Upon getting Solas' attention back to her face, Millicent agrees to meet Solas for dinner, afterall, he offered, so he'd pay. Can't beat that, at all. His offer to work as a 'team', left her confused as she closed the door behind him, she not understanding what he meant, perhaps he was referring to Arella, and she would not have to worry further about this deal of his.<br/><br/>She turned, to find a pair of tiny eyes peeking around the bedroom door's corner and she stood still, a smile passing her features. Arella had woke, and was being the typical 'eavesdropper' that any toddler would be. Her tiny hands grasped the cross, and Millicent watched as Arella toyed with it.<br/><br/>"mommy, who was that? he gaved me a shiny."<br/><br/>Millicent moved to her daughter, the towel now soaked, her torso cold and damp from the material that bound it. Her right palm cups Arella's cheek and she places a kiss on top of her head, rewarded with a mouthful of tangled curls. Her voice is soft, caring, an attribute Millicent does not offer to most, and one she keeps tucked away, unless it pertains to matters of the heart.<br/><br/>And this matter, was her entire world.<br/><br/>"It's called a cross, angel. And he...", Mill stumbles for words. She still not does know this man's name, as familiar as he is to her, as she remembers him from so long ago in being around in her life, obviously not an important part of her past, that she knows so little of him. "He's just a friend," she recants, deciding some things are left best, even tiny fibs, with her little one.<br/><br/>Arella nods and retorts with her high pitched voice, "well, I think he's nice. He gaved me back to you and I like that ALOT, mommy!". The girl dances around in a circle, causing Millicent to laugh out, pushing back concerns and enjoying this moment. Millicent has let her guard down, still highly protective of her baby, but open to allow the day, and them as a family, move ahead.<br/><br/>She takes the cross from Arella, placing it around her neck, then leads her into the bedroom. Arella crawls on the bed and sits, rolling her eyes and fidgeting as Millicent brushes through her hair. "baby girl, we SO need to go shopping tomorrow, you need clothes, darlin!".<br/><br/>Arella bounces on the bed in her sitting position, eyes lighting up, a huge smile on her face. "OH MOMMY! I can wear fancy things now! And I can play and run and dance and sing and people SEE me!"<br/><br/>This brings an inward gasp from Millicent, she has forgotten that for well over 100 years, her daughter has been nothing more than a spirit, guarded in a cemetary from the One that murdered her, trying to take her soul. All Arella knew for all those years, was playing ball with shadows and the time spent in a world where she needed nothing materialistic, and had little to do. Her voice she keeps calm, and gives her daughter firm instruction, "Arie, baby? You can't say things like this when we go out or to others, ok? It's a secret about where you were, and what happened. And it's a big, big secret about the bad man, and what my friend did to you, mmmkay?" She places the brush down, grasping Arella's chubby cheeks, turning her head upward to look into her eyes, making sure that her daughter understands.<br/><br/>Arella rolls her eyes again and giggles, pulling at Millicent's wrists to let her face go. "I KNOW, mommy. I'm not DUMB."<br/><br/>Mill laughs and nods, pinching Arella's nose softly and turns, moving to her closet. "Ok darlin, making sure. So, let's get ready and go eat, ok?" Arella nods and starts her bouncing again on the bed, while Millicent tugs on a favored set of Victoria's Secret undergarments, a white tank top which is sequined along the neckline, a worn pair of bootcut jeans, and black flip-flops. Taking her rather plain look further, she brushes her wet hair out, and pulls it up into a high ponytail, then tucks her wallet into her back pocket.<br/><br/>"Ok, sweets, let's get movin hm? We take too long and he's gonna refuse ta pay. And THAT, would be dumb of both of us", Mill winks at Arella and opens her arms, the girl diving from a standing position on the bed, into her arms. With a warm hug, Mill places Arella on her feet, taking note of the girl's attire; it the dress she had been buried in, yet looked as new as the day itself; A simple white cotton dress, sleeveless, with a pair of white silk socks that has quite the frilly tops, and black leather shoes. The cross bobs around Arella's neck, catching light and reflecting if against the wall. She will fit in, it's New Orleans, and nothing is normal here, anyway, Millicent decides. Tomorrow, definately, shopping.<br/><br/>She takes Arella's hand, and they leave the apartment, making way down the now packed street.  Millicent held tight to Arella, and Arella did the same. This so new to the little girl, the smells, sights, people, and they all acted strange to her. This was an entirely different era from when Arella bounced around in life, and it would take some getting used to. For them both.<br/><br/>As they crossed towards the restaraunt, Millicent noticed Arella's eyes lit up, her cheeks a rosy red, and a huge smile plastered on her face, the child's breathing intensified, now tugging on Millicent's hand. "Mommy! Buy me that!!", her free arm stretching out to point at a nearby shop, a just-opened florist, who's buckets of flowers loitered the sidewalks in a beautiful array of roses, tulips, carnations, and many others. Ivy clung to baskets hung from shephard's hooks, and even in the chaos of this busy area, the smell of fresh flowers, one could not argue with.<br/><br/>Millicent giggled, looking towards the restaraunt and not seeing their 'friend' just yet, opts to make the stop, sure that if they are late, he couldn't miss them right down the sidewalk. Knowing Arella, she'd end up with armfulls of the flowers, or making a huge mess of them, which should draw his attention.<br/><br/>She nods to her bright-eyed wonder, and they nudge past a sailor, who offers an apology, and a rather pleasant smile.<br/><br/>Perhaps it is best to state for the record, here and now, that Millicent, has an attraction to a man in uniform. It could be her background, it could just be, but something certainly stops her in her tracks when she comes across such men. It's one of those, 'DAMMMMMN, lookit you, be my hero!', thoughts, that combines with this physical shiver up her spine, and a smack of her lips. It's just, delicious. In so many ways.<br/><br/>Moving onward, (shew, almost took that too far there didn't we?), Millicent pauses, offering an, 'it's fine' to the sailor, he in his uniform, apparently here with his crew docked, as it happens often during Mardi Gras in this city. Of course, her daughter has her blood, and instinct, and offers her own tiny and yet rather too loud response, "MOMMY he is CUTE!!". Millicent groans and gazes up, biting at her lower lip to suck in a laugh, nodding to Arella as the sailor chuckles at her small wonder. She excuses them and nudges Arella to focus on the flowers, and the girl giggles and begins to pull her to the shop, Millicent just shrugging to the sailor and waving.<br/><br/>As they stop in front of what has Arella's attention, large and colorful lillies in clusters, tucked away in buckets of water near the door, Arella begins sniffing at the lillies, tiny blobs of yellow pollen sticking to her nose. She face deep in the clusters, makes a simple comment, as if stating the weather was nice today, to her mother, "that man wasn't as cute as your friend, though, mom".