Heading Weast for the Winter

by Split Scimitar

How to be Fabulous

Upon our arrival, it’s very late, and I, along with Dashie and many other passengers, are tired. This time, an undue delay due to a train in front of us held us up along the line for quite a while. So much so that we proceeded past the danger signal and stopped right behind the train in order for our crew to try and troubleshoot the problem with the other engine.

Long story short, we arrived several hours late and the leg to Canterlot was delayed as the result of both a crew and engine change.

I’m fortunate enough to be given a place to sleep at Sweet Apple Acres as Apple Bloom is on an overnight field trip with some kids at the School of Friendship.

Next morning, I wake up ahead of Dashie, but figure I should head over to Rarity’s as soon as I can. So, after asking for a place to wash, I do so, primarily to remove accrued dirt, sweat, and some residual germs from sitting in a closed, cramped, and might I add completely full train. I forgot to mention that that was so much the case that there were even passengers in the caboose. Holiday rush. Coaches and passenger rolling stock are especially hot commodities.

Nevertheless, once I’m clean as I can feel, I head out to Ponyville without saying goodbye since everyone is either out in the fields or asleep.

When I reach Carousel Boutique, I knock on the door, as I’m here outside their posted hours of operation.

“Hello, Max, darling!” She exclaims as she excitedly pulls me in for a hug, and pulls me in to her boutique. Lined with many a gown in various stages of completion, I smile.

“This feels familiar.” I say to myself, making no effort to hide the direct parallel.

“Thank you so much for volunteering your time. Your contributions will not be unrewarded. You’re all mine today, so I shall treat you accordingly.”

“Okay.” I respond, cheered up and cheerful enough just from her energy.

First things first, Rares takes my measurements.

“Uh,” I begin, “do you do stallion’s clothing?”

“Not usually. I do however have most of my stallion friends’ measurements for whenever I have some extra fabric, or I want to give a gift.”

“That’s nice.”

“Lift up your tail, please, darling.”

After she takes my measurements back there, she doesn’t come back for quite a while. This of course makes me feel worried, but I also know that even as a human, I have nothing impressive at all. Certainly nothing worth anyone’s time. I haven’t checked, but I imagine it’s transferred here.

“Rarity, I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but I hope you aren’t staring. Not like I have anything to show off anyway.”

“Sorry, darling.” She responds a few seconds later. “I was studying the contours of your carapace. You are larger than most of the Kirin stallions I’ve met, and if I’m being completely honest, the pattern of the flames on your tail is mesmerizing.”

“Don’t get too caught up in my body. I admit I haven’t taken great care of it, but being unflattering physically is also what I’m going for.”

“Nonsense. I don’t think your form is unattractive. It’s just… unique, just like everycreature else.”

“I’m flattered, but the more unattractive I am, the better.”

“What kind of mare do you take me for, Max?? I make outfits that bring out the best in the wearer, and yet you want to do the exact opposite?!”

“Not at all. I came here because you asked me to. I just don’t like drawing attention to anything. I like thinking I’m unattractive. Gives creatures the chance to get to know my personality.”

“Forgive me for sounding shallow, but most creatures won’t want to get to know your personality if you don’t show anything on the surface. Physical appearance and physique is after all one of the first things we notice.”

“Of course. I just don’t like highlighting my physical form. A matter of personal preference.”

“You must really enjoy making life difficult for the me on your side.”

“Actually, Rarity has never taken my measurements. She only knows my height and weight.”

“That is quite surprising to hear. The other me I’d’ve thought would have been begging you to take your measurements.”

“So would I, but she devotes a lot of time to making her products. She does have to juggle three boutiques.”

“So do I, but I’ve made time for all my friends, clients, and the like.”

“Oh well.”

“Alright. Now that I have your measurements,” she then says a few moments later, “I can start testing you to see if my new material is as strong as advertised.”

She then presents me with a few samples each of various fabrics and materials. Some look familiar to me, but others look quite a bit different.

“Each of these samples has had some sort of counter-fire measurement in them. Some have been sewn as fireproof fabrics with no additional treatment, and some have a fireproofing treatment.”

“I see. Well, I’m happy to help.”

“I knew you would.”

“Though I do have to ask; please don’t take this the wrong way, but do you not have any other Kirin or dragon even who could do it?”

Thinking nothing of it, she immediately responds,

“Well, I do have a couple of dragons who did volunteer, but for Kirin, you were my first choice.”

“Well, I’m honored.”

“Of course! You know how much the other me loves you! It would be absolutely thoughtless of me to not treat you as such.”

“But we’ve hardly met. Only twice before, and once when I was still in recovery.”

“But you’re here, now. I think that says quite a lot about you. Especially considering where you were when last we met.”

She then finishes by placing both her front hooves on top of mine. To that I smile.

“Say, how much do you keep in touch with my side?”

“Only when we have time as the council of friendship. Since Twilight’s journal is the only connection we have, we gather questions to ask Sunset.”

“So that’s why she runs out of pages so quickly.”

“Well, she and Twilight have been known to have very long-lasting conversations.”

“That is true.”

“Now, are there any fabrics or materials you’re allergic to in your world?”

“No. Though in this form, anything I could wear that isn’t fireproofed or at least treated with some preventative would’ve been lost long ago, I would expect.”

“Alright then. I imagine you don’t mind if I use you as a live mannequin?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Splendid, darling!”

---

With much mane frizz and sew machining, Rares by the magic of both her horn and her craft puts together some sort of outfit. The hard work makes her brow sweat fiercely, but she nevertheless finishes it, humming to herself and periodically including me in her scan for pacing and checking it’s all correctly facing.

When she finishes it, though the material is still “unpainted,” she calls me over.

“Okay darling, here’s your first test run.”

“Are you asking for a critique?”

“If you feel so inclined.”

“Just a precaution, I’m very ergonomically-oriented, so amidst my personal bias, I look for comfort before anything else.”

“Typical stallion.” She smirks humorously.

I’m pretty comfortable in my own body, and I know that I don’t plan on wearing this in public anyway. And, since I am a test subject, I’m at least doing a service.

Since we don’t normally wear clothes, I can change into and out of the outfits without needing a changing room. With that, I slip into the dress and try and adjust it comfortably.

“Do you like it?” I ask instinctively, posing in such ways that she can see all the areas I think should be important.

“Go ahead and strut your stuff for me, please.”

Instead of going full runway, I walk like I normally do, except with a little extra jaunt and swing of both hips and shoulders just so see how the material behaves with bodily movements.

“Okay, now can you sit, please?”

Doing as told, I sit both in a seat and on my haunches, the latter more so to test whether or not it would touch the ground. Here, Rarity discovers one of the faults of using a male model. Looking at myself in a mirror, I don’t look good in a dress.

Bias in that aside though, I’m actually quite happy with how it turned out. I have no complaints about ergonomics, it fits nicely, (I like my clothing relatively loose), and it doesn’t catch, snag, or bunch up.

“I like this. Truly the work of a master.”

“Thank you, darling.” She blushes.

The next piece she says she’s working on is a skirt, so building off the principle of the dress line, I wonder how she’ll do.

In just under the same amount of time it took to make the dress, rinse and repeat. Part of the trouble with a Nirik – or a Kirin – model is how to work either with or around the carapace. Of course, it’s easy for me to say it doesn’t matter, but I don’t speak for everyone, and I certainly am the least advisable soul for fashion or clothing advice.

Before I can continue thinking about me in the hypothetical of marketing or displaying any of her pieces, I make quick work of trying on and modeling the piece. This piece, unlike the dress, has a different ergonomic to it. One that feels less like a piece of clothing and more like something to shield the flank from prying eyes. I’m not all that comfortable in it, but I’m also not in the target demographic for this piece, and this is overall a test of the workability, usability, versatility, and to a lesser extent, the durability of the fireproof material.

Speaking of durability, as Rares begins work on a top, I put the dress back on and decide to get my blood boiling, to see how it truly withstands proper Nirik flames. Since her studio has multiple rooms, I open the door to another to try and avoid disturbing Rares.

Unfortunately, one unintended consequence of leaving the room is she notices my absence.

“Max! What are you doing?”

Not wanting to give away the fact I’m rousing my anger, I say,

“I want to feel, fabulous!”

“You can be fabulous right here!” She responds pointing to the seat next to her.

Fortunately, I’ve done what I needed to, so once I come back to my required spot, I take the dress off and put it back on its mannequin.

“How did Sunset meet the rest of you?” I ask to break the silence.

“Through Twilight. She was the one who wanted to arrange it.”

“I know she had a bit of a history, and a bad girl streak at the time she met all of the you’s on my side. How much did she change from when you first met ‘till now?”

“Considerably.” She replies rather brightly. “When we first met, it was obvious to me that she was ready to begin again, but she didn’t know where to start. She and Twilight had a tussle once before, which is how we got acquainted with her.

“With each visit to Equestria, mandated by Princess Twilight for both her well-being as well as Sunset’s, she got a chance to know all of us, and simultaneously learned about all of us, both here and in your world. Over time, she picked up on the concept of friendship about as quickly as Twilight did, but she always had a hard time knowing when to stand up for herself.”

“That’s nice.” I say wistfully.

“Darling, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I would however love some water.”

“Oh!” She exclaims. “Certainly. I’ll be right back.”

She returns a few moments later with two buckets of water, then pointing me in the direction of the water pump in her back kitchen.

As I have a nice long drink, I admire a master at work as she wraps up the top.

“Hang on, darling. It’s not quite done yet, but I do need to use the little fillies’ room.”

Saying nothing, I decide to get up and move about. A peek at the clock reveals about 2 or 3 hours since we began, and by the angle of the shadows at creatures outside, it’s close to noon.

When Rarity returns, I try on the top and flare up just so she can see. All three pieces were of the same material, and based on my own flare test with the dress, it passes quite well.

“You’ll be pleased to know,” I say after cooling down with the top on, “all three pieces fared rather well. That said, if you want to put this material into your productions, you’ll need further information to see how it performs in the long run.”

“Worry not. I have other volunteers. Besides, it’s noon. We can go to lunch.”

“Are you hungry?”

“No, but if I don’t eat now, I’ll get… what does other me call it? Hangry I believe.”

“No argument. I’ll let you choose.”

“Actually, I was going to cook today.”

“Got enough for 1 1/2 more?”

“Sounds like you’re hungry.”

“Oh, just in case.”

---

“Well, thank you very much Rarity. My compliments to the chef.”

“It was nothing, darling! I’m just glad to see you.” She says with a hug and a quick nuzzle.