A Princess is Always Well Prepared! (Tag Jasmine) on Cascade Hall

Ellie Alperton

March 21, 2020 8:39 PM

A Princess is Always Well Prepared! (Tag Jasmine) by Ellie Alperton

Ellie took a seat at the Aladren table, keeping an eye on the door, and hoping that her target would be amenable to coming and sitting over here. She knew they were all allowed to move around for meals other than the Opening Feast but she didn’t feel quite right going to sit at the Crotalus table, especially without a Crotalus in tow. Hopefully Jasmine had got a little bit more used to this kind of thing over the years than she had, or would feel comfortable once obviously invited.

It was Saturday, and Ellie was… honestly, looking forward to her homework more than anything else right now. Not that she was so Aladren that it brought her untold joy (it was quite fun but not that fun) but more because she didn’t have much on outside that. What she did have was worrying about the ball. It was creeping ever closer and whilst she was mostly excited, she also felt all kinds of nervous about it. There was dress shopping to get done. There was dress shopping looming on the calendar next week. Her mental images swayed between perfect princess fantasies, and fear and panic at it ending in any of her worst case scenarios involving changing rooms and other people or just looking hideous in everything. Homework was appealing because it was concrete, finite and easily controlled, unlike the rest of the universe.

Still, she was doing her best to brighten her day, and to add more exciting things to her 'to do' list. She was having waffles for breakfast, hearped with strawberries which she was taking time to slice Vs into the top of so that they looked like little hearts, and who could be sad in the face of such a breakfast? She was also hoping that if she could spend some time with Jasmine, she might feel less anxious, or even get the promise of something nice in the coming weeks to look forward to, like hair braiding or a Disney sing-along. She knew that Jasmine would probably have shopping plans with her same-age friends. But… well… maaaybe not? She could always hope.

That was one thing on the agenda, but one that she would have to work up to. There was also something perhaps more pressing. It was very hard to say... The ball was obviously very important, and dress shopping was next week, but well... Something else very key happened before the ball, and also needed preparation, and Ellie was determined to help Jasmine as much as possible with it.

When she saw the older girl, she waved cheerily, her eyes staying fixed on Jasmine in a way that indicated this was more than a passing ‘hello’ and that she would be very welcome to come and sit at the Aladren table.

13 Ellie Alperton A Princess is Always Well Prepared! (Tag Jasmine) 1456 1 5

Jasmine Delachene

March 24, 2020 5:49 PM

She is indeed! by Jasmine Delachene

Jasmine walked into the Cascade Hall a little later than she would during a school day. She wasn't one to sleep in until noon or anything, but a few extra minutes in bed on a Saturday were nice. Unfortunately, Rapunzel's example meant it didn't take long until a Tangled song playing through her mind made her feel inadequate and lazy, so then she'd have to get up. Today she was feeling a mural painting coming on in the Art MARS room, though if that was taken, she might just head right over to Music and start belting out the Disney songs that were already playing in her head. Maybe that could help exorcise Rapunzel long enough that she could maybe relax this afternoon.

Her eyes drifted over toward Aladren, absently looking for Gary, but find Ellie first. She smiled back at the younger girl, and headed over that way when the wave seemed more invitation than idle.

"Good morning, little sister," she greeted cheerfully - more cheerfully, truthfully, than she'd be with her actual little sister, but Ellie was much less likely to do crazy things like suggest they go base diving off the owlry. (Jasmine was not exactly sure what base diving was, but she'd heard the term on television once, and it sounded like something Anya would do.) Ellie was much more reasonable in her hobbies and even liked singing Disney songs with her, which Anya refused to do, even though the special effects for that was the most awesome thing the MARS magic could do.

"Any fun plans today, or would you be interested in painting murals with me in MARS Art?"

1 Jasmine Delachene She is indeed! 1397 0 5

Ellie Alperton

March 25, 2020 5:42 AM

So, about that... by Ellie Alperton

Ellie positively beamed at Jasmine’s greeting. It made her feel all kinds of good both to be identified as Jasmine’s sister and as Jasmine’s sister. She wasn’t sure if Jasmine made extra effort to use words like that around her, or whether it was just how she talked, but it was like… It was like she could always affirm who Ellie was without needing to point it out. And that was such an awesome thing to have in a friend.

As was a love of Disney things.

“Like Rapunzel?” she grinned, when Jasmine suggested mural painting. Admittedly, her own hair was not quite that long, but it hung decidedly past her shoulder blades now. Since the accidental magical growth spurt she’d given it before school started, its progress had been painstakingly naturally, but it was getting to the point where she thought most people would call it ‘long’ and it was definitely pretty. She ran a hand though it subconsciously as she mentioned the film. Jasmine knew that ‘When Will My Life Begin’ was in her all time top Disney songs. There was also the fact that she related super hard to the social isolation element too. Not that anyone had ever kept her secret. Anyone except herself that was… “I’d love to,” she grinned.

“No plans other than homework,” she added, because even though she had, in a heartbeat, agreed to the offer, that helped her circle back around to one of the other points she wanted to make. It looked like the ball, or at least its related activities, was going to push its way to the top of the list after all. “Well… and worrying about dress shopping next week. Are… are you going with Peyton again? Or did you get yours sorted over Midterm?” she asked, nowhere near as casually as she’d have liked to pull off. She rarely asked Jasmine for her time, usually allowing the older girl to come to her. And she didn’t seem to mind hanging out, not in the confines of Sonora anyway. But whether she’d want to be seen tagging around town with a second year was another thing.

13 Ellie Alperton So, about that... 1456 0 5

Jasmine Delachene

March 31, 2020 1:37 PM

Yeah? What's up? by Jasmine Delachene

Jasmine laughed, delighted that Ellie picked up the reference. She'd tried hard to train many of her other friends in the Ways of Disney, but as most of them did not have access to electronics, it was very difficult, and she was pretty sure they only knew the songs because those were only things Jasmine could reproduce in their entirety here at school. "Exactly like Rapunzel," she agreed. Then she smiled back when Ellie confirmed she'd love to join her. "Perfect." Rapunzel had painted to pass the time while she was alone, and to decorate her own space, but Jasmine found it much more satisfying to do her mural painting in company. She wasn't a fabulous artist, but she could create a few things pretty well, and having more people join in added to the talent and variety of the mural.

Once that was settled, Ellie mentioned homework, which made Jasmine wrinkle her nose a little - it was a Saturday; homework could wait until Sunday night - but the expression smoothed out as the subject swiftly changed again to the trip to Tumbleweed next week. "I'll probably spend some of it with Peyton," she confirmed; Peyton was both her best friend and her roommate so that was basically a given even if they hadn't made concrete plans about it yet. "But I did already pick out my gown, and I'd be honored to help you look for yours, if you want." That seemed to be the direction the conversation was angling toward. She wasn't so dumb that she couldn't put those pieces together.

1 Jasmine Delachene Yeah? What's up? 1397 0 5

Ellie Alperton

April 01, 2020 4:47 AM

I need help, and so might you by Ellie Alperton

Honoured. Jasmine would be honoured to help her find a dress. It was such a big word and it made Ellie feel special, and her smile was the slightly self-conscious-but-ever-so-pleased kind.

“Just you and me, right?” she checked, because Jasmine had also talked about hanging out with Peyton. That had sounded separate but it was safer to make sure. Not that Ellie had anything against the other girl - she would have to be nice to be Jasmine’s best friend - but she didn’t know her. And whilst dress shopping might have seemed like the perfect girl bonding experience to other people… Well, Ellie wasn’t other people. She had used the word ‘worried’ to Jasmine, so hopefully she got that. But anyway, it was a whole week away, and today was supposed to be about nice things, so once Ellie had Jasmine’s reassurances that it would just be them, she moved back to more exciting subjects.

“Hey, if we’re having a painting day, we could work on your campaign posters too,” she added. She definitely hadn’t wanted to dismiss Rapunzeling as an idea, and maybe they’d be able to do both, but the posters were a little more pressing. She hadn’t raised it with Jasmine yet, but now seemed like a good time to because well… hopefully it was something where Ellie could help, and give back. This friendship was always going to have a bit of a power imbalance, but she didn’t have to be totally useless.

“I drafted some ideas over Midterm. If you needed them?” This came out as a question, because she had no idea how much Jasmine had got done already. She might have been pretty near finished… These things usually were months in the planning. Though she wasn’t sure whether she hadn’t seen much around last year because she hadn’t been looking or because it tended to be more a last minute thing. She’d only seen the ‘Vote Ivy’ booth on the actual day. Perhaps they weren’t allowed to campaign outside of that? She had sort of been expecting Jasmine to ask for her help once she needed it, but she hadn’t. Maybe she thought that Ellie wouldn’t be interested, seeing as she didn’t have a vote, but there was still loads she could do. At least, she hoped so. “If you’ve got your ideas set already I can just… help make posters. Or hand out flyers. I know I can’t vote, but I want to help. You totally deserve to be head girl.”

13 Ellie Alperton I need help, and so might you 1456 0 5

Jasmine Delachene

April 01, 2020 7:17 AM

Wait, what? by Jasmine Delachene

"Just us," Jasmine promised. "At least for the dress shopping part. Some of my friends have little sisters, too. After the shopping, maybe we could all hit a museum together or something?" Museums weren't really Jasmine's thing, but hanging out with her friends was, and she wasn't sure what else there was to do in Tumbleweed. And sometimes museums could be fun, if you did them with friends instead of Uncle Daniel.

And then Ellie spoke and all Jasmine could do was sort of stare at her in some magical cross between wonder and pleased surprise and the greatest compliment anyone ever gave her. And she was her Mom's favorite, so she was no stranger to compliments.

"Wow, that's, thank you," she managed to get out of her mouth. "Hugs?" she invited holding her arms open in invitation to the younger girl.

"I - wow," she said again, "I wasn't really planning to campaign," she admitted. In truth, she had mostly written off Head Girl as something for people who were, well, not her. Besides which, she was friends with every girl who was also up for it, so whichever of them got it, she'd be happy for her. But she was a sixth year, too. She did have a shot at it, objectively speaking. And making campaign posters might even be kind of fun. "It's gotta be a clean campaign, though. No hating on the other girls. They're all my friends."

1 Jasmine Delachene Wait, what? 1397 0 5

Ellie Alperton

April 02, 2020 5:11 AM

Vote you! by Ellie Alperton

“That sounds fun,” Ellie agreed, when Jasmine mentioned getting a mixed big and little sisters group together after the shopping. Assuming she didn’t feel like crawling into a corner and dying after the process. She sort of trusted that Jasmine would exempt her if that proved to be the case, and it would definitely be good to try making those plans because she for sure needed some friends her own age too. After next year, Jasmine would be gone. At least she would have Seth by then. They were not really full substitutes for each other, and Ellie would definitely need some girly friends, but there would at least be that continuity of a sibling presence. Seth was like Jasmine in the way that he always had her back.

Hopefully they would also be seeing Jasmine’s time at Sonora end on a high. She seemed surprised but super flattered by Ellie’s vote of confidence (even if that was the only type she got) and her offer to help.

“You’re welcome,” Ellie smiled, leaning in to offer an enthusiastic hug. Ellie was definitely an Aladren. She loved to learn, and she felt right at home in the library. She was also never going to let anyone stop her being who she wanted to be. But she also felt like there wasn’t any better feeling than making someone you really liked feel happy.

She broke off and dug in her bag for the relevant notebook, having come prepared. Jasmine had seemed surprised at the idea of campaigning but not against it.

“Of course,” she nodded, wide-eyed when Jasmine pointed out the need for a clean fight. Ellie was worldly enough to know that politicians sometimes lied, trash-talked their opponents or did otherwise unsavoury things, but naive enough to assume it was rare, or at least confined to Republicans.

“So, I made some sketches over Midterm,” she explained, pulling out the Merida notebook and hoping Jasmine would take it as a compliment. Merida was far, far more like Anya in temperament, but she was easily the most political of the princesses. She flicked it open so Jasmine could see. There was a mindmap at the front divided into ‘personal qualities’ (from which branches read ‘kindness, inclusion, enthusiasm, well-presented’) ‘motifs’ (jasmine flowers, rainbows, crowns).

“I’m not saying the other girls don’t have those qualities too,” she added, “Ruby’s nice as well,” she added loyally, as they had got on well enough during the challenges. She didn’t think it was unfair of Jasmine to claim them though. They were all true, and every politician claimed to be good and honest, with the best intentions. So long as she didn’t claim the others weren’t, Ellie didn’t see the harm in it. “Are there any other things you’d want to add?” she asked. “The poster designs are after. The first few are rough drafts, or rather elements you can pick and mix from,” she wasn’t sure, for example, how Jasmine would feel about using the rainbow motifs. “I did my best to combine them all into one design, but you can mix things around, or we can break it into a few different posters if you think it’s too cluttered or want something different,” she added, holding it out so Jasmine could inspect it at her leisure. Each page had a neatly drawn poster idea, with various of the elements from the first page in different styles and combinations. These came together on the last filled in page with a poster that bore a large pink crown in the top third with the slogan ‘Democratically elect a princess’ above it and ‘Vote Jasmine’ underneath. Below this were several bullet points indicated by small rainbow circles

‘Jasmine Delachene:
- Is fair and open minded
- Works to include everyone
- Is well presented and responsible’

“Why weren’t you planning to do anything?” Ellie asked. “TI saw that ‘Vote Ivy’ guy last year but I guess I missed the rest. What else do people usually do?"

13 Ellie Alperton Vote you! 1456 0 5