Open Mostly Thorns

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah wasn't sure why she decided to come to the dance. She didn't have a date but that wasn't new. She had been hiding all day and had expected to continue that tonight. But there had been a moment earlier that night when the rest of her roommates had left, when she had been all alone that she realized she couldn't stay up in the tower all night. That was a fate more depressing that sitting at a table alone. There was also a part of her that didn't want to be defeated by such a silly holiday. She wasn't going to be shamed into staying away just because she was single and everyone wanted to pity her. She had grabbed a cupcake before sitting down and the heart shape in the icing was so neatly decorated on top made her frown. With a quick swipe of her finger she scooped up some of the icing and ate it, leaving just a red blob behind. A voice that sounded like her mother reprimanded her for doing something so unladylike but she didn't care and did it again.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper had never had a date to one of the school dances, but that didn't stop her from attending and enjoying them. The food was always good, and she wasn't going to pass up a chance to stay up late, laughing and dancing with her friends. Admittedly, dancing was a little more difficult during the Valentine's parties, what with the abundance of slow music, but Harper just made do by taking more frequent snack breaks.

The music switched to a classical piece that sounded a little sad to Harper, and she decided that was her cue to leave the dance floor. She made her way to the tables on the side and quickly filled a plate with some pastries. As Harper glanced around, looking for an empty spot or perhaps a friend to sit next to, she noticed one of her classmates frowning at a cupcake. She watched as Delilah deliberately ruined the iced design. Harper decided to make her way over. "Hey Delilah! Mind if I join you?" She nodded towards the cupcake in the girl's hand. "Not a fan of all the hearts?" she asked lightly.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah looked up quickly when she heard someone asked to join her. She pulled her face into a polite smile when she realized it was Harper. She felt herself automatically sit up straighter now that she wasn't alone and feeling sorry for herself. "No, go ahead." she said quickly and gestured for her to take a seat. She was momentarily confused by the other girls question until she looked down at her deformed cupcake and feel a little bit embarrassed about the red color that seemed to have stained her finger a bit. "Not exactly." Delilah admitted a bit sheepishly. "It's just all a bit much, don't you think?" she added with a shrug.

 

[Harper Alston]

Harper gave the girl a cheerful smile as she took a seat. She pushed her plate forward a little, a silent offering in case Delilah wanted something more than the mangled cupcake. There was more than enough pastries for two people. At Delilah's question, she laughed a little, not unkindly. "It definitely is," she said, nodding. "I mean, the falling petals alone are overkill, but did they really have to make the tables heart-shaped?" The strange shape meant she was positioned at an awkward angle from the other girl, and there was barely enough room for her plate. Despite the criticism, she looked around the room with a fond smile. She'd grown used to the decorations, and as garish as they were, she'd probably find it stranger if they weren't there. "Maybe Professor Alicastell is just really into Valentine's Day and romance and all that," she joked before taking a bite of a heart-shaped cookie.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah smiled as Harper offered some of her snacks and she reached out and picked up a cookie that was minimally decorated with white icing and festive sprinkles. She usually avoided sweets because she thought indulging in those sorts of things was immature but she was quickly realizing that kind of thinking was a bit useless to her now. So she took a bit of the cookie and tried not to mind the crumbles that fell onto her dress. She didn't mind the petals that much but found the inescapable pinks and reds much worse. Delilah smirked at the table comment. "It hardly seems like a functional shape for a table." she pointed out in agreement. She considered Harper's theory about Professor Alicastell and frowned. "Isn't she divorced?" she blurted out without thinking. She was momentarily embarrassed to let a comment like that just slip out. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the headmistress wasn't around before laughing.

 

[Harper Alston]

"At least they didn't try to make the chairs heart-shaped," Harper said with a grin. That would have been very uncomfortable. She gave Delilah a blank look when the girl mentioned that Professor Alicastell was divorced. "Is she?" Harper genuinely didn't know. She had never given the headmistress's marital status much thought, though she supposed it would make sense if the professor was divorced. After all, if Professor Alicastell had a partner, Harper assumed she would have seen them around the castle by now. "There goes that theory," she said with a laugh. Of course, it hadn't been a serious one to begin with. She took in the room as she finished her cookie. "Well whoever's in charge of the decorations obviously doesn't believe that less is more."