Because you watched... (Julian/Lotus)

"Yo, Spite, I gotta take a break, I'm out of cheetos," a voice said in her ear, the raspy feminine voice familiar to her.

"Cheetos? Sheesh, crabbycakes, go eat an apple or something." Lotus replied with an exaggerated sigh. "You're gonna die an early death of heart disease."

"Whatever. Back in a bit." Blair signed off and Lotus stretched out her wrists and arms, which were a bit sore from the tight, hunched-over position she'd been in for the last.... shit, six hours, had it really been that long? It was 2 am, she needed to go to bed soon or she wasn't going to be up early enough to get some decent light for her morning video shoot.

She didn't want to disappear on her friend, though, so poked around on the internet while she waited for Blair to return. She had several new DMs from her youtube account, which wasn't a surprise, and she clicked through them quickly, deleting most of them - harassment, angry anti-companion messages, plenty of flirtatious weird guys, and... someone named goatphotos? Who the hell took photos of goats?

She clicked it open out of morbid curiosity and couldn't help but snicker at the message.

LotusBeauty: It's my gorgeous face, it distracts from the blatant brainwashing. You probably need it, if you're taking pictures of goats. Do you regularly smell like manure, or is that a cow-photo-only sort of perk?

The goat was shocked to see that she messaged him back relatively quickly. There was just no way that a person like her didn't get up like an hour and a half early to get ready every day. Plus you gotta get like extra beauty rest and crap like that, right? He opened the chat box and looked at her message, frowning. Smell like manure? Who's taking photos of goats?

GoatPhotos: Brainwashing beauty? Methinks you might actually be a witch.

GoatPhotos: Also, just so you know,

GoatPhotos: I actually don't take photos of goats.

GoatPhotos: So no, I do not smell like manure. Begone with all of that. I smell like a snacc. >:(~

GoatPhotos: I am a goat who takes photos. In fact, I am a photo journalism student.

Along with his bombard of messages, Julian sent her a link to his online portfolio where most of his work from the current semester was stored. She probably would block him after what he said about him smelling tasty as hell, (because he knows he does). If she doesn't, then she'll also have a sense of humor with 'brainwashing beauty'. He rolled his eyes. She was pretty, but he wouldn't go that far.

[202]

Lotus blinked rapidly at her monitor when rapid-fire responses started coming through. They were a weird mix of defensive, anti-goat, and way more information than she'd ever ask for. Someone had a complex going on.

LotusBeauty: Woah, dude, take a breather. I'm def not a witch, tho there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just cooler than you, mister-I-take-pics-of-goats. I can't smell you through the computer, but I have to assume goats don't smell like roses and lavender. I'm pretty sure they smell like butt, actually? I went to a farm, like, once.

She clicked into the photo album with more than a little trepidation, fully expecting to see either a) goats, despite his protests, or b) some weird shit like she usually was sent by strange dudes on youtube. Instead she was pleasantly surprised, they were nice and artistic and were not of either goats or weird shit.

LotusBeauty: I'm not sure if I'm disappointed about the lack of goats or not. I feel this is false advertising.

Julian frowned at his screen. How dare she talk mad trash and not even know him. How rude could a person possibly be?!

GoatPhotos: I can prove that I DO NOT SMELL LIKE GOATS if you wanna meet up that is..! >( 

Why? Why would he just blurt that out to someone he's never met before on the internet? Isn't that how people got killed? It was too late to back out now, maybe if he tried to change the subject, she'd get a little distracted.

GoatPhotos: Do you like them at least. I know they're not really about current events or anything like that. Those are just some photos I took in my spare time while hanging around town.

He opened the link to his gallery and clicked through the photos. They were all nature-y, his favorite ones being of the sky right at dusk, or at night, the stars lighting up the sky. There were a few of the beach and ocean that were near town, and even though they were really pretty, they still weren't his favorites.

She rolled her eyes to herself at the thinly veiled attempt to meet up with a hot internet stranger.  Seriously, why didn't he just come out and ask for a booty call like most of the gross men who messaged her?

LotusBeauty: Why would I want to meet up with someone who smells like goats?  Do you also sound like a goat?  Bleet bleet?  I don't speak goat-ese, sorry.

She let him ponder that for a few seconds before actually commenting on his photos.

LotusBeauty: ... I suppose they're not terrible.  I'm not sure why you want the approval of a stranger on the internet, however.

He did his best to ignore her taunts, though he did furrow his brow, growing a bit annoyed with her.

GoatPhotos: That's fair, you probably get a lot of people trying to meet up with you. You must be pretty busy. 

He read her next message and thought for a moment. Why did he care?

GoatPhotos: I want the approval of most people (especially people with a media platform/following). But, it's nice to hear that your work is nice. 

GoatPhotos: I could ask you the same question you know, why do you make content if not to show it off to people? I know for me it at least makes me feel good. 

Lotus just blinked at her screen for a moment, watching the cursor flash.  That was an alarmingly mature response from what was supposed to be a fuckboy trying to bother her.  This entire conversation was getting too meta for 2 am.  She heard the ping of Blair coming back online in her headset, but muted her headset for a moment while she considered the conversation in front of her.

LotusBeauty:  I guess, but it's a self-imposed busy.  I don't have much else to do with myself other than videos.  It's not like anyone would give me an actual job doing makeup.

She, as usual, didn't mention that she actually had two sets of videos to do - let him think, like everyone else, that she just played with makeup all day.  (Could you imagine the state of her skin?!)

LotusBeauty: I'm not sure how I could get away with promoting photography on a makeup platform or I'd offer to help.  If you ever decide to take photos of makeup, let me know I guess??

She paused again at his final question.  She did make her videos for validation.  She also made them to make money in a world that would never allow her to be normal - especially not her, with pale lime skin and mountains of purple hair and an absolutely massive set of fluffy tails.  Some companions could hide what they were, or downplay it, but that would never be her lot in life.

LotusBeauty: I do for a lot of reasons, I guess.  Making myself feel good tends to be at the bottom of the priority list, though.

GoatPhotos: You could always start your own business. People get their makeup done for all sorts of occasions right? 

GoatPhotos: For like proms & weddings & junk?

He knew that he didn't know how to put makeup on (except for mascara, he watched that in her video earlier and it seemed easy enough), but there had to be other people who didn't know also. 

GoatPhotos: Some people might think it's cool to get their makeup done by a companion even? Never know.