Penicillum tua et calamus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt
"Are you almost done yet?"
Rarity tamped down her irritation as she focused on running the razor precisely over her skin, making sure to leave her chin looking as smooth as it did every day. It wouldn't do to cut herself and waste more time dealing with that.
"C'mon, Rares, we're gonna be late!"
Rarity rinsed off the razor before putting it back on its stand. "I shall need a few more minutes, dear," she called back. She picked up a towel and quickly washed and dried her face.
There was an impatient knocking on the door. "Look, I'm sorry I accidentally turned off your alarm clock, but can't you hurry it up?" the voice of her beloved shouted from the other side.
"Perfection cannot be rushed." It was time for the foundation. Rarity picked up the applicator and stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, determining how much of the beauty product to apply to where.
"Yeah, well, you're always perfect, and I don't wanna get another lecture from Twi about being tardy or punctual or some other word meaning we shouldn't be late for stuff."
"If you keep distracting me, we shall be even more tardy," Rarity retorted as she dabbed at herself with the applicator, watching as her face began to change ever so subtly, lights and shadows shifting against the pale canvas of her skin.
Just as she'd finished her first pass, the door opened, and Rarity turned to see her girlfriend standing at the entrance to the bathroom, looking thoroughly annoyed and yet radiantly beautiful.
It had only been a month since they'd first begun dating, and Rarity allowed herself to savour the little fluttering in her heart at the sight of this passionate woman that she could now call her own. Perhaps that feeling would fade in time, but until then, she would enjoy every moment of it.
That didn't mean she had to act the part of a shy, blushing schoolgirl, though. "May I help you?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Wait, you're just doing makeup?" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "It's just lunch with the girls, Rares. We're not going to some fancy party or haute couture restaurant."
"First of all," Rarity replied, "it's haute cuisine. And secondly, a lady must always look her best, especially with her friends." She refreshed the foundation on her applicator before making the finishing touches on her face.
"Whatever." Without even asking for permission, Rainbow sauntered in, eyeing Rarity up and down with obvious interest. "I don't get why you have to do all of this every morning." She gestured at the array of beauty products laid out on the sink. "Like, I have no idea what half of this stuff even does? What the hell is the difference between blush and cream blush? Aren't they both things you put on your cheek to make it red?"
Deep breaths. That was the key to dealing with Rainbow's irreverence. "That almost insulting oversimplification aside, some of us like to feel fabulous at all times," Rarity replied primly.
"But, like, you are." As infuriating as Rainbow's obliviousness was, Rarity couldn't help but be somewhat touched by her utter sincerity in that statement. "There's literally no time when I don't want to push you up against a wall and start making out with you. You're always really pretty, like how I'm always awesome."
Rarity sighed. "I appreciate the kind words, but it's not so simple." Closing the foundation bottle, she picked up the bronzer next. "You know very well that I take pride in my appearance, and this routine is very important to me."
"Is it because of that girl last week who thought you were a d—" Rainbow's mouth closed with an almost audible snap as Rarity glared at her. "Anyways, who cares if some randos are blind and idiots? You're beautiful, and fuck anyone who can't see that."
That passion in her declaration, as misguided as it was, made Rarity's heart skip a beat. Rainbow would always stand by her, and Rarity appreciated her fire so very much. And yet... "I envy you." Her voice was muted as she spoke those words, barely above a whisper. The brush dipped into the bronzer, picking up some of the powder in its hairs.
"Huh?" Rainbow's head tilted adorably in confusion.
"Your confidence," Rarity explained as she began to apply the bronzer, creating layers of shadows and depth above the foundation. "It seems as though you are always in possession of it. Some might say you have an insatiable ego, and they would likely be correct in that assessment."
"Hey!" The indignant shout was followed by a smirk from Rainbow. "I mean, they're right, though. I know I'm the most awesome person around, and there's no point hiding that."
"Indeed," Rarity murmured. She noted a small blemish on her neck she had missed before and quickly used a bit of concealer to hide it away. "You believe that with all your heart, and I envy that intrinsic faith in yourself that doesn't seem conditional on anything."
"Uhh, okay? But you're also super-confident and seductive and the way you walk is... well, no one shakes their hips like that unless they know what they got."
"I can only behave that way because I know my outer beauty is a reflection of my inner beauty." Was that statement narcissistic? Possibly, but with Rainbow Dash, Rarity could be as conceited as she wished, and still look humble in comparison. It was another thing she loved about their relationship. "It doesn't matter how others see me, not exactly; it's about how I see myself, you see."
"I don't," Rainbow said flatly.
"This ritual." Rarity put down her brush and gestured at the tools of her trade. "Making myself look my best. It's not about wanting to look pretty for others, though I will admit that the way you look at me when I'm dressed to the nines is certainly a wonderful bonus."
"I like it too," Rainbow added, nodding eagerly. "A lot."
"I'm glad." Rarity sighed as she picked up the blush. "As I was saying, however, the purpose of this ritual is to help me achieve that same faith in myself that you hold all the time." A light touch on each cheek, and Rarity smiled at how rosy they looked. "If I look as perfect on the outside as I am on the inside, then I know when I act the part of the lady, it is not an act. I am the Lady."
There was a pause as Rainbow stared at her. "Honestly, I still don't get it," she said, and Rarity's heart sagged. "But, I guess it doesn't matter. All I need to get is that all of these gunk makes you feel as pretty as I know you are, and that's like having a constant pep talk in your ear letting you know you can do anything you want."
And there it was. Rainbow understood her, in her own way, even if she thought she didn't. At least, she understood what was important. "Thank you," Rarity said sincerely, pausing in her morning ritual to walk over to her lover and pressed a kiss against her cheek.
"Uhh, for what?" Rainbow asked, a cute blush forming on her cheeks that was all-natural.
"For being a wonderful girlfriend," Rarity replied, skipping away with a chuckle as she returned to the sink and grabbed her eyeliner.
"Oh. You're welcome?" Rainbow shook her head, looking much more focused afterwards. "Anyways, I'm just gonna go text the girls and say we stayed up way too late last night, so we need some more time since we just woke up right now. Lemme know when you're done, and I'll, uhh..." She trailed off. "I was gonna say I'll help you grab your clothes, but you probably don't want me doing that. So how about I just start warming up the car now?"
"That would be lovely, dear," Rarity replied, leaning closer to the mirror to ensure the pencil followed the curves of her bone structure properly.
When she straightened up again, she realized that Rainbow had taken a few steps towards her. "I love you, Rares," she said, leaning down to kiss her on the lips, and being very careful not to make contact with any other part of her face. "See ya in a bit!" With that, she sauntered out of the room, closing the door politely behind her.
Rarity smiled. Well, at least she was learning. Instinctively, her hand reached out to grab her lipstick, and Rarity's smile grew as she stared at herself in the mirror.
She was beautiful. But more than that, she was an artist, using her tools to paint a masterpiece on the canvas of her own features, and elevating her natural good looks into something that could turn every eye in the room.
She smacked her lips after colouring them a crimson red and blew herself a kiss, content in the knowledge that the woman in the mirror could take on the world.
And she'd do it with the most awesome girlfriend ever by her side.
