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[Trottingham] Song in the City[OPEN]


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Fox made her way down from her cloud home. Trottingham was a city she often visited, since it was so close to Cloudsdale. She also frequented Canterlot and Ponyville, making stops more often to the surrounding cities. She wouldn't hesitate to travel elsewhere, but it was easier to stay nearby. Besides, lots of ponies had relatives in other towns or cities, and being able to visit three of them allowed her to be able to see a wide range of ponies from areas that were further away.

Fox had her guitar case strapped to her back, making it a bit difficult to fly. She could never quite seem to get the hang of carrying her guitar properly while flying. It was a bit of a nuisance, but she loved to play her music, so it was worth the trouble of lugging it around.

She landed near the town square, flipping open the case that held her guitar. She gingerly took out the instrument, leaving the case open in cause anypony wanted to drop in a few bits. Fox hummed a few notes as she strummed, making sure the guitar was tuned before she fully began.

Once she was ready, she started off with a rather slow song, drawing the attention of some passers by. As more ponies gathered, however, her next tune was a bit more up beat. She played her heart out, knowing that she was not an expert, but no mere amateur either. Concerning this particular talent, she was fine with that.

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Dixie hopped neatly down from the carriage's interior, glad for the mercifully short ride to be over. She laid her coin purse on the carriage's step and drew her head out of the loop that had held it securely against her. Unsnapping the cover, she found enough bits to cover her fare, plus a polite tip, and was soon packed up and ready for downtown Trottingham.

She tried not to look like a country bumpkin as she set about looking at what the shops had to offer; she had no interest in purchasing anything at the moment, but it would be useful to know of good social venues should she need them. She was certain the servants already knew where to procure everything they needed, and did not concern herself with the necessities of life; she was also quite certain that the deals they could sniff out were far better than the ones here in the cosmopolitan city's centre, the offerers of which seemed intent upon whisking away her bits with all manner of enticements.

She had noted a couple cafés that had caught her eye, and was about to move from the square to some other place to investigate (and hopefully to find a theatre, or perhaps an opera house; she did so enjoy the opera), when the sounds of music drifted to her from somewhere. She turned, seeking it out, and saw near the fountain at the centre of the roundabout a copper-coated mare strumming away at a guitar. She strained to hear what she was playing over the hubbub of a busy day--hooffalls, carts clattering on the stone, vendors hawking their wares and newscolts their papers, and the general incomprehensible din of conversations muddled together--but found she could only hear snatches at irregular intervals. She was frustrated in her attempts, and though she could scarcely tell if the player was good or not, carefully made her way across the street anyway, and found herself standing nearby--and also found, to her great pleasure, that the musician wasn't bad at all. She didn't seem to be playing anything in particular at the moment, or at least nothing Dixie recognised. That was quite all right with her, however, and she was content to stand for a time and listen, whiling the afternoon away.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Walking along the sidewalk was a light blue unicorn mare with a flowing purplish mane and tail. She was intrigued by the lovely music she heard in the air. Her orange Star Anise pod cutie mark shone brightly as she slowly walked over to where Fox was playing. The stethoscope around her neck swayed as she moved with the music. The music brought back recent memories, that special night at the Grand Galloping Gala where she shared a dance with a griffin named Alexander Blackwing. Starflower was delighted to be reminded of that wonderful time in her life. This was turning out to be a great vacation in Trottingham already!

"You play very well, young lady" Starflower said as the older mare placed a few coins in the open guitar case.

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Today was calm - at least, as calm as could possibly be for the Female Unicorn making her way through crowded streets.

Vinyl was in Trottingham due to having visited some old friends who lived there, and they'd pretty much had quite the late night talking music, life, and other juicy subjects that would make anypony's head turn.

She planned on getting back to canterlot for her evening performance tomorrow, but right now, today...she was in no rush.

For a moment, the preoccupied Unicorn was almost too distracted by her own thoughts and her Headphones to pay attention to the hustle and bustle that she had inadvertantly stumbled onto without realising, seemingly created by the one small musical instrument wielding pony - her weapon of choice, apparently a guitar.

Once her Sunglasses-clad eyes noticed both the instrument and master, however, a small knowing smirk arrived on Vinyls features as her headphones glowed and moved down a little from her ears, the glow matching that of her horn - she wanted to at least give this little musical pony a moments notice...just as it seemed that everypony else who was passing was doing. VInyl was glad that nopony was taking notice of her presence just yet - the last thing she wanted to do was take any shine out of this one ponies moment. Nothing was worse than somepony trying to steal somepony elses thunder, afterall.

A couple of ponies had tossed a couple of bits into the Ponies case - and almost immediately Vinyl realised that it was most definately something that she should herself do, her horn glowing purple as she undid her sidesaddle bags and proceeds to float over a good dozen bits, placing them in the open case carefully as she bobbed her head slightly to the melody being played, her own well-tuned musical senses being appeased by the rather impromptu yet pleasant guitar being played.

It was a pretty nice change of pace from the usual crazed and furious beats and rhythms of the circuits she usually travelled - Despite her being in demand for her DJ skills, she had never lost her own personal interests in simpler, more mellowed out musical instruments...indeed, she had something of a collection growing back at home.

She watched as an older mare places bits into the Guitar players case - deciding for the current moment to just hang back a little in with the crowd...no need to bumrush the poor kid when she was clearly working hard with what she had.

" Reminds me of myself from some time back... " She mused to herself with a slightly dry smirk.

" Huh...Now I really can't help but wonder who she is - she's not bad at all! "

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(ooc): Since MyLittlePonyTales is currently on "RP hiatus for July", 'Fox' won't be responding for a while. Kamerad is moving so 'Dixie' cannot reply for a while either. So to continue the RP till they return, we can assume 'Fox' will keep playing while the rest of us 'in the crowd' can converse.

(bic):

As Starflower continued to sway to the lovely music, she glanced next to her and saw a familiar face.

"Excuse me, aren't you Vinyl Scratch, the famous DJ pony? I've heard of you! Love your work! Oh my, where are my manners? I'm Starflower, a nurse by trade but here in Trottingham on vacation! It is an honor to meet you! Are you playing at a gig in town?

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It took a moment for the words to register, but vinyl soon realised that she was being talked to - Glancing quickly at the female nearby with a small nod of acknowledgement and response to her query.

"Oh...yeah - Sorry, you kinda caught me offguard for a moment there! " Said the Unicorn, a small grin forming across her features, as an icy blue strand of hair flicked across her muzzle, forcing her to blow it back into the slightly-frazzled mess that was currently her Mane. "Yeah, The one and only DJ Pon-3 - and I was really just in town t'catch up with some old friends."

The Unicorn felt a little unprepared - she'd been heading directly back to her hotel room to get freshened up and find a place to unwind quietly for the rest of the day...she had a few things she was looking to finish up by tonight for the gig the following evening, and wasn't sure if everything was quite where she needed it yet...sure, it was close, but it wasn't 'ready'.

"But - since you asked - I've actually got a gig lined up at Canterlots Concert hall tomorrow." She says raising an eyebrow slightly from behind her shades, the confident grin on her face in full force. " It's not officially a full blown thing like I'd normally be attending, of course... just a whole bunch of us DJ's going out there and doing our thing for the ponies of the local colleges and whatnot...although it's probably still gonna get wild though, I have that familiar feelin' in the flank."

Vinyl pauses, still beaming her brilliant smile, before clearing her throat a little as she exhaled sharply - just thinking about any get together tended to wind her excitement levels up some, and it took all of her self control to keep calm and cool.

"Sure, there's a small entrance Donation...but 60% of the bits raised gets put back into colleges there...it ain't always much, but I know that some of us musicians feel we owe a little something back to the community - and believe me, we're looking to fill that concert hall completely...Some friends are out and around Equestria's cities spreadin' the word as we speak!"

Vinyl chuckles a little before glancing back to Starflower curiously. " So, you listen to my stuff? If ya like, I figure we could probably slot you in quietly somehow...nopony would even know, and any donation you make would be wholly voluntary! "

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"CANTERLOT!!" Starflower shouted in almost schoolgirl glee. "Yes! I would LOVE to return to Canterlot! I attended the Grand Galloping Gala recently and had the time of my life! I was a little shy at first, I'm not really a dancer, but then Alexander Blackwing asked me to dance with him! That charming griffin! I hope I could meet up with him again someday!"

As Starflower's mind continued to drift with visions of that wonderful night, a white furred Pegasus with blonde mane and tail hovered above.

"Nice music, for a guitar. Of course, I could do better with a piano or a.. WOW! That's Vinyl Scratch down there! THE VINYL SCRATCH! She could give my singing career a huge boost! I gotta meet her!

Flying down towards the crowd, Jubilee didn't spot a place to land near the famous unicorn D.J. Suddenly, she smiled when she spotted THE perfect place to land, on the back of her friend Starflower! Quickly, the smaller Pegasus flew down and made a soft four hoof landing on the larger unicorn's back. This instantly brought the daydreaming unicorn mare back to her senses.

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! VINYL SCRATCH!!! YOU'RE VINYL SCRATCH!! WOW!! HUGE FAN! I'm Jubilee Flyer, soon to be the next big star in the entertainment world! I sing, I dance, I play classic piano or almost any other instrument and.."

"Jubilee! Will you kindly get off my back?"

"Oh sorry Star, but I just HAD to meet the fabulous Vinyl Scratch and ask if I could audition for her because right now I'm between gigs and this would be a great opportunity for me and .."

"Would you PLEASE stop rambling! Everytime you get nervous, you ramble on without ceasing. Settle down, ok?"

"Oh sorry again Star, but did you know you're talking to Vinyl Scratch? THE VINYL SCRATCH?"

"Oh my. Vinyl Scratch, this is Jubilee, a friend of mine from Hoofington."

Jubilee was now so excited, the young filly trembled with joy. As she flapped her wings to keep her balance, her metronome cutie mark became visible.

Jubilee's bio: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2019

Starflower's bio: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=2031

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This was what she was sometimes afraid of with crowds and public appearances - Incredibly excitable ponies with dreams of fortune and fame, and it was never easy to tell them the answer: Not all ponies make it to the stage, even if they're talented.

" Suck it up, Missy. " She mutters to herself as she looked around - the crowd starting to realise more and more that there had been something of a celebrity pony standing in their midst. Of course, any lesser pony would have been utterly terrified to do or say anything - however, Vinyl realised that this was probably just the kind of attention she needed...at least, once she finished dealing with the two excited ponies near her. Looked like the floodgates were open already - she'd handle it, though.

" Look, I can't promise anything right now - I mean, You gals know I'm normally a one pony show on the road for my own sets...but I can always put in good words for ponies in places. " She says with a small nod, shaking off any sense of apprehension with a mere shrug of her shoulders...After all, she was a showpony, public pressures were part of her life!

" Hey - you said you dance, right? " Vinyl continued, raising a hoof to her muzzle in thought - a small idea occuring to her that seemed too good to not try...a glimmer of a suggestion that might work this all out yet.

" Alright - so How would you feel about dancing for me tomorrow night? "

She was, of course, serious - the unicorn could pull the right strings tonight, get a little clearance for a dancer to be a part of her routine that night...it wasn't a conventional thing for the DJ, but at the same time, it might give a taste of what the small pegasus would most have to expect in a situation such as that.

" It probably won't pay much in bits...but it would give you some experience with a live crowd of that size - and that's definately gonna be a key thing for any performer to handle. " She went on to explain, her small smirk returning as she looks over at Jubilee with a wink - although it was a silly gesture, the shades were probably far too dark to see her eyes anyway.

" I mean, if things go well tomorrow, maybe we can find you something a little more... " she takes a moment to pause, thinking over her words carefully so not to raise expectations too much. " A little more permanent. "

Sure, the guys at the concert would be either bemused as all heck, or give her some hell...but it would only take her reminding them who's name was dominating the marquee that night to put them back into place.

For now, she clears her throat and does her best to appear serious...which mostly just wound up with her smirk only fading slightly and her head cocking to one side curiously as she regarded Jubilee again...she wasn't good at serious much.

" So how 'bout it, missy? " She asks plainly with a light chuckle. " Fancy trying to hang it with the Scratch, or not? "

{{ OOC: Goddamn, she's fun to write as. XD; }}

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Hearing Vinyl Scratch's amazing offer made young Jubilee tremble even more for joy. The blonde maned Pegasus looked so happy she was about to explode. She was nearly speechless, managing to utter a squeally sounding "Yes' before passing out, slumping her belly down upon Starflower's back.

"Oh no, I need to wake her up!" Starflower muttered, using her unicorn horn magic to lift a bag of smelling salts from her black bag and wave the open bag under the nose of the passed out Pegasus. "I am SO sorry, Miss Scratch. Please forgive Jubilee's excitement and forgive me if I caused you any undo stress. It's just that, in my line of work, I don't get to meet many celebrities. I was at the Grand Galloping Gala and only got to see Princess Celestia for a brief moment."

Starflower tried to hide her embarrassment as she repeatedly attempted to wake Jubilee with her bag of smelling salts.

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Oh gee, this was just gettin' all shades of funny at this point - Vinyl was taking it all in good humour for the most part since she was always a big believer in staying true with the fans and those who appreciated what she did. Although certainly she could feel the moment starting to grow heavier with each murmered breath from the crowd behind them

" It's okay - I'm a little used to having conversations cut short by ponies....fainting at the first sign of a famous pony. "

She says with a slight hint of amusement in her voice. " Let's get her up on her feet...looks bad on the poor girl! "

She glances around at the other ponies to see what was going on. - they were starting to move in and gather closer to see.

" It's okay folks, she just fainted - she'll come around shortly, just give us some space wouldja? " Vinyl says, clapping to both gain the attention of the audience and to shoo them back away a couple of steps. Having seen many a fainted pony at clubs, either of heat exhaustion or simply overcome with the meeting of one of the many regular famous ponies around Equestria, she was used to taking charge in a situation like this whilst a medic pony revived them - and this was no different.

" If you wanna come see me, the best bet for ya'all is to come to Canterlots concert hall tomorrow at sundown - we're gonna make a hell of a night of it on behalf of the neighbourhood colleges. Small donation at the door to go towards giving a little something back to the colleges we've all probably come up from, but there's a whole lot of entertainment planned too.

As of right now though... " Vinyl says, Now frowning slightly for the first time today - this wasn't easy work.

"For right now, gonna have to ask you all to get back to whatever you're doin'...she's unconscious, that's all!"

Vinyl could certainly feel the collective stresses of the day, but she was determined not to let them show just yet...she'd channel it all out with her drumset later on after a long soak in the tub - but right now, they just had to wake Jubilee up.

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Forcing a smile on her worried face, Starflower's efforts to arouse Jubilee finally began to work as the young Pegasus filly opened her eyes.

"Starflower? How did you get here? I had the most amazing dream! I met THE Vinyl Scratch and she asked me to perform with her in a show and ..'

Jubilee's eyes bugged out when she saw the DJ unicorn standing in front of her. Before she could begin to scream for joy again, Starflower used her unicorn magic to hold her snout shut.

"Sorry kid, but we've made enough of a scene here already. When you're calmed down, I'll unclamp your mouth, ok?

Finally managing to calm the blonde maned Pegasus down, Starflower lowered her off her back until all four of her jeweled braceleted hooves were touching the ground.

"Vinyl, I can't THANK you enough for this! I won't let you down, I promise!'

"I thank you too, Miss Scratch. It'll be fun to attend your event. Just the thought of being in the audience makes me feels like a young foal again!"

"I know who else would love to meet you, Vinyl, my friend Mojo. He's more into folk music though.'

"Did some pony call me name?' asked a Paint stallion with a slight British accent and a peace sign cutie mark who had moved his way through the crowd and now stood next to Starflower. "Ok Wings, what kindda trouble did ya get into THIS time?'

"MOJO!' Jubilee shouted as she rushed over to him. "So glad you're here! I want you to meet Vinyl Scratch, she asked ME to dance in her show in Canterlot!'

"Groovy! Any friend of Wings is a friend of mine!' Mojo said, extending his front hoof to shake.

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Vinyl cleared her throat and regarded the stallion before him with a small grin before shaking his hoof - the day was proceeding to get odder and odder as it went on but she was doing what she could to push on through 'til she could relax.

" Sorry if I look a l'il tired, but I haven't had a chance to sleep yet...I was on my way to my hotel room for the night when I stopped by the l'il lonesome strummer over there and promptly ran into these girls, an' - yup...that about wraps that up! " Vinyl stated with a chuckle before shaking herself down and stretching each leg in turn.

" Well, I'm not one to turn down an offer - it's not an easy thing to jus' accept outright, obviously, but I know that if a pony's got a real determination to do it, then who'd I be to not give that young one a shot, right? " She says - giving a wry nod as she glanced back towards the two females, a small sincere smile then forming as she does. " heck, We all gotta blaze our own paths while we can - but ya can't always do that sometimes without somebody openin' a few doors along the way. "

Vinyl had a feeling that this was going to be quite an interesting group to stick around with...and with that, she simply shrugged off the idea of going back to the hotel just yet. Perhaps she was just a little crazy, but she was curious to see just what that little pegasus could offer as a dancer...they still had plenty of time to work SOMETHING out, after all.

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"I can dig it, Vinyl!' Mojo smiled after shaking her hoof. "This pony gal's playing some groovy tunes!'

"I argee,' added Starflower, "She plays like a pro!'

"I play like a pro too!' Jubilee shouted defensively before looking a little embarrassed. "Ah, I meant to say, yes, I like the way she strums. Did I mention that I'm a recent graduate of the local Music Academy?'

"Chill out, Wings. No need to send out negative vibes. Miss Scratch, Jubilee is a rad dancer. And she can tickle the ivories of a piano like an angel!'

"Thanks, Mojo!'

"If you feel tired, Miss Scratch, I might have some herbal remedies in bag that can help pep you up, if you like.'

"And I've got some herbal tea that can give you an extra spring in your step. I'm a seller of all natural foods, hoofmade arts and crafts too! But for you, Miss Scratch, since you've been so cool with my pal Wings, I'll give you the tea for nothing! Poor kid's been trying so hard to break into show biz and..'

"I'm NOT a kid!' Jubilee shouts, flapping her wings, lifting herself high enough to allow the Pegasus filly to give the Paint stallion a kick on his hip with her back legs. "I'm an adult, Mojo! Stop teasing me in front of Vinyl!'

"Pardon me slip of the tongue, love. Wings here is an adult, though she's small for her age. We've been best friends for years, starting with her time at school. And Starflower's rather famous too! Best nurse in all of Equestria! Wings and I met her a month ago, and the three of us are like awesome pals. Where do you hail from, Miss Vinyl?'

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{{ Adding a little color for Scratch's speech - it may disappear, it may stay. Not sure yet. }}

When posed the casual question of her normal location, Vinyl looks to the stallion a moment and shrugs at him with a lazy smirk. " Currently Livin' in Canterlot, where I was actually born an' grazed...it's a great place to live, although not really for everypony. For me though, it's just where I love being...y'know, when I'm NOT on stage"

The proposition of the herbal remedies piqued the DJ's interest - she wasn't normally one to pay too much mind to such things, but she had heard of things like those working before on other ponies she'd talked to. Heck, some of them even swore on the stuff as they danced the night away or relaxed in the neon glows of whatever club or show was being attended at the time.

"Gotta say - I know that there's a few well-known herbal teas out there...I mean, I've had a few energy drinks in my time, but never really looked into herbal teas much. " Vinyl started, honestly...she was a little curious, afterall.

" My thing is I tend to spend all my energy at the shows...I kinda like to think that if I'm not aching all over by the end of the night, I didn't do a good enough job, heh. "

Scratch then looks over at Jubilee, using her horn to quickly lift her purple-lensed glasses briefly as she gives the small pegasus a quick playful wink before letting the glasses plop back down on her muzzle again as she chuckles again at the small moment of teasing between the three ponies before her. "Well, One thing is for sure...you guys are all good friends at least!"

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"I can certainly understand that,' Starflower said with a nod, "Being a great entertainer does take a lot of physical effort. Not meaning to pry, but do you receive regular medical examinations? Stamina and health are important for every pony to be concerned about.'

"See Miss Scratch, what did I tell ya,' Mojo giggled. "She's on holiday but still can't resist talkin' 'shop'. Groovy!'

"Yeah, we're real pals!' added Jubilee. "We have things in common! Mojo is trying to be Equestria's greatest salespony, Starflower's already the greatest nurse, and I want to be the greatest entertainer in the land! By the way, have you ever met Sapphire Shores? What's she like? What's her favorite food? What's her..'

"You're rambling again, Jubilee. Calm yourself. Remember all those meditation lessons Mojo taught us. Breathe in slowly, breathe out slowly, clear your mind.

"Righto, Nurse Star! Peace of mind leads to peace of spirit. That's what me mum and dad always taught me. Bet you have a need for relaxation too, Miss Scratch. Yoga's a good way to calm both mind and body. Be happy to give ya some quick pointers if you like.'

As Mojo spoke, Jubilee began to follow Starflower's advice, closing her eyes, breathing in and out slowly, until she was calm once more.

"That's what I like about Modge here! He has a way of spreading peace everywhere he goes. He don't think it's a gift, but I sure do!'

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Scratch observed for a moment with a curious eye before turning to Mojo with a small wry smile.

" So, you're the calming influence around here, I take it? " She asks of the Male before breaking out into a slight giggle owing to the eagerness of the Pegasus...it wasn't new for the Unicorn to be asked so much in so little time, but for some reason it just looked like Jubilee was near exploding point - good thing that Mojo and Starflower had seemingly helped her to calm down again. "I'd love to take you up on that...sounds like yoga could really help out, actually!"

Starflower had also raised a valid point about the medical stuff though - most nights, she tended to just walk things like that off...she wasn't one to let things get to her all that much and that often led to her maybe shirking good advice when she had felt she could cope with something - Hell, she'd probably strained stuff before shows just in practice alone!

" Huh - I guess I can't argue with an expert, eh? " Vinyl said for a moment, nodding once with acknowledgement that the pony was probably right in bringing up her point. " Truth is, I probably don't do everything I should to leave a show unscathed - I haven't really even had a checkup in...geez, I can't even remember. " The unicorn states with her all-too-familiar smile.

Indeed - her last checkup had probably taken place before her canterlot tours a couple of years back...a clean bill of health, sure, but she was pretty sure that she probably did things physically on stage sometimes that would grate on many a Medical pony's nerves...and her stage dives into the masses after a show weren't always 100% successful. She rubbed her left shoulder absently as she briefly remembered the one time she'd probably landed harder than expected and wound up needing a good few days recovery as a result. "I may have to get back to you on that, actually...never can be too safe, right?"

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"Well Miss Scratch, I do what I can to spread peace and love wherever I go,' Mojo said with a smile. "I'm always happy to teach ponies the ways of yoga and pony meditation. It can really help fight stress.'

"Right, Miss Scratch!' Starflower said with a nod, "The most important thing we own in life is our own body. I will be glad to provide you with a physical examination anytime you wish'

As she spoke, Jubilee began to settle down to the point where she could open her eyes and smile awkwardly.

"Wings gets really excited when she thinks about Sapphire Shores. She was her idol and inspiration when she was a foal. Back at the Academy, ol' Wings had so many posters of her on the walls of her dormitory, her roomies ratted her out to the Dean! What a major bummer that was!'

"Yeah!' shouted Jubilee. "Squealing on me was a rotten thing for them to do!'

"Jubilee! Don't get yourself worked up again.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Vinyl, I do love your taste in music! How did you get your start in show biz? Who gave you your big break?'

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"Thanks you guys, I'll try to remember that in future...A destress might help in future, heh heh."

Vinyl then promptly gave a small laugh at the mention of the Diva Fashionista - it was certainly a valid question.

" Sapphire? Oh geez, I did meet her once...a fair while back though " She says, tapping her chin a moment with a thoughtful smile on her features, giving a little thought to the question posed. "Saw her at one of the Royal Gala's where I was playing a set. Not a lot of people realised it at the time, but Celestia loves a WIDE range of music, so she asked l'il old me up to come play a round of something for the ponies there." Vinyl continues, thinking back to the event itself...it was a while back.

"I bumped into her just a little bit before I was due to play...we got to talkin' and she told me that she'd listened to a little bit of my music before and had developed somethin' of a taste for it - the more the merrier, as I always say."

She pauses with a small snort of amusement before continuing - it wasn't often she waxed nostalgic.

"we had a brief conversation for about 10 minutes covering a wide range of things...although Celestia be damned if I remember it fully now, heh. We parted ways, I went to play what I'd practiced and...haven't really seen her since!"

When Jublee then proceeded to ask her about her musical background, she stretched once again as she realised that this one wasn't as simple an answer...she had a fair few people to credit for her career, and most of them probably didn't even know it yet. Sucking in a small breath as she contemplates an answer, she gives the awaiting pegasus a small chuckle.

"Where on Equestria to start answering that? Well...I suppose my major influence was at the start - as little filly Scratch had herself a moonlight stroll...She heard some fantastic sounds coming from this little place nearby, but couldn't get in thanks to the guys at the door... Vinyl pauses, clearing her throat as she tried to not overdo the tale. "Long story short, it was a dance club...long gone now, I hear...and the guy playing that night was a pony known as Odyssey Beat - it was pretty much him that got me into techno...or at least, what I heard for the 10 minutes I was watching from outside the club window before going back home. Never did find out what happened to him, which is a l'il sad in some ways... "

She paused, exhaling a soft sigh as she found herself vaguely remembering the beats of that night in her minds eye...she'd never really gotten to talk to the one pony who'd inspired her the most, and that was one thing she did kinda regret not getting to do. It took her a couple of seconds to regain her composure as she looks at Jubilee once more.

"Sorry, just kinda...ya know - Nostalgia really creeps up on you with things sometimes...didn't mean to Blue out on ya there! "

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The three friends hung on every word Vinyl Scratch spoke and then noticed her discomfort near the end when she spoke of Odyssey Beat.

"Oh, Miss Scratch,' Starflower said with a sympathetic tone, "I'm so sorry. I can relate to what you must be feeling. At the last Grand Galloping Gala, I met a wonderful griffin named Alexander Blackwing. He was charming, dashing and we danced the night away. I haven't seen him again since that time and even now, I wonder how he is doing.'

"Miss Scratch,' Jubilee said timidly. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you. I am very sorry.'

"None of us meant to be a downer, Miss Scratch,' added Mojo. "We didn't want to bring you any negative vibes.'

The trio now looked upon their new friend with great concern, not sure what to say next.

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Vinyl realised that she was probably disturbing the flow of the moment, and mentally scolded herself for letting something as silly as her own nostalgic whimsey's get in the way of the good vibes of the moment...it was an unprofessional thing to let happen and she almost felt a little silly for letting out so much for them to see.

"Oh Celestia...Sorry, guys - didn't mean to bring the party mood down!" she says with a somewhat brighter smile.

"I'm fine, really - it's just how life goes sometimes...which is why I've always been a big believer in appreciating what ya got now before it's too late. I'm good, don't worry about it!" She added, shaking herself a little in an attempt to expel the rest of the small niggling feeling that the story had brought upon her...she could worry about it later.

She decided to change the topic before anypony could make any further comment about what had transpired.

"Fun fact - I had to skip the gala this year - kinda came down with a case of ponyflu which wound up lasting a week...really screwed me out of a decent time out." She says with a slight chuckle, giving a small shrug as she continues. "One of the few times this year I've been really free to do something I want to do, an' I wind up having to miss it because of something silly...but it DID give me an idea for a Gala themed gig at some point. Haven't really worked out how it'd woooork yet, but I'm workin' on it! I know there's somethin' awesome that can be done with it though... "

She pauses for thought and looks around for a brief second and shoots the 3 of them a small curious grin.

"So what are you 3 doing anyway? ya'all have plans for the day or is sittin' around here the usual activity?"

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"The ponyflu!' Starflower shouted before lowering her voice, not wanting to disturb the crowd listening to the lovely music that was still playing. "Are you fully recovered? Sometimes the ponyflu virus can linger or remain dormant in one's system and ...'

"Who's rambling now?' Jubilee giggled, giving the taller mare a gentle nudge. "To answer your question, Vinyl, I was just out taking a leisurely flight in this direction when I heard the fine tunes that mare over there was playing and stopped. It was just sheer luck that Mojo and Starflower happened to be here too!'

"And I just pulled into town to set up my wagon and make some sales,' added Mojo. "Until I heard this groovy music! Had to come over here and see who was makin' her guitar sing like an angel! I play a little guitar meself, but not as well as that filly, or Wings for that matter. I play folk music for fun and leisure, not fame and fortune.'

"I'm here on vacation and was drawn to this beautiful music. I am quite a patron of the arts. I had no idea that Jubilee and Mojo were going to be here also, but I'm glad they are.'

"Me too! Happy to see you guys again and even happier to meet you, Vinyl Scratch. If you don't mind me saying so, you're really humble and nice for a celebrity. I once read somewhere how rude Photo Finish was during her last visit to Ponyville.'

"I read that too! She was so brutal to my favorite fashion designer Rarity Unicorn that her latest model discovery Fluttershy quit on her!'

"Ladies, please. No more negativity. Chill out! I guess what my friends are tryin' to say is, you're really cool, Miss Scratch! Get my drift?'

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The DJ Unicorn gave a small nod of acknowledgement as the Stallion informed her better about the attempted compliments by both Starflower and Jubilee - She heard such things all the time, of course, but it was never unnoticed or unappreciated.

"Well thanks - I always love t'know ponies appreciate what I do..." She says, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof for a moment, her smile wide as she looks at the ponies gathered before her. "Geez, look at me - I'm stopping you from doing your whole work thing...I should probably let you ponies get back to work or something!"

It was at this moment that Scratch paused in thought and looks back at the strumming guitarist, then back to Mojo - something was formulating in her mind that had only just now occured to her.

"Hey - I have an idea you might like..." she says, smirking a little - her eyes fixed on the strummer with laser-precision. "Crazy thought - but have you thought about askin' somepony like her as a musical draw? Something to help draw the crowd to your stall...I mean, it could help boost sales, and popularity of the pony doin' the music!

Her shades gleam slightly in the sunlight as she glances back at Mojo with a raised eyebrow and a small amused chuckle.

"Think about that...it's such a simple idea - Music an' Goods, I could see you pulling that off!. "

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The three listened to Vinyl Scratch's suggestion with a mix of surprise and excitement.

"That's a rad idea, Miss Scratch!' Mojo shouted. "Just look at this big crowd gathered around that lovely filly strummer over there! A capital suggestion indeed!'

"Hay!' Jubilee shouted as she flew up to eye level with the Paint stallion. "I'm your best friend, remember? If you need somepony to play music for you, ask me!'

"Half a mo', Wings. I meant no offense. But you and I both know that your musical specialty is piano, and I don't lug one around in me wagon. And you DO play guitar well, but to be honest, this filly is playing a wee bit better than you.'

"IS NOT!'

"Jubilee!' Starflower interrupted. "Please mind you manners. I've heard you play guitar before, and I do like your music. May I remind you of your commitment to Miss Scratch's show you just made?'

"Oh my gosh! You're right!' the white Pegasus said as she quickly landed and then turned to Vinyl Scratch. "Sorry about that. I did accept your wonderful offer and I'm THRILLED to dance in your show. Guess I let my friendship with Mojo cloud my thinking. It's just that, back when I was still at the Academy, Modge here helped me make it through school with his great advice, mediation techniques and encouragement. If it wasn't for him, I probably would've failed. I'd fly through fire for Mojo because he's the best friend a pony ever had. And, I do have to admit that this filly playing now.. IS a TEENIE TINY LITTLE BIT better than me with the guitar. Didn't mean to get all defensive like that, sorry guys.'

"It's cool, Wings. I know where you coming from.' added Mojo as he turned to Vinyl Scratch. "No worries about keeping me away from setting up me wagon. First, I gotta find a prime spot to set it, then find out if I need to buy a peddler's license before I begin selling. Some of these towns have laws like that, and getting busted by the local fuzz for unlicensed sales would be a real bad scene, ya dig, Miss Scratch?'

"A very wise precaution, Mojo. One should always be forward thinking.'

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Vinyl couldn't help but laugh into a hoof at Jubilee's dramatic overreaction - truth be told, she'd forgotten to take the poor Pegasus into account with her suggestion, but Mojo's point of correcting the briefly-disappointed pony helped reassure her that she'd be just fine after all.

" Well that's something of a relief - I didn't mean to exclude anypony, but seeing as you guys have got the harmony back into the moment, I think it'll work out for the best! " She says with a small sigh of relief.

"But yeah, I think that might jus' be a cool idea to toss around now and again...

Satisfied that the situation had been resolved squarey, the Female DJ stretched a little as she took a moment to think about what her next moves for the day were likely to be. She WAS in a pretty big city area...perhaps she should look for a small market of musical goods to grab some new records whilst she was here. One could never have too many of those, whether it was for the mixing or whether it was for the quiet personal use back at the apartment in Canterlot...which she found herself wanting to get back to sooner rather than later. The Hotel lifestyle was cosy and all, but it didn't beat the simplicities and the overall personal comfort levels that her moderately sized, slightly disorganised little slice of home.

"I have GOT to check out some of the record stores around here at some point... She said with a brief glance around the area, having not really been to Trottinghams central town for a good while. "Last time I was here, they had this awesome little stockist...picked up some great tracks from those guys. it was actually from some of those that I got the idea for "Horseapples and HeartBeats", as a small fun factoid for ya. Figure I owe them a quick rewind visit...wish I could remember how I found 'em, though! The unicorn said with a small amused smile. "Or even the name of the place for that matter!"

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"Half a mo' Miss Scratch,' Mojo said as he placed a hoof on his snout. "That place sounds like the Groove Shack, a record shop not far from here!'

"How do you know, Modge?' Jubilee asked.

"Saw their sign on me way here!'

"I've heard this town has everything!' added Starflower. "Bet there's even a warehouse medical supply store here too!'

"It's possible.'

"All right!!!!' the white Pegasus neighed. "Imagine the four of us hanging out together at a record store! That would be SO AWESOME!!!'

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