'Twas The Afternoon Before Christmas...!

[Arista]

Gil had sewed a fair-bit in her life, from a young age she learned from her grandmother and she came to enjoy it very much, and over the years, she had become something of a natural at it, being able to do it with relative ease and without really needing to think it over much...! By the time she had finished sewing up her furry-friend, she looked over to Dani, who clearly was uncertain about what to do, maybe even looking a little bit nervous...!

Gil spoke up and asked if Dani needed help, maybe at a volume too loud for Dani's comfort...! There was nothing wrong with needing help, Gil wasn't good at a lot of things, some might argue wrestling was one of those things, but even-still, Dani didn't like admitting she couldn't do something, or that she was bad at it...!

"...No worries, Queen Danielle...!" Gil fell to her knee, kneeling on the floor before Dani, holding her sewing needle up with might...! "...For I, Gil, your humble servant, am here to assist you in anyway you see fit...!" She beamed a bright smile upon Dani, only rising after being handed the plush and then, she would sit back down and get to work...!

"...It's not too bad once you get the hang of it... You just do this... And... See...!" She held up the penguin plush, now sewed to perfection...! "...It's totally adorable, you made a great pick with this one, Dani...!" Gil smiled and handed it back over, only a brief moment of calm before she would once again take a-hold of the red-head's wrist and guide her onto the next, and final, section...!

"...This is where you can really make it your own...!" Gil tucked the dog close to her chest, hugging it tightly. Looking upon this part of the store, the only things in sight was a trillion different choices for clothing, accessories, and more...! All of them, tiny, and according to size, of-course...! "...Now, since this dog is for Sky..." Gil got to work, floating from one section to the next, finding all the pieces she needed with amazing haste, returning back to Dani with a fully-clothed dog...! "...Here it is...! What do you think...?" Gil presented it to her, dressed in dark, blue, denim, jeans, a grey hoodie, and red sneakers to complete the look! "...It looks just like her, doesn't it...?" She said with a chuckle...!

[CaptainL]

"Erm." Danielle stood where she was, staring blankly at Gil as the brunette dropped to her knee before her. What was she doing now? Even when she was normally one to revel in her own self-importance, and would never pass up the chance to be treated like a queen, this was different. Though she enjoyed feeling superior, Danielle didn't ask for it to take place in the middle of a crowded store, with so many people watching! It was embarrassing enough being around Gil - no, being in a store that sold stuffed animals at all - but she could do without her companion making a scene.

Clearing her throat, Danielle turned aside, looking off into the distance as though consciously aiming to avoid making eye contact. "You...you don't need to do that," she muttered. All the same, she soon looked back in Gil's direction, watching over her shoulder as she set to work. As much as she couldn't stand Gil's company...she had to admit, the girl had a natural talent for sewing. Almost enough to make up for her personal shortcomings. Dani made a mental note that if she ever needed something sewed, she knew who to come to for it. Preferrably anonymously, of course!

And, as Gil handed the penguin plush back to her, Danielle smiled a little wider as she let it rest in her hands. Almost as if she actually enjoyed holding the little creature. Almost as if she didn't mind being here with Gil! When Gil complimented her on her choice, Danielle nodded her head, only to realize what she was doing a moment later. She pursed her lip and straightened her back...but she still couldn't help but think that their conversation was incomplete. And she leaned closer to whisper to her, just enough to know what she felt, but not loud enough for anyone else to let on. "Thank you..."

Dani barely had any time to think things over before Gil took her hand, leading her off again to another section of the store. And when she caught sight of the seemingly limitless array of clothes and accessories, her jaw dropped with a gasp! This place would've boasted one of the finest selections of all the boutiques Danielle had graced...if it hadn't all been designed to fit stuffed animals. But even she had to be impressed with the depth of their choices.

She made her way through the aisles, looking at the penguin in her hand, and imagining how it might look sporting some of the items on the shelves. She had to admit, it was cute. And it felt soft and warm in her hands, the sort of thing she might even want to embrace...if no one was looking. Befitting the bird's plumage, Danielle found a red bow tie that she wrapped into place around its neck, then set a little silk top hat on its head and a monocle to rest against its beak. She chuckled a little to herself at the outfit. It was ridiculous, yes. But...also quite charming.

It didn't take long for Gil to catch back up with the redhead, showing off her handiwork as she held out the dog - now the spitting image of Skylar Jones, or at least it would be if Skylar Jones was a German Shepherd. The sight was so amusing, Danielle couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, it's perfect!" she said. At the same time, she realized what she had done with her penguin, and she held it a little lower, trying to slip it behind her back. A redness came to her cheeks. Surely no one could see her like this.

[Arista]

Having done this dozens upon dozens of times, Gil knew exactly where to look for all of the items she needed, finally completing Sky Jones in dog-form! It was a truly adorable plush, she just knew Sky would love having her own little mini-stuffed-dog version of herself to cuddle with...!

She eventually returned to Dani, who approved of her creation, which only made Gil further bask in her great success and feel great about her final gift for the brawling-puppet...! "...Thank you, I'm glad you like it, I hope Sky does too...!" She held it out in-front of her, looking it right in the glossy-little eye before bringing it in for an embrace...! "...This place is perfect...!" To no-ones surprise, this was one of Gil's favorite places to shop...!

She caught the slightest of glimpses of Dani's work she had done on the penguin, no doubt that the red-head would have a great time picking out clothes, if anything...! "...What did you do, let me see it...!" Gil hopped up and down, waiting for Dani to eventually cave and then with a gasp and a squeal! "...It's so perfect, you really did a great job, it looks like the monopoly man...!" She giggled, the outfit really brought the penguin together, and Gil couldn't be more excited about it...!

The two only had one more thing left to do to finalize their trip to build-a-teddy, and that was to buy their little-lovable-friends...! Once the two got up to the check-out, Gil would gently take the penguin out of Dani's hands...! "...Here, allow me...!" She smiled, paying for the pair of plushes...! "...I guess it's your turn to pick our next destination, I still have one last gift to get for Wicke, and I guess some stocking stuffers could really top things off..." Gil thought out-loud, looking out the entrance, seeing the wide-array of shops to choose from... "...Thank you...!" Gil collected the tiny-crates they had put the stuffed animals in, completing the theme of the store...! "...So, where to, Dani...!"

[CaptainL]

Although Danielle had - dare she say it - actually had fun picking out clothes for her custom-made stuffed penguin, she would never admit that to anyone. For a grown woman, especially one as sophisticated as her, it would be a disgrace to be seen doing anything so foolish! Even when Gil was...well, Gil, Dani had no intentions of letting her see her handiwork. Some things she could never let anyone know, for her own sake. Not even someone so insipid could find out what she did when no one was looking.

"Ah, erm..." she began to murmur, biting at her lip as she tried to hide the penguin behind her back. Searching for excuses, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind to cover her escape. "It's...it's nothing special, really! I don't know why you'd care-!" But when the smile never faded from Gil's face it soon grew apparent that wouldn't work...and with a sigh, Danielle had to draw the penguin out from behind her back, showing her companion.

Immediately, she winced at the sound of Gil's cheers. Didn't she know that people could hear her?! Dani was about to open her mouth once again to remind Gil not to be so loud...but then, she realized that everyone around them were in much the same boat they were, even if many were considerably younger. Why should she care? No one else would...and the eagerness Gil showed her was, dare she say it, almost endearing. Try as she might to hide it, Danielle couldn't help but crack a slight smile. "Heh...I suppose he does, doesn't he? I'm glad you like him..." she said in a soft voice. She couldn't believe what she heard herself saying - and yet, right now, it only seemed fitting.

She blushed as she had to follow Gil to the counters, her eye twitching and her arms folded behind her back as the cashier looked at her creation. If they said anything, she wouldn't know how she could possibly salvage her dignity with her response. But fortunately, nothing happened, and Gil went ahead and paid for the two of them. Breathing a sigh of relief, the Frenchwoman followed her out of the store. As they left, she looked back at her with a smile.

"...Thank you," she said, ever so quietly. She didn't want anyone to hear she had anything nice to say about Gil, but it was only right, after the generosity she had shown her. "That was...kind of fun, at least. And I do appreciate you being willing to pay." Then, after they were a safe distance away from any onlookers, she cleared her throat and straightened her back, looking around.

"Another store, hmm..?" Danielle raised a hand to her chin, scanning the selection as she approached a map. She was quick to realize that everywhere she could think of going seemed much too high-end for Gil. But while she had gone to the jewelry store before in the hopes of scaring the brunette off...now, Dani realized that, after all she'd done for her out of the kindness of her heart, she couldn't leave the mall without doing something to repay her. Perhaps for their next destination, she'd have to treat her.

The redhead approached a store selling perfumes, soaps, and fragrances; even opening the door caused a pleasant smell to drift from within. She was no stranger to shopping at such places, but she could only hope Gil wouldn't be too intimidated by it. "Hrm...what about this one? Maybe...we can find something here."

[Arista]

Try as Dani might, Gil's persistence would win over, and she would catch sight of the penguin Dani had created all the way trough, into completion...! Gil had nothing but praise for Dani's master-piece, to no surprise really, Gil's apartment was practically flooded with these things, any stuffed-animal was one worth giving a home in her eyes...!

Gil paid, and the two exited the store together, Gil couldn't help but notice Dani seemed in a much better mood now than before... "...Of course...!" She replied to Dani's thanks, a warm smile spread wide-across her face...!

Approaching the next store, Gil was brought in by what could only be described as a mess-of-scents, not unpleasant by any means, but strong, so strong Gil had to turn her head at first in order to catch fresh air...! "...My, my, this reminds me of home...!" Gil exclaimed, maybe to the surprise of Dani, but she soon clarified. "...I used to shop at a place similar to this back in America, but Dani, there is no three-for-five, where is the three-for-five...!" Gil scanned the store for a sale promotion, but, there was nothing...!

"...I guess this really is a more glamorous version of what I'm used too...!" Gil giggled! "...They always had sales on everything, and prices on individual products were..." She picked up a bottle of lotion, about half the size of the ones she would have at home, and for nearly three times the price...! "...Well, they were much cheaper...!" She laughed again...!

"...I think Wicke might like some of this, though, so you really picked a great spot, Dani...!" She smiled and nudged her with her elbow. Soon enough, Gil got lost in the aisles, just slightly out of place from the average-goer to this particular store, but not making too much of a scene, not currently, at-least...! "...This one is nice...!" She showed it to Dani, it was rich in vanilla with a hint of something flowery...! "...I think this screams Wicke, but... Where are the all-you-can-fill-baskets... Dani, where are the all-you-can-fill-baskets...!?" Gil exclaimed once more...!

[CaptainL]

When the two women entered the store, they were greeted by a dizzying array of scents, with fragrances of flowers, spices, soap, and citrus - to name a few - all mixing together into a potent concoction. Some mall-goers might find it overwhelming, to the point of sensory overload, but Danielle was used to living in sweet-scented luxury. To her, this was what home smelled like. This was what all places should smell like. But she certainly didn't expect Gil to feel the same! Given what she'd seen of the girl's tastes, and the way she carried herself, through the rest of their outing, when Gil mentioned shopping some place similar, the ex-model turned her head to her with a confused look on her face. "Huh? You-?" Of couse, the next words out of Gil's mouth put everything back in context.

Dani let out a sigh, her shoulders deflating as she crossed her arms. "Three-for-five!? Bah! We don't need to debate such fine, artisinal works of art as these by begging unwashed cretins to buy the whole stock. You realize why they do that? It's because no one would be stupid enough to buy them if they didn't!" Danielle practically retched at the very thought of it. With a flick of her hair, she huffed and held her back straighter, turning down an aisle to peruse the merchandise.

Selecting one bottle of perfume from the racks, Danielle held it up to her face, taking in a long, deep breath of the lavendar-scented vapors wafting from the top. The sensation caused her body to slacken, as ease set into her muscles and joints...though that ease wouldn't last long, when Gil soon started begging for the redhead's attention once again. With a less than enthused groan, Danielle spun around to focus a glare on Gil.

"I heard you the first time-!" she hissed, before her tone evened out. Her eyes narrowed with a look that showed she was less than enthused, but she saw either way that Gil wasn't going to shut up about this. However...she put an idea in her head. Even if it was just to keep her quiet.

Danielle opened her mouth again, continuing in a softer voice; she didn't want anyone around to pry. "I'll tell you what..." she continued, handing a basket to Gil. "You can fill it with whatever you'd like, and I'll take care of the bill. Just...just don't go bragging to everyone that I let you." Her eye twitched again as she thought about how embarrassing it would be that Gil would spread her name far and wide for something like this - for showing generosity to someone so clearly beneath her.

[Arista]

Gil was far from an example of luxury, that much was made clear over both the course of her career in L.A.W, and in just today's interactions thus far, Dani probably didn't even have to take a second look at Gil to be able to tell she wasn't exactly from wealth. But her mentioning of shopping at a place similar to this one was sure enough to get Dani to do a double-take...!

Of course, upon clarification, it all made sense, they just sold similar products, much more affordable than these, though...! "...I mean, I suppose so, I know I bought because they were cheap, but they also smelled like home, you know...?" Gil smiled at Dani, wandering-off for a moment again, never staying put for too long...!

Once she came back, it was again, to pester Dani with questions and conversation, but like one would toss a bone to a dog, Dani did so with a basket, just to get Gil out of her hair, at-least, for a few seconds...! "...O-oh, are you sure, Dani? I don't know..." Gil felt bad accepting, but felt just as bad out-right refusing, she had treated Dani to a stuffed-animal, in terms of price though, these things were hardly comparable...! It would take much for Gil to take-off again, slapping, maybe a bit harshly, her bottle she already had into the basket, and then taking off...! She found many combinations of vanilla, it screamed Wicke to her, she seemed like a fan of vanilla, she would have to hope she was right on that one... But she seemed a few more in there, for testing...!

"...Dani...!" Just mere minutes later, Gil returned with a half-full basket, lotions, hand-creams, perfumes, body-sprays, the whole nine-yards...! "...I think it's time to put that nose of yours to work...!" Gil giggled. "...And I don't mean my butt this time...!" She leaned in and cupped her mouth, nudging the French-woman...! "...Anywho, the test is on these three scents...!" Once Dani was ready, Gil gave a spritz of three different scents, all three up and down separate parts of her arm. One was citrusy, a strong smell of oranges with a hint of something a little creamier in there...! The second was Strawberries, sweet and natural! And the third one was a spice of some kind, strong, but not unbearable...! "...So, which is your favorite...?"

[CaptainL]

Danielle huffed under her breath as she handed Gil the basket, asking herself what she was doing. Though the offer was a pricey one, Dani didn't care too much about that. Even a full basket from this place would be well within her family's budget, and besides, it was Christmas, so she could afford to splurge. But it wasn't even for her. It could barely even be said to be for a friend. She had little respect for Gil and her ilk...so why was she offering to pay the bill for her? Not just for a low-life, but for such an irritating one at that? The redhead's eye twitched a little as she handed the basket to her companion, and even more so as she tossed the bottle she was holding roughly inside. "Careful..! If...if you break those, I won't pay for them-!" she snapped out of reflex. And yet, Danielle couldn't quite be sure she would follow up on that if it came to pass.

As Gil disappeared into the distance, the Frenchwoman stepped off to the side, fanning herself with her hand in an attempt to calm her nerves. She was only doing this to get Gil away from her, she told herself; if the brunette was this glued to her side even after their match, there was no way she'd respond to being told off. But if that was the case...why was Danielle willing to do so much for her? It couldn't be because...she was actually enjoying this! Groaning, she rubbed at her temples. Thinking about this was giving her a headache.

Before she knew it, Gil returned to her side, and Danielle turned to face her - not without a wince at Gil's little joke reminding her of less than pleasant times for her. "D-Don't speak of that in public-!" she stammered. But all the same, she was willing to entertain Gil's request, and she closed her eyes, leaning in to take a whiff of each of the three scents of her arm. "Well...if you say so..."

"...Hmm." As she straightened herself back to her feet, Danielle took a look back and forth, making sure that there was no one within earshot. Once she was convinced the coast was clear, she continued in a softer voice, too afraid by the prospect of anyone hearing her saying something nice about the girl. "The third one is more to my tastes...though, I think strawberries fit you more." She bit her lip; just hearing herself say that felt wrong. And yet, also so natural.

[Arista]

Gil, knowingly or not, was proving to be quite the thorn in Dani's side, causing a fair amount of inner-conflict as the redhead questions whether or not she even enjoyed being in the woman's company...! Just when she thought she was out of her hair for just a split-second, she came back with such haste, giving Dani hardly even a moment alone...!

Dani did just as Gil requested and helped her pick out her own personal favorites scents, even if her butt didn't quite make the cut...! "...I see, I see..." She nodded and cupped her chin. "...More of a spice fan, I can see that...!" Gil leaned in a little closer. "...It is true, I'm a big fan of strawberry scents, also peppermint as well...!" Gil bounced in place thinking about it. "...Thanks, Dani...!" And just like that, Gil was gone again, uncontrollable as she was...!

Gil collected a thing or two more, for her own basket, but she took a separate one and filled it with anything she could find that matched the scent of the one Dani enjoyed, not paying to much mind to the price-tag and only really finding out how much she crammed in there when she came to the check-out, the price was... A rather large amount... But, Gil paid for it all, thanking god that Dani offered to buy a basket for her, as her bank account would not be looking so hot otherwise, she had already put more than a dent in it today alone, not even counting her other Christmas gifts she had bought...!

She returned back to Dani's side, stuffing her bag of already purchased goods inside the Build A Teddy bag, while she came back to her with a half-full basket of varying products, knowing Dani came from wealth, but still not wanting to take advantage of that...! "...Well, this is what I got, I hope it's not too much...!" Gil glanced into the basket, mostly gifts for Wicke, but a few things for herself as well...!

"...I can take a few things out if you can't afford it all..." Gil offered with a smile. "...But what are you getting?" Gil got closer, inspecting rather than letting Dani show her...!

[CaptainL]

Gil was barely back at Danielle's side before she was off again, and at that, the Frenchwoman groaned. "If you're going to keep shopping, you could always ask me at the end-" she began, but her words went unheard, considering that Gil was already down the aisle and out of earshot. With a sigh, Dani began to continue down the aisle, looking around for whatever caught her eye. She remained on guard, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder to make sure that Gil wasn't sneaking up on her from behind; she'd learned well enough that she needed to by now. But she began to fill her own basket nonetheless, pulling down a few select soaps and lotions.

When Gil caught back up to her, Dani was looking over a lavendar-scented soap, her basket already containing a couple of floral and spice-based perfumes, as well as some similarly-scented candles. She glanced over at the half-empty basket in her hands, and she raised an eyebrow briefly. "That's all-?" she muttered, finding such restraint...unusual for Gil. But she stopped herself soon after, clearing her throat. She was already questioning why she was willing to drop so much money on someone like her, and she didn't need any more reasons to.

"Erm, I mean...no, that's fine. That should be fine" To Gil's curiosity, she held the bar of soap in her hands closer to her companion. "This? It's lavendar," she said, more softly now. "It's always been a favorite flower of mine. Both for the smell and the color..."

At the same time, Danielle glanced back at the bag dangling from Gil's arm, one that seemed conspicuously more full now than it was when she entered the store. She paused for a moment; surely she wouldn't be able to afford that much! But she still bit her lip, turning her attention back to the brunette's face. She didn't want to make this awkward - at least, not more than it already was.