Little children everywhere

“Okay, Ella!” Vivian sat back in bed, and laced her fingers behind her head as she posed like someone getting their picture taken. There were cameras everywhere that the girls couldn’t see, so in a way she was, but that wasn’t the point.

She was mainly showing off for an audience of one.

Ella fidgeted, still not comfortable around the other woman. The way Vivian was staring at her made her feel very defensive, and she didn’t know how she should react to what was being put in front of her.

Vivian had opened up her closet to the other girl. And while her clothes may not have perfectly fit the scrawny latina, there were more options presented for her perusal than Ella had ever seen before.

Ella had never heard the term “decision paralysis” before, but she was currently living it.

“Eh… a little overwhelmed, hmm?” Vivian giggled, picking up on the meaning of the expression frozen to Ella’s face. “That’s okay. Let’s start with something simple. What kind of date are you hoping to have today?”

Ella blinked. “What… kind? Just, like, a normal date… you know, doing normal things?”

She had never been on a date before, so she had no idea how she was supposed to answer that question. Something Vivian very quickly picked up on.

Amused, the heiress held her hand over her mouth and giggled.

“Not what I meant, silly. Are you telling me that the two of you don’t have any plans together? You didn’t come up with anything on that little walk of yours?”

Nothing got past Vivian, apparently.

Ella gulped, and then nodded softly. A shameful blush spread across her cheeks.

“I… I tried, I really did,” she stammered, shaking her head. “But I’ve never been on a date before, so I didn’t know what to do… and then I pushed it to the back of my mind, because thinking too hard about that stuff, it just made me want to…”

She grabbed her wrist and snapped her rubber-band. “THWAP!”

Vivian nodded sympathetically, totally understanding where Ella was coming from. Well, maybe not in any real sense, since she never felt overwhelmed by stuff like that. Then again, the words Vivian would use to describe her own dating life weren’t exactly the most expansive.

“…Look, let me put it like this,” the heiress said, stroking her chin as she thought about the best way she could explain dating to Ella. “A date is like a fashion show!”

Ella stared blankly at her. “…I don’t know what that is.”

“You don’t need to,” Vivian scoffed. She made a mental note to explain the finer nuances of modeling to Ella later, when there was time. “I’m happy to explain! A fashion show is an event thrown by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming clothing lines and accessories. It’s essentially where everybody who’s anybody in the fashion world goes to promote themselves and show what they have to offer to anybody who might be happening to look.”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with my date?” Ella asked. “Because I’m not really interested in going to a fashion show, and I don’t think Nick would be, either.”

“Oh, I imagine he’d want to go to one of mine,” Vivian said slyly, not that she’d give him much of a choice once they were married. “After all, any good husband would be willing to support his beautiful wife doing her best at her job, right?”

She held her hands together and looked off into the distance, swooning as she imagined Nick at her side in Milan.

Ella was beginning to think that she was wasting valuable time here. But she was too nervous and insecure to actually try and get the other girl’s attention, let alone do something rude like try to sneak away.

Fortunately, Vivian pulled herself back from her fantasy and turned to Ella with a cheerful smile on her face.

“Eh, okay then!” She chirped, stroking her chin again. “Enough about that! Where was I… oh, right! What does this have to do with your date? Well, Ella, as I was saying, a date is quite a lot like a fashion show! Just like a designer uses their show to put up their designs in the best light, the purpose of a date is to show you in the best light! Does that make sense?”

Ella nodded. Yes, that actually did. Finally, something the other girl said actually resonated with her! She couldn’t believe it for a moment.

“So… what, then?” She asked, still waiting for Vivian to get to the point. “You want me to show my best self to Nick on this date, is that right?”

Vivian nodded cheerfully and Ella sighed.

“I, um, I was already planning to do that, though,” the latina awkwardly pointed out, not sure how to break that to the other girl.

Vivian scoffed and waved her hand dismissively, barely paying attention to the words coming out of Ella’s mouth.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you were planning to do that, obviously,” she said, not even bothering not to sound condescending. “But don’t worry! With my help, we’ll take those plans and craft a masterpiece out of them!”

Ella had no idea what that meant. “…Oooookaaaay…”

“To start off with,” Vivian said, hopping off her bed and skipping over to Ella, guiding her to the closet, “we need to pick out the perfect outfit! That will set the stage for the tone of the date. You want to look your best for him, right?”

Ella sighed “Of course I do,” she muttered, wondering why Vivian felt the need to verbalize every obvious fact.

“Well, the right clothes will make it clear just what you’re looking for,” she explained. “Now, we have a few options. I’ve got classy clothes, stylish clothes, trendy clothes, casual clothes, ooh, and we can’t forget sultry and slutty!”

Ella quickly shook her head at those last two. While she didn’t know what every word the heiress had spoken meant, she recognized those, and the last thing she wanted was to walk around dressed like some skank.

That wasn’t at all part of her fantasy!

Fortunately, Vivian was very perceptive and picked up on that right away. She nodded thoughtfully and pushed a section of her closet aside.

“Okay, so we’ll stay away from the more **** stuff, then,” she decided. “Tell me, Ella, you said you’ve never gone clothing shopping before, does that mean you have no idea what kind of clothes you like?”

Ella paused and bit her lip. “W-well…”

While she hadn’t gone shopping for clothing before coming here, she had gone a few times now. Most notably, on her first meeting of Nick. The two of them had gone to a clothing store on her date in Dream Alley. And she’d had a lot of fun, too.

Again, Vivian picked up on the other girl’s hesitation, and smiled slyly. “Oh, I see, so you’ve been through this before, then?”

“Huh?!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Vivian clapped her hand on Ella’s shoulder and smirked. “Don’t worry, sweet girl. That’s a good thing! Then you know a little bit about what kind of style you like best, is that right?”

Ella blushed and nodded a little. “I, um, I like… things with frills and ribbons. You know, girly stuff. And I also like the color pink.”

Vivian could barely hide her amusement. “Yes, I believe you made that point quite nicely with your swimsuit.”

Ella’s expression soured. “That… I like that swimsuit! And you said-!”

“I know, I said it suited you, and it does!” Vivian nodded. “But what suits you on a swimsuit may not be what suits you on a date.”

“It… it won’t?” Ella frowned. She liked wearing those frilly pink clothes. It made her feel like a princess. But now Vivian was telling her she should change?

Vivian shook her head. “When I approved that swimsuit, I did it because I could tell it was a comfort piece for you.”

“A… comfort piece?” Ella questioned, not familiar with that term.

Vivian nodded. “An article of clothing that gives you a feeling of security and confidence. Something that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin. Lots of people have them! Special socks, a nice tie, ‘battle underwear’, you know. It’s a superstition that helps them get past those potential jitters so they can show off their best self when the time is right. And since you’re a modest sort, I figured a conservative one-piece like that was the right fit.”

Judging by the way Ella had reacted when put on display, suddenly turning into Cinder, Vivian had probably made the right choice. She had no idea how the latina’s alter would have reacted if she’d worn something skimpier.

“So it was a comfort piece…” Ella sounded sad, repeating that. “You didn’t think that swimsuit was a good fit for me, then?”

Vivian crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “Now, I didn’t say that,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought it was a good fit for you! But we’re trying to aim higher today, remember? This is your date! And you wouldn’t wear a swimsuit to a date, right? …Well, a beach date, maybe. Or a water park. But those aren’t good first date locations.”

Ella gasped. “I-! I wasn’t planning on wearing that to my first date, though!” She exclaimed.

“Oh? Then why bring it up?”

Ella opened her mouth to reply, only to realize she didn’t really have anything to say. She shut up and just shrugged.

Vivian took the opportunity to keep talking, as she was wont to do.

“Now, as I was saying, that swimsuit was a good fit for you, in that specific situation,” the heiress stated. “But that’s the thing about clothing. What’s good for one situation might not be good for another! That’s why you need to have a diverse wardrobe, like me. So you can be prepared with the perfect outfit for any occasion!”

Ella nodded. Finally, something Vivian said that actually made a bit of sense to her. If there was one thing the latina had learned growing up in that horrible household, it had been the value of preparedness.

If Ella was prepared, she wouldn’t screw up. If she didn’t screw up, then she wouldn’t get in trouble. She wouldn’t get locked in the cupboard beneath the stairs for the night.

Her hands started shaking and she reached for her wrist instinctively, feeling the knocking of Cinder on the back of her mind.

“Dude, it’s fine! Calm down!” Vivian patted her on the shoulder and smiled. “There’s no need to be nervous! I’m going to pick out the perfect outfit for you, something Nick would be dying to see you in. So just relax, okay?”

There was something about that smile of hers that really soothed Ella, even if she couldn’t place it. In theory, Vivian should be the kind of person she hated. But the heiress was nothing like her stepmother, even though both women were vain, self-absorbed, and liked to throw money around to feel like the most important person in the room at all times.

Vivian was actually trying to help her. And while Ella could smell the scent of an ulterior motive oozing from the other woman’s pores, she still appreciated the fact that the other girl was going to so much trouble for her sake.

I doubt she’s helping me out of the goodness of her heart. She probably thinks that by helping me look stylish on my date, she’ll leave a good impression on Nick and earn some favor from him.

Ella was surprised that her thoughts trended in that direction. That degree of cynicism reminded her too much of Cinder for her comfort.

Vivian didn’t seem to care one way or the other if Ella was suspicious of her, though. She was cheerful and bubbly all the same.

“Come on now!” She chirped. “Lay it on me! What kind of date do you want?”

“I… I already said, um, I’m not sure,” Ella stammered, shaking her head.

“No, nooooo, I’m not talking about activities and everything,” Vivian said, shaking her head right back. “Who cares about plans? I sure don’t! A good date’s not gonna be scheduled down to the last second! Feh!”

She stuck her tongue out and made a farting noise that got Ella to giggle in spite of herself.

“I live my life letting opportunity come to me!” The heiress explained. “Just being my own self, going at my own pace, looking for new things. And then opportunity comes along, looking all nice and fine, and I’m like, ‘Well, hello there, new experience. You doing anything tonight?’ …You get me?”

Ella gave her a look that was stonier than a rock quarry. She couldn’t even begin to parse the terminology the other girl was using. Or the word “parse”, for that matter.

Seeing she wasn’t getting anywhere, Vivian scoffed and rolled her eyes. “…Whatever. The point is, you’re not planning for any one specific activity. It’s more like we’re trying to set the tone for your date. You know, wear outfits that will look good on you regardless of what you’re doing. It’s all about the impact!”

“The… impact?” Ella wasn’t sure what she meant by that. “You mean, what Nick feels when he first sees me?”

Vivian’s eyes widened and her face lit up. “Finally! Yes, yes, yes! You get it! Oh, I’m so proud!”

Ella blushed, feeling a little proud herself. “W-well, I just figured-”

“You’re exactly correct!” Vivian cut her off before she could go any further. “The whole point of the outfit you wear on a date is to maximize the impact you make when he first sees you! If you catch him off-guard from the start, then you’ll capture the pace of the date, you see? Do you want to be the kind of woman who passively accepts whatever her partner wants to do? Or do you want to be the kind of woman who sets the pace herself, and has the boy fawning over you and trying to keep up?”

“Uh… the first one, actually?” Ella replied. That sounded way less stressful than having to continuously control the flow of the date.

“Ennnnnnh!” Vivian held up her arms in a big “X” shape. “Wrong answer!”

“B-but-”

“Look, I know you think you want that, but trust me, you don’t,” Vivian scoffed, shaking her head. “Because frankly, Nick’s not a guy suited for that sort of thing.”

“He… he isn’t?”

Vivian shook her head again. “Nick’s cute, don’t get me wrong, but he’s cute like how a little puppy is cute, or a pretty bird in a cage. He’s the sorta guy who you’ve gotta take by the hand and lead, because that will make him comfortable. He’s a bit of a neurotic.”

Ella frowned. She wasn’t sure how that worked.

“I’m teasing, I’m teasing,” Vivian said, patting Ella on the shoulder. “…Well, a little. Anyway, the point is, you might be comfortable following your partner’s pace. But what happens if the person you’re on a date with doesn’t have a concrete plan either? Are you two just going to stand around your meeting spot, fidgeting nervously until the sun sets?”

“…Well… when you put it like that…”

Ella remembered their walk together. While she’d enjoyed herself just talking to Nick, it had also been really awkward because neither one of them could really come up with any concrete plan on what to do for their date today.

And it had only been half an hour. A whole day like that…

She swallowed and nodded. “Maybe… maybe you’re right,” she admitted. “Maybe I should take the lead. But… I’m just not used to doing stuff like that, you know? Nick’s practically the only boy I’ve ever even talked to…”

This was one of the things she envied her other self for. Cinder was confident. Forceful. Strong. If Cinder, god forbid, was to go on a date, she would have no trouble seizing control and setting the pace however she wanted.

If she wasn’t such a horrible person, Ella was sure Nick would rather go on a date with her.

Recognizing that hurt.

“I guess… I’m not going to be a very good date partner, huh?” Ella looked down sadly.

“That’s fine, that’s fine! Trust me, that’s fine,” Vivian assured her. “These things take time! But don’t be alarmed.”

She winked at Ella and stuck out her tongue. “You’ve got me in your corner now! And I’m going to sculpt you into the perfect model!”

Ella’s mouth fell open and she blanched. “That… I mean… I didn’t want you to-”

“Oh, don’t say your thanks yet!” Vivian shook her head. “Wait until you see what I have up my sleeve first! You might like the frills and bows of girlier clothes, and that’s fine. But don’t you think if you went with something a little cooler, a little outside your usual style, that might make Nick start to question whether you’ve got something else going on?”

“W-well, maybe, but-”

“Oh, but we can’t go with anything too loud and unusual, either,” Vivian continued, ignoring Ella’s words. She’d already turned her back on the girl and started digging through her closet. “We’ve gotta find something that will make you feel comfortable, right? It’s your first date, after all!”

She looked over her shoulder and winked, sending a shiver down Ella’s spine.

“THWAP! THWAP!” Ella didn’t know why Cinder was pushing against her right now, but it couldn’t be a good thing.

I’m so nervous… will Vivian really help? Or is this just going to be even worse? Ella wondered, blocking out the heiress’s words. She was so busy fretting over her issues that she didn’t even notice Vivian speaking to her until the other girl started snapping her fingers in front of her.

“Hey. You good, Ella? You’re not gonna turn on me, are you?” Vivian joked, setting Ella off a little bit.

“I… I’m not that weak-minded!” She snapped, frowning. “Don’t treat me like glass!”

Vivian raised a quizzical eyebrow. Ella sure sounded a lot like Cinder right there.

But she knew better than to push the issue, and just flashed a cheerful smile.

“Well, if you say so. Not my problem!” Vivian chirped. “Now, let’s see if we can find you a nice outfit that will look adult and stand-out to seize the flow of the date, while also feeling ordinary and comfortable so you can relax and be yourself!”

Ella’s eyes swam behind her bangs as the heiress’s words swirled around her.

“Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘something like that can’t exist!’ but you underestimate me, my dear girl!” Vivian laughed, stroking her chin. “Take a look!”

Before Ella even knew what was happening, she was dressed in a brand-new outfit, and looking at herself in the mirror.

“Eh?!”