Addy was honestly still a little sore after that run-in with the Glowstick in an alley a few nights ago. She'd gotten most of the spray paint out of her hair, but ended up losing about two inches. That glowing ***** is gonna pay for that two inches in blood... she found herself thinking. But that wasn't the half of it. While she didn't have any lasting bruises, and the scabs from the paint cans exploding healed pretty quickly...her favorite outfit didn't come out of the scrap. Her jacket, pants, leggings, and even her shoes had been lost to the explosion of color. 

And that's why she was rummaging through a clothing store in the mall. In a bag she already had a new backpack, a bunch of stockings, lace and fishnets, and three identical new pairs of shoes. She was wearing a black hoodie, tight light-blue jeans with chains on them, and a pair of basic black low-tops that she'd gotten for Christmas and hated. She looked through the selection of jackets and grumbled. They didn't have anything like what she wanted, and that was complete and utter "Horse****...." she hissed, moving to look at pants. Maybe those be a better selection here. 

"Of course I'd have to go to five different stores just to find what the **** I wanted," she muttered, slinging a few pairs of leggings over her shoulder, in an array of colors. Then...off on a clearance rack, she saw what she wanted. Acid washed denim, studs and chains...and there was only one. And from the looks of it, it was her size. She walked over, picking up the jean jacket, nodding at the purple flannel lining. "Oh hell yeah..." she breathed, a smile crossing her face for the first time in a few days. 

After a few days, it had become obvious. Either she would need to go home, or else she would need to go shopping. Amelia has yet to return to her former age, and her clothes had started to stink. Mansion loaners while she washed her clothing were an option that only worked in the short term. In the long term, something had to be done. The minor size discrepancy between her at 20-something and her at 17 was the deciding factor. New clothes, it was!

Getting out from under the watchful stare of the mansion staff was surprisingly easy, and while she might have been able to drive her car.... wherever she had parked it, public transportation was fine. She waited at the stop outside the mansion. She rode the bus.

Smart phones in this day and age are wonderful for finding things. She only had to look up clothing stores and voila, there they were. A store, close to a stop... one that sold vintage clothes... and other stuff, too. And oh look, it was in the mall. Your one stop shop for clothes, froyos, and yo-yos.

Maybe her new self wore different clothes. More mature. But she still wore the green Carhart hoodie and blue jeans. Vintage would work as good as modern fashions. And shops like that were cheaper, too. Unless they’d changed that with new modern hip apparel. And $300 designer acid-washed jeans.

It was her credit card. She could spend how she liked. But she didn’t want to ruin herself by being fiscally irresponsible. ... unless?

Unless it was really freaking cute.

The place she found was... a lot more modern than she’d been expecting. We’re those black fishnet stockings? And hot pink leggings with... what was that... (juicy?) on the buttocks.

Her today was different than their today. Idly, Amelia wondered if she wore juicy butt leggings... or even juicy butt pants? And what was with everything pink being branded PINK. Had P!nk made a clothing line? Also, what was an Aeropostale? Sounded stale. Stale air.

Amelia sighed. Then, her eye fell on something on the clearing rack. As if in a trance, she wandered over to it. In the process, she accidentally bumped into a girl in a black hoodie and blue jeans with chains.

“Whoopsie.” Amelia said. “Sorry about that. I just—“ Her hand fell on the item. It was—

Well, what it was didn’t make much sense to her. She was pretty sure this wasn’t her style.

Had teenage her even liked that book series? Had it even progressed to that point? Was this some personality bleed through over the ages...? Or, no. It was just a big black leather duster-style overcoat. Next to a yellow and red fireman’s jacket, of all things. Two separate references to characters in the same book. Which she probably had not read. Why in the hell had she wanted this?

Her hand shifted over to the next thing over, and landed on a jean jacket with purple flannel lining.

She didn’t want it. It just happened to be the next thing her hand touched. After she’d accidentally nudged the person looking at it aside.

But it made as much sense for her to like that as it did the ridiculously garish overcoats. Maybe she could do whatever it was future her had done to the hoodie... to all of these?

She was making a beeline for that jacket. That was the only thing on her mind; it wasn't exactly like the one she'd lost, but from what she could tell, it was better. Much better. Maybe that whole incident in the alley was going to have some good come from it after all--

At least until someone bumped into her and everything that had been slung over her shoulders fell to the floor. She sighed deeply, not looking at the culprit until she had everything right back just the way it was. "Eh, **** happens, I guess." Oh didn't she know that all too well. Then she looked at the girl; seemed to be about her age. Not too bad except--Except her hand had moved to her jacket.

"You just decided to knock me over and grab the jacket I had my eye on," she said, her voice becoming darker than the initial cynical comment had been as her eyes narrowed and little faint sparks could be seen arcing from her hands, which clenched into fists. She'd already been in one fight, but this girl didn't look like she could disappear. Though she was hesitant about fighting, if she was honest. She just really wanted that jacket...

“What?” Amelia turned to look at the girl. The ‘kind of cute, kind of pissed, was that little sparks coming off her hands’ girl. Then, her eyes followed the girls back to her hand. And what it was on.

“Oh, this?” She took her hand off the jacket. “I don’t want this. I don’t really know what I want, and— wait. Don’t tell me you thought I bumped you aside like some sort of loony and, like, knocked all your crap out of your arms because I wanted to steal something you wanted because—“

“Oh man I am so so sorry.” She blushed. “I was more looking at the things next to it.” Amelia gestured at the fireman’s coat, at the black leather duster. “Even though I have no clue why...” she added, under her breath.

“You’d probably look better in that jacket than I ever would, anyways.”

Addy's face dropped. "Well I feel like a bitch now," she grumbled. She took a breath. "No, it's not like I laid claim to it. I was just trying to get to it because my other one got ruined and I'm still really pissed about that..." she said with a sigh. Great, she couldn't even be all dark and broody anymore. That and this girl was....kinda cute. And fumbling, which was also cute.

"Really, if you want the jacket, you...you can have it. I'll go find another one, I guess. Though, I don't know that duster might look good on you. Like some post-apocalyptic bounty hunter level shit," she said with a shrug; she wasn't really into anything that could spark that kind of reference, but...maybe the girl would look good in it.

"I don't know. I feel like you could pull the jacket off too, but...I'm not going to argue with you," she grinned as she took the jacket, but she did so in such a way that the other girl could have stopped her if she wanted to.

"Really though, you do have the figure for something like this. No need in hiding it under a duster or a fireman's jacket," she smirked lightly, "Unless you really want to."

We’re they really going to fight over who got the jacket... in reverse? No, you take it! No, you! You! I insist!

Obviously, the blonde deserved it because hers got ruined and, well. Amelia had no real interest in it.

And post-apocalyptic bounty hunter shit? The girl had a way with words.

“I don’t know,” the girl said. “I feel like you could pull the jacket off too, but... I’m not going to argue with you.”

“No really,” Amelia said. “I insist.”

The girl took the jacket. There, everything was smoothed over. And then she commented on her figure, and—

Amelia laughed. “You had me at Post-apocalyptic bounty hunter shit.” She said. “Though you’re staring at my figure? Staahp!” She laughed, waving one hand to brush the whole topic away. “I can only blush so much. Thank you.”

“I guess I have my reasons for wanting a ridiculous battle coat.” She said, considering the fireman’s coat.

Addy had nodded, pushing back the twinge of guilt that had stemmed from her words earlier. Maybe that blonde chick really had broken her. Normally she would have just snatched the jacket and bought it, and been halfway home by now. But no. She was still standing here, talking for some reason. And she honestly found herself loosening up a little, really breaking the edgy punk-goth stereotype that she embodied.

“Though you’re staring at my figure? Staahp!”

Addy blushed a deep red, which really stood out against the dark eye makeup she was sporting. "No! I...didn't mean, I...Shaddup it was a compliment," she snapped, her eyes dropping before looking away entirely. "You're welcome," she grumbled. After a moment she got the nerve to make eye contact again, and smiling nervously.

"I think they would look kinda badass. I doubt the band would let me get away with wearing one on stage, personally, but...like I said I'm sure you can pull it off. I'm Addy."

A small smirk slid across her face as the other girl went beet red and had a conniption. She hid it by turning her face towards the clothing racks to examine stuff.

Had Serena said she was single, Amelia pondered. Because if she had this sort of effect on a random goth girl at the mall in, what, 10-69 seconds of general interaction, then— her head would need a wheelbarrow in order to get it out of here. Stow the ego, champ. You just met her.

There was plenty more flirting to be done before any stupid victory laps. And, wait, what? That thought didn’t seem quite like her. Where had that come from?

She focused back on the girl, face smoothing to a simple unobtrusive smile.

They’d look badass? Perhaps.

And she was in a band? Figured.

She’d probably look good in a studded choker.

Again, with the weird, disingenuous thoughts. It was like there was another person in there, one with raging teenage hormones and a weird perspective on relationships.

She had already gone through being a teenager once. Had it been this bad before? It was a shame she couldn’t recall. Though, she knew she could also be pretty bad...

Amelia shook off the thoughts, and introduced herself. “Hi Addy, I’m Single.”

Want to run that by your head again, mouth? “Ami.” She instantly corrected herself. “Short for Amelia. And I am singling out these coats, because...” She glanced around and dropped her voice. “I recently discovered I have this power that can make stuff stain proof and, like, theoretically bullet proof. And clearly, I am distracted by all the possibilities.”

Clearly. Distracted. By what sort of possibilities again?

Dear god, why had she let her mouth run?

Because, she was Single.

Ami!

Frack!!!

Blush. Her blush tried to match Addys blush from earlier, crimson for crimson.

At least the other girl turned around and let Addy have her internal flailing episode in peace. She wanted to be broody today. Why wouldn't this cute jerk let her be dark and broody? She managed to get her face back to its resting face before the other girl turned around. So that was good at least.

And then the girl opened her mouth again and Addy's face turned an even darker red, and she debated pulling the hood of her hoodie up and hiding in it, but she knew that wouldn't work. Besides, it was way too obvious now. And it was suddenly really really hot in here. But she tried to save, and it was honestly effing adorable. At least she wasn't the only one being weird today. Granted, Addy was convinced she'd gotten her edge kicked out of her a few nights ago. What was Ami's excuse.

"Oh, we're using whole names? I'm Adelynn, but call me that and I'll kill you in your sleep," she said, trying to keep a serious tone, and it worked. For the most part. Except for that little smirk that popped up at the end. "Ami. I like it. Though be careful how you toss around that 'single' shit. Someone might be stupid enough to take that as an offer." she teased, folding her arms across her chest.

"Can you make things electricity resistant? Because if so I could test that," she added with a small shrug, trying to hide her interest in the thought of a bulletproof duster. It was failing. This girl had caught her completely off guard and the electric teen was having trouble getting the wall back up. "That does sound really ****ing badass," she finally said after a moment, purposefully keeping her green eyes locked on the other girl's face. Not making that mistake again.

It was good Amelia had been so caught up in her own flailing she’d missed the simultaneous flailing. If the two girls had to have been cast as medieval weaponry, the flail would have words better than the sword or the lance. Just as easily covered in red, too.

Blah.

Adelynn was a cute name. Amelia almost cracked a comment about her having to be where she slept in order to commit said murder, but she caught herself. And didn’t say the name aloud, just to tempt fate.

Nod.

Because say Bloody Mary three times into a mirror and she appears, to kill you. Say Adelynn three times into a pillow, and—

Bluh. What was wrong with her?

And be careful tossing that single stuff around or else people would take it as an offer?

Nod.

Guh!

She kept wanting to make cracks. Like “Oh Addy, that’s cute” and “Offer? Maybe it was.”

Amelia crossed her arms over her own chest. She needed to focus on the distraction topic now, so she could regain her honor. And her composure.

Slowly, finally, the red had abated. Clothes, she could do. Clothes—

Electricity? She didn’t know. And she was a badass?

Nod.

And that eye contact.

... she found herself meeting it and she couldn’t help it. Maybe Adelynn should have kept staring at her chest?

“You have really pretty eyes,” she found herself saying. Her voice almost had a dreamlike quality to it, as she kept in saying things she really had not meant to say. “Adelynn is a cute name. And maybe I am offering? I dunno. I like girls who call me badass. As for electricity, I don’t know. Maybe I can give you my number and you can call me if you want to experiment.”

Had that all been one long sentence, that paragraph? With no room to interject? Yes. Yes, it had. She was such a god moder. And all those things she’d tried so hard not to say!

Was there an evil Ami in the House?

Quickly, she took the duster off the rack and put it on. She spun in a circle to model the coat, and as she did, she flared the mantle to try and hide her furious blush.

“Whatdoyouthink?” She blurted blurred words.

Personally, she thought if they could harness the power of their blushes, they could resolve an energy crisis on their own.

Addy was on defense, and she didn't like it; her walls were down, and she was finding it difficult to get back into that snarky facade she normally put up.

"You have really pretty eyes."
"Eep?" Addy squeaked; she literally, actually, one hundred percent legit, squeaked. She took a breath, focusing as she tried to think of things that made her angry and broody. She had to get that edge back, so her mind went through her memories of that brief rift with her sister, through her parents that the very thought of made her blood boil, and of some stupid blonde girl who played with light kicking her ass in an alley.

"Yeah, it is cute. That's why I'll ****ing kill you if you call me that. You're not the only one that likes being called a badass." It didn't work, she was still flailing. When Ami offered her number, Addy squeaked again, this time physically flinching a little bit. Parts of that run-on paragraph were hitting her separately, and the last thing to hit was the number comment.

"So uh...I...yeah uh...you can give me your number and maybe we can experiment sometime....I mean with the electricity!" She stammered, biting her lip as her eyes lowered to look at the floor. This was weird, and she didn't like it, but...at the same time....there was something about this whole ordeal.

"Hey, I think I'm about ready to check out. If you wanna hang you can buy me lunch," she said flatly, her face finally reaching it's normal, neutral, broody natural state. But there was a glimmer of mischief in her green eyes.

No doubt about it, that had been... a squeak. Amelia had made the other girl... squeak. She realized this in hindsight, as she finished spinning away a blush. After she had put together the last several embarrassing moments of her life.

She had said Adelynn had pretty eyes, and Adelynn had squeaked. Like a dog’s toy! Was this what the true flirt artists of the world felt like? The Sams and Mayas and Gawains? Mirror got on the list twice, because obvs. She was obviously biased there. Even if they’d broken up.

And— yeah. She’d made the girl squeak but she doubted true flirt artists felt so lightheaded and embarrassed and giddy all at once or else they’d die.

How can anyone feel thirteen emotions at once?!

Her hands fumbled at the leather of the duster, looking for pockets. And Addy was talking. And wha—?

She registered what the woman had said. A death threat? But she’d thought, what with the killing in the sleep, and— oh okay. Yes. Addy could have a bad ass. Be. Be a bad ass. Because clearly, she was a bad ass. What with the sparky fingers and all. Any other qualities about— Stop talking. She told herself. Better yet, stop thinking. Because Adelynn had also responded to her offer of a phone number and —

Squeaked again.

Amelia really wondered what would happen if she hugged this girl. Would she squeak every time?

She smiled at the thought. And the other stuff.

“Yes,” Amelia nodded soberly. “With the electricity.” She would not wink she would not wink she would not— Amelia quickly closed and opened one eye.

God, Adelynn was cute. Even with the bit of slightly shorter hair and bits of paint hair high lights. Or maybe especially with? Why was she just only noticing this now? Must’ve been the angle, what with the floor starting and the lip biting.

It was almost funny, and she had to respect the mischievous way Adelynn offered to let her pay to take her to lunch. Amelia smirked.

“Lunch,” Amelia agreed. “And Ice cream.” For the Bad Ass. “Just give me a minute to grab some things, kay?”

Some things turned out to be a couple shirts and a couple pairs of jeans, as well as both jackets. She paid for it all and promised herself she would get whatever else she needed later, then turned back to Adelynn and grinned.

“Milkshake monarch okay? They have snowstorms!” She said.

If flirting were a boxing match, Addy would be on the ropes right now, barely able to stand. The girl was completely out of her element; normally she could handle pretty girls just fine but this one was just....ugh. And yet...nope. No. Be cool, Addy. Be cool.

Oh crap she winked. That was definitely a wink. Addy felt something tugging at her face. Oh, it was just her muscles, and she was smiling more brightly than she had in a long time. "Of course...the electricity thing. Could be fun to see what kind of sparks fly?" Oh dear was she still talking about the same thing? Craaap.

"Ice cream sounds great," she said, her voice stuck somewhere between it's usual flat snark and a squeaky excitement. "Milkshake Monarch. Perfect." Was this a date? Had she just gone to find clothes and blow off steam from a few nights ago and come out of the store with a date? And a girl's number?

She practically skipped to the checkout line, paying for her new outfits, and was now carrying half her body weight in clothes. But she was...excited? Oh yeah, definitely. Though after that fight with the Glowstick woman, Addy was glad it didn't result in a fight. She didn't have much of that in her right now. But part of her thought at least if they'd fought she'd have probably had a better chance. Oh well.

What sparks will fly. She smiled an amused smile, and nodded. She loved a good pun.

Oh, they would most certainly have to test the endothermic durability of the green Carhart hoodie towards electrical attacks. And probably, other stuff too.

She got her sh*t together and hurried back to Adelynn with a bag full of clothes. Snowstorms were a-go! Perfect.

Adelynn checked out, and Ami checked her out surreptitiously as the girl went to the register. And when they were ready, they left together to hit up the food court.

Once they had their food, Amelia sat across from her at the circular table, leaning forward with her cellphone in her hand.

“First things first, Addy. Add me?” She got ready to give out her digits.

Yes, today was going swimmingly after a few malfunctions whilst getting together her wardrobe. Or potentially, her WARdrobe. Teehee.

She had a burger, she had fries, and she had a cookies and cream flavored ice cream “beverage”.

Addy could have sworn she caught Ami looking at her, and it secretly inflated her ego a little bit. Hell, after the week she'd had, Addy could use a little confidence booster.

This morning, Addy had resolved to go to the mall and brood a little bit, replace her ruined outfit, and then maybe go crazy with the therapeutic shopping. She'd done all of those, and now, she was sitting across from a girl she'd intentionally wanted to fight over a jacket, having some Milkshake Monarch on her new...friend? Potential date? Ami. Eating food and not quite ice-cream product with her Ami.

Then Ami leaned forward and Addy inhaled a bit. Okay. Numbers. Yes. She pulled out her phone as well and grimaced. 10% battery. "Yeah we better make it quick though. My phone's about to die, and since you've been hanging around me, uhm...yours probably won't last as long either," she admitted with a small shrug. "I don't make my own electricity. I get it from things around me. Can't help it and phone batteries are a freaking nightmare." She quickly typed in Ami's number and sent a quick text.

The text was...a string of emojis. Lightning bolt, stuck out tongue, middle finger. Yeah that would be enough to let Ami know that it was her. Then, she pocketed her phone, knowing that it was going to die pretty soon anyway. She then turned her attention to her Snowstorm, as it were. Grabbing the spoon, what happened next was....well it was a storm of another sort.

The teen electromancer had little to no table manners, as shown by the way she practically wolfed down her ice cream, and then half-ass wiped her mouth with the napkin.