Required Attendance -Formal Dinner

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
You called me strong, you called me weak,
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times
I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head,
If not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back
On solid ground

It was the night of the formal dinner, and Lily was wearing a soft green dress. Formal dinners were held every other Saturday night, and students were required to attend. Her dress flowed around her, it was halter, with an empire waist. Underneath the bust was a belt of crystal that glimmered in the candle light. No one was here yet, except for the teachers, who sat in the front of the room. Round tables that seated six were scattered around the room. Lily waved to Shiloh, or as she should call him tonight, Professor Malixi. Earlier, she'd texted Kinkade to meet her in their usual spot, in the center of the room.

Walking around the dining room, she noted that the center pieces were the one she'd pointed out to her grandfather. They were bouquets of white calla lillies and dune grass artfully arranged in crystal. The formal dinners were exactly that - formal. Tuxedos and floor length dresses were required. Nothing risque like plunging neckline were allowed, all students had been given photos of examples of what they were required to wear. Sitting down in one of the mahogany chairs, she listened to the music that was playing while she waited for Kins. It was Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. The piano was calming, and Lily relaxed. She'd always found herself worrying that somehow her secret would slip at one of these dinners. Either that or that Grandfather would show up. It wasn't like she was scared of him, just nervous whenver they were in the same room with other students, except Kins.

[Kinkade Cymir Malixi]

KINKADE
_{congratulations
is that seat taken?
i'd like to give
you something}

Formal dinner? No sweat. As long as the big man provided food, Kinkade Malixi was not one to complain. And, as with his pajamas, he was convinced he looked positively dashing. Any clothes for a special occasion, in his mind, made him look good. He wore his nicest black dress shirt and a solid black suit with a red vest. His shoes, though, were just tempting someone to kick him out. They were solid black Vans- hardly formal footwear. Maybe no one would notice?

Kinkade walked from the dinning hall in the opposite direction of Shiloh (who, much to his dismay, had walked to the room with him) and had found himself making sure he was ready; what an odd thing. To be walking down the hallway, checking the spikes of his hair and the buttons of his vest! But surely he was, so he returned to the room. There Shiloh was, way up there in front. Kinkade kept his gaze away from his father as he walked along the aisle of empty tables. Familiar faces sat in this room now without all the kids. It wasn't the teachers in front that got the youth to pause with a mischievous grin. Only one could do that. The pause of recognition was seconds before he wrapped his arms around his friend, capturing her in the chair.

"Rawr,

[/color]"Kins murmured softly. Then he chuckled and let go. "Can I sit here?[/color]"he gestured to the seat at her right. Kins was fairly certain she would say yes, that his place hadn't been given out to someone else, but he was compelled to ask her permission anyway just to make sure.[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Lillian Alexis Keller]

Lily Keller
You called me strong, you called me weak,
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times
I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head,
If not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back
On solid ground

Lily smiled when Kalai put his arms around her. "Why would I let you sit here Kinkade Malixi? Lily teased, faking like she didn't care for Kins. Truth was that it was the opposite, she liked Kinkade, a lot. Grinning up at Kins, she said"Of course you can sit here. You are my best friend, you know."

[/color] Other students trickled in slowly in their finery. Arrogant fire manipulators made some of the candles flare up, and plant manipulators changed some of the flowers odd colors. Teachers rushed about, trying to put an end to the shenanigans. Lily stood up so that she and Kinkade were equal. Leaning forward, she gave him a hug, and pushed her nervousness towards him, and the reason why. The fall equinox was coming up soon.

The fall equinox meant that the teachers would meet, and students would go to watch the lights that came out of the fifth floor. Occasionally, she would be up in her room during the meetings, trying to see if she could pick up any information. After she graduated next year, Lily would be allowed to those meetings. It was a priviledge some graduates had, those children of the staff. When Kinkade graduated, he too would have access. Pulling out of the embrace, she smiled at Kinkade. "Meet me in my room after the dinner. Tell Shiloh you're visiting me in the fifth. I wanna talk to you about that." Lily didn't mean her dorm room, she meant her permanent bedroom on the fifth floor. Kinkade had one too-all students of the staff did, Lily just used hers more than most did.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/left]

[Kinkade Cymir Malixi]

KINKADE
_{congratulations
is that seat taken?
i'd like to give
you something}

It was sort of humbling, talking with Lily. Even when she was only kidding, she seemed to prove to him that he wasn't quite as cool as he made himself out to be. It was one of the things he liked best about her because it meant he couldn't just lead her around. There were far too many people just going with whatever they were told. But not Lily. For that, he admired her. He smiled as she confirmed that he could sit beside her. Perfect. His attention left her momentarily as he noticed the fire manipulators, then the flowers. The fire manipulators made him smile to himself; Shiloh was probably panicked, though Kinkade was sure he was hiding it well.

Lily's emotions brought him back to the moment at hand. Nervousness? Why? Well, knowing Lily, he could guess that it could be any number of things, including being here now with her grandfather likely to show. Instead he got the impression that it was something else entirely. The Fall equinox? Right, that was nearing, wasn't it? He tried to smile reassuringly.

"Mhhm,

[/color]"Kinkade nodded in acknowledgment to her charge. Whatever she had to say about the equinox, he was sure it was going to be interesting.[/center][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[River Tam]

**give me the wings to fly**

A grumbling River steps into the room, her floor-length dress-- black, of course-- dragging slightly behind her. She doesn’t bother to pick it up, as it hides her shoes. Her only shoes, in fact. Her leather boots. Her brown hair falls around her shoulders in gentle waves. She might look pretty, if not for the frown of displeasure at being forced to attend this dinner smeared across her face. It’s a good thing she had something formal.

She drops into the nearest chair, setting one of her elbows on the table and propping her chin on top of her hand. She checks her watch, an old relic she took from home, and begins to count the seconds until she can get out of here.

**and the courage to fall**

[Christina Ann Robins]

:::::::::::::::::

"It's the kingdom's dance! Hear the cellos sing, and the violins ring."

:::::::::::::::::

Robin appeared next, surprised that she hadn't tripped yet. Dresses were okay, sure. You just can't exactly climb in them, or run, or dance, or hide, or--Anyways, Robin had therefore chosen a dark-brown dress, that hardly skimmed the floor. It was long, flowy, put defiantly did not poof outward like most dresses. It didn't hinder movement at all-- unless you were Robin of course. She rubbed her half-bare arms up to the point where the sleeves met her fore-arm, and took several tentative steps into the ball-room.

People jostled her left and right, as Robin became more and more increasingly distracted by the eerie echo that filled the room, just barely noticeable behind the increasingly loud laughter and chattering of the students. Another guy hit her head on in the shoulder, sending her spiraling away and teetering on one foot. Shaking her head, Robin pulled herself back to her senses, and began to weave her way through the crowd towards a clump of artificial trees in pots that was relatively deserted. Just as she reached the trees, though a seemingly natural homing device kicked in and she veered sharply to the left-- quickly picking up speed and swiftly leaping in between students and teachers and tables of all kinds.

Faster, faster, faster-- THERE!

A polished black piano. Now there's where the echo was coming from! Robin abruptly halted in a clearing where the mass of people had dispersed. A finely-clad pianist's who's fingers flew across the keys like they were nothing. Robin's normally/terribly active mind quieted as if it was a roaring flame suddenly diminished to a candle. She simply stood there. Watched. Listened. Awed.

[Saiyuki Takafumi]

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If you do not hope
then you will not find what is beyond your hopes.
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He didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all. He wasn’t even social, so why did he even have to attend this stupid dinner? He didn’t like people…He wasn’t very social, especially when it came to making small talk with people. He just didn’t fit in with the rest of the crowd. He fiddled with his tie, which he felt like was choking him, and then looked around him. He wasn’t really sure what to do at this point. He felt alone, and was very afraid of people.

He listened to the music that was being supplied by the pianist while he waited for someone to announce that dinner was ready or at least something that would let him leave. He was so shy and self-conscious. All he could think about was what others thought of him, and if they liked him. He wanted to make friends badly, but he was way too shy and bashful to get up the courage to actually talk to anyone. He wondered who he was going to sit next to at dinner. He only hoped that it was someone nice. If he got lucky, the person wouldn’t speak at all. He hated small talk.


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WORDS: 201

[Pierre Antoine Giroux]

I’m told that people like to call us dreamers
Because we won’t ever stop until we’ve done all we can do
There are so many things I haven’t seen
So I’ll look ’till I just can’t look no more

Pierre smoothed down his suit one more time. It was a bit more red than he would have like, but at the moment he had no nice black one that he could use for such a formal occasion. He made a note to go to town and get one as soon as possible. He licked his hand and slicked back his bangs, but they popped right down again. Er. Oh well.

He trotted down the stairs and through the double doors to the Grand Ballroom, wincing slightly. Also on his list; dress shoes that fitted properly. Why couldn't he wear his runners? Seriously, he wore formal nearly everyday already, like he was Mormon or something.

He realized again when he walked into the Ballroom just how few people he knew at this school, despite the two months he spent here at the end of the previous year. Ah, well. There were a few faces he knew- River, for example- they had talked once or twice- and Sai over there, his roommate, and there was Kinkade and Lily, faces he barely knew, despite the fact one of them roomed with him. He let his eyes wander- the music was pretty good, though not a favorite piece of his.


He didn't really feel like talking, so he wandered.