Rarity and Insipid arrived at the fashion showroom hours ahead of schedule, as was expected of anypony that was slated to appear in the show. Despite the fact that there were hours to go, that didn't stop the crowd of ponies—mostly workers decorating the stage, setting up seats for the audience, and preparing the lighting and music—from moving to and fro with a frenzied fervor. Rarity was reminded of an ant hill bustling with activity.
Tonight was to be the third and final show in the series that Chantilly and Lapel were sponsoring, and so Rarity was feeling particularly excited. The first two shows had been intended just to show off the dresses and fashions that had come from the new designers, as well as to showcase some new modelling talent. Insipid had made enough waves that the pair of them had been invited to participate in this final show, which would be showcasing the official integration of the new designers and models into their respective companies.
The show was being held at a glamorous studio in the Romantique District of the inner city, called Le Lac des Cygnes—Swan Lake, Rarity translated for Insipid—that was considered the premier location that every designer in the city wanted to showcase their material at. Chantilly and Lapel emphasized just how crucial this showcase would be to her and Insipid's careers. Rarity knew it was just Insipid that would be benefitting in the end, but that didn't matter.
As she and Insipid headed backstage, they met with Chantilly and Lapel near the dressing rooms. "Ah! And here come our Rising Stars!" Chantilly exclaimed as she welcomed the pair, kissing Insipid's cheeks first, then Rarity's. "My darlings, I know I have said this about a hundred times by now, but I am so proud of what you've accomplished."
"As of tonight, the Rising Star line is officially part of the Lovers' Lane label," Lapel said with a grin. He turned to Rarity in particular. "Typically, dear, I would follow this up by saying that you're expected to put out some more designs to add to your catalogue. I'm still astounded that you provided a catalogue already, and such a robust one at that."
Rarity smiled. "I just had so many ideas that I couldn't possibly contain them all."
The catalogue he spoke of was a book of various dress designs that Rarity had come up with over the course of the past two weeks, some of which were in vogue with the current trends, others which might be considered outdated—but might resurge later if trends here were anything like those back home—and others that she'd been told were wholly new and might help to start upcoming trends if the label played their cards right.
She knew she wasn't expected to design so many or so early in her new career, but she also knew she'd likely be leaving soon and wouldn't be able to provide Chantilly and Lapel with any new designs afterwards. She simply couldn't leave the lovely pair high and dry like that, not after the opportunity they'd afforded her and Insipid.
"And you, my sweet thing," Lapel said, now turning to Insipid. "I've heard whispers amongst the fashion journalists that they're looking for a model to be on the cover of next month's Jument à la mode, and a certain somepony is in the top running." He winked at her for emphasis.
Insipid just smiled and blinked. "Wow! That's major fresh. Like, I sure hope they get it, whoever they are."
Chantilly and Lapel shared a brief look, rolled their eyes, then went back to smiles.
Chantilly gestured for Insipid to follow her. "So! Come along, dearest, we've got to get you into makeup and start putting together the presentation. You've got five dresses to model tonight—two of Rarity's, three of mine—and we need to figure out an order."
"Yay!" Insipid cheered as she bounded along after Chantilly.
Lapel turned to Rarity. "As for you, there is to be a small ceremony at the end of the showcase, where the designers themselves are to be presented for the audience, so that they can finally put some names to faces."
Rarity gasped, hoof to her heart. "Oh? I'm going to go out on stage tonight?"
"Indeed you are. This entire series has been about not just dresses and models, but talent, and you, dear, are the pure definition of the word. Not to disparage the 'competition', so to speak, but let's just say that I'm grateful to our mutual friend Lockwood for introducing you to us."
Rarity smiled at that. "He certainly did us both quite a substantial favor in that regard, didn't he?"
"Yes he did. Which is why I invited him to the show, actually." Lapel gestured out towards the seats that were being set up. "These events typically aren't open to the general public, only to the social elite, journalists, and the like. It took me a little bit of finangling, but I managed to get a seat for him, if only so that he could see the fruit that little favor of his has led to."
"Just him, then?" Rarity asked; she'd hoped that Fluttershy would be able to see one of her shows in person, rather than just reading about them afterwards.
"Yes," Lapel said, raising an eyebrow. "Were you hoping for more?"
"I have other friends that I'm sure would have loved to come," Rarity replied. "But if it's not to be, it's not to be."
"Well, anyway, since you're going on stage tonight, Chantilly and I expect you to look your best—not that you'd have to try that hard."
Rarity tittered. "Careful, Lapel, your wife might think you're flirting with me."
"I think my wife flirts with you more than I do," Lapel chuckled. "But seriously, if you feel the need to freshen up and change at all, the designers have all been given their own private dressing rooms." He gestured over towards a second set of rooms on the other side of the backstage area. "You've got plenty of time before the show starts."
"Oh, I don't think I'll take too long," Rarity said as she sashayed her way towards the dressing rooms. "After all, I'm already fabulous."
*****
When Rarity said that she wouldn't take long, that was naturally mare-code for, "I'll be a while, because I have to look perfect." Lapel of course would have taken the hint, being married to a glamorous mare like Chantilly Lace, so naturally Rarity expected not to be bothered unless it was crucial, which would typically mean that Insipid needed something that only Rarity could fix.
At the moment, she'd just finished applying her own makeup, which wasn't anything particularly extravagant, just some dabs of powder and some mascara—adding blush would make her look like she was going on a date or to a party, not appearing as a professional at a fashion showcase. She'd even styled her mane just a little, applying a diamond clasp to keep it in place and really draw attention to her eyes.
All that was left was choosing the dress she was going to wear, which, since this was supposed to be about her showcasing herself for once, naturally meant she simply had to choose one of her own designs. She figured that since Insipid wouldn't be modeling the lacy red number that she'd first designed—it had absolutely been a crowd pleaser, but there was such a thing as overstaying one's welcome—that she could and in fact should wear that.
She stripped off her current dress, a lovely Lovers' Lane original design that Chantilly had recommended to her for day-to-day business, and prepared to slip on the new one, when a knock came at the door.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"It's Lockwood," called a voice from the other side. "I thought I'd drop by and wish you good luck before you go out there tonight."
Rarity smiled. Lockwood was a true gentlecolt down to the core, and had been for the entire time she'd known him. She wasn't in the least bit surprised that he'd managed to smooth-talk his way backstage so that he could give some well-wishes to a friend, but even so, she felt that that must have taken quite some effort. Surely he could have just congratulated her afterwards?
"Just a moment, darling, I'm not decent," she said as she moved towards the changing board opposite from the door. Once safely obscured behind it, she unlocked the door and called back, "Alright, come on in."
Lockwood opened the door and entered into the changing room—she couldn't see him at the moment from behind the board. "Hey, wow, this is a nice little dressing room they've got set up for you. Chantilly said you were gonna be going on stage tonight?" She heard him take a seat on the small divan that was in the corner. "She told me I could find you back here."
"That's right," Rarity said as she started putting on the lace dress. "So I simply had to look my best."
"That shouldn't be too difficult," he chuckled.
Rarity paused midway through dressing, but shook it off, reminding herself that Lockwood was always quick with a flirty compliment. She was used to hearing the same from Chantilly and Lapel—she'd come to understand that the pair flirted with nearly everypony as it was just how they were—but hearing it from Lockwood was a bit different.
"You're too kind, Lockwood," she said as she slipped the dress on and started adjusting the fit around her waist; she'd gotten more tone in her flanks thanks to all the stairs at the apartment. "Are you looking forward to the show?"
"More looking forward to seeing one of these famous 'Rarity Originals' in person. I normally don't do these kinds of things, actually, so I'm not sure what to expect," he admitted. "It's just going to be a bunch of models showing off some dresses for a little while?"
"That's pretty much the definition of a fashion show, yes," she chuckled. "I'd think you'd be more excited at the prospect of seeing a collection of attractive mares in fashionable clothing, strutting their stuff on the runway for all to see. Most stallions would kill to be in your position."
"Literally, I'm sure. I mean, it sounds nice and all, but I'm really just here for you."
She paused again, taking a moment to roll that comment over in her mind. It was absolutely something she'd expect a friend to say, but perhaps not with that exact wording. Maybe something like, "I'm here to support you," or, "I'm here to cheer you on." Those were what she'd expect to hear from her friends. But—
"Well, I guess I'm also here for Lace, Lapel, and Insipid, right? This is a pretty big day for all four of you."
An awkward save. But she shook that off as well, figuring that she was looking too much into it. Lockwood was always quick to compliment her and show his support. He was like that with all of her friends, wasn't he?
Well… no, come to think of it. He was quick to say that Rarity looked beautiful as ever when they saw each other, but she'd never heard him say the same to anypony else. He'd give similar compliments to Insipid when she and Rarity were together, but that was just proper manners.
Regardless, he was here and she was dressed, and she figured she might as well get an opinion on things. She stepped out from behind the changing curtain and saw that he'd actually come dressed for the event, much to her surprise. It wasn't exactly an expensive tuxedo, but it looked good on him, much better than that dreary raincoat he always wore, and without that rumpled old fedora she could actually focus on his lovely eyes for once.
"Well now, just look at you," she said with a little smile. "Don't you look handsome?"
He smiled and adjusted his tie. "Lapel told me that I needed to dress up a bit for the event. I usually only put this thing on when I've got a charity ball to go to."
"I think it makes you look rather dashing, darling," she admitted. "You should wear it more often."
She'd always thought he was handsome. Not exactly her type, but handsome nonetheless, especially in that tux. Why a good-looking stallion like him chose to hide himself behind a stuffy raincoat and fedora just boggled her mind; she'd thought the same thing about Gray once she'd gotten to see the mare in that snug dress the other day.
"Well, thank you," he said. "That means a lot coming from somepony with your taste in fashion."
Rarity then posed a little to display her dress. "Well? How do I look?"
He nodded appreciatively. "You look stunning in that dress, Rarity, and that diamond clasp really brings out your eyes. Simply breathtaking. I'm surprised Lace and Lapel didn't ask you to model for them."
Rarity's cheeks reddened.
Stunning. Breathtaking. She found herself sincerely hung up on those words. Until this very moment, she'd not realized that he had in fact been paying her a special kind of attention, and chastised herself for not noticing it sooner. But, it was better late than never, she figured.
She twirled herself in the dress a bit, causing the light reflecting off of the ruby dust to reflect all across the room. "You really think so, darling? That I should be a model?"
He nodded again; there was definitely a bit of red in his cheeks. "Oh, absolutely. That sounds like something you'd really enjoy: designing, making, and modeling your own dresses? You are the whole package. That'd probably be a first for the industry, right?"
"It certainly might be," she said as she moved a bit closer to him, blushing again as he continued to push her buttons. "Yes, that does sound like it would be marvelous. I'll have to consider that for when we return home."
She noticed that he wasn't quite sitting up straight in his seat, but hunched over just slightly, like he was nervous. That pretty much settled it. She knew she was going home in less than a week if Winter's estimates were right. Damn it all if she didn't indulge herself with a little fling.
Showtime wasn't for about an hour from now. That would be more than enough time.
"Lockwood, dear, why don't you lean back and get comfortable? That divan is simply divine," she said, laughing at her own little joke. "And I won't have a gentlecolt like yourself slumped over like he's ready to collapse, not in my dressing room."
He seemed to realize that he was, in fact, slouching, and so he leaned back onto the rear cushions, scooting against them with a little smile on his face. "Ooh, you're right, this is nice. I should get one of these for my place."
"Comfortable now?"
"Very much so, yes."
She took a seat next to him on the divan so that he was between her and the corner. In this current position, a glance down gave her a view of a portion of his cutie mark, enough to see that it appeared to be an umbrella. She'd never seen it before, since it was usually hidden under his raincoat, and for a moment wondered what it represented.
Then she recalled how cutie mark visibility seemed to be subject to interesting rules: seeing the whole thing or not seeing it was perfectly acceptable. Seeing it partially, however, was seen as provocative, alluring. He couldn't be more suggestive about his intentions if he tried.
"I should thank you again for everything you've done to make this possible," she said, adjusting her dress in such a way that her entire leg was exposed. "There aren't many ponies out there that would put themselves out so readily for a stranger."
"I think you've thanked me quite enough, Rarity," he replied with a smile. "Just seeing you happy with the results is all I need." He seemed to notice her leg and the way she delicately traced her hoof along it, and quickly averted his gaze. "Is it… is it getting hot in here?"
"You really know how to make a lady feel special," she said, leaning against him slightly and biting her lip. "I wish there was something I could do…"
He didn't shy away whatsoever—if anything he leaned against her in turn—which was good enough of a sign for her that she could continue, and so she did. She placed her hooves on both of his shoulders so that they were face-to-face. She took the look in his eyes as him being nervous that she was making the first move.
"Oh, uh, what's the matter?" he asked, his wings flaring out a bit. "Is there something on my face?"
"Not yet," she said as she used her magic to lock the door.
She pushed him back onto the divan, which was rather easy because, even though she wasn't particularly strong, he was far from being a peak physical specimen himself. She then leaned up to his ear and whispered, "It's alright, darling. Just relax, and let Rarity take care of everything."
"I, uh… I th-think—"
She lifted herself up to straddle him; she could feel that he was excited. "Do you want me, Lockwood?" she asked as she pressed her hoof to his chest. "You don't have to pretend to be shy anymore. I can tell that you do, you wonderful little flirt."
He tensed up when her other hoof caressed his flared wing. "Wh-whoa, I think you've g-got the wrong idea."
"I meant what I said earlier: you look rather dashing in that tuxedo. But now I can't help but wonder…" She pressed her nose against his. "Let's stop beating around the bush, hmm? We're both attractive ponies who are clearly attracted to one another. There's nothing wrong with a little… fun, between friends."
He was breathing heavily, much as she was. She knew he wanted this. She could see it in those gorgeous eyes, feel it in the way his hooves slowly wrapped around her and caressed her back. He looked so anxious and vulnerable, and yet excited at the same time.
She closed her eyes and moved to kiss him, and saw him doing the same as she did.
Then: "Rarity," he blurted just as she pressed her lips to his. "We can't."
She froze up, and pulled back from him, perplexed by his expression; his eyes were no longer excited, but fearful and confused. "Darling? Is everything alright?"
"I, n-no, it's not. I think there's been… a horrible misunderstanding," he said, holding one hoof up between them so that she couldn't move any further, as if he was worried she might force herself on him.
Rarity frowned; all of the wonderful little thoughts in her head deflated in an instant. "Oh. I… I see." She slid away from him slowly, not really sure what to think; what had she done wrong? "Forgive me, I may have come on too strong. You're looking to take it slow—"
"What? No, that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" she asked, narrowing her eyes, confusion giving way to anger. "You're obviously attracted to me; I am well-acquainted with how pegasi and stallions display their arousal. Or have you just been leading me on with your flirting all this time?"
He shook his head quickly. "You're a very attractive mare, Rarity, absolutely, but I… what gave you the idea that I've been flirting with you?"
Rarity blinked. "Is this a joke? Why, all of the compliments you've given me over the past couple of weeks. Especially tonight, where you seemingly pulled out all the stops."
"I compliment ponies all the time!" he blurted.
"Not the way you've done for me! You said that I looked 'stunning' and 'breathtaking'," she said, gesturing down at herself. "Or was that a lie?"
"No, you do look stunning, and breathtaking," he said, his eyes darting down her form briefly; he seemed embarrassed that he did, "but—"
"See? That is a flirtatious compliment, and a very strong one at that."
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
She sighed. "Darling, when a stallion compliments a mare on her looks, the words they use are often an indicator of how they feel. If you were to say I looked 'pretty' or 'great'—or, heaven forbid, 'nice'—then I would say that we're merely acquaintances at best and that you were just being polite. 'Lovely' and 'amazing' are much stronger words, things I would expect from friends and family.
"You, however, used the words 'stunning' and 'breathtaking'. Those go right up there with 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful' in terms of impact—other words that you've used, I remind you—and they all suggest that there is definitely physical attraction there."
He blinked, stunned. "So, because of the words I used to describe you, you thought I was flirting with you?"
"Naturally. That and all of the other little compliments sprinkled here and there that clearly indicated that you felt the need to say them when others would not, along with the way in which you said them. I could give you a complete rundown of just this evening alone, if you'd like, but it's been going on for a while now."
He seemed rather mollified by the information. "I… I had no idea. I was just being nice to a pony I considered a friend." He shook his head. "I'm sorry if I was sending mixed signals. I didn't even realize I was doing it."
Rarity laughed at that. "I believe this might be the first time in history that a stallion has ever had to say that to a mare." Then, she sighed. "I'm sorry I got a little, um… forward. Thank you for stopping me before I did something we'd both regret. Can you ever forgive me, Lockwood?"
He smiled. "Of course I can. What are friends for? This was just a misunderstanding, that's all."
"Thank you."
A thought came to Rarity's mind: he hadn't denied being attracted to her, and he was definitely aroused when she'd made her move. No, she hadn't misread that much; he did want her, at least subconsciously, but had consciously fought against it. Now, either he was an idiot that didn't want to indulge despite it being entirely mutual, or… there was somepony else.
That was too juicy to pass up, and Rarity just couldn't help herself.
"So, who is she?" she asked, rising from the divan to go and touch up her makeup.
"Who is who?" he asked, straightening his tux.
"The other mare, of course," she said, completely nonchalant.
He paused, long enough that Rarity noticed. "What are you talking about? What 'other mare'?"
"Don't play coy with me, Lockwood," she said, focused on fixing her mascara in the mirror. "We're far past that. Based on the way your wings are still splayed out like a horny colt, you were just as aroused as I was."
She had no trouble admitting that to him whatsoever; if he hadn't stopped her, she'd been more than prepared to change dresses before going on stage.
"If there wasn't another mare, I'm certain that you would've let things continue."
"No, I would never take advantage—" he said, trying to force his wings back down.
"Then I would think you more idiotic than chivalrous," she said bluntly. "There's a big difference between taking advantage of me and just being a nitwit, and you'd be a true nitwit to suggest you were taking advantage of me when we're both sober, clear-headed, and obviously have a mutual attraction to one another, not to mention that I initiated things."
That gave him pause.
"Don't lie to me, Lockwood: you find me attractive, don't you? And I don't mean in just a casual sense; there's a part of you that wants me." Her eyes darted—briefly—towards his crotch.
Lockwood gulped, then nodded slightly. "I find you… very attractive, Rarity, and I'd definitely be lying if I said anything otherwise."
"Then there is obviously a reason that you resisted, and that can only mean that you have somepony else that you're loyal to. Is that true?"
He closed his eyes and nodded again, but said nothing.
"Then that is all I need to know. Again, I apologize for my actions. Had I known you had a special somepony out there, I would never have given any of your comments a second thought. You've just… cultivated this image of an eligible bachelor around yourself exceedingly well, so naturally I had different assumptions about your intentions."
"Don't tell anypony about it, please?"
"Hmm?"
"About the fact that there's somepony else," he said, giving her a pleading look that she'd never seen him with before. "Nopony can know. Please, promise me."
Rarity wasn't sure what to make of that; what sort of mare was he involved with that he wanted to keep it a secret? Still, she nodded. "I won't say a word to anypony. Cross my heart and hope to fly," she said, starting the motions, "stick a cupcake in my eye. I Pinkie Promise, and nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise."
"Thank you."
"I assume that we can say the same about our little… misunderstanding?"
"Naturally."
"Good." She paused briefly, then said, "Would you mind if I asked about her?"
He hesitated. "I… can't give you any details, really."
"Just a few things, darling. Is she… gone?"
Lockwood thought that over for a moment, then shook his head. "She's not here in the city."
"Ah. I recall you mentioning when we first met that you were saving up to leave one day. It's for her, isn't it?"
He nodded.
"And that must be hard for you, because of Flathoof and his family. They're your family too." By now, Flathoof had shared that tidbit with everypony. "She must be truly special to cause you such a dilemma."
"She is." Lockwood sighed and buried his face in his hooves.
"Then she's lucky to have somepony so dedicated to her as you are."
"No… I'm the lucky one."
After another long pause, Rarity cleared her throat. "Well!" she said, her smile returning, "I believe you have delivered your well wishes, so perhaps it would be a good idea to take your seat out there and get ready for the show? I still have to get myself ready and ensure Insipid is put-together."
He smiled and nodded, getting up off the divan to head for the door, though perhaps a little too quickly. "Yeah, sounds good to me. Good luck out there, Rarity. I'm sure you'll knock them flat," he said with a confident grin.
"Thank you, darling. For everything."
*****
Once Rarity had changed, fixed her mane and makeup, and finished thoroughly chastising herself for her embarrassing faux pas, she made her way out from her dressing room and to the rest of the backstage area. She was amazed how quickly the crew had been working when she chanced a glance out at the runway, as they'd gotten the entire seating area set up for the audience, the lights and decorations were in place, and ushers were already bringing ponies to their seats.
She saw Lockwood out there being taken to his seat near the back, and knew that unless she waltzed out on stage he couldn't possibly see her, but figured it would be best if she didn't try to get his attention anyway. Best to let things cool down a bit; she desperately wanted to get home and take a cold shower as soon as possible, and knew he did too.
Rarity knew her priority now was making sure Insipid was ready to go out there and strut her stuff. Tonight's show was no longer about "competition" as the others had been thus far, but about showmanship and celebration; the designers and their models were all officially signed to their labels now, not just on trial runs, so unless there were some major issues, tonight was just supposed to be about fun.
She found Insipid at the dressing and makeup station in the backstage area, rather than her own dressing room; a quick look at the schedule had said that Insipid was supposed to be going on the runway first, so she was in what was essentially the primary battlestation for the entire event.
Insipid looked absolutely marvelous at the moment. Her mane had been styled in a set of lovely, sleek curls with a shiny silver tiara to cap it off. She was currently starting off the show with one of Rarity's dresses, a white lace number with an exposed back that clung tight to Insipid's curves, and flowed all the way off of her backside like a fishtail; Rarity had been inspired by the legends of sea ponies back home. The lace itself was trimmed with pearls.
Rarity approached and gave Insipid a little grin. "My my, darling, that dress looks positively magnificent on you. I mean, we knew it would, but I must say I was not expecting such results."
Insipid beamed and, with her magic, waved the little silk fan she'd been given to complete the image. "Eee! I love it! I can't wait to go out there! This is so exciting! We're official! Woo!"
Rarity wanted so badly to hug and congratulate her friend, but that would mess up Insipid's dress and makeup and that was obviously ill-advised. So she resorted to just taking hold of Insipid's hoof and widening her smile. "I'm so proud of you. You've come such a long way in such a short time. I just knew you had it in you."
"It's, like, a dream come true," Insipid said, smoothing out the dress. "I've wanted to be a model for as long as I can remember… and it's finally here. I did it." With a look towards Rarity, she added, "We did it. Right?"
"We certainly are a wonderful team, aren't we?"
One of the production assistants, a pegasus mare with a clipboard, came over and announced to the pair, "Thirty minutes to showtime, ladies. Start making any final adjustments and changes you need."
"Thank you," Rarity replied. She then turned to Insipid and patted her hoof. "Alright, darling, let's go over your routine one more time, hmm?"
Insipid took a breath. "Yeah. Okay, so, like, with this first dress, I'm gonna, like, use the fan and be all… uh, 'coy', I think you said?"
"That's right. Use it to hide your lower face, so that the audience can only see those beautiful eyes of yours. That way, when you make your turns out there, you can shift the fan around to give them just a glimpse of the rest, to leave them wanting more."
"Right. Okay, and like, I've gotta work my tushie so that the pearls on the tail catch the light and junk?"
"Absolutely. It draws attention to your curves and really makes the dress pop." Rarity grinned. "You've got this, darling."
"Hmph, the only thing she's got is a weight problem," came a disdainful, nasally feminine voice from nearby.
Rarity and Insipid turned to see an off-white pegasus mare standing nearby. She had a two-tone blue mane that was cropped so that it surrounded her face. She wore a black dress suit that clung to her thin frame, plus a pair of much-too-big sunglasses. She had one of those long cigarette holders as well.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that," Rarity said, though she was pretty certain that she'd heard just fine.
"This one here," the mare said, gesturing dismissively towards Insipid with her cigarette. "She is much too big to be a proper fashion model."
Rarity held in her desire to vehemently argue the point, at least for now. "And just who are you, exactly, that feels they can critique my model's figure?"
"Chiffon Silk," the mare said, taking a hit from her cigarette. "You had best learn it quickly, honey, because I am the top name in fashion in this city."
Rarity recognized the name alright. She was an avant garde designer that represented OFF Brand, a rival of Lovers' Lane as far as Rarity knew, and one that Chantilly had said was a top-notch… well, Rarity hesitated to repeat the term, as it was woefully unladylike and rhymed with stunt.
She'd never met the mare in person since she never came to the shows themselves it seemed, but she was required to be here tonight to present her brand's new designer and model. Rarity had expected someone with a little bit of class given the name and the reputation of the brand, but nopony was perfect.
Insipid looked between Chiffon and Rarity, clearly confused by the discussion. "Um, did she, like, just say I'm fat or something?"
Chiffon casually brushed her mane out of her face. "You have the figure of a moose, dear, that is what I'm saying."
"…is a moose fat?"
"Yes, quite fat indeed. Perhaps we should go on a safari, because it would seem you have an entire animal kingdom in there," Chiffon said, looking to Rarity. "The figure of a moose, and the brain of an ant. How this 'model' of yours manages to even remember to breathe is beyond me."
Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Miss Silk, if you don't mind, we have a show to put on. Would you kindly leave us be?"
"I think not, Miss Rarity," the other mare replied, blowing a puff of smoke to the side. "I do not know what Lace and Lapel are getting at, but they insult the very industry by letting this… creature dare to put on that rag you call a dress. I wish I had come to an earlier show; I might have talked some sense into them."
"The entire point of this showcase was to put new talent on display—"
"And the purpose of the circus is to put freaks on display, and that is where this creature belongs." Chiffon sneered at Insipid. "She is an insult to models everywhere. Besides that, look at her face. Her teeth are crooked. It would explain why she always keeps her mouth shut in all the photographs."
"Miss Silk—" Rarity hissed.
"Not to mention her garish technique on the runway. A runway model does not sashay their rumps about like some sort of two-bit whore from the Mid-West District." She then leered at Rarity. "But then, perhaps that's how she got the job in the first place?"
"You had better not be implying what I think you are," Rarity said through clenched teeth.
"I have heard rumors that Lace and Lapel were quite hooves-on with one of their models lately, but until I saw this beast I didn't think it held any water. There's no way Lover's Lane would hire such a creature unless she was working harder beneath Lapel's desk than she does on the runway."
"How dare you," Rarity seethed. "Of all the unsubstantiated—"
Her train of thought stopped when Insipid leapt out of the makeup chair and went running towards the dressing rooms, practically bawling.
"Insipid!" Rarity called, moving to chase after her.
"I take back what I said about the moose," Chiffon said, taking another puff. "With the way she squeals, perhaps a pig is more apt."
Something inside Rarity snapped. She wheeled on Chiffon and got right up in the other mare's face. "You absolutely despicable mare! You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Chiffon backed up slightly, but didn't back down. "Ah, yes, Miss Rarity, right? I thought that Lace and Lapel hired a fashion designer, not a foalsitter. Though your dresses look as though they were designed by—"
"Oh, shut up," Rarity huffed. "You can disparage my dresses all you want, you contemptible cow, but how dare you insult my friend? How dare you suggest that she has been anything less than an honest mare putting her heart and soul in her career! You and your… freakshow fashions that no self-respecting pony would ever wear!"
"It's called avant garde, darling, and it's art," Chiffon snorted.
"It's ridiculous. Everything of yours that I've seen has looked like a walking junkyard. No wonder the fashion magazines only give you paltry blurbs near the end. You wouldn't know fashion if it came up and slapped you right in the face, and if I weren't a lady, I would damn well do it myself."
"Are you threatening me?" Chiffon asked, taking another step back; Rarity hadn't realized she'd been advancing on the mare this entire time and backing her into a wall.
"A lady doesn't start fights, dear, she finishes them, and you are no lady. You are just a miserable, jealous, hideous, deplorable, loathsome creature that doesn't even deserve to share the same air as that wonderful young mare," Rarity said, gesturing towards where Insipid had run off. "I hope you're proud of yourself, you witch. Oh! And one more thing."
She lit up her horn and extinguished Chiffon's cigarette.
"No smoking backstage near all of the dresses. Have some class."
With that, Rarity turned and stormed off to go find Insipid, leaving Chiffon—and a bunch of witnesses in the form of staff members and other models and designers—to just get out of her way.
She wasn't sure what Chantilly and Lapel were thinking, inviting that cretinous mare to the showcase. In fact, she was beginning to think she hadn't been invited, and probably just snuck in to try and start trouble with the other labels' models and designers. Insipid just happened to be the first target.
It didn't take long at all to find Insipid, who was busy crying up a storm in her dressing room.
Rarity tepidly knocked on the door. "Insipid? Darling?"
"Go away!" called Insipid in between sobs.
"Darling, it's me, Rarity. May I come in?"
"Leave me alone!"
That wouldn't do. Rarity knew she had to console her, and couldn't very well do that from out here.
"Dear, I'm coming in, alright? I just want to talk."
Insipid sniffed loudly, but didn't otherwise respond.
Rarity cautiously opened the door and found Insipid curled up on her divan, sobbing away with her back to the room. Just seeing the poor mare like this made Rarity's heart ache; Insipid didn't deserve anything that had just happened, not by any means. She shut the door behind her and sat on the divan in the space that was available, then put her hoof on Insipid's side.
"Darling… I'm here for you, if you want to talk…" she said quietly.
"She… she… she called me ugly…" Insipid sniffed, wiping her nose on her hoof. "She called me ugly and fat and… and stupid and… and she said that I did things that I didn't…"
"I know, I know," Rarity cooed, rubbing Insipid's side gently. "That horrible mare said some very nasty things."
"You told me never to do those kinds of things with anypony to get ahead. You told me, and so I didn't do them, so why would she say that I did?"
Rarity shook her head. "Because she is an awful pony, darling. There are lots of awful ponies like her out there that say the things that they do because they're miserable themselves, and they just want to bring others down with them. They can't stand the sight of other ponies' success, and that's what you are, my dear: successful."
"No I'm not…" Insipid groaned. "I'm only here because of your dresses…"
"Oh… oh no, darling, that isn't true at all. Without you wearing them, these dresses are just fabric. They need somepony to wear them in order to give them life. That's what you do: you give my dresses life."
"That's not true. I heard Mister Lapel say that they were going to have you model them. They should've. You'd have been a better model…"
Rarity felt her heart sink. Lapel had said that on the day they'd all first met, but it had been in jest somewhat, a harmless flirt in front of his wife because that was what they did. Even if he'd meant it, Rarity would never have actually accepted it, not after seeing Insipid's heartfelt attempts.
"He did… but that's because he didn't see what I saw in you at first. You are a diamond in the rough, darling. We chose you to be our model, and look at what you've done with that! You're here! The big, final showcase! You made it, Insipid. You. It was you out there on the runway, you posing for pictures."
Insipid sniffed again, and lifted her head up to look at Rarity; the poor dear's mascara was running all over her face. "You… you mean it…?"
"Of course I do."
Insipid sat up, wiping her nose again. "You don't think I'm ugly?"
Rarity pulled Insipid in for a loving hug. "No, never." She helped Insipid hold her head up to look in the mirror opposite the divan. "Look at you, darling. You're beautiful. Anypony that says otherwise is either blind or horribly misguided."
Insipid sniffed again, then gave Rarity a little smile. "And you don't think I'm fat?"
"You and I have practically the same figure, dear. If you're fat, then so am I. You don't think I'm fat, do you?"
"No…"
"Then there you go. Those other models out there, they have those slender frames because that's what they think they need to succeed, and it's dreadfully unhealthy, not to mention that it sends the wrong message to fillies and mares everywhere about the kind of figure they're supposed to have to be beautiful."
"I don't want to send a wrong message…"
"Of course not. See?" Rarity tightened the hug and grinned. "I'd bet that with the success you've shown out there, there are bound to be more aspiring models out there who look just like you. You can be an inspiration to them."
Insipid's smile widened a bit more. "That sounds nice…" She turned to Rarity again. "And you don't think I'm stupid?"
Rarity shook her head. "No, I don't. You sometimes have trouble understanding things that are too complicated, but you always learn eventually."
Insipid nodded, but her smile faltered a little. "My sisters say that I'm slow…"
"Everypony learns at a different pace, you know? Even if you're a little slower than others, you still put your heart and soul into everything you do, and there's nothing stupid about that."
Insipid's smile returned, and she hugged Rarity tight. "Thanks, Rarity. I mean it. You're my best friend in the whole world."
Rarity returned it, rubbing the back of Insipid's head. "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah. Lots."
"I won't make you go out on the runway after all this, darling—"
Insipid abruptly stood up. "No. I'm going out there. I don't care what that jerk said, I'm gonna do it anyway." She turned to Rarity. "And do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I want to."
Rarity smirked, and rose to her hooves as well. "Wonderful. Let's get you back to makeup. We have an audience to impress, and a mare to knock down a peg or two."
*****
Insipid and Rarity walked up the stairs of the Southeast Point, stopping when they reached Insipid's apartment on the seventy-fourth floor. They had both changed out of their fancy dresses from the fashion show and put on their more casual—but still super pretty—clothes. The two laughed and smiled for the entire trip from the studio all the way home and all the way up to the door.
They'd also come with Lockwood, but they had dropped him off at his apartment downstairs first. Insipid didn't know why he and Rarity were acting weird tonight, but they had shared a few whispers earlier that she couldn't hear, so whatever it was it had to be a secret between two friends, which was perfectly okay because Insipid knew secrets about Rarity, too, like how she liked mint ice cream more than strawberry. Maybe she was telling that to Lockwood?
"Well, darling, this has certainly been a wonderful evening, hasn't it?" Rarity asked when they got to Insipid's apartment door.
"Yeah! I had, like, the best time ever!" Insipid said with a bright smile. "We totally showed that mean old bat who's boss! Cha!"
Rarity patted Insipid's head. "We absolutely did. She'll think twice before trying to insult the top model in the industry again, won't she?"
"Yeah, or maybe, like, three times? 'Cause that's more than twice, and that means she's really thinking about it."
"Indeed, perhaps she will think thrice." Rarity pulled Insipid in for a hug, which Insipid returned. "Just remember what I said, dear. You're beautiful on the inside and out, and nopony should ever make you feel like anything less."
"Thanks Rarity, I will. I promise."
"Good. Now, I'll leave you to your sisters for the evening, alright? We'll meet for a little brunch tomorrow."
"Yay! Brunch! It's like fancy breakfast," Insipid said, remembering how Rarity had explained it.
Rarity smiled and laughed. "Exactly. Good night, darling. Be sure to get your beauty sleep now."
"Night!"
As Rarity went up the stairs towards her own apartment, Insipid unlocked the door to hers and headed on inside. She found Gray napping on the sofa, as usual, though this late she might really be sleeping, not napping. Velvet sat in the comfortable chair in the living room near the couch, watching something on TV while eating Dolor-brand ice cream. Not as good as the real thing, but good enough for Velvet.
"Hey, sis," Velvet said, not turning her head; she knew who it would be, duh. "How was your fashion show?"
Insipid gave a happy sigh. "It was great! Lace and Lapel are, like, so cool. I'm totally official now! Cha!"
Velvet tilted her head and gave a little smile. "Well hey, good for you, sis. I'm proud of you." She pointed towards the fridge. "Oh hey, if you want something to eat, there's some leftovers in the fridge. You ate dinner already, right? I mean, you're not skipping meals or anything?"
"Pshaw, no way," Insipid said, walking to the fridge and opening it up. "Rarity told me that only, like, those other models skip meals. I have to maintain a ladies figure and, like, that means curves."
"Hell yeah, sis, you show those matchsticks who's boss."
Insipid blinked. "Matchsticks? Huh?"
"Nothing, nevermind." Velvet smiled and lifted her legs up a bit. "Say, do you think maybe I could be a model? I've got the figure for it like you do."
Insipid hummed and looked over Velvet from a distance, then shrugged. "I dunno. You'd have to ask Rarity for, like, a real answer. I think once she said you look like you'd be better for, like, other magazines, whatever that means."
Velvet raised an eyebrow and cracked a grin. "Oh ho ho, really now? Hmm…"
Insipid then finally looked into the fridge and recognized the leftovers as: "Ooh! Lasagna!" She helped herself to a good-sized serving, put it on a plate, closed up the fridge—she had to remember that step because Gray got mad when she didn't—then sat on the couch next to Gray. "What're we watching?"
The show on the TV was what looked like a movie of some kind. Insipid didn't really get movies, at least the kinds that her sisters liked to watch.
Gray liked watching movies with mysteries and drama these past few days, but Insipid didn't know if she'd ever watched something different before that. Velvet, though, was always watching these weird movies where stallions and mares would wrestle each other naked, but was always quick to change the channel when she knew Insipid or Gray were there, so Insipid figured she liked sports.
The movie she was watching now also looked like some kind of sports flick, but not the same kind. A big, hunky stallion boxer was going up against another big, hunky stallion boxer.
"A sports flick," Velvet answered; Insipid had been right, of course. Boxing was a sport, so this was a sports movie. Duh, even Insipid knew that.
"Ooh," Insipid cooed as she watched the two actors pretending to hit each other so well that it looked like they really were, but they weren't, because it was a movie, right? "What's it about?"
"I dunno, but I can't look away," Velvet said with a mouth full of ice cream.
Insipid just quietly watched the movie with her sister for a few minutes, eating her lasagna while trying to figure out what was going on in the movie as best as she could. She could tell that one of the two boxers was smaller than the other, and that the movie was paying more attention to him for some reason, like it was rooting for him. But didn't the bigger, stronger boxer always win in these things? That's how sports worked, right?
Gray stirred next to Insipid and lifted her head. "Oh. Hey. You're home," she said, still half-asleep. "How was the show?"
"Great!" Insipid said back with a smile. "I'm a real fashion model now! The big time! Rarity says, like, that I have something called a 'career' now. Isn't that great?"
Gray blinked away her sleep and yawned, though she still wasn't fully awake. "It's still so weird that of the three of us, you're the one with a real job."
"I know, right?" Velvet agreed. "But hey, that's how Daddy wanted things to go. I think it's a good thing, don't you?"
"Mmph. Yeah. Teaches her some responsibility, I guess."
Insipid beamed, sticking her nose in the air. "That's right. I'm, like, responstable now. That should mean that I'm in charge. Cha!"
Gray paused, then shook her head and glanced at the TV. "What're you even watching?" she asked Velvet.
"A sports flick," Velvet answered. "I missed the first half so I'm not sure what it's about, really, but whatever, I'm not watching it for the plot." She pointed at the screen and grinned. "Check out the muscles on these two hunks, yeah? What I wouldn't give to be the filling in that sandwich."
"Gross."
"You can't be a sandwich with those guys, Red!" Insipid huffed, shaking her head. "They're not, like, bread, or whatever?"
Velvet must not have heard Insipid, because she just kept looking at Gray. "Oh, don't you give me that, sis. You and I both know that we're absolutely into the same type of guys. I can tell."
Gray raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Pshaw, sure you do. But it's weird, y'know? I thought for sure you'd be into the type of guy that would just do whatever you wanted, like the kind of guys Havoc's into. I mean, maybe not quite like the guys Havoc's into, because a mare your size? Woof, you'd crush some poor stallion's pelvis."
"What's a pelvis?" Insipid asked, mouthful of lasagna.
Neither sister answered, too involved in this two-way conversation it looked like.
"I really have no idea what you're talking about," Gray said, laying her head back down. "I don't have the time or effort to spend on stallions like you do."
Velvet rolled her eyes. "Heh, I make time for stallions, sis. The only thing keeping me from doing the mattress mambo with some stud right now is you and your stupid 'no guys over' rule. It really isn't fair, y'know?"
She always brought that rule of Gray's up and complained about it, almost nightly. Insipid didn't understand the rule at all, and at first had thought it unfair that she had to listen to a rule she didn't understand and had complained about it too. Gray told her that the rule wasn't for her to worry about and that she shouldn't care about it because it was stupid. So Insipid didn't care about it anymore, because she didn't care about stupid things.
"I'm still not changing it, so stop asking," Gray said. "I already do your laundry for you, I don't need to be cleaning up… that too. Bad enough when you get it on your clothes."
Velvet smirked and leaned back in her seat. "I bet you'd change the rule if you had a guy you wanted to bring over."
"Well, I don't, so no, I wouldn't."
"Are you suuure?"
Gray sharply lifted her head up, glaring at Velvet. "Yes, I'm sure. Not everypony's a nymphomaniac like you are, Red. Not everypony has guys on their mind all the time."
Insipid didn't know what a "nymphomaniac" was, but Gray called Velvet that a lot. If it was a mean or bad thing, either Velvet didn't know it was or she did a good job at hiding being hurt by it. So obviously it wasn't a bad thing, because Velvet had said nothing could hurt her and Gray would never say something mean.
But why did Gray act like it was a bad thing? Maybe Gray didn't know what it meant either and was just using the big word to sound like Dawn, because Dawn was super smart and knew all sorts of words that made Insipid's head hurt. Obviously that was it, duh. Everypony should want to be a total smartypants like Dawn was. Insipid did. It was just really hard.
"First, of all, I don't have stallions on the brain all the time," Velvet said back, her smirk still on her lips. "Just most of the time; in fact, I haven't even gotten laid in a couple of days now; I've got more important things on my mind, like Pinkie's safety. But, you don't have to be like me to have stallons on the brain, especially not if it's a specific stallion."
"Again: no idea what you're talking about," Gray snorted.
Velvet kicked her hindlegs up and got comfortable in the chair. "So there's nothing going on between you and that hunky red stallion with the blond mane?"
Gray raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You mean Flathoof?"
"Yup. Good ol' Captain Flathoof."
"No, there's nothing going on between us. What the hell are you talking about? What gave you that idea?"
Velvet leaned her head back. "Don't play dumb with me, sis. Like I said, I know you're into the same kind of guys I am: big, hunky, and super handsome. Flathoof fills those criteria as well as he fills out that police uniform. Heh heh, rawr."
"You're delusional."
"What, you think he's ugly?"
"No, I don't."
Velvet waggled her eyebrows. "So you think he's handsome?"
"I didn't say that, either, stop trying to put words in my mouth."
"You can't, like, put words in somepony's mouth," Insipid scoffed, shaking her head. "Words aren't, like, food. Unless it's in alphabet soup."
Velvet continued ignoring Insipid, which was a little rude. "Alright, fine, I'll admit defeat," she said, putting her hooves up. "You win: you absotively posilutely do not have a thing for Captain Flathoof, the studly police pony."
Gray nodded. "Right. Good. Now, just shut up and let me get back to sleep." She set her head back onto her pillow and closed her eyes.
"Sooo… I guess you wouldn't mind if I tried to wrangle him, right?" Velvet asked with a huge grin.
Gray's eyes snapped open. "Huh?"
"Well I mean, you don't have a thing for him, so obviously you wouldn't mind if I made a move on him, right?" Velvet's grin was this weird mix of innocent and naughty that Insipid didn't really get. It was weird. "Because like I said: total hunk with junk in the trunk. If you don't want him, I'm happy to score with him myself."
Gray just stared at Velvet for a long moment, then set her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes. "Do what you want."
"I bet if I asked, he'd bring some hoofcuffs. Maybe cuff me to the bed—"
"Whatever."
"Okaaay, if you say so," Velvet answered with a grin and a little sing-song voice. She yawned, stretched her hooves, then got up out of the chair. "Well, I don't know about you, Insipid, but I'm pooped, so I'm gonna get to bed. I've got new material for dreamland tonight."
Insipid nodded and waved goodbye. "Night, sis! Sleep tight!"
"You too." Velvet tilted her head towards Gray. "And you, Gray. Nighty night!"
"Whatever. Good night."
As Velvet headed off to her room and Gray drifted off to sleep on the sofa, Insipid sat there with only one thought in her mind:
This is some good lasagna.