Rarity, meanwhile, was fretting over her task. She loved making clothes and would have been giddy to make some for Prince Alucard, but was now having regrets. ‘The strange creature sure has a temper’, she thought.
Rarity was conflicted over his coldness. To make the clothes, or to not make them? Though, Princess Celestia DID command her to outfit him. That settled it for her right there. She shook her head to rid herself of her doubts and once again consulted his sketches. They were crude, but she easily saw the shapes that would go into the clothing. She had a passing thought about his fashion. Almost every part of his body would be covered when the outfit was finished. Was that normal for his kind?
As the fashionista stared at the paper hard enough to burn a hole in it, she began to get into the swing of things. Just when she was getting out her supplies and pondering what would go with his mane color, the door bell chimed.
“I’m sorry, we’re closed today. If you could come back later, I—“ Rarity finally looked up from her fabrics and looked directly at… legs?
He looked down at her with an unreadable face. Her eyes went to his slightly tangled mane and she was overcome with the urge to grab a brush.
“Lady Rarity, I realized I did not give you a color scheme.” His voice was quiet, and his eyes were raking her boutique. She found it a little rude that he wasn't looking at her while he was talking, but his polite tone made up for it.
“O-Oh! Yes, I was just wondering about that, actually.” She lifted the fabric she holding for him to inspect. His eyes locked onto it, and he strode forward. Rarity was more than a little intimidated by his size, but most of her fear was because of the outburst he had on the train. She had been terrified by his glowing red eyes and his tall form looming over Fluttershy, sharp teeth bared in challenge.
He reached out a hand and smoothed his fingers over the cloth. It felt soft, but it was a little flimsy. He supposed with the ponies’ fur coats, they didn't wear clothes for protection or modesty. It was a purely aesthetic choice. He would have to make do for now. Anything was better than the tatters he was in now.
“Well, what do you think? It's my best!” Rarity said with relish. Alucard looked down into her big eyes filled with pride.
He merely gave a slight sigh and said, “It is soft.” Retracting his hand, he could see disappointment and some confusion over his lack of a response in her face.
“Just soft?” She shoved it at him and gave a slightly strained smile, trying for a better answer, but he dodged without effort. She barely managed to avoid landing in a heap but quickly straightened out, checked her mane, and adopted a dignified stance.
“Ahem. Well then.” She said as she trotted back to her workspace, keeping her nose in the air. But when she turned her head away from him, she was smiling. There was a myriad colors laid out, all bright and lively. Alucard wrinkled his nose a little at them, but quickly adopted a blank expression when the clothier whipped her head toward him.
“I would prefer dark colors. Black, with red or gold accents. The accents aren't as important as the main color, however…” He trailed off, noticing her gaze lingering on his head. “Are you listening, Lady Rarity?”
“Yes, yes. Black, with red or gold. Though I think a robin’s egg blue would better suit your eye color…” She continued to rake her gaze around his head, but avoiding his face.
“May I ask what you are looking at?” He asked a little sharply. She blushed lightly.
“Oh. Well, your hair is a little…” Rarity waved her hoof vaguely. “Let me just fix it!” A brush was whipped out of nowhere and flew at his head. At the same time, she rushed at him and jabbed him in the stomach with her horn. His rump hit a stool that had been thrust under him with the same magical grip she had on her hairbrush.
Alucard felt his dignity seep out of him piece by piece, as he suddenly found himself being primped by a small unicorn. This meeting had taken a turn he wouldn't have expected in his wildest dreams.
“You have a wonderful mane, darling. You should take care of it better. I have all kinds of shampoos and product you can put in it that will make it so it never gets tangled again!”
Alucard could think of nothing to say to her sudden change of attitude. First, she was timid around him. Then, she starts giving him a hairdo? He had no idea that was just how Rarity was around people. Dramatic and always about looking sharp. If there was a bed head around her, the owner better watch out, because she was coming at them armed with combs and straighteners and hair rollers. It didn't matter what she thought of them. She just could not abide a pony not looking their best.
“Tell me, what DO you put in your hair? It's very silky!” She asked him excitedly.
“I used the shampoo in the guest room at the castle.” He replied slowly, baffled that this was actually happening.
“Oh! I have to ask the Princess what she puts in those rooms! Your mane may be tangled, but it is SO smooth! You have great potential, Prince Alucard! P… Prince…”
That’s right, she thought. He was royalty, though where his kingdom was she had no idea. And here she was, Rarity the seamstress, brushing his hair. She quickly finished, and stepped around him. His mane was mostly straight, though white curls framed his pale face. Now that he didn't have a bed head, all she had to fix were his clothes and then he would be a proper Prince.
“Now, why don't we get you out of your tatters! It must be better to be simply naked than were those rags.”
His eyes widened at this. ‘Not even dinner first,’ he thought. When her magic started pulling at his clothes, however, he became a mite more serious.
“Now, Lady Rarity, I do not think—“ He felt his pants slipping and grabbed onto them.
“I assure you, Prince Alucard, you would better off without those. Let me just—“
“On the contrary, I think you will find me much more suitable with them on.” He could feel the already threadbare cloth fraying in his hands as they fought for control of his pants.
“Do not be difficult, it does not befit one of your standing! Please, Prince Aluc—“ She choked off her words when the pants ripped in two. The Prince’s eyes closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.
Rarity’s eyes were the size of dinnerplates. She looked up at his annoyed expression, her red face visible through her fur. “Oh. I can fix that.”