"Wh-why now of all the-- nngh, you idiot! Not here, not... ok, ok, ok! I'll talk about it! I'll talk! J-just stop... [i]stroking[/i] it where people can see!"

Madeleine is flushed and hot again, her body stiffly coming to life against the shoulder she's trapped on before the pressure suddenly eases and she collapses again into a horsegirl-shaped sack. Now her heartbeat is strong, if still erratic. The comparisons to a corpse are fleeing, and she'd like them to come back, please. If this is Machia's idea of being kind, then-- EEP! 

She swats her in the face in retaliation. 

"St, stop that! You're smelling orange blossoms, ok? And lavender. I use an argan oil treatment twice a week with the first scent, and my leave-in conditioner is the second. Horse tails aren't like the other kinds, all those cats and dogs you see running around. They're... much more sophisticated. Elegant. I treat all of my hair with care because it is part of me, and I am the final most essential piece of my fashion."

Of all the distractions she could possibly be offered, this is surely the dumbest one. It is so annoying that it's working. Would she, she wonders, be so indulgent on such a sensitive topic if she were less trapped? She'd like to imagine she wouldn't fall for it. But she is for all the difference that it makes just trapped in the levitator again with nothing to do but float and think. It beats falling asleep like this at least.

She sighs. 

"There's a... very particular rhythm to the shampoo application and rinse. As gentle as possible, fingers spread apart. It took a while to learn a good technique. After a shower, I pat it dry. The conditioner works best on lightly damp hair, so that's why. After that I braid it most nights. It helps the oils soak in. That's what keeps the hairs silky and glossy. And don't brush. Almost never brush. If you're having a problem, you are... almost certainly overbrushing."

If it's possible for a person dangling over someone else's shoulder to draw themselves up with pride, then Madeleine does it. There's so little energy in her body that she'd still look pathetic even standing up, but even so her ears are lifting up on her head again and her tail has started dancing as if to show itself off. Just look! Look how pretty it is!

"Tail hairs take a very long time to regrow, if you pluck them. Possibly years. And brushes always pluck them, even if you're gentle. To stimulate tail growth, you're meant to massage the places nearest the base. The muscles promote strong, healthy growth. So you need to rub at the base of the back and the... uh. Th-the. Er."

Oh no. Madeleine sees the trap swing shut on her too late for it to matter. Why did this conversation have to happen on a public street? With a celebrity at that? She turns red, a true full-body blush, and starts to tremble the more her imagination runs away with her. 

"The... area b-below that. As well. So. Um. Butt. But! You're probably... more interested in solutions for tangles. 

"...Right?"