keeping up is hard to do

gaze  runs  over  the  other's  length  to  take  in  the  outfit,  they  tilts  their  head  ever  so  slightly  "  i  like  the  red,  looks  good  on  you.  "  mikayla  shrugs  her  shoulders.  she  chuckles  and  shakes  her  head  "  i  don't  mind,  i'm  happy  to  help.  blue  might  be  a  good  option  for  you.  what  is  this  for  again  ?  "  she  questions  "  wait  i  do  ?  are  you  sure  ?  thank  you,  that  is  so  nice  of  you  to  say.  "

"it's for tv, this week. i've got, like, a bunch of ridiculous interviews. they said i have to look really good," that's the problem she's having - she looks good, but does she look really good? like, fix her career after a bit of bad press good? violet's not sure. "let me try the blue, since you like it. and hopefully it'll be the right one, i'm exhausted of this fitting room.

                    jules’   gaze   shifts   towards   violet   ,   quietly   taking   in   her   attire   with   a   discerning   eye   .       a   subtle   ,   knowing   smile   curls   at   the   edge   of   his   lips   .       “   ah   ,   well   ,   red   certainly   suits   you   ,   but   if   you’re   in   the   mood   for   a   change   ,   my   suggestion   ,   it   would   lean   towards   blue   ,   ”       he   offers   ,   with   a   shrug   .       “   maybe   it’s   just   how   i   see   it   ,   but   it   seems   like   you’re   more   on   edge   about   where   you’re   going   to   wear   this   ,   rather   than   its   actual   color   ,   n’est - ce   pas   ?   ”

"the blue?" she picks up the dress - showing it off for a second, "i don't know, i'm horrible about this shit. it's all just... none of it matters, right? just a dress." she keeps reminding herself that, in her head, it's just a dress - but apparently things matter, for the image that she's supposed to give off, "well - you've got me there. i'm interviewing this week, in a couple of places. it's all televised, and i have to look good or they'll make... assumptions."

       jupiter was in dire need of new clothes now that he was returning to school. it had been a few years since he had dropped out, but he wanted to look his best going back into it. of course, he decided to go for a bit of a shopping spree. he came out of the unisex dressing rooms, looking at the outfit in the three way mirror when he heard the person next to him. he turned to her, looking up && down the outfit she had. " honestly, red is giving a S T A T E M E N T , && it doesn't look bad on you. the blue && yellow are safe colors. honestly, the red, but it's missing a cute cropped black jacket. if it's not your taste, then go with the yellow. "

"oh, a jacket's a good idea," she says - offering him a smile, "i like that on you, too. it's nice, fits your whole... vibe?" she makes a face - she doesn't think that was exactly the right thing to say, there. whatever, she tried, "let me see if i can find a jacket. thanks, for uh, the help. if ou ever need fashion advice, you know now to call me."

"  you  could  clearly  sense  that  someone  with  exquisite  taste  had  entered  your  stratosphere  ,  "  non  ironically  complimenting  themselves  but  this  was  kellan  ,  well  known  for  astronomical  ego  .  they  seem  to  be  strolling  around  looking  at  garments  ,  "  a  white  would  be  perfect  .  i'm  envisioning  your  hair  down  in  boundless  curls  ,  a  single  white  flower  tucked  amongst  the  top  of  the  locks  …  "  sighs  dreamily  at  own  thoughts  .

"oh, yes, that's exactly it," violet agrees - mostly with a touch of sarcasm. she hadn't actually sensed that, she'd only seen someone dressed better than she ever did and decidd their opinion would be a bit better than her own, "oh, a flower in the hair? like - a live one, or something i get a joann's? i'm trying to get the full mental picture here."

               ❝   all   colors   are   your   color   because   you're   gorgeous,   firstly.   ❞   luna   spoke   definitively   about   her   best   friend.   the   look   on   violet's   face   telling   them   this   was   about   more   than   just   feeling   underwhelmed   by   an   outfit   choice.   they   cross   over   to   violet's   place   in   the   mirror   and   stand   in   front   of   her,   obstructing   her   vision   and   taking   her   hands.   ❝   i   think   you're   just   nervous   and   second   guessing   everything   because   of   it.   trust   your   instinct,   no   one   knows   you   better   than   you   know   yourself.   except   maybe   me,   and   i'm   telling   you,   you   look   incredible.   but   if   you're   not   feeling   the   red   that's   okay,   we'll   find   you   something   else.   ❞

"you're too sweet," violet says - knowing exactly what luna was going to say before she even opened her mouth. it was always something positive, when it came to stuff like this - it's why she wanted to shop with her bestie in the first place, "but, seriously. i don't know, it feels... wrong? maybe something darker - that's... i've always felt safer in dark colors? i don't know, i just feel like i should go with something different, now?" after everything, she thought things are supposed to feel different. how is it that everything's the same just, with, like the knowledge that she's not actually as invincible as she once thought?

[ for the blog @fairjuliette ]         "maybe you need a cooler toned red? or ... maybe a warmer toned red? i'm actually not sure how it works. i had my colors picked out for me a year ago."   talk about privilege,  juliette,  sheesh.  not that she actually uses the information all that much,  it was to appease her parents,  and she'll really just pick out what she feels looks cute on her.   "are you winter toned? spring? fall? summer? maybe that'll help. then again, i'm not exactly a pro. i just know it's, like, a thing."   juliette shrugs,  blue gaze falling on the other.   "why not wear something that you know works? clothes are meant to be worn again."

"who... picks out your colors? because i was just told red was my color, like, a decade ago and i've just been going with it ever since," violet gives her half a smile - it's mostly a joke. she's really not sure what she looks good in - something along the lines of problems with how she looks, she's sure, is the culprit there. "see, that's the thing - we're all about breaking cycles lately. shouldn't i get out of my comfort zone in clothes, too? reinvent myself, or whatever?"

        ❝  maybe  but  not  that  shade.  ❞   she'd  spent enough time sitting front row at fashion shows and conversing with fashion critics to have developed a good eye for these things. a pause and then she held up a finger before venturing back into the rows of clothing — a woman on a mission. she swore she'd seen it nearby . . . there! excitedly, she returned to violet's side.   ❝ try this instead. ❞   she held out the outfit.   ❝ this shade of purple will look amazing on you. ❞

"oh, you think it's too dark? or too light?" she's not really sure about any of this - fashion isn't exactly her thing. it's why she's been known to wear the same three things onstage, every night. the other disappears, and she can't see where she's gone for a few seconds. she inspects the new outfit when it's given to her, smiling, "oh, wait - i love this. why didn't they show me this first?"

             ﹙  🍑  ﹚  ⠀     ↝        𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒  𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌  𝐇𝐄𝐑  lips,  a  hand  raising  to  wave  the  comment  off.  fashion  has  never  been  her  forte,  but  she's  one  of  the  lucky  ones:  the  things  that  bring  her  joy  just  so  happen  to  work  for  her.  tiffany  steps  closer,  chestnut  hues  scaling  the  other.  ❝  you'd  look  beautiful  in  anything!  ❞  a  flashed  smile.  ❝  but  you  should  always  choose  what  you  feel  the  most  powerful  in⸻or  the  most  comfortable,  i  guess.  depends  your  destination.  ❞  her  attention  shifts  to  the  rack  of  clothes  nearby,  nimble  fingers  crawling  through  the  options.  ❝  if  i  gotta  pick  a  colour,  though,  i  don't  think  you  can  ever  go  wrong  with  purple.  ❞  and  she  wasn't  just  saying  that  because  it  was  her  favourite.  or  maybe  she  was.

"aw, thanks," she pauses, to consider. what doees she feel powerful in? she hasn't actually felt... powerful in, well, a long a time - perhaps since before she was touring. perhaps even farther back, from that. definitely not in the few months since she entered rehab, did that whole song and dance. "let me try the purple, then?" she disappears into the changing room, and reappears in the dress just a few moments later. she's gotten quite good at a quick change, "what do you think of it?"

          "   you'd   look   best   in   bright   tones   .   "   nayoung   is   grateful   for   her   time   as   a   stylist   ,   knowing   which   tones   look   best   and   all   that   jazz   .   she   stands   up—   her   younger   sisters   were   in   town   and   spending   a   day   on   fifth   avenue   was   a   perfect   way   for   the   lim   sisters   to   bond   .   "   go   for   pink—   yellow   would   wash   you   out   .   mind   if   i   see   your   options   ?   "  

"you really think so? they always love to dress me in black," she guesses it may just be the vibe of her music, though, that gets them there - melancholy tones equals dark colors to plenty of designers who only bother to listen to one song before they pull a dress for her. "oh, a pink would be fun. i never wear pink, let me see," she pulls out three other dresses - all of similar length and style, all wildly different shades of pink, "uh, i didn't realize there was going to be so many options."

Ashley Moore as Riley in I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021)

♡ ashley moore via instagram ( ashley_moore_ )