//------------------------------// // First Impressions // Story: Keys to the Heart // by BakaBoy //------------------------------// Silence is amplified if it proceeds the event of a large amount of noise. In some cases, the complete lack of noise is far more noticeable than any amount of background noise. In the case following DJ-PON3's abrupt entrance, it would have been entirely appropriate to say that the silence was deafening. The quartet gawked at the DJ as she strutted into the room. Frederic found it difficult to tell if she was oblivious to their reaction to her entrance, her signature purple tinted sunglasses covering any indication to where she was looking. Her horn was aglow with her magical aura as she levitated various pieces of equipment through the door, completely ignoring the fact that she was technically late. She simply passed the quartet while giving them a small grin. The DJ simply exhibited confidence in her strides and it was quite obvious that she did not really care about the quartets opinion of her or her entrance, instead all she did was listen to her music through headphones while her head bobbed along to the loud music being played. It was quite obvious that the music was being played loudly since Frederic had no trouble hearing it from opposite the stage. DJ-PON3 was bobbing her head in rhythm to the rather unfamiliar style of music. A strange amalgamation of something that sounded similar to the noises old electronic devices produced, 8-bit if Frederic could recall correctly, along with a heavy, driving electronic beat which seemed to create an atmosphere bristling with energy and excitement. Although Frederic had little to no knowledge of the particular genre of music, he had to admit that the overall tune was quite catchy. Octavia though did not appreciate either the entrance nor the music being played. It was obvious that she was frustrated by both the sudden entrance and the extremely self-confident, if not arrogant, way the newcomer presented herself. Paired with her troubled mood from earlier, Octavia's attitude quickly descended into complete malice. A state that Frederic had only ever experienced once before during an incident that the quartet swore should never be mentioned ever again. Before Frederic was able to question the sudden and extremely worrying attitude change, Octavia briskly trotted over to beside her cello case. “They hired a DJ as the second act? Who in their right minds would do that?” Octavia scoffed. DJ-PON3 somehow managed to hear Octavia over her music immediately took offence and glared at Octavia. Taking off her headphones, she immediately trotted over to Octavia in what definitely could only be described as an aggressive manner. “And what the hay is that supposed to bucking mean?” She queried, her voice laced with venom. Although Frederic winced slightly at the white mare's rather crass choice of language, he could not help but agree with her. Octavia rarely criticized music so openly, even if she detested the genre. Thinking that it was just a slip of the tongue caused by Octavia's current frazzled condition Frederic started to trot back to the piano. Octavia would surely respond with an apology for her sudden and rude outburst, something that was completely out of character compared to Octavia’s usual calm demeanor. Or so he thought. “What I mean, is that I thought they would hire a musician with skill” Octavia replied sharply. The statement was simple but the implications behind it was enough to break the DJ's casual attitude. Frederic only had time to shout in surprise before the white mare dashed at Octavia, tackling and pinning her to the ground. "You wanna run that by me again?" She hissed, surprising Frederic with her distinctive Baltimare accent which wasn't present when she spoke earlier. The situation was bizarre to say the least for Frederic. The confusion wasn't from the scuffle that Vinyl and Octavia were currently engaged in but more from the way Octavia had reacted to the DJ. What had caused Octavia's mood to worsen to the extent that she would act completely out of her norm? Before the situation could escalate any further Frederic quickly trotted over and tapped Vinyl on the shoulder, not wanting to antagonize the mare any further, especially when she had the advantage of magic on her side in comparison to the all earth pony quartet. A fierce scowl adorned the DJ's face as she snapped her attention to Frederic, even through her sunglasses it was easy to tell that she was angry. Octavia lay dazed on the floor under the DJ in what would have been a rather compromising position had the DJ's hoof not been positioned in an aggressive manner above Octavia's muzzle. Before DJ-PON3 could voice her thoughts Frederic quickly did a shallow bow and spoke. "My apologies on the behalf of Octavia, she has not been acting as per her usual standards and so has acted in a way that I am sure she will definitely regret later" Frederic said while directing a small glare at Octavia as he finished speaking. Octavia had recovered enough from the initial shock of being bowled over to give the DJ a heated glare before looking away in shame as she registered Frederic's words. DJ-PON3 either did not notice the glare or chose to ignore it. Regardless she quickly stepped off of Octavia with a small huff, anger still creasing her features into a grimace. Inwardly Frederic sighed in relief 'At least she won't do something stupid' he briefly thought before speaking again. "My name is Frederic Horseshoepin, although Frederic is just fine" He said before extending his hoof out in a friendly gesture. The DJ seemed to hesitate, just a small amount, before reciprocating Frederic's hoof-shake. She seemed to relax a slight amount but the way her she turned her head between Frederic and the rest of the quartet it was obvious that she was weary of them and seemed to be as if she was sizing them up, trying to find their motives. The DJ seemed to have lost her Baltimare accent as she spoke, reverting back to her previous simple and urban way of speaking that did not seem to have any special twinge to it as most foreign accents had. "Vinyl Scratch, although most people know me as DJ-PON3." It was a statement, neither aggressive nor friendly. 'Vinyl Scratch... Why does that name sound so familiar?' Frederic thought as he lowered his hoof. There was something about the name 'Vinyl Scratch' that Frederic could not remember and Vinyl's physical features did not seem to help his memory whatsoever. Even after the hoof-shake the tension did not decrease in the slightest. Frederic could practically feel Octavia's glare behind him, even though it was directed at Vinyl, and the way that Vinyl kept on glancing towards Octavia meant that she knew that Octavia still disliked her. Wanting to keep a semblance of order between the musicians Frederic gave a quick smile to Vinyl. "It was rather nice to meet you, but I am afraid that there is something of importance that I must discuss with my colleague" Frederic said rather quickly while glancing over to Octavia, who appeared startled by his sudden announcement. "Yeah, wish I could say the same" Vinyl said rather icily, her gaze still fixed onto Octavia. Turning around, Frederic briskly trotted over to Octavia with a sigh and started ushering her towards the backstage door. "We need to talk" was all Frederic had to say before Octavia slumped down in defeat, losing all the anger that she previously displayed as she quietly trotted in front Frederic, leaving her cello still lying unprepared in its case.