The stallion, who went by 'Gavel' and refused to let me call him 'Mr. Philharmonica', sat on our sofa, sipping his tea as he stared at me. Octy kept asking him questions about work, and I glanced at his cutie mark. A gavel over a briefcase. Well that was unhelpful.

"How did the lawsuit between Fleur de Lis and Hoity Toity go?" Octy was asking.

"She won, though it was almost impossible for her to lose. Judge Swift Decision couldn't resist her...temptation." Gavel shuddered and Octy took a seat across from him. I tapped a hoof on the side table, my patience running low. Octy sensed my discomfort and turned to her father.

"What brings you here? I assume mother sent you to confirm that I am, indeed, a fillyfooler?"

"I am here to meet this 'demon' you have as a roommate." I almost lashed out at him, but I could hear the light chuckle issuing from the stallion. He looked up at me and smiled. "May I ask your name? You already know I am Gavel Philharmonica."

"Vinyl Scratch, but I DJ as DJ Pon-3." I held out a hoof. Gavel took it in his own and gave it a firm shake. Octy looked pleased to see us getting along.

"I must admit, the music you played at the concert was enjoyable, even for an old stallion such as myself."

"You...you like my dubtrot?" For a moment, I was in disbelief. After the shock passed, I looked to Octy.

"I told you everypony digs my wubs!" I shouted. I jump up and did a foalish flank wiggle, slapping my hoof just below my cutie mark. "Kiss it!"

"Vinyl!" Octy gasped, trying to return me to my seat. Her face was turning red as she tugged hopelessly on my tail. "Stop that this instant!"

"Now, Octavia, you don't intend to...kiss it?" Gavel's lip wobbled as he held back a laugh. I strung a hoof around the stallion's shoulders.

"Gavy, you're pretty cool. How is Miss Stick-Up-Her-Rump related to you?"

"I assure you, he's much more dignified when Mother is around," Octy grumbled. Gavel cleared his throat, suddenly becoming serious. Even I returned to my seat, the grin wiped from my face.

"That brings me to my second reason for the unannounced visit." Gavel waited until Octy was in a seated position beside me before he continued. "Octavia, darling, you know how your mother feels about fillyfoolers and coltcuddlers."

"Is this about my being disowned?" Octy asked. "Because if that is the case-"

"No, Octavia. You are not being disowned as long as I have any say in it. This is something far less serious than you being part of the will. Your mother and I have had one argument too many. You see, she feels that you should not be our daughter legally anymore due to your...disease. I, on the other hoof, say that you are still the same mare you were before you left home."

"What are you trying to say, Father?" I looked to my roommate and put a hoof around her shoulders, holding her against me in a friendly hug. She smelled of lavender and I could feel her body shaking.

"Octavia, your mother and I are no longer going to continue our marriage. There was a time when I cared for Serenada. I loved her dearly, but if she refuses to call you our daughter, I refuse to call her my wife."

There were a million things Octy could have done. I expected her to shout, or argue as to why they should make the relationship work. I even thought she might agree that it was the best thing to do at this point. Instead, she buried her face into my neck and sobbed.

"Octy, it's gonna be okay," I whispered as I stroked her mane. "You'll be alright." The cellist continued to sob.

"Octavia, this doesn't mean I don't still love you. It's because I love you that I don't want to continue my marriage with your mother. She said terrible things about you, and I don't want to live with anypony who is going to insult my only daughter."

Octy lifted her head off my shoulders, her eyes slightly red and my shoulder slightly damp.

"I'm sorry about my reaction," Octy said, her voice shaky. "It's just a shock. You and mother seemed so happy when I was a foal."

"We were happy, darling, but now that you've made a very grown-up decision, your mother can't handle it." Gavel approached his daughter and nuzzled her lightly. "You'll be alright, Octavia. You're a strong mare. You've always been strong."

"I love you, Papa," Octy said through her tears. "When you see Mother, tell her I love her too, even if she now hates me."

"She loves you," I said suddenly. "She thinks she hates you, but she loves you. You're still her daughter. Fillyfooler or not, you're still her daughter, and nopony could ever hate her own daughter."

"Very well put, Vinyl," Gavel said with a small smile. Octy looked at me and put her hooves around me in a hug. I returned the hug, the only thought on my mind being that she needed somepony to listen to her and care about her. She didn't need a marefriend right now, and she wouldn't need one for a while yet. Right now, she just needed a friend, and I was determined to be there for her.