"Uh.. well, it is not like it is a huge mall or anything, but there are a building with a few small shops with various stuff students might want to purchase. A lot of the basics are provided by the school, but sometimes one wants something extra, you know?"

Pia led the way. The mall was not too far from the school swimming pools, so it was not a big detour.

"Anyway, I believe they have a decent selection of swimwear in the sports section. It makes sense, I guess. With all the beaches and all.."

"Perhaps we should make a whole day of this. I'll even pay this time. It'll be my first act as your friend alright? might do you some good to have the oldest girl in school as a friend."

she hoped that didn't sound narcissistic, it sounded a little bit but, she smiled and nodded to Pia though that was more for herself than anything.

((sorry about the length, I seem to lack ammo for detail at the moment))

"No, no, no!", Pia protested. "Uh.. I mean, no to the pay thing. Really. I am glad to be of help! Both with showing you around and stuff, and with.. eh.. being your model."

To Pia, having a friend was much more important than cash anyway. And to spend a whole evening in someone else's company, that might just be what she needed. She just hoped she had not creeped her out completely with her previous outburst.

"Oh, we are almost here! I really appreciate you going here with me, I am not good with picking out what suits me. The sports section is right inside."

Laele was anything, but creeped out by the outburst. she understood anxiety well enough; she'd suffered from it in her past; and though she'd gotten over it she remembered it well. A smile crept further across the somewhat blank woman's expression.

"It really isn't a problem Pia. It's good to know this mall is here, I do so love having the option to cook rather than waste my training. I did spend a great deal on it after all. I'll have to cook for you sometime actually. So please, lead the way I'll let my artistic eye judge what'll suit you if you really want Pia."

"OK! Great!", Pia said, leading the way inside.

The mall was not much, really. It was just a building with a few shops. The school provided most of what was needed on an everyday basis, such as basic school supplies, food from the cafeteria, and uniforms. Keeping a bunch of girls in their late teens and early twenties away from any shopping opportunities was pretty much unthinkable, though, and not every material need was something the school could anticipate. Hence the small selection of shops.

Pia lead the way into one of them, which combined sport supplies, outdoor swear and swimwear of various types. The swimwear section was pretty large for the small shop, Shokushu having excellent beaches, and many girls thinking like Pia, that the standard school issue swimsuit was a bit on the boring side.

"I am really poor with picking things for myself, so I appreciate the help, really." Pia said earnestly. She began scanning the shelves. "Dunno.. what do you think would suit me? Mostly I go with a full one piece swimsuit, but maybe I should try a bikini one for a change..

Uh.. many of these seems to be pretty.. daring, she noted to herself, reddening a little at the sight of a display torso with an outfit that was pretty much wrapped around it, fastened by strings and straps that seemed to just barely keep it in place.

Laele followed Pia into the store with that faint smile remaining plainly on her face as she did. She noticed the selection available and couldn't help, but be a little surprised by the variety. She'd seen the school swimsuit,and to be honest it looked a bit too tight and revealing(because of being so tight) for her tastes and she wasn't sure if her own selection still suited her; mostly she'd worn them to a school pool in high school (she'd stopped growing at fifteen so they still fit perfectly).
”Well, lets see...”
She said softly seeing Pia's eyes trail over a manikin wearing a revealing strappy piece that Laele wouldn't have ever imagined her ever wearing. She softly shook her head to her new friend.
”Definitely not that, it wouldn't suit your appearance, that's for a slightly taller girl with a slightly more persistent obvious sexuality to her walk & stride.”

her opinion wasn't exactly a fashion master's, but she had an artist's eye for beauty even if she never thought she did. She moved calmly to simple though elegant black suit with a bit of a smile to herself more than anything.
”This I think would suit you well.”

"Gah.. uh.. No! Uh.. I did not mean I wanted that one.. I just kind of glanced at it.", Pia mumbled, as Laele commented on the wraparound swimsuit she had spied earlier.
Her eye was quickly caught by the one Laele picked out for her. "Hmm.. That might be a good choice!", Pia said. "I would never have found it myself, but it is an excellent choice. It is a bit different from the standard school issue, and it is not as.. well.. you know.. as some of the others here. And it is kind of cute, is it not?"

Pia took it out, and scrutinized it. "I will definitely try it on, but maybe I should find a couple of alternatives."

Browsing the selection, Pia continued. "I like the one you picked a lot. But I kind of like things with a little colour to them as well. I just never know when they are too loud, or not. I guess black is the safe choice, though. But still, do you think I should try something brighter for contrast?"

Just as she said it, Pia spied something she liked, a rainbow like mix of colours. She eagerly took it out, but regretted it the second later. What she thought was some sort of two piece bikini was indeed not. "Uh.. I guess if that first one wasn't right for me, then this one is too.". She put it back.

"Eh.. maybe this one?". The last was simply a two piece, but with a colorful pattern. "Still not sure a two piece is for me, though."

"Prices are not too bad here..", Pia continued. "Maybe we should be on the lookout for something for you as well?"

Laele, Pia noted, was a bit taller than herself, and of a very feminine shape. She would probably pull of some of the suits here way better than Pia, and indeed better than most girls.

Laele let Pia take the swimsuit offering little more than a simple nod to her when she said she should find alternatives. She quietly watched as Pia looked over the selection offered by the store. Laele had never been one to wear much in the way of color, her yellow and white ascot was about all the color in her wardrobe right now save for perhaps one other piece.
Her expression was difficult to read as she looked at the suit that had at least looked to catch Pia's eye. Rainbow... it had to be rainbow... she'd generally want to smack people that wore rainbow... something about it always had hurt her eyes, though not so much the colors themselves it was the stripes that bothered her.
”Well, It's not as bad as the first one; still unless you'd rather change how people see you, I would try something else.”
She offered in a rather matter-of-fact tone with that still gentle faint smile on her face. The next suit pia showed to her was less offensive to her eyes though still, it didn't seem quite right to her as she tried to think of it on the woman infront of her.
”It isn't bad looking though I would keep looking the composition of the colors is a bit... loud as you put it. n ot to say that sometimes loud isn't nice.”
She looked further along in the room picking out a slightly darker yet still colorful and less revealing than the previous yet still somewhat showy. She gently nodded at the suit she found. Then she heard pia's next statement

she turned holding the suit she thought would fit both pia's look and the bit of pia's personality that she had seen thus far as well as being just a bit colorful without being outspokenly loud or obnoxious.
”Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Though I tend to be rather particular about what I'll wear. Finding something for me is usually a bloody pain in the arse.”

Pia felt her confidence lower itself a little. Laele did not seem to approve very much of any of the pieces that Pia noticed. This, Pia supposed, was good. Finding something that suited oneself was kind of hard. In this regard, school uniforms made things easier, as much as Pia had found it hard to get used to the very short skirts.
Yet Pia began to seriously doubt her own taste. Laele did not seem to approve much of what her eyes fell on. Was her tastes that poor? Pia thought she could understand her views, though.

"My problem is that I like a bit of color, and I like nice patterns, but that often means that things that get too loud, I don't want something that screams 'look at me!' either"

"Hmm.. that is nice! But uh.. wow! That is kind of.. sexy.. Do you really think it will suit me?"

Pia noticed the color and the patterns first, then noticed the cut. Pia loved it, but it also made her feel very self concious. It was sexy, very much empathized by the lacing. It covered a great bit, but also suggested a lot. She was honestly not sure if she had the confidence for it. Yet.. she felt kind of flattered that Laele considered her able to wear it, and that made her like et even more.

Doubt clouded her face, but at the same time, the look in her eyes told she did really approve. "If you think I should, maybe I should try it.."

She returned her attention to Laele. "Well.. we can look at some alternatives, and If you do not like any, no problem."

Pia looked analytically at Laele. She was taller than Pia, and had a quite enviable figure too. "Hmm.. If you do not mind me saying so, you have a quite womanly shape. You could probably go with something a bit sexy.. I think it actually would be sexy regardless with you in it.. uh.. I mean.. err.. that was a compliment."[/b]

It was, but Pia realized it sounded a bit like a cheap come on the second the words dropped out of her mouth. "Maybe something black, or at least a dark color.. If it has any sort of pattern, it should be discrete, right? Like something you do not notice right away, if you know what I mean."

Laele would softly nod to Pia hearing her reaction to the suit and seeing it on her face. Her hands brushed her hand opver her hip for a moment looking critically from pia to the suit and back to Pia once more.
”Well, Sexy isn't a problem with a suit like this; the slightly darker colors like purple don't draw the eyes as easily as the brighter colors, and the red and green are soft, almost pastel which also will do a decent job of keeping people from all staring at you at the same time. Besides that, artistically your hair is blonde which plays off purple gorgeously making it stand out so people are more likely to look at your face rather than the suit. It really would suit you Pia, please do at the least try it, if nothing else it would make a wonderful suit to draw you in if you ever wanted.”

Pia's compliment actually made her noticably smile before she would subtly shake her head. She only saw the flaws in herself; didn't everybody though?
Well, thank you for that, but I must admit I understand wanting to wear somewhat modest clothing, unfortunately with my dark hair anything sexy would draw immediate attention to it instead of anything else.”
she said offering only the partial truth of why
”but yes, a darker color and a vague pattern may be nice.”

By now, Pia was blushing again. "Of course I will try it on! Sure thing!", she hurriedly said. Pia's modesty and shyness was now at war with her pride. She had always kind of wanted to be a more confident and sexy person, but she never dared try, and did not really know how to be it anyway. That Laele, with her precise vision and knack for all things aesthetic thought she could not only get away with, but would even look good wearing something Pia thought fancy and sexy was a bit of a confidence boost.


"You are quite good at this.", Pia said. "Finding something for you is going to be a bit hard, I admit. I mean, you are so good at this, I am not sure I can be of help."

"Not sure if this fits, really. I mean, are two pieces out of the question?", Pia's eyes had suddenly been caught by something. "What do you think of the pattern? It is dark, and I guess anything tiger inspired is normally far from discrete, but I like that it is a bold pattern made muted. Not sure if you agree, though. We would need to find a larger cup size for you, though"

Laele was glad Pia said she'd try it on. The woman was beautiful and definitely deserved to have confidence. The compliment received a simple smile and nod of thanks; she hoped it was clear what she meant by it.

Next she looked over the Suit that Pia had taken out so soon after saying it would be a bit difficult to find something. She cocked her head to one side tapping a finger against her lower lip as she looked over the two piece swimsuit with the black and gray zebra print. She hummed faintly to herself before a smile would finally come through.

”Not quite something I would normally look at though, I have to admit the color is perfect. Dark as my hair won't pull any extra notice downward, the bottoms aren't as revealing as some options which I quite like. I can match it with a thin skirt quite easily for extra coverage for lounging on the beach. You have quite the eye and didn't even know it.”

Pia beamed a smile as Laele finally approved of the piece she had found. It may be silly, but having found something Laele approved off, considering her obvious taste and critical eye for detail, made Pia feel really proud.

"You like it? Oh, that is great!"

Besides, Pia was pretty sure Laele would look awesome in it.

She looked around a little more, but did not really find anything for either herself or her new friend. Unless Laele found something more, she was about to withdraw to try her pieces on, and maybe make her purchase.

She smiled to Pia, of course she did, she had no reason not to like the outfit the other girl had choosen for her, it was simple, it was pretty and it suited her darker hair and paler skin quite nicely.
"Of course I like it, It's beautiful in it's simplicity. nothing better than that for someone with my build and palette."
She found nothing else that seemed to fit their aesthetics. Finding the fitting rooms she gestured Pia over calmly before taking the outfit Pia had chosen into a room herself to try it on and take a look at it on rather than from theory.

Pia found herself unable to decide. The first one Laele had spotted was cute, she thought, and it fit her well. It was a much safer bet than the second. The last one was..
It was a suit which assumed a bit of confidence of the wearer. It was revealing, yet within the bounds of decency. They empathised the curves of the wearer quite efficiently, and trying it on, Pia was almost hoping it would not fit.. but it did. Like a glove. A sexier, more daring Pia looked back at her from the mirror, daring her.

Oh, why fret about it?

Pia did some quick calculations in her head. She could actually afford both, even with the last one a little on the expensive side. She did not exactly have the biggest expenses, and could allow to spoil herself.

Pia was about ready to make her purchase. She would off course wait for Laele. The other girl could probably have worn just about anything in the shop and looked awesome in it, she had a most enviable bearing and figure.

When they were ready, Pia would lead the way to the pool.