| The dance is in full swing, the floor flooded mostly with the girls while the guys mostly hang out at the edges in small clusters between slow songs when their dates drag them out. Ellis was out on the dance floor with a few friends, but she's headed back to the table claimed earlier in the night to loose her shoes.
Being new has hindered her social life a little, but not as much as Amelia thought it would. The wilting Like A Virgin Madonna look-a-like is fanning herself with a piece of paper card that has the names of the local businesses who donated money to the dance's fundraising committee. As she fans herself she walks around and looks for a familiar face, unintentionally bumping into Ellis when she rather suddenly comes to a stop in front of the other girl. "Oh! Pardon me," says Amelia, her accent immediately obvious. "I am terribly sorry. I was all turned around. You haven't seen a bloke named Kelly have you?"
"Sorry!," is Ellis' immediate apology as the two run into each other. Turning she offers the other a smile, "Kelly..." she considers where he might have gotten off to with a quick glance about the space. "He's probably avoiding dancing," she replies not having spotted him. "Aren't you that new exchange student?" A bit obvious yes, and not meant to be rude, but she's heard there was and maybe seen her about but they haven't officially met yet.
Amelia's face falls. "Drat. He promised to introduce me to more people." She switches the paper card to her other hand as she continues to fan herself. "It was the accent that gave me away," laughs Amelia. "Or was it my pasty English skin?" Another quick glance confirms the boy is nowhere nearby. "I'm Amelia. Amelia Lancastle-Smyth. And you are?" The last is posed with curiousity.
"A bit of both maybe?" Ellis suggests with a smile and a soft laugh. "I'm sure he'll turn up sooner or later," she assures before offering her own name in return. "Ellis," a bit of an afterthought with everything else going on this evening, "Valencia."
"I do hope so. I'd rather enjoy mocking him again for having a girl's name." The grin she flicks Ellis' way shifts into an open mouthed surprised exclamation of, "Oh!" Then she explains with, "You were one of the people he was going to introduce me to. That's rather convenient. I don't know many people really. Kelly. Tabitha. She is meant to be around somewhere, I still need to find her. And I know Gilly, which was rather a shocker as you can imagine."
Or not she she doesn't elaborate on that portion of her statement.
Ellis laughs. "He's one of my best friends," she notes, not at all surprised that she'd be on his list of must meets. She doesn't however comment on his having a girl's name. One of the names listed however doesn't seem familiar and while she tries to place it she can't quite. "Gilly?"
"He seems nice." Amelia reaches up and pushes her mask up into her curled and partially dyed hair. "Kelly I mean. Gilly is...Gilly. Gildart Dunmore. He used to go to my school - that is we went to the same school before. In England. And I sound like an utter fool. Shutting up now."
It's really hard to miss Tabitha, so she must have stepped out for some air, or to the restroom and water fountain.
She's been unable to drink anything all evening due to the copious amount of stuff she has covering her face. But when she returns, it's easy to notice. Except for the fact that she looks nothing whatever like herself. So Amelia might *notice* her, but not exactly *recognize* her. The fact that her ensemble is decidedly masculine in nature, for one, and the fact that, given her particular lack of feminine curvature, she pulls it off pretty well, combines with the shiny brass and leather gas mask over her lower face, the red-lensed half-goggle over her left eye and the top hat brim shading the quarter of her face actually visible to form a rather viable masquerade. And she, for her part, barely recognizes Amelia in her costume, from a distance, but Ellis, she knows, and so she heads in that direction.
Ellis nods. "He has his moments," she agrees of Kelly before realization strikes when the other boy's full name is mentioned. "Oh! Art," she puts the obvious pieces together. "Yeah? I lived down the street from him before he moved over there. And you're fine, Really."
Sensing someone approaching them, Amelia half turns and sees Tabitha while not knowing it is her. "Fantastic costume. You should win, whoever you are in there. That is way more creative than Malibu Barbie over there." A dismissive hand flicks towards an overly tan blond girl in a bikini top and a sarong. "Your dress is rather pretty too, Ellis," offers Amelia, suddenly thinking the other girl might feel left out.
Now that Amelia's mask is up and Tabs is within such range not to be confused by the curled hair (hair has always been more recognizable to her than faces, masks or no, so sudden haircuts or changes of style have a tendency to throw her, especially among new acquaintances), she inclines her head in a silent slice of gratitude for the comment, then, reaching into the holster pouch held against her left thigh with a brass-buckled belt around her leg, she pulls out-- no gun, at all, because that would be a bad idea at school, but an orange. An orange studded with cloves around its surface. Which having been extracted, she hands to Amelia.
"It is... interesting," Ellis adds her own comment on Tabitha's costume, her attention drawn to it by Amelia and not quite sure what to make of it herself. The orange, as its produced, is just stared at for a moment before she turns a questioning look to Amelia as if to ask 'Do you get it?'
Amelia laughs when she is given the orange. "Sort of. I get who it is anyway." She turns the orange over and offers it to Ellis to examine. "Shall I tell her who you are, mystery fruitier or is it to be a secret?" She hooks a thumb in her updated feminist version of the original belt buckle, rather than being a BOY TOY Amelia is NOBODY's TOY.
Tabitha lifts a hand to the brim of her hat, tapping it with her joined forefinger and middle finger, dipping her head in a permissive gesture. Go on ahead. The fact that Amelia doesn't know what to do with the orange, well, that she blames herself for, for not explaining it back when Amelia was helping her clove the fruit. She's either playing mute, tonight, or else just can't be heard underneath both the music and the mask.
The dance is in full swing, but off to one side an androgynous anachronistic gunslinger, a Madonna Like A Virgin look-a-like and a girl in a pretty dress and mask stand looking oddly at an orange with cloves studding its flesh. They're talking a little too.
Once again Kelly slips through the doors, this time (thankfully) unhindered by Mrs. Perkins and her fun-crushing toadie. His jacket is awol, his tie loosened to the point of uselessness and his mask pushed up onto his head..though really that probably happened on the drive over. He is oddly absent a date for the moment, not entirely strange considering the couple and their volatile little spats. What he is not absent of is a grin, and it's a wide, one at that. He heads almost directly for Ellis to the girl he hopes is Ellis. Could be Elle. It's a coin flip these days.
"It's Tabitha," Amelia says, explaining who the quirkily costumed gunslinger and fruit giver is. This explanation is offered to Ellis, not Elle so Kelly might be safe if he is indeed heading towards the trio and not across the gymnasium. "I'm boiling, you must be literally roasting in there Tabitha." Amelia looks the girl's costume over again and shakes her head in amazement. "I feel lazy touting out an old costume from a party. You must have spent hours on that." Somehow wearing lingerie and a tulle skirt pales in comparison to having a full on leather and brass facial get-up.
Kelly is incoming, but the cloven orange has already been deployed, and so Tabitha turns her back to Ellis and Kelly, resting her hand on Amelia's shoulder, briefly, and turning her head to the side to offer Amelia as much of an expression as she's able, the way her eye's squinted mirthfully indicating a grin below the mask. Then a wink. Or a blink. It's hard to tell when only one eye is visible. She taps Amelia's shoulder once, then lifts one finger, gesturing up and down Amelia's outfit before tweaking her thumb up the side of her mask. Her forefinger returns, arm extending as she backs away from Amelia. She'll be right back. A folded sheet of paper that looks to have been bent underneath the weight o the orange in her pouch is pulled out, unfolded, and she flashes it briefly to Ellis before going to post it near the refreshments.
Donovan step back into the gym from the hallway after heading to the bathroom. He glances around when he returns, looking for his date. He finally spots the group near their table and heads over, his mask still placed over his face. He offers a smile to Tabitha as she passes by on her way to the refreshment stand. "Hey." He offers to her before he moves towards Ellis and the others gathered.
Ellis sends a wave towards Kelly finally spotting the boy who'd been asked about earlier. "Hey," replied to Donovan along with a smile as he returns. "Amelia, Donovan," she introduces the two hand waving from the Madonna clad girl beside her to the boy in the mask. A glance towards the paper Tabitha flashes her results in a blink.
Tabitha smooths the piece of paper out by the punch bowl, then, looking at it thoughtfully, inspired, perhaps, by the buzzing of cell phones in everyone's purses, she withdraws her own phone from the bottom of her holster, snaps a picture of the piece of paper, and sends it to every school friend in her phone. Which is, like. Six. But hopefully it'll spread from there.
"I have no idea what that was, Ellis, but I think it was approval." Amelia fishes her phone out of the front of her bustier and snaps a photo of Tabitha from a distance. "Oh, hey," she offers Donovan a grin. "You were in the coffee shop the other day, right?" At least she thinks it was him, with the mask on it is hard to tell. Her gaze drops to the screen of her phone and she smirks as she sends off a quick message only to look up and snigger, seeing Kelly. With her mask shoved up into her hair, she might be recognizable even with the fake dye giving the blonde girl roots. "Some mate you are, I had to find your friends on my own," she taunts Kelly.
Donovan moves in to stand next to Ellis, offering a smile to Amelia as he's introduced to her. "Hey." He offers with a smile before he nods and chuckles softly. "Yeah, but you had to leave before we could properly meet." He offers with a smile before he glances over towards Tabitha at the table. "I think you've got a fan though." He offers with a soft laugh before he looks back to Amelia then to Kelly as he's addressed. "Slacking again..." He says, shaking his head slightly before he smiles to Ellis. "Making new friends?"
Ellis nods, "Yeah well something like that anyway," she replies to Donovan, still more than a little confused by why she has a piece of fruit in her hands. "Orange?" she offers it over to Donovan since Amelia's already had it.
"I think you're meant to remove a clove with your teeth before you give it to him and then he has to kiss you," Amelia ever helpful to lovers worldwide, beams at the pair of them, holding up her phone, the light from which shines on her cheek. "At least according to the rules." She sends a little message off again.
Donovan smiles and chuckles as he hears the conversation at hand, an eyebrow raising at the offer of the orange. "Sure, why not?" He says as he reaches for it, but stops when he hears Amelia's words, chuckling softly. "Well, if she wants me to kiss her, all she has to do is ask." He says with a playful grin before he leans in and gives Ellis a kiss on the lips. "I'll be more than happy to oblige."
Tabitha huddles with herself up near the punch, reading on her phone for a long while. Amelia thinks she's brilliant. She'll just read that a couple dozen times.
Ellis blinks, narrowing her gaze at Amelia for a moment. "Eww," she replies given the instructions. "Who know's where that's been." She is not putting any part of it in her mouth for that simple reason. That momentary look of disgust turns to a smile when Donovan steals that kiss. and she laughs lightly, "See, no strange props required," she says offering it back to Amelia.
"It has been - never-mind." Amelia just smiles when she is given the orange and tosses it up and down in her hand like a ball, pondering her next move. "I'll leave you two to your polite kissing. It was nice to meet you both." She reaches up and pinching her mask between thumb and forefinger lowers the lace back over the upper half of her face.
Bonnie returns from refreshing herself at the ladies room. She makes her way over to the punch bowl and Tabitha.. "What..." She chuckles.. "What are you doing? We're not exactly adult-free." She says, trying to keep her friend from getting into trouble."If I need to drag you back out onto the floor to keep you out of trouble, I will."
Donovan smiles as he chuckles to Amelia before she lowers her mask and starts to leave to join the others elsewhere. "You don't have to go." He offers before he shrugs his shoulders slightly as he glances towards Bonnie and Tabitha before he looks to Ellis. "Would you like to dance?"
Tabitha turns about when Bonnie addresses her, one eye wide as she looks from one side to the other, moving her head since her peripheral vision isn't awesome in this getup. If she protests, it's muted underneath her mask, but she steps away from the table with Bonnie, sliding her phone back into her holster.
Whistling to herself Madonna a.k.a. Amelia finds a rather forlorn looking wallflower of a boy. "Hello there." She twists the orange in her hand. "If I give you this and you take it to that girl over there," with her head she indicates a wallflower of the opposite gender, "then tell her if she pulls a clove from it that you will be her chivalrous knight," which isn't just a play on the courtly custom but also the boy's costume, "and kiss her hand." The boy blinks at her and looks very uncertain. "Go on," encourages Amelia, grinning at him. The boy goes, but reluctantly, looking back at Amelia every so often and undoubtedly giving the game away. It doesn't help that her hands make shoo'ing motions.
Bonnie looks at the holster as she continues to drag Tabitha to the floor. "Did you need to call someone? We could go to the limo if you don't want to slip out of character." She says with a smirk as she starts dancing. "Also, I doubt the administration will be cool with this 'kissing' game. Besides..." She smiles devilishly as she leans in and whispers something to the girl.
"Later," Ellis sends after Amelia before looking back to Donovan. "As soon as I get out of these shoes," she replies to the question of dancing putting a hand on his shoulder for balance to pull first one heel and then the other from her feet. That was the original intention behind returning to the table anyway.
Tabitha shakes her head slowly at the question, her arms out before her as she's drawn out onto the dance floor. Hardly unwilling, but definitely unused to people actually wanting to dance with her. She does note that Madonna is putting the orange she'd spent so long cloving to its proper purpose in mixing up the shy and dateless among the school population. Then, her one visible eye widens, then narrows as she dips her head sort of shyly at Bonnie, breaking her character for just a moment before she steps back into it, back straight, arms certain as she takes one of Bonnie's hands in her own, plants her other hand on the small of Bonnie's back, and begins to dance with her in earnest, with the long, fluid motions of a long-time dancer, the ballroom steps unadorned but solid. She's better with ballet, but this is the time for courtliness.
Amelia watches carefully to see her handiwork come to life. She grins broadly when the reluctant courtly knight pays a courtesy to the fair maiden, a fair maiden dressed like Pucca. One takes one's pleasures where they can. Feeling smug she snaps a little photo to tweet then tucks her phone away and goes out on the dance floor to make everyone else look good.
Donovan stands there as Ellis uses him as a balancing post while she takes her shoes off, chuckling at her comment. "I'll do my best to not step on your toes, but I can't make any promises." He offers, holding up his hands. "I'm not a great dancer, but I'll do my best." He offers before he leads her towards the dance floor, swinging by their table so she can drop off her shoes.
Bonnie smiles as she dances. "Now, Tanner's a good dancer.." She says, as she tries her best to keep up. "But he's got nothing on you. Did you take lessons or something? This is, like, "Dancing With the Stars" good.." She chuckles, her breath getting heavy with trying to keep up.
Shoes removed and left to lay under her chair, Ellis reaches for the glass of punch she'd left earlier to take a long drink before letting Donovan lead her off onto the floor. "I think I'll live," she assures.
Tabitha isn't going to do anything too fancy, either because it's not her strong suit or because she doesn't want to outpace her partner. Even dressed as flashily as she is, it's the fellow's job in the dance to make his partner look good, and so she keeps her pace understated, leading Bonnie through a few simple flourishes that make her dress move in a way to catch the eye. If she's hard of breath, it's not obvious underneath that mask she's wearing.
Amelia is not a skilled dancer. She's one of those people who dances like the world is going to end, in other words she waves her arms about like she has nothing to hold her back. In fact her costume goes well with all the bouncing about she does, tulle skirt and hair flying. Every so often she has to shove her phone back down in her bustier but otherwise manages to keep everything in. As she energetically bounces past Tabitha and a girl she doesn't know Amelia gives Tabitha a thumbs up that Tabby can see with her one visible eye and shouts over the music, "Nice one, Tabitha. Keep at it and you might pull!" With a laugh she bounces off again, spinning vaguely in time with the music.
Donovan drains the last of his punch as Ellis takes a drink from hers before he leads her to the dance floor. He glances around to the others, seeing how they dance for a moment before he does his best to move along with the music, but not step on her toes.
The song ends and Bonnie smiles, flushed. "I think I'm ready for some of that punch." She looks at Amelia and checks her out, smiling. She turns to Tabitha. "Might Pull? What's that, get lucky?" She chuckles and bounds over to the punch bowl, not really caring what's in the punch. "Whoo!"
Tabitha can't have punch. Well, she can't have //this// punch, because someone was not considering those who are on medications which react badly with alcohol when he spiked it. Her hand follows after Bonnie when she runs after the punch, but otherwise she stands still, just a little terrified of the prospect of... pulling. If that's what that means. It's time for a strategic retreat to the corridor to de-mask and get some water from the water fountain. She bows deeply to Amelia, lifting her hat in a tip and then jumping forward to put the hat on Amelia's head, displaying the mass of braids she's made of her hair before she bounces off for the hallway for a moment or several.
No one really needs to know how to dance at these things. Not really, mostly its just about having fun. Ellis does well enough at keeping her feet out Donovan's way as well as she moves with the music.
When the song changes into something a bit more sedate and distinctly coupely, Amelia slows to a gradual halt. Wearing her fabulous new hat she hooks her thumbs into her NOBODY's TOY belt buckle and saunters over to the punch. "Hey," she offers Bonnie a little breathily, reaching out to fill her plastic cup using the ladle.
Donovan is happy with himself as the first song ends and the next one comes on, being a more slow song. At least there's a less chance of him stepping on her toes. He moves in closer, slipping his arms around her as he moves with the slow beat of the song.
Bonnie looks up as she grabs a second cup of punch. "Hey you." She says with a smile. "I'm Bonnie." She grabs another gup and offers it. "Punch? You look great. I love the retro." She looks as Tabitha wanders off. She's a might concerned but decides not to follow for now. "Are you new here?"
Ellis wraps her arms around Donovan's neck as the slow song starts and he pulls her in closer. He might think that'll make for less chance of stepping on toes, but closer counteracts slower just as much. Good luck boy.
"Thanks," says Amelia. Never one to turn down a drink. That she already had one doesn't mean anything for she simply glugs one, thirstily then slows down to sip the other. "Yes, I started last week." Setting down her empty cup she offers her now free hand to Bonnie, "Amelia. I think I saw you earlier with the bitches guy." She herself had arrived with Gildart who's off mingling somewhere; clearly not a date then.
Bonnie shakes the offered hand and chuckles. "Tanner, yes, the walking party. he asked me to this thing. If it weren't for him, I'd be outside picketing... But that's a whole other subject and I'm tired of being the downer, so..." She grabs a third cup and drinks it down. She has enough control to not go "Whoo!" one more time, since it would alert the adults that there was *too* much fun being had. "Welcome to Lantern Hill, then. I'm sure it's totally different from where you're from. I'll start by apologizing for that." She says, with a chuckle.. "Yeah, I asked Art who you were.. He was trying to be aloof."
Donovan smiles and holds Ellis close to him as he moves along with the music, managing to keep her feet out from under his. He rests his cheek on top of hers, enjoying the feeling of her close to him. Though it may be the punch or whatever was put into it, Donovan's hand starts to move to the small of her back, resting there for a moment before it starts to drop down slowly.
Tabitha takes a little bit of time outside to breathe some fresh air and sit on the stairwell, fighting against a creeping tightness in her chest as, unmasked, she turns back into Tabitha and everything sort of sinks in, with her armor removed to let it do so. She stands before her lethargy can set in, and goes digging underneath her phone in her pouch for her little orange pill bottle, popping it open and putting a pill on her tongue before leaning down to drink from the water fountain. Then, pills away, she straps into her mask once more and squares her shoulders, taking a deep breath and going for the gym doors, showing up again and triangulating a trajectory toward her hat, which is hopefully still on Amelia's head.
"Tanner? American names are so different. Boys have girl's names here." Her mouth hitches up into a grin as Bonnie becomes a little sarcastic. "It is rather different. Gilly, I mean Art and I went to the same boarding school. I'm going to have to work hard to convince him I'm not a stalker I think." Amelia sips her punch and says, "I can't imagine why he needs to be aloof. We aren't a thing. We were just mates." Nodding to indicate the approaching Tabitha who is coming up behind Bonnie, Amelia says, "I think she is brave. I'd feel claustrophobic in that." Reaching up she lifts the hat off her head and waves it like when were the master of ceremonies in a circus show.
Bonnie laughs.. "Wait until I tell him that..." She nods.. "Well, Art thinks he's God's gift to the world, so of course you'd be stalking him. Boy flirts with anything with a pulse. Everything's about him." She chuckles.. "I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he were a Capricorn." She smiles, feeling better when Tabitha returns. "Quite the opposite, actually. She's more claustrophobic when she has to be herself."
Tabitha strides before Amelia and lowers herself to one knee like a knight waiting to be knighted, torso angled slightly forward to facilitate her re-hatting before she springs back up to her feet and puts her hands to it, making sure it's snug and secure before she inclines her head in a gesture of gratitude to Amelia, placing her fist over her heart, then spreading her fingers to gesture to Bonnie, then to Amelia. They've met, now?
Ellis doesn't seem to mind the hand on her lower back, but when it starts to creep further... "Watch it," she whispers, pulling back just enough to send Donovan a warning look even as she sends a glance around him on the look out for Mrs. Perkins.
Donovan gives a sheepish grin as he looks to Ellis, his hand returning to the small of her back as he looks around the area for a second to see who saw that then back to Ellis. "Sorry." He says with a soft chuckle. "Won't happen again." He offers with a smile.
"Oh, no," laughs Amelia. "Tanner is a surname, not a girl's name. I meant other boys." Tabitha is dutifully and summarily given back her hat with a curtsy which looks well practiced. "I'm used to boys like Gildart. The whole sixth form was full of them. Entire school really." Amelia can just shrug off the arrogance and the other stuff about astrology well she doesn't comment instead sipping her punch and nodding to Tabitha's silent question.
Bonnie looks to Amelia. "Well, I'm not used to such misogyny. Makes my skin crawl at times, but then, I like to let the boys play their little games." She smiles and nods to Tabitha. "Yes, I've met the Lovely Miss Pond." She says with a wink, a play on Amelia's name. "What about you.." She asks with a look of concern. "Are you okay? Need to take off?" She finishes her fourth cup of punch.
Tabitha is good, and shows it with a jaunty thumbs-up, rocking forward onto the balls of her feet, creasing the toes of her boots and then, struck by an idea, she pulls her phone from the holster pouch at her side, opening up her camera and trying to get the girls to pose for her by pointing it in their direction.
Bonnie ohs and squeezes in with Amelia for a photo. "Oh! Hold that thought. Too much punch." She says as she runs out to the ladies room again.
"Yeah right," Ellis replies given Donovan's assurance it won't happen again. She doesn't believe that for a minute, but it doesn't really seem to matter as she settles back in against him for the remainder of the song.
It may happen again, but at least it doesn't happen again during the song. He continues to hold her close until the song ends, when he looks at her and smiles. "See! It didn't happen." He says with a chuckle before he kisses her forehead again as he waits for the next song to play.
Amelia is happy enough for Tabitha to take her photo. Afterwards she knocks back the rest of her punch. "Come on," she says tugging on Tabitha's hand. "Let's go dance. Being next to me will make you look even better on the dance floor." Clearly not the least bit bothered by her lack of skill, nor in expecting Tabitha to protest, Amelia heads off hoping for a faster paced song. As she passes by Ellis and Donovan she blows them a kiss. Maybe two cups of spiked punch in quick succession wasn't a good idea.
Tabitha would never begrudge a lady, especially one who just let her snap a photo of her. Her phone goes back into her holster, and she jumps off after Amelia, beginning to dance even before she meets up with her, a more free-form, modern dance, matching Amelia's flailing style, moving in counterpart to her and along with the beat of the song, dancing together in close quarters, but not close enough to summon the staff.
Ellis laughs, "Okay, okay," she teases back to Donovan, shooting a smile after Amelia as that kiss is blown in their direction. "Come on," she says then, arms dropping from the boy's neck to leave one to grab his hand intent on pulling him over with her to join Amelia and Tabitha as the beat picks up.
The dance is still going strong, though some people have drifted in and out. Somewhere around the room an orange with pieces of clove stuck in it is circulating amongst the wallflowers; a veritable fruity spiced ice breaker. Out on the dance floor there are several people doing various types of dancing some fairly good interpretations exist and some others which are not quite so good. Amelia falls under the category of the not quite so good. She isn't horrible but what skill she lacks is made up for with the wild abandon and joie de vie with which she tackles the dance. Tabitha, although she is not easily recognizable as such, dances with her and the barefooted Ellis with her date Donovan aren't too far away.
Having somewhat disappeared into the crowds is Gildart. Having seemingly danced with one of the classmates earlier though right now just returning from the restroom. Grinning as he studies those that are dancing.
Tabitha is probably among the more skilled dancers in the crowd, all things considered. But she's throwing out her training to partake in the free expression of motion and emotion right alongside Amelia, the dozens of long whips of narrowly braided hair flying around her head in time with her rolling and swaying and rocking, arms up in the air following the whipping motion that rolls through the rest of her, as though she were on a roller coaster.
Dash has connected.
Donovan laughs and nods at Ellis' comment. "Sure. I don't think I'm a good fast dancer anyway." He says with a chuckle as he lets her lead him towards the others, offering them a wave and a smile as they arrive near them. "Hey guys. Don't make fun of my awesome, sweet dance moves." He says, not knowing if they actually saw him dance or not.
Among those dancing it seems that, while lacking skill, the Green Hornet dressed Dash is all over the place. Having enjoyed quite a bit of that spiked punch earlier. Coming near Tabitha and Amelia, grabbing the arm of one of the girls. Not quite certain about who he is grabbing. To try and dance and have fun.
Amelia laughs as she dances, spinning in a little circle. "I never mock anyone's dancing," she says loud enough for Donovan to hear her over the music. "Dancing should be about pleasure not control." She swipes Tabitha's hat and dons it, crushing down some of her curls. She laughs as a stranger grabs her arm, not the least bit bothered. "Hey," she grins, draping an arm around the Green Hornet briefly before dancing away. Spotting Gildart in his Phantom of the Opera costume hovering near the dance floor Amelia blows her old friend a kiss and motions for him to come have fun with the rest of them.
Gildart chuckles at the dancers. The blown kiss making him smirk, starting in their direction. Doing what he can in the way of dancing. Nothing spectacular but perhaps good enough for a jock. "You all seem to be having fun." Looking to Don and Ellis as well, with a nod of his head. Though he won't bother them too much, perhaps understandably so for some people. Finally he looks at his phone as it vibrates it does cause his eyes to go wide. Cursing being heard before he clenches his jaw. "I got to... Check something." He says and something seems to have him quite upset.
Tabitha is dressed (half-convincingly) like a bloke, so if Dash is grabbing at girls, she's probably safe. She laughs aloud when Amelia steals her hat, not that it's audible, muffled by the mask she's wearing and then obfuscated by the music. She misses a step when the Green Hornet shows up, checking out his costume and then giving him a thumbs-up for his idea. She reaches out for Amelia, giving her a spin and leaping frolicksomely in the opposite direction from the spin.
Dash chuckles and smiles to Amelia, "Hey there." He offers, though soon enough she spins away. Giving thumbsup to Tabitha as well, "Same to you!" Trying out some weird looking spin moves and almost go crashing towards Don and Ellis.
Amelia looks pleased that Gildart took her up on the invite and even hip checks him once or twice before getting pulled into a spin with Tabitha. As she reaches the furthest point of the spin she kicks up a leg, which almost hits someone, before she is pulled back in again. The hat is given back to Tabitha, its rightful owner. "Gilly?" She looks over her shoulder wondering what has him upset. "Okay, sure. Ring me if you need me." With that she turns back into the dance, not wanting to meddle in his personal life.
Gildart does offer a small smile to Amelia at the hip check. Though at her questioning reply about his name, he sighs. "Something up with my car." He offers, nodding to her before running out.
Tabitha wraps Amelia up into her arms as she spins back in, snugging her quickly before she lets her go again, lifting both hands to her head to make sure her hat's on securely, looking after Gildart. Car issues via phone? He must have one of those smart cars.
Dash does crash against someone that shoves him to the side. The two ladies dancing does catch Dash's eyes. Even if one of them is dressed as a bloke. Grinning and even giving off a whistle to them both. Then starting to laugh a bit as he dances. Almost looks like he's doing the dougie.
"Punch," states Amelia as she begins to dance, or rather bounce her way towards the edge of the dance floor. As she walks from there on out she lifts her hair off the back of her neck with one hand and fans herself with the other. Maybe punch and a table? Like a good English girl she joins the line for punch and while waiting snags herself a couple of unfamiliar items off the trays of finger food. Her gaze trips around the crowded gym, looking for where that orange of courtship has gone and keeping an eye out for Gildart's return since he's her ride.
Tabitha snags Amelia's hand as she goes to retreat, bowing toward it and pressing the middle of her mask to the top of Amelia's hand in place of a kiss before she lets the other one head off for punch, and, herself, she's going outside for air, or maybe home. Even with all her armor on, big social gatherings of the conventional variety are still not entirely her thing.
Gildart does return soon enough. Looking quite upset as he moves for Amelia. "It's all messed up!" He says and seem pissed. "Someone ruined my car!" He says and fists clenched. Looking around the area a bit, though most focus on Amelia right now. "Sorry. But not sure I'm in much of a festive mood."
With his continued failing and falling and stumbling it does seem that Dash is soon enough tossed out. Most likely a teacher or similar spotting his state. About to ask him questions most likely.
Caught in the act of spitting food into a napkin, Amelia wrinkles her nose a bit beneath her mask. She wipes her mouth and asks, "What happened? Did they let the air out of your tires? Spray paint it?" Reaching over she rubs a consoling hand along his arm. "Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to ring for a taxi? Do you need to wait for a tow?"
"They wrecked it." Is all Gildart offers, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine. I'll find them though." He says with a frown. "Don't wanna ruin your night." He offers to her. "Thanks though." She might be able to tell that he would want company. Just too proud to ask for it.
"Don't be daft, Gil." Amelia pushes her mask up into her hair and slips an arm through his. "Come on, we will walk. After all, we're British we don't have to be petroleum dependent." She gives him a cheeky grin and tries to nudge him towards the exit.
Gildart chuckles softly and nods, "Thanks." He offers. "I've already seen to that the car is taken cared off for now." He offers, sighing. Letting her pull him out of there. "At least you're always positive. I've missed that." He offers with a grin.
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