i just wanna dance with you, let the whole world melt away

[stagemanagers]

[On Wednesday of the fifth week on this side of the school, many of you have have noticed posters popping up in a lot of places. Easy to miss with all the excitement of blowing things up but still a curious thing. The next afternoon the Leading Player can be seen on the roof of the school, directing a shadowy figure with an impressive wingspan and an ass that won't quit on where to put tables as well as snapping her fingers to make the colors of the table cloths go from red to gold to red again.

Which brings us to Thursday evening and...

Prom night! The greatest night of your young afterlives 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. 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

Snack Table

[violentenvies]

[Salieri will wander over to the snack table at some point, ready to speak to Varian about something else...but at that melancholy look, he pauses]

...Varian? Whatever is the matter, mon fils?

[alchemistake]

[Varian blinks, looking at Salieri for a moment like he's not sure why he's asking what's wrong...until he realizes he was probably doing a shit job of keeping what he was thinking off his expression.]

Oh, yeah. I just, uh...I was thinking about Ruddiger.

[He turns the apple over in his hand, sighing.]

Is...he doing okay, up there? Were you guys able to find him?

[violentenvies]

Oh. Yes, he's perfectly fine. Peregrine and the others found him, and Farrah's been taking care of him. But I understand the concern.

[alchemistake]

Farrah...

[Varian's shoulders slump a little. Peregrine, and the others...]

I'm really glad to hear that. I hated to just leave him in the woods like I did, but...anything else would have been cruel.

[violentenvies]

[hhh Varian :(

Salieri moves a bit closer so he can put an arm around him]

I can tell you that, last I saw him, he was being well-spoiled with all manner of fruit and vegetables and as many affectionate cuddles he could want. He even slept in bed with us for a time.

[alchemistake]

[That actually causes him to raise a brow, laughing softly under his breath.]

Really? Well...I'm glad to hear he's being spoiled even more than normal, in that case.

[Oh Varian, just you wait.]

I guess it's kindof...silly, I'm this hung up over a raccoon. But...he's my buddy, you know? He was kindof the first real friend I had...

[violentenvies]

I don't think it's silly at all. He's very important to you; of course you'd want to see him taken care of.

...I'm sure you miss him quite a lot.

[alchemistake]

I do. But I'm glad he's...okay.

[Alive, he means.]

Ruddiger stayed with me when they sent me to prison. He stayed with me there a whole year...I didn't want him to have to go through this, too.