Rarity had ridden a chariot taxi many times in her life before now. It was always nice to be able to take a load off her hooves to get from one place to another, such as from her boutique to the outskirts of Ponyville to visit Applejack. Certainly some ponies considered it lazy to ride in a chariot when one was perfectly capable of walking, but there was usually a practical purpose to it as well, such as keeping a nice dress out of the dirt or when one had purchased too many things from the store—though there was no such thing as "too many", of course.
But she'd never ridden in an aerial chariot before, as in one pulled by pegasi. She knew they existed back home—Twilight had first arrived in Ponyville via a chariot pulled by pegasi royal guards—but they weren't exactly common for intracity travel, especially in a smaller village like Ponyville. Here in New Pandemonium, however, they were an absolute necessity. The crowded "buses"—whatever those were—didn't run into the Inner Districts, and since that was where Rarity needed to be today, an aerial chariot was the best option.
The Inner Districts were in such contrast to the rest of New Pandemonium, or at least what Rarity had seen of it so far, that she was certain she was in a completely different city altogether, and when she said as much to Lockwood, who sat beside her on this wonderful little trip, he'd agreed and even noted that she didn't really know the half of it yet.
If the Mid Districts were comparable to some sort of dingy, dirty, alternate version of Manehattan, the Inner Districts were comparable to a more modernized version of Canterlot, with tall, gleaming skyscrapers instead of palatial spires and cozy houses and businesses, pristine concrete streets instead of cobblestone roads, and electrical lanterns and signs instead of oil lamps and vinyl billboards. Otherwise they were quite similar: trees decorated the roads—fake trees, Lockwood assured her—and there were fountains, parks, and plenty of neatly-spaced businesses and residences so that everypony could be comfortable and content.
"This is simply… marvelous, Lockwood dear," Rarity said as their taxi slowly flew past a large office building, where she could see ponies in crisp suits working at desks and cubicles. "How in the world is there such a vast difference between these two parts of the city? It can't be just because these ponies have more money, can it?"
"That's pretty much the driving factor, yeah," Lockwood said with a nod. "Money, but also influence. Don't think that everypony that lives here in the Inner Districts is rich, though. Some just have really good connections with the right ponies and when you know certain folks, money isn't that important."
She raised an eyebrow at that. "Speaking from experience, perhaps? Considering the sorts of connections you seem to have, darling, why aren't you living here?"
"It's not my speed," he said simply. "I like it much better in the Mid Districts, thank you. I can get more work done there on a day-to-day basis. Not to mention that there are only so many contacts one can make if they restrict themselves to the Inner Districts, which is typically what's expected of folks who live here."
"Well then, I suppose as much as I would have liked for my little group to have landed here, where it's clean and neat, it would have probably meant not meeting you or Captain Flathoof, wouldn't it?"
"Oh, Flathoof for sure. You'd have been picked up by Inner District police, and they're a different beast altogether." With a little smile, he added, "But who knows, you guys might still have met me somehow. Depends on where exactly you ended up, really. The Baroque District—where we are now—would have been your best bet."
He then tapped Rarity's shoulder and gestured ahead of them. "Ooh, just ahead, there's our destination: La Torre Gloriosa. Neat, huh?"
As the chariot rounded another office building, Rarity followed Lockwood's hoof towards a massive tower they were approaching made of white concrete with metallic gold accents; the concrete had even been textured somehow so that it looked like genuine pearl, giving the structure the appearance of exquisite jewelry. It was one of the tallest buildings that she could see for miles around.
"My oh my," she said, a little grin on her face as the chariot began its descent. "You have friends who live here? That tower is simply magnificent. A true center of class and prestige if I've ever seen one. It could almost pass for a royal palace."
"And if all goes well, you'll be working here by the end of the day," Lockwood said with a smile her way. "And if I were a betting stallion, I'd put my bits on you any day of the week."
She smiled; he certainly knew how to make a lady feel good about herself, that was for certain. "These friends of yours, how did you come to know them? Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look like the sort of pony to be acquainted with ponies known for high fashion." To emphasize her point, she straightened his jacket collar, which had gotten crooked en route.
"A friend of mine once lived in this tower years ago, until he and his family moved away down south," Lockwood said; she detected a bit of sadness in his voice. "I was also friends with his wife, a well-known fashion model. She was the sort of mare that loved to share her wealth with others, and often held lavish fashion events for charity. I helped organize a few since I knew ponies that could help promote them.
"Well, at one of these parties, there were these two rival designers that were making waves in the fashion scene. Word was that they absolutely hated each other's guts, a real water and oil situation. Thing is, they'd never actually met." Lockwood grinned and tipped his hat. "Well, I'm the one who made sure they were both invited. I figured that two ponies shouldn't despise one another without knowing one another first.
"I wasn't expecting much, really. Maybe they'd meet each other and get a chance to see just who their rival was, and at best they wouldn't hate one another but they'd just go back to being rivals but maybe with a better understanding of each other. Well, let's just say that… a lot more than that happened."
Rarity grinned knowingly; she'd heard this sort of story before, but it was always charming to hear again, and it made for good information if she was going to know her potential employers. "Oh? Do tell. Don't skimp on the details, darling, I'm no prude. I love a good saucy story."
Lockwood coughed into his hoof. "Uh, suffice to say, my model friend caught the two of them in one of the changing rooms getting… better acquainted. Right on top of the dressing table, actually."
Rarity overdramatically fanned herself. "Oh ho ho, what a naughty couple. That sounds rather… exciting, actually. I take it though that that's not the end of the story?"
"Oh no. They got engaged three weeks later, then married by the end of the year. It was the talk of the fashion scene for months. They merged their fashion lines together right after the wedding and everything so that they could be together in every aspect of their lives."
"How romantic," Rarity said with a wistful sigh, hoping that someday she'd find somepony that would treat her with that same kind of passion. "I'm willing to bet that your model friend was pleased with these results. Did she ever model for their lines?"
"No, unfortunately. Their family moved about two months before the wedding. I'm sure she would've loved to, though," he said with a wistful look to the south.
The chariot taxi landed and Lockwood, ever the gentlecolt, helped Rarity out and onto solid ground. He passed a fair amount of bits to the pegasi drivers to pay for the ride plus a tip, and they nodded appreciatively before heading off.
Rarity noticed Lockwood staring up at the tower, a sort of faraway look in his eyes that usually was reserved for daydreaming. "Everything alright?" she asked, putting a hoof on his shoulder.
He smiled and shook his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I just haven't been here for a long time. Just thinking back on some of the good times I had here, and of friends I haven't seen in a while." He adjusted his hat and started for the door. "But we're not here to listen to me reminiscing about the past, are we? We're here to get you a job. Are you ready?"
She nodded and followed behind him towards the doors of the building, where a doorpony, a unicorn stallion. dressed in the same white and gold as the building briefly made to stop them. "Morning, folks. Welcome to—" That's when he noticed Lockwood, at which point he just gave a polite nod, and said, "Ah, welcome back, Mister Lockwood. It's been awhile, hmm?"
"Hey there, White Shield, long time no see. Still working the door at this dump, huh?"
"Of course. Best job I've ever had."
"How's the wife? Still trying to break into the jewelry business?"
The doorpony laughed. "Nope, changed her mind last year, decided she'd rather get into the watchmaking business. At least it's in the same ballpark this time. But hey, don't let me keep you out here." He then opened the door for Lockwood and Rarity to pass through. "Enjoy your visit."
Lockwood tipped his hat to the other stallion, while Rarity merely smiled and nodded; the doorpony politely tipped his hat to her and smiled as she walked in. From there, it was a straight trip to the elevator on the other end of the lobby. When the doors opened, Rarity was surprised to see that it was operated by yet another pony, this time a pegasus mare in the same snappy uniform as the doorpony.
"Which floor?" she asked with a smile. She also noticed Lockwood and gave him a brief nod. "Oh, Mister Lockwood. Long time no see."
"Indeed, Stormfront. Good to see you, and looking so trim as well. Floor ninety-two, if you would?" he said.
The operator pushed the corresponding button as soon as Lockwood and Rarity were aboard. Once the doors closed, the elevator immediately started upwards without even the slightest hint of friction; the ride was as smooth as silk, which surprised Rarity immensely. The elevator at the police station and the one at the hospital were both a little slow and jerky in their motions, and when they stopped it had been a rather sudden affair that had made her lose her balance. This elevator arrived at its destination in only about ten seconds and stopped so smoothly that when the doors opened, she hadn't even realized they'd come to a stop.
The hallway beyond the elevator was wide but not very long. She and Lockwood took a right turn at the first corner, and instead of a hallway Rarity found herself greeted with what was basically another lobby, similar to the one downstairs. A reception desk sat front and center, above which was a plaque bearing the logo of the company Lockwood had mentioned earlier, a pair of glimmering silver L's with one overlaid upon the other atop a red heart. The company's name was emblazoned below that: Lovers' Lane.
Lockwood stepped right up to the receptionist, a cordial smile on his face. The receptionist, a cute, bespeckled earth pony mare, gave him her own cordial smile in return. "Hello there," she said. "Welcome to Lovers' Lane. How can I help you?"
"Hi there. I believe I have an appointment scheduled for… well, now, actually," he replied, glancing at a clock on the wall. "Got here right on time, it looks like."
The receptionist glanced down at an appointment book, then hummed and nodded, tapping the top of the page. "And you are Mister Lockwood?"
"That's me," he said with a winsome smile.
"The bosses are waiting for you in the design room at the moment, and they told me to direct you there when you arrived." She gestured towards the hallway just off to the right. "Head down this hall, it'll be the second door on your right. Can't miss it."
"Thanks!"
Lockwood gestured for Rarity to follow, and led her down the hall to the second door on the right, which was indeed labeled "Design Room". Lockwood gave the door a light knock.
"Come on in!" called a feminine voice from the other side.
Lockwood opened the door, and he and Rarity were greeted with a room that made Rarity gasp in surprise and delight. It was every bit like her own dressmaking room back home, only more lavish and certainly a lot bigger. Dozens of ponyquins stood at rapt attention, several of them already clothed in dresses and suits that were, in Rarity's opinion, quite fetching. Other, finished outfits were already hanging on assorted racks along the side of the room, and drawers and racks of raw materials covered an entire wall.
Rarity felt like a foal in a candy store.
Standing next to a naked ponyquin was a lovely unicorn mare with a light pink coat and a purple mane which she wore long and wavy. She wore a simple black-and-white polka dot shirt and had a length of measuring tape draped over her neck. A pair of cat's eye glasses completed the image; she looked every bit like the professional Rarity imagined her to be.
Next to her was a handsome, older unicorn stallion with a light blue coat and a short, spiked orange mane with hints of gold, though it had flecks of gray throughout. He wore a loose-fitting white shirt with puffy sleeves and a long gray scarf that hung freely around his neck. He carried himself with a kind of casual professionalism that Rarity rarely saw in ponies in her field, but she knew that definitely didn't mean he wasn't good at what he did.
"Lockwood, darling!" the mare exclaimed sweeping towards him and kissing his left and right cheeks. "Oh my goodness, it has simply been much too long. I don't think we've seen you since the wedding." She turned to the stallion. "Right, dear? Not since the wedding?"
"He was there at the reception afterwards, at least, though if I recall correctly I think he had to leave early," the stallion said as he approached and shook Lockwood's hoof. "Good to see you, old sport. How are you doing these days?"
"Oh, you know, living it up as well as I can. Still landlord over at Southeast Point," Lockwood replied with a wide grin, which made the two share a look that hinted at a piqued interest. "I hear the company's been doing well since the merger? I see you even changed the name."
"It has indeed, quite wonderfully in fact. I know you don't read the fashion papers, but my darling wife's latest dress was on the cover of Dernier Cri. Quite an honor," the other stallion added, pulling his wife in for a hug and kissing her on the cheek.
"Oh, stop it," the mare giggled, batting his chest playfully with a hoof. "Always so quick to praise my accomplishments but not his own. Did you watch this year's PFTA show?" she asked Lockwood.
"I usually just read about the winners in the papers afterwards," Lockwood admitted. To Rarity he briefly explained: "Pandemonium Film and Television Awards. Biggest entertainment event of the year."
"Well, regardless, my gorgeous husband provided the suits for each and every stallion nominee. All of them custom-tailored and everything, right down to cufflinks. And yes, that includes the host, and from my understanding, Lucky Clover was the talk of the show."
"Oh, they're just suits, love," the stallion said, rolling his eyes. "You designed close to half the dresses at the whole event. Every shot of the audience had your name all over it."
"Not quite that many, but I appreciate the compliment." The two then looked lovingly at one another, lost in each other's eyes.
Lockwood leaned over to Rarity and whispered, "And remember, these two used to hate each other. Felt I needed to remind you."
Rarity tittered a little and whispered back, "Well, hate and love are just opposite sides of the same coin, aren't they? Seems they just needed to give it a little flip."
Lockwood cleared his throat. "Well, while I'd love to stay, my friends, I have business to attend to of my own today and I really must be getting back to it. Before I go, though, I think we should go ahead and get some introductions made around the room, hmm? It would be terribly rude of me not to get that ball rolling."
"Oh yes, of course," the mare said with a smile as she turned to Rarity. "This must be that wonderful new talent you discussed with me. Rarity, I believe you said her name was?"
Rarity nodded and daintily offered her hoof. "Yes, that's exactly right. Though I'm afraid Lockwood never told me either of your names, so I'm feeling at a dreadful disadvantage at the moment."
The mare gently took Rarity's hoof and gave it a soft, feminine shake. "Forgive me, where are my manners? My name is Chantilly Lace. It's certainly a pleasure to meet you." She gestured to her husband. "And this is my husband, Peaked Lapel."
Lapel took Rarity's hoof and delicately placed a brief kiss on her pastern; she giggled lightly, just out of habit. "Charmed."
"Lockwood tells us you're a fashion designer from down south?"
"That's right," Rarity agreed, since that was the story she and her friends were going with to strangers now, especially since she had a little more information to work with thanks to Winter Glow. "I'm new in the city, see, and Lockwood's been ever so helpful in giving me and my friends opportunities to integrate into the city's culture, strange as it is to our sensibilities."
"And that's why when she said she was a fashion designer, the first ponies I thought to get her touch with were you two," Lockwood finished. He removed his hat briefly, a grin on his face. "Now, I hate to just pop in and run and all that, but like I said, I have a very busy day ahead of me. Miss Rarity here isn't the only pony I promised to lend a helping hoof."
Chantilly smiled and pulled Lockwood over to kiss his cheeks again. "Go on then, darling, and don't be a stranger!"
Lockwood nodded then turned briefly to Rarity, tipping his hat and giving her a wink. "Have fun."
"I think I just might, Lockwood dear," Rarity said with a grin. "Go on now. And do keep an eye on Fluttershy for me, alright?"
"Will do." He turned to the married couple and waved farewell, replaced his hat, and strolled out the door, shutting it behind him.
"So, Miss Rarity, what say we get right into it, hmm?" Chantilly said, leading Rarity over to the ponyquin. "First, though, a bit of framework for what's going on around here. My husband and I are sponsoring an upcoming fashion show to showcase some new talent in the designing and modeling fields."
"It's actually a series of showcases over the coming two weeks or so," Lapel added. "The first one is coming up fairly soon. And, if how Lockwood described your skill is true, we think you might be the perfect fit to represent Lover's Lane. The timing is just impeccable."
"I'm honored that you'd give me that opportunity," Rarity said, surprised at the swiftness of their generosity. "What exactly did Lockwood say about me that led to that decision, if I might ask? We haven't known each other very long and I'll be honest, he's never seen any of my professional work."
She pawed at the makeshift dress she'd crafted out of confiscated clothes. "Nor do I think I'm making the best first impression of my fashion sense, but it's the only clothing I own at the moment. Just the result of a rather unfortunate set of circumstances."
"I can tell," Chantilly said as she eyed Rarity up and down briefly, lifting her glasses as she did. "That outfit was clearly quickly cobbled together from several other outfits; I can see the seam work that was definitely done in haste, without a machine, and then touched up later on."
"Not to mention that the choice of colors isn't quite right, but it was clear that an earnest effort was made," offered Lapel as he sauntered around behind Rarity. "Now, I don't know the exact circumstances that led to this mish-mash of an outfit, Miss Rarity, but I can tell that if you could've done better, then you would have."
Rarity gave a nervous grin, only a little embarrassed. "I certainly would have liked to, yes. I had no idea ponies up here in the big city were required to wear clothes by law, so I didn't pack anything with me, figuring that I'd craft a new ensemble later on or at worst purchase one."
"Absolutely dreadful, dear. I can't imagine what you must be going through. This is simply a crime against fashion," said Chantilly. "Tell you what, as a favor to a friend of Lockwood, whether you get the job or not today, I'll be happy to give you a Lover's Lace original to take with you."
Rarity balked. "R-really? You'd do that for me?"
Chantilly smiled. "Any friend of Lockwood's can't be too bad, and I can tell you're feeling woefully uncomfortable having to wear that thing around."
"I… thank you. That's awfully generous of you, and I appreciate it ever so much."
"Well then, let's not waste any more time, hmm?" Chantilly gestured towards the naked ponyquin. "You have free reign over our materials to put together an ensemble that impresses us, and because the industry is all about pressure, we'll note that the premiere for the showcase event is only in a few days, and we don't have the time to wait for inspiration to strike."
"You've got two hours to design a dress that meets our approval, then put it together," Lapel said, pulling a heavy stopwatch from his shirt pocket and clicking the top. "Starting… now."
Rarity gulped, but immediately set to work, first by browsing through the selection of materials she would have available to work with, almost all of which she was intimately familiar with and most of which she was surprised to see in such quantities. Cottons and silks were understandable, but the selection of gemstones and exotic materials they had was exquisite. Some of these things were incredibly rare and expensive back home.
She was used to working under pressure, of course, but not with such a suffocating restriction in place. She supposed she wasn't meant to show the couple something that they'd be putting on the show floor by tonight or anything like that, but rather that they just wanted to see what she could come up with on the fly, or maybe they'd be using this design for the showcase?
The industry was supposed to be rather cutthroat at times, where designers would accuse one another of stealing designs that they'd been working on for weeks or months, and that's where she figured the reasoning here was: if Rarity was clever and creative enough to put together something impressive with only an hour or two, then she could do even better with an entire day. That would be more than enough time to put out a bombshell design at a moment's notice, something that could blow away competitors unawares.
Yes, that sounded wonderful. She could handle that. She could thrive like that if she had the right motivation.
In less than thirty minutes, Rarity—working faster and harder than she'd ever done before—managed to whip up a design that was a rather simple modification of a similar dress—more of a jumpsuit, really—that she'd made for Sapphire Shores years prior: simple white polyester with a healthy dosing of rhinestones made of actual gems to give it a lustrous gleam.
She was glad that she didn't have to start putting it together yet, though, only having to show off the design itself at first, because she could tell immediately that her prospective employers were, to be blunt, unimpressed.
"The choice of polyester is rather unique, I'll admit," Chantilly said as she eyed Rarity's design drawing, "especially combined with this particular allotment of rhinestones. I also appreciate the consideration of genuine gems for the design rather than artificial ones; they'd catch the light nicely."
"Maybe so, but gemstone-studded affairs are dreadfully out of vogue at the moment," Lapel offered, shaking his head. "This particular design is also quite loud, if I might say so. It would definitely attract a lot of attention at a ceremony or a ball, or maybe a concert if that was your intention, but it might attract the wrong kind of attention. Too flamboyant, too theatrical."
"It could possibly fit with a sort of 'retro' appeal," Chantilly suggested.
"No, it's too soon for retro. Trying to bank on outdated styles too early would just make the wearer look horribly behind the times rather than evoking nostalgia."
Chantilly nodded, then turned to Rarity. "I don't think we can work with this sort of design, Miss Rarity. I'm sorry, but—"
Rarity tapped her chin in thought; she needed an excuse, and fast. "No no, don't be sorry, Miss Lace, Mister Lapel. I understand completely. You see, this ensemble was rather in vogue down south and I was unaware that it had already gone through the ringer as it were up here in the north. I'm terribly sorry, it's my fault for not researching the current trends.
"If I may, however, I still have plenty of time left to come up with another design to show you. Why, I didn't even use half of what you've given me just yet. But I feel that I'm at a bit of a disadvantage working with outdated information, so perhaps you could tell me what is in vogue at the moment? I'll whip something up in no time that follows the trend while bringing something new to the table, I promise."
Lapel hummed, then nodded. "Very well. It's only fair to give you a fighting chance. I forgot to account for the cultural divide."
"At the moment, the current trend is lace, leaning towards a more sultry feel," Chantilly explained. "I don't know if you get any films of ours down south, but a recent release with Bolt Rockhoof and Scarlet Sands is getting everypony in a tizzy. The mares go to see it for Rockhoof because he has this one nude scene where he's just… mmff!"
"And the stallions can't take their eyes off Scarlet Sands, as usual," Lapel added with a smirk. "That mare has to be extremely popular in colt locker rooms, let me tell you. I'd have a picture of her on my locker if I was still in school."
"Anyway, she's wearing this absolutely devilish lace dress in the movie poster," Chantilly continued. "So now that's the current hot trend for mares, and it probably will be for the next couple of weeks or so until the industry decides they're tired of it. I know I'm tired of it already, but hey, sex sells, what can I say?"
Rarity nodded. "A sultry lace dress, then? It's not my usual forte, but I can certainly work with that."
She then got to work back at the drawing table, sketching up the new design to fit this odd-but-intriguing trend. Strictly-speaking, ponies back home rarely wore clothes that were considered "sultry" by any means; if they did, it was just because somepony interpreted it that way, not because of a conscious decision that the designer had made. At least not that she knew; she'd certainly never designed anything of the sort.
Granted, there were a number of fashion items that were considered sultry, but those weren't things that ponies were supposed to be wearing in public places. Rarity certainly didn't own anything like that, no sir, and certainly didn't have them ready for a special occasion with a potential future beau.
The design Rarity came up with was actually rather simple, but carried her own signature style to it so that nopony could say it wasn't a Rarity Original, not that anypony would. She'd considered black lace at first, but decided that if sultry was the name of the game then black was much too pedestrian; red was where it was at in that case, but it wouldn't do to just make a red lace dress and call it a day. It had to have something unique, something special.
Thus, Rarity's dress was made of a thin red lace that left the wearer's back mostly exposed, only covering their chest, forelegs, and sides while also leaving their flanks half-covered. The lace itself would then be judiciously sprinkled with crushed ruby dust to give it a sequin-like shine. In her opinion, the outfit would work significantly better if it were made of satin instead, but she wasn't here to buck trends just yet.
When Rarity showed off her finished work to Chantilly and Lapel, though, she knew immediately that she'd completely reversed course, and that their opinions of her now were much, much better.
"Oh my goodness," Chantilly said as she eyed the design carefully. "This is… this is luscious. I love the cut of the dress: revealing enough to attract attention but covering enough to make lookers want even more. This is the sort of dress I'd expect to see on a singer at one of those late-night revues up in Whiteworth. Enticing, yes, that's the word."
"I'm loving the idea of using crushed rubies to substitute for standard sequins," added Lapel. "It makes the dress pop. If a mare walks into a room wearing this, there won't be a pony in that room that won't turn their head."
"Absolutely, dear, very sexy."
"But is it too sexy?" he asked, turning to his wife. "It might feel like too much 'costume' and not enough 'dress'. Would this be the sort of thing a regular mare could wear to a formal party?"
Chantilly hummed and nodded. "Too sexy, yes, but I think that's an easy fix. Don't you, Miss Rarity?" she said, giving Rarity a side-eyed glance.
Rarity smirked and nodded as well. "I wasn't sure how sultry would be too sultry, so I figured it would be better to err on side of more revealing rather than less, at least for the designing stage. I was thinking it could stand to be a bit longer so that it doesn't accentuate the flanks and hindlegs so much. The exposed back, however, is an absolute necessity."
"Absolutely, I couldn't agree more." Chantilly passed the design paper back to Rarity and gestured to the ponyquin. "So, your design work is impressive, but there's more to making dresses and suits than a drawing. With the rest of the time you have, you're going to put that dress together."
"Lace and I always put our own personal touch into every outfit we design," Lapel explained. "Not a single dress or suit, nor a blouse or shirt or skirt, has ever left this building without one of us putting a little bit of ourselves into the process. And when we got started, before we'd met properly, we did it all ourselves. No assistants."
"I understand completely, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Rarity said with a smile. "Every dress I've ever made, I made entirely with my own hooves and magic." Not entirely true, Rarity knew, since her friends had helped each other put together their proper Gala dresses from her designs, but that was a unique situation and had never been repeated.
"Then by all means, let's see you work," Chantilly said.
Rarity wasted no time whatsoever in grabbing all of the materials she needed to stitch together her latest and certainly sauciest Rarity Original, one that she was certain would never fly back home but which she was glad would be attracting attention here in this other world.
Every thread, seam, and cut she put into the fabric was utterly perfect; the lace bent to her will like an obedient servant, leaving no unsightly flaws or foibles as she manipulated it around the ponyquin's form; last, she applied a sprinkling of ruby dust over a thin layer of fabric glue and flash-dried it with a careful magical treatment.
And then the dress was done. Exactly as "ordered", so to speak, with all the changes needed to the original design to meet her clients' requests. Rarity had to admit, now that she could see the dress itself in its completed state, she actually rather wanted to wear it; if she put that number on when she went out to a fancy Canterlot party, she'd absolutely attract all sorts of attention.
Chantilly circled the ponyquin, humming to herself and examining every last inch of the dress for any signs of mistakes or imperfections, anything at all to comment on, and Rarity knew that she would find nothing and she indeed found nothing.
There was something about working under pressure that Rarity sometimes found extremely motivating; certainly she let it get to her sometimes when it was clear she wasn't going to make a deadline without working herself to near-death, but this whole situation put her straight into "the zone".
Lapel used his hooves to frame the dressed ponyquin like he was holding a camera. "Yeah… yeah, I can see it. This is fine work, Miss Rarity. More than fine; this is professional-grade fashion. Just look at the way that ruby dust shines. Not enough to blind somepony but enough to catch the eye. I love the way you've applied it to draw attention to the curves."
"Yes, it certainly accentuates the features of whatever mare would be wearing this," Chantilly agreed and she carefully eyed the ponyquin's posterior. "Again, not enough to be risqué, but enough to be pleasantly inviting and alluring to the eye. Suitable for any formal occasion, from a high school prom to a fancy dinner with a Committee Representative."
Rarity smiled. "So… you like it?"
Chantilly beamed. "Like it, dear? I love it. This dress— your dress, you, are absolutely going to represent Lover's Lane at the showcase, without question. Any objections, love?" she asked her husband as she came over to embrace him.
"Not at all, sweetheart, not at all," he replied, embracing her back and kissing her forehead. "This is going to make some waves, let me tell you." He turned to Rarity and grinned. "Miss Rarity, if this is something you just put together in a couple of hours with a metaphorical blindfold, I am eager to see what you can put together when you've got more time to plan and observe new trends."
Rarity put her hoof over her heart, and had to fight to hold back tears of joy. She was used to being complimented on her work, but typically most of her praise came from friends and family, or the occasional client who had so many specific requests that it felt like the creations weren't entirely her own.
This couple had known her only a couple of hours and were already praising her work like it was a gift from the heavens, and what's more, they were industry professionals looking to add her to a label that serviced a city of potentially millions of clients. A dream come true.
Now she just needed to hit on that same kind of luck when she got home.
Lapel broke from the embrace with his wife. "We'll get some paperwork filled out by the end of the day so that we can officially add you to the brand. You'll be a part of our new Rising Stars collection that we're introducing with the upcoming showcase." He offered her his hoof. "Welcome to Lovers' Lane, Rarity."
Rarity took his hoof and shook it. "I'm… I'm honored, Mister Lapel—"
"Oh please, you're a part of the family now, dear," Chantilly scoffed. "You can just call us Chantilly and Lapel, or Lace and Lapel if you're particularly fond of alliteration."
"Well, thank you very much, Chantilly, Lapel. I'm honored to be included in your prestigious fashion line. I've always dreamed of being able to sell my dresses in the big city, you know? This is… it's like a fantasy come to life for me, just shy of having my own label."
She let out a breath of content. "So, apart from this paperwork, what's next for us? You've already said that this dress here is being featured at the showcase, but that's a week away."
"Indeed, so for the most part, your role is done until showtime," Chantilly said as she took Rarity's leg under her own. "Mostly, anyway. But since this whole showcase of ours is such a new experience, you've still got one more task ahead of you."
"Which is?"
"Choosing a model for your dress, of course," Lapel said with a smirk. "Since you're the one who made the dress and are essentially headlining our Rising Stars collection, your opinion on the mare that models your ensemble is important to us. After all, a dress is just a bunch of fabric until somepony wears it, then it's a dress."
"Really? You want my help choosing a model?" Rarity asked. "Surely you two know your models better than I do and would be able to choose better than I ever could. I'd hate for your modeling staff to think I—some stranger—am imposing on them or questioning their looks and talent."
"Well, that's the thing," Chantilly said. "As part of the showcase, which I remind you is intended to promote new talent in the industry, a few of the labels got together and thought it might be fun if we try to promote new faces in the modeling sector as well. We're not using any of our veterans; fresh talent only!"
Lapel headed over to the door and opened it for the two mares as Chantilly started pulling Rarity along. "The time limit we gave you was mostly because we're scheduled to view the potential models shortly. If your dress was a dud, we'd basically be doing this in reverse, i.e. finding a designer to put together a dress for whatever model we hire, and she'd be part of the dressmaking process."
"Sounds a little experimental, if you don't mind my saying," Rarity noted with a nervous smile.
"Darling, that's what the fashion business is all about," Chantilly chuckled.
*****
"Next!" called Chantilly.
Rarity huffed and leaned back in her chair, and the latest in the collection of models was sent out of the little runway room to await the results of this audition while the next one entered.
The former mare, a thin little thing barely out of high school, strut her way out of the room; the newcomer, another thin little thing, though this one looked old enough to at least legally purchase alcohol, strut in with the exact same confidence and poise, and just generally with the same "aura" about her as every mare before.
They'd been at this for a couple of hours now; apparently quite a few mares had heard about the auditions and come by to try and break into the industry when given this golden opportunity. However, Rarity felt herself being uncharacteristically stubborn as she took part in the judging process.
Each and every mare that walked through those doors was practically identical. Oh sure, colors were different here and there, but that wasn't important in the long run, not unless the mare in question's coat or mane clashed terribly with whatever colors Rarity chose for a dress. And yes, they weren't all the same type of pony, but Rarity was always careful enough to make it so her dresses could be worn by earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike unless she had a specific concept in mind.
But everything else about them was identical: their thin frames which lacked any sort of proper curvature to really highlight with a dress; their stuck-up attitudes that just sent up red flags to Rarity that they'd start questioning her choices eventually; their perfectly-practiced runway struts that said that the only thing that made these mares new to the industry was that they just hadn't been hired yet.
Worst of all, it was boring. Mares came in, they walked the runway, they left; rinse, repeat, ad nauseum.
"Next!" Chantilly called to usher in the next mare. She turned to Rarity and quietly noted, "We're almost done, dear. Anypony standing out so far?"
Rarity grunted. "I'm afraid not. That new dress of mine just doesn't suit any of these mares, not well enough to make me think it an ideal fit. I'll be honest, I designed the dress to fit a mare with a slightly fuller figure like mine. Very few mares where I'm from have such thin frames."
Lapel winced slightly. "Sadly, there aren't a lot of what the industry calls 'casual' models. It's just sort of ingrained in the modeling world that you've got to thin it to win it. Totally unrealistic but you try telling an industry that's been around for hundreds of years that they need to change their ways overnight."
"I've never agreed with the sentiment," Chantilly said, nose in the air. "It's not healthy for a mare to be so thin. Ivory Charm had some real curves, and she was tall and gorgeous." She sighed. "I suppose that's why she was so popular, really: she was different. A mare like that comes along once in a generation."
"Didn't hurt that her husband made sure she got her chance," Lapel added with a little grin.
"Ivory Charm… is that the modeling friend that Lockwood mentioned he was acquainted with?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, yes, they were quite close," Chanitlly said. "He was a friend of their family through and through. I don't know the whole story, but considering it's Lockwood that's involved I guarantee you that's it's a convoluted mess of coincidences, heh."
"Her husband was a big shot entrepreneur," Lapel added. He gestured towards the ceiling. "Lived up on the floor one-nine-nine, top of the tower, penthouse apartment. Absolutely gorgeous place. Just gorgeous. The pool was huge."
"Why ever did they move away?" Rarity asked.
The couple shared a brief look, then shrugged.
"Can't rightly say," said Lapel, "but Lockwood probably knows more than anypony. Ask him if you're curious."
He then looked and pointed at his wife. "Back to our discussion: I agree with you. I think we're missing out if we hired just another model for this showcase. I'm all about promoting new talent, but I feel like hiring one of the girls we've seen so far would basically just be pushing along the industry stereotype. Might as well put one of the vets out instead if we're gonna do that."
"Next!" called Chantilly.
The last mare on the stage strutted her way off the runway and left the room, and the next mare walked in with the same… no, Rarity noted, not the same poise at all. This new mare, a charcoal-colored unicorn with a mane that she hesitated to call "blonde" for it was really more of a lemon yellow, walked into the room like she'd done so completely by accident, lost like a filly that had misplaced her mother.
Like the other mares she had on a simple leotard that would show off her figure, and Rarity immediately noticed that this new mare was exactly what she was looking for. If she didn't know better, this mare's measurements were practically the same as her own, which is to say, she had a gorgeous figure with just the right amount of curves to draw attention to just the right areas.
Also, unlike the other mares thus far, this one clearly had no idea what she was supposed to be doing here. Rarity understood that the models had all been instructed on how to give their brief demonstrations: walk in, strut to four marked spaces on the runway—stopping to pose at each one, of course—then walk towards the exit, only stopping if asked to do so, which thus far nopony had been.
This mare walked in and strutted herself up to the runway in what was best described as somehow confident waddling, but stopped at the first marker and stared at the other three like she had no idea which order she was supposed to go in despite the clear-as-day labels. She started off toward the wrong one for about half a step before realizing her mistake, then stepped towards the other wrong one instead and almost made it all the way there before she tripped on nothing at all.
It was like watching a trainwreck; Rarity couldn't take her eyes away.
"I have no words for what I'm watching," muttered Chantilly as the mare on the runway stumbled to her hooves and nervously finished making it to the wrong marker, where she not so much twirled as spun.
"I have one," offered Lapel. "Disaster. Just get her out of here, honey."
"Hold on a moment," Rarity said, raising a hoof. "Don't discount her just yet. She has the exact figure I'm looking for."
"She does?" Lapel asked, glancing back at the mare
She was now strutting her way towards the next marker—wrong again—with the same sort of grace that one expected of a rhinoceros in ballet shoes. However, the way she was unashamedly moving her flanks in the process, shaking them to and fro without a care in the world, seemed to give Lapel pause.
"Hmm… she's got the posterior for it," he muttered. "The dress will make those curves pop for sure."
"And I'm all for hiring a mare that knows how to eat more than one meal a day," Chantilly huffed, "but the poor thing doesn't look like she could find her way out of a wet paper bag. Regardless of her having the kind of figure we're looking for, there are still expectations that do need to be met."
"Yeah, not being able to do the standard runway strut is kind of a deal-breaker," Lapel agreed.
Rarity frowned as she watched the mare on stage strut her way back to the same marker she'd just left, a smile on her face that told everypony in the room that she was having the time of her life, or else that she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was performing horribly. It was the sort of innocence that you just didn't see in a mare her age.
But Rarity wasn't about to let things end there. If the only thing this poor mare had wrong with her was being able to walk a runway, that wouldn't be hard to fix.
So she stood from her seat and made for the stage.
"Rarity? Where are you going?" Lapel asked.
"To help the poor dear," Rarity replied, giving him a polite smile. "It's only fair we judge her on the same standards as everypony else, and she clearly lacks the training the others have."
Since neither Lace nor Lapel objected, Rarity continued to the stage and approached the mare, just as she performed a not-too-shabby twirl too many times and fell over. Rarity was amused to see that it didn't stop the other mare from getting right back up and trying again. "Miss? Excuse me a moment."
The other unicorn nearly jumped at Rarity's presence and turned to face her, at which point her eyes widened in what Rarity could only describe as—and no, this wasn't her being narcissistic—sheer awe. "Wow…" the other mare uttered, breathless. "You're, like, really pretty up close and junk."
Rarity's smile widened a bit. "Well thank you, that's a very nice thing to say. What's your name, dear?"
"My name's Insipid," the other mare said, standing at attention and giving a smile of her own.
Rarity noticed that her teeth weren't quite straight, but in the sort of charming imperfection sense, rather than the sense of her being in need of an immediate visit to the dentist. Then she noticed the mane, which was such a strong yellow hue that it was though the mare had tried to dye it with paint. Her nose was just a little crooked, but like her teeth it was a cute imperfection.
Her eyes, though, were absolutely beautiful, the same shade of blue as Rarity's own and without a hint of a flaw to be seen. If anything hers were even healthier; this mare definitely didn't need glasses for any reason whatsoever.
The name was an odd point, of course. Insipid. That was a straightforward word, much like Rarity's own name was, only… not as flattering. Insipid literally meant "bland, otherwise lacking of interesting or distinctive qualities". Given that the other mare was possibly… lacking in certain departments, Rarity had to wonder if she'd been named after the word, or if she'd embraced her namesake and adjusted herself to fit it.
Rarity didn't know which was worse.
Regardless, she'd come to help this poor dear with something that she very clearly wanted to do very, very much. "Well, Insipid, my name is Rarity, and if you don't mind my saying so, I think you could use some help with your runway strut."
"My what?"
"Your runway strut." Rarity watched as Insipid didn't react at all, as if Rarity had been speaking total gibberish. "Your… your walk? The way you walk on the runway?"
"Ohhh. You mean my strut. I thought you, like, said something else. What's wrong with it?"
"You're doing it all out of order, for one thing." Rarity gestured at the markers in the proper order, easy to do since they were labeled in clear, bold lettering. "One, Two, Three, Four. You sort of went One, Three, Four, Three, and have been stuck on Three trying to twirl for about a minute now."
"And that's, like, wrong?"
"…yes. That's wrong." This was harder than Rarity thought it would be.
"Ohhh." Insipid nodded and smiled. "Okay! So, like, do you want me to try it again and junk?"
"Yes, that would be wonderful. Go on, head back to One."
Insipid stepped over onto the Two marker.
Rarity's eye twitched a little. "No… no, dear, that's Two, not One."
Insipid looked down at the writing and rolled her eyes. "Oh, pshaw, it was upside-down! Like, whoops! Okay, back to One!" This time, she did indeed go back to One. Progress. "Okay, ready!"
"Okay, now… follow the order I told you: One, Two, Three, Four."
Insipid bit her tongue and stared at the four markers, then nodded and, now that Rarity had apparently drilled it into her head properly, she was able to follow the correct order without any trouble. She still walked like she had something uncomfortable stuck in her leotard and bobbed her butt up and down with every step, but it was a start. A very… very slow start.
"That was very good, Insipid," Rarity said with a genuine smile. "Now that you've got the order correct, we just need to work on how you're walking. Have you had any proper modeling training at all?"
"Nope! I don't even know what that is!" the other mare exclaimed with misplaced pride. "Isn't that, like, a thing ponies ride on? Training?"
Rarity blinked, and bit her tongue, resolving to keep to a positive attitude. "If you've never received training—that is, learning how to act as a model—then why are you here applying for a modeling position? No offense, dear, but even with the standards that most folks hold models to, I've got a feeling you're overshooting a little bit."
Insipid's eyes widened as she looked off wistfully at nothing in particular, like she were practicing for a play. All she needed was a spotlight. What on earth was wrong with this mare?
"For as long I can remember," Insipid started, "I've, like, wanted to be a totally beautiful fashion model! Cha! So when I heard there was, like, a tryout thingy here to find new models or whatever, I said to myself, 'Self! You know what you've gotta do!' and so… I did… whatever that was? I forgot what I did, actually." She shrugged. Of course she did.
"Don't you have to have to have some sort of modeling experience or training to even qualify for the position?" Rarity asked, turning towards Lace and Lapel, who each just gave a little shrug.
"I mean, like, I dunno? But my daddy said that he'd get me the audition, and so… I guess he did, because here I am!" Insipid said, beaming. "He knew I wanted it, and, like, he wanted to make me happy, so he did it! I guess I've gotta pass a test or something first though? Ooh! Is that what this is? Is this the test? Did I pass?!"
Rarity blinked again. This mare was… well, bizarre was the politest word Rarity wanted to think of at the moment, but she was so earnest and eager that she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. If this were any other day, Rarity might've said that the poor girl would have better luck trying to pursue some other dream, but all things considered—
"Lace? Lapel?" she said, turning towards the couple. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to have Insipid here be the model we use for the new line."
Lapel dropped his pen, his eyes wide, as though he'd been given life-changing news by his doctor. "What?"
"You're serious?" Chantilly asked, completely deadpan.
"Quite serious, yes," Rarity replied.
"Rarity, far be it from me to argue against whatever sentimentality you might have for her, but Lovers' Lane has a reputation to uphold," Lapel said, his voice just a little frantic. "We can't just hire her because she's some sort of charity case, or whatever it is that's gotten into your head."
"On the contrary, I think she's perfect for the job. This isn't out of any kind of charity, I legitimately think she can work. Just look at her." Rarity pulled a still-beaming Insipid over and gestured at the other mare's figure. "See? You said it yourself, Lapel: she's got all of the assets we need to make that dress pop."
Chantilly chuckled and gently nudged her husband. "She's right, you did. And don't lie, I've been watching you ogling her ass the whole time she's been up there. Kind of hard not to with the way she's been shaking it. I mean, I know I have."
Lapel held the bridge of his nose in his hoof. "Honey, please don't tell me you agree with this?"
Chantilly shook her head and looked to Rarity. "I'm not sure this is a good idea, Rarity. Okay, I'll grant you that Miss Insipid here would probably look like absolute dynamite in that dress of yours, but there's still the matter of her not having any training on how to walk a runway, and we don't have time to wait for her to take the proper courses."
"She won't need to take any courses. I can help her with whatever she needs," Rarity said, stamping her hoof gently on the runway.
"That's a rather bold statement," Lapel said, eyebrows up; he obviously was holding back any semblance of doubt in his voice, but Rarity could tell he didn't buy her claim at face value. "Do you know how to walk a runway yourself?"
Rarity didn't say a word, just stepped onto the One marker, and silently strutted her way around to Two, Three, and Four, giving a little twirl at each one as expected. She may have never gotten her chance to model for Photo Finish way back when, but she'd certainly practiced for it and watched Fluttershy on the runway at every single show, so she damn well knew what she was doing.
Lapel remained silent for a moment after Rarity finished, then leaned back in his chair. "Okay. Fair enough, point made. If it weren't against the rules, I'd suggest you model your own dress. Wow. Don't take this the wrong way, but if I weren't married—"
Chantilly scoffed. "Get in line. I saw her first, honey. Besides, I mean, we're hosting the showcase. We can always adjust the rules."
"No!" Rarity blurted, perhaps too quickly. "Don't get me wrong, I'd adore the opportunity to model my own dresses for hundreds or thousands of ponies to see, but I'm making a case here for Insipid. I know how to walk a runway; I'll teach her how to do it perfectly by showtime. I made the dress, too, so I know how best to instruct her to work it, hmm?"
Chantilly leaned forward, hooves under her chin. After a long pause, she gave a slow nod. "Alright. Lockwood vouched for you as a reliable, talented pony, so if anything I'm willing to give you a chance."
Rarity just about let out a cheer.
"But!" Chantilly interrupted. "But, allow me to remind you that this showcase is your big break. Both of you. If you blow it out there, you're done. Lover's Lane will find some other new talent for the next showcase after that, and I doubt any other labels will give either of you an opportunity to try again."
Rarity nodded. "That is absolutely fair. We won't let you down." She turned to Insipid. "Will we, dear?"
Insipid just smiled and nodded. "I have no idea what anypony's talking about, or whatever? Did I, like, get the job?"
Rarity took a moment to breathe as she came to terms with the fact that her entire career—albeit one in some other world—now relied on Insipid's performance.
This was going to be a long week.