Pretty, pretty Please

[Ember Thistle Grant]

She sat in her office, spinning in her chair as her tranquil blue eyes scanned over yet another contract that she needed to sign before the end of the day. Officially, she wasn’t due in the office today, but she had been driving herself crazy back at the penthouse that she shared with her brother. He was out in company meetings all day so she had no one to talk to, her college work was surprisingly up to date and the feisty blonde wasn’t in the mood for her own company, knowing that it would only lead to too much thinking and then an early start at the club where she planned on spending the evening with a few of her acquaintances who were rarely away from the party scene. Ah, the life of a twenty one year old could be so terrible…

Grabbing her pen, she scrawled her signature at the bottom of the fancy paper, watermarked with the corporation logo, before placing it back in the manila folder it had come in. Usually, her brother would do this after the meeting let up later today, but she thought she’d play the role of ‘good sister’ for once and help him out by getting them done for him. She had been banned from the company meetings for the rest of the month after she had got into a bit of a heated disagreement with Andrew during the last one, culminating in her throwing her glass of water at him in frustration because she hadn’t been close enough to punch him in the arm like she really wanted to, so now, she was stuck in her lovely office with a mountain of papers that could only be described as the Everest of her black desk.

Ember pushed back her thick blonde curls as she picked up the next document, but before she could read too far into it, her phone buzzed on the desk, distracting her. The image that flashed up was that of the person who was probably her closest friend who wasn’t blood related; Zoe. Exchanging the contract for the phone, Ember opened up her text, slightly startled by the short message of EMERGENCY! I NEED YOU!

[/b] all in capital letters and practically screaming the importance of the matter to the blonde gunslinger who was up from her chair in a heartbeat. She grabbed her bag, checking habitually for the gun and the bottle of pills that took up permanence residence in whatever bag she carried, before slipping on her leather jacket, zipping it up as she raced from her office, picking up the helmet from the table by the door as she went. She didn’t pause to explain to her assistant what was happening, nor did she even think of leaving a message for Andrew. Whenever someone who Ember cared about needed her, she dropped everything in a matter of seconds and rushed to their aid.

Outside, she mounted her bike and revved the engine as she skilfully and dangerously broke into the long line of traffic, her mind playing wonderful games of what could possibly be wrong with her innocent friend who was far too vulnerable for what this city could throw at her. Ember, on the other hand, had seen it all and lived most of it too. Most people wouldn’t guess it, but Ember hadn’t always lived a life of luxury and she had spent her fair share of nights on the streets, curled up in alleyways with people who were too pumped on alcohol and drugs to know what was even happening. It was a part of her life that she wouldn’t change, because it made her more open to understanding people, even if she didn’t show it well. Andrew may have had more reservations about some of the things Ember was willing to do but she had a keener eye for picker out those who would later deal their guns to the lowlives themselves who would use them to blackmail and cause more trouble on the already rough streets. Knowing exactly what was out there only made her worry more for her friend who was totally out of her depth, whatever the situation was. Mentally, she was cursing her friend for doing something stupid without telling her first; Zoe may have looked after Ember when the flirtatious rebel had been drinking, but Ember looked out for Zoe when everything else happened, even if she didn’t realise that the blue eyed ice queen had her back.

Tearing through the city and traffic, Ember soon found herself outside of the apartment complex where Zoe lived. She parked up outside, ignoring the complaint from some man who accused her of parking too close to his car as she pushed another man in a suit out of her way as he stopped to search for his phone. She wasn’t going to waste any time, even opting for the stairs over the elevator as she knew she could take to them quicker.
Outside the apartment door, Ember hit her fist against the wood, hard. “Zoe! It’s me, open this damn door now!”[/color] However, Ember’s patience wasn’t the best and after two seconds, it had been too long. If her friend was in danger, she could waste no time and the tall blonde reached into her bag, her fingers closing around her gun, just in case as she then threw her weight against the door, shoulder first, surprised when it wasn’t actually locked and she fell through with ease, regaining her balance on the other side as her grip tightened on the gun, inching it out of her bag slowly as her blue eyes looked around the quiet apartment. “Zoe? Where the hell are you, girl?”[/color] She called again, standing firmly just inside the open door, ready for action, if there needed to be any.
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• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS!1,014
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was in complete, utter, total shock. She had been since the moment Romeo had dropped her off, asking her the question she'd never expected to ever hear from his lips. He'd asked her out. On a real date. Zoe was surprised her heart hadn't stopped on the spot when he'd dropped the question, and she was still amazed she was breathing correctly right now. However, her thought process was anything but straight as she paced around her apartment. She still couldn't believe it. Romeo Jervis, her city boy, had asked to go out on a real date. With her. The plain little country mouse he'd come to the rescue for a few nights ago, his little country mouse in more ways than she thought he'd realized. Apparently, she'd been wrong.

Not shouting her joy and confusion to the world was tearing at Zoe's mind. She wanted to scream in happiness, cry from confusion, and faint from all the stress that had been dumped on her tiny shoulders in the past twenty-four hours. Part of her brain, and especially her hand, was still reeling from the fear and paranoia of the attack she kept trying to forget. The other half of her was squealing like a little teenager once more from the excitement of a date with the guy she couldn't help falling for. Now, however, she was stuck with the question all girls asked:

What was she supposed to wear?

Zoe had spent nearly all the time she'd been home digging through her closet in search of the perfect outfit. She hardly had any money to spend on something cute and new and "in style", so she'd have to make do with what she did own. And, frankly, there wasn't too much to choose from that was suitable for a date with a guy you thought you'd never be able to forget even if your life depended on it. There was only one person Zoe knew would be able to help her with this, and it most definitely was not any of her sisters or her Mama. It was Ember, the girl who was nearly Zoe's completely opposite, but also the one person she was closest to in the entire city; along with her city boy, of course.

Without thinking about how Ember would take the message, Zoe sent off an alarming text, hoping her friend would be here as quickly as humanly possible. She really needed help before this date if she wanted to impress Romeo like she did. Zoe wanted to look pretty for him, truly pretty, not just her usual, simple look that required little effort on most days. She wanted to be beautiful like those models that roamed nearly every street you glanced down, or like those girls flaunting magazine covers in drugstores. Zoe wanted to be able to catch his eye and make it stay on her, not wander off to those other girls who she knew were so much prettier and much less innocent than she'd ever be. She continued to rip through her now almost empty closet, looking over the sea of various colored clothing that was strewn across her bedroom. Hopefully, Ember might have something decent enough for Zoe to wear. Hopefully.

The sound of someone pounding furiously on her apartment's door and she took a breath, reminding herself it would probably just be Ember. She moved towards the door a little slower than normal, trying to calm her already high nerves down as her door flew open, revealing her blonde friend with a gun clenched tightly in her fist. "Ember, what in the name'a heck are you doin'?!" she shrieked, quickly taking a step back with widened blue eyes that held more fear than was normal in them. No, no, no. Ember wasn't attacking her; of course not. She probably just thought something had happened to Zoe. Right? Yes, that had to be it.

Zoe gulped nervously, closing her eyes for a quick moment to force her rapid heartbeat back under control. Ever since Romeo had dropped her off, she'd been like this. More jumpy than normal, even more paranoid, more afraid of even the squeak of footsteps going down the hall. Everything was magnified to extremes, and it all made Zoe long for the comforting safety of Romeo's apartment once more.

• • •

WORDS: 755!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

It really was surprising how Ember and Zoe made such good friends. The only two things that the girls had in common was their blonde hair and blue eyes; when it came to everything else they were polar opposites. Whilst Ember was careless and reckless, Zoe was the reliable, sensible one of the pair. If Ember went out and drunk herself into a near comatose state, Zoe was usually the one calling Andrew up to help her carry the gunslinger in stilettos home to the penthouse she shared with the same, and only, sibling. It was rather bizarre and yet the quiet country girl was one of Ember’s closest friends and probably knew more about her life than most people ever got to know. Sure, she kept some of the details more private, knowing too well how they would only make Zoe worry or freak out about some of the ‘misdemeanours’ her fiery friend had done in her rather shady past. See, behind the big hair and ice queen persona, Ember Thistle Grant did, indeed, have the ability to care for others who weren’t blood related or of the canine variety who slept at the foot of her bed most nights.

The thought of Zoe being in danger made Ember’s skin crawl and her blood boil. The country born girl was too vulnerable for some of the habitants of New York and the very idea of one of them taking advantage of her in some way was enough to send Ember into the streets, armed and ready to fire at whoever had hurt her friend, and she wasn’t afraid to do it. She had seen, experienced and lived through a lot of what the dark back streets of New York had to offer and if Zoe had fallen in with someone or something that could destroy her, well, there would be hell to pay in the shape of Ember Thistle Grant herself.

Dramatics were not her strong suit and she didn’t usually overreact in this way, aside from a few aggressive charges when someone pressed the wrong buttons, but later, the scene that unfolded would be one of the ones she would laugh heartily at, revelling in the hilarity of the misunderstanding that had both girls panicking, but in different ways. Truthfully, Ember wasn’t even sure if Zoe had ever seen a gun before and didn’t think that maybe brandishing one in her apartment may set the girl on edge just a little, tiny bit. However, for Ember, the gun was practically her plucky sidekick and she went nowhere without the purse size weapon. It was licensed, she had a full permit and it rarely ever came out of her bag, apart from when she moved it to her nightstand at night. Whilst she was perfectly confident in handling most situations, she had a heightened sense of what could possibly happen and although she was a girl who laughed in the face of danger, it didn’t mean that she didn’t prepare for the worst sometimes.

As Zoe shrieked, Ember instinctively turned in that direction, gun lowered but with her finger poised on the trigger just in case. It was probably a very good thing that she was trained to the best of her abilities because otherwise there may have been a succession of bullet holes in Zoe’s carpet, or worse from the shock the tall blonde received when her friend looked at her like she was some crazy woman escaped from the nearest insane asylum. She relaxed a little, but kept the gun loose at her side, now feeling totally confused about what was happening here and now, it was her turn to look at her friend as though she was the mad woman. “You text me saying there was an emergency!”

[/color] She said, staring at Zoe with wide blue eyes. “Zoe, you can’t scare me like that!”[/color] She raised her hand to her chest, feeling her heart pounding dangerously fast beneath her skin as she relaxed, dropping her weight onto her right leg and sliding the gun back into her bag, casually. “So tell me, what do people back in Adams class as an ‘emergency’ ‘cause it sure as hell isn’t the same as here in NY.”[/color] She queried, fixing Zoe with a caring but slightly agitated stare.
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• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS!755
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Out of the pair, anyone would be able to tell who the "mouse" was. Zoe was more simple and usually was the one to cool a situation down, especially if it involved Ember and some other chick at a bar. Ember was the firey side that Zoe had never gotten to touch, but it did her good. It kept her from over protecting herself and being too cautious about her life; though, really, she hated going out to the bars and watching the people dancing or "casually" sucking each other's faces off in some corner of the crowded, hazy room. It also gave her one more person to fuss over while living in New York. But, she needed her blonde haired friend more than she'd ever admit. They were good for each other, and that was all that mattered to Miss Tylers.

As Ember turned the pistol on her, all Zoe could do was stare in utter shock and pure fear. The events from a few nights ago pounded through her head, flashing into her mind. It was like it was happening again; everything from the hot, sticky breath to fainting in her city boy's arms. The panic was making her mind spin and she covered her face with her hands for a moment, trying to block the horror-film like clips out. They needed to stay locked away right now, especially right now. Zoe hadn't told Ember about her attack, or about what had happened afterwards. She hadn't told anyone. Forcing herself into check, she ran her hands through her wayward blonde curls, moving into the kitchen to get Ember a glass of ice water. She was only too aware of the disease that took over her friend's heart, and she was always being careful to try and keep her calmed down. Well, as calm as Ember could be, at least.

"There is an emergency, I swear on the lifea me!" she replied innocently, coming back out of the kitchen and holding the glass out to her. The still-bruised knuckles were worse than ever, though she could move them now and it only hurt a bit. And, Zoe was trying to use them as much as possible to make sure they were still somewhat okay. Besides, the coolness of the glass felt nice on the black and blue skin. "Sit down'n take a breath afore you blow someone to bits," Zoe scolded, motioning for Ember to sit on the couch. She herself returned to pacing in the small space. "I need yer help findin' somethin' to wear..." She paused in the center of the tiny living room, giving Ember a helpless look, one she definitely hadn't practiced in the mirror last night to try and convince her friend to help. Definitely not. "But, first, why the heck do ya havea gun in yer purse? Ain't that dangerous or illegal or somethin'?" she asked, clearly alarmed now as she paced again. Zoe had seen a gun before, yes. Heck, she'd even shot one when she'd gone out rabbit hunting with her father one time. But, it still didn't decrease her worry and shock at finding out Ember had one in her purse. If anything, it only made the country mouse more worried about the altercations that arose many times when the girls would go out for an evening. Though, most of those already ended with Zoe calling Ember's brother to come and get his sister. Explaining his sister had shot someone?! Yeah, that was not on Zoe's list of things to do.

• • •

WORDS: 650!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

She needed something to wear?! Seriously?! Ember had been envisioning leering drug dealers and only too violent bookies along with pimps and other such dangers; real dangers. Truthfully, the statuesque blonde wasn’t used to being called to deal with ‘girly’ emergencies. Most of the people she associated with had wardrobes filled with dresses and outfits that were perfect for every occasion and Ember herself could boast a wardrobe to be proud of. It was walk-in, with drawers and mirrors and hanging rails almost everywhere you turned. It was also something she was a little OCD-ish about. Each ‘type’ of outfit had an area to itself, so the work clothes were in the far corner, all pencil skirts and fancy blouses and opposite them were the night out clothes, the skirts much shorter than her temper and the tops more low than her brother cared for. He was always trying to get her to take a jacket or a wrap, but Ember lovingly rolled her eyes and left him standing there, calling after her to be safe.

Aside from the clothes though, Ember felt a wave of relief wash over her. At least now she knew that Zoe wasn’t about to be brutally murdered or worse. Still, surely she could’ve worded the 911 text a little better considering that Zoe knew about the heart condition that hung over every little thing she did, mocking her when she had to rest on a night out and taunting her after a workout in the gym almost hospitalised her. Luckily, them scenarios only played out when she ‘forgot’ her medication; the controlling little pills that tried to dictate what she could and couldn’t do with her own life. Ember hated them more than anything else on this earth and what they stood for made her temper soar. Due to her rebellious youth, the blonde didn’t take too nicely to being fifteen and having the doctors provide her with a list of ‘don’ts’ that included most of her favourite activities back then. The same stubborn rebel in her was the one who still skipped a few days of meds here and there, just because she could; she refused to let her young life be dominated by small white pills that may fix her heart, but only pissed her off more.

“Zoe, an emergency is what you text me when you’re bleeding on the floor, being chased by a murderer or having your door pounded down by a drug dealer who insists you owe him money.”

[/color] Those were what constituted as an emergency in Ember’s books and whilst her friend may have been having a fashion crisis, it was hardly an excuse for Ember to make several traffic violations on her bike and run into a building with a gun in hand. However, it was just evidence of how loyal a friend Ember could be when someone actually managed to break down the walls that she worked so hard to put up after her heartbreak.
She took the glass from her friend, rolling her eyes at how the tables had suddenly turned; now Zoe was concerned for her when a split second ago it had been the other way around. As much as she loved the country blonde and her older brother, they both drove her crazy with how much they fussed and fretted over her when she – in her mind anyway – was strong enough to look after herself. Her eyes fell on the black and blue knuckles as she sipped the icy water and then her heart was the least of her concerns – she nearly damn well choked to death! “Freakin’ hell, Zoe. What have you been doing?! Punching bricks?!”[/color] Ember recognised them bruises only too well; her own knuckles had been adorned with them when she was younger, when her punches weren’t correctly aimed or she had held her fist incorrectly. She rolled her eyes at her friend’s helpless look, standing up from the couch and placing her glass on the table. “I swear Zoe, if you tell me you’ve got a date with one of those slimeballs down the hall, I won’t know which of you to kill first.”[/color] Confidently, she strode into her friend’s bedroom, blinking at the array of colours that were muddled on the bed before her. She shook her head and answered the question as she picked through some of the items, wrinkling her nose at a few of the things that were far from her style. “All guns are dangerous, obviously.”[/color] The sarcasm dripped from her lips and she smirked caringly and amusedly at her friend. “I work and technically co-own a gun company. Of all the people in New York, I carry and use more guns than your pretty little head would care to know about. But, if you’re that concerned, my license and concealed weapons permit is in the back zip of my purse, along with a few loose rounds.”[/color] She smiled sweetly and then held up something that she couldn’t get her head around. “Zoe, is this a bedspread or some sort of straight jacket?”[/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS! 890
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was not the person you turned to when you needed fashion advice. Heck, she wasn't the person you turned to with any questions about appearence. Boys, she could handle. Backstabbing, no problem. Make up and designer names, hell no. That was Ember. And, though the mouse had never been in this sort of a crisis before, she was fairly confident in the fact that her friend wouldn't let her down. They had a bit of a sister thing going, where the other made up for what the first one lacked. And in this case, Zoe was sorely lacking any ability at all to pick out a suitable outfit. But, from the way Ember tended to dress, she was just a bit hesitant about letting her friend into the small closet in the country-fied apartment. Let's just say Zoe was counting on blowing her friend's mind with the lack of "city" clothes she owned.

"Ember, do I ever call ya about clothes? This is an emergency! she retorted defensively, one hand on her hip. "'Sides, I don't owe anyone any money and ya know me better than to think I'd muck 'bout in the streets with the rats'n bugs." Zoe crossed her arms over her chest now, tossing some of her curls over her shoulder. She expected Ember to know her better than that, at least. She was the innocent one, after all. Though, taking recent events into consideration, maybe it was right to suspect something was seriously wrong with the country mouse.

It was practically habit to fuss over Ember when she got excited, and Zoe was now more used to it than she probably should've been. However, she was not used to Ember worrying about her, no matter what the situation was. "I'm seriously startin' to think ya think I'm stupid," she snorted, quickly hiding her knuckles as Ember questioned them. "I closed my hand in a drawer by accident while I was on the phone," she shrugged, turning her back to Ember and going into the kitchen once more. Zoe couldn't lie for the life of her and if the person couldn't see her face, maybe she'd have just a smidge of a standing chance. Maybe. She reached into her cupboard, grabbing a jar of cookies down and pulling a couple out. Throwing them on a plate, she went and set them on the coffee table, yet another habit of hers. Zoe typically had a batch of something for Ember lying around. Besides, the baking helped ease her mood and, lately, that was exactly what she needed.

Zoe scowled at Ember playfully, "Of course it ain't with one'a them! There's a nice supervisor at Borders who's pra'tically the cream'a the crop." Her accent was getting worse as she kept keeping more from Ember. But, she knew the gun carrying queen would flip if she knew what had happened to her. And, she also wasn't comfortable with sharing all of this Romeo drama yet. What if it turned out bad? Would she want someone knowing all the details about it to keep reminding her of the heartbreak she was still planning on eventually suffering? Yes, it was safer to keep it to herself for now, or at least the biggest parts of it. She followed Ember into her bedroom, plopping down on the bed where Tessie was already curled up in a mountain of clothes. "Does yer brother walk 'round with a gun strapped to his hip, too?" she questioned, her eyebrows raised in shock. "It's a plaid dress, thank ya very much." Zoe had been waiting for this, but she couldn't keep the tiny smile off her lips. This was one reason she was friends with Ember; the girl never failed at showing Zoe that not everyone was as boring and innocent as she was.

• • •

WORDS: 700!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

To be honest, Ember was still reeling slightly from the events of the day so far. Normally, people didn’t freak out and declare it a national emergency when it came to fashion, but then again, Ember had never really circled with those who needed to do such a thing. When she was younger, it was a case of people wearing whatever they felt comfiest in; whatever was the easiest to run away in, and now she worked in a world where everything was professional and there was money to buy an outfit for every occasion.
Another thing Ember wasn’t so sure about was that Zoe had turned to her for fashion when neither girl ever dressed similar to the other, no matter what the circumstance was. Ember was always in the eye catching clothes; the tight fits, the low cuts and the short skirts, not to mention the leather get up she owned for days that were purely reserved for her bikes. She didn’t have the faintest clue where to begin right now, but if Zoe wanted her help then the country girl was no doubt going to get a makeover and a half from the fiery gunslinger.

She looked around the apartment, studying her friend’s figure and trying to work out the best way to dress her. The only person she had ever advised before was her brother and usually then it was just picking the shade of shirt or the best tie for a date. “Still not my kind of emergency.”

[/color] She explained, looking at her friend with hard blue eyes. Ember was still on the defence, waiting to need to throw a punch or start a fight. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the streets. Some of my best memories are up dark alleyways.”[/color] She smirked, defending the city she loved the most. Zoe still had so much to see about New York and Ember was convinced that she would get to show her it one day.

Ember narrowed her eyes at her friend and then raised her eyebrows at the blatant lie that escaped her lips. “And you must think that I’m stupid if you think I’m gonna believe that.” [/color] She reached around and took Zoe’s wrist gently in her hand, following her into the kitchen, her heels clicking on the floor as she walked, refusing to let this issue go. “If I know one thing, it’s my punches and this? This is from a bad punch gone wrong. So, do you wanna try again?”[/color] Ember hated being lied to and she hated seeing her friend in a position where she had to lie. It would have to have been something bad for Zoe to hide it from the gunslinger blonde and Ember wanted to know what it was, in case there was serious something going on that she needed to be aware of. She wanted to help her friend and she didn’t want Zoe to have landed in too deep with the dark side of the city. She picked up a cookie and bit into it gently, her eyes still fixed on Zoe.

She almost choked on her cookie at her next sentence, her blue eyes wide and her heart close to exploding as the words sunk in. “Zoe, no. No, you cannot date him. He’s a great friend and a charmer and a half, but he can’t keep it in his pants. Hell, I’ve slept with him more times than I can remember, he has a girlfriend who takes her clothes off for a living and he’s knocked up her sister, but I didn’t tell you that last bit. He’s one of my best friends and I’ve known him nearly my whole life but you do not want to be crawling into bed with someone like him.”[/color] She told Zoe, the words spilling from her mouth as she desperately fought to save her friend from the guy she thought the country girl was talking about.
Ember rifled through the clothing on the bed, pausing only to fake a glare at her friend. “I don’t have it strapped to my hip.”[/color] She said, turning to rummage through the clothes as she continued to talk. “And Andrew doesn’t understand New York the way I do. If he did, his pretty boy ass would probably never leave the penthouse.”[/color] She really did love her brother, there was just some differences between them that left both siblings feeling that Grant feistiness and his lack of streetwise knowledge was the biggest thing that irked her.
Her eyebrows teased her hairline again and she looked at the fabric in her hands with disbelief. “Let me cut several inches off this thing and then you can call it a dress.”[/color] She said, tossing the garment to one side and searching through the rest of the clothes that practically screamed ‘country’ at her. Did they have time for a shopping trip?

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• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS!845
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Between Ember and now Romeo, it was a wonder Zoe wasn't head over heels for the city life. Both of the people she was closest too bragged about the neon lights and crowded streets nearly every single time she ran into them, and, still, she preferred her bluegrass and dirt roads. She also preferred to keep a decent amount of her skin covered while she was outside of her own cozy apartment. It was always her who was Ember's shadow when the two went out to the bar, Zoe usually watching as her best friend flirted with this guy or that. The male eyes typically overlooked the plain seeming country mouse. But, she wouldn't have it any other way.

It was still a wonder why Zoe had asked Ember for help. She didn't have anyone else to turn to, though, so what could she really do? Besides, Ember could always impress a guy, or at least that was how Zoe saw it. The city slicker would need to teach her country opposite a few things about flirting, and dressing nice enough for an actual date. And makeup. That was one of the things she was most afraid of. The pencils, brushes, and different colors totally went over Zoe's head, and she was slightly scared of what magic her friend would hopefully be performing on her. But, if she wanted to catch Romeo's eye, she felt like she needed to be pretty like all the other girls in New York. Surely someone as exciting and wonderful as him wouldn't stay interested for long in plain, simple her.

Zoe wrapped her arms around herself as Ember's eyes traveled over her. She knew she didn't have the best figure, or the perfect curves, or anything model-worthy really... but she had to find a way to look different, pretty. "And somea my worst ones are, hence why I stay away from 'em," she answered, fidgeting slightly with her shirt to keep her face from Ember for a short burst of time. Zoe hadn't been able to shake the fear of being alone since the attack, and she constantly found herself wanting to be around other people. She'd spent a good amount of time at school in the library or the cafeteria, instead of by herself wandering the streets of New York or haunting her favorite, quaint hideaways. She had this need to be around other people, people who she somewhat trusted and recognized. And, she hadn't been out in the dark since the last time she'd seen Romeo.

"It's nothin', Em, I swear," Zoe pleaded back, giving Ember a look that clearly showed there was actually something going on. But, it was just so hard for her to talk about yet. Heck, she could barely escape thinking about it. That terrifying voice echoed around her head, that ghostly feeling of sticky breath trickling down her neck happened constantly, and she was always seeing things out of the corners of her eyes. Talking about all of it would just lead to it all being re-brought up in her mind. "Yer not here to talk 'bout my hand. Yer here to help me pick out an outfit," Zoe scolded as Ember took a cookie, those piercing blue eyes still glued tightly to her. She resumed her pacing, trying to shake that feeling of being watched as she bit down hard on her tongue. She couldn't tell Ember... the girl would freak! And with that gun? It was simply a disaster in the making!

As she heard Ember choking, Zoe's eyes snapped up. The worry she felt instantly turned to complete shock as her friend's words registered in her worn out mind. "W-What...? she gaped at Ember, her face a mixture of emotions as they played through her heart. Romeo wouldn't... he couldn't... no, it didn't make any sense at all. That wasn't Romeo. Ember couldn't be talking about him! He'd even made it clear that she'd been that girl who he was falling for, the one he'd called all those sweet things... Besides, he would never be that irresponsible with Ellie under his care. Right? "Are ya sure we're talkin' 'bout the same Romeo, Ember? she asked slowly, blinking at her innocently. If all this was true... Zoe was in for that heartbreak a lot sooner than she'd ever, ever planned upon.

"Hey, yer brother's saved ya from more scrapes than you can remember. Don't go hatin' on him so quick," she smirked back with a shake of her head as Ember continued to dig through the mound of clothes on Zoe's bed. It was a wonder all of it had actually been in that tiny closet, especially since she didn't own that many clothes. Or, well, she'd thought she hadn't. There had been quite a few forgotten pieces that resurfaced themselves today. "Yer not makin' me look like a hooker, Ember, let's get that outta the way right now," she said quickly as the cutting of dresses was suggested. Zoe didn't really mind that at all, it was just she didn't want anything too short, too tight, too... Ember. She still wanted to hold up to her own personal standards, even if she was getting desperate with ways to spice herself up for her exciting city boy.

• • •

WORDS: 960!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

Whilst Ember wasn’t the kind of girl to give makeovers or to guide other females with her knowledge of the city guys and everything that came with them, she did feel a small surge of butterflies erupt in her stomach when she realised that this was an opportunity for her to get Zoe out of some of the country bumpkin clothes that made Ember’s nose crinkle when she saw them on the hanger, let alone on her friend. Not many people could pull that redundant style off, but kudos to her friend, Zoe could. However, Ember was still itching to get her legs on show and to try and find out what lay beneath the surface. Zoe was an attractive girl and if she knew how to work it correctly, she could have her pick of any guy in the city.

Her blue eyes flicked back up to her friend, piercingly trying to find out the reason behind her fidgety mood. Maybe it was the prospect of a date, but Ember had been in New York and seen both sides of the neon lights to know better than that. However, for now, she let it slide. Zoe obviously didn’t want to confide in her about something and Ember wasn’t in the mindset to put her just now. “So, let’s put this into basics; what do you need my help with?”

[/color] If Zoe wanted Ember’s help than the tall blonde needed specifics, not just vague panic over having a date in the first place; she didn’t work like that. It was like when someone wanted a gun manufactured; they needed to list calibre, design, kick…it wasn’t as simple as walking up to someone and saying ‘gimme a gun’.

She looked back down at the pile of clothes and put her hands firmly on her hips, studying it as though she could find someplace to start. Then she spoke, but without looking back across at her friend. “I’m dropping what the hell happened to you for now, but believe me, we’ll be talking about that at some point and then we‘ll be dealing with it.”[/color] Her friend was hurt and Ember wasn’t the kind of person to let that go so easily. In fact, she probably wouldn’t let it go until the bastard had been dragged up one of the dark alleyways and taught a lesson, hand given by Ember herself. She was an intimidating girl when she wasn’t even trying so when she put the effort in…well, it had been excellent in solving problems in the past.

Ember sat there, blinking, once she controlled herself. She would kill him for trying to corrupt Zoe like this! He had his ways of seducing girls yes, and he was capable of making a nun fall for the charms when he turned them on, but Ember would not let him break Zoe’s heart. In fact, she was going to march over to his apartment right now, slap him hard across the face and then get him on the sparring mats at the gym until he was begging for mercy and even then she probably wouldn’t let him go! Oldest friend or not, Ember wasn’t going to let him get away with this, no chance in hell and not at the expense of - wait, what? “Romeo?”[/color] She spun around and looked at her friend with a confused expression. Why would Simon say his name was - oh. “Six foot or so with sort of whiplash hair? Speaks with a funky accent?”[/color] Zoe must’ve been talking about the other supervisor that Ember often saw Simon out and about with when she ventured into the bars and clubs around the city. Looks like the wonders of misunderstanding may have won again here.

Ember rolled her eyes and continued to sift through the clothing on the bed. “Andy likes to think he’s saved me. All he’s really done is stopped me from beating someone up. I’m perfectly capable of saving myself without his pretty ass getting involved and talking folk down.”[/color] Ember liked to think that she could handle everything alone and would never, ever admit that she needed Zoe or Andrew. It simply went against everything she had been raised to believe.
She stood up straight again and turned to fix Zoe with a daring stare. “I don’t dress myself like a hooker, thank you very much. Look, if you want my help you’re going to need to work with me here and, yes, I’m going to make you show some skin.”[/color] She raised her hands in the air and shook her head as if to suggest no negotiation. “Take it or leave it, but trust me, at least.”[/color]
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS! 824
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe just blinked at Ember's question. She needed help... with... with everything really. She didn't even know where or how to start explaining the reasoning behind her best friend even being here in the first place. All Zoe had down was that she needed to look different, more "New York" than "Country Girl". She needed to look like she deserved to be with someone as handsome as Romeo. Creasing her brow, Zoe replied, "Clothes, my hair, makeup... anythin' at all ya think I need." Her voice was quiet, nervous. This was all so over her head... she didn't have a clue what she was supposed to do, or even what to ask for. She needed to be perfect, absolutley, positively perfect. And, for her, the only person she had to rely on was Ember.

She sat down on the edge of her bed as Ember began to dig through the clothes. Zoe's teeth were chewing the inside of her lip as Ember began the lecture that was sure to come, even if Zoe was usually the one lecturing instead of recieving one. But, all of the events involving her hand were done at over with... mostly. The bruising and scars were still very much present physically and emotionally, and then there was the fact that she'd been asked out on a date thanks to her attacker. It was over, though, all the bad parts. What good would talking really do her? It would only bring up more bad memories. "It's already been dealt with," she mumbled weakly, knowing she'd never win this arguement in a million years. Zoe was just afraid of what Ember would do when she found out what had happened.

As her friend turned on her once again, Zoe blinked for a moment at the confused expression on her face. She bristled at the mention of Romeo's "funky" accent, sitting up a little straighter as she looked back at Ember. "Who'd you think I was talkin' about?" she answered, one eyebrow raised. "And, I happen to like his accent and his hair," she added defensively. Zoe really didn't talk to any of the other Borders employees other than Romeo, because he always was there when she was. She was shy, though, so it wasn't too big of a surprise to know that she didn't strike up conversation with every person she met. The friendship with Romeo had only happened because she'd been flustered enough to temporarily forget some of her shyness for a couple moments.

Zoe only smirked at the words about Andrew. She got along with him very well and their little protection team to keep Ember out of too much trouble worked flawlessly, even if she'd never admit to it. "It's his job to beat people up, not yours. That's why he's the big brother," she replied coyly, trying to hide her smirk before Ember turned back around and saw it.

"Never said you dressed like a hooker, only that ya aren't dressin' me like one," Zoe said, sighing loudly. She'd have to take this if she wanted to impress Romeo, even if it would result in her flashing more skin than she ever had in her life. "I guess. Just nothin' too radical, alright?" she almost whined, giving Ember a pleading, puppy-dog look. Hopefully, this would all work out somehow. Hopefully.

• • •

WORDS: 616!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

Ember looked at Zoe with furrowed eyebrows. She had never thought for a second that her friend was so…so out of sync with city life and the world of dating. True, it was never really something they talked about as Ember usually despised girl talk and had never been one to gush about the latest hunk at her gym or the son of the Italian businessman who had recently brought shares of their company. No, Ember didn’t let her emotions get involved with apparently, according to Andrew, wasn’t healthy, but she didn’t listen to him.
Shaking the thoughts aside, she smiled and then looked around the room, trying to think of where to begin. Zoe was beautiful enough already, but Ember could see the insecurities in her eyes, so she would swallow her usual sarcasm and exchange it for helpfulness. She could help Zoe look even more incredible if that is what she wanted, though Ember had never envisioned herself in the role of fairy godmother before. “Okay, well, whilst I look through this pile of a wardrobe, why don’t you get me everything you have in relation to hair and make up.”

[/color] Ember didn’t think it would be a lot, but she needed to see exactly what she had to work with and figure out if she needed to run home to get some of her own things. “What time’s Prince Charming making an appearance?”[/color] She asked, wanting to know how much time she had to work with too.

The tall blonde pulled several faces and she rummaged through Zoe’s clothing. It was all very much fitting for the country girl, but Ember would probably never be seen wearing half of this stuff. It wasn’t really her style and the clothes were far from fitted or figure hugging; the way she liked them. “So, d’ya know where he’s taking you on this date, then?”[/color] Did she need to salvage something casual or formal, hot or not? There was a lot of thought needed to make this work, and as she put herself into the job with as much dedication as she could muster, Ember shed the leather jacket from her shoulder and kicked off her boots, falling a little shorter in height.
Pausing, she fixed her blue eyes on Zoe, eyebrows raised. “Has it now? Well, I’m still going to want details. You can fill me in on them when you tell me all about this date next week.”[/color] She said casually, as a warning that she wasn’t about to let it drop. It may have been dealt with for now, but there was no harm in Ember double checking that everything certainly was done and dusted with no threat in the future.

Ember gawped at her friend for a few seconds, realising her mistake and realising that she had to answer Zoe’s question in the most innocent way possible. “The, um, Si-the other supervisor. Y’know what? It’s nothing important, forget about it.”[/color] She looked back down at the clothes, examining a cute shirt she found, placing it in a near empty ‘maybe’ pile. “I didn’t say there was anything wrong with his accent or hair. No need to get so touchy, you lovestruck puppy you.”[/color] She teased, winking at her friend with a knowing smile. She had used to get that way over Robert, way back when. However, that was something she didn’t like sharing details of, not even with Zoe.

She scoffed loudly and then stood to her full height, throwing Zoe a ‘don’t make me laugh’ look. “Andrew? Beating someone up? I could take him down any day. And let’s not forget that for seventeen years, he was not the older brother, he was the only child.”[/color] Her relationship with Andrew was part of her life she was proud of and something that Zoe knew all about, even if the crucial element of how they ended up living together was ignored.

“The only person I would dress like a hooker, is a hooker.[/color] Ember said for clarification, still rummaging through the clothes. “Nothing radical, I promise. Zoe, what look are you trying to go for tonight?”[/color] Before she could begin the fashion show, Ember needed to know what her friend wanted out of tonight, because she doubted it would be anything promiscuous.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS! 759
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe hadn't been on a date since... er, Zoe really hadn't been on a date. Sure, she'd had a couple back home, but they were nothing like this one. This time, she felt all those unexplainable butterflies and fears, and she wanted to find a way to make them all shut up. She was hoping by looking perfect, they'd at least quiet down a little bit. That is, if Ember could really turn her into somebody who looked like they belonged in the big, bright city instead of a country mouse who got lost on her way back home.

Her eyes widened to saucers as Ember asked for her hair and makeup things. Zoe didn't wear makeup, therefore she had possibly the smallest amount of it ever. And, as for hair, her curls usually did what they pleased unless she took the rare amounts of spare time she had to use her dated flat iron. It'd be a miracle if the thing even turned on. "I don't have a lot, Ember. I never wear the stuff," she warned timidly, looking down and focusing her eyes on Tessie for a few moments. Zoe had never liked makeup because it always felt awkward on her skin. It was like a mask, and she wasn't too into wearing those on a daily basis. Tonight was an exception, however, and that exception happened to call for the powders and glosses. "Between six and six thirty," she answered, her face lighting up as she said it. Just the mention of Romeo being here had her smiling. She was so far gone, it wasn't even funny.

"He wouldn't tell me," she shrugged, a silly smirk tugging at her lips. Zoe'd begged over the phone when he'd called the other day, but he still refused to tell her, only saying they'd be going to dinner somewhere. From the way he'd said it, however, she'd gathered that dinner was not the main course of this evening. He was planning something big and spectacular; something very Romeo, and something she'd probably never forget. "He did mention somethin' about dinner, though. I dunno what else he's got planned," she added as Ember continued to sort the clothes into what seemed like piles. Zoe got the feeling that the smallest, barely visible one consisted of things she thought acceptable to wear.

Zoe ducked her eyes back down to Tessie as Ember's eyes shot daggers at her. "I promise ya it was, and he did a mighty fine job'a handlin' it." She really wasn't looking to the phonecall she'd no doubt be getting tomorrow evening from her blonde friend. Maybe those darker events would be made lighter by the electricity her date would no doubt create. Maybe, if she gushed about the date, Ember would completely forget about her hand. Yeah, that wouldn't be happening and she knew it. "Yer not lettin' me forget about my hand. Talk away, hun," she challeneged with a raised eyebrow as Ember threw another shirt into the tiny pile. "It was implied," she mumbled back, cheeks flushing a dark shade of pink. Zoe would defend Romeo to the ends of the earth, but that didn't stop her from being embarrassed by the fact that Ember was noticing just how lovesick the country mouse was.

"He was the only child with more access to guns than any teenager really should be," Zoe answered, shaking her head. The fact that the two Grant siblings had so much pull with guns frightened her, especially when one of said siblings burst into her apartment and aimed one at her.

Her forehead crinkled at the question of what she was "going for" tonight. Zoe didn't know. She opened her mouth once, but no sound came out so she closed it again. "I... I dunno. I just - I wanna look pretty, Ember," she sighed, dropping her chin as the words left her lips. She honestly couldn't believe she was saying this out loud, admitting to having insecurities like everyone else. It wasn't something Zoe did, not ever.

• • •

WORDS: 746!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

Ember rarely did real dates. Most of the time it was just a random hook up with a guy she met when shooting Sambuca at the bar of her favourite club, or it was schmoozing with some businessman who was showing an interest in their company. The latter was only ever dinner and a few drinks, whilst the conversation was kept strictly business. Ember wasn’t the kind of girl to mix business with pleasure, regardless of how unpredictable and rebellious she could be.
However, she could remember a time when dating was pretty common for herself. It was back during a time she tried to forget, but if she kept focusing on Zoe and not on her painful memories, then she could pull this ‘emergency’ off without anything pushing her closer to a bottle of vodka.

She studied her friend with a cute, almost relaxed smile on her face as she took in how awkward Zoe looked about this whole thing. True, this was something far from the norm for the country girl as far as Ember was concerned, but it was adorable just how innocent she seemed in this moment, almost as though she had never seen the evil in the world. There were times when Ember wished for that trait, rather than living with the shadows and the dangers as her best friends. “Don’t worry. Just get what you have and then go find my bag. There should be a small white make-up bag in there, probably between my gun and my pills.”

[/color] She said with a warm tone before thinking again. “You’ll probably find some hairspray and serums floating around in there too.”[/color] In her ‘work’ bag she always carried such things, because she never knew when she’d get called into the office or what state she would be in. Zoe’s hair, naturally, was gorgeous enough, but she was certain she could style it with just a few sprays and a good hand. They had plenty of time to practice, Ember noted as she glanced at the time on her phone.

Noticing her friend’s expression, Ember managed a well preserved eye roll and shook her head. “Man, you’ve got it bad.”[/color] She teased, a smile tugging at her lips. She was happy that Zoe had found someone and that she had someone else to threaten. She’d always wanted to play the stereotypical big brother role and do the ‘if you break her heart’ speech and Zoe was really the only person she cared enough about to do it with. When it came to Andrew, she always instantly disliked his girlfriends and made short work of them when they were around. “Okay, so we’re looking for something classy, but casual enough in case he drags you to the races.”[/color] She looked at the clothes on the bed and then turned to her fellow blonde. “Is there anything I’m not looking at here? Do you have more in your wardrobe?”[/color] She asked, wanting to be sure that she was eyeing up every choice they had, rather than picking from a limited selection.

Her eyebrows raised again and her blue eyes were fixed on Zoe. “He? Did Romeo live up to his namesake?”[/color] Hell, if he was taking care of Zoe then he already won points in Ember’s book, though from what she could remember of the supervisor, he seemed like a nice enough guy, she just hadn’t spoken to him much before other than to pass comment when she was around Simon. Ignoring Zoe’s comment she lifted her head again and put her hands on her hips. “I implied nothing, baby. I simply described him. And he does have whiplash hair, the same way I have whiplash hair most nights out.”[/color] She argued back, quirking one eyebrow in a challenging fashion.

“I know, isn’t it awesome?”[/color] Ember beamed. She knew Zoe was nervous around guns and if she ever revealed the actual amount that were usually stored in the penthouse then she was certain her friend would never visit again. “His teenage years were better than mine, that is for sure.”[/color] She said confidently, bending down to search through the clothes again.

Ember’s features softened and she stepped from the bed to move closer to Zoe. “You are pretty Zoe.”[/color] She told her with utmost sincerity in her words. Zoe was one of those girls, in Ember’s opinion, who had everything they needed to wow a bar full of guys, but who also needed a little push in the right direction. Romeo had clearly been charmed by her natural, country style and Ember didn’t want to stray too far from that. She examined Zoe carefully and then gathered her hair in her hand, holding it loosely at the back of her head, whilst pulling gently at a few tendrils. “I’m thinking up. And we’ll emphasise these curls a little more and leave some framing your face.”[/color] She dropped her hair again and then stepped back to the bed. Ember didn’t really do honest, niceties for very long; she grew uncomfortable, even with Zoe and Andrew.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS!890
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

With a sigh, Zoe got up off the bed. If she'd been afraid of Ember's reaction to her closet, she was even more concerned about her seeing the meager bag of makeup she owned. Everything she had was just drugstore things she'd picked up on a whim who knows how long ago. "Yer gonna laugh, Ember," she sighed softly, heading back towards the door as her blonde friend listed off the things she needed to grab. Zoe was still overwhelmed by all of this, but she was interested in what her friend would transform her into. Makeup was still a foreign concept to her; seeing herself caked in the stuff would be a very interesting experience indeed. "I'll be right back. Don't hurt anythin'," she warned, turning in the doorway to give Ember a playful glare. Zoe walked through the living room to her little bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet and standing on her tip-toes to pull down a tiny black bag that contained her few beauty products. She closed the cabinet once again, coming back out to rummage through Ember's purse for the requested items. Her sore hand held her bag gently, the other pulling what she hoped wasn't a gun out of the bag. Zoe tucked everything into her arms and made her way back towards the bedroom, entirely confused as to most of what she'd grabbed. "Is this all of it?" she asked, depositing the supplies onto her bed and staring at it all with wide eyes.

Zoe averted her eyes shyly as Ember spoke again. "I really like him, Em," she confessed quietly, shrugging. She hadn't admitted to anybody, other than Tessie, how much she liked Romeo. He made her feel safe, made her heart do things it never had before, made her smile every time their eyes met. If Ember thought her swooning was bad now, wait until after the date. "There's a lil' white dress tucked up in my drawers somewhere, I think," she answered, brow furrowing as she thought about it. Zoe didn't own a lot of "date night" clothes because, well, she'd never needed them before now. She wasn't a big fan of dresses either, and never had been. And, most of her other clothes were either for work or could've passed for a school teachers. All of them options she wasn't fond of right now. "Lemme see if I can find it," she said, hopping up off the bed and carefully pulling open one of the top drawers to her dresser. Her good hand dug through the neatly folded garments for a long moment, groping for the dress which would no doubt be buried at the bottom. Eventually, she tugged it out and held it up for Ember to inspect. It came down to about her mid-calf, a very good length for Miss Respectable, and was a pretty white color with a tighter, bustier top. That made Zoe nervous, but she'd never even worn the thing, so she couldn't picture what it'd look like. It'd been a birthday gift so long ago, and hopefully it'd come in handy now. "Will this work?"

Draping the dress over her bedspread, Zoe froze, trying to come up with a quick lie. She hated lying, but she didn't want to get into this, especially not tonight. Tonight was supposed to be happy; not a complete reminder of the darker things that had plagued her this week. "I told ya it was handled, Ember. Ain't that enough?" she snapped, a very rare tone for her. Zoe didn't do that to people, especially not Ember, but this was one subject she wanted dropped. Now. "He does not! It's only 'cause he runs his fingers through it," she challenged back, sounding more and more like a child trying to convince their parent the sky wasn't blue. Zoe rolled her eyes as the conversation turned from Romeo to guns. Only one of the things she was semi-comfortable talking about, though the guns would've definitely been a lot less dangerous in this case.

Zoe shrugged at Ember's compliment, smoothing out the dress beside her so her friend couldn't see her face. She still didn't think she was pretty enough, especially not for a big event like tonight. Glamour wasn't, and never would be, her thing. And, yet, it was what the very city seemed to be overflowing with at any given time. This evening, Zoe just wanted to look like she belonged there. "Alright," she nodded quietly, giving Ember a small smile as she stepped back again. The tender moment was a rare one, as Zoe very well knew, but this time, she really didn't want to dwell on it.

• • •

WORDS: 864!
TAG: Personal Stylist <3
LOCATION: Confused, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "I Feel Pretty/Unpretty" by Glee Cast
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Ember Thistle Grant]

The blonde froze in position, her eyebrows furrowed. She knew Zoe wasn’t as concerned with her appearance as most of the women who parading around New York were, but why would she laugh at that? Truthfully, deep down, Ember kind of felt the same. However, the clothes she often wore, the make-up she was now skilled at applying and the hair that was usually in some sort of perfected mane was her way of defending herself against anything that could get close enough to hurt her again; it was her armour, if you will. Sure, Zoe didn’t need anything like that and Ember wasn’t comfortable explaining her slightly skewed logic to her friend either, not right now and probably not ever if she was perfectly honest. Every girl had secrets and Ember’s just happened to be as big as the Titanic. “Believe me, no more harm could come to this…this.”

[/color] She gestured playfully to the bed, smirking as Zoe left the room. The next day the two girls had free, Ember was taking Zoe shopping and she would hear no arguments from the country girl about it. Her eyes skimmed the collective make-up and other products and smiled happily. “Yeah, that looks like everything. We’ll get to that after we deal with the clothes first. I’m sure he’d love to see you greet him in your birthday suit, but what impression would that give off?”[/color] Okay, new game. See how much she could say before Zoe looked so red she’d explode from the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Ember paused again, this time a genuine smile crossing her lips. She remembered Robert for a moment and how he had made her feel just by being in the same room as her. She owed so much to him that she’d never be able to thank him for now. Exhaling, Ember blinked back the tears that were threatening to fill her oceanic eyes and finally looked up at her friend, painting that mask back in place before speaking again. “I’m happy for you Zoe, really, I am. Just please let me flash my gun once at him!”[/color] Another defence mechanism; badly placed humour. She didn’t want to dampen Zoe’s day with her own bad memories though so she would save them for Andrew or a bottle of vodka later, when Zoe was out seeing exactly what love and romance was all about in New York City.
The gunslinger leaned back against the wall and watched as her friend dug around in her drawer. She hoped that this dress would work, because honestly, there wasn’t a lot she could do with the things on the bed. Zoe was modest and shy and so country like it was almost shocking. Ember didn’t think she’d met anyone as innocent as her fellow blonde before and this was almost like new territory for her too.
She snapped out of her thoughts and examined the fabric Zoe was holding up. It was considerably better than their other options and with a few…minor adjustments, it would be perfect. “Now, that is more like it.”[/color] Ember declared, walking across the room to take it from her friend. “It’s a little on the long side, but it only takes a few minutes for a pair of scissors and a bit of thread to sort that out.”[/color] Ember was thinking that Zoe had the legs to show off and if only for tonight, she should do it. Legs in a pair of nice heels were enough to make any man buckle at the knees and Ember knew that only too well. Plus, she knew she had the perfect pair to go with this dress. “I’ll have to loan you some of my shoes.”[/color] She told her friend in a matter-of-fact tone. There was no room for questioning Ember now. She had her mission and would make it a brilliant success, even if she died trying.

Ember blinked at her friend and then placed her hands on her hips in a defensive manner. She didn’t handle being snapped at well, and Zoe never snapped at her. “Whatever, Zoe, but something that gets you so riled up is never dealt with. Not everything can go away with a nice smile and pair of gorgeous eyes.”[/color] She warned her friend. Ember knew how badly things could haunt a person and her own demons leered over her shoulders on a daily basis. They wouldn’t go away, not even with therapy, drugs and talking about it. Some things simply stuck with you for life and not even strong arms and an alcoholic binge could make you forget them.
She laughed heartily and then turned to Zoe with a ‘duh’ face. “That is exactly why it looks so whiplashed! It’s not an insult. I do it to my own hair when I’m going out. It just looks different because mine is considerably longer!”[/color] She clarified, amused by how defensive Zoe was getting over a boy. Ember didn’t think she’d ever see the day.

She watched her friend carefully, noticing the awkward disposition that seemed so natural to Zoe. She needed to stop caring so much about everyone else in the world and how they saw her. Maybe tonight would do that for her, but Ember definitely knew that it would take more than a modified dress and a quick catwalk lesson to erase all of those self-doubts. “Hey, trust me, okay? I know what I’m doing. And at least you’re not my height and will threaten to tower over him in a pair of killer heels.”[/color] She added jokingly. It had happened before and it was not a fun evening to be taller than the guy who was supposed to impress you. Ember often felt like an Amazonian with a pet man accompanying her out on the town and that was not a good look or feeling for any woman to share.
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• • •

TAGGED! The Innocent Zoe!
WORDS!1,028
OUTFIT! Casual Missus!
LYRICS! F Perfect - - - Pink
NOTES! <3