A Sailboat, Two Mares and a Crate Full of Rum

Chapter Three

The Title Says "Sailboat" - What Did You Expect?

***

"This... is a sailboat."

"Sailing boat," Octavia corrected her mare, staring at the small, yacht-like... vessel that was waiting for them in the harbour.

"No." Vinyl shook her head as the autumn wind blew at the boat's sail, threatening to crush the mast that was creaking and moaning. "This is a sailboat." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Are you sure this is the 'ship' Jeffrey wants us to take?" she addressed the Blackest Guy.

"It's Mr McKraken for you," the stallion replied with a bland expression. "And yes, this is the boat."

"Yes, a boat," Lyra chimed in. "Not a ship. I don't know how to steer a sailing boat. A sailboat. Whatever."

The Guy of the Sheerest Black shrugged. "That's your problem, not mine." Lyra cast him a glare that could certainly kill a squirrel, under certain circumstances, to which Lyra did not want to allude at the moment. "Good luck," he finally said, walking away, dropping as he passed Vinyl, "Break a leg."

Vinyl gritted her teeth, but remained silent. He's just envious. He just wants Jeffrey all to himself. That... did raise certain implications. Implications that Vinyl stuffed into one of the deepest nooks of her mind, somewhere between a pondering over the essay "How to launch a hedgehog from a toaster in less than five seconds" and a mental summary of "One thousand uses of rum: the unabriged edition".

"All right." Lyra sighed, rubbing her forehead. It was time to take the matter in her hooves. "Since I'm the captain of this ship..." She pondered for a moment. If I'm a captain, I should speak like a captain. "Since I's th' cap'n o' this 'ere-"

Bon-Bon interrupted the tirade with a swift, beautiful, professional blow of the cream-coloured  hoof, making Octavia gasp in awe as she marvelled at the refined, exquisite gesture that put her own punches to shame. I definitely need to take some lessons from Bon-Bon... she mused, just as Vinyl was hit with the same thought and shivered at the very idea of her ma- civil partner picking up a thing or two from the reserved, yet so powerful, cream-coloured mare. Or it was just the cold. Definitely the cold.

"Point taken." Lyra rubbed the sore spot. "Anyway. Since Jeffrey said that I'm the captain, I'm the captain." She looked pointedly at each of the tree mares, daring them to oppose her. Octavia didn't care; Bon-Bon was happy that her mare was the captain; Vinyl wanted to murder Lyra as her competitor. Just a little, the DJ assured herself. She didn't want to murder her to death, of course - just... a little. Into submission. And then I'll become the captain and have a foursome with her and Bonnie. And Tavi, of course. That sounded like a plan.

Although, seeing as captain Lyra was supported by a mare with such a terrifying and powerful hoof-combat technique, Vinyl immediately wanted to postpone the plan. For a while. Until her ingenious mind came up with an even greater, or more elaborate, plan.

"All right. Now, I'm going to assign you your positions. Octavia." She pointed her hoof at the cellist. "Since you are the only one here who can cook, you will be the cook."  Octavia nodded, content that cooking was something within her expertise. Besides, Vinyl already ate like a whole team.

"Hey!" Bon-Bon glanced at the newly-assigned captain, pondering whether to use the rare technique or reserve it for a greater offence. "Lyra, honey, I can cook too, you know?"

Lyra smiled sweetly at her marefriend. "Of course, Bonnie. But you can't be the cook: you are now the captain's wife." The mint mare beamed proudly. Bon-Bon blushed a little.

"Wait." Octavia blinked. "You two aren't married. Same-sex marriage isn't even legal in Equestria... Is it?" The cellist was growing suspicious.

Lyra and Bon-Bon exchanged awkward glances while Vinyl gesticulated wildly, standing behind Octavia. Same-sex marriage had been legalised for a week already, and it had taken great effort on Vinyl's part to let her civil partner remain in oblivious bliss: the DJ had burnt every newspaper they'd received, in addition to breaking the TV set and keeping her marefriend occupied with sexy times. Lyra and Bon-Bon's marriage, taking place several days ago, had remained secret, for now, on Vinyl's plea. For Vinyl, living together with Octavia as civil partners - no resposibility attached - definitely seemed better than marrying the love of her life and actually having to do something around the house. Besides, she felt that she wasn't ready for such a commitment. But it was an actual serious thought, and such thoughts were allowed to enter Vinyl's mind strictly once a day, no longer than a minute each.

"Noooo." Lyra chuckled sheepishly. "Of course not. That's just another position: captain's wife. Since Bon-Bon is my... marefriend, she's the captain's wife. Easy." Lyra let a false grin onto her face. Bon-Bon nodded, still somewhat lacking understanding of such further deception. Vinyl prayed to the God of Rum. Please buy it, Tavi, please buy it please buy it, please buy it!

"Let's see what this boat has to offer," Octavia said finally, with a sigh that drowned Vinyl's own sigh of relief.

***

"Okay. At least there are two rooms and a kitchen. Like a flat."

Lyra's fake cheerfulness was not shared by any of the other members of the "crew". The "rooms" were terribly small and cramped. The sailing boat - or, as Vinyl had christened it, the "sailboat" - was terribly, scaringly small.

"Hey, there's even a maintenance room!" Lyra tried to brighten the mood. It didn't seem to be very effective. "All right. Bonnie and I will be sleeping in the captain's, and you two will be sleeping in the crew's," captain Lyra (as she proudly called herself inside her head now) ordered.

"Hey!" Vinyl protested. "Can't I and my mare get better conditions, according to my position?" She puffed her chest proudly. "I'm the supervisor, after all!"

Lyra stared at the DJ blankly. "Vinyl, if I didn't assign you a position at once, it doesn't mean you're a supervisor."

Vinyl's ears perked up, her eyes shining behind her shades as she was ready to unleash her anger upon the mint mare.

Lyra grinned. "You are the cabin colt."