The Snow on Her Cheek

Chapter Six

Impressions

***

"Aaah, I love this place!"

Vinyl sat down at table, watching Octavia sit next to her, her whole body immediately relaxing, taking in the atmosphere of the bar. There was no music yet, but the feeling of jazz was floating in the air: ponies were drinking and chatting with each other in a friendly manner, a simple way that could be seen only in this part of town. Yes, the place was by no means silent.

"Yes, it's nice," Octavia agreed with a warm smile, still reminding herself not to get lost in the beautiful unicorn's eyes, lest they be accused of... fillyfooling. The word seemed so strange to her now. I just can't understand... Why can't two ponies love each other, regardless of the gender? Does love ever have boundaries? Octavia speculated. No, she said to herself. While the boundaries had been established by the law, they were not real. They were imaginary borders between the state of restriction and the land of freedom.

"Heya, Vinyl!" a voice came from the side. Looking up, the cellist saw the barman smiling at them. She returned the smile politely, and Vinyl did the same.

"Heya, Scotch. Bring me the usual before I sit down at that piano and show you pussies what bebop is made of!" she exclaimed, proudly throwing her hoof in the air. There was no offence in her voice, Octavia noted. Just a strange way of expressing her thoughts. Maybe... Maybe I need to follow her example some day...

The bartender chuckled and shook his head. "You never change, do you, Vinyl?" He levitated a glass to the white mare, adding, "Oh, and you can hold your horses on the last one. No performing here tonight." He poured whisky into the mare's glass.

"What d'you mean, no performing?!" Vinyl was visibly shocked, even though her goggles hid her feelings most of the time. What the-

"Don't you worry," the stallion replied, placing an empty glass before Octavia. "The God's playing here tonight." Just as Vinyl's mouth fell agape, he turned his head towards the grey mare. "For you, ma'am?"

Octavia couldn't help but notice the sudden change in the pony's attitude. He was addressing her with a degree of cold politeness, not mocking disrespect. I'm still an alien here...

"The same," she said, casting a worried look towards her marefriend. "Something wrong, dear?" Oh my Celestia! Have I just said 'dear'? Has anypony noticed? She looked around fervently, but, to her relief, nopony had noticed the sudden slip, or, what seemed more possible, had pretended not to notice.

"T-t-the God is here?" Vinyl stammered, taking off her goggles - a gesture that was unique for her. "As in, the God?" I can't believe he's here, after all those years!

"Yep." The barman nodded, returning to his place behind the counter. "It's been what? Five years?" He chuckled and shook his head, cleaning the glasses.

"Vinyl, what's-" Just as Octavia began speaking, the door opened and two ponies entered the bar. One of them was a blue unicorn  mare, who was holding an earth pony stallion by the hoof, leading him all the way to the piano. He was a middle-aged pony, his coat creamy white, his mane black and wavy. Octavia noticed a streak of grey in his mane - a sign of approaching old age. He was wearing sunglasses and was smiling at nothing in particular, his gaze blissfully adrift.

As the two ponies slowly moved through the tables, the visitors began stomping their hooves against the ground, cheering in approval. The white earth pony waved his hoof in the air, his gesture not directed towards anypony in particular, but to everypony at once.

"God is here, Tavi..."  Vinyl whispered stately, her red eyes locked on the black-maned pianist, who had just occupied his place before the instrument, his companion opening the cover for him.

Before the cellist could ask anything, confused to the maximum, the white earth pony began to play. The song started suddenly; the pianist didn't hold a slightest pause. Blocked chords began to envelop the smoke-covered bar, while the pony's right hoof was breaking all possible laws of physics as he set and immediately broke the rhythm, sliding across the keys, his head high, the blissful smile shining upon his face. He was playing in an extermely lewdy way, disregarding all classical skills that a musician could think of; his hoof was lazy, but swift at the same time. He was not just making music; at this exact moment, he was music. He was the quintessence of jazz. He was the God.

The God... Old God Coltring! a thought rushed through Octavia's head as she remembered the familiar notes; the notes she used to dance to. That's why Vinyl was so shocked; the God of jazz was playing right before them, among the mortals.

As the song ended, the two mares sat in silence and awe, taking in the aftertaste of this heavenly music. Finally, Vinyl broke the silence. "Sorry for shushing you, Tavi. Just..." She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "When the God is playing, the angels are silent." And you are my angel indeed...

"Oh, that's all right, Vinyl." She smiled at her marefriend, her grateful eyes showing that she appreciated the compliment. Oh, Vinyl, you are so sweet... You are my angel... "I haven't seen Mr. Coltring before, but I love his music."  She turned her head towards the earth pony pianist, whose ears perked at the conversation.

"Could it be..." he said, not looking at the ponies, his gaze still fixed on some spot on the ceiling. "Vinyl? Vinyl Scratch?" He smiled, raising his hoof, searching the air, as if he were blind. As if he were... But of course! Octavia realised suddenly. "He is blind!" she whispered, loud enough for the unicorn to hear.

Vinyl smirked. "So what? He still kicks all kinds of flank!" She rose from her place and trotted towards the piano, her cellist following her shortly.

"George!" she exclaimed loudly, approaching the earth pony, and put a hoof on his shoulder. The pianist placed his own hoof onto Vinyl's face, inspecting it, while the unicorn stood before him obediently, letting him "see" her.

"Vinyl, Vinyl..." the pianist chuckled, feeling the mare's face. "You're still the same, save for those goggles of yours. Have you got rid of them yet?"

"Not a chance!" Vinyl laughed and took a step back, nudging Octavia, who was just standing there, amazed by the presence of such a powerful and skilled jazz musician.

"Mr... Mr Coltring..." Octavia gulped and stepped forward, letting the amazing piano player touch her face. His hoof was tough, hardened by years of practice. "I am a fan of your work, and it is a pleasure to see you here in person." She bowed slightly, blushing, heat enveloping her face.

The cream-white pianist laughed light-heartedly and shook his head. "I'm very glad to hear that..." He raised his brow questioningly.

"Octavia," the grey mare supplied the name quickly.

"Octavia," the earth pony repeated, kissing her hoof politely, which only made the cellist blush even harder. "You know, Vinyl, you could learn a thing or two about manners from your marefriend." He chuckled.

Vinyl huffed and waved her hoof, not taking into consideration the fact that the black-maned pony couldn't actually see it. "Nah, I- WHAT?!" she yelled and staggered back, Octavia catching her before she could fall and hurt herself.

What?! How did he- both ponies thought in unison, their eyes widening.

"Oh, Vinyl, even though I'm blind, I can still see some things more clearly than any other pony." He laughed and patted the grey mare on the shoulder, probably mistaking her for the unicorn. "It is so obvious. I'm very happy for you! Love is a wonderful thing..." The earth pony became silent, reminiscing some days of his past, no less. Not to disturb him, both mares backed down quietly and soon were approaching the bar counter.

Just as Octavia opened her mouth to say something (How the hay did he know?!), a brown earth pony stallion approached them, patting Vinyl on the back. "Heya, Scratch!"

Vinyl turned round and a grin immediately found its way to her face. "Bass!" She slammed her hoof against his in a strange manner, which Octavia found rather barbaric. "Glad to see you here, man!"

"Well, I'm always around, you know!" the pony grinned in return. Octavia eyed him. His long black mane was falling onto his shoulders, almost all the way to his flank, where a double bass cutie mark could be seen. Can it be more obvious what his instrument is, I wonder? Octavia mused with an internal smirk. "And who's that sexy flank with you?" he grinned, nodding towars the grey mare.

"Hey, she's my sexy flank!" Vinyl exlaimed, her eyes casting a mocking-glare at the stallion, who erupted in laughter. Vinyl facehoofed, while Octavia hissed into her ear, "Couldn't you be even more obvious, dear?"

"Oh, that's all right..." the pony began with a grin.

"Octavia," Vinyl said, leaning  closer to the cellist, making her blush and look around. Apparently, nopony around here cared about such matters.

"That's all right, Octavia. I'm no pretender." The brown stallion waved his hoof in the air, as if he were giving up any chance of hitting on the grey mare. "Though, you're swell, for a mare," he specified with a grin.

"Huh?" Octavia looked at her marefriend, confused. For a mare? What does he mean?

"Double Bass is gay," Vinyl explained, as the stallion nodded. Double Bass? Octavia thought. His parents must have been kidding!

"Oh, and we have a favour to ask of you, Bass," Vinyl continued, taking a sip of her drink. "Tavi's cello is broken into pieces and I know you do such work as easy as pie." I hope I've struck his pride... if 'struck' is the word I want...

The brown pony nodded and waved his hoof in the air. "Sure, no problem. Got the remnants with you?"

Octavia facehoofed. "Vinyl, don't say you've forgotten-"

"Hey, it's your cello!" the pianist retorted.

"You know, you're rather cute when you argue like that..." Double Bass giggled.

"Oh shut up!" both mares shouted in unison, making the stallion stagger back.

"Hey hey hey, ladies!" the stallion exclaimed in a mocking-apologetic tone. "Just be sure to bring me  your broken cello next time!"

The mares nodded and continued to chat and drink, happy to have an easy, friendly conversation going.

***

"Vinyl?" Octavia said as they walked out of the bar, slightly inebriated, leaning onto each other. In fact, "being drunk" was just an excuse for them to keep close to each other in public.

"Yes, Tavi?"

"Do you think Mr Coltring will report on us?" Octavia asked, slightly concerned.

Vinyl chuckled and stroked her marefriend's mane lovingly. "Oh no, I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well..." Vinyl smiled. "I guess I know him just too well." She paused and looked into her cellist's wonderful, mesmerising eyes. "After all, he's my teacher."

Octavia gasped and watched Vinyl trot by, following her pianist, the most beautiful and talented mare in the world, warm and content by the simple fact of being with her.