Just Outside of the X-Mansion
AKA Town.
Daine hadn't driven her car anywhere that week since she'd been too busy with classes, so the tank was full when her and Casey drove into town. "Where do you need to go first?" she asked as they drove past a few shops. "We'll park close and then walk the rest of the way? Unless the places aren't close."
Casey stared out the window and pondered the shops. "Well, I wouldn't mind getting a bike today, but that can wait if you're not interested," She said. "Really, I just need a coupla more composition books and maybe some new clothes."
"Bike shop it is! Even if just for browsing purposes,"
Daine said, smiling. "We can browse, take a break and get the rest of the items, and then decide if you want to get it today or not while we're doing the other shopping. Think that'll work?" She kept an eye out for the bike shop as she drove and when she spotted it she pulled over in the nearest available spot on the side of the street.
"Sounds good,"
Casey smiled, getting out of the car, her long coat of blood mercury flowing unnaturally behind her. She nodded and smiled at one of the salesman, but showed no inclination to ask for help. She wandered amongst the standing bikes, tracing her fingers gently on their sleek metal forms. "I wonder," she murmured quietly, letting her eyes wander among the motorcycles.
Daine walked a ways behind Casey, giving her space to browse while she looked around with interest. "What's that?" she asked, hearing Casey say something.
"Oh,"
Casey snapped out of her trance. "Just thinking out loud," She excused herself. She straddled a white motorcycle and gripped the handlebars, testing how it felt. A salesman hovered nearby nervously.
Daine stood back and watched Casey, her arms crossed over her chest. She noticed the nervous salesman and smiled. In her youth, she probably would have toyed with his mind, made him believe he was seeing a bike falling to pieces before his eyes, but she'd grown out of her pranks. The salesman's eyes grew large as he heard something crash in the back and scurried off, a terrified look plastered to his face. Daine grinned; she'd mostly grown out of her old pranks.
Casey glanced back at the salesman, who was running back into the building, and snorted, amused. She cocked an eyebrow at Daine, but didn't say anything. "Hey!" She yelled back at the salesman. "Mind if I take this for a test drive?" He nodded back distractedly. She looked at Daine. "Be right back." She winked.
Daine smiled in return to Casey and sat on the seat of one of the many bikes surrounding her as she waited. The salesman, having found nothing amiss in the back, returned with a relieved look, but his face was still slightly pale. She smiled at him and then went back to look at the shelves while Casey test drove the bike.
Casey circled the block a few times, getting used to the handling of it. She pulled into the lot again, letting the machine purr before she turned it off. She sat back and stared at it with a look of satisfaction. "I like this one," She finally said. "S'got good vibes."
"Well then, want to reserve it and come back after we're done shopping?"
Daine asked, having met Casey where she'd parked the bike after she'd pulled in.
"Sure,"
Casey agreed amiably. She called the salesman over and arranged things just so, and walked over to Daine when everything was squared away. "Lead on, Cap'n," She grinned.
"I always wanted to be a pirate captain,"
Daine responded, grinning. She started walking down the street, headed in the direction of the nearest clothing store.
"Ya got a first mate, cap'n?"
Casey made a hook on her hand with the blood mercury, forgetting she was in public.
Laughing,
Daine stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips. "Nay, lass! I've been searchin' for a good soul to be my first mate for as long as I can remember!" she said, looking off into the distance dramatically. "Say! Would
you be interested in the position?"
"Aye, missy, that be what I be gettin' at,"
Casey lifted the hook and scratched her chin gently with the edge, smiling broadly. "I can keelhaul as well as any other scurvy bilgerat, and I'm handy in a brawl, when it comes to't," She elaborated, letting her smile snarl slightly. "What say you?"
"Welcome aboard!"
Daine declared, raising a hand in the air and cheering. "To celebrate, let us procure suitable garments for our pirating, eh?" They'd come to a stop in front of an alternative clothing store. "Onward!"
"Arrrrr!"
Casey growled victoriously, thrusting her hook into the air with Daine's hand. "Aye aye, good Cap'n!" She glanced around the store for feathered caps, tall boots, jerkins, and other such wonderfully piratey accessories.
Daine looked for just about the same accessories, except she was also keeping an eye out for a large belt, something she felt would be appropriate to hang a sword on. "Ooh! Look at this jacket!" she exclaimed, holding up a dark blue jacket with large buttons and a popped collar. "Perfect to keep the harsh sea breeze at bay!"
"Most excellent, Cap'n!"
Casey grinned. "Try it on, see how it fits!" She shuffled through the belts, looking for something with lots of belts and jackets with lots of pockets.
Daine pulled her arms through the jacket and hoisted it onto her shoulders, feeling the weight of all the fabric. "A mirror," she mumbled and then headed in a random direction with a sense of determination until she found a body sized mirror to peer at herself in. Once viewable in the mirror, she popped the top of the collar up a bit more and turned from side to side, sizing herself up, nodding her head and striking poses. "First mate! What say ye?"
"Ye strike fear into me own heart, Cap'n!"
Casey brought her fist to her heart valiantly. "As fine a visage as a pirate could ask fer," she proclaimed, grinning.
A toothy grin was
Daine's response to Casey before she outright laughed. "Ye make a Cap'n proud, lass!" she said between giggles. After the laughs had subsided she straightened up for one more look at herself in the mirror, debating whether or not she should purchase it. "Found anything for yourself yet?"
"Per'aps, matey, per'aps,"
Casey mused, holding up a carefully tattered overcoat that looked like something Napoleon would wear, but much longer. She pulled it on and buttoned the big, rowed buttons carefully. She experimented and found that she could hide pretty much all of her blood mercury under it without looking suspiciously fat. She fluffed at the cuffs and held her arms out for Daine to see. "Oooh, I like."
"As do I, as do I,"
Daine said, nodding her head in approval at the coat Casey had managed to find. "I think we may have found ourselves some pirate gard, lass!"
Casey laughed heartily, still browsing. "Oy, Cap'n!" She lifted a wide belt. " 'Ere's a foine belt for ye ta rest yer sword upon, aye?"
"Ooh, quite a find, lass!"
Daine exclaimed, walking briskly to where Casey was and examining the belt closer. "Let's give 'er a try, eh?" She placed it round her waist and returned to the mirror. "Now, add a sword..." Suddenly there was a sword dangling from the belt. For all the world it had the weight, feel, and was taking up the space that a real sword was.
Casey hummed appreciatively
. "S'quite a picture with a 'angar on't, aye," She approved.
"Good find, lass!" Daine commented, glancing back at Casey and smiling. She gave herself another look in the mirror and then the sword disappeared as she turned to return looking through the racks, compiling the different articles of clothing on her person instead of bothering to carry them. "I think a good pair 'o boots might be next on the list," she muttered and looked around the store for a shoe section. "Awe! Section located!"
Casey marched dutifully after her, stomping on the carpeted floor of the store. She came to a halt at a few floppy, thigh-high boots. "Wow. This is quite a haul, Cap'n! Where'd you find this X on the map, eh?"
Daine leaned close to Casey and whispered, "Don't tell the crew, matey, but it was a lucky guess." She then straightened up and began browsing the boots. "Oi, lass! These pair o' boots here look like they may fit ye just right!" She held up a pair of boots that looked as if they'd go well with the jacket Casey had found.
Casey gave a small gasp of delight and took the boots from her. "Aye, Cap'n, they do look smart!" A chair of blood mercury stretched down behind her to support her as she tried on the boots. "Shiver me timbers, lass! How d'ye know me shoe size?!" She stood and walked around in them, angling her legs around to look at how they matched with the rest of her and grinned.
"I am yer Cap'n, after all, lass," Daine said, grinning and browsing the boots again. "Ahoy! A pair fer me!" She hoisted a pair of boots that matched her jacket into the air and smiled. She leaned against the wall and proceeded to try the boots on and then model them in front of a mirror. "And they're perfect!"
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