Girl's Day Out
A/N: I think this is long overdue, don't you? Poor Emma, forced into doing girly-girl things. Halfway inspired by when Toph and Katara went to the spa, but otherwise it's all me. Enjoy!
Emma ran down the darkened corridor of the Temple. It was right behind her, closing in every minute. She knew what was coming; she couldn't outrun her fate, couldn't outsmart it and there was no conceivable way she could overpower it. No, this was truly terrifying, and for a moment, the thought of wetting herself seemed like an incredibly viable option. But she dismissed it when she realized that it meant chafing late on and awkward explanations should she encounter any cute blondes with accents. Darn. She saw a shadow cast on the far wall, and panicked when she realized that the only room in the hall was the laundry room, which had no place to hide. She could fit in the washer, yes, but it was too obvious. She'd be found out in moments. Still, she refused to lie down and give in.
Kimiko found Emma halfway through a window, struggling to free herself. She rolled her eyes, pulling Emma's hood off of the hook it had gotten snagged on and yanking the Irish girl back in. "Emma, it's just a trip to the mall," she said. Emma screamed and thrashed, trying to escape, but Kimiko just held up a Shen Gong Wu and calmly said "Tangled Web Comb." In a matter of seconds, Emma was bound and gagged on the floor, struggling to free herself. "Well, then, let's get a move on!" Kimiko said cheerfully, grabbing Emma's foot and dragging her along the hallway.
She passed through the rec room, where Raimundo was beating Clay at Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Omi was meditating. They paused the game long enough to watch the witch be dragged out the door, her muffled screams evidence enough that she was going crazy. Or, at least, had gone crazier than she normally was. After they left, the boys resumed their game as though nothing had happened. Well, nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. Kimiko managed somehow to load Emma into the Silver Manta Ray, since Dojo flat-out refused to carry them so far on his off day. Kimiko flew them to a mall near her home, in downtown Tokyo. Ignoring all parking rules, she landed the Manta Ray and ragged Emma out, shrinking the Wu and detangling the Tangled Web Comb. Emma struggled to her feet, shrieking expletives and mangled curses at Kimiko, who just stood there and watched. When she was done, Kimiko took her arm and calmly led her into the mall. Emma's energy had been wasted fighting the way there, and she was too tired to complain any more.
"So, I thought that first we could try on some clothes, 'cause there are just the cutest boutiques here, and then go to the spa, and finish up with makeovers!" Kimiko exclaimed, clapping her hands. "What do you think?"
"I think it's a perversion of every moral I've ever held dear," Emma replied, a look of terror on her face. "Can't you do all that by yourself and let me be a happy little nerd in the depths of GameStop?"
"Nope!" the Japanese girl chirped, grabbing Emma's arm again and leading her down a flight of stairs. The mall was huge, and hundreds of people milled about, talking and shopping and hanging out. Emma couldn't help but admire how enormous the place was, with three floors and an open space that let people get around easily. Kimiko led her into a small shop, and Emma grimaced when she saw that it was called Sassy Grrl.
"Do not want!" Emma yelled as Kimiko dragged her inside, flailing her arms. But Kimiko was stronger, and had little trouble grabbing Emma's hood and pulling her in. She began to browse the racks of clothes while Emma sulked next to her. "Just for the record, if and when I defect to the Heylin side, I'm getting back at you for this," she snarled.
"Of course you are," Kimiko replied, not really listening. Her eyes lit up and she pulled a sundress off the rack. It was bright yellow with white polka dots. Emma cringed slightly. "Look, it's so you!" she said, shoving it into Emma's arms. "Come on, help me find some more stuff."
"Um, I don't really think-"
"Shush, I'm on a roll," Kimiko interrupted, throwing two shirts into Emma's hands. "Ooh! 30 percent off!"
"Oh, come out!"
"No."
"I'm sure it's adorable."
"I look like a friggin' cupcake."
"Come on, just let me see!"
"Nope. Not gonna do it."
"Don't make me come in there."
"I'm not leaving this dressing room."
"I'm gonna count to three."
"Ohh, I'm sooo scared!"
"One…"
"Okay, okay!" There was a pause, and then, in a smaller voice, Emma said, "Promise you won't laugh?"
Kimiko sighed. "Emma, I picked out all these clothes. I promise I'm not going to laugh." The door opened, and Emma stepped out wearing the yellow sundress. Kimiko clapped a hand over her mouth to hold back the giggles. Emma glowered.
"You promised!"
"I-I'm not laughing!" Kimiko said, grinning widely. "I'm just agreeing with you… it really does look like a cupcake!"
Emma smiled a little. "Heh. Yeah, I feel pretty ridiculous."
"But it's fun, right?" Kimiko asked, smiling. Emma stuck out her tongue, but Kimiko kept grinning. "Now go put on the red oxford and that nice jacket!"
"Okay, I admit, that could have been worse," Emma said. She and Kimiko sat in the food court, chowing down on French fries and milkshakes. "But these shakes are awesome."
"I told you it would be fun," Kimiko said, noting with satisfaction the several bags beside their table. She had insisted on paying for everything, and since Emma didn't have a credit card or a business tycoon for a father, she couldn't really argue. "Next up is the spa!"
Emma nearly choked on her milkshake. "The spa? What do they even do there?" she asked suspiciously, scooting away from the table.
"It's just relaxing stuff, like massages and facials." When she saw that Emma was still hesitant, she added, "The one in this mall has a sauna."
"Ooh! That room where there's a bunch of steam?" Emma asked. Kimiko nodded, and Emma considered it, munching on a waffle fry. "Well… okay, I guess. But only so I can pretend to be part dragon."
They finished their meal and Kimiko showed Emma where the spa was. It was on the first floor, and it was pretty big for something inside a mall. A woman welcomed them in and showed them to a room in the back, where they put their bags in a locker and changed into bathing suits and bathrobes. "I'm becoming suspicious," she said when they were being led towards another room. "Bathrobes never lead to good things."
Kimiko sighed. "I'd never thought I'd have to say this to you, but loosen up and have some fun! I think you might enjoy yourself if you actually tried."
Emma was about to reply when the woman opened a door and ushered them into a small room divided by a bamboo screen. There were four holes in the tile floor, each hole filled with mud. Kimiko beamed. "Oh, yay, mud baths!"
"Mud what?" screeched her companion. Kimiko shushed Emma and explained how mud baths worked. "They help relax you."
"Nothing is relaxing about getting mud in my no-no zones," Emma replied, staring suspiciously at the giant mud puddles.
Kimiko facepalmed. "Just try it!" She took off her bathrobe and stepped right into one, sighing as the cool mud covered her skin. "Come on, it feels great." Emma bit her lip and glanced between Kimiko and the mud bath next to her. Kimiko frowned; it was time to use her trump card. "Emma, what are the guys gonna say when they find out that you couldn't handle being muddy?" The girl's eyes flared up, and Kimiko knew she had hit the mark.
"Me, not handle mud? Ha! I'm the best at getting dirty! I'll show you," she said defiantly, tossing aside her bathrobe and sloshing into the bath. She shuddered as the mud oozed around her, but she had to admit that, once she got over the weirdness of being surrounded by goo, it felt okay. She laid back like Kimiko, trying to relax. "So… what do we do now?" she asked.
Kimiko's eyes were closed, and she didn't bother opening them. "Now we get facials."
"Oh. Um, okay," she replied, leaning back in the tub. Emma had no idea what facials were, but if the mud bath turned out all right, she assumed the facials wouldn't be that bad either. A few minutes later two women came into the room, sitting at small tables beside the girls. They each had a bowl of green stuff and some cucumber slices. "Uh… what's that?" Emma squeaked.
"That's what they use for the facial," Kimiko said, keeping her eyes closed as the woman on her side began rubbing the green goo onto her face. "It's made from avocados."
"Eww!" Emma cried, shrinking into the mud.
"How is this any worse than getting completely covered by mud?" Kimiko asked. Emma tried to think of an argument, but none came to mind. She followed Kimiko's example and leaned back, nervously watching the lady beside her. The woman began smearing the goo on Emma's face as well, and the Irish girl winced as it touched her skin. After a while, though, it was much like the mud bath- just fine once she was used to it. The woman put something over Emma's eyes, and she sighed. It was kind of relaxing, she supposed, and she smiled a little. She felt the goo on her face crack a little, and she realized it had hardened.
After a while, she heard Kimiko say, "Okay, we're done in here!" She removed the things on her eyes- they turned out to be cucumber slices- and stood up, giggling as the mud made slurping noises whenever she moved. She saw that Kimiko's hair was pulled into a bun, and her face was totally green. Hers must have looked the same, minus the hair, because Kimiko pointed and laughed. Emma began cracking up too, and soon both of them were having giggle fits over the other's appearance.
The woman from before came back and had them follow her, and they both quieted down as they followed her into a room almost exactly like the one with the mud baths. This one, however, had actual water in the tubs, and several faucets for each. When she left, Kimiko began explaining what the new bathtubs were for. "This is to wash off the mud, and there are a bunch of soaps and stuff to make your skin all soft."
"Okay," Emma said. She got into the bathtub without any hesitation this time, and found that the water felt a little oily. She figured it was due to the soaps and stuff, so she began to scrub all the mud off of her. It came off surprisingly easily, floating to the bottom of the bathtub. Emma began to experiment with the different bottles of soaps along the edge of the bathtub, pouring one in after the other to make new smells and lots of bubbles. She was excited to find that each faucet contained a different color of water, and so she set to work making herself a brew.
Kimiko, meanwhile, knew exactly what she was doing. After getting off the remainder of the mud, she soaked for a while before washing her hair. The shampoo left it smelling citrusy, and the conditioner made it soft. She chose her favorite-smelling soap, cherry blossom, and began to wash herself off. By the time she was done, she could hear Emma getting out of the bathtub as well. She got out, drying off and putting her bathrobe back on, as well as putting her hair into some curlers she found in a basket near the bathtub. She pulled back the bamboo screen, and blinked in surprise. Emma stood there, clean and looking rather pleased with herself, but her bathtub was a mess. All the soap had been used up, and it was overflowing with bubbles and murky water. Kimiko sighed. She was going to have to pay for that.
"So, I take it you're enjoying yourself?" Kimiko asked as they walked to the sauna.
"Well, I never thought I'd say it, but… I like doing something girly," Emma said, smiling. "I feel all clean. I never feel this clean."
"Maybe you should take longer showers, then," Kimiko suggested, realizing how Emma got in and out of the bathroom so fast.
"Nah, that's too much work. This I just for fun." Kimiko sighed, but it was completely missed by Emma. They entered the sauna, which was devoid of any other customers. "Yay, dragon time!" Emma squealed, running to dump some water on the coals. Kimiko went ahead and took a seat, sighing happily as the steam relaxed her tense muscles. After so much training all the time, this was like heaven. She closed her eyes and leaned back, letting the steam do it's work. It really was nice…
"Kimiko. Psst. Kimiko! Wake up!" Kimiko stretched and sat up. Emma stood in front of her, wearing a bathrobe. Kimiko's brain was working overtime to try and figure out why Emma would be wearing a bathrobe, but then she remembered where they were. "You kinda fell asleep, so I just played dragons by myself," Emma said cheerfully. "The lady said it's time for us to go, though."
"Oh… okay," Kimiko yawned, standing. "I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep…"
"It's okay, I do that all the time," Emma said, smiling. "Anyway, I guess we'd better pay now. Or sneak out, whichever."
"I'm gonna go with the legal route," Kimiko said.
Emma shrugged. "Suit yourself. The legal way is never the fun way, though." Kimiko rolled her eyes and pulled out her wallet.
"Come on, let's get out of here before you shoplift or something." They left the sauna and paid, and when they were going back to get their bags Kimiko got an idea. "Hey, how about we wear our new clothes?" she asked, grinning. "And then we can get makeovers!"
"Oh, so is this when the fun part ends? Good to know," Emma said, nodding sadly. "Goodbye, fun part. You shall be missed in my heart-organs."
"The fun doesn't stop until I say so," Kimiko insisted, shoving an outfit into Emma's hands. "Now put this on and meet me outside when you're done, okay?" Emma muttered something under her breath, but went ahead and found a screen to change behind. Kimiko grabbed one for herself and put on her new outfit, admiring herself in the mirror before she went to pay.
The curlers had made her hair nice and curly, and shiny from the fancy conditioner. Her clothes consisted of a knee-length white dress with short sleeves, orange knee socks and red flats. Several gold bangle bracelets were on her right arm, and she had an orange headband to match the stockings. A thin red belt pulled in the dress at her waist, so the skirt portion poofed out a bit. All in all, she was very satisfied with how she looked. "Hey, Kimiko, you look awesome!" The Japanese girl glanced over to see Emma wearing an outfit that deviated greatly from her usual comfortably oversized clothes. She wore a black miniskirt with green and black striped leggings, and black combat boots. Her t-shirt had been replaced with a lime green tank top with a kawaii bat on it, and a purple short-sleeved hoodie over it.
"I knew it! I knew that would look great!" Kimiko squealed, beaming. "That's so adorable!"
"Yeah, I like it," Emma agreed. "Even though it does have a skirt. It's nice and Halloween-y."
Kimiko checked her phone. "Okay, we've got one hour exactly until the mall starts to close, so that's just enough time for a makeover!" Emma started to protest, but Kimiko grabbed her hand, picked up the bags and dashed off to the nearest salon. At this point, Emma figured arguing was a moot point, so she just followed along. Kimiko arrived at the salon and talked the nearest stylist into giving her a chair. "I'll go first, so you can see how fun it is," she said, giving Emma a reassuring smile. Emma took a seat on a stool next to Kimiko, so she could watch. The stylist and Kimiko began to talk in Japanese, occasionally laughing about something. Emma watched with interest as the stylist worked, realizing that it was kind of like drawing, just on a 3D surface; Kimiko's face. (Though she knew from experience that people typically didn't like it when you drew on their faces, especially not when they were passed out and you were using a Sharpie.)
A few minutes later, the makeup artist was done, and Kimiko looked in a mirror. She seemed very pleased with the result, though from what Emma could tell she looked the same she did whenever she put makeup on herself. "Okay, your turn," she said, nudging Emma into the seat.
"Tell her to go easy on me, huh?" the Irish girl whimpered.
"Will do," Kimiko replied, relaying the message to the woman. She nodded, picking up a brush and setting to work. Emma closed her eyes and tried to not move. Just moments later, Kimiko was telling her to open her eyes and look. Emma did so hesitantly, nearly gasping when she saw her reflection. A pretty girl looked back, in a cute outfit with a light amount of green eye shadow and mascara. Somehow, her face didn't look as childish as it usually did, and she didn't look… strange. She looked normal.
"Wow," Emma whispered, touching her face. "Is that really me?" Kimiko laughed, and the stylist seemed very pleased with herself.
"Just wait until Clay sees you," Kimiko chided, nudging Emma with her elbow. Emma went red, and Kimiko paid the stylist, laughing madly. They left the mall, talking animatedly about the day and how Kimiko was right and Emma should really listen to her more often and no they weren't stopping for ice cream on their way home.
By the time they arrived back at the Temple, it was dark. The girls walked in, each carrying a few bags of clothes. Raimundo and Clay looked up from the couch, where they hadn't moved all day. (Without the girls there to bother them about paying video games too much or beat them at said video games, they had free reign.) Omi walked in the other door, beaming when he saw them. "Kimiko! Emma! You have returned! Did you enjoy yourselves at the mall of shopping?"
Kimiko laughed. "We sure did, Omi. What do you guys think of our new outfits?" Kimiko asked, twirling around.
"You look fantastic, Kim," Raimundo said, grinning. "It's weird to see Emma in a skirt, though," he added, making a face. Emma was about to retort when Clay spoke up.
"Ah think it's real pretty," he said, jabbing Raimundo with the controller. Emma coughed, turning red but unable to hide her smile.
"Well, we've got clothes to put away!" Kimiko said, grabbing Emma's arm again and pulling her away. "See you guys tomorrow!"
"Yeah… see ya…" Clay said, waving slightly. Raimundo shook his head, turning the game back on.
"Man, she looks like a girl for ten seconds and you go all slackjawed on me," Raimundo said, restarting the game. "At least I can concentrate on Kimiko and beating you." Clay was too distracted to answer.
Mediocre ending is mediocre, but WHATEVER! I gotta go to sleep now. Sorry about school, Maru-chan! I hope this cheers you up! :D