Kit Again (Priv for LilGirlLya)

[transpikachu]

Oh, he was going to be threateningly close to being late again. He'd make it but it was going be close! Stupid, stupid. Bleh. All because he kept sleeping so deeply lately and then waking up.....

He'd been so silly. Nowhere near as careful as he should've been. Every Little knew about hypnotic cartoons, it's why basically no Little had a TV in their home. And didn't go skipping off to the movies without a care, you had to be careful! But, oh no, he'd gotten himself too invested in clicking through random videos on his phone while bored and well.....he was getting through it. He wasn't even going to think about it any further! If he forgot about it, maybe that'll...

Ravio sighed, hurriedly hopping out of the shower to do the quickest towel dry he could, before tugging a sweater on. Comfortable pants, good shoes, and he was set! He'd grab his apron at work. He frowned, giving himself 30 seconds in the mirror to quickly yank a comb through his hair and make sure he was presentable. Couldn't afford to look sloppy or like he wasn't caring for himself after all!

Shoulder length black hair hurriedly combed into submission, no sign of tiredness around those bright green eyes. He thought he had it better than some Littles anyway. He wasn't that small, gave him more of a pass than someone a few inches shorter than he might have. He was on the skinny and lanky side too, no tempting baby fat around his cheeks. Nobody was going to be snatching him off the streets on the crime of looking too cute or vulnerable. The only thing that might....put him in a bit of danger were those obnoxious amount of freckles. Covered his face, arms, legs...basically everywhere. He'd spent all his teenage years hoping he'd grow out of them like most kids did. You don't see that many adults with an excessive amount of freckles unless it was make-up or an adopted Little who's parents wanted to make them a bit more cute and childlike...

But! But...nothing he could do about that. And he was wasting time feeling bad for himself. Ravio hopped off the stepstool he used to reach the sink easier, ducking out of his bathroom. His apartment was nothing special; just a studio apartment sized for either a tall Tweener or a shorter than average Amazon. Heat always went out a few times a month, hot water was either lukewarm or scorching hot, and he was far too nervous to ever actually approach his landlord for repairs....but it was the only rent in this area he could afford. And he liked this area! His work was only two streets down, right in walking distance! And it was semi close to a grocery store....it was the little things he'd deal with the big things for. 

Ravio nervously dawdled for a moment, glancing at his phone's time before...before risking one last quick bathroom break. Just...just in case. Claire.....Claire would probably cover him for a minute or two....But he was out a few moments later; locking his door behind him and hurrying out to the streets below. No one in the elevator...good good....helped his nerves. Not that there ever anyone up at this time really.

You work at a bakery, you start before the sun was up after all! It was still pretty dark on his walk over. He thankfully made good time on his walk over, reaching the small (well, small for an Amazon) little bakery and sweets shop not too long after.

"Here! Sorry!" Ravio apologized rapidly even as he closed the door behind him, resisting the urge to anxiously twiddle his fingers. Okay...okay...maybe only a minute later. That was fine, that was fine. They still had about an hour before the morning rush hit, and people about to head to work or school stumbled in for their breakfast. 

"Good morning though!" He did try to at least make the greeting cheerful enough as he headed to grab his apron and wash his hands. Though, he did have to pull out his stepstools again that the nightly cleaning staff always tucked away....

But um! Seemed..seemed like a nice morning! Just him and Claire on dough duty most weekdays, the girl who worked the register didn't have to show up for another 40 minutes. And Laura worked weekends in the morning and didn't come until later for weekdays...that was nice. Very very nice. Because his hair was still a bit damp, and he was hoping no one would draw attention to it. 

Once he was all set for the day, he offered his work friend a small smile. "Did you have a nice night at least?"

Edited February 1, 2023 by transpikachu
no idea why it had a weird highlight, fixed now

[LilGirlLya]

Claire’s alarm blared to life at 3:30 in the morning, same as most morning. If she wasn’t a natural morning person, this job would be impossible. Fortunately, Claire loved what she did. She went to culinary school to be a chef and hadn’t imagined herself as a baker but now she wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

She started some coffee as she got dressed in her standard issue black shirt and slacks for the bakery. Once the coffee finished she poured herself a big cup that she drank as she browsed her phone, catching up on the goings on after her 7 p.m. bed time. Once it was finished she poured the rest in a thermos, threw on her jacket and got her headphones and made for the transport station. Just another normal day, just like the one before. Claire loved her job but her home life left a lot to be desired, in that it didn't exist. She'd thought about getting roommates before, it certainly would help, but finding someone who could coexist with her sleep cycle had always been a challenge

 

Public transport at 4 on a weekday morning meant it was just her more often than not. Today was no exception. and the ride was uneventful. She was at her stop by 4:30 and the bakery by 4:40. Key in the lock then go to the back to put on her apron, turn on the industrial ovens, and let in the morning deliveries at 4:45. Make small talk with the driver, pretend not to notice him trying to flirt.

At 5:01 a tiny ball of energy burst in through the door. Fortunately, it was just the two of them this morning and she wasn't going to rat out Ravio for only a few minutes tardiness. "Hey Rav'!" She shouted, it echoing through the kitchen and out into the cafe, "could you start the front of the house?" There wouldn't be customers for a while but getting some things started early was always the best bet. At 5:15 the deliveries were mercifully done and she made her way out to the lobby to meet up with her coworker. It was different working with a little, there were things that sharing the schedule with him sort of forced her into doing but Ravio was hard working and the personality of the duo. Claire knew they were peers, they'd started out together when the place opened and she knew it was only her height that made her the de facto supervisor on duty.

"Yeah, it was fine. Came home and made dinner and then just watched TV all night. How 'bout yourself?" Claire asked, sipping coffee from her thermos.

[transpikachu]

"No problem!" Ravio called back, already hurrying to the front. Got to get it perfect looking for their first customers after all, no one wanted to stumble into a bakery before work and see a mess. Would probably ruin their whole day! ..Or at least their whole morning. Either way, he had no desire to deal with an irritated Amazon who'd yet to have their coffee. He set to work, very quietly humming to himself to keep himself busy. Took him a bit longer than it probably should have, Laura would make a point of "gently" reminding him each weekend, but hey! He had to take more steps than someone taller than him, and even the small tables out in front were above his head. Once he was done, he wandered over to meet up with Claire again. 

And bleh, drinking her coffee again. Nasty stuff, he could never stand it. It was so bitter, even if you loaded it with sugar and cream. He much preferred hot chocolate, though he'd been skipping his usual morning cup the last few days. Didn't need anymore liquid flowing through him....already he was getting a little worried that he should probably do another bathroom run, just in case. But....he should wait. He liked Claire, he really did. Really! But amazons seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to noticing if someone smaller than them was taking more trips to the restroom than a "mature" adult would. 

"Um, it was good! Made some nice fried rice for dinner, trying out a new recipe." Ravio responded after a moment, idly bouncing one foot. Keep it nice and short, not too many details. Because he was a horrible liar. A really open book, everyone could always tell how he was feeling. "Did some cleaning around my place, I like having it nice and neat when I get home. Then I just messed around on my phone until bedtime."  

[LilGirlLya]

"Oh yum, low key but easy to make. I like it. A little junk food here and there never hurt anyone." Claire joined Ravio in doing some of the opening shift tasks that he'd been too short for, making teas, getting coffee going, putting out the little display sandwiches so people could see what was on offer. "Is that why you've started showering in the mornings? Just want to keep the bed tidy? From your hair I mean!" Claire blushed. she knew the condescension that littles trying to work often got and even as an Amazon she couldn't stand someone trying to lord their maturity over another adult because of how tall they were. Even mindful as she was though, sometimes in treating Ravio like any normal friend, she'd occasionally say something that could take on a whole new meaning to a little.

"Come on we need to start the breads for the day before Veronica shows up to start on the register. You ready to get going?" Claire asked finishing her coffee.

[transpikachu]

Ravio flushed suddenly, focusing on straightening their napkins and straws. "Oh! Oh, yes. And it wakes you up more, you know? Um! Shock of cold water gets you ready for the day!" Oh, he's trying to hide his mortification, thankful for his shorter height for once as he bent over a little to fuss over the display a bit more. Fine. It was fine. A silly little comment, no harm there. Don't get all paranoid. There's no way Claire even had a reason to suspect he'd been waking up wet pretty much every night of the last week. To the point that....he was getting very worried. Because shouldn't it have gone away by now? He'd....he'd only watched a few minutes of the cartoon before he'd dropped his phone...and it was enough to cause these nightly accidents. And it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Even doing something like asking for advice online even on a Little safe forum or buying protection was basically holding up a sign that said "Adopt me, please!" No. He...just had to wait. It...it'll fade. He'll be careful. 

But Ravio was glad for the distraction from his own thoughts, hurriedly nodding. "Sure thing! I see you got the ovens already going, thanks!" Which he felt a little bad for. He might be a pro at making their wonderful bread and pastries but Claire had to do pretty much all the heavy lifting....

 

[LilGirlLya]

"Yeah, for real. We can't all be natural morning people, otherwise people could wake up early to bake their own stuff!" Claire joked, "Alright, the schedule for today is pretty routine, get the breads started then move on to muffins, pastries, cupcakes that sort of thing. I'll need you on decor duty for those. We'll then start our cookies and prep the baguettes for tomorrow. Just a good, easy day hopefully." Claire heard the chime of someone opening the door, letting her know their cashier was here and the day was about to get started. Claire threw herself into working and she and Ravio worked together with the precision of a team that had been doing this for a long time.

One of the biggest upsides to working with Ravio was his little tastebuds made it perfect to calibrate how sweet she needed to make the pastries so they were appealing for little sensitivities without being too offensive to Amazons. Lots of amazons came in for a breakfast sandwich and ended up getting their little one a cake pop or a brownie and working together they could make certain to please both pallets. As the day wore close to 'lunch' at 10 a.m., Claire started portioning out some dough to make personal pizzas for the crew. Just another side benefit to working here. "How you doing Ravio? Ready to take a break?"

[transpikachu]

"I used to sleep late every day before I started working here! So I figured the extra help couldn't hurt!" Ravio laughed, fully relieved Claire had seemed to have bought his excuse. "Décor, sure thing!" Now that was easy even for him. He quite enjoyed that task, even if it meant he was working pretty rapidly and nonstop! But it was nice. Got to park himself at his work station with his stool, with all his gear pulled forward for an easy reach. No worrying about needing to reach or lift something too out of his league. And it made time fly by! 

...Also meant he had an excuse to keep himself busy and never have to worry about the customers upfront. That was always dreadful. Laura usually nudged him out there when he worked with her, but he was far more content to remain in the back. One, he'd never been the best with his nerves around crowds....and two, interacting with Amazons with adopted Littles...well. No unadopted Little enjoyed it. Very awkward. Had to choose between treating the other Little like you would an actual baby or just politely ignore them to give them some respect. Ravio could pull sweet and polite just fine, it just still made him squirm.

Speaking of squirming, by the time Claire mentioned a break, he was very relieved to hear it. He'd only managed to make a very quick slip to the bathroom around 8, so by now, he was more than worried he should be keeping more on top of....certain things. Just in case. "Sure am!" He tried to keep his tone bright though as he hopped down from his stool, taking the chance to do a quick stretch. Hey, least he didn't have to do as much bending over as his Amazon coworkers, now that must be a pain. "Do you want any more help with the pizzas first or.....?" Always be polite and helpful, even if he was very much hoping to hear a "no", so he could hurry off to the bathroom. At a Non Attention drawing pace.

[LilGirlLya]

"Ooh hey, nice work on the cup cakes especially." Claire came over near the workstation Ravio had been at and started to stretch out one of the pieces of dough over her knuckles, shaping it into a round, pizza shape. "Oh, there is one thing I could use a hand with actually," Claire mentioned as Ravio climbed down from the stool, "do you think you could gather up the toppings you want? We did a soppresetta and burrata one last time, it's your turn to pick what we do. Go grab what you want and the sauce mix from the work fridge. Oh yeah, and if you could pour me an ice water, I'd appreciate it! You get me all that and lunch will be ready in around ten minutes." Claire felt a little guilty with the scale of that ask, she knew it would probably take Ravio two or three trips to get all of it but the time he spent running was time she could spend shaping out the dough which meant lunch getting done faster.

[transpikachu]

"Sure, Claire!" Ravio kept his tone bright even as he internally sighed. ...Fine. Just deal with it. An Amazon or even a Tweener could just mention they were going to take a quick stop at the bathroom first, but a Little doing the same? That was a bit immature, wasn't it? An "adult" would be able to hold it after all. Which! Which he'd just have to do! He could do these in three short trips, no problem at all....bleh. He was such a pushover. He liked being a people pleasurer, okay? But he hurried off to do his tasks, grabbing the sauce first. He didn't spend too long debating on the toppings, like he usually would, and instead just grabbed some sliced pineapple and black olives. Not very popular, he knew! But he liked the sweet salty combo. He could fully admit to having every Little tastebud cliché. 

Toppings delivered to Claire, he set on his most dreaded task. Water time. For one, even just holding an Amazon sized glass took both of his hands, and he still had to grasp it super carefully. Same with the jug of ice water, though he made sure to grab one of the smaller ones. But it meant he had to pour it pretty slowly to not spill it! And, well. By the end, he was even more squirmy. Yep. Needed that bathroom. But he dutifully brought the glass of water over, doing his best to hide any "potty dance" type motions. "Um! There we go then! I'm just going to wash up quickly before lunch, okay?" That's a question but he's already inching to the back where the bathroom was.   

[LilGirlLya]

"Pineapple and olives?" Claire raised her eyebrow before shrugging, "sure but this time you get to take the leftovers home, bud. It's not my favorite but it's free so whatever." Claire frequently would do pizzas or sandwiches for them both when they worked together. With them having near free run of the back most days, it make up something quick and 'on the house.' She didn't know if the owner would even care if he found out, but she didn't care to let him in on the secret, even if it meant sometimes sneaking a lunch for Laura too to keep the whole operation safe. Besides, living on her own she had to make money stretch somehow.

She suspected Ravio was in the same boat money and living situation wise. The little kept his private life private and fair call on his part. The world was so full of Amazon's who didn't respect a little's basic privacy or maturity and would seize on anything to deprive them of it. She hoped Ravio knew he could trust her but even if she was an ally, she wasn't quite as sure about Veronica or Dillon and was absolutely sure about Laura. Still, it had to be lonely to be so defensively isolated.

"Thank Ravio, gotta stay hydrated, don't want to make this work any harder than it already is!" Claire took a long drink of her water before setting it down with a refreshed "ahh". "Oh yeah, of course, go on, there's still time on the pizza. Ravio was already gone by the time she finished.

"Huh, that's different," she thought.

[transpikachu]

"It's good! Nice sweet and salty taste, you might like it!" Ravio gave her a quick reassurance before making his way to the bathroom as quickly as he could without drawing suspicion. The bakery only had one "family" style restroom, it being such a small shop. No need for gender specified bathrooms. Or even the so called size specific bathrooms he'd only heard about it more progressive little filled cities. Nope, just one room with one toilet and sink. And...a changing table. Ravio made sure to avoid eye contact with the dreaded thing, hurrying onto the toilet. Because now it was...the very fun task of getting himself on said Amazon sized toilet. And then balancing. 

It did have a stepstool in the bathroom! (Though sometimes it would mysteriously vanish from the room, and he'd find it stuffed in a closet or somewhere out of reach.) Seemed to be here today though, thankfully. For him and any other lucky Little who might wander in here, though he rarely saw free Littles around here. Maybe one or two a week. Rarely used the bathroom. Just using one out in public was enough to draw enough attention to even the most collected Little. Heck, even at work, he tried to avoid using it as much as he could. But today was definently approaching emergency mode. As is, by the time he got himself situated on the toilet, he was emptying his bladder within a second. Wonderful.

And. Yep. Dread in his stomach, he could see he had leaked just a tiny bit. Like only a few drops. Not noticeable at all unless someone really insisted at looking. But it was enough to mean he'd be an anxious mess until he got home, even after he'd hurriedly dabbed at it with toilet paper. Fine. It was fine. Act natural rest of the day, and no one would know. He sighed, finishing everything up. And making sure to wash his hands! He always did, and yet Laura (and occasionally Veronica) would always ask in a "concerned" tone if he'd remembered too. He wasn't a slob, thank you, of course he washed up. But he exited the restroom, heading back to meet up with Claire. Pizzas were probably done by now....thankfully slightly long bathroom trips shouldn't be that odd. Pretty reasonable if the room wasn't sized for you after all.

[LilGirlLya]

"Oh, there you are Ravio," Claire said as she saw her coworker come back into the kitchen, "pizza just got out of the over a few minutes ago, it should be cool enough to start on now." Claire cut the pizza into eight slices and took one for herself, it was...not great. Still, it was apparently one of her friends favorites so she wasn't going to let one how much she wasn't a fan of it. "Halfway done for the day, didn't think breakfast rush would ever end" Claire said, trying to start up some conversation, "you have any plans for this afternoon or are you headed right back home?"

Claire was probably going to swing by the store on the way home, get some things for dinner. The fridge was pretty empty back at home. Oh, and probably needed to pick up some pads too for next week. She was out, for a moment thought about Ravio. Maybe that's why he's being so antsy about the bathroom? Just uncomfortable talking about periods and stuff with a cis woman. It wasn't a big deal but she imagined it would be awkward for him to discuss such a dysphoric body function.

[transpikachu]

Ravio greatly enjoyed his slice of pizza, eating it in little tiny dainty bites. No one liked a sloppy eater. And oh, was that pineapple nice and sweet. Made him want a sweet juice to go along with it, but he was committed to staying away from drinks as much as he could. "Oh. I guess I need to head to the store too. ....I usually try to get them delivered but that's been so expensive recently." He sighed with a frown, taking another small bite. Bleh, he hated shopping too. All those eyes on you. There was a Little owned grocery store in this city, but he'd have to take a subway and then walk to get there. Far too far for him. So it was the normal one near here and his place usually. He'd usually go in and out. Grab a few things and leave before someone came up and asked if he needed help. Or just assumed he did and scooped him right up to "help" him reach the top shelf. "Then I'll probably clean my bathroom and then start dinner. Boring, but nice. Um.....is there any shows you've been watching recently that you like....?" Conversation, he could do it! "I've wat-"

"Oh, sweetie, I hope you aren't chattering away too long on a break." A sweet voice spoke up as Laura entered the back to start her shift. About average height for an Amazon with long red hair always done up nicely in a bun. Wore a lot of jewelry when she wasn't baking/cooking. "Hello, Claire, good morning." A nice respectful nod to the other Amazon before giving the Little the usual sugary sweet smile. "And how about you, sweetheart? Did you have a nice night?"

[LilGirlLya]

"You want any company on that? If I'm with you then you could really load up." Claire extended the offer to combine the trips together, partly because she wanted an excuse to spend time with her friend but she knew even basic errands like shopping were tough for littles. Even at little run shops most of the good you're going to find are sized for Amazons or betweeners. Having to rely on the subway, Ravio would only be able to get a few days worth of food at most. Plus, Claire wanted a break from her normal, boring routine.

"Hey Laura," Claire gave a wave as Laura came in, "not us, just slaving away over some hot ovens back here." Claire despised how Laura talked to littles, just absolutely no respect for them. "*We*" Claire said pointedly, "have actually been having a real good morning. Nice and steady, lots of work. Just enjoying a bit of lunch."

[transpikachu]

"Um-really?" Ravio blinked up at her in surprise, his mind halting for a moment. Going out with an Amazon....? That-that should be raising every red flag in his mind. Every horror story he'd read online or heard whispered way back in school sometimes went like this. An Amazon just promising a nice shopping trip, and next thing the Little (and sometimes Tweener) knew, they were sitting in a newly kitted out nursery. ...But...he did like Claire....and...he trusted her, right? She didn't seem like the baby fever type...and. Well, well, she had a point. Claire could sure help him load up, he wouldn't have to go out for awhile after that. And so his mind did a probably stupid thing and he ended up nodding. "Um! Um...okay. That...that sounds fun." He tried to give her a smile, before it abruptly faded at Laura's arrival. Oh. Fully on guard now.

"I had a nice night, thank you for asking, Ma'am." Ravio said polite as can be, standing up straight. Some Amazons expected the Mr/Mrs or sir/ma'am titles, and he'd pegged Laura as that ages ago. No problem, he could do polite. Like he was with every customer. Even if he was so very nervous again now. "Miss Claire just made us some lunch, I'll wash it up for her in return once we finish. Then I'll get right back to work, lunch rush should start soon."

"Hm, well, I'm glad Claire is taking good care of you." Laura didn't miss a beat, eyeing the pizza. Likely would have taken a slice for herself if it didn't look so clearly catered to a Little's taste. "And what a good little hard worker you are! And you know....there's no problem in asking for any help from us bigger folk, hm? Isn't that right, Claire? No shae in it if you need a little extra help."

[LilGirlLya]

"Hey Laura," Claire interjected, "do you think you could get going prepping the baguettes? We're sitting around because we've been here since five." Claire gave Laura a look and got one in return. Still, Claire knew it was technically insubordination to ask someone to do their job.

"Sorry about that Ravio, do you need a minute? Laura can be..." Claire trailed off, glancing over her shoulder to ensure her coworker was actually working and not evesdropping in, "a real piece of shit. I'm pretty much done with mine but I can stick around for a few more minutes until you're done so she doesn't come back over to bug you. Want me to get started foiling the leftovers up for you?"

[transpikachu]

Laura sighed, but nodded. "Of course, Claire, that's no problem. Don't take too long now, cutie!" One last little coo to Ravio and the woman was reluctantly making her way to her workstation. Hm, she'd hold her tongue for now. It was just such an annoyance Claire was clearly cossetting on their little "co-worker", he really was a cutie. That shoulder length hair, and big eyes. Such a shame he was one of those Littles who insisted on pretending to be big. Oh, well, those type never last long, they always proved they needed extra "care" soon enough.

"Oh! Um...I'm fine." Ravio tried for a smile, finishing off his slice. The swear did get him to shoot a nervous look over his shoulder, in case it was going to be overheard and somehow his fault. Wasn't very mature after all for Littles to be using nasty language. Though it was a little nice Claire even swore around him. Lot of Amazons never did around Littles. Kept their language super clean and baby voiced like you would around an...actual kid. "I'm full, I think. The slice was pretty big. And I really should start making the sandwiches for the lunch rush. And um! Okay, if you want to wrap it up..thank you. Um. Really." It was fine. It was about 10:30 now, had only about three hours left. Meant he also had to hold it for three hours but...he could do that, he'd just-

Well. He couldn't go on the grocery run with Claire. He'd...he'd wait until he got home. Just to be careful.

[LilGirlLya]

"No problem. I'll take care of it and then we can go wash our hands and get back to it, OK? Oh, by the way, you can stick close to me today if you want. Laura seems like shes in a mood today." Claire kept her eyes looked on Laura every time the other Amazon picked up any wet ingredients, watching for any 'slips' that might lead to her dropping any on Ravio and insisting he change into some new clothes. It wasn't just Laura as a person Claire disliked, it was every time she was in Claire had to keep her focus split between doing her job and making sure Laura didn't try anything funny. If Ravio had been a tweener she probably could have brought it up as harassment if she could just get Ravio to go say something with her. The few times she broached it though, the topic got shut down. She was lucky she was a better baker than Laura even with half her attention on the job.

Lunch rush passed in a flurry of activity and once they were on the other side, Claire and Ravio turned toward prepping the baguettes. Opening meant Laura would have to stay for close so that meant they'd get to leave soon and leave her far behind. "Not much longer now. You got a place you'd prefer? I don't know where you like to do your shopping?"

[transpikachu]

Ravio was a nervous wreck for the rest of the shift, doing his best to stick close to Claire, and do his work Above and Beyond. Some customer had some stupid special request? Sure! He'll do it! No complaints from him! No mistakes, he felt like they'd be...even more troublesome today than they usually were. Claire was right, Laura was in a mood. Did Amazons really have some secret sixth sense like the old schoolyard rumors? That they could look at someone shorter than them and sense right away that they were close to slipping; like they knew for a fact you had to stuff your sheets in the washer before work for the fourth night in a row. Bleh, nerves really weren't helping his worries about needing the bathroom, though he was pretty sure he could still hold it. Nothing bad yet, he was just aware of it. Which was good, right? That he still could feel it. 

But finally, the rush began to die down, and it would likely be quiet till dinner. Which he never was here for, as nice as Dillion seemed to be, he'd once made a flippant remark about not keeping any Littles out late. Which...he supposed was fine. Walking home late at night was just screaming to the entire street that they could snatch him up. "Oh!" Ravio glanced up at Claire from where he was working on his last baguette. "There's a shop...it's maybe a street from here? ..Um. It's usually quiet early afternoon, so it's nice." More importantly, it meant Amazons with both real and taken children usually did their shopping early in the morning. "It's not far from where I live so I can carry my bags home usually."

[LilGirlLya]

"That must be convenient, having something so accessible so close by." Claire agreed with her friend. For a just a moment she worried what might happen to Ravio if the shop was busier or less little friendly and instantly felt herself become defensive at the possibility someone might grab him. The rest of the shift finished pretty uneventfully and finally it was time for the two of them to clock out. Jess made sure everyone knew she and Ravio were heading out before clocking them both out.

"So, lead the way." Claire said. She and Ravio chatted on the way, it was nice to not be worrying about Laura or being on the clock. She did make a note to make sure she wasn't too far from Ravio. She wanted to make sure everyone knew he wasn't theirs to grab. "I didn't know you lived so close," Claire commented, "well, I mean I knew you were close since you walk but you've got everything in walking distance. Do you have a shopping list? We getting just the basics or are young going to make your poor Amazon friend carry a pantry home?"

[transpikachu]

"I don't like taking buses or trains." Ravio admitted, idly rocking on his heels a bit as he waited. "Rent might hurt, but it's worth it for the walking distance." He was fairly certain Claire was hurting for rent money too so hopefully that'll be okay to say....and she wouldn't suddenly start getting worried about the poor Little in his too expensive apartment. He bid farewell to their cashier and then a much more quiet "bye" to Laura (ignoring her "Bye-bye, sweetie! You be careful now!" response) and they were free! What a relief to be out of that apron. Because Ravio thought he always dressed well, didn't want to look too cute after all! Just a nice purple sweater and pants. Though his hair probably needed a good brushing by now, but maybe it was fine with Claire by his side. 

"Um, I need....laundry detergent." And he couldn't avoid a brief awkward stammer there, but he hurried to correct it. "Then I think I just need the basics. Eggs, milk, bread. Um. I'll probably see what's on sale, you know?" 

The walk was nice though! Fairly quiet, though they did pass one Amazon couple who clearly saw their size differences and did a brief double check. Likely trying to see if he did look Adopted or not. But! He managed to ignore it, hurrying on the way. Didn't want Claire to feel like she had to slow down so much after all, even if he had to take about four steps for her every one. But they reached the store soon enough! Nice place, typical small corner grocery shop. Well, small for an Amazon. Sometimes Ravio did try to imagine what it'll be like to shop and not have the cart and shelves so far out of reach. "And what do you need to get, Claire?"

[LilGirlLya]

"I know the feeling," Claire acknowledged, "I've thought about roommates before but every time I've had them, it's ended up in disaster. Not many people are considerate enough the let me go to sleep when I need to with any consistency.  I stay further our but the MTA is getting a little bit of a cut every single day for it."

"OK, so the basics. No big deal. I've just got to get a few things for tonight. Maybe something for next week too." Claire ducked discussing cycles while walking in public with Ravio. Claire got a cart and headed in, "if you want, you can just throw your stuff in here rather than getting a basket. It's no big deal, we'll separate it all out at the register. Claire let Ravio pick out his odds and ends but couldn't help but feel a little disappointed he was just getting the essentials. She couldn't explain why, still it was nice to spend time with her friend even if she did wish he got a little bit more healthy food. Maybe it was the chef in her?

Once all of the non fridge or freezer stuff had been added to the cart, Claire looked down at Ravio? "Mind if we make a detour real quick?" she said gesturing to the aisle that contained feminine care stuff. She saw Ravio's reaction and immediately thought, 'aw shit', it was the diaper aisle too. Of course it was. "I don't have babyfever you goof," she joked, hoping she sounded reassuring, "I need pads. Do you want to stay here or come with me?"

Claire got her brand and looked over at Ravio, "Do you need some too? I noticed you were going to the bathroom a bit more today. It's no big deal, I'll grab you some if you do. If it weren't for the height I'd offer to share the emergency one in my purse."

[transpikachu]

Shopping with Claire was nice. It was like he was invisible with her. He wasn't stupid, he knew most people who gave them half glances saw him reaching up to place something in the cart, and just assumed he was a big boy helping his "Mommy" out. But..well. It worked, didn't it? No one approached him at all, and Claire easily reached whatever he needed. Heck, he even fell to his temptation and got a bag of the horribly sweet and sugarly cookies he loved. Total Little bait, but they were good, and he felt like treating himself. But other than that, he settled for the essentials. Wasn't exactly full of spending money after all, laundry detergent alone put a nice dent in it. And that was even after grabbing the smallest size they had! (Still needed two hands to hold it, but it was one of the only ones that didn't have a "child/little-proof cap). 

The....aisle question did get a brief deer in headlights look from him, startling just a bit. Which-which just made him aware of how much he needed to use the restroom suddenly. Approaching "You need to go now" terrority. "I-I'll stay here, I'm not-I'm not on my p-period." He hastily stuttered out, only to blink as his mind caught up with the conversation. Stupid! Dummy! That would've been the perfect excuse! He'd even have a good one to duck into the bathroom before they left, and he'd let it go. "Um. I mean...I'm fine. Thank you for asking though." Rapid approach back to being polite, very much hoping Claire just moved on. Don't ask anything else, don't ask anything else--

[LilGirlLya]

"...OK." Claire shrugged. Maybe Ravio wasn't on his period, maybe he was and just didn't want to talk about it with a coworker. It didn't matter. If he didn't need protection he didn't need protection. Ravio was outgoing and talkative so Claire though maybe he'd be open about a biological function that definitely separated him the babies Amazons saw littles as. But he was also extremely private, bordering on shy. She could understand how bringing that up might cause some embarrassment that would only be exacerbated by her particular feminine hygiene stuff being directly across the aisle from little sized crawlers diapers.

"Well, I just need a few more things. We won't be too much longer. Then I can help you carry all of this home. You know, it was good getting a chance to spend some time outside work with you. No Laura to have to talk around and all."

[transpikachu]

"Um. Okay! Okay, that's fine..." Ravio still seemed a bit uncomfortable, absentmindedly fiddling with one of his sleeves. Keep his hands busy, he felt suddenly very aware of how much they wanted to fidget currently. Change the subject, come on. Get back in the right mindset, and then maybe he could forget about a growing need. "Oh! Yes...um." That got a small smile out of him, ducking his head a bit so he wouldn't be flashing his slightly bucked front teeth. "It is nice spending time with you. Very....." He searched for the right. "Quiet? I don't know. I like it. Peaceful, I guess." Didn't need to be as on guard about anyone he passed or looking at him.

But on that! If Claire was doing all this work helping him bring his stuff home, he should at least try to return the favor, right? Make it fair. He straightened up, dropping his hands again. "Oh! Then, while you're grabbing your...things. Do you need anything else I can grab from another aisle maybe?" He offered hopefully. "Just to help you out some, 'cause you're already doing me a big favor..."