one thing's universal, life's no dress rehearsal

[stagemanagers]

[Prom night! The greatest night of your young lives if you watch any Western high school media from the past 60 years. The looks, the music, the copious amounts of fancy snacks, the sore feet from dancing heels and then spending the rest of the night in bare feet- it’s all part of the bigger package.

The courtyard and the roof have both been decked out in a special way for tonight, despite no one really seeing Hester or anyone/anything else decorating. There are round tables set-up in both places, covered in yellow-gold tablecloths. Some of them have platters of snacks laid out on them, one has a large punch bowl that never seems to empty no matter how many drinks are taken from it.

On the roof there’s an extra table with pencils, small slips of paper, a box wrapped in gold wrapping paper and a notecard labeled Song Requests. Just write a song, pop it in the box and within a few minutes it starts playing! Weird, there doesn’t seem to be a sound system anywhere...

Red paper lanterns have been strung around the outline of the roof and between stakes in the courtyard, granting soft romantic light for a night to remember. Put on your best costume shop formal wear, get ready to lose your shoes after an hour and sneak in liquor even though most of you are of age.

After all…tonight belongs to you.]

Comments

[mcfife]

[Unfortunately, Elle pulls away and Angus can only cup her face in a hand. They don't have to part ways. They will end up in the same bed, likely, but if they will always be together, why split up now? It has been a horrible month, losing friends and people he promised to look after, but Elle is here. Someone who can reflect his brightness, and he hers.]

Elle, I love you more fiercely than the center of the sun. More strongly that the molten lava of Schiehallion. No matter what happens when we leave, we will be together.

...We can hide a little longer, can't we?

Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise
But you've got me seeing through different eyes
Somehow I've fallen under your spell
And somehow I'm feeling it's up that I fell

Every moment as long as you're mine
I'll wake up my body and make up for lost time
Say there's no future for us as a pair
And though I may know I don't care

[whatyouwant]

[Elle looks back at the party, then back to Angus, a devious smirk on her lips.]

Let's get a little privacy, hm?

[She takes both of his hands and stands, leading him to the roof exit. She wants to get them to one of the rooms, somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the party, but sometimes you just have to stop at the first landing to make out with your hot space prince boyfriend, you know?]

Kiss me too fiercely
Hold me too tight
I need help believing
You're with me tonight
My wildest dreamings
Could not foresee
Standing beside you
With you wanting me

And just for this moment
As long as you're mine
I've lost all resistance
And crossed some border line
And if it turns out
It's over too fast
I'll make every last moment last
As long as you're mine

[mcfife]

[He wraps an arm around hers, escorting her out of the building and into the gardens. Maybe he's too focused on his girlfriend to notice, but it feels like that the dark veins of evil magic aren't as prevalent in his vision as they were before. It's just the two of them, alone. Perhaps this will be their last chance to be alone together until they escape, with everyone distracted by the party.]

Just for this moment
as long as you're mine
Come be how you want to
and see how bright we shine
Borrow the moonlight
until it is through
And know I'll be here holding you
as long as you're mine

[He leads her into the wooded area, towards the garden. He's avoiding the rows of benches marked with the names of the fallen, but there is plenty of space for a secluded but beautiful spot.

With the sound of the music in the distance, Angus presses Elle against a tree and plants another kiss, deeper this time.]

[fourbutts]

Thanks. The vending machine seems to really want to spit out my whole closet, but... always nice to know I make an impression.

[ Casually winks at Hester. It's normal. ]

Now I'm almost sorry I didn't have time to do much to my jacket here.

[mayavericks]

Just when you thought you could not love me anymore, right?

[She slows her steps long enough to peck Janis on the lips.]

[mayavericks]

I imagine it will start to grate on you after awhile. Claudine does not call me a "Disagreeable Girl" for no reason. But I think it's charming.

[She leans in to peck Peregrine on the forehead.]

I get the strangest feeling that you do as well.

[mayavericks]

And we're all yours, too.

[She's going to disrupt their flow to lean over and kiss one of Peregrine's cheeks. Hopefully the quick glance she throws to Janis gives her the idea to follow suit!]

[fourbutts]

I would say "I don't know how I could" but then you rode into prom on a horse, and I don't lie to my girlfriends.

[fourbutts]

[ And she absolutely does! Synchronicity, baby. ]

Whether you like it or not and, I think, you like it.

[employeeoftheyear]

C'mooon, I wanna see what I look like!

[Yeah he's definately dragging her to the closest bathroom.]

[comeandfindme]

[ Family.

Of all of it, that's what squeezes at her chest the most. She's been thinking about that so much. About how Howl isn't here to see her, how...her mom must be so worried.

Still. Elle's words seem to do the trick, even though she's still fiddling with that bracelet, still looking awkward as hell. She meets Elle's eyes and nods. ]

Okay. Okay, I'll try it. [ give her the dress she'll get changed ]

[tailor_made]

D'accord. [Hester removes a hand from Maya's shoulder to lay it on her cheek with a cheeky grin.] Vous êtes un romantique.

[Okay. <...> You're a romantic.]

[comeandfindme]

[ Despite how cuddly they were when they all smoked up in the photo dungeons, and despite how she's slept in the same bed(s) as her girlfriends before, Peregrine's still ridiculously unsure of how to handle PDA. Shy, if you will. Here in a nice dress at a dance, she's even more so.

So while she intends to be confident and maaaaybe a little flirty back, the simple peck on the forehead has her a little tongue-tied. ]

It's— ...yeah. It's...pretty charming.

[ #nailedit ]

[comeandfindme]

[ Holy shit forget this weekend's case, you guys are killing her right here. Peregrine squeezes their hands simultaneously, out of surprise. She almost steps on both of their feet, which is an amazing, uh. Feat. Of it's own. ]

Do you just plan these things?!

[mayavericks]

Of course not!

[Maya blinks innocently.]

Lesbians can just communicate telepathically of course. Did you not know that?

[fourbutts]

We spend a lot of time talking about how nice you look. It's embarrassing.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Yup. That sure sounds silly alright.

[The hand is accepted and- what the hell, Cass will throw in a princely bow.]

Would you believe Corona is considered the "dance kingdom" of the Seven Kingdoms? [Because she hates it.] Now, I'm not the best dancer... anywhere. But I can do a pretty good waltz. The Frogmen told me so.

[Onto the dance floor!]

[comeandfindme]

[ she’s dragged!! ]

You know these things are usually segregated by gender, right?

[ This is her only weak protest. ]

[tailor_made]

Oh- sorry. [She stops, blinking.] Is it throwing you off? It just kind of popped into my head.

[comeandfindme]

[ This time, she does step on both their feet. Is it an accident? She'll never tell. ]

Okay, I know you do crazy swordfight performances for a talking giraffe, and you are like...a reality warper in-training, but this? This I know is bullshit.

[tailor_made]

[It's easier with Janis than it is with Maya to not show how affected she is by little flirtations. It is not, howevee, impossible and her ears are definitely turning pink.]

I like it. [She reaches out to straighten the lapels on Janis's jacket, running her thumbs down the fabric to the bottom of the jacket.] It makes a statememt. A bright, flashy, unique, sequined statement.

[comeandfindme]

Just...a little. I'm not, like...really musically-inclined, so. You know. Multitasking, a bit hard.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Pointers? I mean, I already confessed, so...

[Looking at her, Cassandra's gaze slowly slips away while she speaks. Across the room, over towards wherever Elsa is.]

...Yes. I'd love a pointer or two.

[fourbutts]

[ Listen, it's not exactly like Janis is 100% confident here, but she's only partially disarmed by Hester running her fingers down her jacket. Hester's good at this, whatever this is, but Janis has been training against Maya for weeks now. ]

I don't believe in being anyone except myself.

[ She has a whole song about it, even. ]

So... glad to hear you're into that.

[ It is at this moment, I think, that this comes on, because I think this is the funniest moment for it to do so. Janis smirks, gesturing towards the dance floor with her head. ]

Oh hey, they're playing my request.

[employeeoftheyear]

Hey, I've been using the girl's bathroom for almost a month now! And the Wizard hasn't killed me for it yet!

[He was pretty traumatized from finding Mumble's body there.

When they finally reach the bathroom he practically sprints to the closest mirror, and when he looks at himself he stares in awe. He stands like that, for a few minutes, observing how he looks.]

Oh Neptune...

[He beams up at Peregrine.]

I'm so tall now!