This is a Hetalia/MLP: FiM crossover take place in an AU wherein Hetalia characters are not countries and MLP characters are humans. Also because of this AU, some MLP characters name's were changed to fit in with realism. It should be obvious who they are though. Also, I can assure you most of my information about bars is false, so don't trust it. I'm working off of very little information.

Pairings: Prussia/Austria, "DJ Pon3/Octavia

Bartender asks; Play me a tune!

Victoria "Vinyl Scratch" Stevens was a twenty something, inspired young woman, highly skilled in the music department with the ability to mix and perform breathtaking music. Breathtaking music that she never got the chance to play after her two years in college. Breathtaking music her classical-loving, Austrian boss does not appreciate. Breathtaking music that if she doesn't convince him to let her play soon she might just wring his neck!

Honestly, Vinyl's work at the high-class bar Wien Ton (which he assured her meant "Wine Tone" in German, and would never let her forget) was not that much of a pain. She was a pretty good bartender, and it paid extremely well for how low-class it was. Roderich Edelstein, the owner, seemed to really want to help her, despite his comments about her taste in music. Honestly, the guy cared more about music then he did about alcohol, and he owned a bar. But he did seem to care about Vinyl, like she was his daughter or something. Better father than her real one ever was.

Not that any of this is important. This is a love story. But I, the not-so-humble narrator like to set standards. And before I bring out some crude words, I want everyone to know that Vinyl's boss does care about her. He's just a prissy git who is too arrogant sometimes to catch himself. Don't worry; that shit ain't going to stop.

The beginning of our story of love (or maybe love or like, I don't write the stories, I tell them), starts on the way to Wien Ton where in our protagonists, Vinyl, is late. She'd woken up that morning, had a shower and some breakfast before going to dress in her work clothes, some nice pants and a white button-up, a red tie, only to find that a freak rain shower the previous night had soaked her clothes line, making her drying clothes un-wearable. So after freaking out for a few minutes, Vinyl was stuck in some of her nicer jeans and a white t-shirt, along with her tie, which she hadn't needed to wash (because who washes ties?). Then she missed her train and had to take a bike to work, and she stepped in a puddle and overall was not having a good morning. Not to mention Roderich brought it up as soon as he saw her.

"What are you wearing, Vinyl?" He asked in a very arrogant manner, as he often does, holding a cup of coffee, with way to much sugar, in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. Vinyl smiled as he said her nickname. Most employers would call her Victoria. Most employers had.

"Forgot to bring the line in, Roddy." Vinyl drawled as she took off her shades, expensive ones with purple and blue reflection and probably Vinyl's most prized possessions, prescription for her sensitive eyes, to smooth back her annoyingly messy hair. It was short and choppy and stuck out in odd places. And bright blue, but she hadn't re-dyed it in awhile, so it was pretty faded out now.

Roderich sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and gestured to the bar. "Sit down, I'll get you one of mine." He started off toward the back room, shouting as an afterthought "Don't sit on the bar!" Just as Vinyl was about to do exactly that. He didn't even look at her, it was terrible.

Vinyl sat on the bar anyways, flicking through the CDs Roderich kept behind the bar to play during the night and when he was working, because the man hated silence more then he hated rap music (Vinyl thought rap music was rather good and listened to it once in a while). Only a few of the CDS were Vinyl's, though, and she only really played them during times when she was cleaning or the bar was empty. Like right now. She reached for one of them, only to be cut off by a strict voice.

"Don't you dare, Vinyl!" Roddy was back with an extra, if not the wrong sized, shirt. He handed it to her and took the CD box from her, storing it under the bar again.

"Why?" Vinyl asked, more like whined, unbuttoning the shirt her boss gave her.

Roderich sighed. "Did I not tell you today is a very important day? I have interviews running, I won't have that stuff playing." Oh. Right. Roderich had something about that a week ago, wanted someone to play live music at the bar to bring some ambiance, and he wouldn't let Vinyl do it. Also, despite his debates against her, he wanted her to help with the interviews.

"Oh yeah, sorry, forgot." Vinyl rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same.

"Put on that shirt and start cleaning, I have to get some paperwork in order." Roderich started off toward the back room, ignoring his employee's condescending "Bye Roddy!" As he left.

Vinyl pulled off her tee-shirt and pulled on the white shirt over her sports bra. It was a pretty good quality shirt, better than hers, but she noticed as she started buttoning it that it would be a bit of a snug fit. Men's shirts do not go over women's assets. She had to suck in her gut and it still hurt. Damn breasts. Hardly a C-Cup and the damn shirt didn't fit.

"Excuse me?" Vinyl had been so busy with the shirt, she hadn't noticed the door open. Voice sounded snooty too.

"We're closed." Vinyl said, sort of rudely. Goddamn this shirt!

"I'm not a customer." The person, Vinyl guessed it was a woman, scoffed.

Vinyl turned around, her shirt only halfway done up and her tie untied and hanging off her neck. Her glasses balanced precariously on her nose, which she moved onto her head as she shot back "Well, aren't you the princess."

The woman in front of her glared. And what a woman she was. Long, black hair, dark eyes and a thin face, dressed in a cravat and grey pant suit. It was almost ridiculous how much she looked like an aristocrat. Ugh. Snooty aristocrats, how Vinyl hated the lot.

"Excuse me, what right do you have to insult me?" The woman asked. even her voice was snooty.

Vinyl pushed her classes back down, this light was seriously killing her sceleras, and snorted at the woman's response. "It wasn't an insult, princess, just a remark. Sheesh, don't take things so seriously." Vinyl crossed her arms, rolling her eyes even though she knew the woman couldn't see her do so. It was the principle of the thing, really.

"It was an insult and you know it!" The woman glared at Vinyl. Oh yeah, she was annoyed.

"No need to get so riled up, honestly princess. Cool it." Vinyl mocked.

The woman scoffed. "You are so uncivilized, it's disgusting."

"And you're so arrogant I can feel the air turn thick with your snootiness." Vinyl shot back, because she honestly felt insulted. Seriously, they just met, they're so stupid. Of course, Vinyl didn't realize she was being just as insulting. No one's a perfect pony, dudes. We all got those biases, like these two!

Anyways, Roderich eventually intervened as the two verbally sparred. He sent Vinyl, begrudgingly, to clean up the bar while he talk to the woman, a "button up your shirt, Vinyl, this is not a brothel" following his commands.

Her name was Octavia, she played the cello and was at Wein Ton ("it means wine tone in German") for an interview, which Vinyl would have known if she hadn't started a fight with her. She wasn't allowed to help Roderich interview this woman, either. which sucked, because Vinyl was kind of looking forward to it, well, not with this woman, but still.

And so Vinyl sulked, and cleaned the bar, and mopped the floor. And when Octavia left, she watched as the next few interviewees came in, and watched as Roderich denied her helping him interview them. Ad she sulked more. She felt like a child, honestly, having been told to sit in the corner and think about what she did. Denied her rights! But she took her punishment anyways, hoping tomorrow this would blow over and that when the interviewees were called back to play, she'd be allowed to hear them.

Despite what Roderich, and most people, seemed to think, she did appreciate well played music. Even if it was classical and snooty.

As opening time grew nearer, Roderich's other employees showed up. Wein Ton was classy as hell, so of course they didn't make due with just a barkeeper, though Vinyl was the only one. Along with her, though, were a waiter and waitress, a brother and sister coincidentally, and a man who basically just carted around boxes and sometimes handled rowdy customers (not that those were ever allowed in Roderich's bar, cough cough). Vinyl worked full time though, while the brother and sister were going through school and the other man had a morning job.

The sister, a nice blonde girl with a light foreign accent, greeted Vinyl as she came in, her much taller, also blonde brother falling behind her with a nod. They went into the back room while Vinyl cleaned out glasses and got on their uniforms. Roderich was finishing up the last interview and would soon come out to give orders and walk around and generally play host. The manual labor dude was carting boxes inside from out back, so Vinyl could stock up on champagne and fancy wine to serve to arrogant people in coats and dresses.

Vinyl put on some music while she worked, something with a beat and a bass line and all sorts of upbeat things. A warm feeling filled up inside her as she worked, the music making her feel better. By the time the bar was about to open, Vinyl had forgotten about her fight with the woman, Octavia, and forgot about how sulky she had been earlier. And when Roderich yelled at her to turn her music off, she insulted him anyways. And turned it off. No need to tick off Roddy.

So she served alcohol to prissy politicians and bureaucrats and listen to them sneer at her behind her back, call her out on her blue hair and her tight shirt (which wasn't even her fault, damn boobs) and mock her for wearing shades inside. Sometimes, Vinyl wondered why Roderich ever hired someone so out of place for his bar. Bt she never wanted to ask. Honestly, she worried if she ever did, she'd lose her job.

Eventually the rhythm of Wien Ton set in and Vinyl found herself methodically mixing and pouring drinks, sliding bottles down the bar and washing out glasses at top speed. By the nights end, though, she was exhausted. Roderich told her to clean up in the morning, and sent her home. She was glad to trudge back to her apartment, but even more glad to get out of that damn shirt.

It was one of those really dark nights, or would morning be a better word, as the bar closed late, but either way it was difficult for Vinyl to see, even when she had taken off her glasses, exposing her eyes to a world that could not harm them. This late, the streetlamps could only do so much and Vinyl had to stumble home.

The first thing she did when she entered her very small apartment was the laundry. Then she collapsed into her bed and drifted into a very heavy sleep.

Vinyl used to like Saturdays, but ever since she started working at Wein Ton they'd been the bane of her existence. Why, you might ask? They're so busy! Everyone went to bars on Saturdays, it was ridiculous. Granted, in the past Vinyl had been the sort who would go to clubs and bars on Saturday nights, but now she wouldn't dare to go near one, knowing how hard idiots like her work.

At least she wasn't running late, though, and her shirt was clean and dry and fit. Not to mention Roderich told her she could sit in on the auditions from the previous interviews. She'd been so worried Roderich was still pissed at her for her verbal fight with the one woman, but he said she'd just have to behave herself, lest she be suspended... Vinyl really didn't want to lose her job.

She didn't miss the train today, a huge plus, but still had a nice long walk to the bar. Where she had to wait outside because the door was locked. And then she got bored waiting, so she picked the lock and locked the door with an extra key Roderich ad in the storage closet.

Roderich didn't show up until she was in full cleaning mode, loud, flashy music blasting throughout the whole building, Vinyl dancing along to it as she mopped the floor. The place was a mess after the previous night, but she'd gotten it into order in no time. Roderich did not allow a messy workplace. Speaking of Roderich, to say he was surprised to see Vinyl inside of the bar would be an overstatement. Mostly, he just gave her an odd look, made a remark about upgrading his security system and went to his office.

The day waged on, and soon the first person arrived for auditions. Vinyl watched in boredom as a brown haired woman played the sousaphone. It was nice, but Vinyl never thought the sousaphone was that interesting. And apparently neither did Roderich, as he dismissed her dismally. Vinyl wrote down 'boooooring' on her clipboard for her.

Next followed a slick haired man who played a screechy violin, an instrument so easy to fail at, and a harpist who was fantastic, but the music was extremely melancholy. A pianist, who Roderich almost seemed to flat out reject, gosh the man was a snob, and another violinist, a woman with ridiculous purple hair who could play pretty well, later and Vinyl was at her wits listening to this shit. Granted, some of them played wonderfully, but the stuff they played was so, well, Roderichy, and it was hard to appreciate. Then she walked in and all wits went out the window.

"Octavia Melanson. Oh no." Roderich muttered the last part, looking at Vinyl with a serious sort of glare. "Vinyl. Don't." He said sternly.

"What's that supposed to- oh." Vinyl stopped all protests as she saw the black haired snoot from earlier, dressed in a grey pencil skirt and white blouse with that stupid bow-tie and carrying a large black case in her had, walked toward the stage. And she pulled out a cello, and tuned it, and set it up for playing. Out of the dozen or so people who Roderich interviewed, she had to make it! Vinyl was baffled, but then the music started and she stopped her internal monologues of complaint.

It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly something impressive. Seriously, why in hell did she have to be so good at playing the cello? It was professional like, or something. It was one of the better songs Vinyl had heard all day, and it was animated and passionate and not boring. Vinyl was pissed. How dare this snoot be so good with music? How dare she! And Roderich looked impressed! Vinyl was doomed.

When she finished, the woman left quickly, and Vinyl huffed. Life did not like her right now.

Roderich gave her a look, though the type of look was left for interpretation, before the next person was called in. And soon, they were done with auditions.

"So, let's go over some of the applicants." Roderich started only moments after everyone had left, leading his only full-time employee into his freaking prissy office. Like, seriously, the place is full of instruments and stuff, which is to be expected, but it's decorated like Versailles.

"No violinists. My ears do not like to bleed." Vinyl said straight away, taking a seat in one of Roderich's chairs, sideways to her feet hung over the side.

"The violin can be played well, Vinyl." Roderich said, though it seemed he partly agreed with her, after seeing some of today's applicants. Four violinists, and only one was half decent.

"If it can, I haven't heard it today." She looked through her clipboard of notes, mostly just doodling in the margins, 'cause Roderich's voice is boring. "Hey, how about that guitar guy. He was good."

Roderich gave her a look. He'd been doing that a lot today. "No, he wasn't. That dribble he played was not, under any circumstances, music."

"You're so boring, Roddy. What next are you going to say? That you want that harpist to play?" Vinyl groaned, placing her hand on her head dramatically.

"She was a very good harpist." Roderich countered.

"Yeah, but she played such sad music." Vinyl rolled her eyes, redundantly, but that's not the point. "Geez, I know you want people to drink Roddy, but not that much."

"The harp doesn't always play melancholy music."

"Yeah, it does."

"Well who do you suggest then, Miss Now." Roderich said indignantly, the beginnings of a debate brewing.

Vinyl shrugged, grinning a bit before saying, "I don't know. That pianist wasn't tha-" Roderich didn't even let her finish before he launched off into a rant on specifically why the pianist was terrible, down to every note. Ten minutes later and Vinyl was questioning why he even let a pianist audition in the first place.

When he calmed down, which took quite awhile, he brought up a point Vinyl was rather against. "What about that cellist, the, um, woman, you-" He seemed to be stumbling with his words, idiot, so his employee cut him off. They were doing a lot of that today too.

"She was fine, I guess, for a snooty, arrogant busybody. I mean, she wasn't terrible." Vinyl averted her gaze, still angry at the woman for playing so well.

"I thought she was very good. You know, she used to play for the state philharmonic."

"Why isn't she playing anymore?" Vinyl was intrigued. Why would a priss quit the big leagues for their little bar. Granted, it was a fancy pants bar, but still a bar.

Roderich flipped through his papers, pushing his glasses up his nose whilst looking for the woman's page. "Says here she was suspended for 'artistic differences'."

"Sounds like she got in a fight with another snoot to me." Vinyl shrugged, doodling on her notes again. "Either way, she sounds like trouble. Don't hire her." There was heavy sarcasm in that, but it's not like there isn't always sarcasm in Vinyl's voice. Roderich wouldn't have it, though.

"If you're going to be rude, you can go wipe down the bar and I'll figure this out myself." Roderich said, fussing with his papers in a very annoyed sort of way.

Vinyl pouted. "Fine." She stood and stormed out of the room. It would have been dramatic if she hadn't tripped and fallen on her face. Stupid change in floor height.

Since Saturdays were so busy, Roderich often called in help from one of his friends to help tend to the bar and deal with the large crowd. This was one of these days said friend was brought in. Wein Ton (It means Wine Tone in German, don't forget it) was almost ready for opening when a tall, stoic man walked into the bar, dressed in a white shirt and green slacks, his blonde hair slicked back in a very clean cut form and his expression extremely serious. This man was Ludwig Beilschimdt, a German friend of Roderich's who apparently had nothing better to do on most Saturdays. He and Vinyl didn't converse much, but as far as Vinyl could tell, he was pretty boring, though a descent guy.

Starting up, the bar got pretty crowded very quickly, and Vinyl was happy with the help. Though she had mix some of the more difficult drinks, Ludwig took place of the more menial things, like beers and wine, which helps the bartender deal with her concentration. Ludwig's presence also tended intimidate the arrogant costumers enough that a lot of them help off their criticism for the night. Not that man didn't still make snide comments about her, but they were toned down, and often followed with an cowered look due to Ludwig glaring at them.

Overall, Saturday was busy and long and terrible, but at least there were some pros. When everyone was filing home, Vinyl turned on some loud music while she cleaned, and with the uplifting power of a steady bass line, the night seemed to end well.

It wasn't until a few days later that Roderich announced that he'd, finally, chosen who was to be working as their live musician. And still, a couple days more past till they were actually going to work.

Vinyl was mostly too tired, or uninterested to ask who had actually gotten the job, but wasn't too much surprised when the black haired snoot walked in Friday afternoon, her cello case in one hand and a rain jacket in the other. She looked tired, but Vinyl was still pretty miffed by the fact that the woman had outright insult her and was a good musician. It wasn't fair! The arrogant snoot. Vinyl glared at her, but continued working nonetheless, turning up the volume of her ostentatious music, hoping it would annoy the woman, who Vinyl knew the name of, but she refused to acknowledge the fact.

The woman left, anyways, probably to talk to Roderich, so Vinyl didn't have to talk to her, or look at her, which was a plus.

Cleaning a bar is not an easy feet, and Vinyl would never claim otherwise. Typically there was dust everywhere and spilled drink on the floor, which took long enough to clean because a lot of it stained or made a sticky mess, and Roderich does not accept stains. They often have tried to wax the floors to avoid this, but it only works half the time.

Otherwise, there was always the few drinks they'd find in storage that had shattered. Broken glass to clean up and alcohol to mop up and basically a mess. Fermentation problems, sometimes beer blows up. Nothing much to do about it. And then there was just standard wiping down the bar and table and sweeping and mopping the floor. Vinyl was the only one who did this shit, so it took her most of the morning, and that was only if she'd started cleaning after they closed the night before.

Cleaning a bar is not fun. But Vinyl got through it. After working at a bar for awhile, you get used to it. The music helped, too, mostly because Vinyl couldn't stand silence while she worked, but it filled the bar with life, something it normally lacked, and helped keep spirits up.

So cleaning spirits were high, and Vinyl was almost done, just wiping down the bar while she waited for some new boxes to arrive, full of wine. That was, until her music stopped abruptly. Vinyl whipped her head up to see the black haired woman standing by the CD player with her finger on the 'stop' button.

"Hey! What was that for!" Vinyl immediately protested. "I was listening to that you snooty aristocrat!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "I have to tune my cello. I can't hear it with that audacious ruckus you're blasting."

Vinyl glared at her. "Ruckus? My music's fine. Leave me alone to work, miss snoot."

The woman looked away in annoyance for a moment before sighing. "Look, I know you don't like me very much and I can see why, with your...taste." She made a look of distaste, glancing at the CD player. "But we're going to have to tolerate each other to keep our jobs. So just...let me do my job." She looked like she was honestly trying to compromise the situation. Vinyl saw reason in this but...It was so hard tolerating someone who obviously looked down on her. Whatever.

"Sure. Why not." She tried to sound disinterested. And not insult the woman.

The woman nodded. "Alright. I'm just going...to go practice." she pointed at the stage, but stopped herself form turning away. "Oh, right. My name is Octavia." She held out her hand.

"Vinyl." The blue haired bartender ignored the woman's hand.

"What kind of name is Vinyl?" Octavia asked, confused.

"Mine. Go tune your fiddle." Vinyl turned away, to go back to wiping the bar.

Octavia stared at Vinyl, aghast. She turned away, toward the stage, obviously offended.