ic Hero Prom (IC, open)

[angrydurf]

Watching the back and forth over the 'ironic' nature of Eira and Pans date like the worlds least fun tennis match Kam carefully schooled his features.  Tracking Danica's entrance and near collision with the ironically fuming Eira he frowned at the androids behavior and glanced to Robin with a wan smile, "Don't worry it's an entirely ironic fit of jealousy not the real thing."  he murmured and stepped away to offer a quick explanation to Danica, "Her ironic date with Pan may ironically be rooted in genuine attraction."  he offered with a shrug.  

 

Keeping an eye on Eira lest her temper flare on someone less unflappable than the tortoise totem he caught the motion of her doing something behind her back moments before the spider emerged from the punch bowl and rolled his eyes.  Harmless at least for the moment he didn't imagine ad hoc hacking of the simulation running was going to do anything good long term.  "And now she's mucking with the simualtor."  he shrugged and turned to head back toward the tabel where his date awaited to give warning but measured his pace that Danica could keep up if she followed him rather than the angry android.

 

"Eiras messing with the simulation so we know who to blame if the toon gang shows up."  he warned Robin with a tight smile, "See I told you, it'll be just like old times."  he joked as lightly as he could manage knowing full well she was not the schools biggest fan.

[Ari]

Brushing a stray lock of hair from Judy's face, Leroy sighed tragically at her question. "How long to compose that trifle? Alas, Dee, it took me the better part of a month. I asked the Jargon, that shy, pale fellow? Always wearing that backpack? Well he understands computers passably well, where I do not at all, and is not aligned with any of my other friends. Together we arranged the music and set the triggers for when the handoff started. He has some sort of understanding with this great machine, I do believe, Dee. A link as deep as between any two living creatures. I do not regret paying in exact replicas of lost wax cylinders, though the strain was true." The prince carried his date in a gentle spiral through the air, smiling fondly down at her. "I said my goodbyes, Dee. To all of them. To all of it. I am ready to meet your family whenever you wish. I-! Wait. A spider?" Leroy's smile vanished and he turned in horror to the scene below. "Dio!" he shouted frantically, "Close your eyes and count to ten!"

 

Down below, the seeming mass of students around the punchbowl wobbled and collapsed into a giant green reptile, staring into space, the slits he had along his snout in place of a central nose spasming in time with the contractions of his powerful lungs.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Ari

[Fox]

Elizabeth laughed; it was a pleasant sound, her whole upper body moving to the beat of it. "Not everything, just, you know, enough. It makes for a wonderful challenge, doesn't it? Gets you into a lot of trouble, though!"

 

She grinned, catching up to the dancing she'd lost while laughing. "You and Eira aren't fooling anybody and it's adorable, it really is," she said, sincerely. "You two really need to figure it out, though, or the gossipers are going to scream. Or take dire measures?" The girl thought on that one for a moment, looking up at the ceiling as they danced. She did spare a glance to the spider, then, a blink as it shuffled off into hiding. "....I'm not sure which would be more fun to watch. Probably the dire bit, but I don't think Eira would like it much and I'm supposed to be a good friend. Maybe she just needs a push?"

[RocketLord]

"Please, like I am even trying to be subtle." Pan responded as he moved around Elizabeth. His tone was a bit more serious, just a tiny bit. "Eira is fun, she is different, but she has trouble admitting things to herself, no? I could of course take some drastic measures, maybe I will, but it is fun to watch her squirm a bit, don't you think so?" His voice was low, he moved in close. "But maybe I should stop, and let her know that I know how little irony there is to this date? You would probably find that amusing, at least." He winked at Elizabeth as the last bit, then looked towards Eira and... Dio appearing out of nowhere, in a panic, all because of a little spider. 

 

Pan stopped and stared, suppressing a laugh at the sight, before throwing himself back into the dance.

 

Near Eira, the voice spoke again. "What are you afraid of? Make your move! Tell him how you feel! Go up there and show them all!"

[KnightDisciple]

Micah nodded as Astrid decided on socialization. As crowded as these things were, the flip side was it meant you could get a passably private conversation going on.

 

"That's fine. We can take it easy on the dancing, I'm not great myself. Let's go say hi to-"

 

His eyes took in Pan dancing with someone who was not Eira, and then moved to Eira standing by herself. Micah was not an expert on human interactions, but he knew enough to get a pretty good idea this was not going to go well. He scanned the crowd for friendlier, less complicated faces. 

 

"We could swing by and say 'hey' to Kam and his lady friend?"

 

There was uncertainty in his voice about that option. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Eira pushed back from the new wall she'd picked, arms crossed protectively over her chest and looking down at the floor. Without making eye contact with anyone, she turned and hurried towards one of the two unisex bathrooms, shoving the door open and disappearing inside as the heavy 'wooden' door closed beside her with a thump. Once inside, she didn't so much as look at the occupants before she disappeared into one of the stalls, dropping down on the seat and closing the door behind her. She closed the door and laid her head against the cool of the metal, no tears in her mechanical eyes. She reached up and yanked off her atomic necklace, peering down at the hydrogen shape in her hand where one lone electron orbited one lone proton, bound together by the simple, quantifiable bonds of physics.

 

- 

 

Down at ground level again as the dance number finished, a beaming Judy looked around for a moment before spotting Danica by the girl's bathroom. Leroy in tow, she headed over there. "Hey, Danica! Ah didn't expect to see you here." Judy had seen Ashley head over to check on Dio amid the fuss around the punch bowl and she wasn't too worried - that was just the big lizard's way sometimes. 

 

"Oh, well, I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" said Danica with a little laugh. "I just had to get this old thing out and try it on. Excuse me," she said as the music started up again, "I believe this is my cue!" And with that, she shimmied out onto the dance floor, just in time to join a group of students who were trying their best to do the Black Bottom but not necessarily succeeding. Judy stared after her, a baffled look on her face. 

[Fox]

"It's been pretty great to watch," admitted Elizabeth, grinning. "You two have been dancing without dancing, and that's a lot of fun! But it's all fun and games until someone actually gets hurt. If we're being perfectly honest, I was going to push if you weren't, because no story's fun without a good climax...but it looks like Eira's a step or two ahead of us both."

 

She took control of the dance, without warning or apology, deftly leveraging surprise to spin Pan around just in time to see Eira leave. "That's an 'exit: stage left' if I've ever seen one," she said from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder and watching alongside him. "It's all fun and games until someone's feelings get hurt, hmm? Trickstering's always easier from the outside of the drama, so here's your outside trickster advice for the day: in any good romance story this'd be your chance, go fix it, and don't break any hearts or I'll mess you up."

 

She pushed his back, shoving him a step toward the bathrooms as she disappeared into the crowd, laughing.

[RocketLord]

Pan stopped completely as Elizabeth spun him around and talked about the exit stage left, whatever that meant, and then his eyes focused on Eira as she left for the bathrooms. Elizabeth could almost feel the shudder than ran through his body. "Yes, it appears I have made a mistake." His tone was meek, his voice low. "Thank you, Elizabeth. I wll do my best to follow your advice." He moved forward, a quick flash of emerald and golden glitter.

 

He entered the bathroom. There were a few others in there, but he didn't seem to pay them any mind, as he listened for those telltale sounds. "Eira? I saw you go in here. I'm sorry, I thought you wanted me to go dance with Elizabeth." He paused, listening again. He hesitated, waiting for a response.

[Avenger Assembled]

Everyone cleared out, between one thing and another, some with looks of sympathy for Pan and others with mocking amusement on their faces.

 

There was silence, not even the sound of breathing or dripping water, and for a moment or two it seemed that Eira wasn't going to appear at all before she stepped out from the stall she was occupying, silver chain dangling from her closed fist. She stared at Pan, pale blue eyes wide, a look of anger on her pretty pale face. "I do not care that you were dancing with Elizabeth. I don't care if you dance with every girl at the prom," she hissed, her voice sizzling as she advanced on Pan.

 

She looked at him up close when she reached him, and for a moment seemed at a loss for words, slumping back on herself, before she said, "You made me feel stupid." She folded her arms over her chest, looking over at the two of them in the bathroom mirror for just a moment. If the anger had leached out of her voice, hurt had replaced it now. "And then you hung over my shoulder and taunted me, like I am not real to you." she said him softly, looking back at him. "As if I do not have a heart." She looked up into his eyes and said, "If you don't care anything for me, that is - fine," she said, her voice hitching slightly. 

 

"But do not treat me like a machine." 

[Electra]

Danica gave Kam a look of baffled delight at his explanation of Eira and Pan's ironically-unironic-ironic relationship. "That is incomprehensible!" she decided gleefully before turning and casing the room in her plodding way. Neither the Pan-Eira drama nor Eira's odd behavior seemed to faze her even a little; she was much too concerned with watching everyone around her like a child visiting Disneyland for the first time. She spoke to Judy and then spent a few minutes dancing, strange and slow but performing every move correctly at half the normal speed. When the music changed into something more suitable for couples she made her way off the floor, heading towards the food and filling her plate with an eclectic assortment of snacks. "This is so great!" she declared to nobody in particular. "This is so interesting!" 

[RocketLord]

"I am sorry."

 

Pan looked down at her, his voice trembling ever so slightly as he spoke. He wore his emotions clearly now, no sheen of glamour or smile plastered across his lips, as he stared at her, his arms hanging limp by his sides.

 

"It was my not my intention at all. I..." He paused, he was searching for the words. "I didn't think it would make you feel like that, I only meant it as a prank. Obviously, it was a very bad one. I am so sorry for that." His eyes lowered to her hand, and the necklace in it. He reached for her hand, gently taking it in his, taking the necklace and, stepping closer, he moved his hands up to close the necklace around Eira's neck again. "I do care about about you, Eira." He remained close, his hands moving down to her shoulders, holding her gently, but firmly. Of course she could escape if she wanted to. He wouldn't hold her in place. He frowned, shaking his head. "Why would you ever think that I could think about you like that? I know that I can be strange to anyone from this world, but do you honestly think I would think that about you?" He paused again, looking at Eira with those big, green eyes. "I care about you a lot, Eira. I like you, a lot. I'm sorry that I hurt you, it was never what I intended."

[Avenger Assembled]

"You-you really do, yes?" Eira reached up and touched Pan's face, her fingertips cool against his skin. "You are very pretty," she said softly. "I forgot that you're not like the other boys." She smiled at him, biting her silver lower lip for a moment in a look that was almost shy. "I like that about you." She took advantage of her heels to step up and kiss him on the lips, then wrapped her arms around him, her grip very firm as it went around his shoulders. 

[RocketLord]

An electric feeling shot through Pan's skin at the touch. His grin slowly returned as she spoke, the side of his lips starting to curl. He stared at her, was about to open his mouth to say something, and then fell silent as her lips pressed against his. First cold, then slowly warming, one of his head moved to the back of her head, the other to the small of her back, holding her close during the kiss.

 

When he finally had to pull back for air, he couldn't resist grinning. "I suppose that was an ironic kiss?" His hand on Eira's neck moved down her back, as turned his head just slightly, looking in the mirror that showed their surroundings. "We have to do that again. Soon. But maybe not here."

 

Pulling away slightly, he moved to grasp her hand tight, tugging lightly towards the party.

[KnightDisciple]

Before Astrid could weigh in for certain on whom to speak to, Micah turned and noticed Danica moving closer. He nudged astrid with a smile. 

 

"Okay, she's happy enough for the whole party, we have to go say hi."

 

He guided them over, showing a surprising amount of "take charge" attitude for himself. Perhaps the bold outfit he was wearing gave him a bit more courage. When they reached Danica, he smiled and tipped his hat to her.

 

"Well hello there, Danica! Fancy meetin' you here. Looks like you're havin' some fun."

[Electra]

"I am!" Danica beamed at Micah, her puffy dress rustling as she turned to face them. "Everything is so intensely colorful and emotional! Here, try this food!" Her plate was heaped high with delicacies from the snack table, along with a couple of flowers from the centerpieces and a fist-sized butter sculpture of the school's main building. She extended a petit four to Micah. "It's very squishy!" She smiled at Astrid as well. "You look beautiful tonight! This is such an exciting occasion!" She picked up the butter sculpture and took a large bite from it. "You're not also dating ironically, are you? That's confusing." 

[Avenger Assembled]

Eira licked her lips and looked up at Pan, slipping her arm around his waist too so they were holding onto each other. She was warm now to the touch, as warm as any human girl would have been. "We will talk about everything that was outside. But that was a very nice kiss." She walked to the door with him, took the old-fashioned metal knob in her hand, turned it - and it snapped off. 

 

"...horunge!" declared Eira, staring down at the knob in her hand as if it was from Mars. "That makes no sense!" She knelt down, a little awkwardly in the heels and dress, and peered at the hole where the knob had once attached. Frowning, she extended her hand towards the door, her dataspike lashing out and driving into the spot where the knob had been. Her eyes unfocused - she stared forward - and then looked up at Pan. "Something is - blocking my access!"  

[alderwitch]

Robin had tensed, watching the exchange of teenagers that she didn't know and felt even less in common with. That, at least, was familiar. The smile she gave Kam was just as strained  as his. Despite that, she gave his shoulder a gentle pat of commiseration. 

 

"The only thing that I think anyone has in common is everyone feels a little uncomfortable at these events, sometimes more excited than uncomfortable but always a little on edge," Robin offered her opinion before she finally pulled her attention away from the drama in the room to smile up at at her date. Humor was back in her grey eyes as her lips quirked. "Claremont generally does tend to teach you more how to be comfortable in a super hero fight than a normal teenage situation. We were never going to be normal, I guess. I know I wasn't. What about you, Kam? Did you ever want to just be a normal kid?"

[angrydurf]

Kam relaxed slightly under Robins touch letting out a small calming breath at her good humor.  He did tend to take things a bit too seriously at times.  "That discomfort at least is normal."  he replied as Danica flung herself onto the dance floor and Pan madea bee line after eira, "Well that will be resolved one way or another by the end of the night."  he opined and looked back at his date as she asked her question looking for a moment quite like a deer caught in the headlights as he tried to fish for what an appropriate response would for the careful slice of himself he'd exposed.  He was sufficiently focused to miss the vanishing door entirely.  He offered a small shrug, "Well I came here in pursuit of something of the sort."  he replied with a wan smile.  The admission said alot about how far off the mark of normal the young man was.

 

He didn't meet Robins answering gaze, guilt from even the slight duplicity still gnawing at him.  Leroy back in his green suit and with no Judy did catch his eye and he placed a hand on Robins arm, "Something isn't right here."  he murmured, "A prank to play at Leroy would be one thing but once the genuine article showed up there is no reason to maintain the farce unless..."  Unless the true appearance would draw further unwanted attention to the false student.  He slowly swiveled trying not to look too on guard, "I don't see Eira or Pan back yet so it could be another prank but ..."  Not their style.  He shot Robin a warning glance, "Well they said it would be a night to remember."

[Cubismo]

Whisked away to Danica's side by a surprisingly self-assured, Astrid greeted the turtle hero with an earnest grin and an enthusiastic high-five.  "Thanks for the confidence boost, Danica. You're look pretty rad yourself."

 

Taking Dianca's suggestion to heart, Astrid scanned the platter before her and eventually decided that a nice looking butter tart was to delectable to pass up on. After finishing the treat Astrid felt compelled to get Micah to try one himself, but ended up getting distracted by Danica's talk of "ironic" dating.

 

"Yeah, apparently ironic dating is really in this prom," she said sarcastic, using her hands to make quotations marks. Astrid was more or less 95% sure that she and Micah were, in fact, only going on a friendly-ironic date, but when it came to Pan and Eira she wasn't so sure. Those two seemed to be doth protesting too much for there to be nothing going on. Of course, that was none of Astrid's business, so she quickly changed the subject to something a bit less gossipy. 

 

"So what's happening, Danica? You bring a hot date to this thing or are you going stag?"

 

 

 

 

[Fox]

"Either way she's very fancy!"

 

Elizabeth had mingled in on the dance floor just long enough for Pan to go after Eira, and then re-emerged for punch and a chance to find new mischief. Or, as chance would have it, new arrivals! It was taking a concerted effort to not split and go spy...but she figured she owed Eira at least that much. She could bother her robotic friend for details later. "That's a very impressive dress. Definitely not your usual style! Which is, you know, great - but it's a dance! It's fun to see what everyone put together!" She grinned, gesturing at everyone with her cup. "Is that dress something you were hiding for a special occasion?"

[Electra]

"I'm here to party!" Danica told Astrid cheerfully. "This body is not fully mature and it would be inappropriate to seek out a hot date." She polished off the butter sculpture, wiped her hand with a napkin, then popped that into her mouth as well, washing it down with a bit of punch. When Elizabeth approached, Danica gave her an equally dazzling smile. "Thank you!" she chirped. "You look very beautiful as well! It's important to have the correct dress for a social occasion. Is there going to be more high tempo dancing, or has the rhythm slowed down for the evening?" 

[KnightDisciple]

Micah blinked at Danica's....well, mood? It was even more bubly than usual for the turtle girl.

 

"We're coming here as friends. We just want to enjoy the party. No expectations, jokes, or irony."

 

His eyes roamed the prom as Astrid and Danica continued to chat. Then they stopped as one section of the wall almost flowed over what had been a bathroom door, and trapped the young man who was likely his best friend on the planet, and the girl he not-really-ironically liked inside. His grip on Astrid's hand tightened slightly, just as Danica turned to Elizabeth. Micah fought to keep his face calm as he leaned over toward the Nordic girl accompanying him and spoke softly out of the side of his mouth.

 

"Try to stay calm, but something is going on. The wall just closed the bathroom Eira and Pan are in, and something tells me it wasn't their fault."

[Cubismo]

If Astrid was being honest she would have to admit that she was kind of taken aback by just how... open Dianca was going about her body. The Asgardian wasn't entirely in the know when it came to the turtle totem's biological situation. That sort of magic wasn't exactly in her wheelhouse, after all, and Astrid sure as Hel wasn't going to pry into it. Regardless, she seemed pretty happy about everything and Astrid found the positive sentiment infectious. 

 

Astrid was about to introduce her to Elizabeth when she felt Micah's arm tighten and the boy suddenly mention something about closing walls. "Wait, what?" She whispered, not quite getting what he was talking about with all the music. At the mention of Eira's and Pan's names though, she searched the doom room for them, but found it hard to see much of anything with all the colors, people, other such distractions in the way. "But they were just..." Astrid shook her head and looked towards Micah, her eyes focused. "I'm good, Micah. If your saying something's weird going on than I believe you. Show me where this wall is and we'll figure out if something's going on."

[Dr Archeville]

Horrorshow

 

"I appreciate the offer," PhantomOfTheOpera!Davyd replied to Nosferatu!Zoe, "but how do I know this isn't some test from Headmistress Summers?  Or a prank by you -- or someone else!"   It would appear the young metamorph had become much more cautious since his Valentine's encounter with that vampire.  "Besides, if I really wanted to peek in, I can always stretch over, or-"

 

And then, having just happened to have turned his head and ears at the proper angle, he heard the shriek caused by Eira's punch-spider. 

 

He bolted up from his chair, "what was that?!"  He looked to Zoe, "I've heard Claremont's proms often have wild things happening, including a few supervillain attacks!  I'm gonna go in to check it out, you go get an... wait, no."  He looked to the doors leading into the Doom Room, to Zoe, to the hallways leading out to the rest of Claremont, "maybe I should stay here and you go in and... or I could go get help and you stay here to... no, wait, I..."  He then said a Ukrainian profanity which he'd often heard his Uncle Sasha use when frustrated, though he did not know what it meant.  "Alright, I'm gonna go in, you stay here and keep an eye out.  And if you can send an illusion out to get some help down here, that'd be good."

 

He entered just as Micah said something about Eira & Pan being closed up in a bathroom, and the doors closed behind him and vanished.

[RocketLord]

Pan opened his hand, placing his palm against the door and pushed, with little effect. He seemed puzzled, slightly amused, maybe.

 

"So, we are stuck in here? There are easier ways to get alone with me, you know." He pushed again. "Is the door even there? On the other side, I mean?" 

 

He pulled back, rubbing his chin slightly. He looked to Eira, a small smirk playing over his lips. "Before you ask, this is not one of my tricks." Knocking a few times, he tried to find, well, any way to open the door. "I suppose we might have to start breaking things?"