Being almost grown up means two things SHOES and K-I-S-S-I-N-G

[curiously_cora]

Wiggling her toes, Coraline sighed loudly as she pulled her feet free from her boots. The boots were bright yellow with neon orange and lime green spots on them. Coraline loved her wellington boots but she also knew she was nearly thirteen years old. That meant she was practically grown up. And grown ups didn't get to wear fun and comfortable shoes

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[vvdanicavv]

Ew, something small and child-like was making noises at Danica. Again. Twice in one year was far too frequent, even if they were different children. Her approach would have been heard a mile off, the clack of her own heels marking her entrance. Danica was short, as Asher seemed to like reminding her with his half-pint comments, and while she couldn't get around that naturally, she certainly could with the help of Manolo Blahnik.

She towered above the girl, peering down with a look of curious disdain. The curiosity was solely due to the footwear on the child's feet. "But that would involve bodily contact," she pointed out, making no move to help the girl up. Touching children was about as appealing as touching Stephen Colbert's eyeballs.

[curiously_cora]

"Yes, that's usually what's required when someone needs to be helped up." Coraline said simply, looking up at the grown up. The woman had pretty shoes on too but she was walking around in them like she owned them. This woman was obviously to be heeded- she had defeated the shoe monster. "Your shoes are pretty. How do you walk in them without falling over?"

[vvdanicavv]

"I don't do bodily contact with children. Or helping." Of any kind. Danica had people to do that for her, and she still did, it was just that none of those people happened to be on the island with her.

The compliment worked in the child's favor, of course. "It's a gift," Danica answered, circling the girl slowly, sizing her up. "You either have it or you don't."

[curiously_cora]

"I'm not a child, I'm twelve that's almost thirteen." Coraline informed the woman, swinging her legs around and beneath her so she could attempt to get up on her feet again. To Coraline being almost thirteen was the same as being almost grown up. Everyone treated teenagers differently and Coraline couldn't wait to stop being treated like a small child. She wasn't even that small, she was nearly 5 foot six without heels. "Do you think you could teach me? I mean, I could have it and not know it."

Coraline wasn't even sure what it was. Grabbing onto the couch, Coraline hauled herself onto her feet yet again. At least this time it didn't take too long to get up. Now she just had to learn how to walk.

[vvdanicavv]

Well, wasn't that a kick in the teeth. When Coraline stood up, she was only an inch or two shorter than Danica and that was only because Danica's heels were and inch or two higher than the Louboutin's.

What was it with children and their wanting to learn things from Danica? First it was the Addam's girl wanting to know how to smoke properly and now Blondie was keening on mastering heels. When Danica had been a child, all she'd been interested in - much to her parents dismay - was getting into trouble and then manipulating people in order to get out of said trouble. No cigarettes or heels in sight. No wonder she didn't look back on those days with fondness.

Danica glanced over her shoulder, then the other, before settling her gaze back on the girl. "Me? Do I look like a teacher to you?" She didn't have leather elbow patches, that was fucking certain.

[curiously_cora]

Coraline wobbled unsteadily, holding her arms out to steady herself. Which was not good. Coraline couldn't look cool with her arms sticking out like that and the whole part of this endeavour was to look pretty and cool.

"You don't look like my other teachers, they're normally covered in chalk or dirt or sand or sweat. But you do look like you know about shoes which is what I want to learn about." Coraline said, pointing at the pretty and tall shoes. The woman's shoes were even taller than hers and she was carrying herself with poise. Coraline had to get her to teach her the way of the shoe. "Please, I'll be really good and- and I could do things for you chores! Or I could get you things. I'm a really good explorer, I find things all the time."

[vvdanicavv]

Danica supposed the child-thing had a point - she did know about shoes. She had enough of them back in New York to stock Macy's. And chores sounded like an excellent offer.

Lifting her hands to her waist, she passed a critical eye over the girl. "The first and most important thing you have to learn, little urchin, is confidence. I can't believe I'm going to say this, ugh, but," she sucked in a breath, "wear the shoes, don't let the fucking shoes wear you."

She nearly choked on the cliche. And she had implied that the child was its own person. Fuck, she needed a drink.

[curiously_cora]

"You said a b-" Coraline cut herself off when she realised that Danica was perhaps not like all the other grown ups. Besides she didn't want to annoy the shoe lady. The shoe lady could teach her girly things like not letting the shoes wear her. "I'm not an urchin my name is Coraline. Okay, so wear the shoes and-and how does it not hurt you?"

[vvdanicavv]

"Caroline, whatever," Danica waved off, getting impatient with the thing now. It wasn't supposed to talk to her for so long. "You put up with the pain."