Photo Shy

by zyr1987

Wunderbar!

Friday came too slowly for Photo Finish, who found herself working throughout the week with her usual enthusiasm showing, but her heart not really in it. She just wanted to travel to Ponyville and potentially have her date with Fluttershy. By the time Friday finally rolled around, she was ready to explode.

Early Friday morning, she and her assistants loaded a few bags of clothes and pictures onto the train to Ponyville, since they planned to stay an extra day and do a little talent scouting in town. On the train, Roxie asked, “So, where are we supposed to meet Fluttershy?”

“She said to meet her at Sugarcube Corner at noon.”

“Oh, the bakery?”

“Yes!” Photo Finish declared, a little too loudly.

“Oh, okay. Anyway, what are we planning with the pictures?”

“Ze ones where she is endorsing a product we can't sell, so, ze ones she doesn't want we will give to their respective companies. Ze rest, we can sell if she doesn't want to keep them, while sending her a royalty check for twenty percent of ze sale price.”

“Twenty percent? That's double the standard industry rate!” Powder Rouge said.

I know! However, I need to start making up for all ze things I put her through.” The finality in Photo's voice prevented any further conversation on the topic.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville, Rarity was asking, “So you're meeting Photo Finish at Sugarcube Corner?”

“Later today, yes.”

“Do you want me to go with you? I might be able to stop her from giving you the raw end of a bad deal, if that's what she's planning.”

“Uh, sure, if you want,” Fluttershy said.

“Excellent. So what time are you supposed meet her?”

“Noon.”

“Then maybe we should go to the spa. We want to look our best when she arrives. Also don't you have that date with your secret admirer this evening?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, yes. I had almost forgotten!” Fluttershy lied. The truth was she had remembered, but wanted to forget, because she couldn't stop second guessing herself, wondering if it was a big mistake.

“Oh good, I have just the dress for you to wear. I'll show it to you after our talk with Photo Finish.”

At noon Photo Finish and her entourage arrived at Sugarcube Corner and found Fluttershy and Rarity waiting for them at a table near the entrance. Photo Finish gestured for them to move to a larger table. The two sitting mares did so and Photo Finish and her entourage sat across from them.

Rarity spoke first. “It's nice to see you again, Photo Finish. Though, we're here to discuss what is to be done with Fluttershy's photos, as I recall.”

“Indeed we are, as well as any policy changes we should make to create a more pleasant working environment for our future models. In hindsight, I realize Flootershy was not ze first model to quit over my studio's working conditions.”

“Oh, of course. I'm glad to hear you're willing to make changes based on your former model's feedback,” Rarity said.

“So am I,” Fluttershy said.

Over the next two hours, the six of them hammered out a new policy for the studio, and negotiated the rights to the pictures, over a plate of complimentary glazed donuts. In the end, they decided that the models would only work eight hours a day, and that they would be provided more time off if it was requested. As for the pictures, Fluttershy took all the pictures for products she endorsed, simply to keep herself out of the public eye. As for the others, she kept some at Rarity's insistence and allowed Photo Finish to sell the rest.

When this was settled, Photo Finish said, “I know you have zat date tonight, so I, Photo Finish, will keep you no longer.”

“Wait, how did you know about Fluttershy's date?” Rarity asked.

“She sent the letter about it to our studio,” Roxie said, “we filter all mail going to and from our clients and models that way. To prevent any embarrassing incidents.”

“So do you know who the date is?”

“All I can confirm is that she lives in one of ze better off areas of Manehatten,” Photo said.

“Oh. I see. Anyway, we should be going.”

Once Rarity and Fluttershy left, Photo Finish said, “We should check into our hotel rooms.”

On the way, Photo Finish said, “I am going to tell you three a secret. Do not tell anyone else until tomorrow. Am I clear?”

Getting three affirmative responses, she said, “Okay, I, Photo Finish, am Flootershy's secret admirer, and will be the one going on ze date with her tonight, While we are at ze hotel, I will be changing into clothes zat should make me less recognizable. And I need you three to stay away from me, as I do not want Flootershy to recognize until the actual date. Are we clear?”

She got three more affirmative responses, which caused her to smile. Powder Rouge then said, “Wait, you're a fillyfooler?”

“Yes!”

“I never would have guessed.”

“I never would have guessed you were one either, until Roxie told me, after I told her I was one,” Photo said.

“You told her?” Powder asked, turning to Roxie.

“Well, considering I didn’t think she would fire you for it if she was one herself, yeah. Also it seemed like she needed some reassurance that she wouldn't be looked down on if she did come out,” Roxie said, looking apologetic.

“That's okay. I still have my job at least.”

Back at the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was having Fluttershy try on the new dress for her date that night. It was a simple green dress similar to the one she had given to the pegasus after she had quit being a model, though unlike that one, this one covered her wings, leaving her unable to fly. Not that she minded much.

As Rarity made a few last minute adjustments to the fit, she asked, “So where are you seeing your secret admirer?”

“At the Chestnut Tree Cafe, table four.”

“So the corner table at the smallest restaurant in town. Sounds like you,” Rarity said with a mischievous smirk.

“Well, since I still have all those fans...” Fluttershy said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Oh, of course. Don't want to be overrun by your adoring fans, though I'm not sure why,” Rarity said.

Fluttershy didn't respond, choosing to let Rarity focus on finishing her dress and hoping to avoid giving her any ideas.

Soon the dress was finished, and Fluttershy realized she still had a couple hours to wait before her date. She decided to pass the time with taking care of her animals.

Soon Photo Finish was changed, and, according to her assistants, barely recognizable. Gone were her trademark black and white striped dress and red sunglasses, and in their place was a basic gray dress and no sunglasses. According to her assistants, Fluttershy would likely not recognize her immediately, though they openly wondered why that was necessary.

“If Flootershy realizes that I am her secret admirer before ze date begins, do you really think she will go through with it?” Photo Finish explained when asked.

“Well, no, you have a point there, but when she hears you speak, won't she figure it out? I mean your voice and accent are pretty distinctive,” Roxie said.

Photo said in a higher pitched, much less accented voice, “that is something I have been practicing for.”

Her assistants seemed surprised by the change in her voice, but none of them commented on it.

Maintaining her new voice, she asked, “What time is it?”

“About two thirty.”

“Okay, I have about three and a half hours until my date with Fluttershy. What to do until then?”

“Well, we could talk to the mayor about setting up tryouts for tomorrow?” Powder suggested. “We don't have a big name to attach to our studio at the moment, after all.”

“Good point,” Photo said, donning her sunglasses and returning to her old voice. “To the mayor's office!”

At quarter to six, Fluttershy arrived at the Chestnut Tree Cafe and sat down at table four, telling the waiter that she was waiting for somepony and would order when they arrived.

Five minutes later, Fluttershy noticed a blue earth pony mare with a white mane and gray dress walking into the restaurant, and was immediately reminded of Photo Finish for some reason.

The mare looked around, saw Fluttershy, and walked over, taking the seat across from her. She said, with a slight accent that Fluttershy couldn't place, “Hello. Fluttershy I presume?”

“Y-yes. And your my secret admirer?”

“Yes. It's nice to meet you.”

“It's nice to meet you too, but what should I call you?”

“For now, just think of me as an admirer,” the blue mare said with a smile.

“Okay...” Fluttershy said as the waiter appeared.

The admirer said she would have whatever Fluttershy was having, and Fluttershy ordered the soup she had mentioned in her letter for both of them.

After the waiter left, Fluttershy took a closer look at her date, and realized why she reminded her of her ex-boss. “Wait, Photo Finish? You're my secret admirer?”

Photo Finish went back to her normal voice when she said, “Yes. I apologize for ze secrecy, but I had to have zis date, and I did not want you to run off when I met you.”

“But, but why?”

“Because, truth be told, I realized that, after you quit, I was really attracted to you and didn't want to lose you. And for that reason, I ask of you. Let me have zis one date. Afterwards, if you wish, I will leave your life forever.”

“Okay, if that's what you want. One date.”

“Wunderbar! Thank you so much!”

The waiter returned with their soup, placing a bowl in front of each of them, and said, “Enjoy your meal.”

As Fluttershy took the first spoonful of her soup, she decided that, despite her differences with Photo Finish, she would do her best to make it an enjoyable date for both of them.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the sudden ending, but I had intended to end it before the date started, but after Fluttershy figured out Photo Finish was her secret admirer (due to not being sure how to write about the effect of that realization on the date), and that didn't work out, since my chaaracters have minds of their own and Photo Finish was scared of what she described after disguising herself, so I focused on the latter.

Really, this was a fun project and it helped to expand my horizon somewhat. Also I've gained a new appreciation of Photo Finish, who I used to hate, due to her making Fluttershy miserable simply to keep her in the spotlight. I'm now much more ambivalent about her rather than purely negative. My new least favorite is the unredeemed King Sombra (and since I consider the comics non-canon, AU Sombra doesn't count).

Anyway, next up is a Flutteshy x Celestia fic where the challenge for me is to make it believable, after I get updates on a few of my other stories (my strategy is to focus on Celestia trying to woo Fluttershy).

Comments

[ColdGoldLazarus]

I really liked this story. The ending is abrupt, but I liked it.

[Yoshifan30]

“Good point,” Photo said, donning her sunglasses and returning to her old voice. “To the mayor's office!”

[Yoshifan30]

Well ok then yes I well have to agree the ending was a little bit but it was still pretty good and it really show that photo finish really did care for Fluttershy and even Fluttershy try to give her a chance how much she does care for her this was a pretty interesting story keep up the good work