Chapter 126 - Proper Young Lady

Evelyn set a plate down in front of Morrigan with bacon, eggs, toast, and a small bowl of fruit. Morrigan stared at the meal. A home-cooked meal. Her mom rarely made anything, usually simple stuff like eggs and anything that could just be popped into a toaster. More often, Morrigan would just make those things for herself.

“It’s not much, but I hope you enjoy it,” Evelyne said as she took her seat across from Morrigan.

Morrigan moved the eggs around with her fork for a moment. Cersi made extravagant breakfasts, but there was something different about that. She cooked for a group and for her own passion for cooking. Something like this was just simple but cooked for her. Something about that felt weird.

“So, I was thinking,” Evelyn began. “Let’s start by getting you some clothes, then we’ll go for any school supplies you need. After that, we can get a TV. I’m sure you’ll want one in your room. Is there anything else you can think of?”

“Mmmm, na. That should be all I need. You don’t need to get me a TV.”

 “I’ll get you one anyway. Otherwise, I think that really will just feel like nothing more than a guest room.” She ate some food, letting the silence hang for a moment. Morrigan still didn’t take a bite. “How about hobbies?”

“I like to sew.”

“Really?” she asked with interest, half setting her fork down as she looked across the table at Morrigan expectantly. Morrigan just shuffled slightly and cautiously took a bite of the food. This all just felt too weird. “What do you sew?”

“Uh. Anything really. I used to just fix up old shirts and dresses and stuff like that. I haven’t really been doing it lately, though.”

“Oh? Why not?”

Morrigan was quiet for a moment because she couldn’t really answer that honestly. It was something else she had lost when she died. She was severely limited to just black and shades of grey if she wanted to wear anything she made. “Just not doing it right now.”

“We can go to Hobby Hut as well if you like.”

She shook her head and forced another bite into her mouth. “Not today. Maybe some other time.”

“Alright then.”

Then, there was a silence between them as they ate. Morrigan expected Evelyn to keep trying to break the ice, but she didn’t. Morrigan wondered if she should ask something, but anything she thought of was too personal, stuff about her mom or why Evelyn lives alone, but she didn’t really want to deal with any potentially heavy conversations right now. What about your hobbies? felt like it would be awkward and forced as well.

Breakfast ended with little in the way of a proper back-and-forth conversation. To Evelyn’s credit, she at least tried, and Morrigan did try to at least toss the ball back, but she was usually the one to fumble with a “Sure,” an “I guess, or a “Not really,” that was probably hard to respond to.

When breakfast was over, she had a half-eaten plate and went to dump what she hadn’t finished in the garbage. She felt a little bad about wasting it, but she wasn’t too hungry.

“You don’t eat much, do you?” Evelyn asked.

Morrigan bristled but gave a simple, “Guess not.”

Sarah no doubt explained her suspecting anorexia to Evelyn, which Morrigan felt was the single most irritating thing about being a reaper trying to live a human life. Evelyn probably didn’t want to push too hard on that particular topic until she got more comfortable, but Morrigan was sure plenty of subtle nudges about her weight were in her future before Evelyn would try to sit down and talk to her about it.

What am I even still doing here? I probably should just leave.

“Well, ready to go shopping?” Evelyn asked as she rinsed off the plates and left them in the sink.

Morrigan shrugged. “Yeah, sure.”

***

In the car, Morrigan noticed Evelyn giving her an assessing look out of the corner of her eye.

Here it comes. What subtle way is she going to raise her concerns?

“So, I was thinking. There’s an alternative fashion store that might work for you.”

Oh.

“Alternative fashion? You mean goth?”

Evelyn smiled. “I figured you’d appreciate the option.”

Morrigan looked around the pristine neighborhood and said, “So no pleated skirts and button-up blouses?

“I imagine I wouldn’t have much success in turning you into a proper young lady. I’ll just settle for keeping a roof over your head and letting you do your own thing.”

Morrigan couldn’t help but grin as she thought, Okay, lady. Maybe you’re scoring a few points.

“So this friend you’re going to go see, how do you know her?”

“From school.”

“Have you known her a long time?”

Morrigan nodded.

“Is she who you were going to visit when you’d sneak out of the shelter?”

“So you know about that, huh?”

“Yes, they informed me as much as they could about your situation. But that’s alright.

Morrigan shrugged. “Yeah. I’d go see her.” The main reason was to take care of her reaping duties, but she’d also take the opportunity to see Emma as much as possible, so it wasn’t really a lie.

“You must be close to go through all that effort,” Evelyn said.

Morrigan smiled as she thought about Emma. She was excited to see her tonight while not being half dead from sleep deprivation. “Yeah, we’re… pretty close.”

Then, a pause and an “Oh?” that was a little too inquisitive.

Morrigan felt her face flush a little. Ah, she must have picked something up from my tone. Or do I just give off that vibe? She glanced at Evelyn and then thought, Well, she doesn’t really seem the judgmental type. I guess I’ll just say it.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

Evelyn’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh? That’s nice. Have you two been together long?”

“A while. I mean, only together for a few months. We knew each other since middle school, though.”

Evelyn nodded thoughtfully. “Well, that’s nice. I just hope she’s not a troublemaker.”

Morrigan grinned. “Depends. Not really, though.”

“So, who asked who out?”

“Ah… well. I guess her? Actually, neither of us. We just kind of… started being that way, I guess.” Morrigan’s gaze lingered out the window for a moment; in the back of her mind, she was telling herself to stop opening up with this lady, but she was somehow finding Evelyn was the type that was harder not to open up to than the other way around. “She uh… Well, when I ran away last summer, she helped me out. Then we started getting closer. I guess.” She dug her hands deeper into her pockets and fidgeted a little, wondering why she went and said all of that.

“Well, I’ll be sure to help you see her as often as possible.”

Morrigan smiled as she let her gaze linger out the window. “Thanks.”

Morrigan watched the world roll by outside, neat houses and manicured lawns giving way to commercial buildings as they approached the shopping district.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the alternative fashion store, Morrigan couldn’t help but smirk at the edgy mannequins in the window—corsets, ripped fishnets, and combat boots. The aesthetic clashed hard with the pastel-painted storefronts of the neighboring shops.

Evelyn parked the car and unbuckled her seatbelt. “Take your time. Feel free to get whatever you need, and don’t worry about the price.”

Morrigan hesitated, fingers on the car door handle. Once again, she didn’t know how to respond to that. She’d never had anyone make such an offer to her before, and it was a little uncomfortable. Just about everything she had she obtained on her own. She definitely didn’t feel right about just spending this lady’s money, no matter how much she insisted.

She stepped into the sunlight, squinting slightly, and followed Evelyn toward the store. The bell above the door chimed as she was hit with the scent of incense and faux leather.

She began wandering through, her gaze falling on a display of black lace tops, then a circular rack of jeans with chains hanging off of them. Despite her jokes about being forced to go goth, she hadn’t really embraced the fashion choice. She just mainly wore her hoodie and fingerless gloves out of necessity.

Another shelf had chokers hanging from it. Morrigan brushed her hand through them. The ones with spikes on them seemed like way too much, but then she pulled one away that was a simple black band and considered it. She wondered if Emma would like it.

She glanced back at Evelyn, half expecting her to look out of place, but the older woman was just looking over another corner of the store that displayed cups, blankets with occult symbols, and other trinkets with an amused expression.

Morrigan drifted through the store, grabbing some shirts and a couple of plain black hoodies, which she figured she could sew new seals into. Her current hoodie was getting a little frayed, and it would be nice to have a couple of backups.

A girl in her mid-twenties with purple hair and a septum piercing gave her a quick nod as she rearranged a display of belts. “If you need help finding anything, let me know.”

Morrigan nodded back. “Thanks.” Then, she wandered over to a section of patchwork skirts and crop tops. She wasn’t interested in any tops that showed too much skin, and not just because of the changeling or her scars… but…

I haven’t worn a skirt in a while… she thought as she pulled out a black one with frayed edges and then added it to the pile.

On her way to the dressing room, she spotted some fingerless gloves and grabbed two different pairs of those as well.

She tried everything on to make sure they fit and gauge how well she would be able to pull off a proper goth look. She craned her neck slightly to examine the choker and decided she actually really liked it. Then she had an idea as she glanced back almost as if to make sure the door was still there and disenchanted her glamour.

She looked at herself in the mirror in full reaper mode—white skin, red eyes, white hair, and now proper goth attire and couldn’t help smiling.

Okay. I look kinda badass.

She turned in the mirror, taking in her new look, then when she was done, she let the glamour flicker back into place, her skin returning to its human tone, her hair turning blonde, and her eyes blue again. She put her own clothes back on and then exited the dressing room.

Evelyn was already at the counter, chatting casually with the cashier, a girl with bright blue hair and more piercings than Morrigan could count.

Evelyn glanced up, her expression softening into a smile when she saw Morrigan’s arms full. “Find everything you need?” she asked.

Morrigan nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

The cashier rang everything up, and Evelyn didn’t bat an eye at the total. She just handed over her card, thanking the cashier, while Morrigan stood off to the side, bags in hand. It still felt weird that someone was doing something like this for her. But it also felt…nice.

As they left the store and stepped into the bright afternoon, Evelyn glanced at Morrigan. “So, let's get the less fun part out of the way and get you some school supplies. Sound good?”

Morrigan frowned slightly; the suggestion was innocent enough, but it soured her mood. Should a reaper even go to school?

But she forced a smile back onto her face and said. “Alright, sounds good.”

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Chapter 127 - Scythe to Meet You