It's Always Snowy in Manehattan

“What the fuck are you doing in my flat?!”

Vinyl blinked, holding the tray in her hands, a slight frown on her face. “What do you mean?” she asked of Octavia, who was full to her neck in blankets, demanding on the bed. “You brought me here last night. I thought we made friends.”

“A,” Octavia listed angrily, thinking about how she could reach for her clothes without being seen, “drunken attempts at friendmaking don’t count, and B…” She pointed her finger at the offending DJ. “What the fuck are you doing in my flat, naked?!”

“Ah, this.” Vinyl placed the tray on a little cupboard next to the bed. “I just like to sleep naked, is all.” She tried to make an indulgent gesture, but Octavia flashed at her with those mesmerising eyes and, at once, Vinyl felt like a guilty puppy. “Um. I. I’ll get dressed. I. Uh. I made you breakfast.”

“I see that,” Octavia retorted, eyeing the woman a little more than curiously, much like a wild beast in her natural form, a beast that was so easy to tame, with a simple gaze. “What a coincidence.”

“What?” Vinyl blinked back.

“I like to sleep naked too,” Octavia explained with a sigh. “So if you could leave now, that would be really appreciated.”

As much as Vinyl wanted to stay and watch the sexy cellist get dressed, she obeyed that commanding gaze, and, leaving breakfast, left the room.

Octavia threw off the covers. Hm. Breakfast she made me. Toast, jelly, orange juice and coffee. Never could understand how they drink juice and coffee. Hm. She looks so brave all the time, until I give her the Stare. And then she’s all meek and nice like that. I can roll with that. As a friend. I think that has taught her a lesson already. She’s not coming on to me. She, the dominant, is submissive when I’m around. Huh. The character! Well, if this isn’t what I wanted, at least I wanted something else. Haha. Hehe. Something else. Well, here’s what I’ve got. Let’s roll with that, and let’s see if I can have an interesting friend. Never too many, and, frankly, I’m getting tired of that Bea.

At least, an acquaintance.

So, what have we here? She wanted to somehow make Vinyl Scratch feel bad. Now, she somehow didn’t want it any more. So what? Why not, that’s what. Ah, to hell with that. Time to get dressed, lest Vinyl enter her humble abode while she was still naked and create an uneasy scene.

Meanwhile, Vinyl was estimating the stance of her ranks, having dressed up rather swiftly. What was the initial military goal? To seize Octavia Philarmonica, to make her beg for sex with her, Vinyl Scratch, to have sex with Octavia Philarmonica, and to leave Octavia Philarmonica, making her sad and broken. What was the harsh reality on the battlefield? The enemy, that is, Octavia Philarmonica, possessed a look of terrible power that made the troops, that is, Vinyl Scratch, freeze in place and obey her every command and feel inferior and humble and love her with a childish love, like a child would love an especially beautiful flower, like a child would love a benevolent older sister. With the exception that Vinyl also felt much arousal when she was around Octavia and not thinking about that now better check on her and see how she was enjoying her breakfast and-

Oh, hello there!

“VINYL SCRATCH! Get out of here THIS MOMENT!”

However, Vinyl felt frozen in place, looking at the half-dressed form of Octavia Philarmonica, seeing the small, yet very firm-looking breasts, the tiny belly that she wanted to kiss into oblivion, looking at the curves that were even more mesmerising than the Gaze.

Octavia opened her mouth to shout again, she waited for the usual fury to blind her, she waited for the psychotic rage to take hold of her body, the shameful, yet so usual, feeling, the feeling that made her cry at night and take pills in hope of… but, for some reason, her anger vanished as she saw the blushing face of Vinyl Scratch, the lesbian DJ, and she merely sighed, feeling all agitation flee. Instead, an unwanted smile tugged at her lips. Smiling, unwantedly, she explained calmly, “Vinyl, I am still getting dressed. Would you mind-?”

“You have very nice boobs,” Vinyl pointed out, staring. Very very nice indeed.

“Vinyl, would you mind?”

“Yes, of course!” Vinyl woke up from her stupor and, reluctantly, left the room. Her freezing mind unfreezed. She blinked. How beautiful her upper body was! And those eyes, telling her what to do. And I obeyed them. How could I not? Those eyes! I would go a million miles just to see them again. The magenta. I love you, magenta. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine. How hard it is! And I wanted her to… to… be left, broken? How could I? And how can I now, now that I’ve seen those eyes? The magenta. They are the only gods I’ll pray for. If my plight is to forever be friendzoned with her and never make a move on her and never… but to see those eyes, every day, then I want such a life. Such a life is the only life possible, now that I’ve seen those eyes.

“Vinyl, you may come in!”

Immediately, Vinyl entered the room, eyeing the cellist, dressed in pants and T-shirt and smiling. Smiling! “Hiii,” Vinyl managed, all her courage and style running away a marathon into nothingness. Only calm humility was left, her only option before those eyes and that smile. “You look very beautiful.”

Octavia tossed her hair. “Vinyl, I think we have established that I am not a lesbian, and that I am not interested.” She walked towards the mirror and enjoyed her young, slender form. The diet’s been making miracles.

“I am not coming on to you,” Vinyl said, vocally admitting her swift defeat. “I am just making compliments because I think you are beautiful.” Careful, Vinyl! Not breaking borders here. Stepping stones are sloppy and the road is steep. And where’s your warface? Didn’t you wish to conquer this little bitch - don’t speak of her like that! - didn’t you want to have her and leave her NEVER! I would never do such a thing, not with her, not with those eyes, and that shirt and those pants and that hair the ravenblack hair and that smile and those eyes the magenta the magenta the magenta.

“Any plans for today?” Octavia asked casually. Why did I ask her? Stupid! She’ll think that I’m into her. Why am I even hanging out with a lesbian? But look, she’s nice and easy once I glare at her enough. I can turn her into a calm, humble… Why do I need to? Why am I hanging around with her? I can just count this as my victory and let her go… but she’s the cure. In its purest form. How? She makes me feel… She makes my fury melt away. She’s the antidote. Why not? She’s meek now, I can use that antidote, I can…

“Are you asking me out on a date?” Is she? I want her to. Why? She fought me with those eyes, she defeated me. I am empty before her. I can take my leave now. A bow, and off the stage. A stage dive. But those eyes. She’s keeping me on a leash. Not allowing me too close, like a… But why don’t I mind it?

“Vinyl, I am trying to make friends. Besides, I’m somewhat hungry.” Octavia tossed her hair again, observing the result in the mirror. “I thought we could go for a bite.”

Vinyl touched her temple. “Do you never feel hungover?”

“No,” Octavia replied, “and I know that a good meal won’t hurt, only help. Though…” She paused, looking over the DJ critically. “If I were you, I’d watch the figure.” She snickered, suddenly feeling warm and happy in the middle of the strong, stern winter.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you’re chubby.”

“I am what?”

“Chubby chubby fatty dee-jaaay!”

“Argh!”

“Poke poke the chubby tummy, Vinyl!”

“Come over here so I can kill you!”

“Nope!”

Run around the clock! Skip, hop and jump. Tiddly-diddly-doo!

“Vinyl, stop with your antics, this instant!”

Tiddly-doo!

“Nope!”

Tiddly-glare!

“Okay, okay, Octavia, we’re good.” Pant pant. “But I’m not. Chubby.”

“A little big-boned?”

“All right, all right. I’ll stop making fun at your expense. How about a Japanese restaurant?”