Gel yawns, slowly descending the staircase as she reads her journal again. ...Not sure what to do today before work...maybe I could...no, I doubt anypony in this town likes that game... She sighs, sitting down at the table and continuing to read her notes. ...Only one day left of love...I need a source before then...or else... She shakes her head, closing her eyes. "...No...I can't think of that...i-it has to work..." She concentrates on her book, a small frown on her face.

Almost identical to yesterday morning's ritual, beeps followed by a thump then hoofsteps precede Rhino's appearance. This time though, he looks to Gel as he enters the kitchen with a tired smile on his face. "Morning Angel, need anything from the fridge?" He barely manages to complete the sentence before letting out a yawn.

"...N-not really..." She looks up at him, a thought crossing her mind. ...He's half-asleep...surely he won't be able to object to... She smiles slyly to herself, standing up an approaching him. "...Rhino, I have to know...d-do you have a special somepony that..." She gently plants a kiss on his cheek, blushing brightly. "...has done that?"

The stallion unknowingly releases a pulse of love at the kiss, even as he chuckles while turning to the fridge. "Unfortunately no, there's nopony like that for me right now. I'm not saying I wouldn't welcome it, but I'm not too worried. I have a feeling I'll find the one for me." He takes a long drink of milk after he's done speaking.

Gel turns her head away to hide her disappointed frown. I should've expected that. Still, love is love. It'll last me for a bit. She looks back at him, giggling softly. "...M-maybe you'll both find each other...or maybe she's right in front of you..." She playfully rolls her eyes, scribbling down the new development in her journal. Maybe she should be more direct. Sadly, directness is something she can't afford to use, at this time. She also needs to stop referring to herself in the third pony.

He gives her a strange look as he considers her words. After a moment he responds. "Hmm... maybe..."

Gel blinks at this, her mind racing with thoughts on what he could mean by that. ...I-is he talking about me? I-is he talking about a coworker? Oh, even worse, what if he fell for one of the Elements?! What she didn't realize was, throughout this whole thought process, she was blankly staring off into space, her cheeks flushed with color.

Rhino sips for a moment as he wakes himself up completely. She is still staring after he's done, so he asks, "Bit for your thoughts?"

"...W-why do dragons breathe fire and not water?" Gel blinks, frowning slightly at her own words. ...just what train of thoughts led to that? And why did I not think before I spoke?! She groans, holding her head in her hooves, causing the front half of her body to fall to the floor without anything to support it. ...I can be such an idiot, sometimes...

He immediately walks to her side and leans down towards her. "Are you alright?" He offers her a hoof.

"...Y-yes..." She shyly takes his hoof, her gaze lowered to avoid his eyes. "...s-sorry for the silly question..."

"Hey, it's fine. It is a random question, but it is interesting to think about." He gently pulls her to her hooves, but he still looks concerned. "Are you sure you're alright? And I don't mean just from the fall. You seem a bit... off. A little more down and introspective than usual. Anything I can do?"

"...I-I'm fine...r-really..." She nervously laughs, bringing her book up in front of her. "...I guess...I'm just thinking about things..." About us. But I'm not about to tell him that...it'd be likely to ruin any chances I have for this to work...

He still looks unsure, but starts to head towards the door to the rest of the house. "Alright... if you're sure." He pauses at the doorway and looks over his shoulder. "If you need somepony to talk to though, let me know okay? It's what friends are for." He heads upstairs to get ready.

As soon as she thinks he's gone far enough away, she slams her head against the table, groaning to herself. ...friends. That's all he'll ever see me as, isn't it? Just a friend. She sighs softly, her face still against the flat surface. I'll have to do something about that. I can't complete my goals if I'm stuck in the friendzone.

After a short time, Rhino comes back down, ready for work. He looks to where she is still leaning with her face in the table. Still concerned, he walks over and hesitates a moment before putting a hoof on her shoulder. "I've got to head out now... Are you gonna be okay here?"

"...Sure...I'll be fine..." She lifts her head up, giving him a weary smile. "...go have fun saving pets, Rhino...I'll just wander around town a bit...maybe see a pony about something..."

If anything her words seem to make him even more suspicious, but he keeps that to himself as he forces a smile as he heads out. "Alright... take care." The door closes behind him.

Gel sighs, shaking her head. "...I might as well see about something...maybe I'll try to get one of my dresses refitted..." She trudges up the stairs and into her room, browsing her clothes. "...Let's see...librarian's outfit...waterproof one-piece swimsuit...full-body armor...ah, here we go!" She pulls out a simple, sky-blue sundress, smiling brightly. "...one of my favorites..." She looks at the tag, frowning a bit. "...Why does it have to be a size too small?"

She shrugs, folding it neatly and putting it into one of her saddlebags. "...Now that I have that, I can be on my way!" She trots down the stairs and out the front door, beaming brightly.

Then a thought occurs. ...I have no idea where to go to have this done...

***

As she wanders down the street, Gel idly notices that there are less ponies around than there were yesterday. She ignores it though, simply enjoying the shade provided by the cloud cover. However, soon her walk is interrupted by a gust of wind and a voice.

"Hey you, the white unicorn!"

She blinks in confusion, looking up at the pegasus above her. ...multi-colored mane...tomboyish demeanor...this is probably Rainbow Dash... "...C-can I help you, Miss?"

The chromatic pegasus tilts her head as she hovers lower. "Help me? Nah, I'm good. What about you though? Didn't you hear we've got some emergency showers scheduled in about ten minutes? They aren't going to last long, but most ponies wouldn't want to be out in it."

S-showers?! "N-no, I didn't. B-but I want to get somewhere before it starts." She sheepishly smiles, rubbing the back of her neck. "D-do you know where I can find a pony to help me with a dress?"

The light blue mare nods. "Yeah, I don't go there myself since it's not cool enough for me, but if you want something related to dresses, you want Rarity. You've gotta be new if you haven't heard of Carousel Boutique." She points down the road. "Just look for the purple carousel building, you can't miss it. Better hurry before you get wet!"

She stares blankly at her for a few moments. Carousel Boutique? Really? "T-thanks, Miss!" She rushes off, looking up at the clouds with concern. Don't rain...can't stand rain... She sees the building steadily growing in front of her, smiling brightly. "There it is! Almost t-" She stops mid-sentence, tripping over the front step and slamming her face against the door. She slides down to the stoop, whimpering quietly. ...why am I getting hurt so much today?

A set of dainty hoofsteps can be heard approaching the door. It opens to reveal an alabaster unicorn with a fabulous purple mane and tail. She has her eyes closed at first as she recites. "Welcome to Carousel Boutique-" She cuts herself off when she doesn't see anypony at the door. A groan from the floor soon has her gasping she see Gel sprawled on her doorstep. "Oh my! Whatever happened to you, darling?"

She carefully get back up on her hooves, shakily smiling at the mare. "...I-it's nothing...j-just tripped over your front step...n-no big deal..." I remember this mare...drone fifty got punched across the face by a unicorn just like her...this is Rarity, the Element of Generosity... "...M-may I come in? I-it's about to rain, and I don't like getting wet like that..."

The fashionista nods quickly as she backs away to let the mare in. "Oh yes, how rude of me, do come in." Gel does so and Rarity closes the door behind her just as the pitter patter of rain begins. "Now, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. I am Rarity and this is my boutique. May I ask your name and why you decided to visit?"

"...M-my name is Angelic Grace...b-but Angel is just fine...i-it's nice to meet you...as for why I'm here..." She pulls her sundress out of her bag, shyly holding it out to her. "...C-could you help me get this to fit me again? I-I kinda grew out of it..."

Rarity nods knowingly. "Ah, some things just seem to not fit after a while don't they? Tell me, can you still fit into this at all? Or is this more a case of where you can't even get it on anymore?"

"...I-it's a tight fit..." She looks around the building in an attempt to not look at the mare. "...I-I could barely get in if I wanted to...a-and even when I do, my fur kind of...bulges around the hems..." She sighs softly, staring at the dress with a wistful expression on her face. ...it needs to fit...it's part of the plan...

A pair of red horn glasses float over and land over the fashionista's eyes as she examines the dress. "Very well dear, how about this? I'll let it out in small amounts all around so it's at least bearable to wear. After that, you can have it on so we can make adjustments afterwards."

"...That sounds like a good idea..." She nods, relaxing a little. "...so...w-what should I do while I wait, Miss Rarity?"

She waves a hoof as she turns to her needles and thread. "Oh, whatever you want darling. Look at the stock, tell me about any changes you want to make to this dress while I'm working on it, or simply chat with little old me." Various shades of blue thread levitate around her as a half-dozen needles begin diving in and out of the fabric.

Gel nods, looking around the store in silent curiosity. ...So she doesn't just do dresses...she also does socks and suits...that last one I can understand, but socks? Why would anyone buy those?

"And complete." The alabaster unicorn holds up the dress in her magic. "It should be able to fit moderately comfortably now." She levitates the blue ensemble to the other mare and points to a corner of the room. "The privacy screen is over there for you to change behind."

She smiles softly, taking the dress and going behind the screen. Certain she wouldn't be seen, she quickly shifts back into her original form and slips into the dress easily. She changes back into Angel, subtle blue flames traveling across her body to make sure there wasn't a visible light. She steps out, grimacing slightly at how it pinched her shoulders, ribs and waist. "...a-almost perfect...j-just a little bit off...hard to breathe..."

Rarity quickly ushers her onto the platform in the center of the room. "That my dear, is exactly why you are here. So we can fix that." She floats over a few mirrors that she strategically places around the stage as she loosens certain threads. After a few minutes work, the dress hangs loosely off the white unicorn's frame. The fashionista begins around the shoulders, working the fabric to her will with needle and thread as her instruments. "Now, I know it can be boring for some clients while they stand up here, so why don't we chat? Is there a special reason you need this dress to be ready?"

Gel gently bites her lip, a blush growing on her cheeks. "...T-there's this stallion I like...but...I-I can't tell if he likes me back...T-the last time I talked with him, h-he called me his friend..." She takes a breath to steady her heartbeat, embarrassed. "...I've only known him for about two days, but...I-I want to...be more than just friends with him...W-what do you think I should do?" She squirms on top of the platform, eyes closed as she waits for the unicorn's response.

Rarity retracts her needles quickly. “Careful darling, I need you to stay as still as possible so I don’t accidentally jab you.” Once the mare complies she continues. "Hmm... Well, if he considers you a friend after only two days, I think you're on the right track. The direct approach is all well and good for some mares, but I feel those who take that approach are either supremely confident they will be accepted, or they don't actually know what they want so they are trying to figure out if trying with the stallion is a waste of their time." She finishes cinching the chest of the dress and moves more towards the ribs. "Many a stallion have not considered a mare as a potential love until they get to know them. Friendship offers the best opportunities for that. After all... it only takes a small interest to warrant dating. That is where you really get to know each other."

The dress-clad mare blinks at this, stunned beyond belief. "...Wow...you're really knowledgeable about this..." So I do have to wait? Well, at least I know I'm on track, considering... "...What if he blushes around me, but averts his gaze? Does that mean anything to you, Miss Rarity?"

Rarity takes a needle she was holding in her mouth. "Well, there could be a number of reasons... it all depends on the stallion really. What are you doing when he acts like this, dare I ask?"

"...Um..." Her face turns as red as a tomato as she recalls that time. "...M-me...i-in my maid cafe uniform..." Can't believe I'm just telling this to one of the Elements! "...a-actually...h-he always blushes when he sees me in it..." Stop talking, self!

She stops as she looks Gel in the eye. "You... work there... No, no, nevermind. To each their own career choices. I won't judge you." She resumes her work. "Well, it could be just that your stallion is unused to seeing mares dressed like that. Though you would have to see him react to others dressed similarly to be sure. Then of course, there is the other option for why he is acting that way..."

I guess I could've searched for other available jobs, but that's not the point! Gel gulps quietly, trying to keep herself from trembling. "...W-what is...the other option?"

"Well... and I'm afraid this is going to be speculation on my part... It could very well be that he only blushes when he sees you in it because he does have special feelings for you. He may not even realize it himself if it hasn't fully manifested into romantic feelings. Seeing you like that may make it to where he doesn't actually know how to act, thus he looks away." Rarity begins working on the flowing fabric near the tail. "Some stallions may just need a push, or maybe even just the right circumstances to sort out how they feel. Though, as I said before all of this is speculation since all stallions are unique. It's just easier to sometimes have general ideas to work off."

The disguised changeling sighs softly, lowering her head. Of course it isn't that simple. She turns to Rarity, smiling kindly. "...Thank you for the advice, Miss Rarity...it helped out a lot..." She looks at her saddlebags, realizing something. "...Um...h-how much is this going to cost?"

"Cost? Oh no, darling, it's a little policy I have here." She performs a final snip and steps back to look at her work. "The first one's free. As for the advice, you're quite welcome. I do so love being able to help out couples when I can." She waves a hoof at the mirrors. "So, how do you like it?"

C-couple?! Her mind swimming, she turns to look at the mirrors. Her jaw drops, seeing the outfit on her form. "...I-I don't know how you did it...b-but you actually made it look better than before..."

Rarity waves a hoof. "Oh it was just a few little things. A little shaping around the hips, flare past the tail, ensure a nice flowing line down the whole body... a few tricks I've learned. I think this stallion of yours should be quite pleased."

"...I-I hope so..." She steps off the pedestal, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Miss Rarity. You have no idea what this means to me."

The fashionista looks out the window to see the rain that had been pattering against the window start to slow down. "Oh not a problem, dear. Just be sure to drop by again if you or he ever need anything, I'm sure I could probably make a nice matching suit and dress."

She giggles softly, shaking her head. "...oh, Miss Rarity...you're too generous..." She heads towards the door but stops about halfway, turning back to the other unicorn. "...M-may I ask you something?"

Rarity gives a ladylike titter. "Darling, we've been playing twenty questions with each other for a while. I don't see a reason to stop now."

"...Well...I just wanted to know..." She rubs the back of her neck, unsure. "...h-how do you know all of this? D-do you have a coltfriend? O-or a marefriend?" ...that was smart...why not ask her if she's still a virgin, while I'm at it?

The fashionista's smile does not falter, though she does gain a slight blush. "Well, one can always learn from a variety of sources... chatting with customers, friends, hearing the local gossip, some romance novels... all kinds of places really. But no, I'm afraid I don't have a stallion of my own. I'm still searching for that special prince charming..."

"R-really?" She frowns slightly, looking at her with eyes full of confusion. "I-I thought a mare as pretty as you might have had at least one relationship...w-was it wrong for me to assume that?"

"Not at all, darling. Since you've been so forthcoming with your own relationship, I'll be honest." She looks off to the side, reminiscing. "While it is true that I have been on my fair share of dates... None of my suitors have really proven to be what I wanted in a relationship yet."

Gel blinks in surprise, tilting her head to the side. "...What exactly...do you want your love to be like?"

Rarity waggles a hoof. "Ah ah ah, I think that's all you'll be getting out of me today Miss Grace. Fair is fair after all, and I believe I gave as good as I got." She winks.

She sighs softly, smiling in reply. "...I suppose you're right, Miss Rarity...if you don't mind, though, I'll be heading off towards home..." She turns, giggling quietly. "...I need to get ready for work..."

"Tah tah! I wish you luck!"