Work Text:
“Is this that new OctoRocks EP?” asked Zelda, lifting up the vinyl record sleeve.
Link looked up from his textbook. “Yeah. It’s really good, you should give it a listen.”
“I think I shall,” Zelda replied, eying the cover art on the sleeve. It was an abstract mix of whitish yellows and blackish blues with bolts of red and mellow purplish hues. “I wonder what inspired the cover?”
“It’s neat, isn’t it?” said Link with a smile. The weight of the book he studied showed in the dark circles under his eyes. “I think one of their guitarists painted it while listening to the title track.”
“Neat.” Zelda turned on the power to the record player and the screen glew a pretty blue. She lifted the lid and placed the record onto the platter and paused. “The twelve inch records play at 33⅓RPM, yeah?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Zelda eyed the RPM switch, which hadn’t been set correctly. She quickly rectified it, uncapped the needle, and set the tone arm, which descended upon the record slowly. She felt the drumbeat in her heart before she felt it in her ear.
She slumped sideways onto the sofa, leaning lazily against Link’s left side and sinking slowly into a soft sleep...
When she awoke, the music had ceased. Her hair was in her face. She brushed it aside to see the record still turning. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she looked up at Link. “What time is it?”
No answer. He was fast asleep, with the textbook still open on his lap. Zelda looked at the alarm clock on the desk.
23:57
She nudged Link, who lifted his head and looked about with still sleeping eyes.
“It’s late,” said Zelda. “I’m staying over.”
“Neat,” said Link with a yawn, promptly laying his head onto the back of the sofa and returning to his sleep. She chuckled, shook her head, and got up to turn off the record player.