"So," Mia begins as they linger at a stop light, "Do you have any names you've been thinking about?"
"I'm partial to the name Mavis, but then I need a middle and last name."
"Okay, so how about I list a few names. Do you want it to start with a certain letter?"
"Could the middle name start with an 'm' as well?" Mia nods and starts ticking names off, all begining with 'm.' The newly-named Mavis stops her at Marie.
"Mavis Marie. I like that. It's pretty," she murmurs.
"And, it sounds like a whole name. You could just have Marie be your last name and leave out a middle name," Mia points out.
"I think I will. Adding anything else would just mess it up."
"Right," Mia smiles, pressing the gas gently. They enter a parking lot to a shopping mall. "What colors do you typically wear?"
"Black, dark blue, indigo. Anything thick & dark. And I always wear my leather jacket. There's no changing that," Mavis sends a warning glance to Mia, daring her to try to take it away.
"Alright. What about bras and underwear? Do you have any of those?"
"I have a small bag of extra bras, socks and underwear in the place I've been staying, but I could use a few more pairs of underwear."
"So we'll get those first, pick up a few pairs of pants and some dark shirts. Maybe we'll even find some cute accessories. We can use those to add some bright colors, if you'd like." Mavis appears to hesitate as Mia pulls into a parking spot.
"I don't wear light color shirts because my torso is black, like my hair, and shows through anything thats too light." She glances over towards her new friend, uncertain of what her reaction will be, and fingers the sunglasses in her lap.
"That makes sense. So, let's go get you some clothes!" Mia jumps out of the car, happy to be able to do some shopping, and watches as Mavis slides the glasses back on. "You don't have to wear those, you know," She comments.
"But my eyes will scare people," the girl says, confused.
"They'll assume they're contacts. It'll be fine. It's better than scaring people because you won't take your glasses off," Mia argues, earning a sigh from Mavis. Still, the shorter girl takes them off and tucks them into her jacket. "Much better," Mia smiles, "let's go!" Mia drags the poor girl through the shops, loading her arms down with doezens of shirts, four pairs of pants, and even a few skirts and dresses. Hair accessories are tossed into the mix, along with necklaces, belts, and bracelets; even some make-up finds its way into the pile. Finally, five new shoes are added to their already-full arms. Mave- as Mia nicknamed her- smiles to herself as they exit the store. She has a friend- multiple friends, in fact! Sure, they don't know everything about her & they're really only helping out of pity, but they're nice. And, Mave realizes, Mia was right.
Not once, in any of those stores, did people scream and run when they saw her eyes. The thought brings a new smile to her face. Maybe the world isn't all bad.
"Are you interested in seeing some of the nightlife out here?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's going to be a race tonight, one that's not entirely legal, and I want to know if you'll go with us."
"I think I will." Besides, Mave adds in her mind, even if I don't like it there, I can just leave. No one will ever know "Who will be there?"
"From our team? All of us: Dom, Jesse, Leon, Vince, Letty, and I. But there'll be tons of other people, as well. It just depends on the night."
"Oh. Okay. I'd like to see what this is," Mave murmurs, "is what i'm wearing alright?" Mia laughs.
"It'd be okay if you were a guy, but they expect girls to wear a ton less at these things. Letty and I will help you pick something out." Mave nods, not quite understanding why it matters that she's a girl. They pull into the driveway to Mia's house and lug everything up to the guest room, where Mave will be staying.
"We can put it all away later. For now, let's just get you ready." Mia grabs one of the skirts, a mid-thigh length denim one Mave had objected to buying, but that Mia had gotten anyway. A pair of knee-high boots with a short heel come out next, as well as a low cut black top. She adds a studded belt to the outfit and sends Mave to get dressed.
This is all surreal. I can't believe this us happening, but I wouldn't change it for the world. She strips off the clothes she's wearing and checks the straps on her "bra." Then, she pulls on the new outfit and her old leather jacket & looks in the mirror. She looks better, nicer, but something is still missing. But what? She adds some of the make up and ties her hair into a simple braid. The black kohl around her eyes emphasizes their blue color- and, consequently, the odd shaped pupil. Mavis Marie smiles into the mirror, her fangs retracted and her pupils widened into their alternate form, almost completely overtaking her iris. Trust for these new people would be a long time coming, but she has no doubts that these people would protect her as if she was one of their own. And she would do the same for them.