Apparently we need dates [girls] on Crotalus Commons

Linus Macaulay

August 24, 2011 1:11 PM

Apparently we need dates [girls] by Linus Macaulay

The Midsummer Ball, Linus had discovered, was just one event in a series of four rotating events that Sonora celebrated in succession at the end of each year. As a first year student, Linus had yet to experience any of these evnts for himself, and his first chance would be at the ball in a few months time. The word threw him; he'd never heard of people actually attending balls outside of Daphne's fairytale books. The school event would apparently be medieval themed, too, so in fact it might be a great deal like Daphne's fairytale books, aside from everyone being able to do magic, not just the faeries, and there probably wouldn't be any knights or dragons (thought Linus couldn't really be sure on this last point).

Linus had also heard some of the older students talking about dates. This was an interesting concept. The first year knew from popular culture and his own limited experience that it was traditional to take dates to dances, and that boys usually were required to dance girls. The lady who was subbing in for Headmaster Regal also mentioned dates, so Linus assumed it was a legitimate reality than the older students, at least, would be expected to go to the ball with someone, rather than on his own. Linus had actually talked about this a little with his family over the holiday, and while Daphne only understood to the point where she wanted to dress up like a princess, his other relations had been surprisingly helpful.

"You might as well take someone because then you'll have someone to talk to," Philip had suggested, followed immediately by Jonah's "Ask someone you like because you'll have to talk to them all evening." His mother had encouraged the idea, too, saying she could remember how exciting it had been when boys had asked her to go to dances, and she thought that now Linus was attending a boarding school he was probably grown up enough to start dating if he wanted to.

Having given it all a great deal of thought, Linus decided that he would ask a girl to the ball, but it wouldn't be a proper date, because he didn't really see any of the girls in his own year as particularly attractive (and he could hardly ask an older girl). Of the girls he already knew at school, most of them were pleasant enough. Kitty and Jenny talked too much, Cherry had a silly name, and Brianna was very quiet, but they all seemed like pleasant enough people on the whole; Linus didn't really have a preference, but decided that he ought to ask one of the Crotalus girls, because at least they would then have that in common.

Following Jonah's later advice to ask a girl soon in case they all already got asked by someone already (a scenario he couldn't really foresee occurring due to the gender imbalance apparent at Sonora, but nonetheless), Linus was prepared to ask the next morning. he waited at the bottom of the staircase so that when the girls came down for breakfast he was there waiting. "Excuse me," he said politely to whichever girls were in the current group of them that happened to be leaving at the same time. "I was wondering whether any of you would like to be my date to the Midsummer Ball?"

0 Linus Macaulay Apparently we need dates [girls] 205 Linus Macaulay 1 5

Brianna Japos

August 30, 2011 8:39 PM

We do?!?! by Brianna Japos

Brianna left the dorm at her usual time to head down to breakfast. She woke up earlier than most each day out of habit. Both her parents had to be up by dawn for their jobs and they were always so noisy with their arguing, that often times Brianna ended up being woken up. After years of this routine it had just become a part of her to wake up at dawn. She always ran for the shower the minute she woke up but only because she was afraid of getting in the way of the other girls. She liked to be completely done getting ready by the time the other girls even began to stir. Thus far, it was working out for her.

Brianna hadn’t really grown close to the other girls the way she had hoped to. This was partly her own fault. She was just so nervous of saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing that she didn’t feel comfortable around them. And, she was worried that if she became close with someone else, Attoria would become enraged with her and make things even more difficult for Brianna, both at school and at home. It was a very difficult position for her to be in, so instead of making as many friends as possible like she always wanted to, she stayed quiet and complacent in the crowd of first years.

Her brown hair was pulled back into a French braid, making her large lips seem even more overwhelming and her freckles to be noticeable without the shield of her hair. Normally, she never wore her hair up because she liked to hide behind it, but her mother had forgotten to give her hair a nice trimming over the Holiday, so now her hair was just annoying. She wouldn’t be able to get a proper cut again until Easter break and by then her hair would be unbearably long. Oh well, she would just have to make do with it.

Walking down with the other girls, Brianna paused when Linus came up and got their attention. What he asked nearly knocked Brianna off her feet. She had not ever expected anyone to ask her to the ball. Granted, he was asking the group as a whole, but she was apart of it. She didn’t know what to say. For one, she didn’t know if any of her other roommates actually wanted to go with him. For another, how would Attoria feel about it? Did Attoria have a date? Oh…

Brianna didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, it would be nice to have a date even though she wasn’t sure if Linus even cared if it was with her or not. On another, that was a lot of pressure to put on her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Linus. If she had to choose between him and his roommate, Brianna would pick Paul, but only because she was marginally more comfortable around him. “Er…” Brianna started. “If, ah, no one else minds-“ Brianna looked to the other girls to make sure she wasn’t actually stepping on anyone else’s toes. She neither agreed to go nor disagreed, which would leave it open for someone else to step in if they desired either Linus or just a date in general.

6 Brianna Japos We do?!?! 203 Brianna Japos 0 5

Linus

September 08, 2011 7:06 AM

Apparently by Linus

(OOC: I figured I left this long enough for someone to argue if they wanted to)

The most forthcoming response was from Brianna, who wasn't explicit in her acceptance, but Linus took the implication of her words to mean that she would be happy to go with him. "Excellent," he said, looking a little pleased. He had at least spoken to Brianna before on a couple of occasions, and generally he thought someone who was too quiet would be preferable to someone who was too loud or who talked too much, particularly in an environment such as the ball, when he might have to spend quite a long period of time with her.

Ignoring their other housemates for the current time, Linus fell into step with Brianna as they exited the commons. He decided not to tell her that he hadn't been to anything like a ball before, firstly because he didn't want to discomfit her, secondly because he doubted many first, or even second and third years, had actually been to a ball before, and thirdly because it couldn't be that hard to just eat and talk and dance a bit... probably. The dancing might pose the greatest problem, but if his peers could master it then Linus wasn't concerned. He thought he could reasonably, however, profess his lack of knowledge concerning appropriate attire... in a manner with which he was comfortable, obviously.

"If you have any preferences about an outfit, please let me know," he said to Brianna. "I understand the theme is medieval, but obviously I don't currently have anything like that in my wardrobe." If she really wanted to dress up, he thought he might be able to manage something by writing to his mother, because it would look decidedly odd if one came in medieval attire and the other didn't. Brianna could rest assured that Linus would look neat and presentable, because he never looked otherwise, if he could help it.

0 Linus Apparently 0 Linus 0 5

Brianna

September 12, 2011 8:13 PM

Well, I guess we're set then. by Brianna

Brianna wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Maybe Cherry or Jenny to jump in and say they wanted to go with Linus. Or Valerie. Or even Attoria (although Attoria had never mentioned any interest in Linus, so that was not a likely reaction from her). But no one said anything and Brianna wasn’t sure how that made her feel. She really didn’t have anything against Linus. She only knew the basic of him, but she wasn’t sure how she would last an entire evening as his date. What did he expect of her? What if her outfit didn’t suit his taste? What if she stepped on his foot while they danced? What if he didn’t even want to dance?

Well, there was nothing to be done with it now. Brianna had a date to the ball. What an odd thought…. She never thought she’d have a date to anything, ever. And yet, here she was at her very first ball with a date. She was a little overwhelmed with it, but a part of her was happy and excited too. Okay, so Linus hadn’t asked her directly, but he had still asked and seemed pleased that she had been the one to agree to go with him.

“Oh, costume…” Brianna thought about how to answer this. Her mother had made her a costume over break. Her mother was pretty good with a needle and the costume was very nice. It was a lovely emerald green with gold trimming. The material was not the best, but for what her mother had been able to do, Brianna was grateful to her. “My mother procured a costume for me already. It’s Medieval themed, but not authentic. It’s not wool, but more of a satin material. It’s lighter to wear, so Mother said it would be easier to move in.” Brianna explained although she didn’t think that’s what he wanted to know. “I don’t expect you to wear anything that makes you uncomfortable or anything.”

0 Brianna Well, I guess we're set then. 0 Brianna 0 5

Linus

September 27, 2011 7:30 AM

It seems so by Linus

Linus would have to admit - if forced - to being surprised that Brianna already had a costume prepared. After a moment's reflection he supposed that if she was intending on going to the ball during midterm, then it would make best sense for her outfit to be acquired then (as he comments suggested it had been), but nonetheless she was demonstrating greater organization than he was himself, and he had to respect that, even if it was just for an a school leisure event rather than a graded assignment.

"Okay," he said with a nod, taking in everything Brianna had said. "I'm sure I could get my mother to send me something along those lines." He wasn't going to be wearing tights or anything ridiculous like that, but he was sure his Mom could figure something out, or just go to one of the numerous costume shops in the city - Vegas was the place to find the right outfit, and nobody could argue that. He'd just write a letter home, probably later that day, and update his family on the ball (that he had asked, and was taking a girl in his House and year called Brianna), and stipulate his costume requirements. It would all be sorted out in plenty of time for the ball.

"Right, well, that's settled then," he said, with the same little amount of emotion he tended to show, but at least that minimal display was favorable; the whole situation had worked out quite nicely, in his opinion. There was still the matter of whether or not Brianna wanted to dance, but he decided that could wait for another time... possibly until the evening itself to discuss. They had class to be getting to, and that was definitely not a time for idle chit chat. "I'll see you around," Linus said, and accompanied this statement with a polite smile before settling into his longer stride to make sure he got a good seat in cass.

0 Linus It seems so 0 Linus 0 5