Tender Taps checked over his costume with a critical eye. It was a mess, but that was kind of the point. If you were a supporting dancer for Les Mareserable you were expected to do the number in rags. It wasn't what he'd chosen, but such was showbiz, you wore what you were given.
So the young stallion emerged from his lodge resplendent in an artfully stained and torn ensemble. He had to give it to the designer, it was easier to move in than he had expected and the fabric breathed.
A grumpy mare in a business suit huffed something about him being late, even though he wasn't, and waved him off to the makeup girls without further comment. Producers, he sighed.
Most of the makeup girls were busy tending to his fellow dancers so he simply slid into an empty seat and waited.
"Scoots?" A mare said, sounding surprised. Tender looked up to find himself face to face with one of the makeup girls.
"Huh?" Was all he could say, eloquent, but the name had rung a bell and the mare looked vaguely familiar.
"Sorry, you looked like somepony I knew." The mare explained, then took a closer look at him in his threadbare cloak and ripped trousers. "Are you one of the dancers, or just a homeless guy wandering in off the street in the hope of a free haircut and a warm place to sleep?"
He looked down at his ripped trousers, couldn't fault her there and shrugged.
"One of the dancers." He replied. "I know how I look but the costumes…" He gestured to an equally shabbily dressed mare to his left, being tended to by one of her fellow stylists.
The mare chuckled, giving him a light punch in the shoulder. "I was just fucking with ya."
"Ah." Tender still wasn't used to the crass language ponies employed here in Manehattan, but he gave her a polite laugh anyway.
"Nice to meet you." He said, holding out a hoof to the mare. She was a pleasant orange, much like his own coat and still vaguely familiar. "I'm Tender Taps."
"Wow, you're not from around here I see." She chuckled, but shook his hoof. "Babs Seed, but my friends call me Bad."
That made Tender frown as he shook her hoof.
"You don't look bad at all." His mouth said before he could stop it.
The mare raised an eyebrow, but luckily didn't seem to be offended. "I'll take that as a compliment." She smirked, she then leaned in and gave him a cheeky grin. "Trust me, I can be bad if I want to."
The way she said it made Tender blush, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
"But don't worry about that." She said, leaning back and needlessly brushing some lint of his frayed coat. "I doubt you'll find out."
She then paused, put one hoof under her cheek as she looked him over every inch as critical as he had looked at himself earlier.
"Then again, you are pretty cute..." She stated after giving him a thorough once over.
Was she flirting with him?
She seemed to drink in his confusion for a few moments while he struggled for something clever to respond with. It felt like she expected him to say something but he wasn't sure what so he just stared mutely, feeling a blush come on. As he grew more uncomfortable her smile widened until it was a full blown smirk.
He finally broke eye contact and the mare's smile shrank back to something more friendly and professional.
"Shall we get started." She said, holding up a foundation brush.
"Yes please." Tender was quick to reply this time, grateful for an out of this unfamiliar situation.
She worked quickly and professionally, it wasn't like the background dancers needed much makeup as it was. Just a few lines to make their facial expressions easier to read at a distance.
When she was done Babs ran a hoof through his mane, making a dismayed sound.
"You know, I wasn't kidding about the haircut before. You could really do with one."
Tender looked at himself in the mirror. His mane looked fine to him, a bit long maybe. He hadn't had it cut since he arrived in the big city.
"I guess." He shrugged.
To his surprise a smile lit up the mare's face and she held up a pair of scissors.
"I can give you one now if you'd like?" She said, doing a pretty good job at sounding nonchalant.
"We got time." She reassured him as he looked at the wall mounted clock. "You're not due stage for another 20 minutes, and Babs works fast."
He looked at her eager smile in the mirror and nodded. He couldn't exactly say no, now could he? That'd be rude.
Or maybe. A small part of his brain pointed out. You just want to spend a little more time with her?
"That'd be awesome." He said, ignoring that voice, for now. "That's generous of you."
"Eh." She huffed, and began to grope his mane the way hairdressers always do before they begin. "Think nothing of it, I like to get a chance to practice my talent.
She twisted to show him her cutie mark. Right there on her flank was the proud image of a pair of scissors.
"Nice." Tender said, admiring it.
"Eyes up here." She said and he realized he had been staring at her flank.
"It's fine." She said, rolling her eyes while he tried to stammer out an apology. "Nice to know I'm wanted."
Tender couldn't think of anything to reply that wasn't either insulting or sleezy so he sat quiet for several minutes while the not at all unattractive mare began to style his mane.
"So." She said after a while, breaking the silence. "Where are you from?"
That seemed a safe topic, so he answered truthfully. "Ponyville."
"No way!" The mare exclaimed. "You know the Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
That made Tender cheer up considerably.
"Of course. They helped me get my cutie mark." He shifted in the chair to display his own mark of a tophat and spotlight. "You know of them?" He asked, incredulous.
"I sure hope so." The mare chuckled. "I'm a member." She reached into one of her vest pockets and pulled out a small badge.
Tender stared at the familiar blue shield depicting a prancing pony in stunned surprise.
"Applebloom's my cousin." Babs explained, chuckling at his expression.
That in turn made him chuckle. "Small world eh?"
She nodded "You bet ya."
"Group one dancers!" A voice rang out over the studio. "You're on stage in 2!"
Tender grimaced as he met the mare's eyes.
"It's okay." She reassured him, and ran a hoof through his now much shorter mane. "I'm about done anyway."
"Thanks." He mumbled and stood up, and because it felt right he turned around to face the mare and added. "It was really nice meeting you."
She just rolled her eyes again, that was odd, hadn't she enjoyed talking with him too?
"Oh just ask already." She growled at his puzzled look.
"Uhm…" he began, rubbing the cropped neck of his mane with one hoof. "Is there any chance I could get to meet you again? Like maybe after the show?" He fumbled.
The mare rolled her eyes again, but this time she was smiling. She reached for a nearby piece of paper, jotted down some numbers on it and folded it neatly into his breast pocket.
"Call me.* She suggested, and before he could respond she spun him around, gave him a slap right on the cutie mark.
"What was that for?" He asked, blushing furiously as she shoved him toward the door where the other dancers were already making their egress.
"For good luck." She hissed after him as he made his way up on stage. She hadn't needed to, he already felt like the luckiest stallion in Manehattan right then.
