MAD: Class S (Peregrine x firejay)

[Peregrine]

It had taken Vala a couple of minutes to even sort through the collection of clothes Peggy had brought her, which had been a mish-mash pile of shirts, pants, jackets, and skirts when it had been handed to her. Only when she got right to the bottom of the pile did she finally locate the rainbow colored shirt she'd first picked out, and the only one among the mass of clothes that she'd actually chosen for herself.

Since there didn't seem to be any particular rules to this whole process, Vala decided to start with that one. Since it was the only one she'd grabbed herself, she had a small trace of affection for it, moreso than the others that surrounded her. Vala did not consider herself a picky person, she'd spent all of her life in a state of want, but surrounded by so much abundance, she allowed herself the luxury of being unnecessarily particular.

Halfway through the process of putting on the shirt, the sound of Peggy's voice suddenly reached her through the closed door of the changing stall. Freezing slightly with one arm shoved through the short sleeve, Vala unconsciously glanced back behind her at the closed door. "Got it!" she finally called back, before shoving her arm through the other sleeve, and tugging it down into place over her hips.

Glancing in the mirror, Vala was momentarily stunned at the sight of herself, heavily tanned skin, raggedly cut black hair, and all, wrapped in the colorful burst of clothing. It was so different from anything she'd ever seen before, and certainly something she never would have dared to wear out on the Wastes, even if she'd found it, as it transformed her into a walking beacon. But now... Well, it was all different now.

Remembering what Peggy had said, Vala quickly traded her borrowed pants for a set of tight-fitting, brilliantly green yoga pants, before exiting the stall, glancing at the two waiting women with a trace of hesitation. "So... you give input now?" she asked, not entirely certain why she was suddenly nervous.

 

[firejay1]

"Only if you want it!" Peggy said, brightly, smiling warmly.

Aemer didn't wait for prompting, however, and immediately said, "You look like you just wrestled a rainbow." Her voice was somewhere between amused and indifferent.

Peggy bodily shoved her with her shoulder, and added, "They are very brightly colored, but I like that! I think it sets off your skin and your eyes really nicely. That's the shirt you picked, right? It definitely suits you better than Aemer's nonsense." She said, with a little laugh. Vala looked a bit nervous now, but she had seemed downright uncomfortable in Aemer's clothes, which were a little small on her. Not much of a surprise considering Aemer was fairly petite, and her style comprised of simple, cheap clothing with not much to recommend it beyond being loose enough to be comfortable. What Vala had picked, along with the pants she'd chosen, in her opinion rather well, had more of a flair to them, and more importantly seemed to fit better. "But how do you like it, Vala? Try moving a bit in them." She swung her arms around and gave a little spin as an example. "You don't have to come out and show us for all of them, by the way. Just whatever you want an opinion about."

 

[Peregrine]

Under the guidance of Peggy's careful comments and Aemer's sarcastic feedback, Vala was gradually able to work her way through all the clothes Peggy had picked out, and then some. Fortunately for the young woman, it didn't take her too very long to start getting a sense for her 'style', as Peggy put it. She liked clothes that were tight fitting but flexible, those which allowed her full range of motion.

She quickly discovered she also only liked clothes without too many loose parts to grab onto or get caught. Even though she knew she was no longer in the wastes, a billowed-sleeved shirt with ribbons tied on the back that Peggy had given her had been immediately rejected, because Vala had already felt like someone was going to come up and grab her from behind.

Long skirts were mostly eliminated on the same principle, being far too easy for her legs to get tangled in. There were a few of the shorter skirts that she liked, layered on top of more tight fitting pants, but her general sense of practicality found it odd to put on two pieces of clothing when one alone would do just fine. In the end she kept a couple, simply because Peggy said she might end up liking the idea later, and because she'd been rather infatuated with a tiger-striped short skirt that she considered far too high up to ever wear alone.

The jackets of all form were also outright rejected. As nice as Peggy thought she looked in them, Vala couldn't stand the way they clung to her shoulders, preventing her from fully lifting her arms over her head.

Considering the amount of clothes she'd tried on, Vala's pile of accepted clothes were rather small. A part of her felt guilty for being so particular, but Peggy still seemed more than enthusiastic about the whole thing, and also quite satisfied with Vala's 'haul'. Only once Peggy had circled through the store a couple more times did she seem fully satisfied that they'd acquired everything here that might be of interest to Vala, and usher them all off towards the register.

Vala glanced behind her at Aemer, the young woman's arms somewhat ladened with a pile of brightly colored clothes. "Thank you," she said. "For getting me new clothes. I don't think I'd ever even dreamed this kind of thing was possible."

 

[firejay1]

Aemer gave a shrug. "Well, we couldn't keep having you wear my clothes, and you can't just wear the same thing every day."

"Besides," Peggy said, brightly, using her fingertips to push Aemer's head, "Aemer could use something to spend her money on besides squid." Turning backto Vala, she asked, "You got a nice stack here. Do you want to try anywhere else? We could get you fancy clothes. Dresses and blouses and the like. Or even just the formal stuff like what Aemer wears when she's working. Oh! Aemer, we should take Vala dancing at some point." Peggy needled a little. "Since we've started with shopping, might as well make this a girl's day out. As long as you're not too tired, Vala."

 

[Peregrine]

"More clothes?" Vala asked somewhat hesitantly, as she observed the pile of clothes in the three women's arms. Out in the Wastes, the clothes she was getting just for herself seemed enough to robe an entire group for several months, if not even a year. It seemed outrageous that she'd ever end up in a situation where she had need for so many articles of clothing.

However, the thought also struck a slight sweet note within her, which caused a small, unconscious smile to spread over her face. When she'd spoken to Aemer yesterday, after barely being able to survive as a meat shield thrown out onto the battlefield, she'd felt like all her illusions of the Tortue Cities had been utterly shattered. She hadn't dreamed about going back out to the Wastes, even if they'd let her, but even still, the life of ease and luxury she'd always imagined she'd end up living if she reached the Cities had seemed to shatter before her very eyes.

But this... this day seemed to have restored a lot of that illusion she'd felt she'd lost. The ice cream, sweeter and more flavorful than anything she'd tried before in her life. And the clothes. She truly was surrounded by luxury. At this rate, she would never have to starve again, never have to worry if the supplies she'd always considered so precious would suddenly run out. It truly was luxury.

"I'm not tired," Vala said. It wasn't entirely true. The crush of people still set Vala on edge, uncertain whether one of them would suddenly turn against her and she'd end up having to defend herself. The stress of it was draining. But still, she wasn't ready for the day to end. "I'm happy to do whatever you want to show me."

 

[firejay1]

Peggy, practically holding her breath from anticipation, gave the tiniest squeal of excitement when Vala said she wasn't tired. Aemer was a bit more skeptical about the assertion, since she was tired, and Vala certainly looked a bit tired, but it seemed Vala was eager to continue with the day. She sighed and paid, at least glad that she was only the "boyfriend for the day" and not the subject of the nightmare that was a shopping day. So she kept her mouth shut and paid for the clothes, as Peggy danced about shoveling the clothes onto the counter, before dragging Vala off to let her finish paying.

The lady at the counter smiled at her as Peggy pulled Vala away. "What did you do to end up picking up the bill?"

Aemer shrugged in an unfriendly manner. "My pet, my responsibility I guess." Peggy would have laughed. The lady at the counter immediately dropped her smile and gave her a confused look, finishing ringing up Vala's clothes and packing her clothes into bags with no further attempts at conversation.

Peggy and Vala, meanwhile, had gone to the Turtleback. The establishment was very different from Madison's. Instead of Madison's casual clothes and warm, bright lighting, the Turtleback at first looked small and cold, large windows displaying only a few dresses and suits. The doors were black with elegant frosted windows, but were wide open, revealing strains of oddly severe, but beautiful instrumental music. The sign above the doors was a plaque backed with patterned leather, the letters of the storename carved through the leather to reveal the white glow beneath.The interior was colder and the floor a more distinct white. The selections were more limited in terms of types, consisting of more formal clothing, but most prominently displaying a fine selection of shoes and dresses. A small section was available for suits, including a man behind a counter with a measuring tape around his neck, but they were immediately greeted at the door by a perky looking young woman with brown hair dressed in a nice white shirt and black pants. "Hello, welcome to the Turtleback. Are you guys looking for something specific?"

Peggy smiled, "We're looking for some nice clothes for my friend here." Gesturing at Vala. "I think we'll be okay on our own. She's kind of trying out her style. Later, we might need help looking for nice shoes without high heels, since Vala has never worn high heels before."

The lady smiled back and nodded. "Just let me know when you get to that point. I know where the short heels are if she wants to try them out."

Peggy turned to Vala. "I know this is very different from the last store, but anything here catch your eye?"

 

[Peregrine]

Leaving behind Aemer with the pile of clothes, Vala allowed herself to be tugged out of the door and down the street by Peggy. They marched their way past several stores, before finally coming to a halt before a store with large, glass windows in front of it.

Vala had seen glass out in the Wastes before, but it usually came in small, broken pieces, which were likely to cut her fingers if she wasn't careful about how she touched them. She'd never seen such a large, smooth piece of glass before. Unconsciously, she reached out to touch it, leaving behind a faint smudge on the pristine surface, which ever so slightly marred the faint reflection of her face she could see in its depths.

And then she was inside the store. It was slightly colder than Madison's, and smelled faintly of citrus and an unknown, sharp smell that stung her nose slightly, albeit not in an unpleasant way. Vala smiled slightly at the woman who approached them, but was more than content to let Peggy do the talking. Especially considering the way Aemer's friend was leading her through the whole experience, it seemed unnecessary to get anyone else's help, but she also didn't know what the basic procedure for these kinds of places was supposed to be.

At Peggy's prompting, she began to look around the store. It didn't take her more than a second to eliminate all the long, flowing dresses that had been lined up on the right side of the store. She hadn't liked any of the skirts that she'd tried on at Madison's, too worried about her legs getting tangled, and didn't see why it would be any different when the fabric was attached to the body portion as well.

Scanning the other side of the store, which was made up of collections of neat pants and vests, Vala's eyes were quickly drawn to a dark red suit, which had long pants and a tight-fitting upper body. She glanced at Peggy for a moment, before remembering the encouragement the other woman had given her in the previous store. There was no need to repeat the process here. She lifted a hand, before aiming an outstretched finger towards the suit. "That one?" she said, unable to help the faint question that crept its way into her tone.

 

[firejay1]

For a moment, Peggy had to suppress her disappointment. It hadn't escaped her notice that Vala hadn't taken to any of the skirts she had offered, so it wasn't much of a surprise that she wasn't interested in any of the nice dresses but that was why a girl would come to the Turtleback for fun. Suits were for business. Still, the thing she was looking at was at least more fun and stylish than the typical black suit. She bounced forward, recovering quickly. "Sure!" She said, pulling Vala with her towards the counter. The man there did not smile as they approached, but nodded his head politely and met her eye, letting Peggy know that he saw them and was ready for them. "Hi there, how are you?" She asked.

He didn't respond, but the question elicited a smile. "How can I help you, ma'am?"

"My friend would like to try the red suit. Do we need to have it adjusted first?"

"Not at all." He replied, evenly. "Let me take it down for you, and she may try it in the room over there." He gestured to a door to his right. The changing rooms at Madison's had been small stalls, but this door appeared to lead to an actual room. "If she likes it, press the button to summon me or one of the other fitters, and we will take her measurements and adjust the suit accordingly."

"Thank you." Peggy said, her behavior skewing slightly to the more polite side in the face of the man's almost formal attitude. The man walked over and procured a set of the suit, on hangars, before handing it over the counter to Vala. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go with her. She's kind of new to all this." Peggy added, the man just nodded, not seeming to have a problem with it, and the two of them headed for the changing room he had indicated.

 

[Peregrine]

Although she’d glanced away momentarily when she’d pointed out her chosen suit to Peggy, Vala had glanced back almost immediately afterwards. That was why she didn’t miss the trace of disappointment that flickered across the other woman’s face. It was subtle, and Peggy quickly went about concealing it, dragging Vala forward with great enthusiasm towards the counter, but she still saw it.

Vala had never survived in the Wastes by virtue of her strength. She was small, with thin limbs, good flexibility, and fast reflexes, but that wasn’t good for much outright other than running away. No, she’d survived based on her ability to read people. To understand who would pose a danger to her if she wasn’t careful. To pick out the people who were leaders, notice what it was they wanted, and then deliver on it. Vala knew how to make herself useful, even if it wasn’t to the point of being irreplaceable, and that was more than enough to earn her place among a group of Scavengers.

The expression on Peggy’s face, however brief it might have been, left Vala with a lingering sense of nervousness. What had she been disappointed about? Was it important? Should she just ignore it, or ask about it?

Thoughts like these instinctually circled through Vala’s head as she listened to Peggy discuss the clothes with the man. It didn’t seem all that different from the previous process, over all. Except this time, instead of entering with a massive pile of clothes, it was only the one.

As soon as they were in the room and the door was closed, Vala began to casually strip out of her clothes, clearly unconcerned about showing her mostly naked body to Peggy. It was littered with collections of scars, most of them small and gossamer, with a few larger ones on her back and upper arms. She glanced over at Peggy, who was still holding the red clothing.

“Do… you do not like the suit?” she finally asked, doing her best to sound casual about it.

 

[firejay1]

"Why wouldn't I? It looks nice, sleek and colorful." Peggy said, not thinking much of the question, before handing her the simple white tank top they had paired with the suit to try on. Truthfully, Peggy thought a proper, sleeveless blouse of an ivory color with a low cut would work better, but this was just to try it on, anyways, they would just have to look for a blouse later. "Let me know if you need help with anything. Don't worry if it doesn't feel like it fits perfectly. Once you've got it on, we can just press that button over there." She pointed to a flat circle on the wall with a figure of a small person in it. "The guy from earlier will be in and do a couple adjustments to make it fit perfectly, and if you still don't like it then, you don't have to get it. You've gotta like how it feels as well as looks, after all, same as before." The massive mirrors on the walls gave them a good view of themselves from every angle, also giving Peggy a perfect view of the scars that littered Vala's body, but that too didn't give Peggy much pause. A kid from the Wastes was bound to have scars. "If you like this, we can look for a couple more like it, and maybe some shoes to match. The shoes will take a little getting used to. But you absolutely can't wear a suit wihtout nice shoes. This place is more expensive, and the stuff here is mostly for fancy occasions, so you can get by with just a few outfits."

 

[Peregrine]

Vala accepted Peggy’s response silently, glancing at the other woman for a second before taking the shirt that she offered. She wasn’t entirely sure if she believed Peggy, but Vala also knew full well that speaking about some things too much could be just as bad—if not worse—than saying nothing at all. Better to simply focus on the clothes.

Fortunately, the outfit was not overly complicated. The pants went on easily enough, as did the overshirt, before she was finally stymied by the process of buttons. The pants alone had two, both at the waist to hold the fabric together. Even worse, the shirt had a whole bunch of them that somehow needed to be done up from the inside, so that they ended up between the inner fold and a layer of fabric to separate them from the skin. After struggling with it for a couple of moments, Vala promptly gave up.

“This is absurd,” she stated. “Why does it need so many of these little bits? I could just pull it on over my head.”

 

[firejay1]

Peggy laughed in surprise, not meaning to make fun of Vala. "You know, I've actually never thought about that. That's just how suits are, I guess. Zippers in front wouldn't look as formal, and blazers don't usually get pulled over your head. It's made of a stiff material and all, so maybe it'd be hard to make a version that goes over your head and still fits snugly. Here, let me help you. Besides, other clothes have buttons on them, it won't take long for you to get used to them." She helped button them, folding the covering fabric over the buttons, and giving her a quick brush off, straightening the jacket before directing her to the mirrors. "There! What do you think? How do you like it? Aemer's probably going to finish up soon so we can ask her later, if you want a second opinion."

 

[Peregrine]

"If you say so," Vala muttered, far more to herself than Peggy. As a matter of fact, she wasn't at all convinced about what the other woman had said. Even as Peggy began to do up the bottons, the suit fit very loosely around her malnourished figure. The sleeves were too long, both the waist and the chest fit loosely. Compared to the clingy, stretchy, elastic shirts Vala had found herself beginning to favor at Madison's, the baggy, stiff material of the suit made her feel like she was back in the Wastes, wearing whatever pieces of coarse-fiber fabrics she and the other Scavengers could make work.

Twisting and turning slightly in front of the mirror once Peggy had released her, Vala didn't bother to hide the bemused expression on her face. Peggy had said this place was expensive. Was there some reason that people considered this stiff, baggy set of clothes better than what she'd gotten previously? "Well, I like the color," Vala said. If Peggy was expecting her to pick something from this store, the suit was probably her only real option. "But I don't really know other than that."

 

[firejay1]

Peggy looked her Vala up and down. She didn't seem very pleased with the clothing. Or rather, she looked a little frustrated with the strange way it fit on her. Peggy nodded. "I think it could look good on you, but you're right. I don't think it fits you very well, and that's kind of ruining the whole thing, but we can fix that." Looking around the room, she found a small button with the symbol of a person on it set into one of the laminated walls. She pressed it. "If we just wait a moment, the man from earlier should come in to adjust the suit until it fits you. It's made to be a bit big for people trying it on anyways.

Sure enough, after waiting a bit, the man walked into the room. He didn't say much, beyond asking Vala to raise her arms, adjusting the blazer and waist of the pants to fit Vala more snugly, securing it with pins with very little ceremony. He stood back, and then addressed Vala, "How does that adjustment feel? Perhaps try moving in it a bit, and let me know if there are any further adjustments you would like me to make."

"Does that look any better to you?" Peggy asked Vala.

 

[Peregrine]

Vala nodded at Peggy's comment, glancing towards the little button that she remembered Peggy pointing out earlier. However, before Vala could go press it herself, Peggy took care of it for her, and Vala returned to idling in front of the mirror.

She was still trying to figure out what it was that people saw making clothes more or less valuable. All of the standards she would have put in place in the wastes somehow no longer seemed to be valid forms of comparison, and she was left uncertain about what remained. Fortunately, the man's arrival kept Vala from having to ponder on this impossible conundrum for too long.

When requested, Vala raised her arms, but she couldn't help but tremble slightly at the feel of the man's fingers occasionally brushing against her body as he pinned up the fabric. He was extremely quick and professional, and Vala couldn't help but feel slightly relieved when he left the dressing room. She turned back to the mirror, her lips pressed slightly tighter than normal.

"It looks better," Vala agreed, swinging her arms around in front of her body somewhat. Compared to the elastic fabrics she'd purchased previously, it was stiff, but it was still miles better than anything made on the Wastes. "If I'm supposed to get clothes from here, this is probably the one."

Truthfully, her evaluation of it hadn't changed much over all. At least now it wasn't baggy and uncomfortable. The pants rested better on her hips, and the shirt on her shoulders. And she did like the color. She just didn't understand why she'd need clothes like this when the others were more comfortable and fun to look at.

 

[firejay1]

Peggy narrowed her eyes slightly at Vala, not meaning to look angry, so much as trying to figure out how she felt about it. She didn't seem the most enthusiastic about it, though it was a bit difficult to tell with Vala. She mostly seemed a little confused at what the point of getting this was, as opposed to the more comfortable clothing they'd gotten earlier. It was true that formal clothing wasn't very comfortable in comparison, but Peggy had never entirely questioned it before, and wasn't entirely certain how to explain it to someone so unfamiliar with their way of life.

She thought about it for a bit, then figured that Vala seemed to accept that some things were just going to be different in the Tortue Cities on some level. She smiled, and said, "Clothes like this aren't the most comfortable, but they're more meant to make you look good for formal occasions than anything else." She paused, then added, "And in that vein! We are going to get you something more somber just in case you need it, and one dress. Just one. Plus a good pair of pumps." She was a little sorry for imposing her will on Vala that way, but it was Aemer's money, and if she absolutely hated it, she didn't have to wear it. Brightly, she continued, "I think that looks good on you! I'll go ask the man for another one in black. What do you say?"

 

[Peregrine]

“Understood,” Vala agreed, not sounding bothered by Peggy’s statements about the clothes she should purchase. How could she be? She was unfamiliar with the expectations people would have in the Tortue Cities, and wouldn’t know how to meet their unspoken standards. Peggy, on the other hand, had been born and raised here. Unless she was trying to play some malicious joke on Vala, which the young woman highly doubted, there was no reason to doubt her advice.

Add that to the fact that it was frankly much easier to just be told what to get than to have to go through the process of picking it out herself, and Vala was more than content with simply going along with what Peggy picked out for her. After all, Vala wasn’t even the one paying for it.

The two suits were easy to finish up, although Vala had to once again allow the attendant to take her measurements, to ensure the second, black suit would be properly fitted. Other than the countless buttons and the fact that the fabric was smooth to the touch, it almost reminded her of the clothes on the waste, dark so that they’d be able to blend in, and a stronger, stiffer fabric that would better withstand daily abuse.

After that, Peggy began to pick out a dress for Vala. Although the dark haired woman did her best to oblige Peggy’s enthusiasm, the simple fact that she truly couldn’t understand what Aemer’s friend saw in the dresses consistently impeded the progress. They tangled with her legs, and left her feeling some strange mixture of constrained yet overly exposed. The only part of them she liked was some of the soft, elastic fabric, which clung tight around her chest and waist. If only someone had used that material to make the suit.

Fortunately, Aemer and the bags showed up shortly after Peggy had selected the first dress for her to try on, which at least spared Vala the necessity to make a final decision on the dress’ suitability.

In the end, unexpectedly, the place where Vala drew the line was on the shoes. The moment she tried to place her weight on the tall heel, only to feel it suddenly give out sideways and a sharp pain in her ankle, she immediately took them back off, setting them as far away from her physical person as her arms could reach without moving.

“There’s no way I’d ever be able to run in those,” Vala denied, voice flat and unexpectedly firm.

 

[firejay1]

It wasn't entirely a surprise to Peggy that Vala's first instinct was to reject the shoes immediately. It had been fairly clear that Vala had been even less sure what to make of the dresses than the suit, and she had done most of the judging and thinking about which colors and styles suited her best. In the end, most of the ones she'd picked had been fairly conservative and easy to move in, all things considered. She hadn't skimped on the colors, since Vala didn't seem to mind those, but had chosen dresses mostly made of long, loose material, sleeveless, but not strapless, which covered most of the chest and back so as not to leave Vala feeling too exposed. Still, she'd been determined that Vala at least try a heel or two. They'd had the attendant direct them to the simple pumps, which could be matched with anything and weren't much higher than an inch, but even then. Peggy frowned at her slightly, "You're not supposed to be able to run in these, you know. Or in most formal clothing, but fine. We need to get you something that will match the other stuff, so we can look at flats instead, but I'll get you to try them eventually. They make you look elegant! Besides, not everything is meant to be precisely functional." She scampered off to find some flats, coming back with two pairs. Both had straps around the ankle, but one was black, with pointed tips, while the other looked more comfortable and casual, a light beige with a sort of fuzzy surface.

Aemer, still holding the bags of what they'd bought (as well as the items they were going to buy here), almost sardonically told Vala, "You can run in heels, it just hurts. Most people dance in something with a bit of a heel, even." She shrugged.

Peggy ignored her. "Try these, Vala. I promise after we get you a couple shoes we'll be done. I can tell you're tired." Still, the redhead was beaming. She was having a really fun day. "After I torture Aemer a bit." She added with a laugh. Aemer groaned out loud, but was again summarily ignored.

 

[Peregrine]

In the end, Vala ended up leaving the store with not only the beige flats, which were the only shoes Peggy picked out that Vala considered even remotely usable, but the black heels too. Of course, this wasn’t entirely by her own volition, she didn’t take Aemer at face value when the other woman told her that she could run and dance in the heeled shoes, but simply because Aemer paid for them.

It was an unfortunately excellent strategy, Vala was forced to conclude. If Aemer hadn’t bought them for her, she wouldn’t have had to worry about it, but the idea of leaving shoes that she owned entirely unworn didn’t sit well inside her. She’d been raised to put everything to use so long as it was still remotely usable. Of course, he question of whether those shoes were remotely usable still remained, but surely no one would have made them if they weren’t. Right?

After they picked out Vala’s shoes, the dark haired woman sat there quietly as she watched Peggy parade Aemer in and out of the dressing room, pressing her through a variety of outfits. The vast majority of which neither Aemer nor Peggy seemed to have any actual inclination to purchase, which left Vala even more mystified than where she’d started.

However, since she wasn’t asked to actively participate, Vala didn’t mind just sitting on the side, watching the two have fun while trying to offer an appropriate sentence here and there. She quickly realized that her comments were not particularly useful to either of the two, but at least it seemed to keep Peggy satisfied that Vala wasn’t bored or frustrated.

At some point, for a reason Vala wasn’t able to pick out, Peggy finally decided she was satisfied playing dress up with Aemer and the three of them left the store. It was only then that Vala raised a concern that had been niggling at her while she’d been watching Peggy and Aemer. “I know you said we’d be done after this, but are there… other shoes?” She glanced downwards, looking at the shoes she’d borrowed from Aemer. The reed and leather shoes she’d been wearing from the wastelands seemed to have disappeared along with the rest of her clothes. And while the shoes she were wearing now were entirely usable, they were large enough on her feet that Vala had been tempted to stuff them with a rag to keep her heel from slipping out. That, and she didn’t want to keep wearing Aemer’s stuff. Personal belongings were precious possessions, and it wasn’t right of her to take things from other people.

“Ones more like these, and less like…” she hesitated, gesturing from her feet to the bags that Aemer was carrying. “Those.”

 

[firejay1]

Peggy clapped her hands together once. "Of course! Oh, I'm so stupid. The Turtleback is closer and fancier and we rarely get to shop there, so my mind immediately went there, but you're going to need much more comfortable shoes too. Especially since it looks like you're wearing Aemer's shoes, and they probably don't fit right. Aemer looks teeny, but she has monster feet."

"I do not." Aemer said with a frown. She was grumpy, now. She'd liked some of the shoes, though not enough to buy any of them, but the rest of the experience had thoroughly exhausted her. She was grateful that she was being relegated to holding the bags again, that was easier than playing dress up.

Peggy smiled a bit indulgently, still addressing Vala. "She's right, of course, her feet aren't as tiny as they seem like they should be, but they're not monster feet. More slightly above average. Anyways, let's head to 2Feet! It's cheap, but it has shoes for every occasion, and I think you'd find them comfy. And since you don't know your shoe size - you don't, right? - we can use the foot measure to check. Come on, then. It's a bit farther away."

2Feet was more similar to Madison's than the Turtlback. While less colorful and bright, it looked casual and comfortable, and had more of a variety, shoes on long racks under cheerful yellow lighting, arranged according to size and gender, but otherwise in no clear order. Comfortable boots arranged right next to cheap, strappy heels, next to sneakers. It wasn't very heavily crowded, but there were still people milling about, mostly, mostly young women, and a few with young children. "You'll need at least regular walking shoes and exercise ones, at least. And several sets of socks, but you can just pick ones with whatever patterns you like." Peggy said, thoughtfully.