"You wanna know how?" the woman said, pointing to her eyes. "No matter how deceiving the mask, if you don't believe the lie yourself, your eyes will give you away." Margaret smiled. "You'll learn more with experience. Bet it feels demoralizing to be read like an open book, doesn't it? Wanna see more proof?" Rinne simply nodded her head. "Girly, those round eyes are so cute when you're curious. Alright, answer me this: How do you feel about Golden Steam?"
Rinne thought. So far, this woman had been speaking of that man with a worrisome expression. If she were to claim that she was a confidant rather than a friend, she might know something that he refuses to have known by the world. Add that to the strange strength that this woman possessed, and you'll have a motherly protector. So speaking ill of the man would not end too well.
Though it was hard to think of anything nice to say about him. While it was her fault, he did draw a gun on her, just before vomiting on the ground. Then he told her to remove her clothing without even thinking about how she felt in order to patch her wounds. Before coming here, he was stopped by a young girl who Rinne thought was a slitting image of her past self.
"He…" Rinne spoke at last, turning her attention away from Margaret and towards her clothes. She felt around her wounds as she spoke. "…has good intentions. Mother wished for him to take care of me, so I will respect her wishes. She must have had a reason to choose him."
"Love is the reason."
"Huh?" Rinne was caught off guard by Margaret's sudden statement. She looked her in the eyes and was met with a sad expression.
"Anyway," she cleared her throat as if that sudden outburst had meant nothing. "I will translate all that you have said."
All that was said? Rinne had hardly said anything more than a few sentences.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Margaret wagged her finger. "Things left unspoken are louder than words themselves. You say that he has good intentions, but what you really wanted to say is that he's a helpless creep. Just because he has good intentions does not take away from the fact that he made you feel uncomfortable. Did I get that right?" Margaret winked.
"…" Rinne stared blankly at Margaret, who puffed out her enormous chest in victory. Rinne felt inferior in two ways now.
"As I said, your eyes give away fifty percent of your lie. Well, I suppose you weren't lying; you just simply kept the quiet parts of my question to yourself." Margaret chuckled as she began to walk deeper into the store. She stopped and turned towards Rinne, motioning her to follow. "You and your mother are two peas in a pod. When I asked that question, you were thinking about what to say while trying to think about how to phrase it without making me mad. Honestly, it was a cute attempt, but it was unnecessary. I, of all people, know how much of a scumbag that man is. But if you are gonna hate him, find a proper reason to. It's better than just thinking he's bad because he gives off a weird feeling, no?"
Margaret stopped at a rack of clothes. What they lacked in style, they made up for in utility.
"Pick something out." She said with a smile, "I'm sure you'll find something that will stand out. And I'll toss in a discount while I'm at it." She gave a wink before the faint sound of something ringing filled the air. Margaret's expression faded as she walked off towards the front of the store.
Rinne turned back towards the clothes. She had money, but not enough that she could buy anything of real value. However, Margaret did say that she would give her a discount.
She felt a deep disconnect between herself and the woman. While she felt like she had learned nothing of value, she was sure Margaret had analyzed her twice over. Given the store and how she carried herself, maybe she was an information broker. Or at least that was the best thing Rinne could come up with to justify the woman's mysterious ability to read people with ease.
While lost in thought, something caught Rinne's eyes. Neatly folded sets of clothing that had more life to them than the dull-looking clothing that filled the surrounding racks. But just next to them was a neatly written sign that read: For Rinne, love Margaret.
Rinne wished she could take back the thoughts that she had to give her justification. That woman—Margaret—was not to be trusted. Rinne would keep that in mind for the future.
She stepped out of the dressing room wearing one of the four sets of clothing that had been laid out for her.
Looking into the mirror, Rinne smiled as she spun around. She wore a white blouse tightly held by a leather corset. It stung to put on over her wounds, but she liked the way she felt protected afterwards. A brown skirt draped neatly to her knees. She wore leather wrist guards that reached halfway between her hands and elbows. There was a set of fingerless gloves that came with this outfit, but Margaret had left a not-so-subtle note telling her to give the gloves to Golden Steam.
Rinne gathered all the clothes, including the tattered ones she came with, and made her way towards the front of the store. She noticed Margaret locked in conversation on the phone.
"That idiot!" Margaret, unaware of Rinne's presence, spoke with vicious anger spilling out. Her right hand, which was gripping the counter, gripped the edge tightly. Cracks webbed out from her hands. "Muller, how the hell did you let him do that!?…Void Spawn?…SO WHY DID YOU NOT STOP HIM?…I know…Thanks for the heads up, and I know he meant well…"
Margaret hung up the phone and let out a massive sigh while rubbing her temple. That was when she finally noticed Rinne staring at her.
"No wonder he didn't notice you trailing him." She said while reaching out her hand. "You got zero presence."
Rinne wanted to ask her what she had meant by that, but she could tell Margaret did not seem to be in the mood for any more talk. She handed her the clothes, and Margaret immediately placed them into a plastic bag. Margaret then held out her hand again and said, "Fifty-two."
That was all the money Rinne had on her. While she was hesitant, she knew that she needed the clothes. Anything else she might need would most likely be supplied by Golden Steam. Rinne handed her the money, and she responded with a forced smile.
"You really are cute when you think." She said, handing her two bags, one with clothes and the other with stuff she had not picked out. "Here, it's on the house. You'll need it." She then sighed. "Just go straight home, no detours. I don't wanna see you dead on the news. And don't worry about that man, he'll be out late, but I'll make sure to send him your way with some breakfast."
Then, with a click, the doors to the store opened. Rinne looked back at Margaret, who simply smiled, but the counter she sat behind was cracking more and more.
"I guess," Rinne said quietly. "I'll see you around."
Rinne left the store, and as she did, Margaret spoke softly. "Rinara, why is your daughter so damn cute? I can't even get as angry as I need to be right now."