Puttin' on the Glitz (Open, Ponyville. Attn: Glitzen)

[SteelEagle]

Valen Orange was a strange colt with some rather odd desires, but he felt as though he had earned them well. He wasn't pounding others over the head with his oddities and rather enjoyed the work he was doing at Sweet Apple Acres. Physical labor would never be called a sincere strength of his but that didn't stop him from trying his best, as at the very least the demands of a loving family were going to be answered by any respectful colt. And back in his home of Manehattan, he worked hard at school and did what he could to please his parents. Nopony could claim that he was in any fashion rude, impolite, imposing or unreasonable. Therefore if his personal choices did little to harm others, he saw little reason why he could not indulge himself in his free time. And he was doing just that on this sunny day in Ponyville.

His free time was often short, but the orchard work was done and his schedule was free. Celestia knew where the Apples were, but they were far away enough from him for Valen to feel comfortable in his new blue and purple dress. It was a stunning design by Miss Rarity and one that he felt did all the right things. The colours were bold without being garish or displeasing, pleasant and agreeable while carrying the slighest hint of the dressmaker's glamour. The fabric was gently and loose while being formfitting enough to maintain a superb form around him, not riding high on his flank and with a false line in the cut across the withers. It fooled the eyes into adjusting the underlying shape, giving the Colt feminine curves where they did not exist. The ruffles were a clear shout out to Prancien modes of the last century and it was a extremely comfortable piece. He wore it well and few could guess that he was a colt in it- and those view would need the expertise to see through his well-worn and disguised visage or would need to know them. And here in Ponyville, Valen doubted anypony here could do so.

He lowered his designer sunglasses that hung lower than his sun hat, which he wore mostly to hide a slight burn mark on his mane from some hot cider that had been dropped. The Cage offered good food and drink at low prices in the sun, superb for everypony.

[colour=#0000cd]"Waiter, some more water?"[/colour] Valen asked, his voice masked with the air of a well-traveled Manehattan filly. It worked in school; hopefully it worked here too.

[Dubstep]

A blue and orange streak was dashing through the streets that day, a familiar sight to some residents of Ponyville by now, Glitzen Glamour the latest fashion icon to hit the walk of the town was in quite a hurry it seemed, stacks of cloth balanced on one wing while the other was balancing a box of supplies, "Goodness gracious me oh my..." the stallion mumbled to himself as he blew a stray strand of hair from his face, dashing between passersby on his way. He was late to opening up his shop, a travesty in Glitz's mind, depriving ponies from their chance at a good early mane styling, what if someone needed a new mane style for work? Or prom? Or a soiree! What if they needed a new tux or dress! Though they could go to the Carousel Boutique for outfits, he did like having the CHANCE to sell some clothes.
 

Being late was often what happened when the pegasus decided to stay over with his beau, they would stay up late talking on their days off and sleep in and sometimes he could miss whole days of work! It was worth it though. Huffing and puffing, nearly out of breath, Glitzen came to a halt to catch some air, simply wouldn't do to pass out in the street covered in a pile of unfinished fashion would it? Tilting his head back up to the sky, he calmly sucked in the precious oxygen he needed, in with the fabulous air out with the gaudy air. Deciding to save stress and unneeded perspiration, the stallion opted to walk the rest of, what he had originally assumed, was going to be an uneventful walk home.
 

But as he began his trek once more, something, or rather somepony, caught his attention from the corner of his eye. The colour, the design, the stitching! The dress was simple yet elegant in design, and flawless in execution. Opening shop could wait a little longer, he simply had to talk to this pony, they brought the dress to life and beyond that he HAD to find out who made something so pleasing to the eyes. Walking over to the relaxing pony, Glitzen lightly cleared his throat before speaking, "Excuse me darling, I hope I'm not disturbing you but I simply HAD to comment on your dress, it's truly stunning on you, not many could pull the look off." he said with a smile, dipping his head in greetings, righting his wings once more to keep his loads balanced, "Forgive my rudeness, I'm Glitzen Glamour, it's a pleasure~"

[SteelEagle]

Valen wasn't sure yet if there was a real difference in water quality between Ponyville and Manehattan, but he'd believe anypony who claimed there was. The water here seemed thinner and went down easier and faster and the aftertaste was nonexistent while Manehattan's water was- well, it was likely treated and not necessarily unhealthy, but he'd have a tartarus of a time going back to the treated water after something so fresh had been his so fairly. Maybe he was stocking up; that would explain why he had already three glasses and as the waiter came with his fourth, Valen knew there'd be a fifth. Maybe a sixth, bladder dependent. It was a nice and relaxing thought and for the first time since he came to Ponyville, Valen felt in his element.

It was sad that his element was an act, but alas, it was an act he would have to rely on as a surprise pony quickly sauntered on up to Valen. A well-dressed...no, not a mare. A stallion. Looked much like a mare, could pass, but Valen had invested himself through fear in his feminine act enough to know some of the tell tale signs. He moved like a stallion though his natural curves hid some of it. None of this took away from the fact that he could easily pass as a filly. If Valen had not currently been keeping up his own charade, there was a good chance he wouldn't have noticed. It made Valen briefly wonder how many stallions passed as mares and how many mares as stallions, but more importantly, why did he approach Valen?

He got his answer a moment later, this pony named Glitzen being taken in by the dress. Valen couldn't blame him! It felt as fantastic as it looked. If he didn't know better, Valen'd swear that Miss Rarity coated her garments in some sort of contact-induced chemical that made him dizzy with glee. He'd worn a few dresses that felt as good or looked as good but it was a rare breed when it matched. He couldn't talk enough.

[colour=#0033cc]"Thank you very much, kind s- madame,"[/colour] Valen caught himself, assuming this was a kindred spirit trying to pass,[colour=#0033cc] "I do like to believe that I make this dress shine, but in all honesty you must credit Miss Rarity with it's success. It is simply sublime while I am merely an average pony!"[/colour] Valen couldn't pass up the chance to praise Miss Rarity again, and did so with his Manehattan filly accent quite intact! He was proud of it, though he was proud of many things.

Valen returned the bow.

[colour=#0033cc]"A pleasure to meet you, Glitzen. My name is Valencia Orange, from Manehattan."[/colour]

[Dubstep]

Oh of course it was a Rarity design! How could he have missed it! The fabric, unique style of stitching, it all SCREAMED Rarity. Glitzen had yet to meet Rarity himself, but always felt a bit of a kindred spirit there, the drive to be the best in what they did and make whoever they could look fabulous while doing it. He made a mental note to speak with her sometime, maybe they could share tips and tricks about clothes and beauty tips! Oh what a field day that would be!

 

Glitzen couldn't help but to giggle when the pony caught himself, it was rare to see somepony catch themselves the other way around, most times no one ever even caught on. It wasn't so much that he was TRYING to come off as a mare or a stallion, no he was just trying to come off as himself, what other ponies thought of him made little difference to the fashion savvy pegasus, "I should have known from the moment I laid eyes on that dress that it was a Rarity design, she's quite the talk of the fashion circuit after all, her designs are simply to die for!" Glitzen really was quite the fan, "But don't sell yourself short Valencia darling, what is a beautiful dress without someone equally as fabulous to fill it? A pile of cloth! You could make the most gorgeous design the world has ever seen, it could shine with the luminescence of the moon and stars, be as divine as the princesses themselves, but without someone to wear it, it never would fulfill it's purpose!" he said with a flip of his mane and a smile, it was a bit of a melodramatic explanation but it was true when you got down to the brass tacks of it.

[SteelEagle]

This Glitzen had all the energy of a yet to be detonated firecracker in the middle of winter, controlled and pleasant chaos in the middle of a rather boring day. It was highly unusual yet all together enjoyable to have a another fashion-minded pony in such a small town. To make matters even more interesting, this pony passed rather well as a mare, which made Valen question just how much he could glean off of Valen. It reminded Valen of the tight rope act he was currently involved in and while he had little desire to necessarily hide his choice, he was also in no hurry to embrace public awareness like Glitzen had. He was at least a pony with the right energy to put the mind at ease while Valen doubted that beyond the fashion-minded he had any energy worth sharing. But at least he was honest with others about that; farming or high class social gatherings were both busy work and while he tended to them with what was required, he didn't do so with the energy of those who loved the activities.

His compliments were very nice and spoke to an understanding of fashion, though Valen still had to disagree. The model was important but without fine cloth, the model would look average. Beautiful in form, maybe, but in a society that didn't wear clothing naturally, clothes were a symbol. The beautiful filly would look more unattractive in rags than she would without anything at all.

[colour=#0033cc]"This is very true. You may as well just place the dress on a mannequin! But the other side of the bit is that if the filly is wearing rags, she looks lesser than if she wore nothing at all. Clothing makes the pony, the pony makes the fashion statement as it were. But you seem rather knowledgeable of fashion in any context, Madame Glamour. Care to join me?"[/colour] Valen offered and while his voice betrayed confidence at the offer, he was conflicted. He seemed a wonderful guest to have but the risk of discovery grew. Valen could keep his voice up for only so long and if he broke, he would have it known he was lying to the ponies around him as well.

[colour=#800000]"Your water, Miss Orange," [/colour]the waiter returned politely, putting the single glass of water down.

[colour=#0033cc]"Thank you! Madame Glamour, would you like anything to drink?"[/colour] Valen made a motion to the menu which sat opposite, doing so out of reflex even as the thought of the threat of discovery grew in his mind.

[Dubstep]

Glitzen smiled and nodded, it was refreshing to be able to talk to someone who really knew what they were talking about when it came to the topic of fashion, "I suppose I could stop to rest for a little while, my store doesn't have to open for another hour or so!~" he replied after a moment of pondering. Carefully setting down the box of his supplies, and then the stacks of cloth atop it, Glitzen took a seat across from Valencia.

 

"A drink does sound nice...Hmm. Perhaps something to eat as well..." Looking over the menu didn't take long for him, as he had already eaten earlier that day, but felt it would be rude of him to decline such a kind offer from a new friend, eating light would be the way to go then, "Hmm. Well I had a large breakfest, I suppose for now a glass of water and a watercress sandwich would do. Thank you!~" he said to the waiter who bowed with a smile before taking the menu and making his way.

 

Turning back to his conversational companion, Glitzen gave him a smile, "I do hope I'm not imposing on you or anything like that, darling."

[SteelEagle]

Well, that didn't go as well as Valen had wanted it too. The stallion as a mare had accepted his hastily offered and reflexive offer without hesitation, setting up a game of vexing angles that the colt had no desire to engage in. He also doubted his ability to keep up the act for as long as it'd take to pull away from Glitzen, which would have proven highly embarassing should he fail. But he also had enough experience in the social jungle of Equestria to not betray any of his emotions on his face- instead, he smiled pleasantly and waved a well-manicured hoof to the seat that Glitzen took regardless. If only he was as calm on the inside as he was on the outside- truth being, he was freaking out. Kindred spirit or not, he was freaking out.

Glitzen didn't seem to want to focus on eating anything either, a light meal being a poor distraction. But Valen had to be more on point as he was fielding what should have been an innocent inquiry.

[colour=#0066cc]"Of course not! I have no obligations today. A rare day off for somepony of my blood, I assure you!"[/colour] He giggled softly, taking another sip. Now to turn it back around.

[colour=#0066cc]"So, I've only been in town for a short while but I swear that your shop's name is on the tip of my tongue..."[/colour]

[Dubstep]

Glitzen smiled brightly, Valencia sure was a kind pony, allowing someone he had just met to join him for such a quiet peaceful lunch, he simply HAD to return the favour once he had the chance! A rare day off, Glitzen sure knew how that felt, it wasn't that he minded working at the shop, but a day off was grand, perhaps he would be able to write in a nice vacation for himself soon, "Oooh!~ Puttin' on the Glitz, darling! I'm so happy you've heard of it!" he said as he clapped his hooves together excitedly, was news of his little salon spreading already? Oh this was just grand!

 

"I've not lived here too long myself, so it's wonderful to know that the name is getting around so well! It feels like I only opened the shop yesterday, but I suppose it has been a little while hasn't it?" placing a hoof to his chin, the pegasus thought for a moment before lightly shrugging his slender shoulders, "Time just flies right on by, doesn't it?"

 

Being such a small meal, it wasn't long before the waiter returned, laying Mr. Glamour's meal on the table and placing his drink next to it. Dipping his head in thanks and receiving a bow in return, Glitzen took a long drink of water, having been rushing not long ago left him rather thirsty, and the ice cold water really hit the spot, "Ahhh!~ That was certainly refreshing. Now, what about you, Valencia, tell me about yourself! What do you do in Manehattan?"

[SteelEagle]

Just as he'd hoped, letting Glitzen fawn over his own business' success for a few moments. It was the sort of euphoria that Valen knew in his own small way when he aced a particularly gruelling exam or found himself unceremoniously the hero of a game of hoofball. Pride in one's accomplishments was one grand nugget to carry with you and sometimes the pride you felt in recognition was far greater than that. He seemed marvelously pleased that his shop had spread around the town to some degree. Truth be told, Valen didn't remember the name nor was he even sure he had ever heard it. But the truth, as most evident by the two facade-driven ponies having lunch, was not as great as the comfortable lies which Valen had built a section of his life on and which made his guest for lunch feel that much better about life. In that case, white lies were superior.

[colour=#0033cc]"Yes, time does, doesn't it?"[/colour] He said, staring up at the sun with a heavy sigh that hopefully would be taken as reflection rather than anxiousness. He then took in the question and didn't think much of the answer.

[colour=#0033cc]"Student at St. Mareston's Academy in Manehattan, finished head of my class and participated in last year's hoofball tournament!"[/colour] He lost the girlish tint of his laughter just this one time, lost in good times and warm tidings from friends new and old. Oops.

[Dubstep]

Lightly brushing back a strand of his mane from in front of his eyes, Glitzen smiled as he listened to his new friend, he wasn't the most talkative pony he had met, but the pegasus simply chalked it up to nerves, it was so difficult for some ponies to talk long with ones they didn't really know, "Oooh, St. Mareston's? I've heard that it's a lovely school, high graduation rate." he said taking another slow drink of water before speaking again, "What position did you play, darling? I was on the Cloudsdale Junior High's team as a running back for a season until I rolled a wing during a tackle during the third quarter of a game. I had to give it plenty of TLC, couldn't sew for a good month after, goodness I was so BORED, but I was able to at least catch up on some reading and homework." Glitzen chuckled lightly, "And just last week I beat my coltfriend in a friendly game, though it helps that he was tuckered out from deliveries, but a win is a win after all!"

[SteelEagle]

So, Glitzen was a fan of hoofball as well? Couldn't blame him. Her. It was a highly entertaining game and one of the few physical activities a pony could be involved in without having any facet of it up to some sort of judgement. Well, penalties and the such but at least it was a step in the right direction. Valen certainly wasn't a star himself, but he knew his way around the game well enough that he could passably play in different positions. What this translated to in a school like St. Mareston's was he rarely saw the field except as a kicker, which was not his best position by far.

[colour=#3333cc]"Well, I'm certainly not the best. I can play a few positions but none well enough to crack St. Mareston's two deep anywhere, so I end up kicking. Not my best position but the first-"[/colour] he almost said colt, but caught himself- he was the first colt to be a kicker, but appearances were appearances and lies, lies,[colour=#3333cc] "filly to be the kicker for St. Mareston's since they started their hoofball team a decade ago. Not making the best impression mind you, not very good at it. Running Back certainly looks like a fun position,"[/colour] He smiled, finishing his water and allowing his throat to grow strong again so he could keep the voice up.

[colour=#3333cc]"Coltfriend, you say? A special somepony?" [/colour]He asked. Maybe a bit of an odd question, but hey, the pony was friendly enough and Valen didn't want the attention on himself.

[Dubstep]

"Oh it certainly was! Mind you I wasn't the best colt on the team by far. I remember one pony, big stocky pegasus, he could have played the whole game by himself on his good days. Why I remember one game, this was while I was still recovering mind you, that he ran every touch down in the game, without being tackled once. The score was fifty five to forty two by the end of the night. Though I don't think he ever ran a better game after that..." he said puzzling on this for a moment. It felt nice to reminisce about his junior high days, at least parts of it anyway. There were the fair share of moments that he wished could be forgotten, but he never did let it show.

 

Glitzen smiled as a faint blush spread across his cheeks, "Oh yes, very special to be sure!" he said with a nod, "His name is Honeywing, he works as a courier. And has been such a darling sweetheart since we were young." the pegasus smiles fondly as he recollects memories of their youth, "Not long ago he took me to the Grand Galloping Gala, and I had the most splendid time! What about you Valencia, darling? Do you have somepony special in your life?"

[SteelEagle]

Well, Glitzen was certainly being open about himself, not a shade of doubt that of the pair Glitzen wasn't afraid to spill the beans of a life well-lived. It sort of made Valen feel cheap in comparison that he was holding back on who he was, but then again one of them was Manehattan elite and the other was a wonderful, but small-town stallion. It would be the sad state of his life that he would probably never get to fully let go of some manner of act for the benefit of the family, but at least they tolerated it well enough that he didn't have to subdue his lifestyle entirely. Back on topic though, what a game by that running back! In fact, that story struck Valen's memory in an odd fashion. His eyebrows hitched awkwardly.

[colour=#0066cc]"His name wouldn't happen to be Sweeping Rain, would it? He's my school's conditioning coach," [/colour]Valen let out a laugh, almost breaking character with a more coltish laugh punctuated by a slighlt feminine lilt. He coughed to recover, focusing instead on the fact that if it was the same pegasus, it wouldn't take much for Glitzen to find out who was who. Well, this was getting funnier by the moment! At least his courier boyfriend sounded nice, but Valen had to fake being surprised a little bit by finding out Glitzen was a colt.

[colour=#0066cc]"You're a stallion? My word, I could not tell. Very convincing! You knew your coltfriend since you two were little ones? That's very sweet. It's not common to hear such a lovely story!"[/colour] And it really was a sweet story. Love at that age never lasted, or at least that was his belief. Maybe he'd have a story like that to share, but he doubted it. Valen shook his head and gave a small chuckle as he contemplated his love life.

[colour=#0066cc]"I cannot say that I have a special somepony quite yet. There is this very nice local filly, but I will be heading home soon and I'd rather not get her hopes up, especially considering how kind she and her older sister have been to me," [/colour]Valen finished with a sigh, more for Rarity than anything, [colour=#0066ff]"it'll be tough to say goodbye."[/colour]

[Dubstep]

Glitzen placed a hoof to his mouth in thought, Sweeping Rain, Sweeping Rain, "Hmm. Oh goodness me, I can't be sure." he said with a giggle, "It's been quite some time since I've thought it about it. It may have been but, I just can't put my hoof on the name!" the stallion shook his head, it wasn't something too important to remember he figured, although if he met him today, he would certainly feel awful for forgetting his name!

 

Having caught the slight slip of Valencia's, he smiled slightly because of it. It was bound to be difficult to keep up the voice for so long, but Glitzen was certainly impressed at his dedication, "Heheh, I get that a lot." he replied with a grin, "Most of the time ponies mistake me for a filly, and it's often more fun to not correct them, and see if they find out on their own! I've met a few ponies who could tell right away though, Honeywing being one of them, of course." Glitzen snickered, if anyone could see through him like an open window, it would be him, "But yes, I've known him for quite a while now, and he's always been such a sweetheart."

 

"Ahh, well perhaps you'll be able to write letters to them? A heartfelt letter can always warm a soul. Honeywing had sent me the absolutely most adorable poem while he was gone on a long delivery once. It was so sweet of him and simply made my night! I'm sure they'd love to hear from you while you're away." he said with a confident nod, "Maybe you'll be able to plan more trips down with them as well. And if you do come to the area again, perhaps stop by my store! I could find you a nice dress." Glitzen took another drink of water to quench his throat before adding one more thing, "Or a tuxedo."

[SteelEagle]

Valen sighed in relief as Glitzen would not recall if Sweeping Rain was indeed the same stallion. The last thing he wanted was an odd connection that would suck him in like they were oddly able to do. It wasn't that he was ashamed or afraid, just simply that he didn't need another tightrope to walk on. He wasn't very good at tight rope walking as it was and the last thing he wanted was to become somepony who lived in a rolodex of lies. And he completely understood Glitzen as he said that ponies often mistook him for a filly. It was the goal- well, for Valen it was. For Glitzen it came more natural it seemed, and he didn't seem all that keen on correcting them at all. Also something Valen understood, as he had no nascent desire to correct others and in truth played it up. He wasn't ashamed but- well, he had thought that just a moment ago, hadn't he?

"That's good that he knows. I assume he is fine with it?" Valen said, preparing to take his final sip of water. His voice was still holding up well, but he knew his limits and he was reaching it.

"Yes, I suppose I should send a lett-" he began before Glitzen let out the final tidbit, revealing that he knew. Valen sucked the water down the wrong pipe in panic and started coughing and heaving, pounding his chest and the table. Maybe he didn't know! Maybe he didn't know! just offering options like a good little shop owner subtly giving a sales pitch. But what if he knew? Well, it was better than some but still a trite humbling. Valen coughed a few times, as light as he could so as to not betray anything more, then waited a few extra moments.

"Oh, a nice dress sounds lovely. Not sure why I'd need a tuxedo- colts have them and they look rather stuffy. Do you have any tuxedos?" Valen asked, feigning ignorance.

[Dubstep]

Glitzen couldn't help but to giggle at Valencia, the pegasus often enjoyed teasing other ponies. Always a friendly teasing of course, and it seemed that his new friend was taking it all in stride, and doing an excellent job of keeping up their charade. "Oh yes, I keep a few tuxes in stock. I've always thought the looked dashing, even on the most feminine mare...or stallion." he said with a small wink that seemed to say 'your secret's safe with me'.

"Of course if it's not made right it will feel stiff and stuffy, not fun at ALL to where. I remember one time, the first time I made a tuxedo for myself, oh heavens it was lopsided and too short and mmf. I tossed the thing into the oven in a fit and ruined a casserole...Talk about a disaster!" Glitzen covered his face with a wing and shook his head softly before laughing, this time at himself. "And when mother found out, ooooh she was surely livid. I was forbidden from entering the kitchen for weeks after that."

[SteelEagle]

Valen understood having a mother who managed to get upset at your choice of clothing. Valen's mother was a wonderful mare who had done so many good things for her and it did not hurt her character in any way for Valen to remember those times when she literally sprinted, picked him up, and took him upstairs during high society engagements to get him out of dresses he had decided to wear and back into his tuxedos. She supported his decisions but that was business time she said, and business brought with it certain obligations that he was expected to play out. Since those days, he had always done that for her and his family whom he loved. He attended the parties, hobknobbed with those aorund his age, wore the tuxedos, and played the part. In the end nopony was hurt. Same with the casserole story, which engendered a bit of a chuckle out of Valen. Yeah, if he had done that with his tuxedo then maybe his mother wouldn't be as supportive as she was.

"Well, I suppose I can see why. Poor reason to destroy what I'm sure was a fine casserole," Valen winked, looking for a way out. Okay, so Glitzen knew or probably knew that Valen was a colt, but he couldn't very much just start talking out loud like the jig was up. To be frank, he didn't want that revealed to an open crowd who could possible spread the word. Applejack and the rest of the Apples didn't know and he was still in town for several more weeks. Awkward dinner conversation in every possible angle. Well, as much fun as this discussion was Valen had to make his escape.

"It has been a wonderful conversation Glitzen, but I'm afraid I simply must be going. Commitments, you see. It was a pleasure meeting you. Waiter, check please...?"

[Dubstep]

Glitzen blushed a bit and let out a chuckle. "Oh I know heehee. But goodness, I think if you had seen it you'd have wanted to burn it too." the pegasus shook his head, as embarrassing as that disaster of a tux was, it was still a fond memory, humble beginning after all. "Oh absolutely dear, I wouldn't want you to run late for anything, I should be opening up my store soon anyway...oh and here." digging through the cloth he had been carrying, Glitzen pulled free a small coin purse and withdrew a few bits, enough to pay for his sandwich and a tap. "There we are!~"

Carefully hefting his heavy load back onto himself, he grinned. "It was absolutely fantastic meeting you, Valencia! I do hope we meet again~ Tah tah for now dear." the pegasus bowed politely once again, closing their meeting as it had opened before making his way back on down the road