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Description
Chapter Five

(Evangeline POV)

The next day, at around noon, Isabelle bounced into my bedroom. I was reading while sitting in my plain armchair, but she wouldn’t have it. She ripped the book from my hands, grinning wildly.

“Ready to go shopping?”

I held out my hand for my book, but she didn’t hand it over. “I-I guess so. Can I have my book back?”

She didn’t answer my question. “We’re going right now. Come on.”

---

I stood in front of a three-way mirror at a mundane boutique, examining my potential new outfit with a touch of hesitation. “I don’t know… It’s not really my style.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes and sighed at my sheltered-ness. She’d been making cracks about it all day as we navigated the mundane world, me of course being completely confused and out-of-place. We’d just been to a few decoration stores, and now had moved on to clothing. “It looks really hot on you.”

“Yeah, but being hot isn’t really my thing,” I tried to explain.

She had put me in an extremely clingy red dress that barely came down to my thighs. I felt naked, and very uncomfortable.

“Fine. We’ll try to find a happy medium,” she agreed reluctantly.

So we went back to perusing the racks of clothes. All of the dresses here were shorter than anything I was used to- my shortest dress at home was about two inches above my knees. “Or maybe we can go to a different store,” I suggested.

“Pff,” she said, waving a dismissive hand at me while scouring a clothing rack. “You need to broaden your horizons.” I trotted back to the dressing rooms and changed back into my normal outfit.

Feeling pessimistic about the whole shopping trip, I went to looking at some more racks on my own. I sifted through skimpy dress after skimpy dress, losing hope with each passing one. But suddenly, out of nowhere… I saw something that I actually liked.

I pulled it hesitantly off its rack, considering. The dress was a teal color that would look very flattering on me. It was just a touch longer than the others, with an inch or two of sheer material below the hem. It was off-the-shoulder and had sheer, flowy short sleeves. But it wasn’t as clingy as the rest, and had the potential of me liking it.

“Hey, Izzy?” I called tentatively to my cousin, who had about a dozen dresses suspended from her arm.

“You find something?” Isabelle asked, coming over immediately.

“I think so. Maybe.”

She steered me towards the dressing room. “Well, don’t just stand there! Try it on! Right now!”

So I did, and it looked even better than I could have imagined. I came out of the tiny dressing room and walked back in front of the three-way mirror, and saw Isabelle’s eyes widen as she took in my reflection.

She inquired excitedly, “Have we found our happy medium?”

I turned around a bit to see it from more angles. It looked very nice on me, showing off my lithe figure to good advantage. “Yeah. I really like this.”

“Yes!” Isabelle cheered. “And you’re also getting these things I picked out,” she added, lifting up her burdened arm. The clothes shook from it like leaves in the wind. I stared at them unenthusiastically, opening my mouth to protest. “No buts. You’re getting them.”
“But Isabelle, I don’t want to wear-”

“I said no buts, didn’t I? Come on. Change back into your normal, boring clothes and we’ll check out at the cash register. I think this is enough of a new wardrobe for now.”

I visualized the bags of my clothes already sitting in my plain room. Adding more to the pile wouldn’t help if I ever decided to unpack and put things in my closet and dresser. My servants had always done that for me, but it didn’t seem too hard. Unless there wasn’t enough room.

“Alright,” I conceded, stalking back again to the dressing room.

---

It was later that day, approaching evening. I was putting the finishing touches on my redecoration of my room. Buying entirely new furniture would have been too time-consuming, but Isabelle and I got a lot of stuff that would make it seem more like home to me.

Everything was now done up in matching furnishings, mainly of pale pink. I had added gauzy curtains to the windows and paintings to the walls, a rug to the floor, and other various personal touches. I stepped back and surveyed the scene, satisfied at my work. It was now a room built for an Evangeline Juliet Trueblood.

Then I saw my pile of bags against the wall and groaned, beginning the monumental work of sorting everything.

---

That night at dinner, we were all sitting around the table in the dining room, minus Clary, of course. I’d learned that she actually didn’t live at the Institute, since her mother was very protective and didn’t want her to. We were eating spaghetti, which I was actually familiar with and found delicious. Mama had been an excellent cook, and I noted that her sister Maryse was the same.

Conversation flowed easily around the dinner table, although I was still a little uncomfortable around my family. I learned that Alec was gay, which was fine with me, but interesting, too. I had never met anyone like that before.

They were all recounting some party that had happened recently, where Alec had reconnected with his ex-boyfriend Magnus and had gotten back together after they settled their differences. I smiled, as it was a nice story.

Then he mentioned that this same Magnus was hosting a party tomorrow. Isabelle’s face lit up, and she grinned at me. “You can wear your new dress that you like so much!”

“We’re going to a Downworld party?” I asked frightfully. I hadn’t been to any parties, especially Downworld ones.

“Of course. Mom, we can go, right?” Isabelle appealed to her mother.

My aunt smiled, obviously used to this sort of request. “Sure. Just don’t do any irresponsible.”

Isabelle turned to Jace and Alec. “And you guys are coming to. You don’t have a choice in the matter. Oh, it’ll be so much fun!”

Fun, I pondered. Hopefully.

But I have to admit, when faced with my first impending party, I was a bit excited.

Description
Chapter Five

(Evangeline POV)

The next day, at around noon, Isabelle bounced into my bedroom. I was reading while sitting in my plain armchair, but she wouldn’t have it. She ripped the book from my hands, grinning wildly.

“Ready to go shopping?”

I held out my hand for my book, but she didn’t hand it over. “I-I guess so. Can I have my book back?”

She didn’t answer my question. “We’re going right now. Come on.”

---

I stood in front of a three-way mirror at a mundane boutique, examining my potential new outfit with a touch of hesitation. “I don’t know… It’s not really my style.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes and sighed at my sheltered-ness. She’d been making cracks about it all day as we navigated the mundane world, me of course being completely confused and out-of-place. We’d just been to a few decoration stores, and now had moved on to clothing. “It looks really hot on you.”

“Yeah, but being hot isn’t really my thing,” I tried to explain.

She had put me in an extremely clingy red dress that barely came down to my thighs. I felt naked, and very uncomfortable.

“Fine. We’ll try to find a happy medium,” she agreed reluctantly.

So we went back to perusing the racks of clothes. All of the dresses here were shorter than anything I was used to- my shortest dress at home was about two inches above my knees. “Or maybe we can go to a different store,” I suggested.

“Pff,” she said, waving a dismissive hand at me while scouring a clothing rack. “You need to broaden your horizons.” I trotted back to the dressing rooms and changed back into my normal outfit.

Feeling pessimistic about the whole shopping trip, I went to looking at some more racks on my own. I sifted through skimpy dress after skimpy dress, losing hope with each passing one. But suddenly, out of nowhere… I saw something that I actually liked.

I pulled it hesitantly off its rack, considering. The dress was a teal color that would look very flattering on me. It was just a touch longer than the others, with an inch or two of sheer material below the hem. It was off-the-shoulder and had sheer, flowy short sleeves. But it wasn’t as clingy as the rest, and had the potential of me liking it.

“Hey, Izzy?” I called tentatively to my cousin, who had about a dozen dresses suspended from her arm.

“You find something?” Isabelle asked, coming over immediately.

“I think so. Maybe.”

She steered me towards the dressing room. “Well, don’t just stand there! Try it on! Right now!”

So I did, and it looked even better than I could have imagined. I came out of the tiny dressing room and walked back in front of the three-way mirror, and saw Isabelle’s eyes widen as she took in my reflection.

She inquired excitedly, “Have we found our happy medium?”

I turned around a bit to see it from more angles. It looked very nice on me, showing off my lithe figure to good advantage. “Yeah. I really like this.”

“Yes!” Isabelle cheered. “And you’re also getting these things I picked out,” she added, lifting up her burdened arm. The clothes shook from it like leaves in the wind. I stared at them unenthusiastically, opening my mouth to protest. “No buts. You’re getting them.”
“But Isabelle, I don’t want to wear-”

“I said no buts, didn’t I? Come on. Change back into your normal, boring clothes and we’ll check out at the cash register. I think this is enough of a new wardrobe for now.”

I visualized the bags of my clothes already sitting in my plain room. Adding more to the pile wouldn’t help if I ever decided to unpack and put things in my closet and dresser. My servants had always done that for me, but it didn’t seem too hard. Unless there wasn’t enough room.

“Alright,” I conceded, stalking back again to the dressing room.

---

It was later that day, approaching evening. I was putting the finishing touches on my redecoration of my room. Buying entirely new furniture would have been too time-consuming, but Isabelle and I got a lot of stuff that would make it seem more like home to me.

Everything was now done up in matching furnishings, mainly of pale pink. I had added gauzy curtains to the windows and paintings to the walls, a rug to the floor, and other various personal touches. I stepped back and surveyed the scene, satisfied at my work. It was now a room built for an Evangeline Juliet Trueblood.

Then I saw my pile of bags against the wall and groaned, beginning the monumental work of sorting everything.

---

That night at dinner, we were all sitting around the table in the dining room, minus Clary, of course. I’d learned that she actually didn’t live at the Institute, since her mother was very protective and didn’t want her to. We were eating spaghetti, which I was actually familiar with and found delicious. Mama had been an excellent cook, and I noted that her sister Maryse was the same.

Conversation flowed easily around the dinner table, although I was still a little uncomfortable around my family. I learned that Alec was gay, which was fine with me, but interesting, too. I had never met anyone like that before.

They were all recounting some party that had happened recently, where Alec had reconnected with his ex-boyfriend Magnus and had gotten back together after they settled their differences. I smiled, as it was a nice story.

Then he mentioned that this same Magnus was hosting a party tomorrow. Isabelle’s face lit up, and she grinned at me. “You can wear your new dress that you like so much!”

“We’re going to a Downworld party?” I asked frightfully. I hadn’t been to any parties, especially Downworld ones.

“Of course. Mom, we can go, right?” Isabelle appealed to her mother.

My aunt smiled, obviously used to this sort of request. “Sure. Just don’t do any irresponsible.”

Isabelle turned to Jace and Alec. “And you guys are coming to. You don’t have a choice in the matter. Oh, it’ll be so much fun!”

Fun, I pondered. Hopefully.

But I have to admit, when faced with my first impending party, I was a bit excited.