Finally, Octavia stopped playing and didn't start another song. Fluttershy had long since stopped crying silently but she had remained silent as Octavia played songs just for the shy pegasus. Octavia let out a small sigh as she set her Cello aside. Stretching, she heard her joints pop from so long in the same stance. How long had she been playing? She usually lost track of time when she played. Looking up at the sun she was not wilderness expert but she'd guess between an hour or two hours. She walked over to Fluttershy, intent on impressing onto Fluttershy that this event was to never be spoken of. Octavia had humored Angel Bunny but now she was going to make sure that Fluttershy understood the unspoken agreement that she had entered into.
Octavia didn't get the chance, as right when she got to Fluttershy the pegasus wrapped her legs around her and nuzzled deep into Octavia's neck. Octavia didn't mind hugs, but this was more than a normal friendly hug, or even a particularly close family hug. After a few moments of shock Octavia pushed Fluttershy off of her, scowling at the other pony, only to let out a gentle sigh as she met Fluttershy's big doe eyes, still brimming with unshed tears. Octavia supposed she could let it go, knowing Fluttershy she hadn't meant anything by it, she was just being overly close. Octavia couldn't help but think of something she'd heard Flitter say once, 'being mad at Fluttershy makes you feel like you're kicking a puppy.' That produced a wry grin on Octavia's muzzle, she really had to agree with that sentiment. Though it seemed that Fluttershy took the hint and didn't try to hug Octavia a second time.
Octavia sat in front of Fluttershy, looking slightly down at the other pony. Octavia rolled her eyes at that, they were almost the exact same height normally, Octavia had centimeters on Fluttershy. But Fluttershy didn't sit up straight, she always slumped where Octavia had proper posture. On top of that Fluttershy wouldn't look Octavia in the eye, avoiding her gaze causing Octavia no end of annoyance with the other pony. There was being shy then there was just being rude. "Fluttershy." Octavia was at least gratified to see that when she spoke to Fluttershy the other pony looked at her. Not in the eye but it was still progress. "You must not tell anyone of me playing out here." She would lend Fluttershy a sympathetic ear for what was obviously bothering her so much soon, but she needed to get this established first.
Fluttershy blinked slowly at the other pony but nodded nervously. "Y-Yes Octavia." If Fluttershy was being honest Octavia had always intimidated her slightly. Octavia always looked poised, but not like Rarity in an 'I want to always look my best' kind of way. In a more 'this is the proper way things are done.' Like some of those Canterlot nobles Fluttershy saw at the Grand Galloping Galla. She hooved at the ground nervously as she glanced up to meet Octavia's eyes for a moment. Fluttershy was relieved to see they didn't seem angry like when she had first shown up but they certainly still held an amount of annoyance in them.
Octavia took in a deep breath and then let it out, giving Fluttershy a small smile and seeing how that seemed to help Fluttershy relax a little. "What is the matter Fluttershy?" Octavia immediately regretted the question as Fluttershy immediately started bawling again and grabbed onto Octavia squeezing her hard.
"Muffinsdoesn'tandIdon'thaveanyponyandthey'regettingmarriedandRainbowDashandandandand!" Fluttershy's babbling continued with only snippets being in any way decipherable.
"Fluttershy! Calm down!" Octavia was tempted to slap the babbling pegasus to try and snap her out of it but that was more of a last resort. Though it was a bit gauche she decided a less extreme but just as direct way to shut Fluttershy up. Raising a hoof Octavia planted it squarely under Fluttershy's jaw and slowly, so she wouldn't bite her tongue, closed the other pony's mouth tight so she couldn't talk anymore. "Now, gather your thoughts then tell me again." And in the meantime Octavia extracted herself from the tight hug, smiling gently, even she had to admit that Fluttershy was a bit cute in a panicked mess sort of way.
Fluttershy did indeed sit back, wiping her eyes slightly as she swallowed. Taking a few deep breaths Fluttershy made to effort to calm herself down, shrinking back slightly as Octavia stared down at her. Now that she was thinking straight again she was slightly intimidated by the older pony proper pony. She mumbled something that Octavia couldn’t hear, looking down. Octavia sighed but guessed she wouldn’t get anywhere without at least breaching some proper protocol. “Fluttershy.” Octavia has to take a moment to consciously make herself sound less severe, giving the shy pegasus another, forced to be a slightly wider smile, and speaking in a gentler tone. “Fluttershy, I’m not mad at you.” At the gentler tone, Fluttershy did look back up nervously. “What is the matter?”
Fluttershy sniffled but much to Octavia’s relief kept it together. “Well... Muffins isn’t interested in mares.” It took Octavia to connect that little factoid to any problem that Fluttershy might have. She couldn’t stop her little smirk from forming, she’d seen this before. When somepony’s friends got engaged it could trigger panic in similarly aged ponies. “And with Applejack getting engaged...” Despite knowing she shouldn’t Octavia couldn’t help but feel proud of herself with her prediction.
“Is there a reason that you cannot pursue someone besides Muffins?” Octavia had courted before but ponies of her social stature didn’t ‘date.’
Fluttershy blinked and shook her head, as if the concept had just occurred to her. “Uh... No. But I’m into mares not stallions do that limits my choices somewhat...”
Octavia nodded. Many ponies were fairly open with their preferences, though the majority still had their preferences set to one or the other. “Well I am as well, Fluttershy, but I have courted my fair share of mares over the years.” To Octavia it was a perfectly normal statement. She didn’t count on Fluttershy flailing about looking for a way out of her current emotional turmoil. Fluttershy sat up a little straighter as she processed her version of Octavia’s statement. “Perhaps you can think of someone else? Perhaps someone right in front of your nose?” Octavia had been trying to lead Fluttershy’s mind to Twilight as it was known she was into mares and had broken up with Starlight a month ago. Or leading her thoughts to Starlight would work as well.
Octavia smiled a little as Fluttershy brightened up. Getting up and retrieving her cello Octavia hoisted it onto her back and walked back over to Fluttershy. “Now you promise not to tell others of this correct?”
Fluttershy frowned for a moment but then smiled and nodded. “Oh! No telling them about you playing! Right!” Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously and looked down. “But I can tell them about what we talked about and...” Fluttershy mumbled off to a level that Octavia, unfortunately, couldn’t hear with her finished statement. “Us being together...”
Octavia nodded after a moment. She would have preferred her presence here go completely ignored but their talk wasn’t a threat to her secret. “Yes, though we simply met while walking on the road in that version, agreed?”
Fluttershy nodded a little hesitantly. She wasn’t a fan of lying but it was Octavia’s business why she was out here and wanted to keep it secret. “Yes, Octavia. Would you like to come to my cottage for some tea?”
Octavia was going to turn down the other pony, politely of course, but then she paused. She didn’t have many friends in Ponyville really. Octavia didn’t think completely like her parents, she didn’t think she was above other ponies because of her birth. She was still a product of her upbringing however, she simply didn’t have a lot in common with the other ponies of Ponyville, with a few exceptions. Such as Filthy Rich and Rarity. Octavia smiled a little, she did let herself cut loose every once and a while. The odd rumor of her acting improper would be ignored, but constant word of it... Octavia nodded to herself as she looked at Fluttershy, she supposed that they both liked animals, maybe some tea with Fluttershy would be an enjoyable Saturday morning. And Fluttershy was a quiet thing, in her parents' eyes a slightly improper friend being below her station, but acceptable due to Fluttershy's reserved behavior. “Yes Fluttershy, I would enjoy that.”