Oops this one turned out longer than expected, too, but I had to fit it all into one chapter or everything would be ruined lol. BUT! More impressively I managed to feature every character without needing page breaks, and I think think that's a feat in itself. I'm tired of constantly having to cut off the story in weird places. One or two a chapter is fine, but I was using like five XD
So I actually wanted to update this yesterday, but couldn't pull it together, then today turned into the day that like EVERYTHING went wrong, so I'm not sure if it's Mercury Retrograde like my sister says or if it's the universe not being happy with me for falling through with my commitments. Either way, not taking any chances so enjoy! Thank you Eternal Nexus Warrior, Starling Cosmos, and GinMado for reviewing! My inbox suddenly blew up with reviews just recently and it really made my day :D
I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.
Stella marveled at herself as she twirled around in front of her full-length mirror, thrilled to finally, finally be in something that wasn't yellow.
Okay, in fairness, on weekends she got to wear whatever she wanted, but ever since coming to Elite her schedule had been so full, she'd mostly spent weekends in doing homework, wearing sweatpants and other comfy clothes. That didn't count.
Stella rocked a bright green high-low dress with a wildly poofy skirt and corset back. Sparkling silver swirls concentrated around the sweetheart neckline, dissipating toward the bottom of the bodice. She slid on open-toed strappy silver heels that drew attention to her legs and put on a matching silver choker and cuff bracelet.
She quickly popped in crystal chandelier earrings and readjusted her nose ring. Perfect.
She was supposed to be meeting Avari and Gin by the classrooms on the second floor, so they could all go down to the ballroom together. Lucas and Nero were getting ready on their own, but promised to meet the girls as soon as they arrived. Stella suspected it was purely because they anticipated the girls would take so much longer to get ready, and neither wanted to wait around for that.
In the end, she hadn't ended up asking King at all, choosing to stick with her friends. Her nerves had gotten the best of her, and she wasn't sure she knew him enough to be confident he'd say yes. They only shared the one class. She'd secretly been hoping he might ask her instead. She'd have a chance to see him at some point during the night anyway, she hoped. Maybe if he saw her all dressed up that would be the push he needed. He did make an effort to talk to her every class now, ever since he'd destroyed her paper. That had to mean something, unless he still felt bad about the accidental incineration.
She firmly pushed any thoughts of King out of her mind. She'd see him in time. There would be plenty of time to stress later at the dance. Right now, she had to focus on getting there.
Stella had offered to let Gin and Avari come to her room to get ready despite her grumpy roommate, but both had declined. Gin had her own dorm, so Stella couldn't blame her for wanting to take advantage of all that space. Avari seemed to consider it, but in the end chose to get ready on her own. Stella wondered if it was because she was nervous about what the Yellow Dorm students would think if they saw her there. Avari certainly wasn't inviting anyone over to her dorm.
But Stella was unbothered. She'd fixed herself up, twisting her hair into a half-up, half-down style and spritzing it with silver glitter. After locating her matching handbag, she was good to go.
Gin was already there when she made it to their rendezvous point. Gin wore a royal blue velvet dress with silver shimmer that brushed up against her ankles, showing off blue and silver pencil heels that matched flawlessly. Her accessories were also coordinated, including a glimmering silver circlet that stood out against her dark tresses.
Gin's smile lit up her entire face. "This is going to be so much fun!" she glowed. "I never got to do anything like this at my old school."
They chatted for a few minutes, complimenting each other's appearances and excitedly pondering what might happen, waiting for the third member of their party to show up. Elite Academy was about as upscale as it got; there was serious money at the school. It stood to reason a simple dance would be more over the top than any function either of them had previously attended.
"I hope she didn't change her mind," Stella said worriedly.
"She wouldn't have," Gin assured her, not sounding all that convinced herself.
They lapsed into silence. Avari was more outgoing than either of them when she was with the group, but she could just as easily become withdrawn, especially at the mention of her dorm. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that far-fetched to think she might have decided to ditch and not come after all. She was practically guaranteed to be the only poison student there.
"Looking for me?" Avari peeked around the corner of an adjacent hall and winked before coming into full view. "Did you guys seriously think I'd chicken out on this?"
Avari's long, backless mermaid dress had a deep keyhole neckline, and was brilliantly red in color. Silver beading and crystal accents beautifully decorated the fabric. Her platform silver heels were easily visible thanks to their height. As far as jewelry went, she wore silver chandelier earrings not all that different from Stella's, and lots of silver bangles on her arms. Her hair was done up in a faux hawk.
"You cannot begin to understand how happy I am to be out of purple," Avari drawled.
Stella smirked. "I think I can."
Avari linked arms with both girls. "Well come on! Let's show these people what a party's really like."
Laughing, the girls made their way toward the nearest staircase, coming up on other students making their way to the ballroom. Soon the halls were flush with students in gowns and suits of all colors.
"Looks like we aren't late," Gin said brightly.
The two enormous, gilded doors that normally shut off the ballroom from the rest of the school were wide open, students filing inside. They joined the line. Stella couldn't help trying to squeeze ahead, she was so excited. She felt as though adrenaline was rushing through her.
Getting inside didn't take long at all, but it was hard not to stand in the entryway as they stared, mouths agape. Avari had to pull both girls to the side, trying to bite back a laugh.
Stella stared at her in amazement. "How are you not losing your mind right now?"
Avari shrugged. "My parents used to take me to parties like this all the time when I was younger. You get used it to it. Elite is the best of the best, right? We shouldn't expect anything less."
Gin wasn't sure she'd ever get used to it. Avari's confidences did little to convince her.
Golden tables and chairs surrounded an enormous central dance floor. Silk tablecloths covered each table, with matching bows adorning the backs of the chairs. The exotic wood dance floor gleamed, freshly polished. On the right side of the room, a buffet station was being set up. Layers of velvety fabric that made up the window drapes were pinned back, allowing the remaining sunlight of the day to filter in. Glittering strands of golden jewels hung down from the ceiling, drawing attention to the massive chandelier in the center that rivaled the one at the building's entrance.
"So why did they pick me again?" Gin asked faintly.
Avari gave her an amused look. "Well, there's a couple private schools that take students like us, but Elite is the biggest and most exclusive."
"And they gave me a free ride."
"Elite's the only school with the means to fund scholarship students, aka students from the non-magic world. They personally take them on so they get the best education possible, which preps them for life beyond. Because once you enter this world, you never leave. Going back is just not an option. It would be a huge disservice to set people who don't know what's going on up for failure. Everyone else here has had their name down practically since they were born, and most are actually legacies. It's just a matter of waiting until your powers kick in before they'll let you in, which is why most freshmen are older than usual. Anyone who is going to be someone goes to Elite," Avari explained. "But, naturally, not just anybody gets in either. They do have a few open slots each year for anyone not previously signed up to enroll, but it's a bloodbath to get them."
Stella was starting to feel a little faint, too, wondering how on earth she'd found herself among such high society. She knew the answer of course, but it was still hard to believe when her parents ran a fireworks shop back in her hometown. They weren't poor, but affording anything this extravagant seemed so far out of the realm of possibility.
Avari took a break from her lesson to look around the room. "Where are Lucas and Nero?"
"Oh! I think that's them by the door," Gin strained to look over the crowd. Thankfully, her heels made it a little easier.
"Hey! Boys!" Avari waved wildly until she got their attention. "Over here!"
"You know, calling our names would've been more effective," Lucas said dryly upon arrival. Never one to go full formal, Lucas wore black jeans and boots paired with a dark blue dress shirt under a black blazer. A silver chain was visible below his neck, and his orange hair was tied back.
Nero wore black dress pants and a dark red dress shirt, his black suit jacket already lazily slung over his shoulder. Multiple rings, ruby and silver earrings, and a little bit of black eyeliner smudged around his eyes added a punk rock edge, a reminder he didn't care for conforming either.
"True," Avari's lips curled down before turning back up mischievously, a glint in her eye. "But, if I recall correctly, weren't you supposed to be here to greet us? Huh."
Lucas scowled while Nero came up with a flustered excuse.
"Looks like boys do take longer to get ready than girls," Stella giggled.
"It takes time to look this good," Nero defended. "You can't rush perfection."
"His room's such a mess he couldn't find anything," Lucas deadpanned.
"Luke!"
Everyone burst in laughter until Nero peevishly interrupted to suggest they find a table before all the good ones were taken. Gin wasn't quite sure what was meant by that, since every table looked good to her.
Nero's version of "good" turned out to be a table against the wall, where he could keep an eye on everything happening around them.
"What are you, a gangster?" Avari raised an eyebrow, but quickly took the next closest seat to the wall, keeping herself less exposed. Lucas took the seat on the other side of Nero.
Over by the doorway, students continued to spill into the ballroom. Daphne on the other hand, was still waiting at the top of the sweeping staircase that led down to the main entrance. Happily deciding to go against the grain, Daphne had chosen a black sleeveless jumpsuit with a V-neck and slightly wide pant legs that screamed elegance. Her accessories popped thanks to the juxtaposition in coloring: yellow gold chandelier earrings and on her left wrist, a couple of matching yellow gold bangles. Her heels were tall and sparkly gold. Her sophisticated bun managed to be messy at the same time thanks to her dedication to perfecting it, and she completed her look with black and gold eyeshadow, mascara to bring out her lashes, and dark red lips.
Now all she needed was her date.
He appeared then, on the other side of the stairs. Daphne felt her heart flutter. Julian looked straight at her and smiled as he approached. He looked dazzling, even moreso than she'd expected.
It was really happening.
She accepted his hand as he offered it, together gracefully descending the staircase.
Ever since he'd asked her, it'd all felt like a much too perfect dream. The fact that she was actually walking into the room now as Julian Konzern's date and not as his friend was surreal. She was still half-expecting to wake up any minute now.
"You look beautiful tonight," Julian told her and Daphne did her best not to swoon. Her five-inch heels could be dangerously unstable if she lost balance. She already knew where they were going: the table Sophie and Wales were holding for them towards the center of the room just on the edge of the dance floor. A perfect spot.
Sophie was up ahead, looking radiant as always in the emerald dress that brought out the lighter shade of her eyes as she leaned in close to Wales, whispering in his ear. Klaus was there, too, as well as Aurora. The whole group had arrived.
Aurora's black silk off-the-shoulder princess gown looked like it'd been made for her, it fit so perfectly. Silver swirls formed the corset back and a dusting of black and silver glitter grew fainter and fainter from the waist to the hemline at the bottom of the skirt. Small, sparkling crystals lined the sweetheart neckline and waist, though in the center of the top embellishments a jeweled rose rested at her chest. Her makeup was modest, eyeliner and mascara with light blush and pink lipstick, but it was all she needed. As she reached for her water glass, Daphne noted her nails had been painted black and silver as well.
"Wow," Daphne commented as she sat down. "We look amazing."
Sophie giggled. "Is that a surprise?"
All around them, Daphne noticed envious stares. Normally, it was nothing. They were some of if not the most highly regarded upperclassmen. It came with the territory. Something about this was different. A few extra glares were fixated on her, notably from the psychic dorm of all places.
She ignored them. Who cared if those girls thought she'd stolen Julian from them? He was free to do what he wanted, to go to the dance with whomever he chose. They didn't automatically have a right to him just because they were in the same dorm. If memory served, his date last year hadn't been from the psychic dorm, either.
Still, it was becoming more apparent she was going to have to get comfortable with being closely watched. Jealousy was one thing, being judged for every step she made was another, even if those opinions didn't really matter to her. Being with Julian wasn't like being with anyone else.
Julian let go of her hand, offering to go get drinks. With Klaus and Wales also stepping away, it was time for some girl talk.
"So is it everything you hoped for?" Sophie asked mischievously.
Daphne rolled her eyes, but smiled good-naturedly. "Of course. This night has already been a fairytale."
Sophie pulled the girls in close, putting an arm around each of them. "And it's only gonna get better."
Sophie's eyes locked on Hikaru, who was walking past along the dance floor. "Hey, girl! Over here!"
Hikaru grinned and started toward her, pushing icy bangs out of her eyes. She wore a short dress the same color.
"How goes senior year?" Sophie asked as she took one of the empty seats.
"Amazing. I can't believe the stuff we're learning. I thought junior year was wild."
Daphne nudged her playfully. "Hey! You're talking to three juniors, you know."
Hikaru nodded. "I hope you guys are ready for it. Now it's going to be real."
A flicker of excitement shot through Daphne, almost making her wish she was back in class before she brought herself back to reality and remembered where she was. School would be there next week, events like this would not. Hopefully, Julian would be there next week, too. Even though she didn't want to get her hopes up too high, she knew he wasn't the type to use her as an obligatory date for the dance then ditch her. If he was simply looking for someone to make an appearance with, then he would've gone with someone from his dorm- it was the socially acceptable thing to do. Daphne knew this was something deeper. More dates had to be waiting in her future, they just had to be.
Daphne glanced toward the door, catching Julian returning with the drinks out of the corner of her eye. She wondered just how many more students were coming. The ballroom was massive, and even with already half the school accounted for, it was far from capacity. Hikaru followed her gaze, face lighting up when she saw a familiar friend walking through the doorway.
Ranmaru was running a few minutes late, just now arriving at the highly anticipated function, thanks to taking some extra time to talk himself up. He'd needed the pep talk. Tonight was the night. He had to tell Hikaru how he felt.
Or at least do something about it.
As he was uncomfortably all too aware, senior year was already speeding by, the first month well behind them. There was no telling where either of them would be in a year. Opportunities were slim and he wasn't going to get one much more perfect than the Welcome Back Dance.
Ranmaru had opted to wear a dark blue dress shirt paired with a black vest and matching dress pants. His tie added a pop of brighter color: light blue, with a silver crescent moon clip. His combat boots were dark gray.
He found her sitting at a table, though with a different group than their usual. She was with Julian's crowd, the "Elite Crew." Unsurprising, considering Hikaru was close with Sophie even if she wasn't quite one of the group's members. Hikaru navigated too many circles to stick to one group all the time. The aptly named Elite Crew was one of the only social groups with widely ranging power diversity, but no one questioned it thanks to the skill and academic merit of everyone involved, and more than half the school wanted to be part of it.
Hardly any students were on the dance floor yet- everyone was so focused on finding the perfect place to sit, putting their bags down, and checking out the hors d'oeuvres. Ranmaru noticed with interest that Kyoya was at the table as well, a very rare sight. Kyoya barely made an effort to show up at lunch. The fact that he was at the dance would've intrigued anyone who knew him, let alone the company he'd chosen to keep for the night. Ranmaru suspected he'd followed Hikaru over there. Despite their conflicting headstrong personalities, the two got along quite well. Kyoya didn't even remotely fall in with the Elite Crew, ignoring social strata altogether, but no one was about to make a scene and call him out on it. A quiet, sometimes cynical loner, he too had a reputation and incredible talent. Kyoya was not someone to be messed with.
He caught Hikaru waving him over. Summoning his courage, he reversed direction and headed toward the table. There were a couple empty seats, fortunate as he figured that would be where he'd be spending most of his time.
"Hey." He slid into an open one, thankfully right between Hikaru and Kyoya, which helped put his mind at ease.
"Having fun?" Sophie's eyes twinkled as though she knew exactly what he was up to. The girl always seemed to know more than she was supposed to. Ranmaru sometimes found himself surprised she wasn't in the psychic dorm.
Hikaru looked cute in her light blue dress, one that was very close in color to the uniform she always wore. "You look great," he told her. "The rest of you, too."
"Thanks," Hikaru beamed.
He was about to offer her a drink as the rest of the guys had done, when Julian, Wales, and Klaus returned.
"The appetizers are almost ready," Julian informed them, handing Daphne a glass with a pink umbrella that matched the shade of the fruity sparkling nectar it held.
"Cool," Ranmaru found himself nodding. "Anyone want to check them out?"
"I'll go." Hikaru was on her feet in an instant.
Sophie shook her head. "The rest of us will wait until the stampede dies down."
Sure enough, as she spoke the words the student body appeared to move like a rippling wave, all gravitating toward the tables. Ranmaru shrugged; Hikaru reached for his wrist to pull him along setting off a thrill that ran through him. He'd wait in line with her any day. Everyone else, it was their loss.
The others launched into conversation as they left, leaving Kyoya feeling quite bored. Sure, the group was fun, but they didn't hold his attention. Then again, he wasn't much of a people person.
"That's enough for me," Kyoya pushed his chair back. The others watched him go, bemused. He could only take so much socializing at once.
Kyoya pretended to walk without purpose, despite the fact that he knew exactly where he was going. His eyes were locked on a pretty dark-haired girl up ahead, who was waiting in line at the buffet tables just behind Ranmaru and Hikaru. He'd noticed her about the same time the other two got up.
"I'm not surprised to see you here," Kyoya commented as she approached. Gin spun around, obviously caught off guard. A light blush colored her fair skin.
"Hi, Kyoya," she said in a small voice. He wondered if she was remembering their previous encounters. "I've heard it is a surprise to see you."
Kyoya shrugged. "Gotta keep everyone on their toes, right?"
It was cute, how she seemed nervous around him, like maybe she'd heard some of the wilder rumors that surrounded him. Definitely the goody-two shoes type, he thought with amusement.
"I suppose," Gin bit her lip.
"What do you say we liven this place up?" Kyoya asked. Truthfully, he had no idea what he meant by that or how he could possibly make things more exciting, only that for once, he genuinely wanted to hang out with another person.
Her eyes grew round as saucers. "What do you mean?"
Kyoya paused, wishing he had thought that far ahead. "We could get out for a bit," he said finally.
Gin looked uncomfortable. "I don't know. We could get in trouble, couldn't we? Someone would notice us sneaking out. Besides, my friends are waiting for me."
She had a fair point. He didn't even know what they'd do if they did get outside. Look at the stars? Maybe, but he could do better.
"Alright," Kyoya relented. "But you owe me. Some other time."
Her eyebrows knit in confusion. "Owe you for what?"
He gave her a look that said she should know exactly what he was talking about, though he was just making it up on the spot. Something about her had intrigued him the moment he'd first met her. If the rumors were true, she was more than the average psychic student, too.
Kyoya blanched. If the rumors were true, she could be reading his mind right now, fully aware he was lying, floundering to come up with things to hold her attention. Or, more frighteningly, that he found her attractive. She could know everything. Suddenly panicked, he gave her a wave and a wink before leaving her alone at the front of the table, trying not to come off as aggressively frantic in his escape. His face immediately morphed into a scowl and flushed red. That had been way too close.
Normally, he was more than content to go it alone, but now he was cursing himself for it. He had no idea what he was doing. He might've excelled at most things thanks to his unending determination, but girls were another thing. He'd probably looked like an idiot in front of her. Still, it wasn't going to stop him from trying to talk to her again. This time, he'd be ready. Every experience was something worth learning from. A new plan was already formulating in his mind.
Kyoya looked back at his table with a grimace. Was it too late to leave for the night? He'd mostly come for the sole purpose of seeing her- it wasn't like he knew where to find her otherwise, without creeping around her dorm, which would disturb everyone and make things awkward- and it had been worth it just to talk to her, but now he very much wanted to collapse in his bed.
Kyoya's shoulders sagged. Two teachers were stationed by the door. They'd most certainly ask questions if he tried to go early. The ballroom had its own set of bathrooms so he couldn't use that as an excuse, not to mention he'd developed a reputation with the staff. For now, he was stuck. He'd have to find a new corner to skulk in back against the wall where hopefully no one would bother him, but at least there was food. The usual dining hall was closed for the night.
Back at her table, Gin was already sitting, chatting with that girl from the poison dorm. Maybe he'd crash their party later once his shaken confidence returned. Ultimately, he wouldn't regret his decision to come then. He could salvage whatever weirdness he might have created. Gin being a tad naive would likely work in his favor.
For now, it was back to his own, where Aurora was getting up, the others having finally made their way to the food now that the line had died down. For the moment, he'd be the only one there, and he planned to enjoy the solitude.
Aurora sighed, pushing her chair back in. The dance was wonderful, but she just couldn't get into it. Getting ready with Sophie had been a blast, but once Sophie had met up with Wales, she'd kind of lost her momentum, not that she held it against Sophie. She was a bit worn out, that was all. Guaranteeing she'd be fine for the four-hour dance was a struggle, but Aurora had forced herself to use every bottled-up drop of her power before leaving. It left her drained more than anything. She hoped some food would pick her up. She could run back to her dorm room at any time, even if she was hoping to avoid the eventuality. "Perks" of being a student in the dark dorm.
She couldn't even fiddle with her hair to ease her nerves as she walked up to join her friends at the still unsettling long line. The sides of her wavy silver hair had been pulled back, all braided and twisted up into a rose-shaped bun. Tucked atop the bun was a glistening black rose comb. One curled strand did hang in front of her face, but she didn't want to mess with it. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, calming herself. She brought her hand up to the black diamond rose pendant she wore, matching the small earrings she wore: black roses adorning silvery vines with sharp thorns.
Once again, a flash of silver the same shade as her glittering stiletto heels captured her intention. Before she even turned, she knew it was the boy from the bookstore. Her breath caught.
This time, she could actually see him. His hair was a bit shaggy, but in a cute, intelligent way rather than unkempt that suggested he wasn't about to let it go out of control even if he was too busy to properly tame it. The exact color of his eyes was a bit difficult to make out from a distance, but they looked to be a purple shade, with some blue undertones.
And naturally, that meant he could see her. Aurora felt like a deer in headlights when he caught her staring. She paled and tried to look away, but it was already too late. He was on his way over.
She hadn't left the table, so she grabbed her water glass, pretending to be very invested in it while also giving her something to do with her hands.
Maybe he'd just walk past her, she hoped. It was probably some weird coincidence and he'd been heading this direction anyway. He couldn't possibly be interested in talking-
"Hi."
To her.
"Hello," Aurora said shyly, putting the glass back down. "Sorry about that. I must have spaced." It was best excuse she could come up with, and in her case, it was fairly believable.
"No problem," he smiled. "I'm Toby. From the Gray Dorm."
Aurora nodded. With everyone out of uniform, it was hard to tell who was who. "Aurora. From the Black Dorm. It's nice to meet you, Toby."
"Likewise." He was perfectly friendly; she felt herself relax a bit. Her dorm reveal hadn't changed the mood. She was still more on edge than him, though that was quickly fading. "What year are you?"
"Junior," Aurora replied. "I don't recall having seen you in any of my classes."
"You wouldn't have," Toby shrugged. "A lot of my classes get lumped in with people from the Brown and Green Dorms. Thankfully not the White Dorm."
Aurora cocked an eyebrow, not getting the joke. "You don't like the White Dorm?"
"No, no! Not at all," Toby said hastily. "What I mean is, our uniforms are so similar looking, with them having the bits of silver. It confuses the teachers sometimes. Actually, I'm convinced that's why they keep the two groups apart."
Aurora gave a small smile. "Like the Purple and Amethyst Dorms being so close."
"Yeah! I have to wonder who came up with this system. It sounds good in theory, but in practice... Not so much."
Aurora giggled. "There's plenty of colors they missed out on. They could've made the Amethyst Dorm the Orange Dorm!"
Toby's eyes lit up. "True. Would've worked great with the unintentional Halloween theme that follows that dorm. Are you going to get something to eat?"
"Yes, I am," Aurora paused. "Would you like to come with me?" Her boldness surprised her.
"I was about to suggest the same thing." Somehow, Toby's smile managed to grow broader.
He was really nice, Aurora reflected as they approached the tables and crowd. She reached for a plate. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she might just take a chance and live in the moment as Sophie so often pestered her to do. She needed to get out of her own head for a bit.
After the appetizers came dinner, which had just about everything imaginable. It was hard not to leave with an overloaded plate. The dining hall was usually top tier quality, but this was a whole new level. The school had stopped at nothing to throw the perfect, high class welcome back dance. The student body fully appreciated the effort. Perhaps the opulence was another way of helping prep students for life after school, when they may very well find themselves attending a gala or other crucial event. Or maybe there was a different motive, to remind the students that Elite was the best of the best and they would do well to remember it.
Ryuto had gotten up from his table. Avari wouldn't have noticed, had she not just glimpsed him as she took the last bite of her dessert, pushing the empty plate away from her.
"God, Stella," she murmured. "There are some seriously hot guys in your dorm."
Stella didn't look convinced. "I don't know about that. He's probably one of the few." She followed Avari's gaze, thinking about some of the less appealing boys she shared a hall with.
Avari's lips curled back in a smile. "Oh, that's right. You're more interested in the fire dorm."
Stella blushed, but couldn't react. Ryuto had come over to their table and was now squarely in front of Avari, who was clearly struggling to hold it together. In the scant time she'd taken to talk to Stella, she hadn't paid attention to where he was going and was now at a loss for words.
"Dance?" Ryuto raised an eyebrow.
"You have got to be kidding me," Avari stared at Ryuto's extended hand in disbelief for a full five seconds before accepting it. Of all the things she'd been expecting tonight, this was by far the last. She rose from her chair slowly, then allowed him to lead her out to the dance floor. He knew what he was doing. If Ryuto wanted to ruin his own reputation, that was his call.
Stares and whispers followed their every step. Avari blocked them out, confidently placing her arms around Ryuto. Finally, it was her time.
Stella and Gin were all atwitter back at the table.
"Oh my god," Gin said, eyes alight with excitement for her friend.
"Go Vari," Stella murmured.
Nero leaned back in his chair. "Well. This should make things interesting."
"I don't get it," Gin commented. "Why does everyone seem to hate the poison dorm so much? She has just as much right to be out there as everyone else without being watched or judged."
"It's not like they're hurting anyone," Stella added.
"They're not," Nero agreed, deciding it was time he enlightened the girls because Avari was clearly never going to. "But the thing about poison isn't that they're the most dangerous, or anything like that. Lots of us pose a threat if we turn. Fire can incinerate a body to nothing, ice can freeze permanently, water can affect blood flow, plants can strangle. Granted, the majority of users don't go bad, but poison is different. It's seen as inherently bad. Some consider it to be... unnatural."
Gin and Stella looked at him, lost. "Unnatural?" they echoed.
"Poison students only come from elemental families. Plant elemental families. It's incredibly rare, but poison is seen as a sort of mutation, the powers coming in all wrong. That's why everyone avoids them. They think something isn't right about them because they don't have the standard-issue plant abilities."
"Well that's disgusting," Stella blurted.
"Totally," Nero nodded. "Personally, I think it's bullshit. I mean, look at Lucas. He's ice and his brother is water, but no one looks at ice like it's bad. It's just a different path. Some plants are poisonous, so it's not even unsettling or a weird leap when you actually use the brain power to think about it. But apparently poison means the person is corrupted, end of story, whereas ice gets a pass."
Lucas provided more insight. "It's deeply ingrained in society. You've seen it in action. Anyone who was raised in this world knows to keep distance. You two both talked to her because you didn't know better, and didn't realize you weren't supposed to."
"And Luke and I don't care," Nero put in bluntly. "This 'society' is so outdated it's painful. Most poison elementals vanish after school anyway, if they even graduate and I don't blame them. Who'd want to stick around if they're only going to be shunned?"
With that, Nero stood up. "Enough with the social commentary. We can critique the idiots in charge later. Let's dance!"
Lucas looked at him, speaking in a flat tone, "I told you before, I don't dance."
Nero pouted, but on the inside a new fire had started to burn.
Challenge accepted.
"If Avari can dance, you can dance," Nero responded blithely, looking out at the girl on the dance floor.
Avari knew plenty of eyes were still on her even after the initial shock had faded, and she could not have cared less. What did it matter if her presence was somehow affecting their night? It wasn't her problem. They needed to get used to it, because she wasn't going anywhere.
For a moment, even if it were only a three-minute song, she was blissfully unaware, as though she were younger again, dancing at one of the balls her parents brought her to. And, as much as she'd despised being stuck at the stuffy events back then, she was suddenly quite grateful for them.
"You're pretty good at this," Ryuto commented.
Avari fluttered her lashes. "Surprised?"
"Not in the slightest. You're a girl of many talents," he teased.
This was too much fun. "Don't I know it."
"Melting your desk was just the start."
"Hey!" She wanted to playfully push him, but refrained. It was nice to be held and she wanted to savor the feeling while it lasted. Outside of her friends, this was the first time anyone had shown interest in her since arriving, especially this kind of interest. She'd missed it.
He twirled her around, laughing and feeling freer than she'd felt in a long time.
When he pulled her back in close, she shivered involuntarily. Once again, she hoped Ryuto knew what he was doing, because now that they'd started, she didn't want to stop. The song ended, but they kept going. His golden eyes were unfairly mesmerizing. Breaking her gaze seemed impossible.
Another slow song started up, much to her delight. Props to the DJ. She would gladly wait a little longer before tearing it up on the floor with the others to some overrated party jam. She moved in a circle, catching the table out of the corner of her eye. King had joined Stella, the two of them now talking animatedly. Nero was practically tugging Lucas to his feet, refusing to take no for an answer.
"C'mon." Nero wouldn't hear a word of Lucas's protests. They'd started to morph into thinly veiled threats, but Nero tuned them out. Luke would thank him later.
Or more likely, he wouldn't, but Nero knew deep down he'd appreciate it even if he didn't voice the sentiment out loud. That was all the reason he needed.
Nero succeeded and led Lucas out on the dance floor, his eyes fully trained on his reluctant, scowling dance partner. He knew plenty of others were out there with him, but Luke was his priority. His brother was probably out there too with Daphne, come to think of it, but Nero didn't waste time spending it on Julian. The rest of the world may have followed Julian's every step with awe, but that didn't mean he had to. Nero was just glad the paparazzi treatment didn't extend to him. Once they figured out he wasn't putting up with them, they left him alone.
"Nero, this is bad, I can't, there's too many people-" Luke's guard slipped just enough for Nero to see the stab of fear shooting through him, which only made Nero more determined to make this a positive experience for him. Lucas tugged on the ever-present hair elastic he kept on his wrist.
Nero took his hand and locked eyes. "You'll be fine. I promise."
And then they danced. Nero took it slow, step by step, but Luke caught on quickly. He was a fast learner, which made it all the better. It didn't take long before they fell in step with everyone else.
He could feel his dance partner relaxing by the end of the second chorus, thankfully. Lucas had been so stiff when they'd first got on the floor Nero wasn't sure he'd ever loosen up. He'd half-wondered if Luke would topple over like a plywood board. Of course, Nero would have been there to catch him.
"See? It's not so bad," Nero smirked, while his own heartbeat pounded.
"Hm." Luke's face only held the ghost of a smile, as though he were struggling to hold it back. He wasn't about to give Nero the satisfaction of being right.
It didn't matter. Nero knew he'd won this battle. Both of them were having fun, and Lucas looked damn good thanks to that semiformal vibe he gave off. It suited him well.
Tonight was absolutely going down as a favorite.
He'd only known Lucas for a short amount of time, but Nero felt it had been much longer. They saw each other so frequently, they may as well have been roommates. Nero had known from that first moment he encountered Luke in class that day in September, he was going to be someone important to him, and not just because he was the younger brother of his own brother's best friend. Nero let go of him as the song drew to a close, so they could head back to the table. Perhaps it was a little too presumptuous to hope for another dance just yet, but if he were lucky there might be one more by the end of the night.
Regardless of any disagreements between them, Nero knew they both had each other's backs. And while he couldn't quite say how Luke felt, Nero knew without question there was nothing he wouldn't do for the "ice prince."
And that's when Nero knew he was really in trouble.
With dinner and dessert past, dancing was the only thing left to do, other than socialize, which wasn't exactly an option at this point. Aurora was softly talking with Toby from the steel dorm, her back facing away from them. Everyone else was out on the dance floor. Sophie and Wales, Daphne and Julian. Both couples twirled and whirled in conjunction with the rest of the student body. Dresses swished all around, the fabric coming close to grazing their table, brushing up against the chairs.
Aurora occupied, it was him and Hikaru. There was roughly an hour left. Ranmaru took a deep breath. Was it his imagination or did Hikaru have an almost expectant look on her face? If he was going do this, it would be now.
Ranmaru stood up, reaching his hand for her. "Hikaru, would you-"
Her violet eyes stared at him unblinking, but he never got a chance to finish before being interrupted. The loudspeaker suddenly blared over them, demanding, drowning out the music which was instantly silenced. Everyone froze where they stood.
"All students please report to their dorms immediately."
A moment passed before anyone twitched in the slightest. The dance couldn't be cut short; it was unthinkable. Those sorts of things just didn't happen.
The teachers sprang to action, ushering the students along. Dazed, people moved toward the tables to collect their things, staring up at the ceiling, from where the order had come as though it held the answers that didn't come. A confused hush fell over them, quiet whispers permeating the air.
Ranmaru hadn't moved, his hand still waiting for Hikaru's, the unspoken question still lingering on his tongue. She'd already stood up, slinging her small purse over her shoulder, ready to join the crowd building at the door.
So much for that.
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