Let's Go Shopping!

Serena sat cross-legged on Vas’s bed, shaking her head at the shirt he brought out to wear. “It has a hole in the collar.” She protested.

Vas frowned, sticking his finger through the hole. "Damn … I can mend it. Pass me the sewing kit." Vas declared like a doctor in an ER.

“We can just buy you a new shirt,” the teen told him, digging the sewing kit out of his bag. “Something blue would bring out your eyes.”

"I have a blue shirt. The one with the grease stain that won't come out but Patch swears they will … eventually." Vas reminded expertly threading a needle.

Serena made a face. “We’ll get you a couple of shirts on the Skyplex.” She decided.

"Why? I got plenty of shirts that got lots of life in them." Vas reminded her as he started to stick the wound on his shirt closed. He was the type that fixed and patch till said article of clothing was nothing but patches sewn together.

“On account of the last two stops I got two shirts, and a new pair of shorts, and socks, and the socks you got you can see three of your toes in ‘em. You need a few things too, ‘specially when we go dockside.” She told him while playing with the wrap on her arm. “Do you think they’ll have tape? Pink tape?”

"I darned them socks." Vas defended. "And what do I even need. I got all I need. 'Cept some good noodles. Why you need pink tape anyways?" He asked happy to distract from the current topic of the quality of his clothing.

“On account of it would look prettier than this wrap which is supposed to be flesh tone but don’t match my flesh,” she said matter of fact, holding up her arm to her face to show him the difference. “Like when you used to fight and we taped your hands up.”

"Yes but that ain't the same kinda tape." Vas explained. "They might have medical tape in colors … might be more expensive though, might be cheaper to get planet side cuz they use the colorful ones on horses and livestock."

“Oh.” Serena said, her shoulders dropping. “Well, I can wait for planetside then. But!” she added chipperly, crinkling her nose at his latest patch up job. “You definitely need some new clothes.”

"What's wrong with the shirt?" Vas asked, holding up the patched up shirt. "Near as new!" He declared. Never mind that the color had faded from black to grey brown or whatever print had been on the front had long washed away or the off colored stains they refused to wash out. It might as well be the kind of shirt Patch would recycling as a rag in the engine room.

Serena shook her head. “We are getting you new clothes. Otherwise, no noodles.” She warned.

"Do my shirts offend you? What did they ever do to you?" Vas frowned. He had plenty of clothing. Well worn, comfortable clothing. He did see why he needed more of them.

“No, but we can afford to get you new shirts now. And what if you meet someone and you wanna look nice?” She asked, raising both eyebrows.

"Who would I meet that I would want to look 'nice' for." Vas said, folding the shirt Serena so harshly rejected. "We work and live on a ship there ain't no one else to meet other then passengers."

“You might meet someone on the Skyplex or a planet, or *I* might meet someone on a planet or a Skyplex, and we got me new stuff and that’s only fair.” She explained. “Two new shirts, one pair of pants, and socks. And *THEN* you get noodles. And ‘sides, I got extra credits this week. I wanna spend ‘em on you.”

"You *needed* those." Vas said tartly. "And if we buy more stuff I have to throw out old stuff to fit it all in my bag and then they gotta be broken in. What if I tear it working then there goes a brand new shirt …" He listed.

“If you tear it, you can fix it, just like you do now. It’ll be old and broken in in no time. Promise. Please?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

Vas sighed. "Fiiiiiiiiinnneeee." He crawled out with childish drama. "Only cuz you got my noodles hostage."

Serena giggled. “The way to my Nii-san is through his stomach. Do you wanna know what I got extra credits for?”

"Found them on the ground?" Vas joked.

Serena looked left and right, and leaned forward on the bed, lowering her voice. “Jago,” she whispered with another giggle.

"No!" Vas burst out laughing. "He heard about that?"

Serena nodded enthusiastically. “So are you ready? Can we go? “

"Yea, yea, yea … let's go." Vas said getting up.

“If you tear it, you can fix it, just like you do now. It’ll be old and broken in in no time. Promise. Please?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

Vas sighed. "Fiiiiiiiiinnneeee." He crawled out with childish drama. "Only cuz you got my noodles hostage."

Serena giggled. “The way to my Nii-san is through his stomach. Do you wanna know what I got extra credits for?”

"Found them on the ground?" Vas joked.

Serena looked left and right, and leaned forward on the bed, lowering her voice. “Jago,” she whispered with another giggle.

"No!" Vas burst out laughing. "He heard about that?"

Serena nodded enthusiastically. “So are you ready? Can we go? “

"Yea, yea, yea … let's go." Vas said getting up.