Inside the Snowglobe

shopping

Check-out is at 9am. Of course it is. 
Villanelle rubs her eyes as the two of them make their way back towards central London. The streets are cold and wet from last night's short rain showers. 
"We should have stayed at a real hotel," she comments as Eve, a few steps ahead of her, checks the map on her phone again. 
Eve chuckles. "I know, I'm sorry you couldn't get your beauty sleep."
Villanelle scowls and hurries to catch up with Eve's brisk pace. "We'd have been a lot closer to the shops, too." 
"Well, we're almost there. Ah, here we go!" Eve points to a tall, strangely corporate looking building ahead of them. 
Villanelle glances at her. "What?"
"There's supposed to be a big thrift shop in there. They have all sorts of whacky stuff, we'll be sure to find something of use." 
Villanelle groans. "No. I am not going to wear some old grandmother's nightgown." 
This gets a hearty laugh out of Eve. "No? Well what's your suggestion?" 
"A normal store." 
"Fine. You figure it out."
Villanelle rolls her eyes at the retort and grabs the phone out of Eve's outstretched hand. "Aha! There's a good one only eight minutes from here." 
Eve looks at her. "What defines good?"
Villanelle raises her brows. "It's not old stuff."
Eve scoffs, but there's a smile in her voice. "Oh, I see."
Villanelle groans again as they start walking back in the other direction. She had just bought a gorgeous, tight-cut red dress she had been dying to wear, preferably with Eve. Or the cute navy suit with the sexy low-cut cleavage — no shirt on underneath, of course. And those brand new black, discreet platform heels. She knows full well that her whole wardrobe has probably already been confiscated so the Twelve can erase any remnants of her existence. Villanelle glances back down to Eve's phone. Five more minutes. 
She looks at Eve, who's hair is a little frizzy after her refusal to shower in the mouldy motel bathroom that morning. And to think that Eve was the one so insistent on staying there. Villanelle smiles. 
They round a corner, and she hands the phone back to Eve. "It's just up there."
They walk through the underpass along Kings Cross until they reach their destination. "Here we are." 
Villanelle steps through the glass doors and into the shop. The busy city hustle is muted when the door closes behind them. Villanelle looks around. This is more like it. 
"Jesus..." she hears Eve mutter. "This dress is over 200 pounds." She looks at Villanelle. "And how do you expect us to pay for this?" 
Villanelle shrugs. "You know I have money. And at least no one's worn it before."
Eve scowls, but there's a smile underneath it.
Villanelle starts scouring the pants rack and pulls out a pair of wide-legged navy cropped pants, tragically reminiscent of the suit she's no longer able to wear. She also settles for some cropped pastel-pink pants with a fancy belt. She glances up at Eve, who is looking through the sweaters, checking the price tag of each one. 
"Hey," Villanelle says, making her way over to her. "Just get what you want. Don't worry about it."
"But-"
"Shh." Before she can stop herself, she rests a finger on Eve's lips. "It's my treat, okay?"
Eve opens her mouth, but Villanelle has already turned away to look at tops. 

At the check-out counter, Villanelle watches the eyes of the cashier look her over with a raised brow. Villanelle glances down at her clothes: jeans and yesterday's dirty bright yellow raincoat. It looks stylish as streetwear, but not in a designer shop. She looks up again and greets the cashier with a brilliant smile. "I'll be paying for both of these." She grabs Eve's clothes and sets them on the counter along with her own choices. 
The cashier stares at them for another moment before wordlessly ringing them both up. Villanelle turns to give Eve a sly wink. 
They leave the store with arms full of fancy paper bags. Villanelle can't wipe the smile from her face even if she tried. Nothing will ever beat a good shop. 
She glances over her shoulder at Eve and stops. "What's wrong?" Her face is focussed and absent.
Eve glances up. "We should probably find a place to get rid of these bags. It's too noticeable."
Villanelle gives her a look, but digs to get her phone out of her pocket under all the bags. "We're only a few minutes away from an outdoor-supply shop. They'll have travel bags there, along with changing rooms. We can get ready there. We only have two more stops to make after that."
"Which are?"
"Food and wigs."
"You're kidding."
Villanelle looks at her. "Why? I would have just used my own, but they're all in my apartment. It's probably not a good idea to go back there."
Eve scoffs, but there's a smile on her face. 
"What?" Villanelle exclaims. "You're the one who said we need to be careful."
Eve smirks. "I know. I just think it's funny." She starts walking again. "Where is this store?"
Villanelle gestures her arm forwards. "Just keep going."