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Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 5th.
Location: Around the city.
Characters: Shelke and Leliana
Summary: Leliana decided Shelke needs more clothing. Shelke is just sort of going along with it.
Warnings: Unlikely.

Shelke wasn't really certain why she had agreed to go shopping with Leliana. It wasn't that she thought the trip was a bad idea, merely a...pointless one. When she had arrived she'd gotten two more sets of clothes, and she had her uniform. She was wearing them right now, a plaid skirt and blue shirt that fit well enough, and didn't restrict her movement. Did she really need more?

Did she really need dresses? The one she'd worn to the giant Masq. had felt rather strange and uncomfortable, but perhaps one she chose herself would be different. If it didn't wind up with Leliana picking one out for her, anyway. Somehow, she rather suspected the bard woman's personality would mean many, many 'suggestions.'

Well, she probably needed them anyway.

She was sitting on the couch, staring at her reflection in the window as she waited. Her nine year old reflection. No matter how many times she reminded herself she was nineteen, reminded other people she was nineteen, she was still trapped in this nine year old form. Nine year old prison, if she was feeling particularly dramatic. What did she really even need with nice clothes? She had shorts and shirts and that was all children were supposed to wear, right?

She'd seen the dresses that women her chronological age had worn to the ball, and she wasn't jealous, but she was never going to have that, to be able to wear something like that. She knew it, so why did she suddenly regret it? She'd come to terms with-

A knock on the door, finally, and she glanced up. That would've been Leliana, probably feeling quite chipper and excited, really. So after a moment, Shelke slid off the couch and moved to open the door, peering up at the other red head.

"Hello."

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As expected, Leliana was there, chipper and excited enough for the both of them. She was wearing something light and easy to unclothe -- a tank top and denim shorts with orange slippers, for when she needed to try it things for herself.

Shelke was small. And adorable. Children bodies could get away with some of the most outrageous fashions, so she was sort of jealous she couldn't wear something pink and overly ruffled like Shelke could. Ooh, she had so many suggestions.

"Hello! Are you ready to go?"

Shelke nodded after a brief moment, offering what she hoped was a smile before ducking back inside long enough to get the small backpack she had found, which she had taken to keeping her things inside (money, weapons, etc). And then she was back at the door, tugging it closed carefully as she stepped out into the hall with Leliana.

"Where are we going?" She asked finally, turning back to the taller woman.

"To the city. They have some fantastic shops there, although, let me warn you now: they can't make decent high heels for the life of them!" Not that she thought Shelke would particularly be interested in that, but she was hopeful.

Leliana was walking with a skip in her step, but she kept it at a decent pace, not wanting to lose her companion.

Shelke was used to walking with people significantly taller than Leliana, such as Azul, so she didn't have much trouble keeping up. As long as the trip didn't take all day, the pace probably wouldn't exhaust her. She hoped.

"Okay," she said after a moment, her eyes flicking from her companion to their path and back. "I have only ever seen one pair of high heels. They looked very uncomfortable." And were on the feet of a bloodthirsty madwoman, but she couldn't blame the shoes, could she?

"Oh. They are uncomfortable. Very much so, in fact. But if you are going to wear shoes that bite into your feet, then you might as wear pretty ones, right?"

They exited the building. Leliana shielded her eyes from the sun and kept walking, taking the shortest possible route. She was so excited!

Shelke was never going to get used to the sun here, after so long in Deepground and then mostly being outside at night. She looked at the ground for fifteen seconds, until her eyes adjusted, before hurrying after Leliana.

"Why would you voluntarily wear something painful?"

"The same reason I shave my legs and put paints that irritate my skin; beauty takes a lot of effort, my dear," she said realistically. "It probably sounds silly to pragmatic people, doesn't it? But looking and feeling beautiful can give people great confidence boosts. It makes them feel special."

Ooh! Almost there.

"I have never had any reason to be concerned with how I look. In Deepground, I was considered too weak to matter, so my appearance was trivial and I didn't care. Here..." She hesitated for a moment. "I suppose I assumed the same thing. I did wear a dress to that Masq, but I bought it because it was inexpensive. And blue."

"But I do not think I would consider my appearance worthwhile enough to voluntarily go through additional pain."

"Oh, honey..." she said, her voice laced with sadness. "You matter here as much I do. As much as anyone. You deserve to be pretty.

"I didn't think you would. Pain is for people like me, who are getting too old to pull off something simple. Come now. We'll get you something pretty and blue."

And there they were at the market! Stalls after stalls of accessories, shoes, clothing and the like.

Shelke wasn't certain what to say to that. She didn't agree with it, but you could only spend so long being abnormal before it wormed its way into your attitude. So she just nodded, though after a moment she looked up at her again.

"How old are you?" It was probably rude to ask, but age held a particular curiosity for the girl, since she was going to be nine forever.

And then her eyes shifted to the stalls, looking at the things they passed. Something pretty and blue. Well...there were worse things, right?

Leliana blushed. "Twenty-eight," she answered quietly. She always tried to comfort herself that she looked younger than she was, but in a couple more years, she would be thirty and it would be awful.

Leliana was moving from stall to stall, picking out accessories and the like. She found a long, beaded, blue necklace and showed it to Shelke. "I think this would suit you, no?"

Shelke considered her carefully. "I am a bad judge of age," she glanced down at herself and then shook her head. "For obvious reasons. I'm not sure if I should be jealous or not, since I will never be twenty-eight."

She trailed off as the necklace was offered out, and after a moment she reached out to take it, considering it carefully. She knew enough to know what to do with it, of course, so she held it up to her neck for Leliana to judge.

"You're quite lucky you'll never be thirty, then," she said idly.

Leliana squealed, clasping her hands together girlishly. "Oh! That looks positively darling. I suggest you buy it -- no, I can buy it for you, if you want!"

That actually brought Shelke up short for a moment, she looked genuinely surprised. And then it faded back into her usual emotionless expression. "Would you wish to be nine forever?" She asked though, after a moment.

And then she considered the necklace and shook her head. "I can afford to pay for it." If it did look good, then...why not?

"I would rather be twenty forever. But the Maker works in mysterious ways." One minute you would be at the top of your game, the next... nothing. It was a sad thought.

"What's the harm, no?" She went back to paying attention to the booth, picking out some ornamental bracelets. She tipped her head to show Shelke of the person's other wares.

Shelke remembered that first conversation about the Maker, and she almost said something but caught herself. This was a day out, making friends, no need to be antagonistic. "Maybe," she finally said as she fished out some money to pay for the necklace, setting it carefully in an offered bag before turning to look at the other things Leliana is looking at.

"I think I would be more interested in clothing than jewelery," she finally decided when nothing particularly appealed.

With that, Leliana was reminded of why they were here in the first place. "Oh! Silly me. I got distracted, I think." She stuffed her purchases in her back and gestured for Shelke to follow her to the next shop, full of all sorts of dresses. "Here we are! Have fun."

Shelke stuck the necklace she had bought into her backpack as she followed the older woman to the next shop, but she hesitates when told to 'have fun', looking at all the various choices with slightly wide eyes.

She just isn't particularly certain where to begin, honestly, and it's probably rather evident on her face.

Meanwhile, Leliana was already looking for a nice top in one of the shelves. She spared a glance at Shelke while doing it, though.

"Shelke? Hm..." She abandoned her post and led her to a section with clothes, just her size. She pulled out something overly sky blue and frilly, giggling. "Weeell?"

Shelke almost looked apologetic when Leliana had to return to her, but shopping isn't exactly in her skill set, or clothes picking out or...anything necessary for this task. She actually looked relieved as the older girl started picking things out for her, through she can't say she's thrilled with it.

"...I could try it on," she finally decided after a moment. So...frilly...

Leliana beamed and handed her the dress.

"Then do! Now, off with you!" She shooed Shelke away to the direction of the dressing rooms, excited for what she would look like after.

Shelke took the dress carefully and nodded, looking around for a moment before she found the changing room.

She was gone for about ten minutes, trying to sort out precisely how she was supposed to wear it, before she tentatively comes out, barefoot now but with the dress on mostly correctly.

Leliana gasped and ran up to Shelke, placing her hands on her shoulders. She moved her appropriately to take a good look of her on all sides. When she spotted a ribbon untied, she casually tied it and grinned at her, nodding at her reflection at a nearby mirror.

"Look at you, my dear. You look so sweet I could just eat you up!"

Shelke actually flushed slightly at the complement, moving as Leliana wanted her to so the other could decide on whether it was appropriate. She nearly swatted her away when she adjusted the ribbon but forced herself to remain still. She was being social. This was a good thing.

"...I assume that is a compliment?"

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