Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 2 - Haze of Shadows

Chapter 2.6 - Finding Her Feet

Kylie was booored.

The redhead let her feelings show on her face while she stood next to the punch bowl, dressed as the warrior character class from her favorite videogame. Her rich red hair was set free from their usual pigtails, instead sheltered by the dome of a foam helmet, made to closely match those worn by Roman soldiers. How she managed to still wear her glasses under it was a product of her own ingenuity. Covering her ample chest was a breastplate of the same material, painted in such a way that it appeared iron forged. It stopped short of her navel, baring her belly to open air. Leather bracers were wrapped around her arms while a combat skirt of the same material supplied modesty below the waist. More foam had been used to manufacture pauldrons to cover her shoulders, as well as greaves to guard her knees down to her shoes.

She was particularly proud of how her hand-crafted costume had turned out. She might suck at some things, like cooking and athletics, but if there was one thing she knew she could excel at, apart from anything history related, it was arts and crafts. With that cheerful thought in mind, she gulped down another glass of punch.

The hall was dark, yet brilliantly lit at the same time. Lights of blue, yellow, red, green, and white shone from plastic jack o' lanterns scattered everywhere. Upbeat music pumped out of the large speakers at every corner, stirring the dancers dressed as ghosts, zombies, dark lords, princesses and fairies. The floor was covered with multitudes of dancing figures, and chatter filled every table.

Well, almost every table. Juniper sat alone in the place reserved for the Student Council, having been abandoned by her members, who had either taken to the dance floor or escaped into seclusion with a current object of affection. Seeing the Native American girl with gold, canine eyes in familiar isolation, the redheaded Scot decided to join her.

Contrary to what everyone thought about Kylie the motormouth, she had no preference towards actively socializing. She wasn't an idiot. She knew a lot of people disliked her for some reason or other, even if she had no idea what reason that was. Only Yumi and, more recently, Jay showed an indication that they genuinely enjoyed having her around, but that was enough. Juniper might appreciate the same kind of company.

While Kylie neared Juniper, her studious emerald eyes took note of her costume from top to bottom. The dusky skinned girl with straight, raven hair fashioned her look after the classic Lord of the Vampires, Dracula, with a more feminine flavor to it. Beneath the black cape with a scarlet underside, she wore a short, dark gown with fishnets running from her shoulders down to her hands, as well as upwards from the low neckline in halterneck fashion. She also wore slick, black, high-heeled leather boots with garterbelts reaching up into her skirt.

As a whole, it was pretty well made-perhaps it was standard for her, being the Student Council President and daughter of a powerful and accomplished Senator, whom she heard was now planning to run for presidency of the U.S.A.

With her false fangs sitting on the table, the Student Council President was chowing down on ribs, pasta, and fish fillet like she had gone without food for a week. While she maintained the posture and manners of a proper lady, albeit at a much faster pace, Kylie had seen her pop by the buffet table at least five times now, filling her plate to its limit each time.

The redhead plopped down on a seat beside her unceremoniously, interrupting the Student Council President's feast and surprising her.

"Good thing the caterers brought a lot of food, huh?" Kylie said with a huge grin.

Juniper swallowed what she had been chewing on and replied with a matter of fact tone. "Naturally. I was in charge of a majority of the preparations despite having only a month."