VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE

[finchmods]

VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE

The red carpet has been rolled out at Finchwood, and the decor does its best to distract you from the fact that this is still taking place in the gym. Banners proclaim that this is the Oscars ceremony, and for the first part of the dance freshmen mob the red carpet. [Character A] answers the freshman reporter's questions with grace as camera flashes go off in the background. [Character B] on the other hand says or does something terribly embarrassing by accident, which a freshman paparazzi catches on camera.

Inside there are elegant tables to the left, a dance floor and stage to the right. Once everyone is settled, Venus Rosales and Neal Valentine take the stage as the hosts of tonight's award ceremony! They give a banter-filled speech about how the night will go, and wish all these talented actors and actresses luck! Thalia Mitchell (and their band/partner if applicable) gets the night started with a cover of a Hollywood classic, and now it's time to party!

Throughout the night, Sabrina Lane is continuously assailed by paparazzi freshman who didn't get the memo that they only had to play this part for the first few minutes. Meanwhile [Character E] visits the refreshments table where Rose Chapman is "bartending", whether or not they have clearance. The drink they make is... suspect. Gross.

After the awards are given out, students file out of the gym in their fancy dress. The night is cold but clear, and the stars overhead are bright. Their lives might be complicated, but tonight was very silly and simple.

HOW THIS WORKS

• The theme of the dance is old Hollywood glamour! The dance begins at 7:00 PM and ends at 11:30 PM. Then everyone must return to their dorms.


• At the end of the night, some students will be awarded Oscars if they pose for photos! The categories are: Best actress, best supporting actress, best actor, and best supporting actor! These will be chosen via RNG. Just make sure you reply to the Nominee Photo Op header to qualify! ♥ (You must have replied to this header by Monday, February 18th at 11:59pm CST.)


• There is a "bar" where student council members and volunteers are making mocktails for the guests. While none of it is alcoholic, the drinks are served in cute glasses with convinging garnishes. The menu is:
  1. Cupid's Kiss. Hibiscus, strawberry, and seltzer.
  2. Bee's Knees. Honey, lavender, and lemonade.
  3. Green Light. A cucumber cooler with mint and tarragon.
  4. Casablanca. Rosemary, pear juice, and ginger beer.
  5. Leading Lady. Mixed fruits in mixed fruit juice, garnished with cinnamon.
  6. Golden Globes. Raspberry, mango, and lemon sorbet in Sprite.
  7. Shirley Temple. Ginger ale, grenadine, and a maraschino cherry.
  8. Tall Dark and Handsome. This is chocolate milk in a martini glass.
• All night, the music played is from Hollywood's golden age, and the lighting is dim and romantic. A plush red carpet leads to the stage, and the dance floor around it is mellow and romantic.


• One corner of the dance has a projector set up as a tiny theater, with chairs set up in rows. On the projector, movies like Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Singin' In The Rain are being screened.

» Before the Dance: It's time to get ready! Be sure you look your most glam for the red carpet.

» The Red Carpet: Students arriving at the dance must walk down a red carpet, lined with freshmen asking them questions about their relationship and taking tons of photos. Awkward!

» The Bar: Just inside and to the left, there's the reprieve of a bar and table. Sadly, no real alcohol is being served, unless you slipped a flask in to spike your mocktail.

» The Dance Floor: Classic romantic songs play through the speakers tonight. It's not a very up-tempo dance, but it sure is classy.

» Movie Screening: Would you rather enjoy a Casablanca than cut a rug? This tiny makeshift theater is for you. The movies are being projected on a white sheet, and chairs have been arranged in front of it.

» Nominee Photo Op: Anyone who poses for a photo on stage, be it alone, with their date or in a group, could win an award tonight!

» Awards: And the Oscar goes to...

» Around Campus: Some people have decided to opt out of the dance, so they're free to enjoy the quieter-than-usual campus.

» The end of the night: It's been a long, fun night, but it's time to rest.

» OOC - Discussion

Comments

Venus & Hadlee

[trailerparkprincess]

Hadlee gets a bit of water on the tissue before she starts to dab under Venus's eyes, careful, focused, and silent as she works. After she's content that she's gotten any bleeding mascara or eyeliner cleaned up, she leans back a little to take stock of the situation. It's much better than it was, though nothing will help the redness in the other girl's eyes.

"You only like bitches," Hadlee says, so evenly it doesn't sound like a judgement of either of Venus or the other girls.

Venus & Hadlee

[knockyouout]

Venus wouldn't call Sabrina and Marina bitches, but she doesn't bother with disagreeing out loud. She knows Hadlee's trying to make her feel better, and trash talking the other girls is the easiest way to do that. She wishes she felt better, but she doesn't. "I had bad taste in guys, too," she says instead, a little too flatly to sound like a joke.

She purses her lips for a second, checks her reflection, and fixes a bobby pin in her hair.

"Do I look alright?" she asks.

Venus & Hadlee

[trailerparkprincess]

"Maybe it's just a phase?" Hadlee's voice goes up in a way that suggests this is a joke, and she manages a little smile, too, but she doesn't have a lot of faith in it landing. It's not fair that they're both miserable right now, but she doesn't really know what to do about it.

She reaches out to right one of Venus's sleeves. "You look beautiful."

There's a moment where Hadlee hesitates, then sighs, then looks in the mirror herself and adds, "Nobody likes me, either, so. You've got me, at least."

Venus & Hadlee

[knockyouout]

Or maybe there's something wrong with me, she thinks, also turning back to the mirror so she can fiddle with her earrings. She just wants to like someone who likes her back. She doesn't know why that has to be so hard.

But she's not so self-absorbed that she can't pay attention to Hadlee's problems, too. She sounds sad, and Venus doesn't like it. Her stomach feels like it's tying up in knots, and she's not even the one that made Hadlee sad this time.

"Did Noah leave?" she asks, not looking away from her own reflection.

Venus & Hadlee

[trailerparkprincess]

"...I'm sorry. About Sabrina."

Hadlee runs her pinkie finger along the lower line of her bottom lip, trying to smooth out the edge of her lipstick even though it looks fine. Her eyes are entirely focused on herself in the mirror as well, and she feels suddenly incredibly frustrated with her appearance. She should have worn her hair up. She should have picked a different shade of lipstick. She resists the urge to pull out her earrings and toss them in the sink.

"And yeah, Noah's gone. At least he told me he was leaving." But he said he'd be back, and so far... well, he hasn't been. And she's not about to text him to ask him where he is.

Venus & Hadlee

[knockyouout]

Venus just shakes her head. "I should've known better," she says, sounding a little brisker than she did before. Hadlee's right; she looks fine, and if she can keep it together for fifteen minutes nobody will even be able to tell that she was snotty-nosed and red-eyed.

"He's dumb for ditching you," she adds, maybe a little hypocritically. She'd lost track of Sabrina earlier in the night and hasn't made a huge effort to find her again, even if they are technically still here together. Venus isn't a very good date.

Venus & Hadlee

[trailerparkprincess]

Hadlee gives a weak, lopsided shrug, the gesture covering her feelings on both of the things Venus has said. She feels like the other girl was naive about Sabrina, but she's not going to say it outright. Still, she's not going to refute it, either.

"It sucks for you, regardless. And he's got other things to do, so. Not like I can expect undivided attention." Not when Eli's got him hooked again, a thought that makes her feel very sick, suddenly. She turns to Venus.

"Let's just go. Neal can do the rest of whatever, right?"

Venus & Hadlee

[knockyouout]

"Oh... but," she begins, tossing a glance over her shoulder at the rest of the party. Neal isn't as charming as she is on stage, and she worked so hard planning this dance and all its dumb activities.

But she also doesn't want to be here any more than Hadlee does, and she works hard on every dance, and other people ditch on them halfway through the evening every time. Nobody will care if you're not here, she tells herself, but it only makes her feel worse.

"Alright, yeah," she agrees. "Let's get out of here."

Venus & Hadlee

[trailerparkprincess]

Honestly, Hadlee hadn't expected Venus to say yes, so when she does she blinks, and seems at a little bit of a loss. Maybe it's just her mood that had her so sure she'd get rejected.

"Ok. Let's wipe off our makeup and put on masks or something," she finally says before she reaches out for the other girl's hand. She knows she should probably tell her to tell Sabrina she's leaving, but... well, she's allowed to be petty sometimes, right?

"We'll feel better when we're away from the dance."