He could sense that nervousness upon her, those waves of insecurity tugging at that bond between them the moment they stepped within that mall and yet, ever silent, that stallion merely moved to step up beside her. Allowing his form to remain close by and afford her that simple security of his presence and too- the calm of his own being. Frost, if anything, was so rarely ever flustered in any sense. The man's unwavering calm surely nothing if not contenting in those moments and yet words were hardly his forte beyond offering those few pearls of wisdom in regards to the sort of animals humans were. Dull, blind, deaf and for the most part not worth her concern. Confidence meant everything in this world and if she was going to learn to master it, then she was going to need learn to be confident in it- or at least pretend she was.

The white-haired stallion stepped easily away from the doors that seemed to distract all her attention the moment the man deemed she had surely had long enough to become acquainted with them. Any further lingering about them would draw attention. Frost entirely masterful in his ability to simply blend in when required. Even if that snow-white hair so often saw him stand out. He walked forward with easy purpose, knowing his pack mate would hardly be far behind if only for her fear at being left. Her steps hurrying a moment later as they arrived at the first of those stores. The mannequin seeming to ensnare her attention now, his violet gaze flicking from that plastic doll to Malia and back again. Frost supposing, truly, he had never considered them in any real detail and yet they had terrified him once too, years ago, when he had seen the modern world for the first time after so long in a world at least several decades behind and removed from technology as a whole. He had hardly been as innocent as she and yet he.... understood, to some extent, just how mystifying that world could be even if he hardly displayed any sign of it, nor cared to acknowledge the truth of it to her. That even he had once been similar to her. Those pasts better forgotten. Frost offering an explanation for the model all the same, content to ignore it before the young coyote seemed to ponder it further, one eye lifting at her query as to why real people did not stand about modelling the clothing. It was, he supposed, a decently legitimate question. That smile threatening to tug at his lips again before he smoothed it.

"Truthfully, yes, it would look better on a real being but that would require the store to pay someone to stand here in the clothes all day. Probably several people as one person would be unwilling to stand for that long I am sure. You don't have to pay fake people. It is about money, Malia. Everything in this world is about money."

Why shield the truth from her? Why let her wander the world innocent to its realities? Frost hardly one to sugar-coat those truths. If she was to be his pack then he would not have her be made a fool off in any sense. The man determined to so prepare her for that world as best he was able. She was his thing, his possession and that alone so earned her his protection. His form trailed further behind her as she approached those fur coats, very near terrifying an attendant before turning to him in turn to ask whether he realised the truth of this injustice- his own hand lifting to brush at that fur. Another reality of the world it seemed, was about to be learned today. Frost offering yet another simple explanation in that it came down to choice, to morals, to what one deemed acceptable. Those burdens of human life. The girl sighing before speaking of those laws of the wild he knew only too well.

"Think of it this way. If you have power- you have choice. Over what you will wear, over what others wear, even over who lives and dies for it."

His fingers reached easily to brush over that fur again, the violet gaze frowning softly somewhere beneath that forelock of snowy hair, his words loud enough for the woman alone.

"Humans believe animals are beneath them, so they wear them, the laws of the wild do not apply to them because they have no respect for them and in this world they do not have to. In our world they would not last a day. The balance of power always changes. Don't let another make your choices for you- or you will end up like this fur. That would be a shame too. Your human form becomes you."

It was almost as close to a real compliment he had made the girl so far, allowing her to wander away from those furs all the same, the man hardly elaborating further on those words before she progressed into a leather store. Cow hide, it seemed, hardly seemed to offend her as that of predators did. Frost inclined to wonder if all women merely possessed an ability to simply find expensive leather wherever it hid. They had a power for it he was sure. The man watching with amusement as she slid into that leather jacket. A genuine smile touching his lips at last, followed by that soft snort at her query as to whether or not it was 'her'.

"It does suit you, in fact. With the right shirt and jeans it will look even better. This way- keep the jacket on."

His hand waved briefly, gesturing her to follow before leading the way, heading towards the rest of those clothes, pausing amongst those racks of shirts and wall of jeans in different shades and cuts and styles.

"Black jeans will go well enough with that, so will dark blue, even a dark grey- choose a style you like then pick a few shirts, you can have anything you like but choose from the women's section only. Malia- put down the leather pants. You do not want that much attention I assure you. Jeans only from this store. Then we will find you shoes. You see these clothes with the prices marked in red? Perhaps you might try to choose from those. These ones are not full price."



f r o s t
we built this city on broken glass