Caution: Children at Play (Piper) ●

[Cailyn Robinson]

The mall was bustling with activity as people scurried from one shop to the next, looking for the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Normally, Cailyn wouldn't have even tried to brave the madness of the mall but she was getting low on makeup, specifically her good concealer and needed to get more. The mad rush of the crowd was the perfect cover for her considering she could easily blend in and act as if she was part of a family. Today however, having the appearance of a child was more tedious than anything. Already she had been stopped twice by "good Samaritans" asking if she was lost. Cailyn had managed to play it off and say that "mommy" was waiting for her somewhere else and that had satisfied the would be do-gooders.

Normally Cailyn wouldn't be quite so irritated about being mistaken for a kid. She could usually play it off as nothing and move on but after once again explaining to yet another person that she wasn't lost, it was beginning to get old really fast. Just because she was short and cute did not give everyone the right to assume she was some brat who didn't know her way around the mall without her mommy. If one more person stopped to ask her if she was a lost child, Cailyn was going to snap.

Thankfully, nobody else had stopped her and Cailyn was able to find the makeup store with little problem. It seemed that they still had the concealer she needed, which was good considering how close it was to Valentine's day. Sometimes the store didn't have the exact shade she needed but it seemed that they had ordered extra to account for what tomorrow was. That suited Cailyn just fine, it meant that she wouldn't have to go out and get more anytime soon. Looking to make sure that nobody was around, Cailyn quickly dumped what she could into her purse before going to the counter to actually buy some eye shadow and blush. It was hilarious watching the clerk's reaction to her buying the makeup but Cailyn was long past caring what people thought of her.

After exiting the store, Cailyn decided to go to the food court, she was hungry and there was a Cinnabon there calling her name. As long as nobody else stopped to ask if she was lost, then she would be just fine. Besides, she had just managed to take enough concealer to last quite a while and nobody had stopped her. Today was a good day.

~~~

Piper Howell

[Piper Howell]

The St. Valentine’s Day mall crowd was fierce. Those searching for the perfect gift for their loves had swarmed the mall, and it seemed every store had something to offer in terms of potential gifts. Stepping in stride with most of the crowd, however, was one whose aim was less than pure. She took the form of a girl, raven haired and young looking. With her hair drawn back into a ponytail, and a baseball cap upon her head, she was less identifiable on first glance. The loose white and black hoodie and blue jeans she chose to wear accompanied the uncertainty by obscuring her gender. Was this a long haired boy striding through the mall or a tomboyish girl? It was hard to tell amongst the crowd and confusion. Piper liked it that way.

A few small bumps against others would earn minute apologies before the girl ducked into another aisle way. Deep imperial purple eyes flashed across the hallway before legs sprung and sprinted down it, a shrill laugh escaping from the “young girl” as she went. Halfway down the hall, Piper’d turn into a notch in the hall, pressing her back to the wall. Mischievous eyes flashed one way then the other before a bright grin flashed across the girl’s face. Flopping back against the wall, she curled her legs up to herself and fished through her pockets. Four wallets would be produced. Four she’d grabbed on her own, no help, no act necessary. The money within them was not the circus’ this time. It was hers, solely hers. Carefully pulling out cash only, she threw the remains to the side. Jester had taught her better than to keep any form of identification, including credit cards. It was a shame, but oh well! She had enough money for what she wanted, and that was enough.

Shoving bills upon bills back into her pockets, Piper forced herself to stand again. Stretching briefly, she yawned before carefully stepping out from the notch and starting down the hallway again. Food here I come! Quick sprints would carry her all the way into the food court, and it was only as she started looking at the various ‘restaurants’ that Piper slowed and stopped. Tongue ran across lips as amethysts flashed from one to another. There was so much to choose from! She wanted it all,but even Piper knew that would only hurt her stomach. “Hmmmm,” was murmured briefly. Closing her eyes, Piper began to sniff the air. That one smelled good- and that one….but that one smelled the best. Starting to walk towards it, Piper didn’t even open her eyes as she started towards the Cinnabon. She trusted her other senses as much as her eyes.

That didn’t stop her from bumping someone, anyways. A startled yip escaped from her when a body knocked into her, and she stepped back rather quickly blinking at the blond she’d hit.

[Cailyn Robinson]

Cailyn had almost reached the Cinnabon store when she was suddenly bumped into by some kid not looking where she was going. A startled yelp escaped her as she was knocked off her feet, scattering the contents of her purse over the floor as a result. Swearing under her breath, Cailyn quickly shoved the stolen concealer back into her purse and glared at the other girl. "Watch where you're going!"Cailyn snapped at the girl, fuming,"What the hell is wrong with you?!"she snapped before looking around to see if anything else had fallen out of her purse.

She had managed to leave the store without paying for it, true, but that hardly meant she had gotten away with it. No, Cailyn knew better then to let down her guard until she had left the mall. Besides, it wasn't like she wanted to take the damn makeup, but she needed it to keep up appearances. There was no way Cailyn was going to be caught dead without makeup on, especially around school or well, anywhere else in public. It wasn't her fault that she had to cover up the bruises from her abusive foster father. Whatever the case, this girl had almost made her lose the very thing she had come to the mall for and if she had gotten in trouble because of it, Cailyn knew perfectly well that her life would be hell when she got home again. That was assuming they didn't just call her parents right then and there... Nah, she could find a way to talk her way out of it, she was sure of it, at least Cailyn hoped that was the case.

~~~

Piper Howell

[Piper Howell]

The return yelp clashed into Piper’s ears seconds after her own had, but wherein the raven haired girl was able to catch herself from falling, the blond was literally knocked off her feet. A bag had spilled, and suddenly colors gushed to the floor. Makeup? Standing there staring as the other girl quickly retrieved her belongings from the floor, Piper stared at the sea of colorful brushes and containers. Excited purple eyes flashed from one shade to the next before she sprung to action, kneeling down and starting to fish up things closer to her.

As words snapped into the air, Piper didn’t initially register them, didn’t even look up to meet the gaze of the irritated girl she’d knocked into. Instead, a hum rested upon her lips as she continued to grab up the various things. These look like the clown’s stuffs the girl grinned to herself, perhaps pocketing one or two items before finally looking up to the blond. “Sorry!” she beamed warmly in the sing-song voice she used. Taking up what she hadn’t pocketed and holding it out to the one who had dropped it, Piper offered a cheesy sort of smile. “I got distracted by the yummy smells!” a giggle escaped from her shortly thereafter. “Can you forgive me?” she beamed simply thereafter.

[Cailyn Robinson]

As Cailyn scrambled to pick up the scattered contents of her purse, she didn't realize that there were still a few things of makeup rolling around the floor. That was until the kid that had knocked her over to begin with handed her a couple things after apologizing for knocking her over in the first place. Swearing internally, Cailyn muttered a thank you before taking the items from the kid and putting them in her purse. This time however, she checked to make sure that she had everything before even acknowledging the kid again.

Upon hearing the reason the girl was distracted in the first place, Cailyn fought the urge to deadpan as she went through the contents of her purse again to make sure she had everything. It seemed that she had everything...except for a few things. Looking around the room to see if anything else had rolled away, Cailyn looked back a the girl,"Is that everything you picked up?"she asked after a moment as she checked her bag yet again to see if she had simply misplaced them. Nope, they were still missing. That meant that either the girl had taken them or they were still on the floor somewhere. "I'm still missing a couple things..."Cailyn explained, biting her lip a little as she bit her lower lip. This wasn't good, if someone else found them and realized they weren't paid for...

The girl's next question brought Cailyn's attention back to her as she seemed to consider if she would forgive her so simply. "Yeah, I suppose. Just watch where you're going next time. 'Yummy smells' or not, you shouldn't be so easily distracted,"Cailyn replied after a few moments,I'm Cailyn by the way. What's your name?"she continued before rummaging through the contents of her purse yet again in hopes that she had just miscounted after all.

~~~

Piper Howell