Octavia has just performed at a concert and is looking for a way to wind down. Elsewhere Vinyl Scratch is feeling a little down and lost, can they both find what they're looking for?
Octavia has just performed at a concert and is looking for a way to wind down. Elsewhere Vinyl Scratch is feeling a little down and lost, can they both find what they're looking for? Octavia is written from Octavia's perspective. Vinyl Scratch is written from Vinyl's perspective. Wrote this the other day as a way for me to try and get past a little writers block I was having, hope you enjoy it.
Octavia walked down the street, she had just finished an important concert and wanted to do something to relax. Even though playing her cello was relaxing enough, she found that performing at concerts and gala’s took some of that away, so she would usually do something not a lot of ponies would expect a mare of such class to do. She went clubbing. She didn’t go often, only after a big event and it wasn’t something she shared with many of her small group of friends, but it was something she liked to do.
Octavia found herself nearing the club. She could already hear the pounding bass resonating from deep within the building. Although Octavia loved the emotion that was packed in classical music she found that modern genres of music made her feel something else, something more primal, a better way to release the pent up stress and energy that accumulated from having to perform in front of hundreds of high class ponies who judged your every move.
The grey mare had found her way in a new part of the city. Usually she would stick to the out skirts of the club district but tonight she had been drawn deeper in. Even though she had walked past many a club which would have been suitable to let loose, she had found herself drawn to this one club. It wasn’t too popular but it certainly wasn’t lacking ponies to visit.
The earth pony had realized that she had been standing outside the club for far too long so she decided that is was best to enter before she started to attract attention from the bouncers. As she approached the door she was stopped by a bouncer holding out his hoof. “Oh um, hi?” Octavia sheepishly said.
“Do you have ID mam?” The gruff stallion questioned with a gravelly voice.
“Yes, of course” The grey mare fondled around in her saddlebag looking for her ID. She soon found it. She hoofed it over to the stallion who took it and gave it a quick scan, giving a nod he handed it back over to Octavia.
“Enjoy your night mam.” The muscle bound stallion said before turning to face the front.
The grey mare muttered a quick thanks and opened the door to the club, she was instantly blasted with the pounding bass from within which brought a smile to her face. She quickly found herself swaying to the beat, some of that excess stress already being released.
She admired the club, it wasn’t too big but it certainly looked a lot bigger than it had from the outside. The walls of the club were painted black with neon blue and purple lights scattered around some of the walls. Her attention was drawn to the center of the room where the light were currently strobing a rainbow of colours directed towards the dance floor, a thin layer of smoke lay across the floor with a mass of ponies dancing in it. Her attention was then drawn towards the bar which was lit up with dim blue lights. She took in a deep breath as she made her way down the stairs into the club and weaved her way through the crowd of ponies by the dance floor to get to the bar.
She wriggled her way between two ponies to get to the bar so she could order a drink, she patiently waited for the bar mare to take her order.
“Hey there cutie what can I getcha?” The bar mare said as she approached Octavia.
Octavia blushed, turning a light shade of red. “Buck daniels whiskey please.”
“Comin’ right up!” the bar mare reached underneath the bar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey, she poured it into a glass and hoofed it over.
“Thanks.” Octavia said with a smile, handing over a few bits to pay for the drink and a tip. The grey mare turned around and made her way to the tables on the far side of the room.
Octavia sat down at an empty table and sipped at her whiskey. She looked down at the glass and swirled it a couple times. The whiskey didn’t taste like any of the stuff she usually got. She only ordered it since it was apparently popular but compared to the whiskey she was used to drinking it tasted like swill.
The grey mare sat at the table idly tapping her hoof as she finished her drink off when she was interrupted by a couple of drunk stallions.
“Hey there pretty Mare, me and my friend here were wondering if you’d like to join us?” The first stallion slurred.
“Yeah and then we could have a little fun afterwards” The second stallion said throwing a wink Octavias way.
“No thank you I’m fine.” Octavia answered politely, starting to feel a little uncomfortable.
“Come on you know you want to.” One said as he started to get closer.
“I really don’t.” The grey mare said pushing the stallion away.
“Come on Shade, she’s obviously not interested let’s just get back to our seat.” The first drunk stallion said pulling the one called Shade away.
“She’s probably a damn fillyfooler anyway.” Shade said before following him.
Octavia sent a glare in their direction. She picked up her drink and downed it in one. Octavia had noticed that the music had changed, so she looked up to the podium where the current DJ was packing up his stuff and had put on some set music for the intermission between switching DJ’s.
Octavia got up and grabbed another drink from the bar. She was still angry from what the stallion had said earlier so as soon as she got the drink she had downed it. The grey mare walked away from the bar and approached the dance floor and began dancing to the fast paced beat.
The grey mare was focused on ridding herself of any pent up energy and was swaying and moving to the bass ladened rhythm. She looked up toward the podium and although she couldn’t be sure she thought that she saw the current DJ watching her, she continued to dance occasionally sending a cursory glance to check where the DJ was looking and each time she could have sworn it was in her direction, although it was a lot harder to tell since she hid behind sunglasses which Octavia was baffled to whether or not the mare could actually see anything in the club.
Feeling like she had released enough of her pent up stress she made her way back to the bar and ordered a margarita, since she was thirsty from dancing, she laid the bits down on the bar top and returned to the table she was sat at before.
‘I wonder who that mare is?’ Octavia thought to herself while taking a sip of her drink, she looked towards the podium to where that mare should have been but saw nopony there. Octavia suddenly felt a little sadder but she didn’t know why, she just sat there finishing her drink lost in thought when she became aware that somepony else was standing by the table, Octavia turned her head to see this pony hoping it wasn’t one of those stallions from earlier on in the night.
“Oh it’s you!” Octavia said in surprise and with a smile, recognizing the mare as the DJ who was previously behind the turntable.
“Is this seat taken?” The unicorn said while holding two drinks and pawing the floor with her hoof.
“No, it isn’t.” Octavia gestured for the white unicorn to take a seat.
The unicorn took a seat next to Octavia and placed their drinks onto the table. “M-my name’s Vinyl Scratch by the way. I saw you dancing and I thought I would come talk to you after I had finished my set.” Vinyl said with a slight blush.
“Vinyl Scratch? Your name suits your talent it seems, my name Is Octavia. I noticed you looking at me from the podium, at first I thought I was just imagining it.” Octavia said, picking up her glass and taking a sip.
“Well if you don’t mind me saying, you’re not the typical pony we get in these clubs, so you kinda stand out from the rest of the crowd.”
“I suppose I do, and I’m surprised that you can see anything in here with those glasses on. By the way I like your music, it’s a lot better than most the stuff I hear being played in the other clubs. How long have you been into making music?” Octavia questioned.
Vinyl smiled going a deeper shade of crimson. “Thanks. Well I first started getting into music from a young age but I only got into it seriously a couple years ago. I’m actually working on an album right now which should be released soon. So Tavi If you don’t mind me asking what’s up with the bow tie?” Vinyl said pointer her hoof to the bow tie around Octavia’s neck.
‘Tavi? huh that’s new. I kinda like it though.’
“Well when I was a little filly I had an audition I had to go to, so my mother took me shopping. I needed something formal but nothing too fancy, we were browsing this store and when I saw this bow tie I thought it was the perfect thing! at first I just wore it to auditions but one day I just started wearing it all the time.” Octavia said, her mind filling with pleasant memories of her past.
“Auditions and concerts? You’re a musician too!?”
“Yes. I play the cello for the Manehattan orchestra. I actually came here to unwind from performing earlier. I usually go to a club after a big performance so that I can release any stress and tension from my body.” Octavia explained finishing off her drink.
“Wow you play for the orchestra? you must be talented to be able to get in at your age. I understand what you mean. Sometimes I just listen to music to unwind. Can’t say I’ve listened to much classical music before though.”
“Do you play at this club often?” Octavia questioned.
Vinyl chuckled. “Actually I own this place, I saved up enough bits from performing in clubs around Manehattan. Saw this place was going cheap so, I bought it and converted it into a club. Been going steady since then.” Vinyl said with a hint of pride.
“Wow, that’s impressive. Most ponies don’t think about buying a club until later on after they have retired. I’ve got to say this is probably the best club I’ve been to so far, the atmosphere here is great.” Octavia blushed and turned bright red as Vinyl placed her hoof over the top of Octavia’s.
Octavia looked towards Vinyl and lifted her spare hoof and reached towards Vinyls face, everything seemed to come to a halt as Octavia reached forward and removed Vinyl’s purple shades. Slowly lifting them away to reveal a pair of stunning ruby red eyes, Octavia was breathless at the sight of them.
The two mares stared deeply into each other both lost in each others gaze, Octavia brought herself to look away but was instantly drawn down to Vinyl’s lips, they looked as soft as silk and were inviting her in, Octavia slowly leaned forward her eyes once again locking with Vinyls her eyes fluttered closed as their lips met. Vinyl brought a hoof up and ran it through Octavia’s silken mane as she pulled Vinyl into a tight embrace making her emit a small ‘Eep’ noise of surprise
Neither wanted to part but both mares knew that they needed air. They separated but their eyes were still locked both mares had a goofy grin plastered on their faces while panting heavily. Octavia felt like she wanted to know every single detail about the beautiful mare that sat before her but now was not the time for talking, her and Vinyl were both just content staring into each others eyes for the rest of the night.
Vinyl sat in the back room of her club. It was nearly time for her to start her set for the night, so she was busy browsing through her records. She had just finished a bunch of paperwork and taxes which needed paying and she really needy to let loose for the night, so she picked out a selection of more fast paced music for the night
Once happy with the selection of music for the night she sat down on the sofa with a drink and relaxed. The door on the far side of the room opened up and a few ponies who would be playing after Vinyl entered. “Hey, you’re here a little later than I thought. Have trouble getting here?” Vinyl questioned.
“Uh yeah sorry, we got delayed on the way in.” The stallion was hovering a box of records by him.
“No problem, there is a practice room in the back if you want to use it, it’s a good way to warm up before going out there.” Vinyl said as she waved her hoof in the general direction of the room.
“Thanks that would probably be a good idea, I haven’t performed for a club before.” The light blue unicorn admitted.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m sure you’ll do great. The first times the worst but once you get out there and into it I’m sure you’ll have fun.” Vinyl levitated over her cup of coffee and took a sip.
The blue unicorn rushed past the couch and into the practice room, gently shutting the door behind him. “As for you guys.” Vinyl pointed a hoof at them. “Just relax until he is out of there and then you can go in if you need to. Other than that, make sure that you’re ready to go out there when needed and make sure you have a few extra songs in case somepony isn’t ready yet.”
Vinyl stood up and headed for her office, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to them at the moment. She entered her office and sat down in her chair and sighed. Even though Vinyl had everything she wanted, her dream was complete and she already had an album in the works she still felt empty. She felt as if she should feel like she was on top of the world yet she felt hollow despite accomplishing more than she had dreamed of, there was definitely something missing, but she couldn’t place her hoof on it.
She leaned over her desk and grabbed the clock, she set the alarm to go off in half an hour so that she wouldn’t be late to perform. While she had the time, she thought that she would work on some of the final songs of her album so she could get it out soon.
Half an hour later and with not much progress on her album the alarm went off signaling that Vinyl should make her way back down to the club. She got up out of her chair and left the office, making sure to lock it before she headed down.
She went down into the back room where the group of DJ’s were conversing about what tracks they would be playing and about how many times they had performed. Vinyl walked past them and grabbed her box of records for the night and took them out front.
As she left the door she saw Neon Lights stepping down from the podium. “Hey Neon, how’s the crowd tonight?”
“They’re great Vinyl, I got them real pumped up for ya! This club of yours is becoming a lot more popular each night. Soon this place will be packed and you’ll have to start denying ponies entry!”
“Glad to hear it, come by my office sometime tomorrow to collect your pay, anytime after noon should be fine. You wanna play here again tomorrow? Looks like they really liked ya out there.” Vinyl said as she looked out to the dance floor.
“Actually I’m playing at a different club tomorrow, how about we make a deal? I’ll play at your club every other night?”
“Yeah and what do I get in return for letting you play at my club every other night?” Vinyl said with a smirk.
“Well the nights when I’m playing at different clubs I can advertise yours and your album that you will be releasing. How does that sound?”
“Not a bad deal to be honest... but would clubs even allow advertising of others? I certainly wouldn’t want somepony advertising another club here so they went there instead of here.”
“Hm... you make a point. Well, if they DO allow me to advertise, do we have a deal?”
“Of course.” Vinyl said with a smile.
“Awesome! I’ll see ya later Vinyl!” he said as he went into the back room.
Vinyl walked up to the podium and put her first two records onto the turntable, she slowly faded the current intermission music down and raised the volume of her records. “Hello everypony!!” Vinyl shouted to the crowd. “Let me put on some real music for ya!” The crowd cheered in response.
Soon the writhing mass of ponies below began to grow as more and more ponies swarmed in to dance. If there was one thing Vinyl knew more than music, it was how to manipulate the crowd.
Vinyl scanned the crowd to judge how well she was doing and it seemed like everypony was having a great time and enjoying her music. Playing music or even just listening to it always made Vinyl feel a bit more relaxed and she certainly needed to feel a bit more relaxed recently. A lot had been on her mind and tonight was just what she needed. She continued to scan the crowd once more, but then Vinyl saw something that took her breath away. Not something, somepony! She was an elegant mare with a long silky charcoal mane, she wore a pink bow tie. The DJ wondered how she didn’t see this mare before since she stood out from the rest of the ponies in the club. She was more elegant had more class plus she was far more beautiful than anything she had seen before.
Vinyl snapped her eyes away, doing her best not to get distracted by this mare which had her entranced, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t do it, her eyes kept getting drawn to her. She seemed so out of place in a club like this.
Vinyl started making some mistakes but luckily nopony had noticed, they were all either too drunk or having too much of a good time by now. Vinyl looked away from the crowd and focused on her turn table, adjusting the levels of the music and increasing the pounding bass more so than it was.
The white unicorn took another look down into the crowd and towards the grey earth pony that had her so entranced. When she looked down she gazed directly at said earth pony who was also looking straight at her. Vinyl turned a brilliant shade of red when she realized that she got caught staring. She almost face hoofed when she realised that she was wearing her sunglasses, so there was no way that that mare could have told that she was staring at her.
The DJ noticed that this song was coming to an end and that it was the end of her set. She prepared the transmission music so that when the current song ended she could leave the podium for the rookie to take over.
Vinyl scanned the crowd once more and noticed that the bow tied mare had left, Vinyl felt a little disappointed until she spotted her sitting at a table on the far side of the room. The song that was being currently played ended and the DJ collected her records and left the stage, as she walked down the stairs she saw the rookie DJ walk out from the back room.
“Hey good luck, I’m sure you’ll do great.” Vinyl said as he approached.
“Th-thanks.” The stallion nervously stuttered before walking off to start his set.
The white unicorn walked into her back room and hurriedly put down her records and then rushed back out towards the bar. “Hi Snowy Skies, how’s everything going up front?” Vinyl asked the bar mare.
“Oh hi Vinyl Scratch. Everything is going great out here. We get a lot more ponies buying drinks when you play faster paced music. did you just finish your set?” Questioned the bar mare.
“Yeah I just finished my set, it’s that rookies turn to take over now, he said it’s his first time performing for a club so he’s a little nervous. Hopefully he doesn’t mess up since the first night can kinda make or break ya.”
“So what do you want to drink? The usual?”
“Actually no, can I have two whiskey sours?” The DJ asked checking back over to see if the mare with the bow tie was still sitting at her table.
“Two? Ah I see, got your eyes on that cute mare with the bow tie.” The bar mare said looking over Vinyls shoulder to where she was staring before walking off and making her drinks.
Vinyl just stood there staring over at the table and the mare who sat there. This was the first time Vinyl had been nervous in a long time. Usually she was confident, but there was something about that mare that gave her butterflies in her stomach and a thundering heart beat.
Snowy Skies returned with her drinks and Vinyl took them in her magical grip. She slowly made her way across the club to the table where the mare was sitting, thats when Vinyl suddenly found herself unable to speak, this was a first. ‘What the hay?! I never normally freeze up around mares.’
“Oh it’s you!” The beautiful mare said with a smile, slightly surprising Vinyl.
“Is this seat taken?” Vinyl asked nervously pawing at the floor.
“No, it isn’t.” The charcoal maned mare said gesturing to take a seat next to her.
Vinyl Scratch took a seat next to the mare and placed their drinks on the table. “M-my name’s Vinyl Scratch by the way. I saw you dancing and I thought I would come talk to you after I had finished my set.” Vinyl said as she felt her face lighting up like a hearths warming eve tree. ‘Seriously a stutter?! Good start Vinyl.’
“Vinyl Scratch? Your name suits your talent it seems. My name Is Octavia. I noticed you looking at me from the podium, at first I thought I was just imagining it.” Octavia said as she sipped on her drink.
“Well if you don’t mind me saying, you’re not the typical pony we get in these clubs, so you kinda stand out from the rest of the crowd.”
“I suppose I do, and I’m surprised that you can see anything in here with those glasses on. By the way I like your music, it’s a lot better than most the stuff I hear being played in the other clubs. How long have you been into making music?” Octavia questioned.
Vinyl felt her face growing even hotter than it had before, which she didn’t think was even possible. “Thanks, well I first started getting into music from a young age but I only got into it seriously a couple years ago. I’m actually working on an album right now which should be released soon. So Tavi If you don’t mind me asking what’s up with the bow tie?” Vinyl gestured to the bow tie that was around Octavias neck.
“Well when I was a little filly I had an audition I had to go to, so my mother took me shopping. I needed something formal but nothing too fancy. We were browsing this store and when I saw this bow tie I thought it was the perfect thing! At first I just wore it to auditions, but one day I just started wearing it all the time.”
“Auditions and concerts? You’re a musician too!?” Vinyl said a little more excitedly than she had wanted to.
“Yes I play the cello for the Manehattan orchestra. I actually came here to unwind from performing, I usually go to a club after a big performance so that I can release any stress and tension from my body.”
‘Wow that’s impressive for a mare of her age, I heard that most ponies don’t even get into those orchestras until their early thirties.’
“Wow, you play for the orchestra? You must be talented to be able to get in at your age. I understand what you mean. Sometimes I just listen to music to unwind, can’t say I’ve listened to much classical music before though.” Vinyl said with a grin plastered on her face.
“Do you play at this club often?”
“Actually I own this place. I saved up enough bits from performing in clubs around Manehattan, saw this place was going cheap so I bought it and converted it into a club. Been going steady since then.” Vinyl said taking pride in this fact.
“Wow, that’s impressive. Most ponies don’t think about buying a club until later on after they have retired, I’ve got to say this is probably the best club I’ve been to so far, the atmosphere here is great.”
Vinyl slowly moved her hoof above the table and slid it over on top of Octavias hoof, which resulted in both mares blushing. Vinyl watched as Octavia raised her hoof to her face and slowly removed her sunglasses, both mares just stared into each others eyes for a while until Vinyl noticed Octavias gaze lowering to her lips.
Vinyl watched as Octavia slowly leant in, her heart was racing and the butterflies in her stomach grew tenfold, but they disappeared as soon as Octavias lips came into contact with Vinyls. Time seemed to stand still as the two musicians passionately embraced, Vinyl raised her hoof and ran it through Octavias silk smooth charcoal mane, Vinyl was suddenly pulled closer into the embrace causing vinyl to let out a small ‘Eep’ of surprise.
The two mares broke the embrace and just sat there staring into each others eyes, no words needed to be spoken. Vinyl no longer felt empty, she no longer felt as if something was missing, because she now knew what was missing and she was right in front of her eyes.
