Meet-up, Make-up!

Eliza was starting to wonder if maybe she was a little spoiled.

Her creator had left her a lot of money, enough that she didn’t need to work unless she wanted to. And being an AI, she has a lot fewer expenses than a human her age would have. But she was not some 1% trust-fund baby. The money could run out if she over-spent what it made interest.

That said,

This weekend morning would find her exiting yet another department store and into the mall proper, arms loaded with yet more shopping bags. There was something that felt... oddly validating?... about acquiring physical goods for her physical body. It was very difficult to stop, and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to, really. Plus that the dress she picked up would be perfect for the ball coming up and...

Eliza passed a make up store, taking three steps beyond its entrance and display window before pausing, she replayed her video feeds from passing before to when she had passed some 20 minutes ago. In both instances, she noticed the same girl standing in front of the store, with the same look of befuddlement reflected back at her in the same display window.

Curios, Eliza turned, the hem of her thigh-length summer dress (probably among the last chances she had to wear it before the seasons change) flaring around her legs she spun to approach the girl staring at the store. They looked upset about something, and maybe it was none of her business and maybe she was about to be snapped at for sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong, but curiosity was still too new a feeling for Eliza to mange prorperly. Besides, maybe this girl really needed some help.

“Um, hi!” Eliza said once she had reached the other girl. “So, uh, I noticed you’ve been standing her awhile... is everything alright? Do you need some help?”

This wasn’t awkward at all.

@Schrodinger's Cat

Eliza didn’t mean to be rude, but she looked the other girl up ad down severa times before responding simply, “Ah.”

She could tell this gir was cute, deep down, but she was a mess on the outside. It wasn’t any of her business why, but if there was one thing Eliza knew, it was how to be a good girlfriend. And this, as the saying goes, wasn’t it, chief.

She smiled. “Don’t worry. I know just what you can get him. But! You’e going to have to trust me and do exactly what I say. I’ll take care of everything and he will love it. But no push back!”

She stored her bags as data, each one winking out of existence in a burst of static. Then offered the other girl her hand. “Hi. I’m Eliza.”

Eliza was giggling herself now too. “Wow, our names only have one letter different. Maybe we were separated at brith or something.”

She laced her fingers with Elisa’s. “Ok. First things first.” She looked up at the make-up store in front of her. “We don’t need this store yet. The one we need,” and here she half tugged, half dragged Elisa around to face the store on the opposite side of the mall, “is right here!” She pulled her into forever 21.

Once inside, Eliza zeroed in on the skirts, paused, scanned Elisa’s body again, then started to grab several that appeared to be Elisa’ssize. “Been dating your boyfriend long?“ she asked.