Aberrant: The Long March - Conspicuous Consumption

[SalmonMax]

Meredith had never known a living world as a nova. She'd clung to a fiction of social existence, going through the motions of having others in her life to keep herself within the boundaries of sanity that so many other survivors had abandoned. She'd been an art student. A sculptor. Beyond that she'd had no idea what she wanted to be; as unformed in her own way as the materials she shaped.

Then the meteor had come, and questions of the future faded to irrelevance. Survival, both physical and psychological, was the paramount.

And then she'd been saved.

Meri knew that nothing could convey what that meant to her...but even so, she asked the Lorean to help her by making a list of things that each of the ones that had plucked her from the surface would really like.

If there was anything better than shopping for herself, it was shopping for other people.

...but she'd pick some things up for herself too.

And so she asked to be set down at the nearest convenient shrine to consumerism there was...a little place called the mall. In a blousy orange and white sun dress and a wide-brimmed white hat with sunglasses; all things she'd cobbled out of materials on the ship...she set forth to buy some nice clothes that wouldn't turn into anything unpleasant, and a library of books on whatever caught her eye, and food...no! Chocolate!

(if anyone wants to go with, they're welcome, otherwise I'll continue this tomorrow evening)

[Joani]

Joani accepted the offer too gladly. She wanted Meri to feel better and get to know her. She could barely imagine what it must’ve been like for her, secluded and shut off from humanity. I would have gone insane, that’s for sure. Poor girl…

She landed at the Plaza Meri had picked for her shopping spree and waited while she enjoyed the little spare time she had. Everywhere people pointed at her and soon a small crowd assembled around her making photos and asking for autographs. Joani did what she could, posing with families for a picture and answering questions as good as she could. Her daughter had already assumed leadership of the Paragons but Joani was still an icon for the whole world. Amidst the crowd she almost missed Meredith and had to apologize for leaving on short notice.

Waving at Meri she smiled at her and hugged her instead of greeting, “I should’ve changed before I left. Looks like I need to get some ‘normal’ clothes before we really start shopping. Is that ok?”