A Duet of Hearts

Separating the crowds which had accumulated around the bar, Octavia strolled over to her new acquaintance. She had been there for a longer time than she’d have liked, but most of that time was spent at the back of the crowd, desperately trying to ask the pony in front of her to move. Ponies were, however, generally courteous enough to stand aside when they saw her with a tray of drinks.

Perhaps I might be able to make friends in this city after all… she mused to herself as she walked, before a slightly more bitter part of her psyche added,

Celestia knows you will need them, Octavia. She resolved to throw that particular part of her mind into the East River. With a millstone tied to its rear hooves.

Octavia placed the tray she’d been carrying onto the table and returned to her seat. Looking across the table, she noticed Vinyl sat with her head in her hooves. She took her own glass from the tray, but Vinyl hadn’t mirrored her as she’d expected.

“Thanks,” she murmured dejectedly as she lifted it to her lips with her magic. She took a large sip, and placed it back on the table.

“Vinyl, are you feeling alright? You seemed to… space out for a little there.”

“What? Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry about it.”

“I might be able to help you, Vinyl. We might have just met, but I would be happy to help you.”

“I don’t think it’s something you can help with, Octavia.”

“So there is a problem, then?”

“Yes. But I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Normally, Octavia would have given up by now. But by this point in the night, she’d had several more drinks than would allow her better judgement to prevent her from doing so. Placing her front hooves on the table, she pushed herself upwards to extend herself over the table. With her best puppy-dog eyes and her most seductive eyelash flutter, she made one last-ditch attempt;

“Pretty please?” she asked, making sure to drag out the ‘please’ for as long as was possible, ending the request with her best pout for good measure.

******

“Pretty please?”

Vinyl’s heart melted. The way Octavia’s violet eyes glinted in the lighting of the bar contrasted stunningly with the ashen grey of her coat. Vinyl couldn’t move. The way Octavia’s glossy black mane draped over the table and the fluttering of her eyelashes sent Vinyl’s heart into spasmodic palpitations. She pouted at the end, and by then Vinyl couldn’t fathom her thoughts into an intelligible sentence. Octavia cocked her head slightly, waiting eagerly for Vinyl’s response.

Holy crap.

“U-u-uh…” was all Vinyl managed to stammer in front of the spectacle that was a tipsy Octavia. “Oh, ponyfeathers. Fine, I’ll tell you. But you better be ready for a really long story, Octavia. Don’t whine to me when you’re bored by the end,” Vinyl eventually managed, after stabilising her heart rate and finding a way to make her thoughts come out of her mouth. Octavia had sat back in her seat, but hadn’t stopped giving Vinyl the puppy-dog eyes until she caved. Now she simply smiled calmly.

“Go on, Vinyl,” she said, putting her hooves together in front of her.

“Well…” Vinyl began, “I’m a DJ. From Ponyville, by birth, but my folks moved there from Baltimare before I was born. I got my cutie mark when I put together my first mix. A  fashion designer in town - named Rarity, I think-”

“Rarity?” Octavia interjected,

“Uh, yeah, why?”

“Why? WHY?! Rarity is only the best fashion designer in all of Equestria! She is incredibly underrated, but she’s an absolute genius! Why, I’ve heard she can turn anything into a spectacular outfit in only a day! And you’ve met her?!”

“Well, yeah, but it was only so I could play a gig at her fashion show. That was my break.” Octavia simply stared, open-mouthed. Vinyl took this as a sign to continue.

“Anyway, I played a few gigs in Ponyville, the occasional rave in a barn at Sweet Apple Acres, an actual party here and there. But Ponyville’s not a big city. A small one at best, maybe, but not much in the way of nightlife. So I decided to go for it, to try and make my way in a real city. Canterlot was too expensive-”

“Canterlot? DJs in Canterlot?” Octavia said, sitting forward in her seat.

“Well, yeah. Where there’s culture, there’s counter-culture. Rebels, punks, ravers, whatever you call ‘em. The raves in Canterlot are legendary. They say even Princess Luna turns up to ‘em sometimes!” Vinyl said, throwing her front legs in the air; the first time she’d displayed any energy that night.

"Oh, that, I cannot believe," Octavia chuckled incredulously.

“Yeah? Well, sit down and get ready for a history lesson, filly; when you’re a DJ like me, you gotta know how things started. Back in the old days, they used to have these late night sermons to worship Princess Luna. There’d always be a dance after, and sometimes Luna would stop by. Word is, she always used to enjoy the dances afterwards more than the sermons. The raves we have these days are related to that; when Luna was banished, and a little while before, the religious bit was dropped, and they became late-night parties. That’s what raves are these days, and that’s why Luna goes to ‘em whenever she can.” Octavia simply stared once more, open mouthed.

Not as dumb as I look, huh? I might not know much, Octavia, but I do know raves.

Vinyl once more took Octavia’s stunned silence as a cue to go on. “Like I said, Canterlot was too expensive. So I came to Manehattan. I managed to get a pretty decent apartment and pay some of the rent with the money I saved in Ponyville, but it didn’t take long for that to run out. A couple months, all told.

“Eventually, I had to delay rental payments. I knew I’d get evicted eventually after my first delayed payment, so I got a storage unit. Paid enough bits to keep my stuff there for a few months; I figured that’d be long enough for me to gather money for a train ticket back home once I got evicted. And that’s where I’m at now. No money, sat in a bar with a total stranger, drinking on money she’s spent on me that I didn’t earn,” Vinyl concluded, fighting back tears which threatened to pour from her eyes.

******

"And that’s where I’m at now. No money, sat in a bar with a total stranger, drinking on money she’s spent on me that I didn’t earn,”

It was all so sad. Vinyl seemed so pleasant to be around, yet she was soon to be out on the streets. Octavia may not have been able to find work, but well… At least she could still keep a roof over her head.

“Well, you showed me yours. I guess I’ll show you mine,” Octavia said. Vinyl raised her right eyebrow, slightly lowering her shades. “Not like that, Vinyl! I meant that I’ll tell you why I am here. Did you hear about the Gala a short time ago in Canterlot?” Octavia asked.

“The total disaster when a bunch of forest animals stormed a ballroom that got trashed by falling pillarsh?” Vinyl asked, stifling a laugh.

Did she slur that last word? What a lightweight.

“Yes, well, we - that is, my quartet and I - were asked to play the requests of the party-goers. A certain party guest requested the ‘Pony Pokey,’ which went down just about as well as can be expected among a crowd of the Canterlot elite. Blueblood was not happy. So now I am utterly blacklisted among anypony who is anypony in Canterlot. I’m an out of work cellist, and I’m currently questioning my entire life.”

At this, Vinyl burst into shameless laughter; “Nice job shtickin’ it to the mare, Octavia! That disashter was all over Equestria!”

“Hm, yes, well… That wasn’t precisely my intent,” Octavia began, feeling a shade or two of red rush to her cheeks, “We were asked to do requests, after all, I mean, surely it is that slimeball’s fault if he can’t regulate his gue-”

“Octy, I’m yankin’ your chain. Calm down,” Vinyl said with a chuckle, placating the ranting mare with a hoof on the shoulder, after missing the first time.

Octy?

“Oh. Of course,” Octavia said. Even embarrassed as she was, though, she felt ill inclined to begrudge the mare her laughter.

It certainly does seem as though she could use a laugh after the day she has had, at least. She is much more of a lightweight than I would have thought, though.

She reached for her glass to drink from it. She raised it to her lips, only to realise that it was empty. A quick glance across the table told her the same could be said for the glass of her companion.

How peculiar, I didn’t realise we had drunk that already.

“It appears we’ve drunk our glasses dry, Vinyl. The same again, I presume?”

“If I di’n’t know any better, Octy,” Vinyl said, wobbling slightly, “I’d say you was try’n’a get me drunk.”

Octavia chuckled demurely, and went to stand, staggering slightly as she did.

Perhaps that’s enough for tonight.

"Um, Vinyl?”

“Yeah?”

“Tonight has been delightful, it truly has. Not to put too fine of a point on it, though, but you’re rather sloshed, and I’m a little tipsy. We probably ought to call it a night, don’t you agree?” Octavia said.

Vinyl’s face fell, but she quickly recovered; “Oh, yeah, sure! Thanksh for the drinks, though, I really ‘preciate it.”

“It was nothing, Vinyl, truly. Tonight was rather more pleasant than I might have expected, all thanks to you. I hope we meet again, even in spite of your financial worries. Have you got a pen?”

“Uh, maybe, lemme look in my bag,” Vinyl answered, fumbling through her bag. “Ah-hah! Got it,” Vinyl exclaimed in triumph, levitating the requested stationery to Octavia.

“Thank you, Vinyl,” Octavia said, taking the pen in her mouth and scrawling something on the back of the coaster on the table. “This is my address. Come by sometime, we can have another drink. I‘ll pay, of course,”  she said, sliding the coaster across the table.

Vinyl took the coaster in her magic and placed it carefully into her saddlebag. She stood up, and staggered into a nearby table. She caught her hoof on a stool next to it, and fell, hitting the ground with a thump.

“Crap! Vinyl, are you okay?” Octavia asked, panicked, as she rushed to her friend’s side. Vinyl pushed herself up on her front hooves and stood.

“Yeah, I’m fine, ‘Tavi,” Vinyl mumbled, wobbling a little.

"Are you sure you will be alright to find someplace to stay alone?"

“Filly, please, I’ll be fine.”

“Alright then; I’ll go and pay the tab. It has been a great night though, Vinyl. Come find me whenever you want to catch up,” Octavia said as she turned toward the bar.

Vinyl raised a hoof as Octavia turned, then turned to leave. She walked across the taproom, no longer able to nimbly dodge between the dazed crowds. Instead, she fumbled and wobbled past. Eventually reaching the exit, she pulled open the door and left the warm interior of the bar, staggering outside into the cold, windy streets of the Manehattan night.

Buck. Now what? Where to go?

From across the street, she spotted an alleyway. It was still dark, and still cold, but at least it was sheltered. Seeing no other option, she crossed the road and went into the alley. All was silent, save the sound of Vinyl’s own hooves against the concrete beneath. Water dripped from above - likely from a damaged gutter. Gingerly stepping past a vaguely square silhouette of something, Vinyl arrived at a fork in the alley. She stopped for a short while.

Storage unit.

Her drunken mind had come up with an answer. She’d rented a storage unit, she could crash there! With newfound resolve, she turned right and walked forward. At the end of the alley she’d turned down, street lamps were visible. She continued on, never stopping. Her destination was on the other side of town, and she needed to get there. Vinyl reached the street and continued down another alley nearby. Perhaps things weren’t going to be so bad.