xp_logs | LOG: Jane snags Angelo for a fashion show and then Clarice joins them.

Jane models her new clothes for Angelo and Clarice. Glitter is discussed, along with the meaning of family.

Jane sat her bags of new clothes on her bed. Amanda was finally back in there room so now she could come back, too. It had been a blast staying with Lorna and Alison, especially the shopping trip yesterday, but she was ready for her own bed. And that was a nice feeling, too. Having her own bed, a place where she belonged was great. And! New clothes!

She spread out her purchases on her bed and looked them over. She wanted to show them off to someone. They were comfortable AND stylish, she had been informed. She quickly changed into a new blouse and some slacks and then went looking for someone to show them too. The first friendly face she found in the halls was going to be pounced upon. She wanted to be told that she looked pretty.

As it happened, Angelo was just leaving his room as she passed by, on a quick run to the library.

Jane spotted Angelo and trotted up to him, surprising him with a great big hug. "Angelo! I haven't seen you since you got back! Are you okay? Was California really awful? I'm going
astraycloud: there next weekend, so I want to know. And I bought clothes to go and you have to tell me if they're good, okay? I'm going with Lorna and Alison and Alex and Miles and they said I could invite someone and I was thinking that I could invite Bobby because he's fun. What do you think?" She chattered away at him at him while gently dragging him back to her room where she could show off more of her new clothes.

Angelo blinked at her most of the way, trying to figure out which question to answer first, and not resisting her dragging him along - whatever she had in mind would provide an excuse not to study, probably.

When the got to her room, Jane indicated a place for him to sit -- on Paige's bed since hers was covered in clothes -- and then sat down beside him. "So, are you okay?"

Angelo took a moment to think before answering. "Not doin' too bad, actually. Not since Amanda woke up, anyway."

She patted his hand. "Good. Are you up to me modeling my new clothes for you? I went shopping with Alison and Lorna yesterday. We had fun. I want a male's opinion on them, though, before I show them off to, um, well yeah. Anyway. So?"

Angelo grinned, suspecting he knew whose name she wasn't saying. "You went shoppin' with Alison an' Lorna? Sure, I'll take a look, see what they got you buyin'."

"We went to Mecca, as Lorna put it, and now, I, too, am a citizen of the land of shoppers!" Jane giggled and bounced up. "This is the first thing." She twirled, showing off her new black slacks and frilly blue blouse. "Lorna says the color matches my eyes and Alison said the shape matches my body. That's good, I think. It is the, um, the 'low-key and casual' outfit. What do you think?"

Angelo had enough female friends to know the correct answer to any example of that question - and he didn't really want Alison and Lorna hunting him down. Anyway, it was true. "Suits you, I think. But I bet everythin' Alison an' Lorna picked out does. They're good at that."

Jane nodded. "I like it, but I'm not sure about this other one," she said, pointing to a pile of clothes on her bed. "They said I looked sizzling in it, but I'm not sure... Do you mind if I show you? Get a second opinion?"

Angelo nodded. "Go ahead. Want me to go out so you can change?"

"Nah, just look the other way I guess."

He nodded again and did so, turning to face the wall behind Paige's bed.

Clarice heard Jane babbling from halfway down the hall and decided to knock on the door. "Hey! You decent?" she called, knowing Jane's propensity to wander around naked unless reminded to put on clothing.

"Not quite," Jane yelled, "but you can come in anyway!"

Clarice opened the door surprised to find Angelo already inside. "Did my orgy invitation get lost in the mail?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

Angelo laughed. "No orgy here, just a fashion show. Jane's been shoppin'."

"Ooh, even better!" Clarice cleared a space on the bed and sat down with Angelo, "Shopping is a goodness."

"Yes! It's great fun. Lorna and Alison took me." Jane finished adjusting her new dress and turned to face them. "Well? What do you two think?" It was black and short and showed quite a bit of her clevage.

Angelo turned back round and blinked. "Looks good", he said, carefully choosing harmless words.

"I like it," Clarice declared, "Lorna and Alison have good taste."

Jane beamed at them. "Oh, good. I wasn't sure, even though they said it was good. I haven't worn anything like this before."

"I think you can usually trust those two", Angelo assured her. "They seem to know what they're doin'."

"Definantly, they wouldn't let you make a fool of yourself."

"Yeah, I guess. I just want to look good for Bo-, well, I just want to look good."

Angelo exchanged a glance with Clarice at Jane's slip of the tongue. "You do", he said firmly.

"You - " Clarice bit her lip at Angelo's look, no gossip for her at the moment. "You look great," she reiterated.

Jane blushed just a little. "I'm glad. I have more stuff, but this was the one I was worried about. I won't torture you guys anymore." She sat down on the floor in front of them, headless of her dress in a way that would exasperate Lorna and Alison, and tilted her head up at them. "So, what have you been up to, Clarice? I read about the prank war with Jono. How's that going?"

"I think it's over, unless he's planning something else. He didn't like being glittered, but he needed it!" she laughed, remembering how Jono had thundered around trying to de-glitter himself for the rest of the day.

Jane giggled. "Everyone needs glitter sometimes, I think." She sent a sly glance over at Angelo and nodded at Clarice meaningfully.

"Glitter is a goodness," she replied seriously, nodding back. This could get ugly.

Angelo didn't miss the subtleties of that exchange. "Oh, no you don't. No glitter."

"Who? Me?" Clarice played innocent, "I'm out of red and blue glitter anyways," she pouted.

Jane pouted at him, too. "I think Paige would like you all glittery when she comes back. And by then, we could probably find some more red and blue."

"We don't know when Paige is comin' back!" Angelo protested. "I am not gonna be glittered for the next two weeks or more, if it ends up bein' that long."

"Yeah...Is Paige alright?? She posted about going home and then disappeared."

Jane nodded. "I don't know what's up with her, either. Do you know anything, Angelo?"

"As far as I know, yeah, she's fine. We've spoken on the phone a couple of times an' she seems okay. Think she just needed a break."

"I hope she comes back soon," Jane said.

"Me too," Clarice agreed, "She's cool."

Angelo smiled. "I'm sure she won't be gone that long. Probably just wanted t'see her family - she's a long way from home, when she's here."

"Aren't we all?" Clarice asked, "I mean, Kentucky is closer than Japan or whatever, but we all miss our families."

Jane nodded. It would be nice to have a family like most of the other people here did. People to miss and to miss her. She really wished she could remember, but she was content right here. "I just wish I knew if I had a family."

Angelo glanced over at her. "Hey. Stay here long enough, the mansion folks get like family. You'll see."

"Sure you do, Jane. You have us!" Clarice sat down with her on the floor and gave her a hug, "And you can't miss us because we're always here!"

Jane hugged her back. "Even though I've only been here for a little while, I do think of this place as my home. You're all my family." She looked at her friends. Her older brother Angelo -- even if he was actually younger than her -- and her spirit-twin Clarice. She was happy here, and that was all that mattered. That, and shopping. Jane grinned at them both.