Between Bassdrops and Bowstrings

by Quillian Inkheart

(Bonus) Chapter 13: What You Wanna Hear

(Bonus) Chapter 13: What You Wanna Hear
[v]

Canterlot soared over the head of Neon as he roamed the streets, headed towards his next gig. He stayed silent, ignoring the crowds around him as he walked through the hustle and bustle of Canterlot's busy late-midday roads. Truly, he'd learned to hate Canterlot with a whole new light. Without Vinyl to play beside, concerts in this city were just... hardly worth the effort and strain.

Despite his newfound respect for Vinyl's cellist roomie, Neon couldn't look at these prissy ponies around him without feeling an intense wave of disgust, and after tasting what it was like to play beside his special somepony, it only added a bitter taste to what was already nearly vomit. It was fine, when his fans came out to play, but more often than not, he faced more hardship than help.

Case in point.

The club his agent had managed to land wasn't his normal fair; a more uptight establishment with a very fixed clientele. They were hoping to broaden their horizons a bit, by calling MC-W1SH to DJ for them and drum up some unique business, but quite frankly, Neon just wished they'd stayed in their own lane. Far be it from him to tell somepony what to think, especially when they were paying him, but he'd known how all this would go the moment he heard the name of the club.

The Shining Jewel was less a nightclub and more a gathering spot for the bored elite of Canterlot. They came here and, he assumed, sipped fancy wines and talked about how much they hated those less than them. The sign above the club came into view ahead – a white diamond on a field of black, shimmering in the dark.

Outside the club was the usual crowd, and by that, Neon mean part one of this night's stress. Ponies who normally frequented the club were gathered outside, protesting this unfair change and complaining about how this shift in dynamic had completely ruined their nights. Neon tried to not smile as he walked around them; it'd only make things worse.

"You!" Neon ignored the voice and kept walking, but it closed on him quickly. He felt a hoof rest on his shoulder, and knew retreat wasn't really an option. "You're the one hosting tonight's show, correct?"

Neon heaved a long-suffering sigh and trailed a hoof over his face, then turned and plastered on a smile. The stallion in front of him stood up straight as a reed; Neon assumed so he could look down his nose at everypony else, with those beady little blue eyes. His dull-grey coat was wrapped in a fanciful outfit, one that certainly wouldn't survive a night in his mosh pits. "Yeah, my name's—"

"Inconsequential," the stallion interrupted, shaking his head. "You simply must speak with the owner of this establishment. Hosting your music will no doubt drop her earnings drastically, and I don't wish to see my favorite destination soiled by a dip in revenue. No offense, but there are places around Canterlot much more suited to your style; this is not one of them."

Neon waited, grinding his jaw just slightly. He kept it small enough to not be seen, but his teeth wouldn't thank him. "Well, it ain't my call to make, sir. I've already gotten paid, a contract has already been signed, and I'm here for the next three nights. Don't like it? You can go find the owner yourself." He turned, paused, then laughed. "Unless they won't let you in, given all the ruckus you're making. Might wanna tone that back, if you want to enjoy the show."

Not waiting for a response, Neon headed inside, getting a small smirk at the sound of frustrated sputtering behind him. Sure, he might have just made trouble for the ponies at the door, but he didn't really care. It was always satisfying to get one-up on these money-bags.

The Shining Jewel was odd. From the outside, it looked like a cross between a café and a night club, and the interior suggested the same. The owner had mentioned something about club hours, starting after night fell. It wasn't as small as your typical café, with it's own dedicated dance floor and DJ booth, but it wasn't as large as your typical nightclub either, falling somewhere in the middle. The floor was hardwood, except for where ponies danced. That, strangely enough, looked like marble or some kind of smooth stone. Wondering about how safe it was, the stallion ignored the patrons and walked over, testing it with his hooves.

He gave another victorious little smirk: it was fake. In actuality, the floor was probably made of some non-slip material, made to look like fancy marble. But it wasn't quite as good at keeping in the cold, making it vaguely warm to the touch, and wasn't nearly as stiff as it's actual counterpart. This was, ultimately, a good thing – Neon didn't want anyone busting their flanks while he was playing – but he loved how even the floors in this place were just a mockery of what they claimed to be.

Just as he was about to head up to the booth and see what he was working with, the owner of the establishment, a pegasus mare named Flickering Gemstone, according to his contract, came up alongside him and gave him an expectant smile. "So, what do you think?"

"It's about what my agent said," Neon responded with a non-committal tone. If he spoke his mind, it'd only make the next several days more complicated. "I might need a bit to bring in some effects; looks like you don't even have a fog machine in here."

"Oh, we don't go too crazy with the special effects here, sorry." The mare chuckled, wagging a hoof. "We get too many customers who are adverse to flashing lights or smoke, so we lean more into classic neon, since it's softer on the eyes."

Neon turned to look at her, then back to the stage. You hired the King of Special Effects and then denied him special effects. Clearly, Neon thought to himself with no small amount of spite, you just wanted me because I'm a big name, not because you actually care about what I do. Giving a sigh to let out his bubbling anger, he turned to look at the mare. She was petite, smaller than Vinyl even, which was an accomplishment in itself. Her blonde mane was tied up in a no-nonsense ponytail, and she had a stern look in her green eyes. Her coat was the same whitish-blue as the diamond on the sign outside, which almost made Neon laugh at her sense of entitlement.

But, despite all this, something about her felt different than the stuffy suits complaining at her doorstep. Maybe it was that fire in her eye or maybe it was the way she carried herself, but... This mare vaguely reminded Neon of Octavia.

"Listen," he said softly, turning to face her. "Half my whole draw is my special effects. If fans of mine swing in here on day one, and see only cheap neon lights on the stage, they'll spread the word that it isn't worth coming, and your business will tank over the next few days. If you really wanna get the most out of me being here, you need to give me some room to work."

Gem thought this over silently, then gave a small nod. "Alright. I, uh..." She kicks her hoof lightly, chuckling. "Admittedly the lack of flashing lights is for me, not my customers. I've got a medical condition, and flashing lights could... well, it wouldn't be pretty. It's embarrassing to talk about." Neon nodded, he could respect her looking out for her own health. "But I think a fog machine or two wouldn't go amiss. And I heard you've done a few neat tricks with illusion magic. Keep the flashing to a minimum, and I think we've got something."

Neon tapped his chin, looking around the room. "I could put some facing away from the tables, inwards towards the dance floor. If I put them up on the booth or stage, your other patrons would have smoke around their hooves while they ate."

Gem gives a little nod. "That's very considerate. I'll admit, the café and restaurant side of things tend to die down at night, though we do have some regulars who swing by for some solitude." She looks off to the side, smiling. "Ah, speak of Nightmares and they shall arrive."

The stallion from before was headed into the building, looking around with a disgruntled expression. When he noticed Gemstone, he started towards her, only sparing Neon a sidelong glance.

"Gemstone, we need to speak about the personality of the people you feel the need to hire," the stallion somehow stood up even straighter, dwarfing the miniature Gem with his stature alone. "This one was making snide remarks at your stoop, and the lack of respect for his fellow ponies makes me uncertain that he's a fine fit for your lovely establishment."

"Perhaps you two just got off on the wrong hoof," Gem was quick to interject, but Neon was fairly certain it wasn't that. Left or right, front or back; he'd probably put each and every one of his hooves on this prick's unsuspecting face. "Neon, this is one of my regulars – and an old friend from way back – Falsetto." The stallion in question stared down his nose at Neon. "Falsetto, this is Neon. He's not a bad guy Fal, I promise."

Falsetto snorted faintly and shook his head. "I tried being polite outside, but it seems more blunt action is required. I come here to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this fine establishment, and to support my dear friend, Gemstone. It's my belief that her desire to expand her clientele is entirely unwarranted, and will only drive a wedge between her and her already established clients." He turned to look to Gemstone with a slightly softer expression. "My dear Flick, this will only harm your business. I implore you, cancel the contract with this... ruffian, and return to your regular musicians. He isn't worth your time, your bits, or your breath."

Neon felt himself bubble over, taking off his glasses and hanging them from his collar. "You've got a problem with me, old man?" It didn't matter one lick if this stallion was friend's with his employer, he was still being insulted by one of these upper-crust assholes, and Neon wasn't here for that. "Because I'm just itching for a reason: give me one, I'm beggin' ya."

Falsetto turned to look at Neon, leveling a sneer his way. "Child, if you raised a hoof at me, I would have everything you are strewn about Equestria and beyond. I'm not somepony to be judged by some two-bit show-pony who dares to call himself a musician. You wouldn't know the grace of an instrument if it bashed you upside your head."

Gemstone quickly got between the two, chuckling nervously and waving down Falsetto. Unfortunately, this also kept Neon from punching him, without tripping over the miniature matron. "Hey, enough of that, Fal. No insulting the help, okay?"

The pompous prick drew in a deep breath and let it out as a long, deep sigh. "Fine. If only for you, Flick." The stallion tugged his outfit tighter, giving Neon one final, disgusted stare. "I'll redact my statements, but don't expect an apology." Before waiting for Neon to reply, the stallion looked back to his friend. "I won't be present for the next few nights, due to obvious reasons. However, I will still give my usual payment. I would not like for your revenue to suffer, due to a single poor decision."

Gem shook her head, still chuckling nervously. "Fal, I'll be fine. I prepared for a potential, temporary dip. If there's one thing I know about the ponies of this city, it's how much they hate change. I know it'll be a brief rough patch, but I'm hoping I can get more attention in the long run. I'm nothing but a shrewd businessmare, you know. Besides, I don't want you paying for something you aren't getting."

The pony smiled more genuinely and gave his head a shake. "Then bring me some tea and a few croissants after you close up. It has been quite some time since we last spent time together outside your establishment, and I do believe some catching up is in order. Is that fair?"

Gem blinked a bit, nodding. "Yeah. I'd like that, Fal." After a few more tense moments of Falsetto completely ignoring Neon's existence, the stallion passed a small pouch of bits to Gemstone and headed on his way. The mare let out a heavy sigh and wiped her forehead. "I am so sorry for that. Falsetto Melody is probably the most abrasive pony I've ever known, but he's got a good heart. Most of the time."

Neon raised an eyebrow at that, and stared after the pompous stallion as he left. Yeah, he could see some resemblance. The color of his coat, the haughty attitude, he could see a little bit of Octavia in him. But only the worst bits; the stuff that really pissed him off.

"Well, I don't like 'em. Sorry if that ruffles your feathers." Neon kept his words crisp and looked back towards the stage. It was drawing closer to the appointed time, and he'd need to get his effects ready soon.

"No, it's fine." Gem's voice sounded a little sad, and Neon looked back to her, curious. "Fal wasn't always like this. There was a time when he... He used to have this infectious smile. He was always a bit rude, but he never meant anything by it. But as time went on, and life happened, he got colder. I don't pretend like he's an easy pony to like, and even I hate some things about him. But I look at him and I see who he was, and... what kind of a friend would I be, if I abandoned him?"

Neon hadn't really expected Gemstone to open up to him like that. He clicked his glasses open and reapplied them onto his face, letting himself cool off. "Look, I'm no expert on friendships or nothin' like that, but... You can't be held responsible for his attitude. You aren't his mother, his wife, or his keeper. You're his friend; that doesn't mean you need to try and help him if he isn't willing to help himself." He looks to the door where Falsetto had been. "If he won't change, then maybe he isn't worth helping anymore. Maybe that pony you knew is already long gone."

Gemstone stood in silence for a moment, thinking over those words, then gave her head a shake. "Not how I wanted to start our first night of partnership. I'm still really sorry." She lifts a hoof, wiping some lingering moisture out of her eyes. She hadn't cried, but she'd come close. "But thank you. You've given me some stuff to think about." She takes a sharp breath in, revitalizing almost instantly. "Now then! Lets get those effects set up. We've only got about thirty minutes before the rush, and I'm kinda interested to see what you've got. Wow me, show-pony."

Neon grinned a bit and tipped his glasses down. "Gem, I got more than your little fluffy self can handle. Come on, lets get those basics set up. We can probably toss in some lasers, if we keep them facing the dance floor. No strobes though; don't want you spazzing out on me."

Neon and Gem shared a small laugh as they set to work. This wouldn't, Neon considered, be a very long partnership. This place wasn't really his style, but it's owner seemed like a pretty cool pony, despite living in this cesspool of a city. Maybe not all Canterlot ponies were so bad. If nothing else, this partnership had opened the doors to a friendship. A friendship that Neon had never really expected would ever happen.

Neon also came to the decision that he'd keep this little experience to himself. With any luck, he'd never had the displeasure of meeting Octavia's old man again, and if he ever did, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. He'd just smoothed things out with Octavia, and wasn't super eager to toss a wrench into the gears this soon. He wasn't too sure how the cellist would take him calling her father exactly what he was: a filthy, uptight, snobbish rat.

Author's Note:

So, short bonus chapter is short.

But I return!

Seriously, it's been so long, guys. I've been battling with a lot of things over the past few years, from the pandemic, to losing my best friend to cancer, to a ton of other really nasty drama in my life. But yesterday, I got out of bed and just decided I was done with it. I would bash my head on the walls of my writer's block until it broke. And shockingly, in two hours, I'd written this! After going over it, editing, and taking a good, hard look at the chapter's length, I decided to publish it as is, rather than stretch it out.

This is, after all, a bonus chapter. I also don't like to deviant perspectives from the main two ponies: Vinyl and Octavia, when other options arise. Sometimes, having another character's perspective is nice, but I always feel awkward, writing from another character's eyes in a story about someone completely different. This was, however, good practice for writing Neon in Fiddler in the Hoof, which I hope I can get going before lethargy decides to smack me upside the head again. I want to get my stories out! In any case, I hope to see a few returning faces, and perhaps some new ones too. Glad to see you all here!

- Quillian Inkheart

Comments

[Chapter 13]

I approve.

[Quillian Inkheart]

11438588
I appreciate your approval!

[EddWar]

Nice

[Quillian Inkheart]

11445795
Danke. I'm glad you enjoyed.