An Untitled Piece
Chapter 1
Please let me sleep...
This was the first time in weeks Octavia's room mate hadn't played loud, bass-heavy, 'wubtastic' music at 5 in the morning. But Octavia still couldn't sleep properly. She feared her body was getting used to being forced awake.
Pleaaaaase, Vinyl, just let me have a good night's sleep...
She heard muffled hoofsteps to her left. Clicks and tacks. Zips and whirrs. Chuckling and giggling.
I swear, if you start playing that-
Too late. One click and the dubstep storm began. The apartment vibrated as the killer bass rocked the walls and floors. The high-pitches and dull throbs of what other considered, but what she barely classified as, music, screamed in her ears and pounded in her head. The pillow couldn't stop the noise. Growling, she crawled out of bed and trotted to Vinyl's room's door, and pounded on it.
"Vinyl!" She screamed, trying to get her voice heard over the music. No response came through, save the music. She shouted louder, then louder still. Nothing. She opened the door, and was hit by the unmuffled cacaphony. She almost felt it pushing her away, but she struggled through the dubstep bombardment. Vinyl was wearing her trademark purple glasses, bobbing her head and pumping her hoof in time with the noise she was creating.
Octavia located the power point everything was attached to, and yanked out the plug. Instantly, the music stopped and silence descended. Octavia breathed a sigh of relief as she spat out the horrid-tasting cable.
Vinyl kept bobbing her head until she finally realised the music stopped. "H-hey! What gives?!" She shouted.
Octavia frowned, looking at her room mate with a harsh glare. "It's five in the morning, Vinyl. Some of us need sleep."
Vinyl sighed, obviously annoyed. "Yeah, but ya don't have to stop the music, y'know."
Octavia facehoofed. "Why don't you use those headphones I brought you?"
"I broke 'em, remember?"
Octavia groaned, fatigue washing over her. "Because you threw them at the wall last week." She trotted out of the room. "I'm serious, Vinyl. Stop playing that awful racket you call music when I'm around." After a moments thought, "And especially when I'm sleeping."
"Ok, ok!" Vinyl said, holding her hooves up defensively. "Howsabout I turn the volume down?"
"Whatever, just... ugh, don't make it too loud." She stumbled back to her room, and threw herself on the soft bed, groaning.
For once, Vinyl didn't play her music again.
Octavia was still deep in sleep when her door burst open.
"Rise and shine, 'Tavi!" Vinyl yelled, obviously trying to be as loud (and obnoxious) as possible. Octavia simply groaned in response. "Come on, don't you have that thing at the place?"
Octavia lazily opened her eye and glared at Vinyl. "You just want me out of the house... and for the record, no I don't have anything going on today."
"What? Naw, 'Tavi, I love ya like a sister!" Vinyl grabbed Octavia in a playful, painful and most unwelcome hug. "I'd never want ya to leave."
Octavia pushed Vinyl off, stabilising herself. "Vinyl, I'm serious."
"That's yer problem!" Vinyl beamed, poking Octavia in the chest. "Yer always too serious about everything. Loosen up a little, would ya?"
"No, thank you." Octavia grumbled, pushing her way past Vinyl. She caught a wiff of something foul-smelling. "What in all of..."
"I cooked ya breakfast!" Vinyl cheerfully said, levitating a plate of... something... in front of Octavia's muzzle. "Enjoy!"
Octavia gingerly took one of the somethings on the plate and bit into it. Carbon, as everyone knows, isn't the most delicious of things, and considering that it also contained copious amounts of vegetables... the grey mare spat the carbonsomething out. "What is this?"
Vinyl trotted up in front of her. "A bit of this, a bit of that, and all cooked in the oven! Like it?"
Octavia neglected to say anything, but nearly retched as Vinyl consumed three of the carbonvegetable mushes. How can she even stomach that?
The phone rang. Both mares looked at each other, then raced to the phone; Vinyl because she wanted to annoy Octavia, and Octavia because she wanted to stop Vinyl. The unicorn won.
"Yooooooooooooooo, this is Vinyl and Octavia's place. Wassup?"
"Vinyl, give me the phone!" Octavia screeched, waving her hooves to try and grab the receiver.
Vinyl grinned, levitating the phone away. "Sorry, 'Tavi's being a bit annoying." She listened to the voice on the other end. "Aww, fine." She levitated the phone up to her friend. "It's one of yer bandmates."
"Ensemble members, thank you very much." Octavia drawled, and picked up the receiver, and in a voice that belied her mental state; "Hello, this is Octavia."
"Hello Octavia," a deep voice tinnily said through the speaker. "it's Harpo. Are you free for another practice session?"
Octavia sighed with relief. Less time around her... "Yes, yes I am. The usual place?" Vinyl cocked her head in curiosity.
Harpo hummed in agreement. "See you soon. Have a safe journey-" and whispered "-and don't get too stressed about Vinyl."
"Thank you. See you." Octavia said, hanging up the phone, then sighed again. "Vinyl, I'll be out for a little bit. Please don't do anything... rash."
Vinyl saluted, smiling. "Yes ma'am!"
Octavia gave the most unconvinced look conceivable. "I'll take your word on it, but so help me..."
Trotting along the streets of Canterlot from the apartment, Octavia groaned. "That mare is incorrigible. Why do I have to be stuck with a DJ, of all ponies?"
It is interesting to note that, despite popular opinion around Canterlot, Octavia wasn't rich. Or, at least, didn't earn as much as you'd think. She barely had enough to rent the apartment. This was one reason she got Vinyl as a room mate; as a DJ she earned a fair amount. The other reason was that Vinyl and Octavia knew each other from school and, whislt they weren't best of friends, they did get on well.
In recent months, however, Vinyl had become more... vulgar to say the least. Partying, playing loud music, occasionally bringing stallions home... she had become too involved in her lifestyle for Octavia. But she paid half the rent... when she wasn't getting escorted home drunk by the Canterlot Police.
Octavia found solace in her music, and the music she created. Her contrabass, which she named 'Sirena' after a famous violin virtuoso she was a fan of, was one of her few constant companions in her life. It's deep earthy timbre was an anchor in the hectic storm Vinyl always seemed to be creating in her life, even if it didn't overpower dubstep in sheer volume.
Of course, she did have the other members of her Ensemble; musically-talented friends from her years as a young filly at the Canterlot University of the Fine Arts. Beauty Brass, her BPFF (Best Pony Friend Forever, although she shunned using such a term) and their sousaphonist; Harpo Nadermane, Beauty's coltfriend and a harp-player; and Frederic Horseshoepin, a talented pianist from a family of musicians.
Octavia was so lost in her thoughts she smacked into a pole muzzle-first.
"Octavia's later than usual." Harpo muttered, glancing at the clock in the virtually barren practice room. He rested his shoulder on his harp. "I wonder if Vinyl is responsible for that."
Frederic tested a few keys on the large piano, making sure they were tuned. They almost always were. "Doubtless."
Beauty paced around nervously, halted only by Harpo encouraging her that nothing bad had happened to their contrabassist. All of Beauty's fears dispersed when Octavia stumbled through the door, rubbing her muzzle.
"Octi!" Beauty squeed. "You're ok!"
"Barely." Octavia muttered through a hoof. "I apologise for being late."
"It's fine." Frederic replied, smiling a little. "It was not your fault."
Nodding, she trotted to a corner of the room, and brought out her contrabass from it's matte black case, its glossy sheen bringing a smile to her sore muzzle. She hefted the large instrument up as she stood on her hindlegs. "Shall we begin?" She asked, brushing a little bit of her mane out of her eyes with the bow.
Three hours had passed, and they had covered a hooful of songs, one of which was her own composition. Octavia's forelegs were sore and she felt exhausted, but better for practicing her instrument. Frederic himself was nursing a slightly sore hoof. Beauty took a large swill of a bottle of water, gasping. Harpo seemed fine, but then again he always seemed to be.
Octavia closed her eyes and leaned on Sirena. She wanted to sleep; her sleep patterns were going haywire thanks to Vinyl's lifestyle. She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and turned to see Beauty sympathetically smiling at her. "Vinyl kept you up all night, didn't she?"
Frederic snorted some of the tea he was drinking, eyes wide. "I beg your pard-"
Beauty blushed, putting a hoof on her mouth. "I-I mean, woke you up early again!" She chuckled nervously. Harpo simply raised an eyebrow, smiling a little. Octavia just blinked; she was too tired to get it.
"Yes, she's been disrupting my sleeping patterns..." She mumbled as she started to pack up her contrabass. "Playing music at five in the morning, the occasional all-night party... I just want to sleep."
"Aww, that's too bad." Beauty said, still blushing. "You should stay at our place sometime. Get some good sleep."
"I don't wish to impose." Octavia replied, lifting the contrabass onto her back. "I hope Vinyl listens."
"She won't." Harpo added.
Frederic finished getting tea out of his nose, disposing of the tissue. "You could stay with me."
"Thank you for the offer," Octavia said drowsily. "but I'll be fine. I'll keep your offers in mind, though."
"If you wish." Harpo said, adjusting one of the strings on the harp that had loosened a little during the playing.
"Hey, you guys want to get something to eat?" Beauty chirped, with a chorus of affirmations following it.
After a nice refreshing cup of coffee and a most pleasant conversation with her friends, Octavia finally returned back to her apartment block and ascended the stairs, full of energy. However, as she opened the door to her apartment the smell of cheap alcohol assaulted her nose, and she gagged.
"Vinyl!"
"Whuuut...?" Slurred a blushing, stumbling Vinyl Scratch. "Oh... heeeeeeey 'Tavi! Yer *hic* home!"
"Yes, I am. What did you do?"
"Me?" Vinyl said, slapping a hoof on her chest, which promptly made her lose her balance and fall on her rump. "I invited 'couple friends 'round, y'know?"
Octavia trotted past the drunk unicorn, groaning. "I told you not to do anything rash while I was gone."
"H-hey, I thought 'bout it first!" Barely. "'Sides, it's kinda hard to take my *hic* kit with muh..." She proceeded to retch into the potplant that Octavia had brought not long ago to keep the place looking... slightly more decent.
Octavia rested her contrabass in the corner of her room and walked in, before a small rectangle of paper hit her in the face. Grabbing it, she found the nearest free flat surface and opened the letter. The writing was curved and flowing, and looked very official.
Dear Octavia Philharmonica,
You, and the rest of your ensemble, have been invited to play at this year's Grand Galloping Gala, on request by Captain Shining Armour of the Canterlot Royal Guard, Prince Blueblood of Canterlot and I.
Prince Blueblood has specifically requested for you and your ensemble to play a completely new piece for the gala.
Yours Truly,
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.
...
"Oh..."
"Whut?" Vinyl blurted, throwing herself on Octavia's back. "Whuzzrong?"
Octavia tossed the floppy white unicorn off her back and started pacing briskly, worry taking over her features. "I have to get an original composition done by the next Grand Galloping Gala, and that's in a month!"
"So...?"
"I don't have enough time to create a masterpiece for Blueblood!"
"Who?"
"Prince Blueblood of Canterlot?! Are you as ignorant as you are vulgar?!" Octavia turned to face Vinyl, who simply giggled as she grinned.
"Naw, I'm drunk!"
Octavia groaned and resumed pacing. She glanced at the calendar and shrieked. "I don't have enough free time! I have practice all of next week, then I'm visiting my family the week after, then-"
"Lighten up, 'Taviiiii-"
"Lighten up?" Octavia growled, spinning her head around. "Lighten up?!"
"Well... yeah."
Octavia blinked, then retreated to her room, sighing in frustration. The door slammed behind her.
Nothing.
She had been working on this piece for two hours, and nothing sounded good or original enough. She had contrabass in one hoof, bow in the other, and a pencil in her mouth. She moved it around in thought before laying it on the slanted writing desk and sighing deeply.
"I'm never going to get this piece done..."
She had been running dry on ideas for a few months now. Her life with Vinyl had produced no new inspiration and her schedual was usually too busy to make more music. While it was not the lowest point in her esteemed career, it was still hell.
Ok, Octavia, calm down. Think. This is a piece requested by Blueblood. What does he like...? No, that's too hard. What do I think of him? A series of most unpleasant thoughts filled her head. Mmmmmmaaayyybe not.
"Heeeeeeeeeey-" a thunk on the door. "-'Taaaaaaaavi. Whazzfur dinner?"
Octavia sighed again. "I don't have anything planned. We'll just order something."
"Pizza?"
Facehoof. "No, not pizza."
"Alright, I'll order pizza!"
"I said no piz- oh, never mind, I'm not hungry."
It was midnight. Still nothing.
Her neglected slices of pizza sat on the end of her bed, cooling quietly and untouched since Vinyl put them there. She meant well, but Octavia wasn't hungry. The smell of bread, tomatoes and cheese filled the room, but she really didn't care.
"Why is it so hard to make this piece. Ugh..."
She decided it would be a good idea to move around a little. She found that Vinyl (after promptly vomiting in an empty pizza box) had decided to sleep on the couch. Octavia grabbed a blanket from Vinyl's room and covered her in it, smiling just a little. She may be annoying, but she still had some hope.
She then trotted into her room, threw herself onto her bed and fell into a restless, dreamless sleep.
