Shopping Trip!

“I think you’ll have to explain that one.”, Dandelion replies with a raised brow.

“Never heard of curry.”, Viola says as she walks out of the pantry with a basket. I sigh in annoyance. “Not like you’re leaving tonight or tomorrow though.”, Viola adds with a laugh as she sets the basket down on the island showing me that it is full of rice.

“I’m not?”, I ask shocked by the statement.

“Why would you?”, Dandelion inquires with crossed arms not even trying to hide her annoyance. “Guilds have specific application periods.”, The young woman explains as she steps over to the island. “Plus you have to get more clothes.”, She adds.

“I suppose that all makes sense.”, I respond looking down at the ragged dress I have on.

-- -- --

Clothes… I do not know a thing about them besides wearing comfortable ones. Zinna and I enter the small tailor’s shop.

“Well if it isn’t miss Zinna!”, The middle aged woman behind the counter cheers. “And it looks like you brought a little friend.”, The woman adds looking down at me.

“Lydia here is going to join a guild.”, Zinna says with a smile. Zinna puts a hand to my back and lightly pats it as she continues, “Say hello Lydia.”

“H-hi.”, I say distracted by my own thoughts about my lack of fashion sense.

“Ohhhhhh, what guild she joinin’?”, The shop keep asks with a smirk. Zinna looks at me to answer the question.

“The Slayers Guild.”, I answer meekly.

“Why’d you pick that?”, The woman asks me as she turns around to look at the rolls of fabric.

“Is there something wrong with it?”, I question the woman with a furrowed brow. Zinna walks up to the counter and puts an elbow on it.

“This is the girl’s first time getting to try on clothes so let’s try a lot of styles Tulip!”, The caretaker exclaims with joy trying to change the subject.

“Well then, this will be fun.”, Tulip says with the smile of a predator finding her prey. Oh no! I gulp guessing what is to come.

-- -- --

“So how does it feel?”, Zinna asks me as she ties the back of the dress up for me. It is so tight. This is what women and girls deal with? Why would I ever wear this?

“Ugh!”, A guttural groan escapes my lips as the caretaker tightens the ties further.

“Too tight?”, The woman asks as she notices my wince.

“Can’t-”, I struggle speaking, “-breath.”

“Oh.”, She responds and begins to loosen the ties of the dress.

-- -- --

“Okay, how is it?”, Zinna asks as I step out of the tiny claustrophobic fitting room.

“The skirt feels nice.”, I answer meekly. A simple tunic top with a nice loose skirt. Zinna seems to stare at me as if she is examining every little part of my body. “Um-”, I utter awkwardly trying to fill the silence.

“You’ve grown quite a bit.”, Zinna finally speaks instead as she walks up to me. “Especially in the chest area.”, She adds with a chuckle. I reflexively put my arms over my chest. Damn it, she is right. Now I cannot help but notice. They are, soft. “You okay?”, The caretaker’s voice brings me back to the shop. “You got a weird look on your face just now.”, She continues as I let go of my own chest.

“Sorry.”, I sigh. Collecting myself as I stand back up straight. “I like this outfit.”, I answer her original question, “It’s comfy.”

“Skirts are like that.”, Zinna replies with a smirk.

-- -- --

The setting sun greets Zinna and I as we exit the shop. The evening life of the small village seems to have begun as well. The smells of ale and roasted fish fills the air. I take a deep sniff, a hint of something else hangs in the air.

“A whole day and we only got two outfits!”, Zinna exclaims not even trying to hide her annoyance.

“I’m sorry.”, I mutter as we leisurely walk back towards the orphanage.

“You’ll probably usually be wearing a uniform so I guess it’s fine.”, The caretaker responds with a smile. “Oh!”, She exclaims as she looks over the stalls in the small market square. Or I assume it is a market square. The caretaker looks at me with a smirk as she speaks, “We should grab some food while we’re here.”

-- -- --

Zinna grabs hold of the roasted fish in both hands and takes a bite right from the middle of it. I have spent time alone with all the other caretakers but this is my first time truly spending time with Zinna. I continue to observe the woman causing a massacre, thankfully the fish is already dead. I have nearly lost my appetite from the sight across the table from me.

“You should eat.”, Zinna says to me before she spits out a small bone onto the floor. “You’re a growing girl.”, She adds before gulping down the entire mug of ale. “I need more ale.”, She says as she raises her mug.

“Maybe you shouldn’t drink more.”, I respond as I look at the fried fish in front of me. The caretaker eyes me as a barmaid comes by and fills up the held up mug.

“And what makes you think that?”, Zinna responds with a voice full of annoyance before she takes a sip of ale. “You’re only ten.”, She continues, “I doubt you’ve ever even seen alcohol before.” I want to respond with the truth, I have seen coworkers get drunk one too many times. They might have all acted differently but almost all of them acted terrible in one way or another. Zinna finishes the food in front of her before she adds, “Seriously Lydia, you need to eat.” This woman is very, odd. I finally take a bite of the fried fish. It is quite good. “Tasty, right?”, The caretaker says at the sight of me finally eating. I nod my head in agreement.

“Why did you become a caretaker?”, I ask Zinna as I finish the fish in front of me. She takes a sip of ale before she looks at me, maybe more like through me. Perhaps being thoughtful? Maybe just getting buzzed? Probably both unfortunately.

“I grew up in that orphanage.”, She answers bluntly. She raises her mug again for a refill.

“No other reason?”, I inquire further, “You didn’t want to do anything else?”

“I wanted to be a tailor.”, Zinna responds as another barmaid comes around and fills the mug once again. She takes a sip of ale before continuing, “I almost crushed the tailor with rolls of fabric.” The woman sighs before taking another gulp of ale. So she is an introspective drunk, huh? “I didn’t last long after that. But I went back to the orphanage and was told by the mother I could help out. Been there ever since.”, She finishes her story. I am not sure what to make of that story.

“Huh.”, I respond with a loss for words.

“’Huh’?”, Zinna mimics me mockingly with anger. “I tell you my sad tale and all you got to say is, ‘Huh’!?”, She vents more frustration towards me. Maybe she is actually an angry drunk.

“I ju-just-”, I begin to stammer. Despite being older than the woman I am still physically younger. “I do-don’t know wh-what to s-say!”, I finish. I have never been good dealing with angry drunks.