Ashleigh Williams held court in the very seat of her domain, the Food Court of the Quail Hollow Mall. She and her friends were fairly typical high school girls, and she was the Queen of the popular girls clique at her own school. Everyone at the two tables, pushed together, did everything "exactly right." They all wore the right clothes; they all listened to the right music; they all watched the right shows on TV; they all wore their hair the same way with minor allowances made for personal genetic variances. That is, they caved to Ashleigh's whim and did what she thought was best.
The mall was buzzing with shoppers on this Sunday afternoon, and Ashleigh, along with Kayleigh, Leigh, Heather, Erica, and LaShona, were having fun making snide comments about the "lesser folk" walking by. That girl was too chunky to ever get a boy. This boy is cute, but his clothes are so Last Week. Is that a comic book in his hand? Ewww! Poseur geek! Look at that comb-over!
The giggles and laughter was infectious and all six girls were having a blast, when the ambient chatter of the food court suddenly stilled. She could see a group of boys tracking some new arrivals, and she felt her hackles rise.
Six women were walking by, apparently on their way to one of the anchor stores from the main parking lot. Each was beautiful to a standard even Ashleigh could appreciate, and be envious of, despite most wearing extremely unflattering clothes. Three Japanese women were near the front, one dressed in what could charitably be defined as Photographer Chic. No normal girl needed that many pockets on her vest! Another seemed to be wearing somewhat frumpy business casual with a fedora in teal. The last, who seemed strangely enough to be the "alpha" of the coterie, moved with an easy grace that made all of the clique jealous at once. Her carriage and posture made the platform boots and minidress made from a comic-geek T-shirt she wore seem like haute couture.
Now that Ashleigh thought about it, it seemed that most of the women were wearing outfits that would either be too baggy, or were easily modified from men's wear. Despite this, there was no hiding the redhead's curves under the baggy leather jacket and jeans, or the elegant planes of the platinum blonde's face. The final member of the troupe seemed the most normal, and Ashleigh wouldn't have even noticed her except the Alpha was smiling (Oh! So ELEGANT!) and speaking softly to her.
The clique began to stew in their own juices. With women like THAT in the mall, how could they possibly compete?
Shopping trip of doom: currently has Lady Nogitsune, Brightsky, Hexane, Lora'Lai, Kagetsuki Misao, and HLW in the mall. Nogi and Hexane's Ninja are present, just being GOOD at the ninja thing.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
The mall was buzzing with shoppers on this Sunday afternoon, and Ashleigh, along with Kayleigh, Leigh, Heather, Erica, and LaShona, were having fun making snide comments about the "lesser folk" walking by. That girl was too chunky to ever get a boy. This boy is cute, but his clothes are so Last Week. Is that a comic book in his hand? Ewww! Poseur geek! Look at that comb-over!
The giggles and laughter was infectious and all six girls were having a blast, when the ambient chatter of the food court suddenly stilled. She could see a group of boys tracking some new arrivals, and she felt her hackles rise.
Six women were walking by, apparently on their way to one of the anchor stores from the main parking lot. Each was beautiful to a standard even Ashleigh could appreciate, and be envious of, despite most wearing extremely unflattering clothes. Three Japanese women were near the front, one dressed in what could charitably be defined as Photographer Chic. No normal girl needed that many pockets on her vest! Another seemed to be wearing somewhat frumpy business casual with a fedora in teal. The last, who seemed strangely enough to be the "alpha" of the coterie, moved with an easy grace that made all of the clique jealous at once. Her carriage and posture made the platform boots and minidress made from a comic-geek T-shirt she wore seem like haute couture.
Now that Ashleigh thought about it, it seemed that most of the women were wearing outfits that would either be too baggy, or were easily modified from men's wear. Despite this, there was no hiding the redhead's curves under the baggy leather jacket and jeans, or the elegant planes of the platinum blonde's face. The final member of the troupe seemed the most normal, and Ashleigh wouldn't have even noticed her except the Alpha was smiling (Oh! So ELEGANT!) and speaking softly to her.
The clique began to stew in their own juices. With women like THAT in the mall, how could they possibly compete?
Shopping trip of doom: currently has Lady Nogitsune, Brightsky, Hexane, Lora'Lai, Kagetsuki Misao, and HLW in the mall. Nogi and Hexane's Ninja are present, just being GOOD at the ninja thing.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll