Intimate Details

Intimate Details - Part 2 “Payday.”

“Let me see that.” Rarity ignored the burning coffee she had just spat from her mouth as she snatched the card from Amethyst’s hand. With wide eyes, she looked at it. Sure enough, it was…

Octavia - Cellist 1st chair, Canterlot Symphony

The card went on to detail the address of the symphony’s studio, as well as some contact information. Rarity could hardly believe it. The shadowy individual she had met in the back of the club just the other night was none other than the first-chair cellist for Equestria’s greatest symphony! Her heart hammered in her chest and her mind raced. Why did she have this card? What reason did Octavia have for giving it to her?

“You don’t think… She wants a dress, do you?” Amethyst asked hesitantly. Rarity glanced up at her before looking back at the card. Her mind was racing a million miles an hour, trying to make sense of all of it.

“Only one way to find out.” Rarity extended her hand. “Phone.” Amethyst laid it in her hand, and Rarity dialed the number. After a few rings, someone picked up.

“This is Octavia.”

“Oh! Miss Octavia, this is Rarity, with Carousel Boutique. We met last night…?” She could hear a soft exhalation, almost as if in relief.

“Yes! I gave you my card. I’m actually really glad you called me, I was afraid I wouldn’t be heard over the music…” She had an accent, one that was unmistakably Canterlite. She was most definitely a product of high-brow society. Rarity felt a tingle shoot up her spine.

“I’ll admit, I didn’t quite get it all… That’s actually the reason I’m calling is to clarify… Pardon my… Erm, crass statement… But… Why did you give me your card?”

“You’re a fashion designer, right? I’d like to commission you for a dress.” Rarity could have fainted. A dress! For the first-chair cellist of the Canterlot Symphony! Amethyst’s eyes went wide at the sight of the flush rising to Rarity’s cheeks. “Hello?”

“Yes! I’m here.” Rarity breathed, fanning herself with a hand. “Eer, Thank you! First of all. What… Did you have in mind?”

“Well, it’ll be for a performance-“ Rarity’s vision nearly blacked out. “And I need it relatively soon. I’m afraid I’m busy today, but can I make an appointment for tomorrow?”

“O-of course!” Rarity grinned as she waved at Amethyst, gesturing for a pen and paper. Both were provided, and she hastily scribbled down Octavia’s name and the date. “What time works best for you?”

“I prefer early mornings. Can we meet at nine?”

“Nine is divine!” Rarity beamed, scratching down the time and underlining it twice. “I’ll see you then.”

“Perfect! I’ll see you tomorrow, Rarity. Goodbye.”

“Ta!” And with that, the call was over.

“No way.”

“She’s… She wants a dress.”

“First chair cellist…”

“She says soon.”

“For the Canterlot Symphony.”

“I’m assuming next week.”

“Wants a dress.”

“Darling, I’m…”

“Rarity!” Amethyst slipped around the counter, catching Rarity just as she was about to faint. Fanning her face frantically, Amethyst finally roused her enough.

“Thank you, Amy…” Rarity sat up with an intense blush. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. Are you okay?”

“Fine, fine. Thank you.” Rarity leaned forward and sipped at her coffee with shaking hands. “Just… I guess I’m in disbelief.”

“I know. Who in their right mind would ever want a dress from us?” Amethyst teased. Rarity shot her a playful glare before smiling. “You’ll do fine, Rarity. Do you want me to come in?”

“No, no dear… You have class. I can’t bother you. Take your Friday. I suspect I’ll be working all weekend, eh?” Amethyst grinned right back at her and laid a hand on Rarity’s forearm.

“Don’t over-work yourself, okay?”

“Not at all, darling. You know me.”

“I do know you.” Amethyst rolled her eyes. “That’s why I’m worried.”

“Oh, shush.” Rarity smiled and sipped at her coffee again, still relatively flustered.

“Well… I might as well get ready for Fleur. She’ll be here after lunch.”

“I thought you said her dress was ready?”

“It is!” Amethyst flushed, waving her off as Rarity rose from her chair. “I just… Want to go over it again. Make sure everything is right.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, good luck.” Rarity sat back down at the front desk, clutching her coffee. Amethyst disappeared into the work room with a small wave, leaving Rarity alone in the boutique. Perfect timing, too, since their first customer appeared shortly. Rarity beamed as the customer entered.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where we keep fashion sleek, chic, and magnifique! Can I help you?” The woman was flushed from trudging through the snow, and as she pulled her hood off, it was with a smile.

“I’m sorry to trouble you, but eer… My… Pants have ripped.” Rarity peered over the counter as she pulled aside her coat to reveal a long, open portion of her slacks, with thread stretched between the open edges of the fabric.

“Ooh! Oh, come in, come in.” Rarity ushered her further into the store, smiling as she guided the blushing woman back to the changing room. “Here you go, dear. You can wear these for now.” Rarity snagged a spare pair of slacks from a rack, a demo pair to be used for fitting. “Shouldn’t take me but fifteen minutes, I think. Go ahead and change.” The woman smiled and slipped behind the dressing room curtain to change her pants while Rarity prepared a smaller workstation outside on the store floor. When the woman emerged, Rarity accepted the damaged pants from her with a smile. “Have a seat, darling. I’ll be finished in a few minutes.”

“Thank you, miss…?”

“Rarity. Pleased to meet you.” They shook hands and were soon separated as Rarity focused on her work. Repairs were simple enough. But the tricky part was hiding the evidence of said repair. Rarity, being an expert with thread and needle, soon had bridged the gap between the two pieces of fabric and blended the new hem in with the old one flawlessly. As she finished, the woman approached, her eyes wide at the magnificent job.

“That’s incredible!” She flustered, holding the pants up to the light. “Like it was never ripped before!”

“Wait until you try them on.” Rarity teased, blushing a little from the praise. Her customer did just that, going to change with a disbelieving smile. When she re-emerged, it was with a look of shock.

“It’s like nothing changed. At all. They’re as pristine as when I put them on this morning.”

“Well, I try.” Rarity teased, resting her chin in her hand as she looked at her handiwork. “Hmm. A slight crease, but nothing noticeable. No one will know.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The woman smiled and wrapped Rarity in a quick hug, which made her fluster just a little.

“It’s no problem, really… Though, I do need the fee…”

“Of course! Uum, if you don’t mind, could I… Browse a little?”

“Oh, by all means! Go ahead! I’ll be up front if you need anything.” Rarity left the woman to peruse the racks of dresses and whatnot, going to sit at the counter with a faint blush. She had hardly sat down before she was called once more, though.

“Rarity?”

“Yes?” She joined the woman in front of one of the various display mannequins, this one sporting a stunning blue-and-yellow dress. Rarity had made it for someone for a ball a few months back, but they didn’t want to keep it, so Rarity only charged them a rental fee and kept the dress for sale.

“Did you make this?”

“With my own hands.”

“My, my… I dare say I’m interested in buying it.” Rarity’s heart leapt at the thought of a sale. The woman was already looking at the price tag, and didn’t even blink at the steep price. If anything, she seemed accepting. “Oh, and something else… You handed me the perfect size of pants… How did you know I was a size five?”

“Oh, you know…” Rarity waved her off. “You get an eye for these sort of things after being in the business… Eer, about the dress?”

“An eye, you say?” The woman smiled up at Rarity, in a way that Rarity was loathe to admit made her blush again. “I may have a client of mine who would be interested in this place… I dare say you’ve heard of Octavia?” Rarity blinked at the woman in disbelief.

“Eer… Miss Octavia has an appointment for tomorrow morning…” She said hesitantly, wondering what this customer was getting at.

“Oh! Oh, so she does! My, my, that woman takes matters into her own hands more often than she should… You see, I’m her producer.” Another business card was produced with a flourish and handed to Rarity, who took it numbly. “Natalie Delacroix. Octavia is one of my clients. She has a major performance coming up soon, but her previous dressmaker has been… Hmm, how do I say…” Natalie tapped her lip in thought as Rarity continued to stare dumbly at the card. “Rendered obsolete. She needs a new dress for her performance in one week. I was going to send her here, but it seems she’s already found you. I swear, how did we not know about you sooner?” Rarity finally registered what Natalie had been saying, and she looked up with a blink.

“Rendered obsolete?” Natalie grinned.

“You’ll see what I’m talking about tomorrow morning. The dress?”

“Tommor… Yes! The dress!”

“Sweetie Belle! I’m home!”

“Hey sis.” Sweetie Belle had been seated on Rarity’s couch, and she stood as soon as Rarity entered the door. “Have a good day at work?”

“What a day it was.” Rarity lugged several large bags through the door, huffing as she set them on the breakfast bar. “Help me with these?” Sweetie Belle jumped at the opportunity, and together the two of them began to re-stock Rarity’s fridge and cupboards with the groceries. Rarity had gone a little crazy, as she took a little advance on her next paycheck with the sale of the dress. Not to mention it seemed Sweetie Belle would be staying for a while, so she’d need some extra food. In a few minutes, they were finished, and Rarity set about making dinner for them.

“While I work, why don’t you tell me what exactly happened, Sweetie?” Rarity set a pot of water to boil and began working on a salad. Sweetie Belle sat at the breakfast bar’s counter with a glass of orange juice and sighed before starting her story.

“Classes have gotten tougher, and I need to study a lot more when I’m at home… Usually, all I have to do when I’m at home is the homework. Then Scootaloo and I have time to… Well, whatever.”

“Right.” Rarity helped glean over the implication with a slight blush.

“But now, with the way my classes have been drilling me into the ground, I actually have to take the time to sit down and read, go over my notes. Normally, I can cover everything while I’m in class. Normally.” She rested her head in her hands. “It’s… It’s gotten to Scoots and I. By the time I’m done with everything, all I can do is lay down and sleep, just enough time to get up before class the next day. She works weekends, so I can’t really see her then, and it’s just… It just got to us. Last night, she woke up in the middle of the night and just… Started packing.” Rarity paused for a moment, listening intently to her little sister.

“The racket woke me up, and when I asked her what she was doing, she… She just told me she was leaving. Like that. I tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t have it. Rarity, she didn’t even want to talk to me. She just kept throwing clothes in her bag. I broke down. I teleported out of there and next thing I knew, I was here…”

“Sweetie, I’m so sorry…” Rarity reached out to wipe away a tear that had slid halfway down her sister’s cheek. “I don’t… Know if I have anything to say about it.”

“Nothing?” Sweetie Belle whimpered, looking up at her with big eyes. “No… No advice…?”

“Well,” Rarity sighed. Painful as a memory as it was, Rarity did have some advice for her little sister. “When… When I was with she-who-must-not-be-named, things were fine. You knew us, we were the best of friends. We did everything together. But there came a time when… Things came between us. It got to the point where neither of us wanted to make things work out. Where we wouldn’t… Fight. For the other. When a relationship reaches that point, it’s honestly just best to… Walk away.”

“Yeah, but you and-“

“Aah.” Rarity held a finger up. “We don’t say her name. Not under this roof.” Sweetie Belle glowered at her, but didn’t press her luck.

“But you two ended pretty bad, right…? I don’t want Scoots and I to be like that. I mean, you two pretty much ended everything that you and your friends were… So bad that you had to move here.”

“I moved here for you, Sweetie.” Rarity frowned at her, feeling the familiar feeling of depression and anxiety grip her heart. “To help you through school.”

“And to get away from her.”

“That was… Just a benefit of moving here.” Rarity sighed, holding a hand to her face. “Well… Maybe half of it.”

“Just like I’m taking half your money right now.” Sweetie Belle muttered, as if she were upset. Rarity looked at her.

“As long as you stay in school, Sweetie, It’ll be worth it. Graduating from the Magi Academy is an illustrious achievement.”

“Yeah…” Sweetie Belle sighed.

“You’re not… Having second thoughts, are you?”

“No! No, I’m not! I’m loving my classes, stressful as they are… Really, I am. I’m learning so much there… But… Well, here’s the thing…” Sweetie Belle shoved a hand into her pants and pulled out a thin slip of paper, sliding it across the breakfast bar towards Rarity. Hesitantly, Rarity lifted the paper in her hands. “The… Other one. She’s been helping out with my tuition. I don’t really need the money you’re sending me…” Rarity’s eyes went wide at the sight of the check in her name, for the amount.

“Sweetie, this is…”

“I know, I should have told you sooner. I’m sorry.” Rarity could hear the tears beginning as Sweetie Belle began to break down again, but she reached a shaking hand out to rest on her sister’s arm.

“Sweetie, relax. I’m not angry. Well, a little surprised… I never thought that she would be sending you money.”

“She always was like another big sister to me…” Sweetie Belle muttered softly. Rarity shot her a quick, sympathetic glance. “Even now. She calls now and then. I really don’t see why you two don’t-“

“Let’s… Not talk about it.” Rarity cut her off. “But, if I’m right, this isn’t all the money I’ve sent you…”

“I saved most of it, Rarity. But, I did buy one thing…” She stood from the breakfast bar and led Rarity by her arm over to the window. She pointed out and down to the street. There, parked against the curb, was a shiny, silver sedan.

“You bought a car?” Rarity asked hesitantly.

“The school sends me on assignments all over Equestria. I needed some way to get around. Besides, you didn’t think I walked all the way here in a snowstorm?” Rarity grinned and pulled Sweetie Belle into a hug.

“I’m so proud of you, Sweetie Belle.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Why would I be?” Rarity laughed and released her, wiping away a single tear. Whether from happiness or sadness, she didn’t know. “You’re growing up so fast… You returned my money to me, and did something so responsible with it. Like buying a car.” She sniffled and wiped her face free of one more tear. “I’m proud of you.”

“You’ve no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that.” Sweetie Belle dove into Rarity’s arms once again, hugging her tight. “You really are the best sister ever.”

“Oh, come on.” Rarity pulled away with a sigh. “Help me with dinner.”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle spent most of the rest of the evening eating and talking, catching up on the little things. Both of them were usually too busy with work or school to talk to one another, and living on opposite ends of Canterlot didn’t help things. With their tight budget, neither of them could really afford the expensive cell phones that many of the Canterlot elite carried these days. Though now, Rarity had enough money to do many, many things. With half of her paycheck now opened up, Rarity might just be able to afford a better place… And maybe a phone for her and her sister. They could certainly keep in touch more often. Plus, she wouldn’t have to work so hard. So many ideas rushed through her mind, things that she could accomplish, things she could buy and do now… Rarity was still in disbelief, and checked on the slip of paper frequently, just to make sure it was still there. She made a note to stop by the bank before she went in to work the next day.

“I think I’m going to turn in.” Sweetie Belle yawned. “I need to go back to school tomorrow.”

“Hmm. Good idea.” Rarity cursed the infectious yawn.

“Can I shower before bed?”

“Of course. Extra towels are in the closet in the bathroom.” Rarity gestured vaguely. Sweetie Belle smiled and left the living room, which gave Rarity time to lay out her blanket and pillow on the couch. Rarity changed into pajamas and went to sleep straight away, and was out like a light before her head hit the pillow.

Her dreams that night were surprisingly pleasant. She dreamt of classical music and swimming through the water, clear and cool and refreshing. She was with her old friends, though the more painful memories were absent. She laughed and talked with them for hours before her alarm woke her. She and Sweetie Belle brushed their teeth at the same time, and went about the same morning routine side-by-side. Rarity had to admit, having her little sister around was rather pleasant. But Sweetie Belle had her classes to get to, and Rarity had an important appointment that morning.

“Want a ride to work?” Sweetie Belle offered, jingling her keys. Rarity locked the door behind them with a smile.

“If it isn’t too much trouble, could you run me to the bank first?”

“Of course. Not a problem. Class starts at nine, though.”

“I have an appointment at the same time. We’ll be done well before then.” They arrived at the bank shortly after it opened, and Rarity was first in line. She deposited the check, feeling an odd sense of fulfillment as the funds were confirmed, and her balance skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. She might just be able to afford a car of her own now. Sweetie Belle dropped her off at work by eight-thirty, and they parted happily. Rarity was humming a song to herself as she entered the boutique, feeling much happier than she had in weeks.

After preparing everything she might have needed for the appointment, Rarity had to wait a scant five minutes before Octavia showed up. When the cellist made her way through the front door, she was awestruck.

Octavia was, without a doubt, stunning. Rarity had seen her fair share of beautiful women in her day. Avian, magi, and human alike, all of her old friends were certainly alluring. But Octavia’s beauty was… It was something else. Her long, raven hair hung down almost to her rear, shimmering in the soft light of the boutique. Her delicate features were simple and uncomplicated. A modest brow led down to a rather cute nose, thin lips, high cheekbones and a simple, rounded chin. Nothing extravagant or entirely noteworthy, but each feature lent to the others, and worked in harmony. Her neckline, as Rarity vaguely recalled from the club, was elegant and graceful. Slender shoulders and perfect arms. She had a decent bust, nothing massive or tiny by any means, just… Normal. All of this leading down to a flat, and Rarity could guess, toned core. But the most striking feature about Octavia wasn’t in her upper body…

Rarity realized all of a sudden why Octavia’s producer had wished her luck. And why the previous dressmaker had been ‘rendered obsolete.’ Octavia’s hips were, quite simply, massive. Not grossly so, and not even to the point of worry… But they were certainly large. While she might have had the bust of a size five, Octavia’s hips were easily a size seven or above. Immediately, Rarity began looking her up and down, trying to peg the cellist’s size.

“Uum… Excuse me?” Octavia said hesitantly. “Are you… Rarity?”

“Hmm? Oh! Yes!” Rarity shook herself out of her reverie and smiled at Octavia. “Please to meet you… Again.” She offered a hand, which Octavia took happily. Her fingers were slender but strong. Dexterous. Rarity grinned at the connections she just made in her mind. She was a cellist, after all.

“Nat told me she talked to you…”

“Nat? Oh, Natalie! Yes, she did say your previous dressmaker had had some… Issues…” Rarity looked back down at her wide hips and thighs.

“He… Well, his hems were… Weak.” Octavia admitted with a blush. “I gained some notoriety among symphony-goers for wearing black panties.”

“That bad?” Rarity asked with an arched eyebrow. “His seams shouldn’t even have to go that high, that even if they did break, you’d expose undergarments.”

“His seams had to go that high.” Octavia admitted with a blush. She removed her slim coat, giving Rarity a better look at her core, which admittedly made her blush. Something about her wide hips and the smooth curve of her thighs made her strike Rarity as someone very… Womanly.

“Well. I think you’ve come to the right place.” Daunting a task as making a dress for someone of Octavia’s statue was going to be, Rarity already had an idea in mind. That is, if this wasn’t her typical commission, subject to many different changes and suggestions. She smiled despite herself and gestured towards the workstation she had set up. Octavia smiled and stepped further into the boutique.

“Do I need to… Take off my clothes or anything?” Octavia asked shyly. Rarity looked her up and down a little.

“I might need you to lift your shirt to get your bust measurement, but this should require you to stay mostly clothed, I should think.” Despite her nervousness over the entire scenario, Rarity found she was surprisingly relaxed now that it was here. Octavia chuckled and nodded, standing where she indicated. Rarity’s hands stretched the simple measuring tape between them, and glowed as she levitated a pen and paper off to the side. She crouched before Octavia, nodding to her task with a warm smile. “We’ll begin with your measurements.”

“Here we go,” Octavia rolled her eyes with a soft sigh. Rarity arched an eyebrow at her.

“Hmm? Is something wrong?”

“No, I just… I’m used to comments on… You know.” Octavia patted her thighs gently, but Rarity just smiled at her.

“I see nothing wrong with your figure, my dear. If anything, I dare say everything is… Spot on.” She couldn’t help looking over Octavia’s full hips and thighs once more, and inadvertently drew a lip between her teeth.

“I… I’ve never been complimented… Before…” Octavia muttered. “I… I’ve always been made fun of.” Rarity glanced up at the crimson blush on her face, smiling faintly.

“They certainly are complimentary, my dear. Nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve been graced with an alluring figure. It’s my job to help accentuate the more… Intimate details.” Again, Octavia blushed, but Rarity distracted her by starting with measurements. The tape pressed against the side of her black slacks, taking in calf and leg length measurements before moving on to the daunting task of measuring her waist, hips, thighs, and inseam. With a blush, Rarity reluctantly used magic to take the latter measurements, else she’d have to press her hands high on the inside of Octavia’s thigh. Not that she was opposed. But Octavia surely would be. All the while, she muttered small remarks.

“Hips, thirty-eight. Waist, twenty-seven. Inseam, twenty eight. I thought you were taller than that. Must be the boots. Thighs, twenty-two. Goodness.”

“S-sorry. This must be hard.”

“Nonsense, darling.” Rarity beamed up at her. “I’ve already got the design in mind. Unless you had something specific you wanted?” Octavia shook her head furiously.

“I’m an artist, Rarity. I respect another artist’s integrity. This dress will be entirely up to you to design.” At that, Rarity paused. Octavia frowned at her. “Something wrong?”

“I’ve… I don’t think I’ve ever designed a dress this important without any input…” Her heart hammered against her ribcage. She could feel the blood rushing through her, mostly finding it’s way to her cheeks. “I’m speechless.”

“What? You can design a dress independently, can you not?” Octavia’s hopeful expression dropped.

“Yes! Yes, I most certainly can!” Rarity stood with a fluster, waving her hands. “I just… Nothing this important! Not yet, anyways. I… I’ve only ever done solo commissions for… For fashion shows and whatnot. That was so long ago, I… I don’t know what to say. To hear that this dress will be entirely my own design, I… I… Thank you!” Rarity flustered as Octavia smiled at her.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Rarity. You have free reign with this dress. I mean, I’ll have the final say-so whether it’s acceptable for the performance or not, but… Well. You get the idea.”

“Thank you, Miss Octavia, I-“

“Please. Just… Just Octavia.” Rarity beamed at the friendly remark, letting the silence stretch on for just a few moments as she smiled at the cellist. With a start, she remembered she was only partially done with the measurements.

“Could you lift your arms?” She asked, gesturing with the tape. Octavia’s fingers hooked the hem of her shirt and she began to draw it up, but Rarity waved her off. “Just, just your arms darling. Not the shirt. Not yet.”

“Oh. Okay.” Octavia lifted her arms to the side, letting Rarity measure the length from her armpit to her hip, and get a general idea of the curve of her waist. She walked around behind her and got the full measurement of her height, from her neck to her hips, and the width of her shoulders.

“Now, darling. If you will.” Octavia was hesitant at first, but she soon lifted her shirt up to where it rested just underneath the hem of her bra. Black, and lacy. Rarity gnawed on her lip as she wound the tape around Octavia’s chest. “Underbust… Twenty-three. Not bad at all, darling. Sorry to ask, but could you… Just up over your bra?” Why was she blushing again? She had taken bust measurements a hundred million times… Why was this one any different.

“O-okay.” Octavia’s voice betrayed her hesitation, but she soon lifted her shirt all the way up to her collarbone, exposing the rest of her bra. Rarity moved as quickly as she could, but that didn’t mean she missed even a single detail. Upon closer look, Octavia’s bust was almost as large as her own.

“Thirty six. I’m jealous. You can lower now.” Rarity teased as she scribbled down the last measurement she needed. Octavia dropped her hands and her shirt with a blush, looking anywhere but at Rarity. “That’s all the measurements I needed, darling.” Rarity looked over her sheet. As the numbers raced through her head, she began to paint an image of Octavia’s figure from them. Unlike past commissions, this one came vividly. Rarity more often than not viewed the measurements in the form of another mannequin or at the very least a simple dummy. But when she brought the numbers of Octavia’s dress into her mind, Rarity couldn’t help but picture the cellist in all of her curvaceous, womanly beauty… What’s more, she couldn’t fight the blush that rose to her cheeks. As with most mannequins, she was currently devoid of clothing. Details and all.

Shaking her head of the mental image, Rarity forced a smile onto her face. “Was there anything else that you wanted to add?” She asked, pen and paper at the ready. Octavia appeared to be pondering something for a moment.

“No, I don’t think so… I mean… I saw what you were wearing at the club the other night… Perhaps something not so… Revealing?” Rarity blushed in remembrance of the shadowy encounter, and the top she had worn.

“It won’t be anything quite that revealing. Not even close, actually…” Rarity admitted with a nervous laugh. “I have something in mind already. Trust me, darling. This may just be my most beautiful piece yet.”

“Aah, I’ve heard enough.” Octavia raised a hand with a smile. “No need to tell me more. You sound determined, so I’ll leave you to it. Thank you, Rarity. For your hard work. Oh, here. Before I forget.” Octavia brushed past Rarity and went to the front desk to retrieve her coat, which she had discarded there. Rarity watched her rummage in her pockets before producing a thin envelope. “One ticket to the symphony performance.”

“Th… That ticket is…” Rarity’s hand shook as she hesitantly took the envelope. “That’s… That’s worth more than the dress itself!”

“Ground floor, fifth row. It’s the only one they would let me take for free.”

“Darling, I can’t-“

“Nonsense. I… I actually need you there for… More than just attendance. You see, I’m very prone to… Wardrobe malfunctions.” Octavia admitted, rubbing the back of her neck with a small blush. Rarity nodded.

“Still, I could… Stay back-stage, or even-“

“How would that be fair?” Octavia asked with a teasing smile. “To deny you the opportunity to see your dress first-hand?”

“I… I’m honored, Octavia… Thank you.”

“Of course.” Octavia donned her coat, smiling as she zipped it to her chin. She opened the door, letting in a blast of cold air and chills. “Oh, and I need it by next weekend.” Rarity froze for a second, her mind racing. Then, with a grin, she nodded.

“I’ll have it done in three days.” Octavia returned her smile and left. Rarity’s fingers hooked the sign on the front of the door, but she paused. Outside, Octavia disappeared around the corner of the building, and Rarity could hear an engine start. She gnawed her lip as Octavia drove off down the snowy road. After a moment’s hesitation, she left the sign where it was.

She had work to do.