Vinyl & Octavia: University Days

Chapter 7

Of all the places she wanted to be on a Sunday night, this was not in the top ten.

Stumbling half-drunk down a dark Manehattan street, leaning on Shady Oaks for support.

This wasn't even in the top fifty.

"Didn't know you were such a lightweight," chuckled Shady, sliding a hoof around the DJ's neck to keep her upright.

"You were pumping drinks into me, dude. Buck off," replied the grumpy drunk.

The two ponies continued their awkward shuffle down the gum-encrusted sidewalk. Slowly, the dark stallion let his hoof drift along Vinyl's back until it came to rest upon her flank. Ever so softly, he began to trace little circles on her coat.

"What are you doing?" The unicorn shoved him away, but stumbled and tripped without the support.

He laughed and helped her up. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Where are we going again?"

"Back to my place, like you asked."

She frowned. "I don't remember asking that."

"Well you did, dude." Shady put his hoof around her neck again and pulled her forward a few steps.

"Wow there, easy. I don't know what you think is happening, but it ain't happening," she said, trying to sound as serious as possible through the haze that clouded her mind.

The stallion paused in his attempts to assist her. "Are you serious?"

"Uh... yeah."

"So... all those bits I blew on drinks... were for nothing?"

Vinyl's drunken brain felt absurdly guilty, and she placed a hoof on his shoulder (though that may have been for support as much as sympathy). "Sorry, Shades. When you said drinking buddy I thought you meant, like, an actual buddy."

The stallion slumped visibly. "You're a damn tease, Vinyl."

"No I'm not!"

He snorted. "Hanging off me all night, pretty much grinding on me in the dance pit, doing tequila shots off my back, nah, you're a saint."

"Did I really do all that?"

"More or less."

"Crap, I'm sorry. I get a little friendly after a few drinks."

"Whatever. Reckon you can find your way home from here?"

"Uh..." She looked around at the tall, black buildings and the featureless road. "Sure, no worries."

Shady shook free of her comforting hoof and started trotting away without another word.

Left on her lonesome, the warmth in her veins slowly chilled in the icy night air. As pretty as Manehattan was during the day, it looked downright creepy at night. Sure, there were plenty of streetlamps, but they seemed so suffocated and suppressed by the cold blackness that they provided little comfort. Sudden, crackling tendrils of panic curled around her spine.

I've changed my mind!

"Shady?" Vinyl turned to look at the way her 'friend' had gone, and only saw his tail vanishing around a street corner. "Shady!" she croaked. A night full of shouting was affecting her voice at the worst possible time. She tried to gallop after him, but only made it a few steps before falling over. The world swam before her. "Stop it... I just wanna get home..."

But her head was heavy and it felt as though the pavement was the only thing stopping her from dropping below the world. It was not a good feeling, but she had endured worse. Granted, those times she hadn't been lying in the road.