683/Happy Harbor Prom 2020

Happy Harbor Prom 2020
Date of Scene:	21 March 2020
Location:	Gymnasium - Happy Harbor High School
Synopsis:	Much fun was had by all and with minimal property damage!
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Hastings, Roy Harper, Xiomara Rojas, Dane Whitman, AJ Strong, Colette O'Connail, Christine Lake, M'gann M'orzz, Damian Wayne, Samuel Morgan, Alexander Aaron, Heidi Ingerdottir, Andi Benton, Kian

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Daniel Hastings has posed:
PROM 2020

    The gymnasium at Happy Harbor High has been transformed with streamers and ballons tied to the ordinarily garish metal rafters. The main entrance to the gym had a massive balloon archway in the school colors that gave people the illusion of stepping into.. somewhere else.

    The chosen theme? Why a paradise island getaway, of course. Fake palm trees are placed about to hide the rollaway bleachers and the basketball hoops sport 'tropical vines'. The tables for punch have 'coconut' cups and the cake offerings are a gluten free sheet cake and tree tiered chocolate drizzled coconut cake.

    What's prom without piped in music? Naturally, the offerings today are Harry Bellafonte, Cuban street music, steel drums and a little Bob Marley.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
    Doctor Hastings, one of the science profs at the school, has drawn the short straw as a chaperone for the event. Still, he chose to represent the occasion and is wearing a suit and tie. At present, he's standing near to the punch bowl with a discrete eye on it to make sure that no one decides to provide anything more vigorous than Hawaiian Punch mixed with 7-Up.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper is definitely colorfully dressed for this island get away in his red suit with it's pale red, almost pink shirt, and red tie. His hair is slicked and combed and apparently he cleans up alright. The punch may not have anything in it, but the Junior may have pre-gamed just a tiny bit before coming. It's hard to tell, but he seems in a good mood as he strolls on in by himself without a date, and makes his way over to grab a coconut cup and some punch. The sadly undoctored punch.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    Xiomara Rojas arrives alone- she wanted her dress to be a surprise for Megan. It would certainly be a surprise to most who knew her, and she strode in with pride and confidence- fully owning her own image.

    If Xiomara has any doubts she's not projecting them- just standing a moment under the 'arch' of balloons before stepping further into the room with a frown on her face. "This music sucks."

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane Whitman actually volunteered to be here. Figuring that "the new guy" could handle at least one traditionally less-than-coveted duty for a night. You know, to help out. He's likely been spotted around campus over the past week or two, and introduced himself to at least a few of the students that might have encountered him, whether in passing or at work getting the shop ready for his classes and getting his office sorted out, but for the most part he's likely still something of an unknown to most. For now, he's holding up a bit of wall, idly watching the students arrive and mill about, mostly just keeping an eye out for any general sort of trouble, since Daniel has taken up the Punch Guard position.

AJ Strong has posed:
"This music does suck." AJ agrees as he passes Xiomara, dressed in a tux that has to belong to him the way it fits. That thing is tailored to him, in a pitch black. Though he's added a purple shirt and silver tie to represent the school colors, because he's not really sure how this sort of thing is done. His hair is slicked back, with something holding it in place that gives it a light sheen. Though despite the comment, he's grinning as he heads over to the punch bowl, perhaps expecting it to have a little something extra in it judging from his eagerness to get over there.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    Somewhat sullenly standing at the door to watch people coming in and ensure only those who are supposed to be here do is Colette O'Connail. The TA seems to get a lot of extra tasks, no doubt a result of the school still being in hiring mode and somewhat short on teaching staff as yet. She's dressed smartly yet at the same time somewhat inappropriately with a leather jacket covered in studs over a red and black dress.

    Rumor had it in the days before the prom that there was going to be a weapons check on the door, but Colette does not weild a metal detecting wand. This may be a case of rumor being, as so often, inaccurate. Alternatively it may be to save wear and tear on the metal detector.

Christine Lake has posed:
This *really* isn't how Christine thought her first prom would go. She's dressed up in a green satin gown, but she's sort of standing just outside of the entrance. Alone. Which cause some people to wonder about her lack of an escort, given that she and Alton had made no attempts to try and hide their PDA's the past week. Christine is smiling, but there's an obvious tension underneath it; her lips drawn in a tense line that only slightly arches at the corners. And every so often, she checks her phone, but her mood doesn't improve. Honestly, she's wondering if she should just give up and go home, or if she's strong enough to face the prospect of going to prom without a date...

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     Xio had wanted their outfits to be a surprise, so they'd said goodbye a couple of hours ago, and the redhead had gone for a drive. This was normal. That her 'drive' involved sitting in a cloaked ship in orbit where she watched the line of darkness pass below her as the earth rotated? ...Less normal. But she still wasn't quite able to shove her nervousness about about prom into a convenient box. Maybe it was because she'd seen too many movies and TV shows, but... School dances didn't always go well. Clenching her eyes shut, she squeezes her hands tightly around her arm wrests. If this is anyone's show or movie, it's hers. And she can make sure it turns out all right in the end.
    Megan pulls up into her parking space in the student lot, and 'cuts the ignition.' It's okay. She can do this. Pulling down the sun visor mirror, she takes a moment to double check her 'makeup', and remove any wrinkles from her dress. Exiting the car, she heads inside, surprisingly steady on her heels even though they'd not made any prior experiences. Christine's own nervousness is easily picked up on, and Megan flashes her an encouraging smile on her way in. ...Wow. So this is a dance. Now she just has to find Xio...

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    The punk had only taken a few steps into the Gym- it wouldn't be hard for Megan to find Xiomara when the crowd parted, turning to look towards the door. She smiles immediately upon seeing Megan.

    She walks towards the other young woman, "Hey. Love your dress." she offers to Meg as she offers an arm to her. "Wanna get something to drink and hang out?" she asks, "Maybe have a dance when we get some good music?"

Roy Harper has posed:
"Heya AJ," Roy says as he joins him by the punch bowl, offering over one of the coconut cups, but he smiles amusedly at the eagerness with which AJ approaches. "It's not the good stuff," he warns. His attention flickers over toward where Christine is standing, noticing her looking around. He glances around the room, as though expecting to see Alton, himself, but doesn't spot him. "Have you met Christine?" he asks AJ, nodding in her direction.

AJ Strong has posed:
AJ Strong accepts the coconut cup eagerly, but his look of ecitement quickly turns to one of disappointment as Roy shatters all his hopes. That's not the way it's supposed to be, the movies clearly show the punch is always spiked with something. He still gives it an experimental sniff and sip. "Well, I guess it's better than nothing." He laughs softly, though shakes his head. He looks over to Christine then back to Roy. "I've seen her around, but that's it."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Prom, one of the sacred traditions of high school, it hadn't been a whole month that Damian had come to the school, but in the short time he had been there, he managed to do a couple things.

  The long black limo had come to Sam's chosen spot to pick him up, inside, the slim form of Damian Wayne had been waiting. Of course, the two showed up in style.

  Black, and white, a classic combination if there ever was one. Damian stepped out wearing a classic Tom Ford tux, folded pocket square and everything. It was the first time that Damian had to wear such an outfit, but he quite enjoyed the ritual of it all, making yourself look just perfect for the occasion.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    When Damian said he was going to come pick up Sam, the teenager had expected an Uber, or a taxi, or maybe a very discreet car. The large limo had already attracted attention when it pulled up on his block, and undoubtedly there will be a lot of curious neighbors around when he gets back. At least half of them will be SHIELD protection agents too, but that's part of the game. He uses their resources, he plays by their rules. Although the tuxedo he'd requisitioned from the Triskellion does fit like a glove, he must admit, so constant surveillance is a price worth paying today.

    When he gets out of the limousine, it's as if he rides in such grand cars on a daily basis, holding the door for Bear who has also been decked out in fine fashion. Who knew Armani made clothes for dogs? The dapper looking shepherd catches some of the mood of his two humans, and traipses alongside with a slightly detached, suave air.

    A glance is given to Christine on his way past, and for a fleeting moment Sam makes a mental note to break someone's knees at a time that is least convenient for them, before his attention is entirely back on the prom. And his date. "I've been to worse shindigs."

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    When the Couple Most Likely to Have Required That Weapons Check turns up, Colette greets Bear with a big smile. "Looking smart, Bear. I see you brought /two/ dates. Couldn't bring yourself to turn 'em all down, huh?" She gives the dog a wink, as if he was in on the joke, and nods her head to the two junior assassins as they walk in.

    During a quiet moment at the door, Colette steps outside and stands next to Christine, looking out into the distance. She flashes Christine a quick smile and quietly asks, "Date not shown up? Mm. Happened to me, my senior prom. Waited an hour. Decided to go in anyway. Stole another girl's date. Got into a fight with her. Blew the prom with him and f...uhhhh? anyway, as it turned out, my date had been in a car crash. Bust his leg up. So, um. Yeah that's really not helping, is it?. Point is, you should go in. Because if you go in, you might regret it, or you might not. But if you don't go in, you'll regret it for sure. Soooo. Yeah. Don't wait forever."

    Colette retreats back inside.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
    Daniel may not know what music it is that thrills 'the kids these days' but he knows how to read a room. When the room says 'mausoleum'.. this is not a good sign. His eyes sweep the room until he finds Dane and gives him a hand sign for the fellow to come his way. Advice. It was needed.

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine gives a little wave to Sam, smiling at him and Bear. And she also looks happy when she spots Megan and Xiomara togther; at least people she knows are going to have a good time here. And that makes her feel a little better.

Colette's words ment for comfort, instead cause Christine to worry more. Even if there's no confirmation, she *knows* why lton isn't here. And her thoughts are a mixture of anger that Alton would choose tonight to go play hero instead of being her with her, and extreme concern as mutiple scenarios *much* worse than a broken leg flash through her mind. "I...I will go inside, Miss O'Connail. I just need.. I need a bit more time to bring up the courage inside to do this, you know?" And her thoughts send out an unsaid prayers to the heavens for whatever power might be listening to watch over alton tonight.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper nods his head in Christine's direction and he makes his way over with a grin and another coconut for her as Colette talks with her. "Heya, Chris," he says when he gets closer and offers up the coconut. "It's not the good stuff." He feels it's only fair to warn her before handing it over. "Come on in and hang out, dance, enjoy the terrible music with the rest of us. Alton will catch up, I'm sure," he says in an attempt to be reassuring. "Have you met AJ? AJ, Christine.. Christine, AJ."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "Hey, you." Megan blushes, stepping forward and looping her arm through Xio's. "I love yours too. ...I honestly never thought I'd see you in one. And I'd love to." Leaning her head on the taller girl's shoulder, she follows her girlfriend through the crowd.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane catches sight of Daniel's beckoning, and steps away from his patch of wall to stroll in that direction at a mildly brisk pace, stopping within a respectful distance and smiling politely, "Something I can help with? Doctor Hastings, correct?" He offers a hand, "Don't think we've been introduced. Dane Whitman." He'd gotten a summary description of the man, at least.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    Xiomara smiles quietly, giving Megan a squeeze as they walk towards the refreshments table together, "Look. They got a dude on punch-watch. Like I'd share my booze with these losers." she says mischievously to Megan, with a little grin. "Anyways, we should hold an "After-Prom" party. I know the perfect place. There's this junk yard I were stayin' in before. Perfect for a loud, good party."

    "There at least we could drink and smoke or whatever, this is.. I dunno. It's nice, I guess. Good company at least." She continues, giving Meg another squeeze.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "Maybe? I mean... I haven't been to a ton of parties. Couldn't really, where I grew up." Megan shrugs a bit, giggling at Xio's snark and leaning into the squeeze. "Very good company. And... I don't know. I feel like it's a chance for us to do something that almost every teenager does? I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to, but... I'm glad I get to with you."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    The young man known as Alexander Aaron arrives with little fanfare. Most who might have seen him on the way in likely would have just seen him walking a bit, with his hands in his pockets and a young blond woman who is just a smidge taller than him on his arm. The stroll inside was pleasant, the two of them chattering about this and that and at times there's even an affectionate shove here or there. But all in all a casual wandering approach.
    Then he strolls inside, holding the door for Ms. Ingersdottir behind him. And well, he does clean up decently. An actual comb has been applied to his hair, so there's that. Then the tuxedo which is cut rather well and tailored with a kind hand to his athletic frame. He'll wander over to the reception table, checking in, smiling.
    But it's Chrstine that draws the attention. A quick word is spared with his 'date' and then Alex wanders in her direction, "What's the word, Lake?"

AJ Strong has posed:
AJ follows Roy over to where Christine is, offering her a smile as he sips from the straw sticking out of his own coconut cup. "These things are ridiculous and impractical and I'm stealing one." He says to no one in particular. "Hey, good to meet you." Is directed right at Christine though, with a tap of a couple of fingers to his forehead in sort of a salute.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"You should see an Asgardian party, it looks nothing like this," Heidi comments as they make their way in. She was told to dress up, so she did. Unfortunately, she didn't exactly own a lot of Midgardian garb yet, so she went with an Asgardian dress. It looks a touch out of place, draped bronze-colored fabric with a large clasp at the shoulder where it comes together. As they make their way over thanks to Alexander's keen eye, she offers a hand in Christine's direction.

"Hail and well met, Christine!" As joyful and exuberant as always.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel looks somewhat relieved by Dane's appearance. "Daneil Hastings, indeed." The hand is shook briefly and he leans in to be heard over the music. "So they aren't dancing.. and this means only one thing. The music isn't to their liking. Do you have suggestions? I've been googling but I dare not leave the punch alone. Trust me when I say this." Not that he thinks Dane disbelieves him. "Any suggestions? Still keeping to the Latin theme?"

Christine Lake has posed:
Sith Roy and AJ alking over to greet her, Christine gives them a smile and a wave of greeting. "Hi, nice to mee you, AJ. And how are you doing, Roy?" She takes a drink out of the coconut cup, nodding in agreement to AJ. "Yeah, but...it's a party, so silly stuff like these cups are kind of expected."

Turning to Alex and Heidi, Christine is still putting on the brave smile. "Well, you two look amazing! Good to see you guys..." Alex's question gets a bit of a sigh, and the worry likes appear again. "The word is, 'concerned'," she responds to Alex. "I mean...I knew this is going to be kind of the territory with Alton. He is who he is and I accept that. I just wish...I want to know he's okay, at least. He wouldn't just blow this night off for something simple, you know? He's not like that." She takes a deep breath and looks around those gathered near her, grateful for their concern. "And now that you guys are here, I feel a lot more comfortable with going in. Don't worry about me, I just want you all to hae a great night, okay?" And she starts moving into the gym porper to join the festivities.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    Xiomara nods quietly. "I think my Mom would have gone crazy knowing I was going to a Prom. They'd both be amazed me bein' in a school like this. They'd have really liked you." she admits, "And I know she would have made tamale for us. So.. I started that at home, too." she says with a grin, "It's going to be spicy." she warns, "But there will be a lot of them, so.. give them out a few days, yeah? You always make enough to share."

    Once at the punch bowl she grabs some for herself and for Megan- each getting their 'coconut glass'. "Well. Guess that'll be a nice souvenir or somethin'. Uh.. you want some food, too?" she wonders.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Hnh," Is Alexander's succinct response as he looks Christine over and he crinkles his nose. There's a glance over towards Heidi and for a moment the two might share a 'look' and then he turns back toward Christine and offers his arm. He grins a little to AJ and Roy, "You fellas mind if I?" He gestures toward the young Christine Lake and then turns back to her.
    "You mind walking me inside, Ms. Lake? I could maybe use an escort to the punch bowl?"
    Should she accept or decline, however, doesn't change his next question. "Oh and you seen Sam?"

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "I bet she'd be proud of you. And I can't wait to try it when we get back." Megan accepts her glass and sips her punch. before looking over at the food spread. "There's a lot of variety. We both probably should get something to eat if we're going to have energy for dancing, right?" She grins, winking.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane grins a bit at Daniel, "I might be able to work something out that doesn't completely break our theme, though we'll keep that in our back pocket if it looks like a rout in the making. Give me just a minute." Dane moves off to disappear into a small side room that's controlling the sound equipment, stepping to the laptop that's streaming the music selections. A few clicks and clacks between the trackpad and keyboard and he's found "Latin Dance Supermix." He gives the list once-over, and while there's a couple songs in there that might push the envelope a little bit on subject matter...there's nothing that should be outright offensive. So he loads it up, and as the last song plays, it's "La Vida Loca" that starts to play over the speakers next, and from there on out it's a considerably more uptempo series of tracks being laid out, if in some cases a bit on the dated side. And of course there's at least a few slower numbers mixed in there too, because we wouldn't want anyone to miss out on THAT potential teenage awkwardness, right?

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper shakes his head and grins when Alexander asks if they mind. He takes a step back and gives a little bow, "Be my guest, man. I was just making sure all was cool and that she didn't try to run away." He gives Christine a wink then, before nodding to AJ. "You should. Maybe I will, too." He examines his coconut cup for a moment and then says, "Man I hope this music improves. I was hoping to dance at least once tonight." He nods back toward the room, and when the others start to head back, he does as well. "You look good," he tells AJ as he looks over his tux. "Guess you've been to a formal thing once or twice, huh?" Since the tux seems definitely tailored to him.

Andi Benton has posed:
Go. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. Socialize.

Did Andi's father even /know/ her?

Seriously, go to the prom, in a new place, where she'd barely even got to know a few people? She was going to be the person who hid in the corner, not talking to anyone, miserable and wishing she was anywhere /but/ there. She didn't even have a proper prom dress, and even if she did it would have probably looked terrible on her.

But, her father more or less kicked her out of the apartment and told her to get over there, that maybe she'd surprise herself and have a good time.

What. Ever.

Seeing all the people, especially how nicely many of them were dressed, Andi did not feel reassured. She did pick out her best sleeveless light purple dress to go with some full-length black unitard - not of it was even frayed or torn! - along with some low-cut stompy boots, but it wasn't that different from her usual. After ducking in toward a corner that was mostly unpopulated so far, she assessed the situation thusly:

"This is gonna suck."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi is more than happy to pass her escort off in favor of letting him go to Christine, a warm smile crossing her lips. Instead, she's focusing on taking on the ambiance of a traditional Midgardian party. She admires the decorations, the outfits, the musi--

She pauses. "I have heard better. I wonder who is in charge of this. How... is anyone supposed to dance?" Nope, this is certainly not an Asgardian party. She is, however, trying to be her most polite about it.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     The youngest Wayne have a nod to Colette, before going in with Sam.

  Graveyard.

  Harry Belafonte just isn't respected in his time. "Excuse me a moment." He asks Sam, before taking out his phone. It was when he heard the faster more lively beat starting that he raised his brow and put his phone back.

  He turned back, his shoes clapping on the dance floor as he approached Sam, hand held out. "Care to dance?"

AJ Strong has posed:
AJ shoots Alexander a grin over his coconut, still slurping from that straw. "I'm going to need a refill." He states as he turns to walk back into te prom proper. "Thanks." He says by way of Roy's compliment. "Yeah, I gotta keep one of these on hand for when dad has his business things, or needs to drag me to a business thing. Usually involves me sitting in a corner twiddling my thumbs and being completely bored out of my mind. This is better. Red though..." He says with a motion to Roy's outfit. "Bold choice, unconventional, but suits you."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Who chose this music?! Sam glances around, gives a conspiratorial wink to Colette and then spots Dane and Daniel. Ah, well... that made sense. But it seems that better music was in the offing, and the first bars of La Vida Loca bring a smile to his face. Even Bear's tail starts to wag in response.

    "It would be my pleasure."

    Without hesitation, he takes Damian's hand and leads him to the dance floor in quick time, feet already yearning to be let loose. "Show me what you've got."

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    As she enters, Andi is greeted with an encouraging smile from Colette at the door. The smile fades rapidly when she sees Andi's face, and she gives Andi a shrug instead. "Hey. In a couple of hours you'll have either had fun or it'll all be over. Either way, it'll be a story" More A-grade encouragement.

    Perhaps deciding that everyone has turned up who's turning up, or perhaps just driven to distraction by the songs, Colette wanders over to where Daniel and Dane have been making efforts to improve the music selection. "Well hey, it's an improvement," she comments with a slight smirk. "I mean at least some of their parents will have liked this, rather than just their grandparents."

Christine Lake has posed:
"Sam came with the new kid. Damian? Pulled up in a limo, both looking sharp. Even Bear's wearing an Armani, I think!" Christine is smiling more, feeling more relaxed. And she pats Alex on the arm as they enter. "Go on. Be with your date. I'll be fine. It's just a sort of 'rip the band-aid off' kind of thing. Now that I crossed the threashol, it's not so bad. have fun with her, get me out for a couple dances, everythign will be fine." At least, she hopes hat everything will be fine with Alton.

With Roy and AJ walking in as well, Christine turns to them. "You guys look great too," she encourages. "Are you two here together?" she asks, pointing between the two of them in that 'are you guys dating' kind of gesture. "You should really get some pictures for tonight.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Alright, but you tell anyone I was nice to ya I'll deny it." That said Alexander turns and starts to walk into the gymnasium proper, smiling over at Heidi as he takes her arm. He crinkles his nose a little and offers a shrug of his shoulders, as if that would be enough of an explanation as to what was going on over there. But then he squeezes her hand.
    "Hey, I'll go grab us drinks, you go be you and do all your crazy normal stuff." That said he'll step away.
    And should he so happen to pass nearby Sam he'll try to catch the man's eye just long enough to make a gesture with one hand uncurled as if to say simply, 'wtf?' about Chritine's predicament. And then it's off to the punch bowl.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     As soon as the pair were in the middle and had enough room, Damian waited for the beat to get right.

  "You will regret saying that."

  He leads, holding Sam's hand, and putting his other on his back. It's a tango, sped up and a little unconventional, but he knew how to dance, in the classic sense. It was fast, much faster than one should be, given the BPM and the liveliness of the song.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I am not sure what you mean by 'crazy normal stuff', Alexander, but I am going to choose to take that as a positive and ignore any negative connotations you may have used with that," Heidi almost sounds like she's verbally wagging a finger at him, albeit with a grin. She glances to Christine, but it seems as if she has a bit of attention still at the moment.

There is somewhere that the flaxen-haired Asgardian has noticed is mostly unoccupied, and she casually makes her way over there as if she had a reason to be there. She doesn't actually approach Andi, she just says, rather loudly. "Yes. I, too, like corners."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "I very much doubt that." Sam retorts with a smile, catching Alex' gesture and giving a lift of his eyebrows in return that seems to indicate that their pact remains unchanged and is perfectly understood.

    But now it's time to dance, and the teen is a bit surprised to see Damian take the lead, but he goes along. The tango is perfectly suited to this song, especially when performed in double time. So he spins towards Damian, holding his date's hand firmly, ends up in a momentary embrace and then spins away. The motion ends with his arm outstretched away, and his foot clacking loudly on the dance floor, marking the beat.

    Bring on the music, these two must dance!

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper flashes AJ a grin and says, "Fortune favors the bold, AJ." He lifts his coconut in a kind of salute as they all make their way back in toward the dance and the refreshments. "Thanks," he tells Christine with a broad grin, though when she asks if he and AJ came together he smiles slyly and asks, "Why? Do you think we look good together?" He leans in a little closer to AJ and strikes a bit of a pose, definitely hamming it up a little bit. "Are there pictures? We should all do pictures. The photo both style ones are fun as shit."

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane returns to where Daniel and Colette have now gathered, looking a bit wry as he catches Colette's comment, "I'm pretty sure "Despacito" is in there somewhere." That was a year ago, right? Dane's sense of time is...a bit off sometimes. "Dane Whitman, he extends a hand to Colette, "Don't think I've met you yet either, Ms...?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton briefly locks eyes with Colette, and there is recollection of her from the last time there was a larger gathering. Something about swearing. There's a slow rolling of the eyes, but she shares, "My dad made me go," as if that explains everything.

Then there's an interruption, a louder voice that demands more of her attention as she looks up and around with initial uncertainty before coming to stare in Heidi's direction. "Uh, yeah. Corners are great." Except when one /gets/ cornered.

She looks around quickly, eyes passing over various people already dancing, including two guys - Damian and Samuel. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

AJ Strong has posed:
"Nah, we didn't.." AJ starts up and then Roy starts up and, well, is AJ blushing? Maybe a little. And now he is pointedly staring inside his very empty coconut cup. He also goes a little quiet, which for him is not something that happens all that often. "Refill." Is the only word he manages to get out from between his lips before he dashes over to the refreshment table to top up on some punch he really wishes had an bit of an extra kick at the moment.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    "Well, I can't really argue with any of that." Xiomara says to Megan with a smile- releasing her from that hold to free a hand for the food pile that would likely grow- she's a girl who can eat.

    "I hope you're right about my Mom." She admits over to Megan, "I ain't never had the chance to go to no school before, so.. like I gotta do it for them and for me, right?" She looks over and notices Andi. She just gives the upnod. As much of an invite as an acknowledgement.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel gives a thumbs up to Dane as he comes back from the AV closet. As Dane gets closer, he lifts his cup of punch. "Save my bacon, Dane. There are are few of them out there now. If we'd gone much longer the natives would have gotten restless for sure."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi stares back. But it's not exactly a staredown, it's more of a jovial, friendly look that happens to be directed towards Andi. "I've found, though, that while corners are wonderful, they only protect your back and you're often forced into a position with your front left open and the enemy between you and your allies, prompting the need for you to call for aid."

There's still a smile. "But yes, corners are nice."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     This is a chance where Megan would LOVE to be able to use her TK. Being able to juggle multiple plates and cups was extremely useful. But... She had to pretend to be nromal. Taking another sip of punch, M'gann starts to assemble her own food plate. ooooh, tiny hot dogs in pastry. Some cubed watermelon, pizza, ....Oh there's a dessert table. "Trust me. I know she would. And you've already got some benefits out of this, right? You met me." Andi gets a friendly smile from the redhead as well, who seems to be collecting even more dessert than dinner. Brownies, cookies... Is that a MAKE YOUR OWN SUNDAE BAR?

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine is in 'mingle' mode now, and she moves around the gym, greeting others and engaging in small talk. She comes up to Megan and Xiomara to greet her fellow cheerleader and her date. "Good to see you guys," she says in a happy tone. "And you both look *amazing* together! That's a totally wicked dress, Xiomara." She's happy, jealous, and, overall, concerned; but she's not checking her phone every 5 minutes like she was.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     For the first time, without someone having been killed by his hand, Damian is actually smiling. Sam keeping the pace with the dance, spinning and moving from one corner of the available space, to another. Their dance is flashy, and active. The two boys definitely having a fun time of it all. As the trumpet kicks in, Damian motions for a spin series for Sam, then as he holds out his hand, he disconnects, at the crescendo, he leaps and backflips in the air, landing on his feet to connect with his dance partner again.

Roy Harper has posed:
When AJ blushes and then flees, Roy glances after him a little apologetically and clarifies to Christine, "Uh, no, we didn't. Aren't. I came by myself." And then she's off to go be social with some of the others, and so he withdraws a little bit, finishing off his coconut but still carrying it around with him. After a few moments he makes his way toward AJ and pauses just long enough to say "Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," quietly under his breath, before stepping away again.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander Aaron eventually wends his way back, slipping through the crowd and strolling on up to Heidi. Easy to find her in the crowd since, well, she's kinda tawl. That having been said he rolls up with two cups of punch as well as a quartet of cherries that he likely stole from beside the punch bowl. He offers the punch and murmurs, "Here, it's no Asgardian Mead or whatever, but knock yourself out."
    Then he espies Andi there in the corner, "Hey, man."

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    "Despacito? Fuck, we're a meme." Colette takes Dane's offered hand. "O'Connail. Colette. I'm the school dogsbody. I mean TA. I heard a rumor more are coming, and they might actually hire a full complement of staff before the year is out. Until then my official two days a week seems to last four. You're the fencing guy, right?" The Staff Lounge rumor mill works fast.

    Colette nods her head towards the dance floor, where Damian and Sam are doing enough dancing for the rest of the prom. "Who'd have thought Damian would be such an enthusiastic dancer. Like a miniature darwish. Think he'll whirl away the illusions of ego? I'm guessing not. Sam's keeping up. I suspect Bear thinks his human is trying to chase his own tail."

AJ Strong has posed:
AJ reaches out to catch Roy's sleeve before the other teen can get too far away. Then almost immediately lets go. "No, it's fine, I was just caught a little off guard." He has his coconut refilled, but he's still looking at the table. Grabbing something off of it to pop in his mouth, chewing buying him a bit of time, though he does mumble something about killing for a burger about now. Well, AJ is a very think with the stomach person.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's expression falters at the way Heidi describes corners and protection (or not) against enemies and needing help and all that and she sort of just...nods slowly.

"Uh, yeah. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, I guess," she answers somewhat lamely, distracted by a few things, not the least of which being the showing off out on the dancefloor by one of those boys.

Eyes dart back toward Heidi and pass over Xiomara and Megan, a slight dip of the head following as she rubs up and down around an elbow. "I'm probably just gonna get some food and stay out of everyone's way," she adds to Heidi. Attention does shift back toward the dessert area. That could be a play to make.

Is that someone else looking over her way? She turns her head in Alexander's direction. "Hmm?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    What do you get when you have two athletic teenagers on the dance floor, both of which in incredibly good shape, and both with a very similar background and very similar skills? You get an exhibition. Sam's grinning from ear to ear as he dances with Damian, the lead passing from one to the other with subtle motions and glances.

    He's ready at the end of the backflip to catch Damian and pull him into a swift embrace once more, before launching into his own showpiece, spinning away and ending the series with a jumping spin-kick that lands him in the opposite direction of where he left of, hand stretched out for Damian.

    Bear sits on the sidelines, watching with a wagging tail.

Kian has posed:
    Kían is a responsible adult - even if he is being educated alongside teenagers, due to the unusual circumstances of his situation.
    Kían is also catastrophically curious, and it's very difficult to miss the lights and noise of... of whatever it is going on in the gymnasium.  He was just a little put out when told he couldn't use it after hours for exercise; now he is curious why.
    Catastrophically curious... but not a fool.  He alights delicatedly on a ledge alongside one of the brightly lit windows, and only very cautiously peers around the edge, blinking in confusion at the activity and the noise.
    Active telepaths will probably 'hear' a curious {/?/} but nothing more.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"If I can survive Acre I can probably survive this. Probably." Dane notes towards Daniel with a bit of a grin, then seems to realize how odd that might sound, and after a moment of sheepish expression just kind of pretends like he didn't say it and shifts his attention to Colette, "Yeah that's me, also the Engineering and Shop teacher, but somehow I seem to already be the fencing guy...I'm OK with it, though. Nice to meet you Colette." He smiles warmly towards her, looking sympathetic at the trials of the TA, "All that and they made you chaperone? Whoof."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
As punch is handed to her, Heidi gives it a sample taste. "Alexander, you act as if I do not at least try to appreciate everything I experience." She nods slowly. "It will do." Neutral. Her attention turns back towards Andi. "I appreciate your humoring my desire to explain the battle tactics of corners. She looks between Andi and Alexander for a moment.

"Ah, there have been no introductions. I am Heidi, of Asgard." That's the abbreviated version, good for certain social occasions. She gestures to Alexander. "And this is Alexander."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    Xiomara tends towards more savory tastes- although certainly she appears to enjoy her chocolate, "We'll get sundaes after, yeah?" she says, grinning as she follows Megan's eyes.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I was just sharing data, Heidi." And as she makes those introductions, Alexander turns and smiles towards Andi, offering a nod if not a handshake as he lifts his glass and murmurs, "Haven't seen you around much." He notes and then turns his gaze out upon the dance floor and the people nearby, "New student? If so fun time to show on up."
    He tilts his head then seems to think for a moment, then adds, "Did you want a drink?" Since that's the role right? Guys go get drinks. Happens in all the movies.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "...Okay. After." Megan eyes the sundae bar with disappointment as she lets Xio lead her away, for now content to claim a table and enjoy their first course. She pops one of the pastry and sausage things into her mouth, chewing and swallowing before leaning on the taller girl's shoulder. "...Thanks again. For inviting me and everything."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I..didn't really come here for battles or stuff like that," the girl with the gothy/punk look admits, shaking her head. "I just want to get through the last month or two or whatever, finish graduating, and go be an adult." There comes a pause at Alexander's observations and questions, rolling a shoulder. "I'm Andi...of Philadelphia. We just moved here like a few weeks ago."

It might be telling that she hasn't gone out of her way to seek out people to get to know. "I guess a Coke, but those desserts aren't looking bad." She does recognize Xiomara from the time before, too. The girl with her seems on the bubbly side, to her.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper pauses mid-step when AJ catches his sleeve and glances back, not moving even though it's been released. He nods, then, and says, "Okay. Cool." He offers a bit of a smile then and says "Maybe there'll be real food at the after party." In the meantime, he refills his coconut. He turns his attention toward the dance floor as he watches Sam and Damian dance, grinning a bit once more and shaking his head. "At least there's a show."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi studies Andi for a long moment. "Battles are a part of life. People exchange in social and verbal battles all the time. Knowing how to deal with people is a time-honored skill not to be ignored." She nods slowly, then takes a sip of her punch, peering over at Alexander, who seems content being beverage boy. She shrugs.

Kian has posed:
    How... odd.  The humans are moving roughly in rhythm with the... the music?  If that's what it is.  It sounds so incomplete, only whole-tone steps.  Kían was never a musician, but even he knows a basic scale, and whatever they're playing seems to be missing all the notes between.
    Weird.
    He leans a little further out for a better view, spots Colette, and ducks back under cover, peering around again only gingerly.
    {/?/}

Damian Wayne has posed:
     The song completed, and the dance was over. Leaving Damian and Sam there, hands holding. A tinge of sweat was on his brow.

  Breathing deep and fast, the young man hadn't a clue what to do. But he knew he just experienced a good time, that didn't include a gun or a sword or any other stabby instrument.

  The moments in between songs, the silence when every conversation can be heard.

  The young Wayne took only one of those moments to make up his mind. He pulled Sam close, and kissed him, eyes closing right before contact. It's quick, but an honest expression of the moment that they shared.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    For once, Alexander finds himself having to play intermediary for Heidi as opposed to the other way around. He sort of grins at the tall Asgardian and then looks to Andi and he says, "What she's trying to say is that it's good to make friends and all." He takes a deep breath, "But hey, if you guys want we can go grab some ice cream and all. And we can move in a herd, so we're less likely to be picked on by predators."
    There's a half-smile, but his gaze flicks to Andi, "Would you care to join us Andi of Philly?" He gestures toward the punch bowl table and the snacks as well. Then starts heading that way.

AJ Strong has posed:
"Show?" AJ looks over to where Roy is looking just in time to miss the dancing but catch the kiss. He looks over at Roy with a 'really?' type of glance and gives him a swat on the arm. "Let them have their moment without staring." But he at least says it with an amused tone. "And there better be better food at the after party. I skipped dinner expecting like.. a full spread. I think I need to stop judging what to expect from these school gathering by what I see in movies."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The music, the rhythm, the good times. Oh my, the good times. Rarely does Sam really have fun without some sort of weapon, or tinkering on some sort of project. He had, especially, never imagined he'd be able to have fun in a purely social setting.

    And so he stops on the correct beat, breathing deeply and blinking as if he can't believe what just happened. And then he can't believe what happens next. Without thought, he wraps his arms around Damian as he returns the kiss, lasting only for a few moments but significant enough for far longer. His smile returns.

    "Let's give other people a chance to dance. I'm thinking there's a few couples here who'll want to prove they can dance too." And so he leads his date over towards the punch. After this, even the coconut shaped drinking vessels seem adequate.

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    "There was a shortage of volunteers," Colette confides in Dane, while watching the dancing. "So here I am. Honestly it's a terrible idea. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd be the one spiking the punch. Fencing AND shop. Useful. Do you make your own epees?"

    Colette turns to look longing out the window for a moment or two, wishing she was somewhere else. Anywhere else. By pure chance, she picks the window Kian is at. By pure chance, she misses the bird entirely.

    "So, just one kiss and no fights that I saw. Really, someone /should/ have spiked the punch," she comments to the two teachers with a sigh.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    "I'm glad you said yes." Xiomara says with another little grin, working herself with some pizza, a few of those hotdog things, a lot of meat. Her eyes slide to the dance floor, looking to Damien. The Wayne kid- she'd never met him, personally, but there he was out on the dance floor.
    "Well, they look like they're having fun at least. Do we want dessert before or after the dance?" she says still half focused on dinner.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper gets swatted and blinks and then looks from AJ back toward Damian and Samuel, "I meant the /dancing/, AJ." He sighs and shakes his head, and then apparently gives up. Though on the comment about the food he says, "Yeah, probably." Chuckling, he shakes his head, and then takes his coconut with him out onto the dance floor. Perhaps he intends to dance with the coconut. And it doesn't even have booze in it. At least it's not a volley ball.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton's stomach picks that point to voice its interest in food and drink of some kind, so she nods once. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm hungry, so I'd better get something before it's all gone. Don't think I'm going out there doing that, though." She points right out toward Damian and Samuel, whether she means dancing, kissing, or both. "I'm not really into fights, though."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     Megan polishes off the bits of food that are best eaten hot, gaze following Xio's out to the dance floor. ...Huh. that was... entirely unexpected given how he usually acted, but good for him on loosening up a little? "We should probably dance some first." <<After all, we have to look like we're doing enough exercise to not get fat despite eating this much.>> "I've been looking forward to it for weeks! ...you might have to help coach me, though."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi glances to Alexander with a bit of a confused look before glancing back to Andi. "It is a metaphorical fight." She offers as explanation, but then sips from her punch. Quite a few times. "Well, I am sure the food will improve everyone's spirits, right?" Certainly has a way of perking her up.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian's blood vessels betrayed him, where he usually had been so serious, now he grew a shade of pink reserved for times like this.

  "Very well." He says, allowing the blonde to lead now, but of course, picking a coconut for himself. The Wayne boy was pretty well parched, given the layers he was wearing, with his full tux.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Now trailing an Andi and a Heidi, Alexander starts to went the way across the room heading for the refreshment table and as luck would have it Sam and Damian. The approaching youths have their drinks at hand, those that have then and as the Olympian approaches he'll lift his cup and his voice in greetings to the couple of the hour.
    "Gentlemen." He says, with a blurbling over-emphasized British accent that one could imagine being used when accompanied by a smoking jacket and a game of whist.
    "Lovely dance, so wondrous. May I introduce you to Heidi Ingersdottir, and this is Andi from Philadelphia. They are my secret assassins."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    "Well. Lets get out there, then, huh?" Xiomara says, likewise finishing her meal. She stands up, offering an arm to Megan again. This is what she's supposed to do? "This isn't a bad song, I guess." she says- more of a suggestion than a real opinion.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Epees, and Sabers. Shinai for Kendo, too." Dane replies, canting his head at Colette's more than mildly obvious displeasure with being stuck here, "You know if you've got something else you need to do, I'm sure Doctor Hastings and I can probably handle it. But I doubt you're going to be able to convince us to spike the punch. I've only got a few hours before I can stop saying I don't want to get fired in my first week, so I'd like to prove it wasn't a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    In truth, Sam hadn't expected any less. He would even have been disappointed had Damian accepted a coconut anyone had handed him, and in turn he's careful to only ladle punch from the same area people have already drank from, courteously filling up Damian's 'glass' before his own, and immediately taking a sip to prove that he's added no lethal ingredients...

    ... It's an assassin thing, okay?

    Now he takes another glance around, in a far better mood, far more relaxed, far less likely to see enemies everywhere. Which is why he glances /twice/. Always beware your own mind telling you everything is fine. "You know, it's perfectly acceptable to loosen your bow tie after a dance. Let the heat escape a bit."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "Let's. And any song is a good song with you." Megan grins up at Xio, taking her girlfriend's handa nd following her onto the dance floor. ...Now how did she dance again? There were so many styles she'd seen in media... Which ones were now? Which ones were normal? ...She'll just follow Xio's lead.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"I hate to say it, Miss O'Connail, but I'm not much fun either." Daniel opines from his position standing behind the student serving the punch. "I have been carefully monitoring just how much punch I've consumed.. to make sure I don't have to dash to the loo before the end of the festivities." He winks. "I'm told physics teachers are no phun. No phun at all."

Andi Benton has posed:
"I don't know about that," Andi says quickly to this talk of being an assassin. "Unless we're talking about killing this food here." She's reaching for some cookies and brownies, deeming those safe to start off with. All the while, she's keeping a watchful, wary eye on those around her, which includes Alexander and Heidi, now Damian and Samuel as well. Xiomara and Megan have already made their way along for their own dance.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian holds out his coconut, of course, taking a drink after Sam. Just in time to catch Alexander. "Not so much a secret now, eh?" He says, sipping again, giving a nod to the two ladies just introduced.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Hail!" Heidi offers cheerfully with the hand ungarbed by the coconut beverage. She does pause, however. "Alexander, he is right! Nothing is a secret if everyone is aware. Perhaps choose another adjective." She's already thinking of several examples, but none are spoken outloud. "Also, I would be a terrible assassin. My strikes are loud to intimidate, not soft and stealthy like a creature of the night."

She tries to picture herself being sneaky. It illicits the tiniest of giggles.

Kian has posed:
    Oh.  Oh!  Of course, this must be dancing, except the poor things are stuck to the ground.  That must be why it's so stylized and paired off, since they haven't free movement to weave around each other.  And no wonder the music is so simplified.  Doesn't explain the unspeakably uncomfortable looking clothing, though, unless that's customary or traditional or something.
    Kían leans a little further out, a face, a shoulder and a bit of a wing just past the edge of the window.  For all of being nailed to the floor by gravity -- except for a little leaping about by one or two of them -- they look like they're having fun anyway.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Damn," Alexander says as he looks over at Heidi and Andi, "I really need to get better at this evil overlord thing." But then he strolls on over and starts to indulge in the snacks.

Roy Harper has posed:
On the dance floor, Roy seems to be entertaining himself just fine, dancing along to the music with his coconut, and whoever he happens to run into out there. He dances with a girl from one of his classes, and then a boy he met in the library, and whoever happens to seem inclined to dance with him, near him, around him. He seems determined to enjoy himself, one way or another.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    At the introductions, Sam gives a salute with his coconut, sharing a quick glance with Damian when Heidi and Andi are introduced as assassin. It's a knowing glance, one with some humor in it. "I'll have to try to be on my best behavior then. And Heidi, daughter of Inger, well met once more. May I introduce Damian? My date for these festivities."

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    "Thanks, but I committed," Colette says to Dane. "I'll see it through. Who knows, someone might yet try running in the halls or something." Her interest is however perked. "Been doing a lot to risk firing?" she asks. "I mean thing are tight staff-wise at the moment so I'd imagine there's a bit more leeway than usual, though even Doctor MacIntyre has her limits, I'm sure. So long as you're not dealing drugs to the kids or trying to date a student you're probably okay."

    Daniel gets a nod of the head from her. "If you do need to rush off, I'm sure I can manage the punch bowl for a while. I promise not to spike it. I'll even let you take my flask of bourbon with you, if you promise not to drink too much of it."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Ah, yes, Sam! I recall you, at the park," Heidi says, cheerfully, her attention sliding over to Damian as the designated date. "Hail, Damian. It is a pleasure. I assume you are enjoying yourself at this Midgardian affair? It seems to be serving its purpose. The food and the punch seem adequate and there are at least one or two couples who seem content." That could be a success, in her book. She doesn't entirely know what a prom /is/, actually.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Well it's been an interesting first week, and classes haven't even started for me yet, but no I definitely haven't broken those rules." Dane's tone is wry as he adds, "I may not have dated for a while but I'd like to think "age appropriate" isn't impossible whenever I find the time to try again." He glances towards the speakers and chuckles, "Even if I have dated taste in music."

Dane glances towards Daniel and rolls his eyes a bit, "I'd be awfully surprised if a physicist never had any phun, not as much if they made terrible puns about it, though."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     "Damian, son of Bruce." He says almost immediately following Sam's intro. Sam did get just a small smirk at his little assassin nudge. "Enjoying the festivities? Shame there is nothing stronger in the punch."

  "As-salamu alaykum." He greets Heidi in retort.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    By the time Xiomara and Megan have come to the floor, a new song with a slight latinesque feel due to Spanish guitar. ( https://youtu.be/eCH_-Zn_rwo ) It's a light tune, perfect for a slower dance. "Okay. Uh..." Xiomara begins, looking between them. "So I guess we just.." she slides a little closer to Megan, smiling as she places a hand on a hip and tries to figure out what to do with the remaining hand- ending up with one on either hip as she tries to lead Megan into a little sway.

Andi Benton has posed:
"Oh. That's..cool. That's nice," Andi says, sounding a little awkward at the introductions between Samuel and Damian among the rest. The way she comes off, she's trying to look confident in herself but it's not reaching her body language or expression. There's a general discomfort she exhibits instead, but the brownie leads to a quiet "Mmmm" to indicate enjoyment of that. Eyes pass between the four others, but she shifts her weight from one leg to the other. Social situations? Awkward. "People seem to like it here," she says, just to say something.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Keying in on the discomfort, Alexander makes jovial conversation with Andi all while he's picking and choosing various sweet things in his pursuit of a sugar high at least if there's no liquor to be had. Not that he's a big drinker to be fair. "So tell me your story, Andi."
    He fills up a plate and then hands it to her, "Hold that please." Not for her to take and indulge in, but so Alex can steal a double plateful of snacks. "What is Philadelphia like, why you're here, what makes you super cool? Also do you write your name on the feet of all your toys?"

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     Okay... Megan knows this much. She rests her hands on Xio's shoulders, stepping close and gently swaying back and forth to the beat of the music. This... this is really nice. Leaning forward, she rests her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. <<This... It's exactly like I dreamed about. Thank you.>> She's not going to open a full on link, Xio had requested she not do that. But... She does push some of the affection she's feeling along the same link that carries her words. The mental warmth of a hug.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bear, having kept a discreet distance for a short while, now interjects himself between Sam and Andi. It's his job, but... he's also looking up at her with what is almost certainly a canine smile. Hello Human. So many humans around. Too many humans? That's okay, Bear is here. He has an expressive sort of face for a German Shepherd.

    "It's been more fun than I'd expected so far." Sam admits, taking another sip from his punch. "Honestly, I hadn't made up my mind about coming until yesterday. Yesterday was a good day for that..."

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    That closeness is an entirely new experience for Xiomara. She just.. absorbed it. She'd warmed up a bit to Megan's desire for empathic and telepathic connection- but a full link would be too far. She needed time to think to herself, after all!

    In this moment, however, the closeness such a connection engenders adds an indelible flavor to the memory.

    The pair sway along as the song continues, stripped down vocals perfect for uncomplicating an initially confusing scenario.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The All-Speak is a useful thing, at times, but it's not always perfect. Context is never really given, just understanding. So the intention is understood, as are the words of the message. "Peace is good!" Heidi says, grinning at Damian. Her gaze shifts over those in the nearby proximity, making sure that everyone seems to be having some sort of semblance of fun.

"So how often do these 'proms' occur? Once a fortnight?"

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton freezes on the spot, if only for a moment. "Uhh.." Hands come up for the plate in question, leaving her just holding it while Alexander gets even more loaded up on another one. She doesn't realize it at first. "I don't have a story. Philly's fine, but my dad decided to move here. I was almost done with school but now I'm here and I don't know anybody and I just want to finish with my classes and go find a real job."

When the dog comes over and starts looking up at her, she sets the plate aside and offers a hand to be sniffed. "Hi there. You're looking like a good boy. Are you a good boy?" The dog brings a moment of brightness to her face. Maybe she likes animals.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     Megan lets her eyes slip closed, not needing that sense right now. The music in her ears, the feel of her girlfriend against her, the connection between them... Right now it's enough. "I'm holding you to that promise of ice cream after things pick up again, though." She smirks.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Over his shoulder, Alexander says to Heidi, "Once a year, fairly subdued. Big social thing though." He chews on a piece of chocolate and then liberates the plate that Andi so callously abandoned to the fickle fancies of the public. Luckily he moves in in time and hands it to the Valkyrie in training and says, "Sort of a status thing in some ways?"
    He steps up to stand by her and chews on candy, then lits a hand, "Oh hey, there's Mr. Whitman. He teaches fencing."
    A hand lifts and he waves utterly unselfconsciously across the way to the Black Knight's descendant. "Hey Mr. W!"

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    "Hey, it got them dancing," Colette assures Dane. "That's the important thing. I mean it's a prom, it's up to them to make their own fun really. Our job is just not to kill it /too/ much."

    Colette's arm snakes out suddenly, barring the way of one of a group of students walking around the back of the teachers, a student called Matt who has already developed a bit of a reputation as a trouble maker. She glares at him and shakes her head. Matt frowns, mutters "Sorry Miss..." and turns to go the other way. She seems to be developing the famed teaching skill of having eyes in the back of her head.

    Back to the two teachers without blinking, Colette picks up on the riffing on Daniel's puns. "You can't blame him if they aren't funny, Dane. You can either know whether a physics joke is funny or whether it'll go over your audience's heads, but not both at the same time."

Roy Harper has posed:
Eventually, Roy makes his way off the dance floor and wanders around for a bit until he finds a place to sit somewhere, plopping himself down in a chair in a comfortable sprawl and just people watching for a while, idly fiddling the the straw in his coconut.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    A hand is duly sniffed, because humans seem to expect this. And then Bear offers a paw of his own, to be shook clearly, because hand shakes is what humans do, right? And Sam can be heard to interject. "His name is Bear, and absolutely the best of boys. Keeps me sane." Which is a lot to expect from a dog, but there you have it.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    "I have literally nothing to gain from lying to anyone about eating ice cream with them." Xiomara assures Megan as they sway together the length of the song- another long few moments of just enjoyment. Forgetting all that anger for a moment of joy spent with Megan.

    The song does, of course, come to an end and Xiomara reluctantly pulls away from Megan, taking her hand, and leading her back towards he sundae bar. Dessert must now be had!

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel chuckles as the pair of them at least grasp the insinuated typography. "Come now. If I can't at least be allowed one pun per class, where's the fun in that? Though.. I will avoid any planetary jokes of ill couth. I'm not sure if that would lead to painful groans or incessant sniggering." There's a slow shake of his head and he reaches out to refill his coconut. "Thank you, Miss O'Connail. That's magnanimous of you."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "I mean, you could have lured me here with promises of frozen dairy for some kind of nefarious heist plan. Perhaps the intended target is my heart?" ...Okay yeah, that's too cheasy even for Megan who bursts into a fit of the giggles which somewhat disrupts the romance of the moment. Definitely too many movies. "We can always dance more, you know. Have to get rid of the ice cream calories somehow." Ooooh, sunday time. She'll have cookies'n'Cream, and chocolate, and a brownie, and hot fudge, and BOTH kinds of sprinkles, and MnMs...

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton was taught to do the hand thing so dogs don't turn aggressive and bite. When Bear holds up the paw, she shifts her hand to meet it. "He's well-trained. So he's like some kind of service dog?" she asks Samuel, glancing from him toward Damian and back again, slipping out of conversation with Alexander and Heidi for the moment. She still comes off like she's just trying to keep up with everything.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    "You're sort of a dork. Cute dork, though." Xiomara says almost flatly to Megan, smiling still as the pair then head to Ice Cream!

    Unlike Megan, Xiomara keeps it simple. Chocolate ice cream. Chocolate sauce. Chocolate brownie. It was everything Ice Cream required to be amazing- at least in her opinion.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper watches for a little while longer, and then, pulls himself up from the chair and wanders out, slipping his hands into his pockets as he goes without any real fanfare or goodbyes.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "He is." Sam admits, even as Bear sits at attention, dressed in his full canine tuxedo. "He's trained to show people my personal space and just... be there when things get to be a bit overwhelming." Although, he's standing pretty close to Damian. Personal space is clearly not an issue between these two. "But he's learned to do so many things, I bet he could hail a cab if he wanted to and walk himself."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
     "Oh, /I'm/ the dork. Riiiight." Megan smirks, reaching out and booping a bit of fudge onto Xio's nose. "We're both dorks, in our own way. And I think you're cute too. So... I think we're good here. To many more nights like this one." ...Can you toast with ice cream spoons? Megan's not sure, but she's going to try to make it work.

Kian has posed:
    What happens from the outside: Kían got careless.  It was becoming more and more obvious over time that the Terrans don't look up because they don't expect anyone to be above them, so he assumed it was perfectly safe to get a better view.
    The ledge disagreed.  The birdman slipped.
    What's evident from inside: a loud *CRACK*! as one of the panes of glass on a high window breaks.  Followed by something that sounds like 'Kya!' and the sound of wingbeats.  Of a VERY large bird.  But nothing to be actually seen in the dark...

Andi Benton has posed:
"He's cute," Andi declares, just before the sound from above draws a quick glance toward the window. "What the fuck was that?" she blurts, pointing at the window. Tough to see what caused it. "Maybe a bird flew into it or something?" she wonders, moving away from the food as she separates herself from others to take a more cautious look before readying herself to move on.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi has a pegasus to check on. Literally. So, when no one's looking she quietly slips out. Perhaps she's an assassin after all.

Xiomara Rojas has posed:
    Xiomara's eyes cross at the bit of fudge on her nose. She reaches up and wipes it away, just smiling. "Sounds like a plan." she looks down as her spoon is clunked by Megan's to follow "Uh. Cheers, I guess." she says with a soft chuckle at Megan's excitement and joy following the dance- grinning herself ear to ear. She really can't help it.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Sam's head snaps around as if he's a snake, or a targeting computer coming to bear. Even over the music, he heard that crack and his eyes scan the glass, looking for any telltale impacts. It's only a moment later that he realises he'd taken a step forward, to be between Damian and the sound. Oh, now that was a new instinct...

    He gives Andi a smile. "We're close to the harbor, we get some really big birds here..."

Colette O'Connail has posed:
    "I'm sure it's unavoidable Daniel," Colette says with a grin. "And believe me it'll be both. You may be better off just referring to 'planet seven' but even that probably won't help. I had a teacher at school who called it 'ooh-rah-nos' from the Greek. Of course that just made it even more hilarious."

    Colette nods her head towards Andi and Bear. "You know, that service dog breaks down walls faster than the Hulk. We've got an unusually laconic intake, but a few more months with Bear and the entire school with be social mavens. Doctor Macintyre should hire a pack of them."

    Colette turns quickly at the sound of cracking glass, sharp enough to be heard over the music. The rest of the sound is somewhat lost, but she's /very/ good at seeing things in the dark. She sighs slightly. "That's probably dangerous, we should make sure nobody's standing underneath it," she says, going over to the floor under the broken window to usher people away and drag a few tables to block off the area. "Dammit, Kian..." she mutters to herself.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
"Sadly, I wasn't a marine and so that won't do." Lord knows Daniel worked with enough of them. The small sigh turns to a smile and a nod towards Bear. "People love canines. What's not to love? Devoted, loving, loyal, easily trained.. I'd get one myself if I weren't already triple booked for time."

But then melancholy musing gets turned to looking up at the sound of the crash and the 'disturbed birds'. He squints. Looks more up. Purses his lips. Then gives a nod to Colette as she heads off to handle the clean up. If the Bird Man wanted to come, it could have been arranged without him earning a stay in Alcatraz.

Andi Benton has posed:
Andi Benton escaped a scolding, thankfully, but she takes advantage of the distraction to make her way back out. It wasn't a total failure tonight, but she had about as much as she's up for dealing with for one evening. Progress?

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Just as Sam did, Damian's head snaps towards the sound that cracked, he did indeed step back a little when Sam has moved in between the sound and himself, curious.

  The dark haired boy looked back to the group. "Yes, the tourists should stop feeding them." He comments before turning to the others.