The Ponyville pub was a quiet place where one could go to unwind or dull their sorrows. Alone with one's drinks and woes, that’s how one mare spent her nights. Tucked in the far, cozy corner of the bar sat a grey-coated mare with a charcoal black mane. Clasped tightly in her left hoof a rocks glass filled halfway with a deep, caramel-colored beverage and a mostly melted crystal-clear ice sphere floating haplessly. Her free hoof traced the rim for a moment before she tipped the glass back.

The burn coated her tongue and stayed only briefly, moving down into her chest as she swallowed her sip of whiskey.

But the alcohol burn wasn’t the only one she felt. Another beamed at her back—two, actually. Small circles about a nose’s width apart square on her head. The mare’s gaze fell back down into her glass, but her ears swiveled back at the source of those burning beams.

"Am I that obvious?" a voice asked from behind.

"Come on," the mare said with a sigh. "At least you can buy me another drink while you try your best to swoon me once more."

Another mare stepped to the counter, one with a sleek, white coat and electric blue mane. She took a seat on the stool. "I’ll get something out of you eventually."

The grey mare raised an eyebrow in disgust. "Such confidence tonight. And what—pray tell—makes you so sure tonight will be the night you finally woo me, Miss Vinyl Scratch?"

"And your mind goes right to the gutter?" Vinyl chuckled. She slid another whiskey glass over via a sparkling pink cloud. "I was thinking I’d at least get your name tonight."

The mare looked down the new beverage, a full glass of whiskey with a large clear ice sphere floating in the center. A small smirk then spread across her face. "Oh, you finally got my drink order right. I suppose you are good for something after all."

"I pay attention," Vinyl replied with a pleased smirk.

"But not quite enough to notice when somepony wishes to be left alone?" The mare stared at Vinyl with a flat look and a tone drenched in sour sarcasm.

Vinyl shrugged. "What you see as somepony wanting to be alone I see as somepony who could use a shoulder to cry on."

The mare dropped her gaze once more, this time down into the new whiskey glass. Reflected off the ice and caramel liquid she caught a faint smile on her own face.

"So sitting alone in the corner, muzzle buried in a glass of whiskey screams, ‘be my friend,’ to you?" She asked, turning her gaze back up to Vinyl.

"No," Vinyl said, laughing. "Sitting alone in the corner, muzzle buried in a glass of whiskey screams, ‘drinking problem,’ to everypony. It’s just my conscience won’t let me turn a blind eye to a cute girl all by her lonesome."

Once more the mare turned her eyes down to the glass. She took a small sip. The burn was stronger than before, but she let it rest on her tongue for a few moments. When she finally swallowed, the burn that followed wasn’t so bad. "Octavia," the mare muttered.

Vinyl raised an eyebrow and ear. "What’s that?"

"My name. It’s Octavia."

Suddenly a big smirk spread across Vinyl’s face. "Well, Octavia—mind if I call you Octy?—how about we head back to my place and—"

"And you ruined it." Octavia sighed loudly. "That slow and steady thing was working much better."

"I’m joking with you." Vinyl gave her a light shove on the shoulder. "But let’s not rule anything out just yet."