The cleanser eventually made its way back onto the table.
Zoey was still getting over the fact that Layla, of all people, apparently washed her face with ordinary soap. No elaborate routine, no collection of expensive products, not even a brand name to give her chat. Just soap.
Somehow, that was what she looked like after using soap.
Zoey thought of the face that usually greeted her in the bathroom mirror after a shower, and then looked at Layla again.
The world could be incredibly unfair sometimes.
Zoey pulled the cleansing balm closer and moved on.
"Do you want to go first?"
Layla set the lid aside and dipped one bare fingertip into the balm. There was no searching for the right amount or awkward attempt to keep the product from getting under her nail. Her finger pressed into the smooth surface and came away with a clean scoop, the motion precise enough to resemble one of the demonstrations the brand might have filmed for an advertisement.
Beside the video feed, Zoey's chat filled with new messages.
CHAT:
her hands are so tiny??
she’s like a doll made of moonlight
she opened that jar like it was sacred
Zoey stared.
Her hands rested against the edge of the table, completely still. Layla waited beside her with the balm on her fingertip.
"I-me? Right, yes, okay, yes I can...go first. Of course."
Zoey reached off-screen and came back with a headband. Getting it onto her head proved considerably more complicated than opening the jar had been. She pulled it over her orange-red hair, caught a section on the way up, and winced as she worked the trapped strands free.
Once the headband was in place, she pushed the last loose strands away from her face and leaned toward the table.
"Right so...I’ll show them how it melts on the skin, like... here."
She scooped some balm from the jar herself. A slight tremor ran through her hand as she brought it toward her face, visible enough at this distance for the camera to catch it.
Her chat caught it too.
CHAT:
zoey’s shaking
layla's calm is making it worse somehow
this feels like an exam
Zoey pressed the balm to her cheek and started rubbing.
It became obvious almost immediately that she had no idea what she was doing. Instead of spreading the balm across her cheek, she kept working the same patch over and over, pushing the product around beneath her fingertips without getting it much farther than where she'd first put it.
"It’s like...it warms up right away?? Like, look-it’s already breaking down, super smooth, like...like... butter. If butter had a skincare degree..."
Zoey kept her cheek angled toward the camera.
CHAT:
Someone sedate her
she’s trying so hard
THIS is my roman empire
Standing beside Zoey's chair, Layla watched Zoey rub the same patch of her cheek. The portion of balm Layla had scooped from the jar was still on the tip of her finger.
"You need to spread it. Wait..."
Layla leaned down beside Zoey's chair, bringing her balm-covered fingertip toward Zoey's cheek.
The difference in height disappeared as she bent closer. Zoey remained seated while Layla leaned over her, closing the space between them until their faces were only inches apart.
Layla placed her fingertip against Zoey's cheek.
Her touch was careful. She began working the balm outward in slow circles, spreading it beyond the patch Zoey had been rubbing. Each movement followed the curve of her cheek with steady, even pressure.
Layla adjusted her position to follow the product across Zoey's skin, bringing her face closer in the process.
Her gaze remained fixed on the balm.
Zoey went completely still.
Chat
"????"
"HELLO????"
"IS SHE TOUCHING HER FACE"
"THIS IS ILLEGAL SKINCARE BEHAVIOR"
"zoey hasn’t blinked in 20 seconds"
Layla continued working the balm across Zoey's cheek, patient circles gradually thinning the product as she spread it over a wider area.
Zoey still hadn't moved.
At this distance, she hardly seemed to be breathing either. What little air she drew never reached the microphone as more than the quietest sound. The forgotten lid remained suspended in her hand.
"Like this. Otherwise it doesn’t break down properly."
Layla's voice remained calm and practical, her attention still directed toward the balm beneath her fingertip.
The fact that she was speaking from inches away from Zoey's face did not produce the same level of composure on the other side.
Chat:
someone call the skincare police
zoom in. ENHANCE.
zoey.exe not found
Another circle of Layla's fingertip carried the balm farther across Zoey's cheek.
A tiny sound finally escaped Zoey.
It wasn't quite a word. More the sound of her soul leaving her body...