Through Ash and Dust (ROTB)

Chapter 40

After Optimus had dropped Saphira off at the mall, she knew she was in for a long day of shopping. Knowing that they would have to go to Peru the next day already made Saphira write a long list of items she was going to need. And it would certainly take most of the day to get everything together for the trip. She just hoped Optimus won't mind carrying it around, as she already had so much stuff that he has had to carry around. It made her feel bad for using him this way, even though Optimus has shown that he does not mind much at all. Though as she was travelling to a foreign country that was warmer, she knew she had to pack for the occasion.

The first thing Saphira hunted for was first aid supplies, knowing she might need it in Peru. She doubted she would need any camping gear, since she could sleep within Optimus's chassis anyway, so she didn't bother getting any of that. She did already have a first aid kit, but she got more items to add to it, knowing she might need it. Including medicine if needed. Once she finished that, she got insect repellent, feminine hygiene products and sunscreen. She had wanted to get this out of the way first, knowing right clothes were the second important thing.

Luckily, at this time, many of the clothing stores were starting to put out summer clothes. They still had racks of winter clothes, but this was just something a lot of retailers did at this time. After all, spring was around the corner, and they want to start selling new styles. And Saphira was happy about that, so she could be comfortable in Peru. She did not know how long they would be in Peru too, so Saphira knew she would need enough clothes for two weeks. If there were laundromats that she could use, she would use them. But when it came to underwear, she bought a lot more as a just in case.

She focused primarily on light, long sleeve shirts, jeans, thick socks, gloves and jeans. She did buy some singlets and t-shirts, but they would likely only be worn if it was fine to do so. While she knew it would be warm and humid, she also had to protect her skin from sunburn and ticks, so the clothing choices she went with were due to these reasons in mind. She wasn't experienced in walking in any kind of wilderness, but Saphira did not want to be unprepared. And she hoped she was not overthinking on what she needed. She also made sure to buy a backpack to fit the first aid, sunscreen, insect repellent and so on in it comfortably.

As for a dress, Saphira took her time looking for something that was flattering and casual. She even took her time looking at different pyjamas and lingerie. As winter had limited her to what she could wear that was nice and flattering, she certainly was looking forward to potentially wearing something that Optimus would like to see on her. She didn't know what exactly she would wear, but there were so many sundresses to try on, and she took a lot of time trying them on to figure out which ones she would like to wear and so on.

Eventually, she found a sundress that was rather nice and she fell in love with it. It is a v-neck, short sleeve sundress with dark blue trimming around the sleeves of the shoulders and helm of the dress. The corset was dark green with black tree shapes, and the skirt of the dress was a lighter green with white wildflowers scattered along it. She loved it, and it showed off her waist very well. She hoped it was a good choice, and that Optimus would like it as well.

Then she went to look at the pyjamas and lingerie. She knew these weren't necessary a need, but she wanted to have something nice. She knew that she wouldn't get them dirty or destroyed, since Optimus would contain them within his chassis for her, so she wasn't worried at all. But she knew she didn't necessarily need them. It was just something. Especially since Peru may open some more romantic opportunities for the two of them to enjoy. Especially under the stars without any skyscrapers blocking them.

Once she finished buying the clothes and necessary items, she moved onto food. Given she had zero idea of how long they would be Peru, she really needed to think on what she needed. She first went with several cartons of bottled water, knowing she would need a good supply for herself for a while. She then looked at all the dried fruit, jerky and nuts that she could take with her to Peru. And the various tin food that she also could take, along with crackers to spread things like tin fish on. This probably took up most of her time, simply because she needed to really think on what she should take that would keep her full and satisfied over the coming weeks.