Chapter 1 - What's that beautiful sound?
Author's note to clarify; This story takes place in a human version of Equestria, but not the EG versions of the characters exactly, for clarification.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this, why on Earth did I agree to come to this audible car crash?" The young, raven-haired woman thought to herself as she shuffled her way across the dance floor, trying her best not to fall from the constant shoving and bumping of the crowd. "Come on Octavia, you could play Prokofiev's Sinfonia while sick, you can handle this." She muttered as she felt another young man accidentally bump into her side.
If there is one things Octavia couldn't bare, it was being forced into a crowded area with people she didn't even know. To most, that wouldn't come as a shock. Most people had some form of social paranoia, and it was something most people her age even joked and bonded over. However, for Octavia, it was cranked up to 11. After being sent to strict classes and lessons to master her cello at a young age, she had truly felt the pressure of socialization when she finally had to interact with people other than her parent's and teachers. Just being in this crowd was tying knots in her stomach, making the noble even more tense as a result.
It didn't help that her ears were being berated with this crime against symphony, the giant subwoofers in the club bombarding her eardrums with an electronic garble of noise. Combined with flashing, neon lights, the cellist was completely out of her comfort zone AND getting a migraine at the same time. Every note that came out of the speakers shot out sent vibrations that she could feel, and annoyed her to no end. Her parents had warned her about this new age of modern music lacking any class, but she couldn't have imagined that it would be this atrocious.
Steeling her nerves, Octavia made one final push, and squeezed out of the crowd. It turned out making her way through the dance floor was not the best idea. It didn't matter now though, she was free and could finally leave this cesspool of auditory and visual distaste. Even though she was still out of her zone, she felt a small touch of relief, knowing that the night was almost over.
"There she is, the young lady of the hour!" A voice shouted right next to Octavia head, making her jump in surprise. Turning to see who the individual was, she immediately felt any relief in her dissipate. It was the person who dragged her here to begin with, the person who wanted her to celebrate her latest concert and meet potential new clients. Her manager, Sammie Quave-Records. Throwing an arm around Octavia, Sammie pulled her over to two other attendees, both of which adorning casual clothing compared to the well-and-formally-dressed Octavia. "Scotch and Chip, this is the client I was telling you about! She is a true prodigy!" Sammie yelled, having to shout over the music to have her be heard, much to Octavia's dismay.
"Oh yeah! This is the girl who can play that really big violin, right?" Chip shouted back, giving Octavia a welcoming smile. Octavia felt her eye-twitch at the ignorant claim of her life's work, it was already one thing to be forced to talking to other people she didn't know, but it was even worse to have her passion so blatantly disrespected.
"It is a cello, not a 'big violin!' It is much more complex and difficult to learn than a violin, and takes a lifetime of practice to master! I'd thank you not to belittle my passion!" Octavia shouted back, offended by his uncultured statement. She glared daggers at him, not breaking eye contact for a moment as she raised her voice for the very first time that night.
"No no no! I didn't mean it like that! I'm really sorry ma'am!" The Chip yelled back, immediately bringing his hands up and shaking them in an apologetic manner. Octavia went to turn to leave, but felt Sammie lightly pull back against her as she made her attempt to escape.
"Come on Octavia, play nice! We're here tonight to make some friends, remember?" Sammie shouted with a pleading look in her eyes, making Octavia remember that she agreed to try and help her earn some new clients tonight at the show (mostly because she had been hoping for the "show" to be something more... classy). Mentally groaning, Octavia folded and remained with her, giving the conversation a second shot.
"Regardless, from what I've heard, you're incredibly talented! I'd love to see your process!" Scotch shouted out, making Octavia feel a little bit better (for what that was worth in this awful night). She might actually enjoy this conversation, regardless of the obnoxious music threatening to deafen them.
"What new pieces are you going to put out soon? I hear that you are really creative with your pieces!" Chip chimed in, immediately making Octavia feel a sense of dread once more. "N-new pieces?" Octavia asked back, a new paranoia being brought back to her attention.
"Yeah, I bet you got tons of new covers to put out!" Scotch commented as well, making Octavia even more uncomfortable with the situation. "I... uh..." She barely got out, her voice being overtaken by the electronic music drowning her nervous words. Her breathing was getting faster, and she could feel stomach turning upside down.
"We'd love to get a sneak peak on whatever you got coming out soon!" Chip added, now applying the straw that broke the camel's back. Her breaths were now rapid, and she felt like her insides were going to come out at any second.
"I'm going!" Octavia immediately tore away from Sammie's friendly embrace, and stormed off, leaving the duo completely confused, as they watched the young musician b-line it for the exit...
Octavia threw open the club's doors, and sped past the bouncer, not listening to anything he had to say. She had enough, not only was this night completely stressful to her, but it was also incredibly insulting and a horrible time. She had hoped that it would be a relaxing show, a play or something classy, something to help take her mind of her current career issues.
What Octavia was facing wasn't the paparazzi, social media slander, or financial struggles, it was something much, much worse. She had came to what other artists referred to as "a block." It had been a problem for a couple of months now, but it was something she just pushed off as being in a bad mood. However, it seemed that the young cellist was now lacking any motivation at all for the very thing she had lived for. It was already one thing to just not feel love for something you care about, but to quite literally feel numb to the thing your life is about? It was all too much for her to handle, it was too much pressure, too much-
Octavia suddenly felt her chest tighten up, her quick breathes now rapid as her heart felt like it was about to stop at any second. Her body trembled as she barely leaned against the club's wall, mustering up any strength she could to not fall onto the concrete. She was now gasping for air in quick breaths, but no matter how much she tried, it felt as if she couldn't breathe. The grip she had against the wall almost gave in, having no support in sight. She was alone, and it felt like her life was being ripped right out of her. Her vision was now blurry as she felt her legs give in, and fell forward.
What her body was met with though, it wasn't the hard and cold concrete, but a soft and warm embrace. Octavia latched her shaking arms around whatever it was, and held on tight. She held on as if her life depended on it, and it seemed like it did. Her heavy breaths and rapid heartbeats felt as if she was about to die, every muscle in her body tense as she gripped to whatever it was.
Suddenly, she felt a soft stroke against her long hair and down her back, catching her off guard as a lightly shocked twitch came from her. However, another stroke immediately came afterwards, this time, it was somewhat... comforting. Another stroke followed, and then another. Soon, Octavia's quick breaths and fast heartbeats lost their pace as she closed her eyes and felt her mind calm down, her head directly laying against the warm and soft surface that she clung to.
Her breathing was now normal, and she could think clearly again. Yet, something else seemed to have her in a trance now, something different. It was a gentle, "dub-dub" that her mind was becoming fixated on, it was quiet and had a slow beat to it. The sounds of the club were completely drowned out as she lost herself in the moment, each thump corresponding with her own breaths as she felt herself be completely mesmerized by the beat. What is this beautiful sound? Octavia thought to herself, a warm smile coming to her face.
"Um... are you ok?" A relaxed, yet concerned voice finally spoke up, snapping Octavia back to reality. Finally getting a hold of herself, Octavia opened her eyes, and immediately realized what the soft and warm thing she had landed on was. Her arms were wrapped around the waist of another girl, seemingly about her age, and she had been nuzzling her head into her chest the entire time. The girl had short, spikey, dark blue hair with light blue highlights, a white hoodie, a black tank top, and a cool pair of purple shades covering her eyes, a pair of headphones, all topped off with a gentle smile back at Octavia. A couple of moments passed by, neither sure what to do in this situation. What was merely a brief time in reality, felt like eons to the two.
"Sooo... I take it you're comfortable?" The casual girl finally said, breaking the awkward silence with a half chuckle. Octavia's face flushed red as she realized what she had been doing to her this entire time, and pushed away from the girl, covering her face in embarrassment.
"Oh my gosh, I am so, so sorry miss. I swear I didn't mean to- I would never- I just-" Octavia flustered, now suffering from a type of panic she wasn't used to. This was different, it wasn't the social anxiety she was used to, this feeling was something new entirely.
"Hey, it's ok." The girl replied with a laugh, trying to assure Octavia. She got on her knees, and leaned towards the now sitting Octavia as she kept apologizing. "No, it's not! I can't believe I did something so... something so... so-" Octavia exclaimed before she felt a soft hand gently land on her shoulder. Removing her hands from her face, she slowly looked at the other girl, who had now taken off her shades and was gently looking into Octavia's eyes.
"I mean it, it's no big deal. Trust me." She said softly, giving Octavia a calm and understanding smile. She had vibrant red eyes, something she had never seen before. The gaze she had was captivating, her eyes were so beautiful and genuine. This was something she had never saw from anyone else, the sweet smile accompanied with such striking, yet gentle red eyes. Octavia's face once again heated up, as she felt her heartbeat quicken as she gazed into the girl's eyes. Sensing a pattern, the girl once again spoke up before Octavia could fall into another silent trance.
"It's my eyes, right?" She coolly asked, a sense of expectation in her voice. "I know, they are weird. Tons of people freak out when they see them for the first time. Turns out red isn't a normal eye color. And before you ask; no, I'm not a vampire." The girl joked, extending a hand out to Octavia.
"The name's Vinyl, Vinyl Scratch. I hope you're feeling better now." The girl said, finally introducing herself as she gave Octavia big grin.
"Yes, I think I'm fine, thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your help, Miss Scratch." Octavia said, taking her hand as Vinyl helped her to her feet. Octavia wasn't sure about doing it, but this new girl's confidence and kindness made her feel a trust that she didn't expect to appear so fast.
"Just call me Vinyl, Miss Scratch makes me sound like an old lady." Vinyl joked back, taking it easy before letting go to see if Octavia could stand on her own. Octavia just gazed back at Vinyl, unsure of what to do next. She had never really interacted with someone outside of her parents and teachers before, not like this.
"Thiiis is the part where you tell me your name." Vinyl said, not sure of what to make of the situation either. Vinyl had encountered antisocial girl's before, but this girl was a whole knew case.
"Oh- OH, my name? It's Octavia, Octavia Philharmonica the Third." Octavia said with a bow, catching Vinyl by surprise. She had never met someone who acted this formal... outside of a nightclub no less. Vinyl gave an awkward and inexperienced bow back, eliciting a small giggle from Octavia. "I see that you're not the formal type, Vinyl."
"No, no I am not, Miss Philharmonica." Vinyl playfully answered, as she gestured to two gray and black boxes, motioning for Octavia to follow. Octavia, though being slightly hesitant at first, followed Vinyl to the large boxes on the side of the club. The contents inside the see-through one of them consisted of colorful packets of candy and snack cakes, while the other had a list of vibrant drinks on the front. Vinyl skillfully swiped out her card, and slide it into each of the machines before hitting a series of numbers on each. Within seconds, a packet of what seemed to be labeled "Skittles" and a packet of snack cakes dropped down, immediately followed up by two bottles sliding out of the drink machine, one with a dark brown, bubbly liquid as contents inside, and the other clear, see-through, bubbly liquid. Vinyl immediately snatched them up, and presented the clear drink and snack cakes to Octavia.
"Here, you should have something to eat after a panic attack, it'll help your body relax and calm down." Vinyl said, gesturing for Octavia to take them. Octavia accepted them, but immediately began inspecting the brightly colored packets and labels on them. "Uh, are they ok? They're not already opened or leaking, are they? I swear, I told Neon that if he played with the food one more time, that I'd-"
"Oh no, I'm just... not quite sure what they are." Octavia said, a puzzled, yet curious look on her face. She read the labels on her drink and the food packet, never seeing this type of food in her life. The drink was labeled "Sprite" while the snack cakes had somewhat of a fruity name to them. They were nothing like the expensive, preplanned meals that her parents had raised her on, and the cakes seemed... somehow uncooked? There was an almost artificial look to the baked goods.
"Wait, you've never had junk food before?" Vinyl asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice. She was only given an unsure look back, Octavia seemed to somehow be even more confused than she was. "Junk food? How's it junk?" Octavia asked innocently back.
"Oh boy, am I about to introduce you to a whole new world." Vinyl stated as she sat on the side walk, motioning for Octavia to sit with her. Octavia gracefully sat down beside her, making sure not to rest her legs on anything... gross or filthy.
"Here, try your drink first." Vinyl said as she twisted the top off of Octavia's Sprite, a crack emitting from the cap, followed by a gentle hiss. She then motioned her own drink's top towards Octavia, who in turn attempted to do the twisted motion as well. It took a bit more effort than Vinyl did, but she eventually succeeded and gave way to the same satisfying sound. Vinyl then took her plastic bottle, and playfully tapped it against Octavia's.
"Cheers, cutie." Vinyl toasted before throwing her head back and quickly gulping down some of the liquid, eliciting another blush from Octavia as she took a small sip of her drink. Her eyes widened as the sweet, carbonated beverage greeted her taste-buds. It was unlike anything she had ever drank before. It was incredibly sweet, and had sort of a citrusy flavor to it, accompanied by a weird tingly feeling. Octavia took a few more gentle sips, enjoying the foreign taste. She then looked over at Vinyl who still on the same first chug, had already down half her bottle before parting her lips from it, and letting out a satisfied "ahhh."
"How is it?" Vinyl said, a cheerful, yet quizzing smile on her face. "It's quite interesting, I have never had a drink like this before. I really like it. Is it a type of juice? A strange class of wine perhaps?" Octavia asked, interested in this new sensation.
"It's called soda, and it's awful for you. However, it isn't any less amazing." Vinyl stated proudly, glad to introduce this girl to something new. Octavia suddenly let out an abrupt, but dainty burp. For what seemed to be the dozenth time that night, Octavia's face turned bright red. However, before she could start apologizing, Vinyl gave a relaxed laugh, catching the cellist off guard.
"Nice one Octavia, that was pretty cute for your first soda." Vinyl said, wrapping an arm around the flushed girl, bringing her a sense of comfort once more. Vinyl was unlike any other persons he had met in her entire life. She was calm, understanding, and truly captivating. Octavia didn't know what it was, or what was causing it, but Vinyl was giving her a sense of safety and trust that she felt with anyone else.
"Now, let's see your reaction to a Twinkie!" Vinyl said ecstatically, planning to break even more ground with her new friend.
Author's Note
Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this OctaScratch fanfic so far, I don't know when, but I definitely do plan on continuing this with more chapters. If you have any issues with the story or think I could improve in any way, I'd love to hear them! I'm always looking for criticism, and would greatly appreciate any feedback I get. Regardless, as stated before, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and I'll catch you all later! 
