Taming Strange. Or: How I learned to stop worrying and make love in public

Vinyl was excited. She hadn't been this pumped for a show since her first gig in Canterlot under her new contract. She'd mixed a whole new set for Octavia after their little discussion and she knew it was gonna make her classy bitch fuckin cream herself. She bounded Pinkie Pie style all the way from her apartment to Mad Mares Dance Hall. She even showed up an hour early to bribe the bouncers.

She marched up and down on top of the bar barking commands like a drill sergeant. "Any mothafucka LOOKS at my classy bitch, you're on 'em. Any mothafucka TALKS to my classy bitch, they're outta here. ANY. MOTHAFUCKA. TOUCHES. MYYY" She held out the word, and pointed repeatedly to her chest for extra emphasis. "CLASSY BITCH! You BREAK their FUCKIN LEG, and THEN they're ouatta here. GOT IT?"

"No one's gonna steal your filly friend Pon-3 quit'cher bitchin." Neon Lights called down from the catwalk.

Vinyl floated a microphone up to him and pressed the antenna against his throat menacingly. "I will fuck you up dude." A short staring contest ensued and vinyl broke it with a laugh. She pranced over to her sound booth where everything was already ready to go but she needed something to occupy her mind. She felt like a barely legal about to get into their first club.

The doors opened and a grey mare walked in and stood awkwardly in the anteroom letting her eyes adjust from the bright sunlight to the soft blue green light of the club. The last time she'd been here it was positively packed with party ponies so seeing it empty was slightly off-putting. "BABEEEY!" The squeal split the still air of the bar and the over stimulated D.J. Vaulted over the sound station instead of having to go around.

Vinyl grabbed Octavia around the waste and spun her around giggling. The cellist was put down and the two kissed through their smiles. They could've stood there for the rest of their lives staring into each other's eyes but unfortunately half the world turned a deep shade of blue. Royal Blue to be exact. The aptly named mountain of pony was breaking personal space courtesy with barely contained excitement.

"Uum pardonnez-nous les femmes mais vous parlez de ce droit?" Royal Blue asked in broken Prench.

"Oui je suis content de te voir faire aussi." Octavia said in her mother tongue. Vinyl groaned at what her marefriend had started.

Royal Blue pranced in place. "Hold on slowa, I'm not very good yet."

Octavia was prepared to go on with the Prancofile, but Vinyl snatched her away and snapped at the bouncer. "My classy bitch, get your own!" Royal Blue deflated.

Vinyl started sliding Octavia along the floor but the cellist pushed away. "Vinyl that wasn't very nice, and what did you just call me?" She put on her very best pout.

Vinyls eyebrow raised. "What you are classy."

Octavia rolled her eyes. "No love, why would you call me a bitch?"

Vinyl understood the miscommunication but lacked the skill to clarify. "Nah nah babe it's not like that. Bitch it means I mean it a."

A voice called out from above. "term of endearment."

"Yeah that! It's what you call aaaa." Vinyl trailed off in thought.

"Pony of an inferior status with whom you intend to have sex." The elevated voice sounded again.

Octavia looked around but couldn't identify where the voice was coming from. "Who the Discord is saying that?"

Vinyl rolled her eyes."It's just Neon. He's"

The voice from the ceiling didn't miss a beat. "The envy of all stallions, and a sexy beast."

"A pain in my ass!" Vinyl called out testily.

A blue grey unicorn stallion hung down from the catwalk holding himself to its bottom telekinetically. He dropped down and cushioned his landing with his magic.

"Babe, this is Neon Lights. He handles the light show, and the business end of our little operation. He's actually the one that got us the contract out here." Vinyl gave the light technician a side hug. "Me and him go waaay back."

"So you're the one PON-3's all hot and bothered about." He looked Octavia up and down like a connoisseur, he nodded his head and pursed his lips in approval. "Nice" he gave Vinyl a brohoof.

Octavia bowed, formal as ever. "Very pleased to meet you. I suppose I have to thank you for bringing my little Vinyl here for me." Octavia pulled at Vinyl's cheek teasingly. Vinyl pushed her away, faux frowning.

"Yeah sorry for subjecting you to that." He chuckled to himself and Vinyl's horn glowed summoning a symbol Octavia didn't understand. It looked like a five digited Griffin's claw with the center talon raised. Neon laughed and waved a hoof dismissively. He apparently understood the gesture.

"Well it's not a show unless ponies have something to look at. Scuse me." His horn flashed and a bright green glowing full elevator box with attendant emanated from his horn, and he raised himself back up to the catwalk.

Octavia stood mouth agape. Vinyl rolled her eyes. "Fuckin show off. Come on lemme show you where the magic happens!" She led Octavia to the sound stage then grew very serious. "Now babe I love you and shit, but don't touch a fuckin thing. Everything is set to perfection, down to the individual sound wave. Got it?"

Octavia was mildly offended at the needless warning. She was a concert musician. She tuned her cello by ear down to the smallest degree. She knew better than to meddle with somepony's instrument. Vinyl had to be taught a lesson. She put on a mischievous air.

"So don't touch this?" She brought her hoof down within an inch of a randomly selected slide.

Vinyl stared daggers at the hoof. "Babe I'm not fuckin around here. Do not!"

"This right here? So you're saying I shouldn't touch this?" She brought the hoof closer.

Vinyl brought her face closer to the scene as if proximity would dissuade the offending hoof. "DO NOT! FUCKIN! TOUCH-"

Octavia jerked her hoof to within a hair's breadth of the dial. Vinyl jumped at the sudden motion. Her face was an inch away from the hoof and dial. The cellist poked the D.J. on the nose. "Boop."

Vinyl collapsed to the floor in shame. Her face, an ocean of disappointment. She'd been played like a cello. Octavia giggled at her joke and cooed softly to her prone lover. "Oh I'm sorry love but you were being fussy. I know better than to."

Vinyl picked Octavia bodily up in her magic. Still laying on the floor of the sound stage. She pulled off her sunglasses and stared straight into Octavia's soul. She knew the effect her eyes had on the pony, though she didn't know why, but she focused every ounce of will into her crimson eyes. Octavia protested feebly but she was held rigid in the telekinetic field. Those eyes paralyzed and hypnotized her. The rest of the world faded away. All there was in that moment was Vinyl. Her Vinyl.

Vinyl brought her slowly down to where they were almost muzzle to muzzle. She whispered ever so softly. "I love you." The D.J. brought the cellist down further turning her head for a kiss. The cellist could feel her lover's breath on her. And then she felt her lover's hoof on her nose."boop" Octavia was dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Vinyl had already gotten up and was starting up her machines. "Don't mess with the best baby. Octavia pouted laying face down on the floor.

Eventually the club opened and the party ponies started filing in. Several sat at booths in small groups and a few hung around the bar. Eventually the Dance Hall reached its crowd capacity and ponies started milling around anxious for the music to start. Octavia asked about the needless delay.

"Vinyl chuckled to herself knowingly. "Nah babe you gotta build up the suspense. Make em want it." After a few more minutes of dragging out the suspense a series of nods came from each of the club employees in turn. In a club you have to have situational awareness or you might get caught in the crossfire.

"Hey babe wanna see a stampede?" Vinyl hit several buttons with her magic. Octavia never got a chance to say no. Thundering bass burst into the room. The large speakers blasted Vinyl's new material full force into the crowded ponies. Instantly the whole club was on their hooves and Octavia had to admit it did resemble a stampede as they rushed to the dance floor.

Octavia's ears lay flat against her head at the oppressive volume. She had to shout to be heard as she asked. "HOW CAN YOU WORK LIKE THIS?"

Vinyl chuckled in her throat. "THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I WORK!" Vinyl worked like a machine. Various buttons and switches were pressed and released in time with the music. She spun records on her turntables for certain effects. Octavia stood in awe at the proficiency of the unicorn. The entire sound stage was her instrument. Every button, every switch, every scratch off the record was precise and intentional. Octavia still wasn't crazy about the music itself, but she had spoken true when she'd called Vinyl the finest musician she had ever met.

Octavia could've, and would've, stood there mesmerized by the D.J. at work but she kept having to squint and avert her gaze. She made the mistake of looking up and was instantly blinded by several bright flashes of light right to the eyes. Had she been able to see she would've been treated to a dazzling light show.

She felt something gently poking her in the side. She looked and saw a pair of ridiculous sunglasses levitating in front of her. She squinted at Vinyl who leaned over to say. "THESE'LL HELP." Octavia rolled her eyes, the cellist felt like it was ridiculous to wear sunglasses indoors but took the proferred shades.

Octavia put them on and instantly the room became crystal clear. The glare from the lights vanished. She could even see the lines of the tiles on the dance floor. She looked back to Vinyl, awe clearly visible on her face. Vinyl chuckled to herself. She held up her hooves and her horn summoned glowing neon letters between them spelling out. "Magic." Octavia looked away pouting, feeling slightly foalish.

She looked and saw the spectacle of lasers and strobe lights coming from the ceiling. She spied Neon Lights handling them with his magic. Turning this one off and on, making that one flash in rhythm with the beat. The cellist leaned over to the D.J. . "THE LIGHTS REALLY ARE LOVELY."

Vinyl nodded without looking away from her station. "YUP NEONS THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AT LIGHTS!"

Neon Lights once again hung down from the catwalk and shouted, "AND SHE'S THE BEST AT BEATS."

The two shouted into the microphone in unison. "AND TOGETHER. WE. MAKE. BITCHES. SCREAM!" As if on cue the bass dropped and the crowd cheered. Octavia was genuinely impressed at the whole spectacle.

After about 10 minutes of music Vinyl stopped the music. Octavia's ears were ringing as Vinyl addressed the crowd. "Eh Canterlot how the fuck you feelin?" Octavia had to once again fold her ears back against her head at the deafening roar of the party ponies. She was amazed at Vinyl's raw charisma with the crowd. How she could silence them with a hoof and make them scream with a word.

The music burst out again and the dancing resumed. Well "dancing". Octavia looked about at a sea of bodies thrashing wildly. Her mother had demanded, as part of her education as a filly, to be instructed in the basics of dance. She knew just enough to properly waltz, and how to appreciate the movements of ballet, but they never piqued her interest.

This on the other hoof was more of vaguely synchronized jumping and some mares were literally just shaking their hind quarters. Octavia was glad she was in the sound studio with her lover rather than mixed in with the sweating drunken writhing masses. As if on cue that's when Vinyl pressed a few buttons, made sure everything was steady, then told Octavia to go dance.

"VINYL I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DANCE-." Octavia pointed to a particularly uncoordinated unicorn with glow rings around her horn. " LIKE THAT"

Vinyl chuckled to herself. "THAT'S WHY I'M HERE." Her horn glowed and a symbol of a cocktail glass and a shot glass shined above her head. A minute later a waitress brought over a double shot of something or other and a large colorful mixed drink. Vinyl raised her shot and motioned for Octavia to take the other drink. "FIRST STEP GET NICE AND LOOSENED UP." Once again Vinyl had made the mistake of underestimating her.

Octavia had spent her summers in Prance land of wine, brandy, and bad accordion music. She was particularly fond of brandy. Vinyl levitated the shot to her mouth but it was stopped by a gray hoof in front of it. Before Vinyl could complain Octavia wrapped her mouth around the shot glass and tilted her head all the way back. She then took the cocktail and downed the full glass in a breath, which she instantly regretted as it was disgustingly sweet. She was really going to have to teach Vinyl how to drink properly.

Vinyl's horn arced with a jolt of magical static discharge at the sight. She stood there jaw agape. Who the fuck was this pony and where had she been all her life Vinyl thought to herself. "BABE THAT WAS SICK AS SHIT!" She cheered.

"THAT WAS SICK! WHATEVER THAT COCKTAIL WAS MUCH TOO SWEET. BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH.-" She pointed to a pair of pegasi that were rubbing against each other in a most uncouth manner.

Vinyl's grin made a triumphant return. "EVERYTHING BABY! NOW CUMMERE." The D.J. wrapped her magic around the cellist and stood behind her front legs wrapped around her, pressing the cellist's rump against her hips. She started to sway Octavia back and forth rhythmically to the beat. "LEFT LEFT RIGHT LEFT. RIGHT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT. JUST DO THAT."

"VINYL THIS IS LITERALLY ME JUST SHAKING MY PLOT." The cellist shouted.

Vinyl grinned and shook her head. Of course her classy bitch wouldn't understand the finer points of shaking her ass. "YES!" She grabbed Octavia's flank with her hoof and squeezed it. "AND YOU'VE GOT A GREAT ASS TO SHAKE!" She pulled Octavia close, still swaying her in her magic.

Octavia felt her plot grinding against Vinyl's hips, and was embarrassed to find herself enjoying the sensation. The magical field dropped and Octavia took over the motions. She kept catching herself intentionally pressing against Vinyl as she did so and the D.J. definitely noticed. Vinyl was lost in those swaying grey flanks, just watching the treble clef stretch and contract. Vinyl was ogling her, and neither could get enough of it.

D.J. PON-3's ear shot up at some expected musical cue and she dashed from behind Octavia back to the turntables. She'd given herself enough of a break for a quick drink but she couldn't just abandon her post. She was back to bobbing her head and flipping various switches. Octavia was mildly put down at the loss of her dance partner. "NOW GO AND SHOW OF MY NEW PIECE OF ASS." Vinyl pointed to the dance floor.

Octavia pouted. First she was denied her dance partner, now she was being shooed away. "BUT LOVE! I WANT TO DANCE WITH YOU!" Octavia whined in her best come hither accent. Which was really something considering it had to be shouted over loud dubstep. Vinyl bit her lower lip hard and slapped herself across the face with her hoof. "I GOTTA WORK BABE. YOU GO HAVE FUN." Vinyl slapped Octavia's plot, and she was once again mortified that she enjoyed the sensation. She gently but firmly pushed Octavia out of the sound booth.

The cellist was annoyed at not being with her unicorn but she did like the reaction she had gotten out of her. Plus she could do with another drink or two, so it wouldn't hurt to sachet her way to the bar in the rhythm that Vinyl had shown her. She danced her way obliquely around several groups of flailing ponies. Had she had the situational awareness requisite in the club business she would've noticed the plethora of ponies that approached her and then were suddenly sent scuttling away by the bouncers.

On her way the uncoordinated unicorn she'd noticed earlier bumped against her and fell over. Royal Blue was there in a heartbeat. Octavia tried to help her to her hooves but she seemed completely out of it. The bouncer picked up the mare and Octavia asked if she was going to be okay. "Oh yeah. She just partied a little too hard. She'll be fine." Octavia was still concerned and asked him to put her in the V.I.P. room.

Club workers are excellent at nonverbal communication, and a series of nods and gestures got all the way to Vinyl. Roy pointed to the now thoroughly passed out unicorn then at Octavia then at the V.I.P. room. Vinyl looked hard at Octavia who raised the shades she'd been wearing and pleaded with her eyes. If Bae wants it Bae gets it. The D.J. nodded and Royal Blue parted a sea of ponies with his hulking mass towards the V.I.P. room.

He placed the unconscious unicorn on a couch, and returned to the dance floor. He hadn't noticed the foam leaking from the unicorns mouth.

Octavia made it to the bar and let her tail sway to the beat while she waited. The music wasn't nearly as bad tonight. She'd have to thank Vinyl properly for that later. The bar mare, a spindly thin unicorn, finally made her way to Octavia but despite her best efforts she simply couldn't hear her. The cellist took a pen and a napkin that were by a register and wrote "Brandy please." The bar mare shouted. "SHE'S NOT HERE TONIGHT." The cellist facehoofed. She added "the drink" to the napkin. The barmare simply raised an eyebrow. Octavia was thoroughly annoyed. She thought loud enough to be heard over the music. "WHAT KIND OF FUCKING BARMARE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT FUCKING BRANDY IS?"

Octavia looked at the various bottles against the wall. "How many different types of vodka do you really need?" She finally spied on the very top shelf a dusty, mostly full bottle of Haynessy cognac. It was about to be a very good night. The cellist pointed with her hoof to the bottle and the barmare levitated it down. She grabbed a shot glass but the brandy connoisseur stopped her before she could commit sacrilege.

Again the chain of nods made it's way to the D.J.. Octavia knew it was straining courtesy to ask but she would either cry or hurt somepony if they disrespected her national drink. She wrote on a napkin to ask if she could be allowed behind the bar. The unicorn signaled as such and Vinyl got very uncertain.

Not only was this against policy, and for once she actually cared, but this also set a bad precedent. She trusted Octavia though so she let out a heavy sigh. If Bae wants it Bae gets it. Her face grew hard. She lifted her signature sunglasses and showed full force her crimson eyes. Then a small glowing pink heart zapped out of the unicorns horn. She smiled and went back to work.

Octavia understood this to mean something approximating. " I'm going to allow this but don't you make me regret it. I love you." With that she was allowed behind the bar and Octavia set about her drink, pouring it into its proper glass and was satisfied. Then it hit her. For the first time in her life she could decide for herself how much she wanted to drink, and she had a mostly full bottle of Haynessy. It was about to be a very, very good night.

Several glasses of Haynessy later a sound hit Octavia's ear that she'd not expected in a dance hall. A cello. Her head snapped around to stare wide eyed at Vinyl. She'd worked for hours on it. She'd gone through every single instrument in her computer to find out what they sounded like. She'd painstakingly spliced together sounds from the entire orchestra.

Octavia felt tears in her eyes. Her Vinyl was so sweet that she'd made a song using her instrument as a base, and oh what bass. Octavia didn't just tolerate this track, she LOVED it. The gap had been bridged. It wasn't a musical train wreck, it was an avalanche, never letting you get comfortable with one particular melody, always in flux. She had translated the genre into a musical language she could understand. Well if her Vinyl was going to do something so sweet, she deserved some sugar.

Octavia scrambled up into the bar and shook her hips in the way Vinyl had shown her. The alcohol lent her movements fluidity and freedom and she shook what her mére had given her for all it was worth. She noticed Vinyl staring and raised the shades to wink at her. She blew her sweet sweet Vinyl a kiss and continued her dance.

She tossed her mane wildly and leaned against a post sensually. She'd seen various mares drop down nearly to the floor and raise up again slowly and decided that would be a nice touch now. She threw her hooves in the air and brought them down along her hips tracing her curves. Vinyl's horn was arcing like a Tesla coil at the display.

The crowd cheered. It was always nice to see a waisted light weight dancing on the bar, but this was something else entirely. The bouncers had already been busy fielding the various interested ponies from hitting on PON-3'S classy bitch. Now they formed a wall, shoulder to shoulder to fend off any and all interested ponies.This was a problem for Vinyl for several reasons.

First it was a health code violation for Octavia to have all four hooves on the bar, and again Vinyl found herself caring for the first time in her life.

Second, again it set a bad precedent. It's hard to get a club to the right amount of wild. Nopony wants to dance at a club that's no fun, but too wild and it starts attracting the wrong kind of ponies. The kind that like to ruin a good time.

Third, it's bad policy to have all your bouncers in one place at one time. That's how mistakes are made and things get missed.

Fourth and most personally for Vinyl, she hadn't had sexual gratification for several days. It's very dangerous to apply moisture to electrical equipment, and that mare on the bar threatened to flood the place.

Vinyl's horn wouldn't stop arcing little sparks of magical discharge from pent up sexual tension, and her lip was bleeding from biting it so hard. Her job took extreme focus but the display Octavia was making of herself was anathema to the very idea of focus. Vinyl hit the panic button and a few seconds later Neon Lights dropped down from the catwalk. This time thankfully without the elevator. Vinyl begged him to take over.

"Uh uh! You're not gettin if this stage without thankin her. I thought you 'loooooved' her." Neon said grinning as he swung a spotlight over to Octavia.

Vinyl got the message. The music stopped and Vinyl shouted. "GIVE IT UP. FOR THE FINEST BITCH IN THIS PLACE!" The crowd went absolutely bonkers fruit candy.

Octavia's face lit up red. She honestly hadn't realized other ponies were watching. Under the influence of tolerable brandy, enjoyable music, and a beautiful mare, Octavia hadn't remembered she was in a crowded club full of ponies. She'd been dancing for her Vinyl, and her Vinyl alone. So seeing every pair of eyes in the club on her at once came as a bit of a shock. She sheepishly waved at the crowd. Mercifully her mortification was brought to an end by Vinyl grabbing her in her magic and carrying her into the V.I.P. room.

Octavia was flung onto a vacant couch and the D.J. literally pounced on her. Vinyl couldn't seem to kiss her mare hard enough. She held Octavia and tight as she could as she ground her muzzle against the earth pony's. Their legs intertwined and Octavia reciprocated the attention. Finally Vinyl disconnected and grabbed the cellist's head and screamed. "STOOOP.!" She gasped for breath and lay limply on top of Octavia panting like a sprinter.

"I'm sorry was I too-." Octavia was interrupted by the D.J. resuming the kiss.

"STOP Being sexy while I'm working!" Vinyl said between breaths while shaking Octavia's head. " I can't think straight when you're shaking this." She roughly grabbed Octavia's flank. "I haven't gotten off in days thanks to you and I have to focus!" She kissed the cellist slightly more gently this time. Vinyl once again lay against Octavia's chest breathing heavily. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to DJ with your horn shocking the shit out of you?"

Octavia was relieved to hear she hadn't done anything wrong, she'd just done something her mare liked a little too well. She was worried though that Vinyl was so pent up.
The cellist was more than willing to help, she trotted the 'come hither' accent back out. "Oh can't Neon Handle it? I mean my dorm's right there. Can't I just thank you properly for being so sweet mon amour?"

Vinyl shuddered violently and a large bolt of blue magic arced across the furniture. "FUCK THE DORM YOU'RE GETTIN IT RIGHT HERE!" Vinyl started to shift but Octavia grabbed her before she could get too far along and pointed to the unconscious mare on the other couch. Vinyl scoffed. "I don give a fuck." She started moving her hoof again. Octavia grabbed Vinyl's head and whispered. "S'il te plait mon amour allons-y." Vinyl groaned loudly in frustration and threw a trash can across the room petulantly. "FIIIINE! Gimme twelve seconds." Vinyl sprang from the room and door slammed shut behind her.

Octavia was left in near silence. She giggled to herself and shuffled into a half sitting posture. Her mind swam with dreams of romance. This had been the best night of her life. She was in love with a beautiful talented sweet pony that she was about to make love to. They had their whole lives ahead of them together. It had indeed been a very, very, good night, and it was only about to get better.

Eventually her mind swam back into focus and her gaze drifted onto the mare on the other couch. "Having a good time?" She called out, still chuckling. The unicorn didn't respond. Octavia moved to the other couch and plopped down slightly unsteadily next to her. "Pardonnez-moi but I don't think you should sleep here." She gently shook the limp form of the glow ring bedecked mare.

Concern crept into Octavia's face. She noticed that there was foam coming out of the unicorn's mouth and nose. She snapped to her hooves. "Hey! HEY! MISS CAN YOU HEAR ME?" She shook her violently. There was no response. Octavia could see she wasn't breathing. She collapsed onto her back and shuffled backwards away in horror.

She tried to call out for help but the words died in her throat. She couldn't speak. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. All she could do was stare at the limp frame of the unicorn.

Vinyl burst into the room shouting. "ALL RIGHT BABE LET'S-." She noticed Octavia sitting on the floor, face contorted with horror. She rushed over to her mare. "Babe what's wrong? What is it?" Octavia still hadn't found her voice. All she could do was stammer and point at the other couch. Vinyl looked and knew the situation at a glance.

"Oh fuck."