<Oh, that's annoying, yeah. Maybe we should take up watching sports in person? I dunno how hard that is to do.>

<Do you have any idea how they'd compare?  I mean, it's probably better than nothing.  . . . Well, it's maybe better than nothing.>

Colley remembers Zarian going on a ramble about the beauty of the fittest person in every generation having their skills spread across the population, not even for the benefit to those people but because everyone's kids would start from that baseline and have the chance to improve even more - Dira'd interrupted by throwing a choreography notebook at her, to get her to focus on the dance number the two of them were supposed to be working on - Colley misses them.

<Yeah, I don't know. I guess we could also like, take up running with headphones on?> Like that person over there, see. <Combine taking in the local music scene with not atrophying.>

<That doesn't sound so bad.>  Colley is indescribably excited about headphones.  Conveniently, communication with Ispalt requires no description.  <As long as I'm not already fast enough to be suspicious.>

<We'll run at night. Cooler then anyhow.>

<Like now?>  Her shoes are suitable and her hair is mostly loose but braided at the top to stay out of her face.  <You know, I bet if we don't copy unexertion from anyone while we do whatever, it'll be way less attention-y and probably better exercise.>

<Don't have headphones yet. If we spot a place still open that has them. And something to play the music on.>

<It's faster, though.>

<Hmm, all right.> She breaks into a jog, dodging the occasional pedestrian while looking for a late-night store that will sell an iPod or something. No such luck.

It still feels nice to be taking steps to preserve something that she previously didn't consider that valuable and now definitely does.

Jog jog jog. There's a Walmart, over there, still open. They might have phones. Worth a look, anyway. Jog jog.

There are so many THINGS in this SHOP.

Sure are! They can walk around looking at all of them - a brisk walk, but local context suggests it is odd to jog in a store.

This is also true on Citrelia though admittedly the stores there are much smaller and narrower and less well-lit.

<Oh, should we pick up some clothes?>

<Bet your butt we should!> Ispalt grabs a cart and goes through the clothes marked WOMEN. She does not have her own taste in clothes and will get whatever Colley wants.

<But I don't want to bet you for control of my butt.>  (She's joking.  Though it would be hard to tell from her tone of mental voice alone.)

She likes colors on the bright side of pastel, and athleisure, and sparkle.  She wants the two of them to touch all the fabric and inspect the seam quality before deciding on and particular items to buy; the existence of serging surprises and impresses her.  They haven't picked up the local sizing system but for the most part she can tell what'll fit her just by looking.

Buttclench buttclench.

There's a fitting room to double-check things!

Ha.

<You should pick something out!  Like I want veto power if it's hideous but if it's your first time you should get something.>  Now she's imagining glittery little tailored slug clothes.

<Alrighty...> She grabs a stripey sundress, pink and white.

And they can try everything on!  Colley has a good eye; everything fits, but it's still fun to have a little fashion show.

Posing! What a concept!

Once they've had their fun: <Headphones?>

<Headphones!> Some nice hifi ones and some earbuds for running. And an iPod. And some iTunes giftcards because she has cash but not a way to pay online for stuff very easily at the moment. And an electric keyboard. And a backpack to carry these items back to the hotel in, except for the electric keyboard which they will have to hold in their arms.

eeeeeeeeee keyboard.  Now she'll be able to do music in the middle of the night without bothering anyone at all.  Amazing what these people have accomplished while having to get good at everything all by themselves.

And out they can go with all their purchases. The iPod does not come charged, so they can't listen to music on the way back to the hotel, more's the pity, and the piano would be too awkward for a local to run with so they will have to walk.