dress for success

[self_composed]

By the time when Alice first shows up at Stanford visibly (as opposed to lurking around the ceiling at Bella's classes, making smart remarks in her head), Janine has put in a request, and so have four other girls on the hall. (Lillian wants a summery floral dress, Tasha wants a midnight blue evening gown, Ruth has expressed a fondness for polka dots, and Kuo wants something gothy. Bella politely makes no remarks about anyone's taste.)

Bella likes all her teachers okay, and also the orchestra conductor and her soccer coach. Life is good.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

The morning of the day that he is allowed to officially show up, Alice has an idea.

He spends the rest of that morning immersed in clothing design.

At last, a few hours past lunch, he twirls in front of the full-length mirror in his sewing room. Layers and layers of long, pointed fabric petals flutter with the movement; delicate, glittering fabric wings quiver behind his back.

That seems likely to make about the right first impression.

[self_composed]

[You're very silly,] Bella tells him.

[edgeofyourseat]

[Yep!] he says brightly, and picks up the package containing Janine's dress, and invisibles his way through the magic door, and de-invisibles when he is sure no one is in the stairwell to see him, and takes the stairs up to Bella's floor.

[self_composed]

Bella waits for him to actually knock before she gets the door. She wants to be that helpful girl who is super-competent and has useful connections - not that girl who might possibly be psychic.

"Hi!" she says, greeting him with a hug. She avoids messing up his wings in so doing. "Alice, this is Janine. Janine, this is my boyfriend."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Hi!" He hugs back cheerfully, then turns to Janine and holds out the neatly tissue-wrapped package. "Gotcha something," he says with a wink.

"Hello it is nice to meet you is that my dress," says Janine, yoinking the package out of his hand and tearing it open.

It is, indeed, her dress: sky-blue, demurely high-necked and low-hemmed, with elbow-length sleeves and slightly puffed shoulders and a faint pattern in the fabric that hints at clouds.

"It's perfect," she gushes, hugging it to her. "Thank you thank you! I will pay you, just a moment." She lays the dress down carefully on her bed and digs out her wallet.

[self_composed]

"Looks like something a Disney princess would wear," comments Bella.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yes it does!" says Janine. "It is delightful!"

She counts out five twenties and hands them to Alice, who shrugs and hands them to Bella.

"No pockets on this thing," he says, tugging at the skirt of his fairy tunic. "Guess I shoulda thought of that."

[self_composed]

"No worries," says Bella, tucking them into her purse. She makes a small point of putting them in a separate pocket from her main cash stash in the unlikely event that Janine is paying attention.

[edgeofyourseat]

Janine is busy asking Alice, "What should I call you?"

"Whatever you feel like," he says.

"Tinkerbell?" she giggles.

"Knock yourself out."

"I think I'll stick with Alice," says Janine.

"Go for it."

[self_composed]

This exchange makes Bella snicker.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice grins at her. So, tentatively, does Janine.

[self_composed]

"What should I tell the other four wanters of dresses about when they should expect 'em?" Bella asks.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Not yet," he says. "Soonish. I'll probably be done one this week but I don't know which one."

"You're so precise," Janine observes, and Alice laughs good-naturedly.

[self_composed]

"All right," Bella says. "What's the Disney Princess dress made of?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Cotton," says Alice. Janine nods approvingly.

[self_composed]

"An excellent plant," Bella says. "Alice, anything you wanna see while you're here?" [And light bounces off of you?]

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice giggles.

"Dunno, like what?"

[self_composed]

Bella shrugs. "Parts of campus. The downtown area. There's stuff in Palo Alto too, if we go there."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Sure," he says. "Show me someplace cool." [That I haven't been already.]

[self_composed]

"There's a plant nursery," Bella suggests, "if you don't mind sitting behind me on Tegu to get there."

[edgeofyourseat]

"I so don't."

[self_composed]

"Yeah," says Bella, smirking. "I didn't think that was gonna be a problem." She heads into the closet for her leather ensemble, which goes on over her regular clothes.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice admires her openly.

Janine clearly thinks they are both adorable.

[self_composed]

In short order Bella is jacketed and leather-pantsed and booted and gloved; her helmet is sitting on Tegu. "Off we go," she says, and she trots out the door.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Have fun, guys!" says Janine. Alice waves to her on his way out, and she waves back.