light it up for you

txt → james [sept 20]

msg: oh definitely the sexiest msg: maybe we’ll have to do both again so you can chose accurately

#txt msg #ch: james potter #sept 20

msg: i could pair them with camo. lots of camo. msg: if i wasn't curled up under my favorite blanket right now, i would totally be online shopping for "cute camo" just to see what came up. msg: hmm, good idea. when are you free next? are you asking me out, james potter? :)

txt → james [sept 20]

msg: are you saying you DON’T like high crime rates? how unamerican ;) msg: me too msg: i had a really good time tonight :)

#txt msg #ch: james potter #sept 20

msg: oh, should i throw on some flag-patterned crocs to make up for my lapse in patriotism? could be a sexy look. (not.) msg: i had a fantastic time tonight. :) msg: trying to decide what was a bigger highlight, the cake or the goodnight kiss. msg: ;) :P

txt → james [sept 20]

msg: i live in prov so if i’m waking up the neighborhood then theres something wrong haha msg: i’m gooddd :) you?

#txt msg #ch: james potter #sept 20

msg: ah, city life. must be nice. :P msg: i'm really good. :) a little bummed i had to come home, though.

txt → james [sept 20]

[Read 12:20] msg: just got home msg: i did too :)

#txt msg #ch: james potter #sept 19 #sept 20

msg: it's so weird driving this late at night? i always feel like my car is going to wake up the whole neighborhood. msg: how are you?

kings and queens on magazines [lily and andy] september 14

At the end of the day, Andromeda knows her two cents are worth just that. Lily returns to the cubicle and changes into the mint dress. The Greengrass continues to talk as if missing the fact that a moment ago Andromeda had all but purposely ignored her. She puts at the corner of her mouth, waiting for Lily to come out. When she does, Lily gives her a small spin, the skirt twisting at the bottom. Andromeda notes the difference in the way Lily moves, certain and more comfortable in this fabric than the last on.

“I think a nice fitted white blazer would do just the trick,” Andromeda replies, smiling at Lily when the other girl suggested something more on the business side of business-casual. “I’ll be right back.”

She turns and makes her way around the floor of Nordstrom. It feels like routine, the way she knows how to navigate her way around the store, knows the exact white blazer she means to find and where to find it. She picks it up from a rack and heads back to the fitting room. “How about this?” she says, handing the blazer towards Lily.

#prose log #thread: kings and queens on magazines #ch: andy black #sept 14

Lily smooths her hands over the fabric and looks at herself in the trifecta of mirrors, a smile curving the corners of her mouth. Andromeda disappears -- to find a jacket, presumably -- and the girl running the changing rooms looks Lily up and down. "That's nice," she says. She sounds sincere, but something about the look on her face discredits her tone.

Lily gives her a smile in the mirror and nods. "It is," she agrees. Luckily, before she's forced to continue the conversation, Andromeda returns with a fitted white blazer and hands it to Lily. Lily smiles and puts it on, looking in the mirror. The full effect is exactly what she needs to woo the interviewer.

She spins around to face Andromeda. "I'm gonna go for it," she says confidently. "Thank you so much." She smiles and then disappears into the changing room, slipping out of the nice clothes and back into her own top and shorts. Lily slides her feet into her vans and carefully gathers the mint dress, blazer, and shoes. She leaves the pink dress -- she has sympathy for retail workers, but also expectations. It will give the girl running the changing rooms something to do with her time to put the dress back.

Lily steps out of the changing room, ready to head to the register, wondering what the damage will be on her credit card.

kings and queens on magazines [lily and andy] september 14

Andromeda had always preferred to think that she’s a good judge of character rather than just outright judgemental. She decides that the Lily girl is alright (her clothes and style can be salvaged but at least she’s got something in her head and humour to match Andromeda’s).

"Maybe you’ll be the chance to write on at Brown," she says as she start leading them both towards the change rooms. "And trust me," she turns, looking over at Lily, "Nothing will be as worst as what my sister calls my other one. Cissy. Drives her up the walls."

The girl running the change room is a Greengrass, who Andromeda’s known for a while. They run in the same circles, siblings and parents connections and the like. When Lily walks pass them both, Andromeda catches the look the girl gives Lily from behind. Tragic. The Greengrass girl tries to make small talk while Lily is in the change room. She mentions the Lestrange brothers; how the older one (her sister’s right hand) had moved to New York, now works at Wall Street, and the younger one is at Princeton. Did she know, Greengrass asks and Andromeda ignores the questions, thankful that Lily’s stepped out of one of the change rooms before the other girl could press anymore.

"Does this clash with my hair?" Lily asks, posing a little as she stands in front of Andromeda. The pink is a pale shade and Andromeda thinks that Lily’s bright hair, it reminds her of Vivienne Westwood’s collection. Andromeda is painfully honest; has never had the patience to mince her words to mean less than what she means so she says, "It does; but in the way that it’s a little more spunky than . You should try the mint one, though. See what you like best."

#prose log #thread: kings and queens on magazines #ch: andy black #sept 14

Andromeda doesn't seem like the type to beat around the bush, which Lily appreciates. She's grown so used to Ted's candid, sometimes bordering on rude opinions that whenever anyone tries to soften blows, she ends up feeling more offended than if they just told her the truth. It's refreshing, how Andromeda is straightforward but still helpful.

"I will," Lily says, in response to Andromeda's suggestion. She pauses to look in the wide mirrors at the end of the changing room corridor, though, to see what the pink dress looks like from multiple angles. Lily likes the shoes the best, she thinks -- she isn't sold on the color of this dress or the cut. The wedges, though, are surprisingly comfortable. They're dressy without being overly so and she knows she could easily wear them for multiple occasions. Lily's sold on the shoes. "I'm definitely getting these," she says, pointing to her feet as she walks back toward her changing cubicle. She smiles at Andromeda and wiggles her toes in them. "They're shockingly comfortable. I love the way they look, too."

She disappears back into her cubicle and gingerly changes out of the pink dress, making sure it's hung properly on its hanger before she slips into the green one. Lily looks at herself in the changing room mirror and smiles -- it's a beautiful color, cut so that it's flattering but not revealing. She thinks if she paired it with a nice jacket it would be perfect for her interview.

Lily steps out into the corridor again and grins, doing a little spin. "I think I like this one much, much better," she says. "Do you think I could find a nice jacket to go with it? I want to look a little more businessy but I love this."

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: i’ll take your word for it

message: pls be careful. first dates are hardly good indicators of anything and boys in general are assholes.

msg: i will. i promise. he's still on his trial run.

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: can’t tell if this is all a hyperbole? because that rating can’t be real. it’s never happened to me.

message: maybe i’ll walk pass a hot topic and take a good look at him and see what you’re so hot about.

msg: you don't believe me, do you? msg: i just... msg: his hands are big enough to span my entire waist and he kissed me pressed up against my car. it was hot but also surprisingly gentle and tbh i just want to kiss him again. msg: and again (and again).

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: omg he kissed you?!? excellent. *some use of emoji*

message: the kiss. rate it on the scale of 1 to 10. 10 being the best and 1 the worst.

msg: yes! [blushing emoji] [heart eyes emoji] at least a 9.5. probably a 10. there were butterflies the size of bats. fireworks. it was... very good.

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: romantic. he knows how to sweep a girl off her feet.

message: i forget you’re young sometimes.

message: what’s he like? funny? rich? dark and handsome?

msg: it was my suggestion. he protested, actually. msg: he's really funny. and gorgeous. stupidly gorgeous. he's also smart and really sweet. very tall, though. i was afraid he'd get a neck cramp when he kissed me.

kings and queens on magazines [lily and andy] september 14

“Her life was shit — excuse the language — but it got better with Perseus eventually, and then death was kinder,” Andromeda replies with a shrug. “She became a star. Besides, it’s not all bad. There’s a shit ton of art where she’s the central subject. Mostly where’s she’s sort of a tragic, helpless figure but, it’s better than getting written off. No?” Andromda nibbles at her bottom lip, thinks maybe she’s said a little too much but Lily is easy to talk to in the way most people aren’t.

She nods at the mention of a sister. “Did she ever get called Tuna at school?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. She chuckles.The question is a joke; although, Andromeda realizes that sometimes her sense of humour is a little bit more morbid and dry than others and she’s not sure how Lily would take it.

She falls silent until Lily asks her about the shoes. “I think you’ll look exactly the part,” Andromeda gives her an approving nod. “Do you wanna try on the dresses? See how they look?” she asks, gesturing over to the change rooms.

#prose log #thread: kings and queens on magazines #ch: andy black #sept 14

Lily laughs. "Alright, that's fair," she concedes. "I've always wanted to write a formal paper on the victimization of women in Greek mythology, but I haven't been given the chance yet." She bites her lip, then shakes her head. "Sorry. I'm kind of a huge nerd."

Her eyes widen at the suggestion of Tuna and Lily snorts, covering her mouth as she laughs. "Oh, God, no, but that's great. People called her Toony a lot, which drove her absolutely batshit. Her husband's name is Vernon, though, which I think is significantly worse."

Lily considers the shoes and the dresses, convincing herself not to look at the price tags until after she's tried everything on. Her parents told her she could use her credit card, given the importance of this whole thing, and pay it off in monthly installments. Lily thinks that's fair, though she also knows that Nordstrom charges outrageous prices for flimsy pieces of fabric. She takes a breath and smiles at Andromeda. "I think I will," she says.

She makes her way over the the changing rooms and is helped into a free one, then goes about trying on the first dress -- the pink -- with the shoes. Lily steps out of the dressing room for the opinions of Andromeda and the girl running the changing rooms, both of whom she can hear talking just outside the door. She clears her throat and lifts her arms a little, posing. "Does this clash with my hair?" she asks seriously. "I think it might clash with my hair."

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: ;)

message: so spill — who’s the lucky guy?

msg: his name is james. he's a keyholder at hot topic. we went to dave and buster's because there is literally nothing else open after 10 that isn't a bar, but it was so nice. we talked until they made us leave because they had to close. :3

txt → andy [sept 19]

message: that’s not saying much

message: first dates are usually terrible

msg: :P msg: shut UP andromeda :P :P :P msg: i had such a nice time? ugh

#txt msg #ch: james potter #sept 19

txt → james [sept 19]

msg: home safe. :) i had a wonderful time.

txt → andy [sept 19]

msg: there has never been a greater first date

i get a knockin in my knees [james & lily] september 19

James couldn’t imagine having a sibling that much older – it would be so weird, like having more of a live-in uncle or aunt than a sibling. But then again, he’s not quite sure what growing up with siblings would have been like. “I’m sure you’re not a terrible sister,” he says. “I mean, what, you’re allowed to think someone is kind of an ass or whatever.”

She asks if he has any siblings himself and he can’t even filter himself before he finds himself saying, “Three brothers.” He sees the expression change on her face and he back peddles. “Kind of. I live with my best friends – they’re better than any brothers I could have ever asked for and I didn’t even have to share my bedroom with them.” He smiles, feeling sheepish.

"Mozzarella sticks sounds great," he says with a smile. "Although, I’m not gonna lie – I could probably pack away a whole plate myself, so we’ll order two and we can divvy up the leftovers later?" He does note that she says veggie burger. So she’s a vegetarian. But not vegan because they’re getting mozzarella. He wonders why.

She knocks her ankle against his and he’s glad he’s already smiling or else he might’ve looked like a big idiot for smiling at that out of nowhere. “To be honest,” he says shyly, “I have latent game restaurant trauma for several bad Chuckie Cheese birthday parties, so if we could stay away from the game room, I would be eternally grateful.”

#prose log #thread: i get a knockin in my knees #ch: james potter #sept 19

Lily bites her lip. "I guess so." She kind of loves the look on his face when he talks about his friends, her heart doing a little backflip in her chest. It's incredibly endearing. "Hey, family is family," she says softly. "I think it's really great that you have such a solid group of friends." Lily thinks fondly of Ted, the closest she's ever had to a brother. She loves him fiercely, so much that her parents used to think it was romantic. It wasn't, isn't, and will never be. Lily can't imagine feeling that way about Ted, ever. He's definitely more like a sibling than anything else.

Lily laughs. "I love leftovers. I will absolutely take home whatever leftovers you don't want to give your roommates." She grins and leans forward conspiratorially. "I can honestly say I've never been invited to a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party, but I don't want to trigger any bad memories." She sets her menu down and reaches across the table, walking her fingers up his forearm and stroking her thumb over the bones in his wrist. "I'd really rather keep you here, anyway, so that's a bit of a relief." She winks and sits back, letting her fingers linger as she returns her attention to her menu.

She hums as she peruses the options, getting distracted by the dessert menu. Lily makes a little whimpering noise and points to the chocolate fudge cake, looking up at James with wide eyes. "Can we please have First Date Dessert? We can get two forks and eat off the same plate. It'll be cute." She pauses. "I'll definitely fight you for the last bite of cake, but before that, it'll be cute."

i get a knockin in my knees [james & lily] september 19

Lily practically skips up to the step above him, the extra six inches bringing her to eye level. He laughs, raising an eyebrow and thinks about kissing her. He grins, a bit wicked, and slips an arm around her waist, moves her so that they’re on the same step. “Uh-huh,” he says, feeling sly and flirty. “About that.”

She does this thing, James is noticing, where she’ll ask questions but keep on talking after them. It’s kind of cute, the way her mouth and brain seem to keep running on. “Uh, not a lot,” he says. Dave and Buster’s is kind of a horrible reminder of bad Chuckie Cheese birthday parties that James would rather forget (he wasn’t very popular in elementary school or middle school – he was gangly and had thick glasses and unruly hair). “You have a sister?” he asks. “How much older is she?”

Lily asks for a booth in the dining room, which makes James’s stomach flip. He assumes the fact that she wants to be as alone with him as possible, that it’s a good sign. She asks for a glass of water. He does the same, feeling a bit uneasy (nervous). He practically chokes at her question and its innuendo. “Um.” He wishes this was a game show. He would call Remus and ask what to do next. “What do you like?” he asks, feeling pretty proud of himself for navigating his way out of that.