Reassurance

Modeling was something that Tsubaki was still trying to get used to. Tsubaki was typically a very confident and self-assured person, but not when it came to modeling. Perhaps it was because she was thrown to the wolves on her very first time, but despite Velveteen’s assurance that she did great, Tsubaki didn’t think the same.

So why was she now going to model for Velveteen once again? Tsubaki could argue with herself that it was for the usual reasons: a better relationship with Velveteen could lead to a profitable business partnership. More publicity could lead to deals with other leaders of the industry. Money was the main motivator for basically everything Tsubaki did.

But as much as she tried to convince herself this was for money too, she knew that it wasn’t. This was about pride. This was about regaining her confidence. This was about proving to herself, not to Velveteen, that she could do this and she could do it well.

Perhaps she wasn’t great at hiding her feelings on the matter, or perhaps Velveteen was simply more perceptive than most, but they stopped by while she was getting ready to face the runway again. “You know, I thought I didn’t perform very well my first time either.” They admitted.

Tsubaki was shocked to hear this. “Really? You? I’ve seen all of your runway videos. Everyone says that you were a star from day one. The magazines didn’t move on from talking about you for weeks. The headlines all said things like ‘Velveteen: Naturally Talented Runway Beginner Takes Burrowgatory by Storm.’”

“That’s what they said, yes.” Velveteen tapped on the vanity table in front of her. “But hearing it and believing it in my heart was another story. I knew that I could have done better.”

Tsubaki still couldn’t believe it. “How would you have even improved upon that first performance? It was beautiful.”

At this, Velveteen smirked. “You ask me that, but aren’t you the exact same way? Did I not tell you after your first performance that you did well? If you truly think of me as a star and trust my judgment, wouldn’t you believe my words? Hearing someone say it, even someone credible, isn’t always enough. Sometimes we need to prove it to ourselves, even if we have already proved ourselves to others.”

Their words were enough to instantly silence Tsubaki. She realized they were right. While the magazines weren’t going crazy over her the same way they had Velveteen, that wasn’t what she was after. She didn’t want to make a career out of modeling; she just wanted to squash the feelings of doubt and inadequacy in her mind once and for all.

Velveteen smiled, seeing something in her eyes that they particularly liked. Perhaps seeing a bit of themselves in her? “You’ll do great. Do you believe me this time?”

Tsubaki paused, glancing at them for several long moments before breaking out into a smile of her own. “Yeah, I think I do. Thank you.”