Intimate Details

Intimate Details - Part 3 “Shoulders, hip.”

Rarity tended to lose track of time when she was working on a major project. Amethyst was gone all weekend working on school, and Rarity normally got weekends off to enjoy what little time she had at home. The boutique remained closed, but the lights were on, and she was busy inside. After all, she had a vision for this dress. What Rarity didn’t realize until after the weekend, though, was something had been rekindled inside of her. Something she hadn’t felt in a long while. It was the creative drive, the inspiration and determination to make something so stunning and brilliant it’d leave any viewer breathless. To make something so inspired that all who saw it could talk about nothing else. Rarity’s true desire was to make the entire city forget it’s problems and issues and talk about something that wasn’t idle gossip or political intrigue. To focus on something beautiful and true.

It was a shame she only had three days to do it. But that meant every waking moment was spent fretting over the tiniest part of the dress. From the smallest stitch in the hem to the grandest sweep of fabric in the skirt, Rarity didn’t miss a single thing. Every hem, every bolt, every small gem embroidered into the intricate pattern… Rarity spent as much time on the dress as she had any other thing in her entire life. When she was finally finished, she took a step back to look over her work.

Then the door at the front of the boutique jingled. “Rarity?” She blinked at her dress before leaving the work room, spotting Amy walking through the front door. “Oh, goodness… You normally don’t make it in until nine… I got worried when I saw the lights on.”

“Amy. What are you doing here?” She asked, looking very confusedly at the blonde-haired magi carrying coffee and bagels into the store.

“I’m late.” She said, checking her watch. “By fifteen minutes.”

“Late?”

“It’s Monday, Rarity. Don’t tell me…”

“Oh no.”

“You worked straight through the weekend, didn’t you?” Amethyst handed her a coffee, which Rarity accepted hesitantly. Amy’s arrival had suddenly brought on a wave of exhaustion that she hadn’t quite felt. “You look like a mess. Rarity, have you… Showered at all?”

“Showered?” She asked, sniffing at the coffee. The scent nearly made her gag. She set it on the front counter and blinked unevenly. “I… I don’t know.”

“Honey, go home.” Amethyst laid a hand on her shoulder. “Do you need a ride?”

“Ride. Yes. That’d be nice.”

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride home, then tend the shop today.” Amethyst began flicking lights off one by one, but as soon as she was about to enter the work room, Rarity lurched forward and snatched her wrist.

“Don’t. I don’t…”

“Woah, easy. Okay. I won’t go in there. I promise. Here.” She turned the lock on the work room and worked her key ring until the key was off. “You can take my key to it. No one will get in there to see how bad your dress is.”

“Bad. Heh.” Rarity accepted the key and tucked it into the pocket of her slacks, fighting the urge to curl up on the couch just to the side of the door. Instead, Amethyst tucked an arm under her shoulders, guiding Rarity to the front of the store.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” The blast of cold air roused Rarity enough to walk on her own to Amethyst’s car, though she very nearly passed out the second she collapsed in the passenger seat. The rocking motions of the vehicle kept her awake enough until they reached her apartment building. “You going to be okay?” Amethyst asked.

“I can make it upstairs, if that’s what you’re asking… Sweetie Belle should be there…” Rarity wiped a hand across her face and groaned when she realized she had left her little sister alone all weekend. At least she had plenty of food to feed herself. Rarity made her way into the building as quickly as her exhausted legs would take her, but the elevator ride up to her floor was much more taxing than it should have been. Nevertheless, she made it, and stumbled into her apartment shortly after.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle jumped up from her spot on the couch, dashing forward immediately. “Where have you been?! You had me worried sick!”

“Working… Dress.” Rarity muttered, nearly collapsing into Sweetie Belle’s embrace.

“Figures. Come on, let’s get you in bed.” Sweetie Belle hoisted Rarity up and led her further into her own apartment, half-carrying the exhausted magi to her own bed. Rarity wasn’t quite aware of it, but Sweetie Belle helped strip her clothes off and put her in pajamas. She was too tired to care about her own indecency that the second she sat on the bed, her muscles gave out and she collapsed entirely.

Nobody slept that peacefully. When Rarity finally awoke, it was late into the evening, with just the slightest hint of dark purple on the horizon. Her muscles felt tight and cramped, but her mind was lucid, if just a little sluggish after just waking up. She limped to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face before braving a look in the mirror.

“Ugh. What a mess.” Pulling on several strands of loose hair, Rarity took a long while to regard her messy countenance. Her hair was frazzled and disheveled beyond belief, the water had made her three-day-old makeup run down her face, her eyes were baggy, and she generally just looked horrible. Grumbling unhappily, Rarity had to prioritize, whether she wanted to or not. She only took a few minutes to soak her hair and pull it into a loose ponytail before removing her makeup and changing pajamas. Sweetie Belle was gone for the evening, it appeared, though she found a note on the kitchen counter.

Rarity-

I’m out for the evening for an assignment from school. I’ll be home after Midnight. Lasagna in the oven, and salad in the fridge. You need to eat something.

Yours,

-Belle

“Hm. She’s growing up faster than I care to think about.” Rarity muttered to herself. She was glad nobody was around to see her in this terrible state, though. She re-heated the lasagna and munched on salad while it cooled before eating more than her fair share with plenty of water to go with it. Finally, her stomach full and her thirst quenched, Rarity could work on getting herself set once again. First order of business was a long, hot shower. Utility costs be damned, she was going to enjoy this…

She stayed in until her fingers were pruned and her hair had been shampooed no less than four times, conditioned twice, and her scalp thoroughly massaged. Not a single inch of her body missed the rigorous scrubbing, and the long-overdue shave helped quite a bit as well. Once the water was off, she sat at her vanity wrapped in towels, applying quite a few lotions and skin creams, and then spent close to another hour tending her hair. Finally, she was presentable once more. It felt so good to be back in a normal state that she indulged in a long-missed pastime.

Reading. With some long-missed trashy romance novel and a glass of wine that she had been saving for longer than she’d care to think about, Rarity curled up on her couch and delved into the world of fantasy. Time ticked by and the night stretched on. It wasn’t until close to two in the morning when the door to her apartment finally opened, and Sweetie Belle trudged in.

“Hey, sis.” She said weakly, smiling at Rarity as she hung her coat up.

“Have fun?” Rarity asked idly, flipping the page without much of a second glance at her sister. Sweetie Belle poured a glass of milk and joined Rarity on the couch, sighing heavily.

“Just mapping stars and whatnot… I’m no fan of astronomy, but I need it to graduate. How about you? Doing okay?”

“I’m fine, thank you. The lasagna was delicious, by the way. Did you make it yourself?”

“Scootaloo is a terrible cook. I had to learn how to in order to survive.” Sweetie Belle mirrored her sister’s smile before looking over her shoulder at the book she was reading. “Eew. I hate this series.”

“Oh shush. Some of us actually enjoy love stories.”

“I don’t know how you can stand them… Honestly, I’d rather read history than these things.”

“Now there’s a subject I can’t stand.” Rarity rolled her eyes and dog-eared the page to mark her place. “Wine?”

“Not for me. I don’t drink.” Sweetie Belle waved her off. Rarity shrugged and poured another glass for herself. “So… Where were you all weekend?”

“You won’t believe this.” Rarity realized then she hadn’t told Sweetie Belle of her recent commission from the cellist. She sipped her wine to loosen herself up a little more before settling in for a long talk. She went on about how the night Sweetie Belle had come over, Rarity went to a club and had received a business card. Without even realizing it, the card had been from Octavia, the cellist for the symphony, and the next day Rarity had given the phone call for the dress that she had been caught up with the entire weekend. She omitted the parts about her attraction to Octavia, naturally. Though she was certain Sweetie Belle hadn’t missed the blush on her cheeks. Praying to all things under the sky Sweetie Belle thought it was from the alcohol, Rarity continued on until earlier that day when Amethyst had given her a ride home.

“You were so far out of it.” Sweetie Belle chuckled, nudging Rarity’s shoulder. “Honestly had me worried you were like, dying or something.”

“Well, I assure you I’m fine.” Rarity finished off her wine glass, shuddering a little at the bitter taste. “Though perhaps a little bit too tipsy for my own good. Ooh, and I have work… Eer, today. I should get some sleep.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty beat, too. And you’re on my bed.” Sweetie Belle’s teasing smile mirrored Rarity’s as the she stood and stretched languorously.

“Good night, Sweetie.”

“Night, Rares.” They shared a brief hug, then Rarity swaggered to her own room with a yawn. She didn’t bother to take her hair out of it’s ponytail before tucking herself into the covers and slipping away soundly.

The rest of the week passed much like any other week had. She woke up, dressed and made up, went to work, came home, ate, then slept. Work was sluggish but not dull, with plenty of time between repairs and alterations to check on Octavia’s dress and fret over small details she might have missed in her exhaustion. Before long, Friday morning arrived, and it was time. Rarity closed the boutique early and fought to keep her hands from shaking so badly. Over the course of the week, she had received letters and calls from Natalie, detailing how the transportation and presentation would be handled. The very first time Octavia would be seen in the dress would be the moment the curtains rose.

The morning of Saturday dawned bleak and grey, with the promise of more snow ahead. Rarity was loathe to leave her warm bed for the chilly air, but there was much to be done that day. Amethyst had class, though she didn’t miss the chance to bother Rarity about the dress, and complain about how she was going to miss it’s unveiling. Rarity assured her she would get to see it at one point or another. It was shortly after seven, and Rarity had to begin preparations. The performance was that evening, and she would need all morning to prepare. Rather than fuss with it later, Rarity dressed herself for the symphony that evening, settling on a black dress that covered her from neck to ankle. It hugged her curves well, and was one of the few she hadn’t made herself. She donned silver hoop earrings and made sure to pack away a pair of heels. For now, she slipped into a pair of boots. There was still snow outside, and she didn’t want to slip and fall. Or worse, stain the hem of her dress.

Nevertheless, Rarity took her time getting ready for the night, and left for her boutique just after noon. Walking slow and avoiding all the sloshy puddles of half-melted slush she could, Rarity managed to make it to the shop without damaging herself or her dress. Though she was frightfully chilly even with her coat. She gave the dress one final go-over and sighed with relief once everything checked out. Next came the tricky part. Packing it for transport.

Usually, Rarity would just pack the dress in a protective sleeve, hung with a hangar. But this dress needed something special. Not only would Rarity be delivering this herself, the dress was fragile around the shoulders, and didn’t have much to hang on. Instead of carrying it, Rarity wrapped the entire mannequin in a dark shroud of weather-resistant material, then used her magic to shield it even more. While she had never been very talented at magical spells themselves, Rarity poured her heart into the spell. Enchanted and protected, the entire thing weighed little more than the dress itself, and would resist the weather during the short trip from the boutique to her ride, and from the ride to the dressing room. She would take no risks. Not with this dress.

Finally, a little before five, a large van arrived in front of the boutique. Rarity peered out of the window at the dark, imposing vehicle, wondering for a split second if they really were with the symphony. Her fears were laid to rest when Natalie slipped out of the passenger seat, followed by two burly-looking men in fine suits. Rarity opened the door with a smile, ushering them all inside.

“So good to see you again, Miss Rarity.” Natalie advanced for a warm hug, which Rarity returned with a smile. “Is everything in order?”

“Yes, I have it all packed away, ready to go.”

“Perfect! I have Hanz and Mattieu here to help. Boys?”

“Aah.” Rarity lifted a hand to stop the two men as they stepped forward. “It’s a delicate dress, and packaged very specifically. I’m sorry, Natalie, but I must insist that I personally carry it.” Natalie blinked for a few moments before frowning slightly.

“Are you certain, Rarity? I don’t want to take any risks.”

“And neither do I. That’s why I must insist.” Natalie looked between the two men before sighing.

“Very well. Though we want to help in any way we can…”

“Well, not to discredit the assistance… But I could use someone to hold the door open for me…” Rarity admitted with a blush. The two men smiled and nodded before leaving the boutique to stand out in the snow, holding the doors open with her. Natalie stood aside as Rarity removed her hands from the coat and held them out towards the wrapped dress. With a brilliant blue aura of magic, she lifted the dress, and began to levitate it towards the door. Natalie helped by gently nudging it in one direction or the other, and the men helped her as she carefully crossed the distance from the front door of the boutique to the van. Crawling inside, Rarity held it in place with her magic, keeping it from resting too much on the floor or the seats. Thankfully, the van was big enough that all four of them could fit with the dress. The one known as Hanz drove while Mattieu sat in back, with Natalie in the passenger seat. Driving slow and carefully, they set out.

The most difficult part of the trip was when Rarity had to change out of her boots and into her heels. Keeping the dress supported while fussing with the miniscule buckles on the heels was a feat in and of itself, but Rarity managed it at last.

“Pull around back, to the dock.” Natalie said from up front. “I don’t want anybody seeing the dress, even if it is just wrapped.” Rarity smiled at that, thankful she wouldn’t have to carry the dress through the onlookers. As they passed by the symphony hall, Rarity saw a line down the block. People were waiting in the snow and wind just to get in to see Octavia perform. They all wore high-class coats and stood under umbrellas, chatting and talking amongst themselves. These were the Canterlot Elite. People from all around who worked in the government, high society, banks, businesses, charities… This was sort of upper-crust folk Rarity really looked to mingle with… Thanks to work, though, she just hadn’t had the chance. Not since she moved to Canterlot. They pulled around the block and behind the concert hall, dipping down a short ramp and into a dimly-lit dock area. Hanz backed up to the dock while Mattieu opened the double doors behind the van, and Rarity carefully maneuvered her way out. For hauling a dress with magic, wearing heels and a dress of her own, over and onto a concrete deck, Rarity felt surprisingly proud of herself.

“Just a moment, please.” Rarity set the dress on it’s stand, shaking her hands out as her magic faded away. Natalie approached her, looking at the black-wrapped contraption.

“You wouldn’t mind if I…”

“For Miss Octavia’s eyes only, I’m afraid.” Rarity shook her head, answering the unasked question.

“I figured as much. I suppose I’ll just have to wait until the performance…” Natalie’s eyes slid over the dress longingly, but Rarity broke her concentration by lifting it once more.

“Lead the way, gentleman.” Hanz and Mattieu took the lead, gently ushering employees aside and holding open doors as Rarity began the trek from the dock to the dressing room. As they continued, more and more people appeared, making Hanz and Mattieu work harder to keep the curious onlookers at bay. A beautiful woman levitating a mysterious, wrapped, dark package through their midst certainly was interesting to them. Rarity maintained her focus, despite the whispers shooting about all around her. After a few long minutes of walking slowly through low doorways and small crowds of people, they finally arrived at the star’s dressing room.

“Miss Octavia will be here shortly. She’s in makeup right now.” Natalie explained. Rarity just nodded and slowly maneuvered the dress into the dressing room, stopping at the doorway. “We’ll set up a short hallway from here to the stage. The only person who will see her in the dress before everyone else is you. But that means I need to give you some directions. Place her center stage, and you’ll likely have to bring her cello as well. In this, you’ll have no help. Not even the stagehands will be present to assist. We’ll have everything set up for you as best we can, but… Well. She wants it this way.” Rarity paused.

“Octavia wants it that way?” Natalie nodded at her.

“All of these directions at given at her discretion. She didn’t want anybody to see her until the moment the curtains came up. Apparently, she trusts you.” Rarity swallowed.

“And… And if she didn’t approve of the dress?” Natalie lifted a shoulder indifferently.

“We have back-ups.”

With that, Natalie turned and left her, and the dressing room door slowly closed. Rarity was left alone in the dark room, with only the soft light of an exit sign illuminating the expression of anger and indignation on her face. With a huff, she flicked the light switch on, finally lighting the room. She turned to her wrapped dress, her hands already glowing. Rather than pull the black wrapping off, Rarity used a razor-thin line of energy to slice it away, leaving the dress unharmed and unwrinkled from having to unwind it all. The spells were removed and the black wrapping discarded until nothing but her masterpiece remained. Rarity looked it over carefully, using her magic to feel out the slightest nuances in the fabric, to sense every stitch and hem.

Rarity wasn’t one to use the term ‘perfection,’ but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at the beauty of the dress before her. Everything was in order. Carefully, she erected a curtain before the dress, preparing for the revelation. Just as she finished pulling the erected display in place, the door opened. Her heart leaped at the close call, but she turned about with a smile on her face anyways. Octavia stood in the doorway, still looking every bit as beautiful as Rarity remembered. At the sight of the curtain, Octavia blushed a little bit, closing the door behind her.

“You didn’t have to go to such lengths.”

“Oh, but that’s half the fun. The suspense.” Rarity smiled and offered a hand, which Octavia took readily. Her makeup was flawless, rendering her face pale and without a single crease or wrinkle. The moderate eyeliner brought out the brilliant shade of her lavender eyes, and the sharp line of her brow easily accentuated her high cheekbones. Rarity’s specialty was dressmaking, but she held a certain appreciation for a well-executed makeup job.

“So, that’s it? Behind the curtain?” Octavia asked gently. Rarity tore her eyes away from the cellist and glanced at the curtain with a slight smile.

“Indeed it is. Would you care to sit down?”

“Sure.” Octavia pulled the chair in front of the vanity forward, settling her wide hips into it slowly before draping one leg over the other. She waited patiently, smiling faintly as Rarity took her place in front of the curtain.

“Miss Octavia. I present you… Your dress.” Rarity flung the curtain aside, revealing her masterpiece. If Octavia hadn’t already been seated, she would have to sit then. Rarity watched as her eyes went wide with wonder.

A single tear ruined her makeup.

“Rarity! Did everything go well?” Natalie’s seat was right next to hers. Rarity had just emerged from backstage and was promptly escorted to her chair by Mattieu, who deposited her with a smile. Rarity, though, looked shocked. Maybe even a little stunned. She slowly sat next to Natalie, who leaned in with a whisper. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Please tell me everything went well…” Rarity finally closed her mouth and swallowed hard, looking at her neighbor with a soft smile.

“You’ll see.” She whispered gently. “When the lights go down.”

“I-“ Natalie started in again, but the sound of a cello’s bow being pulled across the strings cut her off. The tone was low and even, full of body and timbre. It sent a chill down Rarity’s spine as every sound was suddenly hushed. No more conversation. No more whispers. No more chatter and gossip. Everyone sat straight up in their chairs, listening to the haunting tone reverberating through the chamber. Slowly, it died away, leaving behind a hushed silence.

And that was just the sound check.

Slowly, the curtain began to rise.