Get a grip!

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

So, the Wednesday eventually came. Makeover dealt with some clients in the morning, cutting their manes and giving them hooficures. After that, it was pretty silent, apart from some ponies fetching shampoos and conditioners they sold at the spa.
Makeover had not had a chance to discuss with other workers about attracting new customers or regulars to visit the spa, but she had been writing some ideas on paper.

Flowers she had bought some time ago were still in good shape, except for the roses she had bought even earlier from the market and not the flowershop. There was a lot of vases on the counter and she was quite hidden behind the flowers sometimes. It felt like being in a jungle. A colourful and well organized jungle, but a jungle, nonetheless.

Makeover was sweeping the floor absent-mindedly, thinking that the unicorn she had met should come in by any minute. At least Mango had not cancelled the appointment, but then again, sometimes ponies just did not appear to their scheduled meetings. This usually made Makeover much vexed, but she wanted to believe the best from the unicorn.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

"Moooom, I can't iron right now! I have an appointment at the spa in five minutes!" Mango protested while she grabbed her bag off the dining room table, checking to make sure she had enough money inside to pay. "I'll do it when I come back, but not right now! I'm leaving!"
Mango slung her saddlebag over her back and rushed out the door. She hurried to the spa, hooves pattering on the rough stones on the sidewalk. Finally, here it was–the spa. She took a second to smooth down her mane and catch her breath, and entered.
Mango looked over at the room before her. It was quite luxurious, with scented candles filling the air with wonderful calming scents. She recognized the scents of many different plants–orange blossoms, lavender, gardenias–and she filled her lungs with the sweet smells. Her ears caught the sound of a broom sweeping, and Mango turned to see the same mare from a couple days ago cleaning the floors.
"Uhm... Hello!" Mango called out to her.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

As she was called, Makeover's face brightened up as she turned to look at her visitor. "Oh, I am so glad you came!" she exclaimed, leaving the broom to lean on a wall in the corner. She walked to the Unicorn, almost ready to hug her. Instead of hugging, though, she touched Mango's other fronthoof.
"Please step right in." she said, beaming, ready to do her 'magic' on the unicorn. The truth to be told, Makeover really did not have a clue what to do with the mane of the mare, but they would eventually find it out.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Mango took a couple steps into the shop at the mare's request. "This place looks really nice," she said, smiling. Everything was polished so well she could see her reflection in it--The sinks, tubs, even the floors. Mango felt so at ease here; she wanted to just curl up on the ground and take a nap.
"So... um... what would we start with?" Mango wondered out loud. A bright fleck of color caught her eye, and, turning to see it, she noticed that it was the bouquet that Makeover had purchased earlier from Mango's flower shop. One rose and a couple lillies were missing, probably placed into some ponies's manes. Mango was pleased to see that Makeover had put her flowers to good use. They seemed to be in good condition as well-- the pegasus must have been taking very good care of them.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"To be honest, I would like to start with a hooficure and then maybe wash your mane." Makeover said, then leading the Unicorn to a chair. Makeover fetched quickly some bowls, starting to add water and nurturing oils and other stuff in the bowls.
"So", she said, while mixing the ingredients, "How have you been lately?" It was not that long from their last meeting, but Makeover always started conversations like this with her clients, that usually put them at ease.

[Sorry, a little short this time.]

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Mango trotted over to the chair that Makeover had pointed out to her and plopped herself down into it, surprised at how comfortable it was. The pegasus had begun to collect different bottles (all of them said "NATURAL" somewhere on the labels) and she filled bowls with water. Pouring the contents of the bottles into the bowls, she began to speak.
"So, how have you been lately?" she asked.
"Pretty good, I guess. My mom's getting a bit more dependant on me now that she's getting older," Mango chuckled. "Business in my shop has been doing well. There was a wedding recently, did you hear? They bought a whole bunch of flowers for it." she said, smiling. Mango loved weddings--anything that had something to do with romance always sparked her interest.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"Ahhh, weddings are lovely." Makeover beamed, though at the moment, there was no hope for herself to become a bride. She mixed the fragrant liquids with warm water, then bringing the bowls next to the seat, where Mango Azalea was sitting.
"Dip your hooves in these, please, darling. They'll clean and soften your hooves, so I can work better on them later."

Then she eyed the shelf full of manecare products, pondering what to do with Mango's lovely and bright-coloured mane. She looked at one of the bottle, organic and natural, to see, that it was the one, which enhanced shine and colour.
"Say, did you have any thoughts about what we would do with your mane?" she then asked the Unicorn. "I was thinking of lovely waves or curls... Or maybe wear your mane in a high bun." Gently, she touched the mane, not in an affectionate or sensual way, more like a professional examining the raw material.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

"I love weddings," Mango smiled. "I do believe the theme was violet and white. Beautiful combination of colors. They purchased almost all my morning glories." she said, a chuckle seeping into her voice.
Mango did as the mare asked, and submerged her hooves in the bowls of water. They were warm and smelled of herbs--Mango felt some tension leak out of her body, and she began to relax, listening to Makeover discuss what she had in mind for her mane.
"Well..." Mango pondered over these options for a moment. "I think I'd like to try loose curls. My hair's been straight for a while, adding a little volume to it might be fun," The unicorn began to envision her mane looking like this, and was surprised she hadn't thought of the idea before.
Glancing at her hooves, she noticed that they looked cleaner than they had in weeks. Whatever was in that water did a better job ridding her of
dirt than a shower. I have to get some of that for myself, she thought. She would ask the pegasus later where she had purchased it from.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover nodded at the idea of some loose curls, maybe some curling like corkscrews.
"Will you lean your head back a little, darling?" she then asked, "I'll wash your mane first."

The beautician reached to take some shampoos and conditioners off the shelf, studying the labels thoroughly. Then she touched Mango's mane a little with her hooves and asked, "What kind of mane would you say you have? Silky, smooth? How easily it gets greasy?"

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Mango tilted her head back into the sink behing her at the mare's request, filling the basin with her mane.
"Well, uhm..." Mango thought about this for a second. "I'd say medium smooth. It's not too hard to brush in the morning, but it's not a piece of cake either, I don't think. And it's a bit on the thicker side, too." Mango watched as Makeover looked over the shelves of hair products, noticing that these too were on bottles labled "ALL-NATURAL" and "NO CHEMICALS ADDED." Makeover grabbed a couple bottles off the shelf and inspected them, reading the small words on the side of the bottles quickly but thoroughly.
Mango glanced at her hooves in the bowls, and realized that her hooves felt very, very soft. Yes, she would definitely come back here more often.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"I suppose we use some of this", she said, raising a lavender-coloured bottle, "Aaaand this!" Another bottle was raised, that was of a lovely turquoise shade. "Other one enchances shine and colour, other one makes your mane more easy to handle. Besides, the liquids and equipment I use for curling are quite strong, so you need all the protection I can offer."

Then Makeover placed the bottles on a small table next to the sink, and turned the water on. She carefully tested the temperature, then warning Mango Azalea, "I will wet your mane now." After that, she poured some warm water gently on the unicorn's mane, wetting it thoroughly.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Warm water trickled through her mane, tickling her scalp and neck. A quick little shiver ran down her spine, and Mango giggled. She felt her long mane get heavier, full of water, and closed her eyes to relax. Taking a deep breath, the scented candles's fumes drifted into her lungs, and she smiled.
"Ahh," she sighed quietly. The water that her hooves were resting in was still warm, somehow, and the oils that Makeover had poured into the bowls had seeped into her hooves, making them soft as a daisy's petals.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover poured some shampoo on her hoof, then starting to rub it to Mango's mane. Makeover's movements were swift and efficient and she managed to wash the whole mane in a matter of moments. She took a towel, then wrapping it around Mango's newly wash mane and dried it a little.

"This conditioner is a leave-in kind of conditioner." she mentioned, "So we don't need to wash it off." She took another bottle, squeezing some liquid to her hooves and then rubbing it to Mango's mane. "When I am ready with the mane, I will work a little with your hooves, darling."

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Makeover rubbed the shampoo into Mango's mane quickly and thoroughly, leaving no strand untouched. After massaging her scalp quickly, she washed the shampoo back out, and the lather was sucked down the drain, leaving Mango's mane clean and wet.
The pegasus quickly retrieved a towel and dried her mane swiftly, soaking up most of the water that it had absorbed. Makeover then explained what she was about to do, and squeezed a dollop of the contents of the bottle she was holding and worked it into Mango's mane gently.
"Thank you for this, by the way," Mango thanked the mare as she applied the conditioner to her mane.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"No problem, honey." Makeover replied while rubbing the conditioner on Mango's mane. "I love to pamper others, I make them shine. Except that with you, there is not much to do, you have it all naturally already."
Finished with the Unicorn's mane, she then continued to the hooves, taking a file and starting to fix the now softened and cleaned up hooves.
"So, any interesting gossip out there?" she asked, when working with the first hoof.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Mango blushed at Makeover's compliment. "You must deal with a lot of dirty ponies then if you think I shine naturally." she chuckled. "Thank you, though."
The pegasus started to work on Mango's hooves again, filing them down into a perfect curve.
"So, any interesting gossip out there?" she asked. Mango thought for a moment. "I hear the Ponyville hotel is getting quite a bit of business," she said. "Something about a famous band holding a concert in town. I'm not too interested in the event, but I guess a lot of other ponies are." she paused and watched Makeover file her orange hooves. "Sorry, I don't really have much to say. Flower shops aren't really a gossip central, y'know?" she smiled.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"It's alright, dear." Makeover said while finishing with the first hoof and then moving onto another. "But a concert would be an interesting event, especially with so many musicians in town. I think the concert would be for charity, you know, to fix the town hall."
Makeover smiled in silence, when she worked with the hooves, soon being ready with them.
"I'll guess it is time for the hair treatment then." she annouced, starting to gather some equipment she needed for the curls.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

"A charity concert would be nice," Mango thought out loud. "Especially for the town hall... Remember when that grey pegasus pretty much destroyed it while they were trying to fix it?" Mango chuckled. "She's certainly on the clumsier side."
Now that Makeover was retrieving some hair equipment, Mango inspected her hooves, turning and looking at them from different angles. They honestly did look perfect--like the cover of a beauty magazine, Mango noted.
"Have you been hearing any gossip? I'm sure you get a lot, working here," Mango asked.

((I'm so sorry I forgot to post! I thought it was your turn D: ))

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"There is nothing much to be said, to be honest. I just finally heard some interesting stuff. This one Pegasus, Arpeggio, got beaten up because of a love triangle." Makeover rolled her eyes at the fake rumours there had been, "Some said he got actually kidnapped by Diamond Dogs, but no, the pony he had loved actually gave him some awful treatment." She shook her head as she returned with the equipment and started rolling locks of Mango Azalea's mane with mane rollers.
"I'll do some medium sized curls and small curls, if that is okay with you?"

[Don't worry about it. ^^]

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

"Diamond Dogs?" Mango's ears flicked towards the ceiling in surprise. "Those are the ones that live in the underground tunnels with the gemstones, right?" She was silent for a moment, and let this sink in. Hadn't there been that purple-maned unicorn once who had been kidnapped by them? Mango drifted off, lost in thought, when Makeover's sudden voice snapped her back into reality. "I'll do some medium sized curls and small curls, if that is okay with you?"

"Oh, sure! Of course, that sounds lovely," Mango said a bit absentmindedly.

((Again, sorry about the wait. My internet went down before I posted D: Next time will probably be a bit faster.))

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

Makeover kept on working with the mane, as she said, "Yes, that's what the DD's are known about." She shrugged a little, as she did not actually know anything else on the subject of diamond dogs. As she had the approval of Mango Azalea, the beautician concentrated on the task at hoof and continued to roll locks of mane with the rollers. Every now and then, she added a liquid to keep the curls curled.

A silence had fallen, when Makeover worked. She liked to think she was an artist at things like these, and now it seemed she was going to catch an artistic flow. Some time passed, seeing how much of Mango had mane, but she was quite satisfied when all of the mane was rolled around the manerollers. Now they only had to wait for the curling liquid to dry out.
"Want me to work on your horn, too?" she asked the mare, as some of the unicorns liked to get the horn filed and polished as well.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

Mango grabbed a magazine while Makeover curled her mane into rollers, flipping through the pages. She only skimmed, as she wasn't exactly very interested in the private lives of celebrities and was just looking for something to do. When Makeover was done, she offered to work on the unicorn's horn.
"My... my horn?" Mango looked up at the pegasus, obviously oblivious to common spa treatments. "What would you do to my horn?" She looked up at her horn, crossing her eyes in the process.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"Some unicorns like to get their horns filed and polished." Makeover explained, placing her curling equipment away, as those things were not needed any longer.
"You understand that horns grow crooked if they are not taken care of?" she asked, her voice maybe a little too concerned, especially since crooked growth rarely happened or interfered with the magical powers of the unicorns.

Then she raised her hooves to show she would not force anything on Mango, if the unicorn did not wish for it. "I won't do it, I get some unicorns are really sensitive in the horn area." she gave an assuring smile, "Same thing with pegasi, as well. I mean, some like their wings neat and old feathers plucked, but others don't want their wings touched."

Makeover sat down and looked at the unicorn, then saying, "But, it takes some time for the curling liquid to do its stuff, so I might need something to do. She had rolled Mango Azalea's tail too, so it was no use to use any more time for that part of the client.

Posts : 130 Join date : 2012-07-02 Age : 30

"Ohh," Mango sighed with relief. "I'm fine with you filing it and stuff. I've just never had that done before," she explained. "My horn hasn't grown crooked, either. At least I don't think it has," she pursed her lips and thought about it for a moment.
After a couple heartbeats, Mango shrugged. "Go ahead. I'm curious to see what this'll turn out like." She explained it like it was such a common thing... I must have looked so clueless! The orange unicorn blushed subtlety, itching a sudden scratch behind her ear.

Posts : 644 Join date : 2012-04-26 Age : 35

"Of course your horn does not need much work, darling." Makeover said, taking out a file specially made for horns, also a piece of soft cloth and hornshine oil. "It is the natural shine in you, dear."

Makeover came a little closer and started to file the horn, being extra careful, considering the unicorn had never had her horn filed or polished. "This might tickle a little." she warned the unicorn, while she worked with the horn.
As said, there was not much to be done to the horn, as it had grown pretty straight. So therefore Makeover only filed the very outmost layer off, then applying the oil to the cloth and polishing the horn.