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

[tailor_made]

[Hester is not early nor is she late. She arrives precisely when she means to...which is about an hour into the evening after hiding in a closet and having a gay crisis over seeing Maya on a horse finishing getting ready. Her dress is a soft pink, strapless with a flowy organza skirt reaching just mid-calf on her. It's simple and sweet but very Prom Night.

It's starting to get dark as Hester quietly steps out into the courtyard, looking at the decorations with a mixture of joy and just plain being impressed.]

Wow...you guys really went all out with this, huh?

[She ends up dancing through the night, either with another person or just by herself, no matter the music. She's just here to have a good time, dance with people she likes and pester people to get hydrated in-between songs.]

Have you had anything to drink yet? You should get some punch- or water. Water is better. Hydration is important!

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah, who had been drinking her bottle of water…

Pours it out. While trying to make eye contact with Hester.]

[tailor_made]

[:|]

Farrah, I don't know how to tell you this but you're the one who's going to dehydrate here.

[brokeforgood]

At least I’ll dehydrate while not listening to you.

[Yeah. Real… Mature, Farrah.]

Besides. You’re the one who made us all sick, and then threw a prom!

[tailor_made]

[...yeah, that tracks.]

What are you talking about? I didn't put this together, I thought you guys did.

[comeandfindme]

[ Ah... Peregrine slips over toward Hester, around when she first comes out. ]

You? No, we didn't... I don't think we decorated or anything.

[tailor_made]

[Hester looks Peregrine up and down, taking in her whole outfit deal, and shakes her head with a small smile but then pauses.]

I mean...I didn't put any of this here. I just saw the posters and assumed you guys had thrown this together.

[comeandfindme]

[ If there's anyone who looks out of place at a prom... Elle's helped her but she's still got her somewhat dirty cloak on over a vest and skirt. ]

We all kinda...had things going on Wednesday morning. It definitely wasn't us. ...I figured it was whoever usually does the club posters.

[tailor_made]

Yeah, I saw the car. [She glances back toward the parking lot. The car is, thankfully, back in the auto shop now but the tracks in the grass still remain.] But I haven't made any club posters or run any clubs since you guys have been here. Farrah brought up Stew the jack rabbit a few weeks ago but I assumed that was just something that was conjured up for the day, as a treat.

...You look nice though, by the way. [Even in a dirty cloak.]

[whatyouwant]

Hester!

[Elle goes over to hug Hester. Listen, if she's been here all week and isn't sick yet, she's not getting sick.]

What do you mean? We didn't do this.

[tailor_made]

Elle!

[Hester returns the hug with relish before pulling back and feeling Elle's forehead.]

You didn't-?

[whatyouwant]

[Elle's eyebrow furrow.]

We thought the Wizard did. Like all the clubs?

[tailor_made]

Clubs...? I haven't setup any clubs. I just thought the Wizard gave you guys those jack rabbits for a day as a treat when Farrah asked me about it.

[howtheworldwas]

[ Later in the night, when she's loosened up a bit and doesn't feel quite so ill, Eurydice offers Hester a hand. ]

Wanna dance?

[ She'd like for Hester to feel the sun again, even if it's only for a little while. ]

[tailor_made]

[Hester's been dancing up a storm all night but, despite how tired she's been in recent weeks, she seems to be just as full of energy tonight.

She smiles at Eurydice, warm as sunshine, and takes her hand.]

I would love to.

[howtheworldwas]

[ Eurydice smiles back, maybe not quite as warm as the sun, but gentle all the same. Like the moon.

And off they go! Eurydice will lead unless Hester makes it clear she wants to. Turns out Eurydice is a really good dancer. She'll even laugh, once or twice -- she's having fun. ]

[tailor_made]

[As it so happens Hester is also a great dancer. She's able to keep up with Eurydice step for step, happy to let her lead as they sweep across the dance floor in a swirl of dark blue and soft pink.]

[fourbutts]

[ Janis, taking a brief break from dancing with assorted established girlfriends: ]

Oh trust me, I'm been getting plenty of punch in. Been uh. [ A pause as she considers Maya Tendo. ] Thirsty.

[ Anyway! ]

Wanna dance?

[tailor_made]

Yeah, that tracks. [Janis probably can't see these brackets but the amount of "she's so pretty" Hester is thinking can't be contained within a Dreamwdith character limit.

She considers the offer for just a moment before downing her drink and extending her hand to Janis.]

Sure. I just hope you can keep up.

[fourbutts]

[ She doesn't need to narrator her way into Hester's brackets to tell, because like. Mood, girl.

She takes Hester's hand. ]

I think I can manage. I'm half narrator, you know. On my dad's side.

[tailor_made]

Lucky. I wish I knew what, if anything, I got from my dad.

[Hester flashes her a grin and spins her out on the dance floor as the music plays. Congratulations, Janis, you get to learn firsthand that Hester is a bomb ass dancer.]

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Oh, if anyone doesn't drink enough water, I'll remind them.

[She doesn't want anyone jumping to the alcohol tonight. Not tonight.

Are... we supposed to dance?

[tailor_made]

Thanks, Cass. I wouldn't want anyone to get dehydrated on top of, you know, everything else. [Priorities!]

I mean...that's what proms are for. Dancing, hanging out, sometimes there's a breakdance fighting.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

Breakdance fighting? Oh, you have got to tell me more about that.

[It actually sounds like a fun time? Cass just likes a good fight, okay, and this seems like an unexplored territory.

But besides that... Cass offers her hand.]

...Right. Right. Dancing is what proms are for.

[tailor_made]

It's really silly. All the boys get in a circle and start breakdancing, trying to one-up each other. Sometimes it becomes real fighting but those guys always get thrown out. It's fun to watch at least. I don't think this group is exactly built for it unfortunately.

[Hester's eyes go bright at offered hand and she takes it without hesitation.]

I'm curious to see what kind of dancing life in a castle taught you.