A little glamour went a long way on the road, and a little eyeliner or mascara could create quite the allure. There were times when she applied makeup in a sliver of shattered mirror, glass at her feet and the lighting deplorable. But that's why it was important to put it on in the first place. It wasn't a part of her travel plan. It wasn't a tool to get her picked up, nor was it a device to pull in more cash on the rare occasion that she panhandled. Her makeup was strictly about how she wanted to feel. From time to time, she wanted to feel glamorous, and eye makeup was her way.
Of course, she didn't want to spend her hard won monies at a makeup counter. She wouldn't go hungry over an eyebrow pencil. And, she didn't need a lot. She was known for doing a whole lot with very little. But, the fact that she had a makeup stash at all was a fact to ridicule, and she met her fair share of folks who were willing to do just that.
"You make room in that pack for face paint?" Spoke's friend said to her one night when she was sorting out the contents of her toiletries bag. She didn't flaunt the contents of her pack. She was looking for cotton balls to help clean out another camper's cut. She'd moved away from the fire, outside the circle, and make a place for herself against the tree. There was just enough light to see, until the guy stood in front of her and blocked it. He looked down at the stuff she'd taken out of her bag and made his judgment. He made his snide remark. And if he ever needed medical attention, he'd probably recognize her as the girl who carried the makeup.
She was comfortable with that. Of all the things she was known for, the people who remembered her as the girl who packed the fancy makeup was just another identifier. It was another way to approach her, too. She could look pretty in her makeup and clean up your cuts. As far as a reputation went, she felt her's was a rare currency.
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