired for, but she would probably lose the respect and trust of Octavia, and for some reason, that bothered her. She barely knew the conductor, but she desperately wanted to know a woman that gorgeous. Silly thoughts, interrupting Vinyl from her work. She shook her head to clear it of distractions, unsuccessfully. She attempted working like a machine, typing many words and reading many emails. That did the trick, and Vinyl gratefully spent several minutes in ignorant bliss.

The crowd stopped roaring at each other, indicating the orchestra had begun to take the stage. She had managed to banish the thoughts until the concert started, and the music swelling in the abrupt silence. The first piece sounded as good as ever, and Vinyl hummed the tune. She had heard the song far too many times this season for it to be truly enjoyable anymore, but that wouln't stop her from trying. Far too soon, the piece faded, and the second song began. Vinyl held her breath, hoping to hear a nice, smooth rumble, but then realized it didn't come in until later on, and resumed normal breathing.

A particularly vexing bit of typing grabbed Vinyl's attention, and by the time it was done, the second movement was over. Vinyl sighed, as she had completely zoned out and missed the drums. She wanted to know whether or not her sticks had worked, but it looked as if she'd have to wait until after the show to complete, which was after she was released to go home.

"Hey, Bot, got a coin?"

"Yeah, here. What for?"

"Wanna flip to see if I'm gonna wait around here to ask if the mallets worked well, or wait until Monday and ask Octavia then."

"Screw it! It's Friday! Go home, put on something short and slutty, and go get wasted at the nicest bar you can afford. That's my plan. It's only ten minutes until quitting time, and the show should go on for another hour, I think."

Vinyl ignored her coworker except to roll her eyes, and thumped the coin. It went high, almost hitting the ceiling, and Vinyl caught it with deft hands. Slapping it against the table, she turned to Morning Glory.

"Call it."

"Tails."

Vinyl lifted her hand, and wasn't sure of she wanted to grimace or smile.

"Heads it is. I'm staying. You suck at this."

"If you wanna leave, then leave!"

"Not that. I just can't remember if you've ever gotten a flip right."

"You cheat."

Vinyl rolled her eyes again and smiled. She used a coin flip to decide anything trivial. Turning back to her computer, Vinyl began the closing process. Once the computers were shut down for the weekend, Morning Glory left, pausing to invite Vinyl to the club with her one last time.

"Come on, Vinyl! Let's go drinking. I think tonight I want to go to the Bannered Mare, out on Whiterun Road. Last time I was there, I went home with a surgeon! It's near super high-end apartments and such, but not too expensive. You might meet some rich sugar daddy."

"You know that's not how I roll, Bot."

"Okay okay, you don't have to go home with someone, just meet some guys! When's the last time you had a night on the town?"

"See you Monday, Bot."

"Alright, bye."

Vinyl smiled to herself as she sat at her desk, twiddling her thumbs in time to the music. Morning Glory wasn't a bad girl, she just had different views on life than Vinyl. Sometimes she wondered if Morning Glory ever believed her when Vinyl told her that she was gay. Morning Glory didn't have a serious bone in her body, and the few that weren't sarcastic were melodramatic.

Vinyl yawned, and realized she was tired. But , she never failed to follow through on a decision made by the coin, and so far it had worked for her. A decision suddenly arose and was made, and Vinyl left her desk. Leaping up a deserted staircase, Vinyl emerged at an upper balcony of the concert hall, which was mostly empty. Finding a vacant seat, Vinyl settled in to watch the performance.

Octavia hoped her perspiration wasn't quite visible from the audience. Waving one's arms about for extended periods of time was tiring, no matter who you are. Not to mention, it was moderately warm on the concert hall. Still, it was nearly over. The rest of this piece, then one short yet rousing song to end on a high note.

Not soon enough, it was over. Octavia turned to bow to the crowd, ever so graceful and modest. She left the stage as quickly as she could while still in possession of her dignity and immediately headed to the stairs. Finding the floor she desired, she headed to the door that would open to the balcony she desired.

Finding the door, Octavia opened it and peeked through, searching. The garish blue hair was immediately spotted, and Octavia moved towards the object of her search. Vinyl was still facing the stage and applauding along with the rest of the crowd. Moving along the aisle and then edging along the seats, she arrived beside Vinyl, where she took her part in clapping for the musicians as the last of them left the stage. She noticed Vinyl glancing to the side, then doing a double take as she recognized who had snuck up beside her. Octavia also noticed the trepidatious smile, and her mind was resolved.

Finally, the applause silenced, and the auditorium was overtaken by the sounds of a few hundred people gathering themselves and departing. With as friendly of a smile as she could muster, Octavia turned to her savior.

"Hello, Vinyl."

"Oh, hi Octavia. You surprised me."

Octavia's smile grew from being forced through weariness and into true cheer. The girl before her was a perfect amalgamation of joy and freedom. Her yellow spaghetti strap dress and her frighteningly blue hair were indications of an independent soul, one Octavia wished to inherit.

"The mallets you engineered worked perfectly."

"Thanks. I just reenacted what I learned back in high school, in concert band."

"Well, if you wish, I would like to buy you a drink. As a thank you, from me."

"A drink sounds lovely."

"Very well. Let me run to my office for a moment, and we shall go."

Author's Note

just a fun little story. I've had it in the pipes for probably eight months now, and last night got around to finishing the first chapter. holy balls, this was supposed to be a four thousand word one-shot.

The Second Chapter

The bar was cast in a soft grey light, just enough so Octavia could see the girl in front of her without squinting. So far, she had managed to make five drinks last as long as Vinyl's five, and the poor girl didn't seem to accustomed to drinking. Her smile was already growing lopsided, if just barely, and her consonants were beginning to soften. One dress strap had resigned it's post and had slid halfway down Vinyl's arm, though she seemed not to notice, or care. For some reason she could not explain, Octavia wanted nothing more than to reach over and pull it back up. The dress wasn't beginning to fall, as Vinyl's modest bust seemed up to the support task by itself, but something about the haphazard image edged on Octavia's mind. Too much time in the conservative crowd, Octavia thought to herself. Not everyone has to be perfectly prim all the time. As this thought crossed her mind, she realized she was tugging at the hem of her shirt, begging it to fall evenly. She forced her hands and mind back to the table and Vinyl, respectively.

"Would you like another drink, Vinyl?"

"Sure, but something virgin. You're not taking me home that easily."

With a wink and a wave, Vinyl shrugged off Octavia's momentary befuddlement and subsequent blush. Attempting and most likely failing to make a graceful save, Octavia grabbed both their bottles and walked over to the bar. She took care not to meet the eyes of any of the males on her way, as they all looked sleazy and looking for an easy night. Far too hard to find a respectable man these days, Octavia thought, before she remembered that she was at a bar, and guys came to a bar for that solitary definition. At least the bartender was a woman, which made it far less of an ordeal to buy a drink.

Leaning against the fine veneered oak, Octavia waved one of the bottles at the bartender when she looked up from the other end. Nodding, the young woman finished glaring malevolently at the cash register and walked towards Octavia, nimbly plucking two bottles out of the ice chest along the way. She wiped the excess slush off the bottles with a rag, and somehow pulled the tops off with an extension of the same movement. Setting them down in front of Octavia, the woman winked.

"These two on the house."

And walked away without another word or backwards glance. Octavia, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, grabbed the drinks and turned back to her table. Vinyl cooed softly as the cold bottle was deposited in front of her.

"Awesome. I actually was kidding when I said virgin, but I wasn't sure if you'd realized."

Octavia blinked and paused in the middle of her swig. She very carefully swallowed and set the bottle down, lest she choke on her words.

"Actually, I didn't. I was going to get you a root beer, but the bartender just set these two in front of me and said this round was on the house."

"That's awful nice. What for?"

"I haven't a clue."

Vinyl turned and stared at the bartender for a few moments, who was thankfully busy pecking at keys on the cash register. After a moment, Vinyl turned around, barely able to suppress the gut wrenching guffaws she was clearly dying to let out. Octavia cast her gaze to the bartender, trying and failing to find the source of the humor.

"What? What is it?"

"Her patch!"

Octavia looked back to the bar, not understanding.

"I don't get it."

"On her right sleeve."

Squinting, Octavia was barely able to make out a sewn on patch, high on the bartender's t-shirt.

"It seems to be some sort of rainbow design."

"Yeah..."

Vinyl leaned forward, a gleam in her eye suggesting a hidden meaning that she apparently thought Octavia grasped. After a moment, she leaned back and took a sip of her drink.

"You don't get it, do you?"

The gleam in Vinyl's eye was now positively nefarious, and her cocky smile was making Octavia's mind race. What was it? What suppoedly obvious message was she missing?

"No, not at all. All I can say is that I know two of the clarinet players have similar stickers on thier travel cases, but I have no idea what it means. I thought it was just a cute design."

"Mmmhmm. These clarinet players, they both of the same sex?"

"Why, yes, they're both male. I'm afraid I don't understand?"

"Describe them."

Octavia had to pause for a moment and ponder. Not the clarinet players, as she saw them far too often, but the motives behind this line of questioning. This Vinyl character was proving to be very devious. Hopefully the answer to this riddle would be forthcoming.

"Well, Braeburn, younger fellow. Tall, strong, muscular build. Looks fairly silly holding the tiny clarinet, but he does so with poise and precision. The other, Glow, older. Bits of grey in his hair. Very small guy. Quiet. Bit shy, but plays perfectly. He would be section leader of he weren't so demure."

"Mmmmm."

Vinyl bit her lip and wriggled in her seat a little. She was obviously weighing some information in her head against what Octavia had just given her, but it still had no connection to the confused conductor.

"Come on, please tell me?"

"Anything else about these two? Anything a bit different than normal? Are they close?"

"Oh yes, they're very close. I thought they were related for the longest, as much as you see them together. I later learned such was not the case, and they are simply good friends."

"Friends, huh."

"Are you going to tell me what's so funny about the rainbow?"

Vinyl was taking an impish delight in teasing Octavia, and ordinarily she would have begun to get agitated. But she just couldn't get even vaguely annoyed at something as cute as this girl, so Octavia humored her.

"Well, I'll tell you that those two are close for the same reason we just got free drinks."

"I need facts, Vinyl. I am lost in the fog here."

"Think real hard. Either of those two guys seem, well, a bit softer than other guys? Bit more delicate, maybe even feminine? Put a lot of effort into their hair, stuff like that?"

This question certainly caught Octavia off guard, but she rallied enough for a reply.

"Braeburn, not so much, but Glow, yes. He's very... Pretty, for a guy."

"Makeup?"

"I always thought so, but it's never been proven. He could just have been born with perfect skin."

"Well, what if I told you that he was putting effort into looking pretty?"

Octavia blinked. She had no answer for that, for it made no sense.

"Still not following."

Vinyl sighed and reclined in her chair. Her countenance was now one of insufferable smugness, as if she were about to teach Octavia a valuable lesson.

"Jeez, you are quite sheltered, aren't you?"

Octavia almost took offence, but decided at the last moment not too. Vinyl was a lighthearted girl, not one to purposefully insult someone in such an offhand manner.

"Please, educate me."

"They're gay. Probably with each other."

Octavia had chosen that exact moment to take a drink, and quite immediately, the contents of her mouth were violently expelled. Unfortunately, Vinyl had the luck of sitting directly in the spray's line of fire. The misting had been relatively light, but it was enough to make her light dusting of makeup run. Octavia sat, frozen, mortified. Vinyl sat just as still, in what seemed to be a state of shock. Octavia managed to regain her motor control first, and began grabbing napkins from the dispenser in the middle of the table and crossed over to kneel beside Vinyl, gently dabbing about her face.

"I am so, so sorry! I don't know, I just... I am so sorry! Please, I'll buy all your drinks tonight, I am so sorry!"

Vinyl regained control of herself too, but it was only to start laughing. It wasn't the kind of restrained, modest laughter they had so far enjoyed this evening. No, it was the raw and raucous laughter of one who had experienced something so damn funny, there was no hiding it. Several other patrons turned and stared or glared, and Octavia could do nothing but crouch there with a handful of napkins, blushing fit to light a match. After a minute of severe awkwardness that Vinyl seemed completely unaware of, the huge guffaws died down to a decent giggle and the other patrons turned back to whatever they had been doing.

"Thanks. I needed a shower."

"Oh please, I am so sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it, darling. It happens."

They faded back into silence as Octavia delicately dabbed Vinyl's face. Vinyl seemed to be enjoying the attention, closing her eyes and rolling her head to one side and Octavia did her best to clean the majority of the spill off Vinyl's neck. Because of the dim lighting, it was only once she was nearly done that Octavia realized that some had dribbled down onto Vinyl's dress.

"Oh dear, there seems to be some on your dress. I do hope it'll wash."

"It'll probably dab right out. Where at?"

"Right there, on your chest."

Octavia would have sworn that she had never seen such an evil smile as Vinyl wore when she spotted the single drop on the dress, just over her right breast. Vinyl raised her arms up in the air.

"Hey, you've got the napkins."

"We are in public!"

Octavia set the napkins on the table as she hissed at Vinyl. Her cheeks were threatening to turn red again. What is with the blushing tonight, Octavia dimly wondered. She was ordinarily a very composed woman. She would typically just scoff away the thought of rubbing another woman's breast in public, but now she could feel her face burning. She returned to her seat and quickly took another drink, looking around the bar and hoping the darkness would hide her rosy cheeks. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Vinyl had taken one of the napkins and was gently brushing at the spot. She couldn't prove it, but it seemed to Octavia that Vinyl was trying to make the procedure as seductive as possible. Maybe it was how the softly rubbed the napkin in a circular pattern, or how the other hand was gently cupping her chest. No, Octavia thought, she's just trying to be nice to the pretty dress, and holding it up so she doesn't push it deeper into the fabric. That's all. I'm just seeing things. Octavia barely noticed Vinyl's eyes, which had flicked towards her own for a split second.

"There we go. A quick run through the washer, and it'll be just fine."

Now that Vinyl had thankfully finished massaging herself, Octavia turned back, eager to return to the conversation that had been interrupted.

"So, you think those two are gay? How do you know?"

"The patch. It's not an ordinary rainbow. See the colors? It's recently kind of became the symbol for the gay pride movement."

Octavia looked back to the bartender with wide eyes. Her strangled whisper barely reached across the table.

"So, she's got... So do... Oh my goodness, she thinks we're a couple!"

"Hey, free drinks taste best anyways!"

Octavia knew her mouth was hanging open in an unattractive manner, but as she stared at Vinyl in shock, she couldn't help it.

"You know, a fly will land in there if you're not careful."

Octavia finally closed her mouth, but still couldn't get a real word out.

"I just... She just... I didn't... Do we seem like...?"

"I suppose. Fits that facts, doesn't it?"

Octavia shook her head, forcing her thoughts into order through mental prowess. Unfortunately, her vocabulary was somewhat slower in reviving.

"Right. So. That's an interesting thing that happened."

"It's an interesting thing, indeed."

Octavia giggled and took a sip of her beer, only to realize that it was empty. A glance revealed that Vinyl had finished hers as well. Another glance showed that it was past midnight.

"Tell you what. Let's do a shot of something hard, to keep us warm, then I need to head home. Long day, and all."

"Agreed."

Octavia made her way to the bar and ordered two shots, and both tabs closed on her card. The bartender winked as she poured the shots, and Octavia noticed that there was more than a standard ounce and a half in those little glasses. She picked her way back to the table with the utmost care, as she had let the waitress choose the alcohol, and whatever it was, it had been expensive. She set the shot in front of Vinyl, who eyes it trepidatiously.

"What is it?"

"Dunno. Let her pick. It was twenty bits a shot though, so drink up!"

Vinyl lifted her glass in a salute, and Octavia did the same.

"Cheers!"

Octavia downed her shot with the aplomb of much practice, but even her experience had to struggle to overcome the urge to cough it all back up.

"By the Princesses! This is good stuff!"

Vinyl wasn't as lucky or good, coughing as she set her glass back on the table. She didn't cough any up, and it was all gone, so maybe this girl had a bit more experience drinking than Octavia had guessed.

"How's it taste, Vinyl?"

"Like sunshine and hatred."

"Good shit."

"If you wanna call it that."

A few minutes later, they were outside, trudging down the sidewalk. A gentle breeze tugged at them, blowing ice their way. Octavia pulled her jacket tighter, and realized Vinyl didn't have one at all.

"I hope you don't live far."

"No, not too far. I was thinking about cutting across the Royal Center Park. It's not really shorter, but the trees block the wind."

"That's a good idea. I'm going that way as well, so why don't we go walk the park a bit?"

"Sure!"

Vinyl might have been cold, but after a few blocks, the shot made it's way around their bloodstreams and helped them both forget all about it. Damn, Octavia thought, that was worth every bit!

"So tell me more about you."

Octavia looked over at Vinyl, caught off guard.

"Uh, not much to tell, I guess. I'm the conductor. I was a cello player for about seven years. I joined the orchestra when I was still in college, studying music. I've been in various orchestras and symphonies. I've been playing cello since I was very young."

"Hmm."

"Hmm?"

Octavia attempted to make sense of Vinyl's reply. Her head was cocked gently to one side, lips pursed.

"Sounds posh."

"I suppose, yes, at times. We do put shows on for mostly the rich suits."

"Yuck."

"Yuck, what?"

"That means you always have to be prim and proper, all clean and modest and boring and stiff. All the silly things people think upper class has to be."

Octavia was about to respond, defending her clientele and lifestyle. But, her own mind intruded, it's not YOUR lifestyle. You don't live in a swanky penthouse and have four cars. You pay the bills and get drunk. Not really high class.

Octavia pursed her lips and tried to think of something to say to Vinyl, but the alcohol kept throwing wrenches in her argument before it was even formed. I hate dressing up formal. It's not comfortable. Too many rules.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess what?"

"I always have to be so formal."

"I always hated being formal."

"Me.... too."

Octavia realized she had spoken the truth as soon as she said it, and it was as if a great dam of suppressed feelings burst, punching her in the back of her eyeballs.

"Yeah. I hate being so formal, all the time. Everyone is always expecting me to be the perfect poster of conservative, and it's tiring. I don't get to choose my own clothes. I get a catalog at the beginning of every season, full of outfits approved by the board of directors. The musicians are the same way, only a much thinner catalog. We always have to present this perfect image, and any deviation form the expectations is met with the harshest of criticism. I hate it, I really do. I just want..."

"Just want what?"

Octavia met Vinyl's deep blue eyes and realized she didn't know how to end the sentence. She thought, long and hard, fighting the alcohol's haze. After almost a whole block in silence, she found a word.

"Free."

"I want to be free. Free to make at least some of my own decisions."

"You're a caged soul."

"Huh?"

"Oh, road cross!"

Octavia desperately wanted to have Vinyl explain further, but she was right, there was an obstacle. The park lay on the other side, but between here and there were four lanes. It was late, so the roads weren't choked, but there were some cars, whizzing this way and that every few seconds.

"Let's see, I think there's a crossing a few blocks that wa-"

"There's one right here!"

Before Octavia could react, Vinyl darted out across the road, Octavia looked both ways, expecting a blaring horn and tires squealing, but none were forthcoming. There was a considerable gap, with at least thirty seconds before another car would reach them.

"Come on, hurry!"

"I am not running across a four lane road!"

Octavia had to yell back at Vinyl, who was already safe on the far side. Headlights were getting closer, but there was still time. With a thin squeak, Octavia took off at a dead sprint. She kept her eyes on Vinyl the whole time, who was laughing. Before she knew it, Octavia was tripping over the far curb and into Vinyl's arms. Blushing furiously, Octavia stood, and turned around. She had made it across with more than enough time to run back and then forth again, but for some reason it had felt so much more intense.

"There! Come, there's a trail right over here that cuts right through."

Octavia just shook her head and matched Vinyl's pace, who didn't seem concerned at all about what had just happened.

"Like I was saying though, you're a caged soul."

"Explain further, if you please."

Vinyl did a little hop-skip and a jump, twirling in midair.

"You're caught in all these silly regulations and expectations. Some people handle them just fine, some need them to give a substance to their life. But you, no. You're a bird in a cage, and you just want to fly. Here's the trail."

They turned onto the path, and the first thing Octavia noticed was the blessed lack of wind. The trees were think, and blocked most of it. The trail was wide, and lit every few yards by a lamppost. They were alone on the trail, and Octavia couldn't help but slow her pace, enjoying the relaxed scenery.

"Maybe you're right. I've spent so much of my life listening and obeying. I rarely get to play music of my choosing. I don't even get to hardly listen to what I want! I have to listen to one arrangement after another, trying to decide which sounds better. A caged bird sounds like an appropriate metaphor."

"Well then, little birdie, break out! Fly away! Do your own thing!"

"But what would I do? I don't have any practical skills. I'm a musician, always have been. Where would I go? The majority of the people I know are from work, and I don't count most of them, or hardly any, as friends. The rest of the people I know are family, and are just as stuffy and uptight."

Octavia wasn't sure why she was spilling her guts out to this girl, or really where it was all coming from. Was this just the stuff that she tried to drink away every night, pushing so far into a corner of her mind that she forgot it existed? Maybe so.

Her delicate introspection was broken by a soft giggle. She looked over, and saw Vinyl giggling, looking down at her chest. Following her eyes, Octavia saw that Vinyl's nipples had grown stiff in the night air, and were pushing two little bumps out of the dress.

"Cold?"

"Just a little."

Vinyl reached up and gently flicked both of the small bumps, giggling again. Octavia felt herself blush again, for the umpteenth time that night. She leaned over and whispered to the silly girl.

"Vinyl, we are in public!"

"Hardly."

Vinyl looked up and pointedly looked around. Surely enough, they were alone on the path. They were far enough into the park that cars were distant, almost inaudible. Not a single soul could be seen braving the brisk autumn air. Vinyl flicked her erect nipples a few more times and Octavia looked away, or she was afraid her cheeks would literally catch on fire.

"Oh, I get it. You're jealous."

That got Octavia's attention, so much so that she stopped walking for a moment as she turned to Vinyl.

"I... hardly! I just chose to wear a thicker bra. Pencil erasers under one's shirt is hardly seen as classy or attractive these days."

Vinyl laughed again, the clear, chiming laugh that Octavia could learn to love.

"Exactly! You're jealous that I'm over here with my free nipples, and you're over there in your tight, constrictive, cagey nonsense."

"That is not what I meant by saying I wanted to be more independent!"

"Is it not?"

They had resumed walking, but only for a few steps, cause now Vinyl stopped and faced Octavia full on, her smile somewhat distant. Thankfully, she had stopped flicking her nipples.

"How is it not? What you said was that you wanted to be free, not caring what anyone thought of you or what you did. Well, here we go. If someone were walking down the path while I was playing with my tits, would I care? Not really. I don't care what they thought about me, whether they thought I was some stupid slut, or just a strung out junky, I don't care. I know that I'm just me being goofy, and that's all that matters."

Octavia had to stop and think. Vinyl did have a point, as odd of a subject as it was for the point to be brought up on. She was attempting to formulate a reply, something wise and thoughtful, but she was once again interrupted by Vinyl doing something ridiculous. This time, she had put her arms behind her back and puffed her chest out, stiff nipples casting little shadows in the lamplight.

"Here. Your turn."

"What!? No. That's just... No."

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, grasshopper."

"So, you're saying that if I flick your nipples, that I will somehow begin my transformation into a free spirit?"

"Yes."

Octavia couldn't help it, this whole situation was far too outlandish. She started laughing, the same kind of uncontrollable outburst that Vinyl had employed back at the bar. Pretty soon, she had her arms wrapped around her middle as she kneeled in the middle of the path, tears springing from her eyes in mirth. She was aware of Vinyl in front of her, hands on her knees as she too struggled to regain proper control of her breathing. At length and with great difficulty, Octavia stood. She wiped had face in her hands to regain her composure, and put on a blank face and stiff posture.

"Very well, Master. If I may be allowed to flick the Nipple of Wisdom, to better learn the path of individuality."

Vinyl was having a harder time bringing about a wise and dour face, if only because of Octavia's dramatically formal reply. But eventually, she did, returning to the same posture as before, hands behind her back and chest thrust out.

"Yes, Padawan, you may. Flick the Nipple, and so you shall learn. The left one, if you will."

Octavia had to concentrate to make sure her hand would stop shaking, from the cold, she told herself. She slowly reached forward and ever so gently tweaked Vinyl's nipple with her index finger. The moment she did, Vinyl let out a loud and deep moan, biting her lip. Octavia jumped back a step, and Vinyl resumed laughing maniacally.

"You should have seen your face!"

The laughter proved too much for her legs,and Vinyl sank down onto a nearby bench. After a moment of sheer terror, Octavia's legs felt rather soft as well, and so she joined her companion. They sat near silence for a moment, occasionally broken by Vinyl's soft giggles.

"I should be an actor."

"Only soap opera actors can get away with such over dramatization."

"Hey, it's a living!"

"And I swear, I've never seen a soap opera where a woman reacts so... violently about her nipples being touched."

"Hey, some people get off in weird ways. I knew a guy back in college who would get a massive woody if you pulled on his little toe just right."

"No way!"

"Serious as a heart attack! A friend of mine was dating him and she told me about it. So, obviously, one evening when he was relaxing and watching some television, I walked over and just pulled on it. Sure enough, pup tent central. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

"That poor boy must have been mortified!"

"Nah, he was cool. We laughed about it and had some beer."

"My word."

"Free souls."

Octavia turned to look at Vinyl, who she now realized she had sat very near to.

"This free soul thing, it's going to take a lot of learning."

"Well, you already had lesson one! You touched my boob! You're well on your way!"

"Maybe that will make more sense in hindsight."

"Hopefully this will, too."

"Wha-"

Vinyl had suddenly risen from the bench and stood directly in front of Octavia, hands on her hips.

"A free soul doesn't care. Both of my parents raised me to be comfortable as me, no matter were I am or who I am with. I live my life happily because I don't waste time worrying about whether I come off as a dork or an idiot. I am me, and that's enough for me. I might not be the smartest, or prettiest, or strongest, or most graceful. But I am unique, and that's more than enough reason to love me. Now, obviously, I have to care about my image on occasion, such as a job interview or with my boss, but this is not then and you are not, so I am free to be me. Nothing more, nothing less. All I can do is hope that you accept me. If not, I'll go on my merry way and you on yours."

Octavia wasn't sure what would follow such a deep and heartfelt soliloquy, but it sure wasn't what Vinyl did next. Reaching up, she slid the narrow straps of the yellow sundress down and pulled her arms though, letting the dress fall from her chest to girdle her waist. Vinyl put her hands back on her hips and looked at Octavia, a small grin dancing in her eyes. Octavia couldn't resist, try as she might, to look. Vinyl's skin was clean and smooth, glowing a pale white in the lamplight. Her breasts were perky and goosebumped. Octavia also couldn't resist noticing that the bra was one she had herself almost bought last week, a lacy, dark green, strapless affair she had seen in a shop window on the way to work one morning. She also had to think that she never could have worn it like Vinyl was, with sheer and unbounded confidence. Here they were, in the middle of the park on a chilly night, and Vinyl was in her bra.

"Stand."

Octavia was still dumbfounded, so she did without thinking. Vinyl took a step back and raised a single eyebrow, completing an almost comical image, before opening her mouth and once again spouting some sort of mystical wisdom and knowledge.

"Do you have sex with the lights off?"

"Y.. Yes."

"We need to work on your confidence."

"How?"

"Do as I did."

Octavia was sure her cheeks were glowing. She looked around and began to stammer. She began to to get angry, almost yelling at Vinyl. This girl was clearly off her rocker. Take her shirt off in the middle of the city, how could she be so crass!? Wait, the little voice in her head said. It was the voice she always tried to ignore, but there it was. You're not in the middle of the city, you're in the middle of an empty park. She's trying to help you. She wants you to be confident. She wants you to be free.

A look around the park assured Octavia that they were indeed alone. The path was straight for a ways in either direction, and Octavia saw no one. The foilage on either side was thick. The only views were straight ahead, where she was looking, and straight behind, where Vinyl was looking. Why not?

Octavia absconded her jacket, tossing it on the bench. She carefully unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it back. She didn't want to take it completely off, if only for the chill in the air, which immediately tugged at her breasts, raising sandpaper surfaces. She looked down at her plain tan bra, then back at Vinyl's cutesy lace. She suddenly felt very self conscious about her choice of underwear.

Meanwhile, the smile on Vinyl's face threatened to tear her face in half. She happily bounced on the balls of her feet, making her breasts bounce hypnotically in her bra. Her voice rang out, echoing in the trees.

"And here we have Octavia, illustrious leader of the Canterlot Orchestra, topless in the park! Such a sight, too. I'm jealous!"

Octavia laughed and looked down, then at Vinyl, comparing their breasts. True, she had at least a whole cup size advantage.

"Uh oh!"

Octavia instinctively wrapped her shirt and looked around, searching for the source of Vinyl's outburst.

"No, don't cover them up! I saw a stiffy!"

Finding no witnesses, Octavia pulled her shirt back again. Looking down again, she saw that indeed, the cool night air was working it's magic. Hers were much more grandiose than Vinyl's, as her bra was already fairly tight attempting to contain her bust. The nipples poked out with alacrity, and Octavia couldn't resist reaching up and flicking one. Looking up, she saw Vinyl do the same to hers, and laugh. Octavia flicked her other nipple and laughed.

"Can't have one get left out."

And so they both dissolved into more raucous mirth, flicking their nipples at each other and giggling maniacally. Pretty soon, they were laying on the frigid brick path, uproar fading away. Octavia looked up at the sky, and more than anything in the world, she wished that she could see stars. She suddenly realized that she was laying immediately beside Vinyl, topless, in the park, at night. An abrupt sensation rushed her, one akin to being drunk, but without the double vision and loss of coordination. Butterflys danced in her brain, and a smile refused to leave her lips alone. An epiphany hit, and she realized that she felt free.

"Flick my nipple, Master, so I may understand the path of independence."

Vinyl looked over with eyes the size of saucers, her smile all but gone. She whispered in a serious tone.

"Are you sure you are ready for such a trial, Padawan?"

Instead of speaking, Octavia stood and mimicked Vinyl's posture from before, hands behind her back and chest thrust out. With her, of course, the posture was much more enticing, as she had much more dramatic curves, even with a boring bra. She even had the perverse pleasure of feeling the bra straps stretch dangerously as they struggled to hold dear. Vinyl stood, hand on hips, a single raised eyebrow.

"Yes, Master. I feel free."

Vinyl wordlessly reached forward and softly poked Octavia's nipple. As she did, Octavia let out a loud, sensual moan, once again mimicking Vinyl. Octavia doubled over in laughter as Vinyl jerked her hand back as if Octavia's breasts had become poisonous snakes.

"I hope like hell my face wasn't half as surprised as yours!"

"Octavia, you're drunk."

Octavia straightened. Vinyl had adopted the same pose again, hands on her hips, so Octavia decided to make it more dramatic. She made a gesture of throwing her hair back, eyes to the sky, legs spread defiantly, chest puffed to the max. She was trying to pose like a superhero, and from Vinyl's jealous eyes, it was working. She winked at Vinyl.

"So are you."

Vinyl scrunched her eyebrows together and looked down at her goosebump covered breasts.

"That would indeed explain why I don't feel cold."

They smiled at each other, acknowledging the truth. They were drunk, in the middle of the park, posing like idiots, in their bras. Octavia felt more free than she ever had in her life, and it was thanks to this amazing girl right here.

It was, of course, in that moment of rumination, that Octavia's bra straps lost their fight. They were being stretched too much, and summarily broke. She had a momentary sensation of lightness and a bite of cold before looking down, scooping her bra and holding it up in place, but she had been too slow. Her bare breasts had been visible for a full second. She blushed again, deeply, and looked at Vinyl, who was actually blushing as well, for the first time that night.

"Dammit."

Octavia stood still, holding her bra up. She felt partially embarrassed, partially irritated. This was a good bra, and she had broken it, being dumb. She smiled a weak half smile at Vinyl, who was still slack jawed. After a moment, though, Vinyl's shock wore off, and she replaced it with a cocky half grin. Before Octavia could wonder what this wild woman was going to do, she did it.

Vinyl reached one hand behind her back, and in one smooth motion, unhooked her bra and yanked it off. She held it over her head in triumph, breasts bare in the lamplight. Octavia was paralyzed in shock for only a moment. Oh, what the hell.

Reaching back, she unhooked her bra and let it fall into her hands. The cold nipped her breasts more fiercely than before, but she ignored it. Enjoyed it, even. She smiled at Vinyl, who was eyeing her appreciatively, then decided to do something even more wild. With a whoop, Octavia turned and tossed to broken bra high into the limbs of a tree. It caught and hung, waving gently in a breeze not felt down below. It was soon followed by another whooping cheer, and pretty green lace soon joined it, if a few branches higher. Vinyl laughed and fist pumped.

"Ha! Mine's higher!"

Octavia returned the fist pump with a cocky grin of her own.

"Ha! Mine's bigger!"

Vinyl stuck her tongue out, but her eyes were on Octavia's chest.

"I will not argue. My, you really do have some glorious tits."

"Thank you, although I say, yours look so much easier to live with."

"Trade!"

"Deal!"

A tiny breeze blew through the trees then, making both the girls shiver and wrap their arms around themselves. Octavia pulled her shirt back up front and buttoned enough of the buttons to hold it in place. Vinyl pouted a mock pout.

"Aww! I was admiring them!"

"Any more, and I'll have to charge. Besides, I am freezing. Aren't you cold?"

"A bit."

Vinyl made her admission and pulled her dress back up, the thin straps going back over her shoulders. Octavia picked her coat up off the bench, and was about to pull it on, when she saw Vinyl shiver and realized the poor girl didn't have a jacket. Vinyl was facing the opposite direction, looking up at the bras dancing in the tree, so Octavia was able to sneak up behind her and throw the jacket over her shoulders.

"Here. It's thin, but you look cold. My shirt's long sleeved, I'll be fine."

Vinyl tried to pull the jacket off, but Octavia held it in place.

"No, Vinyl, I insist."

"Oh, it's okay, I don't live far."

"Neither do I."

"Really, I'm fine."

"Really, me too."

Vinyl simply stuck her tongue out again, and Octavia knew she had won.

"You can't win against me. I've had far too much practice at arguing."

"I'll remember that. Which way do you live?"

"That way, off Eleventh."

"Me too! I live on Eleventh as well, but several blocks down."

"Well, I'll walk you most of the way home, then."

They smiled at each other and began the walk. It wasn't far, but to Octavia it wasn't far enough. She enjoyed this girl; this wild, silly, free individual. Far sooner than she wanted, they parted ways, Vinyl promising to bring the jacket with her to work Monday, and Octavia telling her not to worry about it. Then Vinyl was gone, hop-skipping into the darkness.

Octavia rushed home, where she immediately turned the heat up and wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. She was dozy, and felt herself drifting to sleep. Her last thought before losing consciousness was a happy one.

Author's Note

SHENANIGANS!

This chapter is sponsored by the word nipple.

The Third Chapter

Vinyl hummed quietly as she braided Octavia's hair. The flowing black locks were smooth and soft, and Vinyl liked the way it fell through her fingers. It was such a lovely night, and Vinyl couldn't wish for anyone else to spend it with. Granted, she doubted Octavia realized the depth or manner of Vinyl's infatuation, but she was happy all the same.

Vinyl hummed, tune changing on her whim. She had heard a song on the radio earlier, and it had gotten stuck in her head. It was a sad song, but it made her feel happy all the same. She gave a final twist on a braid, and tied it off with a purple ribbon. Her task done, she tapped Octavia on the should and leaned back into the soft couch.

They were in Vinyl's apartment, Vinyl on the sofa, and Octavia cross legged in the floor in front of her. The television was on, playing an older movie that Octavia had squealed in glee when she discovered Vinyl owned. She had demanded it go in first, before the new movie they had rented. Vinyl had made a remark about Octavia's unremarkable ponytail, and that was the story on how they came to their present situation, Octavia giggling every few minutes.

"I swear, modern movies just don't have the one liners the older ones do! Hmm."

Vinyl handed Octavia a hand mirror and she contemplated her new hairdo. A braid began at either temple and followed her scalp, leading into one long and intricate braid which fell down the center of her back. It was all tied off with some purple ribbon Vinyl had found in her closet, leftover from some Hearth's Warming Eve or another.

"It's beautiful."

"It suits you."

Octavia smiled and very nearly blushed, turning back to the movie. Instead of climbing back on the couch, as Vinyl expected, she instead leaned back against Vinyl's legs. Since she was so engrossed in the movie, she didn't see Vinyl's blush. Vinyl sought about for something to keep her hands occupied, but found nothing within reach, and she was damned of she would move from her spot, lest Octavia find a more comfortable perch. Since no other distraction was forthcoming, it wasn't five minutes before Vinyl found her hands back in Octavia's hair. The existing braids were delicately torn apart, and a new one began to take their place. It was a simple braid, and didn't take long, and all too soon she was done again. Octavia barely glanced at it, just purring in satisfaction, leaning again on Vinyl's legs, taking this as permission to further continue styling, she again took the braid apart, replacing it with a third large braid that fell off to one side. With a flick of her wrist, Vinyl sent the braid over Octavia's left shoulder. Giggling softly, Octavia stroked it, then let it fall back against her chest. Since the braid was now out of polite reach, Vinyl folded her hands and watched the movie.

Octavia picked up her glass and took a drink, the last few drops falling between those lovely rose lips. Vinyl spend a moment admiring them, with only a twinge of longing. She was pretty sure Octavia hadn't been wearing it earlier at work, nor could she remember Octavia ever actually wearing lipstick. She certainly hadn't been earlier this week, when Octavia had approached her and asked of she would like to spend time this weekend. Apologies were already on Vinyl's tongue about the previous weekend, when they had both had a bit too much to drink and ended up nearly naked in the park. Before they had escaped, however, Vinyl found herself saying they should spend the weekend in, lest they wreck more havoc upon the city's innocent parks. Their bras still hung in the grand old oak tree, as Vinyl couldn't resist the urge to walk over one day midweek on lunch. An agreement was struck, and Vinyl had made sure to buy some fine wine and rent a new movie that was supposed to be fantastic.

"Oh dear, empty again."

Octavia rose and Vinyl immediately missed her warmth on her legs. Octavia stood and turned, spotting Vinyl's similarly empty glass. Vinyl followed her gaze, decided that she wanted some more as well. She grabbed her glass and made to stand, but Octavia's hand met her shoulder, pushing her back onto the couch while the glass was liberated from Vinyl's hand in one deft movement. Octavia went to the table on the far side of the room, and even though she was wearing sweatpants, Vinyl had the best view in the house as she watched Octavia's hips swing. Even baggy pants couldn't hide that magnificent form. Octavia bent slightly as she was pouring more wine into the cups, and Vinyl had to bite her lip and clench her fists. She HAS to know how teasing she's being. Vinyl hurriedly resumed a normal countenance as Octavia turned around, but it was hard indeed, for the view from the front was as good, if not better, than from behind. The only light in the room was the one from the television, so Octavia was half shrouded in shadow, half in a dull glow. Her baggy grey sweats and simple white t-shirt might have appeared plain on some, but with curves like that, Octavia was radiant in anything and any angle.

Handing Vinyl her newly full glass, Octavia carefully balanced her own as she lowered herself onto the floor, once again leaning against Vinyl's legs. Vinyl sipped her sweet wine and furrowed her brows. This has to be a sign of some sort, but I could have sworn Octavia was straight. Treacherous thoughts clouded her mind. She spent the rest of the movie in silence, thinking and sipping. She had seen the movie far too many times to gain much enjoyment, as she had pretty much the entire script memorized by now. The one liners were brilliant, to be sure, but Vinyl saw them in her head a second before they were growled in bravado by the surly main character.

Before long, the credits were rolling, main bad guy vanquished and the woman wooed. Octavia crawled forward on all fours to change the discs, and Vinyl had another heart attack. Did Octavia realize how sexy she was? Vinyl doubted it. She was giving Vinyl too many good views, seemingly on accident. Either she's teasing me, or actually in ignorance of her charms. As the new movie began, Octavia returned to Vinyl, curling her legs up to her chest and resting her head on Vinyl's right knee. Relaxed as she was, Vinyl was so tense, it was a wonder Octavia didn't notice. Maybe she was just absorbed in the movie, as Vinyl soon was. The main bad guy turned out not to be the main bad guy, as another, more powerful villain arose. There was magic and dragons, shouting and crying, swords and spells and much killing before the movie reached it's dramatic, if incomplete, conclusion. Octavia was clearly displeased with the ending.

"Ugh! What is it with modern movies in turning everything into a million sequels? This movie would have been brilliant with just a few tiny changes! Boethiah could have killed Azura, and Akatosh could have taken the throne, and everyone would be happy! But noooo, we have to endure at least two more installments before anything conclusive happens."

"I suppose. I don't mind a series, as long as it's good. Very few movies can have a good sequel, but I think this director can pull it off."

"I'll give it the benefit of the doubt."

Octavia rose and went back to the wine bottle at the table, but found it empty.

"Well, there's one bottle down. Where's the other?"

"Chilling in the fridge. Just bring it over here, so you don't have to keep getting up."

Octavia did, and put in a movie she had brought. It was one Vinyl didn't recognize, some sickly sweet romance, if the cover held true. She didn't think it would be very good, but the first ten minutes held nothing less than an absolutely side-splitting incident involving a dog, a mailbox, and three midgets, all culminating in a beautifully witty one liner. Octavia was resting on Vinyl's legs again, and had to lean forward, lest the she shaken apart by Vinyl's guffaws. Resuming her place, Octavia watched the movie quietly, while Vinyl did her best to laugh herself to death. As the credits appeared, Vinyl wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I can't believe I haven't seen that before! That was epic."

"I told you that you'd like it. Now let's see, I guess I'll put in- Oh dammit!"

Octavia had forgotten that she was holding another full wine glass and had quickly leaned forward to look at the movies, the result being wine gracing the front of her shirt.

"Here, it's white wine, I'll throw it in the washer before it dries. It should come right out. I'll get you-"

Vinyl had been saying she would get something for Octavia to wear while the shirt washed, but Octavia interrupted her by taking the shirt off, rendering Vinyl speechless. Instead of a plain bra like last time, now Octavia was wearing a ridiculously sexy red bra, little silver patterns crossing this way and that. Vinyl gawped for a moment, then remembered her host duties, taking the shirt, Vinyl took it the the back room, where the antiquated washer resided. Throwing it in and pushing the button, Vinyl had to reach in and splash a bit of the cold water on her face, wiping off with a towel that happened to be near. When she returned to the living room, another movie had already been set to play, and Octavia had fetched another bottle of wine. Vinyl realized her nose was going numb, a sign she was getting drunk, but Octavia seemed quite content to sip away, perhaps the beginnings of a blush on her cheeks.

Vinyl resumed her seat behind Octavia, and was subsequently leaned upon. They stayed that was until the movie was half over, when Octavia went to the restroom, coming back and sitting beside Vinyl on the couch. Vinyl didn't have a chance to miss her warmth, however, as Octavia had claimed her left shoulder, taking the only blanket and throwing it over the both of them. They were warm, Octavia was warm, and Vinyl was happy. The movie was a sweet one, full of love and cute moments. Noticing her glass was empty, Vinyl leaned forward and refilled her own, and Octavia passed hers to be filled as well, she was about to settle back in when Octavia sat up.

"Hey, this isn't fair."

"What?"

Octavia leaned forward and grabbed the hem of Vinyl's shirt, lifting. Vinyl obliged and raised her arms to that the shirt could be taken off before it was slung across the room. Vinyl had chosen an old and comfortable bra, plain black, and the irony wasn't lost on Octavia.

"Ha! My turn to be the sexy one."

"You're always the sexy one."

Octavia blushed and covered herself with the blanket, and Vinyl giggled, though inwardly she was shaken with disbelief. Octavia had removed her shirt by her own accord. Maybe... Maybe Octavia realized how Vinyl felt? Maybe there was a chance that... No. Think rationally. She's just drunk and silly. Nothing mo-

Vinyl's thought were interrupted by Octavia, who had grabbed her and pushed into laying the the couch. Vinyl barely managed to avoid spilling the glass in her hand, but she did. Octavia's face loomed close, and Vinyl wondered for a brief span if they were going to kiss. Her heart raced and her face flushed with heat. She wondered of she was blushing, but Octavia looked away, back to the television, settling her head on Vinyl's chest, just below her chin and just above her breasts. A crisis avoided, Vinyl delicately set the glass on the end table beside her. The blanket was now around both of them, and Vinyl felt every single square inch that Octavia's skin touched hers. She was vibrantly aware of Octavia's breasts, pressing against the bottom of her own. Octavia was warm, and her skin was soft, and Vinyl felt herself begin to get aroused. It was only with a massive force of will over several minutes that Vinyl managed to suppress such feelings, but even so, she felt a heat building in her lower abdomen. Despite her best efforts, she wriggled just a bit under Octavia, who looked up.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

Vinyl had to smile. The innocence in those eyes melted her heart.

"No. If anything, I'm too comfortable."

Octavia giggled a bit, and the last of Vinyl's heart melted away like hot wax. Octavia settled back down, and Vinyl turned back to the movie, where the main couple were kissing on a beach at some island resort, happy at last. Credits began to roll, but neither Octavia nor Vinyl moved to put another in. Minutes passed, and soon the credits were over, going back to the title screen. The same irritating music played it's thirty second loop, over and over. Finding the remote an the floor by her hand, Vinyl turned the television off. The room was now dark and quiet, as the washer had completed it's cycle. Vinyl's hands had simply lain limp, but now she was bold, as the second bottle of wine had been emptied. She gently lifted them and, ever so slowly, wrapped her arms around Octavia. After what felt like several hours, but was in fact only a few minutes, as a glance at the clock showed, Vinyl felt Octavia shift. Her soft voice crept through the darkness.

"Vinyl, are you gay?"

Vinyl had to laugh. Something about the question met with the circumstance was so ridiculous, Vinyl could do nothing but laugh, and be honest.

"Yes."

"Thought so."

Without further words or actions, Octavia lay her head back on Vinyl's chest, just above her heart, and fell asleep. Vinyl, trapped as she was, could only wonder, thoughts going off like fireworks. Eventually, she fell asleep as well, thoughts of cherubs and roses on her mind. The last dim thought as her mind faded to black was whether or not they would ever kiss.

Author's Note

huehuehuehuehuehuehuehuehue

The Final Chapter

It was now a week since Octavia had first gone to Vinyl's apartment, and they had made the appointment again. Friday afternoon, Octavia made her excuses and left work the second she could. She got off an hour later than Vinyl, so instead of going home as per the usual, she went directly to Vinyl's apartment.

The air was very chilly, this afternoon. It was getting later in the fall, and Octavia doubted if their night out two weeks ago would have gone nearly the same if it were this cold. The thought struck her again. She had thoroughly enjoyed that night, as well as last weekend, when she had became topless yet again, and had fallen asleep on top of Vinyl. Both times, Octavia blamed it on the drink. Tonight, she had resolved with herself, there would be no drink. She barely remembered asking Vinyl if she was gay, and ever so slightly remembered the answer. Even now, the memory made her heart race. She had known Vinyl was a lesbian, but still, she had fallen asleep on top of the girl without a shirt on. Octavia wasn't gay, to be sure, but for some reason, she took pleasure in thinking how she must have affected Vinyl. She was drunk, as two entire bottles of good wine had been downed between the two of them, but she remembered feeling Vinyl's heart beating a tango as she lay on her chest.

Octavia came to the right building, and entered the lift, pushing a button for the right floor. A minute later, she stepped out into the narrow corridor. Vinyl lived at the far end, on the corner. Octavia knocked, and was answered fairly quickly. Vinyl was in a pair of absolutely minuscule black shorts and a tank top thin enough that Octavia could see was no bra underneath.

"Heya!"

"Evening, Vinyl. I decided to come straight here after work, so if you'll excuse my attire."

Vinyl laughed and waved Octavia in. She was still in one of her conductor outfits, which meant black suit pants, white button up shirt, and large black tailcoat. Setting her purse down beside her, Octavia sank into the soft couch, she felt Vinyl perch beside her and looked over.

"So, what's the game plan tonight?"

"Dunno."

Vinyl shrugged and grinned, and Octavia grinned back. She tried to stretch her back,but her clothes were too constricting to allow for such movement. Without thinking, Octavia tossed her jacket over by her purse and reached under her shirt to undo her bra. The pesky affair was tossed off to the side, and Octavia felt much more at ease. She looked over to see Vinyl's eyes all over her. Octavia blushed and smiled, unbuttoning the top two buttons of her shirt.

"Any more and I'll have to charge."

Vinyl jumped and looked away, her cheeks red. Octavia thought she was too cute when she blushed. They sat in silence for a minute, and Vinyl seemed to be thinking rather hard. After a time, she finally managed some words.

"Octavia, I don't know if you remember, as you were a bit drunk and half asleep, but last week you asked me of I were gay."

"Yes, I remember."

"Do you remember what I said."

"Yes."

"Then you must know what you're doing to me right now."

"Teasing like a fool."

Octavia winked and put a hand on Vinyl's knee. Uh oh, she thought, what are you doing!? You're not even drunk yet, and yet you're being so cruel to this girl. Behave yourself.

"Well, what are you doing, then? I could have sworn you were straight."

"Maybe I'm curious."

Octavia realized the truth a second later then she uttered the words. She wasn't exactly curious about girls per se, she was just curious about Vinyl. Something about this girl was everything she ever wanted. Why can't these epiphanies come to me when I want them, rather than a second after I say it?

Vinyl's blush was exceptional, and Octavia removed her hand. Very aware of what she was doing, Octavia rose and pulled her pants off. Her underwear had been carefully chosen that morning, a frilly black thing. She noticed Vinyl's eyes all over her again as she settled back onto the couch, leaning over and choosing Vinyl's thigh as a pillow.

"Hey, if you get to wear those shorts in front of me, I get to be in my underwear. They're about the same size."

Octavia realized she thought Vinyl was sexy. Sexy. She had never thought of another woman that way before, but the truth of the matter sat on her mind with weight akin to an elephant. She felt a sudden moment of bravery, and turned her head to kiss Vinyl's thigh. Another metal-melting blush ensued, from the both of them. She could tell Vinyl was confused, but intrigued. Octavia made her mind up, finally. Vinyl had been on her mind all week, and now Octavia knew why. Turning her head again, Octavia kissed the thigh again, this time a little higher up. Vinyl's breath caught, and Octavia smiled. It felt good, very good, to know that she could affect Vinyl in that way. She also realized why. Vinyl affected her that was as well. Octavia may have been more practiced in a statuesque countenance, but that didn't mean she felt nothing.

Indeed, if anything, Octavia was feeling too much. Her mind was whirling with the new revelations. She hadn't been here five minutes, but she had just told Vinyl she was interested in her. Tonight was going to be interesting, for sure.

A new sound reached Octavia's ears, and she realized that the television had been switched on. It was some ridiculous reality show, and then the channel changed, again and again. Eventually, Vinyl settled on a science show, some man in a white coat explaining how the moon affected the tides, saying that if Luna were any less careful in her choosing of the orbit, surely there would be calamity. He droned on and on, and Octavia found her mind wandering again. Vinyl's thigh was soft and warm, and Octavia suddenly realized that there was a hand on her back. She looked up, and it was Vinyl's, who was still sitting upright.

Sitting up, Octavia pulled with her hands and eyes, and soon had Vinyl laying down. Octavia rested on top of her, the blanket found and threw over the both of them. Vinyl was warm all over, and it was cold outside. Octavia was quite happy. She was cuddled up against a girl that was doing a good job of claiming her heart. It seemed like a sudden thing, but Octavia knew that it had been manifesting in her head since the first night out.

Octavia didn't know what to do now. She knew that she was interested in Vinyl, that was for sure. She weighed information in her mind, listing everything about their current situation. Neither of them were wearing bras. Octavia was in her underwear, and Vinyl was wearing shorts that barely counted as anything more. Octavia had on a button up shirt, and Vinyl had a tank top. There was a blanket over them, and the television was going. The couch was comfortable, but not comfortable enough. Octavia furrowed her brows, her cheek against Vinyl's collarbone. Something would have to be done. There was a next step, she knew, but what was it? The question busied her mind for several minutes, long enough for the show to end and another start.

An idea formed in her mind, but it made Octavia nervous. She had never been close to another girl before, but Vinyl made her feel comfortable. Without moving otherwise, Octavia took her hand and slowly placed it on the inside of Vinyl's knee. No reaction, at least one Octavia could see. She slowly moved the hand, sliding gently up Vinyl's leg. Head on Vinyl's chest, Octavia could feel Vinyl's heart begin to speed up. Pretty soon, her hand came to the shorts. Two options presented, Octavia made a snap decision. Her fingers found the fabric of the shorts, tugged on them, crept underneath. Excitement began to build in Octavia's chest when she found that Vinyl wore no underwear.

Her hand found places and did things that Octavia knew were good, from experience of many lonely nights. Vinyl's breath and heartbeat were growing more rapid, and Octavia continued. Vinyl quietly moaned, and Octavia had never heard such a sexy sound. It made her want to feel every inch of Vinyl against every inch of herself. Vinyl's hands weren't idle, burying themselves in Octavia's hair, gently tugging this way or that. Octavia kissed Vinyl's neck, and Vinyl reciprocated by pulling Octavia's head up and meeting her lips.

Vinyl's mouth was soft, and Octavia hungered for more. But before that, there was one thing that had to change. Octavia pulled her hand out from the dark crevasses it had crept into and stood. Her hair was a mess, and it made her feel hot. Sex hair, she thought. No, not yet.

Vinyl was clearly in distress, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. Octavia met the gaze as she unbuttoned her shirt. However, she didn't give the girl time to admire the view, as she grabbed Vinyl's hand and pulled her up, leading the way to the bedroom. She pushed Vinyl onto the bed and climbed on top. They kissed again, and Octavia knew what she was doing was right.

An hour later, they lay in the bed still, but with several significant differences. They were both now completely naked, breathing heavy, and covered in a delicate film of sweat. Vinyl tasted good, and Octavia wanted more, but she had to rest. Vinyl was good, very good. Her tongue had gone places Octavia had never thought of before and quite liked, as her moans and cries had attested. Her legs were still too weak to stand, but that was fine. She was perfectly happy to lay, Vinyl wrapped around her better than any blanket. She picked a blue hair off her leg and put her head in her second favorite place for it, against Vinyl's collar bone, intending to go to sleep. Vinyl had better ideas, though, and Octavia agreed, it was much more fun than a nap.

More time passed, and again the pair found themselves still. Octavia was tired, so tired, but she was so happy. Vinyl seemed to know her body better than herself, and Octavia had loved every touch, kiss, lick, prod, and rub. The sensations had all mixed together to culminate in the most extreme orgasm Octavia had ever reached. Afterward, she had wondered of the neighbors were distressed by her screams and shouts, but there was no knock on the door, so the matter was dropped from her mind.

It was now after midnight, and the apartment was dark. The television still droned on, somewhere in the next room, and Octavia ignored it. She wanted to ignore everything beyond the bed, beyond Vinyl. Unfortunately, it was something within the confines of the sheets that provided a distraction. To be more specific, it was her stomache. Octavia was hungry. Her stomach growled, eliciting a soft giggle from Vinyl. Octavia made to rise, but was pushed back down by Vinyl, who rose and left the room, returning a few moments later with some bread, cheese and wine. They sat there, naked, and snacked, content to not let words distract them. Once their bellies were quietened, they went under the sheets once more, but this time to sleep.

~~~~~~

It was a bright, clear morning when Vinyl opened her eyes. A glance at the clock showed it was actually nearly afternoon, but it was a Saturday, and Vinyl would call it whatever she wanted to. She rolled over, and her eyes flew open. Where was Octavia? Now there was a matter worth investigating. Fortunately, the case was soon closed by the sounds of cooking. An implement clinked against a pot or pan, and Vinyl left the bed, as much as she hated to, and went to the kitchen.

Octavia was dressed only in her white button up shirt, which almost worked at preserving her modesty. Vinyl leaned against the wall and waited to be noticed. Octavia's eyes were on the cooking, and Vinyl's eyes were all over Octavia. She was still amazed she had such an angel in her apartment, much less in her bed. Her chest swelled with joy, and Vinyl felt truly blessed.

Octavia noticed Vinyl standing across the room, her violet eyes flicking up, then back down.

"Morning!"

"Morning."

Vinyl crossed the room to come up behind Octavia. Leaning over her shoulder, Vinyl saw bread dipped in beaten eggs, then tossed into a pan on the stove. Curiosity abounded, but Octavia chased her away, saying to go put on some clothes and be patient. Vinyl did as told, somewhat, returning to the living room in a thong and athletic bra. Octavia rolled her eyes and giggled, but said nothing. It was only a minute later that Octavia brought over two plates, piled high with the toast. Smothering it in syrup, Octavia dug in, and Vinyl copied.

Soon, the plates were empty, and Octavia once again told Vinyl to sit still, nabbing the plates and whisking them off to be washed. Vinyl belatedly realized she needed a shower, as she hadn't taken one last night after their workout. She went over to the bathroom, making sure to leave the door wide open as she undressed and got the water heated up. The door to the bathroom opened into the living room, and Vinyl knew that Octavia could see her. She had barely managed to get her hair wet when she heard the door close. Peeking around the curtain, she saw Octavia approaching, shirt already on the floor.

Some time later, Octavia and Vinyl rested on the couch. Their hair was still wet, Octavia still wearing a towel wrapped around hers. The television droned on, but neither of them were particularly interested in it. They were both content to simply lay there, enjoying each other's proximity. Vinyl thought that this had to be heaven. She couldn't think of anything else that she desired, except for many more days like this.

And there were.

Author's Note

~~There we go, the last chapter. Finale. The End. Show's over. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. No trespassing.~~

~~Unless....~~

~~Tell me what you think the best car that BMW ever produced is. If I see someone who agrees with me, I'll post a bonus chapter.~~

Correct asnwer was E30! M3 or 325i, just E30's in general.

More chapters will be written at my leisure, so make sure to fav and watch and all that jazz.

The Bonus Chapter

a.k.a. The Chapter Where Nothing Important Happens
a.k.a. The Chapter Where They Have More Sex
a.k.a. I Just Wanted To Write More OctaScratch Sex

Octavia unlocked the door and kicked it open, already unbuttoning her shirt. Kicking the door closed, Octavia was finally able to toss her jacket to one side, her bra soon after. The grey shirt hung open, and a chill breeze made her realize she had left the window open. Crossing, Octavia shut it before moving to the kitchen and opening the fridge. The supply was short, so Octavia chose something simple. Picking three good looking eggs, she turned and selected a few slices of bread. She broke the eggs into a bowl, beating them into a smooth mixture. A skillet was placed on the stovetop, and set to warm. The first piece of bread was dunked in the egg, then tossed onto the skillet, fizzing happily. A few more followed.

She was almost done with the last slice of bread when a pair of small, pale hands snaked out from behind to encircle her waist. They hugged for a moment before parting, one hand going up, one hand going down. Octavia braced herself against the counter and closed her eyes, barely remembering to turn the stove off. The hand that went up was caressing her breasts, casually toying with one nipple before leaving for the other. The hand that went down had only a moment's difficulty with the pants, but quickly unbuttoned them and continued, ignoring Vinyl's favorite tease of rubbing through her panties and instead delved beneath, seeking the warm and moist. Octavia moaned. The hands were a bit cold, but felt so good. Vinyl knew her body too well, all her soft and tender spots were easy targets.

Octavia was growing more excited by the moment. By ignoring her usual teases, Vinyl indicated that she was very horny, and Octavia was more than happy to oblige. The hand on her pants pulled away, and Octavia began to pout, but was cut short as she was pulled and turned around, pressed back against the fridge. She had just enough time to notice that Vinyl was already completely naked before their mouths were pressed together, tongues doing the dirty dance.

The kiss was intense, and Vinyl's hands weren't idle. Octavia felt her pants hit the floor, her underwear being pulled along as well. Vinyl pulled away, lips sparkling, and began to kiss her way down Octavia's body, careful to not missing an opportunity to hit a sensitive spot. Octavia ran her hands through Vinyl's spiky blue locks, and closed her eyes again. Vinyl's head was now between her legs, and Octavia was forcibly relieved of all her worries and cares. All she could focus on was that tongue, those fingers, the next wave of ecstasy.

Octavia voiced her opinion on Vinyl's performance. Her squeals came higher pitches and faster, until they were one, long, warbling shriek of beautiful agony. As the last waves of the orgasm died away, Octavia grabbed Vinyl's hand and dragged her lover across the room to the next. Vinyl was pushed down onto the bed, and Octavia crawled on top, a predatory smile on her face.

My turn.

Author's Note

This was a scene that was going to be part of the story somewhere near the end but kinda got... left behind...

Anywhays, here it is!

Also, you may have noticed that the story remains checked "unfinished."

Thats because I think I will use this story as a canvas to type any more random humanized OctaScratch that pops into my head. Probably not much by the way of multi-chapter plots, just a bunch of random one shots that all use the same characters and settings.

Look for Christmas special, Easter, Halloween, etc. or just whenever I wanna type sex.

Christmas Special!

Vinyl happily hummed along with the cheery tunes playing softly over the speakers. Most of the workers in the building had long since since grown sick of the Christmas music constantly playing through the whole building, but Vinyl was determined to enjoy it. She didn't really get a choice to listen to it or not, so she made the best of it.

Morning Glory was at her desk as well, typing away with her usual apathy. Every once in a while, she would stir, picking up her jacket for a cigarette break. When she returned, a good dusting of snow across her shoulders, she could occasionally be heard mumbling something about "four billion tons of white bullshit". After Morning Glory's last cigarette break for the day, Vinyl heard a particularly vindictive remark involving a shovel, a shotgun, and using Rudolph's nose as a nightlight. Vinyl smiled and responded by singing aloud.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Hearth's WaaaaAAAAAaarming..."

She had barely made it through the first line when something small bounced off her cheek and landed in her lap. It was a paperclip. Vinyl beamed at Morning Glory, who looked positively murderous.

"There's only an hour left, and we're off for four whole days. Don't you start now. You can sing when you get home. You'll have plenty of time to get it out of your system."

Vinyl just smiled and went back to work. The last few minutes were spend in silence, but the second the clock ticked five, Vinyl jumped up, heaved her jacket over her shoulder, and left. The door opened to admit a bitterly cold wind, and Vinyl was glad she decided to dress sensibly today. Well, sensibly for Vinyl. Bright blue stockings under white capris weren't typically winter wear, but the stockings were fairly warm, and it wasn't far.

Two blocks down, Vinyl found the shop she was after. The pale blue sign in the window proclaimed a sale, "Store wide 50% off!" Vinyl tentatively stepped in the front door, looking around. The store wasn't nearly as crowded as she had feared, and was able to make her purchases and leave. She was determined to get home in time to cook dinner before Octavia got home, and it looked like she would, even after she got dragged into the liqueur store by a sign proclaiming wine was 25% off.

Clutching her prizes, Vinyl unlocked the door to the apartment and went in. She set the bags on the couch and removed the wine from one, taking it to the fridge to chill, tucked behind the milk as to be hidden. The other bag was taken to the bedroom and tucked behind Octavia's shoe collection. Her lover had a plethora of shoes but only routinely wore a few, so it should be safe.

Vinyl went back to the kitchen, stopping to put on some relaxing music in the stereo. Driving rhythms and sublime vocal melodies filled her ears as she cooked, so much so that she didn't realize Octavia was home until she looked up.

Octavia was dancing around the living room, still in her work clothes. Vinyl smiled. Octavia's dance was beautifully awkward, movements suggesting that Octavia had spent a lifetime making the music and not enough time enjoying it. The song was a particularly upbeat one, and with one last check at the sauce she was preparing, Vinyl abandoned the stove and joined Octavia in the living room, dancing their cares away.

The song ended, and Vinyl leaned in to kiss Octavia. She turned the music down and returned to the kitchen, Octavia following her nose and ending up in the same place. She cooed ehr delight at Vinyl's handiwork before retreating to the bedroom to change into soemthing mroe comfortable. By the time she returned clad in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, Vinyl had finished and was placing dishes on the table.

Vinyl placed three homemade biscuits on each plate before fetching a steaming pan from the kitchen. From that pan she poured a generous helping of chocolate sauce onto each biscuit. Octavia had fork in hand, but waited until Vinyl joined her at the table before digging in. There were no words, as chocolate covered biscuits filled their mouths too much for words. As soon as the plates were cleared and the last of the sauce was scraped clean, Vinyl began taking the dishes back to the sink for cleaning. She had just begun to run the water and add soap when Octavia pushed her out of the way and began washing the dishes herself. Vinyl smiled and surrendered, retreating to the living room.

Vinyl went to her favorite perch by the window and had a smoke while Octavia finished the dishes. Once completed, Octavia disappeared into the bedroom to emerge a few moments later, clutching a small, poorly wrapped parcel. Vinyl sensed what was about to happen, and took her turn to go the bedroom to retrieve Octavia's gift, stuffed into an older gift bag from her birthday last year. By the time she settled next to her lover, she noticed that Octavia had acquired a second, vaguely bottle shaped package, and remembered her own gift of wine. She also realized she had nothing to put the bottle in, so she decided to go first. Darting form the couch, Vinyl nabbed the bottle of fine wine and two glasses, swishing back to the living room to set the glasses on the table. Octavia waited in silent grace as Vinyl poured the wine and set the bottle with an exaggerated flourish on the table, label conspicuously facing the couch. They toasted and sipped.

"A fine vintage, my dear Vinyl. Good choice."

"Yes, I thought so as well. It's the same as we had at Bot's party several months ago we liked so much."

"Ah, I thought it was familiar!"

Octavia's smile was far more than one of innocent remembrance, but Vinyl was determined to plow ahead.

"And here's your gift, my love."

She handed Octavia the gift bag, and settled back to watch the reaction. She opened the bag, reached in, began to retract... It was nearly in view now...

Octavia began to laugh.

Vinyl couldn't understand the obtuse humor. She had gotten Octavia a three set of black and purple high-waisted underwear. Vinyl owned a few pair of her own, and Octavia had taken to stealing them. It would be insanely sexy, and it was, if not for the fact that Octavia had a slightly larger ass, and tended to stretch the underwear so that they barely fit Vinyl anymore. So, Vinyl got Octavia a set of her own.

"What's so funny?"

Octavia wordlessly handed Vinyl the vaguely bottle shaped gift. Tearing the paper away, Vinyl found a bottle of wine. Ripping the paper away to expose the label, Vinyl found it was the exact same bottle that she had purchased earlier. However, that STILL doesn't explain why Octavia only laughed when she saw Vinyl's gift.

"Great minds think alike. Here, now this one!"

Vinyl opened the second gift to find a three set of blue and white underwear. It was the same brand as the ones she had gotten for Octavia, and she even remembered seeing them and considering to get herself a set. Now the laughter was understood. They had gotten each other nearly the exact same gift. Great minds think alike, indeed.

But Vinyl had an idea.

She herself was only wearing a pair of comfortable shorts, with nothing underneath. Well, a gift of clothing is meant to be worn, is it not? Rising, Vinyl stripped off the shorts and pulled on a pair of the panties. She didn't have to look, she could practically feel Octavia's eyes following her every movement. She had barely settled back onto the couch when Octavia rose. The sweatpants gave slightly more of a fight than the shorts had, but were defeated all the same. A moment later, the two were settled back on the couch, leaning against each other and sipping fine wine.

"Well, my dear Vinyl, seeing as we have two bottles of this magnificent concoction, I see no reason why we can't indulge a little tonight."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

And so, they set forth on their purposeful adventure of finishing the bottle. By the time they succeeded, the underwear had long since been abandoned, as had shirts, bras, and discretion. Did you expect anything less?

Author's Note

And so, another year came to close in the lives of our beloved pair. I apologize for my near absence this year. As some of you know, I'm active duty military. I've had a busy year and have done and been through quite a lot. I can't promise that I will post more often, but I CAN promise that I have not abandoned you. <3

Also, I know I kind of blended Hearth's Warming and Christmas stuff (Rudolph etc.) I just don't care. It was fun. Also, I've had this chapter half done for like, two years now. Finally finished it! Yay!

The Song Of The Wind In The Pines

Vinyl grinned as she toed the throttle. The car growled as the revs rose, and the overrun snorting and barking as she let off and they fell. She did it again, letting the revs rise a little higher, and back down. The parking garage echoed with the roar, the kind of noise only a truly well engineered engine can produce. She wasn't even moving yet, but this car was doing a very good job of impressing her. Grabbing the lovely aluminum and wood shifter, Vinyl put the transmission in gear and pulled out of the spot.

As she drove up to the exit of the garage and into the sunlight, Vinyl had to pause before pulling out into the road, her eyes admiring the way the metallic burgundy paint glistened. It really did sparkle something wonderful. She knew that pedestrians were staring, and she loved it. This car was an attention whore, to be sure, and Vinyl loved every moment of it. The shimmering paint, the thundering engine, and her own bright blue hair combined into what she imagined as one hell of a scene. Vinyl decided she had sat still long enough, and toed the throttle.

"VINYL BE CAREFUL, DAMN IT!"

The motor roared and the rear tires fought a losing battle for traction as the car leaped out of the garage exit and thundered onto the road, leaving faint black marks on the road behind them. Vinyl was giggling hysterically, but Octavia was less than pleased.

"I'm all for hooliganism, VInyl, really, but we are in the middle of the city! You could have hit someone!"

Vinyl smiled and rolled down the window, hanging an elbow out and letting the soft breeze tickle her hair.

"But I didn't! And look, we just did a little burn out, and I barely touched it! This thing has power! I haven't even tried Sport or Race mode yet!"

Vinyl pointed at a small knob on the center console, which had markings for Wet, Comfort, Sport, and Race. It was currently set to Comfort, which Vinyl remembered the salesman saying something about smoother throttle response, a broader torque curve, and something something flaps in the exhaust that can make the car louder.

"I can't wait to hit the country! If this thing growls like this in Comfort, I can't wait to really punch it."

"Well, remember, it's in my name, so be careful. It's your first time driving it, and I'd hate to break it a week after we got it."

"Relax, it's under warranty!"

Octavia smiled and chose not to reply, instead reaching forward and twiddling with the radio controls. They had only opted for a few extras, the high end stereo being an obvious choice for both of them. Vinyl had been harboring doubts that a radio could hope to compete with the exhaust, but as soon as Octavia found a suitable station, those worries vanished. Octavia put her window down as well, and they cruised down the afternoon streets, classic rock blasting. Vinyl felt like her grin was going to tear her cheeks apart.

While they were stopped at a red light, Vinyl got to hit the other button she had been dying to press, right beside the Sport button. She pressed it, and seconds later, the roof was stored away in the trunk. Vinyl wanted her hair to blow in the wind, but seeing as they were still in traffic, it wasn't happening. Still, the convertible was a wonderful place to sit, moving or not.

Sitting in traffic gave Vinyl plenty of time to admire the inside of the car. The wooden trim around the dash, console and door panels was mirror smooth, and absent a single imperfection. The burnished bronze buttons and switches gleamed in the sunlight, but not quite enough to be distracting. The steering wheel was wrapped in the finest of leather, as were the seats. Vinyl toyed with the seat heating system for about a minute before deciding it just simply wasn't cold enough for that.

Once she had exhausted sources of entertainment on the inside, Vinyl turned her attention to the outside. All she could see of the car was the hood, but she could see the way bystanders were gawking. As one young man was taking a video on his phone, the traffic light turned green, and Vinyl couldn't resist the urge to hesitate a moment to let the car in front get some distance, then punching the gas just a bit. The car barked sharply, and Vinyl had to immediately brake before running into the back of the taxi. Octavia rolled her eyes at the antics, but said nothing.

Before long, the buildings grew shorter and the traffic began turning away. Not nearly soon enough, there were more trees than houses, and not a car in sight. Vinyl left the car in Comfort as she cruised, enjoying the experience. A few miles out of the city, Vinyl pulled into a small, quiet gas station to get some essentials for the kind of afternoon it was. She hopped out of the car and walked towards the entrance, calling to Octavia over her shoulder.

"I'll be right back. Put premium in it, would you dear?"

"Of course, m'lady."

A few minutes later, Octavia was waiting in the car when Vinyl finally came out. She was carrying a plastic bag and wearing a pair of black aviator sunglasses. Getting into the car, Vinyl reached into the bag and handed Octavia a similar pair of sunglasses, a soft drink, and a pack of cigarettes. Octavia put on the sunglasses, and Vinyl immediately felt the vibe. Octavia fit this car way too well, with her dark sunglasses and darker hair flowing gently in the wind.

Octavia lit a cigarette as Vinyl buckled her seatbelt and thumbed the ignition button. The engine growled to life pleasantly. Brimming with anticipation, Vinyl reached down and turned the drive mode to Sport. The idle immediately opened, getting a little more obnoxious. Prodding the pedal, Vinyl smiled even wider at the exhaust note, a discernibly louder demonic cackle now emanating from the automobile.

Pulling out of the gas station with tires smoking and a soundtrack fit to wake the Devil, Vinyl aimed the dark red missile down the road and floored it. The country road had curves, but not too many. Vinyl kept half an eye on the speedometer, enough to see she would definitely go to jail if she got pulled over. If they could catch her, of course.

The howling roar of a thousand lions chased the girls as they surfed the autumn's wind deeper into the wilderness. The city was a distant memory. All that existed was the car, the road, and them. A few dozen miles and a quarter tank later, Vinyl slowed down and put the knob back on Comfort, dangling her arm out, heart still racing.

"Hot damn, this is quite the car. Good choice, Tavi."

"Thank you. I told you that this one was adequate. The bigger engine is just too much for our purposes."

"And I still have a hard time believing it. My dad and brother are both old school, muscle car guys, so I've always heard, 'No replacement for displacement!' But not a single time since I've gotten in this car have I thought, 'Gee, you know what, it's good, but I wish it was more exciting."

Octavia laughed, but the sound was mostly swept away by the wind. The wind rolled off the windshield smoothly, not causing unnecessary cabin noise, but it was still an open-air convertible moving along at a decent pace, and that causes turbulence. Vinyl would have to either put the top up or turn down the radio to hear Octavia clearly, and she dearly didn't want to do that yet. Time for that was approaching, mile by ecstatic mile. Vinyl noticed that her pace was slowing as they encroached deeper and deeper into the forest. It wasn't because of the road, which was blessedly clear and smooth. No, it was more that she was getting an increasing feeling that the raucous racket caused by the sports car was almost sacrilegious of these old woods, such was the peacefulness of the acres.

It was far too soon as well as not soon enough when they reached their destination: a quaint little cottage, tucked far away form anything resembling a highway. There was nothing to disturb the peace except the tweeting birds and the song of the wind in the pines. The cottage was small and simple, exactly why Vinyl had jumped at the opportunity to mooch it for a weekend. A coworker had overheard that it was their one-year anniversary, and had revealed that the cabin he owned was unoccupied this particular weekend. She had tried to keep it a secret, but she was almost as bad at Octavia at secret-keeping. She had made it less than a week, but Octavia spilled the beans about the car two days before she had even gone to the dealership to order it.

The car was tucked neatly away beside the cabin, the top put up and trunk emptied of suitcases. Vinyl put the old key to the old doorknob, and the old door opened to the old chalet. It was comfortably furnished, if not too luxurious. The word 'cozy' immediately leapt to mind.

One suitcase was casually tossed over here, the other over there. One girl fell with a sigh onto the unbelievably soft bed, the other onto the equally comfy sofa. They lay this way for the better part of an hour, before they began to miss each other's arms. One arduously stood from her nest amongst the spongy pillows to join the other, and before long, they were doing what we all know they were doing. Needless to say, the weekend was spent in pure bliss, the kind most mortals (and probably some immortals) could only imagine of.

Author's Note

damn. Been working on this chapter for over two years, finally finished it. Weird how these things work, isn't it?

Also, if anyone can identify the car, I will personally give you one Car Nerd Point.

I'm a licensed Car Nerd, deal with it.

Since no one got it, I'll go ahead and say: It's a Jaguar F-Type V6. The clues were the bronzed buttons in the cabin and the quote that, "Never once have I wished it was more exciting!" Which is a quote from Jeremy Clarkson when he reviewed it. I know it's barely anything to go on, but that's the point.