Working Class DJ
7. Distance
Previous ChapterNext ChapterNoon came quickly. Vinyl's emotional exhaustion had caused her to collapse the moment she had felt the bed — Glitter's bed, that is. Too ashamed, the young Lady had chosen to spend the morning in the servant's quarters. The room was small compared to her own, but after what she had experienced the last two days, more than adequate. At the very least it was clean and tidy, although there still was a sink in the corner.
Waking up felt comfortable, although slightly strange. The first thing Vinyl saw the moment she opened her eyes was a rather large silver tray carefully placed on two wooden stools next to the bed. It was sweet and silly at the same time. Despite everything, Vinyl allowed herself a smile. Apparently, the household was pretending to have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and yet there was a tray with freshly made lunch, complete with silverware and crystal bowls, awaiting her. Thank the stars for small blessings! Vinyl got out of bed. Her neck and back felt sore. On reflection, it might not have been a good idea to spend the morning in the rain. Knowing her luck, she'd probably catch a cold by evening.
"Glitter." Vinyl levitated an apple piece to her mouth. "I know you are outside the door."
The door immediately swung open and a very concerned Glitter stepped in.
"Forgive me, Lady Vinyl," the maid started apologetically, "I didn't wish to wake you. I—"
"You are always in front of my door, Glitter." Vinyl added with something akin to a chuckle. Should I thank her for yesterday? It is the proper thing to do, even if she is my personal maid. No, maybe later... and somewhere more private. Should I tell her to be discreet about the whole thing? Best I don't. Not that it would matter at this point.
"Miss Presence has inquired about your day, Lady Vinyl." Glitter approached. "In light of your weakened condition she would also like to know whether to cancel your music and fencing lessons."
Weakened condition? Vinyl narrowed an eye. What mess have you gotten me into, Glitter? levitating a napkin to her mouth, she took a final glance at the food on the tray, in case there was something utterly irresistible, then stood up. This is going to be one of those days again...
"I already informed Miss Presence that you came home with a high fever late last night," the maid quickly added. "Your personal physician awaits you. In the case you wish to cancel your lessons, I am to—"
"Glitter." Vinyl stopped her. Was it possible her main had shown initiative? "What exactly happened last night?" She waited expectantly. For several seconds her servant didn't say a word, looking down at the floor. A polite cough from Vinyl urged her to speak.
"Your Ladyship came with a severe case of cold and—" Glitter managed to say, before being interrupted again.
"What really happened?" Vinyl clarified.
An uncomfortable question without a doubt. Yet for some reason it was making Glitter far more nervous than she should be. Taking a deep breath, the maid began.
"Your Ladyship was slightly distraught," she said before pausing. Slightly distraught. I have to remember that phrase, Vinyl considered. "Something must have gone... less than favorably. I took your Ladyship in and tended to her until sunrise, at which point—"
"I fell asleep," Vinyl finished the sentence. "Inform my governess that my schedule shall remain as planned. Now I'm going to have a bath, followed by a check up by my physician. After I am done with my lessons, however, I would like to have a talk with you in my room." At that Glitter swallowed. "Oh, and have twenty thousand bits delivered to the owner of the Lunar Twin nightclub."
"Lunar Twin, Lady Vinyl?" The servant blinked.
"It seems to be quite popular, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find.” Vinyl left the room without further explanation.
Getting back to her daily routine was what she needed. Some music, some fencing, some art... She could probably catch up on the pile of scrolls sent by her parents. There was the faint possibility that they were alarmed enough by the last few days' events to rush back home, though that was unlikely. Vinyl could just as well expect mules to sprout wings.
The bath was short, but pleasant, and was followed by a full medical check up. Vinyl disliked how the physician continued to treat her as a filly. Just because he had been taking care of her health for the last fifteen years wasn't a reason for him to address her as 'Vinsy'. Thank you for surrounding me with boredom, mother. I had almost forgotten how thrilling this could be — almost as much as watching sunlight move.
A strenuous inspection of the ears, mouth and throat, followed by the obligatory hoof examination. Sometimes Vinyl wasn't sure in which century the physician was born. Hoof infection, although painful, had long stopped being considered a serious matter. And it was not as she would 'step on any rusty nails' while walking the 'wretched country roads' of Canterlot. To Vinyl's relief, the check up also revealed she didn't have fleas. That was a good thing.
Time ticked on slowly. How was I ever able to survive all this waste of time? Vinyl wondered as she was having her mane done. Even the simplest style had taken half an hour. And to think the entire process would be repeated after her fencing practice. A rebellious thought popped in her mind — to request her mane be dyed black — but was quickly discarded. Doing so would cause too much of a shock. Besides, she would probably look foolish anyway.
Ten past two. Vinyl's room seemed like a monstrous waste of space. Never before had she noticed how large it actually was... never before did she have anything to compare it with. The entire Lunar Twin could probably fit inside and there would still be room to spare. Right now, though, the icy presence of her music tutors filled seventh eighths of the space.
"When you are ready, young miss," Perfect Tact said in her typical fashion. Always the same words, spoken in the same manner, as if the mare's own vocal cords were bound by music rules.
I might as well get this over with, Vinyl said to herself and started. Double flick, beat three...
What exactly was Octavia's problem anyway? There was no reason for her to act the way she did. Vinyl had been nothing if not courteous. She had treated her to food, not once argued, followed the earth pony's orders to the letter. She could have at least remained to see if Vinyl was alright after the fight that had erupted into n the club!
Ten minutes. Move to beat four...
Just because Octavia was famous was no excuse for her to do as she pleased. Vinyl was by far more famous! Well, not more famous, but definitely more important! If Octavia had even an inkling of a suspicion of a hint who she was, she would probably be begging Vinyl for employment!
Increase the tempo. Hold. Decrease the tempo...
Maybe there was more to that, though? The DJ had saved Vinyl, and had done that on her own free will. She hadn't ask d, nor taken any reward... just some apples and a box of doughnuts. Stars know she could use the money — it wasn't like she had any other means of income. Curious why that was. Vinyl had seen her skill first hoof. Nightclubs should be fighting for Octavia, not turning her away.
Introduce instrument. Hold tempo... and finish
Vinyl was still thinking about the events surrounding Octavia when she finished her performance. Not once did she bother paying attention to her tutors. They would probably find faults in her performance anyway — they always did. Today, however, she was not going to give them the satisfaction of worrying about it. If they were upset, they could seek employment elsewhere.
"Vinyl," Perfect Tact said, causing Vinyl to look in her direction. The this was the first time her tutor had addressed her by her given name. "That was remarkable."
"Pardon me, Mz Tact?" This is a first.
"Didn't you notice, dear?" The mare pointed at the small table in the centre of the room. Vinyl looked in the direction. Everything seemed perfectly normal. Table, metronome, music score... Then, suddenly she noticed it — the metronome was still. In her hurry to get practice over with, she hadn't bothered touching it!
How did this happen? Vinyl wondered, as her governess escorted Perfect Tact and Flawless out of her room. To achieve near perfection with as little effort? This changed everything.
"Miss Presence," Vinyl said, starting the metronome, "is Glitter available?"
"As a matter of fact, she has just returned from your errand, young Miss," the governess said at the door’s threshold. "More important, your mother has sent several scrolls inquiring about your wellbeing. It would be—"
"Please send Glitter to my room." Vinyl went to her wardrobe. "Also cancel my fencing practice. I shall be going out, after all."
"But your condition!" The governess gasped in disbelief. "You were just recently feverish. And what about her Grace?"
"As you can see, I am perfectly fine, as my physician will attest to. As for my mother, I am confident you could come up with some reply that would be most satisfactory."
"You are being reckless, young miss." The disappointment was apparent. Alas for her, there was nothing Presence could actually do. In the absence of everypony else, Vinyl was the de facto Lady of the manor. "You might no longer be a filly, but you are not an a full adult either. Keeping your bed unslept in for three consecutive nights is most unbecoming. This is not you, young miss."
"Thank you for your concern," Vinyl replied flatly. She had no desire for another lecture. It was also getting a bit annoying how everypony claimed to know what she was supposed to be and how she was supposed to act.
Getting the hint, the governess nodded and with an audible "hmph" left the room. Finally! Now I can get something done! If Octavia was a genius, as Vinyl thought, it was natural that she would send away any wannabe DJ. One thing she would respect, however, was skill. Vinyl was going prove she had what it took, she was going to make the earth pony respect her!
A timid knock sounded on the door.
"May I enter, Lady—"
"Just come in, Glitter," Vinyl said, slightly irritated. "You don't need to ask for permission when I am the one who asked for you." Seriously! You act as if you are expecting to be let go any day now. "Also, what errand did you set off to do?" Surely, even you couldn't be so foolish.
The silence gave a far better answer than words ever could.
"You went to the Twin, didn't you?" Stars. And the staff at the nightclub thought I saw fragile. I can only imagine their reaction when you showed up.
"I thought it best not to trouble anypony else, Lady Vinyl." The reply was meek, as always. "Also your instructions were extremely clear. It was no trouble finding the club in question. I apologize if I caused you concern. I—" She stopped immediately, as Vinyl lifted a hoof in the air.
"What is the weather like?" the white unicorn asked.
"The weather, Lady Vinyl?" The maid blinked.
"The weather outside. Is it warm, cold, what?"
"It's slightly fresh, Lady Vinyl."
"Fresh..." Vinyl levitated a few blouses from the wardrobe. Something Cashmare would be nice, although not too flashy. Possibly a hat to match. "Is it still wet?" She asked while comparing two pieces of clothing.
"No, Lady Vinyl, the weather ponies have dried—"
"No need for boots, then." Vinyl decided on a thick cyan pullover and levitated the other back in the wardrobe. Cyan complimented her mane quite well. There was a moment's hesitation whether she should take a hat or not. Ultimately, Vinyl decided against it. She had come to like feeling the wind in her mane.
"Tell me, have you had lunch, Glitter?"
"Lunch, Lady—" A warning look made the maid stop. Obviously repeating the question had become old. "No, Lady Vinyl. I was about to just now, but Miss Presence told me you wished to see me urgently."
"In that case, let's go. Are you familiar with any adequate places in Canterlot?"
The place Glitter had chosen turned out to be anything but adequate. One look was enough to tell that only the richest of the rich went there to eat. Vinyl had even recognized Fancy Pants among the customers. Fortunately he hadn't noticed her, or things might had become awkward. It wasn't that Vinyl disliked the pony, he frequently visited the manor when her parents were home. Rather, it was his talent to attract attention that put her on guard. Instead, she had chosen to go to the one place she had become familiar with — Donut Joe's.
"Good day, Joe." Vinyl trotted almost casually to the counter. "Something light for me and..." She paused for a moment. What would Glitter like? It was almost shameful that she had no idea what her maid’s preferences were. Two years and Vinyl had never bothered to ask anything about her, not even once. "And something nice for my friend.” She glanced over to Glimmer. “Your choice."
"Anything for a regular," the stallion laughed and went to pick a selection.
"Lady Vinyl, it is hardly proper to—" Glitter began, but stopped, seeing Vinyl's forehoof rise up in the air again.
"Just Vinyl." She smiled. "Come on, let's sit somewhere."
Two days ago, Vinyl would have been horrified at the thought of sitting on a chair somepony other than herself had occupied. Now she couldn't care less. Thinking about it, it was unbelievable how spoilt she had been her entire life.
"So." Vinyl slid a hoof over the table, then looked at it. No crumbs. It was a pleasure to see that efforts were made to keep the peace clean. "Tell me about yourself."
"About myself?" Glitter moved slightly backwards at the question.
"Like, for example, why are you so afraid all the time? I know I certainly haven't complained about your work." Other than you bring boredom incarnated. Actually, that time I might have done you a favour, as far as my mother is concerned.
"I was not aware that I appeared as such, La—"
"Glitter," Vinyl sighed. "You have never caused a problem since joining the household. You spent the entire night waiting for me to get home. You helped me when I was not at my best. I honestly don't remember a single case of you not being there when I summoned you. So why are you so afraid?"
"I... I don't have any lineage, young miss," Glitter blurred it out in a single whisper. It was apparent it wasn't something she wanted to talk about, just as it was obvious that she wanted to share it with somepony. "I was... I am a charity hire..." She looked down at the table.
Silence. Thankfully, Pony Joe arrived just then, bringing them their order — a single vanilla doughnut for Vinyl and a tray of six adorned flavours for Glitter. Vinyl thanked him, then levitated a few bits his direction. All that time she was thinking about Glitter's words. 'Charity hire'... the maid might as well have an X branded on her forehead. No wonder the rest of the household treated her differently. The reason she had been hired, the only reason, was because she was an orphan. As far as Vinyl could remember, the practice had been originally started centuries ago by Princess Celestia, so as to help orphans in trouble. As expected, it had soon after been adopted by the aristocracy. Unfortunately, its significance had gradually changed, becoming an undesired obligation. It was clear why Glitter was constantly afraid — she could literally be thrown out at a moment's notice without reason or explanation. And while Vinyl wanted to believe her parents would never do something as appalling, the prospect was always there.
"I'll talk with Stoic," Vinyl said quietly. She no longer felt hungry. "I'll make sure I haven't gotten you in any sort of trouble."
"That would be most kind," Glitter replied, not touching her doughnuts either.
"Why didn't you ever say? You have been my maid for over two years."
"Not meaning to be rude, L... Vinyl, but you have always been distant."
"I have not!" Reserved possibly, but definitely not distant! Why, I have been talking to ponies incessantly every day since I was a filly. Surely, you are mistaken.
"You have," Glitter sighed heavily. "To the servants, to your tutors, to any guests that might visit, even to your parents. Even chef Gustave and Miss Presence have mentioned it on occasion." Vinyl just stared blankly, not knowing how to react. "It isn't that you do it on purpose. You are always very polite, you just are..."
"But surely somepony must have said something." Vinyl was grasping at straws. Her conscious mind couldn't accept what she was hearing.
"Vinyl, what is my cutie-mark?"
The question was unexpected. Vinyl's first reaction was to answer immediately. There was no way she couldn't know something as simple as that. The moment she thought about it, however, everything changed. What was Glitter's cutie-mark — the cutie-mark of a pony who had been by her bedside every waking hour, who had helped her choose her clothes, get dressed, and dozens of other chores? Was it possible that not once Vinyl had asked about it, that not once she had looked?
"A tray," the maid said, helpfully. "A common tray. Enough to get me selected to join your household."
"I never..." So this is the reason, is it? I am distanced, cold and everything else. All this time trying to impress others, and I've ended up worse than my useless cousin! At least he gets to have his fun. What do I have to show for my nastiness?
"You got into some trouble, yesterday, didn't you, Miss?" Glitter asked. Across her Vinyl nodded. "They mentioned as much at the nightclub. It might not be my place to give any suggestions, but ask more questions."
"Ask questions?" Now it was Vinyl's turn to be puzzled.
"Nothing is ever gained by guessing. If you want to know something — always ask directly. Usually the consequences are much better than trying to act on speculation."
"Do you know this for a fact?" Or are you giving empty advice like everypony else?
"I have been dumped twice as a result, Miss," Glitter smiled. This was the first time Vinyl had seen her today do so. It was almost if they were... acquaintances? Rather two ponies who've met for the first time. "I think I'll try the double chocolate." The maid levitated the doughnut to her mouth.
And maybe I'll go to Octavia and this time actually ask her what is actually going on.
Author's Note
Next chapter: Hope and Heartstrings
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