The Universe's Mixer

Until Thomas, she'd always hoped that she'd be able to find a way back home. She'd been taken away from her family, from her life... and she never had believed or accepted that it was a one-way trip. But Thomas changed things. Beauty hadn't known that she was needed here. She hadn't known that a City could be a friend. And she hadn't known just how hesitant she'd be to leave certain people she'd met since being pulled into this City. For better or worse, Thomas had made Beauty realize that she was home, now.

And a glance into a reflective store window made her realize that she didn't dress quite the same way as everyone else in the City -- even when the City was forcing her to wear certain things at times (and now she wondered if it wasn't simply looking out for her...).

"Hmm," she said, fidgeting with the long ponytail she'd tied up in a ribbon. A second later, she'd pulled the ribbon out and instead tied the ribbon around her throat. Still, no good. Off it came. She tried on her wrist, next. That was... a little better. And then there was her dress. She eyed it critically. White muslin, blue flowers, long sleeves, long skirt, high collar, a touch of lace. It was one of her favorite dresses that the City had brought to her, and she wore it quite a lot. But then a very statuesque woman walked behind her, and the comparison was... painful.

That settled it. Rather than heading toward the fruit stands in the center of town to fill her basket with various delicious treats, she started roaming the shops instead. There were clothes stores; she'd seen them -- she'd just never gone into them before... Ah! There was one, with a very colorful scarf-y looking thing wrapped around a mannequin dressed in a bit of frothy fabric. She squinted at it. It looked like fish net. How... odd... but she was willing to try. Beauty had learned by now to keep a very wide open mind.

In she went.

Fred wasn't sure how she got to the Tower. Her mind was working through what had just happened. She rode up in the elevator, her fingers touching just so. She didn't do the first position as he showed her, so much as just let her fingers touch together almost as if she were just about to clasp her hands before her rather than behind her. She ran the events, what there was of them, through her mind. She was so lost in thought that she nearly let the doors shut on the HQ before she noticed she was there.

The brainy Texan didn't try to glide across the floor. She didn't try to do anything. She just walked from elevator to Jake Jensen, nudging him softly to indicate she wanted to sit on his lap, and as soon as he moved, she climbed right up on his lap and curled up there. Her fingers curled into his shirt. She wasn't shaking, but she wasn't her usually smiling self.

"Do you think I could be a dancer?" The question wasn't really one she thought he'd answer. It was almost too soft to be heard. She nuzzled his shoulder, holding to him for a moment before sighing.