“But wait, darling, wait, that’s… that’s not even the best part!” giggled Rarity as she reached for the tan ceramic bottle that sat between Octavia and herself. “The… the absolute best part of the whole thing was that a week later Rainbow Dash broke her wing!” She giggled again so hard that she actually snorted as she poured the warm, clear alcohol into her small cup – a cup that must have been getting smaller and smaller as the evening wore on because it was getting harder and harder for her to get her drink into it. “I was so… SO ANGRY at her for leaving me w–” the unicorn blinked rapidly for a moment, then let out a small hiccup, “–with Pinkie Pie in the desert, but after her stay in the hospital… well, I guess I felt like I was vindi… vinty-cait… Oh what’s the word..?”
Across from Rarity, Octavia sat with her elbows on the table and her hooves pressed together beneath her chin, her eyes luminous as she gave Rarity her undivided attention.
“Vindicated?” she offered gently. Rarity clapped her hooves together once and pointed to her.
“YES! …vender-rated.” The unicorn raised her hoof and flipped the curl in her mane a bit more violently than she had intended causing the room to swim before her eyes. Goodness… Perhaps I shouldn’t have any more of that… whatever it was. “Anyway, Rainbow spent several days in the hospital and when she got out she ended up being chased by the police, so I feel as though justice has been… swerved.” She giggled again, picked up her cup, and drained the liquid inside in one quick draw. “Dear Celestia that is… good? I think it’s good… I think,” Rarity muttered as she placed the cup gingerly back down. “What is this, anyway? I don’t think… I’ve ever had anything quite like it.” The unicorn blinked again, and this time she could have sworn that one of her eyelids moved faster than the other.
Octavia’s eyes didn’t change, but the satisfied smile that had sat undisturbed on her lips for the better part of an hour grew slightly. “You’re just now asking?” she commented, her words tinged with amusement the same way Rarity knew her cheeks must be tinged with pink. “You’ve had four cups of an unknown alcohol without inquiring about its strength?”
“Ponies in glass houses shouldn’t… wait, no…” Rarity frowned for a moment as she fought to find the correct metaphor through the warm fuzzy fog that was currently coating her brain. “A Pegasus in the hand is worth two in Detrot… no, that’s not it…” Her eyes widened and she pointed a hoof at Octavia, her features bursting into a broad grin. “AH! Never look a gift horse in the mouth! That’s-!” Her expression dropped instantly and she clapped both hooves to her mouth in horror. Oh for Celestia’s sake, Rarity, you sound like a drunken idiot, she thought. Shouting like that in a fancy restaurant… Why, I bet all of the other ponies in here are… She slowly forced her eyes to move away from her table companion and to the rest of the room, and to her great surprise she found it empty except for Silver Blossom standing off to one side. The hostess mare was occupying herself reading a book, and looked completely unconcerned with the dealings of Octavia and Rarity. The unicorn blinked and looked back to her companion, her hooves slowly sliding back to her sides.
“Wha… what happened to everypony else?” she asked breathily. “I know that I didn’t imagine the other… pony couplings here earlier.” To her surprise Octavia’s cheeks turned a rather modest shade of pink at the word coupling, but the other mare took a short breath and gave Rarity a smile.
“They all finished their meals and left a while ago- probably somewhere around your third cup.” She raised her hoof reassuringly as Rarity opened her mouth in horror. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t because of you. You’re actually not being that loud at all.” Octavia looked thoughtful for a moment then gave the unicorn a nod. “The White Lily really slows down this time of night, which is why I come here. It’s very relaxing… especially when you have a nice cup of sake with your meal.”
“Sake?” Rarity repeated, her brow furrowing delicately as her foggy brain again tried to find information. Octavia let out a breathy chuckle and raised a hoof to forestall her.
“It’s a rice alcohol favored by the Neighponese. It’s traditionally served warm, which is what we’re drinking now. This particular brand is called Suihō, and it’s a personal favorite of mine.” She gestured to the now-empty plates that sat between the two mares. “And did you enjoy the sushi?”
“Oh… oh yes! I did!” Rarity gushed. “I have to admit that I was a bit...” Her brow knit again, but this time she managed to find the right word and she smiled triumphantly. “I was a bit uncertain when I tried them but after I did, I really, really enjoyed them! They were so sticky and… and crunchy, but soft… and green-tasting…” Rarity slowly clamped her mouth shut, her eyes widening in horror. New note on drinking: when you open your mouth and Pinkie Pie comes out, you have had too much. She blushed deeply, expecting Octavia to look at her in horror. That’s certainly one way to lose a client’s confidence, but to her surprise the other mare’s smile widened and she nodded.
“Green… I suppose they do taste that way,” she said. Rarity stared at her in disbelief as she reached out and poured herself another cup of the clear alcohol. “I have to admit I’m quite surprised at how well you’ve taken to sake.” Octavia lifted her cup, one hoof holding it from the side and one from below, and took a delicate sip from it before placing it back on the table still half full. She turned her bright eyes back to Rarity, her smile unreadable. “I’ve seen full-grown stallions who can’t drink it as quickly as you do.” Rarity stared at Octavia’s cup before mentally face-hoofing. Of course… these aren’t shot glasses, Rarity! That does it: no more late-night challenges from Rainbow Dash! My stubborn pride is going to get me blacklisted by ponies with taste! “It’s always wonderful to bring somepony to Neighponese culture and hear what their thoughts are afterwards,” Octavia continued, crossing her hooves on the table and leaning forward ever so slightly, her shoulders relaxed. “Some ponies like you appreciate the detail-oriented culture of Neighpon. Others… well, they don’t.”
“Well, I do appropriate details,” Rarity said hesitantly as she did her best to scrape together her last few shreds of dignity. She must think I’m a complete fool, the unicorn thought with a small, miserable sigh. A soft laugh floated across the table, tickling her ears and causing them to twitch.
“Appreciate?” Octavia offered in a soft, amused tone. Rarity’s ears drooped as the last wisps of her pride blew away like discarded ribbon on the wind.
“…yes… A-appreciate, of course…” Rarity blinked deliberately several times as she tried to clear her eyes and her head. So distracted was she with attempting to sober herself up that it took her several long seconds before her ears shot up and her eyes focused sharply on Octavia once more. “And… speaking of details,” she said slowly, forcing her words to come at a more measured pace than before so she could choose them carefully, “I couldn’t help but notice that you… seem to know a lot about Neighpon and the customs there.” Rarity’s hoof reached for the bottle of sake of its own accord, but she forced it to pick up her water glass instead. Perhaps that will help clear this fog out of my head. Octavia’s eyes betrayed nothing except the warm glow of the alcohol she had imbibed, but her smile slipped minutely as she sighed.
“I suppose you could say I do know quite a bit about them,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. Rarity felt a warm surge of triumph in her chest, a strange rising sensation that seemed about to lift her out of her seat. Yes! Yes, tell me your secrets!! She felt her lips begin to part in a smile, but before they could get that far she forced her celebrations to a halt with a firm clench of her teeth. No, don’t lose sight of the goal, Rarity! Don’t get too excited yet, she hasn’t actually told you anything. Just ‘play it cool’ as Rainbow would say. The unicorn’s eyes refocused on Octavia who was giving her a look full of concern from her seat. Rarity blinked at her once before realizing that she must have been staring off into space as she’d had her bit of inner housekeeping. Dear Celestia… no more drinking for you, Rarity! This is getting embarrassing. With a shake of her head Rarity cleared her throat and placed her elbow casually on the tabletop making sure that it had firm purchase, and wasn’t sitting in any of the food, before placing her chin atop it in the most casual posture she could possibly contrive.
“It seems like they have a fascinating culture,” she said slowly, forcing her mind to pick and choose her words more carefully than Twilight picked her moves in chess. “But if you don’t mind me saying so, you seem to have a knowledge that is much more–” she chewed the word several times before finally smiling and continuing, “–intimate than a simple scholar would have. I never would have known that I was supposed to wipe my hooves at the entrance, or that bit about the slippers.” Octavia breathed a chuckle and shook her head gingerly.
“That’s very basic knowledge,” said the mare dismissively. “Anypony could pick up a book and tell you that. It’s truly nothing special.”
“Perhaps not, but what about proper etiquette with the chopsticks?” pressed Rarity as she watched Octavia closely. She dug deep into her memory, fighting against the alcoholic fumes that pervaded her thoughts until she found what she was looking for. “I saw other ponies in this restaurant tonight using magic on their chopsticks and nopony looked at them twice, but when I did it you mentioned that such things are actually frowned upon in Neighpon and that a pony should use her hooves instead.” Her brow furrowed and she flexed her right hoof. “I think I’ve got the hang of it now, but I swear my hoof is going to be sore tomorrow.”
“Mmm… you did beautifully,” the gray mare sighed wistfully.
Rarity’s ear twitched violently and she blinked. “I… I’m sorry, what was that?”
“Oh, um…” Octavia’s eyes widened as she sat up and something very close to panic flitted through them; however, even before Rarity could be sure she’d heard what she thought she did, the possibly imagined panic was gone and the mare across from her was waving her right hoof dismissively through the air. “I just said… you did wonderfully, d-don’t worry about it.” She let her hoof fall back to her lap and the slight smile returned to her features. “But that information… I… it’s all but general knowledge, really…”
It was all Rarity could do to keep from glaring at the mare across from her. No… no, you will not escape me this time! She thought vehemently. There’s got to be something… something I can use to get past this barrier! She shifted through everything she could remember about Octavia: everything that she had seen since coming here tonight that could provide her with a way through the other mare’s immaculate defenses. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to remember every last detail as they alit on the hostess, Silver Blossom, and like a flash of lightning Rarity was handed her opening.
“Not to mention that small bit of interaction I saw between you and the hostess,” Rarity said quietly, her lips curling into a smile she hoped looked more all-knowing than she felt as she let her words trail off into silence. I can’t remember why it stood out to me, but it did… so let’s hope this does it! It was a long shot. If there really had been nothing going on there she would look like a fool, and even if there was something going on there Octavia certainly wouldn’t have to tell her what it was. But it was, quite frankly, the only thing she could remember at the moment to use.
Octavia held Rarity’s gaze firmly in her own, her face calm and collected as the moments ticked by. The unicorn felt her hopes begin to dwindle and die as the earth pony watched her, her mouth set in a firm line that seemed bound and determined to keep Rarity from what she wanted. The long pause stretched onward until it bordered on inappropriate and finally Rarity sighed inwardly. Well, I suppose it was too much to ask… I could be mis-remembering after all and-
“...you’re right.” Octavia’s gentle words cut through her thoughts like a razor, and Rarity’s eyes refocused on her companion. The other mare let out a barely audible sigh and dropped her eyes to the table where her hoof was playing with the condensation on her water glass. “I know a good deal about Neighponese culture because–” Octavia paused and even Rarity’s sake-soaked faculties could detect a crack appearing in the wall that had always been between her and the truth, “–because I have family in Neighpon.” She took a deep breath and looked back to Rarity, the tiny smile that the unicorn had come to recognize sliding back onto her features. “I don’t get to see them very often, but, ever since I was a filly, I’ve always tried to meet their rather rigorous standards.” Her eyes dropped back to the table. “Not always successfully, I might add.”
The same lifting sensation that she had felt before again filled Rarity’s chest and the unicorn sat up a little bit straighter on her mat as she fought the urge to giggle like a schoolfilly. Yes! I KNEW this would work! She thought triumphantly.
“I see.” Rarity forced her voice to remain calm and even despite the whirling elation and sake inside her. She took a deep, steadying breath and a quick drink of water before turning her attention back to her companion. “Your family lives in Neighpon, then?”
“Not all of them.” Octavia’s ears drooped against her dark mane. “My father and his side of the family are Neighponese. They all still live there and I visit as often as I am able.”
“Ah. And your mother? Does she live there as well?” As soon as the words had left her mouth Rarity wished she could take them back as Octavia’s ears flattened themselves against her head and her eyes dropped from Rarity’s face to the top of the table. Touchy subject, I see… best avoid it for now. The unicorn set her glass of water back onto the table and cleared her throat. “Well, I’m glad to know that I hadn’t simply imagined the sophistication I saw in you earlier,” she said lightly as she gave Octavia a smile. “At least your parents come from a society that prides decorum and class…”
Octavia’s ears shot back up to attention as her eyes moved from the table back to Rarity. “I take it that your parents are not what you would call sophisticated?” she asked quietly, her voice again careful and controlled. Rarity let out a short, sharp snort and shook her head vigorously.
“Oh dear Celestia, not in the least – my father is a former hoofball player who enjoys fishing, of all things, and my mother is… well, she cooks, we can just leave it at that.” The unicorn sighed, perhaps a bit more dramatically than she would have liked. “Ask her to bake cookies or an apple pie and she does beautifully, but I ask her one time to make a crème brûlée and the entire kitchen ends up on fire!” Her eyes rolled as she remembered the look on her mother’s face as the fire ponies had doused their kitchen with their hoses. “That day she swore off so-called fancy cooking and decided she would dedicate herself to what she calls ‘the classics’. She jokingly insists that my little sister will surely get her cutie mark in ‘fancy cooking’,” Rarity used her hooves to make quotation marks in the air, “just so she can cook food for me.” A vexed sigh growled in the unicorn’s throat. I swear, my mother and her opinions on my taste in food…
“So you have a sister, then?”
“Hmm?” Rarity blinked rapidly as she re-focused on Octavia. “Oh, yes I do! Her name is Sweetie Belle, and she is…” She chuckled and shrugged. “Well, she is a filly without her cutie mark. What else is there to say? I’m certain we were all the same at that age.” Octavia gave one of her breathy chuckles, the sound barely teasing Rarity’s ears as she settled her front hooves back to the table. “And speaking of siblings, do you have any?” Again Octavia’s ears did more talking that the mare herself: they twitched mightily as if they longed to plunge against the shelter of her mane, but after a moment they straightened.
“I have several, but I see them so rarely they feel more like friends than siblings,” she said, her voice soft and sad. “They live with my father, and… well…” She gave her head a shake. “It’s not important. What is important is Silver Blossom.” The earth pony raised her hoof to point at the hostess across the room who was still seemingly enthralled with her book. Octavia’s smile became shrewd and she arched an eyebrow at Rarity. “Don’t be fooled by the book, she’s been listening to our conversation the whole time.”
“…what? Really?” The unicorn’s eyes darted to the earth pony across the room just in time to see her left ear twitch twice. Octavia snickered under her breath and turned back to the table between them.
“Oh yes, she’s quite good at that. Silver Blossom is my cousin on my father’s side and has been more of a sister to me than anypony.” Octavia’s voice became distant as she spoke, her eyes gazing into her memories. “Her family has lived in Canterlot as long as I have and we grew up together. Her family owns this restaurant, that’s why I come here so often, you see. It’s a nice chance to have some of the culture from Neighpon and a good opportunity for us to see each other.”
The effects of the sake had slowly been wearing off and Rarity finally felt as though she was piecing things together. “I see. And the little confrontation at the door..?”
“That? That was nothing, I assure you.” Octavia shrugged nonchalantly. “When I come here she ensures that I conduct myself in proper Neighponese style. It’s all for practice, but when we came in today I slipped and she upbraided me appropriately.”
“Upbraided?” muttered Rarity sullenly. “I didn’t see any kind of braiding, up or otherwise…” If what she’s saying is true then she’s right about one thing at least: I really WOULDN’T know if I was offending a Neighponese.
“Make no mistake – she expressed her displeasure in no uncertain terms…” Octavia colored slightly. “Well, she did… to a pony who knows to look for such things.”
“Perhaps I’m better off NOT knowing the apparently large list of things that could offend a Neighponese pony,” mused Rarity. I can’t imagine having so many small things to watch out for, she thought. Why, the social etiquette of Canterlot is challenging enough – these ponies seem to watch every word and gesture like hungry griffons waiting to pounce on the smallest faux pas. Suddenly her eyes widened as a thought came thundering out of the back of her mind. Oh Celestia, what kinds of things have I done to offend her?! The very thought horrified Rarity, but even as she opened her mouth to begin what she knew would be a long process of complex apologies Octavia raised a hoof, the delicate smile back on her lips.
“Before you begin to think too much on the details of Neighponese manners, Rarity, I want you to know that you have been nothing but the picture of politeness and kindness since we met. No creature, Neighponese or otherwise, could find fault with you.”
Rarity’s mouth hung open for a brief moment as her cheeks suddenly grew warmer than they had been moments before. She blinked at the earth pony across from her as she sat back and took a thought-gathering breath. Faultless, is it? She thought. Well… I certainly wouldn’t go that far, but… She raised her hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat delicately before speaking again.
“Well, thank you,” she managed after a pause. “But I’m certain that somepony as well versed in their customs as you are would have noticed many things that I did wrong and I’m certain that you or any Neighponese could simply pick my etiquette apart.”
“Ah, but you forget: I’m half Equestrian.” Octavia’s eyes twinkled in the low light like dew-kissed amethysts. “And that means that I’m much more inclined to look at the pony than at her manners.”
The two mares sat together, their eyes searching one another’s intently for several long moments of silence until Rarity finally broke it. She giggled quietly and inclined her head towards her companion, hoping that her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.
“Well in that case, thank you. I’m certainly glad you know what you’re looking for.” Her smile widened coyly as she raised her head again, her mane bobbing playfully against her neck. “I just hope you’re looking in the right places.” Goodness, sake certainly makes my cheeks flushed… The mare across from her placed her elbows on the table, put her hooves together and rested her chin atop them, her smile warmer than it had been the entire day.
“A musician always knows the right places to look,” Octavia said softly. “One cannot understand the dynamics until one learns the song.”
Rarity nodded in agreement and, as the two mares sat, the conversation turned to their professions; however, it was not the perfectly constructed masterpiece of verbiage that it had been before. As the minutes ticked by and slowly turned into an hour, the easy conversation continued, both mares happy to talk about their chosen careers and more than happy to listen to one another do so. Rarity chatted about her successes with her friends’ dresses for the Gala the year they had gone as well as the various other gowns and outfits she had designed while Octavia spoke of the many grand venues she had played with her quartet and the unique life of a classical musician. Rarity found herself completely enchanted by the mare’s stories, often losing herself in the warm silk of Octavia’s voice without realizing it. The cellist certainly had a charming voice and the simple fact that Rarity found it so soothing seemed to make her stories that much more entertaining.
After an hour of idle chatting, Silver Blossom made her way slowly to the table and informed them that the establishment would be closing soon. Octavia thanked her with a bow and this time Rarity did her best to mimic Octavia’s movements. Silver Blossom’s composed features cracked into a smile as she did so and after a glance at Octavia the hostess complimented Rarity on her form.
“Few can bow so well with so little practice,” she said, bowing in return. “Arigato, Miss Rarity.” She swept their dishes from their table and onto her back before making her way to a door at the far side of the room, pausing only long enough to cast a glance back at the pair before disappearing through it.
“She’s very sweet,” Rarity commented as she rose to her hooves, stretching her legs and rump as she did so. Sitting on the floor isn’t bad, but doing so for as long as we have tonight certainly makes one’s backside ache. “I hope that I’ve made a good impression on her,” she continued, giving her mane a gentle shake to settle it into its proper place. “I rather like this restaurant and would like to come here again.” Octavia rose to her hooves as well and stretched in similar fashion before turning a smile on Rarity.
“I’m glad you enjoy it so much. I know Silver would like to see you again, she seems to like you quite well.”
Rarity frowned. “How can you tell?”
“She didn’t spill any of the food on you when she took it away.” Octavia rolled her eyes but her smile remained warm. “She does that when I… um…” Her smile wavered and the earth pony seemed to lose her words. As Rarity watched she glanced away, allowing her mane to cover her face from view. “She’s done that… for a long time,” Octavia corrected. “On ponies she doesn’t particularly care for. It discourages them from coming back, you see, and by doing that she influences who she sees on a regular basis.” She tossed her mane back out of her face and turned her smile back to Rarity, but the unicorn could see that it was vaguely tighter than it had been. “She’d like it if you came back, I’m certain.”
“That seems a bit odd, but I am grateful she likes me, at the very least.” Rarity smiled as the two mares made their way toward the door, but out of the corner of her eye she spied the now empty table, and her smile shrank again. “Did we already pay? I’m afraid that the middle of the evening is a bit of a blur.”
“Don’t worry,” Octavia reassured her. “I have a tab here. A musician doesn’t always get paid on a consistent basis, so I pay them monthly.” Her demure smile widened and she chuckled quietly. “It can be very convenient to have good friends who understand the situations you go through in your life.” Silver Blossom poked her head out of the door she had disappeared through and waved a hoof at Octavia, who returned it with a broad smile before turning back to Rarity. “Here in Canterlot ponies don’t always care about how often you get paid or the fact that you can’t find work, they simply want your money and they want it now.” She sighed and shrugged as they entered the hallway with the polished wood floor, their hooves clopping gently across the shining surface. Rarity felt her brow crinkle as she frowned. Really? I… I’ve never gotten that impression from Canterlot before… she thought. Every time I’ve been here, the majority of my visit has been extremely enjoyable… “But such is the way of the big city, I’m afraid,” Octavia concluded as they stepped down onto the entry way. “Though I doubt you’re a stranger to such things.”
“Well… I…” Rarity began, but Octavia turned towards her and gave her a knowing smile.
“You fit in so well in Canterlot,” she said quietly. “You look the part and act it accordingly, but you’re…” She hesitated, as if the words were stuck in the back of her throat. “…You’re like Silver and her family,” she said finally. “And that’s refreshing. It gives a mare hope.”
Rarity’s cheeks grew warm once more, and she silently cursed her inability to hold her alcohol. Oh, that’s the absolute last time I drink sake! She cleared her throat as pride swelled up in her chest, tossing her mane over her shoulder before giving Octavia her most winning smile.
“Well, I thank you very much,” she said with a nod. “I suppose there’s more of Ponyville in me than I thought – and that may indeed be a good thing after all.” The pair exited the restaurant into the now-dark street, the cool night air flowing across Rarity’s warm coat and causing her to exhale thankfully. Luna’s moon shone down brightly on the city now, casting everything into silver light and black shadows. Rarity took a deep breath and glanced towards the north end of the street before turning her smile back to Octavia. “Thank you for the wonderful meal, Octavia. It truly was unique and I have to admit that I would love to come back again – soon, if it’s possible!”
“I… I’m so glad you liked it,” replied Octavia. “And well…” The earth pony shifted on her hooves in the moonlight, the cool light from the half-full moon shimmering across her well-kept mane. “If you liked it so much, perhaps… perhaps we could…” Rarity arched an eyebrow at her, but before she could speak Octavia let out a sigh and tossed her mane out of her face, allowing her eyes to meet the unicorn’s own. Again Rarity was taken aback by the other mare’s gaze and in the moonlight Octavia’s deep eyes seemed to shine with brilliance all their own. “Perhaps we could come back here together for lunch? They have an excellent menu for lunch and I’m sure you eat lunch, so perhaps lunch?” Her words came out in a rush, as if she’d had a hard time convincing them to come out at all.
“I most certainly do eat lunch,” Rarity said with a smile. “And I think that would be lovely. But I insist that you allow me to buy next time – a lady does not ask for a free lunch, after all.” She giggled and to her delight Octavia laughed with her, a soft, melodic laugh that made the moonlight feel as warm as a summer breeze.
“Of course, Rarity,” she said after a moment. “So what do you say? I know that our next meeting is not for another week, but perhaps I can meet you here for lunch in two days?”
“That sounds absolutely wonderful.” The unicorn gave her a warm smile, and ever so slowly the two mares turned to walk opposite directions down the street. “Have a good evening, Octavia,” Rarity said as she turned north along the boulevard.
Behind her, she heard Octavia mutter something that sounded suspiciously like “I already have” before she heard the other mare’s hoofsteps moving away to the south. Rarity reached the end of the street in no time at all and before she turned the corner she cast a glance down the street behind her. At the far end she could see a figure standing in the middle of the street, her coat bathed in moonlight, her face turned to the sky as if in prayer. Rarity watched the pony for a moment before smiling happily.
“It truly was a wonderful evening,” she muttered wistfully. With a contented sigh the unicorn turned her hooves on the cobblestones and started her journey to Fleur’s.