Enchanted Aquatica---the Prom [WIDE OPEN Y'ALL]

[starbolts]

The day had finally arrived for her big event, and Starfire couldn't be happier---or more nervous, actually. She was certainly not an expert on the inner workings of a prom, but it couldn't be too terribly complicated, right? As long as the people could eat, dance, and talk, it should be a reasonable success.

With that in mind, her decorations sprung from her mind into the large dome all around her, transforming a grey Sensorium into a beautiful underwater world, one with clear waters and free from the possibility of a shark attack.

The first change was the scent of the air, shifting into the comforting salty scent of the seas. Then the ground beneath her feet became a hardened sandstone, maintaining the gritty texture while remaining easy to walk upon---except for the smooth dance floor, of course. The grey dome transformed into a flowing bluish-green, rippling all around with fish of all colors passing in the background. Some of the 'sky' faded into a violet tone over the dance floor, lit by glowing circular lights in every color. Suspended in midair, they almost looked like motionless fireflies, though they sometimes swayed in tune with songs.

Tables arose from coral in all colors, rising from the ground and twisting to provide a flattened surface on the very top---rounded ones for guests, and long tables off to the side containing shell-bowls of food. Chairs were large floating clam shells with well cushioned interiors, some large enough to hold two people. More comfortable spongy places to sit were also littered across the area, notably by the large shell-shaped enclosure that was the promised swimming pool. It too was lit by the floating lights, providing what she hoped was a romantic atmosphere.

Finally, the glowing stage above the dance floor couldn't help but attract attention with its chairs. Six royal thrones and one plush chair of all colors directly in the middle rested in the back of the stage, leaving the front open for announcements. Just off to the side of the stage stood the DJ's table, with even that machine painted to match the soft underwater glow of the scenery.

Everything finally seemed pleasing to Starfire. With one last change, dressing herself in the formal attire of the prom, she sent out the signal to everyone and waited. She hoped they would have a wonderful time.

Comments

CROWNING

[starbolts]

The results of the voting for the royal court are in, and there may be a surprise or two in store...

(This subthread will open when Starfire makes another post. We'll have the announcements of winners, crownings, speeches, prizes, perhaps a dance, and...disaster. Just wait.)

Welcome/Princes and Princesses

[starbolts]

((Everyone can place their reactions in these subthreads, have at it!))

After some time on the dance floor, Starfire waved her hand for attention. When that didn't seem to work, she waved both hands. When not even flickering the lights work, she let out a dreadful sound---one that she would describe as a Tamaranean yodel if asked.

"Hello everyone!" she yelled, drawing the lights back upon center stage. "I hope you have all enjoyed our festivities so far. It is my wish that the music was pleasing, the pool was comfortable, and the food was to your liking. Do not worry, prom is not over and will not end for a while longer, but we have the royal court to introduce! If you are called, please sit upon the thrones I show to you. You will each be offered the microphone when you are called, though you may refuse it. When I have called everyone, the royal dance will begin!"

She gestured to the thrones beside her---two dark silver and one light silver on one side, and two bronze and one gold on the other side. The silver and gold took center stage.

When everyone had seen their places, she lifted three large envelopes. "The names of our royalty are inside these envelopes. They were printed and sealed by an automated program, so I have not seen their contents. It will be a surprise to everyone, so let us begin with our princes and princesses! If any do not appear, I will allow the next person to take their place."

Without further ado, she opened the first envelope. "Our princes are...Shoutarou Hidari and Zuko! Please welcome them."

Time was given to them, and then the princess paper was uncovered. "Our princesses are...Kaya, please welcome her! And..."

She stared at the paper for a few moments. It had to be a mistake. "...myself?"

Nevertheless, it was time. Everyone on stage was given crowns and capes that somewhat matched their costumes, and then they were allowed to speak if they wished.

[starbolts]

Starfire needed another moment or two to believe it. Was she truly...

"I...did not believe that I was best, but I will accept the nomination," she bowed, awkwardly trying to fit the items on herself. Capes were tricky---no wonder she didn't have one on her hero costume.

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Luckily, Kaya had found her dress and out it on after that very interesting dip in the pool. When the court was called to order, she was just straightening the hem of her dress when she heard her name called out. She froze a moment, hardly believing what she heard. She definitely looked startled, then looked over at Nokosi, giving him an apologetic look, and walked over to put on the crown and the cape.

She was definitely flushed, but there was a very pleased smile on her face.

[starbolts]

Starfire gave her friend a crushing hug of congratulations. "I told you that you would be our princess," she whispered, smiling at her and then at the crowd. "You have a prince to return to soon, though, yes?"

[puny-parker.livejournal.com]

There was a highs pitched whistle from Peter's spot on the floor, and a whole lot of clapping.

"Way to go Starfire!"

[starbolts]

She had definitely been longing to hear that. Starfire cheered, waving to him from the stage. For a moment she wanted to run down to him and celebrate, but then she remembered: she was running this ceremony and could do whatever she pleased.

"I am not a princess without a prince," she insisted, flying over to wrap her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

[thisclinchesit]

Hopefully there is no one with easily-stained clothing within several feet of Shoutarou, because when he hears his name called, he promptly expels a fine mist of punch and sputters.

"Wh-what?!"

[radiantcourage.livejournal.com]

Hoshi grinned when Shoutarou's name was called and she did her best to conceal her laughter.

"Go on, get up there!" she said, trying to portray a look of innocence in this matter.

[thisclinchesit]

There was a good several moments where Shou tried to process this, though he eventually goes up to the stage.

Man, this is awkward. Thankfully he was too caught off-guard to notice Hoshi's attempts at feigning innocence.

Jester

[starbolts]

When the noise had died down and Starfire had finally had a crown that fit crammed on her head, she waved a newfound scepter for silence. "Yes, thank you for your enthusiasm, but we must continue! Our next member of the court is the jester, a wonderful individual who lords over the merriment of all. We have had some difficulties with this vote, but a conclusion has finally been reached. Please welcome Lord Zedd!"

Re: Jester

[morphitudinous]

If anyone heard a thumping sound by then, it would be Billy smacking his head against the nearest table---then wincing at how much that hurt. They had really been foolish enough to mock Lord Zedd? Really?

Someone was going to die today, and it was probably going to be Billy. He didn't look forward to this disaster at all.

King and Queen

[starbolts]

Finally, when the laughter (and fright) had died down, Starfire raised her hands for silence once more.

"Please, we are almost finished! The final envelope contains the name of our king and queen," she smiled, gesturing at the beautiful golden and silver thrones behind her. "They will also own scepters and select their own music for the dance. Let us find out who our royalty will be!"

She lifted the envelope, peeked inside, and puzzled over it for a moment. The scores were...identical for two of the pairs, and they were at the top. How unusual. But there was only one king and one queen, yes?

Did it have to be that way? She remembered Blackfire, the sister who had taken sole rule of Tamaran, and made a little face. No, perhaps it was better for rule to be shared. That was why there were so many councilors, yes? Both couples had fairly won, and it would be an injustice to deny the crowns to one of them.

"It seems that we have a tie in the votes," she started. "Two couples have received an identical number, each higher than any other. They have both won, and we will invite two more to the royal table!"

With a clap of her hands, the original king and queen thrones pressed together and a second pair appeared next to them. This pair was decorated in a shining black and white, ready for the new kings and queens.

"Our first king and queen of the gold and silver chairs are...Negi Springfield and Sasami Masaki Jurai!" Starfire yelled, thrilled for her dear friend and her Negi-kun. "Our second king and queen, of the black and white chairs, are...Billy Cranston and Ronnae Ryllos!" The princess of ceremonies waved eagerly to Ronnae and the boy who must be her lover. He must be shy...like her.

It was time to come up for their somewhat more involved crowning ceremonies.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae had been applauding eagerly through most of the ceremony, specially happy for Kaya and Starfire's crownings. And having to comfort and soothe Billy when his nemesis was made the jester. She was sure it would make him stress having him around loved ones and such.

At the mention of the king and queen her body tensed up and she felt incredibly nervous. When she heard the names that were spoken out loud wasn't hers, she let out a sigh of relief, smiling now that it was over and clapping happily for the couple... or was it over?

The mention of there being two couples that won had gone completely over her head and she had thought it had ended... until the mention of her name and Billy's. When the attention went to her small spot besides him, she could feel the rush of warmth that covered her entire face and she knew she was blushing incredibly.

It was a bit too much, too fast and she found herself inching a bit behind Billy as her nerves over the situation seemed to be getting the better of her. Her gaze moved from the ground and slightly up, not wanting to raise her head to look at the group. Her? Queen? There must have been a mistake...

[morphitudinous]

Billy had felt relief and a twinge of disappointment when the names called weren't theirs---at first. Sure, reading his letter would have been wonderful, and dancing in all that finery could have been an interesting challenge, but spotlights were intimidating.

He wrapped his fingers around Ronnae's for support, walking hand and hand up the steps. Their exuberant host was all too happy to hug them as she draped the capes over their shoulders and planted the bigger crowns on their heads: white for Ronnae and black for Billy, with twin blue gems in the center. When the bubbly girl was done fussing over them, they were brought to center stage beside Sasami and Negi to wave at the crowd for a moment---then, the opportunity to say things would begin.

"It's hardly believable, isn't it?" he whispered to her, smiling at the sight of her in all that silver.

Re: King and Queen

[saint-sami.livejournal.com]

Sasami was a little unsure that she heard right. She won? She... actually won something? This... this was incredible!

"Negi... Negi-kun, I won! W-We won! We did it!" Sasami said, excited. " I... I don't believe this! We... we..."

The excitement was a little bit more than too much for her. A few moments later, Sasami promptly fainted from it all.

Re: King and Queen

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

Fortunately Negi was behind her to catch her and he sighed. "Well this is a first. What does a prom king do anyhow?"

SPEECH?

[starbolts]

Jockeying for the mic began soon afterward, and all on the stage were invited to say a few words.

[morphitudinous]

'King' Billy stood to the side of the stage for a few moments, muttering the words he'd written a few times. They were clear in his head, and he hoped they would be clear to the crowd as well. When he was ready, he folded the paper, tucked it back into his jacket, and took center stage.

"Good evening," he greeted quietly, tentative at first. It was so strange to him, putting his feelings on display for the whole dance to see. "I hope you're all having a great time, and I have to say....back on Earth I never thought I'd be a prom king. At home, I was the nerd in the background. You're probably thinking that 'nothing's changed', and you'd be correct. I'm still just as fascinated by science to the point that I sometimes have trouble with social interaction, and I still don't meet the mold, but something's changed."

He took a moment to turn his loving gaze to Ronnae, crediting the woman responsible for the transformation.

"I only had five friends to rely on back then, but I was still recovering from my childhood. It was difficult to let anyone close to me, but...you've all lent a hand. My friends and family," he whispered, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. Kaya, of course, with Nokosi. All the Rangers present. Hoshi, Kang, his other companions, all the friendly faces he saw. Very pointedly not-Zedd. Instead, his thoughts lingered on the loved ones who were no longer present. They were part of his growth as well.

"You nudged, nagged, and dragged me into accepting new friendships, and you've succeeded. That then led to one of the best surprises I've had since arriving," he smiled broadly, squeezing Ronnae's hand. "Your white queen of the prom, Queen Ronnae, unexpectedly joined my department and my life.

With her beside him, he could easily continue onward. "At first, I thought we were going to be colleagues...then friends...but after several mishaps that always seemed to involve our faces coming together, I realized we might just be falling for each other. By the time we were 'wed' on Gondepetil, I knew it had already happened. She's just impossible to resist...kind, powerful, beautiful, and most importantly, a clever inventor who knows what she's doing with a wrench," he laughed. "I'd never survive in a relationship with someone without those skills."

He looked at the crowd once more, then Ronnae's face. Surely everyone wanted him to be getting on with it. "You'll want me to wrap up by now, so I'll just say it's my great honor to dance with her tonight, to go home with her, and to love her. Thank you all," he finished, stepping back from the spotlight. His hand reached for Ronnie's, fingers tracing her hand in what he hoped was a calming gesture.

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae didn't know what to expect for this part. Billy had assured her it wasn't as bad as she thought, she was amongst friends and friendly comrades that had always looked out for each other and for them. So as she stood beside her King, the last thing she was thinking about hearing, was the sweet, emotional and passionate confession he greeted the prom goers with.

As he gestured towards her, that sweet, beaming, confident smile, she couldn't help but feel a swelling in her heart for him. As he continued on, filling the room and stage with the emotionally heavy words, she couldn't help but feel the building pressure in her chest. Already, her face was hot to the touch from her tell-tale blushing, and the tears that now hugged the contour of her cheeks glinted in the spotlight.

She almost couldn't contain her emotions, her eyes glossy with the tears of joy his words brought and still bright and emotional as she stood proudly at his side. Even if her instinct was to hide from the crowd, her feelings and overwhelmed emotions urged her to be there, as his Queen, as his friend, as his lover.

When he held her hand comfortingly, she could feel she was shaking a bit, but the timid smile that adorned her face was beaming with happiness and fully passionate emotions for him. This much was clear.

Of course, she wouldn't be able to speak to the crowd that was present, he was made plenty sure to leave her speechless... but she didn't mind. Right now, all she needed was him by her side and their hearts together in harmony.

Re: SPEECH?

[not-edd.livejournal.com]

It was more than hopeful that the crew was hoping Zedd would show up, humiliated from being chosen as a jester. They were disappointed when an almost conga line of monsters showed up to take the stage. One of them, a lizard-like creature, snagged the mic.

"Hey, uh, hate to break it to you, boys, but the boss has better things to do than be your little playtoys!" he said.

"Yeah, seriously, what kind of moron decides to mock Lord Zedd?" a second, an ape-like creature said, snatching the mic.

"I can't wait for the day when Lord Zedd rules over you!" a third, a bird-like creature said, snatching the mic itself.

"C'mon, let's go raid the snack foods!" the lizard creature said, the bird creature tossing the mic aside and running out.

Re: SPEECH?

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Kaya got up from the throne. Billy had said quite a bit, and it would be hard to top what he said, but she would do her best. She cleared her throat, but she would do her best.

"Thank you for this honor: I only came here to enjoy my first prom, I never expected this to happen. But I want to say: you all have made life on this ship better. It could be bad, and there have been many people we had to say goodbye to. But they all have made memories I'll always remember, and this one? I wouldn't trade it for anything. No matter what happens from here on in, I'll always remember this, with all of you here, and hope we can make many more wonderful memories. Now, let's have fun!"

She smiled at Billy and Ronnae, then Negi and Sasami and Shoutarou and Zuko, and then she gave a pointed look at Nokosi.

DANCE

[starbolts]

The royal court opens the royal dance, led by the kings and queens. Good luck.

Re: DANCE

[kaya-waterwave.livejournal.com]

Kaya chose this moment to walk over to Nokosi, crown and cape and all, extending her hands. This had been fun, and she was more than happy to be given this honor, but the night wouldn't be complete without dancing, one of her favorite hobbies.

"Might I have this dance, good sir?" She asked, giving him a polite curtsy.

[nokosi.livejournal.com]

He returned her curtsy with a bow of his own before grasping her hands and flashing her a cheery grin. "Yes you may, but I might question why it is that that one of this ocean's princesses decided that they would want to dance with one of us of the common sea life."

This would probably end up both great and terrible, and he was going to be happy either way. Of all the dances that he poured over at the media library, one in particular caught his eye. Swing dancing from one of the many, many records of an 'Earth'. He wasn't very good at it yet, but damn it if he didn't have the deftness and energy to pull off some of those moves.

Hopefully Kaya did, too.