When the going gets tough...

[tm_darla]

...the tough go shopping. Admittedly, killing shopgirls is out of the question for the semi-reformed ex vampire, but shopping is still an excellent way to cheer up one's adolescent friend. Moreover, they actually do need some practical items, such as paint. So Darla uses her free afternoon to pick up Kara for a hopefully angst-free spree to aquire

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[kara_marie]

Kara's waiting on the couch for Darla to get home from the Museum. They really need soft furnishings. The sofa is nice and all, but there's nothing to hug while you're watching the TV. And a house needs soft furnishings. Something to add more colour and texture and something to hug while you watch TV or DVDs or whatever.

And, well, she's just spending a stupid amount of time on the sofa. Maybe she needs a change of scenery. Maybe she should go share some of that stupid amount of time with Warren's sofa.

Or shopping with Darla. She's going to miss General Hospital, but Kara can cope with that. It's not like skipping The Bold and the Beautiful.

And then Kara can hear someones keys in the door. Kara starts pulling her shoes on.

[tm_darla]

Darla, who knows Angel is sleeping, opens the door quietly, and beckons to Kara. She's glad to have retained the car. Not that the Boston public transport system isn't good, but today's booty is going to be heavy, and even a Slayer can only carry so much.

Ready, princess?

[kara_marie]

She's tightening the strap on the back of her shoe.

"Ready and no longer waiting."

The television gets switched off and Kara is out the door.

"Did you have a good day?"

[tm_darla]

They brought in another expert who thought he could patronize me on Picasso and Matisse and I skewered him, so yes, absolutely,

Darla announces, and opens the door of the car for Kara.

Anything good on tv? Spike keeps raving about something called "Passions", but considering the source, I wasn't inclined to try it so far.

[kara_marie]

Kara has managed to turn a rather impressive shade of grey in this time and opens her eyes, which she had closed after the first near encounter.

She opens her mouth to speak, but finds herself quite incapable, filled with a mixture of terror and fury (increasing fury) as she now is. Now the immediate danger is over, the fury is most definitely growing.

So the mouth gapes open for a moment and then closes again.

"That - "

Which is absolutely as much as she can managed to say. Darla can fill the rest of the sentence in however she likes.

Kara is out of the car, for a moment she can't get out and it takes a minute for her to realise it is the seatbelt that is holding her in and not paralysis. And when she is out she is clearly shaking and not a little this time.

The door gets slammed, quite hard enough to ensure that the attention of anyone in the vincinity is on them.

[tm_darla]

Watching Kara shake, guilt kicks in. True, she had been massively irritated by the geese, the bite, and Kara being deliberately obnoxious, but Darla should have remembered Kara's fear of automobile accidents. Actually, she's not quite sure she didn't remember and acted accordingly. It's the kind of thing she would have done to Drusilla if Dru irritated her

[kara_marie]

Well, she's unlikely to do that considering she doubts Wesley will ever speak to her again, although she does remember Tucker promising a bed if she was ever hard up for somewhere to stay.

And the other customer is looking doubtful and tells Darla that she should, "really be setting an example". Clearly Darla's parenting and drive skills are being brought into question.

Kara has, in this time, found her voice and says - still clearly shaken,

"I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER getting in a car with you ever again. EVER! NEVER EVER! I WILL WALK HOME. WALK. I AM NEVER GETTING IN THAT CAR AGAIN."

Or possibly ANY car for a little while.

[tm_darla]

Darla doesn't do contrite very well, especially in public, though she really is. Throbbing hand notwithstanding. (And the fast drive cleared her of her anger anyway.)

"Look,"

she says, ignoring the other customer,

"I'm sorry. Can we blame it on goose rabies? In any case, you don't have to walk. There is the public transport system. And if you really want to punish me, consider. Here is a store. I have the credit card. And I'm somewhat at your mercy right now."

Emphasis on now.

[kara_marie]

"We could mix colours if we wanted to... I mean, hello? If you want something done properly you have to do it yourself. Do you have to look like I just asked you to eat your own waste? I seriously feel one of my headaches coming on."

Alan Shore once indicated that the tone and pitch of Kara's voice could give anyone a migraine. In his defence he had been suffering through a bad day and Kara had been in a particularily persistent mood. However at this point the staff and patrons of the establishment would probably agree with him.

And the staff member in attendence is trying to distract her from her complaints with a paint sample.

"No, actually, it gives me a headache. Can you imagine waking up to that everyday? God, imagine waking up with a hangover and seeing THAT? Have you got something a little more subtle - and not shiney? Matte! It has to be matte. That's just an obnoxious pink! Do I look like a flamingo? I'm NOT an obnoxious person."

[tm_darla]

Darla, who at this point feels like asking for an aspirin, also has a nagging sense of needing to make up for that scaring of Kara via driving, so she says to the staff member

"Maybe you can leave us some samples here and bring some aspirin for the young lady while we look at them? She's had a hard day."

The staff member gladly presses a catalogue in her (band-aid covered) hand and flees, ostensibly to get the aspirin. Darla has a look athe the ten various shades of pink. There are two who look actually rather pretty (and matte), one called "ashes of roses" and one called "Molly Ringwald".

"Do you like any of these?"

[kara_marie]

"Asprin isn't going to do anything." And Kara is looking through her bag for codiene. That's the problem with owning so many bags, you've always left what you need in another one. "They're okay. I want something dramatic, like, something that makes a statement. But it has to be... sophisticated."

And she tips the contents of her bag over the counter. Everything comes out. Lipgloss, mascara, alittle tissue pack with hello kitty on it, keys, tampons, her phone, spare change, hair clips, an odd earring, a scarf that belongs to Darla and Kara did not ask to borrow...

No codiene. Damn it.

"You have to picture it. I want white shelves in front of it. I saw this ones in an IKEA catalogue which was perfect. Like 6X6 square with square results. Amazing. Imagine that in front of a deep pink wall? It will be so effective."

And after all that -

"Maybe ashes of roses?"

[tm_darla]

Darla identifies her scarf and decides to a) confiscate it silenty before Kara puts it back into the bag, and b) bring it up the next time Kara complains about Angel's drinking habits. Meanwhile, white shelves actually sound like an excellent idea. (Thinks Darla who has no idea that they show every spot very soon because her shelves in her own flat had been brown and she certainly didn't do any dusting chez Wyndham-Pryce.)

"Sounds like a beautiful combination,"

she says with genuine enthusiasm, and when the staff member returns with aspirin and a glass of water, grabs it unceremoniously and takes it, never mind that it was intended for Kara. The staff member looks confused for a moment.

"Do you want to order the shelves directly from Ikea or buy them here?"