This one had a sudden burst of inspiration while we had been acquiring "necessities." One does not live several centuries as a magical being without picking up a few tricks. I had chosen mostly inexpensive yet elegantly-styled cotton clothing before we had broken up, and I planned on acquiring silk thread from the fabric store that Shima had located. I would perform a simple ritual and have silk garments for much less expenditure of my meager legitimate funds. After all, this one could only sell so much gold before the authorities took undue notice.
My new civilian garb was relatively nondescript, except for the tomboyish Fox Racing ensemble I was wearing with my platform boots, which I had kept on in a fit of whimsy. My kunoichi had already put most of my purchases in the Dark's car, so I had little to worry about. The simple black bag that Cindy had insisted on was slung comfortably over my shoulder, holding the seven hundred twenty-one dollars and fourteen cents left over afterwards.
...
And again, it bothered me that this situation was not bothering me. Less than seventy-two hours ago I would have been mortified to have spent as much time as I had in the lingerie section of a store. Today, I had hardly batted an eye as the sales clerk took my measurements. The only discomfort I had felt through the fashion show that ensued had been the "henge itch" that hid my fox ears, which included a strong itch at the base of my spine that had been there since yesterday's battle.
Well, perhaps this one is understating things.
Despite appearing to be normal human ears, they were still as sensitive as they had been on full display during last night's battle. Likewise my sense of smell. Normal people do not realize how deaf and scent-blind they really are, otherwise we would have gone on a different tech tree for our automobiles. Burning unleaded gasoline is not pleasant, nor is the constant roar of what passes for music these days in constant war between the styles. It might be different if I could only hear one song at a time in public, but I kept hearing snatches of other songs as people walked by with their iPods or drove by with their radios blaring.
Nevertheless, I was following Kaeda/Misao due to a sort of morbid curiosity, and, I admit, it was fun watching her walk. While my summoned kunoichi were scouting for an Asian imports store, I accompanied the young kunoichi on her quest for the sartorial splendor a staid establishment like JC Penny would not provide.
As I waited for Misao to decide on our first store, I pulled a Clockwork gear from "stuff space" and remembered in time to put on the appearance of practicing legerdemain as it danced across the knuckles of my right hand under the influence of a minor spell. I was still getting used to my new repertoire of minor tricks that would have been the purview of emote commands and chatline indications in-game. They were MUCH more numerous than I'd thought.
Misao turned from the next store and gave me a grin that would have stomped on my hormones hard were I still male. As it was, this one was sorely tempted to "give in" to her advances to secure her loyalty...
'Did I just think that?' I thought to myself in shock. I schooled my expression quickly and followed the Stalker into the store she'd chosen.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
My new civilian garb was relatively nondescript, except for the tomboyish Fox Racing ensemble I was wearing with my platform boots, which I had kept on in a fit of whimsy. My kunoichi had already put most of my purchases in the Dark's car, so I had little to worry about. The simple black bag that Cindy had insisted on was slung comfortably over my shoulder, holding the seven hundred twenty-one dollars and fourteen cents left over afterwards.
...
And again, it bothered me that this situation was not bothering me. Less than seventy-two hours ago I would have been mortified to have spent as much time as I had in the lingerie section of a store. Today, I had hardly batted an eye as the sales clerk took my measurements. The only discomfort I had felt through the fashion show that ensued had been the "henge itch" that hid my fox ears, which included a strong itch at the base of my spine that had been there since yesterday's battle.
Well, perhaps this one is understating things.
Despite appearing to be normal human ears, they were still as sensitive as they had been on full display during last night's battle. Likewise my sense of smell. Normal people do not realize how deaf and scent-blind they really are, otherwise we would have gone on a different tech tree for our automobiles. Burning unleaded gasoline is not pleasant, nor is the constant roar of what passes for music these days in constant war between the styles. It might be different if I could only hear one song at a time in public, but I kept hearing snatches of other songs as people walked by with their iPods or drove by with their radios blaring.
Nevertheless, I was following Kaeda/Misao due to a sort of morbid curiosity, and, I admit, it was fun watching her walk. While my summoned kunoichi were scouting for an Asian imports store, I accompanied the young kunoichi on her quest for the sartorial splendor a staid establishment like JC Penny would not provide.
As I waited for Misao to decide on our first store, I pulled a Clockwork gear from "stuff space" and remembered in time to put on the appearance of practicing legerdemain as it danced across the knuckles of my right hand under the influence of a minor spell. I was still getting used to my new repertoire of minor tricks that would have been the purview of emote commands and chatline indications in-game. They were MUCH more numerous than I'd thought.
Misao turned from the next store and gave me a grin that would have stomped on my hormones hard were I still male. As it was, this one was sorely tempted to "give in" to her advances to secure her loyalty...
'Did I just think that?' I thought to myself in shock. I schooled my expression quickly and followed the Stalker into the store she'd chosen.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll