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[i]‘As far from the Templars as you could get without being villains.’[/i]

Umbri scoffed at the claim. To her, Templars were villainous in their own right. Gov funded, superpowered law keepers shying their eyes from the crimes of multi-billionaire companies for the sake of order. The white cloaks and red crosses emblazoned on their chests didn't ease off her scepticism of the [i]Texas Templars,[/i] either.

So, if [b][i]Aegis [/i][/b]was to be believed, the vigilantes of the Rogue Collective were more heroic than any superhero. Beyond acting outside of government regulation, with no company or political [s](or religious?)[/s] interests at heart: they couldn’t be bought. Temujin would not align himself with their kind if they could. That thought was even more convincing to her than Alex's answer.

The market street stopped her. Something familiar - sort of. She flashed between [i]the Northbridge lights blinking in the grease running down the street from the food stalls[/i] --- back to the vegetables on display before her now hosting every colour of the rainbow. [i]A glazed-eyed woman in a miniskirt beckoning with a finger on a corner[/i] --- a woman selling handcrafted pots and wind chimes. [i]The shouting and a shiv being pulled during a bartering gone wrong[/i] --- clat being exchanged for a steaming loaf of bread and warm conversation. [i]The ensuing fight[/i] --- two dogs playing tug or war with a monster bone.

[color=#A4303F][b]"We're out here for Jemma, so, food, I guess,"[/b][/color] she replied distractedly as she moved past Alex. Umbri wandered from stall to stall with bright eyes shifting through the displays. The produce on display was colourful, fresh and clean, but nothing she saw felt right for Jemma's situation. It didn't [i]shine.[/i] Her fingers trailed through an array of hanging fabrics. She poked her head over a crowd, following a familiar smell, to see charcoal-blackened bird feet smoking over a grill. Alex lost track of her pink hair for a moment only for it to reappear on one of the elevated walkways. She looked through a display of amber jewellery, particularly, a set of butterfly wings encased in the honey-hued resin. She smiled over her shoulder at him as he approached, then pulled up quick, as if suddenly startled by his presence. [color=#A4303F][b]"We should be looking for meat."[/b][/color]

Once the two had entered the market proper, there was a significant decline in people stopping Alex for a bit of help. Though Alex seemed very easily distracted by other things. It was food. And his own shopping. Somehow in the time it had taken for Umbri to begin taking in the sights and browsing, the man had already purchased a clinking bag of herbs, spices, and pickled ingredients. There were also a half a dozen kebabs of mixed vegetables and meats in hand. One of which was being handed over to Umbri. [color=deepskyblue][b]"Thought you might still be hungry."[/b][/color] He unapologetically slid an entire skewers worth into his mouth, all but inhaling the food. [color=deepskyblue][b]"Sorry, I need the calories for uh,"[/b][/color] He motioned to all of himself. [color=deepskyblue][b]"All this mess."[/b][/color]

Having a body like his on top of being a living reactor had its perks. Thank goodness he loved food. Right, here for Jemma. Needed meat. Because his friend was now some amorphous shapeshifter that had eaten people. Did changing burn calories and stuff? Did she need extra biomass for what she had done to Umbri? Countering Thresher venom might have been more taxing than he had realized. Focus damnit. 

[color=deepskyblue][b]"I know a perfect stop, doesn’t mean we can’t browse along the way since nobody is-"[/b][/color]Alex’s jaw clacked shut before he even finished that sentence. Way too soon dude. Without showing too much panic, he eyed the piece she was looking at. [color=deepskyblue][b]"Nice find there, the wings match your eyes. Thinking of getting it before we go to the butchers?"[/b][/color] 

Umbri discreetly scrutinized the kebab, deemed it ‘non-shiny’, and tested the texture with her teeth before eating. The comment on the butterfly and her eyes took her off-guard and she lifted her brows at him. In her head she started a tally.

[color=#A4303F][b]“Oh, I can’t -”[/b][/color] she started. The butterfly really did match her eyes, actually, it [i]shared[/i] them, sporting two violently red eyespots. Despite how delicate its wings were, it almost appeared fierce. Fierce and frozen in gold. [color=#A4303F][b]“I can’t throw clat at that. I wouldn't wear it at work. It’s not practical.”[/b][/color] She tore her gaze from it to scan the markets. ‘Something practical,’ she reprimanded. She couldn’t get trinkets for trinkets’ sake. As she looked around, she wobbled on uneven, broken heels. [color=#A4303F][b]“I can get shoes. I broke something running from a Thresher last night... Different Thresher,”[/b][/color] she clarified, bewildered by the fact she had to specify. Judging from the décor of this settlement, she was still in danger of encountering a third.

Not one, but two Threshers. God she really had a rough time before making it here. Granted Shieldtown had an even more pressing monster issue but at least they rarely got further in then a block or two past the walls. Not that he was gonna say that now. Glancing down at her heels, Alex hummed to himself as two more kebabs all but disappeared down his throat. He perked up as an idea crossed his mind. [color=deepskyblue][b]"I got a guy who does all of my leatherwork, not that I have my jacket or armored boots to show off but he does good work. We can swing by, tanning shop is just a few stalls away from the butcher anyways."[/b][/color] 

Leading her along at a pace that wouldn’t roll her ankles and still have a chance to see more of the shops. Alex still stopped when Umbri wanted to look at something that caught her eyes, not failing once to give some form of comment of either the craftsmanship or how it might have suited her. All genuine comments sure. He wasn’t really sure why some of the stall owners were giving him dubious looks. Umbri’s tally just kept going up.

Finally, the two came to a rather large tent setup right in front of a heavily graffitied and poster covered building. The smell of tanning and leather drying wafted out through the front doors, just barely noticeable after lunging with the scent of cooking and spices from the other stalls. All manner of leather goods were on racks and display cases. Some with studs and spikes, both metal and bone. Given the patterns and scales a good chunk of the products showed off it was easy to assume that it was all made from monster hides. It did however give quite a bit of vibrancy to their color range.

A heavily pierced and tattooed man at what constitutes a counter visibly perked up and grinned at seeing Alex. [b]"There's my favorite customer!”[/b] he walked around the counter as the two bumped fists. [b]"Looking to get something new eh?”[/b] 

Alex grinned but shook his head. [color=deepskyblue][b]"Sorry, not today. My friend here however needs a new pair of kicks, and maybe whatever else catches her eye."[/b][/color] Alex motioned Umbri to the man that was a beanpole compared to him, and only as tall due to a well kept mohawk. [color=deepskyblue][b]"This is Skinny Joe."[/b][/color]

The man in question looked between Alex and Umbri before grinning and giving an overly exaggerated bow. [b]"Charmed to meet you dearie."[/b] He placed his hands on his hips and rocked on his heels. [b]"Anything in particular ya want?”[/b]

Umbri flashed a smile and nodded her head to return the greeting, swallowing down two gnawing thoughts - that Jemma was a comatose ball and she was out here prioritizing herself, and how much she was attached to the resin-encased butterfly they left behind. [color=#A4303F][b]“Just, anything without a heel,”[/b][/color] she replied, scanning over the stock. Secretly she was looking for something dainty like a lace up sandal, but she settled beside a pair of boots that looked her size. They were made from a thick, padded fabric, with hard leather shin guards and soles bolted on with studs and belts. [color=#A4303F][b]“Can I try these?”[/b][/color]

Joe waved over to the boots. [b]"By all means. Can guarantee they will hurt like hell for whoever you end up kicking.”[/b] Alex rolled his eyes and went to inspect one of the more expensive looking leather jackets. 

Umbri stripped off her heels and jumped into the new boots. There was a [i]-pwomph-[/i] as they hit the ground and kicked up dust. They were heavy, far weightier than the clear plastic heels. The padded fabric stopped the harder armor from digging in. They also looked completely out of place on her. Her eyes trailed over to the other items that had been displayed with them.

Several minutes later, Umbri caught Alex’s attention with a hum inflected like a question. Her head poked out from behind a stand. [color=#A4303F][b]“I might have gotten carried away,”[/b][/color] she prefaced, before trudging into view. Leather squeaked as she flexed her fingers, clad in studded, horned gauntlets. She’d tied her pink jacket around her waist, and instead on her shoulders, she boasted pauldrons with wicked spikes curled away from her face. Each piece working in perfect harmony with her new shoes. She looked back at the dusty mirror she’d been using, twisting her body for a better look. Her face softened and a little wondrous smile tugged at her lips. [color=#A4303F][b]“But it… looks like I belong in Shieldtown, doesn’t it?”[/b][/color]

… Moment over.

[color=#A4303F][b]“Anyway, I probably can’t afford half of it.”[/b][/color] She said, the emotion dropped from her voice, and started unstrapping the gloves.

[b]"Maybe. . . . If it wasn’t already paid for.”[/b] Joe gave Alex a smirk, while Alex looked suddenly very interested in something else. [b]"Big guy is too damn nice for his own good.”[/b] The vendor spun a not so insignificant string of clatter around his fingers and walked back to the counter. Umbri gawked. [color=#A4303F][b]“...What?”[/b][/color] Her tally just gained so many notches it was falling out of her head.

[color=deepskyblue][b]"Welp, guess you own those now. Oh would you look at the time! We really gotta go to the butcher’s."[/b][/color] All sounded like it had been said in a single breath as Alex briskly walked out of the tent. Joe proceeded to laugh his ass off at Alex’s usual lack of smoothness and subtlety.