Rosemary picked a terrible time to go out shopping with her friend today, apparently. All she needed was a new winter coat, and Adrian had been very generous to offer her a ride. Being unable to drive put her at the mercy of everyone else's schedules, and she was always thankful for help, but...

Why the hell did it have to be so crowded today?

Usually she liked shopping on weekdays, because things tended to be a bit quieter. But there was a lot more people here than she anticipated. Maybe there's some kind of event going on or something that she didn't know about? Or maybe because it's during the evening? Rosemary took a deep breath, and stuck close to Adrian's side.

...Except, well. She did kind of have a severe phobia of crowds, and usually she was with Iris or her mom or someone else who didn't mind having a terrified grown woman clinging to their side for dear life. But she wasn't sure about Adrian. They seemed like the kind of person who enjoys their personal space, and it didn't cross her mind until now to check. The two of them were just friends, and it seemed weird to suddenly initiate physical contact when they hadn't been very touchy-feely.

The noise was starting to get unbearable. Rosemary was trying her best to keep it together, but the sounds of everyone talking at once felt like endless explosions going off in her head. It was hard to focus on anything, she could barely see around her - how does everyone else tolerate this? How the hell do other people find this enjoyable, even? God, this was a terrible idea. But she needed to shop for a new coat, and usually the best deals and selections were at this mall, and Adrian was the only one around to give her a ride because Iris was busy with other stuff and... Ugh. She could only hope that they weren't deeply irritated with her for dragging them all this way, only for her to drown in sensory overload.

It dawned on her that she hadn't said a single word since they got here. Adrian had been calmly walking by her side, though she hadn't heard them say much. It was... kind of hard to hear, though. What if they said something and she didn't notice? That would be embarrassing--

A stranger suddenly bumped into her from behind, and Rosemary let out a terrified, childish yelp without even thinking. The man who bumped into her merely kept walking ahead, either having not noticed or willfully ignoring her.

"Awfully rude of him," Adrian muttered. "Are you alright, Rosemary?"

She blankly stared ahead, taking a moment to process what just happened. "Uh," Rosemary squeaked out. "I'm fine, I think."

Adrian turned their head slightly to look down at her. She was trembling, had a vacant terrified stare, and a death grip on her purse's shoulder strap out of a desperate need to cling to something. Even if her bag isn't exactly going to protect her, it's just the psychological feeling of squeezing something that helps. Kind of. "You do not look well," they stated in a concerned tone. "We can find a place to sit and take a moment to rest, if that would help."

"S...sure. That sounds good." Rosemary responded. But it was hard to not shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. What if they got separated somehow, what if more people bumped into her, what if someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away and--

Ugh ugh ugh. Fuck, crowds are truly the worst.

The two kept walking around the mall for a while, in search for an unoccupied bench to rest on. Every single one they passed by had at least someone sitting there already, though. This was getting exhausting. Rosemary hadn't even stepped into any stores yet, and already desperately wanted to go home.

"There are far more people than I was anticipating," Adrian admitted, as they continued walking. "Is there anything else that would help right now?"

Rosemary bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to answer that. It was incredibly difficult to think clearly right now, given how stressed and anxious she was. "I'm... I'm not sure, I'm sorry." she nervously responded.

"Perhaps it might be a good idea to stop and get something to eat?" they suggested, slowing down their pace.

It was a nice thought, but she wasn't particularly hungry or thirsty right now. "No, I... I don't think that will help. I'm just..." Her voice trailed off for a moment, hesitating. "I'm just really afraid of getting separated."

Adrian quietly hummed to themselves in thought, before looking back down at her. "Would it help to hold onto me?" they offered, holding out an arm.

Rosemary blinked, completely surprised. "I-- Are you sure? Th-that wouldn't be weird or anything?"

"If it would help, I do not mind."

She cautiously reached for their arm, and carefully held on. It felt... a little strange, admittedly, since they weren't usually physically affectionate. This was probably as close as the two had been before, now that she thinks of it. At the same time, it was hard to deny how comforting their presence was.

Maybe... it wasn't such a bad idea to go out shopping with them today, after all.