» Dream a Dream {Beach post/ Open to all}

[Scarlet Westcott]

What was up with the Headmistresses chose of a dress. Did she want her girls to look ugly? Or did she just want them to go and kill themselves. Cause Scarlet was just about ready to do that to herself. She would kill herself before she ever stepped foot into that ugly, green, flowery thing! And there was even something to put around her neck! This would be even more torture than having detention, but if she had detention that meant no going for her run. And running with Sarafina was mainly the highlight of her day. The summer had passed by in such bliss because of those runs. Nemare was the perfect place for them also. Such a wide variety of places to go and also so much room. It must have looked odd to see a large lioness running over the sand, but Sarafina had loved it almost as much as her human host.

Speaking of Sarafina the lioness had decided to start talking about the hideous dress and how much fun it would be to wear it. Because, as the lioness put it, would they mind very much if it got "accidentally" torn and ripped during the ball? Now, that sounded like fun to Scarlet, but the only bad part about it was the factor of having guys looking at her. That was when the motherly lioness came in again. If you ever start getting over your fear tonight would be the perfect night for it! Because then you might just be able to a slap in on them and no one would find that odd. Plus, if they ever went more than that you always have me. I would love to have a nice fight. The lioness basically purred. Hearing that voice of encouragement made the young women want to go even more. And a chance to fight sounded even more fun.

Putting on the dress was just the hard part. How was she supposed to do it all by herself? No one was around to help her that was of the same gender as her and she sure as heck wouldn't be asking her roommate for any help. That would be an all out amazing day if Scarlet Westcott actually asked a guy to help her get into a dress. Yelling at the dress didn't help the process, but after much fighting Scarlet finally was able to get it on. Now, for the annoying neck piece and the green heels. Heels had never bothered Scarlet much, but that would probably be because of having Sarafina's grace. Slipping out the door and closing it behind her the young women pulled on the neck piece and headed out.

Climbing done the stairs had been somewhat of a challenge because of how long her dress was. Grumbling at it Scarlet grabbed it into a bunch and held it in her hand while walking down. When she finally made it down the stairs and onto the beach the red head scanned the people around her. There was no one else she knew already here, but by how the other girl's dresses were Scarlet was actually glad that she had gotten the ugly, green dress. At least it covered all of her and didn't make her look like a hooker like one girl did. Letting out an aggravating sigh Scarlet let her bunched up dress fall to the ground. There was nothing to do!

Giving a glare to the ground Scarlet started to walk around. The only good thing about it was how pretty the beach looked. Plus, she could still see the stars. Stargazing was going to become part of her habit soon because of how often she had looked at the stars during her summer break. The only bad part was that she needed to brush up on her constellations. Breaking her gaze away from the stars Scarlet took one more look around before settling her eyes on a table and chairs away from the dance floor and most of the other people. Perfect. Holding her dress up some from the ground the red head headed over to take a seat at the table that she had spotted. Pushing the chair back and plopping herself down into it Scarlet let out another sigh. This dress would be the end of her.

[Thomas Feverwick]

Thom stared thoughtfully at the box on his bed. He prodded it carefully, trying to calculate mentally the odds of it being a bomb. In a place filled with crazies, one could never be certain - wasn't the reincarnation of Dr. Calico around here somewhere? Not that any of the other villains would shy away from bombs. Maybe the magical ones might see it as being beneath them, but - yes, there was a good possibility that this was a bomb. He poked it again, and then shrugged. Only one way to find out. He could always try and magic some water or something. He was pretty good at giant hammers - one of those should sort a bomb out, right?

Gingerly, he broached the tape covering the box with a pair of scissors and opened it, his curiousity rising now that he was pretty sure that it wasn't a bomb. The pinkness of it just didn't scream "bomb" to him, although he could be wrong. Dead wrong, as it were. But he wasn't - it was, in fact, merely an explosively pink tuxedo, and an ominous note. Why ominous? Because it had arrived with a pink tuxedo, that's why. Something is always up when random pink tuxedoes start appearing with mysterious notes.

According to the note, there was going to be a 'welcome ball', and suitable dress had been provided. The tux. Right. Thom pulled the whole thing out of the box and set it up on his bed, considering it for a moment. Then, he laughed, and picked up the tophat, throwing it into the air. He'd always wanted to try on one of these silly pink things, just to see what it would look like on a real person, but he would never have actually gone an bought one himself to do it. So here was the perfect opportunity, right? And it was even in exactly his size, if the note told the truth on that score.

Whistling Always Look on the Bright Side of Life to himself, Thom got dressed. He didn't see his roommate, Nikolai or whatever his name was, around, and so he left the other guy's box safely at the foot of his bed where he'd first seen it. Who was he to ruin a perfectly good surprise, right? Tophat set at a jaunty angle, he left the dorm, still whistling loudly, occasionally breaking into song. "Life's a piece of - oh. Hello Miss Forsyth. Ms. Sorry. I'm... ball. Yes. Going. Yes." Well, that wasn't embarrassing at all.

He made it down to the beach with no further incident, and his spirits were once again high as he made his way onto the wooden deck on which the tables and chairs and stuff had been set up. There didn't seem to be anyone around, really - most people were just a little way off, dancing in the sand or something. Odd. Anyway, who was he to say what was odd, wearing a pink tuxedo?! Spotting a pretty redhead up ahead, whose hair was set off fantastically by a weddingcake of a green dress, he straightened his bowtie and set off to greet her.

Sliding into the chair beside hers, he said, "I like your dress." And he wasn't even being ironic.

[[ ...rustyyyy... >.<; ]]

[Scarlet Westcott]

Yes, peace and quite, how wonderful! This party might actually be better then she had first thought of it. The only bad part about it was her dress still. They sure has heck weren't meant for long periods of sitting and that was just about the only thing Scarlet was going to be doing that night.

Staring up at the stars Scarlet held out her hand and started to trace the few constellations that she knew. Maybe Professor Lowe would teach her some of them. It was nice having someone that Sarafina knew, but it was uncomfortable at some times. Scarlet didn't even know who Nala's father had been. It was a toss up between Mufasa and Scar and the young women sure as hoped it wouldn't be Scar. That lion still gave her nightmares and most of them weren't just from her imagination. Dropping her hand Scarlet glared at it trying to get out all of her anger in a very non getting in trouble way.

Then there was there sound of someone sliding the chair next to her. That something sat beside her and it seemed to be in a pink tux. Looking up at the guy's face Scarlet gave it a glare before turning her attention back to the table. The comment about her dress made Scarlet break a little smile. "At least someone does. I can't wait to be able to get out of this stinking thing." She said while plucking at the dress. Tearing it seemed like it would be a fun thing to do right then, but she really didn't want to freak out the guy by her. Most people didn't like it much when someone's fingers start turning into claws.

Speaking of claws were had Sarafina gone? Searching her mind the young women couldn't even seem to find her friend anywhere. The lioness must have decided to leave her charge alone for the minute. Knowing Sarafina she would probably in the farthest part of Scarlet's mind laughing her head off. Stupid lioness...

[Thomas Feverwick]

To Thom's chagrined amazement, the girl glared at him before he'd even said a word. Now, that one he couldn't fathom. Mind you, there was a whole lot he couldn't fathom about girls. Especially that fascination they had for his hair. Seriously, he had been asked by at least two girls if they could play with it in recent memory, and he was sure that they actually held conversations about it between themselves. It creeped him out a little, but to him it remained just hair, and so he figured that it was just one of those things he'd never understand. Like people glaring at him before he'd so much as said a word.

"At least someone does. I can't wait to be able to get out of this stinking thing."

Thankfully, his compliment managed to get her to crack a smile instead of a frown, and even speak to him. Phew. It would have been really awkward if she had just stuck her nose in the air and ignored him or something. "Well..." Thom gave the dress another look, this time from close up, running his eyes critically up from the hem all the way to the silly thing tied around her neck, and laughed lightly. "...the colour's good anyway. I guess it is pretty poufy, huh?" Actually, he didn't know the real word for 'poufy'. A girl might, but then, as mentioned before, girls are something of a mystery to this young man.

Taking his tophat off of his head, he offered it to her, giving her a smile. "How about this? The pink isn't as good with your hair as the green, but... hey, how wrong can you go with a top hat, right?" Yeah, he was blatantly trying to make her smile bigger, but then Thom liked seeing people smile. Particularly pretty girls. Yep, pretty girls smiling was one of his favourite sights, especially when he was the one who had made them smile. Adjusting his [pink] collar, which he had turned up, Elvis style, he considered his own outfit. Well, the pink was a bit blinding at first sight, but at least it fit like a glove and was pretty damn suave-looking to boot.

"So... is there a reason why you're not dancing?"

[Scarlet Westcott]

She still was no were to be found. What was that stupid lioness doing! Was she really trying to stay away for once in the young woman's life? It really was the first time that Scarlet and lost Sarafina in her mind and it was somewhat freaking her out. But, she wouldn't let the guy near her see her in a freaked out manner. Stuffing her nervousness done inside her Scarlet clenched her hands around her dress and listened to what the guy had to say.

The way his eyes felt on her made the red head's skin get some goose bumps, but she still reminded herself that he was only looking at her dress and nothing else. Even with those thoughts though her hands instinctively clenched her dress more. The comment about her dress being poufy made Scarlet relax somewhat. What he said really was true. Giving out a deep sigh the sophomore relaxed her hands all the way off her dress. "Yes, it is pretty poufy in places. But, it really annoys me about how tight it is." Scarlet said with a somewhat annoyed voice. The tightness of her dress wouldn't be good if she suddenly decided to shift, but that wouldn't be happening any time soon. Unless it was a dire emergency.

The top hat coming towards he made Scarlet give it a questioning look. But, the comment about it not matching her hair was very true. Bright red and pink never match up well. That was one fact that she had actually learned from her mother. Well, it was the only good fact that a teenager might actually want to learn. Tentatively holding out her hand the young women grabbed the end farthest away from the guy and put it on her head. "Do you think it goes?" She asked with another small smile on her lips. This she could handle. Anything else, probably not, but just talking was good!

Now he was putting his suit in a strange way. How weird. Mentally rolling her eyes Scarlet tired to not whiten to much when he mentioned dancing. Now that was something she would probably never do. Ever. Trying to think up a good way to reply without yelling her head off the bad tempered girl gave out a little sigh. "Dancing means being near other people. Being near other people means being around guys." Scarlet said while giving a shrug. She knew that she was talking to a guy, but she really didn't care if it hurt him at all. Probably he would tell her if she had hurt him though.

[Thomas Feverwick]

Thom sensed the girl stiffen as he looked her over, and immediately felt bad. He hadn't intended to make her feel awkward - just to look at her dress. Surely she knew that, right? It would be a pretty poor showing for him to get booked for harassment or something on practically the first day back at school. That would have to be some kind of record... although, actually, he had to admit that some of the psychopaths around this place had the look about them of people who had probably been to jail, never mind detention.

"Yes, it is pretty poufy in places. But, it really annoys me about how tight it is."

"I... hadn't noticed," he responded diplomatically, pleased that her hands - which had curled protectively around her middle when he'd examined her dress - were slipping down to a more relaxed position. Good move, soldier. It was a relief to know that he had completely failed at making small talk with the pretty redhead. A black mark was so unattractive on one's record. "I personally think you look beautiful." And he flashed that practically trademarked Thom Feverwick grin for emphasis.

"Do you think it goes?"

Laughing lightly at how his hat looked on her head, he nodded. "I think you look good in a top hat. Like that Mad Hatter guy... what's his name again?" And, concentrating fiercely underneath that amiable smile, he wiggled his fingers and transformed the hat into an exact replica of the one that the Mad Hatter wore in the Alice in Wonderland movie. Well. Outwardly anyway. To anyone without magic, it looked as though the hat had genuinely changed - but Thom knew better. He was still working on changing things that he wasn't actually touching, and so all it was was... an illusion. A pretty damn good one, though, if he said so himself.

"Dancing means being near other people. Being near other people means being around guys."

Ohhh.

Well.

His innocent question had opened a can of worms, that was for sure. And it had also ensured his determination to get a dance out of this girl. Thom could be perverse like that - what could he say, he was born to bring people to life. It wasn't for nothing that he was the reincarnation of the guy who introduces himself with a Las Vegas-esque, no-holds-barred showtune. C'mon. That's the kind of style he has to admire, and not just because it's the kind of style belonging to his particular 'spirit'. "And... you don't like being around guys?" he asked, just for confirmation. His presence next to her seemed to underline what she'd said, as she didn't quite seem at ease with him sitting there, but he'd originally put that down to the fact that they didn't know each other. It could still be, the undying optimist in him had to admit, but the rest of him knew better.

Operation Dance initiating...

[Scarlet Westcott]

"I... hadn't noticed,"

Hum, trying to be a gentleman was he? Maybe teasing him would be fun, but first she had to clear up about the tight part. If your mind was in a gutter many things could be taken from that. "I meant that if I decided to shift it would be ruined and the teachers might not be happy that I ruined a perfectly horrible dress that way." She said while giving him a teasing smile.

"I personally think you look beautiful."

Now, that might just be the first straw, two left and he was getting her full out wrath, though he might now know that she didn't like him saying stuff like that. Trying to keep her composure all that she couldn't keep inside was a little hiss. Yes, she hissed. If you had a cat living inside of you the person wouldn't growl but hiss and Scarlet's hisses really did sound like a large cat was making them.

Then she was back to being herself. Well, with some help of Sarafina who had decided to magically appear again and help out in that little way before running off again. Stupid, influencing cat. Why did she have to leave her charge alone with a guy? Well, atleast he was a guy that she was getting along with fore the most part. The hat was also helping.

"I think you look good in a top hat. Like that Mad Hatter guy... what's his name again?"

Laughing a little herself at that comment Scarlet gave a shrug. "All I know is that he goes to our school. Obviously." She replied. Yes, she was truly acting out tonight, but this guy was not like most of the others that she had meet. Then he was wiggling his fingers. Looking at him somewhat quizzically the red head didn't notice that her hat had changed until she looked up and instead of being pink it was green. Letting out a gasp Scarlet took it off her head and turned it around in her hands. It looked like the Mad Hatters hat!

Starring hard at the other guy Scarlet didn't stop looking him over until he felt someone glaring at her from behind. Turning in her chair the young women didn't stop until she noticed that it was a guy who was staring at her was also looking wide eyed at the hat in her hand. So, he must be the Mad Hatter. When he turned around Scarlet gave out a happy sigh and turned back in time to here what her table mate was saying.

"And... you don't like being around guys?"

Inside her head Scarlet was beating herself up. She knew that she shouldn't have brought that one topic up. Letting out a sigh Scarlet gave her second shrug of the night. "I had a bad experience with one of them before I came." She said in a soft voice. Hopefully he would stop at that.

[Thomas Feverwick]

"I meant that if I decided to shift it would be ruined and the teachers might not be happy that I ruined a perfectly horrible dress that way."

Thom had to laugh at the way she said that, shaking his head slowly. Although he actually rather liked his own outfit, being amused at the opportunity to try out one of these pink tuxedoes, he was rather bemused at the headmistresses’ choices for everyone – or, to be honest, for the girls. All of the other guys he could see were wearing the same tux he was, in various modes of completeness and with various degrees of humiliation or anger on their faces. The girls, on the other hand, each had a different outfit, and he had to say that the headmistresses had really gone the extra mile to make sure that everyone would hate their dresses just as much as they possibly could. He could see Kleo Tanner, the tough girl’s tough girl, looking like she wanted to murder someone in a darling pink confection. Actually, this girl had gotten off lightly, all things considered.

The youth’s eyebrows shot up as she hissed at him, exactly like a cat. Like a very big, angry cat. Okay, so she didn’t like compliments. But any questions he might have had about her spirit were answered in part by her reaction, so that was a plus, right? Sometimes he had to laugh [if only inwardly; he’d hate her to think he was laughing at her] at his own persistent optimism, and the way he constantly looked for the positives in any situation. The only thing he could think of doing to break the tension that had suddenly begun to roll off of her in waves was to resort to humour, and a little bit of magic. “I don’t… speak cat, I’m afraid, but… I do hear – ” he reached out and grasped behind her ear as he spoke “ - that the language of money is universal.” He uncurled his fist in front of her eyes to reveal a single gold coin. Nope, that wasn’t real magic, even though theoretically he could do that magically – that was good old slight-of-hand at work.

"All I know is that he goes to our school. Obviously."

“Obviously,” Thom agreed with a grin. He liked this girl’s sense of humour, and he also liked that even though she clearly wasn’t comfortable or happy around guys this trait made it possible for them to enjoy each other’s company. His grin widened as she stared at him curiously, and then followed his gaze upwards, gasping as she realized that he’d changed his hat. As she turned in her seat, the youth leaned sideways so that he could look past her and follow her gaze, wondering what had caught her attention. It was another pink-tuxedo-ed lad, who was looking at the hat with something between longing and confusion. The Mad Hatter in question, presumably. Thom waved cheerfully at him, and then straightened, seeing that the girl had turned around.

"I had a bad experience with one of them before I came."

“Ah,” said Thom, and then paused uncertainly. He had never been very good with emotional… stuff, tending to try and cheer people up now rather than rehash the unpleasant past. Maybe the girl was trying to hint that she wanted to talk about it, but to be honest Thom wasn’t exactly the right person to do that. Clearing his throat, he decided to simply close the matter with, “Well, I swear on my honour as a gentleman to change your opinion of my gender, even if only a little bit.” He knew that the next move would be to lighten the atmosphere again, but he wasn’t quite sure how to go about doing it; the ball was in her court now, he supposed, so he would give her time to hit it back before he continued.