Mainland store, Tuesday morning

[can_be_more]

Aeryn really, really doesn't want to be doing this. But no matter what John says, she knows she doesn't exactly fit in with the world outside Fandom, and she wants to make that less obvious than it needs to be. And maybe that means employing methods she ordinarily wouldn't really consider.

Which is why she's in the middle of a clothing store asking, "So, what would you suggest?"

[Locked to someone omg.]

Comments

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy had just heard 'shopping' and gone 'woohooo yes!' Now she paused her study of a white blouse with pink flowers on and tilted her head at Aeryn. "Like, what are you looking for? What kind of impression do you want to make?"

[can_be_more]

"What kind of impression?" she repeats, thinking about it. "Can I not make one?"

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"Nuh-uh," Buffy shook her head firmly. "Clothing is, like, totally important. Even if you're not trying to make an impression or a statement, you will anyway. Like this--" She held up a simple white singlet. "Is either butch or total slut depending on whether it's wet or not." She pulled out a flowery dress. "And this is either Grandma or Cutie."

[can_be_more]

"Um. How about 'completely normal, nothing more to see here?'" she asks. "I'd like to do without flowers, if I can. What theme would that be?"

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy tapped her finger against her lip in thought. "Like, Normal Twenty-Something Without Flowers? Could be tricky, that." Buffy was always up for a challenge though. And maybe she could make Aeryn wear a pink dress!

Buffy was convinced Aeryn would look cute in pink.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn does have a pink shirt. Don't think that sucker won't get brought out once in a while.

"I just want something simple, that I might be able to wear to work considering I have no idea what I'm going to be doing," Aeryn says. "Normal without flowers is tricky?"

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Buffy nodded. "Hey, do you have any skirts? Skirts are good for interviews and stuff." She held up what she thought was a nice skirt (http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=Skirts&product%5Fid=2038857777&Page=all) and most other people would think was a nice belt.

[can_be_more]

"I have one," she says, eyeing the skirt. "It's... nice. But short. Does it have to be that short?"

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"I suppose it doesn't have to," Buffy said reluctantly.

[can_be_more]

"Thank you," she says, eyeing a skirt on the rack. "That's not... horrible."

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"That's really black," Buffy said. "I mean, wouldn't you rather have something like this (http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=Skirts&product%5Fid=2039448726&Page=all)?" She held up the much more colourful skirt for Aeryn to see.

[can_be_more]

"That's interesting," she says slowly, and that is so the word for the day. "Those flowers aren't too bad."

This is Aeryn not being difficult.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"You'll have to try them on to see, of course." Buffy bounced a little. "Don't you just love trying on clothing? Oh, you should try the first skirt too, just to see. It might not be so short on!"

It wouldn't be on Buffy. Buffy is weetiny.

[can_be_more]

Yeah, Aeryn's not. But she takes the skirt just to try on, because she's making an effort.

"We'll see how it goes," she says. "Can we ignore skirts now and concentrate on other things?" Maybe things she could kick people in. Not that she would be kicking a lot of people in Cambridge, but just in case.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"Totally," Buffy said agreeably. "How's your jeans situation? Like, which styles have you got?"

[can_be_more]

Aeryn blinks. And blinks again. "I have two pairs. I didn't realize there were different styles. They're jeans."

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy stared at her. "You totally are from outer space, aren't you?"

[can_be_more]

"You're just realizing this?" she asks wryly.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy stared some more, and then headed off towards the jeans section of the store. "Okay, do you have one like this (http://www.shopbop.com/shop/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441802763&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024609&fm=browse-category&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&bmUID=1183481833609)? Or like this (http://www.shopbop.com/shop/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441802288&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024609&fm=browse-category&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&bmUID=1183481904484)? Or like this (http://www.shopbop.com/shop/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441768209&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024609&fm=browse-category&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&bmUID=1183481904470)?"

She held up three different jeans for Aeryn to see.

[can_be_more]

She has to study them carefully, and finally says, "The last one."

Yes, both pairs are like that.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy gave her a suspicious look. "Both of your pairs?"

[can_be_more]

"Is that wrong?" she asks, frowning.

Poor clueless space alien.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"You... It..." Buffy closed her mouth and handed Aeryn the two pale blue jeans. "Try these. And this (http://www.shopbop.com/shop/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441801375&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024609&fm=browse-category&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&bmUID=1183500783735). And this (http://www.shopbop.com/shop/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441799022&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302024609&fm=browse-category&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395181057&bmUID=1183500906109). And..." She disappeared down the row of shelves.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn studies the jeans in her hand, shifting the skirts to the other arm, and asks, "Aren't they the same thing? Slightly different colors..."

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy's head popped up, and she was holding yet another pair. "No, they're not. Trust me. Anyway, if you wear the same thing all the time, people are gonna assume you don't do laundry and stink. Stinking is bad."

Hey, if Aeryn didn't know about jeans, she might not know about stinking either.

[can_be_more]

Aeryn pauses, trying to process that. "I don't stink," she frowns. "And I don't wear the same thing all the time!"

Of course, it's almost all plain black, so it's kind of hard to tell sometimes.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"Uh-huh," said Buffy, trying not to sound too doubtful. She came back with another three pairs. "Might be time to start trying stuff on. I don't think they'll let us take the entire store in." She bounced. "OOh, or should we look at tops first? Do you have an blouses?"

[can_be_more]

"Blouses?" she asks, kind of new to the word that isn't 'shirt', or maybe 'top'.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"I guess that was kind of a silly question," Buffy nodded. She wandered over to the other end of the store, glancing back to make sure Aeryn was following her. "Blouse, like this (http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=Dressy+Tops&product%5Fid=2033823681&Page=2#)."

[can_be_more]

"No, I don't have those," she says, shaking her head. "I could maybe wear that."

Progress!

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy beamed at her proudly.

[can_be_more]

"I said maybe," Aeryn says when she sees the smile, just because that means she hasn't completely given in.

And two steps back.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy decided to ignore that, and held on to the black blouse. She spotted a pink one (http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=Dressy+Tops&product%5Fid=2038871709&Page=8) and pulled it out to have a look. "Oh, isn't this just the cutest?"

[can_be_more]

Aeryn's eyes go wide. "The cutest what, exactly?"

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

"Top, of course!" Buffy held it up against Aeryn to make a judgment. "You'd look adorable in it!"

[can_be_more]

"I have to draw the line at... that," she says, flailing a little internally.

[1ordinarygirl.livejournal.com]

Buffy pouted. "Are you sure?"

[can_be_more]

"Positive," she says. "No bows. And it's pink." Note how the cleavage doesn't bother her at all.