What is this tea business all about anyway?
“Vinyl, you know how important this night is for me.” Octavia looks at the reflection of the mare behind her as she finishes adjusting her signature bow tie.
“I know, and that’s why I’m going out to get cleaned up.” The trepidation in her voice doesn’t go unnoticed by Octavia. Heading out the door, Vinyl calls back over her shoulder, “I’ll see you there, Tavi.”
“Don’t do something… drastic,” Octavia calls out as the door shuts behind her wife. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”
Turning back to the mirror, Octavia checks her mane one last time, noting every hair is in its proper place. Satisfied with her appearance, she slides off of the stool. Moving to her cello, she slides it onto the special saddle designed to carry the cumbersome instrument. Octavia pauses for a moment before leaving the door to their flat unlocked, knowing that Vinyl forgot her key. Humming a nameless tune, she sets off towards the Castle to set up for the night’s festivities.
~~~
The dulcet tones of Octavia’s cello mix with the murmur of voice for a few bars before the rest of her ensemble joins in. The melody reaches out over the gathered ponies and fills the room up to its vaulted ceiling. As she plays, her ears flick at every rap of the Master of Ceremonies’ staff. With each new arrival she fights to keep her apprehension down as Vinyl’s name is not called out. Guest after guest is announced, and with each name, Octavia’s attention begins to turn to the crowd.
“I can’t believe we’ve managed to go this long without balls,” she overhears Jet Set say to his wife Upper Crust as they pass by the stage.
"I mean, the Gala is one thing, but this..." His voice trails off as they move out of earshot.
With resignation creeping its way into her, Octavia is barely listening when she hears the Master of Ceremonies call out, “Presenting the Marquis de la Musique, the Honorable Vanilla von Scratchington.” Ears perking in recognition at the name, Octavia’s head turns to the entrance to see Vinyl in a state she’s never been before. Well groomed. Her normal wild mess of a mane is now shimmering in a well brushed manner as it rests atop her head in an intricate braid. The mare’s normal violet shades are nowhere to be found and she’s wearing what appears to be a hint of make up. It’s a side of Vinyl that Octavia’s only seen once, at their wedding. She knew about the title and Vinyl’s family history, but she never figured she’d go all out just for this performance.
Moving with a grace not before seen by others, Vinyl enters the ballroom and begins to make her way through the crowd. The two make eye contact and Vinyl shoots her wife a wink and a mischievous grin.
“What the buck?” Octavia mouths as she fumbles a note before Vinyl turns back to the crowd. Wiping the grin from her face, Vinyl begins to mingle with the Top Drawer of the Canterlot Elite. Before she can be cornered by the curious nobility, Vinyl flags down a waiter.
“Ma’am? What can I get you?”
“I’ll have a cup of Darjeeling White tea, if you please.”
“Right away ma’am.”
Turning away to fulfill the order, the waiter makes a quick escape as a swarm of nobles descend upon Vinyl, clamoring for her attention. Octavia just watched as her wife was engulfed by the curious nobles, eager to influence the newcomer in their midst. As she scanned the crowd with a more relaxed posture, the Master of Ceremonies caught her eye, indicating that is was time for the evening’s first dance. Nodding in recognition, Octavia turned to her ensemble, letting them know what was to come.
It didn’t take long for the various attendees to notice the change in the music as the subtle background music shifted to the distinct 1-2-3 rhythm of a waltz. Pairing off, most of the ponies made their way to the dance floor as they lined up. At an unspoken command, they all stepped off together, moving about one another with amazing synchronicity.
Taking a step back, Vinyl stood off to the side, tea cup held safely in her magic’s aura. Glancing around, she notes that she’s not the only pony who is not dancing. With a well practiced, dainty sip, she finishes her sup and sets it gently on the awaiting saucer.
“Well, this is a rather unexpected surprise, to say the least.” Looking over, Vinyl finds herself looking at the form of Princess Luna standing next to her.
“Normally, I wouldn’t have expected you to even respond to the invitation, as this is not your… usual flavor of music.” Glancing down, the Princess arches an eyebrow.
Blushing slightly, Vinyl nods to the stage. “It means the world to Octi that she was asked to perform. I just wanted to show my support. I’m not sure the Upper Crust of Canterlot would have even let DJ-PON3 in. Vanilla von Scratchington though… they love her. A fellow noble. What’s not to love? It’s rather surprising how many don’t recognize me though.”
Giggling softly, Luna says “The nobility is great at ignoring what they want and only seeing what matters to them. I do hope you enjoy the rest of your evening, Ms. Scratch.”
As the waiter passes by, he sets down a fresh cup of tea while taking the empty cup. Vinyl snags it in her magic and raises it slightly towards Octavia, toasting her.
Catching the motion, Octavia pauses as she sees Vinyl talking to Princess Luna and holding… a tea cup? ”Wait, is Vinyl drinking tea?” Octavia thought, the incredulity of the situation nearly disrupting her playing. Shaking her head and giving Vinyl a rueful grin, she brought her focus back to the music.
As the night progressed, many ponies asked Vinyl to dance, all which she graciously declined. The few who kept pressing her, were quickly told that they would have to contend with her wife if they wished to continue. With the event winding down and most ponies heading out, Vinyl stayed behind to walk home with Octavia.
“I must say Vinyl, I was not expecting any of that.”
“I knew how important this night was for you and wanted to make sure I was there to support you. I just wish I could have been… me. “
“Either way, it was lovely to see you so well groomed. You should wear your mane like that more often.” Octavia shoots her a wink, knowing that the comment will get Vinyl riled up. “And were you drinking tea all night too?”
Grinning, Vinyl bumps her flank gently against Octavia’s. “Only for you Tavi. Only for you.”
Author's Note
Thanks to PaulAsaran for use of the name "Vanilla von Scratchington" (you should totally reads his amazing story The Gentle Nights: Audience of One, where I borrowed the name from). Thanks to Lise for continuing to push me to write. And finally, thanks to Wing for his amazing stories and his great advice. Pheo... Thanks for everything.
