2024-12-31 - 50 Shades of Fashion

"It feels weird being off the island," Di comments as they step off the ferry and onto the dock. This was her first time off the islands since joining the Spellbound cast, and it felt almost... sacrilege. Di had spent most of the ferry ride scrolling through online shops to create a gameplan. The big department stores were good targets, as were some of the smaller boutiques in walking distance from the dock.

“I know, right?” Away from the magic of the islands. There was a cooler chill in the air that Avery was not used to. She hadn’t been onto the mainland in… She couldn’t remember the last time she was on the mainland.

Avery let Diana figure out which stores to go to. “ I’m ordering us an Uber, my treat. I’m not walking anywhere in this cold.” When had she become such a wimp? She spent most of her life in Canada where it was freezing. Now months on a magical island or islands and she was some sort of wimp when it came to the cold. WTF.

“ just tell me where we’re going and I’ll put it in.”

She felt heavier as she stepped off of the dock and onto the mainland. Perhaps it was the feeling of magic leaving her body. Honestly? It felt kind of awful. "I think I need a coffee," Di says as she moves her sunglasses from the top of her head to her nose.

"You spoil me," she coos when Avery takes care of the Uber. "There are a few boutique shops about a mile or so from here. There is also a Bloomingdales out that way if we strike out at the smaller shops." Bloomies could be expensive, so boutiques first.

"God, it's so much colder on this side of the water!" She shivers, pulling in her coat tight. Di shows her the address for the first boutique, which so happens also to have a coffee shop attached. Check and check.

Coffee! Check!

A Quick Look at the area that Diana has up on her phone for the boutiques, she searches for coffee shops near that. “Scorpion Coffee is on the corner next to one of those shops. I’ll make that our drop off location.” Which is quickly done.

“Uber will be here in 4 mins, he’s just down the street.” Smart drivers, they know people are coming and going from Spellbound like an airport and just sit and wait.

“I thought it was just me! But it’s like being in Mexico for a week and then coming back to the dead of winter.” Ok, it wasn’t nearly that bad. Butttt Avery was a little extra on most days.

"It so is!" Diana agrees. "It's making me reconsider the whole plan. Maybe we should shop for parkas instead," She jokes. She'd never. She'll die a freezing icicle before she shows up to a New Year's Eve event in anything less than fabulous.

Luckily, the Uber is there in what feels like five seconds. "Damn," she chuckles as she gets in, confirming that this was a car for Avery before sliding into the back seat. It isn't too long a car ride to Scorpion Coffee, thankfully. "I'm regretting my last drink last night," she admits to Avery.

Thankfully the car pulled up super quick, and they slipped inside. Thankfully again.. the heater in the car was on. It was a short ride to the coffee shop and it wouldn’t take long, and it was 100% worth it not to walk.

Avery laughs, “you need something greasy? That’s my trick for a night like that. I need a cheeseburger and a Coke and then I’m good to go.” Oh to be 23.

Looking around out the windows, it was so weird to be here, it felt like coming home… and at the same time it was new and exciting to see what was going on around them.

"Probably, but not before trying on dresses. I don't think the bloat will contribute to the desired look... but after, I want a double cheeseburger, fries, and something with electrolytes." Because that sounded healthy.

Di falls quiet for a moment, just taking in the sights of passing buildings and shops. "It feels so heavy," she muses, keeping her voice low so the driver can't hear them. "Like the further we get from the islands, the heavier my body feels."

“You bloat?” Avery’s voice gave her away as finding that hard to believe, but she went with it as fact since she said it as fact.

The feeling that Diana felt was mutual, Avery felt it the moment she got off the ferry. It wasn’t a fun and it wasn’t great. It made her want to throw up and missed the islands instantly. “I know exactly what you mean,” she said back in a soft tone as the building went by. “The saying you can never go home again is made perfectly clear right now.”

The coffee shop was in sight and she watched as they pulled up to it, the car pulled into a red zone to let them out “thank you!” She said as the door popped open and she got out, leaving it open for Diana to get out.

Di just smiles. No, she doesn't bloat. She's newly 24, 5'9", with the build of a model.

The feeling seemed to get worse the further they drove from the island. Hopefully, similar to sea legs, the feeling would disappear as the day went on, and their minds would be fixed elsewhere. "Seriously," she says, all too happy when the car pulled to a stop.

It doesn't take long to put in their coffee orders. Diana picks up the tab since Avery had covered the uber. She also orders a breakfast pastry.

"Alright, so the vibe for New Years is halfway between slutty and classy?" She asks. "Short dress... this weather is making me want sleeves... Definitely should have some kind of sparkle or visual element to make it not just a party dress but a New Year's dress."

A lavender honey latte was just what she needed. That was one thing they could not get on the island, and it was love at first sip. “Omg this is so good, you have to try this!” Offering her coffee over to Di to try if she wants to take a sip.

Ok, there were some perks to being on the mainland. But not a lot.

On the same page as Di about the dress, she nods in agreement, “you said last night you wanted black? I’m fine with that.” That was 90 percent of her wardrobe anyway. The chill in the air reminds her about sleeves and she nods again in agreement. It might not be this cold on the island, but it was still cold. “Black, sleeves, flashy, sexy and sparkly.”

Di looks skeptically at the fancy latte, but to her delight, it's delicious. "I've made a grave mistake," she laments as she picks up her basic vanilla latte. But with the way her body is feeling, it didn't feel like the time for experimentation more than a try.

"I'm thinking black, but I can be swayed. A silver or gold or even a navy could be nice," she says. "I just don't want to look like too much of a try hard at dinner before," she explains, bristling as the wind blows. "Damn it!" She complains as it blows through her clothes. She nods. "Exactly. You are thinking more or less the same? I guess we can see what they have and what highlights our assets best," she smiles. "Bam's going to lose his mind."

"I know," Avery says at the admission that there was a grave mistake made in drinks, "I've not had a lavender latte in so long, this is so good." Taking another sip and savoring the flavor. Gah this was good!

"I think I want to go black this time, I went white for the ball and that was out of my comfort zone, I want something black and sparkly." her eyebrows shoot up, "Oh, there is dinner before the party?" pursing her lips and trying to hide the smile that is forming there. "Mmhmm sounding a lot like a date as the details unfold..."

But she was thinking more less the same thing and she nods along with Diana and she smiles at the mention of Bam losing his mind, "Considering he see's me in sweats 99% of the time... yeah I'd like to wow him."

"We can definitely find you something black and sparkly," she has full faith in that. She smiles over at Avery and nods, pulling open the door and holding it for her friend to open the first store ahead of her. Their first stop is a boutique that sells various women's clothing and accessories. Along the back wall are cocktail dresses and gowns for all occasions.

"Well, it is a date," she tells her. "Ri made that much clear. Dinner, new years, he's even trying to get a last-minute reservation somewhere, but with the holiday and the park at capacity, I'll be shocked if we end up anywhere but the Corndog Castle," she laughs. "Not that I'd mind."

Di grins when Avery doubles down on the plan to look hot. "I love this for you. I love this for us. We're going to have a lot of fun. After dinner I'll text you and we can meet up for part of or the rest of the night. We have to at least get a few pictures together and share a glass of champagne."

Avery was pushing through the black sparkly dresses off the rack, one by one, waiting for something to 'wow' her enough to pull it off the rack. "Maybe he'll cook for you?" If there were no dinner reservations available. That also made her pause, "Shoot... I didn't even think about dinner before..." Wondering if Bam would or had.

Shaking out of her own thoughts, she adds, "Please do not go to Corndog Castle." Avery sounded serious and she laughs, "That's a second date, not a first date." Not that Avery was one to talk and so she said, "Not that I'm one to talk, most of my dates are pizza picked up and eaten with a movie."

A smile lights up her face and she looks over at Diana, "This night is going to be epic."

Di looks at Avery, then the dresses, and pulls two different ones that she thinks will flatter her. "Can't help it," she says, handing her the two garments. "Just humor me." Di then starts to focus on herself. "Half of these dresses won't cover my ass," she laughs. Di's height is always problematic regarding mini skirts and cocktail dresses. But she finds a couple to at least try, grabbing two black ones, and something champagne gold.

She snorts a laugh at Avery's protests. "What's wrong with Corndog Castle?" She asks, but then shakes her head. "I offered to cook. He said, and I quote, if we are going out, we're going all the way out," and the discussion had ended there. Not that she was complaining. Quite the opposite.

"Good old Netflix and chill tactic. I get it," she teases lightly. "Maybe invite Bam out to fancy dinner?" She suggests. "Start the New Year right?"

There was no happy height, someone was always going to complain that they were too tall, too short, their torso was too long or legs to short. It was the grass is always greener on the other side thing. Taking the dresses that are picked out for her, she looks at them, and trusts Diana to pick out sexy thing, "But you have the legs, I'd kill for your legs, besides, most of these dresses are meant to not cover your ass completely." They might not even cover hers at the look at them.

"Nothing is wrong with Corndog Castle, I consider that place one of my personal food groups, but not for a first date. On New Year's Even. With a hot guy. Wearing a dress that barely covers your ass."

Speaking off asses, "I want to find some sexy lingerie while I'm out here too. I have a lot of cute things, but nothing super sexy. It's hard to buy super sexy stuff online."

Shrugging, "I'll see, I need to see if he even has a suit."

"I do have great legs," Diana nods, not about to shortchange herself. The thing about Diana, is she's a woman just like everyone else. She has her insecurities. She has things about her body and her face that she doesn't like. However, she is also well aware that she is objectively beautiful and that she has significantly benefitted throughout her life because of it. "I mean, yeah, but indecent exposure is still a crime, even when you're hot," she laughs.

She considers Avery's point and nods. "Yeah, you're right. We'll need a different backup plan if his falls through... maybe I'll just pick up some groceries, just in case."

"We'll go to Fleur Du Mal before leaving," she promises. "They have the best stuff. Is it too presumptuous if I get something too? Is it weird that it's more of a question with a first date than randos I pick up at the bar?" God, dating was so weird. "My ex would sometimes get so weird about lingerie. Like, he loved it, but he didn't get why I needed so much of it. He was a freak though. Always thought I was going to cheat on him." It was annoying, and toxic, and one of the many reasons she'd ended things for good.

"It's not on you to see if he has a suit. I can text the twins though. I might be able to convince Reggie to check Bam's closet, but it's a crap shoot. The twins are lawless and unpredictable."

Avery laughs, "I guess if you are going to get arrested you might has well get arrested for being hot."

Backup plans were never a bad idea in Avery's opinion and so she nods in agreement with this plan, "Besides, it's not like the food is going to go to waste. You'll use it later if you don't end up needing it. And if things progress... well you can cook for him maybe later on in the week, hm?"

Naturally progressing like Lingerie, "You don't have to get something with New Years in mind if you don't want to, just get something you'll want to use at some future time and you will want to blow someones mind." If it's not him, it would be someone else. "Besides, how often do we get to come to the mainland?" Hadn't they just talked about that getting off the ferry, "Hardly ever, you might has well do it now then making a special trip for it. Trying to buy sexy lingerie online it rough. You never know if it'll fit right." Its why she'd stuck with the cute stuff, not the sexy stuff.

"But teasing Bam that I have new lingerie on under this new dress?" Avery beams a smile, "Priceless."

Speaking of dresses, "I should go try these on," Looking around for a dressing room when Di talks about texting the twins, "Nah, It'll be fine, I'll just ask him when I get back to the island."

"There are worse thing," Di agrees with a giggle.

"You're right," she says. "And if there are leftovers, my neighbors and friends will just benefit." She was known for leaving food on her friend's doorstep. Avery likely had benefitted from this in the form of fresh bread and other treats.

"Yeah, I guess," she considers. "We might as well stock up while we're here and it isn't like I'm short on dates if things with Rigel don't work out," she muses as she follows Avery to the fitting room. The store attendant sets them up with rooms next to each other, and there is a big mirror and platforms in the common area for them to use if they'd like.

"You should text him and let him know what you're shopping for," she grins wickedly. Di loves nothing more than stirring the pot.

"Girl, you have more dates than I ever had before Bam. No one ever asked me out here. A hook up? Sure. Asked out? Pffft." Mind you the hookup is what had lead to her relationship with Bam... "Technically, Bam didn't even ask me out. I sorta just made my move on the night and things just turned into assuming we were together."

"....I could do that." Avery says as she shifts out of her clothing and shoes, the sound of clothing buttons hitting a hard surface might sound as if she is just tossing her clothes around the room until they are all off and maybe a little scattered. "But I think I'd rather tell him when I get there. Or better yet, take a photo in the dressing room and then send it to him while we are at the event." she laughs.

"I'm not sure about this red one... I think I look like a Christmas ornament and we're going into the new year, Christmas was over." For some Christmas didn't end until after the 1st, but for Avery it was over by the stroke of midnight on the 25th.

"Only recently," Diana insists. "And Wes and Layla were hookups... But Jack told me he had intended to ask me to the ball, but work got int he way. I'm under the assumption that it was more of a friend's date and not a date date like the one with Rigel. Anyway... Bam owes you a makeup date for making you do all the legwork. He owes you."

Di works her way out of her layers of clothes. Experienced in the art of shopping, she'd worn a strapless bra and nude undies to ensure this would be productive. She was cursing herself for forgetting a pair of heels though. Heels could take a dress from a 7 to a 10 or from a 10 to a 3.

She steps out in a long sleeve, black, sweetheart-style dress that glitters like a thousand diamonds in the light. Unfortunately, she's also having to hold the hem down over her ass. "I feel like this one should have ended up in the Avery pile," She laughs.

"I do like the photo idea," she was listening, even if she was battling a hemline.

Di lifts her eyes and spots Avery in the mirror first. "Yeah, red instantly goes into the pass bin after Christmas. Next!"

"You be sure to tell him that," Avery laughs again and calls back at her suggestion.

Because it was girl code, despite not liking the red one, she steps out in the red dress to show it to Diana. Looking at the black one on Diana, "I think you look gorgeous! But I'm in love with that dress in that color. This one..." even though it's similar in a lot of ways, red just wasn't it. The fit was perfect though and she turned in the mirror to check her ass, it was covering her ass quite nicely. "Too bad. My ass looks great in this dress."

"I think you'd look great in something silver, with your dark hair, it would be a great contrast. I thought about silver or white, but I already wore that sparkly white one to the ball." The ball in which they barely got to see one another, "So Wes, Layla, Jack and now Rigel... Yep you got me beat."

"Thank you," Di smiles, but she's not in love with the dress. Not at all, and it's likely obvious by the way she continuously alternates between pulling the hem down and the bust up and never quite makes it to standing straight for fear of flashing Avery.

Di squints, looking at Avery's dress and then laughs. "We're wearing the same dress in different colors," she giggles. What were the odds? Di then whines. "Oh man, we won't match! That's ok. I'll take this off and you can try it on in black. I have some other options." She turns to get one more elook at Avery and nods. "Your ass looks fantastic."

"Oh, silver is a marvelous idea. I'll look like one of the glittering stars in the sky," she winks as she steps back into the dressing room. "Jack is just a friend," she tells him. "He just said he wanted to ask me. He didn't say he wanted to out of any romantic ambition."

Doing a double take, Avery looks from her mirror to Diana's and back again, "It is the same dress!" She did not like it in red, but the black? Whew! "It just looks so much better in black!" It was obvious that Diana was uncomfortable in that dress. Maybe thats was why she didnt notice it was the same dress at first.

"Thanks," Beaming with delight that her ass looked fantastic in this dress. Mild disappointment set in with the idea that they wouldn't be wearing the same dress though, "We can keep looking if you find something you love, I'll try it on too and if it looks half as amazing as you do in, I know I can pull it off too."

Nodding, "Ok, we can take Jack off the list. Was there anyone you were going to ask if Rigel didnt invite you?"

"It really does," Di agrees. The red just doesn't quite hit. And Avery's outfit had to be a knock out success OBVIOUSLY.

"We can keep looking, but I think you feeling like a fucking knockout is more important. We will have plenty of opportunities to match. There are parties happening all the time around here," she's not worried. Plus, Di's height made things a problem when they didn't have the luxury of time for alterations.

She's working on getting out of the little black dress and hands it to Avery over the dressing room wall. She then starts the business of wiggling into the silver one.

"I hadn't thought about it. I was still kind of sulking about the ball." That night had been humbling. "Maybe Wes? He's a good kisser, and New Year's has a whole kissing component."

Taking the black dress over the dressing room wall, yes it takes her getting on her tip toes to reach it, but she does reach it! Avery needed to see this dress in black to be completely sure this was the dress.

So while Diana is wiggling to the silver one, Avery is wiggling into the black sparkly number of the dress she just had one moments ago. She's pushing her arms through the sleeves when she hears Diana's reply, "You said 'maybe'." Pointing it out point blank, "That doesn't sound good. It sounds like you're talking yourself into it."

The ball had not gone as planned for Avery either. There had been so many people and Diana had been lost in the mixed, she had slipped out early because of shoes killer her.

"No, it isn't that," Di says as she pulls up the zipper. "I just haven't had more than casual flings since I broke up with my ex," for the last time. She doesn't add in that she'd been on again, off again with Ethan for years, but if Avery followed her on social media pre-Spellbound, she would have seen him heavily featured in her feeds for a while. Ethan was also a performer, another magician who was more into the mindreading/mentalist bit. "It's not really about Rigel or Wes, it's more that the idea of anything being more than a fling makes me feel a little bit trapped. But it's fucked because, yeah, of course, I want to be asked out and wined and dined and all, but at the same time, I also don't want to belong to someone." She shutters.

She steps out of the dressing room and onto the little platform, looking at her body from all angles. This one fits her better, and Avery is right; the color against her skin, hair, and eyes just makes all her best features pop.

Wiggling into this dress, damn it was skin tight and left nothing to the imagination, huh? The difference between black and red was... extreme, Avery could not stop staring at herself in the mirror in this dress. It hugged every curve like the red one did, but... it was somehow just... better in every way.

That is all put on pause as she listens to Diana's reasoning and then there is laughter. No, she was not laughing AT her, she was laughing because that story felt a little too familiar. The curtain to the dressing room was pushed open and she walked out to stand in front of the large mirrors that saw everything.

"Girl, same! I promise i'm not laughing at you. But seriously, outside of having the ex? Our stories are pretty similar. Before Bam? I ran the moment things got serious. I wanted the closeness, the sex, the companionship, but the moment things started to feel like they were looking for any time of commitment. I hightailed it out of there and left. I didn't even give it a second thought, I just made excuses and refused to catch feelings." Considering that, it was no wonder no one asked her out at Spellbound.

A second later Diana appears in the next dress and she lets her take the plat form, "Damn, that is HOT!" Silver really was working for her.

The laughter was a little unexpected, but before Di could think much of it, Avery is explaining herself. "Birds of a feather," Diana chuckles. "I'm sorry that you get it, but I love that we're the same brand of fucked up. It's actually scary how accurate what you said is." She says, raking her fingers through her thick espresso-colored hair. When she looks in the mirror, she's pleased. The dress fits her well and emphasizes her modelesque body. Di turns, and looks at the dress from the back, very obviously to asses if she'll have any issues with coverage. It was always the butt that got her.

She catches Avery in the mirror and grins wide. "Oh, wow! You look insane!" It really just fit Avery perfectly. "Yeah, that one is coming home." Even if Di had to buy it for Avery, it was non-negotiable. She then looks back in the mirror and laughs at Avery's reaction. "Yeah, I think this might be the dress for New Year's." She felt incredible in it.

If she had been a fly in the room, Avery would have facepalmed at the idea that she just started laughing after being told all of that emotional history. Then again, it wouldn't be Avery if she didn't do something inappropriate at some point and time. Thankfully Di got it after her explanation and there was no awkwardness.

"I guess so," she says. Turning in the mirror to look at her own dress in different angles. How could a dress be so different in just another color? "In the words of a brilliant man - Mr. Christian Grey, 'I'm 50 shades of fucked up, baby'."

That is broken up by the compliments of the dress, "I think we found two incredible dresses." That went way faster than anticipated, "We even have time for the lingerie store and lunch."

"You and me both, babe," Di chuckles. "I've never actually seen that movie." She felt like an alien admitting that. The whole franchise had a chokehold on women when she was a teenager and it was exactly the type of thing she'd probably enjoy.

Di looks in the mirror again, tossing her hair a few different ways to see how the look might come together. "Yeah, I think we did. We both look insane, especially you," she smiles over at Avery. Di looks great, sure, but Avery's dress suited her so well.

"Alright, let's go pay and run down to the lingerie store and if we have time lunch before the ferry."