+ The Drag Pageant +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Yasogami HS auditorium
When: Afternoon of Wednesday, July 16
Rating: PG(-13)
Summary: The drag pageant.
The Story: Whether you're there as a voluntary or involuntary contestant or as an audience member looking for a laugh, this is where threads for the drag contest go!

There will be three top-level threads to help keep things organized: one for the sign-up sheet (which characters will have access to all week); one for Tweedledum to ask questions of the contestants on stage; and a third for the audience. Give me a couple minutes to post them and then have at it! Please make sure to label threads open or closed. ♥

Comments

[usskickass]

She blinks away newly formed tears and wipes them off her cheeks with the back of her hand. She can't quite fathom this boy wanting to go that far for her. Being sympathetic to a girl crying, that's one thing. But confronting people for her? Even if it's just a teacher, it's a lot to do for someone. And they aren't even classmates.

"You'll do that for me? I-- I mean. They don't usually let you change it anyway, so. And you don't know me..." Why?

[path_to_dawn]

Why's a good question.

There's a lot about this that rubs him the wrong way. The whole thing smacks of bullying, and since he doesn't know the perpetrator, maybe rallying this other person's spirits will assuage the growing aggravation Riku has about the situation.

And who just casually gives the brush-off to someone that upset, anyway? Geez. He scoffs, rolling his eyes as he shrugs.

"C'mon. It's not that big a deal. 'Sides. Maybe you'd do this for someone else in a bind," he turns away, flipping up a hand, "I'll just tell 'em they got the wrong name."

[usskickass]

She's quiet for a moment, not sure what to say. It's like he doesn't know how much this means. Maybe he doesn't. Eventually she manages, "I'd try."

This is a bit of an understatement, of course. She'd flip tables if this happened to someone else. But it's not quite as easy to stand up for herself.

"That's real nice of you. 'specially since you don't go here. Don't even know your name."

[path_to_dawn]

His sure stride breaks; the sole of his sneaker skims the floor without really settling down, because he's turning around, one eye peering at the other stranger with a blink of surprise. "Try?" he repeats, and there's huffed laughter in there, incredulous.

"Man," Riku exhales, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you trying to sound hopeless? Try it again, but more like this--"

He closes a hand into a fist, feels foolish doing it, but there's just this dumb dork he knows back in his own neighborhood, and for some reason his enthusiasm lights up everyone's day. "'You got it!'"

Because everyone has bad days.

Because maybe it'll help.

Riku drops his hand, "Anyway. I'm Riku. If I see you next year, I wanna know what I'm supposed to say, besides 'hey, you'."

[usskickass]

Beiste stares, a little baffled by his bravado, but at the same time...well, it's actually the sort of thing she'd do if things were reversed. She shakes her head a little bit, laughing softly-- and then louder, covering her mouth.

"Ahaha, I'm sorry, I-- I don't mean to laugh atcha." She drops her hand, clears the laughter from her throat.

"This is somethin' I'm...pretty sensitive about, and I. I guess I didn't expect to get caught while I was still upset about it." She waves a hand vaguely. "Folks don't get to see me like this usually. And if they did I guess I figured they'd leave or somethin'. Not stick around and make me laugh."

She sighs and, after another moment's hesitation, sticks her hand out. "Beiste. Shannon Beiste."

[path_to_dawn]

Laughter's an infectious thing; Riku does a poor job disguising a huff of laughter behind his fist when Beiste begins to attempt to stifle her own. He drops his fist to his hip, attempting to look as though he disapproves, though there's true mirth in his eyes.

"That's gratitude for you."

Then he smiles, if only for a moment. Then that's over, and he steps forward, intending on swatting aside the offered hand in favor of bumping his forearm against the other's, fist clenched. "It's cool, Beiste."

[usskickass]

She accepts the bump, grinning sheepishly. "Alright. But I do owe you one."

Beiste glances back at the list, surprised at how much less it hurts now. Although it does still hurt.

"And I won't forget. Promise."

[path_to_dawn]

That has all the weight of a real promise, Riku thinks as he lowers his arm. "Hey, I'm holding you to that," he reminds. It might be nice, coming to a new school with someone who knows his name, and someone who he recognizes.

It's something to look forward to when the cherry trees bloom again, since there's always a little bittersweetness to the whole 'moving towns' thing.

He gave up on hoping he might convince his best friends to switch schools within minutes of inventing the idea. It was hopeless. But maybe... he might make new friends, like how they had no problems making do without him.

"Remember what I said," Riku adds, "Got the wrong name." No showing up on a stage quailing, now! Or, at least, not without a few friends to back you up.

[usskickass]

She smiles. "Yeah. Must've."

And with a shy smile and a wave, she heads off, intending to find a bathroom to fix her makeup.