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Jada's lips whirled in amusement. "Baggage is something I know very well," she told him lightly, "I've been all over the world, after all." It was easier to make a soft joke of it than to let it slide. With as many things and as many people as she had loved and lost, to time, distance, and Chaos... Some days she felt like she was bleeding out from the loss, but these were things she couldn't share with her shrink, much less an amusing stranger. Even if he was a captive audience.

"Why don't you wear contacts?" it was a curious question, and Jada tried to consider how he might look without them. "I am sure your SO wouldn't mind the change for convenience, on a rainy day. And they aren't that hard to get used to, I needed to wear colored contacts for shoots pretty frequently." Purple eyes were exotic, but sometimes they didn't want her natural color. "As for the magic, that would be..." she pursed her red mouth, considering the books. "Interesting. But I would definitely be having some discussions over Wizard-Muggle relations and a more precise definition of a dark wizard."

Her head tilted. "Always sad to hear someone stopped painting," she said after a moment, "but I would suggest it. Who knows, maybe you will find yourself tipsily picking up a brush again and enjoying yourself. I'm not much used to being on the painting side of things- I model, so I am used to being painted. Or painted on, for photo shoots."

But they moved on to lighter things and she leaned in. "Lucas just turned 18. My little baby, all grown up and going to college. I got him a Sonic the Hedgehog onesie, feet and everything. He hated it." her face was lit with amusement. "It was beautiful." turning bright eyes to Fritz, she asked the same question. "How old is your brother?"

His small smile and her wry mouth twist were all the communication they needed on that. It was... nice.

"SO. Superior Officer, Significant Other, Sublime Otter." Jada leaned back, resting one hand in her lap. "If glasses are more convenient, then that's what it is." her grin was toothy and mildly fierce. "I was just saying that if they were occasionally inconvenient, then contacts might be occasionally called for. It's all personal choice. I've never had to wear either except for photo shoots, so..." she gave a one-shouldered, easy shrug. "I don't know how they work in day to day life."

Fritz seemed pleased by her Harry Potter reference, and she gave a firm nod of satisfaction. Her phase of reading Harry Potter out loud to her siblings had paid off.

"Well, when we get out of this elevator, there's always making one day sometime soon." but he tugged on the bag, and there was some flicker on his face that said it was probably not a point to push. But she could be wrong- he easily broke into another grin, and she could wonder about it later.

"I can tell you where I got it," she teased him, figuring he wouldn't actually take her up on it, "They may still make them." she was already leaning, but somehow she managed to melt still further into a curved puddle on the elevator floor. "Twins, huh? I used to want a twin. Like a built-in best friend, preferably a few minutes younger so you can lord your experience over them."

Jada laughed. "Unfortunately, an otter isn't actually a legal pet in Destony City, I fear, no matter how sublime. As for the rest, there's nothing wrong with that. Enjoy your freedom." such as it was. Jada would happily trade hers in for a second set of hands that she wasn't paying for. But it was what it was, and such a thing wasn't in the cards for her. Someday, if she got to the other side of this war... maybe.

"I'm a model," she told Fritz, grasping onto the straws of happier thoughts, "So I've had to do contacts a few times. For colors, though sometimes they just shop my eye colors instead. Sometimes they wanted something more exotic, to change something more than just the hue. I can see how they could be aggravating, though."

He shifted, attracting her attention down from his face to his legs, then her eyes flickered out to the mall proper. Giving Fritz the name of the website where she had found the onesie, Jada then tilted her head to the side, thoughtful. "Sixteen minutes younger? Your brother should be treating you as the young whippersnapper you clearly are, and booting you off his lawn."

As the elevator shook, she leaned her head close to the glass, staring out. "I think people we can't see have noticed us. Or we're about to plummet to our glassy deaths. I'd rather be optimistic." Jada cast Fritz a sly look from under dark lashes, and inquired, "And what kind of experiences are those? Are you secretly a cowboy? A street racer? A ninja"

"Fennec Foxes are legal in the state of Virginia," Jada said immediately, "Not that I've.... looked into exotic pets before or anything." and that certainly wasn't guilt on her face, either. "Or maybe I did." Jada couldn't exactly explain she had looked into the legality of keeping a seal as a pet.

Focusing on himself. "That's a good thing to do," Jada said at last, leaning her head back. She didn't do well, being alone. Focusing on herself was.... one of the most self-destructive things she could do. If Jada didn't know better, she'd think she hated herself. Maybe she did. Szelem had taught her well to live her life by focusing on others, even accidentally. And then... Well.

She shoved such thoughts to the side, choosing instead to focus on her elevator-partner. "I'm flattered you think so," she said with a soft laugh, "it doesn't always feel that way. But the list of things I'd give it up for are fairly slim."

Jada narrowed her eyes at him, clucking her tongue. "Whippersnapper, you should respect your 16-minute elder. Clearly your extra experience is in getting trapped in elevators with strangers. You're doing pretty well with this situation, for a ninja-racing cowboy."

"Pet limits are a tragedy," Jada agreed with a sad little moue, which quickly flipped back to a smile. "No such limits at my house, only the bounds of what is socially acceptable and what will turn me into a crazy pet lady." not that it concerned her- loneliness was a far worse fate than being judged. Especially when one could financially afford to give no ******** on the opinions of haters.

The elevator jolted, and Jada's noise of distress at the flickering and jumping was soft and brief, and transformed into an irritated grumble with little effort. She peered out the elevator, and the hum under her breath- Little town~ Full of little people~ Waking up to saaaaaay.....- was cut off into a soft sigh.

Freedom was close, but here she was enjoying the company. Random silliness with a stranger was relaxing, and she clicked her tongue. "Well, even cowboys need a hobby that isn't roping cattle or chewin' ta baccy. Or whatever they actually do in their spare time. Race ninjas." she pushed a curl out of her face. "I can assure you this is the most fun I have ever had trapped in an elevator. I might even go so far as to say this would be an enjoyable conversation if we weren't trapped in a cage."

At last, the lights came on and the elevator moved, and Jada sighed audibly, though in relief or disappointment she couldn't say. Back to the weight, but out of a tiny cubed prison. Her companion rose, holding out a hand in offer to her; Jada's much smaller, long-fingered hand slid into his, palm to palm, manicured fingers wrapping around it. "A gentleman cowboy. How very English." her laugh was bright and unabashed, and she pulled herself up easily.

"I feel quite fortunate in the company," she mused, and beamed up at him, "though we didn't get through all 20 questions." she considered him for a moment, and then bent, tugging up her purse before releasing his hand to dig in. She tugged out a pen and a business card, sprawling Elevator Girl on a blank space. Her face beamed up from the card. "Model," she said with a wry grin. Handing out Comp Cards as business cards was just simple business practice. "But it has my cell on it. If you decide to give Winey Wench a try, or want some expectation-free baggage-avoiding company, give me a call. I could do with a new friend."

"We can be eccentric young cat ladies," she said cheerfully, "Or eccentric young ninja-cowboys. Whichever works best for you." his laughter was infectious, and Jada grinned at him. "As long as you're booted without spurs." she leaned in, very seriously, and told him, "Don't worry. The fact your day job is as a super-spy secret agent will remain just between us."

She gave his hand a friendly squeeze as he released hers, letting her fingers trail over his palm and just appreciating the simple contact with another human. Jada was a very tactile person- even with strangers. "Well, we have 18 more questions to go, Fritz. If we get trapped in an elevator together again, we have an excellent way to pass the time."

He took the card and she beamed at him as he tucked the small object away. "Good." there was no doubt in her voice as she collected her bags, lifting them off the ground as the elevator settled, and apologetic electricians peered in through the glass. "My work leaves me fairly flexible. Anything but Saturdays- I leave Saturdays for spending time with my wards." sometimes it was easier to call them wards than explain the was playing mother to her little siblings.

The doors opened, and she patted him on the shoulder as she brushed by, stepping out onto the tile with a sharp, professional click of heel. "Nice to meet you, cowboy. I look forward to next time."