WHO: Roger Davies and Layla Fairborne WHAT: Girlfriends go makeup shopping together! WHEN: Time is an illusion WHERE: Somewhere around Diagon WARNINGS: None!
“But wouldn’t contouring—well I’d see that as being a little insulting? Like the person was suggesting there was something wrong with my face.” The shopgirl, whose eyes had indeed lit upon Roger’s face as he had entered the shop, now looked as though she was solidly regretting her choice. Roger turned to Layla.
“What do you think?”
What did Layla think? She thought it was really difficult to keep herself from laughing aloud. Was it Roger, or was it the shopgirl’s pained existence at the fact she was even having this conversation. With a snicker, she shrugged. “I dunno Rog, that’s cute of you and you should definitely tell any girl that her face is perfect, but most people put on cosmetics to improve something so, yes, in a way, any of it could be construed that way,” she pointed out bluntly as was her M.O. at the best of times.
“But eyeshadow is, I don’t know, enhancing an already nice feature, while this is like, you have something to hide?” Another woman circled nearby and their shopgirl, spying an opening, raced for it with a plastered on smile. Roger eyed her departing back a tad mournfully. “Also we don’t know what colouring these witches are going to have so maybe foundation related anything isn’t a good idea. What’s the difference between pencil eyeliner and liquid eyeliner? I mean, apart from the obvious.”
“Yeah, but sometimes people just don’t like what they have. Stop being such a noble idiot,” Layla chided while noting the (unsurprising) exit of the shopgirl. Unfortunately, Layla didn’t have that same luxury. “I can’t tell if you’re this clueless intentionally because it’s endearing or if it’s legitimate.” She pointed at the different types of eyeliner, “I mean, yes, what you’d expect, but some things just work better for certain situations. It really depends on the person and what precisely you’re going for.” She gave Roger a sympathetic smile. She wasn’t really the right person for this shopping trip, either.
“Just ask yourself who you’re buying for and what they typically wear.”
“I can’t tell who I’m buying for or what they normally wear!” He burst into laughter. “It’s a confidential charity. That’s kind of the point. Hey,” he turned his attention to another approaching shopgirl, eyes lighting up eagerly at the sight of the Quidditch playing pretty boy and oblivious to the doom that awaited her, “do you have some kind of starter kit? Like of shades that suit everyone?”
Thank Merlin. That was Layla’s unstated reaction, but instead she just laughed along with Roger — and patted him on the shoulder soothingly. “Then don’t think about it too much, honestly. You’re not really going to find anything that fits everyone. That’s why there’s so much variety, you know? You can pick some neutral colours for some things and hope for the best. And of course, there’s also lip balm, et cetera, that doesn’t matter so much at all.” She gave a sympathetic looking to the new shopgirl who had taken the unfortunate plunge of coming up to Roger Davies, noted inept make-up shopper. “Just get him some neutrals or put together a bunch of samples for him.”
“Hmm. Maybe I should get a variety, and they can just sort it out among themselves. Is there a gift set or something?”
“Yes, and our gift sets do tend to consist of the shades wearable by anyone!” The shopgirl stepped forward, a blinding smile on her face. “For a little more, you can also purchase a set fitted with glamour charms that will adjust the colours to a cool, warm or neutral skin tone.” Roger looked bewildered. The shopgirl, wisely, did not attempt an explanation. “If Sir would step this way…”
Layla laughed, but quickly attempted to morph it into a little cough at Roger’s expression that she sorely regretted not getting a picture of. She’d have to try and mimic it to the girls later. “Yeah, that too. I mean, magic, Rog. Not every place has cosmetics that come with charms and all that to help, but since you’re a swell Quidditch star looking to make some witch’s day you can spring for the extra so it works great.” She smiled triumphantly over Roger’s shoulder to the shopgirl, and then pushed the hapless chaser forward.
She had made it sound like he was looking to get laid! He wasn’t looking to get laid. He barely had time to flash an indignant look over one rather broad shoulder before he was ushered away, returning 15 minutes later with various eyeshadows and lipsticks all but falling out of his large hands.
“Let’s get out of here?” he suggested.
Even if that hadn’t been Layla’s intention at all, well, she wouldn’t have faulted Roger’s analysis of the situation, either. “Sure, sure,” the Gryffindor agreed if only because she noticed Roger’s unease with the whole thing. Which, I mean, worked to her own amusement. “Anything else on the agenda, or just that?”
“Maybe we should go buy some scarves next?” he suggested, placing his products down next to the till. Scarves were less scary—he could do colours! Just not colours that went on your face, apparently. “Everyone wears scarves, yeah? And if we buy shawls, they can double as a wrap as well.”
“Scarves are easy,” Layla agreed, suddenly relieved that this one even a trained house elf could pick out without much trouble. Not that Layla minded giving Roger a hand with any of this, but trying to explain cosmetics could be pretty difficult without some base knowledge. “Scarves, really, you just pick what looks nice and hope people have the colours to go with it with the rest of their stuff, and we can’t say that… so pick what looks nice, right?”
“Right. And if we pick patterns with black in them, that will go with most of their accessories.” Picking a quad of smoky eyeshadow plums out of the shopping bag, he flicked it over to Layla. “Here. The shopwitch said this would go great with your green eyes.”
Honed Quidditch reflexes, active player or not, had Layla snatching the package out of the air with ease. “Look at you, accessorizing already,” she teased, and then glanced at the eyeshadow. “Well, I do have amazing green eyes.”
“All the better to see me with,” Roger shot back with a grin, then handed over a fistful of Galleons.