Second chap, with Penelo. This also reflects a little on my views of shopping. Clothes shopping in general. I would feel like Basch…especially when it's busy.

A MAN'S FEAR

Basch hated it. He detested the crowds, the picky and snooty shop assistants and the lack of manners people had when they shopped. Penelo wasn't like them, but she did have this tendency to be extremely over zealous at times. She came from humble origins such as himself and knew she didn't need everything they looked at, but there was a lusting in her eyes at some of the boots, gowns and clothes.

Meeting her upon his arrival in Rabanastre was a happy sight. The twenty year old had grown surprisingly tall and still maintained her thin petite figure, her long golden blonde hair flowed well past her waist and she didn't seem to have lost any of her charming and almost innocent personality.

Though, Basch didn't remember Penelo talking as much.

She had done this loud screechy thing in his ear as she flung her arms around his neck and throttled him with her impressive strength. She then went into a long stream of babbles about how great it was to see him ("You're going grey!" didn't exactly help him feel any better) how Ashe had missed him, how Vaan was being a pain in the bum, that Fran was busy and unable to attend and in general terms, everything was "hunky dory!".

"So! You want to find something nice for Ashe?!" Penelo stretched her back and swung her arms in a teasing manner. "But it's got to be really special, being as it's coming from you."

"Why?" asked Basch trying not to show that he really did understand.

"You care about her….right?" Penelo grinned. "As she does for you?"

"Penelo…"

"Aw rubbish, Basch! You care more deeply for the Queen than the rest of us! It's plain to see on your face when someone mentions her name, oh and when you're not wearing that foulness of a helm! I remember the time, before you left, when your armour used to make this horrible screechy and clunking sound whenever she walked in the room…You don't fool me! Neither of you do!"

Was it the scorching heat of the Dalmascan summer or his embarrassment that now swathed his cheeks with a deep crimson red?

"Neither of us?"

"Not for one minute! Now…we've got some work to do! I know just the place to start!"

She grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him away into the busy centre of Rabanastre.

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He swore that if one more assistant came up to them and asked if they needed any help, Basch would lose patience. Penelo had pulled from the racks, endless dresses and was lying them out before him in a spread.

"Hey!" She giggled as she picked up a beautiful red silk item. "I swear that those women over there think you're the one who's going to try on the dress."

Two middle aged Hume women (nobles of some kind) were glaring at him with distaste.

"Over my dead body" He thought.

Basch smiled politely and was about to say how nice the red dress was, when like a frantic bee, Penelo put it back down and scrambled through the rest of her choices. She kept muttering under her breath what Ashe would look great in and on more than one occasion she said how great she would look in them.

There were too many people in this shop…Basch tried to ignore this Seeq woman as she squeezed into a very revealing sparkly sequin gown, but all he could hear was the infuriating shop assistant telling the Seeq how beautiful she looked. It sickened him. All this false flattery just to get a sale?

The continuous female cries of "You don't have it in my size?!" and "Why doesn't it come in other colours?!" was bringing on a mighty headache for Basch. Penelo had abandoned him when she found something to try on herself, so Basch was sitting on the chair, cut off from the exists and wishing he had never come.

Basch was a lone man in the middle of a storm. Angry and afraid.

"Are you okay there, sir?"

Basch turned round, with every intent of screaming profanities at the grinning and grovelling woman in front of him. The words were already in his head, the loss of patience and control was allowing his anger to boil. This wasn't him! He'd been tortured and held prisoner for two years and as a result he'd been a little bit pissed off, so how could one shop assistant annoy him so much?

Basch tried to curb his anger. It didn't help when the woman asked the question again.

"Sir? Can I help at all, sir?"

"I am fine thank you!" he bellowed. His roaring deep voice brought a deadly silence to the whole of the shop. Everyone was stunned and looking at him with either amused smiles or deadly and disgusted frowns. Basch saw that the Shop assistant looked quite upset that he had yelled. He calmed himself down with a few breathing exercises he knew and forced a smile. "I am….just…waiting."

Penelo came rushing out of the changing room at the sound of Basch's booming voice, fearing the worst. But instead she saw how uncomfortable he looked and smiled.

"I thought a fight had started!" she laughed. "Hey! What do you think of this?!"

Penelo was wearing a long dark blue dress which trailed on the floor. A single black rose was embroidered in detailed stitching on the edge of where her breasts were struggling to stay in. A long stem entwined all the way round the dress and her body. She was beautiful, there was no denying it, but Basch had a hard time picturing Ashe wearing something like this. Honestly, the thought itself wasn't hard. He could totally see the Queen wearing that dress and it was giving him thoughts that he knew he would berate himself for later.

"Isn't this great?!" Penelo cried as she twirled round. "I know where there is a shop that sells shoes to match!"

"Ahhh…this is so sweet." said the shop lady. "Is this your daughter?"

Basch had never ran so quickly in his life.

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It was late afternoon and Basch still had nothing. Penelo had come away with some new boots, but even by this time, her enthused spirit for shopping had died out.

"Well…that wasn't very productive." she said as they slumped down at a table outside the Sandsea. "We looked everywhere Basch! There were some lovely things the Queen would have wanted why didn't you chose any of it?"

How could he make a decision? The number of choices was ridiculous and in his opinion unnecessary. The perfumes had made his eyes water and sting and some of them still tasted in his mouth. When the drinks came, the pint of ale vanished quickly, but still the perfume stuck in his throat.

The jewellery looked too cheap or were horribly overpriced and tacky, but nothing seemed to be the right sort of thing a Knight could give to a Queen. He absolutely refused to go into the lingerie shop, but even waiting outside as Penelo looked around, was a horrible experience.

"You're stressed." Penelo sighed.

"A little. Yes."

"Larsa wasn't kidding when he said you didn't like shopping." Her hand reached across the table and lovingly touched his fingers. "Basch…why don't you speak about your feelings towards Ashe?"

This wasn't a conversation he wanted, but he knew Penelo wouldn't back off.

"It is not my place nor is it appropriate." he said with a heavy sigh. "Therefore to send her a gift with too much meaning and sentiment would overstep my status and boundaries. Though her majesty sees me as a friend…I do not…cannot have that luxury. The distance needs to be maintained. I am still bound by my oaths as a Knight and I cannot have any feelings other than the loyalty and devotion I already hold."

"Is that why you send her those really dull birthday and Christmas cards?"

"The queen thinks them dull?"

"They are soooo dull, Basch. It's as if you don't have a personality. You do and your love for Ashe still exists no matter what you try to convince yourself of otherwise! We know better! So why do you make yourself suffer?"

"I have never suffered as much…not even when I was in prison…then when that lady hit me with her bag outside the lingerie shop."

"You are trying to change the subject, Basch." said Penelo as she tried hard to stifle her laugh.

"She said that I was a pervert and something heavy in her bag hit me really hard!"

"Stop this, Basch!" Penelo still giggled at the old woman hitting Basch with her shopping bag, but he was avoiding the question. "Don't try and squirm your way out of it! You are making excuses! Giving Ashe a sentimental gift is not going to cause outrage in the council or upset the public! You're just afraid."

Maybe he was, but still he was right. A Queen could never be with a Knight such as himself.

"Afraid? Is that what you really think?" he asked, his tongue briefly flapping at the god awful taste of perfume still clinging to it. The second drink didn't do too much to help either.

Penelo was just about to tell him what she really thought, when there was a huge crash from inside the tavern. The people in the street gathered round to try and listen, but none of them ventured any closer for fear of getting involved.

"Oh bollocks!"

"I beg your pardon!" Basch never heard such language from Penelo.

"Sorry…it's Balthier's word of the week and he's been too much of an influence on Vaan. What day is it today?"

"Wednesday….I think."

"Oh boll---oh poo! Basch, did you bring your weapon?"

Do the Yensa shit in sand?

The Zodiac spear was already unclasped from his back and Penelo had a small dagger in her hands. The two of them braced themselves to go in, but there wasn't any need. The doors flew open and a very familiar sight staggered out before them.

He was swaying from side to side, clutching a bottle firmly in one hand and a handkerchief in the other. He was also laughing.

"I'm okay!" he cried with a drunken slur. "Seriously! I just fell over…but I'm okay!"

NEXT: Shopping With Fran.