Outings like these were Alice's favourites. She could watch Vivaldi shop all day, or delight in little cafes, or really anything that brought a smile to Vivaldi's face. Perhaps that was truly her favourite thing- Vivaldi's soft and happy smile like she didn't have a care in the world, and not the cruel smirk of her role.

"Might you like this one, my dear sweet Alice?" Vivaldi asked, and it took Alice a moment to snap back to the present. The dress that Vivaldi was holding was perhaps a bit too cute, but Alice nodded anything.

"It's cute," she said quickly. If that was what Vivaldi wanted, well... Alice knew she'd always be the cute to Vivaldi's cool.

"Then we will buy it for you, and whatever else you might want," Vivaldi replied with a little smile.

Alice nodded. She still wasn't good at asking for things. She was better with an allowance, but just asking for more than the basics of what she needed...

"Don't worry about being practical," Vivaldi continued with that same little smile, as if she knew Alice's thoughts. "We don't need to do that today."

"I'll try," Alice said. And she would!

She just had to find something, like maybe a new nightgown or...

Ah, Vivaldi had caught her blush.

Well... It was too late to back out.

"This way," she said, reaching for Vivaldi's hand... The underthings and nightgowns were in the farther back in the store.

Vivaldi's smile was radiant.