Mommy issues were going to be one hell of a bitch if Walker ever found out that the superhero was aware of the existence of her mother, as well as... Maybe her father-in-law? But it was definitely her mother who would've made the mommy issues more egregious than ever, as the middle-aged aristocrat thumbed the shopping cart handle while eyeing the other party ever so cautiously.
"You know your way around this particular market, miss?" the older woman had asked with a frown, "You seem like you would know it anyways. You already seem to have a lot of stuff in your hands." That was a stupid assumption, in all honesty. The only reason the aristocrat even made that assumption was that the younger woman seemed... Well... Young. Young enough to know about her son's whereabouts, perhaps? That, of course, was too forward of a question, and Walker actually doubted whether she'd ever feel comfortable enough to let the other party know of her predicament - even if it was through the most subtle of implications.
Better to be innocuous, then wait to see if it came back to bite her in the ass later on.
She sighed, then rubbed the back of her head, before adding, "I am particularly looking for the pastry section. Like... The one with the sweets and all that. Cookies, cakes, all sorts of treats like that. I mean... I would not eat them myself- Well, I would if I bought them, but normally, no." Nice stammering - and recovery. Her tone seemed muted the entire time, while her grip on the shopping cart started to slacken. It wasn't like it'd be a huge loss if she just ditched the cart on the spot, considering that she hadn't even bought anything yet.
Besides, Walker was still probably half-convinced in the back of her mind that the other party would've benefited more from the cart than her anyway. She did seem to be burdened with all those items she was carrying, in spite of the muscles. At least muscular women didn't set an immediate red flag for the older woman, considering that her own mother was... Kind of buff, actually.
"I am probably going the wrong way, really," she admitted with a nervous laugh, "but... I do not know. As said before, you probably have more familiarity with this market than myself. I usually make servants do the work, but... I am far away from home, so... Mind being a good young woman and put that fancy costume of yours to work? I am sure that I would not get lost following you around in store; I can pick you out of a crowd easily with that thing on."
mom said it's my turn for a follow-up......
“After I get these eclairs out of the way, I can go back home…” sniffed Walker while she passed through the aisles, her feet quietly shuffling against the checkerboard tiles. If she didn’t find such a pattern hideously kitsch, the middle-aged woman would’ve actually become quite entranced by their seemingly infinite yet still constant pattern. But she continued, huffing, “Of course, then there has to be the cashier to deal with… As well as whatever may happen in the store.” She shuddered just thinking about it.
Apparently, the grocery store she was in had started to get a reputation of being ravaged by unpredictable events, seemingly ad nauseum. Of course, Walker just thought it was just a string of coincidences, but the stories seemed to keep repeating, and it wasn’t long before business in that district actually started to fail as a result of folks directly avoiding the store for something safer, something more convenient and secure. Walker actually felt bad, in a way, though as an aristocrat she was sort of obligated to keep her mouth shut on the matter. It wasn’t worth fermenting a scandal over needless things anyway, no matter how pressing they may seem in the moment.
Of course, much of these events concerned a swan. Was it the same swan as the one in the stories? Walker doubted it. But the original was apparently an escaped pet bird that started to menace the district with its unpredictable and often aggressive behavior. Who could say that it didn't eventually bear chicks of its own, more menaces to terrorize future generations? But hey, at least she didn't know the details about it-
"You again?" Walker asked when she looked back up from the floor and realized just whom she was accompanied by. Oh, poor woman just wanted to lose her shit right then and there, but... Alas...
She brushed some dust off her cloak before huffing, "Listen, I am not here to listen to whatever you may be concerned about, personal or otherwise. I am busy and need deeds to attend to, and I just... I just cannot concentrate when I keep being pestered by unwelcome folk." Way to be subtle there, asshole. With a sigh, Walker shrugged. "But I suppose you might be right about the lack of staffing around here," she added with a dismissive upturn of her nose, "I was not pestered at all when I was shopping for sweets. Unusual, huh? Though I would not blame them for being such a bother. It is rather unusual for an aristocrat to be buying such common goods anyway- Aie!"
Her monologue was suddenly interrupted by a swan flying out of nowhere with a honk, crashing into the two women before continuing on its merry way. Walker fell to the floor with a thud, biting back curses under her breath while making sure her hand still remained around those sweet pastries and candies. At least none of the packaging seemed to have broken... Walker shook off the dust on her clothes before snorting and stretching her muscles.
"Do not know, but it always seems to be here when you are around," the middle-aged woman grunted bitterly before walking over to the cashier in even more of a rush than before - if only because she was starting to get worried that a repeat incident would happen. She perked up while watching the other party walk out, then sighing, "But whatever. Have a good day too, I guess." Not that she meant it, but sure. Whatever seemed to suit the mood for now.