capeandcowllogs | Baby needs a new pair of shoes. No, really...

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Baby needs a new pair of shoes. No, really...

WHO: Rachel Grey

temporaltossed and Kitty Pryde

jewpryde
WHERE: The mall.
WHEN: Saturday afternoon. Day after THIS.
WARNINGS: It's Rachel, so a healthy dose of angst, balanced by Kitty's exuberance.
SUMMARY: SHOPPING. Or rather, Rachel really needs to get out of the Institute and away from her brooding male relatives. Kitty needs sneakers. It's a win/win, really.
FORMAT: Parawhatsis to start.

Rachel needed a break. A break from worrying about her family, from avoiding certain kinda-family, and from resisting the urge to preemptively kill certain former family-in-laws. And luckily she had a best friend in the City who could provide the perfect distraction.

After a nice lunch the pair had ventured to the mall and had begun wandering about. Rachel didn't particularly care where they went, she was just relieved to be doing something mundane, something normal.

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Kitty had figured something was up with Rachel but like most things having to do with her best friend, it was best to let her come out with it rather than bother her. Rachel would tell her in her own time-- though Kitty had an inkling of what it could be. Certain redheads being back in the city couldn't have been good for Rachel's mental health. Rachel sounded like she needed a distraction and so, as her best friend, Kitty would provide.

"I'm pretty sure only Dazzler could rock these sparkly sneakers (http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/0/3987/21_2008/ConverseCTSequinOxSilver_Front_300.jpg)," Kitty said mournfully. "I kind of love them, though."

In the end, Kitty would probably pick boring, practical sneakers. She was attempting to be a little more mature but... she couldn't help but think fondly back to that first costume she ever wore. Yes, the rainbow one with the glitter tights and skates. Those were the days.

Edited 2010-01-31 01:28 (UTC)

Kitty wasn't the only one making the connection. Rachel may not have been there during those days, but she'd seen enough evidence and heard enough stories. "They're you."

Rachel paused by a pair of boots (http://www.funky-bags.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/biker-black-boots.jpg), picking one up to look at it in more detail.

"You could even go back for those jeans, the skinny ones with the rips, bet they'd go great."

Oh, she was so tempted. They were so shiny and cool. Kitty hadn't seen anyone else have sneakers like that, either! She could start a new trend!

"Those jeans were about two sizes too small," Kitty snorted. "I could barely move in them. Not to mention how low the waist is!" One wrong move and she probably would have split them. They were also really cool, though.

Still. She didn't know if she had the confidence to wear jeans like that.

One of these days, she was going to get Kitty in some knock-out, hip, and totally rockin' outfit and take her out on the town. Someday, she would convince Kitty that she was gorgeous no matter what she thought.

"Get them, be all that you can be... in the fashion sense of course. You'd look amazing."

Kitty liked her baggy, too big, comfortable clothing that hid her body! It was good to run around in, nothing chafed, she didn't have to worry about embarrassing underwear flashing-- it was all very practical. Every time she did wear something a little on the sexy side, it always ended up a complete disaster. Tripping over heels, ripping a dress-- she really didn't want to think about it.

"Did they really look good?"

If it would cheer Rachel up, she would at least give it a try.

She tried not to roll her eyes, "Of course they did. And it's not like I'm trying to completely change your wardrobe, Kitty, just give it a little pizazz here and there."

She sat down to try on the boots, placing the bags of clothing she'd already purchased on the ground next to her. "It's fun, pretending to be different once in awhile. Pretending that you don't have a care in the world and nothing an touch you."

Plunking down all the bags she had on the ground, Kitty sat down next to her friend. Rachel had already convinced her to buy quite a few things she probably wouldn't have one her own. "Sure. Then you remember your best friend can walk through walls and that we have to save the universe all the time. Normalcy is highly overrated anyway."

She nudged Rachel's shoulder with her own. "Something particular on your mind?"

Throwing caution to the wind, Kitty also tried on the sparkly sneakers. What the hell, right? Might as well.

"Oh, just the usual."

Rachel slipped on the boots and stood, looking at their reflection in a mirror.

"Jean issues, Maddie issues, Dad issues, Uncle issues, Brother issues... my family's a mess, Pryde, hadn't you noticed?"

She probably sounded a little more bitter than she intended, but since Maddie's arrival the levels of tension from her family had skyrocketed. And poor Jean, not knowing any of this and being stuck in the middle... Hell, no wonder Nathan'd fled. If she hadn't have had obligations at the school, she might've gone with him.

She couldn't deny that Rachel's family was... interesting. Kitty wasn't even going to try.

"But look on the bright side-- those boots look awesome and you have me. How lucky can you get?"

God bless Katherine Pryde and her sense of humor. And the fact that she knew when to pry and when not to.

"They do. I think they'll go with the halter top and jeans I got, too. Hey, those sneakers fit?"

"They do! Should I be adventurous and get them? I might as well go the whole mile-- I already got that ridiculous skirt and I'm going back for those jeans, right?" Kitty took off the sneakers and put them back in the box. Rachel was the best worst influence ever.

Maybe updating her wardrobe wouldn't be SO bad.

"Hey... I know this is kind of a sore subject but... what do you think of this whole Maddie thing? I'm not even sure WHAT to think."

"It's like the old time-travel ethical dilemma. Do you kill Hitler in the cradle, or do you let him grow up? Only here, she might already be Hitler and just faking. Or she's really genuine and if we're mean to her she'll become a killer again."

She looked up with a heavy sigh. "Scott wants to let her be, he doesn't want to push her into... anything. Alex wants to believe her, badly wants to believe her. Nathan... he's steeling himself to have to kill her. I just want my family to stop hurting all the time."

Kitty slung her arm around her friend's shoulders and squeezed. "Whatever happens, we'll deal with it. Together, of course. For now, let's just worry about how much in debt we're going to be after this shopping trip."

To be honest, Kitty had no idea how to address this. It was like that whole Emma Frost issue-- was it okay to hate her before she became the woman that she was supposed to hate?

Oh, time travel.

"Would me buying something completely ridiculous cheer you up? A leather skirt, maybe?"

"It just might."

She leaned into the hug a little before tugging the boots off and placing them in the box.

"But only if you get the short one, and not that ankle-length suede number. Not that that wasn't adorable, but if we're getting you something head-turningly sexy..."

She snorted. Rachel clearly didn't know her if she thought that "head-turningly sexy" would ever describe her, no matter what she was wearing. "Rachel, let's not get too crazy here. I'll buy the short skirt but I'm telling you that I'm only going to get laughed at. Or maybe banished to my room forever by Sam, Warren, and Cable."

Kitty got up to pay for her sneakers, pondering what other shoes she could wear. She tried not to wear anything with a heel too often since Gar was only two inches taller than her and she didn't want to make him feel bad. "I could use a pair of boots, too."

Goodbye, savings. Goodbye, bank account.

Kitty just didn't know what she had sometimes. Not only was she sexy, she was approachable, too. Guys looked at Rachel and just assumed, 'out of my league', and wouldn't even talk to her. Just... think about her, which was often worse. And besides, Sam, Warren, and Nathan couldn't banish Kitty, Rachel would pout and hold a grudge. Between the two of them, the guys would fold.

Being helpful, Rachel pointed out a pair without a heel that would still look great on her without the normal pitfalls of heels.

"You can try these, they look pretty comfortable, too and they're on sale."

The one good thing about being tall was that boots looked awesome on her, heel or not. Finally, Kitty thought, her body had an advantage! Those, too, were purchased without a second thought. Her wallet was bleeding from this little adventure but it was entirely worth it if Rachel would be happy.

"We'll have to go out in our new clothes and shoes, you know. To show them off."

She ran her hand through her hair absently, wondering when the last time she had a haircut was. It was starting to get unrulier than usual.

"We should." Rachel got a little quieter, as she added, "But I kinda have plans tonight. Next weekend?"

It was opening a can of worms, she knew Kitty would jump on it, but even though she really wasn't sure about what was going to happen that night, she knew that trying to lie about it wouldn't get her anywhere. Not with Kitty's curious nature.

Of course Kitty was going to jump on it. She hadn't heard about these "plans" before. "With who, may I ask?" Was it with a guy? And if so, who was this guy? Kitty had to approve of anyone who thought they would be good enough to date her best friend.

Rachel didn't really do dating, though. Weird.

"And what might these plans be, hmmm?"

"Just getting a drink with someone I met over the network. He needs a friendly ear, figured I could go meet him for awhile."

Rachel wondered how vague she could be about who she was meeting and still satisfy Kitty's curiosity.

"Oh come on, don't hold out on me! Who is he? Is he good looking? Does he have a tattoo? A criminal record? Would Scott hate him? Tell me everything," Kitty put her arm around Rachel again, looking very mischievous. "Do you think this 'friendly conversation' could potentially turn into more?"

Feeling slightly guilty she spoke evenly, "His name is Thundercracker, his family was killed back home, like mine was. He's had a rough time here and needs someone to talk to."

She rolled her eyes slightly, "And I doubt that it will be 'more' Kitty, he's just looking for a fiend." Or so Rachel hoped, she really wasn't sure why he'd called, but he'd sounded like he needed someone so she'd agreed to meet him.

"But please don't say anything, I don't want him getting any attention he doesn't need." What with being just out of jail and all.

The hell kind of name was Thundercracker? That sounded like a gang name or something. Who was Rachel associating with!?

"I won't say a word. But I expect full details, missy."

So sayeth 'Sprite'.

"I'll tell you what I can." Which might not be much, Rachel was planning on playing this one close to the chest. It felt a little too much like when she first met Korvus. The same shared pain, the same shared anger... She didn't know how she felt about that.

Instead she nudged Kitty. "How're things with Gar? Good, bad, still the same?" Repression and deflection. The Summers family stand-byes.

"Good! Better than good. He's crazy about me, of course," she laughed and shuffled through her bags to look at her purchases. Kitty had been very good about not just buying teeshirts and sweatshirts. Rachel should have been very proud.

She wasn't giving up on this Thundercracker thing. God help this guy if he hurt her friend.

Kitty would just have to do a little detective work, is all.

"Good. Glad to hear. We should all have dinner sometime, the three of us, just chill out or something."

God knew Rachel would probably need another break again soon. Probably when Nathan came back and had to deal with Maddie. Or when Jean found out who Rachel was. God, her family sucked sometimes.

"I'm sure that can be arranged. He'll never say no to a free meal, especially one with good looking girls." After they were done in the shoe store, Kitty tugged Rachel by the hand back to the clothing store they were at before. Her wallet could stand a little bit more damage.

Kitty's nature, by default, was curious. She really wanted to know about this guy that had actually managed to get Rachel to see him. She wasn't giving up so easily. "So this guy. How did you meet him?"

She was willingly led. In the end it really wasn't the shopping, it was just... spending time with Kitty while she could. Before she had to go back to a world where her friends would have to tell her Kitty was lost, gone, another name inscribed on cold stone.

Rachel hesitated before answering. "Open post on the network. Just... started talking to him." She really didn't want to go into the nature of that conversation if she had to. Revenge, loss, pain, that was what they had in common, not movies, or music, or powers, just the pain of losing everything.

Even for Rachel she was being surprisingly tight lipped about this. How suspicious. It also made Kitty worry a little-- what was she hiding that she thought Kitty wouldn't approve of? While Rachel spoke briefly, Kitty grabbed the jeans that she tried on before, happy that they were still there. It was always hard for her to find any jeans in general since she was too tall and too skinny.

Fine. She was sold. She would buy them.

She looked around for other pieces of clothing, maybe even a dress if she was feeling adventurous, all while trying to play it cool with Rachel.

"He's not a bad guy, is he? You know-- like a villain."

So much for playing it cool.

Rachel repressed a snicker as Kitty grabbed the jeans... and then went looking for more. Despite Kitty's protests to the contrary, Rachel knew deep-down she really enjoyed this. Wanting to help, she idly pulled a few tops off the racks, some of them actually modest and passed them over.

"No, he's not a villain." At least Rachel didn't think he was. She hoped he wasn't, but she guessed she'd just have to trust her instincts and her powers tonight. "He's just... needing a friend."

Wow, could she be any more vague?

Kitty held a red blouse in front of her. It was kind of cute, warm, and probably wouldn't cut off circulation. It would go in the maybe pile.

"Is there any reason why you're being so wishy-washy about telling me details?"

"There aren't details to tell, Kitty. We talked over the network, he doesn't really have anyone here, so I offered to meet up with him for a drink."

She fixed Kitty with a look, "That's all."

Kitty knew that look well. It was the "Don't mess with me" look of Rachel's that even she wasn't stupid enough to challenge. Rachel could easily take care of herself but it didn't mean that Kitty, as her friend, wouldn't worry. It was just what she did.

"Okay, okay. I got it. Not asking anymore questions."

"Thanks." And Rachel meant it. Maybe after tonight she'd have a better idea what was going on... maybe she wouldn't. For someone who was always sensing everyone else's emotions, she was crap at dealing with her own.

"Try the blue one."

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Baby needs a new pair of shoes. No, really...

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moved because text was getting squished!

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