“Do you think we’d make a good sitcom pairing?” Lyra said over tea to make conversation.

“No.”

“But you could be the boring branch in the dirt and I could be the fun one!”

“So all of the episodes would be the same joke repeated fifty times?”

“Yeah!”

“‘Yeah’?”

“Yes.” Lyra looked at the table. “Don’t break up with me again. I got really sad.”

“I’m not going to break up with you based on how you say yes.” Octavia remembered camerapony #1. “I have to be honest, there are a couple obvious exceptions, but nothing a normal pony would ever do.”

Lyra put her head in her hooves. “You’re so forgiving, Octavia....”

“Not really, particularly if you remember the time I kicked you out....”

Lyra returned to a more normal position. “But I like fawning over you....”

“Why?”

“You’re supposed to constantly tell your romantic partners how awesome they are, you know. I mean, look at Twilight. She isn’t very good at it, but she gets the idea better than any other pony in the world.”

“So I’m supposed to stroke your ego?”

“It’s not about making ponies feel better about themselves, it’s about being soppy, which is itself about fun.”

“I’m not very sentimental, though. You know that.”

“I know, and that’s something I like you for. It’s not a moral obligation or anything.”

“You made it sound like it was.”

“Sorry. Hey, come over here.”

Octavia got out of her chair and went to Lyra. Lyra grabbed Octavia by the neck and kissed her, all without getting out of her own chair.

“You tricked me,” Octavia said, smiling.

“Wait, did you just say something funny and smile and you’re happy about that? You’re still smiling. Stop smiling!”

“Don’t you like seeing me happy?”

“More than anything in the world, but don’t smile. It’s not disturbing like when Perry smiles, but it’s just... kind of weird.”

“‘More than anything in the world’? I told you you don’t have to flatter me.”

“I mean it. Your happiness is more important than anything else to me.”

“Awwww.”

“It’s OOC for you to be sarcastic.”

“What C? I’m a background character.”

“The C you’ve shown over the many chapters you’ve been in.”

“I C.”

“This is Criously kind of dumb.”

“I’m sorry I started it.”

“It’s okay, we can stop.”

Silence.

“You’re supposed to kiss to stop awkward silences,” Lyra said.

“I didn’t think it was awkward enough. And besides, you didn’t do anything.”

“Sure, blame everything on me. You didn’t do anything either.”

“I’m not the one who’s supposed to start romantic things in this relationship, you know that.”

“Yeah, but... you’re right. Why does everything you say make so much sense?”

“I’m... sorry?”

“Why do you have to be so perfect?”

“Stop complimenting me.”

“No. You’re awesome, well, not like Rainbow awesome, you know, and I’m going to talk about it.”

“Honestly, I think you’re better.”

“Didn’t we have this argument before?”

“Yes.”

Instead of an awkward silence, they kissed.

Next Chapter: Chapter 153: How’s Everyone Doing? Estimated time remaining: 7 Hours, 43 Minutes