Chapter Text
Julia has been hanging around her new friends, Jett and Poppy, quite often for a couple months by now. It’s so odd to see someone so cultured on the internet, an icon so many adore and love, befriending two people who have never even touched a phone, and yet they make it work. Perhaps it’s the breath of fresh air from the virtual world. It’s fun to just post her short clips of whatever she feels like—her outfits, dance routines, that one time she got food poisoning—but sometimes a nice internet detox is all a girl needs.
Jett doesn’t really understand the concept of being online. Neither does Poppy, but she seems far more careless about the woes around her. She and Daisy have really mastered a state of pure bliss. And so, Poppy does not question further on the tense matter, trying her best to indulge Julia while guiding her to better topics of discussing. Jett does not share this tact.
“I don’t really see the point of posting anything for a bunch of random people you don’t know and will never meet. Just enjoy the activity. Live in the moment. Just have fun.” She bluntly states in the middle of their brunch meal. The girls were picnicking in Cyberfunk, specifically around Julia’s abode. The bright, neon colors of voxel apples and planes flying to nowhere in particular flood the senses, the only contrast against it all being the few souvenirs Jett and Poppy brought along with them: orange and white flowers, and strange blocks that occasionally blink with colored light.
Julia finishes eating a bite of her food before elaborating on the topic of influencing to Jett, “Well, it’s a great feeling to have so many people see me enjoying me and who I am, and have such adoration and love given in return. People really look up to me. They see how I’m just living life how I want to live it.” She looks over at Poppy, who seems to be in the clouds. “Of course, not everyone wants that, being perceived by millions of unknowns,” she gestures briefly at Poppy, “But I like it, personally. Plus, sometimes people and brands reach out and offer me free stuff, like clothes, and who could pass up the opportunity of free stuff?”
Jett hums in agreement. “Free clothes does sound nice, but doesn’t the ruin the experience of shopping? I mean, I love going to the mall with my friend; not you girls, obviously. I’ve known her longer.”
“Actually, I don’t go to the mall… ever? Online shopping is more convenient. Plus, it’s significantly easier to just hit a few buttons than travel all the way to Dancity just to find maybe one store with one outfit I like,” Julia replies before taking a sip of her apple juice. This singular comment practically offends Jett.
“You’ve NEVER gone to the mall!? How?!” Jett’s sudden outburst finally snapping Poppy out of her aloof state.
Calm as a cucumber, Julia holds up a finger—a silent “wait”—before carefully placing her drink down. “I never said that. I’ve been to the mall a few times. I just said I don’t go to the mall often.”
“But why not? It’s so fun. you meet so many people and see so many stores. Last time I went, I saw some girl with a saxophone come out and start performing in the middle of a crowd. It was an experience I couldn’t buy online.” Julia was going to mention concert tickets, but she kept her mouth shut, letting Jett continue on with her rant. “Plus, it’s a chance to hang out with girlfriends. You don’t have to buy anything to enjoy going to the mall.”
Poppy nods, adjusting her flower crown. “It’d be fun to go with you two. Dancity sounds fun, from what I’ve heard about it from you, Jett,” her gaze landing on the neon gal.
Jett hops with building anticipation and excitement, getting up to her feet, nearly knocking over her drink in the process. “Yes, yes, absolutely yes! I can bring you all to the Luz Solar mall and we can just have a girls’ day out! I can even invite my friend over. She knows that mall like it’s the back of her hand.” The whole idea of the picnic has been completely dismissed in favor of the mall by this point, Julia and Poppy agreeing. It’d be nice to get away from the usual mundanity and expected. Sure, the worlds around them are bright and flashy, but even paradise can become a monochromatic purgatory if you stay long enough.
“Sounds like a fun time. Maybe I’ll even find something cute there. My wardrobe can feel a tad same-y at times, anyways.” Julia gently tugs at her clothes to emphasize her comment.
Poppy nods again, tilting her head to view Julia’s outfit at a different angle as if it would change how she looked. “Maybe you could try a new color?”
Julia looks at her as though she just told her the most heinous of statements about her taste in fashion. Maybe to her, it was. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This is my iconic shade.” She makes sure to point at her sweater up and down for emphasis’s sake. “Besides, it’s not like you’d suddenly start wearing purple.”
She raises her index finger. “Well-”
Julia waves her off. “Bad example. Whatever. Let’s just go to the mall.”
Jett’s face lights up, pointing at Julia. “That’s what my friend says all the time!”
The girls continue their banter and chattering, planning and excitement. Food and drinks are neatly packed up, baskets are refilled again, and the picnic is fully packed up. Julia gestures the other two towards her, “C’mon, let’s take a selfie to celebrate the moment.” And so they do, bunched up together to fit side by side in the aspect ratio of Julia’s phone. Just three girlfriends smiling, excited to spend a day together going somewhere more foreign to two and so comforting to the other. All the photo needs is a caption: “Going to the Mall!!! Maybe I’ll get something for myself” And then Julia posts. She tends to do that a lot. Most photos end up somewhere online for others to like and comment. It’s usual for her. But there’s also Vanity. He’s been in a self-constructed war for an influencer throne, perfectly planning everything about his image and presence online; an architect for his brand built of the foundation of Julia. He’s been on a campaign of trying to one-up Julia in every way: aesthetic, song, dance. Anything Julia does, Vanity will follow and try to do it better. And yet, despite the weird parasocial relationship Vanity has with Julia, he has kept her on quite the high pedestal. Afterall, if she loses popularity, so does he. Their images are so intertwined that they both must survive in order to keep either’s influence and popularity. He always has at least one tab open for every one of her accounts. And so, in mere seconds of Julia posting her selfie, Vanity has spotted it.
“Going to the mall to buy something for herself?” He ponders. Upstaging Julia is his most prized profession after all, and her buying something new for herself? Well, he has to wear it better, doesn’t he? But he can’t just wait for her to find it. He has to get there first. See what she gets, buy it himself, and then eat with it so much harder. “Guess I’ve got plans today.” He comments to no one, making sure to style his violet hair, green denim jacket, black boots, and his functionless bag to look as iconic as he can when going out in public. Then he leaves. He has a plane to catch, after all.