Post-Processing

by Bookish Delight

Scene 2: #SelfieScience

Vignette puffed herself up as the rain continued. Fine, then. She was a master of getting her way, but if one couldn't get what she wanted by direct request, then turning lemons into lemonade was always the next best thing. #MakeTheWorldWorkForYou.

All right, Valencia: power selfie time.

She fluffed her vest, straightened her hair, used her infinite supply of moist towelettes and several nearby napkins to make sure the table was 101% sanitary, opened the blinds of the window near her, and sat on the booth table. She reached into her purse again, digging out her extendable selfie stick, and mounted her phone upon it with one hand.

This was a delicate operation already, but it would be so worth it for the perfect shot, the perfect mood piece! A few reinforcing swishes of eyeshadow, some restorative blush on her cheeks to bring herself back to pristine appearance... oh, did she want lipstick?

She decided that she did. Peach gloss: on.

Check self in pocket mirror, check self in camera, blink, blink, kiss kiss. Just about there.

Applicators and brushes, back in the purse. It was finally time for the true Facemask: metaphorical in comparison to what she'd just been doing, but a practiced art form, a Vignette Valencia original, all the same. One perfect smile, with perfectly slanted, seductive eyebrows, and perfectly lidded eyes just to drive the message home for the slower folks. Cross legs once more, pick up selfie stick, tilt phone just so to make sure as much of herself plus the weather was in view, then raise cup to lips.

She looked at herself in the phone's screen. Perfection. As always. She may not have been "perfect" as a person—who was?—but she could pull off the perfect look 120% of the time.

Fall in love with me, world. She snapped the picture, suppressing a giggle. I mean, I would.

After several more snaps encompassing several of the tiniest body language tweaks, she checked her photos until she found one she was satisfied with showing the world at large—after some selective cropping, of course. She got off of the table, cleaned it yet again, and sat back at her booth, just in time to see the rain tapering off, back into a drizzle.

She rolled her eyes, huffing through pursed lips. Of course. No matter, she'd already taken advantage of the opportunity while it'd been present, and made it work for her. All that was left was to open Snapgab, upload picture, add her flavor text:

"Rainy day relax-caffeine. Ironic, or avant-garde? #StillMe #StillGlorious #BangsForever"

...and, finally, Send. Done. Off to two and a half million followers still willing to hang on her every word, even after last week's fiasco.

For a second, she felt like her old self. Like she could do anything.

Then, just as quickly, a cavern opened in her chest, and those comfortable feelings disappeared into a black hole.

Oh, no.

Not again.

Comments

[Arkonfleight]

>peach gloss: on
Makeup's gotta be insane in EQG.