Welcome To X-Men: Covenant

[Husk]

Paige was positive that this was a not very good, actually quite bad idea that Lee had come up with, but she hadn't put up more of a struggle. Not really. Part of her, alright most of her, knew that she should. She shoulda said no and then gone right to one of the X-Men or even to Professor Xavier himself to tell them what Lee was up to and then just sat back and watched as the younger girl got what was coming to her for blatantly planning to disobey the explicit orders that they had been given to stay on the grounds unless accompanied by one of the X-Men. Which, considering everything that was going on with mutants disappearing lately, made a whole lotta sense. She understood the premise behind the rules, really. She more than understood it; she agreed with it. There was a sense to it. They were trying to keep them safe.

But there was also that part of her that just wanted to get out there and see what was going on. To put herself in the middle of the fray, life on the line, open to the possibility for danger around every turn in the road and every dark corner. And, yeah, sneaking outta the mansion and off of the grounds to go shopping might not really count as being in the middle of it, but it was close enough for the moment. It was at least doing something other than sitting around and waiting for whatever it was that was gonna happen to actually happen. Paige had never been too good at waiting. It made her all sorts of nervous and jumpy and anxious.

Besides it weren't like there was all that much going on. Most of the abductions that she had read about or heard about--on accident, of course, cause she would never, ever linger outside of doors where she shouldn't be simply in the vain hope of overhearing some kinda conversation or another--seemed to happen in less crowded areas and usually in the middle of the night. Teens who were there one night and missing in the morning. There was no way they were gonna be gone near that long. Well, Lee likely woulda liked to stay out as long as she could, but Paige knew better. If they wanted to get away with this, then they needed to get out and get back in before anyone really noticed that they were missing. Which meant not lingering out long enough for people to start looking and get anxious. If nobody saw either one of them for a few hours that was one thing but being gone for the whole day and night would definitely draw attention.

Plus she could always rationalize the entire thing by saying that she was going out to do reconnaissance work. See what was going on in the world and maybe try and get a feel for the current attitude toward mutants, see if anyone was talking about the recent disappearances. Assuming that she'd be able to get Lee to shut up long enough for her to try and find some likely groups of people to linger around in a totally not stalker-like fashion. If anything, she was taking the initiative to be an ear to ground on the outside, gathering up information that could likely simply help them in the long run.

And it wasn't like they were going completely haywire or anything. They had only skipped out to Salem Center. It weren't like they high-tailed it all the way to New York. Which was likely exactly where Lee had wanted to go, but Paige had put her foot down as much as was possible when dealing with Lee anyhow.

"You're not gonna make me watch you play video games again, are you?" Paige asked as she followed Lee down the sidewalk, her eyes continuing to scan the streets and the shops for anything that looked like it might be of use to them and their task. "Or are you just gonna try on the whole new summer line of clothes that are coming out?" Paige wasn't sure which of those things sounded more painful in the long run, but she was outta the mansion for awhile. That was worth something no matter what she hadda go through. Much as she loved the mansion, it got a little suffocating in the long run.

[Jubilee]

While Jubilee wasn't exactly certain what line of argument she'd used on the rule abiding very goody two-shoes Country Mouse to get her out of the mansion that had worked, she wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. What she wanted was company on a trip out of the mansion - minus well meaning but completely unwanted chaperonage. Like they really needed anyone to hover over their shoulders. Besides, it was so much more fun to be out when they weren't meant to be. Gave everything that extra hint of spicy wicked numminess.

It wasn't like it was so bad, really. Just to Salem Centre, though if it worked this time, she was going to see if she could cajole Paige into going further. Like say, New York. Salem Center was one step up from hickville, compared to New York. She bet if they didn't get caught, just moseyed around and shopped for a few hours, got back with no problems...well, maybe this silly little rule would just go away. Then Paige wouldn't have to feel bad at all.

The kids who were disappearing probably had no idea how to defend themselves or anything at all. Her and Paige both, were on this whole nother level. She'd take out any trouble with a yah! and a hi-YAH! and she'd kick them. Or dazzle them with fireworks. Paige could just go stoney and they could break whatever they wanted on her skin. Ugggghh, husks. The absolute worst power byproduct EVER. It have her the heebies. And she really wished Paige wouldn't leave bits of herself lying around. It was GROSS. It was so gross it was ultramegasupersonic levels of gross. Beyond that, even.

"You're not gonna make me watch you play video games again, are you?" Paige asked as she followed Lee down the sidewalk, her eyes continuing to scan the streets and the shops for anything that looked like it might be of use to them and their task. "Or are you just gonna try on the whole new summer line of clothes that are coming out?"

"Wouldja stop looking so nervous already? If you look like you did something wrong, people'll think you did, and we don't need that," Jubilee said, rolling her eyes as she looked at the other girl. Up at her, really. She was used to that crane in her neck, she really was. "I was thinking clothes, yeah. You could stand to get a few things too."

Besides, all Paige would want to do was go to bookstores or something.

[Husk]

"Wouldja stop looking so nervous already? If you look like you did something wrong, people'll think you did, and we don't need that," Lee said.

Paige whipped her head around and then down to look at the other girl. "I'm not," she said, frowning. And she wasn't. Not really. No, she was involved in research, looking for likely groups of people to check with, see if they had heard anything. She was here to try and discern the undercurrent of feeling toward mutants lingering in the human society that was closest to them. It wouldn't likely get her much information to go on with the whole kidnapping thing, but you hadda start sometime. This was as good a place as any. Though she was kinda concerned that Lee thought she was looking suspicious. That'd never do. She weren't gonna get any information if she appeared to be looking for it.

"I was thinking clothes, yeah. You could stand to get a few things too."

Okay, now that simply wasn't fair. It didn't do Paige much good to bother shopping for fancy looking clothes when she might have to rip outta them at any given moment in time, and Lee knew that. Plus, well, shopping was usually a waste of time. Still. She wanted to fit in, and one of the easiest ways to manage that would likely to be to let herself go and give in to all those normal teenage things that Lee was always so good at but had, for the most part, escaped Paige's attention for much of her life. Like shopping, idly playing video games and, perhaps, flirting with boys. Oh, God, this was all starting to look like a worse idea than she had ever imagined when they snuck outta the mansion.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Paige tried her best to look indifferent rather than indignant. It mighta worked. Maybe. Though she doubted that Lee would be fooled. "Oh, fine. Where do you suggest we start?" She might be willing to go along with this but that didn't mean that she hadda enjoy it. Or even act like she enjoyed it.

[Jubilee]

Paige couldn't do subterfuge if she read every Ian Fleming novel. Or Tom Clancy. Or anything to do with spies. Heck, even Spying and Espionage for Dummies - assuming such a thing existed, but now thanks to her thinking of it, obviously now did - would pass way over her head. It wasn't exactly her fault. Paige was just honest. Well brought up.

And herself? Well, she'd always been a bit of a brat. Paige had DUTY branded into her bones. At least this time, the older girl had decided that what she thought of as necessary would be fulfilled by going with Jubilee, and not obeying the rules. It was an anomaly in space-time that should rip apart the fabric of the universe. Or, she was just that good at explaining things that it had overwhelmed Paige. Either or.

As much as Paige was trying to blow it off, Jubilee was pretty sure she'd struck a nerve with the clothes comment. It was true, after all. True things hurt more. Paige didn't really have a sense of style - more what was comfortable and decent. The least Jubilee could do was get her colors sorted, and maybe nudge her in a semi-fashionable direction.

"Oh, fine. Where do you suggest we start?"

"A few good pairs of jeans. Ones that actually fit," Jubilee said, turning around to look at Paige properly. There was no way she could just toss her in the deep end. Best to do this...gradually. Or it was going to be just too much effort fighting Paige every step of the way. When she saw the pricetag on the designer jeans, Jubilee could already gloomily foresee a long battle. "Ballerina flats. Some flouncy tops - frills are in, I've got no idea why, but I think it'll look good on you. Then after the chain stores, the op shops. Retro is so in, some beads or funky headgear or a nice coat, it'll definitely jazz everything up. Oooh, and I want to make sure that you've got at LEAST one fancy-schmance dress. I've even got one, and I think they're stupid and get in the way."

With that, Jubilee turned back and set off to the list of stores she had running through her head. She was definitely not going to let this chance go to waste. Maybe after Jubilee pushed her onto the right path, Paige'd manage to find her own sense of style.

"C'mon, Paige! We should so get someone to do your colors too. You've never done that, have you?"

[Husk]

Lee had not won. Okay, well, maybe she had, but there was no way that Paige was gonna admit to that fact, either to herself or to the other girl. Cause such things just weren't done. It woulda thrown off the whole system that the world was constructed on. Things woulds been so shattered that there'd be no way to put the pieces together again. Just like Humpty Dumpty. Which was a story that Paige had never liked. She never felt sorry for the giant egg all busted on the ground. That was exactly what he got for climbing up on that wall when he knew how fragile his life was. Served him right that neither the king's horses nor the king's men could get him back together again. Maybe it'd serve as a lesson to people `bout thinking before they did things.

And she was just gonna ignore the fact that sometimes that little piece of advice was exactly what she needed to be doing. The difference was that she had a very good reason for the things she did. Humpty Dumpty, well, he'd just been up on that wall to cause trouble, she was sure of it.

"A few good pairs of jeans. Ones that actually fit," Lee said.

Paige's mouth tumbled open and her hands went to her hips, her fingers gesturing at the jeans that she was wearing. Which did fit, thank you very much. Just cause she wasn't a fan of clothes that were tight enough to be a second skin--she had more than enough of those on her own without encouraging her apparel to do the same thing--didn't mean that her jeans did not fit. So they were a little baggy in areas. She liked that; it was comfortable. It also meant that if she needed to take a lap around the mansion cause she had some nervous energy to run off that she didn't have to trek all the way back to her room to change into something else. "These fit!" she exclaimed, her voice a little bit more shrill than she woulda liked.

"Ballerina flats. Some flouncy tops - frills are in, I've got no idea why, but I think it'll look good on you. Then after the chain stores, the op shops. Retro is so in, some beads or funky headgear or a nice coat, it'll definitely jazz everything up. Oooh, and I want to make sure that you've got at LEAST one fancy-schmance dress. I've even got one, and I think they're stupid and get in the way."

And then Lee started to talk more. The things that came outta her mouth left Paige staring at her, mouth open, eyes wide, dumbstruck and completely lost for words cause, really, she had no idea what half of the things that Lee had said meant. They were shopping for clothes! Clothes. That was it. How could Lee possible make something that easy sound like quantum physics. Paige wished she was back at the mansion studying quantum physics. That woulda been more useful in the long run.

"I..." she started, hands flailing a little as she tried to make her mind put Lee's words together in such a way that made sense. "What? I agreed to come with you for some shopping. I did not sign on to become your next Barbie doll. My clothes are fine," she said, waving a hand at herself. Though she already knew it was a losing argument. There was no way that she was gonna get Lee to take no for an answer now. She'd signed her own death warrant the moment she stepped outta the mansion doors with the other girl. At this point, she was just gonna have to grit her teeth and bare it. She wanted to be an X-Man, well, this would prove her courage, at least.

And then Lee took off like a rocket ship. "C'mon, Paige! We should so get someone to do your colors too. You've never done that, have you?"

Colors? What? What was Lee talking about and why was she fearing for her life? Forget whatever was kidnapping mutants left and right. She'd trade them today. Shaking her head, Paige followed the younger girl. "I'm guessing I'm gonna have to answer no to that one since I don't have the least clue as to what it is that you're talking about."

[Jubilee]

Paige was flustered and concerned. And somewhat offended by Jubilee's obvious disregard for the blonde's sense of style. Huh! Like Paige knew what was in, looked good and what was fab. She was from freaking Kentucky! It was not a bastion of fashion or good taste. Jubilee knew that others might criticze her dress sense as well, but at least she knew the rules she was breaking. Often with glee and abandon. Paige just didn't have any idea.

So she didn't really give the other girl a chance to argue. There'd be plenty of that when they got to the stores, after all. Paige was not going to accept this without a fight. Or not most of it. If Jubilee could get her to accept say, five pieces of clothing and some accessories, she was going to consider herself the victor. If it was more - she was going to be Spartacus.

"I'm guessing I'm gonna have to answer no to that one since I don't have the least clue as to what it is that you're talking about."

"You get some snooty woman in a department store to test your skin and hair and eyes and stuff against a chart, and show you what colors look best on you. You should get it done for makeup and clothes - my mom did mine when I was like, five. Although, I don't really buy makeup. Because it feels like suffocation on my face! I just stick to glitter."

Talk, talk and talk some more. If she talked enough, Paige wouldn't get a chance to stop and think, and thereby dig her heels in. It was an excellent strategy.

[Husk]

This just kept getting worse. Paige was totally beginning to wish that she'd listened to the part of her brain that wanted to follow the rules all of the time and not come to Salem Center with Lee. She coulda snuck out on her own later and managed to accomplish more than was gonna be possible when she was letting herself by pushed and prodded and goaded into trying on this, that and the other by Lee. Although this was likely karmic retribution for her ditching the rules in the first place. Well, that or just her own bad luck come round to bite her yet again. Yeah, given those two options, Paige was more than willing to bet on the latter, though she wasn't gonna say for sure that it couldn't be the former. You never could tell when it came to things like this, after all.

All she knew for sure was that she wanted outta this as fast and as painlessly as possible. Which, unfortunately, meant going along with it. She could run fast, but she wouldn't put it past Lee to play dirty. For the moment, she was stuck.

This talk `bout colorings, though, was somewhat distressing. Couldn't they just stick with clothes. At least, she kinda knew what was going on in that department. She might not have any idea what was in or things like that, but she at least it didn't sound completely and utterly alien to her. That was something.

"You get some snooty woman in a department store to test your skin and hair and eyes and stuff against a chart, and show you what colors look best on you. You should get it done for makeup and clothes - my mom did mine when I was like, five. Although, I don't really buy makeup. Because it feels like suffocation on my face! I just stick to glitter."

Paige frowned and then crossed her arms over her chest. "What's wrong with the colors I wear?" Not that she really went for any colors in particular. It was more what she could find, what was on sale and what didn't look like it had once been used to clean up what might or might not've been toxic waste at some point in the past. Though she didn't know why she was trying so hard to argue. It wouldn't get her anywhere. Lee could move mountains. Or, rather, Lee could get mountains to move just by talking them to death. Paige was sure of it. And no matter how stubborn she was, she weren't gonna be able to get herself outta this easily.

Sighing, Paige let her shoulders slump and then hung her head. "Fine. Lead on. Just do me a favor and promise me you don't have any intentions of making me look like I belong on American Idol cause my momma would throw a fit. Nobody would even have to tell her. She'd just know." Not to mention the fact that Paige would just `bout die if any guys saw her walking round looking like some of those girls did. Honestly, didn't anybody have any shame anymore?

[Jubilee]

"What's wrong with the colors I wear?"

"You don't pay attention to your reflection in the mirror of a morning, do you?"

Otherwise, Paige would so have stopped wearing some of the clothes she wore. Especially in some colors. She was so whitebread, some colors just washed her right out. Made her blonde hair pale and stringy looking, bleached the color out of her eyes. Made her look like a teen hick frump, in other words.

One of the points of getting your colors done was going to a professional, and making them find out what was the best. It was their job. Of course they were going to know, and it wouldn't be hit and miss. It'd be painless, though she wasn't sure she could assure Paige of that.

"We're just going to talk to the professionals, country mouse, it's not that bad. It'll be fine, scout's honor."

She smiled wickedly at Paige; since she'd never been a scout, she wasn't held to that silly pledge. But really, she didn't think it was going to be overly humiliating. Not as long as Paige did what she was told, and actually listened. Instead of digging her goldurned heels in about stuff.

"Fine. Lead on. Just do me a favor and promise me you don't have any intentions of making me look like I belong on American Idol cause my momma would throw a fit. Nobody would even have to tell her. She'd just know."

"I promise. Although, you could pull it off. It's not like you're like, fat or something. Live a little, Paige!"

Jubilee tossed a grin over her shoulder at Paige, slowly walking away and towards the shops. It was taking longer talking about it then the shopping would. Ok, so that was a lie. So what?

[Husk]

"You don't pay attention to your reflection in the mirror of a morning, do you?"

Paige wasn't even sure how she was supposed to respond to that. Her mouth fell open, and she started to stutter out sounds that were a far cry from approaching any sorta actual works. But, really, what was that remark supposed to accomplish? Other than making her feel so self conscious that she just wanted to slink back to the mansion and bury herself under a whole stack of books for, well, the rest of her natural born life at this point.

After a second, though, her ability to speak returned. With a vengeance. Cause, well, no matter how high and mighty she might try and be sometimes, she still hadn't quite got over that knee jerk reaction of matching one stinging quip with another that she and her brother Jay had perfected. "Has it occurred to you, Jubilation, that I might have more important things to do than preen over my image every morning?" Not to mention the fact that she really didn't have any kinda idea how to do the things with clothes and make-up and all of that like Lee did. Or her sister Joelle for that matter, who would likely have applauded Lee's efforts if she ever found out about them.

"We're just going to talk to the professionals, country mouse, it's not that bad. It'll be fine, scout's honor," Lee said and, while the words were supposed to be comforting, the smile that accompanied them was not.

Paige knew that smile. That was the same smile she saw on the faces of her siblings right before they wrecked complete and utter havoc on everything within range. It was the sorta smile that meant she should duck and cover. Too bad for her that simply wasn't her style. Nope, seeing that smile on Lee's face just made her even more determined to get on with it. She'd show Lee. She was perfectly capable of handling this. It was one day. Weren't like she was gonna have to actually apply what they told her on a regular basis or anything.

Didn't mean she hadda do it without some grumbling, though. Which was exactly why she threw out the no America Idol rule. That was the last thing on the face of the earth that she needed.

"I promise. Although, you could pull it off. It's not like you're like, fat or something. Live a little, Paige!"

Setting her shoulders, Paige sighed just once and then started to follow Lee towards the gates of death. Or, well, the door to the nearest store. "You say that now, but if'n my momma ever found out `bout it, living a little would be all that I'd have had," she muttered under her breath. Paige paused at the door for a second, chewing on her bottom lip before she said, "You can do this," and then walked in.

The sight that greeted her made Paige think that maybe the cast of The OC had all imploded, leaving their clothing behind. For a second, she stopped dead in her tracks, trying to best think how she could get outta this before Lee noticed her panic and managed to coral her again.

[Jubilee]

Jubilee walked into a store, since the window display looked enough like teenager that she wanted to go in. Funky, but mainstream. It'd do for Paige. Who knew, maybe she'd pick up something she liked here too. A top, some pants. She needed more shorts - she could never have enough shorts. She went through them too fast.

Paige had hesitated, and Jubilee turned back to raise an eyebrow at her, beckoning her in with a quick motion of her hand. It couldn't be that scary. There were a lot of things more scary. Like Jean in the morning before coffee - ow! Zing! She was glad the telepath couldn't hear that thought, Jean was quick with the telekinetics when she wanted to be.

"You know, I think you're gonna really suit pastels," Jubilee said, turning to one of the shirt racks and starting to sort her way through it. Looking at them all as she flicked past them. "What size are you anyway?"

And she'd get one size smaller, probably. Especially in jeans.

[Husk]

Lee walked in like she owned the store. Well, maybe not quite like that, but the way Lee strode right in and looked around expressed a sorta intimate knowledge of the place. Or, at least, the fact that she knew where she was, what she doing and knew that it was not gonna end up badly. Paige had no such confidence in their terrain. It was almost like an alien country. And she had the bad feeling that she was gonna be walking outta here loaded down with clothing that'd make her blush at the mere thought of wearing it. Clothing that Lee would likely do her utmost to ensure that Paige not only purchased but would then goad her once they were back at the mansion to put on and walk around in it. When anyone could see her.

Her super secret covert mission was looking progressively more like a bad idea with each and every passing moment. Of course, she was way too far in now to retreat so she was just gonna have to go through with it and then maybe hope that there was some kinda stellar incident in her closet that would render these clothes unwearable.

The hand motion from Lee got her moving again, though. Wouldn't do to make Lee come and get her from where she'd stopped just inside of the door. That'd make her look like a fool in front of a whole lotta people. Which was the last thing she wanted to happen. After a heavy sigh, she set her shoulders and walked in, trying to convey the same air of ownership that Lee did and failing utterly. Nope. She was more than willing to lay money down on the fact that she looked completely and utterly, one hundred and ten percent outta place here. Oh well, if she wanted to be a superhero, she was gonna have to prove her bravery and this was as good a way to do that as any other, she suspected.

"You know, I think you're gonna really suit pastels," Lee said as she began to go through some shirts that were hanging on a nearby rack.

Paige eyed the shirts suspiciously. Didn't look like there was near enough material there for her liking. And pastels? Well, that didn't sound so bad. At least, Lee wasn't trying to force her into something as bright as that yellow jacket the other girl was prone to wearing. When the lights hit that thing just right, it could plumb blind a person.

"What size are you anyway?"

"Whatever fits," Paige said with a shrug. She'd never paid too much attention to that. A lotta the time when she was home on the farm, she'd just taken what was there. It weren't rare at all for her and her sisters to trade clothes without even noticing what had originally belonged to who. If it fit, you wore it. If it was too big but not falling off, you wore it. If it was too small but not so small that you couldn't breathe and everything that shoulda been covered was, you wore it. If it had once belonged to one of the boys but had since been throughly cleaned, you wore it. They had been too poor to be all that picky.

Paige ran a hand through her hair and looked at the other girl. "I'm not making this easy on you, am I? I think you might have a heart attack if you saw some of things I used to wear back in Kentucky." Her wardrobe had improved drastically once she got to pick out her own clothes instead of just grabbing whatever she could find.

[Jubilee]

For a moment, she was sure she'd have to go out and drag Paige in. Oh geez, shopping couldn't be that scary. Could it? What was scary about it? Ok, so sometimes the salesstaff were meanie jerkheads, and some of the other customers were too. Which was so not a problem, because who cared what meanie jerkheads thought anyway. Not her, that was for sure!

However, Paige did come on in. Slowly, looking a lot like she was about to bolt out again. Jubilee didn't give her a chance to, swinging right into looking at stuff and chattering at the older girl about it. Yak yak yakkety yak yak. If she didn't give Paige a chance to think, they'd both be awesome.

"Whatever fits," Paige said with a shrug.

"Ooookay, not exactly detailed," Jubilee mused, frowning at the shirts on the rack. Who didn't know what size they were? Wasn't that like, vital life information?

"I'm not making this easy on you, am I? I think you might have a heart attack if you saw some of things I used to wear back in Kentucky."

"I'll try not to think about the crypt your wardrobe back in blue grass country has to be," the Californian girl said sarcastically, grabbing a medium. If it was too small, they'd jump to a large. Paige was bigger then she was, so she doubted that the blonde would be a small, and definitely not an extra-small. "This is cute," she said, pulling out a sky blue shirt. It had no sleeves, but a proper collar with pointed corners and a v-neckline, a spray of pastel pink cherry blossoms on a dark brown twig patterning the upper right quarter. Pretty plain, but still kinda sweet.

"Hold this," she instructed Paige, holding it out to the other girl to take, head already turning back to the rack of clothes to look for more to try on. "We'll find about six or so, and hit the dressing rooms. Oh yah, and jeans too once we got about half a dozen shirts. I don't think they have a limit here, but that's ok, I can hold whatever you can't take into the fitting room..."

[Husk]

"Ooookay, not exactly detailed," Lee said.

It took all of Paige's willpower to keep herself from apologizing and then lapsing into a speech about how she had more important things to do with her time than figure out what her perfect clothing size was. They were the next generation of super heroes, after all, and that was so much more important than knowing the least little thing about fashion. It was so much more important that Paige knew she couldn't even come up with the correct multiplier. Course Lee likely wouldn't've listened to that anyway seeing as how Lee was Lee and all. Which was infuriating in and of itself sometime. The easiest thing to do, the way that was gonna get her outta this as soon as possible was gonna be to sit back, relax and go with it. It was anathema to the way that Paige usually worked, but she was gonna have to let go. If she spent every second fighting this then it was never gonna be over. And she and Lee would be somewhat likely to destroy public property in the ensuing argument.

"I'll try not to think about the crypt your wardrobe back in blue grass country has to be."

Of course, some things simply were not to be tolerated no matter how much she was trying to just good naturedly go along with all of this. "Hey," Paige said, planting her hands on her hips as she watched the younger girl go through a rack of shirts. "There aren't unstable molecules in Kentucky, and there are eight other kids in my family. That makes things a little harder." The best way that she and her siblings had found to help their momma was to not kick up too much of a fess `bout certain things. Clothes had been one of those, though Joelle still tended to whine about wanting newer, nicer, trendier things every so often.

"This is cute," Lee said as she pulled a shirt out.

Paige tilted her head to look at the shirt in Lee's hand. Which weren't so bad, really. It was a lot more subdued than she woulda given Lee credit for being able to pick out. Which meant that Lee really was keeping some things `bout Paige in mind during this whole ordeal.

"Hold this."

Paige took it without arguing.

"We'll find about six or so, and hit the dressing rooms. Oh yah, and jeans too once we got about half a dozen shirts. I don't think they have a limit here, but that's ok, I can hold whatever you can't take into the fitting room..."

A little light bulb went off inside of Paige's head."Oh, no, you don't get off that easy. If I gotta try on what you pick out for me than I get to pick something out for you. Fair's fair, huh?" Now this might end up being kinda fun, after all. Smirking, Paige moved over a bit, fingers flicking through the hangers as she glanced at the shirts, trying to find one that she wanted to see Lee in. Two could play this game. Lee might have the home advantage, but Paige was nothing if not a quick study.

[Jubilee]

Paige seemed to be settling down to the fact that Jubilee was going to revolutionise her wardrobe. Like an episode of Queer Eye, except it was just Californian Eye. Or something. She should totally be asking for money for this; it was a service, right? Except grifting money off friends was so not the cool thing to do. It was completely unclassy, and kinda nasty. So not her thing.

She was cool.

"Oh, no, you don't get off that easy. If I gotta try on what you pick out for me than I get to pick something out for you. Fair's fair, huh?"[B]

"Oh, PUH-LEEZE, whose wardrobe is on review here? Feel free to try and pick something, but I so don't think you realise how my style works. And it's a good style, original yet trendy. That's how I manage to avoid being a fashion victim, Kentucky," Jubilee lectured, rolling her eyes and one step away from pulling out gum just so she had some to snap. Geez. Like she needed help from Paige on her wardrobe.

"Go ahead though; I'm just DYING to see what you think'll suit me."

And she'd be rolling on the floor in laughter, Jubilee had no doubt about that. She'd bet her blades on it.

[Husk]

The whole idea was beginning to seem less ludicrous and more like it could kinda, maybe, possibly be fun. A little bit. A very small bit. Okay, it was possible that she was simply being optimistic about the situation but what was wrong with that? It wasn't like taking a couple of fashion tips was gonna kill her or nothing. `Sides there wasn't any rule that just cause Lee talked her into trying this stuff on that she hadda buy or wear the suggested outfits. This could be quick and painless. Relatively, anyway, cause she was sure that no matter what happened, whether she went along with it or not, Lee was gonna talk. Loud and long and fast. Just like always.

It was one of the girl's more annoying qualities, though Paige found it somewhat comforting cause of its stability. With so much other stuff going on out there, things they didn't know about, things that just seemed to be spiraling more and more outta their control with each and every day that passed, it was nice for there to be something to count on. Even if that something was just a never ending stream of senseless chatter.

Not that she was just gonna sit back and let Lee have all the fun. Nuh uh. If they were doing the whole clothes shopping and trying on thing than there was no reason why Paige couldn't turn the tables on the other girl and make her try things on, too. That was the whole point of these sort of little trips, wasn't it? Unless all those movies, television shows and the reports she'd gotten from her sisters over the years were wrong.

Lee's reaction to that suggestion was also fairly predictable. "Oh, PUH-LEEZE, whose wardrobe is on review here? Feel free to try and pick something, but I so don't think you realise how my style works. And it's a good style, original yet trendy. That's how I manage to avoid being a fashion victim, Kentucky."

Paige quirked an eyebrow as she shifted through the shirts, looking for something that was a little less "original yet trendy" than Lee's ordinary fare. "And here I always thought you were going for blinding. My mistake."

"Go ahead though; I'm just DYING to see what you think'll suit me."

Shaking a finger at the other girl, she said, "Don't be too hasty, Lee. You might end up liking what I find. And, gosh, I'd hate to see you with your foot stuck in your mouth." Now this was more like it. If anything, things were starting to feel a little closer to normal something that Paige hadn't even realized that she'd been missing.