Things were not going well that day. The judges had found her performance — something she practised for months, and executed perfectly — ‘weak’. Her mother had already called her ten times to find out if she was visiting on New Years’ Eve. She had to walk home in the freezing cold, and she was sure she was going to catch something. It wasn’t exactly the best day to be Octavia Melody.
She finally arrived home at her warm and inviting apartment, and deposited her bag and cello case in the hall with a sigh — a huge sigh that was testament to her tiredness. To make matters worse, her head was now throbbing with the queen of all headaches.
Octavia sat on the couch and kicked off her boots, letting out another sigh while she rubbed her weary hooves. “How could they do this? I trained for days, weeks — a whole month! I missed Bon Bon’s birthday for what? For nothing!” Her ears drooped.
While Octavia continued to speak to herself a pony trotted into the room. She looked at Octavia, smiled sympathetically, and shook her head.
Vinyl sat on the couch beside her. She could be very loud when she wanted to be, but she knew when to remain silent and listen to Octavia. Of course she wasn’t like that with everypony, just Octavia. Only for Octavia would Vinyl voluntarily turn down her volume.
“I played every note perfectly. Each melody was perfect and just how I’d planned! But no, I am Octavia, so something always has to go wrong for me, right?” Octavia stared at her hooves. Vinyl shook her head once again and pulled Octavia nearer. Without any protest, Octavia leaned her head against Vinyl’s warm and inviting chest.
“My mother already called asking if we’d be visiting. I said yes, of course. But she had to make it into a whole interrogation, didn’t she?” Octavia sighed. “Is Vinyl coming too? Don’t even think of bringing your dog, okay? And don’t bring Vinyl’s father, he is just as annoying as his daughter, don’t you think?” Octavia mimicked her mother’s voice.
Vinyl raised an eyebrow at that last one. Sweet Note had never liked her and she knew that.
Vinyl rubbed her head against Octavia and closed her eyes, feeling warm and comfortable. Octavia did the same.
“She doesn’t understand that she has to accept you! She’s your mother-in-law, she has to tolerate you. Maybe it would be too much to ask her to love you, but is tolerance really too much to expect? We’ve been together for four years now and she hasn’t got over it…” Octavia stopped for a moment just to relax while Vinyl stroked her mane. “My father accepted it so quickly. He loves to spending time with you! Why can’t she stop doing this every year?!”
That was true — Sweet Note always came up with the same questions, the same demands, the same complaints — every single year they’d been together. Vinyl had learnt not to worry too much about it. That was her attitude to almost everything, actually.
“Why the hell didn’t we buy a car? And why aren’t the taxis working today? It’s cold but I managed to drag my flank to work today, and they should too! Even the laziest pony in Equestria worked today…” Octavia compained. Vinyl knew that this particular lazy pony was her — she was okay with this.
She pulled Octavia closer and squeezed her hips. Normally Octavia would shout a loud ‘Vinyl!’ and blush, but today she was too busy talking. But even if she hadn’t been, today was a day she was in the mood for a bit of physical comfort.
“Can you believe that my mother said I was being ‘overly dramatic’ about the cold when we were on the phone?!” Octavia asked in disbelief. “She used those exact words — ‘overly dramatic.’ I’m not Rarity, I don’t make absolutely everything into a drama. I never overreact! It must be easy for her to say that when I’m the one walking through a blizzard, while she’s in her mansion, sitting in front of a warm fireplace.” Octavia sighed in exasperation. “Sometimes my mom can be such a pain.”
Vinyl wasn’t so sure that the last statement needed to be qualified with ‘sometimes’ — it was more like all the time. She really didn’t know how Sweet Note’s husband could put up with her. Love is a many-splendored thing.
She didn’t say anything, but just kissed the top of Octavia’s head.
“Ugh… what’ll I do now?” She stopped to cough. “I just wanted to pass that test and go to Canterlot… I’d be able to see my friends whenever I wanted and we would have a splendid home. With all the bits that I could earn there in Canterlot, Wub Wub could have collars made of silver.” Octavia looked at Vinyl for a moment. “I’m sorry. But this was a golden opportunity — and I blew it…”
Vinyl lowered her own ears. She approached Octavia and kissed her. It wasn’t a hot kiss, a passionate kiss, or a little friendly kiss. It was a caring kiss, and Octavia could feel it. With that kiss, Vinyl was telling that what she had was already good. With that kiss, Vinyl was showing her that she could always count on her — that Vinyl would always take care of her Tavi, whenever somepony or something let her down.
Maybe Vinyl could be infuriating at times, but she was the only mare who knew just when to listen to her complain without saying anything, just staying by her side and comforting her. Vinyl might have been a complete idiot, but Octavia knew Vinyl was her idiot. Octavia smiled through Vinyl’s caring kiss.
Vinyl separated from Octavia and looked into her eyes. She raised an eyebrow to see if Octavia would say anything more, but Octavia had finished. Vinyl was satisfied with how she’d performed at her part time ‘job’ — her second career, and perhaps her true calling in life — to make her Octy happy.
Octavia sighed, this time happily. “You’re right, we don’t need silver collars, piles of bits, or a mansion in Canterlot. I can visit my friends there any time I want, but Manehattan is still our home.” She leaned back on the couch. “Anyway, I don’t think I’d be happy in a giant mansion… it wouldn’t feel like home, even with you there.” She stopped to look at the red eyes. “And I’m happy here, with you.”
She rested her head on the curve of Vinyl’s neck and closed her eyes. “I love you, idiot.”
Vinyl smiled, satisfied. “I love ya’ too, Tavi.”
