The Twentieth Annual Winter Formal

"It's awfully bold of you to assume nobody would ask that question, then."

Voices behind masks were a fun game - you'd never know who you'd hear. The stranger had turned from odd to odder, and it seems that every aspect of themselves, as Anatheus uncovered more and more, seemed to alienate them from the common folk. He could respect that, as much as the perceptiveness of the masked figure put him on end. His hand flexed around the handle of the knife, before letting go, pulling itself out and resting with the other on his cup. As if nothing had happened.

Perhaps there was a select group of young children who were allowed to attend the formal - for the first time, the spider-shifter properly looked the stranger up and down, studying him and his bizarre clothing, earning himself a stifled chuckle. They were intent on being a mystery to this world, it seemed. A puzzle, and Anatheus had both little patience for puzzles, and a love for them. "That would certainly make things more interesting - but you have to know the exact time to strike, for the weight of a second can break the web of a plan." he replied coldly, quoting his mother's teachings. Well, she would not approve of him bringing a blade to the dance.

---

The curtsy made her heart skip a beat, out of sheer surprised that it was returned. "Hm, yes. I've always wanted to play an instrument - I think people were paid to tell me I sound good." Jinju tilted her head to the side, a slightly embarrassed look on her face. She'd never had the touch of musician, as much as she was disappointed to admit it. But she did have the touch of a dancer, as she began feeling herself drifting off again, swaying in time with the pleasant sound.

"Are you going anywhere? We could stay and enjoy the music together!" she invited her new friend.

This was serious. At least, to her. The heist of all heists. After all, she was supposed to be a prefect, wasn't she? Cailin slouched toward him with a conspiratorial lean, waiting with bated breath and upturned eyes, face turned from the crowd. Of course she didn't see the brownie coming. There was the squish of spongy cake against her bared shoulder, with all the texture of baked mud, dry crumbles and flakes rolling down over the ruffles and beads of her dress. A gooey mass of chocolate began to slide down her arm as she flinched and seized, eyes clenching, jaw opening and closing and lips finally contorting into a hot white shrieking curse.

"Jackson!!" The name exploded out from between her teeth. Then came the smell. At first, you could almost call it sweet, like a whiff of cookies fresh out of the coven, but in an instant the aroma sharpened. Black acrid fumes wafted off her skin, with pinpricks of light popping and sizzling in her trembling hands, the chocolate bubbling up from her skin and into kernels of black charcoal that tumbled off her dress and to to the floor around her. "He's not my boyfriend!"

Too loud.

When she opened her eyes, Jackson had already disappeared. Red as a stop sign, she ran her fingers forcefully through her hair, inhaling long and slow through her nose. The thin currents of electricity and foul vapors faded from her skin as she regained her composure, brushing off flakes of soot. "Sorry. Sorry. That was my half-brother." She could hold her temper around almost anybody else, but everyone had their limits. Her limit was Jackson. Full stop. "I mean, my dad's never said anything, but I'm pretty sure he's, y'know, disabled? I should r-really be nicer—..." But her hands were still shaking, and she was curling and uncurling her fingers into fists. "I-I'm not angry." She could crush his skinny little trachea between her palms like a fucking egg. "I'm not angry." Reiterated, quieter this time, as if to convince herself it was true.

Keir smiled wide, before holding out a hand to Jinju. Seemed like he'd be getting a second dance tonight after all. He offered his hand out to the girl, in the same manner that Sam offered theirs earlier in the night. Wouldn't hurt to be on the other end of things this time, would it? "Sounds good to me." He couldn't help but take notice of the sort of formal air about this girl. They were at a formal of course, but that wasn't enough to make most people act especially formal beyond how they were dressed.

Anima turned the notebook to the next blank page so that she could continue to write. I keep everything in the same notebook because I never know when I'll see something I might want to draw, and I don't have to worry about someone finding one with more... personal stuff when I'm not around or anything. I can show you more stuff later when less people are around~ Truth be told, notebooks that ended up being filled to capacity with words and art were equally likely to be hidden in the least suspicious places she could think of as they were to just be incinerated with the help of their gift, to ensure no one would get their hands on it later. Burning them may cost her old art that would useful for practice, but keeping the old notebooks intact cost her peace of mind.

They weren't going to lie, they were a bit sad when the dancing came to an end and Keir walked off. The sighed softly, making a note to try to talk to Keir more afterwards - they were determined to make new friends and they weren't going to let this friendship only exist during the dance, it was going to continue afterwards. But...Their eyes shifted across the room until they found Shepard again. They took a few moments to study him, until they were certain they were right with their assumption of who it was. A smile flickered across their face as they hurried across the dance floor and toward the punch. "Um, hello!" they chirped as they reached Shepard and who they assumed was his date, giving a soft, sheepish smile. "This is...Uh, this might be sligggghhhhtly awkward but am I correct in guessing that you are Shepard Herman?"

Just call it his luck. Out of all the people he could have possibly run into at the Formal, he ran straight into someone he'd been trying to avoid. Some old man, with black hair and tired, but warm eyes. Even though the man obviously had to be a teacher or Guardian of some sorts, there was something about him that kept the young man there, instead of fleeing. "Yeah, that was stupid of me..." Roman mumbled, fixing his hair, his shirt, trying to salvage what dignity he had left in that moment.

One quick glance back in Eliza's direction told him that she was already long gone, running around from friend to friend it seemed. Suddenly, the night felt overwhelming. What was he doing here again?

"Not exactly," he said. "I don't even think she remembers I exist, but I wanted to try and - I don't know... dance or something?" Roman had thought about sending her notes or something, but nothing had come to pass until tonight, when he'd decided it'd be best just to see her again in person.

---

Ten siblings? Elia wrinkled her nose at the sheer thought of it. How did he survive that? "I can't even - How do you guys, like, live together?" The young woman leaned in a bit closer, staring up at him with curious eyes. "I had to share a room with my sister for like twelve years, and that was torture enough." Add Jon hot-boxing in the bathroom constantly and Emily popping up whenever she popped up, trying to get privacy in her house was full of hurdles as was.

"Thank God I was finally able to get in a dorm, it's nice to finally have some privacy." Even though, admittedly, it felt weird being away from Esther so much... Nobody was surprised when they were sorted into different houses, but she kind of missed her a lot, sort of.

---

Slapping a hand on her cheek, Joanna hummed, watching as Shepard and his date fled away from them. It was weird, but if he wanted some personal time with his girlfriend, she could hardly blame him. "They seem happy doing their own thing," she mused, turning her eyes back up at Stephen. "Come on, that floor is empty!"

A grin immediately plastered on her face. One hand hitched up her dress and the other grabbed at his hand, pulling the both of them towards the floor. "I think we'll need a faster song than this!" She shouted oh-so inconspicuously as they neared the stage.

---

He'd been on the verge snatching one of those Ziploc bags out of her hands, caught in awe of her genius when they'd been so tenderly interrupted. Whoever the guy was, her brother, barreled in like a wrecking ball and escaped like lightning. If he was looking like a ticking time bomb then, Cailin looked as if she were about to go fucking nuclear.

"Don't apologize, I get it." Jon grumbled under his breath, shooting a sharp look to his sisters, thankfully preoccupied at the moment. He loved them, but still didn't forgive them for the times they barged straight into his room, or the times he's taken his games, or that one time they thought it'd be funny to watch him stumbling blind around during a track meet. He still didn't forgive Elia for that one.

The young man forced a deep breath and reached back to take one of the baggies - clenched tight in her fists. In truth, he hesitated, after seeing what she'd did to the plant in the conservatory and the poor, wasted brownie; he was weary he'd end up a pile of ash just as easily as everything else she seemed to touch.

Don't be a pussy. He brushed his fingers nimbly against hers.

It always flowed in colors, invisible to almost all eyes except for his. Deep red radiated around her like a fog: spiteful, energetic, suffocating. He offered his own conjured aura, the color of sweet peas and the early morning sky.

"We still have a massive cupcake heist to pull off," Jon cleared his throat, flashing a crooked grin. "And other things... We could do other things, I mean, there's lots of things to do here - supposedly... If you wanted."

Durran decided not to point out the fact that she could simply carry two notebooks. It wasn't a point worth pushing. So instead he said, "Sounds good! When do you want to meet up?" It was one of the regrettable parts of this society that one had to make such plans. With such rushing about, people often seemed to not have the free time to entertain guests, sudden or not. Still, he supposed not everyone could have the benefit of neighbors who lived three miles away. Which gave one plenty of time to prepare for guests who did not tell their hosts who didn't at least say they were coming over. At the same time, only a handful of festivals back home could muster the same number of people as this "formal." Still have no idea what's so formal about it. They're not acting formal with each other. Maybe it's in their dress. But, I've met a pretty neat lass already, so I'd say it's off to a great start, he thought.

"We all survived. You can't choose your family, I guess. I don't have to tell you that. You already know what it's like to have to share everything." Their family estate could quarter a small army if it had to, but even Lord Montare Lupo didn't have a ten bedroom mansion. For almost as long as he could remember, he halved or split a living space with two or three of his other siblings, building fortifications and laying down borders with masking tape, but the constant encroachments and trespasses, audible and physical and sensory, drove a deeper wedge inside. He moved out from the doghouse the second he could. Ten children was nine too many. With a touch of a smirk, he held the cider up again in another mock toast. "To freedom. And privacy."

He let his gaze drift out to the rest of the crowd, and he could pick out his brothers and sisters almost preternaturally. "That's my brother Keir in the dress," he said, pointing, "and that's Theo slamming back punch, Bianca over there annoying Danni. Beecher is over on the other side with Scarlett Vulpes, trying to pretend he doesn't see me pointing at him." Evander waved, not expecting a wave back. Scarlett Vulpes was also another name on the ballot for princess, a name that wasn't Elia Wright, but he knew his date was quite aware of that particular detail without having to be told.

Evander was side-eyeing the tall red shadow hovering nearby the pair. "Lurking in the back. That's Gaius Vulpes. And over there, out of the light, that's my sister Maeve. Clan security. Watching our every move, did you know?" A strand of truth, a strand of a lie.

---

---

"Yeah. You're right." She let her gaze drop to her shoes, still picking out soot from her corset. Their hands brushed, and maybe she imagined it, but there was a rush of sensation, a calming glow that smoothed over her lingering anger, ebbing back like the tide as the link of physical contact was broken. Cailin was just left blinking in stuttered confusion as the wheels fell off Jon's sentence, still reeling from alternating states of peace and hot embarrassment, but nodded with an overstrung smile all the same. "Sure! I mean, sure. I like... doing things..."

---

---

Whatever, Jo.

Esther sidled up to the mic as the soft tones of The Penguins waned into the coarser rock-and-roll timbre of The Doors, rocking back and forth on her heels as Inigo kicked them off with the punch of a snare drum, building a deep, vivacious rhythm punctuated with sharp trills from the lead guitar. "We have one more for you before we get to the royals. This one's an oldie, a real party song, baby." She swept back from the mic to let Rose handle the rest.

You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn't get much higher

plot twist: the punch is spiked with lsd

As the young boy talked, Dublin felt an ache in his chest. Ah, young love. Something in him wanted to help this boy. He barely remembered what it felt like to be young and in love, to have something still innocent and untouched by the cold blow of reality. Jeez, I really need to lighten up.

Dublin shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted a bit, an old habit he never really broke that had the unfortunate effect of making him seem too casual and unprofessional to pass as a teacher. Oh well. he'd had worst habits, after all. Still, his laid back nature seemed to make it easier for students to talk to him. (If only it worked as well on his daughter.) "Well, then ask her to dance." He answered, as if this were obvious. The truth was, to him it was. People like Dublin and Eliza didn't often have to worry about things like rejection. To them, it really was that easy. "If your worried she doesn't remember you, just make sure she remembers you now. It's a formal, everyone around you is dancing, everyone else is taking chances tonight. You're not going to have another excuse to talk to her as good as this one. Don't worry, you got this champ." He gave the boy a solid pat on the back, feeling pretty proud of his little pep talk. Really, he was great at this. He was full of valuable life wisdom, and rarely had the chance to dish it out.

-

Having a bit more trouble than usual focusing on more than one thing at once, Eliza belatedly noticed Danae-Alisse's dress. She took a step back to admire it, still grinning. "Look at you! You're like a princess! Aren't you glad I forced you to buy it?" She winked. The waterbender seemed to glow a bit more than usual tonight, but then again, Eliza noticed that everything else was glowing as well. She took a moment to examine the room. The way the lights danced across the floor, painting everyone in alternating colors, pouring over everything it could touch. It was all so beautiful.

A familiar shout quickly pulled Eliza from her thoughts, and she had just a moment to brace herself before her cousin practically barreled into her. She rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, but couldn't hide the smile that tugged at her lips as her cousin pulled on her face. In that moment, she was reminded of the old woman from the diner, pinching her cheeks and calling her a boy. Hopefully she didn't resemble a boy tonight. "Jacksooon. Stop!" She pushed away his hand, but laughed through her words. Though it wasn't often she saw her dad's side of the family, her and Jackson had always been close. Meaning, whenever they saw each other, trouble usually followed in their path. Wrapping her arm around his waist so that they were standing side to side, she turned her attention to her group. "This is my annoying cousin, Jackson. He's trouble, so don't let him fool you."

Sophie took a step back to give Eliza and Jackson more room to join the group properly. She smiled and waved shyly at Jackson--who, thanks to the chain of events that had led her to stand close to Danae-Alisse, followed by Eliza's boisterous entry and Jackson's crashing into Eliza--was standing closer to Sophie than she was normally used to. A blush rose to her cheeks, and she had trouble drawing her gaze away from him as the music continued in the background. "It's nice to meet you, Jackson," she said politely, then smiled a small, playful smile before adding, "Or should I call you 'trouble'?"

Danae-Alisse had the grace to blush lightly at the idea of of being a princess, but managed to say, "I, yes, I'm glad you helped convince me to buy and and come to the formal. I've had a lovely time so far." She then thought, for the short time that I've been here anyway. Plenty of time for the night to swing the other way. She put the thought from her mind as the cousin collided with the group. To her own surprise, Sophie seemed to show a sudden, keen interest in the boy. Stifling a soft giggle, Danae-Alisse took a slight, half step backwards. Masked to give everyone more breathing room, it allowed Sophie to take prominence in Jackson's vision.

Tobias' outfit:

Tobias strolled into the grand hall, very late and less "formal" than the event's name suggested. He had his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket; with his right hand, he fiddled with a cigarette. As soon as he had his back to the chaperones at the entryway and the buffet tables, he withdrew it from his pocket and lit the tip with his fingers as he brought it to his lips. For the most part, he kept his head down as he moved through the crowd, but glanced around at the girls, checking to see if there were any present whose beauty exceeded the one who first captured his attention. Unsurprisingly, there were none; she was radiant.

Her friends were talking and laughing, goofing around off to the side. None of them were dancing. Apparently they all preferred just to act like a bunch of stupid kids. Maybe none of them knew how to dance, he thought with a smirk. They each had their predictable little boxes. All except her, the redhead in the brilliant blue-and-white dress. She was clearly the bell of the ball, and he, obviously, was going to dance with her. As he approached the group, he dropped the cigarette and crushed it with his dress shoe. When he looked up, he caught Danae-Alisse's eyes and shot her a confident smile. "C'mon," he said, lifting his left hand, palm-up, and flicking his head toward the dance floor, then back to Danae-Alisse. "Let's dance."

Danae-Alisse, after catching the boy's eye, and scent, made a show of looking around before saying, "Oh sorry. I was looking for someone that line would actually work on in that attire." Then turned her back on him.

Tobias rolled his eyes. "Wow, what a priss," he said, his blue eyes cold as he stared at Danae-Alisse. He added sarcasm to his tone as he bowed disdainfully: "Have a good night, then, Princess." With that, he walked away from their group and towards the punch bowls, which he trusted were spiked by now. The teacher looked at him politely as he poured his punch, probably in an attempt to protect it from ne'er-do-wells like him. He nodded and took a sip, smirking as he tasted the confirmation of his suspicions. Rather than head out to the dance floor alone, he made his way to the nearest unoccupied wall space to drink his punch and survey the room.

Sophie didn't mean to, but she giggled at Danae-Alisse's response. "Wow, Danae-Alisse, that was cold!" She said, once the boy had walked away. She was still smiling, though. "But he deserved it. What a jerk!"

The formal was altogether a great way to expend energy, even if he was alone - it didn't bother him, not in the way it would bother others, to be awkwardly standing out on his own. In his eyes, it was just being bound to the same pattern, same voices and habits. Insufferable and dull. The red-head had drank enough punch by himself to guess that it wasn't exactly clean, that at some point some an additional substance had sneaked in to make things more exciting, which did not bother him at all. If anything, he had started getting himself more punch, trying to break through the strong tolerance to alcohol that came with his gift.

In the end, he had been around and somewhat aware enough of his surrounding to notice the embarrassing turning down of what Jessé could only pinpoint as a local (hot) guy that thought the world of himself. "Do you want a dance partner that bad?" the Autumn regarded him with a tip of his cup, resulting in a forgettable but considerable amount of punch spilled on the floor, barely missing his shoes in the splash. "I mean, hell, she looks like she's out of everybody's league. Even yours." Jessé couldn't help the wink.

---

It had been quite a while since she had danced with a partner, the occasions rarer and rarer the past few years. But hopefully she still remembered the steps, as she took Keir's hand with one of hers, and placed her other on their shoulder. She let the music, the rhythm, guide her steps, mirroring her partner's. "This might sound ridiculous, but-" Jinju began, resuming her sheepish tone. "I've never been to a princess ball before, you see." she tilted her head sideways, pursing her lips. It might not have sounded like much, but it mattered to her. A real princess needed real practice, but she was already quite proud she had yet to trip over her own feet.

Another student was suddenly next to Shepard and Hye-Rin who were sipping their sadly unspiked punch. Shepard noticed them be Sam, a student who was in his own hall. Shepard would see them in the dorm or between classes, but never really talked with them very much. If at all. "Ah--" Shepard put on a smile, finally pulling his hand away from Hye-Rin's to wave at Sam. "That's me. What's up?" He asked watching the student with a tilt of his head. Red was a nice color--though he was a bit bias.

---

"Sure!" Beecher grinned, turning towards the punch to see Scarlett's older brother talking with his sister. Beecher's smile wavered, uncertain if they wanted to continue in that direction. He never knew why the head Vulpes disliked the Lupos. His father seemed to act like he didn't notice, but Beecher could sometimes feel the stare into the back of his head. Which was one reason why he left the forest, his mother being the only reason why he hasn't abandoned the clan altogether.

Uncertain, Beecher slowed to let Scarlett take the lead, blue eyes locked into a constant shift between Gaius and his sister.

---

What a lame event. The snow seemed just as artificial as usual to Reed. Maybe he should have smoked a bit more before he walked into this shitshow. His hand twisted at the end of a blunt inside his coat pocket. Guardians and prefects didn't scare him, and neither did any teachers. He was there because his mother made him go. The suit felt tight, too neat for what he normally wore. Uniforms for him on a day-to-day basis consisted of untucked shirts and loose ties. Sometimes missing his jacket completely.

His eyes landed on an unmanned corner and slunk his way over, dark suit gathering little attention. Maybe he could light one while he was alone?

When Shepard confirmed his identity, Sam's expression lit up as they held back a high-pitched giggle. They couldn't believe it - they could nearly still picture him as a baby! They hadn't known Leo all that well those years back, they had just met when hanging out with their cousin as Barry and Leo were good friends. Fond memories of cooing over the baby as they rarely got to see anybody so young and....Ah, this was just so exciting and weird and crazy! "Okay," they started, doing their best to keep their voice from rising to an awkward pitch in their excitement as they clasped their hands together over their chest. "This is going to sound really weird but I totally met you once when you were a baby. And you were like, the cutest thing ever and its just so crazy to see you all grown up! I know this is like, super weird for me to come over to say that but like...I dunno, I guess I always felt to awkward to do it in the halls at school when I saw you but honestly I am not sure what made me want to do it now and sorry, I'm rambling." They cut themselves off with a slightly nervous blush, blinking as they shifted on their feet. Oh god, maybe this was a mistake. In their excitement, they kinda forgot how weird their time traveling situation was. But...It really helped, making light of it when there was so much about it that just...Sucked. There was so much that was terrifying about being stuck in the 'future' with no plans to ever be returned. The timeline was set - they had gone missing and...Everything had just moved without them. They had to try to be normal but...Yeaaaah, this might not have been a good way to try to be 'normal.'

It looked like everyone around seemed to be having a good time as was, so Marion took some pride in that, at least. A few couples had finally took to dancing and she found herself  sweeping out of their way, towards the snack table. Admittedly, she was starving, between helping set up the finishing touches and getting in her own gown, she hadn't had time to eat a thing that day.

The young woman made a reach for the same cookies as another, accidently brushing past her, blonde hair tumbling down in curls over her shoulder. "Excuse me," she said, a formality for her oh-so terrible rudeness.

She scooped more than one cookie into her hands, eying the one the girl beside her held. "The good news is, I don't think those are spiked or ... you know, poisoned?" Marion teased lightly.

---

Elia had blinked her eyes a few time at the ... person in the dark dress. Guy or girl? He said he had only so many sisters and... She frowned, trying to do the math in her head. "So, are they a - uhm... like are they going for prince or princess...?" She picked the most delicate words she could, gaze sweeping over the others. Scarlett Vulpes, another Clan member, but pretty. She had to admit she was really pretty... Good compeition, and her date was pretty cute too. (Although she'd never tell Evander that. Was that weird?)

She'd never would have even noticed the two in the shadows if he'd never pointed it out. "Do they always follow you around like that?" Elia wondered aloud, "You really are royalty."

---

Jon blinked a few too many times. A grin broke out and he shook his head as if he were almost caught in disbelief. "Great!" he said, exhilarated. So, they could definitely do things together then!

... What kind of things? He had no idea himself. Jon had only went in for a quick line and her number, but it'd felt like he'd just struck the lottery. He shot a glance around, noticing the change in song and the tease for the royal announcements; they had to make their move soon and couldn't wander far. "Do you wanna have a quick dance then?" He threw his thumb back, pointing towards the floor.

---

He was bewhildered, overwhelmed at the sheer thought of just going up to Eliza and asking her to dance? Like that? There was no way, it's not that easy. Roman took a step back, gripping dizzily onto his head and staring up at the teacher as if he were insane. "Wh-what, no way! It's not that easy, that's insane!" He started babbling, practically on the verge of a panic attack. "I've only talked to her once, and she's so beautiful and nice and - and I'm just -" He clamped his jaw suddenly. "No way, there's no way..."

Crap, what was he doing here again?

The lavender-haired girl chuckled at his comment. Most students would take that as a challenge to attempt to spike it. Fortunately enough, she wasn't one of them. She didn't have a need to spike the punch in the slightest - although, she would be a liar if she didn't think it would have been interesting to see what would go on. Having attended so many parties alcohol wasn't something unfamiliar to her, but if she could stay away from it and enjoy some unspiked punch, she wouldn't say no to the offer.

Flashing him a million-dollar grin as she sweetly took the cup of punch, she took a sip as her eyes scanned the food. "I may swipe a few cheese slices... Too bad they don't have any cake." She loved cake. If they had cake, she would've devoured it.

Her gaze turned as the other student came over to say hello, noticing Shepard's warm hand finally slip away from her. Quickly, Rin chugged the rest of her punch, glancing behind her to find a trashcan that she swiftly threw the plastic cup into. She kept a polite smile on her lips, inspecting the other student. They looked familiar, for sure.

---

A surprised squeak and blue tendrils of lightning flew from the student as her date surprised her out of nowhere. But, to say the least, it was a surprise well welcomed. And, damn, his suit looked good. The pair matching with white and gold could almost be excused to be going to a wedding, and with a million-dollar smile the young woman linked her arm with her date. Her hazel gaze taking in every inch of the gentleman, and it was hard not to keep a smile.

"Of course. You know, I hope we don't spill any punch on these..." Her gentle chuckle and lack of any sparks indicated to her it would be a good night. It had to be. Having waited enough years to finally show up to one of these formals, it better be worth it.

---

The guard merely raised her gaze momentarily as she took a long drink, an eyebrow also lifting in suspicion towards the newcomer. By the scent that lingered around him he was definitely part of the fox-shifting line. "Care to enlighten me as to why I should care, again?" There was a slight undertone of amusement, however it would take only Keir to detect it. Or her father. Or someone else who spoke as monotone as she. Flicking her silver hair back over her shoulder, she took another sip. "I'll still be plenty fine to make sure everyone behaves." Not a lie. Part of her training included being able to stay coherent even if by some chance she had been impaired by an elixir, poison, alcohol or some other drug.

Crossing her arms, she swirled the rest of the punch around in the cup, glancing over the shoulder of the other student who stared at her with those intense eyes. Everyone was behaving. Spotting one of her brothers in the crowd, a small and short chuckle resonated from the petite Lupo. "You're Scarletts brother, aren't you?" Her gaze was still focused on the sea of students as she asked. Taking in every detail, not leaving anything unnoticed. It was her duty to guard, after all.

Stuff! Things? Cailin rubbed her arm, nodding agreeably. She'd barely registered what she'd agreed to until they were already heading out onto the dance floor together, bringing a fresh wave of self-consciousness crashing down over on top of her. It felt like snakes writhing in her guts as she turned toward Jon again, a red flush tinging her cheeks now. Covered in cupcake. This still wasn't quite how she imagined her night, but at least she wasn't snacking at the table by herself.

Just a quick dance. Don't be weird about it. Sparks coursed down the length of her arms, and she held them close to her chest, careful to make room for Jesus. It was
a practical consideration as much as a social one. Get close, and get burned.

---

---

Prince or princess? Both. Or either. Honestly, he wasn't sure. Evander brushed slickly past the question, voice lowered, leaning over to reach and point. "Like a shadow. You won't believe some of the stuff I've had to do to shake them off." Worse than fleas, or so he was pretending for right now. He managed a bashful grin. "Royal, that's kinda embarrassing when you put it out like that..."

It was nice how some things never changed. Flakes of snow drifting softly down, only to vanish without a trace moments later. A soft smile spread across the man's face, blue eyes reflecting bright flakes. Though, the headmaster would admit that the live band was much better than the one he had at his last formal, and was more than happy to include them in the formal. Yet, besides the phenomenal music choices of this year, it wasn't all that dissimilar to his last formal as a student. Just, maybe without the spiked punch.

From what Leo could make out beyond the curtains of backstage, his own son stood talking with Sam--one of the children who skipped through time--and his girlfriend, Hye-Rin. Though Leo spotted Stephen and Joanna on the dance floor and knowing how his son must be acting towards the two, he shook his head with an amused smile. He wouldn't get in the way. That was Shepard's battle.

Beyond his own bias toward his son, Leo watched other students mingle and dance. Some swaying in sync to the music, others...maybe not so much. Yet each of them smiled. Gifted people in a world of blanks, River's Pointe is the only place where they can really be children, to be teenagers. Having powers in a blank world is alienating and most students who would normally lock themselves away, are standing in the grand hall, smiling. Or maybe standing off to the side, waiting for their chance to dance, or to speak.

'Your times will come. I promise. But, keep being kids for at least one more day, one more year.'

As soon as the music lulled, Leo caught a glance of Sam--his deputy headmaster-- standing by the punch. The other man offering him a smile and a wave from across the room. Returning the gesture, Leo stepped onto the stage, thanking each member of the band before beckoning the faculty onstage with the crowns.

One by one, ornate crown after crown were placed on the table. A regal golden crown placed to the far left, followed by an ornate band dotted with glittering gems, then a tiara that arched neatly in the front, adorned with several blue gems, then a much larger crown that arched to a point with white gems littering the bottom band. Finally, a crown that practically glowed. A beautiful blue gem stood out from the crown, embedded into the fine silver-- recognizable to some people in the crowd who had gone bravely on a mission to find it not too long before.

The crowns hadn't changed either, thought the headmaster, who then stood in a fine tux overlooking the students. Their attention had mostly shifted to him, though some may not pay attention. Not that it mattered too much to Leo, as long as they were not the ones winning. "Welcome to the Winter Formal. Thank you all for showing up tonight." The headmaster opened his mouth as if he was going to do a long-winded speech, but instead grinned. "I'm sure all of you would much rather know the winners then hear an old man speak." Okay, he wasn't old. He was in his thirties. But to a bunch of teenagers, thirty is a lifetime.

Without wasting too much time, Leo opened a wax sealed envelope and began. "The winner of the title of Royal Magisty goes to Sam Locke! Everyone, please give them a round of applause!" As soon as the student stood up to take their golden crown, Leo continued reading. "The winner of the prince title is Jackson Andrews, and the princess title is Elia Wright! Please give the pair a round of applause."

He paused once more, letting the two steps up, and giving the final winners. "And finally...Shepard Herman for the formal king, and Eliza Andrews for the formal queen!" A smile was sent his son's way, growing larger at the boy's owlish face. "Congratulations all of you!"

---

Oh.

Knew him as a baby?

Shepard's blond head tilted to the side, obviously struggling to piece everything together. The other student barely looked any older than he was, maybe a little younger. If that is true, there is no way they could have known him as a baby. Either they were playing a weird joke on him. He fished for a response, but couldn't find one in himself. Okay, yeah. Kinda weird. Not going to lie. Even if it was a joke, there is no way. They would have needed time travel or something to--

"You were one of the students who jumped forward in time. Aren't you?" Shepard asked, finding Hye-Rin's hand in his open one.  "If so, that makes a lot of sense. But, if not--how?" The way they acted as if it was awkward for them made Shepard less likely to think it was a trick. Yet, before he could get an answer, Shepard heard his father's voice throughout the grand hall.

Blue eyes looked up to watch him announce the winners, shockingly enough to Shepard, Sam--the student he was talking to was the first to step up. Then two students that he knew vaguely. Then--himself? Wide blue eyes watched his father but knew that his dad would not play a joke like that on him. Sheepishly, Shepard turned to Hye-Rin and offered her the best smile he could. "Joanna and Stephen are to the left if you want to hang out with them. I'll be right back I promise." With ease he gave her a wink then pressed his lips to the back of her hand.

Before he knew it, the crown was on his head. He knew he was a nominee, just didn't expect to win. Though, if he was honest, Shepard didn't know an Eliza. Not to be the person to brag, but he knew most people in Beata in some form. Usually.

Sam's eyes nervously flickered to Hye-Rin as she stepped forward, giving her a nervous wave before their eyes fell back onto Shepard as he spoke. There was an excitement in Sam, relieved that they didn't seem to come off as insane thanks to Shepard knowing about the whole time-travel thing. Guess that was expected when he was the headmaster's son - man, what a story that must have been over dinner about how a group of students thought dead had suddenly appeared. Also they supposed in general it must have been whispered around - they weren't shy about mentioning their missing years when asked but...

Sam hadn't even realized they had been so lost in thought and had failed to give an answer before the voice of Headmaster Leo pushed them back into the present. There was a nervous sigh from Sam. They had been beyond excited when they had realized that the Headmaster had read their letter and taken it to heart. It had been more of a vent if everything - in trying to get use to the future, it was so annoying that nothing had been changed at Beata to make it more open to those who felt neither male nor female like themselves...While they weren't surprised they were the winner - they didn't know any other non-binary people at Beata, not that they knew a whole lot, but they just weren't sure how the people would react.

They gave Shepard a soft smile as they strolled off, heading up to take their crown. They gawked at how pretty it was - even if the gold didn't match their dress, it was still a sight to behold as it was placed on their head. They stood there for a few moments, basking in the claps and cheers before they stepped away to let the other winners take their place. The first moment they could, the crown was off of their head so they could properly admire it, the sight bringing a smile to their face. It wasn't much...But it was a great first step to feeling normal. Maybe being stuck in the future wasn't the worst thing...

Danae-Alisse took a deep breath as his slashing words washed over her. True enough, her own shut down had been cold, but she could feel his entitlement coming on as soon as he spoke and such attitudes were one of the few things she could not stand. That anyone naturally deserved someone else's time, attention, and affection for simply existing was ridiculous and, not to mention, insulting. However, the calming breath was more for what his words tweaked in her suppressed memory, rather than for his own rudeness. After a moment, she gave a sheepish smile to Sophie and said, "heh, I suppose. Anyway, it doesn't matter."

A short while later, when the royalty was called, she whirled towards Eliza, clapping. "Oh congratulations Eliza!" she cheered, "hurry and put it on so we can see what you look like in it!" The excited teen even gave her a little push, urging her to be quick about it. In full truth, it was a welcome distraction to the sudden flirt attempt and the words that followed.

As the dance ebbed around her, Amira was a stone in the stream of commotion. She'd always been accustomed to doing her own thing - it seemed to be her nature. She was perfectly content in her own company. Still, as she watched the dance (over the edge of her cookie, of course) carry on while she stood there, all dressed up and alone, she couldn't help but feel all the nerves and self consciousness one tends to feel at their first real dance.

All of those feelings were quickly pushed to the side, however, as she brushed against someone reaching towards the same bowl that she was so rudely blocking. Not wanting to get in the girl's way, Amira took a quick step to the side, her eyes growing wide. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" As the girl spoke again, Amira tilted her head to the side, blinking in confusion. "Spiked...?" Her eyes carried over to the punch bowl, and as realization dawned on her, her mouth fell into a small o. "I guess... they could've swapped them with pot cookies. Or something." Regardless, she examined the cookie with vigor now, even more suspicion than before.

-

Eliza was still leaning on Jackson, listening contently to the small group that she found herself in, a happy drunk haze hanging over her mood. Then, too soon, the peace was disturbed as the principal... headmaster? Whatever he was, his presence brought an immediate ache to her stomach that after a moment, she realized was butterflies. Which didn't make any sense - it wasn't like she cared. She was new here, it would be dumb to want something so obviously unobtainable. But still... She had been trying - without realizing of course, but trying nonetheless. In true Eliza fashion, any small act of kindness she'd extended towards others was subconsciously to improve her reputation, with an occasional genuinely selfless gesture thrown in. That was simply her nature. And hadn't she taken that mission solely because the thought of there not being a crown for the formal was just too much to bare? So yeah, she wanted to win. Sure.

No amount of wanting prepared her for the actual result, though. When her name was called, she didn't move for a moment as it all registered. The butterflies, a feeling that she wasn't quite accustomed to were in an absolute flurry now, and she stared ahead with wide eyes. Looking over at Danae-Alisse, as if in a daze, she murmured, "I already know what I look like in it..." In her mind, a flash of her standing in front of her mirror, twirling around in her dress to Material Girl as she admired the gleam and shine of the fake crown atop her head. Shit. Where am I going to put two crowns now?

Danae-Alisse's gentle shove served to shake Eliza out her thoughts, and she shook herself out of her own head, putting on a bright smile as she walked that said Oh, me? You shouldn't have. that was 50% real and 50% due to the fact that she had been working on her Miss America pageant expressions since before she could say 'World peace!

She closed her eyes as the crown was place on her hair, taking in the feeling of weight pressing down. She felt powerful. She felt victorious. But something inside her was uneasy, and she couldn't understand why she wasn't as happy as she thought she'd be. Ignoring the feeling, she opened her indigo eyes and flashed a smile and wink to her friends once she found them in the crowd. Finally, she noticed her counterpart. Shepard Herman. She had yet to meet him, and knew very little about him, but she had heard his name around - besides, he had to have been of some interest if he was king. "Shepard, right? I'm Eliza. It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached her hand out for him to take, feeling absolutely high on this moment.

-

Dublin watched the kid have a minor break down before him, his amber eyes growing soft as he patted the boy on the back. "Hey, I'm sure she's great, but she's still only human! But I mean, if you can't talk to her, just like, Tweet her or something. If that's still something you kids do. I don't know." His train of thought was interrupted as the music stopped, and the Headmaster - Leo, stepped out on the stage. He faced the stage, only half listening as he had little interest in who one king or queen and what not. He had just started here recently, and only knew a small amount of the kids. Of course, he perked up considerably as a very familiar name was called - a name he'd heard for past 16 years of his life. He had no word for the feeling in his chest. A sense of pride and love that arose from the clear joy coming from Eliza. Grinning, he nudged Roman. "That's my kid. Isn't she something?"

"Hmm~ Aren't you just so cool, talking like a certified strategist?" With a hint that his smile had widened behind the mask, a flickering screen flung a wink to the long-limbed brunette. Mellow and melodic, Aine tapped a lithe finger to his chin, a question mark following the gesture as he found himself lost in thought. A light hum bubbled from his throat, chiming along to the conclusions and puzzles swimming through his mind. "Well, as lovely as it is to be treated to a formal conversation with one of you weirdos, I'll be on my way right after the results are announced~"

All of the names, the songs, the chatter - he recognized them from the sphere of influence his gift held over the entire campus, matching voice to name but not to face. Shifting his position so that he was leaning against the wall, he absentmindedly twirled a virescent lock of hair, strangling his finger within the mesh as he listened to the headmaster announce the names of victors whom he had little attachment to. The crowns glimmered like the surrounding pinpricks of snow, earning a quiet mumbled musing of something incoherent. Once the band finished up and the one-night royals waltzed their way across the dance floor... Aine nudged his foot a little closer to the exit, eyeing his conversation partner for a moment before detaching with muted steps so he could leave and head back to the dorms for a nice warm nap beneath mounds of blankets and pillows.

If things went according to plan, anyway.

Gabriel laughed under his breath. Even though they hadn't been there that long, he couldn't shake the strange feeling that he was being watched, ridiculous as that sounded. Then again, they both looked pretty damn good, if he said so himself, so maybe it was just to be expected. "How incredibly brave of you to want to sample the punch at all," The young man cooed, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Gentleman's honor... I probably won't screw this night up for you."

---

Gaius' gaze remained glued to the surrounding crowd. In truth, he knew that members of the clan were more well equipped than Beata's everyday students when it came to drinking some tainted punch, but when it came to his guard duties, he expected the dignity of the Lupo children onto remain intact just as well as everything else. And the same went for his little sister, of course.

"That's right," he answered, warm eyes flickering back down at her for a moment. "Gaius, Prince of Vulpes." Even though it was his formal title as head of his family, the words had never felt sappier; spoken just as the as they happened to be announcing the formal winners. He cleared his throat. "But, you knew that already."

---

Sweet! A dance! A short, short dance with a good 3 feet or so between them, but that was enough for him. He kept them towards the edge of the crowd with a clear path between them and the snack tables. She kept to herself, arms curled in, and Jon found himself staring down at their shuffling feet.  He didn't move too much, keeping his elbows tucked in and trying to keep himself focused. His sister didn't pick the most romantic song, but she didn't seem to notice or mind at all.

Jon hadn't blown it. Yet. He allowed himself a few sneak glances up at her; just to admire how nice she looked in her blue, cupcake crumbled dress, or noticing the splash of freckles across her cheeks. The images were fleeting and he did his best not to stare.

When the music finally died down and he saw the Headmaster take the stage, he knew it was their time to strike. He whiplashed the ziplock bag from his wrist, brushing up closer to her to make sure she heard him over the crowd. "I'm going for it," he said, speed walking past and diving right in towards the mini cupcakes. With one fell swoop, a few filled wrappers were in his hand and shoved into the bag.

---

"Why should you be embarrassed? It's not something just anyone could say."

Esther's band took a few steps back and let Mr. Herman take the stage. While she had been smiling up at Evander, the moment she sensed the change in atmosphere her attention immediately snapped away. She wouldn't be upset if she didn't win Princess, or so she told herself anyways. Elia hadn't noticed how quick her heart had picked up the pace, or how she had been clawing her nails into her date's arm, her grasp way too tight.
When she heard her name being called, she lit up like a small child on Christmas morning.
It was a shame Evander hadn't won as well, but she wasn't going to stop and complain. She'd never met anyone named Jackson before, but if he had also won, then he couldn't have been too bad of a guy then, right?

"Duty calls," she beamed, slipping out of his arms. "I'll be back. You understand." You know, from one royal to another. In her excitement, she leaned up to brush a peck across his cheek before twirling back around to step into the center spotlights...
To receive her tiara and meet the Prince she was to dance with... It was like a dream come true!

---

Crap. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Roman forces himself back down to earth, almost stumbling a step forward from the unexpected claps to the back. Twitter? Did they have that here? He supposed there was Esper, but then she'd know immediately he wasn't even a student there. It'd just take one glance at his profile and then she'd never talk to him again... probably. "Yeah, yeah. You're right..." Roman sighed. "It just feels like... Like she's impossible to get to."

He didn't count on the teacher hearing him, his voice overlapped by the sudden announcements from the blonde man on the stage, his Dad's boss from the look of it. He'd been deflated enough once Eliza had been announced as Queen, happy for her but, at the same time, there's no way he would get the chance to catch her alone again... and then the second bomb dropped.

Roman's face paled. "E-Eliza? That's your daughter...?" Red sirens sounded off. He had to get out of here.

---

Marion paused, casting a curious glance as the hall began together around the stage to witness the royal winners. It'd taken her a second to look and just as long to lose her interest, looking back to the girl staring down at her cookie. Pot cookie? "Oh - I mean - they're not baked - y'know... I don't believe anyone would be brave enough to bring those in... probably..." She tried her best to look reassuring, tucking a few loose hairs away and clearing her throat. "I had a hand in picking out the food tonight though, if you were looking for something, or...?"

Or maybe the girl just wanted to have a stare down with a pastry. Who was she to judge?