(The Strand) Musical Chairs (Open)

[SteelEagle]

OOC- Fermata is gone for at least a month. As such, while we should continue to assume Wordplay is with us, I don't plan on engaging with the character until the player returns.

Vinyl certainly earned her reputation which, as many failed to note, was double sided. Yes, she was an extremely popular DJ whose music could be heard crackling through the air of parties and clubs the country over on any given night and whose name perked the ears up of many ponies- especially the younger crowd. Celestia knows that you couldn't move in any musical circle of any intelligence and not know Vinyl Scratch. Whether one wanted to admit it or not, she was the most popular musical figure in the land. But why wouldn't one want to claim her? The other side of her reputation was that for all of her mischievous fun, she was a model citizen. She was honest and never shied away from either responsibility nor did she flee from doing the greater deed. Vinyl was known first and foremost as a fine musical figure; those who dug deeper realized she was also a model Equestrian. She wouldn't admit to it in all likelihood, which fit the image all the better.

Still, Vinyl had never answered one of the earlier questions and Octavia was curious enough to demand answers.

[colour=#330066]"I guess that returns us to Starburst's question for us; what are you up to now, Vinyl?"[/colour] Octavia asked, taking her seat and adjusting the spread before her. The conversations around them had a certain pitch about them that were suitably off-key and decidedly in the background. The crowd at large had started to thin and grow distant, their conversations fading. Octavia preferred that, if only because the social musical cues around her were peppered with falsehoods and general showponyship. Ponies were prepared to put up a front, even in the background, when in the presence of those they admired or knew were famous. It was best they recede and her attention focus in on the group that was growing, member by member.

For the life of her, Octavia failed to recall Melody. That wasn't entirely unusual, mind you. Octavia had worked with an entire legion of musicians in her day and couldn't quite recall a good number of them, which always made the fact that others remembered her well a bit humbling and embarrassing She didn't doubt for a moment that the mare was correct, however. As a traveling musician, Octavia had worked in many locations, playing many pieces, in many different arrangements. She may have worked with the violinist a dozen times and been so lost in the sound they made that she didn't remember the pony. The fact she was being called to Stalliongrad for the same reason Octavia was being called meant she had to have been a musician of some noted skill. Definitely a pony to keep one's eye on. It was a little odd that she carried her violin with her in such an environment, but Octavia wasn't going to question the successful antics of others.

Octavia smiled.

[colour=#330066]"Oh? The same symphony as I? Well, that's fantastic. I look forward to working with you, Melody,"[/colour] Octavia bowed her head slightly as she extended her hoof for a shake. When that was done, she reached out and grabbed a sandwich and wasted little time in cutting through out. Nothing delicate about the procedure, just a hungry mare with a delicious sandwich in hoof. She started assaulting it without any of the dignity that came through her music as Starburst asked her questions. The musician thought on it for a few moments, before shaking her head. With a giant forced gulp she cleared her mouth.

[colour=#330066]"No, I think it was called...it wasn't the Salt Lick, but..."[/colour] She put the sandwich down and started tapping her hooves together for a few moments, then shot it back towards Starburst, [colour=#330066]"The Prancing Pony! Yes, that's the one. As for your business in Canterlot, I have never been but I'll make an effort next time I'm free in the area,"[/colour] Octavia took another huge bite out of her sandwich, [colour=#330066]"Ash for tha cake- *GULP*- I think these sandwiches will do me just fine, thank you. But I'm sure the others..." [/colour]She trailed off, starting another assault on the giant sandwich. Something seemed unusual about this Starburst. Pegasi were notorious for their vast reserves of energy, but how could she run businesses on the opposite side of the country and still find time to take a train ride such as this heading to...neither location! Money was probably the answer. It was the answer to a great many things, Octavia found.

As Octavia continued to end her sandwich's delicious existence, another pony broke through the crowd like a music-seeking missile. Tank Mare, a player of an instrument native to the region, an awfully excited one at that. Octavia bowed her head politely but was otherwise silent, her mouth full of deliciousness. Sweet Celestia, how many musicians were hiding out in cubby holes and baggage areas and underneath desks on this train?

[SunsetSombra]

Well, this was starting to get a little crowded - between the arrival of the now-silent pony from moments ago, and the group she had found herself acclimatising with nicely, despite the clearly eclectic selection of ponies involved. The newest one seemeed, however, to be a native to their destination - the accent being a very strong hint to it, alongside the fact that the said pony regarded as such in her entering speech.

Vinyl wasn't really sure quite what the instrument in question was offhoof...it was one of those that wasn't a common thing, as far as she was aware, and had certainly never come up in any of her circles before. However, the mention of the cold did kinda attract her attention as she shuddered, remembering having read the brochures for the locale. "[colour=#800080] Yeeeah, I've kinda been made aware of how cold the place is...totally prepped - earmufflers, scarves, jackets, boots...stuff like that is all packed for my trip.[/colour] " she answers with a small nervous chuckle, because the DJ had never really visited Stalliongrad much, if at all, before...

Her attention was then quickly drawn by Octavia, who had questioned her about what she was doing now - Now here was a familiar query if ever she'd heard it.

"[colour=#800080] Aheh...[/colour]" She says with a small shrug, rubbing her muzzle lightly as she thought about the last few months - seemed like lots of gigs, a few interviews, and maybe something along the lines of coming up with more stuff for a new album...although she'd mostly come out to Stalliongrad to take some time out to relax on that topic.

" [colour=#800080]Well...[/colour][colour=#800080]You know how it is, Busy Busy Busy...I've booked a little rest and relaxation out this way with friends, maybe get some inspiration while out here.[/colour] "

Mentally, she momentarily thinks back to the mare who'd just joined them - what was that instrument she'd mentioned? the balalaika...

Perhaps there was something she could do to work with a sample of one of those - she kinda doubted it, but you never knew in this industry sometimes.

Once the discussion turned to the direction of Starbursts cake shop, Vinyl found herself growing ever more hungry...turning her attention to the buffet tables selection of danishes, cream cakes, scones, sweet buns, and all manner of goodies. Vinyl pauses, glancing back at the other mares who had started talking about T'clopski or something - The unicorn snickers a little...she'd always felt that name sounded like a bad name for an infection of some sort.

Ah well - now was a good time to take a quick escape to grab some of the sweet treats, and refill her glass of apple and mint juice...

" '[colour=#800080]scuse me, folks[/colour]! " Vinyl announces as she slips off the chair and stretches as she levitates her plate and glass. " [colour=#800080]Time for this DJ mare to get the goods[/colour]! "

She then gives a coy grin, before slipping off towards the table - bumping into a couple fans along the way and signs a couple autographs upon their asking.

If there was anything Vinyl couldn't be accused of, it was not caring about those who enjoyed her music - For sure, she absolutely thrived on such moments as these!

[Mojo]

[colour=#008000]"Thank you for kind offer!" [/colour]Tankena neighed to Starburst. [colour=#008000]"Pie sounds very good. What flavors can you make? In Stalliongrad, rhubarb pie is local favorite, but sometimes rhubarb is hard to find in countryside. I have crazy uncle who once baked a Borscht Pie, but it tasted so bad, my dog wouldn't eat it!"[/colour]

The green mare then had a look over at the other passengers in the train car. She spotted Vinyl Scratch being mobbed by fans and signing autographs. Then she turned towards Octavia and instantly recognized her.

[colour=#008000]"Comrade Octavia!" [/colour]she shouted, [colour=#008000]"you are famous celloist! I have heard of your fame in my travels. Are you going to be playing in Stalliongrad? Maybe you and I can practice songs together. I teach you songs of my homeland, what do ya say, comrade?"[/colour]

[Starburst]

[colour=#4b0082]"Hmmm... I don't believe I've ever had borscht pie before... but from the sound of it, it doesn't seem all too appetizing. Most of my pies feature fruit as their prime ingredient.. You know.. Oranges, Zap Apples, Key limes, Lemons, Raspberries and Blueberries... I learned how to make custard tarts from my mother as well.. She was quite the Patissier in her days. But I absolutely insist on baking you all a pie. It will be absolutely scrumptious compared to the sub-par buffet dealings you'd find normally on a train ride of this caliber.." [/colour]

Starburst made her way to the Kitchen car and commandeered it for her own baking purposes. The wishes of the cooks mattered little to her, as she could likely compensate them for any lost time or even by cooking food to replace the regular buffet food on the train. While baking she decided that she would also make some of her Macaroni and cheese for the buffet as well. Shortly after finishing her decision making she had a crust rolled out and floured. She also picked the freshest limes she could find out of the produce available and began squeezing the limes through a juicer. She whisked the juice in with some egg yolks and some condensed milk until the mixture became smooth and creamy, and poured the mixture into the pie crust.

While the pie was in the oven she moved onto the pasta and the cheese sauce, using the same method with milk, cheese, and salt to make a delicious cheesy masterpiece, which she combined with the soft macaroni noodles. She also took slices of cheese, grated them with a cheese grater, and mixed them into the pasta to create a gooey, thick, cheesy texture. She transported the macaroni to a buffet pan and took it out to the buffet, throwing out the old pan with borderline disgust. She also took the opportunity to show off her frilly purple apron, because just because someone was cooking, doesn't mean they couldn't look good doing it.

By that time the pie she was baking was finished cooking, so she took the pie out of the oven and garnished it with lime zest and peels shaped into musical notes and notations with a paring knife. Shortly after she was finished decorating the pie she piped some whipped cream onto the pie and let it chill for a few minutes in the blast freezer. After pulling it out she retrieved a few saucers along with a knife and served a slice to those still sitting at the table. She cut a piece for each of the mares sitting at the table, distributing the largest piece to Octavia.

[colour=#4b0082]"I hope you enjoy it. The cooks were less than happy when I commandeered their kitchen but I consider it well worth the effort."[/colour] she said, smiling.

[SteelEagle]

Starburst started speaking swiftly about her desire to make them something- make them pies, to be exact, and a somewhat unkind insult aimed at the train's food quality. A few servers that were collecting empty portions of the buffet shot her some rude looks and if her words carries, Octavia feared her immediate trek into the kitchen would be her undoing. Octavia went to warn her away from the activity but before she could so, the mare was gone. The musician shook her head, turning it to Vinyl as she sunk in the mare's words.

Vinyl was somewhat charming with her so-called preparation for Stalliongrad's infamous wintery weather. There was nothing a pony could do physical to prep him or herself for the wind that cut to the bone like an expert surgeon or assaulted every waking and wailing nerve with the ferocity that only some sort of genetic disease previously recorded. Octavia had traveled to all the regions a pony may know and knew for a fact that the only defense against Stalliongrad's violent excess was a mind stubborn enough to sneer at grave discomfort. It couldn't be trained in, either. She'd seen the toughest and most well-experienced ponies flee from shelter to shelter during their stay and those thought mostly worthless brave it's indignities with flair. Still, warm clothes didn't do much to harm a pony in such a situation.

Octavia couldn't help but stiffle a giggle as the thought of Equestria's top DJ freezing in the Stalliongrad wind- the truth killer of the north, not the snow- with a mesmerizing scarf on played over and over in her head.

[colour=#330066]"Well, warm clothes will be of some use I suppose. The real key is preparing your mind. No clothing in Equestria can keep you warm enough, so preparation for the cold and accepting the pain that comes with it is the key. It keeps the amount of time you spend running over how freakin' cold it is and how you wish you hadn't decided to go there to a minimum,"[/colour] She spoke quickly and directly, mixing both advice and a memory together. Hopefully the result would help somepony.

She thought it strange anypony would consider Stalliongrad a possible place for rest and relaxation. Few places reminded her of the ponification of stress as vividly as Stalliongrad. The occasional isolation, consistently skull-drilling temperature, the rugged and sometimes abrasive individuality that permeated the psyche. It all came together to formulate a batch of ponies who didn't help the mare unwind. Instead, it kept you on your hooves and alert to the possibility of disaster, no matter how silly such a thought truly was. But maybe a mare like Vinyl preferred it that way. Having little security could probably help her creative flow. Octavia herself appreciated the beauty of the landscape.

[colour=#330066]"Well, it is somewhat unusual to choose Stalliongrad for some relaxation, but I suppose i can see it. I myself do enjoy the quaint beauty of the land, though I doubt for a moment that is what you seek for inspiration,"[/colour] She finished with a sly smile as Tankena replied.

That was one very boisterous and loud mare. Octavia's ears shrunk back in a sharp retort of her speech. It wasn't that she was too loud, mind you, but rather that she was so utterly out of place. It struck Octavia roughly, though at this point in her life the musician was used to such momentary faults. She hid it well.

[colour=#330066]"Yes, I will probably be playing in the symphony, with my cello no less. It is possible that I take up some other instrument should a competent Cellist be found and incompetence found elsewhere,"[/colour] She added mentally that this scenario meant she would almost certainly be having her position defined until the last minute,[colour=#330066] "one of the curses of having such experience and renown for string instruments- though I play most others well enough- is that they'll throw you at any problem section in a symphony with short notice and expect you to handle the job flawlessly,"[/colour] She put on the airs of well-won arrogance, smiling and holding her head up as she took a sip of coffee, [colour=#330066]"the fact I can still do it doesn't change the fact it can be vexing."[/colour]

Starburst returned now with her key lime pie, which looked delicious. It may have been rude of her to do as she did, but the results were undeniably delicious. Octavia didn't waste time in attacking hers.

"[colour=#330066]Your mother would be proud, Starburst. It's delicious,"[/colour] Octavia said, her mouth only momentarily missing some pie. She rectified that mistake as she saw a trio of chefs poking their heads out ruefully from the kitchen, noting who the interloper was with, and slowing poking their heads back in. Octavia had a sense that Starburst had made a mistake that would come to bite them in the flank, but so be it. The pie was worth any future food poisoning.

[colour=#330066]"Well, this has turned into a nice chat. What will everypony be doing this evening?"[/colour]

[QuickLime]

QuickLime had been heading to StallionGrade for some imported Apple Mint that was necessary for a remedy that she was making for a Pony suffering from a whale of a sore throat, she HAD been just staying in her room on the train, enjoying the peace and quiet when the silence was suddenly BROKEN!....By the gurgle of her stomach! Ach she was so hungry... The Lanky pony got up from where she had been resting and stretched both her legs, then her wings, before folding them to her side, and pushed her glasses up, heading to the dining cart and paying for the buffet.

She grabbed a tray and started to get some grub, a few samwiches, a turnover..some turnip and hay fries... yum! Though huffed at the distinct lack of hayfries "Alright who's been eatin all the fries?" She asked, but rolled her eyes not expecting an answer, there seemed to be a group a little ways off talking amongst themselves, but she didn't recognize anypony in the group, she shrugged heading to get something to drink, flank bumping another pony that seemed to share her taste in mane cuts.

She smirked a little bit and gave the pony a gentle elbowing "Hey SlickMcCoolpants, we're indoors ditch the shades"She teased gently, she had a feeling this pony could take a little teasing.

[SunsetSombra]

Woo, this was a heck of a train ride so far - she might not have been leading a party, but Vinyl still couldn't help but show a little of her theatrical love for the fans as she mingled, talking and signing an autograph here or there...and this could have gone on for a little while, until she felt herself bumping into somepony else, and a rather snarky comment spoken loud enough for her to hear.

[colour=#008000]"Hey SlickMcCoolpants, we're indoors - ditch the shades"[/colour]

Vinyl, of course, wasn't a stranger to a little verbal sparring - her immediate reaction was to give the green-coloured stranger a coy flash of the trademark DJ Smile, tweaking at her shades with a hoof and simply chuckling a little before making her own comeback. "[colour=#800080] Well, if it isn't a giant Glowstick[/colour]! "

Vinyl couldn't help raise an eyebrow at the stranger - she wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about the ponies mane that reminded her of somepony familiar, which was a little disarming - Whilst she'd seen ponies wearing her own manestyle before, there weren't many who seemed to wear it quite as naturally as this particular pony did. The DJ simply raised a hoof in greeting, deciding that now was a good time to break it down into a conversation. Besides, Since the others of the tabled group seemed to be enjoying their discourse about...whatever it was they were talking about right now...She could rejoin them later if she felt so inclined.

" [colour=#800080]You look like you're enjoyin' yasself...[/colour] " She says with a small grin. "[colour=#800080] you here for the food too, or didja need an autograph like the other ponies[/colour]? "

It was about as subtle an introduction as DJ Pon3 Vinyl Scratch could allow herself in such a situation - IE: not at all!

[Mojo]

Tankena was so hungry, she stopped her conversation with Octavia long enough to completely devour her slice of pie.

[colour=#008000]"That was wonderful pie!" [/colour]the green Stalliongradian mare announced. [colour=#008000]"This has been best train ride I have ever been in!"[/colour]

The green mare listened to Octavia's question and smiled.

[colour=#008000]"All is well with me now! I love making new friends! New friends make me want to do Stalliongradian dance of joy!" [/colour]Tankena shouted as she took a place in the middle of the floor and did a traditional 'Rushin' dance:

(ooc): This is the kind of happy dance Tankena did:

[Starburst]

At being complimented by Octavia for her pie she blushes a little and smiles. [colour=#4b0082]"Thank you. I've been changing the recipe as the times call for it for the last few years since I started baking. I'm glad you enjoyed it."[/colour] she said, lifting a fork and a small piece of pie into her mouth. [colour=#4b0082]"If you liked it you can always stop by my shop for a visit.. I'd love to have you there. I have many more desserts and I can perhaps make something more personalized and to your liking. Is there a certain taste that you prefer in your desserts? Perhaps a fan of chocolate or a certain fruit?"[/colour]

She nods to Tankena. [colour=#4b0082]"Thank you. You're both more than welcome to have another piece if you both like, there's more than enough to go around."[/colour]

She also took the chance to take a sample of the Macaroni and cheese that she took from the buffet after she finished making it. [colour=#4b0082]"Mmmm... The cheese is very delicious. Nice and gooey. Just the right texture and viscosity. I would have expected a higher class restaurant to have cheese of this caliber, I guess this train is doing something right in the kitchen. Would you like to try some?"[/colour] she asks Octavia and Tankena. [colour=#4b0082]"It will probably be better than the other things you might find hidden below a buffet heat-lamp."[/colour] she said conceitedly.

She was confident in her mother's recipes and her own cooking skill. She would only offer begrudging respect to her cooking equals or betters. Sub-par cooks would be met with a scoff and an upturned brow. She loved to cook for ponies, and spread her love of cooking to those who ate her food. It was the reason she owned a cafe instead of pursuing a career in flying, her other interest. Flying as a whole appealed to her greatly, the feeling of flying through the clouds bursting behind her was excellent, but it could not pass along her mother's legacy. She would enjoy flying during what free time she had, otherwise she would be making food for the ponies she loved. Being a frosty cafe owner was much more interesting than being a carefree pegasus anyway.

[SteelEagle]

The Stalliongrad mare was certainly full of...character. Octavia enjoyed ponies who were given to outbursts as long as they did so with the world around them giving them the proper signals to do so. This Tankena didn't seem to give two hoots about that however and despite the rather formal group she had tied herself to, she was going to be boisterous. It didn't fit and it made Octavia uncomfortable; the gentle harmonics of her surroundings and group were disrupted. Tankena launched into the classical Stalliongradian folk dance called the hakhop. Octavia, despite the unsettling discord, had to smile. Tankena was quite the character!

[colour=#333366]"Nice dance there, Tanekna. Haven't seen the hakhop since I was a little filly," [/colour]She said lowly, masking her unsettled feelings well. She was well versed in hiding it, sadly enough, and she didn't think any less of a pony when they were being so silly. It just made her uncomfortable.

Luckily, Starburst wasn't being awkward at all. She seemed a little too invested in Octavia's opinion and didn't seem to give Tankena's compliment a moment of consideration after she was done speaking about it, refocusing quickly. What was with her? She didn't seem the type to be rude. Instead, she was a little too focused on Octavia. It was also a little uncomfortable, even with her kind consideration being a wonderful thing to be on the receiving end of. Octavia finished her pie as Starburst finished speaking- definitely a mare of many words. Octavia pushed her plate away, placing her utensils on it and took a deep breath. It was a wonderful little dessert and the conversation had distracted her from the continuing crunching of the train tracks below.

[colour=#330066]"I'll think about visiting the shop, of course. The pie was a delight. I've been partial to sweet chocolate pie since I was a foal, though a nice blackberry pie is something both rare and scrumptious. As for the macaroni "[/colour] She said, getting up and stretching,[colour=#333366] "between the sandwich and the pie, I'm full. I'm thinking of heading to my room for a bit of reading,"[/colour] Octavia finished, somewhat amused by the interaction between Scratch and the new mare. It was nice to see pointed yet friendly banter.

[QuickLime]

She snorted at the others rebuttle but smiled none the less "Yeah because I light up the world right?" She asked before snickering, pushing her glasses up that were threatening to slip off her muzzle . "Yeah ofcourse I am here for the food! What else is here that's worth paying attention to?" She smirked "This Train is said to have some of the best food in all of Equestria on it" There was a soft record skipping sound in Lime's head then when the other mentioned an autograph, why would she want some pony's autograph? Pft did they think they were famous or something?

Talk about your ego trip!

"Um forgive me if this seems rude but why would I want that?"She asked, brow raised, her confusion now crystal clear on her face, she had no bucking idea who she was talking to.

[SunsetSombra]

Vinyl wasn't quite as prepared for that little snippet of information - the cogs of her mind grinding to a standstill as for the second time today in ONE hour, a pony would come out and simply ask her who she was...this was beginning to get a little weird for the normally well known DJ Unicorn. This was starting to rub a gaping hole in Vinyls overall ego, and shine light on where she may not be reaching some places with her music at all.

" [colour=#800080]Wait... [/colour]" Vinyl held up a hoof and rubbed her muzzle in a mixture of shock and the worry that she was gonna get a migraine from the sheer impact of this rather bizarre development. "[colour=#800080] You tellin' me you've never once heard of DJ Pon3 - Canterlot an' Manehattans premier DJ an'all around rising star...doesn't ring a bell[/colour]? "

She had to take a couple steps back in surprise - this wasn't exactly what she had counted on and the notion that a pony such as Quicklime didn't know her left her with a rather curious feeling of disappointment. Where did this pony come from to be so utterly deprived...and how could she set about making things happen?!

She looked around to search in her saddlebag, but quickly realises she'd forgotten it had been given in as part of her cargo - welp, so much for showing this pony some of the more recent flyers for her gigs...she'd just have to try and talk to this one and get her to give things a shot sometime.

"[colour=#800080] Hey...okay, maybe if you let me know whereabouts you live at... [/colour]" She starts, raising an eyebrow slightly. " [colour=#800080]I can get a DJ gig set up there...no hassle[/colour]! "

It didn't matter what it took, the DJ mare quietly resolved: She *was* going to at least win over this pony SOMEHOW, whatever it took!

[Mojo]

[colour=#008000]"Thank you, Octavia," [/colour]Tankena said as she finished her dance and leapt back to her four feet. [colour=#008000]"I am flattered that you know of the hakhop! We have rich culture in Stalliongrad! All of you will appreciate it! Did somepnoy mention macaroni and cheese?"[/colour]

The green mare made a mad dash for the food tables and within seconds, came back to sit down with a heaping plate of food which she devoured just as quickly.

[colour=#008000]"Best train ride of my life! Good food! Good friends! I have idea, comrades! While we wait to reach Stalliongrad, let's have jam session! Bring instruments and make music together! I play the balaliaka, Octavia play cello, Vinyl Scratch play records and every other pony play whatever they have to play! We have good time together, da? Whatcha say, comrades?"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Over in the train’s coach section, a white-coated unicorn fidgeted in her uncomfortable seat while attempting to read a hardbound copy of Classic Canterlot Party Tales. Moondancer lamented that she didn’t bother coughing up enough bits to get a spot in a sleeping car... but heck, it always made sense to get the best discounts on anything... right? Returning from a trip to visit relatives in Manehatten, the unicorn purchased the cheapest return-trip ticket possible, not planning to go any father on the Manehatten-Stalliongrad route than Ponyville. Still, the fact that Moondancer wouldn’t have as long of a ride as some of the other passengers didn’t stop her from considering how sensible it would have been to be in a sleeper car right about now.

Moondancer’s thoughts were momentarily interrupted by the disruptive gossip of two nearby young mares; “Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! Can you guess who’s on this train now!”

“Who?”

“It’s Vinyl Scratch! You know, DJ PON-3? She’s on this train RIGHT NOW!”

Moondancer heard an audible gasp; “No way! REALLY?"

“You bet! Vinyl’s over at the dining car; she even gave me her autograph! ISN’T THAT AWESOME???”

While the two fanfillies squealed in delight, the white unicorn perked up. DJ PON-3? Why, she was like only the coolest disk jockey of all time! Moondancer nearly always attended one of Vinyl’s after-dark events whenever she showed up in Canterlot. Seeing that see was all alone in coach with nopony to really talk to anyway, Moondancer figured why not chill with one of her idols over in the dining car? Safeguarding her book in the saddlebag under her seat, Moondancer trotted on over to the dining car located to the rear of coach.

Sure enough, the white unicorn arrived to find a small crowd seated around the musical maestro Vinyl Scratch. [colour=#cc0033]“Vinyl! Hey Vinyl!”[/colour] Moondancer called out as she essentially galloped on over to Vinyl’s table; [colour=#cc0033]“Remember me; Moondancer? I was absolutely tearing up the dance floor with my moves the last time you were in Canterlot!”[/colour] The aetherology major giggled at that memory; Moondancer had in fact torn up a small piece of the dance floor with a miscast spell during Vinyl’s last performance. Hopefully, DJ Pon-3 would also remember all the cool magically-enhanced dance moves Moondancer pulled off before her (admittedly) hilarious accident.....

[Starburst]

[colour=#4b0082]"Mm.. Yes I agree. Chocolate pie is quite delicious. I make one with pudding, chocolate, shavings, a fluffy crust and whipped cream that's to die for. Unfortunately, All this food and excitement has tired me a little and I'm afraid that I may retire to my room for a spell. I believe I may be catching a little bit of a cold. I'm not used to frigid weather and I hear Stalliongrad is capable of causing the manliest stallion to shatter like glass after minutes in the cold."[/colour] she said, smiling a little at her simile before Tankena abruptly erupted from the table in a flurry of swinging hooves during her mad dash for the buffet. It would've been unsurprising if she had knocked over somepony else on her short journey to the buffet.

When she arrived back at the table, about the same time as another mare who was absolutely giddy about getting to meet Vinyl Scratch, she began scarfing down copious amounts of her macaroni and cheese, which made her blush slightly. She wasn't used to such... enthusiastic table manners when it came to ponies eating her food. Ponies in Canterlot were slower, more polite, and less likely to deliver a compliment for delicious food than other cities around Equestria. The Appleloosans were kind with their compliments however, and when visiting the compliments would cause her to blush, feeding her narcissism. Nothing would make Starburst feel more excited and elated than a compliment directed towards her.

After finishing the large plate in seconds, she blinked a few times when offered to play with the others in a "jam session". She had never played professionally with others before, so she doubted that she would be able to sync herself up with the others if they did play, but it wasn't something that she was unwilling to try. The narcissist in her wanted her to play, and to be better than all of the other ponies, but the shy, reserved part of her wanted to huddle in her room and enjoy the warmth while it lasted with a nice warm book. ( Just not a trashy romance novel about vamponys and the like. )

[colour=#4b0082]"I.. suppose I could play with all of you. If you wouldn't be bothered by me being there that is. I can play a piano, but I have no idea where we would find one on a train.."[/colour]

The excited mare blurted out that she and Vinyl had met, likely at one of her concerts, or whatever it was that Vinyl Scratch did. Starburst listened as the mare recounted an exciting dance of most epic proportions, that from her description was literally tearing up the dance floor. She said rapt at attention, listening for the replies of everyone she was speaking to, as well as to the reply from Vinyl directed at the new mare who pushed others out of the way with her gallop to arrive at the table.

[SteelEagle]

What had started off as a small group, cordial and polite with directed conversation, was slowly turning into a party on its own. The celebrities among this crowd had attracted a crowd of gawkers that had been replaced by a crowd of like-minded ponies who saw little to no shame in walking up to and talking with their idols, inspirations, or similarly tuned compatriots. It was charming, a little annoying, but mostly liberating to see that this trip would not be dominated by the sort of awkwardness that determined many of her other trips across the land. She would not be lacking for things to do or ponies to talk to on this trip. That was a comforting thought, and she made a note of those that were here. Vinyl, no further thought needed as she played to her character. Tankena was quite the character and Octavia had no doubt she would be a source of entertainment for the rest of the trip. Starburst was trying hard to impress and mostly succeeding, though the cruel looks they received from the cooks spoke to a more mixed reception. A fanmare came up and if anything Vinyl's entourage seemingly grew more energetic in less than a flashing moment.

QuickLime was either ignorant of who she was around or was needling the famous DJ, her every word spilling out and igniting the flame that was now spreading. A jam session? There were many cases where Octavia would have been happy to oblige, but it felt like a poor decision at that moment. Music required a certain sense of chemistry and flow that the instruments and musicians gathered around them lacked. Tankena had a lot of heart and soul and the passion and energy gathered around was electric. The very air seemed to crackle under the immensity, the intensity, fierce notes creating a cachopny of aggressively energetic sounds seemed to rest easy on this group. In another scenario, this energy could be harnessed splendidly to create fantastic music, but doing so required a certain amount of harmony between the participants, the knowledge of each other's minute strengths and movements woven into the fabric of their joined craft.

[colour=#800080]"A wonderful idea, Tankena, but like I said I believe that fabulous lunch has hit me hard. I am going to go and rest in my cabin, perhaps get some reading in. At a later time, perhaps?" [/colour]She offered with a warm smile, moving her way past the growing collections of fans, musicians, and incidenary blocks disguised as ponies.

[colour=#800080]"It's been a pleasure! Perhaps we can have dinner later, yes? It was wonderful meeting you, Vinyl. Very kind. Starburst, you did a smash-up job. Tankena, you'll have to show me later. Everypony else, hopefully I'll see you again," [/colour]Octavia said sweetly as she trotted out of the dining car.

[SunsetSombra]

“Vinyl! Hey Vinyl!”

the DJ mare had barely had any chance to finish dealing with Quicklimes momentary obliviousness, before being suddenly forced to adjust to the opposite end of the scale - she vaguely remembered Moondancers face a few times, which was a miracle even in itself given how many faces the Unicorn would see in a single nights club session. Nonetheless, she could probably attribute the fact she was able to memorise her at all was due to the fact that the few times she'd noticed her, the pony had clearly been trying very hard to get her attention.

It was cute, sure, but Vinyl suddenly found the idea of being in the crowd with a pony like that a little on the disconcerting side...since there was no way to discern how she would act in public now that they were on even footing. She wouldn't normally have been bothered by a fan, since she was a fond socialiser with them whenever she had the chance at a show, but there were always going to be a few fans who might not necessarily instill a brilliant first impression - this pony, Vinyl chuckles to herself slightly internally, was pretty much one of them.

Being away from the table, she wasn't really able to tell just what was going on, and how tankena was casually making plans...although she did see Octavia leaving...and the DJ mare shrugged mentally, since she did seem kinda drained. Perhaps the mare needed a decent rest...luna knows, Vinyl thought, that a pony could get kinda drunk off the atmosphere of a place where the atmosphere was escalating into an interesting cacophany of ponies gathering around in the cart having a good time and enjoying the delicious spread laid before them - this was kinda like a condensed distillation of everything Vinyl loved about what she did, but with the difference being that she was just a guest here too - a fortunate one, but still a guest nonetheless.

Her mind was still kinda spinning wheels aimlessly from the sudden interruption, meaning that she found herself unable to address Lime at this moment, however, since Moondancer was {Vinyl knew} a most adamant fan. This was going to prove interesting since Lime on one hoof had no idea who she was, and Moondancer was clearly pretty knowledgeable about her musical endeavours. " [colour=#800080]Yeeeeeah, I remember that night, who couldn't forget, right[/colour]? " She says with a smirk.

" [colour=#800080]Thought you were gonna get your flank tossed out at one point...how've you been[/colour]? "

She quickly looks back to Quicklime and raises her shades to give a small wink as she points to moondancer for her.

" [colour=#800080]This pony right here will totally give you the lowdown on the one an' only DJ Pon3, I figure[/colour]! "

The lines of communication between all three mares were now good and open...whatever was to come next, well, that'd just have to be something to look forward to!

[Mojo]

Hearing Starburst mentioned needing a piano Tankena's face brightened.

[colour=#008000]"Comrade Starburst! I have surprise for you!" [/colour]the green mare shouted as she rushed over towards the wall and brought back what looked like a long, black briefcase. [colour=#008000]"This gives opportunity to show off my latest invention, the portable piano! Gather around, comrades, and I will set it up!"[/colour]

The Stalliongradian mare opened the case, revealing the full sized piano key arrangement inside. The suitcase then produced its own 'stand' from beneath, bringing the keyface to the proper 'level.'

[colour=#008000]"I work on design for many years, please play it, Comrade Starburst! I warn you, this portable piano does not have same loudness as concert piano, but it will do for our jam session! Someday, I hope to perfect this product to sell all over Equestria! Now, you warm up and I will fetch my belalaika!"[/colour]

Tankena found her odd shaped stringed instrument and began to strum it.

[colour=#008000]"Comrades! Please join in! We make fun music together, da?"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

It took all of Moondancer’s willpower to hold back a squee as Vinyl Scratch recalled the night in question. However, the young mare may have spoken a tad bit too fast as she addressed her idol; [colour=#cc0033]“Hahaha, the bouncers let me stay when I told them I’d be happy to pay for the damages, so it’s all good with that club. So yeah, I’ve been doing well lately. How ‘bout you, Vinyl?”[/colour]

When Vinyl mentioned to a green pegasus how Moondancer knew a lot about the DJ, the moon-flanked pony happily wanted to prove her correct. However, she preferred knowing a bit more about this new pony first. [colour=#cc0033]“I sure can give you the scoop on the greatest DJ in all Equestria.”[/colour] Moondancer boasted, extending her foreleg and offering a hoofshake to the lime green pony; [colour=#cc0033]“My name’s Moondancer, and I just may be the greatest fan of the greatest DJ in all Equestria. Who might you be?”[/colour]

[Starburst]

Starburst took a seat in front of the piano. It had been a while since she had played one, and to be honest despite her confident outward appearance she was nervous inside, because of the people who could see her playing. Everyone here was musically talented and she was just a pony who learned everything through her now-deceased mother. She slowly placed her hooves onto the keyboard, she tests the tune of the piano by playing and listening to each note, which to be honest just sounds like a bunch of noise to everyone else.

After she finishes testing the tuning of the piano and finds it to her liking she begins playing arpeggios. Individual notes in each chord. As she plays the arpeggios she begins to gain a rhythm, bobbing her head as her hooves hit the piano keys, eventually she begins playing full chords, occasionally stumbling here or there because of the awkwardness of the smaller piano.

When she finishes playing the chords she begins to play Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude, in C-minor. She chose it because it's a Stalliongradian piece of music, and if Tankena was as familiar with her homeland as she said she was, she would recognize it almost immediately, even if it was played in a different key.

[QuickLime]

QuickLime cocked her head to one side, looking like a confused puppy as the other talked "I'm from PonyVille actually" She said, though listened to the mare talk, so she was a DJ? Quick was fond of a few types of music, though the kind Vinyl played wasn't very high on the list...She seemed to have made the DJ uncomfortable with her ignorance..while she didn't mean to offend Lime wasn't a very social pony, she didn't go to the big Gala events, nor did she hang out with large groups of friends at concerts, she mostly kept to herself and her work.

Speaking of large and loud.. the fan that charged over in a Fandrunk frenzy made the Lime coloured pony's ears pin back and her muzzle to wrinkle up in discomfort, she could understand being a fan, she could understand excitement, what she couldn't understand was the fact that this crazed fan acted like Celestia herself was in the train cart..At Vinyl's comment she glanced at her from the corner of her glasses framed gaze .

"If you think so..I'm not opposed to learning but maybe she could calm down a bit first?" The pegasus's wings were pinned tight to her back, and she had one foreleg crossed over the other, this was a stance of discomfort of severe discomfort.

[SunsetSombra]

Vinyl rolls her eyes with a gentle snort at the catchup regarding the club and Moondancers experience...it wasn't surprising that things had worked out like that, considering she'd put in a quiet good word for the pony before she'd left the club herself, but this just reminded the DJ that her fans could be just as crazy as she was sometimes at a show sometimes.

the DJ chuckles a little at the thought as she steps back to let quicklime intro herself, but from what it seemed like, Qucklime was just a little hesitant about the conversation.

"If you think so..I'm not opposed to learning but maybe she could calm down a bit first?"

The DJ mare gives a small grin as she glances over at Moondancer, and waves a hoof dismissively, shaking her head a little at this comment. "[colour=#800080] Nah, it's okay - she's just a little excited - she's never really been close enough t'get a chance to talk to me one on one I s'pose... [/colour]" the DJ Unicorn explains as she glances back at moondancer for a moment, tweaking the shades slightly. " [colour=#800080]All ya need is a l'il moment to get the fangasms outta the way an' then we can talk awesome[/colour]! "

Sure, things hadn't gotten off exactly on the right hoof...but Vinyl was semi-confident that with a little nudge, these 2 would help to make this trainride one to remember!

[Mojo]

[colour=#008000]"Da, Comrade Starburst!" [/colour]Tankena shouted. [colour=#008000]"I join in!"[/colour]

Producing her balalaika and began to play, matching the piano playing mare note for note.

[colour=#008000]"You have great choice in music, Comrade! I love this piece!"[/colour]

Tankena now plays with more emotion, throwing her head back as she strums along with the piano music. The green mare is truly getting excited, tapping her foot as she plays.

[colour=#008000]"I am having blast! Speaking of blast, did I tell you how I invented big firecracker rocket and got my cutie mark for it?"[/colour]

[Bellosh]

Moondancer brought her hoof back upon seeing how obviously distressed the lime pegasus appeared. In fact, the moon-flanked unicorn slightly winched when the other pony opted to confide in Vinyl about her hesitation. It looked like Moondancer had a shy one on her hooves, and fortunately the young mare had plenty of experience with shy ponies before.

As the combined sounds of piano and balalaika-playing started filling the dining car, Vinyl was awesome enough to give the unknown pegasus reassurance that Moondancer was a swell gal. [colour=#cc0033]“Ehh heh heh; I didn’t mean to get carried away Vinyl,”[/colour] the fangirl apologized, her cheeks plastered with the unmistakable signs of blushing; [colour=#cc0033]“But I needed to get that out of my system first.”[/colour] Extending her foreleg to the lime pegasus again, Moondancer cheerfully asked; [colour=#cc0033]“So then... what’s your story, girly?”[/colour]

[Starburst]

Starburst says little, concentrating on the piano. There's little she can do once she starts playing until the piece is complete. The piano requires focus and flow so that a slip of the hoof doesn't result in an off note. Her hooves bounce off the keys expertly as she progresses through the notes. Though used a different key, it does require a tad more concentration and transcription than usual. She closes her eyes and taps the keys one by one, proceeding through the song nearly-flawlessly. The off-notes in her play are masked by chords played on an alternate hoof so melodically the piece doesn't sound off-key at all.

After she finishes the piece she wipes her hooves with a washcloth and opens her eyes, answering Tankena's question. [colour=#4b0082]"I can't say that I have heard your story, but you're more than welcome to tell it."[/colour] she says, smiling.