Fiddling with Her Heart

by Kevinltk

Chapter 2: A House Visit

Trudging through the streets of Canterlot, Octavia slowly made her way back home. It was late at night, and many of the city’s residents were already warm and safe in their homes. Yet despite the late hour, the bustling city never truly slept, and ponies could be found in some of the more busy areas. The few ponies she did pass by merely ignored her despite her fame, their noses too high in the air to care who they walk past. Outside of the concerts and parties she was requested to play at, Octavia was just another pony to snub, and while playing her music, she was just entertainment.

Octavia finally arrived back at her home after the uneventful walk. Compared to the majority of the city’s residences, Octavia’s house was more modest and smaller yet still bigger and more decorative than the average pony’s home. For the same reason she wore her pink bowtie, it elevated her slightly above the common pony but without succumbing to the over-extravagant lifestyles of many conceited nobles.

With the heavy instrument case on her back, Octavia awkwardly fished out the key to her house and unlocked the door. The interior of her house was clean and decorated with many extravagant details. The immaculate white-tiled floor almost shone from seemingly frequent cleaning and polish. Covering the floor at key spots were lavish carpets, made and imported from some of the finest weavers in Equestria. Posh furniture were carefully organized so that they not only provide a comfortable arrangement but also contemplated the art and figurines that decorated the walls.

With a tired sigh, Octavia made her way up the stairs and into her room. It was her sanctuary, and almost nopony beside herself saw it. Unlike the rest of the glamorous house, modest, practical furniture lay around the sparsely decorated, cluttered room. In one corner, an oaken desk was buried under a mountain of paper, all music pieces either of her own creation or by brilliant composers. A wastebasket stood next to it, filled to the brim with crumpled balls of paper. In another corner was her practice spot where a music stand and even more sheets of music occupied the space. Her plain, single-sized bed was lined up against a wall opposite to the door where there was also a window that allowed for a fantastic view of the homes across the street.

Octavia gently laid down her cello case in an uncluttered corner of the room and undid her bowtie, placing it on a night stand by her bed. She went into the bathroom next door and stepped into the shower. It had been a long day, and the tired mare desperately needed a shower to relax. Turning on the shower, Octavia let out a sigh of content as the warm water washed over her, melting away the stress and fatigue she accumulated over the night.

As she stood under the running water, another sigh, this time out of sadness, came out of her. Octavia mused over how she used to be able play her music all day and night. Nowadays, she could barely make it through one concert. Something had changed, but she did not know what. She stood in the shower for a few minutes, letting her thoughts and the water wash over her. Feeling the need for sleep creeping up on her, she turned off the water and dried herself off. Done with her shower and her mulling, Octavia made her way back to her room, all too ready for sleep.

---

It was early in the morning when Octavia woke up due to the sun shining directly in her face. Cursing Celestia for her infernal sun as well as herself for forgetting to draw the curtains, Octavia groggily got up. Looking over to a wall where a calendar hung, the drowsy musician noted that her last scheduled concert of the season was about a week away.

As she brushed her black mane and donned her bowtie, Octavia planned out her practice schedule. She had all week to practice for the finale. The thought of all that time being spent on practicing brought a frown to her face.

She made her way downstairs to check on the mail, picking up the pile of letters pushed through her door’s mail slot and quickly flipping through the contents. It was the usual mix of letters she got almost every morning, all some sort of request to play at an event or an offer to play a series of concerts. Seeing nothing of particular interest, Octavia made her way to the kitchen, casually flicking the mail onto a growing pile of letters delivered from previous days.

First things first, Octavia refused to start the day proper without a cup of coffee. Having made and tasted coffee for years, Octavia had become quite the connoisseur and perhaps an addict, for the caffeinated drink.

Preparing a pot of the wondrous elixir, her eyes drifted to the growing pile of unanswered mail. With new letters arriving daily, it seemed like there was no end to the demands and requests. She should be happy that there were always so many ponies interested in her music and offer opportunities to perform. Getting paid to do so was also a nice bonus. Instead, the thought of performing more made her feel uneasy.

The sound of somepony knocking on the front door broke Octavia out of her brooding. Groaning since she was not able to drink the still brewing coffee, the annoyed mare trotted over to the door, ready to send away what was most likely another noble coming over with a request.

“I am sorry,” Octavia politely apologized as she opened the door, “but I am… Oh, hello there.” A warm smile appeared on her face when she saw a tall, strapping unicorn wearing a dapper suit was standing at her door. The monocle and bowler hat he wore only furthered his dignified appearance. “Good morning to you, Fancy Pants.”

Fancy Pants chuckled. “And a good morning to you, Miss Octavia. Expecting somepony else?”

“No, no, I just haven’t had my coffee yet. You know how I can be without it.”

“Indeed. I do recall it often involves a copious amount of screaming and possible blunt force trauma.”

Octavia gave the stallion a flat stare. “Care to have a firsthoof experience of it?”

Fancy Pants smirked. “No, I’m quite fine. I get enough of that back home with my wife.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you do. Goodness knows you probably deserve it. Anyway, I was just making myself a pot. Would you like to come in for a cup?” she asked, stepping to the side and motioning Fancy Pants to come in with a wave of her hoof.

“That would be delightful,” Fancy Pants replied, following Octavia to the kitchen after she let him in and shut the door.

With how many of Canterlot’s residents can be so uptight and arrogant, Octavia did not find an abundance of ponies in the city that she would consider friends. The few nobles who did try to socialize with her ended up only caring about her music and status. Fancy Pants was different though. Despite being considered one of the most important ponies in Canterlot, he did not treat anypony else as a lesser. He treated Octavia as an actual pony instead of just an entertainer or social trophy. Octavia respected him a great deal for being so successful without discarding his moralities. In just a few get-togethers, the two quickly became good friends.

“Please, have a seat in the living room. I shall bring out the coffee in just a moment,” Octavia said to her guest as she started pouring the coffee into two cups.

Fancy Pants nodded as he turned towards the living room.

Octavia hummed a soft tune to herself as she loaded a tray with the cups of coffee and two containers of sugar and cream. She was glad her friend came over. She enjoyed his company, and it would distract her from the stress she was feeling earlier.

Balancing the tray on her back, Octavia carried the refreshments to the living room where Fancy Pants was seated on a couch. “I know you like your coffee with a lot of cream and sugar,” she remarked, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“You know me too well, Octavia,” Fancy Pants replied, using his magic to spoon in a generous helping of cream and sugar into a cup.

Octavia sat on the couch and added just a spoonful of sugar into her cup. Gripping the cup in her hooves, Octavia took a deep sip of the coffee. She could feel her drowsiness disappear, replaced by a comforting warmth provided by the beverage. With a contented sigh, she turned her attention back to Fancy Pants who had also just took a sip of his drink. “Now then, it has been quite some time since I last saw you, Fancy Pants. What can I help you with, or are you just here to drink my coffee?”

Fancy Pants chuckled as he placed his cup on the table. “Well, I have three reasons for coming here. First, yes, I came all this way just to taste your wondrous coffee. You are the finest coffee brewer in all of Canterlot. My dear Fleur can’t come close to your prowess.”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I’ll be sure to pass the message to your wife when I see her next time.”

Fancy Pants let out a light chuckle before his face returned to a neutral expression. “Second of all, I wanted to speak with you about your performance last night.”

“Oh?” Octavia cocked her head.

“Hmm, yes. I apologize, but I have been swamped with work and have not been able to attend any of your performances for some time. Last night was the first time I was able to watch you play for months, and I could not help but notice something different about you since the last time I saw you.”

“Different? How so?”

Fancy Pants took a slow sip of his coffee before continuing. “Well, when I first seen you take the stage many years ago and watched you perform, you always seemed to have a smile as you played. The Octavia I saw last night hardly smiled at all and even looked tired as the night went on.”

Octavia’s ears drooped. So it is true. Something has changed. But what? She sat silently as she mulled over his observation. After a few moments, he broke the silence, asking with concern, “Octavia, is everything alright?”

With a dejected sigh, Octavia replied, “Not really, I do think there is something, but first, you must promise me whatever we discuss does not leave this room. This could very well affect my career.”

Fancy Pants nodded. “You have my word. I know how important keeping an image is in this city.”

Staring down into her cup, Octavia answered, “The thing is, lately, I feel that something has been missing. I don’t know if it’s in my life or my music. I just know that the joy and rush my music used to give me are fading.” Octavia started drinking down the rest of her coffee, needing the extra caffeine to help her continue the conversation.

“Is that why you are letting all those requests pile up?” Fancy Pants ventured.

Octavia eyes shot wide open as she coughed and choked on her drink. “Y-you noticed those?” she mattered to sputter out.

Fancy Pants sighed. “My dear, the table was practically on the verge of collapse under all that paper. I imagine that quite a few ponies are not happy at the moment.”

Octavia slowly nodded, her eyes once again finding the cup in her hooves very interesting.

“Well, this is quite the conundrum you have,” Fancy Pants said as he stroked his chin in deep thought. “Am I correct that next week is your final concert of the season, and judging by your pile of letters, you have not scheduled any other future gigs?”

“That is correct. Why are you asking?” Octavia questioned, looking curiously at Fancy Pants.

“Then I believe I have the perfect solution for your problem. I suggest you just finish up the season and then take a nice, long vacation.”

“A vacation?” Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Is that really necessary? I don’t think I have ever been on one.”

“Precisely. Now, I know I said I haven’t attended any of your concerts for quite a while, but I do keep tabs on your appearances, and until recently, I have noticed that you always keep a rather busy schedule. You had never taken more than a few days off between performances. While your hard work is admirable, too much of it can also be unhealthy. It just might explain your symptoms.“

Octavia contemplated Fancy Pants’s idea. A big reason that she was able to accomplish so much was because of all her hard work and dedication. The thought of just dropping everything to just relax made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe her problems was just part of an artistic slump, a phase that would disappear by itself over time. On the other hoof, if she really was overworked, continuing her hectic lifestyle might lead to dire consequences that could affect her in the long run.

“I shall think about it,” Octavia stated.

“That is all I ask,” Fancy Pants replied. “Now then, with your final concert of the season coming up, do you have anything special planned?”

Octavia shook her head. “I’m afraid not. I have been too distracted to come up with anything.”

“Ah, what a shame. It would be good form to do a little extra for the finale. At the least you should get yourself a new dress. Nothing wrong with looking more beautiful than you already are for your finale,” Fancy Pants suggested with a smirk.

Octavia giggled lightly, feeling a bit better now that they moved on to a more pleasant topic. “You’re a terrible flirt. But yes, I suppose I should wear something nice. Do you have something in mind?”

“Why in fact I do, which brings me to my last reason for coming. Knowing who you are, I am guessing you were probably planning to frantically practice every day until the concert.”

“Perhaps,” Octavia replied, not wanting to outright admit he was right. Even though she was a bit tired of the practice, it was part of her routine and was necessary to remain at her best.

“Again, because we have known each other for a long time, I am guessing that you have already memorized every single note you are going to play.”

“Perhaps,” Octavia repeated, simultaneously a bit amused and annoyed at how predictable she was.

“And I suppose that missing a few days of practice would not hurt the great Octavia,” Fancy Pants continued, giving Octavia a playful wink.

Octavia let out a sigh of amusement. Smiling sweetly at the stallion, she said in a pleasant tone, “Fancy Pants, do be a dear and get to the bloody point.”

Fancy Pants chuckled. “Oh Octavia, I’m sorry, but you are one of few ponies I can truly enjoy conversing with. Anyway, getting to the bloody point, I have heard from Hoity Toity about a promising fashionista in a quaint, little town not far from here. I suggest you go commission your dress from her.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow at the proposal. “Okay, but why leave Canterlot where there are plenty of places I could find a suitable dress?”

“Because I do believe a change of scenery, even for just a day or two, would do you a world of good. Call it a mini vacation, if you will, just in case you decide to not take an extended one after next week. Who knows, you might even find something to inspire you.”

Octavia took a moment to think about the plan. Fancy Pants did bring up many good points, and it was not like a simple visit to a small town would change her life. “Alright then, if only to satisfy you, I will go visit this fashionista. Now, where does this mystery dressmaker live?”

Fancy Pants grinned. “Ponyville.”

Comments

[Shadow_Wolf]

I like where this is going!

[AppleFire-Fan99]

Well im glad Octavia has someone watching out for her. Also cant wait to see how she does in Ponyville. Especially when she starts to meet everyone.

[Foxy Kimchi]

Immaculate floor?

I c wut u did thar...

[PonyFan4927]

3904061

[Crescent Glaive]

3904061 try doing a full song Ditzy!

[Bad_Seed_72]

“Indeed. I do recall it often involves a copious amount of screaming and possible blunt force trauma.”

Nice one, Fancy!

So I've just started reading this per Twi's recommendation. Looks like it's off to a great start. You get a ton of points from me already for originality. I'm going to go ahead and fave this now. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

[HeartShatter]

“A vacation?” Octavia raised an eyebrow. “Is that really necessary? I don’t think I have ever been on one.”

This is like basically Octivia asking "A vaction?"Octavia raised an eyebrow. "What's that, can I eat it with my coffee?" 😂

[HeartfireFirebrand]

8841758
That's a very Goku way of putting it.