Shopping Spree [Brittany]

One side of Brittany was curious about these Grimm, uncensored versions of the fairytales she knew from long ago. The other side, after the brief time Gabe spent narrating the true version to her, was...a bit shocked and frowned silently in response, specially after hearing Gabe's analysis. "...who wrote that? That's so violent.", she said in a low tone, watching as Gabe flipped the pages. "Hey, the Faithful Heinrich said the Frog Prince was happy, so in the end he could marry that cow of a princess and live happily ever after with her! Sure, she was, like, a complete liar and a jerk, but she broke the spell...at her rather...erm, aggressive manner. Girl, that's not how you do things, you should have just kissed the frog and washed your mouth later. Or maybe not, maybe this Frog cared about his hygiene... I mean, he was a Prince, he must be the clean type of Frog. Anyway...in the end everything worked out for the best, right?", she turned to Gabe with a silly, unsure smile of someone who sought confirmation and safety on the other party's words.

Brittany was...silent for some time after Gabe ended, staring emptily at the book pages before she could voice some reaction. "I...never look at it that way". She was somewhat shocked, even. It did change her views about the tale, and at the same time, a smile came on her lips, looking at Gabriel with admiring eyes. "You're so intelligent! Like, I'd never come to this conclusion! You know what's even sadder? That the Faithful Heinrich loved someone who wouldn't love him back. Like, the Frog Prince isn't gay, is he? And the Faithful Heinrich clearly is because, well, he loved his master so much to that point. I mean, you can't change someone's sexuality. Then again, there are those kind of people who discover their preferences later. Someone can think they're straight at first and become gay later. So maybe there's a chance the Prince might love his servant in the future? All he needs to do is look elsewhere and ignore the princess. Truth be told, if she's that shallow and futile, the Prince should really divorce and give the servant a chance. Then again, most high-class people don't want to try someone who's not on their level. Prejudice and stuff like that.", she frowned and shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe I was a blond prince! A prideful prince who felt in love with, who knows, a redhead servant?" It was a fun thought. Though, she wouldn't like to fall in love for someone else that in the end wouldn't give her the appreciation she wanted. She'd prefer the servant anytime over any prince. "Well, if you're a bookworm, then I think I, like, just become one? I might just buy this book!", she chuckled at him, taking said book delicately from his hand. "Awwww, no, you're fine! Don't apologize! It's cute when you talk about it! It's one of your passions, right? The books, I mean. I like when people tell me about what they love! There's, you know, this different gleam in their eyes when they do. You probably don't understand unless you actually check yourself!"

When asked about something that would make her eyes glimmer in satisfaction, Brittany would remain smiling and carefree on the outside, but something inside about her was feeling a bit...uncomfortable. And it was not the revelation that Gabriel probably met Bernie in one of his (her!) wandering off times. "So, it doesn't matter who or what I am? What if I'm not who you take me for?" Her glance seemed somewhat...serious. Atypically serious, almost as if she was a different person for a bit, for these brief seconds that even her tone changed... Until she opened up a smile again and, as in magic, she was back to her usual self, full of vibrant energy and unbreakable cheerfulness. "Hmmm, I do like the cheerleading. It's what makes people happy. You know, you should watch me one of these days! Modesty aside, I'm really good at it! I'm gonna miss it once I graduate... We can't do cheerleading at college, can we? I dunno, it's more like a high school stuff to me. So I better enjoy it while I can, right?"

Whether Gabe aimed at it or not, Brittany would start giggling, and laugh wholeheartedly. "Aw, come on! Don't be silly, you're not even old! It must be the glasses. And the suit. And the formality attitude. But you know, that's hot. I haven't met anyone as old-fashioned like you, which means you stand out. In a good manner" Brittany winked in a naughty manner, before her laughter returned to the room and she could look at him differently. Serenely, gratefully. Gabe probably wouldn't fully understand this specific intensity in her stare. "...thanks. I know what you're trying to do, being a good guy, and I appreciate it."

"Ahahahaha, awww, Mr. Lester, you made him embarrassed!" Of course Brittany didn't take the "flirt" comment seriously and, contrary to Gabe's expectations, she found in it a fun opportunity to tease at him. That said, she grabbed his arm with her own, interlocking them in a way that could very much resemble the intimacy shared by a couple, to the point she even got much closer to him, physically speaking, than before. "Oh yeah, let's buy the book. But first... What do you think, Mr. Lester, do we make a good couple? Do we match?"

In due time, Brittany would of course let go of Gabriel, considering his silence as a display of disapproval for her small prank. Nothing that would intimidate her, of course, but the last thing she needed was putting him on a tight spot, even if putting people on a tight spot was like a reasonable pastime for her. "Aw, you didn't have to! I brought my credit card for this!" While it did startle Brittany a bit, in the end she smiled, accepting the gesture of gentleness. She never had people to do that much kindness before. Well, she had...but she never met them again. So Gabe was actually the first to be so helpful. Earning gifts for free was always welcome, anyways, though that was not the only reason why Gabe's gesture lift her mood and brought a smile to her face. "You are a true gentleman, aren't you? Old-fashioned, one of a kind. Just my type", she winked to him then turned to Lester, chuckling right after, a behavior that made it obvious her comment was more aimed to extract any disconcerted reaction with no compromise than to pure flirting. Did it even cross her mind she could be misinterpret as flirtatious? Probably not. In any event, she was just waiting the word to leave alongside Gabriel, as long as he had nothing else to discuss with the bookstore owner.

The girl waved back to Lester and left the facility, holding hands with Gabriel. She didn't understand this immediately, but in the end she took it as another display of a very old-fashioned kindness. After all, she had been teasing him about a commitment between them, but as he brilliantly said, they were hardly acquaintances. Regardless, whatever Gave was doing, made Brittany feel welcome. Happy, even. And normal...

"Hm....I have nothing to do this morning...so we can walk together a bit more..." She said, turning to him with the book pressed against her chest, a smile that's very different from the ones she's used to. But it's ultimately up to Gabe to decipher how different it is. And why.