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The boutique is my treat, then.

[Because she won't allow Eleanor to pay for both. She'll let her cover this without argument if she's determined to, but nothing more than that.]

[Well. Eleanor had been intending for it to be hers, since it was her suggestion in the first place, but leave it to emotions to get in the way of plans. But knowing how stubborn Leia could be... she only nods, trying to find it in her to give a small smile.]

... All right. But I won't hold you to that, you know.

[The smile turns a little wan when the waitress returns over, but she handles the acceptance of the check with her usual manner of grace.]

[She notices the change in her smile, but says nothing. There's no point in pressing that for now, when she has a few guesses about the reason for the change. But once everything is settled and paid for, Leia is up and ready to go.]

...It may not be my place, and I may not understand your feelings on this matter, but I still am willing to accompany you to Shaarnath if you wish to visit.

[Once the bill is handled, after she's able to shake off those numbing sensations of distrust that the conversation had stirred up, she looks toward Leia in surprise at her statement.]

Are you certain, Leia? It was never my intention to be imposing about going... but I do appreciate it. [Having someone to travel with would force her to be accountable, which was a little overwhelming in it's own right.]

[It's not so much about accountability, at least as far as Leia's thought process went. It's more about having someone there for her, should she need it.]

It's not an imposition in the least. It might be easier to do if you have someone with you.

Well... I can't deny that. [The smile returns, albeit a touch ruefully, as her coat is shrugged on and the conversation continues as they step outside the cafe.

She certainly felt grateful for Leia's perceptiveness -- and even simple kindness despite the messy ambiguities of her situation.] I'll be sure to let you know when I'm ready for that trip. I shouldn't put it off for too much longer.

You should take it when you personally feel ready. It's your own feelings that matter most when it comes to this.

[Which she's said before, yes, but it can't hurt to repeat it. Since she knows the sort of personality Eleanor has, and she wants to make sure she's actually ready to do that, not that she feels like she's being pushed into it.]

[Leia's words are what she needs to hear, even repeated, as difficult as it is to reconcile them. It could very well have been that her husband was trying to manipulate her into letting it be her call to let him back into her good graces, knowing how she labored under that guilt, an aspect she could barely bring herself to consider.

That low burn headache aside, the smile remains.]

Oh, I think it matters more that I not accidentally pull down a roof when there are others standing underneath it... [Tone a little too bright, in her bid to attempt to lighten the mood, as much as it reflects that she's still thinking about others more as much as she wants to resolve her inner turbulence, whether or not the result is in her best interest. She honestly doesn't know what that is at this point.] We'll see when the time comes.

[She can tell Eleanor is trying to lighten the mood, to deflect from the heavier issue here, so to play along with that, she gives a smile in response.]

I'd say that's just as important. That isn't something you've done here, is it?

Oh, heavens no. [She can say as much still with the light tone, though her eyes hinted that she felt all too well that it might be a real concern someday. Her house saw most of her worst damages, and luckily it was mostly the furniture or unfortunate cracks in the walls. And back there, in the cafe... she was thankful it was only the cups, at the end of all that, once her uncertainty about her husband truly had settled in.]

We make a left turn here. It's right down the street.

[An attempt to steer them away from the topic, such as it is.]

[She does catch that look, her expression faltering slightly as she picks up on it. So instead, she'll follow along, changing the subject to the directions and the boutique itself.]

Did you say you've been here before? [Here, being the boutique of course.]

Just the one time... they had been running a promotion on that task board, and it didn't seem like a bad idea to try it out then, if only to get my nails done. [So getting an actual spa deal would be a new experience for her as well, at least here.]

I tried the same out with a friend before she left, but not at this location. I wonder if their selection here is different.

[But she's no expert on the boutiques here at all, having been away from anything even remotely connected to that world for so long.]

Did you really? What a coincidence. We must have had a similar experience either way... I wish I had thought to ask more questions about their services at the time, but I hope their sales did go up after that.

[Her adjustment to living here didn't provide her leeway to treat herself often, after all, so much as she had accepted that.] I know that my friend enjoyed the service here, at least.

Did you not enjoy it?

[Because her friend may have, sure, but that just makes her wonder how Eleanor felt about it.]

Hm? Of course I enjoyed it, that's why we're here. I only meant that she had gotten more done than I did at the time, in terms of the experience.

[Which was entirely true; she had only kept herself strictly to the nails so she could get in and out of there without drawing any negative attention just for existing, or inadvertently giving the place bad press. But she was feeling a little braver today; Leia's company helped that.]

[Well that makes more sense to her. Eleanor may have suggested the idea in the first place, but it could've been because she thought it was something Leia wanted to do, as far as Leia knows.]

How much did she have done?

Hmm... she mentioned trying out the other services afterward, though I'm not sure how many. [At least a pedicure, and a follow up manicure, and anything else she might have liked.]

And she's not someone that usually treats themselves... though I think she's been enjoying the process. [Riza Hawkeye does carry a quiet confidence about her, whether or not she's aware of that, which Eleanor had come to admire about her after getting to know her better, anyway.]

[Someone who doesn't usually treat themselves, well, that sort of sounds like someone she can relate to. Though it's more someone with no time or ability to treat themselves due to difficult circumstances, but close enough.]

Well, that's a good enough recommendation of the rest of their services, if someone like that can enjoy it.

Indeed. And it's always nice to know for ourselves, for future reference. [Since as much as Leia throws the focus toward Eleanor's issues, she can tell there's more going on with the younger woman than what she lets on.

And there's the door. Eleanor moves ahead to open it with her good arm if Leia doesn't move to do so first.]

[She'll allow Eleanor to open it, since she got there first, but in return, Leia arranges for their manicures and pedicures. Because Eleanor mentioned it before, so they're doing the whole thing. And not just her, because if she's going to do it, Eleanor is doing the same, that's just the rule.]

Do you want to pick out a color first, or do you want them to pick one for us?

[She hadn't expected Leia to immediately arrange that... ah, well. She taps a finger to her cheek thoughtfully at the question.]

Hmm... how about we choose the colors for each other? That should be fun.

[Leia breaks into a smile at that suggestion. It sounds like a good enough idea for her, and it's what she and Sonia had done when they had visited. It turned out fun for the both of them.

Because it's winter, Leia scans the shelves looking for a color that's more appropriate for the season, and she comes back with a pale blue polish that almost shimmers under the right light.]

How's this?

[While Leia had been selecting a polish, Eleanor had conducted some of her own perusal of the shelves before meeting Leia with a choice of her own, hopefully subtle enough to match Leia's tastes while still being striking in some way.

She smiles appreciatively at the selection Leia greets her with.]

I have to say, that's a very lovely color! What do you think of this one?

[It isn't the sort of color Leia would have chosen for herself, but that's why Eleanor was there, wasn't it? It's a pretty color, and she likes it. So, she smiles appreciatively, nodding at Eleanor's color choice.]

I think I have a few pieces of jewelry that would match that color beautifully.

[Smaller pieces, less obtrusive pieces, ones she won't feel strange wearing.

But with that, they're being waved over to their chairs, so Leia follows the salon tech, expecting Eleanor to be just behind her.]

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holdsodear - 2017-01-17 02:59 (UTC) - Expand

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oratorical - 2017-01-17 20:33 (UTC) - Expand