Not Your Typical Night
Prep-aration

Keiko sighed with content as she allowed the salon wokers to buff her nails under the hair dryer. She could get used to this. All day had been spent pampering her like a princess.

She thought of her royal blue dress, hanging in her closet. It made her fell…well, royal. Especially with the way the triangle of sequins sparkled as they grew more and more frequent down her dress, right down to the hem. She remembered the feel of the cloth against her skin.

The dress hung on a special hanger, along with the synthetic pearl necklace she had decided on. The accessories, of the same style, were on top of her dresser, where she could see them every day and imagine herself in them.

She liked pearls. Sure, they symbolized tears, but couldn't that mean they represented tears of happiness?

"Okay, honey," she heard the voice of the hairdresser as she turned off the machine. "You're done." She led her to the swivel chair to toy with her hair.

Keiko glanced at herself in the mirror after every other procedure was complete. "Knock 'im dead, gurl!" she whispered and gave herself the thumbs-up.

Yusuke's 'date', Amber, looked critically at herself, staring at every detail. Her dress was of black, rather simple, and she'd bothered to do nothing with her carrot-colored hair. A black choker of intricate design clung to her throat, and the matching earrings dangled from her ears.

She may have been dressed simply, but she looked beautiful.

Toni had requested that Kurama ("Shuichi") go with her to search for a dress. She hadn't been one of those boot-licking fangirls that had begged him to take her. In fact, it had been HE who had asked HER.

"I hadn't thought you would wait until the last minute," he commented softly outside the dressing room door.

"I didn't know I was going," she reminded him as she slowly opened the door. A prom dress of white hugged her anorexically-slim figure as she performed a series of critical poses in front of the looking glass.

"I look like a bride," she complained. Kurama turned her around so she faced him.

"Does it matter?" he asked her, delicately placing a finger under her chin and leading it upward so she looked into his eyes. "You look exquisite," he told her.

Getting lost into his green orbs, she understood why so many of the girls were crushing on him. She hadn't been one before…

He smiled and took his exit to allow her to dress.

"So, who's the guy?" a woman teased her niece as she fixed her up.

"No one special," replied Toy. "Just some boy named Kazuma Kuwabara." She had made it clear she didn't like him and was just going for a good time. A few dances with the idiot and she was free to go off on her own and chill with her gal-pals.

"Ah." After applying the silver eye shadow, she added, "Okay. Get into your dress before I take down your curlers."

Toy did so. It was a sky blue, similar to Amber's, but was of silk and had two lines to help 'slim' her look. Her aunt slowly liberated the rollers and piled half of the spiral locks on top of her head. A few wisps of bangs were allowed to cover her forehead while rhinestone bobby pins held the rest into a pattern towards the back. Her jewelry was all diamond-like zirconium and her nails sported silver polish.

"Ooooh," her aunt cooed, impressed with the result of her work. Two of Toy's cousins (ages 3 and 4) came tumbling down the stairs. "Doesn't Toy look like a queen?" she asked them. They nodded.

"Get a picture with Toy!" They rushed over obediently and grinned cutely as the camera's flash temporarily blinded them all.

"Let's hop in the car. Can't keep Toy's 'date' waiting! She's already fashionably late."