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

[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.]

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Oh right! [He laughs.] Sometimes I for get that you guys know me from a cartoon!

[But that gives him a pause.]

Dunno! You still don't look like humans to me so maybe you guys will turn into fish if you come to my world!

Or an Eagle Ray, in your case.

[ Peregrine can't help but look down at herself, do a double-take. ]

...Really? Like... like a stingray?

[ Ohhh, that's...really cool, actually? ]

[Spongebob beams at her.]

Yeah! They're pretty similar to stingrays!

[There's a silence. Before he frowns slightly.]

Wait, do stingrays looks like eagle rays? I'm suddenly realizing that you're looking a little different than I remember.

What? [ Oh no. Did they miss a concussion or something yesterday? Is this from the sickness? ] Uhhh, how do I look different?

[He looks her up and down, scratching his chin.]

I dunno, you kinda... kinda remind me of how a human looks like.

[ Her mouth drops open. ]

You're seeing me as a human. Like- skin, hair— all of it?

Yeah, exactly!

[Spongebob just looks incredibly confused.]

Gee, it's kinda weird. I could have sworn that eagle rays didn't have such long limbs. Or limbs at all.

[... Just give him a bit.]

[ Peregrine puts her fingers together, one after the other, to give some emphasis. ]

And fingers? I've got fingers, and legs, and a distinct neck?

Yeah! Just like that! Since when were you able to do that?

[His eyes sparkle looking at her hands move.]

Always, Spongebob. 'Cause I'm a human.

[He looks her up

And down

And up again.]

OH NEPTUNE YOU'RE A HUAMAN!

Ding, ding, ding!! Weee have a winner!

[ God, this is— she's actually smiling, stop the presses. ]

Holy shit, what finally did the trick?

I dunno! I'm not sure what happened this week that would...

[He looks at his broken arm, and a lightbulb practically appears above his head.]

My arm! I don't normally have a skeleton! I guess breaking it made my mind realize that there is no way I'm still a sponge!

[He does not seem to grasp onto the fact that this probably means he can see himself as a human.]

[ THIS IS SO FUCKING MORBID WHAT THE HELL she is almost, almost into it, and for a moment—because the hallucinations have been rampant and she's been seeing him out of the corner of her eye—she almost thinks she should tell Connor, that he'd get a kick out of this.

The thought sobers her up immediately and her smile shrinks significantly. It's still there, though. ]

Well. If there's one good thing from all of that...now I guess you understand what we really look like.

[Spongebob gives her a soft smile.]

Yeah! I... I wish I didn't have to put Farrah in harm's way to do it, but I guess since I got the brunt of it there's no point in feeling sorry for myself!

[He's quiet, before something finally hits him.]

Oh! Does that mean I can see myself as a human now too?

[He is bouncing up and down a little bit.]

Uh. [ She hadn't thought about that! ] Maybe? ...Is there a mirror around here? Like, I can describe what I see you like, but...

[He grasps her hand, positively beaming.]

There's the bathroom!

Yes, but— wait, are we just gonna—

[ please drag her, she cannot possibly fight back because you are spongebob and you have a broken arm ]

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

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

[ she’s dragged!! ]

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

[ This is her only weak protest. ]

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!

[ Peregrine takes a single second to wonder what all of Whitetail would say about this cavalier attitude, because everyone knows everyone and everyone talks. It's overtaken by amusement upon remembering this is Spongebob she's talking to. She doesn't think beloved cartoon characters count toward societal norms.

She holds back her laughter. ]

This is tall?

Of course it is! I’ve taller than I’ve ever been in my life!

[Which. Isn’t inaccurate.

His beaming suddenly stops, as if he’s realized something.]

W-wait.

[He turns back to the mirror and, shakily, takes off the wig. His ginger hair pops out, longer, and a bit shaggier than it was when he first arrived, and frankly he could stand to use a hair cut.

But when he sees his hair he cries out in joy.]

I have hair!

[ She positively barks out a laugh. It surprises her too. ]

You didn't know?! You weren't brushing it this whole time?!

Of course I didn't, I thought I was a sponge!

[He is laughing loudly, absolutely amused by this situation. As he continues talking he just starts running his hand through his hair.]

Why? Does it look terrible?

[Despite the length, Spongebob's hair looks impeccable, like he takes a lot of itme and care in making it look good.

Even after wearing the wig.]

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comeandfindme - 2021-07-13 04:19 (UTC) - Expand