When she is approached by Rarity, Shai Ni smiles in her usual gentle manner and nods.  "Yes, it is.  I was hoping you could help me with something, Miss Rarity,"  Honest and straightforward, as usual, the tiny acupuncturist blushes faintly and asks, "I am going on a 'date' soon, and my reference materials have told me that a mare must wear something special for such an occasion.  All I have to wear, however, are my dresses from home.  I... know little of Equestrian fashion, so I would like help from the expert."

Her choice of words may not be intentional, but the insinuation is still there.  She is not calling Rarity an expert, she is calling her the expert.  Also, upon closer inspection, it appears that Shai's spell to keep out the water didn't quite work flawlessly, as her mane and tail are still a bit damp.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:20, Fri 03 Aug 2012.

Loose Leaf took her bag with a big grin. "Right, almost forgot. Thanks. See you tomorrow Rarity," she said heading out the door. Noticing the new pony, she slipped her a business card. With a commercial grin and wink, Loose Leaf went outside to race the rain and soon-to-be-melting make-up home.

<--- Exit to Residential District: Loose Leaf's Home
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Sat 04 Aug 2012.

"Ooooh~! A date!" Rarity beamed, walking towards the small mare to give her a looking over, "Romance does seem to be in the air lately. I can find no better excuse to pretty up one's self than to impress a handsome colt. You have come to the right place, my dear. Do step inside! I'm sure we'll find something that will have your colt's jaw dropping."

Her mind was already reeling with ideas as she led the gentle unicorn to her showroom where she had just been with Loose Leaf. Though her current line was specifically focused on pegasi, she did have a few dresses which had been modified to suit the other two types of ponies. What Shai undoubtedly needed was something relatively simple, casual, that hinted at more. A soft appearance coupled with the temptation of depth, of beauty.

"Ah-haaah~!" Rarity exclaimed, "This one! You must wear this one on your date, Shai! You must!~"

In front of them both was a rather simple ensemble, but it fit what Rarity had in mind exactly! It was a black dress, held in the front by a delicate little collar with a small violet gem in the center. It hugged the midsection in a rather appealing way before flaring out in the back into a short skirt, just covering the flank. However, under the skirt was a billow of soft frills in a light violet shade that matched the gem in front.

Slightly unsure as to why Rarity assumes she is going on a date with a colt, Shai Ni quietly replies, "He is actually a stallion," but otherwise allows herself to be led around by the fashionista.  When she is shown the dress with the short skirt, Shai blushes a bit.  Somehow, wearing that dress seemed to be more, ah, racy than going without anything at all, and even before she puts it on to try, the small mare has a feeling she will definitely be filling somepony's fantasies if she wears the dress.  Still, the colors will definitely compliment her coat, and it does look rather nice...

Shai Ni walks up to Rarity and looks up at the dress with a faint tinge of red on her cheeks as she asks, "Do... do you think Mister Big Macintosh will like it?"

Rarity smiled a little as she mentioned Big Macintosh. The stallion of everypony's dreams, it seemed. Well, at least the ones in Ponyville, that is. Though she had heard a few things about her former classmate Cheerilee and the rugged stallion of few words, they must have just been a fling, or rumors, or something to that effect.

"I'm sure he will love it!" Rarity smiled, "This is casual, lovely, and yet has that underlying tone of 'Let's Have Fun!' with a touch of class. Not too mention how well that gem will bring out your eyes, my dear. Any Stallion worth his salt would be rather impressed, I would think."

Looking a bit bashful, Shai Ni hooves at the floor with a tiny smile at the appraisal given by Rarity.  She is quite sure the fashionista knows what she is talking about, but there is still something Shai wishes to do before deciding on the dress.

"May I... try it on?"

"Of course!" Rarity nodded, using her magic to lift the mannequin into the air, careful not to let it slip, "We will have to get it fitted a bit to account for your smaller frame, but it should be no trouble whatsoever! You'll fall in love with it once you try it on, I promise."

Leading her over to the center display with the three mirrors, the fashionista got everything prepared, bringing over the necessary supplies with a burst of magic. She had a lovely little collection of pins with cute ends stuck into a pincushion for hemming and making adjustments. Once prepared, she tapped the stage lightly with her hoof.

"If you will step right on up here, please, I'll get to work!"

With a tiny smile, Shai Ni steps out of her slippers and walks up onto the stage where Rarity is suggesting she stand, using her magic to unlace the rather complex bindings for her current dress, which, looking at it, seems deceptively simple at first.  Straightening out the dress with her magic, Shai Ni carefully lays it down smoothly on the ground so it will not crease before taking a deep breath, holding it, letting it out, and no longer blushing.  With a calm, serene expression, she turns to Rarity, her Cutie Mark visible for all to see, and says, "I am ready, Miss Rarity."

"Let's get started!" Rarity beamed, circling the stage a few times to get a good look at Shai, noting her unique cutie mark.

The fashionista wasted no time in getting straight to work. Through a careful series of instructions along the lines of "Lift your hoof, darling" and "Turn towards me a bit," she was able to get the deceptively simple dress onto the tiny acupuncturist. Though it fit well enough, her small frame made it a bit loose around the midsection which simply wouldn't do! Climbing onto the stage, Rarity started to make a few adjustments, pulling, hemming, sewing, puzzling over every last little detail, all the while using her magic to adjust the other unicorn's mane, taking out the little doo-dads, brushing it, and putting it back the way it was.

"That should just about... Ooh! Ought to polish that jewel... Ah-hah!... Do it!" Rarity smiled, walking off the stage with her measuring tape dangled around her neck and her glasses gently resting on her nose, "Take a look, darling! I personally think you pull off that look fabulously."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:06, Thu 09 Aug 2012.

The entire time, Shai Ni wordlessly follows Rarity's requests, lifting her hoof, setting it down, turning this way and that, lifting her chin, lowering her flank, lowering her chin, lifting her flank, and doing a myriad of poses that if she was around certain stallions would have had her blushing deeply.  Since she is alone with Rarity and is simply getting fitted into a dress to try it on, however, there is nothing embarrassing the petite unicorn at all.

When Rarity is finally done, she turns to look at herself in the mirrors and her eyes widen in awe.  She had no idea she could look like that!  And now she is, and she hasn't even done anything to her mane or tail yet.  For several seconds, Rarity gets the praise anyone doing any sort of makeover wishes for the most - speechlessness due to awe - before Shai Ni finally begins to get her mouth moving to speak.

"Jīngrén... amazing.  Miss Rarity, this is simply amazing!"

Rarity tittered a bit with excitement as she watched Shai's silent admiration of her work. Even if this was the third makeover she had done today, which was a personal record, the joy of seeing a costumer completely satisfied with her work never dulled and was always pleasing. Hard work did pay off, after-all!

"Isn't it, though? Oh, look at you!" Rarity beamed, getting back on the stage for a moment with a brush to smooth out her mane and tail, "Almost as if you were made for Equestrian fashion, and I do assure you that this is only the finest this side of Canterlot. Big Macintosh will be absolutely beside himself when he sees you. Oooh!~ You're going to have a marvelous time."

After finishing her brushing, she stepped off the stage to get one more look at her latest make-over project. It was a stunning ensemble, and the way it matched beautifully with Shai's own color palette made the unity absolute perfection.

"You simply -must- wear this one your date, Shai." 

Shai Ni is one of those ponies who doesn't really need makeup to look pretty.  Sure, a bit of blush, eye shadow, eye liner, and lip gloss can help accentuate her natural features, but she doesn't need it (much like Fluttershy that way).  However, she has seen herself dressed in Chineighs finery before, complete with makeup, and she never looked this good.  In fact, Shai Ni is questioning her preference for stallions as she looks at her reflection.

...

Nope.  Still all about the stallions.

As Rarity fixes her mane and tail, Shai continues to stare at her reflection in curious awe.

"Miss Rarity... you have such amazing skill and taste," she says as she turns in place one way, then the other, getting a feel for the dress and seeing how it looks at other angles.  "To remain in Ponyville when you could easily influence the fashion of a metropolis - perhaps even the world - you must truly love the town."

With a very pleasing smile, Shai turns to look directly at Rarity and says, "I will definitely write home about you and your dresses!  My family will feel much happiness when they see how I look."  For something somepony should be terribly excited about, Shai Ni seems rather calm.

"I do notice there is an unfortunate lack of undyed, untreated silk in your shop, however.  Would you like me to request a bolt or two when I write home?"

Well... she had tact for most of the conversation.

"Don't I though? You'd think my cutie mark would be a lovely dress of something, but diamonds are my true passion! Makes for a much better addition to the flank though, wouldn't you say?" Rarity grinned, making one final adjustment to her mane, taking a stray little hair out of place before a blush crept over her cheeks, "The world? Oh, no, no, no... Surely I'm not -that- much of a visionary...! I do have a soft spot for Ponyville, I must admit, though I've always dreamed of living and working in Canterlot! But, alas, I stay close to my roots, for... inspirational purposes, of course. Besides, moving away would take me away from all of my friends..."

She looked over Shai, noting her abnormally calm demeanor with a slightly raised eyebrow, not high enough to appear rude. Was everypony in Chineigh this... calm? It must be a wonderfully peaceful country in that case... No one bouncing about like Pinkie Pie to disturb the peace.

"Ooh, silk you say?" Rarity said, then widened her eyes, "IDEA~! I will gift you that dress, my dear, if you request me some of your gorgeous silk and promise me that we will have lunch so I can hear all about how your date went!"

It was amazing what a difference a single strand of hair makes.  Shai Ni suddenly went from mostly cute to slightly sultry with that single change from Rarity, and she feels... good.  With the practiced ease of a mare who is not afraid to flirt a bit to get her way, Shai takes a pose that pushes her flank out just so as she looks into the mirror with half-closed eyes, pushing the sexy level even higher.  She then takes a slightly different pose while biting her bottom lip, turning the sexy back into cute.  For a pony who has never had time for romance, she is certainly well practiced.  Then again, studying for the possibility will do that.  With a very pleased smile, the Chineighs unicorn turns to Rarity and replies, "It shall be so.  I will write home tomorrow with the request, and then we shall have lunch after the 'date.'"

When she says the word 'date', Shai Ni's excitement begins to show through her normally calm self and she begins to prance with her forelegs, her grin getting bigger.

<-- Entering from Books and Branches Library

The trek to Rarity's boutique from the library wasn't a long one, though it gave the three Ponies a chance to make small-talk on the way.  Twilight was still rather surprised over Widget's behavior... he got all flustered around her, but went about chatting up celebrities and royalty like it was nothing at all.  Part of her was deeply flattered on the case and she couldn't help but remain close at his side the whole trip.  When they reached the boutique, Twilight stopped outside and knocked on the door sharply, though she was quick to magic away the splotch of mud she'd left on Rarity's door -- the fashionista would throw a fit if she saw it.

"Rarity~!  Are you home?" she called through the door, not quite realizing that since Luna was staying there she could just amble on inside.  Politeness was a first reflex.

Rarity couldn't help but watch Shai pose, tilting her head as the mare showed off. She did certainly know how to move, perhaps even rivaling Rarity's own flirtatious movements when she wanted some attention. It was something to admire, especially her smooth transition from sultry to adorable. As a part of her occupation, the fashionista was always appreciative of the beauty of other mares, but could it be a little bit more than that? She shook the thought from her head for the moment.

"Wonderful, darling!" Rarity smiled, noting her excited little prance, "Is there anything else I can do for- Ah! That would be the door. Do excuse me a moment."

Leaving her most recent satisfied costumer for a moment, Rarity held her head up high and gracefully trotted over to the door. A small peek through the window revealed Twilight, Widget, and the Princess! Using her magic, she opened the door to her Boutique.

"Why, Twilight! Widget! What a surprise to see you both. And, Princess! Always a pleasure. Please, do come in, but wipe your hooves off first, if you wouldn't mind," Rarity said, moving back into her shop a bit, "I was just finishing up with a costumer. You know Shai? She looks just lovely in this ensemble I selected for her."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:13, Tue 14 Aug 2012.

The Princess grinned as Rarity welcomed them. Following the others inside, Luna produced the Amethyst gems Spike had provided. "I've got these for you, Miss Rarity. Your friend Spike gave them to me for you - I wasn't sure where to begin looking." she said. "Will these do?"

Shai Ni is about to respond when the others make their entrance.  Of course, she recognizes Twilight Sparkle's voice, and turns with a smile to show off her new look, hoping to get yet another opinion (that will, of course, be "you look amazing", since it's a Rarity Dress and such, and in Shai's mind at the moment, there can be no wrong with a Rarity Dress).  She gets half-way turned when Rarity begins to speak, and upon hearing that Widget is also present, she feels that seeing a stallion's reaction will be even better!

She turns and starts to pose when she realizes that there was another pony present - and greeted by Rarity.

...

Princess Luna.

...

Oh, how quickly one can bow.  In fact, the bow was so sudden, there is a distinct thunk on the stage, and a quick glance shows why.  Shai's horn appears to have... embedded itself into the stage.  And poor Shai Ni recovers from her reflexes (by remembering the words from Princess Celestia that the princesses are ponies, too, and that Shai does not have to bow in their presence) just in time to discover, in front of everyone, that something is wrong.

She suddenly makes a rather... silly display of herself as her flank wiggles about in the air and her hooves slide a bit in place as she tries to do something.  Then her faint voice calls out in embarrassment.

"I'm... stuck..."

<<< FROM: Books and Branches Library

Widget, of course, had no idea how flattered Twilight was that he wasn't flustered by the company of royalty. He was perfectly confident in his abilities to socialize, even if he preferred to be alone than to mingle most of the time, and he had grown up in Canterlot, the son of a famous inventor and a royal guard. High society was not exactly foreign to him, and though it had been several years, he didn't let it intimidate him. It was Twilight who had inspired worry in him -- he cared much more about what she thought of him than what any royal or high society pony did.

"Good evening, Rarity," said Widget in a friendly tone as he obligingly wiped his hooves on the mat and stepped inside after making sure they were clean. He had actually never been to the boutique before. He sufficed his wardrobe with simple and practical vests, and he knew enough to know that 'simple' and 'practical' were practically curse words here.

He looked around thoughtfully for a moment until a loud thunk caught his attention, and he turned to the stage where Shai Ni was standing slumped over, her hair and the dress bunched at her shoulders, and her horn stuck in the ground...

"Oh, my," said Widget in half alarm and half amusement, moving quickly inside to help her. "Don't struggle, you might wedge it in further. We'll get you out of there quick as a flash," he said in as soothing a tone as he could, doing a rather admirable job of hiding his amusement. He looked up at Twilight and at first did nothing. He likely could use magic to morph or cut the wood and free Shai from the floor, but he doubted he could do it as quickly and cleanly and without so many splinters as she could.

"Oh, these will work just perfectly," Rarity smiled, looking over the batch of amethysts that the Princess brought out, "And you said Spike got these? What a talented little dragon my Spikey-Wikey is! Now, did he say whether he found them, or grew them~ MY STAGE!"

Hearing the loud thunk, Rarity instantly turned her head from the collection of gems to her stage at the center of her Boutique where Shai was modeling the dress. What was she doing? The little acupuncturist certainly wasn't clumsy, so why was she slumped forward with her horn imbedded into the wood of the stage?! A dramatic gasp followed by a hasty gallop brought her over to the scene.

"What have you done, Shai? This is~!... Aah! Twilight! Get her out of my stage!" Rarity shrieked, hopping up once before pointing a hoof to where Shai was stuck, "Getheroutgetheroutgetherout! And don't wrinkle the dress! And don't cause anymore damage than what has already been done! Oh, Celestia! My precious stage..."

Luna had been about to answer Rarity even as the fancy mare cut herself short. Luna's gaze joined Rarity's along to Shai Ni, as she'd bent over and stuck her horn into the wood. The princess raised a hoof awkwardly to her lips, glancing at Rarity, with a guilty feeling.  Her horn illuminated gently, and enveloped the acupuncturist gently.

She carefully pulled her up into the air a few inches, and set to righting her position, before putting her down away from the chipping in the floor. "Please... you need not scrape so...  vigorously..." she said, awkwardly... Looking to Rarity, she would follow he rup to the stage to investigate the damage.

Twilight raised a hoof to her mouth at the sight of Shai Ni stuck like that, not sure of what to make of it.  Part of her wanted to laugh because of how ridiculous the acupuncturist looked in such a state, but that part was very promptly dogpiled, bound, and gagged by the more reasonable parts of Twilight's mind.  Luna handled getting Shai Ni unstuck, so the Unicorn focused more on getting Rarity to stop freaking out.

"Rarity, relax... it's just a little damage."  Twilight assured the flustered fashionista with a gentle pat on the shoulder.  Her horn lit with a pale purple glow that shone down on the hole Shai Ni had punched into the stage's boarding.  The wood shimmered and flowed together like liquid, instantly sealing up the damage to leave it good as new.  "There, see?  Nothing a Quick-Fix Spell can't take care of."

Of course, there was the more pressing matter of Shai Ni herself.  Twilight eased over and gave the other Unicorn a soft look.  "You okay Shai?"  she asked.  Knocking one's horn into things stung pretty badly, after all... like hitting your funny bone on a table edge.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:48, Wed 15 Aug 2012.

Despite the pain of her horn getting stuck, then unstuck, Shai's priorities were in a much different subject.  Namely, the damage she had just caused to Rarity's property, and the fact that she had just wiggled her rump in the air in front of so many ponies.  Upon getting to stand up again, she blushes, uses her magic to straighten out the dress once again, and quickly turns to Rarity with an embarrassed, shameful, and guilty expression.

"Duìbùqǐ!" she exclaims, before realizing that nobody will have a clue what she is saying and repeating it in Equestrian.  "Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry!"

Widget was rather shocked at Rarity's reaction to what had happened, though the surprised expression quickly became a rather dark glower in her direction. The Element of Generosity, it seemed, could most certainly be heinously cruel when something she cared about was on the line and never mind another pony's feelings about it... Couldn't she see how embarrassed poor Shai was at what had happened? And all Rarity could do was point at her and wail that her stage would be damaged or dress would be wrinkled??

Until now, Widget had liked all of Twilight's friends. But this little sliver of Rarity's personality had left quite the bad taste in his mouth already. One thing was certain, he wouldn't be getting his suit from her...

He snorted sharply and turned his attention back to Shai, his expression softening as he smiled comfortingly at her. "It's alright, Shai Ni, don't be upset," he soothed. "It was just an accident. They happen. No big deal at all. Look, the stage isn't even scuffed. You aren't hurt, are you?"

Rarity watched quietly after her little episode as Luna lifted Shai from the hole in her stage. Now that the mare was safely out of the stage, the fashionista could see that the damage was rather minimal. Nothing but a little hole in the wood, easily fixed as Twilight had so carefully reminded her as she put her magic to work in fixing it. She paused and looked down to her hooves in a moment of shame. She had a rather large reputation for making mountains out of mole-hills, despite how unladylike that could be at a given moment. Including this one.

However, the dirty look and the snort she received from Widget was also completely uncalled for! Well, perhaps it made sense given her rather selfish reaction, but, still! A gentleman would hold a neutral expression and confront her at a later point, not glare and snort sharply in her direction. And Twilight was dating this person?

"Yes, well... It was just an accident, Shai, and I forgive you," Rarity told her, looking rather humble with her head inclined slightly, "And I'd like to apologize for my outburst. It was very unladylike of me, and I should have checked to see if you were alright first before fussing over some silly old things."