Looking for presents was harder than usual. Or at least, it was harder than it had been for Christmas at least. Though it might be because she felt uncomfortable. Trying new styles of clothes was supposed to be a new experience. Though maybe next time she wouldn't be doing errands when she tried new looks.

But she had set out to find Momma Maya her birthday present. She had enough money now. Meeting Juliette and setting up a job with Sam had been very helpful on her wallet. The shop she was in was supposed to be a tea shop. Because Momma liked tea and tea parties. There was more than just tea though. The store had lots of mugs and tea sets and all sorts of things she had no idea about. The mug part was fun to look through.

She found a pink and white striped mug that reminded her of Papa's hair, which she picked up because it reminded her of Papa. There was another one that was painted with swans which made her think of Panu. She wasn't sure if she would give this one to her friend or keep it, but it was cool to her. There was a wolf one she grabbed for Adder since he liked tea too. Finding one in the back, Abby was shocked at who it reminded her of.

Astrid. The annoying kidnapping french girl who probably doesn't have an actual home. She had only really seen the winged girl's crystal wings, but it was memorable. Not really thinking about it, the little blonde grabbed the mug and moved to pay for her collection. It was a pretty cup after all, no reason to leave it because of bad memories.

After paying (which caused her to have far less money than planned left over) and taking the carefully wrapped bags, she left the store. Taking a moment outside in the mall corridor, she wondered what to do next. She could go home or stay and look around some more. Hmmm.

Astrid walked hastily through the mall. She needed one thing, one very specific thing, and nothing was going to stop her from getting it. Unfortunately, her newfound fame had come with a bit of a price. It was getting more and more difficult for her to go out in public without being recognized by someone with a grudge against murderous mutants.

What was their problem, really, though? She wasn't killing anyone at that moment, so why did they feel the need to alert the authorities? She huffed under her breath as she thought about it.

Her platform heels clicked on the linoleum floors as she walked, and her skirt bounced with every step she took. She loved the dress that she was wearing, but unfortunately, she had been forced to cover it with a large black coat that did an alright job of covering her wings. She still looked odd, and nowhere near normal, but it allowed her to go places with a little less fear of being arrested. By the real police, anyway. The fashion police were still considering it.

She finally eyed the store that she had gone to the mall for. There it was, just a few feet in front of her. The only store that she knew of that would sell something that would hold down her wings, even if it wasn't made for that purpose. Bosom Buddies. 

Astrid sped forward a little as she eyed her goal, when suddenly there was something in her path. A small something. A blonde something. Astrid rolled her head back and groaned.

Why was she always running into the little twerp?

A bulky black shape caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Turning slightly as the shape stopped, Abbigail stopped one of the people she had been thinking about. Astrid. Wearing a black coat and black dress. And boots.

Cocking her hip like the girls on tv did, the little blonde stared at the French girl. "Wow, black on black. Very original." There. Not much to go on and didn't even insult herself on accident! Her jacket was a deep purple after all, not black. Her boots may have been black but at least Abby used color. "How have you been, Astrid? she asked, her words drawn out so the non English native could understand. She may have sounded just a little condescending. Just a teensy tiny bit.

Astrid crossed her exceptionally thin arms across her chest. She had hoped that the girl (Astrid's mind just couldn't pull up a name for her) would just ignore her and pass by without a word, but clearly she was too petty for that. So, Astrid would be petty right back. 

She stared down at the little girl and twisted her lips into a snarl. She looked terrible, just like she always did. She clearly didn't know what true fashion was. All that colour interfering with the black was just horrible. Really, coloured clothing should even have been invented, in Astrid's ever so humble opinion. 

"Ai beeng bettair than yo," Astrid sneered back. She'd been listening to English audiotapes just so that she'd be able to talk back to people. Clearly they were paying off a little. "You look gross, lit-téll girl."

"Gross? Really? I'm not the sable calamity here," Abby shot back. She set her bags down on the floor a bit away from her feet, against the side of the storefront for safety. She had enough experience with this harpy to know how it could go.

Taking another look at Astrid, she noticed that the coat was most likely hiding the pitch black wings. Or maybe they were crystal at the moment, though that didn't seem very helpful in a place like this.

"Let's see. I count at least five different shades of black. You can't even do that much right with your wardrobe, can you?"

Astrid hated big English words. Didn't her poor grammar and thick accent tip people off to the fact that she wouldn't be able to understand them? She would never understand Americans and their stupid habits. 

Instead of trying to reply and make a bigger fool of herself, Astrid huffed and stalked away in the direction of the store that she had gone to the mall to visit in the first place. She needed to get in, get out, and not be distracted by stupid little girls. The last thing she needed was for the mall trip to be prolonged and end up being recognized. She did not want to be arrested while in a bra store, of all things.

She walked quickly across the way and scurried into Bosom Buddies, trying to shake the little leech. 

Abby blinked as the black haired girl ignored her and walked away. Well, that was a new way of dealing with their banter. Then the sharkmaid noted what store the older girl went into. Bosom Buddies. Great, the one Abby knew she needed to stop at before going home. Having grown since she first got a bra, the every day ones were now ill-fitting. Though at least this time it would be an in-and-out visit.

Internet was wonderful with helping her figure out her new size. She knew there would be some differences between different makers, since the internet told her to be careful of that as well, but she was relatively certain she could get the right size and get out of the embarrassing store quickly.

Sighing, she picked up her bags and followed behind Astrid at a slower rate. They may be going to the same place but that didn't mean they had to go together.

Astrid walked quickly into the store, ignoring her surroundings. She needed to get one thing, and that was that. She did not want to take any longer than necessary.

She walked straight to the back of the store, where the internet said the section that she needed would be. There were all kinds of things in that store. Scary things that Astrid wanted nothing to do with. She raised her hands to either side of her face so she wouldn't have to look at all the stuff hanging around the store. It was just gross. 

There it was. She wasn't sure what it really was, actually, but it was some kind of belt device that she figured would work to strap down her wings and keep them in place while she was out. She grabbed it and turned around, intending to just go to the cash and pay.

Something stopped her, though. She was walking to the counter, when something caught her eye. It was black, and lacy, and oh so pretty. Astrid's eyes widened, and she swooped in on it like a magpie. The bra was just so pretty. She had to have it. She plucked her size off the rack and walked forward in a daze, not seeing the little blonde thing in front of her.

Slipping into the store without Astrid seeing her was easier than she thought. Finding the right size, less so. She had grown but not by much. Being a 30A instead of a 38AA wasn't much a difference, but the old bras fit weird now. Best to get new ones. Picking a few of what she now knew as sports bras and a few of the regular types too. And one push up because she was interested even though she probably wouldn't like it.

Standing in line, behind a rather loud lady with a leather... thing in her hands, the little blonde ignored the awkwardness she felt. At least, until Astrid moved to stand behind her with a lacy, black bra in her hands.

Rolling her eyes, Abby checked the line. Still two people in front of her. Dang. Well, might as well. "Why do you like black so much?" she asked the winged girl, actually wanting to know.

She had been so close to the cash register. So close to making a clean getaway. So close.

There just so happened to be a little blonde girl in her way, though. Again. Every time she tried to do anything, the little thing was always there, just waiting to ruin things for her. Perhaps that was her mutation. Being insufferable.

Astrid let her shoulders slump and her arms hang at her sides, simply done with everything and everyone at that point. What was she even doing in a store like that, anyway? It wasn't like she had anything that would need the - uh - services that the store provided. She was flat as a pancake, and the bra that she had in her hand didn't look like it would do much of anything for anyone.

Suddenly, the kid was asking her a question. She blinked. She understood the words, but not the meaning. Why did she like black? Why wouldn't she like black?! It was the best!

Black eyes narrowed into slits as she gave the girl a good look up and down. "Tu es stupide," she muttered under her breath.

"You lookeng as pairson selleng self," Astrid commented on the little girl's outfit after a second. The boots were really what did it. Astrid had met many such people during her brief time on the streets, and the boots made her mind go back there. It made it easy for her to rebuttal the girl's sass. 

It took a moment for Abby to understand exactly what the older girl said. When she did, a wave of embarrassed anger filled her. As her face tinted pink with the emotion, the blonde turned back to the line. By the time she got her emotions under control, she was at the front. Paying for her purchases, she slid away from the counter and over to a display just inside the door.

Shifting through her purchases, she figured out which of her bags had the least in it. Finding it, she slipped the Bosom Buddies bag inside. No need to advertise where she went. Now what else did she have to do today?

She got presents. New bras. Oh! That's right the crystal mug. Pulling the newspaper wrapped mug out of the bags, she waited until Astrid was close enough for her to shove the item at the older girl.  "Here."

It seemed that her words finally had an effect on the little girl. Good. If Astrid had known that that would be the correct combination of words to make her go away, then she would have said that ages ago. Plus, from the looks of it, it might have even done enough to have a lasting influence on her. Even better.

Astrid shrugged the slight feeling of guilt off of herself with an easy shoulder roll. There was no reason for her to be guilty. She'd just told the truth. Plus, why on earth would that, of all things, make her feel guilty? She'd done far worse things over the course of her short existence. That instance had been like a grey smudge on a sheet of black splotches.

Before long, the girl, whose name she had finally remembered to be Abby, had finished paying, and cleared away from the register. Astrid stepped forward and paid for her items. Paid. With real money and everything. Sure, it was definitely stolen money, but it still made her think about how far she'd come since the day that she'd met the little girl. For some strange reason, every time she'd gone to shoplift since then, there had been a nagging voice in the back of her head that sounded an awful lot like Abby's. Sure, she still ignored it, but perhaps it was starting to take its toll on her.

Bosom Buddies bag in hand, Astrid headed for the exit, intent on getting out as fast as she could. However, as she approached the store exit, she was intercepted by Abby. The little girl held out a mug to her. It seemed like she was... giving it to her?

Astrid's eyebrows arched and she looked at the girl, confused. "Why?" She asked quietly, extending a thin hand to take the thing from her. She stopped just short of the object, almost afraid to take it. It was so beautiful, but she was lost. Why one earth would Abby be giving it to her? After she'd just been so mean? It didn't make any sense.

Astrid's question and hesitance to take the mug made Abby pause. She thought it was pretty obvious that the mug and Astrid's crystal wings were connected in some way. Keeping her arm steady, the blonde responded.

"I figured you would like it," Abby shrugged. "You know, since it kinda reminded me of your wings." Was that enough to explain? She wasn't sure, but she had offered the gift and wasn't going to just take it back if the winged girl wanted it.  Though her arm felt a little shaky holding the mug out like she was.

Astrid narrowed her eyes and gazed at Abby scrutinizingly. Something felt off about the whole thing. People didn't just... give other people things, did they? That wasn't something that happened?

Gingerly, she reached out and took the mug from the girl. She held it in her hands, feeling its weight with a curious expression. It wasn't... unless it-

Astrid had a sudden thought that caused her to nearly drop the mug onto the floor. Thankfully, she caught it on the tip of her finger and prevented it from being smashed on the tile. It wasn't a bomb. She almost scoffed at the thought that had seemed so entirely likely a minute ago. There was no way that the little girl was smart enough to put a bomb that small into the mug.

So... she had just been given a gift. Astrid stared at the thing, unsure of exactly what to make of it. It wasn't money, it wasn't armour, and it wasn't useful for some other purpose. It was just... pretty. She fingered it delicately, feeling the various grooves in the glazed clay.

"Thank you," she said after a moment. The was no malicious tone to her voice. She was completely sincere. 

The mall was such a great place to be. 

Bailey had finally made friends at his school. It was a wonderful feeling, really. There were about six of them walking through the mall together, shooting the breeze like buddies did. They had nowhere to go, really so they began to walk aimlessly.

Eventually, they came to Bosom Buddies. The six boys stopped in front of the store and took a peek inside. It was clear that a few of them were genuinely interested, but none of them had the emotional maturity to know what to do with themselves.

So, they found themselves unable to move in either direction, giggling like a bunch of idiots outside of the store. Bailey kept glancing in, feeling his pale skin betray him and go a little flushed. "Only certain kinds of girls get their bras from there, you know," he announced to the group.

He wasn't actually entirely sure why he had said that. Or what it meant. He was just trying to fit in, really. It seemed like a perfectly normal place to get lingerie to him, not that he had any experience with anything like that. He just... wanted to say something.