An Island, Two Mares and a Bottle of Rum

Chapter Eighteen

The Art of Seduction, By Octavia Philarmonica

***

"All right, Vinyl, let's do it." Octavia's eyes shone with determination as her mind began to play through a few foalproof plans to choose the one that would lead to indubitable success.

The DJ blushed in the darkness of the closet as the stallions outside approached the narrow corridor. "Do what, exactly?" she wondered, mentally cursing her ignorance. "I'm not sure what 'seduction' means."

Octavia raised her brow in surprise. "Vinyl, really? A hedgehog with half a brain knows that," she scolded her mare, visibly astonished that Vinyl didn't know about such a concept.

Vinyl tried to stroke her chin but was met with the crampness of the closet that prevented her from doing so. "You know, Tavi... Remember that hedgehog I launched from the toaster?" A groan from the cellist confirmed her assumption. "He was a smart fella but I doubt he knew that."

Octavia cleared her throat audibly, unable to put up with the unicorn's idiocy any more. "Anyway. Basically, you have to, well, play all sultry and make those stallions want you." She smiled. "I'd say you're quite the charmer; it should be easy for you."

Vinyl frowned, trying to shake her head in the cramped space. "But Tavi! I love only you - I don't want to, um, 'seduce' those stallions."

While Octavia's heart fluttered at the mentioning of such a sweet detail, she couldn't let the whole plan go to ruin due to Vinyl's devotion to her, especially given that it was she, Vinyl, who had persuaded her, Octavia, to take part in the whole ridiculous affair.

"Vinyl, honey, that's very sweet of you, but sometimes, you need to just... pretend?" she suggested, meeting her marefriend's blank look. "Um... lie?"

Vinyl blinked in embarrassment. "Tavi, you see, they disallowed me to lie, back then in court, remember?" she wondered, glancing through the small opening. The stallions were drawing nearer. "When they accused me of arson, police bribery, public indecency, Trotting Under Influence, identity theft and mind rape - the package deal?"

Octavia winced. Yes, she did remember the 'package deal' - moreso that she'd had to bring in all of her charm (and bits) to persuade the court against suing her 'law-abiding and totally harmless' friend. "Vinyl, they meant that you had to tell the truth only during the litigation!" the grey mare exclaimed, marvelling at her marefriend's obliviousness. And here I was, thinking that she has been honest due to her inner stupidity... she mused.

The cellist chewed on her bottom lip, pondering over her next words. "I hereby declare that you are allowed to pretend and/or lie any time you so desire."

"What?"

But of course. Octavia suppressed the urge to facehoof. It was Vinyl she had to deal with, after all. "I mean that you can lie any time you want, honey."

Vinyl's ears perked up. "Really?"

Octavia smiled warmly. "Really."

The DJ took a deep breath. "Tavi, you're fat, and ugly, and Celestia, I've never seen a more lousy mare when it comes down to rutting!" she yelled, drawing another breath.

For once in her life, Octavia's thoughts perfectly resembled her words. Both could be summarised as, "What?!"

The unicorn giggled. "Chill out, Tavi, I was lying." She nickered gleefully. "Damn, it feels good to lie, for a change."

The cellist groaned, her eye twitching. It was Vinyl's sheer luck that, due to little space, she was out of reach. Still, Octavia managed to nudge her marefriend on the flank. "Come on, mistress of deception. We have two stallions to seduce."

The narrow corridor seemed like a wide alley to both mares as they left the closet, panting, stretching their sole limbs and wishing they'd never end up in such a cramped space ever again. If we do, I might develop claustrophobia, Octavia mused. Vinyl would've certainly thought the same; if she knew the word 'claustrophobia', that is.

The stallions were almost identical, with their brown coats, and short black manes, and those ridiculous marine outfits. As they came across the musical mares, they stopped dead in their tracks, gasping. It didn't help that both Vinyl and Octavia were incredibly sweaty from having been locked up in the closet.

"Hi, boys~" Octavia called out, battering her eyelashes seductively. The stallions blushed fiercely, exchanging confused looks. Two youngsters, the cellist mused in content. I've got them over my hoof. "Is it just me or is it hot out here?" she wondered aloud, winking at the visibly astonished Vinyl.

"Um..." The stallion on the left glanced at his companion, sweating profusely.

Your turn, Octavia mouthed to her marefriend, who seemed to have taken the hint. The white mare looked around, desperately trying to gather her thoughts, when a sudden realisation dawned upon her.

She turned her back on the stallions, presenting her rump in a very saucy manner. "Oh my!" she exclaimed loudly, wiggling her flank in the air, pretending to be searching for something on the floor. "It seems that I have dropped my bass somewhere!"

Octavia giggled mentally. She's learning, she thought satisfactorily.

One of the stallions was on the verge of fainting. The other one was barely breathing.

"Why don't we... look for it in that wonderfully cosy closet over there?" Octavia gestured to the closet, and smiled, seeing one of the stallions nod weakly, and the other one yelp in agreement. Easy.

Taking the cabin colts to the closet had, indeed, been easy. Just as the oblivious stallions entered the dark space, Octavia lifted a broomstick and landed two precise blows on each of the two heads, adorned with silly marine caps. Vinyl gasped as the stallions collapsed on the spot.

The cellist huffed and closed the door, catching her mare's disapproving look.

"You know, we could've just talked to them. Told them the ship was heading to ruin, you know." Vinyl frowned. "Since when you're so rough, Tavi?"

"Since when are you the voice of reason in this relationship?" the cellist countered.

"You're rubbing off of me!" both mares exclaimed in perfect unison. Both blinked. And then, just as they realised what they'd said, both erupted in laughter.

Suddenly, the whole affair didn't seem half as desperate anymore.