ALEX GARCIA
zzzzoutfit - #3A0A4D
to be alive: not just the carcass, but the spark.
that's crudely put, but. . .
if we're not supposed to dance, why all this music?
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Alex knew that heâd agreed to go to the ball, but personally he would have preferred to skip the whole thing. Every time he went to some sort of event lately, something went wrong and he fought with Phoenix, he nearly died, or both. He didnât like his odds. But he also knew that he needed not to be a puddle of paranoia if he ever wanted the chance to live a normal life again, so he kept the most anxious thoughts to himself. They werenât helpful, anyway. He didnât stop threatening to wear his nicest sweatpants, though.
But he knew Phoenix would want him to wear something nice, so he obliged. Heâd done his best to coordinate with Phoenix a little. Maybe it was cheesy, but Alex hadnât gotten to try his hand at a high-school romance with the matching shit for dances, so this was the next best thing for him.
The event was traditionally a masquerade, but Alex had no intentions of wearing a mask any time soon. The thought of it brought back a rush of memories that he wasnât particularly fond of, so instead he focused on making sure his hair had that perfect balance of devil-may-care about it.
He sighed when Phoenix called out for him. It wasnât as if he werenât ready to go, but he knew that every time he proved to people that he could dress up a little and look nice, theyâd expect it again in the future. That was a lot of future potential pressure. (Though, it wasnât as if Phoenix had never seen him dressed up a little more than usual. He occasionally had to for work. This was different, though.) âIâd rather be wearing sweatpants, and Iâm not wearing a tie.â He called back as he stepped into the hall, and then he broke into a grin.
âYou look great.â He said, even as he reached out to adjust Phoenixâs tie. There wasnât really anything wrong with it, he just needed something to do with his hands in that moment. He didnât say it, but his eyes expressed a fairly clear damn. howâd I get so lucky? Sort of sentiment.
âWe donât have to stay for the whole thing, do we?â He asked, taking half a step closer, bringing himself even more within his boyfriendâs personal space bubble, âBecause, uh,â He raised his eyebrows as he glanced over Phoenixâs body again, âI can think of so many other things Iâd rather do right now. In and out of that suit.â He winked at Phoenix, then leaned in to kiss him right on the jaw. Damn, he loved that man. So much.
ZOE PEĂA
outfit - mask - #6E9ECF
i thank you, friend, from all my heart
the one you shaped, gently and smart
for all you've seen
and all you've been
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Zoe wasnât sure what to make of a masquerade ball, but Jaiden had said she was probably going, and Zoe suggested they should meet up there so they could hang out together. She didnât know why, but the very thought of it brought butterflies into her stomach. Jaiden really was such a nice friend. When her dress had arrived, Zoe was a little frustrated to find that it was much too long. Even with heels, inches of the fabric would brush against the floor when she walked. Sheâd complained about it to Phoenix, and then went to the internet to try and solve the problem. Zoe hadnât even known Alex knew anything about sewing until heâd come over to look into hemming the dress for her.
Sheâd started to understand, the more she got to know him, just what kind of person Alex really was. When she asked him about taking in the sleeves, he whisked her away to his abuelaâs house. She was, apparently, better with things like that. At the end of it, the two of them had her looking- and feeling- like a proper princess. She couldnât thank them enough, but Abuela said that was what family was for. Zoe hadnât even fathomed she might consider her family, and it brought her to tears, knowing there were still people that looked and sounded and spoke in a similar way to her family back home, and that they cared about her. Abuela invited Zoe to come to dinner sometime, on the weekend. Alex and Phoenix normally tried to stop by and eat with her at least once a week, and what was one more mouth to feed?
Zoe couldnât wait.
She spent hours doing her hair and makeup on the day of the ball; she wanted everything to be perfect. When she was finally happy (and had gone through an entire package of bobby pins, and probably an entire can of hairspray), she figured it was time to make her way to the mansion where the masquerade was to be held. It was beautiful. Sheâd never been into a house so big, and wasnât entirely sure of what to do, but she decided to take her cues from the people that had already arrived. She grabbed a glass of champagne, and went about admiring the various artwork and furnishings that she could only dream of affording.
After a few minutes of this, she pulled her phone out of her clutch and sent a quick little text to Jaiden.
Let me know when you get here. :)