Suited citizens lined the bustling streets of Central City, presumably heading to lunch. A gloved white hand rested on a lavender chin as a cab cruised through the surprisingly clear streets, its passenger's amber eyes taking in the sights. Despite being the princess of an entire kingdom, it was rare that she ever saw this many people out and about. It was far past the… what had her father called it? The 'rush hour,' and too early for the evening rush, so it made sense. Stores whizzed by, with a few G.U.N. patrol bots in the skies.
"Almost there, Miss…" she heard a deep, masculine voice begin, seemingly having forgotten her name.
"Blaura," she replied, lifting and twisting her head to face the taxi driver before resting it back on her hand.
"Ah yes, Blaura! Sorry, but you know how it is. I meet alotta' people in this line of work," the man apologized.
Blaura looked up once more to see him adjusting his tie in the rearview mirror before his eyes fell on hers.
"So, where are you from? You don't look like you're from around here…"
"You could say that," she replied in her smooth, youthful voice. "It's… a little complicated."
"Fair enough. I don't wanna pry too much," the man responded.
"It's quite alright," Blaura insisted, uncrossing her cream-colored legs and turning to him. "It'd just take awhile to explain, probably longer than we have."
"True, especially considering we're almost there," replied the driver with a chuckle.
Blaura watched as the driver pointed to a huge estate further down the road to the right. Her eyes went agape as the marble structure and fence surrounding it captivated her. "Wow," was all she could say in response.
"Why're you going to see Lady Rouge anyway? Isn't she like, one of the most rich, high-class women on the planet?"
Blaura beamed at the mention of her fashion idol. "Well… she's an old friend of my dad's, I just wanted to meet with her to get some advice on my looks."
"Woah, you must have some dad," the cab driver responded. He lowered his hand, grabbing a paper cup and taking a sip of its contents before continuing. "Well, however you know her, you definitely came to the right woman for that. She owns some kinda fashion brand, right? What was it? Patho… Tollmee…" his face contorted in a bunch of strange ways as he rambled off trying to pronounce the brand.
"Peitho Tolmiros," Blaura corrected.
"That's the one!"
A few more seconds of driving and the yellow car began to slow, having reached its destination. Blaura paid the driver with the weird looking money her parents had given her and stepped out of the cab.
"You have a good day, Blaura!" the cab driver said, with her turning around to catch a wink from the man, having remembered her name.
"Thanks, you too," Blaura smiled back with a brief wave.
She heard the cab pull away behind her, but the real interest was in what she beheld. Before the violet-clad feline was a building that almost gave the Sol Kingdom's palace a run for its money. The polished marble structure spanned what felt like a small city block, reaching several stories tall. The corners were lined with a thick gold finish. The lower section of the palace was somewhat obscured by the brass fence and gate.
Blaura sashayed toward the gate, the ruffles at the bottom of her dress shimmying in the wind.
The fact that she was actually about to get beauty advice from her idol started to solidify itself. She couldn't wait! Especially after all the convincing it took for her mom to finally let her go.
XXXX
"I told you, Sonic. I don't want my little girl dolling herself up!" a motherly cat in a pink sweater protested, arms crossed.
The feline's speedy husband impatiently tapped his foot. "C'mon, dear. She's fourteen now! Plus she's a princess! She's gotta learn to look like true royalty sometime!"
"Coming from mister 'eats chili dogs and spills all over his stomach and cape," Blaze mused in response.
Before her parents could get any more off-topic, Blaura decided to break it up with her own protest. "I've been keeping up in my studies, practicing with my powers, and learning the customs of the kingdom. Why can't I look the part, too?" Blaura's cheeks flushed as she looked away, remembering a part of why she wanted to get advice from Rouge. "I just... want to look as pretty as you."
Her mother was clearly taken aback by such a comment. "You… think I'm pretty?"
"Of course I do! You always look so graceful and royal, and you're always getting compliments from dad," Blaura replied assuredly.
Blaura's mom knelt down, playing a loving hand on her shoulder. A blush crept onto the younger cat's face as she looked down to the floor, trying to avoid eye contact. "Blaura, dear. You look beautiful just the way you are. You don't need Rouge or anyone else to help you with that."
"But…" her husband mused in the background.
"But," her mother finished, causing Blaura to look up in curiosity. "If you really want to meet Rouge, I'm okay with it."
"Really? Oh, thank you mom!" Blaura cheered, embracing her mother in a tight hug and eliciting a chuckle from the adult cat.
"I'll make the necessary arrangements and let Rouge know you're coming. Don't make me regret this," she finished sternly, breaking away and pointing a motherly finger at her.
"You won't, I promise!"
XXXX
Finishing her reminiscing, she reached the shiny gate with an elegant "R" attached to its front. Off to the side on a narrow pillar was what appeared to be a buzzer system, similar to what the palace sometimes had. Blaura already knew what to do, walking up and holding her finger on its red button.
An electronic buzz preceded a sultry, smooth, feminine voice from the other end. "Hello?"
"Hi, Miss Rouge?" the calm cat asked.
"You've got'er, hun'. Who's this?" Rouge inquiried.
The feline began to let the nerves of meeting her idol get the best of her. "Oh, right! It's Blaura. My mom called yesterday and said I'd be coming?"
"Ah, yes! Your dear mommy told me all about you. Please do come in!" the bat chirped in reply.
Blaura jumped at the light creak of the gate as it began to open. She backed up and watched it swing out, revealing an unobstructed view of the yard on the inside.
Her journey began. As she walked in towards the large wooden doors directly ahead, her senses went wild, taking note of all the insane details of the gardenous area. Her sensitive feline ears twitched at the sound of rushing water, causing her to turn and see a stone statue of the nocturnal tycoon herself, standing atop a circular fountain. Its outfit resembled that of the older pictures of Rouge that her mother had showed her, while its body took on a pose that the younger cat could only describe as elegant. Another identical fountain rested directly across from it.
As the captivated teenager continued, she noticed the rainbow assortment of flowers. From daisies to daffodils, if it was a beautiful flower it was surely present in Rouge's garden.
A few white arches lined a subtle stone path that weaved away from the main one and through the garden. She traced it with her eyes, following along on the journey through the flora that it sent them on.
It wasn't but moments later that Blaura reached the entrance of the mansion. A pair of tall wooden doors with intricate silver designs dancing around the exterior. A deep breath preceded her hand reaching forward to grab one of the door rings.
Mere instances before the ring could connect with the door, Blaura was stopped in her tracks.
"No need to knock, dear. Come on in!" the same electricized voice as before invited from an unknown location, catching the young cat by surprise.
Blaura glanced around, noticing not long after that a security camera hung off the top right of the door frame. It's vacant, black eye remained vigilantly trained on her. A small gulp travelled down Blaura's throat as she peered into the camera and nodded before turning back to the door.
The wood and silver door creaked open. What would Rouge be like? She'd met her once or twice as a small child, but didn't remember much from the encounters. Almost all she knew of Rouge, she knew from watching her fashion shows and commercials. All she knew was that the bat woman was a beauty guru, an idol to the growing princess since she was a child. She was here to learn from the best, and only hoped that the master was willing to teach.
Finally, Blaura stepped inside. Much like her encounter with the garden, her senses were immediately taken on a rollercoaster ride. Passed the entrance was a large kitchen and dining room area, complete with a granite island. Off to her right was a quarter-circle corner fountain. Next to it sat a wooden door, leading into a windowed room made of the same material.
Among the countless other features of the mansion's huge main room, one stood out in-particular; the lounging area in the far right. The wall housed a massive high-resolution TV. A program was playing, looking like some sort of weight lifting competition, and was that…?
"C'mon Knuxie, don't let me down!" A bat cheered from her sprawled out position on the couch, facing away from Blaura.
The rather confused cat watched as Knuckles stepped forward, his name and lift being announced. "Next up; Knuckles the Echidna. Performing the deadlift, seven hundred and ten pounds!"
"Ooo… new record." Rouge cooed. Her face was hidden in front of the couch, but Blaura could only imagine her captivated expression. She figured she'd let Knuckles' turn conclude before she dared interject.
Once Knuckles stepped down, having been successful, Blaura continued her stride up to the couch. "Miss Rouge?"
Rouge twisted around. "Oh! Blaura. Nice to see you made it in," she serenaded, grabbing for the remote and turning the television down.
"Thanks for having me!" Blaura replied with a shallow smile.
"The pleasure's all mine. Not everyday you get to give beauty advice to royalty!" Rouge insisted.
As Blaura strode up further, Rouge's clothed body came into view. It was like the bat had been ripped right out of the commercials! The same, bust-exposing pink dress that hugged her body from about half of her chest down to her knees with two spaghetti straps meeting at her chest, held there by a gold heart symbol; the black high heels and knee-high stockings; and of course, the make-up! Blaura was awestruck seeing the woman in person.
"You alright there, sweetie?"
Blaura was shaken out of her admirative trance by Rouge's light teasing. "O-oh, of course! Sorry," Blaura apologized, scratching the back of her head. "It's just… I'm a big fan, and you look even more impressive in-person than you do on TV."
"Why, thank you," Rouge swooned in reply. "However."
Blaura watched as Rouge stood up from the couch and walked up to her, hands on her white belt. "We're not exactly here for me, this visit's for you."
Blaura nodded in agreement. "Sorry, you're right. What should we do first?"
"Hmmm," Blaura watched bat's eyes trace her figure up and down, a contemplative hand on her chin.
Moments later, Rouge was seemingly ready for her conclusion. "Well, I'm not gonna sell you short, kid, you've got a lot going for you as-is."
"Really?" Blaura beamed at the thought of being complemented by her idol.
"Yep! Knowing your parents, you probably get most of it from your mother…" Rouge muttered under her breath. "But!" She lifted a commanding index finger from her white-gloved hand. "You take a few tips and tricks from my playbook and you'll go from looking like a gifted gal to a goddess!"
The flattered feline smiled as Rouge followed up by pivoting around and motioning behind her for Blaura to follow. She swiftly complied.
As they journeyed through the mansion, Blaura's senses were flooded with several more of its features. Rouge's lap pool; her sewing room; and what she called her "Lipstick Lab," to name a few. The bat acted almost like a tour guide, proudly pointing out every room and amenity.
It seemed like an eternal journey later when Blaura and her guide finally stopped in front of a grand-looking pair of doors. They much resembled the doors outside, but with the silver designs being replaced by more-intricate golden spirals.
"We're here!" Rouge twisted the jeweled doorknob and Blaura sashayed in behind her. Immediately, she was greeted by a sea of pink, red, and grey. "The master bedroom!"
'Master' was almost an understatement. This room may have even been bigger than mom and dad's! On the right wall rested an Eastern King-size canopy bed, with pink translucent curtains that stretched up to the high ceiling. The bedding itself split a palette of red, pink and grey. Beside the bed's grey nightstand was a sleek, pink sliding door with an electronic panel next to it. Presumably the closet. However, the door Rouge led her to was on the other side.
Blaura trailed behind the bat as they walked over to the left, another door. With the tap of a button, the rose-gold barrier slid open, revealing their final destination.
With a similar palette to that of its main room, this master bathroom looked more like a mini-salon. A huge mirror spanned the entire far wall above the polished grey countertop. Below it was an assortment of cupboards, all of different sizes and shapes.
"So, what's first?" Blaura calmly asked, containing her excitement.
"Come step up to the mirror, hun."
The feline heeded her mentor's instructions, striding up until she was almost against the counter and staring into the mirror. "Huh?" Blaura's eyes widened a moment as Rouge's hands snapped to the sides of her head.
"Ah, ah, ah, stay focused on your face in the mirror," the playful bat commanded. "Now, tell me, Blaura. What's the first thing that you see?"
She raised an eyebrow at Rouge's peculiar question, but answered nonetheless. "Uh… my hair?"
"What part of it, dear?" the fashion guru pressed, almost cutting her off.
"My… bangs?"
"Yes! Your bangs, Blaura," Rouge finished, acting as-if she'd known the answer all along.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Blaura asked back.
"Well, honey, let me explain something to you," Rouge began, running her hand through Blaura's bright blue bangs. "This area of your hair sticks out like a diamond in a pile of boulders. Look at how the blue goes with your outfit, your fur, anything else!"
Blaura looked over the rest of her body, noticing that Rouge was right. "Woah. I never paid much attention to it before, but you're right. It does stick out."
"Not only that, it looks out of place when compared to the rest of your palette," Rouge added, removing her hands and pulling a comb out of the open drawer. "Of course, it's not like blue doesn't go with purple, but the change is so abrupt and jarring!"
"What would you recommend?" the eager-to-learn cat asked.
"I think we should smooth out the transition with some dye. Leave the tip as its natural color, but make the rest a smooth gradient from your lavender fur to blue. It won't drain all the uniqueness from your bangs, but it'll all blend better and reflect your smooth, calm personality a little better," Rouge proposed.
Blaura was dumbfounded at how simple, yet effective the solution seemed. "I like it," was her admirative reply. "Plus, I trust your judgement."
"As you very well should," swooned Rouge. "Trust me, dearie. If you let me work my magic, the guys'll be flocking to you like moths to a flame!"
Blaura stared at her lightly smiling expression in the mirror, imagining what her hair may look like. "What's next?"
Rouge set the comb on the counter, reaching into another drawer and pulling out two more items. An eyeshadow kit, and a rack of various lipstick colors. "We're gonna address what I believe to be the two most important parts of a woman's face. Any ideas on what those may be?"
Blaura hesitated for a moment, looking back at her reflection in the mirror.
Looking.
Of course! "The eyes?"
"Precisely!" Rouge cheered. "Not only are they a lot of guys' favorite part of a woman's face, or a woman in general, but they're what people will be staring at the longest. See on my eyes how they stand out thanks to the complementary color they have in comparison to my outfit and fur?"
Blaura broke focus on herself to look at Rouge's eyes through the mirror, and she was right, the light blue shadow on Rouge's eyelids did a huge part in bringing them out! The cat nodded in acknowledgement.
"So, hmm… what goes well with that beautiful amber color of yours, but compliments your outfit as well?" Rouge thought aloud, peering into Blaura's eyes.
"Pink?" was the first color that came to mind for the learning cat. It matched her shoes and hair scrunchie, and she assumed it would go well with the yellow color of her eyes.
Rouge's eyes widened. "Wow! You catch on fast, hun," she commended. "You keep this up and you might even surpass the master one day! Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far…"
"Thanks..." replied Blaura to the somewhat backhanded compliment. "Anything else?"
"Not much. We'll finish up with a few touch-ups here and there to really add the cherry on top to your new look, but other than that, like I said, you've got some good genes going for ya'," finished the beauty bat.
Blaura nodded her head in acknowledgement, seeing her soon-to-be-makeovered face mimic her motions in the mirror.
"Well then, let's get started, shall we?" Rouge cooed. Blaura jumped as she felt her hand being grabbed. The enthusiastic fashion guru jolted to the left, dragging her over to a hairdressing station lined with all sorts of assorted combs, brushes and dye colors.
XXXX
"So, is the demi-goddess ready to descend from the heavens?" Rouge's inquiry sounded through the darkness.
Blaura shuddered with anticipation, having spent the last hour with Rouge, enacting all of her plans. Now the moment of reveal was here, Rouge's gloved hands were the only thing standing between her eyes and her new look. "I'm ready," she stated matter-of-factly.
The curtains of Rouge's hands parted, Blaura opened her eyes and her reflection greeted her. The feline was immediately taken aback by the changes. Minor as they may seem, they had completely transformed her look. Just as Rouge had suggested, her attention was immediately drawn to her amber eyes and now-pink eyelids as the two colors worked together to bring grab her focus. On her lips was the same warm pink color. A subtle, but effective little touch. Next, she noticed her hair. The instant transition to blue was no more. Instead, a smooth gradient of lavender, to a light violet, to blue at the very tip, occupied her bangs, along with them being 'poofed' out a tad more to cover the right side of her face entirely. Along with these major changes were a few minor touch-ups here and there. A little blush on her cheeks, and some smoothing of her fur's stunning royal color.
"So, what do you think?"
Rouge's words shook Blaura from her self admiration. She turned to the bat, a wide grin on her face. "I love it, thank you again for your help!"
"It was my pleasure, dearie," Rouge insisted as she twisted around and pulled open a small drawer. "Now, remember what we talked about. This look'll only last as long as your desire to have it. If you wanna keep it, you've gotta maintain your figure. You've gotta touch up often, especially after getting out of bed or the shower."
"Understood," Blaura nodded in acknowledgement.
"That being said, I've got something to help you in that regard," Rouge removed a palm-sized box from the drawer and shut it. She held the item up to Blaura, who wondered what it could be.
Blaura took the violet box in her hands. It had a simplified silhouette of the bat woman's face carved on the front, as well as the name of her fashion brand, etched out in elegant cursive; 'Peitho Tolmiros'. Four yellow jewels studded the corners. "This is one of my personal compacts. It's got everything you need to get started on your journey through the world of beauty."
Blaura turned over the gift in her hands. Funnily enough, it even seemed to match her color palette. Finally, she clicked the latch at the front, setting the top free. The compact opened to reveal a small assortment of supplies. A comb, a limited selection of lipstick and makeup colors, and a large mirror that spawned the entire inside of the top. "Wow, thank you!" she beamed, shutting the lid and grinning at the gift's giver.
"Now, just make sure not to lose it. I know I sure did go through a lot of compacts at your age," Rouge warned. "Then again, you seem like more of the organized type than myself," she chuckled.
"Yeah, no need to worry," confirmed Blaura.
Rouge noticed the time on the wall before turning back to Blaura. "It's about four fifteen, we should getcha' out of here before the five o'clock rush kicks into high gear!"
"Oh, right!"
Following an uneventful walk back through the magnificent mansion, another rose-gold door slid open and the student and master found themselves back in the living room. The TV was still playing its program. It seemed they'd made it just in time to see Knuckles be crowned the winner of the weightlifting event.
Blaura noticed Rouge's grin towards the television as she was walked to the door. "So are you and Knuckles… married, then?"
"Married? Oh, no. Not quite…" the bat mused in response. Blaura simply tilted her head in confusion, before she could ask the obviously followup question, Rouge answered for her. "We're in a… type of relationship that you'll understand when you're older."
This response only raised more questions, but Blaura assumed she'd find out eventually. If not, maybe mom would know…
"Pretty nice being able to doll up royalty for a change," Rouge grinned as they stopped at the exit.
"Pretty nice being 'dolled up' by the fashion guru herself," Blaura fired back.
Rouge smirked at Blaura's counter-complement prior to the cat turning to leave. As the door cracked open, the bat began her farewells, voicing her desire for Blaura to come visit again sometime. "And maybe we can even do some shopping!" she finished.
"Consider it done," Blaura replied. With one final motion, the door to the outside world opened fully. Blaura stepped out, leaving the luxurious mansion and its sole resident behind.
"Goodbye, dear! Remember to buy my beauty products!" Rouge teased from behind with a wave. Blaura turned around to wave back.
"Of course, who else's?" The feline playfully responded back before starting back on the path.
With that, Blaura left her idol, with a new look, new knowledge, and a new compact in-hand.