The underlining issue the abused woman's reasoning to stay within the dressing room wasn't because of her new attire. Clothes were nothing more than strung fabric sewn together to provide an encasing shell above the skin. Wearing clothes that actually had taste and fit her body was something she felt she didn't deserve. In the back of her mind these were luxuries that she wasn't privileged to attain. With a lack of self-confidence and the heavy damage to her psyche she could only see that she was nothing more than a failure and a husk of nothing but wasted space. It was all she knew. There was a reason why she was so giving, and it wasn't just because she was a kind-hearted person. It was simply because she deserved nothing. She had taken Alexis is, as a complete stranger, providing her food, clothing, and shelter. Yes, she and Alexis shared something common that both refused to speak about, and that was another reason, but mostly it was because Alexis deserved such nice things. Instead of ignoring Tobias's confounding and odd requests on a daily and nightly basis, she followed his whims. As a loner she had the privilege to ignore his commands, not having to suffer any consequences should she decide to disobey him. But she followed him, did as he wanted as if she weren't a loner at all, but that was for a completely different reason. She had a reason and it wasn't because she saw herself in a negative light. Rather he saw her, and was the first person to see her in such a way, as someone with worth. Sure, he saw her as nothing more than an individual that he could play with, or hunt beside, even provide him with food and company at night, but she was of some sort of minuscule importance to him- and she's never been like that before for someone.

"I am sure Alexis looks wonderful, but I'll stay in here."

Her soft reply was shouted from within the safety of her dressing room. She was sure that Alexis indeed looked simply stunning in her new attire. Especially since she had been wearing nothing bit raggedy faded clothes that were far too large for her. Alexis was a smaller thing, but it was all the clothes the lupine had, hence why they were out here shopping in the first place. Unable to remain standing in front of the mirror within this itchy garment she shuffled towards the small bench, and sat on it. Pulling her knees closer to her as her long arms wrapped around them, her chin touched her knees. Hearing the door to Alexis's dressing room open and clothes once more, she flinched roughly when she heard the door knob to her own room wiggle. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, nervous. This was not her territory, but this was a place that felt like a safe zone. Keeping hunched over her bench her head would tilt to the side as she heard the WerePanther speak aloud. A frown slowly etched on her scarred face as she turned her head around looking at her reflection. Cold, nimble fingers touched the edge of her scarred cheek, as she softly felt the old grooves that permanently marked her pale flesh. In truth what Nadya had said was correct, but it was far too difficult for the young woman to see past all her flaws. Hearing Nadya speak of trust caused the woman to shake her head ruefully. Trust. It was such a fragile thing that she could offer or accept from another. With Tobi and Alexis it took time. As for Nadya, well, she was still wounded from her words in the warehouse. Muttering softly her head leaned against the wall as her eyes closed, calling out to the woman gently.

"Trust...that is difficult to give."
Trusting another person, whether it was about the choice of clothes or something far deeper wasn't an easy thing the lupine was capable of. It took Tobi months to get her to not flinch each time he approached her or rubbed his frame against her own. She had learned to accept this odd behavior, understanding now that it was simply a feline thing that just couldn't be quelled. With Alexis, after the incident within the outskirts, it had taken awhile for the girl to not flinch when she saw Alexis and flee the room. For Nadya, she would have to go through the same rocky road when it came to achieving some sort of trust from the reclusive girl. Spending time with Alexis allowed the girl to feel a bit more comfortable about herself. Unashamed when she had moments when the pain of the past would overwhelm her and the need to converse with the Fox, without really talking about it, allowed the girl to pry open a part of herself she had locked away from everyone. As for Tobi, well, overtime she was getting used to him, his routines and odd habits. She wasn't bothered at all that he was different, with how he talked or acted, pretending it was nothing and treating him as she would with anyone else. Never pointing out his flaws. It could be said that over time, the hunting, the playing, sleeping at his side, the company all around was slowly filling a piece of her that hadn't been filled before. So, it was possible that in the back of her mind she was thinking about her strong feelings for her feline friend, feelings that she wouldn't voice out aloud to anyone- afraid that it would do nothing but harm her. So, when Nadya whispered he comment about Tobi, it made the she-wolf instantly leap up from her bench staring wide eyed at the closed door, as her scarred cheeks began to flare up in a crimson color. Long nimble fingers began to twist around one another, a typical habit of hers when she was nervous. Standing in front of the door, she stuttered softly to the girl, attempting to whisper as softly as she could.

"I-I never said...I-I didn't....h-how did you know?"

With a new found determination she reached for the doorknob, twisting it gently, feeling the Nadya's weight off the door before she opened it. Keeping her head low, allowing her golden curls to try to hide the crimson on her cheeks she would shuffle out barefooted. The long white blouse fabric was itchy to the woman so it was no surprise that around her wrists and necks were small scratch marks. The white blouse did nothing to help her pale complexion or attempt to hide the array of bright and dark colors that stained the left side of her ribs and side, a hidden secret from the first night she had ever felt her first taste of freedom. Her hands would reach the soft fabric of the dark brown skirt lifting it slightly up, noticing that the length wasn't as short as she thought it was. Puzzled, unsure if the clothing was right for her or not; her head would tilt up and to the side as she gently gave her inquiry to Nadya.

"I think I like the skirt, but the blouse...I think I understand why not everyone wears long sleeves, what do you think? And Alexis...I'd like to see what Nadya picked out for you."

Well, at least Raven was trying to extend some sort of bridge to begin this route to trust Nadya.

I'd Rather Feel Pain Then Nothing At All

Raven