Filly to Baltimare by Sea (Rose Quartz/Octavia)

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The carriage stopped. "Right. Off we go, then." She couldn't wait to get out of the carriage, the brick and cobblestone roads rattling her teeth the whole way from the train station. As she hopped out onto the stone ground of the Fillydelphia sidewalk, she took a deep breath of portside industry with a hint of bacteria-enriched water, and made a bit of a froggish face, but quickly straightened herself and checked herself in the carriage mirror. Well done, she thought. Her mane was in proper order, eyes not looking tired, and her mulberry ribbon cravat wasn't the slightest wrinkled.

With that, she straightened her saddlebag at her side, held her head up high, and walked to the appointed location, a gangway at the end of all the commercial ships. She gave a little shiver as she walked in the wet evening air as she glanced around. Normally, she would be clothed, at least partially, with Alicia on her back and the frost of Canterlot on her coat, but now she felt clothed in looks from sailors with teeth that looked to be coated in chew and a neglect for hygiene. Her pleasant look bent dismissive and a foghorn sounded in the distance.

Perhaps the whole affair would prove to be a moment of madness. In retrospect, anything that seemed to be too good to be true would surely prove to be unfortunate. Perhaps the boat would prove to be a passed-on Griffon's creaky fishing floating coffin and her date would turn out to be some sort of drooling wretch from the local inner-city with a loud snort and a persistent belly itch. At that thought, Octavia laughed despite herself. Truly, how horrible was her luck if that would prove to be the case? She neared the right dock back in a sporting spirit after all.

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~♥~ Rose Quartz ~♥~ ~♥~ My Light Shines Even In Darkness ~♥~

Ƒrightened... Fearful... Faint... Flustered... Frantic... Those were words that could work for right now. Oh, why did Rose sign up for this? This was bad. This was awful. This was the worst! Rose wasn't cut out for dating! Rose was barely cut out for a job! She was sweating. Ew, ew, she couldn't let her date seem her like this... Rose fanned herself as fast as she could, biting her lip. This was supposed to be a relaxing day. Relaxing... That was a word she liked. She liked relaxing. It was, by the very title, relaxing! Okay, she could do this... She could do this... ϧhe couldn't do this! Breathe! Breathe! Rose slowly inhaled and exhaled... inhaled and exhaled... inhaled... exhaled... Good, good, she could breathe. That was always good and... good... Rose shifted her stance to lean against a pole. It was going to be okay... It was. Even Miss Rarity was going on a date. So... Rose could deal with a date of her own. She was sure that it was a nice pony... But there also the possibility of them being a horrible, no-good snake who would do terrible-NO! ͼalm down... Rose was panicking before it even started. Her glow was fluctuating more rapidly than she'd thought possible... Rose practiced her breathing again. Her color mellowed out and Rose managed a soft smile. It was going to be okay... Now Rose could focus on the other gigantic thing. Ƭhe ocean... It was so big. It was so... It stretched across the entire horizon! It was... Rose couldn't even see the bottom! Did it have a bottom? Was it bottomless? How did that work? And it was so move-y. Always moving! Why did it move? All the water Rose had seen didn't move that much... Then again, Rose hadn't seen many bodies of water since her time out of the Crystal Empire. It was strange to be in a new land. Encountering new things... like the ocean. And they were going to be in a boat on top of it! Oh goodness...

BRY of W&&R and CAUTION[/di

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I just hope I have everything I need ... What am I saying, of course I do ... suppose it's strange without Alicia ... I hope she'll be quite okay ... She blinked out of her thoughts and her instincts drew her eyes to one Pony ... and her legs slowed. The mare was every last lovely shade of strawberries, roses, and dreams of drawing both of those things across the lips of a desirable other, and if that were not enough, even in the soft ocean sky light, she held a soft glow. Suffice it to say, this mare was no surly sailor ... and Octavia swallowed and approached, calm at the ears.

"Excuse me, Miss, but I do not suppose that you are ... here for the Hearts and Hooves event?"

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~♥~ Rose Quartz ~♥~ ~♥~ My Light Shines Even In Darkness ~♥~

Ѻh... Rose Quartz blinked as her eyes settled on the form of the mare that approached her. She was... beautiful. Rose Quartz had run scenarios in her mind for everything... BUT a calm, beautiful pony. Rose herself was a mess on the inside. How was she going to keep it together for this? Oh goodness... ϧhe took a breath and widened her smile slightly. "Y-Yes... I... assume that, I mean, hope that, I-I mean... Are you here for it as well?" Rose hoped that that was the case... She'd feel sad if this was just one of the ponies working at the event. Maybe even to tell her that her date wasn't showing up... N-No! Stop that thinking! This... This had to be her date. Rose wanted to have faith. "M-My name is Rose Quartz. I'm... originally from the Crystal Empire, until I... moved to Ponyville. I work with M-Miss Rarity of Carousel Boutique now... Um... Wh-What's your name?" Was that too much information? It wasn't like she could take back the information so she'd just have to live with it. Rose wanted this pony to like her... even though she was shy... and marked her Hearts and Hooves entry to say that she was a mare...

BRY of W&&R and CAUTION[/di

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Octavia stepped forwards with her shoulders and ears relaxed, and her smile as simple as a breeze-cooled sunlit plain. "My name is Octavia Melody ~ I'm from Canterlot, run the Melody Violincello Shop, and when I have the proper time, mostly perform with my cello or violin if I'm feeling a bit of springy quirk or such. I believe we were meant to meet, both from the blind date event, as it were. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Quartz, and ... if I may be so bold, look forward to a relaxing voyage with somepony that could lead me to use the term 'lovely' quite redundantly." She took a long breath into her chest and stepped the last to a polite distance from Rose, then looked towards the docked yacht. "May I escort you aboard ~ ?"

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~♥~ Rose Quartz ~♥~ ~♥~ My Light Shines Even In Darkness ~♥~

Ƭhis mare was... Oh goodness... She was Rose's date and she was beautiful beyond words. Sophisticated too! She lived in Canterlot and played the violin and cello! Rose felt a little dull compared to such a mare. But, Octavia felt otherwise... Redundant to call her lovely? Oh goodness... Her red cheeks grew more noticeable as her fur began to brighten and sparkle. "It's... very nice to meet you." ϧhe wanted to escort Rose aboard! An inner voice squealed and she just blushed harder. Rose shyly looked away for a moment. Say yes! Or please! Take her arm! Don't melt! Remember to breathe! Rose pushed the inner voice away and giggled so softly that it almost seemed like a whisper on the wind. "I... would love to be escorted by you... I-I never imagined to be escorted o-or that someone would want to escort me o-or... I'll stop rambling now and just let you escort me or... stop saying the word escort." Rose nervously smiled at Octavia, taking a small step towards her.

BRY of W&&R and CAUTION

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“It would not just be manners that would have me do so, but …” She smiled. “Simply a matter of it being a pleasure to do so, Miss Quartz, and I doubt that I will be the last to see to the opportunity to hold up your hoof,” she said, plainly and factually as though Rose’s beauty was unmistakable, and to enjoy being around her was something simply intrinsic to the whole of existence. As Rose neared, Octavia stepped forwards and lifted her right foreleg for Rose to put hers over. At the end of the gangway, a stallion in a sea captain’s formal white uniform stood up straight, no doubt spotting them and knowing them to be the lucky mares. A seagull called to the sea, and the ocean air filled her chest.