This had stemmed from practicality, more than the admittance that she was as stuck here as Howl was, in his infinite panic towards being tied down to any place. One couldn't wash her drawers properly in a house of so many, nor hang them out to dry, although Sophie had tried. Snuck to the bathroom in the middle of the night to was them, hang them to dry, and woke with the crack of dawn to put them back on. It was tiresome, and she had to suffer enough tiresome things as it was.

The idea of taking money from this Welcome Centre's fund to buy herself clothes was, well, embarrassing. As soon as she had an income, she would return every coin spent, because it wouldn't do to have the City sponsor her unmentionables collection. There was just no way.

Practicality and common sense aside, she had to admit that it had been a long time since she'd done this. Going out to stores with other girls; it made her miss Lettie and Martha something fierce again, but she tried to focus on the possitive side of that. For example, the company.

One of which she can spot, so she waves before she even gets near the girl.