Bass and Double Bass

by Solent Spray

Need Coffee

09:00, her watch read. How was it only 09 O' Clock???
It was way to early for Vinyl to be wake let alone walking around Canterlot at this un-godly early hour, especially after playing one of her best sets yet last night. But, seriously that rave was off the chain!!!
Arghh....I need coffee.
Heh, the one time I'm looking for a LunaBucks and there's none in sight. Figures......

Vinyl Scratch, one the best DJ's in the Canterlot Underground music scene had just left her place after a quick shower, a change of clothes and after grabbing her trusty satchel and was now currently walking out from the underused Canterlot Industrial Sector, in her opinion anyway.
Her opinion was obviously biased though; as she had pretty much lived in this sector for the past three years after her parents had kicked her out. But even so Vinyl had done well for herself especially considering with her 'disability'. Her small apartment (that she rented out to other DJ's in the underground music scene that usually needed a safe place to sleep during their respective downtimes), her music studio that she shared with Heavy Drop (also rented out to other DJ's) and their main underground scene which switched between disused warehouse to disused warehouse every other week.
It was rough and tumble lifestyle, but Vinyl loved every second of it and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Vinyl paused in her searching for said overpriced coffee chain, and looked around to her surroundings. Large to small warehouses and office buildings slowly petered out into the Residential Area of Canterlot. Overall, not a bad area but then again even with Vinyl's untrained business eye it was no place for coffee shops.
Argghh. Think Vinyl where is the nearest place to here that I can go get coffee?
Town Center? Too Far.
Music District? Again, Too Far.
Ummm....Train Station? ......That'll do.
And with that Vinyl changed her course from her pointless meanderings to a new destination of the Canterlot Train and Bus Station.

---

Awww yeah, that hit the spot...

Slumping back in the chair, Vinyl had a moment of pure bliss. Not as great as she usually had whenever she took to the decks, but still, it was close. Vinyl needed this coffee, it was overpriced, overly complicated to make and still didn't taste like the perfect coffee, as they so advertised; but right now Vinyl didn't care. Coffee was coffee, after all.

Pushing aside the errant thought in her head that was saying that she had paid too much for a cup of hot liquid, Vinyl reached down for her satchel to pull out her laptop, which predictably was at the bottom of her bag; so after pulling a couple sets of headphones, her launchpad and a couple of notes for future songs she finally managed to gain access to her laptop. Vinyl packed everything back up in the satchel except for the laptop and a set of headphones. Even her tinted sunglasses went into the satchel, since she needed to actually see the laptop screen to do work.

Locking the satchel flap back up so the bag was closed so that it would be hard to steal from. Vinyl had learnt that lesson the hard way; back when her 'friend' Meltdown had stolen her launchpad from her DJ set during a gig then tried to sell it off as quick as possible, luckily for Vinyl while she hadn't noticed, Heavy Note had. From the information Vinyl had learnt after from Heavy and Passion Stripe, Meltdown had looked decidedly the worse for wear after Heavy had 'persuaded' him to give Vinyl's launchpad back.

---

After half an hour of work on her laptop, Vinyl was just about ready to give up. She hadn't really done anything more than just go around in circles with a couple of new songs.
Meh, they're ok. But not really up to the Scratch standard......There is just something missing from these, but I can't quite pin it down...
Deciding she wasn't going to get anywhere and thinking she had probably leached enough of the LunaBucks free wifi to last today, Vinyl packed up and left the store.
Maybe a walk around here would give me inspiration.

The Canterlot Train Station was always a good source of hustle and bustle from various types of people using the station, it was a easy place to just sit back and take in the sights; to Vinyl it was one of her favourite places in the entire city. The environment of so many people going about their daily lives and just the very idea of catching a train to anywhere in Equestria always made Vinyl content to watch. Striding across the forecourt of the Bus depot outside the Train Station, Vinyl drifted back into her musings.
I'll get up to the viewing gallery, maybe I'll spot something interesting. Shame that Canterlot doesn't have a underground tube, like Manhattan or Lond-ARRGGHHH!!!

Vinyl's head was ringing like someone had turned her up to 120BPM and she was seeing quite a few stars or maybe they were strobe lights, she couldn't really tell. Shaking her head and blinking to try and get rid of these before it lead her to start throwing up, she could vaguely make out who she had walked into. Her vision cleared a little more to reveal the stranger in more detail, Vinyl saw that she was female, she looked to be a little older than Vinyl, although that could be the outfit she was wearing; formal threads. Really!?!?!? This girl has no dress sense at all! I'm mean; just look it!!! Dig the bowtie though......

Vinyl looked her up and down again, this time noting new details from her appearance, she had long dark brown hair and she also appeared to be wearing a bracelet sporting a treble clef symbol. Huh, musician??? Then Vinyl saw what she carrying on her back; a very large leather case that could only house one thing. Urgh...one of those stuck up 'classical' musicians. Give me strength and solid bass beat any day.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I do hope that that I didn't hurt you." the girl asked with what appeared to concern. Huh, she actually cares??? Maybe she isn't stuck up at all.
Luckily the ringing in Vinyl's ears had subsided a little, but she did feel a slight headache coming on. On the reflection of the situation that it was neither of them at fault, at least not on purpose, Vinyl decided to play nice. Hey she had endured worse, way way worse.

"Meh, no more than usual." Vinyl responded, then shrugged.
The girl looked at her, with utter confusion in her eyes. Typical......Does anyone actually bother to learn sign language anymore!?!?!?

"Ok then, if your fine......" the girl trailed off in a slight weaker voice, still clearly confused.
She started looking around for help, then her eyes widened in shock. Vinyl looked at her non-plussed as the other girl stared back towards her then looked down, Vinyl followed her line of sight to the floor. Awww, Crap......

Both the girls' stuff had fallen to the ground after colliding with each other. Her satchel had fallen to its side and opened onto the floor. Various music notes (both Vinyl's and the other girl's), bits of scrap paper, Vinyl's purple shaded sunglasses and even her laptop were strewn across the floor. Man, I hope nothing is broken. Especially my sunglasses, Passion Stripe would kill me!
But before Vinyl could make a move to clear up the mess around both them, the other girl was already bending down to retrieve as many of the music sheets as possible. Ok, now I'm impressed. She's still got a double bass strapped to her back and she can do that, I know skill when I see it.

Again before Vinyl could protest, move or interrupt, the girl had stood back up and was jogging away with as paper as she could carry towards the nearest bus. Halfway there she paused and looked back at Vinyl.
"Ummm.... it was.... nice meeting you...."
Then turned and kept going in her direction.

Vinyl shook her head and set about cleaning up the mess on the floor and recovering her things, but as soon as she picked up her satchel, she noticed something under it. A bow for a string instruction, maybe perhaps a double bass? Vinyl looked at in shock then in the direction the girl had left. She needs this! I, of all people should know how important musical instruments are. Gathering up everything from the floor a lot more quickly this time, Vinyl headed after the girl direction. She could see her on a bus as it pulling out of the depot. Vinyl started waving to her to draw her attention but it was too late as the bus was too far away already, Vinyl didn't know if she had actually seen her or not. Looking down at the string bow sticking out of her satchel.
Awwwwww...........Crap............

Author's Note:

This chapter was from Vinyl's POV. But just so you guys/girls/ponies know, Vinyl Scratch is mute in this story, so the italic writing is purely her thoughts apart from this:

"Meh, no more than usual." Vinyl responded, then shrugged.

That is what the entire paragraph in the previous chapter was. And yes, I know I'm crap at writing sign language! I couldn't get any versions of the actual words, so I was forced to literally spell the words out. What do you guys think?

Also, different sidenote:

Lunabucks

A joke at Luna's expense for the story until I realised that Luna is the Princess of the Moon and Stars. (I didn't remember that until after this chapter was finished)

Comments

[mutualism_is_nice]

Mute Vinyl is the best Vinyl

[Solent Spray]

6165989 orig05.deviantart.net/8ce5/f/2013/026/6/4/vinyl_scratch_emoticon_by_solartealetra-d5stday.png

[CaptainSanchez]

Nicely done.